California Bar Exam

"The horse is prepared for the day of battle,

but deliverance is of the Lord."

Proverbs 21:31

Dan will be taking the California bar exam today, tomorrow, and Thursday. Prayers are much appreciated during these next three intense days!

Specifics:

1) the test will cover a variety of the material he's studied the past 4 years, pulling from a range of 14 different subjects. Being able to remember and recall the necessary material is alone a huge prayer request, as well as being able to clearly identify the issues in each question/essay/performance test.

2) wisdom with time management during the exam! A lot of material is being crammed in the exam and covering that quantity of material and knowing how to use sufficient time at the beginning but save the necessary time to wrap up is a key in test-taking.

3) mental energy, stamina and endurance! Six hours of testing for three days in a row? Yeah; 'nough said. [smile]

Thank you so much for joining me in prayer! And we get a chance to practice patience as we won't find out the results of the exam until May!

"Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever, to whom belong wisdom and might... He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding; He reveals deep and mysterious things; to thee, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, for Thou hast given me wisdom and strength, and hast now made known to me what we asked of thee."

Daniel 2:20-23

Galatians 5:6

"The only thing that counts is FAITH
expressing itself through LOVE."


Is loving God--and by extension, loving people-- what you are about? Is it what being a Christian means to you? Do you live as though faith, demonstrated through love, really is the only thing that counts?

-Francis Chan

Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God

Hudson Warrick

Look at my adorable new nephew!!

Hudson Warrick Beasley

born February 22, 2012

And I won't be able to meet the lil' fellow until JUNE!!

...so I'm hoping that family members will take pity on me and post oodles and oodles of pictures for me in the coming months! [grin]

Congratulations Caleb & Abby!

Yogurt

Pour two quarts of milk into a pan on the stove.

Over low heat, stir occasionally until milk reaches 180 degrees.

Remove from heat and let cool down to 110 degrees,
then whip in a couple tablespoons of yogurt starter.

(My family uses one lil' yoplait yogurt to make 2 gallons of yogurt, so technically, I should only need 1/4 of a container. But I tend to use between 1/4 and 1/2 for 2 quarts of milk. I'd rather error on the side of thick yogurt then have it turn out runny.)

Pour milk into jars, seal tightly and place in hot water (around 110 degrees) for 4 hours.

This is my lunch box/cool yogurt maker. It holds two quart jars perfectly, and seals tightly enough to keep the water warm enough during the four hours. When you pull the yogurt out of the water bath, it should be thick. Refrigerate several hours or overnight.

Serve it up for breakfast or pull it out for a snack with (my favorit-ist ever) granola or fruit!

Dan and I also like using yogurt to make smoothies with fruit.
(Okay, so Dan is actually the creator of the smoothies that are enjoyed at our house. He's the best smoothie maker EVER. no joke.)

I've also done a lil' experimenting with using yogurt in baking and it has turned out fabulous.

Hope you enjoy!

New recipes

The last month I've enjoyed experimenting with several new recipes (and am always on the lookout for more to try!) Didn't someone once say that variety is the spice of life? Thankfully none of them were flops! [grin] Here's a lil' peek at the new recipes: (most of which are now in my recipe box to make again sometime!)

:: hot fudge. oreos. icecream. ::

the cool thing about this dessert? it is delicious and uper easy to whip up for a quick splurge for only a few people. Dessert for two, anyone?


:: white chicken chili ::
this was a big hit and will definitely be made again...and again...and again. It gets even better because I can dump everything in the crock pot and let it cook and simmer and send delicious smells wafting through the house. [recipe coming soon]


:: baked oatmeal with strawberries ::
This is one of those recipes that was fun to try for variety , but I probably won't be making again. Dan and I both like baked oatmeal, but we agreed that the recipe I already have is much better and the fruit baked in the oatmeal wasn't a wonderful addition. And even though I adjusted the recipe to our preferences, it was still too sweet!


:: chocolate chip cookie brownies ::
I had an occasion to which I could bake and take these, (thankfully!) cuz' there is no way I'd leave them alone if they were hanging out in my kitchen all day! I left off the frosting and did a slight dusting of powdered sugar instead. Hm-mm-m. Much faster and easier. Oh -- and the original recipe calls for a brownie and cookie mix, but it works well to use your favorite recipes with this idea and make the doughs from scratch.

:: chicken, potatoes, & sausage ::
this recipe is also a keeper. Nutritious, hearty, and easy.
Get the ingredients together and throw them in a pan and let it all bake in the oven for an hour. Add a salad, veggie, or fruit and supper is served! (Next time I want to add some sweet potatoes to the mix as well. What are recipes for but to revise and change?)

:: caramelized grapefruit ::
this intrigued me. so I tried it. And was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed a warm grapefruit!
The recipe calls for a whole TABLESPOON of sugar per grapefruit half, (really? a whole tablespoon?) but since I still wanted to taste the grapefruit, I decreased the amount. A LOT. down to less than a teaspoon. And I'm sure it didn't caramelize as well as was intended, but I could actually eat it. and I enjoyed the sweet and tart treat. and then made it again before the week was over!


:: southwestern chicken salad ::
grill chicken with mexican/chipotle seasonings and throw it on a salad with black beans, corn, shredded cheese, tomatoes, avocado and dressing. A very fresh, hearty salad that I'll definitely be serving again! (Just looking at this picture is making me hungry...)


:: glazed doughnut muffins ::

it snowed earlier this week! I didn't have time to make our traditional doughnut recipe, so I whipped up a small batch of these glazed muffins for a snack. Grab a glass a milk and a muffin warm from the oven -- makes a great addition to a cozy winter evening!

disclaimer:
none of the images in this post are mine. I didn't even take pictures of many of these delectable dishes that we've enjoyed, mainly due to computer complications and hunger. [smile]

What are some new or favorite recipes you've tried lately?

This 'n That (and not one single picture)

Where is 2012 going?

Believe me, I have all sorts of ideas to post pictures, recipes, and goals, but life keeps moving on and the blog sits idle!

The reason I don't have any pictures for you (to make a long story shorter): the computer with all the pictures on it is currently in the repair shop. And though I've been taking oodles of pictures, it now takes a more involved process to get them from the camera to the blog. Thus, it hasn't gotten done. And you are stuck with only words in a blog post.

But on to happier news:
I do want to thank you for praying for Dan's finals back in December. He was excited to see his assignments marked with A's and a B+! Then it was on to bar prep right away -- and he's been putting in some huge mornings, afternoons, and evenings (11, 12, 13 hour days; diligent man!) He will be flying to California later this month to take the bar exam (it is a 3 day exam, 6 hours each day. Talk about intense.)

I'm not looking forward to being apart, but I am so very thrilled that the culmination of the past 4+ years of school is here and he will soon be d.o.n.e! And lil' baby Beasley continues to grow and I'm so thankful to be feeling well. Less than three months now until we meet our precious daughter!

Oh, and stay tuned! Anna will be flying out to visit next week and we have oodles of fun projects planned. [smile]

"A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance..."

Proverbs 15:13

The Bloom Bunch

Last fall I had a blast hanging out with the Bloom siblings, taking portraits of them together and individually. But considering that they were giving the pictures to their Dad for Christmas, I haven't posted them until now. [smile]

There is nothing like putting your subjects to work during a photo shoot! Many thanks to the guys for toting these stools from the vehicle to this location (as we were unable to find close parking and ended up hiking a bit.) You were fabulous troopers!

Did I mention we had fun?! [grin]

And the winner is...

Stephanie!

You should have received an e-mail with further details at s.noelle94@.

I hope you enjoy the book!

And many thanks to all who left kind comments and notes. I'm looking forward to seeing what this next year will hold!

Pretzel Bites

So I've made these pretzel bites several times --
and they are fabulous.
Hm-mm-m.
Talk about melt-in-your-mouth goodness!!

So go make them.
It's best if you can make them with friends or sisters, but they still taste good if you end up making them by yourself.

Enjoy!

(and coming soon:
the chili and yogurt recipes you requested!)

2:19pm

Old bananas...no more yogurt in the fridge...

my man hungry for chili...

it must be time to spend part of the afternoon in my kitchen! [grin]

The 750th blog post

...happens to land on my blog's birthday!

This past year I have been extremely sporadic in blogging, yet I have enjoyed sharing pictures and tidbits of my life with you in the cracks of time I've had to blog, upload pictures, and try to scribble something down. I love living life, loving Dan, learning to manage my home, try new recipes, read books, serve Christ by serving others, take pictures, and catch precious moments in time. Oh -- and have I mentioned my excitement in soon having a sweet daughter to love and cuddle?!

Thank you, readers, for taking the time to share your thoughts and encouragement with me over the years. Your comments are always delightful to read! I've been toying around with different ideas of doing a weekly themed post...or sharing more recipes that have been a huge hit in our house...or...or... [smile]

But on to the celebration!

After 6 years of random posts and blogging, I'm excited to do something I've yet to try --

A giveaway!

I wish I could give all of you presents (or at least a cupcake!) to celebrate, but since I can't, I'm excited that y'all will at least get a chance at winning a copy of Crystal's book: The Money Saving Mom's Budget.

Yes, I am giving away a book I haven't yet had the chance to read (I'm still waiting for it to arrive in the mail!) but I have read enough of Crystal's writing to know that this book is high quality and will be very insightful, encouraging, challenging, and practical -- no matter what season of life you are in.

And guys, I'm sure there are things for you to learn, too, but if you don't want to read a book with the title 'mom' in it, you can always give it away to a girl in your life! [smile]

In order to be included in the party and for a chance to win, throw some confetti and leave a comment!

Actually, you can skip the confetti, but do leave a comment that includes your name and something that looks like an e-mail address: yourname[at]server.com

To earn multiple entries, begin following my blog and/or share about this giveway via facebook. Make sure you leave separate comments letting me know which of the above you've done!

The giveaway ends at midnight on Wednesday, January 18 and is open to all US residents. The winner will be notified by email and must respond within 48 hours to claim their prize or I will choose a new winner.

Blessings!

Books to read in 2012

A new year.

New lists and goals.

and a lot of new books!

Three cheers for paperbackswap, an amazing book section at my local thrift store, and Christmas gifts! [grin]

I've compiled a list of the books that are currently at the top of my to-read list; hopefully I'll finish them all in 2012 and have time to add more! Once I've completed this list, I'll give you a run down of which were my favorite and why.

One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are by Ann Voskamp

The Money Saving Mom's Budget: Slash Your Spending, Pay Down Your Debt, Streamline Your Life, and Save Thousands a Year

by Crystal Paine



How to Bring Your Children to Christ & Keep Them There: Avoiding the Tragedy of False Conversion by Ray Comfort

Money, Possessions, and Eternity by Randy Alcorn

Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo

The Big Picture by Ben Carson

The Love Dare by Alex Kendrick

Instead of reading it in 40 days, I'm going to stretch it out over this year and enjoy focusing on one chapter for a whole week. I want to continue to look for ways to love and bless my husband and I think this book will be an excellent resource in encouraging me to remain intentional as I invest in my marriage!

Financial Peace Revisited by Dave Ramsey

Amazing Grace: William Wilberforce and the Heroic Campaign to End Slavery by Eric Metaxas

Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God

by Francis Chan

What are you currently reading or hoping to read in 2012?