Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Buttery Biscuits Recipe


You know, an interesting fact I learned today was that people who eat dinner around a table with other people (usually family) actually eat healthier and have better emotional/social lives. This is huge for kids. Some of the top academic kids in the world have only one thing in common and that is eating dinner at a table with family 4 nights a week. Hmm. So maybe loving God and loving others affects us more than we think when we get those things mixed up? 

It's interesting how important meals were to Jesus. Gathering around a table, breaking bread, drinking wine, and eating as a family was central to Jesus' ministry. Such as Jesus inviting Zaccheus to come have a meal. He did a lot of discipling and building into others around tables. In Matthew 26 it says that a woman came to Him with a flask of oil while he was reclined at a table and poured oil over Him. Mark 2:15-17 talks about Jesus, again, reclining with tax collectors and sinners at the table. The Passover involves a meal at the table. 

I am very interested to see the correlation of food, togetherness, learning, and how a healthy lifestyle (more than just food but all aspects of life) are closely intertwined. Who was at the heart of it? Who knew how to build into people's lives and change them? Jesus. He had it right. Mealtime was obvsiously important to Him and that means it should be important to me. 

What does this have to do with biscuits??! Well, biscuits are those buttery smelling, room filling deliciousness that flood your nostrils when you walk in from a cold day. They are a comfort food, yes. But they remind me of growing up and my mom making them for Sunday afternoon lunches. Such a good time. Or they remind me of Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. A time of family, faith and friends. 









Buttery Biscuit Recipe
2 Cups flour
¼ cup butter (you can use coconut oil if you'd like)
1 tsp salt
3 tsp baking powder
¾ cup milk

Directions:
1. Cut in butter with flour, salt, and baking powder. You can use a fork or your hands.
2. Add milk and form into ball.
3. Roll out on the counter to about ¼ inch thickness. Cut with round cutter (I use cups).
4. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until slightly browning.
5. Brush butter on the top when they come out. 
Enough for 4-6 people.








Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Keeping the Memories

Finding good deals on items with a shabby chic or rustic chic flare is a fun hobby of mine. It's true when they say your house is a never-ending project. Your tastes change, styles change, things wear out, kids get older, etc. We have been in our house 5 years this Spring. It continues to be transformed to fit our changing style and personality. 

One thing I have been doing is finding little things to go in my kitchen and living room. I have changed my style in the kitchen with a whole new set of dishes I bought on clearance (then went back for more clearance which they honored...plus a coupon!). I also redecorated above my cabinets in the kitchen, and put an old window from Ruffled Feathers, by the table. Any little additions to my new style I try and snatch up for cheap. I am working on redecorating my girls bathroom because it was black and a light blue color...then we had 2 girls. So maybe I will post pictures once it's done (getting close!). I also have some other projects I will be tackling soon as well. Excited!

When we were in Florida I got to do a little thrift finding with my friend, Ann. I found a couple cute things that fit great with my ever-changing house.


This was a few bucks and I thought it was perfect for a mail holder. I had the burlap and tied the bow on it myself. I think it's a good fit.


Then I found this cute picnic basket for $4 at a thrift shop. They had some good deals, that's for sure. Kyle got golf clubs for $1. Ha!




I decided to use it as a blanket basket. It's perfect and fits a couple blankets in it. Just what the space needed. 


Then I got some cute napkin holders with the napkin rings from Ann as a little gift. The color is a great match to bring in the blue from my living room and pull it out from my dishes. 




I also bought some new napkin rings from Target recently for $.50 a piece. So it'll be fun to switch out the rings every so often. 



There are some of my finds from Florida! It was a great time. I am so glad I found these little things because they serve as a little memory of our family's first vacation and represent all the fun we had together, and God's blessings. Thank you Ann and Tim for your wonderful hospitality. You blessed us greatly!






Friday, March 7, 2014

What to Eat on the Road


2 days of traveling has me wanting to do some things...why not a blog post while I sit in the passenger seat for hours (especially when your hubby insists on driving the whole trip)?! So I thought I'd give some tips on what to pack on the road for a family of traveling. 


We have a medium cooler, large thermal bag/tote, and a medium sized thermal tote (great for a day out of lunches with kids). 

The cooler contains:
Cheese
Turkey 
String cheese
Greek yogurt tubes
Almond milk
Bottles of water
Cranberry almond chicken salad
Blueberries
Grapes 




Large Thermal Tote:
Roasted peanuts
Mix of dark chocolate and almonds 
Multigrain sandwich thins 
Apple sauce squeeze pouches
Honey wheat pretzels
Cranberry almond organic bars /few ingredients sweetened with honey)
Bananas 
Apples
No-junk fruit snacks 
Raisin boxes

Convenience and accessibility is important! The large thermal bag is located in the back seat on the floor for easy grabbing. I put some cooler items in the medium tote to stay cool still (fruit, yogurt, cheese).  

We do have a couple things my husband likes as treats:
Honey mustard pretzels
Mountain Dew
And mini Reese's (which we all enjoy) 

Eating healthy on a road trip is great cause you won't feel sick after, and you won't load up on high calorie foods (who wants to gain weight before hitting the beach?!). Some good additions to your bags is raw vegetables. We have them more with meals so I knew we wouldn't snack on them but you might! We have stopped for lunch at Chick Fil A, but they have healthier choices. A wrap with avocado lime dressing and a fruit cup is delish. The girls eat chicken and fruit cups as well. Plus it is fast and has a play place. 



Here are some quick travel tips to stay healthy! 
- eat protein first to keep cravings and blood sugar level (such as the nuts, cheese, yogurt)
- having a plan will keep you on track (where to stop, bringing snacks)
- keep healthiest food close to you and junk harder to reach
- wash/rinse fruit or veggies ahead 
- put snacks in baggies for individual servings (cut down on over eating)
- indulge intentionally, not mindlessly 
- it's cheaper to shop beforehand than stopping at convenience stores
- keep juice/soda limited to one meal for kids (adults benefit too) so they aren't on a sugar high strapped in seats all day! Fast way to add up empty calories by drinking that the whole trip


HAVE FUN!!!!