Who's in the Kitchen????

Preparing meals for my family has been one of those things I either love or hate and usually it is hate.  Many times I've whined, 'I just wish I had a cook to make our meals and I could just sit down with the family and be served!'  Day after day, thinking up breakfast, lunch and dinner for 6 hungry mouths, month after month, year after year.... It NEVER ENDS!!!  Needless to say, it's not my first love huh?  Instead of having a grateful heart each time I contemplated what to make, thankful that there is food in the fridge and pantry (usually), thankful for each day I have with my husband and my dear children - instead I've usually whined.

But God works in funny ways .... because of our commitment to chew on the FOOD that truly SUSTAINS & NOURISHES after eating this earth's food, I first had to START serving this earth's food.  Funny huh?  But yet where God leads us, He always provides and encourages.

BSF set the ground work for me, because this past month or so, I've been chewing on what it means to be a servant as He spoke of in John.  Serving selflessly to my family, my first ministry.   It's so easy, as a mom, to somehow end up at the thought of "What about me?  Who's taking care of me?"  This world and the deceiver love it when we set up our camp in this thought too.  And over the past 4-5 months, God has been reassuring me time and time again that HE is taking care of me and every time I serve my husband or my children because I love them and set my desires aside, He reminds me that I am living out John 3:30.  And God has blessed me in abundance when I think of how relationships are being strengthened in our home, I love more and the love just multiplies.

Next God gave me the successful bread experience, giving me the boost my ego needed that maybe I could truly do this thing.  And then God led me to another blogging mom, who homeschools, and cooks for her family and loves it.  Loves it so much that she posts recipes online and has a cookbook out (that I want to get!)  The Pioneer Woman has a recipe section and step by step pictures that made me excited to give some recipes a try.  I chose a recipe that I thought my spice-loving husband would enjoy, Cajun Chicken Pasta.  I quickly took stock of what I had for the recipe and what I could substitute and what I would need Ted to pick up on his way home, and I began.   Isn't there a saying like, "No better time like the present"?  I doubled the amount of chicken (b/c we're carnivores here in the woods) and I decided to not get the peppers and onions (b/c moneys tight) (or maybe b/c it scared me) and I kept calling Ted, hounding him to find out when he'd be home with tomatoes.  He was a little annoyed I think until he walked in the house, smelled the cajun and he said, "My wife's a cook!"

The verdict from everyone was yummy (except Ben, who had a loose tooth and just sat at the table looking at his plate afraid to eat).

I am so thankful that we have a God who never stops growing us, even in the mundane - day in, day out duties of our lives!  (notice the homemade french bread on the table too, my mom would be so proud!)