Food thoughts, and a recipe

While we aren't going for a huge diet overhaul or anything, we recently decided to make a few changes in eating habits here in the Buffalo Herd.  We're kind of extending and building on some of the good things we were already doing.


We are adding in a few more whole grains than just our usual loaf of whole grain bread. Switching to brown rice instead of white.


We're eating less ground beef.  Less meat in general.


We're eating more fish, and more veggies.


Oh - and buying organic apples.  I have scoffed more than once at the whole organic thing, but after reading several times from several sources about pesticides and apples I am starting to kind of believe it.  At least for the apples.  Do you buy organic?


We expected our healthier eating to cost us a lot more at the grocery store.  It does cost a little more, but a lot of it balances out.  Whole grain pastas are just a little more than the regular kind.  And dry beans are cheap!  And then, when you aren't buying big hunks of meat for every meal there are extra funds for more fresh fruits and veggies.  So funny how it feels like a splurge to stock up on big bell peppers and yummy avocados.  Those ought to be the types things we are eating on a regular basis!


A couple of days after a meal of crock pot black bean stuffed peppers (goodness, I think it took longer to type it than it did to EAT it!), we had some leftover black beans, so I pulled out one of our old favorites for lunch, but with some tasty new additions!

Black Bean & Sweet Potato Burritos

1 - 1/2 cans (or equivalent) cooked black beans

2 small / medium sweet potatoes, baked

1/2 small onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 Tb olive oil

cumin

chili powder

paprika

flour tortillas (bonus points if they're whole wheat!)

cabbage, in fine strips

1 avocado, sliced

1 lime

sour cream

Monterey jack cheese, shredded

While the sweet potatoes are baking in the microwave, saute onion and garlic in olive oil until onion is translucent.  Mash beans into skillet - a potato masher works great!  Season to taste with cumin, chili powder & paprika.  Peel baked sweet potatoes and mash into bean mixture.  Heat through.

Spoon a couple of tablespoons of bean mixture onto tortilla.  I  like mine with a sprinkling of cheese & cabbage, a few slices of avocado, squeezed with a wedge of lime and topped with a dollop of sour cream.  Serve with chips & salsa.

Lessons for Today:

 - When taking an alternate route in a small town, for the first time, in a big hurry, to get in front of a couple of log trucks because you do not like driving behind log trucks, because you never  know when those logs might come loose (and wouldn't THAT be scary), be sure and stay on said alternate route longer than you think necessary.  Otherwise, you will pop back onto the original route just in time to watch the log trucks pass in front of you before you pull back out onto the road.  Behind them.  Again.


And on an unrelated note:


 - Half a bottle of balsamic vinegar spilled in the back of your vehicle will smell like very dirty socks.


Just so ya know.

600 Posts!

I can't believe I have clicked 'publish' six hundred times since I started this little ol' blog.  (Actually, it's been many more times, because I don't know about you, but I never get a post 'right' on the first try.  Publish, read it, go back, fix some things, publish again, read it.... is that just me or do you tweak, too?)


Anyway, celebrating Post Number 600 has had me doing a lot of walking down memory lane, and here is what I've discovered:

 - The blog gives a pretty good picture of our life, and often a look at who I am as well.

 - I have had some fairly serious thoughts over the years, but God gets credit for planting a lot of them.

 - Having a sick baby is trying and life-changing, and yet is a blessing, too.

 - Dale has said (and done) some very funny things.  And sweet things too.

 - Alan has had his fair share of funny, sweet, and not-so-sweet moments.  And did you know he was once a baby, too?

 - I really love homeschooling.

 - Tyler joining us has been a beautiful thing.

 - I love this man a whole awful lot.

Thanks for coming along with me on this little blog journey.  Yeah, I'd probably still do it if no one but me ever read a word of it - having this record of our daily life is priceless.  But without you it certainly wouldn't be as much fun. :)

Getting in the theme of things

We celebrated the Olympics in a big way at our house this year.  (yes, I KNOW the Olympics have been over for full week.  But I'm just now getting to the blogpost, 'kay?)

Most of our ideas came from a lapbook / unit study I downloaded from Currclick.  I'd link to it, but #1 - I'd have to go look it up, and #2 - since the Olympics are over I doubt anyone is actually interested anymore, anyway, no? I'll just tell you we spent a lot of time studying Canada, and have a mini-lapbook to show for it.  (Well, a lapbook and the fact that Dale just maybe might know more words to the Canadian national anthem than our own.  Oops.  Note to self: teach Star Spangled Banner lyrics a.s.a.p.)
We also learned a lot about Winter Olympic history and events.  Those facts, along with other fun little projects are all represented in our completed Olympic lapbook.   


We started the week before the games and learned about the torch and torch relay:

Then we all gathered around to watch the much-anticipated opening ceremonies.  And made an Olympic-sized mess:

Because we had learned about the torch-lighting, that was the part of the ceremony Dale wanted to see most. Of course, it was last.  'Last' being way-way past bedtime.


But I'm so glad we stayed up for that part.  Because the torch-lighting turned out to be a to-be-continued incident that was concluded in a quite classy and hilarious manner at the closing ceremonies.  Please tell me you saw that?  That rectifying of the torch-lighting gone awry was one of my most favorite moments of the Olympics.  Yay Vancouver! :)


One of our biggest projects for the duration of the Olympics was our medals chart:

Every morning we checked the medal count online and added the appropriate stickers.  It was fun to see the chart fill up as the days went by.  I can imagine we will do this again.  


We watched at least a little bit of most events.  And I'm not sure any of us could pick a favorite.  Dale even got into the curling.  Which, by the way, has to be one of the least understood sports to ever be on tv.  I'm not sure what attracted Dale to it so much, but I suspect it was the yelling.  At any rate, we soaked up the Olympic experience from our living room and made the most of it.


2012, here we come!  :)

Our family went out tonight to visit a very dear, sweet man.  A man who has smiled every time I've seen him, until today.


Several years ago this man was told by his doctors he didn't have long to live.  But God answered prayers, and moved beyond medicine, and gave our friend many more years of life.


This man has been kind to our entire family, but he loves Alan very much.  Alan stole his heart quite some time ago.  :-)  Our friend has told us on many, many occasions how often he has prayed for Alan.  Of course he hasn't been the only one, but he is one of the few that has openly shed tears upon seeing Alan.  He knows God has done mighty things in Alan's body, and God has done mighty things in his own body too.


But now, that human body is finally getting tired.  


We have gone as a family to visit a time or two in recent months.  And while Alan is still a little on the shy side, Dale loves people, and loves to go and to visit.  He asked to go see our friend today.  And because we know time must be short, we went.


I'm so glad we did.


And even though it is sad to think of the end of a life, I left feeling a little awed, as well.  It is amazing to visit with a person knowing, knowing that in a few short days or weeks they will be seeing Jesus face to face.


My Jesus.  The Jesus I read about in my Bible, that I try to serve and honor and talk to.  Jesus who was there when the universe was created.  Jesus who walked on the earth and died for our sins and rose again the third day.  Jesus, on a throne in heaven, that - honestly? - seems a little vague and far away at times.  But no - Jesus is very close, and someday soon our friend is going to see Him with his eyes and touch Him with his hands.


And when I think about it like that, I feel a little more excited that someday, I will too.

Your Opinion Please

In a sudden change of mind, I decided it was time to start the Chronicles of Narnia as our next read aloud.  (I had originally planned on waiting until Dale was older.)


During our library trip yesterday I tossed The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe in with the rest of our stuff.


It wasn't until well after we'd gotten home that I remembered that, chronologically, The Magician's Nephew is first.


However, some people argue that LWW is a better written, more engaging read, and because of that and the fact that Lewis wrote it first, it should be read first.  


So what would you start with?  Have you read the series?  What did you read first?  Have you read it to your kids?  How old were they?


Thanks for helping with my over-thinkingness.  It's a chronic problem.  Just ask Greg.  :)

Still

Guess what?

It's STILL muddy.

And we STILL have The Boots:

And I STILL don't like taking muddy boots off a muddy boy.  

I guess I'm more girly than I knew.  

Guess what else?

This boy is STILL cute.

He's 8 weeks old today, and up to 13 pounds (and 6 oz, if you really want to know).


Alan is ready for him to "be big" and wear shoes and play with him.  


Dale, on the other hand, is STILL more content with all things newborn: giving him his pacifier, pushing his swing, and showing him black and white pictures.  Or just cuddling:

Guess what else?


We are STILL managing to do fun stuff!  Even if I am STILL flying by the seat of my pants.  Just happened to check a website before breakfast and discover today is Dr. Seuss' birthday!  Whew!


I'm glad they are STILL young enough to be so easy to please!  :)