4 and counting

I'm happy to say that Aaron and I are 4 years and counting today! Aaron and I aren't very traditional people, but when it comes to anniversary presents we are. We do the whole traditional gifts that match the year. For year 4, it's fruit and flowers. I can't really share what Aaron is getting from me yet, but I will say I had a fun Edible Arrangement that looked like this at the office today! I had to move the shelfs in the fridge to make it fit, but I have never been more excited about seeing a delivery man! I can't believe how lucky I am to be married to someone like Aaron. I thank the Lord for him everyday (ok, i'll save the mushy stuff for him).

how many ways can you cook a zucchini?

As many of you know. I have become Gluten Free. Not by choice...trust me. I can very easily sit and mourn over the things I love that I will no longer be able to eat, or I can rejoice in how well I feel. I think I’ll go with the second one! I have had to use some creativity in the kitchen; while at the same time try not to deprive Aaron from things.

Now that we have this huge garden, I have a major surplus of veggies exceeding what two people can eat. I have had to get creative in making squash and zucchini more than 5 ways! Last night I came across this recipe for Zucchini Patties. At first I thought, “terrible name and sounds gross “, but good thing I pushed those thoughts aside. They were delicious! Try them out and let me know what you think. ( I paired mine with grilled chicken and salad.)

Zucchini Patties

Ingredients

• 2 cups grated zucchini

• 2 eggs, beaten (You could use 1 egg & 1 egg white)

• 1/4 cup chopped onion

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (GF- I used a crumbled up slice of brown rice bread.)

• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

• salt & pepper to taste

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

(Adding fresh basil & sundried tomatoes...would be delish to this too.)

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, combine the zucchini, eggs, onion, flour, Parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, and salt. Stir well enough to distribute ingredients evenly.
2. Heat a small amount of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Drop zucchini mixture by heaping tablespoonfuls, and cook for a few minutes on each side until golden.

we ended may well

Oh how I have lost track of time! We had a great Memorial Day weekend with the Carters.  This has been a really funny and special tradition for us for the past 3 years. Luckily, they don’t mind making the drive to see us. We had so much fun, but I didn’t take as many pictures as I had planned! That is ok though, because some of these are pretty priceless.

 

Our First stop...picking over 4lbs. of Blueberries!

 We had to raech a little high for the big ones.

 And you should all buy the Stitch App...

...serious entertainment.

We have so much to look forward to this month: our 4 year anniversary, my brother’s wedding, and our trip to Maine! Oh, I can’t wait for each of these things. I love June!

growing green

We are for real going green. Last year Aaron planted our first garden, but this year he really worked his fingers to the bone. The garden is in this separate fenced in area next to our house; I think the people that lived there before us parked their ATV’s there. You can’t really see in these pictures, but he leveled it all out, put weed paper down, laid flagstone all around the garden, made the garden box, planted the veggies & herbs, & built a sprinkler system (that uses rainwater). What in the world! That is a lot of work. We picked our first squash this past weekend, and I can’t wait to enjoy the rest of veggies. We are growing: cilantro, basil, rosemary, cherry tomatoes, 2 other breeds of tomatoes, bell peppers, squash, zucchini, jalapenos, and cucumbers. I’ll keep you guys in the loop about all the yummy stuff we are cooking up with our home grown goods!

 Week 1

Week 3

Here is a snap shot of our fun Work Week at SharpTop Cove with our college friends and leaders!

farewell favorite things

This past month was extremely busy! I’m really thankful for that, but really looking forward to staying in Shreveport this week. Last weekend I got to see one of my best friends get married in Athens, GA. Since I flew into Atlanta I was maxed out on carry-ons, so I didn’t bring my camera (ugh). Hopefully I’ll get some pictures from people, and share those with you so you can see Katie Blair become Katie Smith!

I have a slight new adventure. I’m hoping this is temporary, but so far it is working so it might end up being permanent. I’m finally going gluten-free (sigh). After years of stomach issues and lots of encouragement from my sister, I’m bucking up and saying farewell to all the things I love to eat! For example: Kashi, Honey Wheat Pretzels, Pasta, Tacos, Cupcakes, Pita, Granola bars ... I'm going to stop now. A friend pointed out to me, my Blog title might have to be changed to “alottacereal the gluten-free version”! Praise the Lord that they make gluten-free cereal! (I’m so not kidding that would have been a huge issue.) I did make this Chickpea Salad for myself yesterday, and it really was tasty. I’m trying to get really creative, so I don’t burn out on certain foods. I wish I had added avocado, so try adding that. Here is my little invention.
Chickpea Salad
-1 Can of Chickpeas (Rinsed & Drained)
-1/4c Diced Red Onion
-2tsp. Minced Garlic
-Dash of S&P
-Dash of EVOO
-1/2c Sliced Cherry Tomatoes
-2TBS Chopped Cilantro (grown from our garden…I know, you’re welcome)
-1TBS Lemon Juice
-2tsp. EVOO
-1TBS Grated Parmesan
-Pepper to Taste
Sauté Onion, Garlic, S&P, & EVOO. Set aside & cool. In a small bowl mix all ingredients along with Chickpeas. Chill for at least an hour, and then you’re ready to serve.

i could do it again

You are for real going to need to check out this blog. It makes me want to get married all over again! I'm not just saying this, because I just won an awesome pair of earrings (ekk!!). It really is a-maz-ing. Not to mention I kind of like them, Britney is pretty fantastic. Make sure you check out their website too, you'll want to book the Magnolia Pair... trust me!

My favorite wedding on their blog right now is this one!

what are you longing for?

This weekend I read a short great read that I think you guys would love, Brennan Manning's The Furious Longing of God. Pretty easy to understand, it's about God's intense, consuming love for us. It has no limits and no boundaries. My favorite chapter was on healing, which also led me to my favorite question/thought from the book.
"The question is not can we heal? The only question, is will we let the healing power of the risen Jesus flow through us to reach and touch others, so that they may dream and fight and bear and run where the brave dare not go?"
I know, awesome. Right? Literally finished in a few hours. Please remember I'm not a big reader. Pick it up!