Roasted Vegetable Soup

I made this for the horror that is South Beach Diet, Phase 1. It's actually decent and super filling!

Roasted Vegetable Soup

1 zuchinni cut in thin rounds
1 squash cut in thin rounds
1 medium red onion largely diced
1 green bell pepper
1 can low salt black beans
1 can low salt dark red kidney beans
1 large can crushed tomatoes
1/2 box beef broth
garlic powder (1tsp?)
cumin
paprika
salt
pepper

Cut vegetables and place on baking sheet. Drizzle with Canola oil and sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper. Roast at 400 for 45 min.

While veggies are roasting, dump tomatoes, beans and broth into the pot with seasonings to taste and cook on medium- med low.

When veggies are done, place in soup pot with other ingredients. Simmer for 30 minutes.

Channeling My Nonnie....

My grandmother, Nonnie, was one of the best cooks I've ever known. She was a cook of the 1950 and 60s when it was important to use each grocery item to it's fullest potential, often making an onion, or a pound of ground beef serve two different purposes. Freezing, stretching and "doctoring up", in her words. I learned how to cook, in part, from watching her. Her process was "a little of this, a dab of that" and it wasn't uncommon for her to stray from a recipe and use "to taste" more than one time when writing it out to share with her friends. SO SO many of her "old faithful" recipes, like deviled eggs and orange roughy went un-written and I kick myself to this day for not asking her to write them down while she was here. When she passed away, I was fortunate enough to receive her Recipe Box containing years and years worth of traded, clipped and hand written recipes, something that was more special to me than my other cousins receiving a piece of her jewelry. Cooking was just one of many things that made Nonnie and me kindred spirits....

Tonight I made a recipe for Stuffed Bell Peppers that I found on pinterest. The finished product, ended up amazing, but I found myself going through the process and tasting, dabbling and adding my own spin on the actual ingredients and quantities. When I finished the last taste of the mixture, it TASTED like Nonnie, if that's possible! I have no idea how I somehow stumbled upon a random combination of ingredients that she would have used, but I swear that somehow she channeled through my fingers, into my spice cabinet and controlled each dash until it was up to her standards.

Now, I realize that "Cooking from Heaven" may not be the world's next best-selling cookbook, or even a plausible concept, but I like to think that I shared a little kitchen bonding time with Nonnie this evening. And because of that, I decided to make sure the recipe was written down to share with any and everyone from Nonnie and Me. :) Enjoy!

Stuffed Bell Peppers
1lb ground beef
2 8oz cans of tomato sauce
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2c white rice
1/2 c sugar
1tsp salt
2tsp creole seasoning (or more "to taste"-- I have no idea how much I actually put in :) )
1/4tsp pepper
1/4c Italian Blend Cheese
4 large green bell peppers, rinsed, de-seeded and with the tops cut off

1. Make white rice according to package directions
2. Brown ground beef with onion and garlic and drain
3. In mixing bowl, combine 1 and 1/2 cans tomato sauce, and the rest of the ingredients (besides the peppers) and mix.
4. Stuff bell peppers with mixture and place in an 8x8 baking dish
5. Mix the last half can of tomato sauce with 1/2 can of water and pour over the peppers, making sure that the bottom of the baking dish gets covered.
6. Cover peppers with foil and bake at 375 for an hour.

What a Difference A Year Makes

For a very long time, years would pass in my life and I'd find myself at the same place I began the previous year.... career wise, relationship wise, family wise..... Now, not that those places were terrible for me, but I longed for growth, for change and most of all for love. After seeing about 5 years go in and out with me relatively in the same position, I began to think that years were nothing... not possibly enough time to be life changing... surely that would take three or four....
Ohhhh how I was so wrong. God shook up everything I thought I knew and literally handed me the life and the relationship that I had so longed for. (side note** this does not equate to everything being perfect, in fact, far from it!)

In a matter of a day, I met the man I now call my fiance. He was, or so I thought, just another match.com date after a miserable series of failed ones.... but we had an incredible phone conversation (and I hate the phone) so I figured it was worth a shot :)

At the end of the date, I knew I liked him enough to put the moves on him ;) hahahah!

In a few weeks I knew I loved him.

In three months I knew that I wanted to be with him forever.

Now, if there has EVER been ANYONE who lives life by the book and follows the rules, it's me. If there is EVER anyone who would be cautious and guarded with their heart, it's me. If there is EVER anyone who didn't believe that love could cultivate that fast, IT WAS ME. BIG TIME. But I guess as the saying goes, God doesn't give you what you want, he gives you what you need.
And what he gave me was a love so undeniable that I had to abandon my rules and just.... Love.... Trust....LET GO. and it's been the most wonderful, happy, life-changing three hundred and sixty-five days of my life.

Shane, you are my rock. You are my realist. You let me know when I'm being a jackass and a control freak and I do the same for you :)  You are my snuggly. You are my big spoon. You are my reminder to be thankful for everything that we have. You are my reminder that I am stronger and more capable than I think I am and You are strong for me, when I can't  be. You are my taste-tester. You are my shopping partner. You are my partner in crime, and you are my partner in FAITH. You are my LOVE.

Here's to one year, and many, many more!!

One for the Books, Chicken Noodle Soup

One of the dishes that my mom consistently knocks out of the park, in my adult years is Chicken Noodle Soup. She is a complete soup lover and is quick to whip up a batch for football parties, or just quiet nights at home. I've come to crave her chicken noodle soup at various times, since moving away and have tried several times to make it (unsuccessfully, I might add). She uses Bear Creek soup starter and I don't know if it's just my resistance to following a recipe or what, but it's been a fail every time. Edible and decent, but not my mom's. I'm pretty sure that once, I ended up with enough soup to feed Pharoh's army. No really, an army, I promise. Regardless, I kept trying and failing until I just decided "scrap Bear Creek soup starter. I'm over it. I'll just get mom to freeze me a batch for emergencies!!" Until I ran across a scrumptious looking picture on pinterest.....
Now, I mentioned before that I have a complete intolerance for recipes, as they are designed to be used. My cooking process usually goes something like this: do a google/ pinterest search for what I want to make, check out the various recipes and combine a little of each until the recipe is tapered to what I think will taste the bestest! Then I go off the base ingredients and throw a little of this, little of that into the dish while I'm actually executing the process. I know how to recreate it in my mental file, but measurements are kindddaa obsolete but I rarely make anything in the kitchen that turns out less than fantastic so I'm sticking to my guns! (humorous side note**I did not realize that this process SIMPLY DOES NOT cut it for baking purposes. I'm perhaps the worst baker on the planet. Chocolate chip cookies? more like grease balls with chocolate chips.... Betty Crocker box mix please!!)
It's rainy and cool out this week and one of my favorite things about soup is that it makes just enough for me to split it into 2 batches for my lunches and Shane's during the week, plus, if you used reduced sodium cans, it's really not bad for you either!
Cheap? CHECK. Healthy? CHECK. EASY??? CHECK aaannnd CHECK!

I assembled my ingredients said a quick prayer that it would turn out sort of like my moms and started doing my thing! Turns out, it was so yummy and close to my moms that I immediately tried to quantify what I had used so I could write it down and save it, not having to rely on my "mental file" which sometimes has a problem with retrieval..... At only 224 calories per serving, this one is a big time winner. Hope you enjoy it as much as the Babe and I have! I just had my first bowl and if it weren't for me trying to be healthy, I would have had another....

Just Like Mom's Chicken Noodle Soup

2 boxes of 99% Fat Free and Low Sodium Chicken Broth (1.86/ box at walmart, totaled 8 cups)
1 can reduced sodium cream of chicken soup
1 3/4 cup egg noodles
1 can yellow hominy (walmart was out of corn. I actually ended up liking the hominy)
1 can vegall (mine was kroger knock off brand)
1 1/4 cup chopped onion
2 cups boiled and shredded boneless skinless chicken breast (this was about 3 breasts for me)
1 tsp salt
2 tsp pepper (but we go heavy on pepper-- may want to start with 1 tsp and add as you like)
2 pinches of dried rosemary
1 tsp garlic powder
(all seasonings are subject to your particular taste!)

Boil the chicken, shred and set aside
Meanwhile, put all other ingredients except for the noodles in a large stock pot and bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 30 min to an hour. depending on how long you want/ or have time for.
When you're ready to add the noodles, bring the soup back to a boil and add the noodles until they're tender, about 7 minutes.
Reduce heat back to simmer and serve (or divide into containers for lunches!)

Seasons of Love

I was always told that one day, when i fell in love, it would be this silly, all-consuming, makes-you-do-stupid-things, crazy, wonderful love that everything would pale in comparison to. Everyone always told me that it wasn't working out with guy after guy, cheater after cheater, because someday, the right guy would come along and sweep me off my feet and make me realize why it never worked out with anyone else. Needless to say, with my line of psychopaths, shit- heads, and even good guys who were just commitment-phobes, I DID NOT believe them. To say I was a skeptic would be an understatement. I hate love, I hate weddings, I hate bachelorette parties, I hate Valentines day and I HATE showy facebook photos of how "happy" your life is-- butI didn't hate them because I didn't have those things. I hated them  because I didn't believe they existed and quite frankly, I thought they were stupid. "Foolish girls", I thought. "That's nice that you're so in love but let's be honest, your 25 and you don't know what that is. You're just playing wedding because you're done playing sorority and you're bored. and I'm going to laugh in 5 years when you're divorced."

I always knew that deep inside me, I craved a family and craved, one day, to be a mother. Hence, my endless husband search. But, I viewed a husband as a means to a family and financial support. Only as a necessary factor for children who would be loved and cared for and raised properly. Never as an addition to myself, never as someone who would support ME, care for ME, love ME. 

Looking back, I realize that it was a combination of me not believing in love, but also, not believing in myself and that I was worthy of that love. 

A co-worker of mine (who I might add, met her husband on match.com) ruthlessly made me get back on match after a previous text message breakup debacle.  I was at a point where I had absolutely nothing to lose and was actually coming to terms with the fact that I wouldn't absolutely die if I was single forever. Would it be preferable? no. but, Would I die and shrivel up and look like the woman on the deck of Old Maid cards I had played as a kid? 

HELL TO THE NO. 

I was on match for about 3 months and after a few rounds of disappointing dates, and a few enjoyable dates with people who simply weren't compatible with me in the faith or family department, I met Shane. 

And after being with him for 2 months, I know why it never worked out with anyone else. If I believed in the right person, I'd say that he's it. But personally,  I think the right person is a myth. I think there are several right people out there, but what really makes the difference is the right TIMING. God's timing. And Shane and I have been VERY blessed to witness some very "In your face!" signs from God, that only solidifiy our relationship and our purpose more than it was already solidified.

He's a faithful man with a wonderful, caring heart. He genuinely loves me and would go to the ends of the Earth and back for me, I think, if I asked him to. I feel  beautiful, adored, loved, safe, and happy with him. And oddly, God adding him to my life didn't entail me changing my identity for a man. I've actually never felt more like myself in my whole life. I'm able to express desires for my future and SHARE those with him. I'm free to express disappointment, hurt, happiness, faith, strength. We make each other laugh like crazy and the most simple things with him, are the most fun. (side note** window shopping at wal-mart/target is our favorite Sunday-after-coffee activity). I used to hate girls like me. Girls who were in love and who  spent weekend with their boyfriends and let their lives revolve around love and dates, instead of financial goals and careers.... but perhaps, it was just because I didn't understand....

Shane and I studied Ecclesiastes, Chapter 3 this week. You may also know it, as made popular by the Byrds... 

"For everything there is a season, and la time for every matter under heaven:

a time to be born, and a time to mdie;

a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted

a time to kill, and a time to heal;

a time to break down, and a time to build up;

a time to nweep, and a time to laugh;

a time to mourn, and a time to odance

a time to pcast away stones, and a time to qgather stones together;

a time to embrace, and a time to rrefrain from embracing

a time to seek, and a time to slose;

a time to keep, and a time to tcast away;

a time to utear, and a time to sew;

a time to vkeep silence, and a time to speak;

a time to love, and a time to whate;

a time for war, and a time for peace."

Any of you who know me, know that I've had my season of trial, of sadness, of being mis-treated and unappreciated, my season of building myself and my faith and a VERY long season of waiting and being (or trying to be) patient. 

But this season, this is something different. It is my season to rejoice, to praise, to hope and to LOVE.

To love the Lord, to love others, to love my family, to love Shane. The Lord has awakened me to a new feeling of love that I never knew existed and I want to spread that love as much as possible. 

I hope everyone should be so blessed as to know the love that I know now. 

Adventures on Match.com, Vol 1.

It's 2012. I've lived in Atlanta for 3 years. 

3 years have gone by and  I've met a total of 1 person who I would want to date, and he didn't live in this state. BUST.

3 years have gone by, each one year closer to the funeral of my reproductive organs.

3 years have gone by since I bought a "too expensive for my peanuts income" Camry, because I thought "surely by the time I'm 26 I'll have car seats in here". WRONG.

3 years have gone by and let's be honest, my life is still as empty as it was at 23 and if it's possible, emptier than my left ring finger.

After taking inventory of my life in Sept of last year, family is a mess, friendship and jobs are good, lovelife is non existent, death seems more likely than a diamond, I decided to pick myself up by my bootstraps and join match.com. For those of you that have read my blog, this was a big step for me. Not only do I despise dating and think it is nervous, sweaty, awkward and terrible, but I was (in a VERY LITERAL SENSE) scarred from a past online dating experience. If you haven't read, it's a good preface---link here.

I joined match, and in a matter of 48 hours, I had met a very cute guy and had a date with him (" Hey! That was easier than I thought!")-- His screen name was GrizzlyJeep-- let's just say, that's my kind of guy. We met that week at Taco Mac for dinner and a couple of beers and really hit it off! Following a few more weeks and several more dates, we were officially facebook official, and I had an awesome boyfriend! ("Hey-- is this my life right now?? SCOREEEEEEE!!!!!! Callie: 1 World: 0 HAHAHAH SUCKAAAA") For the first month, he was wonderful, flowers, talking about the future, cooking for me, great conversations....so after some coaxing, I decided to shack with my bf. Mind you we didn't "do" anything, as that's not something that I give away willy nilly, even if I am in a relationship-- buttttt, let's just say.... I felt it. Sort of.

And by Sort of, I mean I had to go back and feel it again 3 more times, not for his pleasure or mine, but simply to make sure it was there. After the fourth time checking, the "quadruple check" if you will, It was definitely there. And it was definitely, I established, how shall we say.... aroused ( to be politically correct. Although when you're exposing an ex-boyfriend for having a small penis, I'm pretty sure we've passed any sort of level of political correctness.) Moving on...

So, Just admit it-- you're wondering how small... Well, readers, let's take out your miscellaneous smartphones and have a look, so you can get a visual...

Droid: Not even close, if he was a good guy, I could have made that work , no problem.

Iphone: Ummmm, still no. If he was a good guy with a lot of money, who would BUY me an iphone, I could have made that work too.

Blackberry Torch: eeehhh, getting closer

Blackberry Curve 9330, with NO cover: yep. I'd say that's about accurate. 

Anyway, My desperate self and my aching womb kept dating him despite his shortcomings, and tried to be the best girlfriend I could be. ("Come on Callie, you either get a good husband or good lovin, not both. He's nice and he likes you, that would be mean to break up with him because of that.  He can't help how his anatomy is. Suck it up and get your ring girlll!")

Well over the next few weeks, I baked for him, cleaned for him, spent time with him and wore cute outfits and makeeup for him, helped him do housework, paint, learned about tools and watched terrible shows like GoldDiggers Alaska for him-- and WAS NOT clingy. He always made the first move. Most common girl mistake ever. 

I'm not sure what alternate universe men live in where if women are nice and accommodating, that means they should be dumped, but I've experienced this alternate universe about 23 too many times. Long story short, this jackass goes on vacation, doesn't talk to me for 5 days, sees me when i get back, assures me nothing is wrong- that he was just spending quality time with his family... I leave to go home and at 9:30 that night i get a text message saying something to the effect of the following 

"I didn't really want to do this by text because i'm not good with words. but I think we should break up, I just don't see you as long term"

ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?

He brought me my stuff from his place, that night and I haven't spoken to him since. 

My final thoughts on this terrible experience are this:

If your penis is smaller than my Blackberry, I'm NOT sorry we broke up.

Back in Action...Eh, sort of...

Alright, ya'll. I'm sorry. I've been a terrible blogger since my last post in September, but the truth is, I'm just not funny anymore. I seem to be at a complete loss for snarky commentary about Snooki's god-awful pregnancy (but holy shit do I feel bad for that kid...). I've vowed (since I left my 3 year stint in politics) to pay as little attention to the 2012 Presidential candidates as humanly possible, because, let's just be honest with ourselves, they're probably all self righteous dickheads anyway- so no commentary on that front either. I did try match.com, back in October and managed to have a wildly unsuccessful whirlwind relationship with a guy who I'm convinced had the smallest penis on the planet, that ended with him texting me that he'd like to breakup and didn't see me as "long term". burn. for him. I've had a bucket full of family shit to deal with, and by bucket full, I mean three dumpsters full. I'm not sure if it's writers block or me just being jaded, or some sick combination of both, but the inspiration just seems to have stopped. I've had a few slightly controversial ideas brewing for the blog for quite sometime, and I think it might just be time to bust these motherfuckers out. So funny or not, get ready because they're coming over the next month or so...