Lenten musings and a Fridge Pickle recipe.

It's that time of year again, every good Catholic gone bad's worst nightmare.

Lent.

A time to reflect on the things we've done wrong, that we KNOW we've done wrong.  To confess our sins and repent.  To attempt to do better, and try to grasp what a great sacrifice God made for us.

In many years past Lent has been a surface thing for me, get ashes put on your forehead, go to Jamba Juice, everyone knows your a Christian.  Good to go.   Even in the things I decided to give up for Lent, they were superficial and at best just a semi-Godly diet plan.  Give up soda for 40 days for God?

Sure!  Maybe I'll lose weight in the process.....never mind the fact that I can never do something for 40 days.  I'm not a very consistent person, I change my mind constantly and I can always come up with another reason as to why, just this once it's ok. "We're on vacation!" "It's a federal holiday, I mean we're not expected to observe Lent too right?" "I decided to change my Lent fast to chocolate." Etc. 

But all in all, they're excuses.  Why am I unable to give up such a small thing in the effort to truly remember what God has given up for me?  Most likely because I just didn't want to. This past year my relationship with God has grown in ways I never imagine and I really wanted to make it something that would help remind me of that sacrifice, that would strengthen my relationship with God, not just make it another thing I could somehow work my way around if I knew enough loop holes.

I thought of giving up social media, which wouldn't be bad, mostly Instagram just stops me from eating my meals right when they're done cause I have to take a picture but all in all innocent.  I thought of giving up meat or grains or dairy.  But all of those we're just diet variations for me and when I'm not eating those things I'm not thinking of God, I'm thinking about how annoying it is that I can't eat those things.  

I've prayed about it and it keeps coming back to the same thing, my negativity.  I get this adorable trait from my Father, thanks Dad! And I'm sure I've only added to it myself.  In general I wouldn't say I'm negative but I think I'm confusing negativity with complaining.  I can be positive, it has happened and I have become a more positive person than the surly pissed off 18 year old I once was but this certain dude I live with has commented on my negativity more than a few times.  Sorry babe. 

So for 40 days I will TRY to not be negative.  I am certain I will fail many times.  But I will try, to see the good in things, the positives in myself and my life.  The beautiful wonderful life God has provided me and in my positivity I will remember him.  I can't be negative about myself, my looks, my weight, etc if I truly want to honor God who gave me this body in the first place.  I already feel like this has rubbed off a little bit on Lily and the thought that she would think badly of herself at such a young age because I am so negative about myself is devastating.  No negative talk about other people, also known as gossip.  You caught me.  And my biggest killer, negativity about my home.  It is easy for me to get caught up and anxious about what I CAN'T do that I never focus on what I CAN do.  What I HAVE done.  So time to let it be, let God's love remind me of all the positives in my life and how blessed I truly am.

And food!  We're leaving for Orlando, Florida on Sunday, yeay!  For about a week so I've been cooking/eating everything in the fridge to get ready for this.  I made the mistake of buying a Costco pack of cucumbers last week and still had 2 left that were not long for this world.  I decided pickles were the way to go!  Seriously easy, so easy to adapt and change and tasty!  I made these and ate them a few hours later and they were already delicious.  

Mama Cole's Sweet & Spicy Fridge Pickles

[This recipe makes enough for 2 - 16 oz. Mason jars.  Divide each amount into two, half in each jar.]

2 English Cucumbers, sliced 1/4 inch thick

1/2 cup Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar

4 tsp. chili pepper flakes

1/4 cup sugar

2 cloves of garlic, smashed

2 tbs. Kosher salt

Water

[1] In the bottom of each mason jar put apple cider vinegar, chili flakes, sugar, garlic cloves and salt.

[2] Place lids on jars and shake to dissolve sugar and salt.

[3] Add cucumber slices to jars and then fill to the top with water!

[4] Seal and place in fridge! 

 I like my pickles crunchy so I eat mine right away but you can let them sit for up to a month.  

Enjoy!  This recipe can easily be adapted for more or less.  If you don't like spicy omit the pepper flake, if you want to make dill pickles omit the sugar and chili flakes and add fresh dill and peppercorns.  Try out your own combos and have fun!

The 7 Series: [1] Food [Goat Cheese Risotto Recipe]

So I recently got an Amazon gift card for my baby shower.  This already excites me to no end, I'm one of those people with an Amazon wish list constantly in the making, that falls asleep to images of strollers I can't buy or random iPhone accessories I don't need.  So when I got the gift card, along with a note from my sweet friend that said I could *gasp* spend it on myself!  I did just that.

I mean seriously, this little girl already has everything in the world she could need, and Mama's not gonna lie.  She likes to spoil herself sometimes.  So with my $25 burning a hole in my pocket I ordered a DicAPic waterproof case for my phone, I am constantly death-gripping my phone at the beach in order to get pictures of the kid's swimming while hopefully not losing my uninsured phone in the abyss & a book I had seen on another bloggers IG [crunchy_candid]

[Me reading my book at Pokai Bay this last weekend.]

The book is called 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess by Jen Hatmaker.

It's written by a Christian Mother of 3 and is basically about how she reduced 7 areas of her life down to 7 things each for a month.  I've just started reading Chapter 2 and I really dig it so far.  Since I'm trying to become a blogger with more purpose, and less scatter-brained rants about my children's bowel movements I decided I'd try and do a small series following along with her 7 things.

So first up, Food!  In the book Jen narrows down her food choices to just 7 things.  I will go ahead and put a disclaimer right now that I'm not going to do as she does.  Do not ask a 35 week pregnant woman with already finicky eating habits to now narrow down her choices to just 7.  If I was forced to choose tho my list would look something like:

1. Dr. Pepper

2. Coffee

3. Chocolate Milkshakes

4. Cereal

5. Bread

6. Smoothies

7. Pork Belly

So you see, not very healthy and more than half of those things are drinks.  I'm not going to put myself in that position.  I am a lover of food, but also, I hope, learning not to be a person of excess.  We start each Monday with a full fridge and by Sunday it's pretty bare bones.  I like it like that.  It keeps my fridge clean, I can see what we have & most of the things in our fridge are fresh foods.  

I have lost over 50 lbs. in the past 6 years, even AFTER having 3 kids.  Ok, right now I'm up 16 pounds but I have the baby to blame at least.  I attribute most of that to learning to eat better, loving my body, and wanting to give my kids a healthy attitude about the food they eat.  For the most part, we try. We also live off a budget of $60 a week for food for a family of 5.  While I would love to feed my family only organic vegetables, free-range chickens & grass-fed beef I live in reality.

  I do what I can while being thankful for everything we have, knowing how blessed we are.  

And I guess that's where I will go with food, that my family understand it's purpose.  We know food is nourishment for our body's, we don't waste it, we don't complain and we certainly don't turn down free food.  But food is not our everything, the amount of whole grains we eat does not effect our worth as humans.  Drinking water from the tap will not kill us, in other places it might.  We are blessed beyond belief to never go to bed with empty stomachs and if Oliver smashes one more Go-Gurt into his hair & carpet I will scream.

The end. 

Just for the purposes of this blog I will give the prices I paid for the food here, 

just in case you're wondering what a meal like this does to my budget. 

Plus this recipe is SOCLOSE to being 7 ingredients, I thought it fitting. 

Goat Cheese Risotto

1 cup short grain rice [.25]

2 Shallots, diced [.99]

1/2 cup Goat Cheese [1.50]

1 lemon [1.75.  Seriously? wtf lemon.]

Thai Basil, minced [Free from our Garden]

4 cloves of garlic, minced [.25]

2 1/2 cups Chicken Stock [1.25]

1/2 cup White Wine [.50]

Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper 

Grand Total: $6.50 Serves at least 2 adults who eat a lot!

And 3 kids who would rather eat toast. :/ 

[1] In a large saucepan heat olive oil on medium heat.

[2] Add the onions and cook until translucent.

[3] Add the garlic and cook one more minute.

[4] Add your rice and stir for about 90 seconds, toasting the pieces, 

make sure you have enough oil to coat the rice.

[5] Add your white wine, stirring until it is all absorbed.

[6] Add your chicken stock,

 1/2 cup at a time making sure each addition has been absorbed before adding the next 1/2 cup. 

[7] When all your liquid has been absorbed and rice is tender,

 grate in the zest & add juice of your lemon.

[8] Stir in your goat cheese and season to taste with salt & pepper.

[9] Plate & sprinkle with Thai Basil!  Enjoy!