Nuts

Any time I can prepare food for my family the Nourishing Traditions way, I feel like I have something to really be excited about. Our ups and downs in healthy eating are many. So any time I can fix something out of the very strictest of all traditional cookbooks is a big deal to me!

The information I am passing along in this blog entry is taken mostly from Sally Fallon's Nourishing Traditions. Enjoy the recipe and enjoy some delicious, nutritious nuts! The flavor of nuts is enhanced by preparing them this way... I highly recommend it.

Nuts are best soaked or partially sprouted before before eaten. This is because nuts contain numerous enzyme inhibitors that can put a real strain on the digestive mechanism if consumed in excess. Nuts are easier to digest, and their nutrients more readily available, if they are first soaked in salt water overnight, then dried in a warm oven. (You may also use a dehydrator.)

Preparing walnuts, pecans, peanuts, and almonds:

4 cups nuts

2 tsp sea salt (1T for peanuts)

filtered water

Soak nuts in salt water (enough to cover) in a warm place for at least 7 hours or overnight. Drain in colander. Spread nuts on stainless steel baking pan and place in warm oven (no more than 150 degrees) for 12 to 24 hours, turning occasionally, until completely dry and crisp. Store in an airtight container. Refrigerate walnuts. This method not recommended for cashews.

Thanking God for Marriage

In July, my husband and I will celebrate 19 years of marriage. In some ways, it seems like just yesterday that we were so young and had such big ideas. But in some ways it seems like we've always been together, and it's hard to imagine that we were ever individuals instead of the team that we have become. I am truly grateful that God has extended us such grace to allow us the opportunity to use our home as a training ground for becoming more like our Lord. When we first got married someone told me that marriage would be more about our learning to become more Christlike than it would be someone making your dreams come true. I didn't understand what that meant then, but I can now say that after many years full of experience "working out" this marriage thing, I can truly appreciate God's wisdom in using marriage as a model to show us His ways.

A dear friend of mine was blessed by Beth Moore's talk on marriage on Focus on the Family recently. So, I looked it up in the archives (http://listen.family.org/daily/A000001921.cfm ), and listened. After doing so, I would like to recommend it. Just be sure not to miss part two also (http://listen.family.org/daily/A000001922.cfm ).

In the talk, Beth refers to "good" marriages and "great" marriages. I have to say that I am so grateful to have a "great" marriage myself. But I can't say that I've always thought it was great. I perceived it as just "good" at certain times in the past. And I've even thought it could stand much improvement at other times! But that's the thing about marriage... it's a covenant, if taken seriously, that should make us strive to improve. I've been way less than ideal to my poor man at times. And I've had my moments of praying the "please change him, God" prayer myself. Thankfully, I learned a great deal from Godly women friends and Martha Peace's The Excellent Wife, and learned to change my heart on that one! This talk by Beth reminds me of some of the chapters out of that book. Lessons I learned about acceptance and Godly love, ridding myself of any selfish, prideful, judgemental and ungrateful thinking about my man changed my marriage in a huge way. And this teaching that I linked above may be able to do that for someone who is learning how to be a wife, like I was, and still am for that matter. Isn't it true that the more you improve in your walk with the Lord, the more you realize how far you have yet to go?

Before signing off on this one, I want to mention to my wonderful husband how much I appreciate his love and patience towards me. His commitment to our marriage is something I have grown to be more and more thankful for with each passing year. The longer we are married, the more I realize how his providing, protection, and servant leadership has gently shaped who I am becoming. He is my superhero! Not because he is perfect, and I certainly don't expect him to be (at least not any more), but because he has made himself faithfully mine.

Enjoy the link. And if you like it, you may want to read The Excellent Wife too. It is full of good stuff, even though I have to say that I did not agree with everything that she says, but I guess, what book fits my thinking 100% anyway? I'm such an independent thinker! But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good, 1 Thes 5:21. God's Word alone is my truth.

Who designed this road sign?

As we crossed the border from Arkansas into Missouri last week, heading to Branson for a camping trip, we saw this strange sign. HIT A WORKER!

OK... I think we'll pass on that one! That's not something we want to make part of our stay in Missouri, but thanks for the opportunity I guess...

Long time coming

The last few months' blogs have not made it from my mind to the computer, but I have been blogging! Bloggers think in blog form. When I made a great new recipe for dinner; or a gorgeous salad made with my own garden-grown lettuce; or adapted a recipe to the taste of our family... I blogged the recipe...in my mind as I fell asleep in bed. When I planned and gave my husband's grad-school graduation party I thought of many aspects of the planning and my pride in his accomplishment and blogged about it all... in my mind as I packed the kids' clothes for our camping trip. When we went camping, I payed attention to the details of our family's first time in our new camper. I took pictures and savored the memories to record in my blog... in my mind as I made the hamburger patties to put on the grill. When I felt the precious little baby squirming away inside of me and took in the magic of the miracle that is a new life I carry with me everywhere I go, I blogged about it... in my mind as I laid down to rest while my little ones were napping. When I saw my plants in the garden sprouting up preparing to nourish us, I planned to take pictures and share about organic, raised-bed gardening and then I blogged it... in my mind as I pulled weeds. When I got a new picture book in the mail, sat with my wee little ones to read, and become surrounded by big kids who didn't want to miss a great timeless story with beautiful illustrations, I recommended the book on my blog... at least in my mind, as I fixed the kids a snack after the reading/snuggle session. And when God taught me one of the many, many lessons I have yet to learn, I wanted to share how He affects my life, changing me little bits, day by day. So I blogged a lot about that... in my mind as I rode in the car on the way to our many camping getaways.

Hopefully, jumping back into my blog with a confessional will help to get me started back on the path to blogging. I look forward to leaving some evidence of the many things that go on in my heart, my head, my family, and my home.

Lent

Lent takes my focus from the bare trees, cold weather, and sniffles of the winter season, toward the sacrifice of my Saviour! What a wonderful opportunity Lent provides... one that helps me to simplify my time and thoughts and bring a sharp focus onto preparing my heart for Easter.


Simple Gifts

'Tis the gift to be simple,
'tis the gift to be free,
'tis the gift to come down where you ought to be
And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
It will be in the valley of love and delight.

Refrain:
When true simplicity is gained,
To bow and to bend we shan't be ashamed.
To turn, turn will be our delight,
'Til by turning, turning we come round right

Tis the gift to be loved and that love to return,
'Tis the gift to be taught and a richer gift to learn,
And when we expect of others what we try to live each day,
Then we'll all live together and we'll all learn to say,

Refrain

'Tis the gift to have friends and a true friend to be,
'Tis the gift to think of others not to only think of "me",
And when we hear what others really think and really feel,
Then we'll all live together with a love that is real.

written by Shaker, Elder Joseph Brackett, Jr. in 1848

The Ministry of Rebuke

It's funny how you don't notice certain aspects of instances in life until you've experienced them yourself. I've been close (not involved, just in touch with some involved parties) to a big-sin situation. (I have to mention here that my theology on the ranking of sins is still forming... I'm not sure if sin ranking is God-imposed or man-imposed.) These were, and still are my brothers and sisters in Christ. I stated my love for my friends, and my concern for consequences that will result from the willfull sin.

And then I watched the fallout come their way. The consequences are certainly huge and so complicated. I can't help but feel sad and grieved by the hurt that sin causes God's children, including those who were just innocent standers by.

With that being said, I am almost equally grieved by a spirit of pride that wells up within the community of believers when they realize that someone they know has committed one of the "bigger" sins. I completely understand that there is a place in the church for rebuke. It is definitely Biblical. But I am highly suspicious of self-righteousness as being a potential catalyst for people's anxiousness to grab a stone as quickly as they can.

What possible motivations could be behind massive amounts of people who have so many things to work on in their own lives to cause them to feel a strong need to put pen to paper or type out email sermons? Validation of their own guilt over "not-so-big" sins? Spiritual pride? The need to try to fix other people's problems (a common female characteristic)? Now, there are people in our lives who have the right to blast away at us when necessary... our close family members, our very best friends, the brothers and sisters we have covenanted with for times such as these. But when every Christian and their dog all of a sudden see fit to be someone's conscience, it makes me suspicious of wrong motives.

But I'm thinking now... if this is an effective and acceptible Christian practice, I may just start a new ministry for myself. I would be really good at this! I could easily spend hours a day finding sin in people's lives and writing letters telling them what to do differently. In fact, from what I've seen of this type of communication, you don't even need to bother offering any listening ear, make an attempt at grace, love, or understanding, or offer future mentoring. All you have to do is point out the wrongdoing! Starting the letter with "This is because I care about you" seems to be an optional addition to the note. This sounds like a piece of cake. Call it God's work, and then I'll feel so good about what I've done!

Or maybe not... when's the last time prideful harping worked at changing my children's hearts? At best it changes the behavior, and just hardens the heart. Hmm... Maybe I'll be very careful to check my motives... I mean REALLY check them, before I go starting a "ministry" of rebuke.

Garden time

At this time last year, my spring garden was tilled, seeds were planted, and I was watching out for frost. That was my first garden ever... and it was all thanks to my green-thumbed (the rest of his fingers are green too!) father in law.

This year is quite a different story. It's all up to me. Well, my wonderful husband is there for me, too. But he has delegated himself to the role of "tiller extraordinaire". Outside of that, he is quick to remind me that it's my garden, and points to the house full of helpers I have at my access! The kids just love when Dad does that...

So, in true procrastinator's fashion, I am noticing what time of year it is, pulling out my Johnny's Selected Seeds catalog, and checking for delivery times. OK, web orders ship the next day. We can do this! Now, where did I put those notes I made about last year's garden reminding me what to do differently this year?

Since most of my friends were astonished at the early start of my garden last year, I don't feel too bad yet about not having anything planted yet. But let's just wait and see how long the seeds sit on my countertop once they get here.

I'm going to visit my dear father in law this coming weekend, so I'm hoping to come home feeling energized. Is it possible for a pregnant woman to feel energized? I sure hope so. Because I so enjoy reaping the benefits of a backyard garden!