Homeopathy article

I have had some interest in alternative medicine or natural health for quite awhile. Since having kids, I've also become even more sensitive to how many chemicals and substances go into our bodies that could have long-lasting effects. I've embarked on becoming more educated on both conventional and alternative medicines and found this article extremely interesting.

Nobel Prize Winner Takes Homeopathy Seriously

Maybe I'm opening a can of worms here...or maybe you're all yawning. But, I found it thought-provoking enough I just had to share!

2011 Reading List

Photo credit

Last year I set as one of my goals to stick to a reading list and to focus on reading one book at-a-time. I am happy to say that, although I didn't read all the books on my list, I actually read AND COMPLETED more books last year than I have in a long time! So, this year, I have no delusions that I will only stick to this list, or that I will complete it. But, I found it uber helpful to have a list to go back to when I was stumped as to what to read next.

So, here goes (you'll notice a few books I didn't get to from last year's list)...

Loving our Kids on Purpose by Danny Silk

Learning all the Time by John Holt

10-Minute Life Lessons for Kids by Jamie C. Miller

The Creative Family by Amanda Blake Soule

Adopted for Life by Russell Moore

Grace-Based Parenting by Tim Kimmel

Simplicity Parenting: Using the Extraordinary Power of Less to Raise Calmer, Happier, and More Secure Kids by Kim John Payne

The Heavenly Man: the remarkable true story of Chinese Christian Brother Yun by Paul Hattaway

Counsel from the Cross: Connecting Broken People to the Love of Christ, by Elyse M. Fitzpatrick

Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God by Francis Chan

A Praying Life: Connecting with God in a Distracting World by Paul Miller

Prayer: Finding the heart's true home by Richard Foster

One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are by Ann Voskamp

Relationships: A Mess Worth Making by Tim Lane and Paul Tripp

Womanly Dominion: More than a gentle and quiet spirit by Mark Chanski

Sacred Influence: How God uses wives to shape the souls of their husbands by Gary Thomas

Practicing Hospitality: The joy of serving others by Patricia Ennis

The China Study: The Most Comprehensive Study of Nutrition Ever Conducted by T. Colin Campbell, Thomas M. Campbell II

Time Management from the Inside Out: The Foolproof System for Taking Control of Your Schedule--and Your Life, by Julie Morgenstern

Back to Basics: A Complete Guide to Traditional Skills by Abigail Gehring

The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan (in writing this list, I realized I had the author's name as "Paul Bunyan" on last year's list - LOL)

Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard

Mind of the Maker by Dorothy Sayers

East of Eden by John Steinbeck

Gilead by Maryanne Robinson

Peace Like a River by Leif Enger

A Severe Mercy by Sheldon Vanauken

Thanks to all those who recommended many of these books! What are you reading in 2011?!

* edited to say this is a VERY ambitious reading list. It is more of a reference list than a goal, but I hope to read at least 20 of these books*

Menu Plan Monday: Getting back in the kitchen edition

Since little Silas came along, friends and family have seriously blessed our socks off providing delicious meals for us several times a week. I have been spoiled not having to spend much time in the kitchen over the last 6 weeks, freeing me up to rest and snuggle with my kiddos. But, all good things come to an end, and it's time to fire up the oven and feed my family once more. Here's what we've got cookin':

Monday:: Veggie & chicken stir-fry, rice

Tuesday:: Slow cooker lasagna, mixed greens salad w/homemade balsamic vinaigrette

Wednesday:: Chicken and dumplings, spinach salad

Thursday:: Soy sauce-glazed salmon, miso soup, stir-fried bok choy

Friday:: Beef barley stew, wheat bread (see video below!)

Saturday:: Baked ziti casserole, breadsticks, mixed green salad

We have been enjoying lots of soups lately...what could be better than a hardy, steaming bowl of soup on a frigid, snowy day, right?! And what goes better with soup than some yummy, crusty bread. I've used the 5 minutes a day method in the past, but recently found the authors have come up with some healthier versions I'd like to try out. Here's the simple wheat bread I think I'll be using:

Snow Day(s)!

Omaha finally received its first major snowfall this past week...9 inches overall. So, Thang got to stay home for a couple of days with school cancelled. YAY! I get just about as excited for snow days with Thang as I did as a school girl. We stayed busy! While Silas and I stayed cozied up inside...

Thang and Nora enjoyed the snow...

Making snow angels...I just love the look of delight on her face.

And then warmed up inside by baking some yummy soft pretzels with Mommy...

Like a warm hug on a cold day! Here's the recipe we used to make these tasty treats.

Heavenly Homemaker's Soft Pretzels

Ingredients:

1 c. water
2 T. yeast
2 t. honey
2 1/2 cups milk
1 stick butter
1/2 cup honey
4 t. salt
8 cups whole wheat flour (more if necessary)
butter
salt

Directions:

In a large bowl, mix 1 cup very warm water, 2 T. yeast and 2 t. honey. Stir together. Let this sit for a few minutes while you do the next step.

Melt a stick of butter in a large saucepan.

Add 1/2 cup honey, 4 t. salt and 2 1/2 cups of milk. Heat to 120 degrees (use your candy thermometer for this).

Pour milk mixture into yeast mixture and stir.

Stir in 8 cups of flour, 2 cups at a time. (add more if you need it)

Knead the dough for 5-10 minutes.

Plop it into a bowl, cover it and let it rise for 1-1 1/2 hours.

Pull it out of the bowl and knead it a few times to get the air out. Pull a ball of dough, about the size of your fist.

Roll it into a long snake. Twist into pretzel shape (see Laura's pics for the how-to).

After you shape each pretzel, put them on a cookie sheet about an inch apart. Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

Melt a stick of butter in a saucepan. Right when you take the pretzels out of the oven, slather them with butter, then sprinkle salt over them. We also did brown sugar and cinnamon.

These were so tasty, we scarfed them down before getting a good pic of the finished product! These also freeze well (a good strategy to keep yourself from scarfing them all down!).

Aaaaand, because what's a blog without some gratuitous cute baby pics...

What a sweet face for someone who just poo'd all over me!

1 month old

Silas turns 1 month old today! Cannot believe it. I suppose when you're not getting much uninterrupted sleep for several weeks on end, the concept of time is surreal anyway. But it really feels like Silas has been a part of our family for so much longer than 4 weeks. And, the aches and pains of pregnancy seem like a {somewhat} distant memory {although not SO distant that I'm ready to jump back in for awhile}.

He's been a busy boy...

Learning to hold his "paci" all by himself

Playdates with Bernard the bear

Finding his thumb

Eating LOTS and growing a nice, big belly

Taking lots of catnaps...and being ever so cute

Enduring Enjoying lots of lovin' from his big sis

I'll openly confess to having held this little boy for nearly the entire first month of his life. While the first weeks with Nora were a hugely joyful and exciting time for us, I didn't realize how quickly that snuggly newborn phase goes by. I don't think I soaked up enough of that sweet, newborn smell or those peculiar squeeks and grunts unique to newborns. I didn't gaze long enough at her teeny-tiny toes or nuzzle her peach-fuzz hair {which quickly fell out}. Maybe you can never really get enough of this "newbornness", but I have sure been trying!

Postpartum hormones

I'm going to go ahead and blame postpartum hormones for my weepiness while watching this...

Don't judge.

(Nora and I have been watching lots of "Glee" clips on Youtube...not a huge fan of the show, but love the singing and dancing!)