Hey!

Hey there!

Hope you are well. We are doing fabulous. Busy, but fabulous. Lots of stuff going on with us, as usual. I wanted to stop by and share some information with you......

LOL! Well, sort of. Just wanted to share with you that we have not been sick since we began using Young Living essential oils. Kinda strange, huh? Not really.

It is that time of year when lots of viruses and flu begin to attack whole communities. Whole families get knocked down for days at a time with stomach viruses, etc. YUCK! It's so good to not have to worry about catching every little thing.

I'd love to get real specific here about how we have not gotten sick for many, many months, but certain government agencies are heavily regulating the information that is shared about any natural products, even walnuts. That is nuts! (pun intended)

So, how do we not worry about getting sick? We use essential oils to support our immune system. We use them to help eliminate airborne germs. We use them to support our lungs and sinuses. We use them to promote restful sleep and reduce stress (you are most susceptible to catching colds and viruses when you are not getting enough rest and/or are stressed). In addition, essential oils are calming and relaxing and promote spirituality.

WE LOVE OUR YOUNG LIVING ESSENTIAL OILS!

If you are curious and would like to know more, I'd love to help you. I've got tons of information I could share with you. My favorite thing to do is educate people about essential oils. 

Contact me here, or visit here. 

Blessings to you!

Chicken in Tomatoes

Does your family have a recipe book or cookbook where all the family recipes are shared and passed down from generation to generation? Mine doesn't. I have a few recipes from each grandmother and an aunt. I have a few recipes that I learned from my mom and a bunch that I came up with on my own or adapted from a recipe I found. Most of them are not written down anywhere. How is my daughter, or my sons for that matter, supposed to be able to replicate the things they enjoyed eating at home while growing up?

I started this blog as a way to share pieces of my life with those who care to read it. I have shared a few recipes here. I realized the other night that searching this blog is not how I want my family to have to find their prized family recipes. I have decided to start a family cookbook. I wish to gather recipes from family members, try to recall and recreate some beloved things I had at my Mamaw's house as a child, add my own recipes in and bind it together so all family members can have the collection in one easy place to reference.

In the meantime, I will share my Chicken in Tomatoes with you. Several years ago, I had a unique craving for a dish I used to have at my Mamaw's house (my mom's mom). My mom is one of seven children....and the only girl. You would think she would have all these recipes. Nope. Apparently, my mamaw didn't record a lot of her recipes. Trips to my Mamaw and Papaw's house were always fun and always interesting. Sometimes we just went for a visit with them. Sometimes it was a large family gathering with most or all of my aunts and uncles and cousins. My mamaw did not know how to prepare a meal for just a couple of people. There was always a HUGE spread of food including, several main dishes, a bunch of vegetables/side dishes, from scratch biscuits and/or cornbread, and a number of desserts. My favorite desserts were her fried pies and peanut butter cookies. My mamaw always allowed me to eat dessert first at her house. No matter how much my mother protested. . Ummm. Seems I got a little off track there. Back to the chicken dish. It was one of my favorites. It's a little unique and I had never had a dish like it and have never since......until I decided to try to figure it out. Mom and I discussed what we thought was in the dish and about how we thought it was prepared and I got to work. Several tries later, I felt like I nailed it. I don't prepare it exactly the way Mamaw did, but it tastes like Saturday afternoon at Mamaw's table to me. So, Mamaw's untitled recipe is now "Chicken in Tomatoes".

This is not a photo filled recipe. There is only one. And it's not pretty. Chicken in Tomatoes is not a "pretty" dish. But, it sure is yummy.

What you'll need:

*Boneless, skinless chicken thighs - please don't substitute chicken breast. The thighs really make this dish!

*1-2 large cans of crushed tomatoes

*salt and pepper

*1-3 Tbsp sugar

*butter and/or olive oil

That's it. You won't believe how simple this is, yet it tastes soooooo gooood!

I am usually feeding five of us, so I use somewhere between 10-12 chicken thighs.

Begin by melting a couple of tablespoons of butter in a large skillet on medium to medium high heat. Add a tablespoon of olive oil to keep the butter from burning. You can just use olive oil if you don't want to use butter. OR, skip that mess altogether and just use ghee! Place the chicken thighs in the skillet, leaving a little room between each one. Don't crowd them. You want to sear the thighs, sealing in the juices. Once you have seared both sides of all chicken thighs (I usually have to do this step in two batches), remove them to a plate. Add the crushed tomatoes to the skillet. I use two cans for 10-12 thighs. As the tomatoes heat and begin to bubble, scrape the bottom of the skillet (don't scrape if you are using non-stick cookware) with your wooden spoon (etc.). This helps remove all the yummy bits of chicken that are stuck to the pan. Add the chicken thighs back to the pan. Season with a little pepper and salt (optional - you won't miss it if you leave it out), Add 1-3 tablespoons of sugar, depending on the size of your dish. I used three for about 12 thighs. The sugar helps remove the metal taste found in canned tomatoes. If you are using fresh or home canned tomatoes, cut the amount of sugar to about 1/2. The sugar is what makes this dish. I'm not sure exactly what it does, but the outcome is delicious. Cover the skillet and turn heat down. Simmer for at least 30 minutes. The longer it cooks, the better, Remove the lid after at least 30 minutes and continue to cook for 15-20 minutes to reduce/thicken the sauce. 

That's it! Simple AND delicious. I hope you enjoy this recipe.

Your personal invitation

Hey, friends!

Just wanted to take a minute to share an invitation with you. I am hosting a free webinar in a couple of days and I'd love for you to join me. I will be sharing some some great info on Young Living essential oils - what they are, how to use them, why we use them, and more.

To join me for this informative webinar, send me your email address for your personal invitation or simply click this link:

anymeeting.com/748-111-736

Hope to see you there!

Decorating Dilema

The change in seasons always brings about a desire to decorate my home. This usually means a simple addition of some seasonal decor--wreaths, flower arrangements, and other miscellaneous small decor to place on table tops and shelves.

Fall is just around the corner. The signs are everywhere. They days are getting shorter. It's no longer light outside when I get up in the morning and it's getting darker much earlier in the evening. I see a few leaves already beginning to change. Temperatures will be taking a cooler turn in the next week or so. I find myself longing for pumpkins, open windows, cool breezes, football games, piles of leaves, sweaters, boots, etc.

I also find myself longing to decorate with fall decor. But lately, it's more than that. I want to change EVERYTHING. I find myself dreamily reviewing photos on my Pinterest boards that showcase the decorating style that I love. Images such as this......

Source: bhg.com

I spent many years of my life trying to figure out what my style was. I often decorated with trends. We spent a lot of years surrounded by jewel tones. I could never figure out why I never really liked it. I finally figured out that though I may like a certain style and love the way it looks in someone else's home, that doesn't mean it's my style. It took me a long time and quite a bit of research to find out what my style actually is. 

How I define my style: light, bright, comfortable, kid friendly, maybe even a little "beachy", with touches of bold color. 

So....I figured out my decorating style, the decorating bug has bitten me, what's to stop me from charging ahead and making the changes that would make me more comfortable and happy in my own home? My mom. Or, better yet, my mom's stuff. 

Since we share a home with my mom, I can't just come in and change everything. We live in her home. With her things. That have been here for 30 years. *sigh* My mom's style is pretty typical of someone from her generation. Lots of wood. I mean LOTS. I like wood. I also like paint on some wood furniture pieces. Sometimes, they look better painted than stained. I like things that I don't have to worry about it getting a nick, chip, or scrape because it adds to it's character. 

We have lived under the same roof for almost 10 years. Voluntarily. Mom stayed with us after Dad died. It was easier on her. It made us worry less about her. She saved money on gas. She went home on the weekends. I did what I wanted to in my home. I decorated how I want. I rearranged furniture any way I pleased. It was grand. Then we made the decision to permanently combine our homes. We left our home and came to hers. No more double mortgages, utility bills, etc. But, double the furniture, double the dishes, pots and pans, and other kitchen gadgets, and stuff. Lots of stuff. I like to craft. I need a craft room because I could easily fill a whole room with my craft supplies. To date, most of our "stuff" is still in the attic. We got rid of most of our furniture. Mom moved her sofa and love seat out and made room for our sectional.

Before:

After:

We changed the rug. I don't love it. Still too many jewel tones. And then there's the other side of the family room that I haven't shown you. It's full of antique furniture that belonged to my dad's mother. My mom doesn't even really like it. Brace yourself....lol....

Everything is the opposite of what I love. It's dark. Always dark. Our house doesn't have a lot of windows. There are 7 windows in the whole house. We have two doors that have windows for extra light, but it is still dark in the house during the brightest part of the day. I like sunshine. Need light and bright. 

So, what's a girl to do? I've tried to decorate our bedroom in the style that I like. But, our bedroom is such a utilitarian space. It houses our office and all the supplies for our multiple businesses and my craft supplies. All my craft supplies. It's ridiculously tight in there. Doesn't feel "light and bright". 

We have plans to enclose the garage to make a suite type space for the hubs and I. That will be where I direct my decorating magic wand. The hope of that future space is what keeps me from going rogue and redecorating the whole house one day while Mom is gone. That, and the fact that though the whole act of redecorating everything would make me happy for a little while, it would make Mom unhappy - and probably mad - and that would break my heart. 

So, while everyone else is decorating for fall, I'll be doing the same........and silently dreaming of my beachy, comfy, light, bright space to come. 

Hello.......thump, thump......Is this thing on?

Hi there!

Long time no see.....umm, hear from......hmmm......read?? I'm not exactly sure how to put that.

I've been absent from the blogging world for a while. It's not that I haven't had anything to say - I doubt that would ever be the case with me. I just haven't made the time. I feel like I've let myself down by not being here and writing some silly post. I'd like to think I've let some of you down, but I'm not sure anyone is ever here. Hello........thump, thump.......Is this thing on? Just kidding. Sort of.

So what's been going on here at Ridge Creek? Lots of stuff. Mostly just everyday life. If you looked at my Instagram feed (johnna_ridgecreek - in case you were wondering), you would see a lot of that everyday life and even a little occasional silliness thrown in for good measure. It's all Instagram's fault that I haven't been blogging regularly. Instagram is kind of like a blog. A miniature version of this. But, with more photos and less words.

The biggest thing/change in our daily lives has been the introduction of Young Living essential oils into our lives. I'm working on some separate posts about that. These oils have been life changing for us. I'm desperate to share this information with everyone! So, look for some posts in the very near future about essential oils, how we use them, what we use them for, how to get them, and more.

We recently went to the gulf coast to visit my sister and baby W (who is not a baby any more). It was a great trip. Too short, as usual. And it makes me miss them even more than normal when we get back home. Mom, Z, Daughter Dear, her boyfriend, and I all drove the ridiculously long drive down there. Mom and I had a nice, quiet trip since Z wanted to ride with his sister. We all enjoyed some great family time with W and my sister. We made sure we took a little time to go to the beach. And we also got to visit with my aunt and uncle from Michigan and my cousin (their daughter) and her husband while we were there. They were visiting the area at the same time. We got a wonderful surprise visit from another uncle and aunt while we were there. So glad I got to see everyone! Family get-togethers don't happen often enough anymore.

The teenager turned 18 and got a job working with his dad. Where does the time go? I have TWO grown children now!!! I must be old.

Other than those things, my days have been filled with laundry, cleaning, driving the mom-taxi, meals, dishes, laundry, cleaning.....oh, I already said that. If you are a mom, you understand.

We've started our school year this week. Looking forward to fall, cooler temperatures, some completed projects, and football games! Oh, and a little more blogging. See.......umm, hear......hmmm.....read......I guess it should be: talk to you soon!

Blessings to you!

Thankful Thursday

It's Thursday. I'm thankful. And I like to talk. So, here we go.....

• Jesus. Always. Forever.
• Grace
• Mercy
• Prayer
• Family
• Godly friends
• Baseball
• A hardworking husband
• Baby chicks and ducks
• REAL food
• The ability to afford REAL food
• Our homeschool group
• Young Living essential oils
• Gardening (read: the ability to grow our own food)
• Sunshine and warm temps
• Flowers and flowering trees and shrubs
• Instagram - I learn a lot about raising chickens, REAL food, and using essential oils from real people who don't mind sharing bits and pieces of their lives with the world. Some of them are friends and family. Some of them are people I'll never meet. If you have an Instagram, I'd be honored if you'd "follow" me. My user name is johnna_ridgecreek. 
• Blogging
• Quiet time
• Sunrises
• Sunsets
• Longer days
• Living in the country

As always, this list is in no particular order. It's random, just like me.

I'd love to hear what you're thankful for. 

Have a beautiful day!

Fabulous Friday

Woooo! Life has been busy around here! I have seriously been neglecting this blog. I'm sorry about that. I know you've probably been anxiously hanging of the edge of your seat waiting for my next post. HA!

So, like I said, things have been very busy. We have about half a million half done projects around here. We are currently working on cabinet painting, garden planning, seed starting, raised bed building, flower bed re-designing, chicken coop re-designing, and probably about ten more things I can't think of right now. Add these things to homeschool, co-op classes (I've been teaching one this semester), raising a new flock of baby chicks, baseball, and everyday life = one frazzled momma.



We have also been traveling slowly down our journey to live more healthy lives. This means changes in the way we eat and the way we care for our skin, hair, and mouths. We are trying to live free of processed foods and anything else with chemicals. We are also changing the way we treat our bodies with conventional medicines (read: we are trying to eliminate them). Enter in Young Living Essential Oils...........

Be still my heart! I have fallen in love with essential oils. Since receiving my starter kit, we have diffused oils for changing nasty attitudes (seriously) and better sleep, have applied oils and combinations of oils for pain, treated a nasty headache, applied oil for concentration on a big exam, and are moving on to things like treating eczema, high blood pressure, acne, allergies, PMS, and stress. This list will continue to grow as we learn more.

Essential oils are a gift from God. Literally. Essential oils come from plants. Not all essentials oils are the same. Some are diluted or "cut" with additives. Young Living Essential Oils are therapeutic grade and are rigorously tested for quality and purity.



So, why Fabulous Friday? Because even though we've been crazy busy around here, I'm feeling good. It's Friday. It's springtime. It's gorgeous outside. And, I have an actual plan to get back on track with attention to this blog. Regular posts and everything! I will soon be sharing recipes for real food and skin care products along with posts about our million DIY projects. Note to self: remember to document with photos!

In the meantime, if you have any questions about our journey to healthier lives, including essential oils, please comment below. I'd love to hear from you!

Happy Friday!