Summer is Here!

Summer is here, y'all!  I'm excited that I'll be enjoying summer from Illinois where it's cooler than 110 degrees, thankyouverymuch.  Here are a few things getting my summer off to a fun start!

Essie Summer Collection

If you ask me, Essie's summer collection is just plain adorable, and a fresh way to update darker nail shades.  I'm especially loving that blue color - called "bikini so teeny".

Sunbeam Igloo Shaved Ice Machine

This cutie is $24 at Target, and I couldn't resist.  Sure, it's a uni-tasker, and sure, Brent is lamenting about yet another appliance to move, but a perfect shaved ice snow cone on a hot afternoon is SO worth it.  It shaves ice cubes right out of your freezer into snow-cone stand quality.  Then pour on syrup, concentrated Crystal Light, or fruit juice, and you're good to go!

Revlon Lip Butter

I am loving this moisture-rich, shiny balm.  It's like chapstick but with summery color.  I have "Fig Jam", and it's bright and beautiful.

The Webster for Target

When I first heard about "The Shops" at Target, I put it on my calendar so as not to miss it like I did with Missoni.  I went on day 1 and may or may not have bought 5 pieces.  I LOVE them.  If there are still some pieces at your Target, check it out!  Chic and cheap.

Crystal Light Mocktails

Sure, you love a good margarita, but maybe not at noon.  Enter... mocktails.  I love Crystal Light in the summer, and these new flavors are so fun!  The mojito is pretty good - nice and minty.

Salsa Picante

This recipe for homemade salsa from Cooking Light is A-mazing.  Addicting.  Brent and I ate a very large bowl in one sitting with crispy chips.  It's made with canned tomatoes, but it tastes SO fresh!  It couldn't be easier - throw it in the food processor and press the button.  Find the recipe here.

Maxi Dresses

I want to live in maxi dresses.  I have one that I call my "pajama dress" because you can literally feel like you're going out in your pajamas and still look polished.  Most of the maxis I have are older or sold out, but I took the liberty of finding a good option for you.  Here's an adorable maxi from Old Navy for $27.  Yes, please.

 

Hydrangeas

Hydrangeas are my favorite flower.  I can not believe my good luck that we are renting a house with about 6 very large hydrangea plants in the yard!  My neighbor and I clip flowers to our heart's desire, and they really brighten up a room.  If you don't have hydrangeas in your yard, sorry, but you can pick some up at the store!  Here are the bushes in my yard... be still my heart.

Family Time

This weekend I went to Virginia to celebrate my sister's graduation from the University of Virginia with her PhD!  Although I wasn't able to stay for the actual graduation, I did have a great time hanging out with Julia, her husband Darrell, my parents, and my grandad.  Brent wasn't able to come since he has been in China for the last 16 days.  He got home last night!  Here are some pics from our weekend.

My dad recently turned the big 6-0, so we used this time together as an opportunity to celebrate properly.  Here's my dad with his "birthday boy" ribbon we kindly requested him to wear.

Darrell and Julia cooked up a DELICIOUS spread of food for dinner - fried venison, grilled veggies, baked potatoes, and grilled corn on the cob! 

Grandad drove all the way from Georgia for the occassion.

We wanted to do something special for dad's birthday dessert.  We decided to make mini versions of all of his favorites.  We had mini key lime tarts, mini upside-down peach cakes, and mini apple pies.  They were a hit!  I made the tarts & the cakes, but the kind people at Whole Foods made the pies :-)

On Saturday, we visited Montpelier, the home of James Madison.  It was fun to visit the house & grounds since we visited Monticello in the fall.  The weather could not have been more BEAUTIFUL.  It was a perfect day.

To round out the day, we visited two great vineyards for wine tastings. 

It was a picture perfect Virginia weekend, and my sister is now officially graduated and off to her first job! :-) She's going to be a biology professor at a nearby college!  Hope you had a great weekend too!

Prayer Cards

I don't know if it's the end of the school year or what, but lately I've been feeling anxious, aimless, restless, worried, frustrated, and all sorts of other things that don't involve peace.  I know that these feelings are just reminding me that I need the Lord, and they definitely drive me back to Him.  One of our friends in our small group, Joana, mentioned that when she is stressed or upset, she has to remind herself to go to her prayer cards.  She didn't talk about what a prayer card was, but all that week, the wheels in my brain were turning.  Two things I've never been stellar at are prayer and scripture memory.  I decided I liked the idea of having prayer cards, so I made my own version.  I found a super nifty ring of mini blank index cards at the Duke bookstore for $1.50, but any index cards will do.  I just started copying down verses that spoke to me in my daily reading, verses I've always loved, verses in the Bible studies I'm doing, and verses people send me.  I write the scripture on one side and the chapter and verse on the other.  Oh, and I use fun colored pens.  That part is optional :-)

The cards give me something tangible to hold onto and to focus on.  I use them for prayer as I read over the scriptures and pray them.  I also use them for scripture memory since they are basically flashcards.  Sometimes I study the scripture and try to recall the chapter and verse, and sometimes I read the chapter and verse and try to recall the scripture.  I know that I need the word of God to abide more deeply in my heart so that it comes to mind in stressful times and in joyful times and so that it saturates my life.  The prayer cards are also really good for plane rides and all of the travel I've been doing!  You can't use any electronics for a good part of the flight, so I keep these little cards in my hand and use those minutes to study.  What verses do you have memorized to help you through the day?  I'll add them to my cards :-)

Literacy in "The Big Easy"

This week, I got to spend 4 lovely days learning about literacy in New Orleans at a reading conference.  If you know me at all, you know that I am pretty much obsessed with learning about teaching.  I've chronicled some of my PD adventures here, here, and here.  This conference was great, and I left with my brain practically exploding with all of the conformational and challenging things I learned.  I attended the conference with six literacy specialists from YES Prep, all of them lovely ladies.  We had a great time attending sessions during the day and eating wonderful food at night.  I found New Orleans in general to be not my cup of tea (surprising? no.)  But, there was some great learning and some great food, so overall, I think it was a success.

We ventured to the French Quarter one night.  Don't worry... I was back at the hotel by 10!  Here's Jenny and I before dinner.

Rebecca, my sweet roomie for the week!

Shrimp and grits at Mr. B's Bistro

I took almost half a notebook of notes!

Rockin' the teacher bags provided at the conference.  "You know you're a teacher if...."

When you're in New Orleans, I'm pretty sure you have to eat at one of Emeril's restaurants.  We ate at NOLA, and it was quite good.  The waiters got a kick out of us asking if they had met Emeril and if they are required to say "BAM!" when serving food to customers.

Stephanie, Simone, and Rebecca at NOLA

Jenny, me, and Wambui at NOLA

After dinner, we took a quick walk over to Cafe Du Monde.

Dessert of champions

I'm grateful to work with such wonderful people who love learning as much as I do!  Yay literacy!

Overnight Oatmeal

If you've been on Pinterest for more than five minutes (and we all know I have), you have undoubtedly seen at least 100 pins for overnight oatmeal. I've always loved oatmeal.  I don't really love the super sweet instant oatmeal packets, but the regular oatmeal is a bit of a time commitment to make in the morning.  Still, it seems like everyone sings the health benefits of oatmeal, so I try to eat it at least a few times a week.  I was intrigued by this "overnight oatmeal" that everyone was buzzing about on Pinterest.  I scoured a few blogs with different versions.  Some versions people complained were too chewy or made them nauseous.  Um, no thanks.  Then I found this one recipe from a blogger who claimed that she made many versions, and this was the best. I liked all of the ingredients, so I figured I'd give it a try. 

Oh My.  It is so good.  Every night now, I make the three minute investment in this oatmeal, and come morning, I am really happy I did.  No cooking required!  I love that this overnight oatmeal is not too soggy and not too chewy.  The texture is perfect.  Also, it's only slightly sweet, which I love.  Finally, the fruit stays firm, and the coconut adds a little crunch.  If you haven't tried overnight oatmeal, I highly recommend this recipe!  I'm still enjoying it, but I may play around with some variations in the future.  The sky is the limit - you could add any milk, fruit, nut, or add-in you want!  Most people on Pinterest make their overnight oatmeal in cute-sy little Mason jars and sometimes they put little bows on them.  I mean, really?  Sorry, I don't have those.  I just have Ziplock plastic containers.  It tastes just as good.  Keepin' it real.

Mango-Coconut Overnight Oatmeal

In a resealable container, mix:

3/4 cup rolled oats (regular, not quick)

3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk

2 T. shredded sweetened coconut

1 t. agave nectar (add more if you like it sweeter)

1 chopped mango (the smaller champagne mangoes are the best)

Seal the container and place it in the refrigerator overnight.  In the morning, stir and eat!  This morning I threw a handful of blueberries on top.  Yum!!  I wake up looking forward to getting this out of the refrigerator!

Nomadic

If you haven't noticed, we're a bit nomadic.

I used to dream of a little house with a white picket fence, and I dreamed I'd stay there, oh, approximately... FOREVER. 

Then, I married Brent.

Brent did not dream of a white picket fence. 

And he did not dream of staying in one place forever. 

He moved me once, then again, then again. 

And at some point I realized...  I should maybe get used to moving.

Now, we've been married almost 7 years, and we've moved 4 times.  The 'big move' (to Durham) has been so positive that I have the bug now. 

This year, Brent has been exploring career options, and with those options come discussions of where we will live and what we will do and what our lives will look like when he graduates.  Sometimes, scary stuff.  But I found myself (surprisingly) wanting, even longing to go somewhere else and do it all over again.  Don't get me wrong - I love me some Texas, and we really miss being close to our families - but I have felt what I think is God working on my heart saying we're not done yet.  It's not quite time yet to settle in and build the fence. 

Brent came to business school with a background in finance.  We saw Duke as a chance for a new beginning and perhaps a change.  I'm so proud of Brent for being brave enough to leave what he knew and dare to think that there might be something more, something better, something different that God would have him do.  He felt drawn towards strategic management, and specifically, drawn towards John Deere. 

"John Deere????"  You ask.  Yes, I asked the same thing.

This summer, between MBA year 1 and year 2, there is an internship component.  Brent interviewed for a ton of internships and explored a ton of companies, but there was always a draw towards John Deere from the very beginning.  A draw to the program, the people, the lifestyle, the values, the success of the company. 

As it has been true for us so many times before, Isaiah 30:21 has been true for us this year:

"Whether you turn to the right or the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it!" 

Oh, I love that verse.  Don't you?  If we listen and walk faithfully, the sovereign Lord promises to direct our steps.  Not always in the easiest or most comfortable way, but in the way that He wills, which... if you ask me... is the best way.

As it turns out, God may have been calling Brent to this job from a very early age.  Here is a pic his mom found of him driving a John Deere tractor at age 2 on his ranch with his dad and sister.  I mean, how cute is this?!?! 

To make a long story short, there were a lot of obstacles in the path and a lot of uncertainty, and a little bit of fear (on my part), but God was faithful, and Brent got the very internship he wanted.  He's going to be working as an intern in the Strategic Management Program at John Deere for 12 weeks this summer.  Then we'll be back to Durham for one more school year.  Should he be able to work for John Deere full time upon graduation, he would be in a management program that would require us to move often - every year or two at least.  Sound familiar???  haha...I think it's our destiny.

We are thrilled for Brent to be working at Deere, and he is so excited.  He's going to be working on a project involving forestry.  My mom is so cute - she sent us the most adorable John Deere t-shirts when we told her.  Mine is pink and says "real women drive tractors". HA!  (have they met me?)

The internship will take place at the John Deere headquarters in Moline, Illinois.  Praise God that I'll be able to go with Brent since I already work remotely.  Therefore, for the summer, we will be living in Moline, Illinois.

Wait, you don't know where that is?

I had the same problem.  It's OK.  Here's a visual.  Moline is where the red "A" is.  It's in northwestern Illinois on the border of Illinois & Iowa.

I have never been to Moline, and I don't know what our summer will look like. 

All I know is that God wants us there, so nomads we will be, and there we will go. 

Best Salad Ever

Hold the presses.  Close Pinterest.  Turn off Food Network.  Alert Facebook. 

You can stop searching for the perfect salad recipe.

I have found it.  

That's right:  This is the best salad in the entire world!

I may be a little biased, but I've made quite a few salads in my day, and this one is officially the best.  It is tangy, spicy, savory, crunchy, chewy, satisfying, healthy, easy, and beautiful.  I know there are plenty of versions of this salad out there and some you can even get at Wendy's.  I'm pretty sure that this one is better, and you feel good about what's in it when you make it yourself.

I saw a similar recipe on Pinterest, and I adapted it.  I've eaten this for lunch two days now, and it will be a lunch staple from now on.  It's ridiculously easy, and you can cook up the chicken & pasta at the beginning of the week to keep in the fridge so you can throw together a salad every day in less than 5 minutes.  Here's how.

Katie's Chinese Chicken Salad


In a large bowl, toss together the following.  It's your salad, so you get to decide how much of each component you want.

• Sliced romaine (I like to slice mine myself rather than using those huge bagged leaves)
• Cooked pasta (I used gemelli - you can use anything you have  on hand)
• Diced broiled chicken breast (simply broiled with olive oil, salt, & pepper)
• Sliced green onions
• Diced cucumber
• Crispy wonton strips (found bagged in the produce section)
• Sliced almonds
• Jarred mandarin orange segments (opt for the no sugar added kind)

Then, add the best salad dressing ever (Newman's Own Lite Low Fat Sesame Ginger)

To finish it off, sprinkle some sesame seeds on top. Why not?  

Join me in salad heaven!!!  So good!!

Brent Joins the 30 Club

Last week, my wonderful husband had a birthday and joined the 30 club!  It was great to have Brent's parents in town to celebrate with us!  I was out of town for work on his actual birthday, so I wanted to do something special that he would be able to enjoy even when I wasn't there. I saw an idea on Pinterest (of course) of mailing out cards to family and friends and asking them to write a note or memory or well wishes and send the card back to the birthday boy (or girl).  I decided that 30 was a perfect milestone birthday to do this.  So, without Brent knowing, I sent out 30 postcards already stamped and addressed to Brent's closest 30 family and friends.  I asked them to write a note and mail it back for his birthday.

It worked perfectly!!  Look at all these sweet cards Brent received over the weeks surrounding his birthday.  Many of them brought me to tears because they were so sweet, kind, and funny. 

Here's a shot of what the front of the cards looked like and the back.  I just printed them on my ink jet printer!  I also included a short letter with directions.  We're going to put them all in a little book for Brent to keep and read forever!

To continue the celebration this weekend, when Brent's parents were in town, they were kind enough to take us out to our favorite restaurant in Durham (and possibly our favorite restaurant of all time) Magnolia Grill.  Magnolia specializes in gourmet southern food.  It was a great way to celebrate Brent's 30th.  Here's what we ordered!  Sorry if you are hungry after reading this... I know I am!

Magnolia has the best martinis.  I don't know what their secret is, but we love them.

Shared appetizer #1:  We get this EVERY time, and it's the only thing on the menu that never goes away.  Grits souffle with fois gras and wild mushroom ragout.  Best.appetizer.ever.

Vicky's appetizer:  Spring carrot bisque with beets, chicken confit, and beef tartare

Shared appetizer #2:  Cornmeal fried oysters with remoulade sauce.   Divine.

I ordered the steelhead trout with pesto sauce, grits, and southern beans.  Every bite at Magnolia Grill is like a taste explosion in your mouth.

Brent ordered the short ribs - incredibly tender meat drenched in a wonderful savory sauce.

For dessert, Vicky ordered candied grapefruit waffles with salted caramel ice cream.  Words can't describe how amazing this was.  I may have had one or ten bites of this.  Notice how Vicky's spoon is already in the dessert in this picture.  Brent ordered a blue cheese cheesecake (pictured at the top of the post) which was equally unique and delicious and came with a birthday candle.

Happy 30th Brent!  Love you!