Pesto Chicken Surprise

Art is everywhere around here! From the painted canvases and old Bible pages, all the way to the food on our table. Tonight, we enjoyed one of the most beautiful (and yummiest) meals we've ever had here at our house. Take a look:

Yes, I know, I know. It's not presented in a pretty serving bowl placed on a pretty table setting in the middle of a pretty dining room. Yeah, yeah, yeah.... That's boring. It's not only boring, it's not reality. 

So, let's get real. Here's how it was really served:

Yep. There's the "surprise" part of this dinner. Folded Laundry, which is basically another member of the family. Wadded Laundry is also a member. Add to that, Laundry in Waiting (laundry that's been in a basket, hidden behind the couch, patiently waiting to be folded), Monet Laundry (laundry I thought was clean, but found out it was NOT after someone wore it out in public), and my personal favorite, Dirty Laundry (laundry that has been worn more than once and smells like something died in it).

Hungry yet? 

Okay, so if you are still reading, and would like to make this lovely meal for your next dinner party (sans laundry), here's the recipe:

Pesto Chicken Surprise

1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken tenderloins

sea salt and pepper

2 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1 large red bell pepper, cut into thick strips

2 handfulls of baby carrots

2 cups basmati rice

1/2 cup fresh mint leaves , chopped (I used Eau de Cologne mint, from my herb garden)

water

pesto sauce (see below)

juice from 1 lime

Pesto Sauce

1 cup fresh sweet basil leaves 

1-2 teaspoons fresh cilantro

1/2 cup raw almonds

4 cloves of garlic, chopped

sea salt and pepper

1/4-1/2 cup olive oil + some in skillet for cooking

1) To make the pesto sauce, grab an iron skillet (this is a MUST). Put some olive oil in the skillet and turn on medium low heat. Throw in the garlic and almonds to stir fry until browned. Let cool slightly, then place in a small food processor, along with the herbs and salt and pepper. Chop in food processor for a minute or so. Then, gradually add the olive oil until sauce forms into desired consistency (mine looks like a green paste). Set sauce aside.

2) Using the same skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of coconut oil (use medium-low heat). Add chicken tenderloins and cover with sea salt and pepper. Stir fry until browned, place onto separate plate, and set aside. Keep that skillet hot!

3) Add pepper strips and carrots to existing oil substance. Cook for a few minutes, then add 1 more tablespoon of olive oil, mint leaves, and rice. Stir together until rice is nice and toasted. Cover with water (water needs to be about an inch above rice). Bring to a boil, then turn heat down to simmer. Do not cover and do not stir the rice mixture! Just shake the skillet back and forth on the burner to spread the heat around. Once the water is cooked down and rice is al dente, add chicken and pesto sauce. NOW you can stir. Once it is heated, squeeze that lime and stir again. We're done, Baby!

So, there you have it. Whoever cleans the kitchen gets to scrape the yummy, extra toasted rice from the skillet. Mmmmm. Everybody else gets to put away laundry, if it joined you for dinner.

The Word Became Flesh

Two of my "loves" have been in the forefront of my mind this week: CBS and Decoupage. I had the privilege of combining them for my most recent art project. Allow me to explain:

CBS is an acronym for Community Bible Study, an interdenominational Bible study for different communities around the country. I have been apart of CBS, directly or indirectly, for 4 years. This past year, the group of ladies I met with every week studied Job, Hebrews, and 1-2 Thessalonians. I have grown so much through these studies and through the relationships I've built in my little group. A major influence on this was my group leader, Cathy.

Cathy is a wife and mom of 3, just like me. The moment I met her, I knew she was going to make a huge impact on my life. Her words are absolutely saturated with grace and humility. God has given her such a gift for hospitality and encouragement. She's really present in conversations--like there's nowhere in the world she'd rather be than with whomever she's engaging with. No matter what is going on in life, there is a feeling that everything is going to be okay when Cathy is in the room. Yesterday was our last day to meet before our summer break, so I wanted to do something special for her. This brings me to the "decoupage" part of this conversation...

I knew I wanted to paint something for her, but had a hard time deciding what to do. Then, I remembered that my daughter had put her Bible in the washing machine a few weeks ago. Don't ask. 

AND I happened to have the materials from my previous project still out on the table, so I decided to decoupage. I carefully tore out the fragile, wrinkly pages of Job, Hebrews and 1-2 Thessalonians and "aged" them. They were glued onto an 8x10 canvas and left to dry. I used oil pastels to create 3 different crosses, then covered everything with a sealant. Here is the finished product:

In creating these crosses, I asked myself this question: If the people addressed in each of these books of the Bible (Job, The Hebrews, and The Thessalonians) were able to create a picture of a cross, what would it look like? I leave it up to you, the observer, to interpret why I chose these 3 designs. 

Coming up with a name was the easy part. "The Word Became Flesh" is taken from several places in the Bible, indicating that Jesus was always with God and that His sacrifice for the sins of mankind is what the entire Bible is centered around. This truth never ceases to amaze me! 

Cathy loved it! Here's the picture I took of her holding her new artwork:

May it always remind her of our sweet little CBS group and, more importantly, of the peace God has made with humanity.