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New Favorite Cookies! (with no sugar)

As our family journeys to live eat in a more healthful way I (the one in the family with a sweet tooth) went on a search to find a sweet treat that was also not so bad for us.  I think I found it!  I was on this site: http://pantrychef.wordpress.com/ and found a recipe for Banana Oatmeal Granola Bar Bite Cookies.  I decided to give it a try (we always have bananas smashed in bags in the freezer) and we were all pleased!  I even have my parents making them as well!  

Here is the recipe as found on the site: 

Banana Oatmeal Granola Bar Bite Cookies

Serving: 24 cookies
Time: 35 minutes
Level: Easy (super kid friendly, so let them help!)

3 ripe bananas (wait until they are nice and spotty. They are sweeter that way.)
2 c. oats (you can use whole wheat, steel cut, quick cooking, or most any other type of oats)
1/2 – 1 c. dried fruit, chopped (I used prunes but apricots and cranberries work well, too)
1/3 c. coconut oil (you can use vegetable oil)
1/2 c. nuts, chopped (optional)
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla

In a medium bowl, mash bananas with a fork until smooth. Stir in remaining ingredients. Preheat oven to 350°. Let mixture sit on the counter for 15 minutes.

On a parchment paper lined baking sheet, drop mixture by spoonfuls. With your hands, shape cookies into desired shape and press down until flattened to desired thickness. (Cookies will come out of the oven in the exact same shape they went in…) Bake for 20 minutes. Yum!

Tips
- Don’t forget to use parchment paper. The bananas and dried fruit will leave a sticky residue on your baking sheet if you don’t!

A few personal notes...

1.  We have only ever tried these with coconut oil and love the subtle coconut taste it adds to the cookies.  

2.  I have made these with all types of oats (steel cut-quick) and they all turn out great

3.  Add Brewers Yeast if you are nursing and looking for a way to increase your milk supply (you can also add flax meal in place of some of the oatmeal)

4.  I am attempting my first batch of chocolate cookies.  I increased the oil by a table spoon and added in about a 1/3 cup of cocoa powder.  I will have to let you know how everyone likes them.  

5.  So far our favorite fruits to add are apricots, raisins, and prunes.  

Let me know if you try them and add your own twist!  

Happy baking!

Look Who is 11 Months Old!

I can't believe that Judah is already 11 months old!  Where did the time go??  He is such a sweet little man and has a very mild temperament, though very strong at times.  He is also a man of few words.  While he has said a handful of words (dada, no, done, night night) very rarely will he use them again.  HE much prefers grunting! The one exception is mama, which makes me smile and melt inside!  He knows the sign for more and uses it ALL the time.  His latest trick is to blow kisses to all around!    

He is a big boy and weighs about 22 pounds.  He is also very tall for his age but not sure where he stands right now.  Lets just say that with his cloths diapers on he wears 12-18 month or 18-24 month clothes!

He loves his bunny, anything with wheels, is really into books (especially ones about trucks) and LOVES to play peek-a-boo.  It has been amazing to see the difference between boys and girls already! It is not uncommon for me to see him pushing around a car (or anything else) around the house.  He is also into playing with the little people sets far more than Haddie was into.  We have also seen a love for music in Judah.  He often hums along with the music and claps on the songs he really loves.  

He knows which rooms he is not supposed to go into and giggles with delight as you go get him out of there.  When Haddie chases after him he is in heaven.  He adores his big sister and loves to be with her.  She is usually happy to have him around as well.  

He also loves to figure out how things work.  He learned the steps to buckle up at 9 months and continues to do his part when we get him in his car seat.  He watches how people put things together and tries to copy as much as he can.  He can sit and observe far longer than Haddie ever could or would.  He also loves to pull things out of the baskets!  From laundry to toys and books to pots and pans, he is a happy little man with a basket full of things!  

While he was crawling at 7 months he is taking his time to walk.  He has been pulling himself up and cruising for months.  This mama is happy though as I have a feeling he will start out running once he is ready!  He gets where he wants to go by crawling fast and climbing on everything.  He can get to the top of the play equipment at the park in a few short steps!  He will keep me on my toes over the next few months for sure!  

Many of you know that he was not sleeping well.  He is finally doing much better.  We usually have him down for bed by 7 pm and he will sleep until about midnight.  After a quick nursing he will go back to bed until 7 or 7:30 am!  I am one happy mama!  He is still nursing about 6 times a day (one in the middle of the night) and is enjoying other foods as well.  He loves green veggies and is not very fond of fruit, although I did get him to eat some melon the other day and he seemed to love it!   

Our little Dudah!  What a delight and joy you are!  You are so funny and you know it!  Your laugh is contagious and you know how to melt our hearts with your kisses!  We love you!

No Sugar Update

We are doing well in this area.  We have had sugar a few times but are still just trying to be mindful of not having it.  We have noticed that Haddie's yeast infection is getting lots better and will still try to keep her on a very low sugar diet until we see that she can maintain this.  It has been hard for her at times and yet I have noticed that she has adapted quite well.  No longer does she ask for sweets all the time.  Go Haddie Go!

I am also doing well.  It was really an eye opening experience to see how many sweets I really eat.  Sure I eat plenty of greens and veggies but I still had more sweets than an occasional treat!  I was really addicted to sugar.  I have been a bit relaxed over the past few days but I am going to see if I can continue to go no sweets route through June.  I am finding that I am not as hungry as when I first started this and I am just making better choices with foods.  I am also down a few pounds and up on muscle mass.  The only downside for me is that I just pulled a muscle and I will have to put working out on hold for the next 48 hours.  Overall I am pleased and feeling much better with more energy!

Filling up the Heart

"Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit.  You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good?  For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.  The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in  him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.  But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgement for every careless word they have spoken"

~Matthew 12:33-36

What do you fill your heart up with??  As we have been studying James in church we took a little detour and looked over at Matthew.  I was really impacted by the above passage.  It isn't anything new but it has been a while since I have really examined my heart and my tongue.

I speak quickly and easily and often do not think about what I am going to say.  How do my words impact those around me?  Do my words build up Michael?  How do my words shape my precious children?  Am I someone that people want to be around?

We were reminded that taming the tongue is not something that man can do.  While that feels a little helpless, the above passage reminds me of something that I can do.  What am I filling my heart up with?? Is it the latest show on tv that I can't miss?  Or am I slowing down my pace so that I can be filled with God's word?

Ever since having kids I have struggled in the area of making time to be still before God.  Where I once had time to soak in His word I feel like I am living off of snacks.  I get all kinds of advice from people and yet deep within I know that it really comes down to me making the time for it.  Am I willing to trust that He will sustain me through the day if I get up 30 minutes before I normally would?  Am I willing to give up the show I want to watch so that I can listen to what He wants to say to me??  Am I taking the time that God has provided me with and using it in ways that are pleasing to Him?

I want my words to be seasoned with His.  I have nothing of worth to give to others except for that which first came from Him.  I want to fill up on Him so that my words may be a sweet offering to those around me.  I am praying for a deeper hunger and thirst for his Word.  How can I also do things that will allow Michael to have this same time?  We need to be fighting for ourselves and for one another.

Not my Shoes...

Have you ever found yourself trying to fit into something that you are not?? Have you ever thought that life would be better if...? Ever wish your kids would behave the way so and so's kids behaved? Ever think that a little more money might solve it? Ever try that new parenting trick hoping it would bring peace into your home?

We look silly when we try to stand under these ideals. The list goes on and on of who the world tells us we need to be. If we were to do it all we would be crazy!

But it was our choice to step into those shoes in the first place. God never asked us to take these burdens upon ourselves. Maybe we thought it would look good. Maybe we thought we would be able to move further along in life if we stepped into these. Or maybe we saw another we respect and admire walk around in these shoes.

I am so thankful for a God of grace! A God who encourages us to step out of these ridiculously huge boots that were never meant to house our feet! And in the same way that we stepped into these shoes, we have to also be willing to step out of them.

Oh, He is faithful to help us get back on the right track. He will even help to lift us out of theses boots. He even knows exactly what will fit us and allow us to run in the way and direction He created for us! It may not be the latest fashion and they may cause a blister or two at the start, but after time we will see that there could not be a better fit!

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, ans I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

Matthew 11:28-30

"But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Saviour from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body."

Philippians 3: 20-21

"Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul. Rescue me from my enemies, O LORD, for I hide myself in you. Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground."

Psalm 143:8-10

No Sugar???

Ready or not here we go. Haddie and I are going off most forms of sugar. Since Haddie was 2 weeks old we have been struggling with yeast infections on a regular basis (I think that this is due to all the antibiotics she/we had during labor and in the two weeks that followed). We have tried everything over the counter and nothing seems to get rid of it. As I have done some reading it seems as if one way to get rid of the candida is to starve it from sugar. While Haddie doesn't eat a lot of sugar (way less than the average 3 year old) she does have a sweet tooth and loves her chocolate every now and then. She also loves cereal. As a result we are going off grains (except for brown rice, quinoa, and oatmeal), dried fruit, sugar, and limiting milk. We are also trying not to eat a bunch of fruit and we will stay away from some veggies (corn, potatoes, sweet potatoes, peas...).

I decided to do this with Haddie so that we would not be eating things in front of her. Today is day one. I think it will be harder for me than I thought. It is amazing how easy it is to eat "sugar" all day long. From pasta to milk and crackers to sweet potatoes - sugar (natural or not) is in a lot of what we eat. It always seems to sneak into our diet in funny ways that we don't think of. When you remove it you see that there is not much to work with. I will also be making sure that one meal includes yogurt as the base. This will help her to get good probiotics into her gut. Thankfully she loves yogurt! We will do this for a week or two and then see what we need to do from there. If needed we will cut out most fruits as well for a short time frame and then slowly add them back. I am hoping that just removing the grains and added sugar will reduce the candida.

The good side to this is that I am hoping it will help me to loose the extra weight I have put on between both kids. First of all I never got down to my ideal healthy weight before I got pregnant with Haddie. I was at 145. Then after I had Haddie I got down to 150 (I think) and then got pregnant with Judah. Now I am at 160 and I would like to get down to 140 before we have more kids. It is not so much about a number but wanting to be healthy so that I can be the best mom I can be to my kids. I want to be able to run around and chase them all day long!

I know that some people loose all their weight while they are nursing. That has never been the case for me. I do loose weight it just takes a LONG time! Some say that I will loose it faster once I stop nursing. The problem is that I am usually not done nursing until after I am pregnant again. It is like my body won't just drop the weight as long as I am nursing. I stay active but I think I use that as an excuse to eat what I want. No more. I am serious! It is time to kick this weight for good! It is time to retrain my body, mind, and taste buds! I am hoping to be down 15 pounds in 3 months in time for a family trip out to the Northwest for Ben's (Michael's brother) wedding. I will try to keep you guys up to date on how things are going, both with my health and Haddie's.

Happy 3rd Birthday Hadassah!

I can't believe that my little girl is already 3 years old! It really seems like just yesterday we were bringing her home from the hospital. Life is never boring with Hadassah. She is always keeping me on my toes when it comes to parenting. While she looks like her daddy she sure has her mom's attitude! She is sweet, teachable, loves to read, sings all the time, has a heart to pray for others, is a huge helper around the house, loves her little brother, loves to run and climb, loves to explore outside, has 6 or so babies that she takes care of and about 30 more in her tummy, she loves to get mail, she is smarter than her parents know what to do with, and is as precious as they come.

We just enjoyed celebrating her birthday with a bunch of her little friends. This year she really wanted a Critter (Calico Critter) birthday party. After months of thinking through how I could do this, and coming up with very few ideas, I finally asked her if we could think of another idea. One that she thought of was Cowboys and Cowgirls. My mom and I starting thinking through some ideas but when we went to the store and saw the pick cowgirl hat - we were sold! I hope you will enjoy seeing a glimpse of Haddassah's 3 year old birthday party!

All the party food!

Gold Rush crackers, Oregon Trail Mix, Veggies and Ranch, Peeps (in honor of Auntie Sarah's Chickens), Wrangler Ropes (red vines), popcorn in cones, root beer for the adults, and pink and white milk in jars for the kids!

Before all the cowgirls and boy lost it we decided to take a group shot! So glad we did!

Target Practice with water guns!

Rody Race - Blue Boy vs. Green Girl

We have to start them early around here!

Ice cold strawberry milk after lots of running around!

Some birthday gifts (no one really followed our no gifts please). Oh well, she got some great gifts from her friends and family.

Haddie's first year to really blow out the candles! Way to go!

Daddy and his "Rootin Tootin" cowgirl

Our growing family of 4!

Grandma Susan and Papa Russell came in for the big day!

Haddie next to the tree she got from GG on her first birthday.

Haddie, we love you so much and are so proud of the little girl that you are growing into. We pray that God would continue to shape his character in you and that you would continue to seek after God and serve Him alone. Thanks for keeping lots of laughter in our home!

Wayyyyy to long!

I can't believe that it has been so long since I have written a post! I have been on a very intense journey and growing process over the past few months (9 to be exact). It has not been an easy transition from becoming a mom of one to a mom of two. Some of it is just the season of life that I am in.

All that said, I have a goal to write at least once post a week. I am removing other things in my life to make this more possible. There are so many things I long to share and I just need to set the time apart to write them down.

Judah is up and I need to get things done but I wanted to at least get things started again...

I will leave you with a pic of Judah at 9 months. More to come!