Super Yummy Delicious Afternoon Smoothie

Great name, right? Seriously though, I am in love with this smoothie. I've been drinking it in the afternoons after the kids go down for their naps(yes instead of coffee and dark chocolate- well, ok, maybe instead of coffee, I can't be without dark chocolate!) It's a great pick me up, and as far as I can tell it's good for me.

Super Yummy Delicious Afternoon Smoothie

1/2-1 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 cup old fashioned or rolled oats
1 cup coconut milk
1/2 banana
1/4 cup plain or vanilla yogurt
1 cup spinach/kale
1/3 cup of ice

Blend until smooth.

I'm thinking this would be a great way to start the morning too, but I don't usually drink smoothies for breakfast because I'm always afraid the blender will wake up the kids. Let me know if you try it, and what you think of it!

Anyone else have any great smoothie recipes?







Linked to Pennywise Platter

Freezer Cooking Follow Up

Yesterday's freezer cooking didn't go quite as smooth as I had hoped. First off our washing machine broke, so I had to spend a little bit of time figuring out what to do about that over the phone with Erik. Then once we found one, I had to get things cleaned up in the laundry room so that when the installers came no one would be embarrassed..;)

I did manage to get almost everything made that I had planned. The only thing I didn't get around to was the chocolate chip cookies. I was getting a little grouchy, and I'm a firm believer that making cookies should always be a fun experience! I'm hoping to make those today.

Anna helping me roll tortillas.

So by the time it was all said and done I made 12 tortillas, 16 hamburger buns, one loaf of bread, and four pizza crusts. The kids love helping me make tortillas, and really any type of bread, probably because I can let them experiment to their hearts content since it's really hard to mess up those things. 

Despite the day not going as smoothly as I'd hoped(but really, does any day go as smooth as hoped?!) I'm so glad I got ahead, and now I shouldn't have hardly any work to do on pizza, hamburger, and Mexican nights for at least a couple of weeks!

Freezer Cooking Day

I remember a few years ago reading about a lady who would randomly have baking and freezer cooking days to help her save time and money in the kitchen. I have a little bit of extra time today, so I decided to do a little freezer cooking today. Here's what I'm planning on making:

Homemade tortillas
Homemade bread
Homemade Hamburger Buns(we're supposedly having hamburgers tonight for dinner, so it might be helpful to have some buns...;)
Pizza Crust
Chocolate Chip cookies

I decided to try soaking my pizza crust and tortillas yesterday. I have never done this before, and I'm curious how they'll turn out.

I'll be back later to let you know this goes! Cooking with little ones under my feet can be challenging, but they love to help, so here's hoping I can keep a good attitude and we'll make good memories!

My Surprise Stuggle

Whew, it has been a rough week around here. One of those weeks where I have felt completely helpless. One of my kids has been having a tough time going to sleep(i.e. screaming for over an hour at bed time and nap time plus waking up in the middle of the night inconsolably crying.) That coupled with the normal issues that come with having small children has been enough to push every button I have!

You know I never thought of myself as someone who really struggled with anger until I had kids. I found it "interesting" the other morning when I sat down to read my Bible that this was the first verse my eyes fell upon:

"Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly." Proverbs 14:29


I remember highlighting that verse years ago, but now it takes on a whole new meaning. How am I responding when my kids don't share their toys? What about when someone throws a tantrum? More times than I care to admit I get angry. I yell and get annoyed about teaching the same lessons over and over again.

And then I feel guilty and condemned because I've messed up yet again.

But you know what? My kids do not need a perfect mom. They need to see me repenting to them when I've messed up, they need to hear me say how much I need Jesus' grace just like they do. I certainly don't want them to think of me as perfect(and after this week, I seriously doubt they do...)

That's not to say I have a free ticket to allow my emotions to control me. But the more I learn to walk in grace, the easier it will be to respond to my children in love and not anger.

P.S. For a hilarious description of what this past week has been like for my hubby and I, check out my hubby's blog!

Something I'm Trying to Remember

"So while your children are still little, cultivate an attitude of sacrifice. Sacrifice your peace for their fun, your clean kitchen floor for their help cracking eggs, your quiet moment for their long retelling of a dream that a friend of theirs allegedly had. Prioritize your children far and away above the other work you need to get done. They are the only part of your work that really matters."
From Loving The Little Years, Rachel Jankovic

Easter Pictures

Lily loved Easter Egg hunting.

Anna and Jack had so much fun riding these "horses" at their great grandparents house.

Max got to have his first cupcake at Easter lunch. As you can see he was very excited about that!

We had such a nice Easter. It was very busy, but it was so nice to be back in our old town and see our family and friends again. This was the first time we had been back to our old church since we moved last August, and we had such a good time catching up with old friends. It was a lot of fun for me to see Jack start to really grasp why we celebrate Easter, and hear him tell others,"Jesus rose again today! He's Alive!"

Did the rest of you all have a nice Easter?

Our Favorite Green Smoothie

I mentioned last week that we didn't particularly care for the taste of green smoothies. We are all picky eaters in this house, and the only fruit my husband even likes is oranges. I wasn't sure if oranges would taste all right in a smoothie, but  when I saw a big bag at Aldi for $1.29 I figured it had to be worth a try! Much to my delight, everyone in my family, loves this recipe. I'm a little embarrassed to post this because it's ridiculously simple to make, but just in case you want to try an orange green smoothie, here is the recipe;

11/2- 2 cups of vanilla or regular almond milk.

3 oranges

11/2 cups of spinach

2 cups ice

Blend until smooth. Serves six

See how simple that is? But I'm a simple person, so it makes me happy. :)

What are some of your favorite smoothie recipes?

Linked to Pennywise Platter.

A Heart Check

Every morning at breakfast, I try to read to my kids from their Bible. This doesn't always happen, but it's always my goal. This week, especially with Easter coming up, I wanted to really focus on stories about Jesus.

Yesterday morning, I read to the children about the woman who breaks an expensive jar of perfume in order to anoint Jesus. The kids seemed to really get into the story, and they especially liked the part where the woman broke the jar. Probably says something about my kids, and their tendency to destroy anything that comes into their possession. Anyways..

Awhile later, I discovered Jack pouring his full glass of milk all over the table. And like every good mother does, I got really annoyed that he would do something that he knows full well he's not suppose to do(insert sarcasm here.) I told him to go get a towel and to clean that mess up, and that I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to trust him to drink out of a big boy cup that day. And without really thinking about what I was saying I asked him why he was spilling his milk in the first place.

"Because of the lady, mommy." Jack said in his sweet voice.

I was confused. What lady?

"You know the lady in the story who poured stuff on Jesus. I was just trying to be like her."

Oh. That lady.

And then I was reminded how important it is to see the heart behind what my children are doing. Yes there are definitely times that they are being plain disobedient. But there are also times that they are just being children. I don't want to assume the worst in my kids. Because if I'm always assuming the worst, eventually it's going to hurt the relationship I have with them.

Finding out what's going on in our children's hearts is a lot of work. But something tells me that one day it will be worth it.