Spoiled!

The other night as I was walking through the grocery store, I felt spoiled. I oftentimes will feel this way when I am in the grocery store - oodles of tasty, healthy (and not so healthy) food at my fingertips, and I didn't grow any of it! Sometimes I get in my analytical mode and think about how much food we eat as a family and where that food comes from. Even recently, I said to Brian, "Think about how many chicken breasts our family just ate. Would we be able to keep up with that if we had to raise our own animals"? It gives you something to think about!

With Thanksgiving around the corner, it's important to think about how spoiled we really are, especially here in America, and especially as Christians. God takes such good care of us, even in this suffering economy. We have so many privileges and freedoms. Truly, we have lot to be thankful for!

This Thanksgiving I am spoiled with:

*A great husband

*Beautiful children and another in the womb

*Loving family members

*Great friends

*A warm home

*Abundant and delicious food

*Continual help from my Lord

ETC...

I pray you will be able to think about how *you* are spoiled. No matter what our situation, we have things to be thankful for. I pray your heart will be filled with thanksgiving and that you will be able to enjoy some time with those you love.

Happy Thanksgiving!

~Lisa

Strawberry Smoothie!

I know what you're thinking... "Um, Lisa, a smoothie is the LAST thing I am thinking about as we approach the holidays". That may be true, but if you ever get a hankering, I ran into a wonderful recipe tonight.

I was craving a strawberry smoothie and wanted to make it with plain yogurt. I searched a bit online and found this delicious, not-to-sweet, refreshing smoothie recipe.

I used frozen strawberries for my fruit, and the smoothie turned out wonderfully.

Enjoy,

Lisa

Adapted from:

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/07/blueberry-yogurt-smoothie-try-it/

Yogurt Smoothie

1 cup plain, unflavored yogurt

1 cup fruit (your choice - strawberries, blueberries, peaches, pineapple, etc.)

1/4 cups milk (probably more if fruit is frozen)

1 dash(es) honey

Ice

Preparation: Place yogurt, fruit, milk, a handful of ice and honey to taste all into a blender. Blend until smooth. Taste it for sweetness and add more honey if needed.

Pour, drink, and enjoy!

Good Things take Hard Work

Months ago, Brian and I heard Todd Wilson speak at a homeschooling conference. His message rang true, "Family life is hard, but it is GOOD". He talked about the importance of family life, yet how difficult it can be. His message, though, was to encourage us to remember how GOOD family life is so it can carry us through its hardships. Over these months, I have come to realize more and more just how HARD the GOOD things in life are.

Having a great marriage takes hard work.

Raising children takes hard work.

Maintaining joy and peace takes hard work.

Balancing a budget takes hard work.

Keeping peace among friends takes hard work.

On the other hand, it's amazing how EASY it can be to be selfish, lazy, unproductive, say something unkindly, get angry, spend too much money, etc.

It's true... The GOOD things in life are HARD! If you are experiencing some hardship in life, be encouraged. You might just be running into something GOOD! ;-)

May God give you GRACE for the GOOD things,

Lisa

Morning Chores

This summer, while we were still schooling, I was frustrated with the start of each day. I felt we were very frazzled. It was hard to get everyone on the same page, starting at the same time. It was hard for me to jump into school when I had a million other things on my mind, especially the cleanliness and order of my home. I really put some thought and prayer into the matter and am trying some things.

One of the things I have incorporated is the morning chore. Before doing the morning chore, breakfast must be eaten and typical morning routines must be done (dress, make bed, do hair and teeth). Then each child is given a chore to accomplish. Yesterday my 8yo vacuumed the family room, my almost 6 yo put all of the shoes into the laundry room closet (where they belong), and my 4.5 yo collected all of the kids' laundry. Today, I was super excited because my kids were asking me what their morning chores were. I didn't even have to initiate. Today my 8yo swept the foyer, my 6 yo folded some laundry on the futon, and my 4.5 yo emptied out the dryer.

Each day I see what my greatest need is around the house and dish out a few small tasks. Accomplishing these tasks brings me a breath of fresh air, gets the kids' blood pumping, and teaches them some great responsibility! I am thankful for the morning chores!

Blessings,

Lisa

Teriyaki Chicken Sandwiches

I have made these sandwiches a couple times now, and they are a hit - yummy and pretty simple to make! I hope you like them. I served them with mashed potatoes and FRESH pineapple last night. YUM! (The recipe is posted "as is" from the blog referenced. I did not use the cheese either time, and the sandwiches were still very good!)

Blessings,

Lisa

http://www.easymealsformoms.com/2009/03/teriyaki-chicken-sandwiches.html

Teriyaki Chicken Sandwiches

This is good to put in the crockpot for after church. I found chicken for .99/lb so I made some tonight to put into the freezer.
Ingredients:
2.5 cups cooked chicken
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup teriyaki sauce (or you can make your own by mixing soy sauce & brown sugar)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 green pepper, diced
1/2 onion, diced
oil to saute
buns
provolone cheese
Directions:
Saute onion and pepper in oil until tender. Mix all other ingredients and heat until it comes to a boil. Serve on buns with cheese. A nice side would be Asian coleslaw and some pinapple slices. To make Asian coleslaw (I'm flying by the seat of my pants now), just mix slaw, mayo, rice wine vinegar, ginger, and a pinch of sugar.