Greek Chicken Salad & Roti Mariam Recipes

     While the guys spent last night watching the big game, some of the ladies and I spent the time thinking up ideas for our new women's ministry...and dare I say, I think I had an even better time than my husband (especially since his beloved 49ers left the game sans rings). This may have been the most productive Superbowl party I've ever been to! Although I missed the game, my dh made sure I checked out the good ads online. Here's a link to one of our favorites: Doritos Fashionista Daddy
     And now, for the main event...I finally finished it! A new recipe for a new kind of chicken salad. Are you tired of the same old grapes, celery, and mayo in your chicken salad - well try this recipe on for size. It's the perfect blend of a chicken gyro and a chicken salad sandwich. Plus, it tastes even better the next day, so this is a great make-ahead meal! And when you're finished, check out Made by you Monday over at Skip To My Lou - there's lots of other great projects and recipes linked up, including the ones below!

Greek Chicken Salad

Ingredients:
2 c. Plain Greek Yogurt
3 Chicken Breasts (I used horomone free chicken, so they were on the smaller side)
1 tsp Dill
1 tsp Oregano
1 Lemon, juiced (I got just over 1/4 cup of juice)
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1 Cucumber
6 oz. Crumbled Feta Cheese
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions:
1. Put the chicken in a pot with cold water to cover. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat to medium and let cook for 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken from the water and shred it. Put the chicken in a large bowl.
2. Cut the cucumber in half and remove the seeds. Finely chop the cucumber.
3. Add the cucumber, yogurt, dill, oregano, lemon juice, garlic powder, and feta to the chicken. Mix until well combined. Serve on flat bread with tomato, onion, and lettuce.

     If you're looking for a flat bread recipe, you're in luck! I'm including one that I adapted for use with my Greek Chicken Salad recipe. When I made this recipe I was desperate to find a good flat bread that didn't use any yeast, because I didn't remember that I had to make the bread until about 4 p.m.! No time for rising bread! So, I used a recipe I found online that is, I think, a Turkish style bread. It works wonderfully with my adaptations (though, I'm sure the original is delicious as well!).

Roti Mariam

adapted from http://treatntrick.blogspot.com/2010/08/roti-mariam.html
Ingredients:
4 c. Flour
5 tbsp Olive Oil
1 egg
1 tsp Salt
1.5 tsp Dill
1 tsp Garlic Powder
3/4 c. Water, warm

Directions:
1. Put the flour, oil, egg, salt, dill, and garlic powder into a mixing bowl.

2. Gradually add the warm water to form a soft pliable dough (once a soft dough is reached stop adding the water, or add a little more than called for, if necessary - in the end, I used 3/4 c.). Knead for about 10 minutes.

3. Divide dough into 8 balls. Let the dough rest for 20 minutes.

4. Roll each ball into round pancake about 1/4 inch thick.

5. Cook the bread in a hot, dry, non-stick pan until golden spots appear. Turn the bread over and let it get golden on the other side, then removed to a plate and cover with a towel to keep warm. Repeat with the rest of the dough.

A Sneap Peek at Monday's Recipe Post

     Here's a little sneak peek at what I'm working on for Monday's post! Come back on Monday for the recipe!

Pepper Steak Meets Beef Stroganoff - Recipe Included!

Pepper Steak Stroganoff

     Pepper Steak was married to Beef Stroganoff...in my kitchen...on my stove...tonight! It has proven itself to be a happy marriage and worthy of sharing with you all. You must promise to try it, your tummy can thank me later! That being said, photos of a very brown meal never really do justice to the taste of said meal - but shall be included nonetheless (is that a single word, or a double hyphen? Please inform me, sometimes I'm a grammar nerd and must know for the well-being of my own conscience). Anyways, I hope you go make this recipe SOON and let me know your thoughts on it. Bon appetit!

Pepper Steak Stroganoff

Ingredients:
2 cups chopped beef (I used tenderloin because it was what I had in the freezer)
2+ cups water
1 Sweet Onion, quartered then sliced
1 Red Bell Pepper, julianned
1 Yellow Bell Pepper, julianned
1.5 tsp Minced Garlic
8 oz. Sour Cream
1 tbsp Dijon Mustard
1 tbsp Soy Sauce (I used low sodium)
1 tbsp Beef Base (I used McCormick's)
1 tbsp Corn Starch
1.5 tsp Rosemary
1-2 tsp Ground Black Pepper
Salt to taste

Directions:
1. In a Dutch Oven, add enough water to just cover the bottom of the pot. Add the chopped beef and cook over high heat until the beef is cooked through. Add the onion, red pepper, yellow pepper, garlic, and soy sauce cover and cook until the onions are translucent (clear), stirring occasionally.

2. Once the onions are cooked, add the dijon, beef base, rosemary, black pepper, salt, and 2 cups of water. I recommend starting with 1 tsp of pepper and then tasting it and adding more if necessary (keeping in mind that the sour cream will take a lot of the bite out of the pepper). I think I used about 1.5 tsp. Continue to cook over high heat for about 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to medium.

3. In a small bowl with a tight lid, add the corn starch and 2 tbsp water. Put the lid on and shake it until no lumps are left. Pour the corn starch mixture into the beef mixture. Stir to combine. The corn starch will thicken the stroganoff so you will want to stir frequently and lower the heat if it begins to scorch on the bottom.

4. Once the stroganoff is nice and thick, add the sour cream and stir to combine. Cook over low heat, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes. Serve over egg noodles, mashed potatoes, or rice - pick whatever you fancy (we went with whole wheat egg noodles).

I Can Only Imagine

     So, last week in church a woman sang the song "I Can Only Imagine". Although the song has been severely overplayed (in my opinion), I usually don't mind hearing it. This particular Sunday had, however, been the first time I had heard it since being introduced to Tim Hawkins take on the worship song. I couldn't stop smiling and it took everything I had to keep from laughing. Here's Tim's take on it - enjoy...and have a healthy sense of humor!
Tim Hawkins - Corporate Worship Songs

Better is the End

     Last night, for the first time in months, the words of scripture jumped off of the page and penetrated my heart. I have spent almost six months begging God for a hunger for His word. I have been feeling so spiritually 'blah' and reading the Bible has felt more like a chore than a privilege. Last night I ended my devotional time with lots of praise for the answer to my many prayers. I hope that serves as a little encouragement to you to persist in your prayers - He IS listening, and He WILL answer, though He may require your patience in the meantime. I love the way the Contemporary English Version translates Romans 12:12 "Let your hope make you glad. Be patient in time of trouble and never stop praying." Now, I know I'm still in the valley, but periodically the light breaks through the clouds and that's enough to sustain me until the light breaks through again. As I said in yesterday's post, my faith is truly a gift from Christ himself. He alone sustains me. There is also a promise for those who do pray in 1 Peter 3:12, "For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer..."
     Now, on to what the Lord has been teaching me personally. I took a little break from my normal daily Bible reading plan (I am using the OWN it 365 plan this year - but I started in October) in order to read Ecclesiastes. I know the book tends to revolve around the idea that there is a season for everything (Ecc. 3:1), and I know the Lord wants me to release our time overseas as a 'season' rather than continuing to view it as a life. So I felt that this book in particular may speak to my current situation and my feelings about that situation.
     As I read through the first half of Ecclesiastes, it was a bit depressing. It certainly isn't a book that makes you jump up and down in excitement, lol. That being said, it was exactly how I have felt for the last six months. As I sat my Bible down that first night, I spoke with God. I told Him that the book, so far, only confirmed my feelings...but I didn't care about having my feelings confirmed, I wanted them changed! I didn't want to continue to feel so ho-hum about my walk with Him or about ministry in the States.
     In the hope of Solomon coming to a point of resolve, I pressed on and read the second half of Ecclesiastes last night. Ecc. 7:8 "The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride." So there I was, struck down in my pride. How often to we think that our ways are better than His? I have certainly been thinking that my plan to be a lifelong missionary was better than His plan to bring us home. I am ashamed of myself, for although my feet have walked in obedience by returning to America, my heart has been far from obedient. Now I am learning to trust that the end of our time in Southeast Asia is, truly, better than its beginning.
     Ecclesiastes 7:10 continues, "Do not say, 'Why were the old days better than these?' For it is not wise to ask such questions". How often do we all fall into this trap? It is so easy for us to romanticize the past, even our own past. I have found myself asking that very question innumerable times throughout my life. Don't we all consider how easy life was back when we had no bills to pay and our only worry was a math test at the end of the week? Or maybe we think about how very close we were to God before we had dirty diapers to change, sibling rivalries to referee, and a minivan that serves as a constant chauffeur service...I know I have! But we are simply deceiving ourselves into a lowly view of our current self and circumstances. This does not please our Lord, who freed us from all of this. We often hear about how we should not compare ourselves to others, and yes, it is true. But do we ever hear that we need to stop comparing ourselves to...ourselves? This also is true. The only one we should compare ourselves to is Christ, and well, we ALL fall short (Romans 3:23) - our former selves fall short and our current selves fall short - so we must stop comparing one to the other. We must realize that the Lord is using our current circumstances to continue to shape our current selves into a 'holy priesthood' (1 Peter 2:4-5). We must also realize that our past circumstances would not allow for the same shaping that is currently happening. Remember the one who is in control, He can use ALL things for good. Ecclesiastes 7:14 "When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other." & Romans 8:28 "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."
     Dear friends, take heart when walking through the valleys - GOOD IS COMING!

Having Faith in the Dark

     I want to spend a little time opening up my world to you, my readers. My 'about me' page does little to inform you of who I really am, and to be perfectly honest, this may be the first time in my adult life that I haven't allowed my life to be an open book to all those willing to glance at the pages. You see, I'm in a bit of a hypothetical valley at the moment.
     I'm married to a youth pastor, which limits how honest I can be about the church and ministry. My family has moved in with my grandfather-in-law because my husband is only employed part-time at the moment, which limits how honest I can be about our home life and family. Also, my grandfather-in-law attends the same church that my husband works at, which again perpetuates the sense that I must remain a guarded person.
     My husband and I spent two years in Southeast Asia. He taught Bible and Theology classes and I taught English part-time. I have believed, since the time I was 14, that the Lord was calling me to be a missionary, to live and raise a family overseas. After we completed our two year contract at a school overseas, we returned home to Ohio. It was very hard for me to leave, but I knew, without any doubt, that it was what the Lord wanted. So, I obeyed, we obeyed. It was much easier for my husband to return to the States, I'm not sure he really ever felt 'at home' overseas. Now, my husband has his dream job...he is working in the church where he grew up. It has been such a blessing in so many ways! I can see my husband working hard, growing the youth group, getting excited and re-energized in ways I haven't seen before.
     While I am so pleased to see my husband flourishing, I'm having a hard time trying to figure out where I fit. I saw this on facebook today and it seems to fit so perfectly with where I am at presently.

Photo Credit

      I am currently unsure of what God wants me to do. I am uncertain of what steps are next for me. For the last 14 or so years, I had been working toward getting overseas; Now I realize that 'overseas' may have only been for a season. Did God call me overseas? YES...but is He calling me overseas now? No. So here I am, presently in the dark, out of the loop, and unsure of what the next goal should be. I want it to be 100% God's plan. I have faith, faith given to me by Christ (Ephesians 2:8), and that faith will get me to the other side of this valley - back to the mountain top, where I can look out over all the valleys I've crossed and I will be able to see the answers to all my 'Why, God?' questions. To the peaks that will reveal what God's plan was and is. To the place where I can look towards Heaven, and with a smile, say 'Thanks for those dark days, now I see what you were doing'. It is in the dark that we must choose to walk by faith and not sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). What darkness are you walking through today? How can I pray for you and lift you all up the way I hope you will for me?

Back on Track + a Green Mango Smoothie Recipe

     Things have been pretty hectic around my house over the past two weeks. I spent the early part of the first week with a sick little princess and the latter part of it being sick myself. The second week was spent buzzing around trying to prepare a surprise 30th birthday party for my husband. All this to say, my healthy goals have not yet been met...BUT they WILL be!

Why do I always forget to take pics until the last few minutes of an event?

     I had a lot of fun planning my man's birthday party. I love to cook for others and to entertain, though having a 6 year old and a 3 year old doesn't always allow for such things. I tried to find ideas for a man's 30th birthday but came up empty - notably, the first time I have been disappointed by Pinterest! I knew I wanted something manly and not juvenile so I decided on black as my base color. Next I decided on yellow as a secondary color because it is my husbands second favorite color - his favorite is red but I thought red and black would look too harsh. Then I decided I wanted some candies to put on the tables for people to munch on, so I picked up some boxes of lemon drops. This is when I had my light bulb moment - a 'We hope you don't sour with age' theme! I was already on the right track with the lemon drops and the yellow decorations, so I bought some cheap yellow school folders and cut out lemons to hang up and made a punch using lemonade, sprite, and white grape cherry juice - it was like a more grown up pink lemonade and was so yummy! I also made beef wellingtons, broccoli, toss salad, and hashbrown casserole per the Mr's request. Hubby doesn't like cake so I made brownies instead. The party has been deemed a success and I received the highest compliment from one of the guests who said I was like a human pinterest with all the ideas in my head, lol!
     Now that the birthday party is in the past, I'm getting back on track and getting my butt in gear this week! So, I am reestablishing my goal of healthy breakfasts this week. I even managed to get a little jump start on that by having a green smoothie this morning (recipe to follow). This afternoon I plan to make up a batch of steel cut oats and get it into mason jars with some chopped fruit so it's ready to pop in the microwave (as I am anti cold oatmeal) as soon as my feet hit the floor in the morning. 
     I am also doing a little 'fast' this week, though not in the traditional sense. I will be fasting from television this week (Monday-Friday evening). I realize that as a stay-at-home mom, it is easy to have lazy days, especially for me. While I am in full support of allowing yourself down time and a day off once in a while, it is easier for me to make those kind of days a habit, which certainly does not honor the Lord. I will allow myself to watch TV on Saturday, and Friday night we usually do a family movie night after supper. Beyond those times, I am looking to serve rather than be entertained. I don't want to look back at my life and think it was predominantly spent being entertained, humored, and the like. I want to look back and know that I served my family and my community to the best of the abilities that God has given me - that I did my best to be the type of servant that Jesus himself exemplified. Join me in striving to serve our families and communities better! I'd love to hear from you - post a comment stating one thing you are going to do this week to be a better servant.

Green Mango Smoothie:
1 large handful of baby spinach
1 cup almond milk
1/2 cup frozen mango chunks
1 banana

First blend the spinach and milk together until the spinach is completely liquified. Next add the banana and mango and blend until smooth. Even my son enjoyed it!

This Week's Menu & Why I Don't Do Resolutions

     To kick off the new year right, I spent my day browsing the internet with pen and paper in hand in order to create a meal plan for this week. And no, it is not just any meal plan; it is a healthy meal plan, of course! Although there are some changes that I will be implementing this week, it is in no way related to yearly resolutions. To be perfectly honest, I have never been one to create New Year's resolutions. Not because I'm against them, but because for me, to pursue something, ANYTHING, for an entire year sounds incredibly arduous. And not arduous as in incredibly difficult, but rather, as in incredibly monotonous. I need variety, people!
     Rather than make some year long commitment that will bore me in merely a couple of weeks, I will chose to make shorter term goals that I can revise as often as I begin to lose interest. That being said, I also have very grand, long-term goals (such as being an entirely healthy person, inside and out!). So, I've decided to establish one goal at a time and share it with the vast cyber world in order for you all to hold me accountable, as I attempt to hold myself accountable. The first change I am attempting to make to my morning routine is to kick the cold cereal habit. First, I will make the change myself, then slowly I plan to get my kids on board - and without them ever realizing that their cereal has been replaced with something much healthier...something whole. And NO, this resolution should not take a whole year to accomplish, nor should it bore me before being crossed off of my 'To-do' list!
     On the breakfast menu for this week is a rotation of smoothies and steel cut oatmeal. I plan to make a big batch of the oatmeal and then portion it out into containers (mason jars for me, I have an addiction...) to be kept in the fridge for quick, no-fuss mornings. I also plan to portion out and bag up the smoothie ingredients so they're blender ready - I mean, really, who wants to chop up fruit first thing in the morning? NOT ME! If you want a peek at what's on my menu this week (for breakfast, as well as lunch and supper), check out my Pinterest page: http://pinterest.com/healthyhisway/