But who am I kidding? I love Christmas too much, and it is Kaylee's first Christmas, after all. So I dug out the few Christmas decorations we managed to keep at our house and not at the storage unit, borrowed a little tree from my sister, and found a way to do affordable Christmas cards. I apologize if I do not send them out in the masses like I usually do, but this year I am going to limit it to just family and close friends to save on postage. But, here is what it looks like for those who might not get one in the mail. I also highly recommend using Shutterfly for your cards. They currently have them 40% off and it was so easy to design. I think photo cards are a lot of fun!
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Christmas Cards
This year has been a very busy and eventful year for the Askew's! I had Kaylee in March, I graduated in May, and we moved at the very end of June. We were hoping to move a second time this year, but alas, it was just not God's will. Because we are not completely settled yet, most of our belongings are in boxes in storage, including my address book. We are also trying to watch our money to save up for a house, and because of these two reasons I thought I would pass on doing Christmas cards this year.
But who am I kidding? I love Christmas too much, and it is Kaylee's first Christmas, after all. So I dug out the few Christmas decorations we managed to keep at our house and not at the storage unit, borrowed a little tree from my sister, and found a way to do affordable Christmas cards. I apologize if I do not send them out in the masses like I usually do, but this year I am going to limit it to just family and close friends to save on postage. But, here is what it looks like for those who might not get one in the mail. I also highly recommend using Shutterfly for your cards. They currently have them 40% off and it was so easy to design. I think photo cards are a lot of fun!
But who am I kidding? I love Christmas too much, and it is Kaylee's first Christmas, after all. So I dug out the few Christmas decorations we managed to keep at our house and not at the storage unit, borrowed a little tree from my sister, and found a way to do affordable Christmas cards. I apologize if I do not send them out in the masses like I usually do, but this year I am going to limit it to just family and close friends to save on postage. But, here is what it looks like for those who might not get one in the mail. I also highly recommend using Shutterfly for your cards. They currently have them 40% off and it was so easy to design. I think photo cards are a lot of fun!
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Buffalo Chicken Chili
It's that time of the year again, when the weather gets colder and your crockpot doesn't get a break because it constantly has your favorite stew, soup, or chili simmering in it. Last fall I created a wonderful Buffalo Chicken Chili, and it was such a big hit, I thought people might like to have the recipe again. I know I have been out of the bogging world for a while, and probably won't get back into it. But regardless, here is what you will need to make this yummy chili that will be a big hit for any fall and winter event!
4 small boneless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1/2 onion, diced
Frank's Buffalo sauce
2 pkgs Ranch mix
1 can chicken broth
3/4 cup salsa
2 cans White Northern beans
1 small container heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste
shredded cheese (optional)
sour cream (optional)
I find the easiest way to shred chicken is to let it cook in the crock pot for 5-6 hours on low. I do this the day before I make the chili and just refrigerate it. But there are other ways to cook and shred chicken, so use whatever method works best for you.
Next, saute the diced onion with a little oil until translucent. Add chicken, 1 package of ranch seasoning, and buffalo sauce to cover and saute a few more minutes.
In a crock pot, combine the chicken/onion mixture, beans, remaining package of ranch seasoning, salsa, chicken broth, salt, pepper, more buffalo sauce to your taste, and as much water as needed to cover. Cook on low for several hours. Before serving stir in heavy cream. Serve with shredded cheese and sour cream if desired, and tortilla scoops go really well with it too!
This does not have to be prepared in a crock pot, I just love to throw everything together at the beginning of the day and be done with it, as well as the wonderful smell it creates throughout the house the whole day. Add as much or as little buffalo sauce as you desire, depending on how spicy you want it to be. This really came together just as I was hoping it would, and it is definitely husband approved!
4 small boneless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1/2 onion, diced
Frank's Buffalo sauce
2 pkgs Ranch mix
1 can chicken broth
3/4 cup salsa
2 cans White Northern beans
1 small container heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste
shredded cheese (optional)
sour cream (optional)
I find the easiest way to shred chicken is to let it cook in the crock pot for 5-6 hours on low. I do this the day before I make the chili and just refrigerate it. But there are other ways to cook and shred chicken, so use whatever method works best for you.
Next, saute the diced onion with a little oil until translucent. Add chicken, 1 package of ranch seasoning, and buffalo sauce to cover and saute a few more minutes.
In a crock pot, combine the chicken/onion mixture, beans, remaining package of ranch seasoning, salsa, chicken broth, salt, pepper, more buffalo sauce to your taste, and as much water as needed to cover. Cook on low for several hours. Before serving stir in heavy cream. Serve with shredded cheese and sour cream if desired, and tortilla scoops go really well with it too!
This does not have to be prepared in a crock pot, I just love to throw everything together at the beginning of the day and be done with it, as well as the wonderful smell it creates throughout the house the whole day. Add as much or as little buffalo sauce as you desire, depending on how spicy you want it to be. This really came together just as I was hoping it would, and it is definitely husband approved!
Friday, October 7, 2011
Fall Cooking
While this is not necessarily a cooking blog,cooking and baking are things I really love to do. I never really had a reason to cook until John and I got married and I tried a lot of new things the first two years. Since then, I haven't done as much cooking and I used to think it was because I was in grad school and between homework, reading, studying, and night classes I just didn't have much time. Now I really think it is because for over two years we haven't had a dishwasher, and I really hate washing dishes.
Fall is a wonderful season because there are so many good comfort foods that are really easy to prepare. Soups, chili, casseroles; I think you get my point. After the bout of cooler weather we had a week or so ago, and even though it has warmed up for the time being, I had an itch to make some tried and true favorites and to also experiment with something new. Here are a few dishes that I made this week.
*DISCLAIMER: I am new to this food blogging thing, and I didn't think to take pictures of the meals (except for one). Next time I will do better :-)
Buffalo Chicken Chili I will go on and say upfront that this did not turn out how I hoped it would. It wasn't horrible, but it was too tomato based for me and I had a hard time tasting the buffalo sauce. Which resulted in me adding too much and making it a little too hot for my taste. I plan on completely reinventing this recipe, and once I get it to my liking I will share.
Crock Pot Chicken and Dumplings This is a very yummy recipe, and while it might not completely replace making dumplings from scratch, it comes close and is so easy to do. I have my friend Amanda to thank for this, and you should definitely visit her blog for many different creative ideas at A Lovely Place to Land. This is what I use to make it for John and me, and there are usually leftovers:
2 boneless chicken breasts
2 cans cream of chicken soup
chicken broth
water
salt and pepper to taste
1 package of 5 refrigerated biscuits
I place the chicken breasts in the crock pot and cover it with the cream of chicken soup, chicken broth, water, and then dash the salt and pepper in. Cook all day on low. After 5-6 hours, shred chicken. One hour before you are ready to serve, tear up biscuits into crock pot and cook on high.
This time I added onion, carrots, and peas at the beginning, so feel free to add whatever veggies are your favorite!
BBQ Pulled Pork, Baked Beans, and Baked Apples This has to be my favorite meal I fixed all week. I LOVE BBQ pulled pork, and I can eat it year round! I found this very easy, but very yummy Paula Deen recipe that has been a big hit the few times I have made it. I like to use Boston pork butt, and the night before I make it I press the rub in and let it sit in the refrigerator over night. The next morning I put it in the crock pot with the remaining ingredients and let it cook on low all day. Feel free to cook it in the oven like it says to in the recipe, but I have a gas oven that warms the house up quickly and no AC right now. I have cooked it both ways and I found it easier to do it in the crock pot, and it tastes the same!
As sides for this meal I fixed baked beans and baked apples. I have a hard time eating BBQ without baked beans, and this time of the year I love anything and everything to do with apples! For the beans I just bought a can of Bush's Original, and then added some real bacon bits, BBQ sauce, a little dijon mustard, and a little Worcestershire sauce.
I followed this recipe for the baked apples. I did not peal the apples for two reasons. 1. That is where all the good nutritious stuff is! 2. I don't have time to peal apples with a 6 1/2 month old baby. I left out the raisins and would have maybe added a little more milk, but they were SO good! I also used brown sugar instead of white, and to mix the flour/sugar/spice mixture with the apples I placed them all in a zip lock bag and shook to coat. I did manage to capture a few pictures of this scrumptious meal.
.
Fall is a wonderful season because there are so many good comfort foods that are really easy to prepare. Soups, chili, casseroles; I think you get my point. After the bout of cooler weather we had a week or so ago, and even though it has warmed up for the time being, I had an itch to make some tried and true favorites and to also experiment with something new. Here are a few dishes that I made this week.
*DISCLAIMER: I am new to this food blogging thing, and I didn't think to take pictures of the meals (except for one). Next time I will do better :-)
Buffalo Chicken Chili I will go on and say upfront that this did not turn out how I hoped it would. It wasn't horrible, but it was too tomato based for me and I had a hard time tasting the buffalo sauce. Which resulted in me adding too much and making it a little too hot for my taste. I plan on completely reinventing this recipe, and once I get it to my liking I will share.
Crock Pot Chicken and Dumplings This is a very yummy recipe, and while it might not completely replace making dumplings from scratch, it comes close and is so easy to do. I have my friend Amanda to thank for this, and you should definitely visit her blog for many different creative ideas at A Lovely Place to Land. This is what I use to make it for John and me, and there are usually leftovers:
2 boneless chicken breasts
2 cans cream of chicken soup
chicken broth
water
salt and pepper to taste
1 package of 5 refrigerated biscuits
I place the chicken breasts in the crock pot and cover it with the cream of chicken soup, chicken broth, water, and then dash the salt and pepper in. Cook all day on low. After 5-6 hours, shred chicken. One hour before you are ready to serve, tear up biscuits into crock pot and cook on high.
This time I added onion, carrots, and peas at the beginning, so feel free to add whatever veggies are your favorite!
BBQ Pulled Pork, Baked Beans, and Baked Apples This has to be my favorite meal I fixed all week. I LOVE BBQ pulled pork, and I can eat it year round! I found this very easy, but very yummy Paula Deen recipe that has been a big hit the few times I have made it. I like to use Boston pork butt, and the night before I make it I press the rub in and let it sit in the refrigerator over night. The next morning I put it in the crock pot with the remaining ingredients and let it cook on low all day. Feel free to cook it in the oven like it says to in the recipe, but I have a gas oven that warms the house up quickly and no AC right now. I have cooked it both ways and I found it easier to do it in the crock pot, and it tastes the same!
As sides for this meal I fixed baked beans and baked apples. I have a hard time eating BBQ without baked beans, and this time of the year I love anything and everything to do with apples! For the beans I just bought a can of Bush's Original, and then added some real bacon bits, BBQ sauce, a little dijon mustard, and a little Worcestershire sauce.
I followed this recipe for the baked apples. I did not peal the apples for two reasons. 1. That is where all the good nutritious stuff is! 2. I don't have time to peal apples with a 6 1/2 month old baby. I left out the raisins and would have maybe added a little more milk, but they were SO good! I also used brown sugar instead of white, and to mix the flour/sugar/spice mixture with the apples I placed them all in a zip lock bag and shook to coat. I did manage to capture a few pictures of this scrumptious meal.
.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Fruits of the Spirit: Peace
I never knew that something that gives me so much peace can also make me feel like I am at war until I became a mom. I am sure many other moms and dads feel the exact same way.
I have always wanted to be a mom. I remember when I was little I would stuff a blanket up my shirt so I looked "pregnant", the baby would magically appear (if only that was how it really worked!), and I would have so much fun pretending to be "mommy" to my baby dolls. When John and I got married I knew that parenting was definitely something we wanted to do, but I wasn't ready to jump into that right away, and I truly do value the almost four years we spent just the two of us.
I have blogged before about how I was longing to be a mom but didn't think that the timing was right. But God proved once again that my timing is not always his. After reading the positive pregnancy test and feeling scared, then nervous, I ultimately felt ecstatic. I cannot lie and say that I instantly felt a bond to my unborn child. I thankfully wasn't that sick during the first trimester, and it wasn't until my belly started visibly growing and I started feeling movement that my pregnancy began to feel real. Once we found out we were having a little girl things changed even more because we were able to start calling her by her name and picking out a bunch of cute girly things in preparation for her arrival.
Once Kaylee was born, it is probably needless to say our lives changed forever. Holding her in my arms felt so right. She fit perfectly in them. Nursing her has been one of the most rewarding experiences, and the bond I have made with her through that is hard to put in words. I love teaching her how to be a little human, watching her grow, experiencing everything around her. I love hearing her laugh, watching her face light up with the biggest smile when her daddy walks into a room, and to see her sleeping peacefully in her bassinet. I have a few reference books for babies that I do check every now and then, but being a mom feels like second nature and truly makes me feel at peace. I used to tell John I only wanted two children, but now I feel like at least three would be nice (I might be singing a different tune after two children, but we will see).
But then I am out in public, and I see teenage girls and young women, and it terrifies me to raise a girl in the current culture we live in. I know it is going to be really hard to stick with our Christian values and show Kaylee the importance of them.
I remember the day we brought Kaylee home from the hospital. It was rush hour in Lexington on Nicholasville Road, and people were driving crazy. I never before saw John so stressed out and angry at the way people were driving, and I felt the same way. I still feel the strong urge to have our car wrapped to clearly advertise we have a baby in the car so that people will maybe, just maybe, think twice about driving so horribly. I totally understand the Baby-On-Board stickers now.
My worries are only going to get worse as she gets older, I realize this. I can hardly watch the news now and hear stories about children being kidnapped and abused. I am afraid that as she grows she will not like me and might rebel. Only time will tell, and even though I know worrying about these things won't necessarily change the future, but I do it any way.
For now, I really enjoy being a mommy and the peace it truly brings.
I have always wanted to be a mom. I remember when I was little I would stuff a blanket up my shirt so I looked "pregnant", the baby would magically appear (if only that was how it really worked!), and I would have so much fun pretending to be "mommy" to my baby dolls. When John and I got married I knew that parenting was definitely something we wanted to do, but I wasn't ready to jump into that right away, and I truly do value the almost four years we spent just the two of us.
I have blogged before about how I was longing to be a mom but didn't think that the timing was right. But God proved once again that my timing is not always his. After reading the positive pregnancy test and feeling scared, then nervous, I ultimately felt ecstatic. I cannot lie and say that I instantly felt a bond to my unborn child. I thankfully wasn't that sick during the first trimester, and it wasn't until my belly started visibly growing and I started feeling movement that my pregnancy began to feel real. Once we found out we were having a little girl things changed even more because we were able to start calling her by her name and picking out a bunch of cute girly things in preparation for her arrival.
Once Kaylee was born, it is probably needless to say our lives changed forever. Holding her in my arms felt so right. She fit perfectly in them. Nursing her has been one of the most rewarding experiences, and the bond I have made with her through that is hard to put in words. I love teaching her how to be a little human, watching her grow, experiencing everything around her. I love hearing her laugh, watching her face light up with the biggest smile when her daddy walks into a room, and to see her sleeping peacefully in her bassinet. I have a few reference books for babies that I do check every now and then, but being a mom feels like second nature and truly makes me feel at peace. I used to tell John I only wanted two children, but now I feel like at least three would be nice (I might be singing a different tune after two children, but we will see).
But then I am out in public, and I see teenage girls and young women, and it terrifies me to raise a girl in the current culture we live in. I know it is going to be really hard to stick with our Christian values and show Kaylee the importance of them.
I remember the day we brought Kaylee home from the hospital. It was rush hour in Lexington on Nicholasville Road, and people were driving crazy. I never before saw John so stressed out and angry at the way people were driving, and I felt the same way. I still feel the strong urge to have our car wrapped to clearly advertise we have a baby in the car so that people will maybe, just maybe, think twice about driving so horribly. I totally understand the Baby-On-Board stickers now.
My worries are only going to get worse as she gets older, I realize this. I can hardly watch the news now and hear stories about children being kidnapped and abused. I am afraid that as she grows she will not like me and might rebel. Only time will tell, and even though I know worrying about these things won't necessarily change the future, but I do it any way.
For now, I really enjoy being a mommy and the peace it truly brings.
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| Looking too cool in our shades! |
Monday, September 19, 2011
Fruits of the Spirit: Joy
Sorry that it has been awhile since my last post. Life has been crazy and kind of a blur, but I am still loving every moment of figuring out this whole mommy thing :-)
The second fruit of the spirit, joy, in my opinion is a complex one to look at. This is the definition I found from the Webster dictionary:
The second fruit of the spirit, joy, in my opinion is a complex one to look at. This is the definition I found from the Webster dictionary:
1a : the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires : delight b : the expression or exhibition of such emotion : gaiety
2: a state of happiness or felicity : bliss
3: a source or cause of delight
I think joy an emotion that is stronger than just being happy. I have found that even in the darkest moments of my life, I can still find joy because I know what God has done to take care of me in the past, and because of that I know that God will continue to take care of me. Joy is found much deeper inside and something I believe is a wonderful gift from God.
On the surface my last post did not seem very joyful. I was frustrated (and some days I still am) and even border-line angry, but I thankfully have still been able to be joyful because of the sources and causes of delight in my life: God, my husband and beautiful, happy daughter, my family and friends, working again at Midway Christian Church, just to name a few. I believe that as long as my faith is firmly grounded in God, that no matter how hard and hopeless things may seem at times, I will be able to reach deep inside and find joy that will shine light in those dark times.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Job Hunting Sucks...
There, got that off my chest! But really, I am starting to get extremely frustrated. I am having memories of 4 years ago when I was trying to find a job and that awful 7 month waiting period I went through before finally finding one. You find a job, apply for it, think you really have a great chance of getting it (because you are more than qualified), but they already have someone in mind for the job before they even list it. FRUSTRATING!!!!
Or, you spend hours upon hours searching for jobs online and filling out applications. But attaching your resume isn't enough. No, you have to fill out the same information that is on your resume on the application, FOR EVERY JOB YOU APPLY FOR!!!! So time consuming, headache causing, eye-crossing, make-you-want-to-pull-your-hair-out annoying! I was finally able to get a job back then because of a good connection I had.
Well, now I do not have hours upon hours to spend searching for jobs and taking the time to painstakingly fill out the same information on all of them. I have a sweet baby girl to take care of (which I absolutely LOVE doing!) Just about the time I sit down and get a good start on an application, Kaylee wakes up from her nap, and by the time I have a chance to work on it again, my session has timed out and all the information I included has been lost. Ugh.
I am also finding out the hard way that apparently churches take their sweet time filling vacant positions. Now, I completely understand the importance of seeking God's will for the person who is the best fit for the church, I really do. But I submitted my resume to a church back in the middle of June, and after recent inquiry to their search I find out that they are still not officially accepting resumes! I guess I should have started trying to find a church job a year ago. Now I know.
Anyway, I really am trying to trust God's plan in all of this and to stop making my own. I am really thankful for our living situation right now, but the house we are in is not going to be easy to baby proof when she starts getting mobile in a few months. I don't need anything fancy, but a home to grow into would be nice. It's too bad mom's do not get paid to take care of their children, it really is some of the hardest, yet most rewarding work there is!
Or, you spend hours upon hours searching for jobs online and filling out applications. But attaching your resume isn't enough. No, you have to fill out the same information that is on your resume on the application, FOR EVERY JOB YOU APPLY FOR!!!! So time consuming, headache causing, eye-crossing, make-you-want-to-pull-your-hair-out annoying! I was finally able to get a job back then because of a good connection I had.
Well, now I do not have hours upon hours to spend searching for jobs and taking the time to painstakingly fill out the same information on all of them. I have a sweet baby girl to take care of (which I absolutely LOVE doing!) Just about the time I sit down and get a good start on an application, Kaylee wakes up from her nap, and by the time I have a chance to work on it again, my session has timed out and all the information I included has been lost. Ugh.
I am also finding out the hard way that apparently churches take their sweet time filling vacant positions. Now, I completely understand the importance of seeking God's will for the person who is the best fit for the church, I really do. But I submitted my resume to a church back in the middle of June, and after recent inquiry to their search I find out that they are still not officially accepting resumes! I guess I should have started trying to find a church job a year ago. Now I know.
Anyway, I really am trying to trust God's plan in all of this and to stop making my own. I am really thankful for our living situation right now, but the house we are in is not going to be easy to baby proof when she starts getting mobile in a few months. I don't need anything fancy, but a home to grow into would be nice. It's too bad mom's do not get paid to take care of their children, it really is some of the hardest, yet most rewarding work there is!
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Fruits of the Spirit: Love
Love is one of the fruits of the spirit that I feel has been one of the stronger ones for me. Looking back on my life I have always had plenty of love for my husband, family, friends, and even occasionally for a stranger. So definitely not perfect love, but I did have a lot to give around, or so I thought.
And then I had Kaylee. I did not know my heart was capable of that much love. Over the past 5 months that love for her has grown so much, and I cannot even imagine how much it will continue to grow throughout her life and also the lives of future children. Please do not get me wrong; I am not trying to say you have to be a parent to experience an abundance of love. But it is a different kind of love that I had never experienced before and I am not sure if it can fully be explained unless you are a parent.
I have found that my love not only has grown for my daughter, but also to my husband, family, friends, and even more so to those I do not know. Sometimes I feel like my heart is just bursting with love for strangers whose stories I hear, whether they are encouraging ones or ones of struggle. I even find myself having more compassion to that person walking down the aisle at Walmart who I might have otherwise passed unnecessary judgement on. I still do not love perfectly, and I am not sure how to explain exactly why, but having a child has changed the way I love the world. I thank God everyday for what a blessing she is to me and to everyone who sees her, and for allowing something so little to change me in such a big way.
And then I had Kaylee. I did not know my heart was capable of that much love. Over the past 5 months that love for her has grown so much, and I cannot even imagine how much it will continue to grow throughout her life and also the lives of future children. Please do not get me wrong; I am not trying to say you have to be a parent to experience an abundance of love. But it is a different kind of love that I had never experienced before and I am not sure if it can fully be explained unless you are a parent.
I have found that my love not only has grown for my daughter, but also to my husband, family, friends, and even more so to those I do not know. Sometimes I feel like my heart is just bursting with love for strangers whose stories I hear, whether they are encouraging ones or ones of struggle. I even find myself having more compassion to that person walking down the aisle at Walmart who I might have otherwise passed unnecessary judgement on. I still do not love perfectly, and I am not sure how to explain exactly why, but having a child has changed the way I love the world. I thank God everyday for what a blessing she is to me and to everyone who sees her, and for allowing something so little to change me in such a big way.
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| How could you not love something as cute as this? |
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