cinnamonny goodness

stayed home from church tonight.... tummy not feeling too great and got a killer head ache. *bleh* I've been super tired lately too.... I need to start exercising again.. I told Jeremy I was going to start back to the gym on April 1st. He laughed for some reason...then he said "April Fool's?" Ha... My husband is hilarious. I love him SO much. I miss him...seems like we've both been so busy lately we haven't seen much of each other. I hate that. One of these weekends, we're going to disappear, hopefully.
I'm making some amish friendshp bread right now. smells dElicoius. I found some really yummy sounding recipes on www.allrecipes.com for different types of amish bread-even amish pancakes!:) shoot, I just might have to move to Amish land... eh, probably not. I kind of think I might've put an extra cup of flour in... shoot. we'll guess i'll find out when my loaves are over-loafing:) teehee..... this is why I don't bake alot-the whole measuring thing.
since I wasn't feeling good tonight I turned to the easy comfort food. quesadillas. Sometimes i think i'm mexican..but i'm not. plain old whitey. anyways-I threw some cooked chicken, diced some pickled jalapenos, chopped some cilantro & green onions, and some good old cheddar and wha-la. dElicious. I love whoever invented quesadillas. OH... I didn't tell you the best part-the tortillas were homemade from my boss's mom who is a FOR real mexican-not a wannabe like me:) Got some yummy dishes planned this week... Herbed Chicken Parmesan & Orzo, Turkey and Bean Chili, BBQ Chicken & Bacon Pizza....and Ooey-Gooey Peanut Butter Chocolate Brownies. yes I said it. don't they sound amazing? Figure since I've been healthy at Love&Respect the last 2 weeks I'd get crazy this week:)
I finish my first class tomorrow. Can't believe it went by that fast... so tuesday I start General Psychology. Should be intersting.... i'm taking a couple worskshops too, to learn the proper APA style of writing and some other things...pretty proud of myself that I'm actually doing extra:) I never really was one to do more than required when it came to schoolwork:)
We might've found a place to live...downtown:) my old roommate Ninja's place actually. it'd be awesome if it worked out b/c we'd actually SAVE money moving there! I love the place but Jeremy's not sold yet. God will provide for us..He always does. I'm amazed how since we've started faithfully tithing how we still have more and more money left over every month. .... I have NO idea how its happening; but it is:) God is incredible.
anyway. . . it's almost time for Extreme Home Makeover! *sweet* I missed it last week! Well dear friends-have a wonderful evening. until next time.... Loves-a.
look how cute my husband is.... :)

11 days...how did you survive?

Goodness...I haven't blogged in 11 days.. I wonder how all of you survived without reading my witty blogs every day... my deepest apologies.. I guess I haven't felt all that creative as of late..especially with all my school work I've been doing.. . been a pretty busy girl lately. jeremy's been a pretty busy guy... so we're pretty tired this weekend. it's all rainy out..a good night to stay in and snuggle with my honey. this picture is for you baby....:)
great isn't it? seriously..if you need a good laugh to to icanhascheezburger.com/ it's one of my favorite lately:)..... so i guess Jeremy and I are going to start looking for a new place to live once again.... they raised our rent again.. psh... damn the man. ...... anyways-you hear of any good places... let us know.
jeremy just got home with some tasty yuet bistro..so this blog is getting cut short..sorry..... i'll leave you with this picture.....loves you all.

oh what a night

Happy St. Patty's everyone!! Hope you all remembered to wear green today and drink a Guinness!! :) Instead of the traditional Corned Beef (can you believe Jeremy doesn't like it-he's Irish even!) I made an Irish Beef Stew with Potato-Herb Dumplings. pretty darn tasty if I don't say so myself. I didn't get Jeremy's star rating yet.... but soon. yes soon.
We had a busy weekend here at the Coverdale household. Jeremy's band played Saturday night to a sold out crowd at the Cascade. I was so proud of them-they did SO good!! and dang, my husband looked hot up there... I took some pictures with his camera of him...so I'll have to steal them so you can all see how lucky of a lady I am. The Myriad headlined the show..they were good as always. My sister and I were on the side watching, oh so tempted to yet out "SuperWheel!!!" (only old-schoolers will understand.)
Patty (mother-in-law)& Kevin and Scott (brother-in-laws) stayed at our place this weekend. It wasn't bad-but it was kind of hard because I had a paper due today.... and I don't know if you've ever tried to write a paper with 4 other people in the house...but its not super easy..especially because I'm one of those people that needs quiet to really focus. but it was nice to see them. I really appreciate my relationship with Jeremy. We have such a wonderful time together-its so great to see how our life together is different than his life with his family... I don't mean that in a bad way..... but you know what I mean.
We also met up with Gary(father-in-law) & Janice(mother-in-law#2) for a little while Sunday morning. They're great. Janice brought me some yummy Amish Friendship bread as a little prize...yes, along with the starter. So if there are any of you out there that know how yummy Amish Friendship bread is...and want your own starter... I'll be able to split my starter up this weekend...:)
Jeremy and I cleaned the house together Saturday morning for an hour or so...I love cleaning with him. He's so cute in the way he does things...I can't explain it-but i LOVE it. I bought a new welcome mat and some cute flowers too to help spruce up the place! :)Check it out...
pretty cute, eh? I've been wanting to get flowers for the longest time and this gave me a good excuse...plus the weather has been quite lovely as of late...
kind of took me back to when I'd help my mom plant flowers every spring, summer, and fall. we were constantly planting. i loved it. going down to the store and picking out new varieties.. getting our hands dirty..the responsibility of watering and nurturing. i love it. someday I hope to have a house where I can plant pretty flowers all the times. and veggies. definitely a garden.
Dan rocked it last night at the stirring. whew. i don't think there was a dry eye in that building. I loved the message though that came with his story..... God gives us these dreams...and all the while they're not coming true and we're super frustrated and pissed at God..He is still there... if He gives us these dreams-they will come true..just not always how we've dreamed...:)
I love that I've inspired so many of you to start/continue green cleaning. its great. i LOVE it... oh, Rosetta, I know you'll be reading this.... I researched the whole natural fabric softener thing and i was right-baking soda and vinegar. you're supposed to add 1/4 cup baking soda to the wash cycle(softens the clothes) and then 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar to the rinse cycle(this is the part that supposed to get rid of static). anyway. I'm ready to switch after reading all the crazy chemicals that are in those simply handy-dandy dryer sheets... but if you don't want to be so down home you can always buy the natural softeners-just look for the ones that aren't chemical based. seventh generation has one that's canola based I believe.... anyway
enough of that. :) I'm waiting for my honey to get home so we can drink a Guinness together and pretend that we're Irish.

OH-last thing. anyone need an Ice Cream maker? I've got one..brand new, just collecting dust in our closet. I'm going to start implementing the nine month rule. if I haven't used it 9 months (or even seen it for that matter).... I don't need it! it's all yours!
love you all.

have vs. need

its time to give people. we have an abundance of stuff. others go without. i've decided to give the stuff i have to people that need. starting off.....
i have a bmx bike. i've had it for 6 years and rode it probably 1 1/2 years of those. i got it when i lived in chico, where everybody rides their bike. anyways, its a Specialized 415. pretty sweet. robin egg blue. probably needs some new tubes (judging from the flatness of the tires) and some new grips. other than that I'm sure it'd be great for some little guy/girl. its a pretty heavy bike though-not really for jumping, unless you got a little muscle man on your hands. anyways. i don't need it anymore. i would love to bless someone with it...because lets be honest-riding a bike when you're a kid is one of the best memories ever.
let me know people.

The One you love

i guess i took an unexpected vacation from blogging. its been a busy couple of weeks. I've been exhausted lately and I've narrowed it down to a few reasons. 1)lack of exercise. seriously, why do i have gym membership when i never go. this week it starts again. I'm going to commit to working out at least 4 days a week. 2) lack of healthy eating. true I've been eating my fruits and vegetables every day but I've also been eating some crap food more lately. i can feel it too. all that processed stuff-just not good for me, or anyone else for that matter. 3) school work. i forgot how much school demands out of you. I've gotta get better at managing my time i guess.
Jeremy and i have busy weekend coming up too. His band is playing at the Cascade Saturday night...which means we've got lots of family coming in to town. Jeremy's mom and brother are coming down from Seattle, his dad, step mom and brother are coming up from Sacramento-and 3 of them are staying at our little apartment:) Full house! I'm not used to that-i kinda wigged out on Jeremy last night. whoops. it'll be okay... I've just got to get my cleaning done and get my paper done today or tomorrow that's due on Monday.
I'm watching Martha Stewart right now. she kind of drives me crazy. but she does has some really good ideas. i sure do think it would be fun to have my own cooking show.. speaking of cooking... its been a good cooking week.. i think i got 5 stars from Jeremy all week long! *sweet*..lets see, Sunday was Turkey Sausage & Caramelized Onion Risotto... have you ever made risotto? total pain in the ass! but definitely worth standing over the pan stirring for 30 minutes! Monday we went over to Jill and Erich's for BBQ burgers-I love homemade burgers... SO much! Tuesday I made Peanut Crusted Chicken with Pineapple Salsa over at Jonesy's house.. SUPER good, and quite easy-we like that! Wednesday i made a Zucchini Sausage Skillet-another mom meal, well it made me feel like a mom, especially because its a sneaky way to get us to eat our veggies:) Last night I made Baked Mostaccioli, which is pretty much a cross between lasagna and baked ziti. Delicious..and once again easy....:) I got my new Rachael ray this week too-so next week promises to be another five star week:) here are some pictures of the dinners (not taken by Jeremy.. just off the websites..:)
I've been reading the Irresistible Revolution as you know. This book is changing my life... it also is starting to drive me crazy that other people aren't seeing things the way I see things. It's really made me love people alot more.. all the people-even those I consider enemies or people that would never be my friend.. God created them too-so why shouldn't I love them? Here's a part of the book I think I incredible...:
"Look into the eyes of the tax collectors as they sue you in court. See their poverty and give them your coat. Look into the eyes of the ones who are hardest for you to like, and see the One you love."
small things are easy ways to show love. the other day I took a sick coworker some soup and juice because she couldn't leave her house. sure it was "out of my way" but c'mon people!!! we need to make more time for our fellow friends that roam this earth. I felt so good after stopping by her house-that's what love does to you-it lifts you up. kind of like Red Bull-it'll give you wings.
well friends... I've gotta get going on my laundry and my "green cleaning":) I love you Rosetta and how you've joined the green revolution. Little things we can do to help our environment..its easy being green:)

just another manic monday....

I've wanted to blog about a few things for a while but have completely forgotten up till now...so here i go.
the other day I was leaving our apartment to go to the grocery store...as i was walking down the stairs i saw Daniel, on the grass, laundry basket next to him. You might be wondering, who the heck is Daniel? i bet you know him. i bet you've seen him. He's the guy riding the 3 wheeler all over town with the umbrella and the blaring boom box on the back. He's the one that waves at you-no matter who you are, he's happy to see you. He's also the one that got attacked last fall-by a stranger, who is now sitting in the slammer. I think he has cerebral palsy. but i could be completely off. well, Daniel has lived at Manzanita Manor the whole time I've been here. completely on his own-with his kitty cat keeping him company. i always seem to run into him in the laundry room and it always brings me joy to say hello to him, and in his quirky, darling voice he asks me all kinds of questions. I wonder if most people are patient as I am with him-or do they just pretend that they understood what he said, and give a quick reply, and out they go. why are we so afraid of the mentally handicapped or disabled? we're the same in God's eyes. the same. no different. anyway-back to my story. he'd fallen on his way back to his apartment and was just sitting there. I'm not sure if he was waiting for someone to help him or how long he'd been there. maybe it just happened or maybe he was trying to figure out if he could get back up. I called out "do you need some help Daniel?" ..."do you mind" he replied. "of course not!" so i walked over and grabbed his laundry basket and offered my hand to help him up. he was grinning ear to ear... i felt so happy inside. i walked with him to his apartment making small talk all the way..he told me about how he was going for a bike ride when he was done with his chores and how pretty the sun was that day. simple things people. simple things bring heaven to earth. tangible.

thing number 2. i have these few grey hairs that have somehow grew quite long. they are right smack dab in the middle of where i part my hair. quite noticeable (i think) but probably not to other people. i wonder if God is checking in on me... I say that I'm not a person too into looks...and that i want to keep things as natural as possible. trying to abstain from the fashion before function sense of society these days. Jeremy asked why i don't just pull them out. is he crazy!?!?! duh! that totally means 2 more will appear!:) old wives tale. but anyway, I've actually kinda became fond of my grey strands...they kind of glisten in the sunlight. i think I'll keep them. grey is the color of wisdom is it not?

thing number 3. i registered to vote the other day..i know what you're thinking... "Amy, you're 26 years old and you're just now registering to vote." quite frankly, yes. up till now, i could care less about politics and who was running for president. i never followed the primaries or knew about all the propositions and what not. but this year, for some reason, I've became passionate about our country in a political way..if that makes sense. but I don't like to talk about it really-because people get so pissed off if you don't want the same person for president. not to say who I'm going to vote for....because i don't want to impress my opinion on any of you fellow readers, but you should probably watch this video now....




its really weird b/c my parents are republicans and always will be.... and they can't believe that I wouldn't vote the same as them. I've tried to explain my generation's passion to change things...to fix the problems their generation created and passed generations..but it all seems useless. anyway...

i made homemade applesauce tonight. it was DE-licious. Jeremy wasn't too sure about it...but then again-it was his first experience with homemade applesauce, still warm and chunky (just how i like it)... anyway if any of you would like to know a lovely, easy recipe for some, hit me up.. I'll come over and help you peel the apples because that's really the hardest part. for dinner, i made a Turkey and Roasted Red Pepper MeatLoaf..but i'd much rather call it a meat crumble. 4.5 stars from Jeremy though. it had GREAT flavor and I quite enjoyed it..even if it kinda fell apart. Thanks to Rosetta for letting me borrow the new Real Simple where I found the recipe.
on that note... I think I shall go for now. Jeremy is gone at band practice and I think I'll clean up the house a bit and then work on some reading for school. take care all my little friends out there in blogworld. i love you all. i do. you are beautiful.

oh..p.s. have you guys all read the Irresistible Revolution? because if you haven't. you need to. i'm just finishing it and i'm planning on reading it again as soon as i finish.:)
goodness, i had alot to say tonight:)

you've got the whole world......... in your hands.

tonight was good for me. God really spoke through Nathan tonight... in incredible ways. I can't even explain it...but I am pumped. pumped about the dreams God has given me. pumped about the passions He has blessed me with. pumped about the amazing life He has given me with Jeremy. seriously- I am SO blessed. I have been selfish for too long with my life-its RIDICULOUS! we have so much, yet we're always feeling like God hasn't given us as much as the next person. but why would He give us more if we don't do anything with all that He's blessed us with. . . Jeremy and I have talked about when we have a house and a family how we want it to be a place anybody can drop by and we'll feed them, give them a place to rest, a place to shower-whatever. but i want that RIGHT now. I love to give. I love to take care of people. I'm excited about how God is going to use this passion in our lives....
Dan really spoke to me too...well, it was in the form of a flashback. Circa 1999 & 2000 when Dan was in a band called Ember. it was the time of my life that my friends and i went and rocked out to bands like Wistletoe, BuckarooBandits, Sinner Fiend, the Jeremy Project..... and then there was Ember. Whenever Ember took the stage, we all waited in anticipation for God's presence. Dan, I'm real glad you didn't become a professional baseball player-because Redding never would've been blessed with your talented voice and guitar. I think back-all of us hardcore kids, looking all cool, totally all out worshipping when "take everything" came on. I actually just came home from church and listened to it. still has the same power as it did almost 10 years ago. incredible.
isn't it crazy how we think we're not worthy enough to have an impact? or that no one will notice our little life? God says to us, "I gave you this life. You ARE worthy of all that it entails."

"and I long to feel the hands of God on me. Shape me on Your table until I look a little more like you. .................. You are the Potter and I am the clay, in Your hands. No matter how far I run from You, no matter how long I hide. I long to run with You through of fields of gold. Just to feel You, Just to feel You, Just to feel You breathe on me................ You are the Potter and I am the clay. Jesus I surrender. Give You everything.........I will lift my song I will lift my voice I will lift my hands... give You everything. . . .......take everything, Lord...take everything... I'm Yours......." (a little lyric love by Dan Lance... if you are so lucky to have a copy of this EP, put this song on... and just listen.)

cookie monster

hey friends... i'm helping my sister sell cookies for her upcoming lake college graduation..they're raising money so they can have a nice ceremony or something like that.. anyways, lets get down to business. the cookies, well actually cookie dough, come from The Chippery, which is from Otis Spunkmeyer... who in my mind, makes incredible cookies!! so yes, they come in 3lb tubs which makes approx. 48 cookies. 13 bucks a tub-and the awesome part-lake college gets 1/2 of the proceeds! which is really good for the cookie world. so if any of these flavors sound irresistible to me, either msg me, of i'll be at the 5pm service tomorrow.... ok, try not to drool on your computer:
White Chunk Macadamia Nut, Double Chocolate Brownie, Chocolate Mint Chip, Candy Cookie w/M&M's, Peanut Butter, Sugar Cookie, Oatmeal Raisin, Chocolate Chunk, Chocolate Chip, and Snickerdoodle.
seriously....i think they should sell gallons of milk too! so bring a check to church if you're wanting some-jill will send off the order Friday and then I believe she said they'd be here 2 weeks after that. alright...that's all, i've got to go take care of my sick husband:(