Happy Earth Day

Just some small things we do to help out:

• Recycle -- Roche has made this much easier for us!
• Compost -- This way our leaves and food scraps don't make their way to the landfill
• CFL bulbs -- Saves energy & lasts longer
• RO system -- We don't need to buy bottled water
• Programmable thermostat -- Heat or a/c run less when we are at work
• Reusable Grocery Bags -- I rarely bring home my groceries in the store sacks

Do you have any other simple tips for Earth Day 2009? :)

Update: I was linked to this entry today and found it intersting. 40 Tips to Go Green At Home

I totally agree with this writer. It's not about politics, it's about stewardship. 

Update2: This post talks about cleaning supplies with examples of "make your own". Hip Organic Mama

Update3: This site has homemade baby food recipes. "Homemade baby food is a green thing to do! Because it is prepared and stored in reusable vessels, homemade baby food creates substantially less waste. " Nuture Baby  I like that their recipes are organized by age range - no need to guess what is appropriate for your xx month old. 

Update4: Another interesting article. This one is about cloth diapering. 3 compelling reasons to try cloth diapers.

Taxed Enough Already

April 15th we attended a peaceful "rebellion" with a few thousand (estimates are 12-15,000) Hoosiers who are tired of wasteful government spending. It was very patriotic as we exercised our first amendment right to peaceably assemble and speak freely.  

More photos and possibly a funnier commentary will eventually show up on the Billmeier blog. 

The Bunny Delivered

The Easter Bunny made a little stop to our house too. In our basket were a few of our favorites: peanut M&M's and smokehouse almonds. We also received chocolate w/ caramel bunny treats and the Bunny left Sheba a new toy. 

Good Friday

A song that is fitting for today and everyday.

Chris Tomlin
Amazing Love

I’m forgiven because You were forsaken,
I’m accepted, You were condemned.
I am alive and well, Your spirit is within me,
Because You died and rose again.

Amazing love,
How can it be
That You, my King, would die for me?
Amazing love,
I know it’s true.
It’s my joy to honor You,
In all I do, I honor You.

I’m forgiven because You were forsaken,
I’m accepted, You were condemned.
I am alive and well, Your spirit is within me,
Because You died and rose again.

You are my King
Jesus You are my King

or click here for video: Amazing Love

Google Confused by Weather

I've been talking about spring. I've been enjoying spring. Today, we see snow falling. I am as confused by this as google is. 

Exhibit A: my igoogle page shows sunshine today.

Exhibit B: my gmail page shows snow today.

I vote for sunshine!

Video Day

I saw this video and wanted to share it with you. Wow!

For anyone who can't see the video here, click HERE.

Did You Know...

Extreme Makeover Home Edition is coming to Indianapolis! It's been in the news and chatted about on Facebook so you probably already knew. We were planning to volunteer this Saturday until we received this email...

They don't need us. I looked at the schedule and it looks like they pushed everything one day back so on Saturday they won't be doing demo work like they originally planned. Oh well, it's probably for the best since I start physical therapy for my lower back on Monday. 

What are you doing this weekend? 

More Spring

We came home from work today and saw that a few of our daffodils have bloomed. I can't wait for the rest of the choir to start singing! 

Spring is Near -- Gardening

Can you feel it in the air? Spring will be here soon and we've already started enjoying the warmer weather and beautiful sunshine! This past weekend we started working in our yard.

You know spring is right around the corner when you see these popping up:

 Also when you see these two getting to work: 

And now you know spring is really coming:

We have BIG plans for our gardens this year. Yep, plural gardenS. We are excited to use a spot in our own yard plus we are renting a 10x15 plot at the Roche gardens. Home grown veggies you will elude me no longer...

Out of Retirement

I know, all my posts lately (few and far between) have not really been about "the things we do." There just hasn't been much to blog about recently. But all of that is about to change. Ha! I've come up with a blog series idea. Look for it soon and it will only last about a week. So far I have 3 ideas for the "series" which means I'll be updating a bit more often in the next 7 days. 

I'm also trying to fit some scrapbooking into my schedule. This is one that I started months ago but could never quite get right. Even though it's pretty simple, I'm pleased with it now. The photo captures the view of our first night in the back country of Glacier National Park, MT. When we made our way into camp we were amazed at our view!

I'll see you back here soon!

Another internet find

I "found" an online store that sells tees with meaning.  The store is called Wild Olive and their phrase is "Get your Verse on". Not only is their product cool, but they give away a portion of their profits (10%) to Christian based charities. I'm not sure if they change their charity each month or how often, but currently they are sponsoring Shaohannah's Hope. This is super cool to me since Shaohannah's Hope is an organization focused on caring for orphans by providing need-based grants to families seeking to adopt. 

Anyway, I just wanted to share the link in case you were in need of a tee with meaning. ;) I think I'm going to order this one. Oh, and they currently have free shipping through the end of March. 

Update: I DID order the one shown above. I can't wait to get it in the mail!

White Chicken Chili

A friend (Hi Stephanie!) sent me this recipe awhile back and I have used it twice with a few tweeks. Here is the un-tweeked original.

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

3 lg cooked chicken breasts, cubed

2 lg cans chicken broth (49 ½ oz)

2 4oz. cans diced green chilies, drained

2 cans Great White Northern beans or white kidney beans, drained

½ lb. orzo or other small pasta

Spice Blend:

Garlic powder

Ground cumin

Oregano

Cilantro

Ground red pepper

Directions:

Over medium-high heat, brown the onions in the olive oil. Add chicken and cook until browned. Add the broth, chilies, beans and spice blend (to your taste). Bring the mixture to a boil and add the orzo. Simmer until pasta is fully cooked and chili thickens.

Now, let me tell you my customizations. 

1. I usually make chicken chili with our rotisserie chicken leftovers. Believe me, if you get your chicken from Costco you will definitely have some left over! I shred up what is left and use that instead of chicken breasts that I have to cook and cut up. 
2. I am pretty sure I use more chicken broth. (I use this organic broth from Costco.) Plus I add water.  Just use however much broth and water you feel is appropriate so chili isn't too too thick.
3. I only use one 4 oz can of diced green chilies. (This time I forgot to drain and I think that is what led to the extreme heat.)
   
4. I use less orzo than the recipe calls for.
   
5. I use chili powder instead of cumin. 
6. I "garnish" with sour cream and crunched up tortilla chips.

The BEST white chicken chili I have ever had though was from a mix. (I know, I know, don't throw the first stone people!) When we were in Montana last fall we went through this place called Wheat Montana and stopped at a deli that had the most fabulous breads! Anyway, I picked up this little mix and now I wish I had bought a dozen or so. I'm thinking about ordering from their website because the mix is only $2.99. I think their secret ingredient is the wheat berries.  Although, it really isn't a secret if it is labeled in the ingredients list is it?

Toys

I just stumbled upon this specialized toy brand and I love it! Haba. Maybe you've already heard of them. The toys (and other kid items) they make look amazing! Lots of wooden items and toys that just look like they would encourage imaginative play. Items that are not related to cartoons or other over-marketed  characters. Their slogan: Inventive Playthings for Inquisitive Minds. 

After searching around for Haba items, I found an online store that guarantees the lowest pricing. Moolka also carries other inventive toy brands. 

Here are a few Haba items that I think look fabulous and fun! (all images are clickable to the Moolka store)

Here's a general link for the Haba toys at Moolka. You can search by category or age. Maybe you'll find something for your little one(s). Happy shopping! :)

Home

Kent Eloe is with his Lord and Savior. He passed from this world Friday, February 13. Please be in prayer for his family. His 3 young boys are especially saddend by the loss of their daddy.

Sausage-Filled Mancotti

1.  Meet your ingredients

  6 oz - Italian sausage

  1 box - Manicotti 

  1 jar - Your favorite sauce

  15 oz - Ricotta

  1 egg

  3 Tbsp - Fresh parsley or less dried parsley

  1 cup - Mozzarella cheese shredded

  1/3 cup - Parmesan cheese shredded

2.  Boil water for pasta and preheat oven to 350 degrees

3.  Add pasta and cook per directions on box, no salt please

4. Heat skillet w/ olive oil

5.  Add sausage to skillet 

6.  Brown sausage, then drain and set aside

7.  Check pasta

8.  Drain and set aside

9.  Mix all ingredient in bowl - use 1/2 of mozzarella

10.  Fill manicotti with cheese/sausage mixture  

TIP 1: Use a pastry bag for less mess

TIP2: This recipe makes a lot! I only baked what we wanted and I flash froze the rest to bake at a later date.

11. Top with sauce (I used about 1/4 to 1/2  jar for this amount) and remaining mozzarella

12.  Bake about 45 minutes until hot and melty. ENJOY!

Snowy

Taken with my cell phone camera this morning...

Mark dug out the driveway and I dug out the Envoy so I could make it to work this morning. 12.4 inches and piling...

Thankful

 I have been in prayer for a friend from high school, whose husband was diagnosed with Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM IV) in 2006. I have been praying for them since I learned of his condition two years ago. In 2008, his brain tumor returned and continued growing after another surgery. He was put in a trial study and this past Monday his latest MRI showed growth of his brain tumor plus a new one. His doctors, at Northwestern, have given them 4-8 weeks. They have 3 young boys.

I have followed her blog for awhile and am just amazed by her faith. Her site is filled with scripture:

• Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God. 2 Corinthians 1:9
  
• Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. James 1:2-3
  
• I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:14
  
• I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.  Romans 8:18
• Hear my prayer, O God; listen to the words of my mouth. Psalm 54:2
  
• I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me. Romans 15:30
  
• Give thanks in everything, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18
  

and many others. She has an "endless gift list" where each day she lists small (or big) things she is thankful for. The list currently has over 2500 items. Examples range from being thankful for their small group to being thankful for a wheelchair that was delivered to being thankful for kleenex. 

I hope to never have to experience anything like this, but if I have to I hope that I can have just a bit of the grace and strength she has shown. For now, I am feeling overwhelmingly thankful for Mark and our good health. Situations like this make me feel like my complaints in life are pretty insignificant. Please join me in prayer for the Eloe family. 

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In happy news, a certain ray of sunshine turned ONE last week.

SCD Recipe: Chili

This is one of Mark's favorites. This has been adapted from the book, Recipes for the Specific Carbohydrate Diet by Raman Prasad.

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup dried red kidney beans
• 1 T olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
  
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 T chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 lb ground beef
• 5 plum tomatoes, chopped

Soak the kidney beans in water for 10 to 14 hours -- the water level should be above the beans. During this time, rinse the beans and add fresh water if the water becomes too bubbly from the "gas" released from the beans.

After soaking, cook the beans by putting them in a pot of fresh water, bringing the water to a boil, and then simmering until they are soft and cooked through, 1 to 2 hours.

In a separate pot, heat the olive oil, and brown the garlic and onion for 2 to 4 minutes. Add the chili and cumin powders, and stir for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the beef and tomatoes and cook until done, approximately 20 minutes. Add the pre-cooked, drained kidney beans and mix until well blended.

NOTES: I cook a whole bag of dried red kidney beans and store the extra beans in the fridge so I can quickly make another pot of chili. Also, after the meat is browned and spices added I go ahead and add the tomatoes, beans, and some water and let it cook for about 20 minutes or until it's done. Remember, to be SCD-friendly don't use canned beans. :)

Freeeeeeeeeeeeeezing

Why is it necessary to leave the house on days like this? 

You see that negative sign, right?

Specific Carbohydrate Diet

Several people have asked lately what diet we are following to help with Mark's diagnosis of Crohn's Disease and what he can and cannot eat.

Here is the basic rule: "No food should be ingested that contains carbohydrates other than those found in fruits, honey, properly-prepared yogurt, and those vegetables and nuts listed." (Breaking the Vicious Cycle, Ch 9 p61) The rationale is that the intestine is injured and we need to heal it. SCD attempts to heal the intestine by first removing foods that feed harmful bacteria and can't be digested by the injured intestine. (An injured intestine can't break down specific types of carbs.) And then restores the balance of beneficial bacteria through homemade yogurt.

So, that's the very basic rule and it's probably already more than you wanted to know. ;) Here's the link that I seem to use on a daily basis. It's the Legal/Illegal food list.

We no longer have any food that comes in a box, bag, can, jar, or envelope. It's all about fresh, baby. Fresh veggies & fruits. Nothing processed! We buy bricks of hard cheeses and slice it or shred it ourselves. No bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, or sugar. I thought it was going to be much more difficult than it really is. My recipes have become less complicated. I'm learning a new way to cook and we are both more healthy for it.

One more thing about the Specific Carbohydrate Diet. It's not just for Crohn's Disease. It also helps with IBD, Celiac Disease, Autism, Cystic Fibrosis and more. Questions? Feel free to ask and I'll try to answer the best I can.

Be on the lookout for SCD friendly recipes. They're surprisingly delicious! There will be a new label on the right side of the blog to easily link to SCD recipes & other info.

SCD Recipe: Shepherd's Pie

We tried this new recipe tonight and it was a BIG hit. To quote Mark, "It was the best shepherd's pie I've ever had." I'd say that is a good review! This is from the book, Recipes for the Specific Carbohydrate Diet by Raman Prasad.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 T olive oil, divided
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1/2 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 10 green onions chopped (I used 4)
• 2 T lime juice (I used juice of 1 small lime -- didn't measure)
• 1 medium head of cauliflower, cut into florets
• 2 T butter (the real stuff, never margarine)
• 3/4 c grated cheddar cheese (brick, not processed)
• Parsley for garnish

Preheat oven to 325F. Spread 1/2 T of olive oil in pie dish.
In saute pan, heat remaining olive oil and saute ground beef. Add cumin, salt, and pepper and cook until beef is cooked through.
Add the green onions to beef mixture and stir. Remove the pan from heat and mix in the lime juice. Pour beef mixture into prepared pie dish.
While beef is cooking, steam the cauliflower florets until tender. Puree or blend the cauliflower with the butter until smooth. (I highly recommend using a food processor. I used a combination of blender & hand mixer = messy!)
Spread smooth cauliflower over beef mixture. Add the grated cheese on top and sprinkle on parsley.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, until cheese is melted.

This would be a great recipe for anyone trying the South Beach Diet too. :)

SCD Recipe: Mom's Tomato Sauce

I made this sauce over the weekend so that Mark could enjoy it with my brother's stuffed cabbage on New Year's Day. (Thanks to Jason for making Mark's without the rice!) Then we used it again as the sauce for our Parmesan Chicken. It's tasty as is, but I'm sure could be adapted as long as NO SUGAR IS ADDED. :)

This is from the book, Recipes for the Specific Carbohydrate Diet by Raman Prasad.

Ingredients:

• 12 plum (roma) tomatoes
• 2 T olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small onion, minced
• 1/2 c water
• 1 c fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 2 T fresh parsley (I used the flat leaf Italian variety)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

Peel, core, and dice the tomatoes. (To peel, immerse them in boiling water and then dip them in cool water.)
In large saucepan, heat the olive oil and saute the garlic & onion until tenter. Add the tomatoes, water, basil, parsley, salt, and pepper.
Bring to a boil and then reduce heat, simmering uncovered for 45 minutes and stirring occasionally.
If you prefer the sauce smooth, allow to cool and then blend in food processor. Refrigerate leftover sauce or freeze until needed.

I will admit that the tomato process is a little work intensive. This is when I wish we could use canned. But...the sauce was worth the work! Next summer I would like to grow a TON of tomatoes and have a party to peel, core, dice, and can them. Or for someone to make me a huge batch of sauce and bring it over in freezer bags. ;)

Hello 2009

On New Year's Day, we realized that we had eaten 3 "traditional" meals in less than 24 hours! We began a NYE tradition when we lived in Freeport to eat a fancy crab leg dinner at home. Mark cooks the crab legs and then we devour them!


On New Year's morning, we eat a healthy (ahem) breakfast of bacon, eggs, and fried cabbage. I believe that I've been eating cabbage every new year since I started eating solid foods.

The third traditional meal was lunch. Since we've been back in Indy, we go over to Jason & Jenny's home on New Year's day and enjoy a big bowl of Jason's bean soup and a plate of stuffed cabbage. Both were quite tasty! No photos, sorry.

There's no better way to start the new year off than with a full belly! :)

Goodbye 2008

Here's a month by month account of the highlights during our 2008.

January: Our new niece, Rachelle, came into the world.
February: Mark gave me an unexpected gift!
March: Our nephew, Frankie, was in town for a visit.
April: Spring arrived and we visited the Indianapolis Zoo with our niece, Avery.
May: We celebrated birthdays with a family cookout at our home.
June: We enjoyed a vacation to Gatlinburg, TN and attended the US Diving Olympic Trials in Indy.
July: Sheba turned 4 and we hung beautiful new drapes in the living room. (Thanks Peeper!)
August: We went to our final adoption seminar, decided on the agency we wanted to work with, and began the process.
September: We finally took the vacation to Montana that we've talked about for years! Plus Mark caught his trophy size fish. :)
October: We sold the Acura Integra.
November: We voted in the 2008 Presidential election.
December: Mark completed the bathroom project, we enjoyed a wonderful Christmas, and we are officially "active" with our agency.

We wish you all a Happy New Year!
May the Lord bless you in 2009!

The Reason...

In Sunday School today we were talking about ways to keep Christ the focus of our family Christmas celebrations. One person was talking about his 20 year old daughter's boyfriend. He is invited to their home Christmas morning and they told him they will read the Christmas story from the Bible together. His reply? "Cool, I've never read the story before." I think we take for granted that everyone has read about Christ's birth.

Below is the passage from Luke that tells the story of Christ's birth. I hope you enjoy reading it, whether it is your first time or your one thousandth.

Luke 2

The Birth of Jesus

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register.

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

The Shepherds and the Angels

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
"Glory to God in the highest,

and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

A Night Out

We attended our first party of the holiday season this week. Mark's work had a nice get together at Belle Vita at Geist. The appetizers were delicious!! Mark's co-workers are very friendly and it was really nice to finally meet them.

Here we are at home before the event:
I forgot that many of you haven't seen my "new" hair yet. New stylist = darker color + more layers.

Merry Christmas, friends!

The End is Here -- post by Mark

After working non-stop, day and night, for a mere 20 months, the bathroom renovation project is finally done. It seems like just yesterday that I started demolition. What started off as a nice little project soon blossomed into nearly a whole-house renovation. In addition to the bathroom itself I completed several other small projects along the way: wiring our master bedroom ceiling fan to the switch on the wall, installing a second ceiling light and a new wall switch in our upstairs hallway, installing a vent fan in our downstairs bathroom, insulating our attic crawl space, installing a new window which required taking down half of our vinyl siding, running a second HVAC duct to the upstairs, painting our pantry and installing new wire shelves, replacing the drain pipes for our downstairs bathtub and now I’m replacing two walls in the finished portion of our basement. Ah, the joys of owning an old house…

I’m really pleased with the way the bathroom turned out. I did everything you see (and everything you don’t see) in the photos of the bathroom including: framing, drywall, mud and tape, subfloor, tiling, plumbing, electrical, HVAC, wainscoting, trim, painting and installation of the cabinets, shower door, hardware and toilet. Out of everything, I vow never to tile a shower again. Everything else was easy compared to that.

Now, for my next project….perhaps our garage should be a little larger…

p.s. If you want to see photos of the original bathroom, check out this post: March 2007