My husband and I were married 8 years ago this past January. I wasn’t much into Wedding planning, I just wanted to be married! My wedding was nice, thanks to my Mother and family working hard to make sure it was, but I really didn’t put very much thought into it. I know what you’re thinking, that’s crazy! Well, I was in my senior year of college, about to graduate and then start Grad School, I just wasn’t fancy wedding minded.

But, let me tell you, thanks to the social media and reality tv world we live in now,  I would definitely do things  a little differently if we were to have our wedding this year or the next. My friends and I have talked about this and we all feel the same way – especially about colors and pictures. I would definitely be using sites like Minted.com. They have the most beautiful invitations, announcement templates and even have these idea boards. Look at some of these:

I love, love, love that dress. Isn’t it just stunning? And this is the perfect color scheme for a June wedding.

How about this for an August Wedding? The muted yellow and floral accents on those invitations make for the perfect details. Think of all of the fun lemon food and drinks you could serve. I would have a big sign above my drink station, filled with lemonade of course, that said “Pucker Up” – how cute would that be?

I had red bridesmaids dresses and while I think they were beautiful, if I had it to do over again, I would go for plum bridesmaid dresses and have my wedding at a time of year where I could have it outside, in the evening. For beautiful pictures, you just can’t beat natural, evening light. I would have lots of mason jars, burlap and fresh floral arrangements.

The Fairy Tale board by robin ott design. See more Minted

I would definitely use these invitations, I just love them so much!

Which of these design boards do you love? And if you are getting married, make sure you use Minted, you won’t be disappointed!

This song and these lyrics are on my heart today. I wanted to share them with you. He is what you are looking for.

Have you ever wanted to be someone else
Have you ever wanted just to be someone
Have you ever wanted to reach your dreams
Have you ever wanted life to be more than it seems
I have tasted of a love so wide
That it stops all my time
I have tasted of a love so deep
That it blows my mind
Have you ever wanted to reach up and touch the sky
Have you ever wanted to pack it up and say good-bye
Have you ever wanted someone to care
Have you ever wanted someone to be there
He is sweet, He is sweet
What your looking for
Is my sweet, sweet Jesus
What You’re looking for
Is my sweet Lord

Do you ever have recipes that are born out of sheer neccessity? I have a few of those a month. You don’t feel like going to the store or you have ingredients you need to use up and you haven’t really planned anything specific for dinner so you just throw something together. Some days, it’s a flop but sometimes it really works.

I had to unexpectedly run out the door a few weeks ago right around dinner time so I threw this pasta dish together and my boys gobbled it up. The loved it. I hope you will too.

As always, we use organic ingredients when we can but when I don’t, I make sure they are preservative and dye free. You can often find these products right next to what you usually buy in the store for just a little bit more.

Ingredients
12 oz organic bowtie shaped pasta
2 chicken breast, sliced
1 tablespoon organic butter or olive oil
4 oz all natural basil pesto (I used 3/4 of a jar I bought at Aldi) 
1 bunch asparagus
1 clove garlic, crushed or minced
1/2 jar roasted red bell pepper, in water (I used this)
1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan
1 tsp cajun seasoning
1/2 cup heavy cream (optional)

Boil pasta as directed, drain, set aside. In a large skillet, saute chicken in olive oil or butter over medium high heat. Once chicken is about 1/2 cooked through, cut your asparagus bunch in 1/3′s, tossing the very bottom third of the stalk in the trash and the remaining asparagus into the skillet and saute until cooked through. Add crushed garlic clove, seasoning, pesto, red pepper and cooked pasta until very well coated. If desired pour 1/2 cup heavy cream over pasta, stir well, then let heat through for about 2 minutes. Toss pasta in freshly grated parmesan cheese, salt and peper to taste, serve and enjoy!

I found a recipe for blueberry cheesecake parfaits in the current issue of All You. I was excited because the recipe used real ingredients, ones that I could easily use good ingredients to replicate. I know, these aren’t necessarily healthy but they are a much better option to have and enjoy for the holiday! I changed up just a few things in my version below.

I do not like baked cheesecake but I really like no bake cheesecakes. I’m so weird. I grabbed everything to make these and after making the regular blueberry parfait, I switched it up a little bit and ended up with one that is perfect for Memorial Day or the 4th of July.

You could make a tray of all blueberry, all strawberry and some with both blue berry and strawberry. I’m going to find some of those double shot glasses to make these in next time. These big portions are delicious, but very rich and could easily be shared.

Feel free to use all fresh fruit layers or you can put a few tablespoons of sugar on them like the original recipe calls for to create a more syrupy layer. Either way, you are in for a treat.

Ingredients
2 cups fresh blueberries
1 cup fresh strawberries, diced
1/4 cup sugar plus 1 tablespoon
8 oz organic cream cheese
1/2 organic sour cream
1 tsp lemon zest
1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
4 sheets graham crackers, crushed

In a bowl take 1/4 cup of blueberries and smash with the back of a fork, mix with remaining blueberries and 1 tablespoon sugar. Set aside. In a large bowl, using a mixer, blend the cream cheese, sour cream, zest, remaining sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy.

In cups or shot glasses layer blueberries (about 2 tablespoons in a parfait cup), then a heaping spoonful of cream cheese mixture, spread down, then top with 1 tablespoon graham cracker crumbs. Follow with a layer of strawberries, more cream cheese and graham crackers. Layer one more time with blueberries, cream cheese and graham crackers and end with a single layer of strawberries on top.

Makes 4 large servings or 8 small. Enjoy!

It has been exactly one year since we have made our food changes. A more detailed post is on the way next week but I will say that one thing that has really been a lot of fun is finding new ways to ‘treat’ ourselves within the new whole food guidelines. I can tell you this, it’s not usually easy! Desserts are usually a labor of love and while always worth it in the end, they can be very time consuming. During the winter, I don’t mind spending a lot of time in my kitchen over my stove or oven but in the summer? I just want to be outside!

You can imagine my excitement when I was able to partner with Fruti to create a new summertime dessert using their All Fruit Bars. Most bars you’ll find in the freezer section are full of junk, but not these. Here are a few things I love about them:

1)These bars are made from Premium Actual Fruit and they contain more fruit than any other ingredient
2) They are Gluten Free
3)  Because there is so much fruit, there is NO NEED for added colors or flavoring. THIS is huge for our family!
4) No HFCS – yes and amen.
5) Non GMO verified

Are you running to your car as fast as you can to buy them up? I grabbed mine at our local Sam’s and they came in this awesome variety pack. Even better, when you open them, they have 4 smaller individual boxes so you can maximize space in your freezer. You can see more of my shopping trip here.

When I began thinking about a dessert I would make with these bars I immediately thought of taking a spin on coke floats. Traditional cokes are not a part of our diet at all anymore but I have seen some specialty sodas and kombucha sodas I have been waiting on an excuse to try.

These are so easy yet so delicious. On a hot summer day, hanging out with family or friends in the backyard, these are sure to be a huge hit! Head to your local natural food store and grab a few different flavors of their naturally brewed bubbly drinks and set them out on a table.When it’s time, give everyone their choice of Fruti Bar and watch them create and enjoy. The stick on the end of the popsicle will be facing up and it makes the perfect stirring stick!

For ours, we chose a Blackberry and a Cream Soda. I paired the Cream Soda with the Carribbean Mix bar and the Blackberry Soda with the Pina Colada (It also would have gone with with the Strawberry).

I really enjoyed reading the labels, look at the back of this bottle: you can see what farm it came from and the great ingredients in it. The real fruit in this pairs perfectly with the real fruit in the Fruti Bars:

My boys thought pouring the drinks in was half the fun. Like I said, we haven’t had cokes in such a long time, this was such a fun treat for them! Who doesn’t love something that fizzes?

Just let it sit for a few seconds while you stir it together and before you know it, you will have a delicious Fruit Float!

I am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study forCollective Bias®  and Fruti #cbias #SocialFabric #FreshNFruti but all opinions are my own. We really will be buying these again in the future!

Are you as excited about summer as I am? I enjoy the holiday season and a few snowy days but beyond that, I love warm weather. To welcome and usher in beautiful weather and active days we are going to take a family challenge in May to jumpstart the upcoming summer season. Want to join us? Here’s what we’re doing

1) No eating out. None, whatsoever. We have cut back our eating out considerably since switching to a whole foods diet but have become more lax in the past few months, I want that to be nipped in the bud immediately. We have some family events coming up the weekend of the 18th so it might get tricky, but I plan to prepare ahead of time and not let it catch me off guard.

2) Do some form of exercise every day. This is pretty lax but it has to be something: a walk around the neighborhood, crunches, squats, yoga, group exercise classes – anything goes. It just has to be something and it has to be every day.

3) Take vitamins, every day. This sounds like an easy one but I really do forget some days. I need to make this an every day habit.

4) Spend time in Gods word, 20 minutes, every day. I’ve done better in the past year but there are still some days I slip. For our boys, we read a bible story every night so that will be their time. My oldest has the youth version of Jesus Calling and he will read that with me each morning.

5) Be in bed no later than 11pm. My husband and I have gotten into a really bad habit of staying up late and it has to stop. I read an article that said every hour you go to bed before midnight is equal to 2 hrs after midnight. 2 for 1? I am for that!

So, there it is! Will you join me? Adapt as it fits your families needs – I think #1 could be a challenge for everyone! I will do a weekly recap, check in each Monday. I can’t wait to hear from you!

One of my favorite go to lunch or dinner recipes is this Pitza dish. You can do so many different things with it. Most of the time I will grab a pack of whole wheat pitas (just make sure they have 5 ingredients or less) or some home made if I have them laying around, but every now and again I will use store bought Naan bread. The crust these breads create is very similar to a fire house pizza restaurant and you can’t beat having them on hand. Super quick and easy!

Once you have your bread base, add desired toppings and voila! Your kids will love you and inhale this dish. Here is one variation we love:

Ingredients
Whole Wheat Pitas or Naan
Crushed Tomatoes or Pizza Sauce (I like Muir Glen or Delallo)
Pesto or various toppings (optional)
White Cheese of choice, freshly grated from a block

Pre-heat oven to 400. Arrange Pitas on a baking stone. Spread evenly with crushed tomatoes or pizza sauce. Spread a layer of pesto or arrange toppings if desired.

Sprinkle with plenty of cheese, make sure it’s even. Then, cook in oven on 400 for 8 minutes. Once the 8 minutes is up, turn your oven from 400 to broil and broil for 2 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly before cutting. Serve with fruit or veggies and enjoy!

Get creative! I’ve used refried black beans as a base, topped with chicken, jalapeno slices and cheese, served with sour cream. Possibilities are endless!

My friend Kelly is having a discussion today on tips to keep up with your housework, you can join in over here. Here are two posts I’ve written to help with that very topic:

Keeping a Clean Home Part 1

Keeping a Clean Home Part 2

As you’ve noticed, I haven’t blogged nearly as much as I normally do. It’s not because I don’t want to, I love my little blog here, I just have changed my focus and direction over the past year and I’m seeking simplicity in my life. I’ll tell you what has most recently changed my perspective:

This past December, a precious woman at my church gave the testimony of her journey with her Auto Immune Disorder. Sweet Timesia has been through so much over the past few years and her story is one of triumph, strength, beating the odds and giving God glory. She told us tales of perseverance when everyone around her said there was no hope. I remember her proudly recanting a time when her doctor told her that her prognosis was poor. She quickly retorted, “Well, obviously you don’t understand, I don’t serve a poor God.” Talk about a bold witness! She told numerous stories like that, stories of sharing the gospel and people she came in contact with coming to know the Lord, times when tests came back with results the drs told her was never possible. But the one that stood out to me the most, the one I’m sure God wanted me to tune in to was this one:

Timesia told us about her career before getting sick. She served in the Army and then had a business career in Bentonville. She said she was very busy, that she could remember so many nights of shuffling from work, to pick up her daughter from school to the various activities at church and elsewhere. It was quite a change to be laid up at home once she was ill. One night, she was apologizing to her young daughter for not being able to do more with her and her daughter looked at her and said, “I’m not, since you’ve been sick, I’ve gotten the best of you.”

Tell me that doesn’t stop you in your tracks. Here is a mother, aching from illness and aching from wanting to do more for and with her daughter and her daughter is telling her, I’m not sorry! I have the best of you! We aren’t too busy, we aren’t constantly running from here to there, I have the best of you.

Now, hearing this in December was especially poignant because I had just finished a very full and busy family photo season. God has blessed my photography business in ways I never thought possible. Unfortunately, the price of a thriving business is more time. Fall is definitely my busiest time, but I’m steady year round. Add that to serving at church, church activities 3 days a week, running a home and writing for a blog and I’m depleted. I’m pretty sure the #1 phrase my boys heard last fall was, “Just a minute.” Do you ever feel this way? It’s probably just me.

That day, God spoke to me. “You can’t be all things to all people.” And trust me, I try to and He called me out on it. I have this desire in me to do 50 different things at the same time and do them all to the fullest. And, let’s be honest, that’s impossible. So, this year I’m trying to say no to the good things and yes to the best things. I’m trying, each day, to say, “Lord, how do YOU want me to spend my day.” Because it’s all His and my purpose is to serve Him.” I don’t want my boys to grow up and say, “Well, my Mom was always busy with something else to do xyz with us.” That can’t be part of my legacy as a mother. I am the only mother they have, the only wife to my husband (well, I better be!) and I have to be present with them. I love the quote from Ann Voskamp, “Wherever you are, be all there.” Have you read the book 1000 Gifts? If  not, I highly recommend it, it’ll change your life.

Please hear my heart on this, this is not to make you feel guilty for the things you do, whether it be work or pleasure, I’m simply sharing how God is changing my heart. I still have my photography business, I still serve at church, I still go with friends to do things, those things are important to retain autonomy as a person. But, I don’t have to do everything, every time. Take for example, my Big Red Pot blog. I still plan to write, share recipes and life events but I don’t feel like I have to. Before, I had to get things done no matter what, but now, God has shown me the freedom in sometimes saying no or not right now. I have some exciting things planned for this blog this year, one being sharing  my testimony, something God has prompted me to do for a long time, so don’t give up on me yet.

So, if you don’t see me on here, no worries, I’ll be back with a recipe soon. I’m probably just outside collecting lady bugs with my boys.

Oh man. This stuff is SO good! Have some scrambled farm fresh eggs and a bowl of this for breakfast and you are in for one energy packed morning. I’m going to give you the recipe for one, so feel free to multiply the ingredients by how many people you need to serve

Ingredients
1 banana, sliced
1 clementine (cutie orange) peeled and broken into slices
1 cup fresh blueberries
1/4 cup flaked UNSWEETENED coconut
1/4 cup dry roasted cashews

In a bowl, stir together all ingredients and enjoy! This is also Whole30 approved