To Those Who Wait

Bethany Dillon never fails to describe my life in a song... I'm sure many of you can relate. Most recently, I have had a particular song on repeat for about four months.

As a planner/control freak/day-dreamer combo person, I am always looking toward the next step in life. Thinking about it, planning it out perfectly, and then doing what I can to make it happen. 

 Beginning during my first year of middle school, I couldn't WAIT for the next year to come so that I was eligible for cheerleading tryouts. Hours of wishing away the sixth grade went by as I worked tirelessly for my backhandspring and constantly contemplated what wonders cheerleading camp would hold.

After 8th grade graduation (ok, I was a little sad to leave my middle school buddies), I got right back into my swing of things buying freshman year school supplies and looking with wide eyes toward the first day of high school. During early high school, I couldn't wait until I was old enough to date and have a boyfriend (oh, and get my braces off!). Going on dates with a cute boy in his very own truck, him buying me chocolates and calling me his sweetheart....man there was nothing better. (right?) But once that milestone had passed, I was quickly counting down the days (ok maybe even the minutes) until I was a VARSITY cheerleader. Not to mention spending hours in pre-calculus class drawing out my Azalea Trail Maid dress designs and writing elaborate notes to/texting my boyfriend (at the expensive of my grade, no doubt).

Oh, the olden days.... 

At the end of high school, I did dread leaving everything behind for college. My heart ached for the things I was leaving behind, and I wondered what I could do to make the future look as bright as what I was departing. My suffering was real, but brief. I was thirsty and ready for my independence just as much as the next girl. When I entered into a long term relationship in college, I didn't suppress visions of diamonds and white dresses, and detailed dreams of how awesome that would be (as if dating were a phase that I wanted to hurry and be done with in my life, not a unique God-given season of happiness). After the question was popped and the ring was on my finger, I was almost immediately ready to be DONE with wedding planning and ready to be living the "dream" together in our very own place. Home made dinners, cuddling up on our couch and watching tv, not having to say goodbye at night... you know, the works! 

The dating days

A sweet brand new couple

Once married for a certain amount of time, I began slipping right back into my tried and true old habit. I began looking toward more "next steps" in life. Visions of stunning white dresses and shiny diamonds were replaced by moments featuring first homes, re-models, new furniture, puppies, career-oriented successes, monogrammed onesies, sippy cups, and soccer games (maybe not a mini-van). 

As I enter into my final semester of graduate school, I find myself currently preoccupied with finding a job after I walk across that stage in May. Not only that, but our lease will be up in May. We know the area we want to purchase a home in, and all of our friends/church/fun things occur over that way. Checking the real estate listings like its my job and pinning home-improvement ideas is how I spend most of my current free time. Always living for/stressing over that next step. One sweet, glorious, long-awaited moment arrives, and I immediately look with anticipation and anxiousness toward planning the next.   

What about this moment? What about now? What about the season of life I am blessed to be living? (excuse the cheese, this is not about to be a carpe diem moment. I promise.) 

But more importantly, what about the Lord's plan for each moment (the good and seemingly bad times)? What about this series of gifts that He has given me that I have pushed to the side in favor of looking toward the next gift I expect from Him? What about what He wants to teach me during each specific season? What am I missing out on by doing this?


Now as I face this season of life, I pray that the Lord would give me the strength and the peace to wait in His presence-and to wait there infinitely satisfied. For Jesus to be my heart's treasure... not to set my sights on the next best thing I'm hungering to have or be a part of. I look back on all the amazing times throughout my life, and I wish I would have taken time to glorify the Lord more for what He gave me. I wish I had waited on Him and listened, even through times I considered "suffering". For what is my real goal in life? Who/what am I really here for? 

Ultimately no amount of my own planning, no amount of stressing, fretting, pouting, or even doing (for all of us proactive, craft-pinning, go-getters) can compare to what He can do with a waiting heart. 

WAIT upon the Lord, for He can do more in your waiting than you can do in your own doing.

Or as Elisabeth Elliott would put it: 

Let us not try to make sense of these trials, but make the most of it.Wherever you are, be all there. Don’t waste it. Live to the hilt of every situation that is the will of God. Our vision is so limited, we can hardly imagine His love, a love that does not show itself in protection from suffering. 
The deepest spiritual lessons are learned by waiting until we can honestly learn to pray "THY WILL BE DONE" 



But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint .Isaiah 40:31

For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him.  Psalm 62:5

Oh, and thanks, B.Dill! You should definitely check her out if you haven't already.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFf-WaFJRTI



"To Those Who Wait"

I am waiting on You,
I am waiting on You.
You say You’re good to those who wait.

My heart’s discouraged,
So I come to You expectant.
You say You’re good to those who wait.

Lord, today You know what I need to do,
But You can do more in my waiting than in my doing I could do.
So I won’t run anymore.
I’m waiting on You.

Oh, wretched man that I am!
Free me from my distractions.
You say You’re good to those who wait.

Then confession and repentance
Find me in the quiet.
You say You’re good to those who wait.
Now I know You’re good to those who wait.

Lord, today You know what I need to do,
But You can do more in my waiting than in my doing I could do.
So I won’t run anymore.
I’m waiting on You.

Oh, my soul,
Wait upon the Lord.
Keep your lamp filled with oil.
Oh, my soul,
Be not deceived!
Wait for Him.
Don’t be quick to leave.

Lord, today You know what I need to do,
But You can do more in my waiting than in my doing I could do.
So I won’t run anymore.
I’m waiting on You.

Mexican Cornbread

Another favorite I learned from Bradley's grandmother! I love how we have this spicy addition to the otherwise mild tasting Thanksgiving/Christmas comfort food spread every year.

Just one of the many perks of getting married---you gain a whole lot of new and delicious recipes. :)

Ingredients: 

1 can creamed corn
1 cup plain corn meal
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/3 cup all purpose flour
2 eggs lightly beaten
3/4 cup milk
-------
1 can jalepeno peppers, chopped (or you can chop your own if desired)
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese (bag style or grate your own)

Directions: 

Mix all the ingredients above the dotted line into a large bowl. Pour half of the mixture into greased baking dish. (I prefer to use pans slightly smaller than the 9x13. Maybe like an 8x8 or the one pictured) Spread peppers and some of the cheese on top. Pour the rest of the mixture on top of this, and then the rest of the cheese on the very top.

Bake at 350 until golden brown. (you just have to hang around and watch it)

Ginger Cookies

Tis the season... for ginger cookies! These are a great fall and holiday season treat, and are great for party-going/party hosting. Thanks to my husband's grandmother, I have a new favorite cookie.

Favorite part: what newlywed wife doesn't jump at the chance to spend a little time with her beloved kitchen-aid? :)

Ingredients:

3/4 cup vegetable shortening
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses
2 cups sifted all purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp salt
additional sugar for rolling cookies


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats.

Cream shortening and sugar thoroughly.
Add egg and molasses and beat until incorporated.
Sift together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Add to mixture.
Roll dough into balls about 1 inch in diameter. Roll balls in sugar. Place 1.5 inches apart and flatten slightly with fingertips.

Bake 12 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Store in resealable plastic bags.

Redneck Enchilada Bake (Semi-Healthy Style)

If you haven't noticed, the Mexican/Southwest theme is a popular one around these parts. We love anything good and spicy that you can douse in cheese and sour cream :)

This recipe is an adaptation from a Weight Watchers one I found on Pinterest. We forgot some things at the store and had to use what we had on hand, which made it turn out even better in our opinion! It was super easy to do, which made it worth the while on a busy weeknight. I'm not a huge enchilada person, but my husband is obsessed. He gets them every time we eat out at a Mexican restaurant, and he loved this dish. Although it's not technically the real McCoy as far as enchiladas go, it's a pretty legit knockoff that got this enchilada-hater to taste and approve. (Ladies, it's not a really "light" meal, so plan to have a small portion and some fresh veggies on the side. Most recent fave=sliced tomatoes.)

Ingredients: 

1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce (We used old el paso medium)
1 (8oz) can tomato sauce
1 16oz can reduced fat (or whatever you want) refrigerator biscuits (we used pillsbury)
green onions, chopped
1 small can diced green chiles
fat free sour cream
1 bag 2% mixed mexican flavor cheese (or if you want to grate your own, feel free!)
**Meat (see complicated note below)
    1 Onion (chopped)
    1 Bell pepper (chopped)
    Hidden Valley Ranch Dips Mix packet
    chili powder, ground cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, and crushed red pepper
    browned ground turkey
    1 cup cooked shredded chicken breast

**Now, let me just say that we forgot to buy the 1 pound of lean ground turkey that the original recipe called for. HOWEVER, we made tacos last night, and had some ground turkey (already seasoned) leftover from that. It wasn't going to be enough, so we looked in the freezer and found a Ziploc of 1 cup shredded chicken breast that we had boiled and frozen a while back when we had leftover after a recipe. So, we threw the two together in the pan and used that as our meat. I kind of liked the combination of two different kinds of meat, and I think it gave it some extra flavor since we had already seasoned the taco meat the night before. Let me put below the recipe for our taco meat so that you can copycat that if you want to do this weird combo of meats yourself (or spice JUST chicken or JUST turkey in the same way) If you plan to make this recipe the night after tacos that way you already have the meat prepared, you are a smart cookie. Then it REALLY is the easiest recipe in the world!
-1 pound ground turkey browned. Then add 1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch Dips mix. Then, add 1 TBS chili powder, ground cumin, garlic powder, and onion powder. Also add 1/4-1/2 TBS crushed red pepper. Mix altogether and DO NOT ADD WATER. Add in the chopped onion and bell pepper and let simmer for just a minute. I let the vegetables stay slightly crunchy.

Whew! Now that we got THAT out of the way....

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Prepare (or just add!) meat to pan. Pour in the enchilada sauce, the tomato sauce, and the chiles. Add the green onions and stir until well combined. Take a casserole dish (preferably a fun, southwest themed one like the one pictured below) around the size of 8x11. Cut the biscuits into fourths and layer them across the bottom of the well-greased pan. Then, pour the meat mixture on top of the biscuits. Finally, add the cheese on top. (Yes, we used the whole bag.... don't judge!)

Bake for 25 minutes (or until bubbly and looking done on top)

Serve with a generous amount of sour cream, and voila! Or should I say, HOLA! :)

Side Note: I really need to get a fancy girl camera and improve my food-tography. It looks much more appetizing in person, I promise. Iphone 4 cam is not doing me any justice here!

Healthy-ish "Cheeseburger" Soup

Okay, so normally I would NOT gravitate to anything called "Cheeseburger Soup", but as a married woman I SUPPOSE I should consider the other person eating these meals I prepare. :) My husband was (sweetly) helping me pick out some meals on Pinterest, and he saw this. Since he actually piped up and tried to help, I felt like it was my duty as a wife to honor this one request. It's really not UNhealthy, and I figured it was worth a try on this busy week.

This recipe is a combined adaptation that takes inspiration from a Weight Watchers recipe and a blogger's recipe posted on Pinterest. I also slimmed it down a little on my own. (It could probably taste better if you "fattened" it back up. The husband approved of this version, so we're sticking with "skinny"!)

Ingredients: 

cooking spray
1 garlic clove, minced
1 onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 lb. ground turkey (or use ground beef for heavier version)
2 tb. all purpose flour
3 cups canned chicken broth, divided (I had a little less than two cups (14.5 oz) on hand, so we used    what we had. It seemed like enough for me!)
1 cup low-fat evaporated milk (I used fat free, and I used about 14 oz on accident. But then I figured it would compensate for the low amount of broth!)
8 oz Velveeta 2% reduced fat cheese, cubed
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1 can Rotel
baked lowfat tortilla chips (we like Tostitos!)

Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat over med-high heat for about 30 seconds. Add garlic, onion, and celery; cook, stirring frequently until vegetables are tender. (About 5-10 minutes) Coat your crock pot (or large slow cooker) with cooking spray and put the vegetable mixture in.

Place the same skillet over medium-high heat and brown/break up meat.  (I break mine up pretty fine for soup, but it's your call!) Drain meat and add to slow cooker.

In a small cup, combine flour and 1/2 cup broth; stir until lump-free. Pour this flour/broth mixture into the skillet and add the remainder of the broth left. Bring this to a simmer, and pour into crockpot. Add the evaporated milk, cheese, paprika, salt, pepper, and rotel.

Cover the crock pot and cook on LOW HEAT for 2 hours. Serve soup topped with crumbled tortilla chips (and sour cream if desired).

Okay...I know these are not the best pictures, but I was too hungry to worry about good photography. :)

The husband described it as "if Rotel dip were a soup...", which I suppose is good because Rotel dip is DEFINITELY his favorite guilty pleasure tailgate food. On a cold election night (which is kind of like a tailgate in our home), it worked for us! 

Creamy Italian Noodles and Bruschetta Salad

As much as we all love to be Pinterest perfectionists and domestic goddesses, there are going to be those nights where we just don't have time to cook the most delicious meal ever served AND clean the mess up. Tonight I found myself in a pinch for time, and this meal was PERFECT. No, it's not the most succulent pasta I've ever had, but it was good, creamy, and satisfying. (Who doesn't love some good, plain comfort food every now and then?!) The salad was delicious, simple, and refreshing. All in all, the husband said it's a keep-on-hand for those busy nights.  I thought it was on the plain side, but he actually really liked it that way (probably really good for kids/picky eaters). You can play with the recipe and make it your own. We plan on adding a few things the next times we cook it and seeing if we can put our own flare on it. But for now, here are the bones of this easy peasy meal.....

Pasta Ingredients: 

1. 1 package (16oz) Bowtie Pasta
2. 1/2 cup butter
3. 1 cup whipping cream
4. 1/2 cup grated Parmesan (probably best if you grate your own. doesn't mix that well when it's pre grated)
5. 1 packet Good Seasons Italian Dressing mix

*Directions:
Cook Pasta according to package directions. Drain and return to pot. Add butter and mix until the butter has all melted. Add cream and Parmesan. Mix well. Add seasoning packet and mix again. Serve right away while it is creamy and hot! (Top with extra parmesan cheese if desired)

Salad Ingredients: 

1. baby spinach
2. 3-4 plum tomatoes, diced
3. 1 clove garlic, crushed
4. 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
5. 1/2 tbsp olive oil
6. salt and pepper

*Directions: Combine all ingredients in a bowl. You can serve it over a salad of baby spinach, like I did (no dressing needed!) Or, you can serve it on top of toasted bread/crostinis, or even on top of some regular cooked pasta if you are avoiding the creamy white sauce.

Sorry about the blurry pic... we added a little parmesan to the top of the salad as well! This was before it was stirred... you definitely want to stir it up to get the best taste!

Quick picture of my plate before I devoured its contents! 

Avocado Chicken Salad

In this house, we love ALL things Mexican/Tex-Mex. I wouldn't exactly go as far as to call this dish Latin-American at all, but its delicious cilantro/lime flavor definitely puts a different spin on traditional southern chicken salad.

All you need is:

1. chicken, cooked and shredded (I ALWAYS use boneless, skinless breasts and I shred super finely in the processor)
2. avocado
3. plain greek yogurt (you only need a little, so I used greek yogurt to be healthy. You can use mayo if      you prefer!)
4. green onion, sliced
5. cilantro
6. lime juice
7. salt/pepper

There are really no measurements, as I got this basic idea from a website that simply posted the ingredients without exact quantities. I would say I had about three or more cups of chicken, and I used almost 5 whole avocados. I went heavy on the cilantro (I threw mine in the food processor to make it really fine) and the green onion. I juiced two whole limes, and only used about 3 or 4 spoonfuls of greek yogurt. I was pretty generous with the pepper and moderate with salt.

It looks a little strange at first, especially if you are used to an ultra mayonaise-y chicken salad. It tastes a lot lighter and has a neat flare. My husband suggested that we remember this during summer beach trips for a light and delicious lunch!

I served it on a thin bagel sandwich (toasted) with the baby spinach/goat cheese/ strawberry salad with home made dressing. This would probably be really tasty on chips or pitas, also!

Healthy Chicken Noodle Soup

I have NEVER liked chicken noodle soup. Not even when I'm sick, not when I'm cold, and definitely not on a random October night. 

However, on a recent quest to find some decent soups for the impending winter, I found this gem on Pinterest. We gave it a try, and it was a husband-approved hit! 

The full recipe can be found here: (I figure I should give credit where credit is due here.)  

http://www.theyummylife.com/chicken_noodle_soup

I served it with a side salad of baby spinach, goat cheese, and strawberries. I used the same home made dressing I used in the Tomato Tortellini Soup post: 

1/4 cup vinegar 

1/4 cup oil 

1/4 cup sugar 

(mix well and toss salad in it) 

Bradley asked me when I was going to blog about his awesome cleaning skills and help in the kitchen. Love him.

I always feel the need to add a picture of our precious chalkboard, just because. 

Question: every time I clean it, the white dusty look comes back and won't go away even after it dries. Any tips? 

And last but not least, baby Oliver (our 0.5) enjoyed the little pieces of chicken I dropped on the ground while cooking this delicious dish. haha! My little buddy needs a haircut.... 

Taco Soup

I was introduced to this recipe on two occasions in college, and each version had significant differences. I took a little inspiration from both, then added my own twists. This is a Dorsett family favorite, and always a good Fall/Winter go-to for entertaining. If we make a pot for just us two, the leftovers last us for a few days. 

Ingredients: 

1 lb ground turkey breast (you can use ground beef if you want, I go healthy) 

1 package chicken broth 

1 Ranch Dressing Dip Packet 

1 Taco Seasoning Packet **See Note**
1 can Green Giant Southwest Corn OR Chipotle White Corn (both are good) 

2 cans Bush’s Medium Chili Beans 

1 can Rotel (Cilantro Lime Flavor) 

1 can Rotel (Hot or Medium Flavor) 

1 bell pepper 

1 onion 

Cayenne Pepper (to taste) 

Chili Powder (to taste) 

Tostitos Scoops 

Sour Cream 

Shredded Cheese 

*For this particular batch we used a couple of different ingredients since Target did not have my usual (chipotle corn instead of southwest, old el paso instead of taco bell seasoning) I really liked this batch, and it’s really just a matter of preference as long as you stay along the same lines. 

**After posting this originally, I found a recipe for making my OWN Taco Seasoning, which tastes way better than the packet from the store. If you want to opt for that, use 1 Tbs chili powder, ground cumin, garlic powder, and onion powder. Then, add 1/4-1/2 Tbs crushed red pepper! (Still add the chili powder and cayenne pepper to taste at the end as usual!) 

1. Dice bell pepper and onion 
2. Brown turkey breast 
3. Add bell pepper and onion in the skillet with turkey breast, then add the ranch AND taco packet to the mixture (add a tiny bit of water to help stir if needed, but NOT the amount of water called for by the back of the packets)
4. Let this simmer for a few minutes while you open up all the cans of beans and rotel. Choose a large soup pot and empty the cans into the soup pot. 
5. Empty the meat/veggie mixture from the skillet into the soup pot and stir well. 
6. Add chicken broth as desired (I like mine more soupy, but some like theirs chunky and thick without much juice. I use about half of a can usually.) 
7. Add cayenne pepper and chili powder to taste. (I like it spicy!) 
8. Put on medium heat and cover. Cook for an hour, stirring frequently. 
9. Serve and enjoy with Tostitos mini scoops or the mini rounds, cheese, and sour cream. 

 This is a picture of the soup as it was going on the heat... I forgot to take a picture of the finished altogether product. I was so hungry by the time it was done, that eating took precedence over photography. :) 

Just in the midst of setting the table I decided to capture a quick pic of the chalkboard that I love so much  :) 

Hope you enjoy this tried and true recipe as much as we do! 

Hostess With The Mostest

Over the past year and two months of marriage, I have not had the opportunity to entertain quite as often as my Pinterest boards might suggest. (Yes, I have over 11,000 pins. Oh, the life of a grad student/housewife combo). 

This week, however, I am pretty much living the dream. My maid of honor came in to spend the night on Tuesday night before a flight the next morning , a couple from our new church came over on Thursday night for dinner and fellowship, and my matron of honor is coming in Friday night to help me throw a bachelorette party for one of our DG sisters. (Don’t worry--our party planning on a budget is going to be a great post on all its own)

SO.... here are three delicious (husband approved) Pinterest recipes I used this week, and one of my very own will follow in the next post. Well, one that I learned in college and have adapted in many ways over the past year and a half-ish. 

ENJOY! 

Tomato Tortellini Soup 

For the exact recipe of the SOUP, click here: 

http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Tomato-Tortellini-Soup

This is so easy, and so delicious! 

I served it with a salad of my very own. 

-1 package baby spinach 

-1 package white grape raisins

-2 granny smith apples, chopped 

dressing: 

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup vegetable oil 

1/4 cup vinegar 

Just mix up the salad ingredients in a large bowl. Next, combine the three dressing ingredients in a tupperware or gladware bowl that has a top. Close the top and shake vigorously until well-mixed. Pour onto salad and toss. It’s a really light dressing that doesn’t take away from the sweet tastes in the salad. LOVE IT! 

Then I just bought a soft French loaf and sliced it up into four big pieces. I proceeded to cover that mug in butter (a la Paula Deen), and then added a little bit of the Parmesan shredded cheese I had leftover from the soup ingredients. 

Sausage and Cream Cheese Pinwheels 

These have got to be the simplest, yet most crowd pleasing snack I’ve ever made. I made them for our church community group Wednesday night and they were a hit! 

The only thing I did not follow about the below listed recipe is that I used SPICY sausage (Jimmy Dean brand) instead of regular sausage. I think it gave it that extra kick it needed. :) 

Find the full recipe here:

http://abiteofmylife.blogspot.com/2009/02/cream-cheese-sausage-pinwheels.html

Chocolate Eclair Dessert 

I have seen/tasted variations on this dessert at family gatherings before, but I MUCH prefer this version. It has a little bit more of a homemade taste, and does not involve that much more work! 

The best part about making this was tasting the home made whipped cream (and using my kitchen-aid mixer, of course!) YUM!! 

Find the full-length recipe here: 

http://cakedish.blogspot.com/2011/05/chocolate-eclair-dessert.html

Stay tuned for my tried and true TACO SOUP recipe coming up next!