Sushi Bake

April 16, 2024April 16, 2024 LeahLeave a comment

I’ve never been one for long intros when it comes to recipe blogs, so I’m definitely not going to start now!

This sushi bake is a huge hit in our house, and we normally make it at least a few times a month.

What You’ll Need

– 1/2 pound of salmon seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic, and a little Smokey paprika, shredded

⁃ 1/2 pound of imitation crab, shredded

⁃ 4 oz cream cheese

⁃ 1/4 cup mayo (I use a Japanese brand called Kewpie), but regular mayo works too

⁃ Sriracha to taste

⁃ 2 cups of cooked white rice

⁃ Crushed seaweed

⁃ 9×9 baking dish

⁃ Cooking spray

⁃ Sesame seeds (optional)

Bake your salmon until done. I use the air fryer for about 9 minutes at 400 and season with salt, pepper, garlic, and a little smokey paprika. Remove skin and shred when finished.

Cook your rice according to package directions. I use jasmine rice (but any white rice will work) and cook it in our Instant Pot using the rice function.

Shred your imitation crab while your salmon and rice cook.

Add your shredded salmon, imitation crab, cream cheese, mayo, and sriracha to a bowl. Mix until well combined.

Spread your rice into an even layer in your greased 9×9 dish.

Add your crushed seaweed on top of the rice layer, and top with your salmon and imitation crab mixture.

Bake in the oven for about 10 minutes at 380, and finish under the broiler for about 3 minutes.

Top with more of the mayo and sriracha, and enjoy! We add sesame seeds and sometimes avocado if we have them.

xoxo,

Leah

When God Uses Trials to Strengthen Your Faithfulness

April 3, 2024April 2, 2024 LeahLeave a comment

“But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble.” – Psalm 59:16

I had grown up going to all the faith based things; church, Sunday school, youth group, mission trips, etc. I could sing along to the praise songs with the best of them, but it wasn’t until that season of life that my faith really started to take shape and grow in my adult life.

The devil was fighting hard to convince me the lies I had been told. I was in the deepest and darkest valley of my life, and it would’ve been so easy to wander even further away, but something told me that was the exact time I needed to run back as fast as I could!

Three years later, and gosh am I glad I did! While I’m not allowed to fully share about God’s faithfulness in my life (maybe someday I’ll be able to), I’ll never stop talking about it.

These have been the ultimate tests of my trust in God and who I know he is; a God that is faithful to complete what he has started in my life, one that will never leave or forsake me, one who is in all of my tomorrows.

While I’m not quite out of the valley yet, I’m not as far down as I used to be, and things don’t seem nearly as dark anymore.

I will always be grateful for the things in my life that pushed me back to God and his plan for my life!

xoxo,

Leah

Easy Biscuits and Gravy

December 17, 2023 LeahLeave a comment

This breakfast is one of my family’s favorites, especially when the temps start to drop. Not only is it so delicious but also super easy to make!

I’ll spare you the paragraphs of scrolling and jump right into how it’s made:

Ingredients

⁃ Buttermilk Biscuits (I use the frozen Pillsbury ones)

⁃ 1 lb pork sausage

⁃ 1/4 cup of flour

⁃ 2 1/2 cups milk

⁃ Salt and pepper to taste

Recipe

⁃ Bake biscuits according to package instructions

⁃ Brown sausage over medium heat until cooked through

⁃ Added flour and stir until well combined

⁃ Added milk a little at a time while stirring

⁃ Bring to a boil

⁃ Reduce the heat and simmer until gravy thickens

Enjoy!

Returning to Bethel

April 3, 2023 LeahLeave a comment

I had so many plans and hopes for how I thought my life was going to turn out, but at the end of the day God wrecked my plans to make way for His. Even though the undoing and breaking down and rebuilding was (and continues to be) the most difficult thing I’ve ever done, I am so thankful for the journey that has lead me to where I am today!

After not talking much about that season of life on here in 2022, you’re probably wondering “Why now?”

In the midst of the storm, I heard a message from Pastor Steven Furtick about how God instructed Jacob to return to Bethel. Jacob had been there before when he was running from his brother. This second time was different though.

You see, Jacob had never been more scared in his life when he first found himself in Bethel. This time he’s never been more uncertain. Pastor Steven went on to talk about how maybe sometimes God brings you back to a place of great uncertainty to remind you of all He has done for you in previous seasons of life, to remind you of all the things you’ve overcome in your life despite how tall the odds seemed stacked against you.

When Jacob was in need of the greatest faith he’d ever had, God took him back to the place of his greatest fear.

When I first heard this message, I took it very literally in the sense of my Bethel being a physical location, somewhere I could travel to like Jacob did. And while, that wasn’t wrong at the time, in this season of life, right now, “returning to Bethel” has taken on a whole new meaning.

Maybe someday we’ll sit down face to face and I’ll tell you my full story, but for now I will say that today, Bethel looks a lot more like a situation, a mental and emotional place, and not so much of like a physical location that you could find on a map.

By the grace of God, with the love and support of my people, and the biggest motiviation to perservere in my little guy I was finally able to start finding my way to the other side of it all.

Now, I’m finding myself struggling with issues I thought were long gone. I’m back in my own Bethel when it’s the last place I ever thought I’d be again, when it’s the last place Iever wanted to be again.

Someone recently told me, “The beautiful thing about our minds is that they let us deal with big things in small pieces, over time. Having trauma bubble back up means we are being challenged to tackle the next piece. It’s a marathon, not a sprint.”

While I’m another step closer to the end of this mile, I know the rest of the marathon is still before me. I know that the trauma of what I’ve lived and survived through will always be part of me and my story. I know that I’ll be making trips to and from my Bethel for the foreseeable future, but I also know that I wouldn’t be who I am today if I wouldn’t have gone through everything that I did.

It’s a marathon, not a sprint.

XOXO,
Leah

When Detours Lead to the Best Destinations

April 7, 2022April 7, 2022 LeahLeave a comment

About a year ago, what I thought was my life came crashing to the ground. It wasn’t what I would have ever expected to be in the story of my life, but looking back, I am so incredibly thankful that God decided to wreck my plans!

If you know me you know I like being able to have a plan for everything (and back up plans). Sometimes no matter how much or how far in advance we make plans, they’ll never see the light of day. Sometimes the actions of others leave destruction that can never be fixed, no matter how hard we try.

I felt like the biggest failure. I had myself convinced that if I had been better/done better, maybe it would have changed things. There were times I felt pretty worthless, but then I’d remember the sweet little boy that calls me ‘mama’.

I’m not the same broken girl I was a year ago. I’ve had to grow in ways I never imagined possible. I’ve had to learn to drop the act and quit pretending that things are okay when they absolutely are not! I’ve had to let myself lean on my friends and family and let them love on me and Kaz. I’ve had to keep showing up on days when the weight of the world seemed so incredibly heavy.

I’d never wish what I went through on my worst enemy, but I am thankful for the breaking down that lead to me being rebuilt better than I ever would have been otherwise. I am so thankful for the people it’s brought me too. Sometimes the best things in life are the ones that we never had on our calendar but God always did!

So as I am almost to the finish line of being able to close this chapter of my life, I am so incredibly excited and hopeful for the future!

XOXO,
Leah

Crumbl Copycat Snickerdoodle Cookies

February 4, 2022 LeahLeave a comment

Happy Friday, y’all!

Like most people, I’ve been trying out tons of new recipes since the start of Covid. I love cooking and baking anyways, but the extra time home has given me the chance to try recipes I normally wouldn’t.

Enter this Crumbl copycat recipe from Cooking with Karli!

If you haven’t heard of them, Crumbl is a family founded cookie business based out of Utah that offers different flavors (with the exception of their famous milk chocolate chip and classic pink sugar cookies) each week!

Karli has made it her mission to recreate these gourmet cookies and share her recipes!

I’ve always loved snickerdoodle cookies. There’s just something about them and that cinnamon and sugary goodness. Paired together with the cream cheese icing, and it’s a match made in Heaven!

These Snickerdoodle cookies have quickly become my new favorites! They have the perfect amount of structure so they’re not falling apart in your hands with just the right amount of softness when you bite in. Topped with a generous amount of vanilla cream cheese icing and finished with a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar makes them a delicious treat to save for yourself or share with friends!

To try this recipe out for yourself or one of Karli’s other recipes, check out her blog: Cooking With Karli!

XOXO,
Leah

Share the Love: Beachbody on Demand

January 30, 2022January 30, 2022 Leah2 Comments

Happy Sunday, y’all!

Almost two years ago I finally took the plunge and decided to see what Beachbody was all about. I had tried a few workouts here and there over the years, but nothing consistently. With a baby and single parenting, there wasn’t really time to go to the gym nor was it that appealing anymore.

What I did know was that I wanted to start feeling better again; physically, mentally, emotionally, etc.

I’ve always been someone that feels my best when I’m able to get my body moving on a daily basis, and if we’re being honest, I hated how I felt during most of my pregnancy and post-partum. I had been around the same weight for years, so even healthy weight gain was hard to accept.

The way I saw it, I could have a pity party and continue to not feel great about myself, or I could pick myself back up and do something about it!

If you’ve been following along with me on Instagram, you know I chose the later!

Don’t get me wrong, there are still days I don’t want to workout, but not being able to make it to the gym is no longer an excuse. Now I can make it work for me and my life. First thing in the morning? Great! Not having time until after Kaz is in bed for the night? That’s great too!

With the help of Beachbody and the nutrition programs they offer, I understand how to properly fuel my body and worry way less about the calories than I did before. I’ll be the first to tell you that I still eat cookies and pizza, and I still drink soda once in a while. Now my body is getting everything it needs, and I’ve found a healthy balance between the fun fuel (cookies, pizza, chocolate, etc.) and the nutritional fuel (veggies, fruits, protein, etc.)

I had always heard that you move through life and glow differently when you have good things and people in your life, and I can’t say enough how true that’s been!

Beachbody hasn’t only been a way for me to workout and eat. Through it I’ve gained a whole community of strong, kind, hard working, dedicated, and REAL people that just want to lift up and cheer each other on! I mean, couldn’t we all use more of that kind of energy in our lives?

Life can get kind of lonely when you’re trying to go it alone, but it doesn’t have to be.

Are you like I was and just looking for a way to make the changes you so desperately crave? Do you struggle coming up with meals that are good for you but also taste delicious too? How could you benefit from and improve your life by having that extra boost of support everyday?

Let me be your hype woman as you start your journey to a healthier and happier you! Here’s to 2022 being the year you fill your cup first before trying to pour into the other people and things in your life. It’s time to make yourself a priority again!

Let’s connect! I can’t wait to hear from you!

XOXO,
Leah

Homemade Cinnamon Dolce Syrup

January 20, 2022 LeahLeave a comment

I love a hot cinnamon dolce latte from Starbucks, but with the recent shortage in the syrup I figured it was time to figure out how to make it at home! I love how easy this is to make, and having it at home is so much more convenient than driving to get it whenever the craving strikes.

What You’ll Need

1 1/2 cups of Water
1 Tbs Vanilla Extract
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
1 cup Granulated Sugar
4 Cinnamon Sticks
Container of choice with lid

You’ll start off by combining the water, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon sticks in a medium saucepan. Bring to a low boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for about 15 minutes.

Remove saucepan from heat before adding in the vanilla extract and removing the cinnamon sticks.

Transfer the syrup to your container and allow to cool before refrigerating.

Syrup can be stored in the fridge for up to six months.

More Grace, Less Perfection

January 3, 2022January 3, 2022 LeahLeave a comment

Happy first Monday of 2022, y’all!

I have an endless number of notes in my phone that I just jot things down as they come to mind. Some of them I share, but others I keep for myself. I love being able to go back and read my thoughts from different seasons of life!

Today, as I started a new lifestyle challenge, 75 Medium, with some friends to kick off the new year and get back into the swing of things after a busy holiday season it got me thinking about the whole “new year, new me” mentality. (Side Note: check out my Instagram ’75 Medium’ highlight or shoot me a message if you want to learn more!)

So here’s your friendly reminder:

It’s okay if you don’t have huge goals/resolutions for the year. It’s okay if your goals from last year got derailed, because life happens. Every goal and accomplishment, no matter how small they seem, is worthy of celebrating! It’s more than okay if you’re not out there shouting “new year, new me!”

You want to know a secret? Just because it’s a new year doesn’t mean you magically shed your old shelf and step into some perfect version you’ve created in your head.

So while you’re scrolling and looking at the highlight reels of others (because that’s what a lot of social media is), I hope you remember that everyone is just doing the best that they can.

Your meals don’t have to be Instagram worthy or even homemade every night for that matter. Your house doesn’t have to be perfectly clean. God knows that with a toddler, mine never is! Your workout clothes don’t have to be a cute matching set. You don’t have to have it all together all the time because that’s not real life!

My hope and prayer for you (and me) as we begin 2022 is that you give yourself more grace and expect less perfection, that you take time to see all of the good that there is in everyday, that you realize that taking care of yourself first is the least selfish thing you could ever do!

I hope you remember to be kind to yourself and that there are a million different ways to accomplish things in life. Just because your favorite influencer did it a certain way doesn’t mean it’s a one size fits all!

What are you hoping 2022 has in store for you?

XOXO,
Leah