:: The first snowfall ::
:: Time to work on Christmas gifts ::
:: Sledding with the kids...laughter.....sunshine ::
:: Watching our chickens reaction to the snow ::
:: Adding things I've never put before on my simple joys list: sledding with chickens
Disclaimer: No chicken was ever forced to sled or was hurt in the making of this blog post...they seem to find ways to enjoy the snow, too!
This moment
Inspired by Soulemama
{My husband deligently working on gifts for the kids last year.}
There are so many wonderful ideas for Christmas and the like roaming around the internet, and I just wanted to share some with you:
Some we will be buying, some making, and some we are just oooohing and aaaahing at....you get the picture, right?
By the way, if you are one of my lovely family members...well, you can stop reading right here!!!
Have a wonderful weekend,
Joy~
{This post is a part of Monday mania and Homestead Barn Hop}
With the holidays ahead of us, comes the challenge of trying to maintain a healthy, whole foods diet. A few days ago I was researching information for my healthy families class, and came across this inspiring article about fruit-based desserts. Wonderful!
As Kimi Harris wrote in her article, "What I see in a lot of traditional recipes is a large use of fruit to help sweeten desserts, or to act as dessert by themselves. Fruit based desserts are delicious, and are also full of wonderful nutrients and anti-oxidants. They are naturally sweet so that we don’t have to use as much sweetener."
Thinking about fruit and history, I am taken back to the book I am enjoying with my 7 year old son, Little House in the Big Woods. They used maple sugar and honey as their main sweeteners....while the "store bought" sugar, (white sugar), that Pa comes home with from the general store, was only used when company came over. I also recall oranges being a wonderful gift for them at Christmastime. An indulgent and special treat.
If only we can see fruit as the gift God intended it to be. Nourishing, wonderful and satisfying.
Yes, even in the late fall, you can be making beautiful, (and beautifying), fruit based desserts. Obviously, in the middle of summer's bounty, it is easier to think of all the wonderful berry and fruit desserts. But, how about in late November? Do you know what fruits are in season now?
-these are just a few of the wonderful life-giving fruits that are in season, even in the cold of the year.
Imagine some lovely almond-cranberry scones for a late brunch over a holiday weekend, adding dices of orange to an orange julius smoothie for a refreshing breakfast, or how about a scrumptious pear, apple or peach crisp for a nourishing after dinner dessert? Also, a beautifying treat anytime, is this chocolate pudding, based on bananas and avocados....you'll be coming back to this one, time and time again! And, don't forget this light coconut whipped cream, that tastes like Cool Whip, but is so good for you. Put on top of seasonal pies, crisps, and/or fruit, everyone at your table will be impressed!
These would be a lovely addition to any holiday table, or anytime in between. Here is to nourishing our bodies' all through the year.
Blessings,
Joy~
This post is a part of:
Do you need a bit of brilliance today? This recipe is sooooo very simple, and yet so brilliant at the same time. It's not mine...but a very close friend's. I'm so glad she shared it with me, and I am so happy to pass it along to you as well.
This chicken is FULL of flavor, and is so moist. Everyone raves about it, and loves it. Something healthy, quick and great to do when guests are over.
How-to:
Place chicken breasts in crock-pot or a corningware type pan with a lid. (This helps to seal in all the yummy juices!)
Add 1/2" or a bit more of water. Obviously, the more chicken used, a bit more water is needed. The point is to have a little water to keep everything moist, and not let it go dry.
Now be very generous with garlic and onion powder, and also some salt and pepper. Add a bit more garlic and onion powder than you normally would.
For the crockpot, let it cook on high for 5-6 hours, or until chicken is cooked through. In the oven, do a lower heat setting, around 250 degrees, and let it cook for a couple of hours.
**Pay attention here: For extra moist chicken, shred the chicken in the pan with the water. Let it sit just for a bit, and it will soak up that very flavorful juice. This is what takes it to the next level, and rewards you with that wonderful taste!
Enjoy on top of brown rice, homemade bread, and a side veggie or salad...supper is complete!
Blessings,
Joy~
{This post is a part of Pennywise Platter, Simple Lives Thursday, Fight Back Friday and Frugal Friday}
As I was unloading the groceries yesterday, I was thinking about my little girl, who has just turned four. She LOVES to talk. And, when I mean talk....I mean, well...ALL the time. Incessantly, is a word that comes to mind. Words are the way she expresses herself, and this she does very well. The bigger the words she uses, the more grown-up she feels. Her newest word is "important", which of course, is used in every sentence that comes from her mouth.
As the groceries were taken out of their bags, and placed into the cupboards, my mind wandered back to our time at the store. Miss Lady K, my four year old, had been there with me. Now, I will admit that she is a very cute little girl. She has large blue eyes inherited from her grandma, and light blonde hair. She is a beautiful little girl. And, people tell her so. I don't know how many people tell her she is "so cute!", when we are out and about. Or, they may comment on the outfit she's wearing as well.
Don't get me wrong, I am thankful for the kind words spoken. However, I thought how often as a mom, I compliment her as well, on physical attributes alone. Words that feed the flesh, and help her to focus on the outside, not the inside.
The whole world screams at us about the way we look, and the way we are dressed. Magazine covers, television ads, "compliments" from strangers, just to name a few.
I long for my children, and my three daughters especially, to long for things that are eternal. For that to be their focus. To be enamored with the One who made them, loves them more than I ever could, and gives their lives purpose.
My words can have a huge effect on their outlook. As a homeschooling mama, I am around my children most of the hours in a given day. We talk, and talk, and talk with each other. For this, I am so very thankful. However, I pray for the words from my mouth to be focused on what I see God doing in their lives.
For instance, yesterday, after my daughter pushed someone down at our homeschool co-op (without me seeing)...she later came to me, and told me what she had done. I did thank her for telling me the truth. Even better, I could have said, "I see how God was working in your spirit to tell the truth. God stands for the truth, and so do you. God is at work in your heart!" What a wonderful thought for a little one to know that a living God is working in them!
I have been trying to catch my children in acts of servant hood, telling the truth, putting someone else before them, and other kind or thoughtful acts. I try very hard to share with them how I see God working in their lives, and say how proud me, daddy and God are of them.
Let's build our children up to be all God has called of them!
Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.
Proverbs 18:21
p.s. Thank you, Heather, for putting this forefront in my mind....you have helped my family by sharing what God laid on your heart.
Our Red and Crimson Clover seeds
Greens are such an important food to add to our diet. The varitey of greens is simply amazing, and I think the supermarket doesn't even touch on the variety and types of greens there are, not to mention greens from sprouting seeds!
The benefits and rewards of adding greens to our diet is profound. More energy (yes, please!), a more alkiline body (always a good thing), detoxing (we all gotta lot of junk in us), not to mention the boost to our immune systems (and who doesn't need that this time of year?)
Sprouting
One way I like to add greens to our diet this time of year...well, any time of year actually...but it's so nice to have something "green" growing this time of the year....is by growing sprouts. It's also the perfect activity to have the kids help you with. An amazing lesson on how God takes the little seed, and helps it to grow! Life! For growing sprouts in the kitchen, I like to use a sprouting jar with a metal mesh lid. I believe you can even find them on amazon. Different seeds will have different soaking lengths and sprouting times. Easy to google and find out for the seeds you have obtained. This week, we are growing red and crimson clover seeds.
It really is just child's play---soak, rinse, drain, rinse, drain, ...rain, drinse, oh, sorry, make that drain, rinse....you get the picture! I usually place about 2 Tablespoons of seeds into the jar, cover with the mesh lid, and then add about half a jar of water, and let them soak for a good 8 hours. After that, begins the drain and rinse part. Drain out the water, and rinse well. I tip my jar at an angle in a bowl, so any water dripping out will be caught by the bowl. Some people may like to place them on a dish dryer. (You know, the metal or plastic rack that dishes dry on after being hand washed.)
You will see the little sprouts starting to grow. When they are to a length you like, put them in a sunny window for a bit, and you'll see them green up as benificial chlorophyll is being added! Greens that are easy to grow, a great lesson for children, and cost pennies...gotta love that!
Powdered greens
No, I'm not making a bit of money for recommending Garden of life products, but I do love them. I have their Perfect Food raw organic green supor food powder. Now, this is something that is more expensive. I don't feed this to my whole family...usually just myself. Mama needs energy to raise 5 (very!) energetic kiddos, and be the wife and everything else I need to be. I will put a scoop of this in a glass of good juice....shake it up....gulp it down. You don't really taste the green at all, just the juice....but it definitely has green color! And, there is no "crash" later. Keeps me runnin' like a top!
Adding greens to smoothies
This morning we just finished our blueberry yogurt smoothies....with kale! Some folks are more hard-core than me, and add TONS of greens to their smoothies. My kiddos are not big on green colored smoothies....however, I can add quite a bit without changing the taste or color of the smoothie. Especially if there is a little sweetener in it. Using orange juice concentrate as the sweetener in place of honey or something else, really masks the "green" taste, and is a great natural way to a great tasting smoothie!
You can use all sorts of greens or sprouts, to add a nutritional punch to your smoothies. Kale, romaine, lettuces, endive, the list goes on and on.
Add spinach to cooked dishes:
I always have a ton of spinach in my fridge. The beauty of spinach, is that you can throw some into almost any dish. Most of the dishes in my home have quite a bit of flavor, since I love using herbs and spices. Not just for flavor, but for their nutritional value as well. Many, many dishes can have spinach added to them, without anyone ever noticing. I just grab a handul or two, tear them up, and throw them in before the dish bakes, or at the end of sauteing my veggies. Just a minute or two in the pan, and they'll be wilted, so wait til the end.
Meatloaf, spaghetti, lasagna, meat casseroles, are just a few of the dishes that spinach is easily added to.
Blessings to you and your family,
Joy~
{This post is a part of Monday Mania, Works for me Wednesday and Real Food Wednesday, Pennywise Platter, Simple Lives Thursday, Frugal Friday and Fight Back Friday}
I have been teaching healthy living classes on Tuesdays for moms (and some young girls have joined us as well, (which I love!). Having a couple of young ladies of my own, girls have a special place in my heart.
Yesterday in class, we went over ways to save money on food...and I demonstrated how to make the peach crisp pictured above. If you have ever struggled with whether or not to feed your company the same healthy food you are trying to afford for your own family...or struggled with not coming up with a quick dessert when people unexpectedly stop by, well, struggle no more! Mix a big batch of the dry ingredients together, (minus the butter or oil), and store them in the fridge. Also, we try to keep canned peaches on hand, and usually we already have apples, if we want to do an apple crisp.
How simple is that? And, you'll blow your guests away with how yummy something healthy can be....with no white sugar!
Okay, here's the recipe:
Topping for the apple, peach or any fruit crisp bakeover dessert:
2/3 cup whole grain flour
1 1/3 cup rolled oats or 7-grain oats
½ cup sucanat (rapadura), date sugar, etc.
½ t. sea salt
½ c. melted butter and/or coconut oil
Optional:
Cinnamon, ¼ c. ground flaxseed, ¼ c. dried coconut, ¼ c. chopped nuts (pecans are lovely!)
Mix dry ingredients, and then add butter/oil. Spread on top of fruit of your choice, and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.
This recipe was given to me, by me friend Nina...thank you!
Blessings,
Joy~
{This post is a part of Works for me Wednesday and Real Food Wednesday, and Pennywise Platter}
Monday:
Breakfast: Kefir smoothies and scrambled eggs (from our lovely laying hens!)
Lunch: Homemade chicken soup (Made extra yesterday to have for today's lunch.)
Supper: Fish, quinoa and steamed veggies with butter
Snack: Crispy nuts and raw cheese
Tuesday:
Breakfast: Soaked oatmeal and tangerines
Lunch: (at homeschool co-op) Turkey wraps, sourdough pretzels, and grapes
Supper: out
Snack: Dried fruit leather
Wednesday:
Breakfast: Blueberry breakfast popovers (from the Well-Fed baby cookbook....everyone loves them!)
Lunch: Pumpkin smoothie with Pumpkin french toast
Supper: Clam chowder...trying for the first time
Snack: Chewy Chocolate Bars...these are soooooo good!
Thursday:
Breakfast: Soaked 7-grain oatmeal
Lunch: Cheesy nachos ( from deceptively delicious cookbook)
Supper: Breakfast burritos--sometimes it's fun to have breakfast for supper! (These will include sausage, egg, and sauteed veggies on a corn tortilla with cheese.)
Snack: Men's smoothie...not just for men, but this is my husband's favorite, he told me yesterday!
Friday:
Breakfast: Blueberry morning--blueberry smoothie using oats as the base; or yogurt with ezekiel bread toast
Lunch: Chicken pizza (soaked crust recipe)
Supper: At mother-in-law's
Snack: trail mix (homemade with pumpkin seeds, raisins, almonds, chocolate chips, and whatever other goodies I can find.)
Happy Monday,
Joy~
{This post is a part of Monday Mania, Real Food Wednesday and Works for me Wednesday, and Pennywise Platter}
