Rib Masters

I have a weird thing to admit: I'm afraid of meat. Weird, right?!

What I mean is I'm afraid to prepare it, everything except chicken and ground beef, that is. For the first 5 years of marriage, I cooked everything other than chicken dishes and ground beef dishes in the CrockPot for fear of undercooking a tough cut of protein. I love to cook and read restaurant menus online (nerd alert!) for fun. I study tough recipes like I'll be tested on them later, I should not be afraid to cook a brisket or tenderloin!

Baby back ribs have always been at the top of my scary meal list. Ribs seem so time sensitive and finicky. So much could go wrong! And we don't have a smoker - don't ribs need giant smokers or other meat cooking contraptions?! JD suggested we try it, we are smart after all, we could learn the secret of the perfectly tender, fall off the bone ribs.

So we did. I read a bazillion rib recipes online before going with the instructions on the packaging on the meat. They. Are. Perfect. We are amazing rib making people! Who knew?!

Our rib preparing method:

Coat meat generously with dry rub, wrap in plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for at least 2 hours (overnight is best). Preheat oven to 325, wrap marinated meat loosely in foil and place on a foil lined sheet pan arc side up (like a rainbow). Add 1/2 cup of water inside the foil wrapped meat. Seal tightly and bake for 2 - 2.5 hours. Remove from oven, cover ribs with BBQ sauce (optional) and cook on grill at medium heat for 15 minutes. Eat!

Dry rub recipe:
2 TBSP brown sugar
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp ground mustard
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cayenne pepper

These ribs are so tasty, a little spicy, and fall-off-the-bone delicious. We had them tonight and after stuffing my face, I couldn't believe how silly I have been all these years avoiding them. Bon appetit!

Disney Days

At the first of the year, we bought Disneyland season passes with Christmas money from my family. I knew it would be a gift that the girls (and I!) could enjoy all year. Boy have we had fun!

We have been to the parks (Disneyland and California Adventure) every week since January, except for the the 2 weeks we were in Tennessee. It has been a blast exploring and getting to know every square inch of the happiest place on earth.

JD bought a pass on my birthday and he has been using vacation days to join us for the past few weeks. It has been great having him with us. I typically take the girls by myself and while there are some definite challenges as the only adult, it's doable and we all have a great time. But having daddy with us means more roller coasters and less stroller pushing for me!

JD is learning what it means to be a Disney season pass holder. Basically, getting at the park 30 minutes prior to opening and staying until close, never eating during traditional mealtimes because ride lines are shorter then, and being ready to ditch the stroller anywhere to sprint to the rides with the shortest lines. He gets better each week.

We are about to be blocked for the busy summer season so this week's trip is probably our last until the fall. We made the most of it by staying late and riding many rides that we skip due to the long wait times. We had a great time and will be sad to take a break.

10 tips from this seasoned season pass holder:

* Bring band-aids and ibuprofen. Headaches plague me nearly every trip and one or both of my girls scrape a knee more often than not. Be prepared!
* Watching a show is a great way to escape the sun and heat and get off of your feet for a bit. Some of our favorites are Muppet Theatre, Peter Pan Story Time, and Turtle Talk with Crush.
* Download wait time apps on your smartphone so you know which rides have the shortest waits. This saves you from wasting precious time walking around when you could be riding!
* Skip the parades to ride the most popular rides. There will probably still be a wait, but it will be much shorter with most park-goers watching the parade instead.
* Get there early. The whole parking and entering the park process takes time. The earlier you arrive, the less crowded it will be and the more RIDES you get to ride! We rode 4 within the first hour yesterday!
* Pack all your meals. Disney can be (relatively) cheap. Most trips we buy nothing at all. I pack tons of food and a giant gallon jug of icy lemon water and we spend nothing all day.
* Eat lunch/dinner on rides! I am sort of hardcore about using our time wisely while at DL. Any wasted time not riding something is a source of frustration for me so we eat on trains, steamboats, and on the monorail. Not every ride allows this and obviously you don't want to eat on a turbulent ride, but find the slow-moving ones and chow down. Once it's over, you'll have plenty of energy to sprint to Indiana Jones!
* Bring sunscreen and a change of clothes for everybody. I love the water rides, but walking around with wet underwear all day is miserable. Bring lightweight changes and stash them in a plastic bag at the bottom of your stroller/backpack.
* Figure out what your most comfortable pair of shoes are and wear those. Tennis shoes kill my feet after wearing them all day. For me, TOMS are the most comfy. Wear what makes your feet hurt the least. You will be walking miles.
* Likewise, put shoes on your kids that they cannot remove! I've seen more discarded toddler shoes than I can count where some kid, bored in their stroller, kicked off a shoe while their poor mother was oblivious.

Disneyland is really fun and we are blessed to live so close. What's your favorite thing to eat/ride/see at Disney?

Sprouts

For Easter I gave the girls seed packets in their baskets. They were so excited to plant strawberries and tomatoes. That made my mama heart so happy since I love gardening and growing, tending and harvesting. I was so excited to start our seedlings with my little sprouts.

We carefully planted seeds in tiny plastic pots, covering them with just enough soil, and watering them ever so gently. We waited. And waited. We didn't think we would ever see growth, especially after an unfortunate accidental dumping of the strawberry pot.

But alas, sprouts!

I'm always so astounded at the seedling process. How something so tiny can be buried in dirt, watered for 10 days, and then sprout and grow into a plant that bears fruit my family can eat is amazing to me. What a good God we serve!

I dumped the extra tomato seeds into a big pot on my porch with my basil plant and holy moly, did they ever sprout! Look at those tiny tomato plants!

I think I'm going to have to transplant some of those! We also planted a few squash, zucchini, and mature tomato plants. We have a small bed in the back of our yard that is shielded from the harsh winds we have every afternoon that was perfect for a small garden. The soil is so rich and full of earthworms, I'm hopeful my harvest will be great this summer.

The girls are loving their daily watering duties. I'm loving teaching them about growing our food. We talk a lot about how God is the Initiator of all life and how He makes big plants grow from tiny seeds. We also talk about how worms, sunshine, and water are good for plants like food, exercise, and water are good for our bodies to grow. Gardens can teach us so much!

I'm loving this time of tending to young, delicate plants. I hope my girls cultivate a lifetime love of this process too!

One Piece

I turned 32 last month. Of the few goals I set for myself this year, wearing a one piece swimsuit was at the top of the list. My 2 pieces aren't super skimpy, but I just felt like 32 was a good time to throw a one piece into the mix. I didn't want just any ol' suit though, I wanted something that was really cute and flirty, but not too revealing because I have to chase my kids at the beach. My goal was to be a bit more modest, but still look young and fresh.

So I shopped. Mostly online. Do you know how difficult it is to bathing suit shop online? Whoa, it's hard. Really, really hard. I found tons of cute suits, but the models' bodies aren't like mine. I'm as tall as most of the women in the photos, but nowhere near as thin and curve-less.

Through all of the shopping I realized that you almost need to be in better shape to wear a one piece suit than you do when you wear a bikini. Most of the suits I tried on had cutouts or plunging necklines and other features that required sitting up really straight, sucking my stomach in, and not bending over or moving at all. I need a suit that I can slouch in and let it all hang out, without letting it all hang out!

After trying on many duds, I finally found a keeper. Today was my first time wearing a one piece bathing suit since I was 12 and I gotta say, it was awesome! I felt so cute!! My suit stayed put during wave jumping, shell hunting, and sand castle building. I slouched to my heart's content and never once sucked anything in. It was glorious. I felt modest but not at all frumpy or like I was trying to hide a problem body part. I actually didn't feel self-conscious at all. 


I am so down with the one piece now, I ordered another one just a little bit ago. I can't believe I waited so long to make the switch, but I'm so glad I did. Here's to a summer of slouching and not sucking in!!

Jesus Lives

Easter weekend was such a joyful time. It is my absolute favorite holiday and I love everything about this season. It warms my heart to know the name of Jesus is lifted high all over the world this weekend. He is risen and lives forevermore! Amen and amen!

Friday was spent shopping for new shoes, preparing Easter baskets, and crafting. I love teaching the girls about our faith and I take every opportunity to teach them about God. Penelope can tell you the Easter story like she is behind a pulpit. Watching my girls celebrate our risen Lord is the best.

Saturday was our neighborhood Easter party complete with egg hunt and petting zoo. It was freezing and windy with the scent of pony poop filling the air. I did not enjoy it. Thankfully we had church later that night. Church was awesome. It was a raucous party. The Saviour of the world conquering sin and death is no ordinary thing, you know! There ought to be some celebrating!

Saturday was also our 6 year anniversary. With all of the other festivities underway, we didn't have anything special planned. It was fine though, we smooched a lot and told the girls about our wedding day. I love being married to JD. He's a keeper.

Today we had Easter baskets, more egg hunting, and lunch/party with friends. We had a blast. We came home with full bellies and sunburns. Also, candy.

We had a blessed weekend! I hope you all did too. Happy Easter!! I hope with all my heart you know Jesus. He makes all the difference in the world.

When They Grow Up

The girls love to talk about growing up. Their conversations are the sweetest. Beatrice wants to get married to Isaac, go to work, and never have children. She will live with me forever and also visit when she goes home to her pink house. Isaac likes pink, she says, so it's okay.

Me - "If you don't have any children, who will my grandchildren be?"
Her - "Well, I don't know. But I'm never having children, it's gross."
Me - "What will your job be?"
Her - "A shepherd. And a ballet teacher. And a police lady."
Me - "Can you reconsider not having any children so I can be a grandmother?"
Her - "No, it's gross."

Penelope is going to live with me forever and stay home with her babies. She's naming them baby Alyson and baby Rapunzel. She says she wants to be Rapunzel when she grows up and also stay a baby.

Me - "Don't ever leave me when you grow up."
Her - "I won't, mama. I'm a baby."
Me - "Please have lots of babies so I can be their grandmother."
Her - "I will. And I can be a baby too."
Me - "Who will you marry?"
Her - "I wanna marry daddy!"

The future is looking bright for these two!

32, W

I had a birthday last week. It was one of the best ones yet. JD flew my best friend out for a week and then told us to spend a day doing something fabulous while he watched the girls. We booked a cabana at the W Hotel in Los Angeles and spent the day lounging, eating, and tanning.

It started out cold and cloudy, but shortly after noon the sky turned blue and the sun blazed. We fried. We stayed all day (8 hours!) and made it home just in time to eat homemade spaghetti and garlic toast. Thanks, honey!

It was such a fun treat for this mama who rarely gets any me-time. A pool day with my BFF? Best gift ever!

Hike Turned Picnic Turned Swim

Yesterday we planned a hike with friends. It was a beautiful day and we were itching for some fresh air and ocean views. We were supposed to meet at 11 so we packed lunches, just in case everyone got hungry along the way. We hiked along the cliffs down to a rocky beach close to home. All we had planned was a hike, but our hiked turned into a big beach picnic and an impromptu swim in the icy waves. In California, that's pretty normal.

The hike was pretty uneventful, but when we reached the beach, there were tide pools to explore, rocks and shells to find. We checked out sea anemones, crabs, and barnacles. We found every shape of rock and a few dried up sea creatures.

California is really awesome. You can be on a hike near the ocean and come upon a tiny ecosystem right before you eat a ham sandwich. Amazing! I hope my girls remember these adventures. Living here is such a blessing.

After lunch, the ocean called to the children. We couldn't keep them away.

What started out as wave jumping...

Quickly turned into scuba diving.

I wasn't prepared for this! I thought we were just going for a hike!

That's California for you!

We rounded up all the dry clothes and pieced together outfits for the swimmers to hike up the cliff in. It was the most eventful hike to date.