Recipe- Gluten Free Cornbread

Poor Adam has come home from work the last two nights to his wife in some kind of predicament.

Tuesday night: I thought baked potatoes in the oven were going to be EASY!  And….they were- except that I read an article that said you can bake them right on the rack…which seemed like a brilliant idea, until the oven was beginning to smell and our tiny house was filled with smoke!  I ended up transferring them to a pan….which I should have thought of in the first place…oh well!  Now, I know for next time!

Adam said that coming home to a smoky house was still better than coming home to no me  :)

Wednesday night:  I made my Mom’s yummy sweet chili for dinner, and thought I would try my hand at cornbread- gluten free.  I am going to share the recipe cause it turned out really good….but at one point…probably a minute after safely removing the hot pan from the oven with an oven mitt….I forgot it was hot and decided to transfer to the counter with my bare hands…..
o. my. word.
Ouch, tears, glad no one was there watching, and, “Why was that pan hot!!??”.
Not awesome, I must say.  So, like 8 of my fingers are a bit sore today….but I am sure that doesn’t have to be the case for you!  Just remember the pan is hot!

Adam was sweet and helped take care of me and did the dishes for me…..and he only laughed a little :)

Recipe for Gluten-Free Cornbread:

• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 cups cornmeal
• 1 cup oat flour
• 1 cup brown rice flour
• 1/2 Tsp. xanthan gum
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1 Tbs. baking powder
• 1 Tsp salt

1. Preheat your oven to 400F, and grease your pan for baking.  I used a pie pan, but it was pretty thick pieces, so next time I might make it in a larger pan.
2. Whisk together the eggs, water, and vegetable oil and set aside.  Stir all the dry ingredients together thoroughly and then mix in wet ingredients until just together.
3. Pour the batter into the pan and bake until just turning brown…about 20 minutes.  I had mine in for about 18 minutes, and it was perfect!

And, we made honey butter for ours, which makes it all the better!  Hope you enjoy!

One Month:

Today is one month of being married for me and my handsome husband.
It has been a huge blessing so far, and we are so thankful to be family and to be building our lives WITH each other.
It’s the best feeling to know that wherever we go in life, whatever decisions we make, we will do it together.

Love that.

It’s been so fun this past month to just enjoy all the learning that comes with living with someone for the first time, figuring out how we work together, and finding out weird quirky things you didn’t know about the other person until all of the sudden you LIVE with them!  :)
It’s all good stuff though, and we love being married.

Our prayer for our marriage, especially in this first year as we build a good and firm foundation on Christ for the rest of our marriage, and for our someday family, is this passage in Romans.

“May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

We got our wedding photos back from our photographer this weekend!  Lindsey Farho Photography did an awesome job and got some great photos for us that we LOVE!

I love this man to pieces, and it is such a joy to realize you are falling more in love each day.
To many more months, and many many more years…..:)

menu planning:

If I want to have any chance of trying the yummy recipes that I find on pinterest or blogs that I read- [check out the delicious recipes on The Perplexing Palate] I am going to have to be an organized lady and PLAN what I want to make for dinner in advance so that I can be prepared with ingredients that I may not already have.

I actually have loved writing up a menu for each week and having at least something to go off of. (okay, I just love writing any kinda list :)  I have stuck pretty closely to these so far, but if we get backlogged on leftovers, we will use some of those up and scoot that nights meal to next week’s menu.
Anywhere we live after here will probably have a grocery store, so I will hopefully be ahead of the game in planning and having what I need on hand.
It has been so fun to cook for Adam and to have someone to share meals with.  I love talking, eating, going over the day with him, and having that special time together.  Cooking for myself wasn’t nearly so joyful.
Also, I have never had a kitchen before fully stocked with pans, dishes, utensils and small appliances…..and thanks to so many generous people who helped us start up life together for our wedding- I have that now, and am LOVING it!

Any tips for planning meals or new recipe ideas?

Sunday Reading:

I love Sundays as a day to rest, to relax, to worship our God with other people, and to have just a quiet moment before the week starts.
I am not so into the Superbowl, but I am into the snacks and the parties that come with it!
I will be “cheering” for the Broncos.

Adam and I had a great day yesterday doing some hiking.  The weather was actually really perfect to get out and enjoy the trails. (for me it was, since by the end, I had also donned Adam’s jacket as well as the two I was wearing….so when we finally got home, he was freezing…whoops!  what a man :)
Sure is a beautiful place here.  I had been telling people when we were home visiting that sometimes the lifestyle out here is overwhelming. It’s much different, and can feel stifling.  But, to get perspective, it often just takes a good look around to realize that there is beauty in this way of life, and that we live in a GORGEOUS place, and have a ton to be thankful for.

It’s a great possibility that you will be too busy frantically cheering for your team today- but if not….:)  I wanted to link to a couple of blogs that I read this week and thought were really good articles, happy reading!

Pearls and Grace- The New Church Lady

Me, Life, Coffee- A Fierce Kind of Beauty

It’s the little things:

Only just so often does something big happen in life.  Getting married. Moving to Alaska. (okay, it wasn’t that long ago! :)
But day to day, it’s the little things that make it full and special.
Choosing to remember those things, and to be thankful for them is such a good habit!

Some little things that I am thankful for:

• learning to use a crock pot. makes me feel like a real wife, which is kind of an oxymoron, because really, it’s so easy!
• a muddy walk, in january, in alaska! the weather has been beautiful recently- definitely not the cold winter that i was expecting to come back to.
• a perfectly delicious and consistent cup of coffee each morning with my husband :)
• the first batch of cookies in a new home.
• rereading one of my favorite book series.
• 

Hoping you have a lot of little things to be thankful for as well!

Little House in Alaska

It has been so fun to get settled into our little home here in Alaska!
Fun memories for sure of our first place together!
Last week when we arrived in Port Alsworth- all our stuff came at the same time- household things, groceries, and gifts we had received for our wedding.  It was a huge blessing to have it all here at the same time- but a BIG job to put it all away…and to store months worth of food, toilet paper, and other necessities in a tiny little apartment.  But, we conquered- and almost everything is put away and out of sight!
We love our little place, and are so thankful for a warm place to live and to call home!
This is a little mini tour of our new little house!  (okay…so there might be a lot of photos- sorry!)

The outside of our place!

The kitchen-

Overall, it is great space for us to use- and totally meets our needs.  I am so happy to have all my stuff in one place again!  It’s a good feeling.  And sharing a home with Adam is the best!
Yesterday we celebrated my 22nd birthday- and it was a good reminder of how faithful the Lord has been in my life and in Adam and I’s relationship.  So good to be married and celebrating together!

The Hodgdon’s :)

Life can change real quick, that’s for sure!
When I blogged last, I was a single woman, in Nebraska……And now- married for over 2 weeks and settled into our new home in Alaska!  

I feel like I have a lot of catching up to do about all the new things in the last few weeks- so I will hit the highlights with some photos, and call it good till next time!  

We had a lovely wintery wedding day- which unfortunately kept a few people from coming due to bad weather…..but it really was a pretty day (okay, pretty blizzardy, but still).  Everything went really great, and it was for sure a special day.  It was an intimate wedding…short, sweet, and to the point with a lot of our family and friends there to celebrate!  I will say, we felt very loved!  Having people come out to a wedding, even having to drive a long ways, or fly to come just to be there is really special!  Saying our vows meant a lot to us, and having people we care about there to witness it was so special!  
Highlights: wearing my dress that I totally loved. having my dad walk me down the aisle to a beautiful piano song by enya. letting adam see me in my dress for the first time when i was walking down the aisle. having four beautiful bridesmaids stand up with me.  having adam’s dad marry us.  my brother david playing “cornerstone” by hillsong while we took communion.  finishing the ceremony and realizing we are MARRIED!  celebrating over coffee and punch with all our guests. 
What a special celebration of commitment!  

 

Ryan, Sarah, Amy, Adam  :)  Happy couples!

 

 

With my sweet niece Lydia!  

 

 

With my three sisters!

 

With my friend Emily!

Adam and I were sitting on our couch a couple days ago, in our little house here in Alaska, and reading back through old texts and journal entries from when we first began our story….a year and a half ago.  I definitely cried, seeing how God showed us grace through the hard and unsure times in our relationship to bring us to where we are now……The Hodgdon’s  :)  Couldn’t be happier :)

~From Sister Jenny

This is Amy’s little sister, Jenny, here! Amy dearest is on her honeymoon and has requested that I keep her blog alive while she is away. I took her up on this with no problem:)

Amy’s wedding was seriously beautiful. But I’m sure when she is back in blogging mode she will give you a wonderful description of it–so I won’t steal her thunder:)

I am so thankful that Amy came home a month before her wedding so that we could have some sister time together before she moved away to the far off lands of Alaska! It was so much fun to get to hang out–doing our hair and makeup together, sharing clothes, drinking coffee, and watching girl movies together. Amy really is such a great sister–and friend! I am going to miss having her around, but I am so excited for her new adventures to start in Alaska with her awesome new husband Adam! They are precious together:)

Anyways, I know this isn’t my blog–but thanks for reading anyways:)

I have a blog here if you want to check it out!

Good night all!

Christmas, Counting Down, and a Brand New Year

These past few weeks have been busy, busy it seems- and blogging has slipped from its spot on the priority list to make room for some other more important things at this time of life- like FAMILY, and WEDDING, and ADAM!  :)
I am stealing a bit of time on this snowy morning before the wedding weekend begins tomorrow and we start the daunting task of packing today. (the more I pack, I think the worse I get! :(

2013 has ended- and 2014 has begun!  This will be a year FILLED with changes for me and my man!
Marriage, here we come in just 3 days!
Moving to Alaska following our honeymoon…..Lots of adjustments coming up and new things.  But, so happy to be making those changes following a God who is gracious and good, and with Adam, whom I love!
You never quite know what each new year will hold…..I spent this last new year- ringing in 2013 in the middle of Africa!
Adam and I went for dinner with friends last night and spent a bit of time sharing things that we have learned this year….I hadn’t thought about it much at that point, but I think verbalizing it helped me really see how precious what I have learned has been.  I said the thing that has made the biggest impact on my heart this year is that God is Sure.  Through the good, the bad, the hard, the easy times….God is there, He is good, He’s in control, He cares, and He is a Firm Foundation.

For 2014 I made a column list of Less and More as my New Year’s Resolutions……writing down things that I want less of in my life (struggles that I have), and things I want more of in my life (things I want to strive towards).
Ultimately- building my life….and soon my married life with Adam on Christ as our Cornerstone!
One of my very favorite songs recently has been “Jesus Firm Foundation”  – He is the only One to build our life on!

Backtracking a bit- I have to share some photos of Christmas with my family:

Making Peanut Butter Balls!  :)  This is a Christmas tradition- and they are delicious!  Glad to have been home to do it this year with Kevin and Jenny!

My handsome Fiance and I on Christmas!  LOVED having here with my family to get to know everyone better, and to celebrate Christ’s birth with us!

It was SO fun to have David, Tricia, and my nephew Brayden with us this year….little kids always make Christmas more fun!

Christmas tradition- we take turns opening presents- and if you are opening them- you have to wear the santa hat!

It was a sweet time with family….and we felt really blessed this Christmas!

Now- wedding time!  This again will be the last post for a while with everything going on- but I am excited to share our wedding story on the blog in a couple weeks!  God is so good, and we are so thankful to be beginning this new stage of life in a few days!

Places

 

 

 

 

 

I was thinking today of the many places I have been able to travel this year, and about the impact each of them have had on my life.  So many adventures, and lots of travel.  I am so thankful for that season of life in 2013….and looking forward to a year of staying put in 2014!

 

Kenya-

                                 Uganda-

                                  Rwanda-

                                London-

                               The Grand Canyon, AZ-

                                Port Alsworth, Alaska-

                                Ogallala, NE-

In each of these vastly different places in the world….I learned things, I was challenged with things, and I have good memories of things that God did in my life.
Loved having these milestones in my life, and these different seasons.  Some were sweet, some were scary, some were hard, and others were pure joy.  That’s life, and it’s so nice to be able to look back and see how faithful the Lord has been.  I pray that as you look back on the different chapters and seasons of your life in 2013….you are able to draw hope from where God has brought you, and the path He has lead you on.  I am anxious and hopeful to serve Him better, and to KNOW Him better in 2014.  If I make no other resolution than that…..I want to know Christ.