Cheeseballs!

Keane and Gracie LOVE cheeseballs. They are their favorite snack. They would eat them all day long if I let them. They get totally covered in cheese and love every minute of it. I love to give them to them in the snack trap. I love the snack trap. It is one of the best inventions for toddlers! If you don't have one you should try to get one (if you live overseas I realize that is hard!). What snacks do your children love? I am always looking for good snack ideas.

What's in a name?

Months ago, when Keane and Gracie were starting to say sounds and recognize different things and people, they would say something that resembled mama. I am not sure if that is what it actually was but I loved it. It made me feel so special and loved when they said it, even just to think that they were actually beginning to realize that I was their mama. Since then, in the past few months, they had stopped saying anything that resembled ‘mama’ in fact they were actually calling me ‘daddy’. They were calling their daddy, ‘daddy’ and they were sometimes calling me ‘daddy’. I didn’t get upset at this thinking that they were doing it on purpose or anything or thinking that they really didn’t know who I was or anything but until that point (where they stopped referring to me as anything resembling ‘mama’) I really didn’t understand how badly I longed for my children to say my name. To acknowledge me as who I am: their ‘mama’. It was hard for me to understand how they couldn’t get it. I mean they were pointing to dogs and calling them ‘dog’ and they would point to daddy and say ‘daddy’, juice and say ‘juice’, ball and say ‘ball’. I wanted them to hear them say ‘mama’ so badly. I never thought I would feel this way. I never knew that having my children call me by “my name” would mean so much or be so special but I certainly realized it when they weren’t saying it.

One day I was looking at Keane when he was calling me ‘daddy’ and saying, “say mommy” and he said ‘daddy’ and I would say, “say mommy” and he said, ‘daddy’. It was in that moment that I realized it and it impacted me in a way I never imagined: this happens to God ALL the time. He desires for people to know Him, to call Him by His name, to call on Him and He looks at them and says, “say God”, “say Father”, “say Lord” and people look back at him and say “Buddha”, “Vishnu”, “Shiva”, “I don’t believe in God”, “material things”, “wealth”, “prosperity”, etc. They look God in the face and call Him something He is not. They don’t call Him by His name. They simply don’t call on Him. God desires for His children to know Him. He has created that way so that people (all people, 2 Peter 3:9) can know Him and call Him “Father”.

Just the other day, I was holding Gracie and she looked up at me and in the sweetest little voice she said, “mama”. I cannot tell you what a sweet, sweet sound it was. I still don’t really understand why it is that special to me or why it means that much but all I can say is that it does. Every time she says it, it touches a place deep down in my heart and makes me smile. I imagine that when we, whom God sent His only Son to die for, finally look up at Him and call on Him and say, “God”, “Father”, “Lord” that it is one of the sweetest sounds He could ever hear. Now Gracie says, “mama” all the time and I must tell you that I still love it SO much. Keane also says it some but not as much yet as Gracie. Each time they say it, it melts my heart and makes me want to stop what I am doing and look at them and see what it is that they need or want. It also is a HUGE reminder of all of the people who don’t call on the name of the Lord and how much hurt that must cause Him. People that He loves so much who call on the names of other gods or things. We must tell them about the God who loves them so much and who longs to know them, to have a relationship with them to hear them say, “Abba, Father, my God!”
(Psalm 34:3, Joel 2:32, John 20:30-31, Acts 4:12, Romans 10:13, Philippians 2:9-11)

Toddler Food

If you are anything like me, finding good, quick, healthy meal options for your toddler aged children is really hard. I find it especially hard living overseas where pre-prepared food and fast food (although not the healthiest) is not even an option. Keane and Gracie actually eat dinner before Ryan and do and then we put them down around 7 pm and we eat after they go to bed. So that poses another problem because I often don't have dinner completely prepared before they go to bed.

When we first returned I would make a lot of mashed potatoes, beans and vegetables and keep them in the refrigerator but often the food would go bad before I was able to use it all. Anyway, I was looking and looking for ideas for what to do to always have good, healthy food on hand for them in a way that was convenient to prepare and wouldn't go bad. I don't remember where I read it but I read about putting food into muffin tins and freezing them so that they are good sized portions for toddlers and then popping them out of the tins when they were frozen and storing them in Ziploc bags until they were needed. So, that is what I have been doing and it is WONDERFUL! Whenever I need a quick and healthy lunch or dinner I just pop a few cubes in the microwave and a hot, healthy meal is ready within minutes (often we don't have electricity and the cubes warm up fine in a sauce pan too). I have put spaghetti and meat sauce into the cubes, chicken pot pie filling, Shepperd's pie, apple sauce, vegetables and mashed potatoes. Often I take left-overs from Ryan and my dinner and put them into the cubes. It really cuts down on waste and I always have food on hand for them. I am SO thankful I found out about this idea. Hope it helps some of you!

Do you have other ideas for quick and easy toddler food that is not pre-packaged or pre-prepared? I would love to hear them!

Spaghetti and meat sauce

Chicken pot pie

A hot, healthy meal within minutes and 2 happy kids!!!

When I finally stop and listen...

Balancing life wearing so many different hats (wife, mom, disciple of Christ, language learner, cook, English teacher, emailer, etc, etc) is often overwhelming. Trying to make sure that I am being intentional with my time and giving 110% to whatever I am doing at the moment is often hard. During the "down-time" of the day, I find that it is hard for me to relax and just be content to sit and enjoy the quietness or the stillness. However, yesterday I had such a unique and special time with the Lord in my community where I actually stopped long enough to really hear from Him...

I teach English on Tuesday and Friday mornings to a few Tibetan woman. Yesterday, I went to my class at our usual time, and the restaurant where I teach these women was closed. So I had to cancel class for the day. I called Ryan (who was home with the kids) and told him the situation and told him that I was going to take some time and just sit at the stupa (the Tibetan Buddhist temple by my home) and pray and listen and talk to some people there. He of course was fine with that and so supportive as usual. I spend a lot of time at the stupa, but most of the time I have a specific purpose or reason to be there. Yesterday, I decided to just sit on the steps of a big Buddhist monastery for a while. At the stupa (it is circular) people walk around and around it and believe that each time they circle the temple they are earning good karma (or merit) for the next life. Because I had time to just sit, pray, watch and listen for the first time in a while, all of it was overwhelming. I began to tear up,and my heart was just so broken as I sat and watched these people that I love, that God loves even more, putting all of their faith and hope into idols made by human hands carved from stone, gold, wood and clay. I saw little old women, so old it was hard for them to walk,bowing down to these idols. I saw teenagers come and get 'blessings' from the Buddhist and Hindu spiritual leaders. I saw people pay respect to and honor a bell made of silver. I saw people give money to monks and nuns so that the monks and nuns would pray for them. I heard horns blaring from monasteries in worship to false gods. I heard monks chanting mantras (many of which they don't even understand). I saw children begging, and I could just go on and on.

Throughout my time, as I watched and prayed, God was revealing things to me and bringing many Scriptures to mind. I just had to pull out a pen and a paper and start writing. Here is a little of what I wrote yesterday:

God, it all seems so hopeless. It seems like it is a never ending cycle. People turn to idols, and then they turn their backs on you. People don't seek truth (Romans 3:11, Jeremiah 29:12-13). They do what makes them feel happy, what they think is right (Proverbs 16). I know that it is not all hopeless. I know that you can bring salvation to these people. That you can tear down their walls, their barriers, their blindness, the things that keep them from knowing you. I know you can do it, and I ask that you PLEASE do it! I can see now (or at least understand a little bit more) why you sent the flood and why you had to destroy your creation at that time. Thank you for speaking to Noah and his family and for saving them from the flood. Thank you that you have provided a way for us to be saved from sin and your wrath (Romans 3:23, Romans 10:9, 1 John 1:9). I know that one day you are going to come again and judge the world. I know that those that don't know you will be eternally separated from you (John 14:6). I know that that breaks your heart so much more than it breaks mine. You love these people more than I ever could. So much so, that you sent your One and Only Son to die for them and for me (John 3:16). You are SO patient and long suffering. Your Word tells us that one day you will return, and I believe that with my whole heart (Matthew 24:36-44). I know you are waiting to return because those that you desire to hear about you haven't yet (Revelation 7:9), because you desire the ones who are here on the earth NOW to know you. It is your desire that no one perish but that ALL PEOPLE come to repentance and come to KNOW you (2 Peter 3:9). I know it must break your heart and make you so sad that so many people around the world, including most of the Tibetan Buddhist people I am looking at now, don't know you. I know you love them. Thank you for loving them. I know that these people aren't going to come to you unless they hear about you and unless we tell them (Romans 10:14, Matthew 28:18-20). I want to tell them about you. I want them to know you, to understand all they can about you, to love you. I want their lives to be transformed and for your name to be famous throughout the Himalayan mountains of Nepal.

God, help me to love the people here (and around the world) as you do. Help me in my language abilities. Open my eyes, my mind, my ears to the ways and places you are working here. I love you and am SO thankful for my salvation. I want to spend my life serving you!

I just wanted to encourage you (and me) today, to share our love for the Lord and His love for all people with those around us today wherever we are. We don't know what tomorrow holds, but we do know that God desires that ALL people would know Him. We have an important role in that, and we are to be the mouthpiece to share the Truth about God and who He is and the relationship He desires with all people. What an awesome privilege that is!

Chicken Panini Recipe

After my last post on Meal Planning, one of my friends asked for the Chicken Panini recipe. Well, I don't really have a recipe but I made them the other night for dinner and they were delicious so I will try and explain them below:

Chicken Breast sliced long and thin
Spinach
Tomatoes
Your favorite cheese
Honey mustard dressing
A good, fresh bread

I grilled the chicken and used a little chicken seasoning, salt and pepper. Then I sauteed the spinach with onion, garlic and salt and pepper. Then I made the light honey mustard (light mayo, yellow mustard, honey, vinegar, salt and pepper). I then got out my grill pan (since I don't have a panini maker) and I brushed honey mustard on a bread slice and laid it in the grill pan. I then added the tomato, spinach, chicken and cheese. I then brushed honey mustard on the second piece of bread and then topped the sandwich with it. I used a plate and a large heavy bowl to put pressure on the sandwiches as they grilled so they could "smoosh" together in a more panini style. I served them with baked french fries on the side and they were hot and delicious! Enjoy!

Meal Planning

We have been back in Nepal for almost 4 months now. These past 4 months have been so busy and every week I have told myself that I need to sit down and create a weekly/monthly meal plan/schedule because if you are anything like me, each morning you are trying to figure out what you have in the fridge and what you can get at the market in order to create a good dinner for your family. Living like this (especially in Nepal and other countries where there is no option for fast food or delivery or microwave meals or frozen pizza, etc) is stressful and time consuming.

So, I finally did it!!!!

I finally sat down and planned out dinners for the next three weeks. Everything we make here has to be made from scratch (thankfully we can get canned spaghetti sauce, canned beans, and have now even started getting a few frozen items such as french fries and tater tots and things like that most of the time) so these menu ideas are all things that can be made without many imported items. Also, a complete grocery list is not included here. Here in Nepal we have a few grocery stores where I do the bulk of my shopping and then we have small markets/shops that sell fresh vegetables, fruits, flour, sugar, butter, bread, salt, etc. everywhere. So my market lists are not grocery lists...they are simply a list of what I need from my local market each day. If you don't live near a market you could total up the vegetables you need each week and just buy them in one day and use them all week but because my little market is just 100 meters from my house I like to buy them each day.

So far (these past 2 days) having this planned out has made life so much simpler. It is one less thing I have to think about each day and it is so good to know that I have what I need in my fridge (except for my market items) for at least a weeks worth of meals...that means no last minute running to the grocery store and that means less time and less spending money on little things I find here and there. I would love to hear what you do each week for meal planning. I would love some meal ideas and always love to hear ways to make life easier.

September 2009
Monday 7: BLT and Tater Tots

From Market:
Lettuce
Tomatoes

Tuesday 8: Pot Roast (Buffalo or Beef) with Carrots, mashed potatoes and green beans

From Market:
3 Carrots
1 kg potatoes
300 g green beans (use some of these vegetables for Thursday’s pot pie for K and G)

Wednesday 9: Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup

From Market:
2 large tomatoes, tomato soup packets

Thursday 10: Chicken Panini’s with Spinach, Tomatoes and homemade honey mustard and Baked french fries
(use extra chicken and make pot pie cubes to freeze for K&G)

From Market:
2 large tomatoes, spinach, fresh bread


Friday 11: Pineapple Pizza
w/carrot and cucumber sticks

From Market:
1 carrot, 1 cucumber, 1 onion, flour


Monday 14: Chicken Burritos and Mexican rice

From Market:
2 green peppers, 2 onions, flour

Tuesday 15: Shepherd’s Pie

From Market:
2 tomatoes, 2 carrots, 200 g green beans, 1 onion, 1 garlic, 1 kg potatoes
(use extra potatoes to make mashed ones for K and G)

Wednesday 16: Chicken Noodle Soup and Biscuits

From Market:
2 Carrots, 2 onions, 1 Garlic, flour

Thursday 17: Banana Pancakes and Eggs

From Market:
6 Bananas, flour and eggs

Friday 18: Pineapple or Veg and Olive Stromboli with raw carrots and cucumbers

From Market:
2 Carrots, 2 Cucumbers, vegetables for pizza

Monday 21: Chicken Fingers with mashed potatoes and green beans

From Market:
1 kg large potatoes (use some for Tuesday night), 200 g green beans

Tuesday 22: Chili and Baked Potatoes

From Market:
½ kg tomatoes, 1 onion, 1 garlic

Wednesday 23: Pancakes or Cinnamon Toast with Eggs

From Market:
Eggs, bread

Thursday 24: Spaghetti with meat sauce and Garlic Bread

From Market:
1/2 kg tomatoes, Bread

Friday 25: Chicken Panini’s with Spinach, Tomatoes and homemade honey mustard and baked french fries

From Market:
2 large tomatoes, spinach, fresh bread

It is the little things...

These days my life seems to be so busy. Not too busy that I can't slow down or get control of things but just busy enough that at the end of my day I can barely keep my eyes open. Sometimes when life gets this busy it is so easy to focus on all of the things that HAVE to get done and so often times I forget to give attention to the things (0r people) that I need to and want to. This has happened recently with my husband. It is not something that he or I really even noticed (thankfully) but I realized that I was doing life with him, taking care of Keane and Gracie with him, taking care of our team with him, ministering with him but I really wasn't reaching out to him, serving him, spending quality time with him and just having fun with him. I would love to be able to say that when I realized this I got a babysitter and took my husband on a romantic date (which mind you is VERY hard to do in Kathmandu) and spent hours upon hours with only him but that is not what happened. What I did instead was to clean the coffee filter out of the pot, fill the pot up with water and fresh coffee grounds so it was all ready for him in the morning when he woke up. You see, my husband LOVES coffee and makes a hot, fresh pot every morning. The other day he was reminding me that one of the things he dislikes most is cleaning out the coffee pot and getting it ready for fresh coffee to be made. He wished that the coffee would just be ready in the morning without all of that (he was talking about a magical machine and truly not hinting for me to make it). Sounds silly, huh? But no, for Ryan this is something special to him. So, I decided to get his coffee pot all set up. When he realized that I had done this for him he was SO happy and thankful. It made him feel so special and loved. Cleaning and refilling the coffee pot is just a small way that I can show my husband that I love him but it is the little things right? I have decided that I am going to try and get his coffee cleaned up and set up each day for him...not because he ever asked me to do it or because he expects me to do it but because to him it is special and it is just one way, in my crazy, busy days that I can take a few extra minutes and show my husband how special he is to me and how much I love him.

Are there small things that you can do in your life to show those around you that you love them? It will make such a big difference in your relationships and loving and serving those around us honors and glorifies God...