Season The Day

The Beginning of A GREAT Adventure!

2012-01-19T16:51:00.000-08:00

So I started out this blog because I wanted to share recipes, gluten free foods, and healthier living ideas. I have been feeling God calling me out lately, because I have MUCH more going on than that. I do love that he lead me to name this blog "Season the Day". I actually tried to name is something with "gluten free" in the title, but his ways are so glorious and higher than mine.....that he didn't give me any ideas with that, but "Season the Day" was just right, Andrew actually came up with it! My husband is so wonderful and perfectly made for me! I was just thinking of the verse "You are the Salt of the earth" Matthew 5:13a, and God is telling me "You better start sharing some stories of how I have been spicing up you life!". AMEN!

Quick back ground.....Raised in a wonderful Christian home, Grandparents & Great Grandparents were/are Christians on both sides of my family. Truly began seeking a relationship with the living God at age 16, at a youth camp 86 hours, run by Planet Wisdom (http://planetwisdom.com/) (Mark Matlock is the speaker- so great!!!). I am a FIRM believer in church camp....getting away from the distractions of every day life and focusing on the TRUE meaning of life. I later served on the Rec Team at this camp and my husband proposed to me there. Very fond memories of Camp.

Anyways, moved to Michigan on a whim in 2003, and OBVIOUSLY never left, but I am a southern girl at heart, I still have a hard time calling soda: "POP". I never thought I would, but I was wrong, they sucked me in! Haha! Before I came to the north I remember someone telling me that it is different from the south, you won't find a good church up there. Well that didn't turn out to be true, well the church part, I am not going to lie it is DEFINITELY different up here! But I love it all the same! Bring on the 6 months of winter and aggressive drivers! I joined a bible study almost as soon as I came up north. WOW! It changed my life! I typically read the bible sporadically through out the week, if I could find the time, but being in a study you had to be reading it almost every day. I was being challenged during the week and on Sundays. My relationship got deeper and deeper with the Lord, and I was truly enjoying spending time in his presence.

After getting married I noticed my husband would read his bible every morning at breakfast, as his dad, my awesome father in law still does to this day. He said he loved seeing that every morning and wanted his kids see him doing the same thing. We all read ours at the breakfast table each morning, Emma even has her picture bible. Drew has the Action Bible- SO PERFECT for little boys! So being in God's word has become a part of our lives, something we strive to be in every day.

A few years ago I was mentoring a few girls (Sam, Erica, Debbie - Love you girls and that time with you was so special) in the high school group at our church and God led us to do the Beth Moore bible study: Living beyond yourself....Exploring the Fruit of the Spirit. It was my first Beth Moore study, AMAZING! It still is my favorite study of all time. I think that is mostly because I have been taught a lot about God, and Jesus (and still have WAY WAY WAY more to learn) but I knew very little about the Holy Spirit and the role he plays in our lives. Well this past summer I committed to a women's bible study before knowing what the material would be. The leader chose to do "Living Beyond Yourself....Exploring the Fruit of the Spirit". My first thought was "Oh bummer! I have already done that study!" But I knew the leader was following hard after God and had truly prayed about what to do....turns out she had actually done the study before too. I felt a peace go to the study anyway, well that started quite an adventure.

I have lots of stories to share but I will leave you tonight with this: One of the early nights in that study this summer we were discussing how you can KNOW that it is the Holy Spirit talking to you or not. My friend Danielle said "I think when you hear Him, and act on what he says to do, the more you WILL hear him and the more obvious it will become that it is the Holy Spirit talking.....not just a random voice in your head." I thought "Could that be true?" So I decided to put it to the test.....
"Alright Lord, I am going to listen, tell me whatever and I will do it." My first opportunity to for sure follow this Spirit's leading was that week. I dropped off food to a friend's house who had a baby. I did not expect to stay but she invited me right in. Her delivery had been tough and needed a lot of physical healing. A new baby is quite an adjustment but being in severe pain doesn't help! I felt instantly the Spirit say, "Ask her if you can pray for her?!" Of course my natural instinct was to have an argument in my head. "What? No! She will think I am weird!!" And again very calmly "Ask her if you can pray with her." I fought it for another few minutes "AWKWARD! UNCOMFORTABLE!", but then relented after remembering my own words 'Tell me whatever and I will do it.' So I decided to step out of my comfort zone. "Hey, would you mind if I prayed for you?" She replied " Sure, that would be great." I began to pray and as I did, she started to cry! The Lord was moving. He prompted, I followed and He was glorified. We hugged afterwards and she thanked me. And I was thanking God, because He knew she needed that, I didn't! That was back in June, so there are many more stories to come!

I encourage you to follow the Spirit's leading. Go, when he says Go, Speak when he says Speak, Be Quiet when he says Be Quiet (that is a hard one for me sometimes- haha!) "Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit." Galations 5:25 So if you haven't tried it yet, start acting on everything He says, no matter how awkward, because it gets crazy exciting when you do!!!!

This song is a great reminder of that: I WILL FOLLOW (Click link to listen)

Chicken Morgan

2012-01-11T17:43:00.000-08:00

I like to make most of my meals from scratch so I can control all the ingredients and know I have healthy food for my family. Making stuff from scratch definitely takes more time, so when my kids nap I have been doing all my prep work, as well as quiet time with the Lord and clean the house. It is soooo nice, because when they wake up I have had some precious moments with God, house is clean, dinner is ready to go and I can just ENJOY them. CHANGING MY LIFE!!!

My mother in law shared this delicious recipe with me, I changed it a little to make it Gluten Free and it tasted just as good.

Ingredients:

3 Chicken Breasts
2 Tablespoons butter
3 Ounces Fresh Spinach
3 Large Mushrooms
1 teaspoon minced Garlic
3 Tablespoon Chopped Onions
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
1/4 teaspoon dijon/regular mustard
3 Ounces White Cheddar Cheese or Swiss Cheese
Salt and Pepper
Paprika

Lay chicken breasts flat, slice almost all the way through to create a pocket.
Sautee the Spinach, Mushrooms, Garlic Onions, Worcestershire Sauce, Mustard in butter till the onions are slightly translucent (5 minutes or less), sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss in cheese, turn off heat. Stuff mixture inside of chicken breasts. Sprinkle chicken with salt, pepper, and paprika. Put the chicken in an oven safe pan, refrigerate until ready to cook. Cook uncovered for 20-25 minutes in a pre-heated oven at 350 degrees.

I served with Roasted Potatoes, and Berry Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing. YUM YUM!

Winter Dinner Menu and Shopping List

2012-01-11T17:12:00.000-08:00

Wanted to share our menu for the week and maybe suggest some fresh dinner ideas. Enjoy!

Monday- Chicken Fajitas

Tuesday- Pizza night

Wednesday- Chicken Morgan, Roasted Potatoes, Berries Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

Thursday- Taco Soup

Friday- Chicken Andouille Sausage Pasta with Peppers and Creamy Tomato Sauce, Steamed Broccoli

Saturday- Out to eat night :)

Sunday- Hot Turkey Sandwiches, Creamy Rice and Mushroom Soup

Grocery List:

1 Red, 1 Orange, 1 Green pepper

3 Sweet Onions (I typically by a bag)

Bag of Fresh Spinach

4 Potatoes

1 Head of Romaine Lettuce

1 Container of Strawberries

Grapes

3 Avocados

1 Container Mushrooms

Bunch of Broccoli

Parsley

1 Package of Turkey Lunch Meat

5 Chicken Breasts (Kroger sells Free-Range, Organic)

1 Package of Chicken Andouille Sausage (I got mine from Trader Joes)

1 Lb of Ground Beef

Package of Sliced Cheddar Cheese

Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Fresh Salsa

Sour Cream

Heavy Whipping Cream

Butter

Can of Kidney Beans

Frozen Corn

Carton of Chicken Broth

Can of tomatoes with Chiles

Stack of Corn Tortillas

Tortilla Chips

Loaf of Bread (Gluten Free if you use that)

Brown Rice Medley (Trader Joes) or Wild Rice

Grapeseed Oil

Apple Cider Vinegar

Poppy Seeds

Agave

Enjoy that time!!!

2012-01-01T20:39:00.000-08:00

Obviously I have not written on the blog in a while, for any of you who were reading it in the past, SORRY! There has been A LOT going on over here, just unbelievable, great stuff!! Been so busy and involved in everything and then of course with the Holidays just have not had the time to write, but I got a moment tonight and wanted to share a thought I have been having for a while..........

I wanted to share a moment that changed my perspective recently. I have a canister vacuum and every time I turn it on, my kids come a running! I used to think "Can I just vacuum a room by myself in peace?!" I try not to think that anymore! So....... I was vacuuming, Drew was riding on the canister and Emma was pushing the on and off button and moving the suction speed up and down. Ahhhh the joys of motherhood. I felt frustration starting to rise, I just wanted to finish! But then God put a thought in my head. "One day you won't have anyone with you when you are vacuuming, no one will be pushing the buttons, turning it off, tangling up toys in the chord, it will be quiet, you won't be disturbed and you are going to wish that someone was there riding the vacuum." I almost fell to the floor. It was true..... Immediately the country song popped into my head: YOU'RE GONNA MISS THIS. The chorus says:

You're gonna miss this

You're gonna want this back

You're gonna wish these days

Hadn't gone by so fast

These are some good times

So take a good look around

You may not know it now

But, you're gonna miss this.

I tell you I was bawling as I was vacuuming (as I was when I was writing this re-living the moment)!! I stopped and just hugged my sweeties. I welcome vacuuming, cleaning, cooking help now. I sing that song every time I start to get bugged and selfish with my time, or when I get interrupted. Helps sooo much, so just thought I would encourage fellow moms in my same boat!

Best Loaded Baked Potato Soup

2011-10-10T17:53:00.000-07:00

I first made this potato soup a couple of years ago, from the recipe in the Southern Living Cookbook. Every time I make this I am handing out the recipe, those southern ladies sure know how to cook!! I haven't changed it much, but if you are gluten-free be sure to sub the normal flour for gluten free all purpose flour. I have made a rue out of King Arthur's GF all purpose and Bob's Red Mill GF all purpose, and both have turned out great.

Ingredients:

4 Large baking potatoes, peeled, cubed & boiled

2/3 cup organic butter

2/3 cup organic all-purpose flour

6 cups organic milk

3/4 teaspoon salt (I typically add more to taste at the end)

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) organic shredded cheddar cheese, divided

12 slices of organic beef/turkey bacon, cooked, crumbled, divided

4 green onions, green & white parts, chopped, divided

1 (8 ounce) organic carton sour cream

In a large stock pot melt butter over medium heat, add flour and bring to a boil. Boil for a minute creating a rue. Gradually add milk, waiting to add each cup for the mixture to thicken up. Stir constantly, until thickened and bubbly. Add the boiled potatoes and mash with a potato masher in the pot. Next add the salt, pepper, 1 cup cheese, 1/2 cup bacon, 2 Tablespoons green onions and sour cream. Cook till heated through but not boiling. Serve immediately. Top with the remaining cheese, bacon & green onions. Yum Yum Yum! Enjoy! (And let me know if you try it!!)

Amazing Apple Crisp!

2011-09-29T12:20:00.000-07:00

It is that time of year again. Fall! Cider mills, donuts, fresh crisp apples, cool mornings, pumpkins.... My favorite season! We visited my favorite mill this past weekend and enjoyed spending time exploring the grounds with our family, taking in all the beauty of the orchard and of course eating some wonderful goodies! When we got back to the cabin we finished the wonderful day with a perfect Autumn dessert.

I visited a friends house last week and enjoyed hot coffee and the best apple crisp I have had in a long time, thank you Holly for the inspiration!! I HAD to make it for my family! I did change it up a little bit because my mother in law is strictly gluten-free. So I included the original recipe and then my GF altered version. AMAZING!

Ingredients:
8 Small apples, peeled, sliced
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon cinnamon

Crumb topping:
1 cup of Pamela's Ultimate Baking & Pancake Mix ( You can pretty much substitute this for flour in most recipes)
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup gluten free oats
1 stick (1/2 cup) cold butter, diced
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees. Layer apples in 9x13 pan, sprinkle with the sugar and cinnamon. Next make the crumb topping by putting all the ingredients, except pecans into a bowl. Using your hands squeeze the mixture over and over until it becomes crumbly, starts sticking together and resembles coarse meal. Last toss in the pecans. Sprinkle the mixture over the apples. Bake uncovered in the oven for 1 hour. Or until starting to lightly brown on top. Soooooo good! Enjoy!!

1 week Menu Plan & Grocery List

2011-09-14T11:19:00.001-07:00

WOW, has it been a busy summer! Seems like they always are, but I enjoy being on the go. I have been getting a little reading done, recovering from vacation and keeping up with and training our toddlers has just been a full time job if ya know what I mean! I actually had time to post today.

So, good news, I got muscle allergy testing done and I am NOT allergic to Gluten!!!! Yay! I won't be avoiding wheat like the plague any more, so you will notice I will have more recipes using flour (preferably organic so there is no GM wheat). Over all won't have in our diets as much as we have had in the past.

Here is what we are cooking up over here this week:

Chicken Sausage Stir Fry served over rice (First time trying this style, it had a very mild sweet & sour taste)
Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green beans (from our garden yay!)
Mexican-style frittata
Chicken Parmesan with homemade spaghetti sauce, served over brown rice noodles, Salad
BLTS (with tomatoes from our garden, they finally arrived), chips, fruit
Taco salad with shredded chicken
Meatball subs, fresh fruit

Family of 4 shopping list:
1/2 pound of chicken sausage
1 medium scalloped squash (or normal yellow squash)
1 head of broccoli
Brown rice
2 lbs ground beef
4 med-large potatoes
Frozen bag of green beans
Eggs
1 jalepenio pepper
cillantro
4 tomatoes
Small container fresh salsa
sour cream
4-5 Large chicken breasts, or 2 large chicken breasts and 4 legs(use the dark meat for chicken in taco salad)
Organic corn flakes (Corn is super important to by organic b/c of all the genetically modified corn out there, I recommend researching GM corn)
1 jar of spaghetti sauce or the ingredients to make homemade
1 bag of brown rice spaghetti noodles ( Trader Joes 1.99)
2 heads of romaine lettuce
Cucumber
Onion
Loaf of preferred bread (Since we aren't completely gluten free we are doing Ezekiel Bread)
Bag of trader joes chips (only 3 ingredients, potatoes, sunflower oil, salt) Lays has a Natural kind with the same ingredients, look for that
Bag of Organic corn chips (tostidos sells a natural kind 3 ingredients Organic corn, sunflower oil, salt)
8 oz. cheddar cheese
8 oz. mozzarella cheese
Frozen bag of organic corn (Costco sells a huge bag for around 7$)
Bag of buns (Rudis & Udis brand sell gluten free or organic wheat)
Fruit for the sides for 2 meals
Ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar, dried thyme, soy sauce (try to buy this organic if you can, GM soy is also something to research)
Package of beef/turkey bacon

Chicken Sausage Stir Fry

2011-09-14T11:19:00.000-07:00

I will post the recipe soon, I just wanted to put a visual on here of this new style of stir fry we tried this week:

Heirloom white scalloped squash from our garden (the only one we got, ha!)

Cooking the chicken sausage & onion

Yummy Stiry fry!

Homemade Lara Bars

2011-08-22T19:01:00.000-07:00

Sorry I have not posted in a week. We were car shopping and just being busy in general, and I did not take the time to document our happenings. Here is something good we tested out!

I really like LaraBars! But they are at least $1.00 each, if they are on sale, or can be up to $1.75. I decided, they can't be that hard to make, since they are mostly dried fruit and nuts. And I was right; TOTALLY simple. First I googled LaraBar recipe and came across this great site filled with different versions of LaraBars. I then proceeded to make my own flavor based on the ingredients that I had on hand. I am sorry to say that I did eye ball the ingredients, but I took a picture so you could estimate for yourself.

Peanut butter & Jelly LaraBars

Ingredients:
Large handful of cashews
Handful of dried, unsweetened cherries
Handful of pitted dates
Handful of rasins
4 Tablespoons natural peanut butter, add more if the mixture isn't sticking together.

Add all the ingredients to a food processor, pulse until starting to stick together. Remove and roll into a ball. Put between parchment paper and roll until 3/4 inch thick, form in a rectangle. Cut into small bars & wrap in plastic wrap. Store in the fridge, until ready to eat. Yum! Makes 10 bars.

The Wedge Salad

2011-08-14T17:58:00.000-07:00

I am in LOVE with this simple salad! I first had "The Wedge" salad at a fancy restaurant a few years ago, and I have literally thought about it ever since. I usually use spring greens, romaine lettuce or spinach for my salads, so I wouldn't think iceberg lettuce could compare. It DOES! This is SUPER simple to throw together, and make sure you make the homemade blue cheese dressing. It takes minutes to whip up and you usually have all the ingredients on hand, and also NO OIL(usually soy bean) that is in almost all the dressings at the store. It also looks really fun and is really cheap to make.

After eating this my husband said, "Ok, I think I am going to start ordering this salad at restaurants now!"

Ingredients:

1/2 head of iceberg lettuce
1/2 cup homemade Blue cheese dressing
1/2 large tomato, chopped
4 slices of beef or turkey bacon, cooked, chopped ( I did this the day before to save time)
1/4 small red onion, chopped

Slice half of the lettuce in 1/2 on more time. (You should have two wedges). Place the lettuce on it's side or lay the rounded part down so the peak is at the top. Drizzle with homemade blue cheese dressing, sprinkle the rest of the toppings. Done! Serve immediately & enjoy!!!

The BEST Homemade Blue Cheese Dressing

2011-08-14T17:47:00.000-07:00

This is a VERY mild blue cheese dressing, and if you aren't a fan of blue cheese, omit the cheese & you will have a great ranch dressing with no oil. (Try to find one at the store that is oil free, let me know if you do, I haven't found one yet.) This tastes great over Buffalo Chicken Salad & The Wedge Salad. So delicious!

Ingredients:

2 1/2 ounces Blue cheese crumbles
3 Tablespoons whipping cream
1 Tablespoon melted butter
3 Tablespoons sour cream or plain yogurt (which is what I used)
2 Tablespoons of Veganaise Mayo
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
sprinkle of salt & pepper

Place all ingredients in a bowl one at a time blend in each new ingredient, till all is incorporated. Serve immediately! Sooooo good!

Here is what I based this recipe off of : Original Blue Cheese Recipe

Greek Chicken Wraps with Pepper Olive Relish

2011-08-09T12:01:00.000-07:00

This recipe was inspired by a dish a good friend of mine brought me after I had my second child, Emma. It is so helpful to have friends bless you with meals when you've just had a newborn. I am such a mess and cannot possibly think about cooking with all the change happening around me. Anyways, thank you Laura for the AMAZING meal, you are such a good cook and I ALWAYS enjoy everything you make! It has only taken a year for me to make this for myself, haha! Also, for all of my gluten eating friends, Laura served us these on Ciabatta rolls - so good!

If you like the flavors in Greek salad, you are going to LOVE this. It is different and relatively easy to throw together. I actually prepared this before church Sunday, and I loved not having to scramble together some lunch when we got home, and was glad to fight the temptation to go out to eat.

Ingredients:
5 chicken legs (or two breasts) marinaded in Greek salad dressing
Crumbled feta cheese
Organic Corn Tortillas (if possible)
Coconut oil, salt

Marinade:
1/4 cup pitted ripe olives, diced
1/4 cup pimiento-stuffed green olives, diced
1/4 cup sliced mild banana peppers, diced
1 Tablespoon drained capers
2 Tablespoons chopped red onion
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano (or 1/2 tsp fresh)
1/8 tsp ground black pepper

Directions: First: mix the diced olives & peppers, capers, onion, olive oil, vinegar, oregano & black pepper to prepare the marinade. Let flavors meld from 2-24 hours. Cook the chicken (grilled is preferred), when finished de-bone & shred or slice. (You can serve the chicken warm or cold-if you want to prepare in advance) Fry the corn tortillas in the coconut oil, flipping once as they start to puff up, sprinkle with salt. Layer the chicken on top of the cooked tortillas, add the Pepper Olive relish and top with feta cheese. Enjoy!

Bee Unit Study for Toddlers

2011-08-05T06:29:00.000-07:00

I try to teach Drew (my 3 1/2 year old) things here and there through every day learning experiences. Some weeks I do really good at this, other times we go a month or two without me really planning anything, and to my delight he still learns without me doing little "lessons".

He responds to learning very when I let him move and use his hands, it really helps him focus. He is young yet, but I can not imagine him sitting still for a "lesson" any time soon. He may just be a kinesthetic learner (learns through moving, doing, touching). I have even read that these type of learners actually shut off or can not learn if they are made to sit still. Not sure about that, but found it interesting. I payed attention to Drew after I read that to see if he would fit in that category. Oh my little moving friend, he is CONSTANTLY on the move or doing something, he even moves in his sleep! Cracks me up.

Anyways, I decided to do a little work with him on recognizing letters, shapes, & counting. Over the past 2 weeks we have been learning through studying bees. It really has been fun, so I thought I would share some ideas with you in case you want to do something similar.

First I googled Bee activities / lessons. I found a few sites suggest the book: The Honeybee & The Robber by Eric Carle. I found this at a local library and took Drew and Emma there to read it (they didn't offer this to take home b/c it is interactive and can rip easily). To my surprise he wanted to read it several times. So that is how we introduced this bee learning extravaganza.

I searched for lots of craft ideas and asked Toddler Approved page on Facebook (to which she responded right away and she gave me a ton of ideas & links for different crafts, I was very impressed) and I also follow her blog, click here for her beehive letters. She has GREAT craft & activity ideas.

Here is a list & pictures of the different things we did, such a fun 2 weeks!

Made honey sweetened smoothies

So we did footprint bees and attached them to finger painted flowers.

Made our own honey comb "hive" using a potato as a stamp.

Learned a new shape, the Hexagon!

Worked on adding and subtracting and counting, coloring & cutting with little bees.

Made honey sweetened cupcakes & honey butter cream frosting & decorated them with bees. Thank you family fun magazine for the great idea!

Worked on letters & spelling with bee hive letters.

Acted out the story of The Honeybee & The Robber with teddy bear & homemade bees. Too fun!

Spent time outside in our garden watching the bees pollinate (so glad they are out there helping our little garden grow) and took pictures.

Made our weekly bible verse relevant to what we are learning: "How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!" Psalm 119:103

We checked out a bunch of books on bees and learned a lot as we read. Things like:

-In 2010 it was discovered in the previous 4 years about 1/3 of the honeybees in the US had disappeared without a trace.

-Bees aren't the only pollinators, bats, birds, beetles, butterflies & other insects, rain and wind can carry pollen from one plant to another.

-Honeybees are the most important bees in modern agriculture. Large farms that grow only one crop need thousands of hives to pollinate & bee keepers transport their hives all over the country to achieve this.

-Not all bees live together in nests, some are by themselves. Most are solitary.

- Bees wings can beat up to 11,400 times a minute

- The worker honeybees are female and they have "pollen baskets" on their legs to carry it back to the hive.

-The female honeybees are the only ones who have the stingers and can produce wax.

-As many as 60,000 bees can live in one hive.

-Killer bees are not more poisonus than any other honeybees, they just gather in a large group to attack when they smell the danger pheromone.

-Killer bees were born when a scientist brought back queen bees from Africa and crossed them with South American drones. (Oh why did they do this?!)

-After a honeybee stings it dies.

-Honeybees have a "honey stomach" that stores nectar and turns it into honey.

-Queen bees lay up to 1500 eggs a day.

-In its lifetime a bee makes less than a small spoonful of honey!

-To make a small jar of honey, bees must visit 2 million flowers.

-There are more than 25000 kinds of bees in the world.

Facts from books: "Bees" - Deborah Hodge, "Bee" - Karen Hartley & Chris Macro, "BEES" - Larry Dane Brimner, "The BUZZ on BEES" Why are they disappearing? - Shelley Rotner & Anne Woodhull

The book pictured on top had a lot of craft ideas inside.

So anyways that was our learning for the last 2 weeks, it was fun, different and a real enjoyable time. We were reading a book just today and he saw a hive where there were lots of little bees & one big one and he said LOOK mama, that is the Queen bee! I was like "He was listening!!!" We hope to wrap up our bee study with watching either Winnie the Pooh, or The Bee Movie :)

Buffalo Chicken Salad

2011-08-04T18:44:00.000-07:00

First of all I must say SORRY for the quality of the picture! My camera battery was dead, so I had to use my husbands phone! But I had to have a visual, Ha!

I had my first version of this salad at a Recipe Club that I am a part of. It is really a neat idea, you pick a theme for the night, we were meeting every other month, and everyone attempts a new recipe and brings directions how to make each dish. You bring enough copies for everyone. It is so fun trying new things and tasting everyone else's creations. We have done themes such as Barbecue, Salads, Comfort Food, Brunch, Italian. It has been really fun, we are hoping to get it going again this Fall.

Anyways, a friend of mine Katie (thank you for the inspiration- Andrew is very thankful!), brought this one night and I instantly loved it. My husband is a HUGE fan of buffalo chicken wings, so I knew this would be a hit in our house. I hope you will take a chance and try a new kind of salad, you will LOVE it, if you like wings that is :)

Ingredients:
5 chicken legs (or 2 breasts) I like to use chicken legs b/c when buying Free Range Organic this seems to be the cheapest cut.
1/2 cup Frank's Red Hot Sauce
1/3 cup butter, melted
Bag of mixed lettuce
1/2 cucumber, chopped (Or replace this with celery, I am just not a fan of it, but it goes great with the wing flavoring)
Handful of shredded carrots
1/2 red onion, sliced thin
Homemade blue cheese dressing (Ranch works here too)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place chicken in 8x8 pan, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake until cooked through & no pink remains (About 45 min- the meat starts pulling away from the bone). While the chicken is cooking, assemble the salad & make the dressing. Next, mix the melted butter & Frank's sauce. Coat both sides of the chicken with the sauce, continue cooking for and additional 10 minutes. Remove from oven. De-bone the chicken or slice if using breast meat & place on salad. Serve immediately! Enjoy :) Serves 4. (FYI for the Kiddos I left one chicken leg without sauce on it, gave them little salads & cucumbers) I also had fruit on the side.

Corn on the Cob Cupcakes

2011-08-01T11:59:00.000-07:00

I just HAD to share this latest creatio of mine with you. Not very often do the words "CRACK ME UP" come out of my mouth when I am describing food, but these cupcakes "crack me up!" The recipe I still need to perfect, so I am just sharing what they turned out like. I got the idea from a cupcake cook book I got from my friend, all I remember saying when I saw this idea was "Oh that is hillarious!" Just a fun cupcake idea to bring to a summer bbq, so make them while you can!!

I got the lemon & buttered popcorn flavored from the candy store at the mall. It was actually the second candy store I had gone to in order to find the right color, I was DETERMINED to make these you see! Also in the original picture I saw, they had taken yellow star burst candy or laughy taffy and made it in the shape of a slab of butter, such a cute touch! I did not have that on hand, but thought it was an adorable finish. Anyways just ideas for ya!

Gluten Free Pannukakku

2011-07-30T20:15:00.000-07:00

How can such plain smelling ingredients come together to make something so scrumptious? (I have to admit I got the idea for this line from a Curious George episode! He had wondered into a bakery. ) Such is the beauty of cooking!

So you are probably wondering what Pannukakku is. If you are of Scandinavian descent you may have heard of it. It is basically a Finnish oven pancake. I am not Finnish, but my husband has Finnish heritage, the original recipe has passed down for generations. This is a favorite dish in our family, and I usually try to make it when we have over night guests. It is a unique breakfast dish and incredibly easy to make. I have been experimenting and trying to perfect a gluten free version and I think this time it was dynamite!

Ingredients:

4 eggs
1 1/2 cups organic whole milk
1/2 cup organic whipping cream
1/2 cup agave nectar
1/3 plus 3 Tablespoons brown rice flour
3 Tablespooons almond meal
pinch of salt
1/2 stick butter

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place butter in pie dish or 8X8 glass pan, put pan in oven & allow butter to melt fully while you mix the batter. (Don't let the butter burn though). Mix all other ingredients together until smooth- it will be VERY soupy, this is normal. Remove pan from oven, pour batter in the center of pan, the butter will coat the edge and go up the sides. Bake 425 for 20-30 minutes until the center is set. The batter will rise out of the pan, then fall down as it rests. Allow to cool slightly before serving. Serve with syrup, berries and fresh whipped cream.

Black Bean Rice Salad

2011-07-28T19:29:00.000-07:00

I first tried this "rice salad" with my sister in law Juliet. We were visiting them in Georgia and were planning to be out the entire next day. They were in school and we were on a tight budget so we decided to plan a picnic rather than eat out. I am SOOO glad we did because I was introduced to a new way of eating rice. Thanks Juliet for the inspiration, you are such a fabulous and creative cook! I enjoy swapping ideas with you :)

I always have left over rice any time I make that as a side for dinner, so this is an easy meal to come by. Great for a quick lunch on the go. It is also quite versatile, use whatever fresh veggies, meat & seasonings you have on hand.

Ingredients:

1 cup brown rice
1/2 cup cooked black beans (Use meat here if you like)
1 garlic clove minced
1/4 cup sweet onion, chopped
A few cucumber slices, quartered
1/2 medium tomato, chopped
small handful cilantro, coarsely chopped

olive oil
apple cider vinegar
lemon juice
salt
pepper

I basically mix all the ingredients together, then drizzle olive oil, vinegar & lemon juice over it, to just moisten all the ingredients. Next I add the salt and pepper to taste. Let it sit over night, and just before serving (or before you leave the house if you are bringing this as a lunch) drizzle once more with olive oil & a splash of vinegar to taste. Enjoy!

Chocolate Shake and Ice Cream Recipe

2011-07-28T18:36:00.000-07:00

Well, I felt like chocolate ice cream last night. Drew, of course jumped at the chance to "make ice cream". I have a wonderful homemade chocolate ice cream recipe on here, but it requires melting chocolate (which I did not have) and eggs. It also required heating up & cooling down the mixture. I felt like making something fast, so I searched on the internet for a recipe that used cocoa powder and eggs and I found this Chocolate Ice Cream Recipe at bakedbree.com ~ Thank you for posting this fabulous recipe!! It went super quick and I did change a few things to make it "my own". I, or I guess I should say we (Drew and Andrew (my hubby) helped) whipped it up in our amazing Vitamix blender and then poured it into our ice cream maker. We didn't have very much ice, so it was taking FOREVER for it to set up. We ended up drinking it as shakes, and then today we enjoyed it as actual ice cream. Both ways it is GREAT. My homemade chocolate ice cream is more milk-chocolatey, similar to a Wendy's frosty, and this recipe is more rich, so it depends on your likes and the ingredients you have on hand.

Ingredients:

1 cup cocoa powder
3/4 cup agave nectar
1 1/2 cups organic whole milk
3 1/4 cup organic heavy whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Put all ingredients into a blender, blend until thoroughly combined. Pour into ice cream maker, follow machines instructions from there. EASY!

How To Cut An Avocado

2011-07-27T20:14:00.000-07:00

I know most of you probably know all about avocados, but just in case there is a reader out there who isn't familiar with avocados (as was I when I was first married), I thought I would just share how I typically cut them up.

Cut to the pit of the avocado, slice around the whole fruit.

Twist and pull apart.

Insert the knife swiftly into the pit.

Twist the knife to remove pit. (It should stay attached to the knife.)

Pull of the knife and discard.

Insert a spoon, follow around the edge of the skin, and remove entire half.

Slice & serve or cut coarsely and make: Chunky Guacamole!

Corn, Black Bean & Avocados

2011-07-27T19:51:00.000-07:00

I clipped the original version of this recipe out of a magazine recently (Martha Stewart Living). I changed it slightly and had it with our meal tonight. It was a nice change from chips and salsa as a side to our Mexican inspired meal tonight.

Ingredients:

1 cup cooked black beans
1 cup sauteed organic sweet corn
Small handful of Cilantro (coarsely chopped)
1 avocado sliced
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Combine all ingredients, chill until ready to serve. I did serve it cold, I tried it warm (the corn & beans were just cooked) but I thought it was better cold.

Raising Little Helpers

2011-07-27T19:18:00.000-07:00

I have been trying to have my kids help me lately around the house. I naturally don't LOVE to clean, but I do love a clean house. It is a constant struggle for me, laundry, mopping, dishes, bathrooms, dusting, clutter in general, those seem to be the hard things for me. I could cook all day, and never clean and would be totally happy. I have often thought I should barter with someone who likes to clean (and I know there are people out there who do! My mother in law cleans for a living and truly enjoys to clean.) My thoughts are, I can cook 2 dinners a week for a family if they want to come clean my house once a week, I would even take twice a month. Of course then my friend would be cleaning up my mess- AWKWARD! Ha Ha!

Anyways, some things that have been on my mind lately are making my kids feel like they are important, wanted and NEEDED. In the past I have tried to get my kids busy doing something and I try to get as much cleaned as possible while they are distracted (or when they are sleeping at nap time). When they are awake I hardly get any time to do this, because they are always wanting to be with me. After listening to friends and family talk about having their kids help in the clean up process I have been inspired! Kids seem to naturally want to help. My baby, Emma is a little young, but I have noticed if I give her a wipe she does seem to try to clean things (maybe she will be one of those who enjoys cleaning). Drew, my 3 1/2 year old is old enough to help and usually jumps at the chance. Now, I can't get things done as quickly when they're helping, but if I don't take the time to teach them, how are they going to learn?

Today I sat him down and was honest with him. I told him that I love when the house is clean and that I have a hard time keeping it nice all by myself. I explained that it would help me soooo much if he could clean with me. He was very excited to be needed, it was cute! He helped me mop yesterday (we had to take turns of course with the cool steam mop) and today he cleaned windows with his baby sis. Did he do a good job? Not really. Did I tell him that? Absolutely not! In the future I will point out and instruct him how to do better, but right now I just want him to get that he is a part of making this house a home, he is wanted here and he is invaluable to me. While mopping yesterday he said, "Mom, can we play cars?" I said "We will in just a minute, but right now I really need your help to finish fast." Racing always goes over well in our house and it was just the motivation he needed to finish up. Once we were done, playing resumed as usual.

I just thought I would share the importance of making our kids realize how special they are to our family and how much we need their help. I want to instill in my kids that God has a purpose for their life at an early age. Children are a blessing from the Lord. He gave them to us to BLESS US! I have always thought of this as in, their cute stories, their sweet love, how they make us laugh ( and what a blessing these things are!) but recently I have been feeling like they can also be a blessing to our family by assisting in the responsibility of running a household.

Filipino Inspired Chicken Stir Fry

2011-07-27T18:32:00.000-07:00

I want to start off by saying I have been completely blessed with 4 of the most amazing sister in laws. I grew up with an older & younger brother and of course always wanted a sister. God knew the desires of my heart and now I have the best sisters!! I love them dearly and they each have a special place in my heart. My "sister" Mari is from the Philippines. We spent some time working in North Carolina a couple of years ago and she taught my mom and I how to make some Filipino dishes. Spring rolls, Sho Mai Dumplings & Chicken Adobo.

This dish is inspired by the seasoning and techniques Mari taught me. Of course I think every thing tastes better when she makes it (she is a fabulous cook-among many other things!), but this one did turn out VERY good!

Ingredients:

1 cup cooked chicken meat, coarsely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 sweet onion, chopped
2 Tablespoons coconut oil
1/3 head cabbage, shredded
1 cup carrots, shredded
1 cup fresh green beans, cut "french" style
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup soy sauce

Sautee the garlic & onions in the oil over medium heat until onions are translucent. Add the chicken, carrots & green beans and broth cook for about 8 minutes until the beans begin to soften, but are still bright green and slightly crunchy, adding more oil if needed. Last, add the cabbage and sautee for a few minutes (do not over cook) and add the soy sauce to taste. I usually just sprinkle it in a little at a time till it tastes perfect. Serve over rice (or rice noodles) immediately. Enjoy !!

Tip: Do all your cutting earlier in the day (like when the kids are napping), so dinner comes together fast. Use Chicken that you cooked earlier too (like in the morning or from a previous day & have it already cooked and frozen.)

Story Time and Picnics

2011-07-26T17:36:00.000-07:00

With this gorgeous summer weather I am trying very hard to get out as much as possible. Where we live winter lasts a LONG time, and this year my smallest child was just too little to be out in the cold. It was a long winter filled with lots of movies and sitting around. I hope to be more creative this year and look forward to the kids being older and able to spend more time out of doors. Both of my kids love to be outside and also love to read, so why not combine the two? We usually read before going down for nap time, "quiet time" or bed time. Recently we have been throwing a blanket out under a shady tree and reading together. It is LOVELY! I definitely recommend doing this with your kiddos. It is so simple, but they just love it, and it is a nice excuse to get more fresh air.

I just read my sister in law's post on picnics ( http://dearlylovedmist.blogspot.com/2011/06/picnics.html) and we have now added food to the mix. Picnics or snacks outside don't have to be elaborate, the whole idea is less to clean up and more time to have fun. I made some gluten free toast, had Emma's tin tea pot filled with ice cold water, and juicy watermelon slices yesterday and we enjoyed the sights and smells of summer. My husband got home early and we were excited to welcome him to our picnic story time. It was really fun and just something different to do. I would love to hear your ideas on creative things to do outside, I am always looking for something new to try.

Gluten Free Banana Pancakes

2011-07-25T17:15:00.000-07:00

Ever since I heard the song "Banana Pancakes" by Jack Johnson I wanted to learn how to make my own, eat them, and "Pretend like it's the weekend...." LOL Anyways, I found a recipe that I LOVE, but since we are trying to do with out the gluten when we can I made them tonight without wheat flour. They turned out wonderful! I served them with fresh bananas, maple syrup & turkey sausage. I like to throw pecans in the batter or sprinkle them on top, but my budget did not allow for "extras" like pecans this week, so no nuts for us. If you like banana bread you will LOVE these. Let me know if you want the recipe for the original wheat version. I think pancakes are fun to serve for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Also, I was at the library with the kids today (which was the first time I did this alone since I have had Emma). It did get a little stressful at the end when I got called up to the desk because my van door had been open the WHOLE time, ha! Those automatic closing doors, I have more trouble with them! Anyways, a book caught my eye: "Pancakes for Supper." I totally picked it up, because I already knew we were doing pancakes for dinner, so I thought it would be fun for the kids.

Recipe:

1 1/2 cups brown rice flour
1/2 cup almond meal
1/4 cup arrow root powder
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 Tablespoons butter, melted
3 eggs
1 cup milk
1 ripe banana, smashed
butter & maples syrup

optional: sliced bananas & pecans for serving

Pre-heat electric griddle to 310 degrees (that is the temp that works the best on mine). This comes together very quickly. Just mix all the ingredients in order in a bowl by hand, or with a mixer. If you find the batter too thick add 1/4 more milk. Pour 1/2 cup of batter per pancake onto the griddle. Allow to set and start to form bubbles along the edge, flip and cook a few more minutes. I like to put a small slab of butter between each pancake as I stack them up. Serve warm ( I keep them in a toaster oven on low until ready to serve). Makes 12- 15 pancakes.

2nd 2 Week Summer Menu Plan with Grocery List

2011-07-23T05:46:00.000-07:00

When I have a menu planned out, I am actually excited to make dinner! I know I have everything on hand to make whatever is planned and I don't have to think up a good meal & check for ingredients amidst the chaos that is usually happening around here. I feel I get to enjoy my kids more and I am FOR SURE less stressed every afternoon with my action plan in hand :)

I really enjoy grocery shopping every 2 weeks. With young kids it is much easier to get it all done in a day, and not have to make another trip to the store during the week or the next. I sometimes go in the evening after they are asleep and my husband stays with or we go as a family. I try to ALWAYS have a list, because it is hard to think and I inevitably forget something if I don't have it written down.

This is a 2 week menu plan, 12 meal ideas (leaving on day each week for going out to eat or leftovers).

Menu:
Enchiladas, Corn/Avacado dip with Chips
Banana Pancakes, Sausage
Chicken, Rice, Cucumber & Tomato Salad
Roast Beef, Carrots, Potatoes & onions
Grilled Fish, Broccoli, Rice
Baked Ziti, Salad
Chicken Stir Fry
Cheesy Scrambled Eggs with veggies, Fruit
Hamburgers, Sweet Potato Fries, Slaw
Greek Chicken Wraps with Pepper Olive Relish, Carrots & Hummus, Fruit
Nachos
BBQ Beef Sandwiches, Chips & Pickles

Some of these items you may already have, so be sure to scan the list and cross off whatever you have on hand. These are only dinner items, so be sure to include your lunch & breakfast foods too!

Grocery List:
3 Lbs of ground beef (Enchiladas, Ziti, Nachos, Burgers)
8 Chicken Breasts
Dozen Eggs
Medium Roast beef
Broccoli
Cucumber (2)
Tomatoes (4)
Sweet Onion (3)
Lettuce (2-3 heads of romaine or iceberg)
1 Avocado
Mellon
Bag of frozen corn
Bag of frozen spinach
Brown rice
1-2 bags of stir fry mix (depending on how much your family eats)
6 medium potatoes
2 large sweet potatoes
Bananas
Lemons
Cillantro
Bag of slaw (Or head of cabbage & make your own)
Bag of baby carrots
Mayo, Vinegar, Salt & sugar for slaw dressing
Ketchup, Mustard, BBQ Sauce
Bag Potato Chips (We buy Lays natural, cooked in only sunflower oil)
Bag of Tortilla chips (We buy tostidos organic corn chips Natural, only sunflower oil)
Loaf of bread (Rudi's Gluten Free Wholegrain bread, once toasted - so yummy!)
Package of soft Corn tortillas (organic if possible!)
Organic whole wheat Hamburger Buns (Or gf if you can find them, I have not yet- or eat without bun )
BBQ Sauce
Large bag of shredded cheddar cheese
Medium bag of shredded Mozzarella cheese
1 14 ounce can of enchilada sauce
2 buckets of fresh salsa
Gluten Free Soy sauce, chicken broth, garlic (for stir fry sauce)
Sour cream
Feta Cheese
Penne noodles ( I get brown rice penne noodles from Trader Joes 1.99)
Jar of spaghetti sauce (365 brand from Whole Foods, Fat free has no soy bean oil or sugar in it and it tastes great, here is a great recipe to make your own & sneak in an extra veggie)
Jar of Alfredo sauce (or make your own, butter, garlic, GF flour, whipping cream, salt & Parmesan cheese, this is what I ALWAYS do)
Pickles
These last ingredients are for the greek chicken wraps, RECIPE to come soon on here!
Can pitted kalamata olives
Can or jar of french green olives with herbs de provence
Can or jar of pemiento-stuffed green olives
Can or jar of pepperoncini peppers
Jar of Capers

Spices: Chili powder, Cumin, Oregano, Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder