Dreamcatcher

I have been laid up on the couch, not feeling well; no cooking or baking. The Pennyless Cook has been out of remission so I have had the excuse to watch movie after movie and not feeling guilty about it with my husband's blessing.

I just realized that throughout this movie marathon a theme has occurred: strong women chasing after a dream of some kind. One dream was family, one dream was the job, one was the spot-light, one was a lover. Watching all these women I realized most all of them had some part of the American dream already, but were still chasing after that missing piece.

Laying here on the couch amongst laundry, scattered toys, mis-matched furniture, dirty dishes, my loud and talkative son; I realized that I am not living the American dream. I am living life, the life that God has generously given me, and I want to continue to live the life that he has given me more and more worthy of Christ each day.

Sure I have dreams. I dream of being debt-free, and then having a home decorated like Southern Living. I dream of having more kids, and then I dream of having grand-kids. I dream of writing for a living, preferably about my great loves like food, family, and God (I don't know how that could work, but you never know?). I dream of being a photographer. I dream of traveling. I dream of growing an organic garden (I'm still working on that compost). I dream of having a consistent work-out schedule. I dream of losing those last 15 pounds. I even sometimes dream of having an adorable, gourmet food store and cafe.

These are all beautiful dreams to me that I spend too much time thinking about, but it's fun to dream; to reach, and most importantly to know that God will always carry me where I truly need to go. If I look to Him He will always catch me when I trip and dust me off, and then shove me where I really need to be to live the life to glorify Him.

When I am being raised to see Christ in the Final Day, that day all of my dreams will come true because I will be able to live a life worthy of Christ without anymore tripping. I will be perfectly with Christ forever!

Happy Maewyn Succat Day!

I was talking with a group of my girlfriends today and we were all discussing the purpose of St. Patrick's Day, and nobody really knew except that you were supposed to wear green or you got pinched, and that some people drank the whole day away at Irish Pubs. We also knew that this St. Patrick was a Christian, but that was pretty much the extent of our knowledge. So I read about it today.

St. Patrick's Day is a holiday to honor this dude known as being the patron saint of Ireland. His real name was Maewyn Succat (I'd change my name to St. Patrick too if I was named that!) and he grew up in Scotland or Roman England and then eventually captured by pirates! It keeps getting better! Then he was sold into slavery in Ireland. Imprisoned for 6 years and in prison had visions of God dictating him to escape by-way of a ship. Sounds a little like a movie. He did escape to Britain and then traveled to France and after studying and training for 12 years he became a bishop. He soon set off back to Ireland and converted many pagans to Christianity. It is said that he used the three-leaf shamrock to explain the concept of the Trinity; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. There's my two sense, now let me show you how we celebrated.....with food of course; green food! Praise the Lord, Amen!

"Kiss Me I'm Awesome!"

Add the green food coloring to the white milk.

Mix, mix, mix.

Shamrock green; it's for the mac and cheese.

Mac and cheese, green peas, broccoli, and yep that's green milk; all my favorite color.

Pimento Cheese Takes Two

I just made another batch of my Pennyless Pimento Cheese, but this time I added a teaspoon of yellow mustard and a pinch of cayenne pepper. My Daddy, who stopped by today, had the idea thanks to Harper's Restaurant, to make a dip out of it. So I tried to find a similar recipe for it on line and actually found the exact recipe from Whirled Traveler that Harper's published in a Charlotte magazine. I used my recipe to make my version of the dip, but here's the original recipe for you to try!

Pimento Cheese Dip

Ingredients:

8 oz sharp cheddar cheese grated

4 oz jar pimentos, drained and smashed

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 tbsp spicy brown mustard

1 1/2 tsp red wine vinegar

1/8 tsp celery salt

1/8 tsp ground black pepper

pinch of garlic salt

Directions:

Combine all ingredients and stir well. Heat dip for 30 second intervals until heated through, stirring in-between each heating.

New members added to make the dip.

Hey, there's my reflection! Hello there!

My Pennyless Pimento Cheese with the vinegar and mustard added.

Dip after 30 seconds in the microwave. Daddy couldn't resist!

Eat My Garbage!

I have been thinking for awhile about gardening and getting one started for this coming summer. Fresh, garden vegetables from my own garden is a dream I've had since I started cooking. I want peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, herbs; I'd love lettuce and strawberries too; maybe even carrots, but I know that's getting pretty ambitious. So just to get me started I made a compost pile in my backyard. I am not a bonified hippie, practically a virgin when it comes to going green, besides recycling, so I started reading a book borrowed from my friend Kristen called Worms Eat My Garbage. Here's my novice attempt at composting (I guess that's a word?). I'll keep you posted on my progress.

That's food scraps I've collected this week.

That's banana peels, onion, onion peels, and I can't remember what else, oh yeah I think that's lemon peel.

Here's the inspirational book. It's pretty entertaining and informative so far.

Entertaining by like showing Gale's coffee-table worm bin that sits in the middle of her sitting room. Hysterical! I'm not going this extreme. My worms will not have their dream home like this; sorry.

Go Green!

With the sun shining some this week we decided to take a trip to the park.

Simms decided to write his favorite letter (for obvious reasons) in the sand.

After that trip to the park I got a serious case of Spring Fever. To try and help cure this horrible disease I made a smoothie. Now before you judge this smoothie you need to try it. Promise me you'll try it!

Go Green Fruit Smoothie

Ingredients:

1 cup soymilk

1 cup frozen strawberries

1 banana

1 splash of pure vanilla extract

1 handful of fresh spinach

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth.

Here's the chorus line.

This one was late to auditions.

Add the soymilk, frozen strawberries, and banana.

Then add the special ingredient. Yes it's spinach. Remember no judging.

Add a splash of vanilla for some sweetness.

Blend until smooth.

Trust me, it's delicious and full of good for you greens too!

Clear Eyes, Full Heart

Since our Texas invasion I have absolutely become obsessed with the show Friday Night Lights. I don't know if it's because of my love of the country and Tex-Mex that has flooded my veins, but whatever the reason I have completely gotten sucked into this show. I watched it when the first season premiered back in the day, but I just finished what I could watch of season 4 on Hulu and now I find myself watching all the episodes I haven't seen. Hulu is great by the way.

This Emmy Award-winning show has believable acting and is shot incredibly well. The videography is intrigueing and beautiful in my opinion (not that my opinion is worth anything on intrigueing videography), but I do know the stories of these people are authentic and familiar. They remind me of those I pass everyday, but the characters tend to speak with a little thicker accent. I do live in Kentucky so the accent isn't that much thicker if I'm honest, and yes we do wear shoes. I love that fact this show has real-life people, with real-life problems who live in real-life homes. They aren't perfect, and neither are we or me anyways. I love that the homes have mismatched furniture and old appliances. I love that there are real conversations happening. That there are prayers said. I love that there are arguements and forgiveness. There is disobedience and obedience. There are even people worshiping in church, and then there are people who get murdered. It sounds kind of skitzafrenic now that I write this all out, but I guess life is skitzafrenic in a sense.

You should check this show out; the season premier is Friday (of course), April 15th. It's gut-wrenching, nerve-racking, and inspiring. It even makes me kind of like football.

Clear Eyes, Full Heart, Can't Lose, Texas Forever!

Pennyless Pimento Cheesiness

I love cheese. I think I could live on cheese alone. I can eat it melted, shredded, smeared, sliced, crumbled, juiced, well maybe not the last one, but I love cheese. A little unknown fact about me is that I am very particular about my pimento cheese. Store-bought pimento cheese just does not glorify cheese like it deserves. Honestly it usually gets my gag-reflex going; so I have made it my mission to perfect the art of pimento cheese-making.

Side Note: 8 oz blocks of cheese are 3 for $5 this week at Kroger.

Pennyless Homemade Pimento Cheese

Ingredients:

8 oz Sharp Cheddar cheese shredded

8 oz Colby and Monetrey Jack cheese shredded

2 tbsp pimentos, smashed

3 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature

1/2 cup good mayonnaise

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp salt

cracked black pepper to taste

Directions:

This is so easy you're going to laugh. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well. Eat and spread on your favorite bread, crackers, or use your spoon like I do!

Here's the chorus line. Well, black pepper, garlic powder, salt, and sugar were late for auditions.

Shred it like you mean it! It gives a great bicep workout.

Leave the cheese nubs for your 3-year-old he will love you for it, plus you won't slice off your fingers so you fingers will love you for it.

Add the cream cheese.

The jar of pimentos was giving me quite a battle. I thought it was going to win....

I eventually did for the sake of pimento cheese.

Smash with a fork.

Add salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

Doesn't it look glorious?

Add the mayo.

Sugar it and mix.

Now it's time to eat!