Whiskey Shelf

Ladies, the odds of getting a Pinterest project done by your husband increase if you offer him a blowtorch.  

D made this beautiful whiskey shelf for me and I love the burnt finish, the copper, the size, the function, the location....you know what, I just love it.  

Naturally during the build process I was taking pictures.  Then, at some point (after being dropped too many times) my phone died and those beautiful moments of my husband lighting this shelf on fire in our driveway live on only in our memories. 

Ahhh that DIY tutorial was literally up in flames, so this is less of a DIY post and more of a "look at this" post. 

Yep, it's a beauty. 
~D & H 

Fish Enchiladas

There is an amazing restaurant "Verde" in Kauai that serves up delicious fish enchiladas and refreshing margaritas, a perfect treat for some outdoor spring dining - here is my version of those enchiladas 

What you need:
For the Enchiladas
Tortillas (I used taco sized corn tortillas)
2 cans enchilada sauce - 1 red, 1 green
Mozzarella Cheese

For the fried fish
Talapia 
Flour
1 Egg
Bread crumbs
Paprika
Salt 
Oil

First we are going to fry up the talapia (this is my go-to for fish tacos too)

1) Pour 1/2 cup of oil into a pan on medium heat
2) Lightly cover both sides of the fish with flour
3) Beat the egg and brush both sides of the fish with the egg (so the breadcrumbs will stick)
4) Sprinkle bread crumbs over both sides of fish, then repeat with salt and paprika.  Any bread crumbs work, I used the ones below but typically use panko bread crumbs

5) Fry the fish until brown on both sides ~5 minutes per side

Now we are going to assemble the enchiladas.  (I used 1 large piece of fish for each enchilada stack and put each enchilada stack in an 8 in pie pan.)   For the enchiladas I like to alternate the tortilla layers - 1 fish layer, followed by 1 cheese layer, another fish layer then one last cheese layer.  Healthy!
6)  Place 1/4 cup of enchilada sauce in the bottom of the pan, add a tortilla

7) Add 1/2 of the talapia, gently broken into chunks and cover with cheese

8) Pour 1/4 cup of green enchilada sauce over the stack

9) Add another tortilla, layered with cheese and red sauce
10) Add another tortilla, layer with the remaining fish, sprinkle with cheese and top with enchilada sauce
11) Place the top tortilla, sprinkle with cheese and pour red and green sauces over the top 

12) Cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees for roughly 30 minutes. 

I served the fish enchiladas with rice and it was a hit! 

Good catch eh, 
~D & H 


 

They're watching us.

Recently my daughter has been moving the rug by our sliding door to the middle of the living room so she can stand on it, then roll around on it for a while she grunts and babbles.  The first time she did this I wasn't sure what she was up to, then she did this...

Yep, that's the yoga "chair" pose.  Duh - she moved the rug to where I put down my yoga mat to practice, she was doing what I do! Wait, oh no....she was doing what I do.   

It isn't always at the forefront of my mind how much she watches me, thankfully the times that I have been reminded it has been positive - but I am sure there will be times when I wonder at her behavior then cringe because it mirrors mine.

Our kids are watching us, we might not always think so but they are.  Let's challenge ourselves to be aware and intentional in our actions, and of the example that we set for them to follow.  

I want my little girl to see me showing love and compassion towards my family.  I want her to see me present, to see my time and energy invested in things that actually matter and to see me follow through with what I say I will do.  I want her to value a strong mind and nurture her body because she saw me do the same.      

There are always going to be storms that life throws our way, worse yet there will be storms that life throws at our kids, our example will teach them how to weather those storms.  They're watching us, so let's teach them to be consistent even when it isn't convenient, let's show them how to be flexible but strong, patient yet focused, steadfast, intentional and present.  

Or let's at least do some yoga,
D & H


 

Hot Toddies & Diamonds

“A diamond 

is a chunk of coal 

that did well under pressure.” 

Henry Kissinger

 

According to that quote, after this head cold I am going to have a brain diamond rattling around in my skull.  Wonderful.  Thank you sinus pressure.  

 

To reduce the diamond making process we've been sipping on these hot toddies before bed and trying to recover, here is what you'll need to make some too:

 

• Brandy or Whiskey

• Water

• 2 Bags of Black Tea 

• 2 Tablespoons of Honey

• 1 Tablespoon of Lemon

  Put the honey, lemon and tea bags into a tea pot (or divide into two mugs), add boiling water and let the tea steep for five minutes, it should be a non-appealing yellow color.  Pour into a mug and add a shot of the brandy or whiskey.  Take a sip, and enjoy the simple, sweet and tangy warmth!

  

   To be honest, I've only ever drank this when I'm sick, so it may taste awful with clear sinuses....hopefully in a few days I will know for sure! 

  ~D & H

DIY: Knitted Infinity Scarf for Kiddo

I'm just going to say it, I have the cutest kid in the world.  I really do.  Getting her dressed every morning is one of the best parts of my day,  especially when she is wearing something that I made for her! 

A few weeks ago I knitted that infinity scarf for her, I think it took roughly six hours to make (over the course of about a week), here is what you need to DIY and how I did it. 

What you need
Two skeins of yarn

• I used some random yarn I had in my craft collection and used two different colors - a multi-tone white/gray one similar to this yarn, and a gray similar to this yarn
• You actually don't need two entire skeins for this project but since you will be knitting with both at the same time for this project it is easier to get two rather than to work from both ends of one

Knitting Needles 

• The size of the needles isn't crucial, I used ones that are smaller than I normally use for my own scarves so the stitch would be a little bit tighter. 

Free Time 

How to 

• Using both skeins of yarn, cast on 16 stitches
• Knit 5, Purl 5, Knit 5, Purl 5
• Continue this pattern until your scarf is the desired length
• To complete this scarf I cut the ends of the yarn about a foot from where my last stitch was, then I simply placed the ends of the scarf together and stitched through them with the yarn until the ends were completely stitched together, then I tied it off.  Using needle and a thread would have worked as well.  

What a cutie pie, I am one blessed momma!

Happy knitting,
~D & H

 

 

Scriptures of Encouragement: Career

There are always going to be seasons in life where our work is challenging - regardless of whether that work it is at home, in an office, at school or online.  For many of us these professional challenges are coupled with the responsibilities of raising children, cultivating a healthy marriage, maintaining family relationships and managing a household.   

I rely a lot on routine to maintain harmony between the different areas of my life, but often that routine is disrupted by life.  Thanks life!  When that disruption happens the way I typically react is by working harder - staying up later, putting in more hours, picking up the slack, etc etc.  The idea of slowing down to "wait" on God is not normally something that occurs to me.  

But if faith really is the foundation of my life, why is my first instinct to rely on myself and what I can do rather than to rely on God and what HE can do?  

If my focus is on God and the plan he has for my family, on days when there are setbacks, or when I can not find joy in the day-to-day aspects of my work or when I am simply just tired, I can rest and rely on God.  I know that He has a purpose for my life, so I will apply whatever intellect and talent he has given me towards the work I have been called to do.  I will focus on God so that regardless of the situation (or my feelings towards it) I will remain faithful, steadfast and humble in everything I do.    

Below are a few sciptures that encourage me, I hope they encourage you as well.  God bless you, 
D & H    

Joshua 1:9
Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

1 Cor 15:57-58

 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.  Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

Psalm 25:1-5

Unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me.  Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed: let them be ashamed which transgress without cause. Shew me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths.  Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.

Mark 12:30
And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
 
Proverbs 17:27 (NIV)
The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint, and whoever has understanding is even-tempered.

2 Cor 12:9
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
 
1 Peter 5:6-7
 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
 
Philippians 2:3-4 
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
 
Titus 2:7-8
In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness  and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.
 
Col 3:23
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
⁶ in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.
  

Lazy & Delicious Tortilla Soup

It is COLD and RAINY here which means there is nothing like coming home to a warm, delicious dinner.  This soup is all that AND it is  super easy. YAY!  

Dump the ingredients below into your crockpot then walk away slowly...

Tortilla Soup
1 can black beans
1 can corn
1 can rotel diced tomatoes  
1 can green chilies
2 cups shredded chicken
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp chicken boullion
4 cups of water 

Does it still count as cooking even though I didn't stir anything? Sure, why not.   

I left everything in the crockpot on high for roughly three hours.  

Just prior to serving, I used a pizza cutter on a few tortillas to make tortilla strips for the soup - I threw them on a cookie sheet and baked them at 350 degrees until they turned brown.  I served D's soup with the tortilla strips and a scoop of sour cream. For mine I sprinkled some shredded lettuce and avocado.  Yummo.

Getting warmer!
~D & H