husband

I don't usually brag about my husband on here, but today seems like a good day to do so. If you haven't met him already, this is Jared:

So cute, right?

As I've said before, I am trying to eat preservative free here at school, with hopes to bring that back to my home with Jared in August. Currently, Jared lives five and a half hours from where I am located for school. It's difficult being apart, but we still communicate all the time and we are both busy with his work and my school, so we make it work.

Anyway, back to why Jared is so wonderful - take a look...

And so I open the picture to find...

Note the bottom two lines on the bottle. I'm not even in town, and my wonderful man goes to publix to find preservative free marinade for his chicken and tries it out for dinner. 

Honestly, who deserves this kind of support? He's just the greatest. And for so many reasons. He is so encouraging in everything, and I mean everything, I do. It's an incredible feeling to be so loved.

Best. Husband. Ever.

:)

so excited

This may seem like a very silly thing to be getting excited about, but I just can't help it.  My friend sent me the link to a blog by the Leake family, who gave up eating processed foods and refined ingredients for 100 days, completed that challenge, and then committed (and completed) to doing it again, but on a budget. Their goals are little more strict that mine have been, but it is very encouraging to see that "eating green" can be done, and it can be a long-term change. The Leake family defines their rules here and why to take on this challenge here.

These are the rules I have been abiding by since the beginning of this semester (mid-January):

No Preservatives
If I read the ingredients, and any of them look like something I may have learned in chemistry, I put it back. I only buy things that I actually know what each ingredient is. And just because I know what citric acid is, doesn't mean I'm allowed to bring it home - NO preservatives, period, dot. Reading the labels on everything is key. My biggest challenges have been bread and yogurt. I have completely given up on yogurt and I have temporarily given up on bread (until I am done with school and reunited with my stand mixer), aka I buy it however it comes.

Healthier Eating Out
If and when I go out to eat (which is not often) or I am a guest at someone's house, I try to make healthier choices. I do not heavily restrict myself, but I am hoping to become more disciplined as time goes on.

Water (and coffee)!
This probably falls under the "No Preservatives" Rule, but I feel it's still a good one to draw some special attention to. I limit myself to only drinking water with meals. And for my sanity and GPA, I must have coffee. I have parted with my delicious flavored creamers (pumpkin spice, I miss you!), and now only use organic milk and organic sugar (unless I'm at starbucks - regular milk and sugar). Oh, and I also have the occasional glass of wine when I visit the hubs :)

I must admit, there have been a few slips, but I feel like I have come a long way in my eating habits, and I am finally figuring out how to do it in a more budget friendly way (I spent less than $100 for this 2 weeks - record!). I think it would be amazing to move toward what the Leake family does to further discipline my eating habits, but that will come with time. Until then, I will definitely be using their blog to find some new recipes and tips.

PS - I've almost been married ONE WHOLE YEAR!

03.06.10

chicken pad thai deliciousness

I made a super quick and easy Chicken Pad Thai last night, and just reheated it for dinner tonight. It was and still is so good that I just have to share it. I took a picture on my phone, but it doesn't do it justice, so I'll let you try it out for yourself and see how good it looks in person :)

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8 ounces rice noodles
4 tsp vegetable oil
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 eggs
3 chicken breasts, cut into small, thin slices
2 cups mung bean sprouts
6 tbsp rice vinegar
5 tbsp fish sauce
4 tbsp sugar
3 tsp chili-garlic sauce
chopped peanuts (to top off this glorious dish)

Cook rice noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse thoroughly. Set aside.

Heat oil in a wok over high heat. Add garlic and stir-fry until golden, about 10 seconds. Add eggs and scramble for about 30 seconds.  Add raw chicken and cook until no longer pink.

Add drained noodles to wok, toss about 1 minute. Add bean sprouts, vinegar, fish sauce, sugar, and chili-garlic sauce. Toss for about 3 minutes, or until sauce thickens a bit. 

Sprinkle with peanuts and serve! This makes about 3 decent sized servings.

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A few learning points from my first go at Pad Thai:
1 - Have everything out, sliced, and diced before hand.  Because the oil is heated over high heat, it does not take long to cook anything! I made the mistake of not having my eggs out or chicken chopped before I added my garlic, so it got a tad too toasty.
2 - I thought I had checked all of my labels, but it turns out the chili-garlic sauce was not preservative free :(  I found a recipe here that I will be trying for my future makings of this dish.

Enjoy!

project complete!

I am happy to report that I have officially completed my first real before and after project (that wasn't just a matter of organization and decorating).  I bought the supplies last June to redo this set, but life got in the way and I just now got around to this project.  I made a spontaneous, quick trip home this past weekend and decided that instead of studying, I should make this set (left behind by the previous owners) pretty. So here we go!

Before... Worn and Rusty

 And After!

And how about a little close-up action:

Serious Rust

Ahh yes, happiness.

I am so excited! It is now safe to sit in the chairs and have coffee dates on lovely mornings with my husband.  Sadly I haven't had one yet because I had to get back to school, but soon enough!

great words in small verses

Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Do everything in love.
-1 Corinthians 16:13-14

Be on your guard
You must know that Satan is lurking around every corner, every insecurity, every question. You must know that he is trying to intervene and destroy your relationship with God. You must be on the defensive to keep him from doing this.

Stand firm in the faith
Your best protection against Satan is your faith. Be filled with God's word and use it when Satan attacks. Trust in God and He will protect you.

Be courageous; Be strong
Even in your darkest hour, God is with you. Have courage and strength at all times knowing that God is in control and trusting that He knows exactly what is right for you.

Do everything in love
Let everything you do be inspired by God's love for you.

Happy Saturday :)

being good isn't easy

"No one knows how bad they are until they have tried to be good" - CS Lewis

I read that quote just a few days before I read a devotional on a sleepless night, that said "God saw that His work was good (Genesis 1:25). Just as God felt good about His work, we can be pleased with ours. However, we should not feel good about our work if God would not be pleased with it. What are you doing that pleases both you and God?"

Well, what am I doing that pleases me? I can think of many. But, what of these things are also pleasing God? It hurts to only be able to list a few.

Currently, things I am doing that are pleasing to me and God (from my point of view of course):
1 - Reading His word every morning
2 - Praying every morning
3 - Eating preservative free

That is it. Three things. And I can easily find faults with or improvements to be made to each.  I am finding that the things that were so fulfilling and good in the beginning aren't feeling quite as fulfilling anymore. But, I should absolutely use this realization to my advantage, and dig deeper. Just when you think you have something "good" mastered, you can quickly see ways to make it better, if you allow yourself to.  I know God loves me, and He is proud of my efforts. But there is a serious tug at my heart to be even better in these areas. 

My three good activities made "more good"
1 - Dig deeper into reading. Read related passages. Read throughout the day rather than just during set times in my routine.
2 - Pray throughout the day. Be in constant communication with God. And be less distracted when I pray (don't be thinking about my massive to-do list that I may have).
3 - Pray when I struggle with eating no preservatives, wasn't that my objective in the first place?

So, being good can be one of the most difficult things a person might try to accomplish. And not just being good compared to those around, but being good in God's eyes alone.  I know God loves me without me ever getting to a point that I actually deserve His love. But I want to try to be better and make His heart as happy as he makes mine.

So again, and again, and again, and again I pray: "God, please help me to show your love through my every word and action," because then, I will be good.

seven things

these glorious things are those that will be getting me through this spring semestser. i have several starbucks mapped out that i will be frequenting throughout the next four months. vitamin D (yes, the gummy ones) will keep me healthy, scoutmob dates with sarit will keep my sanity in check, and my iphone for phone dates with my hubs and family will keep me happy.  my rainboots will be put to good use (and already have been) by walking through the rivers that develop on campus in even the slightest drizzle.  i obviously need something to fuel my OCD tendencies, of which my planner satisfies. and when i need a little pick-me-up, i have bravo TV.  so yes, i love these seven items. and with them, i will survive semester two of grad school.