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"