Graciousness...and The Greatest Show on Earth

"There are five things you cannot recover in life:

(1) The Stone...after it's thrown.

(2) The Word...after it's said.

(3) The Occasion...after it's missed.

(4) The Time...after it's gone.

(5) A person...after they die."

~Author Unknown

My inbox is O-V-E-R-F-L-O-W-I-N-G.

The list of phone calls to return keeps growing.

And so does the amount of time it takes me to respond.

Yep, I'll be playing perpetual "catch up" for quite a while

now that my world has expanded.

One baby ~ a breeze.

Two babies ~ a bit of a juggle.

Three babies ages 3 and under ~ a three ring circus!

EXHILARATING and EXHAUSTING.

Simultaneously.

That being said...

It truly is "The Greatest Show on Earth!"

At my husband's suggestion, I've carved out a few hours 

one night a week to....decompress.

Tonight, I'm sitting by the window in a coffee shop.

Etta James is crooning in the background,

a steaming rich cup of cafe mocha sits to my right.

Conversations of nearby strangers grow faint as

my thoughts begin to trickle from "the vault."

The new year has taken off in it's usual style.

Full throttle pedal to the metal acceleration.

And as always...there are no repeats.

So what am I thinking about between sips?

Well, funny you should ask...

There's a colleague of mine named Bill McCoy.

He's a true original. 

Understated, yet distinguished.

Well respected in our profession.

A brilliant educator. 

And above all...gracious.

I've sat in numerous classes under his instruction over the years.

His relaxed humorous style always keeps things fresh,

and engages the audience time and again with his ever expanding knowledge.

But without fail, regardless of what class he is teaching,

he falls subject to a variety of outrageous questions and "hypothetical" scenarios.

His knack for restating the facts, walking you through as many times as needed for comprehension,

and helping you gain perspective from a different angle is....well....a gift.

Not to mention his uncanny ability of sensing just how many 10 minute breaks are necessary for survival.

But above all....he is gracious.

No matter how cynical the comment, 

no matter how many times the same question is asked,

he is so. very. gracious. 

patient. 

pleasant. 

tactful.

warmly courteous.

This is what I'd like to purpose in my heart to do this year...

To be. more. GRACIOUS.

Both to the people I know, and the people I don't.

To give them the grace to be, and the room to become.

To love people where they're at, and give them the space to grow.

Because sweet bellas, let's face it. you can't take it back. Any of it.

We simply do not know what tomorrow holds.

There are no repeats.

Thanks Bill, for being such a cool cat, and reminding me

of what a big impact a little grace can give.

And...

for teaching me that now matter what comes my way, 

with enough 10 minute breaks,

I can tackle anything *wink*

and do it graciously :)

A Little More Time...and Phyllo Stuffed Stripped Beef w/Baby Bellas & Gorgonzola

"Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, 

for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire:  

it is the time for home."  

~Edith Sitwell

The tree is down.

P90X is rockin' my world.

Spring cleaning has begun.

But dare I say that I'm still not ready for Spring??

I simply need more time...

More time for boots and cute scarves and hats! 

Maybe another snowfall or two? 

A little more cocoa?? 

A few more bowls of hot comforting soup?? 

A smidgen more snuggling on the couch with blankets and a good book while the chill still hangs in the air?? 

This past week I had been rummaging through the pantry and freezer 

trying to use up ingredients before I made my monthly pilgrimage to Trader Joe's.

Was hoping I could dream up something we've never had before with limited stock.

Success.

And I must say, some of the best meals are born that way.

Behold, I give you phyllo pastry stuffed with stripped beef, 

baby bella mushroom & gorgonzola

served with a side of creamy spinach & bacon fingerling potatoes

 and some steamed carrots drizzling with honey and a dash of nutmeg

The strip beef was frozen and left over from a delicious roast I made two weeks prior, one that had been simmering in a crock pot 

with Argentinian Malbec, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, cracked pepper,

potatoes, onions, carrots and mushrooms. 

After that wonderful meal, I shredded the roast, saved some 

for stripped beef tacos the next day, and froze the rest.

 

Imagine my delight when I discovered it hiding in the back of my freezer!

This meal will definitely warm your belly while it's still nippy outside,

but don't worry ya'll, by March I'll be ripe 'n' ready 

for fresh blossoms and new beginnings :)

"The color of springtime is in the flowers, 

the color of winter is in the imagination."  

~Terri Guillemets

Phyllo Stuffed Stripped Beef with Baby Bellas & Gorgonzola

Here's what you need:

12 sheets of phyllo dough

10 oz. of cooked shredded roast

3-4 oz. gorgonzola cheese, crumbled

3-4 oz. of baby bella mushrooms, sliced

1 garlic clove, minced

tbsp of butter, tbsp of olive oil

1/2 cup wine

sea salt to taste

to brush phyllo dough i melted appx 6 tbsp of butter in a bowl 

and made an egg wash with 1 egg and some water in another bowl

Here's how you make it:

preheat oven to 350 degrees

sautee sliced baby bella mushrooms with garlic, butter & olive oil

salt to taste

add wine, cook down

add cooked meat, stir, cook for 1 minute

remove from heat.

spray a 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray

lay 2 sheets of phyllo dough down, brush butter over the entire sheet to moisten

add 2 more sheets of phyllo, brush more butter to cover entirely, then add 2 more sheets of phyllo

brush with more butter to cover sheets entirely

add meat & mushroom filling in to cover sheets entirely

cover evenly with gorgonzola cheese crumbles

then add your last 6 sheets of phyllo in sets of 2, followed by brushing butter over entire sheets

when final layers of phyllo are on and butter is brushed evenly, then add one layer of egg wash over entire sheet

preslice before putting into oven for easy slices

place uncovered in oven and bake for 30 minutes

serve immediately

Creamy Spinach & Bacon Fingerling Potatoes

Here's what you need:

2-3 tbsp of olive oil

12 oz. of fingerling potatoes, sliced long, and then in half

1/2 yellow onion (I used a maui sweet onion)

1 clove of garlic, minced

6 oz. bacon, cooked & chopped

6 oz. frozen spinach (I didn't have any fresh spinach on hand, but of course would be perfect)

4 oz. cream cheese, softened & cubed

1/2 cup sharp cheddar, shredded

sea salt & freshly cracked pepper to taste

Here's how you make it:

over medium heat

cook garlic in olive oil, about 20 seconds

add onions, cook down about 3-5 minutes

add potatoes, stir well, add salt & pepper

cover, cook until potatoes are soft and can be pierced with a fork

stirring every so often

add spinach, stir

add cream cheese, incorporate well

add cheddar, incoporate well

cook about 2 minutes

add bacon, remove from heat

serve hot

Deeeeee-lish.

*note to self: wait to photograph steamed carrots until AFTER they have been appropriately drizzled with honey and dashed with nutmeg. That is all.

Keep Shining Sweet Bellas!

Moxie...and Pappardelle w/Chicken & Mushrooms in a Red Chile Cream Sauce

"By perseverance the snail reached the ark." 

~ Charles H. Spurgeon

My daughter Sophia's got moxie. 

She doesn't give in.

She doesn't care what anyone else is doing,

she wants to do her own thing.
And all the while, 

she's got a lil Punky Brewster style going on... 
and she totally owns it. 

I couldn't help but think of this simple unpretentious quote the other day.

Without doubt, she has the tenacity and persistence of that snail.

Listen in, see what I mean...

Sophia: Mom, can I have a snack.

Me: no.

Sophia: Just a little snack.

Me: no not now, it's going to be nap time in a few minutes.

Sophia: Just one snack.

Me: noooo.

Sophia: Pleeeease. Just one snack. Oneeeee snack. *holding up one finger*

Me: *smile* oooook, just one.

Sophia: How about one marshmallow.

Me: *holding back laughter* that's not a snack, that's a sweet.

Sophia: Pleeease. How 'bout one marshmallow. Just one. *holding up one finger*

Me: One Marshmallow huh? ok.

Sophia: How 'bout two marshmallows.

Me: *trying not to laugh* One for you. One for brother.

Sophia: How 'bout two for me, two for brother. Just two. I promise. *head tilted, holding up two fingers, eyelashes batting*

Me: Just two?

Sophia: promise.

Me: ok ok. Two for you, two for brother.

Sophia: * beaming smile* oh these are SOOOO wonderful mommy. 

Me: good, ok let's clean up toys and get ready for nap.

Sophia: how 'bout one more snack....

sigh...her passion and steadfastness inspire me. 

I'm reminded me once again that these are all extremely rare 
and valuable qualities to possess 

amidst the predictable, stale and mundane.

Speaking of stale and mundane...time to get out of that dinner rut. No more of the same ol' thing. I insist! Mix it up a bit. A little of this and a little of that, improvisation is the key. Whatever you have on hand. That's what inspired this entree. Since I'm not making a trip to the grocery store for another week, I threw together whatever ingredients were lying around the back corner of the fridge and pantry and breathed this dish to life. 

I diced up 6 oz. of leftover cooked chicken breasts and set aside, sauteed 6 oz. of baby portabello mushrooms with garlic in butter and extra virgin olive oil, a dash of sea salt, 1/2 a cup of white wine, and once cooked down, added 4 oz. of softened cream cheese, a tablespoon of red chile powder, 1/2 cup of chicken broth, and boiled some pappardelle. Once drained, I added the diced chicken to the spiced mushroom sauce, poured that atop of that delicious pappardelle, and topped it with some freshly grated parmiggano reggiano and some italian flat leaf parsely. Steamed some broccoli for the side, and tossed together a fresh tomato salad. voila! Dinner is served. 

And I just may have a marshmallow for dessert. 

Maybe two.....definitely two :)

Own it...and Red Chile Tilapia

"If you concern yourself with your neighbor's talents, you will neglect yours. 

But if you concern yourself with yours, you could inspire both" ~ Max Lucado

I love that quote.

We all have an inner critic that can literally

sap every ounce of creative juice from us if we let it.

It makes us doubt ourselves & start frantically trying to "fit in."

Comparing truly is a cancer of the soul.

Unnecessary and unfruitful in every way.

It's so tempting to follow suit though, isn't it?

To do what everyone else is doing...

To try and "keep up" with the masses...

my advice?

DON'T.

no seriously.....don't.

There are gifts and talents that are yours to possess.

and yours alone.

OWN IT.

Do not look to the left or the right.

Keep those eyes front and center...and cultivate that amazingness placed inside of you.

The world needs what you have to give.

Tonight, I give you my Red Chile Tilapia. It's ridiculously simple. 

In a baking dish and on each filet, I just squeezed some fresh lemon, 

followed by a pinch of mediterranean sea salt, then a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, 

and a generous sprinkling of red chile powder; 

then I flipped over each filet and repeated the same.

I baked at 425 for 6-8 minutes, flipped, and baked for an additional 4 or 5 minutes. 

The tilapia should be opaque and flake apart but not dry whatsoever. 

I chose to serve this with a side of Israeli Couscous, 

a delicious recipe I came across by the wonderfully talented 

Elisabeth from Food and Thrift Finds that I have been dying to try for months now 

(she is such an amazing cook with the most generous, 

kind and giving spirit you have ever known...

click HERE for the recipe and a chance to discover her marvelous world),

 and a spinach salad topped with pears, gorgonzola, and candied walnuts.

Sweet Bellas, this is a fantastic and healthy meal to start the New Year off with and share with someone you love.

Keep ShiningSweet Bellas!

eyes wide open...

 "Carpe diem. Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary." 

~John Keating, Dead Poets Society

I found four silver hairs on my head the other day.

Four!!!

When did this happen???

I kinda dig it.

Life really does feel like it's moving at mach speed these days,

and I am painfully aware that these days with my babies

will slip through my fingers like sand in an hourglass.

There are days when I feel so exhausted.

And overwhelmed. 

Days when I feel like I'm just dropping the ball.

But most of the time, I am in awe, 

just marveling at these little beings...

these little souls that have been entrusted to me. 

(very sobering indeed to ponder the great responsibility of that)

I see their innocence, the wonder in their eyes,

how excited they get over marshmallows...

and snow...and just about everything. 

It fills me with a sense of enchantment and a peace 

of all that's still good and right and true in this world. 

It makes me realign my thoughts and put things into proper perspective, 

letting go of things that can easily consume me so that I can make room for 

the moments of life that are happening before my eyes. 

To make time to appreciate them. 

It's such a crazy life right now, 

but it's MY life.

And I don't want to miss a thing...

ever. so. grateful.

"Gratitude is the fairest blossom 

which springs from the soul."  

~Henry Ward Beecher

At last!

A chance to reflect aloud 

on this past week's festivities,

and all of the things that continue

to pluck my heartstrings...

I am ever. so. grateful.

for family, and friends, and health;

for the tremendous outpouring of love 

that has come our way this past month.

Thankful for a weekend of rest,

and for all of the daily provisions 

that we can so easily take for granted.

Thankful that I've been graced with 

four whole weeks of kissing teeny tiny toes 

and chubby yummy knees 

and itty bitty ears 

and plumpy lil cheeks ~ 

for those who may have missed the news:

Luke Xavier Carrillo 
was born on 11-1-11 

at 11:21 am 

weighing 7 lb 10 oz 

and he is simply 

e. d. i. b. l. e.

When I look back at the years gone by,

I still marvel.

All of the mistakes...

And yet God was willing

to take my brokenness

and make me whole.

He was willing to pick me up 
out of the muck and myre, 

and make me...sparkle.

Useful...

so humbled.

and

ever. so. grateful.

My contribution to the Thanksgiving table

were these delicious pumpkin cupcakes.

I came across the recipe on Pinterest, 

and couldn't believe how easyyyyy it was.

(Click HERE for the recipe)

I added my own touch but throwing some chocolate chips into the batter,

and prettied them up with a homemade cinnamon and brown sugar whipped topping,

drizzling with caramel, and topped with a single candied walnut.

sigh.

life is good.

Tabbouleh & A Time To Rest...

"Take rest;

a field that has rested

gives a bountiful crop"

~ Ovid

Session Four of the Live Deliciously series zeros in on the meal

that Jesus had with Matthew the Tax Collector (Mark 2:13-28).

It's no secret that we live in a culture drawn to controversy,

we're mesmerized by the unorthodox & the unusual.

Perhaps that's what makes this text so fascinating.

If tabloids were reporting in that day, Jesus would make the front page

Talk about radical...from the company He kept, to the words that He spoke, to the claims that He made;

Ruffling feathers wherever He went, rebuking the religious, challenging the status quo...

Carmen Camino delivered a compelling message that complimented

the week's homework perfectly. While there is much that can be said about each of the powerful truths

she presented, the one segment that echoed in my heart was titled "a time to rest."

Sweet Bellas, we fill our schedules to the brim, hoping to accomplish all that we can, but in reality, what we really need is rest.

She said "extreme busy-ness makes us stop caring about the things we care about." 

Such a powerful statement. We can often become so consumed with things that lead us away

from that which we love the most, even when we have the best intentions.

I've been on a personal journey of my own the last two years.

One of simplifying, of making more time for "more time" and living more fully.

It has been nothing short of invigorating, deeply meaningful, NECESSARY, and

I cannot begin to express what an impact it's had in my life, and the lives of those around me.

I think that's why this segment touched me so intensely, because those truths ring fresh in my ears.

It reminded me of a quote that I've shared in a previous post, but it's certainly worth repeating:

"The ability to simplify 

means to eliminate the unnecessary 

so that the necessary may speak" 

~ Hans Hoffman

If we really take a step back, 

is there something we can simplify in our own lives 

to make time to enter into the rest that our souls so desperately need?

I believe the answer is yes.

She hit the nail on the head when she said we are:

Over-saturated

Over-loaded

Over-whelmed

Over-worked 

Over-committed 

and that His presence is the ONLY place we can:

RE-store

RE-vive

RE-flect

RE-lax

and

RE-new.

My spirit leaped within when she said:  

"when we rest, we experience the aroma of eternity."

I just love that!!!!!!

And I find myself instantly at peace just thinking on the implications of that statement.

When I think of the opening quote in today's post, I can't help but smile....we have so much more to give when we have rested,

and those around us will be the recipients of that bounty; they will taste the goodness of Christ, and it will leave them hungry for more.

And so without further ado, I share the recipe that's been given to me for Tabbouleh. 

Would you believe I've never had Tabbouleh before? It's true. 

I love every ingredient in this recipe, so I had no doubt that I would love the flavors.

 There were no disappointments once again, every ingredient came together

in a burst of flavors that even my husband liked! 

This is such a great garnish for a sandwich,

which is exactly what we used it for.

We spread this on top of our lebanese bread and threw on some 

lamb and feta cheese....it was sheer perfection!

one disclaimer: i used flat leaf parsley since that was all I had,

not sure if curly leaf is more customary, but either way

this is a keeper!

Tabbouleh

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients: 

1 cup of bulgur

1 1/2 cups boiled water

10 sprigs parsley, chopped

1/2 bundle mint, chopped

1 medium sized onion, chopped

1 cucumber, seeded and chopped

2 fresh and firm tomatoes, chopped

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

juice of one freshly squeezed lemon

pinch of sea salt to taste.

Instructions:

1. Add the bulgur to the bowl, and pour in boiled water. Water level should be 1/2 an inch above the bulgur,

2.Put the plate on top of the bowl and soak the bulgur in water for 15 minutes, until they swell in size.

3. Mix the bulgur in a bowl together with other ingredients. Enjoy!