Beef Tips
I should give credit where credit is due on this recipe– Rebecca gave it to me, and while it’s taken some time to perfect, I think we have finally gotten it down pat. And when I say “we”, I really mean Philly, since he is the one who cooks around here these days. (Thanks, honey!)
Alright. So, first things first.. Here’s your ingredients:
Allegro Marinade
Beef Broth
Flour
Butter
Flank steak
White rice
Marinate the meat 30-1 hour in the Allegro.
Melt the butter in a NON non-stick pan. It works best in a stainless pan. Whisk in the flour (1/4 cup), making sure it is completely blended (J says no lumps are key.)
SIDE NOTE: We did it “wrong” in the pictures. We added the beef broth before the flour. Will it kill you to do it this way? No. {Disclaimer: Philly thinks I should wait to make this again and re-take the pictures. Ain’t nobody got time for that.}
So anyway.. AFTER you mix the flour and butter, then add the beef broth. Whisk that together as well. Then you add your meat. Cook it for 4-5 minutes. You want it cooked throughly, but not long enough to make the meat tough.
Cook your instant rice and then Voila! Dinner is ready!!
It’s pretty much delicious and super easy and quick to make!
Doesn’t it look yummy? Makes me wish I had some right now!
BlissDom Takeaway
I made it back to Alabama, safe and sound. A tad exhausted, but glad to be home.
I’ll be honest, heading into this years BlissDom, I wasn’t sure how I felt about it. Financially, it was a bigger undertaking for me having to fly, instead of drive. Since I’ve already gone to Miami this year, and heading to DC next month, plus a vacation this summer, I was sorta, kinda wishing I hadn’t committed myself to it. GUILT set in.
But, I decided to go and have a good time and and learn and network, with the knowledge that maybe next year, I wouldn’t go.
The travel alone needs it’s own post dedicated to it, but I’ll leave you with what is fresh on my mind.
I didn’t get a lot of time last year to chat with sponsors and I really wanted to make sure I had time for that this year. I did and feel I have walked away with some amazing connections.
I feel like I have changed so much since last year. Going back to work, really changed my priorities. Things I took for granted, priorities being shifted, etc etc.
Lately, I have been feeling down on my blogging. I rarely read blogs andI don’t have a ton of extra time. But I love blogging and sharing my life. I am very present on Instagram and Twitter, and generally once my thought bubbles or pictures are out, I forget to post them. I haven’t been posting on my family life or the reds as much as I should.
With being a Community Leader, I had certain assignments for sessions and one of my sessions was David Molnar’s. If you aren’t familiar with him, YOU SHOULD BE. He is not only an amazing photographer and story teller, his devotion to his son and wife are nothing short of spectacular. His Friday session spoke leaps and bounds to me, where I sat with tears in my eyes through most of the session. Even though, his session was about storytelling, his point was “Who will tell your story if you don’t?” Since pictures obviously are the best storytellers, he was just saying that no matter if you are a professional or novice, Nikon or Canon, Camera phone or DSLR, just get out there and take pictures of your story.
His story spoke to me on a different level though. I realized I never take my actual camera out to tell our story. The iPhone is so much easier and less bulky. So, I am challenging myself to not share a picture from my iPhone for 30 days on the blog. All pictures have to be from my Nikon. WHOA. Right?
Now.. let’s be honest. When I do a BlissDom recap post, I WILL have to post from my iPhone because I didn’t take my Nikon everywhere. So, let’s just exclude those posts, Mmkay?
Lastly, Jon Acuff always delivers. That man is hilarious, but he also knows how to really make you re-evaluate and think about things. His closing key note, did NOT disappoint. He spoke about the Road to Awesome… and a few things he said really stuck with me. As we get older, we start to edit our lives– cut out those who don’t uplift us or things that no longer give us joy. As we begin to edit, we will meet fear. FEAR IS A LIAR. Fear only gets loud when you do things that matter. Fear never throws rocks at someone who is lying down. Fear FEARS community. Fear will always try to isolate you from others.
Fear sometimes paralyzes me. I am fearful of failure. Failing my husband. Failing my kids. Failing myself. I’ve got to stop being afraid. When you stop being afraid, amazing things happen. When you are unstuck, you are unstoppable.
Being Judged…
You never know when it will hit.
Where you might be.
But it’s always unexpected.
JUDGEMENT.
(Scary, huh?)
You see, as moms, we worry.
Are we doing the best thing for our children? Are we teaching them the right way? Are we too hard on our kids? Should we discipline them more?
It’s a constant worry. Add working full time to that mix, and you’ve got a whole nother load of Mommy Guilt coming your way.
Who’s picking them up? Am I missing something major? Am I doing enough with them? Am I doing enough for my own sanity?
With all that worry about raising my girls to be the best they can, I tend to be a little on the vulnerable side.
I try to set aside some time for me and some time for my husband, and then rest is for the girls.
And when I am judged by what I do, it HURTS.
Add in being judged by a loved one, well… that just stepped it up a notch.
To have that person criticize the way you have chosen to bring up your kids, will cut you to the core in a way that no woman should ever know.
As if we aren’t hard enough on ourselves, we have to worry about the judgement from others.
Shouldn’t we be free from the judgement of our family and close friends?!
Is it a crime for me to want to set a good example for my children to live a healthy lifestyle by working out and eating right? What about setting goals and reaching them? Or them watching you cross the finish line of a race that you have spent the past 3 months training for? I want my girls to know that you can do anything that you set your mind to and what better way than to show them?
Can we stop the judgement? Can we put away the need to put others down for not doing things the way we would do them?
It’s time, ladies.
Tiramisu
One of the things on my 30 before I’m 30 list AND one of the goals for 2012 was to make homemade tiramisu for Philly.
He loves it! It’s his favorite dessert.
So, I thought, for Father’s Day, I would make it. Little did I know, it was an all day affair! Seriously! That stuff has to sit in the fridge half the “baking time”.
I followed The Pioneer Woman’s tiramisu recipe. It’s amazing.
I learned two things.. read the instructions VERY carefully and ladyfingers are not the easiest of things to find.
I will say, it was really much better the day after I made it and it had time to set up well in the fridge.
My food critic of a husband enjoyed it, after he gave me his detailed opinion on how to improve it for next time. Either way, I think it was worth the trouble and I will be glad to make it again! It’s not that complicated of a dessert.. just time consuming.
Also, next time, I will remember my real camera and not just have iPhone pics.
Love The Way You Lie
I love the new Eminem and Rihanna song. I told my friend Justin the other day, that I love this song so much, that I wish it were chocolate so I could melt it and roll around in it. I think it is a beautifully written song. I know a lot of you are like, “Say what?”
Natalie posted this video last week, and it’s been on my mind a lot. My first reaction to this song, is domestic violence. Being in a relationship where a man beats the crap out of a woman.
Being an extremely visual and imaginative person, when I hear the song, I picture what this relationship looks like to the outside. The more I listen and watch the video, I form a different perspective from inside the relationship.
It’s a crazy dynamic of a relationship. That type of relationship isn’t healthy and it won’t last. But those two people are drawn like moths to a flame. They scream and they make up. They promise it won’t be like that the next time. It’s an endless cycle.
They love and fight so passionately. She goes at him as much as he goes at her.
“Just gonna stand there and watch me burn? But that’s alright because I like the way it hurts.”
What are your thoughts on the song? Love? Hate?
P.S. Have you entered my Wayward Nest giveaway?
