Dinner Recipes

This is for those of you who have been asking for more healthy recipes. These past 2 nights my family has raved about dinner so I thought I would share with you. Last night we had Teryaki Salmon. The recipe was for 4 5oz. filets. The teryaki was made with 1/2 cup of vegetable broth, 1/2 cup of white wine, 3 TBSP of brown sugar, 2 TBSP of soy sauce. Boil this on the stove and simmer for 5 minutes. Pour over the salmon and cook each side for 3-4 min. on 350 degrees. I doubled the recipe. I served this with fresh asparagus and a salad made with romaine, yellow peppers, avacado, real bacon bits, fresh crumbled gorgonzola cheese(similiar to crumbly blue) and Good Seasons Italian dressing in the packet. I like the mild italian. I make it with olive or canola oil. It is excellent!
Tonights dinner was Chicken breast cut down the center but not all the way through and open the breast up on each side. I filled it with fresh spinach, ham and colby, monterey cheese. Roll the breast up. Sprinkle seasoning on top. Whatever you like. I used minced onion, garlic powder, salt and pepper. For a grain we had bulgar wheat which resembles rice. I boiled 1 cup in 2 cups of vegetable broth for 40 minutes. You can do so much with bulgar wheat. It is cheap and one of your healthiest grains. It can be cooked with veggies, as a pilaf, or used cold in a salad. We had corn for a veggie and pineapple for dessert.
My family loved everything and they commented on the dinners so much that I had to share these recipes with you. Let me know if you try any of these? I'd like to know what you think.

Homeschooling with Dad.

Today Dad did the homeschooling with Emma. They worked without interruption for 2 hours. For those who don't know, Emma is my hands on kid. She gets side tracked easily and can think of many other things that she would like to be doing beside school. In other words, she is my challenge most days. But today, she worked with Dad.
At first, I cringed a little. He is a school teacher and I found out today that they are not nice, patient and kind everyday either. His tolerance for bologna or lack of effort was little. His tolerance for tears was none. His tolerance for excuses..........there wasn't any. He explained it and told her to," get going". He sat by her side and made sure she didn't dawdle. He praised and encouraged when she completeted the assignment and patiently helped when she was putting forth her best effort. I noticed though that he had zero tolerance for any type of nonsense. At one point, I said, "She really dosen't know those facts, they are a daily struggle." He told me, "she should know these facts and she will know these facts." By the end of the math lesson, she knew the facts. Facts I have been working on with her for weeks. He sat by her side and made her review them over and over and showed her how to figure them out. He did not allow her to give up or whine or say, "I can't." He told her, "You can and you will."
It's amazing to me that she pulled through every assigment with flying colors when it was determined ahead of time by Dad that school was not optional. She would do it and excellent attitude and behavior was expected. There would be no breaks until school was finished. He explained to her that in the classroom he worked with his 4th graders from 8-10:30 in the morning and from 12-2:30 in the afternoon with no breaks. Their break was specials and lunch from 10:30-12:oo each day. This meant 2 hours a day of work did not need a break. School was over by 11:00 this morning and now Emma and Dad went out on a lunch date to just be together. Emma was happy and knew her boundaries. Dad was excited to be done with school and excited to spend sometime with his daughter. I was impressed and the rest of the house stayed peaceful because one little girl got some tough love this morning and was not allowed to ruin the rest of the families morning by thinking, " I can't!"
Husbands are wonderful leaders and often times they know the perfect solution to complicated situtations. Praise God for them!

The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day that turned into a Blessing!

Yesterday was not a day that I would like to repeat. It seems that Fridays are a day that I spend making many phone calls. I started at 8:00 in the morning and realized at 3:30 when my husband got home that I still was on the phone! I didn't talk that entire time but several times within that time frame. Some calls were business, homeschool coop related and a couple for just catching up with my friends. My children were fighting more than usual and I was getting frustrated! I was being selfish. I knew I should address the problems that they were having and give them my undivided attention but I was choosing not to because I wanted to talk on the phone. I was thinking thoughts like, "Why can't they just get along and be quiet?" "Why do they have to fight whenever I try to do something for an extended period of time?" Why can't they just get along while they are making apple crisp" This was supposed to be a fun project for them to do together. What I was really saying was, "Leave me alone and let me do what I want to. Don't bother me."
My husband came home and I unloaded on him. He was very quiet.(I am sure this is exactly how he planned to start his weekend). I had sent the girls to their rooms for their behavior and had a little while to think about my own while explaining my day to Damon. After listening to myself and watching my husband contemplate what I was telling him, I decided that the kids definately needed to change their behavior but so did I. They were being selfish by fighting and wanting their own ways but I was being selfish by wanting my own way in not attending to my first responsibility. My children. Things had probably gotten out of hand because I was reprimanding but continuing to stay side tracked with my agenda. I was very convicted.
Our evening took a different turn. The girls and I talked and apologized for our wrongs. A friend called and had 4 free tickets to go to a special event. My husband agreed to watch my 2 year old and encouraged me to go with the girls and enjoy eachother. We did. I am glad that our day took a turn for the better and that God is at work in each of our hearts.
After our event, I put the kids to bed and was sifting through my e-mails. Autumn had a paper due for co-op that she had e-mailed to her teacher because our printer wasn't working. I had not read the final paper. It was titled, My Hero. I read the paper and tears welt up in my eyes. Her hero was me. She wrote about all of my good qualites and said I had a big heart and loved my family and friends with all of it. She said she wanted to be like me someday. Iwas so touched and convicted all at the same time. I was thankful that on a day that seemed so bad, my daughter still sees the good in her mom. I am thankful that God works in our lives even on terrible days and brings about his plan for our lives. I was convicted again that my actions and words are being watched every minute around this house by my children. I am their example. No one person has a bigger impact for the Lord on their children than their mom. It made me think about Christ dying on a cross for me and my sin and that My Father in heaven sees me through Christ's eyes because of his great sacrifice on my behalf. I got only a glimpse through my daughter's paper, her love for me despite my inadequacies, of God's great love for us despite our sin.

A tasty treat!

I am always trying to find healthy snacks for the kids and I thought I'd share one with you that is very inexpensive. Aldi's sells boxed puddings for .29 cents. They have chocolate and vanilla. I have started making them a couple times a week. It only requires 2 cups of milk and a mixer. I even went further and put 2 cups of water in with 2/3 cups of powdered milk. A little cheaper. I mix it all together and we have a relatively healthy snack for quite cheap. I bought little cups with lids at the dollar store so the kids still feel like they're getting a nicely packaged dessert. One package fills the equivlance of a 6 pack of pudding from the store so for about .50 cents it's a terrific snack for the whole family. I should mention that as unappealing as the powdered milk is, you can not tell the difference in recipes.
I realize this is not as healthy of a snack as fruits or veggies but it has lots of dairy and is better than the expensive packaged food at the store with tons of additives and preservatives. Every kid needs a treat once in awhile! Also the sugar to dairy ratio is minimal.
Another treat that is one of my favorites is one made with ricotta. It calls for 1/2 cup of ricotta, a packet of splenda, xylitol or tsp. of sugar. 1/8 tsp. of vanilla and a dash of cinnamon. This tastes like rice pudding to me. You can also make it with a teaspoon of cocoa powder instead of cinnamon. Now it tastes like chocolate ice cream without all the sugar. I eat one of these almost daily. Especially when I am watching my carbohydrates.
I'll share more recipes when I have the chance. I love to experiment when time permits. Let me know if you try any of these, I am anxious to know what you think?

The Pearls

I like a lot of the writings from Michael and Debbie Pearl. They are the founders of the No Greater Joy ministry. I received their magazine today and one of the articles popped out at me so I thought I would share it with you. It is written by their daughter.

Some of my favorite memories of growing up are of working beside my parents. I recall with pleasure working side by side with my mom in the kitchen, spilled flour on the floor and messy dough on our hands. "Just a good pinch of baking soda will make a cup of flour rise if you add a sour liquid," she would say. She would give me a reason for every ingredient that went into the bowl. Mom never followed recipes, so not everything she cooked turned out tasting just right, but then I would learn why, and what I could do to change it to make it be perfect the next time.
By the time I was 13 or 14 years old, I passed her up in the culinary department, especially when it came to using herbs for seasoning. Dad bragged on my cooking so much that Mom would have me season everything she cooked. It gave me ample opportunity to learn what herbs complemented certain foods best. I became a real chef. I simply LOVED to cook. I also learned another important lesson, and that was how to teach others. Mom's way of teaching made it natural for me to want to teach others. I remember vividly the pleasure I had after tasting, touching, smelling, mixing and cooking, and then hearing Dad's praise when something tasted wonderful. The same thrill I felt as a child comes back to me now when I am teaching others. Mom gave me two special gifts- cooking and, more importantly, the love of teaching.
Kids run off when they hear their parents say,
"OK, it's family time."
"OK, it's time for homeschool."
"OK, it's Bible-study time."
"OK, let's spend some quality time together. I want everyone to come into the living room and sit down." Just hearing those words are enough to zap the fun out of life and shut the brain down so it can't learn.
Real fellowship and teaching says, "Hey, who wants to help me make a delicious, fabulous, wild, fruit salad with real rose petals in it? - Shoshanna (Pearl) Easling

I just want to add my two cents. God's word, homeschooling, Bible study are all important but I think the biggest impact we can make on our kids is in the little things. The simple times of working side by side and conversation while we keep our hands busy. I can't tell you how much my girls have learned in the kitchen while we have canned, cooked, cleaned and just enjoyed being together. They have learned how to do these tasks and I try to make conversation about things that are of interest to them. I also try to pull the Lord into all that we do. It seems there are always ways to bring our faith and beliefs into the tasks that seem so mundane. I read an article one time that encouraged me to work along side of my kids instead of each going in seperate directions when we have housework to do. I don't always follow this but I try as often as I think of it to work at the kitchen together, then the living room together, etc........ instead of my doing the kitchen while one child does the livingroom and the other the bathroom. It makes the work go faster because you have several hands and GREAT conversation!

140 views!

I checked my profile tonight and I saw that my blog hit 140 views! I am excited. Thank you for taking the time to read my posts. I was thinking this is a pretty good number for a blog that is only a little over a week old. I hope you are blessed by my thoughts and that God gets the glory in all that I write.
Today was a beautiful day. I took the kids to the park and ended up seeing 2 other moms that I know. One of them was my chiropractor. She is very knowledgeable about being a healthy person. She mentioned that trying to get 10 minutes of exercise 3x's a day is better for your health than aerobic exercise for 30-40 minutes straight. She gave suggestions of jumproping with your kids, snowball fights, racing them, be a kid for a few minutes and have fun with them. It is not only good for the health but the kids think you are a really cool mom! She also has mentioned to me that if you are looking for optimal health and energy than to rid your cupboards of white flour and sugar. I thought this was impossible but in April of this past year, we did this and I was given wonderful recipes. I lost 28 lbs. by October. From November until December, I stopped walking and started eating white flour and sugar again. Guess what? I am going into the New Year weighing 20 lbs. less instead of the 28lbs. that I had lost and I felt horrid. Exhausted, tired and blobbish! January 1st I started my walking and eating right again and I am feeling much better. It is amazing that what we eat affects us so much. Just thought I'd share with you what I've discovered about my health in 2007 and if your struggling with energy.....clean out the cupboards and enjoy the fruits, veggies, whole grains and meat that God intended for us to eat!

Overload

I have talked to a few people this week who are burning the candle at both ends and not able to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I have been here myself many days. As a matter of fact, last week I had a few days like that. I finally sat down with my husband and got to the bottom of what the problem was. I was overloaded! Sometimes we go about trying to do our best at everything but feeling like we are the jack of all trades and the master of none. As I posted in my quality time entry, moms are pulled in many different directions.
I feel better this week and I thought I'd encourage you by letting you know what changed. I talked to my husband. I asked him what his priorities were for me? What does he value as being important to our life and the things I should be spending my time on? His answer was so simple. "The most important thing to me is when you are spending time with the kids, enjoying them, playing with them. I like when I reach out to you and you come and sit by my side and spend time with me. I want you to take time to be with us and not thinking about all that has to be done all of the time. "I feel extremely blessed that this is his priority for me. I am very fortunate that my man values quality time as much as he does. I still had the nagging feeling that said," but things do have to get done or I can't function well in a mess trying to homeschool." The solution: At night everybody pitches in for 30 minutes and gets the house back into shape. Hmmm.... 4 people at 30 minutes a piece= 2 hours of work that mom didn't have to do alone. "Great idea Honey!"
Tonight I am blogging at 7:30. Most nights it has not been until about 10:00. The work is done and we are all happy. I spent more time with the kids today and did not touch housework until 4:00. My husbands solution may not be your husbands solution to the overloads of life but don't hesitate to ask your husband to help you brainstorm ways to make life a little more pleasant at your house. You might just find that he has a quick solution that allows for a happier situation.

I Saw Jesus in You

I love hymns. So many times we sing and don't think about the meaning behind the words. There is a song that we sing at church from Majesty Music that is called I Saw Jesus in You. I just wanted to share the words with you. They say so much.

When I enter Heaven's glory and I see my Saviors face,
I will offer Him ten thousand years of praise.
Then I'll find that special one in whose life I saw God's Son,
And thru tears of joy with trembling lips these words I'll say:

I saw Jesus in you, I saw Jesus in you.
I could hear His voice in the words you said- I saw Jesus in you
In your eyes I saw His care, I could see his love was there.
You were faithful, and I saw Jesus in you.

When I stand before my Father to receive my life's reward,
And my soul is bathed in God's eternal day,
When this race on earth is run, and God sees the works I've done,
More than anything I long to hear my Father say:

I saw Jesus in you, I saw Jesus in you.
I could hear His voice in the words you said- I saw Jesus in you.
In your eyes I saw His care, I could see His love was there.
You were faithful, and I saw Jesus in you.

Such a simple song but what wonderful words. It is such a good reminder that our testimony is so important. If we are believers in Christ, others should see Jesus in us. There should be an inner joy and hope that we have because he lives inside of our hearts. Our children should see Jesus in us. Behind closed doors in the comforts of our homes when it is just family. Sometimes, this is when we are at our worst. This is the most important time. Children raised in a home where it is evident that Jesus lives within their parents are significantly impacted for the Lord. I pray that others will see Jesus in me, that my family will see Jesus in me and someday when my race on earth is run, and God sees the works I've done that my Father will say, "I saw Jesus in you."

Dispelling the "Perfect Family" Myth.

Most women struggle with the perfect family myth. We look around at other families and admire how wonderful their life looks. For me, the perfect family is all sitting together side by side in a pew at church. The father next to the mother and the 10 children are next to mother, listening intently to the preacher. The family is well groomed. They have full bellys because their beautiful mother made a healthy, delicious meal for all of them before leaving for church. At the meal, father led in a Bible reading, they prayed together and sang a hymn. After the service, they go home to a feast that they share as a family on Sundays between services. The children are all clothed in dresses and suits that mother has made for them and father is gazing lovingly at mother, thinking of all of the blessings that they have made together. Father is so proud of beautiful mother because she is so kind and loving to him and the children. Mother homeschools and father works from home. Each day is predictable and everybody is just PERFECT! Are you puking yet?
As wonderful as this life sounds, there is a little word call REALITY! I struggle with this little word. Reality is real. Reality is what we live everyday. Reality is Sunday morning when you show up smiling at church, you couldn't find your shoes before walking out the door, the baby threw up on you after you got dressed, the children spilled milk, the dog peed on the floor, Dad was grumpy, You thought of making a nice breakfast but it turned into a granola bar in the car and you have no clue what your making for lunch. Reality is that the children are not perfect. They fought in the car, mom raised her voice to be heard and dad threatened to pull the car over and give a spanking to the next person who made a peep.
Some days, I don't like reality. It exposes everything that we are in our flesh. SINNERS! Parents try their best to be good examples to their children but somedays we are just plain failures. Children are a blessing but they can make a mom want to pull her hair out. REALITY is what makes us know that we need the Lord. We are not perfect. We never will be on this earth. I have learned that the families that I looked at and thought were perfect, when I got to know them, they were not. They had hard days just like my family. They were sinners too! I am not insinuating that we should not try our best but don't let the" perfect family myth" be a discouragment to you because the "perfect family" dosen't exist.

Embracing Our Sacred Calling

What you do in your house is worth as much as if you did it up in heaven for our Lord God. We should accustom ourselves to think of our position and work as sacred and well-pleasing to God, not on account of the position and work, but on account of the word and faith from which the obedience and the work flow.
_ Martin Luther

I am reading a great book from Vision Forum called, Passionate Housewives Desperate for God. I thought I'd share a few excerpts with you on this topic.

Eve was Adam's perfect complement,his crowning glory, she was created for the purpose of completing and helping him. They were now one flesh for as long as they both shall live(Matthew 19:6)-"heirs together of the grace of life:(1Peter 3:7).
In serving as your husbands helper, a wife performs many roles that are valuable. She is to be his solitary lover( Genesis 2;24, Song of Solomon 4; Proverbs 5:19), his counselor (Proverbs 31:26; 1 Kings 1:16-21), and his closest friend(1Peter 3:17; Ephesians 5:33). She has the honor of mothering his children( Genesis 1:28, 3:20, 24:60) and keeping their home (Proverbs 31:27, 1 Timothy 5:14; Titus2:4-5). In all of her tasks, she seeks to further him as a man. She embraces his vision as her own.
The scripture is very straightforward that a woman's duties are to be home-centered. There is a great blessing that comes when we allow God to transform our hearts and we walk according to our unique calling. Proverbs 31 tells us that the wife and mother who "looks well to ways of her household" will receive praise from her family: "Her children arise up, and call her blessed, her husband also, and he praiseth her." She is a crown to her husband and viewed as a woman of invaluable worth (Proverbs 31:10). Her ministry is her family, and "her own works" praise her in the gates(Proverbs 31:31).
Being a keeper at home is a holy mission; it is a rewarding duty that we as women are to be passionate about. As a part of our sacred call, we are to wisely build a godly, spiritual home(Proverbs 14:1) by helping our husbands.
Ladies, we have a great and glorious work before us. Keeping the home has been entrusted to us by God. Under the leadership of our husbands, we are to train up our children in the way they should go; we are to create beauty and comfort within our homes; and the work of our hands should reflect productivity. We are to worship alongside our children, teaching them the laws of God (Proverbs 6:20) night and day (Deuteronomy 6:6-7). We are commanded to practice hospitality to strangers and friends alike (1 Peter 4:8-9)- sacrificing in love a portion of ourselves (1 John 3:16) to those who enter our homes.
Using our gifts and talents to glorify God in our role as helpers to our husbands, imparts a quiet lesson to a watching world and communicates true contentment in the lovliness of womanhood. We need not be desperate! With joy in our hearts and purpose in our steps, we can walk confidently in the role that God ordained for us since the beginning of time:

Thus saith the LORD, "Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls."(Jeremiah 6:16).

Quality time

Did you ever feel like everyone wanted a piece of you? I think if you are a mom then you know what I mean. I have 3 children. Many of you have several more than me. Many of you homeschool. We all know the balancing act of wife,mom, teacher, child trainer,housekeeper, cook,bill payer, chauffer, etc..........the list goes on and on. Sometimes it feels like a mom is pulled in so many directions that there is no time for what really counts. No time for the REAL reason that we home educate our kids. I don't know what your real reasons are but I'm sure some of you do it for similiar reasons that my husband and I decided when our adventure first began. First and foremost, we wanted to raise Godly children. We wanted to spend time in the word with them, praying with and for eachother, memorizing scripture, learning hymns. We wanted them to experience life with their family not away from their family. Our hope was that the strongest influence in their life would be God's word.
Reflecting on what our priorities were and still are.........I ask the question to myself, "How important is it that we finish every math lesson in the book? How important is it that the house be spotless? How important is it that I return every phone call? How important is it that I finish that novel? How important is it that we run here or there?
There are so many things that can sidetrack us and pull us away from our priorities. Is it more important that Autumn and Emma learn how to treat eachother kindly and get guidance from me in a disagreement or that the floor got mopped? Is it more important that my phone life be tended to or that my 2 year old get the proper training? Is Math more important that family Bible time and scripture memory? They both are important but many days Math gets done and devotions do not. Where are my priorites? I often find myself having to focus and get back on track. Getting pulled away by the many demands of a mom can cause me to lose focus and get side-tracked. I am thankful that I have a husband who calls me out on things when I'm headed in a direction that is not where my priorities are. I am thankful I have a husband who shares the same convictions and goals for our family. I am thankful for my friends who share in the same struggles and are an encouragement to me when I feel like I've fallen short. I am thankful to the Lord who gives me guidelines in his word so that I don't need to wonder what my role is as a woman. I know I am to love my husband, train my children and be a keeper of my home. I am thankful I have the holy spirit to convict me when I lose focus of what I know God has for me. A friend of mine said to me not to long ago, "Decide what you want to do and give what you want to do your all." "Put your whole self into it and enjoy each moment with your kids. Soon enough they will be grown and you can have a spotless house, talk on the phone at great length, finish your book and run errands all by yourself. " The time we have with our children is to short to be side tracked with things that just don't matter. If you hear me complain about being overwhelmed, please remind me that nothing is more important than quality time with my family. When your overwhelmed, I'll encourage you!

Sledding day with Dad!?

Well, today was sledding day. We didn't know it was sledding day until Damon announced it at 10:30a.m. Autumn was doing school work. Emma was playing with Jonas and I was doing laundry. SCReech! Put the brakes on............we're headed in a different direction for the day at 10:31 after the sledding announcement. I tell Damon that I need an hour to get everybody ready. My hair was wet and in a towel and everybody was still in their pajamas.

11:30- We leave for our exciting day. All bundled up in snowsuits. Minus the adults. We were just wearing long underwear and regular clothes.
11:31- Jonas is screaming,"I so hot!"
11:32- Jonas has taken off his mittens and hat.
11:50- Driving around trying to find the hill.
11:55- Do we take a right or left? We decide on a left.
12:00- We made the right choice! We are at the hill.
12:02- We are out of the car, gathering sleds, headed out for the first run.
12:03- Jonas is in the sled being pulled by Dad.
12:04- Jonas is crying, "I to cold!"
12:05- Damon is headed for the first run with the girls, Mom is trying to convince Jonas that sledding is so much fun.(He's not buying it).
12:06- Mom is carrying Jonas to the sledding hill.
12:07- Mom is carrying Jonas to the van.
12:08- Dad and the girls are sledding with the sled that has W-D 40 sprayed on the bottom( Dad's idea).
12:09- The W-D 40 must not be working because the 3 of them are stopped on the middle of the hill, looking at eachother. Damon gets off and the girls continue on the sled a little faster.
12:15-12:30- A few more runs down the hill.
12:30- Everyone is headed back to the car for hot chocolate.
12:35- The girls are complaining how hot they are in their snowsuits.
12:36- Jonas says, "I a good boy, I pooped." (A little confused about potty training).
1:00- We are back home!
Wow! Wonderful sledding experience. I think we'll try it again tomorrow! I posted some pictures so scroll down and take a look.

Jicama

I always like to try new things when I have the extra money in the budget. Tonight we tried jicama. It actually dosen't require much extra money. It was only $1.12 at Super Wal-mart. It is a tasty vegetable that looks like a very round potato. It is crunchy and sort of sweet. The flesh of it looks like a white potato but not the same texture. It was phenomenal! We dipped it in a yogurt dip. It would be great on a vegetable tray or in a salad. I liked it all by itself. The yogurt dip I make is made from 8 oz. of plain yogurt with a knorr vegetable soup mix packet mixed together. Just some of the soup mix not the whole package. You have to season it to your taste. A little treat for all you health nutz!
While we are on the topic of food, I wanted to mention a great website that I frequently visit called Hillbilly Housewife. There are so many recipes on this and for those of you on a tight budget there is a $45 menu and a $70 menu for a whole week of grocerys. The $45 menu had a lot of beans on it. Great for the health but a word of caution for the tummy! This year for Christmas, the girls and I made several of the hot drink mixes for gifts along with cookies or canned jams and jellys. I have heard from a few people that they loved the Mocha Cafe mix.
I have had a lot of fun with this sight. It teaches you how to make so many things from scratch.
As I am able, I will let you know about other things I come across that I think are worth sharing with you. I know many of you are furiously frugal and live on a tight budget. My family often jokes," If anyone knows how to pinch a penny, it's Angel." I think even if I was a wealthy woman I would still enjoy the thrill of saving my cents.