Thursday, January 20, 2011

Homemade Hummus By Giada & Me!




White Bean & Roasted Eggplant Hummus Giada DeLaurentiis




Ingredients
1 (1 1/2-pound) eggplant or 3 Japanese eggplants, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
Olive oil, for drizzling, plus 1/3 cup
Kosher salt, for seasoning, plus 1/2 teaspoon
Freshly ground black pepper, for seasoning, plus 1/4 teaspoon
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1/3 cup loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from about 1 lemon)
1 clove garlic
1 hothouse cucumber, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
Directions
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F and place an oven rack in the middle.
Place the eggplant on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown. Set aside to cool.
In the bowl of a food processor, combine the cooled eggplant, beans, parsley, lemon juice, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Pulse until the mixture is coarsely chopped. With the machine running, gradually add 1/3 cup of olive oil until the mixture is creamy. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Place the hummus in a dipping bowl and serve with the cucumber slices. Alternatively, spoon the hummus over the cucumber slices and arrange on a serving platter.




I made this yesterday for my mom & I & added lots of garlic. It's so yummy & healthy too!!!!

Monday, January 10, 2011

Love This Website I Ordered Mia's Party Stuff From




I love this website! I found it on a fellow bloggers page & had to check it out for myself! I got some craetive art stuff for Mia's bday party. The cool thing is, it gives the kids something to do while they're there, & they get to take home their creative masterpieces! This is the link to the site. This was my fave item. How cool is that? I'm all for letting children explore & create "outside the box". Love to see what they come up with & how their minds work! Happy Shopping!

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Journey To Compassion! We Picked A Child!
















SOOOOOOOOOOO where did I leave off? I have to think...So that night we were laying in bed & I tapped Colin & said "are you awake? I think God is telling us to sponsor a little girl from India." Now this was a total shock to me since I have always loved Africa, it is "my" country & my natural reaction even when I was talking to Brit was " Oh I would sponsor a boy, & of course he has to be from Africa." He agreed of course & said it was okay because he trusted my judgement. I believe the reason why we both were lead to India, and a girl no less, was the day before I went to Brit's, we were reading in our Missionary Stories with the kids & there was a story in there about Amy Carmichael, the missionary to India. We just about made it through the story that out of the whole book affected us the most. We were moved to tears as we read about the evil cruelty young girls have to endure there. Okay the next day was busy so we talked to the kids at dinner & told them what God had laid on our hearts & how important this was to us & how it would affect our whole family. They were excited, especially Mia who can write to her & Eli said he will send her a picture he made :) I love that my babies are learning about giving to others & loving those who God places in our lives for a reason. We ate excitedly & hurriedly cleaned up & went to the computer. Colin & I also agreed we wanted to help an older girl too, since most people tend to go for babies & younger kids. We found out on the website that certain kids have hearts on them because they have been waiting at least 6 months for a sponsor. We naturally were all for one of them! Boy was it a hard decision! We read about lots of girls & where they lived, how they lived, what they ate, who their families were...my kids are already learning a lot about the country & poverty. We watched lots of videos on Youtube on Compassion to help them understand what we were about to do. We also commited that we would never leave or abandon this child, that we would support her for as long as she needed us & that she would be a part of our hearts, lives & family always! Well I couldn't decide for a while. the pages sort of blurred together as we prayed & I cried. It felt so awful! How do you chose? Colin & I put the kids to bed after devotion & prayer time & he had to run out to CVS, so I sat with the computer praying. Finally I made a decision, the very first girl I had looked at I kept going back to. When Colin got back I told him I finally chose. When he sat down, scrolled the page down & saw her pic he smiles & said with tears in his eyes :"That's the one I chose". WOW! AMAZING!!!!!! We showed the kids the next day & told them we were going to learn about India & get to know her & her family. This girl lives in a home with a dirt floor & cardboard walls. Sobering. We have so much. They have so little. God help us. To be content. With what we have. To share what we have. To sacrifice & give of ourselves when it hurts. How could we not? She was meant to be. We found her & we love her already! We got a whole packet in yesterday & read all about her & her picture is in a frame in the living room, next to our family photo in a frame. We are going to start our very own scrapbook with the first things we received & look forward to the years ahead. Tomorrow we are going to write our first letter to her & our journey begins................

Friday, January 7, 2011

A Part Of Our Hearts Across The World Part 1


Okay I'll start at the beginning. I spent the day with Briten & at one point we were talking about adoption. She jumped up excitedly with a sweet smile & sparkle in her eye & came back clutching a precious folder. It was a scrapbook, a menagerie of memories, pictures taken, pictures drawn, letters of love & encouragement from their little girl they sponsored years & years ago. They have loved & taken care of her & have this strong bond & relationship with her. I remembered seeing Compassion tables set up at a Michael W Smith concert I went to years ago when I was young & not married. My heart hurt & was burdened to pray for all those beautiful babies, those sweet faces. It was like a flashback then it hit me suddenly! We could make a difference! It's never too late & perhaps God has chosen a special child that is across the globe, waiting & wondering if someone loved them & would care for them. A family who would teach them about His love & never stop loving or supporting them as long as they were needed. Why didn't we ever even think about this??????? Wow! Could there be someone out there for us???? God may have orchestrated this years ago knowing when we were at this point in our lives He would provide a way for us to further His kingdom & be a blessing somehow???? But with our financial future so uncertain & only one more week of $300 coming in from unemployment, why now? How would this be possible? This is a huge sacrifice, a serious commitment. How could we do this? But as soon as that question entered our minds it was IMMEDIATELY answered with a firm, yet kind how could you not????? This life is so not about us, but reaching out & giving of ourselves with a gentle Christian love. I was touched by Brit's folder & my heart was so blessed by their humble decision to take this child & make her a part of their lives, their family. I borrowed her book on Compassion & as I drove home, hope sparked within my heart & a joy bubbled up deep in my soul. I was going to save a child! When Colin & I put the kids to bed I talked about the scrapbook, Compassion & showed him the book. He covered my hand with his & said right away, " I am all for this. Let's pray about it." It was an immediate response. We felt joy & an excitement to go online & pick "our little love"....

James 1:27 Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you. NLT

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Must Have Book For Boys & Girls (Teaching Them Early About Purity)

You can get this book here
You can get this book here
Both are on $9.99

These books were actually recommended by the Duggar family. I highly highly would also recommend them for your daughter or son. They are written so well & you will love reading them to your children knowing the true meaning & they will love the story of bravery, courage & doing what is right for their King. I personally think both books are great for both boys & girls because of the content & the way it is so well penned. They bless your heart & they are great for any age! Just be sure you have a box of tissues handy! :) You'll need 'em!!!

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

A Desire To Do Something More

“To live content with small means; to seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion; to be worthy, not respectable, and wealthy, not, rich; to listen to stars and birds, babes and sages, with open heart; to study hard; to think quietly, act frankly, talk gently, await occasions, hurry never; in a word, to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious, grow up through the common–this is my symphony."
William Henry Channing
This is one of my most fave quotes!

I have been so discontented lately. I have blazed thru this house & given away almost half of everything. I just feel as though it's unessessary & excessive to have so many things. I am trying to scale down & although we already live a simple life, we want our children to be content with little & appreciate everything & not focus on what is not important but to truly appreciate the value of things & give them a foundation built on truth, compassion, kindness, generousity, peace, joy, contentment. I really feel as though God puts that restless spirit within me for a reason. I will never become complacent, cold or immune to pain, suffering or needs. I am changing, learning & growing all the time. I feel such a burden to pray for missionaries & support them. My heart bleeds for orphans, children abused or abandoned & unloved & unwanted. I just want to save the whole world one child at a time. I refuse to be discouraged because I am only one person. God gave me a heart of compassion to make a difference in His name for His glory. I am but a servant willing to be used by Him for something big or small. I await His call. Our hearts & home are open. We believe children are a gift, every single child is created on purpose & are here at this time in history to fulfill a destiny & purpose unique only to them. Children are our beautiful future. We are praying for God to use us together as a family to serve Him & be strong & commited to Him. He has answered us & we are overjoyed at what He has led us to do. We are adding more love & joy to our family (more on that in my next post).

As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen 1 Peter 10 +11

Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.” Luke 6:38
Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute. Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy. Proverbs 31: 8 + 9

Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth 1 John 3:18

In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” Acts 20:35
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