The Wild Gems

Don’t Spend Too Much Time Trying To Understand, It Will Only Rob You Of Your Peace

July 22, 2022July 22, 2022 The Wild Gems2 Comments

So many things happen in this given life. Good and bad.

It’s the hard, unimaginable things that really kick you in your stomach leaving you unable to catch your breath.

Difficult situations/incidents happen around you, to people you know, people you don’t know, and maybe to you. And it doesn’t necessarily need to be categorized as unimaginable.

Things happen where we just ask why? Why?! We have difficulty understanding.

But one thing I know for certain is that we are never alone. When life happens to you, it has also happened to someone else. Probably even a close friend of yours.

Things happen all the time, all around the world, that leave us confused, curious, wondering…..but if we spend too much time thinking about those things, dwelling in our thoughts, THEY WILL, they will imprison you and rob you of your peace. And could possibly steer you onto a very difficult path.

I know this to be true. And if you swim out too far, it can become impossible to swim back.

Time spent questioning will steal precious moments from you. It’s very challenging to focus on work, your children, your spouse, a project, etc, when your mind is elsewhere trying to wrap your brain around something that you can’t change and that you will more then likely never fully understand. At least not in this life.

When something leaves you questioning let this be an opportunity to reflect, to recognize what your true priorities are, and to be grateful no matter the circumstances. Light is always present.

Easier said than done, I do know. But we all have to diligently seek and give it time.

And also know, it’s okay to be upset, it’s okay to be angry, it’s okay to feel however you’re feeling……..feel the emotions. Don’t push them away. Moments do need to be taken to acknowledge how you’re feeling and healthy ways to express them.

But then, you have to allow and challenge yourself to move forward in order to gain your peace back. And moving on does not mean forgetting what happen. It’s those hard moments in life that leave the darkest stains on our hearts.

It’s those hard moments in life that also produce the brightest flowers.

Choosing to accept and move forward is to surrender to what has been done and remain steadfast. Humans seek control, and when life reminds us that we have very little control it terrifies us.

Never loose hope. Pray all the time and never loose hope that one day we will receive all the answers that we seek.

When a child is young there is much they do not understand, especially with their parents. But when they are older a light comes on and everything makes sense.

In this life we are those children who don’t understand and I myself do pray that one day all of us will have our answers and peace and be completely reassured this whole time we truly were loved, even through those hard, difficult times.

m.g.

Learn To Be Happy With What You Have

July 6, 2022July 6, 2022 The Wild Gems2 Comments

It’s really easy to get stuck in the mentality cycle of “If I have this…..or if I can obtain this….then I know I’ll be happy. I’ll be good. My life will be better.”

This way of thinking is far from the truth. It’s like trying to catch the sunrise with your hands.

Most of us have been here and occasionally do still get lost in this way of thinking. That’s normal. We’re human. It happens. With social media it’s incredibly easy to become a victim of envy.

“If I lose weight then I’ll be more confident, if I have this and that in my home then it will feel more “homey”, if I could get this promotion then I’ll have more money to do things and I’ll be happy, if I had this OR if I DO THIS then…….(fill in the blank) .

Do any of these thoughts sounds familiar?

What I have learned over time is to be happy with what you have and enjoy it. If you look closely and I mean really look at the details of your life you’ll recognize that you may already have what you really do want. You may have what you’ve been asking for.

If you’re always gawking at things you don’t have you’ll end up neglecting what you do have. And by the time you notice, you’ll realize how much time you wasted followed by an immense amount of guilt.

If you continue to seek the next best thing constantly you will always want or feel like you need more to get to that next level of satisfaction. Even when you achieve something that you have wanted you will not feel fulfilled, you’ll begin to search for something else to fill that void.

It’s like when a person is searching everywhere for their reading glasses. They’ve searched their whole house, their car, their neighbors yard, the dog house, and they’ve searched all these areas numerous times. Only to discover their glasses have been on their head this WHOLE time. That’s kinda how happiness and peace is.

When you can become happy with what you have, everything else becomes icing and sprinkles on the cake. Happiness isn’t on the other side of achieving or gaining something, it’s where you are right now. It’s in you my loves.

Enjoy what you have, appreciate where you are, and be happy with what you have been given in this precious, fragile, life.

As your gratitude muscle grows you begin to grow. But like a muscle, you can’t just work on it once and be done. You have to maintain and continue to strengthen otherwise you’re back where you started.

And hey, if you end up back where you started that’s okay too. Just continue and keep going. Discover new methods of appreciation.

You have what you need. Learn to be happy with what you have, because you have so much. You truly, truly, do. Believe it.

Your Guide to Making Fried Rice

July 3, 2022July 3, 2022 The Wild GemsLeave a comment

Making fried rice is actually super easy! I don’t know why I was ever intimidated. Follow this guide and feel free to get creative!

We served this rice with some grilled teriyaki chicken but having made this rice I really think some shrimp would be delish with it.

What you Need:

1 recipe of basic rice click here

4 eggs cooked and scrambled

1 – 2 cups of mixed veggies (I used snack carrots chopped up, frozen peas, fresh cabbage, and frozen corn) proportion it however you like

1/4 of a white onion finely chopped

1 tablespoon of minced garlic (I just used garlic from the jar)

Vegetable oil or canola oil on hand for sautéing and frying

Salt and pepper

Steps:

1. Cook the rice following my basic rice recipe. Once rice is cooked set aside.

2. Heat up your skillet, add about 2 tablespoons of oil and scramble your eggs. Seasoning with salt and pepper. Set aside.

3. Add another 2-3 tablespoons of oil to the same skillet and sauté the onion and garlic. Once the onions are soft and the aroma is sweet add the rest of the veggies. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté until soft. Set aside

4. Add 1/4 cup of oil to the hot skillet, add the rice, and begin fry (add one tablespoon at a time if you feel it needs more oil) Ensure the rice is evenly coated in the oil mixing constantly at a low medium heat. Add additional salt and pepper if needed. Careful not to over fry your rice. Taste until your liking.

5. Add the veggies and egg to the rice and mix well.

Add some soy sauce and enjoy!

YOUR VOICE IS A SUPERPOWER

June 29, 2022June 29, 2022 The Wild GemsLeave a comment

Many of us are masked and unaware to the powerful force that our words posses when spoken.

It’s one thing to say something in your head where nobody can hear it but yourself and God, it’s another to speak out loud for all to hear who listen.

Once words leave the tongue, they cannot return from where they came. Just as a river cannot decide to switch directions.

Given this awareness can feel a bit unsettling. You, yourself, begin to wonder about the influence of your language and if your very words are leaving positive or negative impressions on the heart and souls of others. You may never fully know.

But think for a moment…

…think of the words that have been spoken to you that you still remember. Words that you may have been carrying for years and still hold in your pocket today. What do you remember, what was said that inspires and encourages you? What was said that still haunts you?

Do you see?

You posses that same thing, that same power. As we all do. The ability to shape a persons life by a sentence. Whether it be good or cursed. We influence every time we speak.

It can be extremely difficult to be mindful when deciding to speak but it is something worth practicing. Who knows where your voice can take you and others. It is a gift each of us has been freely given. And it is to be used wisely otherwise we curse ourselves and others.

Speak with passion, love, and honesty. Swallow the words of hatred and deceit, otherwise beware of their consequences.

Remember that your words are a super power.

– m.g.

Soften The Heart: Devotional #18

June 25, 2022June 26, 2022 The Wild GemsLeave a comment

“I WILL bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

My soul shall make its boast in the Lord; The humble shall hear of it and be glad.”

Psalm 34: 1-2

We are surrounded by creation. We marvel at nature and it’s intricate details but sometimes fail to acknowledge the creator of it all.

How we are all so connected and dependent on one another. Creating some type of mysterious puzzle. May our eyes begin to see.

To even be apart of this creation is miraculous. To be conscious of it all is worth praising. We must give gratitude daily. What a gift every moment is.

Acknowledge this plan, pray without ceasing, notice even the smallest of details, and there are many. Hope is alive.

As plants reach and point to the sun, life points to something bigger than ourselves. Thank God for our senses to allow us to fully engulf what God has made for us to enjoy!

Such a power, such a gift, that our God wants to share with us, because He loves us! As a parent loves their child, you are loved very much.

But yet, we forget how amazing the details are. We chase the world. Our attention goes towards greed and power, constantly looking to satisfy what we think we need. We crave control and have a difficult time surrendering to our creator. The flesh is strong, but the spirit is stronger. This I believe. We must never loose sight of the important things in life.

God can be found in all things. But we must eagerly seek. Stay curious like a child.

Thanks to our Lord, who has provided such a path to draw us to our Heavenly Father. Who has given each of us life. We shall praise, and acknowledge daily. Turn from our ways and follow his.

The Sonoran Sea Resort In Mexico (Fathers Day Weekend)

June 21, 2022June 23, 2022 The Wild GemsLeave a comment

This Fathers Day Weekend we celebrated in one of our favorite places; Puerto Penasco, aka “Rocky Point, Mexico!” Our family absolutely loves it here! For obvious reasons! The food, the locals, the vendors, it’s a vibe for sure. And the water is just perfect! It’s always difficult to leave too.

We usually stay at the RV park (which we love) especially when we get lucky with beach front views. However this time around my husbands god sister suggested we join her and some of her friends at their favorite place to stay; The Sonoran Sea Resort. She made the reservation, we chipped in our part, and check it out! Here’s a few pictures from our trip. A memorable one for sure.

When I asked the girls what their favorite part of the whole trip was, they all replied with “the pool!” Oh wait, the littlest one said first, “the beach.” Lol

As much as I enjoyed the pool, my husband and I love both just sitting in our low beach chairs, admiring the ocean views under our little blue umbrella, and eating goodies from the vendors. My Husband gets this mango drink, and I really enjoy sharing Pina coladas with the girls.

Oh! And eating the best burritos ever! You can usually always find someone in the morning selling them. You also gotta try the empanadas.

I have so much respect for the locals/vendors. They work incredibly hard, sometimes there’s even kids selling stuff. They are the heart and soul and are really what make every trip memorable. Their kindness and gratitude is truly something special.

Thank you Rocky Point!

Balcony View on the 9th floor. Look at that water!

The pool on the right is more of a family pool with a small water slide. The pool on the left had a swim up bar. Played such great music, everyone was singing along!

The little beauties got their hair braided.

A little cloudy this day but still so much fun.

Pina Coladas. So yummy! Virgin of course!

I even got my hair done. Butt I don’t think I’ll do it again! It kinda hurts lol!

Overall, would definitely stay here again and recommend! 🙂

Yellow Chile Poppers With Bacon And Cream Cheese

June 16, 2022June 16, 2022 The Wild Gems1 Comment

Little story behind these. I worked at the bank awhile back (this was maybe almost ten years ago) and we had a pot luck. A guy I worked with at the time, Pablo, brought these in and I thought they were the most delicious thing ever!

Everyone uses jalapeños to make poppers but these were with yellow chilies. They also weren’t fancy like how most wrap the bacon around the pepper. They were simple!

I brought some home to share with my husband and he loved them as well. After we analyzed them we were like, “these are actually really easy to make!” And now we make them all the time for gatherings or cook outs.

Thank you Pablo!

Enjoy!

Servings: 16-20 peppers

Note: you will need a grill and someone who knows how to work the grill.

What You Need:

8 to 10 yellow chiles (each Chile makes two poppers)

8oz of cream cheese

2 cups of shredded cheddar or mixed cheese

1 pack of bacon cooked and cut or broke into 1 inch pieces give or take

Bacon tip: instead of frying, save yourself some time and bake at 400 for 15 to 20 mins and a pan sheet lined with foil. So much better, trust me.

Steps:

1. Cut all the peppers in half removing all seeds. Smooth on cream cheese onto each pepper, add cheese on peppers, then lay a pieces of bacon on each pepper.

2. Grill the peppers on low medium heat for about 15 minutes. When the cheese is melted and the bottoms begin to char they are complete.

These are so good and easy! Enjoy!

The Best Way To “Malt O Meal”

June 15, 2022June 15, 2022 The Wild Gems3 Comments

What You Need:

1 cup of milk

A pinch of salt

3 tablespoons of malt o meal

1 tablespoon of unsalted butter

2-3 tablespoons of maple syrup

Fresh strawberries

Chia seeds (optional)

Steps:

1. In a small pot bring together the milk, malt o meal and salt. Bring to a low medium heat, it will begin to bubble. Continuously stir for 3 to 5 mins.

2. Add the butter, maple syrup, and fresh berries. Enjoy!

My husband loves when I make this for him.

Peppered Sweet Corn

June 13, 2022June 13, 2022 The Wild GemsLeave a comment

What You Need:

2 bags of 12oz frozen corn

1 cup of milk or heavy cream

(I have tried both ways. If I don’t have heavy cream I just use milk. Heavy cream will make it thicker and provide a subtle change in taste)

1 teaspoon of pepper

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/4 cup of sugar

8oz package of cream cheese

1 stick of unsalted butter

Steps:

1. In a medium sauce pan on low medium heat begin to melt the butter with the corn. Then add your heavy cream and cream cheese.

2. Once the cream cheese and butter are completely melted add the sugar, pepper, and salt.

3, Allow to simmer for 8 to 10 minutes. Adding more salt and pepper if necessary. Serve warm.

A yummy side for holidays, potlucks, or some delicious ribs.

Enjoy!

A Weekend In Sedona

June 12, 2022June 12, 2022 The Wild GemsLeave a comment

We went for a quick little getaway to celebrate a friends birthday and I already want to go back! The scenery is absolutely gorgeous and the energy is undeniable. I could see a mother and daughters trip here maybe one day.

Here’s just a few pictures.