Where I've Been...

Hello, friends!

 

Well, I was doing pretty good there for a while!  It's been over two months since my last post, so I thought I'd quickly update everyone on what's been going on!

 

As some of you know, Andy and I have been trying to sell our house so that we can move closer to our church.  We've been making an hour drive for three years now, so we are more than ready to get settled and continue in the direction God has led us. 

 

We listed our house in late Fall, which is probably the worst time to put your house on the market, but we just didn't want to wait any longer!  We had zero interest.  None.  Not even a phone call. Then, Spring came.  Once March arrived, we were inundated with calls from agents and buyers wanting to come see our house.  In mid-March,  we received our first offer.  What an answer to prayer that was!  If I told you the story, you wouldn't believe it...it was that good!  In the end, the buyer couldn't make her financing work and the deal fell through.  We were discouraged, to say the least.  It felt like we were finally going to take a step forward and the bottom fell out.  But...we persevered.  We continued showing the house and prayed that someone else would love it as much as the first person did. 

 

About a month later, we received another offer.  Although it wasn't a great one, we still tried everything we could to work with the buyers, who were relocating from out of state and had viewed our house over FaceTime with their agent.  (Strange, but whatever works, right?)  They had planned to fly into town to see the house in person last Sunday.  On our way home from church to meet them, Andy called their agent to touch base and was told they had already purchased another home and she had simply failed to inform us.

 

We are still showing our house at least a couple of times a week, which is good.  Prayers are very much appreciated as we continue this process.  It's been a trying one, but we know that on the other side of our trials is better than we ever could have imagined.

 

 

{Gluten Free Valentine's Day} No Breading Baked Chicken Parmesan, Garlic Bread & Brownies

Happy Valentine's Day, friends!  I hope you're all having a great day celebrating LOVE.  The truth is, everyone of us has a love worth celebrating...a sweetheart, a family member, a friend, and best of all, a great God who has blessed us beyond what we deserve!  Find the joy in the NOW, because it is there if you choose to see it.  I know, I know...that has absolutely nothing to do with gluten (or lack thereof)...but it does have to do with our spirit, which effects our health, right?  Right.  Anyway...

 

 

 

Andy and I had our own little Valentine's Day celebration last night because our church sweetheart banquet is tonight!  We opted to stay in and cook instead of going out this year.  We had such a fun, relaxing evening - minus the bloaty, full feeling!  Praise be!

I found this gem of a recipe a few weeks ago after we had sworn off gluten.  I had some chicken in the refrigerator and (after ridding my pantry of the nasties) not much else to work with.  Food.com saved our supper!  It was delicious, so I decided to make it again for our Valentine's dinner.



Chicken Parmesan

 

Ingredients:

4-6 boneless, skinless chicken

2 cups shredded parmesan

1 TBS dried parsley

1 TBS dried basil

1 TBS dried oregano

cooking spray

spaghetti sauce

1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella

 

 

 

Preheat the oven to 400.  Combine parmesan cheese, parsley, basil, and oregano in a large zip lock bag.  Wash the chicken, pat dry and put the pieces in the cheese mixture.  Spray 11x13 pan with cooking spray.  Make sure each piece of chicken is coated with cheese and place in the pan, dumping the remaining cheese mixture on top.  Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the chicken is done.  Top with spaghetti sauce (I used a whole jar.), then add mozzarella cheese.  Bake until the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.  Serve with gluten free spaghetti, gluten free bread, and salad...whatever you like!



 

 

 

For spaghetti, I used Simply Balanced Gluten Free Spaghetti (multigrain, with quinoa), a Target brand.  I have tried a few different brands of gluten free pasta, and this on is my favorite so far.  The only difference I've noticed between this and regular spaghetti is how I feel after I eat it!

 

 



 

 

For the garlic bread, I used Udi's Gluten Free Whole Grain Bread.  You'll need to keep this bread in the freezer, because gluten free breads spoil faster.  I defrosted it in my toaster oven, then added butter, garlic powder, Italian seasoning and parmesan cheese.  I put it back in the toaster oven and toasted it until the cheese melted.  It was perfection! :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For dessert, we had brownies, courtesy of Betty Crocker Gluten Free Brownie Mix!  Betty's never failed me before and this holds true for the gluten free variety.  So far, I have tried the chocolate chip cookie mix and the brownie mix...both were fantastic.

 

I might do a future post on gluten free products I've tried and loved...I've got a good list of things already!  Let me know if you try these recipes and what you think of them!

 

 

 

{Gluten Free Friday} Banana Bread

Happy Friday, friends!  I had planned on sharing some other posts this week, but...that didn't happen, so I hope you'll settle for another installment of "Gluten Free Friday".  This week's recipe is banana bread. :)

 

Some mornings, I'm not that hungry for breakfast and I just want to eat a little "get-me-through" that goes well with coffee or tea.  Let's face it...banana bread is delicious and comforting at any time of the day!

 

This recipe is another Pinterest find and it comes from a website called www.yourhomebasedmom.com.  It's actually called "The Best Gluten Free Banana Bread" and I'm going to have to agree!  You would never know this was anything other than just great banana bread.

 

 Banana Bread

 

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup oil (I used canola.)

2 eggs

1 cup mashed ripe banana (I used 2 whole bananas.)

1/2 cup applesauce

1 tsp vanilla

1.5 cups gluten free flour (I used Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Baking Flour.)

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp xanthum gum (I used Bob's Red Mill Xanthum Gum.)

 

 

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease and flour bottom only of a loaf pan.  In a large bowl, beat together sugar and oil.  Add eggs, banana, applesauce and vanilla; blend well.  Add flour, baking soda and salt; stir just until the dry ingredients are moistened.  Pour mixture into your prepared pan and bake for 50-60 minutes (depending on your oven) until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool for 5 minutes and remove from the pan.  Cool completely (if you have that much self-control) and enjoy.  (Note: I stored mine in a cake stand on my counter and it kept for several days.)



 

{Gluten Free Friday} 30 Minute Turkey Chili

Recently (and by recently, I mean a little over 2 weeks ago), my husband and I decided to go "gluten free".  We're both over 30 and just felt like we'd gotten lax in the nutrition area. We weren't terrible by most people's standards, but driving an hour back and forth to church, we started hitting up the fast food places a little more often than normal.  On top of that, being a travelling musician often means eating in airports, truck stops, or whatever else is open after your show.  Being the wife of a travelling musician means not cooking healthy meals for myself because I don't want a bunch of dirty dishes and left-overs.  Over time, you just don't feel healthy, so we decided to make a change.  Andy had been reading up on gluten and what effects it can have on your health and thought we both could benefit from eliminating it from our diet for a while, if not permanently. 

 

What does that mean, you might ask? Well, there are all sorts of resources and information to be found on gluten intolerance.  Here are just a couple of small informative things I found:

 

In some ways, it's much easier than I thought, but...like any southern girl, I love me a good biscuit!  I'm not saying I'll never eat one again, but I really want to give this way of eating/living a try and see what effects it has on my overall health and well-being.  That said, I thought it would be fun to share recipes that I try and love.  Maybe it will keep me accountable to at least post something here on a weekly/regular basis!  So!  Here's the first one...

 

It has been ridiculously cold here over the last few days.  When it gets cold, I want chili.  However, in my research, I've found that most pre-packaged seasoning mixes contain gluten.  There went my old stand-by McCormick's chili seasoning!  I don't like "fancy chili" that you have to cook all day and I don't like super spicy chili. I just want something I can throw some Fritos in (They're gluten free, y'all!) and call it a day.  Pinterest is the best!  I love that I can search it right there in the grocery store and find a solution.  I adapted a recipe I found there to fit what we like and this was the end result:

30 Minute Turkey Chili

 

Ingredients:

1-1.5 lbs ground turkey (or beef)

chopped onion (fresh or frozen)

28 oz can diced tomatoes

28 oz can tomato sauce

3 (15 oz) cans chili beans

1 tbsp. chili powder

1 tsp cumin

3/4 tsp sugar

salt

 

*The seasoning combo I found on Pinterest actually had double the amount of spices listed here. I cut it back to suit our taste.

 

 

In a Dutch oven, brown meat and onion; season with salt, to taste.  Drain and return to the pot.  Add beans, tomatoes, sauce and seasonings.  Mix well.  Cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes. Enjoy. :)

 

 

It really was that simple and it was delicious!  We even left out the cheese and sour cream because we didn't need it.  The best part was that, for once, we enjoyed a warm bowl of chili without feeling miserable afterward.  I was really surprised that it made such a difference.  This is one dish I won't mind eating on for several days while my husband travels.

 

 

 

Blog Makeover!

Hi, friends!

 

So, y'all know that I've gone back and forth on this blogging thing.  I really wanted to do it, but it's been a process for me of figuring out how to hone in on a direction.  My original "His Grace All Sufficient" blog really began as a way to write whatever was on my heart, which was mostly deep stuff.  So, when I decided to change it up a bit (not just focusing on heart stuff, but including fun/everyday stuff), that title didn't seem to fit anymore...hence, my "blog makeover"! 

 

What in the world is a "musicianary"?  In the simplest terms, a "musicianary" is one whose primary tool is music, using songs to spread the Gospel.  This, I believe, describes my husband.  While he is one of the most gifted  musicians (not to mention THE most downright handsome guy) I have ever met, the thing that first attracted me to him was his love for Jesus and his desire to share the Gospel with anyone he comes across.  I kind of struggled with that title for a little bit, because I didn't want anyone to take offense to the term.  We have such respect and admiration for real, true missionaries and have many of them in our church family, so I didn't want to just throw that word out there or sound like I was trying to be super-spiritual or compare myself or my husband to something we hold such high regard for.  (Excuse the stupid-long sentence!)  BUT -- My husband is in such a unique position with his job in that he is the antithesis of what most people think of when they meet a professional musician.

Here's a little about my background...

Most of you know I grew up in the music business.  I've never known any other life.  My mom is in a family band (The Whites) with her sisters and their father.  My grandmother sang with them early on, but later retired to stay at home and raise the family.  (They had four daughters.)  They play and sing bluegrass, gospel, western swing (They're proud Texans!), and traditional country music. 

Left to Right: My grandpa (aka "Paw-Paw"), Aunt Melissa, My grandma (aka "Lolly"),

Aunt Sharon, Aunt Rosie and Mom



My Uncle Ricky is married to sister #1, Sharon.  He, of course, has a record label, where I worked for 10 years and a band through which I met my husband.  My Uncle Brian (married to sister #3, Rosie) is a guitarist who has traveled with various country bands over the years.  My Uncle David's (married to sister #4, Melissa) father was in the Grand Ole Opry staff band for many years.  My "Poppa" (because "step-dad" is too impersonal for us) , Billy Paul , has worked for many years in television production, working with various country music networks.  So, music and the music business, for us, has always been a family affair!  I should probably insert a disclaimer that it's never been a prerequisite to join this family and the vast majority of us do not actually work in the music business full-time...it's really just the way the Lord has worked in all of our lives that brought this crazy bunch together!

My overall experience with the music business has been positive.  Because I've grown up in it and worked in it, I've seen both sides of the spectrum.  Thankfully, my family was always in the position to "call the shots" when it came to the atmosphere on the road.  There are parts of the business that are difficult to deal with as a Christian, but I'm proud to come from a family that has always unapologetically stood for godliness in a secular platform.  People know that on stage or off, they're going to hear about Jesus from this family, whether they want to or not!  You couldn't say that for many gospel singers!

Which brings me to the here and now.  I "retired" from the music business a little over 4 years ago to be a full-time helpmeet to my "musicianary" husband.  I LOVE being a wife and all that that entails, but I especially love being his wife.  We do lead a very different life from most people in that my husband travels a lot for his job.  We don't get to spend all our weekends together like most families do.  It's not for everyone and it may not be for us forever, but this is the season of life we're in right now.  I want to embrace it, be content in it, learn from it, and share it! :)

24 years ago today...

I got on my knees in my room and asked Jesus into my heart.

 

May 4, 1989 will always be a memorable day for me.  I was six years old.  (Yes, that does indeed make me 30...for all you mathematicians out there. :)  My mom came in to pray with me and tuck me in as she always did.  But this day was different.  The first boy had been born into the White family (my mom's side).  I was the first grandchild.  The second, my cousin, Molly, came 14 months later.  Since my mom only has sisters, getting a boy in the family was a pretty big deal.

 

As Mom and I talked, I was so excited to hear about the arrival of my new cousin.  Our conversation soon turned to the Lord as we prepared to say our usual bedtime prayers.  I don't remember much of the conversation, but I do remember that being the first moment I realized that not everyone believed in Jesus like I did.  In that moment, my mom explained to me that we were all born into sin and that we have to pray and ask Jesus to be our Savior.  I already believed that Jesus was the only way...that He was born of a Virgin, died on the cross and rose again three days later...but that night I trusted Him personally and I've never looked back.

 

I've always been thankful that I was saved so young.  I'm so grateful I'll never have to know what might've been...how I might have handled tough times had I not known the Lord.  The flip side of that is that because I was saved so young and did not experience much of my life without a Savior, there have been times when I know I have taken my salvation for granted. 

 

On this day...the anniversary of my second birth...I am fully aware of what Jesus did for ME.  My desire is to be a better testimony of it. 

 

 

Me and my amazing cousin, Luke.



Survey from Kelley

Well, I promised some fun posts...I thought this was a good place to start!  Kelley posted this one on her blog and I really enjoyed reading her answers, so I hi-jacked it for myself! :)

WHAT TIME TO YOU GET UP?  It varies. Typically around 7-7:30 AM.

IF YOU COULD EAT LUNCH WITH ONE FAMOUS PERSON, WHO WOULD IT BE?  Corrie Ten Boom.  Her spirit inspires and convicts me.  How spoiled I am...

"No pit is so deep that He is not deeper still."

GOLD OR SILVER?  White Gold.

YOUR FAVORITE TV SHOW?  Anyone that knows me knows this..."Road to Avonlea" :)

 



WHAT DO YOU HAVE FOR BREAKFAST?  Sometimes I'm not hungry AT ALL in the mornings, but I always try to eat something...usually it's peanut butter toast "Heather Alltop-style" (with cinnamon and honey) and a cup of coffee. :)

CAN YOU TOUCH YOUR NOSE WITH YOUR TONGUE?  Nope. Not even close. (I just tried. I'm a dork.)

WHAT INSPIRES YOU?  Missionaries. 

Excuse my lame photography. Just a quick shot of missionary prayer cards. :)



WHAT IS YOUR MIDDLE NAME?  Kathrin. It's supposed to be Kathryn (with a "y"), but my dad didn't spell it right at the hospital.  I've thought about changing it, but I go back and forth.  Reasons to Change -- 1) Andy and I have considered using the name if we ever have a little girl and I like the "y" spelling. 2) It would actually match my 2 namesakes.   Reasons to Keep -- 1) It's unique. 2) It's mine.  Any thoughts/comments/suggestions?

BEACH, CITY, OR COUNTRY?  Country...but I love the beach, too...

FAVORITE ICE CREAM?  These days, I'm loving Starbucks Java Chip Frappuccino.

 

 

BUTTER, PLAIN, OR SALTED POPCORN?  Butterrrrrr.

FAVORITE CAR?  Okay...I have yet to find my favorite  car.  I've never particularly been a "car person".  I love anything that's dependable and gets me from A to B.

FAVORITE SANDWICH FILLING?  Chicken Salad.

WHAT CHARACTERISTIC DO YOU DESPISE?  Rudeness or Arrogance.

FAVORITE FLOWER?  Hydrangeas, in any color...I love big bunches of them!

(Photo found online - This is NOT my house!)



FIZZY OR STILL WATER AS A DRINK?  Still? I thought this was kind of a weird question.

WHAT COLOR IS YOUR BATHROOM?  "Builder Beige".

HOW MANY KEYS ON YOUR KEY RING?  5 - House, Car, My mom's house, Andy's parents' house,  and a Fire Safe Box that I keep important papers in.

WHERE WOULD YOU RETIRE TO?  Prince Edward Island, Canada.

 

Dalvay by the Sea - a.k.a. "The White Sands Hotel"

 

The beach at Dalvay.

 

Running down the dunes...I've wanted to do THIS my whole life!





CAN YOU JUGGLE?  No. I'm not that coordinated.

FAVORITE DAY OF THE WEEK?  Any full day I get with my husband without anything pressing.

WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE COLOR GUMMY BEAR?  Red.

CANDY?  Yes! Sour Patch Kids. :)

HAVE YOU EVER HAD A SONG SANG ABOUT/FOR YOU?  Yes.

WHERE DO YOU SING THE MOST - CAR, SHOWER, OR OTHER?  Definitely the car.

WHAT DO YOU SMELL LIKE?  Laundry, I guess...

WHAT'S IN YOUR POCKET?  No pockets today!

ANYTHING IN YOUR MOUTH?  At the moment, no...

EVER HURT YOURSELF PLAYING WII?  I guess I'm sorta boring...I've never actually played Wii!

DO YOU HAVE FRECKLES?  Yes.  When I was little, I hated them until a lady I knew told me they were "angel kisses".  Then, I didn't mind them so much.

HOW MANY LANGUAGES CAN YOU SAY "HELLO" IN?  3.

CAN YOU DO THE ALPHABET IN SIGN LANGUAGE?  Give or take a couple letters, yes. :)

WHAT CAN YOU HEAR RIGHT NOW?  Just my computer.

EVER BEEN OVERSEAS?  No, but someday...

ARE YOU CLOSE TO YOUR SIBLINGS?  I don't actually have blood-siblings.  I have 2 step-sisters that live in Kentucky.  I don't see them often, but they're awesome.  And I have a sister-in-law that I love to death.  I would definitely say we're close. :)

Rachel Leftwich-Squared...and my niece, Emma.



 

WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST JOB?  Babysitting. I don't remember how old I was, but I couldn't drive yet.

WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE YOUR NAME TO?  Mom.

WHAT MAKES YOU THE MOST HAPPY?  Him.