Mar
23
2010It’s been a rough day.
My darling husband took the cord and the battery of my current idol (this dear computer) with him to work today.
I asked him to take it.
I lack self-control.
It was a busy day. I called my dad on his birthday. I finished two diaper and though they don’t fit correctly (yet) and one wicks moisture like crazy, I have learned much. I made dinner. I made pear, and acorn squash, and butternut squash baby food. I got the girls to take at least one nap longer than 30 minutes. I cleaned poopy diaper blowout and managed to go to a playdate even though I was late. My living room now only looks like a minor storm went through rather than a huge hurricane. I had a hot meal mostly on the table when hubby returned and both girls were fed their dinner prior to his arrival.
Doesn’t that list look so nice and tidy?
I wish my heart was tidy.
For through it all my heart vomited in such a wicked attitude.
The nap they took in the car, ruined my ideal afternoon. They fussed and grumped and I was so glad to put them in bed this evening and just have peace.
Solitude and my computer.
An hour after they were put to bed, they awoke. We fed them and put them back in bed. They erupted in screams of pain.
Their arch-nemesis gas came for a poorly timed visit.
After the gas packed up and left, I looked down at my normally serious daughter Aeralind…
and she laughed. She laughed and grinned and smiled as I told her that she was beautiful and I loved her more than peanut butter loves jelly and more than tuna loves mayo and more that ham loves cheese and more than bacon loves lettuce/tomato…
and she laughed some more
and grinned her rarely seen smile.
Had I forgotten so soon what matters?
Had I forgotten the Eternity in these Moments?
Had I forgotten that these tiny hearts like my own are eternal, priceless, and the central things?
Oh, wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from this body of death? (Romans 7:24)
And the answer is so visible here in this season.
I bow my heart before the Cross and beg for it to be made anew.
344. Repentance
345. A Patient God
346. Hearts that change (though the change is ever so slow)
Mar
21
2010In a dairy free diet we’re able to eat a fair amount of chips as long as they are plain. I’m regularly enjoying tortilla chips and Sunchips Original, but I get tired of salsa or hummus and long for real chip dip. So last week I decided I would do something I vowed never to do. I tried Tofu and I turned it into a pretty tasty (and healthy) chip dip!
Silken Tofu Chip Dip
Ingredients
- 10oz Package of Silken Tofu
- a squirt of lemon juice
- a packet of Good Seasons Italian Dressing Mix (or other dairy-free mix)
- 1/4 cup (or to taste) Red Wine Vinegar
- a splash of ‘milk’
Instructions
- Dump the first 3 ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth.
- Add Vinegar to taste and ‘milk’ to refine the texture.
- Dip in chips or veggies and enjoy!
Mar
18
2010I can’t believe the girls are starting on solid food. I just can’t process it! We’ve been doing solids seriously for about 2 weeks now. Avocado, Peas, Apples, Rice Cereal, Sweet Potato and Mango(just tried it today) are on the menu.
Bronwyn really seems to like just about anything we put in her mouth. She grabs the spoon to chew on and suck off of and brings her mouth right to the spoon in excitment. She also screams if I spend too much time feeding her sister in between bites!
Aeralind is starting to like it more. She’s especially drawn to the avocado and peas and generally tolerates plain rice cereal better than her sister.
I feed them solids twice a day. Lunch occurs about 30 minutes after they wake from their first nap and have a good nursing. They also eat dinner with us. That’s usually an hour after a feeding, but it works for us to keep them awake until about 7:30 without having to eat our dinner with them screaming at us.
For me, this is really an odd period. They still depend on me for all of their nutrition. They can’t really sit up in a high chair for very long. They can’t feed themselves. I’m almost amused by it.
So the next stage is the introduction of the Sippy Cup. Any tips on when and how and which cup would be greatly appreciated. For some reason sippy cups scare me 😉
Mar
16
2010I loved the Purely Decadent Vanilla Coconut Ice Cream when I tried it back at Christmas time. My husband bought it for me as a gift and I was drooling over the stuff. Later I went to the store to get it and it was $5.25 for a pint. YIKES! That’s serious treat money! I mean I could buy three whole bags of vegan chocolate chips for that amount and those would last me longer. While walking around Publix alone to get some “me time” last week, I suddenly remembered that I own an ice cream maker. The same ice cream maker responsible for Halloween Ice Cream and Amaretto Ice Cream from the pregnancy and pre-dairy free days of early babyhood. Surely I could make my own coconut ice cream and for less money. So I grabbed four 14 oz cans of coconut milk at the astonishing price of $4 and made a gallon of ice cream. You do have to like the flavor of coconut, but this treat certainly doesn’t taste like a health food dessert 😉
Coconut Milk Ice Cream ***
Ingredients
- four 14oz cans of Coconut Milk (I used two regular and two ‘lite’)
- 1 cup sugar
Instructions
- Warm coconut milk in a saucepan with the sugar until the sugar dissolves.
- Cool for 4 hours in the refridgerator.
- Dump in ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturers directions.
Possible Variations
I haven’t tried any of these variations, but I’m sure they’d be tasty. If you try one, let me know how it goes.
- Pina Colada: Add a can of crushed pineapple
- Chocolate: Put 1 Cup Dutch Process Cocoa in the saucepan and then gently whisk in the coconut milk. Add coconut flakes for an almond joy delight!
- Berry: Puree 2 Cups of fresh or frozen berries. Strain the puree in a cheesecloth if the seeds of your chosen berrry bother you
- Tropical: Puree 2 Mangos and 1 small Papaya and add to the mix
***WARNING: This stuff may be quite addictive. Don’t say I didn’t warn you…
