Lost, But Holding Hands

Grace. It's a word we hear a lot. Most of us use it from time to time. It comes up in every imaginable situation: from credit payments to work deadlines. Speeding tickets to deposit refunds. I bet even most of us mean the same thing when we use it. Giving grace means we're going to cut someone some slack. Show a little understanding. Give someone a little more time. Maybe a re-do. It's true, all of those things. At least superficially. I think most of us even, if pushed, would include the caveat that grace has to be given freely and without resentment. I mean, if you cut someone slack but then hold it over their head can you really call that grace? Is it any degree of mercy worth mentioning? Ok, so we're going to cut someone some slack and try not to hold a grudge about it. No guilt trips after the fact. This is pretty easy to do if the person has shown in some way that they "deserve" grace. They were late, but they called to let you know they had a flat t...

Thirty days. More than four hundred things. Three people. One weird goal. For the month of September, the our family is going to play the 30 Day Minimalism Game. The #MinsGame is one of those things that's simple, but not easy. Each day, for the 30 days in September, we will work to eliminate objects from our lives. On September 1st, we'll pick one item. On September 2, two items. September 3? That's three items. You get the idea. By the end of September--after 30 days of playing--our family hopes to remove 465 objects from our possession.  Why attempt such a thing? Why not. An absence of clutter in the physical sets the stage for an absence of clutter in the heart and mind. Clarity. That's the real goal. Clarity and contentment. What if what we have isn't actually what we want? Guidelines: Everyone plays You are in control of "your stuff" Everyday trash doesn't count Try to stick to physical items (digtial purging is a thing, t...

Some of us put a lot of thought into New Year's Resolutions.  About the time we begin shopping and decorating for Christmas- we also start imagining the most perfect, romantic, fun New Year's Eve and how we will start the new year as a "new me" or a "new us" with our significant other.  Others of us wake up on January 1st and hastily decide to take up running, or to throw about all of the leftover booze from the night before and stop hitting the bottle so hard.  We decide to get thinner, get happier, and to just generally be better. I think my teacher friends would agree that New Year's Resolutions do not just happen on January 1st.  About the time Target begins swapping the outdoorsy gear for school supplies, we start thinking about the kind of year we want to have- the kind of teacher we will be- the awesome things our students will do and achieve.  This is the time we start thinking about how this year can be different...better.  Or maybe you have h...

Sometimes the side dish makes the meal.  That is definitely the case with these crispy, savory, summery green beans!  Not to mention that this recipe is SUPER easy.  I mean the most time consuming part is prepping the fresh green beans.  You could always do that ahead of time. Lemon Rosemary Roasted Green Beans Ingredients: Fresh green beans- 1 lb-ish (washed and snapped) 1 T melted coconut oil 1 t salt 2 t rosemary 1 thinly sliced lemon Directions: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a cast iron skillet (or any baking dish), toss green beans, oil, and seasonings. Lay lemon slices on top. Roast for 25-30 minutes, stirring part way through.  So yummy.  Pair it with a simple grilled chicken or pork chop for an easy weeknight dinner!

Sunday Fun Day involves a LOT of food prep for the week.  What I prep changes weekly depending on our meal plan, but one thing is for sure- I'll be prepping this delicious, versatile breakfast casserole that, when paired with a side of fruit, will last all week for me and the hubs! Once you get the hang of the basics to this casserole- you will find yourself changing it up to your own preferences and what produce you have on hand.  The ingredients I am sharing today are my basic, go-to recipe.  But I will also share variations I have tried.  If you mix it up and add different veggies and meats- tag me in a post and let me know how it turned out! Savory Breakfast Bake This recipe has a few components that are cooked separately before it comes together in a casserole dish.  I am breaking up the ingredients and steps to make it easier to follow. Sweet Potatoes Ingredients: 2-3 sweet potatoes (depending on size) 2 T olive oil Salt Pepper ...

Don't you just love meals that come together in one pan?  I absolutely love my cast iron pan.  It makes dishes like this easy and aesthetically pleasing- nothing more homey than sitting down together at the table with a hot pan of goodness. If you don't have a cast iron pan- no worries.  Just use a skillet for the stove top portion and then transfer it to a baking dish to go into the oven. Seasoning and searing the chicken thighs in the pan first, helps get the skin nice and crispy and cuts down on the time this dish spends in the oven. The smell of cauliflower drives my husband CRAZY.  But once it's seasoned and cooked- he eats i happily.  So don't let the idea (or smell) of cauliflower stop you from trying this recipe!  You can also buy frozen riced cauliflower and skip the smell :) One Pan Spicy Chicken Thighs  &  Mexican Cauliflower Rice Ingredients: Spicy Chicken Thighs- 2 T avocado (or olive) oil 4 chicken thighs (b...