Baked Chicken Fajitas
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A quick and easy recipe for chicken fajitas. No grill needed!
Read MoreA Little Science and Frigid Temps
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It is hard to believe today is already February 1st. Seriously, time needs to slow down a little. I realized this morning watching a commercial on life insurance that I will be in the age bracket that is advertised in a few short years. Talk about discouraging! :)
In our school this week, we started our Science course. Yeah, I know what you are thinking. Why is she waiting until the end of January to start Science? Well, this year I wanted to try working on a modified block system for Science and History. With a new to me United States History curriculum, I wanted to be able to spend more time learning about the history of our country during the fall and winter and then use spring to really study Science. There is so much going on in our country, most people do not even realize what the colonies went through to obtain their freedom. Sadly, a good portion of our history is not known by many of the people in Washington. I won't even get started on the leaders of our country, because they are all a HUGE disappointment. If I have to teach Science, a subject that I really do not care about, then I'm going to teach it in the spring, so we will be able to enjoy the outdoors while studying it.
Talking about Science, I did not go with my original curriculum choice. I caved, I went with Apologia's General Science, only because I don't want Jamie to be lacking in the field of Science when he heads off to college. I really dislike hearing about college students who were home educated and are having to take remedial courses on subjects that should have been taught. Also, with the General Science, I found THIS awesome blog that has free lesson plans for several of the Apologia books along with other curriculum. If you're like me and like free, then you may want to run right over and check it out.
We started the book Duel in the Wilderness by Karin Clafford Farley this week. I'm about two weeks late on reading this one, but it is amazing! The emotion that is written into the book is so life like.
Around the house this week, well nothing out of the ordinary except for -20 degree temperatures yesterday morning. The windchill here was -45, I remember hearing about these kinds of temperatures when we lived in western Montana. We just couldn't wrap our heads around that since we lived in the warmest part of the state ~ the Bitterroot Valley. When my husband left the house yesterday at 6:30 I was in a pair of capris and the skin on my legs burnt just standing at the door. From what I can see the people around here don't let this stop them from being out and about. Not me! I stay in the house where it's warm.
I started knitting a new sweater, again. I bought the yarn and started on it last year, but for some reason I could not get it to work out. I put it away and have been looking at the yarn ever since. So, I started working on it again this week and I'm flabbergasted to see the part I was having so much trouble with is working out. Hopefully, I'll have it ready to stitch together tomorrow night. Here's a little sneak peak ~
Here are two washcloths I knitted for a new baby in our family. I have no clue what I did for the edges to not be straight. When I knit for my personal use, the cloths are always straight now that I knitted for someone else, they are not. Oh well! These are the cloths I made from Down Cloverlaine, I mentioned last week. Aren't they cute!
For supper tonight I'm trying a new recipe, Baked Chicken Fajitas. We love fajitas and when I found the recipe, I decided to give it a try. The way the kitchen smells, it has to be good. I'll be writing about it later on next week, if not before.
This weekend is a stay at home kind of weekend for us. I have some things that I'm working on and hopefully will be able to complete them since we are not going out. A girl can hope, right?
In our school this week, we started our Science course. Yeah, I know what you are thinking. Why is she waiting until the end of January to start Science? Well, this year I wanted to try working on a modified block system for Science and History. With a new to me United States History curriculum, I wanted to be able to spend more time learning about the history of our country during the fall and winter and then use spring to really study Science. There is so much going on in our country, most people do not even realize what the colonies went through to obtain their freedom. Sadly, a good portion of our history is not known by many of the people in Washington. I won't even get started on the leaders of our country, because they are all a HUGE disappointment. If I have to teach Science, a subject that I really do not care about, then I'm going to teach it in the spring, so we will be able to enjoy the outdoors while studying it.
Talking about Science, I did not go with my original curriculum choice. I caved, I went with Apologia's General Science, only because I don't want Jamie to be lacking in the field of Science when he heads off to college. I really dislike hearing about college students who were home educated and are having to take remedial courses on subjects that should have been taught. Also, with the General Science, I found THIS awesome blog that has free lesson plans for several of the Apologia books along with other curriculum. If you're like me and like free, then you may want to run right over and check it out.
We started the book Duel in the Wilderness by Karin Clafford Farley this week. I'm about two weeks late on reading this one, but it is amazing! The emotion that is written into the book is so life like.
Around the house this week, well nothing out of the ordinary except for -20 degree temperatures yesterday morning. The windchill here was -45, I remember hearing about these kinds of temperatures when we lived in western Montana. We just couldn't wrap our heads around that since we lived in the warmest part of the state ~ the Bitterroot Valley. When my husband left the house yesterday at 6:30 I was in a pair of capris and the skin on my legs burnt just standing at the door. From what I can see the people around here don't let this stop them from being out and about. Not me! I stay in the house where it's warm.
I started knitting a new sweater, again. I bought the yarn and started on it last year, but for some reason I could not get it to work out. I put it away and have been looking at the yarn ever since. So, I started working on it again this week and I'm flabbergasted to see the part I was having so much trouble with is working out. Hopefully, I'll have it ready to stitch together tomorrow night. Here's a little sneak peak ~
Here are two washcloths I knitted for a new baby in our family. I have no clue what I did for the edges to not be straight. When I knit for my personal use, the cloths are always straight now that I knitted for someone else, they are not. Oh well! These are the cloths I made from Down Cloverlaine, I mentioned last week. Aren't they cute!
For supper tonight I'm trying a new recipe, Baked Chicken Fajitas. We love fajitas and when I found the recipe, I decided to give it a try. The way the kitchen smells, it has to be good. I'll be writing about it later on next week, if not before.
This weekend is a stay at home kind of weekend for us. I have some things that I'm working on and hopefully will be able to complete them since we are not going out. A girl can hope, right?
Every Perfect Gift a Book Review
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Sofie is a gifted writer and Ethan is an accomplished businessman. When Sofie interviews him for the local newspapers, Ethan becomes intrigued her. But when the past catches up with them, will they be able to weather the rough waters that lay before them?
Ethan and Sophie long to share a future together. But the secrets they’re not sharing could tear them apart.
Sophie Caldwell has returned to Hickory Ridge, Tennessee after years away. Despite the heartaches of her childhood, Sophie is determined to make a home, and a name, for herself in the growing town. A gifted writer, she plans to resurrect the local newspaper that so enchanted her as a girl.
Ethan Heyward’s idyllic childhood was shattered by a tragedy he has spent years trying to forget. An accomplished businessman and architect, he has built a majestic resort in the mountains above Hickory Ridge, drawing wealthy tourists from all over the country.
When Sophie interviews Ethan for the paper, he is impressed with her intelligence and astounded by her beauty. She's equally intrigued with him but fears he will reject her if he learns about her shadowed past. Just as she summons the courage to tell him, Ethan’s own past unexpectedly and violently catches up with him, threatening not only his life but their budding romance.
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Ethan and Sophie long to share a future together. But the secrets they’re not sharing could tear them apart.
Sophie Caldwell has returned to Hickory Ridge, Tennessee after years away. Despite the heartaches of her childhood, Sophie is determined to make a home, and a name, for herself in the growing town. A gifted writer, she plans to resurrect the local newspaper that so enchanted her as a girl.
Ethan Heyward’s idyllic childhood was shattered by a tragedy he has spent years trying to forget. An accomplished businessman and architect, he has built a majestic resort in the mountains above Hickory Ridge, drawing wealthy tourists from all over the country.
When Sophie interviews Ethan for the paper, he is impressed with her intelligence and astounded by her beauty. She's equally intrigued with him but fears he will reject her if he learns about her shadowed past. Just as she summons the courage to tell him, Ethan’s own past unexpectedly and violently catches up with him, threatening not only his life but their budding romance.
My Thoughts:
Every Perfect Gift is the third and final book in the A Hickory Ridge Romance series but it reads well as a stand alone book. Dorothy Love has again written a real winner; one that I could not put down.
Sophie is a young woman who is returning to Hickory Ridge; she is a talented writer and new owner of the Gazette. When Sophie returns little does she realize that Ethan Heyward the architect of a new resort would eventually win her heart. Both are running from childhood secrets that could keep them apart.
While Sophie is working to gather news and create a name for the Gazette, she is hit with a backlash from a local establishment. Sophie is determined to make it over the hurdle that has been placed in front of her. She is encouraged by some of the ladies in the town about how she is working to keep the paper a float.
The Christmas reunion that brings Ada and Wyatt Caldwell back to Hickory Ridge is heartwarming. The emotions you feel are outstanding and believable.
I received the E-book for free from the publisher through the BookSneeze program in return for my honest opinion.
You can purchase your copy from Christian Book Distributor.
Every Perfect Gift is the third and final book in the A Hickory Ridge Romance series but it reads well as a stand alone book. Dorothy Love has again written a real winner; one that I could not put down.
Sophie is a young woman who is returning to Hickory Ridge; she is a talented writer and new owner of the Gazette. When Sophie returns little does she realize that Ethan Heyward the architect of a new resort would eventually win her heart. Both are running from childhood secrets that could keep them apart.
While Sophie is working to gather news and create a name for the Gazette, she is hit with a backlash from a local establishment. Sophie is determined to make it over the hurdle that has been placed in front of her. She is encouraged by some of the ladies in the town about how she is working to keep the paper a float.
The Christmas reunion that brings Ada and Wyatt Caldwell back to Hickory Ridge is heartwarming. The emotions you feel are outstanding and believable.
I received the E-book for free from the publisher through the BookSneeze program in return for my honest opinion.
You can purchase your copy from Christian Book Distributor.
 | Every Perfect Gift, Hickory Ridge Series #3 By Dorothy Love / Thomas Nelson Despite the heartaches of her childhood, Sophie, a gifted writer, is determined to return to her home town of Hickory Ridge, Tennessee after years of being away to resurrect the local newspaper that so enchanted her as a girl. An accomplished businessman and architect, Ethan Heyward has built a majestic resort in the mountains above Hickory Ridge, drawing wealthy tourists from all over the country. Yet his childhood holds tragedy that he would rather keep buried. When Sophie interviews Ethan for the paper, he is impressed with her intelligence and astounded by her beauty. She's equally intrigued with him but fears he will reject her if he learns about her shadowed past. Just as she summons the courage to tell him, Ethan's own past unexpectedly and violently catches up with him, threatening not only his life but their budding romance. |
General Tso's Chicken
/I remember the first time I ever ate General Tso Chicken. It was a moment of where I was tired of eating the same old dish when I went out for Chinese. The first bite was amazing! There was just a hint of spice and as I continued eating, the spicier it got. I dearly love spicy foods!
Once I finally got my husband and son eating it, well let's just say, it was a monumental moment. Over the years, I've looked for recipes on how to make this fantastic dish and most are truly authentic because of some of the ingredients can't be found in a grocery store.
I began playing with recipes from off the internet that have more ordinary ingredients and I came up with my own. :)
You have to excuse the not so clear photo. I was hungry and my two man army realized the meal was ready.
~General Tso Chicken~
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 pkge boneless chicken breast cut into bite-sized pieces
dash of salt
1 TBSP vegetable oil
1-2 TBSP red pepper flakes
1/2 pkge broccoli florets
1/4 cup vinegar
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup soy sauce substitute
2 TBSP cornstarch
1/4 cup vinegar
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup soy sauce substitute
2 TBSP cornstarch
1/2 cup water ** if needed
Heat oil in a deep-fryer or large saucepan medium to high heat. In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs until smooth. Stir in 1/2 cup of cornstarch and dash of salt until no lumps remain, add chicken and coat well. In batches, carefully drop the chicken cubes into the hot oil one by one, cooking until the chicken turns golden brown about 3 minutes. When cooked, drain the chicken.
Heat the vegetable oil in large skillet over high heat. Cook broccoli for about 2 minutes and add pepper flakes continue cooking for about 3 minutes. Add the chicken, and cook for a few minutes until the chicken turns a deep, golden brown. Stir the vinegar, sugar, soy sauce substitute, and 2 tablespoons of cornstarch together in a small bowl. Pour into the skillet and boil until the sauce thickens and is no longer cloudy, about 2 minutes. If needed, add water to keep the sauce from being too thick.
Heat oil in a deep-fryer or large saucepan medium to high heat. In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs until smooth. Stir in 1/2 cup of cornstarch and dash of salt until no lumps remain, add chicken and coat well. In batches, carefully drop the chicken cubes into the hot oil one by one, cooking until the chicken turns golden brown about 3 minutes. When cooked, drain the chicken.
Heat the vegetable oil in large skillet over high heat. Cook broccoli for about 2 minutes and add pepper flakes continue cooking for about 3 minutes. Add the chicken, and cook for a few minutes until the chicken turns a deep, golden brown. Stir the vinegar, sugar, soy sauce substitute, and 2 tablespoons of cornstarch together in a small bowl. Pour into the skillet and boil until the sauce thickens and is no longer cloudy, about 2 minutes. If needed, add water to keep the sauce from being too thick.
** In the photo above, I did not have any pepper flakes, so I used 1 tablespoon of cayenne pepper. I was also out of broccoli.~ Yeah, $4.00 for broccoli! We like our broccoli with a little crunch. If you'd rather it be softer, cook it longer.Many recipes call for rice vinegar, but I've used regular white and balsamic and still get a great flavor.
The Heat Wave
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What a week! I really could get used to doing school work only four days a week. We took off Monday only because my husband was home. With him being home, I really dislike dealing with school work; so a holiday it was.
My week has pretty much been a normal week. I've been reading a Every Perfect Gift for a review and can't seem to put it down. Of course, I love The Hickory Ridge Romance series and hate to see the ending of a series, but I'm sure Dorothy Love has more exciting reading planned for me.
Jamie and I finally made it through the "steps" to the beginning of the American Revolutionary War. I learned that John Hancock was possibly quite the smuggler of needed items during a time when the British had control over the ports. It's the little things most people don't know about the great men in our country's history. We are still plugging away in everything else and doing well.
We've had beautiful weather this week. Today was a heat wave, I tell ya. We hit a sweltering 40 degrees. :) There is still a good amount of snow on the ground and it is slowly melting off. But there is more snow in the forecast for next week.
Every morning and evening when I look out and see the sunrise and the sunset, I'm still amazed at how God put us here. The way everything worked out from the pre-employment drug screening to the phone call about this house while we were driving through Missouri. Sunday afternoon, my husband drove by the place where I had called about renting a small "cabin" near the lake in town. The Lord worked a miracle in keeping us out of there. Those "cabins" are not much bigger than a 10x10 storage building. The cost to rent one of those things is HIGHWAY ROBBERY! We would have been pulling each other's hair out by now. Yep, we all three would be sporting the KOJAK look.
I've been busily working on some knitting. I finally finished up the bear hat and little booties for a cousin. I found the patterns through Ravelry. The hat took me a couple of days, but those booties only took about two hours and they are just too cute! The yarn I used is Lion Brand Vanna's Choice in Barley.
I also found Down Cloverlaine. She has some amazingly cute baby washcloths. I made THIS adorable duck cloth. This wash cloth knits up in about 2 hours, I watched a movie and knitted it from start to finish. Easy, and Quick! ~ I like that. I'll take a picture of mine later this weekend and show you. I love it!
YAY! It's Friday and it's the "second week" which means, tomorrow is grocery shopping day. Yeah, I'm really not looking forward to that. We've watched the prices around here go up over the last three or four weeks. We are excited about finding that we can shop online with Dollar General. This where we use to buy all our coffee, tea, and some cleaning supplies. They are cheaper than our Walmart and we'll be able to save on shipping. It also means tomorrow I'll be stopping off at the thrift store. That is the only thing that I look forward to on shopping day; I always come out with something.
Have a good weekend.
I'm linking up with ~
My week has pretty much been a normal week. I've been reading a Every Perfect Gift for a review and can't seem to put it down. Of course, I love The Hickory Ridge Romance series and hate to see the ending of a series, but I'm sure Dorothy Love has more exciting reading planned for me.
Jamie and I finally made it through the "steps" to the beginning of the American Revolutionary War. I learned that John Hancock was possibly quite the smuggler of needed items during a time when the British had control over the ports. It's the little things most people don't know about the great men in our country's history. We are still plugging away in everything else and doing well.
We've had beautiful weather this week. Today was a heat wave, I tell ya. We hit a sweltering 40 degrees. :) There is still a good amount of snow on the ground and it is slowly melting off. But there is more snow in the forecast for next week.
Every morning and evening when I look out and see the sunrise and the sunset, I'm still amazed at how God put us here. The way everything worked out from the pre-employment drug screening to the phone call about this house while we were driving through Missouri. Sunday afternoon, my husband drove by the place where I had called about renting a small "cabin" near the lake in town. The Lord worked a miracle in keeping us out of there. Those "cabins" are not much bigger than a 10x10 storage building. The cost to rent one of those things is HIGHWAY ROBBERY! We would have been pulling each other's hair out by now. Yep, we all three would be sporting the KOJAK look.
I've been busily working on some knitting. I finally finished up the bear hat and little booties for a cousin. I found the patterns through Ravelry. The hat took me a couple of days, but those booties only took about two hours and they are just too cute! The yarn I used is Lion Brand Vanna's Choice in Barley.
I also found Down Cloverlaine. She has some amazingly cute baby washcloths. I made THIS adorable duck cloth. This wash cloth knits up in about 2 hours, I watched a movie and knitted it from start to finish. Easy, and Quick! ~ I like that. I'll take a picture of mine later this weekend and show you. I love it!
YAY! It's Friday and it's the "second week" which means, tomorrow is grocery shopping day. Yeah, I'm really not looking forward to that. We've watched the prices around here go up over the last three or four weeks. We are excited about finding that we can shop online with Dollar General. This where we use to buy all our coffee, tea, and some cleaning supplies. They are cheaper than our Walmart and we'll be able to save on shipping. It also means tomorrow I'll be stopping off at the thrift store. That is the only thing that I look forward to on shopping day; I always come out with something.
Have a good weekend.
I'm linking up with ~
Spearfish Canyon
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When I first heard about Spearfish Canyon, I thought it was going to be something like the Grand Canyon in Arizona or Painted Canyon in North Dakota, but smaller. Well, I was wrong! It's more like a road weaving around huge mountains in the Black Hills with the most beautiful views. I kid you not, with every curve the view changes. I can not wait to go back in the spring and fall.
This is a store at the half way point. Behind it, is a snowmobiling trail. I couldn't get a picture of the back of the store, but there were tons of snowmobiles all lined up and ready to go.
Yeah, it was time to leave the ice banks of Spearfish Creek. Remembering the fiasco of Lake Como in the winter of 2008, I quickly decided to go back to the road when I heard the creaking of ice.
Seriously, who doesn't like frozen waterfalls? This is Bridal Veil falls on the side of the road.
This is the road to Spearfish leaving the canyon. It was on this road we saw an amazing thing, something we had never seen before. My husband videoed it using his big camera and lens without the tripod ~ hence the shaking. That lens is a Big Mac Daddy size and heavy to hold without the tripod. That momma deer was not going to stand by and allow nature to take its course.
My big little frozen peach.
A Little More About Our Family
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For many, the truth hurts. When the truth is exposed, these same people will begin to attack and do anything in their power to hurt the one exposing the truth. Today, I'm sharing how our family was attacked for speaking the truth and nothing more.
My husband and I believe the Bible when it says in Genesis 12:2-3 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. ~ We may not agree with everything the Jews believe but God has his hand on these precious people. In the past, I worked for a Jewish man for over a year. He and his family members that worked in the company were the easiest people to get along with. They were caring and compassionate about their customers and if one was not treated fairly, they quickly remedied the problem. In fact, the CFO was fired over a situation dealing with a customer’s account. These men and their wives were open to answering questions regarding their faith and they were open in listening about mine. I can only pray that they will remember what I said in those conversations. Conversations that were pleasant and meaningful.
We also believe and follow II John 10-11 If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds. ~ This is something that is a scary thing for someone like me; I am a non-confrontational person. When someone tells me to have a good day, I usually respond with, “Thank you, I hope you have one to.” I try to be nice to people who come to my door. In the past, we have had to deal with many Jehovah’s Witnesses. When I think of those words in the Bible, I have to hold my tongue when they are sent on their way. I don’t hate the person, I hate what they are teaching. I see those ladies and gentlemen as souls on their way to hell. The only way you are going to be able to talk about Jesus and Salvation with a JW is when they are not in their “programmed mode”; that is not going to be at your door.
I don’t know how many of you have walked into a Walmart store and saw a Muslim family come in and the women had their burka on; nothing on those ladies were uncovered, fingers and toes included. To see the hate filled eyes of their husbands and know that you as a lady are being “watched” with disdain. This happened in a North Carolina store, while we were on deputation; the feeling I got was extreme fear that day. I have never felt so unsafe in my life and I hope I never have to feel that again.
When I see Muslim people, I see souls bound for hell. They do not believe in the true God and Jesus Christ; they do not believe in the only way to heaven. This saddens me. The Lord did not call our family to minister to these people. But every time, an opportunity arises, my husband will boldly witness to them. Unlike other people,who hide behind the internet for fear of having their heads removed to be a true missionary to these precious souls. We are not those people.
I can't help but think about the above verse in Genesis. I'm not going to be throwing someone under the bus, because someone else thinks I need to. I'm definitely not going to be throwing someone under there that doesn't plan on hurting me or my family.
It was thrown in our face about our loss of support in 2008 when we lived in western Montana. It was told that maybe our hatred for Muslims was the reason why it happened. Let me make this clear, that is so far off base.
What I am about to tell you is something only a select few outside of our family knows. Five years later, it is time to talk about it. Our former church supported us at 50% of our needed support. It was known that Sanford would get a job in the community to learn the people and for the people to know him. We are the ones who decided that, not the church. I made myself known by joining a homeschool group. Our church voted on the 50% support and everything was good. The church also knew, for outsiders to be truly welcomed in the area, we would be there at least 5 years before being able to have a steady flow of members.
Once we got to Montana, we emailed the pastor on a weekly basis keeping him up to date on all that was going on. When the first check was suppose to be sent, we waited 2 weeks for it. When my husband called and talked with the pastor, he gave some clues as to there would be some problems in the future. At the time, we did not really see the problems but it didn't take long for our eyes to be opened to them. Over the next several months, our support check was not sent unless we called and begged for it. In December of 2007, Sanford called and this statement was said, “if you want to keep being supported, then you need to make sure you are keeping us in the loop.” That was a kick in the teeth for us; we had been sending them updates weekly. In January, no check came and we waited. Sanford began calling and emailing the pastor and could not get a hold of him. All of our calls went straight into voice mail; to prove this to ourselves, I had my sister call the pastor and as quickly as the phone rang, he picked up.
I don't know why we were sent to the area we were. I don't know if our landlord needed to see our situation and know that God is in control in everything. ~ I like to think they are the reasons we were there. I still pray for them every time I think about them.
To this day, we still do not know why our family was stranded by our former church. It is all in the past and we try to not talk about it. Anytime, I hear this pastor’s name and how he is traveling the world or see where his wife is traveling to ladies meetings, I still feel a little hurt about the situation. If I allow what happened to us bring back the bitterness I went through in 2008, the Lord is not going to be able to use us for his glory.
The person who did the accusing, sent me several messages stating my husband was self righteous and out of control regarding his comments and that she would be praying for me. Thank you, dear lady for your prayers, for its situations like these where I see how truly humble my husband really is. He is the one who wanted to keep others from knowing the real reason why we had to return to Georgia. He didn’t want this pastor’s name to be ruined. It was he who went up to this pastor at a local meeting and put his hand out first, spoke first and was forgiving. Sadly, I am not like him. I am thankful the Lord brought two very different people together when he brought my husband to me.
When a statement like “Sanford, I will BE SURE to let people know all about you and your ministry and the testimony you carry! Praying for you! SERIOUSLY!” is spoken to me or my husband; all we can do is shake our head. What a sad testimony this lady has given herself! I can't help but giggle when I remember my childhood pastor calling women like this, Mrs. Ratchet Jaws.
A special friend reminded me of the verse, Romans 8:31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
