Vegetable Bean Soup

As the weeks go by, Baby girl has begun enjoying being in her swing in the kitchen while I cook or bake. I am so thankful for this, because time in the kitchen for me is medicine for my soul. Here is a recipe my mother in law gave to me. I made it yesterday for dinner along with Tuna Melts.



Vegetable Bean Soup
6 ounces bacon, chopped
1 onion, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 zucchini, diced
1 garlic clove, finely diced
1 (14oz) can chopped tomatoes, undrained
2 (15oz) cans Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
3 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
1/2 tsp salt
coarsely ground black pepper
6 cups fresh spinach, chopped

- Place bacon in large saucepan over medium heat - cook 5 minutes until crisp.
- Add onion, celery and carrot - cook for 5 minutes
- Add zucchini and garlic - cook for 3 minutes
- Add tomatoes, beans, broth, salt and pepper
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes
- Stir in spinach

Serve with grated Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.
Makes 10 cups and serves 6

Enjoy!

OK with the mess . . .

I am task oriented.
I like lists, I like organization and I like things clean. My house being dirty and out of order makes me feel stressed out.

Going into motherhood, I was aware of this part of my personality that I would have to consciously work on. I know that there will be moments when my house will not be clean. There will be dirty dishes in the sink and dust on the furniture. My floors will get dirty (they currently have not been mopped for weeks). The bathroom will have hair on the floor and in the tub (grosses me out!). The trash may get to overflowing before I can get around to emptying it and it may take me 2 days to get 1 load of laundry done.  And that's ok. 

I want to be a mom that is not so consumed with tasks that I neglect my baby. I have to coach myself through this . . . As I sit and nurse her or rock her to sleep, my head spins with my to do list. But I remind myself that my baby will only be little for a short period of time; that my time to cuddle with her is ticking away. I don't want taking care of her to be another task I check off my list. The dishes will always be there and there will always be laundry to fold. So I sit and snuggle her, and remind myself that one day soon, I'll be wishing for these days again. 

Glam Mom

"My new job is better than I could have ever imagined. It gives a whole new meaning to "full time". Though it sometimes involves lack of sleep, frustration and tears, it is the most satisfying job I have ever had. I am a MOTHER. I am responsible for the 24/7 well being of a little human being. My job is to love, protect, nurture and care for this tiny little person that God has entrusted in our care. It's not nearly as glamorous as I had imagined. But it is much more fulfilling than I had imagined." (my facebook status from September 16th)

It's not nearly as glamorous as I had imagined.

Let me start out by saying, I love my 5 week old baby girl. Overall, she is a very good baby. Doesn't really cry unless she's hungry or tired, and even then she can usually be calmed by being held and bounced. I hoped for a cuddly baby, and I got one! She loves to snuggle and has just started smiling, both of which make my heart a puddle of mush. 

Becoming a mother has obviously changed my life. I was told by people while I was pregnant that my "life was about to change forever". Most times it was said with a negative vibe. I always brushed it off thinking "I know it will change, but it will be awesome!" 

I don't know that I can honestly say the past 5 weeks have been awesome. When people ask me if I LOVE being a mom, I can't be 100% honest by saying YES. I love my baby. But the job of taking care of her isn't always awesome. 

No amount of parenting classes or self help parenting books could have prepared me for how much my life would change. Less quality time with hubby. Lack of sleep. Loss of independence. Sore boobs (just being real!:) Messy house. Nursing frustrations . . . 

Last week I had a lunch appointment with girl friends. Baby Girl decided that she did not want to take her morning nap. The only way to keep her content was to strap her in front of me in the baby carrier. Doing that enabled me throw my hair into a messy bun and brush my teeth. As I stood in front of the mirror with Baby Girl, doing a little dance to keep her happy while I brushed my teeth (I even managed to get a little tooth paste on her head), I was totally amused by the situation. THIS is the picture that you DON'T see on FB. 

All that said, being a mom has fulfilled me more than I ever knew possible. For so long I worked what to me felt like a silly, meaningless job. I didn't know what I was "called" to do. And I never really thought of myself as being the stay at home mom type. But I am now a stay at home mom. And I feel fulfilled. Yes there are days of tears and frustration. Yes there are days where I don't feel like rocking her to sleep because I just want to go do my own thing. But when I remember that God has entrusted Baby Girl into our care, to train her up in the way she should go, to nurture her and show her what love is, it is in those moments that I remember my purpose. And I remember how much of an honor it is to be her mommy. 

I also have to throw this out there . . . Social media is NOT realistic when it comes to many things, especially mommy life. We always post our best pictures when we and the kids are looking the best and write status updates on the good days. It is so easy to compare ourselves to others. To think "they've got it better", "I wish I was like . . ." or "I wish I had . . ." So far in the 5 weeks of being a mom, I've realized comparison is one big kill joy. My good friend has recently been a huge inspiration to me in this area. She got rid of her FB. Her reasons: it stole her time from her kids and she also found herself comparing her kids, herself and her husband to others. Wow. 

This post was a bit of a ramble. But it's a start. After having heart to hearts with a few other first time mommy's, I realized how lonely the mommy walk can be. We often feel we are the only one going through something or dealing with a certain issue. Most times, we are not alone, but it is kept quiet because we don't want to seem like a bad mom. Or we simply don't know who to talk to. And that is where my blog hopefully comes in. I want to be real in my mommy walk. Not in a Debbie-Downer, this-sucks sort of way. But in a this is real life, we-can-get-through-this and you-are-not-alone sort of way.

And so the mommy blog journey begins! 

Mint Mojito Popsicles

A friend told me "you're like a ticking time bomb" in reference to my pregnancy. I thought that was a hilarious way of putting my past-due-date-state. Instead of sitting around and twiddling my thumbs, I decided to pack my week full of activities to make the days go faster. I'd rather have to cancel things than be sitting around my house bored out of my mind.

One of my favorite pass times is being in my kitchen. It relaxes me and makes me feel as though I've accomplished a great task once the food is prepared. I'm in my own world as I make a mess, generally listening to a podcast or worship music. It is my therapy.

It has been recommended to me to have popsicles on hand during labor. I just couldn't bring myself to buying the sugar filled ones from the store, so of course I decided to make my own. The original recipe was found on Pinterest, but I modified it a bit to come up with this refreshing and yummy pop! 

Mint Mojito Popsicles

Put the following ingredients into a blender:

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup honey (or other sweetener of choice)

1/2 cup coconut milk 

1 1/4 cup plain yogurt 

juice from 1 whole lime

zest from 1 whole lime

handful of fresh mint leaves

Blend everything until smooth. Pour into popsicle molds and freeze.

As my molds, I used the small, paper "Dixie" bathroom cups and popsicle sticks (like the above picture). If you do this, it works best to freeze the liquid in the cup for about an hour before inserting the sticks. Once frozen, the paper cup peels right off. 

Other DIY popsicle ideas: freezing you're favorite 100% juice in a popsicle mold! 

Our local discount grocery store (Sharp Shopper) often has yummy and unusual juices that work great for this! One of my favorite flavor juices to freeze is Blueberry Pomegranate. Be creative!

I'm back!

A few of you have been asking if I will ever return to blogging, especially recipes and my attempts at DIY projects. . . Well, here I am!

Since I am now a stay at home (soon to be) mom, I have a little (a LOT) more time on my hands. I'm so not used to this!! I have had a job since I was 12. I am so grateful we are able to do it financially with me staying home with the baby, but I may have to work a day or two just for my sanity's sake!! I love being around people and cannot sit still for very long. Mom's group, anyone?!? 

As a kick off to my return to the blogging world, 

here are our NURSERY REVEAL pictures!! 

Thanks to my awesome friend Crystal for all the help and ideas for our DIY, woodland sort of themed nursery!

We do not know the gender of our baby. The nursery is intended to be "neutral" BUT if we have a girl, I will be adding a few more feminine touches (pearls and lace, perhaps?). 

The blurred blob of gold in the top right corner is the initial of our baby's first name.
Babe is very secretive about this and gave me strict instructions not to reveal it! :)

The crib we bought new from Target and the 100% organic bedding is from Bed, Bath and Beyond.
We decided on a hypo allergenic mattress and found a used one that was in like new condition.
The bunting above the crib was made by me.

Laundry basket is from Ross

Pom poms above glider made by me (tutorial to come!).
Glider we found on a great FB baby yard sale page for an awesome price!
Curtains are from a sweet sale find at JCPenney.com

The dresser and book shelf were mine as a kid. Babe repainted them both.
All the books were given to us at our shower in lieu of cards.
The clock was a favorite find at HomeGoods and all the baskets were given as gifts at our shower.

Pillows made by me.

Babe is a big hunter and I wanted to incorporate his antlers somehow into the nursery.
Thanks to friends Darren and Katie for the idea! 
The frames are a mixed collection of ones I had and yard sale finds.

A vintage fox print I found simply by searching google.

A Hobby Lobby find!

There you have it! There are still some touches I want to add once baby Glick makes his/her appearance. Overall I love our simple and quaint little nursery. Now just to add the baby! :)

Thanks for stopping by. Check back for regular updates on mommy life, recipes, DIY projects, and health tips.

Restlessness . . .

There is a restlessness in me this morning. A desire to be creative; to travel and explore. But I feel stuck. Trapped by my 5 day work week and exhaustion. Trapped by lack of finances. Is this how God intended life to be? Isn't there more to life than working, eating and sleeping? I believe there is!

I need some fresh air. A walk and some Jesus music may temporarily cure my blues.

All natural Pumpkin Bars

In my book, Fall equals lots of edible pumpkin goodies! Oh, YUM! I was asked to make a pumpkin dessert of some sort for my dear friend Larissa's baby shower. My pinterest search resulted in this scrumptious, natural recipe!! Wow, were these bars good! 

PUMPKIN BARS

HTTP://WWW.SHAPE.COM/HEALTHY-EATING/COOKING-IDEAS/10-DELICIOUS-WAYS-COOK-PUMPKIN?PAGE=2

I doubled the recipe and made a cream cheese icing to plop on top . . .

Ingredients:
1/2 c. spelt flour (I used wheat flour)
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
5 tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 c. canned pumpkin (or cooked, pureed pumpkin)
2 tbsp. nondairy milk (I used almond milk)
2 tbsp. coconut oil
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine dry ingredients, then add in wet. Spread mixture into an oiled 8x8 (9x13 if recipe is doubled) pan and cook for 20 minutes. Cream cheese frosting optional.


Enjoy!
-A