Trying My Luck in the Kitchen

My adventure this week has not really been about the classes but about what I've been doing in the kitchen. Last week, I figured out what I was going to be doing each day from classes to workouts to lunches. I've collected several recipes this summer and have made my own recipe binder. Knowing that this was going to be a trying semester with 2 harder core classes and 3 writing intensive classes, I wanted to plan different healthy meals to help me keep my energy up and my digestive system in sync. If I haven't already stated this before but I have tummy issues with the nightshade family of veggies - tomatoes, onions & peppers - yep, some of my favorites. And along with that, I have to have extra fiber to help my colon out because of a previous problem. Then there's my sweet tooth, I'm trying to stay away from the processed sugars so I compiled some recipes that would help calm that nagging tooth.

So after an EXPENSIVE trip to the HEB's, I have tried 3 of the 5 recipes I wanted to try this week.
I made my first successful pot of black beans! I've attempted several times but let's just say I've always had to just go buy the darn canned ones. And with those beans, I made some turkey taco meat for Taco Salad, which is a favorite underneath our Aggieland roof.

The second recipe I tried I found on Pinterest yet the want to make a pizza crust out of cauliflower was on my mind all summer and Mom didn't think that idea for supper was too hot...
Anyways, I had my go with Cauliflower Pizza Bites and let's just say I ate 2 and told Shelby she was going to have to fend for herself. When I took them out of the over, the edges were brown in the mini-muffin tin so YEAH, I thought they were done. When I took it out and tried it sans tomato sauce, it had good flavor but it wasn't the texture I was expecting. The recipe called for cottage cheese and having a sister that doesn't like it or cream cheese, I was nice and got low-fat ricotta cheese. I don't know if it was the ricotta or just the bite itself but it was mushy. So I put the oven on broil to crispen them up for a few minutes and of course, like every time I turn the damn oven on broil, I burnt them. Oh well...the cauliflower was getting old and I can always us the tomato sauce I opened to dip the bites in for later spaghetti use.

The third recipe I tried was a vegan snack bar recipe. If some of y'all have ever hear or tried a LARABAR, I love them yet they are pricey. Well...I found a recipe! I have a little food processor but it only holds one cup. I went to Wal-Mart yesterday and bought a Ninja Blender that doubles as a food processor for less than $50!!! And it worked wonders on the nuts and dates I put in it! The recipe and making of it was easy-peasy. Just almonds, pitted Mujool dates, dried cherries, dark chocolate chips and pecans. I forgot a pinch of salt but oh well, more sweet for my tooth.

These are the unpitted dates that I thought were pitted when I bought them but oh well, at least I thought to cut into them before throwing 7 of them in the processor! 

Finished product! I'll give them a try later this week or weekend.

I plan on making Mexican-inspired paninis for lunch tomorrow with my black beans on the side before I go to my classes. And maybe this weekend, Shelby and I will get a treat with Broccoli & Quiona Casserole!

So as you can tell, I've had a lot of extra time yet I am taking a full course load of 12 hours to graduate this December. I have class every day of the week and am aiming to working out 4 of the 7 days of the week at the nice REC classes or taking a neighborhood run or a dip in the pool at the REC, which I did today. And I hate bathing suits but I'm really working on loving my body because I am made in HIS likeness and image so yes, I walked from the locker room to the pool without a towel around me and found out I am not in water-shape whatsoever!

I'm also going to a Horse Show in Bellville this weekend. Although I did not ride but a handful of times in my western saddle this summer, I'll have a total of 4 lessons before the Sunday show and hopefully that will be enough for us to be in Ribbon contention. Wish us luck and pray for our and the other competitors' safety!

Miss y'all already & May peace, grace, serenity & courage surround your inner self this week,

AC


Oh here's some pics from Emily & I's adventures in the EC kitchen. We made Peanut Butter Krispies with Kisses, Nutella Pretzel Drops and Pomegranate Grapefruit Champagne Ice for our evening drink!

"I am the bread of life...

...whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall not thirst." - John 6:35

For the past 14 weeks, I've been preparing for the Young Adult ACTS Retreat. The team and I successfully fulfilled our duties as a team by putting on an amazing retreat this past weekend. The above verse was our theme for the weekend. We totally hit the nail with integrating that verse into the weekend. If it wasn't for the River Rule, I'd be spilling all of my secrets but ACTS is such an amazing experience that I hope all of y'all are able to experience at some point if you haven't already.

...Just a little dress up fun...

But what I can share is my journey in preparation for the retreat. I e-mailed in my want to be on team  in March and prayed that I possibly would be selected to be on team. This spring was a very trying time - I was taking some hard classes, preparing for the GRE, found out that Physical Therapy school wasn't really doable and was soul-searching for what I wanted to do and get out of life. So prayer and Mass were my go-to activities to keep my grounded throughout all of these troubling times. During dead week of finals in May, I got the call and was asked if I wanted to be on team? Of course, I said yes! I hadn't teamed since 2007 and this was exactly what I needed in my life this summer!

If you have read my blog this summer, I've been pretty busy. This retreat was the icing on the cake and wouldn't have asked for my summer to be any different or less hectic. It kept me in check with my prayer life. Being on team kept my on my toes to keep serving at Church and at work. At A&M, I attended daily mass once or sometimes twice a week. It's just another hour I give to the Lord during my busy week to once again, keep me in check. I know many people work and have families and aren't able to attend so I cherish this ability because I know I'll be in some of y'alls shoes one day.

Some people ask, "Why do you go to daily mass?" Well, I thought it kept me focused throughout the week and I got a little taste of the bible and music in a less distracting setting. But this weekend on the retreat, our spiritual director, Deacon David Valdez, really answered that question. You see that bible verse up there? When we go to mass and receive the body & blood of Christ, we become full of Him. It was a real eye opener to me especially because I've been wanting to deepen my faith for awhile. And this summer on team helped me with that! Not only I was attending Mass twice a week this summer, I attended almost every ACTS meeting on Sundays. It made me stay in check with my prayer life and how I acted all summer.

It's a constant battle between our fleshy human selves and our spiritual need to be closer to Christ. Of course, it's a balancing act too. I try to balance out who I am with how I should act in a Christian manner. And it's hard but it's a delight to know that He loves and forgives us. It's amazing how we have freedom to practice our beliefs and show others discretely how our faith affects us.

Anyways...the 14 weeks of hard work paid off because the retreatants were amazing and all of us, as a team, knew the Holy Spirit was moving through all of us. Yes, we had our up's & down's but the point got across - a life without Christ makes us feel incomplete and hungry.  I don't want that. I don't want to be stumbling all over the place, not knowing who I am or what I want to do because I don't have God. But now that He has moved through the 25 retreatants we had this weekend, I can truly say He wants to feel complete if we will let Him work His wonders in us.

Gig 'em & God Bless,
AC