Couldn't Ask For More

Paleo West African Pork Stew

2012-02-01T21:02:00.000-08:00

The cookbook I'm currently spending a week in is The Whole Hog Cookbook by Libbie Summers. Of course, as timing goes, a photo of the mistreatment of little piggies is making the Facebook rounds. Just before I began typing this post, I checked my Facebook page and saw a posting of poor piggies. Apparently they were being prepared to be shipped, in China. That little piggie was going to market, but not in a good way. Sad.

I purchase our meat at one of the more reputable/healthy grocery stores and hope our pork was well-treated. I love my animals, but I love to pork out on some bacon too!

There was a time when we'd buy 1/2 a pig from a local farm-raised FFA pig, but no such luck these days. We don't have the connections, nor the freezer space.

So, if you're not down with eating piggies, overlook this SCRUMPTIOUS stew!!

If you're PALEO and dig on some DE-LISH Pork Stew...READ ON!

I chose this recipe because of the West African name. We sponsor a young girl named Kadidia in Mali, West Africa. Her father is a subsistence farmer and his main crop is ground nuts. We've sponsored Kadidia for many years and pray for her regularly; hoping her family is well-cared for and the crops are bountiful.

West African Pork Stew

Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

1 (3-pound) boneless Boston blade port roast, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (I didn't use the oil as the pork naturally provided plenty of oil)
8 scallions, roughly chopped (or one chopped onion)
1 can stewed tomatoes (15 oz)
1 1/2 tablespoons curry powder
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1/4 teaspoon fresh red pepper flakes
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
4 cups chicken broth
1/3 cup natural almond butter (the recipe recommended peanut butter, but we eat more almond butter)

Garnish
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/3 cup chopped roasted unsalted peanuts

Heat oil (if using) in dutch oven over medium-high heat. Stir in the pork and cook for 6-8 minutes until browned on all sides. Stir in the scallions (onion) and cook for 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, curry powder, ginger, red pepper flakes, bell pepper, sweet potatoes, and stock. Stir to combine, cover and cook over low heat for 2 hours, or until the stew thickens. Stir in the almond (or peanut) butter. Salt and pepper to taste.

All the vegs and pork added. Cook for 2 hours.

Forgot the garnish. We were too eager to eat!

Serve garnished with chopped cilantro and chopped peanuts.

This stew disappeared quickly! Big hit with the family!!!

The Most Interesting Thing I Learned This Week...Jan. 23-27, 2012

2012-02-01T12:10:00.000-08:00

Science and science experiments prove to be the most interesting aspects of learning for the kids.

Ari

Water is denser than oil.

Oil + Water + Food Coloring

Add 1/2 an Alka-Seltzer

Watch the Lava!

Braeden and Jaron

Until next week...

Gluten-Free Currant Scones

2012-01-31T21:10:00.000-08:00

My mom is visiting next week. It's time to brush up on the gluten-free recipes. As I mentioned in an earlier post, she has celiac disease, but fortunately there are so many gluten-free options. I'm trying some home-cooked-from-scratch treats...all gluten-free.

First on the list is a gluten-free recipe from Bob's Red Mill. I've tried a few of the recipes on the back of the packages. Some are good. Some, not-so-much. I tweaked this one minimally and it was a HUGE hit with the family. The first batch of dough I made, I shaped in a disc as described on the package. We cut it in triangles.

The second batch I doubled and then cut into small biscuit shapes.

Gluten-Free Currant Scones

2 1/2 cups Bob's Red Mill GF Sorghum Flour
1 cup Bob's Red Mill GF Tapioca Flour
1 tablespoon Cream of Tartar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons Xanthan Gum
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
8 tablespoons cold butter, 1 stick (cut into 1/2 inch slices)
2/3 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs, slightly beaten
2/3 cup currants
2 tablespoons milk or half-and-half (for brushing tops of scones)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat baking sheet with cooking spray if not using non-stick pan, or line baking sheet with parchment paper.

Combine dry ingredients (sorghum flour through sugar). Cut in butter, until mixture resembles coarse meal.

dry ingredients

Combine yogurt, buttermilk and eggs. Add to dry mixture. Mix until combined. Try not to over mix.

Fold in currants.

Place dough on a surface lightly sprinkled with rice flour, or similar flour. Flatten out dough and then cut into biscuit-shaped discs. Place on baking sheet.

dough ready to be cut

Bake for 12-15 minutes.

A perfect breakfast treat!

Lights, Camera, Action! Sportsmanship Award Night Out!

2012-01-28T09:42:00.000-08:00

"Hello, Rock Star! Welcome to Disney 365!"

Last night was a big night in our little girlie's life! Along with the 8 girls from her soccer team, she was treated to hair, make-up and dinner on the town (Disney Downtown) compliments of AYSO and Disney.

Recap:

In November she entered a Cars 2 Sportmanship essay contest sponsored by AYSO and Disney. In one hundred words or less she had to write what sportsmanship meant to her.

Here's her essay:

Sportsmanship

By Ari

In soccer there’s always going to be a winner and a loser but good sportsmanship helps every player have a great time. This year our team used dance to bring other teams together. We did a dance called the “Cupid Shuffle.” After games, we’d ask the other team over and dance together. It was a great time to celebrate and have fun! While dancing we forgot who won or lost and just enjoyed the moment laughing. While walking off the field the girls always left smiling. That’s what having good sportsmanship is all about.

December:

On December 2nd AYSO was going to announce the winner. To be completely honest, I had forgotten about the essay. No one I know actually wins, right?

That morning, my girlie walked downstairs so excited! The winner was to be announced.

I hate being the downer, but I really didn't' think there'd be any chance of winning.

My girlie is the eternal optimist and she knew!

That evening I received an email announcing her WIN!!!

I really should be more optimistic!

During December and January I was in contact with Disney and AYSO planning and discussing prize delivery.

I must say it is very cool receiving a phone call, "Kimberly, this is Adam from DISNEY STUDIOS."

SO COOL!!!

Or, "Kimberly, this is ____ from AYSO National Offices."

Love it!

The prizes were Cars 2 themed and wonderful! The girls received:

A Cars 2 Poster- The kind you see hanging in the movie theater

A Cars 2 Memory Game

Cars 2 Sportsmanship Trophies with their team name

AND...Cars 2 Blu-Ray Disc Packs. These are the DELUXE versions with every version of Cars 2 you can imagine and copy to your computer.

AND a $500 gift card for a party/celebration to be used where ever we chose.

Since we're close to Downtown Disney, we figured it would be great to live it up at the magical Downtown Destination!

The girls all received Disney 365 Make-overs and a full meal at ESPN Zone.

Choosing Colors

The Beauty Begins

"Hey, Rock Star!"

She loves this!

"You are getting sleepy!"

The Reveal

The Back

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall...

The first group...done!
After the make-over the girls each get a bag of goodies, make-up, combs, beauty supplies, etc.

At ESPN Zone

The Parents

My Sweeties... My girlie worked on her make-up more through dinner

Games at ESPN Zone

Take a Bow

Love her!!

My girlie!

I'm so happy for the girls and this opportunity they had. A huge thank you to Disney, AYSO, our team coaches and team mom, and to ARI for jumping at the opportunity to write an essay and being so optimistic about winning!

I LOVE YOU GIRLIE!

Irish Soda Bread

2012-01-23T14:34:00.000-08:00

Irish Soda Bread

Last week, our history study touched on the Potato Famine in Ireland during the mid 1800's. During this time period nearly one million Irish died and another million left the country. Approximately 800,000 of those who left, emigrated to the United States.

Today, my girlie made traditional Irish Soda Bread as a cooking activity wrapping up our Irish Potato Famine study. This bread is SO TASTY! It would be a great addition to a St. Patrick's Day meal also! We'll remember this recipe next month as we plan our special Irish meal.

Irish Soda Bread
(recipe from Story of the World Activity Book 4)

Ingredients:

2 cups white flour
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup currants
1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Cut in the butter until it is pea-sized. Stir in the currants and buttermilk. Turn the dough onto a floured surface, knead 1 minute, and shape into a disk. Cut an "X" on the top and bake on a greased baking sheet (or place on parchment paper on a baking stone) for 45-50 minutes.

My girlie doing what she loves!

Notice her fancy hair...she did that by herself too!

I love these LITTLE hands!

Ready for the oven

Fresh out of the oven

So incredibly good!

The Most Interesting Thing I Learned This Week...Jan. 16-20, 2012

2012-01-23T13:14:00.000-08:00

Last week was an exciting week.

Historically speaking, last week honored the birthdays of Martin Luther King, Jr., Benjamin Franklin, Daniel Webster, and Robert E. Lee!

On Tuesday, January 17th we were blessed to attend a presentation given by none other than Benjamin Franklin. Coincidentally this happened to be the birth day of the famous American.

The kids also started 3-week courses on the Constitution and Earth Science focusing on geology.

Here are the highlights:

Ari

Jaron

Braeden

Thai Cuisine Lemon Grass Cookbook: Red Curry Chicken

2012-01-20T12:11:00.000-08:00

When planning the dinner menu for this month, I had a different cookbook in mind for this week, but sometimes well-made plans need to be changed.

The Moms

This week I hosted our neighborhood moms for our once a month meeting. These gals are great and I wanted to make a special dinner for them. When I was growing up we always prepared enough food to feed the masses, so true to family tradition I made enough to feed an army. In our family the saying goes, "If you go home hungry, it's your own fault."

The menu consisted of:

Fresh Spring Rolls
Sushi Rolls
Tom Kha Gai (Coconut Chicken Soup)
Red Curry Chicken
Chicken Satay
Pad Sei Ew (Beef with Wide Rice Noodles)
Tapioca Pudding
Black Rice Pudding
Sweet Rice Cake

I had initially planned to make Pad Thai too, but the above proved to be a lot of food!

I just finished a small bowl of the delightfully, slightly spicy, Red Curry Chicken so thought I'd share this recipe with you first.

Mmmm.....Lunch!

All the recipes are from the Quick and Easy Cookbook Thai Cuisine Lemon Grass Cookbook by Panurat Poladitmontri and Judy Lew. We had dinner with friends a couple weeks ago and they introduced me to this cookbook. When I got home I immediately ordered if from Amazon for a whopping $1.47! I have a number of Thai cookbooks, but what I loved about this one is the simple directions. Each recipe gives a list of ingredients and then provides a photo of the ingredients. This makes shopping at the Asian grocery much easier if you're unfamiliar with ingredients.

If you just do a search on Amazon for this title, you'll probably find this book which is probably a newer edition. If the one I bought wasn't so inexpensive, I would have probably bought this one.

http://www.amazon.com/Quick-Easy-Thai-Cuisine-Cookbooks/dp/4889960945/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1327088727&sr=8-1

If you do a search by ISBN #, you'll find the one I bought. It's 4-915249-90-5. My search of this book today did not bring up affordable prices. Keep your eye out for it! It's a GREAT find!

Red Curry Chicken

Ingredients

14 oz. can coconut milk
1 tablespoon red curry paste
1/4 cup fish sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
1 lb. chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
5-8 kaffir lime leaves
1/4 cup fresh Thai basil leaves

Combine 7 ounces of the coconut milk with curry paste.

Coconut milk and red curry

Add chicken, fish sauce and sugar. Bring to a gentle boil and cook until chicken is done.

Chicken ready to go! I had a huge pile of chicken because I think
I quadrupled this recipe!

Add remaining coconut milk and lime leaves. Heat through. Garnish with basil just before serving.

Serve over Jasmine rice.

Moosewood Cookbook: Sweet Potato Pancakes

2012-01-20T10:53:00.000-08:00

I love sweet potatoes! I love them grilled, roasted, boiled, etc. When I discovered this recipe in the Moosewood Cookbook, I thought, "How could I go wrong?"

This recipe is easy to make (if you have a food processor) and the results are tasty. I actually made them late one evening and ended up refrigerating for the next day. I tried a taste the night I made them, but actually preferred them reheated the next day. The flavors of sweet potato and onion had blended well. I topped the Sweet Potato Pancakes with a dollop of Karoun Mediterraniean Syle Lowfat Yogurt. What a delicious lunch!

Sweet Potato Pancakes

4 cups, peeled and grated sweet potatoes
1/2 cup grated onion
3-4 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
black pepper to fast
4 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup flour

oil for frying

Toppings: sour cream, yogurt

Combine all ingredients; mix well.

Heat a small amount of oil in skillet until hot.

Use a non-slotted spoon for form thing pancakes, patting the batter down. Fry on both sides until brown, adding small amounts of additional oil, if needed.

Serve hot with toppings.

Super Easy Whole Wheat Artisan Bread

2012-01-18T12:13:00.000-08:00

Another great recipe from Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois. This is not for the gluten-free or wheat free folk.

Here's the link to watch a video at the bottom of this Amazon listing:

http://www.amazon.com/Healthy-Bread-Five-Minutes-Day/dp/0312545525/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1326917585&sr=8-1

Ingredients

5 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (today I used Bob's Red Mill W/W pastry flour since it is what I had on hand)
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 1/2 tablespoons yeast
1/4 cup vital wheat gluten
4 cups luke warm water

Stir.

Let rise 2 hours. Refrigerate overnight.

This morning I pulled the dough out, let it set out about an hour or so. Formed into round loaves. Set on parchment paper.

Let rise about 40 minutes. Cut the top. Brushed with 1/2 and 1/2 and sprinkled with sesame seeds.

Transfer the bread, still on the parchment paper to a hot baking stone in the oven. Bake 450 for 25-35 minutes.

Peel off parchment paper, slice, butter and enjoy!

Moosewood Cookbook: Polenta Pie

2012-01-17T19:18:00.000-08:00

Despite what nutritionists, diet specialists or hard core gluten-free groupies say I cannot seem to shake my love for pizza! I've heard it said, if you refrain from eating something long enough you'll lose a taste for it. I beg to differ, or my taste buds beg to differ! No matter how long I stay away from pizza (and root beer), when I splurge and enjoy them I feel like my food-love bank is FULL! They're the BEST!

With that said, I do try to limit my pizza and root beer intake. To feed the need, I try to find recipes that will sort of give me the food-love feeling.

Perhaps that's why I chose Polenta Pie for my second Moosewood Cookbook selection.

The recipe reads, "Easy deep-dish pizza with a thick and crunchy cornmeal crust." Deep dish. Pizza. Crunchy crust. They all sound good to me!

I was pleasantly surprised by this recipe. I've re-discovered my Polenta love! And furthermore I love the recipe provided for in this cookbook.

So without further ado, here's...

Polenta Pie

Crust

1 1/2 cups coarse cornmeal

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups cold water

2 cups boiling water

a little olive oil

Filling

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small onion, thinly sliced

1/2 cup thinly sliced bell pepper

about 10 mushrooms, thinly sliced

5-6 medium garlic cloves, sliced

2 teaspoons dried basil

1/2 teaspoon oregano

fresh black pepper

1/4 lb. mozzarella cheese, grated

2 small or 1 medium ripe tomato, sliced

Combine cornmeal, salt, and cold water in a small bowl. Have the boiling water on the stove in a saucepan Gradually add the cornmeal mixture, whisking. Cook about 10 minutes over low heat, stirring frequently. It will get very thick. Remove from heat, and let cool until cool enough to handle.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Oil a 10-inch pie pan. Add the polenta. Using a spatula and wet hands, form it into a smooth, thick crust over the bottom and sides of the pan. Brush the surface with olive oil, and bake uncovered for 45 minutes.

Love this color!

Brush with olive oil before baking

Fresh out of the oven

While the crust bakes, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium-sized skillet. Add the onion, and sauté for 5-8 minutes, or until it begins to soften. Add bell pepper, mushrooms, and zucchini, and sauté until everything is tender. Stir in the garlic and herbs, and sauté just a few minutes more.

Turn up the oven to broiling temperature.

Sprinkle half the cheese onto the bottom of the baked crust, then add the tomato slices. Spread the sautéed mixture over the tomatoes, and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Broil until brown (about 5 minutes). Serve hot.

Layering the toppings

Into the oven

Fresh from the oven...Ready to eat!

For the meat eaters....serve with sausages.

Mmmmm....

The Best Thing I Learned This Week...Jan. 9-13, 2012

2012-01-16T22:31:00.000-08:00

We're trying something new. We might need good wishes to succeed in this endeavor, but the goal is to video the best tidbit learned by each child each week. They've been experimenting with videoing each other and I'm hoping to improve public speaking skills.

So here goes week one:

Braeden

Jaron

Ari

Somewhere down the line they may get a little more fancier, but for now this is as good as it gets.

Happy Learning!

Good Luck Grub Style Quinoa-Stuffed Cabbage Packages

2012-01-14T20:10:00.000-08:00

Quinoa-Stuffed Cabbage Packages

Even though I've moved on to the Moosewood Cookbook, I still have Grub on my mind. There was a recipe I wanted to try because it's part of a "New Year's Eve Good Luck Meal." It is Quinoa-Stuffed Cabbage Packages.

I love quinoa (pronounced keen-wah). It's one of those super foods hitting the grocery stores and popping up in more and more recipes everywhere.

Most people think it's a grain because it looks like one, but it's actually a seed grown high in the Andes Mountains in South America. Although many Americans know little of it, it's actually and ancient food enjoyed by the Incas.

One cup of quinoa has about:

220 calories
38-40 grams carbohydrates
8 grams protein
3.5 grams fat
5 grams of fiber
and high in folate, magnesium (great if you have migraines), phosphorus, iron and copper and manganese

According to the Mother Nature Network:

Quinoa is stocked with life-sustaining nutrients all across the board, including all eight essential amino acids. There are other highly beneficial compounds, vitamins and minerals in this food that the Incas reverently called "chisaya mama" (mother of all grains).

Vegetarians would do well to incorporate quinoa into their diet often. It’s difficult for vegetarians to get all eight essential amino acids and an adequate source of protein from one food source. Usually, vegetarians and vegans need to combine foods like beans and rice to acquire all the essential amino acids, the building blocks of protein.

Those with gluten sensitivities or wheat allergies can rejoice in eating quinoa as it contains no gluten or wheat. (Spanish conquistadors during the South American conquest suppressed quinoa production, as it was associated with what the Spaniards perceived as non-Christian, indigenous, ceremonial backwardness. Thus, wheat was cultivated in the Andes region.)

With all that goodness in one food, no wonder it is considered a superfood AND included in the New Year's Good Luck Meal!

According to Grub, and tradition, "Each cabbage leaf represents $1,000 that you will see in the New Year, so eat up!" I think I've eaten 2 cabbage rolls, and another 6-7 cabbage leaves for good measure!

Quinoa-Stuffed Cabbage Packages

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa
coarse sea salt
1 large green cabbage head
12 chives
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
4 tablespoons fresh orange juice
4 garlic cloves, minced and sautéed in olive oil for 1-2 minutes until golden
1/4 cup currants
1/4 toasted walnuts, chopped
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
freshly ground white pepper

Quinoa

If it is not pre-rinsed, rinse the quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer under running water and drain. Combine the quinoa, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 2 cups of water in a large saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes, until all the water is absorbed. Let the quinoa steam with the lid on for 15 minutes, then remove the top and cool.

Cooked Quinoa

Cabbage

Meanwhile, bring a large, deep pot of water to a boil and add 2 tablespoons salt. Prepare a large bowl full of ice water.

Cut the core from the cabbage with a small paring knife. Drop the whole cabbage into the water and boil for 5-10 minutes, remove the cabbage head, and removed the softened outer leaves. Shock the leaves in the ice water (ice bath) to set the color and stop the cooking. Return the cabbage head to the boiling water to soften the next few layers of leaves, remove them, ice bath, and then continue with the rest of the cabbage. Drain and pat the cabbage leave dry with paper towels. To save time and paper towels I gently spun the leaves in the salad spinner. Worked great! Set aside.

Ice Bath

Bring water back to boil and add the chives. Blanch for 10 seconds. Remove them and place in ice bath. Drain and set aside with cabbage leaves.

In a large bowl combine the olive oil, lime juice, orange juice, garlic, currants, walnuts and parsley. Mix well. Add the cooled quinoa and toss well. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste. Add white pepper to taste. At this point, this is an EXCELLENT QUINOA SALAD! You could serve this as a side dish if you like. It's GREAT!

Dressing for Quinoa

This would make a GREAT Quinoa Salad/Side Dish

Back to Packages...

With a sharp knife, cut the thick part of the stem from each cabbage leaf. Place heaping 3 tablespoons of the quinoa in the center of each cabbage leaf. Fold the sides toward the center and fold up each end of the leaf into a compact package. Wrap a chive around the narrower side of each package and tie it up into a knot. Serve on a platter with seam side down.

Rolling the cabbage package is like rolling a burrito. Lay out cabbage leaf.

Place quinoa in center. Fold in one side...

Then the other...

Roll up the bottom then bring down the top portion.

Wrap it nicely in the chive

Such a cute little package!

Good luck! Or better yet, Good Health!

Yum!

This Week: Moosewood Cookbook's Basic Corn Bread

2012-01-13T15:26:00.000-08:00

Choosing a meatless cookbook to focus on seems rather counter to our mostly paleo lifestyle, but the popularity and appeal of the Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen cannot be overlooked. Her recipes use healthy, natural ingredients much of which would fit in the Zone or Paleo food program.

The first recipe I'm showcasing this week is Basic Corn Bread.

Who doesn't love corn bread?

It's a must with chili or other hearty soup/stew. Corn Bread screams comfort food!

This recipe is a variation from the traditional; it calls for buttermilk or yogurt instead of milk.

I used Arrowhead Mills Organic Yellow Corn Meal and 1/2 buttermilk, 1/2 organic vanilla yogurt. For the sweetener I used coconut sugar. It's subtle and went well with the sweetness of the vanilla yogurt.

Basic Corn Bread- The Moosewood Cookbook

Ingredients

Butter to grease the pan

1 cup cornmeal
1 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk or yogurt (I used 1/2 cup buttermilk and 1/2 cup organic vanilla yogurt)
1 egg
3 tablespoons sugar or honey (I used coconut sugar)
3 tablespoons melted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8-inch square pan (or a 9-10 inch cast-iron skillet) with butter.

Combine dry ingredients in medium bowl. Combine wet ingredients, including sugar/honey, separately. Stir wet ingredients into dry, mixing just enough to thoroughly combine. Spread into the prepared pan.

Dry Ingredients

Dry and Wet...combine

Batter, ready for the oven

The batter is relatively thick- much thicker than other cornbread recipes I've tried. No cause for concern; it turns out great!

Bake 20 minutes, or until the center is firm to the touch. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature.

Fresh out of the oven

So moist...perfect!

Thank you Mollie Katzen for a GREAT recipe!

Enjoy!

Raising "Different" Kids

2012-01-13T13:15:00.000-08:00

I love our kids. More than life itself.

Before I was a mom, I knew I would dedicate my life to raising up godly, respectful, blessed children. If being a MOM was a recipe I knew the main ingredient would be LOVE.

With each child, I gave them a song during my pregnancy. Our oldest son's song is "Blessed" by Elton John. Drawing from the lyrics of the song, I knew he'd be blessed; I'd give him my best; I promised him that.

When you commit to raise children, promising to give them your best, you make choices and sacrifices along the way. I can't say I know how they will turn out as adults, but it is my desire to raise kids who are different. By different I mean they don't fit in the "teenager" box or the "terrible two's" box or whatever other box the world wants to put them in. Too often the world wants to place our kids a box. It is our hope that they are who God says they are. They are gifts packaged by God, different from any other kid who has hit this earth! I'm honored to be given the gift of being their mom.

Parenting = Leaning heavily on God and His Word. My plan in parenting was simple: pour vast amounts of love on our kids, correct self-centered behavior and teach them compassion for others. Along the way, in addition to love and compassion we hoped to teach them honor, respect, courtesy, kindness, generosity and more. We acknowledge their gifts and celebrate the way God made them.

There are times I look at them completely honored. Now I'm the one who is blessed.

Last night, our kids displayed their kindness, compassion and caring hearts.

I'm not sharing this to blow my own horn, but to celebrate what I see as the "different" behavior I had hoped and prayed for.

The kids accompanied me to the CrossFit gym for my workout. They are so patient! They've endured countless hours at the gym waiting.

Last night's workout consisted of:

3 Rounds
800 meter run carrying 35 pound weight
3 rope climbs up a 15 foot rope
12 thrusters (I did 55 pounds)

So they wouldn't be bored, I suggested they run with me. They love to workout, and jumped at the opportunity.

I found carrying 35 pounds while running is really tough. Actually, it was more of a shuffle. Our kids are incredible encouragers. Throughout the run, they consistently repeated, "Go, Mom! You're doing great!"

I forgot to mention we were running in the dark. I make it a practice to never run alone in the dark. I've mentioned numerous times about safety while running; running alone in the dark is not a good idea.

I have a friend, Suzie, who attends the gym at the same time. Suzie is incredible. She's made amazing progress! She was running alone last night when I was with the three kids. I noticed during round two of the workout, our younger two kids were close to my side, but my oldest was holding back. I sensed he was keeping tabs on Suzie making sure she was okay.

By round three, he was jogging alongside her offering encouragement. He finished round three with her.

When she walked in, she breathlessly said, "You're kids are awesome."

This melted my heart.

He is different.

How many teenage boys would hold back not looking to run for their own glory, but to ensure the 40-something made it in safely?

His heart is HUGELY kind and compassionate!

I love that!

I didn't tell him to run with Suzie. He just did it.

Developing your child's character isn't something you set out on a weekend to build. It's something that takes place everyday as you invest in your kids. It takes time, patience, and diligence. It's not easy, but so worth it! Be encouraged!

I read this quote the other day and it seems applicable:

Grub Recipe #3: Rosemary-Butter Biscuits

2012-01-10T14:11:00.000-08:00

Sitting in my favorite rocking chic, inhaling the fresh scent of rosemary and slowly savoring recipe #3 from Grub.

This kids keep repeating in their best Martha pronunciation, "I smell a 'Herb'."

Yes , my loves, you do smell a herb.

Rosemary.

One thing I love about living in Southern California is the abundance of rosemary shrubs. I love walking past a rosemary shrub and rubbing my hand along while activating the aroma. It's heavenly!

It reminds me of what I dream cottage living in Avonlea would be like. Specifically, when I think of such herbs I think of gardens and tea, leading me to think about Anne and Miss Lavendar Lewis. I think Anne, Diana and Miss Lavendar Lewis would have loved these biscuits.

Today's selected recipe is truly scrumptious!

If I wasn't counting points and limiting wheat and gluten, I would have inhaled most of these delicious biscuits! I'm practicing my best self-restraint right now! It's difficult to say the least!

Rosemary-Butter Biscuits

Ingredients

3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon organic raw cane sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 tablespoons fresh minced rosemary (I used between 1-1 1/2 tablespoons)
6 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into bits, plus more for serving
3/4 cups organic whole milk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Sift flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt into large bowl. Stir in the rosemary. I used less than the 2 tablespoons suggested because I wasn't sure how our kids would like the flavor of rosemary. I didn't want the rosemary to overwhelm them. If you or your kids love herbs go for the 2 tablespoons or if you're enjoying a hearty fall meal I think the 2 tablespoons would be great! With a pastry cutter or fork, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture looks like coarse cornmeal.

Sifting the dry ingredients

Cutting in the butter with a pastry blender. A fork would work also.

Add the milk all at once and mix with a large spoon just until the dough forms into a ball. With lightly floured hands, knead the dough on a lightly floured surface just a couple of times, until it all comes together.

Roll out the dough about 1/2 inch thick, and then cut with a 2-inch biscuit cutter or drinking glass. We went with a drinking glass that measured about 2 1/2 inches in diameter. Place the biscuits on an ungreased baking sheet a few inches apart from each other. Bake until the biscuits are golden brown on top, about 15 minutes.

Remove from oven, cut a widthwise slit halfway into each biscuit and add a thin sliver of butter. Serve hot.

We made 13 biscuits with our 2 1/2-glass. If you're following Weight Watchers, each biscuit is 3 points.

Grub Recipe #2 Sweet Potato Fries

2012-01-10T08:31:00.000-08:00

There are some recipes when I glance at the ingredients I know we're in for a REAL treat. There are other recipes, like Martha Stewart's homemade marshmallows that were so good I thought I'd never buy store-bought marshmallows again, but sadly, they've never had a second go-around. There are some recipes I know will culminate into something I'll never like, so they'll never be attempted. Then there are those I will try, they appear simple and worthwhile, but the truth is the recipe will never make it to the repeat file because of either hard-to-find and/or expensive ingredients, excessive time to prepare, or there's a convenient alternative that suits us fine.

Such was the case with Grub's Cinnamon-Dusted Sweet Potato Fries.

I'm glad I tried this delicious recipe, but don't plan on making again anytime soon. Don't get me wrong, I prefer making all things from scratch and these yummies were all-natural, made from scratch with healthy ingredients, and ever-so-tasty. This little number would also meet paleo parameters- the only ingredients were sweet potatoes, coconut oil, sea salt and a little cinnamon. They were a HUGE hit with the kids and I ate my share of the tasty treat, but they seemed time consuming. Not all at one time, time-consuming, just cut wait, pat-dry, fry, wait, fry, etc.

Perhaps if I had a deep fat fryer they would have proved easier to make, but then there's the oil issue. The recipe called for the sweet potatoes to be fried in coconut oil. I love cooking with coconut oil, but it's a bit expensive to use for deep frying.

So, with the expensive oil combined with the frying time, perhaps I won't be making these again soon. Furthermore, we can buy tasty Sweet Potato Fries at Trader Joe's, pop them in the oven and have a yummy side dish in about 20 minutes. Another option I was thinking about while making them was the sweet potato chips. Easy!

Furthermore, I roast and/or grill fresh sweet potatoes often and I like the taste of those just about as well as these.

If you're interested in trying something new, I'd say give this recipe a whirl. They're very tasty and simple, but be prepared to put a dent in your $6-$8 jar of organic coconut oil.

Cinnamon-Dusted Sweet Potato Fries

The recipe stated prep time was 10 minutes. Perhaps I was distracted, but it seemed to take me much more time than 10 minutes between peeling, slicing, soaking, patting, etc.

Ingredients

4 large sweet potatoes (about 4 pounds), peeled
Coarse sea salt (I used Kosher salt)
Organic, unrefined coconut cooking oil, for frying
3 tablespoons ground cinnamon (we didn't use the cinnamon- they were great without)

Cut the sweet potatoes into slices about 1/2 inch thick, then cut them lengthwise into the shape of slim fries (we went for the chip shape).

So thankful for the Cuisinart!

In a large bowl, combine the sweet potatoes with 1 teaspoon salt and enough cold water to cover by a few inches. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or overnight.

Thoroughly drain the sweet potatoes in a colander. Pat (tedious work this patting is!) them well with paper towels until completely dry.

They were pretty!

Heat the coconut oil in a large saucepan or deep-fryer over medium-high heat until it reaches a temperature of 325 degrees, 6-8 minutes. (Details, details...I just heated oil and fried). Fry the potatoes, in batches, until lightly browned. Remove the fries from the oil with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel-lined plate. Increase the heat to high until it reaches 375 degrees, then add the par-fried potatoes (AGAIN, I have to fry?), in batches, back into the oil and fry until crisp, 2-4 minutes. Again, remove the fries from the oil with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel-lined plate. Dust with cinnamon and serve immediately. I didn't use the cinnamon. I just dusted with Kosher salt and they were TASTY!

I was really stingy with the coconut oil as you can tell!

After first round of frying

Done and ready to eat!

Yum!

Communication: Are You Hearing What is Being Said?

2012-01-07T11:53:00.000-08:00

Communication.

Good communication is imperative in successful friendships, marriages and parent-child relationships.

But, even with the best intentions and willingness to listen sometimes what is begin said isn't what is heard.

I can't even tell you how many times my hub will say something, but what I hear is completely different from what he intended.

Effective communicating and listening can be really difficult. One perfect example occurred yesterday with our oldest son, The Teenager. NOTE: What I heard and what was being said were two completely different things.

We were at Target. We had just walked in front of the video/electronics section heading toward the toy section so our Lego son could look for Lego figures.

As we passed the electronics section, our oldest son blurted out in a loud voice, "ARE WE BROKE?"

I was a little shocked he would ask that right in the middle of the store, especially since it came out of the blue. It's true there have been some financial struggles lately with a number of unexpected expenses coming up, but we're by no means broke. Why would he ask such a thing?

I told him to be quiet.

Then he said it again, "ARE WE BROKE?"

UGH! Why does he keep repeating it? People at Target do not need to hear this.

Then he said it again, "ARE WE BROKE?"

I gave him the, "Do not repeat that again!" look.

He then gave me the, "Mom, what's your problem?" look.

I said, "Do not say that! There is not a problem. We're fine! Now stop it!"

He looked at me quizzically.

Then there was silence and we headed to the toy section.

After about another minute or two, he kind of whispered, "Mom, are we broke?"

Why won't he let that one go?

I then looked at him and said, "Honey, we're not broke. We're fine."

He then sighed and said, "No mom, Our Wii broke."

Oh...our Wii broke.

Whew!

He wasn't trying to frustrate me. We just didn't understand each other.

He kept saying, "Our Wii broke," but I was hearing, "Are we broke?"

My poor son!

How many times do we hear one thing, while our kids (or spouses) are saying something completely different.

As parents we need to really pay attention to our kids (and spouses), ask for clarification if necessary and make sure we are understanding each other before jumping to conclusions.

Listen to your kids (and spouses). What they're saying may not be what you're hearing at all.

Grub's Wild-Style Salad

2012-01-06T14:24:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it's Friday already! What happened to the week? Oh, yeah...we started school again. Busy days!

In our homeschool, Fridays are fun days set aside for catch up, unlimited reading, field trips, cooking, projects and just playing. We all love Friday!

By the end of the week, our brains are worn out so we've designed Friday to be our day of learning that is less about books and more about life.

Today we played beauty shop; I cut my girlie's hair. She's now proudly sporting "long bangs." One of our boys caught up on math, while another buried himself in his Tim Tebow book. Did you know Tim Tebow and all his brother's have chin scars? That's important boy battle scar information! Furthermore, Tim Tebow's mom made placemats of states, presidents, the periodic table and more! Learning was something the Tebow kids did while not even realizing it. That's my kind of teaching!

Most importantly, I had some cooking time! With Adele Radio playing on Pandora I made the first of my three recipes selected from the cookbook GRUB.

This salad is called Wild-Style Salad. It looks like something you'd pay $7/cup at Whole Foods' salad bar. It's a beautiful salad filled with many healthy ingredients. It is vegetarian/vegan. The only protein source would be the wild rice (7 grams/cup) and the minimal amount from the cashews.

The recipe calls for extra-virgin olive oil. The flavor was so great without it, I didn't add it. Although I workout 5-6 days per week, and watch what we eat, a few extra pounds have crept back into my life. I'm back to counting points with Weight Watchers. My focus will primarily be sticking to a paleo food program, but I still need to feed the rest of the family healthy whole/clean food.

I input the ingredients for this salad into the Weight Watchers recipe calculator. Three-fourths of a cup is 4 points; this is without the olive oil.

Wild-Style Salad

Salad

1 cup wild rice, rinsed and soaked overnight in the refrigerator
coarse sea salt
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1/4 cup diced carrots
1/2 cup thinly sliced celery
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions (I used green onion)
1/2 cup cashews, toasted and chopped

Dressing

3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon pure maple syrup
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Sea salt
Freshly ground white pepper (I just used black pepper)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil (optional)

For the Salad

Combine wild rice with 3 cups of water in medium saucepan over high heat. Bring to boil, add 1/2 teaspoon salt, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes, or until water is absorbed.

This is my beautiful new pot. Thank you Jama!

Rice cooking away...put the lid back on. It's not done yet.

Remove from heat; transfer to strainer; rinse under cold water until rice is completely cooled.

In a large bowl, combine cooked rice, bell pepper, carrots, celery, raisins, scallions, and cashews.

Yummy snack foods!

Combine rice, vegetables, raisins, and cashews

For the Dressing

In a small mixing bowl, combine vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, maple syrup, garlic, parsley, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and white pepper (to taste). Mix well. Slowly pour in olive oil, if using, whisking until emulsified.

This is the dressing, minus the olive oil.

Pour the dressing over the rice and toss well. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour to allow flavors to combine.

Remove the rice from refrigerator 30 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

Putting the Cookbooks to Work

2012-01-02T20:38:00.000-08:00

I LOVE COOKBOOKS!

Over the years, I've amassed a wonderful cookbook collection. When moving to California, we decided I'd bring only the favorites and the other 10 boxes (or so) went to storage at my dad's house.

Not surprisingly, the passion (or obsession) for cookbooks followed us down here and I've grown another wonderful collection.

This year I'm hoping to focus on a cookbook a week. The goal is to make at least 3-5 items from each cookbook and {hopefully} blog the recipes.

This month (January) the cookbooks I've chosen are:

GRUB ideas for an urban organic kitchen by Anna Lappe and Bryant Terry

The Whole Hog Cookbook: Chops, Loin, Shoulder, Bacon and All That Good Stuff by Libbie Summers

The Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen

The Heaven on Seven Cookbook: Where it's Mardi Gras All the Time! by Jimmy Bannos and John Demers

Tomorrow I will go shopping and will begin with GRUB.

GRUB...what a great name for a cookbook!

I think I'll just say GRUB for the HECK of it! GRUB FOR THE HUB!

GRUB ON!

GRUB-a-licious

GRUB a ling ding

GRUBBIN'

Until tomorrow...GRUB-bye.

Ringing in the New Year CrossFit Style

2012-01-01T20:05:00.000-08:00

8am, January 1, 2012.

Is there any better way to ring in the new year than with a group of fellow CrossFitters doing a crazy WOD (workout of the day) just because?

I admit I had my reservations. I DON'T LIKE TO BE COLD! Being cold has adverse effects on my body. The thought of jumping in an unheated, COLD pool in January didn't sound appealing; more importantly it didn't sound like fun. BUT, jumping in a freezing pool with friends who are in it with you; laughing at our own misery...well, that sounds like fun and more importantly good memories were made.

We did it!

Before

Mr. New Year and My Man...with the 'fro

I don't think I can think of anything better to do on a foggy, chilly, SoCal morning than gathering with 20+ friends, jumping into a FREEZING pool, running two laps of the pool, then heading out onto a cold 400 meter road run, then completing thrusters and ball slams followed up by hitting the cold cement with burpees.

The Polar Dip

OH MY WORD!! IT IS COLD!!!

My Man in His Cape!

The Run

My Superman

My New Year!

The Prom Queen a.k.a Event Coordinator

Wonder CrossFit Fonda Woman and McEnroe

The Convict and His Neon 80's Girl

The Weights

My Man, Event Coordinator and Fellow CrossFitter

I think a video is in the works...

What a GREAT way to begin 2012!

Thank you fellow CrossFitters for a fun morning full of laughs and a fabulous WOD!

Happy New Year!

A Different Kind of Resolution

2012-01-01T19:06:00.000-08:00

A new year brings new beginnings and fresh starts. Each January my hub and I sit down and compile a list of goals. Every year I hope to be thinner, fitter, smarter, and wiser. I strive to be a better wife and mom. I hope for big accomplishments and attain a few.

But the reality is every year I have just about the same body I had the year before. I'm just about as fit as I was the year before. I've read a few more books, seen a few more museums and checked a couple more items of the bucket list of life.

Ultimately, my life goal is to be a Proverbs 31 woman. At the end, I hope it can be said, as in Miss Rumphius, (with God's help and guidance) I've done my part to make the world a little more beautiful.

This year rather than taking the same approach to goal setting, I'm going to proceed a bit differently and go back to basics. Thinking about the new year and setting goals, I was impressed to consider Exodus and the 10 Commandments. A fresh look at these well known Commandments offers guidelines to everyday living in 2012. After each commandment, I'll insert my own personal application.

1) YOU SHALL HAVE NO OTHER GODS BEFORE ME

No other gods before the One True Holy God.

My resolution: Do not bow to the god of materialism, the god of security, the god of comfort, the god of gluttony/food, the god of obsessive behavior, the god of money, the god of health and fitness, the god of busyness, the god of perfectionism, or any other god that would take first place in my life over GOD. I shall be loyal to God.

2) YOU SHALL NOT MAKE ANY GRAVEN IMAGE

Worship shall be directed to God alone.

My resolution: Continuing to develop, know and worship God will be a daily part of life. I will continue to share God's love with our kids.

3) YOU SHALL NOT TAKE THE NAME OF THE LORD YOUR GOD IN VAIN

Speaking God's name shall be done in respect and with honor.

My resolution: When I speak of God, I will honor His goodness and blessings He's placed in our life. One of my favorite sayings will still ring true, "God is Good All the Time!"

4) REMEMBER THE SABBATH DAY AND KEEP IT HOLY

Honoring God by slowing down and resting.

My resolution: This is a hard one for me. Taking time to slow down feels like wasting precious hours. It will be hard to take time to slow down, rest and allow time for God to speak, restore, and rejuvenate, but as a commandment, I realize it must be important. I will rest. When I don't, please remind me of #4! Seeking accountability here!

5) HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER

God has blessed me with great parents, grandparents and in-laws.

My resolution: I will respect and honor my parents, grandparents and in-laws. They were placed in my life by God. I will cherish family history and strive to learn more about our forefathers who were so instrumental in making us who we are today. It is a goal to begin an ancestry study this year.

6) YOU SHALL NOT MURDER

Have reverence for life and respect those around you.

My resolution: I will continue to support organizations who work to support and honor life. I will continue to support organizations like Childcare Worldwide that seek to save the lives of children around the globe. I will be open and consider opportunities God places in our lives in which we can support those who are seeking new beginnings. I want to encourage those around us to succeed. I want to be a dream encourager not a dream killer.

7) YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY

Marriage is sacred. I don't know if there has been a year in all our married life that we've seen more marriages of Christian couples blow up. It's heartbreaking! My hub and I have discussed this and it saddens us. When we married we made a covenant commitment before God until death do us part.

My resolution: We will stay married. I know that sounds strange, but with so many marriages falling apart I think it should be announced we will commit to make this marriage work with a Christ-centered focus, and open communication. We will do this because it's a commandment, and also because we have a history, three beautiful children and there's nothing in this world worth blowing it up.

8) YOU SHALL NOT STEAL

I will not take what doesn't belong to me. I will work diligently.

My resolution: If I didn't work for it, and it wasn't a gift; it's not mine. I think this also applies to time. There are certain hours in the day that are designated to our kids schooling. I will not take their hours for my own.

9) YOU SHALL NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS AGAINST YOUR NEIGHBOR

Be truthful. Reserve judgement until all the facts are known. No gossiping.

My resolution: My words shall be used to build up others and not tear down or wound. Be a source of encouragement.

10) YOU SHALL NOT COVET YOUR NEIGHBOR'S POSSESSIONS

Do not be jealous about what someone else has or what they've earned.

My resolution: It is my desire to be content. This is hard when we live in the land of the O.C. or better known as the OH WOW!

Although I see many around us with more and better, my heart shall be content with what we have.

Although I see those around me lifting more weight and doing more pull-ups, I shall be content.

When I see a gal with beautifully manicured eyebrows or a wonderful Brazilian blowout, I will be content with my home blown hair and self-tweezed brows.

When I see cute, thin yoga-momma in her Lululemon's, I will be grateful for my curvy figure- I hear curves are making a comeback.

I will appreciate and compliment others on the blessings they receive and I will refrain for wishing for more. Contentment. It's a good thing!

And lastly...

Love this year as I've never loved before.

As commanded in Luke 10:27

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and, Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Happy New Year!

Heartfelt Gratitude

2011-12-31T11:24:00.000-08:00

I'm speechless...if that's possible.

This has been a year of thankfulness.

Even though I'd like to think I know myself pretty well, it's amazing how God continues to reveal aspects of inner thinking continually. Just when I think I have most things figured out...I realize I don't. One area I've realized He may be working on is the ability to receive graciously.

A few night's ago, as I was driving home from a friend's house, I was thinking on this last year and the generosity of family and friends. I was overcome with overwhelming gratitude, but also a sense of overwhelming indebtedness! Tears streamed down my face as I thought on recent gifts we've received. Christmas may have brought on more emotions than normal, but I realized although I'm so grateful for the gifts, I also have a hard time receiving them.

I spent the last few days since the tearful drive trying to unpack the reservations I have with receiving. Why is it so hard? Why do I feel indebtedness along with gratitude?

Here's some of what I came up with:

1) Receiving is difficult when I feel I didn't earn it. I have a strong work ethic and value earning what is received. If I didn't work for it, I have a hard time accepting it.

2) I love giving. If you're familiar with the 5 Love Languages, giving is one of the ways I show love to others. I love pouring out on others, but having others pour out on me is difficult. I honestly feel bad for those giving. Maybe there's a sense I don't feel worth the gift. There are a number of stories of times I'm sure my parents could share of loser boyfriends taking advantage of an extravagantly giving girlfriend. I think I've tried to justify this over the years, but deep down I think I internalized, I wasn't worth giving to.

3) Keeping it even. Like most people and family members I tend to keep it even. By keeping the giving even, no one feels left out. I spend $25, you spend $25. Even! This type of giving allows all recipients to leave on balanced terms. But, when I give a $25 gift yet receive a $100 gift, I feel awkward, and unbalanced. The $25 gift, although nice, pales in light of the $100 gift. When this happens to me I feel like a loser, baby! Now, if I gave the $100 gift and received the $25 gift, no problem. This practice is okay in my world.

4) Payback. When receiving an extravagant gift I feel like I need to write up an I.O.U. When my hub and I purchased our first home two family members loaned us some money to complete the purchase. We both felt so indebted, within the first year we had paid back both parties. One family member said, in all their years of giving/lending we were the only ones to pay back. I loved that. I never want to take advantage of an extravagant giver.

5) Remember when... Lastly, I think I have a hard time receiving because I never want to have a gift held over my head. In tough times, I never want someone to say, "Remember when I gave you ____?" In a sense I don't want to feel owned by someone's giving. Maybe it's pride? Who knows?

This whole experience has caused me to once again reflect on salvation- the most amazing, free, no strings attached GIFT of all! When I was 8-years old I accepted Christ. My world was full of faith and I wanted to have a relationship with Christ, although I did not understand what this meant. Through my teen years and early 20's I ditched much of my faith for the world. The result was a BIG, tangled mess of a life.

In my mid-twenties my relationship with Christ got back on track. I recommitted my life and began the slow journey back. I strongly believe God allows growth at a rate which you can handle. I had a lot of learning to do and a lot of dealing with my "stuff."

I think the hardest thing I dealt with accepting was grace. I didn't allow myself much grace and could not imagine a Holy God pouring out grace on such a wretch as me.

A memory from about 20 years ago that is etched in my mind was the night I REALLY understood and embraced this salvation Christ was offering with no strings attached; no expectations in return; nothing to be earned; just a free gift! I had just finished an evening class at Bible Study Fellowship. I don't remember what we were studying or what the lecture was even about. All I remember was going to my car; sitting in the driver's seat; and being hit with the enormity of the gift Christ poured out on me.

I had this vision of Him saying, "Bring it; all your heartache; all you sin; all your stuff you don't want the world to see or know about; Bring it! I will take it. I willingly take your sin and shortcomings so you can be clean. I have made the sacrifice. Release it."

Up to this point, I don't think I truly understood the sacrifice Christ made for me. Yet, in my car I sensed Perfect Jesus so lovingly letting me know He died for my sin so I could be free from the heaviness and the burden of it. I couldn't imagine how he voluntarily would take on my yucky sins when he was without sin, but He promises to do so. There was nothing more I could do to earn freedom from this sin. I could not work my way out of it. I just needed to receive it!

Ephesians 2:8-9 reads,"For by grace you have been saved through faith-and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; not by works, so that no one can boast."

The Bible tells us salvation is a free gift; not a gift through works.

For a gift giver; who does not receive well; who thinks all gifts must be earned; this is a concept that is really hard to embrace.

Over the years I've accepted God's gift and embraced it with gratitude, but this Christmas I feel like he's wanting me to learn to accept gifts from others. It's a strange thing and really difficult.

A dear friend, who has been so generous, recently said to me something like, "This is your time to receive the gift."

Although difficult, I am trying. Breaking the faulty thought processes attached to receiving is hard.

I'm hoping 2012 brings new lessons to learn, but for today I will be filled with gratitude!

Thank you Mikey, Mom, Dad, Gommer P., Gommer Wally, Grandpa Wallace, Jama, Suzie, Denise, Jennifer and John, and my three amazingly giving children!

The Vest

2011-12-29T09:26:00.000-08:00

I hate The Vest. There are few things in life I really dislike to the point of using the "H" word, but the vest is one of them.

First off, I should explain The Vest. Like many Washingtonians, my Grandma has a fleece vest. I don't even know how many years she's worn the vest. It's like it's always been. My Grandma...The Vest.

Being from Washington, fleece is the fashion wear of choice. It's warm. It seems to wick the rain. It's easy to find. It hides unwanted pounds. The benefits are countless.

I'll admit, before moving to California I had a red, boxy, unflattering fleece pull-over that was like a security blanket. No matter what size I was, the fleece covered it. I could be 40 pounds heavier, wear the fleece and no one knew the difference. The fleece was cozy, and warm, but it was also unflattering, worn and tired. Despite some reservations, I moved it out and surprisingly haven't missed it.

I realize people have favorite clothes they continue to wear despite how they look. I'm sure the What Not To Wear folks would have a heyday in my closet! There are those favorites that are just so cozy, you can't help but wear at night or when it's cold outside. I have a pair of awful, yet cozy, black, fleece hammer pant sweats. They are completely unflattering, but on a chilly day, I'll wear them to the gym along with my REI blue mountain socks. I know the combo is a fashion faux pas, but they're comfortable and cozy and nothing else seems to matter.

Like my red fleece pull-over or black hammer pant sweats, my Grandma has a tan, tired, old, worn-out, dingy, boxy, unflattering, did I mention ugly, fleece vest. She loves this piece of clothing. She loves that it has "inside" pockets. Inside pockets are the backs of outside pockets that have to have a place to go. She stashes her phone in her "inside pocket" when she walks with her senior friends. She wears little angel pins on the collar in memory of family members who have passed away. Along with the vest, she wears a white, long-sleeve, ribbed turtleneck. She actually owns three identical white turtleneck sweaters. The white sweaters, along with the fleece vest, a pair of light blue jeans and white Easy Spirits equals "The Uniform."

This photo was taken years ago. The uniform with a blue ribbed turtleneck.

She's worn this uniform for years and she LOVES it!

Last Christmas when she visited, I took her shopping looking for a replacement vest. We searched high and low from Macy's to Eddie Bauer to JCPenney and beyond, but there was no vest to be found that was roomy enough and met the "inside pocket" criteria.

We did find her a couple new ribbed turtleneck sweaters to offer her some different color options. I doubt she's ever worn them. My guess is they are folded beautifully in her drawer along with the MANY other beautifully folded, new sweaters we've tried to introduce into her wardrobe.

Prior to her visit, I called her to let her know I planned to take her to see Andrea Boccelli and Dr. Phil. We had to discuss wardrobe requirements and ideas. According to the Dr. Phil show guidelines, audience guests were asked not to wear white as it doesn't show up well on camera. In addition, the fleece vest isn't Andrea Boccelli material, so she needed to bring some more options.

With my mom's help, she packed some very cute dressy clothes. Thank you mom! I was secretly hoping "The Vest" wouldn't make the trip down to SoCal, but that was a lot to ask for.

I spoke with my mom the morning of my Grandma's flight. My mom told me, "She'll be there in her uniform. She's so excited!"

The Vest was coming back for it's third Christmas in SoCal.

Bummer!

When we picked my Grandma up she was wearing her light blue jeans, white Easy Spirits, white turtleneck and gray coat.

We went out to lunch, stopped by the Goodwill (her favorite place), and then headed home.

She unpacked and settled in.

She then came to me and asked where she had put her vest.

I hadn't seen the vest at this point, and hadn't even missed it.

She searched multiple times through the car and her suitcase, but did not find the beloved vest.

She thought she definitely left the vest hanging in the restroom of the airport.

I called. No vest.

I didn't want to celebrate the vest's demise, but I strongly feel everything happens for a reason. Just like the time our son spit his pacifier down a flushing toilet and it was bye-bye binky; it was time to break the bond with the vest. It was meant to be! The vest was gone.

Sadly, she was torn up about the vest. A couple times while sitting in the rocker thinking she'd say, "I sure miss my vest."

Poor Grandma, she did love that vest.

When she left I went on a shopping hunt.

I found a PERFECT, new, black, Columbia fleece vest WITH inside pockets. I took a photo of it; emailed it to my mom. We had thought we found the PERFECT replacement that my Grandma would love!

I packaged it up and shipped it out. She would be so surprised! I was excited!

THEN, I got the call.

My heart sank.

The Seattle airport had found her vest.

RATS!

I guess the super-cute, black fleece vest I got her will sadly join the bowels of her drawers folded neatly alongside the other perfectly folded new clothing we've all bought her over the years.

The Vest is back.

Do you have a favorite piece of clothing like my Grandma's vest that you know you shouldn't wear, but it just feels too good?

Maybe 2012 is a good year to spruce up the wardrobe and move out those pieces that have served their time. Let them rest. Find something cute and flattering and say good-bye to tired and worn.

Dear Santa...

2011-12-27T13:47:00.000-08:00

We live in a Santa culture. It's the truth. And as much as I don't care for the over-materialized frenzy December brings, it doesn't appear to be falling out of fashion.

Our kids grow up singing, "You better watch out, you better not cry, better not pout, I'm telling you why...Santa Claus is coming to town." They watch shows like The Grinch, The Santa Claus, Rudolph and of course, Santa Claus is Coming to Town. We hang stockings, write wish lists and letters, and set out cookies and milk before bedtime on Christmas Eve. We visit Kris Kringle better known as Santa Claus at local malls, whisper wishes in his ear and have our photos taken with him.

Our kids with Santa

This year I surprised my Grandma and told her she was also having her photo taken with Santa.
She was a little embarrassed, but also seemed a little excited!

It really is a crazy thing if you think about it, but this is what Christmas American tradition looks like and I'm guessing there are similar themes around the globe. Worldwide, Santa may have a different name, but children still await the magical experience and the gifts.

I love the story of the original Santa, St. Nicholas, and share it with our kids. The sacrifice he made to help others is admirable.

The true story of Santa Claus begins with Nicholas, who was born during the third century in the village of Patara. At the time the area was Greek and is now on the southern coast of Turkey. His wealthy parents, who raised him to be a devout Christian, died in an epidemic while Nicholas was still young. Obeying Jesus' words to "sell what you own and give the money to the poor," Nicholas used his whole inheritance to assist the needy, the sick, and the suffering. He dedicated his life to serving God and was made Bishop of Myra while still a young man. Bishop Nicholas became known throughout the land for his generosity to the those in need, his love for children, and his concern for sailors and ships.

Another story often associated with St. Nicolas is this one:

One story tells of a poor man with three daughters. In those days a young woman's father had to offer prospective husbands something of value—a dowry. The larger the dowry, the better the chance that a young woman would find a good husband. Without a dowry, a woman was unlikely to marry. This poor man's daughters, without dowries, were therefore destined to be sold into slavery. Mysteriously, on three different occasions, a bag of gold appeared in their home-providing the needed dowries. The bags of gold, tossed through an open window, are said to have landed in stockings or shoes left before the fire to dry. This led to the custom of children hanging stockings or putting out shoes, eagerly awaiting gifts from Saint Nicholas. Sometimes the story is told with gold balls instead of bags of gold. That is why three gold balls, sometimes represented as oranges, are one of the symbols for St. Nicholas. And so St. Nicholas is a gift-giver.

So, St. Nicolas, the first true Santa was a gift-giver! Giving the gift, providing for the dowry of three young women so they could marry and not be sold into slavery.

Thinking on the dowry...although we don't have a necessary dowry requirement in our culture any longer, around the world this tradition continues. Years ago, I helped raise money for some friends in Uganda to pay a dowry of cows, goats, fruit etc. A friend of mine is currently helping a young man in Uganda raise his dowry so he may marry. St. Nicholas would be proud!

The couple we helped now have two beautiful girlies!

Back to Santa...

On the night before Christmas, our daughter set out a plate of cookies and cup of milk. After setting out the treats, she proceeded to place an important letter she wrote to Santa next to the treats.

Her letter read:

hi Santa i have a question
was there a hole bunch of santa's or just one
check yes or no
and if yes plese say how many and plese wake me up to see you
yes___ no___
how meny?

The letter was genuine and heartfelt. She anticipated his visit, but even more hoped for a response.

The next morning she rushed downstairs to see if he had responded.

Here's what she found...

Dearest Arabella,

Merry Christmas!

You are such a smart young girl! That’s what I love about you. I heard about your big win with the essay contest. Well Done!

So your question…How many Santa’s are there? Well, my dear, there is just one yet there are many people in your life who show you love, generosity and joy. We all work together to make this life magical, exciting and a much better place to live in.

I love your honest questions, childlike faith and heartfelt curiosity. Hold on to these traits.

I am sorry My Dear, but I can’t visit. I must be off! Hawaii is waiting for me!

Blessings to you!

And always remember who were celebrating this season- Jesus! He is the giver of All Good and Perfect Gifts!

You are Loved!

So there was the response. She was very excited about it and stashed it away in her "box" where all good things are kept.

Parenting can sometimes bring up tough questions. I don't honestly know how to answer every question that comes up. There are instances where I'm not sure if we're doing the right thing or not.

Determining how one chooses to handle and/or answer questions surrounding Santa is up to each particular family. There are absolutes in life and ultimately the truth is the best answer, but I like to preserve wonder and merriment when possible too.

There was a St. Nicholas. He was a gift giver. Additionally, there are people in our lives who work to bring about joy in keeping the magic of the season alive. Christmas is a magical season! We celebrate God coming to earth as a baby born unto a virgin! WOW!

It is all about Jesus, and it's also about gifts, family, celebration and fun!

Some explanations are best left to be dreamed of and wondered about. The joy in our child's eyes, her innocent questions, and the hope she has is a surprisingly wonderful gift to us.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T00:01:00.000-08:00

Here's an oldie from the early 1970's...

Wishing you and yours a blessed Christmas!

Because I Have A Million Other Things To Do... I'll Sit & Reflect On Christmas Music Like a Great Procrastinator

2011-12-23T09:58:00.000-08:00

Oh my word! Has this month just flown by or what? My kids have reminded me once again there are only 2 days until Christmas (really just one since all the festivities are tomorrow). Unbelievable! I don't like how quickly the days have passed. This isn't what I had envisioned for our December.

Every year I hope to EXPERIENCE Christmas in some sort of amazing way. My vision is to not procrastinate. In the perfect world I'd have presents wrapped, cookies baked, and cards sent by December 1st. Every week we'd light an advent candle and focus on why we're celebrating: Christ's birth. Then I'd spend the next 24 days laying under the tree, gazing at the lights, playing games with our kids and listening to Christmas music until we fall asleep. It all sounds so beautifully romantic. Love it!

But...

That's not my life at all.

Instead, it's December 23 and I'm behind, or maybe I'm on time (Kim time). I remind myself, every year there is only one year to plan and prepare, yet I still can't seem to pull it together. Recently, I read a post about moms who do a whole lot of Crazy Elf on the {Stinkin'} Shelf thing. I do not know even what this is, but there's no way I could squeeze it into the schedule. Here's the link to the funny read, minus the *!@#$%^!! words.

http://peopleiwanttopunchinthethroat.blogspot.com/2011/12/over-achieving-elf-on-shelf-mommies.html

In contrast here's my current "To Do" list update:

I just got the Christmas cards out yesterday. Hopefully friends will receive them by the 24th, but there's no guarantee.
Packages were just mailed in the last couple days. I hope they arrive on time too. Day after delivery just isn't as exciting as before Christmas delivery.
I didn't do much baking. I did make gingerbread cookies twice, and they're cut outs, so I think they count for double points. I really wanted to give baked goods as gifts to neighbors, milkman, postman and garbage man, but it hasn't happened yet and we won't have garbage day until after Christmas. Poor garbage man.
We never got around to the advent thing. Our kids know it's about Jesus. I have to be okay with that.
I had hoped to read a book a day to the kids with a Christmas theme. Well, we only read two Christmas picture books, but they were good ones: The Polar Express and Twas the Night Before Christmas. I realize neither one was about Jesus. I hope our kids get what this celebration is all about; now that I think on it again.
I really wanted to laugh (since I can turn into a stressed-out-grouchy-Christmas-prep mom) and watch Elf as a family. It was on the advent calendar. We received it from Netflix, then we lost it. It's here somewhere, but no one is 'fessin' up to where they stashed it.
And because we can't find Elf to mail back, we aren't able to watch the other Christmas movies in our Queue. Bummer! Guess we'll have to watch them in January and pretend it's still the Christmas season.
Then there's the crafty gift project I started 3 years ago. I was going to complete it this year. It's still in the closet. RATS!
I just sat down to look at the Christmas game/toy catalog. Perhaps I'll make the online order today and place the invoice in a box for the kids. That's pretty lame, I know. Merry Christmas! Your gifts should arrive in 7-10 days.

Since I have so much to do in preparation for Christmas and feel overwhelmed over it, I think I'll procrastinate a bit more and ponder a few of my Top Christmas Songs.

In years past, it seems like there were radio stations dedicated to month-long Christmas music. It doesn't seem like it's the case anymore. We've listened to Pandora Holiday Music channels. It's been nice, but I haven't been playing my fave Christmas tunes, so I thought I'd blog them. By blogging them I feel like they're getting much deserved attention.

These favorites may not be your favorites, but I like them. I was raised listening to these tunes and despite some of the crazy lyrics, I LOVE THEM! Not included are favorites like Michael Buble, Manheim Steamroller, Bing Crosby, etc. The only songs that made it to the list are the ones I've listened to over 1000 times (I'm exaggerating, but you get the idea).

I'll count down from #10-#1. #1 being my current favorite.

10. It's Christmas All Over The World by New Edition

Okay, I know I'll probably get the cheesey award for this one, but I was a big New Edition fan! The video quality here is pretty crummy, since it's a Solid Gold recording. Someone must have had it on VHS. Check out the moves!

9. All I Want For Christmas Is You by Mariah Carey

I had to do it! Mariah & Christmas music from the 90's! But here's an updated {somewhat creepy} of Mariah and Justin Beiber. There's a huge part of me that feels despite how fabulous Mariah looks, looking sexy with the Beib singing All I Want For Christmas Is You is just Mary Kay Latourneau-ish creepy.

8. Christmas Wrap by the Waitresses

This song just may be on the obnoxious Christmas song list for some, but it brings back great 80's memories for me. It reminds me of high school, turtlenecks, crew neck sweaters and wandering the snowy streets of an extremely small mid-western town.

7. Rocky Mountain Christmas by John Denver

I have to give #7 to a whole album. This is one of my all-time favorite albums; probably because I grew up listening to it. My hub hates it! I torture him with the songs of Aspenglow and of course Please, Daddy Don't Get Drunk This Christmas. Not sure how that's a Christmas song and I never had a drunk daddy so this song never bothered me. It was just another track on the album. John Denver was a favorite at our home when I was growing up and I'm still sad he's no longer here.

6. Breath of Heaven by Amy Grant

This song is written in Mary's perspective. I love that! I desperately want to know what she thought and how she felt to be chosen to carry Jesus. This video was recorded at the Crystal Cathedral. I took my Grandma there a couple years ago to see their Christmas program. We had another great experience!

5. The Prayer by Celine Dion with Andrea Boccelli

The lyrics to this beautiful song are amazing! May this always be our prayer!

I pray you'll be our eyes, and watch us where we go
And help ;us to be wise in times when we don't know
Let this be our prayer, when we lose our way
Lead us to the place, guide us with your grace
To a place where we'll be safe

I pray we'll find your light, and hold it in our hearts
When stars go out each night,
remind us where you are
Let this be our prayer, when shadows fill our day
Help us find a place guide us with your grace
Give us faith so we'll be safe

A world where pain and sorrow will be ended
And every heart that's broken will be mended
And we'll remember we are all God's children
Reaching out to touch you
Reaching to the sky

We ask that life be kind, and watch us from above
We hope each soul will find another soul to love
Let this be our prayer, just like every child

Who needs to find a place, guide us with your grace
Give us faith so we'll be safe
Needs to find a place, guide us with your grace
Give us faith so we'll be safe

4. O Holy Night by Celine Dion

"Fall on Your Knees" Brings me to tears. If you have a relationship with Christ and really know him, this song has such a special meaning. I know all heaven and earth celebrated the birth of God's son! "Let all within us praise His name. Christ is the LORD!"

3. Mary Did You Know performed by Greg Otterholt

I think the first time I heard this song Greg was singing it. We were blessed to get to know he and his wife years ago when I was selling real estate. He has an amazing voice!

I love this song because the lyrics ask the questions floating around my mind. I would love to sit down with the heroins of the Bible and soak them up, ask them what it was really like and gain their perspective.

2. Sleigh Ride by Arthur Fiedler's Philharmonic

This song reminds me of being a kid. Listening to the clomping noises thrilled me. AND the best part is the "neigh" at the end!

1. How Many Kings by Downhere

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE this song! I can't get enough of it! When I listen to it, tears run down my cheeks. I'm so honored to have such a King!

Well, back to reality. Wish me luck as I try to conquer the unfinished in my life. AND....as if I didn't have enough to do I scheduled a mammogram for today!

Merry Christmas!

Meet Ivan

2011-12-22T10:00:00.000-08:00

Meet Ivan

A number of years ago, God placed "the orphan" so heavily on my heart I could scarcely think of little else. I read amazing stories of adoption, read blogs concerning orphans, prayed for and helped friends financially who were in the process of adoption and humbly asked God to make adoption a reality in our family.

I meditated on James 1:27

²⁷ Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

At that time, it was estimated that there were 143 million orphans worldwide. There is no way one cannot be astounded by such a number. (See the rice post if you want to have a visual of 143 million). I read a couple days ago the number is now hovering around 163 million!!

My heart aches for ALL these children who do not have a family to call their own.

The prayer became, "Lord, use us to reach the orphan." Making a difference to one or a few of them is what each of is called to do.

Over the years we've met, hosted, sponsored and cared for orphans as God continues to bring them into our lives.

Our first encounter was with a group from Childcare Worldwide in 2006. If you're not familiar with Childcare Worldwide, definitely check them out. They're listed with a 5-Star rating from Ministry Watch.com

Childcare Worldwide formed the Ugandan Orphan's Choir to "bring a message of hope to American audiences through the traditional rhythmic dances and songs of Africa."

Back in September of 2006 our church scheduled to have the choir perform. To defray costs, the choir asks churches to host the chaperones and kids. I literally JUMPED at the opportunity when our pastor asked for volunteering homes.

After the church service, I walked up to him as a line of other interested families was forming. I quickly let him know I sensed they were SUPPOSED to be at our home.

He agreed.

All five boys and the male chaperone to the choir were placed with us for a 2-3 day stay.

We cleaned, readied our home, and welcomed the boys with open arms.

Little did I know, 2 days with these kids ROCKED my world. My heart's desire to live out James 1:27 was fueled.

These boys arrived with nothing but a backpack, but they exuded JOY like I'd never seen before. All of them had lost one or both of their parents to the AIDS epidemic. They were delivered from near disaster and placed in a Children's Village where they now received housing, food, clothing, character development and an education.

Prior to being rescued by Childcare, some of these young children (under 13) are found caring for their younger siblings because their parents have died. Some of these children bury their own parents. Some are left in the care of older grandparents who do not have the means nor the strength to care for them. It's heartbreaking!

Childcare Worldwide steps in and offers these children hope for a better future.

One of these boys in particular found a place in our hearts. His name is Ivan. We were able to spend Christmas 2006 with Ivan and another boy from the choir, Alex. Both boys are dear to us.

Christmas 2006

With Alex

With Ivan

Alex helped me roll out lefse while the other boys played. Sadly, we have not heard from Alex since his stay with us.

Alex: "This Chapati?" Me: "No, this is lefse. Another flatbread."

Although my husband has not received a heart for adoption as I have, when he met Ivan he said, "He would fit in our family." Ivan's photo is on a shelf in our family room with other family photos. We will forever think of him as a special member of our family.

This is the photo we received last year from Ivan.
He has GROWN so much!

Adoption of the kids from the choir is not an option, and adoption from Uganda is difficult to say the least, but we've been blessed to have the opportunity to stay in contact with Ivan and hopefully one day we will meet him again.

We've never learned much about Ivan and his life prior to coming to Childcare. What we do know is he has a genuinely kind disposition and became instant friends with our oldest son.

We got a letter from Ivan this week. Ivan's now 16 years old and loves to play soccer. He's doing very well in school. Childcare Worldwide's goal is to have the children receive quality education and training in a profession so they may not just survive, but succeed! I think Ivan will break out of the cycle of poverty and succeed in whatever he chooses!

If you feel a tug at your heart when you see kids like Ivan, do something about it. Visit Childcare Worldwide's website. You never know when you'll get to meet your sponsored child. We were able to meet our sponsored child, Caleb last year. That's another story and another post.

Have a blessed day!

Take a Moment to Watch- It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over

2011-12-21T21:08:00.000-08:00

December 20, 2011: 1st Day of Hanukkah- Celebrating with Cake Doughnuts

2011-12-20T20:35:00.000-08:00

Today is the first day of Hanukkah.

We're not Jewish, so our kids don't fully understand the significance of the holiday. Introducing Jewish culture, history, and traditions are an integral part of Christian culture and history, so it's important we learn.

We've field tripped at Jewish Cultural centers, studied Jewish history, and we're currently reading the Old Testament in the Catherine Vos's Children's Bible. I feel like the Old Testament is often forgotten and emphasis on Christian living is often too focused on New Testament living. Both should be combined in their entirety as God's story is woven through the pages of the whole Bible.

For a couple resources in teaching your children about Hanukkah check out the following links:

http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/lesson040.shtml

http://www.ehow.com/how_5890_teach-children-meaning.html

http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/hanukkah/about.html

http://www.teachervision.fen.com/hanukkah/teacher-resources/6627.html

http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/lesson-plan/celebrate-hanukkah-israel

http://www.ehow.com/video_4984614_teach-children-meaning-hanukkah.html

Food For Hanukkah

Okay, if you know me or follow this blog, you know I love to teach with FOOD! We manage to relate most unit studies, books, and lessons to food. As a result we can't forget FOOD today!

Oil

Food prepared for Hanukkah has a similar theme. It is fried in oil. If you don't understand the importance of the oil, see the above links.

In searching for a fun food to prepare in celebration of the first day of Hanukkah I stumbled upon a number of donut recipes at www.chabad.org

We chose to make the Cake Doughnuts. The recipe was missing a couple key words, so it was a little confusing for the kids. The recipe I'll post should be clear. Let me know if there are any questions.

These cake doughnuts are AMAZING! I think I want to become a doughnut maker now! Thank you so much www.chabad.org for posting this recipe.

Be careful if preparing these with kids. Our kids made the dough, and I fried them. I don't allow them to be around hot oil. It's just too dangerous.

Hot Oil...Danger!

Cake Doughnuts

Ingredients

2 eggs
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup milk
1/2 stick butter (1/4 cup), melted

Vegetable/Canola Oil for deep frying

In a large mixing bowl beat eggs, sugar and vanilla until thick and smooth. In another bowl combine dry ingredients, flour, baking powder, spices and salt. Whisk milk and butter together.

Add flour mixture and milk alternately to egg mixture, in about 3 additions of each. Stir to form a stiff dough.

Roll dough our to about 1/2-inch think. Using a doughnut cutter or biscuit cutter cut out doughnut shapes.

Heat oil in a deep-fryer to 360 degrees. Fry doughnuts in batches, turning several times, until golden all over. Using a slotted spoon or tongs, remove doughnuts to drain. We placed ours on paper towels.

Sprinkle immediately with powdered sugar or cinnamon and sugar.

We made a Chocolate Glaze and I dipped our doughnuts in the glaze.

Chocolate Glaze

4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate (we used chocolate chips)
3 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar

In a heavy sauce pan or double boiler, melt chocolate with butter. Whisk in sugar, a little at a time. Whisk in about 3 tablespoons water to thin to desired consistency. Glaze doughnuts immediately.

We sprinkled powdered sugar on the doughnut holes

Happy Hanukkah!

Grandma and Andrea Boccelli

2011-12-20T10:26:00.000-08:00

This is my Grandma.

Someone should write a book of her life.

It wouldn't be a romantic story of a charmed life.

It also wouldn't be a woe-is-me story of crappy life events creating a pitiful life saga of a victim.

Hers would be a story of perseverance, family, hard work and a whole lot of feisty sassiness. These traits helped her overcome real-life tragic events making her a strong, resilient, 85-year old mother of four, grandmother of fifteen (at least), and great-grandmother to about eighteen children.

Despite her bent arthritic fingers, my grandma has the most enduring strong work ethic you'll ever encounter. I truly admire her. She can still clean, weed, garden, and do laundry better than anyone reading this. It's the TRUTH!

I also admire her sense of family loyalty. She's the Queen Mama Bear. It is my heritage! Don't mess with Mama Bear or Grandma Bear or you may just have a knock-down-drag-out on your hands.

Looking at her tiny frame, yet strong appearance it's hard to imagine the hardships of life she's experienced.

She was born in Minnesota to Native American parents. Losing her mother and baby sister to tuberculosis and contracting it herself, she was sent to a sanitarium to live for three years, from ages 5-8. While at the sanitarium she did not see nor have visits from family or friends. I can't even begin to imagine the pain of separation she experienced.

She survived tuberculosis, only to return to her reservation to be once again separated from family. According to government policy of the time, Native American kids were shipped off to government schools. Life there was challenging and disheartening to say the least. She was forced to deny her native heritage and forbidden to speak her native language.

Depending on the year, she was at various government and/or Catholic schools until she was 16. During the school year, she wouldn't see family until summer. During the summers she would return home to be care-giver to her half-sister's family. Because of her strong work ethic and survival skills, she was more valuable as child-care-provider to the kids than a student.

Despite being only 16-years old and a flourishing student, during World War II, she was pulled out of school put on a train by herself and sent west to Seattle to become a nanny to her niece.

I'm told during this experience she was scared and shy. She was placed on a train filled with soldiers in uniform.

Why did they send her?

She was told she was ambitious. She had no choice, but work.

Being ambitious, hard-working, and driven doesn't come from having everything handed to you. It comes from discipline, doing without, trials, and overcoming them. I think we have a heritage of determined hard working people. We're raised this way.

I'm so proud to be the worker I am because of the blessed heritage I've been given.

Little tidbits of her life come out when you spend time with her. On her recent visit she told me she had a beautiful sister. Hollywood came looking for her sister, but she wouldn't leave her home. Interesting.

My Grandma did have a first cousin, Floyd Red Crow Westerman who was in the film industry. He was a country music singer, actor and activist. She was very sad when he passed away. I look at photos of him and see a family resemblance.

Floyd Westerman

I was blessed to spend last week with my Grandma. She flew down to spend seven days with us. I wanted to do all I could do to make our time special and memorable for her.

She loves watching Andrea Boccelli on PBS. I thought she'd appreciate seeing him in concert.

He had a scheduled performance in Anaheim at the Honda Center.

I bought tickets and asked her to bring some nice black clothing. We were going see Andrea Bocelli in person. After watching him, I realized it was not just a concert; it was an "experience!"

Words cannot describe how cute she was! She was ready to go at 4:00pm. The concert started at 7:30. I told her we didn't need to leave that soon.

We still left early.

Ready to go

She's so cute!

The empty stadium

Entertaining ourselves while waiting for the concert to begin

We shared popcorn while we waited.

Popcorn and Andrea- what could be better?

The orchestra arrives

Our neighbors took this for us

The music was indescribable! My sweet grandma had to wipe a tear from her eye a time or two. When music brings you to tears you know it's beyond special.

My grandma told me she used to love to sing opera when she was young. She said in school they sang in Latin. She doesn't remember it now because so many years have passed.

I hope singing along with Andrea made her feel like she felt as a child desiring to become an opera singer.

Hoping she was able live the dream...in little ways.

Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cookies

2011-12-19T09:38:00.000-08:00

When my mom heard we were baking gingerbread cookies recently she requested I send some back with my Grandma when she returned home. The problem for my mom in that is she suffers from Celiac Disease. After years of health struggles, she was finally diagnosed.

The Celiac Disease Foundation states:

The cause of Celiac Disease (CD), also known as celiac sprue or gluten sensitive enteropathy (GSE), is still a mystery. One out of 133 people in the United States is affected with celiac disease. CD occurs in 5-15% of the offspring and siblings of a person with celiac disease. In 70% of identical twin pairs, both twins have the disease. It is strongly suggested that family members be tested, even if asymptomatic. Family members who have an autoimmune disease are at a 25% increased risk of having celiac disease. Celiac Disease is not a food allergy - it is an autoimmune disease. Food allergies, including wheat allergy, are conditions that people can sometimes grow out of. This is not the case with Celiac Disease.

There's a minimal chance I could one day be diagnosed with Celiac Disease. I limit my intake, not so much in concern with having Celiac, but because I hang out with a paleo-ish crowd. More and more people seem to be limiting gluten, wheat and rice intake. I've seen this especially prevalent in the CrossFit world. Limiting processed foods and eating REAL food is definitely beneficial to the body. Although this is a bit of a contradiction to the yummy desserts and foods I've been posting lately, we do primarily eat paleo-ish.

Thinking of my mom and her desire to have gingerbread cookies, I wanted to find a recipe for cookies she could enjoy that wouldn't cause her issues.

I found a recipe on noursishingmeals.com that fit the bill. Granted, many of their recipes have ingredients I do not readily have on hand and I do not want to go out and spend $50 on ingredients to make one batch of cookies. Consequently, I used what I had and I think the cookies turned out GREAT! They are soft and chewy and have just a hint of ginger and molasses. I may increase the ginger a bit next time, but they taste great the way they are. Appearance wise, they're a bit on the wrinkly side, but I'm a bit on the wrinkly side so, so they pass the test.

Despite the appearance they are chewy soft goodness!

Nourishing meals recommended using hazelnut flour and provided a link to buy some on Amazon. I don't have the desire or the inkling to order flour on Amazon so I just used ground almond meal flour found in the grocery store bulk section (Sprouts carries it).

Also, they recommended using coconut sugar. I purchased some in the Whole Foods bulk section when I was originally going to make these cookies, but used it for something else. I ended up using raw turbinado sugar from Whole Foods 365 brand. It's a finer sugar than other raw sugar brands. I would steer away from using a raw sugar that has granules as large as something like Sugar in the Raw. The granules don't really break down well in the cookie dough.

I know my mom isn't as crazy about the frosting, so we didn't frost these cookies much. Unlike my sweetheart and kiddies, I prefer to have cookies unfrosted also. They're much too sweet with the extra sweetness lathered on top.

Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cookies

Dry Ingredients

2 cups ground almond meal flour

1 cup sweet rice flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

Wet Ingredients

1 cup coconut sugar (or raw turbinado sugar- fine granules)

1/2 cup softened butter

1/4 cup molasses

1 large egg

2 teaspoons vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well.

In an electric mixer combine wet ingredients. Mix well.

Add dry ingredients.

Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill for a couple hours.

Roll dough out to 1/4" thickness on surface sprinkled with sweet rice flour. Using cookie cutters carefully cut out shapes and place on parchment paper lined cookie sheet or on Silpat baking mat. If you don't have a Silpat, add it to your Christmas list. My mother-in-law gave me one for Christmas a couple years back and I LOVE IT! Thank you MIL!

Bake 12-15 minutes. If you bake them closer to the 12 minutes they with be soft and chewy. If baked closer to the 15 minutes they will be crisper.

Ready for the oven

Our Peeps

Best Dressed!

Glamour Shot

This is a GREAT treat to enjoy with a cup of coffee, or perhaps the Christmas eggnog latte!

Mom, watch your mailbox...we're sending some friends your way! Merry Christmas!

Cheesiest Homemade Macaroni & Cheese

2011-12-17T21:06:00.000-08:00

Last week my grandma was visiting. Before she headed to the airport to return back to Washington, I wanted to make her a yummy, filling meal to stick to her bones for the flight home. I had visions of her plane getting stuck on a runway with no extra food in her bag. So I made sure she had good food in her tummy.

Like most grandmas, she loves home-cooked comfort food. I knew she'd love this super cheesy macaroni and cheese.

This is another great recipe from Martha Stewart. Martha likes expensive cheese so beware when shopping for her recommendations in the gourmet cheese aisle. I bought a Trader Joe's New Zealand sharp white cheddar and a white cheddar Gruyere combination cheese. You can experiment with the cheese varieties to stick within a budget. The only thing I'd recommend it to use real cheese, no artificial cheeses. They just don't melt well, and they're artificial. Go for the REAL stuff!

Also, if you have small baking dishes, serve up individual macaroni and cheese meals. I think they're adorable!

Ingredients

Serves 12

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter (you'll use 2 T. for the bread and then 6 T. for the cheese sauce)

6 slices {good} white bread, crusts removed, torn into 1/4-1/2 inch pieces

5 1/2 cups milk

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional (I usually leave it out because some of our kids don't like spicy)

4 1/2 cups grated sharp white cheddar cheese

2 cups grated Gruyere cheese or 1 1/4 cups grated Pecorino Romano cheese

1 pound elbow macaroni, or a similar shaped noodle

Directions

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Butter or spray a 3-quart casserole dish; set aside. Place small bread pieces in a medium bowl. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in microwave safe dish. Pour over bread and toss. Set aside.

2. In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, heat milk. Melt remaining 6 tablespoons butter in large pot. When butter bubbles, add flour. Whisk one minute.

3. While whisking, SLOWLY pour in hot milk. Don't pour all milk in at one time or you'll have lumpy cheesy sauce. Not good! Continue cooking, until mixture bubbles and thickens. This can take a few minutes. Be patient.

4. Remove pan from heat. Stir in seasonings, 3 cups of the cheddar cheese, and 1 1/2 cups of the Gruyere. Set aside.

5. Meanwhile, prepare noodles according to package. Drain, rinse with cold water. Drain well. Stir macaroni into cheese sauce.

6. Pour mixture into prepared 3-quart dish, or small greased individual baking dishes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and breadcrumbs. Bake until browned on top, 20 minutes or so. Allow to cool 5 minutes before serving.

Dangerously Tasty Peanut Butter Brownie Trifle

2011-12-11T16:39:00.000-08:00

There are some desserts that are not only pretty to look at, but they bring out expressions like "OH MY WORD!" They are great for a crowd, but dangerous for an individual or even a small family. Each bite feels like my my jeans are getting tighter and I'll be paying with intense workouts in the coming week. I immensely enjoyed a couple bites and called it good.

This recipe is from How Sweet It Is. I just recently found this blog on Pinterest. Perusing the fantastic ideas on Pinterest sometimes makes me feel like an underachiever with a poorly designed blog and no fashion sense, so I don't go there all too often. Occasionally, I'll wind down in bed looking at beautiful decor, food, and clothing combos, but one can get quickly overwhelmed by great ideas.

Last night we hosted the dessert portion of a church middle school progressive dinner. It was the perfect opportunity to try out this dessert. Needless to say, with a houseful of teenagers and their leaders, it went quick!

The Trifle. A whole lot of goodness thrown together in a pretty bowl. Delicious!

Peanut Butter Brownie Trifle
The Layers:
Brownies
1 batch of boxed brownies made in a 9X13 pan, cooled and cut into small cubes

Chocolate Pudding
1 large box (5-ounce) instant chocolate pudding, prepared and chilled

Peanut Butter Cups
1 bag peanut butter cups, chopped (I opted to not top the trifle with them also. Too many calories already)

Whipped Cream
2 cups heavy cream plus 3-4 granulated sugar, beat into whipped cream with stiff high peaks.
Make whipped cream and chill in refrigerator until ready to use.

Peanut Butter Filling
1 cup creamy peanut butter
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature.
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk

Beat peanut butter and cream cheese until creamy. Add powdered sugar. Mix. Add 2 tablespoons of milk. Fold in 1 cup of the whipped cream from above. Set aside.

Layering
Layer ingredients in the trifle dish. Layer brownies, peanut butter filling, peanut butter cups, chocolate filling, then whipped cream. I did each in thirds, finishing the top with whipped cream and then grated dark chocolate.

Dessert is probably the most important stage of the meal, since it will be the last thing your guests remember before they pass out all over the table.

William Powell

Easy Advent Calendar

2011-12-11T15:02:00.000-08:00

With just a click here or there on the internet, we are introduced to so many fabulous ideas to inspire creativity from sites like Pinterest and other random crafty blogs. This year, with the help of my GREAT 8-year-old, behind-the-scenes motivator, I wanted to make an easy, yet attractive advent calendar we could use for years. My girlie wrote a count-down-to-Christmas list. Just about every day in December had an activity assigned to it. We just needed a great way to display her ideas.

I found the following idea from Simple Mom. We made some changes and created our own variation of the advent calendar.

Begin with an empty frame. We happened to have one just stashed away awaiting a good use. It already matched our decor.

Attach ribbon to the back. At first I tried a glue dot, but it wasn't heavy enough to hold the tags. I then tried tape. Fail. Lastly I pulled out the big guns and used Gorilla Glue. The ribbons are now secure.

Our ribbons were about 2.5" apart

I found K & Company Brenda Walton specialty paper at JoAnne's. In the paper pad it had a couple sheets that had numbers 1-25 on it plus some other holiday/Christmas designs.

I purchased paper tags measuring approximately 5.25" X 2.5" and placed a number and the activity on each tag. Next, position the tags. We used two colors; white and manila tags. It wasn't part of the original plan, but as crafts go, the craft store only had one tag pack left of each. Turns out, I like the look. We added a couple more events in between the numbered dates.We then clipped them to the ribbon using red metal binder clips found at Staples.

Positioning the tags

Each year we can adjust the activities as desired. It's a fun project, that was quick to complete and adds Christmas cheer to our living room.

A Great Cleaning Idea Embarrasses

2011-12-10T08:20:00.000-08:00

Finding a GREAT idea and keeping it on your desktop for future reference is a handy way to grab it when you're ready to use it. I've found fabulous ideas on Pinterest that I can't wait to try!

But sometimes these ideas are great for moms who do laundry, but not so great to display to strangers I don't know.

Yesterday I went to my first "find out how to use your computer" session and "Ralph" asked me to turn on the computer to get started. The next thing that happened was "the page" popped up.

Now, to many of you, this would have been no big deal. I know it would be no big deal to my mom or my husband, but it was completely embarrassing to me.

Another moment of realness on the blog-o-sphere.

HI, my name is Kimberly and I'm perpetually embarrassed. Normal everyday life occurrences embarrass me. I can't even begin to mention the ways humiliation enters everyday life; it's probably on a stratospheric scale. Even when I tell myself, "It's no big deal." I get embarrassed- like sweaty, heart-pumping embarrassment.

I really believe most of life's little imperfections are rooted in a few big categories of human frailty.

Embarrassment= Insecurity

Insecurity permeates many facets of everyday life. It's really annoying and I wish I could just shrug it off with a laissez-faire attitude, but I don't roll that way. Bummer!

My hub and I were watching "Selling L.A." the other night and I was watching the L.A. Chic gals thinking how stylish and sophisticated they were. Their inner geek didn't spring out unexpectedly like mine does so often. Even in a moment of trying to pull off having it together, something will appeal to my wacky sense of humor, laughter will ensue and perhaps a snort will escape. A total give-away that I'm a goofy girlie!

Back to Ralph. I was trying to play it cool and act like no big deal that a page entitled "Goodbye to Yellow Armpit Stains" just popped up on my computer. Embarrassing! I'm sure he wanted to know too, but wanted to be professional. It's not like it's a big deal to most people, but normal bodily function stuff happens to embarrass me. C'est la vie!

So, in my attempt to face my insecurities head on, I'm going to post this page. I think it's great information for a cleaning lady like myself and I'm hoping it will help with the stains on my boys' baseball pants too.

Thank you Jillie for posting this entry. Sensitive cleaning mommas need to know.

http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2011/11/goodbye-to-yellow-armpit-stains.html

And the Moral of the Story is....

2011-12-06T21:38:00.000-08:00

As a worrying parent I can't even tell you how many times I've offered gentle reminders to our kids:

Where's your helmet?

Slow down.

Is your seatbelt on?

Don't throw balls in the house.

Ride on the sidewalk.

Don't dart out in front of cars.

Don't dive in the shallow pool.

Don't stand on basketballs, or soccerballs.

My oldest just reminded me of the one I told him yesterday, "Whatever you're thinking...DON'T DO IT!"

I hate to sound like a broken record, but it pains me terribly when they get hurt.

Today, after our homeschool classes, our middle boy went out to play basketball with some buddies. I was tidying up my classroom and chatting with a fellow homeschool mom who happens to also be a doctor. Unexpectedly, one of our son's friends came up to the classroom and said our son was hurt and needed me.

We rushed downstairs and there I found my sweetheart in tears with a gash in his knee and blood running down his leg. I had my friend take a look at it; she gave me the "stitches" nod.

We then rushed to the local urgent care which was packed. Jumping back in the car, we headed to the next urgent care.

After a short wait we were seen.

"How did this happen?" asked the nurse.

The Gash

"I was standing on a basketball and fell off," said our son.

Soon, thereafter, the doctor came in. She took one look at it and made the necessary preparations to stitch it up.

Sitting beside my sweetheart, wiping the tears rolling down his face as the doctor gave him numbing injections made me wish I could protect him from all pain. There's nothing I could do but pray with him and wait for her to sew him back up.

All stitched up

As a mom I try my best to prepare, instruct and equip our kids for whatever they may encounter. Sometimes there are some lessons they have to learn at the school of hard knocks.

In the car on the way to the clinic, our son said to me, "This is a life lesson learned."

So true.

Hopefully he won't stand on a ball anytime soon.

And the moral of the story is... Don't stand on basketballs. And, sometimes it pays to listen to your momma.

Gingerbread Cookies, The Ambulance, & The Unexpected Field Trip

2011-12-05T07:47:00.000-08:00

Every year we make the same gingerbread recipe. Thank you Martha!

And every year when we make these yummy Christmas treats, I think of one of the scariest experiences I've had as a momma.

December 2004, I was home alone with the kids. My hub was working nights. The kids and I were gathered in the kitchen mixing up a batch of Melissa's Gingerbread Cookies from The Martha Stewart Cookbook. The kids were sitting on the counter helping add ingredients to the mixer. I was standing right next to them.

Unexpectedly, our 1 1/2 year old girlie spun around and then fell backwards off the counter and hit her head on the hardwood floor. It all happened so quickly AND I was right there. How it happened still boggles my mind. Immediately after she fell, I scooped her up. She was unconscious, back arched. Quickly, I called 911 and within 7 minutes two sets of responders descended upon our home. The boys and I were so frightened. My girlie was conscious again, but lethargic.

After examination, the paramedics decided to transport us to the hospital for further evaluation.

In the ambulance the boys told the paramedic we were homeschoolers. She proceeded to give them a field trip of the inside of the ambulance. Meanwhile I held my precious girlie. While at home, I was strong and clear thinking, but during the transport, the enormity of the whole event began to hit me. Suddenly, I sensed a panic attack coming on. The paramedic then placed an oxygen mask over my face for the remainder of the ride. Breathe...

The kids still laugh over their momma's reaction. They tell the story of the time nothing was wrong with their momma, but the paramedic had to give her oxygen.

Weak!

Our girlie ended up having a concussion. Thankfully, nothing else was wrong. She has a good story to go along with one of our family favorite cookies.

This year she drafted up a Christmas Advent list. Making Gingerbread Cookies was our activity for December 1st.

She has a long list of fun activities for us in the month of December. I'm making an easy advent calendar to showcase her ideas.

Here's a sneak peek at the Advent Calendar:

It's going to be a GREAT month!

Making Gingerbread Cookies With the Kids

2011-12-05T07:39:00.000-08:00

What a cute Gingerbread Man!

Our favorite gingerbread cookie recipe. When baking this cookie recipe with the kids, I do the step with the double boiler. It is more of the tedious task. This cookie dough is also dangerously good! Watch out!

Melissa's Gingerbread Cookies
from The Martha Stewart Cookbook
makes 3-4 dozen cookies

1 cup dark molasses
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
4 teaspoons ground ginger
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 tablespoon baking soda
1/2 pound (2sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 eggs, lightly beaten
6 cups sifted all-purpose flour

Royal icing

Place the molasses, sugars, ginger, and cinnamon in a double boiler over medium heat. When the sugar has melted, add the baking soda and stir. When the mixture bubbles up, remove from heat.

Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add the hot molasses mixture and stir well. Let mixture cool to about 90 degrees F, then add the eggs. Gradually add the flour, 1 cup at a time, while beating. (This is best done in an electric mixer, but you can use a wooden spoon).

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Shape the dough into a neat rectangle, place on a well-floured board, and roll out until 1/4 inch thick. Cut into shapes with a cookie cutter. Place on baking sheet and bake 12-18 minutes, or until firm to the touch. Let cool on racks.

Decorate with Royal Icing.

Step one in the double boiler. Stir until sugar has melted.

After the soda is added...bubbly

Ready to roll

Oven ready

Icing is the kids job...my hub decorates with them

A Winner in the Family!

2011-12-02T18:49:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, my girlie's soccer team mom mentioned AYSO Soccer was teaming up with Disney for a team spirit contest. She asked if anyone on the team would be interested in writing a 100 word or less essay showcasing how our team demonstrated team spirit and sportsmanship. Our girlie jumped at the opportunity and was so excited to write the essay.

The deadline for submission was November 18th. The winner would be announced December 2nd.

This morning my girl came bouncing downstairs with her hands covering her face with excitement. She said, "Mom, today's the BIG day!"

What big day? December 2nd? I had forgotten about the contest.

She hadn't.

She remembers everything!

I didn't want to tell her the odds of her winning was probably pretty slim. I sure hope I'm not a pessimist, but really, what are the odds?

Tonight as I was waiting for her to finish gymnastics, I received this email.

Hello Kimberly! My name is __ from the AYSO National Office. Thanks so much for entering the AYSO/Disney-Pixar Cars 2 Team Sportsmanship Contest. We’re so excited to inform you that your wonderful submission has won you and team _____ (U-10) the Cars 2 Team Party! Congratulations! Please contact me on Monday so we can follow up with you on the details of your prize. Great job and again, congratulations!

I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!! I'm so proud of our girlie!

She's optimistic! She's full of HOPE! She's a WINNER!

According to the submission form the winning team will receive:

a Cars 2 themed dinner, plus each player will be presented with a "great sportsmanship" trophy and their own copy of the Cars 2 Blu-ray™ combo pack.

Very exciting news at our house tonight! Look like a celebration is in order.

Homeschool Resource Periodic Table

2011-12-02T08:02:00.000-08:00

Our oldest son is studying Physical Science this year. We've recently begun learning about atoms, molecules and chemical formulas. As mentioned earlier, teaching science is not one of my strengths. We just did an experiment the other day on water as a solvent. If you need a visual, science and I are more like water and oil. We don't mix, but sometimes we can go well together and make a GREAT dressing! I blend up what I learn, pour it on our kids and they seem to thrive and understand. Moreover, I'm so grateful for a well-written, easily understood science curriculum- Apologia. I'm also grateful when I stumble across a science resource that is informative and interesting. I hope the kids like this one!

Before I share a Periodic Table find, I have to share a funny story. A couple weeks ago my hub happened to be home from work for the morning. The kids and I were reading about chemical formulas and elements on the Periodic Table. We were discussing protons, neutrons and electrons. After about 15 minutes, my oh-so-awesome, stylish, spiky hair, absolutely adorable hub (who happens to have a degree in Chemistry) enthusiastically walks in the room and shares some brain-a-licious Periodic Table information with us. To be honest, we weren't completely grasping what he was sharing. He then quietly left and went back to his work.

Our brown-eyed middle son, with the cutest look on his face then affectionately whispers, "He's such a little nerd."

We all laughed, not to be mean, but we all recognize underneath the stylish, athletic exterior lies a GREAT mind of a brainiac. I used to tell my sweetheart, while we were in college, he's the cutest nerd to ever walk the chemistry halls. Love that!

Anyway, back to the Periodic Table find. Thanks to The Homeschool Resource of the Day from Homeschool Freebie of the Day we found three GREAT Periodic Table Resources.

Dynamic Periodic Table: It's a Wikipedia resource. Click on the element and learn all about it.
The link: http://ptable.com/

The Periodic Table of Videos: I like this one because there are short, 4-5-minute videos displaying the element and showing the properties of it. Very interesting!
The link: http://www.periodicvideos.com/index.htm

The Comic Book Periodic Table: This might be a popular find among the comic book fans. It doesn't necessarily tell you much about the element, but does give an example where and when the comic mentioned the element. This makes for fun trivia to add to a chemist's knowledge.
The link: http://www.uky.edu/Projects/Chemcomics/

The Photographic Periodic Table: This resource has photos of the element and informative tidbits of information about the element.
The link: http://www.periodictable.com/

If you haven't yet checked out Homeschool Freebie of the Day, it is worth your while. There are great downloads and resources.

Book Study: Number The Stars Week 4

2011-12-01T21:16:00.000-08:00

Teaching the history and overwhelming magnitude of World War II and The Holocaust to 5th-9th grade students can be a daunting task. I REALLY want them to experience what we're reading and not just take the information and answer questions. Reality is, we cannot even begin to grasp the enormity of it, but we can do our best to learn about the era, those involved, the events and the heroes who risked lives for others.

Sadly, too often students hear dates, statistics and facts and it's in one ear out the other. I know first hand this type of learning. Along with elementary education, I majored in history in college. I learned a lot, regurgitated it for a test, and then went onto the next course. I really can't say I had a professor who made an impact on my learning or that I fell in love with learning in college. This is sad. I imagine it's the same for many students.

Working with our kids has taught me to LOVE learning. I LOVE thinking about being a pioneer girl on the open plain. I love wondering if I'd have what it would take to help with the Underground Railroad. Would I have the courage of Harriet Tubman or Corrie Ten Boom? I've walked trails in our home state imagining I was Christy heading up through the Appalachian Mountains to teach. Even tonight as I was completing a grueling workout running 400 meters, in the dark, carrying a 35 pound weight, I was imagining I was running from the Nazis carrying one of my children. Perhaps, I've been reading a little too much about World War II.

I'm currently teaching a book study on Number the Stars by Lois Lowry. When planning to teach on the Holocaust, I found the National Holocaust Museum a GREAT resource. They have informative guidelines for educators. The guidelines point out that it's important to discuss the four types of groups involved: victims, perpetrators, rescuers, and bystanders. We've discussed "The Final Solution" and that 6 million Jews were killed, but I had a sense the enormity of six million wasn't being translated into people. One activity we did this week was to try to provide a visual representation for six million.

Forgive me if rice seems trivial, but I thought it would represent the magnitude and enormity of the number.

I brought a two pound bag of rice to class.

I divided our small class into three groups. I asked each group to count the grains of rice I measured out to them. I gave one group one cup of rice. The two other groups received one teaspoon of rice. The one cup of rice proved to be too much to count manually so we did our own calculations. The two groups who had one teaspoon of rice counted out about 250 grains for their one teaspoon of rice.

There are 48 teaspoons in one cup, so we multiplied 48 X 250 equaling 12,000.

There were 5 cups of rice in the two pound bag. This calculates to about 60,000 grains of rice in the 2 pound bag!

In order to count to six million, the students would need how many two-pound bags of rice? ONE HUNDRED!!

With each grain of rice counted I tried to visualize each one as a person. This is beyond comprehension! Unfathomable!

I hope the lesson made an impact for the students. It hit my heart...HARD!

Where to begin...

2011-11-28T15:50:00.000-08:00

My brain is swirling with too many thoughts and ideas for posts. My camera is filled with food photos of recipes to share, but there's just not enough time in the day.

This blog is primarily a journal so I can pass down family history, stories, ideas, recipes, and examples of God's goodness witnessed. I don't want to ever take anything for granted and hope to teach our kids that God is GOOD ALL THE TIME!

Yesterday I was feeling down, in despair, and destitute- actually quite pitiful. The word that came to mind was RAW. I know on the blog, and in life, I may seem upbeat and cheery, but there are times when I feel like the scales are tipping to the side of uncertainty, "What do we do now?" It's at these moments when I realize I'm not in control. God has a plan. He's making me and molding me into the person He desires me to be. Reliant on Him, rather than reliant on self.

This has been a tough year on us. Like many Americans, we've been hit pretty hard with the economic downturn. Living on one income is difficult. Unexpected expenses can really rock the financial boat. We've had a number of unexpected expenses arise. I feel like we've had a financial earthquake and the aftershocks keep rolling in. I wonder when it will end, but I'm afraid to even ask.

Through all of this God continues to teach us lessons.

The Stuff Doesn't Matter

In 2007, my hub was offered a job position in Southern California. We had a comfortable life in the Pacific Northwest. We had a lot of friends, a GREAT church, a wonderful community, newly built custom home, a view of majestic mountains, everything we could dream of. I remember walking our property talking with God. I didn't want to move. I loved all we had. I loved the comfort and security. I sensed Him asking me, "Do you love this house, more than you love what I have in store for you? Do you love this property more than the plans I have for you? Do you love that view more than what awaits?"

These are tough questions!

At that time He gave me the following verses:

Genesis 12:1

"Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you."

Hebrews 12:1

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,"

I like how The Message rephrases it too:

Hebrews 12:1-3

Discipline in a Long-Distance Race

"Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we'd better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we're in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he's there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!"

I knew God was asking me to jump out of the comfort zone and head to a new land with new adventures in store. He was dealing with my heart and my stuff. I took to heart, "throw off anything that hinders." I had a lot of sentimental stuff hindering me from moving. We began to move things out, but that was only the beginning.

Even after paring down, we moved to SoCal with A LOT! I really felt for our poor movers. Over the last couple years we've thrown off probably thousands of pounds of hindrances, but there's still more to be done. I'm giving away and selling so much. It's freeing! And I've realized so much of it just doesn't matter temporarily or eternally. It's cluttering up our house, my heart, and our family freedom.

God, Where Are You?

Over the last six months or so, I feel like I've been in a boxing match getting knocked into the rings, finding strength to get up only to get hit again. God's blessed us with amazing resilience, but it gets exhausting. I can't tell you how many times I've had "Job" moments. Now there's a man who went THROUGH it!!

Over the last few months we've lost friends to illness, our cat died, we've had financial strains, broken bones, dental issues, and we're looking at being transferred once again. We're living in a state of uncertainty. I've noticed anxiety creeping into life again. Living in the moment has gone out the window while my mind is preoccupied with worries about how this is all going to work out. Since I'm such a control-freak, I'm so quick to try to grab the reins from God thinking He has NO IDEA where we're going. I'm just like the Israelites during the Exodus. You'd think I'd learn something along the way, but apparently I haven't grasped the concept yet!

I'm reading Beth Moore's Breaking Free right now. Could there be a more perfect book, besides the Bible, for me to read? I'd quote the whole book because it's that good, but that would make for one HUGE blog, so I'll keep it short.

"God surpasses our dreams when we reach past our personal plans and agendas to grab the hand of Christ and walk the path He has chosen for us."

"His Word, 'is a lamp to my feet.' meaning a guide for the steps I'm taking right now. His Word is also 'a light for my path,' meaning a guide for my immediate future. God's Word sheds light on our 'present' path and our immediate future so we'll know what steps to take, but for further instruction we'll have to walk today and check again!"

God does know where we're going. He hears the cries of uncertainty and reassures. He's been consistently revealing himself through His Word, other books, sermons, and my kids.

Listen to the Kids

I may not have mentioned it yet to day, but our kids are awesomeness! They provide great perspective and wisdom continually.

Yesterday, when I had the look of a stressed out mom, our oldest son said to me, "Mom, this is just like Soul Surfer. When Bethany lost her arm and thought she had lost it all, she went to Thailand. God gave her perspective in her situation. Mom, you just need to check your perspective."

Oh my word! Was that my precious child who just spoke these amazing words? Love Him! The wisdom of youth is priceless!

I had lost perspective. He guided me back on the path.

Last Thoughts...

When the Israelites were full of doubt in their weakness Moses reassured them,

"Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still." Exodus 14:13-14

So, I will be still, or as The Message reads, "keep your mouth shut!" God has a plan. He is the potter, I am the clay. Sometimes this molding process can just be a bit uncomfortable.

Harvest Margaritas

2011-11-26T21:49:00.000-08:00

The day before Thanksgiving I was cooking away and watching Food Network's Thanksgiving Live. The show featured recipes and tips from Rachael Ray, Anne Burrell, Sunny Anderson, Melissa d'Arabian and Bobby Flay. I was so inspired watching these professional chefs. What a GREAT life they seem to have!

One recipe idea that sounded good also happened to be completely out of character for me. It was a cocktail idea. The cocktail conversation kept coming up on the program. Maybe they were trying to sell cocktails. Well, they succeeded!

Bobby Flay presented his recipe for Harvest Margaritas. About 10 or so years ago I bought some Tequila for some event. We still have it. Does alcohol ever go bad? Hmmm....good question. Anyway, we just keep moving it from house to house and it sits up in the cupboard waiting for a good idea.

I looked up his recipe online and headed to the store for the ingredients we didn't have. Bitters. What the heck is bitters? After arriving at the grocery and wandering down the alcohol aisle I read just about EVERY label and did not see something that read "Bitters." I then sought the expertise of the internet. Apparently bitters used to be added to most drinks. Interesting, but what is it? I never found it, so I would have to improvise. I used a couple splashes of Triple Sec instead.

Another item the store was out of was whole allspice. Must have been a run on whole allspice for the fall holidays. Again, improvisation was necessary. I would leave it out.

Here's Bobby's real recipe:

Bobby Flay's Harvest Margaritas (Almost)

Ingredients

2 ounces tequila, such as Patron reposado tequila (I used whatever was in the cupboard)
1 1/2 ounces chilled Spiced Simple Syrup, recipe follows
1/2 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
Few dashes bitters (or Triple Sec like I used)
Ice
Lime wedge, for garnish
Kosher Salt

Directions

Combine the tequila, simple syrup, lime juice, bitters and ice in a cocktail shaker and shake for 10 seconds. Serve straight up or on the rocks with a lime wedge for garnish.

Spiced Simple Syrup:

1 cup sugar
8 whole allspice berries
8 whole cloves
3 cinnamon sticks
1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped

Combine the sugar, 1 cup water, allspice, cloves, cinnamon and ginger in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook until the sugar is completely melted. Remove from the heat and let steep for 1 hour. Strain into a small bowl, cover and refrigerate until cold.

How did it turn out?

We were graciously invited to enjoy Thanksgiving with some friends. Ahead of time, I made the simple syrup. I brought my Harvest Margarita ingredients to share and get some professional opinions. They margaritas were a HIT! They are super strong, so each couple just shared one. We must be a bunch of lightweights. It was fun to try something new.

I will keep them in mind for the future.

Thanks Bobby, for the great idea. Maybe next time I'll need to find out what in the world bitters are.

Where there's a will, there's a way!

2011-11-25T21:28:00.000-08:00

Black Friday 2011 was a big day in our family! It's a 2-post kind of day. First, the happenings for the littlest member of our family.

I'll begin with a little history. Two of our littles were pacifier binky boys. We attached those little plugs to their shirts and they loved them for a couple years. The binkies were great soothers and took care of whatever ailed a little peewee. Around the age of 2-3 they either accidentally spit them down the flushing toilet (oops, bye-bye binkie) or sucked them to the point of destruction. Before we knew it, they were done with the pacifier.

This was not the case with our little princess. She was blessed with two favorite fingers that soothed her endlessly. There was no chance these precious little appendages would actually get flushed down the commode. Within the last year we've gently encouraged her not to plug her mouth with her favorite fingers especially during the day. The more she felt stressed about quitting, the more she sucked! The skin on her pale little fingers was consistently shriveled like she'd been in a pool for days and we noticed they were looking a bit more crooked than the others having been held at an angle for years.

She really needed to quit, but I didn't want to stress her about it. It would come in her time. We're not big on bargaining with our kids. She either would quit on her own, or not.

To be honest, I cherished her little finger sucking. She's the youngest and when I'd look at her with those fingers in her mouth she looked liked the little baby I once knew. She wants the world to see her as an independent big girl. I think she'd gotten to the point where she didn't want people to know, but it's just too hard to quit.

Within the last year or so she set her mind on getting her ears pierced. She talked about it all the time. She would save her money and buy rhinestone-looking scrapbook embellishments and stick them to her earlobes. I told her when I was her age, I'd twist up aluminum foil and make hoop earrings and wear them like real earrings.

She asked constantly about getting her ears pierced. Our response was, "When you stop sucking your fingers..." We figured it wouldn't happen in quite awhile.

If you know our girlie, you know she's a girlie with a mind of her own.

She wanted her ears pierced...BAD!

At some point, late summer, she all of the sudden quit sucking her fingers!

We couldn't believe it!

There are probably times in her sleep when they creep back in, but during the day is basically non-existent.

She was so excited!

Her daddy told her, if she could make it 30 days, she could get her ears pierced. The countdown began.

But, it was soccer season.

She easily made it through the 30 days, but then had to wait until the end of soccer since the girls aren't allowed to wear any jewelry during the game.

Soccer finished last weekend so today was our first free day to make the trip to Claire's.

Her daddy filled out all the paperwork. She picked out her birthstone earrings. She was beaming! She was so excited, but yet so nervous! The two sales gals who were helping us had more hair color variations than I could count. There was turquoise, red, pink, and maybe a little brown mixed in. They had multiple piercings including ear discs, nose rings, and feathers hanging from the cartilage of the ear. They were so patient and kind to us.

A little girl about 4-5 years old noticed my girlie in the chair, looking hesitant. She told her daddy she wanted to come in to encourage our girlie. She came in to say, "Be Brave." How precious!

We took photos. Then before it happened, she jumped out of the chair and said, "I'm not doing it. Let's leave."

This is the "I'm pretty nervous" face.

Okay Mom, I'll smile for you!

With my dad beside me, I can do this.

Okay, I'm not sure about this again.

My stomach feels sick. I'm ready to run!

I wasn't expecting that.

What to do now?

We talked about it and after a couple moments, she once again climbed back in the chair.

Back in, and ready to go.

Hair pinned back and the dots are marked where the earrings will soon be.

I love her!

Uh oh, the reality is sinking in again.

We opted for the double piercing so both piercings would happen at the same time.

It was SO fast I think my girlie was surprised. Before she knew it, it was done.

Wow! It's done, and she's smiling!

So proud of her new bling!

Her little lobes looked pretty red, but still as cute as ever.

Look at those little red lobes!

She looked in the mirror and the pride of facing her fears and seeing a dream come true was written all over her little face.

A Big Girlie!

The rest of the day she's been flicking her hair around and displaying her shining bling.

What a girlie!

Love her!

Butter Pie Crust Dough

2011-11-25T08:38:00.000-08:00

Butter Pie Crust Dough
from Bon Appetit/Epicurious
Makes one 9-inch pie crust.

Single crust recipe. For a double crust, double the following:

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3 tablespoons (or more) ice water

Blend flour, sugar, and salt in processor. Add butter and cut in, using on/off turns, until coarse meal forms. Add 3 tablespoons water. Using on/off turns, blend just until moist clumps form, adding more water by 1/2 tablespoonfuls if dough is dry. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic; refrigerate 1 hour. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled. Soften slightly at room temperature before rolling.)