wednesday words: depending

i missed this post last week because i just couldn't decide what to write about. oops.

what's been on my mind lately:

WHO ARE WE DEPENDING ON?

those first couple of years of our marriage when we were in japan, ben was away from me for months at a time, out to sea. he was usually gone 2 months, home for a month, then back out for 2 more. all in all, those first 3 years he was gone 8 months of every year. it's no wonder people always told us we were still like newlyweds even after being married for that long :)

while i was alone for those months at a time, i had to do a lot of things by myself. that was such a learning experience for me. in my mind, i thought "hey, i have a husband now, shouldn't he be doing this stuff for me?" :P not true! the things i learned i could handle myself and the situations the Lord helped me through helped grow me so much as a person, and i had to learn to be dependent on THE LORD and not a person. how easy it is to do that. i still struggle with this.

i'm a people person. always have been. those 3 years in japan were hard. i made a few friends, but it took a while, and they all moved away before we did. i had seasons of extreme loneliness, and sometimes would just lay on the floor and cry in our apartment. but you know what? the Lord was always there for me. and He taught me in those times of loneliness that He always would be.

"God has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you” Heb 13:5

a question to ask is: who are we dependent on? other people? a friend? a husband? or are we dependent on the Lord?

one of the biggest learning experiences i had during our first year in japan was about 6 months after we had moved there. ben was sent to california for a month of training, and i wanted to meet him there and have some time back in the US. i decided to go on military hops (standby military flights) and OH. MY. WORD. what an adventure that turned out to be. i still to this day am a bit amazed i did it by myself. i started out in okinawa japan, and missed the first flight i was supposed to go on. it was supposed to be an "easy" trip, getting on there and flying straight to seattle, wa, where i would catch a connecting flight down to san diego where ben was. it's a bit of a long story, but basically everything that could have gone wrong on that trip went wrong, including oxygen masks being used, almost being turned around, being stuck for hours due to a plane malfunction, etc. and what was supposed to be an "easy" trip, took 4 flights, 3 days, and involved sleeping in hotel rooms with strangers, being stranded in guam and hawaii, and ending up in northern california and staying in the airport until my flight to see ben. if you EVER would've asked me if i could've done something like that on my own, i would've laughed! but i did it! the Lord got me where i needed to go, just not in the way i had planned. isn't that always so true of our life? :)

so often people tell me (of my time alone in japan while ben was away) "i could never have done that!" and i always respond: "yes you could!" there were many challenging parts of that journey, and i cried many tears. but the Lord doesn't give us more than we can handle, and more importantly He gets us there each step of the way. it wasn't in my strength that i made it through those 3 years, it was because HE helped me.

in the end i just want to encourage you to depend on the Lord. He is our rock and our strength, and gets us through hard times.

tuesday treat: pepperoni roll

today's treat:

PEPPERONI ROLL

pinterest has been a great source of new recipes, especially since we moved back and i actually have a regular grocery store and a kitchen!

a couple weeks ago i decided to try the pepperoni roll.
it was yum yum!

basically you buy a package of rhodes bread (from the freezer section):


for just ben and i, i used only 1 of the 3 loaves and it was plenty for our supper, but you could do 2 if you wanted more leftovers because we finished most of it that night. if you have 4 or more people, i'd probably go ahead and do all 3 loaves. i served ours with salads.

start with your frozen bread roll, and leave it on the counter lightly covered for at least 3-4 hours at room temp to thaw out.

then roll it out to a large rectangle (she said she got a square, but i couldn't quite get mine to be a square - one side was longer than the other)

top with mozzarella cheese, pepperoni and parmesan cheese, and add some spices on top.



i only had basil and garlic salt, so that's what i used and it was yummy!

roll it up and pinch the ends just a bit, then bake immediately.

she says the key is letting it cool most of the way before slicing into it. i let ours cool 10-15 minutes and it was great. still a bit warm, done in the middle.

i've made a goal to try 1 new recipe a week since we moved back, and so far i've been pretty happy with all of them! i'll keep sharing new ones that we think are yummy.

enjoy! :)

make it monday: cakepops

today's make it monday is something i've been enjoying making for a couple of years now. i'm pretty sure that anyone reading this blog knows that i love making:

CAKEPOPS!

although bakerella is the mastermind behind these creations, i wanted to give you a step-by-step on how i make them, in case you've never tried.

STEP ONE:
make a cake.


i have always used a box cake mix to make cakepops, but you can definitely use a homemade cake as well. the fan favorite (and my favorite) cake frosting combo is funfetti with cream cheese frosting. but i have also used chocolate cake, yellow cake and red velvet cake with great success :)

TIP: a 9x13 cake will make approximately 50 cakepops. if you don't want to make that many, you can take 1/2 or even 1/4 cake and freeze the rest until you are ready to make them! just make sure to remember to use less frosting :)

STEP TWO:
once your cake is cooled, you need to crumble it in a bowl.





STEP THREE:
add some frosting. if you did an entire cake, you need to use about 3/4 a can of frosting. if you made 1/2 a cake, use about 1/2 a can of frosting.



mix well.



STEP FOUR:
once your cake is all mixed up with the frosting, roll them into balls, and place them on a wax paper lined cookie sheet.





STEP FIVE:
place the cookie sheet in the freezer for 15 minutes, or in the fridge for 2-3 hours to let the cakeballs chill. you don't want them frozen, but you want them cold.


STEP SIX:

while the cakeballs are chilling, begin working on your candy melts (you can also use almond bark). i always use a mug to melt mine because i think it's easier to dip them in the taller mug rather than a bowl.
follow the directions on the bag to melt them. 1 min at 50% power, then 30 sec intervals until melted, stirring each time. don't over melt, but you want it smooth.

tip: if it's melted but still too thick, you can use a little bit of oil to thin it out :)





STEP SEVEN:
once the candy melts are ready and the cakeballs are chilled, dip a stick into the melts and then into the bottom of the cakeball. you can do them all and then give it a minute to harden. if you have put your cakeballs in the freezer, move them to the fridge and only work with a couple at a time at room temp so they don't get too warm.




STEP EIGHT:
pick up the stick with the cakeball on the end, and dip it straight into the mug. try to not let it touch the sides. lift it straight back up




tap it gently on the end of the mug to get the excess off.


STEP NINE:
while the candy covering is still wet, add any type of sprinkles you desire!


tip: sprinkle them over a bowl to catch the excess sprinkles to save.

let them dry. i use a green floral block with holes pre-punched in them. you can get the floral blocks at the dollar store or walmart for just a few dollars.


once they are dry, enjoy! :)


if you want to deliver them to someone, i recommend putting little bags on each one tied with ribbon. this helps keep them fresh as well as very cute presentation!



tip: although they don't recommend this, i've had great success keeping them in the fridge once they are made to keep them fresh a little longer, plus some people enjoy them as cold treats! :) play around with it to see what works for you.

they are fun little bites of yumminess on a stick and you should definitely make some when you get the chance! :) if you do, i'd love to see a picture! the basic cakeball with sprinkles is definitely the easiest and the one i'd recommend to get a feel for them. but the possibilities are endless. here are a few of the different types i've tried:



happy monday!

thankful thursday: may 16th

things i'm thankful for this week:

beautiful spring weather

sunshine

sitting on the patio



cool morning walks with the puppy

kisses from my husband



little things...
but they make life nicer <3

tuesday treats: mini pies

today's treat:

homemade mini pies :)

a couple of years ago, ben and i were able to go to our friend jessie's surprise birthday party.
we arrived early enough to help with the treats, and i helped reagan make these yummy mini pies!
i loved them so much i've made them a few times since, and wanted to share the recipe and how-to for you!




MINI HAND PIES:

(original recipe from the October 2011 "Food & Wine" magazine for caramel pecan hand pies,
this is the modified version!)

This recipe makes 12-15 hand pies
It's very easy to half the recipe to make 6-7 hand pies.

PIE CRUST

4 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons sugar
4 sticks unsalted butter (1 pound), cut into 1/2 inch dice and chilled
3/4 cup ice water

FILLING

You can make your own filling, or you can use any canned filling.
Have used canned cherry, apple, and strawberry rhubarb and all were yummy! :)

TOPPING

1 egg, beaten
Turbinado sugar, for sprinkling

MAKE THE PASTRY

(It's easy to divide the recipe if you don't have a 12 cup)
1. In a large (preferably 12-cup) food processor, combine the flour, salt and sugar. Add the butter and pulse in 1-second bursts until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Drizzle the ice water over the dough and pulse in 1-second bursts until it just comes together. Turn the dough out onto a work surface, gather up any crumbs and pat into 2 disks. Wrap the disks in plastic and refrigerate until chilled. About 1 hour.

Tip: If you chill them for longer, just set them on the counter to thaw a little before working with them.

2. Once chilled, On a floured work surface, roll out 1 disk of the dough to a 16 inch square, a scant 1/4 inch thick. Using a small pot lid or plate as a template, cut out as many dough rounds as possible. Repeat with the second disk of dough. Transfer the pastry rounds to parchment paper-lined baking sheets and refrigerate until chilled, about 20 minutes.

PREPARE THE FILLING



3. Add a dash of vanilla to canned filling to cut the canned flavor.

Tip: If the apple pieces are too large, chop them smaller before using them in the pies.

MAKE THE PIES



4. Preheat oven to 375. Working with one baking sheet at a time, brush the pastry surfaces lightly with some of the beaten egg. Scoop a scant 1/4 cup of the filling onto each round and fold the pastry over to make a turnover. Press the edges to seal and crimp with the tines of the floured fork. Refrigerate the hand pies while you prepare the rest.



5. Brush the tops of the pies with the beaten egg and sprinkle with the turbinado sugar. (can also use sanding sugar) Using a sharp knife, make a small slit in the top of each pie. Bake the pies in the middle and lower thirds of the oven for 30-40 minutes -- until the pastry is golden brown. Let the pies cool on the baking sheets before serving.



Tip: If you use more than one flavor of filling, make the slits on top in different shapes so you know which is which! :)

The pies can be refrigerated for up to 4 days. Rewarm before serving.

I want to experiment with different fillings, but so far the canned have all been delicious, especially when paired with the homemade flaky crust! :) ENJOY!

make it monday: tshirt quilt

today's project:

THE T-SHIRT QUILT

i knew i wanted to make one of these when i first saw the idea awhile ago, and was kicking myself for not saving more of our old tshirts! but thankfully i found enough between both our shirts to make a decent sized quilt top :)

materials needed:

tshirts. :)

- i used approximately 33 tshirts, and i only used whichever side had a design. (some had designs on the front and back so i used both sides). i did 7 rows of 5 across, using 35 squares total.

notes:: another friend who also made a tshirt quilt cut the front and back of the tshirts even if they didn't have designs, and had some blank jersey squares mixed with the patterns, which is also a great idea! unfortunately i asked her about it too late, as my scraps were already in the dumpster :P
-if you don't have quite enough tshirts, you could always go buy a few soft ones from good will, too!

rotary cutter and mat. (you don't *have* to use these, but they sure make cutting much easier)


guide for cutting. (i used the ruler pictured above as well as a piece of 12x12 paper as a guide to follow to cut each square.)

thread.
since the shirts are all different colors, i really don't think it matters what color thread you use. i used navy blue since at least half of my shirts were blue of some sort :)

sewing machine. (you could sew them by hand if you don't have a machine, it would just take a lot longer!)

STEP ONE:

gather all your shirts, and make sure they are clean and ready for cutting.

here's my pile of tshirts (that my dog of course is laying on top of :P)


side note:: one of the fun parts of this project was picking out the tshirts to use, and remembering where each came from. the one "i love my husband" was a wedding present, we have a bunch from our times at emmaus, and from some of the teaching jobs i had, ben got the "hard rock" one from one of his trips to thailand in the navy. such fun memories! :)


STEP TWO:

cut all the sleeves off your tshirts, and separate the fronts from the backs so you have flat pieces to cut.

STEP THREE:

using your tools, cut out 35 squares from your tshirts. you can make them any size you want. i did 12x12 (the size of a piece of scrapbook paper) and that seemed to cover most of the designs on each shirt. whatever size you choose, just make sure to cut them all as close to the same size as you can to make it easier to piece them together! i laid the piece of paper over the shirt and tried to center it as best i could, then cut away!

STEP FOUR:

once you have all your squares cut (or as you go along), lay out your squares in the order you want them to go

tip: stack each row in order so you remember! :)



STEP FIVE:

sew each square together in the order you have them laid out.

tip: make sure to use the same seam allowance for each of your squares and rows to make sure they all match up! i like to use the end of my presser foot as a guide to go by.

i sewed my 7 rows of 5 first, then i sewed those longer rows together one on top of the next (does that make sense?) :) match up each corner. i don't think the jersey needs ironing at the seams, but that would be up to you!







note:: i did notice that the jersey fabric is a bit more slippery than some of the other cotton fabrics i've made quilts out of. that can be a bit challenging to make your lines completely straight, but the plus side is that with the stretchiness, it makes it easier to match all the corners well! :) just do your best. handmade quilts aren't supposed to be 100% perfect anyways (in my opinion!)

STEP SIX:

once you have your top all finished, measure the finished size so you know how much backing fabric you need. mine is around 80 x 58



this is the step i'm on now. to finish your quilt, pick out your backing fabric, and decide if you want batting in the middle. i think i might skip batting on this one to make a thinner blanket, but if you want it to be extra warm, batting would definitely give it a thicker layer!

STEP SEVEN:

put it all together and then you have your quilt! :) i haven't finished mine yet as i am still searching for just the right fabric for the back (i'm thinking about minky). i'll be sure to check in when it's done and let you know any tips i have for putting the back on! :)

also, i'm certainly not the world's best sewer, but if you have any ?s, please let me know!
hope you have fun gathering old tshirts and making a fun comfy quilt!

thankful thursday: may 9th

sunday is mother's day, so it seems fitting that today i can talk about the things i'm thankful for about my mom!

- she is always there for her kids. ALWAYS. she'll drop anything anytime one of us needs her.

- not only her kids, but she's always willing to help out others who need things like meals, babysitting, etc. she's got a servant's heart to the core!

- she is very supportive and encouraging

- she is very good listener. so good in fact sometimes you have to be "careful" of what you tell her you like, or you may end up receiving that exact thing next time you have a birthday or just because! ;)

- she's our biggest fan!

- she's adopted my husband as another one of her kids :)

- she's a great example of a sweet, giving, gracious, patient, gentle & meek spirit

- she's a great example of a wonderful wife and mother and i hope to be a mom like her one day! :)

happy mother's day to the best mom a girl could ever ask for!



love you Mama!