A Meaningful Song

10 years ago, when going through a very traumatic experience, and in the years since in dealing with it, I was so thankful to have the song Jesus Will Still Be There by Point of Grace. When the door closed and I was alone, the words of that song began running through my head immediately. They were such a blessing to me and a way for  me to focus on the Truth I needed in that moment, like Scripture has always been for me.

Things change, plans fail.
You look for love on a grander scale.
Storms rise, hopes fade
and you place your bets on another day.
When the going gets tough, when the ride’s too rough,
when you’re just not sure enough.

Jesus will still be there.
His love will never change,
Sure as a steady rain,
Jesus will still be there.
When no one else is true,
He’ll still be lovin’ you.
When it looks like you’ve lost it all
And you haven’t got a prayer,
Jesus will still be there.

Time flies, hearts turn,
a little bit wiser from lessons learned.
But sometimes weakness wins
and you lose your foothold once again.
When the going gets tough, when the ride’s too rough,
when you’re just not sure enough.

Jesus will still be there.
His love will never change,
Sure as a steady rain,
Jesus will still be there.
When no one else is true,
He’ll still be lovin’ you.
When it looks like you’ve lost it all
And you haven’t got a prayer,
Jesus will still be there

2 weeks ago at Women of Faith I found a new song by Hillsong that is perfect for this season of my life, with all of the healing going on with family members and such it’s become my new theme song. So amazing!

“I Believe”

You hold my every moment
You calm my raging seas
You walk with me through fire
And heal all my disease

Pre-Chorus:

I trust in You
I trust in You

Chorus:

I believe You’re my Healer
I believe You are all I need
I believe You’re my Portion
I believe You’re more than enough for me
Jesus You’re all I need

[Repeat Verse]

[Repeat Pre-Chorus}

[Chorus]

Bridge:

Nothing is impossible for You
Nothing is impossible for You
Nothing is impossible for You
You hold my world in Your hands

I just thought I would share these in case anyone else needs the reminders of God’s Truths and Promises today!

Recipe Exchange: Non-Spicy Chicken Enchiladas

I love this idea of a Recipe Exchange from Little House on the Prairie Living, even though I sometimes feel pressured to try a new recipe every week. :> It’s a fun, old fashioned idea most of us women can connect through. I thought I wasn’t joining in this week, as I didn’t feel up to trying something new today, but as I was deciding on dinner for one, I was thinking of chicken and rice, boring. Then I remembered those enchiladas I keep meaning to try, they seem so easy. And I thought I could use the chicken and rice in those instead…mmm, it’s staring to sound yummy. As we are a dairy challenged household and I am a spice challenged girl, I took a risk with the cheese, but not the spices today. And I’m just winging it-no official recipe. And I went the lazy, easy way for everything this time, ie: canned chicken and corn. So, here you go.

Tiffanie’s Chicken Enchiladas

1/2 of a 12.5 oz. can of chicken

1/2 of a 15.25 oz. can of organic corn or frozen organic corn

1/2 of a 15 oz can of organic black beans

1 cup of sliced olives

3/4 cup uncooked rice ( we  now use brown or a brown/wild mix)

1/2 cup grated cheese + 1/2 cup added to 14 cup of chicken broth for the cheese sauce

dash of salt and pepper

5 Tortillas

1 cup cheese

**Cook the rice according to the directions, then mix the first 5 ingredients together and divide between the 5 tortillas and place seam side down in a 9″x9″ glass dish. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25minutes.

*If I had black beans, I would have added them. And may make a cheese sauce or something for a bit more moisture, but MUCH better than chicken and rice!

*I thought I would just be making a couple for one person, but it ended up making 5, once everything was mixed together. Bonus: leftovers!!

*We’re conservative with our cheese intake, but you can make them more cheesy and yummy like real enchiladas. We would if we could!

*Update 9.30.12: I made this again tonight and added 1/2 cup of chicken broth. It made such a difference!! NOW, I’m in love! I’m adding olives next time too! Oh, and I just microwaved them for 1 1/2 minutes because I was in a hurry, super yummy!

*Another update: Instead of sprinking our little bit of cheese over the top, I made a more dairy friendly sauce by mixing a handful of cheese with chicken broth, melting it and pouring it over the enchiladas. I think I’ve found the final product!! :>

The first attempt: Okay, but not great.

 

Tonight’s mix – 9.29.15: So much more skrumptious!

I love recipes that occur by throwing leftovers together!! What are you cooking?

Tip Junkie:

Teach Me Tuesdays with Growing Home:

A Wise Woman Builds Her Home:

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Modest Mondays: A Cheerful Dress

Yesterday I decided to wear an Autumn colored dress, even though we don’t really get an Autumn season here, and it’s still just as hot as it has been all summer long. But this dress is so thin and cool, so it kills two birds with one stone. What I didn’t realize was that the color also reminds me of my dad and his smiley, optimistic personality. :> We also bought some sunflowers for the same reason, and spent some time remembering him. It really helped, since there wasn’t time for me to get to Portland for the memorial service. And my sweetie realized he missed something on the tour of my old home this summer. We didn’t see the famous smooth, concrete floor basement my brothers and I would roller skate in on those rainy Portland days, right around my dad’s train set he would set up in the center. Good old days!

So here’s what I wore:

This cheery dress, a summer purchase from Kohl’s.

I adore the detailing on the bodice!

I wore my Claddagh earrings: a gift from the in-laws, also from Kohl’s.

And my cuter, less clunky Sanitas.

Make sure you pop over to the Modest Mom site to see other Modest Monday posts.I also love the Deep Roots at Home, A Portrait of Feminine Dress series! And this post by Smithspirations, Modesty Matters!

What are you wearing?

Saying Goodbye to my Father

My childhood years were a complicated mix of fun and not so great, coupled with those “I’m adopted” feelings. My childhood left me with a lot of baggage to carry into my adulthood. But two of the  things I know to be true: my heavenly Father has always loved me, and my earthly father loved me! I take so much comfort from that after learning that my dad died last week. He wasn’t always good at showing it to us girls, especially when we hit those awkward teen years. But he showed it in his own way, including me in activities with my brothers at hockey, baseball and basketball games, family camp at Black Lake and joining Indian Princesses with me. He only said the words once that I remember, but he still showed it. My closest sister is almost 9 years younger, so I did a lot of things with the guys. Yet I’ve NEVER been a tomboy! At all! My dad’s temperament was definitely more suited to raising 11 children than my mom’s…or mine! His laid back attitude was a lot like my sweetie’s…his sense of humor as well.

Although the mourning would still be hard, it would be easier if I knew he had chosen to follow Jesus Christ as his Savior and I would see him again one day in heaven and on the new earth. I’m so thankful I’ll be there, but of course it makes me sad that none of my relatives have made that decision. The one person that MAY have was my dad. It’s troubling to think of spending an eternity apart from the ones you love. I won’t be praying for him now, the time for his decision has past. And I know that I will be extremely content to be with my Savior for eternity, but I still hope my dad made the choice to be there too. :>

So today I pray for my family as they also mourn, and pray that they would see that they need to figure out what happens to them when they die. Most of all I know that God is in control of it all and the Bible tells me I can trust Him…with everything! I will miss my dad though!

So, In Loving Memory of my Father:

Jas 4:8a  “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.”

Ps 73:28 But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all thy works.

More Tillamook Products

I found more Tillamook  products at our Target. Whoo Hoo!!!! Maybe they’re finally trickling down to our state…yay! There I was, just minding my own business, when bam, there they were! Can you tell that I’m excited? I may get tired of sweating day after day, but this little taste of home is so comforting to this transplanted Oregonian. Welcome to California Tillamook!

The icing on the cake? I did some research after our vacation, and found a WinCo in Long Beach. Saturday after Women of Faith in Aneheim, we introduced the in-laws to this great store, and for the first time  my father-in-law was the last one out of a store!! :>  He never understood what we were raving about, because the only thing we had to compare it to was Food for Less…NO COMPARISON at all! WinCo has such better food and prices…and tons of bulk items!

Such yummy comforts of home!

Modest Mondays

Okay, my weekends and Mondays have been a bit crazy, making my Modest Mondays posts late. But here I am again, better late than never! To see more modest or homemaking tips and encouragement, pop over to the Modest Mom or Raising Homemakers website!

Here’s what I wore for the first night of Women of Faith with my mother-in-law. We go together every year! :>

The black top is from WalMart, I believe. The skirt is from several years ago, so I would guess it probably came from Mervyn’s?

The necklace is from Forever 21, with some sweet charms. I need to get some photos into the locket!

I took the hoops my husband bought for me several years ago at a jewelry shop in Portland, and stole the black balls off of a cheap Avon pair, and voila!

Of course we did a lot of walking, including up and down lots of stairs, so I had no other option but to wear my hard core Sanitas.

Happy outfit choosing!

Recipe Exchange: Israeli Couscous Salad

It’s Recipe Exchange day today with Little House on the Prairie Living and I’m sharing a recipe a friend served at our annual scrapbooking weekend. It has become my new favorite go-to meal! I love, love, love it!!! My sweetie loves it now too!

These photos show that I forgot the peas this time, but they add color and more flavor. I think this is the only time I made it without them. Although last time I forgot the almonds…

Also, I usually DO NOT mix sweet with savory, but it works in this recipe! The honey is better than using sugar, as I discovered the time I accidentally used sugar.

Here’s the recipe:

Israeli Couscous Salad

The Dressing:

1/4 Extra virgin olive oil

2 Tbl Fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 tsp Chopped garlic or 1 cube frozen crushed garlic

1/2 tsp dried parsley

1/2 tsp Kosher salt to taste

Black pepper to taste

1/4 cup sugar or 2 Tbl honey

Couscous:

1 Box Trader Joe’s Israeli Couscous

1/3 cup unsalted, dry toasted, sliced almonds

Another 1/2 tsp parsley

1/2 cup of frozen peas

1 Shredded chicken breast

Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, parsley, salt, pepper and honey in a bowl. Set aside.

Follow the cooking directions on the Israeli Couscous box.

Here’s the browning stage:

Adding the water:

Add the cooked couscous, peas and chicken to the bowl containing the dressing, and toss together. Let it cool 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. The couscous will absorb the dressing as it cools.

(As you can see, I forgot the peas this time)

Add the almonds and extra parsley. Add more salt and pepper if needed.

Serves 4.

Note:

You can use any 8oz of PEARL couscous, just toast it in some olive oil first and then add the water.

You can add cranberries, oregano, fresh basil, crumbled feta or whatever you like. I’ve tweaked it so it suits my tastes.

I just adore it this way! It’s an easy, yummy dish everyone will love! Even picky people like me!

Teach Me Tuesdays with Growing Home

Tip Me Tuesday with Tip Junkie

Homestead Barn Hop with Homesteading Revival

Inspiration Workshop Linkup

Today I’m linking up with Gussy Sews for the Inspiration Workshop! This month’s theme is DIY, so here’s some inspiration I’ve found for some fun things! This is the last one, as she is brainstorming some new ideas, so pop on over to her blog for more inspiration!

Source: theflourishingabode.com via Tiffanie on Pinterest

Source: curbly.com via Tiffanie on Pinterest

Source: goodhousekeeping.com via Tiffanie on Pinterest

Source: etsy.com via Tiffanie on Pinterest

Source: frantzfeatherings.blogspot.com via Tiffanie on Pinterest

Source: etsy.com via Tiffanie on Pinterest

Source: apartmenttherapy.com via Tiffanie on Pinterest

Modest Mondays

I’m a bit late with my Modest Monday post, but here it is!  After a month off so she could post about homeschooling, it’s back! Pop over to the Modest Mom to see other posts!

I bought this fun new skirt on clearance at Old Navy on our weekend away to see the Computer History Museum, and I LOVE it!! The a-line cut and ruching on one side of the waist…LOVE!  This is the outfit I wore on our last day.

Skirt: Old Navy
T-shirt: Mervyn’s or WalMart, I’ve had it awhile.

Cardigan: Thrift Store

Heart necklace on a cord: ?

Silver heart earrings:  Mervyn’s or Kohl’s

Shoes: Same old Sanitas from Footprints (they have great deals!)

Recipe Exchange: Steel Cut Oats/Irish Oats

I haven’t been very consistent with my Recipe Exchange posts lately, but here you go for this week! I really love that Little House on the Prairie Living hosts this, but some weeks, I just don’t try a new recipe! I’m also coming this post with Growing Home’s Teach Me Tuesdays Linkup.

On our trip to the Computer History Museum, I finally bought some steel oats. People have been telling me about this for so long, and since I found a good deal, I snagged it. Also, I’ve been on a hot cereal kick already with cracked wheat, now that I don’t have to cook it in a crock pot or all night on the stove, so this is just branching out! The cooking technique is about the same as cooking cracked wheat, which means, super easy! I love the chewiness of these two cereals!

I halved the recipe on the bag, and it’s still a very generous helping!

I also cooked it the same way I cook cracked wheat, even though it says to bring the water to a boil first, then add the oats.

Here’s what I did:

Steel Oats/Irish Oats

1 1/2 cup water

dash of salt

1/2 cup oats

**Put everything in the pan and bring to a boil. Then lower the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. If you want it softer and less chewy, simmer lower heat about 20 minutes. Turn off the heat, cover and let it thicken for a couple of minutes. That’s it! Easy, yummy and variety from regular oatmeal or cold cereal.

Below are some serving ideas from Bob’s Red Mill:

If you were cooking this in Ireland, you would probably cook it in milk instead of water.

Try it! It’s easy and yummy!!