Great Reads

I stumbled on a really great series thanks to my handy dandy Kindle a while back and it's just too great not to share!

The first book, "The Centurion's Wife", takes place just after the death and resurrection of Jesus. The disciples and followers are reeling, and followers of The Way are growing exponentially.

The story focuses on the lives of a down on her luck Roman with Judean roots (Leah) who is working in Pilate's household and a Roman Centurion. There is, of course, a love story element, but it isn't a huge part of the book. The excitement of that time and the coming of the Holy Spirit is just awesome.

The second book, "The Hidden Flame" , focuses in on the life of Abigail and other followers of The Way in Jerusalem. They are being persecuted, yet followers of The Way are growing in number. It's a tense and exciting time!

We continue to follow the life of Alban (the centurion) and Leah, as well their good friend Linux (another Roman centurion). Will the Judean and Roman leadership crush the followers of the Way?

In the third installment, "The Damascus Way", followers of The Way are on the run from Jerusalem where they have become unsafe. Abigail and her young daughter, along with many other believers move and the Holy Spirit moves with them, changing hearts all along the way.

Will Abigail find love again after losing her husband? What will happen next?

Pioneer Woman's Perfect Pot Roast

If you haven't yet discovered Pioneer Woman, let today be the day! She is a wonderful cook, photographer, homeschoolin', country-livin' mama who has made it HUGE in the bloggy world.

Anyhoo, I made one of her specialties for Sunday dinner this last weekend and it was deeelish! Enjoy!

Perfect Pot Roast

1 whole (4 To 5 Pounds) Chuck Roast

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

2 whole Onions

6 whole Carrots (Up To 8 Carrots)

Salt To Taste

Pepper To Taste

1 cup Red Wine pr Beef Broth

2 cups To 3 Cups Beef Stock

3 sprigs Fresh Thyme, or more to taste

3 sprigs Fresh Rosemary, or more to taste

1. First and foremost, choose a nicely marbled piece of meat. This will enhance the flavor of your pot roast like nothing else. Generously salt and pepper your chuck roast.
2. Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Then add 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil (or you can do a butter/olive oil split).
3. Cut two onions in half and cut 6 to 8 carrots into 2-inch slices (you can peel them, but you don’t have to). When the oil in the pot is very hot (but not smoking), add in the halved onions, browning them on one side and then the other. Remove the onions to a plate.
4. Throw the carrots into the same very hot pan and toss them around a bit until slightly browned, about a minute or so.
5. If needed, add a bit more olive oil to the very hot pan. Place the meat in the pan and sear it for about a minute on all sides until it is nice and brown all over. Remove the roast to a plate.
6. With the burner still on high, use either red wine or beef broth (about 1 cup) to deglaze the pan, scraping the bottom with a whisk to get all of that wonderful flavor up.
7. When the bottom of the pan is sufficiently deglazed, place the roast back into the pan and add enough beef stock to cover the meat halfway (about 2 to 3 cups). Add in the onion and the carrots, as well as 3 or 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary and about 3 sprigs of fresh thyme.
8. Put the lid on, then roast in a 275F oven for 3 hours (for a 3-pound roast). For a 4 to 5-pound roast, plan on 4 hours.

I served this with another great recipe from Allrecipes.com that was perfect in that I could fix it the night before and just let it warm up during church. They were perfectly creamy and delicious... did I mention this is a mashed potatoes recipe? Ah, details!

Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes

• 5 pounds red potatoes, cut into chunks
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic, or to taste
• 3 cubes chicken bouillon
• 1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup butter
• salt and pepper to taste
• 
  

1. In a large pot of lightly salted boiling water, cook the potatoes, garlic, and bouillon until potatoes are tender but firm, about 15 minutes. Drain, reserving water. In a bowl, mash potatoes with sour cream and cream cheese, adding reserved water as needed to attain desired consistency.
2. Transfer the potato mixture to a slow cooker, cover, and cook on Low for 2 to 3 hours. Just before serving, stir in butter and season with salt and pepper to taste.
   

Skate Park Savvy

Somehow, between the nap and school schedules our field trip quota has been waaay down this year. As a result, it seems that screen time is at an all time high, as is general whiney-ness! (Big surprise!)

In an effort to increase our joy and savor life a bit more we headed out of the house and got busy at Zero Gravity Skatepark for Toddler Time. They have a great thing going over there-- it's your typical indoor skatepark complete with lots of crazy ramps, bars, etc. Take away the skateboards and skater dudes and you have one totally awesome toddler playground. They even put in a little bounce house which is always a hit with little ones.

Maxwell had a blast slipping and sliding all over the place and Cornelia was in baby heaven just crawling around getting filthy! :) Maxwell did take her down a few ramps, but nothing was quite as thrilling for her little ten month old self than freeeedoooom!

Although it's only the end of March, I've started to set my sights on Summer vacation and just how we are going to manage keeping the whiney factor down and the fun factor up-- my solution (and this is not revolutionary by any means)-- STRUCTURE! I've started to think out a few fun idea for the summer months. I'm thinking that field trips are going to play a role and I'm thinking about trying to be a lot more deliberate in making our outings an educational experience too.

So here are my ideas and I'd love to hear more! Hit me with some comments peeps!

1. Notebook Time: I plan to have a small spiral bound notebook for each of the older kiddos where each day we will draw a picture (or two) about what we've done that day and write a sentence about it. In Maxwell's case, I will write what he dictates and in Ruby's, she will write her own using "Kid-writing". Not only will it be a great memory of our summer days, it will be great practice on some skills they have been working on at school. An added benefit is that it will help me be deliberate in making sure there's something super cool to draw each day!

2. Journey Around the World: I found some great curriculum at our local library that will be a fun naptime event. The kids will have little passports and each day we get to visit a new place. They learn about the place by doing a craft, hearing a short story, or even making food from the country. I think it will be big fun for all of us.

3. Daily Devotionals and Bible Memory Verses: We do some of this already, but I want to be more intentional about it and actually carve out time in our day to make it important and something we all look forward to, rather than just squeezed in here and there.

4. Hikes and Field Trips: I found a great resource last year where kids can earn badges by doing little nature hikes and doing activities along the trail. Time to break out the Kelty pack and enjoy some great outdoors time!

5. Exploring our own backyard: We have a great yard for kids. It is just hilarious to sit outside and listen to Ruby and Max exploring in the woods. They have a blast imagining all sorts of adventures and discovering new things. We also have a small creek on our property that may be fun to look for water bugs, etc. in. Maybe we can even take a field trip to Daddy's lab and look at the water through the microscope!

Can you tell I'm excited for summer! Good thing Spring Break is just around the corner. We'll have to take some of my ideas for a test drive.

Hope you are enjoying the onset of spring and getting excited about all family time to come!

1986

Every family has their traditions and quirks. These four photos say a world about the Armstongs and Bollmans!

Grandma Armstrong loved to play the piano--especially if she could get someone to sing along! I was always a willing singer (haha!) and Heidi would chime in too on favorites like, "How Much is That Doggy in the Window?". Who knows what we were singing here-- looks like Aunt Lesa's getting close to dosing, while Mom is just lapping it up-- she always loved music however poorly it was performed! :)

I don't remember this photo at all, but I'm almost certain what Grandpa Armstrong is plugging his nose over! Grandma had a dressing table upstairs, I guess just for decoration (who knows!?). At the table there was a giant powder puff with rose-scented powder. From the looks of it Heidi and Alyssa are pretty well coated!

Grandma Bollman spent much of every day that we visited in the kitchen (don't we all!). She was always busy fixing us meals or snacks. I have never tasted a roll I loved more or a better orange julius--yum! As cousins, we liked to huddle up to the pass-through window-- you never knew what Grandma might pass your way!

Evenings with our Bollman family was filled with conversation, music, and memories. I loved to watch slides of my mom and her siblings as kids--exploring the natural world as we all have enjoyed so much. In this photo Uncle Keith is weaving one of his hilarious tales. Who knows if it was about a mischievous student or a memory from the past, but one thing is certain-- we laughed!

Thanks for the magical memories, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. I love you!

Three Years

Dear Dad,

It's been three years since you went on home to Abba Father. There have been many things I have wished that I could share with you--meeting Maxwell and Cornelia, celebrating holidays together, Sunday afternoon chats, and finally getting along!

Most of all, I hope you know that I love you. Life is hard, but God is good. Thanks for being my Daddy. None of us are perfect, but you taught me how to live better than most. Thanks for believing in me and supporting me, even when you didn't agree with my decisions. I look forward to the day when we meet again--perfected!

Love, "High C" / "Queen B" / "Beaverlee"

Slow-Simmered Meat Sauce

Cooking Light magazine has a lot of ups and downs in their issues, but in my opinion, March's issue took a big step up. They had a feature on slow cooker recipes and they are even starting a new online column on freezer friendly meals! Yea!! This meat sauce was really, really good though a bit spicy, so you may want to adjust it to your family's taste.

Slow-Simmered Meat Sauce

1 T. olive oil

2 c. chopped onion

1 c. chopped carrot

6 garlic cloves, minced

8oz Italian sausage

1 lb ground sirloin

1/2 c. kalamata olives, pitted and sliced

1/4 c. no-salt-added tomato paste

1 1/2 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper

1 (28oz) can no-salt-added crushed tomatoes, undrained

1 (8oz) can no-salt-added tomato sauce

1 T. chopped fresh oregano

16 oz uncooked mafaldine pasta

1/2 c. torn fresh basil

3 oz shaved fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion and carrot to pan; saute 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic; saute 1 minute, stirring constantly. Place vegetable mixture in a 6-quart slow cooker. Add sausage and beef to skillet; saute 6 minutes or until browned; stirring to crumble. Remove beef mixture from skillet using a slotted spoon. Place beef mixture on a double layer of paper towels; drain. Add beef mixture to slow cooker. Stir olives and next 6 ingredients (through tomato sauce) into slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW 8 hours. Stir in oregano.
2. Prepare pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Serve sauce with hot cooked pasta; top with basil and cheese.

Yield: 8 servings

Serving size: 1 cup pasta, 1 cup sauce, 2 tablespoons cheese, and 1 tablespoon basil

Serve with a yummy "Olive Garden" Salad! See dressing recipe below!

Olive Garden Salad Dressing

1/2 C. Mayonnaise
1/3 C. White Vinegar
1 tsp. Vegetable Oil
2 Tbsp. Corn Syrup
2 Tbsp. Parmesan Cheese
2 Tbsp. Romano Cheese
1/4 tsp. Garlic Salt – or one clove garlic minced
1/2 tsp. Italian Seasoning
1/2 tsp. Parsley Flakes
1 Tbsp. Lemon Juice
sugar (optional)

Place all ingredients in a blender until well mixed. If this is a little to tart for your own personal tastes please add a little extra sugar. You can enjoy your Olive Garden salad dressing for about 10 days if stored in an air tight container in the refrigerator. Another great use for the Olive Garden salad dressing is you can use it for a marinade for vegetables or even meats that you might like to grill.

Wedding Teaser!

Things got busy, as often happens around here, so instead of wedding photos galore we have a bit of a teaser! These pics were take the day before the wedding. The first three were taken at Heidi's bridal shower dinner at The Siding in Peru. We enjoyed delicious and huge dinners-- the guys all enjoyed our leftovers later that evening! :)

It was a special time together as we prepared for the busy day ahead and most importantly showing Heidi how special she is to all of us. We love you, Heidi!

Christina and Heidi.

Heidi and I

Heidi and Anne

This photo was taken at Heidi's final dress fitting.

A beautiful teaser for what's to come!

1985

We're flashing back to 1985 today...

This photo was taken by Niagara Falls, probably not long after we moved to Buffalo, NY.

Christina turns 1 with her sisters and Mommy looking on adoringly! Poor Dad is stuck behind the camera as usual!

One more cute one of Mom and Christina. I can't resist those adorable baby faces!

A Walk in the Park

A few weeks ago we took a weekend trip to Durham to visit our good friends, Brett, Sarah, and Andrew Byram. It was a fun blast back to the early days with Ruby-- though I must say Sarah and Brett seem to be much less frazzled with early parenthood than I was.

While Sarah, Andrew, and I hit the mall, Brett, Jared and the kiddos hit the park...

Max in a tree.

Miss Ruby-kins

Cornelia on the move

Max the collector

Just hangin' around

Peek-a-boo!

Meat Loaf Sandwich

This meatloaf sandwich from Better Homes and Gardens is the bomb! Hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Meat Loaf Sandwich

English muffins (or Ciabatta rolls)

1 egg

1-14.5oz can Italian diced tomatoes

2 T. snipped fresh basil or 1T. dried basil

3/4 c. bread crumbs

1 lb. ground beef

4 oz. cheddar cheese, sliced

1 c. fresh spinach leaves

1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. In a bowl combine egg, 1 cup of the tomatoes, bread crumbs, and basil. Add beef and mix well. Divide into 1/2 cup portion. Place on unheated rack of broiler pan. Bake 20-30 minutes. Top with cheese. Bake 2 minutes more. Serve meat loaves on buns, with spinach and remaining tomatoes.

**Serve with coleslaw and chips!

Goin' to the chapel...

This gal's getting married on Saturday... so I've been busy, busy getting ready to leave my family for a few days to celebrate in Indiana. (Read: This is my excuse for not blogging!)

Please pray for Heidi and Kelly as they start their life together as husband and wife!

Rosemary Ranch Chicken with Asparagus

Can I hear ya say, "Hey!". Okay, if you don't go to Brevard Community Church, that means nothing to you, but if you do... maybe you get it!

Anyhoo, dinner tonight was delish and must be shared. Recipes are straight off of allrecipes.com... enjoy with a steamy baked potato!

Rosemary Ranch Chicken

1/2 c. olive oil

1/2 c. ranch dressing

3 T. Worcestershire sauce

1 T. minced fresh rosemary

2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. lemon juice

1 tsp. white vinegar

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper, or to taste

1 T. white sugar, or to taste (optional)

5 chicken breasts

1. In a medium bowl, stir together the olive oil, ranch dressing, Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, salt, lemon juice, white vinegar, pepper, and sugar. Let stand for 5 minutes. Place chicken in the bowl, and stir to coat with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2. Preheat the grill for medium-high heat..
3. Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill skewers for 8 to 12 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink in the center, and the juices run clear.

Bertolli Classico Asparagus Saute

3 T. olive oil

1 bunch fresh asparagus

1 T. minced garlic

3 T. Parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper, to taste

1. Rinse asparagus spears and pat dry. Remove rough ends with a sharp knife if necessary.
2. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and asparagus spears; cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until asparagus is tender.
3. Sprinkle with Parmesan and salt and pepper to taste before serving.