Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Reflection...

I am a Christ follower, I try to please the One I follow....some days, I fail miserably. The good thing about this is that He knew I would and He still loves me.

Another amazing thing is that He put His son on the cross to take the penalty of MY sin (and yours), I am always in awe of this. Why would He do that? He did that because he loves me without hesitation, he wants what is best for me in all circumstances on all days, I find that incredible. I also can in a small way comprehend this due to the fact that as a parent I feel the same way about my own child and her life.

I pray that during this time of Easter celebration that if you do not know why it is celebrated that you will ask...ask someone who will provide you with the scoop on this incredible truth. It is something to be shared. It is amazing. It is a time of remembrance, a time to reflect, a time to celebrate.

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Tired Thursday Thoughts!!!!

It was allllll good but tiring! We have had company for the last 11 days and it has been sooooo much fun...

Just to recap we went from a household of 2 to 11 overnight, then we lost one for a couple days, gained that one back plus one and leveled off at 4 for the last 5 days and we are now back to 2. The days were pretty relaxed which I think is what everyone was looking for. And we did make several trips out, saw a bunch of neat stuff and spent some time on the beach, which was the the goal!

I am so glad my dad came down; he flew in from KC by himself, no small feat for a nearly 80 year old! He did great, especially if you know anything about navigating Orlando airport...there is a tram involved! Yesterday we put the last two back on the plane to KC, it was sad to see them go. I am so glad they came.

Today I attended the SMOOTH MOVE briefing. Our move is creeping up pretty quickly and we have to get some dates nailed down for the pack out and all that. I learned a couple things so I am glad I went, I am also thankful that for the most part I do not have that "I've done it so many times, I know it all," attitude. I hope I will continue to stay teachable.

I am tired, it was a late night last night, early morning this morning and another early morning tomorrow. I know the weekend will fly by. We take off on Saturday for the panhandle so really I should be packing but I wanted to get a post in so here we go short and sweet!

Thoughts!
  • I love me some "littles"
  • Spare bedrooms are awesome!
  • I think I gained some poundage :(
  • Love the funny memories we made.
  • Everyone seemed to love the roasted veggies!!

A couple pictures for your viewing pleasure!




Cape Lighthouse--going UP!


Coming DOWN


"Littles" with their momma at the beach!

Folks at Ron Jon's!

Friday, March 19, 2010

Friday!

There were no post for Thursday Thoughts this week...family in town, our numbers went from 2 to 11...there was no "quiet zone" as my friend to 7 children says but there was a "no whining zone" in my car! It was a good time, I think everyone definitely has a memory or two or three!

That crew left minus 1 this a.m. and 1 flies in tonight along with MiB who had to depart mid-week. It's been beach trips, manatee watching, alligator hunting (without success), dolphin sightings, shell collecting, lighthouse tours, a Japanese steakhouse lunch and even a trip to Michael's. There was soooo much more but that is the highlights!

Until there is more spare time! Blessing to you and yours!

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Roasted Veggies

Okay, here it is, the long awaited for roasted veggie recipe...trust me, you are going to like it!

Here they are all chopped, seasoned and ready to go in the oven...

Little close up action! They are beautiful, aren't they

And here they are just out of the oven. So, you say, how do you make them, what's the recipe? That is a good question, a very good question, one I would ask if I were reading this post! So, about that, well, you see, there was a recipe, a very good one. However, the pan above is just the veggies I had on hand, which included, half an onion, a small zucchini, 2/3 bag of baby carrots, and one average size sweet potato. Chopped them all up, toss with 2 tablespoons (more or less) of olive oil, sprinkle with fresh ground pepper and sea salt along with basil (fresh is better, but my basil plant is bare right now) so dried had to do. Bake in a no stick sprayed 9 x 13 pan in a 400 degree oven for about 25-30 minutes or so. ENJOY! See I told you it was easy, really! Now the original recipe can be found here.

The first time I had this dish it was made just like the original recipe was written. Then I made it at home leaving off the parm cheese/bread crumbs. Since I do not need any additional calories I have been making it without the bread crumbs/parm cheese ever since. I also try to use as little olive oil as I can, because although it is a great oil and healthier then others, it is high in calories...so there's why I am not using so much of it, whether you wanted to know it or not!

I made a pan of these one night that MiB ended up being late, like really late. I already had them in the oven when I found out he was going to be delayed so I immediately turned down the oven temp to a really low setting and was "holding" them til I got word he would be arriving. As the time continued to tick on I was thinking, hey, I wonder if I could make these into an oven stew? So I gave it a try...First, I pulled the veggies out of the oven. Then I took a brown gravy packet and mixed it with a cup of cold water (by shaking in a glass jar) then mixed another cup of warm water with a tablespoon of vegetable base. Poured both over the pan of veggies then returned to a slow oven and by the time MiB got home it was a wonderful one dish meal. We had some leftover crusty bread and butter and feasted.

I have made this dish over and over since I got the recipe, each time I tweak it to work for whatever I have on hand. I've used a couple different combos of spices instead of using the called for S/P and basil, like red pepper flakes, garlic salt and cilantro. Also we have used the leftovers on pizza and that was VERY yummy as well. I think it is one of those unlimited recipes that you can just go have fun with. So I am!

Buon Appetito

Friday, March 12, 2010

A Glimpse (or two)

Guess what, I am playing along today with a blogger I enjoy reading. Chatting at the Sky has a little linky thing going on, no, NOT kinky, LINKY! So I am going to link up and play with her! It is Glimpses of Home!

I have lived in 12 homes since 1985, and since MiB is planning on sticking with this gig for 30 I am probably looking at at least 3 more potentially 4. I love to be at home, I enjoy making wherever we live into our home, it's not always easy and it sometimes makes me bonkers but by the time we move again, I am usually in love with where I am. We have been all over the United States and a couple locales in Europe, it's been a great adventure. However, as more moves happen I find myself settling in less, I mean I have only been in the Sunshine State for 10 months and just over three months ago we found out we would soon be moving again. Makes it hard to get that homey feel but we do our best and I think we do a pretty good job of it. Even if the pictures for the MBR are still on the floor...

Anyway, as of late, I am separating, sorting and packing and such. You see in a few days some of our things will go to MO, in May some of our things will go into long term storage, in June some of our things will go to the desert, and also in June some of our things will go with me to Tampa. This takes some thought and planning. I need to make sure we keep out anything we might need in the next 15 months or so, cause once it goes into storage we won't see it or have access to it again for at least a year. No pressure, hope I don't get an IRS audit! Anyway the photo I share is the closet that has become "keep it out" central. I still have a long way to go but it is a start!


Then there is the chair. I I love, love, love this chair. It is a chair and a half and it has a great big storage ottoman near it and it is my favorite place to sit. I usually have my laptop close by and MiB always keeps the remote within easy reach and we sit, snuggle, talk, and nap together, it's just a wonderful cozy place to be especially with someone you love!


I think I might have gone a little long, sorrrrrry!!!

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Thursday Thoughts!

Hmmmm...it's is rainy and windy here today. Not great weather for guests to the Sunshine State, so I am hoping we are getting this out of our system before the big arrival on Monday. I hear "the littles" are soooo looking forward to seeing the ocean and going to the beach. Sister is nearly 2 and Hose B is 3.5 so it should be a great adventure for all!

MiB is "on the Hill" today. I do hope they are accomplishing their mission and that the folks they meet with hear their passion and heart regarding our military men and women and how we can better support them. It's always a balance with the political people, you have to get the word out and educate them on military matters and you have to do it with language that perks them up to take notice and hopefully strike a chord in them to be supportive no matter what their political party affiliation and make them understand it is not all about money.

I have many thoughts today, so narrowing it down might be a challenge but I think I can do it.

  • Today's weather is like a wild ride!
  • I really, really like roasted veggies!
  • I am so excited about the visitors coming!
  • Thankful we did not have owe more taxes!
  • We are going to South Carolina in a few weeks!
Okay, well, I have roasted veggies in the oven and can hardly wait for them to be done so I can gobble them up, they are the greatest. It's a new recipe I tried last month and I have made it probably 10 times since then, also took it to a gathering and to a sick friend's family. It is so easy and forgiving and interchangeable with whatever veggies you have on hand and it's super easy and best of all D E L I C I O U S!!!

Buon Appetito!!!

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Add another one!

I think I have been making way too many commissary runs...I have found, yet another, new to me item that I think is yummo! These veggie straws are a nice crunchy treat that remind me of funyuns and/or Munchos which when I was a kid were two of my favorite crunchy things to eat! Now that I am, uh, wiser, I think funyons are way too oniony and make your breath incredibly stinky while Munchos have that really fake potato taste so I have moved on. My current favorite crunchy snack is SunChips in garden salsa, oh my, my, my, hide the bag!!!! BTW I do not work for Frito-Lay, I guess I just enjoy several of their products :)

These veggie straws took me back to 2001 and living in Alabama. I was at a baby shower planning meeting (yeah, they have meetings to plan baby showers AND wedding showers, it is serious business!) Anyway the hot topic of discussion was cheese straws! While they debated who would make them, how many should be made, where to make them and who would help, I had visions swirling around in my head of a block of cheddar cheese and a drinking straw. I was thinking ain't no way I am going to volunteer for this! Well, come baby shower time I got a first hand look at this delicacies and I was hooked from the first bite! YUMMERS, they are absolutely lovely!
Well, the veggie straws are no cheese straws but they ARE nice...they are relatively low in calories at 130 calories per serving, that is one serving on the plate. A serving is 38 of the straws. They are a mixture of potato, spinach and tomato flavors. and are lightly salted, I love salt so they could have salted them more, but my doctor would probably be pleased they are lightly salted! They also come in olive oil and rosemary, think I will try those next time!
The close up shot shows you that they are hollow, makes them even more crunchy IMO. While they are what I would consider healthier they still have some fat in them, they are also not real cheap. The 7 ounce bag I bought cost $2.69. There was a .75 cents off coupon affixed to the bag which I promptly pulled off and used during check out. The bag says it serves 7. If you do check out the website they allow you to print a coupon for a $1.00 off.

That's my plate after my snack =P I hope you are enjoying a great day, the sun is shining here and I am soaking it up, it's a beeee-u-teeee-ful sunny day here on the SpaceCoast!

Monday, March 8, 2010

Two new things I like!

I know I mentioned that I tried and liked almond milk, but can I tell you I really, really do like this stuff...I have been using it in latte's and quiche, and on cereal. It is amazing! I am using the original, but I understand there is also sweetened vanilla and chocolate, along with unsweetened in the original and the flavors as well. I would like to try the unsweetened as I definitely do not need the sugar. However, I will probably stay with what I have since right now that is all I have available where I shop. I bought mine in the refrigerator section but it is also available in shelf stable. I am so glad the commissary started carrying this! Yeah DeCA! Maybe they will carry the other varieties if sales are good enough!

Another new item in my cupboard is SunButter. I really like this product as well!! It's a nice spread that is somewhat thinner then regular peanut butter with a toasted sunflower seed flavor. I love sunflower seeds so trying this was a no-brainer once I found out about it. I think it is a great alternative for those with peanut allergies, too. Again, this is conveniently available at our commissary! Another shout out for DeCA!!!

This was not paid programming!! Just sharing some personal product experience, try either or both at your own risk of loving, liking or totally grossing out!

Sunday, March 7, 2010

What's NOT to like about FREE

There is a giveaway and who doesn't like a giveaway? Cute little bags and some canisters. I think the bags are totally adorable and would love to have one, or two, or three!

Anyway, you can win, but the ending is near, like now, sorry I didn't know sooner!

:)

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Thursday Thoughts!


I got a haircut today, I think I like it...but I am not positive. It is shorter - which I wanted - I am just not sure I can make it look like I will like on a everyday basis it. I have such straight hair it is a challenge to do anything with it.

Well, anyway, here it is Thursday...
  • Powerade ZERO is a keeper!
  • I prefer texting over talking!
  • I tried and liked almond milk
  • I think I could be vegetarian...
  • I am decluttering for the upcoming move
I am glad the Annual Awards hoopla is over...for the most part it was a good event. You can't control weather and unfortunately that did have an impact on various aspects. We are having unseasonably cool temperatures and had it not been so cold other things would have been non issues, however, since it was a very cool night and it had rained earlier in the afternoon as well there were more hurdles to jump and a few hiccups along the way. In the big scheme of things it went down fine with our finest Airmen being honored, that was the goal and that's what happened. GO Team Patrick!!!

Oh, and we just launched another rocket tonight! A Delta IV, it was a beautiful launch at about five minutes til 7 this evening. The contrails were amazingly vivid against the just going dark blue sky. The burn off of the solid rocket boosters were visible to our naked eyes. And the rocket stayed visible for what seemed like several minutes as it climbed high to reach it's orbit. This rocket will be tracked over the next four hours to make sure it deploys and completes its mission, it's not just about shooting it up someone has to track it to make sure it goes where it should and does what it is supposed to...and that would be my neighbor at three doors down!

I'm outta here!