Raw Caramel Apple Dessert

It's about 85 degrees in Seattle right now which means it's like 100 degrees in our apartment. Cooking has become unbearable!

My husband is a genius and came up with a delish dessert and a fun way to cool down while we are in the house in these dog days of summer. The first is very simple: a dollar store spray bottle. We're having fun in here spraying each other and feeling more refreshed. The other thing my handsome hubby came up with: the BEST dessert ever! There isn't much of a recipe but here is the general idea:

Chop up 1 apple, add 1/2 cup chopped walnuts and sprinkle with a dash each of cinnamon (maybe 1 tsp), salt, and stevia. Now here's the part where we kick it up a notch. Add a very small amount of oil and caramel extract. Mix it all up and enjoy. It is seriously like a raw caramel apple pie without all the guilt and no baking in this hot heat!!

{Our Top Ten}

This last year has been a doozy! Amazing things have happened to us and we feel so blessed. Here are our top ten highlights of 2011:

1. I read through the entire bible, cover to cover. It is my first time reading it all the way through as opposed to the select chapters I had before. It was amazing to get it finished up and I can't wait to read it again next year. It has really helped me to understand the Lord more and appreciate His majesty.

2. Jeremy had 19 articles published through American Thinker and he was also given his own editor to work with. It is so wonderful to see my man grow in his craft and continue to write amazing articles that point his audience to God's truths. Here's to more articles and opportunities in the coming year!

3. We found our new apartment- it was in the same city, but the rent is less and the place is nicer. Win-Win! It's amazing the little miracles God places in our path and how we found this place after searching for months and not finding anything as nice or that fit our price range. We definitely found our home sweet home.

4. This year has been rather interesting when it comes to my job. At the beginning of the year I was working with one company that soon merged with another company. The companies decided to split halfway through the year but I ended up staying at the later company. Then I received a promotion. Another miracle that God allowed to be placed in our lives. He is ever faithful!

5. In August we celebrated 2 years of marriage and 5 years together. My how the time flies. It's funny to reminisce on how we first met (Myspace- I know totally sketch huh?!) who we were as individuals back then and how God has changed us and redeemed our relationship. It is a true testament to His power and I praise Him every day for His blessings in our lives and marriage.

6. We're debt freeeeeeeeeeeeeee!! That was our Dave Ramsey freedom yell :) It took us a little over 3 years to get out of more than $40,000 of debt. Just like Dave always says, "You live like no one else so later you can live like no one else." We slowly but surely got our debt snowball going and finished it off this year when we paid off my car. We are no longer a slave to the lender!

7. Another year of AWANA started this year. It is like any other year except at a recent lesson I taught I was delighted to find out the girls were actually learning. I mean, you never know how much information the kids are retaining when they are all hyped up for the many activities in AWANA. I am getting through to them and it is a blessing to know that I am helping grow those little girls into followers of Christ.

8. 2011 brought some new friends into our lives (Liz from holy yoga and Michael and Deirdre from church). We are enjoying the many people God has placed into our lives - the new and old friends who bring such joy to our lives.

9. Each and every year my prayer is that I grow closer to Christ and this year I have definitely felt the sense of that. I have come to really trust Him, with everything. Sometimes I tend to worry about things, i.e. work, money, family, etc... but recently I just said "God, it's yours. Here are my worries. I am leaving them with you and trusting you to help me through." It is a wonderful thing to surrender all to Him!

10. And finally- one highlight of this year is what is to come. We know 2012 has lots of surprises in store and we fully trust God to see us through.

Happy New Years dear readers, though you may be few. May God richly bless you and your family in the coming year!

Sink Full of Dishes, Heart Full of Love

My sink is full of dishes but that is because we spent a wonderful afternoon with friends. What a blessing it was. Life has been quickly moving along these days and lots of things are on the horizon. What's the dealio with the Egerer family?

I am currently:

*Enjoying the view out our kitchen window right now- LOVE to see the leaves change colors!
*Figuring out how to be a manager in the new role I’ve been given at work
*Planning my BFF’s baby shower – I've been waiting for this - tons of ideas are floating through my mind
*Wishing I had a little one to dress them up like these little cuties


Jeremy is currently:

*Reading lots of BIG books that I can’t even wrap my head around
*Figuring out how to use his love of writing and God’s law into a job
*Possibly going back to school so he is looking into scholarships and such
*Finishing up the sermon he’ll be giving at the convalescence home next weekend

And big news for both of us... we have one more payment to go and then we are completely debt free. We've worked hard the last 3 1/2 years to pay off a HUGE chunk of change and by God's grace we did it. Excited to make that final payment and to finally call Dave's show and scream "We're debt freeeeeee!!!" :)

Quality Time

“The happiest moments of my life have been the few which I have passed at home in the bosom of my family.” -Thomas Jefferson

This past weekend I was blessed to take an extra day off to spend a little bit of quality time with Jeremy. During the week and even on the weekends, it seems to get so busy that it doesn't feel like we spend all that much time together. Not this weekend though, because we made an extra effort to make this one different.

Our plan for Friday was to go to a local corn maze. Neither of us had ever been so it seemed like the perfect thing to do. We wrote down the directions and headed out the door. But about 20 minutes into our trip we realized we were lost. After about 40 minutes we headed back home. It was lunch time by then so we had some delicious pho, from one of the friendliest restaurant in town might I add. :) And then it was round two of 'operation: corn maze'. We made it to the farm, ate some honey sticks and took some fun pictures. What gets me is that we finally made it to the corn maze and then paid to get lost in the maze. Sounds silly to you too?!

On Saturday, after a quick trip to the gym and a delicious breakfast at my favorite juice bar we headed for the theater with my Mom in toe to see the movie Courageous. Let me just tell you it was AMAZING! Worth every cent of that very expensive movie ticket receipt! :) There aren't that many good movies out these days so I'd highly recommend going directly to your nearest theater and watching it now!!

And finally on Sunday, we went to church and then we spent the rest of the afternoon cooking together and having quiet time with the Lord. We still had plenty of things on our 'to-do' list but we did them together and it was wonderful. I have the best husband ever! We even have plans for another extended weekend together real soon!

Nearness to God

"Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above." - Come Thou Fount

I once heard a story about a couple. One day the husband came home from work, ate his dinner and got into bed without once talking to his wife. The wife was sad that he hadn't said one word to her, not a 'how was your day' when he got home, no 'thank you' for dinner and not even a 'goodnight' at bed time. She turned to him and asked "Honey, why aren't you talking to me?" and he said "We already talked this morning, I thought that was enough". This story is just that, a story, but I'm sad to say it happens all too often in our relationship with God.


When I think of that illustration, I think of my own relationship with my husband. I love when I finally enter the door after a long day of work to see my man in the living room waiting for me with a smile on his face, as I am always eager for a hug. Throughout the day I jot down notes about things that happen or topics that I think of to discuss with him that evening. I'm only 25 but I know if I don't write them down I will totally forget once I get home. I wouldn't dream of not talking with hubby before bed. He listens, he advises, he encourages and he just loves. I know how important that daily time with him is and keeping the communication strong. That is how it should be with God.

"For your Maker is your husband, the Lord of hosts is his name; and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer, the God of the whole earth He is called." -Isaiah 54:5

"I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness. And you shall know the Lord." -Hosea 2:20

In the book of Hosea, the prophet marries the harlot, Gomer. The relationship between Hosea and Gomer parallels the relationship between God and Israel. Even though Gomer runs away from Hosea and sleeps with another man, he loves her anyway and forgives her. Likewise, even though the people of Israel worshipped other 'gods', God continued to love them and did not abandon his covenant with them. "The LORD is long suffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression" -Numbers 14:18 We don't realize God's persistent love for us, even in our rebellion and/or distance from Him.

God is the one we should be eager to talk to, eager to tell about your fears, problems and desires. He is the one to be praised and thanked for every blessing in our lives. Along with my list of topics to talk to Jeremy about each night, I will remember throughout the day to 'talk' to the One who will always hold on to my heart and fill Him in on those things too!

In Celebration

...of us. Today marks 2 years of wedded bliss with my hubby Jeremy. What a wonderful ride it's been thus far. Nothing too eventful has happened but we have loved and helped one another along in this crazy thing called life.


I was just telling a friend the other day that God is the greatest matchmaker and boy is He. When Jeremy and I first met, I knew there was something special about him. He is my friend and personal comedian. He is my teacher and excellent cook. He is my protector and provider. He is my heart. I love that man and look forward to many more years by his side, through the good times and the bad, richer or poorer and everything in between!

Summer Delights

Summer has finally arrived in Seattle and this weekend was filled with the many of joys of this time of year.

Jeremy got home from work early on Saturday so he came over to my Mom's house and we each got to work making dinner. Jeremy worked on the drink, I worked on the fruit salad and Mom made the main course.

I love using fresh fruits and veggies to make super easy and super yummy meals. Take these for instance: For a cool mocktail to help beat the heat, add 1 can of coconut milk into your blender. Use the option on your blender to get the mixture good and frothy. Next add 1/2 pineapple that has been sliced into the blender. Add a little agave to taste and your ice and blend it all together. And for a refreshing fruit salad take 1 watermelon and a bunch of mint. Mince the mint and add to the cubed watermelon. Toss and enjoy. See, so easy but the results are DELICIOUS!!



My Mom also made my new favorite salad: a BLT salad. How smart is that!? They are good on bread but even better as a salad!

8 slices chopped and cooked bacon
4 cups sliced green-leaf lettuce
1 cup halved grape tomatoes
1 cup low-fat croutons

Dressing
1/4 cup light mayo
1 Tbs. water
1 Tbs. cider vinegar
1/2 tsp. agave
pinch of black pepper

Combine all the ingredients for the salad in a large bowl. Then, in small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients: toss salad with dressing. Makes 4 servings.

And after church today it was too nice out to just go home, so we made a trip to the local zoo and enjoyed looking at God's varied and sometimes goofy creation.








Loving our summer so far and looking forward to enjoying more of it. I hope you also had a joyous weekend!

Grill Master

My husband is known around our house as 'king of the grill'. Before we were married he had a whole slew of different roommates, one of them was from Shreveport, Louisiana. It was that roommate, who taught him how to spice and cook lip smacking steak, pork, chicken, you name it!

The key to really good BBQ food is the seasoning. Jeremy likes to spice the heck out of the meat, but trust me, you will love it! We made some of the seasoning for my Father-in-Law for Father's day.

Jeremy's Amazing BBQ Seasoning - goes well on chicken, beef, pork, and burgers

Dry Ingredients:
*Tony Chachere's creole seasoning
*Onion flakes
*Garlic powder
*Crushed red pepper
*Coarse black pepper
*Dried basil
*Dried parsley

Wet ingredients:
*Hot sauce
*Olive Oil
*Avage Nectar or honey
*Minced fresh garlic

Combine the dry ingredients. You can eyeball the amount depending on the amount of meat you are cooking and to your particular taste. We LOVE garlic so we add more of the garlic powder than others might use. Rub the dry seasonings on the meat. Then add your hot sauce, olive oil, avage nectar and fresh minced garlic to coat. Next, fire up the grill and start bbqing. The result is amazingly spicy and sweet BBQ goodness. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. YUM!

Marriage 101

In the last few weeks I have been contemplating marriage and all that it involves. There is a lot more to it than just planning a beautiful wedding and saying 'I do'. But what do you do in a marriage to make it successful? I am not an expert by any means but I do know from my own experience the things that helped our marriage grow and also the things that caused little bumps in the road.

You've heard it said that marriage takes work and boy does it ever. Even the happiest of couples end up in disagreements so it is best to prepare ahead of time for these situations. Jeremy and I have been fairly good at dealing with the various little issues that come up between us, but there are times when it takes a little more work to get past them. Communication is key. I know it sounds clique but it truly is. If one of us is not understanding the other correctly or doesn't know all the facts, it can prolong or even make worse the situation at hand. And be watchful of the tone of your voice when speaking with your spouse. It can have a huge impact on either finding a solution to the problem or escalating it. At times I have snapped at Jeremy for something and that obviously does not accomplish any good. However, when I speak in a calm and kind voice expressing my feelings, we are able to move towards a resolution.

Marriage is about commitment. You are now married to the one you'll spend the rest of your life with (at least we hope). All too often you hear about people who were married and then are suddenly divorced. What happened to the commitment? In typical marriage vows it plainly says 'I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, and, forsaking all others, pledge to be faithful to you til death do us part.' It saddens me to see so many people walking away from the very ones they vowed to never leave even in the hard times. Our first dance as husband and wife was to a song that speaks of how our marriages are worth fighting for, after all, our marriages are not like gym memberships that you can sign up for and then cancel at any time. The promises that are made and contract that is signed is meant for keeps.

And last but certainly not least, marriage needs plenty of affection. Who cares if you look a little silly calling each other by pet names, you and your 'Cutie pie' or 'Bun Bun' (my name from Jeremy :D ) will keep that fun, loving spirit alive in your relationship. It is about showing love and demonstrating it on a daily basis. Give kisses and hugs often. Do kind things for them throughout the day like helping with the chores or sending a 'I'm thinking about you' text message. It's all the little things that show someone you care.

I feel so honored and blessed to call Jeremy my husband. He is a wonderful man who has been an amazing support and help mate. As christians it is our duty to uphold the biblical principle of one man and one woman in marriage for life. We need to support and help prepare young couples for lasting marriages. What a truly blessed thing God has ordained!

The Great Indoors

The sun has not been making very many appearances in the Pacific Northwest this 'spring'. So instead of sulking around inside about how we can't do that many outdoorsy things, I decided to bring the outdoors indoors.

We laid down a picnic blanket in the office and had some good ol' camp food including brats, potato salad and every one's favorite; bug juice! Very yummy food if I do say so myself.


After dinner we put a sheet over the window to block out the daylight and make the room dark in order to see the celestial beauties I stuck to our ceiling. We counted the stars and moons and looked for the big dipper. And following our 'star gazing' we played some cards. What screams camping more than card games? Maybe it is just me that is what we always did when I go camping. :)

All in all, it was a wonderful evening spent in the great outdoors, indoors. And this morning the weather man forecasted some actual nice weather coming. Maybe we can do this for real next weekend!

Love Letters

When Jeremy and I first started courting, he would send me love letters. Throughout the time that we were getting to know each other, these letters would arrive in my inbox (dating is so high tech these days :P) and with each sweetly written note, I could see the genuine feelings that were growing between us.

So it is with our relationships with others. I have been reminded of the verse in 2 Corinthians that says:

As I live my life and share my 'letter' with others, what message am I sending? How many times has my letter been spam, junk mail, or heaven forbid, hate mail.

I love the way this verse sounds from the Message: "Your very lives are a letter that anyone can read by just looking at you. Christ himself wrote it."

I want my letter to resound with the love of Jesus Christ. In a world full of all sorts of messages, I choose Christ as the letter and message I want to share. I want to BE a love letter for Him!

Fresh Perspectives

Interested in world events? Love to watch silly youtube videos? Well thanks to my husband (my supplier of funny and often times ridiculous videos) you can have both!



Jeremy said that the little girl, Morgan, reminds him of me. I hope you learn as much as I did; kids = too cute!!

Good Eats

When Jeremy and I first started dating, I was attending a cooking class at a local grocery store with my Mom each week. Because of this I was able to impress him with my fancy shmancy cooking skills. That store has since stopped offering the class and my work and other responsibilities have made it hard to plan the same meals that I used to. My sweet and oh so caring husband has been making most of the food in our household as of late. In this period of our lives this set up just works for us. I do enjoy cooking, don't get me wrong, but after a long day of work AND the long commute home, a hot meal sitting on the table already prepared is such a blessing!

So when I do cook, I like a recipe that is fast and/or something I can prepare ahead of time and just pop in the oven when I get home. I'd have to say that most of the recipes I make these days have been found online, and more specifically from other bloggers. I have accumulated some favorites from these amazing gals and they are husband approved. :)

Baked Egg Casserole

Make Ahead Brunch Bake

Santa Fe Soup

Grilled Avocado with Tomato & Corn Salsa

And a new recipes for my bible study next week. YUM!

Cucumber Dill Spread

State of Our Union

Tonight we recognize the annual event where the President of these United States speaks to the nation about the situation of our country, otherwise known as the state of the union address. The purpose of the speech is to inform the citizens of how things have been going thus far and to discuss any issues that may need to be resolved, in an attempt to bring the people of the country together to have one vision to move forward and conquer those issues.

Like the discourse we receive from our commander in chief, this is a great opportunity for married couples to get together and have their own state of your union, the marriage union that is. All too often I think couples get busy while going about their various daily tasks that they forget to talk with their spouse about any issues or concerns that need to be addressed. I say let’s take this time each year, with the speech from our president as a reminder, to address our spouses about the many victories in your marriage relationship and move forward together with a united vision for the future together.

Lesson Learned

A few weeks back I had my best girlfriend over to my house for some good 'ol quality girl time. These usually involve lots of gabbing, tasty goodies and on occasion re-runs of 'I Love Lucy' (so funny, I can't help it!). I don't remember how we got on the subject but celebrity actresses came up. My hubby walked into the kitchen as we were chatting and mentioned that he thought one of the gals from the show 'Community' was pretty. We don't watch that much tv, let alone the tv show 'Community', so that threw me for a loop.

The next day, the comment Jeremy made began to eat at me. I know that there are plenty of beautiful women out there but to hear my husband say that made me get very self conscious. How can I even compare to a celebrity who spends hours and hours working out and getting hair and makeup done each day? After feeling bad about myself, I felt mad. Who does she think she is, making my husband like her? :) Jealousy is an ugly thing. My emotions came to a boiling point and I had a little tantrum and let out all my frustration. Jeremy and I discussed the issue and I told him I don't want him to think about anyone else except me. Even if there are beautiful women out there.

I quickly realized that this may be a very small illustration of how God is jealous for us and our affection. Our worship and service belong to Him alone, and when we don't do that, God has declared that to be a sin.

"You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me." -Exodus 20:4-5

Elsewhere in scripture, it is said that we must 'love the Lord our God with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our strength.' We are to love Him above everything else in this world. He is our Creator and Sustainer, our Rock and our Refuge. He deserves our love and praise. Much like in my marriage, as a wife, I demand my husband to give me his love and to not share that romantic love or interest in any other person. Jeremy and I have a great relationship and we are able to move past any issues or disagreements. That one went down in the books to serve as a reminder not only in our marital relationship but also in our relationship with God. Worship, praise, honor, and adoration belong to God alone, for only He is truly worthy of it. Praise God for His everlasting love and the relationship I can have with Him and also the marriage He gave me with my wonderful hubby!

'Tis the Season

This has go to be one of the best Christmases in years! No stressful trips to the mall. No waiting in enormous lines to ship packages. Just enjoying the festivities and plays that celebrate our Savior.

It has truly been a blessed Christmas. This is me signing off until after the holidays when I can finally show you my Christmas crafting creations (say that 5 times fast). Merry Christmas everyone and God bless!

Comic Relief

Sometimes you just need to have a good laugh. My usual go-to is either my husband, Jeremy (my favorite comedian) or Lucy, 'I Love Lucy' that is. But I recently stumbled upon an author who literally makes me laugh out loud while reading his blog. Like 'rolling on the floor' laughing!

His name is Jon Acuff and he really gets christian culture. It's only been a few years since giving my life to Christ and being immersed in christian culture, but I can identify with so many of his posts. Take a gander and I'm sure you will too (and you also will end up rolling on the floor laughing!)

My favorite topics Jon has covered: The Side Hug, Meeting Famous Pastors, Singing With our Hands Raised and last but not least Christmas Shoes, Greatest Song Ever? (That one's for you, Jerm!)

Summer Hiatus

Summer has arrived in Seattle and we are enjoying temperatures up into the 80's and 90's. The hot summer sun gives me such joy and energy. Even after a long hard day at work, I will still want to get into some shorts and a t-shirt to go on a hike, visit the beach, or anything to be outside!

Along with the beautiful weather, summer has brought us a very busy schedule. Between birthdays, weddings and barbecues, our weekends are jam-packed with activities. Which is the reason for my summer hiatus from blogging. There is just too much to do that I don't have time blog about it (or want to miss this awesome weather!)

I will share with you some exciting news we got last week: my genius husband had his article published on a major political news website last week. This is is his first 'published' article! God has blessed his with some serious writing skills and he's been writing for years for his own blog and now he is an genuine published author! YAHOO!!

Real Simple: Entertaining & Cooking

Party planning is fun, but it can also be very daunting. Trying to stick within a budget, plan the perfect menu and then to actually make it all, can almost drive a girl crazy (and believe me, my husband has seen it happen.) I have discovered some easy entertaining tips and quick easy recipes that are a cinch to make and will impress your guests too!

My husband and I organize small get-togethers with the youth of our church as well as a christian apologetics meetings. Any excuse to try out some new recipes and make a pretty table-scape, I am down. But first...

Organization is key to make hosting a breeze. There are six questions to answer to get started: What is the date? How many guests will be there? What is the location? What type of party will it be? What is your budget? Is there going to be music or entertainment?

For our particular parties, we don't have too much involved but it still requires some delish food to share. This last weekend we had a game night on Saturday and then a belated Mother's Day celebration with the family on Sunday. Both days I tried out these simple yet tasty recipes.

Inspired by Ina Garten's recipe, these beauties took only have the work but sure tasted like the real deal. The secret is in the frosting. Homemade is always the way to go- none of this store bought stuff!

And the cupcakes themselves were equally as easy to make. All I had in the house was a box of Betty Crocker yellow cake mix but to turn my yellow cake into chocolate cake, I added 1/4 cup cocoa powder to the dry mix before adding the rest of the ingredients. You never would have known it was yellow cake. Put a nice dollop of the frosting on the cupcakes and voila, dessert perfection!

For our Mother's day dinner, I made spanish rice to go on the side. In the latest issue of "Everyday Food", Martha offers a simple recipe that is sure to please. I substituted the white rice for long grain rice and cooked it a little bit longer but it was oh so good. Jeremy asked me to make it again for his lunch this week. It must have been good for him to ask for it twice in one week! I was faced with a dilemma, however. I usually buy the tiny 6 oz. cans of tomato paste, but my husband bought the ingredients this time and he opted for the larger, 15 oz. can. What to do with all the leftovers? I certainly won't be using all the rest within the next week.

I looked around my kitchen and found these foil cupcakes trays. After using them to bake my dessert in, I cleaned them out and filled them with remaining tomato paste and stuck it in the freezer. After they have frozen, you can remove the pieces individually and put them in a bag. The next time you need one tablespoon of tomato paste, you don't even need to measure it. Just take one of your tomato paste balls from the freezer and drop it into the saute pan!

Party planning shouldn't be so involved that you can't even enjoy the celebration. Take some time to plan ahead and prepare for the big day, pick out some simple recipes and enjoy the party!

Doggies & Garage Sales

For the last week I have been doggy/house sitting for a family friend. Because of this, I have been away from my own home and my sewing machine and other crafting goods. I feel like I am going through withdrawals. Even though I don't have a lot of crafting time as it is, being away from it and not having the option is giving me an itch that will have to be scratched as soon as I get back on Sunday!

In the mean time, I was on a walk with Bella this past weekend and I came across a garage sale. And not just any garage sale but the special kind where they tell you that you can fit as many things in one bag for $5. $5 dollars!!!! I had to get my Mom in on the action too! We went away from there with a few bags full of goodies. So much so that my husband who was coming home at the time, had to stop by and pick them up as we couldn't make the walk home with all of it! He's was good sport!


If only every dog walk could end this way :)