Author: The Wild Gems

We are all like precious stones. We all come in different shapes and sizes. It is when we are cut and polished that we begin to live a more radiant life.
The Wild Gems hopes to inspire you to live life to the fullest and to enjoy every moment!

Roasted Tomato And Garlic Bisque

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What You Need:

20 oz of cherry tomatoes

1/2-3/4 of a large yellow or white onion cut in chunks

3/4 to 1 cup of heavy cream

1-2 handfuls of fresh basil

2 whole head of garlic cut in half

6-7 tablespoons of olive oil roughly (don’t be shy with the olive oil)

Salt and pepper for taste

Steps:

1. In a 9×13 glass dish place your tomatoes, fresh basil, onion, and garlic heads face down. Drizzle a generous amount of olive oil back and forth a few times. Dash a few times with salt and pepper.

2. Bake at 400 for 40 to 45 mins. Or until tomatoes are soft.

3. Squeeze out your garlic in a medium sized bowl and add the rest of the contents. Add your chicken broth and blend with a hand mixer.

Chorizo And Eggs

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What You Need:

6-8 eggs

1 9oz pack of beef chorizo

Steps:

  1. Squeeze half of the chorizo pack onto a ceramic or nonstick skillet. Break up the chorizo and allow it to sizzle until bubbly on a medium low heat.
  2. Add your eggs. For half a pack of chorizo 6 to 8 of eggs is plenty. Mix well and scramble as if making basic scrambled eggs.
  3. Serve with a warmed up tortilla on the side or roll up burrito style.

(If you decide to do the whole pack of chorizo then use 12 eggs)

Ooey Gooey LUCKY CHARMS Treats

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What You Need:

1 stick of salted butter

1 10oz bag of mini marshmallows

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

4 1/2 cups of Lucky Charm Cereal

Steps:

  1. Melt the butter in a large pot.
  2. Next add your marshmallows, continuously mixing until melted. Add the vanilla extract.
  3. If there’s a few globs of marshmallows not completely melted that’s okay. Turn off stove and then add your lucky Charms cereal and mix well.
  4. You can lay out your mixture on parchment paper or pour into a ceramic serving dish.
  5. Enjoy! It’s so yummy!

Soften The Heart #34 – Jesus Is The Window

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“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

John 1:5

Today I was on my blog and had the opportunity to see what I wrote on “this day”.

I wrote about opening your windows more. You can read that blog here .

As I was rereading this blog that I wrote I took a moment to think about a window. I know what a window is I thought…….but how is an actual window defined.

Window: an opening especially in the wall of a building for admission of light and air that is usually closed by casements or sashes containing transparent material (such as glass) and capable of being opened and shut

What stood out the most was a window is an admission for light and capable of being opened and shut.

Light exists in the world. We already know this but I think many forget to question or wonder, “wait, where does this light actually come from?” “where is the window then?”

There must be a window open somewhere letting this light in? How are we able to receive this?

And this is what came to my mind…..

Jesus is the window. God is the window.

A window is something on a door or wall that allows light in, correct?

Some people are in a dark room with light shielding curtains on. We can even say, full on black out curtains. Metaphorically.

Overtime however, many people forget they have a window in their room. They have become so accustomed to the darkness. They don’t believe light even exists. Or maybe they can’t find the window because of how dark it actually is.

When in truth all they have to do is find the window, open the curtains and open the window that is behind it. 

The window has always been there. Ready to be opened to let light in. And as easily as it is to open it it’s just as easy to close and cover it.

Now,

there are those who live in a bright room. And they too become forgetful. They have become so use to the light that they actually forget where the light comes from. 

That the light they are receiving is because of an opened window.

It’s so easy to take light for granted…….

If you have light in your room be grateful because there are many in a dark room and they need help finding that window. They truly believe darkness is all that is but you know the truth.

Or maybe you have taken the light for granted. Take a moment to thank the window that is opened for you and letting you receive light.

Whether your room is darkness or in light the thing is, there is window. And YOU control what you want your room to be.

If you want that window opened, you have to eagerly search for it.

Because darkness isn’t real my friend, it’s the absence of light.

Fluffy Vanilla Pancakes

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Serving: 6 to 8 pancakes depending on the size

What You Need:

1 1/2 cup of flour

2 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon of sugar

1 1/4 cup of milk

1 egg

3 tablespoons of melted butter

A dash or two of cinnamon

A teaspoon of vanilla extract

Steps:

  1. Mix your dry ingredients first, then add your wet ingredients.
  2. Use a butter to grease your skillet and then make your pancakes

Enjoy!

Healthy Boundaries In Relationships

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Write your guide to setting healthy boundaries in relationships.

Respect.

Knowing your worth and truth.

Loving yourself.

And one of the biggest things is if someone ever makes you feel bad about yourself….to me, that’s an immediate red flag.

If you do not work on yourself it’s very easy to get caught up in your own insecurities and into the web of people pleasing. As well as allowing someone to have control over you.

You should love the people that surround you, you should be able to be your one hundred percent self – no filters. The people around you ACCEPT YOU – flaws and all.

Be comfortable telling people no.

Be comfortable with disappointing others.

Be comfortable standing up for yourself.

Be comfortable with the fact that you may loose that relationship or friendship. And truthfully, it may be for the better.

Why are you trying so hard and they aren’t?

Some people can’t handle confidence in others, some people can’t handle when someone actually speaks up, some people have too much pride.

I believe in giving others grace, I truly do. However if someone cannot do the same for you that’s another friendship or relationship you may not want to be in OR that’s when the boundary is set.

For example, I have people in my life I no longer reach out to. However if they came to my house and needed help with something I would absolutely help them. But I know longer go out of my way for them. It’s unfortunate, but in a way it’s freeing. Because before I would try really hard with these relationships and now I recognize it’s really not me, it’s them.

You deserve good people in your life.

20 Year Old Self Advice

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What is something you wish you could tell your 20-year-old self?

If I was to go back and tell her something I may completely change my life course. And when you have kids you don’t want to change your life course because then you wouldn’t have the children that you have. Makes you grateful for all that you’ve been through. “God blessed the broken road that lead me strait to you”.

I think if I was to go back right now and speak to her I would just comfort her and give her a very long hug. I’d probably even start crying and she’d be like why are you crying…..and I’d be crying for the joy that has yet to come but also the hard moments and just let her know that everything with be okay. I wouldn’t provide specifics but I would give her some hope.

Now aside for this, I wish my 20 year old self was more confident in who she was. She was very insecure, let others treat her badly, didn’t stand up for herself, her self worth was low, her self respect was low, she was also lonely. I would tell that girl how beautiful she was and how loved she is. I would tell her that she is deserving and that she can accomplish anything that she wants.

Maybe this is why I have daughters…..

My Favorite Season Of The Year

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What is your favorite season of year? Why?

It’s funny, sometimes I think my favorite season is summer. Schools out, the weather is warm, the sunsets are gorgeous, swimming is nostalgic, it’s a time of reminiscing and simply being carefree.

However now that I’m in summer, I feel I am longing for fall. I’m looking forward to the shift in the weather. The whole energy just feels slower. I imagine sitting on the porch with a light sweater on, drinking my coffee, there’s a brisk in the air, and it’s quiet.

Fall feels a little less busy compared to summer. It feels cozy. Summer is the day and to me fall is the feeling of crawling into bed after a long day. Once your head hits that pillow there’s that long *sigh*.

Fall is that long sigh of satisfied relief after a fun filled summer.

So while I am enjoying summer so much with my family and kids I look forward to fall.

So then, if summer is the day, and fall is the getting in the bed moment what is spring and winter?

Well, I think winter is the deep sleep. And spring is when you first wake up and you get to drink your coffee. It’s short and savored but one of your favorite quick moments.

Kinda rambled there as I normally do with these writing prompts. But I read somewhere a long time ago when writing like this you just write. You don’t delete. Let the words be messy and original.

Dark Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

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What You Need:

  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3/4 cup light brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 to 3/4 bag of dark chocolate chips (more or less)
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Steps:

1. Mix all together (wet ingredients + dry ingredients) .

2. Bake at 350 for 10 mins. Take out cookie tray and hit on counter and then bake for an additional two minutes.

Enjoy!

Broken Toe Story – Imagine Your Baby Toe…..

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Have you ever broken a bone?

I read today’s prompts and I was thinking,

Have I broken a bone….no, not really. My arm popped out of its socket a few times when I was younger but technically that’s not really breaking your bone…so hmmm

I started reading some answers and someone mentioned breaking their toe and then I was like,

Wait! I guess I have broke something! My toe!

So a few years ago we were camping out on the lake and we stay in our RV. It’s not like a super fancy RV but it’s decent. I was standing on the bed. Let me try to give you a visual.

Imagine a table, booth style. And this booth style table you can turn into a bed. Now, at the time we had a baby. So my husband made this little wall and turned this bed now essentially into a little crib. Can you see it?

So I’m standing on the bed (“the crib”) because I was getting something in the cabinet above. I stepped over the wall/board onto the floor, instead of a step more like a jump and when I did that my other foot, my baby toe to be exact, when it came down my baby toe caught the trash can (I kid you not) and my baby toe was literally poking out the side of my foot!!!!!

It hurt so bad and I looked at my foot and was like, “oh my gosh!!” My kids saw it and began all laughing uncontrollably! I cursed at the trash can and sat there for a bit but I was laughing too.

Long story short I tapped it to my other toes and after a few days my toe was back to its right position.

But look at your feet and picture your baby toe completely 90 degree angle with your 4th toe.

It was a funny sight.