Adoption necklace fundraiser to help bring a little baby home from Ethiopia!

"True religion is this to care for the orphan and the widows in their distress and to keep yourself from being polluted by the world" James 1 :27

PLEASE HELP MY FRIENDS BRING HOME THEIR BABY BOY!!

Donate or buy a few necklaces!

My dear friends Lisa and Matt adopted a beautiful baby girl from Vanuatu while I was living there and adopted Bella.  We became good friends and now that they are adopting again !! This time it is a sweet little boy from Ethiopia.  THEY ARE SO CLOSE!!!  Lets put them over the edge!  I just wanted to pass this fundraiser info on as I know that so many of you have a heart for adoption even if you don't see how you can do it now.  This is a GREAT way to participate in the blessing of adoption and help a sweet little orphaned baby to have a hope and a family to call his own.  

Their adoption journey blog is here at www.justlove127.com

Here is her post from her blog about the necklace fundraiser.

Necklaces

All my necklaces are hand made with lots of love and will bring us that little bit closer financially to getting our sweet boy home from Ethiopia  They are all unique and sit on 24″ Rolo Link Chains with a lobster clasp in a Gun Metal color. The glass tiles are 1″ squares and each have their own design. They have been sealed on the back for waterproof coverage and are SO CUTE (if I do say so myself) !!! **The “One Less” tiles are an antique color and sit on a petite 1.5mm ball chain in antiqued bronze and there are ONLY 4 of those**

Please donate $15 which includes shipping by using the PayPal button under the ‘Donate‘ tab. Please include in the notes section what design you would like. Thanks SO much for stopping by and helping us bring our little man home. We are forever !!

Wellness Wednesday - a sugar equivalent chart (scary!!)

We all know that too much sugar is bad for us especially refined sugar so I wanted to share this chart I found to give you an idea of how much sugar you are consuming.  Don't get me wrong...all sugar is not equal.  We eat fruit freely but SKIP the processed foods even if the sugar isn't as high as other foods.

Pulled from pinterest with no reference to the source other than 9gag.com.

Have a good one and feel good about every small choice you make towards better health today.
Great gains are made by continual small steps.

100 ways to be kind to your child today!

Happy valentines day!  I was up late last night pinning things on pinterest.  I know all of you know what I am talking about.  It totally sucks you in!  Anyway I saw this and thought it was perfect to share with you on Valentines day!

Click here for the whole loving list!

Make sure you make time to check out this list and pick a few to do today!
Better yet print it off and work off the list checking them off as you go for as long as it takes.
I plan on using 4 different colored pens to check them off.  One color for each kid!

This was an idea originally prompted by Toddler Approved

Hope you have a special day filled with the love from the Father and all your family and friends!

Easiest ever Neapolitan pizza sauce and the dough to go with it!!

I love eating healthy, staying on a budget and I love good food. So this recipe fits the bill.  Your average take out pizza would never be considered healthy, but a few tweaks and you have yourself a healthy delicious homemade meal.  We always make our own pizza around here, and it's actually pretty fun.  In fact we just made if tonight.   Friday or Saturday night every week we have pizza.  Barbecue chicken pizza, garlic chicken pizza, bruschetta pizza, pineapple and veggie pizza, or whatever we have on hand.  It is cheap, easy and healthy when you do it yourself, add lots of veggies and go easy on the cheese.  Best of all the whole family loves it!

I used to use jarred marinara for pizza sauce and then I came across this recipe several years ago for Neapolitan Pizza Sauce. I wish I could remember what cookbook it came out of but I just took it from a library cookbook that I have long since forgotten the name of.  It was so easy I thought I would try it, and I loved it.

Neapolitan Pizza Sauce 

1 14oz can of plumb tomatoes drained

1 Tbs Olive Oil

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp Oregano

1 tsp Basil

Throw it all together and blend.  That's it!

Now I can't give you a great sauce recipe and not throw in the dough recipe as well.   So here it is..

My Favorite Pizza Dough

(2 10"-12" pizzas)

1 tsp yeast

1 C. warm water

1 1/2 C white flour 

1 1/2 C whole wheat flour

1 1/2 tsp salt

Photo from fotosearch

Mix the yeast into the cup of warm water to proof.  Mix flour and salt then add yeast and water mixture.  Once it is all mixed together let it rest for about 10 minutes.  Knead 5-10 minutes till the dough is smooth.  Set the dough aside to rise for an hour or until double.  If you have the time you can make it the day before you need it and throw it in the refrigerator to raise until the next day.  The extra time develops the flavor a bit more.  If you are short on time you can heat your oven to 200 degree then turn it off  to warm it.  Once the oven is warm and turned off place the dough in the oven with the door cracked and let the dough rise.  When the yeast is developed you should be able to poke it in with your finger and have it spring back, although it may take a few seconds to do so. I break it into two balls or if I double the recipe I break it into 3 larger balls.  I keep out the one I am using and freeze or refrigerate the whatever is left.
Now just roll it out to whatever size you would like while your pizza stone is heating up in a 500 degree oven.  Now once you roll out your dough (doing it on parchment makes it easier to transfer) move it onto your hot pizza stone and cook just the crust for about 10 minutes still at 500 degrees.  Now take it out add toppings (go easy on the sauce for true neapolitan style pizza) and throw if back in for a measly minute or two since your oven is so hot and your crust is already cooked.  Enjoy!

Taking back the basement!

It's on!  I am in the throes taking back my basement and craft closet from heaps of unorganized stuff that has claimed residence.  In a 1200 square foot house that is home to 6 people (4 of whom are under 7) every inch counts!  There are toys, storage totes, art supplies, homeschool materials, craft supplies, not to mention the mountains of unorganized fabric that has been unceremoniously dumped in to totes in a weak effort at organization, all wreaking havoc in my precious basement square footage.  Well... NO MORE!

I have plans for that precious real estate!  There is a great open area for the kids (unfinished but great in that it exists :) ), a storage area, and a wonderful walk in craft closet.  Again I use the word wonderful loosely.  Wonderful to me because it is there and I see a great future for it!

So while you may think I am lazily eating bon bons avoiding blogging I am in actuality doing battle with my basement!  I have spent hours and hours since Friday attacking the mountains of clutter, folding and refolding yardages of fabric, unboxing and repacking storage items in labeled totes, filling bags of trash, thrift store donations and even food bank boxes of food from the pantry that would be more likely to get used elsewhere.  I have taken some before photos.  Actually, they are photos taken midway through the demucking process that are horrifying and embarrassing.  I DARE NOT POST THEM TILL A BEAUTIFUL "AFTER" PHOTO FOLLOWS!!

However, I thought I would pass on some inspiring photos of basement or craft space make overs that might just help you take the plunge needed to get your overrun space back, and help me in my search for basement greatness!

This amazing basement was designed and created by Candice Olson from HGTV's Divine Design
I have no delusions that my basement will EVER look like this however in case anyone else out there has the money and time necessary to make this happen.. BE INSPIRED!

This beauty is from finehomebuilding.com. BEAUTIFUL!  I love this color and have it as an accent wall surrounding our fireplace upstairs.

I have kids though so I am looking for a basement that is a homeschool room, supremely organized craft closet, play room and crafty space for sewing and creating all in one!  I know that is a tall order, but it could happen!

This beautiful functional homeschool area from The Heartfelt Home (although not a basement) is great inspiration for what I want in a schoolroom area.

Last year for Christmas I talked my husband in to creating this crafty area for the kids on an almost nonexistent budget , but am hoping to add to it and really create a great workable area for homeschooling.

My instructions for how to create this DIY art station are HERE.  I am thinking thought that after looking at the above photo of the homeschool space with cupboards above that I would like to add two simple cupboards above each side and a shelf in between them that can be filled with our overload of books and curriculum.  I could dream up all kinds of things here but I am working with a realistic very very limited budget.  If I want to have any hope of talking the husband into it it has to be limited work and very inexpensive.

Now as far as my crafty sewing area goes I would love something like this... (from Sew Many ways)

or this.. (from one little word)

Reality dictates a slightly smaller and less expensive dream like this sewing armoire from BHG

Love how they utilized the vertical and door space!
I had better call it quits and head to bed since it is almost one in the morning! I need to have the energy to homeschool, be mom to 4 little ones plus the 2 year old we babysit, and find time to get on with the basement project while they nap.  Let me know about your homeschool or craft space make over.  We would love to see your photos!

Tweety treats! Yummy super healthy whole food treats.

Happy Super Bowl Sunday!  Hope you all are getting ready to have some fun with friends.  I need to go make some vegetarian taco soup after I get done here before friends start showing up for the game. I posted the recipe for this soup on an earlier post here if you are interested in it.  It feels like far too long since I last posted!  I want be posting 3 times a week so I can cover, health, homeschool, crafts, DIY house projects and life, but that didn't happen this week!  I got busy working in our house (reorganizing and de junking the basement! UGH!!) and trying to order some homeschool curriculum.  Which I found for a much needed  great deal by the way!  YEAH!!!

Anyway, I wanted to share this super yummy recipe I created for "Tweety Treats".

  I made this recipe up while looking for something tasty to make for my kids.  I wanted to incorporate whole foods and avoid sugar, white flour, and processed foods. I came up with these and we LOVE Them! They are so quick and easy you can whip them up before your friends show up for the game today!

 Here is what you need.  

2 cups of millet

2 cups of unsweetened shredded coconut

4 Tbs agave

1/2 cup peanut butter

1-2 Tbs vanilla

pinch of sea salt

Now just mix it all together.  It is way too crumbly to be able to roll into balls so you need to pack it down to make bars.

  I do this by getting a sheet of wax paper or freezer paper and lining a cookie sheet.  Then I pour the mixture on the sheet and use the longer edges of  the freezer paper to pack it down like shown in the picture below.

Once it freezes just cut it up, and you are ready to go!

Now just store in a plastic tupperware as they break up in plastic bags.

I tried to get a photo and Bella jumped in before I got the photo done.  Evidently she likes them!

 They store well in the freezer and you don't need to thaw them to eat them.  Enjoy!

Tell me what you think.  Have any whole food treat recipes to share?  We would love to have them!

The complete list of the TOP 10 NEW SUPERFOODS for 2012!!

As you noticed the "top 10 superfoods" post last week only made it to 5 since I couldn't get it all done in time and wanted to give you a few to get started on anyway.  So here is the completed illustrious list!


MAKE SURE TO READ TO THE BOTTOM TO GET YOUR FREE $10 coupon at vitacost.com!!

• Jicima - Also called Mexican Potato is a great food to add into your diet for several reasons.  It is loaded with Vitamin C, minerals, fiber, calcium, iron and potassium.  It is excellent for helping to maintain lower cholesterol levels and actually decreasing the bad cholesterol while increasing good cholesterol.  It has virtually no fat, and is so low in calories it is perfect for filling you up with essential nutrients while helping you loose weight.  You should choose smaller ones as they are sweeter and look for those that have have smooth skin. Peel and slice then top with lime juice and a dusting of chili pepper or add to salads or stir fry as a substitute for water chestnuts.  Fun veggie to play with as they are slightly sweet but very very mild in flavor and will take on the flavor of whatever you add to it.

• Bee Pollen - Is an amazing supplement that I like to add to smoothies or take encapsulated. It is well know for it's energy producing effect and full range of nutrients.  It is one of only a few foods that you could survive on with out any other foods.  It has the perfect balance of fat, protein and carbs, as well as vitamins and minerals.  It is self digesting and helps digestion in general enabling you to lose weight as you are able to better digest fast quickly.  It also helps diabetic symptoms and tests have shown less sugar in the urine after sustained use.  It offers a whole host of other immune boosting properties as well.  Great stuff and pretty inexpensive too!

Photo courtesy of Leons beauty tips and secrets

• Black Garlic - This is just garlic that has been fermented at high temperatures.  It has a sweet caramelized taste very mellow and no overwhelming garlic smell.  The best part?  It is supposed to be DELICIOUS and is all the rage for foodies right now and has double the antioxidants of regular garlic and we all know how healthy garlic is. The bummer is that it is pricey but you can make it yourself.  You need a food dehydrator or rice cooker set to warm that you can leave set up for 40 days.  Yes I said 40 days!!!! Not sure how your electric bill would take this, but here are the instructions in case you just have to try it.  Get a glass jar and pack it full of as many raw garlic cloves as you would like and seal it up.  Then wrap it tightly in foil so nothing leaks out.  Now place in the rice cooker or something that keeps a constant temperature of 130-150 Fahrenheit and wait the oh so long 40 days.  You can eat it after 10 but it won't be the same.  It is said to be like roasted garlic but odorless, and even more mellow.  Let me know how it goes if you try this.  I do not want to give up any of my appliances for 40 days, or pay the electric bill.

photo from blackgarlic.com

• Barley- An under-appreciated grain Barley is a nutty flavored grain that has a chewy pasta like consistency. It is great in soup and as a breakfast porridge.  You can also get barley flour.  I used in my latest mix of whole grain pancake mix I just made up.  The pancakes were delicious.  I will have to post that recipe later! It is a very good source of fiber, niacin and selenium, as well as being a good source of phosphorus, copper and manganese. When it comes to heart disease and type 2 diabetes this is an important addition to your diet.  Studies showed that it reduces your risk of diabetes and for those with type 2 diabetes it reduced both insulin and glucose response because of the barley's soluble fiber.  It was far more effective than oats.  It is also a great help with regularity, lowering cholesterol, and intestinal protection.  Google it as there is so much interesting information on why it is so beneficial to your health.  

• Sea vegetables-  As in nori, kelp, dulse,  algae, chlorella and spirulina just to name a few.  These are something to consider adding to your diet due to their large mineral and amino acid content, ability to absorb toxins better than any other natural food, aid weight loss, cellulite control, detoxification, beautiful hair and skin, and more. They can be added as a seasoning to foods, dried and eaten like a crisp, or made into a salad.  If you google sea vegetable recipes tons of recipes show up.  So be a little adventurous and try a few different types till you find one you like.

Photo from health food fanatic

• Broccoli Sprouts - We already kew that broccoli was a potent nutritional powerhouse but now we find out we can get the nutritional benefit of 3 Lbs. of broccoli in only one ounce of broccoli sprouts! These are great on salads, in sandwiches and wraps and anywhere else you add greens.   



Photo from nutridesk.com          

• Quinoa - pronounced Keen-wa.  This grain is quickly gaining popularity as it is easy to use and cooks up quickly.  You would use it like you would rice, and it tastes deliciously nutty.  For a  breakfast food mix it (once cooked) with an equal portion of  oatmeal for a yummy protein rich breakfast porridge.  This grain packs 8 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber in just one cup.  Not to mention all the vitamins and minerals it contains.  Not many other grains can make that claim.  This is an easy nutritious addition to your health conscious pantry. In fact I just ate it for the last two dinners in quinoa chili, and as a side dish with corn and onion tonight.  YUMMY!

Photo from rv goddess

• Nutritional Yeast - (aka Brewers Yeast)- is a tasty supplement that is loaded with protein, minerals, vitamins and dietary fiber.  It is the one of the only reliable vegan food sources of  Vitamin B-12 ( a feel good vitamin essential to your body). It is so full of  B Vitamins in fact just one Tablespoon a day gives you 100% of your recommended daily allowance and a whopping 9 grams of protein! It is also a great flavor enhancer for foods with it's nutty cheesy flavor.  It is great on popcorn, in stir fries and pasta dishes in a way that aged cheese would be.

Photo from bend bulletin

• Kefir - is a sour yogurt like drink that is a healthy concoction of  beneficial bacteria and yeasts in protein, lipids and sugars that is made from fermenting kefir grains in milk.  It work to improve your immune system in a number of ways.  It is FULL of probiotics, antioxidants and is 5 times healthier than regular yogurt because of the incredibly large number (some are in the billions!!) of friendly bacteria as opposed to plain yogurt.  It is credited with a huge boost in digestive health and immunity. I will have to do a longer post on this as it is so fascinating.  In the meantime if you are not fully convinced you should do some research online to see how adding this to your diet can profoundly affect your health.

• Chia Seeds - Yes I am talking about the very same seeds used in the old school Chia pets!  I have a much better use for them though, as these are my new favorite super food.  They are known as the running food a very high energy endurance food, because the soluble fiber creates a gel that  slows the conversion of carbs into sugars giving you increased endurance and helping diabetics. They are growing in popularity, especially with endurance athletes, because of their well documented use by the Aztec warriors and the Indians of the Southwest and Mexico that are well known for their amazing running ability.  These Indians would take only a spoonful to fuel their 24 hour runs!  It is also great for endurance athletes because of it's ability to absorb up to 12 times it's weight in water to prolong hydration in an unheard of way and balance electrolytes!  I could write a huge post on this but I will try to limit it for now.  This food is not only for athletes as these seeds are chock full of omega 3's, calcium, protein and fiber.  In fact one tablespoon of the seeds eaten has all the fiber of one cup of oatmeal, more antioxidants than blueberries, more omega 3's than salmon, more fiber than bran flakes, more calcium than 2% milk, and more protein fiber and calcium than flax seed! You can add them to smoothies, oatmeal, cookies, any in anything else you would add nuts or seeds to.  You can also just eat them raw for a quick pick me up or to help satisfy you and avoid cravings.  I LOVE THEM!!!! I will stop myself now as I could go on forever about these.

Photo from nuts.com

This is by no means an exhaustive list and is just meant to give you an overview of a few great superfoods to add to your diet.  

After searching ALL over on line for the best prices I just bought more bee pollen, chia seeds, nutritional yeast, barley flour, and a host of other healthy foods at Vitacost.  If you use this link you get $10 FREE (totally free online code for $10 free!!) at Vitacost.  That covers a lb of chia seeds and most of the barley flour! If you order $49 worth (who doesn't spend that at the health food store) you get free shipping!  I got coconut milk, protein powder that included hemp and chia seeds, sunflower seeds, millet, coconut, and a bunch of other good stuff so check it out!  

Hope you found a few new things to add to your healthy pantry today.

Want To Buy: MFW my father's World curriculum

I have been working on my follow up post on the rest of the "10 new superfoods for 2012" but as a busy homeschool mama of 4 little ones I am tired and want to finish that when I can really do a good job so in the meantime I am looking for some curriculums from My Father's World.  I thought I would post a request here in case any of you Jesus and mission loving homeschool mamas have any of the My Father's World Curriculums you are no longer using and want to sell.  I have 4 kids on a tiny budget so I am looking for a good deal on some used materials if you have them.

Most interested in 
MFW 1st grade.
and 
"Adventures in My Father's World"
However please let me know if you have any of them for sale.  Thanks!  I figure with all you homeschool mamas that read my blog somebody might have some for sale.
Rod and Staff Spelling by sound and structure year 2 would be good too, as well as primary language lessons if anyone has that.


I also have some Abeka homeschool things for sale or swap.  All with no markings.  Mostly year 6 books with LOTS of teachers manuals. Some other grade level books as well to sell by Abeka and I have some 8th grade materials for Abeka as well.  Various odds and ends for sale or swap  in case you want to inquire about something particular.
If you homeschool and love a fun, Biblical, missions minded curriculum you will love this one.  Check it out at
http://www.mfwbooks.com/

I am tired and beat so I am headed to bed but hope you all have a great look around their site.  If any of you have used their curriculum I would love to hear your thoughts and ideas.  I have a soon to be 5 year old who will be using the 1st grade curriculum next year and a second grader (7) now that will be in 3rd when we start Exploring Cultures and Countries.  I also have a 1 and 2 year old who both have birthdays in April.  I am curious about how to get them all on the same cycle or at least trying to get only 2 curriculums going at once as opposed to 4 in the coming years.  Any advice with experience in My Father's World as far as the cycles go?