Summer has been flying by thus far, and there is no shortage of events and experiences to share! I feel like summer is what we wait all year for because of all the activities that we plan, but because it's so jam packed, it's like it ends up being a blink of an eye. Why does that happen??? If you find out, please let me know. Something tells me we can afford to slow down life a bit sometimes, just as long as we keep moving forward in it. :)
**Stay tuned!! At the end of this post is a super awesome announcement about the blog!!**
**Stay tuned!! At the end of this post is a super awesome announcement about the blog!!**
As promised, here are the highlights from our anniversary trip to Tennessee. We enjoyed the scenery to the fullest!
Our Houseguest
Our apartment had a recent house guest. Being part of the Mercier family, he felt comfortable enough to share the bed with Ryan and I the one night he stayed. And this interesting little fellow was none other than our furry pawed nephew pup, Jack. Ryan and Jack are best buds, and although Jack has to compete with the attention of the two babies that are in his home, he knows he will always have the love of his 'Uncle' Ryan. Jack and I had our own little bonding moment when we laid on the couch to watch Marley and Me. (never seen it before, what a sad movie! Goodness!!!)
DIY Drive-In Movie
Creative moments sometimes strike at just the right moment and in just the right way. With nothing planned for a Friday date night, Ryan took it upon himself to devise a DIY drive in movie of sorts. He positioned his laptop on the hood of his car, with an AC adapter to power the laptop, and paired his laptop with the bluetooth to his car for flawless audio. We drove to grab some snoballs on the way to the Mandeville lakefront, parked right in front of the lake just before sunset and enjoyed ourselves the perfect little date night movie! I was impressed by Ryan's innovative idea which is definitely the best date night thus far :)
Safety first folks.
Ryan and I are about two sharp objects away from needing a safety course in how to prevent knife cuts. Okay, I take that back, mostly me. But seriously! Ryan cut his thumb while cutting bread and I cut mine reaching into a drawer that Ryan's brand new razor was in!! Sharp objects need to stay away! Good-ness.
You learn something new every day.
Creative moments sometimes strike at just the right moment and in just the right way. With nothing planned for a Friday date night, Ryan took it upon himself to devise a DIY drive in movie of sorts. He positioned his laptop on the hood of his car, with an AC adapter to power the laptop, and paired his laptop with the bluetooth to his car for flawless audio. We drove to grab some snoballs on the way to the Mandeville lakefront, parked right in front of the lake just before sunset and enjoyed ourselves the perfect little date night movie! I was impressed by Ryan's innovative idea which is definitely the best date night thus far :)
Ryan has taught me a lot of things throughout our marriage and for that I am grateful. I wanted to add to that list with something random and very...well, out of the norm for me. Despite my unruly coordination in any sport, I intentionally sought out Ryan to teach me the ways of the longboard. Only after 20 minutes of practice I was pleasantly surprised and so was Ryan by the progress in which I made. Of course the little squeaks and chirps I made while attempting to longboard were slightly comical. I was happy to have learned something new that I wouldn't normally be inspired to try. And I encourage you to do the same!
DIY syndrome.
I have a confession to make. Our last DIY project (the dresser) is still not finished. And the pallet board sign for the living room -- also NOT FINISHED. And just yesterday we bought a six paned window frame from Patina's consignment shop. I know what you're thinking. Why start another project when the other two aren't finished?? I'm afraid I have what you call DIY syndrome, the condition in which Pinterest fills your mind with innumerable inspirations, yet also clutters your home with the supplies for said projects. Here's the plan folks: our next date night will consist of finishing what we started. And also starting on this window frame project for myself. If you have any suggestions for the window frame, I'd love to hear them. The size is rather large (3' x 4').
From Ragamuffin to Studmuffin.
Since the humid and hot weather has made itself painfully known, it was time to cut the hairs. I decided to have a pretty hefty bit of hair cut while at the Aveda institute in Covington. I must say, I am and will always be a lover of Aveda products. And Ryan got some quality family time in his mom's barber chair over the weekend. Thanks Miss Pam for turning my ragamuffin husband back into a handsome young man again :)
Nelson Grandbabies
The newest Nelson grandbaby has come into the world!! My brother Jonah and sister-in-law Deborah in Arizona had their precious baby born May 20th. His name is Amos Pax (Latin for 'peace') Nelson -- 20.75in. long and 7lbs. We are so happy for them and can't wait to see all three boys in the future!! And in preparation for the next grandbaby in the family, I did some fun DIY onesies for my sister's baby shower (wish I could have been there in person!). It's Chris and Anna's first baby, and it won't be long til we visit Wisconsin and meet their soon arriving baby boy Will :) SUPER EXCITED!
Internship with N20 Youth.
This year marks the 5th year of summer internship that Souls Harbor Church has hosted with the youth. The greatest part about this internship is seeing the different ages of kids reach a new level of maturity, understanding, and vision for their life. I only wish I could have been experiencing those three awesome weeks alongside of Ryan. He was privileged enough to be part of the leadership team over the interns. Even though I wasn't physically present, my heart was with the youth who I am so proud of and I love seeing them grow in their walk with God.
And amongst all of the teachings, outreaches, Q&A sessions, and prayer time.. you better believe the summer interns had some fun!!! In the night events held during internship we enjoyed some fun activities such as a 'Messtival' which is indeed, a messy festival.
And an amazing 'Night of Worship' was lead by the youth worship team. They did a light hearted rendition of Amazing Grace as well as revamping Come Thou Fount. The interns ended out their internship by attending the Saturate Conference at Bethany Church just this past week. I must say it was bitter sweet, because I was excited for the youth to go, but I also would be without my husband for three whole nights (we haven't been separated for more than a night since we got married). So Ryan completely surprised me by recording videos for me to watch every night until he came home. He's the best!!! During Ryan's time away I also got to spend some time with my good friend Kelsey, making dinner and chatting the night away.
Needless to say the youth were greatly impacted in these past three weeks, having been challenged, charged, and encouraged to walk out the life God has before them. We love you N20 youth!!
Needless to say the youth were greatly impacted in these past three weeks, having been challenged, charged, and encouraged to walk out the life God has before them. We love you N20 youth!!
FOODIE TIME!
with Greek Marinated Chicken Greek Orzo Salad
Fresh tasting and super easy marinating process... it was nice to change up the cuisine with this Greek inspired dish. And Ryan who isn't usually a fan of pasta salad, said he actually liked the orzo salad!
Chicken Shawarma with Homemade Hummus, Cilantro Rice and Mediterranean Salad
This was another change from the norm with some really fresh and vibrant flavors. It's a dish inspired by Albasha's signature Chicken Shawarma dish. Felt just like we were there!!
Coconut Cream Pie
I was DESPERATELY craving this pie. Alas, I ended up making it for an event at church and didn't get a chance to partake. Although I got rave reviews for it, so it is a must to try again!
Traditional Flan Dessert
I took a different approach to making flan. I made it by processing all the ingredients in a blender and then pouring it straight into a dish for baking. It was a super easy process, and it made a ton! Be careful to watch the caramelized sugar for the bottom of the dish (kinda burnt mine). And also a big key thing.. let it sit and chill in the fridge for a good 4 hours or until completely firm.
Meal FAILS: Braised Chicken Thighs & Crawfish Pasta Concoction
I won't waste my breath on these for too long. I followed a recipe for braised chicken thighs that had an obscene amount of vinegar in the recipe. It was GROSS! My logic didn't kick in for this recipe. And the Crawfish Pasta Concoction was ruined when I took a risk by adding white wine that never really cooked out and it just ruined the whole thing.
Tomato Vinaigrette Marinated Chicken with Corn Barley Salad
A great healthy way to prepare boring old chicken breasts along with a paired nicely with a fresh corn barley salad. Great summer dish! This is officially one of my favorites!
Beef Enchiladas with Homemade Guacamole
Can't go wrong with Mexican and this was a nice alternative to chicken enchiladas. Wish I had the exact recipe for Ryan's homemade guacamole, but I will have to post it in the future!
Turkey Spinach Manicotti
The original recipe calls for ground chicken, but I couldn't find any readily available at the store so I went with ground turkey instead. It's a nice lean meat, and by no means is there any skimping on flavor for this dish! This is my favorite italian dish to order at restaurants, and having made it for our neighbors who aren't particularly fond of mushrooms, we disguised them so well, they didn't even know 'til we told them! :D
Raspberry Ice Cream Layer Cake
A semi-homemade dessert that is quick and easy when you're in a pinch. The only time consuming thing about this is waiting for it to freeze, but the layering process takes no more than 10 minutes :) Great way to cool down this summer and satisfy your sweet tooth at the same time!!
Biscoff Cookies
If you haven't discovered the European Cookie Spread that is Biscoff, you're missing out! This is so much better than Nutella and highly addictive. For the church Picnic Potluck this past weekend, I made a cookie out of this spread. So technically..... it's a Cookie Cookie... hahaha. Try it, you'll be hooked!!
Baked Salmon with Tomato Mushroom Bisque Sauce over Angel Hair Pasta
So I did a little tweaking with this recipe. I didn't have shrimp on hand, but I did have some salmon filets. So I baked the salmon fillets in the toaster oven for about 20 minutes, just seasoned them generously with salt and pepper and brushed a little dijon mustard on top. While those were baking I prepared the sauce just as the recipe instructs. Plated it with angel hair, sauce, then salmon with a little basil added in for flavor. YUUUUM!! Ryan didn't know the recipe called for shrimp at first and he and I agreed that we like it better with salmon.
Fresh tasting and super easy marinating process... it was nice to change up the cuisine with this Greek inspired dish. And Ryan who isn't usually a fan of pasta salad, said he actually liked the orzo salad!
Chicken Shawarma with Homemade Hummus, Cilantro Rice and Mediterranean Salad
This was another change from the norm with some really fresh and vibrant flavors. It's a dish inspired by Albasha's signature Chicken Shawarma dish. Felt just like we were there!!
Coconut Cream Pie
I was DESPERATELY craving this pie. Alas, I ended up making it for an event at church and didn't get a chance to partake. Although I got rave reviews for it, so it is a must to try again!
Traditional Flan Dessert
I took a different approach to making flan. I made it by processing all the ingredients in a blender and then pouring it straight into a dish for baking. It was a super easy process, and it made a ton! Be careful to watch the caramelized sugar for the bottom of the dish (kinda burnt mine). And also a big key thing.. let it sit and chill in the fridge for a good 4 hours or until completely firm.
Meal FAILS: Braised Chicken Thighs & Crawfish Pasta Concoction
I won't waste my breath on these for too long. I followed a recipe for braised chicken thighs that had an obscene amount of vinegar in the recipe. It was GROSS! My logic didn't kick in for this recipe. And the Crawfish Pasta Concoction was ruined when I took a risk by adding white wine that never really cooked out and it just ruined the whole thing.
Tomato Vinaigrette Marinated Chicken with Corn Barley Salad
A great healthy way to prepare boring old chicken breasts along with a paired nicely with a fresh corn barley salad. Great summer dish! This is officially one of my favorites!
Beef Enchiladas with Homemade Guacamole
Can't go wrong with Mexican and this was a nice alternative to chicken enchiladas. Wish I had the exact recipe for Ryan's homemade guacamole, but I will have to post it in the future!
Turkey Spinach Manicotti
The original recipe calls for ground chicken, but I couldn't find any readily available at the store so I went with ground turkey instead. It's a nice lean meat, and by no means is there any skimping on flavor for this dish! This is my favorite italian dish to order at restaurants, and having made it for our neighbors who aren't particularly fond of mushrooms, we disguised them so well, they didn't even know 'til we told them! :D
Raspberry Ice Cream Layer Cake
A semi-homemade dessert that is quick and easy when you're in a pinch. The only time consuming thing about this is waiting for it to freeze, but the layering process takes no more than 10 minutes :) Great way to cool down this summer and satisfy your sweet tooth at the same time!!
Biscoff Cookies
If you haven't discovered the European Cookie Spread that is Biscoff, you're missing out! This is so much better than Nutella and highly addictive. For the church Picnic Potluck this past weekend, I made a cookie out of this spread. So technically..... it's a Cookie Cookie... hahaha. Try it, you'll be hooked!!
Baked Salmon with Tomato Mushroom Bisque Sauce over Angel Hair Pasta
So I did a little tweaking with this recipe. I didn't have shrimp on hand, but I did have some salmon filets. So I baked the salmon fillets in the toaster oven for about 20 minutes, just seasoned them generously with salt and pepper and brushed a little dijon mustard on top. While those were baking I prepared the sauce just as the recipe instructs. Plated it with angel hair, sauce, then salmon with a little basil added in for flavor. YUUUUM!! Ryan didn't know the recipe called for shrimp at first and he and I agreed that we like it better with salmon.
ANNOUNCEMENT!!
Do you enjoy the blog as much as I enjoy writing it? I hope so! Because our big announcement is there will now be TWO blog posts a month!! The 1st of the month will be for the usual life updates with all the fun stories and recipes. And the 15th of every month will be for whatever I choose to talk about, specifically one topic, idea, etc. I enjoy this blog so very much and to have you read it means the world. As always, I encourage you to give feedback and suggestions for what you'd like to see on the blog!
Thanks so much!
Thanks so much!