Owned.

2 Corinthians 1:21-22 "He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come." In a world where much pride and boasting is derived from being completely independent and self-sufficient, there is a peace and a joy that comes from knowing that we are not our own. The almighty creator of everything bought us for an incredibly steep price, the sacrifice of his only Son, and has set his seal of ownership on us. What better thought than the thought of being owned by someone who cares more deeply for us than we can ever even fathom? He also put the Holy Spirit inside of us - the same spirit that raised Christ from the dead. And you thought you were just ordinary!! 

Pinterest was good to us this week and I tried out the following recipe for the best pizza EVER! Not only are the flavors awesome but there is no red sauce or grease, so you feel like you are eating a slightly healthier pizza. Disregarding the fact that we put bacon on ours of course.....

Rosemary Chicken Pizza

Adapted from: Pinterest (http://www.lifesambrosia.com/2011/02/rosemary-chicken-pizza-recipe.html)

1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp dried rosemary

1 Tbsp white wine vinegar (I didn't have this so I just used a splash of white cooking wine)

1/2 tsp salt

11/2 lbs. chicken breasts (I think I used two chicken breasts)

1 pre-made pizza dough

5 cloves garlic, minced 

(I thought this sounded like alot so I used a little less than 3...but if you like a stronger garlic flavor go for the gold!)

2 cups shredded mozzarella

1 cup spinach leaves

1/2 cup sundried tomatoes 

(Although I love sundried tomatoes and could eat them plain out of the jar, James is not a fan. Plus we didn't have any and I didn't feel like going to the store so I omitted)

Bacon, cooked and crumbled**

**This was not in the original recipe but I added it since A) we love bacon and B) I omitted the tomatoes. If you do use bacon, I cooked mine in the microwave first but left it kind of limp so that it could crisp up in the oven without getting burned.

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan

1. In a bowl, whisk 1/4 cup olive oil, rosemary, white wine vinegar and salt. Place chicken in marinade and coat. Cover and refigerate for at least two hours. (I was not able to do this since I made it on a weekday and I was at work all day so I just let it sit for 5 minutes. It was still delish.)

2. Slice chicken into bite-size pieces and cook over medium heat until done.

3. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350. Lay pizza dough onto pizza pan.

4. In another pan (I used same one that I cooked chicken once it was all done and set to the side), heat 2 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Brush onto pizza dough.

5. Layer pizza dough with 1/2 cup mozzarella, spinach, chicken, and sundried tomatoes (or bacon in our case). Sprinkle top with parmesan and remaining mozzarella. 

6. Bake 20-30 minutes until crust is golden brown.

This next recipe is so good and SO easy (you literally mix everything in one bowl) that we had it last Wednesday and I'm definitely putting it on this week's menu. I served ours with a side of black beans. Hint: to make canned black beans uber good, add 2 garlic cloves thinly sliced, 1/2 tsp cumin, salt and pepper to taste, and 1/2 small onion, thinly sliced. Makes all the difference in the world!

Creamy Chicken Taquitos

From: pearls-handcuffs-happyhour.blogspot.com

2-3 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

1/3 cup cream cheese (soften in microwave)

1/4 cup green salsa

1 Tbsp lime juice

1/4 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp garlic powder

2 Tbsp green onions, chopped

1 cup grated fiesta blend cheese 

Cooking spray

Salt

Tortillas (I made this full version and got 6 taquitos out of it

1. Heat oven to 400. Shred chicken and cheese (or use pre-shredded like moi!)

2. Mix chicken, cream cheese, salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, green onions, and cheese. Stir until well combined.

3. Spread 2-3 Tbsp of mix onion lower third of tortilla (I think I used alot more....I stuffed those babies full). Keep mix about 1/2 inch from edge. Roll tortilla and place seam down onto baking sheet.

4. Spray taquitos with cooking spray and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 15 minutes or until edges are golden brown.

Seriously I could have eaten all six by myself!! Next time I will!

I celebrated my 23rd birthday last week (seriously, where does the time go?) and I have a theory that odd number ages sound older than even. Twenty-three sounds way older than twenty-two, but twenty-four next year will sounds better than 23. James just did that smile-and-shake-your-head when I explained this phenomenon. However, it was still a great bday despite the oddness of the year. I woke up to a wonderful birthday breakfast and the three boys standing in a row waiting for me. Literally. The two little kitties were standing in the exact same position, facing the same direction as James, waiting. I asked if he put them there for an added flair but these little guys did it all on their own. How presh. I rounded out a day at school with some chocolate chip cookies in celebration. Surprisingly, this was about the only day that I didn't have "Happy Birthday" sung to me. Every other day I get brought cupcakes or cakes or pies or any other dessert made from rocks on the playground, complete with a stick "candle" and we sing "Happy Birthday" multiple times. Yet not on my actual birthday! Haha oh well. Then we finished the day with an amazing dinner at Christopher's World Grille. House filet with fried crawfish tails on top? Yes please! I think I ate my weight in red meat and Bearnaise sauce. Bliss. Kind of like this.......