Quesadilla de Camarones

Can you tell I love shrimp?! Quick story, when I was very young and a flower girl at a rehearsal dinner, I supposedly got some shrimp from the buffet and started dipping it in ice cream and eating it. Moving on....

This recipe came from Pioneer Woman, but I added/changed a few things- I tend to do that especially if I don't have a particular ingredient or because I want to add some more spices or something.

I added fresh cilantro to the mexican tomato sauce as well as lime juice and combined it with the simmering shrimp.

After browning the onions and peppers I placed a tortilla in a buttered pan. I used a Mexican blend of shredded cheese and put down a layer on top of the tortilla. Add the veggies and the shrimp sauce then another layer of cheese before placing another tortilla on top. Cheese on both sides against the tortilla helps it stick together and make for easier flipping :)

Finished product is a delectable plate size quesadilla- and one is enough to fill you to the brim with yummy goodness!

Most Delicious Shrimp Soup Ever!

Ok so this is one of the most flavorful and fun textured soups you will ever have! I was perusing Earth Fare a couple weeks ago... Let me just say I could spend all my money there in one day if I wanted to and all of my time looking at the walls of wine and cheeses. Anyways I came across this boxed soup base- Cashew Carrott Ginger. It sounded intriguing but I wasn't sure what I would add to it... The box had some recipe ideas on the back so I decided to give it a try. This is what I produced.

I took some frozen snap pea stir fry mix and precooked shrimp and threw all of it in a crock pot with the soup mix and let it slowly simmer and soak up all of the beautiful flavor combinations. I then decided when it was all done to add some cashews for a little extra flavor and crunchy texture. Combined with the crispiness of the snap peas and the tenderness of the shrimp it made for a great texture and flavor party in my mouth!

Busy Body

That's what me and my husband have been the past couple of months- busy bodies. We recently moved out of our rental house and bought our first home! It's exciting to finally be able to paint walls, hang whatever we want on the walls, plant a garden and flowers, etc. We've been so busy trying to get the house ready for family and friends to visit that I have forgot to post. Sorry :(

So I have some catching up to do and should be posting a lot within the next couple of days. I recently received a Pioneer Woman cook book for my birthday (Thanks Ginny!) and have been making recipes from it that I will be sharing. I also just got my new sewing machine in last night so be expecting some sewing project posts in the near future. Caleb and I have also been doing a lot of  remodeling and upcycling with the house that deserves some post attention. Stay tuned!

Pork Cabbage Rolls

For dinner tonight I decided to make cabbage rolls. I took some already slow cooked pork- added onions, carrots, an egg, bread crumbs, and sour cream. Rolled up in some boiled cabbage leaves and baked in a garlic balsamic marinade. Even my husband like them- although when he saw me cooking them he said he wouldn't like it because he hates cabbage. I told him it would taste good and not like regular cabbage when it was all done. And I was right!

In the Dog House

So my hubby, Caleb, and I recently rescued a puppy- half shepherd half lab- and named her Shakira. So our latest project has been building a dog house. Caleb designed a 3D layout on his computer using his amazing engineering skills. We went out and bought the materials- 2x4s, plywood, shingles, nails, screws, and paint. Then we got to work. Here is pictures of our progress and the finished project!

Raised base and half the walls

All four walls and arched door

With the roof on and Caleb inside

Finished product

Caleb used his new Dremel and even made Shakira a name plate

Paradise Trifle

So I wanted a fruity dessert for our house party tonight. I started searching allrecipes.com and I found this: Strawberry Trifle. However I put my own twist on it. I drizzled coconut tequila over the cubed angel food cake before starting the layering process. And instead of vanilla pudding I substituted cheesecake pudding. Yum!

1st Layer: 

I arranged the bananas around the edge so you could see them 

from the side when finished. Just to make it look prettier!

2nd Layer: 

I used strawberries for the outside layer this time. 

Finished! Just topped with whipped cream 

overflowing with yummy goodness!

The Truth about True Love

So I recently picked up a book, "The Power of a Positive Wife." I'm only three chapters in but I wanted to share some key points I found and my thoughts on them. This is not only relevant for people who are already married but also for people who are dating/thinking of getting married. Hope you can get some insight out of this too:

Myth: There is only one "true love" out there for every woman- let's hope we don't choose the wrong one!

- No where in the Bible does it say there is only one person right for you to marry. Having these thoughts can be dangerous once you do get married. If everything isn't easy and romantic and happily ever after like in the movies and you start noticing flaws or changes in your husband, you may start doubting your choice and thinking you chose the wrong, Mr. Right.This can lead to temptations that would violate your marriage if you thought the right guy was still out there somewhere.

" When we subscribe to the notion that there is one perfect person for each of us, we tend to believe that once we find him, there will be no work involved in the relationship. Certainly, we should look for a spouse who exhibits the character qualities and Christian values that we know we want in a lifelong partner. But when we find that seemingly perfect guy, we must accept the fact that love will still be work. True love doesn't mean having a relationship of ease, it means making the continual choice to love and forgive.....True love isn't discovered; it's created."

Myth: I can fall out of love with my spouse.

- "The idea that marital love is something we can fall in and out of is an unfortunate, yet common belief. It's almost humorous to think of people strolling merrily down the path of life, falling in love, vowing to stay in love forever, but then somehow magically falling out of it. It's as if they're on autopilot and they have to go wherever love takes them. They have no power or say-so in the matter. When love is defined as a feeling that comes and goes, it takes on a mind of its own."

There are four different kinds of love-
1. Affection love- like that from a parent to child
2. Friendship love
3.Pleasure/Desire love- sexual
4. Divine love- selfless, like that from God

A marriage should involved all 4 of those types of love. Does that sound like something that you can just fall in and out of?

"Typically when people say they have 'fallen out of love', what they really mean is, 'I am no longer willing to work at loving you. I would rather follow my own pleasures and look for someone else to make me feel good about myself.'" We should not find worth in our husbands, but worth in God.

No one is easy to love! We all have flaws, not just men. So think about what they have to put up with as well. "True love loves past the weaknesses and builds on the strengths."

So women, be careful while dating- this is the time when you can choose to say goodbye to a guy, so make your mistakes now and learn from them. Love is a powerful thing and you shouldn't toss the word around loosely. I learned through my dating experiences that usually the feelings at the beginning of a dating relationship are not the true love described above. So make sure you mean it when you say it.

And women who are already married, make the daily decision to truly love your husband and not focus on their weaknesses. Work on your own weaknesses and encourage each other in your personal lives together and with God.

Read more of this book: