Tasty Tuesday, late.

This is my belated Tasty Tuesday recipe. I don’t have fancy photos like Laura, but this is a great and easy meal. Also, it is perfect for weekly lunches and since I work away from home it’s a nice change from sandwiches or Lean Cuisines.

Chicken Pockets

3 Cresent Roll tubes (reduced fat), refrigerated

1 lb package of fresh chicken tenders

1 8oz package fat free cream cheese

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I prefer sharp cheddar in a block that I shred myself)

1 tablespoon mayonnaise (optional, I just think it adds a nice flavor and I LOVE mayo)

½ red bell pepper, diced into tiny cubes

2 carrots, diced into tiny cubes

2 tablespoons fresh dill

2 tablespoons fresh parsley

Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Add chicken tenders to boiling salted water. While chicken is boiling, combine remaining ingredients in a mixing bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Once, chicken is done (about 12 minutes to be safe) remove tenders onto a cutting board. With two forks, shred all tenders. Add shredded chicken to filling mixture and stir well.

Spray foil-lined baking sheet with cooking spray. Remove dough from containers and lay out on counter. Divide dough into four rectangles (per package) by pressing dough along perforated line. Apply chicken mixture to half of the rectangle and fold other side over. Press edges together with a fork to seal.

Bake at 350 for 14 minutes (adjust as you need).

This recipe made 12 pockets. Jeremy and I each had two Monday night and we’ve each had one or two for lunch this week. There are so many ways to vary this recipe and I’m excited to try a Southwestern version soon!!

October

Thank you Lord, for October. It is a time of comfort, fun, and feelings of home. Thank you October for arriving so promptly and for bringing such nice gifts as this weather.


Tune in later for a recipe post (Sorry Laura, I couldn't make it Tasty Tuesday). Also, thanks to Pottery Barn for the post photo. It's perfect.

Purse and Boots

So, my beautiful little sister just got back from Taiwan. She was on the Women's Soccer Team for the Deaf Olympics. They won the GOLD medal! Amazing! Jeremy and I are so proud of her. My parents were also in Taiwan and my brother was at the house watching the dog. Well, Tyler (brother) had to head out of town for a night so Jeremy and I stayed with my parents' dog at their house. What do I do while I'm there? Raid my sister's closet, duh. See, when I was growing up, my sister always took my things (as all little sisters do, I think there's a class they have to attend). She took clothes, make-up, toys, etc. If it was mine, she wanted it. Well, there was nothing of hers that I wanted at that age so all I could do was whine to my mother and tell on her. However, now that I am married, my husband has recently lost his job, and I have no money to shop, I now steal my sister's things. She has the same style as I do, only she has money of her own and my parents still buy her things. So, I borrowed a bag that I love of hers and a shirt. The shirt she'll get back soon, the purse however, well, it'll be awhile. I'm in love. Therefore, I'm posting this photo for many reasons. I wanted my sister to know that I'm taking care of the bag and I wanted y'all to see the colors in this fabric: so rich and complementary. Also, the boots and the bag are perfect together with jeans and white shirt. Lastly, just to say: Anna, it's my turn (wink). I love you!

Etsy Love: My September Favorites

1. This sweater is what I love about fall. The color is like oatmeal and I can practically smell the mulling spices simmering on the stove. Buy it here.

2. Soft wool felt makes this so plush and cozy and the message is right up my alley! Buy it here.

3. The artist that creates these necklaces is one of my new favorites. This would bring such drama to a plain t-shirt and jeans, love the color combination as well. Buy it here.

4. Perfect art for my house. The neutral color from the masonite and the splash of pale blue would be lovely in my bedroom (at least the bedroom in my head that is all designed to a T). Buy it here.

5. Sweet little clutch. In a great camel brown this goes with all fall jewel toned outfits. Buy it here.

6. This just screams fall goddess to me. I love this idea, if only I would be gutsy enough to wear these amazing hair accessories. Buy it here.

7. What a perfect photo for autumn. My friends and I get so darn excited about pumpkins, I mean look at them, perfection. Buy it here.

So each month I've decided to share some great finds from searching around on Etsy. I absolutely love Etsy and I know that a lot of my friends do too. It is such a great place to find unique gifts for anyone at anytime! Have fun browsing, I know you'll get hooked!

P.S. Laura, I love the idea of Tasty Tuesdays! I'm thinking of a great recipe for next Tuesday's post! Miss you L-CatRob!

Chicken Soup and a Hint of Fall

*Can you tell I love fall? Thanks to Etsy.com and dear Kelsi for the photo advice. And thank you to Jeremy for lovingly cooking our favorite soup for my scratchy throat, I love you.

Mr. A-Z and Beach Bums

We had the pleasure of going to see Jason Mraz with our dear friends, Erin and Brandon. Man, that girl has a pretty name, wink. We had a blast and heard some great music.

The beach trip was, as always, perfection. The most beautiful beach, friends, hilarious family, and did I mention beach. What could be better? More summer pictures to come...

Carthage

Since I'm still blog illiterate, I put the photos in backwards. Please look at the photos from top to bottom to get the beginning to end effect.

This trip was for 4th of July weekend. It was a ton of fun and we're going back this weekend!! Hopefully there will be lots of laying around and doing nothing. I will miss my husband (see picture of him below having way too much fun spraying everyone with freezing cold water) as he will be home, studying. I love you baby, stay focused. Oh, and clean the guest bathroom please!!!

Holden Onto Summer!

These are some of the few photos I took while we visited Laura, Caleb, and Grace Elizabeth at Holden Beach.  This was early in June, but I'm just now getting around to posting them.  I have a couple more Posts coming after this one, so stay tuned!

RIP John Cicada

Just because my yard is mostly concrete doesn't mean that Erin and I don't get to experience nature. This morning I walked out of my building to the smell of fresh air and the sound of a cicada in distress. Don't be alarmed, my overwhelming concern for insects, especially insects big enough to be culinary delights in some countries, spiked my senses and I spotted the giant bug across the parking lot. What I also scoped was the source of the Whisky Drinker's (that's Australian for Cicada) anguish: a freaking Mockingbird. Ah, nature, so peaceful and relaxing. I'm so glad I got to start my morning witnessing a war between a bird and a bird-sized bug. This bird must have been hungry too because he was going at it. Except, in typical Mockingbird fashion, he let the cicada bounce all over the ground making a distorted buzzing sound. Not the normal sound that these bugs make, but one much deeper in tone...I'm pretty sure I saw that bird laugh too. Soon the sound was no more, and Mr. John Cicada (clever, huh?) met his maker...or something like that.

That reminds me...last night after I took Foster for a walk, during which the two of us had to dodge dive-bombing bats...again, isn't nature wonderful..., I came back to the condo and there was a dark, shadowy figure perched on the overhang/balcony of the front entrance of my building. Hmmm, I wondered, what could that be? I'll tell you what it was...it was a hunter. Not a hunter like Billy Bob who wears camo and shoots squirrels for dinner, but a hunter of souls, a demon you might say. It's true! There was a cat sitting on the overhang to the building. How did he get there? Magic...I'm pretty sure this cat was a sorcerer. What was he doing up there? Stalking. Yes, he was stalking prey. Looking for weak souls to gobble up at his every desire. This cat glared, I mean GLARED, at Foster and me as we walked under him to get inside to safety. Again, not to worry, I was more than ready to punt the sucker if he came flying down from his pinnacle of doom.

Which also reminds me...last year, when Erin and I lived downtown, I was walking to work and saw a hawk swoop down from the sky and snatch a squirrel right off the sidewalk. What!? Where am I living? Wild Alaska? I just want to get to work without stepping in squirrel guts. Can I?

-An Ode to the Wild, by Jeremy Morin

Juices Flowing

Things that are inspiring me right now:

• Woodstock's 40th anniversary: The music, the spirit, and yes, the "fashions"; I wish I could've been there.
  
• The roaring 20's
• Southern Summer: the smell of honeysuckle that catches you off guard as you're driving down Creedmoor with the windows open, the gorgeous light that flows into our condo each evening at this time, meals and time with friends and family outdoors; is there anything I don't like about summer?  Nope. 
• My new hairstyle is forcing me to experiment with short hair, and I'm diggin' it.  
• The Bud (Foster the dog, for those of you who don't know the nickname yet)
• Dresses and cowboy boots; every Southern girl should at least try it, you'll be hooked.

Find what gets your creative juices going and savor it...

Grocery Game

Following my frugal friend Kelsi, I joined the Grocery Game!  It's so easy and after reading through the rules once, you'll get it in no time!  

Last week I signed up for a trial (4 weeks for $1) and after that it's $10 for eight weeks.  I've already paid for my next round!  The first trip I saved $11 which I was so happy about.  However, tonight I saved $33!!  I'm so excited!  With my VIC card and the coupons from the paper, along with the Grocery Game list, I saved so much money.  Everyone should get on the ban wagon!

Visit the site www.thegrocerygame.com.  

Happy shopping!

Faith Like a Child, Rest Like a Dog...

So today at church my friend, Smooth, spoke in place of our lead pastor.  I love hearing Smooth speak.  He always tells the best stories that tie into the scripture that he's using at that time. Today he spoke of rest.  We as sinners and ignorant people think that rest is simply sitting around watching re-runs of America's Next Top Model.  And while that is relaxing, it doesn't give us the peace that we so desperately need.  God wants us to rest in Him.  If we are faithful and loving toward God he will provide the peace our soul needs.  I, as I always am, was convicted.  I need to stop thinking about cutting things out of my life to provide peace.  I need to invite the One who will bring me rest into my life.  I need more of Him, not less of other things.  Don't get me wrong, you have to take care of your physical health and rest.   But that doesn't mean that you can drop service projects or volunteer responsibilities just because you need a break.  Ask God for the rest and He will provide when the time is right.  

I thank you God for the rest and peace that you give.  I don't deserve it, but I welcome it with open arms.  I apologize for not trusting You and Your plan for me.  I'm a fool to think that I've got it figured out.  

So, I'm sure you heard to have faith like a child.  Well, have rest and peace like a dog.  Take Foster for example.  He doesn't worry about food, he trusts that we will feed him.  He doesn't worry about his weight, he trusts that we will walk him and take him outside.  Foster doesn't cry when we leave, he knows and trusts that we will come back.  I wish I could trust as much as my pup because my Father has proved himself time and time again.  I have no reason not to. My prayer for all my friends and family is that they may find peace and rest knowing the Lord has our best interest in His heart and hands.  

Peace be with you...