Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Wife After God

I recently finished up a 30 day bible study I had been doing on my own called "Wife After God", and it totally blew me away. I wanted to share it with you guys as it was honestly one of the most inspirational and meaningful studies I've done. Whether you've been married for 3 weeks (woop woop for newlyweds) or are about to celebrate your 25 year anniversary this book is an incredible look into what it means to be a wife after God's own heart. Jennifer Smith, the author, really delves into the meaning of marriage and role we as wives are to play in our marriage as a Godly companion for our husbands. I loved how she came at marriage from the perspective that as wives we are to love and serve our husbands through our love and servanthood to Christ. Without a strong bond with Him, we cannot hope to foster a loving marriage.

One thing that I really latched on to from this study was that my actions towards my husband need to be intentional. It's so easy for us to get caught up in their short falls, our own needs, and our own selfish desires within a relationship. However, Jennifer helps us focus those thoughts into a productive and positive channel by showing us that as God loves us and forgives us so should we do the same for our husbands by showing them a Christ-like love daily. I also loved how she made a point to let her readers know that God is the only one who can truly satisfy that longing for perfect love in our hearts. When we can come to understand that God's love for us is infinite and never ending, only then can we truly know what it means to be a wife of God and to try and love our husbands in the same way. This study allowed me to soften my heart and to be so much more patient with my marriage (something I've always struggled with...patience is not a virtue of mine). I can't recommend this book enough to you married ladies out there! It has helped me so much in both my walk with Christ and in my marriage by showing me how to be intentional towards my relationship with my husband in a way that also allows me to fall in love with my Savior once again.

And for you ladies that just can't seem to find enough time in the day for a long Beth Moore type study (for real though, he studies are awesome but gosh darn if they don't take an hour or two out of your day sometimes!) this is the perfect one for you! It has a journaling portion that goes along with each day too which I found to be very beneficial! Oh and it's under $8 if you have a Kindle and can order from Amazon! I hope you ladies will check it out :)

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Saturday, February 22, 2014

Living Local

The weather was so incredibly nice here in the panhandle today the hubs and I decided we would venture out to the local St. Andrew's Farmers Market. Ok, I'll be a little more honest, it was definitely more my idea than his and he was basically dragged there, but he was sweet and indulged me for the morning by carrying around bags of produce and meat ;) I had found this market on Facebook a few months ago and had been waiting until the weather got warmer and more enjoyable before venturing out to see what it was all about. I've always been really intrigued by buying local, fresh, organic, produce and meats and this was a great opportunity to find such items here in Florida.

I definitely plan on frequenting this market.  Everyone was so nice and helpful and they had an awesome selection that I'm sure will only get better once spring and summer gets here when produce is even more in season! If you're from the Panama City area I'd highly recommend checking this place out if it's your kind of thing. There were even stands for local honey (my favorite) and homemade pasta which we bought to try this week!



We got some fresh shrimp right off the boat basically,
which we're both super excited to try!


Most of our haul, minus the shrimp! Notice we found
 some local honey and grass fed beef...yumm!

Love,
The Etheridges

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Healthier Protein Pancakes

Have you been looking for a healthier spin on the classic and well loved pancake? I know you had, that's why I thought I'd share a new favorite breakfast recipe of mine that I found over at Reno Mom's Blog and altered slightly ;) Not only are these pancakes pretty scrumptious for "healthy" pancakes but they can also be altered to suit your tastes and based on what you have laying around the kitchen. I also tried freezing some of them a few weeks ago and when heated back up in the microwave or oven they taste EXACTLY the same as fresh off the griddle. With Little C on the way I'm trying to find healthy breakfast options I can just pop out of our new freezer (thanks tax return $) and heat up in the mornings, otherwise I'll just end up eating cereal every single day...not that there is anything wrong with that I do love me some cereal!

Healthier Protein Pancakes
Ingredients:
4 Whole Eggs (6 egg whites if you prefer)
1 Cup of Greek Yogurt (or Cottage Cheese)
1 Cup Rolled Oats
1 Tbsp. Honey
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1 Scoop of Protein Powder (optional)

Directions:
*Put all ingredients in a blender and blend well. (It will look a little runny but don't worry, that's ok!)
*Pour batter onto greased/non-stick skillet and cook on both sides for 2 min or until done.
*Top with your favorite fruit, peanut butter, or syrup.
*Makes about 7-9 servings


I take the leftover pancakes and flash freeze
them on a baking sheet and then remove and
place in a bag with parchment paper
between each pancake for easy removal every
morning! 
I put peanut butter and fresh fruit on mine in the mornings
to cut down on the sugar intake versus traditional syrup.
Again, the protein powder is optional, but I did notice that it helped make the batter a little thicker and added a little bit more flavor overall. I also used Mexican vanilla that I found at the store here in Panama City (I know, go figure?) and it was delicious and a little stronger than regular McCormick vanilla you get at the store. P.S. If you haven't tried the "Greek Gods Honey Yogurt" you're missing out. It's out of this world. Enjoy!

Love,
The Etheridges