Brussel Sprouts
I you have not tried, or claim to not like brussel sprouts, then I submit that you haven't fully lived! I truly think they are the best vegetable out there!  Scott and I cook them often and can't get enough. 
(Well I have been searching for a picture of brussel sprouts before they are cooked and I can't find one that will down load to my computer, so hopefully you know what they look like.)  
These tiny little cabbage looking creatures, when cooked correctly are so amazingly good!  We have eaten them alone and in other dishes.  As mentioned in the previous post, I even put them on my pizza.
 So here is the challenge.... if you are freaking out right now because you think that brussel sprouts are the most disgusting thing ever, then I challenge you to try them again!  Do not, I repeat DO NOT put them in a pot of boiling water with salt and boil until they are tenderized to a soft mush with no flavor!  That would be the wrong way to cook them!
Here is how you do it:  
Cut the ends off (kinda like the end of the cabbage).
Then cut on half (or quarters if they are large).
Then heat a pan with butter (BUTTER is the key! Insert Paula Dean saying "butter ya'll!") Place brussels cut side down and let brown on med-high for a few minutes.  Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and any other seasoning that sounds good. (We often use Trader Joe's 21 seasoning salute) You can also add crushed garlic too... that is really yummy!   They should get nice and toasty brown- this brings out the flavor!  Then take tongs and turn them so the other rounded side gets a little brown.  Usually little leaves will fall off each little brussel and they can get really toasty brown- we call these "toasted leave-ins", and they are scrumptious!  You can cover the pan and cook on lower heat if you want to get them a little softer.... but do not overcook! Be careful to not cook them too long.  They should be a little firm and have a soft crunchyness  (is that an oxy-moron?.  (not too crunchy)  

Enjoy! And thank you to my dear friend Judi for so many years ago sharing this new and improved way of cooking these delectable vegies!

BBQ Chicken Pizza

Summer is BBQ time, and we LOVE to use our Charcoal grill.  In fact, I do not think we will ever go back to gas grilling.  Gas may be easier, but it doesn't come close to tasting the same!  The only problem with charcoal grilling is that I always hate to waste the briquettes, and therefore try to grill as much meat at one time as I can.  Consequently we always have left over meat, usually chicken.  What better solution for left-over chicken than to make BBQ chicken pizza!  

And having been recently inspired by The Pioneer Women blog (if you haven't read it, you should check it out!), I decided to document my dinner making experience.

Forgive me for not taking nearly as many pictures as Ree (Pioneer women) takes... it was a very hot day today and I did not want to keep the oven on any longer than absolutely necessary.

Start with your dough.  We have tried So many types of homemade pizza dough, and none can ever come close to Trader Joe's pre-made pizza dough.  If you blessed to have a Trader Joe's in close range you can find the pizza dough in dough form in a little baggy in the fresh food refrigerated section.  My favorite is the wheat crust.  Herb is also good.   You will need to bring the dough to room temp before manipulating.  Be sure to use lots of flour when shaping.  I do not claim to be a pro. pizza maker, so I will not even attempt to get the dough perfectly round.  Mine usually looks like some sort of alien shape.  (see final picture below).  

We add BBQ sauce (instead of tomato).  This is a must for BBQ chicken pizza-duh!  Only the best sauce from TJ's (Trader Joe's) will do!  

Then whatever cheese you have... this time I used feta, cause "feta makes it betta"!  

Then I will add whatever veggies I have on hand.  I almost always add broccoli- what broccoli on pizza??!!  Yes, it is the BEST. Plus it is Super good for you!  So good!  

And today I added Brussell Sprout- what brussell sprouts, are you kidding me??!!  YES!!! (I mean no, I am not kidding you!) Brussell sprouts.  And if you do not like brussell sprouts then you have never had them cooked correctly. (more on that later)  (My computer keeps underlining brussell- guess it's spelled incorrctly... but I can't figure out how to use spell check on the new computer so you are just going to have to put up with incorrectly spelled words.)  

Anyway, once you add your vegies (mushrooms, olives, greens... anything goes great), then you top with more cheese.  This time I used some mozzerella (apparently that is spelled incorrectly too.. oh well).  

It will look something like this:

 Bake at 450 to a golden bubbly.  Then it will look like this:

Then devour:

You will not be able to eat just one slice...

A Lost Art
While reading the book One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp I was reminded of the lost art of bread making.  I was introduced to bread making many years ago by long time family friend Chris V.  I lived with her family in the north part of the state for my first semester away from home.  For as long as I have known her, Chris has been making bread the "old fashioned" way.  No bread machine, no kitchen aid mixer... she does it all by hand.  Living under her roof I grew accustomed to the smell of fresh baked bread and savoring crispy toast in the mornings.  When I moved I asked her for her recipe and for the next few years I occasionally indulged in the art of bread making. 
Something about yesterday spurred me to make bread.  Maybe it was the slightly cool and overcast spring day or maybe the desire to see the delight on my husbands face when he got home from his third day at his new job.  Whatever it was, I was compelled to make bread!  It brought back so many memories that I had almost lost... mixing, kneading, rising, shaping, baking, smelling, and savoring the first bite.  The process is beautiful, and I fully enjoyed every step!  I couldn't help but think about all the ways bread making relates to my life, and the work that God is doing in me.  There are so many analogies in this... I will leave them to the imagination...
And needless to say Scott was thrilled when he arrived home and saw the two loaves in the oven baking into the perfectly shaped golden mound of deliciousness.
Beginning to mix:

Still Mixing...

Finally able to knead:

Ready to rise:

Risen!

Shaped into loaves:

Beautifully Golden:

Ready to eat:

Perfectly Simple:

#592: Scott's Face when He saw bread baking
#593: The smell of baking bread
#594: Toast!

We Love our "first-born" Kona!

We have been working on a video for our adoption website through our adoption coordinator.  (We will be sure to post the video when it is completed.... well we MIGHT post it if I am comfortable sharing my video with the world!)
This is a little snip-it video of our loved "first-born" Kona Michael.  Such a spoiled puppy!
This is his one and only trick... we are SO PROUD!  

My Husband

Scott has been working so very hard these past many months to support our family!  He is simply amazing, and I am so blessed by him every day!  Beyond working at Trader Joe's grocery store, he fills his "free" time with many side jobs working on cars and home projects.  He is such a hard worker, and so talented!  Thank you Lord for his incredible talent!!

One of his recent side jobs was to add on to a play structure for a family he met through Trader Joe's.  They had an older play structure that had been hand made by a relative (a female relative!!) and they wanted to secure it and add on to it to make it safer for their own kids.  Scott and my brother Adam spent a couple days working on this project.  I was so proud of him for stepping out to do something that he was not totally comfortable doing.  He did such a great job!

Scott has enjoyed working at Trader Joe's for 1 1/2 years now.  It has been a great fit for him and his skills, but it has not provided enough financially for our family.  As Scott realized that promotion in Trader Joe's was still a number of years off, he started to look for other full-time work.  Much to our surprise he was offered a full-time job shortly after he started his serious job hunting.  He will be starting in this new position this coming Monday.  While we are both very sad for him to leave Trader Joe's we are looking forward to a more regular Monday- Friday schedule and full time income.  God has been so good to provide for our family!!

Why the Numbers?
So why the numbers in the last post?  I am documenting the many gifts that I am given each and every day.  Inspired by a wonderful book that I have just started reading called, One Thousand Gifts, I am taking the dare to live fully in thankfulness for God's daily blessings.  I am calling it my journey of gratitude as I count my One Thousand Gifts.
Check out One Thousand Gifts by Ann VosKamp at Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/One-Thousand-Gifts-Fully-Right/dp/0310321913