An Apple A Day

Cleaning With Just Water

2013-07-17T20:53:00.001-04:00

Are you enjoying your summer? I've almost given up on blogging these days with three lovely boys, baseball, homeschooling and other joys of life! But I interrupt your summer to present my new-found obsession and joy... cleaning!

I am not kidding. I am loving these products. So much so that I (not born a salesperson or a cleaning lady, let me assure you) have decided to sell Norwex products because they sell themselves! Once I show someone how they can clean their windows, walls, floors, sinks, mirrors and counter tops with only water, they are sold. It works.... it reduces the use of chemicals, preserves the environment and saves you time and money.

Here is the cloth that started it all. The Enviro Cloth can clean up to 90% of your home. It lifts EVERYTHING off the surface, leaving a true clean instead of a residue that attracts dust. When used dry, it creates an electrostatic charge that picks up all the dust off your surface. When used wet, it will clean all your major surfaces with only water.

Here's what sets our products apart. When you are done cleaning with the Enviro cloth, you rinse it out with hot water and hang it up to dry. The micro silver inside the cloth goes to work with its self-purification properties against mold, fungi and bacterial odor and within 18 to 24 hours, your cloth is ready to use again!

Our Polishing Cloth also contains silver and is used to make your windows, mirrors, granite, stainless steel, faucets and more streak-free and shiny. You can use a spray bottle of water to wet your surface, then follow up with a dry polishing cloth for amazing results. I have never had my mirrors so clear and and my windows streak-free when the sun shines through!

My husband is so happy with how clean our house is since I've been using Norwex products. It's fun and easy. And saves me so much time. I can clean our hardwood floors in half the time I used to spend vacuuming, sweeping and mopping by using the simple and wonderful Mop. The dry pad dusts and polishes all types of flooring. The wet pad (which also contains silver for self-sanitizing purposes) will clean the floor efficiently with ONLY water! It dries quickly and streak-free and is much easier to push than a Swiffer.

And yes, all these products are machine washable so you can use them again and again!! And you are saving money because of all the products you will no longer need to purchase. The Enviro Cloth replaces paper towels and Clorex wipes and you no longer need dusting spray, floor cleaner, window cleaners, and more.

AND the cloths come with a 2 year warranty!

If you are in a two-hour radius of my hometown, I would love to have a show in your home. You will be amazed at how generous Norwex is to their hosts/hostesses. You can receive up to $200 in free product, just by hosting a party! July and August are the Mop months, so you could have the Mop completely free.

Email me at fiveapplesaday@gmail.com or check out my website for more info.

Hope you're having a terrific summer.

~ Katrina :)

Lentils and Barley

2013-02-21T12:25:00.000-05:00

I like lentils. It's one of those foods that gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling. Must be a fond childhood memory from childhood that I can't quite place... kind of like Dad's homemade ice cream and Mom's warm, homemade bread.

Back to lentils. They are high in fiber and a good source of iron, protein and potassium, to name only a few. There are many more health benefits, but I'm not a nutritionist. I just like 'em. (Look up more benefits here.)

It's not pretty, but this is my new favorite stew. I've never cooked with barley before trying this recipe. I very much like the taste and texture.

Lentil Barley Stew

(original recipe here)

Ingredients:

1/4 c fat (butter, coconut oil, etc.)
3/4 c celery, chopped
3/4 c onion, diced
6 c water or broth
3/4 c lentils, uncooked
1 qt tomatoes, canned (puree in blender if you don't like chunks)
3/4 c barley, uncooked
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp rosemary
1/4 tsp garlic (or a few shakes, we like a lot of garlic)
1/2 c shredded or diced root vegetable (sweet potato, carrots, etc.)
1 c diced leftover meat, optional (makes my boys happy if I add chicken)

Directions:
1. Saute oil, celery and onion for five minutes or until onion is translucent. (I like to add minced garlic to the celery and onions.)
2. Add broth and lentils. Cook 20 minutes.
3. Add tomatoes and seasonings. Simmer an additional 45 minutes.
4. Add veggies and meat (optional). Simmer an additional 15 minutes or until veggies are tender.

Serves about 6.

Hope you enjoy it, too!
~Katrina

Brighten whites naturally

2013-02-17T21:21:00.002-05:00

A friend of mine recently shared this blog with me for a better-than-Oxiclean recipe. I've tried it twice now with good results. It's simple and since we make our own laundry soap we already have the ingredients on hand.

Toss 1/2 cup Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda and 1/2 cup hydrogen peroxide into a load of whites with your regular laundry soap. Let it sit overnight (or at least for a couple of hours) and run your load normally. I thought my whites were noticeably whiter.

If you haven't tried making your own laundry soap yet, you are missing out on huge savings. Pop over here to see the recipe we use.

If you try the whitener recipe, let me know how it works for you.

~Katrina

P.S. So... I always love sharing book ideas and hearing some from you. The boys (now 9 and almost 6... what happened?!) have just finished The Wright Brothers by Quentin Reynolds. They very much enjoyed this book. It encourages the reader to be inventive and work hard. Inspirational really. I wanted to go out and build something every time we read another chapter. Some days they colored in this book while we read which details the history of flight. The coloring book was delightfully informative for my fact-seeking 9-year-old and contained well-drawn aircraft that was fun to color for my almost 6-year-old.

A Wonderful Soup

2013-01-09T23:59:00.000-05:00

Where is everyone when I can't sleep? It's too late to make phone calls or do anything productive. So I'll just do something fun. I'll post a recipe. :)

We ate this one for supper tonight. Man, I couldn't believe all three boys had two bowls apiece! We've had three new stew-type dishes in the past couple of weeks and they have all been met with (mostly) success! To please them all tonight was a true hurrah, so I will share that one with you first.

Most of our meals are free of common allergens. This stew is free of wheat, dairy, soy, nuts and eggs.

Tri-Bean & Corn Soup

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef or sausage (see my homemade beef sausage recipe here) or tofurkey, optional
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. chili powder
2 Tbsp. ground cumin
2 Tbsp. garlic powder, optional (we love garlic)
4 c. vegetable stock
2 c. canned or frozen corn
2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
Tortilla chips, optional

1. In large saucepan, brown meat (optional) in olive oil.
2. Add onion, minced garlic, chili powder and cumin; cook until onion is tender.
3. Add remaining ingredients.
4. Bring mixture to boil, then reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes or so to blend flavors.
5. If desired, serve with tortilla chips. (And add ice cubes for the babies.)

This can easily be modified to be beef or vegetarian or whatever... It doesn't need the meat, really. It's a good stew. (Original recipe here if you are interested.)

Don't forget to add a dark green leafy salad on the side, take Vitamin C, and get lots of exercise and rest! We've been fighting the flu around these parts.

Stay healthy and eat well!
~ Katrina :)

Slow down and read a book

2012-12-19T22:03:00.001-05:00

I hope you've been able to slow down and enjoy the season. We have done better this year. We have made a few handmade gifts, done zero baking, and, somewhat sadly, we've not participated in many seasonal activities this year (except The Nutcracker, which we loved... all three boys and me!).

For advent, we are enjoying our Jesse Tree each night (which you can read about at this post if interested) and also Jotham's Journey which is a fictional storybook for advent. My big boys (now 8 1/2 and 5 1/2) are really enjoying this story and learning about the events surrounding Jesus' birth as Jotham meets characters such as Zechariah and Elizabeth, John the Baptist's parents.

We've been able to enjoy some Christmas music (I love that the boys know several carols now!) and some Christmas reading. Last year I started buying a Christmas book each year for our library. Here are two that we have now added to our shelves and that you might still have time to check out from the library. The messages in these stories are those of love, family, kindness, sacrifice and tradition.

The Year of The Perfect Christmas Tree by Gloria Houston is a heart-warming, well-written and beautifully-illustrated tale. This story can be enjoyed by many ages and every year. Even if you don't want to add it to your own library, it would make a wonderful gift.

The Light of Christmas by Richard Paul Evans is the one we purchased for our shelf this year. We try to only buy well-written and illustrated books in our house, and this one will not disappoint. In this book a young boy learns that it isn't what you have to give, but how you give of yourself that matters most.

Don't forget that there are lots of resources for listening to books online. This week my boys listened to a LibriVox recording of Charles Dickens' The Cricket on the Hearth here. The Gift of the Magi is one I'm considering having the boys listen to tomorrow while I frantically pack for the weekend. :)

Merry Christmas!
~ Katrina

P.S. If you have a moment, I'd love to hear your favorite Christmas book in the comment section. Will need ideas for next year!

Healthy snacks

2012-11-16T20:55:00.004-05:00

Am I the last to hear about no-bake energy balls? Man, I love these yummy, healthy bites. If you haven't heard of them either, this blog's for you. (I took no pictures because my first attempts at making this snack were yummy, but not pretty! See pretty picture here.)

If you like oatmeal like me--granola, no bake cookies, granola bars, cooked oatmeal, you name it--you will also love these no bake energy balls. I have doubled the recipe each time. They are quick and simple to make and I don't feel guilty eating them! These are great for breakfast, dessert or anything in between.

No Bake Energy Balls

1 cup dry, old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup flax seeds or chia seeds (you can find these at Kroger or a health food store)
1/3 cup honey
1 tsp. vanilla

Stir all ingredients together. Refrigerate for half an hour. Roll into balls and store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. I admit, I found myself sneaking them between meals when the kids weren't looking.

The original recipe suggested coconut and chocolate chips, which I left out but sounds really good. It's a versatile recipe. Add or subtract ingredients as long as you keep enough honey to hold the balls together. Try other grains, nuts/seeds, or dried fruits. Lemme know if you come up with something great.

If you really like pumpkin, try these Pumpkin No Bake Energy Balls from the same website. My family all really liked this recipe, too.

Yum, yum!
~ Katrina

What are you reading?

2012-10-26T17:56:00.000-04:00

What are you guys reading? How about the kids?

School is in full swing at our house and the big boys (3rd grade and kindergarten this year!) and I just finished reading Amos Fortune, Free Man by Elizabeth Yates. It was a tear-jerker for me, and it brought alive the time in our nation's history when African Americans were not free in our country. I do want my boys to understand and learn from our country's history. Amos Fortune was an amazing example of a hard-working, Christian man, both traits we value and encourage in our boys.

Speaking of history, I just purchased a DVD from Mike Huckabee's Learn Our History website called Election Day: Choosing Our President. I hope to enjoy learning right along with them and perhaps interest them in understanding the process.

We are also in the middle of reading the Kingdom series books by Chuck Black. In the time of knights and strange beasts, the battle of good and evil is fought. It is engaging enough for a 6-year-old and has material in the back for Bible study if you'd like to delve further into the allegory with older children. This year our kids are enjoying it as a fictional story, but we sometimes talk about or point out the comparisons to scripture as in the Narnia series,which our family also dearly loves. This is a great Christmas gift for young boys who love to read.

If you'd like something short and sweet to read online to your kids during lunch or at bedtime, send me a quick email for the link. It's a 138 pages of short stories with morals. My kindergartener and third grader love them.

Hope you are making some time to read this beautiful fall season.

Affectionately,

Katrina

An exciting P.S. :) Coming soon... my new favorite snack (yes, it's healthy) recipe!

Weals and Woes of Gardening

2012-07-23T22:00:00.003-04:00

June 24 (7 weeks old)

It is so amazing to me that a garden can grow from seed to huge plants in 7 weeks. This is our best year yet for a garden. So exciting! I have so enjoyed checking out our new produce each morning and diligently watering these precious plants.

It got a little out of hand this year. I mean, I was able to keep the weeds down, but planted too many plants in too small of a space.

So... What is have we learned this year?

1. It is our second year to compost. Our soil was better last year, but this year it better still. If you are a struggling gardener as I have always been, let me share: compost, compost, compost! We just put a wire cage in the back corner of our yard and dump egg shells, watermelon rinds, carrot tops and peelings, grass clippings, and other things to rot in the pile all summer and through the winter. Christian put a cover on it this year with a brick to hold it down. The cover has really cut down on the flies. In the spring, we mix the mess in with our garden soil. We didn't add anything else to it this year... no mulch or store-bought compost. Here's a list of things you can compost. We made the mistake of throwing a bunch of perennial weeds in the compost last year. Never compost morning glories or you will be weeding them from your garden forever.

2. We are using an organic vegetable spray that may have helped cut down on bugs. Last year we lost our cucumber and zucchini plants to vine borers, which was discouraging. I think the spray has helped, plus I pick off bugs and throw them in a bucket with a small amount of rubbing alcohol. Don't let me kid you, I usually use gloves because I've become a bit of a sissy.

3. We planted garlic, chives and marigolds to help combat bugs. I can't prove that this has helped, but it was just another tip I found in researching organic gardening and from talking to my gardening friend, Ann, who has really helped me this year.

4. We let a couple of volunteer plants come up from our compost. It was fun, but I won't do this next year. One ended up being some kind of crazy zucchini hybrid. It had huge seeds and totally took over our garden. I ended up having to pull it out because it was choking the cucumber plants and starting to take over the zucchini plants and our other volunteer plant--a sweet little cantaloupe plant which produced four good-tasting fruits that we were able to eat this past week!

the menacing, climbing zucchini hybrid

We are trying cantaloupe from seed again. We had one or two melons last year that tasted like soap. Then the plant withered up and died. Looks like we might actually be successful this year. Christian made a raised bed and we are going to vine them up the fence and a lattice. I hope I'm not too late in vining them as they appear to be long and tangled. Oops. I tried using the square foot gardening approach. That is 12 plants in a 3 x 4 foot square...

I've read you can use pantyhose to make a sling for the fruit so it doesn't break off the vine as it grows up. We'll see what happens. We planted it later than the rest of the garden, and it only has some Lowe's compost added to regular soil, but it looks healthy.

the cantaloupe in beginning stages

As always, I would love to hear your gardening tips! We learn more and more each year...

~ Katrina

P.S. Our cucumbers started tasting sour after I cut down the zucchini that was shading the cucumber plants. When I googled why, I found it could be uneven watering and heat. Is anyone else experiencing this with the drought and heat this summer?

P.P.S. What are you reading? Just finished reading Dangerous Journey to the boys (again). It's a child's picture book of Pilgrim's Progress. The illustrations seem a bit dark to me and the reading a little daunting for a five-year-old's vocabulary, but both big boys love it. We colored this page to correspond with the armor Christian put on in the story. This is one of our favorite books.

Recently finished Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte for myself. I'm trying to expand my mind this summer, but I wasn't especially impressed with this one. Just began Nancy Leigh DeMoss' Choosing Gratitude: Your Journey to Joy, which I am excited to learn from. (Insert joyful smile.)

My 8-year-old just started the Boxcar Children series. He read the first book and reported it was a new favorite.

My 5-year-old is loving anything out of the 20th Century Children's Book Treasury. We found one for a steal at Half Price Books, but you can get them used off Amazon, too. It's helpful to have all of your favorites in one place, but some of the illustrations have been removed, so it's still a good idea to pull out the good old-fashioned originals from time to time.

And the 2-year-old is enjoying Curious George books (fortunately, we don't own many of these) and the If You Give A... series (illustrations are fun in these).

Zucchini Potato Soup

2012-07-05T21:25:00.000-04:00

The label may not sound terrific, but it's a pretty good soup! In fact, everyone in the family liked it except for my middle angel, who is our picky eater. With a garden full of zucchini, we have to come up with a few new recipes.

I found the original recipe here, but I tweaked it a little due to what I had on hand and other reviews. Prep time was only about 15 minutes with an additional 15 minutes cook time.

Zucchini Potato Soup

5 1/2 cups vegetable broth
4 small zucchinis, thinly sliced
2 yellow potatoes, halved and thinly sliced
2 red potatoes, halved and thinly sliced
5 carrots, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. dill
Salt and pepper, to taste

Heat olive oil in saucepan. Add onion and garlic and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Bring broth to a boil. Add remaining vegetables and cover. Simmer 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in dill; season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately. (Serves 8-10)

Happy cooking!
~ Katrina

P.S. Doing any summer reading? The boys really liked Robert McCloskey's Homer Price. Fun reading for boys age 5 and up, I'd say.

NAET Review

2012-07-01T22:37:00.000-04:00

We've been receiving treatments from our NAET (a.k.a. “voo-doo”) doctor for about a year and a half and wanted to post an update/summary to tell folks where we are and how we’re doing. We could write a book about it at this point but the important fact is that we’re “better”. We’re not bullet proof; we still struggle with food sensitivities, we still get colds, we have allergies… but we’re better. The following are some specifics if you’re interested.

Our youngest boy (2 years old last month!) has benefited the most from NAET. He was covered in eczema from one month old until he had been treated several times. I mean covered; head to toe. It is sheer joy to see his little tummy,thick little legs, arms and face free of eczema. If you’ve seen this, you know what I mean. Currently, he has no eczema, little to no rashing with foods (previously nearly all foods broke him out), only two recent outbreaks of hives/blisters (peanuts and a mystery food on vacation), and no breathing/upper respiratory problems (previously a regular issue). He is sleeping at night (mostly), has no tummy issues (as long as he doesn't overdo it with fruit). He is like a new boy. It is true that he is bigger and some things he could have outgrown, but we still have things pop up to remind us how blessed we are that we have the NAET treatments to fall back on when he reacts badly to a specific food. If he breaks out from a food, we have him treated for that food the next time we see Dr. Clifford. (Example: he broke out with some eczema last month and we had to take a new cleaner to the doctor. No more eczema post treatment.) Even after a year and a half, it sounds silly to say we get “fixed” for certain things, but silly or not, it has changed our world.

Our middle angel (our sensitive guy) is doing a lot better, too, but we are still trying to get to the bottom of his breathing problems. He gets exposed to a combination of allergens and/or sensitivities and develops a persistent dry cough that we call the machine-gun cough; this apparently is a common symptom of childhood asthma. To address the cough he was given approximately five courses of oral steroids last year. To get a handle on the asthma we tried a recommended allergist and we are now treating him with daily meds for seasonal allergies/asthma. Although this was not our first choice, the meds seem to keep things fairly even. He is able to eat the occasional treat, some wheat, and a little dairy without upsetting the apple cart. We attribute the food success to his NAET treatments. It means a lot being able to have the birthday cake at a friend’s party or a scoop of regular ice cream on vacation. Still must avoid the biggies – red dye, artificial sweeteners, chocolate – these are like a triple espresso for him and make him mean. He’s been treated for red dye and chocolate but there are still issues there to work on. We also avoid a dozen other oddities that don’t agree with our sensitive guy (i.e. no polyester pajamas/blankies… I have no theories to explain this, but it’s true). After five years of this, we get weary sometimes.

Our oldest is our perpetual optimist. It’s tough to get him down so he doesn’t act like any allergies bother him. He still has a seasonal allergy issue we can’t pin down and dairy always makes him congested even though he’s been treated for it several times. In general, if he lays off the dairy and a bunch of sugary treats, he’s a healthy kid. Praise the Lord for a happy kid.

The rest of us still have some seasonal allergies, although Christian's are much better. He was taking a Claritin a day about 30%-40% of the year and now only occasionally (note that this year is reportedly an epic allergy year). Trina has some funny little things clear up, like the bumpy skin (the allergist said this is a sign of a very allergic person) on the back of the upper arms and front of the upper legs. She's had that her whole life, but something Dr. Clifford did cleared it up.

Our general philosophy on food has changed over the years but has been shaped mostly by our family’s sensitivities (boys 2 and 3). We give the boys good fruit instead of sugary stuff. We pretty much avoid processed foods with more than five ingredients (the fewer the better), bleached flour and sugar, high fructose corn syrup and red dye. Eat lots of veggies. Buy the best meat we can afford or skip it. As a result of our struggles the last few years, we now consider the money we spend on food as an investment in the health of our boys (and ourselves, I guess).

The greatest gift that we’ve received from Dr. Clifford is sleep. Weeding out a couple of the big issues has allowed our middle and littlest boys to sleep through the night. They both still get up sometimes but what a blessing a few nights of rest can be for a family (and especially a mom).

Even after a year and a half, we balk at trying to explain our trips to the voo-doo doctor. I’m just the kind of skeptic that doesn’t abide by medical treatments that don’t make sense. My friends do chuckle at my explanations of the treatments. I don’t care. I don’t really understand it all and I don’t have to. I’m not taking my kids to the voo-doo doctor because it makes me feel good but because my kids are healthier and happier for having gone. I hope someday to be done with all the food avoidance and playing detective as we figure out what caused our boy to react “today”, but until then, I’m awfully glad we found a treatment to remove some of these triggers from our world. It gives us hope and sometimes a little hope makes all the difference.

---Christian

My new favorite ABC book

2012-06-13T14:42:00.000-04:00

The Alphabet Room is an amazing alphabet book. If you don't believe me, check it out from your local library first. Then purchase it here. ;) Charming with whimsical pictures and surprises behind every door, this book can be enjoyed and re-enjoyed.

We will keep this one on the shelf for the grandchildren... but I'm getting ahead of myself.

Also, great for gifts. My kids all enjoy this one, even with the wide range of ages--8, 5 and almost 2.

Happy Reading!
~ Katrina

NAET Makes National News

2012-06-06T21:56:00.001-04:00

Someone recently forwarded us an interesting video from Fox News about a study that was done involving the potential benefits of NAET treatments for autistic children. It's worth watching. Our family has been helped by NAET and we look for opportunities to pass the word around.

We're working on an updated post on how NAET has been helping our family.

~ Katrina

P.S. Summer reads? Here's a FREE one for you! Email me at fiveapplesaday@gmail.com and I will forward an audio of E. Nesbit's The Wouldbegoods. Also free for your kindle here. I'm currently using the audio as a quiet time for my 8-year-old and 5-year-old. Good for listening in yourself while you are folding laundry (or ironing if anyone still does that in 2012).

The garden's in

2012-05-09T22:22:00.001-04:00

New garden :)

I'm back! It's been a busy season and we've been treading water. You know how it goes.

Isn't this the best time of year? Everything is green and in bloom. The birds sing all day long. School is almost out! And the garden's planted. Now we get to watch all the little seeds take root and grow, grow, grow.

I get more excited each year as we try planting a larger variety of fruits, veggies and herbs. I always think this year will be our best year yet. :) Last year shield bugs ate a substantial part of our garden, but our tomatoes did very well. I have some tricks up my sleeve to fight the shield bugs this year. And hopefully our pet bunny won't eat our garden when I'm not looking.

I cannot wait to make the refrigerator pickle recipe we made last year . Here's what you need:

Cucumbers (from your garden, the farmer's market, or the grocery store)
3 Cups Water
6 Tbsp. White vinegar
3 Tbsp. Kosher salt
Minced garlic
Fresh dill

You've got to try it. It took the boys and me literally 10 minutes to prepare, and two days later... viola! We had two jars of very yummy pickles in the fridge.

Would love to hear your favorite garden recipe to try this summer! Please post in comments.

Happy gardening. :)
~Katrina

P.S. Almost forgot to include what we're reading. We've read so many great books for our curriculum and just for fun this year. But I'll keep it short. If you (the adults in the audience) haven't read Jane Eyre... read it NOW. (Kindle edition is free on Amazon.) I read it as I cooked. I couldn't stop reading. It had been awhile since I'd enjoyed a good book of my own.

The boys and I are currently reading Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater. It's a Newbery Honor Book; silly, cute and fun. I'm glad I have a rabbit. It's smaller and less smelly than a penguin. And it can sleep outside in it's hutch.

P.P.S. The boys are also loving "living" history books. We recently read Molly Pitcher by Augusta Stevenson and are currently reading Thomas Jefferson by Helen Albee Monsell. I'm happy (and mildly embarrassed) about how much we "grown-ups" are learning reading these Childhood of Famous American history books. These are great for long car rides if you can handle reading aloud.

Pizza You'll Feel Good About Eating

2012-02-07T23:11:00.001-05:00

We forgot to take a picture of the beautiful pizza before we devoured it.

My husband and kids rave about our homemade pizza. The whole thing is from scratch and, as far as pizza goes, it's pretty healthy for you. Personally, I like it veggie-style with onions, peppers, roma tomatoes and olives, but my guys like meat. And they really like my homemade sausage.

This recipe is very forgiving. I make my own crust, my own sausage and sometimes my own seasonings or pizza seasoning. I have often thought I've messed it up this time! and everyone was still happy.

Thanks to my dear friend, Mandi, for this terrific recipe.

Pizza

1/2 lb. sausage (see recipe below)
1 tube (13.8 oz) refrigerated pizza crust (or use my recipe below)
2 teaspoons melted butter or olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 cups (8 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese
2 medium Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced (or re-hydrated sun-dried tomatoes)
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

Press pizza dough into a greased 13-inch 9-inch by 2-inch baking dish (I personally swear by stoneware). Brush with butter or olive oil; sprinkle with parmesan cheese and garlic powder. If you have made your own crust, bake for 5 minutes before adding toppings. Layer with 1 cup mozzarella, sausage and tomatoes. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and Italian seasoning. Bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted.

Pizza Dough

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (we use whole grain flour, freshly ground in our Vitamix blender)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/3 cup water
1 3/4 teaspoons (1 pkg.) yeast

Combine last four ingredients and slowly add in flour. Mix on "knead" setting for 8 minutes. Remove from mixer and cut into two pieces. Knead a couple of times. Rise under moist towel 30 minutes. (Freezes well.)

Homemade Sausage

1 lb. ground turkey or beef
3 Tablespoons minced onion
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon marjoram
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon sage
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Combine all seasoning ingredients in small bowl. Feel free to ad lib (i.e. rosemary is a good addition). Mix seasonings with ground meat and brown in skillet.

I'd love to hear if you try this one and what changes you make to it!

~ Katrina

P.S. What are you reading? I have been absent from Blogger through the holidays, but we have still been reading! We read some lovely Christmas books. (Let me know if you would like that list.) This month, the boys and I have been reading Just David by Eleanor H. Porter. Written in 1916, it is a sweet tale of an innocent which sparks interesting conversation and teachable moments. It makes me look at the beauty in the world around me in a fresh way... but we're only only on Chapter 6. I would recommend this one for ages 5 and up. The Kindle version is free on this link.

Disciplines and other good reads

2011-11-28T21:42:00.002-05:00

Disciplines of a Godly Family is a treasure. I mentioned this book once before, but feel it deserves it's own post. I want you to read it! Read it if you are married or if you are single and plan to marry. This is one that I have on my shelf and plan to re-read again and again.

I finished it this summer on our three-day vacation. I didn't realize that the last third of the book is an appendix containing lists of recommended books and movies plus reference materials such as advent tree instructions and favorite recipes... so I finished it sooner than I expected.

I was so encouraged by the ideas in this book...leaving a heritage for your children, teaching your children good manners, celebrating holidays with traditions, vacationing as a family, disciplining appropriately, getting to know your neighbors... all from a godly perspective.

Now that I'm writing about it, I think maybe it's time to read it again.

Here's hoping you have some down time during the busy holiday season... so you can actually enjoy a few minutes of reading.

~ Katrina

P.S. As long as we're talking books, here's a list I posted last December. These are some of our favorites if you are looking for Christmas ideas.

Right now, the 17-month-old scooter (now walking!) is loving a book given to him by his Aunta Joan last Christmas called Heads by Matthew Van Fleet. Adorable! It is a sturdy, interactive board book that he wants to have read over and over. Even his older brothers like it a lot.

My middle angel (four-and-a-half years old) is really into Frank Asch right now. His favorites so far are moonbeam books and Happy Birthday, Big Bad Wolf.

The seven-year-old, my avid reader, is loving anything he can get his hands on. But he gets a real kick out of Eyewitness books, the Magic Tree House Series and research guides by Mary Pope Osborne.

For school we recently read through two of the living forest series books by Sam Campbell, a lover of nature. They can be a little boring for my four-year-old (who still wants to see lots of pictures), but the stories pull you in and entice me to be more of a naturalist. My nature-loving seven-year-old is really enjoyed these books.

Apples!

2011-10-14T22:09:00.000-04:00

Apples are one of my favorite fruits. We took a field trip to a local orchard in early September to pick a few apples. It ended up being around 100 degrees, one our hottest days of the summer, but it was worth it.

I love the little secluded orchard we visit. The boys got to pick apples, eat apples and climb trees. Plus they were free to run to their heart's content.

We made blueberry applesauce, apple butter, an apple cake, dehydrated apples and just sliced and ate some raw. All the recipes turned out super!

Here's a delicious apple cake that I discovered online. It pleased both my family and company and is sweetened only with honey. I cheated and served it with vanilla ice cream. You could substitute applesauce or another oil for the butter. Original recipe here.

Healthy Apple Cake

2 cups whole white wheat flour
4 medium apples, peeled and diced
1/2 c. butter
3/4 c. honey
2 eggs
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. sea salt

1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grease a 9-inch round baking pan. In a large bowl, mix together butter, honey and eggs. Beat well. In a separate bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon and fold into large bowl. Stir apples gently through batter and pour into prepared cake pan. Bake approximately 45 minutes or until a toothpick is pulled clean from center of cake. Turn out onto wire rack and cool.

Enjoy!
~ Katrina

Bruschetta: My favorite garden recipe

2011-09-04T22:53:00.004-04:00

Bruschetta is one of my all-time favorite garden recipes. My adopted mom got me hooked on this years ago. I like to chop things and usually have tomatoes and basil growing in the garden. It's delicious on toast, french bread, bagel chips or plain old tortilla chips. I encourage you to try this one while there are still fresh tomatoes available.

Bruschetta

10 Roma* tomatoes, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1/4 cup basil, chopped
3 gloves garlic, chopped
1 Tbsp. olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

Chop it up, mix it up, serve it up.

This can be made to taste. Chop in large pieces or dice small. Add extra of anything. I delight in never making it the same way twice. You really can't mess this up.

Delish.
~ Katrina

* Roma are less juicy, but I make do with whatever I have on hand. If it is a watery batch, I strain the bruschetta before adding olive oil, salt and pepper.

Natural Teething Paddle

2011-08-30T23:33:00.000-04:00

Christian made a couple of teethers out of maple and cherry wood for our little man and people have been asking about them.

Now they are officially for sale. $7 apiece (plus shipping). We used flax seed oil (a.k.a. linseed oil, which is a food-safe finish for bowls, butcher blocks, etc.) to seal ours.

Yours will not have teeth marks in them. :)

Email for bulk discounts or more info.
~ Katrina

P.S. Christian also makes rings similar to this one found on Amazon. We've found the paddle is easier for infants to hold. Either ring or paddle is functional for a toddler.

P.P.S. It's almost September, which puts me in a chili-eating mood... whether it's warm outside or not. If you like chili, try this recipe. It's one of our favorites from last fall.

Eggplant Ideas

2011-08-21T22:59:00.001-04:00

I am experimenting with eggplant. We are a part of a vegetable co-op this summer so we have been getting our share of eggplant. Even though it's not our favorite vegetable, I can't stand to see any food go to waste. Especially healthy food.

We tried baba gnoush. It's a middle eastern dip, similar to hummus but using eggplant instead of chickpeas. I tried a substitute for tahini paste after failing to find it in the grocery store. Let me just say that I do not recommend using peanut butter instead of tahini. The Pioneer Woman was right: "for baba ghanoush, you simply must have tahini." Christian thought the dip was OK, but I thought it had an unmistakable (possibly overpowering) hint of peanut butter. I will search harder for the tahini paste next time, perhaps calling ahead. The boys tasted this one, but didn't like it. They like hummus and they like peanut butter, so I don't get it. :)

A good friend visited recently and told me to try broiling eggplant. Just slice it up about 1/4 inch thick, sprinkle with a little olive oil and your favorite seasonings and broil until tender. I liked it. The kids ate it with some hesitation (minor threats involved). I think you could get a similar result from grilling or roasting. Roasting seems to be my method of choice for veggies this summer. I may try this recipe for roasting next.

I saved the best for last. One of my Facebook friends asked for eggplant recipes this week and got this onehttp://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/ratatouille_la_casablancaise.html, which I gave a shot. Just the name Ratatouille a la Casablancaise made me excited to try it. I had all the fresh produce on hand: eggplant, squash, peppers, tomatoes, garlic. Quite good!

~ Katrina

P.S. Years ago, I tried eggplant parmesan and didn't like it. Does anyone have a tried-and-true recipe to share for eggplant parmesan? Or any other eggplant recipe that isn't mushy or slimy?

Sun-Dried Tomatoes

2011-08-18T21:46:00.001-04:00

I've got a lot of tomatoes on my hands.

Canning salsa sounded fun, so I impulsively purchased this inexpensive Ball home canning kit at Lowe's. After reading tips at Tipnut.com and having never canned a thing, I opted not to risk botulism.

So I pulled out my dehydrator. I've been dying to do that, anyway.

After scanning a few recipes, I chose this one from PickYourOwn.org. The easier, the quicker, the better. They said water baths and scraping out seeds are optional. If you don't have a dehydrator, this website gives you instructions for making sun-dried tomatoes in the oven or in your car (no kidding).

To be safe, I started with a small batch...

First, I sliced the tomatoes and sprinkled with sea salt and dried basil.

Then, I placed on trays in the dehydrator for 8-10 hours. About half the tomatoes were done at 8 hours and the rest required closer to 10 hours.

After cooling, I sealed the dehydrated tomatoes in a freezer bag.

Easy! And the finished product smelled heavenly.

The kids could definitely help with this one. They happened to be at Grandma and Grandpa's this time, but next time they can slice tomatoes, sprinkle seasonings and arrange on trays.

If anyone uses their car to sun dry tomatoes, please let me know how they turn out!
~ Katrina

P.S. Today we read The Littles Take a Trip by John Peterson. It is a chapter book about a tiny family and their big adventures. We read the whole book today after several shouts of "One more!" Charming, entertaining, and fun.

My Middle Angel

2011-08-17T07:38:00.000-04:00

Four-year-olds love undivided attention and my little guy got a lot of it while his big brother was gone for a week. He probably secretly wished to be an only child after so many one-on-one experiences. His favorite parts were probably helping his daddy clean up the chrome on an old garage sale bike and reading books with me.

I just love his interest in books and we try to make time to read every day. My middle angel often requests the same book over an over. Sometimes this can drive a mommy a little crazy, but I've enjoyed reading Dr. Suess's The Lorax.

He says the thing that he likes most in the book it is how the Lorax chops down all the trees. (It was actually the Once-ler.) Methinks he missed the environmental message. Ha! As for me, I appreciate the underlying message, fun rhymes and brightly-colored illustrations.

It's a fun one to check out of the library if you haven't read it yet.
~ Katrina

Stinky Garden Pests

2011-08-16T07:53:00.001-04:00

Early in the gardening season, we discovered several shield bugs munching on our beautiful, large-leafed zucchini plants. Christian did a quick internet search and we set to work exterminating. I was pretty freaked out about touching them but, with gloves on, we picked them up, threw them in a coffee can and squirted them with rubbing alcohol. Yep, it did the trick. I felt righteous in my wrath. This was an easy remedy if anyone is looking to rid themselves of these stinky bugs.

We were able to keep a pretty good hold on the shield bugs, but vine borers led to our zucchini plants ultimate demise. In hopes of having an organic garden next year, has anyone been successful at removing the caterpillars in a plant that survived? I am wondering if I need to go back to using Sevin.

~ Katrina

Editor's note: Apparently there are about a gazillion insects that look like the Shield Bug (a.k.a. stink bug). I'm sure a serious bug nerd would laugh at my stink bug ignorance, but we really had a hard time determining whether or not to murder all these bug in rubbing alcohol. The most intelligent note I found on the internet said the best way to tell the difference between a zucchini-destroying stink bug and the beneficial "soldier bug" was to squish one. The stink bugs will smell bad. Clever.

Is Eating Out Good For You?

2011-08-15T07:14:00.000-04:00

Well, not usually. But it's fun! I love the break from cooking every now and then.

We usually eat at home, but last week I thought it would be a nice break between cashing in our summer reading rewards at Half Price Books and four grocery stops to eat lunch out. I'd been dying to try this place one of my friends recommended.

Jason's Deli is my new favorite place to eat! Their website boasts that Parents Magazine named them "The Best Restaurant in America" in March 2011. I gotta agree. I had a wonderful salad bar experience. Possibly the best looking and tasting salad bar I've ever had. My honey had the best hot sandwich he can remember having in a long time. The boys were both pleased with their food, too. The youngest of the clan enjoyed fresh peppers, apples and carrots from my salad bar plate. The restaurant offers mostly healthy food with no high fructose corn syrup, trans fat or MSG. There are organic produce options. And what I consider a large gluten-free menu.

If you are wondering about cost... It was comparable to our family eating out at Chick-Fil-A, Moe's or Panera. But a little better for you.

Excluding the drinks and ice cream we thoroughly enjoyed, it was almost as healthy as eating at home.

And so, so good! Did I mention that? :)
~ Katrina

Roasted Okra

2011-08-12T22:16:00.005-04:00

We tried another new vegetable. Okra. The okra patties I tried first were too greasy... So we tried roasted okra. Much better! Not very slimy, thank goodness.

If you are an okra fan, you should definitely try this recipe. Being in the high 90's outside, we put ours on the grill (instead of heating up the house by using the oven). Easy and nutritious.

According to WikiAnswers, "It is a good sources of Vitamin C, Folic Acid, essential B vitamins as well as magnesium, manganese and potassium. Okra is also high in dietary fibre."

Next experiment: eggplant. I'm going to try my hand at baba ghanoush!

~ Trina

Editor's note: The best okra I've ever had was at a restaurant called Lambert's Cafe in Sikeston, Missouri. Lambert's is a lot of fun. At any time during the meal, if you see the lady that serves dinner rolls walking around, you hold up your hand and she will wing (a.k.a. throw with gusto) a dinner roll from where ever she happens to be standing, to your table. Another lady walks around with a big bowl of fried okra and offers it to anyone interested ("Okra, hon?" or something like that). Fried okra is likely not good for you but if you're ever driving the I-55 in southern Missouri, Lambert's is worth a stop. Even if it isn't lunchtime. ---Christian

Ummm... granola

2011-07-07T21:31:00.005-04:00

Granola. It makes me smile just to say it. It reminds me of my mom. It fills a hungry belly. It's fun to make. It's a healthy snack. It's just plain good.

Everyone should make granola once if only for the experience. Get the kids involved, too. It's fun to mix it up with your hands like edible play dough.

My Granola Recipe

1 box oats
1 1/2 cups sliced almonds
1 lb. sesame seeds
1 lb. sunflower seeds
1 lb. unsweetened coconut
1 c. honey
1 c. oil
1 c. water
1 Tbsp. vanilla
1 Tbsp. maple flavoring
1 Tbsp. salt
Optional: dried fruit

1. Combine all ingredients in a very large mixing bowl.
2. Combine liquids and salt (and chopped dried fruit, if desired); Pour over dry ingredients and mix with hands.
3. Bake slowly at 275°F until golden brown, stirring often (every 15 minutes or so).
4. Allow it to cool before placing in a storage container.

You can't mess this up. I usually leave out sesame seeds, coconut and maple flavoring, adding an extra tablespoon of vanilla. You can leave out the salt or just put in a small amount. I simply MUST have dried fruit--dried apricots, cranberries, raisins, pineapple and dates. Dates are our favorite.

Serve with milk or over yogurt or ice cream. Or, when no one is looking, eat it by the handfuls like Cookie Monster.

Not that I've ever done that.

~Katrina

P.S. We're reading Little House on the Prairie as a family. It seems to be age-appropriate for my 7-year-old and somewhat boring to my 4-year-old. I love the descriptive nature of the narrative. It also plants little seeds of good manners throughout. Perhaps we will watch an episode or two from the good old days when we are finished. I remember thinking Michael Landon was so handsome when I was a little girl. :)

As for me, I am trying to finish Disciplines of a Godly Family, which I started an embarrassingly long time ago. It is such a good book that maybe it is just as well that I have chewed on small bits at a time. Right now I'm learning about teaching my children good manners, but I've gleaned much from this book from establishing a family heritage and traditions to praying for my children. It's a great book full of wholesome advice. I highly recommend it.