july 2011 faves

in no particular order...

fave #1: KitchenAid Architect Blender.  (We registered for it at Macy's).

pretty obsessed with this little "can-do-everything" machine.  seriously.  in it i've made everything from smoothies to fresh basil pesto (who needs a food processor?!)... this is a fantastic and relatively inexpensive blender (compared to some other super-duper high-end models).  go get one.  :)

fave #2: Jami Nato's blog. http://thenatos.blogspot.com/

she is hul.ar.i.ous.  absolutely slays me with her wit.  but not only will she make you pee your pants laughing--- she is an incredible wife, momma, and sister in Christ who has been through a TON and has consistently chosen Jesus, truth, life, and love over whatever life brings her way.  even though she most certainly doesn't know i exist, i hope to meet her someday for a coffee and a laugh. :)

fave #3: learning more about Fair Trade products.

http://www.transfairusa.org/products-partners

i heard a really convicting, poignant, and beautiful sermon on Sunday about slavery, and how it still exists today, all over the world.  [click here to listen-- just choose the sermon out of the player called "The Descent Into Slavery"].  since hearing this gripping message, i've really started to research how to fight for justice and love in my purchasing of various products.  i know it's only a beginning, (but you have to start somewhere!).. and i've recently discovered a SWEET coffee shop called "Georgette's"-- very close to my apartment that sells fair trade coffee AND gifts (through the ten thousand villages network).  click here and you can buy stuff, too, from Georgette's even if you aren't close to Maumee, Ohio! :)

fave #4: the Toledo Zoo.

it's awesome; check it out!  there is a baby elephant (lucas!), fantastic exhibits, educational opportunities, feeding demos, enrichment lessons, and more!  one of the BEST things toledo has goin' for it, in my opinion. :)

Groupon Rocks!

a few days ago, i bought my first Groupon! :)

if you know what "Groupon" is, you might think, "What took you so long!?" :)... but just in case you don't know, let me fill you in!

Groupon got its name (i think) from "group" + "coupon."  when enough people buy the "deal of the day," the deal gets "tipped" and you pay only a fraction for something that would cost you a lot more $.  Groupon works with companies & businesses to offer huge discounts to consumers!... so not only do buyers (like me) get a big huge price reduction, BUT the businesses, in return, get tons of new customers!  it's pretty sweet.

i bought a Groupon to an online photo processing company called "mixbook."  my goal is to use our Groupon toward the making of some Christmas cards!

feel free to check out the Groupon deals in your local city (if you don't already).  [i have friends who use Living Social, too].

The Jesus Storybook Bible

newlyweds tend to not own a lot of things... cause let's face it, life is expensive, and it's hard when you're just starting out.  but one thing we DO own a LOT of is books.  we have a huuuuge bookshelf in our office, a medium-sized one in the living room, and we STILL have books in boxes that don't have a home yet.

with a ton of choices, it's kind of a big deal when i highlight one out of the masses.

and buckle up, cause that's just what i'm going to do!

The Jesus Storybook Bible, written by Sally Lloyd-Jones, and illustrated by Jago, is one of my favorite. books. of. all. time.


i highly recommend anyone and everyone ----young, old, believers in Jesus, people who don't believe---- to read this storybook.  sally lloyd-jones learned from a yoda-smart pastor (a hem... tim keller)... so you know her theology is impeccable... AND she does an in-cred-i-ble job of telling the story of JESUS from the perspective of all people throughout the Bible--- before He was alive (old testament) and during His life and after (new testament)!!  she sums this concept up *so well* in her subtitle of the book: "every story whispers His name."  PRECIOUS!! :)


the BEST part about this sweet little book (whom EVERYONE can enjoy and learn from!) is the price: sooo cheap!  buy it at Amazon for less than 10 bucks!  summer is also the *perfect* time to walk to your neighborhood library (i just did today!), so you can even go borrow it if you don't wanna spend the money.

one way or another--- check it out!  and i pray it helps you hear how the whole Bible whispers the glorious name of JESUS :)

chicken kabobs

we got a grill from our uncle, aunt, & cousins--- dwain, wanita & their kids--- as a wedding present.  i'm not gonna lie, at first when i discovered we received a grill from them, i felt a little overwhelmed and in-over-my-head.  i didn't grow up in a grilling family, so the thought of dealing with those big, hot, scary-looking grates and flipping meat & trying to cook it just right.... sounded really out of my league.

oh how i was WRONG!  the grill has become one of my *favorite* things, (once my husband showed me how to turn it on, lol)... and i've decided i should use it at least once a week.

my sister-in-law, kari, gave me a small stack of her tried-and-true-these-are-winners-recipes. ..and in the stack is a card for "chicken kabobs."  the marinade looked awesome, and we had most of the ingredients already!  one stop at kroger for a pineapple and ground ginger and boom: i was home to whip it up.  best part about these little kabobs (besides the TASTE!) is i could prep everything, and then when bud got home from work... all i had to do was turn the grill on, pop all the pieces on skewers, and bam--- dinner was ready in about 15 minutes.  just enough time for him to do 2 dictations over the phone!!! :)

Kari's Chicken Kabobs

(serves 2-3)

for the marinade:

1 garlic clove, minced

1 Tablespoon brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

2 Tablespoons water

1 Tablespoon oil

1/4 cup soy sauce

whisk together in a small prep bowl, OR put everything in a quart-size baggie, then add 2 chicken breasts [you could definitely add 3 breasts if you needed to feed an extra person!], cut up in 1 inch cubes to marinade.  let sit for at least 30 minutes (i let mine sit probably 2 hours... till the Dr. got home) :)

for the extras: i used grape tomatoes, pineapple, yellow & orange bell peppers... and tried to use red onion chunks, too, but noticed a HUGE mold growth on the onion when i took it out of the storage container (wah wah WAHH)   :(  sorry if that was t.m.i. ;)  ...but you can obviously use whatever you want, i just used what sounded good/what i had on-hand!

when ready to cook: preheat grill, put all ingredients on skewers, and grill until done (i did mine on *low* heat for about 15-20 minutes probably(?)... turning occasionally.  but if you know more about grilling than i do... do whatever temp/time you want.  just get that potential-salmonella-carrying-poultry well done.  ;)

DELISH!  you can serve with rice, couscous, noodles, grilled potatoes, quinoa, whatever starchy-side you want! :)

good quote about home decorating :)

sometimes i get suuuuuuuuuper overwhelmed when thinking about being a new wife and "nesting."  i feel like i have sooo many talented friends who r*o*c*k when it comes to making a living space look like a page out of a Pottery Barn catalouge.  and the craziest part of it all is when she says, "oh i just got that at a thrift store" or "oh i found it at a cool garage sale" or "oh i have an artistic friend" or whatever... the list can go on and on... and unemployed me, thinks to herself, "girl, do you have time/gas/money to search out thrift stores or garage sales & find that needle-in-a-haystack thing?" and usually the reality-check i give myself is, no, ella, you really don't right now, honey. 

so what's a girl to do?  

i want to have an apartment that's cutesy-tootsy and welcoming and shows off my style.

but what does a girl on a low-budget do when she doesn't even know what "her style" even is?!  henceforth creep in--- the feelings of overwhelmedness.

so praise the LORD that i finally read a quote that zing!-went to my heart & helped soothe my fears of being a horrid decorator/nester/whatever. :)

sweet melissa of The Inspired Room wrote,

"...But more than focusing on my decorating style and how amazing I might be able to make my home LOOK with lots of time staging or buying lots of stuff in a hurry for show, I like to focus more on my LIFE and let my style evolve as I experience the world around me."

  

ahhhh... preach, preacha'.  what a beautiful little sentence my heart needed to hear--- NOT just today--- but probably just in general, as i've been processing this idea of decorating for the last few years or so.

what do you think? :)  are you like melissa (and me, haha!) that have evolving styles?  or do you have a set pattern of how you're wired & what you're automatically drawn to?  is the concept of decorating a home overwhelming to you?--- or the most fun thing ever?  [if the latter, feel free to share any great ideas.] ;)

wonderful whole wheat pancakes :)

when i lived in rome, pancakes were a staple in our apartment. there was NOTHING quite like waking up to a grande cappuccino & a fluffy stack of american goodness on a saturday morning. italy + america is always a good love affair. :)
 

however, now that i'm a doctor's wife, i'm not gonna lie... i sometimes feel the pressure to be "healthy."  let's face it.  a woman at 25-almost-26 isn't the same as she as at 15-going-on-16, either... so the need for healthy cooking & eating in my life isn't just because of dr. stoller. it's just plain GOOD for me.

therefore, i have started an obsession with whole wheat flour.

i'm sure any brand is okay, but i wanted my first-bag-purchase to be kind of special... so i went for it. the $3.99 bag of king arthur whole wheat flour.

and oh baby, it is good.

i adapted the classic 'piazza armellini pancake' recipe to fit whole wheat flour (the little particles are like sponges--they soak up liquid like nobody's business)!... and i am pretty pleased with the end result. 

whole wheat pancakes :) 

1 and 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
3-4 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 and 1/3(ish) cups lowfat milk (i use 1%) :)
2 eggs (if using medium or large)... (1 is probably sufficient for extra-large or jumbo)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
a few shakes of cinnamon :)
2-3 tablespoons melted butter

mix all dry ingredients together well-- that means both flours, salt, brown sugar, and baking powder. [i use a regular table fork to make sure any chunks of brown sugar get disintegrated and incorporated into the flour].  add in 1 cup of milk and stir a little. you will definitely need at least another 1/3 cup of milk... but might need up to a 1/2 cup.  just use your eyes and see if it has "pancake batter" consistency. :)  incorporate the eggs into the batter, & add the vanilla, cinnamon, and melted butter.  give it all a final few whorls with your fork & it should be ready to go :)

look at this tasty (AND fiber rich) batter!

i used a martha stewart nonstick square griddle... you can use a fryin' pan or whatever you have. i tend *not* to grease the cooking surface, because frankly, my griddle surface doesn't need it, AND it just adds more cals! who needs that?! not this girl.

a perfect trifecta of whole wheat goodness.

for today, i decided these little hottie-cakes needed more than just syrup. they needed fresh-of-the-season fruit goodness!  i rinsed a few raspberries, added some powdered sugar (maybe 1/3 cup?!), microwaved for 30-40 seconds, and voila' = super easy, super fresh, fruit topping :)

OH PRAISE HIM! finished product, with (a hem..) a little whipped cream (how could i not?!?!).. but wait! it's okay, cause i used *turkey* sausage instead of regular (and fattier!) pork sausage. booyah.

if you haven't tried it, you MUST check out the *majesty* of meijer's organic food collection. it. is. GREAT. and so much cheaper than your run-of-the-mill organic goodies.  SO. DELISH.

all i can say after that is praise the LORD for His cornucopia of goodness that flows forth from the farmer's fields! :)  and!--check out these little pancakes-- you won't be sad you did. ;)

banana-blueberry bread

how is it that despite the outside temperature of 85 degrees, i still get a hankerin' to bake?

my fridge was full of randomness, so i decided to make a quick bread out of it. and a whole wheat one, for that matter (i always feel so much better about eating my baked treats when there's some whole wheat goodness in there). ;)

i found this recipe from a cookbook i received as a bridal gift--- Lisa Lillien's "Hungry Girl: 200 recipes under 200 calories."  her recipe is for "top banana bread," which called for 1 1/2 cups of mashed bananas... of which i only had 2.  SO!  i figured, why not throw in some mashed blueberries?  i wasn't to be foiled by my lack of bananas. :)

you can check out lisa's original recipe in her book, OR you can try the one i modified to fit my life... i love to be healthy and all, but we don't carry "liquid egg substitute" in the stoller house. it just sounds wrong.

Banana Blueberry Bread (modifed from lisa lillien's top banana bread recipe)

1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated white sugar

1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 2 bananas) PLUS enough mashed blueberries to fill 1 and 1/2 cups worth (about 1/4 cup berries for me)

2 eggs

1/2 cup no-sugar-added applesauce

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 F.  In a large mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients (both flours, sugars, baking powders, cinnamon, & salt).  Mix well.

In another smaller bowl, combine all wet ingredients (bananas, blueberries, eggs, applesauce, & vanilla).  Mix well, then add the liquid ingredients to the dry, and stir until just blended.

Grease a large loaf pan [9x5] with cooking spray or whatever you like, and pour batter into the pan.  Bake for about 40-50 minutes or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.

hope you enjoy making this yummy bread, and PLEASE feel free to improvise/change the recipe as you see fit--- this was my 1st draft :)  but an oh-so-yummy one!

and how *bummed* am i, by the lack of food pictures! ahh. whenever i decide to get my buns to Best Buy, i'll eventually get my sweet little digital camera fixed... until then, you'll just have to imagine the food in your mind. :)

buon appetito :)

psalm 19:17

even though this isn't my first time blogging... it's my very first blog that doesn't pertain solely to my ministry.

part of me feels a little weird to start a blog just about life in general-- which of course includes ministry... but also might incorporate things like my recent trip to Kroger... or a random story about how i was quenching the Spirit, being a grumpy-pants-mean-wife to my husband... or my awkward feelings about job hunting... or ?

and i struggle, thinking, who would actually read this stuff?

but then again, at the core of why i'm writing this blog... it isn't about me. it isn't about me looking snarky and sweet out in blogging land. it isn't about my witty words gaining fame and readers. it's gotta be more than that.

i am praying this blog will help me stay connected with friends...and make new ones.

i am praying this blog will help me process my life and that Jesus would teach me much through it.

i am praying that maybe my ramblings will benefit someone else.

i titled this blog post "psalm 19:17" because that is how i start every new journal... so it's how i'm also gonna start this blog. i pray this remains true as i write!

"Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer."