Happy Lotion Time

Every night, before I climb into my exquisite bed, I pump my most fancied lotion, begin rubbing it between my freshly washed hands, look at my husband and say, "happy lotion time."  After nearly a year of this routine, he typically ignores my silly announcement.  Occasionally, he rolls his eyes and smirks.  Regardless, I still enjoy it ever so much and delight in mentioning it to him.

This lotion is so special, I thought I would introduce you to it through a story.  A fairy tale of sorts......

Once upon a time there was a princess and she was the fairest, fairest of them all.

Okay, okay, I know I'm getting a little carried away already, but it's my fairy tale....

She was recently married to the prince, the handsomest in all the kingdom, and together they had the idea to go on an overnight excursion to the faraway land of St. Louis.  The princess had a weakness for nice hotels in big cities.  For this last minute escape, they found a room at the Hilton in downtown St. Louis for a reasonable price thanks to Priceline.  While the level-headed prince could not quite identify with how badly the princess wanted to stay on the very top floor with a giant window overlooking the brightly lit city, he agreed to call the hotel after making their online reservation and request the highest room the hotel had to offer.  Upon arrival, the princess was tickled pink to find that they were on the next to top level of the hotel.  She could see from the ground that the hotel wasn't very high, but she assured herself that it would be far enough above the majority of town to fulfill her desire to be looking out at downtown on what was a chilly October night.  After the royal couple checked in and found their way to their room, the princess rushed over to the grand window and with great anticipation flung open the curtains.  At that moment all the anticipation she felt was replaced with disappointment.  Every ounce of excitement she had stored up for the spectacular view she'd hoped for was squelched.  It was as if someone had poured a barrel of water on a match.  It was no wonder the curtains were drawn.  There was not a light in sight.  She only saw a dark, gloomy, boring parking garage.  A parking garage which was so close to her window of dreams that had she any adventure and dare left in her spirit, she could've reached out and touched it!  


To cheer the princess from her great disappointment, the prince suggested they take a romantic stroll through the brightly lit downtown to dinner at the Old Spaghetti Factory.  After a few lefts and rights, the lovely couple realized they were very lost, no thanks to the prince's phone GPS they were following.  When they finally arrived at dinner, the twosome was so tuckered out, they slumped into their booth and enjoyed an affectionate meal together. 


When the couple arrived back at their hotel room, the princess, frazzled after a long evening, found the complimentary toiletries, La Source by Crabtree & Evelyn, in the bathroom.  Delighted, she decided to take a bath so that she could use them before crawling into her luxurious king sized bed.  That night, the princess enjoyed one of the best nights of sleep she had ever experienced, despite the fact that she could not see the gleaming lights of downtown St. Louis.  The end.....


Sadly, the princess, I mean I don't sleep that well every night.  Nevertheless, I love this stuff and I hope you'll try it, too.  I found mine at Tea Garden Gifts a year ago but, certainly most nice boutiques carry it.  Or, you can always find it online.  However you decide to go about it, get your hands on some and your hands will thank you.

~Abby

Homemaker

This evening as I was cooking dinner in my fancy apartment kitchen, listening to the hum of my washer and looking out my kitchen sink window, I was struck with how much I love all things homemaking.  Sure, there are times when the laundry seems like a daunting task, I can't decide what to cook for dinner or I loathe the fact that the bathrooms need cleaning.  Even so, I feel an enormous sense of satisfaction when dinner time is over and the dishes are clean, the laundry is folded neatly in piles and it looks as if I could dine on the bathroom floor.

As I have mentioned before, I am extremely fond of cooking.  Having significant obstacles while trying to cook during our time in Mexico made it a bit less enjoyable.  I could kick myself now for not photographing my "kitchen" there.  I am proud of all the things I was able to cook despite the fact that I didn't have a stove top or conventional oven.  When making banana bread, I had to wrap the whole pan and cover the top with tin foil so that none of the sides or top would burn in my toaster oven.  And it took forever to bake, but it was worth it!  Barbeque meatloaf, one of my favorite foods ever, turned out unexpectedly well without a real oven, much less a grill.  When it came time to wash the dishes, it was slow going.  Water pressure was nonexistent.  I had to turn on the water, wait for the sponge to get wet, throw some soap on there and scrub the plate.  Then, I would hold it under the itty bitty trickle of water for a second and twist and tilt the plate so that the water would run around it.  Rinse.  Repeat.  Do you get the picture?  But, oh honey, now with a real kitchen... you just can't imagine what it's like.

The last time I mentioned laundry I told you about my sweet daddy doing it for me.  Well, not long after I posted that, the Lord blessed us with a washer and dryer of our own.  I cannot explain how happy that made me.  It came from someone completely unexpectedly, but isn't that often how God works?  Now I can toss in anything and everything that Kyle decides to puke up-chuck on (and that is everything; when will it END?!) at my leisure.  It's a beautiful thing.  


Yes, I write homemaker whenever I have to list my occupation.  And I am not ashamed of my job title.  I wouldn't have it any other way. 

-Abby

A Whole Half a Baby

On my twenty-first birthday, I was pathetically excited about the fact that I was feeding my son rice cereal and couldn't have cared any less that I'd reached the legal drinking age.  I decided long ago that I was going to breast feed Kyle exclusively for six months.  I am a bit of a bf'ing snob, but maybe that's another post.  Nevertheless, being the stubborn determined woman I am, I have resisted the urge on many occasions to begin soups, I mean solids, before now.  Finally, on his six month birthday, I can feed him some real food.  Kyle has been increasingly interested during meal time recently.  So much so that I've been having to feed him just before we're going to eat if I want to avoid a fuss.  Why do I doubt then that dull, bland rice cereal mixed with the same stuff he's been drinking for months is going to satisfy his curiosity?  In any case, we had to start somewhere, so here is how it went.....

Nothing kills excitement like an unwrapped gift.  And having an overabundance of baby boy bags, I determined that this was a great opportunity to use one.  If I get invited to that many baby showers during the remainder of my life, I'll be surprised.  Also, if you are having a girl or plan to have a girl between now and ever, I apologize here ahead of time for the baby boy bag your gift will be delivered in.  So, for this very special occasion, I dug through the plethora and found this one to house his gifts before the big reveal.  I wonder who gave it to us?  I don't recall.  But, it sure is sweet, isn't it?

And here is his reaction:

Okey-dokey, now that the surprise is over, we can proceed on to prepare the grub.  I carefully thaw the liquid gold in some warm water and meticulously measure out the four to one ratio.  Not.  With a little adjustment here and there, I am eventually satisfied with the consistency and we move on to prepare for the main event.

Meanwhile, Kyle is still enjoying the tissue paper from his gift bag. 

And the girls are just finishing the decorations I put them on for the p-a-r-t-y.

The most adorable baby ever born to the human race is placed into his Bumbo seat.  Yes, I said it, the most adorable.  And while I am certain I am right about this one, you are entitled to your own opinions regarding your babies.  I get a kick out of it every time it pops through my head - I am convinced my son is the most attractive child known to man.  Undoubtedly, this is a God given hormonal attraction perfectly designed and delegated to mothers to keep them loving their children even while they scream their heads off (Kyle never does that...) or poop all over them (that either...).  Moreover, I am sure any subsequent babies I mother will have the same effect on me and it thrills me to no end just thinking about it.

Anyways, back to the Bumbo seat.  This thing is really awesome.  If you don't have one, get one.  Without question, it is impeccably designed to help babies who aren't yet able to sit up alone stay in an upright position for a decent length of time.  Although, I am quite proud to say that Kyle sat up today unassisted at least long enough for us to get this photo:

And this one:

Mommy to the rescue.

For meal time, though, a structured seating apparatus is necessary.  Most of the time when I put Kyle in his Bumbo, he folds in half and starts trying to eat his feet.  However, I have a sneaky feeling that once he associates blue chair with food, he will begin to sit upright and goo for food like he does when he sees me nestling into the Boppy pillow.

All right, in he goes.

"I'm ready to chow down."

I felt like I ought to add some honey or salt or something to this bland mixture, but I didn't.  Kyle seemed to enjoy it despite how tasteless I imagined it to be.

 (Sorry about the grainy pictures, the camera was on a rapid fire setting which compromised quality.  Cuteness was not compromised, however, and so I share them with you.)

"Here, Dad, let me help you with that."

Feeding babies takes great concentration as Jonathan's face can attest.

"Can I just eat the whole spoon?"

Adorable tootsies.

It will take time, no doubt, for Kyle to get the hang of taking the food in rather than shoving it back out with his tongue.  But, he sure is cute while he learns.

What a nice six month baby.  I love him.  And the guy holding him, too.

-Abby

Graduation Day

 My baby graduated to a bigger floor quilt this week.  I absolutely love this brightly colored ABC's quilt our friend, Jean, made.  Kyle will be ahead of the game as he studies his alphabet and animals during tummy time.  

Don't mind the blur.  It is hard to capture Mr. Wiggles without a little fuzz.

Hope you are having a wonderful Wednesday!

-Abby

Blackened Chicken Pasta

I hope that by divulging this all time favorite recipe I do not become excommunicated from the St.Clair family.  Anytime we get together as a family, we are almost guaranteed to share this scrumptious pasta.  The blackening seasoning, which I ordered in bulk online, absolutely makes the meal!  We made this for Jonathan's birthday dinner, since it is always his first pick when the dinner choice is left to him.

The only real challenge to preparing this dish is timing it so that everything is finished at approximately the same time.  Sometimes I get it exactly right, sometimes I'm a little off.  Nevertheless, it is always superb!

First, prepare the chicken. I like to slice the chicken breasts in half so they are not so thick and cook up quicker.  Just start by cutting into the middle of fat side of the breast and carefully work your knife through to the other side.

Then, start your sauce.  Begin by bringing cold milk and cornstarch to a simmer.  If you are familiar with cooking at all, you know that the objective is to keep the cornstarch from clumping.  Always start with cold ingredients, dissolve the cornstarch before you turn the burner on and stir frequently as it warms.  Then, add the butter, salt, pepper, blackening seasoning and garlic powder.  Be sure to stir often so that the milk doesn't scorch on the bottom of your saucepan.  If you are nearing the end of your meal preparation and the sauce isn't thickening quick enough, you can always thicken it a little with more cornstarch.  Just remember, add cornstarch to a small dish of cold milk to dissolve before adding it to the warm sauce. You are aiming for the consistency of a thin alfredo sauce.

As soon as you get your sauce going well, heat the butter in your chicken pan.  When that is melted, liberally sprinkle the chicken with your blackening seasoning and place seasoned side down in butter.  You can then sprinkle the top side with seasoning, so it will be ready to flip once the first side is finished cooking.

We had to use an electric skillet to accommodate all of our chicken, but unless you are cooking for a small army like we were, a regular frying pan should suffice.  If your chicken is completely thawed, you will likely want to use a lid on your pan while it's cooking.  This should keep your fire alarms from going off.  For this meal, our chicken was still slightly frozen, and it added a decent amount of water to the pan.  I skipped the lid and it still never evaporated all the liquid.  If you are lucky, the chicken will be a little more charred than ours was this time.  In any case, it was lip smacking good as always!

Once the chicken is settled into its butter bath, start your pasta water and drop pasta when it comes to a boil.  Don't forget to continue to stir your sauce; you want it nice and smooth. 

Flip chicken once first side is finished cooking.  One flip, people.  Let the first side cook, then cook the second side.  There is no need for the birds to do somersaults all over the pan.

When chicken is finished cooking, transfer into a separate dish.  If you are cooking for some who prefer a little more kick to their meal, deglaze chicken drippings by adding some sauce to the pan and stirring for a minute or two.  We typically keep about 1/3 of our sauce mild and make 2/3 spicy. 

We like to serve this pasta with roasted broccoli on the side.  Of course, Jonathan doesn't fancy this part, but we don't make him eat it.  This has become our preferred way to eat broccoli; it is delicious!  Simply cut up fresh broccoli crowns, drizzle with EVOO and add some fresh ground sea salt and pepper to the top.  Pop the pan in the oven and roast at 400 degrees for around 20 minutes.  You can start the broccoli about the same time you start the sauce.

Now for the star of the show, Chef Paul Prudhomme's magic seasoning:

I ordered the large canisters at his website but, you can also find this in a consumer size in some nicer grocery stores, like Kroger.  Personally, I advise that you bite the bullet and order the 24oz can.  My family likes to sprinkle it on tilapia.  I like to toss frozen french fries in it to make them cajun.  I've even thrown it in some rice which made an otherwise plain side dish something worth remembering.  It not only has a nice heat, it has a great flavor to go along with it.  The canister comes with a plastic lid, so you don't have to worry about moisture getting in and spoiling it. 

Blackened Chicken Pasta:

Sauce:

3 Cups cold milk

3 Tbsp cornstarch

1/2 stick butter

Salt, pepper, garlic powder and blackening seasoning to taste.

In a medium sauce pan, dissolve cornstarch in milk and bring to a simmer over medium heat.  Add butter and seasonings, reduce heat to medium low, stirring often.

Chicken:

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut in half length-ways

1/2 stick butter

blackening seasoning

Wash, trim and slice chicken. Sprinkle with seasoning and cook in butter until done.

1 lb fettuccini or linguini pasta, cooked al dente

Assemble and enjoy!

-Abby

Parenting 101

While I am certainly a rookie Mom, I am convinced that these baboons have parenting down to a science.

You're not going down there.

I said no, and I meant it.

Not that way either.

Mommy loves you.

Very much.

But, you're still not going.

These photos were taken in this exact order.  I get a kick out of them every time I see them in my iPhoto and thought I'd share with all of you! 

-Abby

"What exactly ARE you doing?"

Little did I know when I purchased this mobile for Kyle that learning the safari animals might come in really handy in his future.  He loves to lay in his crib, watch them spin and talk to them.  It never ceases to amuse me how entertaining he finds these little guys.  He smiles every time he sees them begin their waltz round and round.

There have been many occasions in my nearly twenty-one years when God's leading was crystal clear to me.  Some of those times involved His calling on my life into missions ministry.  There was no mistaking that He had placed a desire in my heart to meet the needs of the world I live in.  It was on that premise that I was introduced to my husband and with that future in mind, I married him.  While our heart call is unmistakeable, our direction is fuzzy.  During the past year, since we moved back from Mexico to pursue where the Lord would have us serve Him full time, we have explored many open doors which we saw as possibilities.  Yet, each door we have attempted to walk through, the Lord has undeniably closed.  At times I have wondered how difficult it could possibly be for a couple willing to go anywhere and do anything to find a ministry fit.  While it has been tempting to be discouraged by these "failed attempts", it is more exciting to know that we serve a God who will direct our steps into exactly what He has prepared for us!

Over the past year we have been asked by many people what our plans are now.  And since we have been in the States much longer than we expected without any set plans for the future, I can understand everyone's questions about what we are doing here.  Recently, it seems that the questions have gone from "Where are you going next?" to "Are you still going at all?" Yes, we are still going.  No, we still don't know where yet.

For someone who thrives off having a plan, this past year has tried my patience more than any other year in my life.  It has been increasingly difficult to sit back and wait as we pray and watch the Lord lead us to ministries and away from ministries.  Yet, I have a peace in my heart now as we wait, because I know He is in control and He has a plan.  And His plans are much higher than my insignificant ideas of what we should do, where we should go, or how we should get there!

Likely are you wondering where the mobile comes into play.  I'm getting there.   Two years ago, before Jonathan and I moved to Mexico, we were at our home church in Illinois.  A Kenyan missionary couple was there speaking about their ministry at a Bible college and orphanage.  Jonathan and I were still trying to raise support to move to Mexico, as well as learn Spanish in order to communicate with people once we got there.  When my dear husband learned that they teach the college students in English so that each student can go back to his tribe and translate into their dialect, he broke into tears.  Frustrated that support raising was going slowly and seeing that there are ministries where all you need to do is GO, he was overwhelmed with the desire to meet the call to missions.  On many occasions he and I have mentioned the possibility of moving to Kenya and working with our friends the Manyaras.  But, it wasn't until this spring, after being denied by OM, that we were reconnected with them at a missions conference and really began discussing with them this possibility.

As of now, it is still just that, a possibility.  Jonathan has written the academic dean at Moffat Bible College and expressed our interest in serving there for an initial term of two years.  Paul Manyara was the college's president for the past 7 years and his suggestion was to communicate with the school before applying to Africa Inland Missions (the mission organization we would go through to get there).  Daily we are praying that the Lord would swing this door wide open.  Although I know it would stretch me, likely even more than I was stretched living in Mexico, I am excited at the prospect of serving beside people who are so excited about the ministry the Lord is sustaining there.  Jonathan would teach classes at the college and I would be able to serve with orphan programs when my mommy schedule permits.  As we are still waiting, praying and communicating with Moffat, Jonathan is planning on beginning seminary classes next month.  We both believe that whether we serve with Moffat or another ministry, additional Bible training could only be beneficial.

Please pray with us as we seek God's face and His will for our lives.  We are thrilled to imagine serving our Lord in Kenya, but, if not Kenya, somewhere in this world.   We are asking that He show us exactly where!

"Can Changito come, too, Mommy?"

~Abby