Right after graduating from college I moved to Jordan.  I was on my own for the first time, in a new country, learning how to cook, grocery shop, ride in taxis, communicate in a foreign language.  I loved it.  I loved finding my way around town and discovering new shops.  I loved watching people interact in a new culture.  I loved the food:  falafel, shawarma, hummus, and fresh pita.  Every time I did my shopping I would buy pita from my favorite bakery.  It was fresh out of the oven and oh so wonderful.   And then I discovered Nutella. Nutella spread on warm, fresh pita bread is delicious.  That…

I remember my Mom making these things we called ‘cheese straws’ when I was a little girl.  I don’t know how often we had them, not regularly for sure, but I distinctly remember always eating them while drinking Coke.   And maybe during football season?  There were certain snack foods for specific occasions:  teenie weenie hot dogs and nacho cheese dip when we decorated the Christmas tree each year, Ranch flavored Oyster crackers in the winter, while working on puzzles, and cheese straws….I can’t remember when we ate this, but I loved them. I came across a recipe called “Cheez-It -ish Crackers”.  My kids love those square shaped cheese crackers,…

Breakfast has never been my favorite meal.  Growing up we had cereal almost everyday, and there wasn’t a lot of variety in the types we had in the house at one time.  Soggy cereal grossed me out, so if I couldn’t eat it quick enough I would be gagging by the end of the bowl. As an adult I have the choice, obviously, of what to eat for breakfast, but I still struggle with the same cereal problems.  I’ll eat it, but I’d much rather have eggs, bacon, and biscuits.  However, there’s no way I’m going to cook that everyday.  Smoothies are great, but usually I’m hungry about an hour…

Back in April we had the privilege of meeting some dear friends for a trip to the zoo.  When Bradley and I were first married and living in PA, we were blessed to be part of a small group of young couples.  I’m forever grateful for this group of friends!  One of the couples is now working with a church plant in Charlotte, NC, and when we were in GA, meeting at the zoo was a halfway point for us, so we got the kiddos together and enjoyed walking around and catching up on life and ministry.   My friend made some delicious snacks that day, and I haven’t stopped…

One of the things I enjoy about moving is having an empty pantry.  This time around I’m trying to be choosy about what we let into our home.  I’ll admit, there have been Oreos, potato chips, and right now we have two different kinds of Cap’n Crunch.  While I’m trying to allow my kids to be kids, I’m also working to help them make healthy choices.  Sometimes they’re oblivious, and that’s even better!  Then, there’s less grumbling and complaining about what they have to eat {why, yes, we do have these issues}.   I’ve mentioned that Isabella will be starting Kindergarten in just a few weeks!  While I’m still a…

It was brought to my attention the other day that my children have never eaten a homemade oatmeal cookie.  This is probably due to the fact that my husband would much rather have chocolate chip cookies, and I try to cater to his tastes.  Oatmeal cookies happen to be one of my favorites, so we pulled out the mixer the other day during the little ones’ naps, and mixed up these delicious cookies. There are tons of recipes for oatmeal cookies, and you probably can’t go too wrong with any of them. Although adding raisins is a definite turn off for me. I knew I had a recipe from my…

What do you do when your baby is turning one and you’re still unpacking boxes and finding your way around the kitchen?  First of all, you rejoice that Cow Appreciation Day is on her birthday, so no need to make a birthday feast.  Secondly, you stop packing on her birthday long enough to round up some pictures from her first year of life for a blog post and load up the kiddos for a morning at the beach.  Thirdly, you purchase the necessary ingredients from your local Target, because that’s the closest store that has grocery carts which hold more than one child, and you make an ice cream cake…

My laptop is sadly broken, and with it are all of my pictures.  We can hopefully recover them, but it’s been a little busy around here with getting ready to move in just two weeks.  I did want to quickly share this recipe with you, though, because it would be a perfect addition to any Memorial Day festivities that might be going on this weekend.  And, it’s strawberry season, so berries are ripe, sweet, and on sale 🙂 Strawberry Ice Cream1 1/2 cups whole milk1 cup sugar4 egg yolks1 1/2 cups half and half4 cups strawberries, hulled Stir whole milk and sugar in medium saucepan over medium heat.  Heat until…

Summer is coming!  Actually, today when we walked outside at 10:00 this morning, it felt like summer. Humid, sticky, and hot; that’s Georgia for you 🙂 We always do more grilling during the summer months, and we have really enjoyed our garden that we’ve had the past three summers.  Moving away is going to be hard for lots of reasons, and missing the garden is going to be one of them. This pasta salad is a great alternative to the mayonnaise versions that I usually make {like this one, yummy but not as healthy}.  A friend made it for us at the end of March and she shared her recipe with me…