"Just Peachy" Tropical Cobbler

I've got another Yummy-in-my-Tummy Gluten Free Recipe to share! Yay!

  Patrick said he loved this version even better than my other gluten-full Cobbler!  It was so delicious and my kids ranted and raved, too!

Introducing....."Just Peachy" Tropical Cobbler

Here's the Super Easy Ingredients:

 

1 1/4 cups of Millet Flour

1 Teaspoon of Baking Powder

1/2 Teaspoon of Salt

1 Cup of Sugar

1 Stick of Butter

1/2 Can of crushed Pineapple

1 Cup  of Coconut Milk

1 Can of Peaches

1/4 Teaspoon of Coconut Extract

1/4 Teaspoon of Almond Extract

 First, Melt the one stick of butter and pour in a 9x13 pan (mine is oval, but basically the same size)
In a bowl mix together the flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar. 
Then, stir in the coconut milk, and both extracts until mixture is smooth.

Pour this mixture into melted butter.  Don't stir, just give a little swirl.

Then, spoon the peaches and pineapple into the batter.

 Bake in 350 degree oven for about 30 mins.

Serve with a dollop of that dreamy whipped cream that comes from a can. (you know, the kind you have to hold upside down.  Love that stuff!)

This was super yummy!!

Memory Quilt for my Mam-maw

WARNING!  DO NOT SHOW MY MAM-MAW :o)

 

 

My sweet Mam-maw is going to be turning 80 in January, so I wanted to make something special for her.  Why not a quilt?   I sent a message to my cousins asking them to send words that describe

Mam-maw.  I received some really great responses.  She sure is an amazing lady!

 I've never really done embroidery before, but I decided to embroider all of the names on the quilt blocks.   Then, using this pattern, I pieced it all together.  After the embroidery was done, this quilt came together very quickly and I really think my Mam-maw is going to love it!

Linking up today with Crazy Mom Quilts!

More Apron Strings to cut....sniff sniff

About two years ago I posted about having to "cut some Apron Strings" because Josh was going to be flying alone from Quebec City to Nova Scotia for a Youth Conference.  Whew!  That was hard for me.  Well, it's time to cut some more strings....why is this so hard?

Two months ago, Elisabeth had her orthodontist appointment here in St. Barths.  She's supposed to have adjustments every 6 weeks, but this time it was a little longer between appointments.  The orthodontist only comes here 2x per month and they weren't able to squeeze her in.  So, it was more like 3 months+ in between appointments.  There were some problems with over correction and a couple of broken brackets.  My poor Bethy!  Then, the orthodontist said that if we want him to see Beth again we would have to sign up for a 6 month plan.  6 months=$1500!  Are you kidding me?  It was pretty hard for us to fathom because the orthodontist was already charging us plenty to see Beth and we have already completely paid off her original orthodontist in Florida.  So, now we're paying double.  Yikes!

After praying, and looking at things, Patrick and I realized it was actually cheaper for her to fly back to Florida for her adjustments  and she would get to see family at the same time.  After Grandparents heard this they decided that two is always better than one, so we bought a ticket for Beth and they bought one for Brenna.

 

So, this morning my two girls left St. Barths.  Patrick took them on the morning ferry to St. Martin.  From there they will fly to Miami, then both Grandmas are picking them up and driving them to Fort Myers.  I sure had some giggly girls this morning!  They were SO EXCITED! 

I sure am going to miss them something terrible.  But, I know they will have a great time.

Please pray for their safety.

And pray for this Momma,too.  I'm not completely ready for this.

Super Yummy Cornbread

Okay, Sis, I'm going to start you off with a super easy recipe.  This will be a starting point for some other recipes, because you can easily transform it into other dishes.  You'll see!

But, for now, I think you'll really love this Super Yummy Cornbread!

Cornbread can be so versatile!  We serve it with Beef Stew (I'll be posting that recipe soon....it's amazing), Josh's Chili, we eat it for breakfast, we love it!

For a long time my family wasn't much on cornbread.  I didn't like the gritty texture and the "corn" taste always seemed so strong and bitter to me.  A few years ago I decided to try cornbread again and came across this recipe.  We loved it!  Even though it was a bit too sweet (I had to tweak that a bit), we loved that the corn wasn't overpowering.  But, it's not gluten-free.  So 3 weeks ago I set out to make it gluten-free, but not being to "corny" (ha!) and we love the results!  

 Here's what you need:
1 Cup of milk
1 Tablespoon of Lime Juice
2 Whole Eggs
1/2 Cup of Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon of Salt
1 Teaspoon of Baking Soda
1/2 Cup of Butter
2 1/4 Cups of Extra-Fine Cornmeal

Okay, Let's talk Cornmeal for a bit. Some have Gluten in it, so watch out! We like the extra-fine cornmeal. It gives the cornbread a more cake like texture and it's not so gritty.

I cannot find buttermilk here, so I "make" my own. You could definitely skip this step and just use one cup of plain milk. But, I like to do this so I feel more like Suzy Homemaker ;o)
 ~Add one Tablespoon of Lime Juice to one cup of milk. Do this first so the milk has time to sit (at least 3 minutes) After it has sat, stir in the one teaspoon of baking soda.  Make sure this is mixed in well...I hate Baking soda clumps!  Eww.

~Add 1/2 Teaspoon of Salt to 2 1/2 Cups of Cornmeal in bowl.  Mix together. 

~Melt 1/2 cup of butter in the microwave.  Then, add in 1/2 cup of sugar and mix well.

~Whisk in 2 eggs into the butter/sugar mixture, then add the milk to this and mix well.

~Pour the milk/butter mixture into the cornmeal and stir until lumps are gone.
~Pour batter into greased 8x8 pan.
~Bake for about 30mins in a 375 degree oven.

Delicious!  We love it and I know you will too!
Now, I'm off for more baking....I've got an idea in my head for some cobbler with a tropical spin...Gluten-Free, of course!

The Klincks

My sweet sister, Taylin, posted on her blog about my nephew Logan.  This cute little guy has been having some health issues and has now been diagnosed with Celiac Disease.  Since then, my whole family has done tons of research on Celiac.  Basically, he has an intolerance to Gluten.  I'm shocked at how much stuff has gluten in it! Bread, pasta, cookies, cakes....did I mention bread? 

 

When my sister called and told me it was confirmed by the doctor that he has Celiac, we shed some tears together.  This will be a big change, but we praised the Lord together of what the doctor said, "This is 100% treatable with a diet change."  Easy?  No.  Possible? Yes!

 As we were hanging up the phone, she said one more thing, "And oh, sis, I need you to also pray that I'll like to cook."   She knows that to make this work, there's going to have to be a whole lot of home prep for Logan.  So, I have a new mission..(and a new label)  Yummy in my Tummy Gluten-Free!  So, for my sis, I'm going to be trying and trying and hopefully posting some great kid-friendly gluten-free recipes.  We've tried many in the past 3 weeks and have liked a lot!  Then, there's also been plenty of flops.  Like this...

Doesn't look very appetizing, does it?  It wasn't.  Trust me.  But, I have found some great ones, and adapted some of our family favorites to be gluten free.

So, I want to send lots of love and hugs to my amazing nephew, Logan.  We love you buddy!
And, sis...you can do this.  I know you can.  Lots of love, prayers and hugs are heading your way from our whole family.

Doing Better

Thank you so much, everyone, for praying for me!  I'm doing better today, with lots of energy!  The results for my ultrasound came back today.  It looks like I have a small gallstone.  We don't know if that's what was causing the pain and the infection to show up in my bloodwork.  The doctor said that for now there is nothing to do unless I get worse. I'll keep taking my antibiotics and hopefully and prayerfully I'm on the mend!

My Doctor

I still don’t have my energy back.  I took a nice shower, but was ready to go back bed with jammies on, even though it was only 4 o’clock.  After I got under the covers a cute little 2 year old, carrying a doctor’s kit, with stethoscope around her neck and cowboy hat on her head came in and prounced,  “I’m Dr. Callie Grace!”  She had a look on her face that told me I was going to feel better soon. 

It was a little scary when the first thing she pulled out of her bag was the toy saw from the tool box.  I think she needs to go back to medical school!  After sawing away on me she took my temperature.  She took it for about 4 minutes because it has a really cool sad face/happy face button on it, so she was a little distracted.  Then, she took my blood pressure and proudly said, “40 points!”  Then, it was time for my banday-je (bandaids)  they always make you feel better!  The last thing was for her to use the stefferscope.  She put it on my chest and had me to breathe, “again…again…again.”  Then, the examination was through and I was told, “Okay, get up now Momma!”

Tomorrow we head back to the Doctor for the results of the abdominal ultrasound and x-ray.  I'm ready to be 100% well!

Getting some Care

We've had a quite a week.  I hate not feeling well!  It all started Friday night with a pressure/throbbing sensation in my neck and chest.  Saturday I wasn't any better and it seemed everything on my right was hurting (neck, shoulder, jaw, chest) Every deep breathe hurt. Since then I've had times where I was okay, and times where it was worse.  The throbbing and pressure were there, but I was functioning.  Wednesday at our ministry luncheon I felt horrible.  Tears were close by and the pressure was ovewhelming.  Patrick decided it was time for me to go to the doctor.  Not what I wanted, but what I needed.  The pressure in my  chest became worse and everytime I breathed there was such a throbbing.  When I arrived at the ER I was really having a hard time to breathe.

  I was very impressed with how things went at the ER.  They quickly checked my heart and arteries.  Everything looked fine. They gave me oxygen, and even though the throbbing and pressure were there, I could breathe!  Ahhh!  I was so glad Patrick's aunt came and helped us out with our french.  Medical terms are so new to us!  She was such a blessing.  They did X-Rays and bloodwork, and decided to give me an IV.   Not my favorite thing in the world...I'm a little afraid of needles, okay maybe a lot!  The bloodwork came back that I had the beginnings of an infection even though my lungs were clear.  They decided I needed to stay overnight.  I was thankful the doctors said Patrick could bring Micah up for a quick feeding and then come again first thing in the morning.  The nurses were wonderful and we communicated well in french. (Except for when I told her I needed to use the restroom at one o'clock in the morning.  She thought I wanted to take a bath)  I received breathing treatments, medicine and anitbiotics through the night. And then I left around noon on Thursday.

This morning I went back for more XRays and an ultrasound.  I will receive the results on Monday.  The pressure is still there as well as the throbbing, but it is somewhat better. 
My family has been wonderful.  Patrick has once again been super Dad and my children have showered me with care and cards.  Thanks to everyone that has been praying for me.  It can be a little scary having medical care in a foreign country.  But, I was very well taken care of here and I'm so thankful for the Lord working everything out...even little important things to me, like feeding my baby.

One of those tough parenting decisions

Okay, just imagine my day for a moment...it's been slightly thrown off.  My sweet baby Micah has learned to pull himself to a standing position in his crib.  The problem?  He doesn't yet know how to get back down.  This has made for some late nights helping baby get to sleep and some short naps.  Whew!  I've been exhausted!  So, when my baby finally dozed off for naptime, I found him like this:

 

Do I move him and possibly wake him up?  Or do I let him stay sleeping with his legs all funny.  How uncomfortable!

The verdict?  I moved him...and he stayed asleep!

 Parenting can be tough! :o)

Happy 6 Months Micah Reuben!

 My sweet Micah Roo turned 6 months old. 

Wow!  How he's grown!

 He's doing so many new things this month.  He loves to eat his cereal and now joins our family in his highchair for meal times.  Just like my other babies, he loves the let's-drop-my-sippy-cup game.  I'm not falling for it...or at least trying not to.

 He's started crawling and moves all over the place very quickly.  He can even stand up in his crib. Yikes!  I'm  not ready for that!  He's also sitting up all on his own.  Patrick thinks he said Da- a couple of days ago, but I know for sure he said Ma- yesterday.  So, he's ready to talk and I'm praying he'll be saying "Mama" first!

 Look at those bright, happy eyes.  I sure do love my boy!

Putting feet to a Heart that Fears

I am so far behind in posting for my Heart of the Matter Study.  I mentioned I would do a post on making practical the idea of having a heart that fears the Lord.  So, even though I’m late, I still wanted to share with you what the Lord has been teaching me.

 I love the courage of the Hebrew midwives of Egypt in the book of Exodus.  Pharoah told them that if they deliver a baby boy, then they needed to kill him, but if it’s a girl, they can let her live.  Can you imagine?  What pressure they were under!  I’m sure they had some fear of Pharoah and the punishment he could deliver if they didn’t obey.  But, you see in Exodus 1:17,  that these midwives “feared God” and didn’t obey the King of Egypt.  It took a lot of courage, but since they had a heart that feared the Lord, their desire was to please the Lord, no matter the cost. 

 Just like checking to see if that policeman is in our rearview mirror, we need to remember the Lord is watching, and it should be Him we are wanting to please.  But, too often we have more of a fear of man, than of the Lord.  We fear man’s disapproval.  We fear man not accepting us.   We simply regard what others have to say above what God has to say.  We lack the courage that the Midwives had, to stand for the Lord.  So, what are some of these times we fear man more than God?

~When raising our children.  Every Mommy out there has been given plenty of advice concerning how to do things with her children.  We hear so many warnings from the world about raising our children to be socially accepted.  We’re supposed to train them to “fit in”.  We’re supposed to make sure and let them express themselves.  We want them to have the latest and greatest so they can have the approval of their friends.  What does God have to say?  I’m afraid we discount the importance of training our child for the Lord and we focus too much on what “man” has to say. I once heard Pastor Strange say that every parent needs to read the book of Deuteronomy.  There is so much instruction in there!  I want Deuteronomy 11:18 and 19 (Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes. And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up) and Deuteronomy 32:46 ( And he said unto them, Set your hearts unto all the words which I testify among you this day, which ye shall command your children to observe to do, all the words of this law) to be my theme for raising my children.

~When getting myself “ready” for the day.  Think about the Proverbs 31 woman for a moment.  We know all the amazing things she does, and of how she serves and loves her family and others.  But, what about how she looks?  There are only 3 verses that touch on her outward appearance, but I still have a mental appearance of what she looks like.  I don’t think she was unkept, frumpy, or flashy.  I truly believe she was a well put together woman.  She was well groomed and up to date.  She was a lady that honored the Lord, her husband, and her children with her appearance.   God does want us to keep ourselves looking beautiful and attractive.  Our husbands need it!  But, does your appearance really reflect what the Lord wants?   When we are immodest what is our goal?  Attention of others?  I can assure you, your husband does want you to be attractive in public, but I don’t believe he wants you to show things that are for his eyes only.  Keep yourself modest for your husband. One of the verses of the Proverbs 31 woman says that strength and honor are her clothing.  Clothed in honor is a beautiful thought and one I want to be said about me.

~In our daily schedule.  Of course we want to have a servant’s heart and be ready to help others in a moment’s notice, but there does come a time when you have to say no.  Even though we don’t want to believe it, we really aren’t “Superwoman”  We can’t do it all.  The world would have you to believe that you should be doing more than just being a wife, mommy, home-school teacher, etc.  If we are not careful, we can begin to fear man’s opinion.  Then we will begin to make more and more commitments and do more and more trying to find fulfillment and approval.  It’s not going to work.  I want to prioritize my day in a way that reflects a heart that “fears the Lord.”  He is watching and He is concerned with me and how I live.  It is He who wants me to put my husband and family first!

~In our talk of the Lord.  Do you ever lack boldness when telling others of Christ?  It’s easy to come up with excuses of why to wait until the next time, or to put off being a witness.  We can be worried we will stumble through our words, or they will come up with a question we can’t answer.  We’re worried we’ll offend someone.  The disciples in the book of Acts had so much boldness in telling others about the Lord.  They knew they were putting their lives in danger, yet they still witnessed .  Why?  Because they did not fear what man could do unto them…but they had a fear of the Lord!  Putting our excuses next to their boldness is a sad comparison.  I want to tell others of Christ with love and boldness.  A heart that fears does this!

~Lastly, do I fear the Lord when disciplining my children?  I must remember that He is present with me when I discipline my children and I want to please Him in all I do. Am I calm?  Am I patient?  Do I lose my temper?  Do I discipline in love? 

I want to rememberthat the fear of the Lord starts by recognizing that He is present with me all throughout my day!

 

Call me crazy...

But, I thought you could only buy this kind of sausage in cartoons! :o)

We made some more of our Puka Dogs that we had on one of our family fun nights.  So delicious!

So Sweet.

Perfect reward to end a busy day. 

 

 Thanks for the homemade Hot Chocolate and Almond Cookies, Elisabeth and Brenna!