Christmas In Cambodia Blog

So, I wanted to give you the link the new blog for the mission trip to Cambodia that I am going on.  I am still very excited about the trip and I am looking forward to it so much!!  I will still post some things about the trip on this blog but the other blog will have information from all of the trip participants!!  Please keep us in your prayers!!

Rainy Day Weekend

Well, I am exhausted. At work I have been working hard on upgrading the bookstore inventory software and I have to say I am disappointed on how un-well it is going. I just keep working and praying and I know that it will all work out. And, I guess we learn a lot from things going wrong so I have had a lot of practice this week at learning. Hopefully next week I can implement the lessons that I have learn and make it go a little bit better!!

On a better note, Preston and I are having a ton of fun!! He is an excellent walker and we love to play around. Thru our first (and so far only) fight he learned that I am alpha! Ha! He loves sitting next to me and will follow me all around the house. I have learned that he doesn't like baths (I think this is typical for dogs) and he doesn't like wearing the cone around his head (he has had to wear it when I am not around as he got fixed about 10 days ago). But, he does like the food and dog bones I bought, getting petted, sitting on the couch, but toys he is pretty indifferent about!

Last night Lynette came over and we watched Kiss Me Kate, ate dinner and had Pink champagne. I usually am not a huge champagne fan but Pink was amazingly good! It was fun to drink while watching old moves! Now I need to go antique shopping and find a few old champagne glasses to drink them out of. We just drank them out of my big red wine glasses... just not the same! Ha!

For dinner I made the Baked Thai Corn Fritters but this time I doubled the recipe and added edamame and peas. We had thme with brown rice mixed with Biryani (curried rice with peas, red pepper, apples, raisins and spices) that I bought from Trader Joes and chicken apple sausage. Lynette brought over Stacy Cinnamon Sugar Pita Chips and Mint Oreos. I over-indulged with the pita chips and I did have a (couple) mint oreos. Totally broke my general ban on dessert! But, after the week I had I really just wanted some good junk food! Ha!! I also loved Kiss Me Kate and had a blast chatting with my good friend. It has been a while since we been able to get together. We keep making plans but schedules and sheer exhaustion have kept us apart!

Tailgate Tuesday

Last week Tuesday the I.T. team for all of North Point put on a grill out lunch in preparation for the upcoming football season. Well, it wasn't the only reason... we also wanted to get together with staff so we could get to know them better and they could get to know us better. And, this was such a great idea! Thanks to everyone in the I.T. team I had a blast and I had a ton of fun setting up the event! Big props to Elizabeth for coordinating everything, to Rachael for being the person I got to spend the day with setting up, and to the guys for all the grilling!! Here are a few pictures from the event...

Do you see Ellen and me in the background?!?!?

If you could say a quick prayer for me today... I have been managing a project at work and today is the first day of implementation. I have never managed a work project before (I have always been the one who works tickets out of a queue) so I have been blessed to learn a lot but I am nervous as all get out! I know God is leading and directing me in everything and I am not to worry but I still do. I have said a few prayers myself but I figure the more the merrier!

Baked Thai Corn Fritters

I found a recipe for Baked Thai Corn Fritters on Vegan Dad's blog today and knew I had to make them right away. I, of course, changed up the ingredients a bit so here is my tweak. And I loved the way it tasted!! I made it for just me, but if you are making it for a couple people I would double it, at least!

Makes 4

- 1 cup frozen corn, thawed

- 1/2 tsp red curry paste

- 1/4 cup smelt flour

- 1 egg

- 1 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp ginger, minced
- 1/2 tsp dried, unsweetened, coconut flakes, chopped

- 1/2 tbsp cilantro
- 1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
- 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
- pepper, to taste

- chili powder, to taste


Preheat oven to 400 degrees. I used an iron skillet to cook in.

Put thawed corn in a bowl. Mix in curry paste. Add in flour, egg, garlic, ginger, cilantro, basil, coconut, and hoisin sauce and mix well.

Dip a 1/4 cup measure in water, then scoop out 1/4 cup of batter onto skillet. Sprinkle pepper and chili powder on top.

Bake for 12-15 minutes, turning once in the middle, until golden brown on top.


I loved this and will make it a few more times!! Yummy!!!

Searching for God Knows What

My small group just got done reading the book Searching for God Knows What by Donald Miller and it was another great read. Here is some of what I found most interesting:

• After my friend told me 'reality is like fine wine, it doesn't appeal to children,' I started reading the Bible very differently. I stopped looking for the formulas and tried to understand what God was trying to say. When I did that, I realized God's message to mankind wasn't a bunch of hoops to jump thru to get saved and it wasn't a series of ideas we had to agree with; rather an invitation to know God.
• The problem with God-impostors is that they worship a very small god to validate their identities. This god falls apart as soon as you touch him.
• Man is wired so we get his glory from God. God's love is so pure that Adam & Eve felt no insecurity at all. But when that relationship was broken, they knew it instantly. All of the insecurity rose the instant they realized they were alone.
• What God must have felt, arriving on the scene just after the Fall, knowing all He had made was ruined. Meeting Adam & Eve's eyes for the first time. They are shaking, feeling the trustworthiness of their first love and wondering if He would love them again. Hearing Him speak for the first time as the One who had been betrayed. "Who told you that you were naked?"
• If you declare war against someone else you either have to handcuff them or kill them to win. But if you want them to be forgiven by Christ and live eternally in heaven with Jesus you have to love them. Declaring war in the name of an agenda, in the name of God, is what militant Muslims are doing in the Middle East, and we don't want that here.
• When we read the Bible for other reasons than text to explain God, it becomes a puzzle by which we test our knowledge against our friends, and the views by which we distinguish superiors from inferiors. Its is as though we believe when we die, Alex Trebeck will be standing at the gates of heaven leading us in a mad round of religious Jeopardy.
• Fasting is mourning Him, baptism is identifying with Him, Communion is remembering him.

I love the different viewpoint presented in the book. I never thought of what God must have felt like after the fall, or that God didn't design the Bible specifically for modern day America. But for everyone (yes, everyone) around the world to have a relationship with him. To give us the opportunity to live within the context we were designed and to know His love.

Pretty awesome, I have to say.

Dinner = Amazing!!

We had the most amazing dinner tonight!!! Jennie brought over a butternut squash, wine, and home-made kiwi sorbet and mango sorbet. I have never had better sorbet in my life!! Teesha brought over coconut flakes and chicken stuffed with wild rice and mushrooms. And I had acorn squash with the rest of the ingredients. All together, it turn out fabulous. And I had a great time chatting with them both!!

Maple Walnut Squash

1 acorn squash
1 butternut squash
1 1/2 cup walnuts
3/4 cup raisins
1/2 cup dried unsweetened coconut
1 1/2 T maple syrup
1/2 t vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds and stringy stuff (save the seeds for later). Put the squash in a 9 x 13 inch pan with the cut sides facing up.

In a food processor, combine the rest of the ingredients and pulse until the nuts and raisins are coarsely chopped. Scoop the walnut mixture into the scooped out sections of the squash.

Fill the bottom of the pan with water 1/4 to 1/2 inch high. Cover pan with foil and bake until squash flesh is tender (about 1 hour 15 minutes is how long it took for me).



Roasted Squash Seeds

Clean the seeds so there is no more stringy stuff. Let the seeds air dry for approximately 30 minutes. Then, in a bowl, I added 1/2 T olive oil, salt, pepper, and Spike (no salt added) seasoning. I then roasted the seeds in a greased 8 x 8 inch glass baking dish at 300 degrees for 30 minutes.


Umm, yea. Yummy!!

My new DOGGIE!!!

So, I am not officially a dog owner!! Wantta see pics of the cute little guy. Here you go...





He is 4 years old and weighs in at a whopping 8 lbs. Which is perfect for me. He sheds a bit more than I had expected however I think it will be completely handable. We have spent 1 full day together and I still love him, so that's good right? Now I am just showing him that I am pack leader (and I will always be leader)!

Today we went to the duck pond across the street from my apartment and he had a blast hanging out in the shade while I sun bathed. Then we went for a quick walk. Super fun day!!

Tonight Jennie (lives in my building) and Teesha (from small group) are coming over for dinner. I am going to make a maple-walnut-acorn squash dish that I have been wanting to make so I am excited about that. If it tastes any good I'll upload the recipe!!

For lunch, I made a smoothie out of unsweetened chocolate, cinnamon, soy milk, milled flax seeds, and mango. Put it all in a blender a blender with ice and it was tasty!!

Restaurant Review: Cru

So, apparently cru means raw or uncooked in French. However this restaurant wasn't a sushi restaurant (as I thought it should be) but a tapas restaurant. Britt, Andrea and I (Andrea is who Britt and I stayed with in Italy a little over a year ago) went there with a group of their friends. Andrea had stopped in Atlanta for a week before heading to graduate school in NYC. Can you believe it... I am so jealous that he is able to live there!!

We started with a glass of Sangria. Their house Sangria was only $5 a glass, which tasted pretty good! Then I got Lamb sliders for dinner which was also very yummy, in fact, everyone seemed to really enjoy what they got. The only complaint was that the food was a little pricey for a tapas restaurant. I generally like to try 2 items at a tapas restaurant but at $12 for my plate that was out of the question. But, if it tastes good that's what counts right!

Either way, I had a great night with my friends... And that truly is what counts!!

Chicken in Lettuce Cups

A few nights ago I had dinner with Jennie (she lives in my building) and her friend Cindy and we made the most amazing lettuce cups... next time I would either use regular lettuce or cut the Boston lettuce leaves into a salad and have it that way. However it did taste amazing!!

2 Tbsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 Tbsp. soyvey sauce (you could just use teriyaki sauce)
2 tsp. grated peeled fresh ginger
2 tsp. sesame seeds

2 tsp. olive oil
1 1/2 lb chicken breast, cut into small chunks
1 c. frozen shelled edamame
3 large stalks celery, chopped
1 red pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 Tbsp dried basil (fresh would be amazing here as well)

In a cup, combine first 5 ingredients. In a large skillet, heat olive oil on medium heat. Add chicken and cook 3 minutes (or until almost cooked), stirring occasionally. Add edamame. Cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in celery, red pepper, garlic, and soy sauce mixture and cook until chicken is cooked thru. Arrange lettuce leaves on your dinner plate and use them like a bowl for the chicken mixture.

Enjoy!!

Sesame Ginger Stir Fry

Here was dinner last night... yummy!!

white rice, cooked

1/2 cup vegetable broth
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tbsp fish oil
1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 tablespoons ginger, grated
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1 chicken breast, cooked and chopped
1 bag Asian style vegetables (frozen - steam in bag)
1/2 seaweed wrap for sushi, cut into small pieces

In small bowl, combine vegetable broth, 1/2 tbsp of the olive oil, fish oil, soy sauce, cornstarch, honey, and salt; whisk until cornstarch dissolves.

Heat vegetable in microwave 1 minute less than package states.

In a skillet over medium-high heat 1 tbsp olive oil, garlic, ginger, and crushed red pepper for 1 minute. Add chicken breast until heated. Add vegetables. Add soy sauce mixture and stir-fry until sauce thickens slightly, 2 to 3 minutes. Add seaweed and mix in.

Enjoy!!

More pictures added!!

Well, I have now uploaded my remaining birthday pictures!! Enjoy!!

Chicken Spinach Mango Orzo Salad

I had a GREAT birthday today!! I worked during the day and everyone was wishing me a happy day. I loved it! After work I stopped at Whole Foods to pick up some ICE CREAM (made from coconut milk), which was fabulous! I sat out on the roof for a few minutes before deciding it was just too hot to make it any longer. I got to spend time with Erinleigh at my apartment while she made me an amazing birthday cake. Then Jenny (who lives in my building and I generally hang out with n the roof) came over. A while after that George, Miranda and Joe came over. We hung out and I ate so much sugar I think I am high!! I have pictures I need to up load, but that will happen another night...

I also made the following salad today and it is amazing. The only thing I will add in is some chili powder or something with just a hint of spice. Otherwise its perfect!!

For Chicken:
1 large chicken breast
1/4 cup orange juice
3 Tbs. apple cider vinegar
1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
pinch of salt

For the Salad:
1 ½ cup orzo
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1 Tbs. olive oil
2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp. sea salt or to taste
Grated zest of 1 orange
1/2 cup edamame
1 mango, diced (about 1 cup)
1/4 cup sweet onion, diced
4 cups fresh spinach , chopped
1 canned sweet red pepper, diced
Freshly ground pepper


Directions:

For Chicken:
Whisk orange juice, vinegars and salt. Dice chicken into chunks and add to marinade. Marinate 30 minutes.

In a large stalk pot, add water and bring to just a boil. Add chicken and marinate and cook until chicken is no longer pink.

For the Salad:
Cook orzo according to package directions ; drain in colander.

While orzo cooks, whisk the orange juice, oil, vinegar, orange zest and salt in a large bowl.

Add edamame, onion, mango, chicken, and orzo to bowl and stir with a rubber spatula to mix well. Stir in spinach and red pepper. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.

Enjoy!!

Yay for Birthday Parties!!

I had an amazing time with friends for my 29th birthday party! We celebrated at Teela Taqueria and it was a blast. I had so much fun talking with everyone and it was great to have a reason for friends to get together and meet each other. Its crazy that before this, most of the people at the party hadn't met each other. I will have to do a better job of getting friends together more often!! If you want to check out some pictures... here you go!!

Congrats Brittany & Jake!!!

I had an AMAZING time with my family at Brittany & Jake's wedding last weekend...

Brittany & Jake

Brooke, Brittany, Aunt Julie, & Vicki

I arrived mid-afternoon on Friday and was very excited to see my parents in the airport when they picked me up. We met up with my grandparents in the hotel and in the evening we me up with everyone at the rehearsal dinner. The dinner was more of an outdoor picnic, which was super fun. We had a bunch of picnic tables right by a lake (they don't call MN the land of 10,000 lakes for nothing) and a lot of people played volleyball. We were even able to celebrate Alex's 15th birthday!! I was kinda out of it and quite achy so my parent and I left early to go back to the hotel to sit in the hot tub. It was just what I needed... early night, hot tub, sleep. I woke up Saturday with a new lease on life!!

Saturday morning we all headed to the reception hall to help decorate. My Dad and I put the Hershey Kisses on all the tables, which I thought we did a wonderful job ;) After decorating we went back to the hotel to get cleaned up and dressed up before the wedding at 2pm. It was BEAUTIFUL, my cousin Brittan was GORGEOUS, her sisters Brook and Vicky were FABULOUS and Jake was handsome. It was a wonderful wedding... very traditional until the very end when the wedding party danced down the isle. I loved it!

After the wedding we chatted with family and watched the pictures being taken before heading to reception. I can't say enough about the decorators at the reception... we, uh I mean they, did a wonderful job! LOL! The food was delicious and I had a great time dancing with all my cousins... even Wes came out to cut it up! Brennan and Colton were amazing dancers. However, my favorite dancer was Alex, but that's because she slow danced with me :)

On Sunday we all got together at Uncle Jim and Aunt Julie's house to watch the present opening. Thank goodness Brittany read the cards and Jake opened cause there were lots of presents and we would have been there for days had we had to watch Britt open them all... LOL! After opening we ate Chinese for linner and then had birthday cake for dessert. Yumm-o!

At night my parents and I headed back to the hot tub for some additional relaxation before heading to my grandparents room to play schafkopf. I am so glad we were able to get a few games in this weekend!!!

Then bright and early Monday morning I hopped back on a plane and went straight to work. It has been a very busy week at work too with lots of interesting projects for me to work on. At night, I have tried not to do too much but Tuesday night I scrubbed down my apartment, yesterday I did plates and then walked to Publix to get some popsicles. Tonight I have a mission trip meeting and tomorrow night a group of friends are going to Teela Taqueria to celebrate my first annual 29th birthday!! I am super excited and will remember to bring my camera so I can take many pictures of the festivities.

If I get any additional pictures from the wedding I will post them here!!