Why do I have a dishwasher when you are looking at her?

We are definitely home from vacation.  How do I know?  I am doing the dishes.

I always scrape, scrub and rinse our dishes before loading them in the dishwasher.   If I don't, they emerge from the washer with caked-on specks and streaks.  Later, when the washer is finished and we are unloading, we always have a towel in hand because most of the dishes emerge soaking wet.

All of this begs the question, with all of this pre-washer scrubbing and post-washer drying, what is my dishwashing machine accomplishing??  What step am I really saving here?  Why do I have a dishwasher when you are looking at her?

Maybe I'll give our dishwashing machine back to maintenance.  Just think of all the things I could do with more kitchen space.

Back home with pixie dust on our shoes...

We're back home after our magical Disney World get-away.

I cried on our way out of the Magic Kingdom yesterday.

I wasn't wearing my sunglasses, so T saw my tears.  

I'll never live it down, but fortunately I have an empathetic husband.

I had a blast planning our trip over the past four months.  

As I pack our memories away, I'll record some favorites, tips and tricks from this trip 

so that I have them for our next Disney vacation (or yours!).

Going to bed tonight with "It's a small world after all" singing in my brain....

Day Two at Disney

Here, there is something magical around every corner.

Today we were invited to a royal breakfast,

traveled the world and met a few celebrities along the way,

and traveled to outer space in a crystal ball.  

I love Disney World.  Good luck to T ever getting me to vacation anywhere else. 

Also, note to self, there are no lines in early February.  This is definitely the time to come with small children.

Last night during the Magic Kingdom castle illumination light show, G-Bear exclaimed:

"It's a MIRACLE!"

Well, not quite, sweetie.  It's Disney.

But that's pretty close.

Happily Ever,

Queen B

Magical Celebrations

Guess where we are?

Today, Tangled met a princess who has had one less hair cut than she.

G-Bear sighed, "Mom, now that I have met Tangled, I feel like a real princess."

What a magical celebration!

Yesterday marked the halfway point for T's fellowship year, and Monday marked the end of my residency interview season.  Hallelujah!  Bring on the Disney wishes!

Grocery Bag

We have some delicious favorites and a few new dishes to try.  Here is our dinner meal plan to get through the week.  

Day One

Veggie fried rice from Southern Living Magazine

with fruit salad

A familiar favorite that comes together in a flash.

Photo and recipe from MyRecipes.com

Day Two

Black lentils from The Indian Slow Cooker Cookbook

with couscous and romaine cranberry salad

I love this cookbook and the slow cooker methods!  Our kids gobble this lentil dish.

Photo and recipe from Indian as Apple Pie

Day Three

Caramelized vegetables with pearl couscous from Kate in the Kitchen

with homemade bread and pears

Photo and recipe from Kate In The Kitchen

Day Four

Tortilla strata from Cooking Light Magazine

with salsa, hummus and carrot sticks

This is delicious and hearty enough for breakfast or dinner.

Photo and recipe from MyRecipes.com

Day Five

Baked potato and broccoli soup from Southern Living Magazine

with homemade bread

Another family favorite!  I chop the broccoli up tiny, tiny 

and the kids hardly notice it in the rich, creamy soup.

Photo and recipe from MyRecipes.com

Blessings on your kitchen.

The interviews are done

Praise the Lord, we have made it through my interview season.

My last interview was today.  The kids and I returned home to T exhausted.  I was exhausted but elated from my last interview day.  The kids were exhausted and elated from the spectacularly fun day they had enjoyed with their cousins at Aunt K's house.  We celebrated by having dinner out, using a gift certificate from my sister and Uncle T.  Such a treat.

If there is anything I have gained through this interview season, it is opportunity.  If there is anything I lack at it's end, it is clarity on the right step to take next.  I am so grateful for our friends and family who have prayed for me, daily in some cases, throughout this season.  I am also speechless with gratitude for the people who invested in me, encouraged me and sacrificed to help me get where I am now.

"I will guide you.  I will turn darkness into light before you and make the rough places smooth." 

 ~Isaiah 42:16"

We are celebrating in a big way this week, and we'll have lots of fun celebration stories to share in a few days.  I can't wait.

Just out of reach

Do you ever have days when

no matter what new heights you scale, 

what you want in life still feels just out of reach?

Baby Bear understands.

So do I.

Overheard in the house this week #13...

Overheard in my bed on Saturday morning...

Me: "Oh, I feel COLD feet, those feet are toooo cold!"

E-Bear: "Silly Mommy, I don't feel any cold feet!"

Me: "That is because your feet are the cold feet on me!"

Overheard while getting out of the car on Tuesday night....

G-Bear: "E-Bear, look at the stars!"

E-Bear: "Oh!  There are so many I can't even count them!"

Overheard at dinnertime at the mall on Tuesday night....

E-Bear: "Oh, Chick-fil-a, I have missed you."

Overheard during dinner, while G-Bear and E-Bear were playing "T and B:"

G-Bear:  "How was your day today, sweetie?"

E-Bear:  "Bad."

(*Editor's note: The name of the roleplaying game notwithstanding, the above conversation was not a parroting of conversations overheard by little ears! Totally original!  T never says his day is bad!)

Overheard in the afternoon:

Me: "Can anyone see what Baby Bear is doing?"

G-Bear: "He is standing up over by the door, waving out the window and chewing on the car keys."

Rainy Days and Tent Play

The sun just came out yesterday for the first time in a week.

T was gone for all but one day of that week.

Fortunately, Aunt Linda gave the kids a tent for Christmas.

The tent became a fixture of our living room on Rainy Day #2.  

It still takes up most of our living room.  

And I love it.

The Bears have played sleepover, 

tea party,

and endless chasing games in and out of the tent.  

The biggest peels of laughter are from the chasing games

when Baby Bear is doing the chasing.

 Baby Bear loves his sibs so much,

he just wants to be in on their action.

Lord, when I remember these rainy days,

let me forget the moments when I was crabby,

and tired,

and tripping over the bedding on the floor,

and instead remember the smiles,

the screams of delight,

the laughter,

the shaking tent,

the make-believe.

and Lord, thank you for these rainy days,

and our tent.

Grocery Bag

We have lots of warm, yummy meals to help us get through the last full week of February--I mean, January!  Here is my plan for our dinners this week.

Day One

Beef stew from Everyday Food

with steamed broccoli  and oatmeal irish soda bread

This is my go-to, easy beef stew recipe.  The flavors are awesome.  I sometimes store the ingredients in my freezer, dump them in a pot in the afternoon, and 2-3 hours later we are ready to eat.  I also only use one to two pounds of meat instead of the 3 pounds called for, and it turns out great every time.

Photo and recipe from MarthaStewart.com

Day Two

Bacon mac from Cooking Light Magazine

with broccoli slaw salad

Nothing fancy, but quick and tasty for a weeknight meal.

Photo and recipe from MyRecipes.com

Day Three

Chicken tortilla pie by Happily Ever Johnson

with corn salsa and spinach salad

This dish is a quick way to use leftover chicken.

Photo and recipe by Happily Ever Johnson

Chicken Tortilla Pie by Happily Ever Johnson

5 corn tortillas

3/4 cup corn, drained (thawed if frozen)

1 1/2 cups cooked chicken, chopped

1 cup best quality salsa (I used Trader Joe's pineapple salsa)

1/2 cup ricotta cheese

3 eggs

1 1/2 reduced fat milk

1 tsp salt

 pepper

1.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees

2.  Butter a 10 inch pie plate or cake pan, and layer the tortillas 

so that they cover the entire base and sides of the pan.

3.  In a medium bowel, beat the eggs, milk, salt and pepper until well combined.  

4.  Layer the corn, salsa, and chopped chicken evenly over the tortillas.  

Drop tablespoons of ricotta cheese evenly over the salsa layer.  

5.  Pour the egg mixture over the layered pie, 

and do not worry if some of the custard runs under the tortillas.

6.  Bake at 375 for 45 minutes or until the custard is set 

(when a knife inserted into the middle comes out clean).

7.  Enjoy!

Day Four

Pesto chicken mozzarella pizza with homemade pizza dough

with fruit salad and carrot sticks

Day Five

Shepherd's chicken pot pie by Happily Ever Johnson

with apple slices 

Save this recipe for when you need to use leftover mashed potatoes and chicken. 

Photo and recipe by Happily Ever Johnson

Shepherd's Chicken Pot Pie by Happily Ever Johnson

3 Tbs butter

1/2 cup carrots, finely chopped

1/2 cup corn, drained and thawed if frozen

1/2 cup peas or baby lima beans, thawed if frozen

1 Tbs fresh sage, chopped

1 Tbs fresh thyme, chopped

3 cups cooked chicken, chopped

3 Tbs all-purpose flour

3 cups reduced fat milk

1 Bay leaf

Salt, Pepper

3 cups prepared mashed potatoes

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese  (optional)

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2.  In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.  Saute the carrots, corn, and lima beans, with the sage and thyme until tender and cooked through, about 5 minutes.  Add chicken and saute until heated through, 2 minutes more.  Season well with salt and pepper.

3.  Sprinkle flour over veggies and chicken.  Slowly mix in the milk, one cup at a time, stirring well with each addition.  Add the bay leaf, season with salt and pepper.  Bring mixture to a boil and then reduce heat to low, simmering for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Taste and season with salt and pepper.

4.  Pour chicken mixture into a 10 inch pie plate or 8x8 baking dish.  Spread mashed potatoes evenly over the top.  Sprinkle with cheese, if desired.

5.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Blessings on your kitchen this week!