Hi, my name is Kari and I spend obscene amounts of my free time, and my time I should be interacting with my children, pinning mostly useless pins on pinterest.
There, I said it. I waste a LOT of time, especially lately, looking at idea after idea. I mean, there are a lot of useful things on there and I have used a lot of the pins that I have pinned regarding activities with my kiddos and food to eat however, lets get real, I will most likely never use a pin from my "dream home." Unless of course I finally write the book I know will be a huge success or decide to finally buy a lottery ticket and slightly increase my odds of winning.
So, to make myself feel a little bit better about the copious amounts of time that I spend staring at my 2x4 screen, I thought I would share with you some of my favorite pins that I have actually prepared.
See, not totally wasted time...
I made these yummy to go oatmeal muffins, found here.
(all pictures from linked site)
My son can't get enough of them however little L eats about half of them and is then done...she eats every bite of normal oatmeal so I might stick to that for her for now. My only comment is that they were a bit moist after baking (apple sauce) so I would recommend the foil muffin liners instead of paper.
E has been begging for chicken noodle soup all winter and in an attempt to avoid too much sodium, I thought, I can make him some. I found this recipe here, and pretty well followed it. We found that it was really really good with some cajun seasoning sprinkled over top. I also only had to turn it on high for about 25 minutes and the noodles were cooked. Great news when you have two kids begging for dinner to be ready :) E liked it, but didn't really devour it...the hubs and I loved it.
I love eggs Benedict. For years I sort of felt like Julia Roberts in "Runaway Bride" eating my eggs however the person I was eating with ordered them. It wasn't until I was married that I was introduced to the poached egg and the glorious holandaise sauce. That being said, I made this recipe for my in-laws a couple of weeks ago and it left me in the luke warm category. Although it felt like a major accomplishment to make my own sauce, something I had never done before, I felt that it somewhat defeated the purpose of the overnight egg bake...I still had to stand over a pot, ignore people as I stirred constantly and do dishes. SO, if I were to make this again, I would totally cheat with a packet of the powder sauce instead to save some time. Just about as tasty. Also, it took about 10 minutes longer to bake than advertised...my sauce was done well before the food. I still like my poached eggs better :)
I do like my overnight casseroles though...as you are really about to find out. I made this one for a MOPS meeting and it was so easy to assemble but I would like to maybe try it with 2/3 of the hashbrowns and double the chilies. It really needed the salsa, so I don't consider it optional. I will be making it again :)
Is your mouth watering looking at this photo? I have made this one a few times now. If you were wondering how a person can run and run and not lose any weight, it is because they found a lot of french bread on clearance and have been eating overnight french toast bakes, weekly. I may know a thing or two about that...but, this is a decadent, delicious, "today must be special" kind of french toast. I typically omit the white bread and just use half a french loaf for the bottom and the other half for the top. Also, to try and justify my extra piece, I just use skim milk instead of the half and half and lowfat cream cheese. It really turns out the same...and don't forget, you are getting a healthy serving of antioxidants!
Some of my other french toast bakes I have talked about in previous posts. I told you I was obsessed.
More next time. I try really hard to get creative in the kitchen and love the inspiration I find on pinterest.
Well, as with most things, I don't get everything done in the time frame that I had hoped. So, although Christmas was about 2 weeks ago, I thought I would still share this.
I had the honor of speaking at our Christmas meetings for MOPS and shared about how the Christmas story has changed for me since becoming a mother. This is not the exact speech...I wrote out my thoughts and used them as guidelines for that day however, it is the heart of my heart on this matter. I hope you too see the Christmas story a little bit differently and perhaps find some strength for whatever challenge you face today through the faith and courage that Mary had.
I love Christmas.
I love the lights, I love the hustle and bustle, the smell
of cinnamon pine cones (side note, my husband might have staged an intervention on the
number of cinnamon pine cones I buy) and I love the peace, joy and hope that
seems to come out of most everyone during the “holiday” season.
My family has always been big on the traditions that come
with Christmas. My parents, mostly my mother, worked very hard to establish
these traditions as I grew up.The timed
delivery of Christmas ornaments, special Christmas pajamas, certain foods made
and on Christmas eve my sisters and I would all sleep in the same bed. There
are only 3 of us so most of the time there was plenty of space in the bed
however, as we grew older, this tradition didn’t die. We would return home from
college, bake cookies for santa, put on our ridiculous joe boxer ice skating
pig with a santa hat on pajamas and then pile into bed…always fighting over who
had to sleep in the middle. But after the covers settled one thing has always
stayed the same; my mom would get out her family bible and read to us Luke
chapter 2.
Luke 2 King James Version (KJV)
2 And it came to pass in those
days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world
should be taxed.
2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor
of Syria.)
3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of
Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem;
(because he was of the house and lineage of David:)
5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with
child.
6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were
accomplished that she should be delivered.
7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in
swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them
in the inn.
8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the
field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory
of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring
you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a
Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe
wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the
heavenly host praising God, and saying,
14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will
toward men.
At the completion of these verses she would kiss each of us
on the forehead and wish us sweet dreams.
I heard bits and pieces of the rest of the story over the years
from church and group discussions but to me, for the majority of my life, the
Christmas story was just that. Luke 2:1-14.
I guess you could summarize my thoughts on Christmas as
such:
As my relationship with Christ has grown and changed over
the years, my love for Christmas has deepened.But it wasn’t until I became a mother that I
would dive into a new understanding and appreciation for “the Christmas story.”
I can’t speak for all of you, but I know that motherhood has
been a lot different for me than I expected.My husband and I “planned” our first child with great care and we prayed
for our child and when that little stick was finally a plus, man, talk about
emotions.But as ready as I thought I
was, I was surprised at the fear that crept in. The oh my goodness, this is
really going to happen. The worries that you try and push out of your mind
while waiting on a baby. The thrill and love I had for my husband during that
first pregnancy. It seemed moment to moment I went from sheer joy to sheer
terror that there was going to be this human being wholly dependent upon me.
Could I really handle this?
That first Christmas with our son, God touched me through a
friend. She has been a constant I could count on during some of the roughest
and most challenging times of my life and she and I both had 8 months old that
Christmas. She sent a simple email to her other “mother” friends wishing us a
blessed advent and encouraging us to listen to the song, “labor of love.”
If you have not heard this song, get some
tissues and listen to it.
You see, what I could now understand was to some
degree what Mary went through that night.I don’t believe Jesus just appeared in that manger. I believe Mary,
young, without her mother, without a bed, without a nurse, gave birth on a
dirty barn floor with her husband faithfully by her side.
Just think about that for a second. When most
of us prepared for a baby to come into our lives, we made, to most nurses
amusement, a birth plan. Our husbands, if they were smart and heeded our
urging, had a plan and back up plan to the hospital avoiding as many congested
areas and definitely roads with pot holes.We packed our bag…or the entire back seat of the car, with items we
would need for the hospital and our new, precious child would need for the
first days of their lives. No matter how prepared we all were, there was still
great fear. How is "this" going to get out of "that"?But what I learned that first Christmas as a
mother was that Mary, young, and without her birth plan, had the strength and
courage to bring into this broken world a Savior to redeem each of us.
How
remarkable.
I remember walking back and forth, back and forth rocking my
sweet little fella that Christmas eve because he, like most nights, refused
sleep no matter how tired he was.As I
walked with him cradled in my arms I sang to him “Oh Holy Night.” I thought,
probably for the first time, about the fact that Jesus was 100% God, and 100%
human. He, just like my sweet little boy, depended on Mary for life.
Now, I am
sure there are scholars somewhere who will argue that God would not have
allowed Jesus to die in infancy, but I choose to believe that God chooses each
of us to be the mother of the child he gives us because of the unique skills he
has given us.Mary was no exception. I
have to remind myself of that often, God has a plan and will hold my hand
through the crazy. And I was certain that first Christmas eve with my son that
Mary sang songs to her sweet savior and cradled him and rocked him when he had
no way of telling her what hurt and why. She alone could provide for the child
that saves us all.
Now, I still have a hard time fully grasping some of what I
have talked about…Jesus as a baby dependent on his mother like my child is
dependent upon me but it would be 2 years after that first Christmas that God
would show me again how brave Mary was.
I had the privilege of working as an administrative
assistant to the staff of my church in Ohio. There was one day that our leader,
Andy, handed me a gift I can never repay him for or really even explain to him,
but I am going to try.Andy walked
back in from his lunch break, saw me sitting at my desk with my 6 month
pregnant belly and said, "Kari, I want you to come and sit in this chair. Staff,
I feel we need to pray for Kari."
I thought he was joking at first…he and I have
a sarcastic relationship, but he was very serious. So I walked over and
thankfully, my friend Kristi had the Kleenex handy.
As they laid hands on me, my flood gates
opened and the walls I had been working so hard to build to protect myself came
crashing down.You see, I had taken the
position at the church as well as as many hours as I could get at a JCrew
because, when I was unexpectedly 8 weeks pregnant, my husband was unexpectedly
laid off from work.
We had planned so
well for our first child and our second snuck up on us when we least expected
it or were least prepared for it. As the staff took turns praying for me the words
were sinking into my soul, “Lord, we pray for Kari. That you would give her
courage and help her to be brave as she and Isaac face the unknown. Lord, we
pray that just as you gave Mary the strength to face the challenges before her,
you would strengthen Kari…” On and On they went and my mind started spinning…I
could catch yet another small understanding of the fears and troubles and
worries that plagued Mary and Joseph.They were unwed, what would people think? It was crazy to say she was
carrying God’s baby…who would believe that? They were not of royalty or noble
blood, they were commoners, why would God choose them and how could they ever
provide for this child. Now, I in no means am trying to say that what I went
through was the same as Mary but I will say this:No matter how a child comes into our lives,
planned, not planned, adopted, unplanned guardianship, we can all look to Mary
and see that nothing could be more unexpected than an Angel showing up and
saying to you that you were going to have God’s child. And sweet Mary, young
and I’m sure overwhelmed just said, “I am the Lord’s servant.” (Luke 1:38)
So wherever you are this Christmas, a first time mom, or a
seasoned mom I hope that you will listen to the words to “Labor of Love,”
because we as mom’s can understand the courage that it took for Mary to get on
that Donkey and go to Bethlehem.
Children are a miracle, no matter how they enter our lives. Some days it's a miracle they are still alive, I know I have those days... But the miracle that God did through the actual birth of Christ is no more a miracle than that sweet child you kiss every night. Mary understood the magnitude of her roll as mother and this Christmas, I pray we all realize the miracles God is doing in our lives.
So, when life gets crazy adn you are faced with a mountain listen--God gave us Mary as a motherly role-model She says, "You are not alone. I see you. I know how you feel. You are scared. You didn't plan THIS. You didn't want THIS. How will THIS work? But listen, God is bigger than the tantrum, bigger than the to-do list, bigger than the sickness. He is faithful and OH so good. He planned it. and He will give you all that you need and more."
I hope you each have had a wonderful Christmas and are creating some traditions of your own. I hope you will celebrate the reality of Christ's birth and the miracles God is performing in each of our own families.
Two things I love: pumpkin and chocolate chips. Two things my kids love (whether they realize it or not): pumpkin and chocolate chips! Pumpkin is my best friend in the kitchen because I can put it in oatmeal, pancakes, muffins, cakes, curries, stews, you name it and the kids rarely know that they are getting a good dose of veggie.
These muffins are a favorite in our house because I can make them from start to finish in less than 45 minutes, sometimes 30 if I get up before the kids. If you want to be even faster, you can easily mix them up the night before then just bake them in the morning. Eli has been known to eat three in one sitting...
Here ya go:
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
1 1/2 C pumpkin Puree
1/2 C Dark brown sugar (or light, whatever you have)
1/2 C water
1/3 C Vegetable or Canola Oil
1 tsp Vanilla
2 C All Purpose Flour
1/4 C Wheat Bran
1 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1 (generous) tsp cinnamon (scant if you aren't a big fan of cinnamon, but we love it!)
1/2 C Dark Chocolate Chips
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- Combine first 5 ingredients and blend to smooth. (I do this in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment)
- Add dry ingredients and mix then stir in the chocolate chips.
Divide evenly among 12 sprayed or lined muffin tins and back for 20-25 minutes. I normally do about 21. Store in an air tight container for up to 3-5 days.
Let cool as much as possible before diving in. Eating while warm can result in the following results:
I have been working out and trying to lose the ol' spare tire that has hung around after our little girl was born but as I walked down the bread aisle at our grocery store, I was drawn to the manager's special stickers on all the fresh bread. Oh French bread, you are my weakness. 99 cents for a loaf and before I knew it, 2 were in my basket. I have been working out and eating healthy...I deserve this. Plus, a happy mom makes happy kids, right? :) Exactly.
Now, while pregnant, I experimented with multiple make ahead versions of french toast. This one, even promises to be "skinny" so this was my initial favorite. This one on the other hand, is just indulgent...and oh so good. A friend knew of my love for french toast and brought us her version for dinner one night after Elle was born. If french toast wasn't good enough, perfection is french toast for dinner!! So, from the three recipes, this is my favorite combination! Enjoy :)
1 Loaf french bread cut into 1 inch cubes or smaller
6 eggs
3 cups skim milk
2 Tbsp Brown Sugar
1 Tbsp Pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp Vanilla
2/3 Cup part skim ricotta cheese
3 Tbsp brown sugar
For Syrup:
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup mashed fruit (such as blueberry, raspberry or strawberries)
Coat a 9x13 baking dish wish cooking spray and add your cubed bread. In a bowl, combine the eggs through vanilla. I typically whisk the eggs and then add the rest to avoid sloshing too much! Poor this mixture over the bread and sprinkle with cinnamon. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours or over night.
In the morning, pre-heat your oven to 350 and remove your delicious pan of toast and spread the ricotta over top. I then sprinkle the brown sugar over top and then sprinkle a little additional cinnamon. Bake, uncovered for 35 minutes.
With about 10 minutes left on the timer, combine the water and sugar on the stove. Stir constantly until it has come to a rapid boil and then reduce the heat to low and add your fruit. Let this simmer for at least 10 minutes but I have found if you simmer 15 minutes and then let the syrup sit for 10 min it is a little thicker. Let the french toast stand for 10 minutes (yeah right, I cut into it after about 2...) to firm up and then dig in. Top with your fresh fruit syrup and enjoy!
My heaven has french toast on a Saturday morning and leftovers the rest of the weekend...
I had my first curry at a pretty little restaurant on one of the ugliest streets in the world. If you have ever been to Pataya Beach, Thailand, then you know about "walking street." While I felt I could only look at the ground along a lot of this street, my friend lead the way to a quiet restaurant and in the back was a beautiful deck and a calm environment compared to what was on the street out front. I don't remember a lot about the curry other than it was green and I had to dump about 3 bowls of rice into it in order to finish it--and I like spice! I have only just begun to start making it at home and since I rarely have coconut milk on hand, this recipe really appealed to me...I had 95% of the ingredients in my pantry. The original recipe is from cooking light and can be found here. I decided to switch out a few ingredients for some added health benefits and I just don't believe in Crisco/shortening. I know it has a special place in our nations history, but I prefer for it to stay there! I won't get on that soap box right now (and a soap box it definitely is!)
So, here is my recipe :) It really didn't make THAT big of a mess...I was also making applesauce, cookies, and juggling two kids that wanted my attention at that moment in time.
Crust:
1 C all-purpose flour
3 T ice water
1 T cider vinegar
1/4 t salt
3 T buter
Filling
1 t olive oil
2T curry powder
2 C diced peeled sweet potato (pumpkin or butternut squash would be great too!)
3/4 C chopped onion
3/4C chopped red bell pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 lbs skinless, bonelss, chicken breasts cut into bite sized pieces
1 1/2 C less-sodium chicken broth (I only had a cup so I added a 1/2 cup of beef broth)
1 t salt
1/2 t black pepper
2 T cornstarch
1 T water
1/2 C fat free sour cream
1/2 C pumkin puree
To prepare crust, combine 1/4 cup flour, ice water and vinegar in a small bowl and stir with a whisk until well blended to create a slurry. Set aside. Combine 3/4 C flour and 1/4 t salt in a large bowl, and cut in butter with a pastry blender (who has one of these??) or 2 knives (this proved more aggravating than when my 2yo looks me in the eye and "does it anyway." I used a fork and just kind of mashed it it. It worked perfectly fine!) until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add slurry to flour mixture, and toss with a fork until moist. You are supposed to then press it into a 4 inch circle on heavy-duty plastice wrap; cover with more wrap and chill 15 minutes. I just pressed it into the size of my 2.5 quart dish and set it on top before I put it in the oven. Again, worked fine.
Now for the filling:
Preheat the oven to 400.
Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over md high heat. Add curry powder and cook 2 minutes. This seemed odd so when it started getting really fragrant, I added the potato, onion, bell pepper, garlc and chicken. Stir fry for 3 minutes. Add broth, pumpkin, s & p. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes or until chicken is done. Combine cornstarch and 1 T water in a small bowl. I added a little more water because mine was like cement... Add cornstarch mixture and sour cream into the chicken misture. Cook 1 minute.
Spoon filling into a round 2 to 2.5 quart dish coated with cooking spray. (I poured...who has time to spoon? honestly? Two kids. Two needy kids...)
Make sure your dough is rolled to the size of the dish and then place it on top. Cut 6 slits in the top to allow steam to escape. Bake at 400 for 30 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes. This is not very spicy...Eli ate it. Add crushed red pepper flakes to reach desired degree of hotness on individual bowls.
Sorry, we ate it too quickly for me to get a good picture. Our house smelled like curry for 2 days so we were hungry for 2 days and the curry didn't even last 24 hours...bummer.
It's the first weekend in May and after you marry a Kentucky boy you realize that it is no longer just "May Day" but this little thing called the Kentucky Derby is run each year. This weekend becomes synonymous with many things such as your sister-in-law's wedding anniversary (Isaac still has no idea when it really is, he just knows they got married on Derby day and therefore he should tell them happy anniversary each Derby...though the date of the derby changes since it is always on a Saturday...). It is also the time each year we get together with some friends, convince as many people as we can to wear silly hats, and make a few traditional derby items.
My husband is a little odd in that he LOVES chocolate but when it comes to chocolate birthday cake, he would rather have brownies or a derby pie. Now, the true recipe for the derby pie is kept secret but there are many, many, great recipes out there for it. What I am about to share with you is the one that we like best and I make every year for derby and most of his birthdays. Think of it like a pecan-chocolate chip pie with a little something-something extra...you won't be able to eat just one piece :) p.s. the dessert section in my cookbook is by far the most populated. This recipe is on page one.
Isaac's Derby Pie
1 9" pie crust
4 lg eggs
1 C light corn syrup
6 T melted butter (unsalted)
1/2 C sugar
1/4 C brown sugar (light or dark depending on your preference or what is in your pantry...)
3 (liberal) T of bourbon (Makers makes the best for pies in my opinion!)
1 T All purpose flour
1 T vanilla extract
1 C chopped pecans
1 C semisweet chocolate chips
Lightly beat eggs then add the next 6 ingredients (all but the chips and pecans if you don't want to count...) Whisk these all together until smooth. Stir in the chips and pecans and pour into your pie shell. Bake at 350 for an hour, or until set (I do 50 minutes and then check...)
Wait as long as you can to cut into it but it is best a little warm (ooey gooey yummy chocolate...)
Now, pick your favorite horse, find a mint julep, and enjoy the most exciting 2 minutes in sports!!
I know, I know, it has been nearly a year and I come back with a post of Oreos...well you have to start somewhere and my nap time craving was some of these and I found a little gem! Ok, maybe it was just the mistake of a robot that makes cookies but I find it unique and special and a reminder that even a mistake can be good from time to time. Life has been crazy, challenging and overwhelming at times but just as little Eli says, "swing batter batter!" you have to swing at what you are given and you might just knock it out of the park. I hope to be back on here more often. I have enjoyed some time away from the home and am now back with cooking, projects and kiddo time galore. 4 -6 weeks to go until we have a new "Littlest VanHoose" and I can't wait to see what God has in store for our changing family.
It may not look like we think it should but it might just be the same thing only better!
