Who I Am, part 2

     So in part 1, I talked a lot about stuff.  (well, and this post too..) And giving up cable.  And apparently how that relates to who I am.  Because the choices I make for my life help to make up who I am, but that's not all that I am.  Talking about too much stuff, and simplifying, and giving up things can lead to the territory of legalism real fast.  Because it's not about how simple, or complex my life is, it's about being able to see God clearly in the midst of my life, even in the mundane details.
     I read a book recently on parenting ('cause, you know, I'm new to this parenting thing) call Simplicity Parenting,, by Kim John Payne.  In it the Payne talked a lot about stuff as well.  He devoted a chapter to toys--how to get rid of the excess, to be more specific.  He explained that each toy to a young child represents a choice, and how too many toys really mean too many choices, and the child can easily get overwhelmed.  So much of my life right now, I am seeing through the lens of my own child.  When I read that, it really resonated with me, not only for Anika's sake, but for my own sake.  How easily my choice to set my heart on things above, instead of the things of this world can get crowded out by too many choices.  I'd like to think that because I am an adult, and not a child, that I could have the inner discipline to choose wisely how to spend my time, my money, my resources, but if I get really honest with myself, my faith, at times, can be very childlike--too overwhelmed by too many choices to be effective.  And so, with the dawn of a new year, I continue the process of renewing my mind that was started in my heart so many years ago-- to simplify.  How are you simplifying your life in the new year?   

Who I Am, Part 1

To be honest, I’m not sure there is going to be a part 2 to this.  I’d like to think I’m an interesting enough person to warrant a part 2, so to be on the safe side, I’m going to allow for that possibility at some point.  
   I have a love/hate relationship with the concept of New Year’s resolutions.  On the one hand, I love the freshness of a new year and the neatness of a fresh start at the beginning of a new year.  I like things to have a rhythm to them that makes sense, and well, a resolution in the middle of the year doesn’t have the same momentum and make as much sense as a resolution at the beginning of the year.  But the actual resolution making itself, I actually don’t really care for.  Each year, I’d like to think that I’m building on the last, constantly seeing my life, and my priorities for my life in a fresh light, as the wisdom--a hefty term to throw around at 27 years--of another year lived guides the beginning of the next year.  In Romans 12:2, Paul urges us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds, so that we may be able to test and approve what God’s will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.  You know, as opposed to my not always good, sometimes exasperating, and very imperfect will.  When I read verses like that, I feel like the act of making a random promise at the beginning of the year is somewhat counter to the spirit of what Paul was saying in this verse.
    And so, with that, I am starting a new year by renewing my mind, continuing the ongoing work God is doing in my life.   A theme that has captivated my attention over the past few years is the theme of living a life of simplicity, in a world that is becoming increasingly more complex.  To write this blog post, for example, I could have the choice of writing it on a computer, a smart phone, an iPod, an iPad....you see where I’m going with this?  Technology is a great thing, but so. many. choices just brings us closer and closer to letting our stuff control us, and being held in captivity by all. our. stuff.  I’m interested in seeing what the fruits can be of stripping away what is just not necessary in my life, to reveal a life that can be richer than just the stuff that accents my life.  This is an ongoing process, and seeking God’s will in the midst of this process is something that excites me.  After all, it’s a pointless practice if, by freeing myself from the stuff of this world, I’m not able to enjoy greater freedom in Christ as a result, and share that freedom with others in the process.    
  Living a life of simplicity encompasses a lot of areas in life.  What really opened up the conversation about living with less was the initial conversation about getting rid of our cable a couple years ago, and then actually following through with it a year or so ago. When we got rid of cable, the impact of that decision affected various places where our desire for simplicity reached: less tv show watching in general--our options are limited a little by what is only available online, though the choices still vast, it is much less instant gratification, less ads selling us more stuff, less tv exposure for Anika at such a young age (we’re choosing to follow as closely as we can the AAP’s recommendation of no tv/screen time for children under the age of 2), more time to do other worthwhile activities, more savings in our budget, more relaxed atmosphere in our home in general.  It called into question about what decisions in our life should be intentional, or rather, more intentional than other decisions.
    And so a lot of other decisions about what how we live our lives follows a similar pattern: less waste, more quality.  


Well, looks like there will be a part 2 after all. Stay tuned for more when I get more time (a precious commodity to be sure, for the mother of a 6 moth old!)

Happy New Year!

What a difference a year makes!

My heart is full.  May you cherish the moments that count. 

 First smile of 2012!

The Stuff of Christmas

     Today I introduced the song “I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas” to Bryan for the first time.  He thought the song was ridiculous.  He’s probably right.  It doesn’t exactly scream Christmas, but there is a certain childlike charm to it, all the same.  Our conversations inevitably turned toward the childlike joy that can surround the gift-giving of Christmas, probably spurred on, in part by the fact that I was also wrapping the last of our Christmas gifts.  While there’s plenty of conversation to be had about the, ahem, commercialism and overemphasis on well, just stuff that accompanies Christmas, Bryan made an observation on the joy of a child opening gifts on Christmas.  He noted that children seem to have so much more excitement surrounding the receiving of gifts, more or less because they are not able to obtain those gifts by their own means.  
     In light of the true spirit of the season of Christmas, I think of the impact that God’s gift to us-- grace, mercy, salvation-- can have on our lives.  A gift that we cannot and do not have the means to obtain on our own, nor can we fully grasp without the gentle leading of the Holy Spirit.  It’s a rather simple, almost obvious observation to make about this time of year.  Yet, I can’t help but be aware of how the simplicity of the message can get crowded out by all the extra stuff.  And I’m not talking, this time, about the materialism of the actual gifts. I’m talking about the cookie baking. The Christmas tree decorating. The driving-around-and-looking-at-Christmas-lights.  The Christmas card sending. The Christmas carol singing. Yep, I’m guilty on all accounts.  I love me some good ol' Christmas traditions, and it will probably continue to get worse as Anika gets older.  (sorry Bryan!)  But, these things mean nothing-- seriously, absolutely, positively nothing, if not for the joy, the shepard-quaking, heavenly host-singing joy of our dear Saviour’s birth.  At the risk of trying to over spiritualize cookie baking, I see through the midst of all of this stuff  to the heart of a people who try to emulate that joy in as much merriment as they can possibly produce (or mass produce) through the traditions and events of the season.  Because it should, and often does, lift one’s soul to higher heights, right into the heavenlies, to think of Jesus, at birth, was already, perfectly, irrevocably, our Lord. And we respond sometimes in the best way we know how--with our stuff.    

Queso Dip that puts Velveeta to Shame

I remember having a queso dip years ago at a super bowl party that was outta this world.  I never did try to replicate the recipe, and since making a move toward more real, traditional foods, wasn’t sure how I would replicate it without Velveeta.  Velveeta, in case you’re not aware, is NOT real food.  Sorry.  Here’s a recipe that has real food in it.  I can’t take credit for this recipe-- Food Renegade is the brains behind this wonderful concoction.  However, I did tweak it a bit to more closely match the queso dip I remember many super bowls ago.  My version may not be the most authentically Tex-mex dish, but hey, this is how we Midwesterners do things! ;)

1 egg yolk

1 Tbsp. arrowroot powder (if you’re scratching your head, wondering what the heck arrowroot powder is, don’t freak out, corn starch works too. Arrowroot is preferable though)

1 Tbsp. milk

1 C. cream (again, if you’re wondering, dang, I don’t have any cream, first of all, don’t freak out about it being fatty, and bad for you--it’s not! But, I subbed an additional cup of milk...whole milk is preferable..)

1 C. milk

8 oz. grated cheddar cheese

4 oz. cream cheese (optional)

2 C. salsa

½ lb-1 lb ground sausage (I used mild breakfast sausage, cause I’m a spice wimp.)

salt & chipotle chili powder to taste

1.) Brown sausage in a pan. Set aside for later on in the recipe.

2.) Mix egg yolk, arrowroot powder, and 1Tbsp. milk until smooth.  This helps create the Velveeta-effect.

3.) Next, pour cream and milk into a saucepan and warm over medium heat. Gently stir in the thickener and continue stirring until the cream starts to thicken.

3.) Once your sauce begins to thicken, add in the grated cheddar cheese and small spoonfuls of the cream cheese.. Lower heat to medium low, then continue stirring until the cheese melts and you have a deliciously creamy sauce.

4.) Next, add salsa, sausage, and salt and chili powder and stir to mix well.  That’s it. You’re Welcome. :)

I wish I had a picture of this, because that seems to make me a more legit blogger, but, how about a picture of a cute baby instead?

                                          Like this queso dip, I could just eat those cheeks right up! :)

This post is part of Real Food Wednesdays and Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways 

Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip

With December well underway, ‘tis the season for holiday get togethers and with it, the holiday food.  Here’s a recipe for a dip that comes together easily, and the best part—real ingredients that you can pronounce.  If I’m about one thing when it comes to food and nutrition, it’s that I prefer my food real, with recognizable ingredients, as close to their whole form as possible.  This recipe fits the bill pretty closely.  Thanks to allrecipes.com for this recipe:

• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Romano cheese
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
• 1/2 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained ( I usually just use fresh chopped spinach, and eyeball it—usually more than ½ cup makes it into the dip when I make it)
• 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a small baking dish.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together cream cheese, mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese, Romano cheese, garlic, basil, garlic salt, salt and pepper. Gently stir in artichoke hearts and spinach.
3. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Top with mozzarella cheese. Bake in the preheated oven 25 minutes, until bubbly and lightly browned.  Serve with pita or corn chips, or as is, with a spoon ;)

One of the reasons I like this dip, aside from the fact that it’s ridiculously good, is the use of spinach.  Greens are a good thing, especially for their calcium content, but what I really like is the fact that the spinach in this recipe gets cooked. What?! Yep, I like my spinach cooked.  There’s a compound in spinach called oxalic acid that binds to the calcium, making it hard for us to absorb.  Unless you lightly cook it, then the oxalic acid gets neutralized, and you get to reap the benefits of the calcium and other goodies.  One of these days, I’ll have to let you in on my green smoothie methods that make use of cooked spinach.  Stay tuned for another crazy good dip coming soon!

This post is part of Real Food Wednesdays and Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways

How to Make a Teething Necklace; Alternatively, How to Make a Cute Necklace

     So today is a change of pace from my last blog post.  I bring to you a (hopefully) fun little craft project to pique your interest.  Anika has been showing signs of teething off and on for a while, and, like the baby she is, putting everything in her mouth.  While at a wedding recently, I wore a chunky beaded necklace, the first necklace I’ve worn since Anika discovered she could move her hands.  While sitting on my lap, though short lived before making her exit with daddy to the foyer of the church, she was mesmerized by my necklace, grabbing at it and whatnot.  Well, like the curious mom that I am, a quick look around etsy at teething necklaces left me thinking I should try exercising my crafting muscles (what few I have) in lieu of forking over $20 for something I could just as easily make.  I’m not that crafty and of course, googled ‘how to make a teething necklace’, yielding this sweet blog post as a result.  I bring to you a tutorial on how to make a teething necklace.  (I would really just encourage you to hop over to this blog, as she has much cooler pictures…)

Things you’ll need:

~A long piece of fabric, about 5” wide, and as long as you’d like it.  I didn’t follow her length recommendation for my first necklace, and it was a wee bit too short.  I did 54” for the second one, and it was much better—gives Anika more to hold on to.

~Some large plastic or wooden beads.  I used wooden balls from Hobby Lobby

~Some scissors and a sewing machine.  Or, if you don’t have a sewing machine, (like me) needle, thread and lots of patience.

What to do:

1.       Cut a strip of fabric 5" wide by roughly 54" long.  Sew it together with right sides facing and then flip it right side out and form a long tube.

2.        Measure about 13" from one end and then tie the tube into a knot.

3.        Slip your first bead into the tube and then tie another knot right after the bead.

4.        Continue adding beads and knots until you have about the same length as the first side of your tube left. Finish with a knot.

5.        Now cut each end of the tube into three equal strips - feel free to snip and then tear it, it doesn't have to be perfect.

6.       Braid each side and then sew the ends together.  I’ll admit, this was a bit tricky without a sewing machine, and it’s not the neatest looking, but I figure, not a whole lot of people are going to be looking at the back of my neck.  However, she does suggest a button and elastic loop closure sewn at the ends, which would look pretty cute…good luck figuring that one out for yourself though.  Again, my craftiness is rather limited.

I considered this little project, overall a success, and I would say it’s just as appropriate for mothers and non-mothers alike.  It is a little time intensive without a sewing machine.  Not a problem if you are doing this while you catch up on the latest Survivor episode or something equally as low key.  I wouldn’t recommend starting this project while your baby is in the throes of teething pain, as daddy frantically walks around the house with her.  I’ll let you guess which scenario happened at my household….

Stay tuned for some fun and upcoming posts on some recipes perfect for holiday entertaining—be sure to subscribe to my blog to stay in the loop!