Are you looking for something simple and fun to do with your kids? I’ve got just the thing. Break all the rules tonight and be the coolest mom on the block when you let your kids play with their food! Why? New presentations break down barriers for little kids. Unknown foods become less intimidating when you can play with them. Read my post over at the Georgia Blueberry Commission to get some ideas for how you can have fun with your kids AND get them to try a new food tonight!
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This week is a busy one! I’ve working at the school to start the week off – juggling ball practice and a cocktail party with a brand I REALLY want to work with on Wednesday. Then, Thursday and Friday will be back to the reality called motherhood – cleaning house, organizing a closet, and finding homes for all the junk I’ve brought home from work with the move I am slowly making.
Looking forward to memorial day weekend. Hoping to finish some planting and caging some tomatoes! I can’t wait to get out in the dirt!
Need a weekly meal planner? Use my printable 2 week plan here}
:: Monday
Chicken Croquettes
Rice
Brussell Sprouts
::Tuesday
Dinner at Mom’s
{Judah has a Baseball Game}
:: Wednesday
Hotdogs
::Thursday
Homemade Pizza
Turkey Ham & Pineapple toppings
::Friday
Cranberry Chicken
Squash Casserole
Sauteed Swiss Chard
:: Saturday
Cubed Steak
Rice
Spinach
Stewed Cinnamon-Sugar Apples
:: Sunday
BBQ Chicken
Parmesan Baked Potatoes
I’ve been holding out on you for a few weeks. It has taken me that long to tell my family and to wrap my head around how to explain what exactly has happened.
Let’s start on May 3, 2013. That’s the day that I received a phone call from my principal, where I work as a second grade teacher {and have worked full and part time for the past 10 years}. I was just finishing up a conference in Jekyll Island where I learned A TON of information about how to further this blog and gleaned just what I needed to make my vision come alive. I was on a high! I know God has been pouring new ideas into me and I could finally see how I could really make some of these new ideas really happen. Then the phone rang.
As you may, or may not know, I have been working part time for the past four years {since my son was born}. This means I lost my tenure as a teacher so when there are cuts, my job is always on the line. So, I was given the option to cut my hours to 40% {meaning I would lose my benefits: retirement and health insurance} to remain at the school where I’ve taught for the past ten years or to take a different job at another school in the county where I could keep my benefits. The difference was I would have to work everyday for 4 1/2 hours {I’ve been working all 8 1/2 hour days 2 or 3 days a week} and I would need to go take some classes because this job was out of my field. I told my principal I would pray about it.
All weekend long I said silent prayers to God asking him to show me which direction he would have me go. My only desire is to stay in the will of God and to walk in his timing. On Saturday, my husband and I discussed the option to work everyday at a new school and we also entertained the idea of me resigning and going full time with my blog.
Again, I would have done either if I could have heard clearly on which direction God would have me go. On Sunday, I watched Glory of Zion’s church service, like we do every Sunday morning. I sobbed through the entire service as I knew that what was spoken that day was just for me. I could’ve been the only one listening…it felt like a private discussion. It was then I felt a peace about resigning from my job and I knew what God was asking me to do.
I walked into school on Monday morning, not expecting to have to make a decision quite yet, but I was wrong. I was met by my principal who notified me that I would need to make a decision that day as soon as possible. I was a wreck. I knew in my heart what the right decision was but I was a little frightened to walk the talk. I stalled for time to get some reassurance from my husband and mom per a couple of quick phone calls.
Even though they both said they would support me no matter what my decision was, I new what the right decision was. I had to say goodbye to fear and hello to faith. God has been teaching me a lot about faith. Through my husband’s battle with cancer my faith grew exponentially. God gave me peace and supernatural faith from Him. That’s what made this decision a little easier. I know that regardless of what happens to me or my family, God will take care of us and we will be more than just “fine” because God loves us and has something GREAT for us.
“When nothing is sure, everything is possible.”
~Margaret Drabble
I walked into my principal’s office and told him my decision to resign. He was upset. I’ve been getting ready to take an administration role and this came as a real shock {to him and me both!}. He asked me what my goals were and I responded like this: “If you had asked me a couple of months ago I would have said my goal was to climb the ladder, to be a principal, a superintendent even. But, today, my goal is to walk in the will of God and in his timing. That is not to say He won’t have me return at some point. I’m not really sure. But, I do know that this was ordained by him. I was set up….by God. He gave me the opportunity to decline his will by taking the other job. It would have been the “safer” decision by earthly eyes. But, I know that although this choice makes little sense in the earthly realm, it was God’s plan to teach me to walk in faith and not in fear.
“Look for the opportunities in the difficulties, not the difficulties in the opportunities.”
~Victor Fiorelli
When asked what happened, why did I have to go, I say…”because it is what God wanted.” I am not angry or upset. God has ordained this. This big decision was set before me because He wanted to know if I would trust Him. And, I do. Whole-heartedly. He has been our healer, provision, our warrior, our strength, our EVERYTHING. So, I trust Him, with everything. We are not promised tomorrow. There are no guarantees, only opportunities.
My last day as a second grade teacher is in about three weeks and I will walk away with a bounce in my step. Why? I am not afraid. I am not worried about what will happen because I know God has something awesome for me. He asked me to take this step so I could receive it. I took that leap of faith because I KNEW that was what it would take to see my blessing released.
I don’t know what all He has in store for me or my little family but I know it is going to be more than I could imagine. He’ll open doors for me that I didn’t know existed. I’m filled with excited anticipation even as I write this. He’s been giving me some plans a little at a time and I have more than I have time to do now! I know I’ll do things that I am not sure how to accomplish now because God will give me the knowledge I need and will arrange the meetings with those who I need to see to get these things done.
“The Creator has not given you a longing to do that which you have no ability to do.”
~Orison Swett Marden
For now, you are going to see some sprucing up around here. Once things settle down between the move from part time teacher/part time blogger to full time blogger/wholesome food enthusiast/and full time mommy, you’ll be seeing more posts and hopefully some new news about the directions that I am going in. I know I have to get the word out on real food. That is my first assignment and promise to you.
I want to leave you with this. If you are faced with a hard decision and you are frightened of the future just know:
As a child there was nothing that thrilled me more than a box of new art supplies: stickers, crayons, markers, colored pencils…I loved them all! And, still as an adult new stationary makes giddy. 
So, I want to bring those memories of my childhood to my own children. So, ever since Judah could hold a chubby toddler crayon I’ve been doing projects with him and buying new art supplies. And now that Eliana is getting a little bigger she’s been dying to get in on the action.
So, when we received a big box of Crayola Color Wonder products and Sidewalk Chalk I knew fun was in our future! First, the kids spent the afternoon coloring on the porch with the Color Wonder Kits and tools. The kits in our package were perfect for my kiddos – Hello Kitty and Hot Wheels! Judah preferred the brush tip markers while Eliana went straight for the gel paints. It was a great little afternoon project and held their attention for much longer than most things they play with!
I also took the coloring books and color wonder mini markers with us when we went for a drive on Mother’s Day. We met my mom’s family about an hour away so this was the perfect “car-occupier.” I love that all of the color wonder products are mess free! So, while my kiddos were all dressed up for their lunch date their outfits were still in ship shape after all their artsy fun in the car.
We saved the chalk for a sunny day and yesterday proved the perfect day for it. We took the Sidewalk Chalk Paint set out as well as a box of Crayola Sidewalk Chalk. Even I had a little fun in the drive way. I LOVE side walk chalk. I especially like Crayola’s side walk chalk because it is so much more vibrant. The colors are bright and really pop.
Judah and Eliana made a big ol’ mess with the paint set and Judah was really thrilled with the novelty of using paint on the drive way. The set came with apaint roller and a paint brush. Judah hogged the paint roller the whole time but Eliana didn’t mind a bit. She was just happy to be allowed to paint with a paint brush. 
This was the perfect place for her to practice her painting skills since there weren’t any walls in this space to worry about!
All of these new products are available at Walmart. And, they are all very affordable. Side walk chalk is $1.97 for 12 or $2.97 for 24 pieces. The Color Wonder kits -with coloring pages AND markers- are on rollback this month for $6.97 {down from $7.97}. The Color Wonder books {like our Hot Wheels and Hello Kitty ones} are just $4.97 as well as the tools like the brush tip markers and gel paints. That makes these the perfect “anytime” gift to put a smile on the face of a kid who deserves it. Let ‘em know you appreciate their manners, hard work, or effort by bringing home an inexpensive treat. Crayola is always a good choice … you’ll be giving your kids the keys to their creative side.
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. I’m a participant in the Walmart Moms Program. Walmart has provided me with a product sample and compensation for my time and efforts in creating this post. Participation in this program is voluntary and the opinions stated above are entirely my own.
When I was faced with making a new appetizer recipe incorporating raisins I immediately thought of all the sweet foods I enjoy raisins in: cookies, pastries, pies, and charoseth. But, I wanted something different. My brain went to a Moroccan dish that a friend made for me once: Moroccan Chicken Stew. I remembered this dish had golden raisins and tomatoes, along with beans and peppers, and chicken and I loved the sweet and spice together. I thought about how to spin this dish into something more portable. Something a guest could hold while sipping a glass of wine. Pizza! Everyone loves pizza, right?
Well, this is a Moroccan spin on pizza… flatbread. Flatbread made from pita to be exact. Instead of a traditional Italian marinara I decided to add spices that would be more “Moroccan” like cumin, mint, and raisins in place of oregano and basil. The raisins are the real star in this dish – not only adding a powerful cancer fighting punch with it’s team up with tomatoes, but also the raisins give the sauce an element of sweetness. The sweetness of the raisins in chorus with the smokiness of the cumin makes for a great flavor combo.
What became of this kitchen experiment was something magical. My guinea pigs {also known as my family} gave it rave reviews. We were all shocked at how delicious this turned out. It really is a fine dining restaurant quality dish that you can make in your home fairly simply.
I used homemade whole wheat pita which added an hour to my prep time. You can get the recipe here. But you can totally use store bought flatbread or pita for this to speed up the process a bit – especially if you are preparing this appetizer for a large party. I also used rotisserie chicken, another great time saver. If you use store bought pita and deli rotisserie chicken, you’ll be able to whip this recipe up in 15 to 20 minutes.
Here’s how to make your own:
5 flatbreads or pitas
1 cup of shredded rotisserie chicken
1/2 onion, sliced
1 cup of shredded mozzarella
For the Rockin’ Raisin Marinara
1 can {15 oz} tomato sauce
1/2 onion, chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 cup of purple raisins, chopped
1/4 cup of golden raisins, left whole
fresh mint leaves, cut into ribbons
Preheat the oven to broil. Prepare the sauce: saute the chopped onion and garlic in a saucepan. When the onions and garlic have been sauteed, add the tomato sauce, cumin, and both raisins. Allow the mixture to boil. Then, turn the sauce down to a simmer. When the sauce begins to thicken, turn it off.
Spread each flatbread with a couple spoonfuls of sauce. Top with shredded chicken, some sliced onions, and some shredded mozzarella. Place the flatbreads into the oven and keep an eye on it. Remove when the cheese begins to turn golden brown and bubbly.
Top with some fresh mint. Slice the flatbreads into long thin strips for a simple to hold appetizer.
Fun Fact: California Raisins are grown in the San Joaquin Valley in California by FAMILIES. It is a family business and many of the farms have been in the family for more than a century and knowledge is passed from generation to generation. Doesn’t that make your feel warm and fuzzy?
Since my family finally made the switch to fresh milled wheat {I bought a mill and I guy whole wheat berries} I have been converting some of my most loved recipes to whole wheat. So far, I’ve made baguette {still working on this one}, loaf bread with hazlenuts {this one is a winner! Recipe coming soon.}, tortillas, biscuits, and now pita.
My original recipe called for all purpose flour. They are delicious with all purpose flour, but even with this white flour, the pitas puff up only about 1/3 of the time. Its fine though. You end up with a really delicious flatbread if the pitas don’t puff up. Either way, you end up with a product MUCH better than store bought pita or flatbread.
It isn’t as difficult to make as it sounds and actually, I made it for dinner after work the other night…so it isn’t out of the question to make during the week. It takes about an hour and20 minutes to make and one hour is just wait time – while you are waiting on the dough to rise. It is during the rise time that I usually prep the rest of the dinner and start a load of laundry!
If you haven’t’ made a lot of homemade bread in the past, this one is fairly simple and would be a good one to start with.
3 1/2 cups of fresh milled whole wheat flour {if you are using bagged flour/not fresh milled use 3 cups}
2 tsp yeast
2 tsp honey granules or sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup warm water
2 Tbsp olive oil
Place ingredients in the bowl of your stand mixer {or in your bread machine on dough cycle} in this order: first, place warm water, yeast, and honey granules {or sugar} in bowl. Let this mixture sit for a minute or two. Then, add the rest of the ingredients: flour, salt, baking powder, and olive oil. Allow the stand mixer, fitted with a dough hook, to mix the ingredients. Then, increase the speed to about 4 or 5 and allow the mixer to knead the ingredients for a couple minutes.
Place the dough ball into a greased bowl and cover with a tea towel. Let it rise in a warm place for about an hour.
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.
When the dough has puffed up and almost doubled in size, divide the dough into 8 pieces.
Taking one piece at a time, roll the pieces into 6 inch circles, oblongs, etc with your rolling pin. Don’t be afraid if your pitas look a bit more “rustic,” they will still taste just as good!
Place the dough onto lightly oiled baking sheets and bake for 7 minutes. Serve with gyro or any other sandwich you want to make exponentially more delicious.
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I am going to be cooking from my pantry/freezer this week. The only thing I need to pick up is some corn from the farmer’s market.
This month is crazy busy for us…I’m just trying to figure out how to get it all done! I’ve got lots of trips planned, work to wrap up, baseball games, and the usual busy-ness of family life! So bear with me as I may seem scattered {as you may notice this post is a day late!}
My life is drastically changing in a few short weeks {stay tuned for a post} and I am just trying to “keep swimming” as I go through this transition period!
Need a weekly meal planner? Use my printable 2 week plan here}
:: Monday
Moroccan Flatbread Pizza {recipe coming this week!}
Simple Salad
::Tuesday
Picnic Dinner
{Judah has a Baseball Game}
:: Wednesday
Spaghetti
Homemade Marinara
Homemade Bread
Salad
::Thursday
Grilled BBQ Chicken
Grille Corn
Sauteed Green Beans
::Friday
Beef and Broccoli Lomein
Crispy Edamame
:: Saturday
Roast Chicken & Carrots
Parmesan Baked Potatoes
Brussell Sprouts
:: Sunday
Cubed Steak
Rice
Spinach
Did you see my post about National Buttermilk Biscuit Day? Looking for something quick and easy to spread on that delicious, hot-from-the-oven biscuit? How about my 10 minute Blueberry Jam. Yeah, just 10 minutes – that is all you need! Sound easy enough?
Check out my post at The Georgia Blueberry Commission today for the recipe.
Tomorrow is National Buttermilk Biscuit Day! You know I’m a southern girl, so this is like music to my ears! I’m happy to use any excuse for a good ol’ buttered biscuit.
But wait, don’t flip your lid just yet… I know what you’re thinking. Buttermilk biscuits are TERRIBLE for your health. And you have a point. A biscuit made with white flour has no value to your health. In fact, white flour can lead to a myriad of health problems!
So, that is why my momma and I have come up with a healthy southern biscuit. Yep, you heard that right. My momma, the same wonderful woman who fed me buttermilk biscuits from scratch when I was a little girl, has helped me to change this biscuit into something more healthful: Whole Wheat Buttermilk Biscuits with Coconut Oil.
Why whole wheat? Read my post here. It will give you all you need to know. Why coconut oil? Read my other post here.
2 1/2 cups fresh milled whole wheat flour {plus 1/2 cup more for “patting out”biscuits}
1 cup buttermilk (or regular “sweet” milk)
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/3 cup coconut oil {solid}
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Mill your flour {I use my wondermill} and then add buttermilk and coconut oil. Use a spoon, pastry cutter, or even your hand to mix ingredients. The goal is to incorporate the oil but not to overmix.
Take spoonfuls of biscuit dough and plop it into a bowl of extra flour. {We usually put about 1/2 cup more into a bowl}. Carefully, softly, lovingly {lol} pat the biscuits into little rounds and place onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Repeat. Place biscuits pretty close together.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Serve with lots of {good fat} REAL butter.
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I recently had the opportunity to try out a new online shopping venue…Vine.com. Vine.com has all the natural products you crave in household cleaning, beauty products, kitchen gear, grocery items, and even apparel. It is affiliated with other online stores you might be familiar with like soap.com, diapers.com, and many others.
I got to try all the items you see in the photo-several of them I had used before like the Mrs. Meyer’s cleaner, Green Works, and Seventh Generation dish soap. I love them all and they are regulars in my kitchen/bathroom cleaning cabinets. I also enjoyed the snack cubes – they have been awesome for my son’s lunch box. They are both beautiful and functional (which is why I love them so much!). I am excited to continue this service as they are really a one stop shop for everything that I can’t get at the farmer’s market!
See the details on the products I tried..including links to the site and prices:
1. Ecover Dishwashing Liquid, Lemon & Aloe Vera ($2.65) cleans and degreases while being gentle on your hands. Plus, it’s made with plant based ingredients, biodegradable, and the bottle is 100% recyclable.
2. Seventh Generation Dish Liquid, Lemongrass & Clementine Zest-25oz($3.60) new 25 oz. bottle made from 90% post-consumer recycled plastic. Great smelling lemongrass and clementine is also non-toxic & biodegradable.
3. Green Works General Bathroom Cleaner Spray-30oz ($3.85) that is made with plant- and mineral-based cleaning ingredients that power through soap scum, rust and hard water stains-without harsh chemical fumes and residue.
4. Ecover Toilet Cleaner ($3.60) helps to remove tough stains while it decalcifies and freshens, leaving behind a fresh plant based Pine Fresh fragrance. It’s naturally powerful and safe for septic tanks.
5. Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Counter Top Cleaner – 16 oz ($5.09 + receive 20% off ALL Mrs. Meyer’s products right now!) Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Lavender Countertop Spray takes the basic formula of our All Purpose Cleaner and adds a special Vegetable Protein Extract, a naturally fresh way to remove odors. It cleans, degreases and removes odors from the kitchen, bathroom or any room, a naturally fresh way to clean surfaces.
6. Wean Clean Lunch Cubes (2 pack) ($18.99) Wean Green’s Lunch Cubes tempered glass food containers hold an entire lunch (or even supper) for everyone in the family! The square Lunch Cube holds as much as the frozen meals from the grocery store but you can pack them with your own fresh, healthy, organic foods. Use the containers for a great snack pack for kids to fill them for the day. The lids are durable and have passed the ‘use’ testing machine over 3 million times per tab! The child friendly design allows easy opening for small hands and the glass is 4-5 times stronger than a drinking glass!
New customers get 3 months of free shipping with the code {GoCrazy} AND 20% off your first order of $35 with the code {Vine20}. And, many items are on sale right now like Mrs. Meyer’s cleaners and Earth’s Best Snacks! Need more convincing? Vine.com has LIGHTNING FAST shipping – you’ll get your order in 1 or 2 days!
If you haven’t switched to green cleaners I highly recommend you put some thought into it. The air quality in our houses is worse than the air quality outdoors because of the chemicals we use! Here’s some easy green cleaning tips from Vine.com that you can incorporate into your cleaning regimen without a lot of new cleaners or special tools.
1. A lemon for hard water stains: You don’t need harsh chemicals to tackle hard water stains in the shower. A fresh lemon will do the trick with a swipe and a rinse.
2. Grapefruit and salt as a tub or stovetop scrub: Our team swears by this DIY trick as it removes thick grime and dirt rings off your shower area and does amazing work on cast iron tubs and is really easy. Halve a grapefruit and sprinkle liberally with sea salt (Bob’s Red Mill Sea Salt, 4 lbs., 2 pk.; $8.50). Wet your bathtub and sprinkle the remaining salt around the bottom. Scrub your grapefruit around your shower or tub. Then simply rinse away the pulpy bits and the salt and your shower is as good as new.
3. Baking soda and vinegar for drain cleaner: Ditch the lye-based drain cleaners and instead, opt for a natural, do-it-yourself trick. Pour 1 cup of baking soda (Bob’s Red Mill Baking Soda, 16 oz., 3 pk.; $9.55) down a dry, empty sink. Next, pour 2 cups of boiling water down the drain. Wait a few minutes. Then pour one additional cup of baking soda down the drain then add 1 cup of white vinegarand plug the drain immediately. If you’re unclogging a double sink, plug both drains. You’ll hear sizzling coming up from the drain and see bubbles foaming up. When the bubbles have died down, add the remaining boiling water down the drain. If you are looking for a preventative treatment, once a month you can pour a cup of baking soda down the drain followed by boiling water.
4. All-purpose cleaning spray w/ vinegar, water and essential oils: Plain ‘ol white vinegar (Heinz White Vinegar Distilled, 128 oz.’ $7.99) is one of the best and most natural ways to clean… and you can clean just about everything with it (minus marble and finished wood surfaces). Just mix equal parts white vinegar and water in a spray bottle and shake it up. Voila: natural all-purpose cleaner. Add a few drops of essential oil if you prefer a scented option. Add rosemary (NOW Foods Rosemary Oil (Liquid), $14.25 – $16.45) to improve your mood, or lavender (Aura Cacia Essential Oils, Lavender, $12.99) for its calming effects.
Disclosure: I received products for review for free. It did not change my opinion of the products I tried. My opinions are always truthful and honest. You can count on me!
