Egg & bacon muffins…while waiting.

As we do almost every night, Eugene began to read our devotional while we laid in bed last night. The lead verse was “Wait for the Lord.” Psalm 27:14, and at first I didn’t think it would have much application to my life lately. But, I was wrong, and as he read Charles Spurgeon’s words I began to apply more and more to how I’ve been feeling the past few weeks.

Isn’t it funny when God decides to just hit you hard over your head with something He wants you to hear. I love that. It’s always my wondrous thing when God makes things super obvious for me. I’m someone who tends to complicate things {I’m a details person, so if there aren’t lots of details, I’ll look to add them!}. So when God tells me straight up in any way -  through a verse, a phone call from a friend, an event in my day, etc  -  it is such a refresher & encouragement from Him. He knows exactly what we need to hear, and I’m so thankful for times like last night when He hits us over the head with it!

Anyway, to the point {sorry, I’m long-winded today!}, the devotion was on waiting. And as it went on, I realized that I’ve been feeling like I’m in a complete holding pattern lately. No need to go on about the details, but I just know waiting is a struggle of mine, and I find myself having to wait for things, people, events, opportunities, so often. I especially liked the parts in bold.

What should we do? Become exasperated in despair? Turn back in cowardice, go to the left or fight in fear, or rush forward in ignorance?

No, we should simply wait – but wait in prayer. We should call upon God and plead our case before Him, telling Him our difficulty and pleading His promise of help. When we are torn between one opportunity or another, it is best to be as humble as a child while waiting with simplicity of soul for the Lord. We can be confident all will go well with us when we recognize our own foolishness and are sincerely willing to be guided by the will of God.

We should wait – but wait in faith. We should express our unwavering confidence in him, for waiting without faith and trust is nothing but an insult to the Lord. We should believe that even if he keeps us waiting until midnight, He will still come at exactly the right time…

We should wait – but with quiet patience. We should not rebel…we should not complain…We should accept our situation as it is and simply place it with our entire heart – without any self-will – into the hands of our covenant God, saying:

Lord, “not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42). I don’t know what to do and am at my wits’ end. Nevertheless, I will wait until You divide the waters before me or drive back my foes. Even if I must wait many days, I will wait with “my heart…steadfast, O God” (Ps. 57:7), on You alone. My spirit waits for You with the full conviction taht You will still be my joy and “my salvation” (Ps. 27:1), “my refuge…[and my] strong tower” (Ps. 61:3)

This hasn’t been my all-time favorite devotional, but I really loved his clarity in this particular one. {Btw, the book is “Look Unto Me: the devotions of Charles Spurgeon” by Jim Reimann.}

Speaking of waiting, I’ve kept you waiting long enough for the recipe for last night’s dinner!

Bacon Egg Biscuit Cups

1 tube of refrigerator biscuits
5 eggs {makes 6 biscuit cups with egg – I used the 4 extra biscuits just to make normal biscuits for another day.}
splash of milk
5 or so slices of cooked bacon {I used turkey bacon}
salt & pepper
shredded cheddar cheese

 

First, preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Using some flour to keep things from sticking, I rolled out each biscuit about as thin as I could get it.

 

Next, {after greasing my muffin pan} I just placed the biscuits into their individual cups.

Then, place those in your oven & bake them for 3 or so minutes. Meanwhile, in a bowl, add your eggs, bacon, milk, salt & pepper.

 

I did five eggs because we only wanted six individual egg cups. {PS timesaver tip of the day – use your kitchen scissors to cut the bacon…super quick & much easier than using a knife!}

Beat the mixture using a fork.

After your biscuits have precooked slightly, pour in the egg mixture & don’t worry if it overflows outside the biscuit. {No biggie, just have something underneath in the oven to catch the excess egg.}

At this point, they bake for 12 or so minutes. While your waiting {see, waiting’s the theme today}, give your pup the empty milk jug for a little bit because it’s a favorite {and free} toy of his!

After 12 or so minutes they’ll look like this.

Now’s the time to add your cheese on top each cup. Put ‘em back in the oven for a few more minutes – until they look like the egg’s completely solid inside…unless you like runny eggs {no thanks!}

Ok, finally, waiting paid off. Carefully remove them from the muffin tin. I found it helpful to use a butter knife to go around the edges first to loosen them. If the middle still a bit runny, don’t worry, just throw ‘em in the microwave & zap ‘em for a few minutes. Problem solved.

I like my eggs with some ketchup on the side, so I did the same with these cute little cups.

They were pretty darn good. :) Also, pretty filling – we each only ate two biscuit cups. These also hold up well as leftovers, so you could freeze them if you wanted a quick breakfast to go on a busy morning. Just a thought!

So I wish you a happy brinner {breakfast for dinner} while you wait on the Lord with a steadfast heart. :)

At least our brains still got it.

Did we just have a weekend? Hmm, I don't think I stopped to notice. I worked until 5:00 Friday, then my dad & mom took Eugene & I out to dinner at the restaurant in the Elks Lodge/country club. I wasn’t real hungry, but the food was really good – all of it – but especially the chocolate cake at the end! Then I went straight back to work for a 1956 South High School Reunion {Friday & Saturday nights.}

Saturday, I put on my spandex…then covered them with baggy shorts…and headed to my alma matter to play some youngsters in volleyball. {I know I’m only 24, but my body is no longer in collegiate athlete shape, that’s for sure!}

When we got to the gym, we sneaked a peak in the locker room, only to find a scouting report on us oldies! Too funny!

Oh, and I had to snap a pic of my old locker…glory days for sure. Ha!

I also always enjoy seeing our banners listing off all our great wins & successful seasons. Final Four appearances for 3 straight years – Sophomore to Senior Seasons. Makes me proud. :)

It was so fun to play with my old teammates again. I’m really good at forgetting how much I love playing volleyball, just because I know I can’t play anymore, but it was oh so sweet to {try to} play again with my “Fab 5” again.

Our play was slightly really rough, but I like to think that we gave them decent competition, and if anything, lots of confidence! ;) I will say that our brains definitely still got it…just a little slow on the body following!

 

Always lots of love to my old & new Tiger Volleyball teammates. I’ll be cheering them on this season & wish them tons of luck & wins!

Straight from there, I drug my poor tired legs back to work. Oh so sore! Seriously, it amazes me that volleyball can work every single tiny muscle in my body! {Even laughing hurts!}

Sunday was church, and then I took the pup to the dog park while Eugene did some lesson planning. Eugene met a rather large friend…

 

…a massive Great Dane named Chewbacca. The rest of the Sunday was filled with open houses, headaches, and bed early. {I know, we’re so exciting.}

This weekend’s wondrous thing was definitely playing volleyball with my old teammates. Loved it {so much.}

My first trip to The Original Crabill’s.

Eugene’s always raved about this tiny hamburger joint in Urbana {about 20 minutes from where we live} where they serve up the greasiest, best sliders EVER.

For years I’ve heard about this place, and I’ve never had the desire to try it. {I’m not a big fan of greasy.} But yesterday evening, I had to go to Urbana for work so I asked if he’d like to go with me and stop at the infamous Crabill’s. To say the least, he was pumped.

Crabill’s has been in business for 85 years and is the tiniest restaurant I think I’ve ever been in. Once you walk in, the bar counter is literally 3 feet from the door and spans the entire restaurant {enough room for seven people to sit.} Right behind the bar/counter, the lady takes your order and tells the cook who is also working directly behind the counter, who then smashes some meatballs in three inches of pure boiling grease. They serve ‘em up with onion, relish, brown mustard, and ketchup, but only if you ask for the ketchup. I got one double cheeseburger, Eugene got four, and our bill came to 5 bucks even.

They then put our burgers straight into not one, but two brown bags to go {they’re so greasy that one brown bag  just isn’t enough!}

Despite the inevitable stomach ache that came after devouring this mess, I have to admit it was quite delish! And I’m glad I can finally share in with the legends of Crabill’s that Eugene always likes to tell. ;)

Oh, and my wondrous thing today came in a text from my brother-in-law, wishing me a happy Friday:

She just might be the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.

Okay, I’m convinced.

First, sorry if you’re super annoyed with dog posts. I have another one, so grin & bear it or just X out of the blog for today! ;)

After writing that post about how affectionate Espn is, I read about Red Setters/Irish Setters on wikipedia {always reliable facts} and I’m {slightly sad} to admit that I believe Espn is a Black Lab/Irish Setter mix. I don’t get to call him a Newfie anymore {tear}.

First, a picture of Espn:

Okay, so this isn’t really Espn, but doesn’t it look exactly like him?!  Event the tufts of hair on his rump match! This is a lab/setter mix {found here.}

Oh how about this guy:

Pretty darn close…just add some extra long hair to his ears.

Now to the facts {or at least Wikipedia statements}...

• The Red Setter often has patches of white on his face and chest as the Irish Setter of old did.
• {check} Espn has white on his chest
• Irish Setters get along well with children, other dogs, and any household pets, and will enthusiastically greet visitors.
• {check} posted about it a few days ago & he is a bit OVER-enthusiastic when he greets visitors, but he’s getting better.
• Irish Setters are an active breed, and require long, daily walks and off-lead running in wide, open spaces.
• {check} keeps me busy with two 20 minute walks a day & two more times outside playing – active indeed.
• They are, however, a breed with a tendency to 'play deaf,' so careful training on mastering the recall should be undertaken before allowing them off-lead.
• {check} this is annoyingly true! He practices selective hearing like it’s his job.
• Irish Setters enjoy having a job to do. Lack of activity will lead to a bored, destructive, or even hyperactive dog. This is not a breed that can be left alone in the backyard for long periods of time, nor should they be.
• {check} proof of this is the three corners of baseboard & walls in our living room that are nice and chewed since we left him alone a bit too long one day…lovely.
• As the FCI, ANKC and UK Standards state, the breed should be "Demonstrably affectionate." As a result, Irish Setters make excellent companion animals and family pets.
• {check} did ya see yesterday’s post?
• Irish Setters thrive on constant human companionship. Irish Setters respond swiftly to positive training and are highly intelligent. Irish Setters are people dogs that do require to be with their humans.
• {check} again, all about it on yesterday’s post

So this post is probably super boring to most & way too long, but I find it interesting to figure out what breed the pup is…and now I think I know. And just to note, Eugene’s been on the setter-not-newfie train for quite a while now {yes Eugene, you’re probably right…I admit it finally.}

Killer ab workout.

I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned it yet, but our pup is super touchy. Ever since he was a little puppy, he has always liked to be touching Eugene or me at all times – whether it’s laying his head on our feet as we watch TV, laying his head on my lap during dinner, or putting his paws on our shoes when we’re not sitting down. See what I mean? The picture below was just while I was sitting on the floor watching ESPN {the channel, not the dog…guess who had the remote.} This is normal for our pup – he’d sit like this for hours if I would let him.

I think maybe this trait came out of our trip home from picking him up the first time in from the humane society in Indiana. See, the pictures below - he even did it when he was a puppy…both were natural places Espn picked to lay.

So back to my hypothesis of why he likes to be touching us at all times. He rode the entire three hour trip home from the Humane Society on my lap, with me holding him tightly so he would stop shaking. Maybe he grew an instant desire to always be touching us from this car ride home. Regardless, it is so sweet that he’s affectionate, yet, in some situations it gets a bit annoying.

For instance…

…it makes for a killer ab workout! 

Seriously, every time {every stinkin’ time} I try to do crunches in our living room, the pup crawls up and lays on my stomach. If I keep doing abs in attempt to ignore him, he’ll crawl to where he’s completely laying on top of me, pinning me to the ground! Oh well – I used to do crunches with 25 lb plates on my chest for volleyball back in the day when I was in shape – guess he’s just trying to make me stronger!

P.S. how funny are his feet! The hair in between his paws always sticks up like a mess. :)

Silly dog.

Slow cooker pork tenderloin.

I made a pork tenderloin lunch this Sunday for Eugene, my friend Britney, and me. I’ve used a very similar recipe for beef in the crock pot, and it turned out just as well. It’s also pretty healthy {bonus.}

Pork Tenderloin in the Slow Cooker

1 2lb. pork tenderloin
1 envelope of dry onion soup mix
1 cup of water
1/2 cup white wine
3 tbs minced garlic {or some garlic powder}
salt & pepper
Italian Seasoning
Carrots
Celery
Broccoli

After trimming the fat off the the pork, I rubbed in the Italian Seasoning into the pork tenderloin.

Place the pork in the crock pot, surround it with your veggies, and empty the onion soup packet on everything.

Add your water & wine. Then cover & cook {I did mine for 4 hours on high & it worked out well…very tender.}

Eugene then sliced it up while I transferred the au jus & veggies into a serving dish. Place the sliced meat back into the juice.

I served it with mashed potatoes & green beans – delish.

A weekend for the dog.

Another jam-packed weekend for us. Go figure. We took Espn to Wiggley Field, the dog park down the road from us, to see if it would give him some exercise on Friday night. Mission accomplished! He sprinted all over, chasing this little brown dog for a good 45 minutes.

 

We ate some homemade sweet & sour chicken Chinese food that we used a packet of seasoning for…and let me tell you it was nasty! Eugene liked it, but I thought it tasted like ketchup gone bad on some chicken and rice. Ugh.

Saturday, we decided to go for a run to give the pup some exercise before my long evening of work. So we headed to the Reservoir since the rain from that morning had let up {so we thought.}

Um, kind of got stuck in a down pour about half-way through the run.

We were all a soggy mess for the ride home, but at least it made for a cooler run.

Sunday after church, my good friend from high school, Britney, stopped by our place for some lunch. I made a pork tenderloin in the slow cooker {recipe to come} with some mashed potatoes. The meal was good & the visit was even better.

Right went Britney left, Eugene & I loaded the pup into the car and headed to his parents’ place. Eugene’s aunt, Jen, the one I asked for prayers for a while back, was in town with her two boys for a visit. Jen’s battling through daily radiation treatments, and I am thoroughly amazed and inspired by her positive attitude. It was wonderful to visit with her for a while.

This is Jen with her two boys {below.}

There were also other people from the that side of the family around, including three little girls to play with Jen’s two boys.

And I’m pleased to say that the pup did SO well with the crowd and with the kids! He hasn’t been around children much, so I was very relieved to see he was gentle, patient, and cautious around the little ones. {Silly, but it’s a wondrous thing to me!}

The kids had lots of fun on the trampoline. It definitely made for some fun pictures!

This little one wasn’t old enough for the trampoline, so she kept busy with other things, like watermelon. Isn’t she cute…even with juice dripping off her chin!

She decided to play outside on the deck…

…where she met the pup…

…and he told us she needed a diaper change!

It was another busy weekend, but good times with family, friends, & dogs. ;)