The Date Inspired by the Letter T

If you heard the podcast this week, you heard us pretending we were on an episode of Tiny House Hunters. LOL! Today I bring you the accompanying photos.

Weeks ago, we discovered (via the magic of Facebook) that there was going to be a Tiny House Roadshow in Fort Wayne. We bought our tickets, printed them out, put them in the car so they wouldn't get lost, and counted down the days until we could go see honest-to-goodness tiny houses live and in person.

It would be our T date, we decided. Tiny house tours! How great is that?? (This photo, by the way, was taken at the conclusion of the day, and by the time you are done reading this post, you'll understand our exhausted and rather pathetic look.)

I wondered if any of the food trucks in Fort Wayne would be out and about that day, because food from a truck would be both fun and appropriate for a T date. So a couple of days before the event, when I knew the weather looked promising, I checked the website for the trucks.

Shut. Up.

Foodstock 2017 was scheduled for the same day. Twenty-two food trucks stocked with a million choices of cuisine? Our life just might be complete.

So we didn't eat breakfast that morning, in preparation for stuffing our faces with not-clean-eating food, and we parked at a garage a mile away from the park hosting Foodstock. LOL! Ryan says I was so hungry, I practically ran to the trucks. I wish I could say he was lying. Eek!

Here we are with Foodstock and a bunch of people we don't know!

It smelled so good right there. You don't even know.

They had a big board at the entrance with the menus from the different trucks so you could make informed decisions without clogging up lines. Genius.

Here's a peek at the lines of trucks! The park has this huge pavilion, and they were all underneath that. It was a nice day, so it didn't really matter, but if it had been super sunny or windy (or rainy), there was a nice layer of protection over the food. They had tables and chairs all set up at the front and live music playing throughout.

We decided to share things so we could sample more. We wanted our main food from this truck called Who Cut the Cheese? (hee hee hee.) We ordered a sammich called The Three Little Pigs. It had bacon, Black Forest Ham, and pulled pork with BBQ sauce and cheese on bread and was all grilled up. (And it came with a pickle, which pretty much made my day.) It was SO huge that splitting it was all we could do. Don't talk to me about its health factor, or lack thereof, but just focus on the deliciousness.

While I stood in line for that, Ryan got in line at a truck called Affine and ordered some fries with a delicious sauce that reminded me much of the infamous Boom Boom Sauce we had at Ivanhoe's a few weeks ago. WE munched on these while we waited for our sammich.

And then, because we hadn't consumed enough (eyeroll) we found a dessert truck and split a razzleberry sundae! That's right! Ryan's beloved pie showed up as a sundae option. We had to get it!

Clearly you can see why the mile hike to and from the car was necessary!

Once we were full, we walked to Parkview Field (ahhhh memories...the site of our 10K back when no one knew we were dating!) for the Tiny House Roadshow!

We went to one of the main gates, but it was closed. We could see a tiny house parked right on the other side of the gate, but we walked all the way to the opposite corner, came in and then all the way back around to where we started! LOL!

As we said on the podcast, we both were under the impression (from attending home shows and flower/patio shows in the past) that the field would be packed with tiny houses and vendors. Well, the field was being watered, so there were no tiny houses there. In fact, there were only three tiny houses on display that day. Three! That's it! (The program they gave us promised four, but only three showed up, apparently.) We won't lie: we were disappointed that there were so few, but we pushed that aside quickly and decided to just enjoy ourselves.

There were lines for each house, and the volunteers only permitted a few people in at a time. That was the good part. The bad part was they permitted multiple parties in together, so I have pictures of strangers and they have pictures of me. There's really nowhere to hide in a tiny house. Ha!

Wanna see what we toured?

This was the first one we went in (because it had the shortest line) and it was also the middle of the three sizes. It was our very favorite of the three. It reminded me in many ways of an RV (with a loft). It was about the size of an RV and had similar space use. It even had a bump-out on the side!

The windows you see here are as follows: the one on the right (on the end of the tiny house) adjacent to the door is the living room. The long skinny window to the left of the door is in the kitchen. The window on the far left is the bedroom, and the two windows up top are for the loft. 

Ryan on the couch. This is the part that bumped out, so you could actually walk/turn around inside the front door.

In that picture he's facing the front door, and just to his right, beyond the couch, was a stairway to the loft. (An actual stairway. Not a ladder. I liked that.)

Beside the front door: the kitchen.

I liked the overlap for stools/eating, and the fact that the fridge, which you unfortunately can't really see here, is tall like a real one, not tiny like a dorm fridge. I lament that I cannot remember what was across from the kitchen, under the stairs, other than to presume it was storage. :( There were so many people to dodge, I missed that part. :(

A doorway in the middle of the tiny house took you from the kitchen into the bathroom. It had a nice shower, as demonstrated by Ryan:

I failed to get a picture of the toilet and sink across from it. :( Womp, womp. I'm telling you. Feeling rushed and crowded did not have me on my photo game!

You can see the door back into the bedroom, which took up the entire back part of the house. It was very much like an RV in storage layout:

Oh hey! there's the toilet in the background! I guess it was beside the shower!

This is the loft, which was big enough to sit up in, and I liked that. Very spacious.

The second house we went in was the smallest of the three and neither of us liked it. It was TOO small for us. The first house had TONS of storage hidden all over the place. The second one had an area above the doorway and that was really about it. It was so cramped. I'm not even sure I could find it relaxing for an overnight getaway. (Personal opinion.)

It was stinkin' cute, though, on the outside! I did love the tiny little porch there on the right. The window behind the porch was to the "living room" and then the window above the wheels was in the one little spot where you could turn around inside. The window on the left was in the bathroom. And of course, the top windows were the loft.

The "living room" was literally just this tiny little oversized chair in the spot beside the front door. It faced the kitchen.

Above that was this open space for storage, and that was IT for storage as far as I could see. It made me nervous!

This is the kitchen, and the door to the left of the counter space goes into the bathroom:

The fridge is the under-the-counter kind and the top corner of it made the bottom of the picture there under the tea kettle.

I TRIED to get a good picture of the bathroom. I don't think there was a sink. I think it was just a toilet across from a shower. I could only get a picture of the shower.

And here is the loft, accessed by ladder only. I would perish. This was the only bedroom.

So that house is out.

And that brings us to the third and final house of the day, which was the largest of the three. Though it's mobile, it's officially considered a wide load and could not be easily transported from one place to the next. So this is more of a park model tiny house. (And Ryan's opinion is if you're going to live in a mobile home, why bother making it tiny? Just get a regular one!)

In this one, the sliding glass door goes into a living area, the back door goes in right by the bedroom/bathroom/kitchen, and the other downstairs window is for the bedroom. The upstairs window goes to a loft.

Loved the big wall of windows in the living area.

 Big, light, airy kitchen. Swoon!!

The person at the back is standing in front of the bedroom door. Behind her is the stairway up to two (cramped) lofts and on the other side of those cabinets is the big bathroom.

Bedroom with a huge closet and a companion screen door to sleep with! (????)

Bathroom - also huge.

The smaller of the two lofts was mostly useless in my opinion. It would work well for storage or if you had kids, I guess.

This is looking from my vantage point to the other loft. I then crawled over there and got stuck in there while people were on the stairs, so I took a selfie!

So there you have it! The tiny house tour! :)

Before we left the field, we did a few photo opps with signs and Johnny Appleseed. (Of course.)

A successful date inspired by the letter T! To see all our alphabetical dates so far, you can look here. (We only have six to go!)

Walk a Mile in My Shoes Wednesday: Etching Monuments

It has been such a joy to hear back from you over this past month as I've introduced this new series, designed to help all of us understand what it might be like to walk a mile in the shoes of someone whose job or daily life we have never imagined! (If you want to see the past posts and a more thorough explanation of the heart of this series, just go here.)

I have been looking forward to introducing you to my guest this week because I think chances are pretty high that this will be a brand new career concept for you! In fact, it was this job and this friend who inspired me to do this series.

I have two friends in my life who have been with me since before kindergarten. They hold the record as my longest-standing friends, and I still have both of them with me today. One of them is Amber. She is an amazing, incredible artist. She has always been an amazing, incredible artist. In high school, she could draw and paint pieces that most seasoned adults couldn't achieve. She is just that good. (I know she's rolling her eyes reading this right now, because she hates having attention drawn to her, but I'm not kidding. She has unbelievable talent. Just wait. You'll see.)

Artists take many different paths with their talent, and if I gave you twenty guesses, you'd never land on her career, unless you read the title of the post. Amber etches monuments. Like the monuments that mark graves in cemeteries. She etches detailed portraits and scenes right into the granite surface. This week I had the chance to sit down with her and hear a bit more about her job, and she shared some things that I think will both fascinate and educate you!

1. Monuments can tell a story.

When people come into Amber's workplace, most really have no idea what she can do for them to create a loving, thoughtful memorial. I know I didn't have a clue until I went to visit her at work one day! We've all seen stones in cemeteries, and we know the basics they include: name, date of birth, and date of death. Of course those are important elements, but artists like Amber can create pieces of art that go beyond the information to actually capture the essence of the person being remembered.


The monument itself can be (within the confines of cemetery regulations, of course) a multitude of shapes, sizes, and combinations of granite. From there, the family can be as creative as they desire to represent their loved one. The printed records, the photo etchings, and even the monument shape itself can combine to tell a story.

When Amber begins to work on a piece, she loves to make a connection with the story of the person she's honoring, and she does that best by having the chance to talk with their family about their life. She loves to hear stories about beloved possessions, pets, work, hobbies, passions - anything that represented their personality. She sometimes even has the opportunity to visit their homes and see these things in person. She's taken pictures of tangible memories so she can draw and etch them accurately.

But even beyond seeing actual items, the more she learns about the person whose memory she's honoring, the more she can help the family craft the story they want to tell to reflect this meaningful life. What she does is so much more than marking a grave. She's capturing a biography in art.

(Here is an example of Amber's work. Yes. This is hand-etched in granite. I told you she was incredible.)

2. Don't underestimate the importance of details!

There's a little thing we all do when we look at photos of people we love: we mentally adjust the photos to make the image look like the person we know. I mean, let's face it. We all have bad angles and the occasional double chin/blemish/unfortunate hair day. When those things become permanently documented in a photo, we know to look around them and see the person we know as we remember them.


Artists can't do that. When families hand a photo (or a stack of them) to Amber, that's all she has to use. She doesn't know the people she's drawing and etching. She can't make those mental adjustments, so she relies completely upon the photos she's given. (Makes a lot of sense, doesn't it? I never would have thought of it.)

So if you're having an artist etch a monument, submit a variety of photos, and submit quality photos. Not a photo of a photo (that distorts things), and not a low-resolution Facebook copy of a nicer portrait. As much as you are able, offer the best, high-resolution, great quality photos, and be sure they show the person's entire face. (Bonus points for submitting multiple angles to help the artists fill in the gaps.) Choose photos that accurately represent the person.

The same thing is true if you're offering photos of pets, beloved possessions, or scenes that may have been meaningful to the person. Err on the side of providing more than necessary. It is so helpful!

(Obviously, out of respect and privacy, Amber didn't submit to me any of the human portraits she's done. But here is another example of her artistic talent in creating scenes in granite.)

3. This is a work of art and heart.

I find this part fascinating, so I asked Amber to describe to me actually how she does what she does.

If you go to a cemetery and look at a standard monument (the kind with just names, dates, and maybe a simple design), you're looking at work that was sandblasted.  Sandblasting is reserved only for simple things, and that's not what Amber does. (Clearly!)

Etching, which is what you see in the photos she provided, is done entirely by hand. There are some laser machines that can be used for engraving, but laser etching has an entirely different look to it. Amber does not use a computer at all in any part of her process. Her etching is done with a handheld diamond tipped engraver.

Because she's working with a heavy monument (and sometimes a HUGE monument), it's very different than drawing on a piece of paper. When she draws on paper, she can hold it in her lap and shift it to various angles as needed. When she etches, the granite is heavy and stationary. She sits in a number of non-ergonomic positions to work and any time she needs a new angle, she has to be the one to move.

Of course the etching only takes place after she's first made a drawing on paper and it's been approved by the family. She spends as much times as necessary designing the art on paper first and wants to make sure the family is fully pleased with it before moving on. If necessary, she'll scrap the entire original art and start over to make sure she gets it right. (Side note: if you're using a monument artist and you go in to approve the art, really check thoroughly for accuracy in things like poems, dates, or other specific, important details. It can still be changed at this stage. Later, not so much!)

Just to give you an idea of the time involved in the actual stone-etching process (not counting the pre-design work), a single 8x10 portrait etching would take about two full work days to complete. She works slowly and deliberately to make sure she's accurate, because as you might imagine, there's no eraser for granite. Tiny blunders can often be masked, but any significant mistake means starting over entirely.

That shows you the work of art part, but for Amber, this is also a work of heart. Even though she usually doesn't know the people she serves, she comes to care deeply for them as she talks with them, hears their stories, and tells the story of their loved one through art. As she draws and etches, she thinks about the family she's serving, the loss they're feeling, and she prays for them. She doesn't crank out her work to get it done and move on to the next project. This project matters to the family, and it matters to her. Monuments are forever, and she wants them to honor the people they represent in the best possible way.

Amber also said for some people, the creation of the monument is a significant piece of their grieving and healing process. Some can't hurry through it and some need it done right away, and in both cases, the timing serves as part of the healing.

Francis of Assisi said, "He who works with his hands is a laborer. He who works with his hands and his head is a craftsman. He who works with his hands and his head and his heart is an artist." Amber told me this quote drives her in the work she does, and I can certainly attest that she is a true artist. Selfless, talented, and always serving those who commission her to represent those they love.

I know death isn't a fun topic to think about, but I am so grateful for artists like Amber, who are committed not just to a job, but to a gift of capturing a story to honor a memory for all time.

Linking up with Tamar

Hanging Out with the Extension Homemakers

It's podcast Tuesday! Many stories for you today, courtesy of our weekend!

 Listen here!

This feels like SUCH old news now, but I haven't been able to tell you about it, thanks to the never ending vacation recap (sorry, not sorry) so I'm just now popping in with this!

The  night after our engagementversary dinner, I was scheduled to speak at an achievement banquet for the Grant County Extension Homemakers. I didn't really know too much about this group before I agreed to speak at their dinner, but I learned that they're just a delightful group of ladies who desire to see homes fostered like they used to be. They emphasize family and the elements of the home that seem to be missing from so many these days.

I let them know that Ryan is my road manager and would be with me, and they said that was fine, but they warned me he would probably be the only man there. Truth! LOL! Good thing that doesn't bother him!

The banquet took place at this cute little church out in the middle of nowhere!

Can I just pause to say how grateful I am for the invention of the GPS? I can't imagine where I would end up if I had to find some of these places on my own using maps like the good old days. (If only I had a sense of direction!)

I was invited to speak to this group because I knew one of the ladies in the group. She wasn't in charge, but she recommended me, and I was grateful for the chance to join them! But she was the only person I knew in the whole room! So I was also glad to have Ryan there just to have a familiar face!

The food, which was catered, was amazing. That marked two nights in a row we'd enjoyed our dinners without cooking them ourselves! A treat!

(Ryan was excited that they had noodles, too! I am not a noodles girl, so I didn't take any.)

These ladies were just so much fun. I enjoyed sharing stories with them, laughing together with them, and hopefully I encouraged them too!

So here's a fun story! Three ladies sat down with us at our table, and of course we didn't know them. We really enjoyed getting to know them, though, and hearing their stories. The lady that sat right across to me happened to mention that the day before marked sixty-six years since she'd gotten engaged.

First of all - CONGRATULATIONS on that! That's an amazing milestone!

Secondly - that meant we shared an engagementversary! I rarely meet people who can produce their engagement date unless it happened on a significant date. So I thought it was so cool that she knew it and still celebrated it. Apparently she and her husband (who have been married 65 years now) are still the cutest, most loving couple in the world, and that give me such hope.

After the banquet, I asked her if I could get my picture taken with her, since we were engagementversary twins, 61 years apart. She said yes! So we showed off our rings. :)

If you heard the podcast from a week or two ago, you might also remember that this was the night ALL the ladies fell in love with Ryan. He refilled drinks, cleared their plates, took out the trash, did some heavy lifting, and was his general charming and helpful self. By the end of the night, ALL the ladies wanted him to join their clubs. No one asked me to join. LOL!!! He still loves that.

It was a fun night. I'm glad I was able to be part of it! :)

My Dashing Dish Experiment

If you've been reading here very long at all, you know I am a HUGE fan of The Dashing Dish website. I discovered it via Pinterest back when I was still working in radio, and Lynne and I even interviewed Katie Farrell, the genius behind the site, a couple of times!


When I saw that Katie was going to start publishing her own personal menu plans each week, I got really excited, because I had sort of hit a slump in my own meal planning. Katie's household is much like ours: two adults. (She just had a baby, but she's not old enough to eat solids yet.) I decided to follow the first week's meal plan and see how it went! Thought I would report in today on all the recipes I tried. This list is long, because it includes breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks! (Don't worry! I'm not going to do this every week. I just thought it might show you how great her work is!)

(Note: The Dashing Dish site has some recipes that are open to anyone and some that are open to members only. Membership is extremely affordable, and I find it 100% worth the monthly fee. I think we've been members about three or four years. Hopefully you can see from the list below that there were MANY keepers!)


1. Moist Pumpkin Protein Blender Muffins - This member-only recipe makes 12 servings, which is the perfect amount to eat and freeze for later. Because I thought they looked a little plain, I chopped a few pecans for the top of each one.  Verdict: These are not super sweet, but they are extremely flavorful with fall spices. They are definitely moist, and are delicious when eaten warm! Though this wasn't my favorite pumpkin recipe of the week, Ryan and I both called this one pretty good!

2. Clean Eating Frosty - This open recipe makes one serving and would have come together very quickly, except I made a rookie mistake and froze the banana IN THE PEEL, so it took a while to chip that bad boy out of there. (I actually hate bananas, so I never eat them and therefore didn't think of simple things like taking it out of the peel before putting it in the freezer.) Verdict: I am a huge Frosty fan and have long been skeptical of these clean eating versions I see on Pinterest that use a banana. I could taste the banana (some), but I have to confess, this really did taste more like a true Frosty than I would have imagined. Ryan didn't try this, but I called it pretty good!

3. Banana Bread Breakfast Cookies - This member-only recipe was very quick to assemble. I used a 1/4 cup measuring cup to dip the dough, and if I heaped it, that gave me exactly 8 servings. I used mini chocolate chips to spread the love farther than regular sized chips. I also used crunchy peanut butter, because it's what I had in the cabinet. (I liked the extra crunch.) Verdict: I was nervous about this one because I don't like bananas, but I could barely taste them. It was more like a soft, giant peanut butter/oatmeal cookie. We ate these warmed up sometimes and on the run sometimes, and we both called it a definite, definite keeper.

4. Grilled Mediterranean Chopped Salad - This member-only recipe took a little planning ahead, because the meat needed to marinate. The veggies for the salad were easy to chop and toss while the meat grilled, and I used our little indoor grill for that. Ryan and I had never eaten chickpeas before, and while we agreed we were unlikely to pop open a can and munch, we didn't mind them buried in the salad. (This makes 4 servings, so we had lunch + leftovers! YAY!) Verdict: This was SO FLAVORFUL, and Ryan said he especially loved the dressing. He said it was better than Ranch! We both called it a a definite, definite keeper.

5. Pumpkin Cream Cheese Swirl Muffins - This member-only recipe was not pretty when I made it, but it sure was delicious! My cream cheese mixture was runny, so my swirling looked more like frosting, but it didn't negatively impact the taste! I did have about a quarter cup too much cream cheese per 12-muffin ratio, but I decided to put it in a cup and save it, in case the non-calorie-counting Ryan wanted a little extra "icing" on his muffins. We ate some and froze some for later. Verdict: These are especially delicious warm out of the oven. They taste like a pumpkin roll with icing. Ryan agrees with me: a definite, definite keeper.

6. No Bake Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Protein Balls - This member-only recipe provided my first time to cook with coconut flour! I put in a little less water than the recipe called for, because Katie said to only add water until the dough held together. Because the dough was still sticky, I used my small cookie dough ball maker (with a spring in the handle) and it made 10 perfectly even servings. Verdict: These really did taste like peanut butter cookie dough with a slight coconut taste. My only complaint (texture issue girl) was that it didn't have anything to give it crunch, so it was very smooth. Still, Ryan and I both called it pretty good.

7. Clean Eating Zucchini Enchiladas - This member-only recipe was an utter presentation fail for me. I was supposed to thinly slice the zucchini in strips, but I don't own a vegetable peeler (who knew??) and I couldn't cut it appropriately with a knife. Therefore, the strips wouldn't roll up like an enchilada. So mine turned out to be enchilada lasagna - layered instead of rolled. The taste was the same, though! Verdict: We both liked the flavor, and if I could make my lasagna version again, I would probably make this again. The whole rolling thing will probably always be too much of a hassle for my attention span and skills. Flavorful, but probably my least favorite of the week.

8. Pumpkin Spice Protein Pancakes - This open recipe surprised me by cooking up nice and fluffy and not tasting like a "diet" food. It had nice spice flavor to it, and the only odd thing was that each serving was supposed to include 4 pancakes, and there were supposed to be 3 servings from this recipe. I used a quarter cup of batter for each one, just like she said, and I only got 2 servings of 3 pancakes each. (According to the comments, this is a common issue.) Verdict: We both thought they were very, very tasty! A definite, definite keeper.

9. Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Protein Shake - This open recipe didn't have quite as strong of a peanut butter flavor to it as I thought it might, but I did use PB2 flour rather than actual peanut butter, so that might have been why. The chocolate/peanut butter flavor was still there, though, and it was a great morning snack. Ryan didn't have this single serving sample, but I called it a keeper.

10. Twice Baked Spaghetti Squash - This member-only recipe was on the meal plan list as a snack, which was interesting, because it didn't strike me as a snack food. But it was delicious and filling! This was my first time to cook with spaghetti squash, and while I had been skeptical, it turned out tasty and not weird in texture. One squash makes two servings (each half is a serving) and as a meal, I think I could have eaten the half. As a snack, though, half-of-a-half filled me up. It really did taste like a nice cheesy pasta dish! Ryan agreed, and we named it a keeper.

11. 20 Minute Chicken Fajita Cauliflower Rice Bowls - This member only recipe was so pretty! I chose to use red, yellow, and orange peppers, and when combined with the chicken and the cauliflower, it was so pretty! It didn't take terribly long to make, and I purchased the frozen riced cauliflower, so I didn't have to mess with prepping that. (SO WORTH IT for me.) Her recipe calls for four bags of the cauliflower - one per serving. I only used two (because of $$) and split them. Servings were still PLENTY big. Ryan and I called this a definite, definite keeper.

12. Pumpkin Protein Waffles - This member-only recipe was a double experiment for me, because not only was it new, but so was my waffle maker! That put a bit of a learning curve on it! I loved mixing up the ingredients in the blender (so fast!) and although my first waffles were a bit shriveled, the next ones were much better. Her recipe says it makes two waffles, and a serving is one waffle. My maker creates four smaller rectangle waffles and I got five out of this recipe. So I ate two and kept the other three for leftovers a couple of days later! They're not crispy, but they are flavorful and filling! I called it a a definite, definite keeper. 

13. Clean Eating Spaghetti Squash Lasagna  - This member-only recipe was very intriguing to me. I loved it because you don't have to make multiple layers, which is my LEAST favorite part of making lasagna. The spaghetti squash serves as the pasta "crust," with a meat sauce layer in the middle and some cheese goodness on top. I assembled it on a Saturday night and baked it after we got home from church on Sunday. While spaghetti squash doesn't have the same texture as pasta, I still thought this was really good and filling. This actually makes a 9x13 so it has plenty for company and leftovers! (This was the only dish we got tired of eating because there was SO MUCH!) We both called it a keeper!

14. Cookie Dough Freezer Bites -  This member-only recipe was quick to make, but mine looked NOTHING like hers. Hers look like actual cookie dough and mine looked more like blondie no-bakes. They are definitely super sticky to work with, but it's fun to have a snack in the freezer to grab on the go. Neither of us thought my version tasted like cookie dough, but that didn't stop us from enjoying them! It hasn't been my favorite snack I've ever made, but it's worth making again, so it'll go as a pretty good.

15. French Toast Protein Shake - This open recipe was the only recipe off the first week's list that I had actually made before! I have to say it really does taste like French Toast in drink form. It's impressive! As a girl who generally thrives on chocolate in a shake, this is a bit of a deviation for me, but I do like it. (Is there such a thing as CHOCOLATE French Toast? Maybe I should try that...) I would make this again! It's a keeper. 

16. Grilled Balsamic Chicken and Vegetable Foil Packet - This member-only recipe nearly undid the Shaffer household. LOL!! I like balsamic and often use it as a salad dressing, but Ryan isn't as big of a fan. I thought using it as a cooked marinade would be less obvious, so I made it and eagerly served it. He took one sniff and said, "Does this have vinegar in it?" Womp, womp. I may or may not have cried. So it's not a win for him, but I thought it was good. I loved throwing all the veggies and the chicken in a foil packet to cook them. (I cooked mine in the oven, not on the grill.) It cooked perfectly! It made four servings, and Ryan couldn't eat more than the one he tried to be nice, so I had to finish the others. We called this a no-keep, but it's a good recipe. 

17. Bell Pepper Nachos - This redeemed my cooking fiasco of #16! The member-only recipe uses mini bell peppers as chips for nachos! I was skeptical, because I'm one of those girls who says, "Don't give me a vegetable and pretend it's a chip!" And it's not! But it was tasty, and truthfully, I didn't miss the chips. This was my first time to use the little mini-peppers, and I liked them! They weren't as bitter as regular peppers can be, and that helped! Ryan really liked this one. (It made four servings and he ate three of them.) This would be a great football or party food for those trying to watch the old health-factor! It's a definite, definite keeper! 

18. S'mores Mug Cake - I confess, I did not have high hopes AT ALL for this member-only recipe. I've tried mug cake recipes before and they always taste like bland, soggy messes to me. But I was determined to try EVERY RECIPE on this list, so I made it. I used the almond flour version instead of the oat flour version, and I used Greek yogurt instead of applesauce. I think those two choices ended up making this a success. I was amazed. It actually had the consistency of a cake and was flavorful! I've never seen anything like it. Ryan wasn't home when I made this, and it's just a serving for one, but I was one happy girl! A definite, definite keeper! 

19. Fresh, Sugar Free Strawberry Jam - Confession (again): I have never made jam or jelly of any kind before. My mom always made delicious jelly, but I know such things are full of sugar! I was excited to try this open  recipe. The hardest part was finding the pectin in the store (never bought it before) but assembling this was SO easy. This was not actually a recipe that was listed as part of the week's plan, but the next recipe (English muffins) needed an accessory so I made this. A definite, definite keeper.

20. 2 Minute Microwave English Muffins - This open recipe made me a little nervous (like the mug cake)! I don't really eat a lot of English muffins, and I wasn't sure about this. I cooked mine spread out on a dinner plate and it spread pretty thin, so next time I would use a smaller dish with sides to make the muffin thicker. Toasting definitely made this recipe great. We don't keep bread on hand anymore, and sometimes I miss toast! This is a great toast alternative! I say keeper! 

Overall Thoughts:

* Loved having my meal planning done for me! That saved time! 

* To eat with healthy intentions takes a little additional preparation. I had to look ahead and see what needed to be marinated, chopped, etc. 

* I am proud of myself for trying new ingredients: chickpeas, spaghetti squash, coconut flour, etc.

* This experiment forced me to try making dishes I might not have otherwise tried, and it resulted in several new favorites for both of us!  

The Shafferland Shuffle

A couple of pretty tired Shaffers are shuffling your way today! Looking forward to our day of rest for sure!

* Last Sunday afternoon, we crashed on the couch for the Colts game, and then after we narrowly escaped with THAT win, we went for a walk. It was such a pretty day! (And it's possible I had failed to reach 10,000 steps the day before, so I had to do it then instead!) It was a pretty low key day for us. Grocery list making may have been as strenuous as it got!

* I had a fun little treat on Monday. Two of my college roommates and I met up for lunch down in Noblesville! We met at McAlister's (ummmmm if you haven't had the Savannah chopped salad there, HAVE IT!) and spent about three hours talking. I don't think the three of us had been together since 2010 when we had our class reunion. I think this meeting means I've seen all my college roomies this year except the one I lost track of and one of my suite-mates from my senior year!

* Tuesday was errand running day for me, and I feared I might lose the rest of this year of my life to the post office line. It isn't even Christmas yet and the lines are already nuts! We had Bible study at our house that night. Snacks, friends, and great learning together!

* We were SUPPOSED to have our pictures taken on Wednesday, but of course that was the day it rained. Sigh. My thoughts on that in the photo below. Instead, we went grocery shopping and drove to see some birthday signs for my dad (his big 85th was Wednesday and someone had made yard signs for him)! AND we found another winner recipe that day. They don't look so pretty here, but they were nachos with mini bell peppers as the chips!

* Thursday I worked at school and stopped at another grocery store on the way home to pick up a few more things. I had to wait in checkout forever. Broccoli and candy bars: the struggle is real. I managed to leave with ONLY the broccoli. That night we went to see Phoebe and her people. Pheebs was so excited to see her! Much running and leaping when we showed up!

* Friday morning, I went to pick up cake to take to some friends of ours. They'd invited us for dinner and I wanted to take a hostess gift. Then I wanted to eat the hostess gift I bought. LOL!! While cooking lunch, I burned two fingers on my hand. Lavender oil and healing balm for the win! (And an ice pack from Ryan's work.) We were home all evening and Ryan worked on his latest painting project while I did some writing.

* Yesterday is a blog post (or two) on its own, but let's just say it was a really fun day! We'd had it planned for weeks! The T date! We went to Fort Wayne for the day, and your sneak peek is that it was filled with food trucks, tiny houses, and dinner with friends! Loved it!

The Saturday Six

One.

Listen here

You might remember that earlier this summer, I went to a writing and speaking conference in Michigan. My friend Sarah Forgrave was the one who invited me to go, was kind enough to let me carpool with her, and was one of my roommates! I'm excited to celebrate with her at the release of her brand new book, Prayers for Hope and Healing. (I shared my review of it a couple of weeks ago on the Saturday 6.) This week, Sarah spent about a half hour talking with me about the book and how it can help those who are facing illness or injury and those walking alongside people with health battles. Hope you enjoy our conversation!

Two.

 Last week my dad gave me his olllllllllllllld typewriter. I'm using it for some decor in our house, and I'm completely smitten with its vintage look. I was hunting on Pinterest for staging ideas, and I stumbled upon this vintage-inspired keypad for current devices. The article is from this past spring, and it says it was going into Kickstarter mode, and when I checked for an update, it looks like they're doing pre-orders for a new round. Just sayin'...

Three.

Wanted to share with you an article of mine that was featured on the Annesley site a few days ago. If you're not entirely a lover of change, this is for you! (Also...shout out to you, Lois! You  make a cameo!) 

Four.

My friend Marie sent this to me and said it had my name written all over it. I got a little nervous when I saw that the title was "I judge in church," but WATCH THE THING. (It's short.) "I don't want to move to the middle." YES! YES YES YES!!!! 

Five.

I thought I would leave you with a funny for the week (before I let you see a new book for your reading stack)! I haven't mentioned it for a while, but I think most of you know I take a couple kids to school every day. One day this week I picked them up right after my workout, so I had my gross clothes on and my hair was in a semi-messy ponytail. The five year old got in the car, touched my ponytail and said, "BEKAH! Your hair is so soft! It's as soft as your other hair!" (ha ha ha! I must switch them out without even knowing!)

Six.

Source

I read Irene Hannon's brand new release, Dangerous Illusions, several weeks ago in preparation for podcast interview, and I just realized that in my intent to hang onto my review until the book had officially released, I forgot to post it at all! If all goes as planned, I'll be talking with Irene next week and sharing that podcast on next week's Saturday Six, so if you like fiction, come back for that!

I first read Irene Hannon as a small-town-romance-book author and still adore her in that genre. But she is also a gifted suspense writer, and Dangerous Illusions falls into that category. This book actually kicks off a brand new series called Code of Honor, and it's a nail-biter all the way through to the end.

To say that Trish Bailey's life is full is an understatement. Teaching school takes up more than the classroom hours. Lesson plans and late evenings add up quickly, and it seems whenever she's not working, she's caring for her ailing mother. But when Trish comes home one night to find her mother dead in their home, she realizes some eyes are on her as the culprit.

Detective Colin Flynn isn't convinced Trish is behind the mysterious death of her mother, but he also can't deny the odd facts before him, which certainly don't put her in a positive light. He's also not fond of Matt, the Bailey family's accountant who seems to be semi-dating Trish. But when Trish's own life becomes endangered, Colin realizes he's more than just intrigued as a detective. He has real feelings for the troubled, grieving teacher.

Like I said, I've read Irene's suspense before, so I knew this would be a twisting, turning book, but it went beyond the norm! The twists had twists, and that's what caused me to forget breathing for a while. And yet woven into the suspense is a clear and gentle faith, which I always appreciate from Irene's writing. She doesn't hide from the reality of our world's depravity, but she also doesn't hide the reality of God's grace.

Faith, romance, relationships, suspense, intrigue...there's a little bit of all of it within these pages! The nail-biting took me clear to the final page. I'm excited to read book two whenever it releases! (Tomorrow? Can it be tomorrow?)






** I received an advanced copy of this book from Revell; all opinions are my own! **