Authentic Guacamole

May 26, 2010 > No Comments

Authentic guacamole…? Is there such a thing? Try doing a Google search and you’ll find that there are many different ways to make guacamole. There is not one recipe that is “authentic“. The key to great guacamole is do you like it and are there any leftovers? If you like it and there is little to no leftovers at the end of the meal, I’d say you’ve stumbled upon an authentic recipe. Sounds good to me!

This is a recipe that was shared with me by a friend, but it has been altered some to suit our family’s tastes. The original recipe had a bit of cilantro overload. I’ve cut down on the cilantro and onion and have added a couple of other ingredients.

And as a bit of a warning, always buy at least one more avocado than you intend to use, because you never know exactly what you’ll get when you slice into an avocado! Trust me on this one.

4 avocados – 3 chopped fine, 1 mashed

Juice of 2 limes

3 Roma tomatoes, gutted and diced

1/4 cup red onion, diced

1/4 bunch of cilantro, leaves only, finely chopped

1 clove of garlic, minced

salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together. Serve immediately with tortilla chips and/or your favorite Mexican dish!

To help with discoloring, place saran wrap directly onto the surface of the guacamole and store in refrigerator.

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Strawberry Lemonade

May 25, 2010 > 5 Comments

I recently ate out with a friend at a nice restaurant and enjoyed a nice tall glass of strawberry lemonade…that is until I got the bill! A glass of strawberry lemonade cost $4.oo a glass! For some reason it had never occurred to me to make my own at home…until now.

And I’m not talking about the powdery icky drink mixes. This recipe is all natural, homemade strawberry lemonade.

I have noticed that this recipe is yummier the longer it sits. So if you’re planning on drinking this with supper, make it that morning or even the day before.

1 cup of sugar (I used Florida Crystals Organic sugar)
1 cup water
1 cup lemon juice (feel free to use bottled lemon juice or fresh)
4 cups cold water
2 cups strawberries – washed and hulled and slightly blended in a blender or mashed by hand with a fork.

Make a simple syrup with 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water by heating in a small saucepan until completely dissolved.

Combine in a pitcher juice and sugar water. Add cold water, strawberries and one lemon sliced. Refrigerate for at least one hour. Serve over ice.

You can adjust to your tastes by adding more sugar or lemon juice. Our family finds this a perfect mixture of sweet and sour.

Also, feel free to experiment with different fruits…Peaches, raspberries, grapes, or even bananas!

Christian Romance Novels Revisited

May 20, 2010 > No Comments

A couple years ago on my old blog I wrote this post on the Dangers of Christian Romance Novels. I then felt compelled to re-post it again last year. While I was going over old posts in my old blog to eventually close it down, I noted I had several comments I had failed to approve. I’d like to share those comments with you:

This is a fantastic article. I have realized that I am a Christian woman who is addicted to romance. I didn’t even know that such a thing were possible and if it were that it was wrong. After all there are Christian romantic novels. I have only just started to research up on it and found stories of Christian women that ended up having affairs. It has also made me realize that one of my friends and female members of my family may also be addicts. How will be ever be satisfied with what we have and what is reality?
I have sat through a couple of somber sermons aimed at men on the dangers of pornography – but what about the dangers of women and romance? – Melissa

Thank you for writing this. I am a 19 year old guy in a christian college and have been recently trying to understand women’s view on romance quite extensively and thoroughly. This is the first time I’ve read anything with this view, that I was wondering if existed. I agree with you. I don’t have all my beliefs down, so I can’t necessarily say I believe the same things, but what you say makes a lot of sense, and it is filled with wisdom and righteousness of heart, as least as I see your message. Because this type of view is unfortunately so rare in this culture, and because I think you’re heart is right, I would greatly encourage you to continue writing similar articles. I see you doing good work my analyzing many different topics and posting your thoughts, and perhaps other related resources online. Thanks again. -Mr. Man

Thank you this is just what God wanted me to hear, I wish I would have read this years ago. – Trying To Do Right

Thanks for this, I am just about to teach this to my youth group girls, encouraging to hear someone else say what i too was thinking. – Amanda

I totally agree!!! Unfortunately I did not see this myself soon enough. The verse that comes to mind for me is Phil. 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things [are] honest, whatsoever things [are] just, whatsoever things [are] pure, whatsoever things [are] lovely, whatsoever things [are] of good report; if [there be] any virtue, and if [there be] any praise, think on these things. To me, that says to stay in the Word..
Something that I believe all young people should be encouraged to do is to read through Proverbs at least twice a year. With these words hidden in their hearts, they will have the wisdom to make right choices and have that wisdom readily available to their young minds and hearts.
Great article! Hope it helps a lot of people not make the same mistakes I did. – Kate

Wonderful post! – Jessica

signature Christian Romance Novels Revisited

Effects of Red Dye

May 18, 2010 > 4 Comments

I recently shared on my Facebook that I had noticed disturbing behavior in our children after 2 days of drinking red Hawaiian Fruit Punch. I got so many comments, that I thought I would share my comments here. This is not a scientific discussion, but rather a heads up to hopefully encourage you to do your own investigation.

While I was surfing the net I came across a blurb about the effects of red dye to which I gave little thought, because I already knew that any dye wasn’t good, but we don’t usually eat/drink a lot of foods with dyes – or so we thought!

Not more than a week later, we were noticing some disturbing behavior out of our boys especially. My husband and I both knew something wasn’t right and was marveling at their displays of anger and frustration. Lots of whining and fits of anger out of the little boys and outbursts of anger out of the oldest over seemingly insignificant things.

Realizing that something wasn’t right with the picture, I did a little detective work. I know that caffeine can have the same effect on my husband and I, I started there. They all had had minor amounts of caffeine that day, my oldest son having the most, but not enough to make them behave this way I didn’t think…

What I discovered was that they all had had huge amounts of red dye! I had given a little party for our children at church in which I had purchased Hawaiian Punch, gummies, sour candies, cookies with pink frosting etc. And as children are wont to do, they helped themselves to large amounts of everything. To make matters worse, later that afternoon a couple of them purchased the powdered candy with a sucker to dip and it was all red candy.

We brought the leftovers home. Monday morning seemed to go smoothly and I noticed because I was still trying to figure this all out…Things were fine until after lunch and their behavior started to rapidly decline. But what had happened!? They finished off the Hawaiian Punch!

Not exactly a scientific experiment, but it was a very interesting, disturbing discovery. And there are many more such stories to be found online. This article was written by a teacher / school psychologist.

I just thought I’d share in the event there were others out there unaware of the possible side effects of this popular food additive. If you’ve noted the effects or have something to offer to this discussion, I would love to hear what you have to say in the comment section.

Linky Love

May 17, 2010 > 1 Comment

I don’t get much time these days to keep up with all the blogs I tag and bookmark, but occasionally when I’m down physically, I do enjoy more computer time. Here are some blog posts that I found helpful or interesting recently.

I stumbled across this blog post when I googled “large family reality shows” – A news article on the web alerted me to yet another reality show featuring a family with 7 children. I’m just a bit curious as to why these shows are popular. Is it fascination, respect, desire to imitate…or is it a desire to ridicule?

We recently had these brownies for dessert and let me just say, they were GOOD! I definitely will be making these at our next church fellowship. I recommend making them by hand as she suggests, rather than using a mixer. Oh so yummy!

Here is what looks like a great series starting on Simple Steps Toward Eating Healthy. She is 100% correct on pointing out that eating fresh fruits and vegetables is not really any more expensive than eating processed snack foods. Where I think most people get the idea that it just costs too much to eat healthy, is when they try to do both! They purchase more fruits and vegetables, but they still purchase their old food choices. If you do that, then yes, it is more expensive.

I bookmarked this awhile back and I thought it had some great ideas on waking up early. This is an area that I have always struggled in, but with the more children I have, the less of a problem it becomes! But even though I do get up early now, I don’t actually get very productive until later in the morning. So along those lines I recommend one of my favorite bloggers article on Establishing a Morning Routine.

I have often wanted to write a post on cleaning or perhaps a series on cleaning, but just haven’t had the wherewithal to actually take the time to start it. It’s sad that so many housewives struggle in this area, often because their moms did, as did their moms before them. While I am certainly not an expert in this area as evidenced by the cobwebs I can see from my vantage point on the couch, I am thankful for the tips I learned cleaning houses professionally. But until I can gather my thoughts and start a series on this, The Secret to Having a Clean Home is a great place to start and offers many of the same ideas I would suggest.

And finally, here is a great, easy recipe for strawberry ice-cream. I’ve made strawberry ice-cream using several different recipes and honestly there isn’t one that my family doesn’t like. But this one is just as good, if not better in my opinion, than any of the others I’ve tried.

Spring has Sprung!

May 14, 2010 > No Comments

Sunday afternoons at the park…

Pastel colored candies…

Watermelon sear-sucker sun-dresses…

Dirty bare feet…

Clean bare feet…

First knife…whittling wood…

…and Dandelion wishes.

This is a Finer Thing.

In Support of Homeschooling

May 12, 2010 > 2 Comments

It is no secret to my regular readers that I am a homeschooler. I support homeschooling and believe that it is my God-given responsibility to educate my children.

I would like to share this blog post written by Brandon Staggs. In my opinion it is one of the best and simplest articles explaining from God’s Word the reason a lot of us decide to home educate our children.

Recently, surfing the internet for education helps, I came across this quote by the Father of Communism, Karl Marx.

The education of all children, from the moment that they can get along without a mother’s care, shall be in state institutions at state expense.

This quote got me searching for other similar quotes by people that didn’t intend for their comments to actually support a person’s decision to homeschool. Here is what I found:

When an opponent declares, ‘I will not come over to your side,’ I calmly say, Your child belongs to us already… What are you? You will pass on. Your descendants, however, now stand in the new camp. In a short time they will know nothing else but this new community.- Adolf Hitler

Make me the master of education, and I will undertake to change the world. –Baron Gottfried von Leibnitz 1716

We are students of words; we are shut up in schools, and colleges, and recitation rooms, for ten or fifteen years, and come out at last with a bag of wind, a memory of words, and do not know a thing.–Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)

To commit our children to the care of irreligious people is to commit lambs to the superintendency of wolves. — Timothy Dwight, President of Yale 1795-1817

Fifty years ago, they taught Latin and Greek in high schools. Today, they teach remedial English in colleges. — Butler Shaffer

He who joyfully marches in rank and file has already earned my contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake, since for him the spinal cord would suffice. – Albert Einstein

I have no patience with the stupidity of the average teacher of grammar who wastes precious years in hammering rules into children’s heads. For it is not by learning rules that we acquire the powers of speaking a language, but by daily intercourse with those accustomed to express themselves with exactness and refinement and by copious reading of the best authors. – Erasmus, Reformation theologian and teacher

I suppose it is because nearly all children go to school nowadays and have things arranged for them that they seem so forlornly unable to produce their own ideas. – Agatha Christie

Now, I know that this is a hot topic for many and I sincerely do not intend for this to make anyone mad. Especially as I am merely quoting what other people said who had little to no intention of encouraging homeschooling.

I also understand that the way you educate your children is a personal matter and one you have to make for yourself. But I just want to encourage you to prayerfully and thoughtfully make this decision, because what can be more important than God’s heritage, our children?

A Challenge to Mothers

May 10, 2010 > No Comments

It seems with so many responsibilities inside and outside the home I struggle so much these days with frustration. Frustrated with the children, frustrated with my lack of energy due to the pregnancy, frustrated that there is SO much I want to get accomplished and always falling short of my goals for the day or the week.

It’s not something I talk about to many, but my family unfortunately knows and is aware of my frustration and often bears the ugly brunt of my ill-temper.

In recent correspondence a dear friend unknowingly hit a nerve. She had no idea that I needed to hear what she had to say. It was so relevant and unexpected, especially for us mothers that still have little ones running around, that I asked her permission to post a clip of that e mail.

I hope it encourages and challenges you the same way it did me.

When your family is all seated at the table look at each face and know that God has richly blessed you. Your children will one day soon be all grown up and will leave your home and begin their own. Enjoy every moment that you have with them now. As hectic as your days may be now….when it seems that you just can’t stand one more mess to clean up….stop. Just stop right where you are and thank God you have them right there with you. They will not always be there.

Grab the child that is driving you crazy and hold him or her close and tell them that you love them and then both of you love each other some more. Correct the child as needed but just learn to enjoy and love and laugh at their childish antics a lot. Does that make any sense? I hope it will.

It is just so easy to get caught up in right now and forget that they are growing up and they won’t always be right under your feet. You won’t always have those warm sticky kisses on your cheek and those little pudgy arms won’t always be little. But if you love them and they know you love them…you will always feel their love coming to you across the miles that may separate you and you will feel their strong arms wrap around your shoulders as you have to look up at them when they hug you. What blessings they will be to you as you get older. What strength and encouragement you will find in them as the tables slowly turn around with the passing of time. What a blessing it is to be called, “Mother”.

Ann Reagan Rogers

FREE Patterned Nursing Covers

April 21, 2010 > 1 Comment

For a limited time uddercovers.com is giving away free patterned nursing covers ~ you just pay the S&H! If you’re not nursing, they make great baby shower and holiday gifts!

Just use the promo code – Thanks

This promotion gives you a $32 discount off your total order no matter what amount you purchase or what you buy! This promotion code is valid once per transaction, so you can order as many times as you would like!

Go to uddercovers.com, click on “Shop Now”, select the product you would like (they also have 3 piece gift sets available with this promotion) and you will automatically be directed to the center of the page where you can enter in the promo code!

Let all your friends know too, as this promotion can’t last long!

Linked to Works for me Wednesday @ We are THAT family.

Dixie Land Delight – Hummingbird Cake

April 2, 2010 > 3 Comments

While it seems a version of this cake first originated in Jamaica, it certainly has been adopted and claimed in recent years by us Southerners. The first known printed record of this cake by the title Hummingbird Cake was submitted by L.H. Wiggins of N.C. and later printed in a 1978 Southern Living magazine and a senior writer of the magazine claims it is still their most requested recipe.

There is some evidence to suggest that this cake has also been called by other names – The Cake That Doesn’t Last, Never Ending Cake, Jamaican Cake, Granny’s Best Cake and finally, Nothing Left Cake.

But whatever you decide to call it, it’s bound to make an impression and you’ll find yourself dabbling until every last crumb is gone – sans the name: Nothing Left Cake!

Cake:

3 cups all purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
3 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 3/4 cup mashed bananas
One 8 oz can crushed pineapple, with juice
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Frosting:

One 8 oz package cream cheese, softened
1 stick of butter, softened
1 pound confectioners sugar, sifted
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray and flour three 8-by-2-inch round cake pans; set aside.
In a large bowl, stir to combine self-rising flour, sugar, oil, pecans, bananas, pineapple, vanilla, cinnamon, and eggs.
Divide batter evenly between prepared pans, smoothing with an offset spatula or back of spoon.
Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until when a toothpick is inserted comes out clean, about 25 – 30 minutes.
Transfer pans to a wire rack to cool 10 minutes. Invert cakes onto wire rack or kitchen towel. Re-invert cakes and let them cool completely, top sides up.
For the frosting: in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine sugar, cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and 1 tablespoon milk on medium speed until frosting is smooth. If needed, add more milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, to achieve the proper spreading consistency.
Using a serrated knife, trim tops of cakes to make level. Spread the top of the first layer with 1/3 of the frosting. Place the second layer on top and repeat process with another 1/3 of the frosting. Place the remaining layer on top of the second layer bottom side up, spread the last layer with remaining 1/3 of frosting.
Sprinkle the top with crushed pecans.
Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Enjoy!