Food Friday: Honey Apple Porkloin

Today's Food Friday is an incredibly quick and easy way to get dinner on the table. And a major plus? It's a crockpot recipe, so you can just put it on in the morning, walk away from it, and come home to a delicious dinner! And when I say quick, I mean QUICK. This takes maybe 10 minutes to put together. Right? That's awesome.

Ingredients:

• Pork loin
• 3 sliced Red Delicious apples
• Honey (No measurement, because this is really to your taste)
• 2 tablespoons cinnamon

Directions:

1. Lay the apple slices from two of the apples in the bottom of the crock pot
2. Sprinkle with 1 tblspn cinnamon
3. Cut slits in the pork loin and drizzle honey into slits. Then place apple slices in slits
4. Place the pork loin in the crock pot and drizzle more honey over the top.
5. Cover with remaining apples, sprinkle remaining cinnamon on top, and let cook on low for 7 hours



Easy peasy, amirght? And an added plus? Your house will smell phenomenal all day while it cooks!

Don't Pass on Passover

As I’m sure a lot of you know, Monday was the beginning of Passover, and this year, I was blessed to be able to enjoy the occasion with my fantastic church family.

I’m sure a lot of yall are wondering Um, Passover? I thought this girl was Christian! Is she Jewish? Did I miss something here?? No, you haven’t missed anything! I am Christian, but this year, my church, in conjunction with the Jews for Jesus ministry, hosted a Passover meal, which I was incredibly excited about. When I was a kid, I had a book called All of a Kind Family about a family of young Jewish girls growing up in New York during the turn of the century, and this book included a lot about traditional Jewish holidays. It was pretty detailed, so I had a lot of information that I wouldn't have had otherwise. It was certainly enough to get me really interested in Passover, so when my church announced that we would be celebrating Passover this year with a traditional Jewish man leading it, I was really excited!

The man who came to our church to lead us in the Passover meal was incredible. He was a man who grew up in a Jewish home, became an atheist, developed a relationship with Christ, and now works with Jews for Jesus in which he ministers to Jews and works to bring them to a saving knowledge of Christ. His testimony was incredibly powerful, and it just blew me away. After sharing his testimony with us, he went on to begin the Passover celebration. He didn't just go through the dinner, but actually talked us through everything, and explained the significance of each symbolic part. That was interesting enough, but then he did something that I hadn't expected. He started talking about how Passover should be important to us as Christians.

As he talked about the symbols of Passover, he would show us how each symbol points to Jesus. For example, we’ll look at the z’roa, or shank bone. In a traditional Jewish home, the z'roa represents the lambs that God spoke to Moses of. He told Moses in Exodus 12:6-7, “Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the members of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight.  Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the door frames of the houses where they eat the lambs.” He then explained the necessity of the blood in Exodus 12:12-13 and said, “On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn of both people and animals, and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord.  The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.”

You can look closer at the z’roa though, and see how that same symbol also points to Jesus, who is called the Lamb of God (John 1:29). Does the symbolism sound familiar? It should, because when the Lamb of God died on the cross, He did so knowing that He was creating a way for death to pass over us, bringing us redemption and everlasting life, so long as we accepted His sacrifice for us.

In addition to the symbols of Passover pointing to Christ, the man leading our Passover service made the very good point that Christ Himself celebrated Passover. How can we not celebrate something that Jesus found important enough to make time for when He knew He was preparing to take on death? And on top of that, the celebration honors Him and His sacrifice! I had never even considered that Passover could be a celebration for a Gentile like me! But celebrating this year has my husband and me firmly convinced that Passover is for us, and it’s just as important for our family to celebrate every year as Easter or Christmas. I’m so thankful for the opportunity that I was presented with by my church this year to learn more about Passover, and discover how important it truly is.

If you're interested in learning more about Passover, please click here, watch the video, and see if you agree! 

The Little Red Henley

Good morning yall!! This Monday, we can actually call it a good morning because of the snow! I might not be a fan, especially since it’s almost April and it should be warm, but all this snow has let out all the schools and cancelled work for a lot of people, so even if I still have to go to work, I know most of yall are enjoying the day! And even I got to go in a little late, so that’s extra time I got to spend with my son!

Having a day off is always nice, though I've learned that once I graduated from college, there’s really no such thing as a day off anymore. With a house, husband, and child to take care of (2 children if you count my husband!), there are a million things to do in day, and since I've started couponing, there are even more things to do! It’s a great money saver, but as I've said before, it’s also hugely time-consuming, taking hours every week to clip, sort, and file the coupons, and then to go through and match up the coupons to the sales of the week.

The rest of it is just sort of mindless work that I can do while I watch Revenge (did anyone else catch last night’s episode by the way??? Ah I can’t wait for next week!), but this last part, matching the coupons to sales, is hard, and it makes me really glad that my parents instilled the value of hard work in me. As I said before when I was talking about couponing, it was my friend Jennifer who got me hooked on it, and she’s a really great help when it comes to it. She’s pretty sharp, and it seems to come pretty easily to her, and she’s offered to give me as much help as I need.

But I don’t just ask her every week what coupons she used with which sale, and then go out and copy her. Honestly, I think I probably could. She wants to help me with this, she’s gone out of her way to help me learn, and she’s offered up the deals that she gets. But, I think if I were just to copy her it would be taking advantage of a new friend. And besides that, it would be lazy of me, and leave me totally dependent on her. Dependence is only detrimental in the long run. What if, when she has her second child, she doesn't have time anymore? I’d be lost if all I did was copy her! I'd rather have the knowledge and ability to things for myself.

The Bible tells us in 2 Thessalonians 3:10, “The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat,” meaning that if you aren't willing to put in the time and effort required for something, you don’t get to reap the benefits. My husband offered to take my coupons and stop by the store on his way home from work, and I told him, “No sir!” I put in all the hard work organizing everything and finding the deals- by golly I was going to get to have the fun of spending the money (or in that case, getting the store to pay me for taking items! That was a good day). My husband was actually trying to be helpful rather than just trying to enjoy the benefit of my hard work, but you can see my point I’m sure. I'd rather be the little red hen who gets to eat the bread than the pup who was too lazy to help harvest the wheat! I'll keep on keeping on, even if it is difficult, because I want to be able to have the fun of knowing that I'm earning what I get. Instead of being the little red hen from the story, I'm the little red Henley! (Am I red? Well, maybe not. The little blonde Henley? Is that better? It sounded like a cute analogy when I got started anyway.)

Food Friday: Coffee Cake

Hey yall!! With the reemergence of the blog, I'm bringing back my Food Fridays!! Today, I want to give you the recipe for a delicious coffee cake that I recently made for my church's dessert auction. It's quick, easy, and scrumptious!

Ingredients for Cake:

• 1 and 1/2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Ingredients for Streusel:

• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions for Cake:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and grease 9 inch baking pan.
2. Cream together butter and sugar.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together dry ingredients.
4. Beat egg, milk, and vanilla into butter and sugar, then gradually add in dry mixture.
5. Pour into pan (should be thick), top with streusel, and bake for 25 minutes.

Directions for Streusel:

1. Combine sugar, flour, and butter until crumbly.
2. Add cinnamon and blend until just-mixed.

And that's all there is to it!! Like I said, it's quick and easy, and it's one of my favorites! Enjoy!

Guest Blogger: A Rose Among Weeds

Hey yall!! Today is a special day- we welcome guest blogger Danyelle Ellett to the blog!! Dany was my roommate in college, is still among my best friends, and a woman of great strength. I count myself lucky to have her in my life. And we have her today here to talk about the best thing the two of us share: relationships!

Hi, my name is Danyelle, a near and dear friend of Brittany and the Henley family. I was so very inspired by Brittany, the author of this blog, that when she asked if I would like to do guest blogs, I jumped at the chance. I’ve always been able to draw encouragement, spiritual guidance, and sound advice from her and so I was beyond proud when I found out she was sharing her testimony with the world, and humbled when she included me. At first I wasn’t sure what I’d write about but as I thought about what conflicts we face as woman of faith I began thinking of something that all woman at times struggle with and an area I’ve been beyond blessed in; friendship.

Relationships of all types are very much like gardens. We plant the seed of friendship. We tend to it with sunny dispositions, enriching conversation, and the downpour of understanding and affection. It takes time to grow your garden. It takes time, patience, and care. When it blooms, we benefit from its glory and beauty. If we’ve tended our garden right, we know that no matter what stormy troubles lie ahead, or frosty misunderstandings that may be had, your garden will bloom again and thrive. The Bible has a lot to say in the way of plant to relationship metaphors, and in the spirit of spring I felt it a fitting way to describe how we are the company we keep. A lot of times people will spend time on their gardens, work and toil to grow them, but then be surprised at what they reap. For instance, if I plant stink weed among my daisies, why am I then surprised when the stink weed grows and thrives under my attention? I was the one letting those weeds into my garden, allowing my attention to be placed towards an unsavory plant -- a weed that may even harm the good plants I’d cultivated. If that happens, I’m a person with a garden filled with dead daisies and a grip of stink weed. I am a stink weed farmer and am seen as such because I allowed myself to grow that plant.

It is the same with friendships. We are the company we keep. Your friends are seeds in your life. The people you interact with are all seeds. Some of them are strong, kind, and sweet; like a lily. Others may seem well-meaning and helpful, but in time become burdensome in their negativity; like a dandelion. If you pick up seeds that are not right for your garden, seeds that do not enhance the beauty of your life, and then you further commit to spending your time and efforts on said seeds, do not be surprised when your garden is filled with weeds instead of flowers. 1 Corinthians 15:13 says, “Do not be deceived, bad company ruins good morals.” We all are held accountable for the company we keep; for the garden we tend. Why continue to spend your time sweating in toil only to produce a weed, when you can put your efforts into a garden that gives back to you herbs and vegetables that sustain you in your times of need as well. We should be striving to find people to surround ourselves with from who we can grow, benefit, and blossom. Proverbs 13:20 says, “Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.”

In this time of the spring when you are cleaning away the clutter of last year, take time to evaluate and the clutter of your garden. If someone isn’t benefiting your life, then let that weed go. He may only be taking up time better spent with God, family, and good friends. I’ve been a weed before and it took someone cutting me out of his life to realize that I didn’t want to be a weed anymore, nor did I want others that were not positive around me anymore, so I no longer abide by it. I am now happy, have wonderful friends, and His love. Frankly, that sounds like a perfect garden to me.

An example of a beautiful garden! In order of left to right: Amber, Laura, me, and Danyelle. This was taken last year when the 4 of us were able to get together for the first time since college graduation (Please be aware that I was almost 8 months pregnant, I wasn't just fat!)

Time For Some Spring Cleaning

Happy spring yall! Well, it may not feel like spring just yet, but that’s ok. The season has started and soon the weather will catch on that it’s supposed to be warm. I’m excited for skirts, dresses, and flip-flops again! Besides comfortable clothes, spring also signifies a clean start and new beginnings, so what better way to start off spring than with a self-image overhaul?

I’m going to start the conversation where my own self-image overhaul began; my baby! “A baby changes everything.” That’s what everyone says, and I think saying it is pretty much stating the obvious. I knew that once I had my baby, my whole world would be changed. I was fully prepared to not sleep for the next few years, eat a hot meal, wear makeup, or have time to clean the house. Thankfully, our little man has been pretty easy-going, so I’ve gotten to do all of those things pretty regularly. I have yet to feel as exhausted as I imagined I would.

Even though a lot of things stayed the same, my life did change in some pretty big ways, but I was totally unprepared for one of the biggest changes of all. I never thought I would feel as confident being a parent, and a person, as I do. I wasn't exactly nervous about bringing the baby home. To be honest, I was more nervous about labor (which turned out to be a totally unnecessary worry because I ended up needing a C-section). But babies? I didn't really see what there was to be nervous about. I’d been around babies my whole life. I knew I would know how to change his diaper, dress him, feed him, etc. I knew I had all those essentials down.

But what about all the little things? All the books, blogs, articles, and websites out there are filled with information about what to do, and what not to do. And that would have been helpful…had it not all been contradicting information. Reading it all was overwhelming and started making me nervous, where I hadn't been before. So, rather than confuse myself and worry that I was going to do everything wrong, I was able to keep my sanity and gain my confidence because I ignored it all. And that turned out to be the best decision I could have made!

For example: Should I breast-feed, or give him formula? The “Nipple Nazis” (as my son’s pediatrician affectionately referred to them) would argue that “Breast is best.” Then other women would argue that they formula-fed, and their kids turned out just as well as breast-fed babies. What none of the books or other baby resources told me was that there is a secret third option -- bottle feeding expressed milk. I’d been breast-feeding for two weeks and growing increasingly frustrated. The baby wasn't latching very well most of the time, and whenever he did, it was uncomfortable. Little man and I were both miserable, when the idea hit me. Why couldn't I just pump and feed him with a bottle? He would still get the benefits that breast milk offers, but feedings would be so much happier for both of us! None of the books, doctors, or lactation consultants even mentioned it to me as a possible option, and in fact, when I told my son’s pediatrician that was our plan, he discouraged it (probably thinking that I’d grow frustrated with a pump). Despite that, almost eight months later, little man is still getting breast milk from a bottle, and life is MUCH easier.

A second example: When should I start introducing allergenic foods? Doctors and scientists have said that it’s important to wait X amount of time before introducing foods like peanuts, dairy, etc. due to allergies. That never made sense to me. How can kids build up a tolerance to something if they’re never exposed to it? Well, it turns out my question was valid because now science is saying exactly what I always thought; it’s better to introduce kids to allergenic foods early on.

Between the dreaded Mommy Wars, conflicting scientific studies, and well-meaning relatives who did it a certain way, is it any wonder that moms today are so nervous about having babies? With all the people who think they know what you should do better than you, is it any wonder that so many people have so little confidence in their decisions? So I have all my advice summed up in one word: RELAX.

I’m not saying that doctors, scientists, or your in-laws never know what they’re talking about. I’m sure they all know a lot more than I do. But science and someone else’s experience can only tell us so much, and I think it’s important to use parental instinct and personal intuition to bridge the gaps. Sticking with the parenting example, when you’re a parent, you know your child, and the people coming up with those studies have never even met him. Every child is created differently, and you are uniquely made to provide for his needs. You generally know what’s best for him, and what works best for you and your child might not be the best way for me and mine. Doctors say to lay your baby to sleep on his back. Well, mine was flipping himself pretty early on to lay on his stomach. Did I stress over it? No, because I ignored the books and did things the way my son needed.

So, take a couple deep breaths, let the Mommy Wars fall beneath you where they belong, and have confidence in yourself. No matter what stage of life you’re at, you can take this concept and apply it to your own life. Have confidence in your decisions. A great Biblical example is Noah. Can you imagine what people were probably saying about him, and to him, while he built his ark? And what about Elizabeth? She raised John the Baptist differently. Even his name was unconventional, because his name was not taken from a relative. Can you imagine what people had to say about that? History is full of people who went on to do great things because they didn't do things "the right way." Why should we be any different?

There have always been naysayers who thought they knew better, but if we can relax, and recognize that we’re being guided by that still, small voice, no one else’s voices matter. So overhaul your self-image and work on gaining some self-confidence. And then go out confidently and enjoy the beautiful weather we have coming!

Little man out with his cousin yesterday enjoying the weather! They had a great time being pulled in the wagon by "Granky."

Coupon Craziness

Happy Monday yall! Haha, yea right. No Monday is happy. Sunday is my absolute favorite day of the week, and I hate to see the end of it. I always like Sunday because Sunday means my husband is usually home with me (unless it's the one Sunday a month he's at the fire station which stinks), we get to go to church, we usually see some family, and Revenge comes on TV!! More recently though, I've been given another reason to love Sunday. The Sunday newspaper comes out, and with it comes...COUPONS!!!

A little while back, a friend of mine, Jennifer, started couponing and got me interested. So, I bought a book called, Pick Another Checkout Lane, Honey and it really piqued my interest. I read it twice in two days, and decided Hey, I really think I can do this! I had always thought that the math required looked too complicated for me, and that clipping all those coupons was just too time-consuming. Now, I won't lie; it is some complicated math, and clipping coupons is time-consuming. It literally takes me hours to get through everything. I'm glad I have a big kitchen table, because I use the whole thing in my process:

Stack of papers- I get 4 of the Washington Post

All the coupon inserts pulled out of the papers; papers are set to the side, with the comics and weekly circulars saved to be read later.

Stacks of identical inserts so I can clip 4 of the same coupon at a time 

Coupons clipped and sorted by category

Coupons sorted into their categories in The Binder.

The Binder with the hundreds of coupons, organized neatly into thirty-some different categories so I can find them  quickly while I'm out shopping.

Looks tedious, right? Yea, that's because it is. But the amount of money you can save is totally worth it. When I walked out of Target with my first haul, I felt like a million bucks. I bought $84.33 worth of stuff for only $23.03. That's...drumroll please... 73% savings yall!!!!

This might sound silly, but when I figured up the math and realized what my savings would be, I cried. I just think it's incredible that I can do something to save my little family so much money. If I can keep this up, I'll literally be saving our family thousands of dollars this year. That's thousands with a big giant capital S. Even one thousand would mean a lot to us. We're young, we have a child, and we have a mortgage. We're able to take care of each other and pay our bills, but we have a very strict budget and we don't spend any money we can avoid spending. That little extra wiggle room that my couponing gives us allows us to start budgeting for a new car (mine has almost a quarter of a million miles on it), saving for college for our son, or paying off our house payment sooner. Knowing that I'm doing something to get us there feels amazing.

On top of that, I know it's another small step I'm taking in becoming a Proverbs 31 wife. "A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life...she provides food for her family...she sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night...When it snows, she has no fear for her household..." Becoming that wife of noble character is a tall order; there's a lot involved in becoming like her. But couponing allows me to build up our stockpile so we have plenty even if times get tough, save us money, and take care of my husband and son like that wife of noble character does.

Who knew?!? Coupons can get us food to fill us physically, and can at the same time, help fill me with the Holy Spirit and help me in my walk with Him. Yes, it's a lot of hard work, but yes, it's absolutely worth it! If you're interested in getting started, check out this site and start learning about it!! Good luck!!

Back At It!

Hey yall! Long time no see! I've been gone awhile due to some massive life changes; getting pregnant, having a baby, etc., but I'm back now, and do I have a lot to tell you today!

If you're Facebook friends with me, you've already seen me talk about this a little today, but I figured I could get into some more detail here, and I think it's a good way to get started writing again since this is something I feel so passionately about. The topic? One of my favorites: babies!!

Last night, I got some exciting baby news- a girl I know is expecting!! I'm not close with this girl. To be totally honest, I don't actually know that we've met outside the world of social media. So I'm probably more excited than I should be. But....babies!

Even when people I'm not close with, or really even know at all, have baby news, I get really excited for them. My baby was among the best things to ever happen to me, and I love seeing other people get to experience that. Being pregnant was physically uncomfortable, but emotionally incredible, and life only gets better at the end of those incredible 9 months. I love my baby so much; I literally can't get enough of him. Sometimes, when I'm putting him down at night, he'll fall asleep in my arms before I even put him in his crib, and I'll just hold him a little longer (and by a little longer, I mean I just held him and watched him sleep for a half hour last night). 

I don't like it when people say, "Here, I'll take him and give you a break." I don't need a break, and I'd really rather just keep him, but thanks. If you want to hold him, I'll share, but I'll do so grudgingly, and I will take him back the second I get the opportunity. I think I've accidentally offended some people in the past with this attitude. Let me promise you; it's nothing against you. 

I was told when I was 17 that I'd probably be unable to conceive. I was devastated, but I prayed for that little baby for the next several years. Then, when I did conceive (after trying for just a couple weeks- this is why I don't believe doctors!), I was told that his heartbeat was slow, and his chances didn't look very good. So, they monitored me closely for my first two months of pregnancy until it seemed like everything would be alright. I carried him for 9 months during which I got to feel him move and respond to my voice. I cried when I finally got to hold him on the operating table (he was a C-section baby because he was breach), and I didn't let go. Seriously. He only went to the nursery when they had to take him to be weighed. Other than that, I was holding him. The nurses tried to get me to put him down at night, but I refused. I was holding my baby, and I knew he was safe with me. He wasn't going anywhere.

Now, almost 8 months later, I only let go when I absolutely have to, because I know the time isn't far off where I'll have to let him go. He'll go to school in a couple years, he'll go to friends' houses to play, he'll go on travels with his grandparents, and eventually he'll find the woman I'm praying for him for, and go start a new life with her. So I will take all the time I can with him now. No parent has ever looked back and thought, "Wow, I really wish I'd held him less, given him less kisses, and whispered 'I love you' less." If you don't like my parenting style, sorry, not sorry. I make no apology for it, and I won't change it. I plan on giving him all the love I have. I'll let go when the day comes that I have to, but today is not that day.

Every baby is special and every mother/child bond is different, but each is the same in that they all come from the same place that originates with love. I'm so happy when I hear about another little life coming, because I know how much love is about to be added into this world that desperately needs it. In every little baby, and every "I love you" that a mother whispers to her baby, God's light shines through, and that is a beautiful thing.

The First Time I Got To Hold My Baby Boy