Archive | March, 2009

Chocolate Coffee Cake

By on March 31, 2009 in recipes & kitchen tips

This is a family favorite coffee cake that is perfect for a cold summer morning and best enjoyed with some fresh fruit, smoothie, and/or hard boiled eggs. Excellent as a dessert as well! It is a scrumptious special treat, especially for any chocolate lovers! I have just been experimenting lately with adapting it to including the benefits of soaking the whole wheat flour, and I have had success! Hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (I used whole wheat pastry flour, but feel free to experiment with using other whole grain flours as desired)
3/4 – 1 cup natural sweetener (we use rapadura or sucanat, which are delicious!)
1/2 cup butter or coconut oil (or combination of both), in its solid state
1-2 Tbsp cocoa powder (as desired, we use 2 Tbsp)
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp baking powder
dash of salt
dash of cloves
1/2 cup nuts (we used candied pecans for the top!), if desired
1 cup cultured buttermilk, kefir, whey, yogurt (or your preferred acid medium for soaking)

SOAKING STEP: In a large bowl, combine flour and acid medium (buttermilk, kefir, whey or yogurt, as desired). Cover and allow to soak for 12-24 hours.

After soaking, combine remaining ingredients. Pour into a greased 8 x 8 pan and cover with chopped nuts, if desired. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.

If you want to skip out on the soaking, follow these directions:

In a large bowl, combine the flour and sugar; cut in the butter/coconut oil until crumbly. Add cocoa, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, nutmeg, salt and cloves; mix well. Make a well in the center; pour in the buttermilk and stir until moistened. Transfer to a greased 8 x8 baking pan and sprinkle with nuts. Bake as instructed above.

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Practicing Hospitality: Chapter 7

By on March 30, 2009 in missions & ministry

Wel­come back for our chap­ter 7 dis­cus­sion on Prac­tic­ing Hos­pi­tal­ity: The Joy of Serv­ing Others by Pat Ennis & Lisa Tat­lock. This is part 7 of an eight week dis­cus­sion on this book. Past chapter summaries can be viewed here: part 1, part 2, part 3,  part 4 , part 5 & part 6.We are so glad you decided to join us! I Even if you are not par­tic­i­pat­ing in the study, I encour­age you to keep reading. Chapter 7 focused on Hospitality & Culture.

SUMMARY

Understanding culture is important to hospitality because Scripture clearly teaches the priority of including the stranger or alien in our hospitality endeavors (Ex. 22:21; Lev. 19:34; Deut. 10:12-21; Ps. 146:9; Heb. 12:2). The nations of the world are coming to America. In fact, in many cities of America, internationals outnumber Caucasians. You do not need to go to a foreign country to be confronted with different cultures and peoples needy of the gospel. We have immigrants, students, and those who are here on business purposes surrounding us if we simply look around.

When international students come to our country, for example, nearly 90% never enter an American’s door!  They are new to our culture, surroundings, and experiences, and need love and compassionate people to befriend them and guide them in the process. Many come from closed countries…most are the brightest and best representing their country. Could we make an impact that could result in the spread of the gospel to the nations?

“To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some” (1 Cor. 9:22). Paul communicates the importance of adapting our methods of communication to fit our audience in a relevant way for the sake of the gospel!

“Hospitality is missions. Hospitality is a tool you can use to love people and make ‘disciples of all nations’ of the world (Matt. 28:18-20). Consideration of culture is a key element in practicing hospitality as you endeavor to model Christ’s love – so ‘that they may be saved’ (1 Cor. 10:33).” (page 200)

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Fuzzi Bunz Cloth Diaper giveaway!

By on March 29, 2009 in news & giveaways

After our recent discussion on cloth diapering, Fuzzi Bunz donated a 3 pack of their pocket perfect size diapers to give away to one lucky reader! (I want to win them myself! The winner may select what size and colors they would like. I personally have not used fuzzi bunz as of yet, but I have heard rave reviews of their durability and perfect fit sizing. I personally think pocket diapers are the easiest cloth diapering system as they dry very fast, rarely leak, and come in an assortment of cute colors. Read more about the Fuzzi Bunz features here.

To Enter:

1. Simply add a comment below and consider sharing your favorite cloth diapering tip or recommendation!

Giveaway ends: Thursday, April 2, 2009 at 5:00 pm PST. Winner will be randomly drawn and announced on Friday.

Giveaway limited to US participants only.

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Vaccines: What to do?

By on March 27, 2009 in bellies & babies, health & nutrition

I have received several emails inquiring as to what our family has decided in regards to vaccines. As we prayerfully evaluated which route would be the best for our family, we found the following resources to be extremely helpful. I do not desire to raise a debate, nor am I any sort of doctor, but rather my desire is to share some interesting resources. It is important for each of us to make an informed decision!

The Vaccine Book: Making the Right Decision for Your Child by Dr. Sears is a very informative and balanced approach on all the different types of vaccines. The Vaccine Book is divided into 19 chapters. The first 12 chapters are each devoted to a different vaccine. Within each vaccine chapter, Dr. Sears discusses:

  • What the disease is
  • When the vaccine is given
  • How the vaccine is made
  • What ingredients are in the vaccine
  • What are the side effects of the vaccine
  • Should you give your baby the vaccine (including both reasons for and against, as well as travel considerations)
  • The way Dr. Sears sees it

According to Dr. Sears, the main concern currently is the addition of aluminum to certain vaccines. Mercury was removed since 2002 with the exception of the flu shot and trace amounts in a few vaccines, but aluminum and other chemicals (including formaldehyde) remain…

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Product Review: Green Bags!

By on March 25, 2009 in natural & green, recipes & kitchen tips

Have you experienced the joys of opening your vegetable drawer only to discover that your broccoli has gone yellow and your spinach is mushy? You are most likely better than me in using all your produce in a timely fashion. This can be a great source of frustration, especially when it is carefully purchased organic produce. For the last year, I have been purchasing produce through local sources, including trying out various CSA’s and a produce co-op. All this produce comes free of any storage bags. My dilemma has been…what do I store them in to preserve their freshness in the fridge? I tried storing them on their own which only resulted in flimsy/soggy produce.

Enter…green bags! I was very skeptical at first, especially after reading the reviews on Amazon, but after finding these at a local eco-friendly store, I thought I would give them a try. They do seem to work from my experience. I had placed some broccoli in one of these bags before the baby was born. Three weeks later, I am up and returning to the kitchen. My broccoli is still perfectly green! No waste whatsoever! You get 20 bags for $10 and they can be used up to 10 times each. Frugal and re-usable is a nice feature. According to the package they are perfectly safe and preserve the freshness with a natural mineral “oya” that extends the life of produce by absorbing and removing the ethylene gasses that cause normal deterioration. They discourage mold and decay from growing in your fridge!

It was definitely a good investment for the time being.  Ultimately, I would like to find a non-disposable alternative, but for now…this works for me!

Has anyone tried these bags? What was your experience? Any other recommendations for naturally preserving produce?

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Adjusting to Life with Two

By on March 24, 2009 in bellies & babies, news & giveaways

A typical morning lately at our house resembles something like this…a little potty training, lots of cloth diaper changes, dealing with a difficult stage in child training a toddler, and all!

The clock chimes seven o-clock and the baby awakes (if we are lucky). Titus is fed while we have our morning devotions. Karis awakens and needs a diaper change and dressed for the day (and do that hair so we can see her little face!). Mommy needs to get dressed. Karis is extremely hungry and makes it known. Mommy prepares breakfast while trying to figure out what should be pulled out for dinner. Titus begins to scream with tiredness and ready for a morning nap. Mommy prepares to get Titus ready for a nap while delivering breakfast to Karis and Daddy, only to discover that Titus has burped up everywhere and needs a new outfit (yes, he is a burper!). Change Titus and lay him down for a nap.

Mommy finally sits down for her breakfast only to last for a minute or two before Karis has completed her breakfast and wants to get down and read stories with Mommy. Mommy engulfs her breakfast while reading stories and trying to clean up the kitchen (or at least throwing it all in the sink!). She looks into the mirror and decides it would be nice to do her hair but only after Karis sits down on the potty chair and Titus has been nursed and changed once again. It is 11:30 am and time for lunchtime. Wow! Life is busy and I only have two!

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Practicing Hospitality: Chapter 6

By on March 23, 2009 in building the family, missions & ministry

Wel­come back for our chap­ter 6 dis­cus­sion on Prac­tic­ing Hos­pi­tal­ity: The Joy of Serv­ing Others by Pat Ennis & Lisa Tat­lock. This is part 6 of an eight week dis­cus­sion on this book. Past chapter summaries can be viewed here: part 1, part 2, part 3,  part 4 & part 5.We are so glad you decided to join us! I Even if you are not par­tic­i­pat­ing in the study, I encour­age you to keep reading. Chapter 6 focused on Hospitality & Others.

SUMMARY

James 1:14-16 begins this chapter, “What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that faith save anyone? Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, ‘Goodbye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well’ – but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?”

What is Biblical Compassion?

Hospitality is not about you and me. It is “a sense of empathy for the distress of others coupled with the desire to minimize that distress and demonstrate kindness and mercy.” Compassionate hospitality takes the attention off of ourselves and directs it upon others. Compassion leads to action. Jesus is our primary example. He actively felt compassion for the lost and hungry multitudes that constantly surrounded Him and demanded His attention. He tirelessly gave Himself to meet their needs, both physical (with the provision of food) and spiritually (ministering to their heart). Read more: Matt. 14:13-21; Mark 6:31-44; 8:2; Luke 9:11-17.

If we follow in the footsteps of Jesus our hospitality will include: nurturing the abandoned; providing material needs; weeping, mourning, praying, and, when appropriate, fasting for others; sharing your faith with the spiritually bankrupt (Matt. 11:28-30); encouraging the weak and oppressed (Isa. 40:11; 42:3; Matt. 12:18-21); assisting with the needs of the infirm; and modeling biblical compassion.

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Guest Post: Cloth Diapering 101 – Part 2

By on March 20, 2009 in bellies & babies, natural & green

Welcome back for part 2 from Lauren discussing all the different options available for cloth diapering! To read part 1, visit here. Lauren blogs over at Cloth Diaper Diaries.

Now that we’ve covered some of the main reasons for using cloth, I’d like to break down the methods of cloth diapering.  I know that when I first began my research I was incredibly intimidated by the whole idea of everything about it: from making the initial purchase, to actually using and washing cloth diapers.  In fact, I was so intimidated and overwhelmed that I researched…and researched…and researched!  My husband finally said, “If you’re going to do this, please just do it and stop spending so much time on the internet reading about it!”  I really hope that by the end of this post I’ve helped to simplify some of what’s mystifying, and supplied you with the information and encouragement you need to make the switch yourself!

What is meant by “cloth diapering”?

To me, there are four ways to diaper a child in cloth: prefolds and covers, fitteds and covers, pockets, and all-in-ones.  I’m going to try to give a complete explanation of each style, but it won’t be as thorough as the information you can find on my cloth blog or many other places online.  If you find you still have more questions after this post, please visit my blog and look in the “Quick-Click Table of Contents” on the right-hand side of the page.  If you don’t see a tab for your question, just leave a comment or send me an email and ask – I’m always happy to help when I can!

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Guest Post: Cloth Diapering 101 – Part 1

By on March 19, 2009 in bellies & babies, natural & green

Guest post by Lauren, mother of two, who has tried practically every form of cloth diapering method on the market and offers her advice, reviews and recommendations through her blog, Cloth Diaper Diaries. Lauren has already been a huge resource for me in figuring out some diapering issues with our little people! Thanks for sharing Lauren!

When I was about three months pregnant with my daughter and my son was 16 months old, I suddenly began to think about the overwhelming cost of keeping two children in disposable diapers.  “How will we ever be able to afford that on our budget??” I frantically wondered.   So I turned back to something I had briefly mused on while pregnant with our son: cloth diapering.  I was amazed to learn how many more reasons to cloth diaper there are than just concerns for your budget!   Then, of course, I was a little stunned by all the different diapering styles and brands – it’s just so much information to absorb!  (Whoops, no pun intended!)  Today I hope to share some information with you on the why and how of cloth diapering.

There are three main reasons that people choose to cloth diaper: environmental concerns about the abundant waste caused by disposable diapers, the potential for adverse effects on a child’s health (including excessive or perpetual diaper rash) from using disposable diapers, and the tremendous expense of disposable diapers.

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Guest Post: Biblical Foundations for Child Education – Part 2

By on March 18, 2009 in building the family, learning at home

This is part 2 of a two part guest post by Jessica, mother of two, who is joyfully serving alongside her husband as they minister as international church planters in Eastern Europe. For part 1, visit here.

Previously I told you about what my husband and I are currently doing with our children for their biblical education.  I wanted to share with a few resources to help you out.

Resources that we read to help us get started:

Family Driven Faith by Voddie Baucham

This is one of the three must read books that I recommend to parents.  Dr. Baucham unashamedly explains how it is parents’ responsibility to be discipling their children and explains ways to get started.  The book goes through an exegesis of Deuteronomy 6 to present the argument.  Dr. Baucham challenges the current trend of youth groups and public schooling and even if you don’t agree with everything he presents, you will be challenged to evaluate your family’s practices.  I highly recommend that both the husband and wife read this book and discuss the principles.  My husband said that after reading it, he was really challenged to make sure he was living up to his responsibility for discipling his family if he wanted to be a man.

Family Worship In the Bible, In History, and In your Home by Donald Whitney

This is a short book that presents the biblical history of family worship and gives suggestions of how to start family worship time and what type of components should be included in this time.  Again, both spouses should read it or singles should read it and choose a spouse who desires for family worship time.

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