Farm fresh

We recently joined Abundant Harvest Organics and receive a box of farm fresh food every week. So far we have been really happy with the variety and quality of the fruits and vegetables. I was a little concerned if we would get a good amount of produce for our money but everything above was all from our first week. It is also a fun challenge to try and use all the different food we receive. I have only cooked with eggplant once and never used fresh mint, acorn squash, or so many different varieties of tomatoes.

Part of the produce went into a fresh batch of salsa recently.


This week I'm thinking of making some homemade pasta and tomato sauce. I have longed to have a little garden of our own but this will have to do the trick for now. Plus, I am learning so much about different vegetables and fruits and how to use them in our menu so I feel like I'll make more informed decisions when it comes to our own garden someday.

Turning One

My baby girl turned one on July 17th. We celebrated Star Wars style with her big sister. Violet is an amazing child and I once again feel so blessed that God added her to our family a year ago. Some of you may know but we had a miscarriage two years ago and then became pregnant with Violet a couple months later. This experience made me nervous throughout my pregnancy but I'm so thankful to have a faithful Father who carried us through that experience. Even though I can't explain all the whys of losing our baby, I find comfort and peace in trusting Him. One of the many blessings that came from that difficult experience was added joy in the birth of Violet. It felt like such a celebration of life and the blessing of children.

Violet, you are truly a joy to your daddy and me. Here are a few of the many things about you that make me smile...

-the way you say hi by reaching out to us in excitement
-your little tentative, wobbly steps
-your "kisses" face


-your "cheese" face
-the way you laugh when Sydney plays with you
-the fact that you giggle so much and so easily
-the way you say "Dad, Daddy, Dada, Dad" all day long until he comes home
-how you lay your head on my shoulder when you're tired
-your little chubby hand signing "please"
-how you drink from a straw until you are breathless (someday soon you realize you just have to stop sucking)
-your love for water (we find you in the tub even when it is empty)
-how brave you are

Right now you love all things with buttons, all fruit, and anybody who will pick you up. You don't like being told no, skipping naps, or being quiet in the car.


Little padawan, you are my heart's joy. I pray that this coming year is filled with adventure, exploration, and discovery. I pray that as you become a young lady you are brave and courageous in your walk with the Lord. I love you, Vi!

Much love and blessings,
Mama

Homemade Pizza and More Bread

We made homemade pizza using the one-hour bread recipe. It was delicious. I'm still learning how long to bake it and we are experimenting with toppings. Even little Violet loved the pizza. Next time I would like to try a whole wheat crust and bake it at a higher temperature to try and get the bottom nice and crisp.


I have made the bread several times now. The family favorite so far is the whole wheat (with flax seed). It is so great and has the perfect texture. I also made little breadsticks for Violet but they didn't turn out quite right. I think I just overcooked them but the flavor was good. I just used the whole wheat bread but added in some mashed strawberries at the end. I will probably try making them again for her.

Happy Birthday Sydney!

My first born baby girl is FIVE today. Can you tell I'm in denial? I just can't believe this precious girl is FIVE! Really? Five? But yes, she keeps assuring me that she is indeed five today.

Sydney...


When you were born:
- you were right on time.
- you had a head full of dark hair (we still don't know where that's from.)
- you immediately stole Daddy heart.
- you had the hiccups multiple times every day (still do usually).
- your Grammie, Papa, Oma, and Frankie were all at the hospital.
- I already loved you.


Today at five:
- you have a heart for kids less fortunate than you.
- you always can make Violet laugh the hardest.
- you are beginning to spell and read.
- you love making up songs and singing loudly for all to hear.
- you love learning new things.
- you are Mommy's helper in everything from laundry to cooking.
- you still have Daddy's heart.
- your favorite movie is How to Train Your Dragon.
- you say "fail" when something goes wrong.
- you love Star Wars.
- you love playing Little Big Planet.
- I love you even more.

Darling girl, I can't wait to see all that God has in store for you. This coming year you start Kindergarten, you will be learning Korean, and you will begin Awanas. And these are just the things we have planned. I am truly blessed to have you as my daughter. I pray that you will always feel loved, continue growing in compassion, and grow into a girl and young woman who hungers for the Lord. I love you, Syd.

_Mama

Beginning embroidery

Sydney is always interested in trying different crafts. I have been meaning to let her experiment with some hand embroidery for some time now. Last week I let her pick out some fabric and thread from my stash. She picked out some Anna Maria Horner fabric (she is a girl after my own heart) and some pink thread (of course). She decided to add some stitches around the different designs on the fabric. We talked about all different things we could do with her embroidery once she was finished: a shirt, skirt, purse, etc. In the end she decided she wanted to use it as a hankie so that she could start using it immediately.

Baking Bread

I recently discovered a great recipe via The Sky is Pink. I knew right away that a one hour bread recipe was something I wanted to try. We have been making it frequently for the past few weeks. We have made the regular loaf, cinnamon rolls, and cinnamon bread. My favorite so far is the cinnamon bread: toasted with butter for the perfect breakfast...or snack. These two loaves above are for friends.

This is a great recipe to make with kids. Sydney loves making it. The bread has a thick homemade bread texture and a rich taste. I think it is perfect to serve with soups and pastas because it is a great tool to soak up all that extra sauce and juice.

Now that I have made the recipe a few times I am ready to start adjusting and experimenting with the bread. I am going to try using wheat flour as well as adding in some flax seed. I also would love to try pizza. I'm thinking fresh basil and tomatoes would be yummy. Finally, I think I would like to try some sort of nut bread too. I'll let you know how it goes and share our experiments with you.

Beautiful Pottery

I have had my eye out for a nice cake stand for awhile so when I spotted this one that Oh Joy shared I fell in love. Although these are a bit out of my price range, I love them! I may have to save and splurge on a little one in the future. All Jeanette Zeis creations are amazing so go take a look.