space to breathe

We pass this beautiful barn to get to our new home.

It has been quite the whirlwind two months!
(three months since I last blogged. whoops!)
Mid-May our household belongings were all packed up and we left Texas to travel to see family and then to our final destination: Tennessee.
Moving is always so stressful and this time was no different.
It was probably even harder this go-around with THREE kiddos.
We have spent so much time in our van driving all around our new town.
We have been eating out far more often than any of us would like.
Nonetheless, we have found a seemingly perfect home to live in for at least the next year!
For all my worrying, stressing, and FIVE days straight of house hunting, God had just the right home waiting for us!

My very wise and wonderful friend Rachel, sent a lovely letter that was waiting for me when I arrived at my Mama's house.
She included this fitting passage:

Philippians 4:6-7
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all [a]comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

I went back to these verses many times during our searching for a home.
When I felt hopeless and overwhelmed with worry I read it again.
After numerous disappointments in our search, on a whim a realtor we met with suggested a house that had just become available for rent. And had also been reduced in price.
"It's is kind of far from town, you will have quite a commute to work" she said.
Perfect we thought.
And it was!
Immediately the drive out to the place was peaceful.
The rolling hills, dotted with cows, corn and wheat fields.
Green pastures, blue skies, and puffy white clouds.
And then we arrived. . .
The yards were substantial and neighbors not too close.
On the grounds were numerous fruit trees.
Pear, apple, peach. . . The neighbors even maintain a mini-orchard of sorts, behind our home.
It felt like home.
And we could breathe out here. . .

The side yard of our new home.

My Girl, exploring the neighbor's mini-orchard.

Sunlight through fruit trees.

goin' to colorado

This is so outside of my "box," but I am

GOING TO COLORADO! 

Little Bébé and I are flying to meet (most, for the first time) some incredible ladies!
We have all grown to "know" each other through the internet, and friendships have really blossomed through countless emails, Instagram, Blogs, and HAPPY MAIL.
This weekend will involve a little craftiness, a little yoga, a trip to BOULDER, yummy food, delicious coffee & tea.
While it is smack dab in the middle of our crazy move, I believe I will come home so refreshed, and energized it won't even matter that my house will be packed up less than a week after I arrive home! :)
I can't wait to share photos and stories from this trip!
In the meantime, stop by each of these sweet ladies space on the internet and soak in the goodness!
Sara our gracious host and "tour guide." :)
Natalie
Rachel
Jennifer B.
Jennifer L.
You can also follow along on our adventures on Instagram with the hashtag #coloradogirls2013

rest

That's just what I did today.

I think my husband may have seen what I scheduled for the day because he helped me achieve rest.
He has taken the baby and let me sleep in a little this morning, put away laundry, helped make dinner and cleaned up all the mess that it created.
He has played Hide & Seek with the bigger kiddos, brushed teeth, & read books.
He's pretty special.

I was intentional about rest today because I have been feeling poorly lately.
I'm sure stress is a contributing factor as we are MOVING in less than three weeks!
But I also twisted my neck out of whack in the middle of the night Sunday and have been to see my chiropractor two days in a row. She told me that I may still have notable levels of relaxin in my system since I am nursing.
My ice pack is my best friend.

Tomorrow will hopefully be a repeat of today, and surely I should feel markedly better!

weekending // 04.15.13

We love weekends around here. Such a sweet time to work on projects together, play together, plan together & eat yummy food.

sunshine ● popcorn ● big straw hats ● baby smiles ● pancakes ● yard work ● video games ● The Hobbit ● wine ● grocery shopping ● homemaking binder organization/design ● budgeting ● planning ● playing with best friends ● 

menu plan // 04.13.13

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Firstly, I must thank my awesome sister-in-love Marissa, for sharing her menu plans with me for the last month. She diligently plans each meal her sweet family will enjoy each week! She inspired me to start planning breakfast and lunch as well, and has shared many tips on how to get it all done and stay within budget! Thank you Marissa!

April 13-19, 2013

13 Saturday

Breakfast: Eggs, Avocado Slices, Kiwi Fruit, Banana & clementines
Lunch: Order pizza
Dinner: Raid the Pantry/Fridge (fend for yourself)

14 Sunday

Breakfast: Blender Banana Oat Pancakes (first time trying these :)
Lunch: Leftover Pizza
Dinner: Salmon Cakes (Practical Paleo pg. 310) Mashed Faux-Tatoes (Practical Paleo pg. 344) and Sauteed Cabbage

15 Monday

Breakfast: Banana Bread Muffins
Lunch: Hard Boiled Eggs, raspberries & blueberries, cucumber slices, carrot sticks, and avocado slices
Snack: Raw cheese & apple slices
Dinner: Blackeyed Peas (soaked the night before) and Cornbread with sauteed Collard Greens, and Sauerkraut (Bubbies brand)

16 Tuesday

Breakfast: Monkey Salad (will probably sub another nut for the cashews.)
Lunch: Baked Sweet Potato & Kale (Whole Food Kitchen recipe)
Snack: Popcorn & Smoothies
Dinner: Sausage Stuffed Acorn Squash

17 Wednesday

Breakfast: Personal Baked Eggs with Greens & Bacon
Lunch: Applegate Farms Hot Dogs or Almond Butter Sandwiches with fruit
Snack: Kale chips & raw cheese
Dinner: Super Porktastic Bacon-Topped Spinach and Mushroom Meatloaf (will use ground grass-fed beef from the farm)

18 Thursday

Breakfast: Berries, coconut flakes, chocolate chips, almonds, and almond milk (aka: "Cereal")
Lunch: Salad & Leftovers
Snack: Cuties & Larabars (on sale and had a coupon this week)
Dinner: Mustard Glazed Chicken (Practical Paleo pg. 266) Honey Glazed Carrots, & Sauerkraut

19 Friday

Breakfast: Omelets
Lunch: Avocado Chicken Salad in lettuce leaves
Snack: baby carrots, cucumber slices & "Ranch" dip (homemade with yogurt)
Dinner: Grain-Free Mini Pizzas & Pepperoni Pizza with Gluten-Free Crust

menu plan // 04.06.13

Here's my plan for this week.
We're going a little lighter on the meat because my budget has little wiggle room, and to ensure good quality, meat is something we do not skimp on.
I only planned dinners this week (hoping we have leftovers), but have in recent weeks planned breakfast and lunch which was an enormous help. I plan to get back to that next week.
Special thanks to my amazing Sister-In-Love, Marissa for sharing her plans week after week and inspiring me!
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Saturday

Pizza Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Pepperoni Pizza (dough in freezer)

Sunday

Vegan "Cheesy" Spaghetti Squash Bake with Salad (I'll use this as my base recipe and use cooked spaghetti squash instead of pasta.)

Monday

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Hash
(Beans will soak as per Nourishing Traditions)

Tuesday

Winter Squash and Sausage Soup
Crockpot

Wednesday

Salmon Cakes with Faux-tatoes and sauteed cabbage

Thursday

Blackeyed Peas and Cornbread
(Beans and rice will soak as per Nourishing Traditions)

Friday

Pizza - Roasted Apple, Butternut Squash, and Caramelized Onion Pizza
(experimenting with Gluten-Free varieties)

weekending // 03.18.13

It was all about the yummies this weekend . . .
we kicked it off with grocery shopping! woo! hoo!
hence the yumminess!

{roast chicken • smoked Gouda and sliced cucumbers • pizza (with a gluten free crust) • shamrock eggs • corned beef and cabbage   •   avocado chicken salad   •   fruit salad}

and of course an utterly yummy baby . . .


there was also hooping . . . lots, and lots of hooping! :)

march goals

In March 2013 I will . . .

*Revised yoga plan: 2x week
*walk for refreshment and exercise 2x week

*condense and organize my recipe binder

*finish Thank You Notes for little Bébé & Christmas (gasp!)

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- In hindsight, my goal last month to practice yoga daily was a bit ambitious. I managed to practice daily for 9 days in a row! But, I have revised my "plan" to fit into my busy daily commitments as a Mama and Wife. 2x a week is definitely do-able! :) 

- My hubby actually suggested walking during the week. He even offered to carry Bébé in the Ergo! 

- My recipe binder has been in need of some attention for a long while now. I have a 3" binder literally bursting at the seams. (Hubby repaired it with fun rainbow duck tape. ;) I've been "collecting" recipes in this particular binder for about 7 years now. I want to condense and organize it enough to fit into a 2" binder. Only keep our absolute favorite recipes.

- My most shameful goal is to finish some LONG over due Thank You notes.

happy list // 02.19.13

1.abundant sunshine and an adorable sun hat 2.a pretty, free, printable, mini calendar 3.happy mail from the happy janssens! 4.the most epic pillow fort to-date :) 5.a family get-away to Fort Worth 6.knitting on the road, improvising when I realized I left my DPNs at home! 7.an adorable headband for little Bébé 8.a most enthralling show, watched with My Love (if you know me, my love for TV ends at Downton Abbey, so finding a show we both enjoy makes me HAPPY!

You can see all my past Happy Lists HERE

Curried Lentil, Sweet Potato, and Bacon Soup

Curried Lentil, Sweet Potato, and Bacon Soup

From the book: Keep It Seasonal by Annie Wayte

This hearty soup is a meal in itself. Use either green or brown lentils – they cook in more or less the same amount of time. You could also use red lentils, adding them 10 minutes after you have added the stock

Course: Soup

Prep Time: 10 Min
Cook Time: 45 Min
Total Time: 55 Min

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 strips thick-sliced bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (We always use more :)
• 1 large onion, finely diced
• 1 stalk celery, finely diced
• 1 small leek (white part only), finely diced
• 1 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large sweet potato, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 Cup green or brown lentils (Puy and French green lentils are my favorite.) 
• 1-2 Teaspoon curry powder, to taste
• 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh sage (I use dried, but don't measure.)
• 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh thyme (Dried as with the sage.)
• 9 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock
• 1/2 Cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
• 1/2 Cup chopped fresh organic cilantro

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Add bacon and saute until it is brown and crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside on paper towels.
2. Add onion and celery to the pan and saute gently for 10 minutes. If the pan gets too hot, add a splash of the stock and stir well.
3. Add leek, garlic, sweet potatoes, lentils, curry powder, sage and thyme. Sauté for another 5 minutes. Return bacon to pan and add stock.
4. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the vegetables and lentils are tender, approximately 30 minutes.
5. Add parsley and cilantro, stir well, and serve.
6. Add baby spinach if desired.

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