In 'Sink

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

We're moving!

Okay, not really, but this website is!

Head on over to http://www.slightlyobsessed.wordpress.com and check it out. Nothing fancy, but a little more "me". This one will still stay here, but all updates will be done over there.

Time for change! :)

Monday, January 07, 2008

Healthiest Pancakes

This is one of my favorite recipes and many Sundays, I will make this before church.

1 egg
1 1/4 cup milk (I ususally use soy milk or a combo)
2 Tbsp oil (I prefer coconut oil-it gives the pancakes a tropical flare..more on coconut oil later)
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup wheat germ
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 oats (any kind will do)

optional: chopped walnuts/pecans and smashed bananas

Beat egg; add milk and oil (melt first if using coconut oil); mix flour, wheat germ, baking powder, and salt in separate bowl; add oats to dry ingredients; mix all ingredients well; cook in frying pan over medium heat.

Notes: For syrup, I prefer to use half agave nectar and half pure maple syrup. Both are not cheap items, but the end result is so much better and healthier. When possible and I have all the ingredients on hand, I will add the nuts and bananas. Instead of using cooking spray, I use a small amount of coconut oil in the frying pan. I also use coconut oil instead of butter on top of the pancakes!

These pancakes are "heavier", but so good if you are willing to try something new!

Tuesday, December 04, 2007

Our Little Princess

She turned two!

For the sake of comparison, I'll repost some pictures from her first birthday.

Then...

And now...

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Good Things

"Praise the Lord, O my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
Praise the Lord, O my soul;
and forget not all his benefits-- ...
...who satisfies your desires with GOOD THINGS
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's." Psalm 103:1-2,5

I'm really not sure where to begin in recounting exactly what has happened within the past 2 weeks. Suffice it to say that there have been many GOOD THINGS!

To make a VERY long, albeit amazing story, a whole lot shorter, we'll just get on with it.

We have a house under contract!!! AND, we are already moved in!!! I don't know about other places in this country, but around here, it is unheard of for a seller to let the buyer move in prior to close of escrow. However, the wonderful God we serve knows our needs, and brought an amazing family into our path. They are believers and it turns out that this lady attends the MOPS group that meets at our church! They needed to sell a house, we needed to buy a house. According to this lady, and I quote, "We really want to help out a family who needs a house and needs a good deal."

Um....please pick us?!?!?!?

So many things about us getting this house can only be from the Lord. If you are interested in the whole story, drop me a line and I'd be glad to tell you.

Anyway, I will post some pictures. They are from the craigslist ad where I originally found the house, so none of the furnishing are ours. And they aren't great quality because I had to cut and paste.

One final thought....

A wise man once told me that the Lord will do good things and give us the desires of our hearts, if we just let Him!!! (Thanks, dad!)

Friday, November 09, 2007

Of a different nature....

If anyone knew me as a teenager, you'd know that I lived off of Mountain Dew, Oreos, etc... Oh, and let's not forget Rosa's breadsticks and ranch dressing. Nearly every day for my sophomore-senior years of high school. Seriously. And like most people, I ignored the warnings that it would eventually catch up with me.

Fast forward a few years and two children later. I think I gained nearly 60-65 pounds when I was pregnant with Kaiya. So much so, that my doctor insisted on doing the gestational diabetes test. He would have skipped it since I was fine with Benjamin, but since I had gained 10 pounds in two consecutive appointments (one month apart), he was a little worried. I kinda had the "I'll eat what I want, when I want, and I dare you to challenge me because I'm pregnant" attitude. I craved the Crisp Chicken Burrito from Taco Time in Belgrade...and I tried to bribe my mom into overnighting one to me.

I finally came to my senses a month or two after Kaiya was born. I was tired of wearing jeans that didn't fit. No, I wasn't overweight by the world's standard, but I didn't feel good about myself. I was in the grocery store one day getting ready to check out when a book caught my eye. Honestly, it was really the art on the front of the book, but I grabbed it anyway. It's called The Sonoma Diet. So I bought it.

That book completely changed the my life. Rather, my lifestyle. After reading that book, I was very intrigued and started putting those practices into effect immediately. Within a month, I was back down to pre-pregnancy weight. After that, I really started researching some of the information presented in the book. Through my research, I came to the conclusion that it wasn't just about portion control or eating certain foods. It's also about avoiding other foods (most commonly known as dieting). But most importantly it's about being healthy. Afterall, our bodies are not our own, a temple of the Holy Spirit, right?

Alight. I'm borderline hippie. What can I say? And why am I telling everyone this? Well, a few people have asked me in recent weeks to give them recipes, hints, tips, etc... So I'm giving you an overview as to where some of this comes from. That's all.

And with that, my first and most favorite discovery.

Agave Nectar

I use it in place of sugar and honey for everything. In fact, I honestly can't remember the last time I used refined sugar. Agave has a fairly low glycemic index compared to sugar (11-19 and 58 respectively). It is sweeter than sugar, so you can use less. It is shelf stable and highly soluable. You can read more about agave nectar from the link above.

Some of my uses (most of which I used agave as a substitute):

cookies (the recipe on the Kashi Flakes box)
pancakes and waffles (use half agave and half pure maple syrup)
salad dressing (a recipe I got from my momma!)
breads
cakes

The uses are nearly endless. I recently introduced my mom to this amazing product and she used it to make a healthier version of carmelcorn!

So, that's all for now. Enjoy! And please feel free to ask questions or leave comments!

Edited to add: agave nectar can be found at most grocery stores, near the honey or syrup, but can definitely be found at health food stores.

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Things I've learned this summer...but pictures first.

Things I've learned this summer:

1. I can survive without tv...except football. Well, even then. I'm not sure I've watched a game in its entirety this season!

2. People really DO think 80 degrees is cold in October. I have pictures of fleece lined mittens in Walmart to prove it.

3. 80 degrees DOES feel cool compared to 116 degrees. I know this from experience.

4. Black widows the size of quarters DO, in fact, exist.

5. Little boys DO, in fact, like to pretend they are firemen while going to the bathroom. I have not figured out if this is intentional yet.

6. Little girls CAN, in fact, have their big, tough daddies wrapped around their itty bitty fingers. I have pictures as proof.

7. Those same little girls can also throw temper tantrums that will gain a swat from their big, tough daddies!

8. Little boys do weird, disgusting things. I have two words for you: booger wall.

9. All of the endless discipline and guidance eventually manifests itself in one way or another. As Ben and Kaiya were playing at the park the other day, Ben turned to Kaiya and said, "I sure love you, Boo." To which Kaiya replied, "Wuv you too Buddy!" Maybe they'll be friends afterall! :)

10. If it seems too good to be true, it probably isn't that good after all.

11. God works in mysterious ways.

12. God's timing is not my timing. Hardly ever.

13. God's timing is not my timing.

14. God's timing is not my timing!

Now that we've gotten that out of the way, I'll give you a super-quick update. Feel free to email me with questions. Or call. :)

Jarid will be starting a new job on November 1st. We found out that because of the pay structure with his current job, we wouldn't be able to qualify to buy a house for another 6 months. Es no bueno. So, he will be assuming the role as a store manager at a place called One Stop Nutrition. It's kind of like a GNC. The guy that opened this store is a good friend of Jarid's dad's, also a referee. This guy reffed in Montana, and is just a few years older than Jarid. He just did his first NCAA Division 1 tournament this year. So, he will be a great asset for Jarid going into his first season here. This job will not only enable us to buy a house, but will ensure no scheduling conflicts during basketball season. Please pray that it is a smooth transition and that the Lord will use Jarid as He sees fit. Lots of opportunity.

I started my job in the middle of July, working at a large Credit Union here in the valley. I am very much enjoying the job, and have a lot of opportunity to move up the ladder. I'm not enjoying being away from the kids, but at least they don't have to be in daycare! :) For now, Jarid and I are working opposite ends of the week. Sometimes you have to make sacrifices now so that you won't have to make them in the future, right?

As you can see, Benjamin and Kaiya are growing like weeds. It's hard for me to believe they will be 4 and 2 in December. And that December is only a month and a half away! Benjamin is getting soooooo tall. He towers over the kids in his Sunday School class. By height alone, he should probably be 2-3 classes ahead. Kaiya is huge. Solid. And she is talking more and more everyday.

I'm sorry it's been so long since I've updated. What can I say? Sometimes just surviving life keeps me busy enough! If I could say one thing, it would be that we covet your prayers for the situation with the house. We have put an offer in on one (now, the second one) that we really like. The market is so crazy here, who knows what could happen. So, thanks in advance for your prayers.