Salmon with Mango Salsa

It has been so warm here lately that I have been feeling like making more summertime dishes vs the hearty rib sticking winter foods that I love!

This came together quickly and was yummy, healthy and refreshing :) Since it is "winter" I used fresh frozen mango pieces and frozen roasted corn from Trader Joe's.

Mango Corn Salsa

1 cup mango pieces diced

1/2 cup roasted corn

1 cup chopped tomatoes

1 bunch cilantro chopped

1/2 small red onion finely diced

pinch salt and a splash of salad vinegar to give a little tang since I didn't have a lemon or lime on hand- shame on me!

I made this ahead of time to let the salsa get nice and juicy and for the flavors to blend. This is also great for kiddos since it is sweet and not spicy.

For the salmon I just simply cooked in a skillet over medium/high heat with a little S & P for a few minutes each side until cooked through. Top with the salsa and you are done.

Three Rivers- a step back into simpler times

My wonderful hubby planned this little weekend getaway for me in November as my birthday present and I have been looking forward to it since then! My amazing mother flew in to watch Weston as Andrew, Gabe and I headed up to the mountains for the weekend to The Log House Lodge in Three Rivers. Such a darling rustic place owned by such giving and hospitable people! They started this Bed and Breakfast as a ministry to seminary students and families in the ministry to come FOR FREE!! and then book other paying travelers on the side just to pay for the ministry. So amazing! They have converted this cute house into a rustic getaway that makes you feel as if you are really in the good old days complete with mood music and everything :) It sits at the base of the Sequoia National Park- perfect to enjoy God's country and get a breath of fresh air and a break from the crazy seminary life.

The breakfasts were wonderfully delicious and the weather was perfect for our day trip into the park to see the big red trees and the spectacular views. I am so blessed to have a husband who knows just what I need and this little trip just the three of us really helped me get this year off to the right start!

Yum!

This is Mauriene and she loved holding Gabe for us so that we could take a break, eat our breakfast and even play a game of chess ( my first time)

Happy little camper in the mountains

The General ( General Sherman - biggest tree in the world!)

Guess where we are??

Super Easy Slow Cooker Ribs

This was so easy & turned out so yummy!
Combine 2 parts BBQ sauce to 1 part honey and mix well. Slice up one
onion. Layer rib portions in slow cooker basting ribs with sauce and
onion slices between the layers. Reserve some sauce for the end to
baste right before serving. Cook on low for 8-9 hours. The meat falls
right off the bone & most of the fat cooks off as well :)
This was great with good old fashioned smashed potatoes and left overs
can be shredded for pulled pork sandwiches. Yum!

2 months & 2 cute :)

Back in the Saddle Again

Kinda cheesy, but that's how I feel :)

This past year has honestly been a weird blur that I feel I am finally walking out of and seeing a bit more clearly. After having Weston it took me about 6 months to feel somewhat normal again and I felt I was settling in as a new mom and really enjoying my happy, smilely and sleeping great baby. Then 2 months later we were wonderfully surprised with Gabriel! Getting pregnant with Gabe and then shortly after on bedrest again, was the "falling off the horse moment". That sounds bad- but it was when I went down and out from normal life again and into a seclusion of sorts from the world and into a fuzzy long few months of countless doctors appointments and countless hours on the couch.

( to prove the fact, a number of people that have seen me out and about with Gabe exclaim, " I didn't even know you were pregnant again!")

Anyway, days seemed to run together. Some felt they would never end and others flew by as I almost felt a spectator to my own life as others did everything for me that I was used to doing.

Now after having our dear sweet handsome baby, I am finally coming out of that blur of the first 2 months of no sleep and a recovering body. Gabe is sleeping great and we just got back from 2 weeks of vacation with the most wonderful family that we could ever imagine. A new year has started and I am ready to " get back on the horse". I tend to be one of those people who makes a million new year's resolutions and then.... ya know.

Well this year I want things to be different, but in an eternal way. I am going to focus on one word- Simplify. We fill our lives with so much extra stuff that clouds our view of why we do what we do. I want to grow in two areas this year and I am asking all those who know me to hold me to it. 1) To love Christ more and 2) to love my family more sacrificially- that's it!

I read an awesome little paragraph from an excellent book that sums up what I want to focus on this year and I'll share it with you :)

"The gospel encourages me to rest in my righteous standing with God, a standing which Christ Himself has accomplished and always maintains for me. I never have to do a moment's labor to gain or maintain my justified status before God! Freed from the burden of such a task, I can now put my energies into enjoying God, pursuing holiness, and ministering God's amazing grace to others." - A Gospel Primer for Christians

Happy New Year!

Just want to wish everyone a very happy New Year from all of us!

We are still here in Manteca with family and enjoying every minute of it. More pics to come from the trip but we have also so enjoyed being together the four of us after a very busy semester for Andrew.

We can't believe that another year has come and gone but we are so grateful to bring in another year together healthy and whole. Our prayer for our family this year is that we would together grow in our love for Christ as we aim to serve him in all aspects of all that we do with a thankfulness for what He did for us on the cross.

Happy 2011!