Merry Christmas

It's been awhile.

So I just wanted to say "Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!", before it's all done and over.

It never ceases to amaze me how lightening quick this time of year really passes.

So before you know it I will be writing to you from 2012.

Until then...peace, love, and joy to you and yours.

Good vs. Evil

We just finished eating dinner and I announced it got an A+ in my book, which if you saw Nate's astonished face you would know I don't give out very often.  I'm a tough critic to my meals.  However, I also made what I found to be an exceptionally dismal meal the night before, so the sharp contrast could have made my rating slightly higher.  

But really. 

It was good, really good.  

And healthy.  

I pulled together two recipes I've been wanting to try.  A harvest turkey burger from our Rachel Ray's 30 minute meals cookbook and a southwestern black bean salad I saw on Pinterest.  So we had our burgers on whole wheat buns and used our black bean salad as a salsa with some tortilla chips.  The whole meal was tasty, light, and satisfying.  Below are both recipes in case you would like to try them too.  

I've really been mulling over my health choices and also the direct effect it has on Nate.  As I am the one preparing meals 98% of the time now, what I prepare and serve really does impact Nate's health too.  Now, don't get me wrong, I don't feel like I've been slowly killing off my husband over the last year and a half.  Not by a long shot, but on the flip side I have not utilized my powers for exceptional good either.  I have not made decisions that are best for me either when it comes to food and health.

Nate and I realized soon after getting married, we had different concepts of what a meal consisted of as our family of origins were different.  Nate has a genuine sweet tooth and lacks a sense of completeness without a finishing "dessert" of some sort.  He has noticed recently, that "dessert" can be as simple as an Andes Mint to help satisfy his craving.  But it's there.  But I don't have that same need.  I only think if desserts for special occasions.  So he has adapted to having desserts less because I don't have them available with every meal, while I have had adapted to having more desserts than I have ever had before in my life, because I do try to be sensitive to his need and have made an effort to have desserts available more often.  

The problem then is for me, I end up eating desserts because it's there not because I necessarily even want it.

I've really been chewing on some health ideas and have been reading a blog from a nutritionist in TX (http://lindawagner.net/blog), and have found it really inspiring.  Don't worry, I'm not going to tell you I'm not having desserts ever again.  But I have really been convicted that the choices of food and health are mine.  What I put in my body has a direct effect on how I feel.  

After thinking about some of the ideas I was reading, I've decided I want to make a change to my breakfast routine for the rest of this week.  I start tomorrow.  Instead of the normal bowl of cereal and coffee.  I'm trading it in for a smoothie.  This way I'll be starting my day with fruit and greens (incorporated into the smoothie too), which can never be a bad thing.  And I'm going to see how I'm feeling at the end of the week and reassess.  

And, I asked Nate if he would like to join me in my quest for health by participating in a new breakfast routine with me.  And he agreed.  I think it might be because I used the word "quest".  I think men are instantly drawn in by that word and a sense of adventure it brings.  But I know Nate also seeks a healthy lifestyle too as we have both had weight struggles, but have both expressed a deep desire to live healthy lives.  But I'm recognizing my part in helping us make these choices.

See...I can use my powers for good and not evil.




**********

• Rachel Ray's Harvest Turkey Burgers
• 1 lb ground turkey breast
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, stripped and fine chopped
• coarse salt, to taste
• fresh ground pepper, to taste
• 2 scallions, fine chopped
• 1 carrot, shredded
• 1/2 small zucchini, fine chopped (or shredded)
• extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
• 4 leaves green leaf lettuce or 4 leaves romaine lettuce
• 1 vine ripe tomato, sliced
• 1 cup store bought refrigerated creamyranch dressing or 1 cup herb salad dressing
• 4 crusty rolls, split

Directions:

Combine first 7 ingredients in a bowl and form into 4 large patties.  Brush with olive oil and cook 7 minutes each side over medium high heat in nonstick pan.  Serve on split buns with lettuce, tomato and ranch dressing.

Southwestern Black Bean Salad

Servings: 12 • Size: 1/2 cup • Calories: 106 • Old Points: 2.5 pts • Points+: 3 pts
Calories: 105.9 • Fat: 6.0 g • Protein: 3.2 g • Carb: 13.0 g • Fiber: 3.6 g  Sugar: 1.2 g 
Sodium: 137.8 mg 

Ingredients:

• 1 15.5 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 9 oz frozen corn, thawed
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 1 small hass avocado, diced
• 1/4 cup red onion, chopped
• 1 scallion, chopped
• 1 lime, juice of
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp cilantro
• salt and fresh pepper

Directions: 

Combine beans, corn, tomato, onion, scallion, cilantro, salt and pepper. Mix with lime juice and olive oil. Marinate in the refrigerator 30 minutes. Add avocado before serving.

Baked Potato Soup: Hope for a Better Tomorrow

I've joined Pinterest.  Do you find this of interest?  I do.

I find it fascinating.  I can spend so much time looking through the images to see what catches my eye.  Granted, I am a newbie, but so far I'm a fan.  And I almost refused to participate because I couldn't just sign up.  I had to be invited.  I was outraged.  Why on earth do I have to get an invitation? I asked myself. so it was almost the principle of the matter that kept me from being a part of this site.  But my curiosity got the best of me so I swallowed my pride and asked someone I knew who was on it, to invite me into their exclusive club.

And now I have a board to file away fun recipe ideas, craft ideas, home ideas, etc.

I also tried my first recipe from Pintrest.

I saw a delectable looking photo of a slow cooker Baked Potato Soup, and did it NOT disappoint.  (The link is at the end of this post.)

I made it last night for Nate and a friend of ours, and as Nate stood over the dirty dishes after dinner to wash them and/or load them into the dishwasher (because yes, this is the awesome man he is) and just kind of shook his head as if still in disbelief and said:

"This actually gives me hope for the future.  That we can eat like this at home..."  

And trails off.

I looked at him a few moments... Waiting for the words to sink in for him.  

I know he means this as some type of compliment.  But these words he has just uttered did not come out right and I'm not sure if he caught it before my laughter prompted him to replay is last few sentences.  But it didn't take long for him to clarify his words and thoughts to better express his delight that we can craft meals at home for a fraction of the cost than it would to go out and eat at a restaurant.  Because once the soup was done and with the garnishes on top, it did pretty much look like a bowl of soup you would be served at a restaurant.  He redeemed himself quickly.

Thankfully, I'm not easily offended and I got a good laugh out of his dramatic choice of words.

But if you were questioning whether or not you might want to try the recipe, you now know it has power to give hope for the future of at least one man...perhaps it will provide hope to another.

Oh and if you need an invite, you just let me know.

I'll let you into our club.

http://www.mamalovesfood.com/2009/06/baked-potato-soup-slow-cooker-style.html

Shhh...I'm Resting

Well, tonight finds me with filled with quiet and contentment...  You might even say my insides are smiling.

This weekend was not exceptional in any way, and that was just what I needed.

It had been a busy stretch for us and I've been out of town the last few weekends in a row.

Last weekend found us traveling to Ohio to spend time visiting Nate's aunt and uncle.  His parents had come down from Canada to visit for the weekend as well, so it a great arrangement to see everyone.

The weekend before I was traveling to northern Indiana to visit and celebrate my cousins wedding and Dad's birthday which again was a great time to visit with my family but also included hours of drive time and being away from home.

The weeks in between weekends have been full of extras as well.  We are hosting a young adult group for our church, Nate works on Wednesday nights, we have a friend over for dinner on Tuesday nights to help fill the gap in classes for his commuter schedule.  All of these things are good and we enjoy the opportunity to host.  However when the weekends are full, I especially have a difficult time finding time for renewal and rest.

But this weekend, man oh man... this weekend I had zilch on the calendar.

Glorious.

It was one of those weekends, I found myself actually able to say yes to opportunities that came up.

Would I like to go to breakfast with friends?  Yes.

Would I like to take a nap?  Yes.

Would I like to take one last ride on the motorcycle before putting it away for the winter?  Yes.

Do I have anything on the calendar that I need to worry about?  Nope, not at all.


So we did go out to breakfast with friends.  It was the best, unhurried breakfast I've had in such a long time.  Not a single glance at the clock or feeling like we needed to keep on schedule.  It was a great time of laughter and catching up.  Afterwards, I helped our friends with the yard work they were in town to do while Nate had to head home and do some studying.  The sun was out, the weather was beautiful.

I took a nap Saturday and Sunday.  I know, that is so awesome right?!

Nate and I did take a motorcycle ride this afternoon (after my nap) and caught the last few beams of light for the day and enjoyed the crisp late fall air.  Even popped into a McD's and found they had a peppermint mocha...what?!  So great!  The peppermint mocha is one of my favorite things...and while it didn't compare to the 'Bucks it still was a lovely and unexpected surprise today.

So now, I write to you stretched out on the coach with a nice big sigh.
This time of rest has been just what I needed.
A blessing.

My hope is your weekend had some pockets of rest and peace for you as well.

Hidden Treasures Along the Way

Fall has been good to us so far.

We have definitely stayed busy and have had some downs (mostly Nate struggling with pain in his back) but overall it's been a great time.  We even got a camping trip in with our friends Jon and Holly.  The photo above is from the park we were camping at.  The weather couldn't have been any more perfect.  Warm during the day and cooled off just enough at nice for perfect sleeping.  We took a walk around the campground and checked out the lake.  I really enjoy the colors of fall and the smell of fall.  That great dry leaf smell when you step outside and take a deep breath, you literally smell fall in the air.

I had a great drive up when I went to visit my family this weekend and had a good amount of time to soak in the sun as the beams where shining in through the windshield.  Nice dry roads and the hum of the tires  to sooth away any tenseness in the muscles.  We have been having those perfect days that warm up just enough during the day but cool down nicely at night so that we just this week broke out the winter comforter again much to my delight!  Oh boy, do I love to cozy up under that thick warm comforter!  We have to be careful not to cook Nate however, so I let him make the judgment call to determine when it's cold enough for it.  Until then, I layer blankets on my side of the bed.

I'm also looking forward to a small road trip to Ohio this weekend.  We are going to visit family and plan to leave Friday afternoon once I finish work and Nate finishes class.  I am keeping my fingers crossed that the weather stay as delicious as it has been the last few days.

Road trips are always a fun time for us to talk and dream together, to listen to a new album or new Vinyl Cafe, to pop into an undiscovered coffee shop or lunch stop.

Here's hoping we find a hidden treasure along the route this weekend.

From Icy Toes to Iced Coffee

Just this last weekend we checked the temperatures which were hovering around 50 degrees and quite chilly, looked at the motorcycle, and then looked at each other.

"You wanna go?"

"Let's do it!"

And the next 15 minutes found me pulling out and putting on:
a long pair of leggings, long underwear, pair of jeans, pair of wind pants, tank top, long sleeve t-shirt, long sleeve turtleneck, winter coat, 2 pairs of socks, tall boots, two pairs of gloves, scarf, toque, and helmet with a face shield.

I found out last fall it's impossible to overdress (for me at least) when taking a cool fall ride.  The more I have on, the merrier the ride will be.  The only complication comes from not being able to bend as easily.  The trick of swinging on and off the bike can get more interesting the more layers I have on.  But every layer is still worth every modified movement!

We had it in our heads that we might take a little longer ride but ended up traveling and hour or so out, took a break for lunch (soup and a bagel)  and then rode the hour or so back.  The sun came out for short bursts the last 5 minutes before we got back home and within 30 min of returning all the clouds had dispersed and the sunshine was in full swing.  That being said,  it was still lovely to see the turning fall colors, pumpkin patches, and people out and about doing their fall yard work.  We passed signs reading "Mums for Sale", "Pups for Sale", and "Pumpkins for Sale".

Upon our return we were both tired and I couldn't feel a few of my toes, but I had a strong sense I wouldn't lose any to frost bite and just figured it would be good to curl up on the couch in some sweats (just one pair) while the feeling returned.

Fast forward 2 days and I'm in the McDonald's drive-thru ordering an iced coffee to cool down while I'm on the road for work.  What a difference a few days make.  The fall temperature changes are always unpredictable, but I'm happy to be back in the 70's this week.  I'm hoping that maybe, just maybe we might even get in one more warm weather ride!

Operation: Dinner Out

This past Friday found Nate and I wanting to try someplace new for dinner, but both of us were lacking in ideas.  So both of us made some calls to friends fishing for some new places to try out.  We were given the suggestions of Kona Grill , Cooper's Hawk, and Scotty's Brew House just to name a few.  And they all sounded great, offered different areas and towns to explore, and we ended up not going to any of the suggested places.  First mistake.

Where we did end up left Nate and I silently look at each other with raised eyebrows and faces that said, "What is this place?"  

We ended up driving to Noblesville and looked for a place around the town square and found a brewery/bar/restaurant not far from there.  We parked and walked over and the first indicator that should have said 'Run!' was as Nate was grabbing the handle of the door and I was looking inside the large room full of empty tables starting to say..."Nate, are they even open?  I don't see anyone in there..."

But alas, we had stepped in the door and had been spotted by an incredibly enthusiastic hostess who had no intention of letting one of her few customers of the evening turn around and walk back out.  So we began the long journey down the hallway from the front door to our hostess station, which seemed the distance of a football field, with sinking stomachs the whole way.  

Our hostess grabbed our menu's, called over her shoulder "Follow me!", and darted off with the speed of kindergartner just let loose for recess.  I gave chase just long enough to realize that once we rounded the corner I wasn't going to lose her down another straight hallway along a string of booths.  So we could both slow down and take the place in.  

The young Tina Fey (as Nate dubbed her) sat us in the second to last booth, gave a cheerful fair-well, and darted back to her post to be sure not to miss the next unsuspecting customers.  

Nate ventured off to use the washrooms while I was left with taking in this new and strange place.  Our booth happened to be within easy earshot of the conversations in the kitchen and directly out of the booth, across the walkway was the entrance to the bar which had some loud music going.  I didn't observe anyone coming or going from this area other than the bartender who liked chatting with his kitchen buddies, and the bus boy in some type of top hat.  No one working there had any type of identifying uniform, or name tag; they were all in street clothes (and apparently, accessories of choice if you include the top hat). 

They also all appeared to be in their late teens/early twenties.  We briefly came up with a theory that maybe this place was some type of college project, but without a university in town we deduced this unlikely.   But were left wondering where all the adults were to run this place. 

After Nate returned from the washroom, we looked at each other and Nate asked, "Do you smell...." and trailed off.

"Vomit?" I helpfully supplied, as the smell that was drifting in the space was hardly that of roses.

"Well, I was thinking more of the chemical smell of a permanent?" Nate replied.

"I like your idea better," was my response.

Either way.  It smelled.  

And for some reason we still stayed and ordered.

After ordering a wrap for me and a tenderloin for Nate, we heard one of the street clothed kids bust into the kitchen exclaiming: "Guys!!!" a long pause, while the clatter and chatter in the kitchen subsided, "I think we are actually busy!!"  My eyes got big.  This was busy?  The idea that we had caught them on a good night was a little frightening.

We apprehensively waited for our meals which arrived looking seemingly harmless, but Nate prayed for safety before we ate for good measure, and we dove in.  Nate's liked the tenderloin.  My wrap was pretty good for the first half, but in the second I got a bite of chicken bone that crunched between my teeth, which almost always ruins the rest of a meal for me and this was no exception.

And at that point I just wanted to pay and get out of there, which we pretty much did.  

At the end of the evening we burst out the front door of the restaurant and sucked in fresh, sweet air, so happy to be alive.   

So in summary: We will take our friends dining suggestions next time and we will never be recommending that establishment to any of our friends if they ever ask us.

  

Fall

I saw something today.  It's the first time this year I've noticed it.

A few leaves turning red.  

A few leaves on the ground.  

Fall has arrived.

It's such a great time of the year and today was beautiful.  No wait, I think that was yesterday.  I suppose that is another indicator of the change of the seasons; weather that is unpredictable.  Right now it's raining and I'm curled up on the couch while Nate reads.  I'm dreaming of all the things I hope we get in this fall: camping, hiking, motorcycle riding, fall festivals, holidays with family!

We already kicked off the fall festival season with our friends David and Caitlyn, by going to the Tipton Pork Festival.  It was a great time.  

However.  

We arrived at the festival during some type of insect plague.  The second we got out of the car there were little flying insects the size of flies or a smidge smaller, aimlessly floating in the air.  So strange, don't you think?  They had no purpose or direction, so as we walked around we found ourselves fanning our hands around our heads trying to keep them from bumping into our faces or getting caught in our hair.  But, each time we would duck into a craft tent or food tent, the insects were blissfully absent.  

After a little bit, we adjusted to their presence and tolerated them for the length of our time there. 

And of course, like it always seems to happen in life, as we were walking back to the car to leave they all disappeared.  

We have yet to kick off the fall season of motorcycle riding, but I'm sure we will get some good ones in.  We are both getting a handle on the new school semester schedule and once we get into more of a routine I anticipate some good motorcycle rides in our near future.  The question is always: What direction and where?  Do we go somewhere we haven't been before or do we head down to Brown Co. on a similar ride we did before and enjoyed?  Either way, it will be a great time. 

These are just a few things I'm excited about this fall.  

I hope fall finds you planning some special times of your own.

Senioritis

Today marks the beginning of our last year of seminary!  Well...obviously Nate is the only student in our household, but since I'm along for the ride I call it "our".

I tried to talk Nate into letting me take a picture of him with his backpack to document his first day back to school, and he laughed...but didn't make any move to put that backpack on.  All the cool kids have their pictures posted online, but I guess he didn't want to join their ranks.  So you will just have to use your imagination and put together the details: a blue backpack, cargo shorts, a big dimply smile.  SO CUTE!  

And just like every school year, change is part of every new semester.  There are similar patterns and routines, but new class schedules and people to meet as well.  And this school year will be especially exciting as we explore what we will do after Nate graduates.  Whatever that might be, I know it will be an incredible time of growth in our marriage.  After all, we met, dated, and married all while Nate has been doing his schooling.  We will have to explore our new roles and expectations as we will both (hopefully!) be working full time and Nate will be looking to enter full time ministry at a church.

No matter what, we know will be moving next summer as we've been living in student housing.  So when there is no more student status = no more housing.  But that's also pretty exciting!  I've historically given my family and friends plenty opportunities to show how much they love me by patiently moving me from one place to the next.  I think there was a stretch of about 2 years that I moved 3-4 times.  It's somewhat amazing that Dad showed up with his truck every time to do the heavy lifting.  That's love!  So knowing that we will be moving from our apartment a year from now....I've already found myself intently pouring over IKEA catalogs and misc. magazines that hit our doorstep wondering what fun ideas I might try in our next place.  I have to keep slapping my hands from longingly stroking the page with the beautiful back porch with a hanging swing, and tell myself "No!  You have no idea if you will even have a back patio! Don't get any ideas..."

But these internal conversations tell me that Nate is not the only one who will be suffering from senioritis this year.  I'm already displaying symptoms myself.

Photo Tour of Guam

Our trip to Guam was a great one and here area few snapshots of what happened during our two weeks there!

Here are some shots from the VBS during our first week. 

.....

Practicing the dances to songs they learned 
for an end of the week program, 
they loved this and did a great job.

Craft time

We also took a hike with the youth.  It was unlike any hiking that I had done before...but what is the saying??  What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger?

...I'm a stronger person now. 

.....

Me.  Happy to be heading back.

We made it!  The Spanish bridge at the Sella Bay.
You see one of the puppies that followed us down and back up,
they were dedicated. 

A view of the bay from the water,
I'm catching my breath on the shore with Ami

We took a kayaking trip up the Talafofo River with several couples which was a lot of fun, and MUCH easier to cool off than the hiking trip!

......

Nate cooling off

3 of the 4 kayaks, Tabby and Eli in the red one,
me and Nate, Gwen and Gary.
Analynn and Eli took the picture for us.

Taking a break and having a swim.

We spent the day with a friend with access to the Air Force and Navy Base and he gave us a great our with great views!

......

One of my favorite pictures.  I loved this view!!
We were at a lookout point on the Air Force base.

An abandoned well that used to be a source of fresh water.
It was pretty cool to see...
the water around the facility was so clear and still,
you could see right to the bottom

This was still at the abandoned well,
I was so amazed at the roots of these trees
that stretched so far to get to the water below.
It looked so neat.

A B52 on display on the base.

I took this shot of the beautiful palm
I sat near whileNate and Ryan
took a dive at the Navy Base

Ryan and Nate preparing for their dive.
Ryan showing off his knife in case
 any of those fishies try anything.
If only Nate had one too.  ;)

 The tour of the south side of the island

......

Inarajan Pools, A really intriguing spot!
Filled by the high tide but surrounded by rock.
There is a diving platform to enjoy here too.

View from the top of the old Spanish fort.  I love this shot.

Umatac Bay.

 And last but not least...our anniversary fell during our time in Guam. 

......

We had a special dinner with this fabulous dessert
 to celebrate the occasion 

I can't help but show the coffee we had with dessert.
It was made in front of us
with this  completely unique coffee maker!
I have never seen anything like it.

The beach we enjoyed by the Westin!

Guam

It's Friday morning here and we are getting ready to head over to Vacation Bible School.  It's the last day so we will be doing our normal morning routines with the kids but then tonight there will also be a program for the kids to invite their parents to.  They have been working on dances to songs this week and they will put all they've learned together in a short program.  

I got my bag yesterday!  Nate's is nowhere to be found still and they don't know where it is, so we will put together an itemized list of contents, when it was bought, and how much it was purchased for. That will take a bit of thought and time.  

For those who didn't hear the whole story, after we checked our bags at the airport when we left on Friday early evening, we didn't see them again for a long, long time.  We were supposed to pick them up on Friday night when we landed in New Jersey to stay overnight before checking them again on Saturday morning when we left to fly the rest of the way to Japan and then to Guam, arriving Sunday evening.

Through our daily call to the airport we found that somehow our bags (or at least mine) was tagged incorrectly from the start and if they ever did get to New Jersey they were then sent on to Dubai... then London... then somewhere along the way someone realized there was some type of mistake and sent it back to New Jersey...and then Japan....then, miraculously, did finally end up on Guam where it should have been all along!  So while I might not have traveled around the world yet, my bag has.  And Nate's bag has perhaps decided it likes the view somewhere else and has made a permanent home elsewhere because there is no sign of it. 

Onto more fun topics...    

We did a long hike on Tuesday and planned on doing one yesterday as well but it rained most of the day so we called that one off.  Next week we are planning on going kayaking, perhaps another hike, beach/snorkeling and a place called Chamorro Village that is every Wednesday and you can see local food and dance there.  I think Nate will be able to go out for a dive with a friend sometime next week as well.  So I'm sure he will be excited to get that in.  

Everyone is incredibly friendly, warm, and welcoming.  We have been showered with hugs and gifts.  Many of the church has been "off island" so I am meeting people at a nice easy pace.  A few new faces ever day which is helpful in remembering names! 

Nate will be preaching this Sunday so we've bought him some nicer clothes for him to be able to preach in.  It's been a busy week with most times that would have been "down time" turned into "run-to-the-mall-and-shop time" ;)  So while it's nice to get some new things, it's not as fun when you are under pressure!  So today after meeting some folks for lunch we will try to find some dress shoes for Nate before coming back for the evening programming.

The time is going quickly and it's hard to believe it's Friday already.  

It's time to go sing songs with the kids.

I will try to update again soon!

Chopped.

I don't know if you have ever seen the show on the Food Network channel, "Chopped".

I found myself engrossed in another episode the other day.  Because, let's face it, what on earth can you do with mystery basket ingredients of mustard, strawberries, and beets in 30 minutes?  I mean, really?  It would take me that long to look through my cookbooks and google it, to find a satisfactory recipe to try, and that wouldn't include any cooking or baking yet!

But those chefs are on it.  And they almost always come up with something presentable and tasty.  Some chefs come up with better dishes than others, but the fact they hit the ground running with their mystery basket ingredients is always fascinating to me.

Partly because I spent the last week pulling myself...or I suppose I should say cooking myself,  out of a vegetable mountain that had developed in our refrigerator.  We are still doing our veggie share every week which has been great but it sure does stretch the imagination!  My mystery basket ingredients are full of vegetables every time.  Some I've heard of, some I haven't.  But almost all are vegetables I don't normally cook with.

And I am definitely not at a skill level to just start whipping things up in the kitchen.  So my cookbooks have been the books I've been reading the most.  And when you get on my computer, just about every tab in my browser has some recipe pulled up that I've been reading through.

This last week we went to work and started using up those mystery veggies.

We ate several different cabbage dishes.
An onion and squash casserole.
I made fried zucchini for the first time (thanks to the suggestion of my sister-in-law).
Another variation of a swiss chard saute.
But Nate found the winning recipe from the last few weeks for a bok choy salad that knocked my socks off.

So I will pass this along for anyone who is interested:

Ingredients

• 2 (3-ounce) packages ramen noodle soup mix
• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
• 3 tablespoons slivered almonds, chopped
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 bok choy, shredded
• 6 green onions, chopped

• Preparation

  • Remove flavor packets from soup mix; reserve for another use. Crumble noodles.
  • Combine noodles, sunflower seeds, and almonds. Spread on a 15- x 10-inch jellyroll pan.
  • Bake at 350° for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown; set aside.
  • Bring sugar and next 3 ingredients to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat; cool.
  • Place bok choy and green onions in a large bowl. Drizzle with sugar mixture. Add ramen noodle mixture, tossing well. Serve immediately.

And now we have finally eaten our way through the veggies.  Hooray!  You can be impressed.  I know I was.

But we have now begun a new game.  The I-don't-want-to-buy-food-before-vacation-because-it-will-just-spoil-in-the-frig Game.  So now we are making meals from what we already have in the fridge and cabinets.  I secretly really enjoy this one.  I used to play this even when I wasn't going on vacation when I was single, because I hated going to the store.  And I still do.  Which is why I still like this game.

So another thing I tried recently was making baking mix, instead of buying it.  Not that baking mix really spoils, but it's just a pricey thing to buy at the store.  So I made this up a few weeks ago and then we had pancakes one night this week and used our substitute baking mix instead of Bisquick and I thought the result was quite tasty!

Of course now that I try to find the recipe again, I can't.  But it was super easy and this one is really close to what I ended up doing.  The recipe I did use called for 1 cup of shortening instead of the butter but otherwise exactly the same.  And if you want to do something more complex there are tons of homemade baking mix recipes with more ingredients too.  But I was looking for fast and easy.

Homemade Bisquick Mix

• 6 c. all-purpose flour, sifted
• 3 T. baking powder
• 1 T. salt
• 1/2 c. cold butter
• Measure the sifted flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Use a wire whisk to blend thoroughly.
• Cut in cold butter using a pastry cutter until thoroughly incorporated.

Store refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 months.

I hope my adventures in the kitchen have resulted in something you might enjoy too!