A Delicious Dinner!!

Sooooo...being that it is a new year we decided that it was perfect timing to start fresh and stop eating out soooooo much! Brett and I would eat out at least 3 to 4 days of the week. Cooking just wasn't appealing to me. Laziness I guess you can call it! HOWEVER, I knew it was time to change! There are 2 things I can cook well and feel confident cooking...Salmon and Chili. Unfortunately we can't eat that everyday, so yesterday as I was on Jillian Michaels Website (Biggest Loser Trainer) I was inspired. She gives a week worth of meals with recipes and even a shopping list! It was a heaven sent gift!!! It looked so simple with not too many HUGE cooking words and phrases!

So last night we started our adventure of cooking something other than Salmon or Chili. After work Brett and I headed to the store to buy our items. Brett was a trooper. He didn't want to go, but I pleaded with him and he went. I picked out 2 dinners to test. My goodness it was an expensive trip!!! Having to buy all those spices costs a fortune. I have never in my life spent $88.00 at the grocery store. Yes Yes I know get used to it, BUT STILL we only walked away with only 35 items. Those darn spices were probably about 50% of the bill. Brett reassured me that next time it won't be that expensive for 2 meals cause we would already have those spices in our cupboard. So our shopping trip ended and we headed home to cook our dinner: Cajun Chops!

Best part of the night: my husband WANTED to cook! So we cooked together! I was a little skeptical of our meal cause I really don' t like pork too much. However, Brett does and he loves spicy food so I chose this meal for him. As we started our cooking, the smell of the chops was AMAZING! I was shocked! After about 30 min, it was finally time to try them and my goodness they were delicious! I couldn't believe that we actually pulled it off and the meal came out GOOD! The Lord definitely blessed us last night! And encouraged me that I can cook and it isn't that difficult!

Next on the Menu: Japanese Beef Steak Salad!

I will let you know how that comes out later this weekend. That is the planned cook date :)

Today...

Okay so I know I haven't been blogging much about Brett and I and our lives. But lately as I have been reading my Bible and getting emails of scriptures and etc they have been touching my heart and therefore pushing me to share them with those who read this. I don't know maybe it is something you need to hear today. A word that may give you strength, bring joy back to your heart or peace or maybe even convict your heart, Lord knows how much that happens to me! But I am happy when I feel convicted cause I know it is for my own good. To change me and make me a better sister, wife, friend, and daughter to my parents and mostly to my God. So here you go :)

Some quotes I read in "The Daily Bread"

~Christ was broken for us to comfort the broken among us~

~At the heart of all conflict is a selfish heart~

~God cannot prosper those who try to cover sin and wrong deny; But all who humbly will confess, the Savior with His love will bless.~
- D. De Haan n

a bit of wisdom....

As I was reading my bible today, I read this scripture and wanted to share it...

Never let loyalty and kindness leave you! Tie them around your neck as a reminder. Write them deep within your heart. Then you will find favor with both God and people, and you will earn a good reputation.
-Proverbs 3:3-4

Happy New Year ! - here is a great challenge for all of us for the new year.

When your good is evil spoken of, when your wishes are crossed, your advice disregarded, your opinions ridiculed, and you refuse to let anger rise in your heart, or even defend yourself, but take it all in patient, loving silence....that is dying to self. When you lovingly and patiently bear any disorder, any irregularity, any unpunctuality, or any annoyance; when you stand face-to-face with waste, silly extravagance, spiritual insensibility, and endure it as Jesus did....that is dying to self. When you are content with any food, any offering, any climate, any society, any raiment, any interrogation, any interruption by the will of God....that is dying to self. When you never care to refer to yourself in conversation, or to defend your own beliefs, your own good works, or itch for commendation, when you can truly love to be unknown....that is dying to self. When you can see your brother prosper and have his needs met, and can honestly rejoice with him in spirit, and feel no envy, nor question God, while your own needs are far greater and in more desperate circumstances....that is dying to self. When you receive correction and reproof from one of less stature than yourself, and can humbly submit inwardly, as well as outwardly, finding no rebellion, retaliation, self-sympathy, self-defense, self-vindication, self-justification, resentment, bitterness, unforgiveness in heart....that is dying to self! (Source Unknown)

HAPPY 2008!!

WOW! I Can't believe 2008 is already here! Ever since graduating high school time has sure passed by QUICKLY! I hope every one's New Years was wonderful! Mine was. We started the New Years weekend by heading up to Springville to hang out with Brett's side of the fam. It was a blast. We basically played Wii all weekend. We brought up Tristan with us and he LOVED that he got to play Wii all weekend too! :) We headed home on Sunday to spend New Years in Lancaster. New Year's Eve we slept till 11am, got up watched a movie and lazied around until 4pm then we picked up stuff to make dinner and headed to my parents house. There we made tacos..yum! Then played Wii until 11:55pm.

Playing Wii Tennis with Jeremiah

I am starting to think we are Wii junkies! lol!! We rang in the New Year with Dick Clark and then headed home! Very relaxing. Thank God it is a 2 day work week and then back to the weekend! Next thing I know it will be Christmas again! Ahhh!!!


Happy 2008!! I pray that your year is full of blessings, love, joy and LOTS AND LOTS of laughter!