Recap (2015.08.01)

In my spirit:

• Contemplating how God’s grace “[trains] us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age.” (Titus 2:12)
• Gearing up to teach preschool Sunday School this year – and praying God grants grace and wisdom to teach Christ, not mere morality.

In the living room:

• I read a novel this week – and have decided that novels ruin me for everyday life. I start chafing at my chores, wishing I could just be sitting devouring another book. And, this would be why nonfiction is what I read at this point in my life.
• The library needs to stop having booksales. My bookshelves are already all full to overflowing and I can’t resist low-cost books – so I always end up coming home with a stack I have no idea where to house.

In the kitchen:

• Slow cooker meals are certainly preferable to oven meals in the summertime – and we love this Slow Cooker Orange Chicken. I make it healthier by adding 8 oz snow peas (stemmed and cut in half), 1 can pineapple tidbits (drained), 1 green pepper (cut into 1/2 to 1 inch chunks), and 1 red pepper (also cut into chunks) about 30 minutes to an hour before serving.
• I tried making some veggie and cheese enchiladas with black beans, zucchini, colored bell peppers, onions, and mushrooms. I thought it was delicious – Daniel thought it could use some meat :-)
• I’m adding lots of veggies to dishes – including adding chickpeas, spinach, and acorn squash to this Chicken Peanut Curry. It was a winner in my book.
• This Glazed Lemon Zucchini Bread looked good – so I made a sourdough version, reducing the sugar and oil by half and skipping the glaze. It was good, but not great – it felt like it had too little lemon and too little zucchini. I’m sure the glaze would have added some lemon flavor, but the small amount of zucchini felt too bad. I think I’ll try modifying a different recipe that includes more zucchini to get the same lemon/zucchini combo.

In the nursery:

• I put Tirzah Mae in her crib Sunday evening and she crawled over to the bars and pulled herself up as if she’d been doing it all her life – so her mattress got lowered right then and there (Thank you, beloved!)
• After what seems like months of what I was sure was teething, Tirzah Mae has finally gotten her first tooth – but she’s teasing other parts of her gums, making me think there are others not far behind.

In the craft room:

• I finally got around to making pom-poms today when a friend came over to visit and craft – this method didn’t end up working out for me, but we found another that works reasonable well.

In the library:
aka “Books added to TBR list”

• Smoke Gets in Your Eyes: & Other Lessons from the Crematory by Caitlin Doughty (added based on Lisa’s review, and on her Nightstand post)
• The Girls of the Atomic City by Denise Kiernan (added based on Susan’s Review)
• Walking with God in the Season of Motherhood by Melissa B. Kruger (added based on Barbara’s review)
• Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty (added based on Nancy’s Nightstand post)
• Knowing God by J.I. Packer (I’ve been thinking I wanted to re-read this – and having it as Challies’ “Reading Classics Together” book might give me the impetus to do so.)

In the garden:

• I got two green beans this week. Two. From 18 plants.
• But the broccoli is still going strong, my cucumbers are giving me a steady trickle, and the peppers are setting on some more fruit. Also, the tomatoes, once they ripen, will be abundant

On the land:

• Still waiting on the construction loan
• The septic guy came out to dig some test holes to determine percolation rates (basically, to confirm that our soil doesn’t absorb water so we’ll need the advanced system we’re getting.)

On the web:

• Are we merging onto the highway all wrong? – The author makes a good point about where the responsibility to make room to merge should lie.
• Outraged at Planned Parenthood? Support Foster Kids – This blogger makes a great point about how often the alternative to abortion (in the US) is unprepared/dysfunctional families trying to raise kids, who then often end up in the system.
• What my special needs son taught me about underestimating our kids – I saw this frequently in relation to babies’ eating abilities. Child gagged on a certain texture last month so mom assumes he can’t handle it. Seriously, that stuff can (and does) change in days.
• The Difference between Playing and Being Entertained – All those great projects “to do with kids” that we see on Pinterest? They’re all great – but kids need to play as well – not just be entertained. This is a great post.