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Sunday Link-Up {Dec. 4, 2016}

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#ARWB Holiday Food, Fun and Family Link-Up

Christmas Link-Up ARWB

Sunday Link-Up {Oct. 30, 2016)

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Connie Ash: Simple Eggplant Parmesan {Foodie Friday}

Growing up in Central Texas we always had a garden. I loved as a child helping my grandmother tend to the vegetables. Early in my adult life I was transplanted to Arkansas, bringing my love of animals and gardening with me. For the next few years I planted a small vegetable garden. As my life got busy and I quit planting a garden. I would plant a few pots of tomatoes and think next year will have a garden. ??This year my husband (aka The Big Man), built several planter boxes so that I could plant a raised garden.

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I planted tomatoes, green peppers, jalapenos, eggplant, squash and sunflowers. It felt great to dig in the dirt and watch the tiny little plants blossom and provide fresh veggies.

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Eggplant is one of my favorite vegetables. My little raised bed garden did a great job of providing me with Eggplant and tomatoes, both are ingredients in a Simple Eggplant Parmesan recipe that is one of my favorite dishes.
Coming home late from work, I would have a a slice of this dish and a glass of wine. This was a great way to end a full day of work.

Connie Ash: Simple Eggplant Parmesan {Foodie Friday}

Ingredients

1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1 cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese, divided
1 eggplant (1-1/2 lb.), cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
4 ounces (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) low-fat cream cheese
3/4 cup milk
3 cloves garlic, minced
6 Tablespoons chopped fresh basil, divided
16 Slim Cut Mozzarella Cheese Slices
1 large tomato, sliced.

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°F.
Cover 2 baking sheets with parchment.
Combine bread crumbs and 1/4 cup Parmesan in shallow dish. Reserve 2 Tbsp. crumb mixture for later use.
Spray both sides of 1 eggplant slice with cooking spray; dip in remaining bread crumb mixture, turning to evenly coat both sides of eggplant slice.
Place on prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining eggplant slices.
Bake 30 min. or until eggplant is tender and golden brown, turning after 15 min.
Meanwhile, microwave cream cheese in medium microwaveable bowl on HIGH 40 sec. gradually whisk in milk until blended. Stir in garlic and 1/4 cup basil.
Spread 1/4 cup cream cheese sauce onto bottom of 9-inch pie plate sprayed with cooking spray.
Top with layers of 1/3 of the eggplant, 4 cheese slices, 1/4 cup of the remaining Parmesan and 1/3 cup of the remaining cream cheese sauce; repeat layers twice. Top with tomatoes, remaining cheese slices and reserved crumb mixture.
Bake 25 min. or until heated through.
Sprinkle with remaining basil

https://arkansaswomenbloggers.com/connie-ash-simple-eggplant-parmesan-foodie-friday/

Connie_Ash

Connie is a 50-something wife, mother, Nana, doggie mom, vegetarian, living in the small community of Blytheville, AR. located in the far
Northeast corner of the State. She shares a home with her husband aka The Big Man, 14 rescue dogs and 10 chickens. Collectively they have five adult near-perfect children and five perfect grandboys and 5 awesome granddogs. Connie is a family nurse practitioner and manages a free health clinic (Great River Charitable Clinic). She and the Big Man also own and operate Bed and Biscuit Boarding. Connie is an active member of the Blytheville Humane Society. Her lbog Scrapbook Wife chronicles her journey to live a balance simple life making her little corner of the world a better place to live.

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Learning to Train; Training to Learn

by Jodi Coffee

“You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.”

That’s a cliche I’ve had to completely remove from my repertoire.

I am on a journey of training for an Ironman. I’ve been involved in the sport of triathlon for many years now, but this is the first time I have signed up and committed to an iron distance race. Quite daunting, yes, but something that I’ve wanted to do for a long time. Just in case you’re unfamiliar, an Ironman is an endurance race consisting of swimming 2.4 miles, biking 112 miles and running 26.2 miles. I have completed each of the distances individually, but have never put them together. And that is key – putting the package together and fueling your body to the finish.

When I made the decision to sign up and hit “send” on my entry form, I knew what to do, but didn’t exactly know how to do it. I found myself searching for help. I turned to books and I asked friends for their personal experiences. While helpful, I still felt the need for more direction.

Not long after that, I received an email from Ironman regarding their new coachmatch program.

The perfect coach?

Free?

They had my attention!

(Just making sure we’re all on the same page here – I’m referring to the coachmatch program being free, not the coach.)

I have a type A personality living in a type B world. Having someone tell me what to do takes the guess work out. It allows me to focus on the task at hand, and not worry so much about the calculations of figuring out what to do to get to where I need to be.

With questionnaires completed, the research process began. Before long, I found my match! I had a virtual coach! Although she is very much a real person, my coach and I communicate mostly through texting and a training app. We also talk on the phone and can video call if need be.

Of course, there are complications, setbacks,and miscommunications that go along with this training process. My life revolves around three little girls. There are days that we go in three different direction. I don’t always have a set schedule. You know, life.

Life is busy.

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Life gets in the way.

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But I sure do love life.

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Recently, I completed the Big Dam Bridge 100 in Little Rock as part of my training regimen. This event is Arkansas’ largest cycling tour and it provides supported rides ranging between 10 to 100 miles. I first participated in this great event in 2015. But the course is challenging. I do believe my words at the end of last year’s ride consisted of, “never again”.

Lo and behold, my coach highly recommended that I do the ride in order to prepare myself for the strong winds I’ll face in Arizona. Reluctantly, I signed on the dotted line and attempted to mentally prepare myself for a very demanding century ride.

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This journey has been one filled with challenges and surprises. I’ve had to really work on trusting and believing – in my coach and in myself.

TRUST

Trusting that my coach puts me on the right regimen. After swimming for 35+ years, I wasn’t sure I could make many changes to my stroke. As I work on the drills and skills, my stroke is changing and becoming more efficient. I’m learning to focus on different aspects of my stroke.

BELIEVE

Believing that I have what it takes to make it to the finish. There are days I do not want to wake up in the 4 o’clock hour. I do not want to spend four hours in the saddle. But, I believe it must be done in order to prepare myself in the best way possible. (And of course, because my coach tells me to.)

Old dog – new tricks. It can happen!

As the race day quickly approaches, some of the longer and more difficult miles lie ahead. I know there are obstacles and bumps in the road to come, but I am grateful to have the guidance of a knowledgeable coach, a very supportive family and network of friends, and the blessings of the good Lord to get through to the next workout.

Jodi Coffee, who blogs at The Coffee House Life, is the mom of three beautiful and energetic little girls that ALWAYS give her something to blog about. She loves to try new things — food, travel and adventure. In her spare time…wait a minute. What is that? She enjoys training for triathlons, and is currently chasing a lifetime dream of crossing the finish line of her first IRONMAN. She is a backyard farmer, a farmers’ market manager and enjoys helping bring healthy opportunities to her community.

instagram: jodibakercoffee

twitter: https://twitter.com/jodibakercoffee

facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jodibakercoffee

In the Kindergarten Classroom

Did you know they don’t take naps in kindergarten anymore?

It’s true! They spend those extra minutes learning sight words, factoring addition problems, and focusing on how to become upstanding citizens. Kindergarten has come a long way from the days we learned glue was not food.

Although last month marked my second time to fight back the tears at kindergarten drop-off, panic still struck as I watched Owen slip on a giant backpack and brave the hallways without me. My anxiety was full force, but his wasn’t. He adores school, and I am grateful for that.

He wakes up sad every Saturday because it’s not Monday. {I know this, too, shall pass.}

When I noticed the monthly writing prompt was learn, the first person who came to mind was Owen. I am amazed at the way he has transformed from toddler to student. While I’ve already divulged the lack of naps in modern kindergarten classrooms, I thought I’d let him do the rest of the sharing. Here are the best things about kindergarten, according to my five-year-old son:

Math. I don’t think I will ever forget that “Make his hat, make his back, make his belly round and fat,” is the proper way to make a five. That could be because I hear it 500 times a day.
Dancing. To stave off the afternoon crash, Owen’s class does brain breaks. Most of the time this means getting funky for five minutes. He’s a big fan of this.
Martin. Owen was quick to tell me that the guinea pig who lives in his classroom is a big part of why he doesn’t like Saturdays.
Recess. There are monkey bars there. Enough said.
Stories. He has both Chicka Chicka Boom Boom and Brown Bear, Brown Bear memorized and he recites them to me regularly. He tells me that sometimes the teacher’s reading is replaced by a Smart Board video. Yay, technology!
Lunch. Not only can Owen now open his own bag of chips, he was stoked to find out about pancake day.
Music. Owen’s favorite activity day is Tuesday because he gets to go to the class he affectionately calls “instruments.” He gets to hear from a magic slinky and play something called a boom-whacker. What’s not to love?
Bus Rides. My kids are car riders, but Owen hopped on a bus last week for a field trip to the county fair. He loved petting goats and bunnies, but he said the bus ride was the high point.

That lump in my throat still rises when I watch Owen trot up the school sidewalk by himself. He’s confident, but it can be hard for me to imagine him on his own. However, I know he’s fine. He is being cared for by the wonderful staff. He’s being encouraged every time he picks up a pencil or a ball or a book. His eyes and ears stay wide open and he is fully immersed in this new world.

Kindergarten is going swimmingly for my kid, and Nathan tells me fourth grade isn’t half-bad, either. I understand these whiny Saturdays will dwindle, but I’m enjoying it while I can. Owen is soaking up every minute of school, and I’m trying to soak up every bit of this stage he is in.

How’s the school year going so far for your kids?

Jessica Bauer is a small-town girl raising her bunch in southwest Arkansas. Her cast of characters includes a husband of 10 years, three mostly sweet kids, and a flock of chickens. She blogs about them all at Life With the Bauer Bunch. Stop by to check out the good, the bad, and the funny in motherhood.

Blog: www.thebauerbunch.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thebauerbunch

Twitter: https://twitter.com/thebauerbunch

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessicabauer84

Snapshots in the Week of Nancy Kay Grace

Is there a “typical day” for anyone? My days vary with different scheduled activities, and then I usually have to adapt my plan as life unfolds. Here are snapshots of my week.

Before I start, I have a confession: waking up is hard for me. My family loving refers to me as “Fog Woman” in the mornings. Yeah. Don’t expect me to be too coherent early in the day.

It doesn’t take much brainpower to tie my shoes; I walk three or four days a week. Exercise is important to my self-care, especially since heart disease is in my family. However, I don’t always hit the pavement, as it depends on the whether Fog Woman is up for it.

One of my favorite places for morning coffee is on my back porch, listening to the peaceful sounds of birds…until the neighbor’s dog barks incessantly.

After some coffee and devotions I’m ready to get in gear. If I have time, I play worship songs on piano to start the day and center my attitude.

The first part of the week I teach piano lessons. I enjoy interacting with my students and encouraging them.

In between the lessons on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, I work on my blog, radio show, or GraceNotes newsletter. A lot of schedule juggling goes on, switching between writing, radio prep and music. Living Life Unedited, my Internet Radio show, airs on Thursdays at 4 pm. Sometimes I research a topic for the half hour show, and other times I interview people. The show is created, uploaded, and scheduled. Rarely is the show live. Often I coordinate the topic of my blog to be the same as the radio show.

On Fridays my husband and I have our weekly lunch date. We have kept this on the calendar for many years because we value this time to reconnect.

At the end of the week, I write a blog post (if I haven’t already done so) and post on social media. I also focus on preparing the music for worship on Sunday.

On Sunday I play keyboard with the praise team.

We enjoy worship and family time on Sundays.

Each week has some structure and a lot of flexibility. The daily tasks are important, but relationships are essential for me. I visit with writing friends at my local critique group or my Skype writer’s group for women over 50, the Wrinklings.

Some days I meet my daughter for lunch.

Or connect with a friend over coffee.

Or mentor young women to help them sort through college life.

Or host our community group.

My goal is to be present at whatever I’m doing, whether writing, investing in relationships, or enjoying nature.

Each day is a unique gift to be cherished!

I love to connect!

Find my blog and sign up for GraceNotes at http://www.nancykaygrace.com
FB at https://www.facebook.com/nancykaygrace/
Twitter https://twitter.com/nancykaygrace
Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/nancykaygrace/

Sunday Link-Up {Sept. 11, 2016}

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What I Learned From Blogging

by Alicia Dowell

Many years ago, (7 long years) I started blogging. At first, it was a way to share my story as well as a way for distant family to see how our little family was growing. I shared every post on my personal Facebook before I had a page for my blog. This was at the starting point before I started using social media to help people find my piece of the internet. I was just hoping someone — family or friends — would read any of my posts. I shared a couple of pictures as my first post (by the way those pictures are still cute!). I didn’t want to just share pictures. This was the perfect place for me to share my writing. I had always dreamed of becoming a writer. Even as a kid, I could be found with at least one pen and a notebook.

So here was my new blog. The post went live and I was waiting to see if anyone read my rambling. A couple of days passed and I found out someone had read my post and it was not family. My new friend stopped by where I was working at the time to give me the encouragement to keep blogging. I don’t remember what she said but it was along the lines of: Don’t give up yet. I am still reading.

Many years later, I am glad I never gave up blogging. I learned there are many people to connect with and have met two of my best friends from blogging. Also from the one tiny in person comment, I have learned to remember to not give up; someone is still reading.

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alicia dowell headshot Born and raised in Arkansas, Alicia Dowell loves her home state. She grew up on her family farm in Southwest Arkansas. She was taught a deep love of caring for animals, growing a garden, and the slower way of life. Alicia married her college sweetheart and welcomed her daughter a year later. She can still be found in Southwest Arkansas on their one acre farm or on Instagram which fuels her photography habit.

Sunday Link-Up {Sept. 4, 206}

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