banana oatmeal breakfast cookies

There is a whole lot of summer fun happening at the Rhodes' house, which is one reason I seem to find less and less time to spend blogging.  But this recipe is worth keeping in a safe place and sharing with others!

Rachel recently returned from a 6 day youth trip to the upper peninsula of Michigan.  It was so good for her to get away with her peers to serve God and deepen relationships, but it was also a good way for her to learn how to work around her food issues.  With a lot of detective work behind us, we've found that there are several foods that trigger IBS symptoms including table and fruit sugars, and corn.  She also seems to do best for now with a gluten and dairy free diet.  So we packed up a cooler and sent her on her way with foods she could easily grab and warm up.

Breakfast was a puzzle for me until we sampled this breakfast cookie recipe at our annual neighborhood Fourth of July party.  While waiting for a friend to send me the banana version, I made some with pumpkin and blueberries to send on her trip.  As you read this recipe, remember it came to me without any substitutions, so would be fine as is for those who don't need to make any.  We substitute coconut sugar for regular sugar because that seems to be much easier on Rachel's tummy, and of course use coconut milk instead of regular milk.  She enjoyed the pumpkin version, but this banana recipe just can't be beat!  We would have sent these, too, but an experiment with adding dark chocolate did not settle well for my daughter.  We're trying again today without the chocolate, and I'm enjoying the aroma of a freshly baked batch right now!!

Banana Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies

• 3 cups quick cooking oats (can use gluten free)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar (or coconut sugar)
• 1/2 cup milk (or milk substitute)
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 3/4 cup mashed banana or about 3 bananas
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips, raisins, or dried cranberries - optional (I think adding any fresh berry would be wonderful, too!)

1. Mix all ingredients together and stir well.
2. Drop by the spoonful onto greased sheet or mini muffin tin.
3. Bake at 350 for 10 - 20 minutes depending on size of cookie.
4. Enjoy!

Jackson and the Tetons

I think this all started a couple of years ago, when I was reading Jill Savage's book Living with Less so Your Family Has More.  Packed with sound financial advice, I found a unique nugget of an idea to chew on: sit down and make a chart of each year, your children's ages, and another list of where you would like to go on vacation.  Next Jill wrote,

"Living on a limited income, we could only take a major trip every two to three years, so we whittled down our list to what we could realistically afford.  We then plugged the trip into our table according to when our children would be at appropriate ages to enjoy it to the fullest.  And then we began to work on our plan, saving money and researching the experience so we could really maximize the fun while minimizing our budget."

When Eric and I sat down together two years ago to talk about trips we'd like to take with our children before they were gone, we were first of all amazed to consider we had 7 years left until our oldest would be out of high school.  We had two destinations in mind in particular: a trip out West to see mountains and one out East to see historic sites and the ocean.  (I love how Jill describes these vacations as field trips, as they are not exactly relaxing!!)  We started putting a little money away each month, scaled back our yearly vacation plans, researched routes (my job) and watched our vacation savings grow.

Our original plan was to visit Colorado, but last May in school the kids and I read about Yellowstone and our curiosity was piqued.  Plans can change, and they did.  When I began to look at our route and talk to my parents, it became apparent there was a lot to be seen on such a trip.  It was so much fun to have my parents along with us!

An arch made out of antlers in Jackson?  You can get chandeliers, too!  Mom and Dad (or should I say Nana and Poppa?) with the kids.

We tried not to do too many expensive activities, but horseback riding was definitely in the budget. Josiah was too young to do a trail ride, so I stayed back with him for a lead around.  He was delighted to help feed

the horses, and the ranch hand was incredibly patient with him.

Rachel loved it--her horse was named Wyatt.  It was her choice to wear a helmet for the ride.

Micah took along the money he had saved from babysitting this summer and used it to buy a cowboy hat.  There is a whole store devoted to hats in Jackson!  We evantually found one for each child and they really helped keep the sun off their faces for the remainder of the trip.

Eric and my mom join the riders.

Now my dad; ready to go!

  

Josiah had a gentle horse named Brownie.

Eric and I both loved the Tetons--this wins the award for most beautiful picnic spot ever!

A last glimpse as we headed for our next destination: Yellowstone!

Traveling gluten free was simply a matter of planning ahead.  We found a Five Guys in Omaha for supper one night.  My kids love it because it is the one place we can find french fries that are both gluten free and no preservatives.  Jackson was a rather "crunchy" town and we took advantage of the Lotus Cafe where Josiah enjoyed nachos made with blue corn chips and Daiya cheese and then Jackson Whole Grocer to stock up on food to prepare at our cabin.

Meet Me in St. Louis?

We've been looking forward to this day all summer...the day my youngest brother and sister-in-law would move from Texas to Illinois.  Eric and I decided to schedule some fun family time in St. Louis to coincide with their move this weekend.  My parents came along with us making things even more fun.

Our first stop was The City Museum.  This place was crazy!  It's great for kids who love to climb.  However, the heights made me dizzy, so I found some safe places close to the ground to watch.  Josiah would not have done this even three months ago.  At one point he did stop and cry because he was scared, but Micah came to the rescue by carrying him on his back. 

Rachel climbing to new heights.

 It was 96 degrees outside.  The kids would have stayed out all afternoon if it had been cooler.

 Josiah must have gone down this slide about 100 times.  Eric had to lift him up, so he got a workout.  This was inside the museum, where there was a train ride, more climbing, a shoestring factory...so much to see!

Overall, we found The City Museum to be a kids' dream but a parent's nightmare.  There was so much to climb on, in, around, and through that the kids would disappear from our sight for several minutes at a time.  Not a happy feeling in downtown St. Louis.  However, if you're up to climbing in (or up!) after them, it's a great place to explore.

We spent the night at a motel that provided free supper and breakfast.  Overall, it was a great experience.  We took food for Josiah and still found a few things he could eat from the motel buffet, like baked potatoes and bananas.  Next time, I need to remember to bring condiments and butter!  A nearby Wal-Mart came in handy.  We let the other two kids eat whatever they wanted, but Rachel ended up with joint pain.  I think we know where some of her health issues came from and what has helped them clear up.  We were concerned about the taco meat for Micah (MSG?), so gave him a baking soda capsule after supper.  He seemed to do fine, although he did wake up with a headache in the night.  He blamed it on fumes from the pool.

The St. Louis Arch...we've been by many times but never have stopped.

 The kids with Nana and Papa.

 I think this picture was Eric's splendid work.

The free museum was very interesting and a great way to pass the time until our ride to the top.  There is a lot to see here about westward expansion, more than we even had time for.  Rachel loved the covered wagon, as we just finished reading a book about a girl who traveled on the Oregon Trail.  She told me, "Mom, I want a doll like that one."  We found one in the museum store!  My daughter never asks for dolls, so it was easy for me to buy it for her.

 Getting ready to climb in our pod!

We made it!  The kids were thrilled to be up so high.  I was looking forward to planting my feet back on firm ground, but enjoyed seeing their reactions and looking out the tiny windows at the city.  I have a sweet picture in my mind of my mom and Josiah peering out the window.  Oh yeah, there is one on my camera, too, but that one doesn't do it justice.

I didn't plan well for how long we would be staying at the arch.  Josiah was hungry before we were able to go to the top.  Thankfully, there was an old-fashioned mercantile store inside, where we were able to find kettle corn and dried pears that read clean.  They both worked out fine for him, with no reactions.

The arch was only 20 minutes from a Whole Foods, so we headed into St. Louis to find it.  This was the first time we'd ever been, and our visit was very enjoyable!  They had a deli where we easily found food acceptable for Josiah, and it was delicious.  We found to our delight that every aisle was stocked with food he can eat, and the store brand was not badly priced.  Hungry for variety, we loaded up on snacks and food items we can't find here: things like graham crackers, pretzels, cookies, soda, nuts, and even naturally flavored and colored gumdrops!

Finally, the real reason for our trip!  It was so good to see Michelle and Jared to help them move, but the time with them was too short and put an ache in my heart to leave.  It's so good to know they are just over 2 hours away now!  We can't wait to go back soon.