Almond Butter Balls

3/4 cup creamy almond butter
3 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup and 2 tablespoons crisp rice cereal

Mix powdered sugar and cereal together in large mixing bowl.  Heat almond butter and butter on low until creamy.  Pour over dry mix and stir gently until moist.  Roll tablespoons full together into balls.  Refrigerate.

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
3 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup and 2 tablespoons crisp rice cereal

Mix powdered sugar and cereal together in large mixing bowl.  Heat peanut  butter and butter on low until creamy.  Pour over dry mix and stir gently until moist.  Roll tablespoons full together into balls.  Refrigerate.


Reviews - pre coating...

Almond Butter Balls = perfect consistency to roll and not get all stuck together.
PB Balls = very gooey...I would maybe use natural pb next time, or maybe crush up a bit of extra cereal to mix in...kind of soak up some goop.

Next day:  still haven't coated them yet...I'll finish that soon, and add more directions then.

Baked Oatmeal/Baked Quinoa

Original recipe:  Refined Sugar Free Baked Oatmeal
 

Baked Oatmeal

• 3 eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1/2 - 1 cup honey
• 1 banana, sliced
• 1 cup strawberries cut up
• 1 cup applesauce, unsweetened
• 5 cup old fashioned oats
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 2 tablespoons cinnamon
• 3 cups milk

Mix, bake 350 degrees, 35-40 minutes.

Baked Quinoa

• 1 1/2 cups prepared quinoa
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ~1/3 cup honey
•  sliced banana
• ~1/2 cup chopped strawberries
• 1/3 cup applesauce
• a sprinkle of salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 2/3 cup coconut milk

Mix, bake 350 degrees, ~1 hour 

Blankets

 I have been enjoying small sewing projects lately.  Last weekend, B and I were on our own, and I think he got a little bored with me because he took long naps and went to bed early.  Even slept through the night one night.  Hm...  Anyways, I made 2 baby doll blankets and a "taggie" blanket.  I ordered to baby dolls online for 2 little girls.  They were girl babies with brown eyes...one came a boy.  At first, I panicked a little, but since L was playing that she had baby boys recently, I decided that it's ok for girls to have boy babies...I have one!  I hadn't yet finished the blanket with the blue and white on it.  I was going to sew a bright pink border on it.  So, I looked through my material stash and found just the thing.  And the boy baby came in a blue, green, and white outfit, so it worked well.  Problem solved.  Does anyone know how store bought taggie blankets have the crinkles in them?  What do they sew into the tags?

Colorful Baby Food

I've been enjoying making some new baby foods this past month.  Many that I don't think I made for the first two.  Spinach - just bought a bag of frozen, thawed, and chopped a little finer.  I heat it up a bit with the rest of the meal, but didn't initially cook it.  Red and yellow peppers - chopped, but not cooked.  Cauliflower - steamed and pureed, I did make this for the girls.  Look at how the colors match these blocks so well!

I also bought two bags of cranberries around Thanksgiving and have made Cranberry-pear Sauce and Cranberry-apple Sauce.  I found this recipe to base it off of.  I did use water instead of juice, but think I would add juice next time and no other fruits.  

Love this smile!!

Challenge in Change

Re:  Change is not a threat (or surprise).  It's a fact.

"Change is a reality, and we're living right in the middle of it.  The good news is that God can be found right in the middle of it as well.  God does not change, but He uses change--to change us.  He sends us on journeys that bring us to the end of ourselves.  We often feel out of control, yet if we embrace His leading, we may find ourselves on the ride of our lives."

Interrupted by Jen Hatmaker (quote from Foreward by Brandon Hatmaker)

I borrowed this book through Inter Library Loan, it came from halfway across the country!  I only made it through the Foreward last night, but already it applied.  Our family has grown by one these last couple months and it has been a challenge.  Medically it has exhausting:  creams, antibiotics, doctor's appointments, pharmacy mix-ups, multiple clinic phone tag...  Change, this change has been wonderful (smiles, laughs, snuggles), but beyond us (medical needs).  (I'm afraid that our story may not motivate others to follow in our footsteps.)  Beyond us, but God has provided!  Jehovah Jireh (God the provider).  He has provided meals, prescription clarification, on-call doctors, nurses and pharmacists in the family, affirmation that we are doing the right thing, encouragement to persevere, pleasant weather so that our healthy half can play with the neighbors without infecting others!  ...etc.

We are also praying that Jehovah Rapha (God the healer) will wipe out these medical needs!  Pray with us?! 

Change.  Keep it coming.  Keep us focused. 

Simple Gifts

'Tis a gift to be simple,
'Tis a gift to be free,
'Tis a gift to come down where we ought to be,
And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
It will be in the valley of love and delight.

Our family is really trying to simplify our stuff this year and part of that is not adding more.  Initially that made us think that we should not add anything.  Just experiences...  Aunt C pointed out a simple idea that she had seen on Pinterest.

• something they WANT
• something they NEED
• something to WEAR
• something to READ

And possibly:

• something to WATCH
• something for DRESS UP
• something to LISTEN TO
• something to EAT
• something to CREATE 

So, since half the family still wasn't sure about the no gift idea, we decided to try it.  We assigned (they chose) a single category for each relative and they will find a single gift for each of our three kids in that category.

Lessons From Foster Care

• Take any new child in for a thorough physical to see if there is anything, ANYTHING that needs to be treated.
• If you have clues, about a previous illness, that have come with them, ask about them.  Push and prod until you know for sure that the illness is gone gone.
• Try to do this before coming into contact with all your family and friends.
• Persevere, all the love and work you are putting into this child will make a difference no matter the size. 
• Despite possibility of some illness, don't be afraid of loving them completely - and let your little girls love on them too.  
• Accept help from others.  
• Ask for help from others.  
• Get the sleep you need, even if all the linens, clothes, and cloth anything need to be washed and dried in high heat.  There is time for that tomorrow.
• If your child is fussy...lay them down and sing/play:  
• "Clap your feet  - clap feet to the rhythm
• All you people
• Shout to God with a voice of triumph
• Clap your feet
• All you people
• Shout to God with a voice of praise
• Hosanna  - alternate legs up and down
• Praise Him
• Shout to God with a voice of praise"  - clapping again
• My husband can take 2 seconds on my post and take the dots off the "list" that I just wanted to be song lyrics.
• Baths and splashing can be a reprieve (for parents) and a delight (for kids).
• Oatmeal baths are cheap and easy ("recipe")
• God is good, all the time.  All the time God is good.
• Pray!  Pray for perseverence, pray for the kids, pray for the parents, pray for change, pray for miracles, pray for courage.
• Make connections.  As we are now taking care of our first foster child we were given a foster parent mentor that we can call and email.  What a great idea.

I did it! I did it!

I sewed two naptimes in a row!  Wow.  It hasn't been much, but every little bit is exciting.  I even got a little snooze in today.  Kj and L go down for their nap/rest about 1, then B is up for a while longer.  Today, I was so tired that I brought my pillow into the living room and set him in front of me with a bunch of his toys and ... I think I fell asleep for an hour.  Is that possible?  I'm not sure it was an hour, but he just played and played and then Kj came to entertain him while I got out a bottle.  His eyes rolled back as he drank it up.  I was told to make sure I made eye contact with him during his feedings, but that's not always possible.  So, I laid him down after that and headed straight for the sewing room, to work on a project I had cut out yesterday.  Yippee, hooray.  After I finish with this, I'd like to make L some more t-shirt skirts, as daily she wears one under her dress, over her pants.  Hehe, she's a layer girl.  I guess all the girls in this family are.  How could she not be?  Ok, now I am just rambling, bye for now.  :)

Wow! Blessed!

Wow!  God is good.  Look at this pile.  We haven't been "doing" foster care for more than 2 weeks and some friends and their church small group, because of "orphan Sunday", decide to adopt us for a night.  They made reservations at a fancy restaurant, came to babysit our 3 sweethearts, sent us off and we came back to a pile of groceries besides (and a quiet house).  

Ephesians 3:14-21


For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name.  I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.  But I have to tell you about more:  

• The sweet lady that takes care of the girls during my Bible study brought us lunch when we couldn't make it out because of illness.
• Nana came to take care of overnight meds, so we could sleep, and let me run errands. 
• Aunt A brought her baby food maker one afternoon and made us carrots and squash.
• A friend brought us a meat and potatoes meal (with leftovers) one night.
• Another friend took from the excess of her son's clothes for our new little man to have a couple more items.  
• Oh, there's more, don't feel left out if I missed your story...I am thankful for all of you!!  

And I sort of felt like we were in this alone.  We don't know anyone close "doing" foster care.  We know many families that have adopted.  In the body of Christ we are not alone!!  

Makes me think of ways to pass it on... Step up, Anna, what can you do?

Thankfulness - in no particular order

From Anna:

• Kevin - wonderful, practical, thoughtful, caring, God-fearing, diligent, frugal, energy efficient husband (to name a few of his attributes)
• my girls - they add so much joy to our lives.  I love watching them grow and learn and care for others (especially little B)
• little B - I am thankful for his transition into our lives and that for a time I can be his mama.  I pray for his mama and family that they will be found fit to care for him soon!  May the Lord bless you and keep you, little B.
• our extended family - and all the ways they support us in our family life
• the van - despite having to crawl in from front and back today (sliders were frozen) it fit us all in and got us where we needed to go.  It also allows us to invite friends on our adventures, and foster kids into our family.
• our friends - bringing us meals, calling us, babysitting, sharing, holding, confiding, visiting
• our house - just right for our current family situation - 2 1/2 bedrooms for us, girls, and baby
• generosity of  people - a meal, a vehicle, a carseat, some clothes
• Kevin - learning to get up early for him (to study) and for our kids (because they were up) and for me (so I could sleep)
• little B's laugh
• my front, really big window that lets lots of light in!!  It was worth it!
• God's faithfulness
• Jehovah Roi - God who sees
• Jehovah Rapha - God who heals 
• L: "B has black hair, just like me."  :)  
• fall colors
• tree branches' profile against the evening sky
• drawings by Kj and L
• a gas stove
• canning
• sewing
• library
• ...

From Kevin:

• "for you"
• Kj, L
• good health
• good job
• good town to live in
• The Truth
• thermal pants for biking
• children laughing in our home
• Bible teaching church
• parents close by
• no one else got pneumonia
• gadgets (my word for it)
• ...

Girls vs. Boys

Just wanted to share an example of girls vs. boys.   L is playing the piano and B is shaking and eating the piano (pictures above and below).  That's all.

Lime-Pineapple Sauce

I started trying to make Pineapple Lime Jam, but couldn't bear to add sugar to so much wonderfully fresh fruit.  Also, not having a proper zester, I just very thinly sliced the lime and chopped it with a kitchen shears.  I did cut off a few spots from the lime.  Then, having looked up Pineapple Sauce, again tweaked the recipe.  This recipe only has 2 tablespoons of sugar.  Much more to my liking!

Lime-Pineapple Sauce

4 cups fresh pineapple, chopped
1 lime chopped, all except seeds
2 tablespoons brown sugar

put in saucepan, cook over med/high heat, pick out unsightly bits of skin that have been "juiced", blend to desired smoothness (with hand blender...or whatever you have), simmer on low to desired thickness, can some and leave a bit out for use in the near future.

Taste test:  Wow!!  It's Limey.  Changing the name:  Lime-Pineapple Sauce!  Oh, well, it will be good with ice cream.

In the future, I might half the lime and double the pineapple, but that's another day or year...or may never revisit this one, just because I like to keep experimenting...not because it is bad.  Please, please, tell me if you have tried this and if you tweak it!

The Creative Kitchen

Just got finished canning some apple spice cake topping (page 95). I reserved this book at the library thinking that it was sewing projects. Well, it has a couple sewing projects in it, but mostly great homemade gift ideas. Cakes, salsas, seasoning mixes, chutney, candies, sauces ... Yumm!  It is such a fun book that I could add it to my collection...but Kevin would say, "That's why it's at the library.  Well, I guess I agree...  Therefore, I decided to make a post about this book, using page numbers and giving comments/reviews.  I hope you like it...

Page 95:  Apple Spice Cake Topping --  Delicious, tastes like caramel apples.  Hoping the canning of it works out, because I will be excited to take it out this winter.  The girls said they would like it any time!

Page 114:  Apple-Spice Sauce -- Used this in combination with this Apple Pie Filling recipe.  Tasty!!  It didn't turn out as smooth as the picture showed, but I am going to use it as a spice cake topping, and I think it will be just fine.  I think I will make a bigger batch to can in the near future as I have many more apples to deal with.

Want to try:  Peanut Butter Sauce and Chocolate Fudge Sauce (pg 114), Malted Cocoa Mix (pg 88), Peanut Butter Bars (pg 34).

More in the Basement

Before:  a small paneled wall that separated the "rooms".

The girls went to Nana's house overnight and this is what I started...  We were told that before we decide how to break up the basement space we should consider taking down all the paneling and knowing what we have to work with.  My friend, Anna, came over one day and I showed her the new look.  "Wow!!  But what's different?"  She couldn't figure out what we had changed, but knew she liked the change.  Right now, I have a blanket draped over the undone wall to prevent slivers, etc.  When L wakes up from her nap, we'll all go down there and do a little more arranging.    

After: a temporary set-up with a half wall...considering how we like it, before tearing it all down.

My Girls

Above is the type of clothes combinations that L brings me in the morning to help her get dressed in.  Today, she brought me: a dress, pants, skirt and pull-over sweater.  Below is a similar situation with Kj.  I give her bits for a "silly lunch" and she puts it all together.  She has:  cinnamon-raisin swirl bread, deer sausage, cheese, carrot and peanut butter.  I ask her what her favorite bread topping is, and she replies, "Sausage and peanut butter."

Autumn Bounty

Our first garden tomato!

Apples!!  We've been given lots of apples!!

Sweet outdoor fun.

Lots of leaves and finally the last of the garden's produce.  We picked it all when we heard that it was going to freeze the next night.  

Pumpkin Jam

Pumpkin Pie Spice:

• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Pumpkin Jam Recipe 
     Here I used a little less sugar and a little more spice!

My Birthday Cake

I was looking through my Cake Mix Doctor book trying to find a desirable cake for Kevin to make with the girls.  Well, I ended up with a somewhat complicated, expensive cake.  Therefore, Kevin allowed me to help make it.  It was a chocolate toffee cheesecake.  You are to use a cake mix for the crust, and so to make it gluten free I used a double batch of a mix I had tried before.  Oh was it good!  It also called for chocolate sweetened condensed milk, which I couldn't find, so here is a recipe.

Here is the clean-up crew:

And the watchers...we made the cake right before bedtime, so they had to go to bed while it was still in the oven.  We promised them a tester bite in the morning.

They're in bed and now I'm watching...

Yeah!!  She was glad that we didn't have to wait all week for my birthday to come so we could taste that cake.  We ended up eating it all week long, just little bits at a time.  In fact, there is still one more small piece for each of us in the fridge for later this week!

Cold or Raw Pack Pears

Last weekend at Nana's house, she helped me with some cold packing.  It was very simple.  Since she had a dishwasher we sterilized and kept warm the jars in there.  I cut and cored but did not peel the pears.  Then, set some 100% apple juice on the stove to boil.  Once the lids were sterilized and the canning water was hot, we packed the pears in the jars, filled with boiling apple juice, got some bubbles out, covered and placed in the canning water.  The tip I learned was that you wait until the canner is blowing out steam before you set your timer for the processing time (25 minutes for pints and 30 minutes for quarts).  Ta-da!  Last night I bought another lug, so I am hoping the end of the week will be a good time to can those too, and make some more pear jam!

Sewing to Nursery

The start...  Ever since we moved into this house, this little room has been "mine".  I have used it for my sewing room/storage room, along with the adjoining closet.  This spring, I had to start giving it up.  Mentally first, but then physically.  Thankfully, Kevin doesn't mind that the sewing table fits in our room.  Eventually, I suppose it will in habit a corner of our basement, but for now, it uses a small portion of a walkway to my dresser in the master bedroom. 

After moving everything out of the room, the first thing to change was the walls.  And while we were at it we painted the ceiling!  This is actually the first room that I had any part of painting.  :)  Friends and family helped on move-in weekend painting the 2 main bedrooms, my mom painted my dining room and Kevin painted the bathroom (I've only painted closets so far). 

My mom visited for a week, to take care of the girls and then to help me with the painting.  Here she is rolling on the yellow. 

 

Prior to the room painting weekend, Kevin and I had found a dresser on Craig's List.  It was expensive, but just what we needed.  We headed over to take a look at it and decided against it because of drawer cracks, etc.  On our way home we saw rummage sale sign.  I asked Kevin to stop and we bought this changing table for $3!!  I painted it with closet paint (tan to white), and we found bins to use for drawers.  Kevin also took a part a wobbly table to put a shelf piece on the bottom level. What a handy man he is!

The final product (mostly) with the sunshine coming in!  Final home visit today!  I'm not sure how long after that.  Kevin was holding our 6 month old niece this weekend and said, "We need one of these."  :)  Maybe soon!  I had a quilt to put up on the walls, but the color didn't quite match (to my liking) so, I will have to rethink my wall decor.

Overnight Apple Butter - Crock Pot

1. (Evening) Cut and core apples (no need to peel), enough to fill your crock pot. 
2. Sprinkle over:  3 cups sugar, 2 tablespoons cinnamon (or more!), 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves, 1/4 teaspoon salt.
3. Place crock pot on high for 1 hour.
4. Mix and turn crock pot to low overnight (9+ hours).
5. (Next morning) Mix and uncover for one more hour, stirring occasionally to smooth...you can always blend this to make it really smooth.
6. Can or cool and freeze/refrigerate.

The recipe that I started with called for 5 1/2 pounds of apples...I didn't measure it out, but I have a large crock pot...maybe a 6 quart capacity. 

What about pear butter?  Do you think that would be good?  Would you tweak the recipe at all?  Please comment!!!  :) 

Unsweetened Apple or Pear Sauce - Crock Pot

1. Fill your crock pot with cut and cored apples (no need to peel).
   
2. Place on high for about 4 hours...check at that time to see if the fruit is soft enough to smash.
3. Cool or can.

 

Pears after a few hours in the crockpot.

Omaha 6th Anniversary Outing

Restaurant Review:  Stokes in Omaha.  YUMM!  I am sorry that I did not take pictures of the full plates, but this will have to do as I cannot go back for seconds for some time.  (Above: Sharon's (Almost) World Famous Enchiladas...made with corn tortillas, Below: Fish Tacos made with fresh salmon)  Excellent and flavorful, and fabulous especially spicy are the words that came to mind when eating these!  I contacted the Stokes people to try to get a "button" to add here, but we'll see how that goes...a link might have to be sufficient.

We wandered through The Old Market, going into a few shops but then migrating to the parks and pathways. 

The Visit Omaha site features a picture of a really neat looking bridge.  I asked a friend who lives there where it was.  She informed me that it was a walking bridge and that made it to the "must experience" list.  There were a few other things such as carriage rides, that sounded fun, but weren't priority.  Bob Kerry Pedestrian Bridge

The above picture was taken for the girls.  In the Bernstein Bear's The A Book, there is an Avenue A that all the character's cross to follow the ants.  So, when we saw that Council Bluffs, IA had an Avenue A, we had to slow for a picture.  The guy coming out of that apartment looked at us kind of funny, but we didn't stay long so...  he'll just have to wonder!

These last two pictures were also taken with our girls in mind.  One was in an archway in the children's garden at Lauritzen Gardens.  We were sheltered by gourd plants.  The day we toured was the first day of school in Omaha and a few different classes were wondering around in groups with "tour guides".  We were able to ask a few questions of one of the guides as she was in between groups.  The picture below is a Pitcher plant.  It is carnivorous.  We had read about it in a book and thought it neat to have been able to see it in person!