Spring has Sprung

Since last week was spring break, I got caught up on a lot of writing at work and even had time to start working on my spring-time goals. As for my “gardening,” I got some parsley, oregano, and rosemary in my kitchen window now. Since I have only had the herbs for a day or so, I will have a better report of my green thumb next week. Phil and I got a sushi cookbook and some of the kitchen tools that we will need, but haven’t actually tried it yet. Everyone in our Wednesday night bible study likes sushi so we might use them as our guinea pigs. During the break we also got a few boring maintenance things done: tires on Phil’s car and new mirrors in the bathroom. I sure am going to miss the productivity associated with spring break! My herbs: On Saturday we went to a beautiful wedding at the Gallery. We were so honored that Beth and Erik would share their special day with us. The ceremony was so nice, the food was fantastic, the DJ played all of the greatest hits, and the cakes were delectable! Phil and I had so much fun and danced so much that when we got home my thighs were hurting when I walked up the stairs (and they are still sore actually!) Congratulations to the new Mr and Mrs Erik Woods, and thank you for sharing such a special day with us. Here are my new recipes from last week:
Pizza Crust & Pie- After an incredibly long week, we broke down and ordered a pizza pie 2 Fridays ago. The hour and 45 minute wait for the pizza to arrive was a sign in itself for how the pie was going to taste. Needless to say, it was by far the worst pizza I had ever tasted. This past week I turned to the PW with high hopes for a better pie; Mrs. Drummond did not disappoint! This was so yummy! I’m really glad that I only did one of the recommended layers of cheese; I can’t imagine how cheesy 2 layers would be! This is the dough rising and the finished product: "Green" Velvet Cake- Growing up, my mom used to dye everything edible green on St. Patrick’s Day. It was something that my sister and I always looked forward to. For snack at bible study, I made the PW’s Red Velvet Cake, and in the spirit of St. Patty's, dyed it green.
Fried Ravioli with Marinara Cream Sauce- This is a Paula Deen recipe that I watched her make last week. I decided to pair this with my green velvet cake for our Wednesday night bible study. Before frying the ravioli I rolled them in ground pecans (which is what the chunky stuff on them is) and it was so tasty! If you make this for an event double the recipe because I promise you will run out! Here is the link: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/fried-ravioli-with-marinara-cream-sauce-recipe/index.html

Spring is in the air

You know it’s spring break when…
…I sleep late and don’t even get out of bed until 6am!
…my commute to work is 4 minutes instead of 30!
…I get to park at the front of the parking lot!
…I get to wear shorts to work!

Phil and I kicked off spring break over the weekend with our first sunburn of the season! We were so happy to play outside and have picnics this weekend that we totally forgot about the concept of sunscreen, but we will be more careful with that for the rest of the spring/summer. I have a few goals for the spring. Phil and I love to eat sushi, and do so at least once a week, but I figured that it can’t be that difficult to learn how to make….I mean there is no actual “cooking” involved so it can’t be that challenging, right? The PW has some sushi recipes on her website so I think I am going to start with those and see how I fair. Also this spring/summer I think I want to try my hand at gardening. I haven’t gardened since living in Houston so I think I might get back into that this season. I gotta say that the PW has done it again. These were fantastic meatballs! I think I was expecting a flavor more similar to Italian or BBQ, but her description of these “mini meatloafs” was perfect. I paired it with her macaroni and cheese. Congratulations to the WVU Mountaineers!!! We are so happy about the win!!!
Sorry this post was all over the place.....my excuse is spring break. Have a great week and…

Twogether in Texas

So many times in society, the media, and the world around us we are bombarded with messages devaluing marriage. Divorce is frequently encouraged as the solution to issues, but instead of “fixing” problems it typically makes things more complicated. We have become desensitized to these types of situations and have come to accept the reality of our society’s view on marriage. Imagine my shock when I saw this billboard message on my way home from work yesterday: “FREE marriage classes and counseling, http://www.twogetherintexas.com/”. I was convinced it was some sort of scam but I was hopeful that I was wrong; as soon as I got home I rushed to the website. The state of Texas is offering free marriage classes focusing on improving communication, learning conflict resolution skills, encouraging practical tools for building a stronger marriage, and ultimately learning to love your husband/wife more fully and for life. Not only are these classes free, but the certificate for graduating the class is a coupon for $60 off a marriage license! In an effort to reach out to more people, these classes are offered in English and Spanish to those who are engaged and to those who are already married. This program is sponsored by Alliance for North Texas Healthy Effective Marriages (ANTHEM), a faith-based non-profit organization working to develop healthy, long-lasting marriages and divorce prevention. As I was reading through this website my mouth was gaping open in complete and total shock. As surprised as I was to see that this type of FREE faith-based course actually exists and that it is being advertised on such a busy highway, I am so happy to see the message behind it. Isn’t that awesome?! What a great way to be surprised in afternoon traffic!
As I was talking to Phil about this experience he showed me this couple off of MSN’s homepage. A couple married for 85 years!!!! Check out Herbert and Zelmyra Fisher’s story: http://specials.msn.com/A-List/Worlds-record-longest-marriage-Herbert-and-Zelmyra-Fisher.aspx?cp-searchtext=Worlds%20record%20longest%20marriage%20Herbert%20and%20Zelmyra%20Fisher

Keep'n it Real

Just in case you thought that I had everything together, I wanted to prove you wrong with a look at my filthy kitchen. This is what it looks like when I cook…..Even obsessively-compulsive perfectionists make big messes when they cook :-)

There is a section of the PW’s cookbook where she takes pictures of her kitchen to prove how she is “keep’n it real”. A couple weeks ago I finally worked up enough nerve to email the PW a suggestion for her blog. I think it would be fun for people to post pictures of their “real” kitchens. Phil says that it would be really easy to stage that, which is true, but I still think it would be funny, don’t you?

We had a great weekend; I got a lot of writing done and Phil helped a family from church move. I think helping people move must be one of his spiritual gifts. I have been working really hard on this next manuscript deadline so instead of cooking Phil took me on a couple dates this weekend so we could relax and just be together. He is a wonderful husband!

My cast iron skillet skills are improving. I have been using my skillet more and more and I’m getting much more comfortable with it. For the longest time I was just too scared to try it- which I know is ludicrous- so I have been using it for practically everything now and I am starting to love it! Here are a few of the PW dishes I made this week:

PW Potato skins- I had never tasted, let alone cooked potato skins before, so this was a tasty first. Olive Cheese Bread- I made this as a snack for our Wednesday night bible study and before I make this again I would make a couple alterations to the recipe. One of the PW's variations suggests parmesan cheese but I would definitely stick with the Monterey Jack cheese. “Olive” being in the title would suggest that the main ingredient is olives, but there are just way too many and coming from a person who loves olives I think that says a lot. However, I will say that this is a really easy snack to whip-up really quickly before you have company over. PW Monkey Bread- I got this recipe off of the PW’s website and I would never be able to forgive myself if I didn’t pass it along to you. I had heard of Monkey Bread before (because Phil has been asking for it) but I had never actually had it before; honestly, I don’t know how I lived before discovering Monkey Bread! I love the fact that the majority of the “cooking” is done in a ziplock baggie; no dishes! I think I might add chopped pecans next time, what do you think? If you have little monkeys running around your house, this will definitely bring a smile to their faces! http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/05/monkey-bread/

And it was very good!

God saw all that he had made, and it was very good ~ Gen 1:31

I was walking on campus today and thought it was beautiful! How blue is that sky?! What a gorgeous day!

The PW's Tour

The PW was all over tv last week! It was so neat to hear her voice and see that she is exactly like she writes; a very genuine woman. On Wednesday she was on Fox and Friends making her scrumptious cinnamon rolls. To view the Fox segment: http://video.foxnews.com/v/4050696/cooking-up-cinnamon-buns?playlist_id=87249
Then on Thursday morning she was on Good Morning America making her pot roast. To view the GMA segment: http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=9936226 Last week I made the PW’s fried chicken, twice-baked potatoes, and buttermilk biscuits with honey butter. I also made her Pico de Gallo and Guacamole.

Texas Visitors

We definitely didn’t get any snow this week, but instead had 2 thunderstorms. Our “rain season” typically is synonymous with “hurricane season,” so it’s a bit early this year and I’m just not ready to bust out my galoshes. However, despite the rain during the week, it was put on hold while our special guests from Alaska were here! Phil’s sister Joni and her husband Anthony had an extended layover in Houston, while on their way home to visit with our family. We were so happy that the weather cooperated so that they could actually enjoy some time outside. We went to the park for a picnic, did some shopping, and spent lots of time talking and laughing around the table. I truly L-O-V-E moments like that.

Anthony, Joni, and baby Orme at the park.

Who else showed up in Houston this weekend? None other than the annual Rodeo! This is a month-long rodeo that totally encompasses everything Texas. Go Texan Day was Friday to kick-off the rodeo. This day is a lot like Halloween for us because in case you didn’t notice nothing about us resembles a cowboy, but we could’ve definitely fooled you on Friday. Everyone is allowed to wear their western wear on Friday (even to work!). There were a lot of boots, belt buckles, and cowboy hats all over town. No matter how long I live in Houston, I think that I will always find this annual tradition hilarious. Everyday for the rest of the month there will be craft shows, concerts galore, BBQ competitions, bull-riding (the real kind, not the mechanical kind), mutton-busting (if you don’t know what this is you have to Google-it; it’s hilarious!), parades, a petting zoo, pig races, carnival rides, and all the delicious food you can imagine, from alligator-on-a-stick to deep fried oreos. This rodeo is one of the biggest in the world; requiring over 22,000 volunteers. All the trail riders have been arriving over the past few days for the rodeo competitions. Many of the riders have been traveling on horseback for the past month to get here….so sometimes traffic moves a bit slow to accommodate the horse drawn carriages and their riders. It’s an entertaining time in Houston!

Tiffany and Martha

One of my favorite cooking network shows is Semi-Homemade with Sandra Lee because I love how everything is so matchy-matchy. Every set is decorated to match her clothes, the food, and of course the tablescape. I love her tablescapes and how creative she is. I frequently change my tablescape, though not nearly as much or as detailed as Sandra’s. I was looking….well more like hunting, for blue table linens that were simple, affordable, and in the Tiffany Co./Martha Stewart blue. I just love that shade of blue and thought it would be great for spring. Being the planner that I am, I started looking for this in November and kept coming up short. I was telling my sister about this over Christmas and she started looking for me. Last week I got a package in the mail from my sister with these napkins inside…..my tablescape for spring was complete!!! Thank you Kellyn; they’re perfect!!! Isn’t she fabulous!?

deLightful

Truly, what a beautiful weekend? The weather was gorgeous this weekend and a nice sample of the spring to come. I heard this morning on the local tv station that winter may show his face once more tomorrow and again next week with chances of snow! What will people in Houston do?! My personal opinion is that snow is highly doubtful, but the chance in itself is exciting.

Ok east coast blog readers….have you any idea what a Caramel deLight is? Haha, you may not think you do, but you do. I was grocery shopping over the weekend and got stopped on the way into the grocery store by some lovely girl scouts (I love it when they have step-up shop in front of Kroger and I love it even more when my husband has just the right amount of cash to help me stock-up without looking like a total pig). When I so enthusiastically asked for a box of Samoas you would have thought I was speaking in a foreign language by the way these young ladies and their mothers looked at me. Apparently the Girl Scout organization has sold their recipes to various cookie bakers through the Little Brownie Bakers (LBB) organization, causing the name of the cookie to be regionally specific. So in Houston, I now order my treasured Samoas as Caramel deLights. Luckily the name was the only thing that changed, and the flavor was just as tasty as I remembered it. By the way, I refuse to tell you how many cookies I gorged on in one setting, but I will say I spent extra time in the gym this morning ;-)

Fellow bloggers, my sister introduced me to this totally awesome website that helps you edit your photos for free (thanks Kellyn!): http://www.picnik.com/. For a while I have been working on updating our blog and this was perfect for helping me with the header. Though these are outdated, here are some of my practices to show you all the things you can do with your photos on this website.
Last week I got to make several PW recipes and they were pretty yummy! Chicken-Fried Steak and the PW’s Creamy Mashed Potatoes: Red meat + mashed potatoes + gravy = one very happy husband. Phil said that the mashed potatoes were the best he has ever tasted (my thought was, “well they better be considering how terrible they are for you”). Judging from the smile on Phil’s face, I know that we will be making both of these recipes again. Chicken Pot Pie: Little did the PW know that she was going to be in a cooking duel since chicken pot pie is a staple in our house. We could tell a difference between the PW’s recipe and mine, but it wasn’t a bad difference. Like everything we have tried so far, it was really delicious. I think the only reason I would stick with my recipe is because mine seems to be a bit faster. Cowboy Calzones: This was not my favorite recipe by the PW. There wasn’t anything really that I could pinpoint that I didn’t like about it, I just think that I am used to Italian calzones so I had different expectations. This recipe wasn’t bad, just not my favorite. Patsy’s Blackberry Cobbler (with blue berries and raspberries): Phil and I decided to make it a mixed berry cobbler instead of just a blueberry cobbler and it was very tasty. We served it at bible study with some Blue Bell homemade vanilla ice cream and it was a hit.
BBQ Jalapeno Poppers: Jalapeno poppers was the first recipe that Phil and I were introduced to when we moved to Texas (thanks Shelly!) and it has since become a favorite of ours. In the past, Phil and I have made our poppers more plain (i.e. just cream cheese for the filling and no BBQ sauce), so we were nervous to break out of our mold. But boy, are we sure glad that we did!

Have a great week everyone!

My Beloved

I’ve never been a big participant in Valentine’s Day. Maybe it’s a rough perspective or maybe I really am a hopeless romantic at heart. I genuinely believe that every day is Valentine’s Day, and I don’t believe that Hallmark or the calendar should dictate the day you’re supposed to honor your loved ones. Though I take that perspective seriously, since I met Phil I wont deny the fact that I do buy sappy cards, make an extra phone call to tell someone that they are loved, and enjoy an extra special dinner out with my husband. To me, as long as this trend continues throughout the year, not just February 14th, it is just another form of compassion for those around you. With that being said, I had a wonderful “Valentine’s” weekend. This was the first full weekend that Phil was home from the gulf so it was nice to take some time to just catch-up. On Saturday we decided to break in the new grill. Phil’s idea was, “what better way than with a steak?”Later on Saturday we went out to dinner with a couple from Phil’s work at an awesome sushi restaurant (if you know me I have become a bit of a sushi addict- I just can’t ever get enough!) and then went out dancing. I love to go dancing but we haven’t had a chance to for a little over a year, so that was so much fun! On Sunday because the weather was so phenomenal and warm, we went to the park for a picnic and then saw a movie. I knew that Phil had planned a special dinner so I was very excited, especially since I love surprises. We got dressed up in our finest and Phil surprised me with dinner at La Colombe D’Or. This is a mansion built in 1923 located in the Museum District. It was by far the fanciest and most delicious restaurant I have ever been to. It was an awesome dinner and I was really touched that Phil would take me there for dinner. For appetizers Phil ordered the lobster bisque and I had a fabulous salad with Texas goat cheese. For dinner Phil had the soft shell crab, lobster, and sea bass and I had the handmade linguini with lobster, crab, and crawfish. And since it was a super special place, we also ordered the cheesecake topped with scrumptious mixed berries. I highly recommend trying La Colombe D’Or for a special occasion; the food is delectable and the service is impeccable. http://www.lacolombedor.com/index.html

While we had a great weekend, our week was also fantastic. Wednesday was our first day teaching Doulos. Doulos is a young single adult ministry that Phil and I feel called to participate in this semester. We were really nervous about it, but we really didn’t have anything to worry about. I really think I should have learned that by now, but lucky the Lord is patient with me and just keeps teaching me that lesson over and over again. The study we’re using is "One-on-One with God" by Jerry and Marilyn Fine, focusing on discipleship and spiritual disciplines. It is extremely evident that everyone was hand-picked for this study, and I think even as facilitator’s Phil and I are going to be learning a lot about being disciple-makers.

As I’m sure you’re aware, Friday was the opening ceremony for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. In honor of the devastation that has hit Haiti, Lionel Richie and Quincy Jones rearranged “We are the World” with a group of various talented musicians from all genres. At the beginning of the opening ceremonies “We are the World 25 for Haiti” debuted. This was an awesome way to kick off the Olympic Games; a beautiful demonstration of the world coming together for a greater purpose: to embrace our differences instead of arguing over them. I always get emotional over the Olympics because I really find it a beautiful event: that the world despite all of its differences and disagreements can stop being about themselves and put their issues on hold to come together for a couple weeks every 2 years. That coupled with the video and the loss of the Georgian athlete had me in tears for the entire ceremony. It really is very beautiful and touching. Click here to check out the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Glny4jSciVI

For the cookbook club this week, I made the Peach Crisp with Maple Cream Sauce and Edna Mae’s Sour Cream Pancakes. I had to take the good with the bad with these 2 recipes. I’m not sure what happened in my kitchen, but we smelled burnt pancakes for the next few days. As a plus, I don’t think it was the pancake recipe, I’m pretty certain it was something I did so please don't let my experience hold you back. I was using my cast iron skillet for the first time, and I’m not sure if I lack experience with it or I had the stove too hot or something, but I burnt every single pancake. I couldn’t even dignify it with a picture of the finished product (too embarrassing). But here is a picture of them cooking: While the pancakes were subpar, I redeemed myself with the Peach Crisp with Maple Cream Sauce. That was delicious! Since peaches aren’t in-season, I used 3 15-oz. canes of lite peaches in natural juice (not in the heavy syrup). I imagine that you could also use frozen peaches for this recipe though. I thought about adding oats next time, what do you think? The maple cream sauce really makes this dessert extra special though, so don’t skip on that. That’s about it for the Hawleys, have a great week!

Surprise Door Number 2

September 1, 2007 I had the surprise of a lifetime, when I opened my front door and found my future husband kneeling on one knee with a ring and a proposal. This past Saturday I opened our front door and found my husband back from his trip off-shore a week early. I was so happy and shocked and confused and surprised to have him back that I just stood there with my mouth open and tears rolling down my face with flashbacks from our proposal. I’m so glad to have him back safe and healthy! My life is truly complete when we’re together. We both have a whole new respect for families who live this lifestyle on a regular basis; it is very challenging. Thank you everyone for your emails, phone calls, and prayers of support; we are truly grateful.

I’m glad that I got the house cleaned on Saturday before Phil returned. The kitchen was beginning to look like a “bachelor pad” (or “bachelorette pad” in this case). I had cereal bowls everywhere. There was really no reason to cook and I was working a lot so I just ate cereal for all my meals. Phil told me I lost weight… so I guess I could be in the Special K commercials inspiring weight loss. I'm not sure if this is true or not, but I'll take the compliment :-)

I was so happy to watch the Superbowl with Phil. I love an underdog story, but ultimately I was hoping the Colts were going to smash the Saints. I was also looking forward to Carrie Underwood singing the National Anthem. I thought Underwood had the potential to blow Whitney Houston’s ’91 version out of the water (if you don’t remember this one you have to youtube it; Houston was phenomenal). I’m not sure if Underwood was successful at surpassing Houston, but I still think she did a great job. Now that football season is over, we are already engrossed in basketball season; sports viewing in this household never stops.

Last night I made the PW’s Chicken Spaghetti. While I was cooking it, I was thinking that Phil was not going to like this dish at all because it was a little bit creamy. After I took it out of the oven, I set it on the stove to cool and was doing something in the other room when I heard, “Hey D (‘D’ is what Phil calls me), I like this stuff!” So apparently the smell lured him into the kitchen and he actually liked it! I’m glad I don’t know him too well, because it keeps me on my toes and keeps life interesting. For the recipe, I used 2 lbs of skinless, boneless chicken tenders instead of the fryer chicken and chopped them into bite size pieces. I used ½ of the pimento recommendation, omitted the cheese topping, and used whole wheat spaghetti noodles. Phil’s suggestions for this recipe were: cut the chicken amount in half and add shrimp and mushrooms.

Chicken Spaghetti page 130

Back home in WV and VA they are getting smashed with snow. They got another couple feet of snow last weekend and are expected to get more this week. Please keep the east coast in your prayers.

Last Thursday we found out the Phil’s younger sister is expecting a boy! We are so happy for them and can’t wait to start spoiling our new nephew! Congratulations Joni and Anthony!!!

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.