July Park Pics

Bug is now four years old as of May 19 and Buzz turned two on June 22nd! I can't believe how much they have grown and changed in such a short time. About a week ago, I decided on a whim after church one day that we needed to go to the local park arboretum to take pictures, as it was a perfectly overcast day for doing so! We stopped at home for a change of clothes for the Bug, and unfortunately all her frilly dresses were NOT ironed...SO, we opted for this cute casual one that she has and it worked out just fine. She and Buzz loved the little park we were at, as there are lots of gorgeous flowers and plants and also a water fountain there! Of course, you can imagine that after awhile, they just had to put their hands in the streams of water in the fountain...and little Buzz was soaking wet from that adventure, but he was laughing and having the best time. It was hard to keep them sitting still, so my dear man and I took turns taking pics of them playing. It was a lot of fun! I need to do this more often.

Everyday Cassoulet

I'm SO excited to be subbing for a cooking group through my church this coming week! We each prepare 12 meals, and bring 11 to swap with the other 11 members of the group. I can't wait to see what we'll be eating in the coming months! It will be fun to have my freezer fully of yummy meals.

The meal that I prepared is one of my favorites and has been a great company meal here in our home.

Here it is!

Everyday Cassoulet by Melody (& Bet_ty Cro_cker Cook_book)
651-695-1252 if you have questions!

1 lb. Po_lish or smoked sausage (1 giant link…or add 1.5-2 for more meat – I did 1.5 for the group), cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces
(*I always use smoked turkey sausage – Tar_get has a generic one that I used for the group, and there’s a natural version at health stores.…)
1 can (15-16 oz.) great northern beans (or cannelini), rinsed & drained
1 can (15-16 oz.) kidney beans, rinsed & drained
1 can (15-16 oz.) black beans, rinsed & drained
(*For the group, I cooked up 3 bags of each type of bean and that almost covered it, cost MUCH less, and then there is no added salt from the beans…I did end up using just q couple of cans)
1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce (or the 29 oz. can if you double it)
3 medium carrots, thinly sliced (1.5 cups)
(*I ALWAYS add more – I think I did 5-6 carrots per meal for the group)
2 small yellow onions or 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced & separated into rings (or diced)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped (or put through the garlic press…and can add another clove if you like garlic)
½ cup dry red wine or beef broth (I put about 1 cup of beef broth per meal)
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar (you can also use pure maple syrup if you would rather not use sugar)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh or 1.5 teaspoons dried thyme leaves (I did generous tablespoons of the fresh thyme…and have tried dry and it does work fine, but doesn’t have quite the same yummy flavor as the fresh)

Heat oven to 375 degrees.
Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Then pour into an ungreased casserole/lasagna pan (I prefer my lasagna pan because the sides are taller and this casserole is really bubbly) & cover with lid or foil. Bake 1 hour 15 minutes OR until mixture is hot & bubbly & carrots are tender. (I usually end up baking it for about 1.5 hours, and I usually place the pan on top of a baking sheet since it sometimes bubbles over the sides.
I like to serve this dinner with a crusty loaf of bread and a dark, leafy green salad topped with fruit. It’s VERY hearty and people usually love it even if they don’t like beans! ENJOY!!!

Yummy Power Bars!!!

Hello gang!

Sorry I haven't been on here now for TWO whole months. I cannot believe how much has happened since I last wrote! We celebrated our sixth anniversary and our birthdays with a great long weekend getaway to Ro_cky Mou_ntain Nat_ional Pa_rk and did lots of hiking and enjoying God's creation. It was amazing! Then we had a big birthday party for both kids and that was a lot of fun. And now, June is all over! Wowsers. I will try to post some pics sometime, but in the meantime, I'm getting ready to go sai_ling with my sweet man and some friends. It should be a good time!

SO, I'll leave you with this...the neatest recipe that I've used in a long time! My friend KN from MO_PS put this recipe in our coo_kbo_ok that we put out a few years ago, and it is AMAZING!!!

Ultimate Power Bar

Ingredients:

3.5 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
3/4 cup raisins
2/3 cup raw sunflower seeds (I had salted ones because my store didn't have raw)
1/2 cup toasted sesame seeds (I didn't have sesame, so I added more sunflower)
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup oat bran
3 tablespoons flax seeds (you need to grind them up in order to get the benefit of the oils inside...and you can use flax seed meal/purchased ground flax seeds if you don't have the whole seeds - that's what I used and it worked really well)
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt (or you could omit this if you have salted sunflower seeds)
1 cup shredded coconut (optional...but SO delish)
1.5 cups peanut butter (I used Ski_ppy natural smooth)
1 cup honey (I used a local honey)
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup dark chocolate chips (or semi-sweet)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In large bowl, combine first ten ingredients (through coconut). Stir in peanut butter, honey & melted butter. Press firmly into foil-lined or sprayed 9 x 13 inch baking pan.
3. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven & sprinkle chocolate chips over bars. Return to oven until chocolate is softened (about 2-4 minutes). Spread chocolate evenly over bars. (mine didn't spread very well for some reason, fyi...but still tasted delish). Cool on rack then cut into bars. Refrigerate until firm (about 2 hours) then remove from pan and wrap bars individually and store in refrigerator or freezer for a healthy energy-packed snack. (I used plastic wrap for the individual bars and then placed them into quart-sized freezer zipper bags.

ENJOY!!!!!!!!!!

Sewing Frenzy!!!

A couple of months ago, I decided that I wanted to start sewing again! I hadn't used a sewing machine since high school, so it seemed a completely overwhelming task. My sweet Grammie wanted me to have her sewing machine - the one that she used to sew MANY quilts! When she passed away I was only eight years old, and the machine that she had willed to me eventually made it back to my parents' home many years later. For many years I thought about taking out the machine to use it, and this is the year that both time and inspiration have come together to make it possible. Because I felt like I needed to have a refresher in how to sew, I decided to take some classes through our local fabric store. First I took an introductory class, and it was helpful to re-learn the basics. Then today I took a HUGE leap and went to part one of a box cushion making class. Whoa...it was really challenging! But the wonderful teacher for the class is really helpful and willing to stay late to help us students. My project that I'm making is not a simple box cushion but rather a trapezoid shaped window seat pillow for our music room area. When I'm all finished with it, I'll have to post some pictures.

Also today, we had the privilege of seeing some friends from college who were in town. Love you J & R! It's always wonderful to catch up with friends that I haven't seen in a long time.

And alas, it has been yet another long stretch since I last wrote. I just find that I'm better at using Fa_ceb_ook than doing the blog. Perhaps I can get on a blogging stretch now! :)

Blessings to you all.

Yeah Spring!

I'm SO excited that it is starting to get "springy" outside. YIPPEE!!! When it hits the 40's in this land, I just want to put on my shorts and t-shirts and run around outside for hours. Well, or at least not wear a jacket, which I've been doing a lot lately. It's glorious. Everyone seems happier, and that's a lovely thing.

While I type, my kids are running around with Ea_ster eggs and Mr. Po_tato He_ad parts, chasing each other. It's good to see them playing together.

This post is very random so far, so why not continue the randomness, eh?

My mom just found out that her yearly (or bi-annual?) scans for cancer came back FREE once again! We're so excited! This means it has been 9 years since she was declared cancer-free. Hallelujah! Praise to God alone. We're thrilled. On the flipside, my brother J is still dealing with his cancer and the chemo. treatments. He has a lot of pain after his chemo. and then starts to feel better right before he gets hit up with the treatment again. I guess that's just how it goes. But I don't remember it being quite as painful for my mom when she went through it. I suppose it is hard to compare one's pain to another, as we all respond differently and tolerate pain in different ways. And they have/had very different cancers that manifested differently, so that is part of it as well. Cancer is so interesting. I'm reminded again of the phrase "cancer is not limited." J certainly hasn't let it limit him. He went outside a few days ago to prune trees, even with pain. I'm so glad he could do that. I'm sure it helped get his mind off of everything.

I'm waiting to see if I will be featured in a commercial for a local news station here as well as on the web for the clinic I went to for my colo_nos_copy. I volunteered to be interviewed for the clinic. I haven't heard yet, but I might also get asked to do a news interview in addition to the other interview. That would be neat. I'm so over the privacy of the situation, that I had the procedure done and that a polyp was found. I'm just incredibly greatful for this preventative medicine and hope things like this don't become limited or unavailable if our country decides to change he_alth_ca_re too much. But this is something I don't want to sit and worry about, so I'll try not to do that.

On another note, my honey and I are enjoying lots of time reading and talking together lately. It has been such a good bonding experience. We're learning and growing in our marriage, and I'm grateful for it.

Well, must log off...tis nappy time...hope to post pics soon.

Neglected Blog, Busy Life

I haven't written on this blog for a month or so...life has been so busy and full lately. I find that Face_book is so much easier for regular communication and quick notes of thought from my mind. But alas, here I am on this Saturday evening, typing away! It's hard to believe that January has come and gone so quickly. I LOVE getting through the month of January, because it means that February is right there and Valen_tines D_ay is nearing closer. VDay is a holiday that I really enjoy, since I am such a romantic at heart. Honey man doesn't necessarily love it due to the hype it receives, but we usually find some ways to make it special. Last year I think he was gone for the big day, so we didn't get to celebrate it together. And this year, he has a broomball game on that day! Goodness...what are those guys thinking? Taking away our romantic, sappy holiday? Hopefully we can plan something for the weekend of VDay and then we don't have to worry if it happens right on the day or not.

In other news, I had a test done recently that came back with mixed results, but the news is that I'm fine for now. And I'm learning to trust that God knows my days...His word says that my days are numbered aright. I will trust that. At least today I trust that! And on the days when I don't want to trust that, I will CHOOSE to trust that. I'm grateful for early intervention and preventative tests, and hope that we will always be able to have such measures in our health care.

And on my heart so much lately is the country of Hai_ti which recently experienced a terrible earthquake. Such devastation for such a poor country. I have felt such heaviness for them lately. But I'm so encouraged to hear all the neat stories coming away...of the rescues, the massive adoptions going on, and all the medical teams and other rescue workers going to do whatever they can to help people on the ground. May God rescue that nation and help them in their time of need and beyond. I have always had a passion for adoption, and my man and I have talked about it a lot. We are not sure if it is something for us or not, but we do think about it and like to encourage it in whatever ways we can. I've seen all those babies from H and wanted to take one in...there are so many kids there that need homes.

Well, this is a scattered post, but just wanted to share what was on my mind. Blessings.

Bird Treats

The other day, Bug and I stirred up some bird seed treats for our bird friends in our yard! I wanted to post the recipe on here for ya'all...very easy and fun...just some ingredients that we don't normally have at home that I had to go out and get, and you could probably substitute a few things but I didn't think of it at the time. My dad gave me a few suet feeders for our birds, ones that he didn't need anymore! So that was very sweet and I'm excited to see the birds gobble up their new fun food! THANKS DAD!!!

Here's the recipe, taken from a neat book that I received as a gift awhile back, "Company's Coming: Gifts From The Kitchen" by Jean Pare. (I don't know how to underline book titles or add accents on letters in this format yet!) It's a great book that has many homemade food and other gifts. I am always inspired to create something when I look at it!

Bird Feed Treats

(*Note at top of recipe says "save the mesh bags from onions, lemons, limes, [oranges], or tomatoes-on-the-vine to fill with this bird treat).

dry bread crumbs 2 cups
commercial birdseed 1 cup
chopped unsalted peanuts 1 cup (I couldn't find unsalted, so I had to use "lightly salted")
chopped raisins 1 cup
whole wheat flour 1/2 cup
yellow cornmeal 1/4 cup
cream of wheat cereal (not instant) 1/4 cup

chunky peanut butter (no salt, no sugar) 1 cup
suet (or vegetable shortening) 1 cup
bacon drippings 2 tbsp.

mesh bags (or a suet feeder!)
butchers string or jute twine

Directions:
Combine first 7 ingredients in large bowl.

Heat peanut butter, suet and bacon drippings in small saucepan on medium, stirring occasionally until melted. Gradually stir into birdseed mixture until moistened. Pack mixture into ice cube trays. Chill well or freeze.

Fill mesh bags (or suet feeder) with up to 10 cubes. Close. Tie with string. Hang from sturdy branch or shepherds hook. Makes about 4 dozen cubes.

Note: You could also just place a few cubes on your deck, fence rail or a bird feeder platform.