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Showing posts from January, 2016

Beef and Butternut Squash Stew

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I love easy meals that go in the crockpot.  We are in the middle of a huge snow storm right now and this stew is perfect for this time of year.  Throw everything in the crockpot in the morning, go play all day and come home to a hearty dinner that is already finished.  Perfect! 3 lb chuck roast 6 strips of cooked bacon, chopped 1 T of bacon grease 1 medium onion, diced 5 cloves of garlic, sliced 1 large butternut squash, peeled and cubed 28oz can of crushed tomatoes with basil 28oz can of diced tomatoes 2 T balsamic vinegar 1 cup red wine 2 drops of rosemary EO 1 drop of thyme EO Toothpick of Oregano EO (dip toothpick in the bottle and then swirl in sauce) salt and pepper Fill the rest of the crockpot with chicken broth, usually about 3 to 4 cups Throw everything in your crockpot.  This recipe is for a 7 quart crockpot.  Cook on low for 8 hours.  Before serving pull out roast, cut into bite size pieces and stir back in pot.  Serve alone or over quinoa, rice or noo

being pro-life: is it a waste of time and energy?

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I recently heard someone say that taking a stand against abortion was a waste of time.  In their opinion abortion is going to always exist and always be legal and therefore it should not be a focus of time and energy. I can't accept that philosophy.  I just can't. When I was a teenager,  I had many friends who were against the death penalty for criminals but in favor of abortion.  I could never understand this ideology.  Do you value human life or not?  A man on death row has a voice and a life story and I suppose this makes it seem to some that he is more human than an unborn child.  A child who has not yet had the chance for a life story.  A child who has done absolutely nothing wrong unless you consider coming into existence a mortal sin.  And what about the child's mother?  What about her life? I volunteered at a crisis pregnancy center during nursing school.  It is one thing to have hypothetical ideas about something and it is another thing to become a part o

adoption day is the first day of rehab... for the mama too

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Adoption is hard.  Loss is hard.  Children experiencing trauma is hard.  Malnutrition is hard.  Lack of good medical care is hard.  Having no family connections is hard.  Being thrown into a family with no idea of what that really means is hard.  Not being able to trust people is hard.  Struggling with dysfunctional coping mechanisms is hard.  Not being able to remember is hard.  Remembering too much is hard.  This graphic from Hope for Orphans  says it so well.  And at first glance, it made me think of my girls.  Then I sat with it for awhile and realized that it also applied to me. When my daughter first came home, I knew that it would be hard but I thought "hey I can do this".   While we were waiting for her, these exact words used to come out of my mouth... it is okay if she never loves me.  But I am going to let you in on a little secret.  It really is not okay.  Our hearts were designed to be in relationship and it is so very difficult to be in one where the oth

Southwest Chicken Soup and Gluten Free Cornbread.

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The snow flurries have started and with  more snow on the way, I have stocked up our pantry with everything needed for some hearty soups and stews.  This one is a family favorite.  Serve this over rice or quinoa to make it go even farther.  I will often accompany this meal with some corn tortilla chips or this recipe of corn bread.  If you like more spice just increase the season salt or add some jalapeno or hot sauce.  With lots of little mouths in our house,  I keep the extra spice on the side for those who want to add it in. I cook multiple whole chickens for our crew every week.  I love the convenience of having a container of chicken that is all cooked and ready to go for a quick meal.  Place 5 garlic cloves inside of the cavity and season outside with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Cook the chicken over a bed of 2 diced onions.  If you have more time at the beginning of the day place in a crock pot on low for 8 hours.  Starting at lunch?  Crockpot on high for 4 hours.  Want to ma