he leads me.

“The heart of her husband trusts her…” vs. 11

Becoming this woman is not always easy. Yet one thing that makes it a lot easier is whenever you have a man to lead you rightly. I heard a local  pastor once say that he has never met a woman that was unwilling to be in biblical submission to her husband whenever he was in biblical submission to Jesus. Kaleb makes it pretty easy for me. I desire to be that woman for him because he leads me like Jesus does. He trusts me, and I trust him.

On Saturday night, my roommate, friend, bridesmaid, and fiancé’s brother’s girlfriend (aka…a pretty important gal in my life) and I got all dressed up.

Upon taking cute and fun pictures of ourselves, we drove over to our significant others’ house. When we arrived, Kaleb and Kyler had the house all set up for a candlelight style dinner. They prepared a huge meal for us…

This was the main course…need I say more?

Then we ate, laughed, and talked about life and all that’s within it. I love my future family so much.

I have no doubt that whenever we get married, and I come home at 9pm at night from a long day of work and night class, Kaleb will take care of me. He not only can cook, but cook well. And for that I am thankful.So for the guys reading this you may be thinking: So food is the key to a woman’s heart?!? Wait, I thought that was a man! Yes, women love food. But it’s about the little acts of kindness that serve her so she can better serve you.

I trust his leading…and that helps me be that Proverbs 31 woman.

books and bisquick.

“Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.” vs. 29 (ESV)

My day yesterday consisted of books and bisquick…both of which are quite versatile. The first day of graduate school both of my professors said phrases like, “You HAVE to read the chapters. Or you won’t be a good social worker. Bottom line.” So, my weeks and weekends have been consisting of reading numerous chapters of about 40-50 pages each. I’m realizing that reading this much is an art. A lot of it is repetitious…but it’s versatile. What I mean by that is that all I have been reading so far (despite it’s redunant manner) has come in handy SO much in SO many instances in just my first month of professional learning. I have to write many, many papers and the books I am reading are excellent sources. Their versatility also extends to practice. When we role play in classes, my brain goes back to what I read. Alright Mr. & Mrs. Graduate School Professors: You were right. Reading is one of the best things I can do in my next two years. I feel that being a Proverbs 31 woman is being excellent in all that I do…not just homemaker stuff but also being a full-time student. I want to put my heart into my practice, I think that’s what Jesus did. He lived in the moment and put Himself in what He did. I want my husband to say that many women do excellent things, but you surpass them all.

So this is what I did yesterday in the daytime…

And at night time, I did this…

Yes! It was delicious as it looks.

This is strawberry shortcake. Made with bisquick. Bisquick mix is another versatile thing. Kaleb came over later that evening to chill and watch Lost (which by the way, is my new favorite tv show). I wanted to make something quick, easy, and different. I rememberd that I had just a little bit of Bisquick mix left…so I took advantage of it! I had never made strawberry shortcake before. But I was very happy with the result. I would recommend buying bisquick. It’s not just a pancake making mix…it’s also a dumbling, strawberry shortcake, and biscuit making mix. AND the company even puts those recipes on the box for you! So, next time you go grocery shopping…buy Bisquick. You won’t be disappointed.

Time to feast with the man who helps me relax after a long time of studying.

food brings family together.

“She gets up before dawn to prepare breakfast for her household…”  vs. 15

I really enjoying cooking and admire those great women in my life who can cook like nobody’s business. (my mom, Kaleb’s mom, Kaleb’s stepmom, etc..). Being a graduate student, it is very tempting when I come home from class at thelate  hour of 9 o clock  to want to eat raman noodles and go to bed. Some nights, this is totally acceptable for me. However, I have this new goal to cook one new recipe a week. On average, I cook about 3 good meals a week for myself or others. But most of time, it’s the same staple meals that I know are quick, easy, and most importantly healthy for my body. Things are changing. I will now be trying one new thing a week. In my psychology and social work studies, I have learned that novel (new) experiences and activities keep the excitement throughout the longevity of life among couples. I hope to always bring new meals to the table for my family.

So I will be blogging about my new recipes every week. I have been inspired by Ree Drummond, a classy lady whom I would love to have coffee wth someday. Her blog is http://thepioneerwoman.com/. I will be getting a lot of recipes from there.

I’ve realized that one reason I enjoy cooking so much is because I can channel all of my creative energy into a good meal. Traditionally, meals have brought family and friends together and created a close-knit environment. Kaleb sure appreciates when I cook for him, and I hope to always provide our household that feeling of togetherness and love at the dinner table.

So….last night was my first new recipe that I have tried in a long time. It was good homestyle cooking. I made meatloaf (which I have never made before), cheesy garlic mashed potatoes, sweet corn, texas toast, and fresh garden salad. My sweet fiancé came over to join me. It was a nice feast, and it turned out quite well. During the meal, Kaleb looked at me with those sincere eyes and thanked me for being the wife he wants and needs. Although it made me blush a bit, I definitely realize that I have a lot to learn about being a good wife…and I am excited to learn.

Here were most of the ingredients I used… the meatloaf consisted of wheat bread dipped in milk, ground beef, eggs, grated parmesean cheese, parsley, seasoned salt, salt, pepper,and  bacon wrapped around the entire loaf. The sauce on top was a combination of ketchup, brown sugar, dry mustard, and a hint of hot sauce.

The meatloaf, an hour later, when it came out of the oven…

A happy man with a soon-to-be happy stomach.