This recipe has made the cut, and will be in the rotation each month in the Evans household. Sorry, no pictures...but here it is.
Homemade French Dips
Crock pot
Any cut of beef (or venison) that will shed well
1 can of dark beer
2 cans of Campbell's french onion soup
water
salt and pep
hoagie rolls and swiss cheese
Cover beef with ingredients and crock all day. serve on rolls with cheese and a cup of the juice from the crock pot. I served with fries.
you can also save the stock and add chopped onions for French Onion Soup.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Monday, June 13, 2011
Jessie's Cognitive Phases of Pregnancy
I was thinking this weekend about the different things that my mind has chosen to fixate on during these last nine months. It is amazing what happens in the mind during pregnancy. I thought it would be interesting to share my particular mental phases. Here we go...
Phase 1 - OUR LIVES WILL NEVER BE THE SAME.
The day we found out that we were pregnant, I just could not believe it. I took a Dollar Store pregnancy test in the morning. (don’t invest in those.) I took the test, then texted a picture of the results to Cory with the caption, "Does this look like two lines to you?" Neither of us could tell. On the way home, I splurged for the digital PREGNANT or NOT PREGNANT kind. After I took the test, I was too nervous to look at the result. Cory went in the bathroom as I paced in the kitchen...I yelled "What does it say?" He did not say a word, and I knew. He came out of the bathroom and handed me the test. The test read, PREGNANT. We sat at the kitchen table in shock. I felt scared, overwhelmed, and excited all at once. Our lives will never be the same. Wow.
Phase 2 - IT'S ALIVE!!!
After the initial shock and a few weeks of sickness wore off :), my mind became fixed on the fact that there was a living being growing inside of me! I could not wrap my mind around the idea that this thing that was the size of a grape would someday be as big as me, with thoughts and opinions and friends and a life of its own. It rocked my world to think about it.
Phase 3 - PREGNANCY QUEEN
About mid-way though, I loved being pregnant. All I wanted to do was eat from morning until night. I loved the liberating feeling of being able to eat my way through the day with no regret at all. I could get around easily, and people I did not even know catered to me :) It was magnificent.
Phase 4 - HOLY CANNOLI!! I HAVE TO DELIVER THIS THING!!
Feeling Harper move inside of me is one of the coolest things I have ever experienced. I know I will really miss that when I am not pregnant anymore. Once she really started to move, I began to think a lot about the delivery. I was pretty fearful about it at first. I dove into doing research about the process. I needed to find out what was going to actually be happening in my body during labor.
For me, if I can understand why something is happening (a pain or sickness of some kind), then I will do a better job of dealing with it. It is like when I was training during my college basketball days. Even though workouts would be excruciating at times, once I understood what that pain was doing to my muscles, I could handle it. During this phase, I actually thought a lot about my athletic experiences. I have definitely experienced the exhilaration of pushing past points at which I KNEW I could go no further. Through those experiences, I learned that my body is a lot stronger than I think it is. I know that when I get to the dreaded transition stage of labor that I have read so much about, I will be able to dig deep and push through.
Also, during this phase, I really have spent a lot more time with the Lord. It has been a sweet time. My house is currently covered with "labor scriptures" on post-it notes. I have also made a labor worship mix for the birthing center. I know that at the base of everything, through all of my experiences and underneath all of my head- knowledge; He is the source of my strength. He is where my help has and will always come from. I am thankful to know Him :).
Phase 5 - WAIT...SHE IS COMING HOME WITH ME??? TO MY HOUSE???
This is the stage that I am currently residing in . I am not sure how it escaped me before. HELLO?!
I am not thinking about the delivery as much anymore. I am now educating myself about the time after she comes home. I am learning about feeding, and bathing, and pediatricians. The house is also getting the fine tooth comb treatment. Everything has been cleaned from top to bottom. I have washed all of her clothes and bedding, put all of her toys in place, set up the changing area, and put the car seat base in the car. I am so excited to get her home.
Throughout the entire pregnancy, there are a couple thoughts that have not left my mind.
1. I am so thankful. We have prayed for this child for a long time, and the Lord has blessed us. I am thankful for a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby. I overflow when I think about it.
2. Cory is going to be an awesome dad. I am so thankful that he is ours :) I am so confident going into this next stage and a huge part of that is because of him. Love him.
PLEASE SHARE YOUR COGNITIVE PREGO STAGES!
Phase 1 - OUR LIVES WILL NEVER BE THE SAME.
The day we found out that we were pregnant, I just could not believe it. I took a Dollar Store pregnancy test in the morning. (don’t invest in those.) I took the test, then texted a picture of the results to Cory with the caption, "Does this look like two lines to you?" Neither of us could tell. On the way home, I splurged for the digital PREGNANT or NOT PREGNANT kind. After I took the test, I was too nervous to look at the result. Cory went in the bathroom as I paced in the kitchen...I yelled "What does it say?" He did not say a word, and I knew. He came out of the bathroom and handed me the test. The test read, PREGNANT. We sat at the kitchen table in shock. I felt scared, overwhelmed, and excited all at once. Our lives will never be the same. Wow.
Phase 2 - IT'S ALIVE!!!
After the initial shock and a few weeks of sickness wore off :), my mind became fixed on the fact that there was a living being growing inside of me! I could not wrap my mind around the idea that this thing that was the size of a grape would someday be as big as me, with thoughts and opinions and friends and a life of its own. It rocked my world to think about it.
Phase 3 - PREGNANCY QUEEN
About mid-way though, I loved being pregnant. All I wanted to do was eat from morning until night. I loved the liberating feeling of being able to eat my way through the day with no regret at all. I could get around easily, and people I did not even know catered to me :) It was magnificent.
Phase 4 - HOLY CANNOLI!! I HAVE TO DELIVER THIS THING!!
Feeling Harper move inside of me is one of the coolest things I have ever experienced. I know I will really miss that when I am not pregnant anymore. Once she really started to move, I began to think a lot about the delivery. I was pretty fearful about it at first. I dove into doing research about the process. I needed to find out what was going to actually be happening in my body during labor.
For me, if I can understand why something is happening (a pain or sickness of some kind), then I will do a better job of dealing with it. It is like when I was training during my college basketball days. Even though workouts would be excruciating at times, once I understood what that pain was doing to my muscles, I could handle it. During this phase, I actually thought a lot about my athletic experiences. I have definitely experienced the exhilaration of pushing past points at which I KNEW I could go no further. Through those experiences, I learned that my body is a lot stronger than I think it is. I know that when I get to the dreaded transition stage of labor that I have read so much about, I will be able to dig deep and push through.
Also, during this phase, I really have spent a lot more time with the Lord. It has been a sweet time. My house is currently covered with "labor scriptures" on post-it notes. I have also made a labor worship mix for the birthing center. I know that at the base of everything, through all of my experiences and underneath all of my head- knowledge; He is the source of my strength. He is where my help has and will always come from. I am thankful to know Him :).
Phase 5 - WAIT...SHE IS COMING HOME WITH ME??? TO MY HOUSE???
This is the stage that I am currently residing in . I am not sure how it escaped me before. HELLO?!
I am not thinking about the delivery as much anymore. I am now educating myself about the time after she comes home. I am learning about feeding, and bathing, and pediatricians. The house is also getting the fine tooth comb treatment. Everything has been cleaned from top to bottom. I have washed all of her clothes and bedding, put all of her toys in place, set up the changing area, and put the car seat base in the car. I am so excited to get her home.
Throughout the entire pregnancy, there are a couple thoughts that have not left my mind.
1. I am so thankful. We have prayed for this child for a long time, and the Lord has blessed us. I am thankful for a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby. I overflow when I think about it.
2. Cory is going to be an awesome dad. I am so thankful that he is ours :) I am so confident going into this next stage and a huge part of that is because of him. Love him.
PLEASE SHARE YOUR COGNITIVE PREGO STAGES!
 |
| At a wedding a couple of weeks ago. |
Monday, May 23, 2011
preparing the nest
I sit today about 6 weeks from my due date. Cory and I are so excited. It seems like anytime there is a silent moment in our house, one of us will say, "I just cant wait to see her." We are constantly daydreaming about her, I think. I keep visualizing that moment when we will see her face for the first time. I told Cory that he is nesting as much as I am. Over the last week, the whole house has received a fresh coat of paint and new wood floors.
We are tired, but we are having so much fun. This pregnancy has been a great season for us. it has been such a sweet time. The Lord is preparing each of us for this next step. I appreciate my husband so much, and I am so thankful that he is mine. He is going to be an awesome Dad :)
Over the next week, we are going to be working room by room, deep cleaning and reorganizing. The joys of preparing the nest:)
We are tired, but we are having so much fun. This pregnancy has been a great season for us. it has been such a sweet time. The Lord is preparing each of us for this next step. I appreciate my husband so much, and I am so thankful that he is mine. He is going to be an awesome Dad :)
Over the next week, we are going to be working room by room, deep cleaning and reorganizing. The joys of preparing the nest:)
All of this work has worn someone out :)
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Making the Switch: Part 1
Disclaimer: Every Pregnancy is different. Every person is different. This post is not meant to elevate one kind of delivery above another. We have to all birth in the environment that we feel the most comfortable in. That is what is best for the baby. These are just my thoughts about MY pregnancy.
Over the last several months, the Lord has really changed our hearts about the way that we introduce Harper to the world. For the first few months of our pregnancy, we were both kind of numb to any type of understanding that we actually had choices to make about this pregnancy and birth. We just thought we were supposed to go with the flow and trust our doctor. After all, doctors are the experts. About four months in, however, we began to get a little discouraged the way we were treated at our huge OBGYN practice. Our doctor called us her "easy" parents, and spent about three minutes per visit with us. We needed more. We began to do some research.
Although doctors ARE experts, and we certainly need them; they are experts in pathology. We have a completely normal pregnancy (thank you Lord). The concept of a natural childbirth with a midwife began to come at me from all directions. I researched and researched and researched and came to the conclusion that this may be a good route for us to take with our next baby :) (once I get one under my belt). Cory was supportive of me, but the more I thought about it, the more this question began to rise within me: "If you know that this method is best for the baby, what is keeping you from giving this gift to Harper?" the answer was fear. I was afraid of the pain. I knew that the right thing to do was to turn my fear over to the Lord and take a step of faith.
We visited the Birth Center shortly there after for a consultation. I asked the Lord to give Cory and me peace about which way to go. As we walked around the place, we both felt immediately settled. When we were in the birthing suite, Cory just looked at me and shook his head "yes". At 30 weeks, we officially transferred our care to the Charleston Birthplace. We could not be happier. I have never been a hospital person. They give me anxiety as soon as i enter the door. I immediately fell in love with the idea of delivering in a place that was like a home. The calmness of an environment like the birthing center trumped the hustle and bustle of a hospital....BY FAR... AND there is a possiblity that we may be the only family there at the time of Harper's delivery. We are very excited about bringing Harper into the world this way.
For more information about The Charleston Birthplace, click this link: http://www.charlestonbirthplace.com/
Along with testimonies from friends, here are some links that helped me realize that natural childbirth was the right option for me.
http://www.birthingnaturally.net/index.html
http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/business-being-born/ (this is a full length movie, fyi)
more to come about this topic...
Over the last several months, the Lord has really changed our hearts about the way that we introduce Harper to the world. For the first few months of our pregnancy, we were both kind of numb to any type of understanding that we actually had choices to make about this pregnancy and birth. We just thought we were supposed to go with the flow and trust our doctor. After all, doctors are the experts. About four months in, however, we began to get a little discouraged the way we were treated at our huge OBGYN practice. Our doctor called us her "easy" parents, and spent about three minutes per visit with us. We needed more. We began to do some research.
Although doctors ARE experts, and we certainly need them; they are experts in pathology. We have a completely normal pregnancy (thank you Lord). The concept of a natural childbirth with a midwife began to come at me from all directions. I researched and researched and researched and came to the conclusion that this may be a good route for us to take with our next baby :) (once I get one under my belt). Cory was supportive of me, but the more I thought about it, the more this question began to rise within me: "If you know that this method is best for the baby, what is keeping you from giving this gift to Harper?" the answer was fear. I was afraid of the pain. I knew that the right thing to do was to turn my fear over to the Lord and take a step of faith.
We visited the Birth Center shortly there after for a consultation. I asked the Lord to give Cory and me peace about which way to go. As we walked around the place, we both felt immediately settled. When we were in the birthing suite, Cory just looked at me and shook his head "yes". At 30 weeks, we officially transferred our care to the Charleston Birthplace. We could not be happier. I have never been a hospital person. They give me anxiety as soon as i enter the door. I immediately fell in love with the idea of delivering in a place that was like a home. The calmness of an environment like the birthing center trumped the hustle and bustle of a hospital....BY FAR... AND there is a possiblity that we may be the only family there at the time of Harper's delivery. We are very excited about bringing Harper into the world this way.
For more information about The Charleston Birthplace, click this link: http://www.charlestonbirthplace.com/
Along with testimonies from friends, here are some links that helped me realize that natural childbirth was the right option for me.
http://www.birthingnaturally.net/index.html
http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/business-being-born/ (this is a full length movie, fyi)
more to come about this topic...
Maternity Pictures
It has taken me about 7 months to talk Cory Lee into taking maternity pictures. Finally, he agreed. Sally from our church took these beautiful pictures for us. She is so talented. We went out to Sunrise Park on James Island. It was a lot of fun. I even think Cory enjoyed it :). Here are a few of the shots I fell in love with.
To look at more of Sally's awesome work, check out her website. I have it saved to my favorites so I can stalk all of her new shoots :) http://www.sallywattsphoto.com/
To look at more of Sally's awesome work, check out her website. I have it saved to my favorites so I can stalk all of her new shoots :) http://www.sallywattsphoto.com/
Monday, April 11, 2011
refrigerator people.
When I was in Grad School, one of my friends did a speech about refrigerator people. Basically, she said that one way you could measure your success is by counting how many refrigerator people you have in your life. I have never forgotten that. A refrigerator person is someone who comes to your house to visit; and feels like they can open your fridge, dig around a little, and choose something without asking. I love it.
I have always loved to entertain. I love to get everyone together. I am sure I have annoyed my mother over the years with the "get togethers" I organized at her house. I want so much for my home to be a welcoming environment for people...like my Granny Millie's house.
I read a neat blog post today about preparing for guests. Check it out. This lady is one of my favorite bloggers. I am always learning from her. The blog is about preparing for your guests by praying for them and the visit. This is one area that I have not thought much about during my prep for people. I clean and think about what I am going to cook, but I don't spend time in prayer for the visit. Hello???. It is so crazy that I forget that entertaining/hospitality is a joy for me because it has been gifted to me by my heavenly father. I get so wrapped up in enjoying it, I forget about the one who gave it to me, and that I should talk to Him about how He wants me to use it. Great lesson to learn.
I have always loved to entertain. I love to get everyone together. I am sure I have annoyed my mother over the years with the "get togethers" I organized at her house. I want so much for my home to be a welcoming environment for people...like my Granny Millie's house.
I read a neat blog post today about preparing for guests. Check it out. This lady is one of my favorite bloggers. I am always learning from her. The blog is about preparing for your guests by praying for them and the visit. This is one area that I have not thought much about during my prep for people. I clean and think about what I am going to cook, but I don't spend time in prayer for the visit. Hello???. It is so crazy that I forget that entertaining/hospitality is a joy for me because it has been gifted to me by my heavenly father. I get so wrapped up in enjoying it, I forget about the one who gave it to me, and that I should talk to Him about how He wants me to use it. Great lesson to learn.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Friday, February 4, 2011
Frugal Friday!!
http://www.naturallyknockedup.com/rinsing-with-vinegar/
Great post about ways to kick the chemicals out of the house. (and it is a lot cheaper too)
Check it out!!
Great post about ways to kick the chemicals out of the house. (and it is a lot cheaper too)
Check it out!!
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Craft idea
This is something that I thought was really cool. My hubby got me a bottle cutter for Christmas. I think I may give this a try.
http://www.dailydanny.com/?p=4257
http://www.dailydanny.com/?p=4257
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