Welcome to Making It Count Tuesday, (now known as Pinterest Party) which is every 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month. Originally hosted by Sarah and Pam, it’s new home in now here at RoL.
If you are new to Making it Count, you simply start with any one of those fabulous ideas you’ve found online. Then, do it. Make it. Cook it. Create it. Take it from the screen, give it life and let it bless your world. When you’re done, snap a photo, write about it and share it with us.
Make your time online count!
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I was originally planning to post about my Instagram/Postal Pix project for this week’s Making It Count but I used it for my Operation Clean and Organize post instead.
So today I am posting about a new recipe I tried. I was in the mood for soup and since Brian was feeling under the weather I thought chicken soup would be perfect but I wanted to do something different from the “normal” chicken soup. I was browsing through recipes online and came across Tyler Florence’s Chicken Meatball and Tortellini Soup. I remembered watching him make it on Food Network and he has the recipe herealong with a video clip from the show. However, I also have his great cookbook Dinner at My Place and it has a slightly different version of the recipe.
I used the ingredients listed in his cookbook, which includes milk and fresh bread crumbs. You can also find that version of the recipe on Tyler’s website.
The only change I made was for the meatballs. I used 4 low-fat chicken-apple sausage and ½ a pound of ground turkey. (I froze half of them.) Once the meatballs were made, the rest of the soup was super easy to make and everything smells sooo good.
Here is the finished product.
I added a small grilled sandwich to go with it.
Brian loved it. I believe his exact words were, “I could eat this every night!” I wouldn’t go that far, but this will be a regular in our family meals list!
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Now it’s your turn.
1. Choose a tutorial, recipe, or idea that has inspired you. Do it and blog a little about it. It doesn’t have to be elaborate — we just want to see what you’ve been up to!
2. In your post, link back the original idea whenever possible. We want to be sure that cool idea credit is given to the proper person. Please do not link to Pinterest. Linking to the original blogger insures that proper credit is given where it’s due.
3. Make sure you link back here somewhere in your post so others can find us and play along.
4. Link up below. Make sure you’re sending us to your actual post, and not to your general blog address. Don’t forget to use your own original photo (not someone else’s!) as your thumbnail image.
You have a week to post your link, so if you can’t get things going by Tuesday, no worries, put it up when you can. We’ll be here.
~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~
AND
It’s been a busy week (AGAIN) so it is time for another Saturday morning {pretty, happy, funny, real}/7 Quick Takes Mash-up.
– 1 –
{happy}
All the kids are officially back in school. Bella started the 5th grade – and moved out of jumpers and into skirts. (Although, after this photo day she is wearing her favored uniform pants since she doesn’t like skirts. Oops, a little like her mama.)
Andrew started Pre-K and was all smiles when he found out he got to get out earlier than Bella. (He only goes half-day.)
– 2 –
It’s funny that I imagined myself having all this free time and I had my plans of continuing to clean and organize, I thought of all the projects I’d start and blog posts I’d write but I’ve done nada! First of all, between three kids attending two schools with three separate school schedules, I spend a good portion of my day lugging kids in and out of the car. In fact, yesterday when I took John-Paul to school, I must have been on auto pilot because I accidentally drive him to School A instead of School B. Luckily, I had enough time to turn around and head in the opposite direction. Anyway, add in a few errands into the mix and I have to drive right back to School A & B for the 1/2 dayers and literally don’t get back from “taking them to school” until 1:30, unless it’s a speech therapy day, then add an extra hour. By 3pm I’m finally putting the breakfast dishes in the dishwasher. Thankfully next week Brian and my father-in-law will be doing a couple of the shifts so that should ease things up.
– 3 –
My other misconception was that mothering would be easier with only Matthew in the house. Egads, I am more exhausted just watching Matthew than I am caring for all four. He is at that “Cyclone Stage” where he runs around the house leaving a path of destruction everywhere. At least with the kids at home he is occupied playing with them and there is always another set of eyes to lets me know when he is causing trouble. We are both getting adjusted. In the meantime, this is what happens when I try to get some housework done.
{funny}
Put in a load of laundry – find him on the table throwing puzzle pieces.
Put my breakfast dishes in the dishwasher – find that he gave himself a yogurt facial and shampoo.
Try to make dinner – it’s his invitation to dump out the kitchen cabinets, again.
The first few times, this is cute and photoworthy but as I pick up the dumped cookware he runs and dumps out a book shelf. As I am putting the books back on the shelf, he opens the dishwasher and climbs inside. I get him out and wipe his dirty feet prints off the washer and he runs over and dumps over the trash can. I pick up the trash and find in the rubbish the remote control, my serving spoon and his lost shoe. He’s too young for a time out chair and I’m not into spanking but even a little swat on the bottom does nothing. I tried throwing him in his crib and fencing him in but he climbed out and knocked down the barricades. I don’t remember any of the kids being this persistent in giving me a heart attack. I don’t understand how someone so small and cute can be so strong and relentless. So we’ll see how we manage together as the weeks progress.
– 4 –
Okay, since I am getting my complaints off my chest, let me just add one more thing. Normally, the boys get along fairly well but every once in awhile Matthew likes to tease John-Paul by taking one of his toys and running away with it. John-Paul, unable to fully verbalize his displeasure, will resort to screeching at the top of his lungs and grab his toy back. Matthew in turn will yell and screech at the top of his lungs. They were so loud I got flashbacks of those nature shows where the monkeys, chimpanzees, or gorillas go crazy. The boys sounded just like this…
I ran into the room and broke it up and I swear I am still shocked that the neighbors did not call child protective services or the animal control center.
– 5 –
{real}
Somehow all this craziness has made me want to enjoy some of the quieter moments of mothering and homemaking. On the weekends or during a moment of uninterrupted, blessed naptime, I have been feeling domestic and cooking and baking more. I think it is partly because of the weather. Normally we have warmer weather in September but there are still those days when the fog starts to creep in…
It looks like this.
Until it completely covers the mountains behind us.
That is when I am most likely to go baking crazy.
Here we used up all the over ripe bananas with Banana Blueberry Muffins, Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins and Oatmeal Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies. In fact someone was asking me for the recipe for the cookies (I tried making them a little lower in fat) so I’ll post it next week.
– 6 –
I also dusted off my bread machine and have been making fresh bread for the family. Last night we had Italian wheat bread. The smell of bread baking is lovely!
It went fast.
– 7 –
{pretty}
Well, with all the mommy craziness, I certainly need more of God’s grace to get through it. I took this photo at the Mission’s garden and it reminds me of a mama and her baby.
It also reminds me of St Therese of the Little Flower. I have to remember that my life with Matthew (and all the kids) is my specific road to sanctity. God knows exactly how selfish, self-centered and impatient I am. He gave me just the little guy I need to help me chip away at those faults and give me opportunities to practice patience, charity and selfless giving. (It also helps to repeat my motto, “And this too shall pass.”)
With that, I must get off the computer and practice some virtue in the form of a stinky diaper that needs to be changed, breakfast dishes that need to be washed and countless piles of laundry to be tackled. 😉
Have a great weekend!
Tragedy – I woke early this morning to take my walk and I read the news about the horrible shooting in Colorado. I am speechless. Patrick at CreativeMinorityReport.com had a sobering commentary, but his last paragraph was the hardest. He says:
Again, the speed of things is startling. I found this unsettling story about a young woman killed in the shooting last night. We see her last tweets from the theater and even more bizarrely, we see her last blog post in which she wrote about barely escaping the gunman in that Toronto mall just six weeks ago. So sad, so bizarre, and so quick. /
I read the article about Jessica and it was eerie. She just escaped death at another tragic mall shooting just six weeks ago and now she is believed to be one of the fatally wounded victims last night.
(UPDATE: Jessica was killed. She was an intern at a Fox affiliate.)
It seems even more tragic that some of the injured were not just teens or adults. There was a 3 month old and a six year old hurt. (And I can’t help but wonder who would take a 3 mo old or 6 yr old to that movie, let alone at midnight.)
All this just breaks my heart but my kids are asking me why I am crying, I know I have to get a grip and take care of my little ones. I can mourn and cry for them in private later. But I can at least remember them throughout the day and offer up my tiny crosses for them.
In the meantime, I’ve got a house in desperate need of cleaning and kids with no clean clothes so I am not to leave the house or get back on the computer until I am done. Instead I’ll leave you with links to places I’ve visited online this week.
– 2 –
Prayer – This morning Fr. Jonathan Morris posted the Prayer to Put on the Armor of God on Facebook. It seems especially appropriate these days. Prayer for Friday, July 20, 2012 (Prayer to put on the Armor of God)
Heavenly Father, I praise and worship you because you are God.
I am honored to be your servant and I take my stand.
Father, as I take up each piece of the armor, please secure it in place on me.
I take up the shield of faith and extend it over myself. It extinguishes all the fiery darts of the evil one.
I put on the helmet of salvation, which protects my mind from the enemy’s attacks. I have the mind of Christ.
I put on the breastplate of righteousness, which covers my body with the righteousness of God. In Christ, every foothold of evil has been washed away and I am clothed in righteousness.
I gird my loins with the belt of truth. Your word, O God, is truth.
Father, sanctify me according to your word and remind me through the Holy Spirit of the truth that destroys the lies of sin.
I shod my feet with the preparation of the Gospel of peace. I have peace with God through the blood of Jesus. I walk in my inheritance as an adopted son of God and have authority over evil in Jesus’ name.
I will use the Sword of the Spirit by speaking the Word of God as it applies to whatever situation I may face today. Father, please remind me of your Word via the Holy Spirit.
I will continue to pray in the Spirit throughout the day, and intercede for all Christians as the Holy Spirit prompts me. I believe that the Holy Spirit is interceding on my behalf according to my prayers.
Thank you, Father, for the whole armor of God. Please surround me with your hedge of protection as I move forward on the spiritual battlefield today.
I praise and worship you now and forever, Amen
Making It Count – This week I discovered a number of new blogs that I started following. The first is AmongstLovelyThings.com. I first found the blog because of the series Sarah cohosts – Making it Count. Sarah says:
I spend a significant amount of time online- reading blogs, checking email, writing posts, editing photos, and sharing. While online, I seek inspiration to live this beautiful life to its very best- to squeeze every last drop out of these wild and glorious days. It’s far too easy, of course, for that time online to be counted as a waste. A click here, a click there- and suddenly the hours have gotten away from me. I shut my computer and walk away to do the very real and messy living of hours with these precious people in my life.
And what of the time online? Was it wasted? What of all the inspiring ideas and projects that I collected like berries from a bush while I was clicking away? Do they stay locked up in the computer while I live out my days with my family? Or do I bring them to life? Do I seek out inspiration and then allow that inspiration to overflow into my real world? I’d hate to think that the time I spend online hunting and gathering beauty is going to waste.
So, it won’t. I won’t let it.
Here is my chance. Here is your chance, too. Start with any one of those fabulous ideas you have found online. Then, do it. Make it. Cook it. Create it. Take it from the screen, give it life and let it bless your world. When you’re done, snap a photo, write about it and share it with us. Make your time online count.
Twice each month, Pam and I are co-hosting the Making It Count Tuesday link-up. We’d love it if you would join us. Check out the rules, grab the graphic, and then get to work. Make that time you spend online count, and then show us what you’ve been up to! We’re meeting the 2nd Tuesday of each month at Everyday Snapshots, and the 4th Tuesday of each month here, at Amongst Lovely Things.
(I already have a little project that I finished that I’ll post on Tuesday.)
– 5 –
Binders & Recipes – Last week Pam at EverydaySnapshots.blogspot.com/ hosted Making it Count. That is where I saw Sarah’s link to these great recipes she tried out. They looked so tasty that I made two of them last night. (By the way, if you homeschool, you should especially check out Pam’s blog since she has a lot of great ideas. I don’t homeschool but I loved her binder ideas for general use!)
I also made this Greek salad. It was really tasty but I think I put a little too much dressing on the salad because it was a little strong. I’ll try it again for lunch and put less dressing this time.
I think I might also try The Pioneer Woman’s version of Greek Salad next time I make this.
– 7 –
Keeping it in the Family – The other blog I started reading is SixSistersStuff.com. It is a blog done by six sisters. So cool! I will try and stay healthy and make their slow cooker roasted vegetables and not their cake-mix-cinnamon-rolls.
That’s it for today. Have a great weekend and don’t forget to tell your loved ones how much they mean to you because life is short!
My father-in-law brought me a big bag of avocados this weekend so I pulled out my favorite guacamole recipe from my sister BC. I love it because it is quick, easy and delicious. (I think it is about time I type out the recipe and get rid of the paper it is written on.) Here is the recipe:
4 avocados
1/2 medium red onion
1/2 bunch of cilantro
1/2 lime
2 cloves of garlic (or dash or two of garlic powder)
1-2 dashes of olive oil
1 or 2 Jalapenos (optional) (My sisters and bros like it hot but for Brian and the kids, I leave out the chilis. I know. I put my Mexican heritage to shame.)
Salt and pepper to taste.
Mix together. Eat with too many tortilla chips. Yum!
