June Possibilities!

You know that feeling just before you flip over the calendar and really examine the new month that is quickly approaching?  I still utilize a large flip calendar that hangs on the side of our refrigerator.  We have tried other methods but this is still our default form of family planning/organization.  Oh my!  I just realized that I wrote "family planning".  Think of a family scheduling plans... not so much the idea of using a calendar to plan potential pregnancies.  We did do that the first 8 months of our marriage and then I found that I was expecting Kylee!  Okay, before I get WAY off track, back to the month of June!  2014.  Inevitably, we are going to wind up with 48 things on our calendar for June.  I am determined to leave enough "unscheduled" days to be able to really soak in the summer season here in Erie by doing whatever best suits us any given day.  Last year we went to the beach an average of 3-4 times per week and I LOVED that.  Presque Isle is just a few miles from home and we treasure it!  I hope to spend just as much time there as we did last summer! 

June is going to be an action-packed month!  I know, I know.  My life oftentimes could be described as action-packed!  Things are coming along with my new role as President of Alliance Women at our church.  We have our next meeting in early June and I am eager to see what develops!  Mid-month, the kids and I will be headed away for a three day practicum through Classical Conversations.  We are new to CC and this homeschooling community will begin the 2014-15 school year in September.  I will be leading the youngest group (Nathan's age) as a tutor myself so there will be some trainings to attend and many new things for me to learn!  I have always been a life-long learner and do enjoy staying on my toes with things.  Speaking of that, today was our FINAL day (#180) of homeschooling for the 2013-14 school year.  It has been a really wonderful first year for me and Kylee as we embarked on the adventure of 1st grade.  I will breathe a sigh of relief once I have everything compiled for our June 10th evaluation and then go on to submit our portfolio to the District.  I am also thinking of our required affidavit for next year and hope to complete it all with one trip to the Township's Ed. Center later on in June.  THEN I will feel as though we are truly "finished" with this year!

June is also filled with possibilities regarding my Beachbody Coaching endeavors.  Four very different groups will launch this month!  I appreciate the variety of leading some groups and taking part as a participant in another!  Check these out and let me know if you would like to join me for any of them.  June involves a few options!

  

 June 2nd Coach Basics Group is an introductory program for those within our smaller team who are new to coaching and are curious to learn more about getting off to a successful start.  I really enjoy my role as a Beachbody Coach and this is a great business for those who are self-motivated, interested in encouraging others and willing to grow themselves while learning new things about fitness and nutrition!

June 2nd Emerald to Diamond Training is through Melanie's Dream Team, which is the larger team under which I am included as a coach.  I am currently ranked as an "Emerald" coach and look forward to growing my business to be "Diamond".  I am getting closer and closer!  I participated in one of Melanie's training groups during the month of April and learned so, so much.  Definitely keeps me at the edge of my comfort zone!  But I am ready to learn and it's all good.  Why not learn from the BEST (literally #1 in the company!) and then put it all into practice as I find my own fit with proven methods.

June 9th Summer Challenge is my upcoming Challenge Group!!!  Coach Molly Avondet and I will be teaming up again to lead this one together.  This group is open to ANY of our active customers.  We will be using a new curriculum that we are in the midst of developing right now!  I am picturing this as an effective community where all of our challengers can work together.  No doubt we will have fun while making strides with our health.  Molly and I look forward to connecting with you through this newly forming group!  We will be using a variety of workout programs but everyone will be learning about clean eating and how to make the most of this lifestyle.  This group is also perfect for anyone new to Beachbody and I would love to tell you more about it!   

    

June 30th PiYo Challenge Group ~ More details to come on Beachbody' NEWEST workout which will be released later in June.  My sister Rachel and I both started our transformations while utilizing a workout called "Chalean Extreme" with Chalene Johnson. She is my own favorite trainer and I can't even tell you how much I am looking forward to this new program with her!  See PiYo preview and let me know if you would like to be kept in the loop with info on this exclusive group!

Watch Your Form

I was recently in the midst of a situation where I was feeling overwhelmed and very out-of-sorts.  I really hate that feeling and it seems as though it can quickly snowball.  You know what I mean?  I woke up this past Thursday morning and read the fifth chapter of Galatians before starting into my day.  I oftentimes read the "New Living Translation" and then also supplement with "The Message" as I soak in God's Word and pray that my life will be one that has been marinating in this perspective!  Here are some highlights (via The Message) from Galatians 5:

^4-6 "I suspect you would never intend this, but this is what happens. When you attempt to live by your own religious plans and projects, you are cut off from Christ, you fall out of grace. Meanwhile we expectantly wait for a satisfying relationship with the Spirit. For in Christ, neither our most conscientious religion nor disregard of religion amounts to anything. What matters is something far more interior: faith expressed in love.
^16-18 My counsel is this: Live freely, animated and motivated by God’s Spirit. Then you won’t feed the compulsions of selfishness. For there is a root of sinful self-interest in us that is at odds with a free spirit, just as the free spirit is incompatible with selfishness. These two ways of life are antithetical, so that you cannot live at times one way and at times another way according to how you feel on any given day. Why don’t you choose to be led by the Spirit and so escape the erratic compulsions of a law-dominated existence?
^22-23 But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.
^25-26 Since this is the kind of life we have chosen, the life of the Spirit, let us make sure that we do not just hold it as an idea in our heads or a sentiment in our hearts, but work out its implications in every detail of our lives. That means we will not compare ourselves with each other as if one of us were better and another worse. We have far more interesting things to do with our lives. Each of us is an original." 

  

These words are so powerful!  Reading back through them just now has me convinced that perhaps I should focus on this chapter and really break it down in my own mind and heart over the next several weeks!  Staying close to God through His Word SHAPES us.  Like nothing else.

So back to this past Thursday morning.  I had read these words from Galatians and then went down to the basement to begin my workout.  I was doing "Lower Fix" that morning and during the split squat move depicted in the image at the top of this entry, something hit me so hard that I had to pause the DVD and just take it all in.  "WATCH YOUR FORM" was the thing.  Now many of us know that while working out it is imperative that we use correct form or we will be more prone to injury not to mention that we will be ineffective with that particular move and are in effect wasting our time with it!  I am thankful to have my husband checking me out every now and then during my workouts!  With his athletic trainer background he is able to instantly spot where I may be going wrong with my form.  As much as this can irritate me at first, it is helpful.  He has my best interests at heart and I need to hear it.  But back to 5:45 on Thursday!  As I paused the DVD and sat down on my basement floor that morning, here is what I felt the Lord speaking to my heart... "Watch your form.  Right now.  In your life.  Otherwise you are going to be ineffective and will get hurt."  This has been settling in my heart over the past five days and I know that it is a life lesson that I will implement and remind myself of during the days ahead.  There is so much more to life than what we can see happening right in front of us.  What are we going to do with all that we have been given? 

Baking with Kids + Cocoa Berry Trifle

This evening we attended the year end preschool program to celebrate our five year old son and his classmates.  This was our fourth consecutive and now final time to do so!  Our two children have each spent two years in this wonderful preschool program and so we have spent the past four "Friday before Memorial Day" evenings making this a family tradition!  LOTS of families to feed and so we needed to double our recipe.  Category of dish to share was assigned according to your last name and where it falls within the alphabet.  I did have to spend several rather nerve-wracking moments explaining to my seven year old that yes, I realize that "Dessert" does NOT begin with "P".  Our last name does begin with P.  However, our SECTION of the alphabet was bringing desserts.  Sometimes I have lots of patience (Well, maybe not lots.  How about an adequate amount??  Sometimes.) for these conversations and other times, not so much!  And this leads me to the beginning of the story of the Cocoa Cake which was incorporated into the recipe pictured above!    

Amelia Bedelia.  I find her to be rather polarizing figure!  I remember first learning about her when I was a kid.  I wondered if she really could be that clueless?  And now as an adult reading these books at the request of my seven year old daughter, I can go either way!  When my daughter "gets" the funny parts, great!  She is so delighted with their ironic simplicity that I can't help but laugh along with her.  BUT when I have to stop many times within a reading session to explain exactly WHY the blatant misuse/misunderstanding of words IS funny, well, that tests my patience!  And back to how some days are marked by a higher threshold in this area than other days!  I have to be in the right mood to really enjoy Amelia Bedelia!  I must admit that there are even Library visits where I may attempt to steer clear of Amelia Bedelia right then and there... but this week I did not!  And it all worked out just right! 

The kids have been wanting to bake something.  I really have not had a need to bake anything lately.  But given that we were assigned a dessert for this evening's festivities and since we needed to be "nut-free" with our dish to share, this recipe from the back of the Amelia Bedelia book pictured above fit perfectly.  I made it pretty close to what you will see in the photo below.  I will list just a few modifications that I made based on what I had available here in my own kitchen.  I do all of my baking on Pampered Chef stoneware and I find that this really helps with things baking evenly and remaining more moist than they would be if baked in some of the other pans that are out there.

I had Wegmans White Whole Wheat Flour on hand and used that.  I reduced the sugar to 1 1/3 cups and used Organic Cane Sugar.  Cider Vinegar was all that I had for vinegar and it worked out just fine.  Other than that, we followed the directions!  This recipe is GOOD! Very dense and "cocoa-y".  Well, let's put it in context that I have baked with sugar one other time in the past 8 months.  So this tasted sweet enough to us and the cocoa flavor really came through in a delicious way!   

Here is why my kids enjoyed preparing this recipe MORE than any more traditional cake that we have made:

1) No raw eggs for mom to be declaring a potential hazmat zone due to whatever mishap may occur while baking together.

2) No mixer needed.  No fighting over whose turn it should be right now.  No one jockeying for position near the mixer.

3) Dump everything into a pan and then pour water over the top and really, really mix it with forks to combine it???  With a 9 X13 pan, there was plenty of work space for both kids and they could easily see the progress of the dry and wet ingredients coming together.  A win-win for everyone!!

To make the trifle that you see in the top photo, here is what I did:

1) Allow cake to cool completely.  You are going to use perhaps 3/4's of it while making a "double batch" sort of thing like what we took this evening.

2) Cut cake into cubes right inside of your 9x13 pan.  Use a mini-serving spatula to remove enough cake cubes to cover the bottom of a trifle bowl or other bowl. 

3) Add a layer of just-almost-but-not-quite-thawed frozen berries.  I am partial to the triple berry blend (raspberry, blackberry and blueberry) that I find at Sam's Club.  It is just under $9 for the 3 pound bag and that is a decent deal for frozen berries.  They are a staple in our menu planning here at home!  I used the entire bag between the trifle bowl and other bowl pictured above.

4) Add a layer of Wegmans Plain Greek Yogurt.  Within your trifle this will look pretty like whipped cream or cool whip or some cream cheese based thing but plain Greek yogurt is so much better for us!!  You may be dubious of this while reading about it here within my blog.  But give it a try!

5) Continue with another layer of cake cubes, berries and Greek yogurt.  Top with a few more cake cubes.  Place in refrigerator and chill for 2-3 hours.  This will give the flavors a chance to combine a bit.  The cake will absorb some of the juice from the berries that are now thawing completely.  * DO serve this within 4 hours.  Otherwise the yogurt will begin to separate a bit and things could become mushy.  

  

 

Family Friendly Asian Chicken Salad

I was in the mood to add a different flavor to our menu this week.  I had posted in one of my challenge groups about doing a recipe swap over this past weekend.  The idea was to share either a brand-new or old favorite clean-eating recipe.  I was searching the web for an Asian Chicken Salad and I came across one from Clean Eating Magazine.  I was intrigued and added it to my menu planning for the week.  On grocery day, I  *thought* that I had red pepper flakes in the cupboard and low-sodium soy sauce in the fridge door.  NOPE, as I discovered on cooking day... It happens!  Time to make an original!  I was already planning on subbing in my existing Almond Butter for the Cashew Butter.  Plus our favorite is the Wegmans Organic Vegetable Broth.  And I am always just skipping any scallions as they are not a favorite of mine!  Thankfully, I had make a point to pick up the fresh ginger and cilantro and I have to say that those two ingredients really made the flavors pop for me!  

Oh boy!  This is starting to sound like one of those situations where a user comments on a recipe and says how much they loved it.  Especially with the 27 things that they changed while making it for the first time.  You know what I mean!  You can work from the Clean Eating Magazine link from above and make that exact version.  Or you can work from my modified plan below.  OR come up with something entirely your own that is "inspired" by these recipes.  I do that all the time!

Here is what I did to make the Asian Chicken Salad pictured above:

Thoroughly brown 4 chicken breasts over medium-high heat.  Place in oven and bake at 350 for 25 minutes.  Yes, I like my chicken DONE.  Really, really done.  You can prepare yours however you like!  Once the chicken has cooled, slice it into cubes and place in a bowl.  Juice 3 lemons and toss the chicken.  Allow to chill for at least two hours and the chicken will really pick up the lemon flavor.  This will also keep it from becoming too dry, due to the possible "overcooking" method mentioned above!  It also really helps to cut that "chicken flavor".  The chicken flavor makes me want to leave the table and run away!  I do my best to remedy this situation in healthful ways.  Enough lemon will do the trick! 

Peel 2 carrots, cut into pieces and then dice with the Pampered Chef Food Chopper.  Or you could also grate your carrots.  Set aside.

Take 1 seedless cucumber and slice with a medium thickness.  Cut slices into quarters.  Set aside.

Pull apart 3 or so tablespoons of fresh cilantro leaves.  Set aside.

You will want 3 or so cups of baby spinach.  Wash if needed and place as your base within salad bowls.

You may also include a whole wheat pita as your bread of choice. 
  
Dressing to be whisked together in a bowl:

• 2 tbsp natural unsalted almond butter
• 3 tbsp Wegmans Organic Vegetable Broth
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp fresh grated ginger
• 2 tsp low-sodium Teriyaki Sauce
• 1/4 tsp ground cumin 

Now it is time to assemble your salads!  I begin by creating a bed of spinach.  Then add your cucumber and carrot.  Sprinkle in a few cilantro leaves.  Top with your chicken breast.  Next take your dressing and drizzle it lightly over the chicken.  Finish off with a bit more carrot and cilantro.  You may also add a pita or other bread on the side.

* My kids typically prefer their salad without any dressing.  I also left the cilantro out of their bowls, knowing that they are not really fans of it.  Other than that, they were happily eating spinach, cucumbers, carrots, lemony chicken and 1/4 of a pita.  All in all, I am very pleased with that! 

Choices??

Today I have been thinking quite a bit about choices.  There is so much power in the choices that we make!  I think that sometimes we operate under the impression that the "real" choices to be made are in the big moments that come into our lives every now and then.  Sometimes this is the case!  But more often than not, we are making a myriad of seemingly minor daily decisions that do become critically important when the sum comes into play.  One factor that really jumps out at me is that when we are happy with our own choices in a situation we generally have a greater sense of well being in general. Of course life is more enjoyable when A, B and C are all looking good and we feel that we can't go wrong!  But when A, B and C all seem just plain crummy, we are still going to feel better about things when we make a decision that we can stand by in the end.  It is the difference of feeling as though we are genuinely doing our best or feeling as though we are just being carried along with the flow of life.  

Part of what I really enjoy about my role as a Beachbody Coach is that within our challenge groups we are equipping individuals with the information needed to make an educated choice about their own health!  Once we get a good baseline going, the next part is where the difference is made.  We are there offering support for one another when the perceived difference between A and B has become somewhat stark but yet we are still inclined towards the option of lesser good.  So often convenience wins out over what is better for us in the long run.  This is where we have to step in and make the change for ourselves!  A coach on my team posted this image in her clean eating group earlier this afternoon.  To me, it fit right in with my own recent pondering on the choices we make.

Here is my FAVORITE part as I weigh the power of choice we each have within our own lives.  Say you have an end goal of losing 20 pounds to become more healthy.  Knowing that this is not going to happen in a day or a week, it can be easy to fall into a pattern of discouragement which then leads to a cycle of less-than-great choices.  Really feeling good about reaching a goal is obviously not going to happen overnight!  But let's look at an aspect which is familiar to many of us.  How good do we feel about life when we ARE happy with our daily (even hourly!) choices?  Isn't this going to set us on a much better course, despite the inevitable detours and bumps in the road?  For example, this weekend involved several social events where I did okay with my choices but not the best (or even my usual!) by any means.  I was feeling physically a bit crummy and also just not so great about the choices I made.  Now here we are at the end of ONE day "back on track" and I feel great!  What a difference!  How neat to know that we can have this sense of accomplishment on a daily basis, rather than just feeling good when we reach our big goals!

And finally, any time that I spend thinking about the power of choice is going to include some reflection on what I know the Bible to say about this.  Now I am NOT in any way tying this next portion into what I was saying above in relation to a healthy lifestyle.  We are God's creation and of course it makes sense to honor Him with our bodies and the variety of choices that we make.  But now I am thinking again of the daily choices we make and Joshua 24:15 is what comes to mind...

1 Timothy 4:8 made an impression on me when I was a young girl: ^"Physical exercise has some value, but spiritual exercise is valuable in every way, because it promises life both for the present and for the future."  I did go through a phase where I was not putting enough value on the physical exercise part!  Now that I have headed in the opposite direction, I have to FOCUS to make sure that I am consistently placing a higher value on my spiritual exercise.  It all comes back to the choices we make within each day.  2 Peter 1:3-9 remains as my checklist of goals when it comes to making progress with my spiritual health!  And we have access to the ultimate coach... the one known as the "author and perfecter of our faith"!   

^"3 By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. ⁴ And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.

⁵In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, ⁶ and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, ⁷ and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.
⁸ The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹ But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins."

Kid-Tested Tools to Share: Art Cards (#3 in Series)

This evening I am glad to share with you one of our most favorite tools from this past year of homeschooling!  This resource was included within our package of 1st Grade curriculum.  But this gem can be purchased individually and would make for an excellent summer project for a child ages 6-9 who is interested in art.  This is definitely not limited to homeschooling students!  When I look back on this past year, some of my fondest memories are from "doing an Art Card together".  And here is the reason why... it is not that I am particularly interested in art and am certainly not well-versed on the topic.  My seven year old daughter has always had an artistic flair but it is not that she is the next Monet!  I am a mom who is not the best at simply sitting down and doing something with my kids.  We tend to be more on the move and they are doing whatever they are doing alongside of my projects.  Homeschooling in general has made for a great boost of quality time together and I am thankful for this.  I have personally grown so much this year and look forward to seeing how all of this continues.  But back to the Art Cards and "Enjoying Art Together" book!

Here is how we would utilize this program:  The package includes a reference book which has a picture of each image as well as the background and discussion questions for each.  There are also 20 Art Cards total and they are high-quality prints on a very nice card stock.  The paper has a bit of sheen and weight to it and feels "special".  

Each art card has a full-page art print on one side and then also a brief artist background and discussion questions printed on the flip side.  This material also matches what is included within the book. I have to say that I LOVE the discussion questions!  Being a "Type A" person myself, I would never even THINK to notice/ask about some of these angles.  My creative, free-spirited daughter delights in these discussions together.  Spending this time has enabled me to really delve into a side of her that I literally had no real idea of how to begin prior to this.  Kylee would typically hold the art card face-up herself and I would hold the book and reference that for my own reading and question asking.  After we had spent 10-15 minutes "looking" at all of it together, the next step was always, "let's look this up on your phone"!  We would find the artist, do a bit more reading and then spend another chunk of time exploring other works of his or hers.  I enjoyed that more than I ever would have anticipated!  Again, it was because of the quality of the time spent.  The final step would be for Kylee to take either the art card or another piece of the artist's work and use it has her "inspiration" in creating her own work.  The idea is not to make an exact copy of the classic piece but rather to incorporate some of the technique and style that we had just discovered.  It was cute that Kylee always wanted to be alone for this part!  She would listen to music and ask me to please go and "do some of your own chores or computer work until I am done"!  Well, I have to say that works for me!  

Then I would come back and we would review her creation together before finding a place to hang this latest masterpiece somewhere on our school room walls!  Back around Christmastime, I was THRILLED with a fantastic find at the store Tuesday Morning.  They were carrying a top-notch set of Chromatix markers.  Regular price was $80 and they had them for $20.  The day I went in to purchase the set, the cashier was telling me that another customer who is an artist had just purchased four sets of them herself.  She said that she rarely sees them anywhere for under $50 and this was a real deal.  Nifty!!!  This set made for a nice birthday gift and I have enjoyed using them alongside of Kylee!  When I am invited to do so, that is!

If you check out this page you will find "Enjoying Art Together".  It is $24.95 for the complete set. 

Story of a Family Sweet Tooth?!?

I remember back when my sisters and I were young girls.  We would drive a short distance to go and visit my Dad's parents.  And every so often we would be angling for a trip to Dairy Queen!  This was in the little town of St. Marys, PA where DQ is still only open certain months of the year.  Back in those days my parents were not in a position to spring for DQ every time one of us girls (or our Dad!) wanted a treat.  And that was probably for the best!  But we knew that if we asked our Grandpa Neizmik (our dad's dad), the answer was pretty much always YES to DQ.  We had it all figured out that the key was to send our youngest sister Rachel (she is 6+ years younger than me!) over to where Grandpa was sitting on the couch.  She would sidle up in between his wheelchair and the coach (he had been paralyzed in a construction accident while in his 40's) and would ask him THE question... "Grandpa, is your sweet tooth bothering you?"  And then he would reply that it was indeed and why not send our Dad out to DQ for ice cream?  He would ask Grandma to go and get some cash from his wallet which was kept in a kitchen drawer.  And off to DQ we would go!  Cherished family memories and a frozen treat!  Everyone had their favorites and ordering was quite simple!  

Fast forward through the years and ice cream has ALWAYS been a part of our family gatherings and celebrations!  When our family (sparked by my sister Rachel and extending out through my other sister Bethany plus myself and our parents!) began eating clean, the ice cream had to go!  Not that we couldn't still enjoy a bit once in awhile, but the frequency needed to be significantly reduced.  But how would we replace it?  And with a young nephew of mine who experienced migraines whenever consuming dairy, "Yonanas" entered the family picture somewhere in there!  Now less than a year later and the five of us adults are somewhere around 170 pounds less in total weight and we are just not really missing the ice cream very often these days!  We just feel better while staying on track with our healthy new lifestyle!  And this is where something like Yonanas is just the thing! 

Within my own household, we had borrowed my parents' Yonanas machine after a family get-together.  The kids were hooked!  But it was eventually time to return their machine and around that time my 8 year old (very basic!) blender broke.  Correction, it had been "breaking" for a couple of years and was now completely DONE.  I had never had a food processor and was very interested in adding one to my kitchen.  So when I came across a great deal on a Ninja system similar to this one, it was a simple enough decision.  But what about the Yonanas??  A friend had told me that she made something similar in her food processor and so we decided to give it a try here at our place.  Success!    

To make the simple Cocoa Bananas pictured in this entry, here is what you would do:

1) Slice five (peeled) ripe bananas into quarters and freeze them.  They do not need to be overly-ripe but the peel should be spotted in appearance.  They should be in the freezer for at least 3-4 hours but could also be kept in there for a month or more!

2) Place these bananas in the bowl of your food processor.  Sprinkle with 3-4 tablespoons of baking cocoa and allow to sit for 12 minutes.  This will allow the bananas to thaw to a consistency that will be perfect for blending/whipping.

3) Pulse and then whip the banana/cocoa combination. At first you are just going to see what appears to be finely chopped bits of banana flying about the bowl.  Turn off your machine and scrape down the sides and blend again.  Before long you will see a creamy swirl begin to circle around the bowl of your processor.  You may need to stop and scrape down the sides again.  The entire process takes only a minute or two from start to finish!

4) Scoop this treat into serving dishes and enjoy with whatever topping you like!  My own favorites are chopped walnuts and unsweetened flaked coconut. 

 

 

My Mom is...

Happy Mother's Day!  I am a mom of two kids who are now ages 5 and 7.  So Mother's Day of course has meaning for me as a mom.  But this day brings about much reflection and gratitude for me as a daughter.  Tonight I have been thinking of my Mom and how she is the person who has held the most influence in my own life.  You would just have to know her and spend the day with her to really picture who she is.  And you would be aware of her true self right away.  My mom is real.  With everyone.  And I am thankful for that!

Mom, thank you.  I love you!  Here are some of the things that cross my mind as I think about how "My Mom is..."

The one who has always encouraged me to try anything that I am interested in exploring!  It may not go quite as planned but you never will know unless you try and you'll learn lots along the way! 

A HARD worker!  She has always demonstrated to me that if you want to make something happen, get started!  Especially with taking on home/property projects, there was never any sentiment that my Dad wasn't getting it done.  Rather that he was at work and we might as well go ahead and see what we could handle in the mean time.  He could always bail us out later, if need be.  Lucky guy, right??  Thankfully my mom is very skilled!

Creative. And energetic. And has reserves that I can only begin to imagine!  We especially see this now that she is a grandmother of six who are currently ages 1, 2, 5, 6, 7 and 8!  My mom is like the Pied Piper and each one of the kids is crazy about her!

Deeply faithful.  She is loyal in all that she does and is unquestionably a woman of her word!  My mom is a top-notch teacher.  When I was younger she taught my Missionette group and set many Bible verses to music.  I memorized so many that way and they are still with me today.  What a blessing!  Today when I call her for perspective and advice, she always goes back to, "What does Scripture say about this?"

Not much older than me!  I arrived when Mom was just 16 years old.  I am incredibly grateful that she and my Dad are very much in love and still going strong after 36 years of marriage!  By God's grace, they have beat the odds and are a great encouragement to all who know them.

A horse girl at heart!  Mom sold her pony when I came along.  By the time I was 8 years old she had talked Dad into riding lessons for us girls.  The next year we bought a horse and boarded him nearby.  The year after that we bought a farm and this is the place that my parents still call home today!  

Courageous and not at all bitter.  When I was a senior in college we almost lost my Mom due to a drunk-driver who crashed into her and my Dad.  She spent a long time in the ICU down in Pittsburgh and for awhile it was unknown whether she would walk again?  She has made an amazing recovery through lots of hard work and God's healing hand.  Back when all of this happened, her response was never "Why me?" but rather "Why not me?"  That was quite a winter!  Two months after the car accident, Dad slipped on the ice and broke bones for the first time in his life.  My parents were a sight during that season.  And they were only ages 39 and 40!  I don't know what we would have done without some faithful friends who helped us all through that time in our lives!  

Home.  The place where my Mom is will always be "home" for me.  There is nothing like taking my kids there with me.  They will  probably definitely wind up pretty messy!  And when it is time to go they will be far off on an adventure with Grandma.  But she will have already packed a snack for them to enjoy on the road back home.  There will be hugs and chaos as we get into the car.  And as I pull down the hill of their driveway and out onto the highway, there are oftentimes a few tears.  Mom, I love you!  Thank you for everything.  I can't imagine my life without you.

Berry Trifle Make-Over!!

This morning I put together a trifle to share with my MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group.  First, I just have to say that I LOVE my Trifle Bowl!  This one in particular is a Pampered Chef product.  The base is separate from the bowl and nests inside the bowl for easy storage.  The set also includes a nice lid that seals well.  For the saran-wrap challenged like myself, this is a bonus!

But back to the Berry Trifle itself.  I have been assembling this sort of simple trifle for years.  But since we switched over to Clean Eating in September of 2013, a few of our staples had to go!  For example, our Natural Granola and Low-Fat Lemon Yogurt did not make the cut.  But more on all of that below.  I have been utilizing the 21 Day Fix program since March of 2014.  Upon beginning with this program I realized that I was not eating nearly enough protein each day!  I was actually close to half of the amount that my body really needs to work at top potential.  Not being a huge lover of chicken and other lean proteins, HOW was I going to eat four servings of protein each day?!?  I have my Shakeology for breakfast each morning and that counts as one.  Our family eats dinner together and the main entree there is typically going to be chicken or salmon or occasionally beef.  But what about those other two suggested servings of protein?  I oftentimes have two hard-boiled (baked, actually!) egg whites with one of my snacks or lunch.  But NOW WHAT??  Another serving of protein?!?  This is where Greek Yogurt comes in to save the day!  I add a serving of fresh or thawed frozen berries and I am genuinely enjoying a tasty treat!  My favorite berry blend is the Blackberry/Raspberry/Blueberry blend.  Sam's Club carries a frozen variety for a decent price.  I also LOVE fresh berries and we are just coming into my favorite time of the year where local berries will soon be available! 

When deciding to have some yogurt, we find an incredible range available!  It did take me a little while to adjust to the taste and texture of Greek Yogurt.  I do enjoy having it with berries and/or granola.  Completely on its own would still be a stretch for me.  But check out the contrast below and then try to go on eating the "other stuff" once you know that you could be fueling your body much more efficiently.   Not to mention you are consuming 1/4 the sugar and THREE times the protein plus half the calories when going with the Greek Yogurt rather than the regular Blended Low-fat Lemon Yogurt.  

And now on to my FAVORITE granola!  When making the switch to clean eating, I was so surprised to find sugar as a second ingredient in something like 8 out of 10 granola varieties offered in the Bulk Section at Wegmans.  I found two that are made with honey rather than sugar.  My favorite is called "Save the Forest" and is only available at Wegmans Peach if you are shopping the Erie stores.  Wegmans West does carry the other "honey" variety in their regular bulk section.  It is made with dried raspberries and is a fine option.  But the nutty-cinnamon goodness of Save the Forest makes it such a treat!

So, back to the Trifle!  This is literally the most simple combination! 

Berry Trifle as Pictured Below:

1.5 containers (32 Ounce size) of the Greek Yogurt

6-7 Cups Thawed Frozen Berries 

4-5 cups of Save the Forest Granola  

Begin by spooning some yogurt into the bottom of the Trifle Bowl.  Gently top with some of your berries and then granola.  Repeat the layers until you have incorporated all of your ingredients.  Keep chilled until serving.  Enjoy!

 

In the Middle?

On Sunday I was on a little road trip with my daughter.  We were headed out to Cleveland to hear a friend play her violin in a chamber orchestra.  The location is about 85 miles from our home in Erie.  On the way my daughter was watching Mary Poppins and I actually had some quiet time to just think.  How often does that happen during the day when you have two young children with you the majority of the time?  Anyways, I was reflecting on the past few years of my life and this next chapter that has just begun.  I knew that later in the evening I would be meeting with a team of women who have led the Women's Ministry at our church these past few years.  As of ten days ago, I am the new leader of this team.  

As the miles passed I thought back to my junior year internship in NYC.  My college class was involved with all sorts of experiences around the city.  This was during the autumn of 1999.  We were also taking a couple of classes during our two months spent at NYSUM.

One of our instructors challenged us to ask three questions of ourselves as we entered a new situation...  Who am I?  What am I doing here? What do I have to impart?  Big questions!  Especially now as I am walking into an area where I will be surrounded by many who are older and wiser than me!  :)  Lesson #1 was learned Sunday night, actually!  More on that in a minute.

While driving across I-90 on Sunday, I was thinking of a song that came out just after I graduated from high school.  I'll never forget the first time that I heard it!  I was living down in MD and was working at my first "real job" that was 4+ hours from home.  "One Headlight" by the Wallflowers was released to radio and I was hooked!  I was intrigued so much by the melody and lyrics the first time I heard it that I completely missed my exit on a route that I had been traveling for months!  This "classic" crossed my mind while driving on Sunday and I had to look it up (using talk to text!) on YouTube.  The same part jumped out at me all over again.  "There's got to be something better than in the middle..."  Yes!  THIS is part of what is in my heart as I take on my new leadership role.   

While gathered around a table with five other women Sunday night, I began to talk about an "old song" that I had not heard in years and how it is a classic but they may not have heard it in awhile.  I went on to share how this song came out back when I graduated from high school.  OH BOY!  Oops!  I did get one high-five from a fellow class of 96'er.  The other ladies had a few groans mixed with laughter and mention of "Jeremiah Was a Bullfrog" as more of a "classic old song".  :)  Lesson learned!  No more "classic old song" references when talking about less than 20 years ago!   Especially when I am one of the younger individuals present.  Life is funny with how things cycle.  I will "graduate" out of my MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group this month as my youngest child is nearly school-age.  My friends and I who began MOPS together awhile ago are now finding ourselves as the "older" moms in that group! 

But seriously, I have been thinking often of the direction to take in the days ahead.  There's got to be "something better than in the middle", right?  So many days we can get bogged down with the ordinary and forget to lift our eyes to the things of significance which are unfolding all around us if only we can see them.  

Hebrews 10:23-24 says, ^"Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds,"  These objectives are close to my heart as I picture the months ahead.  I can't wait to dig in and really connect while building a community of women who are ready to move beyond the everyday and take on a deeper life together.  It is going to be good!  Stay tuned for more details.  We'll get started this summer with monthly get-togethers and other connections in between those larger gatherings.  This community of women will not be made up specifically of those who attend First Alliance Church.  We will not be age-specific or limited to any particular demographic.  Being a woman is the only requirement to participate. :)  I am looking forward to getting together with LOTS of my Erie friends.  Old and new.  Of course my own house is not big enough to host everyone so we will use a space at church instead! 

A really good song came on during our brief drive to preschool yesterday.  I LOVED hearing the kids sing it along with me!  Great one to really turn up the music and move beyond the middle ground that tends to bog us down way too easily... "All I Can Do" 

I hope that your day if off to a great start.  It is a sunny morning in Erie and that is always a bonus!  We'll talk soon!