For Your Friday

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Some fun finds for your Friday. Happy almost weekend!

Mother's Day is coming up. If your hubbie needs a hint, direct him to this lovely necklace from Tiny Belles Boutique.


I can't take credit for discovering this little gem of a gift shop (I found it while browsing over at DesignMom), but I'm sure glad I've found it! This lovely shop has delightful wares and some fabulous gift ideas for yourself or your moms for Mothers Day!



This recipe by Nourished Kitchen has me dreaming of a lazy Saturday morning! Now if only we didn't have to get up early to host a garage sale this Saturday ... alas it will have to wait till next week!

Love this genuine leather snakeskin cuff! Head over to Grosgrain and enter a comment on thispost for your chance to win the cuff designed by Slightly Askew.
Image: Grosgrain


Dana over at MADE is making me crazy! She has so many adorable projects and tutorials, my sewing list is getting out of control! (Really, how does she find the time?) This scarf is on the list now too!
Image: MADE


Classic wooden blocks are nearly impossible to come by. These charming alphabet blocks byBrook Farm General Store will be an enduring toy for your little one or a treasured shower gift for a friend's tiny tot.


I recently discovered A Country Farmhouse. This blog is like a breath of fresh air. I love perusing her beautiful images, her delightful home and her simple lifestyle.





Enjoy your Friday!!

Praying for Your Family

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I recently finished the Anointed, Transformed, Redeemed study by Priscilla Shirer, Beth Moore and Kay Arthur. The study was encouraging in many ways, but one take away that has really stuck with me was an exercise by Beth Moore. Beth is a firm believer in praying God's word, and she encouraged Bible study participants to pray God's word for their family members simply by choosing a verse and reformatting it into a personal prayer.

There is unspeakable power in praying God's word, so this is something I've tried to become more disciplined in. Praying God's word keeps me focused, and I have confidence that my petitions for my family are within the Lord's will.

To begin this discipline yourself, simply select a few verses and reformat them into a personal prayer. Then try to commit the verses/prayers to memory. I've also printed them off and keep them in my Bible, so I can easily refer to them. Here are a few verses and sample prayers (verses supplied by Beth Moore in A, T, R) to get you started. I hope this is encouraging and edifying for you and your family.

"He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones." Proverbs 2:7-8, NIV
PRAYER: Dear Father in Heaven, in accordance with your powerful, life-giving Word, I ask you to keep us upright so that you might be our victory and our shield. Guard the course of (insert family members' names), and protect our way.
"Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk from your lips. Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze before you. Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm. Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil." Proverbs 4:23-27, NIV
PRAYER: Dear Father in Heaven, in accordance with your powerful, life-giving Word, I ask you to protect the hearts of (insert family members' names). Keep them unto you, and keep our hearts trained on you. Keep perversity and filthy talk far from our mouths, and let us fix our gaze on you. Give us a level path where we may follow you and not be tempted by evil.

Purging

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Morning Moms Dish Readers! Today I'm blogging about purging chemical cleaning products and unnecessary expenses over at Domestic Ease, so hop on over and check it out. Simply click on today's date, April 28. And while you're there, leave a comment to be entered into a contest to win a $25 Container Store gift card.


Meal-Planning Mondays

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Image: Gourmet.com.

Hello lovely Moms Dish readers! I hope each of you had a wonderful weekend! It was gorgeous here. We've had an unseasonably temperate spring--it's usually quite hot by now--so we took advantage of time outside. I hope each of you had a restful Saturday and Sunday with time spent outdoors as well. Now to kick off this week, here's our third installment of Meal-Planning Mondays. I hope you enjoy!

MONDAY
Pasta Ponza
Green Salad
Image: FoodNetwork.com. This image has chickpeas, the recipe does not.
I honestly couldn't find a good image to represent Pasta Ponza, so you'll have to forgive me.

PASTA PONZA
Recipe courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis and Food Network. Get it here.

GREEN SALAD
Toss together romaine, chopped tomatoes, some diced red onion and slivers of fresh parmesan for a salad to complement the pasta. Add a dash of salt to the greens and top with this Everyday Salad Dressing by The Nourishing Gourmet.

TUESDAY
Veggie Paninis
Left-over Pasta Ponza

Image: BetterHomes&Gardens, BHG.com.

VEGGIE PANINIS
In the spring and summer, we love to take advantage of the bounty of fresh veggies, so we try to get them into our diet as frequently as possible. This is a tasty, easy way to get the veggies in as a wholesome meal.

A variety of veggies works well. We like zucchini squash, eggplant, roasted red peppers and onions. Grill the veggies with a little olive oil and some seasoning (salt, pepper, dried basil or thyme). Then top crusty bread with the veggies and feta cheese. We also like to spread our bread with hummus before topping with the veggies. Grill in a panini press or in a skillet on the stove. If you'd like to follow a specific recipe, try this one. Serve with the left-over Pasta Ponza.

WEDNESDAY
Salmon with Melon Salsa
Cous Cous

Image: Gourmet.com.

SALMON WITH MELON SALSA
Fresh fish is a tasty treat in our house, and it's a low-fat, high-protein meal chockfull of healthy Omega 3 fatty acids. Purchase wild-caught salmon, not farm-raised. Wild-caught salmon have higher levels of Omega 3s and aren't doused with antibiotics and pesticides.
Since the weather is enticing, fire up the grill and prepare the salmon outside. Grill over medium heat approx. 4 to 5 minutes on each side. Then top with melon salsa.

MELON SALSA
1 medium cataloupe, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 small jalapeno, deseeded & diced
1/2 red onion, minced
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, minced
1-2 Tbsp. honey
2 Tsp. white vinegar
Toss all ingredients with honey and vinegar. Let sit for one hour before topping salmon. Recipe courtesy of Animal, Vegetable, Miracle.

COUS COUS
I buy my couscous in bulk, but you can also buy it pre-packaged with pasta and rice. Some people suggest a ratio of 1 to 1 (1 part couscous to one part liquid), but I've found it cooks better with 1 and 1/2 parts liquid to 1 part couscous. So 1 and 1/2 cups water to 1 cup couscous.
Bring water or chicken broth to a boil.
Add couscous. Cover.
Remove from heat, let sit 5 minutes. Fluff with fork before serving. Season as desired.

THURSDAY
Falafel Pitas
Green Salad

Image and recipe, CookingLight.com.

FALAFEL PITAS
Recipe courtesy of CookingLight.com. Get it here.
I like to make homemade pita using this recipe. If you're feeling adventurous, try it out.

GREEN SALAD
Toss whatever greens you may have into a salad bowl and use your remaining salad dressing from Monday. Or follow this recipe for an authentic Greek salad.

FRIDAY
Homemade Pizza


If you've been reading Meal-Planning Mondays the past couple weeks, you know Fridays are always pizza night. I also almost always use this recipe for the dough, but to make it a bit healthier, substitute half of the white flour for whole wheat.

PIZZA DOUGH
1 cup warm water
1 packet active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
1 1/4 teaspoons sugar
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 cup olive oil

Pour the warm water into a bowl and sprinkle yeast and sugar over the water. Stir and let stand until yeast swells, about 5 minutes.

Fit a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Combine 3 cups of the flour and the kosher salt in the bowl of the mixer. Add the yeast mixture and the 1/4 cup olive oil. Mix on low for 10 seconds. Replace the paddle with the dough hook and knead on medium speed for 3 minutes. Feel the dough, if it is sticky, add the remaining flour and knead.

Put the dough into an oiled bowl and turn it to cover with oil. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 1 1/2 hours.

After rising, roll out the dough. Bake for 8 minutes at 500.

Remove the crust and top with your favorite toppings, then bake for another 6-8 minutes.

SATURDAY
Baked Sweet Potatoes
Avocado, Strawberry Salad
Fresh Bread


BAKED SWEET POTATO
I love the sweet, earthy taste of a baked sweet potato. We top it simply with butter, but you can add a sprinkle of brown sugar to sweeten it even further.
Wash the potatoes and poke holes to vent with a fork.
Wrap in aluminum foil and bake at 400 for approx. 1 hour. Potatoes are done when they are soft.

AVOCADO, STRAWBERRY SALAD
8 ounces spring greens
1 or 2 avocados, chopped
1/2 pint strawberries, chopped
1/8 cup red onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup walnuts, diced.

Gently mix all ingredients together and top with ORANGE BALSAMIC DRESSING (courtesy of Better Homes & Gardens):
1/3 cup olive oil
3 Tbs balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon finely shredded orange peel
1/4 cup orange juice
1 to 2 teaspoons sugar
1 Tbs chopped fresh thyme, oregano or basil or 1/2 tsp dried thyme, oregano or basil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a jar with a screw-top lid and shake to combine. Alternately, process all ingredients in a food processor to combine. Can be refrigerated for up to 3 days (if using fresh herbs), 1 week (if using dried herbs).

SUNDAY
Left-overs or a super easy frittata.

Healthy Housecleaning

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As I've stated before, my husband and I have been on a journey to eradicate dangerous chemicals and pesticides from our home and lifestyle as much as we feasibly can. In the beginning, that simply meant making the effort to try to eat organically. (I say try, because they were feeble attempts at first.) But as we've become more and more informed, we have more fully embraced an all-natural lifestyle. Recently, (and especially with a two-year-old underfoot and another babe on the way) that means I'm making the effort to clear chemical cleaners from our home in favor of natural, homemade alternatives.


There are a wealth of resources on this subject online, but to help you weed through it all, here are some of my staple cleaning recipes.A few are compliments of Passionate Homemaking; Earth Easy also has a fabulous exhaustive list of recipes.

A few notes: Though I initially thought the switch would be difficult, it was quite easy. Simply stock up on your supplies, then mix your needed cleaners into spray bottles and label. I chose to purchase spray bottle from The Container Store and then made labels using my MAC word processing. I know making labels may seem silly, but I use these every day, and I wanted to be pleased with the aesthetics every time I pulled them out. Plus, I included the recipe on the label, so my hubbie can re-mix a solution if necessary. The more responsible method would be to simply re-use old cleaning spray bottles; just rinse well first.



CLEANING RECIPES


All-Purpose Cleaner: Mix 1/2 cup vinegar with 1/2 gallon water. Vinegar is a natural antimicrobial, so it works as a disinfectant. I sometimes add a few drops of tea tree oil to scent the water and further enhance the antimicrobial properties. Use on kitchen counters, floors, showers, tubs, mirrors and windows.


Tubs and Showers: For tougher tub/shower jobs, sprinkle with baking soda, then spray with the all-purpose cleaner. Baking soda acts as a scouring agent to remove soap scum.


Carpet Stains: Spray hydrogen peroxide onto the stain and let set for a few minutes (screw a spray nozzle directly onto the bottle), then pat dry. Because hydrogen peroxide is a bleaching agent, be sure to test for colorfastness first. For tougher stains, mix equal parts salt, Borax and vinegar. Rub in and leave for a few hours or until dry, then vacuum. (Hydrogen peroxide is a bleaching agent, so spot test first.)


Window Cleaner: Mix 2 teaspoons of white vinegar with 1 liter warm water. Use crumpled newspaper or cotton cloth to clean. The all-purpose cleaner (above) also works well on windows. Straight club soda is another good alternative.


Hardwood furniture: Mix 1 cup of olive oil with 1/2 cup lemon juice and you have a polish for your hardwood furniture.


Lemon juice can be used to dissolve soap scum and hard water deposits.


LAUNDRY


Vinegar can be used as a natural fabric softener. Add 1 Tb - 1/2 cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle in place of store bought fabric softener.


Laundry Detergent: I'm looking for a good homemade laundry detergent recipe ... please comment if you have one!




Taking it Easy

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Not a whole lot was on my agenda today, but it's been a full one filled with easy-going moments. Since the rain has subsided, my son and I spent all morning and into the early afternoon at the zoo with a friend. And then it was naps for both of us (since this second child on the way is exhausting me!). Now there's dinner to prepare and some housecleaning to do. So I hope you'll forgive me, but I'll post something with more substance later!

But until then, here's a little something to daydream about. Have you heard of Blackberry Farm? It's on my vacation destination wish list. Located in the Smoky Mountains, it appears to be a little piece of heaven. What destinations are on your vacation wish list? Leave us a comment and let us know!








All images BlackberryFarm.com.

Meal-Planning Mondays

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Image: CookingLight

And now for our second installment of Meal-Planning Mondays!

MONDAY
Chipotle Bean Burritos
Green Salad

Image and recipe: CookingLight.com.

These chipotle bean burritos are a quick weekday meal solution. They're also inexpensive to prepare, low in fat and high in protein (thanks to the beans). Whip these up, then save any left-over bean mixture you may have to make a version of huevos rancheros for breakfast the following morning.

CHIPOTLE BEAN BURRITOS
Recipe courtesy of CookingLight, get it here.

GREEN SALAD
Try to buy organic salad greens when possible; lettuce is #9 on the dirty dozen's most contaminated produce list.
Toss whatever greens and other veggies you may have into a salad bowl. If you're really hungry, add some hard-boiled eggs. Drizzle this homemade salad dressing by The Nourishing Gourmet on top.

TUESDAY
Grown-up Grilled Cheese
Organic Minted Pea Soup

Image and recipe: CookingLight.com

GROWN-UP GRILLED CHEESE
This recipe suggests grilling the sandwich stovetop in a non-stick skillet. If you have a panini press, use that instead. Again, as stated above, try to use organic spinach. Make extra bacon, since you'll be using it for tomorrow's dinner.
Recipe courtesy of CookingLight, get it here.

ORGANIC MINTED PEA SOUP
This recipe is by cookbook author, Katie Lee, and is courtesy of Lonny Mag. It takes advantage of the abundance of peas that are available during the spring.
To get the recipe, go to Lonny Mag, click on the index for the current issue, and choose pages 48-49.

WEDNESDAY
Bacon, Egg & Avocado Salad
Fresh Bread
Image: The Nourishing Gourmet.

BACON, EGG & AVOCADO SALAD
This hearty salad is loaded with greens, protein and healthy fats. If you're watching your saturated fat intake, use the egg whites only. Boil the eggs in advance, and use the prepared bacon from last night's dinner to whip this up in no time.
Recipe courtesy of The Nourishing Gourmet, get it here.

Serve with fresh bread. Using this recipe or this recipe for whole wheat honey bread using the bread machine. Otherwise pick up a baguette, slice it and warm it in the oven before serving.

THURSDAY
Slow-Cooker Chicken
Green Beans
Tomato & Cucumber Salad

Image: iamchanelle.

SLOW-COOKER CHICKEN
This recipe by Weelicious is one of the simplest ways to prepare a whole chicken. Use the left-over meat to make chicken salad sandwiches for lunch the following day, using Monday's recipe from last week's meal-planning post.
To get the recipe, click here.

GREEN BEANS
Canned green beans can't hold a candle to fresh. So pick up some fresh, wash and snap both ends off the beans and submerge in boiling, salted water for 10 minutes.

TOMATO & CUCUMBER SALAD
Recipe courtesy of Nourished Kitchen, get it here.

FRIDAY
Homemade Pizza

Image: CookingLight

Unless we have a prior commitment that will keep us away from home for a Friday night, Friday's are always pizza nights.

PIZZA DOUGH
1 cup warm water
1 packet active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
1 1/4 teaspoons sugar
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 cup olive oil

Pour the warm water into a bowl and sprinkle yeast and sugar over the water. Stir and let stand until yeast swells, about 5 minutes.

Fit a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Combine 3 cups of the flour and the kosher salt in the bowl of the mixer. Add the yeast mixture and the 1/4 cup olive oil. Mix on low for 10 seconds. Replace the paddle with the dough hook and knead on medium speed for 3 minutes. Feel the dough, if it is sticky, add the remaining flour and knead.

Put the dough into an oiled bowl and turn it to cover with oil. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 1 1/2 hours.

After rising, roll out the dough. Bake for 8 minutes at 500.

Remove the crust and top with your favorite toppings, then bake for another 6-8 minutes.

SATURDAY
Shrimp Gazpacho

Image: Epicurious

Gazpacho is a cold, tomato-based Spanish soup. This recipe originates from my brother-in-law, who was born in Mexico. So it is authentically Mexican.

SHRIMP GAZPACHO
2 pounds Tiger shrimp, uncooked, peeled, deveined
1 bunch cilantro
3 limes
1/4 yellow onion. diced
1 cucumber, diced
2 avocados, pitted and diced
4 Roma tomatoes, diced
2 jalapenos, seeds removed, finely chopped
1 11oz can of tomato juice
Catsup

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil Boil the shrimp until cooked, they will turn pink, about 5 minutes. Drain the water and remove the shrimp, set aside.

Combine the juice of 2 limes with the diced onion in a large bowl (I often add it back to the pot I was boiling the shrimp in). Add the cilantro, cucumber, Romas and jalapenos. Pour in the tomato juice. For a thicker soup, add a ladle of catsup. Add a couple of ladles of water until the gazpacho reaches a soup consistency. Add in the shrimp and avocado. Pinch salt, pepper and garlic salt to taste. Serve cold.

SUNDAY
Left-overs