Baked Mozzarella Sticks

I found myself with a bag of string cheese that my two year old refused to eat and after seeing an idea on pinterest to use egg roll wrappers and turn them into baked mozzarella sticks I was inspired.

These were just ok... didn't quite satisfy my fried mozzarella stick craving, but for less calories and ease of preparation a good, healthy, substitute.

I followed this method.

::this week::

This is Jeremy's last week at his job.  He'll (we'll) be in full-time ministry as of next week.  I'm so excited to see him do what he was clearly created to do.  God has used him so much, in so many people's lives over the last many months, I can only imagine how much this will increase as he has a lot more time to devote to ministry.

This is my first week of only watching 1 kid in addition to Noah, and it has been a nice break so far.

Transition has been the ongoing theme in our house recently... potty training, big boy bed, watching a new baby, no longer watching the same 1 year old who I've watched the last year, J's last day at the office, and then his upcoming trip to India (our first time apart for more than 1 night EVER!), our new baby due in May.

praising:  some new unexpected provision for our ministry/ family... we still need more, but God has been so faithful at providing.  the grace of others, and God!

praying:  for wisdom and patience in parenting... it has been a rough 2 weeks with our stubborn 2 year old.  for Noah to have a teachable and obedient heart.

thankful for:  nice weather.  lots of time recently to catch up with friends.  some new hand me down clothes for Noah.  friends.  community.  this city.  a gift card to Whole Foods.  a date night with my love this Saturday.  this beautiful city.

reading:  1 Chronicles, Jeremiah, Letters from a Skeptic


cooking:  fish tacos, salad with cilantro lime dressing, quick refried beans, lemon bars, pumpkin cream cheese bars, applesauce muffins, BBQ and Thai chicken pizza, Thai tilapia red curry, chicken satay

doing: a few dinners/ coffee/ walk dates with friends.  sorting clothes... Noah's old clothes for Elisha, maternity clothes, some new hand me downs for Noah that are too big and need to be stored. ladies Bible study through the Psalms.

pondering:  Matthew 8:13 And to the centurion Jesus said, “Go; let it be done for you as you have believed.” And the servant was healed at that very moment. -I want to be constantly believing God for BIG things and not limiting Him with my faith..

blessed by:1 Chronicles 16:23-25  Sing to the Lord, all the earth! Tell of his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples! For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and he is to be feared above all gods.

challenged by: Psalm 19:14  May the words of my mouth and meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and redeemer.

23 weeks

Here is what is going on with our little mango this week, according to babycenter.com;

Turn on the radio and sway to the music. With her sense of movement well developed by now, your baby can feel you dance. And now that she's more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about as much as a large mango), you may be able to see her squirm underneath your clothes. Blood vessels in her lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that your baby's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing her for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as your dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze her when she hears them outside the womb.

You may notice that your ankles and feet start to swell a bit in the coming weeks or months, especially at the end of the day or during the heat of summer. Sluggish circulation in your legs — coupled with changes in your blood chemistry that may cause some water retention — may result in swelling, also known as edema. Your body will get rid of the extra fluid after you have your baby, which is why you'll pee frequently and sweat a lot for a few days after delivery. In the meantime, lie on your left side or put your feet up when you can, stretch out your legs when you sit, and avoid sitting — or standing — in one place for long periods.

Also, try to exercise regularly to increase circulation, and wear support stockings (put them on first thing in the morning) and roomy, comfortable shoes. You may be tempted to skimp on liquids to combat swelling, but you need to drink plenty of water because staying hydrated actually helps prevent fluid retention. While a certain amount of edema in your lower extremities is normal during pregnancy, excessive swelling may be a sign of a serious condition called preeclampsia. Be sure to call your midwife or doctor if you have severe or sudden swelling of your feet or ankles, more than slight swelling of your hands, swelling in your face, or puffiness around your eyes.

As for me, no real changes this week.  We have finalized the name though, and he will be Elisha Samuel Mangerchine.  Named after two great prophets, just like his daddy.

::this week::

praising:  some quick answers to prayer requests for some of the ladies in our community group over the last week.

praying:  friends and family.  our city.

thankful for:  grace.  a break in the rainy/ grey weather for some sunshine.

reading:  Jeremiah, 2 Kings, Momentum

cooking:  spicy chicken enchiladas, guacamole salad, fish tacos, refried black beans, BBQ and buffalo chicken pizza. banana peanut butter chocolate chip muffins, warm sesame slaw, huevos rancheros, made over ramen noodles, creamy parmesan Italian salad dressing, pasta and sauce with baked mozzarella sticks, garlic noodles

doing:  hosting multiple friends over for dinner.

pondering:   Matthew 8:13 And to the centurion Jesus said, “Go; let it be done for you as you have believed.” And the servant was healed at that very moment. -thinking about what I am believing God for and adjusting to expect BIG things... the miraculous

2 Kings 20: God's answer to Hezekiah's prayer... God adding 15 years to his life.  not showing my treasures to everyone... especially my enemies.  after Hez. opened up and showed his treasuries to the men from babylon, they later used that against him and carried off all of his stuff into captivity.

2 Kings 21: was it "good" for Hezekiah to petition God to lived longer?  had he not lived the extra 15 years his son Manasseh would never have been born, who ended up being evil an king.  should Hezekiah have accepted God's original message in 2 Kings 20 that his sickness would end in death?

Creamy Parmesan Italian Dressing

Creamy Parmesan Italian Dressing

At first I didn't love this dressing, but as the days went on I grew to enjoy it more and more, and really came to like it, especially when paired with something briny, like olives and pepperoncini peppers.  I served this dressing with a salad of spinach (although romaine would have been my preference here), tomatoes, cucumbers, croutons, sliced red onions, kalmatta olives, and pepperoncini peppers to round out an Italian meal.

-1 c light mayo
-1/2 c red wine vinegar
-1/2 c olive oil
-1/2 tsp salt
-1 tsp sugar
-1/2 tsp pepper
-1 tsp Italian seasoning
-2 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese
-1 clove garlic, minced

Whisk together ingredients.  Chill at least 2 hours prior to serving.  Will keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Banana Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins

I made these Banana Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins I thought they turned out great, and Noah LOVED them.  The few changes I made were;

-I used salted butter because that's all I had, and then eliminated the salt

-used all whole wheat flour instead of a combination of white and whole wheat

Gyros with Tzatziki Sauce

I made these gyros with tzatziki sauce.  I served them with hummus and tabbouleh and it was one of my favorite meals that I've ever made.  The changes I made were to;

-use beef instead of lamb, but a combination of each would be great

-1 Tbsp oregano to the meat mixture

-add 2 Tbsp lemon juice to the tzatziki sauce

-next time I'd reduce the garlic in the tzatziki sauce to 1 clove, because it was way too strong for us (and we LOVE garlic)