I have a new baby.
She's a gorgeous apple-red dutch oven, and I'm in love.
It was a birthday present from Momma B. I'm so excited!
I made gumbo a few weeks ago and learned that it's not very easy to make a perfect roux in a thin-bottomed metal pot. (In fact, it's very easy to make a perfectly scorched roux in a thin-bottomed metal pot.)
My southern Mother-in-law knew that a girl needs a real dutch oven to make a real gumbo, so that was my birthday present from her this year. I'm going to have many pics to upload from my wonderful 24th birthday! Check here to find them soon :-)
I was so excited to have a dutch oven that I wanted to find a simple yummy recipe to try it out.
Pot roast was always a special meal during my childhood, so I decided to try my hand at it. The dutch oven made it so moist and flavorful! This recipe is the simplest thing in the world. If you don't have a dutch oven, try doing this in a slow cooker.
♥2.5 pound beef chuck pot roast (about 8 inches long by 2 inches thick)
♥1 packet of Lipton Beef and Onion powdered soup mix (adds such simple,yummy flavor!)
♥4-6 small russet potatoes
♥ two or three hanfuls ofbaby carrots (about 6 ounces)
♥1 cup water
♥pinch of salt
♥pinch of pepper
The most important part to making a pot roast is to sear in all of the juices before you get started. Turn the stove on to medium-high heat and sear each side for 4-6 minutes. It should come out a light brown, caramelly color.
Once the roast is nicely browned, remove from heat and season the top and sides with salt and pepper. Mix the onion soup mix with 1 cup of water, and pour it around (not on top of) the roast. Put it back on the stove and get it up to a simmer for two hours. Put your ear next to the pot to listen for a gentle simmering sound. Make sure it's not too hot--it will dry the poor thing out!
Ten minutes before the two-hour timer goes off, cut up your potatoes. There shouldn't be any pieces thicker than 1.5 inches. Add the potatoes and carrots to the pot and leave it alone for another hour.
I told you this was easy, didn't I? :-)
Dinner is all set and ready once you turn that burner off an hour later. Serve with some salad, some bread rolls, and a homey dessert, and you've got yourself one of the easiest crowd pleasers you could come up with!
Enjoy :-)
Sunday, October 3, 2010
I have a job!
A note from two weeks ago:
Hi Gramma,
I'm sorry it took so long to reply! I've been trying to figure things out and have kind of just been flying by the seat of my pants lately.
I'm back in the job limbo. The school that I've subbed at for the last three weeks wants to hire me as an Admissions Counselor (they haven't gotten the official ok to hire anyone yet, but the principal loves me and says as soon as she gets the go-ahead from the church board, she will come straight to me), I just heard from the preschool director at the school I worked at all last year that they are voting on Sunday to increase their preschool to have an infant/toddler program (and the director there said that she wants to hire me as the Infant Toddler Program Director if the church votes yes for the program), and today, I interviewed for a position as an inclusion aide (working with children with special needs) in the San Marino District. Whew! It's nice to have things on the board again, but I'm not getting my hopes up. I thought at the beginning of the summer that I had it made with the two schools I had applied for, and neither of them hired me. I'm jaded and ready for something secure, for sure!
Love, Beth
Well, guess which one I got?
I nearly fell out of my seat when I got a call from the lady at the district saying that they wanted to hire me. Her exact words were "Congratulations, Bethany, you've been hired!" My exact thoughts were, "Wow, I haven't heard those words in 5 years!" I didn't even know what to say. I had really been hoping that th admissions counselor job would work out (but I still haven't heard from them...) and was even thinking ethat I would like to work at the infant/toddler program (even though it would be awkward to work on the same site as the principal who didn't even call me himself to tell me that he wouldn't keep his promise of hiring me. I still love [mostly] everyone there, though, and miss them so much! If they offered me a position at the preschool, I would take it in an instant.)
Annnnnnnnnnnnyway, I'm done with waiting on promises that don't come through, so when I got the call from the district expressing such excitement about having me onboard, I couldn't help but smile.
It's not my dream job, but it's something. It's not the salary I would get as a teacher, but it's better than sitting at home waiting around to sub. And I'm so tired of hoping and praying for a teaching job that I was ready to give up on education altogether and apply for a job at JoAnn's. (Minus the minimum wage part, wouldn't that be just the perfect job for me?!?) Buuuuuuut, this keeps me in the field of education, gives me excellent experience working with children with special needs (hello, impressive resume!) and gets my foot in the door of one of the top school districts in our area.
I've been praying for so long to have a job, and now I have one I'm thankful! Thank you for praying along with me. It's been such a long process!
I'll let you know how it goes :-)
Hi Gramma,
I'm sorry it took so long to reply! I've been trying to figure things out and have kind of just been flying by the seat of my pants lately.
I'm back in the job limbo. The school that I've subbed at for the last three weeks wants to hire me as an Admissions Counselor (they haven't gotten the official ok to hire anyone yet, but the principal loves me and says as soon as she gets the go-ahead from the church board, she will come straight to me), I just heard from the preschool director at the school I worked at all last year that they are voting on Sunday to increase their preschool to have an infant/toddler program (and the director there said that she wants to hire me as the Infant Toddler Program Director if the church votes yes for the program), and today, I interviewed for a position as an inclusion aide (working with children with special needs) in the San Marino District. Whew! It's nice to have things on the board again, but I'm not getting my hopes up. I thought at the beginning of the summer that I had it made with the two schools I had applied for, and neither of them hired me. I'm jaded and ready for something secure, for sure!
Love, Beth
Well, guess which one I got?
I nearly fell out of my seat when I got a call from the lady at the district saying that they wanted to hire me. Her exact words were "Congratulations, Bethany, you've been hired!" My exact thoughts were, "Wow, I haven't heard those words in 5 years!" I didn't even know what to say. I had really been hoping that th admissions counselor job would work out (but I still haven't heard from them...) and was even thinking ethat I would like to work at the infant/toddler program (even though it would be awkward to work on the same site as the principal who didn't even call me himself to tell me that he wouldn't keep his promise of hiring me. I still love [mostly] everyone there, though, and miss them so much! If they offered me a position at the preschool, I would take it in an instant.)
Annnnnnnnnnnnyway, I'm done with waiting on promises that don't come through, so when I got the call from the district expressing such excitement about having me onboard, I couldn't help but smile.
It's not my dream job, but it's something. It's not the salary I would get as a teacher, but it's better than sitting at home waiting around to sub. And I'm so tired of hoping and praying for a teaching job that I was ready to give up on education altogether and apply for a job at JoAnn's. (Minus the minimum wage part, wouldn't that be just the perfect job for me?!?) Buuuuuuut, this keeps me in the field of education, gives me excellent experience working with children with special needs (hello, impressive resume!) and gets my foot in the door of one of the top school districts in our area.
I've been praying for so long to have a job, and now I have one I'm thankful! Thank you for praying along with me. It's been such a long process!
I'll let you know how it goes :-)
Favorite Moment from Today
Here's a snippet of conversation between two high schoolers during our Bible study with our high school youth at church today:
Sarah: One of my friends calls it "Sermon on the Hillside."
Mike: Same difference.
Sarah: It's not the same thing! It's the Sermon on the Mount! It was a mountain!!!
Mike: Potato/tomato. Same thing.
Sarah: One of my friends calls it "Sermon on the Hillside."
Mike: Same difference.
Sarah: It's not the same thing! It's the Sermon on the Mount! It was a mountain!!!
Mike: Potato/tomato. Same thing.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Chicken Fajitas
This is a new favorite in the Brubaker household. I made it a few weeks ago when I had leftover bell peppers and onions (I was so proud of figuring out how to use them without having to go to the store to buy anything else!!!) and we made it again when Kim was here. It's such an easy recipe, and as long as you have all of the spices in your cupboard already, this meal is a cinch!
♥ 1 teaspoon pure chile powder
♥ 1 teaspoon kosher salt
♥ 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
♥ 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
♥ 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
♥ 1 tablespoon cornstarch
♥ 1/4 cup water
♥ 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
♥ 1 whole skinless, boneless chicken breast (about 1 pound), cut into 1/2-inch strips
♥ 1 green bell pepper—cored, seeded and cut into thin strips
♥ 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
♥ 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving
Use a ziplock to combine the chile powder with the salt, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, cornstarch, water and 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the chicken, bell pepper and onion, seal and knead gently to coat. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in a large nonstick skillet until shimmering. Empty the contents of the bag into the skillet and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are crisp-tender and the chicken is cooked through, about 6 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the lime juice.
Serve with tortillas, cheese, salsa, sour cream, and whatever else sounds good, and enjoy!
It's so yummy, I'm going to eat the leftovers for lunch!
♥ 1 teaspoon pure chile powder
♥ 1 teaspoon kosher salt
♥ 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
♥ 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
♥ 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
♥ 1 tablespoon cornstarch
♥ 1/4 cup water
♥ 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
♥ 1 whole skinless, boneless chicken breast (about 1 pound), cut into 1/2-inch strips
♥ 1 green bell pepper—cored, seeded and cut into thin strips
♥ 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
♥ 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving
Use a ziplock to combine the chile powder with the salt, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, cornstarch, water and 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the chicken, bell pepper and onion, seal and knead gently to coat. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in a large nonstick skillet until shimmering. Empty the contents of the bag into the skillet and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are crisp-tender and the chicken is cooked through, about 6 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the lime juice.
Serve with tortillas, cheese, salsa, sour cream, and whatever else sounds good, and enjoy!
It's so yummy, I'm going to eat the leftovers for lunch!
Fun Times with Kim
It was so good to see Kim this week! It's also good to see that two years can go by and our friendship is just the same. "Just with more wrinkles," Kim said. :-P
I picked her up at the airport around 9:30, and was so excited to see her that I didn't want to be responsible for driving back home until we'd actually gotten to visit for a little bit. So we stopped at TGI Friday's and ate a platter of appetizers while we caught up with each other and laughed like old times. It's so good to have her back!
We spent all day on Thursday lounging around the house, talking, eating, talking, and eating. The only thing we actually got out of the house to do was to make a run to Trader Joe's to get what we needed to make dinner that night. By the time Jesse came home from work, we had chicken fajitas hot and ready to go. Yum!
I forgot to charge my camera battery until Thursday, which is why I only have pictures from yesterday.
On Friday, we took Kim to our favorite local sushi restaurant.
I picked her up at the airport around 9:30, and was so excited to see her that I didn't want to be responsible for driving back home until we'd actually gotten to visit for a little bit. So we stopped at TGI Friday's and ate a platter of appetizers while we caught up with each other and laughed like old times. It's so good to have her back!
We spent all day on Thursday lounging around the house, talking, eating, talking, and eating. The only thing we actually got out of the house to do was to make a run to Trader Joe's to get what we needed to make dinner that night. By the time Jesse came home from work, we had chicken fajitas hot and ready to go. Yum!
I forgot to charge my camera battery until Thursday, which is why I only have pictures from yesterday.
On Friday, we took Kim to our favorite local sushi restaurant.
We ordered tons of sushi rolls and then just ate off of each other's plates. Yum!
Friends for five years, and roommates for three!
Kim actually still has a few more months on Jesse :-)
Kim actually still has a few more months on Jesse :-)
I lived with my roommate for longer than I have with my husband. Oh well, he'll catch up!
He's so handsome!
After lunch, Jesse had to head to church for an overnight lock-in with the high schoolers. Kim and I had a few hours to do girly things, so we painted our nails and made some jewelry.
Fun times!
I dropped Kim off to spend the weekend with another friend, but she's going to be spending Monday with us again. I'm just so excited to have her back!
Friday, September 24, 2010
Note to Self:
Next time you decide to do something as ambitious as promise not to buy any more craft items until you make 25 things with what you already own, Bethany Brubaker, CHECK TO MAKE SURE IT'S NOT DURING ONE OF THE BIGGEST SALE WEEKS OF THE SEASON!
This is killing me. I've finished 9 things, but I still have a long way to go. And JoAnn's keeps mailing me coupons. I have a stack of 18 coupons...that expire tomorrow.
So sad.
But aren't you proud of my will-power?
I'm not even proud yet...I'm shocked and amazed that I haven't caved in!
Keep it up...keep it up!
This is killing me. I've finished 9 things, but I still have a long way to go. And JoAnn's keeps mailing me coupons. I have a stack of 18 coupons...that expire tomorrow.
So sad.
But aren't you proud of my will-power?
I'm not even proud yet...I'm shocked and amazed that I haven't caved in!
Keep it up...keep it up!
Knitting Day!
I just uploaded pictures from my camera to my computer and found a ton of pictures I need to blog about!
Here's a day from the summer that I really enjoyed.
Sarah and Hannah are two sweet girls at our church. We bonded when Jesse and I first came to Hope because of their dedication to the church and also their love for yarn! When they found out that I crocheted but didn't know how to knit, they promised they would teach me. They even gave me a cute bag full of yarn and knitting needles for my first birthday out here.
Fast forward two years: I still hadn't arranged for a time for them to teach me how to knit. Between all of our busy schedules, it kept getting pushed back further and further. I never forgot, though, and always looked forward to the day they could come over for a "crafternoon" and teach me how to knit.
We turned it into a tea party. I served tortilla roll sandwiches and cranberry apple salad, and the girls brought a beautiful fruit salad. My friend Jenny joined us for our crafternoon, and the four of us had the most wonderful time!
Knitting was an interesting experience for me. It's funny to feel so slow and awkward with yarn since I've been able to zip through projects since I was 11. By the end of the afternoon, I had nice, even stitches and was enjoying my new handiwork. I still prefer crochet, but I'm glad to have something new to add to my repertoire!
I'm glad that we finally got to have our knitting day. It was a lot of fun to fellowship with sweet girls from church and learn a new skill. Don't be surprised now if you ever receive a knit gift from me!
Here's a day from the summer that I really enjoyed.
Sarah and Hannah are two sweet girls at our church. We bonded when Jesse and I first came to Hope because of their dedication to the church and also their love for yarn! When they found out that I crocheted but didn't know how to knit, they promised they would teach me. They even gave me a cute bag full of yarn and knitting needles for my first birthday out here.
Fast forward two years: I still hadn't arranged for a time for them to teach me how to knit. Between all of our busy schedules, it kept getting pushed back further and further. I never forgot, though, and always looked forward to the day they could come over for a "crafternoon" and teach me how to knit.
We turned it into a tea party. I served tortilla roll sandwiches and cranberry apple salad, and the girls brought a beautiful fruit salad. My friend Jenny joined us for our crafternoon, and the four of us had the most wonderful time!
 |
| Hannah and Jenny |
 |
| Sarah and me It was such a fun afternoon. The way we naturally paired up (Hannah teaching Jenny and Sarah teaching me) totally cracked me up. Hannah and Jenny are the more energetic/extroverted girls out of the four of us, and their couch kept erupting into shrieks and laughter while Hannah tried to teach Jenny how to knit. J: OH NOOOOOOOOOOO! H: What's wroooooooong???? J: I think I dropped a stitch! H: Let me see! I'll fix it for you! J: No! I need to learn how to do it! Show me how! H: Ok! It's gonna be ok! Just let me figure this out. J: Hurry! It's going to get ruined!!! verses the quiet companionship on Sarah and my couch: S: How are you doing over there? B: Pretty well, how does this look? S: It's looking good. I'll show you the next step as soon as you finish that row.  |
Knitting was an interesting experience for me. It's funny to feel so slow and awkward with yarn since I've been able to zip through projects since I was 11. By the end of the afternoon, I had nice, even stitches and was enjoying my new handiwork. I still prefer crochet, but I'm glad to have something new to add to my repertoire!
I'm glad that we finally got to have our knitting day. It was a lot of fun to fellowship with sweet girls from church and learn a new skill. Don't be surprised now if you ever receive a knit gift from me!
♥
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