You're hot then you're cold!

Psalm 73:23-26 "Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength and my portion forever." I read this verse this morning and I absolutely love it! I just love the rich promises within these words. God will, without a doubt, guide us throughout each and every day with his all-knowing, all-loving counsel. And we can eagerly await the wonderful glory that will come! This verse also made me stop and think about my level of spiritual maturity and my own relationship with Christ in truly desiring absolutely nothing else other than Christ on this earth. Are there things keeping us back from fully and solely wanting Him? God's word reminds us that the things of this earth fade and shatter but that God stands forever. He is the one who was, who is, and who is to come. Nothing else can compare!

You might notice a theme among these recipes. We got a taste of cooler weather and it left me wanting more! So I decided that warm, cool-weather food will most definitely make our fall stick around for a while! Well, my plan didn't exactly work out, thank you very much fickle Texas weather! But that didn't stop us from enjoying some yummy food!

Chili
From: pearls-handcuffs-happyhour.blogspot.com

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 lb ground sirloin (I used ground beef)

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

2 jalapenos, chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 Tbsp chili powder

1 tsp ground cumin

1 (15 oz.) can black beans

1 (15 oz) can pinto beans

1 (10 oz) can Rotel

salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat oil over medium high heat. Add beef and cook for 7-10 minutes.

2. Add onion, garlic, chili powder, cumin, and jalapenos and cook on medium-low heat for 5 minutes.

3. Add beans (don't drain) and Rotel. Bring to a simmer and cook for 25-30 minutes covered, stirring often.

4. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper.

The most difficult part of this whole meal (other than keeping your balance and not slipping in the puddles of drool brought forth by the wonderful aroma in your kitchen) is chopping...and there's not very much of that! Just let it simmer away and you are in for a treat! I love the pinto and black beans in this chili..it gives it more of a tex-mex taste, which who doesn't love?? I topped ours with lots of cheese and served it with honey cornbread muffins (click on this link and it will take you to the post with that recipe...you might have to scroll down a bit). 

We got another little teasing taste of fall weather last week so I was all over anything warm on Pinterest. Unfortunately, by the time I made this meal, our cool fall weather had left. Nevertheless we enjoyed this absolutely delicious soup and turned the A/C down a little bit. Think of the perfect marriage between broccoli cheese soup and potato soup. Now throw in some added veggies and there you have it! And the best part is, this soup is uber-creamy but does not contain any heavy whipping cream (perhaps it's the ten pounds of cheese that does it.....)

Cheesy Vegetable Chowder

From: luluthebaker.blogspot.com

2 Tbsp butter

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 cup finely chopped carrot

1 stalk celery, finely chopped

1 Tbsp minced garlic

4 cups chicken broth

2 large baking potatoes, peeled and chopped

1 Tbsp flour

1/2 cup water

2/3 cup milk

2 cups chopped broccoli

2 heaping cups shredded cheddar

1. Melt butter in large soup pot.

2. Add onions, carrots, and celery and saute over medium heat until tender.

3. Add garlic and saute 1-2 more minutes.

4. Add chicken broth and potatoes and bring to a boil. Cook until potatoes are tender.

5. Mix flour with water and add, simmer until slightly thickened.

6. Add milk and broccoli and cook until broccoli is just tender and soup is heated through.

7. Stir in cheese, allow to melt, and serve.

I topped ours with pepper and a sprinkle of dried rosemary. O.M.Good!! I've been eating the leftovers every day for lunch for the past 2 days and could probably eat it at every meal. Add it to your recipe book for this winter!

I found this next recipe on Pinterest as well when we were craving something sweet but didn't have any dessert in the house (a first for us...ha). I'm not gonna lie. The thing that most attracted me to this recipe on Pinterest is the words "no bake". Those words are almost as delicious in my mouth as these bites!! The best part is you can truly add whatever you want (or whatever you happen to have on hand in my case) to these puppies. The second time I made them (2 days after the first batch) I added a little bit of dark chocolate chips and slivered almonds just for kicks. So simple and so addicting!!

No-Bake Energy Bites 

(aka Granola Balls according to my husband)

From: smashedpeasandcarrots.blogspot.com

1 cup oatmeal

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/3 cup honey

1 cup coconut flakes (omitted...didn't have and not a huge fan)

1/2 cup ground flaxseed (again, I omitted)

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1 tsp vanilla

I added: a handful of slivered almonds and a sprinkle of dark chocolate chips

1. Mix peanut butter, honey, and oatmeal together in bowl.

2. Add your mix-ins (chocolate chips, flaxseed, etc.) and stir until well mixed.

3. Add vanilla, stir.

4. Chill in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes then roll into small balls and enjoy!!

So I might have omitted the parts that are good for you (except for the oatmeal) haha but these have definitely become a staple! A delicious dessert where I don't have to get out the hand mixer or use kitchen equipment whatsoever?? I'm sold :)

We tried this new dish, yet another Pinterest find, last night and OMG so fast and so yummy! And for a guy who claims to not like Asian dishes (not that mine is super authentic), my husband loved it!! The recipe says to serve it cold but I served mine hot and added chicken and stir-fried veggies.

Spicy Thai Noodles

From: asmallsnippet.blogspot.com

1 box linguine or angel hair pasta

(Of course I wouldn't check to see how much linguine I had left so I used a mixture of whole wheat linguine and egg noodles)

1-2 Tbsp crushed red pepper

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup sesame oil

6 Tbsp honey

6 Tbsp soy sauce

Green onions, cilantro, peanuts, toasted sesame seeds for topping

**For my halved version I added one chicken breast (cooked and shredded) and a handful each of chopped broccoli and carrots.

1. Boil noodles, drain.

2. Chop green onions, cilantro (I omitted), and peanuts.

3. Heat both oils and red pepper over medium heat in small pan.

4. Strain out pepper and reserve oil.

5. To oil, whisk in honey and soy sauce.

6. If adding veggies, stir fry over medium high heat in skillet.

7. Toss sauce (and any add-ins) with noodles.

8. Refrigerate and serve cold, or serve immediately warm.

9. Before serving, top with green onions, cilantro, peanuts, and sesame seeds.

Just the right combo of spicy from the red pepper and sweet from the honey. We are definitely having this again!! And the best part is, I'm taking the leftovers to work for lunch and trying it out cold. I added some chopped napa cabbage to make it into a cold asian pasta salad. Looking forward to naptime!!

So this past weekend I made a trek to the wonderful world of Hobby Lobby's discounted Christmas decor and had to majorly practice my prioritizing and "just say no" skills. After putting the majority of the items in my cart back, debating, putting back in, debating some more, then taking them out again (I looked insane, muttering to myself and furiously adding up numbers on my list), I decided to sacrifice some of the decorative items to put that money toward a Christmas tree! I did, however, get some goods to make a Christmas wreath for our front door! I stopped at the Dollar Tree to get a few extras as well. Thus commenced the sweatshop! Not only did James get to sit and watch football, he also got to watch his insane wife shed hundreds of tiny twigs all over the living room rug, furiously poke and twist wire, acquire scratches up and down her legs, and cackle with delight at the finished product! Unfortunately I have to wait until after Thanksgiving to hang my new obsession on our door (don't make me start my "Give Thanksgiving a Chance!!!" tirade - poor James had to bear the brunt of that one in Walmart as their Christmas trees show up way too early), but I am in love! And the best part about it.....less than 20 bucks spent baby!!!

Grapevine wreath.......$4.99 

(sadly, wreaths weren't on sale - but still pretty cheap!)

2 red berry picks.......$1.27

2 garland picks.......$1.99

Letter "S".......$2.99

Ribbon.......$5.00

(I'm obsessed with this sparkly ribbon and will have to fight the urge to put a bow on everything in our apartment this holiday season....poor James.)

Ornaments.......$2.00

(You can get a tube of 7 ornaments for a buck at the Dollar Tree! Granted, they are plastic but they did the trick!)

Stuff Yourself!

2 Corinthians 1:20 "For no matter how many promises God has made, they are 'Yes' in Christ". We serve the most faithful and constant God. In a world where many people have issues trusting others, where many have been taken advantage of by others or been exploited, we can stand firm in the knowledge that our God is true to His word and to His promises. Jesus Christ, God's perfect Son, is the answer to all of God's promises. The sacrifice that Jesus made for each and every one of us allows us to have a close, intimate relationship (not religion!!) with the Father. Who else can wipe away our sin and destroy the barrier that keeps us separated from God? Only Jesus Christ. And the best part about it....He is the same yesterday, today, tomorrow, and forever. So God's promises will always stand. And always be answered with a "yes" in Jesus!

It is a cool, rainy Sunday in Aggieland and I cannot quit thanking God for this rain!! We needed it so badly...although when I discovered my umbrella refused to open and it was pouring when we got out of church, my thanks might have been somewhat subdued. But now that I'm inside in my pj's I am very, very thankful :)

I had one of the best Fridays ever this week.....only 5 kids! Then one left during nap time so I only had 4 little ones Friday afternoon. It sounds terrible, and of course I don't want any of my kids to miss school (most days....ha!), but it was just a very peaceful and calm day. Rather than spending the majority of my time making sure these little people don't kill one another, I got to sit on the floor and just play. We are in our "I Can Discover Autumn" unit, which in my opinion is a little early (but sometimes it seems that fall never gets here in Texas!) but still very fun. We made pumpkin pie before lunch time and let it chill in the fridge until our afternoon snack. Now, before you envision lovely thoughts of a homemade pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving - and let me tell you, my mom's side of the family completely reigns in pie. We are absolute pie fanatics and have incredibly high standards when it comes to the crust. Must be homemade. Must be flaky. Must be the perfect balance of saltiness and buttery wonder. So shake all those illusions from your mind and picture this.....one can of pumpkin, one package of instant vanilla pudding, one cup of milk, and cinnamon in a pre-made pie crust. Oh dear. While the kids had so much fun stirring and smelling all of the ingredients, I knew that very few would actually try it. One of my girls tried it without any convincing from me and loved it (I was calling it pumpkin pudding, which was a much more accurate description of the consistency). One of my girls licked a minuscule amount off of the very end of the spoon, only because I was holding it up to her mouth and pleading for her to try one little bite, and declared that she did not "yike" that at all. Both of my boys refused to try even one bite. I don't know what I'll do if our future kids take after their picky dad. I kept telling them, "You don't know if you like it unless you try it!" That was met with less than pleasant looks. One of my favorite things that has been happening alot recently is that the kids will accidentally call me "mom" instead of "Ms. Sawah". Just shows how much time I get to spend with this little people! OH, and the best quote of the week came from my sweet little man who informed me that "Ms. Sawah, I'm Iron Man.......but I took off my suit (pronounced goot)". Love him to death!

In C25K news, I finished week 7 (I can't believe it's been that long already!) and will start week 8 (hopefully) today. Clarisse had me running for 25 minutes solid, something I would have never, ever thought possible! That just goes to show that this program really does work! So if you have started it....keep going!!! It really does pay off. Take this from a definite, non-runner. This week I have gotten into "Big Cat Diary" while working out. Allow me to explain...when there is a small TV fixed directly in front of your face with very few options at 5:45 in the morning, you take whatever non-infomercial material you can find. Now I fill James in on the status of Bibi, the single lioness mom just trying to make it on the savannah, and her two cubs, along with Bella the cheetah and her brood. There's also Kike, another cheetah mama. One morning James and I were there at the same time and he came up behind me as I was watching this great Animal Planet find. A sweet, but sympathetic -almost pitying- smile and the slow shaking of his head. Hey those cubs are cute! I can't help but wonder, however, if the people who dedicate their lives to keeping tabs on these animals realize that animals have been surviving without the eyes of humans on them for centuries! And why do they all have some sort of accent?? Australian...British...I'm thinking it might be a requirement. But hey, kudos to you for doing what you love.

I tried a couple new recipes this week, followed by some tried-and-true ones. On Monday, I made Paula Deen's spinach stuffed zucchini. I saw her make these when I was laying on my near-death bed and oh man, did they look delish! So I thought, why not? I'll try them out with my I-don't-like-many-things-that-are-green man. He actually liked them! Well, the flavor at least. He said the texture was a little different but I was in creamy-dreamy heaven. I'm also a fan of spinach, spinach artichoke dip, and more. Another bonus....they are SO easy to make and look pretty impressive! I told James that if we ever have a dinner for people we need to impress, I'd definitely make these. Two words: Stuff yourself!

Spinach Stuffed Zucchini

5 large zucchini, or squash, halved lengthwise

2 Tbsp. olive oil

3/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

2 Tbsp. butter

1/2 cup onion, diced

**I also added some green onion, thinly sliced

1 cup chicken flavored stuffing mix

1 (10 oz.) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

1/2 cup sour cream

1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Brush cut side of zucchini with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper.

3. Place zucchini, cut side down, on a lined baking sheet.

4. Bake for 15 minutes, or until tender.

5. Scoop out pulp, keeping shells intact. Reduce heat to 350.

6. In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and cook for 5 minutes, or until transparent.

7. Add stuffing mix, spinach, sour cream, cheddar, and zucchini pulp. Mix together and add salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 5 minutes.

8. Spoon mixture evenly into zucchini shells and place on baking sheet. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until heated through.

Oh spinach and zucchini, I never thought y'all could taste this good. I'm sorry you've made a bad name for yourselves at times, but this will surely change the heart of those anti-green people out there. (cough*James*cough).

It seems my husband and I have been out of town, either together or in two separate places, every weekend this semester. This weekend was the first in a while that we have both been home and had no major obligations. So I thought we were in need of a yummy Saturday morning breakfast to celebrate! I made a cinnamon coffee cake (who doesn't love eating cake for breakfast, and not feeling guilty about it because it was meant to be a breakfast food in the first place??) I believe I previously posted this recipe on here so just click on the link below and it will take you right to the recipe!

Cinnamon Coffee Cake

Saturday night we had some friends over to watch the Aggies beat Tech (and thankfully, for the sanity of my husband and therefore my own sanity, they did!) We kinda did a potluck where everyone brought over ingredients to grill out burgers, which made it super easy on us. I did make a beverage and a dessert that I just have to share with y'all! The beverage of choice: Mambo Margaritas. Anyone who has been to a get-together at my parents' lake house has more than likely sampled this tasty concoction. We owe this recipe to the sweet mama of one of my best friends from junior high. It is one you will make over and over for every occasion! I'm not a fan of beer at all but I like these because they are not super sweet and sugary like regular margs. The funniest thing is that every guy that has tried it has loved it! All of the guys last night just kept commenting, "Man, this is tasty!" Dang straight. Now get away from my pitcher.

Mambo Margaritas

1 bottle of Corona light beer

1 can of frozen limemade, thawed

1 can of Diet 7-Up

Tequila (do half the can of limemade per batch)

Fresh limes

Mix up and enjoy!

 I also made my mom's apple crisp for all the guys and I'm very sad to say (although my jeans probably aren't), that it was completely gone by last night. A 9x13 pan entirely wiped clean. It is the best apple crisp ever and yet so simple, I am almost embarrassed to tell you how easy it is! It's one of those homemade, not entirely from scratch, but still tastes like it recipes.

Apple Crisp

2 cans of apple pie filling

1 box of white cake mix

1 stick of butter, melted

Cinnamon

Sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Melt butter and mix with white cake mix.

3. Place apples in bottom of 9x13 baking dish.

4. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. 

4. Pour (or in my case, I kinda broke up the bigger pieces and crumbled it) cake/butter mix on top of apples.

5. Bake for 30 minutes or until lightly golden on top.

This is a must: Serve warm with vanilla ice cream! It's just not the same without! And I actually used one can of regular apple pie filling and one can of no sugar added/made with Splenda. Shhh...don't tell my husband! This saved about 70 calories per serving....7 servings in a can....I'd say that's a pretty significant calorie saving! And with the other can of regular, you couldn't tell a difference at all.