The Latest News

I felt like last week was a whirlwind. Monday night Phil got the notice that he would be going off shore, and leaving the very next day. We had been praying for the opportunity to come along for over a year now but we had just gotten to the point where we thought it wasn’t going to happen. Well this time it did and very quickly. By Tuesday evening he was already on his way off-shore somewhere in the Gulf. We’re not sure how long he will be gone, but I’m hoping not too long. Communication is sporadic, so I quickly developed the habit of having my phone within 2 feet of my reach at all times. We’ve never been apart from each other this long and it has definitely been difficult. We have a new respect for families who deal with these types of distances on a regular basis. I have been reciting Matthew 6:34 over and over since he has left; I know he is in God’s hands so I need not worry.

During the week it got much cooler here and I have had to break out my coat and scarf again. But it hasn’t been nearly as cold as I hear it has been back home in Virginia. My family called and said they got another foot or so of snow. This is their second blizzard of the winter; the first winter with 2 since the 80’s!

Over the weekend I went to a surprise going away party for an awesome couple in our smallgroup. We’re really going to miss the Smith’s but wish them the best and congratulations on their new chapter in life.

After much searching all over Houston, I finally found my cast iron skillet on Saturday! It seems like everyone from the cookbook club has been emailing where they found theirs and what kind of deals they were finding, so it was fun to get out there and search for mine. I got a pre-seasoned 12-inch Lodge for $15 at none-other than my trusty Kroger. Here are the Pioneer Woman recipes that I tried last week:

Malboro Man’s Favorite Sandwich (page 88)… made Phil very happy

Oatmeal Crispies with Double Vanilla Ice Cream (page 226)… reminded me of my childhood when my mom used to make my sister and I ice cream sandwiches with oatmeal cookies

Meatloaf (page 150) and Macaroni and Cheese (page 96)…how come I have never thought of wrapping meatloaf in bacon? I mean really, does it get any better than that?

French Breakfast Puffs (page 66)…these were good but definitely a cavity waiting to happen

Egg-in-the-hole (page 46) and Basic Breakfast Potatoes (page 48)… we call the “egg-in-the-whole” dish, Dippy Eggs, because you can dip the cutout, in this case I tried a heart, in the egg. For the breakfast potatoes I added eggs instead of sausage or bacon, and added mushrooms and spring onions.