Spicy Magnolia

A Perfectly Fall Day Calls for the Perfect Soup

It’s our first perfectly Fall day. Perfect jacket weather. Perfect for a little touch tackle football. Perfect for an aromatic candle to be lit. Perfect hat weather.

Perfect to put our feet up and hunker down with a good book after the kids are tucked in bed. Perfect for hot tea. Classical music perfection. Or in my case, Christmas music perfection. A perfect afternoon to tease the taste buds with a foreshadowing of the loot of candy coming our way (in this instance, a Kit Kat).

And perfect for a nice, warm bowl of soup.

It took me a long time to find a vegetable soup I liked. And this one is just the perfect one for our perfectly Fall day. I like it because it’s true to its name: hearty. And meaty. Of course, if you want a true vegetable soup, simply eliminate the meat. Easy in, easy out. And bonus: it’s also easy to make!

Hearty Vegetable Soup

Courtesy of Desert Treasures by The Junior League of Phoenix

• 1 pound ground chuck or beef
• 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1 tsp. Worcestershire
• 1/2 TBSP sugar
• 1 TBSP basil
• 1 can (2.5 lbs.) tomatoes
• 1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
• 1 1/2 cups potatoes, cubed
• 1/2 cup onion, chopped
• 1 cup celery, chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 cans beef bouillon
• 1 box (10 oz.) frozen mixed vegetables

1. Brown the meat.
2. Add remaining ingredients EXCEPT the frozen vegetables.
3. Simmer one hour.
4. Add frozen vegetables. Cook another hour. Skim fat off top, if necessary.

Serves 8-10

Serve it up with some warm, crusty French or sourdough bread, corn bread, or maybe it’s pumpkin bread you’ll fancy. Do you have a perfect soup for Fall or a favorite side to go with it?

May this find you and yours doing well, whether you already have snow on the ground; or are sitting under a blazing Australian sun as summer commences; or, like us, are finally getting to breath a sigh of relief that you survived the summer and can now enjoy a perfectly good Fall day.

Simply trusting,

Worthwhile Watching

Hope y’all are having a great Fourth of July! Anyone planning to see an amazing fireworks display? All of ours were scrapped this year because of the horrible drought, but it’s not like we would camp out in the heat, endure the crowds, or stay up late to watch the dazzling color-fest tonight. Some years, yes. But not this one.

Instead, our highlights will be based around food: blueberry pancakes and eggs for breakfast, and some hefty burgers with chips and the tomato-watermelon salad with feta and toasted almonds for dinner. Other than that, it’s been a low-key day with rest and a few errands. I think I have a new store I need to better familiarize myself with: Kohl’s. It looks like a good one-stop shop.

There’s one thing I think is worthwhile to bring to your attention and ask you to watch for five minutes. My precious friend, Corrie, called me back in May to share an incredible story. It spurred the already twirling thoughts in my mind that were formulating this post. As a family, we stood with the Shireys rejoicing and giving many thanks to God, who clearly exhibited His power and His desire to show Himself strong, allowing 2.5 year old Guy to carry this treasured testimony in his heart for the rest of his life. Take a moment to hear all about it yourself. 

________________________________________________________

Thank you to those in centuries past and in our present age that have fought for, secured, and defended the freedoms we so liberally enjoy in The United States of America. May we continue to adhere to the spirit and intent of our Constitution, and know the One who gives us true and everlasting freedom.

“[The adoption of the Constitution] will demonstrate as visibly the finger of Providence as any possible event in the course of human affairs can ever designate it.”

--George Washington

Simply trusting,

 

The Man of the Hour

First, congratulations to Sara on being the randomly selected winner of Marla Taviano’s new book!

I think we spoiled Matt for Father’s Day; at least that was our aim. We started the weekend off with a splash by texting Matt to meet us at the neighborhood pool, where we made him perform his famous dolphin exhibition. We’ve gotta get our boy to Sea World some day real soon! We packed a dinner picnic and ate by the pool, which we hope to do more often this summer. After Brennan went to sleep, Matt and I watched The King’s Speech. While it was the third time I saw it, it was Matt’s first. It never gets old.

I think Matt was most excited about sleeping in on Saturday. The rest of our clan went on a walk, where Molly nearly was hit by an oncoming car when she pulled so hard trying to see another dog her leash slipped out of my hand. I burst into tears out of gratefulness she was ok and an overwhelming sense of nerves.

Brennan and I picked up a chai latte and Rudy’s breakfast tacos for the man of the hour and adorned him with his “Daddy” crown Brennan made with specially picked “Thomas”, “Lightning McQueen”, and “Nemo” stickers.

 

We spent some time at the outlet mall trying to find some new sandals for Matt and new flip-flops for me as both of our pairs went caput. It was hot. I was uncomfortable. And grumpy. And well, it wasn’t the most pleasant of outings for us, but we sat in the cool car for awhile, exhibiting to Brennan how adults need to work out their attitude issues, too.

I spent most of the afternoon plopped on the couch, except for when I inspected Matt’s work cleaning a couple of ceiling vents we recently discovered were appallingly infested with layers and layers of dust. He got them spick-n-span, and my nesting instinct that is in full gear was put at ease. Then the boys headed off to Brennan’s first baseball game to see the Round Rock Express! I benefitted from a quiet night, chatting away with my friend, Corrie, and working through our to-do list.

 

 

The boys had a blast, and it’s quite obvious by their glowing faces.

 

 

The boy really enjoys himself a classic corndog. And he had his first nibbles of “Cracker Jacks”.

These are the “chickens” Brennan excitedly scurried in to tell me about after the game and has been talking about ever since.

I was surprised to see how comfortable he was standing next to this big mascot sign, but maybe he was more drawn to it because it’s a dog. Or maybe he’s telling us he’s ready to hit Disney World <grin>.

On Sunday morning, Brennan started delving into Matt’s Father’s Day present and couldn’t wait for him to open it. One of his gifts included a frame that held the following three pictures spelling out “Dad” that we took during play group.

The boys and Molly went on a walk and to the park while I got started on Matt’s Father’s Day dinner: his favorite, Chicken Parmesan. We enjoyed another relaxing day and treated ourselves to a first-time visit to Torchy’s Tacos. Y’all, I’m still fantasizing about those tacos! I can’t wait to go back and get another round of chips and salsa and a “trashy” version (with chile con queso) of “The Trailer Park” tacos!

Nap time! One of my favorite parts of the day <grin>. Matt was most looking forward to this because he planned in advance to nap with Brennan in his big boy bed. So for two hours, they snuggled and slept together. I went upstairs to wake them and they had their arms in the same position above their heads. More playtime, wrestling (a new favorite thing to do of Brennan’s), and then eating. Savoring bites of garlic bread, a large salad, and the Chicken Parmesan.

We three are a blessed bunch with the fathers in our lives. Between my Daddy, Matt’s dad, and Matt, they make up a small group of godly men, husbands, and fathers, who have marked the world and the people they meet with their character that is above reproach. They are full of integrity and serve their families honorably. Oh, and they are loads of fun and laughs! We have very good reason to celebrate their lives!

Simply trusting,

A Little Link Love Here, A Little Link Love There

Good evening, dear Internet peeps! How was your day? 

After cooking for special events in April that left us with tons of of leftovers of the same food to eat for awhile and all our travels in May, I’m finally back into a routine of cooking. It feels good despite the bit of extra time and effort it takes, but savoring the flavorful gems of summer fruits and veggies is extra inspiration. Here are some great new recipes I’ve scoped out and made that were hits with me and the boys.

Peach Melba Shortbread Bars from Southern Living

Chicken and Tortellini Salad served with Bacon Parmesan Tassies from Southern Living

I haven’t made this yet, but it’s on our menu to be served with a large salad with lots of yummy fixin’s. My friend, Amy, made it for her son’s birthday party (minus the tomatoes), and it’s some of the best homemade mac & cheese I’ve ever had.

Y’all will have to peruse this post with some of my favorite summer recipes. I made the Steak & Pasta Salad tonight and have the ingredients for Gaga’s Fruit Compote. I know I’ll make the Colorful Black Bean Salad soon, too. 

I would be remiss if I didn’t promote one of Blue Bell’s newest ice cream flavors that is a hit in our household: Happy Tracks, which is a creamy vanilla ice cream loaded with chocolate-coated peanut butter cups and a dark chocolate fudge swirl. Dog-gone-dangerous! I am painfully aware that most of you in this country do not have Blue Bell. I send my condolences. 

Not sure why I started off with all the food links since I’m full from dinner and nothing sounds appetizing at the moment. Onward I move then to a new discovery:

Pinterest.

Oh, yes, I’ve jumped on that bandwagon. And it’s been so much fun and a great source to collect inspirational ideas ranging anywhere from recipes to arts and crafts to awesome gift ideas. Instead of keeping up with a vast number of bookmarks for your favorite websites, it’s a place where you can “pin” a website to a personally assigned “board”. For example, some of my board titles are:

• For the Love of the Nations (for ideas that promote awareness and appreciation of other cultures) 
• Food for the Foodie (duh!) 
• Sizzlin’ Summer Pastimes (I can’t collect enough creative ideas to do with Brennan this summer, especially in this heat) 
• A Cheerful Giver (gift ideas that either we can make or unique/creative purchased gifts)

This is what a couple of my boards look like at the moment (sorry the pictures aren’t very clear).

From the “Sparking Creativity” board I created, so far Brennan and I have made a rainbow card we sent to Mees. Sadly, she hasn’t received it yet! So this might have to be her proof.  

And yesterday, we had a great time painting some rocks that you can see was another idea I borrowed from Pinterest.

 

 

Another board:

One of our first summer activities that I tried for Brennan and our guests Alex and Evan, were homemade popsicles. But they were a catastrophic flop…and a bit embarrassing. So I’m hoping this website I pinned, or saved, on Pinterest will come in handy: 50+ recipes for homemade popsicles (picture top right hand corner).

If you’re on Pinterest, let me know, or if you’re interested in setting up an account, I have a few invites left that I can use.

Last but not least, I am so, so, so excited for my friend, Marla Taviano, who launched her eBook last night called The Husband’s Guide to Getting Lucky. Don’t run away from me too quickly! As a brand new momma, the very first book I read was Marla’s Changing Your World One Diaper at a Time. It came highly recommended by Amanda, and I’m so glad I read it. It was funny, light-hearted, insightful, very personable, and relatable. It was nothing short of encouraging as I was navigating through the unknown plains and valleys of motherhood. 

She’s also penned a book that I’ve had on my shelf for two years but want and need to read: Is That All He Thinks About? Her desire for healthy, godly, intimate, and FUN marriages is one of her passions, as is missions and the nations of the world, (particularly Cambodia)…yet another reason I love her! I had the privilege of meeting her in person a year and a half ago in Houston. I was the stalker, and she was the graciously receptive one that has been a source of encouragement ever since.

On a personal level without revealing too much or embarrassing my precious husband, as a newlywed, I had specific visions of what our intimate relationship would look like. And well, it wasn’t too long before discovering that life happens. Babies come. I’m carrying an extra fifteen pounds on my body and don’t feel s-e-x-y in the least! Hands off, dude <grin>! 

But on a very real level, it’s an area of our married relationship that is precious, God-given and requires effort and selflessness. And knowing Marla and her heart for marriages, this new book of hers (as well as Is That All He Thinks About?) would be valuable resources to delve into with discernment, sensitivity, prayer, and yes, a bit of a sense of humor. Because while I know Marla approaches this topic with the utmost respect and humility, there will be some fun, light-hearted moments to her writing as well! I mean, just take a look at the cover:

Marla is providing one giveaway copy of The Husband’s Guide to Getting Lucky to one of my readers! 

Here’s how to enter:

A) Leave a comment telling me one or more of the following: 

• A favorite summer activity, trip, or moment you’ve had so far. 
• A prayer request. 
• Something you hope to get out of reading Marla’s book.

OR 

B) Link to The Husband's Guide to Getting Lucky website from your Facebook, Twitter, or any social media you prefer and leave a comment letting me know you did. 

Only one entry per person (just choose option A or B). The winner will be selected at random. Giveaway will end at 12 p.m. on Sunday, June 19th and announced shortly thereafter. 

Love to each of you this evening! 

Simply trusting, 

 

 

Just Beachy

Sunshine. Seafood. Glistening water. Sand. I lack a dazzling adjective for the sand because it’s my least favorite part of the beach. Although the soft, white sands on the Gulf Coast of Florida have the potential to change my opinion about the messy, grainy stuff that sticks to everything.

I am notorious for sitting on the beach and walking around collecting seashells. My imagination goes wild at the thought of all the icky seaweed that entangles my toes and even wilder at the thought of the perilous sharp-toothed sea creatures that would leave me in horrendous pain and dismembered.

Maybe it’s because I was introducing Brennan to the ocean and wanted to pretend I was brave. Or maybe it was because these particular waters were gorgeous and clear without any seaweed until the last day when the wind churned it up, and it also wasn’t very salty. Or maybe it was because the sand was so soft that there was not one seashell to be found. It was probably the combination of the three that allows me to say that I actually ventured into the sea and jumped the waves.

Oh, I had my panicky moments when the waves began to get too high over my 5’6” frame. And Matt had to calm my nerves incessantly after Ed told an awful story of him being swept out of his own dad’s arms while in the ocean when a huge wave came crashing down on top of them. Forget imagining threatening creatures or annoying seaweed, but how do you calm a mother who keeps envisioning her son being swept away at sea!?

For five days, we soaked up the rays and enjoyed splitting our time between the beach and the fabulous resort pool that was my refreshing, sand-less haven. Whether it was the salt water or the chlorinated-water, our boy was an eager fish, working on his kicking, blowing bubbles and wave jumping. 

Some moments to remember:

Papa and Nana made a treasure map for Jadon and Brennan to hunt for prizes of beach toys.

Brennan’s first time to set foot on a beach. Well, it actually took him awhile to want to put his feet down on the sand and in the water…

but eventually, he worked his way up to it.

Baxter, a most happy and content little guy, celebrated his first birthday the day after we left.

Most nights we alternated between families cooking dinner. The last night we were there, Kim made a fabulous concoction of recipes that I immediately came home and bookmarked: Grilled Corn with Garlic Butter, Feta and Fresh Lime; Grilled Brined Chicken with Chimichurri Sauce; and a Tomato-Watermelon Salad with Feta and Toasted Almonds (a-maz-ing). I ate like a horse that night, helping myself to seconds of everything, including her “Dirt Dessert” with Oreos.

One night was a special birthday celebration evening for Matt’s folks who both celebrated their 60th birthdays this past winter. We went to a fine place called George’s and captured some of the best family photos.

Cousins! Jadon turned three last month, and it was quite entertaining picking up on the personality differences between these two boys. I would personally have described Jadon as mellow the week at the beach, content playing with toys on the beach and just chillin’. At least he was compared to my animated and expressive boy, who Nana said had more energy than she ever remembered Matt having! Did he inherit an Uncle Mac gene, perhaps? Lord, help me if he did <grin>! I’m serious!

One of the most special and memorable moments of our week in Florida was a night of girl-time. After dinner at George’s, we helped get the kids to bed then the girls surprised me with dessert at an incredible restaurant called La Crema Tapas and Chocolate in a quaint area of town that felt very European. I had the bread pudding with chocolate and caramel sauce. I wished I’d had two servings! The ladies surprised me with girly clothes for Skittles, too. I’ve got to update you with some pictures of these outfits; Skittles received her first pink tutu! I was jazzed up on chocolate and pink.

The additional night out was at Pier Park for some more seafood and a pleasant night out on the town. We discovered on this trip that Brennan likes seafood. He enjoyed crab and artichoke dip at George’s and helped himself to nearly 1/2 lb. of fresh shrimp the night at Pier Park. I made the awful mistake of not giving him small enough bites and well, the result wasn’t pleasant. But it didn’t deter him from eating more.

This picture was taken after dinner, and I find it very amusing!

Pier Park had a small amusement park in the middle of all the shops and restaurants. Tom and Kim graciously treated the four of us to a train ride…the perfect ending to a fun night out.

Dear Aunt Melissa. Melissa could only stay with us until Tuesday, but she made the most of her auntie time and loved on the little ones with her whole heart. Brennan was grateful for her lovies!

 

The last night, the one of Kim’s feast, we had a mini talent show. It was very rough with three kiddos under the age of three who hadn’t practiced anything like we intended. But it kept us laughing, and the highlight was seeing Tom breakdance to a Michael Jackson song. If it’s going to be a family tradition though, Papa and Nana need to participate also <grin>!

After the kiddos were in bed, we had a meaningful family time of sharing and praying together. It was an inestimable way to conclude our week that thankfully didn’t involve any knock out waves, treacherous creatures, major sunburns, or seaweed snares…it was just ‘beachy’*!

*Yes, I’m corny <grin>.

Simply trusting,

Link Love…and a Question

Amazingly, I’ve been able to keep up my reading spurt this year. I figure I only have two more months until I take a probable hiatus. The only downfall, if it can really be considered one, is that the novels I’ve delved into are so good they keep me up too late at night. The latest one I read is likely familiar to most of you with its raving reviews and the upcoming movie release this summer. It’s called The Help. I particularly love the history woven throughout, and who wouldn’t agree that the Civil Rights Movement is one of the top most significant historical events/changes during the 20th century? It’s a humorous, thoughtful, and insightful piece of literature.

There is a new Compassion Bloggers team headed to the Philippines next week. If you read anything on the Internet next week, read some of their posts. You can follow along with them here. You might be familiar with some of the team members:  Tsh Oxenreider at The Simple Mom or Emily Freeman at Chatting at the Sky.

I still think it would be amazing to meet our two Compassion girls who live in Bangladesh. My friend, Tracy, has family in the Philippines and visited there with her hubby and two kiddos a couple of months ago. While there, she got to meet her Compassion child! What an opportunity in which to take advantage, a real treasure!

We have no idea what lies ahead with Brennan’s or Skittles’ education in the future, and I am certainly not one that sees herself made for homeschooling, but I appreciated reading Ann Voskamp’s post this morning. No matter what is in store for our kiddos, the heart and purpose behind what we ultimately desire their education to look like and result in was articulated very well: “It means that we pursue not a cultural definition of success but of true greatness for our kids: ‘having an unquenchable passion for God that manifests itself in an unwavering love and concern for others’ (Ted Kimmel, Raising Kids for True Greatness).”

In the winter, I participated in the Bloom Book Club through {in}courage when they read One Thousand Gifts. Last Sunday, they announced the new book selection starting up on June 5th: Kelly Minter’s The Fitting Room. I’ve been looking forward to starting up again with this online community, and you might want to also. Here are all the details you need.

And now a question for y’all. One of Brennan’s favorite books in the past couple of months has been The Berenstain Bears’ New Baby. He’s intrigued not just by the baby but also the new big boy bed that Brother Bear switches to from his little bed, something Brennan himself has done in the last couple of months. It’s a book we’re using as a resource to talk about his baby sister coming soon to help with the transition. What are other things you did in your families that were helpful and fun to aid in the adjustment period?

If any of you Central Texans are looking for a place to escape for a weekend, Matt and I HIGHLY recommend Rose-Hill Manor outside of Fredericksburg! We went there last weekend for a brief ‘babymoon’ while Brennan was love-spoiled by his Mees in San Antonio. Y’all, the scenery was breathtakingly peaceful and the food was GOURMET! Our friend, Courtney, recommended the place, and we would go back there in a heartbeat.

Oh, and how could I forget!? There are a few things recently that have triggered deep Texas pride in me. First, the rodeo. Second, strawberry picking underneath the expansive clear-blue sky. I still want to blog about both of those. Third, this music video/commercial that came out for the Superbowl sponsored by the best grocery store around, H.E.B. It won’t be new to many of you Texans, but if you want to know why I love Texas--why all Texans love Texas--this will give you a glimpse. And you’ll understand why I wanted to breed a family of Texans <grin>. That was just to get under Matt’s skin, but oh, there’s so much to love about Texas, that’s why Texas is home to me!

Simply trusting,

Tasty Treats

This past Saturday, I had the privilege of helping host a bridal shower for my good friend, Liz. She’s someone I deeply admire as I’ve witnessed her walking faithfully with Jesus through joys and heartache, waiting upon Him for His best in her life. Jesus continually is her first Love, and so it’s been with an overflow of excitement to see Him give this gift of a husband to her, in His perfect timing.

We ladies had a lot of fun at the shower. The table of gals I sat with laughed a lot. There’s nothin’ like girl time, huh? I got to know some special people better and see faces I’ve sorely missed. It was a delight!

There were a few of the girls who asked for the breakfast casserole recipes I made, so I thought I’d share with the rest of y’all, too. One was a tried-and-true recipe I’ve written about before: Spinach and Mushroom Brunch Bake. It has a great mix of flavors, and I particularly enjoy the combo of sundried tomatoes and spinach.

For the second casserole, I braved an entirely new recipe, yet it came from a cookbook of my grandmother’s that has become a mainstay: San Francisco A La Carte, The Junior League of San Francisco. It’s called Cheese Pudding, and oh, it’s nothin’ short of cheesy! I left it as a vegetarian option for the brunch, but for the casserole I made for MOPS on Monday, I added bacon. Another option if you’d like a heartier casserole is ham. Again, it’s rich and cheesy and a delectable treat. Because of that, I can guarantee my brother, Mac, and his wifey, Julie, would love it <grin>.The other thing about it that I love is that it is super, super easy!

Cheese Pudding

• 16 slices day-old white bread
• 1 pound Cheddar cheese, grated
• 6 eggs
• 3 cups milk
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. dry mustard
• 1/4 tsp. paprika
• 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce (I liked to double this)
• 1/4 pound butter, melted

Butter a 2-quart casserole or soufflé dish. Remove crusts from bread and cut into 1/2-inch cubes. Divide cheese and bread each into 3 portions. Layer the casserole with 1/3 of the bread, then 1/3 of the cheese, then repeat twice. Beat eggs with milk, and add all the seasonings. Slowly pour this mixture over the bread and cheese, and then pour melted butter over the top. Cover the casserole dish and refrigerate overnight. Remove from the fridge 45 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place in a pan of water and bake, uncovered, for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Pudding should puff like a soufflé and brown on top.

When I took the casserole out of the oven, it was like a beautiful soufflé, nice and puffy. Then it went caput. Should I have left it in the oven for 10 minutes with the door cracked after baking to prevent the falling, or how do you keep a soufflé from falling? That I do not know. And really, the girls could have cared less or even noticed. It was just yummy in the tummy!

Hope y’all have a great night! The skies are teasing us tonight in Austin with yellowish clouds, thunder and lightning. But we’re waiting desperately for the rain to fall. Brennan and I keep sayin’, “Bring it, Lord!”

Simply trusting,

 

Recipes to Tantalize Your Taste Buds

With a piece of my Momma’s chocolate cream pie next to me, my toddler asleep upstairs for hopefully at least an hour, and Rachael Ray on TV, it feels like the perfect time to post a couple of recipes I’ve made lately that were huge hits with my family and special guests. They’re fairly easy as well, one perfect for a family dinner option and one perfect to serve guests during the summer for a special occasion or a fun dessert option. 

Black Bean Enchilada Casserole

This is superb! I came upon this recipe in a fun recipe exchange some of us participated in at play group. The original source is unknown. You can use either corn or flour tortillas. If you zap the corn tortillas for a few seconds to soften them, they will be easier to roll, or you can easily layer the casserole instead.

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 taco seasoning packet
• 2/3 cup water
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 10-oz. can enchilada sauce (I prefer the Hatch red sauce)
• 1 can chopped green chiles (again Hatch brand is my preference)
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 1 cup shredded cheese
• eight large flour tortillas, or approx. 16 white corn tortillas
• 1 cup salsa
• 3 green onions, sliced

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Brown the meat and add taco seasoning and water. In another skillet, sauté garlic and onion. Add beans, sauce, and green chiles. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Stir in sour cream. Spoon meat mixture into tortillas. Roll up, place seam side down in lightly greased baking dish. Spoon sauce over top and sprinkle with cheese.

Bake at 400 degrees for 8-12 minutes or until warmed through and bubbly. You can top with chopped green onions and/or salsa. Other side suggestions include a side salad of chopped lettuce and tomatoes and Mexican rice. Guacamole would be a wonderful, indulgent side as well.

Lemon-Almond Tarts

A recipe from Southern Living, June 2010, I was first introduced to these treats a year ago when Jillie made them for us. I am not a huge lemon fan, but these had me at first bite. They’re the perfect addition for a Ladies’ Tea or an Easter brunch.

Vanilla Wafer Crusts

• 75 vanilla wafers
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, melted

Lemon-Almond Filling

• 1 (7-oz.) package almond paste
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 TBSP melted butter
• 2/3 cup lemon curd
• 2 (6-oz.) packages fresh raspberries

1. Prepare crusts: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pulse vanilla wafers in a food processor 8 to 10 times or until finely crushed. Stir together crushed wafers, powdered sugar, and butter in a medium bowl. Press crumb mixture on bottom and up sides of 6 lightly greased 4-inch tart pans with removable bottoms.* Place on a baking sheet.
2. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Transfer to a wire rack. Let cool completely (about 30 minutes).
3. Meanwhile, prepare filling: reduce oven temp to 325 degrees. Beat almond paste and next 3 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until well blended. Pour mixture into crusts.**
4. Bake at 325 degrees for 18-20 minutes or until set and just beginning to brown around edges. Let cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Spread 1.5 TBSP onto each tart. Cover and chill 1-24 hours. Remove tarts from pans, and top with raspberries just before serving.

* You can find these tart pans at Bed, Bath and Beyond for reasonable price.

** I goofed the first two times I made this recipe and included the lemon curd in the mixture with the almond paste, eggs, sugar and butter and baked all five ingredients together. It tasted just as yummy so I’ve actually modified the recipe and kept making it the goofy way.

One day, I hope to post my Momma’s chocolate cream pie recipe, the green chile corn bake, and the breakfast casserole she made for Easter. The problem: at least two of them are recipes stored in her head, family recipes! I’ve got to get them down on paper because I have a little guy who will want a chocolate cream pie for his next birthday, following in his momma’s sense of taste.

Enjoy friends, and stay tuned for some exciting and very unexpected news in the next couple of days!

Here’s a question for you: What good recipes do y’all have for hard boiled eggs? I’m at a loss and have a dozen eggs I’d like to use in something <grin>.

Simply trusting,

 

 

Easter Weekend

Last week we were counting down the hours until a certain loved one named Pops made his way back to Texas from Florida to spend Easter weekend with us. Our home was bustling with preparation and excitement. Mees and the puppies drove up from San Antonio, and we commenced the weekend together Friday afternoon with Easter egg dying. It was much less messier than last year’s Easter egg dying.

 

What do all Texans crave after being away from their home State for a number of days? Mexican food, baby! We hit Chuy’s and savored every bite. We rolled out of there with smiles on our faces, but I was crushed that I forgot two wonderful boxes of leftovers in the trunk of the car. Sacrilege! We went to Good Friday service, which was filled with powerful testimonies of the Lord’s grace and healing in the midst of trying, very painful hardships and difficulties…the messiness of this life that we all will walk through.

Saturday was a perfectly relaxing, lazy day at home. Pops and Mees took the boy when he woke up to get their weekend coffee at Starbucks while Matt and I enjoyed lingering in bed. Y’all, I stayed in my PJs all day! Everyone else was dressed, and I ate every meal at the table in my PJs, quite content not to change. After my shower before bed, I went from one set of PJs to another. So yes, I’m the glamorous one in some of these pictures. Saturday was an extended birthday celebration of mine, so that was my excuse <grin>.

For breakfast: Rudy’s tacos.

For snack after naptime: watermelon.

 

 

The boy was pretty much inseparable with Pops all weekend, and the puppies were a constant source of entertainment, perfect for an energetic toddler.

 

My momma labored in love this weekend, making an incredible birthday dinner! We snacked on crackers and cheese with wine spritzers (with special preggo ‘wine’ for me), then feasted on grilled beef kabobs with an assortment of fresh veggies, green chile corn bake, and a huge salad.

For dessert, we indulged in my momma’s homemade chocolate cream pie! Oh, y’all, it’s heavenly! She must know me pretty well and knew I’d enjoy having some extra slices this week, so she made two pies!

We have an extra person this year that had his first slice of chocolate cream pie, so all the more reason to make extra, because Brennan LOVED it! I mean, LOVED it! Here’s some proof (you'll be able to tell we were quite amused by him).

Pie! Mmmm, Pie! from Meg @ Spicy Magnolia on Vimeo.

Easter morning service was beautiful and gloriously celebratory, just as it should be.

By the way, the purple matching colors were not really planned. I bought my dress and Brennan’s outfit, which both happened to be purple but not on purpose. But then once Brennan and I both had purple, I dug out Matt’s purple tie and voila: matchy-matchy! Pops ended up wearing a new purple shirt, too.

Despite wearing a belt, I can never get Brennan’s shirt to stay tucked in.

 

 I love these two so much!

 

One of the very few pictures the hubby and I have of just the two of us in recent years <grin>.

 

I’ll always be a Daddy’s girl.

 

My boys. My priceless boys.

 

We went home and had a delectable brunch with a breakfast casserole my momma made; Wolferman’s English muffins (the best ever); an asparagus, tomato, and feta salad; and some lemon raspberry tarts I made. I’ll post some recipes soon; I have a lot to share!

My beautiful momma. We are standing next to my new squirrel-resistant bird feeder. I’m hoping for some regular sightings of cardinals and blue jays.

You might notice the little boy has a very dirty face in the picture above. It’s actually chocolate. He scored another piece of chocolate cream pie, and once again, it was like he was transported to heaven just with a single bite. I scored some lovies by giving him the piece, too.

 

 

Daddy had to leave early in the afternoon to head back to Florida and it was very sad to see he and Mees go. I haven’t been this sad about an anticipated event coming to an end in a long time. Brennan and Molly both wanted to leave with them.

 

After nap time, we gave Brennan his little Easter basket filled with a couple of water guns (which the boys had a blast with this afternoon), plastic tools, and the first ever sewing project I took on with my friend, Emily: a tool belt.

 

Then we went on a little Easter egg hunt. He was most in love with the plastic eggs filled with chocolate (that’s no surprise), but he also took an interest in the eggs filled with a bit of pocket change to put in his piggy bank.

Molly was interested in the chocolate as well.

 

Our little cowboy on “Bullseye”, hyped up on nothing else than chocolate!

 

Hope y’all had a wonderful Easter with your families! May the glory of His resurrection continue to be steeped in your souls.

Let Us Reacquaint Ourselves

I think a reacquaintance is in order. My name is Meghan. Or Meg. To my family and a few close friends, Meggie. To a couple of Australians, Meggles. To another friend, Megs. To my Momma, Pumpkin Face or Angel. To my Daddy, Meggie-Peg. I also hear the name, “Mommy” being called out a lot around this place by a person small enough to fit in a kitchen cabinet.

The big man of the household is working his cutie-pa-tooty off in what will be Brennan’s big boy room. We repainted the study a few weeks ago and moved the guest bed into that room to empty out the room for Brennan’s new one. Chris helped us put up a chair rail that Matt has been working on priming and painting, and over the next couple of weekends, we’ll tackle the painting of the walls. My momma is bustling working on other creative aspects of his room. In the meantime, our upstairs is a chaotic mess of furniture, toys, and mattresses. Speaking of my Momma, I want to recognize the blessing of her gift of creativity. She gave us a priceless treasure done by her hands that somehow, as her daughter, I have memorized how her hands look and feel and work. There’s nothing like Momma’s hands. Look what she painted and gave to us for Brennan’s birthday!

 

This was the original picture, taken when Brennan was about five months old in June of 2009.

 

If I haven’t been running around after an energetic two-year old, cooking, cleaning up the peanut butter schmeers on the table and chairs, passed out on the couch, caring for a boy who was sick for two weeks with high fever and severe diarrhea, sighing over the amount of dog hair in our home, standing aghast at the amount of dust building up because it’s been months and months since I’ve dusted, or attempting to tackle seven loads of laundry that I keep putting off for days, I’ve been doing either of the following:

1. Reading
2. Getting caught up on Project Life albums

A little bit more about each of those. First, reading. Since receiving a Kindle from my beloved for Christmas (which was a huge surprise to me), I’ve had a renewed love of reading and have put my nose to the books. Life seems kinda tough at the moment, in general, so I’m finding great reprieve getting lost in novels. Since January, I’ve read Revenge of the Spellmans (the third book in a series of four by Lisa Lutz), As Sure as the Dawn (final book in the Mark of the Lion trilogy by Francine Rivers), and The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. I highly recommend each one for different reasons! Even while I prefer novels these days, I still want to mix it up a bit, so I’m currently reading Ann Voskamp’s One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are, which has been hugely challenging and eye-opening as a lot of the clouds that have been covering my soul lately seem to be parting, ever so slowly. The bright, cloudless Texas spring skies are also helping with that as well.

Secondly, the Project Life albums. Personally, I love keeping photos organized but don’t have time to do the old-fashioned scrapbooking. Becky Higgins’ Project Life albums have been the perfect match for me. I had a couple of months from 2010 to catch up on, plus I was able to start a new 2011 album. In addition, I’m using another album for Skittles’ baby book which I’ve caught up on to this day. And I’ll tell you what: it feels good! Now I just need to get our home back in order.

While working on the albums, I’ve discovered Netflix’s “Watch Instantly” feature that has The Cosby Show and The Dick Van Dyke Show. I now have a better understanding (and appreciation) for my hubby’s sense of humor as he’s a perfect blend of Bill and Dick!

Little Skittles. Precious Skittles. I’m 18 weeks today and am feeling much better than I did the past few months. In fact, I’m rejoicing that the last two weeks have had some semblance of ‘normalcy’ since Thanksgiving! Skittles is moving more and more and causing me a bit of insomnia and a great deal of ultra-sensitive gag reflexes! Did any of you experience that? It’s the weirdest thing! I can’t brush my teeth or cough without feeling like I’m gagging, and sometimes, it causes me to randomly vomit. It’s bizarre. For those of you who like belly pics, this was taken a couple of days ago. If you aren’t interested, just keep scrolling down <grin>. My hubby, bless his heart, finds himself unfortunately in the role of taking the pictures once again, and I am a pretty picky belly picture taker. On Sunday, I think we took about seven or eight pictures before I was satisfied.

 

This handsome buckaroo keeps me on my toes and keeps me laughing (most of the time…the other times I’m about ready to pull my hair out or pass out from exhaustion). He’s a solid climber! Just this past weekend he mastered climbing up the slide from the bottom. Not sure if that’s a good thing. But it’s definitely a boy thing. He’s playing a lot more pretend games (like grocery store), and is inseparable from any of the following items that get interchanged every week or so: Lightning McQueen, Thomas the Train, Lambie (his stuffed lamb that Gaga gave him), a toy dolphin, Mickey Mouse, If You Give a Cat a Cupcake book, or pieces of his Cars puzzle.

 

Since Sunday, he’s been carrying around the following two pictures of Pops and Mees that he pulled from my stack of photos I had developed. Pops and Mees have eaten every meal with us, gone everywhere with us, and slept next to Brennan for naps and bedtime.

To the delight of my heart, he started singing Jesus Loves Me on his own yesterday while playing trains. And for the first time in his whole two years of life, it’s not very pleasant to drop him off in the church nursery.

Over the last month, the tyke has ventured to San Antonio for a weekend getaway with Pops and Mees by himself where he got spoiled rotten with yummy food, playing with three puppies, and adventures at the stock show. Then the weekend after that, he had a journey up to North Texas to celebrate our good buddy, Harrison’s, fifth birthday. Matt took him there for the weekend, so I had a lovely, quiet weekend at home and attempted my first-ever sewing project with my friend Emily! We made tool belts for our boys and it was a blast! 

 

I’ve loved the opportunity of reintroducing myself to y’all. I hope to not be as much of a stranger around these parts! And if you’d kindly oblige me, I’d like to know who my visitors are these days, just for fun. I’d love to know who you are and where you’re from and what’s been the best thing you’ve eaten today. Not best as in best for you, but best as in yummy best <grin>. I’ll start: I’m Meghan from Austin, Texas and I ate a whole pint of chocolate pudding today, and don’t regret one bite!

Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you have a lovely afternoon!

Simply trusting,