Homemade Peanut Butter

We purchased a Vitamix earlier this fall and I decided to give making peanut butter a try.  I bought some raw Valencia peanuts online from Amazon.  We dry roasted them for 15-20 minutes on 350.  Then comes the most dreaded task.  Removing the skins.  When the peanuts are roasted they release a bit of oil.  After they cool, pick up a handful and rub them between your hands.  The skins fall to pieces and the peanuts slip out.  Definitely get the kids involved if you want peanut skins all over your kitchen.  :)

Here is our bowl of skinned peanuts.  Not perfect, you can see.  But a pretty good job.  This is 4 cups of peanuts.  I found that 4 cups of peanuts made approximately 3 cups of peanut butter.

Into the Vitamix they go.  

Depending on the consistency you like, you can add coconut oil -- I added about a Tablespoon and a bit of salt as well.  

Couple things I discovered along the way -- the longer you roast the peanuts, the darker the peanut butter will be -- and it will have a little bit more of a nutty flavor.  And... I also found that making everyone help with the skinning of the peanuts helps you not harbor bitter feelings when all the peanut butter is eaten within 12 hours of you making it. :)

Drumroll please....

Well... the good news is that this giveaway fared better than my last. :)  Last time it was a riveting $15 Save-A-Lot gift card which only one person commented on.  This time there were 4 comments.  ha ha...

And here is where I tell you that YOU ALL ARE WINNERS!!! :)

I had already purchased one for my mom.  And one for Connie.  So... even though Random.org said that Connie was the winner, Greg & Anita get one too!

This was fun.  Really... I just wanted an excuse to buy extra of these CDs.  Picked them up at church today and it's so good.  Can't wait to see what the charts look like tomorrow when it releases!  CDs will go in the mail tomorrow!

Games are more fun with friends

I'm playing catch up with some blog posts... these were taken in August.  Kaleb insisted on his puppy friend joining our game.

And of course he couldn't just be a spectator.  He had to play with us.

I decided to sit Uno Moo out.  What a good sport Kaleb is to close his eyes when he is picking for puppy.

For the Honor Giveaway

Everyone loves something free!  And the best part is that the cost of this freebie actually went to something that is going to make a huge difference in thousands of lives.  On Monday, November 21, Elevation Worship is releasing their latest CD, For the Honor.  I had a chance to worship on Sunday with many of these songs and it's a great great album!

Elevation Worship is partnering with Compassion International and adopting a slum in Uganda and all the proceeds from release day will go to that partnership.  You can read more about that here.

I picked up an extra copy of the CD to giveaway.  It's simple. All you gotta do is leave a comment.  And giveaways are always more fun when you get more chances to win!  So... if you link to the giveaway via twitter or facebook, give yourself an extra comment and tell me you did so.  Each "share" gets you 2 more entries.  I'll use random.org to generate a winner on Sunday night at 10 p.m. EST.  I'll post the winner immediately.  That way if you don't win... you'll be able to grab the CD on iTunes Monday!

This is one of my favorites from the album.

Mobility - Mark it Down!

Today marks the day that Kadence Quinn has become mobile.  Very mobile.  While she hasn't mastered the knee crawl yet, she is an incredibly fast bear crawler.

My Baby Crawling Benediction:

May the floor be free of leftover food crumbs.

May the scissors and ink pens never be left in the living room.

May you not eat cat poop like your brother did.

Go in peace my child.  

Crawl.

The Canary List by Sigmund Brouwer

I had the opportunity to read and review Sigmund Brouwer's recent novel, The Canary List.  I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

I admit it.  I'm a book cover junkie.  I totally judge a book by its cover.  That's why I picked this book out.  Loved the cover and thought that surely there must be a story inside this one.  And... I was right!  This book did not disappoint.  It has been my fall "summer read."  We didn't travel at all this summer, but this fall I have ended up at the beach in Charleston and on a trip to Orlando, so this book has been like a summer read for me.

Crockett Grey is a middle school teacher who finds himself ensnared in a trap of false allegations after trying to protect a student that comes to him in the middle of the night.  Jaimie Piper is a twelve-year-old girl who has shuffled from foster home to foster home and also deal with feelings of darkness.  Crockett soon discovers that he is now part of an enormous Vatican conspiracy.  Teacher and student must work both separately and together to untangle from the web of lies and oppression that hovers.

Initially this book reminded me of some Frank Peretti's novels as it deals directly with spiritual warfare and demon possession.  However, a few chapters in, the book took a life of its own and the story became much bigger than a novel about demon possession.  It became a bit controversial as it dove into Vatican conspiracy.  It didn't bother me, but I wondered as I read, whether there was any backlash from the Catholic community regarding this novel.  It certainly gives the reader much to consider and think about.  I also appreciated that the author had some good resources for further study and research at the back of the book.

Pick it up.  Read it.  It's a thinker!

Sea World Sleepy Head

This is a little gem that I shot during the middle of the day at Sea World on our vacation. I'm thinking there is a good chance that this video could help put Kadence through college. And if not... well... I know we'll be getting laughs out of it for years to come. My sweet sleepy head.

Little Laps

Blogger has a new look and I'm trying to get the hang of it.  This is my first post using the new writing format.  Not sure how it will look on the other side. 

Saw this today while I was working on the laptop and thought it warranted a post.  Kaiya asked her brother if he wanted to sit on her lap while they watched tv.  And he did!  So cute when he is catching up to her size wise.  There isn't the size gap that there used to be.

I wish my name was...

Kaiya is on a name kick. Question asked at least once a day: "Mama, what do you wish your name was?" The following Kaiya statements are all said with a huge sigh prior to speaking.

Kaiya: *Sigh* I wish my name was Brooklynne.

I wish my name was Britney.

I wish my name was something that starts with the letter D. Guess what it is mama!

Mama, all of our names could have been spelled with the letter C. Caiya, Caleb & Cadence. *Sigh* I would have liked that so much better.

Well... my sweet Kaiya. When you give birth, you can name your child whatever you want!! :)

5 Things I love about Kadence

We're still getting to know Kadence around here. But it's true... I love her more and more each day. Since she is, with no question, the most neglected child when it comes to the blogosphere - I thought I would dedicate a few posts to the things I am loving and learning about Kadence.

1) She makes monster noises. The cutest, growliest, manliest little monster noises.

2) She is truly a happy happy baby. Very quick to smile.

3) She does this adorable little bashful thing. When I am holding her and people say hi to her she give a huge grin and then buries her little face in my neck. A.Dorable.

4) She holds her own. She will growl, shriek and pull hair when necessary. Particularly when her brother is all up in her space.

5) She's a mama's girl. Not gonna lie. She might be my last baby and I am not sad that she loves me and wants me. Makes me feel special.

Stickers & Sisters

Holy smokes. 2 months without a post on this poor neglected blog of mine. Moving right along...

Took a trip to Trader Joe's today and the kids got long strips of stickers. Kaiya happily decorated her sister with them on the car ride home. I went to get the carseat out and found this:

Both shoulders, both feet, both knees - and there were more under the blanket. After nap, found one on the little sweetie's tush.

I love both my girls. And that little boy in the middle.

Odd Thing of the Day

Sitting at the computer. Look out my window and this little guy comes over. And just lays there like this. With his eyes open. For 20 minutes. If I hadn't seen him move, I would have thought he was a piece of taxidermy. Gutters = redneck squirrel swimming pools. Apparently the 100 degree temperatures have taken their toll on everyone...

Don't be jealous, but...

...look what woke me up this morning:

Natural Food Coloring

Here's another catch up post! Over the holidays we made sugar cookies and decorated them with frosting. I thought it would be a good opportunity to experiment with making my own food coloring!

We peeled a beet.

Then we juiced it.

Then we added a little bit to some powdered sugar. We didn't have to use much milk because the beet was juicy enough. We just played around until the consistency and color was what we wanted! I was so impressed -- it was easy -- and I can never get that bright of a color with the normal food coloring dyes anyway! What a fantastic color!

The Inconvenient Marriage of Charlotte Beck by Kathleen Y'Barbo

The Inconvenient Marriage of Charlotte Beck by Kathleen Y'Barbo was on my list of fun summer reads this year! There is nothing like summer vacation to read for fun. It's a tradition that I've had since I learned how to read... and I can't wait to begin this tradition with my kids.

The main character in this novel is Charlotte Beck. Her character reminds me a bit of Anne Shirley in Anne of Green Gables -- she is a spitfire -- determined to get her way and heaven help anyone who stands in her way. Amid social pressures and the encouragement of her father to be placed in an arranged marriage, Charlotte rebels and makes her wish to go to college be known. After observing her interactions with the English atronomer, Alex Hambly, her father makes an offer to both of them: Get married and 1) He'll give Charlotte the chance to go to college and 2) He will provide financial security for Alex's struggling family. And it's an offer that they cannot refuse.

The character development in this novel was excellent! I loved each of the characters and how the author created their interactions with one another. Charlotte's escapades are a riot and so is the demeanor in which her father and Alex handle the escapades. I also enjoyed the way the author wove together prim and proper English culture and the barely settled Colorado frontier.

If you are looking for a book to finish up your summer reading list -- grab this one! It did not disappoint! And... because I just can't help but judge a book by it's cover -- what a fabulous cover! I had just as much fun looking at the book on my coffee table as I did reading it! Special thanks to Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing Group for giving me this book for free for this review.

Independence Day 2011

We spent half of our holiday at Dan Nicholas Park and had a great time. It was hot, hot, hot! But the kids did great. We began by taking a paddle boat out for a ride. Even Kadence had to wear a life jacket. She liked it for about 8 minutes. Just about long enough for her to suck on it and for me to realize she was sucking on mildew. Put that to a stop and she screamed the rest of the way. She and I got dropped off at the dock and Tony and the kids finished out their boating.

After the paddle boats we made our way to the Wilderness section. For 50 cents per person, we got to see bald eagles, turtles, black bears, wolves, foxes, snakes, etc.

Took a train ride next and then headed home.

After naps, the thunderstorms started. We did sparklers on the porch and lined everyone up for the obligatory "kid" picture. My friend Stephanie put this tutorial for firework t-shirts on her blog and over the weekend we made them with the kids.
I love Kadence's expression in this photo. She is like... get me away from these crazies. Or maybe: "please don't hurt me. please don't hurt me."

Kaleb's 3rd Birthday!

What a fun birthday celebration we had for Kaleb's 3rd birthday. He was obsessed with IronMan at the time and so we had an IronMan theme. We do fruit sculptures for the kids until their 5th birthday when they can have their choice of birthday dessert. Kaleb's birthday has proved tricky because it's the dead of winter and hard to find in season fruit. Fortunately for me... IronMan is yellow and red! Bananas are always easy to find. And he loves them.

We also let the kids choose their birthday meal. Kaleb knew just what he wanted. Macaroni & Cheese and Dinner Rolls made from scratch. Do you see the yellow theme we have? It's his favorite color!! :)

Snack Bags

It's been awhile since we have done this and I'm anxious to do it again because it made life much simpler when we were on the go. With the summer weather here and playdates at the pool, park and Carowinds, it is handy to have something quick and healthy to grab on our way out the door. I went to Trader Joe's and purchased a bunch of our favorite snack foods. This time I bought: Cheerios, Banana Chips, Snap Crisps, Pretzels, Raisins, Almonds, Dried Apples, Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips, etc. Then I allowed Kaiya to take small baggies and make up snack bags with whatever she wanted in them. We made morning snacks (w/ cheerios, almonds and raisins) and then snacks for later in the day w/ the veggie chips, crisps, etc. Here she is filling up her bags! When finished I just stored them all in the pantry and we could grab and go as needed.

Halloween 2010

For Halloween this year, we had a little monkey and a go-go dancer. Actually, I'm not entirely sure what the actual definition of a go-go dancer is. Hmmm... hope it's not inappropriate! :) But suffice it to say... she had on a sparkly, tutu-ish get-up on. They each requested their pumpkin pictures... Kaleb is a big fan of Mickey right now and Kaiya had fun drawing her own face on the pumpkin. It was a fun night of trick-or-treating... the kids got tons of candy which I pre-negotiated a deal for. They could have their choice of a DVD or toy for trading in all their candy. We let them eat 2 pieces before the trade, Kaleb for a Wiggles DVD and Kaiya for a Barbie. And I may or may not have eaten most of the chocolate that evening.

Kaiya won me a grill!!

Finally... my kids are starting to pull their weight around this joint. :) Earth Fare had a contest to show who is the grill master at your house. You had to turn in a picture of your grill master in action. I pretty much forced Kaiya to draw a picture to submit. :) She had fun though -- and it was fun to see her process what she was going to put in her picture and to visualize what life looks like when we grill.

She put me grilling and she and Kaleb jumping on the trampoline. And she won us a new grill and tool set!!

She's a biker!

I've got some catching up to do... so I think I am going to make Fridays "catch up day" on the blog. Every Friday I will post something from the past year that I neglected to blog about in a timely fashion. That should get me caught up.

One of Kaiya's big accomplishments from 2010 was learning how to ride her bike without training wheels. We're biased, of course, but not sure many 4 1/2 year olds can ride without training wheels. She's pretty awesome!

Tony started her on the side of the house in the grass...



















































Phew! She made it all the way around without falling -- on her first try!

Steak Kabobs = YUM

I wanted to post this recipe for marinating steak kabobs - it was so good. And it just took me about 2.39 hours to find the stinkin' recipe again on the Food Network website. I made this a few weeks ago and they were so great. Probably one of the best steak marinades I've tried. And the huge plus is that it is Healing Diet approved!

Dijon-Rosemary Steak:

• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, stemmed
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound sirloin steak, cut into 1-inch cubes

Whisk together all of the Dijon-rosemary steak ingredients (except the steak) in a bowl. Toss the steak in the mixture until evenly coated. Cover and marinate in refrigerator for 2 hours. (I marinated for 4+ hours.)

Here's where I promise to be a better blogger...

Seems we've been down this road before. I really want to get back to blogging. I promise to be a better blogger. My new year's resolution -- stop neglecting the blog. I admit -- there's been no follow through. Except for the book reviews. But what can I say -- I love to read and that's a way to read for free... well... besides the library. Let's be honest though -- that's never free because I always return late and rack up late fees. That might be the reason I haven't taken the kids to the library in awhile. 20 kids books + one week late = I don't even want to think about it. I can't take the librarian guilt.

You see... I've figured this all out. Now that I'm a stay at home mom I will have TONS of time to blog. ha ha! Cause stay at home moms just sit around and browse the internet while their kids are happily entertaining themselves, right? No? Oh well... then I guess I better not make any promises about being a better blogger. :)

For the sake of the third child, who probably won't have a scrapbook finished until she is 18 1/2 yrs old. Who may or may not have any pictures taken of her at all. For Kadence Quinn... I will be a better blogger.

Plus... Kaleb is pulling out some good stuff lately. Yesterday, for example, he told me to stop accusing him. All I told the kid was that we don't go outside in socks. These Kalebisms must be documented.

Indivisible by Kristen Heitzmann

I was first introduced to Kristen Heitzmann's fiction 7 years ago when I began working in our church library. I am a huge fan of her writing style! I was so excited to be able to receive her latest book, Indivisble, for free from Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing Group in exchange for writing this review!

This book, set in present day, is a mystery - psychological thriller - love story - all wrapped up in one. The story begins with mutilated raccoons found in a small Colorado town. Determined that this is more than just innocent fun, Jonah Westfall, chief of police, begins an investigation hoping to prevent something more serious from happening to his community. Along the way, we meet Tia, who has a past very connected to the police chief. As the animal mutilation begins to increase, Tia and Jonah's paths intersect once again and the story unfolds.

One of my favorite things about this book is the author's ability to develop the main characters as well as the supporting cast of characters. She was able to weave several stories within the main plot. Heitzmann creates real characters, with real life struggles and as the reader, I appreciate the tangibility of her writing. Another thing I love about this book is that it grabbed my attention right away. With all of the things in life vying for my attention - when I sit down and read a book, I want it to be enjoyable and entertaining. Indivisible was just that! It's a story with many layers and I promise you will love it!

Logo

Working on getting this image back on my signature line in Gmail. Hopefully this will make it work!

New Favorite Things

Used my Christmas money to buy two of my new favorite things. Red Toms:

And a Flip camcorder. Here's the first video to be shot on the Flip. Quality is so awesome. Gonna be great to have this for videos of Baby K. And these two crazy characters.

A Billion Reasons Why - Kristin Billerbeck

Kristin Billerbeck has been a favorite author of mine for the past five years. I was introduced to her by a friend in St. Louis. I was excited to have the chance to review her most recent book, A Billion Reasons Why. BookSneeze® provided me with a complimentary copy of this book. This book is about Katie McKenna, a spunky special education teacher who receives a blast into her past when a former boyfriend asks her to sing at his brother's wedding. Although engaged, she agrees to sing and finds herself back at home, confronted with a life and a relationship she ran away from.

Overall, this book was an excellent read. It was apparent that the author researched the history and culture of New Orleans - which I loved to learn more about. The only area that this book fell short for me was in the writing style. And it was really only because of my past experiences with the author. Nearly all of her books have left me laughing out loud with the honest humor of her characters. I was anticipating that same type of writing style for this novel. I didn't laugh quite as much with this book. Regardless, it was a great story with great characters. There is no question, Kristen Billerbeck knows how to tell a story!

Sun Stand Still - Pastor Steven Furtick

Without question, it was an honor to be able to write a review of my Pastor's book, Sun Stand Still. I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. At a basic level, this is a book about audacious faith. But digging in, making personal application, and praying your own Sun Stand Still prayer, gives the reader the opportunity to experience and live out the faith of the Bible's greatest characters - Joshua, Moses, and the disciples to name a few.

One of the things I love about this book is the way it is written. The style it is written in, makes me feel as if I am having a conversation with Pastor Steven. My vote for favorite chapter title? Pray like a Juggernaut. Simple, yet challenging. He speaks truth in a way that is easy for anyone to understand. This is a book for everyone - for the jr. higher who is just beginning to walk with Jesus to the seasoned pastor. My children are preschool age, and even we have had discussions about what it means to believe God for the impossible.

As I think about the impact this book had on me, there is one chapter that sticks out like a sore thumb. Hear. Speak. Do. This chapter contains twelve audacious faith confessions to speak over my life. Growing up in a conservative Grace Brethren church, I didn't learn how to speak biblical truth over my life. That was something they did at the pentecostal church down the road. Now, when I feel worry creeping in I speak #3: "I have no fear or anxiety; I trust in the the Lord with all my heart." When I question whether or not I have what it takes I preach #5 to myself: "I am fully resourced to do everything God has called me to do." And the best part... Each audacious faith confession comes with at least 3 verses of scripture to back it up.

If you read this book, I promise it will change the way you think about faith. It helped me tap into the power of God -- available to me as a believer in Jesus Christ. This book isn't just about the major life events that require believing God for the impossible. There is application for the stay-at-home mom pouring into her children on a daily basis. It is for the high school student who's Sun Stand Still prayer might be staying pure. It is for the couple who is about to call it quits after years of marriage. It is a book for people who want to change the world.

One more thing I love about this book: The vast amount of FREE resources available to individuals, small groups and churches. Check it out at: www.sunstandstill.org.