It's Mrs. Healthy Ever After's Birthday! Make sure to visit her site. I positively love all her recipes and posts.

If you couldn't tell, I'm loving lemon this season. It just so happens that Nikki told me lemon blueberry is one of her favorites, so I shipped some of these to her for her special day... and ate the rest myself.

Just kidding. Michael really did help.

Kind of.


Ingredients:

- 1/2 C butter (1 stick), softened
- 1 C sugar (can lesson to 2/3 or 3/4 if desired)
- 1 tbsp of lemon juice OR 1/2 lemon, juiced
- zest of 1 lemon
- 7 tbsp milk
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp lemon extract (optional)
- 2 eggs
- 2 C + 3 tbsp unbleached, all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1.5 tsp baking powder
- 1 C of fresh blueberries

Directions:

- Preheat your oven to 350 and prepare a muffin pan with liners/cooking spray.

- In a small bowl, toss blueberries with 3 tbsp of flour until blueberries are coated. Use a slotted spoon to remove blueberries and shake off any excess flour. Set aside.


- With a handheld or standing mixer, blend your butter and sugar. Add your lemon juice, zest, milk, vanilla, lemon extracted, and eggs. Continue mixing until smooth.

- Fold in your dry ingredients (either pre-mixed or not...I like to save dishes). Make sure you just use 2 C of flour, you already used the 3 tbsp!

- Carefully stir in your blueberries.

- Fill muffin cups with about 1/4 C of mixture.

- Bake for 18 to 22 minutes (depending on your oven), and check with a toothpick to make sure it comes out clean before removing to cooling rack. Recipe makes about 15 muffins.


Recipe adapted from Gimme Some Oven.

Kung Pao Chicken is mine and Clark's favorite dish. Ever. When we started dating he introduced me to it, and I haven't been able to get away from it. Since we're trying to continue our "eating better" goals, I was worried it was going to be impossible to make a version of this dish at home successfully.

I'm so happy that I was wrong.

This recipe is easy and, if I may say so, up to delivery-par (in our opinions, that is). If Clark approves of something like this, I feel like a total winner, which is the case with this recipe.


Ingredients:

- 1lb chicken breasts, cut into cubes or strips.
- 2 tbsp canola oil
- 1 habenero pepper, sliced
Note: I used this because I couldn't find dried chilis ANYWHERE. If you can find them, slice up 1-2 dried red chilies for a more authentic taste.
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced.
- 3/4 tsp dried ginger
- 1 tbs rice cooking wine
- 1 tsp sesame oil (must)
- 2 scallions, cut into small rounds.
- 1/4 C roasted peanuts.

For the Marinade:

- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp light soy sauce
- 2 tsp rice wine
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tbs egg white, beaten

For The Sauce:

- 1 tbs soy sauce
- 2 tbs sweet chili sauce
- 2 tsp white wine vinegar
- 1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
- 6 tbs water
- 1 tsp chicken bouillon
Note: You can use 6 tbsp of chicken or vegetable broth instead of the water/bouillon combo; I just typically don't have broth in my house!

Directions:

- Prepare the Marinade. Whisk together the salt, soy sauce, rice wine,cornstarch and egg white. Place into sealed container or ziploc bag with cut up chicken and let sit for 30 minutes in the fridge.

- Next, make the Sauce. Mix together the soy sauce, sweet chili sauce, vinegar sugar, cornstarch, water, and bouillon. Set aside.

- Heat a Wok or large pan over high heat util smoke rises. Add the oil and swirl it around. Add the habenero pepper, garlic, and ginger. Push around until garlic is golden.

- Add your chicken.Turn and toss it for 1 - 2 minutes before next step.

- Add in the rice wine and sesame oil (from first list of ingredients), stirring continuously.

- Add the scallions and continue to stir for a minute or so; the chicken should be almost cooked by now.

- Add the Sauce to the Wok. Continue to stir while it thickens.

- Add the peanuts, stir the mix a few more times, then transfer to a warm serving plate.


I served mine with homemade fried rice. Hope you enjoy!

Recipe adapted from My Kitchen Magazine

I had been avoiding the idea of potty training. In fact, whenever anyone asked me when we were going to start, I'd just say I wasn't sure. Honestly, part of me was afraid that I'd be the failure. That I'd be the mom who had the kid in diapers until kindergarten. This isn't to say it'd be Michael's fault, but mine. I'd be the one too afraid to start potty training him that he'd just be in diapers forever.

Why? Because I grew up in a home with all girls. Besides my dad, of course. I had two sisters. That's it. No boys. No ideas on how to work potty-training with his, well, parts. I just wasn't sure I could handle it.

Well, a little over a week ago Michael had a killer diaper rash we were trying to get rid of, so he was running around naked. Granted, he likes to do this anyway, but there was a purpose to his nudity this time around. After a couple of accidents (which were expected), he ran over to me and said, "Mama, I don't want to pee on the floor, I want to go on the big-boy potty."

Can you imagine my face?

We rushed to the potty, and for a moment I hesitated. What do I do? Do I grab a stool and have him stand, or do I just let him sit on the thing? Would he be traumatized if he stood and missed and got it all over the floor instead?

He sat.


Now, Michael has a potty. I bought it one day when I was fed up with diapers... two months ago. Then, as you may guess, I whimped out and we didn't start potty training.

Well, after our one potty success (which involved a lot of cheering from me, high-fives, and a couple M&M's), Michael kept asking to go.

The phrase "potty treat" became a thing.

Before I knew it, we were potty training.

The next day we went shopping for Super Hero underwear. Michael decided that only Super Heroes wear underwear.


We even ran errands with him in his underwear with no incidents. He asked to use the potty at the bookstore. Inside I was giving myself high-fives.

All I had to do was wait for him to be ready. Maybe if he hadn't had that awful diaper rash (which is gone, by the way), it wouldn't have happened this way, but you never can tell. He's had one awful day where he was missing Clark and just kept having accident after accident where I was distraught, but the next day he was back on track.

Pooping is still a thing.

Yeah, you read that right.

He's gone once on the potty after a few hours of telling me he didn't want to go. That first time I offered him a diaper and he said no, and then offered him the chance to go to The Disney Store if he went. Wouldn't you know, it worked, and Buzz became a part of our family. He even has to sleep in our bed, or very close to it so Michael can tell him good-morning.


After that one success, he's now asking for diapers when it's time for #2, but since we have so much success with going #1... I'm not pushing it. I don't want him to feel pressured to rush this. I want him to go on his own time and be confident.

Oh, and the standing thing? Yeah... we're not there yet. Say what you like, but that's something else we will face as time goes by.

What were your potty training tricks? I know everyone doesn't resort to bribery out there!

Hello world. It's me. Yes, I'm actually giving you a post. Expect some more, too!

Shocking, I know. Well, maybe not really.

The past few weeks, maybe months, it's been touch-and-go in our house. One minute we have visitors, the next our house is empty, save Michael and myself, of course. It's made it a bit difficult to get used to our surroundings.

Ok, so, that's my fault.

I've been moping.

There. I said it.

While I'm really trying to get used to our new place, location, and weather (105, anyone?), I really find myself missing 'home'. Though I moved most of my childhood, we settled in to North Carolina when I was in eighth grade, and I was blessed to stay there through high school, college, and Michael's first couple years. Now that we've moved again, which I was once accustomed to, I realize just how hard it is.


When you're in school, you make friends during moves because you're forced into an environment which molds that. Once you're out into the real world though, it's a lot harder. Especially if you don't work, and your husband's work takes him from home regularly so he doesn't really have a work-network for you.

That leaves church for us, but we haven't found a church that feels right. I remind myself that when we moved for Clark's schooling in NC, it took me a year to really make friends and find a church home. Here we are six months in, in Arizona and I'm feeling desperate. At least in the beginning in Brevard, Clark was home. Now I'm on my own. I mean, I'm not, but I am.


I know that God brought us here for a reason. During the end of 2013 we knew we were due for changes. Living where we were in NC, we were kind of stuck. Clark couldn't advance in work, and without advancing we couldn't see ourselves ever being able to expand our family. When it came time between finding out where we would be come 2014, it took a lot of prayer and a lot of patience. I didn't want to move, but I was certain God had something in store for our family.

Well, my certainty faded and faded the longer we were here and the more I felt abandoned. While visitors came to stay, they always had to leave. I just didn't know what I was supposed to be doing other than caring for Michael and going about our day-to-day routine.

Honestly, I still don't. I'm still searching, still praying, still trusting.

I have to constantly remind myself that God has a plan.

God has a plan. God has a plan. God has a plan.

I don't mean to sound whiny. I know my life isn't awful. I know I am so incredibly blessed. Not just because of the family, friends, and things I do have-- but, mainly, because I have Christ in my life. Through Him all things are possible.

So why does life seem so hopeless at times?

I'm not sure I have the answer to the question, but I wanted you to know that I'm striving to do more, focus on my blessings, and give back in any way I know how to.

This blog, it helps me give back, even if I'm only reaching a tiny corner of people in the world.

Keep me in your prayers, friends, and thank you for sticking with me.

" A portrait of my child, once a week, every week in 2014. "

Never leave a jar of Nutella unattended. It was on the counter when I went to switch the laundry upstairs, and when I came back down it was, well, all over Michael. I love his curious spirit, and the fact that he loves this stuff as much as I do. This was one time I didn't mind cleaning up the mess-- I just joined in the fun.

Part of Practising Simplicity's 52 Project.

I know, I know. I've been awful about posting this over the past month. I promise to do better. We have been busy bees around here. Michael has decided that he needs me every.waking.moment. Not even every waking moment, actually. As we are now potty-training, it seems me leaving him during nap time or bed time causes distress. I'm sure it will all pass, and I can't say I mind the cuddles. Now that Clark is home, I am no longer wanted. I was just told that I was to stay inside as they went out and play.

I didn't argue with him.

" A portrait of my child, once a week, every week in 2014. "
19/52

Michael absolutely loves that we have grass in our backyard now. While we still have a few patches of dirt that have yet to fill in, that doesn't stop him from running from one end of the yard to the other with his lawn mower. He wants to be "just like Dada."
Please excuse that this was taken with my iPhone.


20/52

On a very hot day, it was necessary to let Michael play in the ::ahem::doggy::ahem:: pool. He absolutely loved being able to stay in our backyard and cool off. This is not to say that we don't enjoy visiting the neighborhood pool, but lately the big kids seem to like to play in the kiddy pool and that makes Michael a little nervous... or maybe it makes me a little nervous.

Part of Practising Simplicity's 52 Project.

Things are always crazy when Clark comes home. It's easy to fall behind. Michael was way too excited to take Dada to "the trains" as he calls the railroad park. We had a blast, even if it was pretty hot.



Clark and Michael got sick, starting around my birthday. It's taken us all week to get Michael up and running again, but yesterday he finally seemed to be his "whole self". Now if we could just get his sleep back on track, I'll be one happy mama.

Part of Practising Simplicity's 52 Project.