Posts by admin:
- Beans and Rice
- Turkey
- Chicken
- Steak
- Chicken Teriyaki
- Chicken Parm
- BBQ Chicken
- Bean and Cheese
- Pulled Pork
- Buffalo-style Chicken
- Steak
Resting through trials
July 30th, 2013
Have you ever had something change your life or caused you to pause in your tracks even if it was not your trial or situation? It has been hard to post something about anything lately because my heart has been heavy. Things that seemed important just do not feel important as other things.
If you have not seen my comments lately one of my college friend’s husband passed away yesterday. He has been struggling for close to a month. He had been receiving chemo treatment for cancer that had returned after being in remission for 3 years. There was a Facebook group created to pray for her husband after he was admitted to the hospital more than 3 weeks ago because he could not breathe really well. Seems like the chemo treatment created some sort of toxicity in his lungs.
As a pharmacy technician, I have seen and read so may things when it comes to medication. There are pros and cons to taking it and when I realized that my friend had to go through this side effect of taking a medication in order to eradicate cancer, it confused me. It did not make sense to me at all.
If anything, asking God for clarity and strength was my biggest challenge. I wanted to be strong for my children but once I found out that he passed away, my day was crushed. I have not really lost a loved one except for a great-aunt back when I was 16 so it has been A LONG time since I have experienced a friend’s passing. Even though I was friend’s with his wife only, I knew of his character and his love for Christ.
There is amazing testimony of his being a great witness and lover of Christ and even though I am saddened that he left 3 small children and a wife behind, I know, I KNOW that he is in heaven with no more suffering and pain. This reminds me that this life is short and it is temporary. I only imagined being in my friend’s shoes and wondering how I would react. Would I crumble? Would I be strong and understand God’s plan?
Goodness, I have been a Christian practically all my life but I have never felt the way I felt yesterday. I felt devastated and crushed. I felt saddened to a point of feeling depressed. I wish I could be there for her, hold her and help me. There is a reason for everything and I know that this will make everyone stronger.
Someone shared this verse and it resounded deeply with me:
2 Corinthians 1:3-8
New International Version (NIV)
Praise to the God of All Comfort
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 5 For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. 6 If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. 7 And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.
I was challenged. Am I living my purpose and being an example to others? Do I show the joy of the Lord as my strength or am I relying on the things of this earth to satisfy? What is bringing meaning to my life and am I only being defined my the things God has blessed me with or am I defined by HIM?
As you can see, I am going to have to process a lot of these questions with Scripture because there is a reason.
If you feel so moved or inclined to donate to my friend who is now a widow with three children under the age of 5, please consider giving to a fund that has been created for their family. They have a lot of medical bills to take care of and it would be very helpful. Thank you!
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Cherry Tomato Galette
July 26th, 2013
I found out this week or more rather that my husband has been craving something like this dish and he had not told me until tonight. There is nothing better than eating in-season produce. The body naturally wants it because the summer calls for luscious fruits and vegetables.
I recently started following and pinning all and every recipe from PBS Food. One of the food bloggers, Aube Giroux that posts on their blog regularly writes on her video blog, called Kitchen Vignette, that focuses on farm-to-table cuisine. Pick me!
I picked this recipe earlier this week and had pinned it because I was not quite sure I would make it, but the more I thought about it the more I wanted to make it. The recipe is super easy and quick even though the dough has to refrigerate beforehand.
This galette or fancy French pizza reminds me of France so much. It made me nostalgic for all things Paris. On every corner there was some pastry shop or cafe that one could sit and sip some hot coffee. So delicious!
Have I convinced you yet? The galette could be prepared with any veggies. I am already thinking about making it with zucchini or perhaps I would make a sweet galette with plums or peaches.
The pastry is adapted from Smitten Kitchen so immediately you should know that this is a no fail.
Check out the original recipe and video on the PBS Food page. The only thing I slightly adapted was adding Italian seasonings to the filling. Make this NOW!
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The “Cleanest” Frozen Burrito —- Red’s All Natural {Review + Giveaway}
July 25th, 2013
Disclosure: I received product for review with no compensation. All are my own.
Red’s All Natural is one of the “cleanest” frozen product on the market, which is very unusual in the frozen food aisle. All Red’s products are 100% all-natural, non-GMO, preservative-free and made with antibiotic and hormone-free meat and rBGH-free cheese. Red’s also only uses authentic, handmade tortillas made from the simplest ingredients.
While I do not always buy prepared frozen foods, I was very curious to try these products seeing that sometimes I do not have time to make my own lunch with 2 little ones in the house.
How did Red’s All Natural’s start? Founder and CEO, Mike Adair was enjoying a homemade burrito created by his wife, Paige, when he realized it was a meal so perfect and delicious it just had to be shared with the world. With the approval of their trusty dog, Red, Mike and Paige launched Red’s All Natural using Paige’s original recipes.
My husband asks me all the time what foods are authentic when it comes to Mexican food, so I will continue with that question and tell you that these products are definitely more Tex-Mex, hearty, and flavorful with their special twist. You’ll see why.
The burritos and quesadillas can all be heated in the microwave or cooked in the oven for those who prefer not to use the microwave.
How many types of burritos and quesadillas does this company offer?
Burritos:
Quesadillas:
You can go to the site to check all the ingredients for each product but they really all taste all-natural like one would make at home. I did not taste anything out of the ordinary. I mean they were somewhat boring but I am a fresh foods type of gal. I always think about how I can make something better. The outside picture on each box did not look exactly like the actual product. I felt like there could be more steak or more chicken. In general, I would stick to the beans and rice burrito.
I do have to say, though, that the quesadillas were my favorite over the burritos. I felt like the burritos all tasted alike. How do I mean? They all had more of a beans and rice taste to them than anything. Actually, they gave me indigestion because of the combination of ingredients but I know someone out there would be willing to give them a try.
Want to try them? The company has graciously provided me with 10 coupons to try these products. TWO people will get a chance to win 5 coupons each.
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Taking a Stand #GiveACup
July 24th, 2013
Image and value provided by our partner, Peet’s
Do you give a cup about anything in particular? I know that the phrase sounds amusing but it is the phrase used in a new campaign by Peet’s Coffee. They are launching their new single cups that has taken around 5 years to perfect. To celebrate this journey, they are launching Give A Cup, the Internet’s very first social sampling experiment. Each week, you and I can go to doyougiveacup.com and vote on a topic. The topics are fun, current and sometimes a bit quirky. Your votes determine where Peet’s Coffee hosts their sampling events each week.
So what do I give a cup about? My kids! I can talk about them all the time because they have changed my life in such a great and wonderful way. They make me smile and laugh. There is never a dull moment.
I learned recently that I am a lioness when it comes to my kids and people getting in the way. Maybe some people would call it getting defensive but I call it mothering. I am a mother hen and I love protecting them. I do not think I have ever felt so strongly about anything until now that I have babies.
Anyone ever felt like this? I give a cup about everything and all about my little ones and I want everyone to know about it.
What do you give a cup about?
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Best Buy Mobile Specialty Stores
July 22nd, 2013
Disclaimer: The reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free
Need to get a new mobile phone but dreading the experience of shopping for one?
I had no idea that Best Buy had Mobile Specialty Stores and that they had a trade-in program. These shops are found locally in malls or in your neighborhood shopping centers, and are focused on mobile devices and accessories.
I have had my Verizon Motorola Droid 3 in a drawer in case my LG Intuition died. It was time to see what I could get for my old phone especially since I have been wanting to get some accessories, like a bluetooth.
Could I be eligible for a Best Buy Gift card ? I learned more when I visited my local specialty store. I thought my phone was in good shape so I was happy that perhaps I would be getting around $60. Was that true? No, my phone a few more scratches on the screen than I noticed so I found out I was only getting $27. Boo.
Well, not so. I found that that amount could go towards any yellow sticker in the store. What was next? Was I eligible for an upgrade? YES! We walked over to the Verizon phones and found out I could either choose the Droid HTC or the Samsung 3 which are older models but still very popular. I would get either phone for $1 if I added a hotspot to my plan. The hotspot would also be $1 too! Hmm could I add this to our family plan? It sounded very tempting especially since we travel.
I was super impressed with all the information my salesperson knew. I found out that they are highly trained, yet non-commissioned, so they can help determine the right phone for you, as well as compare plans across the carriers. They can set up and activate your new phone, transfer your contacts and data and set you up with the complimentary Walk Out Working™ program. To find a Best Buy Mobile specialty store, go to www.BestBuyMobile.com
I plan on making the trade-in as soon as I can decide what phone i want. My husband and I will be going to the store to clarify the deals but another thing I found out is that the special phone deal was only happening in OUR mall store. It was unique to them so you never know what your specialty store could be offering.
Find a participating Best Buy Mobile specialty store and see if you can trade in your old phone and you may get up to $200* back : http://bestbuymobile.com/
