Friday, January 27, 2012

Tortillas Homemade


We really enjoy Mexican food
the kidlets love beans and rice
and the boy also loves himself a taco


I've been making my own refried beans
and my own mexican rice for sometime now
it is really easy


So I decided to try my hand at homemade tortillas.
I'm addicted to Pinterest
and my homemade tortillas recipe
was found while pinning.
4 ingredients
seriously how simple is that
these were difficult to roll out


but I do think I overworked them
when I made the dough in the morning


the tortillas were a bit thicker then I wanted
they were difficult to roll out by hand
but we actually prefered them over the store bought ones
I used the recipe with all white flour as it was my first time making them


Ursula, our new kitten really wanted in on the dinner


Here you can see my little man as almost cleared his plate
he loved it all


girly, she can not leave Ursula alone
it's a good thing this kitten is patient
she really enjoyed the tortilla
and ended up eating it plain

Dinner was enjoyed by all!

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Menu Plan Monday

MONDAY
Company Over
Lasagna 
Salad

TUESDAY
Meatless
Curried ChickPeas
Brown Basmati Rice
Naan
Salad

WEDNESDAY
BBQ Steak
Potatoes
Salad

THURSDAY
from the freezer
Chicken Enchiladas
Rice
Cut Veggies

FRIDAY
Homemade Pizza
Cut Veggies

SATURDAY
From the freezer
Corn Chowder
Salad

SUNDAY
Breakfast for Dinner

For many many more menu ideas
be sure to check out

Thursday, January 19, 2012

A Sparrow's visit

 I've done some research and our little visitor from the other day, as close as I can figure, is some sort of sparrow.  The closest I found was a Gold Crown Sparrow.

 He flew into our front bay window.  I called my husband to come and get him from out of the snow.  
I'm a sucker for any animal, as long as it's not dead...then I don't deal with it.
 We brought him, named 'rumble' by my son, a transformer name FYI, into the house to assess the damage.  I couldn't find anything broken.  
Rumble seemed fine.  
In fact, he sat all cozy on my touque and preened himself.
 Rumble checked us out and preened some more.  
He was so calm.
 Rumble even let my girly pet him and I pet him.  
And all the while he just sat and preened.
Rumble finished his preening and decided to check us out for a bit.  
He looked and looked. 
Not once seeming skittish or scared.  
Just curious.
 I was amazed. 
For many reasons.  
The night before my little man and I had just read a devotion based on Luke 12:7 - Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
We hung a bird feeder outside our kitchen window some weeks ago.  
I love watching the birds.  
The kids and I often talk about all the different birds, many of them sparrows.
I love how God uses unexpected things to show His love for us.
After checking us out, Rumble casually, jumped off the touque and flew to my shoulder where he perched for a minute.  
Again, I was amazed.
Then he decided to fly to the window to go out.  
I picked him up and he sat so nice in my hand and was happy to sit there even as I opened the window to let him fly out.  
He had no intention of leaving.  
He sat for sometime on my hand, observing.  
I brought him back in, stroked him a bit.  
Then figured he was ready.  He had other plans.  He just sat on my fingers.  
Finally a gust of wind knocked him off balance a bit and he decided to head to the safety of the bush.
What a great experience to share with my kids.  
And an amazing experience for me to be reminded how much God loves us.

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Snow Day

Here in the Valley we don't get to many snowy days where the snow sticks around.  Often it's just to wet and soggy to play in it.  According to the weather man we can expect a few more days like this, then as per normal we will have rain.  I'm happy to not have to head out onto the roads.








Monday, January 16, 2012

Menu Plan Monday

Wow, the snow is coming down!  The weather man has said our valley is going to be hit hard today and more this week.  I'm not a huge fan of snow.  Our snow is usually heavy and wet and now super fun to play in.  But we don't have to go out today so we can just stay home and let the kids enjoy the snow.
Also God is really teaching us with our finances.  One income is hard, but we are learning.  My challenge is to save on groceries and so for the last few weeks I've only been buying perishables and my cupboards are getting a bit more empty.
I was able to hit everything on my menu plan last week so that was great and this week should be a good one to.

MONDAY
homemade pizza
with salad

TUESDAY
I have a large batch cooking day
with ladies at the church beside my house
so we'll have a meal from the cook day
not sure what yet,
but they are always fantastic meals
served with salad

WEDNESDAY
Tacos
my kids just love them and really
so do the big kids
veggies

THURSDAY
BBQ Chicken and rice
salad

FRIDAY
homemade turkey burgers
salad
SATURDAY
veggie and bean soup of some sort
served with crackers and cut veg

SUNDAY
breakfast for dinner

for more menu planning ideas 
be sure to check out 

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

We all need Grace

I've been married for barely over 8 years now of my 36 years.  I'm still in the baby stages compared to some people of marriage.  This has been some of the hardest 8 years I have ever had.  Just when you think you have it figured out, the rules change.  There is no reason why, things happen and the old rule book is tossed out the window.
My husband and I will both tell you it's by the grace of God that we stayed married our first year.  There were many times when we both wanted to leave the other.  It was tough.  That adjustment.  Let's be honest, it's still tough, and then you throw kids into the mix.  It's hard.   I find people are mostly understanding that marriage is a lifetime of learning and understanding the other person in your life.
People often give grace for circumstances.  And we make allowances for people because we know they are in a new learning curve.  It could be marriage, kids, a new job, a diagnosis to deal with.
I am finding however, the grace period for losing the love of your life, your children's father, the person you planned your life with, is different.  I think it's because maybe it scares people.  They don't want to be confronted with one of their worst fears.  They want the person to just 'get over it' and 'move on'. They do not what to be reminded it could happen to them.  They just want to ignore it, maybe then it's not true.
My sister was married for 20 years and 18 days until her husband was tragically killed in an accident.
There is not one person on earth, other then my sister, who can ever know how hard she fought for her marriage.  She went through so much in her marriage.  She is honestly one of the strongest people I know.  And being her sister I know a lot of what she went thru for her marriage.  I'm not sure too many have fought that hard.
She married young, 18, had a baby at 19 and married someone who still wanted to party and not raise a family.  But she fought and fought hard.  Their house burnt down on a canada day, while they were camping.  She was pregnant, very pregnant, in fact she had her baby 11 days later....with NOTHING, really NOTHING, they lost everything in the fire and they had to endure being accused of arranging it.  And still they fought on.  They had to endure so much in their marriage, not any more or less then others.  But it was a lot and people were often amazed to hear they were still married, knowing part of their history.  Most that is not worth digging up on the blog.
After working so hard for 20 years in her marriage, it was suddenly and so unexpectedly gone.  No warning.  My sister came home from grocery shopping for a pool party that her husband had just talked to her about having the next day not even 4 hours earlier to find the police waiting for her.
Everyone's worst nightmare come true for her.
So after fighting for her marriage for 20 years, not even 5 months after Darren's tragic death and people are accusing her of not moving on.  Asking why she's not back at work.  These people have not had to deal with a death I think.   She is still trying to finish off Darren's business.  Almost everyday she gets a phone call where she has to again tell someone again that Darren died and to hear their condolences.  She has to talk to the coroner and again explain who she is and find out why the autopsy report is not done.  Almost 5 months later and things are still not 'wrapped up'.
She was married more of her life then she wasn't.   And in 5 months she is supposed to have forgotten that and be able to move on without grief in her ever step.  When everything she has to do or look at is from her life with Darren.    Why hasn't she moved on...think about it.  Extend some grace.  She has lost something she spent 20 years fighting for.
I'd like to see how easy it would be for you to 'move on' and 'get over it'.
I think we can all extend a little more grace.

Monday, January 9, 2012

Menu Plan Monday


Last week I didn't really consider
what I had in my house when
I made up my menu plan
I don't recommend doing this
I did however manage to
still make meals, 
just not the ones I had written down

this week, I've been more intentional
my goal is to only have to shop for perishables

MONDAY
Bean and Rice Tacos
Salad

TUESDAY
Chicken Tetrizzini 
(from the freezer)
Salad

WEDNESDAY
Chicken Burgers
Salad

THURSDAY
Sweet and Sour Ham Steaks
(from the freezer)
Rice
Salad

FRIDAY 
Company coming
Spaghetti
Meat Sauce
Salad

SATURDAY
Farmers Soup
(from the freezer)

SUNDAY
Breakfast for Dinner

This meal plan is much more realistic for me this week
my grocery list is for vegetables and fruit
I hope to stock up on ground turkey
as Neufelds has a good sale on

for more menu planning ideas
head over to

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Happy New Year

To say this has been a difficult season is an understatement.  We begin the new year with holes in our lives.  I miss my brother in law more then I thought I would.  We also tragically lost an aunt (my dad's sister in law) and we lost my amazing grandma at the age of 92 (my dad's mom).
Everyone in my family is tired.  Emotions are high.  Even after more than 4 months it's hard to believe that Darren is gone.  I still think it's a bad dream a lot of the time. We are all just spent.
Most every time I leave my house I'm asked by people how my sister and her kids are doing.  I never know how to answer this.  There is so much intricately involved in losing the love of your life the father of your children.  It's far from over after the funeral is done.  Darren had all is paperwork in order and yet things are still moving slow to be finished up in that area.  Frankly there is just to much to go into detail in regards to the death paperwork, but it will be some time before things are finished. 
I asked my sister what she wanted me to tell people on how she was doing.  She said to just tell them that she is waking up each day and breathing.  Right now, that is a difficult job.  I can tell that slowly she is taking small steps, so small she might not even realize it herself.  Now it's easier to hold a conversation with her; her memory is a bit better and other things that are hard to put words to.  She is still broken, how could she not be, as are her kids.
We had our family Christmas at her house and the hole that Darren left was noticeable.  We had more tears and more prayers.  But we also did laugh and enjoy our family time.  It will never be the same.
We have no choice but to move forward because the days will not stop coming.  
As you move forward into this year, make a resolution to let your family know how much you love them each day.  Go out of your way to say I love you and do special things for your loved ones.  Spend time together, choose family time, not TV time.  My sister is forever grateful that 5 minutes before Darren was killed he told her that he loved her.  He didn't know he was going to be hit by a car and die instantly when he started back out on his ride, but he knew he loved my sister and he told her, just because.  Wouldn't you want your loved to have those last words from you?

Sunday, January 1, 2012

First Menu Plan of 2012


So one thing I want to change this year...
how we eat
My family eats well and we eat fairly clean
I try to limit processed foods
and use lots of vegetables
I just want to keep working on this with my family
and work towards a more Whole Foods eating style

This week for my family

Breakfast choices
Green smoothies with Raw Almonds
Oatmeal
Sprouted Grain Toast with PB&J
Eggs
Lunch Ideas
Left Overs
Tuna Salad on Sprouted Grain Toast or wraps
Egg Salad on Sprouted Grain Toast or wraps
PB&J wraps
Cut Veggies

MONDAY - meatless
Pinto Bean and Rice Wraps
Salad

TUESDAY
Chicken Tettrazinni from the freezer
Salad

WEDNESDAY
Kale, White Bean and Sausage Soup
Cut Veggies

THURSDAY
BBQ Chicken
Rice
Salad

FRIDAY
Homemade Burgers
Salad

So I'll see how we managed this first week of the new year
for more menu planning ideas be sure to check out