gourmet popcorn I seriously have to stop myself from buying this stuff on a monthly basis! SO YUM.
white hydrangeas
and a homemade crossword puzzle
for date night last week!
... Are you shocked by how nerdy we are?!
I thought this idea was adorable.
All of the clues were ones relating to our life together.
We laughed SO HARD as I tried to come up with the answers.
I seriously could not think of at least 7 of them for a good thirty minutes!
And they were good clues. I just have a terrible memory.
Nathan joked and told me that he'd better start writing down our love story now
and reading it to me like the Notebook.
Appparently I'm suffering from an early case of memory loss!
Usually the guy forgets all the little details, right?! WRONG.
I totally failed. It was a GREAT time though!
Ohhh and he slipped in a clue to surprise me with a date idea
he wants to do in December! Will keep you posted! A date within a date. Clever. I'll keep him.
Here is where you can build your own crossword puzzles to stump the love of your life!
I'm really curious... because we're always looking for fresh ideas...
warm cozy cotton + leggings + boots = my wardrobe of choice
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Here's what's going on at your local Gap this season...
... I love this! Totally something I would try on and then put back on the rack feeling way too guilty to indulge! Let me sum it up for you...
~ GAP ~
black & grey striped tunic sweater: $54.95
black leggings: $19.95
brown leather biker boots: $89.95
= $164.85 + tax
Here's what I found at Target to get this look from Gap for 1/3 of the price...
~ Target ~
cream & navy striped sweater tunic: $26.99
denim blue leggings: $10.00
... and I found these lovely L.L Bean boots at a second hand store for 5 bucks!
I live in them this time of year.
= roughly $45.00 for the whole get-up! Cha-ching.
I asked Nathan what he thought as I modeled the whole deal for him.
"You look like a Gap model! I love it!" ... he said as he boosted my little feminine ego!
So for my boys - I'm constantly on the hunt at local, upscale resale stores for their seasonal wardrobes. Once Upon a Child is GREAT. I'm addicted. Have to control myself. I also have friends who give us hand-me-downs and I'm a sucker for local mom-to-mom sales.
Here's what Judah's sporting this time of year...
Nautica khakis: $1.00 (mom-to-mom)
Chaps blue button down: $1.00 (mom-to-mom)
Gap grey hoodie: $0.50 (garage sale)
Children's Place brown billed cap: $0.50 (garage sale)
BEAUTIFUL brown leather shoes were a GIFT!
That is $3.00 for some pretty fancy clothes, my friend!
My guess is that all of those pieces BRAND NEW would come up around $75.00.
So will it be...
or...
...for you this season?
Either way, I hope you (and your checkbook!) look and feel fabulous!
I couldn't stop myself. I found myself sighing longingly as I daydreamed about a big, warm, hearty bowl of potato-leek soup while throwing groceries into my shopping cart earlier this week.
I LOVE this stuff and Nathan doesn't care for it.
I think he calls it, "baby food" ??? Oh brother.
This is an occasion where being the executive chef of our home kitchen has its perks!
I NEED a bowl of this stuff at least once a year. Don't go hating on my potatoes and leeks!
This is "have it your way" potato-leek soup...
Let me tell you why.
You can just use the base recipe and have a delicious, gluten-free, vegan cup of happiness...
... or you can add 2 slices of (chopped) bacon to the mix for a meaty flavor and still be dairy-free...
... and then you could always make some grilled cheese croutons, skip the meat, and have it vegetarian style?
However you want to serve it up, my friend. It is a beautiful thing.
POTATO-LEEK SOUP
(base recipe - g-free & vegan)
6-8 medium red potatoes + 2 more for chunks if desired
2 large leeks
1 onion
4 cloves of garlic
sea salt & pepper
Alton Brown taught me how to clean my leeks! Chop and place in a bowl of cool water for 5 minutes.
Swish around a couple of times to allow all the grit and sand to fall to the bottom of the bowl. WAH-LA.
This isn't potato-leek-sand soup!
Peel, chop, dice, mince - however you want to do it!
Get all of that goodness into a stock pot and cover it with vegetable broth.
I used a lid and let this simmer on medium heat for about 2 hours (give or take).
Did I mention that the leek, onion, and garlic combination is an excellent immune system booster?
Consider this dish a VITAMIN, would you?!
In a separate pot I boiled two chopped potatoes until they were JUST soft. Not mushy.
I threw these in at the end to help deter my husband from thinking it was "baby food." Haha.
I also threw some steamed sweet peas on the top as a garnish to add some color and extra nutrient flavor!
Ok - so for the non-dairy cream part to all of this...
I melted 2 tbls. of non-dairy butter (low heat) and added 3-4 tbls. of g-free all purpose flour...
thus creating a roux. Now I feel fancy!
I slowly added rice milk (about 1 1/2 C.), stirring constantly (over low heat) until it was thick and gravy-like.
Add sea salt and pepper to taste. A dash of garlic powder won't hurt you either!
After the pot of mixed veggies was mushy,
I put the whole deal WITH THE GRAVY into my Ninja and "hi-ya-ed" the living daylights out of it!
The smooth potato-leek mixture was then poured into my crock-pot with the chunky potatoes where it waited on "warm" until dinner was ready!
I allowed some good, nitrate-free, bacon for Nathan's sake.
The kids and I picked it out, but I liked the flavor it added. So did Nathan! BEST batch I've made so far!
We also had some homemade, g-free cheese croutons to top it with!
Not needed. Just a weakness.
This was SOOOOO enjoyed. For many days.
We had it for dinner... lunch... then as a side dish at the following dinner.
Wish I had made more to freeze! *kicking myself.*
Hope you all are enjoying this beautiful month of October!
What warm, hearty things are you cooking up for your friends & family?
So it was my turn to plan "date night" last week!
(Just wanted to throw another fun idea out there for ya'll!)
I cheated, a little, and recycled an idea that Nathan had used for me back when we were first dating...
The original idea (just to give my awesome husband some credit!): A TRIP TO ITALY
He packed up some typical Italian fare (cheese, crackers, olives, etc!)
and "flew me" in his Honda Accord to the State Park.
It was a perfect September day and I had no idea what was going on
until he spread out some blankets and laid out some beautiful picture books of Italy.
Now Italy is one of my favorite countries I have ever visited.
I've been twice and can't wait to take Nathan some day!
We spent the afternoon in "Italy" - living vicariously through the picture books.
Such a good idea BEGGED to be repeated...
We have the extreme honor of sponsoring and corresponding with two wonderful children in Central America. Nathan had been sponsoring Jeslin, who is from Nicaragua, for many years before we even got married.
After our second son was born, Nathan expressed that he felt called
to sponsor a child for every biological child we have.
We then "adopted" Marvin from Honduras!
There are wonderful organizations out there that can help you or your family get started with a mission like this. Truly life changing. We are able to correspond through letters with our friends and have been so blessed to share in their lives. They send us pictures and little art projects they have worked on. We pray for them as we pray for our own children and Godchildren. Such a gift.
So for date night I grabbed a bunch of picture books from the library (on a budget here!) and we spent the evening learning about the countries our sponsored children are from. I had "Sounds of the Caribbean" on queue with Pandora and some "bean & rice" chips with glass bottled soda for a snack!... traditional fare with flair?!
Had so much fun learning, sharing, and getting to know
more about our beloved friends' homes in Central America.
Our hearts not only grew in love for each other,
but for all the GIFTS God has given to us in our biological and sponsored children!
We can't have Fall without apple cider doughnuts now can we?!
No. We. Can't.
When September rolls around my brain automatically goes into: "locate nearest apple cider doughnut selling shop" mode.
It is crazy. If I haven't found a good fix before October... watch out!
This year I took the experience to a whole new level by making my first round of homemade doughnuts.
Gluten free doughnuts at that!
The delight in the eyes of my children was worth the extra effort. They paid me in kisses. I'll take it!
TODAY was perfect for these. This is what cloudy, rainy, cozy, chilly Saturday mornings are for, people!
Here is where I found the recipe. I was surprised at how easy it is to make doughnuts at home! And I was shocked to discover that even with 1/4 cup of sugar these still tasted WAAAAAAAY less sweet than what we have picked up at our local doughtnut shop. They were perfect paired with some coffee and spiced apple cider!
Here is my child right before he entered a sugar coma. He informed us that he was going to LICK all the cinnamon and sugar off the outside of the doughnut before eating it. Smart kid. We'll keep him!
We have leftovers if anyone is interested in round #2 with us!
My two year old has almost completed week #2 of a gluten-free experiment.
I am pleased to say that we are actually noticing some changes! Praise the Lord.
It will never cease to amaze me how strongly food effects our bodies.
Not only does it have the power to nourish and heal us,
but it also can curse our bodies with a wide range of unpleasant symptoms.
We are trying to find a balance: NOURISHMENT & HEALING... without the symptoms.
The whole family is actually joining him this month!
Nathan and I have "messed up" a couple of times. Sigh.
Gluten is sneaky! And so hard to avoid when out in public!
Here's a few things we've been eating over here...
BREAKFAST or "FECKIS" as the little man says!
rice flour blueberry pancakes
I've just been using a basic recipe that uses rice flour. Still tweaking. I don't like to use eggs - and not using eggs with gluten free recipes is tough! These are still great though! Just a little crumbly. Working on that.
But coconut spread? Hold the phone. Go get some right now! Thank me later.
green smoothies & mango nectar with fresh squeezed O.J. - frozen in cubes
My boys INHALE smoothies.
My sneaky way of getting extra vegetables down them!
Kale and carrots for breakfast? Yes, sir.
paleo cereal
Raw goodness! I like mine with strawberries, flaked coconut, sliced almonds, and dried bananas with rice milk. ...good with chocolate chips too! Not like I've tried it before or anything. Ha!
LUNCH-TIME
long grain brown rice with mango salsa & bananas
salsa:
ripe mango
tomato
onion
corn
cilantro
This is not only g-free, but vegan too! VERY satisfying. Everyone enjoyed this!
DINNER-TIME
g-free pizza crust with the works
We needed some "comfort food" to console us along the way!
Topped with g-free tomato sauce, lots of fresh spinach, banana peppers, roasted red peppers, fresh pineapple, cilantro, a little bit of ham, and... I am proud of myself for this... only TWO cups of shredded cheese! TWO.
I will confess to using 4-6 cups in my past life. *hangs head in shame.* Cheese is so addicting. So it is not my fault.
This crust was epic. I could tell the difference (because I'm a snob like that), but my family was blinded by the awesomeness of the whole sha-bang!
I doubled this to have enough dough to cover my largest cookie sheet that I believe is 14X17.
Too lazy to measure it.
crust:
2 tsp. active dry yeast
1 tsp. sugar
3/4 C. warm water
*mix and let sit for 5 minutes then pour over...*
1 1/2 C. g-free all purpose flour (I've been using Bob's Red Mill)
1 tbls. extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp. xantham gum
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 egg
(Next time I'm letting the egg sit out.
Flaxseed meal and honey ought to do the trick.)
This dough is not going to rise like "normal" pizza dough. At least mine didn't.
I let it rest for about 10 minutes and then spread it out with my "EVOO-ed" hands.
Put the goods on top - and baked at 425 degrees for 20 minutes. PERFECTO.
SNACK-TIME
We used gluten and animal free products to make "puppy chow!"
Oh how I love that stuff!
My kids do too. That's why I wanted to make it of course! For them. Ahem.
rice Chex cereal
chocolate chips
peanut butter
non-dairy butter
BAD BAD BAD powdered sugar... it's just not the same without it!
Here are the boys snacking on some homemade fruit roll-ups
and watching Sesame Street while momma cleans the kitchen!
The roll-ups are a great, not to mention HEALTHIER, snack for the average day.
Will keep you posted on any other yummy things we discover along the way :-)
P.S. Don't worry, mom. When we come for Christmas I'll help you cook. This food allergy deal is tough business!
I met my husband almost ten years ago. He was different from other guys. I wrote quite a bit about him in my journals actually. Forgot all about it until a couple weeks before our wedding day when I was skimming through them looking for "the list."
I documented how he wasn't your average car salesman. That he PRAYED with customers about NON car related issues. How he defended me one day when another guy at work was attacking me for being modest and wearing "so many layers." Apparently wearing a camisole under a regular shirt was prudish. How about classy? Don't get me started.
He had all the obvious things going for him. He was a Christian, loved his family, was funny, out-going, chivalrous, kind, attentive, attractive... not to mention he loved literature and played violin and guitar! Heck, the guy was writing songs about me before we even dated! *swoon*
There were little things that came up while dating. I knew he wasn't PERFECT. But it is one thing to date a sinner, and quite another to be married to one.
I think that the bond and union a married couple shares, and the fact that they are so intimately bound to each other, HEIGHTENS the reality of sin. You feel it more acutely, no? It stings. Occasionally bleeds. And if provoked, can become a gaping wound all over again.
At our wedding, as we exchanged our vows, we placed our hands on a crucifix that now hangs in our bedroom. It is a visual reminder for us that we are in this marriage WITH Christ. Crucified, bleeding, forgiving, loving... over and over and over again.
Oh to embody unconditional love and mercy!
Can you imagine what our GOD is like? We catch glimpses of Him in each other - small reflections of something bigger than we could ever dream up. Our God is BIG. Mighty to save. ALL loving. Forever. Forgiving. He is pouring out his MERCY!
I am married to a sinner. A sinner who is COVERED, just as I am covered, by the blood of the Lamb. Together we are working on sainthood. Together we are approaching the cross and trying to give each other the mercy we are receiving.
"Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." - Luke 6:38
This passage has haunted me most of my life, as I am a hot-headed grudge holder. I love to shout out, "I will not forget this!" When I think about it though, it scares me. What if Christ said that to me? To you? To all of us?
That thought encourages me to be thankful that God has chosen to forgive and save me, and to keep offering the mercy I am receiving.
My kids LOVE fruit snacks.
And I LOVE fruit snacks because they make my children insanely happy!
I try and buy "no sugar or dye added" brands,
but I'll admit - if there is a good sale out there I'll break down and buy something bright and unnaturally sweet. Then I feel guilty!
Money over their little bodies?!
I found a solution the other day while flipping through some whole foods cookbooks...
HOMEMADE FRUIT LEATHER
*angels singing*
Why have I not thought of this before?!
I handpicked the pears straight from a chemical-free tree.
Can't beat the quality control of a momma!
These are time consuming... but easy. AND they make your house smell WAY amazing.
I don't have a dehydrator,
but I read online that if you can get your stove to stay around 150 degrees you are golden.
So that's what oven thermometers are for!
Saute fruit of your choice (I hear that you need to add an apple or pear if using juicier fruits like peaches or plums). I added a little water to keep it from sticking. You want the fruit super soft with all water evaporated.
After the pears were soft, I added a little splash of maple syrup. Because it is my sweetener of choice!
I'm sure agave or honey would work well too.
Didn't have to add all that much - the pears were perfect just the way God made them!
I added a pinch of cinnamon and... drum roll please...
lemon. zest.
I'm just a huge fan of zesting in general. Takes the flavor level up a notch.
The lemon zest brightened, enhanced, and took the pears to a whole new happy place!
Try it.
I pureed the living daylights out of the mix. You want REALLY REALLY REALLY smooth fruit roll-ups, right?
I know my kids would probably question a chunky fruit snack!
Again, a lot of sources said to oil a piece of plastic wrap to put under the puree.
Plastic wrap? In an oven? With my fruit on top?
I don't think so.
Aluminium foil with a little vegetable spray worked just fine. I spread the fruit out really thin...
...and after about 5 hours in a 150-ish degree oven, (could take 4-8 hours depending on the size of the pan and thickness of the fruit layer) I had THIS...
You are looking for the fruit leather to feel dry and firm - but not crisp.
I cut it into strips and rolled it in wax paper.
I'm storing mine in a glass jar in my fridge... to make sure nothing funny starts happening to my little creations!
I JUST bought a bunch of apples to make some apple leather this week. I didn't want to go overboard with my first batch just in case they weren't good. But these are GREAT! VERY VERY satisfying!!!
And they passed the "kid" test! That's all that matters, right?
As many of you know, our little family has embarked on a gluten-free journey.
We're giving a g-free diet a shot this month and hoping it will solve some of our health riddles.
If not... I'm running straight back to the arms of REAL pizza!
Day #2 of no gluten had me craving cookies. Great start, huh?!
I totally feel addicted to wheat. Either that or I just want what I can't have!
Actually I had my family in mind as we were planning on going out to the pumpkin patch this evening.
I knew that apple-cider doughnuts were going to be a HUGE temptation and wanted to take the edge off by offering a healthier alternative!
Now I've never tried a gluten-free cookie so I guess these could be bad and I wouldn't know it!
...but I really really REEEALLY think these are some of the BEST cookies I have ever had in my life.
I took one bite and knew: all other cookies were going to seem second rate after this experience.
1/4 C. Earth Balance (or other non-dairy/gluten-free butter)
3 Tbls. honey
1/2 C. raw organic cane sugar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. flaxseed powder with 2 tbls. water
(let sit together for 2 minutes before adding to mixture - this is your "egg.")
*mix until smooth*
1 3/4 C. gluten-free all purpose flour
3/4 tsp. xantham gum
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. grated lemon peel
*mix & chill for 1 hour*
Roll cookie dough into 1" balls and coat in cinnamon and sugar.
Place on greased cookie sheet and bake @ 325 degrees for 5-7 minutes.
Will give you "not enough!" - I mean... 2 dozen cookies.
They were chewy and soft and perfect and delicious and amazing and unlike any other cookie I have ever had. And let me tell you - I am a cookie connoisseur!
Here's what my boys have to say about what momma cooked up during naptime...
Close to 4,000 babies are aborted each day in the United States of America.
4,000. That is an estimated 1,460,000 a year. I just shake my head in disbelief. Really?
I am holding my babies a little closer today. I can't imagine my world without them.
They are the BEST decisions of my life.
"A person's a person no matter how small." - Dr. Seuss
This past weekend we had the privilege of standing guard at our local abortion clinic.
Waiting, watching, praying, and hoping that the men and women going in and out would somehow be touched by our presence and have a change of heart.
40 Days for Life is now taking place (September 26th - November 5th)!
You can be a part of this incredible pro-life movement too.
Prayers, fasting, and abortion clinic "guardians" are needed!
Every little sacrifice counts.
We brought our babies with us. I think they are such a testimony!
They enjoyed eating breakfast in the stroller and running up and down the sidewalk.
Signs of life in a culture of death.
It was overwhelming to think that as my healthy, beautiful children ran around outside of the clinic...
healthy, beautiful children were being executed inside.
They LOVED this sign.
They wanted to touch it. Whack it. Sit by it.
Haha. Oh boys! A good message though. So true.
Please do your part. Every effort counts. Here are some stats from 40 Days for Life's website...
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
1,894 individual campaigns have taken place in 440 cities
More than 525,000 have joined together in an historic display of unity to pray and fast for an end to abortion
More than 15,000 church congregations have participated in the 40 Days for Life campaigns
Reports document 5,928 lives that have been spared from abortion — and those are just the ones we know about
69 abortion workers have quit their jobs and walked away from the abortion industry
24 abortion facilities completely shut down following local 40 Days for Life campaigns
Hundreds of women and men have been spared from the tragic effects of abortion, including a lifetime of regrets
More than 2,100 news stories have been featured in newspapers, magazines, radio shows and TV programs from coast to coast ... and overseas
Many people with past abortion experiences have stepped forward to begin post-abortion healing and recovery
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Pretty exciting! God is good.
Remember that this battle continues to rage even after the 40 days are over.
Let us take this effort beyond November 5th.
Let us look to a day where the womb is no longer the most dangerous place in the world.
If you, or someone you know, is in a crisis pregnancy or has had an abortion, there is help out there.
Don't be afraid to reach out.
Christian crisis pregnancy centers can be found for your location online.
Also - October Baby is an AWESOME and INSPIRING movie about a girl who survived a botched abortion that was just released on DVD & BluRay. We recently just added this title to our collection! This is a message full of HOPE, BEAUTY, and FORGIVENESS! Lots of resources to be found on the DVD!
Joining all my brothers and sisters in prayer these 40 Days for Life!
Praying for miracles.
