As I sit here typing these words, the tears threaten to fall. There are a few times in my life when I have felt the overwhelming love and grace of God. I have seen it in his mercy for me and in blessings he has given me that i don't deserve.
Today I realize both His mercy and Grace. Just this morning I posted about our house hunting journey that we are on. I posted about the offer we'd made that I was almost sure would not be accepted. I wrote about the woman who owns the house we love. I mentioned how busy and stressful the past few weeks have been for us. Well, it's going to get a little busier for a few weeks.
This morning we went to church and then had made plans to take her the check for the piano we are purchasing from her. So, we arrived at her house. I thought I'd check our voicemail at home to see if our realtor had left a message. But, as I dialed, I realized the message would be on our answering machine--which I couldn't access! So, I got the kids out of the car, along with my mom, and we rang the door bell.
The woman opened her door and was glad to see us. I came in with the kids and she looked at my mom. She asked if we knew and she whispered back, "No." Then she looked at me and said, "You got the house." I gave her a big hug, with tears in my eyes.
She told me she couldn't sell it to anyone else. When I came to see the house, she knew that I loved my husband because I discounted the house because it had no garage--no place for my husband's motorcycles. When my husband came on Friday, she saw that my husband loved me enough to choose a house that didn't have a place yet for his motorcycles. I will always remember that she saw this.
There was another thing that struck me this morning. This house is not exactly what I thought I was looking for--and I have to admit my husband wasn't either when we met. All the wishes were there, but the package looked different. This house reminds me of my marriage and how God has worked in my life more than once. What He wants is best--it's better than what we could wish for ourselves.
We're going to hopefully close in a little over a month and have a new home. My mom is excited. And we have a new family friend. And I am overwhelmed by God's grace and mercy. We should be in our new home before Christmas!
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Moments When God Overwhelms Me...
As I sit here typing these words, the tears threaten to fall. There are a few times in my life when I have felt the overwhelming love and grace of God. I have seen it in his mercy for me and in blessings he has given me that i don't deserve.
Today I realize both His mercy and Grace. Just this morning I posted about our house hunting journey that we are on. I posted about the offer we'd made that I was almost sure would not be accepted. I wrote about the woman who owns the house we love. I mentioned how busy and stressful the past few weeks have been for us. Well, it's going to get a little busier for a few weeks.
This morning we went to church and then had made plans to take her the check for the piano we are purchasing from her. So, we arrived at her house. I thought I'd check our voicemail at home to see if our realtor had left a message. But, as I dialed, I realized the message would be on our answering machine--which I couldn't access! So, I got the kids out of the car, along with my mom, and we rang the door bell.
The woman opened her door and was glad to see us. I came in with the kids and she looked at my mom. She asked if we knew and she whispered back, "No." Then she looked at me and said, "You got the house." I gave her a big hug, with tears in my eyes.
She told me she couldn't sell it to anyone else. When I came to see the house, she knew that I loved my husband because I discounted the house because it had no garage--no place for my husband's motorcycles. When my husband came on Friday, she saw that my husband loved me enough to choose a house that didn't have a place yet for his motorcycles. I will always remember that she saw this.
There was another thing that struck me this morning. This house is not exactly what I thought I was looking for--and I have to admit my husband wasn't either when we met. All the wishes were there, but the package looked different. This house reminds me of my marriage and how God has worked in my life more than once. What He wants is best--it's better than what we could wish for ourselves.
We're going to hopefully close in a little over a month and have a new home. My mom is excited. And we have a new family friend. And I am overwhelmed by God's grace and mercy. We should be in our new home before Christmas!
Today I realize both His mercy and Grace. Just this morning I posted about our house hunting journey that we are on. I posted about the offer we'd made that I was almost sure would not be accepted. I wrote about the woman who owns the house we love. I mentioned how busy and stressful the past few weeks have been for us. Well, it's going to get a little busier for a few weeks.
This morning we went to church and then had made plans to take her the check for the piano we are purchasing from her. So, we arrived at her house. I thought I'd check our voicemail at home to see if our realtor had left a message. But, as I dialed, I realized the message would be on our answering machine--which I couldn't access! So, I got the kids out of the car, along with my mom, and we rang the door bell.
The woman opened her door and was glad to see us. I came in with the kids and she looked at my mom. She asked if we knew and she whispered back, "No." Then she looked at me and said, "You got the house." I gave her a big hug, with tears in my eyes.
She told me she couldn't sell it to anyone else. When I came to see the house, she knew that I loved my husband because I discounted the house because it had no garage--no place for my husband's motorcycles. When my husband came on Friday, she saw that my husband loved me enough to choose a house that didn't have a place yet for his motorcycles. I will always remember that she saw this.
There was another thing that struck me this morning. This house is not exactly what I thought I was looking for--and I have to admit my husband wasn't either when we met. All the wishes were there, but the package looked different. This house reminds me of my marriage and how God has worked in my life more than once. What He wants is best--it's better than what we could wish for ourselves.
We're going to hopefully close in a little over a month and have a new home. My mom is excited. And we have a new family friend. And I am overwhelmed by God's grace and mercy. We should be in our new home before Christmas!
House Hunting
Conventional advice is: Sell your house, then go look for another one and put an offer in on it. My mom told me that Dave Ramsey's advice about renting property is to pay off your primary home then purchase another for rental.
But, what do you do if you need to move and your house isn't selling? I think most families choose to move and either rent their home for a time or split up their family and remain in the house until it sells while the wage earner goes on ahead and lives in a studio apartment or with friends/family until his or her family is able to move there as well.
We are in an interesting situation. My mom moved to Maryland three weeks ago. My husband and I both thought it would work out well, but we had no idea how well. We all get along well. My husband and I go in a closed room and fight when we need to sort something out. My mom is able to help us as we go through this house hunting journey by watching the kids for us as we go see houses and put offers in. I try very hard not to take advantage of her as a babysitter. She also has been helping with the cooking, laundry, and dishes. Amidst this very stressful time right now, she has made my load bearable.
Our current home doesn't have enough room for us and for my mom to live in. So, we need to move. We'd also like to move closer to our church family and where our church meets.
Our house has been on the market for two weeks, but no one--No one has called to see it. It is priced right (we even lowered the price $10k) and it's in wonderful shape. Every major system in the house has been replaced except the water heater because it's in great shape. Still no one's even looked. What is God doing here?
A lot of things, I think. We are considering purchasing a new home while retaining this one. We'll keep it on the market and my mom can live here until it sells. Or there's several other possibilities. God has provided so that we could cover both mortgages. By purchasing another home before selling this one, we will have time to fix whatever needs to be done to the other house before we move in. I know this goes against traditional logic, but it will decrease the stress on my family. My husband has a very stressful job and very little time during the week to work on house projects. So, I would be squeezing the work in amidst moving in and homeschooling--eek! We are going to refinance this house and lower the interest rate. It will lower the monthly payment a great deal. This goes against all traditional financial wisdom, but we are trusting the Lord with all of this. Really, it's his money, not ours. We are seeking to be wise in these decisions and praying through out this process.
In the past week, we put an offer in on two different houses. The first was an older home that was going to need a lot of modifications in the kitchen. It was a great home, but it had an in ground pool (added yearly maintenance cost) and an acre of woods. Our offer was not accepted. It was countered. We were surprised! When the owner countered, we pulled back. One friend pointed out that though the house came with an acre of woods, it couldn't be used. Given the market, the house was also overpriced. Another issue we didn't consider at the time was that the bedrooms were upstairs, so when anyone went to bed, the people downstairs would hear all the walking (which sounds like stomping) around upstairs. We took our offer off the table after seeking counsel and decided to keep looking.
In the middle of the week, I went to a house that had no garage but had 4 bedrooms and 2 full baths (which we need!). At first, I completely discounted it. But, when I mentioned it to my husband, he wanted to see it. On Friday we went to see it together. He fell in love with it. I loved it even more than I did the first time. It has an amazing kitchen--perhaps not for everyone, but for us because of the kind of cooks we are. It had character that we loved. But, we got a call on Saturday afternoon that there was another offer. So, we met with our realtor to put an offer in. Later last night, she called to say that there were 3 offers in total, so did we want to increase our offer?
Did we? No. My husband and I both felt it was wise to offer what we simply felt we were willing to pay and trust it to the Lord. It felt a bit like eBay. And eBay often feels like gambling to me. Even though we love the house it isn't wise to pay more than it is worth. We can take the elements from this house that we love and add some of them to another home we find. One thing we've realized is that we really want a rancher!
We won't hear back until later today. My husband is at peace about the outcome and I am too. I don't accept our offer to be accepted though. I rejoice for the woman selling her home! What a blessing all of this is to her!! She has to move because of health reasons and I am so thankful that the Lord is providing for her. God works through many ways--even house hunting--to bring people together.
You see, we're going to buy her piano from her. She wants to meet our kids. I want to help her. So, today we're going to see her after church. It doesn't matter if she doesn't accept her offer. God brought someone into our lives that we can care about. As always, God does unexpected things.
The other blessing of this situation is that my husband and I now have hope. There will be another home out there for us. We will look and wait until we find it. Our house obviously isn't going anywhere! We took a hard look at our finances and figured out our new price range and even realized that we want (and I'd say even need) a rancher. In the long run, a ranch home truly is so much wiser with my mom living with us.
House hunting is very stressful. It isn't easy. These past three weeks have pushed my husband and I hard. We've been very stressed out at times. There is no perfect home. But, there has also been joy in the adventure. As we climb back up from the lows, I see God working and renewing our hearts and minds. Our pastor preached on Psalm 23 last week. His sermon was very different than any I'd heard before on Psalm 23. The point that stuck out to me the most was that it says we will "walk" through the valley of the shadow of death. It doesn't say "run", "fly", "hop", or even "skip" through it. It will take time and we put one foot in front of the other. We press on.
We're pressing on. We'll see what this day holds. At the very least, it holds a new friend for me as she meets my kids and my mom. A new person to love with the love of Christ that He has put in my heart.
But, what do you do if you need to move and your house isn't selling? I think most families choose to move and either rent their home for a time or split up their family and remain in the house until it sells while the wage earner goes on ahead and lives in a studio apartment or with friends/family until his or her family is able to move there as well.
We are in an interesting situation. My mom moved to Maryland three weeks ago. My husband and I both thought it would work out well, but we had no idea how well. We all get along well. My husband and I go in a closed room and fight when we need to sort something out. My mom is able to help us as we go through this house hunting journey by watching the kids for us as we go see houses and put offers in. I try very hard not to take advantage of her as a babysitter. She also has been helping with the cooking, laundry, and dishes. Amidst this very stressful time right now, she has made my load bearable.
Our current home doesn't have enough room for us and for my mom to live in. So, we need to move. We'd also like to move closer to our church family and where our church meets.
Our house has been on the market for two weeks, but no one--No one has called to see it. It is priced right (we even lowered the price $10k) and it's in wonderful shape. Every major system in the house has been replaced except the water heater because it's in great shape. Still no one's even looked. What is God doing here?
A lot of things, I think. We are considering purchasing a new home while retaining this one. We'll keep it on the market and my mom can live here until it sells. Or there's several other possibilities. God has provided so that we could cover both mortgages. By purchasing another home before selling this one, we will have time to fix whatever needs to be done to the other house before we move in. I know this goes against traditional logic, but it will decrease the stress on my family. My husband has a very stressful job and very little time during the week to work on house projects. So, I would be squeezing the work in amidst moving in and homeschooling--eek! We are going to refinance this house and lower the interest rate. It will lower the monthly payment a great deal. This goes against all traditional financial wisdom, but we are trusting the Lord with all of this. Really, it's his money, not ours. We are seeking to be wise in these decisions and praying through out this process.
In the past week, we put an offer in on two different houses. The first was an older home that was going to need a lot of modifications in the kitchen. It was a great home, but it had an in ground pool (added yearly maintenance cost) and an acre of woods. Our offer was not accepted. It was countered. We were surprised! When the owner countered, we pulled back. One friend pointed out that though the house came with an acre of woods, it couldn't be used. Given the market, the house was also overpriced. Another issue we didn't consider at the time was that the bedrooms were upstairs, so when anyone went to bed, the people downstairs would hear all the walking (which sounds like stomping) around upstairs. We took our offer off the table after seeking counsel and decided to keep looking.
In the middle of the week, I went to a house that had no garage but had 4 bedrooms and 2 full baths (which we need!). At first, I completely discounted it. But, when I mentioned it to my husband, he wanted to see it. On Friday we went to see it together. He fell in love with it. I loved it even more than I did the first time. It has an amazing kitchen--perhaps not for everyone, but for us because of the kind of cooks we are. It had character that we loved. But, we got a call on Saturday afternoon that there was another offer. So, we met with our realtor to put an offer in. Later last night, she called to say that there were 3 offers in total, so did we want to increase our offer?
Did we? No. My husband and I both felt it was wise to offer what we simply felt we were willing to pay and trust it to the Lord. It felt a bit like eBay. And eBay often feels like gambling to me. Even though we love the house it isn't wise to pay more than it is worth. We can take the elements from this house that we love and add some of them to another home we find. One thing we've realized is that we really want a rancher!
We won't hear back until later today. My husband is at peace about the outcome and I am too. I don't accept our offer to be accepted though. I rejoice for the woman selling her home! What a blessing all of this is to her!! She has to move because of health reasons and I am so thankful that the Lord is providing for her. God works through many ways--even house hunting--to bring people together.
You see, we're going to buy her piano from her. She wants to meet our kids. I want to help her. So, today we're going to see her after church. It doesn't matter if she doesn't accept her offer. God brought someone into our lives that we can care about. As always, God does unexpected things.
The other blessing of this situation is that my husband and I now have hope. There will be another home out there for us. We will look and wait until we find it. Our house obviously isn't going anywhere! We took a hard look at our finances and figured out our new price range and even realized that we want (and I'd say even need) a rancher. In the long run, a ranch home truly is so much wiser with my mom living with us.
House hunting is very stressful. It isn't easy. These past three weeks have pushed my husband and I hard. We've been very stressed out at times. There is no perfect home. But, there has also been joy in the adventure. As we climb back up from the lows, I see God working and renewing our hearts and minds. Our pastor preached on Psalm 23 last week. His sermon was very different than any I'd heard before on Psalm 23. The point that stuck out to me the most was that it says we will "walk" through the valley of the shadow of death. It doesn't say "run", "fly", "hop", or even "skip" through it. It will take time and we put one foot in front of the other. We press on.
We're pressing on. We'll see what this day holds. At the very least, it holds a new friend for me as she meets my kids and my mom. A new person to love with the love of Christ that He has put in my heart.
1 John 4:7,12
English Standard Version (ESV)7Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.
12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.
1 John 4:7,12
English Standard Version (ESV)
7Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.
12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Used Book Refunds... Again
Sorry, this post is basically me venting my frustration.
I tried... again! There's always that enticement that a used book is going to be cheaper than a new book. It's not just the price that beckons me to buy a used book, though. There's also the reality that in purchasing a used book I'm recycling something that's already been produced. Essentially, I'm wasting less by reusing a book someone else no longer wants.
I wrote a few months back about an issue I had trying to resolve the refund for a used book. Today it happened again. Amazon has a great rating system for the condition of used books--Like New, Very Good, Good, Acceptable.
I expect that an acceptable book may be missing some pages and definitely will have writing, but a like new condition shouldn't have any writing and should be in almost new condition.
Last week, I ordered a "Like New" book for my husband. When it arrived, I noticed the dirt and marks on the front and back cover. I cleaned them off easily enough with a damp rag and a little baking soda. But, then I opened the book up. Over half of the book was written in and underlined in--pen. Of course, I contacted the seller. They agreed to give me a refund upon receipt of the book. Tonight, I went to print off the return label--which required me to pay for the return postage. I could understand this if I had made an error in my order. But, I didn't.
After trying to contact the seller again because of my surprise, I received an email back that said that he/she couldn't believe how petty I'm being and that I should be grateful they were willing to give me a refund at all. But, it actually gets worse. The seller accused me of trying to find a sucker and get free books. I have contacted Amazon. I'm curious what their response will be. The refund was issued, but honestly I don't care. My brother always tells me that I won't pay for good customer service. He's wrong. I will. The experiences I have shopping will shape where I choose to spend the money I need to for the things we need and want. I am often willing to buy less if it means I won't have someone insult me or be rude to me when there's a problem.
I guess this is one more nail in the coffin, so to speak. I want to buy used books! But, not if I have bad experiences when I order them and take a risk every time that the book isn't going to be in the condition it was described in.
Blech.
I tried... again! There's always that enticement that a used book is going to be cheaper than a new book. It's not just the price that beckons me to buy a used book, though. There's also the reality that in purchasing a used book I'm recycling something that's already been produced. Essentially, I'm wasting less by reusing a book someone else no longer wants.
I wrote a few months back about an issue I had trying to resolve the refund for a used book. Today it happened again. Amazon has a great rating system for the condition of used books--Like New, Very Good, Good, Acceptable.
I expect that an acceptable book may be missing some pages and definitely will have writing, but a like new condition shouldn't have any writing and should be in almost new condition.
Last week, I ordered a "Like New" book for my husband. When it arrived, I noticed the dirt and marks on the front and back cover. I cleaned them off easily enough with a damp rag and a little baking soda. But, then I opened the book up. Over half of the book was written in and underlined in--pen. Of course, I contacted the seller. They agreed to give me a refund upon receipt of the book. Tonight, I went to print off the return label--which required me to pay for the return postage. I could understand this if I had made an error in my order. But, I didn't.
After trying to contact the seller again because of my surprise, I received an email back that said that he/she couldn't believe how petty I'm being and that I should be grateful they were willing to give me a refund at all. But, it actually gets worse. The seller accused me of trying to find a sucker and get free books. I have contacted Amazon. I'm curious what their response will be. The refund was issued, but honestly I don't care. My brother always tells me that I won't pay for good customer service. He's wrong. I will. The experiences I have shopping will shape where I choose to spend the money I need to for the things we need and want. I am often willing to buy less if it means I won't have someone insult me or be rude to me when there's a problem.
I guess this is one more nail in the coffin, so to speak. I want to buy used books! But, not if I have bad experiences when I order them and take a risk every time that the book isn't going to be in the condition it was described in.
Blech.
Friday, October 7, 2011
Preparations
My mom is moving here today. I am very excited. The kids are excited. We are all excited! But, there is a bit of overwhelming to the move as well. Moving her things into storage, shipping her car cross country, changing Medicare supplements, changing doctors, changing auto information and documents...
One of the things about me is that I love to give gifts. I am thankful that God has allowed me to garage sale and shop sales so that I can do this inexpensively and stretch our budget. Garage saling in this part of the country is just about over for the year. The cool weather is setting in and there isn't as many daylight hours each day. Last Saturday we went to a 5k for a local crisis pregnancy center. We had a great time. Afterwards, we stopped by the local farmer's market and then the donut shop. My husband was ready to go home. I had heard about a garage sale at a church that might still be going on. I wanted to go. My husband said I could if I dropped him and the kids off at home.
I called my garage saling partner in crime and she was free, so we headed over. I told my husband I'd only be gone 20 minutes.... 2 hours later I arrived home!
I was very thankful for his patience and for the treasures I arrived home with. One of my mom's concerns has been having clothes for the cold weather that is coming. She's going to need to layer and have some warmer fleeces/sweaters. I was so thankful that I found a sweater for her for $2 and 2 fleece pullovers for $1. I also found her 2 shirts for $1 each. What a blessing! I also found a brand new address book for 50 cents.
I wanted to be able to give my mom a welcome gift and these were perfect! My mom is going to be making new friends and need a new address book. God showed me how He provides even our hearts' little desires.
By the way, my husband was okay with my long jaunt when I brought home a few cds for him that I'd found in my treasure hunting!
One of the things about me is that I love to give gifts. I am thankful that God has allowed me to garage sale and shop sales so that I can do this inexpensively and stretch our budget. Garage saling in this part of the country is just about over for the year. The cool weather is setting in and there isn't as many daylight hours each day. Last Saturday we went to a 5k for a local crisis pregnancy center. We had a great time. Afterwards, we stopped by the local farmer's market and then the donut shop. My husband was ready to go home. I had heard about a garage sale at a church that might still be going on. I wanted to go. My husband said I could if I dropped him and the kids off at home.
I called my garage saling partner in crime and she was free, so we headed over. I told my husband I'd only be gone 20 minutes.... 2 hours later I arrived home!
I was very thankful for his patience and for the treasures I arrived home with. One of my mom's concerns has been having clothes for the cold weather that is coming. She's going to need to layer and have some warmer fleeces/sweaters. I was so thankful that I found a sweater for her for $2 and 2 fleece pullovers for $1. I also found her 2 shirts for $1 each. What a blessing! I also found a brand new address book for 50 cents.I wanted to be able to give my mom a welcome gift and these were perfect! My mom is going to be making new friends and need a new address book. God showed me how He provides even our hearts' little desires.
By the way, my husband was okay with my long jaunt when I brought home a few cds for him that I'd found in my treasure hunting!
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Rosemary Chicken Tacos
I have a lot of cookbooks on my shelves and often people ask me if I cook from every one of them. I don't. Some I use for just a few recipes that are really yummy. One of my cookbooks has a recipe for chocolate chip cookies just like the ones you buy in Costco. I keep it on my shelf just for that recipe. Last month, I got a new Taco cookbook. My husband's favorite foods are tacos and pasta with red sauce. In our house, Tuesdays are taco night. So, when I saw a cookbook all on tacos--300 best taco Recipes by Kelley Cleary Coffeen, I thought my husband would love it!
What I found with this cookbook is that it made my mouth water and it made me want to cook. It also sparked my imagination. In the beginning is a great description of all the different ways to warm or fry tortillas. Her list of equipment and ingredients was very helpful. As I read through the cookbook, I recognized my mom's beef taquito recipe. She uses variations of this recipe for both chicken and beef taquitos or rolled tacos. These were a family tradition in my house around Christmas time that I miss. I highly recommend making some of these with some guacamole! There are several great sections of appealing pictures--that will of course make you want to have some tacos very soon. There is also a great variety of sauces and salsas in that section of the book. It didn't have everything I've ever wanted to make when it comes to salsa, but it had some fun ideas and we enjoyed the Citrusy Lime Salsa I made.
Now for some specific notes...
1) My family has been frying corn tortillas for years, so I read her description carefully. I do not deep fry mine. I use a nonstick skillet with a little oil. Fry it until it starts to puff up a little and then use a wooden spoon. Place it in the middle and use tongs to fold over the side of the tortilla (to fold it into a moon shape). Fry it until both sides are as crispy as you would like them. Place on a paper towel lined plate when cooked.
2) Last week, I made some great tacos on a non-designated taco night. I think it was a Thursday. I made some chicken tacos. The chicken was seasoned with pepper, sea salt, and rosemary. I served the tacos with chicken, sour cream, and carmelized onions. They were yummy!
Now for some specific notes...
1) My family has been frying corn tortillas for years, so I read her description carefully. I do not deep fry mine. I use a nonstick skillet with a little oil. Fry it until it starts to puff up a little and then use a wooden spoon. Place it in the middle and use tongs to fold over the side of the tortilla (to fold it into a moon shape). Fry it until both sides are as crispy as you would like them. Place on a paper towel lined plate when cooked.
2) Last week, I made some great tacos on a non-designated taco night. I think it was a Thursday. I made some chicken tacos. The chicken was seasoned with pepper, sea salt, and rosemary. I served the tacos with chicken, sour cream, and carmelized onions. They were yummy!
Here's the recipe for the chicken.
Put 1 tsp. dried rosemary, 1 tsp. coarse sea salt, and 1/2 tsp. cracked pepper in a Mortar bowl. Use a pestal to crush it. Slice 1 lb. chicken breasts into strips. Place in a bowl and toss with 1-2 Tbsp. olive oil. Then, add in the spice mixture and toss to coat. Saute chicken in pan until cooked through.
Carmelized onions:
I thinly slice an onion. Add 1 tsp. brown sugar and 1 Tbsp. canola oil. Saute for 30-40 minutes over med. low heat. If the heat is too high--they won't cook faster, they'll just burn unfortunately. I know this from experience of trying to rush them!
This recipe is not in the taco cookbook, but I took the idea from the book. There is a great recipe for Rosemary Chicken Tacos in the book. I used it as a springboard. The recipe in the cookbook calls for grilling the chicken and a creamy garlic spread (which sounds wonderful).
When I made my version of Rosemary chicken tacos, I realized that this is what made me like this cookbook--it started my brain going. I had put tacos in a box and not thought of them as anything other than meat or refried bean tacos. This cookbook helped me see that there's a lot more to tacos than meets the eye!
Please note that I received a complimentary copy of this cookbook from Robert Rose Publishing for review.
When I made my version of Rosemary chicken tacos, I realized that this is what made me like this cookbook--it started my brain going. I had put tacos in a box and not thought of them as anything other than meat or refried bean tacos. This cookbook helped me see that there's a lot more to tacos than meets the eye!
Please note that I received a complimentary copy of this cookbook from Robert Rose Publishing for review.
Monday, October 3, 2011
Peanut Butter Blossoms
I am 37 years old and last year was the first time I remember a friend giving me a cookie plate at Christmas time. I think we even got two from two different friends--with the same name :) It was such a treat! I love to bake, one of the gals made some peanut butter blossoms that were so much better than mine! I tasted one and I thought, "Mine aren't as good as these! I need to find a better recipe!" So, I set out to find one...
I did find one. It was in my King Arthur's Cookie Companion Cookbook. I love to make cookies--and eat them, of course. I wanted a big cookie cookbook for a long time and found this one at a used book sale. I've had really good luck with the cookies I've made from it.
I searched online for a recipe identical to the one I made and found one HERE. Of course, I don't use Reese's Peanut Butter in mind. I use Simply Jif--the kind without hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oil. I also use butter instead of shortening. I use the exact same amount. Some substitution books will say that there's a slight difference in how much shortening to replace with butter. I found with recipe that I simply substituted the 1/2 cup shortening with 1/2 cup butter.
They're really yummy!
I did find one. It was in my King Arthur's Cookie Companion Cookbook. I love to make cookies--and eat them, of course. I wanted a big cookie cookbook for a long time and found this one at a used book sale. I've had really good luck with the cookies I've made from it.
I searched online for a recipe identical to the one I made and found one HERE. Of course, I don't use Reese's Peanut Butter in mind. I use Simply Jif--the kind without hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oil. I also use butter instead of shortening. I use the exact same amount. Some substitution books will say that there's a slight difference in how much shortening to replace with butter. I found with recipe that I simply substituted the 1/2 cup shortening with 1/2 cup butter.
They're really yummy!
October Free Audio Book: Think
The description of the book says that it is a book about thinking. Piper wants us to glorify God in our thinking. Our faith is a combination of heart and mind. Our mind is an important part of that--a very important part and that is what this book is about.
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