Merry Christmas!

Hope you have a great Christmas this year and we'll see you back on January 5th! 

Another Dessert Recipe

So I really like making sweets at Christmastime! Recently, my husband bought a box of pears from a friend that benefited her daughter's school (a good cause) but that now leaves me with about 20 pears (after giving some away). I don't even eat raw pears! Luckily, I found a recipe that a friend gave me a few years ago for a "Pear and Chocolate Cream Tart." I had it at her house and it was reeeaaaally good. So I am going to try making it tomorrow and thought I'd share the recipe with anyone else who might be interested. This is a bit more involved than my brownie recipe, but worth the effort!

Pear and Chocolate Cream Tart
serves 6-8

9-inch tart pan lined with chocolate pastry (recipe below)
4 oz. semisweet chocolate, melted
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla or almond extract
3 ripe pears

1) In a saucepan over low heat, melt chocolate, cream, and half the sugar, stirring frequently, until smooth. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Beat in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla or almond extract and spread evenly in pastry shell, set on a cookie sheet.
2) Preheat a 375 degree oven. Peel the pears, then halve, and core them. Put them on a work surface cut-side down and cut crosswise into thin slices.
3) Arrange pears spoke fashion in the pastry shell and press gently with the heel of your hand to fan out pear slices toward the center. Tap tart gently on the work surface to eliminate air bubbles.
4) Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temp. to 350 degrees. Sprinkle surface of the tart with the remaining sugar and bake until custard is set and pears are tender and glazed, about 20 minutes more. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly. Serve warm.

Chocolate pastry

8 Tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup superfine sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1) Put butter, sugar, salt and vanilla into bowl of food processor fitted with a metal blade and process for 25 to 30 seconds. Add cocoa and process, about 1 minutes. Add flour all at once and process for 10-15 seconds until it is well blended. Turn pastry out on to a sheet of plastic wrap and shape into a flat circle. Wrap and refrigerate 1 hour.
2) Soften pastry for 10-15 minutes at room temp. Unwrap and sandwich between two large pieces of plastic wrap. Carefully roll out to 11-inch round, about 1/4 inch thick. Peel off top sheet and invert pastry into a greased tart tin. Gently ease pastry on to the bottom and sides of the tin, then remove the bottom layer of wrap. Press pastry into tin, then cut off any excess. Prick base of pastry with a fork and chill for 1 hour.
3) Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Blind bake for 10 minutes weighting pastry with a layer of foil and dried beans. Then remove foil and beans and bake for 5 more minutes until just set. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Enjoy! Merry Christmas!

The Calm and the Chaos

My house just went from full to empty in a matter of seconds. From loud, happy, chaotic chatter to quiet peaceful and controlled calm. From 10 people to 3 people (me, a sleeping baby and a toddler lounging on the couch with books).
My husband's cousins (all single girls from late teens to late 20's) came to visit. It was such a short stay (one day and overnight) but I loved it. I like having people laughing in every room, I like not being able to follow all the conversations that occur simultaneously and I like watching them meet my children for the first time and watching them tease, hug and fall in love with each other. I liked getting to know each of them a little better, as we do not see each other often. We promised to stay in touch and talk more, to stay involved in each others lives a bit and I hope we do.
Now listening to the sudden quiet in my house, I miss all the voices and smiles - but also realize that I enjoy the calm moments as well. I am wishing that it was not such a calm moment though and feeling a bit lonely for these cousins, this family, who I did not even know I missed! It was a blessing to have time with them.

My life is a mix of calm and chaotic moments, and there are times when I love them both. I find myself trying to control the when, where and how the calm and chaotic times occur though. As a mother, I often try to control when my home and children are loud and when they are calm. Which of course is impossible. It is like my relationship with the Lord, in that there are still, quiet times when I need to listen to Him speak. And there are exciting times when I feel like He is doing so much, so fast that I cannot keep up. Both moments are amazing and blessed....but I cannot choose when they occur. God has His perfect timing for each moment, for each season of my life. It is only a struggle for me when I decide that I want a period of calm and quiet, but God is saying - take action, let's go, I have great changes coming for you. Or when I am excited, bouncing off the walls trying to move forward, but God is telling me to wait, trying to guide me, if only I would be quiet enough to listen.

I am learning to be on God's timetable, which can be frustrating ...but also wonderfully freeing when I can let go of my expectations and hold on to His promises!

Ramblings

I feel as if I've been running constantly on a treadmill for months.

In the back of my mind I know I should stop at one point, but I can't for some reason.

I wonder why?

Many times I'd opt for being comfortable. I don't want any more challenges that make me stretch. I think I've been too comfortable in my busyness of life that God's calling me out of the comfort zone once again. 

If I'm disciplined in this area, I know that it probably won't hurt as much to be pushed. Unfortunately, it's the opposite case, and I'm just complaining.

Things need to be slowed down and revisited. Then eventually, should move on.

The Tale of A Fool- It's a bit long, but I'm writing my heart out here :)

I was called a fool by a friend of mine not too long ago and I felt a bit upset about it. But at times, I wonder if I really am a fool, especially in God's eyes.

I never knew I had a material obsession until I had my first baby. I love baby clothes and I can't help myself :) But my fetish is a little different from what you think it might be. My obsession is not with buying, rather, it's with holding on to them or you might even call 'hoarding' them.

I don't know about you, but it's always been a challenge for me to practice giving. Of course it's easy to give away what you don't want anymore, but it becomes a different story when it comes to giving away something you treasure and still would like to have it around.

When my mother first found out she was going to become a grandmother to my first daughter, she went quite obsessive also with the shopping. She bought an entire wardrobe of all the cute baby girl clothes she can get for her first grand-daughter. So, ever since then, I had bags and bags of baby clothes that I loved and held onto for my future children.

But when my 2nd child was about 2 years old, I felt this nudging inside me. You know, the gentle whisper from God that feels like a ton on your heart? Yes, that's the one. I felt He was asking me to give all the clothes away especially to the people who need them the most. I know this sounds silly, but it really was a big struggle for me and I reasoned with God. I even asked Him if I could keep the clothes that have the sentimental values for my future children and give away the rest. But to my surprise, He was asking me to fully trust Him that He'll provide when that time comes, and give away everything.

To make the long story short, after much heart break and even shedding some tears, I ended up giving everything away. Then literally two weeks later, I found out that I was pregnant with my third, who happens to be another girl. At first, I started to panic. I couldn't exactly ask for all the clothes back, nor could I afford all the clothes and baby gear that I needed. But He gave me a sense of peace, and I learned to trust Him that He'll provide. And He did! Almost mysteriously. People around me were so willing to give, I barely needed to buy any clothes or gear for my third child. So, ever since then, it's been my practice to give especially the ones I'd love to keep. It's still a challenge, but I have tasted both the joy of giving and receiving what others treasured, and this helps me to go on.

So, when my friend asked me if I'm all set for my fourth child (btw, I'm having a girl-for those who's been asking :P ), I told her I have not much since I gave everything away after my third, she called me foolish for not thinking about the future. She kinda gave me a lecture about how I should at least keep the ones I really like as if I hadn't thought of all that. To this, I gave no reply, but sometimes, I wonder if trusting God and following my convictions make me look like a fool. 

I'm sure it does. But I want to tell my friend this: one thing that I have learned through this experience, is that yes, God does provide. But even if God doesn't provide the things I want, I still should praise Him because I know He loves me to the point to sending Christ to the cross and plus, Christianity is not about having all my need met anyway. I think this is something we ought to remember especially through times such as now, with the financial crisis and all. When things get tough, it's easy to focus on the little details that only last but a moment, but when we place our trust and faith in Him, He will bring you the greater perspective of what truly matters.

From the Mouths of Babes.....

Following are some funny things that a few moms I know (including myself) heard recently from their children. Hope you enjoy a good laugh, or a least a little chuckle, over these moments.

Mom: Do you need some help putting your clothes away in the drawers? I know it can be hard.
2 year old: (Laughing) No Mamma, clothes soft...not hard!

Visiting Guest: (remarking about the baby's eyes). What big blue eyes! Your little brother has his Daddy's eyes.
2 year old: (running over to poke her fingers into Daddy's eyes). OH NO!!! Daddy have Daddy's eyes.

2 year old: (In stroller, looking down to see that one shoe has fallen off). Oh, my shoe fell off. One shoe on, one shoe off...... I Cinderella!! Yeah (clapping)!

Dad: (leaving for work) I better hit the road, before traffic gets bad.
3 year old: That is NOT a nice thing. We don't hit!!

Mom: (walking in to see a crayon scribbled on the hardwood floor) What happened here?
3 year old: (Immediately hits the closest crayon, looking surprised). Bad, bad crayon!

Babysitter: (explaining why a book shows people running from a skunk) Sometimes skunks are very, very stinky. So people don't want to be near them.
toddler: He needs go potty!


JUST A WONDERFUL REMINDER OF HOW BLESSED WE TRULY ARE TO HAVE SUCH AMAZING, IMAGINATIVE WONDERFUL CHILDREN IN OUR LIVES.

Shopping Tales

Ah, Christmas is almost here. I love spending time with my family, singing 'Silent Night' in candlelight, reading the Christmas story, celebrating the birth of our Savior, hanging stockings, looking at lights as they glow on the Christmas tree and I truly enjoy seeing the happy expressions when children (or adults) open something that they really like and sometimes have been anticipating! What I DO NOT enjoy at all is shopping for those gifts.
Every year I feel the pressure of those not yet found, not yet bought and not yet wrapped gifts. I admit that I am not a shopper by nature, and when I do shop I am thrifty and do not like to go to more than two stores. I avoid the mall, hate finding parking spots in crowded lots and dread standing in long check out lines. That said, every year I put much thought and ask many questions of my extended family to make my 'List.' Once the list is made, I look online and at the ads to plan where I can shop to get the best price. Then I get excited over things like being able to buy several gifts at just one store...or finding items online with free shipping. But when I went to the store this morning, very early morning...in an attempt to miss the crowds, I was almost giddy. You see, if I found the last three things I needed then my Christmas shopping would be done. I was ecstatic to find everything left on my list, at decent prices and did not have to wait in line. Ahhhh....now all I have to do is wrap them up and I am really ready to enjoy Christmas. I admit that I only shopped at two stores and two online sites and was able to get all the gifts my family will love (I hope). So perhaps my animosity towards shopping, and the pressure I feel to get those gifts pays off, as it precipitates intense planning and strategy on my part - leading to only two outings for all my shopping to be completed.

What's NOT Fun

I hate being sick. 

Once one person gets it, everyone else gets sick and each one separately. 

I've been homebound for literally 3 weeks now and it's almost so depressing.

It's so hard to watch your little ones being sick. Although I hate being sick, even the tiniest bit, I would take their place any day. Too bad that doesn't work the way I'd like to.

I had so many engagements I missed this month.  Although I love the cold weather, it's the flu season that I detest. 

I want to be out of the house.

Quick, Easy Dessert!

Here is a very easy dessert recipe that I just made for the first time for a cookie exchange (even though it isn't really a cookie) and although at first I was dissatisfied with the result (the cheesecake flavor wasn't strong enough) after a few more (many more) tastes I really do enjoy these. They are very fudgy, which I love! Also, I had used a knife to make a marble design in the batter, which I think mixed the cheesecake with the brownie batter too much, resulting in a fainter cheesecake flavor. A good solution would be to sandwich the layer of cheesecake between the brownie batter (as are the instructions in the recipe below now). This idea was given to me by a friend whose Mom makes cheesecake brownies that way. These are so quick, they take less time to make than the oven takes to preheat! Enjoy!

Cheesecake Brownie Bites

1 box brownie mix (I used Betty Crocker original Supreme and loved it)
Water, oil, and eggs needed for your brownie mix
12 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
Pinch of nutmeg (use up to 1 tsp. if you prefer, I just don't like too much nutmeg)
1 egg

1) Preheat oven to 375. Line a 9x13 oven-safe, deep pan with aluminum foil and spray bottom only with cooking spray.
2) In a large bowl, mix brownie mix according to package directions. Pour half of the mixture into the prepared baking dish.
3) In a medium bowl, mix cream cheese, sugar, nutmeg, and egg. Pour all of the cheesecake mixture into the pan.
4) Finally, pour the rest of the brownie mixture into the baking dish. Bake for 25-35 minutes, start checking at 25 and every few minutes thereafter until a toothpick inserted 2 inches from side of pan comes out clean or almost clean.
5) Cool for about an hour, then cut into squares or "bites" smaller than a regular brownie. (Although you can make them as big or small as you want!) Because they are so fudgy, it helps to spray your knife with a little cooking spray before cutting.
6) Store covered in the fridge. Eat often. Share with friends.

Making a List & Checking it Twice!

One of the memorable and magical moments for a lot of us growing up, and for a lot of our kids this month, is the fine tuning and production of "the list". When I was a little girl, we actually mailed our list to Santa! The excitement was intense. Making a Christmas list, whether Santa is a part of your Christmas or not, is one of many happy traditions of the season for most families with children. And actually, we depend on these lists to help us find out what those inner secret wishes are, or to help our more expressive and easily excited children to narrow down their expectations! :0) However, as with many traditions, the culture of a community affects and re-defines them with time. The Christmas list of a child growing up in the early 70's on a Brazilian missionary field, was very different from the list of a child growing up on Long Island in 2008. Sadly, expectations and the "LI Entitlement" epidemic have crept their way into far too many unsuspecting homes. All of this can lead to a little apprehension about how to pull gift giving off. Last night I was on the phone with a very close friend, who is really burdened by the prospect of both maintaining faith in Santa, and being moderate in how much they spend on each of their kids for Christmas-especially the ones that are old enough to make expensive requests, but too young to know that Santa has limitations.

What mom doesn't want her child to experience that moment of wonder and joy at finding their wishes come true Christmas morning? We love to see our children bursting with happiness. The opportunity to create that wonder is in our hands at Christmastime! And...greed can ruin it all. So how do we groom grateful kids in the midst of all this excitement and anticipation? Do we put out the fire of excitement and extinguish expectations by eliminating all lists? I mean, the very production of a list says something doesn't it? And Christmas IS all about giving. It's funny though, how we say that, knowing that it's true. And yet other aspects of our traditional Christmas don't really line up with that knowledge. At it's best, for most families, we tack on the spiritual and meaningful. We add things like Shoe boxes for kids and maybe an extra offering or gift for a needy family, to otherwise quite secular gift giving traditions.

The Christmas list is fun! I love seeing the kids sitting at the kitchen table with a mug of hot chocolate, caught up in wonder and hopeful excitement. And actually, it's a practical tool in my house. But I also think it needs constant clarifying and even re-defining. A list, while a child is working on one, needs to be set up in their mind as a means for helping family and others to get to know them and their wishes. Lately, I think it's that simple. When a child, or a grown up for that matter, is asked to make a list we just need to frame it differently. I really think we need to be deliberate as moms, to lead and teach away from entitlement. Entitlement is a lurking monster and it's one of the cultural norms that we need to guard our hearts and minds from. If we, mentally even, look to "checking things off" that are on our kids Christmas lists, what are we really teaching? I'm NOT saying that we shouldn't get things our children really want for Christmas! I am saying though, that if we get most of the things on their list for them, that it will train an expectation that we might not really want to grow. In spite of our spiritually driven, balancing phrases like "Christmas is really about giving", that we hope will neutralize what we practice.

We need to intentionally invite personal, creative, off-list, original gift giving back into our Christmas. Our Father in heaven, looked down on us, at just the right time in history. He lovingly studied our needs, dreams, even our design. In light of who we are, the sin and selfishness that we are born into, and in light of what we were created to become, He gave. He gave to us a Child, a Son. A Christmas gift that would become our hope and life - and that would draw out of each one of us all of the things He designed for us to be. A beautiful history to work at re-creating through honoring traditions this Christmas.

Memory Lane

It's so fun to watch your little ones grow up. My two year old as been bringing me that joy lately, as she's learning to speak phrases like "okay, okay, you're right" (I've no idea where she got that from", or "I love you mommy".

She also moved onto pretend play. Her favorite is playing tea party. She loves to put on her big sister's princess dress and bring tea to all her stuffed animal friends.

Years ago we bought a tea party set for my oldest daughter, which now most of them are lost and handed down to her little sister. Just the other day, we made a trip out to IKEA to purchase a dresser for our Baby M and had found our toddler fascinated by their children's dinnerware (they're quite colorful). So we spent about $5 on the whole set and much to our surprise, they keep her entertained all day and sometimes even in her dreams (she says 'tee-partee!' in her sleep). It's even hard to get her out of the house because she has to pack them in her backpack to carry them wherever she goes.

But even in the midst of all this fun, there's nothing like how her face lighting up when I join the tea party with her. I can clearly see that she loves spending that play time with her mommy. Not only that, she seems to develop her verbal skills much faster.

What are your fondest childhood memories?

Lately, I've been thinking a lot about mine. Perhaps, it's just this time of year that's bringing back the memories of the past; the same memories that partly shaped who I am today. The ones I can remember the most is playing house or baking lots of goodies with my mother. And I realize, that what brought me most joy was not the latest trendy toys people had to fight over to buy, but rather from the heart, and time, of course.

We live in a society driven by materialism and it's so easy to forget the intangible things that actually matter. I hope and pray that in the midst of all the busyness of the holidays, we will all remember to spend that quality time with our loved ones, especially with our Heavenly Father who wants to create fond memories with us. After all, Christmas is all about our Daddy giving us the best gift of all to show us how much He loves us. I hope that you will give Him back the best gift of all.....you :)

Nursery Ideas

Now that we know we're having a girl, I can finally start working on the nursery. It's always been a dream for me to put together a picture perfect nursery. Sadly to say, I never really got a full chance to do that with my older children (it's a long story). So this time around, considering it'll be my last chance to do this in my life time, I've been doing my research. 

It was quite tough at first, since there are countless ideas to choose from, but I've finally narrowed down to few. My first choice would be the Spring theme. Baby M is due to arrive late March, so it kinda goes well with the theme (although it feels a bit cliche-ish). I love the bird mobile that seems to be quite popular these days, and the quilt I fell in love with from Pottery Barn Kids goes well with the theme, so I'm trying to put these together. 

If this is the theme I'm going to go with, I'm planning on making some of the things from the picture (quilt, mobile, nursery art, etc.). Hopefully, I'll have enough time and energy to do all this before the baby comes. 

I've already put together my deco file with all the tutorials, sewing patterns, and instructions. But I'm a bit afraid I might not be able to keep up physically. If I want to sew, or do any projects, I have to wait until all the kids are asleep. But by that time, I'm ready to hit the bed also, so that's my dilemma. Oh, well.

This is so much fun though, so I won't complain :)

Help Getting Crafty this Season

You may be the Martha Stewart of your neighborhood, but for some of us craftiness does not come that easily. I fall into the latter category so I love finding simple crafts I can make..... especially ones that actually look nice.

I found this site, Easy Christmas Crafts, and love the broad variety of homemade decorations and gift ideas. They have creative ideas for do-it-yourself ornaments, gifts for friends, kids crafts, homemade snow globes, candy Christmas trees and much more! The best thing is that each project idea includes easy instructions and pictures, and some have video instructions as well. I decided to re-do old ornaments per a great idea I found on this site.

So whether you have never made a Christmas decoration or are a handicraft expert, you are sure to find something for you or your kids to make, that will add to the christmas feel of your home!
Enjoy!

This is the Star

I read a wonderful Christmas book to my daughter in the doctor's waiting room last week, then the same book was showcased at my MOPS meeting this week.

This is the Star, by Joyce Dunbar, is a beautifully crafted poetic re-telling of the Christmas story! Reminiscent of This is the House that Jack built, the story builds one simple line at a time, and gains momentum until it's wonderful ending. With each page, another element is added and another breathtaking illustration is revealed. My daughter loved the rhythm, pictures and simple repetition of this book, but more importantly she loved the story it told. I admit that I was deeply touched by this beautifully simplistic, yet stunningly compelling, story of Christ's birth.

Just to give you a feel for the book. The first line reads: "This is the star in the sky," and a few pages later:

"This is the inn where the only room
Was a stable out in the lamplit gloom
For the donkey and his precious load
Who trudged the long and weary road
Looked on by the angel shining bright
Who came to the shepherds watching by night
That saw the star in the sky."

We probably would have read the story over and over, rather than just three times, had it been ours. I am ordering it for my daughter and nieces as well, and recommend that you read it to your children. Once you do, you will want to own this priceless new classic as well.

Unexpected Thanksgiving Weekend

My Thanksgiving weekend started out well. My husband and I hosted and had my sister and her husband and some friends and their two children over for Thanksgiving dinner. Although the turkey was finished way too early and we still ate an hour after I had planned, everyone had a good time and although it was a little crazy with a 3-year old and two 1-year olds in our small house, it was controlled chaos. Friday was nice and relaxing too. The trouble came Friday night when my 16-month old woke up around midnight crying and wouldn't go back to sleep. I went in, thinking she'd lost her binky or her puppy stuffed animal and needed to be tucked in again. The poor little girl had been sick and to make matters worse, it looked like she'd rolled around in it! So I call my husband in for reinforcements and we give her a bath, change the sheets, wonder if she ate something funny and tuck her back into bed. Two hours later, the cycle repeats. And two hours after that, and two hours after that. Once morning came though, she seemed fine. We obviously were very careful about what she ate, but she was playing normally and didn't show any more signs of sickness for the most part. I looked forward to a nice sleep Saturday night.

I didn't get it. Two hours after going to bed, I woke up with the bug. I ended up sleeping on the couch in order to be close to the bathroom (we don't have one on the second floor) and was waking up every hour or so, which continued well into the day on Sunday. Even though I was physically feeling pretty awful, I feel like this might be the best experience I've had with the stomach virus. It came at a very funny time: right after Thanksgiving, when I'd been meditating on all that I'm thankful for; focusing on all of the blessings God has given me. Right before getting sick I'd also received an email forward that had a video about a boy calling a Christian radio station and sharing a moving message. It basically said that no matter what experience you are going through, God understands and you should just run to Him. That message resonated with me while I was sick. As waves of nausea and fatigue swept over my body, I tried to remember that Jesus suffered severe physical pain and discomfort for me and that He knows and understands what I am experiencing. Furthermore, the Bible says we should rejoice in sharing in Christ's sufferings (Romans 8:17, Philippians 3:10-11, 1Peter4:13). Although I can tell you flat out that I was not rejoicing in my illness, I can honestly say that my feelings of thankfulness continued through the whole experience. I am trying to hold onto that spirit of thanksgiving for the whole year!

December 2008

It was so much fun to read about some of your Thanksgiving holidays this past week. Thank you for all sharing a part of yourselves with us. It blessed me to read about your traditions and your nontraditions, welcoming new friends to your table, adapting your meal to your needs, and of course seeing photos that show the love that is shared with those who you care so deeply for.

Our Thanksgiving holiday is almost always spent in Manhattan. It started when my eldest was a baby and unless we are traveling to be with out of town family, you can always find us braving the cold air at an hour when most are still in bed, just to get a 'good spot' to see the Macy's Parade come down Central Park West and make its way to Herald Square. This year was no exception. After many hours cheering for the parade, we headed over to Rockefeller Center to see the Christmas tree, and made our way to our favorite eatery in the Theatre district.

As we wound down the holiday weekend in the City, we had managed to see a show, do some shopping in Soho, and spend endless hours walking and talking. It is always a great way for my family to begin our Christmas holiday season. Now it is December and I have way too much to do before the end of the month. May I be able to savor the special moments with those who are closest to me, and look forward to many more holidays together. Thank you Lord for Thanksgiving.

Blank Idea

I was browsing through one of my favorite blogs and found this special site that caught my eye. It's called Blank Slate (Click here for link). You can unleash your talents here and design your own children's board books. They give you four blank board books for around $20, a soft ware to design your own illustrations, and instructions of course. I hear it's real easy to make and even get your kids to illustrate their own book. I thought it was a great homemade Christmas gift idea. When I get this done, I'll share the pics with you :)

My Nontraditional Thanksgiving

I love Thanksgiving. There's something about this day that makes me all giddy inside. I also love to cook all the traditional Thanksgiving meals. The autumn spices and mulled apple cider bring back the fond memories of close friends and families.

But this year, we decided to skip the prepping, cooking, cleaning up, and even bringing out my favorite Guy Buffet china and took the easy way out. Although I'm in my best state of pregnancy (2nd tri), I get too tired these days, I had to go with my best friend, Boston Market :P

I was pretty impressed with how it turned out. The food was delicious and they gave us everything from table cover (we didn't use it because it was black and too Halloween-ish) to serving utensils, we practically didn't need anything. So all I did was light the candles, turn on the Christmas music, made the Thanksgiving Book (writings and drawings of what we are thankful to God from this year) with the children, and ate, and ate, and ate some more. 

We celebrated it last with a cake 

(my favorite) instead of pumpkin or apple crumb pie, which was 

different from what we usually do. But overall, we all enjoyed the care-free Thanksgiving this year because we had more time to chat and enjoy each other rather than cleaning up afterwards. We got to play Candyland together over hot chocolate and marshmallows, and the kids really appreciated us spending this special time with them.

 I hope that although it was an nontraditional Thanksgiving we had this year, they will cherish the memories the way I will through the years to come.

Another Kind of Thanks

This year's Thanksgiving was so different for us. Three kids away, and a fourth flown out by grandma to be with the older three, that left us with our two youngest at home. For me, that felt almost heavy. I LOVE a full table, and I really feel that the more people I feed around my table, the more satisfying life is for me. I love the feasts, they are rich with symbolic metaphor for me, and Thanksgiving is certainly at the top of my list. God had another plan for me-other than the quiet and rest of a small celebration. But He had to help me see it first! Well, my nephew, being a student here in the city, was unable to go home for the break, so that was start. And then, he had a friend who also was also NYC bound for the holidays. Finally my eyes opened and I got the point. My husband & I started to let the word out to some other college groups that we had open seats.
I don't have any photos...I think we were all taken in by the wonder of these 7 students who came to be with us that day and we forgot to. We had a Bulgarian studying film and psychology, and an Indian physics student, both with heavy accents...we had 2 California guys who were brilliant musicians, and an artist, an actress, and a math student. What I enjoyed most about the day, were two things. Hearing each one, including my girls, describe what they were thankful for and describe how they had seen God in their lives this past year. Second, I really enjoyed play! These students knew how to laugh and play games! We played those silly games that require no props; word games and puzzles, and of course charades - for hours!
I saw some things this week again, about what happens when you let go of what you want, or think you need, and open up your heart and home to whoever wants to come. I'm also seeing that absence makes the heart grow sweeter...I get all my kids home for Christmas! Can't wait!!

Busy As A Bee

Boy, things have been crazy busy here.

Chasing after a highly active toddler, working, doing projects with the older kiddies, doing projects for the baby to come, not to mention the never ending chores followed by bouts of nesting frenzies.... I not only am driving myself crazy but my poor hubby also. Just over the Thanksgiving break, we rearranged the entire master bedroom and the kids room. I think Jay is still aching from all the moving.

Anyways, I have finally found out what we're having today. We're having a girl :) This means, Jay's dream is finally coming true with three girls. I feel bad for our son who really wanted a little brother. But when we told him, he seems to not care so much as I had expected. He said it doesn't matter because he loves all babies. For this reason, I'm thankful.

Can't wait till I meet our 4th baby M in March. 

Family Traditions

My thanksgiving this year was full of fun, family and traditions.....some old, and some new. My husbands parents and grandparents came to celebrate the holiday and stay with us for several days.

The women worked in the kitchen to make the traditional thanksgiving dinner, and my 2 year old daughter begged to help with everything! Complete with turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, squash, corn casserole, rolls, salad and 3 kinds of cranberry sauce - the dinner barely left room for the 6 place settings of my grandmother's china. Not to mention the 4 pies and cookies that were standing by for dessert. Before any food was served, the plates each plate held 2 kernels of indian corn. Before the prayer, each person gave thanks for 2 things, placing their kernels into the small turkey basket as it was passed around the table. The turkey dinner, the china, taking turns giving thanks...these are traditions we follow every year. But this year we added a new tradition as well and read Lincoln's Thanksgiving address at the table, which was a very powerful call to give thanks.

Some families go Christmas shopping on the day after Thanksgiving, but we start preparing for Christmas in a different way. My husband enlists as many volunteers as he can to help string lights on the house, the garage and the trees out front. Then we rearrange the family room, put the Christmas tree up and string lights on it as well.

My father-in-law carried on the tradition of his mother, and her mother - by making homemade italian pizzelle cookies. He brought all the necessary ingredients, took over the kitchen and spent the whole night making pizzelles...somewhere around 225 cookies. The house smelled wonderful for days and he left several tins with us so we can share them with friends and neighbors in the upcoming season!

Sharing these family traditions is truly special, but the time I enjoyed the most during Thanksgiving day and the weekend were all of our unofficial, unscheduled, unplanned family 'traditions.' The things that we just automatically end up doing when family visits. My kidsgot spoiled with extra hugs and attention from their grandparents and great grandparents. My daughter enjoyed countless hours sitting on the lap on one grandparent or another, reading her favorite books. We snapped photos of moments we wanted to remember. We ate leftovers for days and made too much dessert. We bundled up for walks out in the cold. We got everyone dressed and together for a family photo....as you know, that process can be quite the undertaking. We went to church together. We took afternoon naps (some of us anyway). We played games after the kids were asleep. We drank coffee & tea as we caught up on family news. We talked, we laughed, we enjoyed being together.

Hoping you have a wonderful day with your friends and family

Thanksgiving Proclamation

How many of you have read Abraham Lincoln's original Thanksgiving Proclamation? I recently read it and was amazed that what was written in 1863 applies even more so to our country today, and was challenged by what a powerful call this is to give thanks to God! So here it is for you to read with your family:

Thanksgiving Proclamation of 1863 ~ Abraham Lincoln

It is the duty of nations as well as of men to own their own dependence upon the overruling power of God; to confess their sins and transgressions in humble sorrow, yet recognize their sublime truth, announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history, that those nations are blessed whose God is the Lord.

We know that by his divine law, nations, like individuals, are subjected to punishments and chastisements in this world. May we not justly fear the awful cal;amity of civil war which now desolates the land and may be a punishment inflicted upon us for out presumptuous sins, to the needful end of our national reformation as a whole people.

We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven; we have been preserved these many years in peace and prosperity; we have grown in numbers, wealth and power as no other nation has ever grown.

But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace, multiplied and enriched and strengthened us, and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us.

It has seemed to me fit and proper that God should be solemnly, reverently, and gratefully acknowledged, as with one heart and one voice, but the whole American people. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in the foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November as a day of Thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens

9 Months - by Erin

Well here I am, 9 months pregnant! I’ve packed on almost 40 lbs, my rings don’t fit on my fingers, and I can’t remember if I’m eating because I’m hungry or if it is because I have food in my house. I always thought I would have the famous “pregnancy glow” but for me it’s just turning out to be “pregnancy sweat.” I feel somewhat like I’ve let myself down with my own expectations of how I was going to feel during pregnancy and what it was going to be like. I thought it would be a harmonious dance with the natural preparation my body and heart would be making with my growing baby. However, I feel as though it’s been just the opposite. I’m not sure if every mom-to-be has had this kind of pregnancy, but I’m here to honestly say that it happened to me.

In the beginning I had extreme morning sickness; anything I looked at or smelled made me want to throw up. I felt like everyone else was enjoying their meals, laughing and eating great food, while I was sulking in the corner with a bucket in my lap on the verge of dry heaving. Then as the weeks went by, my appetite returned and I began eating everything in sight... and completely outgrew all my clothes. I became crazy over the foods that I never ate before because of the calories. I wanted to eat healthy but for some reason had no desire too. I kept reminding myself that my husband & I were so blessed to have been given a baby so easily and fast. I kept thanking God for our wonderful joy and at the same time thinking negative thoughts when I saw girls wearing tight jeans that I used to be able to fit into. It seems so vain, but my body change has been the hardest part of my pregnancy. With that said though, I should still be thanking God for allowing my body to hold such a precious gift, at whatever cost it might come with.

As my due date quickly approaches, in time for his wonderful Christmas season, I should be going over my breathing, packing my bags for the hospital and lining up my baby’s pediatrician, but instead I’m still consumed with the thought that as soon as the baby is out I can go for a jog and wear my jeans again. So as vain as this pregnancy has been for me, I hope some one out there can understand. And I pray that these feelings are no indication of what I will be like as a parent. Because one day when my own daughter grows up and becomes pregnant I hope to look at her when she is 9 months along and tell her that she has never looked more beautiful; just like my own mom said to me.

True Beauty

In a highly trafficked hallway of my home sits a wooden plaque with the word, 'SIMPLIFY' painted on it. To some women this word means to clean out the closets, eliminate the dust bunnies, or enter all the loose receipts into the checkbook. Yet to others, it means to say yes to fewer things and stop overbooking schedules.
When my children were young, it meant making sure everyone got enough rest and a schedule was in place. As they got older, it meant making sure I carefully chose their activities so that quality overshadowed quantity. Of course along with this type of prioritizing came the need to balance time with my husband, my outside activities, and friendships. Somewhere between then and now - I have come to realize that all the scheduling, short cuts learned, and simplifying can not take the place of knowing your purpose.
The world will tell you that the external variables should dictate how you spend your time. Truly, there are days when situations and circumstances will force you to be flexible and change what you have planned. But your number one priority is to begin each day with God. Allow Him to shine your true beauty. Dedicate each day to Him, for Him and because of Him. If you are able to - before you get out of bed, before that first foot touches the floor, ask Him to fill you with His holy presence. He has a purpose for you and your day.
Especially with the holidays beginning, you will need His touch. Give Him your days - Colossians 3:17 tells us that our lives should honor God. This is possible and you can do it, with the touch of the Savior. 'Take your everyday, ordinary life - your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life- and place it before God as an offering' (Romans 12:1) Worship God on the center stage of your life, simplifying the many tasks before you by dedicating them to Him.
You will have enough time to do that which God wants you to do. Come before Him and allow Him to love you. A little early Holiday gift is waiting for you - enjoy it - "True Beauty". Happy Thanksgiving! Carolina /aka Nina http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=It93_NLaS1A

Let's Talk Turkey!

I know--unoriginal title and unoriginal subject. But, for tradition's sake, I'm going to write down a list of ideas for what to do with your turkey leftovers. This is from the magazine, "American Baby" - November 2007, pgs 110&112, and there are some unique suggestions among the well-known ones. Below that is a unique way to use up turkey meat - in an Italian-style bolognese sauce! However you decide to eat up those leftovers, I hope you have a blessed and delicious Thanksgiving!

1) Chop and use as an omelet filling along with cheddar, green onions, and tomatoes.
2) Chop and add to chicken broth with thin slices of carrots, celery, and chopped onions for a light soup. You also can add quick-cooking rice toward the end of cooking. Season with your favorite snipped fresh herb.
3) Slice, dice, and add to a chef salad.
4) Heat with cooked rice and canned black beans, then use to top tostada shells along with shredded lettuce and chopped tomatoes.
5) Make manicotti: melt cream cheese with chives, onion, and some milk to make a sauce, mix in a little Parmesan, and stir about half with chopped turkey and cooked broccoli. Fill cooked manicotti shells, arrange in a baking dish, and spoon the rest of the sauce on top of the shells. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes to heat through.
6) Chop and add to prepared macaroni and cheese with a little pesto for a new twist.
7) Chop or slice and add to a pasta salad.
8) Combine chopped turkey with coleslaw mix, ramen noodles, mandarin orange sections, and your favorite vinaigrette for a quick and crunchy Asian turkey salad.
9) Create a turkey Caesar sandwich by layering lettuce, sliced turkey, tomatoes, and avocado slices between horizontally split pita bread. Drizzle bottled Caesar dressing over filling before putting the sandwich tops in place.
10) Slice and toss with barbecue sauce and use as a topper for a store-bought pizza crust along with provolone cheese, caramelized onions, and sliced apples.
11) Chop and use as a quesadilla filling along with your favorite cheese, salsa, and chopped cooked vegetables.
12) Make biscuit pockets by flattening refrigerated biscuit dough and filling them with chopped turkey, Monterey Jack cheese, and a little honey mustard. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.
13) Slice and wrap in tortillas with lettuce, tomato, and bacon.
14) Chop and roll in purchased refrigerated crepes with stuffing, and drizzle with gravy.
15) Wrap in tortillas with plum sauce and shredded broccoli slaw for Asian wraps.
16) Chop and combine with mayonnaise and your favorite turkey-salad ingredients.
17) Slice and add to a grilled cheese sandwich before grilling.
18) Chop and sprinkle over tortilla chips spread in a baking pan, top with shredded Mexican-blend cheese, and bake at 350 degrees for 5 to 7 minutes for easy nachos.
19) Chop and add to mixed greens along with strawberries or mandarin oranges and balsamic dressing for an easy, citrusy salad.
20) Stir chopped turkey with pizza sauce, add mozzarella cheese, and use as a filling for squares of refrigerated pizza dough. Bake per package directions.
21) Make turkey Reuben sandwiches by spreading bread with Thousand Island dressing, then layering on sliced turkey, tomato slices, Swiss cheese, and coleslaw. Top with another slice of bread and grill in a skilled or on a griddle.
22) Shred and add to your favorite chili recipe of beans, tomatoes, and onion. Top with cheese.

Below is a recipe from "Giada's Family Dinners" by Giada de Laurentiis, who suggests using leftover turkey in this, because it calls for the dark meat and people usually use up the leftover white meat with sandwiches, soups, and salads.
Turkey Bolognese (8-10 servings)
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 onions, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and finely chopped
1 1/2 pounds coarsely shredded cooked turkey (preferably dark meat)
6 cups marinara sauce
1 cup water
2/3 cup chopped fresh basil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 lb. spaghetti
freshly grated parmesan cheese
1) Heat the oil in a large, heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and saute until translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the celery and carrot, and saute until the vegetables are tender, about 8 minutes. Add the turkey and saute 1 minute. Add the marinara sauce and water. Bring the sauce to a simmer over medium-high heat, then decrease the heat to medium-low and simmer gently for 25 minutes, stirring often, to allow the flavors to blend. Stir in the basil. Season the sauce generously to taste with salt and pepper. (The sauce can be made 1 week ahead. If storing for future use, cool the sauce completely, then transfer it to a container and freeze. Bring the sauce to a simmer before using).
2) Meanwhile, in a very large pot of boiling water, cook the spaghetti, stirring often to prevent the pasta from sticking together, until tender but still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Add the pasta to the sauce and toss to coat, adding enough of the reserved cooking liquid to moisten as needed. Serve with the Parmesan.

Farmer's Hash (breakfast for dinner)

This is inspired by a recipe in "Everyday with Rachael Ray" magazine.


What you need:
3 T. butter, softened

2 large corn muffins, halved

1 T. olive oil

Leftover pork from Wednesday, cut into small pieces

1 small onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

salt and pepper

1 2/3 cups chicken broth

Leftover roasted potatoes from Wednesday, reheated in microwave for 1 minute

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

8 large eggs

1 T. hot pepper sauce

2 scallions, chopped


1) Spread half the softened butter on the cut sides of the corn muffin halves. In a medium skillet, cook muffins cut side down over medium heat until toasted, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

2) Add the olive oil to the skillet. Increase the heat to medium-high, add pork and heat. Add the onion, pepper, and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook, tossing occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Crumble in the muffins. Add the chicken broth and heat through, 1-2 minutes. Mix in the leftover potatoes. Top the stuffing with the cheese, cover with foil and remove from heat.

3) In a medium nonstick skillet, melt the remaining butter over medium heat. In a medium bowl, (a lot of mediums!) beat the eggs with the hot sauce and season with salt and pepper. Add the eggs to the skillet and cook, scrambling, until set, about 5 minutes.

4) Serve a pile of stuffing topped with the scrambled eggs. Sprinkle the scallions on top.

My Week 22 Cravings

I'm well adjusted into my 2nd trimester now, am able to eat whenever and whatever I want, which is a blessing! 

But for some reason, I don't really have food cravings this time around. Instead, I've been craving for crafts. I'm overwhelmed by this surge of feeling to create something cute. My biggest problem is.... I don't know how to do anything. I don't know how to knit or sew, and all I can do is drool over these delicious pictures and just cry over them (I'm at this overly emotional stage right now):P I'm hoping that before this baby comes, I'll be able to learn these skills. Thankfully, there are so many craft blogs out there, and they provide tutorials for beginners like me. Another favorite blog of mine is Stardust Shoes. It's such a creative and classy blog, it makes me so hungry :D Hopefully, I'll be able to post my own pictures like this in the future.

Tasty Tossed Salad

2 bags prewashed tossed salad of your preference
Leftover breaded chicken from Monday, chopped into small chunks
3 kiwi, halved with flesh scooped out from skins and cut into chunks
1 pint of strawberries, hulls removed, and sliced
Generous handful of cashews
Olive Oil
Balsamic vinegar

1) Toss the first 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Serve individual portions and sprinkle light with olive oil and vinegar. Toss again. It's so easy!

Share your Traditions

Hard to believe that Thanksgiving is almost here already! The days can go by so quickly, before we know it we will be celebrating with friends and family, and then the Christmas season will begin.

Will you be continuing traditions from years past with your family, or perhaps starting some new traditions this year? If you have little ones, you will likely have a few 'hand' made paper turkeys to display...what other crafts are do you make with your children?

Whether you will be making some festive dishes, creating unique crafts or sharing a favorite tradition with your family, now is the time to start planning it.

We would love to hear from you! Please share your favorite thanksgiving tradition, craft or food with us!

Also check out these resources for more great ideas for your family's thanksgiving:

http://www.parents.com/holiday/thanksgiving/

http://www.just4kidsmagazine.com/nov.html

http://familyfun.go.com/parties/holiday/specialfeature/thanksgiving_mgi_ms/

Pork cutlets with roasted potatoes and veg.

6 pork cutlets (save 2 for later meal)
1 1/2 cups flour
salt and pepper
1 tsp. dried thyme
2 lb. potatoes, washed and cut into large chunks
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
Olive Oil
1 1/2 T. dried rosemary
1 tsp. dried thyme
Coarse salt
1 1/2 cups frozen peas and carrots

1) Preheat the oven to 450 with a rack in the lower third. Put the potatoes in a large pot of water. Bring the water to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes, then drain potatoes and set aside.
2) Meanwhile, in a large baking dish that is also stovetop safe (or just use a medium skillet and then transfer the mixture to a large baking dish later) heat 1/4 cup of olive oil. Saute the onion until softened, about 5 minutes, then add the garlic, rosemary, and 1 tsp. of dried thyme and saute another 2 minutes. Add the drained potatoes and stir well. Put in the oven, roast for 15 minutes, toss well, and roast another 10-15 minutes, until crisp and golden brown. Sprinkle with a little coarse salt right before serving.
3) While the potatoes are roasting, mix the flour, a little salt and pepper, and 1 tsp of dried thyme in a shallow dish. Dredge the pork cutlets on both sides in the flour mixture, then saute over medium to medium high heat in batches in olive oil in a large skillet. They should cook about 4 minutes per side, until the crust is golden brown and the inside is cooked through.
4) As the pork is sauteing, put peas and carrots in a bowl and cover with water. Microwave for 3 minutes until hot and tender (or steam or boil them, if you prefer).

Chili con Carne

Like I said previously, feel free to substitute ground turkey or extra kidney beans for the ground beef. This recipe comes from "Carole Clements' Cook's Companion".



3 T. veg. oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 lb. ground beef

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 T. light brown sugar

4 T. chili powder

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp each salt and pepper

1 (5 oz. ) can tomato paste

8 fl. oz. beer (I use Heineken, and I think I use a little more than 8 oz.)

1 (15 oz. ) can of tomato sauce

12 oz. (or whatever the can size is) red kidney beans, rinsed and drained

Sour cream

Grated cheddar cheese

1 cup uncooked rice (recipe originally served with spaghetti, but my husband's a rice guy. Also great over a baked potato!)



1) Heat the oil in a deep saucepan and cook the onion until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the beef and cook until browned, breaking up the meat with the side of a spoon.

2) Stir in the garlic, brown sugar, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Add the tomato paste, beer and tomato sauce and stir. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 50 minutes.

3) Stir in kidney beans and simmer 5 more minutes, uncovered.

4) Meanwhile, bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Add the rice, stir, cover, lower heat, and simmer 20 minutes until all water is absorbed, stirring occasionally. Serve chili over rice with sour cream and cheese!

Real Family

This past Saturday night and Sunday morning flew by in a flurry of activity. I ran around making the guest beds, putting away all the laundry, vacuuming, sweeping, buying a few extra groceries and cleaning up the general 'clutter' in my house......that's right I had company coming. The best kind of company though, my family!!
My mom, sister-in-law and two nieces came for a few days and though I made some special efforts to get the house ready, I knew that the kids (ages 3, 2, 1 &1/2 and 8 months collectively) would quickly undo any straightening and spread their own decor of toys, chaos and fun! They did, and it was wonderful. I love the chaos of family. I may have done a little extra work to prepare for their coming, but found that I did hardly any work while they were here.

When a child cried, Nana was there to hug them or their uncle danced around to make them laugh. When kids fought over a toy, a mom was there to 'remind' them to use kind words and share. The women helped in the kitchen so much that I feel like I hardly cooked or did any dishes. Everyone was always ready to help a toddler off the potty, hold the baby, run to the store for 'soft' tissues to soothe a sore nose or just sit and read a book.

I loved seeing the children laugh and hug their cousins and enjoyed getting to reminisce, play games and just laugh with the adults after the kids were in bed. The best thing about being with family though, is knowing that they love you, just as you are. Your family doesn't care what you look like when you roll out of bed in the morning, they are just glad that you are there. They don't mind if your house is messy, they are just thankful to be under one roof. When you are sad, your family is ready to hug you, cheer you up or just be with you. If you say something stupid your family knows when to laugh with and when to just pretend they did not hear it. When you make a mistake, your family forgives you because they know you are not perfect, in fact they know most of your flaws. Your family sees you at your best and your worst....and still loves you.
I am so grateful to have a family like this, a real family in every sense of the word. It makes me think of how I treat my family in Christ. Is my church family a real family? As brothers and sisters in Christ, do we put aside outward appearance/pretense and and love each other. Are we ready to give a hug, forgive each other, or just sit with someone for no reason other than the fact that they are part of our family? Do we love when we see someone at their worst?

Let's take the time as we head into the holiday season to show real love to our families.

Parmesan Chicken with Sage-Butter Sauce

This delicious chicken is based off of one I found in the "Cuisine at Home" magazine; it is almost identical. Their method for giving the chicken a great crust works really well! I use whole eggs instead of egg whites for the dipping mixture, but if you can use those spare egg yolks, then by all means just use the whites! They also recommend making your own bread crumbs, but I use store-bought, salt free seasoned mixed with plain.

4 boneless, skinless, chicken breast halves (save 2 for later meal)
4 egg whites (or 2 eggs)
4 t. cornstarch
Juice of 1 lemon
2 cups coarse dry bread crumbs
2 T. chopped fresh parsley (or 2 teasp. dried)
2 t. kosher salt
1/2 t. black pepper
Zest of 1 lemon, minced
1 cup of Parmesan cheese, grated
Olive Oil
1/2 lb. whole wheat pasta, such as penne
5 T. unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons
5 T. shallots, minced (about 3 large shallots)
3/4 cup dry white wine (I sub. chicken broth)
3/4 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 t. fresh lemon juice
1-2 t. fresh minced sage (or dried/ground sage)
2 cups frozen green beans

1) Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Prepare chicken breasts by halving and pounding to 1/2" thickness. Set up two cooling racks with aluminum foil underneath them (for easy cleanup).
2) Whisk egg whites, cornstarch, and juice of 1 lemon in shallow dish for dipping mixture.
3) Mix next 6 ingredients in a shallow bowl for the crusting mixture.
4) Dip each piece of chicken in the dipping mixture, then the crusting mixture, and then put them on the baking racks to rest 20-30 minutes so that the crust can dry a little (secret to crispier crust).
5) While the chicken is resting, put water on to boil for the pasta. Cook pasta according to package directions, drain, set aside until ready to serve.
6) Meanwhile, make the sage-butter sauce. Melt 1 T. unsalted butter in a small saucepan and saute the shallot over medium heat until soft, 2-3 minutes. Add wine, cream, broth, and lemon juice (2 t.). Simmer until reduced by half, 8-10 minutes. Whisk in remaining 4 T. butter, 1 T. at a time, stirring constantly. Do not add the next addition until previous has melted. Finish sauce with sage and salt and pepper. You can keep it warm in a cup set inside a bowl of hot water, stirring often, until you are ready to serve it.
7) Heat a few T. of oil in 2 or 3 (as many as you need for the chicken) large, nonstick, ovenproof skillets over medium-high heat. Saute the chicken on one side about 3 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp. Carefully turn with a spatula, then transfer the skillets to the oven to finish cooking. Roast the chicken just until done, about 8 more minutes.
8) While the chicken is roasting, cover the green beans in a bowl with water and microwave for 3-5 minutes. Alternately, boil or steam as desired.
9) Serve the chicken with the pasta and green beans and drizzle the sauce over all three.

This Week's Menu and Shopping List

This weeks is fun and includes one of my (and my husband's) favorite winter meals: Chili! This is made with ground beef, but you may substitute ground turkey (although who wants to get their fill of turkey now whenThanksgiving is just around the corner?) or you can increase the amount of beans that are in the chili. I'm telling you this now so that you can shop accordingly!

Here is the lineup:



Monday: Parmesan chicken with whole wheat pasta, green beans, and a sage-butter sauce

Tuesday: Chili!

Wednesday: Pork cutlets with roasted potatoes and peas and carrots

Thursday: Tossed salad with chicken, kiwi, strawberries and cashews
(If you or someone you are cooking for is like my husband who says, "I'm not a rabbit" when I try to pass off a salad as a meal, then pick up a loaf of nice bread to serve with this and maybe also a box of brownie mix for dessert and you won't hear any complaints!)

Friday: Farmer's Hash and Eggs (breakfast for dinner)



Instead of a super-fun recipe, I will share some ideas I've found for what to do with your Thanksgiving leftovers! If you have any that you would like to share, please leave them in the comments section and I will post them in Friday's entry so that everyone can benefit!



Shopping List for this Week:
Produce
2 lemons
5 T. shallots, minced (about 3 large shallots)
2 large onions
1 small onion
1 green bell pepper
11 garlic cloves
2 lb. potatoes
3 kiwi
1 pint of strawberries
2 bags prewashed tossed salad of your preference
2 scallions

Pantry
4 t. cornstarch
1 1/2 cups flour
2 cups coarse dry bread crumbs
Olive Oil
3 T. veg. oil
1/2 lb. whole wheat pasta, such as penne
1 cup uncooked rice
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 T. light brown sugar
1 (5 oz. ) can tomato paste
1 (15 oz. ) can of tomato sauce
12 oz. (or whatever the can size is) red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
Balsamic vinegar
1 T. hot pepper sauce

Meat
4 boneless, skinless, chicken breast halves
2 lb. ground beef
6 pork cutlets

Spices
Salt and Pepper
2 T. chopped fresh parsley (or 2 teasp. dried)
1-2 t. fresh minced sage (or dried/ground sage)
4 T. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 1/2 T. dried rosemary
2 tsp. dried thyme

Refrigerated
4 egg whites (or 2 whole eggs)
8 large eggs
3 T. salted butter
5 T. unsalted butter
3/4 cup heavy cream
Small/Medium container Sour cream (topping for chili)
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese plus as much cheese as you prefer for topping your chili
1 cup of Parmesan cheese, grated

Frozen
2 cups frozen green beans
1 1/2 cups frozen peas and carrots

Bakery
2 large corn muffins

Misc.
8 fl. oz. beer (I use Heineken, and I think I use a little more than 8 oz.)
3/4 cup dry white wine (I sub. chicken broth)
Generous handful of cashews

I found a secret :)

I'm in the middle of my 2nd trimester and I'm nesting like crazy. 

It has been a bit frustrating though, since my list of "things to do" is growing but my body can't follow as much as I want it to. So at times, I look through my craft blog collections and gather ideas for organizing, creating a cute nursery, sewing, decorating, etc. At least, these will satiate my appetite for crazy nesting period.... temporarily :P

Throughout my expedition, I found a secret. It's called Little Birdie Secrets (click on the name and it'll take you there). She has great ideas, tutorials, and lots of pictures (which I like the most). I like this blog a lot since many of her projects look easy enough to accomplish. Hopefully, I'll get to finish some projects before my bundle of joy arrives in spring :)

When Words are Many.... - By Sue

We recently got a new family plan for our cell phone usage. My husband informed me that I would have 750 minutes for the month as this was my average usage from my prior phone service. I was shocked and thought, “that is a lot of minutes and that’s just on my cell phone!” Truthfully I could not figure out how I spent that much time talking on my cell phone. I have always prided myself on the fact that I usually use the cell only for urgent matters. I know I do not have 750 minutes worth of urgent matters in a typical month. This got me thinking, how much time do I spend on my home phone? Is it more than 750 minutes? What do I talk about that requires so much time anyway?

Proverbs 10:19 says that "where words are many sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise." I’ve found this to be true, especially when I am talking to girlfriends. If I am on the phone too long sooner or later a comment will be made about someone that is not necessary. Do I plan on having these conversations – usually not. But when our words become many we are likely going to run out of positive things to say because we are human and are tempted to sin. We cannot help it. So what is the solution? Keep our words at a minimum when possible. It is fun to catch up with friends on the phone but when I see that I am out of positive comments or the conversation is taking a negative turn then it is time to say good-bye and God bless you. I always regret when I negative or hurtful comment comes out of my mouth. Just as squeezed-out toothpaste cannot be put back in the tube, our words, once out of our mouths, cannot be taken back.

The same is true and maybe even more important, when it comes to the words we speak to our children. Our family, particularly our children, tend to hear more of our words than anyone else. While we should be speaking to, teaching, encouraging and instructing our kids it is important not to let the stress or frustration of the day flow out of our mouth and onto them. "Out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks." (Matt. 12:34)

Lord, May the words that I speak and the meditations of my heart be pleasing to you today. Show me when my words may be leading me to sin and teach me when to be quiet. In Jesus Name, Amen.

A Classic that Keeps Kids Learning

Do your kids love using the computer.....do you? Recently I have been checking out several educational and kids websites with my daughter. Our all time favorite is the newly updated Sesame Street website. This site has hundreds and hundreds of video clips, songs and great interactive game. It includes some of the best loved, classic sketches from the show we all grew up with and a huge variety of new videos and games too.
My favorite feature is that you can search by character, keyword or topic to find related games and videos on almost anything. I love that I can quickly find games or video clips with my daughter's favorite characters to reinforce what I am teaching at home. So whether your child is working on sharing, potty training, learning numbers or colors, brushing his teeth, getting over her fear of the dark...or has an upcoming sleepover, doctor's visit or new sibling arrival - this site has something to address it and help you make learning with your child fun!!
The other feature I appreciate as a parent is that I can select a combinations of interactive games and videos for my daughter and put them into a playlist for her. I can make it as long or short as I want and even save for future use. Then when the playlist is done, she is finished with her computer time. (You can also search by celebrity names to find clips and music even your older kids might enjoy!)

Check out all the Sesame Street fun, old and new, at the Sesame Street Homepage