This & That

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18: "Be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." For a while now I have considered Jeremiah 29:11-13 to be my "life verse". However, as a new year begins, I really feel a strong call to focus 2014 around this verse in 1 Thessalonians. The Bible can be clear to me at times, while other times I need a much more studied and educated person to explain passages and ideas. However, nothing is more explicit than the phrase "this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" and I need no further explanation of what God would have me do. As 2014 begins and we face a year of many, many changes {hello, parenthood!} I am going to daily remind myself to be full of the joy of knowing the Lord and His great love. I am going to pray constantly, continually, and consistently, not just during my morning quiet times but throughout each day. I am going to pray for the people I meet briefly, for those I have known my whole life, and for those I will never meet. And I am going to give the Father the thanks and praise He deserves for everything, the good and the not-so-good. Because when you thank Him for the hard times and hope in His goodness no matter what, your faith is increased and blessed, simple as that. So here's to a new year and a new "year verse"!

............................................................................................................................................

Hey there. Remember me? The girl that used to post somewhat regularly? The girl that used to try new recipes and share them? That girl turned into this girl...

Husband: What are we having for dinner?

This girl: I don't know. I guess I could just make....{crickets}...ummm...pasta? Oh wait, we're out of milk, cheese, tomatoes, and anything that could vaguely be turned into a sauce. Or we could have a whatever night.

PB&Js all around.

Well with the new year comes a renewed sense of drive to actually cook! And meal plan. For the next 5 weeks or so until baby girl makes her debut in the world. Then it's back to "whatever nights". But in the meantime I am striving to formulate a plan for the upcoming week and trying out some new recipes {and trying out our new camera before she gets here}.

And so I stumbled upon this gem of a cornbread recipe thanks to another great Christmas present...the Barefoot Contessa's cookbook! To anyone starting off the new year with healthy eating habits, this may not be the recipe for you. But in my humble opinion, cornbread was never designed to be "light". If you're gonna do cornbread, you go all the way. And that is exactly what this recipe does.

One more thing...this makes a ton. I originally planned to halve or third it or something, forgot that I had ever made such a plan, and baked the entire batch. Then proceeded to run a gallon baggie full of chunks of cornbread over to my neighbors house {in the cold mind you...who knew Florida could get in the 20s during the day??}. Then proceeded to eat a piece everyday. And still have a normal size batch beckoning me.

Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread

From: Barefoot Contessa at Home

What you need...

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup yellow cornmeal

1/4 cup sugar

2 Tbsp baking powder

2 tsp kosher salt

2 cups milk

3 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 pound {2 sticks} unsalted butter, melted, plus extra to grease the pan

8 oz extra-sharp Cheddar, grated, divided

1/3 cup chopped scallions, white and green parts, plus extra for garnish {3 scallions}

3 Tbsp seeded and minced fresh jalapeno peppers {2 to 3 peppers}

*Side story: After experiencing the excruciating pain of an allergic reaction to fresh jalapeno peppers, I chopped these with baggies sealed awkwardly over my hands. 

Much to the amusement of my husband.

What to do...

1. Combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. 

2. In a separate bowl, combine the milk, eggs, and butter {let your butter cool so you don't end up with scrambled eggs!}

3. With a wooden spoon, stir the wet ingredients into the dry until most of the lumps are dissolved. Don't overmix! Mix in 2 cups of the grated Cheddar, the scallions, and jalapenos, and allow the mixture to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13x2-inch baking pan.

5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and sprinkle with the remaining cheese and extra scallions. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. 

You gotta eat these warm - there is just no other way to do it!

Ooh yeah baby...

We served these beauties up with some grilled bbq chicken and baked beans. Worth every buttery bite :) 

So apparently this whole "nesting" thing is a legit problem disease thing. I have become that girl. What did I absolutely have to get done this morning before I could breathe easily? Scrub the laundry room. Never in my life have I ever cared if the room where dirty things go to get clean is actually clean! But this morning, everything about that room was just.so.wrong. How could I possibly bring a child into this world with the shelves piled high with dust and stray cat food on the floor? My husband, after laughing at me of course, asked if there were any pills to make my nesting last even after she is here. 

Another task on my to-do-before-baby-gets-here list: practice with our new camera {still have yet to come up with a good name to christen her with....the camera not the baby}. Perfect test subject - Angelo during a nap.

Just look at that face...who couldn't love a face like that?

To those who say they don't like cats...they haven't met the right one...

Uh oh. I better stop. The cat lady in me is about to get out.

I'm off to go clean something else. And possibly start packing for the hospital aka continue making a list of what to pack. All you pros - what is something you wish you had brought?

Happy Thursday! Show someone God's love today :)