De Jong Family Adventures

Crock pot Beef and Beans

2011-09-19T18:32:00.000-05:00

I meant to follow the directions but I forgot. Here is the original recipe. Below are my changes.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 lbs ground chuck, browned and drained
6 medium potatoes, sliced or chunked
1 can beans, drained or equivalent
1 can tomatoes mixed with 2 tbsp. flour

salt and pepper
garlic

DIRECTIONS

Put chopped onion in the bottom of the slow cooker/Crock Pot; layer with browned ground beef, sliced potatoes, and beans. Spread tomatoes or soup over all. Sprinkle with seasonings as desired. Cover and cook on low for 7 to 9 hours.

Serves 4 to 6.

Like I said. I meant to follow the recipe. I used 1 lb beef. and about 1/3 of a huge onion. Since I used home prepared dried beans I added Arizona Dreaming seasoning and salt too. I forgot to add the tomatoes. So we served this with your choice of salsa or leftover red enchilada sauce. I also love sour cream so that was on the table too. My DH said he enjoyed it.

Taco Quiche and Taco Corn Fritters

2011-06-16T22:23:00.000-05:00

We've had two wonderful new recipes this week. Taco Quiche came about because I wanted quiche and Justin didn't want broccoli quiche (which I love and may still make for lunch tomorrow).

Taco Quiche

2 pounds ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
other chopped veggies of your choice
taco seasoning (2 packets worth - i have a great homemade recipe I need to share
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1 cup biscuit/baking mix- make your own!!
4 eggs, beaten
2 cups milk

In a large skillet, cook the beef, onion, green pepper and taco seasoning over medium heat until met is no longer pink; drain. Spread into a greased 9-ix13. Sprinkle with cheese.
In a bowl, combine the biscuit mix, eggs and milk; mix well. Pour over the cheese. Bake at 400° for 20-25 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.

Taco Corn Fritters- modified from Laura at Heavenly Homemakers the links here are Laura's

1/2- 1 pound cooked hamburger meat seasoned with taco seasoning mix ( with veggies added in)
1 1/2 cups cornmeal
3/4 cup masa (corn flour)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup melted butter or coconut oil
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups frozen or canned corn

Brown hamburger meat and add taco seasoning mix to taste. Mix together remaining ingredients, stirring in the seasoned meat.

Mix everything together or just mix cornmeal. Scoop into muffin tins. If you didn't miz the meat into the corn batter scoop 1/2 full, make a divit, add taco meat, then scoop more corn meal on top (or so 18 scoops of batter, 18 scoops of meat and 18 more scoops batter.

Bake at 350* or till done for 20 or so minutes.

Serve with salsa and sour cream. Also great with chili or a western salad.

Little J's birthday

2011-06-15T15:21:00.000-05:00

We recently celebrated Little J's birthday. All told it was a good birthday. He has a couple presents that we are saving since he is too young for them. Another we are saving until it gets warm again. Here are some pictures for you to enjoy.

This card is awesome!!

Cousin is trying to keep Little J from defrosting the cake.

Teeny Tiny Tot School 10.5

2011-05-14T00:38:00.000-05:00

If you aren't familiar with tot school click on the button above. Basically it is about providing and enouraging fun but focused learning activities. I haven't taken picture of many of our activities due to being part of them, not having a camera on hand or just forgetting.

Getting a book to read. Typically Little J prefers to read on his own.

Enjoying the park and the swings for the first time.

Discovered climbing on boxes is fun. (Gross motor)


Spied Dad's yogurt bowl and spoon. Experimented with music. Eventually the trash can joined in. (Music)

Pushing the stroller across the park, engaging muscles and gross motor skills.

We do read books every day. nearly without fail before naps we get a few in. Often another during play time. Little J also gets lots of time in playing with containers in the kitchen and trying to open and close drawers without pinching his fingers.

Parsnip Sweetie Sticks

2011-05-09T21:41:00.000-05:00

I meant to by Turnips. I've never had, bought, or cooked either. So, i figured we'd try them. My DH is on a diet to lose some of the weight he's always had and some that he's gained slowly over the last four years.

Of this was borne the veggie of the week idea. Last week it was eggplant and cauliflower. I'll share those recipes later.

Parsnip Sweetie Sticks

Peel and cut parsnips. If using large ones cut out the woody centers.
Place in saute pan with melted butter and sprinkle with pepper and nutmeg.
Saute on low or medium low until soft and caramelized.

Little J's Surgery

2011-04-06T20:20:00.000-05:00

A week ago today at this time my baby was in open heart surgery, chest and sternum cut open, blood going through a machine, not breathing for himself, and unconscious.

Praise be to the Lord today he is doing great. He is at home in his bed napping. He spent the morning eating, reading books, playing, crawling, standing, climbing, falling, and snuggling. He is not wanting to get back into a routine, atuggles to nap, and wakes up several times a night, but other than that, he is his normal self.

Thank you for your prayers for him, his medical team, and his family. I thought I'd attach some pictures for you.

Little J can't settle down. We changed his meds soon after this. He's off the ventilator but still has 11 IV meds. You can see his incision. Below that are drainage tubes, to get the extra fluid and blood out of his body, and pacemaker wires, just in case. These came out Friday. You an see he is still on oxygen here. He has stickers on his chest to monitor his heart rhythms and electrical movements (basically an EKG ) its called telemetry. The thing on his head to to measure how much oxygen his brain is getting. He had one over his kidney too. Below he has is resting. He has a binder around his chest to keep everything still and to keep him form picking at it. You can see the central IV line in his right groin. He also has a line in his left groin and a catheter. in the left of the picture you can kind of see his trainage tubes/ ballons. His arms were restrained part of the time to keep him from picking at things or moving too much. That's what you see around his wrist.

Chilling with Dad watching TV. You can see his drainage balloons under his shirt here. He still has an IV, a hep lock, and the telemetry patches. The Blood pressure cuff is on so that he gets used to it so that it's easy to check his blood pressure. That way they get a more accurate reading.

Ready to go home.


One week after surgery. He climbed up on this box 3 or 4 times. (It's about 6" high.) The first time he crawled off. However, he did fall of twice.

A thought from today while playing. "He's got the tiny little baby in His hands... He's got the whole world in His hands."

Little J in March

2011-03-24T12:03:00.001-05:00

Books, Tools and Toys for Learning

2011-03-23T12:00:00.003-05:00

Tools, Books, and Toys for Learning

Books:

· Eric Carl (Have The Very Hungry Catapillar)

· Bill Martin books

· Virginia Lee Burton (have Mike Muligan and The Little House)

· Margret Wise Brown books (have Goodnight Moon)

· Dr. Suess books (have Ten Apples up on Top)

· PD Eastman books (have Snow)

· Richard Scarry books

· Chicka Chicka Boom Boom

· The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats

· Other classics (have The Mitten, A Pocket for Corduroy, Where the Wild Things Are)

Learning Tools:

· Pop beads

· Pipe cleaners

· Tubs and shredded paper and or rice for sensory tubs

· Counting bears (or like)(sea animals, frogs, insects)

· Colored clothes pins

· Beads (with holes)

· Beads and confetti

· Pipe cleaners

· Pompoms

· Chalk

· Paint

· Construction paper

· Safety scissors

· Containers to keep things in

Learning Toys:

· Puppets

· Push toys

· Pull toys

· ~~shape sorters~~

· wooden blocks

· pail and shovel

· pop-up toys

· Doug and Melissa Toys

· Magnets

Gifts for Little J

2011-03-19T10:05:00.002-05:00

Gift Ideas of Little J

Wooden hammer bench or this one or similar

Books
   - Dr. Sueus
   - flap books with sturdy flaps
   - Usborne
   - Others- See book list

Latches board

Chunky magnets like ~~these~~ or these or these or others

Chunky/ jumbo knob puzzles like these or these so such

Vehicles we have Tractors

Bath boat and other bath toys- we don't have any!

Push/ Pull toys like these or these or such

wooden tools (we have plastic ones)

Band in a Box

hand Puppets

outdoor toys like ~~bucket, shovel~~, rake, balls

Good places to get things on-line

- Melissa and Doug
- Fat Brain Toys
- Back to Basics Toys
- Gummylump

Speedy Gonzolas

2011-03-19T09:39:00.000-05:00

I didn't know little ones could progress from slightly mobile and beginning to creep (or swim in Little J's case) to being speedy Gonzolas. I have to post pictures and videos, but in the last two weeks my Little J has decided to take off. Considering that he was sick enough for a week that all he did was cling to me, that is quite a lot of progress!

He has decided that he if he puts his mind to it, he can do anything.
- Dashing all around the house
- Splashing in the dog's bowl ( and playing in his food if Mama isn't careful)
- Checking out the dog and kennel
- Unwind the toilet paper from the roll.
- Scoot along the couch
- Open the TV cabinet
- Do laundry
- Open drawers and cabinets
- empty the tupperware
- Stand and "jump" in his crib
- and other things too.

Since the weather has been nice (40s to 60s) we have been getting out and walking a lot too.

Six Months Old!

2011-03-19T09:38:00.000-05:00

Make a roux- casserole makeover

2011-02-09T19:23:00.000-06:00

If you ever cook from scratch, and I mean really from scratch - no cream of x soup or bisquick, you must be able to make a good roux. A good roux is the secret weapon of almost anything creamy. gravy, sauces, soups...

In case you don't know, a roux is a mixture of equal parts flour and fat. First you put the fat of your choice (butter or meat drippings work best) in a pan over heat until melted, hot and browned to the level you desire. Secondly you slowly add the flour a little at a time while whisking. Picky cooks sift the flour first to "ensure" a smooth end product. Since I'm not that picky, I just whisk ferociously. After the flour and fat form a cohesive mixture slowly add in your liquid of choice, usually broth or milk. Again, add slowly, a little at a time whisking vigorously and checking for consistency. Tada!

Anyway, this is an important element of my cream soup makeover dishes. The hardest thing is the one can each of mushroom and chicken cream soups, but I found a solution!

Chicken and Rice Casserole
mushrooms diced (1 can of sliced canned or 4 fresh ones
*2+ Tbs rendered chicken fat (I used the stuff that was on my chicken broth after refrigerating it)
*2+ Tbs flour (white flour is best- one of the only uses for white flour in my house)
*1 1/4+ c chicken broth
*1 1/4+ c milk
*1/2+ tsp poultry seasoning
*salt and pepper to taste2 1/2 c cooked brown rice
6 hard boiled eggs diced
2 cans sliced water chestnuts
2 c cooked diced chicken
1c mayo (sour cream would work if you are opposed to mayo)
1/2-1 loaf crumbled bread
1/2 c (1 stick) melted butter (I usually skimp here.

1. Warm the chicken fat in a skillet while dicing mushrooms. Saute mushrooms in skillet for a while. Spoon out shrooms with a slotted spoon leaving as much fat as possible. Put shrooms in 9x13 or bowl. (I mix the ingredients in my 9x13- no need to dirty another dish. )
2. Make roux. Add stock first, then milk. when creamy gravy sauce thing reaches consistency add seasonings. Salt and pepper liberally since you aren't adding cream soups.
3. Mix rice, chicken, mayo, diced eggs, water chestnuts, and sauce in 9x13 with shrooms till thoroughly mixed.
4. While melting butter, crumble bread into a bowl. Pour butter over and toss till well coated. Pour over rest of casserole.- If you are lazy or don't have the bread, breadcrumbs will work in a pinch.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or thoroughly warmed and bread is crisp.

Cookies for Breakfast?

2011-02-05T21:34:00.001-06:00

I saw this recipe at Heavenly Homemakers. It had to be worth a try. We are getting tired of chocolate chip banana muffins. (I never thought I'd say that but my DH pick up groceries for me - I know, he is wonderful- and succumbed to his craving for bagels leaving me to eat two dozen muffins. I should have brought them to school with me.)

If anyone ever wants to try a recipe but doesn't want to make it herself, give me a call. I'm forever looking for new nutritious things for breakfast for a hubby who eats while checking e-mail and weather then runs.

Breakfast cookies

1 c melted butter- olive oil worked just fine
1/2 c honey- reduced from 3/4c- they are sweet enough
2 eggs
1 t each salt, cinnamon, baking soda, and vanilla
1/2 c buttermilk or kefir
2 c flour
2 c rolled oats
1c rasins

Soaking- Mix oil, flour oats and buttermilk. Soak overnight then add the rest of the ingredients, mix thouroughly and bake.

Regular way-
Mix oil through buttermilk. Then mix in grains. Finally fold in raisins. Scoop onto baking sheet in heaping tablespoonfuls. (I ending up with 14 cookies per batch. They are big but I wanted to be able to take just one for a snack. )Bake 350 for 15 minutes. (Don't over bake them. They start to taste burnt quickly and that is no good.) Cool on a rack for 3-4 minutes. . - Seriously, they are really really hot.

Next I want to try cupcake quiche- maybe I can use wonton wrappers.

Biscuits and Gravy

2011-02-03T10:11:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was a snow day. Even Justin was stuck out home most of the morning. It took him two hours to shovel out our driveway. We don't have a long driveway. One of the drifts was almost up to my waist.

On a day like that, what sounds better than comfort food? So we made Justin's favorite breakfast- Biscuits and Gravy. From scratch of course.

We've been searching for a good recipie for both biscuits and sausage gravy for a while. We finally found both. On the same website.

However, before I give you the recipe I have one more hint. If you have a little one at your house who demands attention when you are trying to prepare supper, prepare as much as you can when they are happy to play by themselves or during nap time. For me that meant making the biscuits and refrigerating them and making the roux. Or if you don't to make the biscuits completely, mix the dry ingredients, cut in the butter and refrigerate that.

Without further ado, Biscuits and Gravy via Mark Vogel

BISCUITS AND GRAVY RECIPE

For the biscuits:

Combine and sift the dry ingredients. Gently knead in the butter. Add the buttermilk and knead on a floured board just enough to bring the dough together.

It is vital that you knead gently and no more than is necessary or you will develop the gluten in the flour and make the biscuits tough. Good biscuits are as much a function of technique as ingredients.

Form a flat mass with the dough and cut out biscuits with a biscuit cutter. Don’t make them too high or the outside could become over browned by the time the inside is cooked.

Place them on parchment paper on a sheet tray and then into a preheated 400-degree oven.
Start the gravy immediately. It should be done close to the same time as the biscuits, which is when they are golden in color.

For the gravy:

Sauté the sausage until it is cooked and has released as much of its fat as possible. Remove the sausage with a slotted spoon and do NOT drain the grease. You’ll need it to make the roux. (I said this was delicious, not health food).

You should have about 2 tablespoons of rendered pork fat. Add the butter and melt it. Then add the flour a little at a time over medium heat, constantly whisking. Cook for about 2-3 minutes. Now start adding the cold milk a little at a time, whisking incessantly. Toward the end of the milk add the sausage back in. When you reach the desired consistency add salt and pepper to taste.
Cut the biscuits in half, pour the gravy over them, and enjoy one of the most embracing and comforting taste sensations known to man.

A few points here. The perfect roux has equal amounts of fat and flour. If for some reason your sausage renders noticeably less or more than two tablespoons of fat, adjust the amount of flour accordingly. If you end up making more roux you will need more milk so have extra on hand. Make sure the roux is cooked on no more than medium heat. We do not want to burn or brown the roux, just cook out the floury taste. Four things are necessary to assure a smooth, lump-free gravy. You must constantly whisk the roux and the gravy throughout the process. You must add cold milk to the hot roux. You must incorporate the milk a little at a time. And finally, keep the heat at no more than medium. You can adjust the consistency however you like, but a thick creamy gravy is the target viscosity.

Christmas Letter

2010-12-25T20:52:00.000-06:00

It’s time for the De Jong’s not so annual Christmas letter. Christmas 07 we were newly married- what was the point. Christmas 08 I thought –“The only thing that changed is that we both have jobs now.” Christmas 09- I made Christmas cards. Some of them got passed out. A few got mailed. Most have made it into the recycle bin over the last 12 months.

Christmas 2010- A lot has changed. January through April passed without much ado though Justin and I both celebrated birthdays. May brought Tulip Time. Below is a picture of me riding a bike in the parade with the school (Peoria Christian). I also helped serve lunches at the food booth.
       In June my mom came out to visit and Jonathan was born on the 13^th. He weighed in at 8lbs 5oz and 20in of perfection. We also took a trip to Chicago. Justin and Nathan Blunck went to the Cubs game while Jonathan and I spent time with my cousin Christina.
            In July we spent a week at Brooke’s Lake with my family, the Van Zanens, the Jensens, and Uncle Dave. We had a great time relaxing and playing. It was also fun to introduce Jonathan to many of my aunts, uncles, and cousins as well as have them share in caring for him while I relaxed. When we got back to Pella, Jonathan was baptized. Peter and Heather visited in August between weddings before Dordt was back in session and spent a little more time with us. I also returned to teaching part time in August. I am really enjoying it and Jonathan enjoys playing with Jozana Carter and her family while I am busy. September was spent adjusting to our new life during the school year. Justin also began a new season as a Cadet counselor.
         November started with Justin bringing Gunner home. He’d been wanting a hunting dog for a while and finally found the right one. Now I have the challenge of teaching him the house rules! Daniel (below with Jonathan), Peter, and Heather visited during their Thanksgiving holiday. We really enjoyed having them and joined in teasing my parents that they need to come to the Midwest for holidays now since so manyof us live here. We also spent much of Thursday and Friday with Justin’s family hanging out and playing games. We are privileged to live near his family and enjoy eating Sunday dinner with them most weeks. In December we (I) am trying to figure out life with a baby and a puppy and freezing weather! We are eagerly anticipating Christmas and look forward to each day and the changes God brings us.
We thank you for your prayers and support. We especially covet our prayers that God will give Justin and I wisdom as we seek to love and obey our wonderful God and teach Jonathan to do the same.

Justin, Rachel, and Jonathan De Jong

Sorry that the pictures didn't copy too. I'll try to post them soon.

Days of the Week

2010-12-24T22:41:00.000-06:00

Recently I have been thinking about what I can do to aid Little J's cognative development in the upcoming years. I know little about early childhood development or education and though many of the things that I have been thinking about are not things that I can do yet with Little J since he is only six months old, I hate being ilprepared. In the past I have read some of the information on 1+1+1 = 1 and talked with a freind of mine who is an early childhood specialist and Kindergaten teacher turned SaH mom.

While preparing to retire for the night, this song was working its way around my head.

The Days of the Week- to the tune of This is the Day

These are the days, these are the days
of the week God made, of the week God made
Sunday we worship, Monday we work
Tuesday and Wednesday too
Thursday and Friday
Saturday is the very last day
Then start again with Sunday and rest.
These are the days, these are the days
Of the week God made.

If you have any ideas or changes that would make it better drop me a comment or a line. I'm constantly making up little ditties to help me remember things. They got me through high school and college exams. Now I make them up for my students- especially Latin declensions. It makes memorizing more fun.

A blessing, not a burden

2010-11-15T20:01:00.000-06:00

Philippians 4:6-9 (New International Version)

⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
⁸ Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. ⁹ Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

Today I wanted to share a friend's post. Prayer for Purity and my response which follows

Amen. I think and pray about this all the time. I love and enjoy my son. Being a parent is hard, and though I would not say it is a burden, it does place a lot of weight on your shoulders. I commented to some of my friends the other night- Maybe it is just because I am a parent now but I am constantly analyzing the world around me- Christian an secular- and I find the lack of love and adherence to God's truth astounding. Even in the church so often we accept the world's message. Our local Christian high chose to perform High School Musical. Their performance was good the choice was not. As Christians we should strive for excellence in both performance AND material. "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." The thing that really has me is the message that you need to follow your heart. NO the heart is wicked and deceitful beyond all things! We need to follow God's truth and that alone.
Thanks for the encouragement Joelle!
PS I was disappointed in Glee too- "If girls just put out things like this wouldn't happen."

Today I am thankful that I can cast all my cares on the Lord. That I can pray to him and that I don;t have to worry.

The Reformation's impact on America

2010-11-04T09:32:00.000-05:00

When I was in seventh or Eighth grade Mr. Eames said that without the reformation there would be no United States of America. I really didn't think about it then. I listened, took notes, and studied. Since what he declared seemed logical and since the evidence of his argument surrounded me, I tucked the information away and went on with school and middle school drama (of which there was plenty).

On Sunday evening our pastor preached a Reformation day sermon: Solus Christus. Though the sermon did not follow the outline, it was excellent.

It also made me feel very thankful for the Christ-centered and classical education I had growing up, particularly in middle and high school. Thank you Mom and Dad for your devotion of Christ- centered education, for your hard work to pay for tuition for all four of us, and for your encouragement and support during our years of study. Thank you to all my teachers who worked diligently and seemingly endlessly. Thank you even more for the determination to teach in a godly and Christ-centered way. As a teacher I know that it is difficult to intentionally to do continually.
Thank you to both my teachers and my parents who saw the necessity to teach me, my brothers, and my peers to think critically and to evaluate all of life through God's truth. As I look and listen to those around me, I appreciate that this ability is largely a lost skill even though it is foundational for living in a way that impacts the world (or at least those around me) for the Kingdom.

Dutch Potatoes -ie Stamppot

2010-10-31T17:48:00.000-05:00

Ingredients:

3 lbs potatoes
2 onions chopped or diced
1 bay leaf
1 lb kale or spinach roughly chopped
1 pinch salt
1 pinch ground pepper
1 lb smoked sausage or ring balogna
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter
brown gravy

Directions:

Peel and dice potatoes and onions.
Clean, trim and slice kale. (omit if using spinach)
Add the potatoes, onion, kale, a bay leaf, a pinch of salt and just enough water to cover all in a 3 qrt pan.
Cover and boil gently for about 25 minutes. (Add the spinach for the last 5 minutes.)
Meanwhile steam the smoked sausage for the same amount of time and slice or skin and add to the potato mixture.
Remove the bay leaf, drain the vegetables, (and meat), and mash them.
Add milk and butter.
Stir in the hot, sliced smoked sausage, add salt and pepper to taste and serve.
Serve with brown gravy.

Never- fail biscuits (aluminum free too)

2010-10-19T07:34:00.000-05:00

My DH and I love biscuits, especially with sausage gravy. However, I refuse to buy him poison-in-a-tube often know as Pillsbury (or store brand knock-offs). At first, my biscuits were hardly passable, particularly when made with whole wheat. Then I discovered this recipe. I modified it to fit my standards. It is WONDERFUL! Never-fail.

• 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour - or any flour combo you have.
• 3/4 teaspoons cream of tartar - this and extra baking soda eliminates the need for baking powder
• 3/ 4 teaspoon baking soda
• pinch of salt
• 3 oz. cold butter, diced (6 tablespoons)
• 1 c kefir or buttermilk- This is vital!

Combine and sift the dry ingredients. Cut in the butter. Add the kefir 3/4 cup first and the rest as needed (not dry but not too wet to spread out either) and mix until the mixture just comes together. If needed, dump it onto a well- floured counter and kneed gently and knead on a floured board just enough to bring the dough together.

It is vital that you mix/knead gently and no more than is necessary or you will develop the gluten in the flour and make the biscuits tough. Good biscuits are as much a function of technique as ingredients.

Form a flat mass with the dough and cut out biscuits with a biscuit cutter. Press straight down, down spin the cutter. Don't make them too high or the outside could become over browned by the time the inside is cooked.

Place them on parchment paper lined or oiled sheet tray and then into a preheated 400-degree oven.

Take them out when golden brown.

* Last night I made Bubble-up Pizza (casserole) I made these biscuits (they were a bit wet), poured them into my 9x13 pan and pre-baked them. Then I added my sauce, beef and cheese and finished baking it. it turned out better than I remember Bubble-up Pizza!

Little J

2010-10-16T16:30:00.000-05:00

Warm Chocolate soother

2010-10-14T20:07:00.000-05:00

This morning was pretty chilly. it didn't help that we left one of our windows open. It wasn't too chilly, just enough that you wanted to snuggle up in a blanket with a warm beverage.

Today, as most days, my breakfast was in shifts. of course, some of you consider a piece of toast with peanut butter and jam to be breakfast. I don't. I think of it as part of a breakfast. As forementioned, this mornign was a perfect morning for hot chocolate. But, that is not a decent breakfast. First of all becauseof the sugar. Second because of the other ingredients and third because it lacks the protein and fat that I need to make it to lunch.
I was pondering what to do when I remembered the warm vanilla soother from Laura at Heavenly Homemakers and that she had mentioned that she had a chocolate version too.
As claimed, it tastes like what you would imagine to be a warm liquid brownie.

Warm Chocolate Soother
3 cups whole milk
4 egg yolks
1/4 cup real maple syrup
3 T. sucanat
1/4 cup cocoa powder
2 T. arrowroot powder or corn starch
1 Tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
In a medium saucepan, whisk together milk, egg yolks, maple syrup, sucanat, cocoa and arrowroot powder. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly (I use a whisk) until mixture begins to thicken. Remove from heat and add butter and vanilla. Stir until creamy. Pour into mugs and serve warm.

Banana cake

2010-10-09T10:10:00.001-05:00

I modified this a bit to make it more of a snack or breakfast cake but will include the original instructions in parenthesis so you know how it was intended for a dessert cake.

2 1/2 c flour - i always use whole wheat - white whole wheat worked really well. -none knew
1 c sugar (1 2/3 c)
1 1/4 t baking soda
1 1/4 t baking powder [1t soda + 2t cream of tarter = 1 T baking powder]
1 t salt

2/3 c butter or coconut oil - NEVER USE MARGARINE OR SHORTENING!!
1/3 c butter milk or kefir
3 mashed over ripe bananas or 1 1/4 c

1/3 c buttermilk or kefir- yes another
1/2 c or 2 large unbeaten eggs or 3 medium
Optional 2/3 c copped nuts or chocolate chips

*Preheat oven to 350
1. Mix first 5 ingredients.
2. Add next e and beat vigorously for 2 minutes in mixer
3. Add remander or milk and eggs. Beat for 2 more minutes.
4. Fold in add-ins if you choose
5. Bake for 18-20 minutes using 2 9" rounds, 11x16 or cupcakes/ muffins.

Dessert cake may be frosted with icing (suggested in my book) or chocolate frosting (my idea).

Zucchini bread

2010-10-09T09:48:00.000-05:00

Zucchini bread
3 c flour
2 c sugar
1 c oil
4 large eggs
1 t cinnamon
1 t nutmeg
1/2 t cloves
1 t baking soda
1/2 t baking poweder (1 sprinkle soda and 2 sprinkes of cream of tarter)
2T vanilla
2 C finely grated Zucchini

Mix in order and bake at 325 for an hour or less time if you do it in muffin tins or bars. Then use the tooth pick test and good sense.

Busy Busy

2010-10-06T20:50:00.000-05:00

Tasty bread. Don't they look beautiful!

Shredded zucchini- only one. I have about 10-15 cups left that I need to freeze.

Dehydrated bananas since they were on sale. 29c/lb. Making chips for snacks.

Baked a spaghetti squash.

Made this lasagna with it using our normal but replacing lasagna noodles with squash.

Home made hasbrowns. Grated rinsed and boiled these nest time I'll try bake and grate.

These were tasty! We have baked taters in the fridge waiting to make more hashbrowns.

Dehydrated cherry tomatoes. They worked well in my tomato soup to absorb extra liquid.

Learned that crumbling cheese is less labor intensive than shredding.

I also learned that you use a bit more this way and it is LOUD.

Dried tomatoes ready to store.

Basket of snacks- zucchini bread and granola- ready to freeze.

Frozen banana read to thaw for banana bread. Got too ripe before I could dry it.

Banana pancakes. Great with peanut butter!

Breakfast pockets for on the go Hubby.

I'll try to update with recipes tomorrow.

Hat for my little J to keep his ears warm. Going to try one with ear flaps.

BLT Pasta

2010-09-15T09:36:00.003-05:00

YUM!!

This is not my picture. My dish was different. It did not have croutons or lettuce, spinach, endive, or other such things.

Here is what I put in mine:

Brown rice pasta (gluten free)
cherry tomatoes
zucchini 1/2 a medium
bacon
bread crumbs
peppers (banana and jalapeno)
Parmesan cheese

First slice the tomatoes in half, roughly chop the peppers, and cut the zucchini into slices and them each slice into quarters or sixths. place them on a nonstick pan and broil them. Watch them so they don't burn.

Next start the pasta. If you are using spagetti squash you can omit this.

Fry the bacon and set aside. Chop once cool.

Get the veggies out of the oven. (I think that red onion might be good in this too.)

Fry the bread crumbs in the bacon grease.

Drain the pasta.

Add all ingredients together and toss. Don't forget the Parmesan. If you didn't use spicy peppers add black pepper or red pepper flakes.

Enjoy!

Diaper stink

2010-09-13T09:51:00.000-05:00

For a few weeks now my DH has been commenting on the stinkiness of our diaper pail and our diapers when they are soaked. Sometimes this has been a bit unavoidable, for instance- smelly poops. Most of the time the issue is urea. It has been growing stronger and stronger. Our prefolds would smell but our pockets would reak! I've been reading and reading about what the issue may be.

Part of the problem is that I'm never near the washing machine to check to see if all the detergent has rinsed out by the final rinse. IF it isn't we have detergent buildup and that is a horrid problem.
I thought that bleaching them might help, but bleach can be very damaging to diapers- especially to the synthetic fabrics. Since I highly value my PUL I don't want to damage it. Also, since I have one new diaper, two new covers, and several borrowed items, I don't want to take the risk.

Enter oxygen bleach. I'm sure that you've heard the wonders of Oxy Clean. That was not going to work for us because of the additives. So, Sun Oxygen Cleaner was the one to try. I found it at Walmart.

Combined with an extra rinse, I was anxious to discover if Sun would do the trick. (The sun does prerform miricles on cotton diapers but I had bigger problems this time.) I took the diapers out of the dryer, and ... they still smelled like nothing, which is a good sign.

The test took place last night through this morning. (I forgot to wash the pail liners so we continued to have a smelly diaper pail.) I brought the baby to bed with me at 6:30 am. (I feel entitled to sleep in on mornings when he as wakened both himself and me more than 2 times between the time that I go to bed and my DH starts his day. Last night we were up 4 times during that time span.) No urea smell yet. Hope begins to rise. Usually after all night in a pocket I can already smell the urea. After playing in bed from 7:30 till 8 we jumped out of bed and sauntered over to the dresser, almost no smell! Hardly a whiff! Hurray! What a way to start the day!

Sun Oxygen Cleaner

Exercise during pregnancy

2010-09-09T13:22:00.000-05:00

There are several reasons to exercise while pregnant. This may be one of my favorites. This is 4 weeks before Little J was born.

In addition to riding my bike, I walked, swam, participated in my 3/4 PE class (playing capture the flag at 8+ months pregnant is not very comfortable), stretched, and did yoga.

Cooing

2010-08-28T00:04:00.000-05:00

I've had buckets of fun watching little J grow. He is changing a lot. He is now starting to nap more regularly and is more rested. Our happy baby is even less fussy than before. This video is a bit old. and a bit short as my batteries died while i was recording. He coos more now and seems to be trying to hit some of his toys. Hopeful we'll post another video soon- maybe on facebook.

Self-Centered Wills

2010-08-28T00:02:00.000-05:00

"Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. " Psalm 51:5
"Mama said there'd be days like this." The Shirelles

We've had a strange week- just about every day we've gone somewhere or someone has visited. Usually that is wonderful. However THIS week we (I) are trying to get little J down for naps more consistently so that he gets the sleep he needs, I get time to work on things undisturbed, and so that he'll nap while I'm at school.

Today, little J does not want to sleep on his own. Usually he goes down for a nap quite happily. Not today he wants to sleep on me and only on me. Granted, I can't blame him, we've been starting a routine and schedule in the last week or so but this week has been awful for that. Given the opportunity and a bit of assistance (finding and replacing his pacifier after he has dropped it or flung it across his crib unintentionally)he little guy will sleep for 2-3 hours but this week we have had to leave several times about half an hour after starting a nap or not been home to nap.

The poor baby is being difficult- he's upset - for which I can't blame him, and being obstenant- sinful yet who isn;t when cranky, failing to communicate, and not getting what is desired.

I often say that little J is nearly a perfect baby, he's one of the happiest and most easy going babies I've met, but God has not failed to show me that he is still a son of Adam and still has a sinful nature- total depravity in it's "innocent" form.

* Most of this post was written 8/21.

Finally starting again!

2010-08-13T09:00:00.000-05:00

There are a lot of things that I said I'd start doing again after we got back from vacation (after Little J was 8 weeks old). I stopped doing a lot of things once I realized how much work a newborn is. I have also had a lot of company in the past few weeks which makes somethings (baking) easier and somethings (cleaning) harder.

So, I have once again started yogurt. I had some frozen fruit up to add to it, put it went back in the freezer when making fajitas last night because we needed the space in the fridge.

I once again have sun tea.

I am making kefir juice today (if the water kefir is still good).

I have bread but need to make buns and begin to soak things again.

Cloth diapering has been going really well. I do need a few more wipes though because I run out of the nice ones first and fleece is to thick. I use those as liners.

I have been keeping up with the kitchen for the most part- harder with company sometimes but they an also help.

We dehydrated carrots to make carrot chips and because it has been so hot that I wasn't willing to heat up my house to can them. (We have daily been having heat indexes of 105*.

I have a next on the dehydrate list- halved cherry tomatoes from my tiny garden.

I have a stack of cooking magazines that I need to do something with. I'm not sure yet what.

I need to pull out my housekeeping binder, look at my cleaning shedule, and see if it is practical.

I also need to start putting Little J down for naps so that he doesn't get over tiered on some days and sleep and fuss the entire next day (he never sleeps for very long those days. However, he is starting to nap in his crib, rather than on me or in his bouncy seat. So we are making progress.

I need to start running and swimming again. Though I am almost down to my goal weight.

I need to start pumping so Little J has something to eat when I am at school.

My "need to"s still out weigh my accomplishments, but Little J is happy (overall), healthy, and growing well; and I am not only sane but enjoying most of life. If only it weren't so warm to we could get out more! Now I see why people with babies get little done and believe that maternity leave should be longer than 6 weeks even if it is unpaid! 6 weeks is ridiculously short considering what baby and mom need!

More Pictures

2010-06-24T21:05:00.000-05:00

Here are a few more pictures:

Grandma and our Dear Son J-.

Mommy and J after naked time.

Then we have our first cloth diaper and our second or third, we went through the first three really quickly- the jelly roll works best so far for us.

Our first tub bath and the after bath towel. J was a bit upset when I accidentally dipped his face in the water. He was fine after we dried off but I was worried all that evening and into the next day. Hormones grr.

That is all for now. I didn't get pictures of our first walk in the Moby or in the ring sling, I'll have some later. J and I are headed off to Des Moines to go furniture shopping with some of my friends. Our first adventure! Hopefully he sleeps in the car!

Picture Update

2010-06-22T20:59:00.000-05:00

First walk in the stroller.

First time we had naked time.

More to come later.

Pretzels

2010-06-06T17:28:00.000-05:00

I've now tried making pretzels twice, well three times really. It went much better the last time I did it.
I discovered the key to boiling pretzels!! This is a bigger deal than you think. If boiling does not go well, it makes the entire experience frustrating. The water gets nasty. It is really hot. The pretzels fall apart. They don't cooperate in general. They start to look bad and get water logged.

Boiling is the key to a chewy outside and soft inside, which my DH says is one of the most important pretzel components. The secret: boiling is not the key, water at boiling temperature is. The boil needs to be amazingly gentle. It can't disturb the waterlogged developing crust. You also have to leave the pretzels in long enough that they begin to form a crust. In the picture here, the water is boiling far too rapidly. In my final batch it hardly bubbled. At all, as a result, when I finished, the water was still clear and all of the pretzels turned out well. In the batch boiled in this water, only 3 turned out well, they went down hill very quickly after that.

I got the recipe from Laura at Heavenly Homemakers. She doesn't boil hers. I think that this makes them taste like bread, not pretzels.

I also decide how many to make by how easy it is to cut the dough. He recipe gave me 16. (I did 16 because I could half the dough each time. )I liked the size of a pretzels.

Between batches I froze the pretzels and then let them thaw in order to keep them from rising.
I also rolled mine out to 24-26 inches before shaping. Getting ready to start. I also laid out all my supplies and greased my pans.

Sewing Project- Baby Blanket

2010-06-06T16:59:00.000-05:00

I finally finished my baby blanket and soft rattle. I've been working on them for a while. Neither one was really difficult, I just didn't get around to the different stages for a while.

The cube I actaullay did in one sitting with the exception of closing it. I wanted to put something in it that would cause a rattling sound so I left it open. I finally figured out what to put in it last night. I used film canister with a few pennies. It was small enough that it was well cusioned and larege enough that it makes a clear "change" sound. Fun fun.
The blanket has just a flat back that is the same as the edge on the front. It also has a layer of batting in it. (I got a large box of stuffing and batting for free on a garage sale - YES!) My DH really likes it. He says that he is a little jealous of Baby. He has plenty of fleece new sews and quilts, but this is the softest one in the entire house. Plus, the raised bumps make it fun to feel.

June Baby Picture, drawing

2010-06-01T20:17:00.000-05:00

We made it into June. I posted the May belly picture below for comparison. In case you didn't notice. This shirt is now failing to fit properly. No longer can it meet my pants. We continue to thank the Lord that things are still going wonderfully. I can feel that Baby is bigger and less comfortable. There is a lot more generalized pressure on me now. Sleeping is getting harder and harder to do, but since school is out, I can take naps. I am not feeling sleep deprived, but do drop very tired into bed at 9:00 p.m. sharp.

We are also taking votes about Baby. The entry categories are below. If you leave a comment we will enter you into the running. I don't plan on reading entries before allowing them to post.

1: Gender
2: Date
3: Weight
4: Length
5: Time (+/- 3 hours)

Deep dish pizza

2010-06-01T18:07:00.001-05:00

I did a lot of baking this holiday weekend. We made deep dish pizza for the first time, soft pretzels (totally SAD), and Chocolate Chocolate Chip Somethings. The pizza was a great hit. The pretzels were hit and miss. The CCC Somethings were alright. First the pizza. I will tell you about the other two another time.

My wonderful DH and I LOVE deep dish pizza. Golden nearly fried edges, thick sauce, stringy cheese, and plenty of toppings. When we make a pizza for the two of us, there should be leftovers because a few pieces are that filling. We've tried a couple different things. I even contemplated stealing a deep dish pan from a local pizzeria because I finally found one in a store an hour and a half from home and it was too pricey for me buy. (I decided that would not be Christ- like behavior.)

We usually bake our pizza on a stone and that is one of the things that does work really well. Getting pizza out of a stone casserole dish was not something that I was willing to try. Our pizza stone is very used and a wet dough will still stick to it occasionally. The casserole dish is not so ... broken in.
Finally, after wracking my brain, I was inspired to try a spring form pan. I had my doubts. Oil seems to have the amazing capacity to work its way out of anything {time to make a prediction- will it contain everything or no?}. But we'd give it a go.

We (I) did not go into to this attempt willy-nilly. I have been studying and researching deep dish for a while. I also have worked at a pizzeria and have unveiled a few tricks of the trade. (Unfortunately the pan is one.) Another is an very long cool double rise. We didn't have that much time, nor do I have a walk in cooler (or refrigerator space) to refrigerate a spring-form pan on a level surface on a regular basis. So we have to make due.

I did use my regular pizza dough recipe, with a few changes. I used half and half white whole wheat. I wanted it to turn out and simply put, white flour is more lenient. I also refrained from soaking the dough. Hopefully through trial I can bring back soaking and whole wheat and still have a fantastic deep dish product.

Step 1 I made the dough. Step 2- left in on the counter to rise till double(ish) then I put it in the fridge. If I had started the dough in the morning or even before lunch I could have let the dough rise in the fridge entirely. I will likely make this alternation next time (just one alteration at a time for scientific purposes). We didn't start dough till 3:00 so I didn't want to risk the slow rise.

Step 3- oil pan and roll out dough. I rolled the dough out till it was just bigger than the pan then gently placed the dough in the pan. I continued to press it out until there was a little lip . Step 4- leave the dough on the counter and go to church. (Picture below is when we got back just before pre-baking. You can see that it did leak.)

Step 5- put the stone in the oven and preheat both to 450 degrees. Step 6- prebake the crust for 5 minutes or so. I did this because Baking in my oven is slower than in a pizzaria oven. I didn't want to loose all the beautiful rise by piling on the toppings to and unsupportable weight. (As previously stated we like lots of toppings.) Step 6 take crust out and top quickly before popping it back in.

Step 7- I did take the pizza out when it was almost done. i decided to take off the edge of the pan to let the exterior crust brown. I learned to be careful to make sure that the crust is not stuck to the edge or you will start to rip open the pizza. Step 8- put the pizza back till the cheese begins to become golden (or other cues).

Step 9- take out pizza. If you can wait it is best to let it sit for a couple minutes so that when you cut it the toppings and cheese cut. This allows them to stay on top of the pizza rather than to be caught up with the cutter and be forced into the new cut.

Step 10- Serve with pizza sprinkles and Parmesan cheese and delight in your homemade deep dish.

Ranch Dressing

2010-05-26T20:29:00.000-05:00

Ever since I first tried Ranch dressing years ago, I've been hooked. For a while I was ashamed of myself, silly I know, but I was already aware that normal Ranch was not exactly a healthy or health building food. I've tried to avoid it, but yum.

My second choice has been Western. That cannot be much if any better since the first ingredient is high fructose corn syrup which I've been trying to eliminate from my diet.

I've been having a similar struggle with Mayo. I'm a big mayo fan. (This is relevant.)

Most people don't know it, but I'm a bit lazy. Unless I find the difficult way intriguing and I have that much time and energy, I'm doing it the easy way.

So I found this place I love called Penzey's Spices. (They have arrowroot powder among other things.) Not everything there is totally great [like the soup bases :( ] but most of it is wonderful. While there I got taco seasoning and :D buttermilk ranch dressing mix. Yeah! But still, it calls for mayo.

This past week, I finally got around to making my own mayo. I was intrigued when I heard about it and fascinated when I saw a video blog which I would link to but I lost it. Eggs have also become readily available as it is nearly June. That was a big factor. It was easy if you remember to you the mixer not the food processor. Our food processor makes it impossible to add things while running and that is way to time consuming! Note- I've not tried my mayo plain yet.

I have tried the Ranch. Since the dressing is liquidy, I need to add more mayo. That I can do. It is not the same thing as Hidden Valley, but it is Ranch. :D. Yeah!! I'll attach a picture when I load pictures next.

Vitamins

2010-05-26T20:02:00.001-05:00

I am rather skeptical about vitamins, especially multivitamins. This is particulalty true about convention a multivitamins. I've always wondered if there was really any merit to them or if I was just buying expensive urine. After doing a little research i decided that with my synthetic vitamins that was likely what I was getting. Plus, the idea of adding vitamins to my body without the proper ballance of vitamins needed to metabolize them was not appealing.

In November I started taking New Life prenatals. They are small green round bale looking pills. I loved that they were easy to swallow. Not a strong point for me. However, I was supposed to take nine of them a day. I only took four. I don't really think that they were worth the price.

I have also been interested in trying New Chapter as they have had good reviews. However, since I have had good experience with Shaklee and have had recommendations from a few of my friends and relatives, I decided to try their vitamins. I also found out that they are also all non-synthetic before ordering.

I ordered them on Saturday. They arrived on Wednesday. Sweet. I was pleasantly surprised to see of that the multi (vita-lea with iron) is green. I was not so happy with the size of the pill. It is enormous. Well, maybe it is the same as the Walmart One a Day knockoffs. BUT, one enormous pill is only half of the serving. I'm supposed to take two.

We'll have to see. So far, I'm happier with Shaklee.

May Baby Belly

2010-05-04T20:44:00.000-05:00

I'm thinking that this will be the second to last monthly belly picture- only June to go! I don't think that we are going to do any mid-month pictures.

Also, I'm happy to announce that I finally found a dresser. I'm very happy with it. It is just about perfect. I do need to replaced the draw pulls because the originals are missing a few parts.

That was pretty exciting. I've already done a load of baby clothes and need to put together my diapering basket, get my birth plan written, and figure out what needs to go in our bedroom for Baby before Baby comes. (An lift the co-sleeper.) Below you can see the dresser and a reminder of our nursery. In this picture you may notice that I have adjusted the curtain to its most open position.
Also - I need to give a shout out to Justin and especially Luke who helped me retrieve the dresser and bring it inside. Thanks!

Food Pyramid

2010-05-02T15:53:00.000-05:00

As a teacher, especially one that teaches science to two classes of students at different grade levels and as a person who is passionate about real food, I really struggle with how to teach health and nutrition. Our curriculum uses the USDA approved guidelines which are wrong.

I seek to teach from and with a strong Christian perspective in all my classes. I have quite a few students whose families have slowly started food conversions but don't always have access to quality information. However, most of my students eat SAD.

(In case you are wondering how real food and christian perspective connect, God create food for us to eat that is healthy for us. He create food for animals to eat that is healthy for them. When we stop trusting him and decide to re-engeneer things oursleves, taking away the God given healthy way of dooing things, how can anything but something inferior result? We sin against God saying that we are smarter than He is. We sin against God saying that we can create better than He can. We sin against God by denying his creation the life God intended for them and denying them to express the characteristics he gave them. If history and science teach us anything, it is that the more we try to control things apart from God, the worse things get. )

I have a lot of leeway, but no matter what I teach in health and nutrition, I'm just not sure. The more I learn the more I lean towards the truth, especially with my older students. I figure, if they do go home and talk about science/ health class, at least I have opened a door to the truth, at the worst, I get reprimanded for not teaching the curriculum.

Here is a great post about a REAL FOOD pyramid.

God's real food gives me a reason to be passionate about food.

Sourdough Waffels

2010-04-13T20:15:00.000-05:00

About three weeks ago I traded for a sourdough starter. I've been wanting to try sourdough pizzadough and waffels. I'f fed the starter on Saturdays. I've kept it in the fridge other than that. I was worried that it wouldn;t work, and the pizza dough didn't. Then again, I didn't really use a recipe.

Don't get me wrong, I liked the pizza dough. It was just really flat. The DH didn't like that. So we disagree, that means I'll do my homework, find a recipe and try again in a while.

The WAFFLES oh the waffles. They did turn out. I did follow the recipe and it was amazing. They were definitely still whole wheat and needed fruit and maybe even whipped cream. OOHH! That'd be good. (By the way, the obsession with food is NOT pregnancy related. I just have an excuse to be more verbal about it.)

The recipe is form King Arthur Flour. It is truly amazing. The batter DOES start to bubble when you put the eggs in. It is amazing. I was afraid that string it to combine, which I needed to do aggressively, would be a problem, but it continued to bubble through the second waffle. The batter only made two Belgian waffles, but they were perfect. Here is the link.

April Baby Belly

2010-04-04T21:12:00.000-05:00

Is it just me or do I look like I have a volleyball hidden under my shirt? For comparison sake. Last month's pic is the one with the pink shirt. (It took me a while to see the difference too.)

Baby and Musings.

2010-04-03T20:05:00.000-05:00

We've made it another month. Unfortunately this one promises to be a long long. For Justin things are "Warp speed ahead". Which means he is putting in 18 hour days and I am at home or school becoming deprived of my honey. However, I knew this was part of marrying him and am glad that it only happens twice a year. Plus, he is generally home when or before I am in the winter which is very enjoyable.

We are praying that God continues to bless us through April as He has shown me that He is truely to be trusted with my care and is truely loving as He has provided for us time and again in unexpected ways. He continually guards our health and safety. Baby continues to do well and we just got our test results back that we are not anemic and not currently diabetic. These are not a surprise, but do reassure my Dr. and the many others who seem to believe that something horrid is about to happen. I choose to believe that instead God is faithful. He made me to made and have Baby and He made Baby to live here till Heis ready for something else. Also, He had promised both to bless us and not give us more than we can bear, so whatever else, we are in His hands and have nothing to fear. (Thank you also Lord for blessing me with an attitude that is not uptight and that does not need to be in control!)

However, as yet we have no new baby belly picture. (I'll try to put one in above or in a separate post.) We are due for one it is April. Our loving photographer is MIA. We do however have nursery pictures. You can really see the subtle stripes of our walls in some of these. Sorry for the bad quality. Also, I need to reapply a few of our dots, but many of them remain.

We are hoping to get a dresser to put against the wall with the door. Right now I have the small three drawer tower there. I may want to put it into the corner where the bouncy set it. We intend to use it as a changing table as well. I also need to get my diaper stuff set up. I need to do a bit more shopping in DSM first. I've also decided that I'm not so sure if the bookcase will work but I do want a couple of shelves on the wall. Just small ones. Maybe I'll make a few floating ones. I do still intend to make some wall art that has a frog, turtle, duck and butterfly on it. I may do these on

square canvases and put them together somewhere. Where, I have not decided. I also like the current tend of name art, but we can't do that until Baby is born since we won't know until then what we are calling Baby. I do have some prototypes but they are top secret, sorry.
Below you can see that someone (not me) was very anxious to put together my birthday present/ baby gift. (Thanks Mom and Dad/ Grandma and Grandpa H.) It arrived two nights before busy season did. (He really likes it too by the way. He says that it is very user friendly- folds and adjusts easily.)
We are starting to get very excited but at this point content with waiting two more months (about) to meet Baby. Justin did tell Baby the night he put the stroller together, "You just stay right where you are until Daddy is done pulling smoke." (For those of you who do not live in the corn belt this means applying and/or orchestrating the application of anhydrous ammonia, a chemical in the gaseous state knifed (squirted into the ground through knife like tubes) when the soil is at a temperature (not too warm nor too cold) and state (not too muddy) that the nitrogen in the compound will stay in the ground in an state that is available to the corn as it grows. At least, that is my current understanding of it. I will have to see if that is accurate. (There are still many things that I am learning about farming.)

This having been said, please pray for the safely of the farmers and the other ag sector workers as NH3 is a chemical that needs to be handled with great care and can cause serious damage if a person is exposed to it (the damage being proportionate to the amount of exposure) and as there are many more slow-moving vehicles on the road even during dark o'clock.

Happy Easter! He is risen! Hallelujah! (It is already Sunday in most of the world.)

Bottling Kefir "Pop"

2010-04-02T15:10:00.000-05:00

I've decided that I really like kefir. Both milk and water kefir. I have to be more careful with milk kefir because it becomes sour much more quickly than water kefir does. But it does make a good tangy drink. I've been adding fruit to mine to make it more palatable and it will be a while before I even try to give any to my DH. However, when it is too sour for me to drink, I use it for soaking. I love it when healthy things have more than one use!

- Side question- Could I use water kefir to soak things? Is it as helpful digestive as milk kefir? Is it as healthful?

Moving on, I love water kefir, it is really tolerant of things that you do- like forget it for a while. Lately I've been distracted by school and baby stuff so cultures and kitchen have been on hold for a while. My water kefir is so fogiving as long as i refrigerate it.
I recently took a batch of kefir juice to two different parties. It was a big hit at both where plenty of people (and kids) at the combination of the too who eat Standard American Diet. At one party I brought the Kefir (Raspberry Apple) in a 1/2 gallon mason jar, but to the other I contained it in a pitcher. For my own use I have decided that if I can, I like to put it into screw-top glass soda bottles. (I prefer these because they fit on the kitchen shelf with my glasses.) I use a funnel to get the kefir in once it is mixed. After which I cap them, often using a towel to hold tight. Then, I leave them on my counter top for about a day (when it is cold in the house sometimes it goes two). I like to do a two part kefir to one part juice ratio for most juices. This also enables the kefir to eat the juice's sugars without making it too tart. They do become carbonated, so I always open them over the sink if they have been sitting for more than a day. I have not taken enough notes to find out exactly what time and ratio and whatnot equals what result (note that Kelly suggests 18 hrs), I also try to store them in the cardboard carrier. They do start to hiss if they are ultra-ultra carbonated, which is a serious warning to let out some "steam" and refrigerate them immediately if they are capped properly. This I know from experience because one exploded on me. The picture above shows what happened to the bottle. Since it was in a carrier, there was no glass anywhere else, the kefir created a little sticky mess, but significantly less than I anticipated when I discovered the explosion which occurred while the house was unoccupied.

Let it be noted that I have found a new favorite mixture- Strawberry Lemonade! I love real strawberry lemonade which is nigh impossible to get anymore. (Though really Applebees does have a version that I enjoy). I avoid lemonade when we do go out because usually it is powdered junk full of imitation flavored high fructose corn syrup. Sadly, lately I have been craving some. (That and I am too cheap to buy lemons). Though this is not quite the quality of my dad's really strawberry lemonade [made with 1 cup freshly juiced (not crushed) local lemons (usually thawed from when we home froze it), 1 cup white sugar, 1 gallon water, and crushed and sugared fresh strawberries]. This is pretty good. It is dark since I tried the kefir with rapadura instead of evaporated can juice. It has (when the quart was about full) roughly a quarter cup of lemon juice (I didn't measure I poured and tasted) and cut strawberries in their juice (thawed from this summer when I cut and froze them). I think that it will taste better with kefir made from cane juice so I did half and half for the batch that I will be making tonight or tomorrow morning. You can see the strawberries in the jar on the left which I used for a glass. One of the best parts was eating the strawberries when the juice was gone. It was fantastic.
[By the way Mom, this is really easy. I'm hopping that when you visit you can make kefir if I am incapable. It will be on preferred help list.]
If you are wondering about why or the safety of this venture, check out Kelly the Kitchen Kop's posts on kefir. She is the one who got me started. By clicking on her name you can see the post about how the amount of alcohol that the product contains is extremely negligible.
Have a blessed Good Friday and Easter!

Milk Kefir

2010-03-19T08:23:00.001-05:00

Last week I traded some of my water kefir grains for milk kefir. Though I'm not sure that grains is an accurate name or description for either one. First of all they aren't really grains. They are living, breathing, eating, hopefully reproducing living organisms that ferment something and in the process carbonate it and make it an ultra-digestible, disease-fighting pro-biotic beverage. Really, water kefir grains look like the "grains" of silicone that come in shoe boxes after they have absorbed a bunch of water, except the kefir can become larger, (the size of a pea). Milk kefir grains look like cauliflower. Yes, they really do. The only difference is that they are more milky-translucent than the dull white tinge of cauliflower and they have a slight gel-like appearance.

But, Today is the day! Admittedly I'm a litter nervous. Really I shouldn't be because I have tried plenty of other weird/ kookie/ hippie/ "crunchy" things before. Seriously now, I make and eat my own yogurt and keifir pop, and will eat home canned fruit that has that "this-has-begun-to-ferment" tingle to it. (No lectures please. Baby and I are healthier than plenty if not most pregnant women I know who eat the Standard American Diet. Beside, I'll just ignore you the way I learned to when I was a teenager, except my pregnant self will try not to be annoyed and not to hold a grudge.)

So here it goes!

Batch 1 tastes ... tart and sour, which is perfectly acceptable. Tarter than I'd like at this point. Plus it is seperating a little and I don't rally like that texture. (I hope that this problem is not specific to fresh milk.) I'll either get out some fruit to add and maybe a bit of stevia or I'll use it for baking.

Batch 2 is made from AE whole milk. It tastes ... Like thin plain yogurt: tart, but not overly so. Rather smooth. I stil think that I'd like to doctor it up for a bit. So that it is more of a drinkable thick beverage than a sippable one. Since I keep sipping at it I know that I find it appealing and will get used to the tartness.

Yeah!

By the way Mom, I hope that you are reading all the posts about cultures, because you may be taking care of them while I rest after Baby comes. If I end up taking antibiotics I will be requesting them in an effort to undo all the negative effects of the antibiotics.

Third Trimentster begins

2010-03-16T20:48:00.000-05:00

We are now beginning the third trimester. Thank goodness too! The last week has been an eventful one! Let's start with Wednesday. For the entire day Wednesday I felt like Baby was pushing out with all the force that Baby could muster. At the end of the school day I thought, "I really hope that this doesn't last for 3+ months!"
It didn't. The next day our school went on a field trip. All day we walked around a farm and a 1875 era rural town. It was a lot of fun. Even Baby seemed thrilled since Baby was extremely active all day. Even that night when I was trying to sleep Baby had not let up much, but the craziness was lessening. Then, what felt like a knee or an elbow, but possibility anything, came up from the bottom left side up my abdomen to the top left side, then back down till it reached the middle of the right side of my abdomen. Since then, instead of kicking (I'm assuming) down near my left leg, Baby has been kicking closer to my right rib.
Friday after school we had a school event followed immediately by Justin's niece's birthday party. When I walked in she whispered to her other aunt, "Rachel has a baby in he tummy!" much to our amusement.
On Saturday, I can't remember what baby did but we went to a shower for one of my friends. On Sunday, Justin and I went on a walk for a little over half an hour. It began to become uncomfortable towards the end as it felt like baby sank down into my pelvis. For the most part it just made walking less enjoyable and more difficult. Pretty sure that I began to waddle a bit.
On Monday I went on a walk. for about half an hour. That night baby had the first case of hiccups that I could feel, at least that is what I figured it was. this was down on the left side. It was a sutble rythmic feeling.

Belly Picture 6

2010-03-01T20:10:00.000-06:00

It's March! That means it's time for a new belly picture! Is it just me or is Baby growing leaps and bounds?

On another note, things are going well. I've been a pit more tired lately, caved to many more sugar cravings than I'd like, and still eat more than I've ever thought that I could.

Though I do get heartburn occasionally, it is rally not an issue. The itching, however, has gone through the roof. My DH laughed when I couldn't scratch due to having food all over my hands and then when I sighed with relief after washing my hands.

On another note, Baby is not going to keep growing at this rate right? I really don't want to keep gaining weight at this rate.

A Clean Home

2010-02-23T12:06:00.001-06:00

I've been fed up with my weekend cleaning sprees for the whole winter now, if not since school started in August. At first I thought, "I work full-time and do real food. I don't have the time each day to clean too."
Consequently we (or I) spend the whole day Saturday cleaning. Really, that is not a problem at all when the weather outside is dreadful and there is nothing to do. However, when it is nice out, or i have plans, or we want to get a project done, it is a problem. You can catch up on seven loads of laundry when you are running errands or out of town for the day!

Eventually I''d had enough. It started with doing a load of laundry each night (in theory). We were also talking among the teachers about chores that some of the other teachers' kids have to do (even the 2 year olds). Growing up we had always had a chore chart. I had also been reading about a cleaning schedule of a blogger that I follow. I thought, "We won;t have that much to clean since it is just the two of us right now. We won;t have to do all of those things daily. I bet if I got in the habit of doing it every morning/afternoon/ evening it wouldn't be so bad eventually. Plus that way I can have a list of things that I need help with when Baby comes. I can just cross of the ones I've done with dry erase so I know what I need help with." So it started.

That was two weeks ago. We had a snow day and I sat down with my computer, searched, thought, and typed up a few lists and charts. Now I have daily, weekly, monthly, and seasonal cleaning lists. I also have a weekly graph where I write down meals, appointments, and cleaning tasks. I also put my daily and weekly list in the front of the binder that I keep everything in so that I don't even need to open the binder for a reminder.

That was two weeks ago. Our house has been clean at some point every day since then. Sunday evening no cleaning gets done. It makes for a rough Monday morning since I leave for work earlier and have more clean up to do, but asi es la vida. Really, it is WAY better than before. I enjoy coming home more, so does my husband. I like my house when it is clean. Now I can do things on weekends like shop for carpet for the baby's room, exercise, craft, and visit. Yeah!

We'll see if it continues, but it is much easier now than it was at first, and my husband works harder at it too.

What is next? Keeping track of what is in my fridge so that food doesn't go bad. Plus as the DH said, "You need to make hoggies for your next project."

Kefir and bread failure redeemed

2010-02-06T21:42:00.000-06:00

Kitchen update

I do most of my baking and special things on the weekend. Since I don't get home on most weekdays till 6 and then we make food and eat til 7 or later, that doesn't leave enough time for some things. I still do kefir during the week and I soak rice and oatmeal during the week. On the other hand, yogurt, baking, and other experiments are done only on weekends (or snow days). This picture is of by kefir fermenting. I keep it in a 1/2 gallon or quart jar. I now use cheesecloth on top so air can get in but other things can't. Also, this way I can pour out the kefir leaving the grains in the jar. I can also pour new sugar water in through the cloth so that I don't have to worry about loosing anything! Yeah!

On another note, I baked buns last weekend (bread this weekend) I had a little bit of dough left, yet my pans were full. I decided to try clover rolls. They over baked. Then, I forgot to bag them, and they became even harder. Needless to say, they were basically unedible. (Well, I could have steamed them.) However, I recently picked up some fish fillets with the intention of making fish sticks. (Unfortunately VandeKamps has ingredients on my list of "non-food 'food' products.") Asi es la vida. So... redemption. Finally soaked whole weat breadcrumbs! I smashed and pulled the rolls apart, left them on the counter on an old cereal bag that I saved, will roll them into crumbs, and store them in a jar. Yeah! If I have extras then I can use them in meatballs, meatloaf, or burgers.

Belly Picture 5

2010-02-06T21:18:00.000-06:00

Here is my February belly picture. I'm sure that baby and belly have already noticeably grown since we took this picture. I'm feeling much more balanced now that I've been taking my fermented cod liver oil/ butter oil. Today Justin and I were able to take a walk too. (Thank you God for the melting and sunshine!) We had our appointment this week. Justin came with me. We also talked to our Dr about perspectives on care and expectations. We aren't certain what we decision we are going to make with the new information. Please pray that God will give us clarity in which decision to make and peace with whatever that may be. Physically, I'm feeling great, better than I have for months. Justin is very diligent about asking me if I am doing my stretches and exercises. I've not been doing white as good with nutrition. The sugar cravings are a killer. However, they are not as strong as the dairy cravings. I do have this week's menu planned and PLENTY of fruit in the house. Hopefully that will help.

Baby Update

2010-01-31T21:26:00.000-06:00

I was reminded today to update. Things have been going pretty well. We are "technically" at least 1/2 way now. Last week I struggled a lot with depresion but I think that that was a combination of mental stuff, winter weather, and lack of Vitamin D (I forgot to take my fermented cod liver oil all week). So that has resolved it self. This week Baby has been a bit distracting as the movements (kicking?) has become much stronger. I find it rather distracting at times, especially while I am trying to be quiet and pay attention. Justin was able to feel baby move a last week which was fun. He had to wait for a while because just when he decided he wanted to feel baby decided that four or five violent kicks was enough for a while. I have been hungrier than a starving lion the last few weeks and been craving milk, cheese (especially cottage cheese) and sweets (those ones are STRONG!). I also am starting to feel like I (especially my skin) am stretching in my belly. Not really pleasant. Hopefully I'll be going shopping soon because nothing seems to fit right now. My maternity clothes are still too big and I'm outgrowing my "lose"fitting clothes. (Some I refuse to wear because they make me look fat rather than pregnant, but those are few. Please pray that my appointment will go well on Tuesday afternoon since it will start off with what has the potential to be a frustrating and emotional conversation. (Thank the Lord for giving me calm-ness and peace this week. His love does endure forever. - God bless

Iowans For Food Choice

2010-01-22T13:57:00.000-06:00

Iowa House File 2044- Iowans for Food Choice Act- Give Iowas the freedom to buy milk directly from the farmer. It is currently illigal for any citizen to buy fresh real milk from farmers. This includes informed conscientious citizens who visit and question small careful health-minded contentious farmers who are concerned about the health of their animals.

IT SHOULD NOT BE ILLEGAL FOR US TO BUY REAL MILK FROM FARMERS THAT WE KNOW!

Please call or e-mail your representative (or mine) asking him/ her to support this house file.
Click here to find our representative.

Paul Bell (Jasper)
E-mail: paul.bell@legis.state.ia.us
Home Address: 611 E. 17th Street N., Newton, IA, 50208
Home Telephone: 641-792-9514

Eric Palmer (Mahaska)
E-mail: eric.palmer@legis.state.ia.us
Home Address: 1118 Clearview Drive, Oskaloosa, IA, 52577
Home Telephone: 641-672-2998

Occupation: Attorney at Law
Business Telephone: 641-673-7589
Business Fax: 641-673-7928

Jim Van Englenhoven (Marion)
E-mail: jim.van.engelenhoven@legis.state.ia.us
Home Address: 2309 Keokuk Drive, Pella, IA, 50219
Home Telephone: 641-628-1675

To learn more about real milk click here.

Two Real Food Resources

2010-01-22T13:09:00.000-06:00

As many may know I am passionate about food. I love to eat healthy food and I love to research what makes food healthy. Finding this food is not always easy. Here are two local farms that I'm going to look into. I've not meet these families (that I know of).

Stoneyfield

Picket Fence Farm

There is also the Iowa Food Cooperative. This is by no means an exclusive list of things but I still spend hours looking through things. Mostly highlighting and copying names, finding web sites, and mapping their locations to see how practical it would be to visit them. (In the middle of winter getting to work has been an issue.)

That is all for now. God bless

Nursery Ideas

2010-01-21T21:28:00.000-06:00

So I'm trying to post some of my ideas for Baby's room. I like the idea of polka dots on our tan stripped walls. I like the idea of putting baby's name on the wall so here is an idea that I like. (I made my own on Word that I am trying to post) This is the link for instructions. I am currently trying it out. E How
I am trying to work out how to make it a decal. Fabric would be a bit difficult for a name. So I am looking into other things but not paying an unreasonable amount.

So now I need to go work on Keifer

Baby De Jong

2010-01-20T11:27:00.000-06:00

This is my new favorite "monster". Baby was rather uncooperative at our ultrasound appointment so the tech struggled to get decent pictures. Baby apparently takes after Mommy in that Baby likes to sleep curled into a tiny ball (or in a diver's tuck position). Of course as soon as we tried to figure out baby's gender baby's hands, legs, feet, and cord were in the way. I think that Baby will be stubborn like Daddy. I'm still not concerned about the necessity of seeing Baby but it was fun. It also explained why I've had a lot of lower front abdominal pressure because Baby likes to be stashed into by pelvis and is best friends with my bladder. ( I do tell Baby it isn't nice to push on Mommy's bladder so much but Baby doesn't listen). Surprise.
Well, I need to get back to work. The Lord bless you all!

Apostle Paul's prediction about food.

2010-01-16T09:19:00.000-06:00

While I was reading my cook book during breakfast this morning I rean across this in the margin.

1 Timothy 4:1-3 However, the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will turn away from the faith, addicting themselves to seducing spirits, and to teaching lies in hypocrisy; burning up their own conscience; hindering marriage; abstaining from foods with God created to be consumed by the faithful, and recognizers of the truth.

I like the NKJV better. I included verse 4 too.
"Now the Spirit expressly said that in the latter times some will depart form the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. "

If that is not a commentary on life right now where I live and in my time, I don't really want to know what it would be like, though I can see it coming.

Oatmeal

2010-01-07T17:21:00.000-06:00

Growing up the only oatmeal that I would eat were the fruit flavored ones by Quaker. You know, the ones that are individually packaged and come in a box and sometimes eveon contain sugar cystals in the shapes of fruits or animals.

Once I got married my husband wanted oatmeal for breakfast every day during the winter our first year. Of course having to buy it I oped for the cheapest container possible. I made it. He ate it. I hated it! No amount of fruit, cream, honey, or brown sugar could make the microwaved instant glue paste appetizing.

I wanted to make myself like it because it is supposed to be sooo good for you. I was going to try steal cut oats but never got around to it.

Finally this winter I needed something more than toast to get me through the morning. (Likely because it has been -5 or colder every moring for that last few weeks and because the baby growing inside me seems to be hungry quite often.

I found something that works! Sally Fallon's recipe from Nourishing Traditions. Yes! A major plus is I don;t feel bad leaving the extra in the pan on the top of my stovetop until the next day. In the morning i simply add milk or water and heat it up again. In the mean time I put some butter, fruit, and honey in my bowl. When the oatmeal is hot (yes please do stir it) I dump some in my bowl, mix it up and i have warm yummy goodness for breakfast! The texture is different. It is a bit lumpier, but it tastes better.
Another wonderful thing I found out is that you can mix it with egg (i suggest a bit of cinnamon too) and fry it in your frying pan with butter, whoala! A touch of maple syrup and you have oatmeal french toast (aka Fried Mush- believe me Sally Fallon my name is much more appealing).

Happy oatmeal mornings!

Oatmeal
1 c oats
1 c warm water + 2 T whey or like
1/2 t sea salt
1 c water
(Opt. 1T flax seeds)

1) Mix warm water and whey with oats, cover, and leave in a warm place for 7 hours or overnight.
2) Bring the other cup of water to boil with salt.
3) Add soaked oats, cover, reduce heat and simmer for several minutes.
4) Remove from heat. If desired stir in freshly ground flax seeds. Let stand for a few minutes.
5) Serve warm with plenty of butter/ cream, natural sweetener, and if desired fruit or fruit preserves, chopped nuts, or coconut meat.

Belly Picture 4

2010-01-07T15:35:00.000-06:00

Here is the latest belly picture. We do pictures the first of every month since that is easy to remember and since we got a positive pregnancy test on the first of the month.

Things have been going pretty well. Physically I've been feeling pretty much great. My family went on a short hike while we were in Arizona. I still do all (most) of P.E. activities with the 3rd/4th graders.Emotionally things have been going better but I still find my new heightened emotional state very frustrating (being as it is pretty much uncontrollable). Similarly I've found that I am terrified of icy/ snow covered roads. I mean terrified not scared. I work very hard to stay calm while riding in the car and I never fully succeed when the roads are bad. ( I have started carpooling because I would not leave town if I were driving most days.)

I'm really struggling with what I feel is an inadequate prenatal care system. I don't think that the care that my Dr. gives me is inadequate to the care of the other Dr.s in our town. I feel that the type of care and the system leaves much wanting and is outrageously over priced for the little it does do. (And I am insured!!) This is an issue that has been particularly upsetting to me because many people around me are content with the inadequate care and think that I am unreasonable or are unwilling to hear me out.
I'm going to stop there with that issue because there is no use getting upset about it until I can do something about it.

Etsy

2009-12-17T21:06:00.000-06:00

I don't know if you have ever heard of Etsy before, but I love the idea. Maybe it is because of all the creativity. Maybe because it is homemade. Maybe because it inspires me that I can do stuff like this too. maybe it is just releaving that you can still get real productes from real people and there are alternatives to big box stores.

Anyway, everyone in a while I think about how I want to decorate the back room to make it into the baby's room, eventually. I really like the idea of nautal colors with bold accents and a pond theme.

Anyway, I saw these on Etsy and thought that they were adorable. No I was not asked or paid to do this.

I think that a frog or a dragonfly would be perfect. I think that this would be a fun project that I could do with minimal purchases because I could use fabric scraps for parts.

This one would be fun with fabric scraps using a name or "Baby" or the like.

The right one with a variety of bold, basic-like colors, but not so dense, with larger dots.
So you know, the images are items for sale a Harper and Henny.

Maybe next I'll highlight some of the super cute baby toys, or the diapers, or covers, or clothes or ... just check out the sight next time you want something fun or nice for the not so needy or simple loving ones in you life.

Wish List

2009-12-12T15:27:00.003-06:00

This is the only way that I can keep track of things that I'd like to have sometime. I'll add/ remove things to it now and then. For example, I'll add things that I don't get for Christmas that I can't justify buying for myself.

Passionate Housewives Desperate for God bStacy McDonald

The Family by J.R. Miller

Large 10+ in Spring-form pan

A woven baby wrap (non-streachy)

a baby swing?

maybe a twin bed

working dryer

A Thought about Due Dates

2009-12-12T09:12:00.001-06:00

I am currently reading The Official Lamaza Guide: Giving Birth with Confidence by Judith Lothain and Charlotte DeVries. Here is a quote that I enjoyed.
"Though you and your care giver might calculate a due date forty weeks from your last period, bear in mind that only about 5 percent of babie arrive on ther due dates. Many facotrs make due dates mard to pin down...And some babies just take more or less than forty weks to be ready for the outside world.
Imagine making a batch of popcorn. Most of the kernels pop during a few noisy moments But there are lots of early and late poppers too. All the popped kernels are perfect- but each need a slightly different amount of time to be fully cooked. The same is true for babies."

Hehehe.

Oops

2009-12-11T10:09:00.003-06:00

This is why we need to teach out children how to make real food, think through things, and how to laugh at the little mistakes.

My mom and dad did the first to some degree. The second they tried their best but I was not an ideal student when it came to not being ADHD. However, the third, boy did they triumph!

Thank God for Your grace! Thank you Mom and Dad for your loving encouragement!

Curtains- Finally a dark bedroom!

2009-12-11T10:08:00.007-06:00

My husband and I live in town. We are blessed to live in a location that is wonderful for walking or biking errands. (I never drive during good weather unless I’m coming home from out of town). However, this blessed location also comes with lots of street lights. We have three streetlights around

the house spaced just so all of our windows faces one. When there is snow on the ground, or when our neighbors has Christmas lights up (we weren’t able to get ours up before the snow fell this year), it is as bright if not brighter than mid day when we are trying to go to sleep. It was becoming a problem. So, during the first two snow days this year, I finally made by curtains. I’ve had the fabric for a while (it was close pinned to the curtain rod till recently). But I finally made them.

They are a gorgeous darkish red, shiny material with a non-shiny woven design. The back is black duck canvas (it is heavy duty stuff).

They are just bigger than the window because I’ll tie them back during the day and that is all the fabric I was willing to get at that price; plus, they don’t scrunch anyway due to the thickness of the curtain.
I'm planning on putting a gold-ish colored sheer curtain behind them.

Mozzerella Cheese

2009-12-11T10:08:00.006-06:00

So after reading about all the benefits of whey (mostly as a acidic soaking agent) My cohort in all things that resemble anything that may connect in some way with Sally Fallon, Megan and I got together to make cheese since it’s byproduct is whey and since we love pizza. She had made it once before with her husband. It took a lot longer the first time that she did it but, I can see why cheese is made in large quantities with professional equipment because, for the amount of the product that you get, it is a long process if you have to refer to the directions and have only everyday stuff. – It is not difficult, per say, but it does take work. I can see why you would want a plenty of helpers if you were going to make your own and why cheese would not be eaten that often unless you did.

I’m not sure which directions we used, but there are plenty on the internet.

Picture 1- Megan getting the curds our of the whey- I forgot to take pictures before this.

The picture to the Right is the curds in the bowl waiting to be squeezed.
The picture below is Megan squeezing whey out of the curds and shaping them into a block of cheese.

Home made bread

2009-12-11T10:06:00.003-06:00

I love homemade bread. My husband has come to really like it too. At first I just made homemade whole wheat bread- because I wanted something that was whole wheat and didn’t have a lot of additives in it (boo high fructose corn syrup/ yeah honey!) Buying bread like this, if you can find it, gets pricy).

I was starting to really enjoy making my own breads (loaves, buns, muffins, biscuits, and the like) and even got a Bosch!!! (One cannot love a Bosch too much.) I had not gotten the hang of it quite because I still could not consistently get a nice rounded top and a nicely risen loaf (as opposed to dense) but it was getting better.

Since then things are even more inconsistent because I started soaking my flour before baking (read more about that here) to make a healthier and more digestible loaf. I need to spend some time actually doing this so that I can figure out what the rise time is. (This last time I used multigrain flour and that reacted totally different (it turned out very wet) I probably should have added enough white flour to actually form a dough that I could roll. (We’ll have to see hour the crumb is because it rose nicely but the top fell.

(In the top picture my flour/ dough is soaking. The picture below is of my loaves when they were finished baking. I needed to let them rise a bit longer. )

The loaves in the picture were dense. (I forgot to time the rise and it was getting late at night). There is a reason that you don’t start baking after 7pm when you are teaching full time.

This is the recipe that I am enjoying for my loaves. (Passionate Homemaking ) I need to try it as buns too. Now that it is winter I can’t use my normal bun recipe because it takes four eggs and I am not wasting eggs on buns during the winter (when free range brown eggs with naturally bright yolks are hard to get and extra pricey).

Baby Begginings/ Belly

2009-12-10T21:26:00.001-06:00

So here are a few pictures for those of you who were wondering.

There is an upside to being home with a cold.

This one is at 8 weeks. Already this is not normal Rachel body, but only Justin and I knew that.
At 8 weeks I was feeling alright. Not great not awful.

12 Weeks- For me that is definitely a baby bump. When fully dressed most people would say that i just have put on some weight. (Especially because some of it is in the butt and some in the boobs.) By this time I was (am) feeling a lot better. Though I'm starting to wonder if I'm growing to fast. (Four pounds at my appointment) Maybe I'm just hyper sensitive to the physical differences because my body has not changed this much in the last 4-8 years.

By the way, I'm not sure how to turn the pictures. Sorry.

Yogurt Update

2009-12-10T21:14:00.000-06:00

I've made yogurt three times now. I've tried too methods. I like the crock pot method that I tried first. I let it culture for longer than 12 hours. It turned out fine, however, it is sour. I eat it with honey and berries (and now granola) it is really tasty. The runnier style does take some getting used to.

The part of the new recipe that I like is that I don't need a crock pot. This is nice since I can use my crock pot for things like making stock or chili or the like. However, you need to be around more. (No running errands in the mean time.) Also, you need to pay more attention to what is going on. (I needed to warm the milk up a bit after cooling because I left it cooling for too long, but no sweat.

I must admit that I have not tried the newest batch. I only let it culture for 7 hours.

These are the websites that I used.

- Crock pot http://www.nourishingdays.com/?p=912

- In the Jar http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/2009/04/13/monday-mission-homemade-yogurt-the-easy-way/

Sorry, I don't know how to rotate yet.

Bagel Update

2009-10-25T17:57:00.000-05:00

I made the bagels, Honey Whole Wheat Bagels, mentioned in my previous bagel post last weekend. Hubby said, "They were pretty good- not quite like a normal bagel but good." I think he is referring to the fact that they were dense and decently hard. They were not puck-like but would have suffered little damage if they were accidentally left in the bottom of a bag.
However, due to the boiling, the bagels really are chewy. I think that these are the modifications that I would make next time I try.

- Use some white flour

- Let rise for longer

- Broil on low for a slightly shorter amount of time.
- Bake for a few (3ish) minutes less.

Questions - I wonder if I could soak these at all. I'm convinced that if my family is going to be eating all whole wheat we need to soak it so that we are not inhibiting our ability to absorb critical nutrients. I see this as especially important since I'm taking synthetic vitamins right now which may also contribute to nutrient loss.

I'll see if i can update this with a picture. (Which would demand that I upload pictures from my camera.)

Bagles

2009-10-12T20:44:00.002-05:00

My husband LOVES bagels. Every once in a while I ask him to pick something up from the grocery store on his way home from work if he is going to get home after I do. He always picks up bagels on the way home. So, since I want to redeem our family's food, I was ecstatic when Laura of Heavenly Homemakers posted about her honey whole wheat bagels. Whoot whoot!
I plan on trying these no later than Saturday. (Then they will be ready for both my dear hubby and my parents.) - Next? Maybe cream cheese.

See additional bagel post for reviews.

Redeemption is Earth Deep

2009-10-12T20:29:00.003-05:00

This Sunday evening our pastor gave a wonderful sermon. The main point was that what the world really needs is God's redemptive plan.

His first point is that is redemptive plan is antagonistic by nature. Before sin there was harmony between us and God but also between God and creation. After sin, because God is holy, we and creation are under judgment. Since God is good, He offers us salvation and redemption through His Son. Though Christ's relationship with the redeemed, creation will be redeemed as well. So accordingly, God's redemptive plan has a global effect. It is also gracious in nature. He gives us the grace to continually pursue him in spite of our sinful natures that are at war within us.

Part of God's creation is food and our work in making healthy homes. A quick look around will easily display how homes are in need of redemption: relationships, environments, work, food, habits...
It is also easy to see how sin has affected our food and is destroying us. How can we glorify God with our food and our bodies when we are knowledgeably destroying both?

I guess that I've been rambling but in redeeming creation and reclaiming it for Christ means redeeming food. Putting off imitations of food and those that poison the body is part of redeeming food. Reintroducing our families to real food that promotes health bodies is redeeming food. Making real food look and taste beautiful is redeeming food. Changing the tastes of our families is redeeming food.

While this takes thought, work, and care... we can look forward to the day when Christ has banished sin and established a new world without sin. A world in which food is uncorrupted. No more tears, no more pain, no more chronic diseases.

Praise the Lord and His continual grace in redemption!

Giveaway!

2009-10-08T13:04:00.001-05:00

There are a lot of blogs that share great ideas. They share pictures and patterns too. Every once in a while they have giveaways! I just found out that Laura at Heavenly Homemakers is sponsoring a giveaway- anything form her shop! There are a bunch of other bloggers who are participating.

Lenetta from Nettacow is one of them. She has some great stuff like a book about organizing, or how to clean anything, or Babylegs! Even if you don't win anything, she has some great patterns on here sight- Like how to make your own babylegs! Have a blessed day!

Oh, I am pretty sure that the give away ends tomorrow!

Why " The Homemaker's Circle"?

2009-10-07T16:43:00.001-05:00

As soon as I showed the name of this blog to my husband, he asked, "Why the homemaker's circle"?

Well, I decided that I wanted it to be a place where women could come together to get ideas, learn, discuss, and share- like a quilting circle or a circle of friends. Women always form circles to discuss the issues and situations that they deal with. Additionally, I would like to have a couple co-authors too. (I'm in the process of asking them.) This would enable the blog to have a larger variety of topics within our main focus and more expertise.

It took some consideration to use the word "homemaker." However, every woman wants her own home and to be the mistress/ lady/ queen of her own domain. A house, apartment, town home, cottage, duplex is not necessarily a home. A home has to be created and nurtured. It takes work and commitment. You do not have to be a stay-at-home mother or wife to be a homemaker. I personally have a full-time out-of-the-house job at this time. I teach at a Christian school. I think that it makes homemaking more challenging. There are many things that I am unable to do between 7am and 5 or 6pm. (I also do not have any children at this time so I do not have to take into account blessed complication. There are a lot of homemaking and home-keeping ideas that we can share regardless where we live or what percentage of our day is spent there.

May God bless you in your endeavors that they may bring more glory to Him.

In the beginning...

2009-10-05T19:47:00.001-05:00

So I decided to start my own blog. I'd like to discuss food, local resources (Pella, IA and surrounding), non-toxic living, healthy choices, having a Christ- centered life. I also want to share what is going on in my life with those that I love.

Now, the question is- Where to start?

I want to live a life the glorifies God in every aspect. Pleasing to Him and a witness to others. I believe that God wants me and my family to be healthy. I believe that this means taking the toxins out of my house, eliminating foods that decrease or inhibit wellness, providing amble opportunities for physical wellness, academic learning, emotional stability, and spiritual growth.

I believe that all four of these areas dramatically impact the others. If you are not feeling well, you are more prone to sin. If you are emotionally off-kilter your learning is difficult. If you are not learning, you have a hard time taking good care of your self. If you are not right with God, your emotions are groundless. There are countless examples. Of these, I think that the two most influential ones are the physical and spiritual aspects.

It is a tragedy that our world tries to help people fix the problems in their life and work though their challenges without addressing our relationship with God. He is the Lover of our souls, the Creator/ Sustainer of our bodies, the Great Teacher, and the Anchor of our emotions.

Let all things that have breath praise the Lord!