Two Recipes that Worked

Pinterest inspired me to try these two recipes out this past Saturday.  If you've never heard of Pinterest, you should check it out and just remember that I warned you because it can get really addicting...but also inspiring.

Anyway, to my surprise Justin LOVED both and I thought it may be worth sharing it with you all.  Yes, I was surprised because we can count on one hand how many dishes I've made that he truthfully enjoyed.  If you know me well enough you know that I definitely lack in cooking skills and desire, plus it's hard to beat both of our moms' cooking! 

Here's the first recipe:  

Crock Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
submitted by Erin from The Sisters Cafe
http://www.thesisterscafe.com/2008/12/crockpot-chicken-tortilla-soup-2

4 chicken breast halves
2 15-oz cans black beans, drained
2 15-oz cans Mexican stewed tomatoes
1 cup MEDIUM salsa (not mild)
1 4-oz can chopped green chilies
1 14 ½-oz can tomato sauce
Tortilla chips, not optional :)
2 cups grated cheddar cheese (I prefer sharp)
Combine all ingredients except chips and cheese in large slow cooker. Cover and cook on low 8 hours. Just before serving, remove chicken breasts and slice or shred into bite-sized pieces. Stir into soup. To serve, put a handful of chips in each individual soup bowl. Ladle soup over chips. Top with cheese.

I'm not sure what the consistency is supposed to be, but mine turned out a little thicker and almost like a chili.  You can also find more info on it from readers' comments at the website I've provided above.

This second one is more like a snack or breakfast.  You may have even already tried it, but it was new to me:

PB&J Banana Burritos
http://www.missionmenus.com/cookbook/PBJBananaBurritos

2 Mission® Medium/Soft Taco Flour Tortillas
4 tablespoons Jif® Creamy Peanut Butter
2 tablespoons Smucker’s® Strawberry Jam, Jelly, or Preserves

2 bananas, peeled

Place tortillas on a paper towel and microwave for 10 seconds.  Spread 2 tablespoons peanut butter on each tortilla.
  Add 1 tablespoon jelly to each tortilla. Place the banana near the edge of the tortilla and fold up the ends of the tortilla.  Roll-up and enjoy!

I didn't do the measurements, used TJ's organic PB, and used guava jelly instead (thanks to you peeps in HI that sent it to us!), but it was still yummy!

I know this isn't our usual post of adventures, but this past Saturday was a different kind of one...an adventure staying in.  It was the first Saturday since we've moved here that we stayed in pretty much all day and relaxed.  I was getting over a cold, it was chilly outside so we lounged around the house doing things we haven't really had time for.  Justin actually planned to go golfing, but when he drove down the street it started drizzling so he came back home.  So instead, we rested, read, finished chores, played cards, made cookie dough, organized the bills, Justin played some video games, and I made these two things.  It seemed like a really long day, but I guess this is what happens when you don't have cable TV.  Isn't that funny?! 

A Welcomed Visit

A former Hickam coworker of mine was attending training in El Segundo for those contracting courses and it turned out to be a perfect opportunity for her to come visit me and Justin!  We knew this was a strong possibility before we moved here, so we were thrilled that the day had finally come to reconnect again!

Meet my friend, Debbie!

Bless her heart for driving through LA with traffic and aggressive drivers to come to Ventura!  We did some of my favorite things:  talk, eat, and shop! 

We went shopping at the Camarillo outlets and the Pacific View Mall...or I should say she watched and helped me get some Christmas shopping done.  She was looking for something specific and ended up not finding it, so she was very good and didn't spend a dime!  I wish I could say I do that all the time. :)

Justin joined us for dinner at Souplantation and it was a real treat on a cold night!  If you've never been to this chain restaurant, you should give it a try.  They have a huge soup/salad bar with farm fresh vegetables and make everything from scratch.  Pasta, breads, muffins, chocolate chip cookies, an ice cream machine are also some other things they have all at a very affordable price.  That place is always yummy!  When we first moved here, we ate here at least 3 times in a month.  I would go there every night if Justin let me. Haha!

Sunday morning we got to take her to church with us.  We've been visiting Community Bible Church of Ventura for a little over a month now and excited we got to share that experience with her!  It was encouraging to hear her say she enjoyed it for the same reasons that has been bringing us back every Sunday.

We dropped Justin off at a park near our home, since he wanted to watch some serious soccer players.  We got to watch Tyler (my cousin's older son) play soccer twice and it's been fun watching little 5 year-olds running around on the field.  So, since then Justin's been wanting to watch serious soccer, if you know what I mean. :)   While he watched these men play soccer Debbie and I went to have brunch at a cafe in Oxnard, Cafe Amri.  Another place that was yummy!  Their cinnamon rolls are to die for!!!  I mean they were so good, I couldn't stop thinking about it.  Of course we brought home all our leftovers for Justin to also enjoy.

This rounded up our time with Debbie.  It was so fun catching up and sharing stories on how much our work environments changed from when we worked together in Hawaii.  She's been such a good co-worker friend and I know that's hard to come by, always smiling and bubbly.  We cried and laughed together about life throughout the short 3 years we've known each other, even though it seems like I knew her longer.  We were grateful that we got to share with her a little bit of how our life here is in Ventura and welcome you too to come visit anytime!

Thanksgiving

While in Hawaii, we met some great friends at FBCPC: Mason and Regina. They are from New Mexico and I remember all sorts of stories Mason would tell about things he would do on the weekend and just talk about his life and family back home. It was hard to fully appreciate some of his stories since it was so different compared to life on the islands. Well, a couple months ago while they were visiting with us in California, Mason invited us to spend Thanksgiving with them in his hometown. Rae and I didn’t want to impose, but he insisted that his family would love to have us over. I started getting really excited about going and the next thing you know I was online searching for the flights. It wasn’t long before the tickets were purchased and the countdown began.

Let the adventure begin...

Flew out of Burbank early Fri. morning with a layover in Vegas. This picture of Lake Mead was taken just as we left Vegas.

It was deer season and Mason and his brother each got a deer. This poor guy's head was frozen and awaiting clean up to get mounted.

It was also quail season. I tagged along with Mason and his two cousins and they got a Blue (left) and a Bobwhite (right).

 Feeding time...These cows belong to their family and live out in their back yard. Mason called them "Rae's kids" because Rae fell in love with them. She could just stand there for hours and watch them (and they don't do anything except eat and poop). In a few months, unfortunately for these cows, they'll end up being supper :) The beef will be able to feed the family for the year.

NM has been experiencing a drought and was very dry, but the sunsets were spectacular.

Land is plentiful here. We spent the day riding four-wheelers across thousands of acres of land owned by a family friend. We got to drive through herds of cattle and had to maneuver around cow pies and be careful not to run over any thorns that could flatten our tire.

Out clay shooting on a friends ranch. Growing up on a small island like Hawaii, owning a gun was pretty much unheard of and used only for self-defense or as a weapon . However, out in the country it's more of a tool.

Mason, Regina and his entire family were so friendly and hospitable. Their home was always open for people to drop by and "visit" (a.k.a. talk story). They made us feel at home and welcomed us into their family. We really enjoyed getting to know them.

This was truly a unique and enjoyable experience for Rae and I. Not only was the scenery different, but the lifestyle was so laid back and easy going. I loved it! Nobody was in a big rush. Everything slowed down and the days even seemed longer. This was made strikingly apparent to me when I decided to check my work email one day. My blood pressure shot through the roof and I was starting to get really warm.

Of course when Friday rolled around, that meant we had to say good-bye. It was really sad to have to leave especially since we didn't know when we would see Mason and Regina again. We really felt blessed and thankful that we were able to be a part of their extended family for the week.

Pumpkin Patch Fun

We visited our first pumpkin patch with our California family and it didn't disappoint!  There are many pumpkin patches around us and it's SO cool to see fields littered with bright, orange pumpkins.  It's quite a sight to see!

We visited this one in Santa Paula and was only 10 minutes away.  It was a really nice day and the first time I could wear shorts and a sleeveless top since we moved here!

Justin & I quickly discovered that there's more at the pumpkin patch than just picking pumpkins!  There are pony rides, petting zoos, crafts/antiques being sold, a farmer's market, food (and shaved ice), mazes, live bands, a pumpkin chucker, and hayrides.  There was even a Harry Potter and a shark sighting!  Leaving you with lots of pictures to make up for the lack of posting...

Jennie was Here!

We were SO blessed to be able to spend half of Sunday with our dear friend, Jennie!!!  She was in LA for the weekend on a business trip and was able to squeeze in some time to hang out with us.  Since Justin & I haven't spent a lot of time in LA, we had to solicit ideas on where we could take her.  It ended up being a challenge and realized she should take us around instead because of so many places she's already visited in the area!  We finally agreed on visiting The Getty Villa and Santa Monica.

The Getty Villa was in Pacific Palisades (or Malibu) and is one of the two locations of the Getty Museum.  The Getty Villa museum was dedicated to the study of the arts and cultures of ancient Greece, Rome, and Etruria.  It's comprised of Roman-inspired architecture and gardens, and boy did we feel like we were in Rome!  It was so beautiful!

 

 We visited Santa Monica's Third Street Promenade and were also entertained by a lot of street performers.  The performers there seemed a little more professional by their good talents and their own sound systems.  We got to have dinner at True Food Kitchen, a restaurant Justin & I had discovered in Newport Beach last year.  It didn't disappoint and what makes this place so good is that everything on the menu is HEALTHY and TASTY!

The best part of our day was just the time we had with Jennie!  It was such a short reunion, but we were so grateful for it nonetheless! Jennie never fails to bring so much joy and laughter!  She is one good story-teller.  :)  We always have a good time with her and this time was no different.

 

  Of course we wished Davin and the kids were also here, but we're hoping for a "next time"!

Familiar Faces

We had an amazing weekend! We’ve been looking forward to this past weekend before we even left Hawaii.  Friday, October 7^th was the day that Mason and Regina were scheduled to arrive in San Diego to pick up their car!  We also got word that Rae’s car was ready to be picked up in Long Beach so we took the day off to pick it up. Traffic in LA was bad! It ended up taking us half the day to get the car. On the way back, we decided to stop in Burbank since it was on the way home and IKEA just happened to be there too. Rae was super excited about that and it showed by the number of things we brought home that day.

Mason and Regina were making good time on their drive up from SD, so they ended up meeting us at IKEA.  We were so glad to see a familiar face in an unfamiliar place. They’ve never been to IKEA before so we walked through the showroom so they could fall in love with it as much as we did. Regina especially liked the special drawers that are designed not to slam shut. In fact, they almost close on their own.

After having a quick snack (hotdog + drink = $1) they followed us back to our place.  We had a late dinner at Olive Garden later that evening and got so stuffed with bread, soup/salad, and appetizer that we all barely touched our entrees (which ended up being Sunday’s lunch). By now, we were all ready to crash.

On Saturday, we had to make our way down to LA to see DC*B live in Hollywood!!! For those of you who don’t know, DC*B (i.e. David Crowder Band) is an amazing Christian band. A few months ago, they announced that this was going to be their last tour. When we saw that they would be performing in LA, we jumped at the opportunity to go. God worked it out so perfectly with the timing since we could enjoy the concert with our friends who also happen to love DC*B as well.

Before the concert, we drove down the Pacific Coast Highway (Hwy 1) from Oxnard to Santa Monica. Along the way, we stopped to admire the beautiful beaches and surf in Malibu. Regina even spotted what looked like a dolphin. Although, it wasn’t the bottlenose dolphins that we were used to seeing back home. It was all-black and swam a lot slower.

Since this was Mason and Regina’s first time in California (yes, we couldn’t believe it either) their visit wouldn’t be complete without a visit to Hollywood! So, our next stop was the famous 90210. We drove down Rodeo Drive and were hoping to catch the paparazzi in action. The last time we were here, we saw paparazzi stalking Katie Holmes. Well, we didn’t get to see that spectacle so we continued to the walk-of-fame on Hollywood Blvd near the Grauman’s Chinese Theater and Kodak Theater. Let me just say, there are some “interesting” characters that hang out there. Think Waikiki, where people dress in gold or silver acting like statues.  So here, they have people dressed as celebrities. At first we thought they were legit, as in paid to be there by some company. However, as we got closer, some dude dressed in a green costume (we couldn’t figure out who he was supposed to be) came up to us and just started staring at us and growling. At first we thought that was part of his character, but then he persisted to stare and growl. By then we realized that this is some random guy off the street trying to get attention or freak people out. What gave him away was his costume – some of the stitching was coming off and he was wearing New Balance running shoes. That guy needs to get a life.

After walking around for a bit, we headed to the Hollywood Palladium to park for the concert. We ate dinner at Tender Greens – Rae’s favorite place to eat in San Diego. We finished dinner around 5:30 and the doors were supposed to open at 6. As we were walking back to the theater, we noticed the line wrapped around the block! We finally got to the back of the line which wrapped halfway around the block. While Mason and Regina saved our place in line, Rae and I went to the store to pick up some ear plugs (yes, I know I’m an old man okay). On the way back, Rae spotted David Crowder at the crosswalk diagonally across from us.  Some kid was asking him for his autograph, but there he was less than an hour from the start of his concert going for a walk.  Actually, I think he wanted to get a picture of the Hollywood Palladium sign with all the people in line. He snapped a picture with his cell phone and walked back in.

The concert was amazing! John Mark McMillan, Gungor, and Chris August opened for Crowder. Seeing Gungor was worth the price of admission in itself. They are amazing musicians and their music is hard to describe. It’s sort of a blend of folk, pop, and alternative. They sing and play with so much emotion. Crowder was amazing as well! We had a great spot to watch the concert – it was almost like being on stage. We were in the mezzanine level, right next to the stage. I had a great view of BWack, the drummer, and he was jamming and in the groove that night. The concert ended up being over 4 hours long and we didn’t get home until after midnight.

On Sunday we visited Coastal Bible Church in Ventura. The people were warm and welcoming and the church was small enough that everyone probably knew each other’s names. I noticed that there were a lot of women leading worship (not that it’s a bad thing) only to find out that this was the week of the men’s retreat so that explained a lot.  I didn’t realize it would be this difficult to find a church to call home. Please continue to pray for us as we visit other churches.

Later in the afternoon, we wanted to show Mason and Regina around Ventura so we drove down to the beach next to the Ventura County Fairgrounds and then walked down Main St. We were telling them about an olive store we visited the other week called, We Olive, where you can sample all kinds of olive oils, mustards, and vinegars. We had a really good time sampling everything they had to offer.

For dinner we picked up steaks and potatoes and brought it back home to BBQ since there is a BBQ area right next to our apartment. Mason prepped some rib-eye steak and Grandma’s special potato recipe for dinner. It was so delicious. 

Monday arrived and that meant work for me (Rae was off) and that we had to say goodbye to our good friends. We really felt blessed and encouraged to be able to spend the weekend with them. I remember Mason telling me how special it was when someone came to visit him in Hawaii and now I can totally understand what he was talking about. Good times…

A Divine Opportunity

Some of you may or may not know how our journey here began, so thought I’d share the means that God used to bring us here.

I’ve worked at Hickam AFB since my first year in college and it was there that I decided I would pursue a career in Human Resources.  After graduating from UH, I remained at Hickam in the Civilian Personnel Office and thought I would be working there forever.  It got to a point where I realized I couldn’t see myself working HR in the federal government anymore.  I was so unhappy I started letting my supervisors know and just prayed God would show me what I should do.  It was scary to do both of those things, but I was so desperate.  There were nights where I would come home and cry, venting to Justin.  God never fails us; He definitely started making a way out for me.  My supervisors shared with me that the squadron commander for the Contracting Squadron was looking for potential Contract Specialists and were creating positions that started from the entry level with promotions every year built into them until the maximum performance level.  This was a completely different career field that I really didn’t know too much about.  I got to experience my first interview in front of a panel of four supervisors.  I got the job and this year made three years in that office.

I loved this new job!  I went from working in an office where customers are constantly coming in, your phone ringing off the hook, and your email blowing up to the complete opposite.  Your only customers were for the contracts you were working on instead of the entire base population.  My job consisted of pre-award and post-award functions of a contract between a company and Hickam.  This career field requires you to maintain contracting course credits which you obtain from the Defense Acquisition University.  These courses are a combination of online and classroom training.  The DAU courses are sometimes at Ford Island or off-island. 

I’ll say it again; I loved my job and my coworkers!  Again, I thought I would be there forever!  I was advancing in the career field, obtaining my levels (from completing sets of those courses) and working my way to becoming a Contracting Officer, where you take a test and can sign the contracts, obligating the federal government monies.  Actually, becoming a CO wasn’t and still isn’t my goal.  I love being just a Contract Specialist because there’s still so much to learn…and I don’t want that huge responsibility and liability.

My heart started changing when I was able to go to San Diego for two DAU courses.  Both times I got to drive up to Simi Valley and visit my relatives.  I completely fell in love with California.  I vacationed in California so many times, especially when my sister, Erin, and her family lived there too.  When I returned home in May I got really depressed and yearned to go back.  It was so strange and so I started praying and asking God about it.  I kept sharing with Justin and based on his reactions it seemed like I needed to get over it because nothing was going to come out of it.  However, my feelings never changed and when I continued to talk with Justin, I was saying things that I hadn’t planned, but it was such things that started speaking to Justin.  In one conversation he randomly just pulled up his company’s website and found there was an opening in the Calabasas office.  I was so excited because I had already been praying about the situation and felt like God was providing an answer.  I wanted him to apply, but of course he didn’t.  Later he found out he could transfer instead.  Long story short, he said if I could get a job, then we’ll pursue it. 

I knew in my heart the right thing to do was talk with my supervisor that I was going to start applying.  He’s been really good to me thus far, one of the best you could ever ask for…always encouraging me, rewarding my efforts, and wanting to make sure I’m happy.  The last thing I wanted was for him to find out I’ve been applying by a phone call from someone who saw my resume.  In my daily reading for that day I was on Psalms 32.  When I finished verse 7, “You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.”, I closed my eyes and prayed over my future conversation with my supervisor and naturally worrying about how I’ll be treated after people find out I want to leave.  When I opened my eyes this is what verse 8 says, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.”  Can you believe that?!  I couldn’t!  The conversation went really well and he’s been nothing but kind and supportive.

I immediately started looking, but whatever I could find was in the LA area and Justin didn’t approve of that because of the traffic.  The jobs I could find away from LA were for the Navy and those job announcements are opened for like 6 months and when you submit your resume, you don’t know if and when you’ll hear anything.  I continued to pray; I didn’t pray for God to give me a job, but asked God to reveal what He wanted me to do.  Late one night as I was getting ready for bed, I was moved to check the website.  When I did, a job announcement appeared and was only open for 10 days (indicating to me it was a valid vacancy), in Santa Barbara (away from LA), and the same GS grade as I am!  I was too excited to read the job announcement carefully and just applied.  Several weeks later I was contacted for a phone interview.  After this phone interview, I felt HORRIBLE!!!  I was so nervous and it was so long.  45 minutes is a long time to talk about yourself!  I wish I had spoken eloquently and was just so embarrassed for not coming up with better answers.  I was so sure I didn’t get the job (I wouldn’t have chosen myself!)  I was telling God, “I wish I could say I did my best, but I didn’t!”  Oh, me of little faith… Several weeks later I found out I was tentatively selected!!! It was July 13 to be exact.  That morning, I was selfishly asking God that Justin and I would have something to celebrate besides our anniversary in two days.  Those days of waiting were difficult for us, but God was still speaking.  We would occasionally read Henry Blackaby’s, Experiencing God, devotionals and on July 11 the topic verse was on Hebrews 10:23, “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.”  The next day, July 12, it was on Psalms 27:14, “Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD!”  Then July 13 was the day we got the news.  Isn’t God both amazing and humorous?!  Another HUGE praise was that I learned that the job paid for the moving (PCS) costs for both of us!  When I looked back at the job announcement, it did say that, but since I didn’t read it carefully I missed it.  I didn’t know too much about the job, except for what the job announcement described.  I didn’t know anybody that specifically worked in the Goleta (Santa Barbara) office, but fully trusted that God prepared this for me and rested in that.

I can’t tell you how much He has provided and worked out every detail for us in getting us here.  It’s always easy for me to get anxious and nervous about the unknown, but every time I end up realizing I worried for nothing!  Believe me; I can get worked up over silly details.  The day I reported to the Sepulveda office I wore my first blazer!  Thanks to Erin and Jeannette with my wardrobe and potential outfits.  I’m glad I wore what I did because the majority was what us local folks describe as “dressed up.”  Everyone was so nice, but what amazed me the most was that there were a handful of Hawaii natives!!!  In fact, one of the supervisors in my chain is from Hawaii.  Being from Hawaii with experience in the AF created positive reactions.  It was also nice to hear most genuinely say that I’ll like the Goleta office and its people.

I haven’t been working for almost 3 weeks, so reporting to work has been a nice change.  My supervisor will not be physically located with me in Goleta, but is located at Port Hueneme.  This is where I’ve been working from and will continue to until sometime this week when he’ll take me to Goleta for the first time.  I’m excited to finally go there and see what God has in store!

Did I know this career would take me places, like to California? No. 

Am I ambitious or career-driven?  No. 

Do I have confidence, like most people in this career field have?  No.

What I do know is that with God, He’ll take me places, He’ll give me a sense of purpose, and now more than ever, I’m confident in Him.