Wednesday, February 29, 2012

In the Kitchen: Honey Citrus Chops

I pulled out the George Foreman for this new recipe! You marinate pork chops the night before, and they grill up in no time - easy and delicious!

You just need three things for the marinade:

2/3 cup lemon-lime soda (like Sprite)
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup honey

Mix these ingredients in a large resealable bag and add in 6 boneless pork chops. Refrigerate overnight and turn occasionally. Place on hot grill for 4-5 minutes.

I made this for dinner with Nate and my parents the other night. Nate helped me also make a pasta salad and picked out some bread to go with the meal - a delicious dinner all around!

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Campfire Breakfast


Last time Nate picked me up from the airport, we decided to start dating. That was 6 months ago. How fitting that he picked me up from the airport again exactly 6 months later. We had made some plans to celebrate - a bonfire at Nate's house. And we decided to cook dinner over the fire. I was picturing hot dogs, but Nate suggested we make breakfast! That became his project for the afternoon - rigging up a grate over the fire with a baking sheet for our cooking surface.

We cooked up some venison, scrambled eggs, and even pancakes! I think the pancakes were my favorite, and definitely something we should try again this spring or summer!

After our meal, Nate took me on a four wheeler ride up to where he first told me he was interested in me. We talked and just enjoyed the night, thanking the Lord for these past 6 months together and looking forward to many more!

Friday, February 24, 2012

Middle of the Night Rescue


All went well as I flew out of Dallas. I landed in Newark, NJ with 30 minutes to speedwalk to the opposite end of concourse C to hop on the plane that would take me to Ithaca by 10:30pm - where Nate would be waiting to drive me the one hour home to my own bed.

I finally found my gate. It was tucked in the corner and only had three chairs for those of us anxiously waiting to fly. Then it all began. 15 minute delay. Okay, nothing to worry about - probably just need to get the plane over the our gate. Then 30 minutes flashed up on the screen. I sent Nate a text saying I would be late.

We were all chatting by our gate when I noticed the screen - CANCELED! Ugh. Now what? There was no one at the gate to tell us what to do, when finally a guy from outside came and said we all had to head to gate 90 to figure out our new plan. I sent Nate a text to say my flight was canceled, and I'd keep him posted.

We all dashed over to the other gate, eager to find out what was going on. I was fifth in line, but it wasn't looking hopeful for another flight out that night. I could go anywhere - Syracuse, Scranton - anywhere closer to Binghamton, but it was already pretty late and no flights were taking off. Instead I received some meal vouchers, a hotel voucher, and a boarding pass for 8am the next morning to Ithaca. Lovely.

I gave Nate a call to share my latest news. He was already on his way to Ithaca! He hadn't seen my text about the cancellation. He pulled over, and we talked about some options. "How far is Newark from Binghamton?" Nate fiddled with the GPS and realized it was about a 3 hour drive. He could be at the airport around 1:30 in the morning. I wouldn't have to spend the night in the hotel by myself, but would have a few hours of sleep in my own bed before going to work the next morning. Instead of flying into Ithaca, having someone pick me up mid-morning, and waltzing straight into work, I would have some time to settle in back at home.

Would Nate be up for driving a total of 6 hours through the night to come rescue me?

He sure was! And he showed up at the airport just before 1:30. As I was waiting for him, I figured I might as well use my meals vouchers. The only place open was McDonald's, so I stocked up on snack wraps, yogurt parfaits, caffeine, and chocolate milk for our drive home!

It was pretty comical trying to find each other in concourse C of this huge international airport, but I was so glad to finally spot my knight in shining armor! We loaded up the car and were on our way by 2am. We'd recently been saying that we wanted to take more long car trips together, so here was our chance! I stayed awake to help keep Nate alert, and we talked about my trip and how his weekend was while I was away. It was fun to have that time to reconnect after a few days apart.

We rolled into my driveway at 5am - 6 hours before I would have been home had I stayed and taken the morning flight out. I got 4 hours of sleep in my own bed, and headed to work around 11:00.

Nate was my hero that night! But that is not the first time he has made sacrifices for me. He is always giving and generous, and I am so spoiled.

He even brought me flowers in the middle of the night and a welcome home sign! And it was good to be home!

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Destination: Texas


My friend, Hannah, moved to Texas after graduating from college. We went to high school together, and stayed in touch even though we went to rival schools for college! As I helped her pack up to move to Texas, we were already making plans for when I could come visit!

I recently took some time off work, and headed down to Dallas, Texas for a long weekend with Hannah. She teaches first grade and had Monday off for President's Day, so we had a lot of time together. We kept pretty busy, but also enjoyed time just talking and catching up - here's a quick recap:

  • We made dinner together the night I arrived, and she showed me her apartment complex.
  • I slept-in on Friday while Hannah went to school. I joined her for lunch and then taught her first graders a home ec lesson!
  • Hannah's boyfriend, Landry, joined us for a yummy meal at a Mexican restaurant.
  • We went to a cultural night at Landry's school and watched the dance Hannah's roommate performed.
  • We put on our flannel and plaid and headed to Billy Bob's for some bull riding! We also stumbled upon some barrel racing and cowboys lassoing baby bulls later that night.
  • Saturday morning we baked some breakfast cookies and relaxed.
  • My cousin, Katie, picked me up for lunch, and we spent the afternoon together.
  • Katie and I rode a free trolley through the downtown area, and then she gave me a tour of her campus. We also skyped with our other cousin, Bridget, that afternoon.
  • Hannah and I made a shrimp dish for dinner, and then watched a movie.
  • We went to church Sunday morning, and then went rock climbing!
  • We skyped a friend of ours and then ate dinner at another Mexican place.
  • Hannah took me to the trail she goes running on [although after rock climbing we had no energy for a run!] and we walked down to watch the sunset. Then we got frozen yogurt!
  • We went to Landry's apartment that night and played Chinese checkers. He's a med student, so we also got a little biology lesson!
  • Monday morning we went downtown to the Farmer's Market and got some fresh fruits and veggies. It was very colorful and they gave us a lot of delicious samples!
  • We also went to Fountain Place downtown that has 172 fountains to enjoy!
  • Then it was time to catch my 4pm flight back home...I'll have to save that adventure for another post!
Overall, it was a full trip, and I'm glad I had the chance to go. I enjoyed seeing where Hannah lives and spending time in her classroom. Even though these miles separate us, we still share laughs and tears, and our friendship has continued!

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

A LOVEly Night


"Don't buy me flowers today." This was part of the conversation I had with Nate the morning of Valentine's Day. I am going out of town and would have only enjoyed the flowers for one day before leaving - not worth it! I also told him he was not allowed to by me a stuffed teddy bear either [an elephant maybe, but not a teddy bear!].

With me going out of town, and Nate and I celebrating 6 months of dating next week, we didn't make any big plans for Valentine's Day. I had to work until 6:00, and Nate had the day off, so he agreed to make dinner for me.

I laughed on my way up to his house, just picturing him in the kitchen preparing for this meal, and I was very impressed when I walked in the kitchen to find he had used the crockpot - he knows what I love! He had picked out a chicken, rice, and veggie casserole dish and added some of his own variations. He went grocery shopping and even found the bullion cubes! He also made banana bread and another side dish. He had red plates, red napkins, and some red candles - very festive!

Knowing we weren't doing anything big for Valentine's Day, we didn't buy each other gifts. But I still wanted to give Nate something to make the day memorable. I chose my top 14 favorite times with him [in honor of February 14th!] and attempted to draw pictures of each occasion on index cards. I gave him the stack, and he had to guess what each picture represented. He enjoyed remembering back to many of the things we have done together, and the back of the index card had details and the date. We laughed at my drawings and smiled as we looked back at these 14 highlights.

We had also decided to write each other silly love poems - just for something goofy! Nate read his to me first, and it was hysterical! I don't know that I have ever laughed to the point of tears, but I can't say that any more! His poem started out rhyming and then was full of comical alliterations - I was impressed! His poem puts mine to shame, but I read it to him anyways. We laughed about that one too, and I think this might have to become a Valentine's Day tradition!

After lots of laughter, we headed back to the kitchen to make some raspberry love smoothies! I had brought frozen raspberries, orange juice, and raspberry sherbet - and fun straws! Our smoothies were yummy and another fun way to celebrate Valentine's Day. Nate had also made chocolate covered strawberries for dessert - he worked hard in that kitchen all day!

It was simply a fun night of laughing together and celebrating Valentine's Day without roses, stuffed bears, heart balloons, or a fancy night out. Maybe we won't wait another 365 days to celebrate again!

Sunday, February 12, 2012

New Hobby!


I recently picked up a new hobby - I taught myself how to crochet! I got some yarn and hooks for Christmas, and Youtube taught me how it works!

I did quite a number of practice pieces before I finally felt confident in my stitches, and the picture above is one half of my first official project - I made a pair of wrist warmers for a friend's birthday this week! It's a pretty simple project. You crochet several even, straight rows, and then you sew it to itself leaving a hole for your thumb!

I think I'll make a few more wrist warmers for some other friends before I tackle another crocheted creation. If you want to get in on the fun, check out the instructional video here!

Saturday, February 11, 2012

Avoiding a Rut


Nate came over the other night, and we made a new recipe - Sloppy Joes! We have made quite a few meals together, and it's always fun to try something new. I suggested we eat our meal in a new way too!

For a while now Nate keeps mentioning the springtime, saying that we will have a picnic once a week together in the sunshine. He then goes on to mention the blanket he gave to me over the summer - ideal for a picnic! I figured we didn't have to wait until spring to have a picnic and asked Nate if he wanted to have a picnic in the living room - complete with paper plates, lemonade, our Sloppy Joes, and of course...the blanket!

We enjoyed our picnic..without the threat of rain! We've been careful to avoid getting stuck in a rut lately, not wanting to do the same things together every time we see each other. It's been fun being creative and coming up with new ideas and activities to try - or just putting a spin on a typical picnic!

Friday, February 10, 2012

Totally Twins!


My friend, Rachel, and I matched on Wednesday night! From our brown sweaters, to scarves, to the same shirt from Target, the jeans, and brown shoes - we were twins!

Rachel and I met at church when I started going this past summer. I say met, but we really already knew each other - we went to the same high school, and middle school, and elementary school. The thing was, Rachel was three years ahead of me, and everyone knows you don't make friends with people outside of your grade!

Since our days at Ross Corners, we both went away for school, only to end up back in Binghamton. We're both working, and living with our parents. I stayed at Rachel's quite a bit during the flood, and we often end up at the same game nights or other activities with the group.

Rachel and I got to know each other through church and group events. We met up a few times before church on Wednesday nights for dinner together, and eventually we decided to start meeting to listen to some sermons online together.

We started listening to sermons at the end of the summer, and we have continued to meet weekly, being challenged by the Word and having some good discussions.

It was nice to see a familiar face when I started going to church, and I'm glad our days of class division are over!

Saturday, February 4, 2012

More Paint!

We have another new coat of paint in our house! Mom picked a color for the front room, and the stairwell and upstairs hallway are all attached, so we painted those too!


Grandma and Grandpa are always up for painting, so they spent the night and got right to work this morning.

The wall color reminds me of coffee ice cream, and Mom's popular phrase all day was, "Oh, I love it!"

She is so pleased with the front room and can't wait to find curtains and furniture! She decided to go with white for the trim, so Grandma painted our trim today too.

Paint on the walls is a big step - up next: carpet!

Friday, February 3, 2012

From the Bookshelf: I Will Carry You


My Christmas wishlist had some specific book titles on it, and then I gave my mom a general topic that she could look into. I noticed a whole section at the Christian bookstore with books about life issues - babies, miscarriages, abortions, adoptions, struggles at birth, etc. With my position at Life Choices Center, I figured books on these topics would give me some insight into what people have been faced with as they make decisions about the life inside of them.

One book I got for Christmas was I Will Carry You. Written by Angie Smith, wife to the main singer from the Christian group, Selah, she shares her family's story and decisions they had to make with their daughter.

Todd and Angie's first pregnancy ended in a miscarriage, and then they had twin girls! A few years later they had another daughter, and then another girl came along. Before she was born however, they found out there were some complications with their daughter. Her heart was taking up 80% of her chest, so her lungs could not develop properly. She had no kidneys or bladder, and other parts were missing. Todd and Angie were told their daughter would not survive, and professionals recommended they end her life now.

Todd and Angie decided to love their daughter as best they could while she was in the womb! They made Audrey a part of their family, explaining to their then 5 and 2 year old daughters that their sister had a boo boo on her heart. They gave the girls disposable cameras to take pictures of Audrey doing things with their family - they now have pictures of Angie's belly at the beach, the grocery store, and wherever they spent time!

While other friends were preparing for the birth of their children with baby showers and such, Angie was preparing for a funeral for hers by picking out a burial place, grave stone, and dress for Audrey to be placed in the casket with.

Angie picked a date to give birth to Audrey by C-section. Picking a date was difficult though, knowing she was also picking her daughter's death date.

Todd and Angie weren't even sure if they would be able to hold their daughter alive. God did allow them to hold their daughter, and Audrey was able to meet her three sisters! Weighing three pounds and two ounces, this little girl was here for a short two and a half hours, but family and friends showed so much love and support during her lifetime here on earth!

During her pregnancy Angie had seen a stuffed bunny at the hospital giftshop. Todd and Angie went to buy one, and the one they picked up had an accidental black mark over the bunny's heart. They used this bunny with their daughters, and they each put a bandaid over the bunny's boo boo - the same place Audrey had a boo boo. It was a reminder to pray for their sister. This bunny was at Audrey's funeral where her sisters removed the bandaids, realizing that Audrey's heart is now healed!

The book was a page-turner, and Angie was able to give comfort to others that have faced a situation like this. She also gave advice to those they may be supporting friends they are going through the death of a child. It's never easy, and we can not explain why God ends a life so soon, but choosing to give your child life for however long it might be brings God glory!

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

In the Kitchen: Spanish Chicken and Rice


I tried a new crock pot recipe over the weekend! Back at school I had borrowed my professor's crock pot recipe cookbook. I made copies of the ones I wanted to try, and ended up with quite a few!

Spanish Chicken and Rice was one of the recipes I got from that cookbook. With some simple prep work, this meal comes together easily and is very tasty! Try it yourself if you're interested:

1 to 1 and 1/4 pounds boneless chicken breasts, skin removed (I used 3 breasts)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/4 pound bulk Italian sausage (I guessed on this and used one link from a pack - could have used more)
2 to 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 medium tomatoes, peeled, cut up, and juice reserved (I used a can of diced tomatoes)
1 can (6 oz - about 3/4 cup) tomato juice (I used a mix of pizza sauce and water)
3/4 cup uncooked converted long grain rice (I don't know what that means, but I used what we had in the pantry)
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules
1/2 teaspoon dried Italian herb seasoning, crushed
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup diced green pepper (I used a red pepper)
1 large clove of garlic, minced (I used 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic)

1. Coat inside of slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. In a medium skillet, crumble sausage. Over medium heat, brown sausage. Remove sausage and drain on paper towels. Place in slow cooker. Discard drippings.

2. While sausage is browning, cut chicken into 3/4-inch pieces. In a plastic bag, mix flour, salt, and pepper. Add chicken and shake until chicken is well coated. When sausage is done, use skillet on medium-high to brown chicken in oil. Transfer chicken to slow cooker.

3. Place tomatoes with liquid, tomato juice, water, bouillon granules, and Italian seasoning in skillet. Stirring over medium heat, bring to a boil, loosening browning bits from the bottom of skillet. Pour over chicken. Top with onion, green peppers, garlic, and stir.

4. Cover and cook on high for 2 and 1/2 to 3 hours or on low for 5 to 6 hours or until rice, vegetables, and chicken are very tender.

What I Learned: Some recipes have room for substitutes. Use what you have on hand if you can! I also learned to read the recipe carefully. I had the meal cooking in the crock pot and walked away. I came back a few minutes later and looked at the recipe again and noticed I should have stirred everything up in the crock pot before setting it to cook! It might not have made a huge difference, but I'm sure it was good to spread all the ingredients around.

This recipe is also good as leftovers - perfect for lunches at the office!