Pioneer Woman Wanna Be

I am totally addicted to the Pioneer Woman's website. It could be that she is livin' a life I would LOVE to live, or maybe it is the kitchen she has to create killer recipes, or maybe it is because she gets to live in wide open spaces with country & cattle surrounding her, or maybe seeing her whole family horse back together working cattle, or that her man gets to work in wranglers everyday! Heck, just pick a reason, it doesn't matter. She is the reason I have to repent of coveting on a regular basis! Anytime I need to cook something now, I consult Pioneer Woman to see if she has done it, before I look anywhere else. I consult her first because, I know she has tried & perfected what she puts on her website. Secondly, she makes it "idiot-proof" with pictures. There is nothin' like someone holdin' your hand through a new recipe. Her photos offer a sense of security through uncharted recipes! Which brings me to the most fabulous cinnamon rolls ever.....according to me. My girlfriend needed cinnamon rolls for the teachers & parents for the first day of school. I knew exactly what to do, Pioneer Woman here I come. As I cooked I got so engrossed in my imitation of her that I even had to take pictures (on my point & shoot camera). She would've been proud! They say imitation is a form of flattery, so there you have it!

I am a Pioneer Woman Wanna Be!

I wonder if they have a support group for this addiction!

Whatcha' Cookin' Now Pizzaman

Adventures in Pizza continue in our home

Luke is Papa's Sous-Chef, 2nd in command of the pizza kitchen!

This particular pizza is a buffalo wing pizza.

Aaron made everything from scratch!

Here it is!

There it went....into our bellies. Along with some help from thankful neighbors, who we called, due to the fact that Derek LOVES wings!

Our Pizza Man has done it again!

I know it is Sunday and we usually have pizza on Friday nights but it all started with Mama trying to empty out the fridge. This sometimes is like a "Give a Mouse a Cookie" experience. But what ended up happening was Aaron making a fabulous new pizzas for us. We had come across Mary's Pizza Shack up north on our vacation and fell in love with the Roberto's Pizza.

Roberto’s Pizza
Pesto, pepperoni, mozzarella, fresh garlic, red
pepper flakes and olive oil, topped with
Napoletana sauce and fresh basil.

We knew we were going to figure out how to do this one at home. Thanks to my inquisitive man who asked the owner several questions as he watched him prepare this pizza, we have made our own. We made some changes of our own which made for a fabulous pizza. The entire pizza was consumed that evening, thanks to the help of the Cobbs & Bradleys (fellow pizza lovers).

I believe the word of the night was glutton!

More pizza adventures from the Abshire Pizzeria coming soon!

Random Mayness

There were a couple things I don't want to forget, so since my blog serves as an electronic scrapbook, I want to record these memories. These are random but yet important to me. My poor brain forgets so many things that I think, "I won't ever forget that!" Silly woman, I know, hence the blog!

• Abbie loves to read. I love watching Abbie read! Probably because I am a reader and find such enjoyment in reading. I hoped my children would enjoy it too. So I caught this picture of her that I thought I'd keep in my mind's eye, but we have already established that that is not a reliable source for me. So here is Abbie reading a difficult but true story to our wonderful dog Bentley.

• Luke loves to be read too. My girlfriend got him these great Little Einstein books that he loves to flip up the tabs. I caught him in my chair reading them today WITHOUT me! Silly boy! But faithful Bentley shows up for all the good stories.

• More May Randomness, some friends of our traveled up north to celebrate their anniversary. When my girlfriend came home, she came bearing gifts. We had watched their puppy, Cupcake. This koala made of sourdough was one of the thoughtful and yummy gifts. I never thought a koala could taste so good. I have had parts of this bear the past several days for breakfast, with the best freezer jam I ever made! :)
  
• Today I worried my poor husband as I came down our bedroom stairs behind him. I was holding on to the banister and going very slowly. He turned and asked if I was okay. I said I would be if my calves would work! On Monday our aerobic teacher decided to change up things! Ouch! My body has been sore this week. I beleive the "burpies" put my calves over the edge. I have been moving better once the blood & coffee started flowing. I won't complain about the workouts since I am comsuming that great tasting koala bear.
• BUT it was what my friend shared with me after exercise that just blessed me. She was so excited about all that God was showing & teaching her. I really thought she might burst as she shared things with me. She is experiencing God's grace & love like she never has. She has been "set free" to live in this scandalous freedom that Jesus has given us. John 8:32 - "you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." It was fabulous to listen to her. I know what she is talking about! I have been there. Once you have been set free, you will never want to go back. As we were parting ways I told her, "You look great in freedom!" Thank you Jesus ~ You are so gracious! I pray He continues to workout this thing inside me though it may hurt. I want only Him.

Jammin' is good for the soul

Yesterday was a true blessing to me. I got to spend the day with a dear friend, doing one of my favorite things. We made strawberry freezer jam, from fresh, local strawberries. A day of busy hands, open hearts, and pure joy. We each did certain jobs and things went so fast & smooth. We got to share with each other what God is doing & teaching us both. It was a precious time for us.

Upon tasting the jam this morning on my toast, I believe it is the best jam I have ever made. Maybe it was all the love that was poured out of it!

It is yummy!

Psalm 34:8

Taste and see that the Lord is good. Blessed is the person who takes refuge in him.