My Strange Addiction

I'm a light-gamer. At least that's what I call myself. Will I sit with an Xbox and talk to people in a headset? No. Will I binge play every Nancy Drew game as soon as it comes out? Yes.

I like to go back to the computer games I loved as a kid. You know, Oregon Trail, Sims, that sort of thing. Well one of my favorites was Roller Coaster Tycoon. LOVED. IT.

Guess what? It's an app for your ipad now!! So I've slowly been building coasters and a phenomenal park. Coach makes fun of me because I check it every morning and evening, but hey, I have to or else I'll end up spending money on in-app purchases!

So that's where I'm at. Binge playing a game from my childhood as if I were still 12 years old. Cause that's what every 27 year old secretly wants to do :)

Valentines 2015

I have no pictures. Failing at that resolution so far!

We kept Valentines pretty low-key this year. It isn't a top holiday for either of us and fighting the crowds for a night of prescribed romance just isn't our cup of tea.

This year the holiday fell on the same weekend as parent/teacher conferences AND President's day. That meant we had a 4 day weekend!!! Whoopee!!

Saturday rolled around and decided to just pal around together. We went out and got Coach some fancy new running shoes. He's training for a half marathon and it was time to buy into the program. Literally, lol. The shoe shop was right down the street from a Kansas City staple- Andre's! So he got fancy running shoes and I got fancy chocolates.

We swung by Macy's to pick up a cast iron pan then headed home for our own gourmet dinner. Coach really knocked it out of the park with delightful bacon-wrapped filets cooked perfectly in the new pan. I pitched in with chedder gratin potatoes and salad :). Then we settled in with some glasses of red wine and our DVR.

Not an exciting holiday by many's standards but it was perfect for us. It's not often we both have time off to just run around time together so it's enjoyable when it happens. One of my favorite things about having found "the One" is just having a partner to ride along with me,

Orlando Day 2

Our package with Universal included early admission to the park and 2 breakfasts in the park. Our first breakfast was for the Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade. That's on the Islands of Adventure side of the park.

We got up bright and early, donned our Harry Potter themed tanks and headed to the park gates.
We stopped for a few pictures along the way :)

We arrived to Hogsmeade and oh my land- it was all so real! We walked right on to the front row of the blue coaster for Dragon Challenge. Then got off to go immediately back onto the front row of the red coaster. I love riding coasters, so knocking 2 out in our first 15 minutes in the park really set the tone for the day :)

We then got in line for Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. It's a super high-tech dark ride that's known world-ride for what the Universal creative team accomplished. It was amazing. It's not your traditional coaster so even the non-coaster-lovers in our group happily rode.

That's me covering my eyes at a scary part. I tried to last through it every time but just couldn't. All I can say is that spiders were involved and this girl doesn't do spiders!

By then it was time for our breakfast reservation but we hopped onto Flight of the Hippogriff first. It's a mini coaster- just a lap bar deal. But for true HP fans, you have to ride it to get the best view of the Hippogriff and Hagrid's cottage.

The breakfast was delicious! We weren't sure what to expect of the theme-park quick service but it was delightful!

We explored Hogsmeade a bit more- the girls bought their wands and we tried out the interactive spell spots. Turns out we are NOT naturals. Haha!

Honeydukes!

We would have ridden the Hogwarts Express to Diagon Alley (aka Universal Studios) but it was down at the moment. So we explored more of IoA first.

We rode the Hulk (love that coaster!!), posed with Thor, and wandered through Seussland and Toon Lagoon.

We grabbed a fast lunch in the cafe right by the Hulk and continued exploring.

We got to Universal Studios and explored some before making Twister our first ride. As far as rides go, it's definitely one for the chopping block. I totally get why it was awesome when it first opened but the technology needs to be updated. Rumor is that's exactly what's going to happen it so I am glad we rode before it's gone forever. I'm also a huge Twister fan and used to play storm-chasers with my sisters on our bikes. So you know, nerd alert.

We wandered up to Diagon Alley and while the detail is just as exquisite we were not AS impressed. The crowds our weekend were some of the slowest of the year yet Diagon Alley was PACKED. It's a tighter space just by nature of design so it feels crowded a lot sooner. It's also obviously the most popular part of that park so every.one. is there.

Your public entrance to the Ministry of Magic!

Weasley's shop

We waited (for the first and only time that day) to ride Escape from Gringotts. It was ok. After the Forbidden Journey it was much less exciting and then our ride had a small glitch that kind of ruined the mood at the end. Plus we went back row at the asinine suggestion of a ride attendant. We decided to give it another try later but moved on pretty quickly (though the queue area was phenomenal).

Wave your wand right and the poor folks under the umbrella will get quite wet!

Then we explored more of the park: Rode the Transformers, Simpsons, and Men in Black rides. We grabbed dinner at a quick service restaurant there (Mel's Drive-In, yummy cheese fries!). We wandered and meandered for a bit to kill time since we wanted to see Universal's evening show. Finally Kari and I decided to just bite the bullet and do it. We rode the Rip-Ride-Rocket.

Lawsy- that coaster was hands down one of the most fun I've ever ridden. You pick a song to listen to while you ride. She and I chose to have the same song and selected Beastie Boy's Sabotage. So basically we're careening through the night with laser lights flashing on our car and track while jamming out to Beastie Boys. Want to feel like a badass? Do that!

We settled onto a park bench for the anniversary lights, water, and fireworks show. It was totally cool and amazing what they could do with their fancy special effects. All the lights in the park are dimmed so you can see the film montage played on screens of running water. The fountains in the lagoon are lit and synchronized to the soundtrack and fireworks go off at the climatic moments. Definitely worth hanging around for!

So to sum up day 2: we explored every inch of both parks, walked over 10 miles, rode almost every major ride, and were thoroughly impressed. And sore. Just a teensy bit sore. :)

Time to Talk About Jesus

I don't do it often, I have fairly personal reasons, but I just don't talk about Jesus on this forum very often. This is a long post but I didn't believe it should be broken up. So read until you're bored but be prepared that there is much.

Here's the thing, I was raised in the church. As literally as you can get. I was raised by sweet, sweet Southern Baptist parents. The comedian Mark Lowry (cause of course we watched all of his- and the Gaither- specials growing up!) once said his mama took him to church any time the doors were open. That was us. Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday night. Add to that, I went to private Christian elementary school. That meant chapel on Wednesdays (4 church services a week) and Bible as a CLASS every day. This wasn't Bible study in the sense of "find the spirit." This was know the stories and words of the Bible inside and out and it will show up on your report card.

My parents, though Baptist, were very balanced. They taught us tolerance and grace in their own unique way. We did Lent and celebrated Easter with a Seder. We announced the coming and going of Hanukkah and read the Christmas story every Christmas morning before opening gifts. They taught us to love and embrace our faith by teaching us to appreciate all the history and forms of it. It's awesome.

A fellow blogger recently wrote of her convictions. I'm still not entirely sure how public her blog is (it's gone in and out of the public eye some as their lives have reached different stages) or else I would link to it here. She was basically writing though on her Christian convictions in regards to consumerism. I had recently been exploring my own convictions as Lent was upon us. She and her family have been called to serve in a very unique and hands-on way. Her convictions are going to be different than mine. I have never been comfortable sharing my faith in the way that she does (or even did back in the youth group days). It took me a long time to discover why and then to embrace the way God has led me.

Here's the thing guys. I'm a logical, intelligent person who understands that faith is regularly illogical. My science and religion honors course though taught me how to equalize these tugs on my heart and intellect. Intellect is a malleable and varied thing. Everyone shows their intellect differently and in different levels. Our intellect is what processes everything that is input into our minds including religious teachings. That means we all interpret these teachings differently. Because we're all individuals and no two personal faiths are identical.

I think her convictions have a lot of meaning to her as she's actively serving as a missionary in a 3rd world country. Her mission field is different from mine.

When I read the stories, when I learned the Bible, the thing that struck me most about Jesus was how he was just a nice guy. He didn't often lose his temper, he RARELY critiqued those of different faiths. He was in fact most critical of those within his own faith. Jesus was kind. He loved everyone, he helped them out when he could, and ultimately that meant dying for all of us. He's a good guy. That's my personal take-away. Others focus on his generosity, some focus on his teachings, some on his sacrifices. We are all struck by it differently because we are individuals.

I talk most about my faith to my mother still. Maybe that will change as my marriage deepens (as I highly suspect it will), but for now that's the situation. She and I often talk of our mission field and how we can show our faith.

My mission field is my work. I'm a teacher. I'm a teacher in a hard district. I don't know how long I'll stay and I don't know where my long-term career is going. But you know what? God placed me there. These kids need a love and acceptance in a way many won't give. They need a person to trust, who'll tell them like it is, but let them hang with her anyway. If you want the Bible analogy, they are the Mary Magdalene at my well. Outsiders to many but totally cool with me. I'm not Jesus, obviously, but isn't it my job as His follower to emulate him?

My mom actually found my life verse (naturally). She saw it on a piece of wall art and gifted it to me. It's hung in my closet ever since, where I see it every day. II John 1:6. The sign says simply: Walk in Love.  My favorite Bible (the Max Lucado devotional Bible) translates it fully as: "And love means living the way God commanded us to live. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is this: Live a life of love."

How has God commanded you to live? Has He commanded you to live in a different country? Has He commanded you to work actively in your church? Has He commanded you to show patience to children who haven't seen it before? God needs His soldiers in all areas of the field. He needs them everywhere. Satan wants you to feel guilty. That you aren't doing enough. He wants you to feel inadequate and inept. He wants you to feel unable and unworthy. God doesn't wish those things upon you. My belief is true and consistent, He wants us to live as we saw Him and He wants us to show love.

This isn't meant to justify. We all have our mission field and we need to work in it. Sometimes God nudges us into an unfamiliar territory for a reason but He will always place us where we can do our most good. Are you able to live a life of Christian example where you are? Are you able to live a life of love? If so, then you're probably where He wants you and you need to embrace it, work with it, and run with it. Don't second guess where God has led you in life, instead take everything He has given you and put it to use. Christian witness and love is needed on every level, in every setting, in every corner of the world. Maybe you don't see it now but His work will be known in time as long as you stay true to Him.

I Bowled a 46 and STILL Wasn't the Worst in the Room (And also our first night in Orlando)

So we had traveled to Orlando, checked out our room, and were ready to wind down. We decided to check out the bowling alley at our resort. We figured to grab some snacks, drinks, and relax. We were put in a lane next to some way-out-of-towners. Like from another country. Which is TOTALLY cool.....except.....they didn't know how to bowl.

First they were really confused why we were there, basically they thought our lane space was their lane space but we got that all sorted out. Then we started bowling. They still weren't. We realized they were watching, and debating, and figuring out the technology. Those bowling screens are pretty high tech these days.

Then it started. We just couldn't. I mean we COULDN'T let this go undocumented. I've never seen this before. My sister who dated a bowler (and thus spent a lot of time at the bowling alley) had never seen this before.

Needless to say, a couple of drinks, couple of nacho platters (don't judge) later, we were thoroughly amused and in good spirits.

More on the rest of our Orlando trip later, for now, this.

Extra Crispy Pork Chops

This recipe is one of our favorite ways to make pork chops. I love beef, I don't love chicken. Pork is the healthy alternative for our household.

Overall I think the pork chop gets overlooked. Everyone thinks of bacon and sausage when they think pork. A think chop is really one of my favorite cuts of meat to prepare though. It's very versatile, lean, and super easy. Plus- today's pork market is ultra safe. The risk of trichinosis only exists in free-range meats so your standard butcher-counter chop can safely be cooked to medium. No dried out meat!!

This recipe is an adaptation of an adaptation of the America's Best recipe (you need to be a subscriber to read the recipe). I like America's Best but often times the super-precise recipes aren't the most practical for everyday cooking.

Start with 4 pork chops of equal thickness.

Line up 3 bowls: 1 with flour, 1 with the egg mix, 1 with the bread crumb mix. The egg mix is very, very thick but trust me. It works.

Dip the chop in the flour, then the egg, then the bread crumbs. You're baking the pork chops on a greased cooling rack over a baking sheet.

Bake at 425 for 17-25 minutes or until done. These stay super moist but they can get dry if you really over-bake them. Remember pork can have a tinge of pink in the middle and still be safe!

I made these with Parmesan garlic spaghetti squash, salad, and rolls. Yum! I traditionally serve them with the Parmesan crusted potatoes au gratin because the creamy sauce on the potatoes goes well with the crispy of the chop. The spaghetti sauce concoction was equally yummy though!

Extra Crispy Pork Chops:
4 pork chops of equal thickness (I like a 6 ounce chop but you can really use any cut you want, just mix more breading layers if you need more for more chops)
Bread Crumb Mix-
3 1/2 cup panko crumbs
1 tbsp dried chopped onion
1 tbsp garlic powder
2 tbsp grated Parmesan
1 tsp thyme
2 tbsp parsley
Egg Mix-
3 egg white
3 tbsp Dijon mustard
3 tbsp flour
Flour-
6 tbsp flour

Mix your dipping bowls thoroughly. Dip chops in flour, then egg, then bread crumbs. Make sure to coat the sides! Bake at 425 till done.

Parmesan Scalloped Spaghetti Squash

A friend of mine made my first spaghetti squash back in the fall. She brought a cheesy kale dish made with it and I loved it. Coach wasn't a fan but he thought it was the sauce.

So normally when I make our favorite ultra-crispy pork chops, I make Parmesan scalloped potatoes to go with it. This time I decided to change things up and use a spaghetti squash dish instead.

I basically made a sauce like from the potato dish and stirred it in with the squash and all the cheeses. Then I baked the whole thing to hot and bubbly.

Once again, phone pictures because that's all I have around when I think about pictures!

I sliced the squash in half and use a spoon to scrape out the seeds and loose gunk (pumpkin style). I placed the halves cut-side down in a baking dish with about an inch of water. Then I baked it at 350 for 45 minutes until the skin was blistering. Take it out of the oven and let it cool just enough to handle. Use a fork to scrape out the insides into spaghetti like strands. I placed the strands in a buttered glass baking dish.

 I'll be honest- I could stop here and just eat it with salt and pepper. I love this stuff. But I stuck with the plan and started a Parmesan sauce.

I stirred up a roux with equal parts butter and flour and about 2 cloves of minced garlic. I added milk and cream and whisked until the roux was all dissolved. I sprinkled in a liberal amount of thyme, Parmesan, a cracked black pepper. Picture of the roux was all I got for you (I was in a rush folks, dinner had to be ready by the time Coach came home!).

 I poured the sauce over the squash and stirred in more mozzarella and Parmesan. Then I sprinkled even more cheese on top and popped it back in the oven at 350. The squash holds on to the yellow color pretty strongly so it's not the white cheesiness that the potatoes have. Plus, you know, camera phone.

All in all, it was good. I took all the leftovers and just ate them for lunch. :) Coach tolerated it and ate a big helping but he still wasn't the hugest fan. It was improved, but still not ranking high up his list.

Let me know if you make it any better!!