My Prayer This Week

Jesus cast a look on me,

Give me sweet simplicity
Make me poor and keep me low,
Seeking only Thee to know

All that feeds my busy pride,
Cast it evermore aside
Bid my will to Thine submit,
Lay me humbly at Thy feet

Make me like a little child,
Of my strength and wisdom spoiled
Seeing only in Thy light,
Walking only in Thy might

Leaning on Thy loving breast,
Where a weary soul can rest
Feeling well the peace of God,
Flowing from His precious blood

In this posture let me live,
And hosannas daily give
In this temper let me die,
And hosannas ever cry!

Turkey Black Bean Chili

I made this chili last week and several people have been interested in the recipe, so I thought I would post it here!  Kelley introduced me to this chili recipe and it is delicious! Its kind of a combo of soup and chili in consistency.  Fall is here which makes me excited for fall/winter foods!

Turkey Black Bean Chili
total time: 30(ish) minutes
serving size: 6-8

• 1 large sweet onion, chopped
• 1 lb. ground turkey
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 4 tsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 3 (15 oz) cans of black beans
• 2 (14.5 oz) cans of petite diced tomatoes
• 1 (14 oz) cans low sodium chicken broth

Saute the chopped onion and ground turkey with the olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium heat, stirring often, 8-10 minutes, until the turkey crumbles and is no longer pink. Stir in chili powder, ground cumin, salt and pepper; saute 1 minute.  Drain and rinse 2 cans of black beans, but do not drain the 3rd.  Stir in drained and undrained beans, tomatoes, and chicken broth.  Bring to a boil; cover, reduce, and simmer for 10 minutes.

Delicious with freshly grated cheese and fritos! 

This is a busy week for us in the English family - Jesse has a ton of design work and a 3d model to complete along with a final and a 20 page paper.  I have my comps, which I must pass to graduate.  Eeek.

Also, my sister sent me this rug and I LOVE IT.  This might be the inspiration for the baby's room! We go to the doctor this WEDNESDAY and will get to have another ultrasound.  Very excited! Maybe it will give us the inspiration to finish the week strong.  I hope everyone has a great week!

20 weeks

Quick update for all of my readers: We have made it to 20 weeks! I can't believe that I am 5 months pregnant.  When did this happen? Baby English is the length of a banana this week.  My belly is definitely growing as proof.  I can officially say that I am showing and that people notice (and will usually say something to me about it) and I love it!  People placing their hands on my bump has started and I really don't mind at all.  My mom did this every chance she could this past weekend.

I am loving being pregnant and I am so thankful that I have felt well pretty much the entire 20 weeks (minus about 4-5 days).  I have been feeling the baby move, mostly at night, which is so exciting! I am so looking forward to our next doctor's appointment on October 19 and I can't wait to find out the gender of Baby E on November 5!  Yes, this is about a month later, as we could find out this week, but I am excited to share the news with our family and friends. I am definitely in need of more maternity clothes, so Kelley and I are hitting up some stores this weekend.  It's fun to have a reason to buy new clothes!  For now, my favorite maternity item has been my BeBand.  I got mine at target and love it.  It has been such a saver to allow me to wear my regular pants, even though they won't zip... oh and I kissed buttoning them goodbye a while ago.

So, there you have it!  Baby English the banana and Momma AC the growing belly.  I hope everyone has a great week!

Always

I just wanted to share the lyrics of a song that we sang at Intermission Sunday night.  I had never heard it before, but the words spoke to me, especially the chorus.  Through all of life's good times and bad, through joys and trials, the Lord is there.  I am so thankful for his provision in my life!

Always

My foes are many, they rise against me

But I will hold my ground

I will not fear the war, I will not fear the storm

My help is on the way, my help is on the way

Oh, my God, He will not delay

My refuge and strength always

I will not fear, His promise is true

My God will come through always, always

Troubles surround me, chaos abounding

My sould will rest in You

I will not bear the war, I will not fear the storm

My help is on the way, my help is on the way

Oh, my God, He will not delay

My refuge and strength always

I will not fear, His promise is true

My God will come through always, always

I lift my eyes up, my help comes from the Lord

Oh, my God, He will not delay

My refuge and strength always

I will not fear, His promise is true

My God will come through always, always

a chicken and a turnip

Hey guys!  Yet again, it has been way too long since I have updated the blog.  The semester has kicked off and hasn't stopped!  Travel season at work has begun and I will be gone at least 2 days every week until November visiting my high schools.  It's crazy how fast time is flying by. Are we really already halfway through with September??  I'm taking a stats class this semester, have to do a directed individual study, pass my comps, then I will graduate with my masters in December!  I get a little stressed out when I think about the directed individual study and comps, but I'm trying to take it one day at a time.  I applied for graduation last week.  It feels like just yesterday I was trying to decide if I should start my masters or not... and here I am, less than 3 months away from graduating.

Speaking of how fast time is flying by, I am in my 17th week of pregnancy!  Week 18 begins on Tuesday. That means a little over two weeks to halfway there! I went to the doctor a few weeks ago and got to hear the precious heartbeat again.  That is so amazing. I wish I could hear it everyday. Instead, I pray for this little life every day. This week my baby weighs 5 ounces this week and is 5 inches long, head to bottom.  Its the size of a turnip!

Baby English is making itself more known to me and to the world, as my belly is growing!  People have been telling me that they don't think that I am showing yet, but I just think they are being nice.  I can definitely tell.  Jesse can too.  He is sweet to place his hand on the bump, put his ear to it (as if he can hear anything), and say, "Hello Baby!"  I'm really looking forward to the next months of pregnancy!  I'm excited to feel the baby move for the first time, watch my belly grow, and find out the gender of the baby.  We're planning to have a "reveal party" at our tailgate on November 5 at the Homecoming game!  If you are on campus that day, stop by!



Here are the most recent photos I have.  Please ignore the articles of clothing in the background.  (You have to get more of those too!)





Just kidding!  That was me trying on the baby bump pillow at Motherhood Maternity. Here are the real ones:





I'll do my best to update you with photos as we go along! I've been buying some maternity clothes... one pair of jeans and this shirt in the picture. I had to, it's MAROON! I don't really need the shirts yet, but I am definitely in the jeans!  Mine don't button anymore... My sweet cousin has lended me some of her maternity clothes that she no longer needs.  Praise God!  It is so amazing to have basic needs provided by the Lord. It's expensive to have to buy an entire new wardrobe!

Well, I've been enjoying having this weekend with NO PLANS.  I love college football, but I'm glad our game was Thursday, so that this weekend would be chill.  I slept in and spent what was left of my morning in the kitchen making our favorite chicken salad recipe!

Homemade Chicken Salad.   I'm not sure if I should say where I got this recipe from, however, it is a VERY POPULAR place to get chicken salad in MADISON or RIDGELAND.  It is particularly good on a BAGEL.  If that doesn't clue you in, then you have never been there.

ORIGINAL RECIPE
Ingredients:

• 3 boiled chicken breasts
• sliced grapes
• sliced almonds
• 8 oz. sour cream
• 3/4 c. mayo
• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. pepper

Directions:

• Let the chicken cool - put it in a food processor - until texture of breadcrumbs.
• Hand mix the "sauce" and add to the chicken
• Add grapes and almonds
• Let chill in the fridge/freezer before serving

AC'S CHANGES

I follow these instructions, almost exactly, but here are some changes that I make.

• Instead of boiling chicken breasts, I buy a rotisserie chicken already cooked at the store. Call me lazy. This time I bought the lemon pepper chicken.  Remove skin, and pull chicken from bones.  I just tear apart the chicken with my fingers, and separate into small bits.  No food processor needed!

• Instead of specifically almonds, I use whatever nut I have on hand... almonds, walnuts, pecans, etc.   I put grapes, and recently have started adding craisins to the mix as well... adds texture, flavor, and color!

• Note:  when you first mix together all of the ingredients, the mixture looks pretty wet.  It is really important to chill in the fridge for a few hours before serving, because in that time, it firms up to a nice consistency.  

Yummy!  We had the chicken salad for a late lunch.  Jesse likes with with a piece of lettuce on bread.  I prefer it on crackers.  I like the crunch of Ritz!

I hope that you enjoyed this post and that you will give this recipe a try!  Enjoy the cooler weather and have a great weekend!  

Purple Potatoes & Baby Update

Last weekend while visiting Jesse, he took me to the DeKalb Farmer's Market.  So, I'm thinking it would be like any ol' farmers market like others I had been to.  I was kind of confused that we were going on a Saturday night to a building that looked like Sam's club with a large parking lot.  It's actually a world market that is open every day.  We walk into this huge warehouse (I kept comparing it to Ikea, but for food) that is full of every type of food from all around the world.  It was so cool!  They have everything that you can imagine.  We probably spent at least an hour just walking around.

One of my favorite things about the place was all of the different kinds of people that were there - who were also from all over the world.  I bet it is amazing for them to have a place to go to buy the ingredients to make their favorite dishes from home.  I loved how many children were there... sitting in the buggies surrounded by all of these colorful fruits and veggies, fresh breads, etc.  They got to pick out the exact fish from the tank they would have for dinner that night and watch it be butchered.  This might be strange, but I want my children to understand and know where their food comes from... that it's not always perfectly packaged in the meat cooler.  If I ever live in Atlanta, this is where I want to shop for food.  We bought some spices, macadamia nuts, french brioche, coffee, and purple potatoes - all for really good prices.  I have seen recipes that call for purple potatoes, but have never cooked with them before.... until tonight!  We made Purple Potato Au Gratin.  It was really yummy!  I found a good recipe on www.allrecipes.com.

Ingredients

• 4 slices bacon, chopped
• 1 leek, sliced
• 8 purple potatoes, thinly sliced
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup milk
• 6 ounces crumbled goat cheese
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2. Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until it starts to brown. Stir in leeks and cook until just tender.
3. Toss potatoes with flour and stir into leek mixture, coating thoroughly. Pour in milk and stir in goat cheese. Cook until cheese is melted and mixture is bubbly. Pour into a 7x11 inch baking dish and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until top is golden brown and potatoes are tender.

BABY UPDATE:  Jesse and I went to the doctor today for my 12 week checkup. Let the 2nd trimester begin!  The last time we were at the doctor we had an ultrasound to see the baby and see the heartbeat, but it was still too early to be able to hear the heartbeat.  Well, that all changed today!  It was amazing to get to hear that little sound.  For some reason I was nervous just before the doctor put the sensor on my stomach, but it all went away when I heard the precious pitter-patter.  I'm so thankful that Jesse was able to come home early so he could hear his baby's heartbeat.

It's amazing that the Lord has blessed us with this gift - this incredible life that will be our responsibility to raise, teach, love.... all for His glory.  Please be praying for us as we prepare for this huge responsibility as parents, as it is scary!

Everybody is home!

Gosh - where do I even begin to update?  Once again, I have been a terrible blogger, but am excited about all of the fun things to blog about over the coming months!  

In most recent news, JESSE IS HOME!  He originally wasn't supposed to come home until this Saturday.  I went to visit him in Atlanta this past weekend - to find out that he would be following me home! I was so happy when he told me that I cried.  Imagine that.... hormones?  Maybe so, but I was THAT ready for my man to be home. We packed up the UHaul on Sunday and made our way back home.  I can't tell you how good it was to be home with him that day and do simple things like go to the grocery store and cook dinner.  My world is at peace when he is here.  Everything is how it is supposed to be. Life is easy. And FUN.  Gag me?  Sorry, it's how I feel.  

In other news, WE ARE HAVING A BABY! I know this has already been announced on the blog, but sometimes I just have to say it because it still doesn't feel real.  I am 12 weeks this week and we head back to the doc on Thursday for a check up.  We should be able to hear the heartbeat this week.  So exciting!  Baby English is the size of a lime, is just over 2 inches long, and weighs half an ounce.  tiny.  My clothes are all still fitting fine these days, so I'm enjoying that while it lasts.  I haven't been sick, but man have I been tired.  Oh, and my nails and hair are growing like crazy thanks to my prenatal vitamins.

Everything at work is going well.  I have been traveling a little bit to Send Off Parties, hosted by the Alumni Association.  It's exciting to officially welcome my students into the Bulldog Family! Move In Day is this Wednesday.  Starkville is about to explode with over 20,000 students.  Which means we all got raises in the Admissions office. Praise God!  I am very excited about this fall - especially football season!  If you need a reservation at the English Bed & Breakfast, let us know.  This is the last season it will be open for guests (unless you can deal with a 7 month old baby).  

I'll leave you with a recipe that we made tonight.  Every now and then, you find that recipe that you made one time, fell in love, then somehow forgot about it.  I found an old post last year where I posted about this particular recipe. BUT, this time I have pictures.  Oh yeah.

Summer Pasta with Basil, Tomatoes, and Cheese

Ingredients

• 2 pounds vine ripened tomatoes, seeded and diced  (from our garden!)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil (from our garden!)
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint leaves (from our garden!)
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup cream sherry  (we used balsamic vinegar and it was amazing)
• 12 ounces spaghetti (we used whole wheat angel hair pasta)
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Asiago cheese
• 2 cups fontina cheese, shredded (we used Gruyere - also amazing)

Directions 

1. In a medium bowl, toss together tomatoes, garlic, basil, mint, salt and black pepper, hot pepper flakes, olive oil, and cream sherry. Let stand at room temperature for up to 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

2. Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender, but firm to the bite.

3. Drain the pasta, and transfer to a large serving bowl. Drain 1/4 cup of the liquid from the tomato mixture, and toss with the pasta to coat. Add cheese, and toss until it begins to melt. Add the tomato mixture, and toss until mixed.

Talk about AMAZING.  Love the fresh herbs from our garden.  Tonight we had it with hamburgers and it was delish.  

Not the best plating picutre, but I wanted you to see the final product.

We planted some zinnias from seed in our front flower bed this spring and they are beautiful! I love having fresh flowers in the house - and the more you cut them, the more the plant produces.  My kind of flower.

Much love from the Englishes!