Thank you to everyone who entered our recent giveaway for a chance to win tickets to see the new movie Paul, Apostle For Christ.
PAUL, APOSTLE OF CHRIST stars Jim Caviezel (THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST), James Faulkner (Downton Abbey), Olivier Martinez (S.W.A.T.), Joanne Whalley (A.D. The Bible Continues) and John Lynch (THE SECRET GARDEN).
In PAUL, APOSTLE OF CHRIST, Luke (Caviezel) risks his life to visit Paul (Faulkner), who is held captive in a Roman prison under Nero’s rule. Together, they struggle against a determined emperor and the frailties of the human spirit in order to live out the Gospel of Jesus Christ and spread their message to the world.
The movie premieres on Friday, March 23rd in theaters nationwide. Watch the official trailer for the film here:
And the winner of our giveaway is Deborah W.
Congratulations Deborah! You will receive two tickets to see the movie, courtesy of Level3.
You will receive an email message from us with more information.
Thank you to everyone who entered and be on the look out for more giveaways very soon.
FTC Disclosure:
Bubbling with Elegance and Grace will received two tickets to the movie in order to host this giveaway.
I know we have a lot of readers who are going through Lent right now.
What is Lent?
According to Dictionary.com, it is “the period preceding Easter that in the Christian Church is devoted to fasting, abstinence, and penitence in commemoration of Christ’s fasting in the wilderness. In the Western Church it runs from Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday and so includes forty weekdays.”
Many people will give up sweets, soda, or even entire meals. While others will give up watching television or looking at their social media accounts. Whatever they give up, it is a way to remember the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made as He prepared for His death on the cross. It is also meant for Christians to draw closer to God and strengthen their faith in Him. If you’re looking for faith-related Easter movies, check out Pure Flix. This year, my hubby and I have decided to give up meat on Mondays. It is a small way for us to focus on our relationships with God and remember all that Jesus Christ has done for us.
While giving up meat is meant to be a spiritual sacrifice, there are also natural health benefits as well; including reducing your risk for heart disease, it lowers your risk for cancer, helps maintain a healthy body weight and living a longer life. In addition, going without meat can reduce your grocery costs and lower your healthcare costs as well (Information gathered from the Meatless Monday website).
It may seem hard to give up meat, but it can be done. With some thoughtful meal planner, it will become much easier as you go forward with it. If you develop a meal plan in advance, you will become aware of how much meat you have been eating; and you can look for alternative choices that don’t include meat. We wanted to share with you one our favorite recipes that we can say doesn’t make us feel like we are missing out on meat. A portobello mushroom sandwich is a tasty choice for anyone who likes mushrooms. By picking portabellas, they almost taste like meat because they are very hearty and have some substance to them. Here is our recipe.
Portabella Mushroom Sandwich
Portabella and Pepper Sandwich with Swiss cheese
Ingredients
— Portabella mushrooms
— 1 tbs. of olive oil
— Sliced onions, red and green bell peppers
— Sliced Swiss Cheese
— Garlic salt, seasoning salt, black pepper; or your favorite seasoning
— Multigrain bread or sourdough bun (optional)
Preparation
— Add olive oil into pan and turn on burner to medium heat.
— Add the desired amount of sliced portabella mushrooms
— Add the onions,red and green bell peppers
— When veggies and mushrooms are sautéed to your liking, top with swiss cheese
— Turn off burner and allow the cheese to melt
— Serve on a slice of your favorite bread or without
— Can be served with french fries and steamed veggies
— Total prep time is about five minutes
** The amount of mushroom, onions and peppers that you use will be depend on how big of sandwich you want.
** We use frozen mushrooms, onions and peppers. If you use fresh, start with sautéing the onions and peppers and then add in the mushrooms.
This is a simple recipe that makes for a quick and tasty meal. It is a perfect choice for Lent or for anyone who is looking for a healthier meal choice.
Are you giving up anything for Lent? Let us know in the comments section below what it is and why you are giving it up.
It was 72 degree on Thursday and but I still feel that I have to wear a jacket, sweater or both. It is not officially springtime yet; and yet even in the spring, it still can be cold. At the local park I have seen people wearing all kinds of attire; from shorts to tank tops. It is still chilly out there. I just don’t know what to say about that.
At work, I never know what the temperature may be. It can be cold in one office and more mild in another room, all at the same time. I need to be dressed for the temperature changes, so I dress in layers.
I really like a modern turtleneck that is not bulky. It looks smooth underneath sweaters and jackets. Macy’s is my go-to place to for these turtlenecks because they have such a wide array of color. To add a pop of color to the turtleneck I chose my pink cashmere cable knit sweater that is also not bulky. However, cashmere is a natural fiber that will keep you warm. I find that most of my cashmere is vintage because it is hard to know where the cashmere is sourced from and if it’s sustainable. I saw an article on Fashionista,“Three Ecofriendly Cashmere Labels to Watch.” The article highlights three eco-friendly companies, including White and Warren who reclaim cashmere by going through the recycling process of unworn cashmere. There is no governing board over what is sustainable, so there is still more work to do. All cashmere is not created equal. Take a look at this other article from Fashionista, “How truly ‘Responsible’ is your Responsible Cashmere”.
JT Style FIle
Vintage cable knit cashmere sweater: Macy’s
Turtleneck: Macy’s
Skirt leggings (one Piece): Legacy
Tights: I have had for a couple of years
Boots: Clarks
Handbag: Dooney and Bourke
For me, I am striving to eat healthy and to live a healthier lifestyle, so I can live longer and stronger. One stipulation, as I often hear from other people, is that the food needs to taste good. My hubby enjoys cooking and likes to create his own recipes. I asked if we could share one of his favorite creations? He said, “Sure, that would be awesome.” He calls this concoction, Cheesy Chicken Southwestern Fiesta. It is amazing what can happen with a combination of chicken, some veggies and cheese. And depending on how you make it, he suggests eating it as a dip for an appetizer or as a soup for lunch.
Cheesy Chicken Southwestern Fiesta
Cheesy Chicken Southwestern Fiesta
– 8 oz of frozen pre-cut pieces of chicken
– 1 Tbs. Olive Oil
– Chili Powder or Season Salt / Pepper to taste
– 8oz. of frozen red and green sliced bellpeppers / sliced onions combo
– 8oz. of frozen black beans/corn combo
– 1 medium Zucchini squash sliced in 1/3 inch slices or to your liking
– 1 medium yellow squash sliced in 1/3 inch slices or to your liking
– 1/3 block of Velveeta cheese or jar of Tostito cheese dip
* Add the chicken with the pepper / onion combo to a wok or a large pan. Pour in the olive oil and begin cooking on medium heat. The chicken can be purchased already precut; but you can also slice a fresh chicken breast. The precut bag of chicken are often sold for making fajitas or for soups.
Chicken and grilled peppers / onions
* Allow chicken and veggies to cook for a few minutes before adding one medium zucchini squash and one medium yellow squash, each sliced into bite size pieces.
* When the zucchini begins to soften, add in the black bean/corn combo. If the frozen combo is not available in your local grocery store, you can also add a small bag of frozen corn and a can of drained black beans.
* Add your favorite seasoning – chili powder or seasoning salt/pepper.
* Cooked the veggies to the consistency that you like. I like my veggies slightly al dente (A little crunch, a little soft).
* Finally, add in the cheese. You can add 1/3 block of Velveeta cheese or a jar of Tostito cheese dip. Allow the cheese to melt into the mixture.
* If eating as a soup, you can add more cheese.
* If you are eating it as a dip, you may want to add less cheese, but that is up to you.
* Serve with your favorite tortilla chips.
So, how would you eat it? As a soup? As a dip? Or both? Let us know how you like it or if you would add in different veggies.
My wife and I have begun a journey to find out about us. We completed a DNA test through 23 and Me to find out about our genetic composition. After a long wait, we finally received the test results back and we are ready to share them. For more information about why we took the test, click here!
J and T
From the results that we received, there were a few surprises, a few inaccuracies in our family’s oral histories and few unanswered questions. Let’s get to the results.
First of all, my overall results were
Jay’s overall DNA results!
Not a big surprise there. It is inline with what I was thinking it would be. However, when the European data was broken down into more specific regions of the continent, I was hit with our first surprise.
According to the results, I am only 64.6% French/German. Forever, my family has claimed to be 100% German, with no other ethnicities in the mix. But according to this, I am also 10.5% Scandinavian, 8.4% British/Irish; and 1.8% Eastern European. But what does this mean?? According to 23 and Me, it means that most likely I had a parent, grandparent or great-grandparent who was 100% French/German and lived between the time period of 1880 and 1940. That part I knew. In the genealogical research that I had done previously, I found that my great-great grandparents were born in Germany. Further, 23 and Me stated that I most likely had a 2nd, 3rd or 4th great-grandparent from Britain/Ireland and Scandinavia, in the time period of 1760 to 1850. And a 3rd, 4th, 5th or 6th great-grandparent who was born in Eastern Europe, which could be the Ukraine, Russia, Poland and Hungary. I had not completed the genealogical search prior to 1840, so it is possible that with further research I will be able uncover who these non-German family members would have been.
Please note that the way that the test is set up, 23 and Me places French and German DNA into the same category because that area of Europe is same geographical location. 23 and Me is advancing its scientific testing, so in the coming months there will be more specific geographic locations in my test results. When those results are released, we will let you know.
And now for my wife. We could not wait to receive her results because we had not completed her genealogical research, so we did not know what to expect. Her overall results stated the following.
JT’s overall results
With 73.8% West African, it means most likely a parent, grandparent or great-grandparent was born in West Africa between 1880 and 1940. This would make sense and there is no doubt about that information. Now for the surprises that we found. My wife was told that one of her great-grandparents on her mother’s side was of European descent. Based on the results of 22% European and specifically 7.2% British/Irish, there is good possibility she had a grandparent, great-grandparent or 2nd great-grandparent born in Britain/Ireland between 1850 and 1910. That would verify the family’s claim; but it is now time to start that research to see if we can find that person. The family also stated that she had a great-grandmother who was a Native American. However, according to 23 and Me, it is a likely the Native American ancestor was a 3rd, 4th or 5th great-grandparent born between 1700 and 1820; which would have been much earlier than the family had suggested. The test results further suggest that there is also a 3rd, 4th or 5th great-grandparent from Scandinavia who was born between 1700 and 1820. And a 4th, 5th, 6th or 7th great grand-parent who came from Southeast Asia, Iberia, Central/South Africa, France/Germany, and Oceania. My wife was surprised to learned that she had a such a diverse DNA background. This was all new information that she had not heard from her family. We With the enhanced results that are coming, it will be good to get a more specific location to these broad areas and to learn more about where her family lived at.
23 and Me provides you with so much more information that just these statistics. We are going through all the information now and processing what it all means. We will share more about the specifics as we understand them more fully. Also, we share our own personal thoughts about what these means to us. Stay tuned!
Learn More About JT Bubbling with Elegance and Grace is a place for life long learners. The Bubbling With Elegance And Grace team was created 14 years ago. A passion for fashion sparked a lifestyle blog for our Elegant Community to enjoy. We are thankful and in gratitude to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for those who have been with us from the beginning and those who have just started riding with us on this lovely journey.
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