Marvelous

 Chicken Salad Lettuce Wraps

Lord have mercy.

Here I am again.  Tired.  But I write to you with a grateful heart.

Kael is sleeplittle again.  Not sleepless, the boy is sleeping, but he is waking up consistently earlier then this little momma appreciates.  I don’t think he has slept past 5am in…well, a really long time.  This morning it was 3 am.  The last two nights in an effort to curb the waking trend we have kept him up past 9pm in the hope that we could adjust his schedule, but it so far has proven to be unsuccessful.  Pray for us.

I finally succumb to his persistent pawing this morning (an hour worth of persistent pawing to be exact) and crawled out of bed and followed him downstairs.  I sat at our table, wearily drinking my coffee thinking about our new house.  Many of you know that we are buying a house and the closing date, as of right now, is undetermined.  We were ready to close last week but when I called to schedule our closing appointment I learned that the title company was working to clear some issues on title.  This was news to me.  Apparently when the home was foreclosed upon the bank who owned the note failed to settle on a lien.  So until all that gets sorted out house is on hold.

 Adorable new house

I thought about this as I drank my “go-juice”.  Let me just pause and say, coffee is a gift from God.  I was thinking about how God knows why this is taking so long and how one day when I stand before him I will see how his hand was in it and how he protected us and I will be amazed at how he worked without me knowing he was at work.  Then I began to think…why don’t I just praise him now for how clever he is?  I already know that one day I will marvel at his mercy and grace, why don’t I marvel now?  So that is what I am going to start doing.  In everything I am going to marvel at God and the work he is doing.

You might be thinking right now, ‘duh’, and to you I would say, sorry, but sometimes I am a little slow.

I am marveling at God right now that Kael who gets so little sleep is a cheerful happy little guy who is growing and learning, and talking more and more each day.  I marvel at how far God has brought him this past year, and that by God’s mercy we have a little boy who loves and recognizes us and who since my Birthday has been calling me Mommy.  You don’t know how marvelous this truly is.  It is not easy to have a 3 ½ year old that can’t say Mommy.  But, now he can, and he does.  It makes my heart happy every time I hear him say “it’s a Mommy!”

This has been a busy month.  I turned 30, I had my one year anniversary at Liberty Bank, I went on a road trip to Chicago, I read through Paul’s letters to the various churches, and up through Revelation, and I have made several new friends.  God has been giving me a tenacious appetite for his word.  I crave his word.  I noticed that these past few weeks as I have been working longer hours at work that I have had less time to spend in his word.  And I missed it.  A lot!

I have a new Bible, fresh with no highlights.  I am excited to mark it all up.

So what does a tired lady who wants to stay fit without the fuss eat?  I know that was a terrible transition, but my exhaustion is seeping into my writing and my coffee is wearing off.  This is something that you will really enjoy if you like Chicken or Tuna Salad.

Chicken Salad Lettuce Wraps

1 can chicken meat drained

2 tablespoons of fat free or light mayo

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tomato sliced

4 leaves romaine or iceberg lettuce.

Mix chicken, mayo, salt and pepper together.  Line a lettuce leaf with tomato slices and top with a few tablespoons of your chicken mixture.  Fix shut with a clothes pin.  I served it with some whole grain Scoop’s.  YUM!

I have missed writing to you and sharing the happening’s of the Hickey Household and my sweet little life here in Missouri.  If Kael keeps this up I may be back for good!

Sending my love and prayers to my church family in Washington who is celebrating the blessed departure of Ray Gephart who went home to be with the Lord last week.

xoxo,

Ronda



Mighty Titans

Wow, today was so busy.  I took a few breaks and really dug into the word of God and was just drinking it up.  I was in 1st Corinthians and over to Isaiah, and back to 1st Corinthians.  I can't wait to share with you the journey that the spirit of God is taking me on.  Tonight though, I do not have time.  I do not have time to do it justice tonight.  I am going to go practice worship with our praise team... I can't wait to go worship the Lord, it is such a relaxing thing to just take it all through music right to the foot of the throne.

Yesterday I made Sam and Colby a quick dinner that wouldn't be too hot since this place is a like a fiery furnace right now.  So since I am going light tonight in my post, here is a quick, easy, light, cool meal to beat the heat and the hunger.  Sam and Colby really enjoyed these mighty little titan tacos. They pack a punch, and they taste ooohhh so delightful.  I had one also; yup, I ate dinner with the family instead of around them.  It was really nice.

Sometimes I post little questions on here but no one answers.  I guess sometimes they are rhetorical.  But a question I am interested to hear your response is "Do you pray before you eat?"

I need to thank God more, for everything.

Here are Mighty Titan Tacos (I don't know why I named them that, but I like the way it sounds.)

Ingredients:

6 Flour Taco Size Tortilla

1 can of black beans

3/4 cup salsa (I love Walmart's Great Value Lime Salsa)

1 Roma tomato chopped

2 cups chopped romaine (about 6 leaves)

1 cup shredded cheddar

1 cooked chicken breast finely sliced

Sour cream as desired

In a small bowl mix black beans and salsa.  Place 1/4 cup bean mixture in a tortilla, top with about tablespoon tomato, 1/3 cup lettuce, 1/6 cup shredded cheddar, 1/6th of your chicken breast, and top with sour cream.  Pinch shut with clothes pin to hold it all together.

Easy!

Delicious!

Can't wait to share more with you about my journey.  Soon as I can put it down.

xoxo

Ronda

Skinny Mini Greek Garden Soft Taco's

I saved a little old lady today.  Well I didn’t save her, but I ran to her rescue.  Delores, 90 years old, fell down outside the bank and broke her hip.  I prayed with her while fellow co-workers called for an ambulance.  Luckily the Ambulance was two blocks away and actually on their way to the bank to see me.  The responding EMT is my customer and he needed to come sign some papers.  She was in a lot of pain and I was very grateful that God prepared quick help for her.

I hope that Delores is OK.  I thought it was nice that my EMT customer and his co-workers all called her “Sweetie,” or “Darling.”  Like, “Does this hurt Sweetie?”  Or, “Darling, on a scale of 1-10, 10 being the worst pain you have ever experienced, how would you rate your pain?”  Through her moans she got out a number…9.  Ouch!

She kept apologizing that we had to help her.  One of the EMT’s joked with her once they got her situated on the backboard that if she hadn’t of been so clumsy they would be at lunch already, she was able to laugh a little at this.

Pray for Delores and her family.  Our bank manager just went to the Hospital to visit her and Delores daughter confirmed that she broke her hip and was scheduled surgery for tomorrow morning.  So again, please pray…well, let’s pray right now:

Lord, thank you for Delores.  I pray that she has a relationship with you.  That is the most important thing I could ask for right now in this moment.  I pray that you will take her hip and mend it.  I pray that you take her pain and relieve it. I pray that you will bring comfort to her family, and wisdom to the doctors and nurses involved in her care.  I pray that they will treat her with respect and dignity.  In Jesus name, Amen.

I posted Brandon’s testimony yesterday about his trip to Africa, wasn’t that amazing?  I don’t dance very well; in fact, I am really, really bad at it.  I loved reading about how the Kenyan’s danced for the Lord.  King David danced before the Lord too.  I love it when I see my little boys dance.  They see me smile and they dance even more.  They clap their hands and shake their little booty’s.  Adorable!  Makes me wonder if God smiles at us and claps when we dance like I do for my little boys…maybe.

I’d probably make him spit out his heavenly coffee laughing at my dance moves.

I almost spit my coffee out the other day, all over my computer screen, when a friend from work sent me an email with a quote in it from My Big Fat Greek Wedding:

“Yes… Inside the lump was my twin.”

That movie is hilarious!  I am going to have to watch it again soon.  Maybe eat some Monkey Brains and watch MBFGW…any takers?

Ok, well, let me know!

Soooooo, I made another vegetarian dish.  I am telling you folks, it doesn’t have to have meat to be a meal.  I used to think this was the case.  I am now convinced otherwise.  I may never go back.  I think you will really like this too!  Especially if you are trying to eat healthy but not compromise taste.  Only problem with these are that you may be required to use some restraint.  But they are so healthy that you could eat a bunch of ‘em and you wouldn’t hurt yourself.

It was so easy, SO easy.  And it was so good, SO good!  Mmmmm, I would order this at a restaurant all day long.  But I don’t have to, because I invented it.  And because I invented it, I get to name it.  It shall be named: Skinny Mini Greek Garden Soft Taco’s

Yes, I think that should cover it.  Here is what you will need to serve 2 people….are you ready?

1. 1 zucchini chopped
2. 1 yellow squash chopped
3. 1 carrot sliced diagonally
4. 12 pickled asparagus spears (I forgot to take a picture of this, oops!)
5. ¼ cup feta (hence the Greek in the name)
6. 1/2 block firm tofu
7. 4 low carb soft taco tortilla (this is just what I used)
8. Salt to taste

Ha, and that is it!  My mouth told me I was a genius.  In the words of my father, “If I wasn’t already taken, I would marry myself!” –Ron Salleé.  He says this when he creates culinary genius; so he says this a lot! (Have you noticed how everyone is putting quotes on Facebook?)

In a skillet combined your zucchini, squash, and carrots with about ½ cup water and cook on medium heat until veggies are hot and kind of steamy.  When they are done, drain and transfer them to a bowl.  Place your tofu in the skillet and cube with the edge of your spatula and brown them with a pinch of salt.  When your cubes are browned on multiple sides place in bowl with veggies.

Take your flour tortilla and sprinkle with about ¼ of your 1/4^th cup feta and place 4 asparagus spears in the center.  Let it heat up a little bit in your skillet.

Just so the tortilla is heated through and the cheese is slightly warmed.  Should take about 2 minutes.  Top with ¼ of your veggie mixture and pinch shut with a clothes pin (adorable and very functional…I love these things).

I ate two, and they were amazing.  I even said out loud, “Seriously! These are amazing!”  I was amazed because it was so easy, and so quick, and SOOOOOOOOO good.  The saltiness of the feta and pickled asparagus balanced perfectly with the sweetness of the zucchini, squash, and carrots.  It was juicy and so flavorful.  I will make this, and eat this regularly from this day forward.  It is a new favorite.

Here is what I used:

Zucchini and Yellow Squash and Organic Carrots

Organic Extra Firm Tofu

Delicious Feta, YUM!

Low Carb (they taste really good!) Tortillas

I also used Pickled Asparagus, but I forgot to take their picture.  Sorry.  I hope you make this.  You can't let time be an excuse because it takes like 2.5 seconds.

xoxo,

Ronda

Wrap it up

I was bubbling with anticipation as I input each person’s name into a random picker for those of you who shared your favorite Peanut Butter method of indulgence.  I clicked the “get results” button; it was like Christmas!  My first Give-a-way!  And the lucky recipient is…dun dad a dun: Marie Fissouri!

Congratulations Marie!  I am very excited to send you some Naturally More Peanut Butter…because it is naturally awesome.  And so are you.

So now you can eat it by the “heaping tablespoon," your favorite way.

Today was a very busy day at work.  I didn’t seem to stop moving.  I rode my bike to work; my first time ever doing this.  And guess what?  I loved it!  I think I will do it more often.

I arrived to some very unhappy people (not awesome).  So I kindly worked to gently defuse their anger.  They were very nice people I could tell, but they were at the poor end of a sour appraisal on their home that they were selling.  This created a domino effect, and one contingent sale after another began to dissolve.

I could understand their frustration.  One thing I thought was a little strange is that they brought their Bible with them.  Maybe they thought they would read it if they had to wait.  Maybe it was something to bring them comfort.  Maybe they thought it would protect them from the ‘evil bankers’.  Or maybe they thought if all else failed they could thump me with it. I don’t know, but after I finally got them calmed down I asked if it would be ok if we said a quick prayer about it.  You could see the relief in his wife’s face when I asked this, but I could also see that he hesitated.  He wanted to stay upset.  But he said, “sure, ok."

So I said a very quick little prayer and they softened up a bit before they left my office.  I don't normally do this, but in Joplin it didn't feel that out of the ordinary.

That was the beginning half of my day.  Then it was a whirlwind of files, investors, realtors, title companies, customers, rate locks, lock expirations, disclosures, highlighting, filing, phone answering, call logging…it seemed never ending.  This day went by so fast I feel dizzy!

So yesterday I alluded to the fact that I found a healthy dinner that I could eat every day and every meal…I ate it again tonight, and I loved it all over again.  It is so quick, so easy, so delicious, and so healthy…what more could you ask for?  Oh yes, and it is cheap!  Now what more could you ask for?

You can use a flour tortilla, I made mine with Lavash Bread.  I buy this flat-bread made with flaxseed at Walmart over by the deli.  Each flat-bread wrap is only 100 calories which compared to your typical tortilla is a real bargain!  It is loaded with healthy ingredients and is perfect for cramming with delicious fillings.

I am calling this big beauty Ronda’s Veggilicious Veggie Wrap.  The recipe below is for a single serving…and it is very filling so you will only need one if cooking for just yourself.

1 ½ cups Asian stir fry

1 tablespoon taco seasoning

¼ cup water

1 Lavash flatbread or Tortilla

2 tablespoons light sour cream

Lavash Bread = good with everything.

Stir Fry, yes please!

See, I put clothes-pins on everything!

In a frying pan on medium-high heat place your frozen stir fry, taco seasoning, and water and heat until hot through.  Drain any excess water and spoon veggies onto flat bread.  Top with sour cream and roll up.  And that’s a wrap folks!  See I told you it was ridiculously easy!

Mmmm, I am going to eat that! 

I don’t think the pictures do it justice.  It was perfect…just perfect.  My taste buds are still talking about it.  They are gabby little guys.  And those are veggie chips...they should come with a warning label.  They are highly addictive.

Have a wonderful evening!  Enjoy your peanut butter Marie!!!

xoxo,

Ronda

Peeling back the layers

These days everyone has a story to tell, and every story told is a miracle.  She sits quietly next to her husband in my office and shakes her head back and forth as he describes for me how they survived the tornado.  He tells me how they clung to each other in the basement of the home they had purchased a week prior.  The little house twisted and ripped apart above them taking with it all their belongings, all their memories barely out of boxes, their clothes, their truck…everything gone. When it finally passed they had to dig themselves out and walk.  This is when she finally spoke, her eyes a little watery.  “We walked and walked and walked,” her voice quivered.  “Our daughter and our people thought we were dead because when we finally found help they drove us to a shelter in Neosho and we had no way of reaching anyone.”

This little couple is near and dear to my heart, both in their 70’s.  They moved to Joplin from a small town in Kansas to be closer to St. Johns Hospital.  “Ronda, we're going back to Kansas,” they told me.  “The house, the hospital, it’s all gone; so we’re going home.”

The insurance company is working at getting them a check, they are going to have to work to adjust to this new life they’ve been handed.  “We’re famous back home Ronda!”  Her cheeks flushed a little when she told me this, “but it gets kind of exhausting.”

“You know the hard part is the crying,” he said.  I listened closely and was surprised to hear him say this, but a little more surprised to see tears start to well up in him.  “I just get so emotional.”  He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and dabbed his eyes.  “So many people have been so good to us,” she said while he composed himself.  “{He} got some real nice jeans given to him; no one seems to be my size though.  So many people from our town came to the hotel to see us, no one wanted to leave, and we were so tired.  But they all just stayed around,” she continued.  “Our daughter tried to tell them we were tired. They must have been there past eleven.”  He nodded his head in agreement.  “We really liked that house,” He said with a sigh while his eyes scanned my floor as if looking for something lost.

{Ohhhhh!!! Broke my heart!}

They told me how the previous owner (“a little old man,” they called him) felt terrible about what happened and felt like it was his fault somehow.  They told me how they told him, “It wasn’t your fault!  Your basement saved our lives!”  They said that seemed to make him feel a little better.  Pray for them, they have so much ahead of them, and though they survived I could visually see a change in them from the couple I had known just a few weeks prior.  Who wouldn’t be different after something like that?  They lived through a nightmare.

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change and though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea; though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains quake at its swelling pride. Selah. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah. Psalm 46:1-3,7

Since they are customers I can’t say their names, but I can tell you they are a joy, and you would love them.

If you would like to send any support to my little couple from the story above I would be happy to send it their way for you.  They are on a fixed income and they barely had two nickels to rub together when I helped them use his VA-entitlement to purchase the new house.  Don’t know how they are going to make out on insurance but I am praying they will be well taken care of.

A dear friend of mine had her last day at the bank today so we threw a party.  Mexican food was on the menu and everyone was supposed to bring a little somethin’ somethin’.  So I brought my Mexican Torte.  I think I have mentioned this in a blog before, funny how quickly I forget!  This is a dish my family calls “Ronda’s Layers of Goodness.”  It is easy, it is yummy, it is quick, and it is cheap.  A big thank you to my friend Alicia for being a vegetarian.  I had to learn to make yummy vegetarian food for them when they would come for a visit; this was one of those dishes.  Praise the Lord for good friends and yummy food!

Mexican Torte AKA Ronda’s Layers of Goodness

6 flour tortillas

1 can of refried beans or pinto beans

1 can black beans and/or 1 can dark kidney beans (I also like to chop up some cilantro and put it in there….ooohhhhh yummers!)

½ cup salsa

1 ½ cups cheese

½ packet taco seasoning

Garnishes Optional:  sour cream, salsa, hummus, guacamole, etc…

Preheat oven to 390-400 degrees.

Mix black beans, kidney beans, salsa, and taco seasoning in a small bowl.

Place your first tortilla in a shallow baking dish or on a cookie sheet lined with foil.

Spread about ¼ cup refried beans on tortilla.  Sprinkle with1/8 cup cheese.  Top with your next tortilla.  Spread about ¼ cup black bean mixture and top with 1/8 cup cheese.  Repeat this until all 6 tortillas are used.  You can keep going if you want…I have used up to 8 tortillas and as few as 3, so do whatcha want.

I then take half of a tortilla if I have any left and I use a pizza cutter to cut out a few designs.  I sprinkle on some cheese, set up my design on the top of the torte and put it in the oven to bake.  Check it after 20 minutes.  Cheese should be melted through and edges slightly browned.

This is a must make.  It is probably one of the best things ever.  It does come with a warning…do not eat this if you are going to be in a confined space around others for any extended period of time.  Not advisable before air travel or attending church.   You will be all gassed up with no where to go.  You can thank me later.

Let me say thank you to all of you who called, emailed me, or message me about yesterdays blog, there were several of you and it REALLY blessed me.  You know who you are.

xoxo

Ronda

Who turned up the heat?

Tuesday nights we have Praise Team practice at church.  Before we left the house yesterday I took a look at the clock and realized that we needed to be there in 20 minutes.  The church is 3 miles almost exactly from our house.  I didn’t know this when I left, I figured it was more like 2 miles.  I thought, ’20 minutes, 2 miles, no problem.’  So I laced up, and to Sam’s surprise, I told him I would meet him at the church.  I have been running a lot lately.  Not everyone enjoys running.   I never used to be able to get past the air sucking, side aching, calves cramping, lungs screaming, first mile.  I remember in Junior High when they would make us either run/walk a mile…I would usually make it about a lap before I would have to walk the rest of the way.

That first .5 mile never gets any easier for me; I always want to give up.  I ran about 25 miles this last week.  To be safe I equip myself with a reflective vest, concealed but readily accessible pepper spray, and my cell phone.  Reflective vest=protection from cars.  Pepper spray=protection from people and dogs.  Cell phone=protection from myself, in case I find myself in a ditch with a twisted ankle.  Ditches in Missouri are scary…there are lots of bugs and creepy crawlies…ewww.  I also always tell Sam the route I am going to follow and I don’t deviate from it.  I pay attention to the cars that pass me and pay extra attention if I see the same car more than once.  I always wave at Police Officers and people that make extra effort to avoid hitting me, I appreciate that!  I also don’t listen to music; I listen to the cars and know when they are coming long before they know I am running.

What I didn’t guard myself with yesterday was wisdom.  I should have thought about the fact that it was almost 100 degrees outside.  It didn’t seem too hot at first because for the first mile I was kind of in the shade and the breeze was perfect, but then I hit a two mile section of road that had no shade and the breeze stopped.  Oh man, I was hurtin!  I was sweating great gobs and I told myself the whole way ‘if you make it, no more running and sunning.’  I finally made it to church, I was ready for a cold shower…I didn’t think this run through.  I splashed some cool water on my face and tried to collect myself before going up on stage.  It took me about 20 minutes to feel ‘normal’ and stop sweating.  I drank two bottles of water, it was delicious.  I don’t think I have ever referred to water as delicious before, but it is totally accurate in this example.

Wisdom…it requires pausing and pondering.  I did not pause, or ponder.  I rushed and ran, and could have killed myself.

How often do we do that?  How often do we rush and not stop to ask ourselves what is wise?  How often do we ask God what is wise, and then wait for an answer before making plans?  Or how often do we know the smart thing to do, but opt to go with the foolish?

As healthy as running is, running in 100 degree weather is not.  I learned my lesson.  Thank you Lord for being with me each step and not letting me pass out.  A cell phone would do me no good if I am passed out in a ditch.

I got some good word this morning when I opened e-Sword…

In his hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind.  Does not the ear test words as the palate tastes food?  Wisdom is with the aged, and understanding in length of days.  With God are wisdom and might; he has counsel and understanding.  Job 12:10-13

I read further in Job and another verse resonated within me.

Pay attention, O Job, listen to me; be silent, and I will speak.  If you have any words, answer me; speak, for I desire to justify you.  If not, listen to me; be silent, and I will teach you wisdom.  Job 33: 31-33.

Job is quickly becoming one of my favorite books of the Bible.  It speaks straight to my heart when I think about all that Job went through, and his unwavering love for God.  I am going to dig into Job in my personal reading this week.

Yesterday besides my self-inflicted stupidity, was my realization that griping and offense break down your spirit not build it up.  If I have a good attitude I can be used by the Holy Spirit to minister, always a good thing.  If I have a bad attitude I can be used by the Devil as a splinter, never a good thing.

Turn your ear toward the Lord and be still.  Get in the word, talk to God, and let the Holy Spirit clean house.  Talking to God is easy, but I forget all the time to first take ‘it’ to him.  Every issue, every joy, every burden, every question, everything, anything, serious, silly, lighthearted, heavy laden, you can take it to him and he will take it on.  Papa God, he is a good and caring father.

When you are feeling the heat and need to come up with something good to eat, you should try out this super simple, ridiculously tasty, very affordable, QUICK quesadilla.  I recently started making my quesadillas in the shape of a triangle.  My family loved these.  I am going to make my sister-in-law Dawn’s sweet potato black bean quesadillas soon and will blog about them, but for now these are my Exquisite Equilateral Quesadillas (EEQ’s).

What you need:

4 Tortillas

1 can refried beans or pinto beans mashed

1 can black beans drained

½ cup salsa

1 cup shredded cheese

½ packet taco seasoning

Sour Cream, guacamole or hummus, salsa optional toppings

In a medium bowl mix black beans, salsa, and taco seasoning.

Spread a few spoonfuls of refried beans in the center of 1 tortilla in the shape of a triangle.  Take a few spoonfuls of black bean mixture and spread over the refried beans.  Sprinkle with ¼ cup of cheese.

Fold 3 flaps over the filling making sure to get a little bit of the shredded cheese under each flap so that when you fry it everything glues together.

In a frying pan on medium heat place the triangle folded sides down.  Let it cook until the color is lightly browned.  Flip onto other side and do the same.  Transfer to plate, garnish with sour cream, guacamole, salsa, or whatever you want.  I topped Sam's with salsa, sour cream, and roasted red pepper hummus. YUMMUS!

Repeat steps with other quesadillas.  Family pleaser, this is one you should definitely make.  Skip fast food out and make fast food in.  For the kiddos if they don't like all the topping, or fillings for that matter you can just fill with cheese and they are good to go!

Thank you so much for blessing me by stopping by.  So many of you send me sweet comments and I am everyday grateful for you.

xoxo 

Ronda

Green goes with everything!

Green Delight: Green Beans, Brussels Sprouts and Zucchini

I need to learn how to use my camera.  I can’t wait till I can see my Dad and he can give me some pointers.  I have an awesome Nikon D40 that my parents got me for my birthday a few years back.  I feel like a kid playing a video game that they don’t know and I am pushing all the buttons.  Sometimes it works out and you kung fu karate chop hi-ya your opponent, or in my case get a random good picture, but most of the time this is not the case.

Kael came home from school yesterday with his new weighted blanket made by Project Linus (thank you Gail).  We were also told to try and give him 3-4mg of Melatonin about 30 minutes before bed and this would help him sleep.  He was so cheerful last night so we kept him up with us till 9pm, which is about an hour and a half past when he usually drops out.  I tucked him in with his new blanket and he waved and said “bye, bye” to me.  He is actually starting to say several new words including Mommy which makes my heart melt!  I woke up this morning to Kael tromping around the room and felt so rested I was sure that the blanket had worked and that it was surely time to wake up.  It was 4am.  So I put him back in bed several times and eventually he dozed off and we got about an extra hour of sleep.  We will try again tonight.  My friend Brittany sent me a message this morning asking how Kael did.  It is so nice to know that people are thinking about us and rooting for us.  When I told her it didn’t work she asked what we were going to do now.  My response was quick and simple: Pray.  We are going to keep trying and pray for sweet sleep, you can pray for us too!

Yesterday I was quite sleep deprived and totally drained of energy.  I lost my phone, I forgot where I parked, lately I forget faces, names, tasks, etc…It has been really noticeable to me.  So this coming Thursday I am going to see Dr. Simmons.  He takes a holistic approach to medicine, but is also an MD so if you need to go modern medicine you can.  I am pretty sure that it is just the lack of sleep that is affecting me, but I am going to go get checked out.

I am feeling really good this morning.  I drank a glass of Almond Milk with some Amazing Grass Superfood mixed in (this stuff is the bomb…yeah I just said that).  That makes me laugh…that last little part.  I will digress and tell you a quick little story and you can laugh with me at my dorkiness.  I was taking a loan application from a woman the other day and she was of African American decent.  Somewhere in our conversation I was like “you know it girl!”…Yeah, as soon as the words came out of my mouth I was like ‘what did you just say!  You are such a nerd’, she was undoubtedly thinking the same thing ‘what did she just say?’  I was pretty embarrassed, but had to keep rolling and try to not make myself look like more of a goober.  I also enjoyed a small bowl of almonds, pralines, walnuts, hazelnuts, dried cranberries, dried cherries, raisins, and white chocolate chips.  These are new ECO bowls that I got at ROSS and I love them.  They are the perfect size, they are stackable, they won’t break so I can let the boys use them, and they feel good when you hold them because they are light and have a really nice texture.

I will try to find more ECO ware online, because I really like it!

So for dinner last night I made what I like to call Green Delight.  I also made Bagel Pizza Rounds and for dessert Banana's Foster.

Every element of this dinner was easy, affordable and best of all DELICIOUS!  This is a dinner that you can make in a few minutes, feed a crowd, and have them raving about it!  Sam even asked for me to make some more of the vegetables for him; they are that good!

Green Delight

1 Zucchini
2 cups Fresh Green Beans
4-6 Brussels Sprouts

Wash everything.  Slice the zucchini into rounds about 1/8th an inch thick.  Cut the brussels sprouts into quarters, and leave the crisp green beans just as they are.  In a frying pan put about 1/3 cup of water and season with steak seasoning.  I like a lot of seasoning, but this addition will be up to you how much you use.  You can always add more.  Put all the veggies into the pan and turn the heat on Medium.  These will only take about 4 minutes to be perfect so don't forget about them.  When they are ready they will be bright green in color. Serves 2.

Bagel Pizza Rounds

This is another favorite in our house because it is so simple and quick to prepare.

Bagel (I use Natures Made because they don't have anything artificial)
1/2 cup Shredded Mozzarella
1/4 cup Shredded Cheddar
4 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
Pinch of Italian Seasoning (optional)

Open your bagel and spread the tomato paste evenly on each side.  Sprinkle with your Italian seasoning if you desire.  Sprinkle with mozzarella and then top with the shredded cheddar.  Place on a baking sheet and with your oven on Broil place on top rack.  Don't leave!  These will go quick.  It should only take about 2 minutes to get them looking like mine in the picture. Serves 2.

Banana's Foster
Dakota, one of our youth group kids, was over and he and Sam agreed that his dessert was so amazing that I should open a restaurant around it.  I just thanked them for the compliment and reveled in the joy of how easy it was to make for such an awesome response!

2 bananas
1/4 cup of butter
1/2 cup sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons rum (don't worry it burns off!)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
Few scoops of vanilla ice cream

In a frying pan melt the butter.  Stir in the sugars, rum, vanilla, and cinnamon.  Slice your banana's length wise and then in half.  When the butter mixture begins to bubble toss in the banana's and nuts. You want the bananas to be hot, but not overdone.  So let them cook about 1-2 minutes in the bubbling caramel mixture.  Pour over your scoops of ice cream and enjoy!

xoxo
Ronda