Happy Homemaker Monday/Meal Plan Monday

I have a spare moment before I rush off for the day, so here we go!

The weather in my neck of the woods: Warm, with a chance of thunderstorms. I'm keeping a careful eye on my plants because of how hot (by NC mountain standards) it's going to get here.

Things that make me happy: Getting up early and going for a walk, being able to make pretty things, listening to Coldplay (I am a sucker for Chris Martin)

Menu for this week: It's going to be HAWT. I'll be lucky if I cook anything ;) I'm thinking sandwiches....and I still have a lot of leftover ham, so I can warm that up with potatoes. I have a million things to do this week, and meal planning is ranking pretty low on that list right now. Sorry, ya'll!

What's on my TV today: Notttthinnnnnnnng. Well, actually, Gabe and I may watch an episode or two of The Carbonaro Effect (candid-camera style show with a magician).

Looking around the house: It's getting there! I've managed to do some decorating here and there.

On my to do list: Pharmacy
                              Post office
                              Cleaning

New Recipe I tried or want to try soon: These stuffed peppers minus the shrimp.

In the craft basket:  One headband down, two to go. Now, to find the rest of my hot glue sticks.

Looking forward to this week: New adventures. Going to the river with Ella.

Tips and Tricks: If you have swollen ankles (I did this weekend, thankyouverymuch NC humidity), lay on your bed with a pillow under your back and your feet up, touching a wall. Instant relief. Yay!

Favorite Blog Post: THIS . Ok, so it's not new, but I'm still catching up on blogs. I am a big sucker for a happy story.

Blog Hopping: Praying With My Feet , which isn't newly discovered, but oh my goodness. Anna is one of my favorite people in the blog world. I cried so hard when she wrote about her losses, because I've been there. And she makes the most beautiful crafty things.

No Words Needed: 

Lesson Learned the past few days: Just because other people are judgmental jerks doesn't mean I have to be.

On my mind: My Dad, My Mom, My "NC Mom". So many people in need of prayers.

Devotionals, Scripture, Key Verses: 

Hebrews 11:8King James Version (KJV)

8 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.

24/52

24/52: Bubbles are a big thing around here.

24/52, Sunday: I love this outfit. From the skirt to the too-cool daisies on her head :)

Garden Update/Tomato Count

I am so stinkin' excited. This is the first house we've lived in in this state that we are able to have a garden. Yes, we have our shared spot at the Community Garden, but this little patch is OURS, and Ella and I are very proud to care for it.

Well, actually, we have the tomato patch and then the stuff in pots on my deck (which apparently we will be adding to...I'm a sucker for plants.)

I've had terrible luck with tomatoes. Like, when I lived in TX and they.all.DIED. I thought I was going to have to live vicariously through Grandpa Bruce's tomato garden (which is fine, because come on, it's amazing), and I was really hesitant to start my own garden. But then we ended up with plants from one place, and then our new neighbor gave us a few more...and...well....

Our landlord is awesome and is letting us use some space in front of his house to have our tomato patch. Thank you, Tony :)

Ella and I have been tracking the progress of the tomatoes and man, have they grown!!!

The first picture was taken 5 days ago, and the one in striped socks is today. No, the socks don't match. Nope, I don't care ;)

Oh, and we went out there and counted baby tomatoes today.

There are 22. If things keep going the way they are going, we will have plenty to share :) :) :)

Our other plants are doing well, too. I'm a bit worried about a bell pepper I got at Wal-mart. It didn't look that great to begin with, but it has one bell pepper already on it....

See? The leaves don't look that great....

...but there's new growth and it looks better.

I've also noticed that some sort of insects had been chomping on the leaves of my peppers.

So I mixed up some soapy water and sprayed the leaves. I hope it works!!!

My psychocactus is still...well, psycho.

and my aloes have gotten taller since I got them, I think...

First shot was from 6 days ago, last shot now.

Again, I'm so excited to be gardening!

Happy Homemaker Monday/Meal Plan Monday

I woke up with a migraine. It's definitely Monday! But, I have way too much to do to let that migraine stop me!

The weather in my neck of the woods: Warm. And a possibility of thunderstorms every.single.day. This best not kill my tomatoes.

Things that make me happy:  A friend willing to come by in the morning to bring me a Pepsi, pretty things in my garden, supportive people.

Meal Plan for the week: Let me preface this by saying I'm going to have to do some investigating on this egg shortage. Totally not good because we try to have breakfast for dinner one day a week. However, there are a lot of farmer's markets here, so maybe, we'll be mostly unaffected.

Monday: Pizza, with homemade sauce. (my basil is growing wild)
Tuesday: Ham and whipped potatoes
Wednesday: Breakfast for dinner (or some adaptation thereof)
Thursday: Beef Stew
Friday: Leftover ham mac and cheese
Saturday: Stuffed pepper soup (stay tuned for recipe)
Sunday: Spaghetti

On the TV today: NOTHING. I'm making it a point to step away from the electronics as soon as I'm done with this post. I'll return to the TV tonight to watch a movie with Ella.

Looking around the house: This living room needs a decorative touch. Will work on that tonight.

On my to-do list: *Living room
                              *Taking clothes to thrift store to donate them
                              * Weed the tomato patch
New recipe I tried or want to try soon: This cauliflower alfredo sauce I made last night. As far as new stuff? I have no idea.

In the craft basket: Still those dang headbands. I have zero creativity. Zip. Ugh.

Looking forward to this week: Getting some work done in the garden. Decorating the house. Having roses blooming in the garden!!!

Tips and Tricks: It's a no-brainer, but MIRACLE-GRO on your houseplants, ya'll. Just make sure to dilute really well. My psychocactus was pretty well dead when I first got it and Grandpa Bruce told me to give it Miracle Gro. It's now in its second bloom cycle this year :)

My favorite blog post this week: I got nothin'. Next week!

Blog Hopping: Pinch of Yum , a blog I will be stalking for new recipes :)

No Words Needed: 

Lesson Learned the past few days: Our kids are watching us, ya'll. Just remember that.

On my mind: Finances, decorating this house, hoping I'll have tomatoes this year. Also, several unspoken prayer requests. Pray with me, please?

Devotionals, Scripture, Key Verses: For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings. --Hosea 6:6

Desperation in the Kitchen: Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce (with chicken and penne)

I like cauliflower. I like alfredo sauce. However, the thought of putting the two together kind of freaked me out...but I like a challenge. This was definitely a bucket list food, although I had major trepidation approaching this meal. Because, c'mon...it sounds weird.

And then my wonderful husband told me that it sounded really weird and that he only ate cauliflower when it was cooked and really mushy or in soup. So that made me even more wary of trying it.

For the record, I came across this recipe on Pinterest, but it comes from Pinch of Yum . The only thing I changed was the amount of garlic, as I had a giant head of garlic, so the 8 cloves the original recipe called for became 5 gigantic cloves.

Want to know how it turned out? I'll update at the end of the post ;)

Here's What You Need:
*Chicken
*Seasonings for chicken
*Olive oil
*8 garlic cloves (or 5 really, really, really big ones)
*2 Tablespoons of butter
*5-6 cups of cauliflower florets (I used one big head of cauliflower)
*6-7 cups vegetable broth or water (I used water seasoned with salt, pepper, and garlic powder)
*salt, to taste
*pepper, to taste
*1/2 cup of milk
*Not pictured: Parmesan cheese, because I always forget one thing.
*Pasta (I used penne)
*A jar of pre-made alfredo sauce (just in case this is a bust)

Here's what you do

*Saute your chicken in olive oil and seasonings, set aside

*Saute the garlic in the butter until it's soft and fragrant, but not burned ('cause it will taste bitter). Set aside.

*Take the head of cauliflower and break it apart into florets. Joke with your 9 year old about how much the cauliflower looks like a brain. Shudder inwardly and decide that you just cannot touch the cauliflower anymore. Make the 9 year old finish the rest.

*Bring the seasoned water to a boil. Cook the cauliflower in it for 7-10 minutes, or until it's fork-tender.

*Meanwhile, boil the water for the pasta.

*Scoop out the cauliflower and put it in the blender, along with the garlic butter,  about a cup of water, a splash of milk, seasonings, and parmesan cheese. You may have to do this in batches.

*Blend the everloving daylights out of that cauliflower. Add more spices if you need to.

*Add it to your chicken. Serve with pasta. We added bacon bits (because Ella must have bacon with EVERYTHING) and more parmesan on top. 

*The verdict: This rocked! Ella and I both had good-sized servings and then Gabe came home from work and demolished the rest. No leftovers! And the best part is: I didn't need to use my jar of "just in case the experiment is horrific" alfredo. Whoot!

(Also, I've looked up the health benefits of cauliflower here and apparently cauliflower is awesome in many, many ways....I'll definitely be making this again, and I'll definitely be cooking with cauliflower more...I usually just put it in soups.)

23/52

23/52: We were at Claire's at the mall and she found this veil. "You know, Mom, I'll probably wear something like this when I marry Adam Young (from Owl City)." Ah...girlhood dreams lol

23/52, Sunday: This is her garden party dress ;)

Why It Matters

In my house, in various jewelry boxes, in one white memory box with butterflies and dragonflies are some  pretty priceless treasures.

Things with Riley's name on them. I've had her name printed on a few things. I've bought things with her name. I've written her name in the sand.

Ella has written her name.

Why? Why does it matter?
Because when I lost her, I lost a huge part of myself. The part where I could function and process grief like a "normal" person. I went into massive denial, got pregnant a few months later and ended up delivering a healthy baby girl at 35 weeks. Time to move on, right? Well, it wasn't a co-incidence that said baby girl had her big sister's birthday.

I struggled with that, and more than two years after she was gone, she was finally named. Riley Grace. Riley, because I was being trendy at the time. And Grace, because...oh, she was my saving grace. Is my saving grace. If she hadn't touched my life...if I hadn't had to say goodbye before I even got a chance to say hello...I would have continued on the path of destruction I was on.

I may have never found my way back to Christ. I would never have stopped to look at people on the street. I mean, really LOOK at them. The single Mom with three kids? I would probably have thought some horribly judgmental thing. The lady at the cemetery, crying? Well, I might have thought, "Good Lord, get over it."
But, ya'll know what? One day, that lady at the cemetery was ME. And there is no getting over it.

For a life that so briefly touched mine, she CHANGED it. Completely. So...why her name?

Because, right now, it's what I have.

Because, when I look at her name, written anywhere, I can say. SHE WAS HERE. THIS IS HER NAME. SHE IS IMPORTANT. SHE MATTERS. SHE MATTERS. SHE MATTERS.

This morning, a fellow babyloss Mom sent me a sweet message. And in it, was a picture of a balloon.

Grief tends to either a) cause you to alienate others/cause them to alienate you or b) strengthen a bond/forge one.

I've met so many amazing people. People have reached out to me. I've reached out to people that before my loss, I would never approach, either because I wouldn't know what to say, or because of my judgmental nature.

So, this is why it matters. This is why her name matters. So, please, if you happen to see me in passing, or you want to say something to me. Don't be afraid. Speak her name. It matters.