Album Review of “For King & Country - The EP” by For King & Country

I’ve been a long time fan of this duo of Australian born brothers, Joel and Luke Smallbone, and any fan will tell you, this new EP has been a long time coming. For those of you who aren’t familiar with these guys, they are the brothers of Christian music veteran, Rebecca St. James, whose music was a staple for me growing up. Both Joel and Luke sang back up for Rebecca for years until they decided to start making music of their own. They released their first EP, “A Tale of Two Towns” back in 2008 under their own names, Joel and Luke. But after much deliberation… not to mention having to constantly explain that their own names were their band name; they decided on a new moniker. Enter, For King & Country… but I must admit, I’ve known them as J&L for far too long and cannot seem to get used to the new name lol. For King & Country just released their 5 song self-titled EP in September on Word Records to much fan anticipation.

The EP is full of what the guys like to call their “'International-Pop-Rock sound”; which actually describes it perfectly! The song "Light It Up” starts things off with a soft piano-based pop sound that leads into a soaring chorus, "Light it up and let it go. Don't you see that you are not alone. Light it up and watch it fly, cause you can go anywhere you want tonight."  Next up, is the first single from the EP, “Busted Heart (Hold On To Me)”, which is currently receiving quite a bit of airplay on Christian radio. With a piano-pop/rock sound and a chorus that sounds dynamic even though the lyric may be simplistic, “Hold on to me. Don’t let me lose my way. Hold on to me.” A prayerful song for the broken hearted who are “desperate for grace”. My personal favorite off the EP, “Fine Fine Life” instantly caught my attention. The song opens with an almost Native American sounding flute and flows into an airy pop song that you cannot help but move along to. This is a catchy tune that sticks in your head; really hoping this will be a future single. The post breakup ballad “People Change” finds the guys crooning about changing and making things right in a broken relationship; “Will you be there if I call? Will you leave me in the rain? If I say it’s all my fault will you still walk away? I understand if you’re afraid but people change.”

Speaking of breakup songs, the guys close the EP with a real heartbreaker. My sister won’t even let me listen to this song when she’s around because it makes her cry lol (sorry sis, had to add that :p). “Love’s To Blame”, which was first featured on their EP “A Tale of Two Towns”, is a ballad about lost love. The song starts with dramatic strings and flows into soft piano and Joel’s beautiful vocals. I love how it starts soft and builds with power in all the right places. You can hear the vulnerability and emotion in Joel’s voice as he sings the lyrics, "I'm still missing you but it has to be this way cause I'm not right for you. And that's why love's to blame. And I can't see you right now cause I just can't fake it. Can't be near you right now cause I know you're no longer mine." This tune has garnered a lot of attention for the guys as it was featured on an episode of “Vampire Diaries”. It’s definitely a stand out track and perfect way to close the EP.

For King & Country have crafted an EP full of piano-based pop/rock and beautiful ballads with dynamic choruses. The guys, who share lead vocal duties, have strong and soaring vocals with just a touch of their Australian accents peaking through. The only question this EP leaves you asking is, when are we getting a full length?? ;)

You can currently catch the guys opening for The Winter Jam tour and soon on the “The Purity and Worship Tour" with their sister, Rebecca. Joel and Luke share in Rebecca’s outspoken stance on purity and have been known to share this message, along with the way women should be treated, from the stage. It’s such a rare thing to see that I just can’t help but mention it; it kinda makes me respect the heck out of them :). So be sure to catch these guys on tour and check out this EP!

To purchase this EP, click here

For more info on For King & Country, click here & here

Below is a live performance of their current single, “Busted Heart (Hold On To Me)” -

Pumpkin Spice Iced Coffee

At this time of year no coffee drink is more popular than Starbucks' seasonal orange hued, cool kid on the block, Pumpkin Spice Latte! While I have also joined the madness and become a fan, I live in TX ... where cool, crisp fall weather tends to be a far off fantasy, and I refuse to drink hot drinks till the temperature is at least 70. ;) So this homemade Pumpkin Spice Iced Coffee was the perfect way to get my Pumpkin Spice fix. Who needs to go to Starbucks and pay 4 bucks for this drink when you can make a super delish version right in your very own kitchen? Someone pass me a biscotti! :)

Pumpkin Spice Iced Coffee -
(Recipe & photo found @ http://foodpluswords.com)

I was a bit skeptical when making this iced coffee, thinking it wouldn't be half as good as Starbucks... but I was so wrong. This Pumpkin Spice Iced Coffee is just as good if not better and it's pretty crazy addicting... proceed with caution, my fine caffeinated friends. This recipe starts with making the Pumpkin Spice Syrup...the main ingredient & super star of this coffee. With its blend of sugar, pumpkin purée, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, ect. it fills your kitchen with the warm smells of fall. Next you make the coffee... and okay, I cheated on this one, I admit it! Instead of brewing coffee like it calls for, I took the short cut & bought Starbucks Via Ready Brew in the Iced Coffee Blend... you just add water and ice (love it!). Mixing this all together is so easy peasy; you add in your Pumpkin Spice Syrup, half and half, & sweetened condensed milk, and viola! You have a delish, super creamy, Pumpkin Spice Iced Coffee!

Just a few things to note; the syrup says to boil for 10 minutes, personally it seemed a bit too long to me and made it thicker than I liked it. So I would boil it for maybe half that time. Also, once it sits in the fridge for a while it gets a little clumpy, so before I used it again I warmed it up on the stove and then let it cool to room temp. & it was perfect! And don't be afraid to stray off the measurements for the syrup, half & half, & milk, add to your own personal preference! :)

Ingredients:
6 ounces freshly brewed coffee, chilled (Starbucks Iced Coffee Blend is recommended!)
1 ounce pumpkin spice syrup (recipe below)
4 ounces half & half (you can use whole milk, soy milk, any milk you like)
1 ounce sweetened condensed milk

Directions:
Fill a tall glass with ice. Pour the chilled coffee, pumpkin spice syrup, half & half and sweetened condensed milk into the glass, and stir well to combine.

Pumpkin Spice Syrup -
Yield: 8 ounces

Ingredients:
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup water
3 whole cinnamon sticks
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
7 whole cloves
7 whole allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
2 tablespoons pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon vanilla, or 1 whole vanilla bean, split lengthwise

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and place over medium heat. Stirring occasionally, allow the mixture to come to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and allow the syrup to cool to room temperature. When the syrup is cool, strain into a clean jar through a fine mesh sieve. Store in the fridge, where it will keep for up to 2 months.

10 Things I'm Loving!

1. Japanese Cherry Blossom Bath Gel from Bath & Body Works -

I bought a small bottle of this bath gel a couple weeks ago and it's just about gone. It smells so lovely! And what I love best about it is how that lovely scent stays on your skin hours after you shower.

2. The Civil Wars’ Album, "Barton Hollow”-

I've been listening to & loving The Civil Wars since I first fell head over heels in love with their song, "Poison & Wine" a couple years ago. And even though this album released in February of this year... I just barely bought it. Though I still have managed to enjoy and know almost all their songs thanks to their free live album and YouTube videos! But I'm so glad to finally have this album; it hasn't left my cd player since I got it in the mail on Monday. It's truly beautiful, magical, and exquisite.... every track! The Civil Wars make music that demands your attention; you have to stop whatever you're doing just so you can savor every note (& sing along...which I do). This album has my heart! :)

3. Oreos dipped in melted chocolate chips mixed with a couple tbsp. of peanut butter, & chilled for just a little bit in the fridge = my new favorite snack. :)

4. Revisiting old TV favorites like The Wonder Years & Family Ties - We've been getting a free preview on our satellite of a channel called the HUB; and every night they give a couple episodes of both The Wonder Years & Family Ties. I used to love these shows when I was a kid and it's so fun to go back and get to see them all over again! I mean who didn't love the penny pinching, republican, Alex Keaton? And who can forget Kevin Arnold & Winnie Cooper? C'mon, classics, right? ;)

5. Making our Thanksgiving Day menu & grocery list; and buying what's on the list! Can’t wait to get cooking.. and eating! I love Thanksgiving!

6. Getting orders for my Pumpkin Rolls!

(Pinterest.com)

Every year I make these delish pumpkin cake rolls for family, it's a yearly tradition that I absolutely love! It wouldn't feel like Thanksgiving if I didn't get to bake a couple (or 5) Pumpkin Rolls!

7. Finally seeing the leaves fall & change colors! Fall always seems to arrive late here in TX. But I’m starting to see my yard covered with orange and red leaves, and that makes me very happy!

8. Buffalo Chicken Dip -

(Pinterest.com)

This is my favorite dip ever! Shredded chicken, mixed in creamy ranch dressing, blue cheese dressing, & cream cheese, hot sauce to make it spicy... but not too spicy, topped with cheddar cheese and baked till melty and bubbly! By the way, don't just limit yourself to eating it with chips. It's so versatile; try it on a piece of French bread, grilled like a grilled cheese ... trust me, it's heaven on earth!

Ingredients:
8 oz. cream cheese
3/4 cup blue cheese dressing
3/4 cup ranch dressing
2 boneless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1/2 cup Frank’s® RedHot® Buffalo Wings Sauce or Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Tortilla chips
Baking pan

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix cream cheese, blue cheese dressing and ranch dressing in Nonstick 3 1/2-Qt. Saucepan. Heat and stir until smooth and creamy. Stir in chicken and hot sauce. Spoon mixture into a square baking pan and sprinkle with cheese. Bake until golden and bubbly, about 30 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips. Serves 8.

9. Listening to Christmas music on Pandora & Sirius XM - Yes, I have begun the Christmas music already (actually I started in Oct. but who's keeping track?) and I'm loving it! I've been feeling holly jolly, merry & bright, and I am ready to deck the halls! :D

10. This song & very creative (& messy) video by Lisa Hannigan -

Seriously, how can you not smile when watching this? I’ve been loving Lisa’s music so much lately!

Things That Made Smile … Birthday Recap!

On the 5th of this month I celebrated my 27th birthday (wow, that sounds old)! I’ve always been the type to love birthdays... I mean a whole day dedicated to you, what’s not to love, right? :p This year felt like a very special birthday…simplistic but special. So in trying to keep up my “Things that made me smile list”; I thought I’d do a little recap of the festivities! :)

 

Yes, this is how my birthday started; my sweet sister and mom made me breakfast in bed! They made me Tiramisu French Toast! Not a bad way to wake up, my friend. ;) Tiramisu is one of my very favorite desserts so this delish french toast was right up my ally. Let me tell you, it’s amazing! Thick french bread with creamy mascarpone cheese, a light coffee flavor, dusted with cocoa powder, and drizzled with honey. So decadent! This most definitely put an instant smile on my face … especially since they delivered it singing me Happy Birthday! :D I found out later that my sister had actually been planning this for a while; how sweet! :)

(Photo & recipe for these lovelies found here)  

Later that day, my family and I went out to eat at one of my favorite restaurants called, The Local. I love this place; a cute & cozy cafe kind of atmosphere with an adorable gift shop inside. And the food…they serve a very eclectic menu, everything from burgers, soups & sandwiches, to chicken pot pie and enchiladas. They also have delish desserts (like Pumpkin Whoopie Pies) and coffee. Every time I eat here I always say I’m going to order something different but I kind of have a slight addiction to their Goldrush burger; it has bbq sauce and bacon…and tastes like hamburger heaven ;). If you’re ever in the Lake Jackson, TX area, be sure to stop by The Local! :)

(Photo of The Local found here)

After we ate, we headed over to the mall and did a little shopping at another one of my favorite places, Bath & Body Works! Man, can I spend time… and money in there lol! And of course, I could not and did not walk out empty handed, I bought the Twilight Woods Body Butter & Shimmer Mist, and Japanese Cherry Blossom Bath Gel.

And last but certainly not least, we came home and closed the birthday festivities with this beauty…

For my birthday cake this year I made one of my very favorite desserts, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake!

This is my favorite cheesecake and I only make it once or twice a year so I was really looking forward to it! A chocolate chip cookie crust, creamy cheesecake filling with bits of chocolate chip cookie dough through out, drizzled with chocolate and sprinkled with cookie crumbs… yes, it tastes as amazing and evil as it sounds! :) My family insisted on singing happy birthday and me blowing out a candle (even though I said that poking a candle in the pretty cheesecake just seemed wrong ;)) Here’s hoping my birthday wish will come true! :p

All in all, I had a very nice 27th! It was just special spending it with my family. Especially my sister who I’ve always been real close to but haven’t seen much lately. She’s moving to GA in a few months so to have this time was extra special. I really felt quite spoiled, I must admit! :) I also feel like after all this fattening food it might be time for a post birthday diet lol. ;) But here’s hoping the 28th will be just as special. I feel excited and yet slightly scared of all that God has for me in this 27th year; I know if I let him he will make it a beautiful year in my life.

Halloween Music Break: Dead Man’s Bones

Because today is Halloween it only feels appropriate to confess my new found love of the weird and gothic music of the band, Dead Man’s Bones. Yes, this is actor Ryan Gosling’s (Noah from The Notebook, the most epic love story of our time :D) band…and no, I do not like them just for that reason (am not that shallow…though why deny the fact that Ryan is even hotter behind a piano..oh & gotta love the deep sexy vocal thing. Okay, sorry, back to the music…which I’m all about ;)).

Dead Man’s Bones is a collaboration of Ryan Gosling and his friend, Zach Shields. The two friends met back in 2005 when they were dating sisters and resented being forced to hang out. They claim to have wanted to hate each other but ended up bonding on a mutual love for music and a fascination with the paranormal. These shared interests grew into an idea to write a theatrical monster ghost love story set to music. But upon learning how much all this would cost, the duo decided to nix the theatrics and stick to the music.

Their sound is straight out of the 50’s & 60’s; somewhat reminiscent of artists such as The Shangri-Las, Bobby Vinton, and The Andrew Sisters. With eerie and haunting sounds (such as tin foil for rain, creaking doors, paper ripping for thunder, foot steps, screaming, crying, waves, werewolf howling, boat noises, crickets); Ryan’s deep sultry voice (did not know he could sing like that, so impressive); and L.A.’s Silverlake Conservatory Children's Choir on background vocals; it creates a unique gothic inspired collaboration.

This song, “In A Room Where You Sleep”, is off their self-titled debut album which released in 2009. Even though this tune has been around for a couple years, I just discovered it a few weeks ago and became a little obsessed with it. The video is a live performance of the song. The kids choir all dressed up in their costumes is just too cute; (especially love kid at the end) and adds a really interesting dimension to the sound.

This is the perfect song to crank for your Halloween party tonight.. or while you’re at home pigging out on candy and ignoring trick or treaters! ;) For more info on Dead Man’s Bones, click Here.

Well I’m off to make some homemade peanut butter cups and red velvet cake pops with my sister! Hope you have a safe & happy Halloween! :)

It Isn’t Goodbye…

“On the final day I die I want to hold my head up high. I want to tell You that I tried to live it like a song. And when I reach the other side I want to look You in the eye and know that I've arrived, in a world where I belong.” Where I Belong by Switchfoot

This past Thursday, October 27th, my sweet grandma went to be with Jesus. She was blessed with a long life of 91 years, almost making it to her 92nd birthday in January. She truly outlived everyone’s expectations; she was a strong woman. While we knew that she probably didn’t have much longer it still took us by surprise. I guess it’s just one of those things that you can never fully be prepared for.

In the last few years of her life she had developed dementia and pretty much lost most of her ability to remember and communicate. This was so hard for me, I was so used to being able to spend time with her and talk to her. In a lot of ways, I feel like I mourned the loss of her then. Even before she passed away, I already missed her. Especially when I would go through hard times I would always think how comforting it would be to go sit next to my grandma or my grandpa (who passed 6 years before her) and just give them a hug & talk to them. 

But I thank God that he blessed me with such an amazing grandma as Lupe Rodriguez. We were so blessed to have her with us for as long as we did. She was such a special woman, the kind where no one has anything but good memories of her. My sister & I were very close to her and have a wealth of great memories to cherish. She lived to serve God and her family. And she was such a rock to all of us.

My grandma was a praying woman. If you needed prayer for anything you could always call on her. She would write down all the prayer requests in her notebook and pray for them every morning. I really cherish that legacy of prayer that she left to our family and the example she was to all of us.

The photo I posted above is one of my favorites of her. It was taken a really long time ago but it shows her doing one of the things she loved to do most; cooking great food in her kitchen for her family. (In this photo she is also wearing a cute vintage looking apron that my sister & I now have.)  She was an amazing cook and made the most delicious homemade tortilla’s & Mexican food you’ve ever tasted! I hope to one day be able to make tortilla’s the way she did. Her Thanksgiving & Christmas dinners will probably always live in our family’s memories! Her dressing was a classic to us! And we all try to imitate it but can never seem to get it quite like hers.

She even had a tradition for Halloween that our whole family loved. Every Halloween we would all go to her house and pass out candy while enjoying sandwiches, chips, popcorn balls, and my dad’s “green punch”. This is a tradition that her mom started and she kept it up for all of us. So tomorrow, even though she can’t be with us, we will still enjoy this tradition.

I could probably go on and on about all the wonderful memories I have of her and how great she was. I truly feel honored to have been her granddaughter. I was so blessed to have been loved by her.

Today was her funeral and in her honor I wore the pearl necklace she gave me years ago. It was nice to wear something that she had worn many times before; a small piece of her memory close to my heart.

Even though I really miss her, I praise God that I have the hope of seeing her and my grandpa again one day. It makes my heart happy to think of the beautiful reunion her & my grandpa must have had. I know they are both finally home – whole, healed, free, and in the place they really belong. And because of this, I do not feel like I’m really saying goodbye at all, it’s just see you later.

“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” - Philippians 1:21

Things That Made Me Smile This Week

“This is the stuff that drives me crazy. This is the stuff that's getting to me lately. In the middle of my little mess I forget how big I'm blessed.” – This Is The Stuff by Francesca Battistelli

Do you ever have those days … or weeks … okay maybe even months where everything just seems to well .. suck? lol Where things just seem like a rollercoaster you can’t get off of? We all do. And it’s so easy in the midst of all of the craziness to forget how truly blessed we are and that, while things may be hard, God still gives us things to smile about along the way. I never want to forget that. I never want to lose sight of the many reasons there are to wake up and smile. Because God does bring beauty and hope in the midst of the ashes. So in honor of trying to keep all this in mind, to learn to value even the mundane details of life, I’m going to start making a weekly list of things that made me smile and things to be thankful for. So I hope you enjoy reading my first installment and feel free to post things that made you smile this week as well! :)

 

Things That Made Me Smile List ~

*Getting to see two of my very favorite bands, Switchfoot & Anberlin, in concert at Stubbs in Austin on Tuesday! This was my 5th time seeing Switchfoot and my 1st time seeing Anberlin, and neither bands disappointed. It felt so awesome to get lost in the music, singing & rocking out to all my favorite songs. It was a crazy awesome show and I seriously had a blast!

(photo of Switchfoot @ Stubbs from twitter.com/switchfoot)

*Getting a chance to hang out with friends that I haven’t seen in a while at the concert. Talking and laughing with them was something I so needed and put a huge smile on my face.

*Pretty fall weather! Cool, crisp fall days are few and far between here in TX. But we did have a couple really windy, cool days this past week that felt like heaven! My favorite kind of days are when the sun is shining and the wind is blowing through your hair. It makes me feel so light and happy. Fall is my favorite season so I take every chance I get to breathe that in.

(photo from pinterest.com)

*Hanging out in downtown Austin with my family. Some of the places we stopped at were a dessert trailer called Holy Cacao, where I got a super delish peanut butter cake pop! Lunch at Kerbey Lane, our first time there, we loved it! Whole Foods, I’m one of those weird people that likes grocery shopping and this store is like the mother ship, no seriously – free samples of everything, and Salted Caramel Gelato…need I say more?! And we made a quick stop at Coco’s for bubble tea! So yeah, I have a major crush on you Austin… I think it could be love. ;)

 

(photos from Google images)

So there’s my first list! It actually made me feel a little better just seeing it all written out! Hope you guys have a very happy and blessed week with lots of reasons to smile! :)