Monday, 20 January 2014

Meal Planning Monday

We went to Costco this weekend. Despite the membership fee and the transportation costs to get there I think it will either
 A. still save us money
 or
 B. allow us a choice wider variety and higher quality foods for approximately the same amount we were spending elsewhere

We stocked up mostly on meats and cheese. Here's what we plan on having the next two weeks.

Monday  Lunch: Sausages and Peppers
               Dinner: Turkey and Cheese Sandwiches
               Lunch: Shrimp and Fried Potatoes
              Dinner: Sandwiches

Tuesday  Lunch: Hamburger Steaks
                Dinner: Pork with Ramen or Sandwiches
               Lunch: Pork with Veggies
               Dinner: Sandwiches

Wednesday  Lunch: Beef Tacos
                    Dinner: Chicken Stuffed Peppers
                    Lunch: Duck and Hashbrowns or Duck Gumbo
                    Dinner: Tuna Cakes with Fried Rice

Thursday Lunch: Duck with Twice Baked potatoes
                Dinner: Frozen Pork Chops with ??
                Lunch: Cordon Bleu Style Chicken with Veggies
                Dinner: Sandwiches

Friday    Lunch: Breakfast
              Dinner: Sandwiches or Brats
              Lunch: Breakfast
              Dinner: Sandwiches or Leftovers

Saturday Lunch: Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes
              Dinner: Out or leftovers

Sunday: Lunch: Sandwiches
              Dinner: Chicken Wings




  

Saturday, 4 January 2014

2014 Word

A couple of years ago I participated in the trend of picking a word that I want to define my upcoming year. That year, I picked "love".

For some reason, the next couple of years picking a word slipped my mind.

I want to revive the trend again this year.

I've given it much thought and I've chosen to take a directive, voiced by a former co-worker, that I believe to be a message from God.

He said, "Be bold."

When he first said it to me, I was instantly puzzled and understanding at the same time.

I knew I needed to be braver, to speak out more.

At my next job, I was blessed to attend company Bible studies. There I learned more of what it meant to live for God, without inhabitation.

Still, I hold back.

My hubby and I have had a lot of  alone time together.
He's noticed that I don't fully embrace myself. That I hold back, shy away. And being a good husband, he's tried to encourage me to let loose.

So, my word to focus on this year is BOLD.

According to dictionary.com:

not hesitating or fearful in the face of actual or possible danger or rebuff; courageous and daring: a bold hero.
2.
not hesitating to break the rules of propriety; forward; impudent: He apologized for being so bold as to speak to the emperor.
3.
necessitating courage and daring; challenging: a bold adventure.
4.
beyond the usual limits of conventional thought or action; imaginative: Einstein was a bold mathematician. a difficult problem needing a bold answer.

I want to be bold for God. To have no fear of obeying or speaking out about him.
I don't want to hesitate to share my thoughts, feelings, ideas
I want to be courageous, daring.

I will be BOLD!!


Thursday, 26 December 2013

If I Only Had an Oven...

We watched The Wizard of Oz on Christmas Eve and the song "If I Only Had  a Brain" got me to thinking about what I would have baked had I an oven this Christmas season.

So I thought I'd take a moment to round up some drool worthy recipes I saw on the web this year.

I would have made these cuties from Not Martha for My Dec 1st Christmas party:

How-To: Tiny Gingerbread House for your Mug from Not Martha - still a fan favorite! Love this one! :)
The weeks before Christmas I would bake up a storm making Hot Chocolate Sandwich Cookies from I heart eating


Hot Chocolate Sandwich Cookies
Along with these turtle thumbprints from Handle the Heat

turtle thumbprint cookies
And these chocolate peppermint babies from Bakerella

choc peppermint cookies
These coconut macaroon cupcakes for work:

Coconut Macaroon Cupcake -  Devil’s food cake with dark chocolate chips, coconut cream filling, topped with coconut cream cheese frosting and a coconut macaroon.
I would have made these Strawberry and Chocolate French Toast Rollups for breakfast Christmas Morning:


French Toast Roll-Ups
Cheddar Bacon Beer Bread from Texanerin to go with dinner:

100% Whole Grain Cheddar Bacon Beer Bread | texanerin.com

What was your favorite holiday treat this season?

Monday, 23 December 2013

Week 2:

Here is our menu for the upcoming week. It will probably be tweaked here and there, due to the upcoming holidays. I know we are going to a western style buffet Christmas day but as for New Year's I'm not sure of any food related plans yet:

Tuesday- Bacon, Eggs and Pancakes
Friday-Pork Chops with Rosemary Bacon Potato Hash (prep Saturday's chicken)
Saturday-Broccoli Carrot Chicken Ramen
Monday-Pork Chop with Bacon Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Tuesday-Chicken and Dumplings
Wednesday- Vegetarian Chili

Sunday, 22 December 2013

Homemade Chicken Stock


I made my own chicken stock for the first time. I made the stock on Monday night, froze it and used it Friday at lunchtime to make Duck Gumbo (link to follow!). The chicken I boiled to make the stock was used for tacos in Tuesday's lunch.

Makes 3 cups of stock. I made so little because we are very limited on storage containers and storage space. This recipe adjusts easily. You need to make sure you have enough water to keep the chicken covered throughout the cooking process.

Ingredients:

1/2 lb chicken
Water
1 onion, cut in half
2 stalks celery (including leaves), cut in half
1 Carrot cut in half
sprinkle of s&p (optional)
bay leaf (optional)

I had just over half a pound of skin on drumsticks so that is what I used. If you aren't using a whole chicken, I recommend using dark meat as it tends to be more flavorful. If you use more chicken adjust the veggies accordingly.

Bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer, covered, for 3 hours. If you use more chicken and it isn't cooked at this point, simmer until the chicken is done.

Be sure to discard the veggies and the bay leaf if you used on. I didn't actually use the bay leaf when I made the stock but used it when I made the gumbo. However, I saw several recipes called for the bay leaf in the stock.




Friday, 20 December 2013

My Daughter

Somewhere along the way, I developed the idea that I was less.

Less than beautiful.
Less than capable.
Less than desirable.
Less than.



I don't know exactly when the thoughts began to occur or where exactly they stem from. What I do know is that they were and are there.

I began to imagine that people only saw my acne scarred face, my greasy hair.
I began to imagine that when I walked, my movements were disgusting and awkward and that my running posture was nothing if not highly laughable.
I began to think that my speaking voice was annoyingly high pitched and my singing voice like nails on a chalkboard.
I began to think that I wasn't capable of successful completing everyday tasks, much less complicated endeavors.
I began to think that my needs, thoughts and  feelings didn't matter. That they imposed to much on others.

If I think about it I can try to pinpoint certain phrases I've heard, from people near and dear, and from people, who for one moment had more impact than they will ever realize. Maybe there were phrases I heard once in jest, and magnified in my head. Maybe there were phrases repeated to me-whether in jest or not.

Regardless, I began to try to change my body, my movements.
I began to feel less important than those around me and began to minimize the discomfort I thought I was causing others.

My speaking voice grew quieter and quieter. Some days it is barely audible and my husband frustratedly asks me to repeat myself.

My singing voice grew dim, a mere echo of the joy I used to  (harmoniously or not) release into the world.

My walk grew more stiff. My body stiffened, trying to stifle any movements that would cause laughter or disdain. My posture suffered and my eyes grew accustomed to the view of my feet.

I let others take over tasks for me, believing that I couldn't do them properly myself, or that I would take to long to complete them.

I began to refuse drink and food when offered, internally reasoning that to agree would be to much of a inconvenience for my host. When sharing food, I always chose the smallest pieces, thinking that someone else deserved the bigger portions.

 When being treated to dinner, I agonized over choosing the least expensive meal I would enjoy.

Only with my truest and dearest friends could I be my whole, genuine self. And even then, I struggled to come out of the shell I had become.

Today, it all changes. For sometime, I have been struggling (with the support of my husband) to overcome these beliefs. To be a strong woman, not just under the guise of one.

Today, at a church gathering I was prompted to pray and ask God how he sees me.And so I prayed.

And as always, God answered with the perfect response.

My daughter, echoed in my head

My daughter, my daughter, my daughter reverberated through out my body, and to the deepest parts of my soul.

I am His daughter.
He created me.
I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
I am beautiful and worthy, because of Him. Because of the blood shed by the only one who is the Holy One.

I have a place to stand, with all of God's other children. I can freely stand among them.

 Whole.
 Free.
Worthy.

I am that me that He has made.

Monday, 16 December 2013

Upcoming Meals

I spent the weekend pouring over recipes trying to come up to add some variety to our diet.

I need roughly 4-5 unique meals a week. This week we'll have less because I wasn't able to grocery shop until Monday night. We usually eat these for lunch and then have leftovers or sandwiches for dinner. We also eat out Thursday lunch and during the weekend.

Tuesday-Chicken Tacos (leftover chicken to go to the freezer for chili)
Wednesday-Hot Fried Chicken with Fried Rice
Friday-Duck and Sausage Gumbo (using homemade chicken stock)
Sunday- Cheesy Tuna Cake with Broccoli


Successful recipes to follow!



Sunday, 15 December 2013

2 Easy Peasy Semi-Healthy Desserts

Not having an oven, I miss baking a lot. A super duper lot. A lot of the baked goods I purchase over here aren't half as good as what my taste buds desire.

To satisfy my sweet tooth, I've been playing around with ways to turn yogurt into a sweet dessert.

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Yogurt

Ingredients:

  • 1 small container of strawberry yogurt
  • 1 small container of plain/Greek yogurt
  • 1 hot cocoa packet
Note: You can substitute the strawberry yogurt for another container of plain yogurt with diced strawberries, sweeten a little with honey. Strawberries are currently $5 for a small container here so, I went with the pre-flavored yogurt.

1. Pour the plain yogurt into a bowl. Mix in the hot cocoa.
2. Pour the strawberry yogurt into the center of the chocolate yogurt. Swirl gently.

Tropical Caramel Parfait

  • caramel sauce (store bought or homemade)
  • 1 small container of plain/Greek Yogurt
  • 1/2 cup fresh chopped pineapple
1. Layer yogurt, pineapple and caramel sauce in a small glass.



Friday, 29 November 2013

What I'm Thankful For..

So far Korea is teaching me a big lesson in gratitude. Here's a short list of things I've become newly aware and/or extremely grateful for.

1. New friends. We've made great friends out of the two Korean teachers and Chinese teacher at work. We hang out on the weekend and go out for lunch every Thursday.

2. Old friends (and family). I'm extremely grateful for old connections. I love being able to stay in touch and continue to share our lives together despite the many miles between us.

3. Salvation Army I bought a brand new bright red Ralph Lauren down coat at the end of winter last year, anticipating another cruel Pennsylvania winter. The jacket has served me well in Korea's windy city.

4. Crossword puzzles They give us challenging English after a day of repeating, " I like the smart queen. No, I do not like the stupid mouse."  Also, it gives us time to bond together as a couple when we work on one.

4. The fact that I'm from a country where I don't have to physically take my gas pipe with me. Apparently, when you move, you take the piece of pipe that connects to the gas line outside with you. I'm not sure if this is to discourage squatting or what. Why can't they just shut off the gas?

5. That I'm from a place where I don't have to boil or purchase drinking water. 'Nuff said.

6. That God lead us out of the USA during a particularly rough time. We didn't have to deal with the stress of the government shut down or the health care fiasco. Hopefully, when we return, America will have a new, stronger, Christian leader to lead us out of the mess we have created

7. I have a God that cares for me. Me, individually. He provides meals, warmth and even a kind person here and there to translate an extremely large Korean menu.

Let's remember to always give thanks!

Wednesday, 20 November 2013

Its Chili in Daegu!

The winds a blowing and I'm missing the comfort foods of home.

So, what better to do than brew up a nice hot bowl of chili!

The recipe differs slightly from what I make in the States do to the availability of certain ingredients. Anyway, here's what I concocted.

Serves 4!

Ingredients:

2 cans pintos in chili sauce
1 can red kidney beans (drained)
2 dangcho (spicy peppers) chopped
half an onion chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 carrot, grated
1 orange pepper, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 packet taco seasoning (from overseas)
pinch of red pepper powder
baby spoonful of butter
s&p to taste


1. Mix beans  with taco seasoning and red pepper.Set over low heat.
2. Meanwhile, sauté all vegetables except the carrot, in the butter. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Add veggies to beans and increase heat to medium.
4. Stir in grated carrot.
5. Simmer for hald an hour

Wednesday, 13 November 2013

My God is an AWESOME God!

So do not worry ,saying, "What will we eat?" or "What will we drink?" or "What will we wear?" For the pagans run after all these things and your Heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and these things will be given to you as well. -Matthew 6:31-33
When we arrived in Korea we learned that we would be paid on the 15th of each month. This meant, on October 15th that we would be paid for a weeks worth of work and would not receive a full paycheck until the middle of November.

We had several unexpected  out of pocket expenses such as physicals and alien card fees. We also needed things for the bathroom, like a shower head an a toilet seat.

We'd saved money to bring with us but these unexpected expenses cut in quite a bit.

Now, we come to the week before payday.

We got down to our last several thousand won (I can't remember but I think it was around $50ish). (1,000 won is just under $1) This had to get us each 2 meals a day  for a week and a  six pack of 2 liter water bottles. We also usually buy a small snack to get us through the afternoon. 8 hours without eating gets to be a long time!

Our cupboards were down to 2 slices of bread, 3 slices of ham, a couple slices of processed cheese, onion, a box of cereal (no milk)and 3 packs of ramen. We also didn't have enough water to make it a week.

We've slowly learned that in this country it is usually costs more to buy groceries than it does to eat out. We could easily spend $50 on groceries and not make it a week.

Mike and I prayed that God would get us through the week and that we wouldn't be miserably hungry. We usually purchased snacks to get us through the 8 hour shift, but it looked as if we wouldn't be able to afford them this week.

On Sunday we bought a pizza box. It included a pizza, chicken tenders and fries and spaghetti. We were able to eat all day Sunday and lunch on Monday from this box. Monday we stopped and bought drinks for later in the afternoon.

However, the amount of spaghetti we shared left us hungry part way through work. It was Pepero day. A day devoted to cookies sticks covered in chocolate and other toppings like nuts. Teachers and students often exchange these treats. We didn't have any to give out, but God blessed us greatly by having students gift us with a couple boxes of them. We were able to have our snack after all! I truly felt has if God had had some marketing guru suggest Pepero day just to help Mike and I out of our hunger!


Monday night we ate more leftover pizza and left over chicken from Friday night. On Monday night Mike calculated our cash in hand to be 20,000 won (just under $20)

Tuesday morning, Mike counted our money and determined we actually had 40,000 won. It was as if God had come into our apartment and slipped us a $20.

Tuesday we went out to eat for lunch. Mike had a rice stirfry type dish and I had a noodle soup. Our typical orders at this restaurant. Usually, it costs us 8,000 won. This time it was 7,500 won. This allowed Mike to buy a Pepsi, for a pick me up. Another food related blessing came today. We had been helping a student prepare for a speaking competition. Her mother dropped off two loaves of coffee and nut bread for the teachers to share.

Wednesday, we ventured to McDonalds and discovered that (Praise God!) they were running specials. We both ate full size meals for the same price as two Happy Meals. Towards the end of the work day, I was starting to get hungry. Suddenly, I began to smell cinnamon. One of the managers had gone out and purchased brown sugar cinnamon pancakes from a street vendor. Knowing my love of sweets, she graciously shared with me.

Wednesday night, our next door neighbor and former boss dropped off a bunch of extra bananas. I ate mine for dessert with melted pieces of chocolate that were a gift from my student. We have enough bananas to each eat one for a snack tomorrow afternoon.

Tomorrow, God has provided enough money for us to keep up our traditional lunch with the teachers at the food court across from out school. I'm so looking forward to a warm bowl of curry.

We've yet to see what God has in store for the rest of the week but I am confident he will provide. Ever since we've started tithing we have never needed for anything.

I feel as if I am living the story of Jesus multiplying the loaves and fish.






 

Saturday, 19 October 2013

What We Eat When We Don't Eat Out

Eating out in Korea is fairly cheap, and in some cases definitely cheaper than buying groceries. It tends to be healthier than a lot of restaurants at home too. Nonetheless, we still enjoy eating from the comfort of couch.

Here's a look at the types of meals we've enjoyed thus far

  • Ham and Onion Omelets with Fried Potatoes
  • Ham Omelets with Cereal
  • Ham and Cheese sandwiches (the bread is thicker and almost stale, the cheese is uber processed and the ham is not the best quality)
  • PBJs
  • Cereal with Bananas or Apples
  • Sausages and Fried Potatoes
  • Ramen (spicy, beef)
Coming up on the menu...

Precooked Spaghetti
Sausages and Mashed Potatoes
Ham and Onion Omelets with Cereal and Fruit


Notice a theme? Yeah, its eggs and potatoes.


Saturday, 12 October 2013

Home Sweet Home

After 3 days of hard core cleaning, unpacking and organizing our new home is almost in ship-shape.

Our bedroom...abstract pink and green wallpaper

I brought artwork from my friend Ginny to spruce up our apartment. Check out her website HERE.

The view of our living room from the bedroom.

leaf print wallpaper

TV  and dart board!

 Our storage table...seasonal, water, tp and recycling

Kitchen

Kitchen + washing machine

His and Hers clothes racks...princess wallpaper in the spare room

Drying racks in the spare room

Mirror, Air Con and Dresser in spare room

Spare room


Bathroom....no shower/tub space just the shower head

Tuesday, 8 October 2013

Two Meals in the Life of an English Teacher in Korea

There is a bakery that seems pretty popular here- Paris Baguette. By popular I mean there is one every couple of blocks.

In addition to baked goods and pastries they also serve sandwiches, preassembled hot dogs, smoothies, coffee etc.

We stopped and picked up lunch today.I picked out what was labeled as "onion toast".

I opened it at home and found a club style toasted sandwich. The first layer contained pizza sauce, cheese and ham. The second layer? A very mayonnaise-y(like) corn salad. They must have been out of onions.

Anyway, I did not care for the corn salad but once I scraped it off I enjoyed the rest of the sandwich.

For dinner, Mike and I stopped at a chicken and beer restaurant. Most restaurants in the S. Korea are not like the ones in the USA. For instance, you could usually go into a restaurant and have your pick of the type of meat for your entrée: chicken, beef, pork, etc. Here, the restaurant usually specializes in a type of meat (pork, beef, chicken, seafood, rice etc) and you can order different cuts or at least a couple of different sauces for it to be drenched in. You pay for the meat and receive unlimited refills on the side dishes.

We ordered the spicy garlic chicken wings. It was accompanied by a side of cubed pickled radishes (not my fave!)

While we waited for our chicken we received our other 3 side dishes:


Yeah. You're seeing that correctly. Those are sea shell...creatures still intact, a bowl of cold corn and corn chip Styrofoam half-breeds.

Neither one of us could muster the courage to try sucking something out of the shell but we did eat the other two to quench our tongues.

All in all, out dinner (over two dozen wings, 2 beers and 4 "side dishes") cost about $19 bucks.



-

Friday, 20 September 2013

Book Review: Intentional Walk by Rob Rains


Intentional Walk is a book about the Christian testimonies of different Cardinals baseball players and staff members. Each testimony reflects how the Cardinal’s acceptance of Christ as their savior transformed their lived both on and off the baseball field.

The concept of this book is highly intriguing. I loved reading about Christian people who are not only successful but well known. I love that this book is able to speak out to non-Christian baseball fans who may be curious about the blessings that they see the players experiencing.

What a disliked about this book is the fact that it is written from a third person point of view. The stories of the powerful transformation that occurred in these Cardinals lives could better capture the wonderful power of God if the stories had been told from the players’ perspective. I feel the point of view greatly limits the inspiration that could be gained from the stories. The book, as it stands now, reads almost like a collection of high school papers about Christian ballplayers.

*I received a free copy of this book from booksneeze in return for an honest review.

Friday, 19 July 2013

Book Review: Dreams so Big by Steve Peifer with Gregg Lewis


This is the story of a family who moves to Kenya as short term missionaries in order to overcome the death of their new born son. But, surprise-surprise, God has bigger things planned for this family and their one year commitment turns into a lifetime journey for service and discipleship.      

This book was a huge inspiration to me and my family. The story was not only immensely interesting but wonderfully well crafted as well. God’s hand is definitely all through this book. From the beginning whispers urging  a husband to make his wife’s dreams come true to the masterful telling and publication of their story, He is present.

I believe the title is an apt one. Dreams are one of the catalysts for the Peifers' journey. Also, the book inspired me to dream big. A key message I learned from this book is that God puts dreams into our hearts for a reason. No dream is too big or too small for him to fulfill, if He is the One who has given it to you. I plan on recommending this book to many people, as well as re-reading it several times. It is very touching and the truth of it makes it even more so.

If you enjoy this book I also recommend Kisses from Katie by Katie B. Davis.
 
PS: I was given a copy of this book in exchange for my review via the booksneeze program. This statement does not apply to Kisses from Katie.

Wednesday, 17 July 2013

Things I Want to Bake Before Moving to South Korea

As I am a list maker by nature, I have been thinking of things I would like to bake before we head over that great big ocean.

My list includes:

  • Avocado Truffles....the second part of my challenge on Hot Glue Baking
  • Macarons  ....are these as hard as they look?
  • Boston Cream Doughnuts...my husband asked challenged me to make these for him)
  • Fried Cupcakes...these have been on to my "to do" list for sometime now- they even made it on my 101/1001 list.
  • Mini Chocolate Soufflés
  • Coconut Macaroon Cupcakes....after seeing this mouthwatering picture on pinterest how do you NOT want to?
Coconut Macaroon Cupcake -  Devil’s food cake with dark chocolate chips, coconut cream filling, topped with coconut cream cheese frosting and a coconut macaroon.
 

What's on your baking "to-do" list? Do you have any good recipe suggestions for any of the things I'm looking to make?

PS: I'm on the lookout for a good fruit pie recipe

Tuesday, 16 July 2013

Korea Calling!

In case you haven't heard...the hubby and I are trying to move back to South Korea where we will both be teaching English.


Mike taught there while we were engaged and I was fortunate enough to visit. We have most of our paperwork lined up and have applied for many jobs.

Now we're just waiting got the right job, in the right city.

We will most likely be taking a couples position at the same school. The school will provide our housing as part of our contract.

We'd appreciate your prayers as we start down this journey.

Saturday, 13 July 2013

Americas Best Baker

Did anyone watch this show on CBS?

I was astounded by who one, but love the show regardless. (I was rooting for Francine. She is my home girl after all. I wonder if she'd mind if I stopped over for some of that pie!)

I thought Darlene, Elaine and Effie were all really good too.

But the show has got me thinking. Many of the bakes I've never attempted. My baking bucket list as definitely grown thanks to this show.

I'm curious....

What do you think are recipes that every good baker should know how to make?

Thursday, 11 July 2013

It's a prize!

Yenta Mary of Food Floozie has given me an award!
 
Yenta Mary is quite possibly my favorite food blogger. Her blog stars fabulous recipes and features great local places to eat on the cheap. Reading it makes me want to take a trip to Michigan. (PS: She has red kitchen cabinets that I adore  !)

The rules of the award are that the nominee must:

- link back to whomever awarded the prize
- state 11 random facts about him- or herself
- answer the 11 questions from the award giver, and then - finally!
- nominate another 11 bloggers and devise 11 questions for them to answer.

11 facts

1. We're looking into moving back  to South Korea. My hubby lived there before and we feel called to go back. Our recruiting agency actually called while I was typing this.

2. I'm in the process of writing a book or two. More later on that subject.

3. I love baking and trying new flavor combinations. Especially with cupcakes.

4. I love the old shows like Gilligan's Island, Petticoat Junction, Green Acres and I Love Lucy .

5. I am in love with Captain Jack Sparrow. And my best friends boyfriend does a darn good impression of him. Its his looks, his mannerisms and quite possibly that I am where the rum went.

6. I love Reisens but I rarely buy them because they're so darn expensive. Maybe once I'm done paying off my student loans.

7. I went to a college just for women.

8. I love jokes. However, I am terrible at telling them.

9. I love to talk on the phone and prefer it to texting. I love random, how are you doing phone calls.

10. I really really enjoy shopping for gifts and putting together care packages for my friends.


11 Answers 1. What is the first thing you'll ask God when you get to Heaven?

Oh wow. I'm sure it will take me awhile to get over being speechless. He is so magnificent, so Holy, I can't even imagine what it will be like to be in His presence.

 2. What is your favorite "me time" indulgence? Reading all day long....oh and shopping without looking at the price tags!

3. What is the word or phrase you overuse the most? "Really?"

4. What is your favorite side dish at Thanksgiving? Cornbread stuffing. oh man

5. What is your most cringe-inducing, most appalling, most ridiculous dating story? I'm going to plead the 5th on this one.

6. What has your greatest accomplishment been so far in 2013? I've started the book God is leading me to write. I lead a group in prayer for the first time.

7. What website do you check most often throughout the day? facebook, pinterest, blogger

8. It's Christmas in July; in your letter to Santa, what are you asking him to leave under the tree for you? a red convertible  beetle!

9. Have you ever been to Michigan?no

10. If so, when, where, why? If not, why not??? I just haven't gotten there yet!! I'd love to come hang out.

11. What is your favorite kind of pie? chocolate rum pecan

11 bloggers

1. Kristen of Yada Yada Yada
2. Shelly of Life is a Many Splendored Thing
3. Mary Jane at Joy in the Morning
4. Brenna at By God's Southern Grace
5. Chef in Training
6. Finding Joy in My Kitchen
7. Carmen at Life Blessons
8. Mandy at Mandy's Life After 30
9. Jennifer at More than a Mommy 
10. The Answer is Chocolate
11. The Baking Robot

11 questions

1. Are you going to Heaven? Why or why not?
2. What's your favorite book? Why?
3. What's your favorite flavor cupake?
4. Whats your signature dish?
5. Where did you take your favorite trip? What made it special?
6. How would you describe yourself in one word?
7. If you won the lottery what would be the first thing you'd do?
8. What's your favorite website?
9. What is your favorite summer activity?
10. Favorite cocktail?
11. Who would you like to meet?