Whole foods

Whole foods...nope, no the store. I'm talking about eating foods the way that God created them. I've been trying to cut back on artificial ingredients, preservatives, etc. Cooking more things from scratch is quite the adventure. I've learned that it is totally worth it. It's kind of nice eating things where I can pronounce all of the ingredients. This weekend, in light of the winter weather, I'm making snickerdoodles, pizza pockets, popcorn chicken, and strawberry bread. It's nice to put things in the freezer and have super quick meals later. Even though eating and cooking this way are admirable, it's important not to let this lifestyle become an idol. It's easy to say, ''it took so much time to make this and I don't want to just give it all away; I want to keep it at home to enjoy it.'' However, God has blessed me with so much. It should be a blessing to share what I have with other.

Liberty Bowl

On New Year's Eve, I left for the Liberty Bowl. It was a long, but easy road trip. We rung in the New Year on Beale Street. The tradition in Memphis is a guitar drop outside of Hard Rock Cafe. The next day, we watched the Liberty Bowl parade (thank goodness for hot chocolate from Starbucks. We also stopped by the Memphis pyramid, St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, the Mississippi River, Elvis' mansion, and Graceland. While the Pirates lost, it was still a great game to watch. However, I've never been so cold in my life. Even though I was surrounded by Arkansas fans, there was plenty of Pirate spirit. Stay tuned for pictures.

1st post

I thought it would be fun to share my adventures through a blog. Now for my weekend fun... This weekend involved a lot of cooking, but I didn't have access to my camera. Just imagine the smells of freshly baked bread. I also took a short trip to Wilson and had dinner with the relatives. They're always happy to let me mooch. After church on Sunday, I went to B-dubs with Sara, Robin, Philip, and Rebekah. They're all going to the Liberty Bowl and I hope to see them there. I'm traveling with my college buddy, Jeff. I almost forgot...WE HAD A MOUSE! There was, indeed, a furry critter in my apartment. Unfortunately, my cat didn't realize he was here. I look forward to sharing all about my family Christmas festivities. My relatives are pretty kooky...this blog will make for some interesting reading.

Family Christmas

Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve was a celebration with our immediate family. We exchanged gifts with Brittany and Matt. Steak, salad, and fries were on the menu. Yum!

Muffy had her fair shair of steak.

My bow-wearing brother-in-law got beer bread mix...that's some serious alliteration.

Christmas Day
After celebrating at home, we gathered with family at my grandparents' house. We had a total of 13.

Hauser Family Christmas
We celebrated with my dad's brother, sister, and their families. That's the six of us, one aunt, two uncles, five cousins (including spouses), and seven 2nd cousins. My Uncle Bill is crazy. If you think I have a loud mouth, you haven't heard anything yet. I pray that his grandkids don't repeat what they hear at school and daycare. Our celebration was at Kanki in Raleigh.

I gave some homemade gifts this year: taco seasoning mix, cinnamon swirl bread, sugar scrub for hands, and applesauce bread.