simple blog


A simple blog about seeking the Lord, savoring life and joyfully serving.


Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Grace For This Season


Hello everyone! We hope you are well. I have mentioned our family's endeavor which has kept us well occupied for the past several weeks. As a result I have not had time to devote to our family blog. I will disclose our family project next week but for now I know you understand that I will need all of my extra time to focus on my precious little ones. 


The purpose of this blog has been to chronicle our family's journey and leave my children with a piece of their mother. I have enjoyed the friendships with other mommy bloggers but I also have noticed a trend. Just like motherhood, blogging seems to evoke a sense of guilt. If we cannot get a post published I see mommas apologizing profusely. Explanations are nice but apologies are not nessecary when you have a family to raise. We all understand sick kiddos happen, laundry piles up, homework needs to be addressed and family projects take precedence. I hope you will receive grace during this blessed yet busy season.



I will continue to update this blog but my presence will be less prevelant as I focus my efforts and strength on my family and our undertaking. 
Joyful blessings to all of you.
Grace and peace,
Adoring Family 


Wednesday, May 13, 2015

Jalapeno Stuffed Squash Blossoms

Jalapeno Stuffed Squash Blossoms


Hi guys. I mentioned in this post how much our family loves squash blossoms and gave a link to Chef John's recipe. Check it out if you would like a more traditional version of squash blossoms. Today I wanted to include a Tex Mex version of my own invention. I hope you enjoy!


Jalapeno Stuffed Squash blossoms


Filling:
3/4 cup soft cream cheese at room
temperature
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 Tsp. Black Pepper
1/2 Tsp. Garlic Powder
1/2 Tsp. Paprika
1 Tsp. Salt
12 pickled jalapenos

Batter:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/4 Tsp. Baking Soda
1/2 Tsp. Black Pepper
1/2 Tsp. Paprika
1 Tsp. Salt
1/4 cup cold water
 
12 fresh squash blossoms
Olive oil for frying
1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
 
1.Mix all of the filling ingredients except jalapenos together in a bowl; stir until smooth. Spoon filling into a resealable plastic bag, squeeze out the air, and seal the bag. Cut a small corner off the bag.

2.Gently insert the cut corner of the bag all the way to the bottom of the open end of a blossom and pipe about 1 tablespoon of filling inside. Stuff a jalapeno in the center and cover with the petals covering filling completely.

3.Combine dry batter ingredients in a mixing bowl; slowly whisk in cold water until batter is smooth and resembles pancake batter.

4. Pour olive oil into a skillet and place over medium heat. A quick way to tell if the oil is ready for frying is by dipping the end of a wooden spoon in the oil. If bubbles form around it then the oil is ready.

5.Dust filled squash blossoms lightly with all-purpose flour on all sides. Dip blossoms in batter and let excess batter drip off.

6. Fry until golden brown and drain on a paper towel. Lightly dust with season salt while still warm. Cool and enjoy!

We hope you find this recipe tasy and thank you to my sweet friend Brooke who showed us how wonderful squash blossoms can be!

Grace and  peace,
Adoring Family
 

Friday, May 8, 2015

Five Friday Favorites



We hope you have had a wonderful week. Ours started off not so great with our little boy being sick but he is doing better now so we are all good!

 
1. One favorite this week is our garden! We have some beautiful fruits and veggies. Our zucchinis are already ready to eat :) Have I mentioned I love his time of year?
 





2. This is one of our favorite hens. Helen. She has been a mama so many times we have lost count. She is so sweet and always takes great care of her chicks. Press play to see her feeding her chicks.
 

3. Squash Blossoms
Here is a delicious recipe from Food Wishes. Chef John is an excellent presenter! Many of his recipes have graced our family table. We thoroughly enjoyed this one last night!


 
 
4. Fresh Mint Tea
I love grabbing a fistful of mint from our garden and brewing a refreshing kettle of mint tea. So refreshing and chock full of antioxidants and vitamins!
 
 
 
 5.
This boy's smile. So happy it is back. Thanking the Lord for His kindness in restoring his health this week!



Blessings to all of you this weekend!
Grace and peace,
Adoring Family
 

 

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Thursday, May 7, 2015

Adoring Simplicity

 
Hello everyone. Today I would like to share a video with you that has greatly inspired me. Our family has been on a journey of simplicity for a little over a year now. We are purging items in our life that do not promote joy or peace. It is an ongoing process and it has been interesting to see what this journey has morphed into. I cannot wait to share some of the further details as plans progress but for now, please enjoy this video.
 

 
Grace and peace, Adoring Family
 

Wednesday, May 6, 2015

Oil Cleansing: a Vibrant Facial Experience

I read about oil cleansing as a natural alternative to chemically laden facial cleansers several years ago. I couldn't imagine how slathering oil on your face could possibly result in clean, bright, clear skin but, after much research on anti aging products, I decided to delve into the world of oil cleansing.

The idea behind oil cleansing is actually a science, chemistry to be more specific. "Like dissolves like" is a phrase used by chemists to describe solubility.Oil will not dissolve in water because it is a non polar molecule while water is a polar molecule. The Oil Cleansing method is effective because the cleansing oil dissolves the "like" impurities, sebum-oil in the skin. Have you ever wrestled with a sticky substance only to rub a bit of oil on it and have it easily removed? Oil cleansing works the same way. Did I lose you? I hope not. I find if I understand the functionality of a method I will be more prone to adhere to it :)

I'm a nerd. And sometimes a little goofy. We all know this ;)

Now to find the perfect combination of oil. I prefer almond and castor oil. Almond oil is said to remove dark circles under the eyes (never have those, nope, not me). Avacodo oil is a favored option however, I read that it can worsen the appearance of dark circles. Coconut oil is commonly used but I found it to clog my pores although some tout claims that unrefined coconut oil is noncomedogenic. Just like anything, each woman's skin will be different and require different cleansing concoctions.

My favorite oil mixture is 1/2 castor oil and 1/2 almond oil. Castor oil is thicker, stickier and has excellent oil dissolving qualities while almond oil is lighter yet moisturizing.

The Ricinoleic acid in castor oil combats acne while the fatty acids present in castor oil deeply penetrate the skin for an intense moisturizing experience. The fatty acids also reduce the appearance of scars and stretch marks and encourage new skin cell production. 

Almond oil is rich in vitamins A, B and E. As I mentioned before, almond oil is known to reduce dark eye circles and diminish wrinkles. It is also a reduces redness and is anti inflammatory. Almond oil is a natural anti aging product as it contains high levels of vitamin A and E. 

When cleansing your skin, gently rub the oil mixture into your palm and massage the oil into your skin. Don't rush this process, gently take your time and do take care to press the oil into your skin in order to reap the moisturizing, cleansing and anti aging benefits. You want to massage the oil into your skin thoroughly and give it time to deeply penetrate. Put on some beautiful, peaceful music, brush your teeth, wash your hair, whatever you can do to let the oil seep into your skin for a few minutes. Then take a rag moistened with the hot water place it over your face for 15-30 seconds. Gently rinse the oil off using the wet cloth. Pay dry and enjoy a fresh night's sleep with your dewy skin. 

Three times a week I like to make a paste of olive oil and baking soda in my palm and gently rub this into my skin after I have applied the almond/castor oil moisture. This gently exfoliates and removes the oil. I simply rinse with warm water and enjoy the smooth, soft feeling of freshly exfoliated skin.

I enjoy this relaxing part of my evening routing and the luxurious feeling of the oils as they are massaged into my skin. I have noticed my skin is clearer, more even toned and more supple since I began the oil cleansing method. I am a believer!
Are you new to oil cleansing? Don't let it scare you :) Make it a part of your evening routine for a week or two and let me know how you like it!
Grace and Peace,
Adoring Family

Friday, May 1, 2015

5 Friday Favorites

Happy Friday to you!
These are five favorites from our family to yours...

1.
Disney Cruise Memories (full post coming soon).
2.
Our Wedding Arch
My Father-In-Law designed and constructed this arch for our wedding day. We said our vows under this arch and my husband brings it with us wherever we go!
3.
Homemade Spinach Dip

 Super easy and healthy.
Simply sauté a handful each of chopped carrots, celery and onion in olive oil and throw 2 cups of spinach on top until wilted. Mix in 1/2 a cup of Greek yogurt, 1/4 cup of mayo, 1 Tbsp. of garlic powder, 1 Tsp. paprika, salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy chilled after about an hour.
4.
My Rebounder.
Life has been insanely busy as I mentioned in my last post. Exercise is a priority in order to create a healthy balance of endorphins and stay fit but finding the time has been increasingly difficult. I have been leaving my mini-trampoline in the middle of our great room so I can periodically stop for 60 second bursts of sprinting as a short break at least eight times a day. These mini rebounding sessions help clear out toxins, increase stamina in other areas of life and strengthen the heart.  Check out this post to read more about the benefits of rebounding and how rebounding aids your body in removing toxins.
5.
Pura's Stainless Steel baby bottle.

We are very conscious about the products we use and I am not a fan of plastic. Glass bottles were my choice with my last baby but I did break a few. Our children use stainless steel tumblers to drink from on a daily basis so I thought, why not have my baby do the same? A quick search on Amazon brought up several great options. I like Pura because they are all stainless steel, even the collar which holds the silicone nipple. Here is a link . I ordered the monogram from Etsy.

Our memory verse for the week is Psalm 90:12
So teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

We hope you have enjoyed this week's 5 Friday Favorites. Have a lovely weekend.
Grace and peace,
Adoring Family