Waste not want not...

The weekend of drawn out birthday celebration was a success!

My try at free handing/eyeing/designing this cake with my angel lending a hand when needed was I believe a success! 

Happy birthday to you

Happy birthday to YOU

Happy birthday

my dear one

Happy birthday

to YOU!

(doodly-doo)

Vibrant Color

Life is full of color. Vibrant color. Bright lively color can be found everywhere, all around!

In handstands and smiles

A souvenier purse from China Town, New York City

A goose egg's bold yellow yolk.

God's blue blue sky!

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Mirthful magazines in the mailbox!

Finding something that was once lost.

I am thankful for ALL of the "color" that brighten's life today!

Birthday brownies

Chocolate

A girl's best friend, right?

Always rich, sweet and invigorating.

My brother had a birthday recently,

I surprised him with some brownies at work!
But of course I had to sample them first.

(I guess they could be labeled a guy's best friend, too right?)

Birthday brownies... yum.

A little bit of this and a little bit of that...

...makes dinner!

1 Celery stalk chopped

1 large carrot peeled and chopped

1/2 green bell pepper chopped

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 heaping cup sliced cabbage

1 15 ounce can lentil beans drained and rinsed

2 chicken breasts cooked and diced

2 cups cooked brown rice

2 cups steamed broccoli

1 32 ounce container chicken stock

1 T minced garlic

1 T white vinegar

1 T Flax meal(optional)

2 bay leaves

Salt and pepper(optional)

olive oil

water

Saute celery, carrot, onion and bell pepper in olive oil over med/high heat for approx. 5 minutes or until soft. Add cabbage and garlic along with a splash of stock and olive oil. Lid pot and saute for approx 5 more minutes or until cabbage is softened. Add stock and 1 stock container full of water, bay leaves, rice and beans to pot. Put lid on and bring to a boil and simmer for approx. 10 minutes on low heat. Remove bay leaves. Add chicken, broccoli, vinegar, flax meal and heat through and Voila!  You have a yummy, HEALTHY dinner confined to one pot. Bliss.

Random Thoughts Thursday

I can't believe it's been a whole 2 weeks since I last posted on this blog!  Life has been very full.  I've had many many an idea pass through my head and heart of things, stories, photograph oldies, my kids' birth stories, prayers, praises that I wanted to blog about... {{sigh}}... Just didn't happen my friends. I've been literally in pain about not being able to put stories into photographs and snap cute pictures of my kids... {gritting teeth} Grrrrrrrr. I just remember that in light of eternity, it's just a thing, an earthly desire. I can certainly wait a few more days!
Fresh bread, supporting my husband, schooling my kids, starting a new season of WOW Bible studies(I just soak in our prayer time together, it's sweet!), living and loving life, buying skinny jeans(yeah, I know, scary)... God is so good!  I was able to be involved in a little of my husband's career aspirations lately.  It's tough to be intricately involved when you have 5 kids at home, but this last week I was so blessed to have tagged along with him to a BNI (business networking international) meeting, at 7:30 am in the morning... *yawn... SO FUN!  It was neat to meet a lot of his peers and colleagues and see how much they appreciate, respect and love my honey.  It was his day to do a presentation about his services, job, talents, etc. but he also did a lot of pictures and stories of us, his family-just to throw in a personal touch.  He wrote THE FUNNIEST song ever for the event as well and sang it while he played his guitar making everyone become a mess of laughter, smiles and appreciation... everyone feels bad for the person who has to follow up his ultimate prize-winning presentation this week. It was THAT great!
I am so excited to be ordering my camera!  Ordered it last night!  WOOHOO!!! A Canon EOS Rebel T1i EF-S 18-55mm IS Kit !  It should be here in the next week. I am beyond ecstatic!!! You'll be getting far more pictures on here again. Probably an annoyingly gross amount more...
This last week, I have been a healthy eating, daily exercise participating mama... got to kick those lazy no good holiday eating habits now!!  I want to look my red carpet best. Haha. It's ZUMBA day today! Whoot!
Getting excited to head east to New York in March, which is amazingly about the same distance away as flying to Japan from here... crazy.  I've been there once before during my highschool days, before the Twin Towers we're gone... We will be leaving on a Monday and getting back on Friday. Three whole days of wandering the streets of New York with my mom and sister... can't wait!  Although, it is hard for me to leave my family(and I hate flying), I know this is a wonderful opportunity! I will certainly enjoy spending time with my sissy and mother dear(and taking awesome pictures with my new camera and lens *wink*giddy giggle). We will be doing some high style New York shopping, show watching, delicious dining and historic sightseeing. Excited!!
My baby at 19 months is interested in potty training, we're taking it slow but I have a feeling she is going to be earlier than three of my other kids at becoming potty-trained. My second in command was 18 months old as well as she became trained at the same time as her older sister who is 12 months older... she's always had the drive to keep up and excel and my fifth blessing reminds me of her.
Starting to feel old these days. Crackly joints, sore muscles every morning... I am finding I can't home school my kids, workout and work all in the same day and feel okay. Darn it.
Last night while at work two teenage boys sauntered into Jolts and Juice and tried to bedazzle me into giving them a complimentary "brownie". "First of all..."I said facetiously" those aren't brownies. They're pumpkin bread. Secondly, your charm isn't going to work on me. Nice try though!"  So I walk off with a smile and a few moments later they motion for me to come back over and ask, "So, let me ask you something, why didn't our charm work on you?" I replied matter-of-factly,"Probably because I am twice your age."  As I rested my elbows on the counter and my chin in my hands, they we're like, "26?"~"27?"~"28" as I shook my head no in between each guess..."29." I said as I finished the guessing game for them. Yes, 29 years old even though I still intermittently interject the word "like" like quite too often in places where "like" doesn't necessarily need to be used... Okay, so I'm not twice as old as them but still... c'mon, give me a break boys. I'm almost old enough to be your mother... and you are old enough to know better than to be begging!  Get a job, and budget! Anyway, when they left, stomachs growling and pride delfated, they said thanks for the water and I said thanks for the charm. Heehee.

I adore Mary Jane's Farm magazine. My mom bought me a subscription and it is pleasingly chock full of delectable recipes, homey activities, healthy living tips and is just plain bound up quaintness in my hands. Love it!  I have also enjoyed using her whole wheat Budget Mix in recipes. It's a lot like Bisquick only healthier!  I used it to make cinnamon rolls of sort yesterday. Here is what I did(approximately, as I am always just throwing things into my dishes and baked goods, praying they turn out... and they usually do(fingers crossed).

Cinnamon roll dough:

2 Cups Mary Jane's Budget mix

2T. brown sugar

1/2 cup butter cold and cut into pieces

1 cup buttermilk

t. vanilla

Whole wheat flour for kneading and rolling dough out

Filling:

1/4 cup organic butter softened

brown sugar

honey

cinnamon

nutmeg

Frosting:

whipping cream

2 t. fresh lemon juice

powdered sugar

t. vanilla

Cut in butter with Budget mix and brown sugar until it resembles course meal. Add buttermilk and vanilla. Add whole wheat flour or more budget mix until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Knead and roll out into a 1/4 inch rectangle. Spread butter on top, then sprinkle on brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Top with squeezing desired amount of honey all over the sugar. Roll the dough and slice into about 1 inch pieces. Place in a greased pan and bake at 450 for 15 minutes or until desired brownness.

I then whipped up the frosting adding ingredients until desired consistency is reached.

Yesterday, I also had my two oldest girls walk a couple of these rolls down to a neighbor friend about 3 1/2 blocks walk away. I was slightly worried about letting them go on their own but they did great!  Went there and back with no problem. It's hard to let go of our kids but when we do it's amazing how they grow up and excel on their own!

My husband and I enjoyed a date this week. We try to get out every other week on our own. Just to enjoy each other's company, have fun and get to know each other better. We feel like kids again when we are out on the town... we almost don't know what to do with ourselves at times!  No diaper changes?  No emergency potty runs?  No tired fussy kids?  Although, we embrace all of that as parents, it is still a nice break from the norm to go on a date.  If we don't go to the movies, we usually go around town getting things done! Haha, it may come as a surprise, but we enjoy going to Home Depot to plan our attic remodel or stop by Walgreens and grab diapers... it's just fun to be together, holding hands and spending time together as a couple. I love my husband so much!

We watched the movie,"Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps" and we're enamored by it's drama and depiction of how greed rules and runs our country and how rumors/word of mouth play a big role in making or breaking large influential company's success. It sent our brains a reeling.  If you like powerful dramas and touching love stories that leave you with the sense of how much the world needs Jesus, I would definitely recommend this movie to you.

I will leave you with this photo of me sporting my new diaper purse... yep, I'm a mom and proud of it!
God bless, friends.

nuttakit

The Dirty Dozen

The most important foods to buy and eat organic.

Christmas Gingerbread Houses

A week or so ago, my kids and I made gingerbread houses out of gingerbread graham crackers, GOBS of candy and frosting.  We had a blast!  I had totally forgotten about these pictures until today. 

My firstborn's



My second in command's

My Little Angel's

My little man's



And My Fifth Blessing's and mine

These houses we're COMPLETELY and utterly demolished by late that evening.

Worth the mess?

Totally!

Chocolate Cake

This cake is genius.

Amazing melt-in-your-mouth richness.

Absolutely delightful alongside some fresh espresso.

I did substitute brown sugar for the Muscovado, a lime in place of the lemon and half and half whole wheat and white flour for the Spelt purely because I didn't have them on hand.

While waiting for our cake to bake to perfection, my son kept me entertained with his facial contortions.

Okay, time to check on our yummy delicacy...

A few more minutes in the oven...

His sad face.

I believe I under baked the cake ever so slightly, but it was still heavenly. I love half-baked desserts, so we scarfed this one down managing to share a little with friends before only crumbs remained.

You can't go wrong with chocolate!



Fall Harvest

It's no secret that I love the color red, flowers, the crispness of fall and a cloudy day.
So when I have experiences that incorporate all of those loves, I am on cloud nine!
This first-of-fall-weekend, we we're fortunate enough to once again head out to our family-owned Countryman Farm (pics and story to come one day... soon) and pick, dig, clip, reach, arrange, search, pull and fill until we were loaded up with an abundance of fall harvest produce such as melons, rhubarb, plums, apples, potatoes, corn, zucchini and tomatoes. Ah, the bliss!  A more productive (and cheaper, too!) trip than to the local grocery store. I even managed to quickly clip a couple beautiful bouquets. ~One to keep and one to give away~
We are fortunate to have extended family within a few miles of us literally on ALL sides. They all also love to garden. Who needs to dig up an already small yard to stake out a garden plot in town when beautiful generous country dwelling family members gladly share the "wealth" and keep our fridge and cupboards stocked full? 

Walnuts, cornstalks and pumpkins are next! How blessed and thankful we are!

Blueberry Brunch Cake

I completely delight in having dear friends over for amazing conversation and encouragement over freshly brewed coffee or tea and freshly baked goodies.  I heart baking, cooking, trying new recipes and really just eating any type of food in general. {grin}
Here is one of the 3 delicious your-husband-can't keep-his-finger-out-of-the-batter-good dishes my lovely friend Katie and I will enjoy with our 8 kiddos tomorrow late morning as we exchange homeschooling strategy, schedules, curriculum and plans... among other things.

Blueberry Brunch Cake
Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter softened
1 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup chopped pecans(or oats)
1 cup blueberries
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
 
Oven Temp ~ 350° Baking Time ~ 35-40 Min.

Pan Type ~ 9" square pan


Preheat oven, grease pan with solid vegetable shortening and dust with flour or use a vegetable pan spray.
Place butter and sugar in large mixing bowl, cream until light and fluffy, add eggs and vanilla, beat. Toss flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt with a fork. Add alternately with sour cream, to creamed mixture. Mix until smooth. Toss brown sugar, cinnamon and nuts together.


Pour half the batter into prepared pan. Mix blueberries and half the brown sugar, cinnamon and nut mixture, spread over batter add remaining batter. Top with other half of nut mixture. Bake until toothpick comes out clean.

Potato, Broccoli & Chicken Chowder

Our dinner tonight was warm, comforting and fully enjoyed by each & every little{and BIG}family member in our home. I thought I would share it's yummy-ness with all of you!

Potato Broccoli & Chicken Chowder

Ingredients
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1 32 ounce carton organic chicken stock
3 cups red potato, cubed (about 1 1/4 pounds) 
2 cups small broccoli florets
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
2 cups organic baby spinach, finely chopped 
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and coarsely cubed
1 1/4 cups organic whole milk 
1 (8-ounce) cheddar cheese, shredded
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire/soy sauce (use one or the other or mix both, which is what I prefer to do)
Pepper to taste
2 green onions, chopped

Put potato, broccoli, onion, garlic and

*thickening into pan on medium heat. Bring to a low simmer with lid on for 8 minutes or until potatoes are beginning to soften, stirring occasionally.  Add the rest of the stock and bring to a boil for 5 more minutes or until desired consistency is reached. Add spinach and cubed chicken, milk and cheese stirring until cheese is melted and chowder is thoroughly heated through. Add Worcestershire/Soy sauce mixture and pepper to taste, stirring well. Sprinkle a few fresh green onions on the top of each serving of chowder.

*flour and 2 cups stock

I paired this yummy dinner with freshly baked apples for dessert. This apple recipe is not exactly the same as mine, but it is close. I added about 1/4 cup of oats to the stuffing, as well as dashes of ginger and cloves. Such a comforting meal! Hope you enjoy!

We love peanut butter in this home. It is a breakfast, lunch, snack, dessert and sometimes even dinner staple favorite. Peanut butter is OH so yummy just as it is, but for a more well-rounded snack, I like to add to it. Homemade Nut butter is healthy, yummy, quick and convenient. It really is a very versatile concoction and you could experiment, add to, and take away from this recipe and it would still be just as yummy. Sometimes I just use whatever I can find in my cupboard... I'm such a do-it-myselfer, and a lover of all things organic and homemade, although I prefer to draw the line at growing my own peanuts, harvesting grain, keeping bees.... stuff like that, you know?

I thought I would share my tentative(as I usually just throw stuff randomly in to the food processor) recipe with you all!!

Semi-homemade Nut Butter:

2 cups raw almonds
1 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup raw walnuts
1/4 cup Molasses
1 cup raw honey
1 28 ounce jar of creamy organic peanut butter
2T Flax oil

Grind almonds, sunflower seeds and walnuts in processor until chopped well but not creamy or pasty. It's A-okay to have big pieces of nuts floating around still. Pour ground up nuts and the rest of the ingredients into a large bowl and stir well! You can add more or less Flax oil to make the Nut butter just the right consistency for your taste. I have also added Nutella, cinnamon or salt to the Nut butter depending on what kind of mood I am in(or what I may have on hand). Put it in a jar, screw on the lid and put it on your pantry shelf ready to smear onto Flat bread, bread, tortillas, pitas or crackers at a moment's notice. It's great for dipping carrots, apples or celery into as well.
I've found that keeping many old lidded jars from peanut butter, pickles, you-name-it, and re-using them to store things like this Nut butter in is a thrifty and handy trick!
Enjoy, friends!

Oatmeal.
One of my fave breakfasts!
It's a filling meal and will "stick to your ribs" as they say for half of the day! Keeping you feeling full, energetic and not the least bit hungry. I swear my brain feels quite alert and clearer as well after I've eaten a bowl of oats, but I don't know... if that's scientifically proven and such.
But
I do know it's loaded with vitamin B, iron, fiber, vitamin A and calcium. Even more importantly though is what it doesn't have in it; fat(minimal amounts) and cholesterol (NONE!).
Another great fact about oatmeal is that it is CHEAP! It's practically non-perishable, good for your heart, gets rid of bad cholesterol and is one of the most beneficial foods to feed growing children.
One of my favorite ways to make my oatmeal is as follows:

Mommy's oatmeal

One serving cooked oatmeal

fresh milk

molasses

honey

baked coconut

real vanilla

cinnamon

salt

Mix one t. of molasses, 2 t of honey, 1/8 cup coconut(or more if you are a coconut lover), 1/4 t. vanilla, 2 dashes of cinnamon and salt into oatmeal. Add milk to desired consistency and tada! You have a healthy, yet delicious, nutritious breakfast of champions!

If you are in the mood for a healthy "dessert", try chocolate chips instead of coconut.... mhhhmm, oh my, it's like a freshly made warm chocolate chip cookie.

Happy eating!

Halibut Quinoa Chowder

Wowee, this recipe was amazing!

I took this recipe and did what I do best-made it my own.

Halibut Quinoa Chowder

2 T organic butter or olive oil
1 large Leek sliced thin and then chopped
2 cups cooked organic Quinoa
2 cloves minced organic garlic
6 Campari tomatoes-halved and sliced thin
6 cups organic chicken stock
2 large carrots-shredded
1 1/4 cups organic milk
3/4 cup organic heavy cream
Salt and Pepper-to taste
1 1/2 - 2 lbs fresh Halibut cut into 1 inch squares
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Crushed & Dried Red Pepper

Heat large pan on med. heat. Melt oil/butter in pan. Add Leek and cook for 2 minutes. Add garlic, tomato, carrots and 1 cup Chicken stock. Once simmering, let cook for 5 minutes. Pour in the rest of chicken stock and Quinoa. Bring to a simmer for 5 minutes. Add milk, cream and salt and pepper to taste, then stir in Halibut. Bring to a simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes or until Halibut is flaky and white. Gently stir in cheese and red pepper until cheese is melted. Then serve and enjoy! Mhmmm.
serves 8