Proverbs 17:22

love notes

2012-02-11T14:25:00.000-08:00

spent some time this weekend at Nick's parents home. while we were there, his Bedstamor (Danish for grandmother) showed us a note that she had received from Nick when he was little.

i laughed... so hard!

oh, the ways that little boys express their love!

Friday's Fort (a miniature)

2012-02-10T09:00:00.000-08:00

since the boys are totally into their new dinosaurs, we went small and simple with today's fort. bonus, makes for easy clean up that way.

drawbridges for our dino friends

we had to make some architectural changes to accommodate brachiosaurus. but hey, in this family we're used to making adjustments for those who are tall.

had fun just hangin' out with our little pals in this Friday's Fort.

rice in a tub

2012-02-10T06:00:00.000-08:00

that's essentially all it is. but my two boys find it pretty awsome.

we wrote letters in it, which were hard to see, but Isaac still had fun guessing which letters i wrote.

however, dinosaurs were the preferred choice for play.

they stomped through the "hay" leaving footprints and digging holes.

and while the tub was nice and deep...

it was by no means capable of holding in all that little boy/dino adventure fun.

i'm sure i will be finding rice for many days to come. but 3 hours of preoccupation for a flighty 4 year old = totally worth it!~

in-n-out knock off!

2012-02-09T19:02:00.000-08:00

for those here in the state of Nebraska, you might not have ever heard of in-n-out. so let me fill you it.

it might appear to be nothing more than a burger joint. but the only thing they do is burgers and fries, and they do them both quite well. yet even if you stop in when you are down in the southwest corner of the US, you are still missing out on a fantastic secrete.

animal style.

it's not listed on the menu, but it makes their decent little burger reach new hights. this concoction of onions and cheese and special sause makes my mouth water every time i think about it.

and tonight, i've found a way to bring in-n-out to my kitchen table smack in the middle of the USA. (and put it on a gluten free bun for me to enjoy!)

now i found the exact same recipe all over the web (exact to the point they all said 3 teaspoons relish, instead of 1 Tablespoon relish (cuz 3 t. = 1 T.)), so i'm really not sure who to give credit to. so, i give it to no one and instead just post it here where you can enjoy it. :)

Animal Style Sauce
1/2 c. mayo
2 T. french dressing
1 T. sweet pickle relish
1 t. white vinegar
3/4 t. sugar
1/8 t. salt

mix them all well. note: the longer this sauce sits, the better it gets. so feel free to make it the day before.

chop 1 onion (a sweet onion tastes best with the sause). saute with a little oil until carmelized.

top your burger with onion, cheddar cheese, and sauce. consume immediately and don't take a moment to consider how messy it is because it's totally worth looking like a mess to be able to enjoy it.

he never had a chance to enjoy it when we lived 2 minutes from an in-n-out, so this was his first experience.

hope you all enjoy it as much as we did!

p.s. when i told Isaac that i was making burgers animal style, he asked that his burger be a zebra. :)

embrace the camera

2012-02-09T13:29:00.000-08:00

wanted to get some pictures with Christian since recently all my pictures are with Isaac. Christian, however, didn't like the idea of being in front of the camera today. so here's our little strip of consecutive photos. made me laugh.

by the end he was giggling a little. still didn't want his picture taken, but he walked away with a smile.

pouf pies

2012-02-09T06:00:00.000-08:00

so i really am unsure of what to call these.

they are similar to a pie in content, but the adorable little round shape really takes it in a different direction than a normal deep dish.

so, by no real logic other than the giddiness of my brain, i shall call them pouf pies. they are a cute and fun little treat to serve the ones you love. it's really quite simple...

cut circles out of a pie crust...

top with traditional pie fillings...

or some less traditional toppings...

seal it shut with another circle and top with a little sugar. bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes

all i can say is... yum!

business info:

~ role your crusts nice and thin to get a light texture ~

~ the best way to get your top crust to stick is by brushing on a little water ~

~ beat the sugar and vanilla into the cream cheese ~

~ again, a little water will help the sugar stick to the top ~

~ i used cinnomon & sugar on the apple pies ~

~ i used homemade vanilla sugar on the strawberry pies ~

because of the cream cheese, my strawberry pies kind of goobered a little bit.

but, that's ok, cuz they still taste just as good!

a little bit of this and that

2012-02-08T09:15:00.000-08:00

my boys were having "foot fights" where they basically kick each other til someone cries. so we made a new game where your feet fight each other, right vs. left. they found it quiet entertaining.

found some pipe cleaners in the target dollar bins and it was requested that mommy make each boy a man, a zebra and a kangaroo. then that they be given wings. never seen a flying kangaroo before, but boy do they move fast. :)

he wanted to be daddy. :)

so often our days are filled with competition and fights, and the only thing they seem to do well together is cause trouble. so it's nice to catch the little fleeting moments like this that remind me of how much they love each other.

around here, the days are long, but the years are short.

Southwest Chicken Soup

2012-02-07T07:00:00.000-08:00

i love a good soup. and this is a great soup for sharing with others, as it avoids most of your common food "allergies". not only can it be made gluten free, but there is no dairy or soy, so it's a great one for all my nursing MSPI mommy friends (if you want to learn more about milk soy protein intolerance, click here for an easy to understand explanation & helpful info). just put a variety of toppings on the side so that everyone can customize according to what they like and what they can eat.

and for all you non-allergy peoples out there who doubt the flavors of g.free, dairy & soy free food, you won't be disappointed! this is one of those meals that my 2 year old asks for seconds and exclaims "dis rish-us mom!" (translate: "this is delicious mom!").

it can be pulled together in 2 different ways...

1 - throw everything in the crockpot and forget about it for a few hours

2 - whip it up in less than an hour in your oven

both ways have their pro's and con's and i have found it helpful to make it either way depending on the day.

Southwest Chicken Soup

ingredients:
4 boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 4 oz can of chopped green chilies
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1-ish yellow or red onion, diced
2 15 oz cans of diced tomatoes, including juice
1/2 - 1 c. chicken broth
1 t. cumin
1-2 t. taco seasoning (use a gluten free taco seasoning if you need it)

crockpot directions:
place all ingredients in crockpot with the chicken on the bottom, where it is closest to the heat, and the other ingredients mixed together and poured over top.

the ice cubes are my homemade chicken broth.

cook on high for 3-4 hours. when chicken is cooked, use 2 forks to shred it and stir throughout. adjust your seasonings to taste.

oven directions:
place garlic and onions in the bottom of an oven safe 3 qt pot with a little oil. put chicken on top and season lightly. place pot in oven and bake at 400 for 30-40 minutes, or until chicken is done. shred chicken with forks and add other ingredients to pot. serve right away or keep in the fridge until needed.

our favorite toppings are:
shredded cheese
sour cream
corn chips
avocado
lime wedges

as always, add what you like, leave out what you don't.

i've also noticed that boneless skinless chicken thighs tend to come in a package of 6, so if i'm not going to be needing those 2 thighs for another meal, i just add them to my soup. if i use all 6 thighs, i just throw in another 15 oz can of diced tomatoes and some extra seasonings & a little more onion or garlic.

p.s. cupcake liners are so useful! here i used them for individual portions of toppings. this is a great way to let my boys add their own toppings without constantly watching to make sure they aren't using the entire bag of shredded cheese. ;) and they add such a cute touch to the table.

winter is still here

2012-02-06T12:41:00.000-08:00

our January was so mild, many of us seemed to forget that it was still winter. after all, when the days are filled with playing outside in t-shirts and somedays shoes become optional, it's easy to let your thoughts meander towards spring.

but this weekend we were reminded that we are indeed, still in the midst of winter.

it may drive some people batty, but the bi-polar weather of Nebraska is something i love! trust me, i've lived in the desert where it's hot and sunny 360 days of the year. it's not so lovely as it sounds. but then again, everyone is different and maybe you would love it. i did not. i thank the Lord for the variety of hot and cold, sunny and rainy.

and snow...

i love snow...

someday, i want to look in the "storehouses of snow" that the Lord God talks about in Job 38. i'm sure that it's beauty will blow my mind!

p.s. i'm also thankful for camera phones with fun filters. for these pictures i used my iphone and a free app called instagram with the filter "amaro". i'm no pro photographer, but i love pretty, moody pictures like these.

taco seasoning

2012-02-06T12:20:00.000-08:00

this is my favorite taco seasoning. i got the recipe from my mom. i don't know where she got it. but i do know, is that it's great!

Taco Seasoning
2 t. salt
2 T. chili powder
2 t. paprika
1 t. garlic powder
1 t. cumin
1/2 t. oregano
2 T. flour (use gluten free if you need it, or you can leave the flour out)

we use this taco seasoning on ground beef, shredded chicken, in soups & sauces, whatever is in need of a little southwest kind-a kick.

i like to triple or quadruple the recipe when i make it, and keep the extra in a jar in my spice cabinet. the jar has the recipe stuck right on it, so i always have directions handy to shake more up whenever it runs empty. i'm all about making cooking more convenient!

friday's fort

2012-02-03T07:57:00.000-08:00

we built another fort today. this time it's 2 blankets over our kitchen table. oh, and a rug underneath. nothin fancy, but more than enough to make these 2 boys ecstatic!

i put the 5 minutes of effort into this knowing that it would keep my potty trainer upstairs and close to the bathroom, as opposed to playing in the basement and both of us losing track of time.

i also knew that it would keep both boys preoccupied and playing nicely so that i could pack my bag for my Ladies Retreat that's happening this weekend. (hooray for little get-aways that help maintain mamma's sanity!)

have a good weekend, all!

frozen chocolate banana treats

2012-02-02T14:57:00.000-08:00

they are really a very simple treat. but the day i made them, my artsy-fartsy side took over so they look a lot more complicated than they are.

ingredients:

bananas

peanut butter

chocolate

coconut oil

step 1: cut up your bananas and lay them out on a piece of wax paper.

this is one of the ways i use up the bananas that are starting to turn speckly

step 2: with a frosting bag or a zip lock baggie (with a corner snipped off) pipe peanut butter onto the bananas. now put them in the freezer for a while so that they stay firm for the chocolate dipping.

i like now in this picture my peanut butter baggie looks like a goldfish. oh, it's the little things in life that make me so happy!

see. all artsy-fartsy with hearts. in the end they weren't distinguishable, but it was fun while it lasted. <3

step 3: melt your chocolate with a little bit of coconut oil (crisco also works). the oil will give your chocolate a little more of a glossy look.

step 4: dip your bananas in the chocolate. i found the easiest way was to stick them to a little bit of chocolate on the spoon and give them a quick dunk.

note: while dipping, avoid setting the frozen bananas on the counter directly above a hot steamy dishwasher, as your bananas will quickly start to thaw and turn quite mushy

step 5: pop them back in the freezer to firm up the chocolate. you can leave them plain or top them with a little white chocolate for decoration.

Isaac thought they were great and ate about 7 at once. i'm calling it a healthy snack. after all, it's mostly banana and peanut butter. that over rules the chocolate, right?

embrace the camera

2012-02-02T14:20:00.000-08:00

yep, me and my Isaac again. Christian was napping and Isaac and I were having a nice calm moment.

he's getting so big, and it's amazingly fun to see his mind growing as well.

since before Isaac could understand english, Nick and I have been talking to him about God and the gospel. at this age, he very much understands what sin is and knows enough to be able to tell me that Jesus died on the cross to pay for sins.

recently, he's been asking lots of questions. i can see his little mind start to comprehend things. things like how heaven and hell are real places, how God loves us so much, yet there are consequences for our sins.

as he gets older, his questions have been getting more and more in depth. and i've been somewhat thrown for a loop in how to answer his questions in a way he will understand. not that the gospel is a high and lofty thing; no, the good news of salvation is clearly something that is offered to everyone and elementary enough anyone can understand it. yet we know that the Lord God is not a simple God, but a great and deep and complexly amazing God! so every answer, no matter how simple it is, leads to more questions.

and all these questions make me hopeful.

only the Father knows if my son will choose to trust in Jesus Christ for the salvation of his soul. I pray that it will happen and, Lord willing, that it will be at a young age.

so until the day that i am no longer able, i will answer his questions...

and brace myself for the dozen that will surely follow!

busy day

2012-01-31T14:55:00.000-08:00

it's tuesday. tuesday is a day where i have Titus Tuesday (our ladies Bible study) in the morning & Edge Bible study in the evening. we love them both so much, but it makes for a very busy day.

i was planning on sharing a treat with you all, but it's 4:45 & i still have to make/serve/clean up supper and finish rounding up everything we need to take tonight. so, it will have to wait until tomorrow.

i will simply leave you with some words of wisdom from the study this morning...
feel free to go here to listen to the lesson yourself. just look for today's date.

we heard today about the Omnipresence of God. How He is everywhere at all times and knows everything you do and hears everything you think. He sees every sin you do, even when you think no one can.

now, after you let that fact blow your mind, you might come to a place where it comforts you or to where that thought intimidates you. today, i have chosen to find comfort in this fact. and i have chosen to set that in the forefront of my mind.

Psalm 16:8
"I have set the Lord continually before me;
Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken."

as the verse says, "i have set the Lord continually before me" meaning, i will put Him in the forefront of my mind. "because He is at my right hand" that is to say, He is completely accessible at any moment and i take full advantage of that, therefore, i will not be frazzled, i will not be frustrated, "i will not be shaken."

because i serve the Lord God who is omnipresent, He knows every struggle i fight and every battle i am in no matter how big or small they may seem. He was there comforting me as my newborn baby needed heart surgery (a long story for another day). He gave me strength to support my family as my husband battled cancer. and He is no less present in my life today as i train up my boys to honor and obey. He is just as big, just as powerful and just as active in my life.

it might not always work out that i am perfectly patient and calm. i still mess up when i try to do it in my own strength. but i have everything i need. my heavenly Father is every present to help me and hear me when i pray. and like i said, that is a very comforting thought.

folding and fitting

2012-01-30T13:12:00.000-08:00

i've been running into a dilemma lately. see, my boys are growing. and, as such, their clothes are getting bigger. our duplex isn't getting any bigger. especially the closets. thus, my dilemma is when all the clothes are clean they do not all fit in the drawers. not very motivating to stay on top of the laundry (after all, my laundry room is bigger than the boys entire bedroom and i have a big, wonderful shelving unit that can hold several baskets of dirty clothes). so, i have been fighting what feels like an ongoing battle.

until, i recently stumbled across a post on organizing made fun where she explained a trick for folding clothes as to fit more into less space. i can't find her post talking about it, so i'll show you myself.

lay shirt face down fold arms in

fold bottom up fold in 1/2

that little change in how i fold shirts turned a certain little boys' draws from this...

(a mess due to daily digging for a favorite orange lizard t-shirt)

to this!

that is the same amount of clothes, simply folded our new way and stood on end. and there is no more digging, now that he can see everything without even touching it.

now all of the clothes fit in the drawers, even when the laundry is clean. :)

funniest part is, whenever Isaac helps me fold clothes, this is how he has always wanted his shirts folded. i guess he knew what he was talking about and momma just had to catch up. :)

oh, what a beautiful day!

2012-01-30T12:38:00.000-08:00

today it is 64 and sunny here in good old Nebraska and we are lovin it!

we are taking full advantage of the weather with time spent playing outside, windows open and laundry on the clothes line (one of my favorite things). that includes some new little grungies.

we started potty training today. so far, not to bad. only a couple accidents. i already feel like this little guy is going to transition smoother than his big brother.

made me smile this morning, watching him tear around the house with no pants on. in my opinion, there are few things cuter than a 2 year old tushy in a pair of Lightening McQueen underwear.

happy friday

2012-01-27T07:52:00.000-08:00

so every once in a while i pop over to All for the Boys for some inspiration.

and every friday she does a series call "Fort Friday" where she posts pictures of all different kinds of forts.

well, today i thought to myself, "hey, let's have our own Fort Friday!"

so, we tucked a blanket in the cushions of the furniture and filled it with blankets and pillows.

they asked to watch a movie from their fort.

please excuse the picture quality, this is in the basement

sometimes it's so easy to make them happy. :)

embrace the camera & happenings

2012-01-26T13:38:00.000-08:00

today i decided to take part in "embrace the camera"

my friend ( who i know via her blog) Marie, has been doing this as long as i have been reading her blog. and today i thought i would do the same. because i always want my family to remember how much i love them and the fun that we have had together.

and with my boys, taking pictures on my iphone is always a fun event. :) i think it's because they can see themselves as we are clicking away and once we have a couple dozen, they can flip through them all with the touch screen. oh, the fun of technology! it kind of amazes me at the resources my kids have available to them from such a young age. a blessing that will have to be closely monitored. :)

last night was Awana skate night, which Nick and Isaac attended. this year was great fun, especially considering last year Isaac just got frustrated with the skates and in tears was asking to leave almost right away. Nick claims he has filled his skating quota for a lifetime (a skater, my husband is not). but he loves his boys so much, i'm sure next year he will be right back in the rink.

today was the boys first visits to the dentist. Isaac got some of the normal stuff done (the x-ray film made him gag, so they skipped that). Christian got an exam and an x-ray of his 2 front teeth (about 3 weeks ago he fell off of a step stool and is still complaining about his teeth hurting) and everything checked out great.

Isaac wearing some awesome glasses, since the light was so bright.

tonight i have a girl thing, so it will be Nick and the boys at home. i think i will grab a strawberry rhubarb pie out of the freezer and bake it for my honey to have to himself (ok, Christian the mooch will probably beg a few bites).

my boys

2012-01-24T07:37:00.000-08:00

for some reason my boys express their love through things they like. the more they like something, the more they love you. even knowing that, this conversation might not make sense to you. but i found it too funny not to share.

Isaac: "Christian, i love you with a dinosaur!"

Christian: "Isaac, me love you with a tiger and an elephant!"

Isaac: "Christian, i love you with good things like a dinosaur. why... why... why... why do you love me with bad things like a tiger?"

Mommy: "Isaac, tigers aren't bad."

Isaac: "oh. are they difficult?"

Christian has entered the bartering stage. every time mommy or daddy tell him anything, his response is, "how bout dis... (enter new suggestion that works in his favor)"

lately, my boys have no desire to change into pajamas in the evenings and even less desire to change out of them in the morning. however, Isaac is also slightly obsessed with his orange lizard t-shirt and his blue athletic shorts. yes, he knows it is cold outside.

we now have a new system for toys where they only have out about a forth of the toys at one time. yet they still manage to trash the basement in a matter of minutes.

Christian recently had a bad case of diaper rash and decided that using the toilet was a better option. his rash went away. he is no longer interested in using the toilet. sigh...

i realized this morning that whenever Christian spills, his exclaim is, "oh, buddy!" i think he picked this up from his momma, who says this in response to the many spills and messes that i come across everyday.

a long day...

2012-01-23T13:46:00.000-08:00

... and it's only 3:30.

that is not a gripe. that is just how i feel at the moment. i have spent the day in many ways.

i have cleaned our bedroom, including under our bed. this only happens maybe once a year??

i have worked on laundry. though, said laundry may or may not currently be piled on our bed in an unfold heap.

i have fed my family two meals and several snacks. i have 2 growing boys. they eat. a. lot.

i have gone though several trials with my oldest son. while my Lord has blessed me with patience to talk to him and discipline him according to his actions, it has been truly exhausting.

i have spent a little time reading of a family's adoption journey. more and more i feel my heart being tugged in that direction, but currently God has shut doors for us. we wait for when He opens them, hopefully with a little more direction as to how to pursue this.

i have hopped my way around Psalms and Proverbs, looking at various chapters and verses and finding great comfort in the words of my Sustainer. allow me to share one i especially loved...

floral image found here

i found 2 words written here in my Bible.

next to the first half of the verse i have "seek". when i seek, i am giving "attention to the word" by reading what is in there. i find good in what my Father has said. i find good in that everything in there is wise and will help me have a good day when i implement that wisdom.

next to the second half of the verse i have "ask". when i ask through prayer, i will find myself giving things over to my God and trusting Him to take care with them. and great blessing always follows giving it over to Him. joy and peace replace concern and stress, because He is a great and mighty God, perfect in every ways. and so much more capable than i am. so why wouldn't i ask Him to take over for me? He will do what is best.

it has been a long day. but it has been a good day.

how to hem jeans

2012-01-22T10:31:00.000-08:00

i am by no means an awesomeseamstress. i have a pretty basic little sewing machine and some skillsat figuring out what i want to accomplish, some things learned from tutorialsor my mom & grandma and other things learned by trial and error (and trust me,there have been a lot of errors!).

do to my height& shape (for those of you who don't know me personally, i'm 6'1" andquiet pear shaped) i've had to alter many pieces of clothing over the course ofmy life. and in the past couple years, i have had friends ask for helpwith altering clothes to help them fit better, as well. i'm always happyto help out and things usually turn out pretty good, as long as you don'tinspect the inside of the garment too carefully. ;)

so i would like to helpsome of you out today and show you have to hem a pair of jeans.

now, i personally havenever needed a pair of jeans hemmed (remember, i'm very tall). in fact, i've ripped out many hems to try and gain that extra inch or so. but, ihave hemmed jeans for some of my shorter friends. and this last time itook some pictures to show you how i do it.

now when you hem jeans it can be done in 2 ways. you can cut off a chunk of fabric, fold it up and hem it. or you can fold it up first, sew a hidden seam, cut out the excess and press it down, maintaining the original hem. i prefer the second because it is less noticeable that the jeans have been shortened. so, let me walk you though it with pictures.

first, try on your jeans and decide how long you would like them to be. keep in mind the shoes you will be wearing with the jeans. example: are these casual jeans worn with flats & tennis shoes? or are these dressy jeans that you will pair with pumps & high heel boots? once you have figured out how long you would like them, mark it with chalk.

next, we are going to mark where you will actually fold the hem up to and pin it so it can be sewn. for all you math brains, your formula is...

amount to be shortened + (original hem x2) = where to mark/fold hem to

on this pair of jeans i wanted to shorten them by 3 1/4 inches

the original hem was 1/2 inch, so doubled is 1 inch

so, 3 1/4 + 1 = 4 1/2 inches is where i mark.

and i fold up my hem to the marks i just made.

with a denim needle in your sewing machine, run a straight stitch right next to the hem.

now cut off all the excess below your new seam.

run a zig-zag stitch over the rest to help strengthen your seam and prevent the cut from fraying.

last, press down the original seam so that it shows on the right side of the fabric.

done! a pair of jeans that now hits at the perfect length.

p.s. yes, upon super close inspection a person would be able to tell that these jeans have been shortened. but if your that worried about it, then... well... i don't know what to tell ya. :)

pork fajitas

2012-01-20T13:58:00.000-08:00

we always enjoy a good Mexican dish. the spicy flavors of peppers (a fav of the hubby) & the sweet little kicks of the corn along with some creamy avocado? mmmm, yum!

and my favorite thing about making Mexican food at home? anything goes! it's so easy to just toss stuff together and end up with a really great dish. yeah, it might not be real authentic, but it's still super good.

last night we whipped up some great pork fajitas with some left over pork roast i had in the fridge. i tossed the meat into my skillet with some onions and peppers (and a little coconut oil to keep things moist & non-sticky). once those got going i seasoned it with chili powder, cumin, salt & pepper. done!

(please excuse my messy stove top, i was busy cooking.)

we had them in gluten free ivory teff tortillas last night.

but i prefer it piled on some rice and corn with a little sour cream & avocado.

mmmm... a close up so that you can all see how tasty my lunch was today.

this meat freezes really well, so it's easy to make extra and freeze the left overs for another day.

that is, if you have any left overs.

p.s. i know several people that get scared without a recipe that has measurements. don't be! feel free to add what you like and leave out what you don't. adjust amounts based on what tastes good. don't have chili powder or cumin? use a little taco seasoning instead. go with what you have and what you enjoy. i personally feel that cooking should be as un-stressful as possible!

want to hear a joke?

2012-01-20T07:50:00.000-08:00

my Isaac typically loves going to any and every church event. but for some reason, every week he says he does not want to go to cubbies (for those who don't know, cubbies is part of the Awana program at our church where the kids memorize verses, sing songs, hear a Bible lesson, and play games). i'm having trouble figuring out why.

it was just the two of us headed to church this week since Nick was spending some one on one time with Christian. i thought i would help get him excited to go with a fun spiky hair-do and helped him learn a joke to tell his teacher. we had tons of laughs while he figured it out and learned to tell the joke with no help. i think the night was a success. :)

and just in case you needed a laugh...

why i want to garden more...

2012-01-18T12:29:00.000-08:00

ok, so i'm typically not that worried about organic. it's kind of pricey and my thought is "better non-organic veggies and fruits, than no veggies and fruits."

however, this is probably the most convincing argument i've ever heard (and seen) about why organic is important.

let's just say that i'm now even more convinced that i want a big garden!

break & bake cookies

2012-01-18T12:05:00.000-08:00

no store bought cookie beats a homemade cookie. like, ever. but, i have from time to time in the past, found myself checking out at the grocery store with tube of prepackaged dough in my shopping cart.

why?

convenience!

how easy is it to simply heat up the oven, throw the cheater dough in and TADA! 10 minutes and you've got fresh, warm, almost like homemade.

well, now it's just a easy.

i can make my dough ahead and have fantastic warm, fresh, & homemade cookies whenever i want.

and rather than keep my dough in the fridge, where i have to worry about using it up before the eggs become questionable, i have found a great little trick for freezing the dough & still having it handy.

all i did was put my cookie dough into a freezer safe baggy & press a ruler lightly across the top in a grid.

breaking off a few squares is a cinch.

don't worry about their shape, you won't end up with square cookies.

see? nice and round.

mmm... so much easier to have a homemade cookie.

(and gluten free for me!)

mini "rules" that keep me sane

2012-01-17T14:14:00.000-08:00

this afternoon i read this post by Hayley Morgan. i've never heard of her before and have only viewed this blog a handful of times. but the post was an encouragement today. she talked about the "mini rules" that help her function as a mommy of 3 boys while staying sane. all the little things that make the day run smoother.

as she puts it, "It is important to look at your day and realize what brings you stress, what makes your temperature rise, what makes your blood boil. Try to examine those moments and see how you could make it less fussy."

i realized that i have some of these "rules" as well. here are a few

- mommy doesn't do video games. you want to play video games, you ask daddy.

- if you carried it out to the car, you carry it back in the house.

- no markers. period. not even washable markers. and i'm not sorry.

while these rules might make me a stick in the mud, i'm not about to toss them aside. i would rather be a sometimes-boring-but-peaceful momma, than a try-to-do-everything-and-go-crazy momma.

some of the insanity at our house

for some odd reason, this idea reminds me of the Proverbs 31 woman. i know that if you read proverbs 31, you might at first be overwhelmed by the incredible amount of things she seems to accomplish. but when you really look, she doesn't drive her family mad trying to do it all. yes, she works hard, and takes advantage of many opportunities. but look at the first couple verses...

Proverbs 31:10- 12
"An excellent wife, who can find?
For her worth is far above jewels.
The heart of her husband trusts in her,
And he will have no lack of gain.
She does him good and not evil
All the days of her life."

it seems to me that a house that is full of stress or a wife who is exhausted from trying to do it all doesn't fit with this section of scripture. and it's good to take note that these verses come before all the work that she does, so we should consider those in light of this.

what are little things that you can let go of (slash outlaw) in order to make your home more peaceful? how can you honor God and your family better by doing less? maybe cereal for breakfast. maybe playing in the yard instead of packing up and heading to the park. maybe packing up or giving away some toys to help control the mess.

whatever you cut out, make sure they are things that give you the ability to serve your family and the Lord better. and praise God when the day does run a little smoother!

corralling the boots & post-its

2012-01-12T11:51:00.000-08:00

because we are currently house shopping, i try to avoid buying anything for this little duplex. that being said, every so often i get a wild hair that causes me to rethink the placement of every piece of furniture and try rearranging again to see if i can make this home a bit more functional/pretty/organized. sometimes it works and other times i end up putting everything back the following day.

not only that, but i find it a lot of fun to move things around and change it all up. it gives me a chance to vacuum under big pieces that don't normally get moved, like the piano and couch. it's also a good time to swap out different decor (since i'm not a seasonal decor type of gal) and make a new pretty or two. and every once in a while i really hit on something good that makes the function of our little duplex so much easier, that i wonder why i didn't think of it when we first moved in a year and a half ago.

my latest twist? a mud nook and an office station.

i could go into a long list of why i love a good back porch / mud room and all the reasons i think everyone should have one. but i will limit myself and simply state that, as a mother, i have found winter weather makes the shoe situation most difficult. so here is my solution...

tada! right by the back door i now have a shoe station! it's nothing fancy, simply a couple of old orange crates stacked up with a basket and a bucket on top to catch winter hats and gloves. and the extra kitchen chair is handy in case you need a place to sit.

now i have a place for wet boots to hang out until they are dry and can be put away in the boys' shoe baskets in their room.

don't you just love little cowboy boots? i think they are one of my favorite things. :)

and right next to it we now have a little office station. while the printer is still in the basement, due to it's infrequent use, i have collected all the little things here with some other often used items.

on the one shelf i keep my house binder, my binder of favorite recipes, a couple other books & an old silverware tray with makers, pens, pencils, scissors & tape.

on top i have my ipod speaker (fun for random dance parties with my boys) and an old cola crate. we also set the laptop on here when we are using the table for food or school or other messy activities.

and just in case you were wondering how i divided things in that crate... top left - envelopes, address labels & blank note cards (i find it's a lot easier to drop someone a note if i have cute little cards handy); bottom left - post-its, stapler, rubber bands and paper clips; top right - paint chip cards (cuz you never know when you need a tiny piece of bright colorful paper), gospel tracks, ear buds & ipod/phone charger; bottom right - a cubby for my hubby to put his keys, phone and wallet when he's home, as well as put his other misc items and all of his receipts until he has time to sort through them (or develops such a large collection that i dump them in a box and set them on his night stand).

already i have found these 2 little stations to be very helpful with the function of my everyday life. but hey, if the house hunt stays slow i could end up rearranging everything again in a month or 2. you never know.

i'm slowly trying to train myself to be more organized. got any great tips you want to share with me? esp regarding bedrooms, as that is my next re-arrangement to tackle! maybe i will do a before and after. then again, maybe just the after, if you know what i mean. wouldn't want to scare anybody away. ;)

monday, monday...

2012-01-09T14:46:00.000-08:00

sorry if that's now stuck in your head. it's not uncommon for us to break out in song around here. in fact, i tease my husband that he lives in a musical. it's true. it often feels like he has a song for everything, and if he doesn't... well he feels no embarrassment about making one up on the spot. i love that man...

(isn't he such a cutie?! i love him!)

anyway, back to the subject of monday.

i started a couple of new routines this first day of the work week. yesterday, after spending an hour at the coffee shop with my Bible and notebook , i came home with a few resolutions/goals/habits-to-form and several verses to be themes for our family in this coming year.

most of these goals are focused around the Lord & wanting to incorporate more of His Word in our daily life. a couple are simply to try and help my family, home & body to work better to help relive stress and and allow more opportunity for ministry to others.

~ to rise earlier ~

Psalm 3:5
"I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the Lord sustains me." :)

i now will be waking at 6:30 every morning, and yes, that will include weekends. this means that i will plan ahead and the night before i will need to lay out my clothes (with our bedroom being 3 feet from the boys, it helps to move out quickly into other parts of the house) and get to bed at a reasonable time.

~ to get active ~

this will be happening in a couple different ways. first, through a planned work out in the mornings. today it was the 30 day shred dvd. as the weather gets nicer it might mean going for a walk or run (don't hold your breath on that last one, i'm not a runner!). i will also work harder at getting outside with the boys and burning some energy. this will be good for all of us & i already know that they will love it (one of their favorite things is going for a walk).

~ to make the Lord a very present part of my boys life ~

I have confessed my sin and turned my being and life over to the One living God and i know that i have been redeemed by His awesome work on the cross. my boys have not yet given their hearts to the Lord. while i cannot do anything by my own power to make this happen (except pray!), i can put great effort into making God a very real part of our lives.

i want to read the Bible to my boys everyday, especially the Proverbs. i want to work harder and finding verses that specifically apply to things we are working on or talking about.

(we found these verses that fit so well with one of the cut & tape crafts Isaac did today. so fun to have a fun visual for an amazing truth!)

and while i never make my boys pray, i now pray with them at the start of the day and throughout the day (Psalm 5:3). i want to focus this year on praying more, bringing specific requests, praying for others, and praising the Lord as He answers us. i'm very excited to teach them the joy of giving thanks as we see the Lord fulfilling our requests.

at breakfast, Isaac asked to pray for us all. He had a long list of thanks that included the food, some friends, and bees who make honey for kids who like to eat peanut butter and honey sandwiches. :)

these are just a few of the things that i want to work on more this year. i have many, many more written in my notebook and even more in my head. maybe as time goes on i will share some more. the accountability would probably be good for me.

happy 2012

2012-01-05T07:19:00.000-08:00

no this isn't a big essay on resolutions or goals for 2012, though i do plan on sitting down today or tomorrow and making a list of some goals that i want to accomplish and ways to make them happen. and i don't have any fun pictures to share with you either, since, well, most of my clan hasn't been around so far this year.

you see, i got my tonsils out on the 30th and so the boys have been staying out at my parents farm until i'm back up to par (praise the Lord for parents!). i've been taking it easy, drinking tons of ice water and taking naps, though it's not as peachy as it sounds due to dizziness & having to relearn how to swallow (who would have thought that 2 little limph nodes at the back of your throat could cause so much trouble!)

so, while i do have time off from my job as supervisor of domestic damage control (aka. stay-at-home-mom), i have no energy or brain power for getting anything else done. and so sits the laundry, dishes, christmas decor, dust bunnies, sewing, and errands until my body decides to get a grip and stop spinning.

Oh, well. I guess that’s just how it goes.

fun size tortes!

2011-12-29T07:01:00.000-08:00

remember the flourless chocolate torte recipe that i shared before Christmas? well, last night the hubby and i enjoyed these as a tiny microwave version. :) it's pretty simple so i thought i would share.

flourless chocolate torte-ettes
about 1/8 - 1/4 c. chocolate chips
1 T. butter
2 T. sugar
1/2 of a beaten egg
2 t. cocoa powder (i use dark cocoa powder)

you will want to use a large, microwave safe mug.

(i used this red one with a rounded bottom. yet for some reason it turned out better on my husbands, who had a mug with straight sides and a squared bottom. i think it was easier for the torte to rise in it. anyway...)

add your butter and chocolate chips to the mug.

melt the butter and chocolate, microwaving in short increments so you don't burn the chocolate.

add sugar

add your 1/2 egg & cocoa powder

(since i was making 2, i simply beat an egg in a small bowl and guessed at what 1/2 was. you could always use a whole egg or save back the other half and add to your breakfast.)

microwave for 1 minute (a little more or less depending on your mug). be sure to let it cool down a little as it will be very, VERY HOT!

it's super tasty plain with a glass of milk, or with your favorite brownie toppings. enjoy!

after Christmas photos and recipe

2011-12-27T07:47:00.000-08:00

Hope you had a happy Christmas. praise the Lord for a time to set aside work and focus on the gift of salvation.

didn't get any gift opening on film (is that phrase acceptable since i have a digital camera?) but here's a shot of the boys watching "a bugs life" and using their new floor pillows. i got them the same color thinking that would solve the problem of "i want that color!" however they seem to think there is some kind of difference and thus, the one their brother has must be theirs. sigh... i just can't win. :)

made these for Christmas with the family. they are gluten free Raspberry Coconut Almond Cream Cheese bars. i based it on a recipe i found here that sounded so good, but after reading through it i felt i wanted to make a few changes to better suite my preferences. because, while some people may prefer to cook vegan (as the original recipe is), i happen to love cream cheese and thought that it would fit happily in this recipe (along with a few other, non vegan tweeks)

Raspberry Coconut Almond Cream Cheese bars

Crust:

1 c. ground hazelnut or almond flour*

1/2 c. sorghum or brown rice flour

1/4 c. coconut flour

1/4 c. tapioca starch/flour

1 c. light brown sugar, lightly packed

1 t. xanthan gum

1/2 t. fine sea salt

1/4 t. baking powder

1/8 t. nutmeg

cut in...

3/4 c. shortening or coconut oil

1 t. vanilla

2 eggs

*i priced almond flour and found it to be way beyond my budget, so i simply tossed a bunch of whole not-roasted almonds into my food processor (you can also use a clean coffee bean grinder) and let it run until it was a fine sandy consistency. just be sure to watch it and stop while it's still powdery, otherwise the oils will start to come out and you will be left with homemade almond butter, not flour.

press your crust into a greased 9x13 pan and bake it at 350 for about 7 minutes, just to "set" it. once crust is done, set aside and leave the oven on.

toppings:

about 10 oz. raspberry jam (i like using the unseeded kind)

cream cheese filling:

8 oz cream cheese

1/4 t. vanilla

1/3 c. powdered sugar

combine cream cheese filling ingredients and beat until smooth

crumble topping:

1/2 c. brown rice flour

1/2 c. light brown sugar

1/2 t. vanilla

4-5 T. butter

cut in butter until mixture is crumbly

coconut topping:

1 c. coconut flakes

2/3 c. sliced or chopped almonds

4 t. coconut oil or butter

1/2 t. vanilla

melt coconut oil or butter, add other ingredients and stir to coat.

assemble bars:

while the crust is still warm, spoon on jam and spread around. next, scoop cream cheese filling on top of jam and spread around as well.

sprinkle with crumble topping and then coconut topping.

bake at 350 for 27-30 minutes, until mostly set in the middle and lightly browned on top. let rest in pan as it will continue to firm in the middle. after cooled, cut into pieces and remove from pan.

i think these bars would freeze well, though mine were gone before i could try. :)

trucks!

2011-12-22T11:36:00.000-08:00

we have a book about trucks. well, probably a few dozen books about trucks. but this one in particular is the one i'm talking about.

it was a hand me down that the boys really love to look at.

it pictures all different kinds of trucks and other machinery, dumping them into categories by type and listing them out for you to read. and for some reason, every time this book is pulled out, my 2 boys feel the need to dibbs them and decide which truck belongs to who. i have no idea why.

so today, i decided, "why not?"

we took the book downstairs to our printer/copier, fed some card stock in the back and hit the start button.

after a few minutes with the scissors, we had these fellows!

Christian has claimed both of the dump trucks and Isaac called the excavators.

pretty strait forward. just your basic paper doll style stand.

so simple, yet made 2 little boys so very happy.

Carrot Cake (from a pizza crust)

2011-12-20T07:47:00.000-08:00

so, i didn't make this. but i had to tell you about it anyway.

Sunday was my dad's birthday and my sister, Alicia, made him his favorite... carrot cake. and because she loves me so much, she decided to make it gluten free. (i have the best sister ever! for other reasons besides that, but that's just an example of why she is so great!)

due to the large amount of leftover cake, it was split and Dad took half, while the other half was sent home with me.

one of the reasons that this recipe is so great (aside from the fantastic taste) is the fact that it can be made with a g.f. pizza crust mix (see recipe notes). this is a super handy substitute for someone who isn't gluten free themselves as it is smaller/cheaper than a bag of g.f. flour and eliminates the need for buying xanthan gum, since the pizza crust already contains the gum. just remember to watch for cross contamination in your other ingredients (sugar that has been scooped into with a cup that has also scooped flour is one of the most common) and on your surfaces (counters, cups and spoons, even mixers should be given a thorough wipe down).

so head on over and check out gluten free carrot cake and cream cheese frosting.

opening my home & apricot scones (gluten free)

2011-12-14T08:33:00.000-08:00

my home is small. it is a duplex built in the 50's, back when people didn't have a lot of... stuff. on the main floor there are 2 little bedrooms, a kitchen, 1 large room that works as our living room, dining room, entry way, & office. we also have a basement that is kind of finished (enough to throw toys and the tv down in part of it). and we have 1 bathroom.

i will say it again, my home is small.

and yet, my home is God's. i need to be willing to open my doors to anyone in order to minister to their spiritual needs.

Titus 2:3-5
"Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips not enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored."

now i'm not going to break these verses down and study intently each word. i'm simply trying to draw your attention to the call of women of God. these are a lot of things that we are to be encouraging one another to do/be. so many things that the 15 minutes we have before or after the church service doesn't allow time for. no, encouragement of these things are better in a setting of intimacy, specifically, within a home.

i am "older" than so many other women that i know, that i will always have someone that i need to be an encouragement to. i also have the opportunity to create the perfect setting for women who are older than me to encourage other women. how? by opening my home to a group of ladies.

sometime i am reluctant to open my doors. i'm afraid people will be bothered by the fact that seating is limited. i'm worried that one bathroom will be awkward (especially if my curling iron is still cooling on the back of the toilet). i'm hesitant to try and find a place for people to take off their shoes, to lay their coats, to set their bags. because, my home is small.

but the Lord knows where i live. in fact, He gave me this place to use as my home. so why am i dragging my feet when it comes to using this house as a place to honor and obey Him?

is it my pride getting in the way? is it my laziness overpowering my desire to do His will? whatever sin it is, it needs to get out of the way and let me obey the Spirits prompting!

i planned for a small group of ladies to come over to my house on Tuesday morning. i was nerves as all get out, but i was determined to obey the desire that He had placed on my heart. i cleaned and cooked and rearranged the furniture to accommodate this group of 7 ladies and 6 children. it was difficult & enjoyable at the same time, planning and preparing for it all.

and then, Monday night, Christian got the flu bug. and while at first i was hurt and disappointed, thinking that it had all been for nothing, i realized that God knew.

God knew that Christian would get sick and i would spend the entire night power napping. God knew that i would get up Tuesday morning and have to call everyone to let them know that it was off. God knew that i would have a pile of scones and bread sitting on my table for the next many days. and... God knew that i had obeyed His leading. even though my home is small.

i want to encourage you, no matter how big your home is, no matter where it is, no matter how pretty or old or awkward it may seem, it is the perfect place to honor God. it is a wonderful setting to focus on encouraging others.

and to help you with your planning, here is a wonderful recipe that any lady will love! ;)

Apricot Scones (gluten free)
taken from the Dec 2011 issue of deliciousliving (a free magazine distributed by Red Clover)

1 1/2 c. brown rice flour
1/2 c. tapioca flour
1/3 c. potato starch (not potato flour)
2 1/2 t. baking powder
2 1/2 t. xanthan gum
1/4 c. sugar (i used 1/2 c.)
1/2 t. salt
1/2 c. (1 stick) cold butter, cubed
4 eggs
1/2 c. plus 1-2 t. plain yogurt (i used a 6 oz. container)
3/4 c. finely chopped dried apricots
1/2 t. vanilla extract
1 t. almond extract (i skipped the almond extract and just did 1 t. vanilla)
sugar for top of scones

heat oven to 350
mix first 7 ingredients (brown rice flour through salt)
using a pastry cutter or food processor, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal.

in a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, yogurt, apricots, and extracts. add to flour-butter mixture. mix until just combined.

dust clean work surface with brown rice flour. turn out scone mixture and pat into a 9x9 square (i worried less about size or shape and instead patted it out to a thickness of about 1 inch).

cut scones into desired shape and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. sprinkle top with sugar (i like the big chunky sugar crystals you get at the bakery counter in the grocery store). bake for 10-15 minutes, until golden at edges.

meekness & chocolate tortes

2011-12-09T15:36:00.000-08:00

This past Tuesday at our ladies Bible study, we wrapped up our study of the Grace of God by talking about implementing that grace in meekness, forgiveness and love. it was a fantastic lesson taught by the lovely Nancy Butterfield and i highly encourage all ladies to call Sound Words (our book store at Indian Hills Community Church) and check out a copy of the cd! trust me, you will be most convicted and encouraged by it!

a couple of things struck me while we were dwelling on meekness. things i would like to share with you before i go rambling off about chocolate. :)

the definition of gentleness/meekness is:

The willingness to suffer injury instead of inflicting it. It is a quality of being wise or having wisdom, is associated with goodness, and being forbearing. it means fairness, sweet reasonableness, befitting one of good family.

Matthew Henry said "meekness teaches us to prudently govern your anger."

it was quick to be pointed out that meekness/gentleness is something that God calls us all to, especially us as women. and "it's not about personality, it's about my character in Christ!" yes, God gave me my personality, but it's all wrapped up with my sin nature. Yet He calls me to be gentle, as Jesus was. so, i must be laying aside myself and, with the help of the Holy Spirit, taking up the things that He calls me to be.

remember also, that gentleness isn't just quiet-ness. i've seen many a quiet lady who is not gentle, and know many other who are very gentle, yet i wouldn't exactly call them quiet. :) so it's not all about the volume.

a couple more Matthew Henry quotes (he has many good one's on the subject)

"if we soberly reflect, we will find that we have often been the worse for our speaking, but seldom the worse for our silence."

"the law of meekness is this: Whatsoever pleases God must not displease us."

it reminded me that i must remember to pause... and think of things in light of eternity. will it please God if i say this? people will not be offended that i took a moment to speak when my words come out with gentle reflection.

we must be careful when we speak to use words of gentleness. and we must be especially careful when we type! when my words are written, the reader can not see my face or hear my voice. they have only letters to try and interpret what i'm trying to say. in this day of multiple social web sites, it's easy to throw words out there with no feeling of accountability. but our facebook status is still a representation of who we are and should even more so be filled with words that reflect a gentle and meek personality.

i will leave you with the verses that stood out to me most.

Psalm 39:1 "I will guard my ways, that i may not sin with my tongue"

1 Peter 3:3-4 (this is written to women, especially those married to an unbelieving husband) "Let not yours be the outward adorning with braiding of hair, decoration of gold, and wearing of fine clothing, but let it be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable jewel of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious."

~~~~~

speaking of things that are better on the inside than the outside... (i know kind of lame, but how else do you transition from meekness to chocolate torte????)

whaaa, whaaa...

attempt #1 tasted amazing, but please make sure you grease and sugar dust your pan. my cooking spray alone resulted in a torte that let go around the edges, but wasn't willing to budge in the middle.

this is a recipe shared with me by my friend Natalie who's been doing this gluten free thing a whole lot longer than i have and it's fantastic to get recipes from her.

it's an excellent goody to make if you are cooking for a gluten free friend but don't have any of the fancy g.free ingredients around your kitchen. just be extra careful that your prep area and cooking utensils are very clean before you start.

Flourless Chocolate Torte

6 oz semi-sweet choc chips

½ c. butter

1 c. sugar

4 large eggs

½ c. cocoa powder

Melt choc chips & butter, stirring constantly until smooth. Remove from heat & whisk in sugar. Add eggs one at a time & whisk well. Sift cocoa over choc mixture & whisk just until combined. Pour batter into greased & powder sugar dusted 8in round pan & bake at 350 degrees for 40-45min. Serve plain or with your favorite toppings (caramel, ice cream, etc)

couple notes:

i found that if i melted my butter first and then added my chocolate, the chocolate melted quicker and more evenly, thus i didn't have to worry about burning it. because burnt chocolate is nasty and an easy thing to end up with.

sifting the cocoa powder just helps break up the clumps so that everything whisks up easier. however: if you do not have a gluten free kitchen, beware of your sifter! it can hang on to tiny bits of flour that will let go when they see fit and find their way into any and everything.

if you are like me and buy your chips in the huge value size bag from sam's, then just note that 6 oz. is just under 1 cup. also, i used 60% cacao chips and dark cocoa powder, so in order to keep it from getting too bitter, i kept the cocoa powder to 1/4 c. rather than 1/2 c.

and yes, as my first picture demonstrated, it's important to grease AND sugar dust your pan. doing this will result in a torte that happily flips out onto the cake plate with no qualms whatsoever!

mmmm... a lovely gift for any chocolate lovers in your life, gluten free or not. :)

(insert happy little smile here)

2011-12-08T15:09:00.000-08:00

After 6 years of marriage, my husband got me a tree for the holiday.

some of you know how it's kind of a big deal for Nick to consent to a Christmas tree. but i'm trying not to be to ecstatic. :)

we decided that we don't have to do any of the things the world demands for the holidays, even those things that loved ones call you legalistic or boring for not partaking in. instead, we carefully pick and chose the things that we like and want to involve our little family in.

and while some of these things might have sketchy backgrounds that would give some reasons for wanting to avoid them (like Christmas trees), we are developing our own reasons for partaking in them.

our reason for a tree? we have decided that we will use this as a springboard to explain to our sons how closely the death of Christ (hung on a cross [tree]) is tied to the birth of Christ (why we celebrate Christmas). Nick gave them the short version the other night as we finished hanging the last of the ornaments. i know they don't get it yet, but i'm praying that this will sink in over the years.

and in case you are wondering, yes, they have already learned that some of the ornament can break. so far, 1 down. we'll see where we stand on the 25th.

a lot of mulling

2011-12-07T13:00:00.000-08:00

i am a very indecisive person. ask my sister. she'll tell you. that being said, the bigger the decision, the harder it is for me. thankfully i have a Heavenly Father who holds all things in His hands and directs my steps according to His perfect plan. oh, what a mess i would be if i didn't cling to that fact!

and right now, Nick and i are house hunting. and that's a very big decision to make!

we found something with potential that Nick is totally into, but i'm... waffling. i'm working my way through the pro's and con's & making lists of things that would need to be done a.s.a.p. and other things that we would do later. i'm researching and hunting to see if i could turn this 1978 house into something fun with personality & quirk, rather than just UGLY.

pages of lists and sketches to see if this house is something that we could call home for the next many years (Lord willing).

and the hardest part of working my indecisive mind through life changing decisions is simply that life does not stop happening. while 3 hours on the computer would be amazing to research and hunt and try and organize my thoughts, there is still supper to be made, diapers to be changed, errands to be run, clothes to be washed, and a list of other things.

sigh...

the decision needs to be made and needs to take effort and organization to get there.

and we can't live off of crackers and peanut butter in the mean time... can we?? no, as happy as my little boys would be, that's not a good option.

so some things go undone while i try to pray my way into a peaceful outcome that will impact the way we live & serve for the next many years.

in short, sorry i haven't been here... i'm mulling things over.

straightening things out

2011-12-02T11:30:00.000-08:00

today the boys and I made a quick trip to JoAnn's to snatched up a couple pieces of felt for a project i want to finish. and being that today is quite a wintry feeling day, i splurged and got a cup of froo-froo coffee on the way home. a Starbucks salted caramel mocha (decaf, with only 2 pumps of each syrup), just in case you were wondering. :)

once we got home i made the boys sandwiches for lunch and moved another load of laundry though the machines. and that's when the caffeine hit me.

now i don't do a lot of caffeine. i've learned that it will really mess me up in the guts if i consume it to much and to often. so now, since my body isn't all that used to it, i really feel it!

i took advantage of this splurge of energy and sped through some of my normal cleaning duties like folding & putting away laundry, some dishes, etc., and moved on to some things that have been bothering me, but remaining neglected due to busy-ness of life.

and the one that makes me the most happy? this little bookcase.

i know it's not very big, but it is in the middle of our living/dining room and sees a lot of use. the books are constantly being read. the Bibles get pulled out and tossed back on the shelf, losing the loose notes that had been tucked into the cover. the basket had turned into a catch all, when it's supposed to be for the small electronic items (camera, spare memory card, computer mouse & cables, etc). and a scattering of random receipts & papers had found their way across the shelves.

so i pulled a lot of it off, moving certain things to different parts of the house where they will better serve their purpose. the receipts went on my husbands night stand until he has a few moments to go through them & save the ones he wants & shreds the rest. the books were stacked back in a little neater, with the Bibles going up a shelf so that they are easier to get in and out, considering they are the books we use the most, by far. :)

i did add one thing to the shelf. that tin bread box now holds all of my tea's & the drinking related items. now, when i want a nice cup of tea, everything is together, contained in that pretty little box with the cups just above it. and it makes me so happy! especially because it now frees up a shelf in my tiny kitchen. oh, happy day!!

funny, how taking the time to do a little bit of sorting, straitening, & getting rid of bits, can make a space feel so much more peaceful.

i plan to tackle another small area tomorrow, slowly working my way through the house. i know that some areas will be more getting rid of things and others will be simply organizing so that the space can be better used. my goal is to make my way through most things before we buy & house and move. i'm almost dreading my craft room in the basement. it needs some major purging/TLC. but, one thing at a time and i'll get there.

read an article over on Keeper of the Home today that was also along these lines called When less really is more. i especially loved reading all the tips others shared in the comments following the article. you might stop by if you need a little more motivation to start your own pre-Christmas purge. ;)

bits and pieces of us

2011-11-30T15:00:00.000-08:00

it seems i have an aspiring professional confetti maker around here these days. i'm willing to help him build his career, so if any of you having an upcoming celebration, he works cheap! ;)

who would have thought a pair of earbuds and a little music would cause this little trouble maker to stop and sit still for 5 whole minutes? and 5 minutes was all i needed to get ready to head out the door to run errands.

(love Christians face in this picture)

~resent phrases~

Christian eating something he likes:

"dis rishus mamma!"

(translation: this is delicious mamma)

Isaac... all of the time:

"mamma, can i have a thing to eat... with my teeth"

(this is to head off my suggestion of getting a drink first)

spent a couple hours this afternoon with a pile of felt and a pair of scissors. i'm excited to show you what i made, but i'm not quite finished (ran out of black felt). so now you have something to look forward to, hopefully, tomorrow. :)

Nick and I will be looking at some more houses tomorrow evening. we are praying that it will be a profitable time for us.

it's been a long process, shopping for house #2. at least, it feels like it (maybe it has something to do with not having multiple other life altering crisis' going on this time around). Nick and i go through days of excitement to hunt and sift through the listings, and other days where we don't even want to think about it because there really doesn't seem to be anything that fits our list. and through the highs and lows, we simply trade off reminding each other that God gives everything we need, and (to quote a lovely lady from church), "The wait is by His hands as well!"

so we keep looking, and we keep waiting. and in the mean time, i think tomorrow i will pull out my little box of winter decorations. :)

excited for December!

2011-11-29T14:32:00.000-08:00

normally, i'm a fall kind of gal. love it! but this year i'm very excited for December to come. i don't know why, but winter has been growing on me. it's cold outside and cozy inside. i've developed a love for tights and leg warmers with boots. i have a wonderful new coat that i love wearing. and i think i might actually get into some seasonal decorations this year. :)

this one is first on my list. (have i mentioned that i love the color orange?)

already bought a couple oranges. just have to pick up a couple other bits and fire up the dehydrator and glue gun! yippy!!

on a more christmas-y related note: just bought the new She & Him christmas album off itunes and really likin' it. :)

a few kitchen related tips

2011-11-29T14:18:00.000-08:00

here a few tips to my non gluten eating friends (or others who might be trying to have a more g.free kitchen).

in regard to flours
being that gluten free flours are a bit more perishable than your standard wheat flour, take a little more care with it.

- if you stock up (like when you find a sale) store it in the fridge or freezer. like any perishable, cold will slow everything down and help it to keep longer. some flours should always live in the fridge (like Teff) but most are ok on the shelf as long as you are moving through it at a realistic pace.

- most flours are happier in an air tight container & will stay fresher if stored in something with a tight lid. that being said, wash out your container and let it dry completely in between bags of g.free flour. you don't want the old little bits that are clinging around the rim to taint your brand new bag of (not cheap) gluten free flour.

- experiment with other grains! only wheat, barley and rye naturally contain gluten, yet there are so many other flours and grains out there to play with. just watch your source (you don't want something that's been cross contaminated). i've found substituting 1/4c. Teff in place of 1/4c. other flours gives a lovely "whole grain" flavor. & i've got a package of coconut flour sitting in my pantry i'm excited to try.

if things are looking a little flat
when things start coming out of the oven looking a bit deflated, it can be a real downer. but don't start doubting your kitchen abilities just yet. double check your other ingredients.

-baking soda and baking powder may seem invincible, but will actually lose their lifting power over time. it's recommended to replace both every 6 months or so.
baking soda is cheap and as it gets old it can be used for lots things like air/carpet freshener, tons of cleaning purposes, and other random things like this 75 uses for baking soda site. even found one gal who claimed to make a anti cellulite scrub (not going to back that one up, just throwing it out there for any who are looking for something to do of an evening.)
baking powder can cost a bit more, and i've found it best just to buy it in more appropriate amounts out of the bulk bin. i can get Rumford baking powder (my fav due to it being aluminum free, gluten free, double acting) at Red Clover (56th & hwy 2, behind the racket club).

a random non gluten fix

- for a couple months now i've been trying to figure out what to do about my brown sugar getting crusty. i was taught just to toss a piece of bread in the container with it to soften it back up. but with g.free bread being the price that it is, i use every last piece, including the wimpy heel of the loaf. solution: a marshmallow will keep your brown sugar soft! and marshmallows are gluten free (unless you are buying some crazy messed with kind of marshmallow that i've not seen before), and i always seem to have some around for g.free rice kriskpy bars. so that is an easy fix!

so there you go. i'm still trying to figure out all this gluten free business, and i'm happy to share what i learn as i go. hope these little tidbits are helpful in your cooking adventures!

pumpkin bread (the best g.free texture!)

2011-11-19T19:02:00.000-08:00

i love pumpkin. and what's thanksgiving without something pumpkin? but this thanksgiving we won't be at home. we will be on a vacation with Nick's family in MO. and while i've made gluten free, dairy free pumpkin pie before, i was unsure of how well it would travel and i'm not really wanting to make a g.free pie crust without my food processor (ok, call me lazy, but i hate using a pastry cutter).

solution: pumpkin bread!

i did a lot of hunting on the various gluten free blogs i follow and while plenty of them sounded good, it seems everyone has their own gluten free flour mix. my pantry is already full of about a dozen different ingredients for my own mixes, so i don't need more 3 more ingredients to try and create another mix that i'm unfamiliar with.

soooo, i did what i always do. i mashed together a few different recipes to fit my pantry. :)

not to get all tricky on you, but i was hunting for a specific texture, as that is usually the biggest gripe with gluten free baked goods, so i ended up using a combination of my 2 favorite flour mixes.

the first was my favorite Brown Rice Flour Mix that i gave back on my lemon bars post. this flour works great for anything you want with a crumbly, flaky texture, like pie crusts or crisps.

the second flour i used was Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Mix, which is primarily bean flour. and while it might sound a little odd to be baking with bean flour, it works really well for anything that you want to have a gooey texture, like cookies & some breads.

because i wanted something right in the middle, not too crumbly, not too gooey, i did a 1/2 and 1/2. and let me tell you, it was spot on!

Pumpkin bread

1 egg

3/4 c. sugar

1/3 c. & 3 T. unsweetened applesauce (i used 1 individual size container)

1 c. unsweetened pumpkin puree

1 T. vanilla (or 2 t. homemade vanilla which is a bit stronger than the other stuff)

1/2 c. melted coconut oil

1 c. brown rice flour mix

1 c. Bob's Red Mill all purpose baking mix

2 t. baking powder

1 t. baking soda

3/4 t. xanthan gum

1 1/2 t. cinnamon

1/2 t. ginger

1/2 t. nutmeg

1/4 t. cloves

1/2 t. sea salt

preheat oven to 350 degrees. oil one 9x4 loaf pan, or 3 mini loaf pans.

beat the egg & sugar well, then combine with applesauce, pumpkin puree, vanilla and oil. add dry ingredients & mix just until combined.

pour batter into loaf pan and sprinkle top with sugar (i used cane sugar on all 3 & added walnuts to one). bake for 35-40 minutes for a large loaf pan or 20-25 minutes for mini loaf pans or until toothpick can be inserted and comes out clean. (i suggest going more by the toothpick as pan color and ovens will vary baking time.)

let cool on wire rack. store in air-tight container on the counter for 3 days or in the fridge for about a week.

another husband stamp of approval (even with coconut oil in it!)!!! and i'm so excited to have a pumpkin treat that will travel well for our thanksgiving vacation.

a day of extremes

2011-11-18T11:09:00.000-08:00

yesterday was a day full of both wonderful and blessed moments and difficult, stressful situations. i had much to do so i made sure i spent time in the Word & prayer. then i applied extra effort to do activities with my boys that would wear them out physically and mentally. typically this will result in them being less needy, more agreeable, and better nappers. however, yesterday, it failed.

we went to the park and played outside to waste energy & had a great amount of laughs and giggles. yet all day they bounced off the walls and tore things apart.

so we spent time sorting little toys into plastic containers & putting big toys on the shelves in order to focus little minds. this worked for all of... 20 minutes? maybe???

after Christian went down for a nap, Isaac and I did some chores around the house, then sat down with his Dinosaur ABC book (it's a dry erase book based on Biblical creation full of letters and places to practice writing them). he ate up the one on one time and was so helpful and attentive. we laid down for his rest time and i spent 40 minutes "soft tickling" his hair and face, yet when little brother started knocking on the door to be let out, Isaac snapped to attention like he had been on high alert. short/no naps all around.

my heart broke when i had to discipline my Isaac for angry outbursts and temper tantrums. yet i about bursted with love when that same little man walked quietly up behind me and in his sweetest voice told me he was sorry for getting so angry and asked if i would forgive him. those moments are what my heavenly Father was talking about when He said, "Correct your son, and he will give you comfort; He will also delight your soul." (Proverbs 29:17)

i felt that a movie might be a good thing to keep little men busy while i whipped up some baked goods for our upcoming trip to MO next week. an overly "helpful" 4 year old and a wound up 2 year old were not about to stay in the basement once they heard my mixer fire up and after 45 minutes of messy participation & stopping to soothe bonks and resolve arguments, we all felt the need for a cookie. funny how sometimes a cookie can solve so many problems.

after a cookie & a sandwich & some orange juice & other random snacks dug out of the cupboard at 4:45 in the afternoon, i could find nothing else to feed my "starving" little men and in order to maintain sanity and avoid locking everyone in their bedrooms, i felt the best distraction would be making a mess. after all, it seems to work whenever they instigate it...

so we foam painted the bathtub, using shaving gel mixed with food coloring. this stuff is so much fun! and because the gel turns foamy when you mix in the colors, it just keeps expanding and expanding. it felt like they had painted every surface of the bathtub and we still weren't out of foam.

anticipation

calm and quite

a little bit curious

mixing colors

investigating textures

hey...

body painting ensued, with a thick slathering everywhere. and since i have boys, they found it quite hilarious to smack each other with paint in strategic places. those photos have been kept from this blog, but i will tell you, there are few things cuter than a the chunky buns of a 2 year old with blue hand prints on each cheek. ;)

at this point Nick got home & Christian started showing off. we had to convince him not to rub it in his ears, carefully wipe it off his eye lashes & help him blow it out of his nose.

and when you've painted everything else, all that's left is to get mommy.

thankfully, a good rise was all it took to clean up this chaos. which is a lot more that can be said for my basement.

after a day like that, i was about to give up on everything, but thankfully i have a darling husband. he brought home pizza for supper, kept little men busy all evening so that i could fold laundry & begin packing, then put little men to bed while i finished up some cleaning.

sometimes i feel ridiculously outnumbered in my home, yet i love all of these men, big and little, more than i ever thought i could love. i guess that's the grace of God, helping one sinner to love another sinner. and i am thankful!

finally... vanilla!

2011-11-13T15:41:00.000-08:00

Friday i finished my first batch of homemade pure vanilla extract! i have yet to bake with it, but i'm really looking forward to it. especially since it is definitely gluten free, which i'm always looking for.

i followed Laura's tutorial here on Heavenly Homemakers, for making your own vanilla at home. it's so easy! the only thing it takes is time. 6 months actually. but don't let that scare you away from trying it! considering it ended up costing me about $1.12 per ounce to make (not counting the cost of the glass bottles), that's a whole lot better than pure vanilla from the store which if i remember correctly i paid about $3 for a 1 oz bottle. and this stuff is of a much better quality than that.

so if you want all the details on how to make your own vanilla, head over and read Heavenly Homemakers (not to mention that she has a link for buying great vanilla beans, along with a discount code for 10% off through the end of this year).

i'll just give you a quick run down of what i did.

6 months ago, i bought a bunch of vanilla beans and split them down the middle (long way) and stuffed them inside 1 qt canning jar. then i filled the jar with vodka (the cheapest kind i could find) and screwed the lid on tight.

I labeled the date (note to self: do not use clear tape and black marker to label jar when making homemade vanilla, as it results in a nearly unreadable tag that you will hold at funny angles and squint like an hold lady in order to try and decipher what was printed across it) then i stuck it on a shelf in my storage room and ignored it for a month at a time, when i would give it a bit of a shake and put it back in it's dark hiding spot.

after 6 months i pulled it back to my kitchen and ran it through a coffee filter to catch all the little beans floating around in it.

to store it i used amber bottles from Specialty Bottle, filling two 4 ounce bottles and nine 2 ounce bottles.

after filtering out my vanilla from the beans, i thought i would try following the advice of someone who commented on the vanilla tutorial, and try reusing my beans with 1/2 the amount of vodka.

so i snipped them in half and put them all in a 1/2 qt jar, topped it off and stuck it back in it's dark hiding spot.

this time i took my advice to myself and used blue painters tape instead of clear tape. hooray for being able to read the label on the jar!

end result:

lot's of loverly vanilla from my own kitchen! a couple large bottles for my own use and several little ones to give to loved ones. :)

so if you are looking for an easy way to cut some costs long term in the kitchen, you might give this a try. i couldn't be happier with mine and will be doing this a couple times a year for the foreseeable future.

encouraging

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

today i read Seven Strategies for Having more Productive Days and found it so encouraging. my days have been quite difficult for a long time now due to my thyroid deciding to freak out and go all hyper on me. and while a couple of things i'm doing seem to be helping (going gluten free being one of them) it's turning out to be a long slow road back to energy and efficeincy around my home.

It was nice to read some tips and tricks for getting things done. Her last tip, "Trouble Shooting the 'Bad Days'" was especially encouraging. a wonderful reminder that while i may not be getting all the floors swept everyday, i do need to be looking for what i can do of value. and that means probably a little less time surfing pintrest and a little more time in prayer. that will be of great value!

a nice tuesday drive though the basement

2011-11-08T13:17:00.000-08:00

i have 2 boys. and boy, oh boy, are boys different from girls. yes, i know some girls that are pretty loud, that like a bit of ruff and tumble from time to time. but even the loudest, roudy-est little girl is very different from boys. of course, God did that on purpose, i just never knew to the extent He made them different until i had 2 of my own.

with my boys, everything that moves needs to be shot at, everything that makes noise is a monster, and i never realized how often i would repeat the phrase "that is not a sword!"

Janna pinned a picture of a toddler t-shirt that i feel would work for either of my boys.

that being said, i keep a limited amount of toys around the house. things that are sturdy and inexpensive so i don't feel bad about throwing it out if when it breaks. things like small plastic animals from the dollar bin, duplos (the big chunky legos), and hot wheels are a few of our favorites.

sometimes i like to find ways to mix it up and rekindle interest in the toys we have without spending a lot of $$$. so when i saw a pin on pintrest the other day, i had to give it a try. (i was sure i had pinned it so that i would be able to share it with you. but, unfortunately, i must have messed up, because it is no where to be found. all that being said, i cannot take credit for this idea, simply for copying someone and being spacey enough to forget to whom credit is due.)

roads! (please forgive my terrible pictures, but they were taken in our basement on a wet and cloudy day) suddenly those old hot wheels got a whole lot more interesting. and for no cost to me! i simply pulled out an old role of blue painters tape that had gotten a bit wet at one time, so the tape is now warped and wonky along the edges. and what is painters tape good for when it doesn't leave nice crisp edges?? why, it's good for roads!!!

up across the couch...

zig-zagging along the floor

even a parking lot on top of the ottoman

in fact, the more twists and turns, the better they liked it! only the rumbling of little men creating motor sounds to their vehicles could be heard. such a peaceful calm...

... for about 10 minutes.

my delightful sons

2011-11-01T17:50:00.000-07:00

Proverbs 29:17

"Correct your son, and he will give you comfort;

He will also delight your soul."

homemade microwave popcorn??? really!!

2011-11-01T12:44:00.000-07:00

i like popcorn, and i have 2 little boys that are nuts for it. but have you ever looked at the ingredients label on one of those microwave popcorn containers? yikes! not to mention the fact that they often contain butter, which means Isaac is left out of the fun. sad. :(

it's also not cheap, and adds up $$$ if you eat it with any kind of frequency. what's a mommy to do?

well, i suppose i could pop it on the stove. but i hate using hot oil, mostly due to the fact that i always seem to hurt myself when using it.

then, the other day, i stumbled upon this page via pintrest. and what do you know, it's possible to create your own microwave popcorn! and with only 1 ingredient, popcorn.

so yesterday, my handsome assistant and i gave it a go!

2 things you need... 1) popcorn... 2) small brown paper bag. i didn't have any of those little lunch sacks around, but i did have a medium size bag made out of the same lightweight paper, which seemed to work out just fine.

measure out 1/2 cup of popcorn. this will pop up to be an entire popcorn bowl full, so if you want less, now would be the time to cut it down.

pour your popcorn into the bag

fold the top of the bag down 2 times. don't use any kind of tape or staples, that could give you problems in the microwave.

set the bag upright in the microwave (make sure your kernels didn't tumble into a big pile at one end, that can give you uneven results), and microwave for about 3 minutes or until you hear the popping slow, just like with the store bought stuff.

while waiting, work on important life lessons, like how to strike your best ninja pose.

but stay attentive! listen for the popcorn to slow so that you don't burn your tasty snack!

vwalla! popcorn!!

ok, so my assistant and i did get a little distracted while perfecting our ninja poses. thus, the slightly burnt spot in the middle. but that's an easy fix!

simply picked out those couple burnt pieces and dig in!

mmmm... smells great! (that is his consistent smelling face for all, good or bad, despite how it looks)

you could add your own topping, but we kept it plain and he couldn't have been happier!

pear skillet crisp

2011-10-30T15:01:00.000-07:00

i love crisps. any fruit topped with crunchy brown sugary goodness is well worth the 10 minutes it takes to whip up. yep, when i do a crisp, it's always about easy and fast. so let me share about this one.

some lovely friends shared the bounty of their parents pear tree with us a couple of weeks ago. some were more ripe than others and all seemed to have a few bumps and bug bites in them, but despite their appearance, they tasted wonderful. however, the hubby isn't a big fan of pears and the boys weren't really digging them a lot. so i was left to consume them myself. let's just say, i was getting behind on the pears and they were getting ahead on the ripening process. so today, i decided i would finish them up in an amazing dessert.

please excuse my dirty stove, i'm a messy cook.

so i skinned and sliced my pears and threw them in a slightly warm skillet with a little butter substitute (i usually prefer real butter, but i like to make some treats that my little man can have too), a sprinkling of cinnamon & ground ginger, and a spoon of cane sugar (cuz it's what i had handy).

for the topping, i was simply using up some odds and ends, but it went something like this...

1/4 c flour (i used about half rice flour, half Bob's red mill gluten free flour cuz i was using up the last of the package)

1/4 c quick oats (again, gluten free for me)

2 T cane sugar

2 T dark brown sugar

1/2 t cinnamon

1/4 t ground ginger

1/4 t nutmeg

dash of sea salt (like, 1/16 t)

3-5 T butter

remember, a crisp should be easy. use the ingredients you like and have on hand. mix your dry ingredients first and then cut in your butter with a spoon or fork until crumbly.

i sprinkled some pecans over half the pears and then added the crisp topping. bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes, til the pears are warm and the topping is lightly browned and crunchy.

i think this might be my new favorite crisp. i mean, i love it with peaches, and rhubarb is always a winner with me, while sometimes apples are a nice change. but this one takes the cake... er, i mean crisp. :)

while piping hot, top it with a little New York vanilla ice cream, and you have the perfect fall treat!

mini pumpkin pies - dairy free, gluten free

2011-10-22T13:38:00.000-07:00

these cute little things are adorable to look at and so tasty to eat. such a delightful turn out that wasn't all that hard to whip up. and if i made one big pie, rather than little ones, it would just be that much easier. want to know what's in it? you know you do! well, lets start with the crust.

i think if i could eat a wheat pie crust, i would still go for the gluten free one. why? part of it might just be because it's homemade. normally, i hate making pie crusts so i just go for the refrigerated kind that you unroll and bake. i know, i'm a cheater. but no more! it's homemade for me!

second reason it was so good is due to the rice flour used to make this crust, which gave it an amazing crumbly tender quality that i am normally missing. and unlike wheat flour crust that can get a little mushy by the next day, this crust was still tender and lovely!

so here is a break down for the crust (taken from Gluten Free Baking Classics by Annalise G. Roberts)
this recipe makes 1 9 inch crust

1 c plus 2 T Brown Rice Flour Mix (find that breakdown here)
2 T sweet rice flour
1 T granulated sugar (omit if using for a savory pie filling)
1/2 t xanthan gum
1/4 t salt
6 t cold unsalted butter (i use Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks)
1 egg
2 t orange juice or lemon juice

in my food processor, i somewhat mixed the dry ingredients. then i tossed in the butter (which i had already chunked) and processed until crumbly. next i added the egg and juice and processed until it came together in a nice, non-sticky ball. i put the ball between 2 layers of wax paper and pressed it to about 1 inch thickness. at this point, dough can be wrapped in plastic wrap, then foil and frozen up to 1 month.
threw it in the fridge for 15 minutes and then rolled it out.

to make mini pies, i used a muffin pan i had sprayed with cooking spray and then dusted with rice flour and cut circles out of pie crusts using the lid from the top of a wide mouth canning jar.

for the filling i used a standard can of Libby's Pumpkin with the recipe on the back, substituting regular unsweetened coconut milk in the place of the evaporated milk. that's it.

easy-peasy!

the little man actually preferred the crust to the pie filling. i think we have a winner.

mustard on pizza?

2011-10-13T07:15:00.000-07:00

when it's cheeseburger pizza, totally!

thought i would share another successful supper with you all. though this one isn't completely from scratch. not sure i want to venture into trying to make a gluten free crust from scratch when there are so many good options already so handy.

now when i want a completely made pizza with no work on my part, i call up Sam and Louie's (who have 3 locations in Lincoln & a new one in Seward too). they have a great gluten free pizza and are awesome about letting me customize what i want on it; even leaving cheese off of Isaac's 1/2 (cuz he's g-free, dairy free for now). but, as nice as it is to order in, it can get a bit pricey.

so for a good at home pizza, i've been using a mix. this mix in fact...

Bob's Red Mill Pizza Crust Mix
Nick actually likes it! and that's saying a lot considering this is the man who has described gluten free food as "cardboard like" when talking with others.

and the great thing about homemade pizza is you can throw bits of leftover this and that on top and use up all the random little amounts of things you have floating around in your fridge. :) like i did last night.

i won't bother writing it out like a regular recipe because, well, it's pizza and i would assume you all know how to assemble a pizza. so instead i'll just share what i topped mine with.

i browned up a bit of hamburger with some veggies i had on hand, like a yellow onion & a green bell pepper from my garden, along with a clove of garlic. i waited and only added the jalapeno onto my & Nick's slices because the boys tend to shy away from spicy things.

in order to make it taste more like "hamburgers" rather than Italian style, i seasoned the meat with the things i would normally mix into my beef when making patties.

1) Kosher salt

2) Black Pepper

3) Marjoram leaves

4) soy sauce (gluten free)

now you might think i'm kind of weird adding the soy sauce, but it's actually really great. i only do a dash or two of it, and it gives the beef a bit deeper flavor. it's amazing the things that you will find work well, when all your normal go-to's are removed do to a food issue (Worcestershire sauce isn't gluten free. boo!)

the rest of the ingredients were pretty strait forward...
- tomato sauce (not marinara, just the plain old can)
- a good swivel of mustard
- veggies & beef (that i talked about above)
- jalapenos
- cheddar & mozzarella cheese

sorry i didn't get a picture of it when it came out of the oven. we were hungry and it was gone before i knew it! :)

caramel syrup

2011-10-07T12:00:00.000-07:00

real quick i thought i would share a link with you for a caramel sause i tried the other day.

now i'm typically of the opinion that when it comes to things like condements, it's just easier to grab a jar from the store. however, for some crazy reason, condement companies feel that caramel they make needs to be more caramely looking. thus, they add "caramel color". normally, i wouldn't mind a tiny little addition such as this, but caramel color is actually made from barely, which is a gluten containing grain. and trying to find a brand that doesn't use it seems to be about impossible.

so, here is the solution (as with everything when it comes to a dietary restriction); make your own from scratch.

now, i'm no tasting expert when it comes to homemade caramel sauce. but, i found this recipe very easy to follow as she has put up a page with tons of pictures so as to help you prevent ending up with a glob of burnt sugar in your pan. :) how nice to make something unfamilar and still know what your are supposed to be seeing in front of you. and the end result is so pretty, and no gluten filled fake color added!

once i got done, it looked so good, i just had to try it out on something. and what goes better with caramel than fudge and ice cream (and since hubby wasn't around i threw some pecans on top)

so here is the link to Divine Caramel Sauce

hope you enjoy!

lemon bars (gluten free)

2011-10-01T14:31:00.000-07:00

yes, it is as good as it looks. :)

i first found a recipe for gluten free lemon bars here after spotting the link on pintrest. however, with how i have loved my mom's recipe since i was a little girl, i decided to combo the 2 for a great compromise.

for this recipe, i used a brown rice flour mix that i will share in a minute. but, i first wanted to try a white rice flour like the original g-free recipe uses. so i thought to myself, "well, i have white rice... i wonder if my food processor could chop it fine enough?"

i'll cut to the chase... it didn't. in fact, after quiet a while of rattling around in there with the blade doing it's best, all i was left with was dinged up white rice with a little bit of power clinging to the sides of the bowl. waa, waa.

so i gave up on that idea and went with my brown rice mix that i've been using for lots of baking/cooking.

Food Philosopher Gluten-Free Brown Rice Flour Mix
(taken from Gluten-Free Baking Classics by Annalise G. Roberts)

Brown rice flour 2 parts or 2 cups
Potato starch (not potato flour) 2/3 parts or 2/3 cup
Tapioca flour 1/3 part or 1/3 cup

this mix worked really well and hubby (who isn't a fan of g-free textures and tastes) was totally into the end result. score one for me!

so here is my adapted recipe for...

Lemon bars gluten free

crust
1 c. brown rice flour mix
1/3 c. powdered sugar
1/2 t. xantham gum
1/2 c. butter (i used Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks)
less than 1/8 t. sea salt (a tiny amount, really)

preheat oven to 350 and grease an 8 inch or 9 inch pan. combine all ingredients and spread in the bottom of the pan. bake for 25 minutes while mixing the lemon filling (note: do not let crust cool in between baking times)

lemon filling
1 c. granulated sugar
4-5 T. lemon juice
half a lemons worth of zest
2 eggs
2 T. brown rice flour mix
1/2 t. baking powder

mix all ingredients while crust is baking. without allowing the crust to cool, pour lemon filling on top and put back in the oven instantly and bake for 20-25 minutes or until filling sets up. cool and dust with powdered sugar before serving.

a quick side note with some things i've learned about baking gluten free.

- measure carefully because gluten free grains are much more picky about moisture levels and such

- cross contamination is the biggest danger. so, if you still use wheat from time to time, be sure all of your surfaces, bowls, mixer, measuring cups & spoons, spatulas and pans have been washed really, really well. (esp. don't use baking stones that have had wheat in them before) my kitchen has been cleaner than it used to be as i no longer take a chance with a mysterious powdery white substance lacing my mixer. better safe than sorry!

- read every ingredient label & look for things specifically marked "gluten free". gluten is sneaky and hides in things with names like "caramel color" (made from barley) & modified food starch (which is sometimes made from various gluten filled grains) just to name a couple.

these bars are fantastic with a cup of tea to balance the sweetness.

everyone i shared these with said they couldn't even tell they were gluten free. not that it really mattered because i loved them regardless of others opinions. but, it is nice to know that i can still throw out a desert that everyone loves and we can enjoy together.

cousins, crafts and creation

2011-10-01T13:40:00.000-07:00

i would love to be an everyday blogger. i think they are fun to read and really would love to share so much more with you (if there are any of you out there yet, considering my spuratic posting habits). but, i am a mother of 2 very busy toddler boys. and as a result of those 2 little blessings, i have my hands full from son up to son down and yes, that would be son, not sun. it's a joke, haha... ok moving on.

but here are some things that happened this week that i have been wanting to share with you all.

had some of the cousins over yesterday. the boys were busy destroying the basement while the little lady and i were upstairs enjoying a little bit of quiet.

i've been working on my crocodile stitch crochet scarf. and yeah, this is what i've got...

that's 1 skeen of yarn (that means a whole ball of yarn). yeah, that's not very much scarf for that much yarn. so, i'm rethinking my plan. maybe i'll crochet a plain rectangle the same size and make a little throw pillow out of it. and maybe another to match. because a pair is so much cuter than a single.

i haven't gotten to many "pins" lately. i've squeaked by on my 2 a week goal. but in the mean time, i've sewn a dress. so i'm saying that makes it ok, because i'm still letting my creative juices flow and i'm working with my hands.

let me show you what we've been up to for school lately. no, we haven't started pre-school, not really. right now, we are just getting used to the routine of sitting at the table for about half an hour & listening to directions. learning when to talk and when to listen and your basic pre-writing skills of using a pencil & scissors. and even more important than those things, we are learning to listen to the Word of the Lord and learning to remember what we hear. i'm very excited to teach this to my sons at a young age! i want them to know that the Bible is not beyond them, they don't have to grow up before it becomes a part of their life.

so we started at the beginning. we have done all 7 days of creation. nothing fancy, just reading about 1 day at a time and making a picture to help us remember what God made each day. we've talked about how God is so good at planning ahead and taking care of needs before we even know there is a need. like how He made the dry land and the plants on day 3 and then made the animals and man & woman on day 6. God took care of their needs even before there was anyone around to need something. so wonderful to know we serve such a wise God.

this is my favorite picture. day 5, when God made the birds of the air and the fish of every kind and Genesis says "the sea monsters". of course, Isaac picked up on that and requested a sea monster on his picture for him to paint, that would be the head with fangs on the left side. i love having boys! ;)

and the more we read out of the Bible, the more we learn about our Awesome God & it makes it that much more natural to talk with my boys about the gospel. i know they are young, but i don't know when they will be able to understand their sin and the need to accept Jesus' payment on the cross for their sin and trust that He rose from the dead and has the power over sin & death. so i'm putting it out there every chance i get, so that they will hear the way to be saved from the first moments they will be able to remember.

if you desire to pray for us, please ask the Lord to give us wisdom and direction. Nick and i have each felt a growing desire to adopt over the last few months. we aren't sure how we will adopt since we don't have major finances for a private or international adoption, and so far are very hesitant about adopting though the foster care system simply because we often hear of adoptions falling though and we know that would mean a lot of heart ache. so, for now we are taking little steps in preparing for it while we wait for the Lord to open a door for us. part of that preparation means we have started to casually look at houses and examine our finances more carefully. we'll see what the Lord does. He might keep those doors shut for a while and He might throw several of them open very rapidly. we simply pray for wisdom and willingness to move forward as He leads.

food and fun

2011-09-26T22:20:00.000-07:00

ok, so i haven't gotten around to posting a picture of our bird wings yet. but in my defence, do you know how hard it is to get a 2 or 4 year old to stand still? on top of that, you give him life size, multi-colored fluttering wings attached to his arms and you will be lucky if said toddler doesn't begin jumping off every available perch/piece of furniture within a 20 foot radius. that being said, this is the best i could come up with.

ok, at least you can see the layers here

another attempt to take off

this is the link to the tutorial and even though parts of it aren't in english, i think the pictures really explain it all.

and around here we've been a bit creative on a different level. that would be in the use of utensils

oh the fun things we find in mamma's kitchen.

speaking of my kitchen, i don't know if i've mentioned it or not, but Isaac and I have gone gluten free. we're hoping it will make our bellies feel a little happier. so far we've been on it about 3-ish weeks and only had a few little slip ups (that darn sneaky caramel color!). i had a great success the other day and wanted to share the recipe. it's actually one that was my mom's and a huge hit whenever i take it for others.

Chocolate Oat Bars
crust:
1 c. butter
2 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
2 t. vanilla (if doing gluten free, be sure it's not imitation vanilla, as that contains caramel color)
2 1/2 c. flour or gluten free flour mix (i used Bob's Red Mill gluten free flour mix)
(1 t. xantham gum if making gluten free)
1 t. salt
1 t. baking soda
3 c. oatmeal

cream butter, sugar, eggs & vanilla. sift together (or shake together in big ziplock bag) flour, (xantham gum,) salt, & soda. combine with creamed ingredients. add oatmeal. press 2/3's into a greased jelly roll pan or 2 9x9 pans. reserve 1/3 to drop on top of chocolate

chocolate:
2 c. chocolate chips (i use dark)
1 14 oz. can of sweeten condensed milk
2 T butter
1/4 t. salt
1 t. vanilla (if doing gluten free, be sure it's not imitation vanilla, as that contains caramel color)

melt all together, except vanilla, which you should add after removing from heat. pour over crust in the pan and add last 1/3 of crust in drops across surface.

bake at 350 for 25 minutes

i made my pan gluten free and Nick's with regular flour since he was taking his to guy night. can't even tell a difference can you! mmmm... yum!

pintrest

2011-09-17T13:17:00.000-07:00

ok, so i'm hooked. for those of you who don't know what pintrest is, it's a site where you can create virtual "pin boards" to put pictures of things you like that will link you to the original web site that it was posted on. example: i can "pin" a recipe onto my board "yum!" then when i decide to go print the recipe, i can click on the photo and be taken right to their site. same goes for clothes, blog tutorials, etc. and since i'm all about the pictures, i'm totally addicted to this site.

However! i got to thinking about it and if i don't actually DO the things that i pin, what's the point?

so i have set a goal. if i am going to ~~waste time~~ encourage my creative juices on this site, then i must attempt at least 2 pins a week. which really isn't that hard now that i'm getting on a role.

So what have i done? well, here are a couple of the "pins" and my take on them after i have done them myself.

pumpkin spice latte
verdict: fantastic!
as of this week, i'm now addicted to froo froo coffee drinks, which my wallet does not look kindly upon. however, this post was a wonderful find! i can now make this drink at home for the price of a little milk and a tad of pumpkin & a cup of cheap black coffee, rather than the $4 price tag. hooray! totally loving this pin!

crocodile stitch scarf
verdict: work in progress
i'll have to show you a picture of mine when its done. it's really not as hard as i thought it would be, though you do need a basic knowledge of how to crochet. and while that is the picture that started me on it, i found this tutorial on how to make a crocodile stitch much easier to understand and follow along.

Bacon wrapped chicken jalapeno bites
verdict: husband loved them!
ok, not so suprising that Nick was digging them, they had 2 of his favorite things, bacon & jalapeno peppers.

maybe on monday i will show you the bird wings that i made for the boys. :) they turned out adorable and will be so fun for monday when we learn about the 5th day of creation, when God made the birds and the fish.

homemade almond joys (dairy free!)

2011-07-19T11:59:00.000-07:00

i so wish i had this recipe when i was nursing my boys and having to abide by the MSPI diet (milk soy protein intolerance)! but i just found it recently. and since we have taken Isaac off of dairy for the time being, to see if it helps his guts feel better, i thought it would be fun to do this for him. and let me tell you, he loves them!!

aren't they cute? i found the link to the recipe here on Thriving Without. i made them in a mini muffin tin, a much better size when making them for a 3 year old, in my opinion. OH, but i did have to do things a little differently...

i didn't care for her chocolate recipe, so i tried Heavenly Homemakers recipe for chocolate chips, however, i again had to make some changes...

she uses butter and since i was shooting for no milk, i used coconut oil. now i don't know if it was doing something wrong or what, but i could not get my sugar to dissolve into the oil. let me just tell you, it was weird! i mixed and mixed and played with my heat, but couldn't get it to incorporate. so, my solution???? put it in the blender!!!

yep, i pulverized it! after several minutes on the highest speed, things seem to come together a little better. (oh, someday to have an immersion blender...)

oh, i also had dark chocolate cocoa powder (something i love, but so far, have only found it at my old Albertson's in Henderson NV) so i used 1/2 as much (1/4 cup).

end result...

first all the no's. no preservatives, no high fructose corn syrup, no cocoa butter (sometime a problem for me) and NO DAIRY!

now the pro's! made with natural ingredients (some of which even have some health benefits, though i refrain from calling these candies healthy), way less expensive than the $1.25 for a candy bar, and fun to know that i can make something wonderfully satisfying myself! Isaac even helped a little with putting in the almonds and stirring the ingredients.

hooray!! a win-win all around.

disclaimer: i will warn you, you have to keep them in the freezer or fridge because they melt very easily/quickly. and obviously, due to using different ingredients, these taste a little different than the store bought variety. but in our case, it's all worth it.

making cooking easier, or at least a reason to smile...

2011-06-26T15:49:00.000-07:00

i have a week and a half's worth of meals planned and supplies in my kitchen and basement (minus next weekend as we will be at my in laws). and it feels so good. remind me again why i don't do this every week? oh, yeah. procrastination/laziness would be my traits to get the credit there. hopefully the next several days of no thinking cooking will help me stay on the bandwagon a little longer. :)

and for a little more motivation, i have a pretty new pot to cook in.

see isn't it nice?! it's an enamel coated cast iron pot. not a huge one, but just right for a family of 4 while the boys are little. i got it off the clearance rack at Shopko (65% off). and the best part is, it's orange! my favorite color! yes, i am in a yellow and teal stage this summer, but i have a long standing love with orange. just ask my husband. :)

right now i'm using my pretty pot to soak some black beans for black bean salsa. should be very yummy!

things we love...

2011-06-06T12:10:00.000-07:00

just got done playing catch up on no big dill, a blog by a crafty mom who does a lot of sewing tutorials. she has 5 girls so there are several things she does that i have no use for as a momma of 2 boys. but her pictures are lovely, her ideas are unique, and her blog is always so relaxed and chill, whenever i stop by it makes me want to do my own post. so here i am...

Nick and I recently took a trip to Henderson (the boys stayed with Papa Jeff and Grandma Leah). yep, back to the Las Vegas Valley. the goal was to prep our house for new renters, find a management company and hopefully start the process of getting it filled. God was so very good and we now have believers managing for us and a family scheduled to move in. what a relief. especially after being totally off guard as we walked back into that house and were assaulted with emotions and memories. it took much prayer to get through that first day. but God was so good and took very good care of us as we struggled through many tears while working though details of readying it for strangers. again, God reminded me that while He blesses us with many things, we need to love Him, not the blessings.

besides the house, we also spent much time with loved ones. people that were our adopted family for 2 years, taking us in on holidays, inviting us to their kids birthdays, bringing us meals when we had health trials, baby sitting for free, and just hanging out on the evenings and weekend.

i love this little girl!

it was a trip to one of the hottest vacation spots in the world, but for us, it felt like coming home.

does anyone else deal with that feeling of having 2 homes? 2 places that feel like you belong there? we sure do. and it makes me all the more look forward to heaven! one home that we will never leave where all of my brothers and sisters in Christ will dwell, in the presence of my First Love! oh, happy day that will be!

since getting home it's been filled with many days that i don't finish the to do list because i'm trying to enjoy these little boys. i've been reminded much lately that my job is to train up these little boys to be men of God (i hope and pray that they will turn their lives over to Him at a young age). so i must be willing to set aside the things i would like to do in order to train.

sometimes that training is done in simple ways like taking the time to teach them how to show love to their brother (i.e. hold the door open for him so that it doesn't smack him in the face as he follows you outside) or how to make peace on their own (i.e. do not hit him on the head with a watering can).

other times that training comes in the form of discipline. disciplining is never fun and is probably the most time consuming when we really work to do it in a way that honors the Lord and our children can understand well. i very much look forward to seeing Proverbs 23:15-16 come to be in my own life...

Proverbs 23:15-16

"My son, if your heart is wise,

My own heart also will be glad;

And my inmost being will rejoice

when your lips speak what is right."

but along with the training there has been lots of fun! mostly pool fun with all the heat we've been having.

pool + watermelon = incredible

water fight with Aunt Alicia

she got wetter than she expected!

headed home after a morning at the farmers market

so we'll see how long it is until my next post. who knows with me. guess i'll never be an everyday blogger. :) oh, well. i guess i have enough going on everyday.

hello...

2011-04-08T15:32:00.000-07:00

yeah, yeah, i know, it's been a while to say the least. sorry. there probably aren't any of you left who check my blog do to the spastic on again off again love i have with blogging. :) i have been trying to cut down on my computer time and thus, blogging takes a back seat most of the time.

if you're out there and wondering what is going on with we have been busy with the little things...
- cutting open old boxes & drawing rockets inside.
- making super hero capes out of old t-shirts (fun!)
- dehydrating (14lbs of banana's for $4!)
- freezing meals (did a double batch of buttermilk wheat waffles recipe)
- cleaning (ok, maybe not so much cleaning. lol!)
- reading (barnyard dance seems to be a favorite right now, and i'm enjoying "Don't Make Me Count to Three" by Ginger Plowman)

now i'm off to a 2 year old b'day party!

hopefully see you soon!

it will mean a mess...

2011-03-11T13:31:00.000-08:00

this was fun to read. it reminded me that sometimes a mess is a good thing.

what happy homemakers know

interrupted...

2011-03-01T18:33:00.000-08:00

"My whole life I have been constantly interrupted until I realized that the interruptions were my work."
~Henri Nouwen

i read this quote this evening and it struck me how this seems to fit my life as a mother. :)

nothin...

2011-02-25T12:42:00.000-08:00

there are a lot of things i have been wanting to post about, but it's just not happening. sorry. so i guess if you are wondering how the fam is... we are ok. busy... and a little bit tired, but we are ok.

been doing some reading...

2011-02-11T09:54:00.000-08:00

i've been doing some reading about how i can improve our health with most of the focus on the way we eat. not that we are looking to lose a lot of weight, but mostly to help with our guts & energy level. especially mine. ever since getting my gall bladder out, i've been having LOTS of trouble with my guts, and being a mommy of 2 boys, i need all the energy i can get! here's some things i've found helpful/interesting and thought you might too. :)

why low calerie is not the answer
the hubby and I would love to loose just that little pudge around the middle (mine is more in the trunk)

adrenal fatigue - help and resources
found this super interesting after the last couple years. (moving half way across the country, having a baby, husband with cancer, buying a house, husband loosing his job, moving halfway across the country, financial stress from said house and lack of job)

the GAPS diet
very interested in learning more about this and possibly implimenting some of these things in our lives. while the full out diet sounds like the MSPI diet (no dairy, no soy, did that when nursing both boys) combined with a gluetin free diet (yikes!) mixed with a no sugar diet with lots of unprocessed cholestrol foods (eggs, meats, etc) to help heal your guts, and very VERY intense, i think pulling some of these things is doable and would be good for our family.

how to make homemade yogert
gave this one a go last night & it's cooling in the fridge right now. very excited to see how it tastes. :)

soaking grains
also wanting to give this a try since i love to bake and want to be able to do it better. :)