the Word - Psalm 139:17-18

Etsy Finds - Back to School

Another fun trip "window shopping" at Etsy.

Lagoon Luau Shark Bag by Minnebites

not my circus, not my monkeys pencils (6) by BAYMOONSTUDIO

my secret plan to conquer the world moleskine notebook by Alfamarama

Disgruntled Hedgehog Canvas Backpack by catbirdcreatures

the Word - Colossians 3:2

the Word: Habakkuk 3:18

the Word : Psalm 51:12

Pickled Cucumber Salad

I love cucumber salad when Surferman takes me for sushi.  From lots of recipes, I've developed this one to make and enjoy at home.  It's crunchy, refreshing and a great way to get an extra serving of vegetables into your day.

Pickled Cucumber Salad

ingredients:

salad

cucumber washed and sliced thin

carrots washed and sliced thin (optional)

radishes washed and sliced thin (optional)

daikon radish washed and sliced thin (optional)

I always make a huge batch.  My family loves it and we happily eat it all week.  

Until recently, I didn't think I liked radishes. Radishes keep coming in our CSA box, so I gave them a try. Rarely, they are too hot, but usually they are crispy and refreshing like water. If you don't think you like radishes, pick up a daikon radish and give it a try. Daikon is very mild and a great place to start with radishes.

dressing:

3/4 cup rice wine vinegar

1/4 c. fish sauce

1 tsp grated giner

1 tsp chopped garlic

2 tsp brown sugar

These are the ingredients you might not have on hand.  I buy the Fish Sauce in the "oriental section" at the grocery store.  It is a thin brown liquid.  I understand it's made from dried fish, which doesn't sound super appealing, but give it a chance.  It has a salty taste and is really the magic ingredient in this salad.  The Ginger paste comes from the produce department.  It's refrigerated.  You can grate fresh ginger instead.  The paste is soooo easy though.

directions:

Slice the vegetables into a plastic or glass container.  I use a hand-held mandolin to slice the veggies thin.  Use cucumbers and add the other vegetables as available.

I scrub the vegetables well, but don't remove any of the peels.  

Mix dressing ingredients together and pour over vegetables.  Stir well and let sit (the longer the better) before serving.  

Enjoy!

The Word

Run or Dye (or is it Die)!

The things I'll do for my boy!  

Grom heard about a Color Run and decided it would be a lot of fun.  I heard of one coming to our area, Surferman volunteered to join us.  Memories were made.

Here's our before picture.

My guys were great about waiting up for me.

Can you see all the runners behind them?

Run or Dye is a 5K Fun Run.  There are dye stations along the route where you get pelted with bright colored powdered dye.  So much fun.

Here's our after picture!

I can't say I did much running, but I sure had a lot of fun and completed my first "race". 

Here's some well earned wisdom in case you ever participate in a color run.

1. Get a pair of cheap sunglasses to wear.  You will get dye in your face.  My much-loved Maui Jim's will never be the same.
2.  All that dye will come out.  Don't think you'll have a great shirt after, it mostly washes out.  
3.  A snack sized ziploc bag is the perfect sized to protect your phone, and you can still take pictures through it.
4. We got a back pack when we checked in and all of us were reluctant to use it.  It would've been very handy to carry water and sunscreen.  Anyone want a brand-new Run or Dye backpack?  I don't know what to do with them now.  sheesh!
5. Leave plenty of time for parking and getting started.  There were over 9,000 runners at our race.  These are very popular events.
6. Baby wipes work for cleaning off the majority of the dye.  Bring towels for your car to keep the seats cleanish.  I was also glad that I wore a tank top under my t-shirt.  After the race, I took off my t-shirt and was able to shake off a lot of the powder.
7. Plan to go somewhere for lunch.  Wear your dye proudly.  You just finished a 5K.

Cilantro Lime Shredded Chicken for Tacos and More!

Here's a recipe we've been enjoying lately.  It's great for stocking the freezer and easy to prepare for serving.  It cooks from frozen, so this is great for when I forget to plan ahead.

I like to triple the recipe putting 2 batches into the freezer for later.

ingredients: (per batch)

2# boneless skinless chicken breasts, thighs or combination

1# frozen corn

1 can black beans - rinsed and drained

1  onion - chopped

2 tsp cumin

3 cloves garlic - chopped (I use frozen garlic cubes from Trader Joe's)

1 bunch cilantro chopped

1/4 c lime juice (about 2 limes)

gallon freezer ziplock bag

directions prep:

1) label ziploc bag with date and crockpot directions - 4hrs high or 8 hrs low (I always cook this on low)

2) put all ingredients in the ziplock bag and place in freezer - if you can freeze in a round container that will fit inside your crockpot, it will be easier when it's time to cook it. 

directions cooking:

1) spray crockpot with non-stick spray

2) remove meal from the freezer 

3) carefully peel the ziplock bag away from the frozen ingredients

4) plop ingredients into crockpot

5) set on low (my preference) for 8 hrs or high for 4 hrs  - as crockpots vary check occasionally to prevent overcooking.

6) when chicken is cooked through, use forks or tongs to shred the chicken

tacos:

1) heat tortillas over gas flame on stove

2) serve with shredded lettuce or cabbage, guacamole, shredded cheese, hot sauce, salsa, etc.

I've made the leftovers into enchiladas, baked taquitos, nachos and taco buns (like a sloppy joe).  It's a very versatile recipe.  Hope you enjoy.

(recipe is based on a couple different recipes)

the Word

the Word

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the Word

instafriday - 02.24.2012

last week in iphone photos

monkey in a tree at his buddy's birthday party

it is just not right to discriminate against orange

regardless, these bright cheery colors made me smile

Martha Stewart just released a new line of office supplies at Staples.

i want one of each

(and then i'd have to organize my organizing supplies)

grom earned another stripe this week at karate

we did an eggsperiment

"what do drinks do to your teeth?"

thinking maybe i should cut back on the decaf

i was snotty all week and it had nothing to do with my attitude

field trip to the Abalone Farm

we saw the entire lifecycle

taking the abalone for a walk

it took me forever to figure out why no one was helping me...

Hope you week was great.

the Word

instafriday 2.17.2012

my week in iphone photos

momos enjoying grom's music lounge

he just bought his own ipod nano

he set up a space to enjoy his tunes

irish music and god songs

surferman's valentine's day present

i am not saying i think he's a jerky

my present from surferman

grom's valentine's day present

he's my monkey boy

it must have been a busy week

i didn't take very many pictures

the Word

what's for dinner - 02.13.2012

Monday

~Grom - karate~

~family dinner~

my folks cook

Tuesday

~Valentine's Day~

loco moco

salad

Wednesday

~Kids Club / Bible Study~

madras lentils

bread

fruit

Thursday

~Grom - gymnastics / karate~

~Bible Study~

YOYO

Friday

garlic chicken pasta

Saturday

~birthday party~

???

Sunday

~Fellowship Dinner~

pasta with tomato cream sauce

the Word

Source: spiritualinspiration.tumblr.com via Robin on Pinterest

instafriday 02.11.2012

my week in iphone photos

a little time at the gym

grom and surferman hit the waves

my mom models the vest my aunt made for her

delicious pizza after Big Miracle with

surferman's parents

a little skip-bo

one last picture of our yellow-white belt

belt test

note to self... get there early to get a seat next time

orange belt

vegetarian "meatballs" for the big game

roasted brussels sprouts

so easy

heat oven to 400f

microwave in bag brussels from TJs

nuke 3 minutes

toss with a drizzle of olive oil

salt and pepper or other seasonings (be creative)

roast until crispy

enjoy

grom needed a haircut

unfortunately he didn't sit still for me

he got scalped

it's cute in a my mom cut my hair when she was too tired kinda way

already on his way to his next belt

woo hoo!