Recipe Round Up

I am always on the hunt to find new, clean, recipes. I try to cook at least 2 new recipes a week to keep things interesting. I wanted to share a few of my favorites.

Having recently discovered I have an intolerance to gluten has really made me branch out in my cooking. I used to be so nervous in the kitchen and feel so out of place. Now cooking is one of my favorite things to do. Half the time, I don't even use "official" measurements, just dashes and pinches. My OCD self can relax in the kitchen. 

Remember, I am NOT a food blogger, so I don't have eloquent, perfect pictures, just iPhone pics.

Clean eating shrimp scampi (Gluten free)

I used to above recipe with some changes. The shrimp I used weren't frozen so to get enough broth, I added 1.5 tbsp of butter (don't be afraid to use REAL butter ladies). I also used gluten free pasta noodles.

This was DELICOUS, Mr. J loved it too!

Citrus Grilled Chicken 

If you aren't familiar with "The Gracious Pantry" yet, please go check it out!

This chicken was very good, I love a good pan fried chicken recipe. Next time, I will marinate it over night to have a little more flavor.

Asian Marinated Salmon

Mr. J is not a big fan of salmon or tilapia (boo), so I have to really knock it out of the park. This had TONS of flavor, it was delicious. The fresh dill really made it. 

Quinoa with Cherry Tomatoes

I LOVE LOVE LOVE quinoa. It is so versatile and the nutritional facts are amazing. This recipe was good, had good flavor and was loved by my boys. 

Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

Probably the best GF cookie recipe I have found thus far. These were chewy with perfect texture. 

What clean recipes have you been trying lately?

Total Truth Thursday| Fashion: Style Pressure

Welcome to our second Total Truth Thursday! Kelsea and I started this link-up in hopes that it will be successful in creating a safe environment for us to share our opinions, beliefs, and thoughts- however strong, against-the-grain, mainstream, or out there they are! If this is the first time you’re hearing about Total Truth Thursdays, head back to this post and catch up on what it’s all about!

Before we dive in and link up, there are a few things that you need to know:
1 // You can find the list of topics for each week HERE.   

2 // Kindness is key.Whether you follow the topics for each week or come up with something on your own, please remember that others may or may not agree with you, and you may or may not agree with them! Disagreements are natural, passionate opinions are welcomed, and constructive feedback is fine. However, we won’t put up with rudeness, ugliness, or name-calling. Just be nice! 

3 // To link-up, please follow Hey Kelsea Rae & These Moments Called Life on Bloglovin’ or GFC and copy and paste the button code to your post somewhere! We are so excited to get started!

Today’s topic is FASHION!

We often hear the question "What's your style? Boho, chic, edgy, preppy?" My answer, none of the above. I fit into NONE of the typical categories of style labels.

In high school, I shopped at the typical places, American Eagle and Hollister mainly. Then I became a wife less than a month after graduating. I remember going to a doctor appointment and the receptionist asking me if I brought my mom because I couldn't be seen without an adult present. I told her I was 18 and married, she didn't believe me at all. After that, I started thinking I needed to dress more "grown up".

I had Little A when I was 20, and that feeling of needing to look more grown up multiplied times a million. I would get stressed out about getting dressed because I wanted people to take me seriously. I was so afraid they would think I was a young, incapable, irresponsible mother.

Now don't get me wrong, I never dressed like a grandma, but I definitely put pressure on myself to try to appear older than I actually was.

No matter what outfit I had on, the facts were the same. I was freshly 20, a mother, stay at home wife, fully capable, responsible, and down right dedicated to doing my best for my family. I could be all of that and wear what ever the heck I wanted.

Once I realized this fact (sadly it took me a while), I felt freedom from the expectation that as a mom, I had to look a certain way. I don't have to prove myself to be a good mom to anyone. My son knows it and that's what matters. I've seen plenty of moms who have beautiful clothes and appear to be have it all together, but watching them for 5 minutes proves a little different. 

Appearances don't make the mama folks. I love clothes and shopping. I love putting together outfits with fun pieces of jewelry (although I'm not as fashion savy as I wish). I enjoy it so much more now that I wear what I want and without the extra pressure. 

I don't have a style type, I wear what I like, what I think is cute and functional and there are no apologies for that.

Christmas 2 years ago, chunky cardigans my favorite for fall and winter

Currently

43 days until I put all this studying to work and take the exam !

eating | tortilla chips & salsa
drinking | water 
practicing | breaking Little A of his binkie

mastering | Babysitting 2 of my 3 nieces, chaos management pro (only kidding)

learning |  how to fit my gym time into extremely crazy weeks
listening | Switchfoot's new CD

watching | Mr. J clean our washing machine, keeper for sure!

finishing | laundry, or is it ever finished?
reading | My  GFI (group fitness instructor) certification book
wearing |  gym clothes
cooking | clean eating Shrimp Scampi 
working | on my running, really trying to build my endurance
traveling | nothing on the agenda 
wanting | a house in the country, chickens included

Total Truth Thursday| Marriage: Why I Hate Pinterest

Welcome to our very first Total Truth Thursday! Kelsea and I are so excited to be starting this link-up and hope that it will be successful in creating a safe environment for us to share our opinions, beliefs, and thoughts- however strong, against-the-grain, mainstream, or out there they are! If this is the first time you’re hearing about Total Truth Thursdays, head back to this post and catch up on what it’s all about! 

Before we dive in and link up, there are a few things that you need to know: 

1 // You can find the list of topics for each week HERE.   

2 // Kindness is key.Whether you follow the topics for each week or come up with something on your own, please remember that others may or may not agree with you, and you may or may not agree with them! Disagreements are natural, passionate opinions are welcomed, and constructive feedback is fine. However, we won’t put up with rudeness, ugliness, or name-calling. Just be nice! 

3 // To link-up, please follow Hey Kelsea Rae & These Moments Called Life on Bloglovin’ or GFC and copy and paste the button code to your post somewhere! We are so excited to get started! 

Today’s topic is MARRIAGE!

Before we dive in, let me clarify on my title. I LOVE Pinterest. I have discovered so many awesome recipes, home decorating ideas, organizing tips, and fashion ideas. What I mean by my title is simply this, I believe Pinterest has women more focused on planning the perfect wedding rather than focusing on preparing our hearts for marriage. 

 Being that I got married just 2 months after high school, you can imagine our wedding budget was small. Our wedding wasn't lavish to say the least, we didn't have an expensive caterer, outstanding venue, or 4 foot tall floral arrangements. What our wedding lacked in "frills", was compensated with love. My wedding was perfect to me. And our parents weren't in debt after!

 Your wedding is at the top of the list of "most important days of your lives", but I have to say, I personally believe our divorce rates would drop if couples spent more time preparing their hearts and minds for marriage instead of investing it all on the wedding. 

 Your wedding day is only 24 hours. Your marriage's lifespan is much much more. The year or months leading up to your special day should be spent in deep thought and prayer. Marriage is a beautiful union of 2 becoming one. You can imagine that comes with some bumps and bruises along the way. I am so thankful Mr. J and I did marriage counseling which prompted many long talks and discussions. I'm glad we took time to pray together lots throughout our engagement about our life as a married couple. Don't you think marriages would be in much better condition if in the wedding budget, there was a slot for counseling, or marriage conference fees? 

 I am in no way telling you not to have the wedding of your dreams, all I am saying is invest some time preparing the foundation. A rushed, neglected foundation leads to instability. I remember vividly our marriage counseling, the truths we learned, what the Bible has to say about marriage, what my role as a wife is to look like. I think about those things often. I wish somewhere in Proverbs 31, there was a verse that said "And she shall be given chocolate as a reward for holding her tongue." Can I just get an amen there. Seriously, showing grace and forgiveness is super hard when you fall into the toilet in the middle of the night because someone, cough cough, left the seat up....again! 

 If you are a seasoned bride and never took the time to spiritually and emotionally prepare for marriage, it's NOT TOO LATE!! You have tons of resources available. Ask your Pastor if he would be willing to do a little marriage counseling with you, after all "Fireproof doesn't mean the fire will never come. It means when the fire comes that you will be able to withstand it." (IF you haven't already, go watch Fireproof) There are so many great books, even work books you can go through together. Talk to an older couple who have been together for 50+ years, you know they have some good advice. 

 Let's invest our hearts in the upkeep of our marriages, invest time in your spouse. Treat them like your hunk, not just the co-parent of your child. Remember y'all, our kids will get their idea of what marriage looks like by our example, are you showing them it's fun, so full of love, and only gets stronger, or are you showing them a naggy, miserable, "team" of people who just happen to be raising kids together? 

 Go give your guy a kiss, have fun, and enjoy each other. Marriage is a gift ladies, it isn't without hiccups but in the end, those hard times draw us closer to each other and closer to the Lord.

Alright, it’s your turn! Grab the button below and link up your Total Truth!

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Total Truth Thursday Intro

Have you ever wanted to say something, whether verbally or in blog form, but hold back out of fear of being judged too harshly? I have so many times I've lost count. I start to mentally write a post in my head then hit the imaginary delete button out of fear of poorly constructed sentences, grammatical errors, or pure fear of conflicting opinions. 

My sweet friend Kelsea over at Hey Kelsea Rae wrote this post. It inspired me so much. She has offered so many encouraging words to me numerous times through several struggles I've faced. She tells it like it is, gives me a positive outlook, and is always completely real. Her bravery behind this post is something I so badly wish was expressed more often, for myself and others. 

With that in mind, Kelsea and I have teamed up to create Total Truth Thursdays! 

Total Truth Thursdays will be a weekly-link up in which we will post a topic and we are encouraging you to write a post that is full of truth, the total truth! Don't hold back out of fear of judgement or sentence structure. Share your heart, be brave, and link up with us so we can all enjoy a fresh dose of honesty and learn something in the process! 

 

For the next couple of months, we'll have a topic for every Total Truth Thursday. Here are the dates and topics:

Thursday, March 6th : Marriage

Thursday, March 13th :  Fashion

Thursday, March 20th : Social Media

Thursday, March 27th: Free Vent! (you choose!)

Thursday, April 3rd : Modesty

Thursday, April 10th : Parenting/Kids

Thursday, April 17th : All Things Domestic

Thursday, April 24th : Free Vent! (you choose!)

Thursday, May 1st: Expectations

Thursday, May 8th: Money

 

We'll give you a chance to link up on either of our blogs so you can have your total truth seen and find other total truth posts, too. These topics are pretty broad, so if you don't feel like writing about any one of them, get honest about something else! We want to create a community of openness and kindness, where bloggers feel heard, respected, and free to share their thoughts and opinions.

Now, while we are sharing truth, please use your manners. This is in no way a free ticket to spew hate. As women, let's empower each other to share our hearts, be respectful of the opinions of others, and try to learn a few things from each other. You may not agree with all the opinions shared, and you're absolutely allowed to disagree, ask questions, and make comments. All we ask is that it is done in a kind manner. 

As you can see, our first link-up is next Thursday, the 6th! It's so close! Please plan on joining us!

 We'll be using the hashtag #totaltruththursdays to share posts on Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram and hope you'll do the same! We also have a fun button to share in your post!  We'd love if you'd spread the word, invite others to link-up, and join us next Thursday. Hope to see you there!

Ammo

As an avid list maker, each day, I wake up with a to-do list. Things like, laundry, mop the floors, and organize Little A's toys. Of course, there are things that you don't write down because they are things to be done every day. Brush your teeth, take a shower, cook breakfast, lunch, dinner, and oh yeah, devotion time. 

Some days, things can just sort of fall to the bottom of the list. Surprisingly enough, I always brush my teeth and take a shower, but sadly, my devotion time falls to the bottom, and even off the list. I try to wake up every morning before Little A gets up to have my devotional time. Time when the house is still quiet with a cup of coffee, my bible, and just me and God. There are days when I buy into the lies Satan feeds me. "You deserve a little extra sleep this morning," "You can do it during nap time, or before bed," (never happens) or "You are so busy today, God will understand."

Here's the facts, every day that I DON'T read my bible is a point for Satan. He wants to keep me out of God's word because he knows as Christians, it's our biggest weapon in a fallen world. 

I don't know about you but I don't exactly like the fact that I am easily giving my enemy points against me. Can you imagine what our churches, communities, cities, states, and even our world would look like if more Christians treated their time in the Bible like the non-negotable lifeline that it is instead of just something to check off the list out of fear of being struck by lightning? 

When my day starts with time in prayer and reading my Bible, my heart and mind are focused on the Lord, not the world. I am equipped to face the challenges of the day with the right frame of mind. 

 Let's break it down "big bird style" as Mr.J would say.

As a Christian in a fallen world, every day is like a gun fight. The Bible is like our ammo. Would you go to a gun fight not replenishing your ammo knowing used ammo yesterday? Absolutely not. You want to be prepared and well equipped. The great thing is that our "armory" never runs out, is never low on stock, or sold out. It is just as full today as it was 500 years ago, and Praise the Lord, the price isn't increasing at an insane rate. 

We are privileged to have FREE daily access to our most powerful weapon. All we have to do is tap in to it. 

Clean Eating Taco Bowls

Do you have any go to, quickly thrown together meals? I'm coming up with quite a collection of them. 

My current favorite? Clean eating taco bowls.

It's super easy, loaded with protein, nutrients, and flavor.

Ingredients:

1 cup (uncooked) quinoa

1 can organic black beans

1 lb ground beef (I always use ground venison)

1 tomato

Taco Seasoning (make your own)

Toppings : Salsa, sour cream, shredded cheese, etc.

1.) cook quinoa as directed on package

2.) brown ground beef, drain, add taco seasoning

3.) add quinoa, beans, beef, diced tomatoes and toppings. enjoy!

For our family of 3, making this amount provides left overs for lunch. 

This picture isn't the best but believe me, it is delicious!