One of the things I cherish about my Mom is the way she raised Tracey and me to welcome Dad home each night. She built in us an excitement for his homecoming and it shows in our adult life.
My sister has tried to instill this same excitement in her children for their father. I make an effort each night to greet Matt warmly as he arrives home.
There are times when we may allow distractions to capture our attention, but on the whole, our men don't miss that we're glad they're home. One suggestion I remember from a book on marriage was how important it is to realize our men are coming home from the harshness of a sin-soaked world. Making home a sanctuary is what he needs. A warm greeting with a smile and a hug remind him there is a place where he is wanted, where he is loved, where he belongs.
Thank you, Mom, for being an example of a good wife. May I be faithful to greet Matt with warm hellos for years to come.
If you had any doubts, a picture on a food label can influence a purchase. I'm not one who is easily influenced by product advertisement of any kind. I buy what my Mom uses. Since I've been married to Matt, I've been exposed to new products and he's influenced purchases.
At the grocery store this week, I saw something I've never noticed before: Johnsonville Chicken Sausages. I stopped long enough to ask myself, "What in the world would you use that to make?" The picture on the package was of soft tacos, or so I thought, and they looked reasonably appetizing.
I followed through on the purchase with the intent of making tacos, but I didn't think further about other ingredients I might need.
Even though I cook supper every night, time spent each week on meal planning varies. My priorities shift and thus, my focus. On some days, I see the time slipping away while preoccupied with other things and I have no plan for our evening meal.
Last night was one of those nights. Actually I had a tentative plan, but I didn't start preparing the meal early enough to make that happen.
With little other option since groceries are low, I began heating up the sausage. Searching through my kitchen, I wanted to see what I could throw in with it to make the tacos. Two good things happened to coincide. I found a specific recipe on the back of the sausage label and I had all of the ingredients!
These days, I rarely cook a recipe exactly as it is written. Most adjustments are to add flavor.
This was my final result:
I added some Mexican rice to round out the meal. We enjoyed it, so I consider this simple meal a success.
Here's the recipe including my changes, in case you want to give it a try:
Spicy Chicken Sausage Burritos
Ingredients:
·1 can whole kernel corn
·1/2 green pepper, chopped
·1/2 medium onion, chopped
·1 tablespoon olive oil
·1 tablespoon lime juice
·1 can Rotel with lime and cilantro
·1 package Johnsonville Chicken Sausage with
cheese and chipotle peppers, chopped
·1 package Flour Tortillas (8 inches),
warmed
·2/3 cup refried beans (optional)
·3/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
·Shredded lettuce
·Salt, pepper, seasoned salt, and garlic
powder to taste
Matt recently mentioned how long it's been since we went to the range. We are way overdue.
Unless I'm mistaken, our last visit was at the end of last summer. More than a year ago. The first weekend of September to be exact.
That was the first time Matt referred to us as a couple.
Yes, I really do remember things like that.
In fact, I also recall Matt challenging me to shoot the crotch of the bad guy target I had down the lane. If I succeeded, he'd buy me dinner. I emptied the clip on target; for some reason, he seemed to think that was overkill.
One of my childhood memories at Christmas time is of packages arriving to the house, only to find food inside. Packages of summer sausage, cheese and crackers were among my favorites. As I grew older I enjoyed the arrival of Honey Baked hams. Ever since I began receiving their gifts while on church staff, Harry and David has been at the top of my list.
There were a few years here and there where I didn't receive any kind of food gifts at my house. Although it wasn't a conscious thought, that was a small detail missed during the season.
At Thanksgiving, Matt received a gift of summer sausage, a variety of cheeses and crackers. He was glad to receive it and enjoyed eating the cheese snacks along with me, but something resonated inside of me. This was a familiar part of family life during the holidays.
For Christmas, he received this...
I was so excited! Maybe we can round out the New Year with a box from Harry and David. My fingers are crossed...
Memphis didn't get much snow when I was growing up, but I do remember a few times we had icicles hanging from our house. It's amazing how something so simple can create hours of fun.
Many of you have been wondering what our house looks like. Since the weather isn't conducive to taking a new photo with the lights of our Christmas tree in the window, this old one from before we moved in will have to do.
Our Christmas decorations don't extend to the outside and dare I say it, I doubt they ever will. Matt doesn't strike me as being interested in hanging lights and with our three story townhouse, I think we'll skip that part of decorating for the holidays.
Once we buy a house and settle in, whenever and wherever that may be, I may get out there and hang some icicles. I've seen some houses shining brilliantly with the white lights draped all along the borders and that's something I think I would enjoy.
In the heat of summer, we tend to think of the cool, crisp air of Fall and Winter. In the cold of winter, we seem to think more of sunny Spring and Summer days.
A nice thought on this wonderfully relaxing day with family, having enjoyed another Christmas season: God has given us in this past year family apart from the ones in which we grew up.
Each year since my sister and her family moved to parts farther south, I spend a few extra days with them before the rest of the family join us for Christmas. Although I'm farther away now, this year is no exception.
One of our favorite traditions together: Driving around town to see all of the Christmas lights.
Christmas 2008
I must say, we are a fine lookin', pajama wearin', Christmas light sight-seein' group.
A little known fact about me is that I love quilts. Ever since my grandmother gave me a quilt as a child, I've appreciated the craftsmanship and the warmth they provide.
A trip to Amish Country in Pennsylvania is on the list. Of all the things we may see, I hope to find a beautiful quilt to bring home.
When making a new pork chop and rice recipe, I made a little discovery. The recipe called for a mixed vegetable saute and I didn't pay attention to the quantity needed. Instead of using a portion of the peppers and onions, I chopped up and added all of them. I noticed the amount of tomatoes didn't seem right, so I added a can of Rotel tomatoes. The result: I had a lot of leftover veggies.
The flavor was so good that I kept them and hoped to work them into another meal. A couple days later I had the idea of cooking some pasta, mixing in Alfredo sauce from a jar and adding the veggies. It was a great side dish to some breaded baked chicken.
I wish I had a picture to share, but here's the recipe:
In our first month of marriage, Matt and I made a trip to see friends in Fredricksburg, VA. As it turned out, we just happened to be there during their German Fest.
There were some interesting sights, dancing, music and the smell of authentic German food. Though there was a good crowd, we still had plenty of room to wander around town and see the quaint little shops that lined the streets.
When we came upon a cupcake shop, our men went in to buy some for us. We found this alley that gave us plenty of room to roam as we waited.
Bring a large pot
of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta in boiling water for 8 to 10
minutes, or until al dente; drain. Heat oil in a large, deep skillet over
medium heat.
Cook sausage and
pepper flakes until sausage is evenly brown. Stir in onion and garlic, and cook
until onion is tender. Stir in tomatoes, cream, and salt (and dried parsley). Simmer until mixture
thickens, 8 to 10 minutes.
Stir cooked pasta
into sauce, and heat through. Sprinkle with parsley. Yield: 6 servings.
Notes: I season the sausage
while cooking with some additional onion powder, garlic powder, salt and
pepper. Instead of a 28 oz can Italian-style plum tomatoes, most
recently I've
used 1 (14.5 oz) can of diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and onion and 1
(14.5
oz) can of diced fire roasted tomatoes. Add dried parsley when stirring in tomatoes, cream and salt. Penne pasta also works well in
this dish.
I love finding good ideas, especially when it comes to cooking or decorating. When I was in a long line waiting to check out at Michael's the other day, I saw a floral arrangement they put together.
What I loved about it was the rich red color, the simple yet refined look, the Christmas character of it and the fact that I knew I had two of the three items at home to recreate it. I quickly picked up three poinsettia stems that were well within reach so I didn't have to leave my line and threw this together when I arrived home.
The color of the flowers is a little off in this picture, but you get the idea. This will be the centerpiece on our table.
Matt works hard. He's smart, talented, knowledgeable, good with people and wise in the way he prioritizes his overwhelming workload. As you can imagine, when you're always rolling from one task to the next, it's hard to see clearly how well you attend to your work overall.
A few times lately, Matt has received kudos from his boss and I couldn't be more proud. Matt is a godly man who appreciates the work the Lord has given him to provide for his family, but his days are more challenging than the average job. I'm thankful for the recent feedback that recognizes his good work. Encouragement is a good thing. Well done, Sweetheart.
It seems rare to find a woman who really enjoys both cooking and baking. Most of us who enjoy preparing food like one or the other but not both.
I must admit, I'm in the cooking camp. Finding excellent combinations of flavors using pasta, vegetables, potatoes, fruits, all sorts of meat, dairy, spices...this is what I enjoy (and my waist line shows it.). Baking doesn't bring me anywhere near the same amount of enjoyment as does cooking.
One of my friends who loves to bake often shows off her successes. She makes all kinds of breads, pastries, cakes, and cookies. Seeing what she bakes tempts me to try my hand at it.
If my waist line can stand a developing interest in baking, I hope to experiment with some new recipes during the Christmas season. So far, these two have made the list.
Road trips. I've never been fond of them. Maybe it's
because I remember those seemingly endless rides to Florida for vacation
as a child.
Since I met Matt, my
opinion of road trips has changed. What a great opportunity for
spending quality time together. And if you know me, you know I'm big on
quality time.
During almost two
years of knowing one another before we were married, Matt and I didn't
venture out on many road trips. Twice we drove to cabins in AR to spend a
weekend with friends, but other than that we were hanging out in town.
Since we settled into our new home three months ago, Matt and I
have been on two miniature road trips. Maybe that's the key: short
trips. Nonetheless, I am now a fan.
The latest was a trip to Annapolis, MD. There were many sites
to see, but top on my list was the U.S. Naval Academy and we weren't
disappointed.
We went on a tour of the campus and spent a good bit of time in
their museum. Some of our favorite things were: seeing the athletic
center, learning of their physical regimen; seeing the conclusion of a
Rear Admiral's wedding at the chapel and the bride being swatted on the
rear by a sword welcoming her to the Navy; seeing a sample of the
students' rooms; hearing how they convene for meals and the quantity and
type of foods they eat; seeing the table where the Japanese emperor
signed his surrender at the end of WWII and much more.
We enjoyed a nice restaurant along the water, toured some shops
where Matt bought me some gifts, and headed home. It was a great road
trip!
Matt and I have our pictures from the wedding on DVD. Why haven't you all seen them yet? My computer's memory is maxed out. In order to send pictures by email or order them online, I have to download them to my computer first.
Our top priority right now: to extend the memory of my current computer or buy a new one. Decisions. Decisions.
In the meantime, here is a candid from our reception.
There is a lot of family pride in the Belstra name. It must be catching because I admit it hasn't taken me long to assume a fair measure of pride in my new name.
If you saw how many times our name or last initial is displayed in our home, you'd understand more fully. Here's a little sample, jazzed up by a new Christmas garland.
To me, what makes a house a home is all of the special touches that are filled with loving care. The touches that show our personality as a family, traditions that fill the home with feelings of warmth, and homemade things that show how our family is centered on hearth and home.
Here's a preview of the wreath I made for our front door.
We hope this wreath will welcome some sweet friends into our home this holiday season.
Wrapping
presents and setting them under the tree was one of my favorite things as a child. That should be no surprise to any of you who know how much I enjoy giving gifts.
Leading up to Christmas I was often more excited about giving my gifts for others than anticipating what I'd receive. Make no mistake, though, I like getting presents too!
Right now, Matt and I are writing out our lists for one another and our family. Time will run out quickly and much is left to be done.
Don't worry though. I haven't forgotten the reason for the season. Matt and I are working on what we will do and give at Christmas to honor the Lord and celebrate Him.
When
my sister, Tracey, and I were young, she was the one who was eager for all
things Christmas. We had a huge console record player in our entry hall. Many a December memory includes my sweet sister playing Christmas records. She
was eager to put up the tree and decorate it; to bake cookies and wrap
presents; to start a fire in the fireplace and hang up our stockings. As I look
back, my sister's love of the Christmas season set the scene for most of my
Christmas memories.
Even
though I wasn't as eager to play Christmas music or put up the tree, there were
a couple of things I loved about Christmas time. We had a felt Christmas
countdown calendar and I must admit that was something I loved. Each day one of
us would have the pleasure of taking a puffy felt character out of the pocket
marked with the day's date and set it aside. Such a simple thing, yet it is such a fond
memory.
Now the time has come for Matt and I to establish our own traditions. One thing I know: it's time to find a Christmas calendar that will be special for our family.
Last night, I sat in our living room well past bedtime
looking at Matt's and my first Christmas tree. I longed to wrap and put even
one present beneath it. I visualized the tree full with packages and enjoyed
the warmth of a home full of love. The desire welled up within to whip up a
batch of cookies and begin to fill the house with all the wonderful smells of
the Christmas season.
As many of you know, I LOVE decorating. This interest of mine was a discovery later in life. Once I had the resources to buy furniture for my home and choose the accessories, I found a new love and dare I say it, a new talent.
After gaining a little confidence from decorating some offices at work, it became a bit of a passion. I even considered it as a sideline career.
It may surprise you that I've never been enthusiastic about decorating for Christmas.
When I was younger, it seemed like a lot of work just to have a place for the presents. When I grew older and had my own home, I carried that thought with me. Knowing no one would see my decorations, it hardly seemed worth it just for me.
Some things have changed over the last few years. I've learned to appreciate the little things: freshly cut flowers (even if I buy them myself), a long walk on a beautiful day, listening to music while I work around the house, making things with my own hands and imagination...
Yesterday, I decorated our house for Christmas. We may not have anyone over to see them, but I found that I love the decorations just for me. I felt my heart warm ever so gently at the thought of Christmas day.
