To Cook a Turkey

I'm notoriously awful at baking turkeys.  I feel that it should be a skill that every housewife should master, in yet have had trouble getting the skill perfected.  Perhaps it's because turkey baking only comes once each year so it takes alot of time to learn it.  Or perhaps it's because the bird is so huge that everything is increased from normal cooking experiences.

Anyhow, my biggest trouble has been time.  All the turkeys come with these handy little charts on the back that tell you how to bake them, but somehow that has never worked for me.  Maybe I'm just to paranoid to serve raw turkey to my guests, so ensure that every part is up to the recommended safe temperatures.  Whatever way it is, my turkeys never get done in the way (or time frame) I want them to.  Maybe my expectations are just too high (evenly cooked meat throughout with no overcooked or undercooked areas...is that too much to ask?) 

I've tried baking open in the roaster (as recommended on the package), wrapped in foil (as my mother-in-law and her mother do), on a V-rack in the roaster (to lift it higher for better airflow) but the legs just never get done and the breast meat dries out drastically.  I've had to have guests wait 2 hours for dinner too, as the bird didn't get done on time (and yes, my oven temperature was correct). I've tried flipping the bird over half way through baking so that everything gets baked more easily (challenging on the best of days!)   I also used to get the free turkeys offered at the grocery stores when you buy a certain amount of groceries, so I always chose the biggest one (that would be the most economical, right?)  But, a 24 lb. turkey is a monster to cook, compared to this 18 lb. one I did now.  The few extra pounds aren't worth the hassle anymore, in my opinion.  Cooks Illustrated magazine even had an article on this dilemma one time.  They concluded that the best way to cook everything evenly was to just cut the legs off and bake them separately.  Apparently I'm not the only one with this struggle!

Yesterday I attempted to bake a turkey again.  It turned out the best so far and here's what I did:

I followed several people's recommendations (who have successfully baked numerous turkeys).  My friend Janine does this:  1) Put in an oven bag  2) Low heat overnight 3) Put cut up apples and onions inside the cavity to keep moisture in 4) Bake it until the meat is falling off the bones.  Our friend Kristie (where we always go for Thanksgiving) always has fabulous turkeys.  She uses the oven bag too.  I recall my Grandpa Kurtti always saying to Grandma, "Mom, remember to heavily salt and pepper the cavity!" (and under the skin)

So, I sort of improvised those things and it worked well.  I put it in an oven bag, and baked it at 325*F for about 6 hours (18 lb. bird).  For the last 2 hours I turned the heat down to 250*F.  I also used Greg's remote BBQ thermometer so that I didn't have to take the turkey out of the oven at all until the coldest part was up to temperature.  Then I let it sit out of the oven for about 20 minutes (to let juices reabsorb back into bird) before I opened the bag and started cutting up the bird.  I didn't have guests or a time frame, so just let it bake until the thermometer beeped.  In other words, I didn't stress!  Delicious and easy!

Things I'd like to try in the future that have been suggested to me:

-Brining (I've heard really good things about this, but just haven't tried it yet)

-1 stick of butter spread under the breast skin to keep in moisture while the rest of the turkey is finishing cooking (adds good flavor too).

-Get myself a fancy apron and some red heels ('cause food always tastes better when you're dressed up right!)

Mother knows best!

There are times when Mother is always right.  I do admit my Mom has wisdom, but for some reason I fail to heed it much of the time.  Maybe the stuff that is unsolicited is most easy to ignore.  But, my Mom tells me stuff and it usually takes a couple years before the idea finally sinks into my head and I start thinking about it and usually eventually do what she advised.  And then wish I had listened a couple years ago.  Sigh.

One of the things I recall her recommending was to put all little 1 year old Lukey's valuable toys away before company came one time.  "The random kids will drag them everywhere and they'll be strewn all over your yard and get lost," she said.  I said, "Oh, I'm not worried about it."  Until some of his favorite toys got broken and lost.  Now we always put away new/valuable things before company comes.  Lesson learned!

The next thing (that I remember) her telling me was, "Rachel, you should get one of those mini-trampolines for the kids to jump on on rainy days."  ("Yeah, whatever, Mom!" I said to myself.)  She mentioned it a few more times over the next couple years, and I brushed her off again (politely, I hope!)  Then, I finally realized that we needed something in the house to get some exercise on rainy days and wondered what equipment would work best for us.  The only thing that kept coming back to me was a rebounder (mini-trampoline).  I finally started some research and pricing them out, and looking at garage sales, and borrowing a friend's to try and we finally got ourselves one.  Best. Investment. Ever. for exercise in the house.  I can and do use it.  The kids jump on it many times each day.  It has tons of health benefits.  It's fun.  It doesn't take up much room (compared to treadmills and such).  And it was reasonably priced.

After looking at a bunch of different brands, I finally bought the Urban Rebounder.  It was the highest rated "cheap" one.   I've tried the $400 ones, and they're nice but not worth that much, in my opinion.  The $30 ones work, but just don't have the bounce you want to enjoy using them (more work than enjoyment).  If you can find an expensive one at a garage sale, that'd be your best bet.  It also came with some videos that make for an enjoyable workout.  The only problem I've had with ours is that the springs started squeaking about 1 week after we got it.  That makes things kind of annoying.  There is supposed to be some sort of silicone lubricant I can put on the springs to solve the problem, but I can't seem to remember to ever look for nor buy it.   This brand also comes with a stabilizing bar which is helpful for just walking on when you're totally pregnant (or have a new baby that needs rocking to sleep, I just put them in the baby carrier and walk away!)

Here's a start on health benefits.  Probably the most important is improving the lymphatic (immune) system by improving it's flow.  We could all use to improve our immune systems, I'm sure! The Benefits of Rebounding.

And more:  The Surprising Health and Fitness Benefits of Rebounding

I've tried many sorts of exercise over the years, and can only admit to enjoying this for indoor activities.  Treadmills, stair-stepping machines, rowing machines, ellipticals, etc. are all too mundane to stick with for me.  Although I'm not entirely faithful with this, it's been my best option.  And the kids have fun with it every day too (which saves my own sanity).  I use free weights with it too, which mixes it up a bit.

As usual, Mother knew best!

When Mom was at our house when Isaac was born, I asked her (after she'd been working in my kitchen all week) if there was anything she could see that I could improve on.  She said, "You don't have big enough pots.  How can you cook double meals (to freeze) if your pots aren't big enough?"  Umm, yeah.  We do have 4 kids now!  So, I started looking around and have finally upgraded to a 6 qt. Dutch oven, a 11 qt. stock pot and have a newly acquired 7 qt. slow cooker.  What a difference!  I love it.  That was some advice I jumped on, because I knew she was right.

Home, Home Sweet Home

You'll have to excuse this if it gets too emotional and perhaps long-winded.  I seem to be a bit (well, alot) more emotional when pregnant.  But, lately I've been feeling quite homesick.  I'm not quite sure what that means exactly, but that's the best way I can think of to describe it.

Let me start back when my life started.  I was born in the Northwest Territories (up where the polar bears roam) where my parents lived at the time.  When I was 18 months, they moved back to my Dad's home area (central Alberta, Canada) and we then lived in a little house in the town of Leslieville (pop. 100+/-).  When I was 5 we moved to the farm where my parents still live.  We lived in a little 1 bedroom home (with 4 kids) for the first year or so, and then my Dad put an addition onto that little ramshackle house which my Mom had made into a cozy home.  This added 3 more (small) bedrooms and the former bedroom was turned into a living room.  I lived in this house until I was 12 when we moved into the basement of our new house, built on the same property.  By the time the main and upper floors of the new house were done, I had long left home.

After I left home at 17, I lived in many living circumstances over the next 10 years.  I lived in apartments, duplexes, 4-plexes, houses, as a boarder, and had ~20 roommates in that time.  I also had 18 different jobs in that same time frame as well as going to college.  (I loved to keep busy and try new things, can you tell?)  When we got married, I then moved to Arizona where we lived for 2 1/2 years before moving to Washington where we now live.  We've been in this house 7 1/2 years with no (or maybe just a few) plans to leave (not sure where we'd go though).

So, to say I'm homesick really doesn't say much.  I'm missing something badly, but I don't know what it is.  Home is relative.  It means something different to everyone.  My home isn't really there anymore, not in the way I remember it anyhow.  That's not what I'm missing.  My family is there, but life is so different now.  We are all busy in our lives, and the memories I have of family are also not there anymore.  I love my family, but it doesn't seem like that's what I'm missing either (besides, I can talk to them on the phone if I really want to).

Maybe I miss Canada.  I know I do, but is that enough to evoke these feelings?  What do I miss?  I'm not even sure.  Maybe just the familiarity.  Maybe the people.  Maybe the chocolate bars and foods I love.  It's been over 1 year since we've been up there, but somehow trips don't make up for being gone so long and so much.  They end up being a whirlwind of activity, of cramming too much driving, visiting, appeasing kids in strange environments, sleeping in strange houses into too short of a time period.  Doable but hardly enjoyable or restful at this stage of life.

When I've struggled with depression in the past, the one scene that replays over and over in my mind is this:  riding in the back seat (middle position) of our big, old Chrysler (I picture myself being about 8-10 years old) and just going wherever the family was going.  Just driving.  The wind was whipping my hair in my face (we had no A/C) and I had no cares or worries.  I think that's what I miss the most.  Being carefree and having no worries.

As a parent, your worries and cares never stop.  Who's that coughing in the night? (as I'm trying to drift off to sleep)  How am I going to appease this toddler when we're out of milk (and he's addicted to it) and we forgot to buy any?  What'll we eat for breakfast/lunch/dinner today?  Why does a pregnant woman always have to sleep on her left side?  Haven't women been pregnant since the beginning of time and only lately have we been told that we need to sleep on our left? (more puzzles as I'm trying to drift off to sleep)  Did I lock all the doors?  Pull the damper on the woodstove?  Check that all kids are covered up?  And on and on and on.

So then I wonder what I should do with all my memories and reminiscing.  If I dwell on "the way things were", I get depressed because we can never go back to the past.  We (thankfully) seem to only remember the good and forget the bad many times, so the past always seems rosier than it really was.  If I squelch them, they just keep resurfacing over and over, haunting me from many different angles.  If I pleasantly think them through and then refile them back in my brain, that seems to work best.  Kind of like looking at an old photo album and then closing it back up and putting it back on the shelf.  Some memories are good, some not-so-good, but all are present because they happened.  And who I am today, has alot to do with who I have been all my life, and the experiences that have shaped me into that person.  We each have the uniqueness of different experiences through life, that brings us to where we and who we are today.  What a blessing!

Anyhow, I'm kind of rambling, so will close now.  That's what's been on my mind the last few days.

PS.  Green Vibrance still working great.  Almost 2 weeks on it, and feeling more energetic, patient/better mood, better digestion and only 1-2 naps altogether (normally I have had to take one every day this pregnancy so far).

What do you do with your memories (the good and the bad)?  What does "home" mean to you?

Hooray!

Can I say that this week is a total change from the last?  Yes it is, and in many good ways.  I think that last week I was likely fighting a nasty bug that 3/4 of the kids ended up with.  Yucky!  But, thankfully haven't got it yet, although they are still struggling with random symptoms now and then.

And it's possibly too early to sing the praises of feeling better, but I'm doing awesome, and have been for 4 days now.  What, you ask, is making the difference?  Now, those of you who know me, know that I'm always reading up on different products, foods, and diet things that will make life "better".  With the various health struggles in our family, nutrition seems to be the key to getting it all back on track.  Our Naturopath even told us that with kids, getting good digestion will solve pretty much all of their problems on it's own.  A bit extra of HCl added at mealtimes is what he recommends for most kids and it'll cure whatever ails them.  And yes, we've seen it work well here!

I take my ordinary prenatals, but they don't seem to make a difference in my day.  I take calcium/magnesium/minerals and they don't either (but I know they're necessary for a growing baby as well as me keeping my own bones and teeth healthy).  I've tried omega-3 oils, digestive enzymes, and all sorts of other things to help give me some energy to make it through the day reasonably well.  Because I'm an older mother and my oldest isn't real old yet, I have that strike against energy in the first place.  I delegate what I can to the kids, but still need to be functional myself.  Functional so that I can direct them in reasonable tasks.  Functional so I can keep a toddler out of a reasonable amount of mischief.  Functional so that I don't just yell and growl all day at them.   Functional so that they do some schoolwork most days.  And functional so that I can give them (and dear husband) the emotional stuff they need from me (which makes everybody's life more pleasant in the long run!)  And if I have enough energy to cook, clean, do dishes and such that's just a bonus.  Not even on the list of requirements.

So what's the ticket?  It's (drum roll, please)  GREEN VIBRANCE!!  I bought some (finally) after my chiropractor has been singing it's praises for a couple years now (they even sell it now).  And the health food store always has it on sale.  While I was looking for just a probiotic to try (to improve some pregnancy digestion issues), this sounded like an even better option.  The link I listed tells all about it, and I do have to say that I feel like a million bucks now that I'm taking it each day.  Today I vacuumed the whole house and then had enough energy to sweep the deck and vacuum out the van.  That never happens.  If it's vacuuming day, I'm lucky if I can get the house done before I'm wiped right out.  My digestion issues are gone and right now I should be napping (as I have every day this pregnancy so far), but I'm wide awake typing this instead!  And supper is in the slow cooker (hasn't happened either because I've been too tired to think that far in advance).  I hope I continue to feel this good, as life is alot better when you have (some) energy and are happy at the same time.

Do read up on it if you get a chance (on the link listed above), as I think most people could benefit from more greens, probiotics, and other nutrient dense foods like this has in it.  (Amazon has a ton of positive reviews too, which are helpful)  No matter how healthy we eat these days, it seems that the toxins/chemicals coming in our bodies from various sources override the good we do.  And I don't know of anyone who actually eats enough vegetables.   (Guilty too!)

I even bought some GABA as recommended by a friend (thanks, K) but haven't needed it yet! If I do, it's a good backup plan for those rough days, which usually follow a rough night of sleep (planning on them coming up regularly with 3rd trimester woes which I've encountered in the past!)

http://www.vibranthealth.us/green-vibrance/product-pages/green-vibrance

Monday blues

I've had a hard time staying positive lately.  Growing a baby is hard work, and I seem to be more tired each time.  And older.  And in worse shape.  I'd love to exercise, but I just don't even have enough energy to do the bare minimum.  We did take a walk today, but even that was taxing in many ways.  I've been trying different things to try to boost up my energy levels, but nothing seems to make much difference.  I get good sleep, but still always need more.  There's random aches and pains that I won't go into which make each day unpleasant.  And then when I don't have much energy, the kids behavior gets out of line and then they stress me more (my fault).  And then I don't eat properly and feel worse.  And then kick myself for not eating healthy.  And then I gain lots of weight, making everything mentioned above more difficult.  Oh, sigh.  And it's Monday.  I try to limit coffee, but can't seem to even function without it.  I try tea, but get bored with that after just a few days.

And then there's the comments.  Last week a guy (who didn't even know about the coming baby).  "Whoa, are all of those your kids?"  (Yes, we're very blessed!)  "They must be like, a year apart or something!"  (No, actually 2.  They are 2, 4 6, & 8)  "Man, that's alot!"  Stomps off!  (His wife did whisper, "I love kids, I wish we had some!" as she embarrassingly followed him off.)

And the other extreme from a lady who wishes she had more kids (and has made it very clear to me in the past, although she already has more than me anyhow).  "Wow!  God just keeps blessing you and blessing you!"   In a how-come-you're-so-lucky-and-I'm-not kind of voice.

What to say?  Or feel?  Or do?  I just can't focus (even for a moment) on those things as they drag me down even further.  I need to think about things of beauty that lift me up.  Like cute baby clothes (because I'll need some since this is going to be a different season than we've dealt with before).  And shopping for a "new" car seat and bassinet.  And getting excited about using my diaper bag again (which I love).  And getting back into clothes that aren't too tight or falling down at all times.   And decorating my sun room as we can afford it.  (I've got it all planned out, just need the $$$)  And a warm bath before bed to boost my spirits and relax everything.

On the same note, one of the kids was telling about his bad days lately.  How a couple little failures wrecked his whole weekend.  I tried to brighten him up by telling some stories about bad days that I have had and how now we can laugh about them.   One story was about how I slept in for work one time, and then went to start my car (and clear the snow off it) and proceeded to slip down the stairs, losing my keys back under the stairs (in a tight crevice that was difficult to get to).  When I finally found them and unlocked my apartment and went to call work and tell them I'd be late, I had no voice and they couldn't even hear me enough to tell who was calling.  Thankfully I squeaked it out enough for them to understand and they told me to take the day off and "get better".  I then went back to bed and slept the day away.  Or the story about slamming my finger in the car door with it locked and no one nearby to hear me yelling.

Then I told a story about my Dad (a plumber) who had a customer who was too cheap to use the right size venting to plumb his house.  My Dad strongly advised against it, but the customer refused.  A few months later, the town was flushing the sewer pipes and because of the small pipes, the toilet didn't vent properly and everything flushed up and out the toilet instead (while he was sitting on it).  My parents were on vacation and my grandparents were looking after us kids.  My Grandma wrote the message which said, "So-and-so called.  Toilet blew up."  It was apparently hard not to laugh when he returned the call and got the details.  I was telling the kids that whenever they have a bad thing happen to them, they can be happy that their toilet hasn't blown up on them that day!

The sun is shining, and the kids are happily playing outside for now, so that's good.  

And tomorrow is a new day.  With no mistakes (or aches) in it.  Yet!

_____________________________________________

This is my only permanent record, so I try to record the kid's stuff here.  For those of you on Facebook, sorry for the repeat.

We've been on coyote patrol lately, as they've been eying our chickens. The kids reactions when they saw the first one staring at them from the corner (outside) the pen. Luke: "Mom, there was a coyote staring at me right by the chicken pen so I wasn't sure what to do." (calm and collected) James: "Mom, there's a coyote right by the chickens! Shoot it, shoot it! Get Dad's gun and shoot it! Just put the bullet in and pull the trigger. It's easy!" (excited and got a plan) Elise: "We should stay in the house all day because coyotes like meat. And we're meat." (scared and nervous) Isaac: Just wanders around wondering what a coyote is, imitating a howl whenever he feels necessary.

When will we ever learn?

Sometimes (well, most of the time), parenting is just hard.  There's lots of advice out there, but I've found that most of it rarely works consistently.  Most of the time I feel like I'm just stumbling around in the dark, trying new things on a  regular basis in hopes that something new will be "the ticket".  Not so.  There is no magic pill.  There is no magic formula.  Well, there is but I forget to use it (it's called Jesus Christ, the way, the truth, the life).

I'm a researcher.  Love finding new information.  Love honing in a process and streamlining it to fit my life and needs.  Unfortunately I am blessed with 4 little rascals who fail to follow my predictions and wishes.  Which is a good thing, but that doesn't make it easier.

Here's the example:  one of our children has been acting out ALOT lately.  Bullying, belligerent, pestering, will not communicate.  I haven't known what to do.  What I want to do is to just yell at them, shake them, "knock some sense" into them.  I tried lecturing, adding more work (when original jobs didn't get done in a reasonable time), punishment, bribery, the works!  To no avail.  I finally reached the end of my rope the other day, leading me to become a crying mess.  After voicing my concerns to my dear husband, and he gave all the kids a pep talk of expectations, and I expected things to get better.  Not so.  This mom was still nagging, cajoling, and bribing these kids to do a few simple tasks (to no avail).  The problem child was the worst, instigating trouble wherever they were.

After prayerfully seeking the Lord (finally!), I realized that I was going about it totally wrong.  This kid needed love.  And needed reassurance.  And needed time with their Mom.  And needed to be believed in and trusted.  Oh, dear.  I felt like such a failure.  But, as God promises, His mercies are new every morning.  And sometimes in the middle of the afternoon too.  So I started laying on the love.  I made that child sit by me while we read (all afternoon).  I made them (grudgingly) hold my hand for our whole afternoon walk.  The walk started with a trudging child, lagging behind very much rebelling at having to hold my hand.  By the end of the walk though, this child was holding my hand (not me grasping theirs) willingly and wouldn't let it go when we got home.

Then this child began cheerfully helping me.  Then at bedtime I cuddled a long time with them.  Where I found that there was a guilty conscience that needed freeing. (And I was able to put the worries aside, bless them with God's forgiveness, and discuss the whole scenario in terms of what to do next).  This morning this same child came and cuddled with  me in my bed when they woke up (which never happens).  We've had no squabbles yet today, and things are going well.

We discussed options for getting work done easier/quicker and we have a Mom/child date planned tonight and hopefully things are on the mend.  My biggest gripe is "Why can't I learn to go to the Lord first?"  Grr!  I beat my head against the wall so much, when "His yoke is EASY and His burden is LIGHT!"  I guess it's human nature in many ways, but it's also one of those lessons that I have to keep relearning, over and over and over again.  But, what a patient Father we have.  He never angers or loses it when we are disobedient.  What an example Jesus set by His perseverance/patience with those who were foolish, unlearned and didn't understand His ways.  And what a blessing that Jesus has that same love for us today.  To forgive us in our shortcomings, our failures, our meager attempts to do things on our own.  Sigh...

Fun at our beach

One of our favorite things to do as a family is to go to our local park right here in Kalama.  Most times we just go for a walk or bike ride, or let the kids play, but sometimes we bring a picnic and eat there too.  We feel so blessed to have such beauty and opportunity just 3 miles away from home.  They have awesome log picnic areas.  And lots to see and do (huge ships pass right by our very noses, and there's train tracks right on the other side, which makes certain boys pretty happy).  We make it a regular place to go all year round and haven't gotten tired of it yet!

 Beautiful scenery (that's the Queen of the West boat that happened to be docked there during our supper).

 Fun times in the water

Lots of new learning experiences

View to the west

Mommy not letting the kids get too far, while getting quite splashed in the process!

Running as fast as he can

The windblown look

Hmm.  Do you see what I see?

This sand is pretty neat!

Adventure starts here

Part of the fun of having boys is the adventure.  Although we haven't seen much of it in our house, I've been waiting for the day when it would arrive.  Luke (8) is a bookworm, so lacks adventure (in reality) most of the time.  James (6) would be up for it, but isn't big enough to tackle it on his own.  So, the kids hang out in the yard doing normal kid stuff.  And this Mama rests.

It was a sunny, lovely, fall day when were skipping school, and were keeping busy in the yard.  I was weeding strawberries and Elise was doing her favorite job of watering flowers.  Isaac was digging in the dirt, and the big boys were "exploring".  Whatever that meant to their sheltered lives.  I had to go down to our shed to get something, and came across this little snake in my path.  I told the kids about it, but left it at that.  A few minutes later they were yelling and calling out, "Mom, where's a box?  Luke caught a snake!"  

Frankly, I didn't believe it.  He's been scared of spiders and most insects, let alone snakes.  But, sure enough, he had gone in the house and gotten his gloves, and recruited James and Elise to corner the little fella, while he caught it.  

They then put it in a box and James held the lid shut while Luke ran inside and opened all his books up to find out how to care for one.  After looking through the 4th or 5th book (World Book Encyclopedia to the rescue), he came back outside with a list of all they needed.  Food, water, shelter, bedding, climbing stuff.  We had an old aquarium that was lying around, so they put the snake in there and proceeded to make a home for it.

When Dad got home from work they dug some worms for it and secured a better fitting lid.  I was so proud of Luke for taking the initiative and going after it.  Usually he's so timid that he'd talk himself out of it.

After the novelty wore off (a couple weeks of ownership), and worm finding was getting too tedious, we decided to let him or her go free again.  I told the boys that they can always catch another one if they feel the need to have a snake again.  It sure was fun while it lasted though!

Isaac turns 2

Down at the Columbia River in Kalama trying out "swimming".

Our little Isaac William just turned two.  And is he a character (as 2 year olds are).  Unfortunately I rarely remember to video him, but he has us laughing most of the time.  His vocabulary is expanding, but his improvising cracks us up.  He clicks his lips (smacks them like he's kissing) for the word "ice cream" (his favorite food).  He now makes that sound even if he hears the word birthday, since he correlates the two now.

Birthday boy, barely waking up

We've relearned that you can't argue with a 2 year old.  You will get no where.  Today I bought a new coat for Luke (8) and Isaac thought it was for him.  He wore the huge coat around for the longest time, and wouldn't let Luke even touch it.  Finally, little brother lost interest and we took it off and Luke got it back, but things like that happen so many times each day.  He loves to mess in the sink, wear big shoes/boots around, dress up in costumes and adds so much brightness (and disaster) to our day.

Birthday Mickey Mouse pancake before a trip to Cabela's

He loves Dad, and being like Dad.  He wears a cap that Greg got from work, and pretends he's Dad quite often.  He also has a shirt he likes to wear that is his "Da" shirt.  He has a favorite cowboy hat too, and has discovered a picture of a little boy wearing one in one of his books and thinks it is himself.  You can not convince him otherwise!

Hanging out at the KOA campground when Grandpa and Grandma from Canada were down.

He is convinced that he's the only baby around too.  When we talk about any baby, he points to himself and is very determined to let us know that he. is. the. baby!  We'll see what happens when our new baby does show up!  Hopefully he'll be more used to the idea by then.

Isaac still reminds me in looks of my uncle Cliff, so that is really neat.  Makes me so happy.   My aunt has a picture of Cliff at this same age, and they could be the same little boy.  If you don't recall, Cliff was my only bachelor uncle that passed away when I was 14, and I have never quite gotten over him.  He treated me so special, and I always loved spending time with him.  (Memories of Uncle Cliff blog post.)

Savory Borscht

 Yummy fall soups.  Coming up.  Right now.  

I just love making soups (if you didn't already know that).  There is something about it that's very satisfying in a way that cooking other things isn't.  Some people love baking, but me, I'll stick with soups.  Last winter my goal was to eat more veggies, so it send me experimenting with new ones and ways to use them.  I bought some beets and then had to figure out what to do with them.  We tried them roasted (in the oven with a cover on the pan) and enjoyed them alot that way.  But then I remembered borscht.  That yummy Russian soup that was cheap, nourishing and uber-healthy.

My sister-in-law Reidun gave me her recipe, so I tried that.  It was good, but it needed something more.  I googled it and found a recipe from a lady from Azerbaijan which looked fabulous.  But a ton of work.  I think I'll pass.  I then got information from my sister Rebecca, who had got a recipe from an extended family member (Svetlana, who is from Russia) who is an excellent soup maker apparently, which gave me some good tips too.  I then tried to put it all together to make an easy, yet delicious soup.  (here's the Classic Russian Borscht from Azerbaijan recipe)

Beets are a powerhouse of nutrition.  They cleanse the liver and blood (and we could all use a bit of that), are high in minerals and fiber and lots of other vitamins too.  They help fight cancer and tumors and can be stored for a long time, which makes them a great year-round vegetable.  They also have some carbohydrates in them, so will give energy if it's low.   15 great reasons to eat beets

Cabbage is a wonderful vegetable to get acquainted with too.  It's good for many of the same reasons that beets are, but their nutritional values are a bit different.  Great for livers, cleansing, vitamins and minerals.   20 Best Benefits Of Cabbages For Skin, Hair And Health

Parsnips are another new one for us.  They look like a carrot, but taste very different.  Mild in some ways, spicy in others.  Tasty for sure!  (We like them roasted in the oven as well.) All three of these mentioned veggies are high in fiber, and cleanse the body as well as promote weight loss and prevent cancer.  We could all use more of that!  Health Benefits of Parsnips

Here's the recipe I came up with.  It still takes a bit of work (grating veggies mostly, which I hire out to our eldest), but is one of those things that actually tastes better the next day and the next, so making a big pot is highly recommended.  I usually make it in my Dutch oven so that I can brown the meat and get more flavor out of it.  But a slow cooker works too.  The Russian lady's recipe has you make the broth the day before, but if you simmer your roast all day first, you'll get a lovely broth (with all it's health benefits).  She also tells you to chill it and not even eat it on the day you make it, but to reheat the next day. (I can't seem to do that after smelling that awesome smell all day!)  The measurements are very easy to increase or decrease, which is another great reason I love making (any kind of) soup.  Just use what you have and it'll be fine!

Savory Borscht
1 pot roast with a bone in it (the bone adds minerals and flavor)
4-6 medium beets, grated
4-6 carrots, grated
2-4 parsnips, grated
1/2 head cabbage, finely chopped
4-6 stalks celery, finely chopped
2 onions, finely chopped
1-2 bay leaves
salt and pepper (about 1 tsp. of each)
lemon juice (optional)
beef bouillon (1 cube/tsp. per cup of juices)
3-5 cloves garlic, minced 
 3-5 T. fresh or 3 T. dried parsley
sour cream (dollop in each bowl)

To make in Dutch oven, sear meat on high heat until browned on all sides.  You can do this either on the stove top or in the oven (400-500*F for about 15 min in oven).   Turn down heat (350*F) and put the lid on it, then bake as you normally would for a pot roast until falling-apart tender.   This could take all day, depending on how big your roast is.  Add bay leaves, salt and pepper the roast well before you get it baking.

While you're baking/simmering your roast, you'll want to prep your veggies.  Onions and celery can be chopped by hand or with a food processor.  Add them to the roast and let them cook all day too.  You should end up with lots of juices simmering in with your roast, and that will be the base for your soup. 

Saute the onions and celery if you want a more flavor, not necessary though.

Near the end of your roast cooking time (last hour), you can add the bouillon and garlic and your root veggies and put the lid back on and simmer them all together (move Dutch oven from the oven to the stove at this point).  Grate your beets, carrots and parsnips (using a food processor or crank hand grater).  I do not recommend grating these by hand, as it may take all day.  You'll have about 8-10 cups of grated veggies when you're done.  (Save 1 handful of beets to add at the very end for color, as the beets will lose much of their color while they're simmering.)  About 1/2 hour before serving, add your shredded cabbage.  Then about 15 min. before serving, remove the roast from the pot and let it sit on a plate/cutting board until it's cool enough to shred and then put it back in the pot, and you're going to add that last handful of beets and parsley and finish simmering it up.

Enlist your strong 8 year old son to do the grating, with the meat simmering nearby.

At this point, you'll taste and see what it needs (if anything).  It should be a nice even combination of sweet with a hint of sour.  If it tastes too sweet, you can add the lemon juice, 1 Tbsp. at a time.  You may need more bouillon, garlic, salt, or pepper.  Celery salt and dill are good too.

Other things you can add:  potatoes (add with cabbage), apple (add with root veggies), turnips or rutabagas would be good too.  You could use a different kind of meat if you like (I've even used ground beef, but the texture was not great), but a slow roasting one is best.  Add more broth if you want it "soupier", leave the lid off if you want it less watery.  It's all good!

Dollop sour cream onto each bowl before serving.

Starting the roast in the morning in the slow cooker.

(To make in the slow cooker, just simmer your meat on low all day, and then start the veggies (beets, parsnips, carrots) cooking about an hour before mealtime, and follow the rest of the times accordingly.)

Enjoy! (we didn't have any sour cream tonight, so went without)

So that's it.  Greg actually craves this soup alot.  He thinks it's something in the nutrition of it that his body needs, since he feels much better when he has some.  We always serve this just by itself, but you could add some bread if you need to.

Kid stuff

I wish I kept better track of the cute things that our kids say, but I often forget.  I'm going to record a few here, just so they don't escape me.

When we were making pickles this fall, the kids were helping Grandma peel garlic for it.  Getting those last few papers off the garlic cloves can be tricky, especially for inexperienced kids.  As they were doing this, I said, "This can be your school lesson today.  How to make dill pickles."  James (rather frustrated with his garlic that wouldn't peel) says, "I think I'd rather just learn from a book!"

The other day we were eating ice cream for dessert and I mentioned to the kids that some of our friends used to have just ice cream for supper as a treat on Sunday nights, and asked them what they thought of that.  James was appalled and said, "That means they didn't have ANY protein!"   I guess my nutrition lectures are paying off!

Every morning the boys have these elaborate dreams that they relate to us at breakfast.  The dreams go on and on in excruciating detail.   Elise was feeling left out and says, "It's no fair.  I only dream about boring stuff.  Like people going to the fridge.  That's all!"

And the innocence of youth...

Elise says, "Did you know that there's only one Christmas song that isn't about Jesus?  It's Jingle Bells."  The boys quickly jumped on that and burst her bubble.  If only they were all about Jesus!

Luke and James were experimenting with Google Earth on the computer.  They finding all sorts of places and looking at them from different angles.  The Eiffel Tower, Great Wall of China, Statue of Liberty, etc.  Then they looked at our house.  When they did, James excitedly ran outside and started waving up at the sky so that Luke could see him on the computer inside.  Unfortunately we had to enlighten them that it wouldn't work.  But that youthful exuberance was rather exhilarating!

A Rest to the People of God

August 2013 ~Christian Monthly~

A Rest to the People of God

Written by Rafael Kurtti

Published in the Aug. 1960 CM; Submitted by Dave Impola; Seattle, Washington

There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. (Hebrews 4:9-11)

BECAUSE OF THE DISOBEDIENCE OF the children of Israel, many of them did not reach the promised land. Unbelief caused them to become disobedient. Unbelief even today causes many who start in the spirit to end in the flesh.

Our text begins: There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. In each of us there is an inward desire to have peace and fellowship with God. This is because, at creation, God breathed into man's nostrils the breath of life and man became a living soul. This innocence did not last long. The devil, who is the father of lies, deceived our first parents and they doubted God's words, believing a lie rather than the truth. As a result of this disobedience, they lost their innocence and now were held accountable to God for all their acts. Still, through repentance and faith, the first state can be restored through the Seed of the woman who bruised the serpent's head. The Holy Spirit seals the promise of eternal rest in the heart of every penitent believer. The rest to the soul is sweet, especially to those who have gone far in the way of sin. This is only a foretaste of that eternal rest awaiting the people of God.

Our text continues: For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.  Many who are dead in trespasses and sins make an attempt to better their lives. We are all self-righteous by nature; we do not want to receive salvation as a gift. We would like to give unto God at least a few fervent prayers, a promise that our life has some good points. But God does not want our good works, as they are but filthy rags in His sight. We must come unto Him utterly lost and condemned, without any worthiness on our part. Jesus said He did not come to call the righteous but sinners. God's Law demands perfect obedience from us, and we find we have broken it in word, deed and thought. We find no possibility of escaping God's wrath in our own works. Only by turning to Jesus, whom God made to be sin for us, can we find a way of escape. Jesus had compassion upon us and took our sins upon His innocent body, suffering in our stead and dying our death that we might live.  When our hearts are cleansed by faith, then begins a new life in obedience to God's will.

T he person whose sins are forgiven and blotted out in the shed blood of Jesus Christ also has ceased from his own works as God did from His. In Romans 3:20 are the words: Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

A new force and power before unknown now impels a child of God to walk in newness of life, worthy of the name of Christian. No place in Scripture is it shown that the Law is a source of strength to a Chr

istian or that it helps him to deny himself and take up his cross and follow Jesus. We read in Titus 2:11-12: For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world.

Luther writes in his discourse on Christian liberty:  "The Christian is free and master in all things. The Christian is in bondage and a servant in all and to all. He is free and a master by faith; he is a servant and a slave by love. Although a Christian is thus made free, he voluntarily becomes a slave to act toward his brethren as God has acted toward him through Jesus Christ. I desire says he, to serve freely, joyfully, and gratuitously a Father who has thus lavished upon me all the abundance of His blessings. I wish to become all things for my neighbor as Christ has become all things for me. From faith proceeds the love of God; from love proceeds a life full of liberty, charity, and joy."  

All those who are truly born again experience rest from their own labors. As they have known the love of God toward them through Jesus Christ, they, in like manner, show it by a new life, serving God in their fellow man. The Law does not accomplish this, but the grace of God. They serve God in the newness of spirit and not in the oldness of the letter, for the letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth life.

To serve in the newness of the spirit means obedience to the Spirit. This is self-denial, sacrifice, humbleness.  Paul shows the fruit of the Spirit: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

(Galatians 5:22-23) Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:19-21)

The child of God knows that one day he will enter into that eternal rest of which the writer of this epistle speaks. The children of Israel, journeying through the wilderness, had God's promise that He would bring them to a land flowing with milk and honey. But many of them hardened their hearts, committed sins, and they did not enter into rest. Even today there is the danger of provoking God's wrath by disobedience and sin. We read in the third chapter of this epistle:  Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. (Hebrews 3:12-13)

In the last words of our text we read: Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.  As weak and often-erring travelers on the road to eternal rest, we are beset by many temptations, trials and sins. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16)

The children of Israel had an earthly high priest who made sacrifice for their sins. And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. (Hebrews 9:22-23)

Because of the imperfection of these earthly sacrifices, God sent His only begotten Son as a perfect and ever-sufficient sacrifice. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. (Hebrews 10:10)

Have you been cleansed in His blood, dear brother and sister? In Jesus' name and blood even today your sins and mine are forgiven. The way into the most holy place was opened when Jesus died upon the cross. All the sacrifice God wants is a broken and a contrite heart. Whenever sins beset us, let us approach this altar in our midst where Jesus' blood still flows for our cleansing and atonement. One day our pilgrimage will cease and we will fully enter into His rest. Then this mortal, sinful body will no longer hinder our praises to Him who love us with an eternal and undying love.

May the love of God and the comfort of the Holy Spirit keep your hearts and souls in Jesus' name. Amen.

How to Raise Well Behaved Kids

Disclaimer:  First of all, I don't know (even anywhere near) all the answers.  My kids act up on a regular basis.  They have all the traits that you find in "normal" kids.  But, here's some conclusions that I've come to in observing their behavior.  They're still young, and have many years to go before leaving home, so things may change!  But, there are a few things I've discovered (mostly by accident) that can really shape their behavior for good and for bad.

I can see why people only want 1-2 kids, because these things are commonplace in most homes, leading kids to behave naughtily when it isn't "just kids" or the child's fault at all.  This drives the parent bonkers (the excess noise, recklessness, and fighting is unbearable).  If my kids were like this every day, I'd have quit long ago too!

1) Sugar.  That evil villain sugar.  Somehow it turns off their ears (well, they can still hear, but the messages don't get to their brain).  They can't stay on task.  They can't do what they're asked.  They get whiny.  One certain little girl can't sit still and cries much more...all day.  She also can't fall asleep at night (because her legs wiggle so bad) and she wets the bed.  We've had 2 profound instances where this was so blatantly obvious, that you can't deny it was the sugar (and chocolate combined, in our case).  When one of our boys was 1 1/2, we bought him chocolate milk.  You know, the cute little cartons?  Yes, well, he drank it and was buzzing around the house non-stop until 1 a.m.  (a good 6 hours) And I mean buzzing.  Last summer we gave a different 1 year old a bit of a fudgesicle off of the one I was eating.  One small, nickel-sized bite before bed.  This little guy (who normally slept most nights) fell asleep as usual at 8, but within the hour was back awake, and proceeded to buzz around the house for 6 hours.  That's 9 p.m. to 3 a.m.  From one little bite.  Coincidence?  I think not.  This past weekend we went camping, and the kids all had more sugar than necessary (well, we all did!) and it's now Tuesday and the kids are finally starting to get back to normal behavior.  Just not worth the "fun" of some yummy treats, although I always try to convince myself that it won't matter that much.

Last week we were visiting some family, who repeatedly commented on how good our kids were, and what a pleasure to have around (unlike their unruly grand-kids and great-grand-kids).  Well, after an afternoon there (and full doses of pop, ice cream and cookies) our kids were also a nightmare on the ride home.  Kicking the seats, crying, whining, fighting and the works.  If only they knew that they likely bring on alot of the kid's bad behavior with the overabundance of sweets offered.

2)  TV/videos/electronic games.  Yep, somehow that turns kids into belligerent brats.  They somehow think they don't have to listen to their parents any more and think that they own the show.  One little boy in our house actually kicked me in the leg when I tried to turn off a video on him one time (they had even already watched the movie and it was running through a second time by accident when I turned it off).  That sweet little boy who would never think of doing such a thing to his mother.  They seem to get so engrossed in it that reality fades into oblivion and their "dream world" becomes reality.  Because of this, strictly limiting screen time is of utmost importance. (like 15-30 min/ week maximum!)  Sounds extreme, but if I get lazy and let them have more, I get the Jekyll & Hyde effect.  Which I don't care for at all!  The only exception to this is documentaries.  They are hard to get addicted to, so we do let them watch them if given an option.  Plus, they're learning while watching so it's a win/win situation.

The rest is easy.  Let them know expectations before you get somewhere (grocery shopping, church, doctor's office, etc.) and the consequences for not following instructions.  Lots of hugs and cuddles to keep their love tanks full (it's often surprising how much bad behavior is just a need for attention).  Praise the good, deal with the bad immediately.  Try not to whine or nag or cajole or bribe or yell.  Never spank when they (or you) are hungry or tired, or you are angry.  When you see other kids acting up, remind your own what will happen if they ever act that way (this works amazingly well!)  And your kids will be a pleasure for you and others to have around!  Any more things that work for you??

One last thought from my a friend's facebook today:

"my goal is not to have 'good' children, but passionate children, given to His kingdom and His cause–even as the disciples gave their lives for Jesus’ kingdom and cause." -sally clarkson

I love this. It's not that I don't think we should have well mannered, well behaved children, I do. BUT the world has children like that. Our goal is to raise disciples for Christ! To raise children who love the Lord with all their hearts. Besides, children who love the Lord with all their heart seek to be good and well mannered not for the praise of man/their parents but for His honor and glory.  ~Katie LaPierre