Allergies a blessing?

I recently read the children's book Pollyanna. In the book she plays a "glad game" where she looks for something to be thankful for in every situation. Her game spreads through out the town and every one is happier because of it. Well, I thought of Dieter's allergies. I noticed his allergies when he was 5 months old (eczema and vomiting). His allergies continued to get worse and worse and it seemed anything he came in contact with his skin broke out (rubber, latex, plastic, citrus, the list goes on...). He is now 28 months old and can't have soy, corn, dairy, gluten, refined sugars, tree nuts. Nothing processed or packaged as they contain soy/and or corn. I have thought about the paths we have taken and the trials we have had. I have realized God gives us trials to make us stronger. He wants us to learn something along the way. But the amazing thing is, through it all He never leaves our side. He is our guide, our companion. I have started Dieter on a new diet to finally heal his gut and intestinal track ( I'll post about it soon). My family still has a long journey ahead but I do feel so blessed to be where I am today.


Here the link to the book if your interested:

Freezing Peaches

I froze a bushel of peaches. I will use them through out the year, most likely for smoothies. I found it was faster if I filled up a quart mason jar then dumped the jar in the quart baggie. I did save some peaches to make fruit leather. Fruit leather is one of my favorite treats!

Homemade Ranch Dressing

Hi Friends! I have been so busy canning/freezing/dehydrating fruits and tomatoes. I love this season but it is nice when were done. Here is a Ranch Dressing recipe. It is so good and easy! I mix all the dry ingredients in a mason jar and store it in my cupboard.

Dry Mix:
1/4 cup dry minced parsley flakes
1/4 cup dry minced onion
1 Tbsp dry dillweed
2 Tbsp onion salt
2 Tbsp garlic salt
2 Tbsp onion powder
2 Tbps garlic salt
1 Tbps salt

Mix 1 tsp to 1 Tbsp of dry mix
1 cup sour cream (I like Daisy brand)
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup milk ( cow or sesame. To make sesame milk blend sesame seeds with water until it turns "milky")



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"Business in the font, party in the back"

Samantha has been sport-in a mullet! We finally cut off her tail (after my brother laughed and laughed at her. It was the final straw). I bet she feels much better now :)

Genetically Modified Food

We have been battling with Dieter's allergies so this video caught my attention. This mom (after discovering her own child's allergies) started looking into America's food supply. It's an interesting video that I think is worth looking at.




She also has a book out where she dives deeper into her discoveries.

Diapers, Diapers, Diapers

We go through alot of diapers at my house. I have one cute little bum in size 2 and one cute little bit bigger bum in size 4. My sisters told me about Amazon Mom Subscribe and Save program (It's free to sign up) and I really do save!

When you click on the diapers below, you will find another link to "Subscribe and Save at Amazon.com" Sign Up and your diapers will be shipped to you. You can manage how often and the quantity at My Account.

Next, I have signed up for Prime. It's a free trial period, but every time I buy a "Prime" item it makes my trial for longer so I have never paid.

Here's an example of what you can get and shipping is free:

We get this box for $14.60 (it won't show you this price until your Prime and Subscribe and Save)



And this box for $24.45

Broccoli Salad

So I don't have picture of this salad and I found some random picture of broccoli off of the internet. I love broccoli! Kimball doesn't share my interest but when I make this salad, he will eat it. The secret is the coconut milk. I don't have any measurements . Just add and taste as you go...

Broccoli Salad:

Broccoli cut into small pieces. (For picky eaters, the smaller the better)
Apples cut into small pieces
Almonds (However you want them, slivered, whole, halves...)
Sunflower seeds
Shredded carrots
Grapes (I don't always add these)
1/2-1 can Thai Kitchen coconut milk (sweeten it a little with raw honey)

Combine ingredients and mix in coconut milk.



Click here to getImages &
Broccoli Vegetables Pictures - Pictures


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Nectarines

I love this time of year! Peaches and Nectarines are two of my favorite fruits. We have planted a little orchard but the trees are not producing much yet. I went to a local fruit stand and bought Nectarines. Kimball bought me a dehydrator last year for Christmas and I am so grateful for it this time of year!! I am currently dehydrating nectarines. This is my first time doing nectarines and I hope they turn out.



I have an Excalibur Dehydrator. I know it is a lot of money but I think it's worth the investment!

Oh Dieter, my Dieter

It's a good thing your sister is patient with you...

This is Inspiring

If I lived in Arizona...

I would buy this hutch for my kitchen. I love the creamy white and the distressed paint. And since I'm wanting things for my kitchen, I love the farm house sinks in the kitchen below.

Find the hutch atHeritage Home Creations

Tomato Sandwiches

Thinking about tomato sandwiches is making me hungry! I hardly buy tomatoes through out the year so I really look forward to them in my garden. I had never had this until I married my husband and now it's one of my favorites!

If you have a toaster oven it's easy:
Put cheese on bread and place in oven.
When cheese is melted, pull out and top with tomatoes, salt/pepper.

If using the stove:
Turn stove onto low-med heat
Butter bread and place face down on pan
Let bread lightly brown then flip over
Top with cheese and put the lid on so cheese will melt
Add tomatoes and salt and pepper





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Quilters Daily Deal

Every night at 11:00 (mountain time) Missouri Quilt Company has new deal. Often it is a Moda charm pack which is super cute material! I check it and Pick Your Plum almost daily!

A cute new stool

Hi everybody! I hope you had a good weekend. I found instructions on how to make a wood stool. Kimball is wonderful (and with minimal complaining) made this stool for me. I am not sure where I missed it in school, but following instructions is hard for me. I need to train my mind so I can start making things without my cute husband, but for now he's a good helper. I found the plan off of Ana White's website. Her site is amazing. She has tons of step-by-step plans on building furniture. I haven't painted my stool yet. Dieter wants it blue. The pink stool is the stool off of her site.

Alright... I am in the box

If you have read this book you will know what I am talking about. If you haven't read this book, you need too! It's about changing the way you think and act towards people. It's a simple and fast read. It is one of the best self-help books I have read and I should read it every couple of months. Enjoy it, it's good!

Have a great weekend!

Halloween?

I received a Halloween magazine in the mail the other day. Halloween really? Have you noticed stores are already full of candy! Well, I thought these costumes were adorable. Maybe I'll get one for Samantha.

Find them here

Enchiladas

I take turns making dinner with Kimball's mom and sister, so when we make dinner we make it for 2 other families. Tuesday is my day to make dinner and I made enchiladas. They are simple and so delicious. I try to cook with whole foods and when I buy something processed I want to be able to know what all the ingredients are.





Ingredients:
1 or 2 cans La Victoria Enchilada Sauce (32 oz. cans)
12-16 Tortillas ( I buy Costco's uncooked tortillas)
2 cups Beans (I like black beans. I soak them the night before. You could use canned)
1 cup Corn, fresh or frozen
2 cups cooked Rice ( I like Basmati)

Cheese, optional
Sour Cream, optional ( I like Daisy brand)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350
Pour enough enchilada sauce to cover bottom of 9x13 pan.
Cook Tortillas (if their uncooked).
Cook your beans and rice.
Mix beans, corn, rice, and 1/2 of the Enchilada Sauce. Reserve the other 1/2 to pour over the top.
Fill tortillas with mixture. Roll and place fold side down in the pan.
Cover with remainder of enchilada sauce.
Cover with cheese if you desire.
Bake for 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Big Baby!

Hi there! We entered Samantha into the baby contest. She won biggest baby! She was only a couple of days from being in the next category so she definitely was the biggest. She is such a good baby. I want to hold and kiss her all day (So does Dieter and it's trouble).




LuLu and ChaCha (on etsy)- That is were I buy Samantha's flowers and headbands. The flowers all snap onto the headbands. My sister told me about them and I have bought way to many...
Find them here

How do I get my child to love reading?

I taught 1st and 2nd grade before I stayed home with my kids. It was hard to see kids struggling and hate reading, while other kids loved it. This is a great book that talks about the importance of reading aloud to your child. It will help you if your child is struggling. Even if your child isn't struggling, I would still read the book. It is an excellent book on reading that will make the most difference in your child's life.


Find the book Read Aloud Handbook

Potatoes and Beans

I have been eating this almost daily since beans have been on in the garden. It is so simple and delicious. I bought a Vegetable Steamer
and potatoes cook really fast. When there done add butter and salt and pepper. So Yummy!



Don't forget to put your lid on!