If you happen to be following along with the Trim Healthy Mama lifestyle of eating, you may understand that sometimes after eating E (Energizing) meals, you might still feel hungry. We were wanting dessert last night, but nothing sounded good to us. That's when someone piped up and said, "Apple Crisp! We could make a THM-style apple crisp!" So, we did.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a small bowl, stir together cinnamon, Truvia or erythritol/stevia combination, and salt. In a large bowl, toss sliced apples with cinnamon-sugar-salt mixture. Set aside. Meanwhile, spray 8x8" metal baking pan with nonstick cooking spray (I like using Spectrum's Coconut Oil Spray). If using a glass baking dish, reduce oven temperature by 25 degrees and bake for slightly less time. Pour 1/4 cup water into the greased baking pan and spoon in the sliced apple mixture. In a separate bowl, combine the old-fashioned oats, oat flour (grind 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp. old-fashioned oats in your blender or coffee grinder to make your own oat flour), and 2 Tbsp. Truvia. Pour melted butter into the flour mixture and mix them together thoroughly. It should be crumbly. Spread the crumble mixture out evenly on top of the layer of apples. Bake for 30-40 minutes until apples are soft and the crust has hardened and turned golden brown. For an added "crisp" to your topping, broil for 1 minute. (Don't let it burn!) Serve hot by itself or with nonfat whipped cream. No-Sugar, Gluten-Free, Apple Crisp (E for Trim Healthy lifestyle) Serves 5 to be within Trim Healthy "E" guidelines This recipe will be delicious with rhubarb, combinations of various fruits, or whatever type of fruit you'd like to serve in cobblers or crisps. If you choose to use straight rhubarb, this would actually be a Fuel Pull for the Trim Healthy Mama lifestyle! Have fun losing weight while eating! :) Feel free to take a look at my Trim Healthy VISUAL SHOPPING LIST to get a better idea of some of the quicker food options available in your stores! I don't know why anyone would want to make a tiny, 1-serving size of this recipe, because we love leftovers! (Heh, heh.) ☺ But if you live alone or for some odd reason just want to make enough for one person, one time, here you go! (As requested by a reader.) You can divide the recipe by 4 to get a smaller quantity:
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While I won't lie and say that I've been 100% perfect about not eating any flour-based or sugar-based products, I've pretty much steered clear of the carbs that used to fill our family's diet. I literally have not made anything using sugar (even natural forms of sugar like organic maple syrup, honey, or evaporated cane juice sugar) or flour in our home for over three months now. I'm not opposed to the natural, organic sweeteners like maple syrup, molasses, honey, agave, etc. But they don't work for people who are pre-diabetic or diabetic, or for those who are needing to lose weight. Recently, my husband and I had our birthdays coming up. They're two days apart - FUN! I wanted to make a carrot cake, but it had to contain no sugar, and it had to be low carb. How about this one, in the photo? Only 4 net grams of carbs per serving! Wow. Here's the thing, though. On the day our lovely daughter, Brittany, made this for us, I have to admit that the cake was a bit dry, and the frosting wasn't quite sweetened enough. That's my fault; not Brittany's. I checked the cake at 20 minutes, and it obviously wasn't finished baking...but at 30 minutes, it had baked a bit too long, I think. I forgot to check it at 25 minutes. Yep, I do forget things sometimes. ☺ So, here's what I did to help make this cake taste dee-licious! (And it did.) I sprinkled about 1 teaspoon of erythritol on the top of the cream cheese icing, since it was too late to add any additional sweetener into the frosting. I love the look of it - all sparkly and sugary looking. Then, I placed foil over the frosted cake and set it in the fridge for TWO days. Yes, two more days. On Day 3, I took the cake over to my parents' house for dessert. I was just sure it would be so much better this time - and it was! It was moist and delicious, and the erythritol crystals had absorbed into the frosting and made it have that hint of sweetness that we former sugar-a-holics just really enJOY. ☺ Here's the recipe for low-carb carrot cake. Just make sure to let it set for 2-3 days in the refrigerator before serving. Note: while after three days in the refrigerator, this is decent, it isn't our most favorite no-sugar dessert. But we'll keep trying to find a really good low carb carrot cake! |
3 cups almond meal 1 cup flax meal 2 tsp. baking powder 2 tsp. baking soda 1/2 tsp. salt 1 Tbsp. cinnamon 1/2 tsp. ginger 1/4 tsp. nutmeg (powdered) | 1/4 tsp. Stevia Extract Powder 4 tsp. vanilla 4 eggs 3 Tbsp. oil 1/2 cup sour cream 8 oz. shredded carrots 1/4 cup half-n-half 1/2 to 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional) |
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9" x 13" metal baking pan. Combine and stir together all of the dry ingredients, except nuts. Mix together all of the wet ingredients in a separate bowl. Gently stir together dry and wet ingredients and pour into greased pan. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until just done. After carrot cake cools, whip up and spread this frosting on top:
Cream Cheese Frosting
1/2 cup extra virgin coconut oil
1/2 cup butter, softened
2-3 Tbsp. cream or half-n-half to thin frosting
1 tsp. vanilla or almond extract
***Stevia Extract Powder to taste (think several sprinkles or shakes)
***If you prefer to combine sweeteners, you may want to add less stevia extract powder and add in some erythritol and/or xylitol.
Beat all ingredients together and spread over top of cooled cake. Sprinkle optional chopped nuts on top, if desired. Store in refrigerator.
Curious about some of the foods and products I place into my shopping cart each week using Trim Healthy Mama? Check out my pictorial Trim Healthy Mama Grocery Shopping List! |
I've looked forward to these special Valentine's Day treats ever since my mom began making them when I was around 5-6 years old. Each of the children, as well as my dad, would get a delicious homemade cookie decorated with homemade heart-shaped "peppermint patties" on them.
When I became a teacher, I would make smaller versions of these heart cookies for my students. They loved 'em, as you could imagine! Drool...beg for more...more drooling.
That's why students are all required to bring one box of Kleenex to school on the first day. The Kleenex fiasco started all because of my cookies that made the students drool.
After I got married to my own Valentine, Elmer, I began making a heart-shaped cookie for him. And what to do with all that extra cookie dough but to share the cookie love with my co-workers!
Of course, our children have received these giant heart-shaped cookies every year since they were probably around two years old. (I'm pretty sure that Elmer and I ate most of their cookies each year, especially when they were very small, so they wouldn't truly be eating that much sugar.)
Some of us would take tiny bites from the cookie throughout the day - and week, while someone else would eat half of it in one sitting.
Okay, that's just gross. So I'm not going to identify who used to do that.
But this year was different. We're in a different place in our lives - and in our health.
I'm pre-diabetic, and while I'd still love to enJOY these delicious cookies - drool, drool - that just can't happen anymore.
I've been on a quest to find a low-carb, sugar-free "sugar cookie" recipe to use for Valentine's Day. I was pretty skeptical about finding a recipe that would taste good and be relatively good for us at the same time.
Guess what? I made some sugar-free cut-out cookies! And they were actually very, very delicious! I'll be making this recipe again, when time and the grocery budget allows.
Low Carb, Sugar Free "Sugar Cookies"
- 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter or coconut oil (or 3 Tbsp. of each)
- 3 cups blanched almond flour
- 1/2 cup gluten-free flour (you can use millet flour or your own gluten-free flour of choice)
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 4 Tablespoons xylitol
- 4 Tablespoons erythritol
- 1/4 + 1/8 teaspoon pure stevia extract powder
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together blanched almond flour, gluten-free flour, and sea salt.
Optional: With a clean coffee grinder, blend xylitol and erythritol together for 10-20 seconds until powdered. Allow it to settle back into the coffee grinder before removing lid.
In a separate larger bowl, cream powdered xylitol, erythritol, and unsalted butter and/or coconut oil together until fluffy and smooth. Add in egg yolk and vanilla, and beat well.
Beat in dry ingredients until dough comes together. (Add a tad more vanilla if dough seems too dry to come together.) Then, shape the dough into two balls. Wrap dough balls in plastic wrap and chill for at least one hour. The dough won’t hold together as well if it isn’t chilled long enough.
Roll out the dough between two sheets of wax paper or parchment paper, peeling off the top sheet and flipping the dough over on to the other sheet as it is rolled out. Flipping the dough and peeling off the top sheet - every few strokes that the dough is rolled with your rolling pin - helps to prevent the sheet of dough from sticking to the paper.
Once the dough has been rolled to 1/4“ thickness, cut it into shapes with cookie cutters and bake them on an insulated cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. With this particular sugar-free, gluten-free dough, it's okay to gather your scraps and reroll the dough to make additional cut-out cookies.
If you prefer thin, crispy sugar cookies, roll the dough out to 1/8" thickness. Store baked, cooled cookies in the freezer for the perfect crisp texture. No need to even thaw!
I discovered that I had baked the cookies a bit too long when baking the first tray. However, this dough is far more forgiving than regular sugar cookie dough! The cookies still tasted delicious and were moist despite their slightly darker color than I would normally prefer.
Let cookies rest on lined cookie sheet for a minute or so after removing them from the oven; then, transfer them to a wire rack to cool. Store cooled cookies in an airtight container.
Makes 18 three-inch heart shaped cookies; each cookie is under 3 net carbs and is only 83 calories, a far cry from the giant heart-shaped giant cookies I used to make. I'm not even going to go there - as to how many calories and carbs were in those giant heart-shaped cookies!
While Kelsi and I did like the frosting, we also had to get used to it. It still has a slight taste of the alternative sweetener taste from time to time, which isn't my favorite thing. But it's definitely much better than the first few sugar-free frosting recipes I've tried!
Low-Carb, Sugar-Free Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon erythritol, powdered in a coffee/nut/spice grinder
1/4 cup xylitol, powdered in a coffee/nut/spice grinder
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (Ghirardelli works well and seems a bit less bitter than some of the other brands; Hershey's will also work well)
1/4 cup half and half or coconut milk
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 pinches (1/8 tsp. total) of sea salt
NuNaturals pure stevia extract powder, to taste, or a few drops of NuNaturals liquid stevia drops
Cream the butter in a small bowl until fluffy. Powder erythritol or xylitol in a coffee grinder or Magic Bullet for a minute or two, until powdered. Let sweetener settle in grinder before opening the top. Stir powdered sweetener into butter with a spatula; beat until smooth. Slowly blend in the cocoa powder, vanilla, and sea salt. Beat in the half 'n half and egg yolk, if using. Add stevia, starting with 1/8 teaspoon. You’ll probably use less than 1/4 teaspoon. Just keep tasting and adjust sweetness to your liking.
So, here we are, sitting down to a beautifully simple Valentine's dinner at home! Brittany grilled some grass-fed sirloin steaks from the freezer (her first time to grill, ever, and they were delicious. Thank you, Brittany!) I made some sauteed brussels sprouts to go alongside Dreamfields penne pasta (low-carb) with a low carb alfredo sauce....and grape tomatoes on the side. Splurge!
I hope your Valentine's Day was a nice day spent with the people you love. While I do wish our day could have included other loved ones who live far away, we made the best of it and enJOYed it in our low carb/healthy style of eating journey my family is on.
But I can't.
And we sure had a doozy these last two weeks. Wow.
Elmer, my husband, got off easy. Well, if you think working all day away from home and then arriving home to a house full of ill females is easy, then, okay. He would probably disagree. Especially after handwashing a counter full of dishes (the ones that don't go in the dishwasher). His favorite task, to be sure.
We cancelled all of our activities for the last two weeks, including celebrating our youngest's 13th birthday party.
Boy, did that make me the most popular mom ever. NOT.
Our girls cancelled teaching violin and piano to their students; they cancelled their own music lessons with their own instructors.
I merely waited to see if I'd come down with it, which I did, despite taking elderberry extract and drinking lots of herbal tea.
But now that we're feeling so much better, and preparing to have a houseful of guests this weekend, I thought it would be great timing to share some helpful tips about how to disinfect your home after having the flu virus or highly contagious cold or other virus.
Did you know that people who have the flu - and many viruses - are generally contagious 24 hours before they even begin to show symptoms of being ill?
I don't know about you, but that doesn't really seem fair! People could unknowingly infect me with their virus that they don't even know they have yet! Grrrr....and I could do likewise to them. :(
1. Even if it's the middle of winter, consider opening a window in your home - just a crack. Enough to bring in a steady supply of fresh air, to replace that stuffy, germ-laden air in your home. If you're blessed with a sunny day and even some warmth, throw open the doors and windows and air out your home! |
2. Since you are ridding your home of the virus that made you so ill, use either disposable paper towels and throwaway cleaning supplies, or be prepared to sanitize and wash thoroughly those items you'll keep after cleaning the house. If you prefer to use a sponge or brush to wash dishes, make sure to sanitize your dish brush or sponge in your dishwasher. |
3. Either replace your toothbrush (and those of anyone who was ill) or clean it well by soaking it in peroxide. What about that toothpaste that touches the toothbrush each time it's used? Throw it away and get a fresh tube. Better yet? Make sure each person in your family has their own tube of toothpaste for their own personal use. |
4. Hopefully, you've been able to wash towels in hot water on a daily basis while being ill. Now that you're feeling better, make sure to wash all towels and bedding - even blankets and comforters - in hot water or warm water/hot dryer. Some pillows can be washed normally in the washer and dryer, and others might need to be dry cleaned or require other care. Tip: Provide guests with their own hand towels, set out next to the sink, for their own use. Feel free to point out to children who are visiting that these guest towels are for them to use while visiting in your home. |
| 6. Use your favorite method of disinfecting hard surfaces: disinfecting wipes, or vinegar, rubbing alcohol, or any other method you prefer. Remember to disinfect your television remotes (yes, Dad, you need to give it up for 10 minutes), computer keyboards, game controls, cell phones, light switches, doorknobs, refrigerator and microwave handles, and the like. |
7. If a thermometer was used during the illness, sanitize it before putting it away. Glass thermometers can be placed in a small glass of peroxide; other thermometers including digital thermometers may need to be wiped with alcohol wipes or the like. See your thermometer's instructions on how to properly clean it. |
8. Any dishes used while you were ill need to be thoroughly washed in hot, soapy water or the dishwasher. Make sure that someone who is not ill is emptying the cleaned dishes from the dishwasher and placing them in the cupboards. Wash and disinfect your kitchen and bathroom counters and cupboard knobs and drawer pulls. |
I sincerely hope that your family will be able to avoid any serious or lengthy bouts of illness during this year's flu and cold season.
What are some of your own tips about ridding your home of virus germs and opening up your home to guests?
You'll find a mix of famous New Year poetry and quotes as well as Bible verses that have to do with hope and new things. Please remember that these are copyrighted and are for your personal use only. Thanks!
I'm going to go ahead and post smaller sample photos of the various "large postcard-sized" posters here, but to print off the free PDF printables, you'll find them at the file download link below.
Those of you reading this from an emailed newsletter will want to click back on the original post to easily view and download these new chalkboard printables!
New Year Printable postcards | |
File Size: | 21543 kb |
File Type: |
I only hear it once a year, read by my father on Christmas Eve, but the text has become so dear to me over the years! (After we got over the giggles from one particular year my dad read "crone" as "cronie"...it just didn't rhyme with "alone" in the next line, so my sister and I had a long giggle fit saying "cronie" and "alonie". It actually kind of ruined the evening for everyone - our giggle fit, not my Dad's mispronunciation of "crone.")
Ahem. Sorry, Dad. We were in junior high.
I enjoy this poem-story so much that I thought I'd share it with you:
by Helen Steiner Rice
It happened one day at December's end
Some neighbors called on an old-time friend.
And they found his shop so meager and mean,
Made gay with a thousand boughs of green.
And old Conrad was sitting with face ashine,
When he suddenly stopped as he stitched the twine.
And he said, "My friends, at dawn today,
When the cock was crowing the night away,
The Lord appeared in a dream to me.
And He said, 'I'm coming your guest to be."
So I've been busy with feet astir,
Strewing my shop with branches of fir.
The table is spread and the kettle is shined,
And over the rafters the holly is twined.
And now I'll wait for my Lord to appear;
And listen closely so I will hear,
His steps as he nears my humble place.
And I'll open the door and I'll look on his face."
Then his friends went home and left Conrad alone,
For this was the happiest day he had known.
For long since his family had passed away.
And Conrad had spent many a sad Christmas Day.
But he knew with the Lord as his Christmas guest,
This Christmas would be the dearest and best.
So he listened with only joy in his heart,
And with every sound he would rise with a start,
And look for the Lord to be at his door,
Like the vision that he had had a few hours before.
So he ran to the window after hearing a sound,
But all he could see on the snow covered ground,
And all his clothes were ragged and worn.
But old Conrad was touched, and he went to the door
And he said, "Your feet must be cold and sore.
I have some shoes in my shop for you.
And I have a coat to keep you warmer, too."
So with grateful heart the man went away.
But Conrad noticed the time of day
And he wondered what made the dear Lord so late,
And how much longer he'd have to wait.
But it was only a stranger once more.
A bent old lady with a shawl of black,
And a bundle of kindling piled on her back.
But she asked only for a place to rest,
a place that was reserved, for Conrad's great guest.
Her voice seemed to plead, "Don't send me away,
Let me rest for awhile this Christmas Day."
So Conrad brewed her a steaming cup
And told her to sit at the table and sup.
After she had left, he was filled with dismay,
For he saw that the hours were slipping away
The Lord had not come as He said He would,
And Conrad felt sure he had misunderstood.
"Please help me and tell me - Where am I?"
So again he opened his friendly door,
And stood disappointed as twice before.
It was a child who had wandered away,
And was lost from her family on Christmas Day.
Again Conrad's heart was heavy and sad,
But he knew he could make this little girl glad.
So he called her in and he wiped her tears,
And he quieted all of her childish fears.
Then he led her back to her home once more,
And as he entered his own darkened door,
He knew that the Lord was not coming today,
For the hours of Christmas had all passed away.
And He said, "Lord, why did you delay?
What kept You from coming to call on me?
I wanted so much Your face to see."
Then softly, in the silence, a voice he heard.
"Lift up your head - I have kept My word.
Three times my shadow crossed your floor.
Three times I came to your lowly door.
I was the beggar with bruised, cold feet;
I was the woman you gave something to eat;
I was the child on the homeless street.
Three times I knocked, three times I came in,
And each time I found the warmth of a friend.
Of all the gifts, love is the best.
I was honored to be your Christmas guest.
Just thinking about it makes me cringe, even over a year later. We'd been happily buying country eggs from a friend for a couple of years, maybe longer. We'd enjoyed eating eggs for breakfast every morning - yum! Scrambled eggs, fried eggs, hard-boiled eggs, eggs-on-toast, etc.
Until one morning. I cracked open some eggs to make scrambled eggs, and then---what? Ew! What is that?
It was a black, rotten egg.
The smell is something I'll never forget. Blech. I forced myself not to get sick, but it wasn't easy. Even though I haven't been pregnant for over 12 years, my nose continues to work overtime.
We'd been enjoying eggs for breakfast for a while by this point, and it was so nice to not be buying expensive boxes of cold cereal each week.
Unfortunately, ever since that morning, my daughter Brittany and I have had a difficult time eating eggs in the morning. I'm not just talking about whining about eating more eggs.
It was to the point that I did not want to get up in the morning because I knew we were going to be having eggs for breakfast again.
Until...Brittany tried out this amazing breakfast recipe that allows for leftovers to be reheated quickly the next morning. These amazing egg muffins are pure goodness all by themselves. I don't need a cup of coffee, a glass of orange juice, or anything to go alongside. Just one of these egg muffins, please! For those of you eating the Trim Healthy Mama way, this recipe will happily keep you going in the morning, and work well for mornings when you're on the run and need a quick, reheatable breakfast. For THM'ers, this is an S breakfast. |
What's especially great about Brittany's Easy Egg Muffins is that they will keep more than a week in the refrigerator! Egg muffins can be frozen and reheated, but they taste best and have the best texture when they have been refrigerated. If you choose to freeze these, for best results, thaw them in your refrigerator before reheating them. Microwave on high for 30-60 seconds to reheat one muffin, or place them in a muffin tin and reheat in a 350 degree heated oven for about 10 minutes.
When Brittany made these for our family (what a blessing she is to us!), she only used eggs, Spike seasoning, and cheese. We do have some ground venison sausage that I think we'll try in them next time. Yum!
Here's the recipe with a free printable version below it:
- 15 eggs (You may use fewer egg yolks and more egg whites if you prefer.)
- 1-2 tsp. Spike Seasoning (this natural no-salt, no-MSG seasoning, found in most grocery stores in the spices aisle or by the salt, is what makes these so delicious! If you don't have Spike, use any type of seasoning blend that goes well with eggs.)
- 1-2 cups grated cheese (I like sharp cheddar or a blend of cheddar/Jack cheese. Use less cheese if you choose to add meat)
- Optional, but highly recommended: 3 diced green onions
- Optional: 1 cup chopped veggies such as blanched broccoli, red pepper, zucchini, mushrooms, etc.
- Optional: 1 cup diced Canadian bacon, lean ham, or crumbled cooked sausage
In the bottom of the muffin cups, layer diced meat (if using), vegetables (if using), cheese, and green onions. Fill muffin cups about 2/3 full, with just enough room to pour a little egg around the other ingredients. Break eggs into a large measuring bowl with pour spout. Add Spike seasoning or seasoning of your choice, and beat well. Pour beaten egg into each muffin cup until it is 3/4 full. Stir slightly with a fork to blend and settle the ingredients. Bake 25-35 minutes until muffins have risen and are slightly browned and set.
Muffins will keep more than a week in the refrigerator. Egg muffins can be frozen and reheated, but I like them best when they are just refrigerated. For best results, thaw in refrigerator before reheating. Microwave on high about 1-2 minutes to reheat.
Free printable recipe!
Now I feel better about facing morning breakfast times. Thank you, Brittany! Which hot breakfast recipes do you enjoy the most that reheat quickly the next day?
This post was originally published on http://www.JoyInOurJourney.com. If you see this posted elsewhere, it has been illegally scraped, and I'd love it if you would let me know. Thanks!
Several years ago, our family chose to simplify some of our Christmas "happenings" and focus more on Christ. We began reading through a fun and meaningful series of 3 books (we read through one book each year) written by Arnold Ytreeide (Jotham's Journey, Bartholomew's Passage, Tabitha's Travels) for our family's regular evening worship time with Advent. These three stories fascinated our girls when they were younger (about age 7+), and now that they are in jr. high/high school, they still are enjoying the stories and Advent readings! (And so are Elmer and I...heh, heh!)
We simplified our gift-giving list; we actually decided to make fewer Christmas candies and goodies; etc. This year, we are decorating our home with our traditional Christmas decorations as well as these symbols of peace that my daughter, Kelsi, and I designed. People have seemed to enjoy the free October Autumn Pumpkin Scripture printables we made for October and the November "Leaves of Thanks" Scripture printables, so we decided to make some free printable Scripture decorations for December and CHRISTmas for you to enjoy!
(Email subscribers will want to click on the title of this blog post to view the graphics and to download the three pages of Christmas Peace for your use.)
Please remember that these CHRISTmas Peace printables are copyrighted and are not to be shared on another website without permission from Joy In Our Journey.com. Thanks!
We love this Cheesy Potato Soup that I've been making for many years now. It's truly delish - so don't let my ugly photo trick you into thinking you should never, ever try this.
:)
There are several things I enjoy about this recipe:
1. It's inexpensive to make.
2. When doubled or tripled, it will feed a crowd.
3. It doesn't take very long to make.
4. If you need to cool it down quickly, so you can refrigerate it for storage or to freeze, it works well for that, too. Just cook the potatoes, add the seasonings and cheese, and save the milk for last. When ready to place it into the fridge to cool, add the milk, stir well, and place in the fridge. The milk drops the temperature considerably so the soup doesn't stay in the danger zone of food improperly stored while cooling.
Here's Cheesy Potato Soup:
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In a large saucepan (I use a 6-quart pot for a single or double batch), melt butter over medium-high heat. Saute celery and onion until tender. Add diced potatoes and broth. Cover and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 12 minutes. Using a hand potato masher, gently mash some of the potatoes in the pot; leave some chunks whole. Stir in seasonings and milk. Add the cheese and heat only until melted. Garnish with croutons, if desired.
**If you find that your soup needs more potatoes to firm it up a bit, you may consider adding 1/2 cup to 1 cup organic instant mashed potatoes and stirring until the soup is thicker.
What's your favorite "go to" soup recipe that you enjoy making in the cooler weather?
I was feeling unsettled about our Thanksgiving plans for this year, for some reason. And then, about a week ago, I came across Ann Voskamp's Thanksgiving family activity called The Thanks Giving Tree. If you're not familiar with Ann, she has written One Thousand Gifts, a book that has remained on the New York Times Bestseller list for over a year - and not because it's filled with nastiness that shouldn't be discussed in public or private. It's a beautiful book, I've heard from friends. I hope to read it soon.
Anyway, after reading about Ann's Thanks Giving Tree, I decided that we should give this a try for our Thanksgiving dinner. In years past, although we are very grateful to the Lord Jesus for blessing our family, our demonstration of gratefulness wasn't much more than a prayer of thanks before we ate our turkey dinner together.
This year, I felt the whisper of the Holy Spirit to be more intentional about showing our thanks to the Lord. And so we did. Ann offers some pages of beautiful, free printable leaves that contain Bible verses of thanksgiving on one side, and are blank on the back side so people can write down things that they are thankful for.
I printed these out, bought some new eucalyptus stems - and that was a joy in and of itself! I don't usually buy anything except groceries, stamps, and a few odds and ends for our homeschooling, so it was delightful to browse through the stems of greenery (a.k.a. "fake" plants) at our local craft store and find something that would match our table. Of course, the aroma of eucalyptus is absolutely intoxicating to me, too, so it was an easy decision.
Such a wide variety of answers, from "chicken" to "my husband's provisions for us so I am able to stay at home with our children."
We loved how these turned out, and we're currently working on some new Scripture printables for Christmas - so, stay tuned!
The foam "Give Thanks" pilgrims sign was something my girls made when they were quite small! Oh, did that bring back memories!
I also printed out free printables and directions to make some cute turkey placemats. The girls cut out all of the feathers, waddles, beaks, and feet, and I put them all together to make these darling placemats. We hadn't done a craft together in quite a while, so this was fun...although time-consuming. (I'm going to laminate these this next week, so we can reuse them in the future! They took too long to make to just throw away!) |
Another adjustment I made to our Thanksgiving day together was that we decided to not make a ton of side dishes. We decided to simplify our menu! After all, for my family, the thing we look forward to the most is the turkey, homemade gravy, and Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes. Instead of having several salads and vegetable side dishes, we stuck with a more simple menu. I cooked the turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, pecan pie, and chocolate cream pie. My parents brought over a new brussels sprouts dish with dried cranberries in them (yum!), and a pumpkin pie. My mom helped out while I was finishing up the food; she made her delicious homemade gravy for us. Our friend, Marge, brought over butterflake rolls to share with us.
See? Simple. It was the first Thanksgiving Day that I didn't feel rushed or overly stressed.
And when everyone left to go home that evening, my heart rhythm wasn't all messed up, so I didn't need to take a nap on the couch.
It was a beautiful day!
I feel especially blessed to spend most Thanksgiving Days with my parents. They aren't getting any younger, ya' know, and I treasure each holiday or Holy Day I'm able to spend with them.
It took extra time to be intentional about handing down our faith and thankfulness to our children and our guests...but I'd say it was completely worth it! The day was so much more peaceful. We all worked together to help prepare the food, and it was a joy to share the day together.
Have you ever intentionally planned activities, decor, or other things to share your faith with others on holidays or Holy Days?
Hi! I'm Julieanne!
You'll find me in the kitchen
trying new Trim Healthy Mama recipes, loving God, and carrying out that love as I bless my husband and teen daughters.
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