Saturday, March 31, 2012
simple fun!
When Rachel learned about our library's stuffed animal sleepover, she pounced on the idea. Yesterday she and Josiah took their stuffed animals Dodger and Shasta to the library and enjoyed stories, a snack, and made nametags for the animals complete with phone numbers (in case they needed us.) Then, we read them a bedtime story and kissed them goodbye. Today, we picked them up and enjoyed seeing pictures of what the animals did at their sleepover. The kids' favorite picture was seeing the animals lined up to go to the bathroom. You can peek at their adventures here. I'm not sure who had more fun: the kids, the animals, or the librarians who took these pictures!
Friday, March 30, 2012
finding our sweet spot
For so many families who begin the Feingold diet, there is almost overnight success. When they learn to shop a new way by cutting out preservatives, artificial flavors and colors, and some problem fruits (always the hardest to wrap our minds around!), changes are fast, furious, and wonderful.
For others, it takes eliminating one more problem ingredient: corn sweeteners. This includes things such as high fructose corn syrup, regular corn syrup, and dextrose. Or perhaps there is an MSG intolerance or problems with foods containing benzoates or nitrates.
For a few, cutting out gluten and casein (difficult-to-digest proteins from grains and milk) is necessary. (The idea of cutting out foods that are hard to digest, on top of finding food intolerances and correcting vitamin deficiencies suggests to me that those doctors who are seeing ADHD and autism as a problem in the digestive system/gut health are on to something.)
And then there are a few children who have lingering sensitivities that take time to uncover.
Some moms who keep digging to find their child's food sensitivities refer to this process as "peeling an onion." You find a problem food, eliminate it, and things improve but only with the sinking feeling that something is still lurking that you can't quite put your finger on. It can take considerable time to uncover each sensitivity and see how it affects the child over time.
We've been peeling, and peeling, and peeling. Try something, see how it works, try something else, and over time find another issue.
The funny thing is, my son does not really have a long list of foods he is sensitive to. What we really have is sensitivities to ingredients (like cornstarch and added vitamins, corn sweeteners, and artificial additives, along with gluten and casein) that are common to most processed foods. So the list of boxed foods he can eat appears to be quite short. But when we gaze out into nature or think in terms of whole foods, there are all kinds of options available to him. It just involves a bit more time in the kitchen for the cook.
What we find amazing is this: after almost two years of digging, our peeling seems to be coming to an end. There have been times we've felt things were fairly good, but where we are now tops them all. The word "miracle" is often on my mind these days.
Under the layers of aggression, lack of impulse control, sensory issues, and behavior difficulties we are discovering a joyful, imaginative, loving child who really can function apart from those things. He's far from perfect (no child can boast that) but he is, amazingly, able to be guided by consistent, loving discipline. He can sit quietly, calm his body, follow directions, manage frustration, and keep his impulses in check in a very age-appropriate way.
What a sweet place to finally be!! For those who are still peeling: keep at it, don't get discouraged. Sometimes it takes time: for some it will involve extra help from supplements, therapy, low doses of medication or biomedical intervention; but there is hope for children with ADHD and ASD when symptoms are managed from a dietary approach.
For others, it takes eliminating one more problem ingredient: corn sweeteners. This includes things such as high fructose corn syrup, regular corn syrup, and dextrose. Or perhaps there is an MSG intolerance or problems with foods containing benzoates or nitrates.
For a few, cutting out gluten and casein (difficult-to-digest proteins from grains and milk) is necessary. (The idea of cutting out foods that are hard to digest, on top of finding food intolerances and correcting vitamin deficiencies suggests to me that those doctors who are seeing ADHD and autism as a problem in the digestive system/gut health are on to something.)
And then there are a few children who have lingering sensitivities that take time to uncover.
Some moms who keep digging to find their child's food sensitivities refer to this process as "peeling an onion." You find a problem food, eliminate it, and things improve but only with the sinking feeling that something is still lurking that you can't quite put your finger on. It can take considerable time to uncover each sensitivity and see how it affects the child over time.
We've been peeling, and peeling, and peeling. Try something, see how it works, try something else, and over time find another issue.
The funny thing is, my son does not really have a long list of foods he is sensitive to. What we really have is sensitivities to ingredients (like cornstarch and added vitamins, corn sweeteners, and artificial additives, along with gluten and casein) that are common to most processed foods. So the list of boxed foods he can eat appears to be quite short. But when we gaze out into nature or think in terms of whole foods, there are all kinds of options available to him. It just involves a bit more time in the kitchen for the cook.
What we find amazing is this: after almost two years of digging, our peeling seems to be coming to an end. There have been times we've felt things were fairly good, but where we are now tops them all. The word "miracle" is often on my mind these days.
Under the layers of aggression, lack of impulse control, sensory issues, and behavior difficulties we are discovering a joyful, imaginative, loving child who really can function apart from those things. He's far from perfect (no child can boast that) but he is, amazingly, able to be guided by consistent, loving discipline. He can sit quietly, calm his body, follow directions, manage frustration, and keep his impulses in check in a very age-appropriate way.
What a sweet place to finally be!! For those who are still peeling: keep at it, don't get discouraged. Sometimes it takes time: for some it will involve extra help from supplements, therapy, low doses of medication or biomedical intervention; but there is hope for children with ADHD and ASD when symptoms are managed from a dietary approach.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
vision therapy update
Last fall I posted about our discovery that Rachel needed vision therapy. We were able to schedule 4 sessions after Christmas. I dropped her off each week for a 1 hour session with C. and prayed for progress.
Just two sessions in, Rachel began to tell me it was getting easier to read. A few weeks later she went to the grocery store with me for the first time in a long, long time. "Mom!" she exclaimed, "everything looks so clear!"
It's hard to know how much different her world now looks, but I am seeing the results myself in her daily work. Look at this, a handwriting sample from last fall:
Compared to this past week:
When I showed her the two papers, she giggled and said, "vision therapy." It is much easier to keep her handwriting between lines that aren't jumping around when she looks at them.
It will take time to realize all the benefits; time to build vocabulary, improve reading skills, and see how things go from here. We have about 10 minutes of therapy to do every day--which isn't always easy to fit in but we are so motivated to keep a good thing going. Recently, I found this website on another mom's blog: http://eyecanlearn.com/ which is a nice break from the usual activities every once in awhile.
Another mom gave recently recommended this for vocabulary development. Rachel is such a visual learner (in spite of having visual problems), I'm hoping it will be a great way to boost her vocabulary. Micah and I laughed so hard when looking at the samples, he asked me to get the SAT book for him.
Just two sessions in, Rachel began to tell me it was getting easier to read. A few weeks later she went to the grocery store with me for the first time in a long, long time. "Mom!" she exclaimed, "everything looks so clear!"
It's hard to know how much different her world now looks, but I am seeing the results myself in her daily work. Look at this, a handwriting sample from last fall:
When I showed her the two papers, she giggled and said, "vision therapy." It is much easier to keep her handwriting between lines that aren't jumping around when she looks at them.
It will take time to realize all the benefits; time to build vocabulary, improve reading skills, and see how things go from here. We have about 10 minutes of therapy to do every day--which isn't always easy to fit in but we are so motivated to keep a good thing going. Recently, I found this website on another mom's blog: http://eyecanlearn.com/ which is a nice break from the usual activities every once in awhile.
Another mom gave recently recommended this for vocabulary development. Rachel is such a visual learner (in spite of having visual problems), I'm hoping it will be a great way to boost her vocabulary. Micah and I laughed so hard when looking at the samples, he asked me to get the SAT book for him.
Your Body, God's Plan
This excellent program designed for 5th grade students is being offered again this spring at the Parke Hotel and Conference Center. My husband and son attended two years ago, and I plan to take my daughter this year. We've tried to be very intentional in our conversations about this topic with our children. I think we might be seeing the fruit: there's nothing quite like having a child come to a parent for advice or just simple observations about the opposite sex! (Even if the topic does still make my daughter want to throw up. Which is okay with me for now.)
Here's the brochure online: http://ewo.org/mediafiles/your-body-gods-plan-brochure.pdf.
Here's the brochure online: http://ewo.org/mediafiles/your-body-gods-plan-brochure.pdf.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
move over, Oreo
It's spring break, and my calendar is blank. What should we do with all our free time, besides be outside where the weather is gorgeous? Well, baking is always an option with an open window and cool kitchen inviting me to experiment. After seeing a friend's recipe for gluten free whoopie pie (I'd never heard of such a thing), I have been itching to find a pan and give it a try. A quick trip to the store and we were set!
Since Josiah can't have chocolate but Rachel and I love it, I decided to add cocoa to only half of Cha Cha's recipe and make the other half vanilla. As soon as they came out of the oven, Josiah started calling our new creation "cookies" and ate one before I could even get it filled.
In the past couple of months we have discovered one of Josiah's last (please!!) sensitivities is to cornstarch. It has made such a difference to get it out of recipes and he is finally not bouncing off the furniture anymore. However, that does make frosting an interesting kitchen experiment. One of these days I may get near a Whole Foods where they sell a cornstarch-free powdered sugar, but until then I wondered if there was something else I could use to fill our pies.
Cha Cha's blog to the rescue again! She has a post featuring a delicious looking coconut, pecan, and chocolate spread. When I looked it over it seemed there must be a way to use some of the ingredients to make a plain vanilla version. So I tried combining this in a food processor:
2/3 c. coconut, shredded
1 T. coconut oil
1 T. honey
Process ingredients until creamy.
Once again, I split my result in half and added a teaspoon of cocoa to one half. It didn't make a lot, but I found a little goes a very long way. The result was mouth-watering. Still, next time I think I will try using a whole cup of coconut.
We ended up with these:
Now, if I could just locate some FG approved peppermint oil, we'd have peppermint patties to try, too!
Since Josiah can't have chocolate but Rachel and I love it, I decided to add cocoa to only half of Cha Cha's recipe and make the other half vanilla. As soon as they came out of the oven, Josiah started calling our new creation "cookies" and ate one before I could even get it filled.
In the past couple of months we have discovered one of Josiah's last (please!!) sensitivities is to cornstarch. It has made such a difference to get it out of recipes and he is finally not bouncing off the furniture anymore. However, that does make frosting an interesting kitchen experiment. One of these days I may get near a Whole Foods where they sell a cornstarch-free powdered sugar, but until then I wondered if there was something else I could use to fill our pies.
Cha Cha's blog to the rescue again! She has a post featuring a delicious looking coconut, pecan, and chocolate spread. When I looked it over it seemed there must be a way to use some of the ingredients to make a plain vanilla version. So I tried combining this in a food processor:
2/3 c. coconut, shredded
1 T. coconut oil
1 T. honey
Process ingredients until creamy.
Once again, I split my result in half and added a teaspoon of cocoa to one half. It didn't make a lot, but I found a little goes a very long way. The result was mouth-watering. Still, next time I think I will try using a whole cup of coconut.
We ended up with these:
Now, if I could just locate some FG approved peppermint oil, we'd have peppermint patties to try, too!
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
grappling with truth
Not too long ago, I was able to share what the kids and I were learning from the book But Don't All Religions Lead to God?* In the midst of that, life interrupted and I'm just now finding my way back to that subject. I do choose to return, however, because leaving that discussion hanging as it was is a bit like coming to a dead end road when I had intended to showcase the highway to life.
The journey of learning the uniqueness of Jesus is not a theory for me. I grew up in a Christian home and came to know Jesus as my Savior (at least through the "ask Him into your heart sense") from the time I was quite young. My growing up years were spent at church, praying before meals and bed, going to church camp, participating in youth group, and reading my Bible. The grounding I had helped me make wise choices in my lifestyle and I believe I had a personal relationship with God from an early age. I also felt rather smug in my self-righteousness as the girl who was always good. Of course, I didn't know that then, but looking back it's pretty easy to spot!
Having two young children just 2 years apart tore the mask off my self-righteousness. I wanted to be a perfect mom but found I wasn't always patient and kind with my kids. My inner resources to meet their needs was at times just not enough. My short-comings plagued me because I knew my sin hurt the little ones I loved the most. About that time I was studying the life of Moses and saw very clearly the holiness of God and His anger against sin as time after time, He punished the disobedient Israelites in their desert wanderings. I began to question the goodness of God and wondered how anyone could really live up to His standards of perfection.
During that time, my mind did wander to Eastern religions. I had never studied Buddhism, Hinduism, or Confucianism. Should I? I wondered what truly made Christianity unique, and why I could bank on the things I had grown up knowing about God.
Thankfully, I never did get far in pursuing other faiths. It was in Bible study that I both met the holiness of God and then the grace of the gospel. I began to really understand why God sent His Son to be Savior--because we could not keep the standards He required. In His perfect life, Jesus did. In His death, He took the punishment I deserved. In His resurrection, He promised eternal life to all those who believe, because by the power of His indestructible life, He gave life to others.
John 6:60-69 is the story of my journey:
On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?”
Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you? Then what if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life. Yet there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. He went on to say, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them.”
From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.
“You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve.
Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.”
Grappling with the truth about God is not an easy thing to do. Some turn away, disheartened and disillusioned. Some, like Peter, recognize (by God's enabling) that although God's standards are unattainable, in mercy He sent Jesus to be the living bread of heaven, and that those who eat of Him (taking the truth about who He is into our person by faith) will live. Christ alone has the words of eternal life. There is no one else to whom we can go. His ministry and message are utterly unique.
More on that to come.
*While reading this book was a delight, I do not agree with the author on every line of thinking. Use caution and Biblical thinking especially when reading it with children.
The journey of learning the uniqueness of Jesus is not a theory for me. I grew up in a Christian home and came to know Jesus as my Savior (at least through the "ask Him into your heart sense") from the time I was quite young. My growing up years were spent at church, praying before meals and bed, going to church camp, participating in youth group, and reading my Bible. The grounding I had helped me make wise choices in my lifestyle and I believe I had a personal relationship with God from an early age. I also felt rather smug in my self-righteousness as the girl who was always good. Of course, I didn't know that then, but looking back it's pretty easy to spot!
Having two young children just 2 years apart tore the mask off my self-righteousness. I wanted to be a perfect mom but found I wasn't always patient and kind with my kids. My inner resources to meet their needs was at times just not enough. My short-comings plagued me because I knew my sin hurt the little ones I loved the most. About that time I was studying the life of Moses and saw very clearly the holiness of God and His anger against sin as time after time, He punished the disobedient Israelites in their desert wanderings. I began to question the goodness of God and wondered how anyone could really live up to His standards of perfection.
During that time, my mind did wander to Eastern religions. I had never studied Buddhism, Hinduism, or Confucianism. Should I? I wondered what truly made Christianity unique, and why I could bank on the things I had grown up knowing about God.
Thankfully, I never did get far in pursuing other faiths. It was in Bible study that I both met the holiness of God and then the grace of the gospel. I began to really understand why God sent His Son to be Savior--because we could not keep the standards He required. In His perfect life, Jesus did. In His death, He took the punishment I deserved. In His resurrection, He promised eternal life to all those who believe, because by the power of His indestructible life, He gave life to others.
John 6:60-69 is the story of my journey:
On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?”
Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you? Then what if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life. Yet there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. He went on to say, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them.”
From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.
“You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve.
Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.”
Grappling with the truth about God is not an easy thing to do. Some turn away, disheartened and disillusioned. Some, like Peter, recognize (by God's enabling) that although God's standards are unattainable, in mercy He sent Jesus to be the living bread of heaven, and that those who eat of Him (taking the truth about who He is into our person by faith) will live. Christ alone has the words of eternal life. There is no one else to whom we can go. His ministry and message are utterly unique.
More on that to come.
*While reading this book was a delight, I do not agree with the author on every line of thinking. Use caution and Biblical thinking especially when reading it with children.
Sunday, March 25, 2012
earthquake jello
The Easter season is almost upon us, and Josiah's Sunday School class is learning about the things that happened when Jesus died on the cross. One of the events of the crucifixion was an earthquake. His teacher wanted to demonstrate the shifting of the earth with jello and wondered if there was a way Josiah could have some. Since this is an easy treat to make, we offered to share his version with the whole class. I worried a little what preschool tastebuds would think of undyed, naturally flavored lemon jello but it turns out I didn't need to fret. As soon as I walked in the door to pick up Josiah, one little girl quickly exclaimed, "I loved the jello!!"
Josiah was SO excited to have the same food as everyone else in his class, it made my heart ache and I sadly wished that things didn't always have to be so complicated for him. Still, we have so much to be thankful for, and sharing jello was just added to the list!
Lemon Gelatin
2 envelopes Knox unflavored gelatin
1 c. cold water
2 c. boiling water
1/2 c. sugar
2/3 c. lemon juice
In medium bowl or pan, sprinkle unflavored gelatine over the cold water. Let stand one minute. Add the boiling water and stir until the gelatin is completely dissolved. Stir in sugar to dissolve. Add lemon juice. Chill until firm.
This recipe can really be recreated with any fruit juice, and you can add fruit to it as well. I think crushed pineapple would taste wonderful in the lemon jello, although you could also add pineapple juice instead. You would probably need less sugar, however, when using regular fruit juice.
If adding fruit, chill mixutre utnil the consistency of unbeaten egg whites. Fold in fruit and chill.
Josiah was SO excited to have the same food as everyone else in his class, it made my heart ache and I sadly wished that things didn't always have to be so complicated for him. Still, we have so much to be thankful for, and sharing jello was just added to the list!
Lemon Gelatin
2 envelopes Knox unflavored gelatin
1 c. cold water
2 c. boiling water
1/2 c. sugar
2/3 c. lemon juice
In medium bowl or pan, sprinkle unflavored gelatine over the cold water. Let stand one minute. Add the boiling water and stir until the gelatin is completely dissolved. Stir in sugar to dissolve. Add lemon juice. Chill until firm.
This recipe can really be recreated with any fruit juice, and you can add fruit to it as well. I think crushed pineapple would taste wonderful in the lemon jello, although you could also add pineapple juice instead. You would probably need less sugar, however, when using regular fruit juice.
If adding fruit, chill mixutre utnil the consistency of unbeaten egg whites. Fold in fruit and chill.
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
lemon poppyseed muffins
We were running out of gluten free snacks, so today I stirred up a batch of these delicious muffins from the FastPaleo website. They are Josiah's favorite and mine, too! They make a perfect snack to grab and go for church or a playdate. I make mini-muffins because it seems to stretch the recipe a bit, but that most certainly won't work if you have teens eating them. You could make them with Minute Maid real lemon juice and skip the zest, but if you have time, it's certainly worth the extra step to use the real thing!
Coconut oil is a great heart-healthy oil (studies show it can actually improve the ratio of HDL and LDL). Add in the eggs and coconut flour and you have a great high protein and high fiber snack, a wonderful thing to hand to a picky eater.
6 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 lemons, juiced
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
zest from 2 lemons
1/2 tablespoon poppy seeds
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a muffin pan with 12 liners.
In a large bowl, whisk eggs, vanilla, and lemon juice. Melt together the coconut oil and honey; pour into egg mixture and whisk to combine.
In a small bowl, stir together coconut flour, baking soda, and lemon zest. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and whisk until smooth. Stir in poppy seeds.
Fill each muffin cup with a scant 1/4 cup of batter. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes in the pan and then remove to a rack to finish cooling.
Coconut oil is a great heart-healthy oil (studies show it can actually improve the ratio of HDL and LDL). Add in the eggs and coconut flour and you have a great high protein and high fiber snack, a wonderful thing to hand to a picky eater.
6 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 lemons, juiced
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
zest from 2 lemons
1/2 tablespoon poppy seeds
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a muffin pan with 12 liners.
In a large bowl, whisk eggs, vanilla, and lemon juice. Melt together the coconut oil and honey; pour into egg mixture and whisk to combine.
In a small bowl, stir together coconut flour, baking soda, and lemon zest. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and whisk until smooth. Stir in poppy seeds.
Fill each muffin cup with a scant 1/4 cup of batter. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes in the pan and then remove to a rack to finish cooling.
Monday, March 19, 2012
Simple Woman's Daybook
FOR TODAY: March 19, 2012
Outside my window...green!! Daffodils are blooming, the trees are budding out and flowering. This usually happens around my birthday, a month from now. It's beautiful, even if I worry a bit about a return to colder temperatures and that that will mean for things so anxious to start growing now.
I am thinking...about a friend whose husband is dying of pancreatic cancer, and the joyful witness they have been through it all.
I am thankful...for my husband's good health and good news from his recent health scare. It could have all come out so differently, but we certainly understand how blessed we are in a way we didn't know before.
In the kitchen...we had to replace our 3 year old dishwasher. The kids loved our week of washing dishes, and one was even rather sad to see it come to an end.
I am wearing...shorts, on March 19th?
I am creating...a wish list for homeschooling next year, and hoping for some finds at the used curriculum sale.
I am going...to make gluten free sugar cookies tonight!
I am wondering...how to cook gluten free yet not be so tired of meat.
I am reading...a lot of Dave Ramsey lately. And wishing we were 15 years younger.
I am hoping...to break some
I am looking forward to...seeing the new Sonlight catalog!!
I am learning...to stop and talk to the Lord before rushing into things. It is good to ask for Him to make things clear or to give direction, and He does, even if it's not always in my time.
Around the house...there comes a time when a new kitchen floor is less a luxury and more a necessity. We're getting close to that, but by whose standards, really?
I am pondering...how it could be possible that my youngest child has a wiggly tooth. Just slightly, mind you, but there it is.
A favorite quote for today...learned at BSF last week. Too often it is not true of me though I greatly want it to be:
"This is the true joy in life, the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one; the being a force of nature instead of a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy.
I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community, and as long as I live it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can.
I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work the more I live. I rejoice in life for its own sake. Life is no 'brief candle' for me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got hold of for the moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations."
-George Bernard Shaw
One of my favorite things...is doing read alouds on our front porch.
A few plans for the rest of the week: our last Bible study for church on Thursday, and then supper with my family this weekend when my youngest brother's family comes to visit!
A peek into my day...
Finding the favorite parts of the book about evolution versus creation that we studied earlier this year,
and growing bacteria on the kitchen counter; hoping there is no hidden meaning in this.
Sunday, March 18, 2012
cooking around the world: India
If there was ever a country I would like to visit just for the food, it would be India. With a growing Indian population in our area, we have had numerous exposures to their food and it has quickly become my favorite ethnic treat.
Cooking Indian food is trickier than anything we've done before, and it was an interesting experience. For instance, my oldest learned what happens when oil is heated on (too!) high, and that bread recipes need a few advance hours to prepare. Still, it's fun to experiment and find out what to do differently the next time. We all try to eat gluten free around here most of the time to keep tempting foods out of Josiah's life, but every once in a while things like this sneak their way into our meal rotation. Still, I may have to do a bit of digging to see if I can come up with GF Naan, because Josiah would love it, too.
Naan (Indian bread)
(This is not a GF recipe, but the Chicken curry served with rice can be GFCF and with some tweaking, even FG stage 1. My youngest does not care for spicy food, so we didn't attempt to tweak this time around.)
3 1/3 c. flour
1 packet dried yeast
1 t. cumin seeds
1 T. sesame or poppy seeds
2/3 c. natural yogurt (we aren't sure what "natural yogurt" actually means, but next time we're trying 1/3 c. The dough was too sticky and needed a lot of extra flour)
1 c. warm water
2 T. butter, melted
extra flour, for rolling
a little oil, for cooking
Mix flour, yeast, salt, and stir in cumin seeds. Mix yogurt, water and butter together and stir into the flour. With clean hands, turn dough out onto floured surface and knead for at least 5 min. Put dough back in bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm part of the kitchen until it has doubled in size, approximately 2-4 hours.
Punch dough so it collapses. Knead again for 1 min. Cut into 8 equal pieces and roll each into a ball. Sprinkle a little flour on work surface and roll each ball out into an oval shape (like a teardrop). Heat griddle or frying pan until hot, brush lightly with some oil, and cook each bread for about 3 min. on each side. Watch to see that it does not burn. Keep the breads warm, wrapped in a clean towel, while you make the rest.
It would have been lovely to have this bread with our meal, but it didn't quite happen that way! But tomorrow there will be leftovers to enjoy.
We tried this recipe for chicken curry, and while it was good, I'd like to keep searching. It needed less cinnamon and more...something. Still, it was fun to smell curry in our house and it tasted great over white basmati rice!
The best way I know to experience Indian food in our area is this restaurant. We took the older kids there in January (after they assured us there was no MSG for Micah's sake) and they loved it, too. They have customers adjust the spice to their liking, and Eric and I are able to handle about a 2 out of a possible 6. If I could, I would eat there every time we eat out (which is rare enough anyway.) One of the best birthday presents my husband ever gave me was arranging to have his Indian coworkers meet us there for a meal. They knew all the best things to order and we ate buffet style. If you ever go, be sure to get a side of samosas. Yum!!
Cooking Indian food is trickier than anything we've done before, and it was an interesting experience. For instance, my oldest learned what happens when oil is heated on (too!) high, and that bread recipes need a few advance hours to prepare. Still, it's fun to experiment and find out what to do differently the next time. We all try to eat gluten free around here most of the time to keep tempting foods out of Josiah's life, but every once in a while things like this sneak their way into our meal rotation. Still, I may have to do a bit of digging to see if I can come up with GF Naan, because Josiah would love it, too.
Naan (Indian bread)
(This is not a GF recipe, but the Chicken curry served with rice can be GFCF and with some tweaking, even FG stage 1. My youngest does not care for spicy food, so we didn't attempt to tweak this time around.)
3 1/3 c. flour
1 packet dried yeast
1 t. cumin seeds
1 T. sesame or poppy seeds
2/3 c. natural yogurt (we aren't sure what "natural yogurt" actually means, but next time we're trying 1/3 c. The dough was too sticky and needed a lot of extra flour)
1 c. warm water
2 T. butter, melted
extra flour, for rolling
a little oil, for cooking
Mix flour, yeast, salt, and stir in cumin seeds. Mix yogurt, water and butter together and stir into the flour. With clean hands, turn dough out onto floured surface and knead for at least 5 min. Put dough back in bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm part of the kitchen until it has doubled in size, approximately 2-4 hours.
Punch dough so it collapses. Knead again for 1 min. Cut into 8 equal pieces and roll each into a ball. Sprinkle a little flour on work surface and roll each ball out into an oval shape (like a teardrop). Heat griddle or frying pan until hot, brush lightly with some oil, and cook each bread for about 3 min. on each side. Watch to see that it does not burn. Keep the breads warm, wrapped in a clean towel, while you make the rest.
It would have been lovely to have this bread with our meal, but it didn't quite happen that way! But tomorrow there will be leftovers to enjoy.
We tried this recipe for chicken curry, and while it was good, I'd like to keep searching. It needed less cinnamon and more...something. Still, it was fun to smell curry in our house and it tasted great over white basmati rice!
The best way I know to experience Indian food in our area is this restaurant. We took the older kids there in January (after they assured us there was no MSG for Micah's sake) and they loved it, too. They have customers adjust the spice to their liking, and Eric and I are able to handle about a 2 out of a possible 6. If I could, I would eat there every time we eat out (which is rare enough anyway.) One of the best birthday presents my husband ever gave me was arranging to have his Indian coworkers meet us there for a meal. They knew all the best things to order and we ate buffet style. If you ever go, be sure to get a side of samosas. Yum!!
We love Indian clothing, too. Rachel designed her outfit for her India project. But really, the treasure of India is its people who need our prayers to know the love of Christ and His salvation.
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Happy St. Patrick's Day!
The true story of St. Patrick is one of forgiveness and a heart for the lost. As I ponder the testimony of his life while looking at the newly green grass growing all around...well, this song quickly came to my mind!
Friday, March 16, 2012
learning those facts
Multiplication tables: we've been over them, and over them, and now we're going over them again.
But this is a fun way to review! When I saw the card game "Speed" on Cathy Duffy's reviews, I knew it would be a hit. Not only that, I enjoy beating the socks off everyone else in my family. :)
Saturday, March 10, 2012
cooking around the world: Southeast Asia
This recipe has been sitting on our kitchen counter for weeks, ever since our study of Southeast Asia. It seemed that either we were eating all our bananas, or life was getting in the way. Tonight we finally spent 15 minutes preparing the recipe that took us 6 weeks to find time to make. But as Rachel said, it was worth it!
Hot Bananas with Cinnamon Coconut Sauce
Ingredients:
4 large bananas (we used 5)
1 tablespoonunbleached flour for gluten free use potato starch, a great thickener
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/3 cup coconut milk (although you could probably use any kind, we used Thai Kitchen's canned coconut milk)
Directions:
Cut ends off bananas, but do not peel. Place in steamer; cook for five minutes. (No steamer? Put 2 T. water in the bottom of a large pan and then place bananas in and cover.) Skins will turn black -- don't worry!
To make sauce: place flour (potato starch), sugar and cinnamon in pan and stir until combined. Gradually add coconut milk and stir until smooth. Stir constantly over medium heat until mixture comes to the boil and thickens. Serve over bananas.
Serves: 4
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Hot Bananas with Cinnamon Coconut Sauce
Ingredients:
4 large bananas (we used 5)
1 tablespoon
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/3 cup coconut milk (although you could probably use any kind, we used Thai Kitchen's canned coconut milk)
Directions:
Cut ends off bananas, but do not peel. Place in steamer; cook for five minutes. (No steamer? Put 2 T. water in the bottom of a large pan and then place bananas in and cover.) Skins will turn black -- don't worry!
To make sauce: place flour (potato starch), sugar and cinnamon in pan and stir until combined. Gradually add coconut milk and stir until smooth. Stir constantly over medium heat until mixture comes to the boil and thickens. Serve over bananas.
Serves: 4
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Finally!
Food tastes better with a favorite toy nearby!
Good to the last drop!
Friday, March 9, 2012
sweet treasure in the woods
Sugar Grove Nature Center has become one of our family's favorite places to visit to get outside. Hiking trails, a birdwatching room, and indoor and outdoor play areas complete with a creek to stomp in all beckon us on a warm day. In the fall, the leaves are astounding. But in late winter, Sugar Grove's real treasure is unearthed as the days grow warmer and the sap begins to run. Yesterday we ventured down for their homeschool class to learn more about the sugaring process. It was one of the best "on-site" learning experiences we have ever had!
The kids spent the morning in 3 workshops that explained both historical and modern ways of tapping trees and processing maple sirup and sugar. With very few sources of sweet foods (no sugar or even honey until the Europeans brought bees to North America), maple sugar was the only way to sweeten food when fruits like berries were not in season.
Perhaps most fascinating was discovering how Native Americans made maple sugar. They would heat rocks in a fire and then place them in a hollowed out log full of sap. Without metal cooking pots, this was the only way they could get it hot enough to boil it down. Imagine how long that process must have taken!!
In the afternoon, the kids practiced tapping trees and learned the biology of a tree from a college professor before heading out to tap one themselves.
This isn't the best video (one for the grandparents, really!) but it does show the excitement of the kids as they worked together to learn the functions of the tree. Rachel was chanting, "I support" as the heartwood, Josiah sucked up nutrients as a root, Micah was protecting as the bark, and the parents swayed like leaves making food (which is why it cuts off suddenly when I had to do my part.) It was a delight to see Rachel chatting comfortably with the instructor about what she has been learning in botany this year. And we had the best question of the year asked by one young boy: "How can you tell a girl tree from a boy tree?" Rachel just read about that in her science book this week!!
This job is a bit easier for the bigger kids who can really get their power behind the drill!
The morning tappers found a slow sap run, but by afternoon things were warming up and we were excited to see it come running out of our tree as our hole was drilled. In spite of a strange winter, this has been a good season for Sugar Grove with the amount of sirup processed and the sugar content about 1% more than usual.
The boys peered into the bucket that was already wet on the bottom with sap.
Sugar Grove makes the point that they are not spelling sirup incorrectly. You can only legally spell sirup with an "i" if it is 100% pure; if it is spelled with a "y" you need to double check ingredients to see if anything is added. For our family, pure maple syrup is a very good thing. It meant Josiah was able to taste the samples given and he sure enjoyed the sirup on his pancakes this morning!!
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Friday, March 2, 2012
what happens to normal kids when you remove food additives
At a normal school, with normal kids in Australia, they found out what happens when you take out foods with added chemicals. In our own family, two of my three children were what I considered "normal" and yet we've found each and every one of us (me included) feel so much better physically and emotionally when we are eating "real" food. I hate to think what we would have missed seeing in our children if we hadn't made these changes. It's more than worth it!!
This study was done in 2007. Thanks to the FG mom who shared it recently!
This study was done in 2007. Thanks to the FG mom who shared it recently!
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