Healthy Servents

So I attended the Women's Ministry at my church Saturday morning. It was on nutrition and exercise. Paul urges us to live our lives in a way that honors God. The way we live our lives is a form of worship to God. When we eat healthy and exercise daily (at least a walk) we are making our heart stronger, losing weight, building muscle and releasing happy hormones. But most of all we are Glorifying God!!! We were all asked to make a healthy dish and bring the recipe. I decided to make Black Bean Hummus.

The Ingredients:

• 2 cups black beans, drained
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  
• 1/4 cup tahini
• 2 cloves garlic
  
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• hot pepper sauce (to taste)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons tamari
• 2 tablespoons warm water
• 2 tbsp. cilantro, chopped

I prefer to use organic and fresh as much as possible. The beans are organic, as well as the tamari and Tahini. The cilantro is from my garden. In case you are not familiar with some of the ingredients; I'll explain them to you. Tamari is a soy sauce that is made with more soy beans than ordinary soy sauce. It is richer and has a more complex taste. Tahini is just Sesame Seeds that have been pureed into a creamy texture. It has a slight nutty taste.

Combine all ingredients except for cilantro in blender or food processor. ( I do everything in my blender)When all is combined and creamy, transfer to bowl. Fold in cilantro. Taste test and adjust seasonings if needed.

Serve with blue organic tortilla chips. YUM! There are only about 90 calories in 2 oz. Not bad at all. I was hoping to have some left over but, the bowl was scraped clean. All the food was healthy, light and delicious. When John came home we decided to go eat Sushi; so I really ate healthy today. I'm a pretty healthy person anyway, so are John & the girls...but something hit me while I was sitting in that room listening to Kay speak. I've be relying on myself all this time. So for now on I'm going to let Jesus be my personal trainer.

Proverbs 17:22 says “A happy heart is good medicine and a cheerful mind works healing, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.”

Mother/Daughter

My mom & I went out on a mother/daughter date today. We had so much fun. We went to see "Sex and the City". That was a long, long movie but oh so good!!! It was funny. My moms phone rang twice...and yes, she answered it in her loud HELLO voice. haha But, that was OK cause the only other people in the theater were an old couple...his phone rang and he answered it in his...I'm almost deaf HELLLOOO voice! hahaha That was too funny.
We went and ate at Cheeburger Cheeburger which is always so good and makes me feel so guilty. But, I skipped the popcorn and root beer at the movie today so I could enjoy the burger more. Oh sweet nelly did I enjoy that big fat juicy cheeseburger!!!
We went shopping at one of my favorite grocery stores...The Fresh Market...where I stocked up on beef, ham and vegetable broth. They sell them in 8 oz. cartons. Perfect for when John & I will be cooking for just the two of us.
Gotta get to cooking for tomorrow.
Betty

My Man can cook

He started out with dry red beans.Added Andouille sausage....oooo spicy yum!


some olive oila weird ingredient but it works in the dish....Soy Sauce!!! Yep, I said soy sauce. These pictures crack me up cause he had just woken up 10 minutes before and still had his sleepy face on.


"Old Faithful" our favorite spoon!!! We have had that spoon for over 20 years. That's John's new pot on the stove that Tori & David got him for father's day.


He added his secret spices and brought it to a boil. Oh, I wish this was smellablog...my house smelled like a restaurant straight out of New Orleans.
My mom came over and filled up a Tupperware bowl for her and my brother. We brought the rest to our bible study group. Pastor Allen said, "I don't care what anyone says John is a great man". Allen and Pastor Tim love when John cooks...and John loves to cook for them. Yummy!!! Below is "Apple Dumplings" that I made for our group. The picture isn't very good. But, let me tell you....these things will make you want to slap your momma. They are sinful. I found this recipe off of Pioneer Woman. Oh go ahead be bad....you know you want to try them.APPLE DUMPLINGS

2 Granny Smith apples
2 cans crescent rolls
2 sticks butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoons vanilla
cinnamon
1 small can Mountain Dew

Peel and core apples. Cut apples into 8 slices each. Roll each apple slice in a crescent roll. Place in a 9 x 13 buttered pan. Melt butter, then add sugar and barely stir. Add vanilla, stir, and pour over apples. Pour Mountain Dew around the edges of the pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

* I added nutmeg to the top of mine. Seriously guys...this is an awesome dessert. Enjoy!

Fresh

I woke up Sunday morning sore as can be. My right side has deep bruises (especially my hip) from falling down the stairs!!! Yep, I fell down them Saturday morning....I had the dogs in my arms and my socked foot slipped on the first step. I blacked out for a few seconds...John, thankfully, took off that day to spend time with me...he heard the KABOOM and came to my rescue. Oh, my sweet love...he was so worried about me. All is well now, just bruised. So back to Sunday, I wasn't going to attend E-3 or Church cause I was just to sore and walked with a slight limp (oh, E-3 is Sunday School) but, God told me I had to be there. I'm glad I listened. I was blessed with the message.

My first banana pepper of the season!! I'm so excited. My family & I LOVE vegetables!!
Blueberry Fool...I made this with the fresh blueberries we got at the Farmers Market. This is very yummy....it made 15 squares so John took most of it to work.

These beauties are baby red, buttercream & purple potatoes. Heaven on earth let me tell you. So creamy and oh so delicious!!! I roasted these beauties with fresh garlic, basil, oregano and salt & pepper.
Purple Hull Peas!!! I usually put a ham hock or salt pork in my peas but, this time I tried something different and it turned out amazing!! I cut up 5 slices of Smoked Peppered Maple Bacon , fried it for 2 minutes, added it to the peas(I put the grease in as well), a teaspoon of Kosher salt and cooked for 2 hours. Oh my, they just melted in your mouth! I think the peas were our favorite part of the dinner. John said, "You can just taste the freshness" and you really can. I'm going to go down to Holland Bottoms Farm later today and see what they have available. I'm in the mood to cook some more fresh veggies. The only sad thing is my girls aren't here to share this with us. They would have LOVED this meal. But, hey they are eating some amazing food themselves down in Costa Rica. I can't wait to taste the coffee that Meg has raved about. She is bringing me some back.
I better get off this blog and start cleaning my house!
Tootle loo
Betty

Girls

Well, as of yesterday both my girls are out of the country. Meg has been in Costa Rica attending the Language Academy for over a month now...her room mate Marianne has been there as well. They finished up school on the 19th. Tori, Nick (her boyfriend), John (Nick's brother), Deidra and Brianna (Meg & Tori's other room mates) all flew out yesterday to spend 10 days exploring the country. I'm so happy for them that they are experiencing these fun and exciting adventures. David (our nephew who lived with us for 2 years) came home from Iraq and spent 2 weeks with us; he left to go back to his base in New Mexico yesterday as well....so we instantly had the "empty nest" syndrome. It is bittersweet having your children grow up. On one hand you want them to stay small and dependent and be by your side all the time....but, on the other hand you are happy and proud to see them mature into wonderful young women and live life. John took off work early last night and we went and saw 'Get Smart' OMG it was HILARIOUS!!! He took off today as well, we are leaving in a few to go eat breakfast and go to the farmers market.
tootle loo
betty

The Dam Date

I decided we were going to have The DAM DATE!!!! We have discussed this date ever since they built the dam bridge; since the weather was beautiful it was a perfect opportunity to have it.
We started out by going to Damgoode Pies. Oh buddy, they have some Damn Good Pizza Pies!!!! We shared "The Hog" with pink sauce & a 14 inch Tomato, pepperoni with tomato basil sauce. Delicious! Tori & Nick were a few miles away shopping for Costa Rica so they came and joined us for about 1/2 hour. We enjoyed that tremendously.

We then drove over to the Big Dam Bridge! I had to pee so bad and told John that before we walk I needed to use the facilities...and wouldn't you know it there were just stinking porta potties!!!! It was a wide one so John came in with me. He was giggling because he has always heard me talk about "hovering" over the toilet to pee so I won't touch the seat....and finally after 22 years together he got to see me perform the "hovering maneuver" hahaha Actually, he got to help me because I used him as a handle so I wouldn't fall over. He later told me he felt like pushing me down so my butt would touch. I think I would have slapped the crap out of him! We laughed so damn hard about this. The walk over the Dam bridge was very peaceful. At one point John said, "It is like therapy...the wind in your face, listening to the water crash against the dam makes you feel like you're at the beach if you close your eyes." We stood there holding each other, eyes closed, and it was like therapy. I haven't been that relaxed in a long time!! We slowly made our way back to the car, holding hands and feeling refreshed. Of course John had to be John and tell the people walking up that it was a "dam long walk"....he makes me giggle!!


We didn't want the date to end...so we decided to go to the Rave theater and see "You don't mess with the Zohan"....and yes, we had to get our usual popcorn with butter in the middle and on top! We liked it....but we have been Adam Sandler fans forever. Since it had been such a damn good day and we were so damn bad in our eating habits we thought we would continue the damn bad trend for the day and head over to the damn KrispyKreme...and wouldn't you know it the HOT sign was on!!! Oh dear Lord, oh yum yum...that hot glazed doughnut was soooo damn good! Naughty yes but hey we don't do it all the time. Well, our day finally came to a close....we went to my moms to pick up the boys (the dogs) and headed home. It was a Damn Good Date!!!

Dinner Dates

Dinner date #1.
On Saturday, John got home from work at 2:45...I finished up a cake I made for the Supper Club...we dropped that off at church...and went to see the movie "Strangers" at 4pm. The movie started as we sat down...perfect timing! The movie was short (about 1 hour 20 minutes) had few words, mostly scenes but, let me tell you...made you want to ALWAYS lock your doors when you are home!!! Supposedly it is based on a true story. We then drove to the River Market area and ate at one of our favorites "Flying Fish" where we shared a bowl of gumbo, 1 lb. boiled shrimp & oysters on the half shell. Oh, and I can't forget there wonderful lemonade....made fresh daily. We then walked over to the river and sat down over looking the vast array of waves and currents and just enjoyed each other and conversed. John's weed eater had been falling apart for sometime now, so we headed to Wally world to buy him a new one for Fathers Day....then we went to Sonic and shared a banana split together.
Dinner Date #2 Fathers Day Sunday
I made dinner tonight. We had Grilled Turkey cutlets marinated in Raspberry Vinaigrette then topped with Roasted Raspberry Chipolte sauce.....Roasted Italian Baby Golden Potatoes....grilled corn on the cob....cucumber tomato mushroom salad and Pugliese bread....and for dessert I made an Apple Cheddar pie. YUMMO!!! John had a wonderful fathers day.
Dinner Date #3
Well, John, David and my brother Tim went to have wings at Hooters, so Tori, my mom and I went out to the Flying Fish (yes, twice in 3 days) and had a girls night. This time I got the Fish Tacos....can I hear a big YUM!!! Oh my these were so good....I can eat one right now....It was a taco shell, with a piece of fried catfish (I wish it was grilled but that's ok I need to bad every once in awhile) Cole slaw and pico de gallo. YUM YUM!!! It was also served with a side of red beans and rice. It was delicious!!!! My mom had the fried catfish basket and Tori had the grilled tilapia platter which I've had and is to so good as well. It is served with grilled squash and zucchini and red beans and rice. We then walked over to the new pedestrian bridge. I'm not good with heights; I had to stay in the middle of the bridge. I have this fear of falling over even though there is a railing there that is almost as tall as me. It was getting dark so we decided to head back to the car. My mom and I took the elevator back down and Tori took the stairs...when we reached the bottom Tori was talking with a woman about a man who had fell off the bridge the night before. We ran into Fox 16 news people and the guy told us that the man was trying to impress his girlfriend and sat on top of the railing and lost balance and fell to his death. CRAZY!!! They found his body later that night. It is like a running joke here in Arkansas...."Whose body are they gonna find in the river this week" That river is so dangerous yet people still do foolish things around it.
Tonight is Date Night........Johnny boy and I set aside Tuesday nights just for the two of us!!! It is my turn to decide what we will do. I better get to thinking cause I have no clue.
Tootle loo
Betty

Survival

AN EVERYDAY SURVIVAL KIT

Toothpick
Rubber band
Band aid
Pencil
Eraser
Chewing gum
Mint
Candy Kiss
Tea Bag

Here's why:

Toothpick - to remind you to pick out the good qualities in others...Matt
7:1

Rubber band - to remind you to be flexible, things might not always go the
way you want, but it will work out...Romans 8:28

Band Aid - to remind you to heal hurt feelings, yours or someone
else's...Col. 3:12-14

Pencil - To remind you to list your blessings everyday...Eph1:3

Eraser - to remind you that everyone makes mistakes, and it's okay...Gen.
50:15-21

Chewing gum - to remind you to stick with it and you can accomplish anything
...Phil 4:13

Mint - to remind you that you are worth a mint to your heavenly
father...John 3:16-17

Candy Kiss - to remind you that everyone needs a kiss or a hug everyday...1
John 4:7

Tea Bag - to remind you to relax daily and go over that list of God's
blessings...1 Thess 5:18

This is my gift to you. May God richly bless you.

To the world, you may just be somebody...but to somebody, you may be the
world.

Commitment

My pastor spoke on commitment yesterday. How we need to be more committed to Christ-to follow His will. That we need to embrace change...embrace His plan for us!
So I asked, "God, what areas of my life need changing?" What do I need to commit to? I immediately committed to being more available when people need me....serving any way needed. Let me tell you God did not hesitate....I've already been asked to help...and of course I committed myself wholeheartedly.
God also showed me several other areas of my life that need changing and that I have been just too darn stubborn to listen. Well, I have committed to changing those and be a better listener. God showed me Psalms 37 today...so I opened my bible and began to read it. Wow! verse 5 says to commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him. As long as we are committed to Christ, He will see us through and give us the strength we need! God moves people who make commitments. I'm glad I listened to Him. God takes joy in what we do...I want to always bring Him joy!!!


Take joy, my King, in what You hear.
May it be a sweet, sweet sound in Your ear.

Garden

I'm so excited!! My garden is growing beautifully. The first photo is my Cherry Tomato Plant, 2nd is my Banana Pepper Plant...YUMMO!!! I'm also growing squash, cucumbers, bell peppers & cilantro.I can't wait to eat these delicious vegetables!!!


Above is a picture of my compost. It is currently on the ground until John can help me build a bin out of chicken wire to keep it in.

Tori is growing Basil and Rosemary. My kitchen smells SO good. We can't wait to make pesto and potato rosemary bread!

Here are three photos of our baby birds. Momma laid the eggs in my fern that was hanging on the front porch. The fern died cause we were to afraid to water it in fear of disturbing the nest. John and I were sitting on the porch a few days ago and we got to witness these precious babies fly the coop. I thought of the dove tattoo that John has on his arm that signifies Megan leaving our home and going off on her own. When Tori "flies the coop" this August John will have that same dove tattooed on the other side of his arm for her.

Betty

Summer

Thank you Lord for summer time!!! Today was the last day of school and I've never been more excited to see a school year end! This year has worn me out!!! I did get the most unexpected compliment today though, one of my students (I work with Autistic kids) older sister came up to me and said, "Ms.Betty, I just wanted to thank you from the bottom of my heart for all you have done this year for "A" (her little brother)...she said that he would not have been able to make it through the school year if it hadn't been for me. Then she told me I was the best teacher he has ever had. WOW!! Made my day!
Betty

Jump On

Well I figured I would jump on the band wagon and start blogging as well.
I woke up 3 times during the night with Reeses and Dinosaur (Meg's dog...she is in Costa Rica attending the Language Academy there for the summer). They just didn't want to sleep last night. Finally, at 6:30 I stayed up for the day. As I got my coffee then sat still with God....I got all emotional....my heart aches for all the people I prayed for this morning. All with different needs.....John's cousin Crystal who has had the worse pregnancy ever...Shoni as she juggles babies Atticus and all his health problems and Vincent being jealous about Atticus....and especially Mike...who lost his daughter, Kali...who's memorial we will attend today. When John called me last week and told me about Kali he was crying really hard....he asked me why God takes some and not others....I told him we're not supposed to understand it...we just accept it and trust Him! As parent we do everything to protect our children....when they become adults and you are basically forced to start cutting those strings...it's SO hard to not be in control of that protection. I pray everyday for Meg's safety in Costa Rica and Tori's safety as she comes back and forth from work..... I trust in the Lord that He will protect them, and He gives me the peace I need.
Betty