Happy Halloween!

Just for fun. Picture of me and my awesome, amazing friend Lauren. So lucky to have her in my life! I love you girl!

I hope everyone has a fun and safe Halloween! Our neighborhood here in Elizabeth City shuts down Main Street which is one block from our house. I am about to head off to the grocery store to get prepared with candy because from what I heard, our neighborhood will be swarming with hungry trick-o-treaters!  People will also take their lawn chairs and line up on the edges of Main Street and pass out candy.

This weekend was pretty low-key. Saturday we watched Breaking Bad when we first woke up, went to the 53rd Albemarle Craftsman Fair (which was amazing! JJ got a "bracer" a.k.a. leather cuff and the guy made it right in front of us) then came home and watched t.v. and picked up Sonic. Sunday we checked out a new church called New Community Church here in Elizabeth City. The people were very warm and welcoming and we plan to go next Sunday. JJ made us spaghetti for dinner and I made Red Velvet Brownies with Cream Cheese icing for JJ to take to work today. I got to watch my Desperate Housewives and then I fell asleep. Each night we were asleep by 11 p.m. Ahhh, the changes life has brought on but I am loving every minute of it.

As far as checking out this new church, it brought up what my beliefs are: I have always been open-minded to others beliefs and discovering my own. I know what I believe and have never been one to shout it out (mainly because I am still working on it) or make someone else feel like their beliefs are inferior to mine. I believe in God. I believe there is a high power greater than me and I didn't just arrive here from spontaneous combustion. I am here with a purpose. Through my life, I have been trying to discover this. Parts of my life have been unfolding (marrying my best friend and true love, reconnecting with friends who made my life full of joy, choosing my field of study because I am passionate about it and hope to make a difference in the lives of the youth, etc). I could go on and on about the blessings that have been unfolded to me. Not many people can say they stand firm with their decisions and let go of the control to something bigger than themselves. I have made my share of mistakes and even though it hurts to look back at some of them, I am just thankful I can recognize them and not make that same mistake twice. I have room to grow and plan to grow each day I am living because if I stop doing so, I don't truly see the point of living.

Enough on the deep stuff, I will be posting some yummy food later!

Sincerely,
Marcy

Butternut Squash Soup...my way

     So I made this on Friday. I made this before with my buddy Lauren and our soup turned out delicious except we had added a little more cinnamon than we had intended but it was still scrumptious! Here is the recipe from AllRecipes.com for "Butternut Squash Soup II".

     Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1 medium carrot, chopped
• 2 medium potatoes, cubed (I used 3 to give the soup more texture)
• 1 medium butternut squash - peeled, seeded, and cubed
• 1 (32 fluid ounce) container chicken stock (I actually made my own chicken stock, see below)
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• (I added ground cinnamon, a couple of dashes)
• (...I added a little bit of Fat Free Half & Half)
  
  
  
  My homemade chicken stock. I made a huge stock pot and froze the rest of use for other soups this winter
  
  I decided to cut up some apples and throw them in to add some more texture and sweetness

Directions

1. Melt the butter in a large pot...
   
   ...and cook the onion, celery, carrot, potatoes, and squash 5 minutes, or until lightly browned....
   
   
   
   It may be hard to see all the ingredients hidden underneath the butternut squash but I promise- they are there!
   
   Pour in enough of the chicken stock to cover vegetables. Bring to a boil.
   Like I said, I used my own chicken stock. All I do is fill up this big ol' pot with potatoes, celery, onions, salt and pepper, water and chicken. I used chicken legs and thighs and I keep the broth I am creating on a rolling boil for about an hour then I let it simmer for awhile. Your whole house will start to smell A-MAZING!
   
   Reduce heat to low, cover pot, and simmer 40 minutes, or until all vegetables are tender.
   
   
2. Transfer the soup to a blender, and blend until smooth.
   
   I use my immersion blender. I bought this (well, technically my mama did!) on sale at Target for $34.00 about a year ago. Great purchase!
   
   
   Return to pot, and mix in any remaining stock to attain desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper. 
   Let me know if you make this and enjoy it! :)
   
   
   
   I made homemade, completely from scratch Red Velvet Brownies with Cream Cheese Icing tonight for JJ to take with him to work tomorrow. I also ended up making homemade Banana Pudding with a twist...I will post these soon! :)
   
   Sincerely,
   Marcy

Yummy Food, Simple Crafts & Me: A Work in Progress

Well, let me start by saying "Good mid-morning!" from Elizabeth City! 

I decided to create a blog with ideas I fall on and/or create...and let me warn you, this can range from..

1. Sewing
2. Foods
3. Holiday Crafts
4. Gift Ideas
5. Home Decor
6. Tips to Make Your Life Easier
7. Self-Improvement/Motivatoin
8. Life as a New Wife
9. .....Yes, the list could go on and on!

 My husband and I just moved to Elizabeth City, NC from Greenville, NC because he just landed a full-time job at the Coast Guard base here working as a ".Net/Oracle Developer". My forte is certainly not in technology as his is but I am working on becoming tech saavy so this is my first attempt. :)

Later today, I am going to make homemade butternut squash soup and will be posting pictures of the steps as well as a copy of the recipe.