I am praying and reading thru scripture in an attempt to have a thought out reason as to WHY (and also the HOW) we (our family) celebrates Christmas. We have many friends who through prayerful consideration have dropped it all together...But, I feel, despite the obvious pagan roots in some (many) of the standard Christmas time observances, it is an important time of remembrance to keep. I believe there are essential doctrines of Christian faith and life which we stand to weaken or forget altogether if not to keep them before our minds, and teach them to our children with regularity. This season of Advent provides just such an impetus.
In the sense of engaging our culture I will keep referring to it as "Christmas", though at home we are transitioning to referring to it as remembering Christ's advent. I like to be very intentional in how I approach life, what I teach and model for my children and the underlying assumptions guiding my thoughts. I have many very fond memories of past Christmases, in all honesty it is one of my favorite times of year. Yes, I am the person with Christmas music playing long before Thanksgiving, and well into January. I desperately do not want to give Christmas up altogether... But It has been laid on my conscience to study, pray and be intentional in it. I have been thinking on this for a few months, jumbled bits and thoughts. There is finally enough cohesion to attempt to write a bit. :)
By means of a disclaimer, I am approaching this process from the perspective of a Christian, protestant, reformed. (that is awkwardly phrased, but keeps things in order :) ) Beyond that, I am mostly Augustinian, but I am still working thru some of my semi-Pelagian thought process hold overs. (Yes, this makes me Calvinist. No, the names truly don't matter they just provide a shorthand to tell you where I'm coming from.)
--Glory to God Alone--
I will be trying to post on this idea daily as I hash it out. I would love to hear your thoughts in this area too.
The root and descendant, & the founder and perfecter of our faith.
Isaiah 11:1 - There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.
Revelation 22:16 - “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”
Hebrews 12:2 - looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Monday, December 1, 2014
Friday, January 11, 2013
Whole Broccoli Cheese Casserole
This new year finds us making some diet modifications. These are primarily for our 2 year old Zachariah, though they extend to the rest of us at times too. It is my goal that he not feel deprived by his restrictions or overly set apart by them. For the most part removing gluten and all refined sugars from his diet is not particularly difficult. The benefits have been nothing short of amazing, and by far outweigh the effort of rethinking and reworking our menus.
I am on the learning curve for creating with gluten free flours and starches. This is sometimes frustrating as I am quite proficient with wheat and whole wheat flours in making just about anything I can think of, and am pretty much at the point where I can make things without a recipe...just by feel and intuition. Anyhow, I do feel a bit of grief at basically starting over entirely!
Tonight's dinner is broccoli cheese casserole.
I long ago gave up the can of cream of mushroom soup in favor of making my own 'cream of xyz' soup base. I also am finding I can make a decent white sauce with my coconut flour AP mix.
'Cheese product' is not in my vocabulary nor shopping cart!
We have not had white rice in the house for at least 3 years...hubby says he misses it occasionally.
So this is pretty close to as whole food as you can get. I would love to have access to raw cheese and the financial means to purchase it, but for now the giant block of cheese from Costco will have to do. With the 7 of us (5 hungry boys) we easily put away 6-8 lbs of cheese a month!
Here is my recipe
First the rice. I like Alton Brown's recipe for brown rice, it never has failed me. I always double it.
Preheat oven to 375. Bring 5 cups of water to a boil, add 1 teaspoon of salt and 2 tablespoons of butter. Place 3 cups of short or medium grain brown rice in a 13X9 baking dish (an enameled dutch oven works great for this too) and carefully pour in the very hot water/salt/butter mixture. Cover tightly with foil or another lid. Bake at 375 for about 1hr, then remove and let stand for 10 minutes before fluffing.
Next, the broccoli.
In the same pot you boiled your water in for the rice, bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Blanch 4 cups cut up broccoli, drain and put on top of the finished rice.
Now the sauce.
This is a mix I make ahead of time and keep in the freezer with my other GF mixes.
Here is the recipe for the mix
2 c. instant non-fat dry milk
2 tbsp. onion flakes
I am on the learning curve for creating with gluten free flours and starches. This is sometimes frustrating as I am quite proficient with wheat and whole wheat flours in making just about anything I can think of, and am pretty much at the point where I can make things without a recipe...just by feel and intuition. Anyhow, I do feel a bit of grief at basically starting over entirely!
Tonight's dinner is broccoli cheese casserole.
I long ago gave up the can of cream of mushroom soup in favor of making my own 'cream of xyz' soup base. I also am finding I can make a decent white sauce with my coconut flour AP mix.
'Cheese product' is not in my vocabulary nor shopping cart!
We have not had white rice in the house for at least 3 years...hubby says he misses it occasionally.
So this is pretty close to as whole food as you can get. I would love to have access to raw cheese and the financial means to purchase it, but for now the giant block of cheese from Costco will have to do. With the 7 of us (5 hungry boys) we easily put away 6-8 lbs of cheese a month!
Here is my recipe
First the rice. I like Alton Brown's recipe for brown rice, it never has failed me. I always double it.
Preheat oven to 375. Bring 5 cups of water to a boil, add 1 teaspoon of salt and 2 tablespoons of butter. Place 3 cups of short or medium grain brown rice in a 13X9 baking dish (an enameled dutch oven works great for this too) and carefully pour in the very hot water/salt/butter mixture. Cover tightly with foil or another lid. Bake at 375 for about 1hr, then remove and let stand for 10 minutes before fluffing.
Next, the broccoli.
In the same pot you boiled your water in for the rice, bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Blanch 4 cups cut up broccoli, drain and put on top of the finished rice.
Now the sauce.
This is a mix I make ahead of time and keep in the freezer with my other GF mixes.
Here is the recipe for the mix
2 c. instant non-fat dry milk
2 tbsp. onion flakes
1 tsp. basil and thyme
1/4 c. chicken bouillon (I leave this one out as very nearly all bouillons have gluten and or MSG)
3/4 c. cornstarch
1/2 tsp. pepper
This makes 3 cups dry equal to 9 cans of soup. Mix thoroughly and store in cool dry place.
To replace one can soup add 1/3 cup mix with 1 1/4 cup water (I use homemade stock or broth here because of having left out the bouillon). You can add celery or broccoli for cream of celery soup same for mushroom soup. Heat until thick as soup.
For tonight's recipe I use 2/3 cup of mix and 3 cups of stock, and salt to taste. I make this up in the same pot I used for the water and broccoli.
Pour over the broccoli and rice in the 13X9 pan
For tonight's recipe I use 2/3 cup of mix and 3 cups of stock, and salt to taste. I make this up in the same pot I used for the water and broccoli.
Pour over the broccoli and rice in the 13X9 pan
Cheese, glorious cheese!
Shred approx. 1/2 lb of sharp cheddar, and top the casserole.
Bake at 325-350 for 25-30 minutes until all hot and bubbly. Let it sit 10 minutes while you set the table and then call your family to dinner. :)
Shred approx. 1/2 lb of sharp cheddar, and top the casserole.
Bake at 325-350 for 25-30 minutes until all hot and bubbly. Let it sit 10 minutes while you set the table and then call your family to dinner. :)
Saturday, December 29, 2012
About my blog...
I must author the most neglected blog in the history of blogging. It is helpful for me to write...so why don't I do it more? Probably the same reasons I don't get to shower more! Ha, ha, ha!!
The baby I last posted about being pregnant with, he just turned one! We've moved from the desert of Southern California to the Gorge area of Southern Washington. And there have been dozens of smaller changes along the way too. I hope to be better about this blog in the future...but I've said that before, so we'll see. With 5 boys, and one of them as busy a 5 boys all by himself, life dosen't allow much time for reflection and typing! :)
I pray anyone reading this had a lovely Christmas and will enjoy a blessed new year.
The baby I last posted about being pregnant with, he just turned one! We've moved from the desert of Southern California to the Gorge area of Southern Washington. And there have been dozens of smaller changes along the way too. I hope to be better about this blog in the future...but I've said that before, so we'll see. With 5 boys, and one of them as busy a 5 boys all by himself, life dosen't allow much time for reflection and typing! :)
I pray anyone reading this had a lovely Christmas and will enjoy a blessed new year.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
The pink line.
I had weird indigestion last night..kind of like when I am pregnant. I've been on the mini-pill since 6 weeks post-partum, so I tried to shrug it off. I couldn't shake the feeling though, so I dug a DollarTree pregnancy test out of the cabinet and took the test this morning... I'm PREGNANT!?!?!!!! Barely 8 months postpartum and pregnant! ...babies 16.5 months apart! I am shocked and in awe, and VERY happy.
Definitely much sooner than I would have planned, but it's Gods deal not mine. The giving (and taking, as I also have experienced) are His job alone and not mine to fret over. Pregnant for the 12th time, but with only 4 earth babies. I have lost 7, burying 2 of them. Pregnancy holds no illusion of certainty for me. I know pregnancy can end early leaving no lasting mark except on my heart, I know it can end later and nearly take my life in the process, and I know that sometimes, sometimes...I get to have a baby to hold at the end of it all. The odds are obviously against me, but again, it is God's thing and not about odds.
Definitely much sooner than I would have planned, but it's Gods deal not mine. The giving (and taking, as I also have experienced) are His job alone and not mine to fret over. Pregnant for the 12th time, but with only 4 earth babies. I have lost 7, burying 2 of them. Pregnancy holds no illusion of certainty for me. I know pregnancy can end early leaving no lasting mark except on my heart, I know it can end later and nearly take my life in the process, and I know that sometimes, sometimes...I get to have a baby to hold at the end of it all. The odds are obviously against me, but again, it is God's thing and not about odds.
A miracle has taken place in me, there is a life in there, and while I pray that God will continue to preform miracles and bring this pregnancy to fruition with a healthy baby, my bigger prayer is that HE will be glorified no matter what the outcome. I am amazed at His handiwork, and I dearly want to hold this baby, but I will praise and thank the God who started this life even if it is lost.
No matter what, STILL I will praise you Lord. Please help my faith in you be greater than my fear of loss. Please keep my heart quiet and filled with joy.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Soooo, it's been a REALLY long time!!! Here is a quick catch up.
Yes, we killed the rooster and had a lovely coc a vin. The buff chicks are all laying beautiful eggs now.
Son two turned 6! I turned... well never mind.
I landed in L&D with preterm labor at 26 weeks, things settled down and I went home. Diagnosed mild gestational diabetes at 28 weeks. Landed back in L&D at 31.5 weeks and stayed there for a while as they worked to stop labor again. Those steroid shots REALLY mess with your blood sugar! Diagnosis of pre eclampsia and failing placenta at 36.5 weeks.
And one last trip to labor and delivery at 37 weeks and 6 days, an induction for pre-eclampsia. After a labor as long as all of my other labors combined, and shoulders that got stuck, in the wee hours of morning, July 13th, Zachariah (my fourth son ) joined us earthside! God is so gracious!
And then we actually got to take him home!!!!
Son three turned 3!
We started our school year. I now teach third grade, first grade, and pre-K.
Our garden was a moderate success until some beetles decided it looked like a smorgasbord!!!
We celebrated our anniversary in Big Bear.
We finally were able to bury Providence, a daughter I/we lost in 2009.
I bought new hiking boots!!!! and started hiking again.
We had a happy Halloween.
AND,
We went camping at the coast.
I promise to try to be better with this blogging thing in the future! :)
Son two turned 6! I turned... well never mind.
I landed in L&D with preterm labor at 26 weeks, things settled down and I went home. Diagnosed mild gestational diabetes at 28 weeks. Landed back in L&D at 31.5 weeks and stayed there for a while as they worked to stop labor again. Those steroid shots REALLY mess with your blood sugar! Diagnosis of pre eclampsia and failing placenta at 36.5 weeks.
And one last trip to labor and delivery at 37 weeks and 6 days, an induction for pre-eclampsia. After a labor as long as all of my other labors combined, and shoulders that got stuck, in the wee hours of morning, July 13th, Zachariah (my fourth son ) joined us earthside! God is so gracious!
Our garden was a moderate success until some beetles decided it looked like a smorgasbord!!!
We celebrated our anniversary in Big Bear.
We finally were able to bury Providence, a daughter I/we lost in 2009.
I bought new hiking boots!!!! and started hiking again.
We had a happy Halloween.
AND,
We went camping at the coast.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Spring Chickens
I was not necessarily planning on adding to our laying hens this spring, but Mr. Rooster (still technically a cockerel,a beautiful silver Ameraucana)has risen to the top of the pecking order and become rather aggressive. 
He has grown so aggressive that I cannot let our chickens out of the coop for their usual forging because Mr. Rooster will chase down any child within 100 feet and an occasional adult as well. Anyhow...His days are numbered. In the meantime, our girls and Mr Rooster have loads of grass delivered fresh to their table daily. Our birds LOVE their greens!
Problem is the rooster was my son's pet chicken. So we are easing this impending loss with 3 new chicks.
Last week we purchased 3 Buff Orpington pullets (young females)from a local hatchery, they will be joining our laying flock in a few months. My boys adore them and have named the girls Rosy, Daisy, and Lady. Buff Orpington chicks do not generally have purple stripes on their heads, (as you see in the photos) that was a quick dye job on my part so my boys would not fight over which bird was which. 1stripe= Rosy, 2stripes= Daisy, and 3stripes= Lady.
The addition of 3 newbies will bring us to a total laying flock of 9 hens and pullets; 4 Plymouth Barred Rocks, 2 Ameraucanas, and 3 Buff Orpingtons.
I also have a couple of Ameraucana eggs, and one Ameraucana-Barred Rock egg under a friend's hen who is setting. Mr Rooster has been very busy and all of our eggs (Ameraucana and Barred Rock) have been fertile for the past few weeks, so we're waiting to see what happens with those three eggs.
Joy
He has grown so aggressive that I cannot let our chickens out of the coop for their usual forging because Mr. Rooster will chase down any child within 100 feet and an occasional adult as well. Anyhow...His days are numbered. In the meantime, our girls and Mr Rooster have loads of grass delivered fresh to their table daily. Our birds LOVE their greens!
Problem is the rooster was my son's pet chicken. So we are easing this impending loss with 3 new chicks.
Last week we purchased 3 Buff Orpington pullets (young females)from a local hatchery, they will be joining our laying flock in a few months. My boys adore them and have named the girls Rosy, Daisy, and Lady. Buff Orpington chicks do not generally have purple stripes on their heads, (as you see in the photos) that was a quick dye job on my part so my boys would not fight over which bird was which. 1stripe= Rosy, 2stripes= Daisy, and 3stripes= Lady.
The addition of 3 newbies will bring us to a total laying flock of 9 hens and pullets; 4 Plymouth Barred Rocks, 2 Ameraucanas, and 3 Buff Orpingtons.
I also have a couple of Ameraucana eggs, and one Ameraucana-Barred Rock egg under a friend's hen who is setting. Mr Rooster has been very busy and all of our eggs (Ameraucana and Barred Rock) have been fertile for the past few weeks, so we're waiting to see what happens with those three eggs.
Joy
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Spring is Springing Soon!
Technically Spring does not begin for nearly 2 more weeks, but in Southern California it really is already here. I should have started seeds for our vegetable garden weeks ago, but finally managed to get them going this weekend.
4 varieties of beans, 2 types of peas (really probably too late), 4 varieties tomatoes, 2 kinds of sweet peppers, 2 hot pepper plants (Jalapeno, and Anaheim), both long and fat eggplant varieties, 3 kinds of summer squash, Swiss chard, 2 varieties of watermelon, 2 types of musk melon, honeydew, and a LOT of certified organic non-GMO corn.
We will finish prepping the garden area this coming weekend. I have had good luck with a variation of 'lasagna' gardening so we are planing to do that again. Once the ground is ready I will direct seed (and likely tent for a while just in case we get another frost or two) a mix of loose lettuce, spinach, radishes, green onions, and herbs. I also have strawberry plants ready to set out, and buckets of very loose soil ready for some carrots and potatoes.
I'm saving up to buy a deep freezer this summer, I'd like to be able to stock it up with the majority of our garden's abundance. I don't think I will really have the energy for canning very much since our baby is due in late July, but I am still planing on putting up tomatoes and various jams since those are pretty easy.
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