Absolutely Loving- Long Way Down

Hi friends,

not sure how many of you have seen Ewan McGregor's Long Way Round or Long Way Down, but if you haven't you should! Put it in your queue, drive to your local blockbuster and you will have done yourself a favor!

You're gonna be exposed to so many things you haven't seen and probably won't, cuz let's face it, who can afford hitting every country in-between England and the US? And if you could would you want to? Not me! But what a gift to experience what life is like for these other people even if just through my screen!

The idea is a road trip of epic proportions... A motorcycle journey around the world!

And yes, even girls will enjoy it :)

I'm half way thru their second journey, The Long Way Down... where they start at the top of Scotland to the bottom of Africa... I have cried more than 2 times! The stories will just break your heart of what so many children are living thru and how they do it with such positivity!

So if I haven't convinced you yet... get it! You'll love it!

I'm not at all a celebrity stalker or even fan of most celebrities, but I've grown

to really like Ewan McGregor, he's pretty funny and charming in it and I appreciate so much that he's trying to bring awareness of what the poor and sick in this world are going thru to the western world...

So check it out...
www.longwayround.com

Long time no see...

I might as well not have a blog at this rate, but then I'd miss the opportunity to share gems like this one with you!

This is a video of teenage heartthrob al la 1955, Ricky Nelson, singing my song, for which this very blog was named :)

Here is where I would normally promise a great post real soon, but instead... I'll be honest! Dang it! I wish had been honest in the past! I love writing here, I just have NOT had the time for it lately.
Life is busier than ever, which isn't a complaint, I just haven't figured out how to sneak blogging time in there.
But I'm hoping to figure it out sooner than later.
If you're still reading thanks for your patience, and support!
Hope this finds you and yours well!

Your old time friend...

Lite brite has never been so cool

A little caveat, I'm not a huge David Crowder fan... but I'm making an exception, because he has pulled out possibly one of the coolest music videos I've ever seen!

Just watch! And trust me when I say you won't expect where this one is going... you might want to get a tissue!
I promise a bona fide post sooner than later :) Thanks for reading!

Ponyo!

If you have yet to brave the movie Ponyo, don't wait any longer!

I think this is one of the cutest kids movies I've seen in a really long time!

Emmy loves it so much, she's gonna be Ponyo for Halloween!

We're still looking for a Soskue ;) But we might put that off until she's 25!

There's one questionable line in the movie, but I don't even think it's worth mentioning. It's a very cute movie and an amazing piece of animation... WOW!

Have fun....

HHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Everythings Amazing & Nobodys Happy

If you haven't seen this... please.... watch!
So true, so profound, so funny!Then after you've watched, challenge yourself to be thankful for your easy, wonderful, cruisy life! Unless of course you're one of my 3rd world country readers ;)

Grilled Artichokes ala Bandera!

One of my absolute favorite things to eat is Grilled Artichokes... they've become more popular recently and a few restaurants have been trying their hand at them, but there is only one restaurant that has nailed them! And that restaurant is Bandera and they only charge a ridiculous $12 for that perfection. Every where else I've tried them is not quite right, too watery is usually my complaint, so I scoured the Internets to see if I could find someone out there that had figured out Bandera's secret, and alas I did!

So because I like you, I'm willing to pass on this highly treasured secret of chokey goodness...

Oh and if by some chance you happen to be a grilling freak and have a wood fire grill with some hickory, these are gonna be amazing... I had to settle for gas, but it still was surprisingly good!

Lets begin:

Steam your artichokes with a lemon slice, garlic clove and bay leaf for 15-20 min. depending on their size. (25 min. for a especially large choke) You only get one shot at this, so make sure they're done!

As you can see here I was a little too anxious to get mine out of the water and the heart is slightly underdone... whoops :\

When you take them out of the water slice them starting at the stem working down toward the leaves, this will help keep the choke intact and not get all over the leaves.
Rub a little lemon on them and stick them in the fridge for an hour or if you're always late like me, throw them in the freezer for 10 min. This is the MOST important step, so don't skip it. I'm pretty sure this is the step that the restaurants are blowing it on!

While your chokes are chillin' you need to make a little marinade for these beauties:

Get the lemon you used in the beginning and cut one more slice off it and put the slice aside
Now use the juice from the rest of your lemon
3 tablespoons of olive oil
I use one square of frozen crushed garlic (which looks like 1 and 1/2 crushed garlic cloves)
a large pinch of kosher salt
and a a good amount of cracked pepper
(don't be shy with the salt and pepper!)

When you've got about 10-15 min. to go until you're ready to eat throw these beauties on the grill with a healthy amount of marinade on them. BUT before you do that make sure to scoop out the choke! (the hairy bit just above the heart, you don't not want to eat any of that stuff!)

You'll need to flip them over every 2-3 min. to keep them from burning, but a little char is a great thing on these guys!
Every time you flip them give them some more marinade and when you're close to done sprinkle them with a little more kosher salt!

Now it's time to eat! YUMMMM! I serve these beauties up with a garlic remoulade that you can make up in advance and it will last in your fridge for a week!

Garlic Remoulade:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 cubes of frozen crushed garlic or 3 fresh cloves minced
3 tablespoons relish
The juice from your slice of lemon you put aside
A large pinch of salt
And a dash of dill weed
(taste and add more lemon or salt if needed)

Enjoy!

The Anti-Consumer Hypocrite

So there's plenty of things I'm known for, making my own shoes from carrots I grew in my garden is one of the funnier ones my girlfriend Janeille coined, but one of the lesser known ones is that I'm a bit of an Anti-consumer hypocrite... sad but true.

I'm constantly tortured in my head, knowing that Forever 21 just got in that perfect dress that is gonna suit my not-so-perfect figure and I'm gonna miss it! But I know that I have no business being in that store because my closet is full and once I'm there, there's at least 5 other things I can't live without, ughhh!!! It's places like Nordstroms rack that convince the anti-consumer hypocrites like me that it's OK because that dress was $130 and now is only $11 so it's not really that bad, right!!!!

In an ideal world I would just be content with what I have and never need anything shinny and new. But no, I'm tortured, I'm tossed to and fro all the time. I can't, but I would love to blame it all on Orange County, I mean shopping might be highest on our list of cultural priorities.

So my friends, it's only fair that you share the burden with me, so I'm gonna do what any good anti-consumer hypocrite would... Give you the two options to wrestle over that I do, everyday!
You're welcome :)

Let the torture commence:

This month, charity: water is doing a campaign, encouraging people to give up their September birthday gifts in exchange for a donation to charity: water. They hope to further solve the world water crisis, and so far, they're doing a killer job! Good thing it wasn't October birthdays this year, phew!
Watch the trailer, I'm pretty sure you'll become an Anti-Consumer hypocrite too... sorry. And don't worry, I am gonna give up my October birthday this year :)


Next is for those of you who can shop online unimpeded by that nagging feeling.
Zafirenia is a really cute company I just learned about. Seriously cute, cute vintage inspired jewelry.

Did I say cute. I love their big, bold fun designs.

I really wanted to get one for my best friend's birthday, but she has to make the ever torturous call, since it's her September birthday, no pressure.


If you decide you can't live without one of Zafirenia's designs, you can make yourself feel better knowing that you're supporting the cottage industry and actually putting food on a family's table :)

I know, I know, I would say I'm sorry, but all kidding aside I think this is too important. So much of what we do in America needs a bit of a reevaluation. At the very least I've gotten you thinking, cuz if you never did, nothing would change.

Balance my friend, balance.

Your Old Time Friend

A Shout Out!

This is a Shout Out to all you single moms out there! I've had 10 days with my husband gone to Australia and New Zealand, and I have to say I have a new found respect and admiration for those of you doing this all the time! I pray strength and courage for you! I'll be back soon, I'm bubbling over with things I have to tell you... but not now, I got stuff to clean :)

On the Road Again!

Me and my beloved are hittin' the road very early tomorrow morning!
If you're the prayin' sort, please pray for us, we're off to Montana for a really special time with other church planters... but I have MAJOR, MAJOR anxiety about leaving my babies.
One small consolation, there's a Cracker Barrel in the State we're off to... (there's a reason the word "crack" is in their name!)
Sorry I couldn't resist! I'm a huge fan of both her and 'Crack'er Barrel!

I'll be back on my blog in a week with gads of insight... You're gonna have to hold me back!

The Basics of our Faith

As I sit here and ponder all of the pearls of insight into the depths of my soul that I could share right now, I'm coming up short... I'm still right in the thick of processing all the ins and outs of Behavior Modification, so I'm finding it hard to exactly articulate my thoughts... I know that God is in the midst of doing surgery, but one thing that I feel affirmed in over and over again in throughout this process is, that even as I screw up and learn lesson after lesson because of my shortcomings, I'm loved and accepted. I'm beloved and cherished because of Jesus and not because I'm a perfect little saint that never screws up... if that were how God worked, I would be screwed!

For that reason, I LOVE this video!



Let me know your thoughts, or how you've experience this grace in your life!
I know the hardest part for me is to just accept it, even when I do screw up, there's some arrogance in me that just wants to earn His love so bad. But when I take a step back, I'm so glad I can't! Because when I'm totally honest with myself, I know I never could, I know I don't measure up to His standards, so I'm just grateful for His acceptance and grace on Jesus' behalf!