Veggies

Do you know what these are?


Starting at the top left: a sweet potato (technically it's a yam), turnips, carrots, and parsnips. Did you guess correctly?

We are making strides to eat more vegetables at our house. My naturopath is recommending 5 servings per day. And that's not a combination of fruits and vegetables—that's five servings of just vegetables!

As you can imagine, the ol' green stand-bys (green beans and peas) got old pretty quickly. We do also enjoy Brussels sprouts, steamed broccoli, and asparagus. But that's not a lot of variety when you're eating vegetables so frequently! We also eat cauliflower and carrots, and add big handfuls of fresh spinach to our smoothies. But it's still not enough. (Five a day! Need variety!)

So, on I venture... into the wild frontier of vegetables unknown to man... er, I mean to me. :)

A few weeks ago, we tried roasted beets. Not too bad. A few days ago, we tried roasted root vegetables (see picture above—and note that I omitted the rutabaga from the recipe on this first attempt—ha!). This might take a little more getting used to.

Anybody out there have a delicious recipe for parsnips, turnips, and/or rutabaga?? Also, as if delicious isn't enough of a requirement, it needs to be gluten-free and dairy-free....

Paper Plate Masks

I love that Brandon is at the age (6-1/2) when he asks, "Mom, can we do a craft today?"

Yesterday, Brandon wanted to make an animal mask. After doing a search on Google, I decided on paper plate masks. Brandon chose a lion and Ryan chose a zebra.

We used Crayola washable paint for Brandon's lion, which provided nice coverage. (The time it took for the paint to dry was a REAL test of his patience!) Since Ryan's zebra is white, the only additional color required was the black stripes—which I applied with a black Crayola marker... (I started out with a Sharpie, but quickly realized the fumes might overcome him!)

The masks are tied in back with a piece of yarn.


Not too shabby, eh? The boys LOVED them!


Hooray for a fun Saturday activity!

No condemnation

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Romans 8:1

I had broken God's laws. Again. I was condemned. And it hurt. Why couldn't I just figure out how to respond correctly in those situations? Why couldn't I just be perfect??

Here's the reality: I WAS condemned. But now... NOW there is no condemnation! God does not condemn me—so why am *I* condemning myself?!

When you are feeling condemnation—as I struggle with from time to time—it is often because you are trying to be right with God by your own works—and feeling guilty and disgusting because you can't measure up to His standard. Don't do it! Instead, we must rely on the One who died to make us holy once for all time! (Hebrews 10:10)

You are "in Christ Jesus" when you place your faith in Him—believing that when He died on the cross, He became the sacrifice for your sins—and that it is enough. There's no penance for you to pay, no groveling, no pleading, no promises of doing better next time. That's not what God wants! It's all about faith in Him—and a heart that's humble before Him.

You have been made right in God's sight by faith and you have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ my Lord has done for you! (Romans 5:1)

Presidents Day

In honor of Presidents Day, here is a quote from Abraham Lincoln:

America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.

How prophetic and pertinent. Lord, help us.

Blue potatoes

Ever seen blue potatoes?


This is a new discovery for me. I bought a bag of mixed-variety potatoes—yellows, reds, and... well... these sort of dark grayish ones... which were actually bluish-purple on the inside. This threw me off a little! How do you cook these, I wondered, and what do they taste like?

Even more interesting to me was the fact that, as they boiled, the water turned green!


At the supper table, my boys were a little put off by the color. But I'm here to tell you that they are as tasty as any other potato. And the color—isn't it fantastic? It makes your dinner plate pop! :)

The Yoke

I was praying about mothering this morning. And I realized that, while I've read some very encouraging and inspiring accounts/experiences of godly mothers, I have also unintentionally taken that information and laid upon myself standards & expectations for what I should look like as a mother.... weighing me down with burdens I am not meant to carry.

Jesus did not say, "Take Susanna Wesley's yoke upon you..." He said, "Take MY yoke upon you. Let ME teach you..." (Matthew 11: 29-30)

Jesus, Jesus! How gentle and loving You are! Thank you that Your yoke fits perfectly...

Strawberry syrup

In these wintery months when fresh produce is scarce in Minnesota, and often less flavorful, we turn to frozen fruit. During Christmas break, I discovered a delicious strawberry topping for pancakes! Here's all you need:

2 cups sliced strawberries, fresh or frozen
1/3 cup real maple syrup
1 tsp. vanilla

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens (about 5 min). Mash strawberries with a spoon.

Voila! Served hot over pancakes or waffles -- soooo yummy! -- and good for you! (No corn syrup or refined sugar!)

Enjoy! :)