Top Ten Tuesday: Guiltiest of Pleasures

This week's Top Ten Tuesday is your 

Guiltiest of Pleasures!

No matter how much you might be ashamed to share, 

you know that you're not going to stop enjoying them. 

I know it's a little bit late, I totally apologize, 

I've sort of fell off the face of the blogging planet, but I'm back!

1. Microwave popcorn. 

2. The Real Housewives of Orange County. 

(so stupid, so stupid, yet faithfully DVRed)

3. Thick-cut French Fries. 

4. Sleeping in. 

5. Any Seth Rogan movie. 

6. Bud Light Lime.

(Yep, I'm a really cheap date!)

7. A good police show. 

(Cops, Jail, Lock-up, I don't discriminate)

8. Skyburger, my favorite iPhone app. 

9. A juicy issue of People, Star, or Us Magazine.

10. A good chocolate chip cookie. Or two. Or three. 

Now it's your turn to share!

What are your ten guiltiest pleasures? 

Top Ten Tuesday: My Favorite Kitchen Tools

This week is a week of kitchen love! Many of my blogging friends love to cook and share amazing recipes... But it's the tools that make a kitchen of amazing value.

So this week it's time to share your favorite kitchen friends! 

1. My pink kitchenaid. Duh! 

2. My Food Network magazines. 

3. A good slow cooker. (Nothing beats a crock-pot on BUSY, BUSY days)

4. My J.A. Henckels knife block.

5. Hand lemon juicer. (My popsicle gave them to me)

6. My Built ny lunch box. 

Isn't it cute?

7. Pyrex pans with snap on plastic lids.

8. Spatulas. They are the all around perfect kitchen tool. 

9. My meat thermometer. 

Makes baking and grilling a no guessing kind of game. 

10. Pink sponges. 

They make cleaning a more joyful experience!

Drippy Drop, Drippy Drop

One of my all-time favorite worship songs is "Ancient Skies" by the Michael Gungor Band. I listen to worship and country while I'm running... This song seems to beg me to play it over and over. I always get caught thinking, repeating, meditating (and not in the ommmmmm kind of way) over the lyrics.

"You're amazing. Creation cries, so will I, You're amazing." 

As I listen to the sweet melody of the Michael Gungor Band, I can't help but think about all of the things in God's green earth that scream of His glory. In fact, while I'm running, I often think about the way my body is a wondrous tool He so perfectly created. The complexity of the human body is far beyond my capacity to comprehend, but I'm going to share the amazingly orchestrated process behind an uncontrollable bodily function: sweating. Yep, I'm writing a God blog about sweating.

Don't you wish your back looked this good?
I do too!

Have you ever considered all of the process behind the thin layer of water that covers your entire being when you're working out really hard? Me neither. Until Michael Gungor got me thinking. In order to sweat a person needs to raise their core temperature enough to set off the sensors in the thermosensitive neurons found in the preoptic and anterior regions of the hypothalamus. This little bundle of neurons then sends a signal to the sweat glands found all over the surface of the body, that it's time to drop the surface temperature in order to cool the core. Whoa. Yep, all that, just for the watery stuff that keeps you cool.

Now, I'm not going to end it there. You see, humans and horses are the only mammals with the capacity to sweat in extreme amounts. God made us special. We don't pant like dogs because our bodies air condition through water evaporation. And the actual contents of our sweat... That's a whole other kind of awesome.

Lactate, the chemical that makes muscles sore after a really tough workout, is excreted in our sweat. It's not just salt and water, it's chemicals that are not necessarily helpful in recovery from an intense workout.   Also, the composition of sweat acclimatizes... Yep, when you're sweating in the heat it emits a different "recipe" of sweat than in mild warmth or cold. It's complicated. And, not that you should skip sunscreen, but sweat has an anti-ultraviolet radiation protection component to it.

"For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can see his invisible qualities -His eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God." - Romans 1:20

Sweat isn't just a random function of the body. In fact, it's a perfectly orchestrated cooling mechanism God equipped our bodies with. Think on Him in all the little things that your body is constantly doing for you... Do you ever think about how to sweat, or make your heart beat, or to digest your favorite sweet treats? Nope, I didn't think so.

Take a moment to appreciate the amazing tool that God gave you in your body today. 

When you're pushing your body... Whether it be to chase that little one down at the park, or lift that last box into the new house, or with your trainer who hasn't an ounce of mercy, think about the gift He created so carefully, so well-thought out, just for you.

And finally, the topic for tomorrow's Top Ten Tuesday:
Favorite, Couldn't Cook Without, Kitchen Tools! 

Top Ten Tuesday #2: Summer Fun Edition

This week's Top Ten Tuesday asked for your top ten

favorite summer activities.

With all the summer weather in spring, this seemed so appropriate.

1. Watermelon galore.

2. Swimming in the pool to escape the heat.

3. Visiting the water park with my family.

4. The Temecula Fourth of July Parade

(I love everything about July 4th,

but there is something about being in the parade that makes the day magical!)

5. Tan lines.

6. Eating dinner outside on the shaded patio while the sun is still up.

7. Starbucks Venti Passion Teas.

8. Early, early morning runs to beat the heat followed by an afternoon nap.

9. Sandy, salty beach days.

(I love the shower afterwards equally as much!)

10. Hamburgers hot off the grill.

(you're going to be seeing LOTS of hamburger recipes this summer, I just LOVE them!)

What are you Top Ten Summer Favorites?

Feijoada (Brazilian Beef Stew) and Top Ten Tuesday Topic #2

In February, J's step-brother returned home from his two-year mission in a remote village in Brazil. A few weeks after his return he said that he really truly was going to miss the amazing food they made there. Like a sign from an all-knowing God, Cuisine at Home's February issue included a recipe for Feijoada (pronounced fay-ZHWAH-duh), or as we call in it English, Brazilian Beef Stew. I was nothing short of amazed with how delicious it was, and J couldn't have been happier with all the meat found in it. What a protein packed Latin delight!

 Without any further ado, here is the recipe!

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds of beef, cut into about 2 inch chunks (a lot of time you can find this pre-cut in the meet department)
• 1 pound kielbasa (or one package)
• 2 Tablespoons canola oil (veggie works, but it's not as healthy, remember?)
• 1/2 cup of orange juice
• 1 medium white onion, diced
• 4 cloves of minced garlic
• 1 can of diced tomatoes (14 ounces)
• 2 cans of black beans, drained and rinsed (it says to puree one, but I didn't and it was so tasty!)
• 1 Tablespoon chili powder
• 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
• Salt and pepper to season
• Rice (optional as an accompaniement)
• Jalepeno slices to garnish

Directions:

1. Season each side of the stew meat with salt and pepper.
2. Add the two Tablespoons of oil to a skillet over medium high heat.
3. Once the oil is hot brown the beef.
4. Transfer the beef to a paper towel-lined plate to soak up the excess oil.
5. Slice the keilbasa into 1/2 inch thick sections.
6. Brown the keilbasa and transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
7. One the meat is done browning, slowly whisk the orange juice into the skillet while scraping remnants off the bottom of the pan.
8. Combine the onions, garlic, tomatoes, beans, and chili powder in a slow cooker.
9. Add beef and kielbasa.
10. Add orange juice and pan juices mixture.
11. Stir the contents of the slow cooker and make sure the meat is coated.
12. Cover and cook on high for four hours or low for 6 hours.
13. Add vinegar when the cook time ends.
14. Add salt and pepper to taste if desired.
15. Cook rice as directed on the package and serve over or under the stew. (It's your choice here!)
16. Garnish with jalapeno slices for a little added flavor! (I did and loved it!)
17. Enjoy!

Simply Sweet Note: This will yeild extras, so enjoy again for lunch at work the next day (or two!).

And last, but NOT least, the Top Ten Tuesday topic for this week!

Things to do on a sunny day!

Since there's so much nice weather going on right now, let's channel summer in spring time!

I'll post the link up at midnight tonight (since it's technically Tuesday then!) and leave it open all day tomorrow!

Top Ten Tuesday: My Life Essentials

I know my list of things I couldn't live without is ridiculously longer than ten... But for the sake of Top Ten Tuesday I have to settle! Here goes nothing! Please enjoy!

1. A blanket. 

I sleep with my ears covered at night and without a blanket I wouldn't be able to cover my ears... Plus, I LOVE blankets and seriously have a half a dozen of them in my bed at a time. Yep, it drives J nuts and we aren't even sleeping in the same bed yet!

2. My NIV and Message Bible. 

Both translations are next to each other... It's amazing! If I read the NIV and don't get it (which happens more often than not, the Message is there to make it all clear... But I can still follow along easily at church when the pastor is reading from the NIV version!

3. Mascara. 

Yes, shallow. But of all beauty essentials, this is essential. Even J notices when I don't wear it. In fact, he always says, "Where's that black stuff that makes your eyes all big and pretty?"

4. A good run. 

I run for fun. But not just for fun. I run to clear my head and work out my heart. My best thinking happens along the roads my feet graze as I move through my neighborhood.

5. My family. 

Oh the joy this group of people brings me. If you haven't read enough already, you will soon realize they make my world go round... And for good reason!

6. A good read. 

I have been a bookworm from a very young age... In fact, it all started before I could read! I would go to bed with a pile of books just so I could go through all the pictures... To this day, I sleep with one or two books in my bed nightly. Guess you can't teach an old dog new tricks!

7. My iPhone. 

Not because I think iPhones make the world go round and are the best thing ever, but because I love my phone. I love having a phone that calls and texts and gets voicemails (and Twitter!). I truly love to be able to text my Mama Bird or J whenever I want and as frequently as I want (as much as they might get sick of me!) 

8. My computer. My new MacBook Pro. 

For my 22nd birthday-college graduation celebration, I got a new computer. But not just any new computer, I got my dream computer, a MacBook Pro! It really revolutionizes my blogging, photo editing, writing, cooking, working experience. I love being able to do all of the things that I love on the computer which can easily perform all that I need of it.

9. My blog. 

I write like a mad woman. But this sweet little spot is all mine and allows me to be held accountable for my words, for my thoughts, for my passion. I know people are expecting to see writing and I want to be dependable. Without you, my dear readers, this puppy wouldn't be working out the way it is. So essentially, number 9 is you.

10. Last, but definitely not least, my dear J. 

Literally I don't know what life would be like without him. He has been here through the darkest and brightest times in my long (okay, not so much) 22 years. He puts a smile on my face every morning and every night even when I'm sure it's impossible to get any ounce of joy out of me!

Top Ten Tuesdays

I have never really watched the David Letterman show, mainly because staying up that late is just impossible for me, but I love lists. I mean I love lists! I write a to do list every day, many versions of the same list with different things every day. I write lists for now, for later, for when, for then... I truly love the order that lists provide.

Not only do I seem to love lists, but I have found lots of blogging friends who love them as well... So I decided to start a little Tuesday Link Up for every week. (If it gets too overwhelming, I'll move it to every other week!) but on Sundays I will post what the theme of top ten list is going to be for the following week. Then on Tuesday I'll do a link up post that will include my list as well as links to all of yours!

Hope you're all as excited as me! I'm going to go ahead and give you the theme for this week since it's just a day early!

Our theme for the week: 

Your top ten life essentials

We all have different things that make life possible for us... But think of it like this, you are going to be dropped on a deserted island, what ten things would you bring? I know, ten seems like not so much with all the things you love; I'm having the same problem.