A Tale of a Hunter's Wife

The Beginning:

Husband goes hunting.

Wife goes Christmas shopping.

Day ends with shopping completed, but no deer.

Wife encourages husband to go out again the next day.

He gladly agrees.

Day Two:

Husband kills doe.

As does brother.

The Result:

A cooler full of fresh deer meat!!

The End!

Well, not really:

Boy, oh boy, did we have a lot of work ahead of us! Andrew got to work setting the meat grinder up.

Theodore and I watched the kitchen transform into a packaging plant.

We then got to work. I had to take a picture of Andrew showing off his kill.

Theodore then had to show off to Andrew. He proceeded to "hunt" his chipmunk until it was time to enjoy some deer meat. It was adorable.

I got to work cutting up chunks of meat to go into the grinder.

Just a FEW of our delicious roasts. Yum! Those will taste so good this winter. I can't wait!

Grinding up meat : ) I can't wait to make Andrew's favorite sloppy joes with this meat!

This machine and I battled it out. I finally won. I do like that handy sealer.

Just a fraction of the meat we packaged.

We, of course, had to fry up some meat. Andrew sure knows how to make some tasty fried deer! Hunter AND cook... I'll take it!!

Finally, our deepfreeze. I LOVE how it is stocked full of fresh meat. I am so thankful for a husband and brother who provided so much meat for us this year. We will get good use out of this meat, and I won't take a single bite for granted.

Another Birthday Surprise

My brother, Tyler, has been encouraging me to read a book called Radical by David Platt for months now. I keep telling him that my busy schedule doesn't allow me to sit down and read a book right now. You see, when I start a book, I like to finish it in one day. I get so caught up in what I'm reading that I don't like putting it down. So, while school is in session, I rarely read anything but a textbook.

But, I have been wanting to read the book he so strongly recommends since he told me about it. My plan was to wait until Christmas break. Funny thing? I was just telling my mom about that this morning. Then, I finally checked yesterday's mail, and I was greeted with the following package...

He even had it gift wrapped!

Complete with a card!

He's a mess- he's always signed his full name... even to his siblings.

My gift? Radical by David Platt.

The back reads:

"WHAT IS JESUS WORTH TO YOU?

It's easy for American Christians to forget how Jesus said his followers would actually live, what their new lifestyle would actually look like. They would, he said, leave behind security, money, convenience, even family for him. They would abandon the gospel They would take up their crosses daily...

BUT WHO DO YOU KNOW WHO LIVES LIKE THAT? DO YOU?

In Radical, David Platt challenges you to consider with an open heart how we have manipulated the gospel to fit our cultural preferences. He shows what Jesus actually said about being his disciple- then invites you to believe and obey what you have heard. And he tells the dramatic story of what is happening as a "successful" suburban church decides to get serious about the gospel according to Jesus.

Fianlly, he urges you to join in The Radical Experiment- a one-year journey in authentic discipleship that will transform how you live in a world that desperately needs the Good News Jesus came to bring."

WOAH!

This is some pretty deep material from the sound of it.

It sounds like I am headed for a challenge... and a major change. I am looking forward to reading this book. I pray that it changes the way I live my life... and the way I live for Jesus. I will definitely post again after I've had a chance to read through this book.

Thank you, Tyler, for a great birthday present!

Favorite Sales To Date

A month and a half ago, I launched my Tailor Made by Abby mini-business. I have received many orders, but some stick out more so than others.

Wreaths:

This precious sunflower wreath was made for Jessica. She wanted a wreath she could hang year-round... with the exception of the Christmas season. I thought that yellow and purple fit the bill!

Jen ordered this gorgeous fall wreath to give to her friend as a wedding gift. I hear that the friend hung it on her door as soon as she had it in her hands... and it was the first fall decoration they had for their new home.

My mom ordered this wreath to go on her door this fall. She wanted bronze, burgundy, and golds. I love it!

My grandma ordered this wreath for Christmas. It was my first Christmas wreath to make. She will use it as her only Christmas decoration- their house is too small for a Christmas tree.

I made this order myself for my good friend, Krystal, as a wedding gift for her and Derek.

Ashley ordered this gorgeous arrangement to place on her mother's gravesite this year. This one stands out far above the rest.

Jen ordered these to give as a gift for her mom's birthday. I really like these!

Jen also ordered these for her own fridge.

Monicka placed this order as a gift for her mother's birthday present. Her request? Bright colors... specifically orange and yellow.

My first magnet order... My mom ordered these to use as place settings.

My grandma ordered these... some to use as gifts, some to use on her own fridge.

This crazy flower was ordered by my mom to give as a gift this year.

My mom also ordered this wacky flower as a gift!

These flowers were a part of my first flower clip order. Kim ordered these to give as Christmas gifts.

Heather ordered these to accessorize her twins on the first birthday. The theme? Pink and brown... with lots of owls! Love it!

Heather also ordered these for Emily and Morgan to wear with their Christmas outfits.

Kati ordered this for her little girl Kya... too cute!

I am SO grateful to the many, many people who have made this last month so successful! I can't wait to receive more orders... it is so fulfilling to make people happy!

"Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed." -Proverbs 16:3



Banana Bread

I thought that I had already posted the recipe for this delicious bread, but a few weeks ago, a friend on facebook asked me for it. I couldn't find it on here, so I decided that the next time I made it, I would take pictures in order to post about it. If I've already posted this, be pateint and read anyway!

First of all, the recipe came from the recipe book my mom compiled for me, and I also believe that it is the best banana bread around. It's incredibly moist, flavorful, and just plain scrumptious.

Ingredients:

3 large, ripe bananas (the more brown spots- the better)

1 cup sugar

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 stick butter, melted

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda (dissolve in a tiny bit of hot water)

Preparation:

Chop bananas.

Mash bananas. I mean, really mash. Minimal bumps is preferred. This will allow for a better bread with no awkward chunks.

Add all ingredients.

Mix well. Do not over-stir. This will cause the bread to be tough. No one wants to eat tough bread.

Pour into a greased pan.

Bake at 350 degrees until done. This takes about 45-50 minutes. It is done when a toothpick comes out clean.

Also, it may be necessary to cover with aluminum foil halfway through baking if the bread is getting too brown too quickly. Just keep an eye on it : )

Let cool... and enjoy!

Tip: If you do cover with foil, use that foil to store the banana bread in after it's cooled!



Birthday Surprise

Last week, Andrew asked me to not look at our online banking account for a few days. I asked him why, and he said that I had an early birthday present on the way. I love surprises, and I will do anything to not find out what I'm getting. So, of course, I didn't go near our online banking account. But, I did wonder... and wonder... and wonder.

It was supposed to arrive on Thursday, but the company didn't even ship until Thursday. Sooo... that gave me extra time to guess what it could be. My mind went anywhere from an owl purse... to an owl wallet... to an owl keychain... to an owl apron. As you can tell, I was pretty stuck on owls. That's because we had just looked at all of those things, and I really liked them all.

I was as wrong as anyone could be about the gift. I came home to a package yesterday. I didn't want to open it right away because I knew that Andrew wanted to watch me to see my reaction. So I waited some more. I even tripped coming inside because I didn't want to look at the packaging label. I like surprises THAT much. Finally, he had time to watch me. Let me tell you, trying to cut tape is difficult when trying not to look at the labeling!

But, first, a little sidenote... Remember how yesterday I explained that I have weird cravings? Well, this is certainly one of them. Plainly put- I'm weird. That being said...

I couldn't believe my eyes when I opened the box!

I got it! I FINALLY got it!

What did I get?

Balsamic Vinegar... aged 25 years. You can either gag now... or be excited for me. I was definitely the latter of the two.

While on our honeymoon in Door County, we stumbled upon the The Oilerie in the quaint little town of Fish Creek. I was instantly enamored with the place.

You see, I normally eat salad JUST to have the taste of vinegar. I looooove the strong taste, and I crave it frequently. I often joke that I have a vinegar deficiency... much like that of an iron deficiency. Anyway, when I took my first taste of this balsamic vinegar, my tastebuds finally experienced what they had been searching for all my life.

A little dramatic, yes, but it was just THAT good. At the time, Andrew could not justify the expense. But upon further research when we got home, he realized that it was a very reasonable price... and he decided that it would be the perfect birthday surprise.

Boy, was he right! I am still excited about it, and now that I have photographed for blogging purposes, I am going to open... and savor every delicious drop and honeymoon memory it brings throughout the next year of its shelf life!

Fast & Easy

As you already know, I love to cook. However, there are some days that I don't feel like putting together an elaborate meal, and I just want to take the easy way out. Many often turn to fast food at a time like this, but Andrew and I really monitor how much fast food we consume (which we try to keep close to none).

Over the past month, we have discovered two delicious, quick, and easy meal ideas that fit the budget and fall within our desire to remain as healthy as possible.

Choice One: Reuben Sandwiches

Ingredients:

Corned Beef

Rye Bread

Sauerkraut

Swiss Cheese

Thousand Island Dressing

Olive Oil Butter

Andrew heats the corned beef and sauerkraut in a skillet.

Meanwhile, he butters the outside of each piece of bread.

He then layers each ingredient on the rye bread.

Toast one side, then flip... much like a grilled cheese sandwich.

Press each side with a panini press (a George Foreman grill works just as well) until both sides are golden brown.

Cut in half. Serve. Savor.

Choice Two: Fish Sandwiches

Ingredients:

Crunchy Breaded Fish Fillets (we prefer Aldi's Sea Queen Golden Crunchy Tilapia Fillets)

Buns

American Cheese

Tarter Sauce

Prepare fish as directed.

Layer cheese, tartar sauce, and fish on a bun.

Serve with macaroni and cheese (we like the Toy Story shapes) and enjoy!

Like I said, both of these tasty options keep us from running to a fast food joint for lunch. They are extremely healthy, but they sure are better than McDonalds!

A side note... one of my weird cravings is a good fish sandwich. Sometimes, I crave them so much that I just have to stop somewhere and get one. I'm so glad we discovered these, because I can now enjoy this odd craving without grease dripping down my arm!!

I'm so glad that GOOD meals don't always have to be fancy, and I'm also thankful that Andrew takes control of these meals! It's a nice treat. : )



Homemade Veggie Soup: My Made-Up Recipe

I love veggie soup, but I think that some vegetable soup is MUCH better than others, and there are some ingredients that I feel just don't belong. I also have never made veggie soup, but I decided to give it a whirl tonight. I used a basic broth recipe from another soup that I make and tweaked it a bit so it could house more veggies. Pretty much, I made up my own recipe. We just had a bowl, and it was delicious... even Andrew agrees. He's not usually a fan of veggie soup.

Here goes:

Ingredients:

1 pound lean turkey

2 cans diced tomatoes

3 cans water

12 beef bullion cubes

3/4 teaspoon garlic salt

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 can red beans (drained)

1 can kidney beans (drained)

3 stalks celery, chopped

1/2 head cabbage, chopped

8 ounces frozen corn

8 ounces frozen peas

8 ounces frozen cauliflower

8 ounces frozen broccoli

8 ounces frozen carrots

Preparation:

Brown turkey.

Combine all ingredients in a large pot.

Simmer on low for at least two hours.

Serve and enjoy!

Side note... veggie soup always tastes better with Hawaiian rolls! It's pretty much a fact.