by Kimberly | Mar 5, 2010 | Uncategorized
I love my foodie friends!
Brandi and I worked together at SBTS before she went and had a baby. Last night was our last time to get together and hang out before I move on as well. Such is the life of seminary workers!
We had so much fun and I personally ate too much!
I made a huge salad: green leaf lettuce, roma tomato, cuk, feta cheese, pecans, dried cherries. YUM
Brandi made chuck bbq with Sweet Baby Rays sauce that she had slow cooked and then shredded. We ate it the only way you can: on a yellow bread roll that was garlic-ized in the oven on broil.
We also had baked doritos and baked ruffles.
For dessert: an eggo waffle topped with fruit, cinnamon, and maple syrup.
End the night with a Diet Doctor Pepper and my fave dude on TV solving a food-related murder – could it get any better?
I’ll definitely miss Brandi – and am thankful for social media and email!
by Kimberly | Mar 5, 2010 | Uncategorized
Bad food nights make me think so much about what needs to change in my life (usually on the morning after). Yesterday was just a bad eat day – I just ate all day. Especially with a yummy dinner with my friend, Brandi. Man, that girl can make some pulled bbq (and we had a salad).
So, I woke up this morning and thought more about this this morning (it wasn’t all thought of this morning, but I had just put some final touches on it). And with changes in my life coming the end of this month (moving, sharing a fridge and freezer, having a Trader Joes and state farmers market close by where I live)…I have greater opp to put these into action.
What are your thoughts on these?
1. EAT LESS. Yes, we all know that, but let me explain. I mean, use little dishes, use little tupperware for meals and snacks to bring to work, be more mindful of portion control, eating less so I will start to be satisfied with less.
2. EAT BETTER. I have now almost completely cut out all processed foods from my diet. But, potato chips (even good for me ones) still make it into the grocery cart, some frozen dinners make it in there as well. I want to make all my salad dressings (which I do), granola bars, meals, snacks, etc. Maybe I’ll start buying mostly organic, but I don’t know that yet – especially the few times I eat meat, organic meat is so expensive! I don’t think I want to go to a CO-OP of CSA because of the NC State Farmers Market that will be so close to me in a month. I am also excited about learning more about canning so I can do something with all these fresh fruits and vegetables.
3. SHOP MORE. This one may not necessarily go with the other two. I’ve always dreamed of living in a place like NYC or San Fran where I could walk down to the market and pick out what I wanted that day to eat and cook. I do love planning – but something about that is appealing to me. This will have to work because of sharing a fridge now. I need to have less stocked up and buy fresher ingredients. So, I want to go wknd farmers market shopping and then go suppliment that by TJ or HT or Super Walmart for the random things I need.
4. SPEND LESS. Am I really thinking this through? How can all these work? I have figured out that if I do the above three things, than I will actually accomplish this last one. I will waste less food, buy less because I’ll be eating less, and be more picky about what I buy.
What are your food mantras or what do you think about these?
by Kimberly | Mar 5, 2010 | Women
Well…the doll industry has done it again.
Mattel, the leading industry icon for all things doll, including Barbie, has chose to market these new dolls to young girls.
Here are some things this doll can teach impressionable young pre-teen and pre-adolescent girls:
1. You are what you look like.
2. It doesn’t matter how you dress
3. The work force is the place for you (whatever work one might be doing dressed like that)
4. You can get where you want to in life as long as you dress immodestly.
That is just the beginning, but I’ll leave it at that.
Moms (especially), Dads, childrens pastors, babysitters…anyone…please read this…
Our girls live in an age that is dangerous for them and their eyes and ears. I was visiting with a friend last night and had the Disney channel on for most of the evening. I couldn’t believe the shows that were on, what they were wearing, how they talked to their parents, the topics of their conversations….
The magazine aisle or the checkout aisle is dangerous because of the scantily scad stars or models that boast the front page.
The bookstores are dangerous for the same reason.
The malls are dangerous because of stores like Victoria Secrets and even places like Rue 21 and other stores that sell mostly teen, pre-teen clothing.
What I am not saying is to guard your child so much that she never sees the outside of your home. I’m not saying that you should never let your daughter go to the mall, go to Barnes and Noble or shop at Toys ‘R’ Us again.
What I am saying is this:
1. Amazingly show your daughter that the gospel is more important in her life than what she looks like.
2. Dads (especially) tell your daughter that she is beautiful. The other day I was eating dinner with friends, and probably heard this statement 5 times in a matter of 3 hours. This Dad’s daughter was only 15 months or so (about) but she already knew that she was cherished by her Daddy. Priceless.
3. Teach your daughter biblical principles for attire. We don’t have hem line measurements in Scripture, but we do have principles.
4. Shop with your daughters and walk them through things that might not be appropriate and tell them why.
5. Be involved in your daughter’s life so she can come to you with her questions and her inadequacies and know that you care and love her.
6. Give your daughter a biblical world view of the gospel, her created self made in the image of the one true God, her role as woman, her spirit and heart that matter more than what she looks like on the outside.
Here are some Scriptures that teach on the above principles to pour over your daughter (maybe on a mom/daughter date night, or a wknd away, or just a morning breakfast of her fave pancakes): Gen 1:26-28; 1 Peter 3; Prov 7 (of how not to be); Prov 31 (of how to be); Col 3, 4; Gal 6.14; Prov 4.23.
Here are some books that might help you as well:
Talk with your daughter. Don’t let the images that Mattel and other worldly manufacturers distribute be chiseled in their minds. The gospel is better.
by Kimberly | Mar 5, 2010 | Uncategorized
New babies! I love them. And with all the siblings – this recipe was a hit with the kiddos (one even went back for seconds). I served this with roasted broccoli and red peppers and peanut butter cookies.
I found a recipe similar to this on Simply Recipes, and just changed it up to my liking!
1 lb rigatoni (I like these shapes when serving to kids because they can eat them easier – trick I learned from Mrs Italian cook herself, Lauren)
12 oz sliced mushrooms
1 stick unsalted butter
1/4 cup flour
1 cup skim milk
1/2 cup half and half
1/4 cup white wine (I used Quail Creek, a CA wine that the Whole Foods guy recommended)
2 cups homemade turkey stock (made from simmering the turkey bones from my roast turkey recipe a few recipes down)
3 cups chopped roast turkey – from Ina Garten recipe I made
1 1/4 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup parm cheese
1/2 cup mozz cheese, grated
juice of one lemon
s/p/pinch of nutmeg (nutmeg goes great with cream sauces)
1/3 cup parm cheese
1/2 cup mozz cheese
Cook mushrooms (I did in evoo and Quail Creek), for about 10 minutes.
In separate small saucepan, melt butter, whisk in flour, then milk and half and half on low (so it doesn’t scorch or boil over), then the cheese, finally spices and lemon juice.
Cook rigatoni till al dente and drain.
Mix all together. Top with remaining cheese.
Pour into 9×13 pan, lightly sprayed with pam. Bake uncovered at 375 for about 35 minutes or until top is lightly browned.
Enjoy!
by Kimberly | Mar 5, 2010 | Uncategorized
This month is cleaning out the pantry time! I had a can of Dinty Moore beef stew – which I do love by the way. So, on the back of the can is a great recipe for shepherds pie. I made it for a friend and her husband this past Wednesday since their nights are really busy with work and church (and traffic).
I kinda followed the recipe, but really not.
1 can dinty moore beef stew
1 cup sliced mushrooms, chopped
3/4 cup frozen peas
7 red skin potatoes
1/3 cup half and half
2 T unsalted butter
2 T parm cheese
s/p
1 cup cheddar cheese
Boil potatoes, mash, and mix with half and half, butter, cheese, and seasonings.
Dump beef stew in bottom of 8×8 pan. Break up bigger chunks of beef. Stir in mushrooms and peas. Spread potatoes on top. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes. Top with cheese and bake another 5 minutes. Serve.
Aarica and J both said this was wonderful – “best shepherds pie ever”!
