Yummy Healthy Recipe by Jillian Michaels & EatingWell.com

Turkey Cutlets With Peas and Spring Onions

With spring bringing some pretty inconsistent weather, you're just as likely to be in the mood for something warm and hearty as you are for something light and citrusy. If the former is the kind of mood you're in, this dish will definitely deliver. The presence of fresh peas and spring (baby) onions at your local farmers' market is usually a telltale sign that spring has arrived. Paired with lean organic turkey cutlets, this dish is easy to make, quick to clean up, great for leftovers, and a perfect choice to serve up at a dinner party.
Turkey Cutlets With Peas and Spring Onions
Ingredients

• 1/2 cup flour (preferably whole-wheat)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound organic turkey breast, cutlets or steaks, 1/4-inch thick
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 4 ounces organic shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1 bunch organic spring onions (or scallions), sliced, whites and greens separated
• 1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup dry white wine, (such as Sauvignon Blanc)
• 1 cup organic peas, fresh or frozen (thawed)
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest

Preparation 1. Whisk flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Dredge each turkey cutlet in the flour mixture. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the turkey and cook until lightly golden, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate; cover with foil to keep warm.
2. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the pan and heat over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and onion (or scallion) whites and cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms are browned and the whites are slightly softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add broth, wine and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is slightly reduced, 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Stir in peas and onion (or scallion) greens and cook, stirring, until heated through, about 1 minute. Stir in lemon zest. Nestle the turkey into the vegetables along with any accumulated juices from the plate. Cook, turning the cutlets once, until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes.
Makes 4 servings.
Get the nutritional information for this recipe.
Recipe reprinted with the permission of EatingWell.com.

A lil spray paint goes a long way!

So I get bored with my house decor and change up some things here and there. I forgot to take a 'before' picture but here are some D.I.Y. house projects I finished:

 I bought frames for $0.69 from Ikea and they were neon green which I loved but then they sat in my closet for a while so I got bored and told my husband to paint them! I'll say he did a great job!

 These pieces were purchased at Goodwill a while back, they were a dull gold color..but nothing a lil spray paint can't fix! I'll say they turned out lovely :) So all you need is a few pieces of decor that you like and some spray paint [got mine at Wal-mart] like below and voilà! you've got fresh decor =D

 Try it and share! I'm having fun with some new DIY ideas...there is more to come. I have some fresh canvas and paint that I plan on working with next...I will share the outcome...Have a FANTASTICAL WEEKEND friends!

Lovin' my lil' multi-use bow!

Found my bow while strolling the aisles of Joann Fabrics and I must say it is fabulous! I can even use it as a bow-tie.......my fave!

Sea World Date!

Listen here all my married and SOON TO BE MARRIED Friends: Even though you are married you should never stop dating!!! I love dates, they help to focus on spending time together, rather then just "doing everyday stuff" together because that can be monotonous.
One of the perks of living in San Antonio is Sea World! It's much bigger than the Sea World in Orlando and we have a water park in it here! My hubs and I got season passes because we live so close [literally down the street] so last week we had a little date and enjoyed a couple hours at Sea World! here are some pics!

Martha Munizzi Worship Weekend

This past weekend we had Martha Munizzi come and minister at our church here in San Antonio, TX.

Her singing with our team!

It was exciting and eventful. Our choir, orchestra, band, rhythm & audio teams have been working so hard to learn her music and to prepare for this weekend. EVERYONE did a phenomenal job and God was glorified!! We even streamed live on Saturday night and people all over the country watched and worshiped the Lord with us! The response back was overwhelming. I am personally SO EXTREMELY proud of my own husband [who is a talented, anointed young man]! He ran the sound for Martha and his crew of men were there to oversee the transition from one service to another, and to help the evening be a huge success by taking care of all the 'issues' that showed up this weekend. Here is a picture of my amazing husband!!

I  although I have many more pictures and videos to share these are a few from a seriously talented photographer friend of mine! So enjoy and I will share some more very soon! XOXOXO

I love the people I am in ministry with! They are so talented and such genuinely great people!

1 year Anniversary in Texas!!

On MARCH 15, 2010 we [my hubs & I] arrived here in San Antonio, Texas! WOW! Time has flown by....Just a year ago we changed our lives, picked up all our stuff and left Florida [the Sunshine State]! 21 hours later we arrived in Texas [the Love Star state]...

Some journeys take a life time to complete but some journeys are a once in a lifetime opportunity.. starting one step at a time!

The move to Texas was DEFINITELY orchestrated by God and that is no mistake! Although I never would have never guessed that we'd end up in Texas...still God had been preparing me for a huge change since 2009. I can remember that in the beginning of 2009 I went through the process of pregnancy. It was not a physical pregnancy but rather a spiritual one! It began in March 2009. At that point God began to stir in my spirit a need for something deeper. My job got to a point that I could not grow any more, I had been offered a promotion but it never happened. I began to feel uncomfortable in my spirit. I began to have an extreme hunger for ministry. The more I prayed the more my heart was burdened with the need for more. I felt as if God was literally tugging at my spirit and whispering in my ear. I wanted more for myself and my spiritual growth. I love how God makes His desires our desires. I could literally feel His will forming in my heart and becoming my own will. Feelings I never experienced before and thoughts I never considered, all part of God's plan. One day I was talking to a friend of mine and she described how God allows women to go through "spiritual" pregnancy. They literally feel the baby moving, they go through growth and changes, then the birth pangs. As she was speaking I began to understand how similar the process was that I was in the midst of. Then it just made sense...I had a deep burning for ministry and didn't understand what it meant. I felt that I needed to change my occupational path but I didn't understand why. One day my husband and I were reading a book by Erwin McManus called Chasing Daylight [I highly recommend the book!] And in this portion Erwin was talking about making a choice. Sometimes we pray and beg God to show us His will in decision making and we get so frustrated that He is not answering, when all He wants is for us to make a move. We can become so intent on God making the decision but all the while God is saying "Just do SOME-THING!" Erwin was explaining to a friend how "Hitler himself tried to destroy an entire race of people, yet in all his trying he could not stop the will of God, because God is more powerful. So how much more can we as Christians achieve the will of God in trying to do so." Does that make sense? It hit me like a ton of bricks. In those fews months I had been burdened with the decision to quit my job yet I didn't understand why or how our bills would be paid.
So long story short, I followed Erwin's advice and made a decision...I JUST DID SOMETHING! And it has changed my life. I'd like to say that I have always been a woman of faith but these last 2 years of my life have changed me in ways I can't even describe. My faith has grown and my God has shown me things and taken me places I never thought I would have gone, needless to say that burning desire for ministry has been fulfilled b/c my hubs and I are now full time ministry. God has accomplished a lot in the last 16 months and just to name a few:
1. I quit my job in Sept 2009
2. Began Grad school in Sept of 2009
3. In December of 2009 we got the job offer to be Audio Directors of Westover Hills AG
4. In January 2010 we came to Texas to check out the opportunity
5. March of 2010 we moved to Texas
6. We have become so much closer and dependent on one other [Our marriage has flourished]
7. Our ministry & leadership skills are being challenged & are better than ever [always a growing process]
8. My husband has become such a stronger man of God [thinking about this makes me want to cry!]
9. God has done wonders in our families and our joint faith!
10. I have returned to one of my first loves [SINGING & Worship ministry]
11. I work on staff for our Music Ministry
12. I have become a better minister to my friends and family
13. Finished Grad school in December 2010

14. And last but not least I just recently achieved a personal dream [to sing on stage with Martha Munizzi] more details of that to come...


I feel so honored that God would use me to carry out His will and purpose and I can only think back and reflect on that moment that He impregnated me with His Word and a burden to pray for its fulfillment. Psalm 119: 130 says “The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.”
Psalm 29:2 "Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness."

Here are some pictures of our first days here in Texas!

Thank you Lord for this Journey! Thank you for putting a wonderful man and best friend by my side to support me and walk this journey with me. May my life always be yours to use...I love you endlessly!

The Spiritual (From 'Active Word' Daily Devotional)

Each night my husband and take time to read/study the Word of God and this evenings devotional was such a blessing to me...I JUST HAD TO SHARE it with you all! Here it is:

For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us? 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NKJV)
We could never fully appreciate the physical pain that Christ endured on the cross. It should humble us to our dying day that He went through that for our sake. And yet, His physical agony pales in comparison to what was happening on the spiritual level.
As Jesus hung on the cross, He uttered something that gives incredible insight into what He was going through on the spiritual level. It was something that wounded Him on a level that we will never be able to fully fathom:
And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying... "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" (Matthew 27:46 NKJV)

Christ is doing two things here: He's pointing to the prophecy of Psalm 22 as applying to Him, and He's expressing the sense of spiritual separation from His Father that He was experiencing on the cross. Don't misunderstand. The union between the Father and Son remained intact, but their sense of communion was being disrupted.

Why did Jesus feel so forsaken? Because 2 Corinthians 5:21 tells us that all of our sinfulness was placed upon Him. And since God cannot even look at sin (Habakkuk 1:13), something happened to Jesus on the cross that had never taken place in all eternity, something came between Him and His Father...our sin. No physical pain could ever compare to this, because nothing can compare to the sanctity of the bond between the Father and His Son.

We'll never fully appreciate the suffering this produced because we've never known the perfect relationship Jesus shared with His Father-much less the abrupt and absolute sense of separation our sins produced. But it's because He endured such suffering that we don't have to.

Think about it…

What does this passage reveal to me about God?

What does this passage reveal to me about myself?

Based on this, what changes do I need to make?

What is my prayer for today?

Amazing right?! This devotional is worth keeping up with. If you have the Bible app by YouVersion on your phone, iPad or whatever you can get this devotional too or you can also go straight to the website and subscribe.  You can see this specific devotion by clicking this link: The Spiritual

The King and I + other classics

My husband and I subscribed to NETFLIX a while back! We love it. We get all kinds of cool movies both old and new some we can watch instantly and some we get in the mail. Today I got 'The King & I' in the mail [click the link to find out about the movie] and I am so excited to watch it [it's playing as I write]. I've been watching a lot of classics lately. I love when people suggest a great Classic movie. I can't believe I have missed out on so many great movies....Anywhooo...here are some of movies I have seen lately, including some of my favorite leading ladies: Miss Audrey Hepburn & Miss Barbara Streisand!

Audrey Hepburn in 'Breakfast at Tiffany's'

Audrey in 'Sabrina'

'Love in the Afternoon' great movie!

Barbara in 'Funny Girl' I liked that film

In 'Jersey Girl'

D.I.Y. project....Making bows!

My inspiration for D.I.Y. Projects is far from over! I really am impressed with the Creativity that I see from DIY projects online. It all inspires me to dig out that little "Crafty Chica" within. I gathered up the ribbons and extra pieces of material that I kept from old dresses and skirts, things that I never used and turned them into little pieces of art [or so I'd like to think]. I made some more little bows last week when I found the time. So I wanted to share them! [I will be selling these as well!] I have so many more to make but I am enjoying the fun in creativity. I think I will make them to wear as BOWTIES!! or brooches, shoe pieces/clips, hair pieces, head band accessories, etc. The more I make the more ideas I have pouring out and that excites me! Here are a few of them:

Here are a few of the the DIY blogs I follow [and LOVE!]:
I Spy DIY
A Pair and a Spare
The DIY Showoff
Girl with a Hammer

Check them out - I guarantee that you will fall in love with them too!

Food!!! [my love language!]

I found this recipe in my inbox this morning and thought I would share...as many of the people in my life have inspired me to eat better, I am really making an effort to do so [although every single day I crave a big cup of Coke and chocolate cookies...AHHH!!] Jillian Michaels just knows how to make healthy food look yummmy!

Spring Veggies Make Their Mark!

Welcome to March! We may be only a few short weeks away from the official start of spring, but that doesn't mean you can't start celebrating the new season early in your kitchen! This delicious veggie stew combines meaty artichoke hearts, earthy mushrooms, and tender leeks to give a rich, satisfying flavor.
Spring Vegetable Stew
Ingredients

• 1/2 ounce organic dried mushrooms, such as morels or porcini (about 1/2 cup)
• 1 cup warm water
• 6 large fresh organic artichokes
• 1 large lemon
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 4 medium organic leeks, white part only, cleaned and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 cup organic baby carrots
• 12 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 tablespoon fresh chopped thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
• 1/2 cup dry white wine (such as Sauvignon Blanc)
• 2 1/2 cups reduced-sodium vegetable broth
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cups organic baby lima beans, fresh or frozen
• 1 cup organic peas, fresh or frozen
• 4 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, or organic truffle oil
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup fresh chives, chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Preparation
Cover mushrooms with warm water in a small bowl. Let stand for 30 minutes. Strain, reserving liquid. Rinse the mushrooms well under cold water; drain and chop. Strain the reserved liquid through a coffee filter or paper towel to remove any dirt. Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with water; juice the lemon and, reserving half the juice, add the rest along with the lemon halves to the water.
Pull off outer leaves from an artichoke. Using a small, sharp knife, pare the artichoke down to the heart. Trim the bottom of the stem, then peel the stem. Scrape out the choke with a melon baller or spoon. Cut the heart into quarters and place in the lemon water to prevent browning. Repeat with the remaining artichokes.
Heat oil in a large deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add leeks, carrots, garlic, thyme, mushrooms and the artichoke hearts; cook, stirring often, until the vegetables start to brown, about 5 minutes.
Add wine and cook until slightly reduced, 2 to 3 minutes. Add broth, salt and the reserved mushroom liquid. Cover and cook over low heat until the artichoke hearts and carrots are almost tender, 30 to 40 minutes.
Stir in lima beans and peas. Increase heat to medium, cover and cook for 10 minutes more. Stir in the reserved lemon juice. Season with pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Serve the stew in shallow bowls, garnished with chives and parsley.
Makes 6 servings.

From jewelry to furniture...I love it all!

So a friend of mine, [who I love to thrift store shop with] recently helped me redocorate my house and in the process of hunting through the clearance aisles of Ross and good deals at Goodwill I was able to redecorate my house for a very low price!! Yessss! I love a great deal!! While we were shopping for me she found an amazing chair for something ridiculously cheap...like $3 and although we both had our eye on it she took it home because I knew she would put it to better use than I would. Well just recently as I visited her house she wanted to give me a few things...[like a new grill...YIPEE!!] Well she also decided to give me the chair and I was reluctant to take it because I felt bad...but she assured me that she wanted me to have it. She had cleaned it up so nicely. Here it is...my new chair:

She is such a great friend, not because she gave me the chair but because she is just so considerate, she's a Woman of God,  and is SOOO MUCH fun to shop with, not to mention awesome at bargaining! She also bought me some really pretty earrings, here they are!

I'm definitely wearing them for our upcoming Concert with Martha Munizzi!

Hope you all enjoy! Just wanted to share my little piece of happiness! Until next time, Lots of Love to you all!!

Just admiring the scenery

So yesterday my husband and I were out doing errands when he drove by a Stock Yard (where I am told cows used to be slaughtered) I have no idea what happens there but I think this is very true to the Texas culture! Here was a picture I took and edited on my phone, I just wanted to share it with you all, I really liked the way it came out!

While running errands we got our taxes done! The place we went was located in an older building and I took a picture of the hallway inside the building (of course it is edited on my phone) I wanted to share the beauty with you. This hallway reminds me of my elementary school in New York!
Oh! How I love New York!

Isn't it lovely?

Did you happen to notice how cool that water fountain is?

Buttons, Lace, Ribbons and Bows

Lately, I have been wanting to get into some fun crafts and also make some extra money. I went through some stuff that I had laying around and realized that it was possible...so I got to work. After a couple of hours I was so excited that my creative juices were flowing..and I would say that they turned out pretty nifty!

These were my supplies...

In Texas we have a cool little store called Hobby Lobby! I love this place and ever since I discovered it, I shop there all the time! One day, while shopping for scrap-booking stuff I discovered a 200 piece bag of buttons..they were so pretty. It was made up of all types of buttons and I had to buy it. I had no idea what to do with it but I knew I could put it to good use. On another note, I guess you can say that I am a little obsessed with bow-ties but I never see any that I am crazy about...so... I figured why not try and make some? I looked at some tutorials online and went for it. Although, I have so much more to make this was my first try and I'll say that it turned out GREAT!

These were the final results...SCORE!

 I plan on doing a garage sale in the next few weeks so I can sell my little bows, and some other stuff I have laying around! I'm so excited about this...Wish me luck...and if you would like to purchase one please let me know!