This is what I made for dinner tonight. Every last bite of it got eaten, and it was proclaimed one of my yummiest dishes to date. It's a brilliant brain-child, created out of what was needing to be used up, and what was in my pantry. Considering I bought all of my ingredients on sale, I'd say that this dinner was maybe about $5-6. It's pretty low fat, and it has a TON of fiber, but it's creamy and indulgent.
For the sauce, I found this recipe on allrecipes.com, because I was completely out of enchilada sauce. It was so easy and delicious (and cheap, because I buy tomato sauce by the case at BJ's) that I will never buy enchilada sauce again.
Enjoy!
Yummy Creamy Veggie and Chicken Enchilada Casserole
Filling:
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts or tenders
1 zucchini
1 yellow squash
1 medium yellow onion
1 envelope taco seasoning (I had Taco Bell brand on hand)
3/4 c water
4 oz light cream cheese
1 can creamed corn
White corn tortillas (prob about 15-20) cut in quarters (you could also use whole wheat or flour tortillas)
8 oz shredded cheese - I used a mexican blend
Sauce:
http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/ten-minute-enchilada-sauce/Detail.aspx
Basically,
8 oz can tomato sauce
1/4 c oil
1/4 c chili powder
2 tsp flour
1/2 tsp each cumin, garlic powder and onion powder
1 1/2 c water
Heat oil, add flour and chili powder, let "bloom", add remaining ingredients and simmer for 10 min. So easy and it is the best enchilada sauce I have ever had!!!
Chop chicken into very small pieces, dice veggies. Cook chicken first in a little bit of oil, add in veggies. Season with salt and pepper, but don't over salt, as taco packets are adequately salted. Sautee until veggies are tender. Add taco seasoning packet and water (or you can doctor up your own taco seasoning concoction, but I just happened to have a taco packet). Stir in cream cheese. Once melted, incorporate creamed corn. I know this sounds weird, but it adds a great creaminess without added fat.
Prep a 9x13 casserole dish with pan spray. Add a little bit of sauce to the bottom of your pan. Put down a layer of tortilla, then half the veggie/chicken mixture, a bit of cheese and some sauce. Repeat. Top casserole with additional tortillas, cover with sauce, cheese and, if desired, chopped onion. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes until bubbly. Let stand about 10 minutes before serving.
Enjoy alone or with a dollop of sour cream, guac, or some chopped black olives or scallions.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Are we just missing the blessing before us?
Today, I am struggling a lot with the idea of (still potentially, possibly, maybe-- nothing certainly) leaving. I had a good long talk with my dad this morning. He challenged me to really ponder if we're doing this for us, or for God. I know, going to work for a church has all the glitterings of doing this for God. But what have we been looking at most? Where's the cheapest place to live? Where can we get a swankier house for a fraction of what we're paying now? How soon can we start packing? Those are all "we/I" statements. Do any of those actually revolve around God and his will for us?
Justin's heart's desire was to be back in youth ministry. Well, he blessed the congregation at First Lutheran here with his presence; he was an immediate answer to their prayers. They called it a miracle. They offered him the part time position, and, because of his experience and education, they upped the rate that they were planning to pay. Did we celebrate that as we should have? No. We were too focused on living elsewhere with a job that has yet to materialize.
Now that Justin is on the call list, names of churches just keep getting crossed off. Are we just narrowing things down to find the perfect one? And, though we're only a few days in, we still haven't heard from our "first choice"...I feel like we're waiting for college acceptance letters all over again!
Always the planner, I made a cost of living comparison spreadsheet. Of course, everywhere else is ridiculously cheaper to live. (Our town-- considered to be the lower cost area around here, too-- is 45% more expensive than the national average for housing, and above the national average for EVERYTHING?) But that has nothing to do with God's will or what's best for our family. First of all, he could get paid peanuts for an incredibly demanding job, and we'd still struggle financially, maybe worse than now. I know my focus has been on how much money we'd spend/save. And you know what they say about money. But what is the cost of relocating? Besides the obvious financial cost of moving our stuff, buying a house, furnishing if needed, etc., there's a huge cost to our emotional bank. Yes, money is extraordinarily tight, and there is the very real possibility that Justin will be completely out of work/health insurance come Nov. 30. But what do we have here? We have family who loves us and enjoys being regular stead in our lives, and the feeling is mutual. (Ok, did I mention that I have reverse-abandonment issues?) We have AMAZING friends. (Do I tell you guys how much I love you??? Because I really, really do.) We've found ourselves a fantastic church where we can really be a blessing and be blessed (and he can check off the youth ministry fulfillment). He also has his kid that he tutors, with whom he's developed a real rapport, and the little guy is excelling as a result. So, what would be taken out of our emotional bank? And, something I hadn't really thought of beyond my family, what are we robbing from others' emotional banks?
If the Lord does lead us in a different direction, I don't want any one's emotional/spiritual banks depleted at our expense. If we're led elsewhere, I want His will and light to shine through all the skepticism and doubt that would veil the potential good. Basically, it has to be ABUNDANTLY clear to everyone that it's absolutely HIS will, not ours.
I get a daily devotional in my email. Sometimes I read it, sometimes I don't. Today, though, I did, and I'm really glad I chose to. Isaiah 26: 3-4 "You, Lord, give true peace. You give peace to those who depend on you. You give peace to those who trust in you. So trust the Lord always. Trust the Lord because He is our Rock forever." The writer gave her readers the challenge to complete a series of statements, record them, date and sign them, so that when the next series of trials come, you can go back and read it and know that regardless of the circumstances, God is the same. So here goes.
I have tried to find peace in: Justin getting a good job doing something/anything so we can be financially secure and happy, while making everyone in my world happy.
The valley I am facing today is: barely being able to make ends meet, job uncertainty, justifying moving and possibly not having the support of my family, making poor choices, not focusing on what God wants for us vs. what we want from God.
Until today, my response to this valley has been to: Plan. Think. Try to figure it out before God does. Focus on the problem than the solution.
I now turn it all over to God and choose to rest in Him, the Shepherd of my valley forever.
Justin's heart's desire was to be back in youth ministry. Well, he blessed the congregation at First Lutheran here with his presence; he was an immediate answer to their prayers. They called it a miracle. They offered him the part time position, and, because of his experience and education, they upped the rate that they were planning to pay. Did we celebrate that as we should have? No. We were too focused on living elsewhere with a job that has yet to materialize.
Now that Justin is on the call list, names of churches just keep getting crossed off. Are we just narrowing things down to find the perfect one? And, though we're only a few days in, we still haven't heard from our "first choice"...I feel like we're waiting for college acceptance letters all over again!
Always the planner, I made a cost of living comparison spreadsheet. Of course, everywhere else is ridiculously cheaper to live. (Our town-- considered to be the lower cost area around here, too-- is 45% more expensive than the national average for housing, and above the national average for EVERYTHING?) But that has nothing to do with God's will or what's best for our family. First of all, he could get paid peanuts for an incredibly demanding job, and we'd still struggle financially, maybe worse than now. I know my focus has been on how much money we'd spend/save. And you know what they say about money. But what is the cost of relocating? Besides the obvious financial cost of moving our stuff, buying a house, furnishing if needed, etc., there's a huge cost to our emotional bank. Yes, money is extraordinarily tight, and there is the very real possibility that Justin will be completely out of work/health insurance come Nov. 30. But what do we have here? We have family who loves us and enjoys being regular stead in our lives, and the feeling is mutual. (Ok, did I mention that I have reverse-abandonment issues?) We have AMAZING friends. (Do I tell you guys how much I love you??? Because I really, really do.) We've found ourselves a fantastic church where we can really be a blessing and be blessed (and he can check off the youth ministry fulfillment). He also has his kid that he tutors, with whom he's developed a real rapport, and the little guy is excelling as a result. So, what would be taken out of our emotional bank? And, something I hadn't really thought of beyond my family, what are we robbing from others' emotional banks?
If the Lord does lead us in a different direction, I don't want any one's emotional/spiritual banks depleted at our expense. If we're led elsewhere, I want His will and light to shine through all the skepticism and doubt that would veil the potential good. Basically, it has to be ABUNDANTLY clear to everyone that it's absolutely HIS will, not ours.
I get a daily devotional in my email. Sometimes I read it, sometimes I don't. Today, though, I did, and I'm really glad I chose to. Isaiah 26: 3-4 "You, Lord, give true peace. You give peace to those who depend on you. You give peace to those who trust in you. So trust the Lord always. Trust the Lord because He is our Rock forever." The writer gave her readers the challenge to complete a series of statements, record them, date and sign them, so that when the next series of trials come, you can go back and read it and know that regardless of the circumstances, God is the same. So here goes.
I have tried to find peace in: Justin getting a good job doing something/anything so we can be financially secure and happy, while making everyone in my world happy.
The valley I am facing today is: barely being able to make ends meet, job uncertainty, justifying moving and possibly not having the support of my family, making poor choices, not focusing on what God wants for us vs. what we want from God.
Until today, my response to this valley has been to: Plan. Think. Try to figure it out before God does. Focus on the problem than the solution.
I now turn it all over to God and choose to rest in Him, the Shepherd of my valley forever.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Coloring on a white page with a white crayon
Yet another night of researching churches. The likelihood of a Virginia church is slim to none. The larger ones are pretty well staffed DCE-wise. Honestly, though, I'm not a huge fan of VA (sorry, VA friends), and the places we wouldn't mind going either had itty bitty churches, or massive ones with full staffs. Oh well.
So it looks like (assuming all goes as planned and the aforementioned scenarios don't occur) we're Carolina bound. I just did a boatload of preliminary research, trying to scope out the churches that might call. North Carolina looks pretty promising, with potential openings in Charlotte, Raleigh/Durham, Clayton (near R/D), and MAYBE Greensboro and Winston-Salem. In South Carolina, well, Simpsonville (right outside Greenville) is our dream town. It was chosen by Family Circle Magazine as one of the 10 Best Towns for Families this year. The church there sounds amazing, too, especially since they had a DCE until last year, when he left to go to seminary. The pastor just retired from the Army as a chaplain....he actually reenlisted after retiring and just retired again after serving in Afghanistan. Not to put all my eggs in on basket, as Dad would say, but I reeeaalllllyyyy want to live in Simpsonville! And for a Simpsons-loving guy like Justin, how perfect of a town name is that???
Anyway, at this point, it's all research and speculation. I feel like I'm coloring on a blank page with a white crayon. I can write and draw all I want, but it's not visible right now. I'm waiting for a different color paper, or a different crayon.
My nerdy little self is now going to transfer my research onto handy dandy note cards. Here's hoping Bug sleeps in tomorrow...it's 2 a.m. and I'm not tired yet...and I'm all set to make note cards!!!
So it looks like (assuming all goes as planned and the aforementioned scenarios don't occur) we're Carolina bound. I just did a boatload of preliminary research, trying to scope out the churches that might call. North Carolina looks pretty promising, with potential openings in Charlotte, Raleigh/Durham, Clayton (near R/D), and MAYBE Greensboro and Winston-Salem. In South Carolina, well, Simpsonville (right outside Greenville) is our dream town. It was chosen by Family Circle Magazine as one of the 10 Best Towns for Families this year. The church there sounds amazing, too, especially since they had a DCE until last year, when he left to go to seminary. The pastor just retired from the Army as a chaplain....he actually reenlisted after retiring and just retired again after serving in Afghanistan. Not to put all my eggs in on basket, as Dad would say, but I reeeaalllllyyyy want to live in Simpsonville! And for a Simpsons-loving guy like Justin, how perfect of a town name is that???
Anyway, at this point, it's all research and speculation. I feel like I'm coloring on a blank page with a white crayon. I can write and draw all I want, but it's not visible right now. I'm waiting for a different color paper, or a different crayon.
My nerdy little self is now going to transfer my research onto handy dandy note cards. Here's hoping Bug sleeps in tomorrow...it's 2 a.m. and I'm not tired yet...and I'm all set to make note cards!!!
Monday, August 23, 2010
Call List Day!!
Woo hoo, woo hoo! *does silly little dance, circa 1985* Today is Call List Day! Justin called the office in Alexandria this morning and they directed him back to the Texas office. He had to play "let me transfer you tag" and then was finally placed in contact with the correct person, who he just happens to know. Score. So hopefully, after he gets his paperwork done to transfer districts, he will be on the call list by this afternoon or tomorrow. Eeeexcellent.
Yesterday was a big day. We went to First Lutheran yesterday. Justin interviewed with the full time DCE, the pastor, and some of the parents and kids. It went well, and the board has to approve it when they meet later this week. The only possible glitch would be if they didn't want to have to look again if we leave.
I still have to say "if" because something could still come up here, but it wouldn't be a church. Pastor Paul told us that none of the other churches in Southern MD have congregations that can support a full time DCE. Honestly, that was an answer to my prayers. I didn't want to be faced with having to choose between a local church and a church elsewhere.
After church, we had to talk to my Dad. He'd gotten a bit of information from Mom and Grandma, and he basically wrote it off as a whim until we sat him down. I was so proud of Justin...he did a great job, talking about how he had to do what was right for his family as the head of the household, and this service is nothing new, etc. Dad listened patiently and let Justin talk. He was glad that this wasn't just one of my zany ideas, which I tend to have, and that we were approaching this spiritually. Of course, he had to bring the perspective that this may just be opening our eyes to service and that some other possibility might open up, or one of the billions of applications could finally call him back, or, North Korea could nuke DC and we would be concerned with other things for a while. While the latter kind of made me roll my eyes, theoretically it could happen...anything could...I suppose. He gave us a lot of great advice and told us that, while of course he doesn't want to see us go, we have to do what we have to do. So now, that's one huge burden off my heart. We're so blessed to have such great family and friends supporting us.
So now, we wait. Pray and wait.
Yesterday was a big day. We went to First Lutheran yesterday. Justin interviewed with the full time DCE, the pastor, and some of the parents and kids. It went well, and the board has to approve it when they meet later this week. The only possible glitch would be if they didn't want to have to look again if we leave.
I still have to say "if" because something could still come up here, but it wouldn't be a church. Pastor Paul told us that none of the other churches in Southern MD have congregations that can support a full time DCE. Honestly, that was an answer to my prayers. I didn't want to be faced with having to choose between a local church and a church elsewhere.
After church, we had to talk to my Dad. He'd gotten a bit of information from Mom and Grandma, and he basically wrote it off as a whim until we sat him down. I was so proud of Justin...he did a great job, talking about how he had to do what was right for his family as the head of the household, and this service is nothing new, etc. Dad listened patiently and let Justin talk. He was glad that this wasn't just one of my zany ideas, which I tend to have, and that we were approaching this spiritually. Of course, he had to bring the perspective that this may just be opening our eyes to service and that some other possibility might open up, or one of the billions of applications could finally call him back, or, North Korea could nuke DC and we would be concerned with other things for a while. While the latter kind of made me roll my eyes, theoretically it could happen...anything could...I suppose. He gave us a lot of great advice and told us that, while of course he doesn't want to see us go, we have to do what we have to do. So now, that's one huge burden off my heart. We're so blessed to have such great family and friends supporting us.
So now, we wait. Pray and wait.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Am I being horrid and selfish?
This afternoon I have a meeting with a new Scentsy client. Getting my business off the ground here has been really hard for me. One year in, I only have a handful of clients who aren't my family or friends. Either people just don't have the money, or the concept is interesting, but they're pyros who really love lighting candles. :) I kid.
Obviously, this transition is blessing Justin tremendously. But would it be terribly wrong to think that, maybe, this could bless my business, too? I absolutely don't think of a new congregation as "fresh meat," but it really may be an untapped market. At one church we're looking at, the website says the pastor's wife sells Mary Kay. So, if I buy my makeup from her, is it unreasonable to hope for a trade? It would be a great way to introduce a whole new crowd to Scentsy...but is that terribly selfish?
Obviously, this transition is blessing Justin tremendously. But would it be terribly wrong to think that, maybe, this could bless my business, too? I absolutely don't think of a new congregation as "fresh meat," but it really may be an untapped market. At one church we're looking at, the website says the pastor's wife sells Mary Kay. So, if I buy my makeup from her, is it unreasonable to hope for a trade? It would be a great way to introduce a whole new crowd to Scentsy...but is that terribly selfish?
In lieu of a paper journal
Confession #1: Usually when I embark on a new phase of life, I tend to start a new journal. I keep up with it for a few days...maybe weeks if I'm diligent, but rarely for longer than that. A lot of the details get lost, and eventually, so does the journal, until I find it, years later, cleaning a closet, and I write myself a little update about how much my life has changed since the last entry.
Confession #2: I am a control freak. I like everything just so, well documented, organized and exactly to my liking. This usually works out pretty well if I'm taking on a new project or completing a task with a fairly identifiable outcome.
Confession #3: God tends to turn my life upside down every few years, and as per Confession #2, this freaks me out. But inevitably, things turn out far more amazingly than I'd ever imagined. Thus is the reason for this blog.
Here's a quick recap of 2004 to the present day. We got married, after a 5 year friendship that turned into romance, and I moved from Maryland to be with him in Dallas. Justin was working as a DCE (youth pastor) at the local Lutheran LCMS church, and I worked at Starbucks. The congregation was mostly older folks, until an onslaught of families came in, and the older ones were not terribly receptive to the youth program, so ultimately, they weren't fond of him and the kick-butt job he did. Or me and my 22-year-old East Coast, Catholic, slightly offbeat and determined-to-be-myself leanings. Things quickly deteriorated, and we moved back East. After we struggled through a 19 month stint in my parents' basement and months of Justin being unemployed, he accepted a less-than-normal gov't contractor job which lacked job growth, but hey, it paid the bills. I, too, worked for a government contractor. Life was peachy for almost 2 years. We had a plan to buy the home we were renting, and, yay, I got pregnant with our first kid! Halfway through my pregnancy, my employer, ahem, relieved me of my duties. We panicked, but of course, God came through and blessed us abundantly, and, as always, in a way we hadn't even imagined. Our beautiful Nora was born in 2009. Meanwhile, Justin took up his cross, bearing horrible overnight and early morning shifts at work, all the while looking for better employment. He interviewed for job after job. Then, last summer, we learned that his job would cease to exist after November 2010, as all the work was moving elsewhere. Relocating for that job was out of the question...why follow a job that's going nowhere? Job after job, disappointment after disappointment.
Lately, though, God has been sending him little hints that just maybe, he was looking in the wrong place. First, he took a second job tutoring a middle school boy. His parents liked that Justin had a background in Christian education. Next, Justin was accepted into a program, teaching parental enrichment classes through a local nonprofit. Then God really opened his heart to working directly with kids for full time work, and he interviewed for a college coach job at a local high school. By now, his heart was all warm and fuzzy for kids, and, the DAY AFTER THE INTERVIEW (which didn't go so well, btw) we received a text about a part-time youth minister job at an LCMS church in the northern part of the county. Whoa. Was God playing "Warmer/Colder" with us all along or what??? We talked about it, and after some initial talk with the pastor, Justin decided to pursue church work, once again, full time.
That brings us to today, and the creation of this blog. That text was one week ago. In a week, I've had to adjust to the idea of "being" Lutheran again (I'm Italian, so being Catholic comes with the package), and, more importantly, being a youth pastor's wife again. Pastor Paul said we should get on the call list for the South East district, which is MD, VA, NC and SC, which was more terrifying to me than the previous two moderately scary thoughts.
Then, I realized that I was worrying too much. I saw a little plate at the store that said, "Worry ends where faith begins." I told God that I was going to stop being a control freak, and just let him lead us. After doing a little bit (ok, a LOT) of research, we found a potentially great church/town NOT around here. We won't limit the Almighty, since His master plan is far greater, but we have something to set our sights on. It feels good. It doesn't feel crazy and out of control like I thought, and surprisingly, we have a lot of peace.
It's crazy how we've gotten little affirmations that this is what we're supposed to be doing. I'll post things as they happen, and update the situation. He goes on the call list Monday, hopefully, and a call could happen pretty quickly, since churches in the North East are "desperate for DCEs" as Pastor Paul said. Now, I'm not going to lie...the possibility of moving to another state in the next month or two is still pretty terrifying, but mainly because I have to pack up my whole house! Good thing I'm a control freak. :)
Confession #2: I am a control freak. I like everything just so, well documented, organized and exactly to my liking. This usually works out pretty well if I'm taking on a new project or completing a task with a fairly identifiable outcome.
Confession #3: God tends to turn my life upside down every few years, and as per Confession #2, this freaks me out. But inevitably, things turn out far more amazingly than I'd ever imagined. Thus is the reason for this blog.
Here's a quick recap of 2004 to the present day. We got married, after a 5 year friendship that turned into romance, and I moved from Maryland to be with him in Dallas. Justin was working as a DCE (youth pastor) at the local Lutheran LCMS church, and I worked at Starbucks. The congregation was mostly older folks, until an onslaught of families came in, and the older ones were not terribly receptive to the youth program, so ultimately, they weren't fond of him and the kick-butt job he did. Or me and my 22-year-old East Coast, Catholic, slightly offbeat and determined-to-be-myself leanings. Things quickly deteriorated, and we moved back East. After we struggled through a 19 month stint in my parents' basement and months of Justin being unemployed, he accepted a less-than-normal gov't contractor job which lacked job growth, but hey, it paid the bills. I, too, worked for a government contractor. Life was peachy for almost 2 years. We had a plan to buy the home we were renting, and, yay, I got pregnant with our first kid! Halfway through my pregnancy, my employer, ahem, relieved me of my duties. We panicked, but of course, God came through and blessed us abundantly, and, as always, in a way we hadn't even imagined. Our beautiful Nora was born in 2009. Meanwhile, Justin took up his cross, bearing horrible overnight and early morning shifts at work, all the while looking for better employment. He interviewed for job after job. Then, last summer, we learned that his job would cease to exist after November 2010, as all the work was moving elsewhere. Relocating for that job was out of the question...why follow a job that's going nowhere? Job after job, disappointment after disappointment.
Lately, though, God has been sending him little hints that just maybe, he was looking in the wrong place. First, he took a second job tutoring a middle school boy. His parents liked that Justin had a background in Christian education. Next, Justin was accepted into a program, teaching parental enrichment classes through a local nonprofit. Then God really opened his heart to working directly with kids for full time work, and he interviewed for a college coach job at a local high school. By now, his heart was all warm and fuzzy for kids, and, the DAY AFTER THE INTERVIEW (which didn't go so well, btw) we received a text about a part-time youth minister job at an LCMS church in the northern part of the county. Whoa. Was God playing "Warmer/Colder" with us all along or what??? We talked about it, and after some initial talk with the pastor, Justin decided to pursue church work, once again, full time.
That brings us to today, and the creation of this blog. That text was one week ago. In a week, I've had to adjust to the idea of "being" Lutheran again (I'm Italian, so being Catholic comes with the package), and, more importantly, being a youth pastor's wife again. Pastor Paul said we should get on the call list for the South East district, which is MD, VA, NC and SC, which was more terrifying to me than the previous two moderately scary thoughts.
Then, I realized that I was worrying too much. I saw a little plate at the store that said, "Worry ends where faith begins." I told God that I was going to stop being a control freak, and just let him lead us. After doing a little bit (ok, a LOT) of research, we found a potentially great church/town NOT around here. We won't limit the Almighty, since His master plan is far greater, but we have something to set our sights on. It feels good. It doesn't feel crazy and out of control like I thought, and surprisingly, we have a lot of peace.
It's crazy how we've gotten little affirmations that this is what we're supposed to be doing. I'll post things as they happen, and update the situation. He goes on the call list Monday, hopefully, and a call could happen pretty quickly, since churches in the North East are "desperate for DCEs" as Pastor Paul said. Now, I'm not going to lie...the possibility of moving to another state in the next month or two is still pretty terrifying, but mainly because I have to pack up my whole house! Good thing I'm a control freak. :)
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