Lunch. Breaking out of the rut. {hopefully}

I always feel like I need to set disclaimers in place when I mention secular publications. If this annoys you, I'm sorry. But, I need to do it again. I get the magazine Parenting in the mail once a month. Somehow I get it for free - because I def only paid for it ONCE when we had our first child. The subscription has never ended... going on 4 years now. :) And they know this - so, guess there is nothing I can do but receive. While I do enjoy some of the bloopers and cute articles on being a parent and new product test ideas - I do NOT agree with most of their stance on parenting, raising children, etc. They have a definite world view and it usually strays far from what the Word of God describes for us to do. {examples: discipline, leadership, role of the father/mother} I'm not going deep into that in this post. Just sayin'. :) Onward...

For the last few months I've been stuck in a rut with just what exactly to feed my 1 and 3 year old for lunch times. Dinner is varied and offers much variety, but, somehow lunch seems to keep taking the back burner. Usually quite literally with the same ol' pot of mac n' cheese simmer back there. Or, PB & J. So sick of that. I want my kids to learn to eat a variety and I want them to eat a more healthy diet, too. But how on earth do you get kids to willingly eat their veggies and grains, etc? My 3 year old loves peas and broccoli, for which I am grateful. My 1 year old won't touch anything with color on it - which, discounts EVERY veggie except the potato and even then she turns her nose up and sticks out her tongue. Lovely. So, what's a mom to do? And, I also like to pick my battles with my children - I so want meal times to be peaceful and a time of connecting not an all out war of "EAT YOUR LUNCH!!!!!" said a million times. 

Enter: Parenting, September 2012 issue. 

They had a full 3 pages of ideas on what to feed your children for lunch, snacks, etc. all written out by the day! The pairings are brilliant and I can't wait to try them starting this week! I also can't wait to enjoy them with my girl! Wondering how I never thought of these ideas? But, that's why the magazine makes the big bucks, I suppose. In case you aren't a subscriber I thought I'd share a few thing we'll be trying around here this week - so you can try them out with your kiddos, too! Bon Appetite! 

Day 1: Tortellini Kebabs

* Thread cooked tortellini, cherry tomatoes, and mozzarella balls {or chunks of cheese sticks like us!} on a skewer. Dip in ranch, hummus, or nothing :) This gets in at least 3 food groups and more depending on what you use for "Dip". 

Day 2: Guac/Jack muffins

* Pile guacamole, jack cheese, tomato and sliced turkey on a toasted english muffin. 

Yum. lots of creamy texture things and some zippy tomato makes a great pair, I think! Hoping to pair this with some kind of book about "Green" food. :) To make it fun and interesting and appealing to littles. 

Day 3: Cucumber Sandwiches - updated

*Cover toasted whole wheat bagel thins with veggie cream cheese. Top with cucumber slices. 

EASY PEASY. Only, I messed up and bought bagels instead of the thin ones. Oops! Oh well, should still work. 

Day 4: Strawberry Banana-wich

*Sandwich sliced strawberries and bananas between 2 slices of whole wheat bread covered with Nutella.

My girls have never had Nutella...so, we'll see. This sweet lunch will def have something veggie-ish on the side to cut the sweetness. Or, maybe just some V8 juice. My girls think thats a treat. :) 

There are loads more. Loads. As we try them maybe I'll post and share. For now, we'll take it 4 days at a time. Wish me luck! And, what do you feed your littles for lunch? Any creative ideas or things you make? I'd love to hear them. 

Those blessings

 

The Iowa State Fair rolls out of town this weekend. We were able to spend the whole day there yesterday - it was perfect weather. Started out in sweatshirts and ended the day sweaty and hot. Ahhh, end of summer is a wonderful blessing. 

My three year old adored the art building where the top floor was full of dollhouses. It was 3 year old heaven. I was impressed, too. All those miniatures - something about 'em. :) 

Her favorite house was Snow White and the 7 dwarfs. Granted, she's never seen the movie - but, somehow every 3 year old girl I know knows who those characters are. 

We walked around and saw just about everything you could - the famed butter cow, ice sculptures, old tractors, new tractors, Iowa's first church building replica, horses, cows, the SUPER BULL, newborn pigs, newborn chicks, kiddy rides, food vendors, food vendors, food vendors - did I mention food vendors?

Ava had a corn dog, August had chicken tenders and fries... which Ava finished. Mom & dad had the GYRO which totally rocks our worlds every year! Ah, cucumber sauce!  And we polished off the day with a funnel cake :) {note to self: do NOT wear black on days you plan on eating funnel cake}

Next year we will plan on packing food for the girls - waaaaay too expensive for something they may just waste. :/

A great day full of great memories. 

Thankful for each and every blessing of a special family day at the fair! 

Because we do eat...

I haven't shared a recipe in so long. There are a few reasons for that... 1) I was really battling with how to cook for my family the Weight Watchers way and have anyone enjoy it. 2) I haven't been buying much in the way of "fancy" for meals - we've been doing a lot of pasta and chicken to keep costs low. snoozeville. But, sometimes you do what you gotta. 3) It was so flaming hot for so long - cooking was miserable.

Today it's gray and cool and gusty outside and I'm loving every second. My children slept until 8:41am and it's been a leisurely day at home. It reminded me of a day we had last week where I tried a new recipe - and,  loved it. I plan to put this back on the menu in the next few months as we enter AUTUMN! You'll see why.

Fettuccine with Pumpkin Cream Sauce

16oz fettuccine

12oz can evaporated milk

1 T. cornstarch

2 T. butter

15oz can pumpkin puree

1 t. onion powder

1 t. salt

1/2 t. garlic powder

1/8 t. dried sage

Parm for sprinkling

shelled pumpkin seeds {optional}

1) Cook the pasta, drain, and keep warm.
2) In a med. saucepan, whisk the milk and cornstarch together. When cornstarch dissolves, place on the stove over medium heat and add 3/4 c. water, the butter, and the pumpkin. Stir.
3) When the pumpkin has smoothed and mixed in well, add the onion powder, salt, garlic powder, and sage. Stir until mixture comes to a low boil and has thickened to your liking (think...Alfredo). If it's too thin add one more T of cornstarch dissolved in a little water.
4) Toss sauce with fettuccine or ladle it over the noodles. Sprinkle with cheese and seeds if you choose.

*I almost always double the amount of garlic and whatever spice - in this case, sage. I just LOVE some savory seasoning and... I don't think it's possible to over sage things. :)
*I did not use pumpkin seeds because they are million dollars for a tiny packet. Bah. I did, however sprinkle white kidney beans on top - apparently grains and legumes make a great healthy pairing. :)
*the sauce is a great light orange color. If this scares your family - I would throw in some green salad next to it, or even some steamed broccoli. My kids loved the savory, buttery, pumpkiny flavor of the sauce so we were good.

Ah, loved this meal. So good. So fallish!
And now back to summer foods until September, at least. Don't wanna rush things, ya know!

7 years together

To the rest of the world August 13th was just another Monday. 

But to the people in this picture it's a very special day - 

our anniversary. :) 

7th anniversary, to be specific. 

Date nights are few and far between and we are thankful for the chance to get out when we can. We treated ourselves to dinner out and spent the whole time chatting, laughing, planning, remembering. There were no small children to control or redirect or quiet. It was... lovely. Just us. 

After dinner we went for coffee and continued on with chatting and laughing. It feels so good to laugh with your spouse. We NEED to do that more often. I am married to an amazing man and I'm so very thankful for him. 

In the last 7 years we've shared so many experiences together. 3 pregnancies, two births, 4 cars, 5 apartments/homes, 2 states, multiple jobs, various friends and relationships, near empty bank accounts, times of plenty, lots of laughter, a few tears, much growth. It has all been worth it. 

We have so much, still, to learn. But I am so thankful and in awe that I get to do that with my husband. 

What a gift he is to me. 

.:On my bookshelf:.

Every now and again I get the question, "So, what are you reading or learning?". I love that question. It also, however, leaves me speechless at times. Some days I feel as if I'm trying to drink from a fire hose - impossible to wade through all the Lord has laid out before me, but, I know it's there in abundance. Other days I feel like I'm wandering in a desert so, so, thirsty - for truth, a good word, a good read, anywhere. These dry spells happen most when I'm not in the Word of God. And, sometimes they come when I'm just not making good use of my time - like, watching 3 consecutive hours of HGTV after my girls go to sleep, instead of filling my brain {and heart} with GOOD things. Not that HGTV isn't a good watch now and again... and yes, I think it's good to take breaks now and again and just veg out. But, for me, TV turns my brain and body to mush lately. 

I've beefed up my reading list and thought I'd share some titles that just might encourage and push you on, too. And some that are just for fun :) We all need that. 

The Furious Longing of God by Brennan Manning

"Imagine a stormy day at sea, your ship yielding to a relentless wind, pummeled by crashing waves, subject to the awesome force of nature. A force that is both fierce and majestic. A power that is nothing short of furious.

Such is God's intense, consuming love for His children. It's a love that knows no limits, and no boundaries. A love that will go to any lengths, and take any risks, to pursue us."

*Brennan is a former Franciscan priest, and we may disagree or vary on some things... and I'm not through much of this book, so, I can't do a full review of it. But, it's been around awhile and so far I'm enjoying his way of presenting. 

Organized Simplicity by Tsh Oxenreider

I'm actually reading two of Tsh's books right now - the one above and, "One Bite at a Time". Both books have the similar theme of organizing and tackling things to create SIMPLICITY. :) This book has been such a challenge to my heart lately. Right now I'm on the chapter dealing with how we manage time and it's convicting. You did after all just hear me confess to watching 3 hours of HGTV, did you not?! :P The ultimate goal of this book is to make life simple. So good, so challenging! I loved the idea of creating a family purpose statement to remember day in and day out WHY we exist and HOW we can live out Christ's love for us. 

Jo's Boys by Louisa May Alcott

I know, I know... Still with the Alcott books? I just can't seem to get enough. Zipped through Little Women and Little Men and now onto Jo's books. I love reading them consecutively and I LOVE that they are all FREE on my Nook. :) These books take me places. I really do enjoy my hot cup of afternoon coffee cuddled up on my porch reading this one. It's good to use your imagination and I feel like I haven't done that, with permission from myself, in way too long. I also secretly wish that we still lived in the era of long skirts, comfy winters, and making the absolute most of what you have because you have to. Call me crazy. I can't wait til my girls are older and I can read these out loud to them. 

And the other {last} book I'm "working" on...

Educating the Wholehearted Child by Sally Clarkson

"A handbook for Christian home education. A commonsense, disciple-based biblical approach to home schooling using real books and real life. Filled with Scriptures, anecdotes, insights, ideas, methods, lists and charts to make living and learning at home natural and enjoyable."

Because my eldest child will be 4 in December it dawned on me that hubs and I should probably at least start to think and pray through what route we will use regarding education. Lemme tell you - we don't always agree on this one. We both come from different backgrounds and experiences and it's wonderful. I know full well the Lord will use that, He has already. If I were honest with you {and I am}... education scares me. Scared to home school, scared to send my girl away to public school, scared of the results we've seen from Christian schools in other children. Bah! I praise the Lord we don't have to decided right now :) All that said - I am starting preschool at home this year with my Ava girl. Yep, right here in our cozy little nest we will learn more about colors, numbers, states, shapes and you name it. I'm pumped! This book is already so challenging to even the way I think about how Ava learns - never mind where she learns it. So far so good. But really...does Sally write a bad book? {answer - no!}

That's my bookshelf at this moment. I'm finishing the book, "Made to Crave" by Lysa Teurkeurst with my friend Emily and working through "Strong Women Soft Hearts" by Paula Rinehart with another friend, as bible studies. They have been challenging and awesome, too! 

Now excuse me...

it's a gray, chilly day and I have a front porch chair beckoning me and the Nook. :) 

Oatmeal Mornings

 

The air was crisp and cool when I woke up this morning. Again. :) Those who know me well, or at all, know these are my absolute favorite days. The air cools down and the skies seem more blue and life starts to slow down a bit. 

As I stirred the pot of boiling oatmeal I couldn't help but smile. It was an oatmeal morning... finally.

And despite the craziness to come in the afternoon - this morning we could enjoy just BEING. Big girl watching her Saturday morning show, baby girl walking around with her crochet blanket, Daddy studying on the couch. All the while that cool air filling the spaces around us.

There is something to a big bowl of steaming oatmeal. 

My stubborn, difficult, testing 3 year old returns to being sweet and loving... for those moments. I need that. I need to see her smile and remember how much I love her and how worth all the discipline I seem to have to dish out all the time is. There is something to cinnamon and sugar and 3 year old girls. 

I shared with a friend the other day that I feel like life experience is my biggest teacher right now. Every day a lesson is learned, and sometimes repeated. I cry over "needs" only to later watch the Lord specifically provide. Why do I even bother with the tears? My little composition notebook of "blessings" has been busy the last few weeks. I've been amazed {again} at just how personally the Lord has provided for us. And yet, if I were honest, I would admit that even now the "how can we ever...." list still flashes into my mind.

I'm a case. Thankfully, not a hopeless one. Thank you LORD for loving me and my momma worries and concerns.

These mornings. These cool and calm and together Oatmeal Mornings. I praise God for them.

Summer Vacay peek

The last week of July we were able to spend a week in Northern-ish Michigan at Lake Ann Camp, near Traverse City. I was able to go two years ago when we had only our 1 girlie... and was excited to all be together as 4 for this summer! The week did not disappoint and the Lord took such good care of us.

Earlier in the week the decision was made that I would follow the church van up, in our personal van - with 3 of our jr high girls as well as my own two darlings. 12 hours. It would be a lie to say I was totally comfortable with it. But, once we got on the highway and I cast my very real fears at the Lords feet - we were fine. :) And actually, the ride was pretty nice. I was so thankful for those jr high girls who were able to help me find paci's, comfort crying babes, and just be generally good company :) Their joy was so refreshing to me.

We had to stop a few times to fill up my tire, which, appeared to lose air every couple hours. Finally in some random town in Indiana we realized it was actually a REAL problem. My poor tire looked like a soggy, flat, trash bag. It was a Sunday afternoon so of course nothing was open. It would have been easy to panic. We had two vans full of teenagers eager to get to camp - and now my van was having issues. One of my biggest fears of the trip. And we had NO extra money for repairs. Brad made the decision to head to the next nearest "big" town to see if we could find a Sears or something. The tire wouldn't make it any further... I was nervous. We drove another 10 minutes or so scouring this unfamiliar place for help. Nothing. Closed. Sundays are not ideal travel days. And then right there on the end of the road was a Tire Barn - open! I drove in and explained to the man behind the desk what was going on. I looked beyond his sarcasm...which he felt compelled to use often while speaking with me. But then I remembered it was Sunday and I'm sure he wasn't thrilled to be working. Grace. He took the keys and as I walked away I just let the stress slip away, too. I knew it was going to cost something. Time. Money. Sanity. There is always a cost. So, I let out a breath and slumped into the chair to watch something Olympic-ish on the store TV. No need to keep thinking about it.

About 15 minutes later a different man came to the front desk and called my name. I watched as he scribbled some notes down and then entered some info on the computer. Gulp. And now the bill. He folded up the paper, handed me my keys, gave a quick description of the work done, and then told us to a have a good day. As I stood there with my husband, wallet in my hands ready to pay, I felt confused. The man was gone and there was no bill. Just the well wishing for the day and my set of keys. No charge for labor. No charge for part {valve stem}. We left, and were I not surrounded by people... I would have cried. The God of this universe, who knows my heart and my fears, knew in that moment how I breathed THANKS to Him.

Thankfully that was as much "fun" as was had on the way there. We had a fantastic week and it seems the teens really enjoyed their time, too. Here's just a peek at the fun that was had :)