Friday Five

I'm trying something new this week. In my effort to not only blog more but also blog more intentionally, I am trying a new weekly (or to be quite honest, semi-weekly) tradition. I recently was inspired to have a weekly post to share things throughout the week that I am thankful for or things that simply made me happy this week. My heart is for this to never turn into a bragging session, but rather an opportunity to slow down the pace of life by acknowledging the good in life. No matter the tough week or bad days there are always things we can find to be thankful for or that make us happy. So here goes nothing....

I am thankful for the the fun gourmet burgers Brandon made!

I am thankful it was finally cold enough to wear my boots! After about a month of 80-90 degree weather it finally dropped into the 60-70's! Yes, I know, that is still rather warm but for our little desert town that is cold and I am grateful.

I'm thankful for my husband who appreciates organization almost as much as I do. He treated me to completely unloading all of the groceries this week and this is what it looked like!

I love the trend of arranging books by color!

Grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup on a sick day... enough said.

Have a great weekend!

Maci K

Green Beans with a Kick

These green beans are on my husbands list of absolute favorite things I make. I think he requests these to be paired with a meal at least once a week. Thanksgiving 2010 was our first Thanksgiving as a married couple and we were given the task of making green beans. Instead of making your typical green bean casserole I wanted to make a healthier (yet festive) version of green beans. I searched for a while and came across an almond and green bean recipe on the Food Network (which I can no longer remember the exacts of). Since then, not only has it been a go to recipe for weekly meals but we also made them for Thanksgiving 2011 (which we hosted and prepared all on our own). I now make this recipe without exact measurements but by hand and taste.

Ingredients:

Green beans (frozen or fresh)

1 Large clove of garlic (or two small)

1 1/2 Tbsp. Extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup Thinly sliced almonds

Red pepper flakes (to taste)

Cayenne pepper (usually two slight dashes is plenty!)

Pinch of sugar

Pinch of sea salt

Directions:

Begin by heating up your EVOO, then add your garlic, almonds, red pepper flakes, and cayenne pepper. Once they are warmed up and the color is changing slightly in your almonds, toss green beans in and make sure the almond and spice mixture is coating the green beans. As your green beans begin to warm up add a pinch of sugar and salt. Mix thoroughly and let green beans finish cooking.

Enjoy!

Maci K

peace.

Most people I know enjoy a delicious cup of joe during their morning routine. With this special mug, not only do I get to enjoy my boost of cafine but I also get a subtle reminder to live in peace. I often find myself seeking for peace but in my search of peace I end up more exhausted and stressed. Usually when I am seeking for peace I hoping to find no "noise, trouble and hard work". However I must remind myself that peace does not come from the absence of these things but rather peace is a calmness in my soul, only given by the Lord while living in the midst of "noise, trouble or hard work".

Happy Friday!

Maci K

A New Year with New A New Journey

Yes I am one of many bloggers, blogging about the new year...

But before I get into this post I must apologize for my absence the last two months or so. I could come up with whole host of excuses but ultimately it boils down to the busy holidays and I have been struggling with inspiration for my posts. I have a at least 5 drafts of posts just sitting... However, recently I read a Tweet which mentioned your blog being your brand. Yes I may not be a business owner with a blog however simply being a blogger is a business of sorts. I must have clear direction and purpose, which ultimately leads to the need to create a brand.


I absolutely love blogging however I struggle with finding the time to blog while having a full time job. Sometimes I long to be a high energy do it all kind of person but I need to accept that is not who I am. The perfectionist in me has a terrible flaw of quitting when I can't do something perfect. Hence the not blogging for so long. The past couple of months I found myself drafting a few posts but I wasn't proud of them and didn't feel like they were perfect so I just let them sit.

Now that its a new year, I am on a journey of redefining my blog to make sure its brand is parallel with me and my personal brand. So over the next few weeks and months I invite you to join me on my little journey of branding and defining the purpose of my blog!



Maci K