Cancellation of giveaway and farewell

Well, Hippie and I sure appreciate the few of you who read our entries in Table Tuesday and Food Journey Friday. However, if we're being honest, there are very few of you! :)

In emailing with sweet Natalie, we have both decided that the contest (see two previous entries) will be called off, and we will say farewell to our fun series. There just aren't enough consistent readers to warrant the time and effort it takes to establish a very successful blog or series. We apologize to those of you who were interested in the giveaway. In the blogs I will soon recommend, there are always great giveaways going on!

Part of what has motivated my stepping back is that I'm not a great or very successful blogger. I don't say that to be falsely humble, so don't say sweet things like "oh yes you are", etc. I love writing. I'm sure I could develop further if the Lord wanted me to at this stage. But at this point, there simply are far more well-written, well-thought-out, and consistent blogs out there. Check out Passionate Homemaking, for instance. Or Naturally Knocked Up. Or Simple Mom. Or Keeper of the Home. Catching my drift here? :) These ladies work really hard to bless us through their thoughts, research, giveaways, exhortations, and challenges. And I just can't bring myself to take the time to emulate them right now in the writing realm.


The other part of my motivation for stepping back from this and other media (such as my current limitation of facebook) is Ephesians 5:15-16, which says,

¹⁵Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, ¹⁶making the most of your time, because the days are evil.

I was studying this verse recently as we have been making our way through Ephesians. I wondered, is facebook a wise use of time? Is blogging wise for me? I'm not saying these things are bad, evil, useless. They can all be used for His kingdom (and I believe all the blogs I have mentioned ARE being used for His kingdom). However, I'm unconvinced of my own effectiveness in this realm.

My brother-in-law gave my hubby a funny "demotivational poster" for Christmas. It reads: BLOGGING. Never before have so many people with so little to say said so much to so few.

HA! It ironically sits on the desk from which I am currently blogging. I don't believe all blogs are fruitless. The ones I've mentioned are of great encouragement to me- I reference them frequently. However, I have wondered as of late how truly effective this blog is. Most of what I want to say is already being said quite well on these other blogs. Again, this is not to fish for compliments. I'm just being honest!


So allow me to thank you readers who did join us for the Food Journey. I pray that you will be able to continue on your own food journey successfully, and that Hippie and I may be of encouragement to you. Feel free to email us if you so desire! But for now, we will say good-bye to this fun series.


This is not goodbye to blogging forever. I just need to figure out the most fruitful use of my time for the Lord's glory. Well, really, it's His time. I just want to seek to honor Him fully and walk wisely.


Blessings in Christ,
Sarah

Table Tuesday Swap :)

Our sweet and happy hippie was a bit tied up today. I thought I would share my latest kitchen creation... Homemade Ketchup.

Has it ever frustrated you that ketchup has high fructose corn syrup, and yet it tastes so incredibly good? I mean, ya can't eat chicken nuggets without it. Well, I decided to make my own.

I used the recipe from the Jessica Seinfeld's "Deceptively Delicious" cookbook, and it is just that! Healthy, tasty, different, and perfect for our meatloaf last night. It is thick and spicy, and so satisfying. I don't know if I'll go back to the old! My husband even liked it!

I dare you. Give it a try.

Spicy Ketchup

2 (6 oz) cans tomato paste
1 Cup cooked carrot puree
2 T agave syrup (or other sweetener, this was my change instead of brown sugar)
.5 Cup water
4 T apple cider vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 t dry mustard
.5 t salt
.5 t ground allspice
.5 t chili powder


Stir all ingredients together in large saucepan and bring to boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat and simmer until the mixture has reduced by about half, 15-20 minutes. Cool and serve. Refrigerate in airtight container for up to 5 days or freeze in serving size snack bags for up to three months.


Your chicken nuggets will be so happy you tried it.

Happy and healthy eating to glorify God,
Sarah

My amazing Turkey Soup adventure!!! :)

I enjoyed and was challenged by Hippie's post this week. I don't have any hard and fast "food rules" in my house... yet. I think one really strong place to start is 1 Corinthians 10:31:


"Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."

Wow. Think with me for a moment. Let's say that the average American lives to be 78. And from the time we're 3, let's just say we eat roughly 3 meals a day (though we all know it is usually much more than that!). By my very rough calculations (and not counting our baby sustenance): 76 years * 365 days per year * 3 meals per day = roughly 85,410 opportunities to glorify God through eating. As His child, what great joy do I have than to seize each and every opportunity to bring Him glory!

But I digress. Sort of. The point is this: I pray that this will be a year when I really start praying, focusing, and bringing God glory through the countless meals I prepare and consume. What about you?


Sorry for the long post today, but I had a triumph in the kitchen today which I just had to share. A homemade turkey soup, very low in oxalates, and perfect for a snowy/sleety day here in Memphis. And a triumph for me mainly because I didn't use a recipe! So it's all my own. It makes me smile.

Smiling with my pot of soup, the snowy scene behind me!

Here is a rough idea of my what I did and why. Skip it if you want-- At the bottom I will post a more concise recipe.

I cooked 1.5 cups of white rice in a large pot using chicken broth and water, according to package directions. White rice is not optimal, so if you do not have to consider oxalates, use brown! In the future I will most likely opt for barley which is one of the only whole grains that is also low in oxalates.

Meanwhile I chopped whichever aromatic veggies I wanted to use/happened to have. I used parsnips, onions, and carrots. The onion I basically diced, the carrots were baby carrots I just cut in half lengthwise, and the parsnips I cut in in little rings. If you don't already know, Parsnips look like fat white carrots. I chose them for a few reasons: 1) I had them leftover from another recipe. 2) They resemble carrots in shape and texture but add a different flavor. 3) As celery is not permitted on a low-oxalate diet, parsnips added a nice different flavor that is lacking without the celery.

While the rice was still cooking, I melted some butter with olive oil in a pan and started the veggies just to soften them a bit and give them flavor. I added about 2 cloves of minced garlic and a bit of salt and pepper. When the rice was almost done cooking, I added the veggies and filled the pot with more chicken broth. I had to use store-bough broth this time but definitely intend to use homemade as much as possible in the future.

For seasoning I added: rosemary, 1 bay leaf, some pepper, and I think that was it! No salt was really necessary as the broth and other stuff was already salted.

Finally, I added the package of turkey that I had frozen from the Thanksgiving leftovers. It was still pretty frozen in a block, but I just turned up the soup and let it defrost in the broth. I let it simmer while we played outside in the snow (!!!) and it was ready when we came in from the cold!

AHHH! What joy this little child brings us! And Daddy was home for a snow day, per his boss's suggestion. We enjoyed the snow.

Okay, back to the recipe. Things I love about this recipe:
1. I made it up.
2. I didn't have to buy anything extra: this was literally all leftover stuff or pantry staples.
3. It was delicious and perfect for snowy weather.
4. It was perfectly low in oxalates.

Things I would alter about this recipe:
1. Homemade broth instead of store bought.
2. Barley instead of white rice.
3. Organic items as available/affordable.

I have to say that I felt very nourished after this meal, and very accomplished for throwing it all together. The nice thing is that it is so simple, not at all overwhelming, and so incredibly satisfying!

So here is a more concise recipe (what I can come up with from what I did):

1-2 lbs of leftover turkey or chicken
1.5 cups rice, barley, or other grain cooked with broth and chicken
Carrots, baby, cut in half lengthwise
Parsnips, chopped
1 Onion, diced
1 Tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
Chicken or turkey broth, enough to fill your biggest pot
Rosemary to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
1 Bay leaf

Cook the rice or grain according to package directions using broth and water. Use your soup pot to save dishes! Meanwhile, prepare veggies (wash and cut). Saute veggies in frying pan with butter and olive oil on medium-high for a couple of minutes while the rice finishes up. When rice is cooked, add all the veggies directly to your soup pot. Add your meat and enough broth to fill up the pot. Sprinkle some rosemary (about a teaspoon of dried?), add bay leaf, and pepper to taste. Cook on medium-high until veggies are soft, then turn on low to simmer until you are ready to eat it!

Lastly, ENJOY!!!! And may it all be for the Lord's Great Glory!

Warm blessings,
Sarah

Food Journey Friday... low oxalate is working!

Howdy all,

I hate to venture off track today, but I simply must.

As I mentioned when we started this journey, I have been trying a new diet for pain management. It is called a low oxalate diet. Don't ask me what an oxalate is; I don't know. I just eat what they tell me. I started the diet as a last ditch effort to try and curb a pain problem that I've had for THREE YEARS. The doctor didn't think that this diet would help, but he offered it when I pressed him enough on the issue.

Lo and behold:

It is working.

We are baffled at the progress I am making with the pain problem- all because of this diet. I'm sorry, but this just blows my mind. It is about like a night and day difference. I am going to have to write more in depth about this strange diet and the benefits I am seeing, but that is for another day.


This has gotten me thinking more about the healing power/hurting power of food. I'm not talking about new age stuff. I'm talking about the principle sowing and reaping-- reaping the benefits of eating healthfully. I'll grant you, it has gotten me thinking, but not necessarily doing. But it's a step.

Here's the thing. If this particular group of foods was having such an adverse affect (I mean- severe pain) on my body, then what else might I be missing? Could it be that when I feel sluggish sometimes, it's just because I haven't been giving my body the nutrients it needs to really thrive?

I think that as Americans, when it comes to our health, we are used to just getting by. As long as there isn't anything majorly wrong with us, we are happy. But perhaps we ought to think more clearly about the benefits we would reap by putting better fuel into these amazing bodies God has given us. That is not to say that eating healthfully will cure all ailments. The hard truth is that sin ruined everything, so even our best attempts at healthy living will not always be enough. I am also not talking about being an extremist. But I do think we could both honor God more, and have healthier bodies if we ate differently.


So, as for the challenge this week, I am going to start planning a no HFCS week for January. This will take more planning than I can currently handle with the holidays coming up. I was surprised to find online a list of foods with no HFCS. That's a start. And then of course it mostly means I need to go less processed and more fresh. I hope to slowly start weeding out HFCS altogether in our home.


So that's where I am this week on my journey. The next few weeks will probably be crazy in the food journey, but I am sure that I will still have thoughts to share.


What do you think? Are there particular ailments you face which you think might be related to the food that you eat?

Food Journey Friday: CSA

Nope, CSA is not the newest crime detection show on television. Thankfully.

CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. In a nutshell, it's like a subscription with a local farmer. I pay a certain amount of money and get a box/basket of fresh seasonal veggies each week for the growing season (usually spring through the end of summer). I was curious what my options might be for next summer.

In my search, I ended up on a great website called Local Harvest which is all about eating locally. I was blown away when I typed in my zip code and found 22 results for CSA in my area. 22! Granted, not all of them are really helpful or applicable. But I did find about 6 promising CSA programs in my area. I was thrilled to find so many!

So, why a CSA, you ask?

Well, the biggest draw for me is just that fresh food is just better for you.

I do love fresh food. As some of you know, I attempted my own garden this year. It was a great learning experience, and it yielded a few veggies. But I'm still mulling over my possibilities for next year's growing season. I have a great opportunity to do a garden with two gardening friends and think that would be very successful- more successful than mine this year. However, part of me wonders if it might be better to leave the gardening to people who actually know what they're doing. And who are really committed with their time. What do you think?

The prices for the CSA are really reasonable in most cases. I saw prices from $15 per week to $30 per week. Some you had to commit to 12 weeks, and some were only 4. I am definitely going to look into this more for next year. If any of you are interested, visit that link and type in your zip! I'm curious to see what you find!

This search also made me wonder: how do we eat healthfully/locally during these winter months? CSAs and farmer's markets are only open during the summer here (obviously-- that is when the produce is fresh!). Natalie? :)

That's it for now. We hope you'll take the challenge too... happy hunting!

Until next week... eat well!

The beginning of our Food Journey

Today begins a new era in home stuff here blog history. We are going to tackle the issue of healthy eating head on. I don't mean eating a granola bar. I mean a radical change in my eating habits.

You may be thinking that I've lost my mind, gone a little crazy, or started something I can't really finish. But here's the thing: I have come to a place where healthy eating actually matters to me. I've tried to find medical answers for my pain issue (mentioned in Worship Wednesday), but there are none. I left the doctor the other day frustrated and determined to see if the food that I eat might be able to change the pain that I've been experiencing for three years. Three years, people. You can imagine that I'm ready and willing to try anything (even "crazy, health nut eating") if it has a chance of helping my pain.

So allow me to introduce my sweet friend, Natalie Giguere, who will be helping us along this food journey. I invite you to join us as we seek to make small, doable changes which will honor our Lord with the bodies he has given us. Each Tuesday, Natalie will inspire, challenge, and encourage us with different facets of healthy eating. She will also give us a mission each week. We will call that "Table Tuesday." And each Friday, I will respond with my thoughts, challenges, and personal experiences, as well as my success or failure in that week's mission. We will call that "Food Journey Friday."

Let me share with you a few preliminary thoughts from Natalie on the issue of healthy eating:


Why cant "godly" and "green" by synonymous? (from Natalie):

Ok, so that is the question that got me started on a healthier lifestyle. Several years ago, I was wondering why fellow Christians referred to anyone with a passion for the environment and healthy, natural living as a "dirty liberal hippie."

Doesn't it seem that if we truly believe that the earth was created by an all-loving God, we should... well, love it back? Stick with me for a minute. Why is it that those who don't even believe that thoughtfulness and love were put into the earth from the get-go have more respect than we do for what they believe is an accident? Whereas, so many of our fellow believers, for political-sidedness sake, seem to think that attitude is something to poke fun at?

So that's where I stand: being environmentally conscious is, at least the very least, a way to show our respect to God and appreciation for this beautiful place He has given us (and past and future generations) to live on.

What does being environmentally conscious have to do with healthy eating?

The more I thought about it, the more I realized for God's creation doesn't just stop at being tidy, respectful, and aware of my surroundings. It goes further than that! I was created, too. He gave me this body! I mean, this body isn't really mine, but a gift given to me for a life span. Whoa. Whoa. Excuse me for a minute while my head explodes. Why would I want to trash this very personal gift with the creations of man? Let me be more specific:

Junk food, fast food, processed, hydrogenated, saturated, artificially flavored "treats" are not good for me. There's no argument there. They don't "sooth the soul" and, if you ask me, are just one more way Satan uses the creativity (another gift!) of man for bad. I know that might sound a little extreme, but again, stick with me:

"Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to Me and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare." Isaiah 55:2

All of our "food products" which are made of extremely processed ingredients, artificial flavors, packed with sugar and sodium for more flavor, do not in any way compare with the bounty God has given me to nourish my body. It seems that having too much junk food in your life is a good way to set yourself up for bad health, bad shape, and insecurity, which distract you from the fact that your body is a gift, not an enemy.

Let me tell you something: if God doesn't satisfy you, nothing else will. And I've discovered healthy, natural living (that yes, does include some labor in the kitchen) is quite literally one way God makes Himself present in our lives for soul-filling satisfaction.


Amen, especially to that last statement! Are you intrigued? I hope so. Join us on this journey. It may seem daunting, but we must be willing to seek the Lord in this area if we really want Him to be Lord over everything in our lives! Let's let Him take us on this journey. Let's see what bounty He has in store for us.

Adventure in Homemade Pizza Crust

I did it! I made my very own whole-wheat, homemade pizza. And do you know what? It was TASTY! I got the recipe from one of my favorite Titus 2-type blogs: www.passionatehomemaking.com. Check out the recipe here.

Here are a few photos of the pizza extravaganza:


Baby sleeping, got the monitor, got the ingredients, got the recipe... here goes nothin...


The batch made four crusts. I made 1.5 batches because I found out I was having more friends come for dinner! What a joy!


Mushing the crust onto the cookie sheets. 6 in all.


This one was actually pretty yummy: peppers, mushrooms, ham, pepperoni, and spices. And I don't even like mushrooms.


We had all different kinds. This is going to become a weekly tradition for us, I think. It was delicious and healthy (as pizza goes). The fun part is that you can put literally anything you want on top.

This week has been wonderfully productive. I am feeling energized in my passion for the home, and new adventures like the pizza make it all the more fun! Oh, and by the way, the pizza was a BIG HIT! You should try it!