Future and a Hope

The One Where I Fell Off the Wagon

2011-04-16T16:33:00.000-07:00

Today I ate a piece of cake.

Not a whole piece, but pretty much a solid, regular sized piece. It was white cake with butter cream frosting, covered in fondant. There were cupcakes to match, but I managed to avoid eating those, even though there are two sitting on my kitchen counter right now. (Relax, they are for my boys.)

This morning I was blessed to be a part of a sweet couple's bridal shower. The future bride and groom are both near and dear to my heart - our family has known them both since before they were a couple. We knew them when one was pining away with a secret crush on the other, then when the other woke up and realized what was happening. We got to watch them fall in love, and now they are getting married! It's one of my favorite couple stories ever. They are perfect for each other and I can't wait for their wedding day - which, according to the groom, is in just forty-two short days. (Did I mention the groom has really soft hair? Not that this is important to my story, but for some, it is a noteworthy fact.)

Anywho - when it was time for brunch, we all walked into the kitchen and for some odd reason, I just ate everything they offered. Salad with goat cheese and vinegar dressing - yum. Egg and sausage casserole - one of my faves. Glorious fruit salad. And then the cake. I don't know what happened to me, but something took over and I just fell to the temptation.

Soon, my stomach began to hurt, the sugar high came to crashing end, and all I wanted to do was sleep the afternoon away. That was certainly an option! Instead, I took a bunch of extra probiotics and candida killing supplements, drank a ton of water and ran errands. It was all very anti-climactic, really.

This experience just goes to show me that, even armed with plan and with four good weeks of healthy eating behind me, I am not above failure and defeat in this arena. But there is no point in crying over spilled milk, or rolled fondant in this case. Instead, I will press on towards my goal of improved health. Only I can't have my cake and eat it, too.

Once Upon a Time...

2011-04-15T06:48:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time there was a girl who loved candy. She loved cookies, too. And cake, and ice cream and really anything sweet. She ate more sugary treats than real food! Then one day, the girl decided to eat an apple instead of a cookie and something happened. The girl found she liked that apple, so she started eating more apples. Then she started eating berries of all kinds and even some vegetables.

It wasn’t long until the girl started to feel better when she woke up and better when she fell asleep. Then one day, the girl realized she felt better all the time, so she began to make other important changes in what foods she ate as well. She gave up all sugars and even cow’s milk and the yummy cheeses that are made with it.

Even though the girl was happy and satisfied with her new foods, there was one thing she really missed – her cereal with cold milk. Some days she even used to eat it twice. The girl searched and searched for some kind of cereal that would be right for her, but no matter where she looked, she could not find just the right kind. She was sad, but she just ate her hot cereal and waffles with fruit and sighed.

Then one day the girl went shopping in a great land called Whole Foods. In a strange twist, the girl had time to kill because she didn’t want to be 45 minutes early for an event. Since this had never happened to her before, she was confused, but happy to have time to explore this strange new land. The girl, in her cute but too-high summer tan wedge heel sandals, walked slowly up and down the aisles this beautiful place, her eyes full of wonder.

Suddenly, the girl found herself in a place called the “cereal aisle”! Row after row of one of her favorite foods were before her all at once. The girl wondered to herself, “I wonder if there are any cereals for me in this place?” So she searched and searched, carefully reading each label, until she came to a special box. The box was beautiful and it was called “Organic 100% Whole Grain Cereal Crispy Brown Rice.” The name was very strange to her, but the picture on the box showed a beautiful yellow sun rising over a snow covered mountain range, shining its rays onto a spoon full of golden crispy brown rice grains. It just had to be good.

The girl excitedly purchased the box, along with some other much needed items, including a lovely salad for dinner. She went to her event, all the time thinking of that lovely sun shining on that spoonful of cereal. She hurried home, poured her special cereal into her favorite bowl, poured some very cold, unsweetened almond milk over the grains, sprinkled a packet of xylitol sweetener on them and began to eat.

The girl could not believe how tasty this treat was! She began to exclaim to all who would listen, “This is almost like candy!” The girl was happy. She went to bed with a smile on her face and dreamt of the morning, when she would try her new treasure with fresh strawberries and a cup of coffee, sweetened with stevia.

The End.

Learning and Letting Go

2011-04-07T16:40:00.000-07:00

So I left you hanging yesterday, but I had to stop for fear no one would possibly read that much in one sitting! It’s a long story, and since I am writing for myself as much as anything, seemed like a good idea to go ahead and tell the whole story.

Before I say much of anything about internet research phase of my journey, let me assure you that I can be a cynic. A doubter by nature, I like facts, facts and more facts. A “Show Me State” native – I love me some proof. This is why internet research tends to frustrate me. I mean anyone can post anything on the World Wide Web right? Case in point: this blog. You can get some really bad medical information and advice in cyberspace, so I am careful – methodical, really. I read, cross-reference, cross again, look for qualifications, compare data and then do a thorough “common sense” evaluation.

Having said that, some things out there might still be wrong or misleading. It’s something you have to figure out as you go along and ultimately find what works for you and yours. I am confident that I have gleaned good information about my health and self-treatment to this point, and even have plans to meet with a qualified health professional soon.

After extensive research, I believe I am suffering from what is called “Candida Overgrowth”. You’ve probably heard of Candida referred to as a yeast infection, something most women, especially mothers, are familiar with. Nursing moms often find themselves dealing with thrush, which can passed from baby to mom very easily or vaginal yeast infections, which are so common in young women. But overgrowth is just like what it sounds – bigger and badder than a simple localized issue. My problems are gastrointestinal in nature and I’ve had to change my life to deal with it.

Yeast is a fungus that feeds on sugar. It also feeds on poor nutrition and stress. Hello – my life has been a whirlwind of sugar, stress, poor nutrition, sugar, sugar and more stress. I was like a hamster on that little wheel – the wheel was the chaos I’ve allowed in my life: junk food, sugar and caffeine addiction, crazy schedule, ridiculously high expectations of myself, no exercise and stress, stress, stress. Is it any wonder my energy was sapped, my strength was shot and I couldn’t make it through a day without a nap followed by a caffeinated beverage?

Add to this the environmental factors we all face, topped with repeated prescription antibiotic cycles over the years for sinus infections and the like. These antibiotics kill very well and they can help, but they are indiscriminate killers – wiping out all the healthy, good flora in the intestines. The tiny amounts of probiotics found in grocery store yogurt can’t even begin to mount a serious defense against the onslaught caused by these drugs. This gives the Candida an opportunity to gain a foothold that is not easily removed!

The answer to my problem was to starve the yeast, kill the yeast and flush the yeast out of my body. Easier said than done – truly. I’ve opted to detoxify and eliminate the following food groups: refined sugars, refined carbohydrates, gluten, yeast and gasp, dairy. I thought sugar would be hard to let go of, but the dairy has been tougher in its own way. (Pizza is one of my family’s main food groups!)

Here is what I am avoiding:
- Sugar (brown, raw, all the ones that end in “ose” like glucose, dextrose, etc., agave, honey, etc.)
- Yeasts and distilled items (wine, vinegars, breads)
- Most grains, including wheat & oat
- White pasta, bread and rice
- Corn
- Soy

This leaves the following for me to eat:
- Leafy greens, vegetables, berries, sour green apples and lemons/limes
- Whole grains like brown rice, wild rice, quinoa, buckwheat & amaranth
- Lean chicken, beef and some fish
- Almonds, walnuts, pecans, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds
- Stevia and xylitol for sweeteners

Part of this plan also involves ridding myself of toxins, so I am eating only organic fruits & veggies, no genetically modified foods (or GMO’s), and lean proteins that are grass-fed, raised without antibiotics or hormones, free range and organic. In other words, expensive. When complaining about the prices at Whole Foods recently, my friend told me her husband refers to Whole Foods as “Whole Paycheck.” I laughed until I cried, then cried some more because I am going broke on this diet! Not really. Not completely, anyway.

But here is the amazing part of my story – I feel wonderful. I did not experience sugar withdrawals at all and have no explanation for this aside from the grace of God! Some symptoms that have disappeared in the past three weeks I have been eating this way include: heartburn, headaches, exhaustion, gas, bloating, chest pain and brain fog. Oh, and I have almost no ear wax anymore. Strange but true. If you can tell me what that means, I sure would appreciate it.

And the best part? I’ve lost nearly 12 pounds in just over two weeks. WITHOUT EXERCISE! Imagine what will happen when I add working out to this program!! The weight loss is nice, but the really significant thing is that I am shrinking – my face is thinner, my tummy is flatter, and I just feel smaller and lither overall. It’s likely that this is the result of giving up on dairy and I don’t know if I will ever add it back. Along with diet soda. If you are reading this, please do one thing today – STOP DRINKING DIET SODA! Get rid of aspartame altogether as a personal favor to me. Please and thank you.

There is more to share and I plan to do just that, so stick around for updates, recipes and more tips on making similar changes in your life!

An Apple Changes Everything

2011-04-06T10:29:00.000-07:00

Because I’ve been asked by many friends to explain my new dietary changes and also because my tragically neglected blog truly needed updating, I thought I would kill two birds with one stone and take to the blog to explain the ways my life has recently improved.

If you are a close friend or family member of mine, you probably are aware of my terrible eating habits over the years. Today, as I write this, I feel very embarrassed and humbled by the years of abuse I have inflicted on my own body by way of poor nutrition! At any given time, my purse could be found filled with junk food, snacks candy and gum. Like a child, a trip inside a gas station or through the checkout line at the grocery brought out the strong impulse to purchase a sweet treat. I shudder to think about how much sugar and fat I put into my system on a daily basis.

While I am unsure where these cravings originated, I do recall being rewarded with sugary treats as a child. There are six children in my family, my five older brothers and then me – the ultimate afterthought (read: accident)! My childhood was spent attending my brothers’ sporting events – football games, baseball games and wrestling meets. At each one, there was a guaranteed trip to the concession stand for candy and soda. Even as an adult, any time spent in the bleachers, attending my sons’ many hockey, baseball, basketball and golf events – a pack of Starburst candy or a movie theater sized box of Sweetarts was almost always by my side. I would tell myself that candy was my way of coping with the stress of watching my son compete at high levels. (Watching him pitch or be in harm’s way in an ice hockey games were the WORST!)

So flash forward to four weeks ago. Not surprisingly, I didn’t feel good. No, I felt horrible. Migraine headaches, high blood pressure, lethargy, joint pain, heartburn, muscle aches and gastrointestinal distress were my constant companions. Many of those symptoms had been with me for YEARS. While I am not prone to depression, I was definitely struggling with feeling fairly down from time to time.

Don’t even get me started on my fitness level, my growing weight issue or the stirrings of self-loathing when faced with the daily routine of dressing! Overall, it was time for a change and the time had been coming for years. The truth is, you really have to come to this kind of conclusion on your own – no doctor or loved one could have led me to where I am now – I had to have my own personal revelation. And it didn’t come all at once – it happened slowly – with one apple. (Come to think of it, one apple was theme of another very important story in history!)

You see, my sweet husband took me away in early March to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. We returned to one of our favorite places in the world - Carmel, California. We have been several times, but the first visit came in 1987 when B. played in the U.S. Open at Olympic Club in the San Francisco area. This time we even opted to stay in the bed and breakfast we first visited that year!

In Carmel, B. sent me to my “Happiest Place on Earth” aka The Spa at Pebble Beach. Actually, he sent me TWICE, because he is cool like that. During my time of relaxation, I observed another spa patron enjoying the simple pleasures of an apple eaten right off the core. She would examine the fruit, pick just the right spot, and close her eyes, take a big, crunchy bite and then chew slowly, obviously relishing the experience. Sometimes she would have to reach up and swipe the juices as they ran down her chin. Watching her intently from across the fire pit I felt a little jealous that she was enjoying such a simple pleasure from nature while I was craving the Mike & Ikes stored in my purse which was back in the locker room. (Those spa robes don’t have pockets, or I would have had them with me!) It might sound silly, but that moment was the beginning of a new way of thinking for me.

Besides being a junk food junkie, I am also an information gatherer by nature. I absolutely LOVE research – especially when done on the internet! One late night shortly after we returned from Carmel, a particularly frustrating symptom drove me to the World Wide Web for help and information. Searching reputable medical databases, I noticed the answers to my questions were almost always the same: prescription medication. I’m not a fan of medicine and avoid it when at all possible, so I began new searches that included the terms “holistic” and “natural remedy” and a whole new world was opened to me.

What I learned that night and in subsequent research sessions has changed my life for the better in ways I could never have imagined!

Tomorrow: My Self Diagnosis and Treatment Plan

paper or plastic?

2010-01-24T14:40:00.000-08:00

This has become a almost iconic question that is asked of me each and every time I check out at a grocery store. Paper or plastic?

I want to answer correctly, really I do! But honestly, this is just one more choice to make after a long day of decision making. I have been know to answer "surprise me", but mostly I am simply confused by the question. Can't they just pick for me?

If I answer plastic, I might not be "green" enough. If I say "paper" then I have to haul bags into the house two at a time instead of five per arm. Then fold them up and find a spot to store them. Then clean out said spot every six months when 347 of them have piled up and created a fire hazard. On the upside, with the paper option, I might score a few eco-points with the 16 year old kid who is bagging my groceries. (Read putting the leaking chicken breasts in with my produce.)

Usually, I just say "plastic is fine" - like I need to authorize the use of such an environmentally unfriendly choice - and move on with my life. But I feel judged. I feel a little like I have failed the checker, the bagger, my future grandchildren and the earth at large. It's a bit of a downer really.

In case you think I am not eco-friendly, note that I have an enormous recycle bin (60+ gallons) that we manage to fill each week and we've switched to the new swirly-twirly fluorescent bulbs that take twenty minutes to actually LIGHT a room. (A nice plus for when you are ready to read in bed, have to wait for the bulb to warm up and manage to fall asleep with your book open and glasses on while you wait.) We even have new energy-efficient appliances. Sure, there is more I could do, but I am not unaware of the issues.

Perhaps one solution to my paper or plastic dilemma is to go buy the reusable tote bags and load my weekly supplies into my personal shopping bags. This would at least save me from having to explain my views on the environment to my friendly neighborhood bag boy!

Ultimately, I would like ALL stores to change to the following and potentially GLOBAL policy: Just assume that we want plastic bags until you hear otherwise. Simple.

Thank you for allowing me a forum in which to vent my views on this most important issue.

So what about you? Paper or plastic?

My New Fall Purse, or How I Met Frank

2009-09-26T18:59:00.000-07:00

I have been searching for a new fall bag for months – I basically began the hunt not long after I found the career bag I needed to begin my new job in March. I bought that bag at my local White House Black Market after finding and then failing to purchase my number one choice from WHBM on St. Armands Cirlce in Sarasota, Florida. So, I settled for this one:

I have loved it, even though the top is too small and sometimes I think the silver clashes with my oh-so trendy gold jewelry, which I swore would never make a comeback.

Recently, I have had a torrid romance with Vera Bradley and her sassy print bags.

But when I got my new job, my Veras just didn’t seem polished and professional. I had new qualifications. This fall, my bag requirements were as follows: big, (but not huge) bright color, (possibly orange) and wide open at the top so I could cram lots of stuff into it with ease. Then I learned I would be attending a women’s conference this past weekend as part of my job and the pressure to find the perfect bag was amped up about ten notches! Most of you know that finding the perfect accessory takes time – often LOTS of time. Now I was down to a few trips into various favorite stores, with only minutes a time to look around. The intense pressure caused me to purchase this:

Notice the details: it’s big, (and huge) black, (not brightly colored) and narrow at the top. *sigh* This purse is going to be the death of me! I knew I needed something nearly tote-bag size in order to carry the things every girl needs at a weekend conference – bible, notebook, assorted writing instruments, bottled water, sunglasses, several cosmetic items and snacks. Anyone who knows me knows that my purse always contains snacks, candy & gum. Small children follow me because of this fact. This girl needs to be able to graze throughout the day! I can’t be starving while waiting for people to decide where we are going to lunch or trying to MapQuest the dinner restaurant on their iPhones.

So I grabbed this bag, this carry-on luggage, in a moment of fashion panic at my local T. J. Maxx. (Where you get the max for the minimum) I paid more than I wanted for it, but it really was the only option outside of a Michael Kors bag that I was drooling over. (I love you, Michael Kors, but I can’t afford your gorgeous designs – I have a child to educate.)

Turns out that this bag is so big it needed its own seat at the conference. Seriously. The foot room at the base of the seats at the Edward Jones Dome is almost non-existent and I was having issues just trying to fit my size 9 heels under my chair. So, my purse got its own seat. And then, my purse got its own name. Meet Frank, my new purse.

Frank and I have a love/hate relationship, but we are thinking about getting counseling, so there may be hope for us. Frank is a little too big, a little too shiny, and definitely too blingy. And what about that big “G” made of rhinestones? At first I thought I would tell people the “G” stood for grace, or God, but now I know what it really means – garbage bag. Like as in the tall kitchen size. Seriously, I carry Frank with bling turned into my body because I am horrified by the blinginess of it. This thing looks like a feed bag of some sort – I should fill it up with some M&M’s and head to the local cinema with it. (Actually, that is not a bad idea.)
So really, Frank is Frankenstein, my monster purse. Which turns out is not a bad theme for next month, so it’s all good.

18 Years of Blessing!

2009-09-07T13:15:00.000-07:00

Over my life, I have heard the phrase "time flies" hundreds of times. Never has it been more true than today. This morning, as I awoke and saw my clock at 7:37, I had an immediate flashback to 18 years earlier, to the last minute of my first pregnancy & more importantly - childbirth. At 7:38 a.m. on September 7th, 1991, I became a mother for the first time. Austin came into this world four weeks premature, screaming at the top of his lungs, and thankfully, completely healthy. He was finally in my arms after 11 weeks of bed rest, 9 hospitalizations and countless hours of prayer for his health and safety. This child had already turned my life upside down and inside out. I was completely, blissfully in love from the moment he was placed in my arms.

God knew, as only He can, that this boy and I needed each other. In many ways, we grew up together, taking turns at being teacher and student. I was and continue to be, completely amazed and enthralled with watching my son encounter the world. He is so ready for anything that comes his way! Ever curious, always interested and imminently laid-back, he is a joy to know. Spending time with him continues to be one of my favorite things to do. Just the two of us hanging out and watching t.v. or in the midst of his cool friends; both are a treat. Even a trip to the local grocery store is fun - because we have fun together no matter what we are doing. No one makes me laugh harder or think more deeply than my son.

We have been blessed as a family with masses of memorable moments. Travelling by car all across this country over the years - from golf course to golf course - has given us ample opportunity to spend time together. We have bonded over long talks, listening to music, making up silly games like the "Motor Home Game", and laughter, so much laughter.

All my best stories revolve around the funny things Austin has said or done over the years. If you haven't heard the "Chochi Flo" story or the "She's not my mother!" story - you need only ask me. It takes very little to get me going on Austin B. stories or "Austinisms" as his Nana calls them.

Over these past 18 years, I have prayed thousands of prayers for this young man. I have asked the Lord to bless Austin, to mature him, to lead him. I have prayed for my future daughter-in-law since he was born. I've prayed for his safety, his friends, his education. The biggest and most important prayer over these years has been this: "May he one day own his own faith in God. May he come to know and follow hard after Jesus." The biggest and most important thing I have to say today is this: He has. He does.

Praise be to God. Thank you, Father. Thank you for this most miraculous gift. Thank you for letting me raise this child. Thank you for growing him into a precious and devoted follower of Yours.

Happy Birthday to my son, Austin!
In honor of your 18th birthday, here is your very own "A to Z" list.

ABF - From A to Z

You are:

A- Athletic, active, achiever
B- Blonde, bible-reading, basketball player
C- Caring, charismatic
D- Deeply devoted
E- Especially energetic
F- Faithful, fun, funny, friend to many - Feezy!
G- Guitar playing, godly, goofy, good GPA
H- Handsome, happy, hazel-eyed
I- Independent individual
J- Joyful, jovial, jokester
K- Kind-hearted, kid-friendly
L- Loyal, loving, laughs a lot
M- Muscular, manly, musical
N- Nice, noisy, non-stop
O- Outgoing
P- Positive, point guard
Q- Quirky, questioning
R- Relentlessing pursuing the LORD
S- Smart, silly, spunky
T- Trustworthy
U- Unique
V- Victorious in Jesus
W- Winsome, worshipful
X- Xcellent character
Y- Yearns for truth
Z- Zealous for the LORD

I love you, Bud.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

2009-01-10T11:15:00.001-08:00

In my last post, I mentioned a Chicken Enchilada Casserole and several people have asked me to post that recipe as well. I never intended to do a recipe blog, but maybe that is what this will turn out to be. I do LOVE new recipes and have often said "I never met a new recipe I didn't like!" Seriously, I get bored very easily in the kitchen and love trying out new things. It would be fine by me to make a new thing every time I cook, but there are some people living in my house who would protest that program! They have some favorites and expect to smell them cooking every so often.

This is one of my personal favorites and a great dish for company. The first time I had it, I was the company! :)

Layered Chicken & Black Bean Enchiladas

2 c. chopped, cooked chicken breasts
Chopped fresh cilantro (1/4 to 1/2 c.)
2 - 15 oz. cans black beans, drained & rinsed
1 - 4.5 oz/ can chopped green chiles
1 - 10 oz. can enchilada sauce (your choice - mild, medium or hot)
small onion, finely chopped
8 - corn tortillas, six inch size
2 c. shredded colby - monterey jack cheese
8 oz. light sour cream

-Preheat oven to 375 degrees
- Spray 13 x 9 glass baking dish with non-stick cooking spray
- Combine chicken, cilantro, beans, onions & chiles in a bowl and mix well.
- Spoon 2 T. of the enchilada sauce in bottom of dish
- Spread 4 tortillas over sauce, overlapping if necessary
- Spoon half the chicken mixture over tortillas
- Spread 1/3 of the cheese over chicken mixture
- Spoon half the remaining sauce and half the sour cream randomly over cheese.
- Repeat the layers; tortillas, chicken, 1/3 cheese, sauce
- Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes
- Uncover, sprinkle last 1/3 of cheese and bake uncovered for an additional 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

A couple thoughts:
For the chicken, I usually just bake up some breasts beforehand, using a little olive oil, salt & pepper. But you could use a rotisserie chicken or leftover grilled chicken - or even marinate it with something special. It's not a big deal. My husband is not a huge fan of the black beans, so now I double the amount of chicken and only use 1 can of beans. Don't freak out about the size of your baking dish, the original recipe called for a 12 x 8 dish but I only have a 9 x 13 and it works fine. Sometimes I mix the enchilada sauce and the sour cream and just pour it on the casserole that way. Depends on my mood. :)

Es sabroso!

Julianne

p.s. ~ I simply cannot type the word ENCHILADA - every single time in this post, I originally typed ENCHILDA. What the heck is an "enchilda" anyway? Does everyone suffer from this syndrome? I am married to a man named Brian, but I almost always type "Brain" instead. Do you have words you do this with? I have quite a list going. I would love to hear about yours!

Make This for Dinner Soon!

2009-01-08T12:17:00.000-08:00

As promised, here is the new recipe I told you about. This came to me from a sweet friend who sends me the best recipes. She never lets me down! One of my all time faves from her is this wonderful Chicken Enchilada Casserole - it has black beans and fresh cilantro - yum.

Anyway, she e-mailed this a week or so ago, but I waited to make it until the weather was freezing and I was craving a hearty stew-type meal. It totally fit the bill and I just had the leftovers for lunch, putting the beef over mashed potatoes and just nuking it - very satisfying.

Braised Beef with Sun Dried Tomatoes

2 T. olive oil
2 lbs. stew meat, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 medium onion, vertically sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 T. flour
1 3/4 c. water
1 c. dry red wine
1 c. low sodium beef broth
1 c. sun dried tomatoes - packed without oil & chopped or cut into strips
1 T. brown sugar
1 T. worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 t. fresh rosemary, chopped
3/4 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1 bay leaf
1/4 c. flat leaf parsley, chopped

- Heat olive oil in large dutch oven over medium high heat. Add beef, cook 4 minutes, browning on all sides.
- Add sliced onions, cook about 7 minutes or until softened. Add minced garlic, cook 1 minute.
- Stir in flour, cook 2 minutes, stirring often.
- Stir in water and next 9 ingredients - through bay leaf. Reduce heat to medium low, cover and simmer for 1 hour.
- Uncover and simmer an additional 30 minutes or until beef is tender.
- Discard bay leaf.
- Ladle into bowls or onto plates, sprinkle each serving with fresh chopped parsley.

I planned to use fresh rosemary from my garden but my plant was dead from the cold. Shocking, as it thrived through all last winter! I was disappointed to use dry rosemary - it just reminds me of all the pine needles we have vacuumed up through the holidays! And while I had some lovely fresh parsley, I completely forgot to add it to the finished product. That might have had something to do with two men standing in the kitchen, waiting for plates of food so they could watch the Duke vs. Davidson game on the big tv in the basement. :)

I made mashed potatoes to go with this - you could do that or rice or pasta. The juice is so tasty, you'll want something to soak it all up. (I used rolls, but I'm not saying how many.)

I also could not find my dutch oven, so I simply used a skillet to brown the beef, onions & garlic, then poured it all into a large saucepan/stew pot for the rest. No problem, except for the 30 minutes I lost, searching high & low for the dutch oven. (Who loses their dutch oven? If you borrowed mine or I gave it to you, I would love to get it back.)

For those of you who might prefer using a crock pot, here are some thoughts on how to do just that: Reduce the liquids (3/4 c water instead of 1 3/4 c, and 3/4 c wine instead a full cup). Since the crock keeps so much moisture in, this will probably be about the right amount of liquid. Try 4 hours on low and about 1 or 1.5 on high. You could also add some root vegetables to this, potatoes, carrots, etc. to make it more stew-like.

This is just a really nice, tasty meal. Highly recommended. Enjoy!

Julianne

New Year, New Blog?

2009-01-07T18:30:00.000-08:00

Well, it's now 2009 and I haven't posted a new entry in two months. Where does the time go? It's not like life is too boring to report, it's exactly the opposite! Since November 1st:
~ I spent a weekend taking care of six children - by myself
~ My niece gave birth to her twin boys and
~ I got to go visit the new babies and family for a few days
~ We celebrated Thanksgiving
~ Basketball season began
~ I've been sick and had my hair cut - twice
~ December arrived and winter began in earnest
~ My best friend came to visit, shop and watch movies for three days
~ Austin took the ACT test, took his finals and played in 7 basketball games
~ I quit both my jobs
~ Christmas came and went in a flurry of shopping, baking, shipping, wrapping, worshipping and celebrating
~ We rang in the new year amidst a huge group of rowdy high school kids
and finally ....
~I put all the Christmas decorations away.

Whew. Makes me tired just thinking about it!

But now it's January and before the winter doldrums set in, I thought I would jump start the blog.

Tomorrow? New recipe!! We had it for dinner tonight and it was delish!

To all my friends who managed to get through the holidays and still keep up their blogs - my hat is off to you. Take a bow. You kept me laughing and with my sanity intact during a crazy haze of chaos. For that, I thank you.

Julianne

The Soup Nazi

2008-11-01T21:08:00.000-07:00

If you are a "Seinfeld" fan, you know who the Soup Nazi is. I'm a big fan, I think we probably quote from "Seinfeld" at least once a day around our home. The Soup Nazi is a hilarious episode, but it makes me crave soup. That and a cold snap send me to chopping veggies and buying broth every time.

We have several favorite soups around here. My first fave came from my dear mother telling me about how her boss made this simple soup that was so good. Two cans of chicken or beef broth, some minced garlic, onion, salt, pepper and whatever vegetables she had in her crisper. I added meat and some pasta and it became an immediate family favorite. It's so easy, any bonehead can make it. Mom & I call it "Bonehead Soup"!

I've recently picked up a few new tricks in the soup category and am happy to share them with you. There are TWO.

No Baked Potato Soup - from my friend, Caryl

Buffalo Wing Soup - from this blog

These two are so yummy that I keep making them in a cycle, along with Football Soup. Brian is totally over soup now. He asked me the other day - "We've been married for more than 22 years. When have you ever known me to order soup in a restaurant?" Oh well. My love affair with the "meal in a bowl" continues...

NO Baked Potato Soup

Love this one. I've traded it in for a recipe where you had to bake the potatoes as step one. No more!
You Need:
12 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
2/3 c. butter
2/3 c. flour
7 c. milk
4 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
bunch of green onions, chopped
1 1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1 c. sour cream
1 t. salt
1 t. ground black pepper

Cook bacon until crispy - I use the microwave. In a soup pot, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour until smooth. Gradually stir in milk, whisking until thickened. Stir in potatoes and onions. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat, simmer 15 minutes.
Mix in bacon, cheese, sour cream, salt & pepper. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until cheese is melted.
Serves 6

I use skim milk, light sour cream and to heck with it, regular bacon & cheese. :) We usually reserve about half the bacon for garnish - my boys don't love the texture of the bacon in the soup. This soup is really fast when you are in a hurry.

Buffalo Chicken Wing Soup

You need:

2 cups cooked and cubed chicken
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups fat free milk (no higher content than 2%, or it will curdle)
3/4 cup chicken broth
4 oz Velveeta
1/2 cup hot wing sauce (Use Frank's if you can find it!)
1/2 tsp celery salt
1/2 tsp garlic salt

A 4 to 6 quart crockpot will work well for this soup. Make a roux with the flour and butter. Melt butter on medium heat, then whisk in the flour. Set aside. Chop up the onion and celery, and dump it into your crockpot. Add the cooked and cubed chicken. Pour in the chicken broth and milk. Add Velveeta. Add the salt. Stir in the flour and butter mixture. Add hot sauce. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 3-4. The soup is done when the celery and onion reach desired tenderness. This is so yummy - I think about making it all the time. Serve it with the Cheesy Beer Bread recipe from here and you might make grown (or teenage) men cry!

I hope you enjoy these recipes! They have blessed me and I pray they will bless you and yours as well.

Pumpkin Biscotti, Google & A Birthday

2008-10-22T08:03:00.001-07:00

This morning I am searching for a pumpkin biscotti recipe. I want to bless a dear friend with something home-baked for her birthday. She loves biscotti and I love pumpkin - a match made in heaven.

Google is one of the best things ever invented. I do not know how I managed before the days of "googling"! I managed, just don't know how.

So I "googled" 'pumpkin biscotti', thinking that there would be little returned. Was I wrong! Apparently, this is a baking trend I've completely missed out on all these years. I've made all sorts of biscotti in my life, but I never dreamed of pairing my autumn favorite (pumpkin) with my Christmas favorite (biscotti). So, so glad and delighted that others have gone where I have failed to travel!

In my "googling" this morning, I came across a new blog to follow. Where I am going to find the time to follow yet another blog, I have no clue. But it's another cooking blog. I am addicted. I love recipes. New ones. As I've said before, I would be happy to make something new at every meal and never visit the same recipe twice. Except for that Italian biscotti recipe with the orange zest & espresso beans, and the Cappucino Cheesecake, and Creamy Chicken Pasta, and The Barefoot Contessa's Turkey Lasagna. Oh, and Garlic Lime Chicken! Okay, I take that back. Some recipes require revisiting!

Check out the new blog with the pumpkin biscotti recipe.
I'll let you know how the cookies turn out!
I ♥ Google. And pumpkin. And biscotti. And my friend, Christine. Happy Belated Birthday, Panini!

Have a blessed day!

What Makes a Good Friend?

2008-10-20T14:40:00.000-07:00

I work for a very special family. They are homeschooling six children, from age 11 down to age 3 - a mix of boys and girls - all extremely wonderful. I've been with them since just before the youngest was born. My job used to be to take care of the little ones so Mom could teach the older ones. Now I just help teach - and whatever else needs doing. It's a blast. They are family to me.

Today, as I was helping one of the older boys with his math, (no comments, please!) I looked up and noticed a 4x6 index card propped up on his pencil box. Then I noticed that two of his brothers had similiar cards at their seats. What they wrote on these cards gave me some things to think about on the subject of friendship.

The first card said this:
"Proverbs 17:17 'a friend is born for all times, and a brother is born for adversity.' What Makes a Good Friend? Being: slow to speak, easy going, listens, athletic, funny, adventures, brave, loves God, knows you, follows up on komitments, honest, creative, cheerful,"
It ended with a comma, so I think he plans on continuing his list. Love the 10 year old spelling of commitments!

His older brother's list of good characteristics in a friend are: funny, athletic, loves God, listens, peacemaker." You would have to know this young man to understand how serious he is about his friend being athletic - he is not joking!

Their younger brother's qualifications were simple: who loves you, who loves God, who obeys you, who likes you" Note the "who obeys you" one! Not sure if he meant the friend should obey him or God! He would surely love a friend to obey him, as he has two older brothers telling him what to do all the time!

As kids, they seem way ahead of the game. They are learning what to look for in friends and what kind of friend they should be to others. How great is that? But it made me think long and hard about how I am doing in the area of friendship. Do I meet any of their expectations - or others?

I know that I am blessed with many, many amazing friends. Lots of family members are pals now that we are adults. I've got friends all over the country ... they meet the above requirements and then some! I am so grateful today not only for my friends, but also for being able to be a friend - hopefully a good one.

What would be on your list today? What are you looking for in a friend?

Can't wait to hear your thoughts!

Football Soup

2008-10-18T17:35:00.000-07:00

Okay, I just had a bowl of soup for dinner. Really good soup. Really. Good. Soup.
And I made it! Doesn't that just make it even better? When you pull something out of your hat (or crock-pot) and it just works? Love it.

Tonight we were supposed to be at the surprise 50th birthday party of a dear friend (Happy Birthday, Kurt! We love you!) but ended up spending the evening with about 10 high school boys watching the Mizzou vs. Texas game instead. It's a long story. But suffice it to say that curveballs are the norm around here and I'm learning to go with the flow. :)

It was about 4:00 when our plans to attend the party fell through and I was made aware that my house would be full of hungry young men (yet again) by about 6:30. Pizza is always an option, but it's gorgeous fall weather today - sunny and about 60 degrees. Perfect for something hot & filling. The guys were playing touch football and were coming straight here to watch the game. It was CHILI TIME, right? Wrong! I just wasn't feeling it. For a moment I considered making POTATO Soup or maybe even my new BUFFALO CHICKEN WING soup, but they take TIME and I had none to spare. So off to my recipe binder I went -- moments later I find just what I'm looking for: White Chili or Football Soup as it is alternately called. Perfect.

So with a quick trip to the grocery for onions & chopped green chilis I was set. This was so easy to make. My favorite qualification for new recipes! It turned out so yummy and just what we needed to fill all those hungry boys. Well, the soup, some breadsticks, fruit snacks, goldfish crackers, peanuts, grapes, Kit Kats and the 5 pizzas we had delivered. LOL. What are you gonna do?

So here's the recipe. I plan to blog the other recipes I mentioned above in the coming days. It's fall and it is the least I can do to help my friends celebrate the cooler weather.....

White Chili (Football Soup)
Credit The Blue Owl Restaurant in historic Kimmswick, MO.

1 T. olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 (4 oz) cans chopped mild green chilies
2 t. ground cumin
1 1/2 t. dried oregano, crumbled
1/4 t. cayenne pepper
3 (16 oz) cans great northern beans, undrained
6 c. chicken stock or canned chicken broth
4 c. chopped cooked chicken, to taste
3 c. grated monterey jack cheese (about 12 oz)

1. Heat oil in large pot over medium heat.
2. Add onions and saute until translucent, about 10 min.
3. Stir in garlic, then chilies, cumin, oregano, and cayenne and saute 2 minutes
4. Add undrained beans and stock and bring to a boil
5. Reduce heat and add chicken and cheese to chili and stir until cheese melts.
6. Season to taste with salt & pepper and ladle into bowls.
7. For freezing: Pour soup into container or freezer bag, label and freeze. To reheat, thaw in refrigerator overnight or simply put frozen soup into a large pot and gently heat, with lid on and stirring often, til heated through.

It's a good thing.

Mom, this would be great for you and dad. Easily halved. :) You will love this.

And Shelly? This is one thing I plan to make for you, Phillip & your mom when Canon finally arrives - ANY MOMENT NOW! :) (Please, LORD?)

Sam's Club Run

2008-09-30T16:48:00.000-07:00

Hello, Friends. Just a little while ago on my Facebook page, I posted the following status update:

"Julianne is dreading the Sam's run. Ugh, why do the best deals have to be in the biggest stores?"

Then I went to Sam's Club. Upon my return a few short hours later, I find several comments in response to my status. They are as follows:

"if only they sold their cupcakes by the single at the snackbar...it would make the hike through the store so totally worth it!" - from J.

"I need some bags of fruit please!!! If you'll grab that for me Jul, I'd appreciate it!!! :)" - from a different J.

"I'm running short of toilet paper. It would be great if you saved me the trip" - from yet another J.

"Oh, and the chicken breasts. Thankyouverymuch." - hmm. all my peeps are J's!

And these comments were left by people who don't live within 200 miles of me! Crazy folks!

This all made me wonder how many of us share the same feelings of doom when it's time to head to your local wholesale club?

So let it all hang out. What do you have on your list? What can't you live without from Sam's? And how do you feel about shopping there?

A Car for Austin...

2008-09-27T10:43:00.000-07:00

Around these parts, when a kid turns 16, they get not only their driver's license, but oftentimes a new car to go along with their legal right to drive. Around our house, however, getting your license does not necessarily mean you will be getting a car as well. So when Austin turned 16 last September, off he went to get his license -- thankfully on the first try -- and thus began a year of sharing my minivan.

Now, if you know many 16 year old boys, you can imagine how thrilled (not) one might be to find himself driving a minivan to and from high school and to all his many social events! But bless his heart, Austin never complained about the uncool car he was allowed to drive. He went so far as to suggest that maybe I should get a new, cooler car and he would take the van. That pretty much sealed the deal for me -- I knew right then that he was too special to be stuck driving a minivan for long.

So after a year of sharing, we finally decided to get serious about finding Austin a car. If you recall, the area in which we live, many kids get new cars. That was never going to happen for Austin. That's just not our style. We were simply interested in locating a safe, used car at a nice price. Turns out, this is not as easy as it might sound! Bri spent HOURS on the internet .... craigslist, ebay, etc... searching in vain for the right deal. When he finally found the perfect car, it was located in several hours south of here. The gentleman selling it was unwilling to meet us halfway, even if we agreed to purchase it sight unseen! Bummer. Back to the drawing board!

During the summer, Brian has very little excess time or energy. Golf lessons consume his every waking hour and he is spent from working in the heat & humidity all day. Suffice it to say that the task was wearing on him and we needed to come up with a solution quickly.

Then one night, right around the big 17th birthday celebration, we get a call from dear friends who were moving to Arizona. Turns out they are going to buy a minivan here and drive it to AZ. They aren't going to get a ton of money on their trade-in and they heard (through the church grapevine) that we were searching for exactly this type of car! We had about 8 hours to decide if we should buy this Toyota Camry or keep searching.

After much prayer & discussion - the answer was BUY THE CAR, so we did. It worked out nicely for all involved and Austin is delighted with his new wheels. The best part is that he is driving a car that once belonged to a friend and both he and our friend love that connection.

We all love this car. I drive it occasionally just for fun. It takes me back to the first Honda Accord we had when we first got married - eons ago. It even smells the same. So thank you, Jeremy & Amanda for blessing us with this vehicle. We will take great care of your car for you. May it carry Austin safely for many miles!

Bonus story #1: The car is missing the letters "C" and "Y" on the back where it should read CAMRY. Austin likes to tell people he is driving the new Toyota AMR - it sounds so impressive! For his birthday, one of his friends gave him the magnetic letters "C" and "Y" (the kind you buy for preschoolers and put on your fridge) so he could fix the problem. It was hilarious!

Bonus story #2: The gentleman with the first car we wanted? Still trying to sell it on craigslist.com! Sorry buddy, but you should have met us halfway when we asked!

Austin & his buddy, Laz in the driveway, getting ready to drive away for the first time in his new car!

Gotta "throw your twos up!"

Ooh, intimidating!

Backing out....

And away they go! Off to Subway, or the gym, or the ZOE house.....

*sigh*

I'm B-a-a-a-a-ck!

2008-09-21T19:20:00.000-07:00

For those of you who have been asking me where I've gone - ignoring my blog since early August, let me just say that LIFE IS FULL. It's good, busy, a little chaotic and just plain full.

I've had about 15 major things to blog about - I'm always thinking "hmmm, this is just so bloggable - it is just screaming for a post" but when I finally sit down, I can't put a coherent thought together. Case in point: my son asked me today, "Uhm, Mom, what can you tell me about this bag of potato chips in the fridge?" All I could do was shrug. I didn't bother to tell him that is just one odd thing I've placed in the fridge lately. My personal faves are the stainless steel coffee carafe, full of hot brewed coffee and the cordless phone. What is that all about?

Anyway, everyone is happy & healthy. School is off and running. My baby is a junior in high school and my life is just teenagers all the time. Austin turned 17, we bought him a car, we redid our master bedroom, I started back to work, we bought me a car, Brian's golf course hosted a major PGA golf tournament, the list is endless.

But the most exciting thing to happen to this blog is this I've REDECORATED! Thank you, Celeste, my very creative niece-in-law. Is that a real title? I'd rather just call her a totally cool friend. She is so great and just about the funniest person I know. You can read her hilarious blog if you click HERE. She made my blog look so, well, so ME. :) I heart her. So a big shout out to the uber-cool wife of my sweet nephew, Jamas. (How's that for a title, Cel?)

Now that it looks so fun, I'm planning to get back into sharing my innermost thoughts with the three people who read this. Let me know if you like the new look.

Oh, and happy first day of Autumn!

Julianne

Affirmation for a Friend

2008-08-04T15:37:00.001-07:00

I have a sweet friend. She is going through the trial of a lifetime. She shouldn't be. But she is and she is feeling pretty down on herself. She shouldn't. But she is.
I have a sweet pastor. He is teaching me about affirmation. He likes to tell our flock that life is hard and everyone has more hurts, heartaches & disappointment than we can imagine. And since life can be so hard, we all need more encouragement. So he affirms people publicly. It's really wonderful. At our church, we affirm people who are being baptized, getting married, having a baby, leaving us, having a birthday or anniversary - you get the picture. I love this tradition.
Same pastor, another tradition. He loves A to Z lists. The first one I ever heard him do was the names of Jesus in A to Z format. It's great. He's great. Have I mentioned that?
Back to my sweet friend. I would now like to affirm her publicly. Most of you do not know her and may never meet her. Some of you will meet her in heaven one happy day. Until then, here is an A to Z list of her many qualities. She'll know immediately that this list is about her, so I'm leaving her name a mystery.

A to Z Affirmation of my Sweet Friend

A - amazing
B- beautiful, blingy
C- cheerful, color-coordinated, creative, Cardinal's fan
D- dependable, dorky, diligent
E- esteemed highly, energetic
F- faithful friend, fears the LORD, fashion-conscious
G- glorifies God, giggly, gentle in spirit
H- happy, honest, honorable, hat girl
I- independent, impertinent at times, irrepressible
J- Julianne’s friend, joyful
K- karaoke singer, kind to everyone she meets
L- loving & lovable
M- mother of the year
N- nice, never crabby
O- open book
P- pretty, peaceful, poised, poet
R- rambunctious, rowdy, red lips
S- silly, serene, supportive, singer, steadfast
T- truth teller, trustworthy
U- unbelievably under-appreciated
V- virtuous, victorious in Jesus
W- writer
X- xcellent wife
Y- youthful
Z- zealous for the LORD

Isn't this A to Z list thing fun? Maybe you should go make one!

Blessings,
Julianne

Taste of Tuesday

2008-07-22T10:35:00.001-07:00

Well, the dinner went great. I easily had enough food, since way fewer kids showed up than what I planned for! That is an important lesson to learn with teens. They do not always do what they say they will do. They are very consistent that way! So I think I had five or so, seven with Brian & I. Let's just say we have some leftover salad. The garlic bread was devoured, as was the pasta. There's just enough for me to enjoy at lunchtime. Yay leftovers!

I'm the only one in the house who gets excited about leftovers. I think the reason is obvious. But what is it about men and leftovers? Do they really think we can provide a freshly cooked meal each and every day? I mean, come on! But I am a big fan of small bits of yesterday's meal in a plastic container. It means HOT LUNCH FOR MAMMA! Really, it's the simple things in life that make me happy. (or, as my college roommate - ooh, she was mean! - liked to tell me, "simple things for simple minds." Okay, let's go with that. Either way, I'm happy.

Here's a couple pictures of what went down last night:

This is me, cutting the chicken up into tiny little bite-size pieces. That was while I was still under the impression that I would not have enough food!

Here's a part of the cast of characters, you'll have to guess which one is mine.

Here's some of them again, ready to hit the ZOE House

for a night of fun! Hint: My son is the one who is

utterly confident in his headgear. Note the feathers.

Taste of Tuesday - Recipe of the Day

Creamy Chicken Italiano

I love this recipe because it is done mostly in the CrockPot and I come home to a heavenly aroma and just a little additional preparation. Served with salad and some garlic bread, it's a simple meal that tastes great.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 envelope dry Italian salad dressing mix
¼ cup water
8 oz package cream cheese, softened
10 ¾ oz can cream of chicken soup

Bow tie Pasta

Place chicken in slow cooker. Combine salad dressing and water, pour over chicken. Cover, cook on low about 5-6 hours. Remove cooked chicken to cutting board – cut chicken into bite size pieces. Combine cheese and soup until blended. Pour mixture into liquid remaining in slow cooker and whisk to blend. Add chicken pieces back into slow cooker. Cover and cook on low 30 minutes to 1 hour. Serve over farfalle (bow tie) pasta.

Notes:
I use the frozen chicken tenderloin pieces from Sam’s – they cook fast and rarely have anything that needs to be cut off. Normally, in my small crock-pot, I use about 9 of those chicken pieces. For the soup, I use the fat-free kind since the cream cheese has plenty of fat! I try not to add the pasta until just before serving – the pasta absorbs a lot of the liquid and it seems drier when you do it too soon. In the big crock-pots, I would double the recipe. Oh, and I usually only use a half of the box of pasta for our small family. For the big crock-pot it takes about a box & a half. You can be pretty loose with the cooking time as well. I've been known to put the frozen chicken in at 8 a.m. and leave it on low until 6 p.m. - it never seems to dry out. All in all, I've done this so many ways and never been disappointed.

Enjoy!

Cooking for the Masses

2008-07-21T13:59:00.000-07:00

Today I find myself cooking for a large group of teenagers. It started small, just Austin and a couple of his buddies. They have their largest youth group event of the year this week, it's called HOT SUMMER NITES - they look forward to this like kiddies anticipate Christmas starting on December 26th - it's that big. Anyway, I casually offered to feed the core group and about five hours later, the guest list just keeps growing and growing! Good thing it's a pasta dish and I can just keep adding more carbs. The pieces of chicken are getting smaller and smaller, though! I've found that if you provide enough garlic bread, you can keep them pretty content. That and brownies. Oh, and Kool-Aid. If you can believe that. Kool-Aid? They love it. The more things change, the more they stay the same!

So I'm off to the store for about four loaves of that pre-fab frozen garlic bread. Here's hoping I can fend off this hungry horde. I'll try to take some pictures so those of you with little ones can get an idea of what's ahead in the years to come!

Enjoy your summer day...

And the Winner is................

2008-07-19T13:00:00.000-07:00

Thanks for all who posted comments about your fave Starbucks order. I had a blast reading them. It was good to see that some of you have preferences that change with the weather, just like me. Not that I change with the weather or anything! Ahhh, I'm dreaming of a Gingerbread Latte with just a light amount of snowfall. (It is like 99 degrees here today!)
I held the drawing open until Saturday. Because I'm cool like that. Or because I fell asleep watching the British Open and the Cardinals game last night. Either way, it might not be fair, but hey, it's my blog.
So of course, the winner is the latest entry, Shelly! Yay, Shelly! Seriously gals, no one deserves a cup of joe more than this lady. Check out her blog here to see why! :) Congrats, Shelly and I will hand you your Starbucks gift card in person. Can't wait!

Enjoy your weekend!

Julianne

My Starbucks Order

2008-07-16T21:38:00.000-07:00

When I first began my blogging adventure, I gave a list of options so the three people who read this could vote on what subjects I should cover. Thank you to the one who voted. So I am starting with my favorite Starbucks order. Or three. Depends on the weather and time of day.

Drum roll, please.

1) Venti non-fat one pump vanilla latte, extra hot - this is my normal morning order, all seasons, but don't think for a minute that I go everyday. Once or twice a month is more like it.

2) Grande iced non-fat caramel machiatto, with half the vanilla & caramel - this is my warm weather choice for later in the day

3) Grande or venti (if I'll have access to a ladies room within the hour) coffee Frappuccino. (My husband calls this a "Frapp-a-rip-off" or my personal fave, "Crappaccino". Since he has zero appreciation for anything java related, he has stooped to the all time low of "Crap-a-rip-off", but that is only when he is trying to get a reaction out of me. This is my favorite afternoon pick me up. Great after a day of shopping or wrangling small children.

Now, for home brewing, I have several faves. Right now, I'm brewing either Pike Place Roast or the ever popular summer favorite, Gazebo blend. Mmmmm. Lovely hot or over ice. Another all around winner is Gold Coast. Makes a girl want to brew a pot right now, doesn't it?

After looking over my choices, I think the thing that really hits me is this: I AM A COFFEE DIVA! It's a good thing I don't take myself too seriously or this would be sad. It reminds me of my dearest friend referring to gas station brew as "Peasant Coffee" - that's where I've ended up. Oh, it's too hot, it's too cold, too much foam, not enough syrup, can I have a little cardboard thingy so my dainty fingers don't get burned?

You know that great monologue in the film "You've Got Mail"? The one where Tom Hanks is waxing on about the various Starbucks orders? It's great. If you've never seen it or have more than one child and therefore a serious lack of short term memory, check it out. Oh, and let me know what you like to order when you find yourself face to face with your local barista. I'll put all the orders in a hat and pick one on Friday. Winner gets a $5.00 Starbucks gift card.

Blessings upon you!

Julianne

Home Sweet Home

2008-07-15T07:56:00.000-07:00

I arrived back from Sarasota on Saturday night, after a week with my family. Saying goodbye to Kimberly was an amazing experience. I've learned much about my sweet niece, my family and myself over the past week and a half. It is for sure and for certain that my heart will never be the same after all I've seen and heard.

My brother Jeff created a beautiful service for his daughter. Our whole family worked like the team we are and helped sort photos and put together a lovely picture presentation for both the funeral home and the church. Kimberly was very detail-oriented when it came to her photos, (lesson learned, dear girl - and thank you!) so the job was not all that difficult. If I knew how to post it here to share, I would. After seeing it about ten times, it still brings me to tears within the first few seconds. She was so beautiful! And her life was so full! The girl did a lot of cool things in her short life.

But the best part of all happened late on Friday night. We were gathered around Jeff's dining room table, once again enjoying one of many delicious home-cooked meals (Thank you, church family and more on that in another post.) when Kimberly's cell phone went off. We had kept her phone on all through the week and Jeff was answering it, explaining what had happened to her friends. But the phone hadn't rung in awhile, so it took us all by surprise. Jeff opened it up and immediately teared up. He began to read the text message aloud. It said something like this: "Kimberly, I miss you so much! Your funeral today was so hard, but it was beautiful. I want you to know that I gave my heart to the Lord during the service. I will always love and miss you."

This came from one of the girls who was with Kim the night before she died. The whole family cheered and I could see that this one message was just what Jeff needed at that moment. Thank you, LORD! Please pray for this young girl and her new faith walk. I'm trying to connect with her through Facebook, just to keep in touch, but she isn't saying much as yet.

Some of you already know of this great story from this gal She is my niece-in-law, (is that a title?) married to my precious nephew Jamas. They both flew down for the service and we had a good time getting to know her a bit better. She is one of the funniest people I've ever known and we did some serious laughing & crying together. More on that later, too! :)

The love & support I've received from my extended group of family and friends has been so touching. Thank you for your calls, cards, hugs & especially prayers. We couldn't not have done it without your caring.

My heart is so full these days, it might just burst.

Thanks.

Julianne

My Family

2008-07-07T08:19:00.000-07:00

The family has gathered here in Sarasota ... some still making travel plans, but most of those who are coming to Kimberly's funeral have arrived. We are crammed into the folk's house - it's kind of like a subdued reunion. Subdued and my family don't really go together, so it's a very different vibe than our usual boisterous gatherings.

I love my family. They are workers. If you need something done, it's done. Something researched? It's Googled in seconds flat. Travel plans? They're on top of it. Hungry? Here's a plate, grab a fork. Need a pick-me-up? Starbucks run. Collapsing in grief? You're surrounded by love, hugs & kleenex.

Not all families work like this, I realize. But today I am ever so grateful for this motley crew of people who can come together in a moments notice for the sole purpose of loving. It's a beautiful picture of God's love for us and His purpose & plan for our lives.

So today, in the midst of so much pain & sorrow, I give thanks to the LORD for His lovingkindness in giving me this group of folks I call "My Family".

We continue to covet your prayers. There is much to be done here, many decisions still have to be made. If you can, please pray for my brother Jeff now and for many months to come. He has a mountain of grief to climb and the journey has only just begun.

Thank you for your prayers, phone calls & support!

Julianne

Kimberly Ann

2008-07-05T04:56:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the fourth of July and a very hard day for my family. My sweet niece, Kimberly, passed away in her sleep and was found by her daddy. She was only 22 years old. We are all heartbroken and in shock.

As we travel from all over the states and gather at my brother's home in Sarasota, Florida, would you be kind enough to lift our family in your prayers? My brother Jeff is broken & hurting in ways we can't even begin to understand. He was exceptionally close to his daughter as she was a very bright light in his world.

You could pray that God would use this tragedy to draw others to Him. Kim knew the LORD and she is with Him today in glory. For that we are so grateful. She would want her life & death to bring praise & glory to her heavenly Father.

I thank you on behalf of my extended family and simply suggest you hold your loved ones a little tighter on this summer day.

Blessings on you....

Julianne

Say it isn't so.....

2008-07-01T14:27:00.000-07:00

This just in.......

Tuesday July 1, 4:26 pm ET
SEATTLE (AP) -- Starbucks Corp. has announced it's closing 600 underperforming stores in the United States.
The Seattle-based premium coffee company also announced Tuesday it expects to open fewer than 200 new company-operated stores in the United States in fiscal 2009.
The company says it will try to place workers from closed stores in remaining Starbucks.

I have a very bad feeling that my neighborhood Starbucks may be on the "store to close" list. I feel a deep depression coming on......

After waiting for three years for my sweet little store to open, (literally a five minute walk from my front door to theirs) I can't even imagine life without it. I don't even go that often anymore. It's just the idea that I CAN go. Okay, so I went today and planned to go tomorrow. I have a very generous gift card to spend and I was planning on having a blast doing it, too!

Woe is me. Feel free to pray if so led. :)

Julianne

Inaugural Blog

2008-07-01T10:32:00.000-07:00

This being my first ever attempt at blogging, I’m feeling a little pressure. Not that anyone (other than my mother) is going to be reading this, but still! I’ve always wished for a place to vent my thoughts, feelings and ideas, hoping someday to be a newspaper columnist. No sense waiting around for the dailies to come callin’, I’ve taken matters into my own hands. Now for something pithy to say to the world….

For weeks now, things would happen in my life and I would think “this would make a great blog entry, if I had a blog!” (Many of my dear friends and family members are blogging and reading their blogs now takes about an hour of my day. They have the best and most creative ideas!) Now I have a blog and don’t have the foggiest idea where to start.

Here, I’ll begin with ideas for possible future blogs:
1) Favorite book as a child – great story to go with it, too
2) What happened on my last birthday
3) Funny story from my trip to a local bakery in Georgia or "I want to be Rachel Ray"
4) My obsession with word games on Facebook
5) Current favorite food to cook
6) My Starbucks order
7) Recent good reads
8) What number SPF do you use?
9) Going to the movies with teenagers
10) How to Organize a Home – not a “How To” exactly, more like a “How to?”

I’ll give it a few days and see which one seems like the best idea. Mom, feel free to vote for your favorite!

Have a great day in the LORD!
Julianne