Good morning! Coming to you live from my basement guest room / studio with bedhead and half-full cup of coffee, dog at my feet, Little Boy Blue on cartoon duty, and Sister Sue dropped off at her first volleyball camp.
First, let me welcome the new friends to Court’s Cut, a weekly newsletter aimed at giving you a “clumsy compilation of things I like.” I don’t think I’ll win in ‘vision board’ awards but I do think I’ll hit my goal each week! Haha! If you’re new here— I am so glad! Thanks for joining this fun little corner of the interwebs.
Secondly, since this newsletter is nearly one year old, I wanted to repost a couple of faves over the last year… You’ll also be able to see the progression as well!
Normally, I write some sort of devotional in this top space and share my current favorite things afterward but today, I’m going to share my favorite summer lunch! #foodbloggeralert It’s super easy; super tasty, and sorta healthy!
Ingredients:
Bag of Caesar Salad Mix (Can you buy romaine, croutons, pepper, parmesan and mix up your own homemade Caesar dressing? Absolutely… #yougogirl but I’m too hungry by noon to do any such thing…)
Corn - cobbed is best but canned will work
Canned (or leftover shredded) chicken
Directions: (it’s realllll intense— be ready…)
Dump out lettuce from mix in big mixing bowl.
Open canned chicken & drain. Open Caesar dressing pouch and pour over chicken, still in the can. Stir & let sit while you prep the other things.
Corn — the best is to take a couple cobs of corn and slice down each side with a knife and put those golden nuggets directly into the salad. But if all you have is a can of corn, drain and pour in on top of the lettuce. Half a can is plenty but if you don’t know what to do with the extra half can, pour the whole thing in. Haha.
Take out the bag of croutons and mush and smush them while still in the bag. This is a good job for a toddler or wee one without too much muscle mass. [Big muscles usually equal broken bags and dogs cleaning the kitchen floor in our house...] The croutons will become more of a dusting rather than giant teeth-breaking bread chunks. Once broken up, pour over lettuce. (This may seem like a silly step but makes a huge difference!)
Open remaining ingredients (parmesan & pepper) and pour over salad.
Scoop the Caesar marinated chicken into the salad and mix well. I love that the dressing is not saturating the lettuce but is still a part of every bite!
Serve & eat! One regular size bag usually feeds me & my two kids with no leftovers to worry about!
Cheers to you and your summer plans! Enjoy the moments and “May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 15:5-6
What I’m Reading:
(*each book linked to purchase @Books-A-Million, an affiliate partner!)
Nonfiction Morning Read:
Gentle & Lowly by Dane Ortlund - This is one to take s-l-o-w-l-y; perfect for a summer morning. Beautifully written and an incredible read so far.
Afternoon Poolside Read:
Code Name Helene by Ariel Lawhon - "A novel based on the real life story of socialite spy Nancy Wake, about the astonishing woman who killed a Nazi with her bare hands and went on to become one of the most decorated women in WWII."
A Dance in Donegal by Jennifer Deibel - started but didn’t keep my attention so I will move along; no shade— just want to keep reading what I enjoy.
THIS WEEKEND: June 11-12 - Northwest Community Church, Malcolm, NE - for any of my Lincoln friends; Malcolm is only a 20 minute drive! CLICK HERE to register!
NEXT MONDAY: June 14 - Jordan Valley Girls Camp - for any young lady in grades 7-12 in the eastern Iowa region— CLICK HERE to stay updated
August 20-21 - Mitchell Berean Church, Mitchell, NE
August 27-28 - North Pointe, Lincoln, NE
September 17-18 - Colby Berean, Colby, KS
October 8-9- Marysville Berean, Marysville, KS
October 22-23- Berean Bible Church, Grand Island, NE
November 5-6 - Crete Berean, Crete, NE
December 3-4 - Sonrise Church, Torrington, WY
January 14-15, 2022 - Columbia, Kentucky
March 4-5, 2022 - Imperial Berean, Imperial, NE
April 1-2, 2022- Sandhills Community Church, Mullen, NE
April 29-30, 2022 - Grenada, California
For 2022 booking information, please email dianemathis85@gmail.com!
Podcast Parables | Season 4 | Episode 8 | Lydia
This episode comes from Acts 16 when Paul and crew see a vision of a man calling them to Macedonia. They arrive in Phillipi and find a group of women praying by the river on Sabbath. Lydia’s heart is prime for God to work in her life and story. This is her story; enjoy!
(Lots of history about the color purple in this episode!)
Two more episodes in this Season 4 then we will celebrate the pod’s FIRST BIRTHDAY! It will be one year that it has been on air! So thrilling! Stay tuned to join the party and how to continue to be a part of story!
Season 5 >>> COMING SOON >>> Stories from Esther