a
Time for a new plan.
I have a new plan for trying to work in foods into our diet. I seen tonight it will already need some tweaking, but I need to go with this to start. What I decided to do was to try a new recipe each day, well at least 4-5 a week, I am hoping. And no better time to start, than TODAY! Today's recipe was a Vegan Macaroni and Cheese. It was easy to cook. It was a crockpot recipe. The cheesy sauce however was a bit "sour" for our tastes. After it was all done, I had to cut it with a bit of honey to even make it palatible for our family. And then... it was still a no go. I found that when I took a bite of steamed broccoli which I had for a side dish, with a bite of the pasta, it really wasn't too bad. But alone, it was just too sour. I know that lemon can be a great taste, but I did not grow up with it, and the sharpness of the flavor was nothing our family was used to. I also tried a cashew gravy. It had onions in the gravy and the way it was directed to cook, they did not get blended up. I put it onto a vegetarian loaf (which was new also, but I just tweaked a burger recipe that I had and made it into a loaf). The flavor... was good. The family says... It is a keeper. Though, next time the girls would prefer me to blend up those onions instead of leaving them in pieces within the gravy. Dh said he would have liked it better if I had made potatoes with our meal, LOL. He lives on potatoes and prefers it with every meal unless it is mexican or pasta ...and even then we add potatoes occasionally. The new loaf was a keeper as well. I have one daughter that requested I exchange the carrots for more potatoes, but I just smiled and everyone else said... it's fine...leave it as it is. When my girls don't eat too many carrots (this daughter especially), it seems that if it is tolerable, I ought to leave it in. *grin* After all the cooking tonight, I realized that I struggle with doing dairy-free and soy free at the same time. An automatic substitute for dairy is soy. I made the vegetarian loaf with a vegetarian burger, didn't even dawn on me that there was TVP (Soy) in it. I did not take a picture of the loaf, but basically here is what was in it... One can of vegan vegetarian burger, one potato shredded, one cup of carrots shredded, 3 eggs, 4 slices of ww bread cubed, a good set of shakes of sage, onion powder, and garlic powder. I baked at 350 for about 30 minutes. During that time, I made the gravy and then topped the loaf with the gravy and baked another 20-30 minutes. (enough for the carrots to soften and the gravy to bubble). The gravy recipe I found in the book "Choices: Quick and Healthy Cooking" by Cheryl Thomas Peters. It was good and I am relieved that I had ONE new recipe for today approved by all (even if I need to tweak it and blend the onions into the gravy next time!). My plan will need some tweaking as on the first day I was given some comments on the plan. The new recipe is planned to be a side dish to the main meal. That part works, that way if it doesn't go over, the kids still eat. The next part is that I need to keep the menu plan a bit more "normal". This will prove to be difficult as we are ingrained in a particular style of food and when you can't eat that food, finding a new normal isn't always as easy as substituting one food for another. Like tonight, I should have made a potato dish for the new loaf. It would have been much easier for the family to accept the new food without feeling like they were being deprived. But, in my thinking... we had plenty on the table... the menu consisted of: Trial: mac and cheese, pineapple and banana salad (have bananas that need eating), burger loaf, gravy, steamed broccoli and cauliflower and squash (trial... we had a crossbreed in the garden and we tried it tonight...not so good! LOL). After looking at the menu, I need to try and keep it smaller/simpler as well. It's not like we're going to potluck, so I don't need to have so much food on the table. Anyways, I will be sharing our journey as I try new recipes. I will share my flops, my forgetfulness, etc. All in all, going to a new diet will be hard on the entire family. I guess it isn't that it will be... IT IS. Today's aftermath of whatever little Paige ate, allowed her entire dresser of panties to be emptied. That is about 15 pairs of underwear. She told me at about 6pm, that she ran out of panties. She also had about 6-8 bowel movements today. Totally cleaned her out, I guess. Her skin still has the redness that appeared yesterday afternoon. She also has a red blood mark in her eye today. She was aggitated most of today, but seemed to calm down after supper and fell asleep a bit early for her (around 7:45 pm). She didn't eat the loaf tonight, she has always seemed to say no to soy substitutes, although she does like gluten and those usually have soy flavorings. I guess I will likely need to make my own at some point. Anyways... hopefully tomorrow is a better day. Warmly, ~Melissa
October 5, 2008This weekend, we have made quite a jump in preparing for the colder months... finished up a big pile of wood, cut and chopped. DH taught me to use a chainsaw! LOL! This is what we have so far...
This still needs done...
We also finished up the garden, and I got 9 quarts of dilled tomatoes put up yesterday, and plan on finishing up today with some tomato relish... here's what we had left...
Abi made the family bread yesterday. 4 loaves. 2 white and 2 wheat. She's getting pretty good at knowing her way around the kitchen! And believe it or not, we are going to need to make 4 more today! (There's still 2 loaves left.) Today, I am making the children's school schedules. So Dad (and I) can stay on track with what's going on. We get so lost sometimes, and find it hard to "regain composure" one might say... LOL! Although the past 2 weeks have been purposely taken off so we could get caught up on everything needing done around the house, and that's ok. I am going to try using the CIMT Math for our son, and place him at a slightly lower level than he is used to, but by doing this, he can play catch up, and whiz right through it and get a review while working toward the next level! There really is a method to my madness, I promise! Most of it is my fault for not keeping up with what I promise myself I can do....I make schedules, and then they fall off the face of the earth within a week.... bad habit.... 30 lessons have just printed. So I had better go and get myself around, eh? ~Blessings~ Million Calorie Chocolate Chip Pound CakeMillion Calorie Chocolate Chip Pound Cake 1 lb. softened sweet butter 3 cups sugar 6 large eggs 4 cups all-purpose flour 3/4 cup whole milk 1/4 cup heavy cream 2 teaspoons homemade vanilla or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon almond extract 1 lb bittersweet chocolate chips
He Is Faithful!He Is Faithful! Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands. Tamales With Roasted Green Chilies And Cheddar CheeseI haven't tried these but they sound wonderful! Tamales With Roasted Green Chilies And Cheddar Cheese Crash and Burn...We were having such a good day and shortly after potluck, my daughter started having her bladder spasms again. I have NO idea what caused it. We had haystacks, which we eat at home and have no problems. The new culprits... gramma gave Paige a sucker (which had food colorings and she licked on for a couple minutes after church before I was able to convince her to leave it in the car). Then she tried some carob dairi-free milk, some plain dairi-free milk and some chocolate dairi-free milk. The chocolate was cocoa only, no milk products. Well, between the sucker and the cocoa... we have a problem. Paige was so happy at potluck that she went potty with out wetting her panties that she proceeded to tell everyone she was dry and her panties weren't wet. OK, not a normal thing kiddos do, but she was happy and I just sat there watching her enjoy... ENJOY being able to say she was dry. And then two hours later, the spasms began and she tells me... I'm sorry Mommy.... my panties are wet, but I went on the potty (for the third time in 15 minutes). It just crushes my heart... she can't do anything about it, but to see her so joyful at telling people she was dry, I KNOW that this wetting bothers her as much as it does us for having to change her outfit nearly 10 times a day. (Yes that is alot of laundry that I do to keep up with her!) This evening we had friends over and my daughter was very strung out. She kept throwing things at our guests and crying, and whining and crying and fussing and hitting. She just isn't a hitter, so that alarmed me that the reaction was more than just wetting. She also has a rash/hive spot on her hand that wasn't there this afternoon. UGGERS! I guess we start over and eliminate chocolate, SOY, and dairy, and food colorings and be strict about it. That was my day... ~Melissa
ExpectationsDo you ever feel that you are trying to live up to expectations? Expectations that aren't necessarily expectations of another but your own expectations? What are those expectations? Are they reasonable? Are they easily attained? Or are they simply expectations placed upon yourselve because of your perception of what you should be rather than what you are? Blogging is a wonderful and fun thing to do. I certainly enjoy reading other folks goings on. Seeing what they are up to, gleaning information, learning new skills and seeing into a small window of their lives. Like most, I often tend to think I'm not doing enough because I'm not doing all that someone else does. Now, add that one blog onto about a dozen other blogs, all of which are doing something different, and the expectation of self becomes insurmountably impossible. It sets me up for failure. Once I've fallen for this perceived view of what a failure I am, I try harder to do what all those others are doing and wear myself out, make myself feel less than adequate, less of a homesteader, mother, wife, sister, daughter, person. Before I know it, I hate my life, my surroundings and want to run away and hide because I have nothing worth while to share of my own life because I simply don't measure up. I'm here to tell you that if you do and think all these things...YOU ARE NORMAL!!! It's not just the blogs it's the books we read, the things we talk about, our dreams and aspirations all rolled up into one mondo ego trip. A trip that has only one destination...failure! I learned long ago that there were certain things I wanted for my life. Certain things that I was certain God was calling me to do. Bringing those two things together I realized that God was in it all. After I got my priorities straight and left behind all those wannabe blogs and books etc, I figured out who I was and what I truly expected of myself. I needed to line my desires up with God's and weed out the chaff. Easier said than done:P However, I finally managed to really see what direction I wanted and needed in my life. I delight in being able to do many things for myself. I enjoy being able to sew, knit, crochet, quilt, bake, cook, can, make dolls, ornaments, wooden toys and furnitures and other things too numerous to mention. Those things are handy but they aren't who I really am. I never wanted others to feel like less of a success because of what I share. I try to teach others to do some things through lots of pictures and precise explanation. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. I seek to learn what others know. Receipts that I've never tried, skills I want to learn but have to take longer than most to learn it because I either don't have the facilities, time, equipment or know-how. And sometimes all of the above:P I want to encourage you all to just love the stories and enjoy the encouragement through others blogs. Don't be discouraged if you can't do a thing or aren't good at thus and such. Know that you are right where you are supposed to be right at this very moment, where God has placed you and wants you to be. I am not a good swimmer. I love synchronized swimming. It's beautiful, graceful, lovely to watch. I'll never do it. Not because I don't want to but because it's really not my strength. So instead I will enjoy watching it:) Just like riding in a rodeo, I could but why? It's not really my strength. I don't like being bruised, I don't like to be thrown, I'm not anxious to break and arm or leg or bust my head:P I just like to watch it:) Enjoying that someone else is able:) If there's something you want to learn to do just do it! It's my best advice. I didn't learn everything from my mother or grandmother. I didn't learn all that I now know because I was raised with this or that. Most of it I learned the hard way. Diligence, perseverence, reverence for the Lord and a desire to succeed. There are many things that I still desire to be able to do and I'm terrible at them. I've been trying for years and I still can't do it. I dont' give up and I don't place others on a pedestal who DO know how to do it (like my brother). I just know that if I never ever, ever learn how, I will die saying I tried...I wonder if juggling is easier in heaven?:P Have a very blessed weekend! God be with thee! Sister Lori 10 Commandments for Every ChristianWe could all certainly use far more of this in our churches today and a lot less of the 'Christian play' that goes on. • DON’T IDEALIZE the church – it’s glorious, not because it’s perfect (after all, you’re in it!), but because it’s being redeemed.
• DON’T CRITICIZE your fellow-believers anytime or the pastor (especially never ever before or after a Sunday service: the Devil’s already doing that; don’t you help him). • DON’T POLARIZE in church meetings or committees. ‘I don’t agree’ is very negative: try ‘Is there perhaps another way of looking at this?’ • DON’T OSTRACIZE people whose psychological ‘chemistry’ is different to yours, or who do not see things your way. Be Christian, and greet them warmly, and pray with them anyway. • DON’T IDOLIZE the pastor or any other leader: we are all fellow- strugglers and we all have feet of clay. • DON’T MONOPOLIZE conversations: be that kind of rare person who is an empathetic listener. • DON’T ORGANIZE anything ‘off your own bat’. Initiative is good: initiative plus collaboration plus accountability is better. • DON’T HOMOGENIZE. Talk to people who are not your cronies (even tax-collectors and sinners do that). Accept people who are not like you theologically. After all, God’s truth may include both your and their understandings! • Above all, DON’T VERBALIZE your frustration or negativity about the church to others: it is sure to discourage them. Do it with the Lord, a spiritual director or counselor, and possibly, after much prayer, to a responsible leader. The devil is very clever: he puts words into our mouth like: ‘Would you (my friend) pray with me about the problem I have with...’ • Instead REALIZE that the Church is loved by Christ, so be patient with each other: the Lord hasn’t finished with any of us yet! Fall is in the air!Blessings! As I said...Fall is in the air! For the last few days we've had...well...what you would call, gully washers! It has poured for three days now and shows no signs of stopping anytime soon. Lord willing we'll have a little reprieve in the next couple days as our landlords are intending to be here to fix the pump and pumphouse. The weather tells us that this probably won't happen. It says that we are to have heavy rains for the next week before it clears up for about a week and then our fall begins and those rains will be with us day in and day out for the next several months:) I love the rain but not when I have to be out in it for hours at a time several days in a row. Although it does make coming inside for some hot cocoa and cider that much more appreciated:) I have been praying that we get a little break from it while the landlords are here so that the job can be done quickly and easily. I have emailed them to let them know that our weather is not cooperating at this time so we'll see what they decide to do. I would just hate to see them come all this way (they live out of state) to be slowed down by all this icky weather. If they DO come anyway, we'll do our best to help as efficiently as possible and get it done and out of the way:) I must say that I am very ready for fall and winter to be here. The girls and I have been talking about Christmas already:) We love the decorations and lights, the wonderful foods and family time:) I am looking forward to the inside projects like sewing, mending, crafting and general family time that seems to come with being sequestered for the cold months:) And, as always, we are hoping for a white Christmas:) Our cleaning projects are coming together finally. The last two projects we really have now are the kitchen and the mudroom. With canning and other such activities, the kitchen sure takes a beating around this time of year. We pull in boxes of jars, containers of other items necessary for this project. Counters never seem to be cleared off, the table seems to be forever buried and the floor is a constant issue with all the spills and drips that happen. We wipe quickly with a sponge or paper towel but never really get it all up until your feet begin to feel a little sticky:P The mop gets pulled out, floor gets a lick and a promise and on we go with the project. Once we are finished with our putting up of all our harvest, we'll clear the room out and get on our hands and knees and scrub, scrub, scrub:) The mudroom always seems to need cleaning and mopping. With that being the outside door to the farmyard, the floor is forever dirty. Sweeping, usually does the trick until it begins to rain, then there's mud. Mud needs mopping and by the time the mop is barely dry it needs it again. The mudroom also tends to become the catch-all during harvest time. We place excess boxes on the drying and freezer tops, the shelves become messy, any flat surface seems to be used up with clutter. I can rest in the fact that once we are finished, all of it will be cleaned up. Spit and polished for winter. Back to normal and easy access once again. The larder will be full, the house kempt, and slower days to enjoy together:) I pray that you too are experiencing the coming Fall season with eagerness and joy. God be with thee! Sister Lori 10 Predictions no matter who wins the election!TOP 10 PREDICTIONS NO MATTER
WHO WINS THE ELECTION
1. The Bible will still have all the answers. 2. Prayer will still work. 3. The Holy Spirit will still move. 4. God will still inhabit the praises of His people. 5. There will still be God-anointed teaching and healing. 6. There will still be singing of praise to God. 7. God will still pour out blessings upon His people. 8. There will still be room at the Cross. 9. Jesus will still love you. 10. Jesus will still save the lost. ISN'T IT GREAT TO KNOW WHO IS REALLY IN CONTROL?!!!! { Last Page } { Page 2 of 5 } { Next Page } |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
