2013 goals, December roundup

And just like that, 2013 is here and gone. Wasn't it just yesterday I was proclaiming all the goals I had for the year, and my plan of action to accomplish them? All in all I'd say I did fairly well, considering all that has gone on this year in our family. But I did learn a few things about goal setting.

1. Don't make such a long list when you are still a newbie parent.
2. Don't make such a long list when you are still a newbie parent.
3. Don't make such a long list when you are still a newbie parent.

So what are my goals for 2014? I'll touch on that in a separate post. No goals this year per say, just some key words I want to focus on throughout the New Year.

For now, here is how December 2013 went down . . .

(Per usual, just sticking with recipes and scriptures. I did do a little bit of computer clean up, some blogging, and some zero reading, but I am OK with that!)

Recipes
Stove Top Stuffed Chicken - Usually I avoid any recipe that calls for stuffing and rolling meat, because seriously, who has time for that? But this was easy, super tasty, and went along with the overall holiday feel since you use lots of good old fashioned stove top! (You know you like it. Don't try to deny.)

Bacon Wrapped Green Bean Bundles - Made these for Christmas dinner. To. Die. For. A tad labor intensive (we cooked the bacon slightly in a pan before wrapping/baking in oven) but worth it!

Corn Casserole - So easy & so delicious. . . & so not healthy. . . ha!

Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes - Made this with my sis. We made it extra nutritious by also adding cream cheese, and by increasing the amount of butter and sour cream. Oh, and we used butter milk. When you are 36+ weeks pregnant and it is Christmas day, stuff like extra butter & sour cream don't really matter. Or that is what I told myself anyway. Hey, at least we added one sweet potato to the mix to give it some extra vitamins.

Yay for cooking this month even if most of the ingredients are on every heart doctors "naughty" list!

Scriptures
To end the year I selected back to back scriptures from Psalm 40.

Psalm 40:2-3 "He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. (3) He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord."

There are several personal applications I could make to this verse, but here is the biggest impact for me. . .

2013 was a year full of testing and therapy for Clara. I would have to go back and search blog posts to even truly remember all that went on, all the different Dr's, all the different appointments, and all the different opinions and treatment options (this is exactly why I blog. . . so I will remember). January of 2013 was when we were just a few weeks into her OT and testing. God has brought us a long way since that time. As scary as it might be, and as unsettling as some of the "what ifs" of Cohen Syndrome, God has "lifted us out of the pit, mud, and mire and gave us a firm place to stand," by giving us an answer. A diagnosis. A place where we can confidently put the testing and past behind, and move forward. He has put a new song in our mouth. He has given us a rock to stand on; He has given us a foundation where we can praise and thank Him, and continue to trust His plan for our daughter (and future daughter/children). And our hope, through all of that, is that "many will see" and also put their trust in our amazing God.

Does this mean we won't ever question her future or worry about outcomes? No. We most likely will. Probably even later today. But when those feelings arise we can reflect back on Psalm 40:2-3 with hope, thanks, and praise.

Photos courtesy of Tiffany Fetter

Our family is blessed by each and every one of you. Thank you for your love, support and encouragement these past 12 months. I hope you all have a lovely last day of 2013, and a safe and joyous start to the New Year!

2013 goals, November roundup

I debated even recapping my 2013 goals for November because, let's face it, I wasn't the most productive ever but then the thought of leaving off a month caused some anxiety so OCD for the win!

Here's what went down for November:

Recipes
Easy Enchiladas - Really good! We added some refried black beans, chopped green chilies and grilled onions to the layers and it tasted great. We made this twice in one week!

Soul Sweet Taters by Pioneer Woman - So I have made this before, BUT it had been over a year so I am counting this towards my goal for the month. Plus, how could I possibly discount a recipe that calls for tons of butter, sugar (both white and brown mind you), whole milk and lots of other yummy goodness? Basically like dessert, discussed as a side dish.

So I am two for four recipes in November. . .  Bummer. But really, who needs anything more than Mexican food and dessert??? Especially at 30+weeks pregnant. Enough said.

Scriptures
Psalm 116:7 "Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the Lord has been good to you."

Psalm 40:1 "I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry."

Love both of these for so many reasons. Day in and day out there is SO much to worry about, be anxious about, stress about, etc. Yet we are told to rest. Rest in His goodness and faithfulness. Rest in the fact that He will provide when no hope seems within reach. The Lord has been good to us, and will continue to be good, despite whatever journey we are on for the moment (or for the long haul). And within this time of rest he grows our patience. Patience for God to work. Patience for God to follow through. Patience for God's timing. His ear is turned and hears each and every cry. The Lord has been good to me.

Computer clean up
I have actually done quite a bit on my computer over the last month so hooray for that! I will spare you all the boring details, but just had to document some progress in this area. Finally.

Reading
HAHAHA - I think my goal will be "I will read again once we are old and retired." The. End.

All in all. . .

November was one crazy month, so not a lot of goal work was done. BUT I will say, for the record, that part of my New Years goals for '13 was "give it my all but don't beat myself up if I don't meet the marks perfectly."  So, in the spirit of letting go of perfectionism (says the girl that couldn't get over not blogging one recap over the year. . . hmmmm) I am celebrating November as a success! 

And also thinking long and hard about any goal setting come 2014. Because I will have a toddler in therapy 5x a week, and a newborn, and I will still be working part time. I think my goal should be survival, no?

How's the year coming to a close for you? Any goals you are still working on?

Thoughts for your New Year? It will be here before we know it! 

2013 goals, October roundup

Only going to touch on the recipes and scriptures for my October roundup because, well, those are basically the only goals I worked on all month long. Better than nothing, right?

Recipes
Banana chocolate chip muffins -  Of course I added some peanut butter to this batter and added more chocolate chips than the recipe calls for, which basically resulted in me wanting to eat these 24/7. And what I love about this recipe is you probably have most of the ingredients on hand.

Cheesy Pesto Bread - This takes like five seconds to throw together and puts a nice spin on just your regular ol french bread with dinner. Brandon LOVED it. We have actually made it several times over the last few weeks, last night included.

Chicken Tortilla Bake - This was really good. Only change I would make is using the hot rotel instead of the mild/regular. Brandon agreed. But we will make this again!

Cheesy Turkey Baked Pasta - Used ground beef instead of of turkey. Awesome! This made enough for six meals at least. Another win in my book.

Scriptures
Psalm 16:8 "I have set the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken."

Isaiah 26:7 "The path of the righteous is level; O upright one, you make the way of the righteous smooth."

Such great promises in both scriptures. God is always, always, within a hands reach and because of this we will NOT be shaken, despite whatever circumstance may fall on our path. And with those less than ideal circumstances, He promises to make our path level and smooth. . . maybe not on our ideal timeline. . . but He will smooth our path, in His time. Guaranteed. And what hope and joy that promise can bring.

Any recipes you want to share? I need some ideas for November...

Any scriptures that have brought peace to your heart lately? Do share! 

2013 goals, September roundup

Well after last months epic fail I had to get back at it this month. . . Here's the run down. . .

Recipes
Spanish Chicken & Rice Bake - Loved it.

The Perfect Omelet - Loved it. We used to make omelets for dinner on a regular basis, but got out of the habit somewhere along the way. I will definitely be adding this idea back into our regular meal plan because it is so easy, requires hardly any prep time, and is super cheap!

Cheesy Crockpot Chicken - Loved it. Cooked on low for 6 hrs and the chicken was perfectly tender. Served it over white rice with some asparagus on the side. Will be making this again!

Baked Wild Rice and Beef Casserole - I'm actually making this tonight, but I am counting it for September anyway since it was on the menu for the past few weeks. I plan to put the mushrooms on the side (Brandon is not a fan) and use mozzarella cheese instead of swiss (neither of us are a fan).

Scriptures
This month I divided each verse into two weeks, to meet my goal of two scriptures a month.

John 15:4 - 5 "(4) Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. (5) I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."

Two verses I have heard a million times, but it was good to really reflect on the words and meaning. We have the choice to bear much fruit, or remain fruitless. . . totally 100% in our hands. Pretty powerful if you ask me.

Reading
Ok. . . let's have a little chat. How in the world do all you people find time to read for personal enjoyment? Between taking Clara to all of her appointments (currently in OT twice a week, ECI once a week, and then misc appointments that seem to come up more often than not), battling with insurance over some coverage issues (which feels like a full time job), working part time, trying to maintain a somewhat organized house, and not to mention being present and playing/doing therapy exercises with Clara everyday at home, I have zero time for reading. None. I'm not looking for pity, I just know there are people/moms out there WAY busier than me who somehow manage to read frequently. But it just isn't working. If I wait until evening I will fall asleep two pages in. Guaranteed. But Clara's nap time is not an option because that is when I squeeze in & get a lot of my job/work stuff done. So. . . I might just have to adjust my expectations on this one. There is a season for everything, right?

Blogging & Computer clean up
Doing what I can, when I can, but that is about all on this front. :)

Cannot believe it is October 2nd. Which also means that Clara is 17 months old today. Cannot believe this little fact either. Here's to hoping I can take her monthly pic and get a post written before the calendar strikes November! Have a great day!

2013 goals, July roundup

Here's where things stand at the end of July!

Recipes
Santa Fe Baked Chicken - Super easy and super delicious!

Hummus - So I really love hummus. But making hummus is a tad a lot harder than one might think. That or else I just did something majorly wrong. Who knows. This was not the best recipe ever. My hummus making skills are not the best ever. But in fairness, after sitting in the fridge for a few days, the taste improved greatly, so maybe not all was lost?

Easy Peasy Pizookie - If you've ever had a Pizookie at BJ's Brewhouse, or Cheddars (I think there it is called a Cookie Monster), then you know why this recipe is such a winner. And if you've never had a Pizookie at BJ's Brewhouse or a Cookie Monster at Cheddars (the horror!), then you need to make this ASAP, and experience the goodness for yourself. Your life will forever be changed. We have made two in two weeks!

Taco Lasagna - I'm making this tonight so crossing my fingers it's a winner. Looks easy enough (but then again. . . so did the hummus).

Scriptures
This month I thought it appropriate to choose verses that highlighted the amazing miracle that is our surprise pregnancy.

Psalm 30:5 ". . . weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning."

Psalm 130:11 "You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy."

If you translate weeping and wailing to mean infertility, then you can see how these verses are fitting this month. There has been lots of rejoicing and joy around our house as of late.

Reading
Still reading this book, continued on from last month. I simply have not fit in time for reading, and I'm not quite sure how that is going to improve considering I start my part time job today. Maybe the whole job thing will force me to plan my days a little better, in all areas (all areas = daily quiet time, caring for Clara + her extra needs, blogging, house work, personal "me" time, exercise. . .  etc! Time will tell!)

Blogging and Computer clean up - Well I am hit or miss with the blogging and completely miss with the computer clean up. Please refer to above paragraph. :)

Did you guys make any New Years goals? If so, how's it going for you?

2013 goals, June roundup

How is it already July 3rd??? June went by before I even knew it was here! Geez! Ok, so I know these summaries are most likely boring you to death, but it is the only way I will remain accountable to myself so, sorry!

Recipes
Restaurant Style Salsa - We have been making the Pioneer Woman's salsa at least once every two weeks. It is SO delicious and we pretty much put it on anything. We leave the cilantro out b/c well, cilantro is probably the nastiest taste in the world to me. :) This recipe makes a TON of salsa and works out to be much much cheaper than if you buy the jarred stuff from the store.

Strawberry Caprese Salad - Very good. A perfect summer salad.

Beef & Veggie Meatloaf - We made basically this recipe but added in some colored bell peppers for some extra veggies & vitamins. Pretty good!

Slow cooker burritos - Yum! We put these in corn tortillas but I'm sure it would be delicious with flour, as the recipe describes.

Donut Muffins - Do I really need to say anything more???

Scriptures
Psalm 4:8 "I lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety."

Psalm 130:5 "I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope."

Both of these scriptures in Psalm are so very encouraging to me. At the end of the day we can rest in peace, and feel hope, because regardless of what is going on in our lives, the Lord has our back. He is our safe place and thus we can wait patiently for him to fulfill the promises laid out in the scripture.

Reading:
The Circle Maker - This book is awesome. I am working through it slowly, and enjoying every page.

source 

Computer clean up & blogging - Well, I have kind of really fallen off the bandwagon with these two things but oh well. Such is life. We are in a busy season of life, so I am considering this month a win regardless!

Have a great day and enjoy the 4th of July! We are having a family day and will probably take Clara to the pool to avoid a heat stroke! Have I mentioned lately that Houston is hot? :)

2013 goals, May roundup

Y'all. . .  I was doing so well with my 2013 goals and then May happened. We have had A LOT going on this month, and the next thing I know the calendar reads May 29th. . .  and so there ya go. While yes, I technically have two more days to get cracking, it's just not going to happen people. So without further ado, here's my sad attempt at my 2013 goals, for the month of May.

Recipes:
I only made two new recipes this month. And they were not main entree recipes, mind you, they were bread recipes. Now, both were amazing and delicious, but since man cannot live on bread alone, I will need to get back at it next month. That said, if you need some good amazing bread to go with your meals, check these out. They will not disappoint!

French Bread Rolls - My friend, Emily, made these for our play group and they were so good I knew we had to make them at home. I think her batch was better than mine, but nonetheless these were still yummy and center nice and doughy (but not undercooked).

and

The Perfect Loaf of Bread - We ate the first loaf in two days, if that says anything about how it turned out. Then we made another loaf, and another, and both only lasted two days. Seriously. It's addicting. So much so, that I promptly froze the loaf of Mrs. Baird's that was on our counter. So long store bought bread. It was nice knowing you.

Scripture memory:

Psalm 38:15 "I wait for you, O Lord; you will answer, O Lord my God."

Exodus 14:14 "The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still."

Seems as though many of the verses I select have an overlapping theme of waiting, and being still. Not always easy for me, thus why I need these reminders on the forefront of my mind. Wait. Chill out. Be still. Don't freak out when God hasn't answered in some earthly timeframe that I concocted in my head. He will answer. He will fight for me. But I must do my part. I must be still.

Reading:
I did not read anything this month. The. End.

Computer clean up:
What do ya know? I actually cleaned up my computer a little this month. I looked through the 5,739 downloads and sorted a bunch, organized a bunch, and deleted a bunch. I love deleting things. It's the Type A in me.

And just because. . . here is a picture of Clara in her super girly tutu outfit that my mom bought her before she was born. She actually bought one for Clara, and two other baby girls, Lucy and Ruby, that were born just a few months before Clara. So we met at the park last week to take their picture. Their older buddy, Jake, was there too, so of course he had to get in on the last pic. Such cuties!

Bye!

2013 goals, April roundup

Here's my little 2013 goals recap for the month of April:

Recipes:
Spaghetti With Garlic, Olive Oil & Pepper Flakes - This recipe really makes you appreciate simple, basic ingredients. It was delicious and we will definitely be making it again. I used crushed red pepper since I didn't have any pepper flakes (and I didn't want to buy any) and it worked well. I would reduce the amount of pepper flakes though if you are not a fan of spicy foods. This dish has a kick!

Bruschetta Chicken - This was just ok, not great, but not awful. The bruschetta topping was tasty, but the chicken itself needed some more flavor. I'd also suggest switching the oven to broil for a few minutes, right before it's done, to get the breading more crunchy and well, breading-like. Our breading was a little soggy and, in my opinion, that is just plain gross.

Pasta with Beans & Greens - Brandon came home and thought he might die when I told him what we were having for dinner. BUT in the end it turned out just fine as he did not die, and he even opted (as in, he volunteered) to take leftovers for his lunch. So the moral of the story is don't judge a book by its cover, or in this case, a recipe by its title. (made this sans mushrooms)

Three Cheese Chicken Penne - So good. Takes a little more prep time than I would prefer but nothing too difficult.

Snickerdoodle Blondies - In an effort not to go to the grocery store this particular week, I was in need of a recipe that called for ingredients I had on hand. Thus. . .why I am counting snickerdoodle blondies as a recipe of the week. Regardless, these are GOOD. Make them.

Scripture Memory:
I Thessalonians 5:16-17 "Be joyful always; pray continually;. . . "

Then I tacked on vs. 18 which says "give thanks in all circumstances. For this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances. 

For this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

I Thessalonians 5:16-17

I have been a little down lately regarding all of Clara's delays. I'll write a little bit more in her 12 month update. I know, in reality, she is continuing to make progress, even if very slowly, but some days I get a little overwhelmed when it seems as though we are working on so many things and 1-she puts up a fight or 2- she just doesn't seem to be getting it. I tend to fall into the trap of looking at the big picture and thinking "Oh my goodness how will we ever get past x, y, z and then some, hurdles,"  instead of just looking at one tiny task at a time. Brandon has a way of always talking me back down to reality. Bless him. So anyway, this verse is appropriate for how I have been feeling. Be joyful regardless, pray always, and continue to give thanks. Because it could be worse. A lot worse.

Reading:
I put this book on hold. I just needed a break. It is good info, but something about it I just can't get into it right now. I told Brandon "I am reading this book about how to be a better wife and it is just not working for me." :) Ha!

So I switched gears.

Heaven Is For Real - Have any of you read this book? Oh my goodness. It is awesome. It has totally made me think of heaven in a different way. I cried through several parts (shocker) and especially the part where Colton reveals meeting his unborn sister in heaven.  For those of you who have ever experienced a miscarriage, I highly encourage you to read this book.

On Becoming Babywise II (Parenting Your Pretoddler) - Nothing too exciting here. Contains some info on what to expect and how to handle various changes that come as your baby transitions to the pre-toddler phase.

. . .

In other news, Clara turned ONE last Thursday, May 2nd, and oh my goodness I just cannot believe it. Her 12 month update and pics coming soon.

Please excuse the zit on my forehead, wrinkle between my eyebrows, and bags under my eyes. And sorry Clara for cutting off part of your face in this pic. Photography is not my calling. 

2013 goals, March roundup

I hope you all had a nice Easter weekend. We enjoyed time with both sides of the family, while also spending quality time just the three of us. Too bad Brandon doesn't get every Friday off work. It was really really nice having him around an extra day!

So here's the March breakdown of my 2013 goals. . .

Recipes:
Better-than-takeout chicken fried rice - I wouldn't say this was better than takeout, but it was pretty good. Just make sure you can differentiate between 4 cups cooked vs. uncooked rice in the instructions. Or else you will be eating rice for the entire month. I may or may not be speaking from experience here.

Molten Lava Cakes - I made these lava cakes for my dad's birthday dessert and they were AWESOME.   I was really nervous to make these, because Ive heard that lava cakes are hard to get just right...perfectly done on the top and sides but runny in the middle. I cooked and served them in the ramekins, as show on the blog, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. I cooked them for 12 minutes (recipe says 10) and they were spot on. We had lots of family in town so I doubled the recipe. Oh my goodness this is my new fav dessert and will be requesting it for my 31st birthday, or next holiday, or next anything, because they are that good.

Pineapple Teriyaki Salmon - Pregnancy did funny things to my fish eating abilities. Pre-pregnancy I LOVED salmon, shrimp, tilapia, etc and then BOOM that all changed once I was carrying Clara. The thought of fish just sent me over. the. edge. I am slowly working my way back to my fish loving days. That said, this was good & had great flavor, but I had to inhale it before I thought about it too much and decided to throw it in the trash. Brandon loved it though! And he helped me cook it. Because I am scared to cook fish. The End.

Crock Pot Baked Potatoes - Basically you wash and dry a few potatoes. Wrap potatoes in foil, put in crock pot, and cook on low for 8 hours. When the timer goes off, take potatoes out, unwrap and eat. Done. Yep - I just claimed the above as one of my new "recipes."

Scripture memory:
"You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you."
Isaiah 26:3 (NIV)

And then I decided to continue on with verse 4 as my second memory verse for the month, as I thought it was too good to overlook.

"Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord, is the rock eternal."
vs. 4 (NIV)

all together now. . .

You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord, is the rock eternal. Isaiah 26:3-4 (NIV)

Reading:
I started Created To Be His Help Meet. It is good, I just wish it didn't use the King James Version when it sites scriptures. Not dogging the KJV, I am just more of a NIV girl. But overall this book has some good information and reminders on how to love and treat your spouse.

Still reading daily in Jesus Calling, which I will be doing all year. LOVE IT. I know a lot of you know of this book, or have already worked through it in years past, but if any of you are needing a short, daily devotional, I highly highly recommend Jesus Calling.

Blogging:
I won't discuss this goal every month, but for now I will say I have been connecting more one on one with readers, behind the scenes, which has been really neat. I love how God uses our stories to bring his people together, for His good.

I have had a great response to the "Life With An Eating Disorder" series that will most likely start the end of April. There are a few spots left if there is anyone else interested in writing a guest post. If you or a loved one have experienced any form of an eating disorder, and you would like to share your story, (or parts of it) feel free to email me. Family members, friends, therapists. . .  all are welcome to share.

Computer clean up:
I think I deleted four pictures off my computer this month. That is all I will say about that.

2013 goals, February roundup

Another month of 2013 coming to a close. Crazy, right? Here's a wrap of my 2013 goals as of the end of February. As always, if you have any favorite recipes or scriptures in your memory bank, please share in the comments. . .  Have a great Wednesday!

Recipes
8 Can Taco Soup - Go ahead and laugh. I know what you're thinking? How does dumping eight cans of stuff into a pot qualify as cooking??? I hear ya, but I beg to differ. It was a new and improved Taco Soup recipe and it was really, really good. You can alter the level of spice by choosing a mild - hot green enchilada sauce. We went with medium. Yum. Brandon prefers this recipe over the one we usually make.

Three Cheese Ziti w/ Turkey - Easy and delicious. Leftovers were great. Winner!

NOT YO' MAMA'S BANANA PUDDING - Made this for our Thursday night supper club and I'd say it was pretty good! It got really thick which everyone seemed to like. Even though this isn't a dinner recipe I'm still counting it since I ate it for lunch the Friday after I made it. Don't judge.

Brown Sugar Garlic Chicken - Very good! The recipe says to pour the garlic/olive oil/brown sugar mixture over the chicken before baking, and I found that it was way to think to pour, so I ended up using a spoon to spread it on top of each chicken breast. Not sure if I did something wrong here, but it turned out great nonetheless.

February Scripture memory
"He will have no fear of bad news; His heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord." Psalm 112:7 (NIV) I found this verse especially appropriate and comforting as we were waiting for Clara's Retts testing results during the month of Feb. Brought calm to my soul.

"For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you." Isaiah 41:13 (NIV)

What else...
I finished 7 by Jen Hatmaker. Loved it. Such a good read and really makes you think about your priorities and areas of excess that draw you in time and time again. Hatmaker is witty with words and such a talented writer. I would love to do some type of personal experiment such as 7. Not a direct copy cat, but some type of experiment with the less is more mentality. Any ideas? Anyone want to do something like this with me? We could then write a book about it. Or just blog about it. :)

Next book on the horizon is Created to Be His Help Meet by Debi Pearl. I hope to start it in the next few days. And thanks to my friends Ashlie and Gillian, I have lots of books on the "to read" list. Thanks, ladies!

Operation computer clean up - yeeeahhhhhhh this one is still in progress. And by still in progress I mean I haven't even touched this goal since last month. Awesome.

Bring it on, March.

2013 goals, January roundup

I thought I would check in at the end of every month to see where I am with my 2013 goals. I need some form of accountability and I figure this is the best way. So while this might be super boring to you (sorry!) it is more to keep me on track. Nothing like having to type "well I didn't memorize any verses or cook anything new again this month" to put a little motivation in my step.

So here's where we are at the end of January...

(And I decided to participate in this challenge for scripture memory, instead of what I originally had planned. So I will be learning two verses a month, instead of four.)

Recipes
Homemade Beef/Veggie Soup - (no link for this meal. . . my mom was making some for their dinner and gave me her extra ingredients and then talked me through the instructions. It was ok. Brandon requested more meat and no celery next time. Ha. I tried my moms a few days later and hers was much better. Oh well. Wasn't great but wasn't awful either.)

Layered Fiesta Casserole  - Yummy! We loved it. I had some extra black beans that needed eating so I tossed those in too.

Fuss-Free Ravioli & Cheese Bake - This was good, but the sauce was a little soupy. I checked the reviews and many others agreed. Next time I will probably add a bit more sauce and drain the diced tomatoes. We enjoyed the leftovers more than the night I made it, as it gave it more time for the sauce to thicken up.

Healthy Turkey Meatloaf - The meatloaf was good! I hand wrote the instructions a while back and just got now around to making it. If you want the recipe, let me know! Calls for lean turkey meat and several chopped veggies. I actually made this the same week I made the Ravioli Bake. I know. . . who am I busting out with two new recipes in one week?

Baked Chicken Parmesan - Everything about this was great. Easy, fast, healthy, delicious. Brandon actually told me I can make this chicken whenever I want, so I will consider that a big success!

Oven Tacos - Y'all - these were SO good. Brandon LOVED them. I used refried black beans instead of traditional refried beans that the recipes calls for. . . yum! I made these this past Monday night and I made enough meat mixture to get us through several meals. Last night I scooped the meat mixture into yellow bell peppers and baked at 400 degrees, until the peppers were cooked and the meat mixture hot. Topped it with cheese and they were awesome.

January Scripture memory:

"You crown the year with your bounty, and your carts overflow with abundance." (NIV)
Psalm 65:11

"Your unfailing love and mercy still continue, as fresh as the morning, as sure as the sunrise." (GNB) Lamentations 3:22-23 

Oh - and I am on page 170 of my 7 book, so I'll consider that a win for the month.

Computer clean up - well. . . that is a work in progress. . . I have done some but ugh. . . boring!

So there you go. I am actually really excited about cooking attempting to cook these days and also memorizing scripture. Its like a little game where I am now constantly marking recipes I want to try and highlighting scriptures that I want to add to the list. 

If you have any easy recipes that will not completely overwhelm me (read - take 30 minutes or less AND don't have five billion ingredients) then please link in the comments!