No more Turkey, Please!!

So if you are like me, I have had a little too much turkey in the last week or so, I thought I would share a couple simple recipes that DO NOT involve turkey or chicken for that matter!

First I have a wonderful Pork Carnita (that's what I call it anyway), I got this from a friend so I thought I would share it.

Crock Pot Pork Carnita
1 3lb boneless picnic pork roast (again, you can usually find these on sale for around $2 a pound)
1 lb dried pinto beans
Water
1 can diced green chiles
1 Tbs. Cumin
2 Tbs. Chili powder
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Oregano
2 cloves minced garlic

Place pork roast in crock pot, sprinkle dried pinto beans around roast and cover with water. Be sure all pinto beans are completely covered in water.
Add remaining ingredients.
Simmer in crock pot 8 hours or more on low.
Before serving, shred pork and stir.
Serve over corn chips, lettuce and top with cheese, sour cream and your favorite salsa.

On that same theme, I threw together something my family just loves and it was just because I had so much leftover rice.
Just following Dave Ramsey's advice of eating beans and rice to curb our food budget (don't know about Dave Ramsey, check out his amazing financial advice!!).


Beans and Rice (side dish)

3+ cups leftover cooked rice
1 can beans, drained (I used black beans, but you can use any type you prefer)
1/2 cup or so of your favorite salsa
Shredded cheese

Warm first three ingredients in the microwave until hot, top with cheddar cheese and that's it!

Enjoy!!

You Asked For It!!

O.k. ladies, you asked for it, so here it goes.
You were all so encouraging today and I just want you to know how wonderful each of you is and what amazing Mom's you are!! I am blessed to know each of you.
So here is one of the recipes that I shared with you today, but did not write down. I really don't know what the name should be...maybe Pulled Pork!

Pulled Pork
3-4 lb Boneless Picnic Pork Roast
1 packet Good Seasons Dry Italian Dressing Mix
Favorite BBQ Sauce

Place Pork Roast in Crock Pot (frozen or thawed)
Sprinkle Italian Dressing Packet over the whole thing.
Place lid on Crock Pot and cook for 8+ hours, the longer the more tender it will be.

Shred cooked pork with a fork and add your favorite BBQ sauce for pulled pork sandwiches or sliders.
Serve on Hamburger buns or Slider buns. Add a salad and a veggie and you have a quick, fairly inexpensive dinner with hopefully some leftovers.

It really is that simple. I usually watch for this type of roast to go on sale for about $2 to $2.50 per pound. Winco has it on sale at times in a bulk package. If you get 6 lbs or more, split it and put half in the freezer to use with the Pork Carnita Recipe I gave you.

Enjoy and let me know what you think!

Life Just Got a Little Simpler...

Okay, here is a wonderful little tool I thought I would share with you in case you are finding your head swimming, trying to keep track of everyone's schedules. We all have our systems, unfortunately the "system" in my house was to just ask Mom what events were coming up, I seemed to be the only one who knew. There would be tension in the house because I got super tired of everyone asking ME...I'm not a computer for goodness sakes!!
So here is a great resource one of my friends suggested and I wanted to pass it along to you.
This is a free online calendar and mobile app called Cozi: http://www.cozi.com/
Just click on the link and you can set up this free application that your whole family will have access to through their mobile devices or computer. My kids have Ipods and my husband and I have smartphones so it is perfect for everyone to view and add their events to, but you can also use your computer. Cozi will generate email reminders if you want it to, for each member that has an email address. How sweet is that??
I especially love this tool because I can create shopping lists for each store we visit and then I just text my husband to stop by a particular store on his way home, he accesses the store shopping list and voila', we have communicated very efficiently!!
It has also created a more peaceful and harmonious home for us in that, now when I am asked "What's our schedule look like?" I simply reply: "Did you check our calendar?" Yay, Mom is way less stressed and everyone can take responsibility for their own schedules!!
I LOVE THIS APP!! Thank goodness for technology!

Making our Mark...

There is a lot of pressure to be successful. According to the worlds standards, being successful is about the car we drive, the house we live in, the "toys" we possess and the job we work at. I have had family members comment on our decision for me to stay home and not use my college degree. I was asked one day, "Don't you think you wasted your time in college getting a degree you will never use". Okay, that's an interesting perspective! Dave and I were talking about the idea of success and making a mark in this world the other day. It is funny how the world can distract us from our original goals. When we decided I would quit my job and "sacrifice" the monetary rewards that come from both of us working, we had other goals in mind. Our goal was to raise up kids that would be strong, confident, have a heart for God and be influential in impacting others for Christ. Seemed like a simple enough goal, but little did we realize the challenge we would be up against. Each decision was a personal one, for our family alone. I never thought...oh, everyone should do what we are doing. That is the cool thing about God, he is a very personal, individual God, who wants us to pursue Him the way we were designed to, with our own gifts and talents.
In the course of parenting our three really great kids, I have, at times, lost sight of our original goal; to raise up kids who are strong, confident, have a heart for God and will be influential in impacting others for Christ. It isn't about the material, they will not be able to take it with them nor will a new car or bigger house help them to influence others for Christ. Those things are the distraction in so many ways.
What got us talking, was Dave realizing he had become distracted from our original goal by the lure of climbing the corporate ladder at his job, he realized that by pursuing other positions within his company, he could possibly be sacrificing what he had set out as a goal...influencing and coaching our kids. Now, don't get me wrong, getting a better job or changing jobs or better pay is nice and helpful in this economy. But for us, it became a distraction, the new job could potentially take Dave away from home more often and for longer periods of time. In this season of parenting, the kids still need us, our time and attention, our coaching and guidance, it is very different than when they were younger, but they still need us.
So for now, the mark we are making may not seem very glamorous, but Dave and I need to keep our eye on our original goal, we need to be content with where God has us and content with the path God has us on in this parenting journey. Who knows what the future will look like, but if our mark is 3 kids that go out and influence and change their corner of the world, that is going to be an incredible ripple effect to be sure!
Just more thoughts on this thing called parenting!

How Does Your Garden Grow...

I thought it might be fun to post my garden periodically with pictures and to share some fun tips and may be even encourage you if you are thinking about gardening but are a little intimidated. So here are some of the first pictures of my garden so far. I decided to try something a little different this year, we planted a lot of our crop in hay bales. We decided to try this out because we have really terrible soil, very clay like and no matter how much compost we have added, the drainage is awful. Bale gardening is not a new concept to be sure, and I heard of the idea from a friend who shared some links with me. Here are a few of the links in case you are interested:
http://www.no-dig-vegetablegarden.com/straw-bale-gardening.html
http://www.carolinacountry.com/cgardens/thismonth/march06guide/straw.html#intro
http://www.vegetablegardener.com/item/8453/video-make-a-straw-bale-garden-bed,
Now this info may be too late for some of your crops, but it would be ideal for any late Summer or Fall crops you may be considering. So far it has been so much fun trying something new in the garden, not to mention the fact that many of my plants are easily accessible, I won't have to bend down or squat nearly as much. The beauty of this way of gardening is that in the Fall, we can spread the straw out over the soil and it will help keep the weeds down as well as add some much needed compost. I will continue to post pictures as the season progresses and share any information or tips I think might be useful.
I would love to know what you think if you try this! Happy Gardening!

Not my favorite subject, but necessary...

I know this topic really isn't favored by many of us, but I just wanted to put this out there for any of you who are reading this or even care.
This past month and a half has been a very real reminder to me that Dave and I need to make sure we have "all our affairs in order" so to speak. The subject of dying isn't a popular one that's for sure, but since the death of my sweet friend Jenna and now her husband Eric, it has left me reeling. Jenna had been battling cancer for almost 4 years, so her death wasn't necessarily a surprise. Eric passed away just a few days ago, a little less than a month after Jeanna from an apparent heart attack, that was very unexpected. Now the family is scrambling because they did not prepare a will or give specific directions as to where they would want their two boys to live in the event they both passed away. No one could have imagined this scenario, no one ever does.
So, my post is merely to remind you, if you have not prepared something that is legally binding, directions about where your kids will go, who you want them to live with and other important information, please do something NOW!! Do not hesitate or put it off any longer. There are even online resources that aren't super expensive to get your will drawn up fairly quickly and painlessly!
I realize this post isn't super reflective, spiritual or encouraging, but I do believe with all my heart that it is important and that's why I am writing this. I promise the next time I post, I will write something light or enlightened!! (I can't guarantee it, but I will try)

Just Wondering...

so I was thinking about something the other day and would really love feedback from anyone who has a thought. So here it goes; a friend and I were talking the other day about the "need" many women have for groups, bible studies and retreats within the church. Now do not get me wrong, I love all of the above, but also realize that I have a limited amount of time and if I fill my days with all those things, where does that leave my husband and children. So where is the balance? One thing I have observed and experienced myself is, when my husband is truly leading spiritually in our home and we are connecting spiritually, it just seems that there is less "need" for those outside activities, I didn't say NO need, but LESS. And the activities I do get involved with are more "organic" not necessarily church ordained if you will. I'm not really sure if this makes much sense but if it does I would love to get your comments on what you have experienced and what you think?? It's just my thought for the day!