With all this heat comes lots and lots of sunshine! Unfortunately, if you live in the Midwest like us, going outside to enjoy this sunshine is out of the question in these hot temperatures. So we took sunshine indoors by making sunshine to go with our flowers.
Supplies
Random Pasta noodles, different shapes
Paper plates
Yellow colors or paints
Elmer's glue
Instructions
Dig out your macaroni and penne pasta for crafting. Meanwhile, color or paint your paper plate yellow, the color of the sun. Glue on your pasta on as desired. Let paint and glue dry. Then hang up your sunshine with your flowers.
Monday, July 30, 2012
Friday, July 13, 2012
Food Friday: Gestational Diabetes Approved Recipe...Beef Stroganoff
Beef Stroganoff was perhaps one of my favorite dishes that I discovered during my diet change. This recipe comes directly from the American Heart Association as a low salt, a low carbohydrates dish excellent for my gestational diabetes.
I enjoyed this gourmet recipe served on top of mashed potatoes with a side of green beans. With 276 calories and only 16g or carbs, 92mg of sodium, and 10g of fat, and lots of protein at 29g, it was certainly a heart healthy winner which I still make today for my family.
Ingredients
1 pound beef tenderloin or sirloin steak, all visible fat removed
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1/2 pound of fresh mushrooms (sliced is about 2 1/2 cups) or 1 can mushrooms, rinsed
1 medium onion, sliced
2 cups of low-sodium beef broth, heated
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons no-salt-added tomato paste
2 tablespoons dry sherry
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/8 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
1/8 teaspoon dried dill weed, crumbled
1/4 cup nonfat or light sour cream
Directions
Cut meat into thin strips about 2 inches long. Sprinkle with pepper. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil and swirl to coat bottom. Cook meat for 1 minute. Add mushrooms and onion; cook for 2-3 minutes, or until onion is translucent, stirring occasionally. In a medium bowl, whisk together broth and flour. Add to skillet; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 2-3 minutes, or until thickened, stirring constantly. In a small bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients except sour cream. Stir into meat mixture. Simmer, covered, for 5-10 minutes, or until beef is tender. Transfer about 1/4 cup sauce to a small bowl; add sour cream and whisk together. Stir back into skillet and cook for 5 minutes, or until warmed throughout. Serves 4 at 1 cup per serving.
I enjoyed this gourmet recipe served on top of mashed potatoes with a side of green beans. With 276 calories and only 16g or carbs, 92mg of sodium, and 10g of fat, and lots of protein at 29g, it was certainly a heart healthy winner which I still make today for my family.
Ingredients
1 pound beef tenderloin or sirloin steak, all visible fat removed
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1/2 pound of fresh mushrooms (sliced is about 2 1/2 cups) or 1 can mushrooms, rinsed
1 medium onion, sliced
2 cups of low-sodium beef broth, heated
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons no-salt-added tomato paste
2 tablespoons dry sherry
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/8 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
1/8 teaspoon dried dill weed, crumbled
1/4 cup nonfat or light sour cream
Directions
Cut meat into thin strips about 2 inches long. Sprinkle with pepper. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil and swirl to coat bottom. Cook meat for 1 minute. Add mushrooms and onion; cook for 2-3 minutes, or until onion is translucent, stirring occasionally. In a medium bowl, whisk together broth and flour. Add to skillet; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 2-3 minutes, or until thickened, stirring constantly. In a small bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients except sour cream. Stir into meat mixture. Simmer, covered, for 5-10 minutes, or until beef is tender. Transfer about 1/4 cup sauce to a small bowl; add sour cream and whisk together. Stir back into skillet and cook for 5 minutes, or until warmed throughout. Serves 4 at 1 cup per serving.
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Wash Wednesday: The Battle of Random Crap around the House!
It was the pink pacifier in the laundry room that made me think of it. Do you ever wonder how things end up where they do?
Take for instance our neighbors pink pacifier left here last week during the 4th of July festivities (I will get it back to you soon, I promise). I found it on the floor among the toys that I picked up and laid it on the counter in order to return it that evening. From there the pacifier made its way upstairs because Judah insisted it needed to be up there. The pacifier found its way shuffled between the changing table and the dresser. Finally, I put it in the hamper with the dirty laundry and recycling so that I would remember to take it back downstairs and give it back. Finally, the dirty laundry came downstairs and as I was sorting, oh yeah, I found the Binky that I still need to return. And now it sits on the counter so that I can sterilize it before returning it....that is until Judah finds it and carries it off again, "because he wants to return it to Baby Anna."
But it was the pink pacifier that reminded me how often I pick up random things around the house and if you have kids then perhaps not just once but twice. In fact some days, that is all the cleaning I seem to get done between husband and kids. I bet you never found dried dandelion seeds at the bottom of a bucket of toys. Or the single crayon that made its way into the bed sheets. And my personal favorite - the random stickers that find their way to my clothes from sitting on the couch.
The worst seems to be that dumping station in the kitchen. You know what I am talking about. Even with a junk drawer (which is really a catch all drawer that is so full that you cannot even open it), you still end up with a pile of junk on your kitchen counter somewhere. It happened to my mom growing up and now to my disgust, it happens in my house. I hate cluttered counters but if you were to look at it right now, you would find the air pump for the air mattress that needs fixed, an Aflac toy duck, an old game cube that needs to be sold, library books, a teething toy, paint sponges that still need washed, and always those miscellaneous papers that somehow multiply.
I always joke about how often I am picking up random crap around my house. By the time I actually pick it up and put it where it belongs, who has time to really clean. Why dust anyways when the crap covers it up....
What about you?
Take for instance our neighbors pink pacifier left here last week during the 4th of July festivities (I will get it back to you soon, I promise). I found it on the floor among the toys that I picked up and laid it on the counter in order to return it that evening. From there the pacifier made its way upstairs because Judah insisted it needed to be up there. The pacifier found its way shuffled between the changing table and the dresser. Finally, I put it in the hamper with the dirty laundry and recycling so that I would remember to take it back downstairs and give it back. Finally, the dirty laundry came downstairs and as I was sorting, oh yeah, I found the Binky that I still need to return. And now it sits on the counter so that I can sterilize it before returning it....that is until Judah finds it and carries it off again, "because he wants to return it to Baby Anna."
But it was the pink pacifier that reminded me how often I pick up random things around the house and if you have kids then perhaps not just once but twice. In fact some days, that is all the cleaning I seem to get done between husband and kids. I bet you never found dried dandelion seeds at the bottom of a bucket of toys. Or the single crayon that made its way into the bed sheets. And my personal favorite - the random stickers that find their way to my clothes from sitting on the couch.
The worst seems to be that dumping station in the kitchen. You know what I am talking about. Even with a junk drawer (which is really a catch all drawer that is so full that you cannot even open it), you still end up with a pile of junk on your kitchen counter somewhere. It happened to my mom growing up and now to my disgust, it happens in my house. I hate cluttered counters but if you were to look at it right now, you would find the air pump for the air mattress that needs fixed, an Aflac toy duck, an old game cube that needs to be sold, library books, a teething toy, paint sponges that still need washed, and always those miscellaneous papers that somehow multiply.
I always joke about how often I am picking up random crap around my house. By the time I actually pick it up and put it where it belongs, who has time to really clean. Why dust anyways when the crap covers it up....
What about you?
Monday, July 9, 2012
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Salvation Sunday: The Speck in my "I"
During quiet time this afternoon, Judah got off his bed before his timer clock changed to its "you can get off now" state. Judah came in my room where I was trying to nap and wanted me to read the Bible to him. What do you do? He disobeyed but you want to raise him up to enjoy reading the Bible.
So I walked him back into his room to his bed saying, "I will read a few verses and then you need to have a longer quiet time." So Judah opened up my Bible pointing to some random verse and says read this.
I started laughing. He pointed right to the passage about "obeying your parents." No lie....He then wanted another verse. And we did some more quiet time but I never got my nap.
On a serious note, God has been convicting me a lot lately about "'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?" This situation turned up the brightness of the light bulb.
Like blaming others when I am the one complaining. Like getting angry at someone for being angry. Like getting grumpy over things I never communicated in the first place. This list goes on. I am certainly guilty and quite often too.
God has used a number of verses that seem to pop out as blatant as the situation above. But this is no laughing matter when reality is I need to take out the speck in my eye. So my prayer is that God will soften my heart to one more tender and responsive in love.
So I walked him back into his room to his bed saying, "I will read a few verses and then you need to have a longer quiet time." So Judah opened up my Bible pointing to some random verse and says read this.
I started laughing. He pointed right to the passage about "obeying your parents." No lie....He then wanted another verse. And we did some more quiet time but I never got my nap.
On a serious note, God has been convicting me a lot lately about "'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?" This situation turned up the brightness of the light bulb.
Like blaming others when I am the one complaining. Like getting angry at someone for being angry. Like getting grumpy over things I never communicated in the first place. This list goes on. I am certainly guilty and quite often too.
God has used a number of verses that seem to pop out as blatant as the situation above. But this is no laughing matter when reality is I need to take out the speck in my eye. So my prayer is that God will soften my heart to one more tender and responsive in love.
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Tip Tuesday: Kids Need Plenty of Water...and Here's How!!
With all this heat, here is a friendly reminder to drink lots of water....not pop, beer, but WATER! Especially our little ones!
When I was little I remember my family taking my dad to the emergency for heatstroke after a softball tournament on a particular hot weekend in July. He had gotten too hot and dehydrated that day with 90+ temperatures and humidity. Ever since that day he does not handle the heat very.
I was reminded of this when Judah got dehydrated this week especially after being out in the heat even the tiniest bit. Even indoors, we find ourselves drinking a lot of water due to the unbearable heat. So I have encouraged him to drink plenty of water every time I remembered. It was Judah who came up with the idea of keeping a cup within his reach to remind him.
One day Judah was trying to figure out how to stick his drinking cup to the fridge. He kept asking for some way to attach it to the fridge door on his level. With that idea in mind, I went upstairs to my sewing stuff and found some adhesive Velcro (which you can find at the fabric store or in a craft section at a department store). Together we stuck the scratchy pieces to the fridge door and its corresponding soft pairs to the cup.
Now Judah can access his cup at any time from where it sticks and step over to the other fridge door to get water. This system has saved time in asking for help as well as encouraged independence and ingenuity.
Please remember though to be careful with spilled water on a tile floor as it gets really slippery. Also keep an eye out for objects finding their way inside the cup (like dirty pennies). Be sure too to clean the cup every so often by running it through the dishwasher. And lastly, make sure your child is not dipping the cup into the cat water dish as he refills it.
Happy Hydrating!
When I was little I remember my family taking my dad to the emergency for heatstroke after a softball tournament on a particular hot weekend in July. He had gotten too hot and dehydrated that day with 90+ temperatures and humidity. Ever since that day he does not handle the heat very.
I was reminded of this when Judah got dehydrated this week especially after being out in the heat even the tiniest bit. Even indoors, we find ourselves drinking a lot of water due to the unbearable heat. So I have encouraged him to drink plenty of water every time I remembered. It was Judah who came up with the idea of keeping a cup within his reach to remind him.
One day Judah was trying to figure out how to stick his drinking cup to the fridge. He kept asking for some way to attach it to the fridge door on his level. With that idea in mind, I went upstairs to my sewing stuff and found some adhesive Velcro (which you can find at the fabric store or in a craft section at a department store). Together we stuck the scratchy pieces to the fridge door and its corresponding soft pairs to the cup.
Now Judah can access his cup at any time from where it sticks and step over to the other fridge door to get water. This system has saved time in asking for help as well as encouraged independence and ingenuity.
Please remember though to be careful with spilled water on a tile floor as it gets really slippery. Also keep an eye out for objects finding their way inside the cup (like dirty pennies). Be sure too to clean the cup every so often by running it through the dishwasher. And lastly, make sure your child is not dipping the cup into the cat water dish as he refills it.
Happy Hydrating!
Monday, July 2, 2012
Make Monday: Bandanas for the 4th!
The heat is bad here in Iowa. And it is supposed to be bad over the 4th of July festivities. If you are looking for a creative way for your kids to beat the heat indoors and then again for for the parades, then make some patriotic bandanas.
Your kids will love participating in this project as well as wearing them for all your activities this week. And on the side you keep their head protected from the hot sunshine. As a plus, all the grandparents will think they are so cute sporting their creations with their star sunglasses, parade beads, and Popsicle mustaches.
To get started, purchase a fabric square of washable white cotton from a hobby or fabric store. We actually found ours from Oriental Trading Company that had "USA" designs a while back. Find some Elmers washable glitter paint pens or washable fabric paint pens.
Find a location safe to paint and paint the cloth with the glitter paint pens. Lay flat to dry. Flip over and do the other side if desired. Once dry, wear to the 4th of July parade to block the sun.
We learned a few things The paints do leak through until they dry. Also, Q-tips work well to spread out globs of paint onto other portions of the design. Small dots work the best.
Happy Independence Day! Have fun letting your child shine their independence through their bandana creations.
Your kids will love participating in this project as well as wearing them for all your activities this week. And on the side you keep their head protected from the hot sunshine. As a plus, all the grandparents will think they are so cute sporting their creations with their star sunglasses, parade beads, and Popsicle mustaches.
To get started, purchase a fabric square of washable white cotton from a hobby or fabric store. We actually found ours from Oriental Trading Company that had "USA" designs a while back. Find some Elmers washable glitter paint pens or washable fabric paint pens.
Find a location safe to paint and paint the cloth with the glitter paint pens. Lay flat to dry. Flip over and do the other side if desired. Once dry, wear to the 4th of July parade to block the sun.
We learned a few things The paints do leak through until they dry. Also, Q-tips work well to spread out globs of paint onto other portions of the design. Small dots work the best.
Happy Independence Day! Have fun letting your child shine their independence through their bandana creations.
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