feels like old times

Do you ever get that feeling...

...almost of deja vu?

As if you'd seen this before? Possibly even taken photos?

'Cause there are days when I just can't shake that feeling....

a simple popcorn dinner

Once a week, we like to scale back and simplify. My family gathers in the living room with a simple fare of finger foods, and enjoys what we call Family Movie Night. Our menu is fairly consistent, and I think we all very much enjoy this tasty and easy meal.

Without a doubt, the star of our meal is Scrumptious Stove-Popped Popcorn. The boys can hardly get enough, and Owen looks on longingly, waiting for the day when he, too, will be old enough to partake.



Scrumptious Stove-Popped Popcorn
6 T. extra-virgin coconut oil
2/3 c. unpopped popcorn kernels
4 T. butter
salt to taste

In 4 1/2-qt saucepan (with a lid), heat the coconut oil. Drop 3 or 4 kernels into pan, put the lid on. After they are popped, put the remainder of the kernels in. Put the lid back on. Let the kernels pop until the sound slows significantly.

Meanwhile, melt the butter slowly in a saucepan. When popping slows down, remove pan from the burner. Transfer popped corn to a large bowl. Pour melted butter over the popcorn and salt to taste. Stir well, and enjoy!

Our meal is usually supplemented with carrot sticks with dip, raw jack cheese, and apple slices. It's just the right amount and encompasses a variety of textures. We've found it the perfect Saturday night treat.

This recipe is part of the Simple and Nourishing Carnival at The Nourishing Gourmet. Please visit The Nourishing Gourmet for more ideas of nourishing, satisfying, and simple food.

moving update: this is getting ridiculous

These updates are just getting depressing, yet I feel bound to let you know what's happening. We got some more bad news last night. There's another snag with our buyers' financing. And so, we're on "Let's try this, we think this will work," Part 4.

This is just getting ridiculous. Really.

The current estimate is that we will close at the end of May. We'll know more details as time goes by, of course.

So for now, we're taking a deep breath, putting away our plans of moving next week, and settling in for the long haul. I do feel bad that Ben and Kyle have no beds assembled. Jeff took the bunk bed apart, and put it in the garage, on April 18th (just hours before we got word of the first delay, as you may recall). It was cute that they'd be using sleeping bags for a couple of weeks...but this is going on way beyond what we imagined. Ah well. I suppose camping out in their bedroom is an adventure!

Thank you for your prayers, and please do keep on praying for us. This is an incredibly stressful time, for our whole family.

the "Beyond Sugar" Challenge

Lately I've read a few things that are causing me to re-think how I view and consume sweeteners, even natural ones. I do believe that natural sweeteners (honey, Rapadura/Sucanat, and molasses, to name a few) are infinitely healthier than the refined white stuff. While refined sugar is actually detrimental to one's health, unrefined sweeteners offer nutritional benefits - such as minerals.

Yet our culture today relies heavily on sweets. I've already talked about how sugar and high fructose corn syrup are in so many products on the grocery store shelves: peanut butter, pasta sauce, ketchup, and even cereals like corn flakes, and yes, Cheerios. I recently read this post at Food Renegade, which talked about the increased consumption of sugar over the past century or so. It said that our great-grandparents typically consumed around 5 lbs of sugar a year, whereas today the normal American eats the same amount in about two weeks. Wow! We're out of control, here!

Shortly following that, Wardeh at GNOWFGLINS posted the "Beyond Sugar" Challenge. She and her family are eliminating all sweeteners (natural or otherwise) from their diet for 30 days. Any readers who are interested in participating, at whatever level, are invited to do so. I had already been thinking along those lines, and I welcome the compananionship and ideas that will come from shared goals.

I, however, am not (yet?) aiming to eliminate all sweeteners from our family's diet. I fear that I would have utter mutiny on my hands if I attempted that! My goal is to cut way back personally, to encourage my family to focus on enjoying the wonderful variety of flavors and foods which God has given mankind. We tend to be fixated on incorporating "something sweet" into our day, several times over. While I do believe that sweet things have their place, I think they're a bit too much of a priority around our house.


My goals:

• For me, only one sweet treat per day. I know this sounds a bit wimpy, but it's a significant change! I never have completely tamed my sweet tooth, not yet anyway.
• Come up with popular, healthier alternatives for my family at snack time.
• Convince my children that they don't need dessert (even a healthy one) every night.
• Become content with fruit as my last bite of a meal, as opposed to, say, chocolate.
  

If anyone has any ideas for wonderful, healthy snacks, I welcome them! Some our family's favorites are: crispy nuts, homemade crackers with peanut or almond butter, cheese, popcorn (popped on the stove in coconut oil, then buttered & salted!), bean dip or Cream and Chive Dip with fresh veggies, and apple slices. I'm also hoping to try making hummus soon.

I encourage you to check out the GNOWFGLINS (which stands for "God's Natural, Organic, Whole Foods, Grown Locally, In Season") website. It has many wonderful recipes, techniques, and tutorials. Or, better yet: join us on this quest. I'm confident that we'll all be better for it.

There are so many wonderful foods in God's creation, a wild variety of flavors, textures, and combinations. I'm ready to stop fixating on the sweet stuff, and embrace the bigger picture of the tools the Lord gave us for our nourishment!

being content

¹⁰I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. ¹¹I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. ¹²I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. ¹³I can do everything through him who gives me strength. --Philippians 4:10-13

Lord, help me to be content
Here in this packed-up house
Where I can't find what I want to use
The waiting place

Lord, help me to be content
In knowing that You are in the present
That You have been faithful in the past
And You will walk with me in days yet to come

Lord, help me to be content
In the laughter of my children
In the loving times with my family
In the strong, familiar embrace of my husband

Lord, help me to be content
Remembering Your provision
And the tender love You show me
Whether I am plaintive or giving thanks

Lord, help me to be content
When You seem to be teaching me to wait
Yet again
Help me to do my part, and to rest in You.

my little men

"Not me!" Monday

That's right, people! Today marks the day I resume "Not me!" Monday, as created and perpetuated by the very funny MckMama over at My Charming Kids. Since sweet Stellan is home, his mama is resurrecting her blog carnival, and I am, in fact, neither up to my elbows in packing nor unpacking...I thought I would join in the fun. And what fun it is! Hold on, here we go...

While Jeff was off to the men's retreat this weekend, I so did not spend $24 on babysitting, so I could attend a Mom's Breakfast with some gals from the homeschool co-op. Nope, not me! That wouldn't be very frugal at all. I mean, what would Dave Ramsey say? And I definitely didn't love every minute of my time away!

No matter what you may have heard, I certainly didn't head off to said Breakfast with the dining room floor sporting sandwich crusts from heaven knows when. I mean, sweeping is an assigned chore and everything, but even so I always do a follow-up sweep. Immediately. Doesn't everyone?

During Ben's Saturday soccer game, I totally did not trust that the sunshine we enjoyed would continue throughout the game. So, I definitely didn't head off without raincoats, etc. And proceed to get completely drenched. Nope, not me! I mean, I've lived in Oregon for seven years now, so I always tote an umbrella and other rain gear with me. Totally.

And, while running for our lives (er, I mean, to the van) at the end of the game, I did not smile to hear Owen giggling as he bounced along in the sling. No way. I mean, Kyle was crying and everything. I was all about getting everyone to shelter, I'm sure...

I am not getting a kick out of planning each week's meals in advance. Certainly not! Who would get a kick out of that?!

There is absolutely no way that I am tickled pink as a pig's ear that our local Farmer's Market re-opens this next Saturday. No way. I absolutely despise fresh, local, vegetables and fruit, grass-fed beef... and the sight of flower bouquets positively brings on nausea. Not to mention local honey, live music, balloon animals (or superheroes), face painting, and crafts. I mean, what is exciting about all of that? Except, it is, and I can hardly wait!!

And I am still not really digging these italics. Happy Monday, everyone!