I found a wonderful site that provides comprehensive nutritional information. While looking over a recipe for Double Potato Soup, I decided to check on the nutrition it would provide my family. Both sweet potatoes and russets pack a lot of nutritional blessing!
Russet potato--Iron 18%; Vitamin C 64%; Fiber 7 g; Protein 8 g; Vitamin A 1% ; Calcium 5%
Sweet potato--Iron 8%; Vitamin C 65%; Fiber 7 g; Protein 4 g; Vitamin A 769%; Calcium 8%
Here is the recipe, from Leanne Ely's book, Saving Dinner:
Double Potato Soup
1 Tbs olive oil
2 onions, chopped
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
3 cloves garlic, pressed
2 cans chicken broth
1 tsp thyme
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups half and half
In soup pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook till translucent. Add sweet potatoes, potatoes and garlic and cook another two minutes. Add the chicken broth, thyme, and cayenne pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer covered until the potatoes are tender, about 10-15 minutes.
Use a potato masher and squish the lumps in the soup as best you can. This soup is better not processed in the blender as it is heartier this way; however, if you prefer it smoother, go ahead and blend away. Just remember to process it in batches or it'll get all over the ceiling.
Heat soup to a simmer, add salt and pepper to taste, add half and half and warm till hot, but don't boil or it will break.
Serve with spinach salad and whole-grain rolls.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Friday, December 11, 2009
Admitting Defeat
I have to admit defeat, folks. Earlier I wrote about how we would labor together in love this Christmas season, trying to bless others, despite having no money. My cookie plans were big. Too big, as it turns out.
Two years ago I had similar ideas about trying to "save" Christmas, by having my children make homemade crafts to send to relatives. To my surprise, my children turned out to be just children, not factory workers. It blew up in my face, and ended up being very stressful, and hard on my ADHD child. He enjoyed it, sure enough, but it broke his routine too many days in a row. When his symptoms worsen, I worsen as a parent--becoming more nervous, reactive, unpleasant.
Unfortunately, I had forgotten the turmoil of that Christmas.
Something really awful happened this morning to help jolt my memory.
Daddy went off to school (new schedule is Mon. and Fri. mornings), and I was scrambling, trying to get diapers changed, children into clothes, and breakfast made.
My oldest decided that, even though breakfast was minutes away, he wanted to play with the punch-out math curriculum money. No, he didn't ask. And he decided the living room floor--behind the couch and fully within baby's reach--was the place to dump it all out for his counting and figuring pleasure.
Did I mention it has many, many tiny pieces?
I was seriously irritated by this. Recently, they've forgotten frequently that small. things. cannot. be. on. our. floors. The dining room table is safe, unless a meal is forthcoming.
As I began helping to clean it up, while at the same time trying to hold my baby out of reach, my irritation grew. I decided quickly that a spanking was in order. I understand that children often forget safety rules, but there have been far too many similar instances lately. Childish ways must be left behind, and that doesn't always happen without some painful reminders.
As I reached out to plant a spanking on his bottom, he moved aside quickly, and my baby ended up taking a slap on her face.
I don't even have to tell you that I was horrified; I immediately burst into tears. I scooped her up quickly, lavishing her with love and "I'm sorrys".
This is a horrible thing to have to read, but rest assured there isn't a mark on her. And she got over it mighty quickly. She had Mommy all to herself for about thirty minutes. I wisely stayed away from the other children, while taking some time to calm down and evaluate things.
First off, we are too poor to be doing large-scale baking for relatives and church folk. I should have seen this from the start. Sometimes, Christmas just can't be about gifts--any gifts. Not even cheaply-made ones involving mostly flour, sugar, butter, and the occasional Hershey's kiss. My appointment for next week, to apply for winter heating help so our utilities don't get turned off due to non-payment, should have been my first clue that I was out of line with my baking plans.
And the second clue? Maybe the fact that the mixer motor blew out the other day--complete with tiny fire and smoke? Yeah, I catch on to clues rather slowly.
Secondly, I have to face the fact that Christmas may not include gift giving until my children are out of the home. Even if my husband's computer technology classes land him a better job, it still won't take us much above the poverty level for our large family. Tech guys start out with relatively small salaries. And, my husband's attention deficit issues may make it harder for him to achieve success in the field. It's hard not to face the fact that attention deficit issues are real handicaps. This is probably less true for a single person who has more time to organize himself, or for someone with fewer children. Medication comes with so many side effects, that the quality of life is diminished, even if general functionality seems to increase.
Thirdly, I have an ADHD son who can't take any change of routine without difficulty. One or two days of baking, or one or two days of crafting, are more realistic for him. And for me--considering the diapering and laundry and schooling.
I made some choices that are dictating how I live. One of them was marrying someone who didn't have the characteristics or the education/training of a hardy bread winner (Theology degree). There are clear blessings in that, but nevertheless, it dictates that Christmas and all other areas of life have to be very simple.
There's no money for me to take the extra classes needed to obtain an Ohio teaching credential, and there are few to no jobs in the area anyway--even if I thought God was telling me to get into the workforce. We see no indication that He is calling for that--at this time anyway.
Time to take back December. And focus. Focus. Focus.
On what He has for me...for us...at Christmastime...and everyday.
His peace is available for our family, if we just focus on the tasks he's given us. And not on those the world seems to be giving us--in terms of material living.
Two years ago I had similar ideas about trying to "save" Christmas, by having my children make homemade crafts to send to relatives. To my surprise, my children turned out to be just children, not factory workers. It blew up in my face, and ended up being very stressful, and hard on my ADHD child. He enjoyed it, sure enough, but it broke his routine too many days in a row. When his symptoms worsen, I worsen as a parent--becoming more nervous, reactive, unpleasant.
Unfortunately, I had forgotten the turmoil of that Christmas.
Something really awful happened this morning to help jolt my memory.
Daddy went off to school (new schedule is Mon. and Fri. mornings), and I was scrambling, trying to get diapers changed, children into clothes, and breakfast made.
My oldest decided that, even though breakfast was minutes away, he wanted to play with the punch-out math curriculum money. No, he didn't ask. And he decided the living room floor--behind the couch and fully within baby's reach--was the place to dump it all out for his counting and figuring pleasure.
Did I mention it has many, many tiny pieces?
I was seriously irritated by this. Recently, they've forgotten frequently that small. things. cannot. be. on. our. floors. The dining room table is safe, unless a meal is forthcoming.
As I began helping to clean it up, while at the same time trying to hold my baby out of reach, my irritation grew. I decided quickly that a spanking was in order. I understand that children often forget safety rules, but there have been far too many similar instances lately. Childish ways must be left behind, and that doesn't always happen without some painful reminders.
As I reached out to plant a spanking on his bottom, he moved aside quickly, and my baby ended up taking a slap on her face.
I don't even have to tell you that I was horrified; I immediately burst into tears. I scooped her up quickly, lavishing her with love and "I'm sorrys".
This is a horrible thing to have to read, but rest assured there isn't a mark on her. And she got over it mighty quickly. She had Mommy all to herself for about thirty minutes. I wisely stayed away from the other children, while taking some time to calm down and evaluate things.
First off, we are too poor to be doing large-scale baking for relatives and church folk. I should have seen this from the start. Sometimes, Christmas just can't be about gifts--any gifts. Not even cheaply-made ones involving mostly flour, sugar, butter, and the occasional Hershey's kiss. My appointment for next week, to apply for winter heating help so our utilities don't get turned off due to non-payment, should have been my first clue that I was out of line with my baking plans.
And the second clue? Maybe the fact that the mixer motor blew out the other day--complete with tiny fire and smoke? Yeah, I catch on to clues rather slowly.
Secondly, I have to face the fact that Christmas may not include gift giving until my children are out of the home. Even if my husband's computer technology classes land him a better job, it still won't take us much above the poverty level for our large family. Tech guys start out with relatively small salaries. And, my husband's attention deficit issues may make it harder for him to achieve success in the field. It's hard not to face the fact that attention deficit issues are real handicaps. This is probably less true for a single person who has more time to organize himself, or for someone with fewer children. Medication comes with so many side effects, that the quality of life is diminished, even if general functionality seems to increase.
Thirdly, I have an ADHD son who can't take any change of routine without difficulty. One or two days of baking, or one or two days of crafting, are more realistic for him. And for me--considering the diapering and laundry and schooling.
I made some choices that are dictating how I live. One of them was marrying someone who didn't have the characteristics or the education/training of a hardy bread winner (Theology degree). There are clear blessings in that, but nevertheless, it dictates that Christmas and all other areas of life have to be very simple.
There's no money for me to take the extra classes needed to obtain an Ohio teaching credential, and there are few to no jobs in the area anyway--even if I thought God was telling me to get into the workforce. We see no indication that He is calling for that--at this time anyway.
Time to take back December. And focus. Focus. Focus.
On what He has for me...for us...at Christmastime...and everyday.
His peace is available for our family, if we just focus on the tasks he's given us. And not on those the world seems to be giving us--in terms of material living.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
slice of holiday life
Crafting and baking with children is a blessing. I love it! But the resulting exuberance and chaos is getting to me. After we put our hyperactive happy children to bed tonight, we felt utterly exhausted--more so than we have in quite a while.
My oldest will be eight in January, so I've been a parent nearly eight years. You would think in that number of years I'd have learned how to manage them. Maybe by the time they're college age, I can do this Christmas crafting and baking thing with finesse. Ya, think? Would I still have to say, while I'm preparing the counter for baking--"Stop wrestling!" "Leave your sister alone!" "Be gentle."
Then, the dryer buzzer rings. For the second time. I simply must stop and hang the clothes this time.
Twenty minutes later, I go back to the kitchen, and smell a diaper that needs changing. Following that wrestling match fun experience with my twelve-month-old baby, my three-year-old tells me she is wet.
Fifteen minutes later, everyone is dry and happy, and I go back to preparing the counter.
Then Paul tells me the baby has a Light Bright peg in her hand. A what!? Running in there, I say, "Who got out the Light Bright, and why was it in the playroom?!
I check the floor, and sure enough, there are pegs scattered around. It's not an easy cleanup, as I have to clear the floor of larger things first. The peg colors are light, making them hard to detect on the carpet surface. As we clear the floor, I notice how badly it needs a good vacuuming--since the floor is clear, I figure I'd better take advantage of the vacuuming opportunity.
Thirty minutes later, I go back to the kitchen, and continue preparing the counter. I glance at the clock, and notice that it's time to start dinner already. I thought I had ninety minutes to work with!
Time sure flies when you're having fun going crazy!
I announce that we'll have to mix the batch of cookies after dinner, depending on behavior. It's just too close to dinner to start.
This announcement is not welcomed.
After dinner, it goes similarly--one fire to put out after another. We then get too close to bath time to start a batch of cookies. Besides, everyone is clearly tired and cranky, including Mom and Dad.
I let them decorate some cookies we'd already baked--giving them fifteen minutes to create their messes masterpieces--and then we head for the bath.
What would I do without all this to fill my days? :) I'm blessed!
But clearly, we look forward to bedtime around here.
Does anyone have a good icing recipe for cutout cookies? I disappointed my boys by mixing up a quick batch of icing using a recipe I found on the Internet (Royal Icing ll)--only to realize afterwards that it called for raw egg whites. I had to throw it out, as we are giving these cookies away, for the most part. The risk of salmonella poisoning made it seem too dangerous.
Another recipe called for meringue powder, which I don't have. The one with egg whites is perhaps only for gingerbread houses, which usually aren't eaten? I do need a recipe that would allow the cookies to be stacked without a mess--meaning it would dry hard. Thanks!
If necessary, I'll go out and get meringue powder this weekend. They must treat it somehow so salmonella isn't a risk?
Anyhow, I was hoping for something simple! :(
My oldest will be eight in January, so I've been a parent nearly eight years. You would think in that number of years I'd have learned how to manage them. Maybe by the time they're college age, I can do this Christmas crafting and baking thing with finesse. Ya, think? Would I still have to say, while I'm preparing the counter for baking--"Stop wrestling!" "Leave your sister alone!" "Be gentle."
Then, the dryer buzzer rings. For the second time. I simply must stop and hang the clothes this time.
Twenty minutes later, I go back to the kitchen, and smell a diaper that needs changing. Following that wrestling match fun experience with my twelve-month-old baby, my three-year-old tells me she is wet.
Fifteen minutes later, everyone is dry and happy, and I go back to preparing the counter.
Then Paul tells me the baby has a Light Bright peg in her hand. A what!? Running in there, I say, "Who got out the Light Bright, and why was it in the playroom?!
I check the floor, and sure enough, there are pegs scattered around. It's not an easy cleanup, as I have to clear the floor of larger things first. The peg colors are light, making them hard to detect on the carpet surface. As we clear the floor, I notice how badly it needs a good vacuuming--since the floor is clear, I figure I'd better take advantage of the vacuuming opportunity.
Thirty minutes later, I go back to the kitchen, and continue preparing the counter. I glance at the clock, and notice that it's time to start dinner already. I thought I had ninety minutes to work with!
Time sure flies when you're having fun going crazy!
I announce that we'll have to mix the batch of cookies after dinner, depending on behavior. It's just too close to dinner to start.
This announcement is not welcomed.
After dinner, it goes similarly--one fire to put out after another. We then get too close to bath time to start a batch of cookies. Besides, everyone is clearly tired and cranky, including Mom and Dad.
I let them decorate some cookies we'd already baked--giving them fifteen minutes to create their messes masterpieces--and then we head for the bath.
What would I do without all this to fill my days? :) I'm blessed!
But clearly, we look forward to bedtime around here.
Does anyone have a good icing recipe for cutout cookies? I disappointed my boys by mixing up a quick batch of icing using a recipe I found on the Internet (Royal Icing ll)--only to realize afterwards that it called for raw egg whites. I had to throw it out, as we are giving these cookies away, for the most part. The risk of salmonella poisoning made it seem too dangerous.
Another recipe called for meringue powder, which I don't have. The one with egg whites is perhaps only for gingerbread houses, which usually aren't eaten? I do need a recipe that would allow the cookies to be stacked without a mess--meaning it would dry hard. Thanks!
If necessary, I'll go out and get meringue powder this weekend. They must treat it somehow so salmonella isn't a risk?
Anyhow, I was hoping for something simple! :(
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
counting my blessings - Wednesday
- Chili with cornbread on a stormy evening
- Clementine oranges for a side dish--I think I actually ate four of those today! Don't ask me how many cookies I've eaten since we started our cookie gift venture.
- My Beth, running toward me with her sweet giggle, and knocking me over with her hug
- My Mary's blond curls, looking different every day
- My boys, giddy with excitement while decorating the sugar cookies they rolled out and pressed themselves. (Yes, in case you were wondering....it was a huge mess. I had just mopped the floor that morning. )
- My Mary, having a fabulous time in the bath with measuring cups and spoons
- My husband, never failing to kiss me goodbye.
- My Peter, writing up a storm in his journal today. We put him back on his ADHD medicine yesterday. His school work had deteriorated in the last month, due to lack of focus. He's gone two days without needing much discipline. A blessing for Peter, and for the rest of the family! I'm praying the anxiety doesn't worsen again.
- Singing Beth's favorite song, and watching her try to put up her little finger--"1,2,3,4,5, Once I caught a fish alive; 6,7,8,9,10, Then I let him go again. Why did you let him go? Because he bit my finger so. Which finger did he bite? This little finger on the right."
- Beth's problem solving skills--Folding towels next to the dryer, I watched her attempt to get into a kitchen drawer by using a toy bin as a stool. At 12 months! Okay, maybe that's pretty normal? Anyway, I love watching my children solve problems! The toy bin kept moving, so she ended up in tears over the frustration. Yes, it was kind of dangerous--I should have stopped her immediately and I'll be sorry I didn't. In a few days, she'll probably figure out exactly what bin will do the trick.
- My Paul, developing a love for college sports. This is more of a blessing for my husband. He now has a partner for Saturday college football. It amazes me how much Paul has learned about the game, without any lessons from us. Football is pretty complicated!
- Cuddling with each child briefly at bedtime....smelling their freshly shampooed hair.
- Watching my boys make elaborate desserts with their Playdoh (pretending they owned a bakery).
- Other Mommy blogs, to remind me of how hard this job is, and how blessed I am to have it.
- Hearing the fierce wind battle the trees and windows, and knowing I'm safe and warm inside.
- The French Vanilla cocoa I'm about to make.
- Clementine oranges for a side dish--I think I actually ate four of those today! Don't ask me how many cookies I've eaten since we started our cookie gift venture.
- My Beth, running toward me with her sweet giggle, and knocking me over with her hug
- My Mary's blond curls, looking different every day
- My boys, giddy with excitement while decorating the sugar cookies they rolled out and pressed themselves. (Yes, in case you were wondering....it was a huge mess. I had just mopped the floor that morning. )
- My Mary, having a fabulous time in the bath with measuring cups and spoons
- My husband, never failing to kiss me goodbye.
- My Peter, writing up a storm in his journal today. We put him back on his ADHD medicine yesterday. His school work had deteriorated in the last month, due to lack of focus. He's gone two days without needing much discipline. A blessing for Peter, and for the rest of the family! I'm praying the anxiety doesn't worsen again.
- Singing Beth's favorite song, and watching her try to put up her little finger--"1,2,3,4,5, Once I caught a fish alive; 6,7,8,9,10, Then I let him go again. Why did you let him go? Because he bit my finger so. Which finger did he bite? This little finger on the right."
- Beth's problem solving skills--Folding towels next to the dryer, I watched her attempt to get into a kitchen drawer by using a toy bin as a stool. At 12 months! Okay, maybe that's pretty normal? Anyway, I love watching my children solve problems! The toy bin kept moving, so she ended up in tears over the frustration. Yes, it was kind of dangerous--I should have stopped her immediately and I'll be sorry I didn't. In a few days, she'll probably figure out exactly what bin will do the trick.
- My Paul, developing a love for college sports. This is more of a blessing for my husband. He now has a partner for Saturday college football. It amazes me how much Paul has learned about the game, without any lessons from us. Football is pretty complicated!
- Cuddling with each child briefly at bedtime....smelling their freshly shampooed hair.
- Watching my boys make elaborate desserts with their Playdoh (pretending they owned a bakery).
- Other Mommy blogs, to remind me of how hard this job is, and how blessed I am to have it.
- Hearing the fierce wind battle the trees and windows, and knowing I'm safe and warm inside.
- The French Vanilla cocoa I'm about to make.
The Path
Beth celebrated her first birthday yesterday! Mary celebrates her third birthday on Monday. I haven't had time to sit down and do birthday posts yet. I hope to in the next few days.
My last post is more confusing than anything else. I didn't really have time to blog, but some thoughts were swirling through that I felt like recording.
What I meant to convey was something like this: The life of the Christian is a walk with God. The very reason we were put here, on this earth, is to walk with Him. As we walk together, he gets the fellowship he desires and the glory he craves. This seems so simple...we don't want to truly believe it. But it's true. We were put here only to walk with God.
How much peace and joy we get out of that walk (our life) depends on how unwavering our focus is. When I keep my daily focus on God and on the tasks he's given me, I experience the best He has to offer.
If I spend energy worrying about my husband's school work, job, job hunt, etc., I'm not focusing on God, or on what he's given me to do.
Matthew 6:31-33 tells me, "So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
The part in bold is so easily forgotten. We like to focus on what we're going to get, rather than on our given task. I have repeated this verse in my mind countless times over the years, but it's only now that I'm really seeing my task, as given here by the Lord.
How exactly do we seek his Kingdom and his righteousness? Isn't that kind of vague?
It was vague for me, even though I've heard lots of sermons on the idea, and I've given it a lot of thought.
Nothing in my life is really going well right now. Yes, I have faith and hope, and even a good bit of contentment--I always have those. But everything else is a mess.
I believe he's taken me to this point--in which nothing is going well--to force me to focus. Having focus means that when I get up in the morning, I just see the path. And Him. Everything else gets filtered out.
The path that we walk with him leads to the Kingdom and the righteousness.
All other paths lead to nowhere.
My last post is more confusing than anything else. I didn't really have time to blog, but some thoughts were swirling through that I felt like recording.
What I meant to convey was something like this: The life of the Christian is a walk with God. The very reason we were put here, on this earth, is to walk with Him. As we walk together, he gets the fellowship he desires and the glory he craves. This seems so simple...we don't want to truly believe it. But it's true. We were put here only to walk with God.
How much peace and joy we get out of that walk (our life) depends on how unwavering our focus is. When I keep my daily focus on God and on the tasks he's given me, I experience the best He has to offer.
If I spend energy worrying about my husband's school work, job, job hunt, etc., I'm not focusing on God, or on what he's given me to do.
Matthew 6:31-33 tells me, "So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
The part in bold is so easily forgotten. We like to focus on what we're going to get, rather than on our given task. I have repeated this verse in my mind countless times over the years, but it's only now that I'm really seeing my task, as given here by the Lord.
How exactly do we seek his Kingdom and his righteousness? Isn't that kind of vague?
It was vague for me, even though I've heard lots of sermons on the idea, and I've given it a lot of thought.
Nothing in my life is really going well right now. Yes, I have faith and hope, and even a good bit of contentment--I always have those. But everything else is a mess.
I believe he's taken me to this point--in which nothing is going well--to force me to focus. Having focus means that when I get up in the morning, I just see the path. And Him. Everything else gets filtered out.
The path that we walk with him leads to the Kingdom and the righteousness.
All other paths lead to nowhere.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)