Summer Vacation 2011: Day 1

For vacation this year, I was really wanting to take Ken back to Eureka Springs since Michelle and I had such a good time. I knew he would enjoy staying on the lake and the town is just so quaint. We weren't planning on taking our week-long trip until the fall, so we were definitely in need of a little get-away. This, to me, was a perfect place for us to go. (I have to throw in that this was really the first time I used tripadvisor for everything! It was such a handy tool...I encourage anyone who is traveling to check it out!!!).

We stopped in Tulsa to drop our "kids" off with my parents (Ruger and Lexis) and were on our way. Its really a pretty drive once you get into the mountains of Arkansas. Our first stop was lunch! We ate a late breakfast, but were ready for lunch by the time we got there. I had read some really great reviews of Caribe (they don't have a website, but you can see here for reveiws). They did not disappoint! We actually split two appetizers, the Jalapeno Pie and this salsa platter that comes with 7 salsas, homemade corn chips, and homemade flour tortilla strips. It was really good! I also had a margarita, which was probably the best I had the whole weekend. Definitely a place to return to. After lunch, we stopped at one of my favorite places, The Mud Street Cafe. Best coffee and desserts!!!!!!I wanted to show Ken around town like Michelle and I usually do. As we drove through downtown, he wasn't that impressed. Its small and overly crowded. He wasn't much for being out in the heat with all the people. Michelle and I went at the BEST time b/c school wasn't out and the lake crowd hadn't started coming yet. (My advice to anyone wanting to go is to plan your trip in May before school lets out or in September-November). I was a little disappointed by this b/c I love this little town. I tried to get us out of the crowds and took him up to The Cresent Hotel. We walked around a little bit to see everything and then ended up on the 4th floor at their balcony bar for a drink.

These pictures were taken at the chapel that sits right below the hotel. I love walking around this place b/c they have statues that play out the entire crucifixion of Christ.And, here is our view from the 4th floor balcony of the hotel. You can see the Christ of the Ozarks perfectly! After getting a feel for everything in town, we headed to Holiday Island where we would be staying. I never realized that it was its own little town...I just thought it was a neighborhood/golf community that was part of Eureka Springs. This was my 4th time to stay out here (for rental information click here and then click "accommodations" on the top right), but Ken's first. We rented a house that sat about 100 yards from Table Rock Lake. It was great! I think being out here was our favorite part of the trip!

This little guy was at the door to greet us when we got to the house. :) He was actually there every single time we came back to the house. Him and a little bunny. I named them George (the lizard) and Mertyl (the bunny). Once we got settled into the house, we walked around the property and then drove to the marina. We really wanted to rent a boat and talked to them about what they had to offer. We were excited to book one of their rental boats for Saturday afternoon!

One of our favorite things to do when we go somewhere is to drive around and get a feel for the place. We like to look at houses and the community. We spent quite a bit of the late afternoon wandering around Holiday Island.

For dinner, we went to another one of my favorites in Eureka Springs, The Garden Bistro (Again, no website, but here is the review page). This place has such great food...and I love that most of their ingredients are raised/grown right in Eureka Springs.After dinner, we were ready for some down-time. We headed back to the house, exhausted and ready for some TV and sleep!

My Favorite Side Dish!

I'm joining up with Kelly's Korner Show Us Your Life - Side Dishes. I love cooking and sharing recipes, so this was fun to add to. I'm posting and entire recipe b/c it all goes together, but the Coconut Rice is FAB-U-LOUS!!!!!! Its definitely our favorite side dish!!!

Island Chicken with Coconut Rice
Recipe by The Hungry Housewife-Leslie Green
Serves 4

COCONUT RICE

1 cup White Rice
1 1/2 cups Coconut Milk
1/2 cup Water
2 Tbsp Butter
2- 2 1/2 Tbsp Sugar
1/2 cup Toasted Coconut
Pinch of Salt and Pepper

In a medium sauce pan with a tight fitting lid, combine water, coconut milk, rice, and butter. Bring to a boil, stir once. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove for heat and let stand covered for 5-10 minutes longer. Remove the lid and add the sugar, toasted coconut and salt and pepper.

AVOCADO/MANGO SALSA

2 Mangos, cubed
2 Haas Acocados, cubed
1/2 Red Onion, finely diced
1 Tbsp Honey
Juice of 1/2 Lime
Juice of 1/2 Lemon
1 1/2-2 Tbsp Cilantro, finely chopped
Salt and Pepper to Taste

Mix all ingredients in a bowl, cover and set in fridge while you prepare the rest of the meal.

BRINE AND CHICKEN
1 1/2 pounds Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
3 cups Water
Zest of 2 Limes
Juice of 2 Limes
1/2 cup Kosher Salt
1/4 cup Honey
2 Tbsp Cumin
1/2 Tsp Red Pepper Flakes

Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and stir until the salt is dissolved. Add the chicken into the brine, cover and pop into the fridge for 20 minutes. Preheat grill. Remove the chicken from the brine and rinse under water. Pat dry. Grill the chicken for about 10 minutes on each side or until internal temperature reaches 170.

In The Media

My brother and his family did a photo shoot for Saied Music in Tulsa. I love that the company is promoting family and getting them away from the TV!!!The poster below will actually be published in Tulsa Kids Magazine! Its my nephew, Mason. So excited for all of them!!! :)

Luvin Loud Ministries

My good friends, Craig and Tashia, have set out on a journey of 100% ministry! YAY!!! I'm so excited for them and the journey God is taking them on in this life. They have had a ministry dream for quite sometime and the Lord is finally bringing His perfect timing to their dream. Craig's first album is OUT! Its great and their testimony is just unbelievable!!! I was fortunate enough to do a photo shoot with them for their ministry. Check out their website (its very new, so keep checking back b/c they update it all the time!): http://www.luvinloud.com/

Why Do We Lie To Ourselves?

Hey All! My friend, Abby, is guest posting right here on my blog today! I'm so excited for you all to "meet" her and be encouraged by her. She is a gifted writer and loves the Lord with everything in her. She has been such a blessing in my life. I pray that you take the words she's written and allow them to change your life today.
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LYING IS EASY, BUT GOD…

Abby Kelly - writer, Army wife, God-lover, truth-teller

Face it. Lying is harder than telling the truth. The truth simply is. You don’t have to make it up, cover it up, or worry about slipping up. So why do we lie? So we don’t have to listen to the truth. Because we can make up our own independent truth. Because the truth exposes us. Because we are sinners.

Listen. My husband motioned to the right. “We have to take exit 63,” he said confidently. “You’ve never been there before,” I argued. “Just let me drive.” After a U-turn, a dozen unnecessary lights, and stony silence, we arrived at the movie theater. Wouldn’t it be easier just to listen in the first place?

Independent. This morning I presented my husband with three options I am facing. “I need your help, what do you think I should do?” Without looking up from his book he replied, “I don’t know.” Then facetiously, “Follow your heart.”

A few hours later, I presented my problem to God.

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? I the LORD search the heart and test the mind, to give to every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.” Jer. 17:9-10

Post-modern culture screams that every man may determine what is true for himself – regarding life, eternity, sexuality and more. Since the garden of Eden, man has been chafing for the right to create his own truth. But, anything, independent of the word of God is a lie.

Exposed. The truth condemns sin. No matter how good we are, it exposes us as frauds. When Adam and Eve ate the fruit in the garden of Eden, their immediate solution was to hide. They hoped that their lies and leaves would protect them from God’s wrath. “Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.” Eph. 5:11

Sin. There’s no escaping it.

“…among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.” Eph. 2:3

The world is sin-sick and lost. We wallow in our lies and hope that if we believe them deeply enough and long enough, they might evolve into truth. Or, perhaps, we can at least impress our friends by persuading them that our philosophy is the truth.

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” Eph. 3:4-7

Proud To Be An American

Oh, say can you see
By the dawn's early light
What so proudly we hail
At the twighlight's last gleeming.

Whose broad stripes and bright stars
Throught the perilous fight
O're the ramparts we watched
Were so gallantly streaming?And the rocket's red glare
The bombs bursting in air
Gave proof through the night
That our flag was still there.

O, say does that Star Spangled Banner yet wave
O'er the land of the FREE
And the home of the brave.

Impromtu Road Trip

Summer is here and the weather has hit temperatures that are too hot to be outside all day. One Satureday, we were starting to get a little restless. We just couldn't spend an entier afternoon in the heat, so my hubs decided we were taking a road trip. He told me to get ready, but wasn't telling me where we were headed. I was so excited to get out of the house!!!

Once we were in the car, we headed west. I was handed the U.S. atlas, opened to Oklahoma and was told to navigate. haha! He didn't really care where we went, he just wanted to drive west. We generally head east or south, but never have we gone west together....so, today was the day.Our first stop was Hennessey, Oklahoma. I have heard quite a few people talk about "Roosters". Its a bar, but they serve fried chicken and lots of sides. Somehow the owner (or maybe the cook) are associated with the famous Eischens in Okarche, OK. I'm thankful to have something so close to Eischens that is more convenient to get to. The fried chicken was awesome and super inexpensive! Definitely a place we'd go back to. Its family friendly during the day, but does turn into a bar at night. They have a pretty large area outdoors for concerts too.From Hennessey, we continued west on Highway 51 through Okeene and then to Canton. We didn't really know what to do in those two little towns, so we just drove through. I wish we would have at least gone out to the lake in Canton...maybe next time.At Canton, we turned south and headed for Watonga.Once in Watonga, we realized we close to Roman Nose State Park and Resort. We took a little detour to see what they had to offer. The lake was really pretty! They also had horseback riding, a golf course, hiking/mountain biking trails and more!We headed back through Watonga and then on to Kingfisher. We LOVED Kingfisher!!!! We drove around until it was too dark to see anything. We definitely will be coming back here. This little town is great! We can tell they really take care of what they have. Downtown as so cute and there were some great older homes! As we drove through, we realized they were having their annual rodeo! Wish we would have researched a known...I love the rodeo!!!! Next on the trail was Guthrie. It was too dark to do anything there, but we did drive through downtown and around the town a little. We've both been to Guthrie before, but didn't realize how nice/quaint their downtown area is. We look forward to going back there for visit as well.

Our little day-trip was really fun. We both got to see places we'd never been and learned more about our State than we knew before. We both love to roadtrip and this was a great way to beat the heat! :)