Five Years Ago....

Well, I am on a role!  I guess in this season of life, blogging is not something I do frequently.  I have tons of ideas to share and things floating around in my head but sitting down to the computer for fun is not always what I want to do.  I spend many hours a day online working.....so my downtime is often spent doing something other than starring at the screen!  Today, I had a few minutes and wanted to share a milestone in our marriage.

Yesterday was our fifth wedding anniversary.  It is hard to believe that we have been married for half of a decade.  He loves to tease that his life has been so hard as a married man but I know the truth!  Five years ago he officially acquired a maid and cook which is something he enjoys more than not.  I enjoy having a constant support system, a handy man, and someone to call me at work in the middle of the night to make sure I am still awake.  Thanks, Bubby!!

I am ashamed to say I was quite cranky on our special day :(  Working third shift on the weekends plus trying to stay up all day to do things at home and spend precious time with my hubby is hard for me.  It was the second annual family yard sale and I was trying desperately to hold true to my promise to help.  I did....sort of....by spending part of the day sleeping in Justin's truck.  Oh well!  We were blessed to be treated to dinner by Justin's parents.

One thing that I think is so neat about our relationship is our history.  We go back, way back, almost to birth.  We have memories from childhood of each other and that is so special to me! 

June 13, 1984

How about this one?  I used to hate this Polaroid!  Now it is a cherished memory.  Justin loves to point out that I have my legs wrapped around him.  Can I point out that he doesn't seem to be protesting!  Here's to five years of history, plus many more past and future. 

Time with Good Friends

During college I always thought I would move back home and settle in WNY.  Life didn't work out that way and living several hours away from my hometown, family, and many long-time friends is hard.  I love all of the people that I have met along my journey and cherish my time with friends who live close to my new home.  One thing (of many) that excites me is having people come visit.  Justin and I enjoy welcoming friends and family at our home for cook outs, ice cream making, and overnight stays.  The last few days we spent some time with one of my roommates from college and her husband.  Sarah is one of my dearest friends and we have been getting better at spending time together a few times a year.  Yesterday, we made memories at Knoebels and came to the conclusion that we are officially old!  All four of us were not thrilled with our handling of the thrill rides and we were quite content to take the train ride or antique cars.  I am so thankful that our husbands have many shared interests and get along so well--enough to challenge each other at bumper boats and remote cars/boats!

Cooling off at the North Pole.

cRaSh!!

How did we pass them?

The race is on!

Great memories with my friend!

I think I'm back.....

Wow.....that didn't last long!  I started this blog thinking it would be the answer to so many questions but after a few months I quit.  Well, I didn't really quit, it was a purposeful break for me to do some searching and praying to find out what the real purpose for this blog was and to look for more direction in my life.  When I started this blog, I thought it would be a way to share my pursuits in the kitchen and garden and prove that I could successfully provide for my family in that way.  I read so many blogs and see how woman stay home and serve their families there as well as bring in money through blogging.  What a great idea!  Almost a year ago, I dropped to part time at the hospital in order to pursue more teaching opportunities.  I love teaching, it gives me lots of flexibility, and the whole online thing works great for me to stay home--where I really like to work!  After all, I do have a Masters in Adult Education, might as well use it, right?

Then I read this book:  Created to Be His Help Meet by Debi Pearl.  At first I was blown away by how fundamental, traditional, and radical it all was.  Isn't submission for women of Biblical times or for traditional societies like the Amish?  I am educated and can think for myself.  What about the things I want in life?  As I read more, I saw just how much my rebellion against God and my husband could change my marriage and my life.  I was convicted and humbled.  There are so many things that I do and say that tear down my husband.  I want to do better; I want to be a good wife, a wife of noble character (Proverbs 31).  I realized I wasn't doing a very good job of that even if I thought I was trying.  My husband has told me time and again that I ask for advice and don't follow it (especially from him).  The only thing that he has asked of me is that I work full time.  He doesn't care what or where, I just need to work.  I keep thinking that I could work at home cooking, canning, freezing, making meals from scratch and that would be just as profitable as a job.  The idea of having children is always in the back of my mind and I want to be ready if that is ever a possibility for our family.  All of these goals that I was setting were not what Justin meant or what he wants from me.  This summer was a great time for me to do all of those things that I wanted and I thought that I would prove to him that it was worthwhile.  For the last several years, I have worked full time plus some.  I wanted this summer to be about me and the things I wanted but God was trying to show me something else.  Not that I agree with every word of the wife book (as Justin and I now refer to it).  Not that I have figured out how I am supposed to apply all that I learned from those lessons.  I do know that I have found a new focus and perspective and I want to be better at respecting my husband.  I am trying though I still have days were I revert back to my old self. 

All of that to say, I stopped blogging so that I could refocus.  At first I said I was completely done because it was selfish.  Besides, who really cares about what I have to say or what is growing in my garden?  I don't have anything more worthwhile to share than the women who are real homemakers and bloggers.  I figured I should just quit trying to be something I am not even though I reeeaaallly want to be!  I still don't know where I am going or what I am going to do to make sure I am fulfilling my husband's request.  School is back in session tomorrow.  I will be going, and doing, and running again soon!  I thrive when I am busy and feel like I have no free time.  That brings me to another lesson I am learning.  God has spoken over and over again to me in the last week or so.  His voice has come in many forms: online devotionals, radio programs, and in my prayer time.  Be still and know that I am God (Psalm 46:10).  No matter how hard I try, no matter what I do, no matter how far I search, He is still God.  I have always lived in a way that proclaims if God wants something from me or for me then naturally I should work really, really hard to get there.  The faster and more focused I am on the goal, the better His plan will work out.  This is so not true and lately my heavenly father has been asking me to just relax and let Him work out the details.  I don't know what the details are (oh, but I wish I did!) and I am not sure how to get there.  My job right now is to be patient and be a passenger.  Two other things that I need to work.....

Two Risottos

In an attempt to manage our food budget and make room for fresh foods in our cupboards and freezers, I am still looking for recipes to use items that I already have on hand.  It is amazing how many meals you can find in your house without making a trip to the store for special items.  So here is a little creativity and an adaptation of a recipe from a magazine!

A month or so back, I decided that I wanted to create a hearty one-pot meal.  I had a bag of barley pearls in the cupboard.  I tossed about half of the bag into some water and soaked in the frige overnight.  The rest of this is from memory.....I am trying to be more diligent about taking notes as I play in the kitchen so that I can share the recipe and make the same thing again later!

Mushroom-Barley Risotto

1 stick butter

1 medium onion, chopped

12 oz sliced mushrooms

1 cup white wine

soaked barley

water

In a skillet, melt butter and add onion and mushrooms with stirring.  Add wine and saute for about five minutes.  Add barley and one cup water.  Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally and adding water as needed.  Continue until barley is tender and onions and mushrooms are cooked, about 45 minutes.

I am positive I took pictures of the process and the final product.  Can't find them now!  I will post pics next time I make this risotto.  This dish was really hardy and rich.  Great for a fall or winter evening.  I served it with mashed sweet potatoes that were left over from another meal.  A nice combo!  This dish reheated very nicely and was just as good the second day.



I had a bag of pre-cooked shrimp in the freezer that were showing signs of freezer burn.  I had fresh snow peas from the garden.  This recipe looked so tempting!  Shrimp and Spring Vegetable Risotto

I didn't have any asparagus but I did have a green-turning-orange bell pepper that I substituted.  This is a great recipe to add veggies to, increasing the nutritional value.  I enjoyed the hot meal even on a 90+ degree evening.  Fresh, this was very creamy but reheated for lunch today, it lacked that creaminess.  The arborio rice had absorbed much of the excess liquid so adding more water or broth when reheating may help to enhance the textures and traits of a typical risotto.

Blueberries

I headed out early this morning to pick blueberries.  No, we haven't added blueberry bushes to our "farm".....yet!  I picked at a local farm with a huge patch.  About an hour and a half and $15.89 later, I had 9lbs of berries!

Gotta love this color!

I headed home to escape the sun and heat.  I froze three cookie trays full of berries for later use in baked goods and smoothies.  My afternoon project was a batch of jam.  I love the pinging sounds as the jars seal.  Such a great way to preserve and enjoy food :)

While picking, I decided we need to plant a few bushes in our yard.  I would love to be able to pick fresh each morning for cereal or other treats.  Justin and I had talked about it last year but never figured out where we wanted to put the blueberries.  Now that we have a designated "orchard" in the yard, I am thinking that would be a great place to consider.

First Summer Harvest

Lots of gardening to be done over the last week!  We planted some brussel sprouts and jalepeno plants that we had started from seeds in the house.  We were able to get some more seeds in the ground: corn, green beans, and cabbage, for late season harvesting.  Cross your fingers with me that we will not be fighting the tomato rot this year.  Last year I had black tomatoes, this year I want red!  My husband fertilized with extra calcium and we have several baby green Romas starting.  I hope to be canning them soon!

Last year, my favorite treat was the early snow peas.  They are so tasty fresh from the garden, steamed for dinner, or frozen and added to stir fry over the winter.  This season, our snow peas have not thrived as they did last year but I was still able to pick about 4 quarts the other day.  I should have another good harvest today or tomorrow so that I can pack the freezer with fresh veggies.

We have some beautiful lettuce that has been the base for salads this week.  I hope it lasts through this heat so we can eat up those greens for the next few weeks!  One of our favorite salad meals is Greek Chicken.  We marinate chicken in Greek dressing and then grill it.  Enjoy it with fresh lettuce, tomatoes, olives, onions, and feta cheese.  Delicious! 



More Bermuda Pics

I got distracted.....

I had two Trash the Kitchen days this week where I cooked up a storm before heading to work.  A few mornings were spent in the garden weeding, planting some late crops, and tending to what is already growing!  With that and working full time at the lab, I haven't gotten back to my picture posting.  Here are some more of the highlights from Bermuda :)

Life on the Celebrity Summit

Views of Bermuda