Good times around the table.

Sometimes it was fancy.
Mostly, I remember it being "good".
And to a little girl, that simply means I recall the experience as pleasant and secure; my whole family, -mom, dad, and us four kids, gathered around our metal early 70's table with its vinyl-covered chairs, for the family dinner.

Fish sticks.
Hot dogs.
Fried potatoes.
Chicken legs.
Homemade soups.
Cabbage and noodles.

The meals had to feed six mouths on a single income and I must say, my parents did it well.
Well and young (there were four of us kids by the time my mom was 23).

It was a different time back then.
A beautiful, wonderfully different time.
How I lament that my children cannot enjoy the same freedoms and care-free summer days that I was able to. If you've ever seen the show, "The Wonder Years," you will have received a somewhat realistic glimpse into my childhood. So much of what I loved about it is just not possible for my kids today, due in part to a world with less defined boundaries, greater criminal activity, and waaaay less children being made to play outdoors in fresh air and sunshine. Sigh.

But thankfully for my family and I, one thing has not changed.
The family dinner is still a time of gathering us together, a time which I hope my children will someday recall, much like I do, as pleasant and secure.
It's our time of connecting, debating, sharing, laughing and praying. And it's those last two, laughing and praying, that I would like to illuminate for just a moment.

Yesterday, as we all gathered around the family dinner for prayer, my youngest son (age 4) began.
"Dear Lord, thank you for this beautiful day and for our food that mommy made.
And thank you for my man purse."
(enter raised eyebrows from mom and dad before the smack of clasped hands over gaping mouths could be heard, as we both tried, and failed, to hold back the laughter that had begun to rise from within.)

But it wasn't over just yet...
Our older son, age 9, piled on.
"And dear Lord, thank you for my food too, and please don't let there be any staples in it."
That did it.

"BAAHAHAHAHA!" :D

The whole family broke out in a fit of laughter, right in the middle of prayer time. And I have to believe that God, too, was laughing. You see, it's true. We have been finding staples in the food this past week or so. To be more specific, *I* have been finding staples in my food.
Why?, you ask?
Well, let's just say that I've been known to come up with a half-baked idea on occasion. Apparently, this past week was just such an occasion, where it occurred to me that in the absence of a bag-sealing clamp, I could simply fold and staple freezer bags before placing frozen items back in the freezer. So, I stapled my frozen fruit bag and a corn bag as well.

Brilliant, yes? ;)

"NoooOOOo."

And right you are. It's a definite no. Because when I carefully re-opened those stapled bags (and I was careful, honest to goodness), apparently those little metal guys torpedoed into the food and hid out until I found them during my meals (hey, at least it was only me who paid the price for my poor choice).

And did the kids take notice?
Clearly, that would be an affirmative yes, as evidenced by my older son's staple prayer (to be known as just that, THE STAPLE PRAYER, from this day forward).

Can't you just hear him as he and his own family gather for the family dinner someday (and oh, how I pray that they too will have that wonderful privilege).
"Kids, did I ever tell you about the week where your grandmother kept discovering staples in her food? Yeah, she did. I don't recall the details exactly, but I could almost swear it had something to do with a man purse."
THE END!

Live wise in Him!

~Toni~

Heart healthy Tuscan soup

Most of my friends and family know that I am vegetarian. By "hard core" terms, I'd actually be known as a flexetarian because I do, on very rare occasion, take a taste of meat. I also cook a Thanksgiving turkey and a New Year's ham, hence the term, flexetarian. But for all intents and purposes, I avoid eating meat.

So, what does this mean for my family, since I am the resident cook? Well, let me answer that by first sharing what it doesn't mean. It doesn't mean we're limited to spaghetti, salads, and variations of potatoes (though we eat those too).

It does mean I make our own lunch "meat".

We also eat colorful, flavorful calico beans over brown rice, incredibly delicious soups like coconut spinach potato and garlic kale. We also eat grilled tofu "egg" salad sandwiches, enchilada casseroles, and sloppy "fauxs". I could go on and on, but fact is, we do not hurt for variety, we supplement with daily vitamins, and our blood pressure, cholesterol, and general health are great. The kids check out just fine on their development as well.

We went sled riding all afternoon yesterday, and something hot sounded "just right". Enter...Tuscan soup.
It's a recipe that I tweaked and changed from its former heart-insulting version. It's fairly quick to prepare (especially if you can cut veggies the evening or morning before), and is a very healthy alternative to other similar dishes. If you love sausage, but love your heart more, this one will help you to care for it without compromising too much on taste. I promise!

HEART HEALTHY TUSCAN SOUP
**************************
-2 tbsp olive oil
-1 large onion, chopped
-1 whole head garlic, peeled and minced (I use the mini food processor for this)
-3 celery stalks, diced
-10 potatoes, peeled and cut into bite size pieces
-1 large bunch kale, washed, stripped from center vein, torn into smaller pieces
(note: you can use the greens of your choice. Collard or mustard would work fine.)
-10 cups water
-5 cubes Edward & Sons vegan boullion cubes (trust me, they're the BEST! I prefer the garden veggie flavor, but any of them will do and there is a low sodium option)
-1 can fat-free evaporated milk
-1 box Boca breakfast links (found in the health food or "meatless" freezer section of your grocery store). Note the wonderfulness of zero trans-fat and 75% less fat than regular sausage. And they really taste good.

1. In a large soup pot, heat olive oil. Saute onions and celery in oil for at least 5 minutes, allowing to soften, before adding garlic and continuing to saute about 2 minutes longer (note: always let chopped onion or garlic sit for 5 minutes before cooking. Why? Go HERE to learn more.)

2. Now add potatoes, water, and boullion. Bring to a boil, then add kale, reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are fully cooked (approximately 15 minutes). If you prefer a firmer texture, you can wait to add the kale when potatoes are fully cooked.

3. While soup is simmering, heat Boca breakfast links according to info on package. I use the microwave for this. Next, cut each link into six bite-sized pieces. Set aside.

4. When potatoes fully cooked, stir in the can of evaporated milk and the breakfast link pieces. Test soup and and season to taste with salt and pepper (remember, we're going for heart healthy. There is plenty of flavor from the garlic and broth, so passing on the salt is perfectly fine.)
5. Ladle soup into bowls and serve with whole grain bread. Enjoy!
(this recipe makes enough for our family of 6 to have at least 2 bowls each.)

Live wise in Him!

~Toni~

Oh my goodness, I'm so grateful to Courtney over at Women Living Well for sharing this GEM of a video with me.
It is soooooo worth watching.
And the book is definitely on my list of "to be read."
Watch and be inspired!

Live wise in Him!

~Toni~

Good (and then good for you)

It's called Oatmeal Cheesecake Banana Split.
Need I say more? Go HERE to get the recipe.
My family absolutely loved it. I used chopped pecans on top, and dh thinks it would have tasted great with blueberries as an alternative. I can see me making this some Sunday morning as our breakfast with a cup of coffee before church.

And now, let's talk about water for a moment.
Like to drink it?
Hate to drink it?
I'm not very tolerant of just plain water.
It actually kind of nauseates me sometimes. But (unless we live in a cave, which honestly, is appealing on occasion) we all know that we should be drinking lots of plain old water. So I decided to dig into the many benefits and this is a list I came across...

• Lose weight: Drinking water helps you lose weight because it flushes down the by-products of fat breakdown. Drinking water reduces hunger, it’s an effective appetite suppressant so you’ll eat less. Plus, water has zero calories. Here are the further details on how to achieve fat loss by drinking water.


• Natural Remedy for Headache: Helps to relieve headache and back pains due to dehydration. Although there are many other reasons contribute to headache, dehydration is the common one.


• Look Younger with Healthier Skin: You’ll look younger when your skin is properly hydrated. Water helps to replenish skin tissues, moisturizes skin and increase skin elasticity.


• Better Productivity at Work: Your brain is mostly made up of water, thus drinking water helps you think better, be more alert and more concentrate.


• Better Exercise: Drinking water regulates your body temperature. You’ll feel more energetic when doing exercises and water helps to fuel your muscle.


• Helps in Digestion and Constipation: Drinking water raises your metabolism because it helps in digestion. Fiber and water goes hand in hand so that you can have your daily bowel movement.


• Less Cramps and Sprains: Proper hydration helps keep your joints and muscles lubricated, so you’ll less likely get cramps and sprains.


• Less Likely to Get Sick: Drinking plenty of water helps fight against flu and other ailments like kidney stones and heart attack.


• Reduce Fatigue: Water is used by the body to help flush out toxins and waste products from the body. If your body lacks of water, your heart, for instance, need to work harder to pump out the oxygenated blood to all cells, so are the rest of the vital organs, your organs will be exhausted and so are you.


• Reduce the Risk of Cancer: Related to the digestive system, some studies show that drinking a healthy amount of water may reduce the risks of bladder cancer and colon cancer. Water dilutes the concentration of cancer-causing agents in the urine and shortens the time in which they are in contact with bladder lining.

So, what's a water avoider like myself supposed to do?
I recently came up with a solution that has me easily drinking lots of water now, has my husband taking some to work, and has my two boys asking for "the good water" all the time.

It's simple.

Just take a 64 ounce pitcher or container and fill it to 56 ounces with the water of your choice (sure, purified is better but I'm using the stuff straight from the tap for now). Next, add 8 ounces of unsweetened 100% cranberry juice. Watch your brands. Many grocery store brands say "unsweetened" and "100% juice", but when you read the label, they're not 100% CRANBERRY juice (they're a blend of cranberry, apple, etc.) The pure cranberry is good for aiding the body in removing toxins, and our family is finding the water to be MUCH more drinkable (thus we're drinking much more of it).

Live wise in Him!

~Toni~

Christmas laughs

Before I get to my post, let me tell you something about myself, in case you don't already know this, so you don't reach the wrong conclusion as you read. Fact is, I have a goofy sense of humor and I often find laughable moments in the simplest of things. It's both a gift and a challenge (you knooow,...trying not to laugh when it's really not appropriate to, like when I was a kid and our dad was frustrated with something we kids did, and we tried with all our might, and failed, to keep our giggles under control during a moment of uncomfortable silence at the dinner table.) Got a better sense of my goofy sense of humor? Alrighty then, here we go...

Our Christmas was filled with some great laughs, from 9 year old Reece wanting to put out an empty coffee can in a panic "because you didn't put out enough stockings to be filled", to 4 year old Brandon laughing soooo hard for 10 minutes when he opened this on Christmas morning.



But perhaps the thing that made us laugh most of all was something that happened when we went out to eat with our extended family (back in OH) at a Chinese buffet. My husband, my sister and I were standing at a counter waiting for the khan to stir-fry our Mongolian food. He took our plates of raw items, placed them on the grill, then picked up a little bottle. It was shaped like an Asian old man with its pants down (not obscenely detailed, but pants down none-the-less). It was one of those situations where your mind rapidly begins to wander in a fog of confusion and questioning, as you try to figure out what exactly is happening. Kind of like this video, specifically about 1:30 into it;



Yes, I ended up that surprised. Because before my mind could grasp the meaning or purpose of the ridiculous bottle, the Chinese guy (smiling with the most ornery smile) turned to me.....and squeezed.

Oh.
Yes.
He.
Did.
Too.

If my husband and sister hadn't been standing there with me as my witnesses, I would never share this story (because really, who would believe it?)
Yes, that oh-so-ornery little man squirted me with the water he used to stir-fry vegetables with.

I looked down at my sweater, now covered in droplets of water from the "pants-less man" bottle, and shook my head in total disbelief.
I knew, I just knew that when I looked back at the khan, he would be highly sympathetic for having offended me.
Instead....

"BAHAHAHAHAHA!"

He was laughing. Laughing!

Hysterically.

And so was my sister.
And my husband (who tried miserably to contain it, but failed).

I stood there, shocked.
Totally silent for a moment, trying to take it in.
That man just took the liberty of squirting me with a bottle shaped like a little old Asian man without any pants on.
Sheesh, that's a lot to take in, ya know?
I believe I would have remained in my confused stupor, if not for the sounds of a cackling laugh coming from a silly little man behind the counter, a man that was laughing soooo hard that it was literally contagious.

Without realizing it (until I heard it with my own ears), I found myself joining the others in a fit of laughter.
Shocked, yes. A tiny bit perturbed, sure.
But laughing just the same.
I mean, I have to admit. If it had happened to anyone else (say, my sister or my husband, uh hem), I'm sure I would have found it immediately funny as well.

Fact is, life is waaaaay too short and too filled with unexpected moments not to laugh when the opportunity presents itself.
There will be plenty of difficult days, still, where I'll have all I can do to just tie my shoes.
So on this day, when the blessed season of my Savior's birth was in full force, when I was gathered with the people I love most in the world, my family, when my children were healthy, my husband was on vacation, and my mom and dad were alive and well, it was a moment to take in with all the silliness of hearty laughter, a day to receive as precious memories made.

But hear this.

If I ever go back to that restaurant, don't even think I won't come prepared.
Because, believe me when I say it, I most definitely WILL.


Ecclesiastes 3:4
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

Live wise in Him!

~Toni~

Matthew 25:40

This message is powerful and purposeful. As an adoptive mother of four of God's precious children, my heart was deeply touched. Please, consider watching and then remember to pray for least of your brothers and sisters. Thanks, Jeanine, for sharing this with me.

Live wise in Him!

~Toni~

Charlie Brown christmas tree

"Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown."
It's a good thing that show is so very endearing to me because I am officially the recipient of my very own Charlie Brown tree.
Complete with needles that fall off every time you touch a branch.
That would be LOTS of falling needles.
And 40 fingers touching them no matter how many times we explain it. "Now, now. If you continue to touch those limbs, we're going to opening gifts on Christmas day beneath the Christmas stump, not the Christmas tree because there simply won't be any tree left to speak of."
Seriously, it's that bad.

Our December schedule looks like a football team's play book right now. There are scribbles and scratch-outs, lines and arched arrows all OVER the page. Add eraser marks, pencil ins, and lots and lots of sloppy handwriting (including mystery abbreviations) and, well, welcome to December at our house. Please, do grab yer self a wassail but then step out of the way before someone plows you over on their way out the door in a mad rush.

IT'S NOT SUPPOSED TO BE LIKE THIS! (I know this, btw. I'm just yelling it to my own self in case I haven't heard me say it one of the 23 other times I've yelled it.)

Tree hunting was done on Monday the 6th. Couldn't be rescheduled for any reason except a rainy downpour. And it didn't rain. But it was 19º (all together now, "Brrrrr!")

We arrived at our favorite tree farm ready to make a quick weather-spurred decision, then planned to hurry into the Christmas cabin where the kids always look forward to choosing a candy cane from the decorated tree, and delight in sharing cups of hot cocoa.
Always in the past,that is.
Not this time, uh hem.

This time, we were pointed in the direction of the white spruce trees. Turned out there were only two (count 'em) acceptable possibilities and I use that "acceptable" word ever so lightly. Thing is, it was waaaaay too cold to get picky. Then again, "Honey, let's walk back to that corner where we usually find our tree."

"Whaa??? You want us to walk all the way back into the next field? But,....it's f-a-r-r-r," groaned my hubby, teeth chattering.

Why yes it was far.
I'm not heartless. I do listen to reason.
You don't think I'd make my kids take a 10 minute walk in the frigid 19º temps just to find the "perfect" tree, do you? Goodness, no.
Why, I let the youngest ride on the tree cart. ;)

After a very long and cold stomp through the evergreens in the next field, I concluded that, "Yep, you were right. Should have went with one of the two beauties we saw up front."
Hubby's eye began to twitch just a little. I'm sure it was just the cold, not like I was plucking on his last nerve at that point or anything.
"Oooo...kaaaay. Let's all hike back to the front and decide on one of those trees," I announced.
(insert exaggerated sighs and the sound of angry boots a stomping.)

We cut down our "beauty" and headed for the processing area to have the loose needled shaken off and the branches wrapped in twine. While the young man loaded our tree into the back of hubby's pick-up, we took the kids into the cabin for their treats.

"Nope, don't have any hot cocoa. I only make that on the weekends."
Me, surprised, "Oh. So,...you don't have any cocoa then today?"
The cabin attendant, gathering I didn't get it the first time, replied.
"That's right. No cocoa. What with today being Monday and all, and me only serving cocoa on the weekends."
The kids frowned.
I might have growled.
I definitely blushed (not that you could see it from behind my wind-whipped cheeks).
The kids quickly chose a candy cane (no doubt fearing they needed to move quickly before it was decided they were only available on the weekends as well).

And since our December schedule is so full, we not only had to get our tree on the 6th, but it also had to go up that day as well. By the time we got around to stringing lights, it was 7:30pm. Now, this is usually a major project in our house. Uh, nope, not this year. I didn't string those lights on, so much as I lassoed a tree because within 10 minutes, they were ALL on (however they landed). As the kids began to put ornaments on the tree, I began to hear the undesired "ping ping" of needles dropping. Lots and LOTS of needles dropping.

"Oh for crying out loud. This tree is dead."
We've never had a dead tree for Christmas.
Well sure, all live trees are technically dead once you cut them down.
But I'm talking Smokey the Bear assigning a fire hazard rating to our Tannenbaum.

Deader than dead, dead.

There was a significant drought here in central Indiana this year. I think this tree was on the long end of a short root because clearly, it's hurting.

And the worst part of all? When they twined it, a very large bough snapped at the bottom of the tree (which has never happened). We wanted to remove another bough to compensate before placing it in the tree stand, but that would have left us with a very lopsided tree. So we opted to just get it into the stand "as is" and deal with its flaws. Only,...

Since we didn't remove the additional bough, the trunk wouldn't slide into the tree stand properly. Instead, the large, low bough pushed the tree into a bit of a recline. The result? Not an equilateral triangle, I assure you (which, btw, is the desired shape of a good Christmas tree). No, ours would be more like a right angled triangle, not so attractive if you know what I mean. And just in case you don't know what I mean, take a little look-see, would ya? Trust me, the photo doesn't do it justice.



Isn't she a beauty? Don't feel bad. I don't think so either.
Good thing this season isn't all about the tree. God came near and Jesus is Emmanuel, God with us and we celebrate His birth together with all believers everywhere. Now that is reason to rejoice.
Have a blessed Christmas filled with love, laughter, and the peace that passes all understanding.

Live wise in Him!

~Toni~