Turkey Tacos

Ingredients:
 

• 1 lb lean ground turkey
• low sodium/ gluten free taco seasoning (I like savory spice shops)
• 1/2 small onion, minced
• 8 large lettuce leaves from Iceberg lettuce
• sliced avocado
• diced fresh tomato or pico de gallo
• (optional) 1/2 cup shredded cheese and sour cream

Directions:

Brown turkey in a large skillet breaking it into smaller pieces as it cooks. When no longer pink add dry seasoning, water and onion. Simmer until done

Wash and dry the lettuce. Divide the meat equally between the leaves and place in the center of each leaf and top with your avocado and tomato or pico de gallo... add cheese and sour cream for kiddos if desired! 

Garlic Shrimp and Kale over Cauliflower Mash

Ingredients

• 1 pound of wild-caught shrimp (16-20 size), peeled and cleaned
• 6 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped fine
• 1 bunch of kale
• crushed red pepper flakes
• extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• ~1/3 cup white wine or broth
• juice from 1/2 lemon
• kerrygold butter
• Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
• cauliflower mash (find recipe here)

Remove the stem from the kale. (Fold the leaf in half lengthwise, then use a knife to cut the thick part of the spine away from the leaves.)  Stack the leaves together, roll them slightly, and slice the leaves crosswise into strips. 

Rinse the shrimp with cold water and dry with towels.

In a saute pan over medium-high heat, melt 1 TBSP of butter with a TBSP of EVOO.  Add the chopped garlic and shrimp to the pan in a single layer, and allow to cook for about 1 minute on each side (use tongs to turn the shrimp to ensure they are cooked evenly). When cooked, remove shrimp to a bowl with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Add the chopped kale to the saute pan with the garlic.  Shake in crushed red pepper to taste and a sprinkling of kosher salt. Toss over medium-high heat until the kale is wilted and tender.  Add the wine, stir, and cook until the wine has mostly cooked off.  Add the shrimp back to the pan.  Stir in lemon juice and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, to taste.  Serve over cauliflower mash

Paleo Venison Chili

My Favorite Paleo Venison Chili!

2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 medium onion diced
  5tsp garlic minced
2 pounds ground venison
1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
 1 tablespoon chili powder
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon salt
1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
1 large can whole tomatoes
1 can chicken broth
1 cup water
Directions:
1. Heat skillet over medium-high heat, then add the coconut oil. When the oil is melted, add onions, stir and cook until they’re translucent. Add the garlic and crumble the ground meat into the pan with your hands, mixing with the wooden spoon to combine. Continue to cook the meat, stirring often, until it’s no longer pink.
2. In a small bowl, crush the oregano and add the chili powder, cumin, cocoa, allspice, and salt. Combine with a fork, then add to the pot and stir. Add tomato paste and stir until combined, about 2 minutes.
3. Dump into your slow cooker and add the tomatoes with their juice crushing each one with your hand as you add it, beef broth, and water to the pot. Stir well. and cook on low for 4 hrs up to 8hrs.

Alba's 1st (3rd) Birthday!

Alba Lee is 3! We decided to move her birthdate from the Jan 8 date the government gave her to something that seems more appropriate and more plausible (sister weighed less than 6 lbs when they found her, so no cahnce she was 3 months old).  So, celebrating on April 5th, 3 days prior to her original abandonment date seems to make MUCH more sense!

She decided early on that she'd like to have a Minnie Mouse party and since nails, hair and makeup are her lifeblood, a Minnie's "Bowtique" Party seemed very appropriate!

She loved the party and being the center of attention!  Here are some pics form the night...

Love this last one.... she partied so hard she cashed out, dress and all!  Sweet Baby!!!!

Alba's First Beach Trip

For those of you that know us, you know we're a beach family.  If I never went anywhere else for vacation it would be fine.  I could live at the beach.  Give me sand and salty air anyday.  I swear I think I might have saltwater in my veins.  You get the picture, right?  AND, Mc's the same way.

So, this year when we decided to go to the beach for Spring Break I was a little concerned.  Remember, Alba is wigged out by water.  She tolerates a bath, but getting her face or hair wet sends her into emotional overdrive.  Picture someone's reaction while being stabbed.... that's her reaction to water in the face.  NO JOKE.

I built it up for weeks, "Alba's a mermaid.  Mermaid's get in the water.  Mermaids LOVE the ocean and the pool.  Mermaids get their faces wet."  She played right along telling me all of the stuff she was going to do at the beach.... including get her face wet.  In the back of my head I was of course saying, "yeah. right kid.  That'll be the day.  I'll just settle for you not completely freaking out everyday and making me stay in the room 24-7."

So, we get down there and guess what?  She's a Phillips.  Love it, loved it!!!!  She begged to go to the beach everyday, she got in the ocean with Mimi for 30-45 minutes at a time.  She got in the pool, she paddled around with her little swimmies on.  She was awesome.  She even tolerated water in her face.  I mean, she's not gonna go out and dunk herself under water anytime soon, but who cares!?!??!  The kid didn't make our vacation miserable and she did better than I would have imagined possible.  I'm so proud of her!!!!

 First Step on the Beach

 Sisters First Day!

 Memaid

 Big Swimmer

 Sunset

Bye Bye Beach!

Who Knew 6 Months Could Change SO Much?!?!?

Happy 6 Month Gotcha Day Baby Girl!!!! You've come a LONG way!!!!

Monday, September 19th, 2011


Monday, March 19th, 2012

6 Months

"A blessing is not always easy, painless, simple, comfortable or expected." -Mary Southerland


6 months ago today I left my oldest baby behind to go to China and pick up our newest family addition. I had no idea what I was in for....

I hope the brutal honesty of this blog doesn't offend anyone. But, I want you to know what it's really like. Or, atleast what it was like for me....

It's taken me this long just to get a grip on all the changes that have happened in our family, how adoption has changed each of us, changed the family dynamic, and changed my relationship with Christ. It's taken me 6 months to be able to sit at this computer and blog.

You have no idea what it's going to be like...

You get this child that has 2 years with someone else (Alba was fostered). She has their traits, their characteristics, their rules and morals. She doesn't understand why you get upset when she disobeys and she doesn't understand why she can't have her way ALL OF THE TIME. She wants to control everything because honestly, she can't control anything. She's been ripped away from the only home she's ever known and she doesn't understand why. She has night terrors. She hits. She screams. She purposely pees on herself. She doesn't like to be in a room with the door shut. She loses her mind and acts like you are burning her with fire when you wash her hair. And, it's kinda hard to love her through it.

It seems like it would be easy right? You know the child's background... you know where they came from... you've read the books and realize this behavior is normal... you're prepared. But when they are screaming bloody murder and slapping you across the face, all that goes out the window.

You have no idea how many times I've pleaded with God.... please, let me see what you see. Help me to love her the way you love her. Help me to feel the same way about her as I do about McHaney. I just being honest people. It's been hard. And sometimes, I felt like God wasn't answering my pleas quickly enough. It was a tough 4 or 5 months...

But guess what? God is SOOOO faithful. I cry as I sit here typing, remembering days when I thought, "what have I done?" Then, when the holidays were over and things calmed a bit, I felt my heart start to shift. Things were changing. And now, I realize full well that God has answered all of my prayers.

There is no difference between Alba and Mc in my heart anymore. The love I feel for each of them is the same. I feel what I can only describe as redemption for my hard human heart. God heard my prayers and was faithful.

I'm able to see Alba the way God sees her. My eyes are no longer fogged over with selfishness and dread. I love her full on. She's my baby. God made her for me. She's funny, and quirky, and bossy, and full of life. She loves me more than anything else on earth, except maybe french fries. She's forgiven my faults and shortcomings and accepts me as her Mama even when I fail her.

And that my friends, is unconditional mommy daughter love. That is a blessing.

Thank you God for answering my prayers and for never leaving me even when I doubted...