My momma always told me...

My momma always told me that you give your Sunday School teachers, pastors wives, AWANA's teachers, whoever in your children's lives that volunteer their time to train up your child in the Lord, gifts at Christmas and Easter.  

This was the first year that Molly really had a lot of teachers and so this Easter, sure enough, these adorable mugs showed up at my house curtesy of my mom and oriental trading :)  

So, I turned them into these cute little gifts and gave them to Molly's teachers.  You should have seen the smiles on their faces!  You could tell that giving "Thank you gifts" in this day and age is rare.  And the smile on Molly's face when she handed it to them and said, "Thank you for teaching me about Jesus." (And the tears in this mommy's eyes!!

Thanks mom for teaching me this lesson growing up and for making sure I remembered it!!!   

 

RIP Thomas Kinkade

Thomas Kinkade has died..  Kinkade is without a doubt one of my favorite artists of this era.  His paintings could make me smile on days when nothing else could.  Anytime I saw a gallery, I would go in and wish I could afford one, haha!

In tribute to Thomas Kindade and his amazing gift of painting, I am going to post some of my favorite paintings here this week. 

This one is called "Forgiven" by Thomas Blackshear.  

This painting is so raw.  I can feel this man's agony and exhaustion.  I can also see the strong grip that Christ has on him, refusing to let him fall.  When this man has no will or strength left in him, Christ is his fortress.

I also see the hammer and nails in the man's hand.. yes, even though this man is standing there guilty with the murder weapon in his hand, our Savior never turns his back on him.. wow.

Goodbye Sebastian

Sebastian, our first goldfish, Daniel's Christmas present this year, has now passed on.

We got Sebastian from a friend who had already had him a long time so he was an old guy.  He never quite adjusted to his new home with us, in just the four months that we had him, we went through three different antibiotics trying to cure the strange disease he had and just when it seemed like he was healing, he died..

I was sooo not ready to have the "what happens when fish die" conversation with Molly, let me tell you.  But it went rather well.. I basically told her that when fish die, they go to heaven and have new healthy bodies and are not in pain anymore.  That made her happy, to know Sebastian was no longer sick.

The next question she had was how was Jesus going to get Sebastian's body out of the tank and into heaven.. hmmm...

Not sure if this was the best thing to do but we handled that question by having Sebastian just disappear from the tank overnight.. The next morning Molly said, "Oh look Mommy, Jesus came and took him to Heaven!"  Catastrophe diverted, (sigh)

What makes this all so surreal was that two days after, our other fish, Flounder, started having babies!! We watched her have 7 in all, but I know there were more.

It was like watching the cycle of life.. the old pass on and new life is born.. What a beautiful picture of a very difficult life lesson...

The Easter Conundrum

Read this post today and was really moved by it.  I often think about how I want to celebrate religious holidays with my kids.  Of course, Christ is the focus, but do you have to get rid of Santa, the Eater bunny, etc to achieve Christ being the focus? I don't have an answer to this question yet.. Opinions?

  
 Click below to read Jen Hatmaker's posting
http://jenhatmaker.com/blog/2012/04/02/the-easter-conundrum-part-1

Just sayin...

This is Easter weekend..

Your probably expecting some theological talk but what is on my heart today is this..

I know many of my readers are not Christian, some not even religious and might even be annoyed by my Christian posts.. Here's how I see it..

Either I'm wrong about God, Christianity and everything and we all just die and that's it.. If this is what happens then so what, I have lost nothing but I have at least lived my life with hope.

BUT

If I'm right.. Then God is real and powerful and and the Bible is true, and we will all stand before Him one day AND anyone reading this can not claim to be ignorant..

Just Sayin....

Hunger Games Movie Review

My new book "crack" is the Hunger Games.  I didn't think any series would hold water to Twilight but this one is holding it's own so far.  I read the first book in the series in three days (putting it down during the day and reading at night before bed).  It was an easy read, really interesting and kept my attention the whole time.  

Yesterday, Bryon and I double dated to see the Hunger Games at the theater.....

anndddd.... it was....(drum roll)....... 

Good!  7 out of 10!

Not fantastic, but not bad, just good.  Please don't read the book before you go see the movie.  It is exactly the same with the Twilight films, a two hour movie can never compare to the detail of a book but if you watch the movie in/of itself, it is really good! 

I will confess that I spilled TWO cups of soda on me which dampened my mood a bit.  Not a great experience sitting in a packed out theater dripping wet with coke.  How did I possibly spill two cups of soda on me you ask?  Well, the first spill resulted from me squeezing the cup too hard thus causing it to collapse (from adrenaline) and the second time, I was so startled at what happens at the end of the film, that I jerked my hand out of Bryon's and knocked the drink into my lap AGAIN!  Thank God I wasn't actually holding the cup or I would have probably thrown it back over my shoulder or onto the people sitting next to me! 

My review of the movie..

Setting- FANTASTIC.. It brought tears to my eyes in the panoramic shots of the Blue Ridge Mountains.  Seeing the woods and rivers that are just like what I've grown up seeing on weekends when my family would take a drive up to Asheville, Chimney Rock or Boone. 

Plot/Action- Well paced.  I was not bored and never felt sleepy :)  It held my attention from opening to ending.


Lead Actors-
Katiness- Good.  She was sullen and believable.  Wouldn't cast her in a love story or chicky movie but great for this part.

Peeta- Bad.  I did like how they portrayed him as a stronger character in the film than the book but the actor playing him was not my favorite.  Plus he was shorter than Katiness and didn't seem to fit well with her.

Gale- Yes!  Best casting of the movie in my opinion.  I was neither here or there with Gale in the book but totally am rooting for him now!  He fits his character well and is believable in the role! 

Cinna-  Great!  I did not know how Lenny Kravitz would do in this part but I was pleasantly surprised.  

Haymitch- Also Great!  Woody Harrelson was perfect for the part.  Have no complaints about him at all.. Look forward to seeing his character develop.

President Snow- Yes!  Donald Sutherland is a fantastic actor who has a 'take me serious' vibe about him which fit him right in this characters shoes.

I'm half way through book two and excited to see what is left for the citizens of Panem!  Too bad we have to wait two years for the next movie!!  It's ok though, the last Twilight movie will be out before then, that will get me through :)

Growing green onions

 Growing green onions in your window seal. 

 

 Buy a bundle of green onions and use them down to the white 'stem'.  Then fill a glass with water and put the little stems in the water in a well lit area (window seals work great).   They will grow and grow!  I can't use them fast enough, as you can see from the height of these onions.  

I've had this batch of onions for 3 months now and they don't look like they are slowing down any time soon!  This is a great way to save money and add a splash of green to your kitchen window seal. 

"Minding Frankie" by Maeve Binchy

"Minding Frankie" by Maeve Binchy

Review of Book Club selection for March 

My rating: "B"

This almost 500 page novel by Maeve Binchy, an Irish author, was a pretty good read.  The book is about a lonely unmotivated alcoholic, Noel who finds out from an ex-fling (1 night stand deal) that she is pregnant with his daughter.  Only she (Stella) tells him from her death bed in the cancer unit of the hospital.  Stella asks Noel to take their daughter and raise her.  The book is about Noels journey to sobriety and adulthood as he takes on the task of raising Frainkie. 

Noel is able to accomplish this seemingly unattainable feat through a network of friends and family in the small town where he lives.  There are over 30 characters in the book so it is hard to keep everyone straight the first half of the book.  By the end, the majority of them come to conclusion and you feel like you could walk into their town and know everyone.  She does a great job giving the small town feel in the story. 

There are several major subplots which made the book become more interesting as I was initially getting bored just reading about Noel and his misery.  They introduced the character Lisa and her obsessive love with a celebrity chef Anton and that keep me intrigued through the middle of the book.  There is also a skeptical social worker who serves as the antagonist, dropping by Noel's house unannounced trying to catch him messing up.  There is Noel's cousin, Emily, who comes from the US in search of her family's Irish roots (Noel's family), and ends up breaking through the love-less family and helping them find their passions and purposes in life.  Noel's parents who are obsessed over a saint called Saint Jarleth and are determined the erect a statue in his honor.  And like 10 other contributing subplots, kinda reminded me of Steel Magnolia's with the crazy neighbors and community support feel behind it. 

At our book discussion, we saw an itunes video of Maeve talking about her book and she said she wanted readers to come out of the book with the knowledge that we can make what we want out of our lives.  In Noel's case, we can choose to live alienated from the world in a miserable stupor or we can choose to live to our full potential as he did!  It is up to us!

So, I would recommend the book if you are looking for a feel good read. The book didn't evoke any emotions from me and at our discussion we determined that we were torn about our feelings towards several of the characters. There were a couple of twists which is always nice.  I haven't read any other of Maeve's books but look forward to checking another one out!

Cheesy Quinoa Mac and Cheese

 

Recipe of the Day

Cheesy Quinoa Mac and Cheese

I have been looking for a yummy kid friendly recipe using Quinoa vs pasta.  There are so many health benefits to using it, I really want to incorporate it more into our diet as a healthier vegan source of protein.

After hearing so much hype about Quinoa, I did some research.  I found that while most commonly considered a grain, is actually a relative of leafy green vegetables like spinach and Swiss chard, sweet!

This is an excerpt from WHfoods.com that was a great summary of the health benefits...

"A recently rediscovered ancient "grain" native to South America, quinoa was once called "the gold of the Incas," who recognized its value in increasing the stamina of their warriors. Not only is quinoa high in protein, but the protein it supplies is complete protein, meaning that it includes all nine essential amino acids. Not only is quinoa's amino acid profile well balanced, making it a good choice for vegans concerned about adequate protein intake, but quinoa is especially well-endowed with the amino acid lysine, which is essential for tissue growth and repair. In addition to protein, quinoa features a host of other health-building nutrients. Because quinoa is a very good source of manganese as well as a good source of magnesium, folate, and phosphorus, this "grain" may be especially valuable for persons with migraine headaches, diabetes and atherosclerosis."       

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups quinoa, rinsed and drained
• Veggies of your choice (optional)
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1 1/2 cups grated Cheddar cheese, more for sprinkling
• Optional- Crushed Red Pepper, Bread crumbs for topping
• Toppings (optional)- salsa, hot sauce, sour cream, scallions

1. Lightly saute any veggies you would like in this dish. (I used whatever I had in the fridge which happened to be mushrooms, onions and peas today)
   
2.  Cook quinoa to packaged instructions until fully cooked. (About 15-20 minutes)
3. Preheat oven to 350 F. Coat 13x9 inch dish with cooking spray.  Whisk together eggs and milk in large bowl. Fold in quinoa mixture and cheese. Stir very well and let some of the cheese melt.  Transfer to prepared baking dish and add Bread crumbs if using.  Finish with sprinkling more cheese over the top.  Bake 30-35 mins.  

Rating:  B-
You have to get used to Quinoa as the texture is unlike anything I've ever cooked before.  I thought it was going to be similar to couscous which we cook a lot but it is nothing like it.  My kids initially were very uncertain as it looks kinda strange after cooking.  If I hadn't let Molly see it, I think should have given it a better chance. Bryon doesn't get to give a rating as he doesn't like cheese.  I personally really enjoyed it.  I added a good bit of pepper for taste and I think it needs more cheese and salt than the recipe calls for.  With a few tinkerings, I'll definitely try this again. 

Cake pops

 Many of you don't know that I make cake pops!  What is a cake pop you may wonder?  Well, it is a ball of cake goodness on a stick.  I first heard of these from my friend Kate, who bought one for like $3.50 at Starbucks and said it was fabulous.  She then taught herself and me to make them!  Before Kate left, we would make these together and have the best time doing it.  Even now, Molly asks about Kate every time we make them.  Miss you friend!!

 I make cake pops fairly often for special events and have started making them into centerpieces.  What can be better than edible centerpieces!  This past weekend, my good friend, Candace had a baby shower so I decided to make her potted cake pop centerpieces.  These are some of the foam flower pots I used.  It is so easy and cute using foam, the foam markers are great for writing personal message on the pots.  You could even have guests write little messages for the mom-to-be on them.  There are also cute little foam letters you can buy to decorate. 

 I made two types of pops this time.. White cake (which is the yummiest in my opinion) and strawberry (pink for girl!).  The white ones were coated with sprinkles and fun dip from the little packs.  The Strawberry ones were coated with pretzels, chocolate, pecans, and coconut.. 

Molly posing with the cake pops.  She loves helping shake the sprinkles on top and hold them if they aren't cooling quickly enough.. well let's be honest, her favorite part is 'sampling' the ones that fall off the stick! 

One of the centerpieces at the shower, after a couple of pops have been eaten :)  I used real potted flowers to stagger with the cake pop flower pots.  This is a great idea for showers because you can wrap up the real flower pots and give them as gifts for games.  By the end you have a cleared off table and you've kept it all in theme!

Close up of the strawberry pops.  Another great thing about cake pops is that they are moldable.  My friend Melissa, made some into Elmo heads for her son's Elmo themed birthday party.  You can make them into anything you want and kids love them because their have their own personal cake ball on a little stick that they can run around with.  This post is making me hungry!