Honoring the Memories

  This past Sunday was the anniversary of the day that my Mom was called home to Heaven. This year was 14 years since that day, and I was 14 years old when it happened, so this year was a little harder. September 29th has always been an emotional day, but for the past two years I've tried to celebrate my Mom, rather than grieve.

  Last year, for the first time, I thought I'd cook a special meal completely out of my Mom's cookbook, as a way to celebrate her life and one of her favorite hobbies.

  This year, I decided to do the same thing. I prepared Chicken Divan for dinner and Lemon Chess Pie for dessert. Chicken Divan (Turkey Divan in my Mom's cookbook) was actually a recipe belonging to my Grandmother, but I remember eating it all the time when I was little, so I wanted to make it. 

  It was probably only the second time I've ever cooked it, but it turned out fabulously and tasting it took me back to the kitchen table of my childhood. 

   Here's the recipe. I did use chicken instead of turkey and I substituted non-fat Greek yogurt for the mayo, and I promise you couldn't taste the difference. Greek yogurt is a wonderful and much healthier option to use in place of mayo and sour cream. 

  Mary Faust's Turkey Divan

• 1 bunch fresh broccoli, cooked and drained
• 3 cups cooked, sliced turkey
• 1 (10 oz.) can cream of chicken soup
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp. curry powder
• 1 cup grated cheese
• 1/2 cup soft bread crumbs

1. Place the broccoli in a layer in a buttered, ovenproof casserole. Add the sliced turkey. Blend together the soup, mayo, lemon juice and curry powder and spread it over the turkey. Sprinkle grated cheese over all, then top with the bread crumbs. Bake in a 350 degree oven for thirty minutes. 

  For dessert we had Lemon Chess Pie. I don't remember eating this too often when I was little, but I remember that it was a very popular dessert in my Mom's restaurant. I turned out very well and T and I both savored it!

Lemon Chess Pie

• 4 eggs, well beaten
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 Tbsp. flour
• 1 Tbsp. corn meal
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp. grated lemon peel
• 4 Tbsp. butter or margarine, melted
• 1 8-in. pie shell, unbaked

1. Combine all the ingredients and mix well. Pour into the pie shell. Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees. 

  Our special dinner turned out wonderfully and was a perfect celebration of my Mom! And just a little reminder, I had my Mom's cookbooks reprinted last year and still have several copies available. If you'd like to get one please contact me under the "Contact Me" tab.

Motivational Monday

Lately.....

  Let's just quickly move past the fact that I've failed as a blogger by not posting in a gazillion years, and catch up with what's been going on lately.

  Let's see.....well a lot has been going on in my crazy, busy life. 

  Let's get the unhappy news out first. About five weeks ago T went to the gym on a Saturday morning and while on the way home was hit by another car who decided that they didn't really need to stop at a stop sign, even though T was turning right in front of them. Thankfully, T was not injured at all in the accident! He had driven my car that morning and the poor baby was just crushed. 

 

 

  Everything was settled and we were able to get another car within a few weeks. It's definitely a bigger and different type of vehicle, but we figured since we had to get another car we may as well get the "mommy car" now, rather than later. 

 

 

  On to happier and more exciting news........

  About 5 weeks ago I started taking and am now distributing a very awesome product. It's called Juice Plus. 

 

 

  It's been around for about 20 years and is backed up by over 30 published scientific research studies. It's basically a salad bar in a capsule. 

 

 

  The daily serving is equal to 17 servings of fruits and vegetables. Now, I eat a lot of fruits and vegetables, but I know that most days I'm probably not getting the recommended 9-13 servings. Our bodies work best when they're fueled properly.  I'm already noticing positive results after only a few weeks and I'm excited to see what the future holds! If you'd like more info on Juice Plus please contact me under the "Contact Me" tab and I'll be happy to tell you more.

  Now, even more exciting news!

  Over Labor Day weekend T and I went on vacation! We hadn't been anywhere in a long time, so this trip was long overdue. 

  Before we met T took a solo vacation to Sedona, AZ and since the day we met he's been telling me about it and talking about how he wanted to take me there. We began searching for a vacation destination in July and I told him that we needed to make Sedona happen! 

 

 

 

  I completely loved our trip! Sedona and Arizona as a whole is amazing and beautiful. I'd always imagined Arizona to be sand, cactus and HOT! Now, we did experience that in Phoenix when we flew in, but those pre-conceived ideas quickly disappeared as we took the highway north. Arizona was mountains and rivers and gorgeous. 

 

 

 

  We spent the majority of our trip in Sedona, but did take one day to check out the Grand Canyon. We hiked.....A LOT! 11 miles in one day! We returned from our vacation tired, sore and so happy that we'd had the chance to visit Sedona! I would definitely recommend it for anyone who is looking for a beautiful place to visit.

Take a chance

So, did I tell y'all that I'm a softball superstar?! Okay, so maybe not a superstar, but I did manage to make it through my first season without getting kicked off the team. More about that later.

T is a huge baseball fan, and as long as I've known him he's always played softball on various leagues. He joined a new league this spring and was placed on a team with other people that he didn't know. He really liked the league and decided that he wanted to form his own team of friends for the summer season. He convinced me to play, even though I assured him that I wasn't good. I played one season of little league softball and after taking a ball to the head was done, and hadn't played since.

I made T promise that he'd kick me off the team if I was doing too badly and was bringing the team down. I also tried to convince him that I'd play as long as I never had to bat and I didn't have to play catcher, because I was afraid I'd get hit with the bat. He told me I'd have to bat, but we never discussed the catcher request. 

Now, let me tell y'all, I started the season off pretty badly. I struck out pretty much every time I'd go up to bat and I wasn't the best fielder. During our second or third game of the season T stunned me by telling me to go in as the catcher. I about slapped him right there on the field! I did not want to play catcher! I did as my husband/coach said, and went in. Well now you better not try and put me in another position, because I love playing catcher! I have been hit by the bat and have taken several balls to the shoulder, stomach and shins. The shins part is mainly my fault. I've discovered that I tend to stop the ball by kicking it with my shin, rather than holding out my glove. Oh well.....I've got some awesome bruises to show off. 

The batting has been a work in progress. I started the season striking out, and in our last game hit the ball every time I was up to bat. They're not great hits......but a hit's a hit. 

Moral of the story: give something a chance....even if you're scared or don't think you'll be very good at it. 

Our team made it to the playoffs this season and our next season starts this Sunday. I'm excited all ready! Plus, the bruises are only looking good on my left leg. I need to give the right leg some decoration too.

Motivational Monday

I'm posting this picture with many thoughts in mind. Today is Monday and I'm starting with a clean slate. Today is the first day of a new workout program for me. I've been doing Turbo Fire since last August, and have finally purchased a new program. Today is my first day of Focus T25. Check it out here: http://www.beachbody.com/product/fitness_programs/focus-t25-workout.do

I'm also really going to start focusing on the food that I'm putting into my body. I'm so sick of having a bad day of eating and then having feelings of guilt. It's so much easier, physically and emotionally, to just eat right! Today is a new day!

Oh Snap!

  So, I know that I've talked about it before and I'm pretty sure that months ago I promised a post on the subject....and here it is....finally! My hubby is an amazing photographer. I know I'm biased because I kinda like the guy, but he really is awesome! He is completely self taught and I've loved watching his work get better and better over the years.

  I have always loved photography. When I was a little girl I considered looking at pictures to be one of my hobbies. Not sure if that really falls under the category of "Hobbies" but I was kinda a strange little kid. You could often times find me sitting on the living room floor, thumbing through our family photo albums. My Mom took a lot of pictures! I've always wanted to get into taking photos, but just never did....until now! I have no excuse or reason not to be able to pick up the hobby now. T and I have two fancy cameras, so now is the time.

  I've helped T photograph events in the past. He's done several weddings, and it really helps to have two photographers because there's so much going on. However, my photos are not always the best.

  I've really been trying to take a lot more pictures lately. There's no way to get better if I'm not practicing. For the past several posts I've only been using my DSLR versus my cell phone camera. I'm not sure if any of you have noticed a slight improvement in the quality of my pictures, but now I fully expect to receive millions of comments about my awesome skills. I kid, I kid....you don't have to say anything....until I get really good!

  Here's a few of the hubby's awesome pics. Y'all can comment on his skills......

  T recently formed a group here in San Antonio for people that are interested in photography and last week we had our first event. We just spent some time downtown, taking pics. Here's a few of mine....

  I only hope that one day I can be half as good as T, when it comes to my photography.

Friday Funnies

LOL! Love the Big Bang Theory! Happy Friday! 

Motivational Mondays

I love this because the statement is so encouraging and because there's giraffes in the pictures. I have a slight obsession with giraffes. :)

Ginger and T Cook: Crispy Quinoa Sliders with Avocado and Chipotle Mayo

  I'm so happy that tonight T and I were able to cook our weekly meal together. We had planned to cook it earlier this week, but Tuesday night I was struck down with a mystery illness and spent the rest of the week on the couch and was having nothing to do with food! I'm finally beginning to feel a little better and with my appetite returning was ready for some real food!

  T selected our recipe this week and surprise, another vegetarian dish! I actually made us some yummy egg salad sandwiches for lunch today and during dinner asked T if he was feeling okay. He gave me a strange look and said yes, of course. I told him I was just checking since he hadn't eaten any meat all day. I then proclaimed, "See, it'd be easy for us to be vegetarians!" He laughed and loudly said, "No!"

  Anywho! Tonight we made Crispy Quinoa Sliders served with avocado slices and chipotle mayo. Here's a link to the recipe that we slightly modified and used. http://www.howsweeteats.com/2012/09/crispy-quinoa-sliders/. 

  T and I love this site for recipes. She's very creative and fun and I want to be a blogger like her when I grow up.

  We didn't have green onions, so I just diced up some yellow onion and used cheddar slices on top of our patties, instead of shredded provolone. We made our chipotle mayo by mixing some sweet chipotle sauce into mayo.

  Here's all the ingredients mixed together.

  You definitely have to pat the mixture together really well to get everything to stick together in the skillet. Next time I might add one extra egg to help hold it together a little bit more.

  This recipe was delicious and will definitely be something we try again in the future.

Motivational Monday

Stay positive, optimistic and determined!

Ginger and T Cook: Double Bean Quesadillas with Yummy Sauce

  This week for our cooking adventure T and I chose a new vegetarian recipe to try. I've always contemplated becoming a vegetarian and I've really had it on my mind lately, so I love trying new meat-less recipes.

  For this recipe you'll need:

• 2 cans of beans (we used black and navy)
• Shredded cheddar cheese
• Whole wheat tortillas
• 1 avocado
• 1/2 cup of plain greek yogurt
• 2 tbsp. parsley
• 1 tsp. worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. paprika
• 3-4 garlic cloves, minced
• Salt and pepper

  Start by combining the avocado, greek yogurt and all other sauces and spices into the food processor. I was using fresh garlic and with my mighty strength actually managed to break my garlic press. This lead to me having to use jarred garlic that I had in the fridge and buying a new garlic press the next day. Here's the before and after pics of the yummy sauce.

  While I mixed up the sauce T rinsed the beans and then mashed them with a potato masher.

  Once your beans are mashed, melt a little butter on a hot griddle or skillet. Throw down a tortilla and layer it with cheese, the bean mixture and then some more cheese. Top it off with another tortilla. Flip it every minute or so. You'll want to make sure your tortillas are getting nice and crispy on the outside and that all the yummy goodness on the inside is getting melty. When it's done, slice it up and serve with the yummy green sauce.

Mmmmm.....goodness!

Friday Funnies

Don't know that this is classified as "Funny," but it's too stinking cute not to share! Happy Friday!

Ginger and T Cook: The Glorified BLT

Let me start by saying that eggs are not my favorite food. After a very nasty experience on a mission trip to Romania about 13 years ago (wow, that makes me feel old) I didn't eat eggs for a long time. When I do eat eggs it is usually only scrambled, and occasionally boiled. That's it! I don't do the runny, yolkie (yes I just made that word up) eggs. Nasty!

  So, our new recipe for this week was definitely a stretch for me, but I did it, and I'm proud! T and I cooked what I'll call "The Glorified BLT." It was an idea of T's, probably mainly because it involved bacon, and he's one of those people that likes runny, yolkie eggs.

  We started out with some sourdough bread fresh from our grocer's bakery, tomato slices, lettuce, avocado, pepper bacon, eggs and spicy mayo. We made the mayo by mixing some spicy chili sauce into regular mayo.

 

 

  I fried the bacon, while T made the eggs. Now let me tell y'all that T was super excited about this recipe because I got good bacon. He told me, "now we can't do this with that turkey bacon stuff that you usually buy. It's gotta be the good stuff." So, I got the good bacon. You know, the kind that actually comes from a pig. 

  T cooked the eggs by cracking them on the skillet and letting them cook on the lowest setting. Nice and slow and no flipping. When he said they were ready, but I'd noticed he hadn't flipped them and he said he wasn't going to I made a scrunchy face and moved on with my life. We then assembled the sandwiches. And.....I knew it was coming, but I was still slightly terrified. Very quickly after putting everything together the yellow gooey stuff started running everywhere. 

  Now I know you may be thinking.....I thought she said this was a BLT. Yeah....I took the pictures, but forgot to put in the "L." Oops, please forgive me. 

  I did very well with the runny, yolkie stuff and the sandwich was absolutely delicious. The combined flavors of the egg, bacon and avocado were fabulous. Give it a try!

The secret to more money and less stress

   Today I want to share with you the secret to my millions. Ok, so maybe not millions, but this little trick has definitely helped our household budget. And not only that, it has majorly cut down on a daily stressor. Can I get an amen to that?!

  Meal planning people! That's where it's at! Several months ago T and I made a vow to start having a better plan when it came to our daily dinners. I had heard a little talk about meal planning and thought I'd give it a shot. It has been a lifesaver. I no longer walk into the house after a long day, exhausted, and tell T that we're on our own for dinner. This translates into, T is having eggs and I'm having a salad. 

  We also have dramatically cut back on our trips to the grocery store. Hallelujah! Sorry to sound so excited if battling hundreds of other shoppers on a Wednesday at 5pm, when you're tired and hungry, just happens to be your absolute favorite thing to do. 

  So, here's how it goes down. T and I have perfected the 2 week meal planning. Every other week, usually on a Friday, I sit down and make up our meal plans for the next 2 weeks. I have this cute little paper that I write everything on and then hang it on the fridge. 

 

 

  As I plan every meal I look through the pantry and deep freezer to figure out what ingredients I have and what needs to be purchased. I write out a very detailed shopping list, organized by the way my grocery store is laid out. It's a shining example of my OCD at it's best. Please tell me that I'm not the only one who does this.

  

  I'll never forget one time when T and I were at the store together and we went in the door opposite of the section where I usually start and he asked, "can't we just do the list backwards?" I then looked at him like he was completely nuts and he proceeded to push the empty shopping cart all the way across the store so that we could start everything in the proper order. 

  Ok....where was I? Oh yes, meal planning.....not talking about how crazy Ginger is. 

  I only add things to the list that we need, and we're usually pretty good about sticking to it. I would say we might buy one or two things that are not on the list. They are usually chocolate chip cookies. 

  I cannot say enough good things about meal planning. It cuts back on the daily question of, "what's for dinner?" We've also noticed that we're now eating better, healthier meals. Meal planning can really help eliminate your trips to the grocery store. Because let's be honest, how many times do you go in and just get that one ingredient that you're needing for dinner?! Since we've been meal planning we only go to the store twice a month, usually on Saturday mornings before it gets insane and I start threatening to hit people with my shopping cart because they've been staring at the 15 different types of tomato sauce for 3 minutes. I would highly recommend that you give meal planning a try. If there was a company that marketed meal planning I totally just rocked the selling of their product.

Motivational Monday

Do your dreams scare you?

Friday Funnies

Isn't that the truth! Have a great weekend!

Kayaking the river

  Earlier this week I went kayaking for the first time, and absolutely loved it! One of my coworkers has 4 kayaks so she took a small group of us after work. Our office is actually right on the San Antonio Riverwalk, so that's where we went.

 

  Now I know when many of you image the Riverwalk you probably have an image like this......

 

 

  But, just a little further south of all this craziness there's a beautiful section that is lined with a few houses, tons of trees and quiet nature. It's really great, and I love to be able to enjoy it during my lunch break by taking a walk. 

  We put the kayaks in south of our office and then rowed about a mile north until we ran into a waterfall and had turn back. 

  Kayaking was a lot of fun and a great way to experience the Riverwalk.

Ginger and T Cook: Breakfast Style Baked Egg Rolls

  This week for our cooking adventure T and I made breakfast style baked egg rolls. We had some leftover egg roll wrappers in the fridge and T is always thinking of fantastic and fun ways to use up any leftovers we may have.

  We started with scrambling four eggs with some salsa and spinach mixed in. Through trial and error we've learned the trick to successful rolling when assembling your egg rolls. If you're using a filling that is hot, let it cool down a bit. So, after the eggs were done we set them aside while we got everything else ready.

  Set up a nice little assembly line with everything that you're going to fill your egg rolls with. We used the egg mixture, deli ham slices and shredded cheddar cheese.

  Start by layering your contents into the wrapper. You'll want to use a small amount, as too much will make it too hard to roll it up. Roll up your egg roll similar to the way you would roll a burrito. At each fold brush some egg wash onto the wrapper to help hold it together.

    Place the prepared egg rolls on a baking sheet that's been sprayed with non-stick spray. Brush some more of the egg wash onto the outside surface of the egg rolls.

  Bake the egg rolls at 375 for about 12-14 minutes. When they're done your egg rolls will not look like typical egg rolls that you'd eat at your favorite Chinese restaurant because they're not fried. They won't have the darker brown outside, but trust me, they'll still be delicious....and a lot healthier!

 

  From our kitchen to yours, enjoy!

Motivational Monday

Appreciate the little things

Friday Funnies

This picture is too funny! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! Happy Friday. 

make-me-laugh.net

Ginger and T Cook: Smoky Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos

  T and I have always enjoyed cooking dinner together and we love to try new recipes. T is much more adventurous when it comes to trying new dishes, but I'm really trying to branch out from my normal rut of dinner options. Don't get me wrong, I love to cook, but I tend to stick with the same things.

  A few months ago T was watching an episode of "Raising Hope" and the couple were trying to discover a new hobby that they could share together. T immediately paused the show, looks at me and proclaims, "we need a couple's hobby!" We decided that we'd pick one new recipe each week and cook it together. We've had some really great dishes, have discovered new foods, and it's been a great bonding experience for us. I thought that it'd be really fun to share our cooking adventures with you!

  In addition to trying something new, we've also been making an effort to eat one vegetarian meal for dinner each week. We thought this would be a great idea because it's not only a healthy option, but also a great way to help cut back on our grocery budget....and who's going to argue with that?!

  Last night we made our new recipe for the week and also made it a vegetarian option. T found our recipe this week, which was Smoky Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos. Here is a link to the recipe http://www.howsweeteats.com/2012/12/embarrassingly-easy-smoky-sweet-potato-and-black-bean-tacos/

  We made a few adjustments to the recipe because we didn't have everything. We used a different type of cheese for the topping and I didn't have adobo sauce, so we just used a little chili powder. We also tossed in some diced zucchini into the mix because one of T's coworkers gave him two huge zucchini from his garden, so we're trying to get creative with ways to use it all.

  Here's the mix in the skillet, almost ready!

 
   We used flour tortillas to make tacos with the mix and topped it with the Chipotle Lime Crema, some cilantro and fresh lime juice.

  It was an excellent dinner and T said that we definitely need to add it into our dinner rotation. That's code for, "I really like it!"

Motivational Monday

I think this is a great reminder. I know that I'm extremely guilty of getting caught up in the routine of daily life (cleaning, cooking, working out) and I often forget how blessed I am. I have been given this amazing gift of life. Be different, do something extraordinary, be spontaneous.

Friday Funnies

I like this theory. I see some cupcake baking in my weekend plans. :)

Finding the calm after the storm

I know I haven't written in a long time. Life just caught up with me and blogging was far from my mind. But I truly enjoy it and in a time like this I need to do something that I enjoy. Life has been rough the past week and a half. It's crazy to think that so much tragedy and pain can happen in such a short time.

Lets go back to the beginning. On Sunday, April 28th after three pregnancy tests, (I wanted to be really sure) T and I were ecstatic to discover that we were expecting our first child. We had waited for this day for so long and were so happy to see our dreams coming true. When we first got married we decided that we'd wait a year before we started trying. Well, life happens. We decided we weren't completely ready.....we wanted to pay off some debt first.....we decided to sell our first home and move. Things happened and here we are, almost married 3 years and we'd finally decided we were ready! We were so excited to share the news with our family and close friends. We were so ready for this!

And then, on Mother's Day things started to fall apart. We went to the emergency room only to be told that things looked okay and to just follow-up with my doctor. On Tuesday I had an appointment with my OB/GYN and they couldn't really figure out what was going on. They weren't sure if I was having a miscarriage or if I had an ectopic pregnancy. I was sent home to await blood results and based on their levels would possibly have to return that evening for surgery. I ended up not having to have surgery that day, but it was concluded the next day that I was most likely having a miscarriage. 

Last Friday I had a D&C. It was the first time I've ever been a patient in the hospital and it was the first time I'd ever experienced major anesthesia. I was very nervous to be having surgery, not to mention that it was all taking place after a tragic loss. The surgery was quick and we were back home sooner than I'd anticipated. 

The support we've received from family and friends has been tremendous. From calls, texts, cards, gifts and a homemade meal, everything has meant so much. 

I think I'm dealing with everything as best as I can. We are trying to get life back to a sense of normalcy. T is truly my rock and has been taking such wonderful care of me.  

Along with trying to heal physically I'm really struggling with figuring out why this happened. This baby was wanted so badly and we were ready. I consider myself a pretty healthy person and yet my body rejected this pregnancy. Everyone says that it's nothing you did, but it's hard to comprehend that when it was my body that did it. I start questioning everything I could have done that caused it. Did I eat something that was bad? Was my workout too intense, even though everything I'd read said it was okay as long as I felt comfortable? The list could go on and on.....but I know that I can't beat myself up about it. 

T and I are trying to stay positive and focused on the future....but I think that's the thing that scares me the most. I'm so worried that when I get pregnant again I'll be so scared it's going to happen again, and I know that stress is not good for me or the baby. I just have to remember to keep the faith. If and when the Lord blesses us with another pregnancy I will praise Him for the wonderful gift and put my trust in Him that everything will work out. 

Thank you for your prayers and support. I'll be back soon!

Motivational Monday

I think this is a great quote that can be applied to so many areas of your life. Happy Monday. Be motivated! :)

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