Dinner Recap & a Recipe

Our dinner on Thursday night went well despite some of our invitees having to stay home due to illness. It seems like this stomach bug is running wild in our area!

Anyway- nobody likes to hear about viruses and food in the same context.

Those of us who made it ate until we were sore! I didnt need to eat again for days!!!!!

We put a dent in the "starters"

(Hot Sauce & Roasted Corn Salsa)

We polished off most of the main meal...
(Grilled chicken with Root Beer BBQ sauce, Macaroni & Cheese and Sweet potato casserole)

And then we indulged in some yummy desserts!
(PW Peach Crisp with Maple Cream Sauce)

After all that eating, Jordan pulled out the Wii Fit and entertained everyone. He and Michael kept us all laughing. I cant wait to have another dinner and spend some "down time" with the other FBCR staff.
And as promised-- a recipe!!!

The Roasted Corn Salsa was a big hit- I took the leftovers (along with some leftover cake balls) to work and got rave reviews there too! I think the longer it sits (in the fridge of course), the more the flavors come together and the yummier it becomes. And it is so easy and light- the perfect healthy snack. Add some tortilla chips or pita chips- or just eat it with a spoon! Here's what you'll need...

Roasted Corn Salsa

16oz pkg frozen corn

1 diced tomato

1 diced jalapeno

1 diced green bell pepper

The juice from 1/2 lime

Chopped cilantro to taste

A swirl of olive oil

Salt & Pepper to taste

Dump the corn into a saute/fry pan. Cook over medium heat until corn begins to brown slightly. Add corn into a large mixing bowl and allow to cool. While the corn is cooling, dice your other veggies. I cut the ribs & seeds out of the jalapeno, but they can be added in according to your heat preference. I also cut the innards out of the tomato to keep it from being too wet. Add all the ingredients into the mixing bowl with the corn and toss well. Taste and season accordingly. Refrigerate overnight. I think I'll make another batch for my big Stella & Dot Fall/Winter 2010 party!!!

Conquering the Cake Ball

I had a couple of requests for my cake ball "recipe," so here goes!

Cake Balls are eeeeeeeeeasy. Easy peasy. Easy as pie. Easy as cake... balls.

But they are majorly time consuming.

Here's what you'll need:

-1 box cake mix of your choice

-1 can frosting of your choice

-1 pkg candy melts/candyquik

- toothpicks/wax paper/cookie sheet or jelly roll pan

And heres how I put it all together...

Day 1

Bake the cake in a 9x13 pan according to the directions on the box. Allow the cake to cool COMPLETELY (at least several hours). Once the cake is cooled, use a fork to break the cake up into little crumbles. Mix most of the frosting in with the crumbled cake. I dont ever use ALL of the frosting, but using too little frosting will make it hard to roll later. It should come together into a crumbly/paste-y mixture that holds together when made into a ball. I use a cookie dough scoop (pampered chef medium scoop to be exact!) to portion out the cake. I cut the portions in half and roll away! Usually, I can cover a jelly roll pan from 1 box of cake mix. After the balls are rolled, put them in the freezer! I usually do all these steps one day, freeze overnight and resume assembly the next morning. Freezing the cakes will ensure that they dont fall apart when you're dipping them into the melted candy!

Day 2

Melt half the candy in a bowl according to the package directions. You can usually find the candy melts on the baking aisle at the grocery store near the chocolate chips. Use a toothpick to dip the frozen cakeballs into the melted candy. I usually start with dipping them about 2/3 of the way in, place it on wax paper to cool/harden and then just pick them up to dip the tops. If the candy starts to get thick, just stick it in the microwave for 10-15 secs and it will loosen up. Usually I can coat 1 box worth of cake balls with 1 pkg of candy melts. For the cake balls pictured above, I dipped the bottoms / harden/ dip the tops/ dip in crushed heath bar/ harden / eat. There are other ways to assemble the cake balls, but this version seems to work best for me.

Quick review: Bake, cool, frost, roll, freeze, dip, eat.

The flavor combinations are endless! The pictured cake balls are a combination of dark chocolate cake mix, classic chocolate frosting, white candy melts and crushed heath bar. Totally dangerous. We had a ton left over from last night's dinner and I've probably already consumed 3 today.

And by 3 I mean 6.

Mmmmm... Cakeballs.

We're having the other FBCR ministers over for dinner tonight & I have been in full baking mode since yesterday. I'm trying out many new recipes... hopefully they will be successes! I'll take plenty of pics & post the yummy recipes soon.

I had a dream last night that folks started arriving before the house was cleaned! More like a nightmare!!!! I'm off to vacuum, dust & shine!

Stella & Dot Independent Stylist

My most exciting recent news is that I am now a Stella & Dot Stylist!!!!!

I LOVE Stella & Dot and have been a fan for a while now... it was only a matter of time before I jumped on the bandwagon and started selling it myself!!!! I'm super-duper excited to be doing this- their jewelry is REALLY cute, stylish and high quality.

I'm not the only fan either-- S & D jewelry has been featured in Lucky, In Style, People, on Oprah and most recently on the Bachelor Pad! Thrifty Decor Chick is hosting a Stella & Dot giveaway this weekend. I've seen some of the jewels worn by brides and bridal parties. There are pretty things for every occasion and everyone!

One of my favorite things that Stella & Dot offers is the charm collection. They're completely personalized and original! I love them so much, I ordered 2 sets- one in silver and one in gold! There are initial charms, hearts, crosses, jewels, leaves, mom/sis/gramma charms... and many more to choose from. One of the sweetest examples I've seen is a friend who has the "mom" charm and then birthstones to represent each of her babies! Such a great idea!!!!

Stella & Dot

Click the link to go to my website-- look around & see all the pretties that S & D have to offer!!! OR, even better, come to the Fall/Winter 2010 Trunk Show to try them on & see how fabulous these pieces really are! Get a jump start on Christmas shopping or treat yourself to something wonderful. All are welcome to come - bring a friend along!!

Fall/Winter 2010 Trunk Show

Saturday, September 18

2-4 pm

161 Whistler's Cove Rd (Rockport)

(photos from Stelladot.com)

Hair Therapy

So I made it back to Fort Worth last weekend. It was a quick trip (Friday afternoon to Sunday morning), but it was nice to catch up with my favorite Strange family.

I was so excited to finally meet sweet girl Cailen. I cant believe she's 8 weeks old and I'm just getting to meet her for the first time! Such a bad auntie! Sometimes living far away is the pits.

Doesnt she look just like her mama??? (scroll down to the last pic to see me & Catherine).

I also got to spend some time with funny man Carter. He looks just like his Dad! I love that he's really becoming a chatter box & kept me laughing with his silly boy antics all weekend. He says "gosh" a lot and it's hilarious!

I met some great friends at Uncle Julios for dinner. I miss these girls!!! They are so sweet and encouraging! I told Allison that she & Nate are overdue for a trip to Rockport. Hopefully they'll come and visit again soon! Jordan and I would also LOVE to have Shelley, Brian & cutie Sydney.

I miss Uncle Julio's also.

I love me some Catherine!

My other big mission for the weekend.... getting my hair done! I'm such a brat. I apologized to my hairdresser Jessica for totally stalking her. Literally, I have gone back to Mansfield to get my hair cut & colored since we moved over a year ago. I just cant break away from my great gal Jessica!!! She's the best! I cant even think of posting a "before" picture- it was bad! Traveling for hair appointments doesnt afford me the ability to go every 8-10 weeks... and I hadnt seen Jessica since the end of April. Anyway, the pics above are "afters" and I'm so so SO pleased with my fresh color & cut!

Fresh hair + relaxing pedi = leaving Ft Worth a new lady!

Spinning, Laughing, Dancing

The past few weeks have been a whirlwind.

I have SO so SO much to talk about. Big things!Fun things! Exciting things!

But FIRST, can I just say that I am absolutely tired of reality TV? I could care less about Dating in the Dark, Bachelors, Bachelorettes and their respective pads. I'm tired of Survivors, Apprentices, Design Stars, Food Network Stars, Top Chefs, and Iron Chefs. I hate you Real World, Jersey Shore, and all that crap on MTV and VH1. I think we're about to run out of American Idols, America's Talents, So You Think You Can Dance-ers, Bridezillas, Cake Bosses or Aces, America's Next Top Models, Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, and Dancing Stars. Please leave the following folks alone: Little People, Little Couple, Little Parents, Kate + 8, the Duggars, Hoarders, and those who Didnt Know they were Pregnant.

I just had to get that off my chest.

So I finally bit the bullet and officially registered for my second Half-Marathon!

The San Antonio Rock N Roll Marathon is November 14. I started a 16 wk training program a few weeks ago. I know of a few folks who are running- including my first half buddy Jennipher!!! I am so excited to be running with her again! We have a similar goal of beating our respective personal records (which just so happen to be within about 3 minutes apart). Also, my friend Carey will be running, and even though she didnt think she could do it, I have a feeling she's going to completely smoke me. I'm working on another friend or two. I'm also working on finding a place to stay in San Antonio for Saturday night. Im actually in a little pickle. The race is on a Sunday, so Jordan wont be there. San Antonio is 2.5 hours away, so I'm not getting up and driving to the start line. Basically, I need to stay overnight, but I dont want to have to stay in a hotel room all by myself! Any one in blog-land have any tips?

Until next time, prepare yourself for many posts about jelly legs, toe blisters and ice baths.

A Post-Work Conversation

Here's a snippet of the conversation I had with my husband over dinner tonight...

Me: So, like first thing this morning, the doc for one of my patients came by and broke her water and her amniotic fluid was really bloody. As it turned out, she had an abruption and nobody was really aware of it until her water broke.

Jordan: So was the baby ok?

Me: Yeah, the baby did great. Do you know what an abruption is? I cant ever remember what I tell you about.

Jordan: Um, I think with all the stuff you've told me, with the knowledge I have just from listening to you, Im probably like a doctor at this point.

Me: (laughing)

Jordan: Like, I know that you can break their water with either a little plastic hook thing or a little finger thing. And you just either hook the bag or scrape against it until it breaks. And with all the different times you've told me about checking cervixes and centimeters and stuff (making finger gestures), I feel like I could probably do that too.

Me: (still laughing)

Jordan: And an abruption is where the placenta pulls away from the uterus before the baby is born and it can be really dangerous for mom and baby.

Me: Well, this patient just had a partial abruption...

Jordan: Oh, well that's no big deal. I thought you meant like a complete abruption.

Me: No, everyone was fine.

Jordan: See, I know this stuff. I could do this delivery thing.

Me: So when we get pregnant, I dont have to worry about anything!

Jordan: Yeah, we could do the whole Hope Dupnik-have-a-baby-at-home thing. No problem.

Me: Good to know.

So apparently I talk a lot about my job.

Also-- not trying to get pregnant. Not at all. Just so you know.

Connecticut: Part II

VBS was a lot of fun! Our highest enrollment was on Thursday and we had 66 kids! This is a big deal considering the church usually runs less than 100 on Sunday mornings. Hopefully this will bring new families into the church. Also, there were at least 10 children who accepted Christ during the week! Praise God!!!

One of the exercises we did with the kids throughout the week was to talk about "God sightings." We explained to the children that they can see God in His creation, through other people, in reading the Bible, and many many other places. It was sweet (and often humorous) to hear the kids' "God sightings." My favorites?

"Walmart" and "In a cup of water"

But of course, we didn't work hard the ENTIRE time...

There was lots of goofing off going around. It was so nice getting to spend a lot of time with the students. It makes me sad to know that these 3 great kids are all graduated and moving on to college!!!

We drove up to Massachusetts and visited the giant Yankee Candle Store. We all left with goodies and scent-induced headaches. I got a fabulous new Vera Bradley bag. They arent so popular here in Texas, but on the east coast and in New England, Vera Bradley is everywhere! I think I even got a few of the other girls addicted!

We capped off our trip with a visit to NYC. We took a train from Connecticut to Grand Central station, spent a few hours in the city and then rode the train back. It was such a tease!!!! I think it may have sparked an interest in Jordan who had never been before. I'm hoping this interest will manifest itself in another longer weekend in Manhattan soon!

Connecticut: Part I

Jordan and I had an awesome time in Connecticut. People often give me funny looks when I tell them we took a mission trip to Connecticut. I also thought it was odd until we got there. Having lived in the "Bible Belt" all my life (Georgia and Texas), it was hard to imagine that there are places in America where people havent heard the name of Jesus. Many of the churches in New England are dying. A majority of the remaining churches have abandoned teaching the gospel. The Baptist association to which our church is apart of has partnered with the Western Connecticut Baptist Association in order to provide support where support is needed.

So here's what we did!!!

Vacation Bible School @ Naugatuck Valley Community Church

The VBS for this year was Group's "High Seas Expedition."

Hubs dressed up as Chadder Chipmunk and entertained the kiddos!

We had tons of fun with the other adult volunteers! I have many more pictures from VBS and will put more up with Part II.

Odd Jobs in Naugatuck

We painted trashcans and cleaned up the church.

Wednesday evening Worship

The students led music with help from Chelsi. We performed The Redeemer. (We'll do it again at church on Sunday night if any Rockport-ians want to come and support us!) Jordan preached about always being ready to do good things. So often we wake up and think... Lord, please dont let me screw something up today. We should be excited to do great things for God's Kingdom!

Promoting a Church Plant in Bethlehem, CT

We passed out fliers and put up posters advertising a new church. (the pictured church is not the one we were promoting)

Serving a Meal in Waterbury

Two churches in Waterbury have partnered together to have a dinner and concert one night a week. The churches are in an inner city location and are really trying to minister to those around them. They are able to provide the meal for free, and in doing so, are able to minister to the lower income neighborhoods/projects nearby. I think it was an eye opening experience for the students since some of the people who attended were a little... sketchy

Like this guy.

Home again, home again, Jiggety Jig!

So we are home from Connecticut/New England!

I had intended to post last night, but after 4+ hours flying and 4 hours riding in a van, I was wiped out and a little discombobulated.

The trip was fantastic and I'll have much to report.... in another post.

Hi Blaire.

But for today, I have lots to do!!!!!!!!!!! We have company coming this weekend and I'm working the next several days. So here's my list for today...

1. Grocery Shop

2. Unpack & Do Laundry

3. Tan time :)

4. Pick up Mauve from the kennel

5. Make & Freeze PW Cinnamon Rolls for our weekend guests.

And what am I doing now???? Watching TV. And blogging.

Stay tuned for more about the Connecticut trip... including pictures of my husband in a chipmunk suit.