Chick-fil-A

We've been out of town visiting our family. We left after lunch yesterday to head back home after a great time. It was nearly 6:00pm and the boys were getting hungry.

Hmmm. What to do for dinner?

DING DING DING! Let's get a nugget tray from Chick-fil-A! We're going to play in the yard anyway when we get home. We can set out nuggets, play, and have enough left over for lunch tomorrow.

"Honey, would you try to wrangle your phone from our resident 3 year old Angry Bird/Cut The Rope playin' child to look up the number and call it in?"

"Sure" he says.

As he dials, I provide the background music.

"Kids, get in the van so we can go there today. But there store is closed oh I know, cause it's Sun-day-ay-ay-ayyyyyyy....."

(husband interrupts riveting performance) "Uh, Honey?"

"Yes?"

"Today is Sunday."

(singing in mad voice)"CHICK-FIL-A, WHAT A DIRTY ROTTEN TRICK TO PLAY. NOW I HAVE TO SETTLE FOR SUBWAY...."

Would you believe yesterday was SUNDAY?

My dreams of nuggets were dashed right there on the road next to the Armadillo lyin' on the road.

I can't say which came first...my addiction to the Chick-fil-A sauce or the nugget. All I know is the quick hot dog dinner I whipped up when we got home was a little bittersweet.

Garage Sale

Saturday we threw together a quick garage sale.  We've been getting stuff together for months.  After looking at the calender last Saturday was our best option before our summer plans kick into full swing.

We had a goal to make $350 for some house projects we are working on.

The grand total came to $367!

God is awesome to provide!

After donating 2 car loads full we can now both park in the garage again.

Aaaannd the boys can ride bikes and scooters on rainy days.

Good times.

Organized Blogs

I organized my blog reading.  My friends and family are still in my favorites.  Specialized blogs on decorating/cooking/homeschooling are on my sidebar.

For security reasons I don't list our kids names or our family last name on my blog.  When folks link to my blog I always ask them link with Bugs and Sunshine  instead of my first and last name.  You never can be too safe these days and since my blog is a mega blog I want to protect my babies!  LOL!

I am LOVING the decorating/cleaning/cooking  blogs updated on my sidebar.  Great tips.  You should check em' out in all your spare time!

We're enjoying a weekend at home with Shane's parents.  Brisket is in the oven, it's a rainy day and we're having a ball!

Done.

Today marks a big day!

We are done with our commitments for the year!

School.

Bible Study.

Is that it?  It felt like a lot more stuff than that.

Our summer is in full swing.

There is nothing more rewarding than the feeling of completion.

Now I'm praying for wisdom of how our days and weeks need to look.  As you may know, routine is a challenge for me and yet we will need some sort of routine for our summer days.  Our curriculum for next year has arrived and is sitting neatly in boxes.  We'll have a Kindergartner and a First Grader next year. 

I am so excited that our Bible study in the Fall will be on Acts.  I cannot wait to dig in!  The Holy Spirit coming in Acts 2 just gets me all kinds of excited!  I've got me some strong Southern Baptist roots but I love to see that Spirit coming with fire! LOL!  Sometimes when we are sitting so prim and proper in church I wander what would happen if God just unleashed Himself on our hearts and spirits.  I'd love to be a part of that service!

So, back to the summer agenda.  Two things on my list are creating memories/laughing a lot and enjoying my boys and husband.  Last week I shared about Jesus example of sitting down. I've been taking more intentional efforts to sit down in the course of a day.  It has been something else to see what is happening.  It is magnetic.  Those boys flock to me when I take the time to stop and sit. 

Surprised!

This morning I opened up my box of Swiffer Duster refills.  My bedroom ceiling fan was beyond dusty.  I've been putting off cleaning it.  Tonight I want to sleep on clean sheets, so I decided to dust the fan, shake the sheets outside and toss them into the wash.

When I opened my new box of Dusters bright light and a heavenly chorus began playing right there in my laundry room.  It was the smell of heaven I'm sure!  The dusters smells amazing.  The perfect clean smell.  Ahhh.  What a pleasant surprise!  I had no idea they smelled.  Citrus and Light.  What a great description of the smell.  The dusting was needing to happen, it was going to happen today, and the beautiful smell was a wonderful surprise for me.  It caught me completely by surprise and off guard.

Something opened to complete a mundane, dirty job revealed beauty and joy.

I want this smell everywhere in my home.   Happiness, sheer happiness.

This leads me to something else I can't wait to share with you.  It's a thought from the book Simple Obsession I've been reading and the concept is from a Pastor named Hal Perkins. In talking about the fruit of the Spirit and if it is evident in your life.  Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Longsuffering, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-Control.

"Pastor Hal Perkins described it this way.  He likened people to vessels that hold liquid.  Every time someone "bumps" us, something spills out. Will it be ugliness or will it be the sweet, refreshing Spirit of Christ?  The "bumping" is the test of what is truly inside.

We must examine the fruit being produced by our internal attitudes, and if we find that we see and smell little or nothing of the character of Jesus, our bridegroom, then we must return to intimate fellowship with him.  There, he can begin to transform our nature and begin to produce the fruit of righteousness and holiness-that of the fruit of the Spirit."

If you are like me, you were bumped this week and maybe something ugly spilled out.  If you are like me, you want beauty to spill out.  Beauty and light.

Christ's greatest desire is to fill us of more of Him.

To smell like the fragrance of him, even in ugly, messy situations.  That right there is evidence of the fruit of the Spirit in you.  When you are opened up expecting the ordinary only to be surprised by beauty and the smell of sweetness.

Read something in the Word today.  Anything.  Proverbs 7.  Psalm 23.  2 Corinthians 6-8.  Genesis 50:2.

You can read for 2 minutes or 20.

Open your Bible and receive a Word from your Father.

This morning after I'd dusted my room, I brought the vacuum in to sweep the carpets.  I had laid my Bible on the floor and there was something blue peeping out from a blanket right beside it. It was one of the boys swords.

How symbolic.  Two swords on the ground, right there for the taking to fight battles with.

Spaghetti Sauce

This is the most amazing, melt in your mouth sauce I have ever tasted.  My mom is a great cook and growing up we'd smell the most amazing things coming from the kitchen.  That is one of the best things about this sauce, it simmers for 3 HOURS and fills your house with the best aromas.  You are going to love this one!

6 garlic buttons, chopped fine
1 T oil
3 (12 oz) cans tomato paste
3 cans water for each can of paste (9 cans)
1 1/2 T salt
1 t pepper
4 T sugar
2 T Parmesan cheese
1 t sweet basil
1/2 t oregano
3 pounds ground beef

Saute' chopped garlic in oil; add tomato paste, water, salt, pepper, sugar, cheese and seasonings.  Bring to a light bubble and simmer approximately 1 hour.  Brown hamburger meat, drain grease, and add to sauce and simmer approximately 2 more hours.  Stir often.  May add more or less salt and sugar according to your taste.  Yields sauce for 12 servings.

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Notes:  Use fresh garlic.  Not jar and not powder.  This will make a world of difference in the freshness of your cooking.  Sweet basil is different than basil-I got mine at Kroger for $2.99.  When it says stir often, I stirred mine every 10-20 minutes as I was passing through the kitchen.  This is to keep the sauce from sticking to the bottom of the pan.  We used Barilla Whole Wheat Thin Spaghetti noodles and they were perfect for the sauce.  I just can't hardly put into words how fabulous this smelled cooking all afternoon and how melt in your mouth delicious it was for dinner!  We had garlic bread which was the perfect accompaniment.  Cooking time is 3 hours so plan this one for an afternoon when you're at home. This is a super affordable dish that makes a ton.  Invite friends over!  And freeze the rest for a rainy day.

Fiesta Fajitas

Fiesta Fajitas
1 envelope onion soup mix
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (2 limes)
1/4 cup water
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon grated lime peel
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/3 teaspoon pepper
4 boneless chicken breasts
1-2 onion thinly sliced
1-2 bell peppers, thinly sliced

The Fixins:
Flour tortillas
Salsa
Guacamole
Sour Cream
Grated Cheddar

Great Side Options:
Black Beans (drain, rinse and heat a can!)
Chips and Salsa
Rice
Refried Beans
Cheese Dip

In a Ziplock Freezer bag, mix onion soup mix, oil, lime juice, water, garlic, lime peel, cumin, oregano, and pepper.

Add chicken, close bag, and coat the chicken with the marinade.  I put my bag in a glass dish just in case it spilled.

Place in refrigerator and marinade 4 hours or overnight.

Grill chicken until done, brushing with marinade.  Thinly slice chicken diagonally. 

(***Note***, I placed 2 Tablespoons butter in a skillet, thinly sliced the uncooked chicken and sauteed it on high.  It was done in around 10 minutes-super quick!!  The key to is place the sliced chicken in the hot butter and don't mess with it too much, let it sear and get almost blackened with a nice crust before you turn it.  Peak at a small piece if you need to check it)

In another skillet, saute onion and bell pepper in oil or 2 T butter and give props to Paula cause you're Southern and you like to tweak recipes.  Saute until tender.

Warm tortillas.  Tuck meat strips in tortillas with onions, peppers.  Garnish with dollops of salsa, guacamole, sour cream and cheese.

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This recipe is super quick.  Don't let the marinade prep intimidate you!  It takes under 10 minutes to prep the chicken.  Then with actual cooking time this can definitely be ready in under 30 minutes.

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Happy Cinco De Mayo to You and Yours!

(a day early I know but I just can't help myself, I've always LOVED Cinco De Mayo!!)

Sitting

Today I came across a sentence in Matthew 24 that really got me thinking.

It said, "As Jesus was sitting".

He was sitting.

I don't know why that phrase has me so fascinated.

Sitting would mean that he had stopped to sit down. 

In the course of the day I find it incredibly hard to just sit down.  Let everything be placed on hold and sit down.

Stop.  Sit.  Let stuff go.

The ministry did not stop while he sat down.  The ministry opportunity came to him as he sat.

In the course of any given day, I wander what would happen if I took more time to stop and sit.  What conversations would take place?

With a chair, Bible and a pen.

After some thought, I bet one of the things our enemy does to us as women is to create many reasons why we should not stop and sit.

Survey Says

Hey boys, what is your favorite:

Breakfast:
Fruit Oatmeal
Cereal
Pancakes
Waffles

Lunch:
Hot Dogs
Pizza
Corn Dogs
Chicken and French Fries
Wendy's

Dinner:
Lunchables
Macaroni
Ramen Noodles
Chips and Dip

Feeling a little distraught that nothing they mentioned besides the Oatmeal had any nutritional value and disturbed that they think we eat Ramen Noodles and Chips and Dip and Lunchables for dinner which we don't, I mean there Mother is an Ina wanna-be for Pete's Sake, we added a 4th category...

Fruits and Vegetables:
Apples
Pears
Blueberries
Cans of God (?)
Chicken Pot Pie
Strawberries
Carrots
Potatoes