Cranberry Scones

(from http://www.food.com/recipe/cranberry-scones-13067)  I used plain yogurt instead of buttermilk; we always have Astro Balkan yogurt in the fridge.  Also, I used a food processor to cut the butter (COLD) into the dry ingredients and then to blend in the wet ingredients to form the dough.  Quick and easy and oh so scrumptious!!

• ¾ cup buttermilk or ¾ cup plain yogurt
• 1 egg
• 2 ¾ cups flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup butter
• 1 cup coarsely chopped cranberries (fresh or frozen)
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 orange, rind of
• 1 tablespoon butter , melted
• ¼ cup icing sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Beat buttermilk and egg in small bowl and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, measure flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
4. Cut in butter until mixture resembles small peas.
5. Mix in cranberries, sugar and orange rind.
6. Add buttermilk mixture and stir until soft dough forms.
7. Using your hands, form dough into a large ball and place on floured surface.
8. Knead about 10 times Pat into two circles about 1 inch thick, place on ungreased cookie sheet.
9. Score the tops of both circles to make 8 wedges on each, if making for a buffet, for regular scones, score each circle into 4 wedges.
10. Bake scones for 15-20 minutes.
11. While still warm, brush with butter and sprinkle with icing sugar.

I made these yesterday for a new mom who is off dairy and gluten right now for her little one's comfort.  They are delicious, highly addictive because of their crunch and flavor, and are a nutrient-dense snack.  For optimum digestion and nutrient availability, you should always buy your nuts raw, soak them for the day or overnight, and then dry them in a low oven.  Here's a basic recipe that shows you how.  You can (and should!) use this method for any other kind of nuts you use around the house, including pumpkin seeds, walnuts, and pecans.  The Nourishing Cook, or any other food blog that follows the traditional food preparation techniques researched in the Nourishing Traditions cookbook, will also have basic recipes for crispy nuts.  The beauty of this method is that it is "set it and forget it".  Put your nuts on to soak in the morning, then some time in the evening, drain and rinse them, put them on a cookie sheet and let your oven do the magic overnight.  Easy peasy!

Crispy Almonds

by Kim

These nuts are a staple at our house. We use them in cookies, desserts, nut butters, and more! Make a large batch, keep half in the pantry and then freeze the rest to preserve the good fats in the nuts and prevent them from going rancid.
Here are some great recipes that use crispy almonds as one of the ingredients:
Almond Coconut Chocolate ‘Milk‘
Hazelnut Almond Shortbread
Gluten Free Almond Cookies
Almond Nut Butter

Crispy Almonds

Difficulty:  Easy

Yield & Notes:  Makes 4 cups

Ingredients:

4 cups almonds, preferably skinless [TNC: I used almonds with skins because I couldn't find skinless almonds]
1 Tablespoon sea salt
filtered water

Preparation:

Mix nuts with salt and water and leave in a warm place for at least 7 hours or overnight. Drain in a colander and rinse with cool water. Spread on a stainless steel baking pan and place in a warm oven (no more than 150 degrees) for 12 to 24 hours, turning occasionally, until completely dry and crisp. Store in a mason jar in your pantry.

Luscious Lentil Soup

This is my "go-to" soup.  It is simple, hearty, healthy, and every bit as luscious as its name suggests.  I've made it for my family, friends, and church functions and it has always had rave reviews.  The base recipe is from an internet search that I printed out long ago and it indicates it was "Exported from MasterCook".  So that's the best reference I can give for this right now.   This is a blended soup, so you don't have to worry about how pretty your chopped veggies are, as long as they are consistent in size to cook evenly.  Enjoy!

Luscious Lentil Soup (mom_of_4 comments in italics)

8 c chicken stock or water  (Definitely chicken stock! but as in any soup, water will do if necessary.  Sometimes I only use 6c liquid if I want it to be thicker.  Often I use 4c stock, 2c water.  Saved potato water from boiling potatoes is a delicious substitute too!)
4 medium carrots - sliced  ( I like a small dice, because they blend better in my hand blender)
4 celery stalks - sliced  (same here)
1 medium onion - chopped
1 leek - chopped  (I almost never have leeks in the house, but it is a lovely addition if you have one)
1 tbsp fresh parsley - chopped  (Again, for some reason, don't have this around very often.  It is good without, but very nice with)
1 1/2 c red lentils
1 tomato - chopped  (This soup is best with nice fresh tomato in it.  I can't explain why, but I've used canned diced tomatoes and it is still good, but it is truly "Luscious Lentil Soup" when you use fresh.  One large or two medium.)
30 ml garlic - crushed  (Or 2 nice large cloves, minced)
1 large bay leaf
1/8 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp ground thyme  (Or a generous pinch of dried thyme leaves, crushed between your fingers)

Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan.  (Start your onion, carrot, celery, and garlic in some fat to "sweat" for a few minutes.  Bacon fat is a perfect flavor layer in this soup, but olive oil or butter will do.  Salt your veg with sea salt.  Add tomatoes, stock/water, lentils, and herbs.)  Cook over medium heat 45 minutes.  Puree 2 c soup in blender.  Mix with remaining soup in pot.  Heat thoroughly and serve.  (It is so much easier to use a hand blender if you have one.  Whirl it up until it is the texture you like.)  Makes 8 servings.

Variations:  Serve with lemon wedges for added zest.  Or add 1 tbsp miso for extra flavor.  (I have never tried this.  I never have miso around the house.)

Crock Pot Split Pea Soup

I don't know about you, but as soon as I'm in the vicinity of a bone-in ham, I'm negotiating for that lovely, meaty ham bone to make stock.  In my world, ham stock is like gold, considering you have to buy a pricey ham to get it.  I turned my first litre of this year's Christmas ham stock into split pea soup, and I have no regrets.  In the absence of ham stock, a couple of smoked ham hocks will do the trick for a successful pea soup.

I love this recipe from Southern Food about.com  It's no-fuss, no-muss, and delicious every time.  (mom_of_4 comments in italics)

Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup Recipe

Cook Time: 8 hours

Total Time: 8 hours

Ingredients:

• 1 (16 oz.) pkg. dried green split peas, rinsed  (a 450g package)
• 1 meaty hambone, 2 ham hocks, or 2 cups diced ham  ( I have used 4c ham stock + 2c water instead, but have made it before with ham hocks.  In my crock pot I can turn a meaty hambone into 3L of stock - it gets more mileage that way.)
• 3 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 ribs of celery plus leaves, chopped
• 1 or 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped, or 2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
• 1 tbsp. seasoned salt (or to taste)
• 1/2 tsp. fresh pepper
• 1 1/2 qts. hot water (see comment about about using ham stock)

Preparation:

Layer ingredients in slow cooker in the order given; pour in water. Do not stir ingredients. Cover and cook on HIGH 4 to 5 hours or on low 8 to 10 hours (it has a better mushier texture around 10 hrs) until peas are very soft and ham falls off bone. Remove bones and bay leaf. Mash peas to thicken more, if desired. Serve garnished with croutons. Freezes well. (save some cooked ham to cut up and add to the soup if you have used ham stock instead of ham hocks)
Serves 8.

Happy New Year!

Hello friends and family.  If you are interested, you can find my New Year's letter here at my other blog.  I love the start of a new year!  May you and your family come into the fullness of God's blessings in 2012.

mom_of_4

Pumpkin Scones

Starbucks Pumpkin Scones Recipe

Perfect for a fall morning, these pumpkin scones are so moist and flavorful you’ll be wanting to make them year round. They'll taste just like the ones you get from Starbucks without standing in line.
Scones Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
7 Tablespoons sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
6 Tablespoons cold butter
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
3 Tablespoons half-and-half
1 large egg

Sugar Glaze Ingredients:

1 cup powdered sugar
1 Tablespoon powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons whole milk

Spiced Glaze Ingredients:

1 cup powdered sugar
3 Tablespoons powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons whole milk
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 pinch ginger
1 pinch ground cloves

Scones Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Lightly grease a cookie sheet or line with parchment paper.
3. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and spices in a large mixing bowl.
4. With a fork, pastry knife, or food processor, cut butter into the dry ingredients until mixture is crumbly and no chunks of butter remain. Set aside.
5. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk pumpkin, half and half, and egg.
6. Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Form the dough into a ball.
7. Pat out dough onto a lightly floured surface and form it into a 1-inch thick rectangle (about 9 inches long and 3 inches wide).
8. Use a large knife to slice the dough into three equal portions. Cut diagonally to produce 6 triangular slices of dough.
9. Place on prepared baking sheet from step 2.
10. Bake for 14–16 minutes until scones turn light brown.
11. Place on wire rack to cool.

Sugar Glaze Directions:
1. Mix the powdered sugar and 2 Tablespoon milk together until smooth.
2. Brush glaze over the top of each cooled scone.

Spiced Glaze Directions:
1. As sugar glaze firms, combine the spiced icing ingredients.
2. Use whisk to drizzle over each scone and allow to dry before serving.
Makes 6 pumpkin scones.

(from MomsWhoThink.com)

mom_of_4:  These are my new weekend morning indulgence!  I have made them a couple of times and they turn out beautifully.  My "secret" - which is really Martha Stewart's secret, but who's counting - is to use a food processor to make the dough.  Mix the dry ingredients in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the cutting blade already inside.  Use cold butter from the refrigerator or freezer and pulse the food processor to cut it in.  Then add the wet ingredients and run the food processor long enough to bring it all together in a ball.  I like a rustic-looking scone, so I pat it out to the thickness I want and cut into rough wedges.  Drizzle with glaze and serve with butter.  Yum!

Healthy Hamburger Helper

I came across this recipe on a blog I follow called The Nourishing Cook and it was an instant hit!  It starts with raw sweet potato that you need to cook in the skillet as well, but if you have cubed roasted sweet potato on hand (like I always do) it cuts the cooking time down dramatically.  Another "cheat" I use on this recipe is having frozen chopped spinach on hand.  A 15 minute meal!

Healthy Hamburger Helper  (mom_of_4 comments in italics)

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground beef or other ground meat (preferably grass-fed)
• 2 Tablespoons coconut oil, bacon grease, tallow or lard (I used bacon grease, of course!)
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 medium sweet potatoes or yams, peeled and cubed (for SCD or the GAPS diet, use carrots instead, about 2 cups cubed)  (this is where I pull out the leftover roasted sweet potato...)
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-2 Tablespoons coconut flour (see my resources)
• 6 large leaves chard, kale, spinach or other greens, chopped (about two cups measured chopped)

Preparation:

1. Chop onions, sweet potato or yam (or carrots) and mince garlic.

2. Saute the onions in the oil first until lightly browned. Or you can saute until they are caramelized if you would like.

3. Add sweet potatoes (or carrots) and garlic and saute for about 5 minutes.
4. Make room in the center of the pan and plop in the hamburger. Brown the hamburger.

5. Meanwhile, cut up the greens (I have chard here).

6. Once ground beef is (mostly) browned, add the coconut flour. Mix and saute until the sweet potatoes are soft enough for your taste.

7. Add the chard to the pan once sweet potatoes are cooked. Only cook the hash 5 minutes or less with the chard in it, you don’t want to overcook it.

8. You’re done! And leftovers are yummy and easy to heat up too!

(A few dashes of soy sauce is the perfect condiment to round out the flavors in this dish.  Even the kids loved it!)

Crockpot Honey Chicken with Dried Fruit

from About.com Busy Cooks

• 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (I used 4 chicken breasts)
  
• 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1 cup mixed dried fruit pieces (I used apricots and raisins)
  
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/3 cup chicken broth
• 1 onion, chopped (minced)
  

Preparation:

Place all ingredients in 4-5 quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours until chicken is tender and thoroughly cooked. Serve over hot cooked rice or egg noodles. 8 servings

Do not use bone-in pieces of chicken because the recipe may not work. Bone-in dark meat chicken cooks very differently from boneless in the crockpot.

mom_of_4's Favorite Chicken Curry

My favorite chicken curry recipe is the "Basic Meat Curry" recipe from the More-with-Less Cookbook by Doris Janzen Longacre. First, I think it's ironic that my favorite curry recipe is from a Mennonite cookbook, but I guess we have been busy being practical and economical all over the world. Second, it's just as interesting that I did not discover this recipe until a coworker brought it for a department potluck. I asked him for the recipe and he brought me a photocopy from the same cookbook I already had. What is so special about this copy, is that on it his wife has recorded a family moment the day she tried the recipe - their son's first music class - and added her own "tweaks" that saved me a lot of trial-and-error.

Basic Meat Curry (with my comments in italics)

Saute in heavy deep skillet or kettle (I use a deep skillet with a lid):
2T fat, oil, or shortening (umm...butter, of course!)
2 onions, finely chopped
1-2 cloves garlic (2 cloves, definitely 2)

Blend in small bowl:
2 T lemon juice or vinegar (lemon juice)
2-4 t. curry powder (2 is mild enough for the kids, I like 3)
Stir curry mixture into sauteed onions and fry lightly 1-2 minutes. This produces a relatively mild curry; if desired, season with additional spices such as cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, coriander, turmeric, ginger, cumin, or cayenne.

Add one of the following:
1 3lb chicken fryer, cut into small pieces (6-8 chicken thighs, I like bone-in to add richness)
2 lbs beef, cut in 1" chunks
2 lbs lamb, cut in 1" chunks
2 lbs meatballs, browned
Stir-fry briefly to coat meat with spices.

Add:
1 c tomato juice or sauce (I buy the small cans of tomato sauce to have on hand just for this recipe)
1 t. salt
1-2 c. broth or water (2 c chicken broth is best, but I've used water in a pinch)

Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer about 2-3 hours for beef and lamb, 1 1/2 hours for chicken, 20 minutes for meatballs. Add more liquid during cooking as needed for thin stew consistency. Thicken slightly with flour just before serving, if desired. (I just keep an eye on it and take the lid off to reduce the sauce if it is too thin)

Hearty Lentil Soup

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 1 leek, sliced
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1 parsnip, scrubbed and diced
• 1 potato, peeled and diced
• 1 stalk celery, sliced
• 1 cup dry lentils, rinsed
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 3 cups vegetable stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 dash soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons vegetarian Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and mix in the onions, carrot, parsnip, celery, potato, and leek. Stir over a medium heat.
2. Place lentils, tomatoes, stock, bay leaves, a splash of the soy and Worcestershire sauces and wine in the saucepan. Stir and bring the mixture to a boil. Cover and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the lentils are cooked.
3. Remove the bay leaves from the soup. Stir in the cilantro and serve.

(from Allrecipes.com)

mom_of_4: I made this today and it makes a lovely soup. As usual, I didn't have all the ingredients on hand, so instead of red wine I used some beef stock; left out the soy sauce, green onions, potato, and cilantro; and used canned lentils instead of dry. I'm not a big fan of the parsnip in the soup - it tasted like a woody carrot. Maybe that's what they taste like. Anyway, I would like to try it again using all the ingredients. It definitely needed the potato to cut the acidity of the tomatoes.

Decisions, Decisions

(The Riverwood MOM's Group has graciously allowed me to be a contributor to their blog. This is what I posted there today.)

I've been thinking a lot about faith lately. There are so many of us who are facing big decisions right now and I don't know about you, but until recently I would agonize over them, paralyzed with fear that I would make the wrong decision. Like God was sitting in front of me knowing which way I should pick and waiting to see if I would choose the right one.

Friends, that is so far from the truth.

God wants us to be active in our decision-making, confident and assured (James 1:6) that He will never leave us or forsake us (Joshua 1:5), that He is infinitely patient with us and ready to correct us if we are heading in a way that is less than His best for us. He wants us to boldly approach His throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16), expecting His answer and His safety net if we don't choose wisely. I used to interpret that expecting good things from Him was putting an expectation on Him, that He had to deliver because I was believing in Him. And that never sat well with me, considering He is the Almighty and I am mere human.

However, God opened up for me the other day the realization that expecting Him to do good things for us is a reflection of our understanding of His goodness. That we expect Him to do good things for us because we know He is good and that He wants to, not because He is obligated to just because we have put our faith in Him. It's the difference between the expectations that are put on you and the faith that someone has in you because they know you. Your boss expects you to get your work done because you have to. Your best friend knows that you will help her because she knows you and the relationship you have.

It's the faith that's the key. Faith used to be an effort for me, an exertion of my will. But now I'm starting to see that it's a confident resting in the knowledge of the One who loves you and in the relationship you have with Him. Hebrews 11:6 reminds us that "without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him."

It is impossible to please Him without faith.

The Amplified Bible explains faith as "that leaning of the entire human personality on God in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness." (Hebrews 10:22) Friends, you can't have faith in Him without knowing all these three things. A God of wisdom and goodness is a good friend but has no power to save. A God of power and goodness means well and can get things done but without wisdom it won't be in your best interest. A God of power and wisdom without goodness is the dictator that will always be making you eat your vegetables and never let you have dessert.

That was the God I was serving before He opened my eyes. And once I started to receive a revelation of how very good He is, I found I could make decisions with a lot more confidence. I came to the point where I had to decide if I believed the Word or not. If He says He is my shepherd (Psalm 23:1) and that He will never abandon me, then I can make a decision in faith that He knows my heart and He will catch me if I fall. And not only that, He will make everything work out to my good! (Romans 8:28)

Do you have a decision you are wrestling with? Consider laying it down before the Lord and boldly expect Him to give you an answer as you step out in faith knowing that your relationship with Him and knowledge of His power, wisdom, and goodness will never lead you astray.

Link for the Day

I love this post about parenthood from Amy's Humble Musings! It's so true!

Parenthood: Worth every second (if you don’t need art supplies)

Call Display

God phoned me the other day. And because of call display, I almost didn't answer. I didn't recognize the number and it was from another area code, so I assumed it was some sort of survey or telemarketing attempt. I don't know what made me answer, but I was so glad I did.

Because God doesn't call every day, you know.

I had been agonizing in prayer over something that I've been holding up to Him for what seems like forever. Recently, God has been opening up to me new revelations on faith and deceptions I have believed for a long time, and frankly, I was expecting something amazing and dramatic to come right away and fix the situation.

When it went from difficult to worse, I got confused. And then determined that I had to do what I thought I should do even though it didn't feel like the big step of faith I thought I should be doing. It felt like I was trying to fix the situation in my own strength. But I decided to lean on the truth that God knows my heart and that He is my shepherd and will not forsake me. So I took my step of faith that felt like the opposite of a step of faith.

And God phoned me to tell me everything will be all right.

Actually, it was a call, out of the blue, from a ministry I just started to partner with. They called to see how I was enjoying the material I received and if I wanted prayer for anything. But I knew that I knew that I knew that God was aware of where I was at and that I needed to hear from Him in a tangible way.

After I hung up, I thought about my call display and how close I was to not answering the phone. And wondered, would Jesus use call display? Would He screen calls, or would He be ready to answer each one? Would He use it to know who was calling so He would have just the right word for them or would He not use it at all, preferring to be pleasantly surprised by each call He received?

That led me to wonder about how I use call display. Sometimes I choose not to answer. Sometimes I pray for grace first before I answer. Most times I am happy to answer. And sometimes I like to see who called but didn't leave a message. I will tell you this, after receiving that divinely appointed phone call, I will be thinking twice about not answering when my phone rings.

The Gospel as Environment for our Parenting

I'm shamelessly copying this excerpt on gospel-centered parenting from Counsel From the Cross I found on a fascinating blog called Practical Theology for Women. It's wisdom rings true in my own spirit, and I'll be seeking God in prayer on how I can apply this practically to my own parenting:

What does gospel-centered parenting look like? Here is how Paul put it:

“Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” (Eph. 6:4); and “Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged” (Col. 3:21).

Isn’t it easy to see how Paul’s counsel to parents is based on God’s gracious pattern with us? We are not to be harsh or demanding with our children. We are not to provoke them to anger or discourage them. Of course, the obvious question we have to consider is what will provoke them or discourage them, and, by contrast, what does it look like to discipline and instruct “in the Lord”?

Although there are many ways we can provoke our kids in disciplining them, we learn from Paul’s expositions of grace in these epistles that we provoke and discourage our children when we forget the gospel and demand, as a condition of our approval and affection, that they obey the law that “neither our fathers not we have been able to bear” (Acts 15:10). By itself, God’s law, although it is “holy and righteous and good” (Rom. 7:12), will serve only to aggravate or discourage them. The law will stir up within them the desire to sin because they are not able to obey it. It won’t furnish them with the power or motivation to obey us or the Lord. The law has its uses with our children, but making them good isn’t one of them. Only the gospel and God’s grace can change hearts.

The proper place and function of the law is something that we might recognize in our own lives but fail to believe when it comes to raising our children. We know that we don’t change and mature by making a list of things we need to do and then scrutinizing our failures when we don’t do them. But, amazingly, we think that’s how our children will change. But when they cry that they can’t obey, we should agree with them, although it is true that we are to acquaint them with the law’s demands.

Rather than telling them that they can and will obey, we must tell them—frankly, gently, sadly—that they cannot obey. They need help. They need Jesus. Making a list and giving stickers and time-outs when they succeed or fail won’t change their hearts. It may make them little Pharisees, knowing how to look obedient so that they can get approval, but it won’t change their hearts. We are to use their disobediences as a gospel opportunity to remind them that they are sinful and flawed, but if they flee to Jesus he will love and welcome them. We must remind them that they “do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with (their) weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as (they) are, yet without sin. Let (them) then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that (they) may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:15-16).

Jesus understands their weaknesses. He knows about temptations. When we—and our children—struggle with obedience, we can draw near to the throne of grace where we won’t receive judgment and punishment, but mercy and grace to help. That is the portrait of the Savior that our children need to see. This is the image that will transform their hearts and teach them to run to him, rather than away from him, when they sin.

Low-Fat Banana Bread - Yes, It's Possible!

Banana bread is a big staple in our household, and when we started our weight-loss journey in September, we thought we would have to say goodbye to our beloved favorite. Until recently, when I way overbought on bananas and had a lovely pile of fragrant black treasure on my counter just begging to be baked into bread. I researched "low-fat banana bread recipes" and tried this one. It's a winner! Here's the link from Kitchen Parade if you would like to read the article that goes with the recipe:

http://www.kitchenparade.com/2006/02/shhh-banana-bread.php

SHHH BANANA BREAD

Banana ripening time: 10+ days
Hands-on time: 15 minutes
Time-to-table: 90 – 120 minutes
Makes 16 slices

• 2 eggs
• ¾ cup sugar
• 4 very ripe bananas, mashed
• 1/3 cup buttermilk
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon vanilla


• 1 cup all purpose flour
• ¾ cup whole wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon table salt

Preheat the oven to 325F.

Mix the eggs and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer for 5 minutes, then mix in the bananas, buttermilk, oil and vanilla.

(Caution: Incoming unorthodox shortcut.) Dump the dry ingredients onto the batter without mixing in. With a spoon, lightly combine them right on top but still without incorporating into the wet batter. Now use the mixer to combine the dry ingredients and wet batter but just until barely combined. (Too much mixing will create small holes in the bread when it bakes.)

Turn the batter into a well-greased bread pan and bake for 60 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes, then turn onto a rack to finish cooling. Slice and serve! And shhh! No sharing our low-fat secret! (mom_of_4's note: You will have a moister banana bread if you are patient and let it fully cool in the pan on a rack, then wrap it up and wait until the next day to cut into it. If you are of the impatient sort, then at least let it fully cool before cutting into it.)

NUTRITION ESTIMATE Per Slice: 162 Cal (11% from Fat); 2g Tot Fat; 0g Sat Fat; 33g Carb; 2g Fiber; 191mg Sodium; 31mg Cholesterol, Weight Watchers 3 points

Homemade Baby Cereal

Under the category of "Duh..." I just discovered today while watching the Duggars on TV that I could actually make my own baby cereal at home, using organic and whole grains. For those of you who already knew that and are wondering where I've been, then all I have to say is, "Why didn't you tell me??" For the rest of us, I'll share a link to wholesomebabyfood.com and a recipe for brown rice baby cereal to start us off:

Rice Cereal using "powder"

Ingredients:

1/4 c. rice powder (brown rice ground in blender or food processor)
1 cup water

Directions:

1. Bring liquid to boil in saucepan. Add the rice powder while stirring constantly.
2. Simmer for 10 minutes, whisking constantly, mix in formula or breast milk and fruits if desired
3. Serve warm.

Keeping Christ in Hallowe'en

After reading this post on Halloween from Steve Bell's blog, I commented to my husband that every day I learn that I'm wrong. It's humbling, but oh so freeing! I've been so conflicted about Hallowe'en because I really felt like it was a holiday of evil origins and should not be celebrated. But the kids love it because to them it's about candy and dressing up. Anyway, I've copied it here for you to read and it has redeemed Hallowe'en for me:

When I was a kid, Halloween was one of the best nights of the year. We lived in Drumheller, Alberta then. My mom and dad were both quite into Halloween and often lent their skills to the creating of fine, sometimes elaborate costumes. The costume I remember most vividly was worn the year I went out as a Roman Centurion. My mom, good at sewing, made the clothing and my father had somehow constructed an impressive Centurion helmet out of a plastic javex bottle. Dad and I crafted a sword of wood and gilded in tinfoil. Mom attached leather straps to sandals so they criss-crossed up my legs to the knees. As far as I could tell, I had the best costume in town and more than one envious kid said as much.

In those days, it seemed like every kid and half the adults in town were out on the streets as we attempted to fill our pillow cases till they were so heavy we had to return home to empty them before going out again. The only hint of real evil that anyone concerned themselves with came from isolated incidents of pins or razor blades having been inserted into apples. And so mom would make us cut up the apples before we could eat them. Otherwise, it was just good fun.

Then over the years things started to change – with increasing incidents of tampered-with malevolent treats there came to be real safety issues. And I remember the first time I heard of a local church officially abstaining from Halloween on the grounds that it was a “real” occult festival and therefore a Christian’s duty to resist. They, instead, opened the church basement for an alternative night for kids and called it a “Hallelujah!” party. Oh my….

Now, it seems like Halloween has almost become a non-event in our neighbourhood with a handful of wee-ones out with mom or dad between 6 and 7 pm followed by an hour or two of teenagers who for the most part don’t need to dress up to be a worrisome site.

Too bad. I miss the good ol’ days when the town would be crawling with kids and parents greeting, laughing at each other, walking together, knocking on the doors of the elderly who might otherwise never get a visit, celebrating the community by being out in it.

So, how did we lose this?

It’s true that the origins of Halloween come from a dark, Celtic pagan festival called Samhain. The Celts believed there was a night every fall where the veil between the living and the dead became very thin and indeed, the souls of the dead could cross over to the land of the living. This was frightening as it meant that besides the souls of departed loved ones, the souls of one’s enemies might also come by with evil intent. To ward off the malevolent ones, the Celts would cut up gourds into frightening faces, and themselves would dress in costumes so as to be unrecognizable to the restless, roaming spirits. It was a long and frighting night to be endured.

According to legend, things changed when St. Patrick came to Ireland. He was aware of and saddened by the annual terror the Celts had to endure and so started to teach that as Christians, not only are we not afraid of the dead, but we celebrate the saints who have gone before; those who, still alive in Christ, are always near and dear to us. Patrick started the practice of going out on Samhain with a bag full of sweet cakes and knocking on doors, cheerfully giving them to his cowering friends and neighbors.

Somewhere in there, and I’m not sure of the dates, the practice of cheerfully going out in generous neighborliness, instead of cowering in caged fear, became attached to the church’s celebration of All Saint’s Day. And Halloween, All Hallowed Evening, came to be celebrated on the night before the Church celebrates all the saints who, though invisible to us, continue to pray for and root for those of us who have not yet completed our journey.

Personally, it makes me sad that the Church (in part) seems to have retreated into the very fear-based isolation St. Patrick’s lively faith contradicted. So sadly ironic. And we have done this in so many areas of common life. It seems to me that we could be out participating in the wider culture; joyfully, cheerfully, confidently handing out ’sweets’ in the various cultural arenas: politics, arts, education, science, festivals etc. We need not do this in the defensive, combative spirit we’ve become famous for, but with a caring neighborliness befitting the character of the Christ whom we worship. And we need not be concerned that we will be tainted in our efforts. For we do not draw from a shallow well, but the inexhaustible Christ who gave himself entirely so that all would know that the organizing and redeeming principle of the cosmos is not self-securing fear, but self-donating love.

Happy Halloween!

copied from Steve Bell's blog post http://stevebell.com/2009/10/keeping-christ-in-halloween/

Timesaver Tip - Poached Chicken/Chicken Broth

I came across this tip a while ago - I think it was on the Food Network - and it is a real timesaver! And it's incredibly flexible. Freestyle it until it works for you!

Poached Chicken/Chicken Broth

approx 6-8 large pieces bone-in chicken (this is great for bone-in, skin-on chicken breast)
large onion
2-3 carrots
2-3 stalks celery
1-2 garlic cloves
1-2 bay leaves

Place pieces of chicken in bottom of large stockpot. Remove skin and excess fat first, if desired. Cover chicken with water until water level is above chicken by a couple inches (or more if you want more stock). Rough chop onion, carrots, celery in large pieces. You don't even need to peel them if they are clean. Smash garlic cloves and toss in along with bay leaves. Bring to a simmer, so that the bubbles are just breaking the surface and poach for about 30 minutes. Remove the chicken and set aside. Strain broth into containers - if allowed to sit in the fridge overnight, the fat will solidify on top and you can easily remove it.

Poached chicken is moist and flavorful, freezes well, and is very handy to have for salads, tacos, or quick meals that require cooked chicken.

Top 7 Most Harmful Cosmetic Ingredients

What Labels Do Not Tell You About Your Shampoo or Nail Polish (by Melissa G. at Wellsphere.com Oct 01/08)

If you are like me you try to eat the best organic products, exercise daily and purchase products that reduce the potential harmful effects of toxic, chemical exposure. After talking with a friend of mine a week ago, I learned an alarming number of harmful ingredients were present in my daily beauty products. There was potential harm in just about everything I put on my body; from my shampoo to my nail polish. I stopped to think, how many of us really focus on what we are putting on our bodies? We concentrate a lot of our focus on what is going in our bodies; but we should give equal attention to what is being absorbed into our skin....the single, largest toxin absorbing part of our body.

The following are seven ingredients that you should be mindful of the next time your purchase beauty products:

1. Alpha-Hydroxy Acids

Active ingredient in: Moisturizers, toners, cleansers, masks, age-spot removers

Potential Harm: AHAs are known for accelerating the exfoliation of dead skin cells. But they can also increase the skin's sensitivity to the sun by as much as 50 percent, leaving you exposed to accelerated skin aging and the possibility of skin cancer.

Potential Solution: AHAs are best used at a concentration that is less than 10 percent.

2. Formaldehyde

Active ingredient in: Nail polish, shampoos, soaps, skin creams.

Potential Harm: This potentially irritating preservative can be absorbed into the skin and cause allergic reactions, headaches, even asthma. The ingredient, if listed at all, is often referred to as formalin. Its use in cosmetics is banned in Japan and Sweden.

Solution: Read labels carefully: products containing levels that might trigger an adverse reaction are required to carry a caution.

3. Propylene Glycol

Ingredient in: Suntan lotions, lipsticks and other cosmetics and toiletries.

Potential Harm: Its humectant properties are used to stop products from drying out. But it has also been linked to liver abnormalities and kidney damage. It is also known as a skin and eye irritant.

Solution: Avoid it altogether and instead choose alternative products containing glycerin or sorbitol.

4. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate

Active ingredient in: Bubble baths, toothpastes, shampoos and lotions

Potential Harm: This detergent, which has been found to enter the brain, heart and liver and impair the immune system, has been linked to eye irritations, skin rashes and allergic reactions. The biggest problems occur when it is mixed with other chemicals, like those typically used in toiletries, because it can form carcinogenic compounds.

Solution: Minimize the risks by using products with SLS sparingly and rinsing off quickly afterwards.

5. Talc

Ingredient in: Makeup and body powders

Potential Harm: Mineral talc has been linked to ovarian cancer and has been found to induce cancer in rodents.

Solution: Avoid using talc-based powders, especially on genital areas.

6. Mineral Oil

Ingredient in: Makeup removers, lipsticks, lotions

Potential harm: A petroleum derivative, it has been linked to everything from clogged pores to cancer. Its density does not allow skin to breathe.

Solution: Avoid it entirely

7. Methyl Methacrylate

Ingredient in: Nail products, primarily used in application of acrylic nails

Potential harm: The chemical has been linked to fungal infections, nail deformities and other problems. Prolonged exposure can lead to eye, skin and lung irritation, abnormal liver or kidney function, nervous system damage or reproductive problems.

Solution: Stick with salons that use ethyl methacrylate, a safer bonding liquid, instead. Althought this may be more expensive; you health is worth it!

With increased awareness and conscious shopping; you too can decrease the potential harm for everyday beauty products.

Balance, Compromise, and the Art of Letting Go

Since the arrival of Zoe, I have been delightfully surprised to find I have a lot of quiet time. Probably the most I've ever had. I wrote a post on my other blog about my recent discoveries about balance, compromise, and letting go that I thought was appropriate here as well. I use this blog to journey through the things I am learning as a homemaker and a mom who works, but my personality type tends toward all-or-nothing. So if I get excited about reducing chemical use, healthy snacks, or better ways to live, I usually try to implement them to the point of my detriment.

I'm learning to live in balance, people. So if I come across strong in what I write, be reassured that this is my place to explore. What I am actually able to implement may be a whole other ballgame. Oh, if I only had limitless time, energy, and resources! But since I don't, I lean on the One who does. And He leads me gently in a balanced way.