Coconut Milk Caramel Sauce

The other day, out of nowhere, I had a huge craving for salted caramel. I think it blew Ross' mind that 20 minutes after I announced that, I walked into the office with some caramel on a spoon for him to taste. What can I say? The heart wants what the heart wants.

Coconut Milk Carmel Sauce

3 Tbs butter (or butter substitute if you're vegan)
1 14 ounce can full-fat coconut milk
1/2 cup brown sugar
up to 1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Put the butter in a medium sauce pan set over medium-high heat. Allow the butter to melt for 1-22 minutes and begin to swirl it around the pan, allowing it to brown. Keep the butter moving so it doesn’t burn. Browning should take about 3 minutes and you’ll know it’s done when it smells nutty and it has a dark golden brown color.

Turn the heat down to medium and add the coconut milk, sugar, and salt. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Raise heat to medium-high again and boil the mixture, stirring frequently with a heat-safe spoon or spatula, until the sauce thickens. This takes about 20 minutes.

Remove from heat, allow to cool for a minute or two, and add vanilla.  Serve over ice cream, on a pear crisp, with apple slices, or on a spoon!

The second week

I tell you what, I'm learning just as much as my students this semester. Labor inductions, fundal checks, and Rhogam shots galore. I think I've done more now than I did in my own clinicals! There's a lot more to having a baby than just the baby. (Duh. Humor me, please.)

I'm out of my comfort zone in a big, big way. And I think... I think it might be stretching me to grow in a painful, stressful, but satisfying way.

I Won't Give Up

Months and months ago, I fell in love with the Jason Mraz song, "I Won't Give Up." My friend Rachel did, as well. So much so that she bought tickets to the fall concert at Starlight Theater. Her boyfriend swears he doesn't like Jason Mraz, so I was the lucky recipient of the second ticket. Thanks, Marcus!

It was random that the concert was on a Wednesday night, but it was a gorgeous night to be outside listening to music.

Of course, they saved the best song for last and it was so heartening to listen to that song live, six months after I first heard it. It's a happy song now. Thanks for letting me join, Rachel!

Re-claiming and Re-focusing

Re-claiming the office

Two years ago, we traded up from our beloved one-bedroom apartment to a one-bedroom + study. Since we're both in grad school, the study has been a godsend. It's sunny, colorful, and a little crowded. But it's our space.

This past spring, I spent one miserable day sobbing on the floor of said study. Then I calmly got up, closed the door, and pretended it didn't exist.

But now, homework beckons. When I shut myself in the office with my school work, I'm somewhat free from other distractions in the apartment. It's time to re-claim this as a happy space and not a painful one.

Re-focusing on school

My mind wants to be elsewhere, but pretending that my homework doesn't exist is a terrible way to live. The weight of procrastination is miserable and completely self-inflicted. Today is my ONE DAY OFF this week. Do I have to spend it writing a paper? Why yes, yes I do. But this paper is a tiny one, really only requiring several hours of dedicated work. It would be better to get it done and then ENJOY the last few hours of my Friday before working all weekend, no?




Here we go!

Breathe

Two things.

1.) Who knew being back at work work today would be such a breath of fresh air? I was stretched further than I relized in the last two days and familiar faces and routines were a sweet relief this morning.

2.) Back in college, my favorite song was called "Breathe (2am)." The line that had me listening to the song on repeat crooned, "There's a light at each end of this tunnel, you shout. 'Cause you're just as far in as you'll ever be out. And these mistakes you've made, you'll just make them again. If you'd only try turning around."

I was struggling a lot during those years-- yearning for control yet not knowing where my life was going to go. Except I couldn't put my feelings into words back then and I just felt general teen angst for lack of a better term.

If I start thinking too hard right now, that familiar angst tries to come creeping back. I spent the last 2 days working very long 12-hour clinical shifts in charge of a cohort of students and yesterday around lunchtime, when I realized I was actually going to survive those first two days (thanks for all the prayers), it hit me that I still had to go to work work this week and my heart sank. Five 12s in six days doesn't leave much time for reading and writing the paper that I have due on Monday. It also doesn't leave much time to hang out with my husband who's also busy with school.

Really, the point I'm trying to make here is that a.) I'm surprisingly not drowning in panic like I was this past January when I was equally as busy, if not more so. I am exhausted, though. And b.) there's a light at the end of this tunnel. I finish my current class and clinical rotation mid-October and conveniently (more Providence than coincidence) the Influence Conference falls over my fall break. I bit the bullet this summer and bought a ticket. A friend even set me up with my roomie: the lovely Emily from Country Roots and Cowgirl Boots.

Influence is a Christian women's conference that stemmed from the conversations of several women and their desire to make much of Jesus. I was sold when I read this description:

"If you’ve ever wondered how or why the Lord was going to use you in your home, work, community, or online – Influence is a fantastic place to connect and learn. We believe that God has given you influence right where you are, for one purpose: to make much of Him. At Influence we’re going to dig into the common thread of all of us – the Good News. We plan on doing a little teaching, talking, sharing, and celebrating concerning the ways He might want to use you on the individual platforms He’s given."

Since the conference is rapidly approaching, a few bloggers thought it would be fun to link up to some other women attending. I'm linking up to Jessi's post over at Naptime Diaries. The prompts for the meet and greet are pretty simple:

3 get-to-know-me things
2 things I'm looking forward to about the conference
1 thing I can't leave home without

get to know me

...I desire deep friendships but between being introverted and hearing impaired, I fear I often come across as rude. If I don't talk to you, please come up and talk to me! I'm just waiting for an icebreaker. Also, if we're talking and I don't reply or if I have a confused look on my face, I probably didn't hear you. I'm not ignoring you. I love listening!

...Completely on a whim, I changed my major to nursing at college orientation. I wanted to change majors every semester thereafter, but for some reason I stuck with it. The minute I graduated, I realized choosing nursing was one of the best decisions I ever made and I can't take any credit for it!

...I'm the oldest of 4 kids and the only girl. Consequently, I tend to mother people. It works great for my babies at work, but not so great for the ever-loving people in my life who don't want to be treated like they're 5 years old. Oops!

what I'm looking forward to at Influence

...Meeting like-minded women and making lasting friendships with women I seem to have a lot in common with.

...Exploring a new city and taking a vacation without the weight of homework hanging over me.

can't leave home without

...A water bottle and a snack in my purse. If I do leave without these things, I'm often cranky a few hours later!

p.s. 

...I'd love to learn how to blog less about myself and more about God's glory.

{my first day on the other side of clinicals}

This Master's degree I'm working toward? It's a Master of Science in Nursing with an emphasis in Education (it was either that or Administration and I would be a terrible manager).



I'm a teaching assistant at my school right now and I kind of got shoved into the role of clinical instructor this semester, which I wasn't really prepared for. Yesterday was the first day and oh. my. gosh. It was so stressful!

I mean, I wanted to alternately throw up, cry, and quit right this second all morning. I kept praying it would get better and eventually, once the unit census picked up and the students had something to do, I felt a bit of relief.

But JEEZ I was exhausted when I got home. I mean really, I wasn't even thinking straight or making conversation with Ross even though I was so relieved to come home to him at the end of the day.

I did get one of the best compliments of my life a few hours before post-conference, though. I was walking down the hallway and as I passed a nurse practitioner she said, "I've heard nothing but good things about you and your students today. Sometimes students just get in the way but not you guys!" I was walking on air after that. But this morning, I'm back to panic. Now I have to uphold that standard.

I could keep rambling, but I need to go do some quiet time before the crazy starts all over again. I'm still not sure I "have what it takes" to be a nurse educator per this video, but I'm chugging along.

If you're so inclined, please pray for my students and me today!

This Summer

Happy Labor Day! I'm not ready to surrender to fall quite yet, but Ross had I have had a blissfully relaxing weekend and I've had some time to reflect on the whirlwind that was this summer.

This summer...

I did a lot of Bible reading,

Body Pump,

and swimming.

I biked to the pool.

I got my first flat tire in thousands of miles, thanks to a goat head thorn.

I earned the best tanlines I've had since high school.

I eased back into running and biking.

I learned that exercising for my physical, mental, and emotional health actually makes me a happier person and it's possible to stay in shape without training for a race.

This summer was the best summer of my life.

And it ties with last summer for also being the worst summer of my life.

I enjoyed 7 blissful weeks off of school and redeemed my quiet time and my daily routines.

Of course, I wrestled with several existential questions and I'm still struggling with a few.

I was much more social that I have been in a long while.

I finished my weekend contract and then worked night shift for 2 weeks to help with staffing.

I kept my promises.

I went without internet at home for the month of July and I wish I could get rid of it again right now.

I stuck to a budget and I liked it.

I did more reading for fun than I've done in years.

I saw a lot of sunrises and sunsets. 

I ate only local food for one week and it was much more work than I anticipated.

I committed to attending one church regularly instead of bouncing around.

I found a restaurant with a menu full of desserts that won't upset my stomach!

I found a butcher shop I love.

I found a sno cone/coffee/homemade soda shop I love.

I finally clicked with Kansas City. Greater things have yet to come, greater things are still to be done here.

I got to spend time with my family.

Ross and I took a staycation to Excelsior Springs in July and had a blast.

I fell more in love with my husband.

I fell more in love with my Savior, and my need for Him has never been greater.

I fell more in love with summer and more in love with life.

Amen.


What was the best part of your summer?