Greek Yogurt!

The challenge was to introduce Greek Yogurt 4 times this week. I know the week isn't quite over yet, but I won't be able to participate over the weekend so I'm ending now. We only did it twice this week; however, my family is not new to Greek Yogurt.

Basically, Greek Yogurt is regular yogurt with the whey strained out. It's thicker than the regular stuff. You can buy "Greek Yogurt" or you can strain regular yogurt. The second option, I think, is cheaper.

We make our own yogurt and strain it. Here's what I did with it this week:

I made a spread/dip for the salmon patties. (Ignore the ugly salmon patty. It was a rush job) The dip was also a bit rushed. I did about a tablespoon of Greek Yogurt and added a squirt of Dijon, a small amount of lemon juice, and several spices (Garlic, dill, and Old Bay) I basically did it to taste. Separate I wasn't sure about the combination but I plunged onward and was pleasantly surprised!

Tonight's dinner was Tandoori Meatballs! I didn't have enough yogurt to put in the meatballs, just the marinade. However, this is one I'm willing to play with and report back!

Tandoori Marinade
4 large cloves of garlic minced
2 tablespoons fresh ginger root, chopped
2 teaspoons cumin seed
1 teaspoon cardamom
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons paprika
1 cup Plain Oikos Organic Greek Yogurt

Meatballs:
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 large onion, coarsely grated
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 tablespoon bread crumbs
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup Plain Oikos Organic Greek Yogurt
1/2 cup cilantro, finely chopped

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Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Add all ingredients of marinade to food processor. Blend for 1 minute. Set aside. Add all ingredients for meatballs in bowl. Form into bite size balls place on greased sheet pan. Makes about 50. Cook for 15 minutes. Remove meatballs from oven but do not turn oven off. Place in a deep serving dish. Cover with Tandoori Marinade. Cover and place in oven. Remove when warm about 20 minutes.




I'm really excited for next week!

I LOVE my juicer

We bought a juicer recently. I LOVE this thing. I've been starting most mornings off with the following juice drink:

- Juice from 4 small oranges
- Juice from 4 small apples
- Occasionally the juice from a handful of strawberries

Toss that into a blender and add:

- 1 Banana
- A few drops of Stevia (or sugar if you prefer)
- A healthy splash of milk (1/2c I think)

Blend it up, pour into a fancy glass, and drink! It's great for quick energy and lots of healthy vitamins! What better way to start your day?

Who Holds YOU Accountable?

So, I'm doing this month long prayer journey for my sons. Let me tell you, I'm not doing so well... I forget to pray all the time.

If nothing else, we've vowed to try to pray before meals and before bed!

Well, the other night we were all REALLY hungry and started eating before praying. I commented (with a bite on its way to my mouth) "Oh, we forgot to pray." My two year old (well, almost two!) stopped eating and held out his hands for us! All he needed to hear was the word "pray" and he was ready to go! I've seen this during the day too. If I need him to stop and focus (usually during a screaming fit) I'll say, "Do you want to go pray?" and he'll stop and go sit on the floor and wait for me. Sometimes he sits in my lap.

Praise God for children that adore Him! Franklin isn't even old enough to really understand the entire concept...but he's learning that prayer is important!

Pipe Cleaner Headband? Check!

&%$#@!

Colossians 3:8 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. 

Obscene Talk: Greek word also means "shameful", "improper", or "sordid." 


Now that we've identified the Scripture in question...let's get to it.


Profanity. Cursing. Swear words. Potty talk. There are a lot of different ways to say it, and even more ways to use it!

This isn't going to be a blog contesting whether or not it's sinful...but rather a blog to look at it in a different way.

I'm going to look at another verse: Matthew 15:18 But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them.


How do I feel on the subject?

Well, I curse/swear/use bad words. I'm trying to get better about it because my son is starting to pick up words! I don't need him to bust out a "new word" in the middle of church or something! However, I use most swear words the same way that someone would use mundane words. To me, more often than not, these words are merely filler in a conversation. There is no emphasis. It's not meant to be rude. (Really!) I use the "f-word" the same way someone would use "stupid" or "THAT." (As in "the *stupid* car" or "*THAT* shoe")

What about using an alternative word? In my opinion, it's the same as cursing. If you use a "plain" filler word (like, "freaking" or even something silly like "balderdash") but IN YOUR HEART it's meant to be a "curse" then I consider it the same level of cursing. Some people will disagree here...but I think it's the intent that counts most of all.

Now, a dear friend of mine pointed out if you can choose to filter your language then why say them at all? She makes a good point. If, in the end, they are JUST WORDS then why not just stop saying them? A lot of people consider those of us that curse to be uneducated (or at least, say we sound that way) or just stupid. I'm a smart girl and a lot of people that I know that curse are educated people. We don't use profanity because we can't come up with another word...I can, and I know some big ones! I just choose to use profanity when it suits the occasion. 

Please, share your thoughts in the comments below! How do YOU feel about profanity? Remember to remain respectful.

Try It Challenge

http://peak313.com/featured/try-it-challenge-week-1/#comment-396

This week we're doing Greek yogurt! I'll have to start using it and listing some recipes! Be on the lookout! Share yours!

Thank God for GRACE

I am so glad that God is full of grace!

I entered into a challenge this month to pray for my sons daily. 10 prayers every weekday. Friday I did well and only had a few to do by the evening.

Yesterday I did ONE....all day.

Today I still haven't done any...

I was feeling like such a failure until I reached out to the other mamas that are doing this with me and Brooke (the mama that wrote the book we're following) reminded me about God's Grace.

It was refreshing.

April Challenge

Click the Link and check it out! I'll be doing this during April.

http://peak313.com/featured/the-try-it-challenge-intro-and-vlog/


Something is wrong with her button...this is the link FIXED

Dinner Tonight: Fish Tacos

Tonight I went for a more elaborate dinner than usual ( by elaborate I mean several elements) and did Fish Tacos!

Elements:
Corn Tortilla
Veggie "medley"
Homemade Creole Mayonnaise
Red Rice
Fried Tilapia Strips


Recipes:
Corn Tortilla - Simple enough. I did sear them in a small pan with coconut oil (they had a funky texture otherwise).
Veggie "medley" - I chopped onion and yellow bell pepper and sauteed it in a pan until it was firm, but no longer crunchy. I then added frozen corn and cooked until the corn was hot. I added a few dashes of salt, pepper, garlic powder, and chili powder.
Homemade Creole Mayonnaise - Slightly adapted from Sally Fallon's Nourishing Traditions

 2 egg yolks at room temp

2 tblsp lemon juice

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp paprika

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

2/3 c extra virgin olive oil

Place all ingredients except olive oil into blender and blend thoroughly. Add olive oil slowly while constantly blending. Check for seasonings. You may want to add more lemon juice or salt. It will keep about 2 weeks in the fridge.
Red Rice - Cooked sort of per instructions (I messed up and did it covered like white rice...it turned out okay in the end)
Fried Tilapia Strips - I put them in a store bought spicy fish fry and let it sit for a few minutes (long enough for the oil to heat up) and then dredged them in egg/milk and flour with salt and garlic powder. I fried them in coconut oil until cooked through.

To Assemble:
Corn Tortilla
Spread Mayo
Spoon on some Veggies
Spoon on Rice
Lay Tilapia
You can add more Mayo if you want.

A few informative links:
Coconut Oil
Red Rice

My Boys Are So Loved

I know that this post might touch a nerve with some people...but I need to post this so I kind of don't care...

Divorce is ugly. No matter the reasons for it or if it's "mutual" it's always ugly. There are always "casualties" and it's usually the children and, eventually, grandchildren. There's usually resentment and hurt feelings and that can bleed into future relationships.

I'm a child of divorced parents. It sucked then and it sucks now. I'm a child of parents (ALL of my parents) with deep hurts from the past that did bleed over into our relationship, and left me with a few deep hurts of my own. I'm determined to break the cycle and not let it affect my relationships! By the grace of God I will have healthy relationships.

That being said, my boys are loved by all of their family members. Great-Grandparents and Grandparents alike. These little boys are showered in so much love whenever family is around! I do consider them truly blessed. So what if those people can't get along? As long as, in the end, the boys feel loved it doesn't matter.

So, I'm sharing photos of my boys with family members for this post. I'm not going to label the photos. I'm not going to mention names anywhere in the post. All my readers need to know is that my sons are loved. Because that's all that matters to me.

Sorry about the quality. I took a photo of a photo because I no longer have a scanner.

Vacation Thoughts

We were on vacation all this past week! I didn't announce it because I've heard stories about people announcing vacations on their blogs and then getting robbed...I'm sure you're all nice people and everything, but I'd rather be safe.

We went to Arizona to let the boys visit their great grandparents. It was fun. I have lots of photos to put up. (Don't worry, rest of the family, your visit is coming. This one was a HUGE trip so we had to plan it out way in advance.)

I had some thoughts while on vacation I wanted to share:

• It's interesting to drive next to the boarder (between the US and Mexico) and see the vast difference in living on either side.
• While I was irritated at having to slow down for Boarder Patrol to check cars (the baby started screaming when the car stopped moving) I am glad that they're checking cars...
• At night, when you're exhausted, walking into the hotel without shoes is a fine idea. However, walking OUT with no shoes the next day feels like a walk of shame.
• Every mall should have a kids play area. Even just a little one.
• Now I want a dog.
• You know you're in the middle of NOWHERE when you push "seek" on the radio and it just keeps spinning...
• I need to stock and carry a first aid kid...
• Now I know why parents give kids Nyquil before long trips.
• If you're driving in West Texas and come to a gas station you should stop and get gas...even if  you "think you can make it." We were down to a gallon before we found somewhere to stop. Some families weren't as lucky.