New Recipes

Do get tired of cooking the same old thing?  I do.  I love to try new recipes - especially ones that are super easy and come recommended by someone who has already tried it.

So here are two for you today.  We ate both of these for lunch yesterday.  I was going to take pictures, but I forgot and there was nothing left!  My family loved both of these.

The first one is this one:  Incredible Chicken.  My sister gave me this recipe (thanks, Cheryl!).  We all love this.  Ansley said yesterday that after lunch all she could think about for the rest of the day was how good this chicken was.  I do it a little different from the recipe, though.  I use skinless chicken thighs and legs.  ( I would just use the thighs only, but my kids love chicken legs.)  I sprinkle each piece with meat tenderizer (amaciante, if you are in Brazil), then put it in the pan.  Then I sprinkle one side with garlic salt and brown sugar.  After about 20 minutes of cooking, I turn each piece over and sprinkle the other side the same way. Super easy and so good.

The second one, I got from a blog, via Pinterest.  Roasted Potatoes.  Basically, you cook some potatoes in the microwave and cut them in half.  The cut the halves into cubes, but leaving the skin intact.  Then top with butter, parmesan cheese and season salt, then broil.  Also really good and easy.

So, there you go.  Now you don't have to think of what to cook for dinner.

Dorm Room Decor

Before Bronwyn went back to college, we did a little sewing and painting for her dorm room.  We found some cute coordinating fabric at a fabric store here.

We made a few pillows, a banner or bunting (whatever you call it) and a little painting to hang on the wall. Earlier in her visit, we had found some cute plastic plates that ended up matching pretty well, also.

I can't wait to see how it looks in her dorm room.
(Remember Bronwyn, you promised to send pictures....)

Inspiration

Have you read this?

If you haven't, you should.  It is written by Mary Beth Chapman, Stephen Curtis Chapman's wife.  It tells the story of their family and how they found hope after their little adopted daughter, Maria, was tragically killed.  It is such a moving story and our whole family has read the book.

Stephen Curtis Chapman just released a new CD called Re-Creation.  He has some new songs on it, but also a lot of his old songs that he remade.  He talks about how when he wrote a lot of these songs, he didn't even realize the full meaning of the words he wrote.  Now, on the other side of such pain and sadness, he understands more and these words he wrote long ago have a new and deeper meaning.  In this video, he talks about the new CD and what it has meant to his family.
We bought this CD on iTunes and I just love it.  Stephen Curtis Chapman has such a God-given gift for writing music.  It's like I say with Max Lucado and writing - it just comes out of him naturally and easily.  I can't choose just one of the songs on the CD to be my favorite because they are all so good.  But Ansley and I especially love this one - Morning Has Broken - because Caleb Chapman, Stephen's son, sings with him.  Hope you enjoy it.
And go get this CD and the book!

The kind of beauty I want to have.....

How beautiful are the arms which have embraced Christ, the hands which have touched Christ, the eyes which have gazed upon Christ, the lips which have spoken with Christ, the feet which have followed Christ. How beautiful are the hands which have worked the works of Christ, the feet which treading in His footsteps have gone about doing good, the lips which have spread abroad His Name, the lives which have been counted loss for Him.

Christina Rosetti

Breakfast Buddies

Every morning, the big kids have to leave for school at about 7:20.  Giovanni leaves almost an hour later.

But he has plenty of friends to keep him company during his breakfast.

Family Breakfast

On Father's Day, we made homemade doughnuts for breakfast.  We used this recipe.  It's not something that we do often at all - it's a lot of work and the doughnuts, while really yummy, sit heavy on our stomachs.  I think we are all used to a "lighter" breakfast  - (like cereal or toast because mom doesn't get up early enough to make other stuff...).

Anyway here are some shots from our family breakfast.  If you know our family well, these won't surprise you.  We don't take a lot of stuff seriously.....

See the toys?  I said one time on this blog that Giovanni didn't like to play with toys that much.  I was wrong about that.  He loves his little toys and they are real to him.  This group of toys ate breakfast with us that day.

Children are natural mimics who act like their parents despite every effort to teach them good manners.  ~Author Unknown

(I know some grandparents who will understand the truth in this statement...)

Father's Day

Yesterday was Father's Day in Brazil.

We had a fun day celebrating with Kevin, even though he was under the weather with a bad cold.  We made him homemade doughnuts for breakfast.....

enjoyed by all.....

then took him out to eat for lunch, followed by present opening.

Then he got to go to bed while the rest of us moved furniture around the house.

The Father's Day festivities had actually started the week before when Anderson's class hosted a Father's Day activity at school.  The invitation to the dads said to "bring a sheet".  Strange instructions, but here is what they did.

First, the kids sang a special song for the dads.

Then they got out the sheets and played every game imaginable.

Sheet ghosts.....

Leading the "blind" kids......

tug o war.....

mummy wrap

sheet sled rides (I think this was Anderson's favorite)

and finally massages.

There was a Father's Day story....

Then the dads got some great gifts.

Kevin's note said:  Dad, you are special because you make great hamburgers and you are good at soccer.  After he read it, Kevin asked me, "Am I good at nothing?" Because he doesn't make hamburgers or play soccer.  Hmmm...

Anderson and Kevin had a blast.  No money was spent (besides the supplies for the gifts).  Just simple playing and fun, time for kids to spend with their dads.  It was great.

Happy Father's Day, Kevin.  We love you!