Day 1 : Why Brave?

                                                               Welcome to Day 1!

brave

    

adjective

1.

possessing or exhibiting courage or courageous endurance.

2.

making a fine appearance.

I am going to start off my 31 days of writing with a confession:  I was not planning on writing on the subject of  Brave.    For several weeks I was mentally gathering information to write about Edith Schaeffer.  Yup, 31 Days of Edith Schaeffer!  Safe, easy, and mostly words from the heart and mind of another. Not very brave. Monday afternoon I sat down with my eldest daughter so she could help me with my 31 Days button. When it came right down to it I just couldn't make an Edith button. I adore Mrs. Schaeffer's writing.  She inspires me every time I read about her life or pick up one of her books. I truly want women of a younger generation to know what I know about her. But it wasn't what I really desired on Monday afternoon. I was ready for the chance to make myself sit down and write about what has been burning in my heart. It was time to put down some words of my own again. I wanted to have a reason to escape the hectic pace of my wonderful life to reflect on what the Lord has taught me this year of stretching and opportunity. I was ready for a challenge.

So, yes, Brave....grammatically incorrect, I know. But it fits nicely on the blog button and perfectly where I am in my journey. The thoughts won't be as grand and glorious as those of the good Mrs. Schaeffer , but I hope you'll leave each day feeling encouraged in the Lord and ready to courageously embrace whatever circumstances He sends your way!      

31 Days of Brave

Unashamed

Welcome to 31 Days of Brave!   During the month of October bloggers everywhere will be joining Nester in her 31 day challenge to write daily on a single topic.  After a year of letting this little corner of the worldwide web sit unattended, I must say that I am thrilled to be back!  It's been an exciting and challenging year in many ways. As I have glanced over last year's posts I can truly say that I a braver woman is here typing today! I look forward to sharing some of the things I am learning about facing life with the fearless optimism that comes from being a daughter of the King.  

Each day I will be posting a link to the day's post here. Thanks for visiting!

  Day 1: Why Brave?

 Day 2:  The Foundation

 Day 3: Facing the Unknown

  Day 4: A Beautiful Paradox

 Day 5: Everyday Courage Quote

  Day 6:  Day 6: Be Still My Soul

 Day 7: The Brave Mom

 Day 8:Unashamed

 Day 9: Showing Up

   Day 10: Community

  Day 11: Friday Quote

  Day 12: No post...off to the mountains!

  Day 13: Speaking and Listening : A Quote

  Day 14: Fear vs. Privilege

  Day 15: God Hears

 Day 16: Pout it All Out

 Day 17: Givers

 Day 18: A Million Little Ways Quote

 Day 19: Container Box Houses

 Day 20: No post...taking care of a sickly one :(

 Day 21: The Perfect Prayer

 Day 22: Choose to Become Strong

 Day 23: The Brave Beauty of Less

 Day 24: Their Vision was Broad

 Day 25: Brave and Beautiful Protest

 Day 26: 

 Day 27: 

 Day 28: 

 Day 29: 

 Day 30: 

Day 31:

 

Gluten Free Basil Dip

This time of year is a great time for fresh basil from the garden.  The smell of  basil is one of my favorite summer aromas, especially when I know we are in for a light, tasty lunch treat!  Today we gathered a lovely bunch of our basil after working in the garden and made this quick dip in our blender:

1 bunch basil
2 cloves garlic ( also from the garden!)
1 cup Parmesan
1/4 cup olive oil
red pepper to taste ( optional)
lemon juice to taste (optional)

 Blend and enjoy with fresh veggies, chips, or spread on a rice cake or slice of fresh bread.

*It turns out we weren't the only ones out in the herb garden this morning.... The Lord is so kind to grant us little moments to enjoy His creation right here in the city! Isn't this little guy a beauty?!

I hope that each one of you, regardless of where the Lord has placed you, will enjoy the sights, sounds, and smells of His creation today !

Our Summer: May Trip to Amish Counrty

  Our summer began with a May trip to Amish country....just me and my girls! We watched the sunrise on the flight out, and watched it set on the flight home; the first ones at a smallish airport the morning we departed, the last ones to arrive " home" at the same airport a few days later!

                      Lots of fun lay-over time in much larger airports :)......always pants on airplanes...always! Just in case we have to slide down one of those exit chutes on the plane!! :)

Most of my memories are stored in my mind as I just can't bring myself to take photos in Amish country. This is a photo of "my" room at our Mennonite relative's house. I love the simplicity and beauty of this space. Among the most restful sights I look for each year is the  white farm houses the plain white curtains framing each window. They are so simple and lovely to me.  The green yards are tidy and uncluttered, the laundry on the line....I just feel at home ( well, except for the tidy yard part....still working on that a little, but it is my ideal!). 

 We enjoyed some corn hole with the relatives one evening.  My most memorable sight in the Amish country this year was on a  Sunday afternoon.  Two conservative Mennonite couples, both young with little babies, were in their side yard as we drove by.  The bearded men laughing and playing corn hole, and the ladies, in those lovely pastel print dresses, bouncing babies as they sat in woven lawn chairs. Their eager visiting reminded me of how I feel when I am visiting with my "mom friends".  Where ever I went I loved the sight of rosy cheeks and simple hair and dress on the ladies, especially among the conservative Mennonites. Something to take back to my normal life for sure!

 Our drives took us to a petting farm this year, and of course, we visited our favorite bulk food pantry. ( I actually had to get the grand "pat down" at the airport because I brought back several containers of arrow root powder in my suitcase!  EEK! Not sure why I thought I could carry a white powder on an airplane these days! But, everyone was super nice about it and I got to give a good talk about food allergies and arrowroot powder  to a captive audience of security officers while we were waiting for the "test" on the "white powder" to get done!)

 I love seeing the different ways the Amish and Mennonite support themselves and employ their children. Ice cream stands, bulk food stores, thrift food stores, roadside stands, pies ( oh, the pies!!!!), sewing....I find busy , creative people so inspiring. Especially when their families are by their side!

 I also had the privilege of visiting my 100 year old birth-grandmother! I love this lady! We poured over a photo album that encompassed the entire century she has lived and what a blessing to be part of her story!

Our time of rest ended before we knew it, but as always we returned refreshed to the boys we missed so much! A pleasant start to the summer!

The Omelet: It's What's for Dinner!!

Several weeks ago I did a post about how beans can provide a wonderful and inexpensive allergy-free meal, especially when you are feeding a large family. Eggs are another "secret weapon" in the war against high priced, nutrient-empty meals for the allergy crowd (assuming that you are not dealing with an egg allergy, of course!).

Omelets are a weekly event at our house.  It is the one night that children are allowed to customize their meal according to their preferences.That is a big deal around here...and let me tell you, creativity abounds!!! Here are some of the toppings we keep on hand so that omelet night is never boring:

fresh peppers ( green, red, yellow,orange)
green onions
bacon bits
diced ham
spinach
diced fresh tomatoes
Rotel canned tomatoes ( mild, regular, or HOT)
black beans
cilantro
chives
rosemary
Cajun seasoning ( McCormick brand is gluten free)
cheddar cheese
American cheese
Swiss cheese
salt and pepper
...and whatever else we happen to find in the kitchen...the options are limitless!

If you have your own chickens and your own garden with fresh herbs, greens, peppers, and tomatoes, omelets can be the ultimate fresh and economical meal during the summer months!  And don't forget about quiche as another egg option. Milk substitutes work very well in quiche if you are needing to avoid dairy. A crust-less quiche is a great gluten-free option.

You may be interested in reading here  and here about some of the health benefits of eggs.  Pleasant Eating!

Pleasantburg: All is Well ( ...but I haven't had much time to blog !)

 It is true! Pleasantburg Blog has not been abandoned!  Thanks for all concern and inquiries about the lack of regular posts recently. Life is just quite full at the moment and my brain has lacked the necessary space for quality writing.  I am realizing that lack of brain space seems to come with multiple teenagers in the home, especially during the "approaching graduation" phase.  So many decisions to make, so many things to explore, so many places to visit and research, so much to pray about! This is the first of several upcoming years like this for our family, so pray for us :). And with young ones in the mix as well, the task of making sure all are attended to and loved on is often all-consuming.  Each morning I come to the Lord and asked to be filled up, and during the day I pour it all out.  Not a bad way to live, not at all :). Hopefully the summer will provide more time to share  posts with you on a regular basis ( I do miss the chance to think complete thoughts on a single topic...blogging is so good for that!). In the mean time, feel free to subscribe via email or RSS feed so that you can be notified when I do manage to put up a post :). 

 Here is a song that has been running in my mind during these busy days, reminding me of why I do what I do and why I must make the choices I do. It's old, and I've probably posted it before because it is one of my "life songs", but I hope it will encourage you as you work on your legacy in the midst of your daily life! 

Allergy Free Cooking on a Budget: Beans!

People often comment that feeding a large family with food allergies must be very expensive.  It certainly can be! But I have also found that there is a learning curve as far as balancing food limitations, good nutrition, and the family  food budget. To put it simply, at first just do what you have to do "get by" while you get everything figured out. Use mixes, buy ready made food that you know is acceptable....after all, you are probably spending all your free time reading and learning about your new lifestyle!  But know that this phase will not last forever! Gradually move on to making more and more things by scratch. 

Using simple ingredients, fresh food, and great spices will go a long way in providing healthy, tasty, and affordable meals. One of my favorite reasons to stick to fresh ingredients is that there are no labels to read!  (Can I please hear a hallelujah and four amens?!) Until you get your feet on the ground in dealing with all the dietary changes, keep dinner simple: a meat, rice , and veggies. And don't forget beans....

Since I am currently feeding a husband who does hard, physical labor, three active teens, and two growing youngsters, we need affordable,  filling food in large quantities. More and more we are turning to beans as either a main or side dish. Nearly every night I am soaking  beans or cooking beans in the crock pot.  They freeze well and can be pulled out and quickly defrosted to put in bean dishes as needed ( ...very important when dealing with allergies! Going out to eat is generally not even an option, so use your freezer to stay ahead in the meal preparation game!). Here is how I prepare red beans:

Soak one package overnight. Rinse beans the next morning.
Place in crock pot with water and a bit of ham, sausage, or left over pork chops.
Add a few tsp. of salt and pepper, 4 cloves garlic, and 2 cans tomato sauce.
Cover with water and cook on low for 12 hours. If I need them for dinner I will cook them 6 hours on high, and then on low until dinner time.

These are delicious for dinner served onto of rice, but they also are great in the following dish:

Cajun Beans
1 package all natural chicken and garlic sausage ( I use Applegate brand), cut into bite sized pieces
red beans (several cups as prepares above or several cans if you can find some without preservatives)
1-2 cans crushed tomatoes with green chills ( I use Rotel brand)
1 onion, chopped
Cajun seasoning as desired ( I use McCormick)

Cook on low in crock pot for 8 hours for a wonderful, affordable, healthy allergy-free meal! This can be served over rice, or with roasted potatoes and carrots as pictured above. Enjoy!