Love Resolutions

Hope you had a "Love-ly" Valentine's day.

I happened to catch a few minutes of a daytime TV show today talking about Valentine's Resolutions. I thought about how silly it was that they were trying to do an "after V-day" theme and it seemed...forced. And random.

Psssh. Who makes Valentine's Resolutions, anyway?

Until I thought about it some more.

Valentine's is well-known as a commercial holiday which encourages you to spend more money on the one you love and be romantic.

Not such a bad gesture.

But what if it could motivate us to be more Loving. Ya know, like every day.

What if we did start Love Resolutions.

My very clever valentine from Live to Love

I would resolve to write more cards to my dear, sweet husband and friends.

I would resolve to have more friends and family over for dinner for fellowship.

I would resolve to be good to my body and my heart all year long.

Maybe these so-called Love Resolutions aren't such a bad idea after all.

Black Bean Love Burger
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup finely diced bell pepper
1 carrot, diced finely
1/4 cup green onions, diced
Juice of 1/2 a lime
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp cayenne
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 egg
1/2 cup bread crumbs
6 tbsp hummus
1/2 avocado, sliced

Mash black beans until chunky. Add black beans, bell pepper, lime juice, green onion, carrot, cumin, cayenne, salt, pepper, garlic, egg, and bread crumbs to large bowl and mix with your hands until firm and sticky.
(If the mixture separates too much, add more bread crumbs. )

Separate into 3 black bean burger patties. Grill over medium heat on a piece of aluminum foil for about 5-8 minutes on each side.

Serve on toasted buns with avocado and hummus. Makes 3 servings.

“This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” 1 John 4:10 NIV

Happy LOVE day!

“Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs on your heard are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.” Luke 12:6-7

What a beautiful love note from God!

Even sparrows, which are sold 5 for $0.02 are not forgotten before God! (two cents!)

Have you ever heard of a sparrow going hungry and dying? God feeds even sparrows, gives them a shelter, and family. He even gives them beaks to carry twigs to make nests and to carry food to feed their babies.

If there is ever a time that you have felt worthless, or like God cannot love YOU, or that God has left you alone to fend for yourself? God’s word begs to differ.

YOU are of more value than many sparrows. Each and every hair on your head has been numbered by God.

[What an interesting conversation with God that must be. “No, really God. How many hairs do I have on my head?”]

And even if right now He doesn’t seem near, look around you. You have a shelter over your head. You have popcorn you are shoving into your mouth (ok maybe it’s not popcorn.) You have some form of family who loves you [friends, mom, dad, children].

You are precious to Him.

Happy LOVE day!

Sun-dried Tomato Black Bean Dip

 I totally stole this dip from my lil sis over at Live to Love.

Sorry you brat.

Believe me, you will be glad I stole it from her. I have dreamt about this dip for two years, after she served it at a Halloween party.

Don't get all squirmy on the word stole.

Sisters don't mind so much when you steal things from them.

Twenty or so years ago, I stole her two front teeth.  From her mouth. In a minivan.

In all fairness, we were playing a fishing game, where she was the fish. Let's just say the fisherman, [ME] tugged a wee bit too hard on the "fishing pole"

Aforementioned "fishing pole"

Needless to say, she was very sad [and toothless] at me. But the good news is, they were baby teeth. 

And she wouldn't dare let me near her permanent teeth.

The moral of this story is that even if you steal things from your sister, better things happen.

Like brand new teeth. 

And Sun-dried Tomato Black bean dip. Which I can now share with you.

It's fluffy, savory and fragrant, filled with yummy sun-dried tomatoes and thyme. 

And, it's purty. Well, no. No its not pretty at all. But your mouth won't care. It will dance with glee at the blackbeany sun-dried tomatoey goodness of it all, that it won't care one bit what it looks like. 

Sun-dried Tomato Black Bean Dip

adapted from my lil sis

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

3 Tbsp diced sun-dried tomatoes

1 clove garlic, minced

3 Tbsp olive oil (plus more if necessary)

Juice of 1 lemon

1 dash salt

1 dash pepper

1 tsp thyme

Add all ingredients to a food processor, and puree until soft and fluffy, and sun-dried tomatoes have been puree'd throughout. Add more olive oil as necessary to get your bean dip to the desired fluffiness. 

“Whoever pursues righteousness and unfailing love will find life, righteousness, and honor.” Proverbs 21:21

Pesto Chicken and Rice Soup

How are your resolutions going?

My husband and I decided to start the year off strong with a weight loss competition.

Because everything in marriage is a competition.

And there's always a winner.

And we both need to squeeze our tush's into last year's snowboarding gear by next week.

So, although my husband currently claims he is "winning" [just can't hear that without thinking of Charlie Sheen], I reminded him who cooks in the house.

And who could just as easily dip his hamburger in butter and secretly mash it up before he grills it without him ever knowing.

I will admit that, yes, I have made brownies, AND cupcakes over the past few weeks, because I have no qualms about eating one and a) throwing the rest away or b) taking the rest to bible study so hungry girls can consume. He, on the otherhand, can NOT resist eating 2 or 3 or 4 or 5.

So there may or may not have been a little friendly sabotage along the way.


In the meantime, I've been trying to eat my way healthy to fit in those pants.

Thus the inspiration for this soup. You might see some leftover rotisserie chicken from the other night.

It's healthy, its filling, and its pesto-licious!

Pesto Chicken and Rice Soup
2 cups rotisserie chicken, shredded
2 cups cooked rice
1-1/2 cup chicken broth
3/4  cup water
1 carrot, diced
1/4 cup diced onion
1/4 cup frozen thawed peas
1 Tbsp pesto+ more to taste
Dash Salt Pepper, and Nutmeg
1 tbsp butter

In butter, sauté carrot and onion until tender 4-5 minutes on medium heat. Add chicken broth, water and chicken and bring to boil. Reduce to simmer, adding chicken, rice, salt, pepper, pesto, and nutmeg, and simmer for 5-7 minutes until the flavors run throughout the soup.

Add more broth or water as needed for the desired brothiness of your soup. In the last minute, add your peas. stirring to heat up. Serve!

Makes 3 servings.


"Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever." 1 Chronicles 16:34

Pinecone Wreath

Do you hate un-decorating after the holidays as much as I do?

My house looks so....just like a house.

And less like a Christmasy wonderland.

So I went to work making something wintry that still cheers me up when I pull into my driveway in cold, drab and dreary January.

The awesome part of this project? All those pinecones on there...were free. Yep from the yard.

{And a dear friend gave me her leftover spraypaint. Thankyou.}

Easy-check.
Cleanup your yard-check.
Wintery and cheerful-check.

How To:
1. Collect about 40 medium and small pinecones from your yard.
2. Spray paint all sides of the pinecones with white spray paint. While wet, add white glitter (hard to see in pic).
3. Hot glue onto a styrofoam wreath, covering all sides. This was the tricky part, fitting everything together like a puzzle. Be patient, it will work! Keep flipping them around until you get neat little puzzle piece pinecones.
4. Add ribbon. I sewed a 6'' x 2 yard long strip of fabric to create a giant ribbon, sewing the sides to be hidden and cutting a "V" in the bottom to resemble a ribbon. Tie into a big bow! (You can also just use large ribbon.)

May your January be a little more frosty and festive!

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Philippians 4:8 NIV

Stuffed Pepper Boats

About 3 years ago, when we first moved into this house, I started spicing up my cooking with rotisserie chicken.

And I noticed that the Fat Dog would sniffle the air uncontrollably the moment I brought it home from the grocery store.

I would then leave the chicken on the counter while I went on doing other things, and she would be there, standing guard beside the counter.

Just in case the chicken decided to make a run for it.

Fat Dog would whimper, she would grunt, she would snort like a pig, and she would whine at the smell of roasty chicken just inches away from her smooshed snout...on the counter...just....barely...out of....reach.

My solution to this very adorable problem?

After removing the chicken skin from the rotisserie chicken as I was cooking, I would feed it to her.

{In her dog bowl, of course, so as not to encourage begging.}

Needless to say, itsherfavoritething.

And we don't call her fat dog for nothin'.

Rotisserie Chicken Stuffed Pepper Boats
*can be made into stuffed peppers*

2 cups Rotisserie Chicken meat
2 Bell peppers, sliced into thick 3'' boats-seeds and membranes removed
2 cups rice
1 clove garlic, minced
1-1/2 cup salsa
1 Tbsp cumin
1-2 Tbsp chipotle chile in adobo sauce
1/4 onion, diced
1/4 cup wine
Salt & Pepper, to taste
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, divided
1 tbsp EVOO
2 tbsp butter

Preheat oven to 425. Place one-two boats aside, and dice.

Brush remaining boats with EVOO and place in the oven at 425 for 15-20 minutes roasted with a little firmness.

While boats are roasting, in 1 tbsp butter, sauté garlic until browned. Add diced peppers, onion, cumin, and salt and pepper, and cook for 2-3 minutes until translucent and tender. Mix in rice, salsa, chipotle chile, wine, and remaning tbsp butter. Cook for 4-5 minutes until the wine has reduced. Add chicken and 1/4 cup cheese and stir to melt.

Once peppers are nice and roasted in the oven, remove and place a heaping spoonful of rice mixture atop each of the boats. Add remaining 1/2 cup cheese to the boats and return to oven on BROIL for 2-3 minutes until cheese has melted.


“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”James 1:5 NIV

Pimento Cheese STUFFED chicken

I'm about to reveal one of my favorite go-to recipes.

I cooked it this New Year's Eve for a bunch of dear friends of mine.

Friends whom I told dinner would be ready at 6:30.

Meanwhile, ask the clock moved on past 6:30, my husband commenced in entertained everyone. And probably gave away my secret.

I have terrible time management skills in the kitchen.

As in, dinner was served at 7:30.

The good news is, there were appetizers. And wine.  Plenty to keep 8 hungry people satisfied while they waited.

And I do believe it was worth the wait.

Gooey, cheesy chicken that is crispy on the outside and filled with warm, savory and spicy pimento cheese on the inside. And bacon.

Which will elicit drools of delight!

Do not be afraid, this chicken takes approximately 20 minutes from prep to finish.

It was multiplying that task by 8 that got my time in the kitchen all woozy.

You can use store bought pimento cheese or make this from yesterday.

Pimento Cheese Stuffed Chicken


2 chicken breasts, trimmed of fat with a 2'' pocket sliced through the thickest part
2 heaping tablespoons pimento cheese
2 tablespoons hot sauce
4 cooked slices of bacon, diced [optional]
Dash Salt and Pepper
1 Tbsp EVOO

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix pimento cheese, hot sauce, and bacon in a small bowl. Stuff into pocket of chicken, inserting toothpicks to keep the seam closed as much as possible.

Season chicken breast with salt & pepper. In EVOO, sauté chicken breasts over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes on each side until lightly brown and slightly crispy.

On a baking sheet (with sides), place chicken, and any excess cheese mixture that may have seeped out, and cook at 350 degrees for 12 minutes.

"I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;  Your works are wonderful, 
 I know that full well." Psalm 139:14