the brew*crew adventure

Last Thursday Chris got off work early and so he came home and went to work around here (as he usually does). He's been building a new shed, which is quite impressive. I've been taking pictures, but as you regulars know, alas, cannot load them here for awhile. Just know that it's nice, concrete foundation, solid wood frame, all steel sides and roof, and one huge window... he went all out. We're using our tax refund money for this so that he can get his stuff out of our garage turned workshop, so that he can finish out the garage into two rooms and an extra bathroom... eventually.

Anyways, he was out there working, did something, slipped and his forearm came down on a corner piece of metal. He then had a nice-sized hole/puncture wound in his arm, which was just gushing pouring blood (thank You Lord that he didn't hit an artery!). I was inside with the kids, had just gotten baby S down for a nap literally minutes before (good timing) when he came rushing inside, holding his arm, with blood dripping down it. He immediately started snapping orders, "Beth, I need you... NOW! Get me some dental floss... I need a needle... "

Oh, no, I thought... *gulp* I knew where this was going. You see, about six years ago, he'd busted his knee open loading a moving truck and ended up sitting in the tub, sewing it up himself! I immediately started freaking out counseling him to let me take him downtown to the Urgent Care walk-in clinic. Why did I even fight him on it? I dunno, you'd think that I know this stubborn man well enough by now to know better. By now he had ice and a rag on his wound, and I was gathering supplies for the inevitable, even as I pleaded with him to let me take him... the gash was in his right arm, and therefore he was asking me to do the sewing this time.

Have you ever tried to sew up skin, with a regular sewing needle? Me neither, but I've seen it done... skin is tough, and stretches, and resists, it's not like cotton cloth atall.*sighs* As usual, he won. I relented right before he would have started getting really mad, when I saw that he absolutely wasn't going anywhere and would have sat there doing it by himself if I didn't help him. Yes, he would have. And so I began sterilizing our assemblage of supplies as he leaned over the kitchen sink, pouring iodine into his cut. I was thinking out loud...

Wouldn't it be good to get a tetanus shot?

He shot back, The metal is clean, brand new, don't need one.

Well, what about an antibiotic, in case of infection?

There won't be any infection if we keep it clean...

I know this... so, why am I worrying so? I thought, Must be the blood... Finally, I conceded, completely this time, sat down on the stool in front of him, and began to try and sew up my man's arm.

Well... I was shaking a bit, not out of nervousness, but because the needle just would not go through, which apparently made Chris pretty nervous though. He then had me hand the needle (threaded with waxed dental floss- just in case you were wondering- and held by pliers, to push and pull it with) over to him and he proceeded to sew up his right arm, left-handed, which must have been hard because he's right-handed! I was just relieved to not be doing it, and content to hold the cut together for him. It certainly must have been very helpful in making it easier for him... you think, maybe? I had to kinda roll the skin so that he could get the needle through more easily. Well, he said that it helped anyways. I noticed that he, too, was shaking as he sewed, which he said was from the strain of pushing that needle through (though I waited until later, when we were done to point that out).

Between gritting his teeth, and a couple of "aaarghs!" (it wasn't very numb), Chris was commenting on how we really do need to get us some real surgeon's sewing needles and assemble a good better first aid kit. I commented that if it's ever the kids or I that need sewing, it's to the doc we're going! LOL We counted down the final stitches, only one more to go!

He reminded me that once upon a time, before there was a doctor down every street, what do I think people did? And with the way things are going in this world, we may not always have such easy access to doctors... we need to learn to be more self-sufficient in the things that we can be... at least.

Yeah, okay, he's right... We'll assemble a nice, ready-for-anything first aid kit... but I sure do hope that we won't need it, and as long as he's able, he's taking me to the doctor to get any stitches that I may need, along with some local anasthetic.

All said and done though, I am impressed! By the time we were finishing up and he was in the shower, we would have just been sitting down in the waiting room of a walk-in clinic. It was red and swollen for the first day. However, now, four days later, it's healing up quite nicely, barely even red. Of course, Chris feels most triumphant in that he saved us a couple hundred bucks... What a man will do when he's got nerve, and doesn't have insurance to pay his bills, huh? What a tough guy I have, and what stories for his kids to tell. So, am I a model help-mate, or what?! LOL Seriously though, Chris is my hero... frustratingly stubborn as he is sometimes.Technorati Tags: self-sufficiency, sewing self, medical, crazy

We fed baby S her first bites of cereal a few weeks ago, a few days before she turned six months old. She was certainly ready, and loved it! Up until this week she's only been eating cereal once a day, but I've just now started feeding her solids in the mornings as well as in the evenings sometimes too... so far she's tried pureed plums, bananas, peaches and even a bit of oat cereal, but mostly just rice cereal.

Home-made Organic Brown Rice Baby Cereal

• To make her baby cereal, I've just been putting organic short grain brown rice (which we order in bulk from here, much cheaper than HFS) through my Wonder Mill, and it comes out very finely ground, basicly as rice flour (which I keep in the freezer).
• Then I pour about 4 oz. (I was only using 2-3 oz. a month ago- she's eating more now) of either expressed mama's milk or baby apple juice into a little pot and then add a heaping Tbsp. of the milled rice flour.
• It starts out very thin, but as the liquid heats up, it thickens very quickly, and in moments I have a perfect little serving of fresh, healthy baby cereal.

Baby S enjoys sitting in her highchair chewing on wet wash rags immensely as well. Oh, and these teething feeder contraptions are ingenius (another one of the wonderful baby inventions that weren't around or I just didn't know about with N and T)! I just pop in a piece of banana or frozen peaches, and there's no chance of her choking on it. She thinks it's great, messy, tasty fun!

I did try out a recipe for teething biscuits the other day, but found that it crumbled a bit too big and she gagged on a piece, which scared me a bit. So, I froze them for later. I figure in another month or so she'll be able to handle them just fine. I altered a recipe that I found here.

Baby's Wholewheat & Rice Flour Banana Breadsticks

• 1/2 cup oil (I used 1/4 c. flax seed oil and 1/4 c. vegetable oil)
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (took 2 medium sized bananas)
• 1 and 3/4 cups flour (I used 1 c. ww and 3/4 c. rice flour)
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda

Combine ingredients and stir only until smooth. Pour into a greased loaf pan.
Bake at 350 degrees F for about 1 hour or until firmly set.

Cool, remove from pan, and cut into sticks. Spread sticks out on a cookie sheet and bake at 150 degrees F for 1 hour or longer until the sticks are hard and crunchy. (according to original recipe) **My oven's lowest temp. is 175 degrees F, and it took a few hours of baking for them to get crunch hard at all.** Store in a tightly covered container, freezes well.

My friend Jennifer asked for my recipe for miso soup, so I decided to post it here. Miso soup is so easy to make, and really easy to customize to your own taste as well. I prefer to use organic barley miso, mainly just because it's the kind that my Grandmother (who eats a macrobiotic diet only) recommended to me, and now I just like the way it tastes. I especially like to make it during the winter/cold/flu season because I load it up with fresh garlic and sauteed onions, both of which help to boost the immune system. I'm making some today as a matter of fact.

Miso Soup

• 2-3" Wakame leaf (seaweed) or 1-2 tsp. (to your own taste- I use a couple Tbsp.) of Wakame Flakes
• 4 cups filtered or distilled water
• 1-2 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 small onion, thinly sliced/diced
• 2+ galic cloves, minced, sliced or crushed
• 1 carrot, diced
• 2 Tbsp. Miso
• Optional Ingredients: tofu, dried tofu, sliced green onions, shiitake, greens, daikon, lotus, turnip, leeks, noodles, etc.

Start out by rinsing your sea vegetables (wakame) if you're using a big leaf, and soak it in cold water for a few minutes. Then dice it up. But if you're using the ready-to-use flakes, you'll just add them directly to your broth. I just start out by sauteeing my onions in EVO, and then add the garlic right before adding filtered or distilled water. Then I add my water and bring it to a boil, adding in the wakame, and let it simmer for a few minutes. Next add in the carrots (and whatever else you'd like) and simmer another five minutes. Now reduce the temperature to very low. Add your miso (I really just add to taste, I like a strong salty flavor) and simmer another couple of minutes. Do not boil the miso soup now though. Garnish with the green onions.

As you can see here, I like to put lots of onion, garlic (at least 5-6 cloves), and wakame in mine, probably more than I've listed in the ingredients. So, just experiment with your own as well, see what you like. It really is a matter of personal taste, but at least you have the basic idea now.

I hadn't made this in quite some time, up until a few weeks ago when I was trying to kick this bug and wanted a large dose of garlic and onions. When I made it (for myself), I was actually quite surprised to find both N and T came running into the kitchen smacking their lips and saying "Mmmm... smells like Chinese food!"
"Yeah, this is real Chinese food!" says I, "want some?" And they both scarfed down a cup-full (or two) and loved it, seaweed and all!

I saw this over at Leslie's, and as it turns out, I'm the same punctuation mark that she is... a colon, though when I changed one answer that was negotiable, it made me a question mark.

You Are a Colon

You are very orderly and fact driven.You aren't concerned much with theories or dreams... only what's true or untrue.You are brilliant and incredibly learned. Anything you know is well researched.You like to make lists and sort through things step by step. You aren't subject to whim or emotions.Your friends see you as a constant source of knowledge and advice.(But they are a little sick of you being right all of the time!)You excel in: Leadership positionsYou get along best with: The Semi-Colon

What Punctuation Mark Are You?

I must admit though, that when I saw the heading "you are a colon" at Leslie's blog, the punctuation mark was not the first thing to come to my mind... I guess maybe since I've been thinking of cleansing again, and wondering to what extent I can/should go while still nursing? I dunno...

Well, I'm now down to 9 more weeks to go, if she holds out to 40 wks., which I have no reason to think she'll do otherwise at this point. My OB's scheduling me for appointments every two weeks now. At my last appt., last week, her heartbeat was strong, and I'd gained three lbs. in the last month (which was good, since I'd gained 8 lbs. the month before), for a grand total of 17#'s gained so far. My blood pressure and sugar levels were good, and I do feel really well overall, other than the occasional lower back pains (which my lower back exercises and stretches are keeping in check- the dromedary droop and the tailor stretch are my faves) and a single varicosity that has appeared in the last month, and becomes quite painful if I stand in one place too long (mainly I notice it if I'm spending alot of time cooking or baking in the kitchen), or sometimes while I'm sleeping at night it starts that dull, aching feeling.

I'm sure hoping that our little bean's not growing bigger than N and T were (8#10 oz. and 8#11 oz., 21.75" and 22" long), but my belly sure does seem BIG! And I cannot remember if it was this big at this point with N and T, or not? I need to break out the old pictures I guess. I really need to do that anyways, and get to working on N and T's scrapbooks, if I'm planning on having them done before little Savannah arrives. Is it even possible at this point?! ...with all the other stuff I want to get done?!

Yes, we've finally decided on the order of her names, she'll be Savannah Abigail, and we're already calling her Savannah. Chris is now making a point to talk to her each day when he gets home from work, it's so sweet. One day when he got home, she'd been really calm all day, but as he began talking to me, telling me all about his day, she started jumping all over the place within a minute of hearing his voice. It was really cool... she knows who her Daddy is already.

I was reading Martha Sears's The Breastfeeding Book the other night before bed, and I ended up dreaming about our little girl ALL night long! I usually wake up like on the hour, every hour, just about EVERY night (except last night, I woke up every two hours, must have been extra tired), having to go pee and every time I woke up that night, it was from a different baby dream. I kept dreaming of trying to help her latch on properly (but all she wanted to do was play and look around), that she wasn't nursing enough, and I was so worried that I wasn't making enough milk! I also dreamed that delivery was so quick and eventless that I couldn't even remember its happening, and I felt sorta cheated. Somehow, I don't think that will be the case!

After dreaming about her all the night before, as you can imagine, I was in full-blown baby nesting mode all day yesterday. I ended up setting up her changing table in Chris and I's room, got all of her clothes for the first few months arranged, folded and put away in three little drawers beside it (in a mobile storage caddy thingy). I'm glad that I did go ahead and do all that already though, because it was very awkward to be sitting down on the floor for so long, and getting up and down to hang a few things. I ended up with a very sore back last night. I can imagine how much harder it would've been if I'd waited longer. Now all we have to do to be completely ready for her is set up her co-sleeper beside my side of the bed, and order diapers. Also, I've a few more things that I'll be needing, some of which I'll have to get myself (like nursing bras and a nursing gown maybe), and some of which are on our baby registries. Something I've been having a hard time deciding on is what type of sling to buy?!

My sis, Sharon, has and loves her New Native sling, so that's a definite consideration, and there's the Mamma's Milk slings that are basicly the same design, with more print options! Another friend of mine, Cindy, recommends a Moby wrap, which I also like the look of (esp. its versatility, though all that wrapping and tying looks a bit daunting), and then there's the classic Maya wrap. I like that Chris could easily wear either one of those too. Also, just to complicate my choices here, I've read some great reviews and recommendations for the Asian Mei Tais as well, which I'm really liking the look of, though they're about twice the price of the others. I especially like the BabyHawk ones. So, anyone out there who's tried a couple different ones and has an opinion, or thoughts? Anyone want to decide for me?! heh! I'm having a really hard time here choosing which one to go with, wish that I could just get two maybe... hmmm... maybe I will, start out with the sling-style, and then get a toddler BabyHawk Mei Tai? But then, will I even want to wear my toddler?! By then, our kids are pretty big! So, anyways, that's my latest dilemma.

Though we've decided not to do the whole cloth diapers thing (I was seriously considering it), we have decided to make our own washable baby wipes to use at home (I'll still buy disposables though, just for on the go). My friend Susie encouraged me to do this, and I really am looking forward to picking out some cute prints on soft, flannel material and making these. She also sent me the following recipe.

There are several recipes you can use for cloth wipes. Here is Diaper Pin's favorite:

• 2 or 3 drops of tea tree oil.
• 1 tablespoon of Dr. Bronner's soap.
• water.

To hold your wipes you can use an empty disposable wipes container or a wipes warmer.

And why, you may ask, did we decide not to use mainly cloth diapers afterall (because I'll still keep a few around for the girl to wear around the house/air out in)?

Well, I'd love to be able to help us really save some $, and Chris has already been wondering over how we're going to fit diaper expenses into the budget. Also, Chris and I wanted to avoid exposing our baby's little bumm, 24 hrs. a day, to all the chlorine, latex/dioxin chemical stuff that's in most disposable diapers (one of those things we didn't even know about, nor think to consider, with our first two babes). So, I was considering investing in some cloth diapers, and using them at home, and disposables only when we go out. But then I started reading about how the cloth diapers need to be soaked, then washed in hot water (which I figured was necessary, especially since you can't bleach them), and go through another wash and rinse cycle, etc. Problem is, we don't have a hot-water hook up to our washer... nope! There's no hot water heater out there in the utility room yet (though it's on our list of things to do eventually), and I was not particulary looking forward to having to transport the diapers to the tub for every hot wash cycle, or washing them in there by hand either. I did that as a kid, for my Mom, washed the clothes in the tub many times, and it's no fun, and not good for the 'ol lower back either.

But I thought, hey... if it'll save a significant amount of $, then it could still be worth it, so I was still considering! I even enjoy hanging laundry out on the line too, it's relaxing to me when the weather's nice, and so homey to see it out there blowing in the breeze. And I do have two little slaves *er* kids around here to help with all that too, right?! So, that's what I was thinking, but when I shared all this with Chris, he's thinking that it just sounds like too much extra time-consuming stuff to keep up with consistently, and also was concerned with how much more it would cost us weekly anyways, for so much extra hot water use so regularly right now. A friend told me about these really cool diapers that are out now, g diapers, which are all natural, but aren't cloth or disposables. But they are out of our budget range for now, for sure, so Chris told me to check and see how much it would be to order the "green" chlorine/latex-free 7th Generation diapers by the cases from Amazon... so I did.

It turns out that once you break the price down ($42/case, and qualifies for FREE shipping!), it comes to a mere $8.75 per 40 diapers (sz. 2), which is even cheaper than the el-cheapo generic regular disposables from WalMart. So, that's what we've just decided that we're going to do. Only we're going to order them here instead of from Amazon, for the same great price, and with free shipping. Chris says that he'd rather work that reasonable expense into our budget somehow than for me to *try* and keep up with the cloth, which I was gung-ho about trying, but he's not convinced that it would be all that more cost efficient for us really, once we pay for the extra electric/hot water, baking soda, diapers, my time, and then still wind up buying disposables for when we're on the go too. At least that's one decision we've been able to make, finally! And I'm happy with it.

Well, I spent Wednesday and Thursday of week before last finally getting our summer garden in, and I'm just now getting around to writing about it. We'd started a few weeks earlier, laying down composted horse manure and sawdust from a friend's farm, which Chris tilled into the soil a second time. Then the kids and I got out there and removed all the weeds, root clumps and rocks we could find. Finally, I planted our eight tomatoe plants that we'd picked up at a local Spring Garden festival, and a few eggplants I'd bought as well. Then I started making rows and the kids went behind me planting seeds for the rest of the veggies we'll be growing this summer.

So far, I think that we're off to a good start. I spent most of Saturday this last weekend hoeing around the perimeter, making sure all the weeds were out completely, and planting marigold seeds here and there between plants and at the ends of rows. I also planted some basil and dill between the tomatoe plants. I just love gardening, it's so therapeutic to me, and I took alot of breaks to sit in the shade with Samson and the kids, who were busily playing on their tire swings nearby when not helping me or Dad (who was working on a new lean-to/shelter for his tools and trailer nearby). It was a relaxing day.

As you can see in this picture below, Chris put up a make-shift, but totally functional, little fence around the veggie garden, to keep the chickens and our dog, Samson, out. He used materials that he already had laying around here, and I think that it turned out perfectly, with no money spent, can't beat that! The garden is 10x40'. I opted for planting a smaller garden this year than we have the past few years, and we didn't plant our corn patch either, which we'll miss later, I'm sure. But being in my third trimester now, I wanted to make sure that I only planted as much as I could maintain (with the kids' help of course) and will actually keep up with, knowing that once he tills the ground for me, and puts up a fence, Chris prefers to be hands-off when it comes to the garden. He's got plenty of other projects of his own going already. So... here's to keeping up with it myself.

T has especially enjoyed helping me to tend the garden each day, watering the rows and sprinkling the eggplants with diatomaceous earth (a naturally organic bug repellent). She also likes watering all the flowers we've planted up around the house, and herbs she's planted and tending. I'm so thankful that we have a place where we can enjoy gardening together, and have a few critters.

Okay, so here's the list of what we've planted this year. I only bought a few plants (the tomatoes, eggplants and bell peppers you can see in the right row-in above pic, as well as two jalapenoe plants that are in pots on our front porch), and I mostly used seeds that I already had leftover from previous years (hoping that they all germinate!). Overall, we probably only spent around $20 on our garden this year (including some flower, bush bean and herb seeds).

Our 2007 Summer Garden:

• First, when you walk in the gate on the left, you'll come to two mounds of Spanish Cucumbers, big enough for four plants each (we noticed this evening that they're coming up already). This year we're going to try and train our cuke vines to climb up the little arched lattice you see there just beyond the gate, which is also supported by tobacco stakes.
• Then immediately beyond that are two mounds planted with Organic Early Yellow Summer Crookneck Squash (we love to grill our squash and eggplants with EVOO, garlic, sea salt and pepper, mmmm...).
• Next are three rows of three varieties of Carrots: Chantenay, Danvers #126 and Nantes Coreless.
• Then are my three little rows of various Lettuces; Arugula, Tango, Royal Oak Leaf, Red Salad Bowl, Black-Seeded Simpson, Grand Rapids TBR and Red Sails along with two rows of Red Russian Kale (heirloom seeds).
• Just beyond these greens are two mounds of Organic Black Beauty Zucchini Squash.
• And then a row of Organic Cherry Belle Radishes.
• Next over is a long row of mostly Organic Clemson Spineless #80 Okra, and also some Detroit Dark Red Beets.
• The next over long row from that one is entirely Giant Stringless Garden Bush Beans (they're already sprouting).
• And the final long row, to the far right there is our Tomatoes; two Caspian Pink plants, two Mountain Pride plants, two Beef Steak plants, and two Early Girl plants. As I mentioned above, we planted basil, dill and cilantro between the tomatoes. Also, N planted some Tiny Tim Cherry Tomatoes in two big pot planters on our back porch.
• Then we have one Fajita Green Bell Pepper plant and one Sweet Yellow Bell Pepper plant.
• And finally, I planted four Black Beauty Eggplants too. I hope that they fare better than my eggplants did last year. They're already looking a bit puny.
• T's planning to plant some Watermelons in a little raised bed/box I made last year, which sets right beside the garden, just outside the fence.
• T's already planted some herbs in various planters around the house here, which she's volunteered responsibility for: Rosemary, Thyme, Oregano, Parsley, Watercress, Lavender, Garlic Chives, and Lemon Balm.
• We've also started a couple different types of Sunflowers we planted in pots; Lemon Queens and Mammoths, which we'll be transplanting somewhere soon (hoping the rabbits don't eat them up entirely as they did last year)!

I'm looking forward to harvesting all of this fresh, organic (and cheap) produce soon!! And the great exercise and sunshine I'm getting in the process is an added bonus! I'm so glad that I went ahead and planted a garden this summer. I almost didn't, being so pregnant, and being a little concerned for my lower back, which went out on me completely last year as I put our garden in (some of you may remember). That was no fun! I'm so happy and thankful to be able to say that, though I've had a few sore, stiff mornings, my back has fared wonderfully, no freezing up or shooting pains. I'm certain that this is a resulting culmination of prayer, faithfully doing my back stretches and exercises, along with being very mindful of how I'm moving, bending (more like squatting with my legs, not bending at my back so much) and exerting my energies.

The greatest gift of the garden is the restoration of the five senses. ~Hanna Rion

Today, besides cleaning house, I'm also figuring out my Bread Beckers coop order, and came across this recipe at the Bread Beckers site to make your own Ezekiel bread. I LOVE Ezekiel bread, but rarely buy it since it's so pricey at our local health food stores. I'm looking forward to trying my hand at making this as soon as I can get all the grains ordered and delivered.

Ezekiel Fasting Bread

Combine the following whole grains:

• 2-1/2 cups hard red wheat
• 1-1/2 cups spelt or rye (Biblically spelt was used, Ezekiel 4:9)
• 1/2 cup barley (hulled barley)
• 1/4 cup millet
• 1/4 cup lentils (green preferred)
• 2 Tbs. great northern beans
• 2 Tbs. red kidney beans
• 2 Tbs. pinto beans

Stir the above ingredients very well. Grind in flour mill.
(NOTE: all of these grains and beans can be ground in the GrainMaster Whisper Mill with no problems).

Measure into large bowl or mixer:

• 4 cups lukewarm water
• 1 cup honey
• 1/2 cup oil

Add to liquids:

freshly milled flour from the above mixture of grains

• 2 tsp. salt
• 2 Tbs. yeast

Stir or knead until well kneaded about 10 minutes. This is a batter type bread and will not form a smooth ball.

Pour dough into greased pans. You may use 2 large loaf pans (10x5x3) or 3 med. loaf pans or 2-9x13 brownie pans. Let rise in a warm place for one hour or until the dough is almost to the top of the pan. If it rises too much it will over flow the pan while baking. Bake at 350o for 45-50 minutes for loaf pans and 35-40 minutes for brownie pans.

*For fasting divide bread into 8 equal parts weighing 1/2 pound each. Eat a 1/2 pound cake and drink a quart of water every day. For fasting I do not alter the recipe.

This is a very sweet, moist, cake-like bread. For a more traditional bread texture I have used this combination of grains in The Beckers Bread and Roll recipe. Replacing the 7 cups of flour with the 9 cups of flour from the milled grains in this recipe. You may also add fruits and nuts or use the flour made from this mixture in other favorite recipes. This healthy combination of grains and beans is worth experimenting with. Combining grains and beans makes a complete protein.

Yes, one more recipe! This one has quickly become a family favorite here and has officially been added to our regular menu cycle. Actually we're eating leftover chicken pot pie for lunch today. The kids loved this one, and it's something I've been wanting to make for years, but only just now actually got around to it last week. N's birthday meal request was that I make him a home-made chicken pot pie, and the timing was perfect because I had just days before run across a simple recipe for just that over at Amy's Humble Musings.

I did tweak it a bit though, using probably about twice as many veggies as the recipe called for (after doubling the recipe for two pies), and so I also save aside a bit more broth and make more of the gravy mixture. Since I have two huge deep-dish glass pie pans that hold more than this recipe provides for, I'm still only making two pies at a time, but they're very big. Also, I do precook the veggies for my pies, have just been throwing them in the pot of broth left over after I measured out the amount of broth needed for the pies, adding a bit of water if necessary. For veggies, we've enjoyed fresh cubed potatoes, sliced carrots, frozen green beans and frozen corn (from last year's garden!). The first time I made it I used store-bought roll-out pie crusts. But this last time I made butter crust myself, using freshly milled soft pastry wheat. The kids even said they liked my crust better, wa-la- success!

Here, I'll just paste the recipe as Amy shared it, and you can tweak it as you see fit for your own family.

Chicken Pot Pie

2 Pie Crusts (your own or purchased), unbaked
2 T. Butter
2 T. Flour
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. thyme
¼ tsp. pepper
1 c. chicken broth (note: I boiled lots of onions and garlic with my chicken)
¼ c. milk
2 cups chicken, cooked and cubed (about 1 chicken breast per cup)
1 ½ cups vegetables (I use fresh potatoes and carrots, frozen green beans and corn)
Dash of minced onion (skipped this since I'd already flavored my broth with onions)

Preheat oven to 425. Line pie plate with one crust. Melt butter in a large skillet over low heat and stir in flour, salt, thyme, and pepper. Cook until smooth and bubbly. Remove from heat. Stir in milk and broth. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly for one minute. Stir in chicken and veggies. Pout into pie crust. Top with the second pie crust. Seal edges, cut fancy slits for airing. Bake on cookie sheet 30-40 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

This is for one pie.

Well, I'm in my second trimester now, so you must expect me to have some entries about food, right?! I've been doing alot of cooking and trying some new healthful recipes. I made these high-fiber, healthful muffins a couple of days ago and we're still snacking on them. I'm so enjoying using my new Wonder Mill that Chris surprised me with for Hanukkah last December (how he spoils me!), been doing alot of baking.

I doubled this recipe here below and made two dozen muffins, so that I could freeze a few. I was surprised how much the kids liked these, since they're not very sweet at all, with a lot of texture. They did slather them with butter and honey though. I've been enjoying mine with tea, butter and Polaner's All-Fruit apricot preserves. Mmmmmm....

Lemon Ginger Muffins

Ingredients

1 cup whole-wheat flour
¼ cup ground flaxseed or wheat germ
¼ cup rolled oats
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp baking soda
¾ cup chopped pecans
1 cup white grape juice concentrate
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp minced peeled fresh ginger
2 tsp minced lemon zest
1 cup grated carrot

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375F. Line a standard-size muffin tin with paper liners.
2. In large bowl, combine the whole-wheat flour, flaxseed, oats, ground ginger, and baking soda. Stir in nuts.
3. In medium bowl, combine juice concentrate, eggs, oil, vanilla, fresh ginger, and lemon zest. Whisk to blend. Add the juice mixture to the flour mixture, and stir gently just until the batter is smooth and well blended; do not overmix.
4. Gently fold in carrots. Spoon batter evenly into prepared muffin tin. Bake about 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
5. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool 10 minutes. Remove muffins from tin; let cool completely. Muffins can be stored in an airtight container for 3 days or individually wrapped in plastic wrap (and then in an airtight container or freezer bag) and frozen for a month.

Makes 12 muffins

I found the following recipe here, on the same site as the above one. I haven't tried it yet, but will either today or tomorrow. I know that I've often enjoyed steamed broccoli for breakfast, with tamari sauce, and we'll often make cheddar-cheese omelets with mushrooms, onions and bell peppers. So, this sounds like a yummy twist to me.

Broccoli–Cheddar Omelet

The best omelets are creamy on the inside.

To get that creaminess, be sure not to overcook. Wait to add the broccoli at the end of cooking; otherwise the vegetables will weep liquid into the eggs.

Ingredients

2 large eggs
2 tsp cold water
Salt and black pepper
1 tsp olive oil
¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese
½ cup cooked broccoli florets

Instructions

1. In medium bowl, whisk eggs until blended. Add water, salt, and pepper; whisk another 5 seconds.
2. Warm oil in 8- to 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Reduce heat to low; add egg mixture. Cook 10 seconds, until eggs are just set. Using a metal spatula, gently lift the edge of the omelet to let the uncooked egg run underneath. Do this around the perimeter of the pan until most of the uncooked egg has flowed beneath the omelet.
3. Cook about 2 minutes, then sprinkle the cheese on top. Cook 1 minute more.
4. Spoon the broccoli onto half of the omelet. Using the spatula, fold the other half of the omelet over the filling. Slide the omelet onto a plate and serve hot.

Makes 1 serving.

I like to make a big pot of this and freeze a medium sized bowl full for later. Most of it's usually gone after the second day though (when it also tastes even better). I usually serve it with a pot of rice on the side, and Mexican cornbread too (recipe below).

White Chicken Chili

Ingredients (my ingred. list is an estimation according to my making a stockpot of chili):

• 4-6 chicken breasts (I use the frozen skinless, boneless, so it depends on their size, you may just boil a whole chicken)
• 1-2 chicken thighs (for better broth flavor if using all white meat, not necessary if you're using a whole chicken)
• alot of garlic cloves for me, 2-10, depending on your taste
• chicken broth, which you'll have from boiling your chicken
• 2-4 tsp. cumin
• 2 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 tsp. salt
• fresh cilantro (optional)
• Kombu or Wakame seaweed (optional, for boiling with beans)
• 2# bag of great Northern beans, soaked and drained (1# bag if you want less beans)
• 2 cans corn, drained, or a bag of frozen corn

I like to start by soaking a 2# bag of Northern white beans the day before (in filtered or distilled water), unless I haven't thought that far ahead, in which case I start them soaking the same morning, and they just take awhile longer to cook. After soaking them, I drain them. Next, I boil about 4-5 chicken breasts, and a thigh or two (for better broth flavoring) in a stockpot of water with a couple of onions cubed in it, some celery if I have it, and quite a few crushed garlic cloves. You could use a whole chicken if you preferred. We just prefer white meat here.

Once the chicken's just started to boil, I only give it a minute or two before I take out the breasts so that they don't overcook and get tough. But I then leave the thighs in and let them boil a bit longer with the veggies. After 20-30 mins. or so of simmering, I remove everything from the broth, and then I add the beans into the broth to cook. I like to cook my beans with either some kombu* strips (easily removed once beans are done) or wakame* pieces, which I put in a tea leaf infuser that hangs from the side of my pot. Nobody in my family would like to see bits of seaweed in their food, nor eat seaweed, but once I've boiled most of the minerals out of the leaves into my broth and beans, I just remove it, and all's well, nutritional benefits without the slimy green! It doesn't even change the taste of the dish that way either. Seaweed may be added to just about any dish. I know that my brother likes to sautee it into his scrambled eggs. Anyways, I digress!

So, while the beans are boiling (seaweed optional of course!), I add in a bag of frozen corn from our garden last year that probably equal a couple of cans worth. I sautee a chopped onion in olive oil, then I add a couple of minced garlic cloves to the onions. This I then add to the beans, along with a few teaspoons of cumin (to taste), dried oregano, salt and cayenne pepper. All the spices would be according to your own family's taste, but that's the basics. I think that I added some thyme the last time I made it too. If I have it on hand, I'll also add a few Tbsp. of fresh cilantro. My family also likes mushrooms, alot, so I slice up and sautee quite a few little button mushrooms in olive oil as well, and add them to the pot.

While that's all simmering and starting to smell really good, I chop the chicken into bite-sized chunks, and once the beans are tender, add it into the pot also. After everything's been simmering for awhile longer, and looks about done, I'll add quite a few big 'ol dollops of sour cream into the pot, which gives the whole thing a yummy, mild creaminess. At first it will coagulate a bit and look funky, but after a bit of stirring and a few more minutes of simmering, it looks and is perfect!

*Nutritional excerpt from the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op pdf Sea Vegetables: Kombu contains enzymes that help to break down the raffinose sugars in beans (the cause of excessive gas and bloating), increasing digestability. Kombu also acts as an antidote to excess sodium consumption and it is known to reduce blood cholesterol and hypertension. Kombu is high in iodine, potassium and calcium, as well as vitamins A and C. Wakame has many of the same nutritional benefits of its close relative, kombu. It is especially rich in calcium and contains high levels of vitamins B and C.

Mexican Cornbread

I double the following recipe, and bake mine in a 14" cast iron skillet. This is Chris and N's favorite, and we make it a bit spicier by using minced up jalapenos rather than green chiles, which T doesn't like, so I'll often make her a separate little skillet of sweet cornbread. Around here, we think cornbread is best served with real butter and drizzled in honey.

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup salad oil
• 1 to 4 green chiles, seeded and chopped
• 1 small can (about 9 oz.) cream-style corn
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal (or self-rising cornmeal, and leave out the salt and baking powder below)
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 2 cups (8 oz.) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8 or 9" pan. (I just pour a bit of oil into my cast-iron skillet and put it in the preheating oven, which makes for a crispy crust, when you pour your batter into the hot oil). In a bowl, beat eggs and oil until well blended. Add chiles, corn, sour cream, cornmeal, salt, baking pwoder and 1.5 cups of the cheese; stir until thoroughly blended. Pour bater into prepared pan and sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top. Bake for 1 hour or until crust is lightly browned and a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

Now that I'm 9 wks. and no longer spotting (yes, I was at wk. 5 and wk. 7, which kinda freaked me out, especially since I was also having some cramping simultaneously, and my friend Serena told me to take "cramp bark" to stop the cramping and take it easy- so I did, and I upped my progesterone cream applications for each day too, which seemed to help), I'm starting to relax a bit now, and really just enjoy this. The thought of having another little baby of our own around here is starting to sink in... Honestly, I've been so nervous about losing this baby, after losing our last one. That anxiety has pretty much dissipated now, and now I'm just looking forward to the end of these days of queasiness...*sighs* We are all quite excited to have this little one, a summer baby.

This next Monday is my first appt. with my OBGYN. I'm glad to have a lady doc, and will also be having an ultrasound, per standard procedure. Chris and I had wanted to have a homebirth, but things aren't working out for that $ wise, since we don't have insurance that would pay for it. I'd actually found another midwife here locally (besides the one I'd talked to last Spring), and sent her an email, but turns out that she charges exactly the same as the midwife I'd already talked to, $2800 plus any lab fees, and birth assistant fees, which puts it at around $3000 total, which comes to about $500 per month to pay it off by birth time.

Well... though I'm certain that their services are worth every penny of that, and we'd be more than happy to pay it out of our own pocket if we had it, we don't have an extra $500 laying around here ANY month lately, and I'm just not quite up to going it at home unassisted, so since the homebirthing fundage is just not there for us... I'm praying that our OB will be open to my requests for as natural and unrestricted a birth as possible, for both me and the baby, we'll see... we're hopeful.

My requests will be for no IVs (unless necessary in an emergency, of course), nor a routine episiotomy, that the umbilical cord not be clamped too soon, before the placental blood and oxygen is allowed to pump into the baby, and that meanwhile I be able to nurse the baby right away after it's born (and they can wipe him/her off too *smiles*)... the tests and whatnot can all wait a little while, really... we want those first few moments of connectedness with our little one. I'll also request that the baby be kept in my room, not in the nursery. That's not asking too much, is it?

I know, I know... I can hardly believe that I just wrote that either! LOL But, it just fits, and it's what's been going on here lately! That'll be as crass as it gets here, I promise. What can I say, I'm an open book, and this here's my journal...

It's a gloriously beautiful, sunny day here today. The air is crisp, but not cold, and when N asked if he and the other children could go outside and play after he'd finished his copywork, I said "Certainly!" I'm going to spend the rest of the day cleaning and maybe even outside doing some yardwork if I get the house in order quick enough. I've really enjoyed the habit that I've started this year of staightening the house on Thurs./Fridays for Shabbat. It always feels so nice ~ and restful ~ to have it done, a wonderful ritual.

I am so thrilled to tell you that Chris's new boss paid him a whole $1 more per hour on his first paycheck than he'd originally said that he was going to start Chris out at. *yipppeee!* I think that after seeing first-hand (he works on the job sites with Chris) all that Chris already knows and can do, he realized that he should be paying him more. I'm so impressed that Chris was humble enough to take the chance and take the job because he/we needed it, and do his best, without being insulted by the initial low wage he was offered. His boss also said that he plans to raise him another $1 per hour as soon as he gets his belt (some heavy-duty type tool belt that cable splicer use to hold all their stuff while their up on poles), which he's even offered to buy for Chris! Chris just ordered it last night. We are so very thankful, it's awesome to see how the Lord has answered our prayers. And then, last night at our home fellowship group, a friend gave us a whopping big check, which someone else had apparently given them the $ for, and asked them to write it out so that they could give a gift to us anonymously. What a timely blessing it is! God is so good, and He has blessed us with such truly loving friends, amazing!

And speaking of friends, some good friends of ours (whom we actually met online, and have now known for over a year!), are coming over today from three hours away to spend the weekend with us, along with their two youngest children. T is especially excited to play dolls with their little girl, G. Serena is going to make her own rapid-rise challah bread for our Sabbath meal tonight. I'm making home-made meatballs and spaghetti sauce (with angel-hair pasta, of course) and salad. I might even make a chocolate cake, if I've time on my hands. Only thing is... I won't be able to eat any of this great feast!!?!

Of course, at this point I couldn't eat a feast of a meal today even if I wanted to, after 5 days of fasting, with this being my fourth day of juice-only fasting. Plus I started a colon cleanse the week before- which I'm still doing as well, in preparation for this liver/gallbladder cleanse. That's right, because I'm still on my liver/gallbladder cleansing and detoxification fast, and seeing too great of results to stop now. Technically, this would be the last day of the cleansing fast (if I do it "by the book" to the program I'm on), in which I could be eating raw fruits and veggies, if I wanted to come off the fast. I'm so excited that I've actually stuck it out this long, as the cleanse I'm doing is one of two that I'd bought over a year ago, for Chris and I. We'd started the one and both wimped out halfway through.

The really great part about it now though is that I've lost all *hunger* or desire for food even, kinda weird, when you think about it. However, night before last, as Chris and I sat there watching "Top Chef", I must say that I really did start to feel like eating some of that great food, especially "Betty's Bing" for the TGIF challenge... mmmm-hmmm... it was a grilled cheese with portabello mushrooms, and a terrificly spiced up tomatoe soup. *sighs* And what'a'ya know, she won the challenge, which means that her dish will become a featured item on TGIF's menu soon... so I WILL be trying it... eventually. But last night we went to our home-group fellowship, and I just had a cup of distilled water. I did not even want any of the otherwise delectable looking desserts spread out temptingly on the counter, truly! LOL And what's REALLY awesome is that I've lost 8 lbs in these last two weeks! The first week I'd cut out coffee, most sugar, and meat, so was mostly eating salads, fruits, veggies and whole grain breads/cereals, and drinking lots of herbal tea and filtered water.

For now, my days have been consisting of lots of organic apples (from our tree) and veggies (beets and cabbages are still growing in our garden) run through my trusty Champion juicer (love it!), lots of distilled and filtered water, herbal teas and fowl tinctures. I'm also taking probiotics (to replenish my intestines, which are getting the serious clean-out) and some anti-oxidants to help my body with the de-tox; vitamins E, B6, C, co-Q10, zinc and grapeseed extract and grapefruit seed extract. So, maybe you'd like to know exactly what I'm consuming each day?

My mornings are starting with my rising from bed at 6 a.m. (while it is yet dark, hah! ) and drinking two big 'ol mugs of filtered water. Then I turn my tea on to simmer for 20 mins. (the herbs have been soaking overnight in distilled water, each day I just add another 2 Tbsp. and more water to the pile and soak overnight, leaving them out on the stove). What's in the tea? see here: Detox tea

The tea's pretty good, very strong, and I'm finding myself starting to crave it like I did coffee (which I drink black, or with cream only) ... only it's good for me! So, while the tea starts its simmering, I get to work chopping and juicing my apples and lemons, peeling garlic and measuring the oils for this wonderfully refreshing shake (really, I do like it!):

Morning Liver Flush Drink (this is actually tasty!)

Mix the following in a blender:

During Spring or Summer, mix 8 ounces of fresh orange juice or better yet a citrus juice combination (1 lemon or 1 lime and enough orange, grapefruit or tangerine juice to make 8 ounces). During Fall or Winter mix 8 ounces of fresh apple or grape juice or an apple/grape combination with:

• 8 ounces of distilled or purified water.
• 1-5 cloves of garlic (start with 1 & increase daily.)
• 1-5 tablespoons of organic virgin cold-pressed olive oil (start with 1 & increase daily.)
• 1 piece of fresh ginger root (about 1 inch long.)

(*Note* I've also been adding 1 Tbsp. of high-lignan flax-seed oil to the drink, and not adding water, since I have so much of this raw apple juice from our apple tree. I actually think that it wouldn't be so yummy if watered down.)

Don’t chop the garlic or peel the ginger, just throw everything in the blender and liquefy it. It only takes me 60 seconds to make my Liver Flush in the morning. Drink the flush down in 2-3 minutes, don’t sip it.

• 15-20 minutes after drinking your Liver Flush, drink 2 cups of previously prepared DETOX TEA.
• Put 2 droppersful of my LIVER/GALLBLADDER FORMULA in each cup of tea (consume total of 4 droppersful) or
have the tonic separately in an ounce of water.
• Finally take 3 droppersful of my D-TOX FORMULA. This formula is my strongest tasting so you can put it in a little grape juice if you wish.
• Repeat the same dosage of my LIVER/ GALLBLADDER FORMULA & DETOX TEA 2 more times during the day
& D-TOX FORMULA 4 more times during the day.

So, I'm doing all that each day, and driking so much that I just didn't even really feel too hungry when I first started out. This morning, about 30 minutes after I'd finished my liver flush drink I actually passed some bright pea-green tiny, tiny little stones, waxy (they're softened by the juices) and bright green (from bile)! I was amazed (though I guess that maybe I shouldn't have been? I mean, I expected it to work, right?). They were all floating (due to cholesterol content, gall stones will float). And no, I didn't keep any.

I have found though that I prefer to put the tictures in a shot of grape juice (it's great for masking the foul taste), and take them all that way, rather than messing up the otherwise good flavor of my detox tea, which I enjoy otherwise.

I've also, as I'd mentioned in my earlier post, been doing a colon cleanse (now in my second week). I have never been one to have problems with constipation or digestion really, yet have been quite impressed with the results. I have so much more energy now, and have passed some stuff (even this morning, after 5 days of fasting) that I know has been there way too long, like impacted and the shape of my small intestines, places that a doctor cannot even see go a colonoscopy... (yeah, I'm a believer now- those outlandish pictures are real!) *ahem* Yeah! I felt SO good, relieved even, to get it out!! I was thanking the Lord, knowing that it was literally toxic waste in my bowels, potential for future disease. And that's all that I'm saying about THAT! LOL

Ummm, did I mention that I've lost 8 lbs. and counting?! I plan to do this annually now, however, next year I will use a different source for my herbs. I found a homeschooling herbalist/family that I'm probably going to purchase from next time, here: Blessed Herbs

A good, informative health-read: Bowel Function & Dietary Fiber

So, there you have it- probably way more than you ever even wanted to know about my recent cleansing efforts! I do hope that I haven't grossed anyone out too much, and promise that I'll (probably) not post anymore about my *cleanse*! LOL

I just gathered six eggs from our hens' nest. It's funny, they have three nest boxes to choose from, but they all lay in the same nest, every day, 4-6 eggs all together in the same nest. It's amazing to feel their warmth as I gather them, amazing how the Lord created them so perfectly. Time to get busy around here now. I hope that you have a blessed day, and a restful weekend.