Grief, Pshh, What's That?

Let me just start off by saying, this has been one of the most difficult seasons of our lives. We have moved away from all of our family and friends, a loved couple is going through a nasty divorce, a close one's miscarriage, I've had two grandmothers and just this week a father-in-law pass away. It just seems like I KNOW that the devil is out in full force. John 10:10 says,

 "The thief comes only that he may steal, and kill, and destroy,"

Satan is on the attack. He is looking and seeking to exploit each situation we go through. He is wanting to turn every situation to bad, when God is "making all things new" (Revelations 21:5). 

Normally when dealing with grief, the days seem to blur together; you float through all of the different emotions. You cry, you're angry, etc. However, my husband and I both have this great ability to stuff our feelings way down deep and not mess with them for awhile. We talk about our feelings with each other, but we don't talk about our feelings with the outside world. We take control and put on our big girl pants. We deal with the myriad of questions and decisions that need to be made. We are the strong and silent ones.  We are the ones who others think are acting weird because we're not crying. This is the way we both deal. In this recognition, we both realize that this facade of strength is not truly the way we feel. It's a mask. It's protection. It takes the place of our real feelings, until we feel at home and comfortable to handle these raw emotions. Only until we feel comfortable can we let that guard down and face the facts. Only until then can we let God in to begin the healing.  I absolutely detest it when people say that God will not give you more than you can handle. That statement is 100% inaccurate! He most certainly does!

Throughout the Bible, we are told "salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; he is the stronghold in the time of trouble" (Psalm 37:39), "do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God" (Isaiah 41:10), "cast your cares on the Lord, and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall" (Psalm 55:22). Verse after verse God tells us to just rely on Him. Why in the world do we just not listen? Why do we think to ourselves, "I can't handle this, what am I going to do?"

In Judges chapter 7 and 8, the Bible tells us of Gideon's army of only 300 defeating the Midian army of over 100,000. God told Gideon to wipe out the Midian army. They were completely outnumbered. They were hungry, tired, and weary, but Gideon prayed and felt God's presence. With renewed faith and a new vision, Gideon and his army took the Midian camp by surprise at night. Not one of Gideon's men were harmed. They were faced with an impossible situation, and were forced to wholly depend on the fact that God had their back. And guess what, He DID! 

If you are in a rough season, I am in there with you and so is our heavenly father. John 14:18 "I will not leave you comfortless; I will come to you." We are never left alone in our grief.We also can not forget the fact that getting through grief is partially up to us. LaKeisha Rainey-Collins from EEW Magazine says,

"Although God will see us through, that does not negate the fact that we must learn how to go through His way. The way of escape is already mapped out; however, we must be in tune with God in order to allow His Holy Spirit to lead us to that place of deliverance.  This can be accomplished by running to the Lord, instead of appeasing our flesh, even in the midst of our fiercest storm."

We have to know and believe that God can and will pull us through these storms. We also have to acknowledge that we do in fact have to deal with the grief. You can not just push it down forever. It's difficult and it's raw. Your grief is unlike anyone else's. Your grieving time will not be standardized. Dealing with the grief though, is what is absolutely essential in healing. You have to deal with it in order to move on in life. Don't rush yourself to be done with grief. Allow God's perfect love and timing to heal you, and our mighty God will be with you every step of the way, if only you let Him. 

I'll leave you with the rest of the verse from John 10:10,

"But I have come so that you may have life, and have it in abundance!"

He loves us so. Be blessed my loves. 

x

The Decision to Homeschool

*WARNING! This is a post about our family's decision to homeschool. If you disagree with our decision, I understand, but we will not waver until God calls us to do otherwise. If you have questions, PLEASE ask! We love talking about our homeschool days and what we actually do.
We love you all, and respect your decisions on education, please do the same with us. ❤︎

― Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

We have three children. At the time we pulled them from public school (p.s.) we had one child who was slightly behind of where we knew they should be. We also had one child who was extremely advanced, and if we did not get that child something to do, they would have started getting into trouble for disrupting the class because they were bored. Our third child was "well behind age level" his teacher told us. This child struggled with reading, struggled with math. This child thought he was stupid because he would score a "U" (underdeveloped) or "N" (not developed) on his papers while his classmates would get scores of "S" or "S+" (satisfactory). This child would come home from school and cry because he was failing. A mama's heart can only take so much of her own children's heartbreak. It was crushing. I encouraged him. I read with him. We worked so hard to try and get to the standardized level for his age. The middle of the second semester came, and he was "still behind" and would need special tutoring, and maybe even to be held back. I cried. I prayed. I cried and prayed some more. We needed a change. 

God's Divine Timing-  

Later that same week, I met the sweetest lady and her two young boys at the park. She told me that they homeschooled their children. We spoke about what they were currently learning, and about the co-op they attended. At the time, I really didn't even think this was an option for us. But I listened and thought, "Oh that's so fantastic that you get to do that!" On with life. Our home church back in Texas has a great outreach ministry on Sunday evenings. They go to the city park, pass out free hotdogs, and meet people. They just enjoy being in the community, talking with everyday people, loving on them, and showing God's love. One evening, a few weeks after the lady at the park, a new family joined us for hot dogs. They had teenaged children and guess what?! They homeschooled as well! They told us of how they had just graduated one of their older children, and that he had just enrolled at the local college. How neat! Still, I did not think I had the answer for our family. I continued to pray, "Lord, just show me what to do. Show me how to help my children. Please just tell me what to do." The very next week my sister and I were in one of my favorite stores, Mardel. They have an amazing assortment of educational curriculum, supplies, and everything you would need to start homeschooling. I started to look at the curriculum. My sister and I debated about whether or not we could actually take on homeschooling our children. We laughed about how crazy our husbands would think we were. Out of the blue, a woman came up to us and said that she felt like she was supposed to tell us that we could indeed homeschool our children and do a great job of it! We kind of laughed and said thank you. Again, on with life. I drove home. The whole way I kept thinking about what she had said. "You can do it." It wasn't until I got home, that I realized that God had been giving me gentle introductions to homeschooling. He finally got tired of me not getting the hint, and sent the woman to Mardel (insert ah-ha moment)! 

Now to tell the husband-

Honestly, we went back and forth, over and over. Was this absolutely what we were supposed to do? What about their friends? What about sports? I researched and dug information from books. I met with other homeschool moms and got run-downs of their days. I prayed and prayed some more. Prayed for guidance. Prayed that if this was what I was supposed to do that God would soften Bill's heart to the idea. Prayed that I would have faith in myself. Prayed and prayed. 

The end of the school year came. My heart and spirit were totally convinced at this point that I was supposed to homeschool. The kids were thrilled! They knew they would see their friends. They knew we would find sports and groups and activities, and that they would make more new friends. Bill was not yet convinced, and was leaving for out of town work the first two weeks of summer.

I consider my husband to be very wise. He is very headstrong, and very determined. He likes things done a certain way, and in a certain order. On Monday, June 2, 2014 Bill left early in the morning headed for Kentucky. He had no intention of changing his mind on the fact that we should not homeschool. Driving down the road, he turned on the radio. NewsTalk 1290. I do not know what was said on this particular broadcast. I do not know what struck a chord with his heart. Whatever it was, God has His hand in it, and it was exactly what Bill needed to hear. My phone rang, and he said, "We're going to give this a try." 

We "tested" the homeschool waters all that summer. We got curriculum, planned out goals, and had school almost every day. We worked our booties off and guess what?! In two months, my child that was so far behind caught up and passed his age level standards. My child that was slightly behind also excelled and went above and beyond age level. And, my third child who was bored and needing to be advanced, got just that, advanced. 

We tested our children using a nationally standardized test at the beginning and ending of the summer. There was so much improvement we were astounded. We confirmed our resolution to homeschool and withdrew our children from p.s that August. 

Currently-
We have switched curriculums, several times. We have done unit studies. We have been a part of two different co-ops. We go on field trips. We go to homesteading classes. We play sports. We are homeschooling and loving it!  

Texas Heat Salsa

My last post, What's That Cilan-truh? gave you the recipe for my Slow Cooker Chopped Pork Tacos. I wanted to go ahead and give you my super secret, world renowned (by my family :) ) salsa recipe! The great thing about this recipe, you can make it as hot or not as you like!

Since I began making my own salsa, I seriously can not stand the store bought stuff. This recipe is super fresh and super yummy! Enjoy!

KAMS' Texas Heat Salsa

What You'll Need

·         1 package of mixed sweet peppers, seeded and finely chopped

·         1 yellow onion, finely chopped
·         1/2 bunch of cilantro, finely chopped

·         1-2 jalapenos (you choose how many) seeded and finely chopped

·         2 cans of Rotel, finely chopped (this is where you can pick some of your hotness; Rotel with Habaneros, Rotel with Green Chilies, or my fav for this recipe – Rotel with Lime Juice & Cilantro)

Sometimes you can find bell peppers & onions pre sliced! 

·         1 tsp ground cumin

·         1 tsp garlic powder
·         couple cranks of sea salt

·         spritz of lime juice  

How to Make It

·         Seed and slice all peppers, onion, and jalapenos.

·         Drain juice well from cans of Rotel.

·         Place peppers, onion, jalapenos, and Rotel tomatoes in to food processor or chopper. (Depending on the size of your processor, you may have to do this step in batches.)

·         Once all of the veggies are finely chopped and mixed together, add the remaining ingredients.

·         Mix well and serve with your favorite tortilla chips!

What's That Cilan-truh?

Earlier this evening I ran to the smaller grocery store in town. I love it so, it reminds me of the little one we had back home. The people are always super nice. It's never crazy busy, and if it is, they open up more lines, unlike the "superstore" across town. Prices vary; some stuff is more expensive, and some stuff is way cheaper. They have a great little produce section. And they also have superior meat compared to the "superstore".

On with the story...

So, I grabbed a couple of things I needed last minute for the pork tacos we were having; cilantro, avocado, and tortillas. I head to the register, and of course find one open, and the gal starts ringing me up. I kid you not, she picked up the cilantro and asked me what it was and what I used it for! I just assumed, I guess, that EVERYONE knew what cilantro was. I laughed and said that I would be putting it in my salsa, and as a topping on the tacos. She was very polite when she recognized that I was not "from 'round here," to which I promptly replied, "No ma'am, I'm from Texas!" We both laughed, but she still seriously did not know what cilantro was. 

I seriously had no clue that folks did not know what cilantro was. And if you're reading this and you don't know what cilantro is, I just feel sorry for ya! No, but seriously, you have to go buy some, make a great mexican recipe and throw some in! You won't be disappointed. If you don't have a recipe to try, you can try my Slow Cooker Chopped Pork Tacos and Homemade Salsa! They're delish! You know how when you bite into something so good you can't even talk, that's how this recipe is. 

 Slow Cooker Chopped Pork Tacos

What You'll Need

For the Pork Rub:

·         1- 3 1/2 lb pork shoulder roast (or your preference of pork roast) 

·         4 tbsp chili powder

·         1 tbsp sea salt

·         2 tbsp brown sugar

·         2 tsp garlic powder

·         2 tsp ground cumin

·         1 tsp ground oregano

·         1 tsp ground cinnamon

For the Roast:

·         Vegetable oil, enough to cover ½ inch of pan bottom

·         Rubbed pork roast

In the Crock:

·         1 cup water

·         3 tbsp beef bullion

Optional Taco Items:

·         Small flour or corn tortillas

·         Salsa

·         Shredded Cheese

·         Avocado slices

·         Chopped Cilantro

·         Sour Cream

How to Make It

·         Place all of the Rub Ingredients in a large bowl and mix together with a whisk. Add pork roast to the bowl and rub the dry ingredients all over the pork. Save any leftover spices for crock pot.

·         Heat oil in cast iron, or frying pan, on medium high heat.

·         Place the rubbed pork into the hot oil. Brown the pork on all sides.

·         Pour the water, bullion, and leftover spices into the crock pot and mix.

·         Place the browned pork into the crock pot with the fat side down.

·         Cook on high for 4 hours, or low for 6 hours, until cooked through.

·         Let sit on wood cutting board for 20 minutes, and then chop for the tacos. Enjoy!

"Anyone can cook!"

One of my all time favorite movies, Ratatouille, encourages that in fact anyone can cook. I wholeheartedly agree!

Here's why...

When I was 19, I knew how to make only a couple of things- sandwiches and sweet tea. Then I got pregnant... I wanted food all the time, and tuna was a no-go! Now, let me clarify a couple of things. My mother tried to teach me to cook. I, however, was under the notion that I was going to marry very wealthy and have a personal chef (what a dreamer, right?!) So, there was no need for me to learn how to cook! These are actual words and thoughts of my 14-15 year old, okay okay okay- maybe even 17-18 year old, brain! Also, in my defense, my mother's form of cooking was pulling out Schwan's from the freezer! So here I am 19, home alone in my apartment, pregnant and HUNGRY! Scour the cabinets; hmm, Campbell's Cream of Chicken, other "cream of" whatevers, of course some ramen, some stuffing, and other odds and ends. Fridge; some chicken breasts, some shredded cheese, milk, water, salsa, etc. Ya get the gist, there wasn't much. I didn't really know what I was looking at, a bunch of random things. So, I go back to the cabinet, "Guess I'll eat some soup." For some reason I picked up the cream of chicken and happened to see "more recipes on inside label". Oh my goodness, the yumminess that followed is still a beloved recipe in our family today! 

The fact is, if I hadn't been on my own and forced to be realistic, I probably would not have learned to cook. Now, in fact, I actually love cooking. I love making my family try new recipes, some good- others, not so much! Either way, we can laugh about it, chase it down with a big glass of tea, and move on to the next ooey-goodness! 

If I can cook, anyone can!

So, without further ado- here is the very first recipe I ever tried, still use to this day (with a couple of adjustments), have given out many times, and it is actual greatness!

I give you- Chicken and Stuffing...

What You'll Need

• 2 tablespoons softened butter 
• 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 1 box (6 ounces) Stuffing Chicken Mix 
• 1 can (10 1/2 ounces) Cream of Chicken Soup
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese 

How to Make It

• Preheat the oven to 375. Spread the softened butter in the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Add the chicken and cook for 40 minutes or until cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pan.

• While chicken is cooking, prepare the stuffing according to the package directions. 

• Place the prepared stuffing in the bottom of the 9x13 pan. Put the cooked chicken on top of the stuffing. Pour the soup over the chicken. Top with the cheese. Cover and cook until the cheese is melted. 

Fat & Happy!

So, here it is 2016... and I have decided to begin a blog! As I sit here typing I wonder to myself, as I'm sure you are, "Why in the world have I begun a blog?" Well, the answer is quite simple; I need something for myself. A way to write about random things; food, house, decor, family, vacation, etc., and hope that you enjoy some or all of this part of my life. 

Some info about me and mine-

My amazing hubs and I have been married since November 2006, and we have three crazy great kiddos. Both Bill (the hubs) and I grew up in Wichita Falls, TX. Most of our family still live in that area, or only a couple of hours away in the DFW area. In August 2015, we moved over 500 miles away to Kosciusko, MS for Bill's job. We came here not knowing where anything was, and not knowing how we were going to make it with no family or friends. We came because after praying and seeking out guidance, we knew this was the next step for our family. 

(Top to Bottom: Kaylie, Hunter, Warren, Me, Bill)

In 2014 after months of research, prayers, and meetings and encouragement from other families, we decided to pull our then pre-k, 1st, and 3rd graders from public school and begin homeschooling our kiddos. I in no way believe that homeschooling is for everyone, but for now, it is what is best for our family and we absolutely love it!

Enough about us, for now... 

Why "Biscuits, No Butter" and why "Fat and Happy"?

I LOVE food! Seriously, I love finding new recipes and trying new things. I love finding tiny, little restaurants and trying new things. I love the tried and true southern recipes my grandmothers passed down. I love it all... and so does my family, for the most part! Because of my "food loving," if I feel hungry, I will whip something up! One night, the kids had gone to bed, and Bill and I wanted some kind of filling- no sweet snack. To be real honest, we didn't have very much in the pantry and I had no clue what to make. Bill requested homemade biscuits. "Seriously??? I've never made biscuits!" But, I thought, it really can't be that hard. So, I scoured Pinterest for biscuit recipes. The problem- I had NO butter! When I finally found a buttermilk biscuit recipe that didn't have butter, it was like finding a gold mine-- hence, "fat & happy." Biscuits, No Butter has a couple of significant meanings for me. First, it was a recognition; we might not have everything we want, but we definitely have enough to be sustained.         

                           

                             Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or 

                        ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles 

                        seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you 

                      need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, 

                       and all these things will be added to you.  Matthew 6:31-33 ESV

And second, when I told Bill we had, "biscuits made with no butter and no butter to put in them," he sort of looked at me crazy. I repeated, "biscuits, no butter" in my head. "Biscuits, no butter." I just kept thinking about how catchy it sounded to me. The next day, I woke up thinking it was a great blog name. I had no clue how to start a blog, still have no clue what I am doing, but I believe God is helping me to at least get my words written down, so here it is...

             Welcome to Biscuits, No Butter!