Good and good for you

I love a meal that leaves me totally satisfied without feeling like Im about to be induced into a food coma. This meal hit every delicious spot and gave me energy to go about my mommy duties. Lately I've been really careful about what I have been eating. Lindsey has been up all night and my food needs to give me energy, not drain me. I love a greasy bacon burger with the rest of America but this momma needs a little more good for you food. The squash in this dish is to die for good.

Let me introduce balsamic herb chicken and butternut squash with brown butter... You're welcome :)

Balsamic Herb Chicken

serves 2

-2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

- salt and pepper

- 1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar

- 1/3 cup Olive oil

- 1 Tbls rosemary, oregano, thyme, parsley

- 1 tsp honey

Mix the last 5 ingredients together and let chicken marinate for at least 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350 and cook for 25-30 minutes until the juices run clear. This all varies depending on thickness of the chicken breast.

Butternut Squash with Brown Butter

via Martha Stewart

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 butternut squash (about 1 3/4 pounds), peeled, seeded, and cut into 3/4-inch cubes

1/2 cup low-sodium canned chicken broth

1/4 cup water

1 tablespoon dark-brown sugar

Directions

Heat butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until golden brown. Add squash; saute, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and tender when pierced with a fork, about 16 minutes.

Add chicken broth, the water, and brown sugar; cook until liquid has evaporated and squash is nicely caramelized, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat, and season with salt and pepper. Serve.

Babys First Christmas

This Christmas was one filled with joy. Watching lindsey open all of her gifts was priceless! She seriously got every toy imaginable and now my living room looks like toys r us exploded...

Pretty princess after church on Christmas Eve

Im so thankful for skype. Eventhough my parents a thousands of miles away, they were able to watch baby girl open the presents they sent.

This dog takes up practically our entire living room. But princess loves it :)

We hope your Christmas was filled with joy and love and always remember the real reason for the season <3

Hope for the Hurting

Today my heart hurts. The mass shooting in Connecticut is weighing heavy on my heart. Hearing about how so many innocent lives, lives of mere babies, were taken shakes me to the core. While I was rocking my angel to bed last night, I cried. Cried for all those mommy's who are mourning the loss of their babies. Cried for the families who are now experiencing tragedy at what is supposed to be a joyful time of year. Parents who sent their children to school to not only not have them return, but to have to now buy caskets that should not be made that small. 

What happened in Connecticut is tragic. When grief like that is experienced the only thing to do is pray. Pray for those families who have lost a loved one. Pray that the Lord surrounds them with his love and brings them peace. Pray that they turn to Him as they attempt to make sense of this horrendous act. The Lord will never leave you. If we put our faith in Him, especially in the most dire of circumstances, it is possible to find peace. Peace that those babies are now in a place that does not know the pain of the world we live in. Their lives were cut short and that is nothing to take lightly. But the Lord is a merciful God who begs us to let Him heal that pain. And He will if we let Him.

"He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds" Psalm 147:3

This past week has been full of pain and heartache for my boyfriends family. His Uncle Mike had a triple bypass and two days later his Uncle Greg passed away from a heart attack. Both have families and children. I pray the Lord heals the Williams family and comforts their hearts. 

This world is a world full of sadness, pain, anger and tragedy. If we were to go day to day on our own, it would swallow us whole. But those who walk in the light will never be left to walk alone. 

"Your sun will never set again and your moon will wane no more; The Lord will be your everlasting light and your days of sorrow will end." Isaiah 60:20

Making Your Own Baby Food

I am very blessed to be able to stay home with Lindsey. It is something I never take for granted. Since I am home, I try and use my time wisely and really enjoy making her baby food. I take comfort in knowing exactly what she is eating. Now that she is eating more "adult" food, I would rather make it than buy it. Not to say the jars aren't healthy! They are and I still use them for travel and going out but when we are home she normally eats what I make. I also make her food just about as flavorful as ours is. I do watch the amount of heat but I know I don't like bland food so why would she? :)

Pumpkin & Carrot 
1 15 oz can of pumpkin puree
1/2 cup carrot puree (2 jars of baby food carrot)
1 tsp cinnamon
2 Tbls vanilla yogurt

Mix it all together. When I serve it to Lindsey, I find I need to add a little water to thin it out. I keep half in the fridge and freeze the other half.

Butternut Squash Applesauce

Recipe adapted from here

3lbs gala apples, peeled, cored and diced

2 lbs butternut squash peeled, seeded and diced

1/4 cup water

1 tsp cinnamon

Throw all ingredients in your slow cooker on high for 4-5 hours and low for 8. Once the ingredients are nice and soft, I used my hand mixer to puree. This also makes a large amount and I froze a good portion. 

When making veggies or fruit I just throw the amount desired in a pot of boiling water until tender and soft. Then I puree it in my baby bullet. A food processor or blender would work just as well. Add as much water that you boiled the veg/fruit in to the consistency your little one prefers. There are so many benefits to making your won baby food. It is money conscious, health conscious and you can control how much you make. I always make a large amount to cook all in one day and store in the freezer. That way I have enough to last me until the next big cooking day.

Pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting and apple cider glaze

Okay this is seriously the easiest, most delicious and moist cake I have made in quite sometime. The cake itself is only 2 ingredients. I was a little apprehensive as I was mixing it because it was really thick I though there was no way it would be that moist. But boy was I wrong. Give this bad boy a shot because frankly, its way to good not to.

This picture does not do justice. Blame it on the iPhone and my lack of photography skills.

Pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting and apple cider glaze
Makes a 9x11 pan
1 15 oz can of pumpkin puree
1 box yellow cake mix
1 tsp cinnamon

1 can cream cheese frosting

Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
2 Tbls apple cider ( I used apple juice)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Preheat oven to 350. Mix the puree, cinnamon, and cake mix with a hand mixer until well incorporated. Spray a 9x11 pan with non stick spray and spread evenly. Bake for 25-30 min until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely and spread with your jar of cream cheese frosting. Mix ingredients for glaze until powdered sugar dissolves and drizzle over.

We're back & 8 Months

Me and the little one have been visiting my family in Arizona for the past couple weeks! We had such a wonderful time and it was so hard to say goodbye. Cant wait until they come out in February! The countdown has begun!

They got engaged the last day of my trip!! Such a wonderful way to end the two weeks.

My precious angel is now 8 months old. Granted this post is over a week late :/

In the past month you:

-CRAWLED! you are moving so so fast mommy can barely keep up

- tried many different finger foods and we are hoping to be done with a bottle soon

- make the cutest scrunch face as a smile now! Makes me melt!

- before we went to arizona you were up many times through the night. In AZ you slept amazingly, I hope that continues...

- are now in 12-18 months, big baby :)

- flew on a plane again! You are such a great traveler

- got your first cold :( 

- started to say uh-oh and repeating many sounds. you are a vocal little thing

I love you so much precious girl. 

Lead Your Lambs

My mother, the wise Christian woman I learn from, posted this on facebook the other day:

Yesterday I heard about how Jesus compares us to sheep. Not lions or rhinos or something cool. Sheep. They are a dumb animal and listen to the voice of their master to keep them safe. Those that wander off can't hear the voice of their master and are led astray and lead their little lambs down with them. Lead your little lambs to God and set a good example for them. Take them to church and teach them to listen to the loving voice of their master so that one day you will be together in heaven. The only thing you can take to heaven are your children. This poem says it all. 

‘Twas a sheep not a lamb that went astray

In the parable Jesus told.

‘Twas a grown sheep that wandered away

From the ninety and nine in the fold.

And out on the hilltop, and out in the cold,

‘Twas a sheep the Good Shepherd sought.

Back to the fold and back to the flock,

‘Twas a sheep that the Good Shepherd brought.

Now, why should the sheep be so carefully fed

And cared for even to-day?

Because there is danger if they go wrong,

They will lead the lambs astray.

The lambs will follow the sheep, you know,

Where’er they wander–where’er they go.

If the sheep goes wrong, it will not be long

Till the lambs are as wrong as they.

So still with the sheep we must earnestly plead,

For the sake of the lambs to-day.

If the lambs are lost, what a terrible cost

The sheep will have to pay!

-C.C. Miller

Our Children are the only things we can take with us to Heaven. That right there says it all. It is my duty as her mother to give her the foundation of a relationship with God. To know the merciful Father in Heaven that she can always turn to and cast her cares on. And if she decides later in life that she wants to venture away from her faith, that will be her decision. But I will know I instilled what I could in her.

 

If I didnt, what kind of sheep would I be? I would let my little lamby wander this Earth with only earthly things to turn to. That is not the kind of life I want my daughter to know. This world is cold, cruel, and harsh because of the sin that has infiltrated our homes and lives. But when you know God, that cold cruel world has hope. Faith that one day this earth will be gone and we will journey to our heavenly home full of joy and wonder. Faith that through the Lord we can accomplish anything. Faith that through the Lord we do not have to struggle alone, we can cast all our cares on him. Doesnt that sound like a much better life? I know it has been for me since I gave my life to God.

 "How do you even know there is a heaven?" Well I know because my faith and the bible tells me so. And if there isnt, then I will lay in the ground for the rest of eternity and wont know the difference. But if there is, I would rather have my faith and know I will join my Father in heaven, and my parents, and hopefully Lindsey someday, rather than take the chance of going the other way. 

We were told this the other day in bible study: "Theres a price to pay if we would gain spiritual wisdom, but there's an even greater price to pay if we dont gain it."

Guide your lambs. Take them to church. Read to them their bible. Make sure they know the rainbow is Gods way of telling us he will never send another flood (Gen 9:13-17 NIV) Make sure they know that the Lord has a plan for them. Plans for a future and plans for hope (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV)

And above all make sure they know "For God so loved the world that her gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16 NIV)