Seven Quick Takes Friday

Today I'm joining Jennifer by posting seven quick takes...

1. My husband gave our sixteen-month-old son his first haircut earlier this week. I cried. I am still not used to it, and I still wish his hair was long again.





2. We had this meal this week, and it was a big hit. If I am cooking with meat, I try not to make it the main dish. This recipe is good because the edamame is also a source of protein.


3. My mom gave me a Keurig Brewer for Christmas. Previously I have teased her for owning one herself, citing how the k-cups are overpriced are wasteful, not to mention how the Keurig Brewer lacks the intangible quality of sharing a pot of coffee with others. So I should have immediately returned the gift, and under normal circumstances I would have, but I didn’t. You see, I have three children under the age of two, and I really appreciate the convenience of the Keurig Brewer. Of course, I have every intention of returning to the old fashioned coffee maker someday, when life becomes a little less crazy.





4. I just finished going through More with Less, a collection of Mennonite recipes and tips. The cookbook’s intention is to encourage people to eat less meat and use less of the worlds resources. I am excited to try some the of the recipes. Here’s one tip that I liked: Keep a bag or container in your freezer to collect old pieces of bread. When the bag is full, you can use the bread to make bread crumbs or croutons. Sometimes I find myself throwing away a piece or two of crumbled bread when I get to the end of the loaf. Now I have something to do with those pieces!





5. I also just finished this book. I liked it and would recommend it. It’s nothing too profound, but it’s filled with lots of encouragement practical advice. It doesn’t hurt that the cover is adorable.





6. Speaking of adorable book covers, take a look at the covers of these new Penguin Threads Deluxe Classics. So beautiful. 


7. We will be planting our square foot garden this weekend. I’ve had a vegetable garden for the past couple years, but this will be our first attempt at square foot gardening. I’m excited! Did you know that a 4x4 foot square garden will produce more than a normal 8x10 foot garden?

Vegetarian Recipe: Rockin Moroccan Stew

{Photo from here.}

Our vegetarian-friend introduced this stew to us a few months ago. I made it this week and was reminded of how delicious it is! Even my husband, who is usually picky about sweet potatoes, loves this meal. It’s a great Lenten recipe to try during these last days of Lent...

Rockin Moroccan Stew
Ingredients
2 tsp olive oil
1 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup each diced celery and chipped green bell pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
3 cups vegetable broth
3 cups peeled, cubed sweet potatoes
1 can (14-½ oz) tomatoes, drained and cut up
1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp grated gingerroot
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup raisins
2 tbsp light peanut butter
2 tbsp chopped, fresh cilantro

Directions
Heat olive oil in a large, non-stick saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions, celery, green pepper, and garlic. Cook and stir until vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. 

Add all remaining ingredients, except raisins, peanut butter, and cilantro. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. 

Stir in raisins, peanut butter, and cilantro. Mix well. Simmer for 5 more minutes. Serve hot.

I omitted the raisins because I didn’t have them. Also, I doubled the amount of peanut butter and cilantro, and if you like these flavors, then I recommend doing this! This stew tastes wonderful served over brown rice.

Easy DIY Moss Letter

Here's a quick project you can try. You will need the following supplies...

• Moss (These bags are available for $1 at Dollar Tree)
• Wood or cardboard letter (My local JoAnn had their letters on sale last weekend. They have some really gorgeous, big ones; unfortunately, I didn't think I'd have a place for one so large)
• Hot glue gun
• Craft paint
• Paintbrush

Begin by painting your letter to match the color of your moss. 

Then use the hot glue to attach bunches of moss a little at a time. Continue until the entire letter is covered.

Finally, display and enjoy!

Whipped Banana Oatmeal

[image from katheats]

Are you like me in that you peel and freeze the overripe bananas that weren't eaten by your household?  Then the bananas are waiting conveniently in the freezer for smoothies and for baking.  Maybe some of you are also like me in that your stock of frozen bananas grows a lot faster than you use them!

Well here is another wonderful way to use those bananas, and it doesn’t require baking, which can sometimes to daunting! Whipped banana oatmeal. Doesn’t even the name make your mouth water? Previously I made it on the stovetop, like she suggests, but making it in the microwave works well too. I add ground flax seeds to the recipe. She offers many variations, but my favorite is to top it with almonds and a little brown sugar.

I’ve realized that adding a ripe banana is also a great way to sweeten oatmeal for my little son. I just pull one from the freezer, and I plop it in the bowl before microwaving.

While on the subject of bananas...when I do bake (something I’ve yet to do since giving birth to my twins in January!), this is my favorite healthy banana muffin recipe, and this banana cake is delicious.

Giveaway Winner

Thanks to those of you who supported my Etsy giveaway! The winner is commenter #4, 31Summers. She will receive this spool stand.

A Prayer: To Be a Sacrifice

Father of all

You who poured out your love upon all humankind

Help me to willingly pour out myself

For the sake of my husband, my children, and the world

Jesus, Savior of the world

You who poured out your very self as you hung upon the cross

Help me to willingly pour out myself

For the sake of my husband, my children, and the world

Spirit of God

You who poured out your breath upon the Church

Help me to willingly pour out myself

For the sake of my husband, my children, and the world

My Car Makeup Bag (or, “How to Get Out the Door for Church On Time”)

This little trick is the only way my family makes it out the door in time for church, and maybe it will be helpful to another mother...

Since we have three little ones, Sunday mornings can be rough. I spend time getting the babies dressed and making sure they have nursed before we leave. I am lucky if I have time to brush my hair in the morning! So I have “duplicates” of my essential makeup items in a travel bag. I grab the bag on the way out the door, and I utilize the time during our brief car ride to apply my makeup. Have “duplicates,” rather then using my actual makeup, is helpful in case the makeup bag doesn’t make it out of the car with me on Sunday afternoon!

Spool Stand Giveaway

I went on maternity leave from my Etsy shop back in November of 2009, and I never reopened the shop. I have decided that if I feel capable of resuming blogging, then I am capable of reopening my shop!

In honor of the occasion, I am giving away a spool stand to one lucky reader. My spool stand is a great item for those who love pretty ribbons but can never find the perfect way to store them! It keeps all your spools of ribbon together in an organized way.

To enter this giveaway, please visit my Etsy shop to find your favorite spool stand color and shape. Then leave a comment indicating which color/shape combination you would choose if you win! This giveaway closes on Saturday at 5:00 p.m. central time. Thanks for entering!

Sharing the Feast of the Annunciation with Little Ones

Friday was the Feast of the Annunciation. On this day the Church celebrates the angel Gabriel’s announcement to Mary that she would give birth to a son.  The Holy Spirit overshadowed the humble virgin, and she conceived our Lord.

I asked my husband why this feast takes place during Lent. It seems to be a little out of place within the church calendar. The reason is simple. The Church celebrates the Feast of the Annunciation on March 25 because it is exactly nine months before December 25, the day when it celebrates Jesus’ birth. Advent is the season of expectation, but every mother knows that the eager expectation begins the moment you  discover that there is life in your womb! How wonderful that the Church recognizes this and allows the excitement to begin building even now.

My husband and I hope to bring our children into the rhythm of the church year in creative and age-appropriate ways. They are still very young, but we discussed ideas for how we could celebrate the Feast of the Annunciation with our children a couple years from now. We think that doing a pro-life related activity would be an appropriate way to honor the conception of Jesus. So we found this list of ideas on the internet:

• Donate money to a crisis pregnancy center.
• Donate your unwanted maternity clothing or baby items.
• Organize a baby food and diaper drive at your church.
• Volunteer to watch children at the local center.
• Open your home to a pregnant woman for the duration of her pregnancy and aftercare.
• Offer to pay for an expectant mother’s medical care.
• Drive a pregnant woman to her prenatal appointments.
• Pay for a crisis pregnancy center ad in the Sunday newspaper.

The First Post, A Second Time

For some reason, I started thinking about my blog recently. I found myself coming up with ideas and wishing that I was still writing. After a couple weeks of deliberation, I have decided to resume maintaining this blog.

This decision did not come without a lot of consideration. My biggest concern was my motivation. Why would I have a blog? More importantly, for whom would I write? Myself? My ego? Is it a place for inspiration, or is it a place for self-promotion? I don’t want this to be a facade for my own narcissism.

Another concern is that there are times when unconsciously I gravitate to the internet to escape. When I want to turn my mind off. When I want to disengage from the world around me, from my neighbors, and even from my family. I don’t want to be that way. And even worse, I don’t want to cause someone else to be that way. I don’t want to keep my readers from loving their neighbors because they are sitting alone at their desks.

With these concerns on my mind, I cautiously write this new post. A lot has happened in the two years since my last blog post. Actually, our family has experienced several major, life-changing events.  I gave birth to our firstborn son. My husband was ordained a priest in the Anglican Church. We moved across the country. And I gave birth to our twin boys. So now I write as someone who has quickly become a mother of three (my son and my twins are only 13 months apart!). I intend for this blog to continue being a collection of the many little pieces that decorate our lives. Welcome to These Little Pieces.