thoughts for today

"The grass withers, the flower fades

when the breath of the Lord blows on it;

surely the people are grass.

The grass withers, the flower fades,

but the word of our God will stand forever.

He will tend his flock like a shepherd;

he will gather the lambs in his arms;

he will carry them in his bosom,

and gently lead those that are with young.

Have you not known? Have you not heard?

The Lord is the everlasting God,

the Creator of the ends of the earth.

He does not faint or grow weary;

his understanding is unsearchable.

He gives power to the faint,

and to him who has no might he increases strength.

Even youths shall faint and be weary,

and young men shall fall exhausted;

but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;

they shall mount up with wings like eagles;

they shall run and not be weary;

they shall walk and not faint."

from Isaiah 40, ESV

Just some verses from Isaiah 40 that I am enjoying this week. We are in the midst of moving locally, so I will not be posting for a week or two. But, I will be back after that!

Right now, I am resting in the knowledge that God is in control of situations we cannot control. He knows the perfect timing of all. Even if it isn't what I think it should be! He will give us strength to make it through. Packing a house of 5, while 8 months pregnant and moving is exhausting. But He promises to give strength and gently lead those with young. I can rest in His arms and take it one day at a time. And yes, I took a little break yesterday and let the kids run in the dandelion field. Yes, they are just dandelions, but they looked so pretty.

(my 3 year old loves bringing me flowers!)

Baby wrap giveaway

There's a baby wrap giveaway going on over at Modest Mom

Check it out here!

Looks like it would be a fun wrap to try- this is a style I use often with newborns to about 6-8 months.

thoughts for Today

"No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Romans 8:37-39

Giveaway!

Giveaway is now closed!

And the winner is:

KIM!

Congrats, email me if you haven't already and I will get you the book out shortly!

For everyone else: be sure and check out Keeper of the Home's blog, read some past posts and watch for new ones if this is a topic that interests you!

Doesn't this sound like a wonderful book?

It is.

I already got to read it. Lucky me!

I actually got to read a copy before it was published and give some feedback. It was a wonderful read. Easy, but full of great information.

I really enjoyed her chapter on couponing, it was a great balance between being frugal and making the most of the coupons available while at the same time remembering that it isn't a good deal if it's just junk you don't want to feed your family anyway and a nice way to find balance in couponing and buying "real food"!

I found as well, even as a pretty new gal to the whole real food idea, that there were things I could say "hey, I'm doing that! Must be doing something right", as well as "oh, what a great idea, I can do this" - like her baking day ideas. Plus there were some things in there that I said, "Oh, I can't do this yet" BUT it gave me some things to think over and start mulling over in my brain on how I could do that someday and give me some things to grow into. (Like gardening- I don't garden at all right now, probably can't this year due to housing situation and a move and a baby in July! But next year...... )

So, I would highly recommend this book for anyone, in any stage of their "real food journey" - I think you will be able to take something valuable away and glean some wonderful insights from some others who are further along.

The only downside for me was the fact that it's a e-book. And the only way I have to read it is in the office on my computer, unless I wanted to have the 250 pages printed. Which, honestly, I might do at some point. It would be worth it to me, just might get a little expensive. But not terrible, I think it would cost less then $10 to take and have printed at my local printing store.

I am more of a reader learner anyway- I don't do great with videos or audio - let me read it! But, it's hard to read with 3 little ones and you can't carry the book to where they are playing. I ended up reading it during naps and enjoying the peace and quiet. But, it's worth it. It was a little more work for me, but I really enjoyed the book.

Stephanie did a great job at putting her thoughts and ideas into a very easy to read format and while not getting too "wordy" explained things well. There is also a wonderful resource of other books, websites and resources to pursue finding options for you locally and on your own.

So - you think you would like a copy too?

Leave a comment on this post and I will be giving away one free copy of the E-book to someone at the end of this week! Please be sure to leave me your contact email too!

For extra entries - follow Keeper of the Home on FACEBOOK or TWITTER or SUBSCRIBE to her blog!

You can also post about the giveaway on your blog and link back here for another entry.

Leave me a separate comment below for each you have done!

Want to buy a copy? You can go here and purchase one for yourself or a friend.

Want to read more? Here are some link's to Stephanie's blog, "Keeper of the Home" -

she's been sharing excerpts from the book on posts HERE and HERE

Mothering

"The most important thing you can do with your life is invest it in your children"

"We mothers have the opportunity to influence eternity by building a spiritual legacy in the lives of our children."

"I realize that those foundational years in the life of a child - those same years when I sometimes thought I was accomplishing nothing - have a lasting effect on almost every aspect of the rest of that child's life."

~from The Mission of Motherhood by Sally Clarkson

Sweet & Sour Chicken/Beef/Tofu

Sweet and Sour Chicken

This is an excellent leave all day in the crockpot meal!

I have sort of based this recipe on THIS one and THIS one. If you want to make it with tofu GO HERE and follow some of the hints she has on making it. Otherwise, just slice or cut up whatever meat you like and go for it.

1 pound chicken, beef or whatever

(I usually use uncooked and let it cook all day, you can use already cooked, it won't take as long - cook till veggies are done!)

4-6 cups veggies, chopped or small slices

Bell peppers, carrots, broccoli are good choices, but be creative

1 onion, chopped

In a saucepan, mix:

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup turbinado sugar or sweetener of choice

1/3 cup white vinegar

1/4 cup pineapple juice

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup ketchup

2-3 TB flour, cornstarch or arrowroot powder, dissolved in 1/2 cup water

Mix everything together and bring to a boil, should thicken slightly

Combine with meat and veggies throughly and place in crockpot. Or do as I do, and don't dirty something else, stir well once it's all in the crockpot!

Cook on low 8-10 hours or until meat and veggies are done.

Serve over rice and enjoy!

Thoughts for Today

This is an excerpt from the May/June 2010 Thriving Family magazine published by Focus on the Family. The article is titled "Mommy-Tasking" by Carol Barnier. It's a pretty good perspective for us multi-tasking mamas!

".........Multi-tasking is not something mothers need to learn. We clean the house and whip dinner and taxi the kids and trim their hair while we extract a splinter, explain a metaphor, sew a costume, teach kids to chew with their mouths closed, remove lipstick from the couch cushion and use a toilet plunger........ What we moms need, what our minds miss most and what our hearts intensely seek is the seemingly lost ability to monotask. We long for a quiet moment on a porch swing to laugh with a child, a change to linger over dinner with our husband and the satisfaction of allowing a burgeoning idea to playfully work its way through our brain....... the world of motherhood is one of perpetual motions..... But multi-tasking isn't just a solution for improved productivity; a value statement that say more is always better and quiet times are unproductive times. I suspect that God couldn't agree less. The Bible doesn't say, "He leadeth me in the path of astounding productivity and dizzying accomplishment whereby He is exceedingly impressed". No, God wants us to lie down in green pastures, and He wants to lead us beside still waters to restore our souls..........."

Are you so busy that you miss a quiet moment with a child?

Can you take 15 minutes during naps today and just enjoy reading through the Psalms and not work your grocery list or listen to music at the same time?

Take a moment from your day and look around you-

Enjoy it.

Treasure this moment...

In all the chaos and clutter...

In the midst of kids and a husband...

and dinner on the stove...

Say "thanks Lord" for all you have given me.

Spicy Balls w/ Salad

Spicy Balls w/ Salad

(this is adapted from an old issue of Delicious Living Magazine, February 2009, original recipe is called Spicy Chicken in Lettuce Cups)

1 pound ground turkey or chicken

Combine 6 TB soy sauce, 2 TB chicken broth, 1 TB cornstarch/arrowroot powder

Stir until smooth.

Place ground meat into a medium bowl and separate into 4-5 big lumps. Pour in mixture and mix slightly to cover all meat. Set aside for 10-15 minutes.

In a large skillet, heat 2-3 TB oil.

Add:

1/4 cup chopped red pepper (other colors work too!)

2-3 TB garlic

2 TB chopped FRESH ginger (fresh is way better, but powdered works in a pinch)

Cook, tossing often until softened but not browned.

Add in seasoned meat, crumbling it in and using a spatula to spread out in a fairly even layer. Let cook for about 1-2 minutes, until it begins to brown on one side. Turn to cook other side, breaking meat up into large chunks.

When meat is cooked through and very crumbly (maybe dime to quarter size chunks)

Add:

2 TB soy sauce

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

(optional, will add quite a bit of spicy-ness!)

1/4 cup finely chopped green onion

3 TB freshly shopped cilantro

1 TB toasted sesame oil

(adds good flavor, but I have left out when I don't have any)

Toss well with cooked meat mixture.

Serve on top a nice green salad and top with an Oriental dressing!

Or just balsamic vinegar and olive oil!

This is one of my favorites, though not a favorite of my husbands so I try and make it when he is gone for dinner!

This post is part of Pennywise Platter at Nourishing Gourmet!

Menus

Here is my menu plan. It's a 2 week plan and though I may vary what I am serving on a given day due to how my week is looking, I am hoping to keep this list for the next couple months and then re-assess it and make changes. We are looking at possibly moving- locally- in the next month and I am currently 28 weeks pregnant. So, I am hoping to keep the meals, simple and nourishing. And over the next couple weeks I will probably try and eat down my freezer stash so it's easier to move and then plan to replenish the freezer once we are moved and before baby is born. Here's my thoughts! If it doesn't link to a recipe, it's easy enough you should be able to make it without one!

Week One

Sunday - leftovers

Monday - Chicken Enchiladas w/ green salad

Tuesday - Tacos

Wednesday - Spaghetti and Meatballs (this is a meatloaf recipe, but making into balls would work too, I often make mine up as I go, but I've been wanting to try this recipe!)

Thursday - Salmon Salad Sandwiches

Friday - Hamburgers w/ Salad or other veggies

Saturday - Sweet and Sour Chicken w/ Rice

Week Two

Sunday - leftovers

Monday - Pasta Florentine w/ Chicken

Tuesday - Chimichangas w/ Rice or Salad

Wednesday - White Chicken Chili or other soup

Thursday - Fish

Friday - Beef Fajitas (the recipe says Chicken, but just substitute with Beef or Pork!)

Saturday - Quinoa or Rice Salad w/ sausage or Rice Salad - Lentil Salad or Quinoa Taco Salad- I will use/or work off something along these lines and either cook and slice the sausage or just serve a couple on the side. Depending on my mood I will use either quinoa, rice or lentils as a base, veggies with what I have on hand and make a dressing- there's lots to choose from HERE!

Thoughts for Today

"No amount of discipline can make up for a lack of training."

"Training is not discipline. Discipline is the "damage control" part of training; but it is insufficient itself to effect proper behavior. Training is the conditioning of the child's mind before the crisis arises. It is preparation for future, instant, unquestioning obedience."

"Before he (a child) can DECIDE to do good, his parent must CONDITION him to do good."

~ excerpts from "To Train Up a Child" by Michael and Debi Pearl

Does anyone else find they need daily reminders as a mother to do these things? Training our children takes thought and planning and a commitment to consistency. We must always be looking for opportunity to train. And the more we train, are consistent with our training, the less we will find ourselves having to discipline. It's takes discipline on our part though, huh.

Just something I have found myself challenged with lately with 3 little ones running around!

Thoughts for Today

With Mother's Day coming up this weekend, I have been giving some thought to my mothering and things I need to work on and be learning. I have been re-reading a wonderful book called "The Mission of Motherhood" by Sally Clarkson. I am hoping to gather my thoughts and share some with you on mothering but until then, here is a link to a post from today's "at the Well". Enjoy these thoughts on mothering and parenting with long term goals in mind.

"Parenting while thinking ahead"