Cookin' From the Pantry Challenge

Many times in the past I've made a meal or two in a pinch from only items hidden in my pantry. These nights usually were Wednesday's because those are the busiest nights in our house (church night). Tonight I was thinking over things...two things actually. Our tight budget and moving. So in an attempt to save a bit of money and to prepare for our upcoming move I decided to make our next two week menu based off of only items in my pantry. I will be purchasing some meat, and fresh fruit to go along with the meals.

So, my challenge to myself is to plan meals around what I have. Now, this is hard for me because when I plan our meals I always choose a new recipe to try each week. So I'm going to have to resist that pull to try a new recipe to focusing on being creative with what I have.

My goal is to spend less that $30 on the meat I need for the next two weeks when I shop tomorrow. And to go to the farmers market on Tuesday and spend less than $10 each week on my produce.

Have you ever tried this? Wish me luck!Tomorrow night's dinner: Tacos, black beans, corn, brown rice, and pears

If You're Happy and You Know It!

Last week when it was really starting to warm up I brought home a huge bottle of bubbles for Addy to play with outside. I was so excited to get home and play with her outside and enjoy chasing the bubbles together. She was thrilled when I showed her what I had brought her home. So off we went outside to play!
It was at least 65 degrees out and the sun was shining in the clear sky. Just a beautiful day. Perfect for outdoor play.
After playing with the bubbles, and spilling half the jar (which I totally prepared myself for), Addy stopped still in her tracks and looked at me and said "I happy." She melted my heart right there, once again. As her Mother I try my best to teach her about feelings, along with many other things, but as a counselor myself I know firsthand the importance of feeling expression (and parental empathy) at a young age. To this date she had only said "I sad." But today was different. Joy. I felt so "happy" right along with her.

Crunchy Oven Baked Chicken Strips

Good evening friends! Have you ever made homemade baked chicken strips or nuggets only to find them dry and lack luster in flavor? I like to cook healthy meals for my family but sometimes find the recipes lacking in appeal after trying them once. Tonight I decided to try a new recipe that I found on Pinterest for Weight Watchers baked chicken fingers. When I went to my Pinterest board the link for the recipe was incorrect. I wasn't able to find it. So...since I had the chicken all defrosted and ready to go I decided to create my own recipe. I will say I borrowed some ideas from different recipes I've found here and there for the same baked chicken idea. I just combined them and added a few other ingredients.

So here's the recipe. If you have time, give it a try. I'm sure it will be a family pleaser. :)

Crunchy Oven Baked Chicken Strips

1 1/2 lb of chicken breasts, trimmed and cut in strips
1 egg
1/2 cup of light sour cream
2 cups crushed corn flakes
1 cup seasoned or plain panko break crumbs
1 tsp onion powder
t tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic salt
cooking spray

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. Cut the chicken into strips.
3. In a shallow bowl whisk the egg with the sour cream. Season with salt and pepper. (Tip: seasoning each layer is the best way to cook, in my opinion).
4. In a separate shallow bowl, combine the crushed corn flakes, panko bread crumbs, onion powder, salt, pepper, and garlic salt.
5. Beginning with the egg mixture, dip each piece of chicken in the egg and then cornflake mixture. Making sure to coat the chicken well. Place each piece on a rack that has been placed on top of a cookie sheet. Repeat until all the chicken is coated. Spray chicken with cooking spray to create a golden, crisp crust.
6. Bake at 425 for 20-25 minutes or until no longer pink.

Serve with your choice of light dipping sauce and enjoy!~

Days Like These

I'm so very grateful for days like today. A day where the sun is shining and it's not too cold out where my Addy girl and I can explore the world. I thank God every time it comes to mind, that I can be a stay-at-home Mommy.

Today we went to feed the ducks at a local pond. We love feeding ducks. I'm not exactly sure why but I guess it's quite peaceful and serene.

After that we went to the park. Boy do we love Charles Park! The swings totally ROCK! They're hung from longer chain-link so Addy can swing high. She laughs in excitement every time as if it was her first time swinging. I remember her first swing ride. She was about 10 or 11 months old. The look her her face was sheer delight. It's something I'll always remember.
I'm thankful I'm with her today and every day. Some days might be more trying than others but I wouldn't change a thing. I don't want to miss a moment!

Carrying Cupcakes in Style!

I love cupcakes and I'm such a sucker for cupcake shops! So, since I like cupcakes so much I decided I wanted to invest in a portable carrier to transport these beauties to parties and schools (someday). Complete side note: I can't wait to be a room mom when Addy goes to school (not like I'm rushing this though...)! So I figured, why not get one now and make it more convenient to travel with them and then I'll be prepared when Addy goes to school.

I shopped high and low for just the right carrier. I found ones that were pretty short, short as in there wouldn't be room for gourmet cupcakes or those decorated more luxuriously ;) Which, by the way, is the way to go!

I finished my search at Bed Bath and Beyond. I was thrilled to find this beautiful carrier. The top pops up to carry 24 gourmet cupcakes and then pops down to save storage space. It will also carry a round cake as well. I used it to transport cupcakes to church today. It worked perfectly.
I'm a happy girl.

Look Around, then Look Up!

This morning I woke up, looked out the window and saw this...
And the first thing I thought was this"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will" Romans 12:2

I love how the snow looks untouched, new, fresh and white. It reminds me of this new day God has given me, how it's a fresh start, a new beginning.

So many times I think we as Christians get caught up in all that's going wrong in our lives, what we don't have or what we are struggling with day in and day out. What we fail to see is what God IS doing around us. I need to work on transforming my mind to be more like His. As a people we need to stop conforming to this world (peers, society) and move towards more Christ-likeness!

I love how our new series at church (SoulShift) is teaching me this. To grow in Christ is a matter of the soul transformed. My prayer is that God will teach me at the soul level and my life will be forever changed to be more like his.

So I say, happy Thursday dear ones! Remember to focus on Him and the good, Abba Father that He is, only then will we grow deeper in love with our King.

Emotional Eating

"Emotional eating is eating for reasons other than hunger."

Emotional eating is an issue for me. No matter what I do, exercise or eat right, the issue is still the issue. If I don't resolve why I overeat, there will never be true weight loss success (for me personally). Most people who lose weight will gain most, if not all of it back over time. It seems as Americans we want a quick fix. Oooh what's the newest diet plan or weight loss program I can try? Excitement gains attention. And why some of these plans are well and good (like our lovely Weight Watchers), most of them will not last over time when the underlying problem is emotional. Personally, sometimes I think I avoid losing weight all together knowing that real work is HARD and most times I'm not ready to go there....hence the writing of this post.

So God and I had a good talk this weekend. A deep talk. We've had many over the years but this one was different. I felt like God was saying, "girl you've got this food thing all wrong, it's become more of a focus in your life than me at times." It hit me differently this time. Having dealt with being overweight my entire adult life, I've had these conversations with God before. But I think you come to a point when it's like, now is the time. I think you eventually just come to a realization that no matter what you do (diet wise) or who's along the journey with you, it's all about you and God and no one else. I'm at that point. Although, I do love my weight loss partners.

I'm thankful for how God is working in my life by stretching me...challenging me. It's going to be hard but I think I'm up for it. I'm 34, now is the time. Not tomorrow or next year. Now. With God's grace I will reach my goals. With His help I will overcome these emotional matters of my heart.

"As the deer pants for streams of water,

so my soul pants for you, O God."
Psalm 42:1

A good resource...

How to Tell the Difference

There are several differences between emotional hunger and physical hunger, according to the University of Texas Counseling and Mental Health Center web site:

1. Emotional hunger comes on suddenly; physical hunger occurs gradually.

2. When you are eating to fill a void that isn't related to an empty stomach, you crave a specific food, such as pizza or ice cream, and only that food will meet your need. When you eat because you are actually hungry, you're open to options.

3. Emotional hunger feels like it needs to be satisfied instantly with the food you crave; physical hunger can wait.

4. Even when you are full, if you're eating to satisfy an emotional need, you're more likely to keep eating. When you're eating because you're hungry, you're more likely to stop when you're full.

5. Emotional eating can leave behind feelings of guilt; eating when you are physically hungry does not.

Emotional eating is a coping mechanism for dealing with negative emotions. Instead of facing the causes of stress, anger, sadness or anxiety directly, you soothe or comfort yourself with food. But after the initial pleasure from eating dissipates, the emotions that triggered the craving still remain. Nothing has been done to rectify or remedy the emotional state, and you often feel worse than before.