Simple, Delicious Syrup Alternative

The Nourishing Gourmet is one of my favorite sources for nourishing recipes and cooking tips. I've recently started soaking grains, not all the time but when I remember, and hope to begin including other healthful practices, such as making my own sourdough bread and including more alternative grains in our diet. I'll do a post sometime soon on the benefits of those things, in case you're not familiar with them (I know I wasn't until a few weeks ago).

To participate in her Breakfast Carnival, I'd like to share a recipe I make often as an alternative to maple syrup. Even though we are able to purchase organic maple syrup at the commissary for a great price, it's still quite expensive (plus, it's sugar, even though it is healthier for you than white sugar)....so recently I decided to cut back on how often I give it to Graeme.

But we still need something to go with pancakes :)

Here's my solution:

Fruity Pancake Topping
Serves 2 (double or triple...or quadruple as necessary ;)
Combine your choice of fruits for a delicious variety - raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, and peaches are our favorites. Fresh or frozen! I'm sure you could experiment with different oils, but I like the flavor of butter.

1. Melt 2T butter in a small saucepan.
2. Add your choice of fruit, about 1/2 cup - 3/4 cup
3. Add about 1T lemon juice and 2-3T of a sweetener, to taste (honey, maple syrup, or sugar in pinch)
4. Simmer until mixture thickens a bit and the fruit softens to create more of a syrup-y texture.
5. Adjust ingredients to taste - you may desire a bit more sweetener, depends on the sweetness of your fruits.
6. Serve on top of your favorite pancakes!

Homemade Refried Beans

Finally, I found a homemade refried bean recipe that works for me.
I've tried a few and they were either tasteless, or ended up a mashed, burnt mess.

I plan on freezing in 1-2cup portions for quick lunches and dinners. They would be wonderful as a dip - maybe mix in a jar of salsa and melt a bunch of cheese on top - YUM!

(Recipe from All Recipes, Refried Beans Without the Refry)
*I did soak the beans overnight, though the recipe doesn't mention it.*

Ingredients:
1 onion, peeled and halved
3 cups dry pinto beans, rinsed
1/2 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
(I simply sliced into 2 quarters and left them whole)
2 tablespoons minced garlic
5 teaspoons salt (I added toward the last hour of cooking, as I've read that adding them before that can create tough beans)
1 3/4 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin, optional
9 cups water (I used 2 cups chicken broth, and may experiment with 3-4 cups next time...it definitely added to the flavor)

Directions:
1. Place the onion, rinsed beans, jalapeno, garlic, salt, pepper, and cumin into a slow cooker. Pour in the water and stir to combine. Cook on High for 8 hours, adding more water as needed. Note: if more than 1 cup of water has evaporated during cooking, then the temperature is too high.

2. Once the beans have cooked, strain them, and reserve the liquid. Mash the beans with a potato masher, adding the reserved water as needed to attain desired consistency.

What have we given up?

A post worth reading by Stephanie.

The Aroma of Warm Bread Rising and Other Things We'd Miss Out On

Prayer: how God changes my mind

God answered a prayer for me this weekend! It was a small, personal request that God had laid on my heart to pray about. In the process of praying for this - indeed, in order for God to work - I had to lay aside "my way" and submit to His.

When He answered my prayer, I found myself reflecting on what exactly the purpose of prayer is.

Prayer is more than a "honey-do list" for God...more than a mere submission of everything I want to happen. While Scripture does teach that God delights, as a Father, to answer our requests and give us good things, prayer is also more than that. It goes beyond a "wish-list".

It is an opportunity for our thoughts line up with God's.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.

Even as we submit our requests, we are seeking to have our thoughts changed.

When we take the time to talk to God, the Spirit has an opportunity to work in us. Have you ever prayed when you're angry? You either have to repent of the anger, or you choose to hold on to the anger, and in the process, reject the work of the Spirit of God (a dangerous choice!). As the song says, there are just two choices on the shelf: pleasing God, or pleasing self...prayer doesn't allow us to hang on to our desires - we have to surrender them!

Prayer is a chance for the Spirit to mold our desires into His own. Perhaps we begin by praying that God would remove our sickness. As we continue to beseech Him, going to His Word, praying with our Bibles open...He actually begins to change our desires. We see that sometimes God allows sickness because that IS our "good thing".

For the LORD God is a sun and shield;
the LORD bestows favor and honor;
no good thing does he withhold
from those whose walk is blameless.

And maybe our prayer changes from "God, please heal me" to "God, please show me how this is your good thing for me."

So this weekend, when God answered my prayer, I sat and smiled at the irony. Had I chosen my way in that moment, He could not have answered the very prayer I'd prayed for several weeks. But when I, by the Holy Spirit's work in my heart, followed His way...He worked.

My kids are super cute.

Family News:

Cole is over 4 months old! Sitting in the Bumbo now for a good stretch of time, he enjoys watching his big brother, blowing bubbles with his lips, giggling (we found tickles last week!), sitting in Momma's sling, and he's enjoying his exersaucer now, too. Busy boy the past few weeks!

Speaking of busy boys, Graeme's language is TAKING OFF!!!! It's absolutely amazing. He's trying pretty much any word I say that he hasn't said yet...AND, he's forming phrases and short sentences. "Basketball hoop", "silly mama", "poco potty?", and my favorite, "Daddy, Mama, Graeme, baby, poco"...he'll often chant that, as though he enjoys that he can recite our entire family :)

He can count, too - 1 to 10, he not only recognizes the numbers (he has for a few months now) but just this last week, he recites all of them! When we go check the mailbox (they are numbered from 1-20) he likes to stop and recite 1-10.

Mark is busy blowing up things and writing orders. Sorry this video is sideways, but we can't figure out how to get it upright. We had a wonderful long-weekend with him home (with no orders to write), which was just delightful.

I am busy cooking, learning, cleaning the house, lovin' on the boys, and researching some things I want to work on over the next few weeks (sourdough starter, soaking grains, handmade gifts for Mother's Day, more real-food-based recipes). I don't know if it's the warm weather or what, but I've been feeling so motivated to be productive. I believe part of it is due to the process I've experienced over the past few months of embracing my calling to be the keeper of my home...I've had a huge shift in mindset and focus. The not-having-a-car for 4 weeks only fueled that fire, and caused me to learn to be content by staying busy caring for my home and family in a way I haven't focused on for awhile.

Oh, and we have one car now! We actually decided to fix the Acura - meaning, we replaced the engine ($3500 - there went that tax refund.) - but it's driving like a young car again (the engine only had 67,000 miles on it). The Volvo is still in the shop. Mark's motorcycle is now running again, but he can't take it every day, depending on weather and timing...we get the car tomorrow. It's amazing how thrilling such a simple thing can be :-D

Easy-Peasy Mac 'N Cheesy

You really can make homemade macaroni 'n cheese for an every-day lunch! You don't have to settle for the boxed stuff. Wanting to participate in the Food Renegade's Fight Back Friday, I thought I'd share this real food recipe classic, in a way that shows you how easy it can be to put a bowl of real mac 'n cheese on the table!

The recipe ingredients below yield about 4 servings (depending on how big you make those servings ;) Recipe adapted from Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld

1. Put your pot of water to boil - add macaroni when ready and cook according to package directions.

2. Prepare the Bechamel Sauce: Put 1T. olive oil in a large saucepan. Add 1T. flour and cook, stirring, until it resembles a thick paste, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the milk and cook, stirring, until the mixture begins to thicken, 3 to 4 minutes.

3. Add milk (1/2cup), any desired vegetable purees (I used butternut squash, 1/2cup), and your cheeses (a soft cheese, like cream cheese -4oz-, and a nice hard cheese/combo of cheeses, about 1 1/2cups worth, or to taste - I like white or yellow sharp, colby jack, parmesan...whatever I have on hand!)

4. Season (this recipe called for 1/2tsp salt, 1/8 tsp. each of paprika and pepper). I like a dash of tabasco sauce.

Voila! See, it's not hard!

In fact, it's very versatile - you can use pretty much ANY combination of cheeses. You could probably even use some sour cream or yogurt with milk; if you have a random can of evaporated milk, you could use that up...you can add bread crumbs for a special pizazz and broil it briefly in the oven to give it more of a "baked" taste.

Mac 'n Cheese is also a great base for adding vegetables and meats. My toddler will eat broccoli if it is with something like mac 'n cheese. My husband likes to take a container of this to work, sometimes along with a sandwich, sometimes on its own with some fresh veggies.

For more real-food recipes, and to join in the campaign to help America get back to wholesome, whole foods, head over to the Food Renegade.

Why I don't use The Pill

Birth Control Pill Causes Abortions

I didn't know this until several months after we were married...I actually started doing a bit of research after experiencing several negative side effects of the Pill. I read this little book by Sam and Bethany Torode. (To note, there are some controversial aspects they bring up in their book, but it's worth reading, regardless of whether you end up necessarily agreeing with everything or not). That was the beginning of a long journey (yes, and two children later LOL ;) that the Lord has been taking us on towards embracing His will regarding our conception.

"Does the Birth Control Pill Cause Abortions?"

Here's what 11 physicians and medical professionals are saying about the book Randy Alcorn published in 1998:


1. "From medical textbooks and pharmacy references, to statements from the Pill-manufacturers themselves, this book proves, beyond any doubt, the abortion-causing action of birth control pills. This book should be read by everyone interested in knowing the truth."

~ Paul L. Hayes, M.D., Board Certified Fellow of the American College of Obstetricians/Gynecologists

2. "Does the birth control pill cause abortions? Using research results from medical literature, Randy Alcorn has convincingly shown that the answer is `yes.' He has, with care and compassion, given us the truth. The question for us as Christians is how we will respond now that we know."

~ Linda Martin, M.D., Pediatrician

4. "In this challenging book Randy Alcorn has the honesty to face a tough and uncomfortable question. This compelling evidence will make you rethink the question of birth control pills."

~ John Brose, M.D., Surgeon

5. "In this impeccably researched book, Randy Alcorn takes an unblinking look at what medical experts know about how birth control pills work. I painfully agree that birth control pills do in fact cause abortions. Our individual and collective Christian response to this heretofore varnished-over information will have profound consequences for time and eternity. This is a disturbing must-read for all who profess to be prolife."

~ Beverly A. McMillan, M.D., Ob/Gyn

7. "No prolife physician can rightly prescribe BCPs [birth control pills] after reviewing this data. I have started circulating this information."

~ Randall Martin, M.D., Chairman, Department of Anesthesiology, Columbia Willamette Valley Medical Center

8. "Scientific papers suggest that escape ovulation occurs 4-15% of all cycles in patients taking birth control pills. Thus, as this booklet points out, early chemical abortions are a real and significant concern."

~ Paddy Jim Baggot, M.D., Ob/Gyn, Fellow of the American College of Medical Genetics

I can elaborate on what we believe, etc, in another post, but I wanted to put this information out there, in my own "little corner" of the blogging sphere...I was so thankful to become informed on this. The Body of Christ is surprisingly silent on this issue, at least the churches and groups that I've been a part of. We are extremely vocal about abortion. Why not about The Pill?