Blog – Page 28

DotMom- Part Two and a Book Giveaway!!!

October 2, 2013 by HappyGoStuckey Leave a Comment

If you missed my first post on DotMom 2013 in Chattanooga, TN– find it HERE.

A group of seven of us left Thursday night, drove to Calhoun, GA and spent the night. We all piled (quite comfortably!) into two hotel rooms and got a good bit of rest as we didn’t have to leave nearly as early the next morning. Breakfast in the Hotel and then we were off to Chattanooga by 10:30AM.

My Breakfast of Champions. Hey, this may not look glamorous (or on 2nd thought, appetizing.) to you but I ate this partially hardened, heat lamp warmed cinnamon roll BY MYSELF. I drank this slightly weak but still hot and delicious cup of coffee, leisurely– while taking an inordinate amount of time getting ready. I changed my outfit several times, just because I could! I love my children (so much) but less than 18 hours into this weekend, and I was already on my way to being refreshed!

Here’s our group of seven amazing ladies! Oh, and notice our bags?! Those are Jute Freeset bags which Lifeway, (in)courage and Freeset provided for all conference attendees. More about Freeset later, but I was so happy to have something made by them!!!

Friday was a whirlwind of main sessions and break out sessions.

I was able to hear Angela Thomas speak on the topic, 52 Things Kids Need From a Mom and it was so encouraging! She has written a book by the same title, and I would love to add it to my list. Very practical, heartfelt suggestions. I was initially afraid I was about to hear a list of 52 MORE things I was not doing for my kids, but that was not at all her aim! She was so gracious and having been both a single mom of four children, and now a married mom of four teenagers, she was able to minister to every single person there.

Next we heard Jen Hatmaker speak on “Parenting the Kids We Have, Not the Kids We Were.” Again, it was not at all what I was expecting, but it truly challenged me in some large areas. But that’s kinda her thing. If you have ever listened to Jen and NOT been challenged.. you must have been sound asleep. 🙂

Later that night, we attended a “Late Night DotMom Bash” I say that loosely, because it began at 8:30 PM. Ha! Late night! But honestly, we were tired and ready to go by 9:30PM because that’s what happens with a room full of tired mamas!

Before we got too tired though, I was able to meet TWO of my very favorites, Melanie Shankle and Sophie Hudson— or Big Mama and Boo Mama! Though they have both blogged for years and have been the emcees of DotMom for awhile, they both recently published their first books! Both are amazing, both will make you both laugh and cry! Melanie‘s book, Sparkly Green Earrings was one book I would love to give to every single mother I know. If you haven’t read it, it’s a pretty light read and I’m sure you will appreciate her wit and spirit in writing. Sophie’s book, A Little Salty to Cut the Sweet is also hil-ar-ious. I’m pretty sure half of the stories in there about her “Southern” family either have happened in mine or they will before too long.

So can I just say something about both of these amazing ladies? After traveling from hours away, getting up heaven knows how early, and then being “ON” all day long– how they stood there so graciously and made every person feel welcome and appreciated is amazing to me. They were kind. They were generous with themselves. They were both exactly how I pictured they would be.

Oh, and because I was a tad star struck I got my picture with each of them! Oh, yes I did!!!!

Myself and Melanie Shankle, aka Big Mama

( Can we talk about how great she looks at 9:00PM at night?! And that girl has got some fashion sense! Classy!!!)

And yes, I had to buy another copy of her book to have her sign it. Love!

And Here I am with the sweet (and adorable!!) Sophie Hudson aka Boo Mama

Now, because I had a copy of her book at home– I decided to get one signed for ONE of you!

Just sharing the Love!!!

So, without further ado– let’s do a GIVEAWAY!!!! And one of you can win this book which she signed for you!

Rules: Leave a Comment for an entry!

If you follow, or you become a follower, leave a SECOND comment stating that.

Giveaway will go through two weeks from today, October 16th!!!!

The Unexpected Ministry of a Four-Year Old

September 30, 2013 by HappyGoStuckey Leave a Comment

It was exactly one week ago at the kitchen sink that I saw it.

Lance’s car pulling into the driveway. Two whole hours early. (Complete with the sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach.) I immediately knew. All those prayers we prayed for God to make our paths straight and clear? He had begun. He just closed a door. He had just made one thing end in order to bring about something else. And as we grappled with different emotions and tried desperately to take deep breaths, PRAY… and we had an audience. They were playing with dolls in the next room.

We put forth every effort to remain upbeat and joyful, so as not to frighten them… the older is SO perceptive. Especially in those next few hours. At one point, she found me *hiding* in the pantry, questioning the next step. She said, “Mommy. I LUD (love) you. Do you KNOW that I LUD you? I do. I LUD you A LOT.”

That was the first of many instances this week that God artfully used the beautiful, innocent love of our children to pour balm on our exhausted and tentative hearts.

And not just through our children. God has brought encouragement from every. single. corner. of our world. Everyone we have come in contact with has been so kind. So thoughtful. So quick to want to help. So generous. The amount of kindness we have been recipients of has been so much more than a huge blessing. It’s been HUMBLING.

Yes, this causes us to realize what great family and friends we have. But more than that even, we realize (again) how great our God is. Every little thing, keeps saying. “I love you. I’m faithful. And I love you.” Every well-timed song we hear, ministers to us in our season of uncertainty and causes us to stop. And worship the God who saw this coming. He heard our 3 years of frustrated prayers as we prayed for an open door. He heard and He acted FOR us.

Undoubtedly, we have… moments. Moments when all we see is the sudden turn of events and our complete inability to change things. I was having one of these moments on Friday. Alone for an hour, I tried to fit in a Dr’s appointment. I walked into the reception area to check in, and was directed to a new girl I hadn’t met before. There, plain as day, taped to her computer was a tattered strip of paper, with one verse–

“The Lord will fight for you and you shall hold your peace.” Exodus 14:14

YES. Because when you watch your husband faithfully work and strive and struggle and then be let go… You NEED a God who fights battles and gives peace.

Every little thing He uses to comfort us– it stops us dead in our tracks of frustration and causes us to stand awestruck at what He is doing. Because we know HE IS WORKING.

But when we’re in the thick of it, we falter. We see what’s in front of us, which is a little foggy, and we strain to see clearly… until our eyes ache from squinting to see the clarity that just isn’t there. Not yet.

But, Oh He is Faithful! Faithful to keep gently reminding us.

Through His Word.

Through sermons that seem so well-timed, that surely there is a wire-tap on our phones, feeding our pastor his next topic.

Through the generosity of others.

Through the girls.

Yesterday while leaving church, Lucy (in the backseat with her craft– A paper world she colored and taped the day’s Bible verse to.) Any idea what the verse was? Jeremiah 29:11. And from the back seat, she said, “Mommy? Daddy? God said, For I know the plans I have for you!!!”

This being after the beautiful sermon on trusting God and surrendering to His will–

We just looked at each other and shrugged while laughing around the joy of knowing we. were. LOVED.

Today, I picked Lucy up from school and pulled over to buckle her in. I opened her folder as I always do, and spotted a post-it note from her sweet director.

“NO Tuition due for October. Payment made by an Anonymous donor.”

Meanwhile, from the backseat, I hear my little encourager sing– (and please know, I could not make this up.)

“Oh how He loves you and me…. Oh how He loves you and me…”

I did NOT hold myself together at that point. It was just too much. Too much love lavished on us by people who want to bless us. Too much grace poured out from our Father. Too much hope in knowing He is at work. Too much anticipation as we watch what He does next.

Too. Much.

DotMom13- Part 1

September 27, 2013 by HappyGoStuckey 2 Comments

**First, thank you all so much for your kind comments, emails, texts and phone calls. My husband did lose his job this past Monday (brief commentary- it was unexpected but we are at peace with God’s direction.) Though we are still reeling from it all, we are trying to take a few days to re-group, rest (stress is so exhausting!!!) and PRAY. We KNOW that God means this for GOOD and we are excited to see where He leads next. So, THANK YOU so much and we would covet your continued prayers.**

Last weekend, I was so thrilled to be able to attend the LifeWay sponsored DotMom conference in Chattanooga, TN. I’ve always wanted to go and was simply over the moon about being able to not only attend, but have 6 other moms from our small group go along. We had an absolute blast. It was a little like Summer camp for Mommies. We traveled together, ate our meals together, got ready together, stayed up late talking and laughing together, etc. It was an AMAZING two days of conference fun and of course, we added a little outlet shopping at the end for good measure.

Lauren Chandler & her band led worship and they did a fabulous job of helping us prepare our hearts for worship. She is a beautiful woman, inside and out and if you’ve never heard her sing, you can purchase her first album, The Narrow Place on iTunes for only $5.99. Look her up, you’ll appreciate her story.

The main keynote speakers were Angela Thomas, Vicki Courtney, Jen Hatmaker and John Croyle. Each speaker was absolutely amazing. I attended break out sessions with 3 of the 4 speakers, and I took a BUNCH of notes and wish I could share each little thing with you. I’ll have to settle for a few main quotes instead.

Vicki Courtney, who recently wrote the book, Ever After: life lessons learned from my castle of chaos, spoke about expectations and the infamous, “Fairytale Letdown.” She spoke words of wisdom about what to do when reality doesn’t match our expectations. She said that, “Happily Ever After is a decision YOU make TODAY in the here and now. A choice we make to look for God’s standard — not the world’s idea of the IDEAL.” She spoke a little about Pinterest and how she even has had to shut it down, already when she needed to. Simple truths but so good to be reminded of.

Jen Hatmaker. WHOA. first of all, that girl can rock a high bun and look so hip!

See? Anyway, enough about her sense of style.

She. was. AWESOME. I was privileged to hear her twice, once in a smaller session. A few things she said: (so passionately!)

“Speak of God’s plans for their lives from the time they are in diapers.” (She spoke against raising fearful children, and instead raising kids who Love Jesus. Period. ) She opened my eyes a little bit more to the importance of DISCIPLING our children and how the focus needs to be on God’s leadership over their lives from the beginning.

During our last evening session, she shared a little bit more about “Parenting Diligently NOT Fearfully.” She wisely said that “In Motherhood, fear makes an already hard job even harder.” So. Very. True. She also left us with this, “Live it. Or you have NO HOPE of leading it. (to your kids.)”

And then she shared the most beautiful video of the day they brought home their last two children. Grab the tissues, You’re going to need them.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMQuXTG2ndY&w=640&h=480]

More DotMom fun to come next week, stay tuned!!

Twelve Minute Creamy Pesto Pasta

September 26, 2013 by HappyGoStuckey Leave a Comment

This quick Pesto Pasta is the most requested dish in our household. It’s the one single dish that brought our girls from picky-land into “Maybe I’ll like it-ville.”

It makes a great quick dinner, lunch or side dish. Add sun-dried or fresh chopped tomatoes for color.

Creamy Twelve Minute Pesto Pasta

8 oz. Dried Rigatoni

1/4 Cup of Prepared Basil Pesto (Homemade or Costco has a great alternative.)

1/4 Cup of Greek Yogurt

2 Tbs. Milk or Half & Half

Parmesan Cheese (Freshly grated or not– either is good!)

Salt & Pepper to taste

Bring a Medium Pot of Water to a boil. Add Pasta and Boil for 10 minutes (or package directions for al dente) Meanwhile, add pesto and greek yogurt to a small bowl and microwave. Blend together to desired consistency. (You want it to be creamy– add the milk if you need it!) Drain Cooked Pasta, reserving 2 tbs. of pasta water (in case you need more liquid to smooth out the sauce.) Return pasta to boiling pot, add creamy Pesto mixture. Taste and add Salt and Pepper if desired. Garnish with Parmesan. Add tomatoes if desired.

When there are no words…

September 24, 2013 by HappyGoStuckey Leave a Comment

He’s in one room, I’m in another. Both of us enjoying the last few minutes of quiet solitude before the littles awake. Both reeling from the past 18 hours. Both praying, while not knowing exactly how to pray just yet.

Both slightly relieved, but also slightly brokenhearted. We have prayed for relief. And it has come, but not in the way we might have chosen.

There is a side of us that may have wanted to pridefully “stand up for ourselves” but instead we are humbled. And now we are caught between a hundred different emotions. But the one thing in front of us is TRUTH. We need truth. We need the Living Word to speak to our heart of hearts and confess what we know is true. God is Good. ALL the time. He was good yesterday as we obliviously prepared ourselves for the week. He will be good today. And tomorrow, as we wait for “what’s next.”

This valley comes immediately after a mountain of blessing as I have just returned from a weekend of refreshment and being filled at the DotMom Conference. Throughout the weekend, I found myself overcome with thankful emotion and sober realization of all that God continues to bless with and to BE for us as moms and wives. I came home with my cup full. I’m thankful for that. He gave what I would need because He knew I would need it.

Because as we’ve struggled through the last half-day, the words of encouragement have been rapid firing in my head and heart.

The lyrics from the worship we took part in Friday and Saturday have been “sticking around.” I’ve been reminded again and again of His promises. Yesterday, upon learning our news, I immediately turned on my “Audrey Assad” Pandora station. (so good.) And every song. Every lyric, most taken or developed from scripture– they spoke truth exactly when I needed it.

And today, when there are NO ANSWERS? Promises are exactly what I need.

Times like this require that we speak the truth to our hearts. That we “Remind our Souls” of all that we have in Christ. All that we know to be true.

It’s hard to combat the fear of the unknown in our own hearts. The only way I know is to truly meditate on what is truth. Truly keep speaking truth to my soul. Speaking scripture. There are NO better words of encouragement than we can find than in God’s Word.

“I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand.

The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.

The Lord will keep you from evil; He will keep your life.

The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and evermore.” Psalm 121

Skinny Jeans Banana Bread

September 20, 2013 by HappyGoStuckey 3 Comments

I am always anxious to try a new banana bread recipe and this one is a good one. The technique is a bit different as you roast the bananas (still in the peel) in the oven first and then let them cool. This brings out so much more flavor and sweetness that you can dramatically reduce the sugar and oil or butter needed. DRAMATICALLY. Many banana bread recipes call for up to a stick of butter and upward of 1.5 cups of sugar, but if you follow this recipe, you will get a yummy loaf of traditional banana bread without the high calorie content. Enjoy!

Low-Fat Banana Bread

Makes one 9×5 loaf

4 Large Ripe Bananas

2 Large Eggs

2 Tsp. Vanilla Extract

1 3/4 cups of All purpose flour

1/2 cup of sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 tbs. vegetable oil

2 ounces of low fat cream cheese (cut into 4 pieces and chilled)

Roast Bananas on a rimmed baking sheet at 325′ for 20 minutes until the skins are completely black. Remove and set aside to cool. Leave oven on.

After bananas are completely cooled, peel and mash them. Measure 1 1/2 cups. Discard any excess or save for future use. (Mine had quite a bit of liquid but it turned out great!)

Whisk Eggs and Vanilla in a small bowl. Using an electric mixer on med. low, mix flour, sugar, baking powder and soda, and salt together until combined. Add oil and cream cheese slowly, one piece at a time. Mix until the cream cheese incorporates and resembles small pea-sized bits. Slowly add egg mixture while mixing and then add bananas and beat 30 seconds.

Scrape batter into a greased loaf pan and bake 50-60 minutes until golden brown. Cool for ten minutes and then transfer to a wire rack. Store in the refrigerator for up to a few days. Also freezes nicely.

The recipe advised us to wait an hour and let it cool. We did not. 🙂

**Adapted from Cook’s Country Magazine

Happy Monday & What We’re Cooking…

September 16, 2013 by HappyGoStuckey Leave a Comment

Lance had a golf weekend the past few days with his Dad, so his Mom came to stay with me and the girls. We had a great time shopping and NOT COOKING. Seriously. In an effort to give me a break as well, she wouldn’t let me cook a single meal all weekend. Suffice it to say, I feel like I need a severe eating-out detox this week.

Not to mention, this coming weekend, I am going on a GIRLS WEEKEND to the Dot Mom Conference!! YAY!!! There’s a small group of ladies from our small group going, and though we’ve been planning it for months, I cannot believe it’s already here! Since I’ll be eating ALL of my meals with girlfriends and plan to thoroughly enjoy myself, I’m choosing to “stay on the wagon” of healthy eating this week.

So in preparation– here’s what I’m planning to cook/ try new this week:

This Pork Tenderloin from Chef Mommy.

Photo Courtesy of Chef Mommy Blog

I mean, YUM!!!! It’s currently marinating in a mixture of all things wonderful including but not limited to, Olive Oil, Garlic, Dry Mustard, Soy Sauce, etc. The marinade only took me 5 minutes to throw together and the best part is, you reserve 3 tbs. of it as part of a finishing sauce. I’m planning roasted vegetables and salad to accompany it. I love serving Pork Tenderloin because the girls will usually eat it without too much, um.. drama. I think it’s going to be good.. the marinade itself smelled heavenly. Hop on over to Chef Mommy and check it out!

One of my “secrets” when I’m watching what I eat, is subbing out a regular lunch for something lighter, like a smoothie (with no added sugar but the fruit) or maybe some hummus or tabbouleh.

This is my favorite Tabbouleh recipe (photo courtesy of norecipes.com)

My favorite smoothie when it’s accompanying something else is just Greek Yogurt (plain) and frozen fruit. But,if I’m needing a little more protein than that the yogurt provides, than this Green Monster smoothie is a favorite. Spinach, Greek Yogurt, Peanut Butter and Milk. I don’t mind drinking my veggies one bit when it’s like this! The author of the recipe refers to this smoothie as her “top secret diet weapon” and I would definitely agree. There have been days I drink one of these for breakfast or lunch and I really do stay full for hours, and get a huge serving of spinach in. Okay, I’ll stop trying to convince you.

Another recipe I recently made is Red Beans & Rice with Andouille Sausage. We eat a LOT of beans and rice in this family. Not only are they cheap, but they can be filled with added veg like peppers and onions, and they make a very nutritious meal. Lance has this AMAZING black beans and rice recipe (Trust me, it’s more exciting than it sounds!) and I really need to post the recipe soon. We eat it probably once a week, and we love it! However, we recently tried this Red Beans and Rice with Andouille Sausage from Can You Stay For Dinner and it is also a new favorite.

Photo from Can You Stay For Dinner

I just had to post a picture of this particular dish because it was every bit of this beautiful when we made it. The recipe supposedly serves 4 (with 500 calories for each portion) but we got at least 6 servings out of it since we made a salad too. DELICIOUS and healthy. I’ve enjoyed Andie’s site, she lost 135 lbs. several years ago and has kept it off with what seems to be a sensible, balanced approach at weight loss and health. Hop on over there and check it out! But first, put the ingredients for this dish on your grocery list!

So what’s on your meal plan this week?

Slow-Cooker Baked Beans

September 14, 2013 by HappyGoStuckey Leave a Comment

One night over the summer, we had a BBQ with some close friends in honor of the beautiful weather we have been having. Lance smoked a brisket and we tried a new recipe for homemade (as in made from dried Navy beans) BBQ Baked Beans. I have always been a big believer in taking canned Bush’s Bake Beans and jazzing them up a lot. But, these were so much better than our normal beans. The best part is, they require no extra steps except dumping everything (including the pre-soaked beans) in the slow cooker and stirring every few hours. (Not to mention using dried beans cuts way down on cost and sodium!!!) These were absolutely delicious and coming from a girl who was raised on Sonny’s BBQ Beans, that means ALOT!

Try them for your next cookout and let me know how you like them!

Slow Cooker Baked Beans:

To soak beans: place 1 lb. dried beans in a large bowl with 6-8 cups of water. Cover and let stand overnight or at least 8 hours. Drain and rinse beans. Discard soak water and add beans to slow cooker.

6 slices of bacon (or 3 slices thick cut), cut into 1-inch pieces.

1 (16oz.) package of dried Navy Beans

1 1/2 cups of ketchup

1 1/2 cups of water

1/4 cup molasses

1 cup loosely packed brown sugar

1 cup finely diced onion

1 tbs. dry mustard

1 tbs. salt

Combine all ingredients with pre-soaked beans in the slow cooker. Cover and Cook on LOW 8-10 hours. (Note: we ended up cooking ours about 9.5 hours.) Stir occasionally, if possible. (Makes about 10 cups)

Source: Publix Apron’s Simple Meals

Stages & Blessings

September 13, 2013 by HappyGoStuckey Leave a Comment

In parenting little ones, it’s tempting to fly through the days, weeks and months so quickly that we completely miss the “stages” our children are in until they are past. Surely, there are stages which we enjoy more than others. But sometimes, the stage which we just abandoned hurts. Not really in a “My baby is growing up,” kind of a way– but in a “Hey, this affects me and my comfort personally!”

Up until a few months ago, I found myself with two children who DAILY took long simultaneous afternoon naps. The house was so quiet, I found myself whispering if someone called on the phone. Most days, after getting them down, I would involuntarily sigh, big time. This time was MY TIME. It was more than refreshing. It was life-giving. It was the time when I was able to do whatever needed to be done, laundry, cleaning etc.and just be still for awhile.

This time became so precious to me, that I knew it was a little bit of an idol. I would secretly be SO frustrated if they woke up early that it would throw my entire afternoon off. Well, God in His infinite patience, began to make me aware of how closely, religiously rather, I was guarding the “ME” time and how it might be a problem for me. Around that time, Lucy began to have real trouble going to sleep at night and after a while of trying to address other things that it might be, it became clear that she needed to drop her nap. Inside I fought that so hard. I was so afraid of what would happen to my sanity level if I had to do without my brief of solace of quiet.

My own selfishness was preventing me from seeing what my daughter really needed and I was holding onto something that she didn’t need anymore because I thought I needed it.

What I truly needed was to let go a little bit. To surrender the control that we moms (and non-moms for that matter) crave so ferociously. Whether or not we admit it, we all desire some control over our “mothering.” Maybe it’s the kind of milk we give them. Maybe it’s other things. Maybe it’s the all mighty “schedule” which we fought hard to train them on and now do NOT want to relinquish.

Can I just be honest and speak a word of testimony on this topic? This may sound dramatic, but we are three months post-regular-naps… and I am okay. We are all okay. Even though we don’t get that regular 2 hour block every single day, we do still have “rest time” and though it’s abbreviated and not at all as regular, we do have some type of system.

Most importantly, when I stopped clenching my fists around this area of her life, I was able to have my eyes opened to what she really needed. More time. More time to be with me. More time to feel that one- on- one attention. More time to just be a big kid. She’s struggled a bit since going back to school, not with school itself but just being away. This has made that so much better.

Now every single afternoon, we put baby sister down for her nap and we spend time together. We play for a little while, or she helps me do things around the house. We always watch Pioneer Woman together. She has a snack and we watch the wonderful Ree cook something yummy. It’s in those moments, nearly every single day that she cuddles up next to me and says, “mommy, I LUD (love) you.” And then most days she says, “I love this big girl time.”

Over the course of the last few weeks, it has been quite clear to me that though naps are WONDERFUL and I wouldn’t mind a bit if she occasionally wanted one, she needed this more. What she needed was a mommy who wasn’t afraid of embracing her growing up. An imperfect mother who wasn’t afraid to open her white knuckled fists on one stage, in order to be able to grasp another, more fulfilling one of really relishing time with my big girl.

Sometimes we think we are holding onto something that we MUST have. And in all actuality, what we MUST have is a spirit of flexibility and optimism at the future. I wouldn’t have known this before, but my time of uninterrupted quiet was simply NOT worth more than the blessings of knowing she is being loved on in the way she needs.

God is good, all the time. And His grace sustains– certainly for the often stretched and slightly worn out mom.

Creamed Summer Corn with Fresh Basil

September 12, 2013 by HappyGoStuckey Leave a Comment

This is a great way to use up some of the last of the summer corn. It’s a quick, fresh side which allows the flavor of the corn to shine.

2 1/2 cups of Fresh Corn Kernels ( A few weeks ago, we found corn on the cob for 10 cents a piece and bought a bunch to remove from the cob and freeze. I took one of those bags out of the freezer and it tasted just as fresh as ever!)

In a medium skillet, melt One tbs. of unsalted butter.

Add 1/4 cup of thinly sliced shallots or scallions (or onions in a pinch) and cook over low heat until softened, 3 to 4 minutes.

Add the Corn and 1/2 cup of half and half (I used part milk to cut back on the calories)

Cook over low heat, stirring as little as possible, until thickened, about 3-4 minutes. Add a pinch of salt and black pepper to taste. Finish with a sprinkling of chopped basil or another fresh herb.

**Recipe adapted from The Joy of Cooking