Spaghetti Limone

When I was in NYC visiting my brother he took me to Lil' Frankie's  in East Village. I had the best Italian food I have ever had there! If your ever in NYC you have to go there. I  had fresh arugula salad; simple and fantastic, Mozzerella di Bufala, and Pizza.  One of my favorite things was Spaghetti Limone..  So today I did a Pintrest search and found a recipe. That I altered slightly. I got the recipe from Smitten Kitchen.

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Spaghetti Limone
1 lb dry spaghetti
salt
3 lemons
1/8 cup olive oil
1/8 cup butter, no substitute.
1/2 cup Parmesan
pepper
handful of basil, arugula or spinach

Cook linguine or spaghetti in well-salted water to your al dente tastes in a large, wide-bottomed pot. (You’ll have fewer dishes to wash if you use this pot to assemble the dish as well.)
While pasta is cooking, zest lemons until you have a little shy of a tablespoon of zest. Juice lemons — you’ll have anywhere from 1/3 to 1/2 cup lemon juice.
Drain pasta, reserving 1 1/2 cups of pasta cooking water. Dry out your pot, then boil the olive oil, butter, cream, zest and 1 cup of the reserved pasta water together for two minutes over high heat. Return pasta to pot and stir until coated. Add the cheese and 1/4 cup lemon juice and toss, toss, toss everything together. Add more pasta water, 1/4 cup at a time, if you’d like your dish a little looser. Quickly taste a strand of pasta and see if you want to add the remaining lemon juice (we did). Stir in basil or arugula and season generously with salt and pepper.
Serve immediately, drizzling individual portions with a bit of extra olive oil and sprinkling with extra Parmesan. cheese.

Small Packages of Love

This was a bible study that I have no idea where I went to it or who taught it but I have kept if for lots of years. And thought it might bless someone else.

1. The Lord is my God. I love Him with all my heart, with all my soul and with all my might. Deut. 6:4,5
Affirm your love for God

2. Teach your children diligently  Deut. 6:7, Prov. 8 and 9
-Affirm your love for your children.
a. Talk with them
b. Meaningful Touch- affirming love- Jesus modeled this
c. Value them
Be their primary source of self-esteem,  Don't ask why questions, Don't beg your kid to do something , negotiate with them
d. Paint a Picture
Observe their strengths
Imagine a hopeful future


3. Beware of over activity-------
Eliminate and concentrate


4. Soft-side love vs. Hard-side love
Discipline- be consistent.  Know they are accountable to the Lord
Punishment


5. Paint of Bright future of them


Successful parenting means-
a. becoming what you should be
b.  staying close enough for it to rub off
c. have things that are always the same- Go to church, school schedule, etc...

Activities for Fun with your Children
Kids Love:
A. To Plan- "design your summer days"
ask your family what they would like to do

(1) "Fun Festival" for the neighborhood
walk a relay race
lemonade stand
popcorn
face, hand, foot, fingernail painting booth
peanut scramble
bobbing for apples
panning for "gold" in sandbox
water balloon target
obstacle course
group games
chocolate pudding pie-eating contest
slowest bike race

(2) Little Girls "Tea Party"
dress up in mom's old clothes
given new names- beauty marks
tell a story
cookies and milk
boys be the waiters

(3) Children's "Garage Sale"
Trade or sell old toys, books, records

(4) Pet Show
gather their favorite stuffed animals together
make ribbons from construction paper
Mom helps judge different categories and award prizes
Barbi Dolls or trucks in a line

(5) Friend Day
each member chooses one friend a week to spend a day


(6) Parties
cookie decorating
make your own pizza
make your own sundae
Saturday Night Family (pizza, hide and seek, blindman's bluff, video)

(7) Camping Trip
roasting hot dogs and marshmellows
backyard
living room

(8) Neighborhood Car/Bike Wash

(9) Neighborhood Newspaper
collect favorite poems, jokes, believe-it-or-not
report on vacations
mystery neighbor
polls on best restaurant, best movie, TV show, best sport, best laugh, best tan
develop a windwood court cheer
Ann Launders question and answers
"did you know?" - information from grandparents on the neighborhood parents

(10) Visit (these are Wichita Kansas locations)
Dad at work
Jabara Airport
a pet store (The Fish Pond)
Lake Afton Observatory
Hutchinson's Omnisphere
Emporium
Clock Shop in Town West Square
The downtown library- by bus
A bookstore with "X" amount to spend
The country to pick some wheat
The river- take a pocketful of stones to throw
The paddle boats at Watson Park

B. Variety
(1) Meals
eat under the table
change chairs
feed each other
blindman's lunch
chopsticks meal
silent supper
whisper meal
singing meal
($.25 for no mistakes; $.05 deducted for each blooper; code; please- 1 clink on glass; thank you- 2 slaps on table)
candlelight meal
fingers-no utensils
using big utensils
parents only-kids to bed early

(2) Breakfast
out with Dad alone
in bed
outside

(3) Picnic
in a new park
with the neighbors
bring a lunch to give to someone else

(4) Each child plans, shops for and makes a meal
calculator to add up the bill

(5) Backwards Day
dress
meals

(6) Change Bedrooms for a Night

(7) Walks
choose a color and see how many things you can find
God-created/ Man-created
queit walks (talk about what you saw and heard when you get home)
texture walks (gather rough/smooth items)
collage items found on walks on a brown paper sack- examine with a magnifying glass

(8) Change your name for a Day
beauty mark for each blooper

C. To Be Home
(1) Re-arrange the furniture- bedrooms
(2) Marble hunt
(3) Build "junk creations"
(4) Meaningful touch times
back  and foot rubs
wrestling
tickle party
weigh and measure each other
(5) Keep personal diary- "I remember the summer of "2011"
(6) TV Newscaster
on tape recorder
things that happened this week
weather forcast
(7) Take lots of pictures
(8) Animal Hunt- hide stuffed animals around the house at night- look for them with a flashlight
(9) "Role" Chest
filled with old clothes, purses, hats
(10) Read a favorite story backwards or make up your own silly version
(11) Teach them to enjoy being alone
quiet hour every afternoon
(12) take a night walk
lay together and look at the stars

Play Dough
1 cup flour
1 cup water
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. baby oil
food coloring

Stir and cook for 3 minutes over medium heat until it forms a ball. Knead for a few minutes.

Bubbles
Fill a clean plastic container with 1 quart of warm water; mix 8 Tbsp. dish detergent and 6-8 Tbsp. glycerine; shake and pour into pans;
Tools: tape a group of straws together or coffee cans together or 2-liter pop bottle with end removed.

Rainbow Crayon Block
Save all bits and pieces of old wax crayons; remove paper; heavily grease a muffin pan and put 7-10 pieces of assorted color crayons in each cup. Bake at 275 degrees X 10-15 minutes or till just melted; cool and remove with knife.

Energy Cubes
1 Pt. Plain yogurt
6 oz. frozen orange juice
1 tsp. vanilla
honey, if necessary
Blenderize and freeze in Popsicle cups; may use other juices but don't add the vanilla


D.To be Outside
(1) Water
paint the house, fence, or sidewalk with bucket of water and old paintbrused
dishpan of soapy water- sponges, sieve, funnel, old spoons and cups
(2) Sidewalk Art Show
colored chalk
hopscotch
(3)Pudding Painting
with fingers
mix instant pudding
shelf or waxed paper
(4) Neighborhood Map
streets, mailbox, trees
(5) Make a TePee with 3 long Poles
lash tie at top and cover with sheet
(6) Croquet/golf from one object to another
fencepost to tree
(7) Scavenger Hunt
2 teams- 30 min. time limit
berry, 3 kinds of leaves, something blue, pure white rock, aluminum can, feather, something that floats, something square, seed, piece of tree bark, 2 kinds of grass, name a tree you see, something round, pine cone, red flower petal, clover leaf, bird feather

 E. Surprises and Secrets
1. "Someone Special is Coming to Dinner"
Bathe, clean clothes and hide in rooms,
prepare their favorite dinner, candy and flowers
make "name crowns"
call them when "the company is here"
treat them like royalty for evening
2. Love Notes
to praise, encourage, or remind
3. "Secret Word" Day
All laugh when a designated word is said i.e., day, hot, what
4. Hide Little Treasures
in sand box
around house
yard
5. "Nickel Jar"
owe a nickel to the one who picks up after you

F.Being in the Car
1. Map of your town or vacation route
2. Jr. Trivia
3. Color Cars
each person chooses a color and counts the number of that colored car
color bugs (VW's) i.e., "red bug"
4. Wet Ones
silly putty
packing bubbles
Frisbee, balls and skipping rope in car
5. Spoonerisms
reverse beginning consonants of two words which belong together
i.e.  "dot hogs" - "hot dogs"
sand box,  bow tie, finger nail, side walk, mail man, tea pot, front steps, garage door, ear drum
6. Make up Stories
the cow who wouldn't moo... the day it rained up...
7. How would you describe?
a cabbage patch
darth vader
a rainbow
8. Dictionary
choose an uncommon word- guess the definition
9. Name that Tune
Christmas Carols or nursery rhymes
10. What if?
summer vacation came in winter
tires were square
raindrops were colored
all adults disappeared
candy tasted like vegetables
11. How Would You Feel if?
You were a car
an air balloon
a pizza
a fish
a flag
12. Name a job or profession that starts with the letters of the alphabet.
I'm going to Grandma's house. What are you going to take? I'm going to take Apricot. I'm going to take an Apricot and a Baseball...
"Clap-it-back" rhythms
Stop the car and read  when arguments occur, until they have settled.
G. Spiritual Vitality
1. V.B.S.
2. 5-day club
 neighborhood outreach
3. Take Time to Read the Bible
while eating breakfasgt
your example
4. Choose a Verse to Memorize
one person says the first word of verse and then continues around saying next word till verse is completed then put the verse to music
5. Sing Grace- Tune of Frere Jacque
"God our Father"
Once Again
We have come to Thank you
Amen.

Yummy Healthy Crackers

 I first discovered Mary's Gone Crackers about a year ago through a promotion that sent out free samples. I thought they were delicious but was going through a really rough time with the food budget and knew there was no way I could possibly afford them.
Since moving and the start of my new life one of the changes has included getting help with food and God has blessed me adundantly. Now I can afford healthy food for the children and I. I have found a wonderful local grocery that carries the weirdest assortment of foods. From the ultra healthy to the terribly not.   But I am happy to say they are carrying Mary's Gone Crackers. I had some today for lunch and dipped them into Hummus. DELICIOUS!  I highly recommend you try them. They are made with brown rice, quinoa (which if you have read my blog you know I love), flax seeds and sesame seeds.
Such a tasty difference from the dead lifeless crackers that are offered on store shelves today.

Strawberry Angelfood Cake

This was delicious. I do admit that I bought a angel food cake at Walmart. But I made the cream homemade and healthy with stevia. 
YUMMO!

I have been gone for too long...

I am sorry my blog has been so neglected. I have had HUGE changes in my life and didn't have internet until last week.  I am now a single momma taking care of 7 of my children. My life is like spring a fresh new start.  I still love crafting, photography and such but I will not be homeschooling anymore. God has provided excellent schools for my children for the fall. 
My goal is to post here at least once a week again. Loving trying new recipes lately.

Chicken BLT Pasta

I was sick of the same old same old meals day in and day out. So I did a search on Tasty Kitchen
Stumbled on one of my favorite people there and found this wonderful recipe.
Chicken BLT Pasta.

 

I had stirred it at this point so it doesn't look quite as great as HowSweetEats. Also while I loved the flavor as is. My family likes more flavor so we added light Italian dressing. I also put a lot more pasta in to make sure everyone gets full in my family.  It was a big hit at our house. 

My New Me, Healthy Me

5 weeks ago I decided it's time. Once and for all I am going to get the remainder of my weight off since I had Prairie Princess. *It was 2 years ago*  I was struggling because the health of our food has declined in the last 6 mths to 12 mths when my husband had a huge job change and I had to purchase less healthy foods because I just can't afford the good stuff anymore.  And just couldn't get motivated. I've been able to stay the same weight for the last 2 years but just haven't been able to get it off. Thanks to my friend Coach Patti She was currently using the program as well as her dd and helped me find one for a great price. She has since become a Coach and I highly recommend her for any help you need at beach body.

So I am counting calories because I can't just eat healthy food. But the most important element is I am now working out faithfully 6 days a week. The first month I only did 5 days a week.

The biggest tool in my arsenal  is Chalean Extreme. 

 

There are several things I love about this plan. There are 16 different workouts on the plan.
The first month you do 3 days strength training and 2 days of cardio. Plus 1 day you do Stretching after you do your cardio and 1 day with Ab work.  Then the second month you do different strength training that will PUSH you to workout differently and harder. Then the third month another set of strength training. I LOVE that I am doing a totally different challenging workout 5 days a week. It is NOT boring. And when you get strong enough to take it to the next level. There is another level to acheive. I plan to do this workout for at least 6 months or more.

You can use free weights or bands as shown in this photo. The strength training is different than most. Usually your doing tons of reps but her you life the weight slowly and you actually get much more out of the workout with only 10 to 12 reps of each exercise. The cardio is intense! I am slowly getting stronger. Doing a little heavier weights using the resistance band for thigh workouts. 


Another tool in my weight-loss journey is Acct. I am currently in a group on Facebook. God's Temple Acct. If your interested please email me. And I am a member at Beachbody.com. The most amazing thing at beach body is if you own their exercise workouts you can plug in what you have and what workouts you want to do and the program can create a workout calendar for you. One of the things I have struggled with is having to make a decision daily what workout to do. And they do it for you. How great is that.

Putting my health first is best for my family. I can serve them better when I am healthy strong and fit.

What are YOU going to do to change your life for the better. YOU are GOD's TEMPLE treat it accordingly!

Lunar Eclipse December 21st, 2010

I stayed up all night and it was worth it! (if you want to see it bigger go to my studio blog)

Greek Lemon Potatoes

Greek Lemon Potatoes

10 large potatoes, cut into wedges (In the photo they are cut different for faster cooking, see * Note.)

1/2 c. olive oil

1/2 c. lemon juice (fresh squeezed is best)

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 c. water

2 Tbsp. dried parsley

2 tsp. sea salt

ground pepper to taste

Preheat over to 400 degrees.

Mix all ingredients, except potatoes, in a 9 x 13 baking dish with a wire whisk until well combined. Throw in the potatoes and toss until they are well coated in the oil mixture.

Place in hot oven and bake 1 1/2 hours, toss frequently, until the potatoes are soft and lightly browned.

*Note-when I'm in a hurry I cut the potatoes in bite sized pieces and put them into the pressure cooker with the oil mixture. Then I pressure cook at 2nd pressure for 5 minutes.  They do taste better baked.

These are great with Fried Feta and Gyros. 

You can Keep your Pumpkin Pie... I've gone to better things...

I have found a new tradition for our thanksgiving!  Delicious and easy to make...

French Silk Pie

1 c. sugar
3 sqs. (3 oz.) unsweetened chocolate, melted & cooled
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 (9 inch) baked pastry shell
Chocolate curls (optional)
3/4 c. butter
3 eggs
Unsweetened whipped cream (optional)

In a small mixer bowl, cream sugar and butter about 4 minutes or until fluffy. Stir in cooled chocolate and vanilla. Add eggs, one at a time, beating on medium speed after each addition and scraping sides of bowl constantly. Turn into baked pastry shell. Chill several hours or until set. Garnish with whipped cream and chocolate curls, if desired. Cover and chill. Makes 10 servings.

Note: I choose a graham cracker crust for mine.





For a sugar free pie I substituted the sugar with 1 to 2 tsp. of stevia powder *different brands have different sweetness*  and I used a super thin flour pie crust. Delicious!

Welcome Fall!

 

 

Apple Butter in the Crockpot

Apple Butter in the Crockpot.

16 cups of cubed apples (they can be large)
2 cups apple cider, apple juice or water.

Cook in Crockpot for 10 hours on low.  I do this the night before and it is ready in the morning.
I use a blender stick straight into the crockpot. Add 2 cups sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cloves.  Blend in apples. Cook in crockpot 1 hour on low. Then you are done. Just try not to eat it all! :)

Sugar Free Version
1 1/2 to 2 Teaspoons Stevia instead of sugar.

I got 2 qts. from the Stevia sweetened and 3 qts. from the sugar sweetened.

Sugar Free (Stevia) Iced Chocolate Drink

 

This is so simple. But so delicious. This is my hot chocolate recipe. Summer edition.

8 oz milk

3 Tablespoons Baking Cocoa

sprinkle of Salt

2 packages Stevia

Splash Vanilla Extract

Blend together in a hand blender until cocoa is thoroughly blended in. Heat in the microwave (1 m. 40 S. on my 1300 watt)  or on the stove-top until very warm. *This is important to heat it because it makes it very creamy. Then add tons and tons of ice. This would ROCK with Sonic ice! But I'm in the middle of no where. So I use a whole tray of ice-cubes. 

My Granny is In Glory

You lived an amazing life and were very loved. You will be missed. But we won't wish you back because you are finally home with our Lord!

Loving Granny Before she Goes to Glory

I got to spend several hours with Granny today. Mostly just holding her hand.  I gave mom the choice of taking a nap or spending time with grandchildren and she chose children. :) Sometimes it helps to see life at a different stage of life. Especially adorable 1 1/2 year stage! LOL

Granny was pretty much unresponsive the whole time I was there. J...ust moaned a lot. At one time when my dd 9 was hugging her she said why are you here. And I told her to love on my Granny then she drifted off to sleep. My little guys 3 and 6 first just came and sat in my lap. They were asked if they wanted to watch the movie they were watching, and they said no we want to stay with Granny. Then slowly they got brave and said HI Granny! Then they would run down the hall to watch some more movie. Only to come back a little later and say HI Granny, this is _____ and a few I love you's thrown in! My 6 year old son came at one point and said if Granny dies tomorrow she's going to be dancing with Jesus! And I will get to see her and Grandad again in heaven.

But before I left I hugged and kissed her and told her I loved her and she said I love you too! Which was a gift I will always treasure!