Grilled Cheese Heaven

We get desperate down here in the middle of nowhere.

We have a Burger King and a Pollo Compero.

They are nothing to write home about.

(Sadly, I find myself getting excited when we go to one of these places, and if we actually "wrote home" I would probably mention both places.)

I have become a decent cook.

I will not exaggerate and say good.

That would be a lie.

Decent is fair.

I have, however, become good at the easy to put together meals.

My favorite is mouth watering.

Jalapeno and BBQ Grilled Cheese

I know.

Your mouth just watered.

So did mine.

I have decided to share because when it came out of the oven, it looked so good, that I took a picture of it. Why? I don't know. It was like it was meant to be. This has nothing to do with oils. It's just good yo!


Recipe:
Butter
Half of a sliced avocado
Some Gouda Cheese
Some Shredded Cheese
Some Monterey Jack Cheese
BBQ Sauce
Sliced Jalapenos

Directoins:
Butter your slices of bread.
Layer however you want.
(I would suggest putting cheese on bottom and on top to melt the goodness together.)
Put in toaster oven.
Toast
Wait
Eat
Send me a Thank You note.

Dog Hair Be Gone!

Alright, I know you all enjoy my witty and humorous personality, but let's skip all that and get down to the nitty gritty.

We have three dogs.

Dogs have lots of fur.

Dogs shed their fur.

(Unless you get one of those really expensive ones. Snob.)

Reader: Sarah, I am not a snob. So rude!

Ok. I know. I'm just messing with you. We just like to rescue our dogs. OK. We only rescued one, but still. We are better than you...

OK. Focus Sarah. Stay on topic.

Problem: We have a lot of rugs. We have a crappy vacuum. We have three dogs. We have lots of fur on these rugs. Dog's smell bad. Our rugs smell bad.

Solution: Create something to clean rugs with.

Carpet/Rug Cleaner

1/2 cup vinegar 

8 drops Lemon oil

1/2 cup water 

How To:

Poor all of the above into a spray bottle

Shake

Spray rug. 

Wipe rug in big circles with hand towel. 

Collect lots of fur in your hands. 

Gag a little. 

Throw fur in trash.

High five yourself.

While this was kind of nasty, it got almost all of the dog fur off the rug and definitely cleaned up all the dirt. You should have seen my white towel. 

Also, our rug is huge. This was very good exercise. I was sweating when I was finished. TMI

Reader: Sarah, I get that you cleaned your rug, but now it smells like vinegar. I HATE that smell.

Oh girl, I know. I do to. So does my husband. He actually asked me today which oil I had that smelled like vinegar. Silly guy. None of them do. It was just actual vinegar. Of course oddly enough, this same vinegar that he hates so much is one of the key ingredients in the amazing 321 Beans recipe that he loves so much. Like really LOVES. Maybe more than me..

Problem: My husband loves beans more than me.

Second Problem: My house now smells like vinegar.

Solution: Make something awesome.

Rug Deodorizer:

Your favorite Young Living Oil (I suggest Lavender or Purification)

1 cup of baking soda

Salt/Pepper shaker

Big cup

How To:

Pour baking soda into cup. 

Put 10 drops of your favorite oil into baking soda.

Put your hand over the top of the cup.

Shake.

Pour as much as possible into salt/pepper shaker

Sprinkle all over rug

Repeat with leftover mixture

Leave for 10 minutes

Breathe in that yumminess.

Vacuum

Enjoy the deliciousness of all things oil.

So, if you have lots of dogs or just have not cleaned your rugs for a while, try this. Also, if your house smells bad, make the baking soda oil mixture in a mason jar, take off metal top, and replace with fabric. Leave in smelly room. You will smell the deliciousness of the oils. 

Free Oils!

I have upped my offer. I had someone pounce on my free lime oil deal, and it made me so happy that I decided to offer a bottle of lemon too!

(Lemon is in the starter kit, but it is so good in water that you will want more than 5ml.)

If you sign up before May 1st, I will send you a bottle of Lime oil and Lemon oil in the mail right away.

You get 11 oils, 1 diffuser, and some samples. LIFE CHANGING PEOPLE! Replace your medicine cabinet!

Sign Up HERE!

Cornbread on Steroids

Y'all, I found a recipe for something called "easy tamales."

I was trying to be "Guatemalan" for the day...

They were nothing like tamales.

This might have been because I did not have most of the ingredients I needed, but let's just blame the magazine for being wrong.

Or thank them for being wrong because I made the best cornbread of your life.

Also, it is super super super easy.

Reader: Sarah this is not an exciting post. I am really unimpressed with your posts lately. Let's step it up a bit.

Just try this "corn bread" reader and you will not find it boring anymore.

It will change your life.

YOUR LIFE.

Fun fact: We don't have a working oven. We bought a really nice oven here in Guatemala because it was literally the only one that was not manual light. It has not worked for almost a year now. We tried to have someone come and check it to fix it, but all kinds of things went wrong.

(Side Note: I am terrified of blowing myself up with a manual oven.)

I now make all of our food in toaster oven.

Corn Bread on Steroids. Super Easy Recipe

"Cornbread on Steroids."

Prep: 5 minutes (Best part of the entire thing)
Cooking time: 40 minutes (just go have a glass of wine while you wait.)
Calories: Does it really matter?

• 1 package of cornbread mix (Jiffy for example)
• 1 can of corn (drained) Size doesn't matter. (so many jokes right now that I am going to ignore)
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 3 cups shredded chicken (I used canned and cooked it a bit on the skillet first)
• 8oz of shredded cheese
• Half can of Rotel (drained)
• Lime oil! Holla! (2 drops) (Or a lime wedge if you are loser and don't love essential oils.)
• Sour Cream, Avocado, Salsa for garnish

How to make it:

• Grease pan with pam or olive oil
• Throw in corn bread mix, eggs, milk, chicken, rotel, cheese, and chicken.
• Mix it up really well (make sure eggs are evenly dispersed.)
• Put in toaster oven, or if you are fancy, put in real oven.
• Cook at 400 degrees for 40 minutes. 
• 5 minutes before finished, throw some shredded cheese on top.

THATS IT! BOOM! YOU ARE WELCOME! I KNOW YOU LOVE ME!

Put a dollop of sour cream, some slices of avocado, and some salsa on the side. 

Serve.

Take a bow.

You can send thank you notes to "Middle of Nowhere Guatemala."

Blah!

I hate yogurt.

When someone says, "Have some yogurt." I say "BLAH!"

Well, I did.

I always hated the texture.

I never thought the flavor was good enough to deal with the texture.

It freaked me out for some reason.

Reader: RIGHT? Same here! We are just so the same!

Well, I decided that I would put some oil in Jackson's Oikos yogurt a few weeks ago.

(Side note: WE HAVE OIKOS! This is shocking to me. Before this we only had off brand yogurts and Yoplait that was not normal. This was huge when Oikos came to Guatemala. We bought half of the product available.)

So, I got creative, and I put some orange oil in Jackson's vanilla yogurt the other week.

Young Living Orange Oil in Oikos Yogurt

The results: FREAKING DELICIOUS.

I, the yogurt hater, even liked it.

Did you know that orange oil is antitumoral, is a relaxant, an anticoagulant, and a circulatory stimulant. Orange oil is rich in limonene, which has been extensively studied for its ability to combat tumor growth in over 50 clinical studies. ~Essential Science Publishing, 2007

So, it's a good thing.

Not only does it taste delicious, it has health benefits that your kid (or husband) would be willing to eat!

Reader: Oh Sarah! I am so excited! Let me place my order for my Premium Starter Kit right now and add some orange oil onto it! Sounds fantastic! How could I pass up on benefits for my family! What kind of a parent/spouse/song/daughter/boyfriend/girlfriend/fiance/grandchild would I be if I didn't get some?!

I know. I love my family which is why I will always have some orange oil on hand.

Also, I am now a yogurt eater.

Also, Jackson now asks for oils in his yogurt.

Also, you should get some oils.

Also, I think you are special.

Thank you orange oil.

Thank you.

I WANT ORANGE OIL 

Click HERE! to sign up for the awesome kit!

Enjoy It

That is what I was thinking to myself as I was piled on top of by a bunch of drenched kids today.

We played water games at the farm.

I had avoided getting soaked until the very end.

Then I decided to jump on in.

So, I jumped in between about 30 Guatemalan children who were soaking wet and going crazy.

They took this as an invitation to pile on top of me.

I sat under that pile with dirty water sloshing into my mouth and thought,

"Enjoy it."

I'm under there. You just can't see me!

We won't live here forever. (At least, I don't think so.)

We plan on moving back next year.

I have taken this place for granted.

It is a beautiful place filled with beautiful people and I am going to enjoy it while I am here.

I am not going to miss home anymore.

I am not going to feel sorry for myself anymore.

I am not going to desire the day when we are back in Dallas anymore.

I am going to enjoy it.

And, tonight, when I go to bed, you better believe I am going to rub Di-Gize and Oregano all over my body to combat any parasites I ingested while being tackled by little Guatemalan children.

Young Living's DiGize for parasites

Also, never google parasites and go to google images. It is disgusting. Also, be grateful for clean water. We take that for granted way too much.

Actually Healthy

I know everyone reads my posts because they want to gain all of this knowledge I have been dishing out.

I know I am wise beyond my years.

Reader: Sarah, you are actually pretty old now. I would say you probably need to play some catchup when it comes to wisdom. 

Reader: Plus, I have not actually learned all that much from you. I mean, I guess I have learned that I need essential oils in my life. 

Reader: I have learned that they can be life changing, and that I would be absolutely stupid to not use them. 

Reader: I have learned that I can make lots of money off of telling people in my life about these oils, and that so far you have doubled your pay check every month. 

Reader: Ok, you have taught me some stuff, but I need you to step it up.

Wow. That was a lot little reader. I am glad you are starting to see my value though.

Anyways, my point is this: While I am brilliant in almost every way, I do not know all that much about healthy living.

I am not a crunchy granola girl.

I used to shop at Albertsons and not Whole Foods, Sprouts, or Central Market (GASP!).

I know.

It's crazy talk.

I do however have a friend that is a crunchy granola girl.

A blogger friend.

Reader: I am starting to be really sad for you. Do you have real friends? You have only been mentioning friends you have met online. Are these people real or just pretend?

Yes. These are real people. Most live in Dallas. This friend went to Texas A&M and also went to the same church I did in College Station.

She is fabulous and really has lots of wisdom to offer.

(She even has a recipe for making from the bone broth, and knows all the reasons why chicken soup in a can has no benefits what-so-ever when you are sick.)

This post on chicken bone broth blew my mind, and made me feel like I wasted a lot of time on canned soup.

So, I am going to share her site and hopefully have her do a guest post on here some day soon.

You just have to promise that if I share this site, you will still come back to me.

I don't want to sound needy here, but I just feel like we have a real thing going.

You and me.

We have a great back and fourth banter, and I would hate to lose that.

Remember, I am here in Guatemala.

I make my friends on the computer.

I need you...

Reader: Sarah, if you keep sounding this desperate I'm going to leave out of uncomfortableness. Man up a little.

Ok, here is her site. 

Enjoy her's and her friends wisdom.

Just come back for my "wisdom" every now and then.

Urine

I know.

Gross blog title.

In fact, I wanted to name it penis, but John told me not to.

Here is the deal.

I have seen way to many penis's...penai....penissss...peniss'...penises! lately.

(I don't spell the word all that often, so it took me a second.)

Too much urine too.

It's really starting to piss me off. (Get it?!)

Guatemalan men LOVE to pee on the side of the road.

Some love to pee into the tires of their big trucks.

Some love to pee on the side of their car.

Some like to climb up the hill a little bit and pee down the hill.

Some (many) like to pee right on the side of the highway facing you as you drive slowly past.

Slowly, because you are inevitably behind a melon truck that is driving 5 miles per hour.

Because of this, I have seen many male body parts that I just don't want to see.

I guess just one in particular.

I would like to state here, that you never EVER see a female Guatemalan popping a squat on the side of the road.

No, we women have endurance and class.

Reader: Sarah, don't include yourself with them. You do not have class. You are writing about penises. Plus, it took way too much time for you to learn how to spell it.

Fair enough.

Guatemalan women have practiced restraint. You never see a single one of them peeing on the side of the road.

I am thinking about protesting this urine problem.

However, I could get shot.

Reader: Sarah, why don't you close your eyes?

That would be the obvious answer, but it is kind of like watching a train wreck, you can't look away even though you really wish you weren't seeing it.

Reader: How do oils fit into this?

Well, I wish there was an oil that could make you un-see things.

I actually googled it.

There isn't.

The only oils dealing with memories are ones that help.

So, maybe that could be the next oil blend they make. One that helps with short term memory loss.

Reader: You could just start smoking weed.

I am a missionary. How dare you sir. How dare you.

On a lighter note, after doing much research, there are two great oils for memory retention. So, if you haven't been seeing lots of Guatemalan men peeing on the side of the road, and in fact, what to increase your mental capacity, check these out!

Scandal

Do you watch this show?

Reader: Do Young Living users become slightly obsessed with oils?

Yes. Why?

Reader: I am implying that yes, I am obsessed with Scandal. Who isn't?!

Oh. Ha! You are funny reader!

Anyways, I called almost all of it. The entire show.

John and I decided that I have a super power.

Reader: Is your super power selling oils? Because you are so good at it. I am planning on signing up today!

Well, yes. This is a super power also, but I wasn't referring to that. Thank you though!

I have a super power for calling the entire movie or show ahead of time.

I almost always know what is going to happen.

Five minutes into movies, I lean over and whisper everything that is going to happen. He loves this..

I could be proud of this, but as I am writing, I am realizing that this is actually just super sad.

I think I predict so much because I watch so much TV....

Reader: Aww. This is really pathetic. Entertaining though. Thanks for sharing. 

OK. Let's get past that and move on.

Scandal Season 3 Finale.

They packed so much into this one episode.

Did you know that they did this because Kerry Washington is uber pregnant and they had to cancel a few episodes of the season?

If you noticed, in the last 5 or 6 episodes, you almost never see her full body. She is almost always cut off by a chair.

I digress.

So, as soon as he "wasn't going to win the election", I called that he would win it. I didn't know how, but I knew he would.

When the secret service guy touched the kid's shoulder, I called it. I knew he did it.

I knew that Fitz would stay with Millie.

I knew that Olivia's dad did it all. Ok I am totally lying. I had no idea. That blew my mind!

Reader: I always love to read your crazy antics, but Sarah I just need to hear a little bit about oils. 

No problem! I wish I had been wearing Peace & Calming while watching the show.

P&C as those of us in the bizz call it, is an oil blend made up of Tangerine, Ylang Ylang, Orange, Patchouli, and Blue Tansy.

Not only does it smell AMAZE, it also makes my kid sleep.

This makes me happy.

I can watch Scandal without having a heart attack all while my child sleeps.

Thank you Peace & Calming!

This picture was created by monarchroom.com and altered. It did not originally have "When watching SCANDAL."

I NEED THIS WHEN I WATCH SCANDAL!

To sign in as a Retail Customer OR to get your Premium Starter Kit and get 24% off on all purchases in the coming year as a Wholesale Member, (Amazing, I know)

Click Here!

Oil Pulling

I know. Right?

What the crap is oil pulling?

Reader: Sarah, that's what I was going to ask, but then I figured it out. It is the art of pulling oil from the ground. Right? Like Jed in the Beverly Hillbillies!

No. Oil pulling is swishing around some nasty coconut oil or sesame seed oil in your mouth for 15-20 minutes to promote healthy teeth and gums.

Supposedly it kills bacteria and such.

(Side note: Almost every time I think about oils, the Beverly Hillbillies theme song comes on in my head.)

(I don't hate this.)

I digress. Have you ever had part of your gum by your tooth hurt really bad?

About once a month, I have this part of my gums that gets kind of inflamed and hurts really bad. It is in the back of my mouth by one of my molar teeth. (I have no idea which one. I am not a dentist)

The pain/inflammation usually lasts around 2 or 3 days and then is gone for a few months.

One night it started up and I decided to try oil pulling.

I am not here to knock any of my hippie friends, but I think this is all a big load of "popo" (Spanish word for crap)

(Side note: I am so excited that I have weird hippie friends now!)

Reader: It's cute that you think you have friends...

Still, I figured I would try. I put some coconut oil and a few drops of lemon in my mouth.

It's nasty.

I felt like I was just swishing the spit around in my mouth for three minutes.

Yea.

I only made it three minutes.

I spit that stuff out and went straight to my bottle of Thieves oil.

I put a few drops right on the gum and the pain went away.

The next morning the gum was not inflamed and there was no pain.

Thieves oral products are flying off the shelf at Young Living and I know why.

They work

I have their toothpaste and love it. They have mouth wash and dental floss too.

The moral of the story. Skip the pulling, and go straight to the Thieves...or the dentist.

OK actually, just forget everything i said. I just saw a lot of before and after pictures of people who did oil pulling. Stuff apparently works!

Crazy White Teeth!

If you can stand swishing your spit around, go for it!

Anxiety

Do you struggle with anxiety?

I don't.

Don't hate. I just don't.

I don't really worry about much.

(Except for getting shot by drug dealers on the highways of Guatemala)

I never studied in high school.  (Except for one semester. My parents were starting to think I was stupid, so I did my homework and got a 3.99 that semester. The highest you could get was a 4. This pissed them off once they realized I was actually smart but just really lazy.)

• I just figured high school would work out. 

When I was "going to college" I didn't really go.

• I just figured I would find a husband and he would take care of me. 

I skipped most of my classes and taught myself the work the night before exams.

• I just figured I'd do well enough to pass.

When my husband proposed right before my exams, I didn't go to my exams. I skipped them and dropped out of college with one semester left.

• I figured I could find some job doing something. Plus, he is really smart, so I figured he'd bring in the bacon. 

When I didn't like my job at a certain leasing company, I quit.

• I figured John would cover the slack.

When I didn't like my next job, I quit.

• I figured John would take care of me...(This happened a few more times. I'm lucky he still loves me.)

When we were raising support to move to Guatemala, I didn't worry about it.

• I figured if we were supposed to raise it, we would.

So you can chalk this up to four things.

1. I am naive. 
2. I am lazy.
3. I have faith.
4. God has shed His grace upon me and shielded me from my stupidity.

Here is the deal. I realize that hundreds of thousands of people do struggle with anxiety.

It is a scary matter.

It can eat at you and consume you.

Besides turning to God, which is my first recommendation, I also suggest oils.

Reader: Oh gosh. Here we go. No, I'm just kidding. I love when you start talking oils Sarah. 

So, I have a friend. A blogger friend. She struggles with anxiety and she said she found the perfect recipe for it. She had heard from others that this worked and tried it herself. She loved the combo.

So I made a graphic for her, and thought I would share it on here.

The best part about these oils is that they come in the Premium Starter Kit.

If you struggle with anxiety and it eats at you, why not try it?

Oops

Ok, I said I wouldn't post anything else, but this has nothing to do with oils, and everything to do with Jesus, so I think I'm good. Right?

I want to tell you about my most favorite song in the entire world. I mean it's up there.

This is one of my favorites because when we decided we were going to move here, and started making preparations, I was scared.

I did not want to move here, and at the same time, I did.

I was scared of all of the unknowns.

We knew people who had been kidnapped and held for ransom here.

We had no idea what might happen.

These were the lyrics I clung to.

"No guilt in life, no fear in death. 

This is the power of Christ in me. 

From life's first cry to final breath, 

Jesus commands my destiny. 

No power of hell, no scheme of man,

can ever pluck me from His hand, 

till he returns or calls me home, 

Here in the power of Christ I'll stand."

I mean. Whoa. Right? Think about those words. Think about their strength.

I sang this song so much before we moved here.

I believed these words.

I believe these words.

Jesus commands my destiny, and no one and nothing can take me away from here unless it is my time.

I have no reason to fear because here in the power of Christ, I stand.

Now, I was singing this song in my head tonight when I thought about these lyrics. I decided to make a graphic for Easter. This is the verse right before the one I just gave you.

Break

I am taking a break from blogging for the weekend.

Reader: No! What will I do?! How will I get by? How will I satisfy my soul?

Well, I will tell you how.

Fall into the arms of God and his great love that He has for you. (No matter what you have done. Trust me.)

Reader: Oh gosh. Not this. You can stop now. I don't want to hear that crap.

Well, you can stop reading then, but I think you should continue. I'm pretty awesome. You don't want to miss a word I say, do you?...Don't answer that.

God's great mercy that He showed us by sending Jesus is the entire reason I am living in Guatemala.

If it wasn't for Jesus Christ's ultimate sacrifice on the cross, I can promise you I would not be sitting here right now listening to gun fire in the not so far off distance. I love the people here, but it took God almost literally speaking to me, to get me here. (A miracle in and of itself.)

I would be back in Texas with my white picket fence and 2 1/2 children. (I have never understood that saying...Is the half a dog?)

Here in Guatemala, they celebrate Good Friday like no one's business. The entire country shuts down for parades and such. Lots of swimming too. There are blow up pool toys for sale everywhere.  I'm pretty sure there is also lots of drinking.

Reader: Oooh Sarah! Are you going to partake in that? This is sounding good!

Probs not. I might have a glass of wine, but that'll be it. I have learned in the past that I cannot handle my alcohol. I just assume not make a donkey out of myself. (Do you get the donkey reference? Palm Sunday. Look it up. I crack myself up.)

I'm trying to focus this weekend on what happened for me all those years ago. (I didn't say exactly how many years because I have no idea. I'm not a history buff.....OK. I just googled it. 1,981 years ago. Give or take.)

I realized today that I have gotten so caught up in this Young Living Oil stuff, (It's amazing. You should get some.) that I haven't really focussed this week on the ultimate gift God gave me 1,981 year ago. (I love that I have a number. Makes me feel smart...er..smarter)

I sat down tonight and tried to think about what this weekend represents.

Here are my thoughts:

Reader: Sarah. This better be good. I just booked my plane ticket to Guatemala. I wan't in on that party.

For me, Friday represents the day that Jesus Christ said, "You aren't good enough. You never will be, but I am. I will be the ultimate sacrifice for you." (totally paraphrasing here)

Friday let's me breathe a sigh of relief.

Friday represents the day Jesus showed me that I will never be able to work my way into Heaven.

Friday says, "Stop trying so hard. You suck. I love you, but you suck without me. Fall into my arms of mercy. Accept my grace."

Reader: So lyrical. So beautiful. I'm crying. Forget the fabulous partying on the streets of Guatemala. Tell me more. Besides, sounds like there is gunfire along with the drinking. I'm not into that kind of thing.

Sunday here kind of makes me sad. From what I have heard, Sunday is just another day to most Guatemalans.

People here don't celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ! Not much anyway. It's all about the death here. Kind of makes no sense to me.

They are leaving out the most amazing part!

Reader: What is it?!?!?!

Sunday, and what it represents, is the most amazing day in the entire history of the world.

Sunday is the day Christ conquered death.

Sunday is the day that allows me to tell Jackson he doesn't have to be scared of the bad guys because Jesus has already conquered the big bad guy.

Sunday is the day Jesus came back to life.

LIFE!

Sunday represents the day Jesus said, "DONE SUCKAS!" (Once again, paraphrasing.)

Sunday is good.

If only Friday had happened, it would be uber depressing, and we wouldn't have a Savior.

Sunday happened.

Hallelujah.

Legit happened.

So, this weekend, I am taking a break. I'm taking a break from oils. I am taking a break from this blog. I am taking a break from Jackson and John. OK, not really, but it would be nice to have a babysitter every now and then. You have no idea.

Try not to miss me too much. I know it will be hard. You can do it! I believe in you..not like I believe in Jesus, but you get my point.

I leave you with the lyrics to one of my favorite songs. No, it's not Ke$ha's Timber, although I do love that song..

1. 
   

If you want to know more about the big man upstairs and what happened this weekend, check out this blog. It is actually well written and will explain everything. Click HERE

HOLY FRIJOLES!

I'm friends with a Panamanian woman.

Be jealous.

Her name is Gina.

She and her lovely family are our best friends down here.

(Not sure that we are theirs, but that doesn't really matter:))

They are sarcastic, witty, and fabulous. They are missionaries in the city, and I don't know what we would do without them and their graciousness.

(They let the three of us and our three dogs stay with them all the time, and they just had a baby...)

Reader: Sarah. Y'all are just rude. No one should take advantage of nice people like that!

I know. However, Gina would tell us if she didn't want us.

I would not want to cross Gina.

She would cut you if you tried to mess with one of her babies.

Like legit cut you.

Anyways, I tell you about Gina because even though she is American, she was born in Panama and the girl can cook.

So can her husband, Michael.

We always gain weight when we stay with them..

Anyways, Gina gave me a recipe for beans that are TO DIE FOR.

Im for realz y'all.

TO DIE FOR.

Today, I am going to rock your world and give you the recipe.

This is an easy way to remember it. At least I think so..

321 Beans. 

3 cloves of garlic

2 cans of black beans (drained)

2 drops Oregano oil (HOLLA!)

2 tablespoons white vinegar

2 tablespoons white wine

Reader: GASP! You drink?! Aren't you supposed to run away from that stuff?

No silly. We get our drink on. We just don't get drunk.

If I got drunk, I wouldn't be able to enjoy these delicious beans, so let's get back to that.

2 tablespoons sugar

1 white onion

1 bay leaf

• Chop up the garlic and onion and saute.
• Open cans and drain. (I know! So easy!)
• Once garlic and onion are finished, poor in beans.
• Finally put in bay leaf, white wine, white vinegar, sugar and OREGANO OIL!
• Cook a while on the stove. (it's not rocket science)

DONE. BOOM. YOU ARE WELCOME.

Seriously. Call me and thank me after you make it. I'll accept your call.

Now, I would like to tell you, for Gina's sake, that she dumbed this recipe down for me. 

In the real recipe there are peppers and crazy people who cook real beans. 

I'll stick to the cans.

My suggestion: cook some white rice, slice up an avocado, add a dollop of sour cream and sprinkle a little cheese. 

Once again, you are welcome.

Oh yea, if you don't have Oregano oil, (You really should it's antiviral, antibacterial, and stimulates the immune system.) you can use some boring old bottled Oregano I guess...

Confession

I have a confession to make

Remember this post about my night with a spider?

It was a crazy night filled with fear and terror.

Reader: Sarah, I still cannot stand that picture of all of the babies on their mom's back. FREAKY!

I know. I still freak when I see a spider.

So, here is my confession.

Spider season is over. We have not had any in our house, and so, I have stopped putting peppermint oil around the house.

(Spiders hate Peppermint.)

Reader: Sarah, It's cool. We forgive you. Don't let it happen again. We have a trusting relationship, so if you say you are going to douse your house in peppermint, than I believe that you will. Please don't lead me on.

Ugh. I know! I am sorry!

Here is the new problem!

It's ROACH season.

Am I the only one who cusses like a sailor when I see a roach? I am not a cusser, but if I see a roach, I scream, swear, and run.

Reader: First, you are a missionary. You are not supposed to swear. Second, I am not reading anymore. I cannot handle that. Please do not post any pictures of roaches. I could not stop itching for a month after reading your post about spiders. Has it even been a month? Anyways, please don't talk about roaches!

I have to! It is my responsibility as an American citizen living in Guatemala to tell you about this!

Reader: Sarah, do you have a dirty house? I am starting to think differently about you.

No. I do not. I have a type A husband. It is not a dirty house at all.

The facts are these: We live in Guatemala, we are surrounded by fields, and it is hot and dry outside.

The roaches are coming in looking for water.

We have only found them in the bathroom and they are dead.

This is a good thing. This means that I have not been swearing much lately.

Reader: What is your point in this story?

My point is this: Last night, I kept thinking I had a roach crawling on me. I freaked out and put peppermint all over myself because GUESS WHAT!

ROACHES HATE PEPPERMINT.

Turns out, I did not have a roach crawling on me. It was my imagination, but the nice thing was, after I put the peppermint all over myself, in my bathroom, and on my curtains and sheets, I slept much better.

How to do this: Place a few drops on a cotton ball and put in window ledges or any holes you might have. (If you live in Guatemala, you probably have a lot of random holes in your house that are a result of shoddy construction work.) Or, place a few drops of peppermint in a spray bottle with about 8 oz of water and spray fabric.  It really smells quite wonderful!

I was no longer worried about a roach crawling on me, because they hate peppermint, and I smelled like peppermint, as did the rest of my side of the room. They might have been crawling on John. I don't know.

(That's his fault for not putting any peppermint on himself. )

Reader: Kind of rude, but if he don't care, I don't care.

The moral of the story: If you come stay with us here in Guatemala, I promise there will be no bugs, but if there are, they will be friendly (like this little guy below) and will want to cuddle with you.

So, I confess my lack of using Peppermint around my house, but I promise it will never happen again because as it turns out, it is always some bug's season. They rule the roost here.

Speaking of roost, there is a rooster I am going to kill one of these days...

*You are welcome for only posting super cute cartoon characters of roaches. I did it for both of us.

Water

Everyone needs it.

It's so dope. It's "so fresh and so clean clean".

Outkast lyrics anyone?

Don't know why but that song popped in my head when I thought of the word fresh.

Anyways, I drink a lot more of it now that we live in the good ol Guate.

Our family goes through 15 gallons a week.

Reader: WHAT?! That is a ton. I am so impressed with you Sarah. I vow today that I will drink at least 100 ounces of water a day. You have inspired me! You have changed my life.

Ok, I'll be honest. We also give it to our three dogs and bathe Jackson in it due to the parasites.

Reader: I am not as impressed anymore. Please be straightforward with us in the future! I just bought stock in Ozarka. Now what am I going to do?

Anyways, we drink a lot more of it now that we live here, but sometimes I find that it is bland and boring.

Reader: Sarah, we are so alike, you an me. We are just two peas in a pod. I feel the same way. I would so much rather grab a Dr. Pepper or a Coke. Water is boring!

I agree.

So guess what! Guess what I did!

Reader: What?! TELL ME! 

I bought some citrus flavored oils, and I put them in my water.

Reader: Oh gosh. We are on this oil thing again.

Well, reader, this is an oil blog.

Reader: I know, but I was excited to talk about water. Fine. Go ahead. I'll keep reading.

At different times throughout the day, I will switch up my oil flavors.

If I'm feeling like a fat cow: 4 drops of lemon and 4 drops of peppermint. Lemon is a detox and Peppermint is an appetite suppressant.

If I'm feeling Saucy: I put in 8 drops of Grapefruit. It's a fat burner and just has that kick to it that says, "You're right. I'm a hottie. I'm burning fat right now."

If I'm feeling tired and need a pick me up: I'll put in 8 drops of Orange. It brightens my day and supports my immune system.

If I'm feeling like I want a piece of cake: I put 8 drops of Tangerine oil in my water because I made THIS awesome tangerine cake and it brings me back to that beautiful day when I wasn't counting calories and at almost an entire cake.

If I'm feeling like I don't want to waste my other oils: I will put 8 drops of Lime Oil in. I just don't like the taste of lime in my water. So I use it when desperate.

If I'm feeling ALL of these things: I use my Citrus Fresh! It is da shiznit. It combines all those oils plus one called Ocotea. It's a weight loss oil for sure. YUMM!

Reader: Very interesting Sarah. I am definitely going to try these. My body needs more water, but I don't want it to be boring anymore. You saved me! Thank you!

Adorbs Glass Bottle From Costco that I put my oils in. LOVE

You are welcome. One thing to make note of..When using oils in water, you must use a glass water bottle or a plain ol glass. The Young Living oils are 100% pure and attach petrochemicals and toxins. Plastic has these in it. This is a good thing though because they also attack toxins in your body.

I got mine from Costco. Two for $14. LOVE!

Legit Happy

Our ministry partners here in Guatemala have recently moved to Guatemala City.

(Please play a tiny violin for us because we love them and miss them.)

They moved to the city because Lukci was constantly in pain.

She has many pain issues.

Like a lot.

(Play a giant violin for her. She deserves some beautiful music.)

We wanted them to be in the city where she could actually go to the doctor and get the help she needs.

Her knees and her feet are constantly hurting. They swell up. She hates it.

(I would like to note that they last time they were super swollen, her knees still looked amazing. Kind of made me want to smack her in the face, then I remembered that she was in pain and that was punishment enough for being beautiful. So, I didn't smack her.)

She has been on all kinds of pain medicine and none of it has helped.

When I first got these oils, I thought about her.

What if they worked?

This could change her day to day life.

I wanted her to try these oils.

I made up a bottle of Valor, Pan Away, Copaiba, and Peppermint. I added a little bit of coconut oil.

She took them home and HOLLA!

THEY WORK! Word to yo motha!

She is not in near as much pain as she used to be.

Praise God!

Cutthroat

The Urban Dictionary defines Cutthroat as a person who will do what it takes to get what they want no matter the consequences.

It also defines a ratchet as a diva, mostly from urban cities and ghettos, that has reason to believe she is every man's eye candy. Unfortunately, she is wrong.

I am neither of these. I am not a cutthroat because I wont do ANYTHING to get what I want.

I can only go so far. 

I am not a Ratchet because I am in fact every man's eye candy. It is not in my head.

However, I am a bit strange.

Reader: Uh yea. You think?! What does this have to do with anything?

The title of my post reader! Cutthroat..I don't know. I guess it has nothing to do with it. I was in urban dictionary and saw "ratchet." Made me laugh.

However, I have noticed lately that when I start to feel a pain or start to feel sick, I get really excited.

Reader: Yep. You are strange.

Well, let me explain a bit.

I am here for you reader, and I want to be able to tell you the truth about these oils! So, when I start to get sick, I automatically get excited because it means I get to try out my Young Living products!

The other day, my throat started to hurt.

Woohoo!

I immediately thought about my Thieves Spray.

Reader: Wait. Sarah, is this the same spray you spray bathrooms with and hotel rooms with?

Thieves Spray. From toilets to bathrooms.

Why, yes. Yes, it is. This spray is awesome.

Reader: Yea, but you spray your toilets with it. Seems kind of gross.

Well, it is a spray, so it's not touching the toilet. Chill reader. Chill.

The spray contains clove, lemon, cinnamon bak, eucalyptus radiata, and rosemary. These are powerful anti-bacterial and antiviral oils that also help in numbing the throat. It also contains pure grain alcohol. I don't know what this means, but it kills stuff. So, when you spray it, you are killing the germs and numbing the pain.

Remember the stuff you used to spray at the back of your throat when it was sore?

This is the same stuff, but all natural and smells good!

Anyways, I used it. My throat stopped hurting and never started again.

FABULOSO!

Ugh! Sarah My Throat Hurts! Pass Me The Spray!

To sign in as a Retail Customer OR to get your Premium Starter Kit and get 24% off on all purchases in the coming year as a Wholesale Member, (Amazing, I know)

Click Here!

Achoo!

I have noticed a lot of people talking about allergies lately.

It's weird.

We don't really get them here.

Not sure why, but we are super cool wit it.

Reader: Sarah! That isn't fair! We have to deal with them where we are!

Guess what. I have to deal with my electricity going off every day at random, cold showers with barely any water pressure, parasites in my water, $500 electricity bills, and no decent doctors nearby in case my son falls and cracks his head open. At least we get this one thing. Right?

Reader: Yea. Totally. I'm "cool wit it."

Anyways, I recently ordered some oils for my sister in law to try for allergies. I started doing some research. She is breastfeeding and cannot use peppermint.

Normally the three recommended oils for allergies are Lemon, Peppermint, and Lavender.

You can add these in a capsule, in water, or rub on your chest and feet. Also, it is recommended to rub Lavender on inside of cheek and nose. My mom did this and said it helped a lot.

But, Peppermint decreases milk and no one wants that. Read my first post ever written. Liquid gold I tell ya.

So, I found that RC and Raven are great for allergies. Also, asthma, but thats another story.


I am sending her Lemon, Lavender, and RC. Can't wait for her to use them and fall in love.

I know you all depend on me testing out these oils myself, but since God has granted us to be allergy free this season, you will just have to trust that they work.

Seriously though, there are hundreds of testimonies about these oils working. Many friends I know use these oils and love them.

You are welcome.

I DONT WANT TO SNEEZE ANYMORE!

To sign in as a Retail Customer OR to get your Premium Starter Kit and get 24% off on all purchases in the coming year as a Wholesale Member, (Amazing, I know)

Click Here!

The Naysayer

I have had many a naysayer roll their eyes as I talk about oils.

Mostly men.

The biggest of the eye rollers has been my father.

He is a wonderful and kind man. I love him very much.

My Dad holding Jackson the day he was born.

But, he was a butt head when it came to these oils.

He is a jokester and thinks he is very "punny". He actually is.

But at the expense of my oils, he made many many jokes.

He would never hurt my feelings on purpose, so I never let on that it bugged me.

I knew he would learn that these little oils were valuable.

I just had to be patient and plot out my revenge...

Well, Mr. Naysayer had a wart on his hand.

He tried this old freaky drawing salve that his mother had made. (Sweet kind lady, but she has been dead for at least 25 years..)

It was black! It looked nasty. It smelled bad. He was willing to put this on his hand over my oils!

Guess what, my Grandma's 25 year old drawing salve didn't work.

I, being a doctor and all said, "Might as well put some Frankincense on it. Can't hurt."

(I AM NOT A DOCTOR. DO NOT TAKE MEDICAL ADVICE FROM ME. I DON'T WANT A LAWSUIT. ALTHOUGH, YOU WOULD NOT GET MUCH FROM ME.)

Reader: Sarah, we could tell from your lack of enthusiasm, that you are not a doctor. Don't worry. None of us thought you were smart enough for medical school. You don't even use correct grammar when writing this blog most of the time.

Anyways, he put Frankincense on his wart.

Such a good Grandpa!

He did this morning and night for about 1 1/2 weeks

The wart is gone suckas!

Guess who isn't a naysayer anymore.

Not my dad!

He still wont use these oils! He is afraid that they will mess with his medicine. I guess if he ever gets a wart again, he'll use Frank. Until then, he is stuck in his medicine loving ways.

I will win him over. Oil by oil. He will be a believer.

The moral of the story. Some people are just not gonna believe in God's creation. (I kid. I kid. My dad believes in God's creation. Just not what it can do;)...)

The other moral of the story: Frank is AWESOMESAUCE!

Frankincense for wart removal!

Let Them Eat Cake!

Ya'll

I decided to try some desserts using my oils.

Joel (pronounced HO-EL) is one of the kids in our group at the farm. His birthday was yesterday.

I adore him.

I wanted to make him a cake.

Young Living Oil. Tangerine Cake.

I decided he would be my guinea pig.

I bought a box of white cake mix.

(I will NEVER be the person that makes stuff from scratch. However I never thought I would use oils, so I guess we shall see.)

I bought a can of white icing.

I followed the directions on the box and added 12 drops of Tangerine oil.

I used half a can of icing and added 10 drops of Tangerine oil.

I baked the cake.

I mixed the icing.

I rocked my family's world.

John ate it and said, "Whoa! That is good!"

(Might not sound that great, but for the most part, I cannot cook, so this was huge.)

I ate it, and then ate some more, and then ate some more.

Jackson loved it.

Ya'll it is soo good.

It made a normal cake taste fancy and special.

Plus, tangerine does good things for your body!
Read below.

Joel did not get his cake. I got to the farm and told him happy birthday. He said, my birthday isn't until the 20th

I at the cake.

Almost all of it.

No regrets.

Medical Properties of Tangerine

Antitumoral – Counteracting or preventing the formation of malignant tumors; anticancer

Relaxant – Make or become less tense or anxious.

Antispasmodic – preventing or relieving cramps or spasms.

Digestive aid – aids digestion

Circulatory enhancer

I WANT CAKE TOO!
Well, then by all means, get you some!
Click Here

One Year

Wow.

One year ago yesterday, we moved to Guatemala.

Today, one year ago, I was sobbing like a baby. Jackson was screaming. John was depressed. The dogs were playing dead.

Talk about culture shock.

I was looking for any excuse whatsoever to leave. Seriously.

Sadly, I could not come up with one.

I learned in that first week just how selfish I was. I learned how pathetic I was and how the only good things that come from me, are actually from God.

I learned what it was like to depend on God for my joy.

I say all of this to explain how good God is. I was desperately depressed.

Now, I have so much joy in being here. I love these kids. We are doing what God wanted us to do.

He has brought us through the dark time and shined his light on us. He is a good good God and we are so blessed to live part of our lives with these wonderful people.

Here is a list that John made. It is really so good, and I want to add 100 things to it.

Reader: Whoa. Whoa. Sarah. This is a blog about oils. I want to read about oils.

Well, cut me a little slack reader. I have lived in a third world country for a year now, and would like to talk about it a bit. OK?

Reader: Fine. I guess. 

(I'm starting to wonder if I have multiple personalities. I am doing this writer/reader combo way to quickly in my head. It's almost like there is really someone else talking.....)

As we hit the one year mark of living in Guatemala, I decided that I want to capture every feeling that I don’t want to lose upon returning to the United States in 2015. A little reminder to never forget… The smell of sulfur that permeates the water in your house, so bad that you can’t leave bathroom doors closed too long without it reeking of odor. Showers with little to no water pressure, and no hot water except for the middle of the day when it’s hot outside. The sheer joy upon entering PriceSmart (Guatemala’s version of CostCo) located in Guatemala City. The three hour drive through the mountains that should take no more than an hour based on mileage. The anxiety of trying to survive, much less thrive, in another culture. The hilarity of tackling basic civic responsibilities like parking stickers and national identification numbers. The way the lights in the house flicker when the dryer is on because power is so poorly distributed, yet insanely expensive at $400 a month. Yes, that’s dollars, not quetzales, and yes, we’re very frugal with our electricity. Having a car with a kill switch that you have to engage every time you park your car so that it’s still there when you get back. Having a car with deep limo tint on every window, including front and back windshields for security reasons. Trying to see out of the front windshield at night when it looks like your headlights aren’t even on unless you turn on your brights. Having to flush one of your toilets by filling up a pitcher of water because the water pressure is so weak. Having to use plastic zip ties to hold your muffler up off the ground, and realizing that your stopgap idea (thanks Blake Godkin) is actually better than what the mechanics in Guatemala can do because of the lack of available parts in country. The inability to have technology out in public without feel of it being stolen or becoming a target. Laughing at the idea of “becoming a target” when just being a white guy already makes you a huge target. Being told by Guatemalan friends that when people see you and your family they see dollar signs, simply because they know you’re an American. Feeling like an alien when you walk into a Burger King with your wife and 2-year-old son. Everyone inside literally stops what they’re doing to stare at you. This happens every time we enter any public space. The distance people give you when you’re walking your 80 pound German Shepherd. The feeling of relief when someone speaks English to you in public after you’re struggling to talk to them in Spanish.  The laughter that ensues when you ask them why they let you struggle for so long. The isolation of having nowhere to go to get out of the house during the day, and the security issue of being out at night. Literally no ability to grab coffee at Starbucks, go play at a park, people watch at a mall, see family, or grab lunch with a friend. When it gets dark you are basically under house arrest unless you’re working at the mission. Even then, the feeling of having to drive home at night (see #10). Having no central air in your house and installing a/c in every room of the house. Turning each unit off whenever you’re not in the room to save money (see #7). Having no drinkable water from the faucet and having the equivalent of Ozarka jugs delivered twice a week. Not being able to fill up your dogs’ water bowl from the sink because they’ll get sick.  Giving Jackson “showers” by filling up a pitcher of pure hot water and pouring it over his head because you don’t want him to swallow any of the tap water. Not having a bathtub in the house, so Jackson generally dreads his showers because he hates the anticipation of the pure water either being too cold or too hot. Not wearing your shoes in the house because you work at a farm and don’t want to track in the legion of germs that reside on the bottom of your soles. Trying to drill holes to hang curtain rods and shelves when your house is made completely out of cinder block. Having the privilege of being with your wife and 2-year-old son 24/7. I say this with sincerity as we’ll never have this much devoted family time once I return to a job in the States. Watching the garbage men tear open your trash to reclaim anything valuable you might have thrown away like cans, plastics, and broken toys. The joy of having someone call you from the States (*cough* 214-628-1095 *cough*). Similar joy of receiving an email or even Facebook note from someone you miss. Lacking community where you live. We enjoy going into Guatemala City because we have American friends there, but it’s 3 hours away. Laughing at yourself when you reach a dead end when talking to someone in Spanish. Laughing at yourself when someone is trying to get you to do something for them and you can’t figure out what they want. Learning dependence on God when it’s a challenge just to buy groceries. Realizing how much you love people that help you during the transition.  Realizing how invaluable you could be for refugees going through similar culture shock in Dallas. The feeling of walking through airports with 8 suitcases, three dogs (one who is barking), 3 cages, a carseat, and a hysterical toddler who’s been traveling all day. Going to a bank you are met with an armed guard with a sawed off shotgun. He lets you in, then you wait for the second door to open. Once in the bank you cannot use your phone for security purposes.  Due to the number of robberies the maximum you can take out of the ATM in a 24 hour period is Q2,000, which is about $250. Nice to know that someone can’t empty out your account in one fell swoop, but terrible if you need cash to pay bills. Having to go to the ATM three days in a row just to get enough cash for your monthly rent. Having to go to the ATM to get cash for every bill you have. Having to drive around town to pay all of your bills in person, since online banking and bill pay is rarely an option. Having all of your bills in someone else’s name because you haven’t lived in the country long enough for any company to trust you enough to pay your bills. Being confused when you see kids after lunch who should be in school, only to realize that kids only go to school for four hours a day here. Feeling frustrated when you realize that crime and corruption permeates every inch of this culture. Knowing the only solution to all of the woes is divine intervention. Seeing babies having babies, and there being no end in sight. Wanting to change the world, but realizing your role in a small forgotten village. Thank you for playing such a vital role in this mission. To God be the glory! John, Sarah, and Jackson