Moon River Music Festival--Round 2

My birthday gift this year was tickets to the Moon River Music Festival in Memphis that's put on by Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors. 

We went last year and it was so much fun! This year was even better--more well known bands, more vendors, and a lot more people! It was a PACKED HOUSE compared to last year--they sold out the day of the festival. The Levitt Shell is such a cool venue, especially at night. Fun fact that we learned: The Levitt Shell is recognized as the site of Elvis Presley’s first professional rock-n-roll show--how cool is that? 

The line up was incredible:

Drew & Ellie kicked it off

Myla Smith

Cereus Bright (one of my new favorites)

Stephen Kellogg

Colony House

Judah & The Lion

Switchfoot

Needtobreathe

Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors

It was hot, hot, hot but I was loving it. 

I was so impressed with Switchfoot and Needtobreathe--both bands that I've heard multiple times (through radio or live) but there was something about last night--they were both on fire.  

They both blew. me. away. 

There was this amazing moment that gives me chills even now when Needtobreathe was performing their song "Multiplied" & ALL these people, gathered in this sold out, packed out, outdoor venue were singing at the top of their lungs and/or hearing these words:

"Your love is like radiant diamonds

Bursting inside us we cannot contain

Your love will surely come find us

Like blazing wild fires singing Your name

God of mercy sweet love of mine

I have surrendered to Your design

May this offering stretch across the skies

And these Halleluiahs be multiplied"

The whole song is those lines repeated over and over. 

Imagine that.

Chills, I know. 

God is so mighty and I am so thankful that He uses peoples talents to glorify Him. 

It was a great weekend. 

Here's to hoping that next year's Moon River Festival is just as amazing. 

"When We Love The Least Of These"

As I begin my 4th year of teaching, I wanted to share this song with you all. 

It's such a sweet reminder as we begin this school year--it has always made me think of my school and all the students there. 

I've talked to a lot of children who live with all kinds of various family dynamics. 

I've seen the aftermath and heard about a lot of sad situations that happen to these 2nd and 3rd graders when they go home--it breaks my heart. Yet, there's a part of me that is thankful that they get to be in the loving hands of their teachers, that care about them, and protect them, for 8 hours of the day. For 8 hours, we know they are safe, taken care of, fed, loved on, being told they matter, being told how important they are, and how far they can go in life--they are being led to take small steps in the right direction. 

This song has always struck a chord with me. I think of not only all the babies at our school, in all schools, but especially the sweet faces of the children I teach in my classroom on a daily basis. If not us (me), then who will be like Jesus to some of precious souls? This is my favorite line: "Boys become kings, girls will be queens, wrapped in Your majesty"---May I never forget that these little boys and girls are wrapped in His majesty. What an honor we have to love, teach, and influence them. May we never grow tired of reminding them through our actions that they are Kings and Queens.

"Kings and Queens" 

Audio Adrenaline 

Little hands, shoeless feet, lonely eyes looking back at me

Will we leave behind the innocent to grieve?

On the road, on the run when their lives have only begun

These could be our daughters and our sons

And just like a drum I can hear their hearts beating

I know my God won't let them be defeated

Every child has a dream to belong and be loved

Boys become kings, girls will be queens

Wrapped in Your majesty

When we love, when we love the least of these

Then they will be brave and free

Shout Your name in victory

When we love, when we love the least of these

When we love the least of these

Break our hearts once again

Help us to remember when

We were only children hoping for a friend

Won't you look around

These are the lives that the world has forgotten

Waiting for doors of our hearts and our homes to open

Boys become kings, girls will be queens

Wrapped in Your majesty

When we love, when we love the least of these

Then they will be brave and free

Shout Your name in victory

When we love, when we love the least of these

When we love the least of these

If not us, who will be like Jesus

To the least of these

If not us tell me who will be like Jesus

Like Jesus

To the least of these

Boys become kings, girls will be queens

Wrapped in Your majesty

When we love, when we love the least of these

Then they will be brave and free, 

shout Your name in victory

When we love, when we love the least of these

We will love the least of these

Buffalo Ranch Stuffed Peppers with Guacamole

I've always wanted to find a stuffed pepper recipe that I like. Jason and I have tried 2 or 3 and they were, okay, but these bad boys hit it out of the park! 

The original recipe comes from here. 

Buffalo Ranch Stuffed Peppers with Guacamole 

What you need: 

4 chicken breasts 

1 medium onion, sliced

1/2 teaspoon of each: dried parsley, dried dill, dried chives, garlic powder, onion powder

sea salt and pepper to taste

extra butter (or ghee--or other fat of choice for greasing)

4 peppers, with the tops cut off and seeds cleaned out

1/2 cup hot sauce 

1/4 cup butter or ghee

If you really like it spicy, add more hot sauce and use less butter--if you want it more mild, use less hot sauce and more butter. 

Jason also added a bit more dried dill to ours to give it more of the ranch taste that I love so much!

Guacamole:

2 avocados

1/2-1 jalapeño, seeded and minced

1/4 of a medium red onion, finely chopped

2-3 tablespoons of cilantro, finely chopped

1/2 lime, juiced

sea salt, to taste 

What you do:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix your dried spices together. 

Place the chicken breast and sliced onions together in a single layer on a greased or parchment paper lined baking pan. 

Sprinkle the entire pan with the dried spice mixture & salt and pepper to taste. 

Place a small pat of butter (or other fat choice) over each chicken breast. 

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. 

While chicken is cooking, melt 1/4 cup butter in a pot over medium-low heat. 

Once melted, add in hot sauce and stir. 

Set aside. 

If you are making the guacamole, make it now--mash all guacamole ingredients together until desired consistency. 

Once chicken is cooked, run a knife through the chicken and onions until chicken is in small, bite size pieces.  

Combine chicken with the hot sauce mixture. 

Spoon chicken mixture evenly into all 4 peppers. 

Place stuffed peppers in a baking pan. 

Bake for 35-40 minutes or until peppers are softened to your liking. 

Serve with the guacamole. 

Cilantro Garlic Lime Chicken with Zucchini Noodles

Jason and I really liked this dish. It was not only delicious but tasted really fresh. 

The recipe originally comes from here. We've started doing the Whole30 so we've been trying all new kinds of recipes around here and this one topped the charts tonight. 

Cilantro Garlic Lime Chicken with Zucchini Noodles

What you need:

1.5 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, chopped into 1 inch pieces

4 large zucchini made into noodles (I use this AMAZING zoodle--it's my new favorite kitchen tool--I promise it will be the best $13 you've ever spent) some use a potato slicer, too. 

1-2 jalapeños deseeded and diced

1 & 1/2 limes, juiced

1 cup, chopped, fresh cilantro

1 heaping tablespoon of taco seasoning (or 1/2 tablespoon of both cumin & chili powder)--I did the cumin and chili powder

1 teaspoon garlic salt (which I didn't have so I did 1 teaspoon of garlic powder and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. 

Non-stick cooking spray (avocado spray)--I didn't have so we used coconut oil

salt and pepper to taste

What you do:

Spray a large skillet with cooking spray (or coconut oil). 

Heat the skillet to medium-high heat; then add the diced chicken breast & chopped jalapeño. 

Season with taco seasoning (or mixture of cumin & chili powder) along with the garlic salt.  

Cook until the chicken is lightly browned and cooked through. 

Once cooked through, transfer the chicken to a separate dish; set aside. I put it in a mixing bowl and placed a plate on top of it (like a lid) to keep it warm. 

In the original recipe, she suggests to wipe the skillet clean with a paper towel and then use it again--I didn't wipe it clean, I just kept going. 

Spray with cooking spray (or add more coconut oil) and turn the heat back to medium-high. 

Add the zucchini noodles, dust them with salt, and cook for 1-2 minutes--stirring continually. 

Add the chicken back to the skillet. 

Sprinkle in the chopped cilantro and add in the lime juice. 

Remove from the heat and toss to combine thoroughly (I couldn't toss, because there was a good bit of liquid in my pan--which was fine and actually added a good bit of flavor!) I just stirred and stirred. 

Season with salt and pepper.

Go and make your tummy happy!