For the past couple of weeks, our church has been participating in a Daniel fast, eating whole foods. Since standing in the pantry and downing a mouthful of honey straight from the jar is uncouth in some circles, I figured I should come up with more appropriate ways to get my fix. Because I am a girl who just can’t go a day without eating something sweet. Our time of fasting is almost at its end, but I thought I might still post a few of the sweet fast-friendly recipes that we have enjoyed along the way.
Apple Pie Oatmeal
½ cup oatmeal
1 cup water
½ Granny Smith apple, peeled and diced
cinnamon
1 Tbsp pure maple syrup
¼ vanilla soy milk
Mix your oats, water, diced apple, and cinnamon to taste. Cook as directed on your oatmeal package. Stir in maple syrup and vanilla soy milk. It tastes like apple pie!
Crackers Posing as Waffles
Break up Triscuit crackers and drizzle with warmed pure maple syrup. Delicious! (This little treasure was passed along to us by Pastor Scott Wilson, of FC Miami.)
Kettle Corn
For years we have had a hot-air popcorn popper, which I’m sorry to say sat unused in a cabinet until this fast. Pop the kernels, spray with canola oil, sprinkle with salt and natural sweetener. (We are using truvia.)
Chocolate Soy Milk
That’s all there is to say about that.
Sweet & Sour Sauce
½ cup water
4 tsp soy sauce
½ cup white vinegar
½ cup pineapple juice
4 Tbsp cornstarch
1 cup honey
Combine water, soy sauce, white vinegar and pineapple juice in a small saucepan. Stir in honey and cornstarch until evenly mixed. Bring to a boil.
Simmer gently on medium-low heat for 5 minutes, remove from heat.
Serve immediately and refrigerate leftovers. Sauce will thicken to a gel when cold.
This is great on vegetables with whole grain brown rice! The recipe makes quite a lot… we had enough for two meals with plenty left over.
So, friends… What have you been eating?
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
A Year of Less and, Consequentially, More
Each year, for quite a few in a row, God has blessed my life more and more. I am married to the best husband I know. I have two handsome, healthy little boys, and a lovely home in which to raise them. We go to the greatest church around, full of cherished leaders and friends. We have sweet pets, a wonderful school, and a neighborhood brimming with children as icing on the cake.
We are starting this year out with much, and I hope to finish it with much less. And by this, I know we will gain much more. This may sound like nonsense. I’ll elaborate.
My Pastor talks about the need to “say NO to the good, so you can say YES to the best." We have an abundance of good going on around here, but there’s just so much of it that it’s crowding out the best. So here are a few of my specific goals, to have less and more:
I’m going to be more diligent with the recycling, so my family can put out even less trash.
I’m going to have less caffeine, so I can have more sleep.
I’m going to have less responsibility in the roles I choose at the boys’ school, so I can have more fun with the students!
We’re going to have fewer toys, so there is more appreciation for what we have.
I’m going to have less in my closet, so there is more room to see what’s in there. (And more empty hangers at the ready on laundry days!)
The kids are going to have more responsibilities around the house, so I can feel less like a maid.
And we’re going to do a lot less buying, for several reasons, which I expect to bring about a multitude of blessings. I’ll write more about that another day.
Happy New Year! I hope you enjoy both less and more.
We are starting this year out with much, and I hope to finish it with much less. And by this, I know we will gain much more. This may sound like nonsense. I’ll elaborate.
My Pastor talks about the need to “say NO to the good, so you can say YES to the best." We have an abundance of good going on around here, but there’s just so much of it that it’s crowding out the best. So here are a few of my specific goals, to have less and more:
I’m going to be more diligent with the recycling, so my family can put out even less trash.
I’m going to have less caffeine, so I can have more sleep.
I’m going to have less responsibility in the roles I choose at the boys’ school, so I can have more fun with the students!
We’re going to have fewer toys, so there is more appreciation for what we have.
I’m going to have less in my closet, so there is more room to see what’s in there. (And more empty hangers at the ready on laundry days!)
The kids are going to have more responsibilities around the house, so I can feel less like a maid.
And we’re going to do a lot less buying, for several reasons, which I expect to bring about a multitude of blessings. I’ll write more about that another day.
Happy New Year! I hope you enjoy both less and more.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
We were having eggs.
One morning this summer, the boys and I were having breakfast and talking about eternity. Jackson had asked Christ into his heart at church camp in 2007, so he and I were doing much of the talking. Parker was mostly silent, but I could tell that he was deeply listening and weighing our words. J and I talked about what it is to be a Christian, and I explained how it is that a person would go about becoming a Christian, all while P thoughtfully picked at his eggs. Then P looked up and said, “I haven’t decided that yet.” And the way he said it, I thought that it might be a long time before he would.
Fast forward to bedtime last night. With a heavy heart, I told Parker that one of the teachers from his school, Kathy Albert, had passed away. We know that Mrs. Albert was a Christian. I reminded him that she had been very sick for a long time. Her body could not get better. God wanted Mrs. Albert to come to heaven. So, she did.
Thus began a discussion of heaven and hell. Parker told me about someone he knows who doesn’t choose the best behavior, and told me that he thinks this person is going to hell.
“Whether you go to heaven or hell is not decided by how many good behavior days you have at school,” I said.
“I know,” he said, and left the proverbial door wide open.
“Thank goodness for that, right? Because every person on earth messes up and sins. Every person EVER, except for one. Do you know which one?”
“Jesus,” he nods. Hooray! Children’s Church is working. Good job, guys.
“That’s right. Jesus lived a perfect life, without any sin at all. And sin is not just bad behavior. Our words and even thoughts can be sinful. We all sin. But Jesus didn’t have any sin at all. He lived completely without sin so that he could be the sacrifice for our sin. God knows that we can’t pay the price for our sin, so Jesus paid it for us. And because He paid our price, and rose from the dead and went to heaven, we can go to heaven too! Anyone who believes this can go to heaven.”
“Well, I believe that,” he shrugs.
“You do? That’s awesome, buddy! Have you prayed to tell God that you believe it?”
“Yeah, I did that a long time ago when I was six or something,” says Mr. Nonchalant. “At breakfast. We were having eggs. I prayed in my head and just didn’t tell you.”
And I knew the very breakfast he was talking about. It was this summer.
I’m glad that Parker finally revealed to us his decision to follow Christ. Now we can rejoice, along with all the angels of heaven and Mrs. Albert and all the others who have gone before us.
Hallelujah!
Fast forward to bedtime last night. With a heavy heart, I told Parker that one of the teachers from his school, Kathy Albert, had passed away. We know that Mrs. Albert was a Christian. I reminded him that she had been very sick for a long time. Her body could not get better. God wanted Mrs. Albert to come to heaven. So, she did.
Thus began a discussion of heaven and hell. Parker told me about someone he knows who doesn’t choose the best behavior, and told me that he thinks this person is going to hell.
“Whether you go to heaven or hell is not decided by how many good behavior days you have at school,” I said.
“I know,” he said, and left the proverbial door wide open.
“Thank goodness for that, right? Because every person on earth messes up and sins. Every person EVER, except for one. Do you know which one?”
“Jesus,” he nods. Hooray! Children’s Church is working. Good job, guys.
“That’s right. Jesus lived a perfect life, without any sin at all. And sin is not just bad behavior. Our words and even thoughts can be sinful. We all sin. But Jesus didn’t have any sin at all. He lived completely without sin so that he could be the sacrifice for our sin. God knows that we can’t pay the price for our sin, so Jesus paid it for us. And because He paid our price, and rose from the dead and went to heaven, we can go to heaven too! Anyone who believes this can go to heaven.”
“Well, I believe that,” he shrugs.
“You do? That’s awesome, buddy! Have you prayed to tell God that you believe it?”
“Yeah, I did that a long time ago when I was six or something,” says Mr. Nonchalant. “At breakfast. We were having eggs. I prayed in my head and just didn’t tell you.”
And I knew the very breakfast he was talking about. It was this summer.
I’m glad that Parker finally revealed to us his decision to follow Christ. Now we can rejoice, along with all the angels of heaven and Mrs. Albert and all the others who have gone before us.
“…there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
Luke 15:10
Hallelujah!
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
It's just easier to SHOW you.
I have so many words buzzing around in my brain right now. So many, in fact, that I can’t form a coherent post to describe what I’ve been doing lately. Instead of lengthy descriptions, I shall give you pictures with captions. Since a picture is worth a thousand words, I'm sure you'll be quite glad that I went with pictures.
This is what our hallway bathroom looked like a week ago. I forgot to take a picture before we took the big mirror down, but you get the idea. Notice the mauve stripes and frilly border. For once I am thankful that my boys are colorblind. They had no idea that they should have been embarrassed by this feminine wallpaper.
And this is what it looks like now! This is the best project that Andy and I have worked on together. Well, other than our children. But we’ll have to wait a while to see how they turn out.
This family tree originated in my mind several years ago, even before we had our own home, inspired by Owl’s house in Winnie the Pooh. We come from a long line of good-looking individuals! No wonder my little boys are so handsome.
Our tree went up a bit early this year. We had so much going on during the Thanksgiving holiday that I wanted to have this done ahead of time. Truly, the tree and the holiday music seemed a bit out of place until I watched the snow fall this morning. Now it all feels just right.
And this is my favorite little project of all. My Liberty Belle and her ten beautiful puppies! I’ve been planning, preparing, and praying for them for months now. I’m so glad they are finally here!
Somewhere in the midst of all of this, my little oak turned bright red. I love it!
So that’s my last three weeks in a nutshell. I hope you had a wonderfully blessed Thanksgiving!
This is what our hallway bathroom looked like a week ago. I forgot to take a picture before we took the big mirror down, but you get the idea. Notice the mauve stripes and frilly border. For once I am thankful that my boys are colorblind. They had no idea that they should have been embarrassed by this feminine wallpaper.
And this is what it looks like now! This is the best project that Andy and I have worked on together. Well, other than our children. But we’ll have to wait a while to see how they turn out.
This family tree originated in my mind several years ago, even before we had our own home, inspired by Owl’s house in Winnie the Pooh. We come from a long line of good-looking individuals! No wonder my little boys are so handsome.
Our tree went up a bit early this year. We had so much going on during the Thanksgiving holiday that I wanted to have this done ahead of time. Truly, the tree and the holiday music seemed a bit out of place until I watched the snow fall this morning. Now it all feels just right.
And this is my favorite little project of all. My Liberty Belle and her ten beautiful puppies! I’ve been planning, preparing, and praying for them for months now. I’m so glad they are finally here!
Somewhere in the midst of all of this, my little oak turned bright red. I love it!
So that’s my last three weeks in a nutshell. I hope you had a wonderfully blessed Thanksgiving!
Thursday, November 12, 2009
The Folds of the Flag
I had planned on talking about something else today, but then I read this post from Melanie at the Big Mama Blog, and decided to change my tack.
I, like Melanie, had never heard of the meanings that have been ascribed to each fold of the American Flag. I find this to be so moving, and wanted to share it with anyone who might read it here.
Yesterday was Veteran’s Day, when we celebrate and thank those who offer their lives in service to our country and her citizens. But I don’t feel like I’m a day late with this post. We don’t have the holiday so that everyone can limit their gratitude to one date on the calendar. I hope our nation’s servicemen and women are touched by our prayers and know what their sacrifice means to our country each and every day.
And I’d like to give a shout-out to my very own personal veteran and daily hero, my husband, Andy. I love you!
I, like Melanie, had never heard of the meanings that have been ascribed to each fold of the American Flag. I find this to be so moving, and wanted to share it with anyone who might read it here.
The first fold of our flag is a symbol of life.
The second fold is a symbol of our belief in the eternal life.
The third fold is made in honor and remembrance of the veteran departing our ranks who gave a portion of life for the defense of our country to attain a peace throughout the world.
The fourth fold represents our weaker nature, for as American citizens trusting in God, it is to Him we turn in times of peace as well as in times of war for His divine guidance.
The fifth fold is a tribute to our country, for in the words of Stephen Decatur, “Our country, in dealing with other countries, may she always be right; but it is still our country, right or wrong.”
The sixth fold is for where our hearts lie. It is with our heart that we pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
The seventh fold is a tribute to our Armed Forces, for it is through the Armed Forces that we protect our country and our flag against all her enemies, whether they be found within or without the boundaries of our republic.
The eighth fold is a tribute to the one who entered in to the valley of the shadow of death, that we might see the light of day, and to honor mother, for whom it flies on mother’s day.
The ninth fold is a tribute to womanhood; for it has been through their faith, love, loyalty and devotion that the character of the men and women who have made this country great have been molded.
The tenth fold is a tribute to father, for he, too, has given his sons and daughters for the defense of our country since they were first born.
The eleventh fold, in the eyes of a Hebrew citizen, represents the lower portion of the seal of King David and King Solomon, and glorifies, in their eyes, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
The twelfth fold, in the eyes of a Christian citizen, represents an emblem of eternity and glorifies, in their eyes, God the Father, the Son, and Holy Ghost.
The thirteenth fold is the last. The stars are uppermost, reminding us of our national motto, “In God we Trust.”
Yesterday was Veteran’s Day, when we celebrate and thank those who offer their lives in service to our country and her citizens. But I don’t feel like I’m a day late with this post. We don’t have the holiday so that everyone can limit their gratitude to one date on the calendar. I hope our nation’s servicemen and women are touched by our prayers and know what their sacrifice means to our country each and every day.
And I’d like to give a shout-out to my very own personal veteran and daily hero, my husband, Andy. I love you!
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Garbage in? Garbage OUT.
Garbage is out, people. These days, there are so many recyclable products and packages… why would you throw them away? And the reusable products? Wow. Now, I’m all for using disposable diapers, because PLEASE. But Swiffer Sweeper? Don’t get me started.
So, in addition to using a Rubbermaid Dust'N Mop, here’s what I’ve been doing to minimize my family’s garbage output.
This spring, our city newsletter included a long list of acceptable items to include in our weekly recycling. I was floored! I had previously operated under the assumption that only plain paper, glass, and plastics labeled with a 1 or 2 would be recycled. Not so in the North Richland Hills community! I was thrilled (because I’m a huge nerd) to read about all the things that I could recycle that I had previously just thrown away. Junk mail. Phone books. Those glossy strips of coupons that are rubber-banded to our door every other weekend. And the best: Plastic types 1 through 7.
Around the same time, I started a backyard compost can. A friend warned me that compost bins stink but I have found that, if you are careful about what you put in, there isn’t a smell at all! I’m a fan of fresh flowers which I always buy at Kroger from the half-price clearance floral section. Sure, sometimes the selection is really sad, but it also raises the bar with my creativity. This week I have a vase of red peppers! How different is that?! But these peppers are looking pretty spent. Instead of throwing them in the trash, I’ll toss them in the compost. Along with all of our banana peels and the dead leaves from the houseplants that I’ve neglected.
I love the idea of producing less waste. And because we are putting less into our trash can, we are putting less out on the curb. I just feel good knowing that I am doing something to lessen my family’s contribution to local landfills. Our garbage is collected twice a week, but we only put trash out on one day. So the trash collectors only have to stop outside our house once a week. What if everyone could do this? How much would that help the environment?
As I type this, I am thinking of a really dear friend who lives out in the boonies and doesn’t have a recycling service. It pains me that you have to throw all your stuff in the trash. That would make me crazy! But I understand that, when you don’t have curbside recycling service, there isn’t much choice. I’m a realist. If I didn’t have a nice big truck to come to my curb and take away my cardboard and glass, I would throw it away too. Hopefully you’ll have the luxury (did I just say luxury?) of having recycling service someday! And if you are person who has recycling service, I’d like to encourage you to maximize this benefit. Find out exactly what items your service will accept, and do your best to recycle everything that you can. Rinse your containers and discard the non-recyclable lids.
I feel like a giant dork, on a crusade to save the planet. But seriously, I guess I kind of am!
So, in addition to using a Rubbermaid Dust'N Mop, here’s what I’ve been doing to minimize my family’s garbage output.
This spring, our city newsletter included a long list of acceptable items to include in our weekly recycling. I was floored! I had previously operated under the assumption that only plain paper, glass, and plastics labeled with a 1 or 2 would be recycled. Not so in the North Richland Hills community! I was thrilled (because I’m a huge nerd) to read about all the things that I could recycle that I had previously just thrown away. Junk mail. Phone books. Those glossy strips of coupons that are rubber-banded to our door every other weekend. And the best: Plastic types 1 through 7.
Around the same time, I started a backyard compost can. A friend warned me that compost bins stink but I have found that, if you are careful about what you put in, there isn’t a smell at all! I’m a fan of fresh flowers which I always buy at Kroger from the half-price clearance floral section. Sure, sometimes the selection is really sad, but it also raises the bar with my creativity. This week I have a vase of red peppers! How different is that?! But these peppers are looking pretty spent. Instead of throwing them in the trash, I’ll toss them in the compost. Along with all of our banana peels and the dead leaves from the houseplants that I’ve neglected.
I love the idea of producing less waste. And because we are putting less into our trash can, we are putting less out on the curb. I just feel good knowing that I am doing something to lessen my family’s contribution to local landfills. Our garbage is collected twice a week, but we only put trash out on one day. So the trash collectors only have to stop outside our house once a week. What if everyone could do this? How much would that help the environment?
As I type this, I am thinking of a really dear friend who lives out in the boonies and doesn’t have a recycling service. It pains me that you have to throw all your stuff in the trash. That would make me crazy! But I understand that, when you don’t have curbside recycling service, there isn’t much choice. I’m a realist. If I didn’t have a nice big truck to come to my curb and take away my cardboard and glass, I would throw it away too. Hopefully you’ll have the luxury (did I just say luxury?) of having recycling service someday! And if you are person who has recycling service, I’d like to encourage you to maximize this benefit. Find out exactly what items your service will accept, and do your best to recycle everything that you can. Rinse your containers and discard the non-recyclable lids.
I feel like a giant dork, on a crusade to save the planet. But seriously, I guess I kind of am!
Friday, November 6, 2009
FYI
I've been meaning to write, but didn't really have anything to talk about. Now my home internet is down. So I'm at the public Library with only 2 minutes remaining of my allotted computer usage.
I just wanted to say that once my internet is repaired, Look Out! I've been saving up the words.
Hope all is well out there. See you soon!
I just wanted to say that once my internet is repaired, Look Out! I've been saving up the words.
Hope all is well out there. See you soon!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)