Week #4 is in the books and I have to say I think this has been my favorite week yet! A lot of these recipes are actually ones I grew up on as my Mom(growing up in Southern Illinois) was constantly making. So yeah I think everything this week averaged above a 7 out of 10 rating. Prepare for all the comfort foods!
Homemade Ice Tea 9 out of 10- a little too sweet for me, but only slightly.Buttermilk Biscuits(recipe– I did add a bit more butter to mine because the batter wasn’t coming together) First time I have every made biscuits and they turned out amazing! 10 out of 10Chicken Pot Pie Soup 10 out of 10. Tay especially liked this soup pretty much licking the bowl dry.My Mom’s Southern Style Cabbage 10 out of 10My Mom’s Southern Style Green Beans 10 out of 10“Healthy” Sausage Gravy and Biscuits(recipe– obviously just used the gravy part) and my Mom’s cinnamon apples 8 out of 10 and 10 out of 10 respectively.Buttermilk Pie 10 out of 10 and no-churn vanilla ice cream 9 out 10(tasted more like yogurt but amazing yogurt)Fried Orca 10 out of 10- so delicious!Mac and Cheese Bake(recipe) 10 out of 10Fried Catfish 5 out of 10. Our “eh” moment of the week.Cornbread 10 out of 10 I think I could live off of this… literally.
Yeah might have gone a little overboard with the food this week, but at least we’ll have amazing leftovers. Since this next week is super busy for us and then it’s Easter we will be waiting till the first of April for our next challenge. However because we can’t wait here is our next word: Jane Austen!!
Here is another spring look for y’all! I don’t know why(probably the changing of the seasons) but I have felt super inspired with fashion again. Yay! I’m not totally sold on the look below. Not sure all the pieces go together that way I envisioned, but maybe you guys have some suggestions. I don’t know. Maybe just let me know if this look is a hit or not.
So the cardigan I have had since I was sixteen or something, and it’s from Old Navy. I bought the navy t-shirt from Christopher Banks during a store closing sale. The same with these Express jeans and then the booties I have had for several years and I bought them through Royal and Reese, which is an online boutique. I paired the whole look with my silk scarf that I got as a gift from Turkey(yep the country) And my Michael Kors “green” billfold. Also my necklace is my Mom’s high school crest.
Oh how many things have happened since this time last year. (Read last year’s post here) How many things have come to light since COVID intentionally peeked its ugly little head over the horizon. I think we can all agree that we were naive at first and now life has taken on that jaded “so what else is new” attitude.
Since last year I have stopped watching the news(so much more peace) I have deleted all my social media accounts except Instagram(again I don’t miss it) and I have come to realize the immense gift of God’s peace. Without the knowledge that He is in absolute control, without His Word comfort in pointing out His sovereignty; I know I personally would be terrified of tomorrow.
I don’t know what this coming year holds for us. What exciting(to use the term very loosely) adventures lie in store. But I do know God is good all the time. And if you don’t know His peace or the security of having your eternity safe in Christ, then please read the following:
2,000 years ago Jesus Christ the one and only Son of the one and only God, died on a cross. He died the way sinners do and He bore every single one of your sins on Himself. He took the full weight of God’s wrath, so that you wouldn’t have to. And then three days later He arose conquering the grave and securing eternity. No matter who is president, no matter what disease is raging across the planet- God is Lord. And He loves you so much that He did this while you were still a sinner. He offers you this gift of salvation and security “by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone”.
But don’t be deceived. If you reject this gift, if you push off accepting it(so you can live your life) and you die in your sin, you will spend an eternity separated from God in hell. God is a gentleman and He will not force you into a relationship with Him, but He is holding out His hand for you to accept. He is knocking at the door.
If you have any questions please send me a message!
Hello all! Hope you had an awesome week. So this week’s word was favorites and Tay and I decided to go easy on ourselves(which isn’t technically cheating… it isn’t!) So we pulled a meal/soup from the freezer. But I did make a bread(I can’t live now without a fresh loaf of bread on my counter) a dessert and a breakfast dish. Yes I am totally justifying the freezer meal. Anyway let’s get to it!
Leftover(frozen) pot roast, mashed potatoes and leftover lemon, sugar snap peas. Yummy! So here is the recipe to the roast, because it froze amazingly well, which is like awesome.Cinnamon Raisin BreadAll my raisins fell to the outside but still it was delicious! Hot Milk Cake(recipe here) One of my all time fav cakes- So good! With some fresh fruit and powdered sugar. Don’t just take my word for it people.Throw back photo but I remade my beet, cucumber, feta salad and just forgot to take a photo.Fruit+Cream Cheese Crepes- Delicious!
So a really quick and easy week, but still fantastically delicious.
But guys I am super excited about next week’s menu as Tay and I journey south for some soul food. That’s right- all the comfort food fried, battered and soaking in butter. I can’t wait!
Well our second week is finished and I think we can label it a tremendous success. When life gives ya lemons… make these incredible foods and enjoy!
Lemon Rosemary Artisan Bread
Literally the prettiest bread I think I have ever made! (And it doesn’t taste too bad either) Rosemary is one(of many) of my favorite spices paired with that fresh, minty lemon is a nice combination. The crust around this loaf is to die for and the middle is so light- ah perfection! (Here is the recipe)
10 out of 10!!! Fennel and Celery Salad with Lemon Herby Vinaigrette 9 for 10
Another great salad(recipe) Top it with walnuts and blue cheese.
Air-fryer Sugar Snap Peas 7 out of 10
I mean ya can’t go wrong with sugar snap peas. Top with some of the lemon mayo from below and you will love it.
Turkey Breast(stuffed with parsley, basil, mint and lemon) with Lemon Mayo 4 out of 10
The spices were almost too strong and yet we kind of liked the “minty, clean” combination. Maybe next time we’ll just tone down the spice.
Greek Egg+Lemon Soup(so weird but I kinda liked it) 5 out of 10
Such an interesting combination of egg-ie, lemony broth. Yeah super weird but not disgusting. I’ll probably never make it again but hay.
Oatmeal Lace Lemon Cookies 8 out of 10
If you like crunchy, sugary oatmeal cookies this recipe is for you! The only thing I have against them is that the lemon is too subtle.
Lemon Pudding Cake 10 out of 10
This was our last recipe for the week and what a way to end the week!! So warm(you eat it straight out of the oven) and easy to make. And in Tay’s words “the perfect blend of lemon”. Here is the recipe for you to enjoy!
I mean just look at it! Lavender+Basil Lemonade 5 out of 10
It wouldn’t be a proper lemon week without lemonade would it? No I don’t think so. This particular blend of herbal spice and lemon was just okay. Not the greatest, but not awful.
Well that’s it for lemon week! Any of these recipes trip your trigger? Our word for the coming week is Favorites. (Roughly translated recipes we’ve already tried and know we like) So stay tuned for that.
We started this topic last year(read here) and I am finally ready to delve into the next chapter.
When I first talked to my Dad about writing this series he was all for it. He noticed a lack of practical tips and discussion on self-defense for women by women. And especially a lack of representation from a Christian woman’s perspective. I am super thankful for his support and his ongoing help in gathering material. My father has been in some form of protection related work for over two decades. With experience as an MP for the Army, an executive protection officer(a bodyguard) in Chicago and a security supervisor/trainer for a hospital; he is like an endless well of information.
But let’s get going here with our primary focus for today: what does the Bible say about personal defense? Can Christians fight back? Or do we just turn the other cheek?
In answering these questions I turned to my Pastor and he pointed me to two different articles: Self-Defense And The Christian by Rodney J. Decker and Christian Ethics: An Introduction to Biblical Moral Reasoning Wayne Grudem. Both were super informative and worth a read if ya get the chance. In this post we are just gonna cover the bullet points.
The Old Testament…
So what does the Bible say? Is personal defense something a Christian should invest in? My main focus(as should be anyone’s focus) is avoiding situations were a physical confrontation is required. Obviously however you can’t always avoid someone who is trying to do you harm in a surprise attack. At which point having a planned, practiced and realistic response is critical.
The below passage from Deuteronomy has to do deal with helping or defending someone from an attack:
But if in the open country a man meets a young woman who is betrothed, and the man seizes her and lies with her, then only the man who lay with her shall die. But you shall do nothing to the young woman; she has committed no offense punishable by death … because he met her in the open country, and though the betrothed young woman cried for help there was no one to rescue her. (Deut. 22:25–27)
Obviously it’s implied that if someone were to have heard the woman cry it is their responsibility to help. There are numerous other passages were it talks about a thief breaking in at night(Exodus 22:2-3) and how you are responsible to protect your family(it is given from a male perspective). Or examples of David fleeing from the attacks of King Saul(avoiding those physical confrontations) or the Israelites given the right by law to defend themselves against any Persian aggressors in Esther.
The New Testament…
And they rose up and drove him out of the town and brought him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they could throw him down the cliff. But passing through their midst, he went away. (Luke 4:29–30)
The above passage has to deal with Christ fleeing/avoiding the physical harm from others. There’s also the passage in Luke 22 where Jesus makes sure the disciples have swords. This passage is used to argue for and against owning a weapon(namely a gun)
He said to them, “But now let the one who has a moneybag take it, and likewise a knapsack. And let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one. For I tell you that this Scripture must be fulfilled in me: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors.’ For what is written about me has its fulfillment.” And they said, “Look, Lord, here are two swords.” And he said to them, “It is enough.” (Luke 22:36–38)
In an earlier passage when Christ sent out the apostles(in groups of two) to be witnesses He told them to take swords. But shouldn’t a Christian expect persecution? I think we can all agree that there is a difference for suffering for Christ and being personal attacked. (The below passage is all about suffering for Christ and the Gospel)
When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. (1 Pet. 2:23)
Another passage I would point to is the tale of the Good Samaritan. It’s like the above Deut. passage about defending the helpless woman. Of course the Samaritan doesn’t show up until after the attack and yet would it be a stretch to consider that if he had arrived during the attack he would have stood by and done nothing?
Closing thought…
Self-Defense And The Christian Rodney J. Decker
Ultimately the idea of personal defense and/or owning a weapon is a decision you need to think through Biblical(go to the Scriptures guys I am in no way an authority on this) and prayerfully consider.
If you have any questions I will be happy to try and answer. Our next chapter will deal with Hollywood’s view of self-defense vs. reality, because shocker they’re not the same.
Man the weather here in ole Wisconsin has been marvelous! Super sunny and a balmy 32-45 degrees. Trust me after going through weeks of -35 this is like heaven. Anyway I thought I would do a fashion post, which I haven’t done in… I don’t know months. But the look below is probably as near my style and perfection that I can get. So I hope you enjoy.
Ah MKE how lovely you look in the early morning hours.
So Outfit top to bottom:
Sunglasses- Kate Spade(I bought these like five years ago and I can’t remember the style 😬)
Lips- ColorPop Disney Villain “Evil Queen” (which they don’t make anymore- yikes sorry guys)
Scarf- Harry Potter Official Merchandise “Ravenclaw”(which I bought in London)
Jacket- Ralph Lauren(again I bought this years ago- though this might be it’s last year since all the zippers are broken)
Bag- Michael Kors(this was a Christmas gift… two, three years ago)
Top- BB Dakota Steve Madden(can’t find it anywhere… wow)
Bottoms- Liz Baker Essentials(purchased at a thrift store- score!)
Shoes- Bamboo ???(I bought these probably six years ago at a garage sale. I’m actually hoping to update my black boots this year)
My new fav pic- A huge thanks to my lil sis for being my fashion photographer!
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