Multitude Mondays

I praise and honor You as my Mfather God and give thanks always for all things especially Your Fatherly love. Eph 5:20

I am thankful that God is my Heavenly Father!

27. He is not a distant or remote Father, but a close and loving one.
28. His love for me is unconditional and everlasting
29. He provides for me
30. He teaches me
31. He makes plans for my future
32. He supplies all my needs
33. He gives me security
34.He gives me a special home to live in for eternity
35. He gently guides me
36. I have been predestined to be adopted as Your child through Jesus Christ becasue it gives You pleasure and it is Your will for my life. Eph. 1:5

Thanks for reading! See A Holy Experience for more Multitude Mondays!

Gluten-Free Rachel Ray Supper!

Mexican Lasagna - modified from original Rachel Ray version

3 Tbsp EVOO
1.5 to 2 lbs ground meat (we have used ground chicken, turkey and beef in the past - all work beautifully)
2 Tbsp. chili powder
2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 large onion, chopped
1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (14 oz)sweet corn, drained
1 can (14 oz) fire roasted tomatoes
8 (or so) corn tortillas ( make sure they are GF!)
2 c. shredded quesco ( can also use cheddar or a pre-shredded mexican blend)
1 container salsa verde - optional

Heat oil in skillet. Add next 7 ingredients and cook until meat is no longer pink. Taste your developing creation as you may want to add a little salt at this point. Line a baking dish with tin foil (this will help with clean up and can be omitted if you enjoy scrubbing dishes). Cut tortillas in half to make layering easier. Build lasagna by layering meat, tortilla, cheese. My dish usually makes 2 complete layers ending with cheese. Bake at 350 until cheese is bubbly (15 minutes or so). Serve with salsa verde on the side.

Enjoy!! By the way, this freezes wonderfully too!

He gives...

He tries to see it as just ...life...responsibility. The kind of responsibility you were warned about when all you could think about was life void of imposed curfews. Only you found that once you achieved this level of maturity, your own folly came at the end of a long list of tending to the needs of others.

He tends to two families. One he chose and the other he was born into. One in the depths of age and one in its prime. It isn't easy. Is it really even possible? That question doesn't really matter, doesn't need to even be asked, because it is his responsibility. There are no other choices. He can only hope that his absence at one dinner table to is appreciated at the other.

You can find him cleaning and preparing breakfast for one family, then cleaning milk from a spilled cereal bowl for the other family. Putting wool socks on old tired feet, then settling an argument between mother and daughter over what is appropriate attire for school. He reads short stories by Ferrell Sams under fluorescent lights, then calls out spelling words on a Thursday night . He helps one stand and walk on wobbly legs, and then teaches another how to swing a bat.

His siblings muse about how sad it is to see their father this way, but he doesn't have the luxury to take time and reminisce.

So I try not to complain when I pick up the water towel off the bathroom floor each morning; a new phenomenon that has only presented itself in the last few months. I try not to huff when he interrupts my thoughts and chores with his own. I try not to do a roll call from my own to-do list when he complains that I need to pick up his work clothes from the cleaners. I ignore it when he leaves his supper dishes on the table, something he expects his children not to do.

Because someone needs to care for him too.

Lord, please help me to fill his cup, so that he can in turn give more of himself to others.

Multitude Mondays - More Than I Need

I am thankful for God's creation....

1. Quiet mornings
2. cracking pecans in front of a burning fire
3. long phone calls with my mom
4. cold rainy days inside a warm house
5. a child's ability to laugh with their whole being
6. intimate conversations with a spouse
7. chocolate dessert with ice cream
8. family movie night
9. sewing time
10. my beautiful home
11. a refrigerator full of food
12. a shiny, clean car (the outside at least:)
13. aprons
14. crisp apples and tart oranges
15. a great smelling candle
16. my wonderfully, and fearfully made family
17. bright, sunny days
18. monopoly with my daughter over popcorn and hot chocolate
19. snuggling with my son
20. time here on earth to experience God's goodness
21. music that makes your heart sing
22. our Sunday School class
23. BSA smoked turkeys
24. Christmas decorations
25. chubby baby cheeks
26. hand-me down furniture


Join me and many others who are counting our 1000 blessings at Holy Experience!

Menu Planning Monday - Gluten-Free Rachel Ray

It's been a while, but it is high time I got back in gear!! Several of my recipes are modified Rachel Ray recipes to be gluten free! By the way, check out Organic Valley, they have some great coupons for their products.

Sunday - Sauteed pork chops, with Italian beans (recipe below), and salad
Monday - omelets, spinach salad, crescent rolls
Tuesday - Fish sandwiches (recipe below)
Wednesday - Mediterranean- style chicken (recipe below)
Thursday - Spaghetti
Friday - I'll be NYC - Dad is cooking!!

Italian Beans (great fiber!)
Northern beans soaked and cooked
3 slices of bacon
1 medium onion, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
2 celery, sliced thin
1 small garlic clove, minced
1 bay leaf
1 cup chicken stock
2 tomatoes, chopped

Heat a tablespoon or so of olive oil in a pan. Add bacon and cook until crisp, add onion, carrot, celery, garlic and bay leaf and cook for about 5 minutes. Add beans and stock and season with salt and pepper. Cook for about another 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, stir and serve!

Mediterranean-Style Chicken
EVOO
4-6 Chicken cutlets, pounded thin
4-6 fresh sage leaves
4 -6 slices of bacon
3 cups chicken stock
1/4 cupfresh parsely chopped
2 T. butter
1/2 cup grated parmasean cheese
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic
bag of chopped kale
1 T. sugar
2 T. red wine vinegar

Heat 2 T. EVOO in a large non-stick skillet. Place a sage leaf and a piece of bacon on top of a cutlet and roll on a diagonal. Add chicken to the pan. Cook and turn until all sides are brown. Remove from skillet and add 1 cup stock to the pan. Scrape up any brown bits with wooden spoon. Allow to cook and reduce for about 2 minutes. Add parsely and butter. Once butter has melted, add chicken back to the pan and turn off heat. Sprinkle with cheese.

In a separate pan, heat 2 T. in a large saute pan. Add onion and garlic and cook until transluscent. Add kale and toss and turn frequently. Add sugar and vinegar and 1/2 cup chicken stock.

Serve with rice.


Get more great menu ideas at Organization Junkie!

SAHM vs Working Moms on Dr. Phil

I usually don't catch Dr. Phil. 5:00pm is a busy time of athletic practices, HW and supper, but we are on fall break and I actually turned the TV on. All I can say is ...WOW! Having been both a SAHM and a working mom I think there is a much larger issue here:

Why are we so upset over this???

I have a single thoughtful idea. We are all working at the most difficult job in the world...MOTHERHOOD. We are (deep deep deep inside) afraid that we are doing a bad job and that someone else is doing a better job and that our kids will suffer because of it. This FEAR, this GUILT will drive us to do or think most anything to defend our decisions and choices even to where we are willing to tear down other (struggling) moms.

This is the same underlying reason that moms are willing to go to war over who breastfed their children until they were one, had natural childbirth, feeds their kids the healthiest foods.

We want to believe that if our kids are successful, healthy and happy that it was all because of our wonderful parenting so that we can shed off some of that FEAR and GUILT. But alas, we discover that it never really goes away.

God alone can remove these life destroyers called FEAR and GUILT and allow us to more fully love others!

P.A.T.H. - Teaching kids to Pray

If your family is anything like mine, you try to be a good parent and teach your kids great habits that will carry them through like. Praying is one such habit. The difficult part is trying to slowly transition from parent-prayed goodnight prayers to your child initiating prayer on their own. I was really feeling that my kids had hit a plateau and stopped "transitioning". We were stuck in our patterns..."Thank you God for mom and dad"...We needed another boost!

P - Praise

A - Apology

T - Thanks

H - Help (for others then yourself)

The kids and I took four poster boards and wrote one of the above words on each. We arranged them in order all around our backyard ( in order to spell PATH). Quietly and reverently, we walked and encircled a poster. Each person gave praise, apology, thanks or asked from help as we arrived at the designated poster. Do not forget to pull out your Bible and compare the Prayer Path to the Lord's Prayer!

What a difference this has made at bedtime prayers! Good luck and please let me know if you give this a try!

Zucchini Banana Nut Bread for Breakfast!

YUM! My kids ate this all week for breakfast. I sliced it up and toasted it in the oven for a few minutes and VOILA, breakfast. My daughter likes hers with cream cheese and my son prefers butter. Either way, its a great way to get your day movin'!













Zucchini Banana Nut Bread

2 eggs
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. oil
1 c. grated zucchini
1 mashed banana
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. whole wheat four
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 c. shopped pecans

Combine first 6 ingredients. Sift dry ingredients well together and stir into first 6 ingredients. Gently fold in pecans. Pour into 4x9 greased and floured pan. bake at 350 for 1 hour or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Enjoy!

Some Fabulous Blog Finds Today!

While snooping around BlogWorld this morning, I came across two fantastic blogs. I wanted to share them with you. They are fun, upbeat and wonderfully inspiring with lots of ideas and freebies. I can't wait to make the Affirmation Gift Set from Kind Over Matter for my friend's birthdays. The DIY Wipe Off Menu Planner from Perfect Sentiment is high on my list too! Great ideas ladies, please keep them coming !

Envelope System Wallet for Debt Free Living!

New for Fall and back by popular demand - The Envelope system Wallet! A huge thank you to everyone who has sent me a kind message about these wallets! I hope you find them useful and fun to KEEP money in! Wallets can be purchased at my etsy store.














The Envelope System Wallet features:

1) a Velcro closure and one main pocket, in which the envelopes fit.

2)Three envelopes have been made in a coordinating fabric. I transferred labels to each of the wallets for easy reference. I would be happy to transfer a Bible verse, saying or other labels at your request.

3) Last but not least, there is a zippered pouch for coins, driver’s license and pictures of the kids (plenty large enough for up to 10 cards).

4) This wallet could easily also hold your checkbook and deposit slips.

5) Envelopes and zippered pouch are entirely removable for easy access and budgeting. Remove it if it not to be used!