Raw???

I have to tell you - I am falling in love with raw foods! I am not 100% (I know some of you were worried!) but I do try to eat LOTS of raw - and I am not munching on carrots or lettuce all day! Here are some of my current favorites:



This is a veggie sandwich - everything is raw. I finally found a raw bread recipe I like!












Same sandwich with a WONDERFUL curry soup beside it - again all raw. If you don't believe how good the soup is, ask Amy Barnes - I made some for her family a few days ago and they ate it up! Literally!








Just tonight I saw this recipe and wanted to make it. I did not indulge in this for Thanksgiving because I did not want the sugar - Pecan Pie. Oh MY GOSH, this raw one is so much better than it's cooked counterpart and took me all of 5 minutes to make it! Yep - I can eat like this......





Tonight after making this I started thinking about a friend of ours, Nicole Watson, because she makes such beautiful (and really good) desserts. Wondered if she could find a market for making raw desserts and foods.... I have been looking into a place called RAWvolution that will make you a weeks worth of raw food and ship it to you. I would just bet she could top his recipes!

Jack Jack

These are not the greatest quality, but the kids and I had a fun time taking pictures of our newest Blessing!

School days

Since it is SOOO very cold outside (I think it was Jeff Foxworthy that said "if 60 degrees is a bit chilly - you live in Texas"..) we have been having a great time with "school". Of course if it is nice outside.....




Katie hitting the books















Card love to do "schools" - just like his big sister













Bella plays in the living room with her school stuff and a couple toys. I just put her on a car mat (one of those little mats that has a town on it for your hot wheels...) and she gets her crayons, a couple books, and a few toys. She stays here until we are all done with school. I usually go over and read her a book - she LOVES to be read to.








Jack chills in the high chair


















Cards first "school" day. He colored all these himself without any help from me - I was floored! I asked him when he started "which one is different?" and he went from there!

Christmas Set Up

Katie hooked up the lights.
















Card and Bella set up the train

















Mama and Daddy did the tree

















and Jack laid around looking cute!

Organic Really Is Better For You....

A couple quotes:

The study found that organic fruit and vegetables contained as much as 40% more antioxidants, which scientists believe can cut the risk of cancer and heart disease, Britain’s biggest killers. They also had higher levels of beneficial minerals such as iron and zinc.

Leifert said the government was wrong about there being no difference between organic and conventional produce. “There is enough evidence now that the level of good things is higher in organics,” he said.

Read the whole article here: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/health/article2753446.ece

A sugar is a sugar is a sugar...right????

I have been doing much research on sugar. I have 4 (to date) reasons to research this topic.... In a few laboratory studies I have conducted (holiday meals) I have noticed that when my subjects indulged in the "treats" that abounded, they were very difficult to deal with for hours afterwards and then they fall into an almost drug induced sleep. I am thoroughly convinced that white sugar is the culprit! Here is some of my research findings to date:

A: Fruit sugar is not the same as refined sugar. Fruit actually contains the fiber and carbs that God intended to go along with the fruit sugar (also known as fructose). Amazing how God designed it to work that way!
http://www.newstarget.com/002038.html

B:Sugar is addictive (remember about the drug induced sleep I mentioned?) - I double dog dare you to abstain from sugar (this includes hidden sugar: ketchup, breads, meats, ALL fast food (reference link below), most sauces, dressings, condiments in general..... You will have a pounding headache in a couple days and be very difficult to be around. Is that not withdrawal???
http://www.angelfire.com/az/sthurston/sugar_addiction.html

C:Sugar actually feeds cancer. Yep - cancer feeds on the sugar in your body. Everyone has cancer cells in their body - it is how you treat your body that is the deciding factor. You will either feed it healthy life giving foods or death acceleration foods.....your choice.
http://nutritioncancer.com/sugarfeedscancer.html

Some NATURALLY occuring healthy alternitives to sugar - if you just must have something sweet.
http://www.allaboutagave.com/agave-vs-granular.php
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=96

Note that all sweetners (i.e. agave, honey, etc..) will cause your bloodsugar to rise (not a HUGE spike like table sugar though) as they do not have the fiber to slow down digestion. however - since agave and honey both have enzymes (if they are raw) your body can easily digest them - no blood sugar spike! Not so with white table sugar........

Also look into the herb Stevia. I have not done tons of research on this as my hubby does not really care for it, but I would venture to say it is even better for you than agave or honey since it is an herb. Though I dont know much about the processesing. I have just read that raw stevia is better for you than stevia extract (the less processing the better!).
I am still researching to date - I will let you in on any other exciting facts :)

Oh yes, just a couple other interesting links I have run across,

surprise ingredients in your fast food......
http://www.newstarget.com/022194.html

have you looked at the ingredients list for your "healthy" fast food choices????
http://www.mcdonalds.com/app_controller.nutrition.categories.ingredients.index.html

Please Pray for Baby Kyle

Please pray for this precious little one and his family - he was born at 23 weeks gestation - 1 pound 5 ounces and 11 1/2 inches long.

http://www.prayforkyle.com/

Puppies Everywhere

Here are the pups with their Mum - we still have 3 available...any takers???

Pooh

My little Pooh bear.....

The Many Faces of Jack

I am not kidding when I say this is his typical dispostion...















The dimples are just too cute!!

Bella Mommy

Bella is nursing her babydoll. It is so cute, she gets a pillow and puts it on her lap, raises her shirt, and nurses. My little mommy is growing up!

Our sweet boy - November 12, 2007

See those dimples - hence the name Jack. His great-grandpa Jack in PA has those same sweet dimples.












This is his typical disposition.













Think he is getting enough to eat..........

I am the Way, the Truth, and the Light.....

Contemplation

Soap makin time

Myself and two other ladies (Debbi Kuritza and Brenda) made soap this Friday. It was a fun time, even though it is a bit stressful dealing with lye.....
















Bubblin brew...fat that is...like the stuff attached to your hips....at least my hips

Somebody found their thumb...

Little man has found his thumb...

Kids

Katie and Bella in their aprons - Katie sewed this awhile back. The one Bella has on is actually a boys apron and is Card's, but he lets her borrow it....

















Jack involved in one of his two favorite activities....















Bella in competition with Jack....












The kids with their Great- Grandmother "Little Mom-Mom" .

Concrete!

Yea - we finally got the first portion of concrete poured! Now everything can be moved to this side and, Lord willing, soon we will be able to finish the other half. Now Will can start using some of the wood in the barn though - soapmolds, chairs, hope chest, etc....

Thank you Lord for Your provisions!!

These days...

We here at the farm have lots going on....



We are spending as much time as possible outside right now! It is so beautiful - the creek has running water, there is a fall crisp in the air, and we are enjoying every minute of it! When we are not playing in the creek we are "up the driveway" riding bikes. At the end of our very long driveway is a park with a boat ramp to the lake and a very long stretch of road that runs along the front of our property. This is the perfect place for the little ones to ride their bikes while Mama gets a walk in. They love doing this - so our homeschooling includes 1-2 hours of P.E. everyday and boy do we have a good time!









Dad-dad and Mom-mom came down for a visit- mostly because Katie informed Card that Dad-dad always brings a pumpkin to carve and we have pumpkin pie...funny, nobody else remembers this being a tradition, but it looks like it is now! If I could just get that pumpkin pie thing down...we had something more akin to pumpkin pudding..... well, I will just have to try again next year!




And the boys (Will and Dad) got the barn all ready for it's first coat of concrete...Yea - now Will can start on my soap molds and a whole list of other goodies...in his spare time that is.

Long time, No post

It has been awhile since I posted. I thought I would snatch a few moments to add a couple of pictures. I hear that my two toddlers are up though - so it will have to be quicker than I thought! We took these today - we actually ventured into the woods! I have really be taking it easy (you can all stop laughing now!) so it was nice to get outside and walk around a bit.



Katie - 9
Card - 3
Bella - 19 months
Jack - 3 weeks










Jack - 3 weeks