Healthy Smoothies

Don't feel like eating a salad but need to get some more veggies in your diet? Picky kids won't eat their vegetables? Have a blender?

Blend well: 1 entire apple (minus stem), 1 ice cube tray of ice, few tablespoons honey, 1 1/2-2 cups plain yogurt, couple handfuls mixed salad (I used leftover salad from dinner last night: spinach, romaine, and shredded carrots). Tastes great and good for you! Add some frozen berries for color and extra flavor if green scares your kiddos. This can easily be adapted for breakfast by omitting the ice, apple, and honey, and instead using frozen berries, a banana or two, and some orange juice. I love making this as an easy lunch/breakfast for the children and I, served alongside a grain like buttered toast.

Does your family make these or a variation? If you have a favorite recipe that sneaks veggies into your diet, please share in a comment below! Have a blessed day, and please don't forget to talk to God today, He loves you!

Cloth Diapering...Yeah, It's Addictive

I popped into Hancock Fabrics today with cotton flannel on my mind. I wanted to get a cute print that I could sew up into large squares for flat diapers. I wanted something gender neutral and yet not boring.  Something that said "I'm a diaper" not "This kid's mom can't match his top and bottom clothes together." I first found a great diaper pin print; super cute with many colors. Downside: $7.00 a yard :-\  Another section of flannel prints was priced at $7.00 a yard, but was on sale for 50% off, which made it the cheapest flannel in the entire store. I found a print that fit my requirements, and purchased the remainder of the bolt (about 4 yards) for about $14.00. Yay!

I plan to start sewing tonight, then send my new dipes through a few hot wash cycles to fluff 'em up, and begin diapering Declan (14 months old, can you believe it!) with them tomorrow. I researched (extensively) online, and have decided on these dimensions for my flats: 31.5" by 31.5", which reportedly, should shrink down to approximately 28" by 28". I've cut into my fabric already, and I have enough flannel to make 6 flats and a few cloth wipes from the scraps. I don't have a serger (sigh...someday...) so I plan to zig zag AND straight stitch the edges to prevent them from fraying. I have yards and yards of edging to sew, so I better get to it, if I want to wash them tonight!

P.S. In case you were curious, I much prefer good ole' diaper pins to Snappies, and I will be using this fold with my flats. It turns out very trim around baby's legs and multi-layered up front, where it counts. More on flat folds and use in a later post!

Pancakes and Blogger Problems

I tried to post a great photo tutorial on a craft project the children and I just did, but I'm having problems with my mobile Blogger app. :-( I guess it will have to wait until I can sort things out on my home computer. That may be a while. So for a while, I'm stuck doing simple photo posts.

I am making freezer pancakes today. Here is the process I am following. This will be so convenient on hectic mornings; pull out kid-sized, homemade, whole wheat pancakes from the freezer, reheat and eat! Let me know if you try this!

Speaking of hectic mornings, if you are having one, don't forget to take a quick moment to talk to God and "give it all over" to him. Don't carry stress around; surrender your day to the Lord and trust me, it will be be a great one!

Banana Nut Oatmeal

Today's breakfast. Delicious! Scroll through the pics and you'll see that children approved as well :-)

Fall Is Full Of...

Our Fall is full of pumpkins and stews and colorful leaves.  And a young toddler learning to feed himself :-)

The Widow with the Two Mites

I read a devotional today from a weekly series on women of the Bible. Here is the wonderful lesson that I took away from it today:

Even if it doesn't seem like much, even if no one else knows...if you are giving your all, He sees and He is well pleased with you.

As a mother of several small children, it is easy to feel like no one knows or appreciates everything I do in a day. We young mothers have the privilege of training our children and keeping house all day, but at the end of the day, when daddy comes home, it often looks as though perhaps nothing productive was done at all. Take heart young mothers, that the Lord sees all that you do and knows the motives of your heart. He hears every story you read. He feels the gentle guidance of your hand as you assist in printing letters and cutting paper. He counts each time you:  sweep the floor, wash the dishes, change a diaper, wash someone else's hands, do a load of laundry, sing a cheerful song, kiss an owie, trip on something you didn't leave out, lol!  I think he overlooks:  your messy hair bun, the lipstick forgotten in your makeup bag, the baby drool on your shirt, your unmanicured nails, etc.

God sees all of the important things you do each day (yes, they are very important!), even when it may feel that no one knows your sacrifice. He loves you, His hard worker, and He says you are doing a great job!

I pray that you feel exceedingly blessed by Him today, and that you feel encouraged as you offer up your daily sacrifice to our Lord :-)

Creamy Beef and Cabbage over Noodles

Cook whole wheat pasta noodles of your choice until "al dente". Drain, set aside.

Brown some butter, then brown some lean ground beef in the butter. Add in desired amounts of cumin, Real Salt, freshly ground pepper, onion flakes or chopped onions, dried thyme, minced fresh garlic, and some chopped cabbage. Once cabbage has started to wilt slightly and looks glazed, turn off stove. Finely grate some extra sharp cheddar cheese into pot, then mix in desired amounts of sour cream, ranch dressing, mustard, and honey, until the beef and cabbage is coated by a nice creamy sauce.

Spoon some creamy beef and cabbage over each serving of pasta, and enjoy!

This was our dinner tonight, made up from ingredients on hand, and boy was it delicious! I wish there were leftovers for tomorrow's lunch, but we ate it all! Also, I'm sorry that there isn't a picture, but I wrote this post after dinner :-(

May the Lord richly bless your family as well, and I hope you all have/had a great dinner tonight!