My husband and I have been married for 28 years, and we recently celebrated our anniversary by taking a tropical vacation. One night while enjoying the resort hot tub after a day of snorkeling, we began chatting with a single woman who was vacationing alone. She had just ended a long-term relationship and asked us for tips on staying married. As Tony & I sat next to each other in that warm water with the jets massaging our backs, we thought for only a minute before answering. We mentioned several things we thought were keys to a lasting relationship, but one that has been really critical for us is dating. We still "date" each other even after 28 years of marriage. Years ago, when our children were young, life was hectic. My husband and I both worked outside the home, and ... View Post
Spaghetti Again?
How I Plan My Weekly Menu I began meal planning years ago when I was teaching full-time and my children were small. After many. many nights of having zero energy or brain capacity to figure out what to make for dinner, I realized I needed to come up with a plan. It seemed that when I didn't have a plan, we would eat the same things all the time. Meal planning was a game changer! Meal planning ensured we would have a healthy, balanced meal, and not be eating spaghetti three times a week. I typically plan out only a few breakfast items such as overnight oats or muffins, but dinner for six nights a week. On the seventh night, we eat leftovers or go out to dinner. Meal planning took a little getting used to, but after a while, it became a fun challenge for me. I get excited ... View Post
Easy Gluten-Free Mini Cheesecakes
My kids have never been big birthday cake fans, so on their birthdays, I always make something other than cake. All three will typically choose a different dessert each year, but my son has had mini cheesecakes on repeat for the last few years. He cannot eat gluten, so I am always trying to adapt recipes to make them gluten-free. My son loves cheesecake and it's nearly impossible to find gluten-free cheesecake at a restaurant or bakery. As I was making them this year for his birthday, I realized I have been using this same recipe for 25 years! I can't even remember where I got it, but it's obviously a keeper. I normally make my own Oreo crust, but this year tried something different and it worked! Instead of crushing the Oreos for the crust, I used whole ... View Post
The Walls Came Tumbling Down
Have you ever had God ask you to do something that seemed absolutely crazy, something that didn't make sense? I was reading my Bible this morning and came across the familiar story of Joshua 6, where God delivers Jericho right into Joshua's hands. Read this with me: 1 Now the gates of Jericho were securely barred because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in. 2 Then the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men. 3 March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. 4 Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. 5 When you hear them sound a long ... View Post
My Carry-On Packing Essentials
Let's chat about essentials for your carry-on bag. When traveling internationally, I like to have easy access to the things that make the flight more comfortable. I love traveling, but don't really love sitting on a plane for 10+ hours. I bring all kinds of comforts & what I deem as necessities from home, so the flight doesn't seem so long. After traveling internationally many times, I have refined my carry-on essentials. You may not find some of these things to be "essentials", so switch it up for what works for you. *Just to note, I use pouches and Ziploc bags for everything, making it easy to pull items out of my bag. Essentials: Passport & Paperwork passport itinerary address of where I'll be staying (needed for immigration document) lodging ... View Post
Easiest Soup Ever!
Every single Wednesday is "soup night" at my house, no matter if it's winter, spring, summer, or fall. It's a tradition I began many years ago and it stuck. My family knows what to expect for dinner on Wednesdays and we all love soup. I think soup is such a comforting meal, don't you? I probably have 25 different soup recipes I rotate and most of them are not complicated. This is definitely one of the easiest and is a family favorite! This one is gluten-free and vegetarian. Easy Black Bean Soup Ingredients 2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed 2 cups vegetable broth 1 cup fresh tomato salsa juice from half a lime handful of fresh, chopped cilantro Directions In a large pot, heat the black beans, vegetable broth, and salsa and bring the mixture ... View Post