Our Spring Love List
27 March 2019
Remember last year when I talked about creating a love list?
No?
That's ok, I'll refresh your memory.
Last spring I read a book called Soulful Simplicty by Courtney Carver.
In the book Courtney says, "Make a love list including every possible thing you would like to consider in life, love, business and relationships. What would you really love to do? What would you like to see? Who will you be and who will you be with? Before you start your list, eliminate the roadblocks and dream killers. This is not a list for accountability. You won’t be crossing things off or crying over your undone tasks at the end of the year. Instead, use your list to fuel your creative pursuits and to encourage routine breaking behavior. Let your love list remind you what is most important in your life."
Well, today Charlotte and I sat down while Naomi was napping and we came up with a few things that we would love to accomplish this spring.
So, friends-- what's on your Spring Love List?
Drop it in the comments below- maybe you can inspire someone through your journey.
If we're having coffee, you and me, and you ask me to tell you a story about myself. I'm most likely going to tell you one of two different tales. I'll either tell you about the events surrounding my engagement to my husband or I'll tell you about the night that my youngest daughter was born. Now, that's not because my wedding day doesn't make for a great recount or because the birth of my other two daughters is any less beautiful. It’s because both of these monumental occasions have all the characteristics of a truly great story, character, setting, conflict, plot and theme— and they are so much fun to share. Furthermore, the common thread is they both taught me important life lessons, something about myself.
On this day nine years ago Aaron and I got engaged. Nine years ago tonight I was standing in the middle of five hundred people, in a dining room on a cruise ship floating in the middle of the Caribbean ocean. There’s was a ring box open in the hand of a man with a pure heart of gold, he was down on one knee with a microphone in his other hand. It was the easiest yes that I’ve ever said in my entire life. In an instant, my universe shifted, changed forever, and for the better. To be completely honest we were insane, at the present moment, we were only dating for a grand total of 81 days! That's shy of three months, folks! However, one hundred and eleven days before that night that we found ourselves standing with 1,000 eyeballs on us, one simple, almost meaningless text message opened a door for me to walk through. I thank god every day that I did.
I had a map of what I thought my life was going to look like and somewhere along the way everything started to look a bit blurry. I started praying for a jsign, waiting for a moment to let me know where to go next, knowing that the best things come to you when you don’t even try. So, from the very first moment his number flashed on the screen of my phone I never hesitated, showed my cards and went all in. I’m sure we would both agree that nothing in life ever made more sense. To this day I'm not sure what exactly I did to deserve all that I'm given but I'm forever thankful.
So, you're wondering what life lesson our engagement taught me. It taught me that some of the most rewarding things in life require a giant leap of faith. Close your eyes, say yes, and jump in head first! Don't over analyze it, tear up the flow charts, toss out the pros, and the cons list. And, for the love of god, do not listen to statistics. Follow your heart, listen to your gut, quite the voice of fear perched on your left shoulder, and go for it. Accepting that proposal was the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done.
Family Friendly Stir Fry
18 March 2019
You win some annnnnnnd you lose some.
But, our staple Stir Fry recipe has been a favorite from the very beginning. It's easily customizable for the ingredients in your fridge and the sauce is made with fairly staple Asian inspired pantry ingredients.
The best part is the whole dish comes together in under 30 minutes-- especially if you prep your vegetables and protein beforehand. I started cooking my flank steak or chicken on Sundays- slicing it down and storing it in the fridge.
Our favorite combination consists of sliced flank steak, sliced zucchini, shaved Brussel sprouts, carrot sticks, broccoli, and bok choy.
Alternative Proteins: Chicken or Shrimp
Alternative Veggies/Add-ins: Peppers, Baby Corn, Snow Peas, Mushrooms, and Asparagus, Pineapple, Mango, Onion, Cabbage
Family Friendly Stir Fry
sauce:
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons minced ginger
1 tablespoon of honey
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon cornstarch
stir fry:
1 lb thinly sliced flank steak or sirloin
3 cups of vegetables (combination of your choice)
1 tablespoon of sunflower oil or vegetable oil
salt and pepper to taste
instructions:
to make the sauce place the soy sauce, water, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, honey, and sesame oil in a small pot on the stove-- stir until the sugar is dissolved then turn up the heat and bring to a boil-- mix the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of cold water until dissolved -- add the cornstarch to the mixture on the stove and let it boil for 1-2 minutes until the sauce has thickened-- turn off heat and set aside.
for the stir fry-- heat 1 teaspoon of oil in wok or large skillet on the stove-- add the vegetables and season with salt and pepper-- cook for 3-5 min until they start to brown and soften-- at 2 tablespoons of water and cook until water evaporates-- when the veggies are crisp and tender remove them and set aside-- wipe out the pan and add the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil-- at protein and cook for 2-3 min on each side until the desired doneness-- add the veggies back in and pour the sauce overtop-- cook on high for 2-3 mins until everything pulls together.
Enjoy!
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