Friday, May 25, 2012

Happy 5th Anniversary!!!

So, I actually started this Post on May 19th, the day of my anniversary, but..... LIFE HAPPENED! Better late than never. 

On this glorious day, May 19th, 5 years ago, the Heavens Rumbled and the Angels sang, as Amber and Mike Thornton were joined together in Holy Matrimony! 

Okay, I am exaggerating a bit. But on this day 5 years ago, my eye's, heart, and soul, wouldn't have told you any different. And honestly, it still feels the very same way. 

I remember the night before crawling into bed with my mom (I am not one known to do this) because my stomach was in knots and my soul was restless. The anticipation of a new life before me was much too overwhelming. The heavens were coming into alignment and I knew it was going to be a supernatural day, as I knew the Lord had destined this day even before the foundations of the earth. 

So in honor of my anniversary, I would like to honor the Man of my dreams. As I strolled through Target in search of an anniversary gift I knew not one thing in that store would satisfy the soul of my Man. "Toys" have never been a desire of his. And that is one of the reasons why I love Him oh so much. 

And then it came to me, and accolade would appease him much more than the latest gadget. 

So.... Mike, I would like to take this moment and proclaim through the internet waves, the 10 things I love about you! (I thought about doing 5 since it's our 5th, but you deserve more!) 

So here it is.... 

  1. Your Love with the Lover of our Souls. Although your quite handsome, the deep richness of Jesus that permeates out of your very being attracted me to you, as I choked on my doughnut (inside joke). 
  2. Your commitment, not just too me, but too Him. Nothing has ever rattled your relationship with the Lord. Even when things seem unstable, I know I can trust that you hear HIS VOICE, and that is the most comforting thing!
  3. Your desire to Please HIM! (Okay, I know these are all about Jesus, but I think that says a lot about you!) In all circumstances, you desire to do His Will, and I admire that!
  4. Your ability to love me on my ugliest days. No matter my mishaps, you strive to bring Joy to my most un-prettyiest moments. 
  5. Your the best DADDY in the WHOLE WIDE WORLD! And I am willing to bet everything I own on that! We have three little girls for a reason! God knew you would love them as He loves them. Girls are special and it takes a special man to love them! :-)
  6. You care about the little things in life, which are really the BIG things. For example, you take the time to write LONG love notes in our anniversary cards. A girl loves these things.... don't we ladies?
  7. You step up and do the un-pretty things, like changing poopy diapers, bathing the girls, etc. Most men consider that below them, but you do it in pride and exuberance! and for that I am greatly thankful. You truly are a partner in this thing called "life".
  8. I love how you love your family (Brandy, Mom & Dad). I know this sounds redundant, but I am meaning your immediate family. Your loyalty to them is encouraging. Your faithfulness is breath taking. I can't wait to hear the amazing things these girls are going to brag about when it comes to their Daddy, when they get older. You are setting such an amazing example for them.
  9. Your passion and zeal for life is CONTAGIOUS! I love how you LOVE LIFE! It's the main reason I married you. Before I married you, I was so tired of "depressing people" and the redundant every day life. Walking this Journey with you leaves me excited and anticipating the NEXT BIG THING with God! I live for that!
  10. Lastly, but surely not least. Your presence in my life has brought so much healing. God knew I needed you! You've taught me that it's okay to cry. It's okay to be excited. It's okay to move forward in life, not forgetting the past, but being healed from it. Thank you for being that supportive husband that propels me into my Destiny with God. 

I. LOVE.YOU.


Here is a throw back.... Feels like just yesterday... My love has deepened so much for you. 


For our actual anniversary we spent 12 hours at Bush Gardens, ALONE! AHHMazing! I've not uploaded those pics yet, so thats gonna be a whole different post. :-) 





Friday, May 18, 2012

A Little Daddy Daughter Loving for Your Viewing Pleasure: 

Daddy and "Sweet Cheeks"


Daddy and "Sissy" 







Daddy and "Little Momma"


And a sweet one, just because she is so dag on cute.

He's such a Good Daddy! It's takes a good Man to love all these girls! We love you Daddy!


Happy Friday!!


Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Spicy Shredded Pork (Pioneer Woman)

Now, what better way to begin my food blog, than with none other, a Pioneer Woman recipe. I hardly ever have one of her recipes fail me. They are so fun and easy to make, and you will wooo your husband all over again.

Now, let me just say, I, in a million years would have never thought to cook pork. Maybe a pork chop, but not a pork shoulder.

 I am sold. I want pork and more pork and more pork. Okay, not that much as I would like to see my grandchildren grow up. But this recipe is so easy that you may need to start excising some serious self-control.

Here is what you will need.

One 5 to 7 pound Pork Shoulder

One whole onion, quartered
1 tablespoon of Chili Powder
1/2 C Brown Sugar
4 Garlic cloves, peeled
1 teaspoon Dried Oregano
2 teaspoons Ground Cumin
1 to 2 tablespoons salt, to taste
Black pepper 
3 tablespoons of Olive Oil
2 table spoons of White Wine Vinegar

Here is a glimpse of some of the ingredients. :-) I like visuals, a lot.


**(The online recipe calls for Lime Wedges and Tortillas, but I didn't need them since I added my own twist to the recipe. to be continued.....)**

Preheat your oven to:



Now don't be ashamed, unwrap her. She won't bite. 

And give her a bath. No soap of course. 


Add all your ingredients into your Food Processor.

Onion, Chili Powder, Brown Sugar, Garlic, Oregano, Cumin, Salt, Pepper, Olive Oil, and Vinger. 


Pulse her until she looks like this.

Pour this mixture over your new best friend. And give her a massage, free of charge. Make sure you get intimate all over. Don't want any bicep gettin' jealous.

Time to take her home, in your Dutch Oven. Add two cups of water and Proclaim in a loud voice,

     "IT IS FINISHED"


(a dutch oven is what you will need for you are slow cooking her for 7 hours in your oven)


Transport her to Heaven or your oven, whichever is closer.

Set your Oven Timer. I live by mine, you don't have too, but it makes life a lot less complicated.

 And yes that is right, 7 hours long. It makes you feel like you worked hard. 


Now fold laundry, or do what I did and have a NetFlix Marathon.


PW tells you to turn her every hour, but honestly I think I did it three times in the 7 hours and it was perfectly fine. 


PW also says to have it cook for 6-7 hours and if it is Fork Tender increase your heat to 425 degrees and roast uncovered for 20 minutes. 

I cooked mine for the full 7 hours and found the skin already nice and crisp, so I skipped this step. 

So wait.
wait.
wait.
wait.
wait.
wait.
wait.
sniff.
wait.
drool.
wait.

And then sub come to your fleshly desires and resurrect that baby. This is what she should look like.


Pat yourself on the back as you discover her Fork Tenderness...


I shredded her and added her to a casserole dish and added the juices from the pot onto the meat. At this point I release you to your own creativity.

Being an Eastern North Carolinian... Okay, I am not really, my husband is, but we're "One" right? We find that a few ingredients are deemed necessary when it comes to Pork. Proceed with caution.

Meet Vinegar and Texas Pete. As you can see they are favored guests in our house. In North Carolina they use a famous Vinegar sauce on their "BBQ" Yes, BBQ is Pork in Eastern NC. I learned this the hard way... I do not yet have a recipe for this vinegar sauce. If you do, PLEASE SHARE! Till then though, I promise you these two suspects will do just fine.

Now, like I said before, PW does her recipe a little different. Click here to discover her kind. And you could also use the limes and tortilla as a "Take Two" recipe. I would have done that, but the Vinegar and Texas Pete overtook our lives, leaving no man left behind. We are addicted too BBQ Slaw Sandwiches and can eat them for days. And all North Carolina Natives said, "AMEN!".

Check out our "Slaw Sandwich." I have to give credit, where credit is due. "The Preacha" did this when I wasn't looking and I caught on very quickly, and you will too. (That kinda Rhymed)

This "slaw" I purchased from Harris Teeter. It's delish and perfect for your "BBQ Slaw" Sandwich. You could step even more into your PW spirit and make your own, but with three little ones "The Preacha" is lucky to get a cooked Pork Shoulder. 

Go on, Dive into her sweet and tangy devilishness and have no regrets!


Now that you have all the steps, you may proceed with exuberance and excellence! Please subscribe to my blog, as many more recipes will be following. If you have a suggestion, I would love it! If you actually do this recipe, please comment! Any questions or issues, please let me know, I would LOVE to help you  troubleshoot.


Now what are you waiting for... Get ya Pork on... 










Monday, May 14, 2012

Momma Day Love

This mother's day was full of contentment for me this year. My three baby girls are all I want, and all I need (besides Jesus and my "Preacha"). I honestly can't imagine my life without them. What better way to introduce myself as a blogger, than showing you the loves that make my clock tick.

Here we go.

Introducing my oldest and she is proud of it, "Sissy"... 

My middle child who plays that role fantastically. It's amazing how children know these things. You all will know her as, "Sweet Cheeks".  

And my youngest. I could have 10 more of her. This little lady could eat you with her eyes. Introducing, "Little Momma"...

And last, but certainly not least. My Prince Charming! My Romeo! My Hero! My Superman! Okay, y'all get the picture! LOL. The love of my life, "The Preacha" (he asked for this pen name and if you have ever met him, you would agree that it fits him well.) 

We recently graduated with our Master Degree's together! Certainly just as good as our Wedding Day! At least it felt just as good.

And you didn't think I would post without a family pic did you?
And incase you were wondering my fabulous friend and photographer Shauna did these photos for us. 

The purpose of this blog is too bring you moments of my life! I plan for this blog to be multi-faceted, although dominated by many, many, recipes. Some posts will be sweet moments of my days as a Stay at Home Mom but the majority will be of Recipes! I want to try them, share them, and let you know if their worthy of your skillet. 

Honestly, I am predominately made up of spontaneity. Schedules don't like me. So I can plan recipes, recipes, recipes, and this blog would consist of babies, babies, babies. See where I am going with this? So my goal is too give you both. Who doesn't like pictures of cuteness while reviewing recipes. :-) 

P.S. I have an obsession with the Pioneer Woman. Don't say I didn't warn you. 


My Mother's Day Roses. I. Love. Him.

The end.