Happy March Madness!!!!

So many people are watching college basketball these days, myself included, and I think it is fun watching all of these young men working so hard to win.  As with most people, I love the underdog teams who take down the top teams!!!  It reminds me of David and Goliath. I wonder if these top seeded teams go into the game thinking that it will be easy only to have a 13 seeded team roll over them to victory!  How small we are, but with God we are bigger than Goliath!!!  I am not saying that the sports underdog is the one that God is watching out for or that God watches basketball, specifically.  (Of course, God watches everything)  I am saying that we need to be like David or like these underdog teams and give our 110% in everything that we do.  My motto is do our best and let God take the rest!!!  Know that God will be bringing the victory and we just need to obey His call and accept His help!!!

Imagine our father lifting us up to reach the places that we would never be able to reach on our own!  He is there not only to lift us up, but to protect us if we fall!  Aren't we so blessed to have such an amazing God!!!  Isaiah 40:31 says, "but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." 

As we continue watching college basketball's "March Madness", let's reflect on our own David and Goliath story.  What is it that you were supposed to lose, but God brought you through?  The announcers said you would fail or maybe the doctors said you were supposed to die.  When were you in a spot that you couldn't reach the goal without God lifting you up to it?

Oh, and just one more thing....do you know what comes after March Madness???  The celebration of the ultimate victory.  You know, the one that Christ won on Calvary!!!!  Happy March Madness everyone :)

New Year...New Reading

Happy New Year...Yes, I am late as usual, but better late than never, right?  I have been enjoying my God, my family, my friends, my food, my crafting and the weather a little more than writing and doing schoolwork...teeheehee!!! I can't believe we have been in Kansas for over a year now!!!  It has gone by so fast, but it has been one of the most amazing years of my life and I am so thankful that God has brought us here! I don't know what the next year will bring, but I am ready for God to do His Work in me and intend to show His love more than I have in the past.  

I have been catching up on reading lately and want to mention a "sweet read" that you may love:



I really enjoyed this book which consists of three different stories of Amish romance.

The first story is called "A Choice to Forgive" and follows a widow named Lydia who must try to forgive the man that she was supposed to marry so many years ago.  The man was her husband's brother and she struggles with forgiveness and feelings that she tries to stifle. 

The second story is called "A Change of Heart" and it is a great story about a young unmarried Amish woman, Leah, and her relationship with each member of her family.  She is not the typical "holly homemaker" type and would prefer to write stories all day long rather than participate in housework.  An Amish boy in town, Aaron, has feelings for Leah and they begin a friendship that takes everyone by surprise!

The Last story is called "Healing Hearts" and follows a husband and wife who have been separated for a year.  This story was probably my favorite because it dealt with the emotions that each family member had to go through in order to forgive their father/husband who had left. 

All of these stories take a big look at forgiveness and remind us that it is a choice to forgive and God will bless us when we do.  I recommend you take a look at it if you are interested in a sweet read about forgiveness.

On my list of books that I am currently reading I have:
        -Gut and Psychology Syndrome by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride
        -Large Family Logistics by Kim Brenneman
        -From Innocence to Entitlement by Jim Fay and Dawn Billings
       

New place to live!!!

I have taken about a week or so off the blog so that I could work on moving!!!  We moved to Kansas about a year ago and since we did not know much about the area we picked an apartment right across the street from my husband's school.  It was a neat experience because we met so many people and the hubby was able to just walk back and forth to school everyday, but it was too small for a family of six and there was no place for the kids to go play and run.  We decided to look for a bigger place and found (through the amazing grace of God) a wonderful townhouse with a yard!!! It has lots of space and we are all very happy!!!  It is not too far from my husband's school, but he must drive instead of walk.  Thankfully, he is only going about a mile and a half so it really is not much of a commute.  I have been working on getting settled in here, but it is funny how hard it can be to get back in our "groove"!!!  I am hoping the groove hits soon because we all have a lot of schoolwork, crafts, etc... to get back to. Right now I am laying on my bed in my new bedroom listening to the rain fall on the rooftop and thunder rumbling in the distance and thinking about how great it is that God brought us here :)

Two happy kiddos playing in their new yard!!!

"...But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD!!!" -Joshua 24:15



Feingold Approved Cooking Ideas

Wow, what an incredibly crazy week this has been!!!  I cooked like crazy last week and am so excited about all of the wonderful opportunities for creativity!!  I made a pot roast in the crock pot using so many wonderful veggies (carrots, onion, mushrooms, garlic, and zucchini) and made cream cheesy bow tie noodles to go underneath!!!  After most of the meat and noodles were devoured we were left with some veggies and the beef broth with some shredded beef so I got creative!!!  I was having a lazy cooking day and baked potatoes in the microwave and opened a can of sweet peas.  My kids love sweet peas!!!  I put the baked potato in the bottom of the bowl and chopped it up.  Then I put a spoonful of peas on top of the potato and ladled some of the beef broth pot roast leftovers in and called it steakhouse soup!!!  What a great way to easily turn your leftovers into a masterpiece!!!  My kids loved it...the baby had TWO bowls!!!  Some time ago, the pot roast leftovers would have likely gone bad or been thrown away, but this time it was scraped clean and made two separate meals!!!  I didn't get the best picture because my camera lens seems to be acting funny, but I hope you can see how yummy and full of nutrients the meals were!!!

I am so glad the kids loved it and ate all those nourishing veggies.  Oh, and the best part....It was ALL Feingold approved!!!  Can you say YUM?!?!?!

Ann's Pot Roast
A 4-5 lb pot roast
1/2 tsp sea salt
2-3 cloves pressed garlic (more or less depends on how much you like garlic)
1 zucchini
1 small bag of carrots
1/2 large or 1 whole small onion of your choosing
2 boxes Beef Broth (I used Whole Foods 365 brand lower sodium, but you should really use homemade if you can)
1/4 cup Heinz Distilled White Vinegar (this helps to shred the beef and does not leave any flavor)

-Add roast to crock pot and pour in both boxes of broth, sea salt, garlic and vinegar
-Cook on high until the beef is no longer pink
-While the beef is cooking peel and slice your carrots and slice or dice the rest of your veggies
-When the beef is no longer pink add all of the rest of your veggies to the pot and cook on low or high
(depending on how long you will be waiting) until the beef shreds by poking at it with a fork :)
*Optional*- When it was about done I took some of the juice and made a simple "gravy" with some flour and then added it back it so that it would thicken a little.

Ann's Cream Cheesy Bow Tie Pasta
1 box bowtie pasta
1/2 -1 box Philladelphia Cream Cheese
1/2 - 1 Stick of Butter

-Make the pasta according to the instructions on the box, drain and put back in the pot
-Put your butter and cream cheese in the hot noodles and stir until they are all melted
This is a very simple and yummy recipe that kind of gives a tart flavor similar to what you find in a stroganoff to your pot roast meal.

Serve the pot roast over the noodles and enjoy the compliments!!!

The next cooking experience last week was rendering lard!!!  You see, I found out about the wonderful benefits of cooking with lard instead of using questionable vegetable oils through the Weston A Price Foundation.  It is a great resource for those of you that want to go beyond Feingold and on to the traditional foods of our grandparents.  The lard had a bit of an odd smell (not bad, but I was just not used to it) and it took forever in the crockpot because I forgot to cut the pork fat into chunks.  I told my father in law and he laughed so hard and told me I would be at it for a long time.  I wasn't laughing at 4am...LOL (at least I am no, though)  It was really cook to make this and I am glad to have found some great instructions from The Homesick Texan.  You can read her instructions on rendering lard here.  I only had about two pounds of fat and it didn't really do more than a couple cups of lard, but I don't really need much right now anyway.  I used the crockpot on the low setting which of course is going to take more time than her recipe, but it was worth it to be able to do other things while the lard was cooking down.  I was pleased with the results and immediately made some wonderful refried beans which the kids ate on for days!!!  Beans and cheese burritos, anyone??? And, again, it was ALL Feingold approved!!! 

Another wonderful treat was pumpkin ice cream!!!  I made it Feingold approved, of course, and it was wonderful!!!  The kids went crazy for it and I don't even have an ice cream machine!!!  A friend shared a wonderful link on Facebook about it.  You can check the other recipes like Hazelnit Mocha Fudge Swirl Ice Cream...here.  The recipe for the Feingold Approved Pumpkin Ice Cream was all mine, but now I will share it with you!!!

Ann's Pumpkin Ice Cream (Feingold Stage One Approved)
1/2 can or about 3/4 cup of pureed pumpkin
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 can (14 oz) Sweetened Condensed Milk
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Nutmeg

-Whip heavy cream into stiff peaks and put aside. (Be careful not to whip too long or you will have butter.  I made the mistake, but at least I had planned on making some butter anyway.)
-In separate bowl, mix pumpkin, sweetened condensed milk, cinnamon and nutmeg together until thouoroughly combined. 
-Fold the cream into the pumpkin, spice and sweet milk mix.
-Pour it into a freezer safe container that can be airtight and stick in the freezer.
-It takes several hours to freeze so this might be a quick and easy recipe to make at night and freeze in the overnight.
-Voila, yummy, creamy ice cream!!!

I made some more wonderful Feingold friendly meals last week and am making more this week, but you will have to be left on the edge of your seats for now :)  I hope this post gives you some ideas of things that you can do for your Feingold child or if you just want some new simple ideas for your menu!!! 


"This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones."
                                                                                                   - Proverbs 3:8



American Girl Club

I want to let you all know about a wonderful opportunity for your American Girl fans!!!  There is an online club that meets once a month at 3pm Central Standard Time to discuss a book/character, do a craft, make some food, etc...  If you are a Charlotte Mason method of teaching fan, like I am, then this is a wonderful opportunity for a history and culture class!!!  I have been using the American Girl books with my daughter for her history class and we bought her several sewing patterns for her American Girl doll, Elizabeth!!!  Now, she can learn about the time and culture AND make clothing for her doll from other time periods!!!  Needless to say, when I clicked over to Currclick and saw this FREE American Girls Club I was thrilled!!!  They even have a blog giving more information about the club and information on how to register!!!

My daughter saved up Christmas and birthday money to buy an American Girl doll.  The great thing is that moving to Kansas meant that she could go to the actual store and buy it!!!!

You can find out more detailed information about the American Girl Club and how to get registered for FREE at the link below:

American Girl Club Blog

See you there!!!

Looking Inward to Fix My Struggles

I do hope that the following post can help others...not for my glory, but for God's!!! My husband and I recently celebrated our ten year wedding anniversary and I thought about what a crazy decade it has been!!!  There were so many times that we struggled through those years.   A realization hit me a couple years back about how much I needed to "let go". You see, for so many years I was a control freak and that side of me was really a very scared and insecure person who wanted to control everything about my world. I remember how desperately I wanted my husband to be the leader of our home, but only if I could control him (ironic isn't it).  I didn't understand that and struggled for so long trying to make my husband what I wanted him to be.  God humbled me and let me know that I was tearing down my husband rather than building him up.  god humbled me further when He revealed that I hadn't fully submitted to HIM, either!!!  Throughout, my time as a christian woman I was trying to control God rather than submit to Him. This was extremely foolish!!! I came to realize it when my heart felt these words pressing into it, "You've been alive a short time, but God has been around forever. He created the universe & you. Do you really think He needs your help?" Knowing this was the first step to a wonderful change in my life.  I began to let go of the control and started handing things over to God and WOW!!!  I can't believe the things He has been able to do now that I am not interupting Him with my thoughts on how to do His job :)  I let God take the lead and then He challenged me to trust the husband who He gave to me enough to let him take the lead in our marriage.  My husband is not a natural leader and I am so this was a great challenge for me, but God revealed how wonderful the results can be. 

During my journey, I read the scripture Ephesians 5:22-24 says, "Wives, submit to your husbands as to the LORD. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything." When I learned about how submit means to trust and respect, I realized that I wasn't doing as God had wanted me to. So I found a wonderful resource on the internet and listened to a Dr. S.M. Davis' sermon on this subject & couldn't believe my ears. If you submit to your husband always then God will protect you from when your husband makes foolish decisions. He illustrated how in Genesis 12:10-20 Abraham had told Sarah to pretend to be his sister when they went to Egypt. When she submitted the Pharaoh wanted Sarah to sleep with him, but God sent plagues all around to protect Sarah. Isn't it amazing that Abraham's foolishness didn't get very far because Sarah submitted?

Dr. Davis also discussed how Ephesians 5:25 (Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.) is just as important to a woman as Ephesians 5:22-24 is to a man. He talked about how women are terrified of the verses that discusses them having to submit, and how some even boldy

I experienced how "wives should submit to their husbands in everything" truly plays out. I wanted to buy a chalkboard for homeschooling and told my husband of this plan. He said that he hated chalkboards because of the dust that gets all over the place and suggested a wipe erase board. I have never been a fan of wipe erase boards so I was frustrated. We ended the subject, but I was still holding out hope of my chalkboard. I began to think of manipulation tools that I could use to get my chalkboard because that was what I wanted. Then the reality began to flood my heart. I was trying to control something that was really so stupid. Chalkboards wipe erase boards essentially do the same thing! Why could I not obey my husband, who was clearly trying to compromise, & use a wipe erase board? So, that night on our way to the store, I told my husband about my initial plan to manipulate him into allowing a chalkboard & how sorry I was. I asked him to forgive me for this and told him that I would be happy to use a wipe erase board. I did this from my heart and truly did not want the chalkboard anymore. He grabbed and held my hand & told me how much it meant to him that I would respect his wishes. At the store I went to the wipe erase board section asked him to help me pick it out. I wanted the largest one, but it was $20 which was more than what I had originally budgeted. To my surprise my husband decided to buy that one!!!! He was so pleased with my earlier submission that he bought the biggest, most expensive one with all the "bells & whistles". It was the one I wanted!!! I use it all the time now couldn't be more pleased. When my husband or I see it we think of the love & respect that it symbolizes. I remember of how amazingly my submission was rewarded!!! If I had not submitted & instead manipulated him then the outcome would have been entirely different. The chalkboard would have been a symbol of manipulation & disrespect, and every time chalk dust would end up on the floor bitterness would follow.   The funny thing is now I am sitting in Kansas because I let God lead and we have been so happy here that we really know how loving our God truly is!!!


If you would like to find out more about Dr. S.M. Davis' ministry go to www.solvefamilyproblems.com

 

Great blog I found and Love!!!

I have been enjoying a blog for the past week called: Simply Living...For Him.  It is a wonderful blog about living more simply and walking the Christian walk :)  They are currently gearing up to take an amazing roadtrip and will be available to speak at various events!!!  They are currently giving away a $25 Amazon giftcard to one of their readers!!! Pop on over there and it could be you!!!  I highly recommend this site because of the purity in the posts and I find it very encouraging when I need that reminder to let me know to slow down and relax.  I have posted the link to her recent blog post below and I know you will all enjoy it!!!

Simply Living...For Him