14 Things

So I totally spaced last week and didn't write a blog post for either of my blogs...whoops!
Back to my plan of posting 10 things a week I'm thankful for! I added a few to this post though to kinda make up for the lack of a post last week.

1. State Parks and forests. I am so grateful for these beautiful places that are protected from us ruining them. I have it on my bucket list to visit each state park in Florida, and I will say that I'm doing pretty well so far.

 2. All the fishing memories I have with my family. They are some of the best memories I have, and I always hold them close and think about them often.

 3. I am incredibly grateful for the country I live in and for all those who have fought for my freedom. I am guilty of taking those simple freedoms for granted. I have such great respect for our veterans because I am way too scared to do any of the stuff they do.

 4. High school. I am not one of those people who loved high school. I did have a good time and I did meet some wonderful people. I am grateful for all the lessons I learned and for the things that I was taught both by teachers and by the choices I made.

 5. Call me whatever you want, but I am grateful for Disney! I love it there and cant help but feel happy there! I have had some awesome memories with friends and family. I've spend Thanksgiving here and lots of other days too. I would still love to be a princess or fairy at some point in my life haha.

 6. The creatures in the ocean. I feel at peace when I am close to the ocean. I love the sounds it makes and I love to watch the waves. My favorite is snorkeling around and seeing all the creatures. Dolphins, manatees, sharks, turtles, lionfish, eels, crabs, and tons of other creatures! I love them all and swimming with them is like home to me.

 7. Donuts. Do I really need to elaborate on this one?

 8. Concerts. Since Hamilton and I have been together we've been to several music festivals and concerts and I have really been missing out. I have the next concert planned and I can't wait. I feel so alive and inspired whenever I go.

 9. Architecture. I love having beautiful and intricate things to look at. It makes me think and it makes me want to explore more cities and towns.

 10. Dancing. Hamilton has taught me to love dancing in a new way. I have always loved ballet, and my dad would always dance around the house. But Hamilton LOVES to dance, if he could go out and dance every night, he would. He loves to spin me around like a top, and I have really grown to love it so much. I am so grateful that he has taught me to enjoy such small and simple things.

11. Where we live. We live in a tiny little duplex. We rent from my aunt, but I really love it. I love making the space our own and adding our own personality to it. I am so grateful everyday that I have a roof over my head, and a comfy bed to sleep in.

 12. I am grateful for the colors of the sky during sunsets and sunrises. I don't think you can find anything more beautiful than the colors that occur during them.

13. I love to watch the storm clouds roll in. I really just love storms. They make me want to curl up with my favorite movie and a cup of soup. I just love the smell of rain and the sound of storms, it is so relaxing to me.

14. The Earth. I am so grateful for all the opportunities I've had to travel all over the world. Every time I watch the stars or look over a mountain I am reminded of how small I am. There is a great big world out there waiting to be explored.


xoxo, Jacquelyn

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Delicious Monday Night Dinner

Last night I made some really delicious beef and pasta. I'm not really sure what to call it haha. I found this recipe on Pinterest (I'll link it below) and it was seriously. SO. GOOD. Hamilton loved it so much and has already said I have to make it again so soon!

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
1/2 a large sweet onion
3 garlic cloves
1/2 box of elbow macaroni (or whatever kind you'd like)
2 cups tomato sauce
1 cup of heavy cream
2 Tbsp Italian seasoning
2 cups water
olive oil
salt & pepper to taste
red pepper flakes (optional)
parmesan (optional)

1. sauté onions in olive oil until soft
2. brown ground beef, then add garlic, salt and pepper
3. add tomato sauce, water, and pasta
4. cook pasta for about 10 minutes, until it is mostly cooked
5. reduce heat and add in heavy cream and italian seasoning and red pepper flakes. Cook until it starts to thicken
6. add parmesan and you're ready to serve! (I didn't add the cheese and it was so yummy without it, and I bet it is even better with is)

I honestly eyeballed everything. haha I didn't measure anything and changed it up a little. Honestly this was such a simple recipe and so yummy! This will definitely be one of my go to's.

I also made some baked potato chips.
- I just cut small yellow potatoes really thin, placed them on a baking sheet
- added olive oil and salt
- baked them at 400 degrees for about 25 minutes, or until they turned golden brown
These are so good and I make them at least once a week!

I hope you try this one out yourselves! If you do, let me know :)

pinterest recipe - Shells and Beef // bowls - target

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Giving Thanks

10 things I'm grateful for. There are so many more than that, but I figured the beginning of each week during November I would share 3 things I am thankful for. I know I already missed a week, but better late than never. 

Thanksgiving is such a good reminder of the things we have in our lives. I have had some struggles this year but that doesn't mean that I'm not grateful for so much. My life is full and I have so many amazing people surrounding me.

 1. I am grateful for sunsets and the ocean. I love spending my days on the boat fishing, snorkeling,  or just swimming.

2. My fur babies. I love them all so much! The white and grey kitty is Kate Wiskerton and the multi colored kitty is Hermione and our dog is Bowzer. They fill our home with joy and lots of laughter. There is definitely never a dull moment with them.

3. My best girl friends. I love them so much. They make my life whole and add so much joy to every life experience I have. I am so grateful for each and every one of these ladies. They are always there when I need them most.

 4. Whale sharks! They are my favorite animal EVER! And I was lucky enough to go to the Atlanta Georgia Aquarium to see them up close and personal. The next step is going to Mexico to swim with them.

5. My parents. I am so extremely grateful for my parents. They have given me a wonderful life. I was blessed enough to be able to travel with them and be homeschool up until 7th grade, which allowed me to spend my days on the boat fishing with my dad. I hold those memories near and dear to my heart. They are also the best examples. My mom is currently in nursing school and I couldn't be more proud of her. 

6. My in-laws. I am so happy to have another set of parents and so many more sisters and brothers! I love them all so much and they all mean the world to me. Hamilton's mom and dad are my parents too and it is so amazing to have in-laws that I am close with.

 7. My nieces and nephews. They are growing up way too fast! I remember when they were all born. It is really not okay how fast they are growing up! They are so smart and so loving. They are the best and funniest bunch of kiddos ever.

8. I am so grateful for my calling. I am the young women's 2nd counselor in my ward. I love those girls so much already and I hope that I can teach them as much as I know they will teach me.

9. I am grateful for the gospel. I am grateful for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I am so grateful for the temple and that I am able to go there with my husband and friends. It means so much to me to have a place to go where I feel safe and at home. I love having the knowledge that my Heavenly Father is always watching over me and helping me along the way (way more than I will ever know).

10. My husband. Hamilton Aaron Birkeland. I am so grateful for him and all he does for me. He is kind and patient and all the things I need to work on. He is an example to me each and every day. I love him more each day and can't wait to see what the future holds for us.


Tell me what you're grateful for! This month is all about being thankful and grateful. Pass it along and share what you're grateful for.


xoxo, Jacquelyn

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Chicken Soup

Sorry these pictures kinda suck. I'm not sure what was going on with my camera..

Anyways, I haven't posted in awhile and since it's slowly starting to get colder out, I figured I share the chicken soup I made for dinner tonight!

It was super simple and probably the same as half the other chicken soup recipes out there. We live in Florida so the weather is still fairly warm, but cooler than usual this time of the year. I really just made this to pretend that it's cold out because I totally wish it was haha. Plus my nephews came over today and one of them was sick, so it was perfect for him.

Recipe:
-fill a stockpot half way full with equal parts water and chicken stock
-put in your chicken (I used bone in thighs, it adds more flavor)
-let that cook low and slow until the meat starts to fall off the bone. Mine cooked for about 3 hours. The longer it cooks, the more flavor it will have.
-remove the chicken from the pot, then remove the meat from the bone
-combine everything back into the stockpot

In a separate saute pan.
-1Tbsp olive oil.
-1/2 a large sweet onion, or 1 medium onion
-4 celery stalks
-2 cloves of garlic (mine were tiny so I used more)
-salt
-pepper
-red pepper flakes (to taste)
(I put all this into the stockpot after about 2 1/2 hours to let the flavors meld together)

When your soup is all combined and ready
-bring water to a boil
-add salt
-cook your pasta of choice
I used Orzo, it's my fav for any soups!

At the end I decided to add some more seasoning (salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes) and cooked it a little bit longer.

This is a recipe that you can really tweak and make your own. It turned out so delicious! I also topped mine with some parmesan cheese.
I will definitely be using this recipe more and more in the colder months! I love to cook and I love it even more when I just wing it and it turns our so yummy!

Let me know if you use this recipe, I'd love to hear what you did differently or how you liked it!


xoxo, Jacquelyn

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