It's that time of year again!

*General Conference*

Every 6 months the leadership of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints gathers together to speak to the worldwide membership. General Conference is held in four two-hour sessions (two on Saturday, two on Sunday) and is broadcast worldwide on satellite tv, radio, and the internet. It's an inspired process, in that the speakers are not assigned topics, nor are topics reviewed prior to Conference.

I always look forward to this time of year. Every April and October we have the opportunity to listen to these inspired words and be rejuvenated for the weeks and months to come! I am so grateful for inspired leaders, a living prophet and a loving Heavenly Father whose ultimate desire is to bless us!

Dreaming of Barns

We have been dreaming of our first home since we got married 3 years ago. Luckily, what we like and see as the "it" home is the same for both of us. We definitely want some land and an open floor plan among other things.

The other day we were driving by some storage sheds for sale along the highway and B said, "How about we live in a barn?" I must admit I laughed and said something along the lines of... "No way, I am not going to buy a dinky old barn and live in it... we wouldn't have central heating and air and it just doesn't make any sense!"

Sandra Bullock's sarcastic "I've always wanted to get married in a barn!" comment from The Proposal popped into my mind.

I figured the only way I would want to live in a barn is if somehow we could transform it into a house. Well... its show and tell time because I have found my inspiration and as crazy as I may sound... I really do LOVE the idea of "living in a barn"...

First, Check out this cute little storage shed turned into a charming craft/office space! I LOVE how they put french doors on the shed!

This swing hanging from the rafters is genius. What kid (or adult) wound't want to have a swing like this in their home?!! I love the open feeling of this space!

I love the idea of opening the "wall" and bringing the outside in...especially on a beautiful spring day, or when you have lots of family and friends over!

This space is very country/lofty... once again... loving the openness!

How cute is the door to this bedroom? Love the style and Love the mustard color!

So simple and unique...just the way I like it!

This would be the perfect bunk house or shared room among sisters.

It looks so refreshing and simple!

Back to the whole "open wall" concept... Keeping the traditional barn-style doors definitely adds some creativity to the space! I just love the idea of opening the doors up like this on occasion. I would want a regular entry door as well.

Loving the look of this barn home. It's modern but still holds country flair.

This barn house is gorgeous! Love the burnt red and all the windows!

This barn house kind of reminds me of an old school house on steroids... I love the contrast between the siding and the garage doors. I also like that the garage is underneath the main level of the house.

Another gorgeous barn. I love the natural wood tones and the land around it!

There is something about this barn that is charming. Maybe it's the shabby chicness of the white paint and the style of the windows. It's simple and comforting.

Who says Red and Green are only for Christmas?! This barn is hands down amazing. The sage green, subtle grayish blue and the bright pop of red is enough to make me head over heals for this place!!

I am pretty much convinced! It may not be our first home...and it may not be our last but someday, some where, some how... I might just find myself living in a barn, willingly and happily!

Our First "Garden".

Garden = a plot of ground where plants are cultivated

This counts... right?! :)

There is not a whole lot you can do with apartment gardening but we are trying our "thumb" at growing a "Bush Goliath" tomato plant! So far I see growth and a few blossoms... lets hope they turn into juicy tomatoes! YUM!

If I prove successful at growing these tomatoes... I plan to start some peppers, herbs and maybe green onions!

A Few-New Discoveries!

I have discovered a few treats this week that I am pretty much in love with! They both sound a bit strange but they are super delicious!

1.) Black Bean Brownies - yep, I know... sounds pretty gross right? I finally worked up enough courage to make these and they are pure magic! I seriously could NOT detect the "black bean" flavor and better yet... the kids that I take care of (very picky) gobbled two - each! J said they were the best brownies he's ever had!! (yesss!) I fooled Hubby and the in laws and they all really enjoyed them as well! I told them the ingredient but did NOT tell the kids! They'd probably never touch them again.

The recipe I used was from a blog called I Dare You To Eat It . I mainly chose this one because it was SOO simple and I didn't want to go through all the trouble of making them from scratch and they turn out tasting like poo. I am pretty sure you can use any brownie mix you want. I used Betty Crocker "Frosted" brownie mix because who doesn't like frosting? Plus, I thought it would help make them look ten times more appetizing given the special ingredient. Another bonus? These brownies are dairy free. No egg or milk needed. I give this treat a HUGE thumbs UP! :)

2.) Homemade Banana Ice Cream - As complex as this recipe may sound... it is probably the cheapest, healthiest, easiest ice cream around! Believe it or not... all you need

is some "banana bread-ripe" bananas, a freezer and a blender/food processor.

This recipe is all over the place but I saw it at Instructables The results? Awesomeness! Two bananas makes about a cup and a half. Drizzle with honey, peanut butter, chocolate syrup, preserves...whatever your little heart desires! Bonus? You could totally get away with eating this for breakfast without justification... your kids will probably think you are the coolest (if they don't already)! This ice cream is 100% dairy free!! Yum!

So there you have it: Black Bean Brownies and Banana Ice Cream. Add them together and you get one super delicious, healthy mega treat!

By the way... I have nothing against dairy products, I actually LOVE them. These recipes just so happen to both be dairy free which definitely couldn't hurt! :)

So what are you waiting for!? Go try them. I can pretty much promise you won't be disappointed... unless for some odd reason you don't like chocolate or bananas in which case... we need to have a talk!

Love,

Amie

"In Cash..."

If you have watched Oceans 13 you are probably familiar with the "Pay Me My Money" scene. If you are not... one of the famous lines from that scene is... "In Cash..."

I tell you this because Hub and I have been saying that phrase over and over today. We've been saying it over and over today because...

We purchased our first car. "IN CASH". We are so pumped!

The lease for my Corolla is up in May so we decided to get a head start on finding a car. We wanted to make sure there was plenty of time to look and less pressure to buy until we find a good deal. We found an AWESOME deal this morning thanks to waking up early and browsing Craigs List. The deal? An '05 Pontiac Vibe - 61k miles - Clean Title - $6350. I haven't taken a picture of it so please excuse the "generic" picture...

I pretty much love it... I call it an S.U.C. (sport utility car). It's in great condition and Paid.In.Full. which makes me love it even more!

There is a lot of power that comes when you pay for things in cash! We are slowly learning and loving the fact that cash = freedom!

Being "Weird" and some favorite recipes.

What does it mean to be weird?

Well... according to Dave Ramsey, being weird = being debt free (minus a MODEST mortgage).

In this case... who wouldn't want to be weird?!

Hubby and I have decided our goal for this year is to get out of the four letter word...DEBT!

It has been our desire for a while to get rid of the crazy bills that we have been slaves to. Yes, when you are making payments on a car, student loans etc... you do not "own" that item. The item simply "owns" YOU! ... yuck. Although convenient at times, financing things can spin you in a whole world of trouble if you are not careful.

Thankfully, we are not in that much debt that it will take a long time to rise above. We have a plan and budget that works for us... and if we continue to commit ourselves to the plan, we will be officially WEIRD by May of next year! Woohooo! :)

I am grateful for this challenge and look forward to the blessings that will come from living a debt free life!

_ _ _ _ _ _

Some Favorite Recipes Right Now

Chicken Cresent Makeovers

(So simple and delicious; I used chopped jalapeños instead of the onion and red bell pepper because thats what I had on hand.)

Creamy Ham and Potato Soup

(A-mazing! This soup is great whether you are following the recipe to the T or as a foundation for your creativity! I have used leeks instead of other veggies, I have left out the ham and tonight I think I'll add some broccoli! Have fun with it and mix things up! It is the best potato soup I have ever had.)

Chicken Fried Steak

(I can't help it... it's comfort food and I like to be comforted. Anyone can make this... way simple, hearty and absolutely fantastic if you are in the mood for some rib-stickin food. I often use chicken instead of cube steak for this recipe. Make sure you pound the chicken flat with a tenderizer before breading it.)

Zuppa Toscana Soup

(this soup is suppose to be a "copy cat" of Olive Garden's soup... I have never had their soup because OG isn't our favorite but this soup was impresive! Very delicious, creamy and hearty.)

I know these recipes aren't the most healthy ones out there but they are the most recent ones that we have added to our "Make Again" list.

If you get the chance to make a few of these meals... let me know how you liked it!!

-Amie

Im in a little love and Im in a little deep.

Valentine's Day is MONDAY..... are you ready!?!?

Hubby and I plan to spend the evening at home, relaxing. I am not the type to be wooed by fancy restaraunt reservations or any of that stuff. I'd much rather cook a delicious meal that we can enjoy in the intimacey of our own home, at our own pace, without interuptions.

Soo... the following is what I am hoping to prepare for dinner on Monday evening...

Gorgonzola Bruschetta drizzled with Honey

Guiltless Chicken Fettucine Alfredo

Carmelized Green Beans

Sauteed Mushrooms

Candied Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies

(w/Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream)

I could go all out and whip up a chocolate fondue... chocolate strawberries etc. BUT, I reallly want to try these cookies and Hubby LOVES bacon... I think it will be a sweet surprise! :)

You can't celebrate Valentine's Day without a love song... so here is one of my favorite quirky love songs by Meaghan Smith called: A Little Love

(By the way... if you haven't heard of Meaghan Smith... be sure to check out her other tracks!! LOVE her!)

Have a great weekend! :)