Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Endless Entertainment
Ok, so I may be a little addicted to...


You know what goes really great with coffee?

I used the classic recipe from Better Homes and Gardens:
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 beaten eggs
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1/2 cup melted butter (no substitutes)
- 1 tablespoon finely shredded orange peel
- 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, thawed
- Coarse sugar (optional)
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease twelve 2-1/2-inch muffin pan cups. Set aside.
2. Stir together flour, the 3/4 cup sugar, baking powder and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Make a well in the center of dry mixture; set aside.
3. Combine eggs, milk, butter, and orange peel; add all at once to the dry mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy). Fold in blueberries.
4. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each almost full. If desired, sprinkle tops with coarse sugar. Bake in preheated oven 20 minutes or until golden. Cool in muffin cups on wire rack 5 minutes. Remove from muffin cups. Makes 12.
My favorite part is the muffin top...
As in the actual top of the muffin... not having a muffin top myself. No thanks on that.
Hard Day






Pool Days
I really, really miss living at the beach. But, I have gotten used to doing my Sun-worshipping by the pool. I'm actually fine with it. And I am now officially old enough to enjoy "adult swim."

Grocery Getter
That's what comes to mind when I hear the term, "grocery getter." You know, something like this:
Oh... no!!! Get ready for a new mental image! I introduce to you... the new, improved Grocery Getter!!:

We filled up the laundry basket and the granny cart. And my little "grocery getter" sure did come in handy!
Hey Y'all!
First, a little bit of random background about today. So, I was running late again this morning (we start our mornings ridiculously early and I refuse to back that alarm up even MORE so it just is what it is) so I didn't have a shower (don't worry, I'm not nasty!) so I ended up fixing my hair when I got to work at the White House. I'm not trying to boast, but I do think it's pretty cool that one day I'll be able to tell my grandkid that I blow dryed my hair at the White House, haha!
I tend to wear a lot of black and white. It's easy, right? Today's outfit includes black pants, a black and white sleeveless shirt, and a white jacket. I always feel like a doctor when I wear a white jacket. I don't know why I continue to do this to myself.
The last time I wore this white jacket, I dribbled my coffee all over myself as I walked down the street. So... this morning, I chilled at Starbucks before I went to the office to drink my coffee down so I wouldn't have to buy another Tide pen.
My morning routine:

By the way - another random thought... I am eating gumbo today that I made in February. We pulled it down from the freezer and thawed it. I admit... it makes me feel a little nervous. But it is tasty, so far!
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Easy, Delicious Cake

(Yes, in the pic, that's the cake... being served up for breakfast... we're big on dessert for breakfast around here!)
Recipe:
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons butter
- 8 large eggs
- 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 cup bleached flour
- 1 teaspoon baking
powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla
extract
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a small saucepan, heat the milk and 1 tablespoon of butter, over medium heat. Put the eggs and 2 cups of sugar in a large mixing bowl, and with an electric mixer fitted with a wire whisk beat on medium-high speed until the mixture is pale yellow, thick, and has tripled in volume, about 8 minutes, using the mixer. With the machine on low, beat in the warm milk mixture. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together in another large mixing bowl. Add the egg mixture and vanilla, fold to mix thoroughly so the mixture is smooth. Grease 12 by 17-inch baking sheet pan with the remaining butter. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. Pour the cake batter evenly into the pan and bake until the cakes spring back when touched, about 15 minutes. Let cool for about 2 minutes. Sprinkle a piece of parchment paper with powdered sugar. Using a thin spatula or knife, loosen the edges of the cakes, then flip onto the paper. Cool completely
Plant Life Update

So... this red thing isn't doing so well. I don't know what it is. Any tips on bringing it back are appreciated. My mom floated the idea that just the buds are gone and they will come back? I dunno.
I am clearly no expert in Botany... but I do believe we have some serious Cilantro growing in our Herb Garden, and some Basil, I'm happy to say. I even used the Cilantro to make a homemade marinade for Tuna last weekend!

Mix together:
2 tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 tsp. dried red pepper flakes
1 tsp. salt
2 cups chicken stock
Let your chicken or tuna marinate in a bag with all of that goodness... and you will be happy!
By the way -- did you notice those awesome grill marks!?!?!
Oh yeah, baby! Check these suckers out:

The Painful (Naked) Truth
I’m going to peel back the curtain a little now, though. Let me be straight with you. I’ve been struggling these past few months with situational depression. It has come and gone, some days are better than others. One moment, I’m the happiest little homemaker on the block, the next I feel like some kind of Cinderella/slave who is the scum of the earth. Talk about a roller coaster!
I’m learning a lot about myself and my God through this. Let me tell you – I am learning how NOT perfect I am, and how perfect HIS peace is. I’m learning how to trust God, how to cry out to Him and accept His grace. Who knew it would be so hard to accept a gift that is being given to you, right?
Here’s the thing. For months, the weight of Michael’s disability was just closing in on me. Like this giant, heavy, rough edged boulder on top of me all the time. I felt mad, sad, sorry for him, sorry for myself, jealous every time I saw a couple walking together hand in hand, or saw a guy pull up to the apartment building next to ours in a car to pick his girlfriend up, frustrated that there are so many responsibilities that fall on me (ridiculous things would make me cry, like taking out the trash), worried about our future, wondering if things were ever going to get better, wondering if I was ever going to stop feeling like my very existence was getting in the way.
Oy. Right?
I knew my emotions were out of control. I was concerned. Michael was concerned. I kept the issue pretty guarded, though, so not many others knew what I was going through (major mistake).
I started journaling my thoughts, fears, frustrations. Then… I realized something. I needed so badly just to figure out how I was feeling. I knew I was crying all the time, and I was overreacting to almost everything, but I couldn’t figure out why.
Then… it dawned on me. This disability feels like a 3rd person in our marriage. Me, Mike, and this wheelchair and everything associated with it. This 3rd person was not cool. He (I’m making it a boy for story’s sake) was seriously cramping our style! He’s slows us down, ruins our plans, and must be the center of attention. He’s heavy, and clunky, and doesn’t go with the natural flow. And he’s so demanding. And he’s always around. He has to be the first thing I deal with in the morning, the last thing I deal with before going to bed, and he never understands when we’re tired, or busy, or we just don’t want to deal with him. And he’s very particular. He must have things a certain way, so we always have to make sure the environment is acceptable to him before making plans. How annoying, right?
Before you send me e-mails about this rant: Yes, I knew what I was getting myself into. Duh. Michael was very open with me about his disability and his life and what all it entails. He was wise in letting me in on this stuff slowly, and believe me – I knew what I was getting into. And I was completely okay with it. Even viewed it as a sort of “blessing,” believe it or not. (I am actually almost back to that point now.)
Okay, back to that “3rd person. “ I tried to reason with him, that didn’t work. Tried to bargain, again, not negotiable. The thing about toting a 3rd person around that’s not really a 3rd person is…. You can’t relate to him, because he’s not really a him, he’s an it. So, I couldn’t sit him down and have a conversation with him, confess that I was getting jealous of him, and that I needed him to move aside every now and then, you know. But, sadly, the disability didn’t understand things from my perspective.
And, Mr. 3rd person was not going to change. I was going to have to change. Because the “3 of us” have to make this work. We’re all in this for life!
I needed a new perspective.
And not the kind of “well, at least we’re still alive” kind of “perspective.” Ask my husband, I hate “perspective.” I cringe when I hear someone compare themselves to someone else who is in a different situation and be like, “Well, look at them – it could be so much worse. At least we still have…. Blah, blah, blah… fill in the blank.”
I hate that kind of compare-yourself-to-someone-else “perspective.” Probably because I sleep next to perspective every night, and I wake up next to it every morning. Playing that game sucks for me. Because no matter how bad of a day it’s been for me, no matter how busy I’ve been, or how badly my feet hurt, or whatever, I’m still sleeping next to a guy who is paralyzed. And my paralyzed guy likely is going to bed with a smile on his face. And he’ll wake up with one. (Well, not really, that’s a stretch – Michael is a Mr. Positive/glass is half full kind of guy, but he is definitely not a morning person!) So, if I compare myself to that, I’m dead. I’ll never be able to compete with quadriplegia. No matter how many times I sneeze or wheeze, or I’m “exhausted” or I think I’ve just endured so much one day, or I’m facing so much the next day. That whole comparative perspective thing just doesn’t bode well for me, so I decided to quit that.
I’ve decided to just stick with finding “perspective” on my own. I’ll compare yesterday to today, or whatever. But I’m not going to make myself feel better or worse depending on somebody else’s situation. Not anymore. No thank you.
This month, though, I’ve felt a shift. I feel like I’ve turned a corner. Like I’m a slightly more in control of my emotions. I don’t feel nearly as invisible, or like I’m some kind of 2nd class citizen, or like I’m the most horrible person in the world if my husband wakes me up in the middle of the night because he needs to roll over. (I still do it, duh!) I’m not perfect. I’m not some kind of saint. I’m not an inspiration, or a “really strong person,” or whatever. I’m a complete mess, just like you. So, I’m “normal,” yay.
But, I’m coming clean about this. This has been PART of my reality over the last 6 months. It’s not everything (though at times it has felt that way). I haven’t been completely fake with you. There have been lots of excellent home made meals, super fun family trips, and my love for my husband still multiplies daily. I love my life, my job, my church, my family and my friends. I’m proud of so much. But, this is what it’s been like in the background.
So, there you go.
Oh – I wanted to share with you some of the things that have helped me come from darkness into light in all of this (so to speak).
1. From Garden to City. I’ve shared with you before that we are reading through the Bible this year with our church. We haven’t been perfect in following along. But we generally do read the Word together over breakfast each morning, and it has a tremendous impact. God’s Word is like that. It never fails.
2. Book – “Get Out of that Pit,” by Beth Moore. This book helped me to see that I could get out of this “pit” I was in. It didn’t matter how I got there, whether I put myself there, or I was thrown in, or what. That God’s deliverance is there for me to call on, and He is faithful and just!
3. Book – “When the Man you Love is Ill,” by Dr. Dorree Lynn and Florence Isaacs. I am reading this again for the 2nd time. The first time I read it like a novel, I couldn’t put it down! I was so encouraged to know that so many women feel what I feel in situations like this (not that my husband is “ill,” he’s not – he’s very well, in fact!) where you have to juggle being wife and caregiver. Some very practical tips too!
4. Song- “Your Hands,” by JJ Feller. This one really hits home for me right now. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve cried driving or in the shower, or whatever, listening to this song.
Now that I’ve completely spilled my guts to you – it’s only fitting to sign off with a picture of myself, sans makeup… just to make it official. So, there you go. Nothing left to hide. Cheers.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Growth
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Your Taste Buds Will Love this Salad

Grocery Store Cheater

I have been a FAITHFUL Wegmans girl since moving out here to Fairfax. Before, I was semi-faithful at Harris Teeter when I lived in Arlington (they're just so expensive!) But.... HT sent me some $10 off coupons for a $50 grocery purchase... so I am game for cheating for the couple of weeks that these coupons run. The key to shopping at Harris Teeter is watching the sales! I only buy what is Buy One, Get One Free. You can't do much better than that when it comes to a sale, right? Yesterday, even though I was out of sale grocery store practice (I still use coupons at Wegmans, but they don't have "sales" per se) I managed to spend only $50 and rack up $35 in coupon savings! I am awesome.
Night Night Snacks

Friday, June 4, 2010
Old Girl
Porch Makeover





Sew.... what's new?
Anyway... I really, really want to learn to sew so I can have fun being creative and you know, creating things. A friend gave me a sewing machine earlier this year, but here we are, June, and I finally busted it out.


Refreshing Change
We fit so much into last weekend. We cleaned our apartment, went to the pool (yeah, baby! hope to be back there this weekend!), went grocery shopping, went back to church for the first time in a month!! (man, was it good to be back with our church family!). It was all around, a great weekend.
We ate steak, too. Yum! Wish I had a pic of that for you!
Some of my favorite things we did this weekend were the productive, creative things!!! For example.... These pictures in our dining room. Okay, so we thought it would be cute for Christmas if we printed out a bunch of Christmas pictures and frame them for the Holiday Season, right?

But, alas.... we FINALLY replaced them and man, is it refreshing!!!! Such awesome memories are tied to each of these pictures of us!

4th row seat

4TH ROW, PEOPLE! I am not usually afraid of being called on because I am usually in the very back row, even in the briefing room. But for some reason, this day, I was suuuuper close. Like I could see the sweat beading on POTUS's forehead close. Most reporters know if they're going to be called on at these things, but there's always the off chance some random news organization will get called on, so I was totally scrambling together questions when I realized I was so close.
I'm glad I didn't get called on because I'm sure I would have looked like Fire Marshal Bill asking the question. I felt like cheerleading tryouts in high school. There was seriously no saliva in my mouth, I was so nervous!
VACATION, BABY!!!
This trip was SO. WORTH. IT. First we road tripped it down to Myrtle Beach, SC to hang out with Michael's family. It was a super long drive, but it was fun. We made it fun. Always helps to have some Poppy Cock :) Then, on the way back to VA from there, we drove up the coast and hung with my mom and Dave for a couple of nights in Nags Head, NC. Love that place, hello!!!
For me, this vacation will go down in history as the week that we...



These are no small feats for us, people! These are all three things that I hold dear to my heart and feared we wouldn't really ever be able to fully enjoy together!! So... this vacation was OFF THE CHARTS as far as fulfilling and rewarding and relaxing and encouraging!
Major kudos to Michael's "little" brother, Jarred, who literally picked him up and carried him onto the beach for our family pictures, and carried him (nicely) into the pool so we could swim. No matter how strong I get, I won't be able to carry my husband like that, so it means the world to me that his brother did so we could enjoy these special moments together.









Michael encountered his first soft shell crab...







