Sara McGee

This meal may require a lot of pots and pans (I used four) but don’t let that intimidate you! The deliciously, healthy meal really fills you up and is pretty easy to pull together.

The following ingredients are for ONE stuffed pepper, but feel free to double the recipe for date night or 4x it for dinner for the family.

Ingredients
1 pepper
1/4 lb. ground turkey
1/4 of an onion, diced
1 can diced tomatoes (I got the ones seasoned with basil, garlic, and oregano)
1/4 cup cooked brown rice
Small handful of Italian cheese blend

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cut the top off the pepper and carefully remove all the seeds and white membranes. You might need to trim some of the bottom of the pepper to get it to stay upright, but make sure that you don’t make a hole in the pepper while doing so! Submerge it in a big pot of boiling water and let cook for 3-5 minutes. Pull out of the water and set aside.

In a pan, add about 3 tablespoons of oil and sauté onions until clear. Add in ground turkey and cook until you can’t seen anymore pink. There shouldn’t be too much fat that comes off the turkey, but if there is drain it carefully.   

Add onions, turkey, about half of the can of tomatoes, and 1/4 cup of cooked rice (I used the boil-in-bag kind and saved the rest or the rice and the tomatoes for other meals later in the week) to a bowl. Mix thoroughly. Fill pepper with mixture and top with cheese.

Bake in the oven for 7-10 minutes, or until the cheese is fully melted. Note: I had some of the mixture leftover that didn’t quite fit into my pepper but it makes for a good snack while the pepper bakes.

I’m not a big fan of steak [gasp]. But, my boyfriend loves it! So, when he cooks on date nights it’s usually steak. Well I stepped in and decided to try a new rub to spice mine up a little. And thus my coffee rub was born. It leaves the steak with a uniquely flavored “crust”. You do NOT have to be a coffee lover to love this.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons coffee
1/2 tablespoon paprika
1/2 tablespoon all spice
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions
Combine all ingredients in a container or ziplock bag.

Brush oil onto the steaks. Season with salt and pepper like you normally would. Generously coat the steak with the rub.

Cook on the grill or in a hot, buttered pan on the stove.

The first meal I ever made on my own was scrambled eggs. The second, were these babies. I used to eat these up as a kid. They are so easy, literally a child could make them. Back then, I cooked them in a toaster oven. I have upgraded it some by making it on a pizza stone in the oven. Regardless of your preferred method, this is the best 4 ingredient dinner ever. Seriously, make this for lunch or dinner soon.

Ingredients
1 package of English muffins (I use 1 1/2 muffins per adult)
1 jar of pizza sauce
1 bag of shredded mozzarella
1 bag of pepperonis
+ any additional toppings you like!

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place halved English muffins on pan or pizza stone. Layer with pizza sauce, cheese, and toppings to your liking. Cook for about 10-12 minutes. Serve.

(Boyfriend approved)

Come again?? Smores AND brownies combined?? Be still my little heart.

I have said it before and I will say it again, I am NOT a baker. However, I somehow pulled this off. You can have dessert for dinner right? Time to put on my stretchy pants. I’ll go ahead and apologize in advance for taking tons of pictures… but can you blame me? These things are gorgeous.

Ingredients
10-11 Graham Cracker cookies, crushed
7 tablespoons of butter, melted
2 tablespoons of sugar
1 pinch salt
1 package of your favorite brownie mix (and all that calls for, usually oil and eggs)
Mini marshmellows

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9×13 pan with greased aluminum foil. Set aside for now.

Place Graham Crackers in a ziplock baggie and take some aggression out on them by smashing them into crumbs.

Add cracker crumbs to melted butter with sugar and a pinch of salt. Press crumb mixture into pan. Cook for 10-12 minutes until golden.

While that is baking, go ahead and mix together your brownie mix. (I love any chance I get to use my KitchenAid).

Pour mixture over the Graham Cracker crust.

Bake according to package until you can stick a toothpick inside and it comes out clean. Let brownies cool.

Put oven on broil. Put marshmallows on top of the cooled brownies and place under broiler for about 2 minutes. This goes quick so stand by!

Cut with plastic knife and serve warm.

I am so sorry readers for not updating more of my Christian-part of this blog. I have been immersed in a wonderful bible study called Discerning the Voice of God by Priscilla Shirer. It has been an amazing growth in faith for me, and with that a lot of personal conviction and application. So personal that I have been hesitant to share exactly the ways God has moved me these past few weeks. However, I feel it absolutely necessary to encourage you all to pick up that devotional workbook and really learn about the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit (or Holy Ghost as I was used to referring to it) was never really addressed as I grew up in the church. In fact, calling it a ghost was scary/intimidating. Never would I have thought the Holy Spirit is such a vital part of my existence! When Jesus died, God gave us the Holy Spirit to live inside of us as our direct connection with God. That’s worth repeating– we have a direct connection with God LIVING INSIDE OF US! How awesome!

You can start by thinking of the Holy Spirit is kind of like a conscience at times, but here are some qualities of the Holy Spirit/God’s voice that sets it apart from your conscience. The Holy Spirit is:

• loving, gentle, and soothing: kind of like Him ooing and ahing over us as a parent does with a child
• speaks always for good: He will not tell you anything that will bring you harm
• supported by God’s Word in the Bible and circumstances God puts in your life to help you recognize He is truly speaking to you: think about a time you were dealing with a situation and you thought you your “conscience” was directing you one way, then your friend tells you the same thing, then the tv show you watch covers the same topic, then the devotion you do contains a bible verse that is really speaking to you about the situation– nothing is coincidental with God!

I cannot possible do the Holy Spirit justice in one blog post. He may speak to me to talk more in depth about Him later on, but until then I suggest you pick up that workbook (doesn’t matter if you are male/female or what stage you are in your spiritual growth) and dive in to learn more about this AMAZING thing that is inside you.

Scripture: John 3:6-8, Romans 8:2-6, 2 Corinthians 5:16-18, Habbakkuk 2-1
Observation: I never asked myself is it really my conscience talking or is it the voice of the Holy Spirit. I never really knew the characteristics of the Holy Spirit. 
Application: I will be quiet and still waiting to hear the Holy Spirit inside me. I will not question and I will obey instantly (or try my hardest). I will be constantly grateful for this amazing gift of God.
Prayer: Dear God, thank you so much for sending your Son and the Holy Spirit to us. Help me to better listen, discern, and obey the Holy Spirit’s voice on a daily basis. I hope I never take for grant again what it means that the Holy Spirit is living inside of me. Amen.

This is such a nutritious side to any meal. Not to mention, it will make a fabulous entree for lunch or dinner on it’s own. Served hot or cold, this salad can do no wrong! This recipe makes for a huge salad, definitely will serve 4 people as a side dish or a couple of people as big entrees. I made this for just me and had it for dinner one night and lunch for a few days after.

Ingredients
1 cup orzo
3/4 lb. of asparagus, stalks cut into two or three pieces
1 cup fresh spinach
4 oz. feta
2 lemons
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tablespoon of Dijon mustard
Salt
Pepper

Directions
Cook orzo according to package. Drain. Set aside.

Sauté asparagus in a little oil or butter. Make sure the asparagus is prepped properly and cut up into bite sized pieces. Once those are cooked to your liking (I prefer mine more crunchy, right after they turn a bright green), add in the spinach. The spinach will cook and wilt down quickly- so make sure you stand by!

In a large bowl, juice two lemons and whisk in olive oil and Dijon mustard. Season dressing with salt and pepper to your liking.

Add spinach, asparagus, feta, and orzo to the bowl with the lemon dressing. Mix throughly.

Serve immediately warm with salmon, or serve cold for lunch!     

I’m a sucker for fajitas– whether is traditional or on a pizza. I guess that’s why when I was scouring the grocery store on what to make for a date night dinner, I kept going back to fajitas. But I went a little crazy on this one, so I hope you bear with me… I used salsa instead of pasta sauce [gasp]. And it was actually really yummy! Spice up date night with this weirdly delicious recipe.

Ingredients
Pasta
1 small jar of mild salsa
1 lb. cubed beef steak
1/2 package of diced peppers
Mexican-blend cheese for topping (optional)

Directions
Boil pasta until cooked through. Drain. Add back to pot on low and stir in salsa. Let it warm up until the rest of the ingredients finish cooking.

Saute peppers and beef in a little oil until the beef is cooked through and the peppers are tender. Carefully drain any fat if necessary.

Add beef and peppers to salsa pasta. Garnish with a little bit of Mexican-blend cheese and serve!

I am a big hibachi/sushi restaurant kind of girl. I love when I can bring those meals into my house and make them on my own (see sushi at home post). So, that’s what inspired me to make my version of a shrimp fried rice.

I’ve read online that leftover rice is the best way to go with this, so the night before I made two boil-in-bags of rice. I am AWFUL at making rice but the boil-in-bags are so easy (I used two bags). Store cooked rice in a tupperware container in the fridge overnight before making this meal. It also cuts down on the actual cooking time the day of. Who isn’t a fan of shortcuts?

This makes 3-4 servings.

Ingredients
1/2 lb. peeled, deveined shrimp
3 eggs
4 cups rice (brown rice for a healthier option)
3/4 cup frozen peas and carrots, defrosted
2 tablespoons of soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
Salt/pepper to taste
Teriyaki Sauce to marinate shrimp (optional)

Directions
If you want to, marinate the shrimp in some teriyaki sauce for atleast 30 minutes. This is optional though.

Take day-old rice and warm on low in a large pan. Add rice vinegar, soy sauce, and defrosted peas and carrots to pan, too.

Whisk together two eggs and one egg white in a bowl. In a separate pan, pour beaten eggs and don’t touch them for about 1 minute. Flip the “eggcake” over and let the other side cook for about another minute. Remove and chop up. Place in with the rice mixture.

Add a little butter or oil to the egg pan and sauté the shrimp for about three minutes, or until pink. Add to rice. Season with salt and pepper. Serve.

There’s a sandwich called The Palmetto at Midtown Deli in Greenville, SC that is AH-mazing. I was craving it the other night and had to recreate it. One of the best parts about the sandwich is the house-made basil mayo, so I couldn’t recreate The Palmetto without that!

Basil Mayo
Ingredients
1 cup lowfat mayonnaise
1/4 cup basil leaves
1/2 lemon, squeezed
Salt/pepper to taste

Directions
Combine all ingredients in a food processor. Blend until thoroughly combined.

The Palmetto, recreated (for one sandwich)
Ingredients
4 thinly sliced oven-roasted deli turkey
3 pieces of bacon
1/2 avocado
Basil mayo
(Cheese/Lettuce/Tomato optional)

Directions
Layer all on wheat bread. Cut. Enjoy.

I love simple recipes, don’t you? Also, this is kinda hearty so I’d recommend serving on wheat bread and with a side of pretzels or baked chips.

I for one am LOVING this weather outside. Bike rides around downtown Greenville, SC, hiking trips, and really just enjoying God’s creation outside. A recent sermon at my church approached an interesting topic that I plan to discuss in today’s devotion: spring cleaning.

I like things to be neat and clean. I love organizing and reordering things when the warm weather comes back. Needless to say,  I was all ears when I saw that the pastor was covering spring cleaning! Instead of taking notes on how to clean out your winter closet, I was left refreshed and encouraged to take on spring with a passion for the Lord.

Let me rewind all the way back to Matthew 21. Jesus is entering a temple during Passover. For those of you who don’t know, Passover is a time where pilgrims from all over visit the temple and this atmosphere was filled with people bartering and selling for sacrifices. The temple was corrupt and commercialized and this displeased the Lord.

Isaiah 6:1 tells us that the temple should be a sacred place of worship, filled with God. Jesus stood against the temple leaders and turned over their tables of money changers. He healed the blind and lame, and the children praised Him! He took his temple back.

1 Corinthians 6:19 says our body is a temple. The Holy Spirit lives within us. The pastor convicted me to look inside at my temple. My temple could use a serious spring cleaning! I let other things corrupt my temple (reality tv being a big one), and I do things myself that is like throwing trash on the ground of my temple (gossiping). I need to get my mop and broom and clean out my temple and keep it clean! After all, the Holy Spirit is living there and He deserves the best.

Scripture: Matthew 21:12-17, Isaiah 6:1, 1 Corinthians 6:19, Ezekiel 36:26-27
Observation: I do things that corrupt my temple and displease the Lord.
Application: I will not lower my standards that will dirty my temple and the best way to keep it clean is to live fully everyday for Jesus.
Prayer: God, help me to keep my temple clean. Keep the trash, corruption, and filth out; and to forgive me when I fail to keep it out. Give me patience in this spring cleaning season of my life through any struggles I may have. Amen.