Advent Calendar

This year we decided to do a family advent countdown devotional. We are using Thriving Family's outline which you can find at http://www.thrivingfamily.com/Features/Magazine/2011/advent/2011-advent-calendar-week-1.aspx
We are looking forward to introducing Desiring God's advent devotion guide as well. You can find it at
 http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/free-advent-devotional-guide
We believe it is important that you teach children the true meaning of Christmas and not leave to it just being about being good to receive presents from Santa. Don't get me wrong we totally go all out with Santa. We make the cookies, egg nog, write letters, and even have a family tradition of having Fenwick the elf visit the kids. If that is all our kids walked away with each year then we would be failing them as parents and giving them a false hope. It is vital that they know that the core meaning of Christmas is about the birth of Jesus and that He was sent to earth to live a perfect holy life and to die for us horrific sinners because of His righteous grace and love for us.

The kids and I thought it would be fun to make our own advent countdown calendar this year. It was pretty simple and we just used leftover scrapbooking material to make it.

We just added string to connect papers, punched out circles and added christmas stickers to make the beneath pictures, used premade squares to write the numbers on, and then hot glued the squares above the circles.

 Adi and Noah had fun writing the countdown numbers on the squares

Adi was excited to life the first number :)

Kefir

I have really been looking into the benefits of kefir and how to make my own. Thankfully a few friends have been nice enough to help me learn more about it. I am looking forward to starting my first milk kefir batch soon. But for now I have been using plain/unsweetened milk Kefir from Trader Joe's.
Here is a web site that has been really helpful to me while I am still learning about Kefir.
http://culturedfoodlife.com/Kefir.html

Some Fun Facts about the benefits of Kefir:

• Kefir has been called the “champagne of milk
• Kefir is a fermented milk which contains a mixture of several species of lactic cultures.
• Kefir is a remedy for digestive troubles because of its very low curd tension, meaning that the curd breaks up very easily into extremely small pieces.

Another great thing about Kefir is that you can use it in a variety of foods and drinks. We have made ice cream, smoothies, muffins, and now today bread.

Pumpkin Kefir Bread
Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl and set aside
2 cups white/whole wheat flour
2 TBS pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder

Mix wet ingredients in a large bowl
1/2 cup unsweetened natural applesauce
3/4 cup raw local honey
3/4 cup raw sugar or sucanat
1 egg white
1 tsp vanilla
2 TBS molasses
1 can pumpkin
1 cup milk kefir

Once the wet ingredients are well combined add the dry ingredients slowly.
Pour into loaf pan and can also make 6 muffins
Bread 325 degrees for 40-45 mins
Muffins 20-25 mins

Fall is in the air

My family and I just adore fall time! The smells of apple cinnamon, pumpkin baking, fire pits burning, and hot cocoa cooling down on the counter are just some of the wonderful fall aromas. We try to soak up every bit of the fall time as much as possible.
One of our favorite foods to make during this time of year is pumpkin. Whether it be muffins, bread, pancakes, cake, pie..we just love it all! I know it is still not "technically" fall, but in the Tuttle house we are starting out a little early :)So tonight the kids and I went on a pumpkin baking frenzy.

 Here is our Clean Pumpkin Bread
1/2 cup sucanat or organic brown sugar
1/2 cup raw honey
2 egg whites
1/3 cup yogurt
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp clove
1/2 tsp salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Spray 8 1/2" by 4 1/2" metal loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray with flour.
2. In large bowl, with wire whisk, combine brown sugar and egg whites. Add pumpkin, applesauce, yogurt, and vanilla extract; stir to combine.
3. In medium bowl, combine all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, baking soda, and salt. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture; stir until just combined. Do not overmix.
4. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 40-50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of loaf comes out clean

Never too young

Mommy got a craving for some chocolate (big surprise right?lol) and little miss was grumpy so I thought well lets see if she wants to help mommy bake. She loved loved helping. She stirred and stirred her little heart out. It was so cute watching her have so much fun. I had Adi and Noah come look and they were so proud of her. They sat and cheered her on. My pantry is pretty bare this week and I have tried to stick to a healthier diet so I wanted something not high in fat, no eggs, butter, or gluten. So here is my take on a gluten free, egg free, butter free fudgey brownie

1/2 cup rice flour (can use any gluten free flour)

1/4 cup organic brown sugar

1/2 cup raw sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup non sweetned applesauce
1/4 cup safflower oil
mix together and bake in an 8x8 pan for 25-30 mins

Everything Basil

We finally have a trader joe's!!! I was so giddy going up and down every aisle at least 2 times :)
 I bought a bunch of organic basil to cook with this week and had fun creating different meals with one main ingredient.  I would have my own basil plant but I kill every plant..and I mean every single one :)
The first thing I made today was a baked basil chicken burger on top of a basil/chicken brown jasmine rice. We do not like chunks of onion so we always use onion powder but feel free to use fresh onion.
The rice was super easy and full of a lot of flavor.

Baked Basil Chicken Burger
1 lb hormone free ground chicken
3-4TBS mayo
3-4tsp chopped basil
1 1/2 tsp onion powder
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
2TBS Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
mix all the ingredients together and refrigerate for about 20-30 mins so that they flavors absorb together.
make into patties, put on an oiled baking sheet, bake at 375 degrees for about 25 mins ,flip half way through. Makes about 5-6 patties

Basil Brown Jasmine Rice
1 cup cleaned rice
2 cups chicken stock
1TBS chopped basil
1 tsp garlic powder or 1/2 tsp minced
1 tsp olive oil
Place stock and rice in a saucepan and bring to a boil, cover and simmer for about 25-30mins



Apple and Basil Muffins
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon

1 apple cleaned and minced up
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3TBS lemon juice
3TBS brown sugar
let sit in a bowl for 5 mins
add
1 organic egg (slightly beaten)
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup organic vanilla yogurt
1/4 cup almond milk
1/4 cup raw sugar
1/4 cup raw honey

 mix together and sprinkle on top
2TBS brown sugar
1TBS raw sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon

add dry ingredients to wet till combined. bake at 350 degree for 15-16 mins

Crazy Hot Dog Night? Themed Meals!

Meals can become monotonous. We can blow through a meal and not think twice about it. Years of public school trains us to eat like machines. Food is simply fuel that needs to be consumed according to a sectioned out pyramid chart. The fast pace of life only reinforces our robotic approach to eating. So when (if) we sit down to share a meal together it goes against all of the overwhelming assaults that life and training has battered us with.

A fun meal is a memorable meal. I’ve already posted about the benefits of singing around the table but we also try to spice things up by coming up with ‘theme’ nights. Themed meals are something to look forward to, something to participate in, and something to fondly look back on. There’s no formula to follow. Just think about what’s fun to do or serve.

One of our favorite themed meals is Crazy Hot Dog Night. This one is pretty simple. Just make some hot dogs and then take virtually everything edible out of the fridge and cupboard and place it on the counter. I’m talking ketchup, mayo, salad dressing, chips, peanut butter, jelly, hot sauce, soy sauce, cottage cheese, bananas, apples, carrots, honey, salt, pepper, raisins, crackers, and basically anything else we can think of. (I just thought of cereal…we haven’t done that one yet…) Then top your hot dog to make it crazy! (Warning: messes will be made so suck it up neat freak and have fun!)

While Crazy Hot Dog night is usually planned earlier in the week it’s not in our normal meal rotation. But we do have one themed meal a week that has been a big hit: Taco Tuesday. Again, pretty simple, but it’s something to look forward to and it’s always interesting coming up with different taco meals. I recommend frying your own corn tortilla shells. It tastes better than packaged shells and it’s pretty simple. Oil in a pan. Fry the tortilla. Don’t burn it. Then try to fold it into a shell (good luck…I’ve yet to master it…one day, corn tortilla my friend, one day…)

We have other themed meals that actually don’t have anything to do with food. The current favorite is Talk Like a Pirate Night. As long as the kids are eating their food, virtually all normal table manners fly out the window. Cups are usually pounded on the table and forks are held in your fists not your fingers. Menacing growls, hooked fingers, and squinty left eyes abound. Conversation is quite hilarious. When my 4 year old son wasn’t eating his food I said, “Avast! Ye best eat yer food ya scurvy dog or I’ll have ye shackled and sunk to the bottom o’Davy Jones’ locker!” He responded with an “Arrr! Matey! Shimber me timbers!” and a big sloppy pirate bite of food. Come to think of it, it’s quite therapeutic.

I said this in my last post but I want to say it again;

Of course we want our kids to have table manners and we want them to eat what’s on their plate, but what is more important than table manners, and even more important than finishing every last bite is the ongoing character shaping experience of joy that is found in a family fellowshipping together. I want my kids to remember that our times at the table were times of joy. Times where we not only talk about God, but sing about Him. I want them to remember good food and good fun. When I’m an old man I want to hear them tell stories about their time around the table that causes us to laugh until it hurts.

I want to encourage you to think up a few of your own themed meals. Come up with them together as a family! Don’t let food become mere fuel. Make food fun! Make memories together around your table.

I would love to hear what kind of themed meals you come up with or ones you already have!

Devotions at Dinner

We really try to do some sort of devotional once a week at the dinner table while we are eating. We try not to make it feel scheduled or like we have to do this to be Godly. There are 2 books we really like using called Get Wisdom! by Ruth Younts and Long Story Short (Ten-Minute Devotions to Draw Your Family to God) by Marty Machowski.

Get Wisdom is "23 short lessons for guiding children along the straight path of wisdom, using clear, simple explanations and dynamic illustrations." It also has a teacher's guide in the back that gives your practical instructions on how to help apply these lessons in everyday life. So we try to go over the lesson, talk about some of the applications, repeat scripture verse and explain it, talk about the picture, and pray about how the Lord can help change our hearts. I then usually re-read the lesson a few times a week and go over scripture so they can remember it. It's been really helpful in everyday instances when the kids are having a rough day obeying or listening. Some examples of the lessons are listening, obedience, contentment, gratitude,respect, and patience. I personally love this because it helps me learn scripture and the see the sin in my own life.

 

Find "Get Wisdom" here!

Long Story short is a fun way to show the gospel to your children in about 10 mins. "Each lesson focuses on highlighting the gospel of grace through the stories of the Old testament. The gospel is deep enough to keep the oldest and wisest parents learning and growing all their lives, yet simple enough to transform the heart of the first grader who has just begun to read." We love this book because it incorporates the OT and NT and simply shows the kids the gospel through each story and lesson.

Get "Long Story Short" here! 

 

In the kitchen

At least once a week I try to have the kids come bake and or cook with me seperately. I get to have one and one time with them and show them the ins and out of food. Noah always has lots of questions and little patience..ha but he is a little 4 year old boy. But he is always wanting to know what ingredients are in everything we make which makes for a lot of conversations :)
I have been really looking into my own at home cupcake or cake business...so for now I am loving this cake pop idea! I tried a recipe last week and the cake part was awesome but my outer shell never got hard. So today after some tweeks I think we are on the road to success! Today I used a doctored cake mix but from now on I will use my own whole wheat yummy cakes that don't have all the processed junk in them. But I wanted to just try mix for today to make it easier on myself :) Adi had a blast getting messy and really working with her hands. Usually she's pretty timid to do so since I am a clean freak..but hey I am getting out of my shell somewhat lol. It was a time of laughter, jokes, girl time, and just plain fun bonding time with my eldest daughter. Arwen had fun watching and helping push Adi's chair around in the kitchen.

Later in the day I had Noah help me make some yummy whole wheat pumpkin muffins for our "breakfast for dinner". He asked a lot of questions like usual which made me giggle and did a great job stirring and adding ingredients. He said "oh mom you can do the eggs cuz they're too messy". He doesn't like to get his hands all ooey either like big sis. His favorite part was that we soaked the raisins in hot water to make them plump again. He thought that was amazing lol.
Well here's our Whole Wheat Pumpkin Muffin Recipe

1st soak 3/4 cup raisins with hot water that covers them for a few mins
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp ciannamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
mix the dry ingredients together then make a well for the liquid
2 range free organic eggs
1/2 cup raw honey
1/4 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup safflower oil
mix together and then fold the raisins. Bake 350 degrees for 17-19 mins

Thou Shalt Sing!

As a kid growing up I was blessed (without realizing it) that our family ate together. Sometimes we ate in front of the TV, but more often we ate around the big wooden table in the kitchen. One of the things instilled in me as a result was the dinner table etiquette. I assume each family has there own ‘house rules’ but I’m sure many are the similar. We learned how to say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ when passing and receiving the mashed potatoes. We had to ask to be excused from the table. Belching was a big no-no (despite our attempts to convince our parents that it was a complement…). And saying, “Yuck” or “I don’t like that” became a death sentence because when those words were uttered you were served an extra spoonful. You quickly learned to think twice before you criticized your plate. Of course if you simply just left the inedible food on your plate untouched then came the ominous threat of “Eat it or wear it” (ominous then…hilarious now). However, it was mostly an empty threat. I say mostly because I can recall some form of food being dumped upon one of my siblings. I don’t remember who, but it was probably my brother…

Those were some good rules with good intention behind them. But there was one ‘house rule’ that never made sense to me. The rule was “No Singing at the Table!” I always thought (and still do) that it is a stupid rule. Looking back as a parent myself I can only assume this rule was enacted because singing at the table must have distracted us from eating (and it was likely true…I would’ve sung till dawn if it meant I didn’t have to eat my brussel sprouts…).

So when I grew up I swore to myself that there would be no such rule at my table. I actually think singing at the table is one of the best things a family can do together. Nothing goes better with good food and drink than a good song. So the rule at my house is "Thou Shalt Sing!"

One of the things I’d like to do is to be more intentional about singing at the table. So far it’s just been willy nilly. The other night we did an impromptu ‘Guess the movie by what song I sing’ game that lasted until after the table was cleared and it was a blast. I need to be more deliberate about doing things like that. What a great time to introduce your kids to one of the great hymns. Maybe incorporate a hymn before the meal that is offering thanks to God. My son thinks everything is a drum. The table is a sturdy place to teach that boy some rhythm!

Of course we want our kids to have table manners and we want them to eat what’s on their plate, but what is more important than table manners, and even more important than finishing every last bite is the ongoing character shaping experience of joy that is found in a family fellowshipping together. I want my kids to remember that our times at the table were times of joy. Times where we not only talk about God, but sing about Him. I want them to remember good food and good fun. When I’m an old man I want to hear them tell stories about their time around the table that causes us to laugh until it hurts.

Singing is so rare outside of the realm of commercialized entertainment that it is almost weird for people to sing together. I want my kids to be weird. I want them to be countercultural. I want them to value song and singing together as much as they value food and eating together, and the dinner table is the most natural place for these things to take place.

Trying to become more intentional about singing at the table is just one part of developing that joyful experience of eating together. In the future I'll post about other fun things we try to do around the table...like Crazy Hot Dog Night...

Do you sing at the table?

Adi's Turn in the kitchen

Adi loves to be in the kitchen! She likes to have alone time with mommy so today while the younger 2 were napping we made some homemade strawberry poptarts. (original idea courtsey of gracious pantry) we of course tweaked it a little to make it more for us. While we were baking Adi says "Mom I love to cook" and I said well technically its called baking. Ha she was confused until I said most meals with meat and veggies are cooking and baking is more for muffins, cupcakes, desserts..then it clicked in her brain. She has a sweet tooth like her mamma that's for sure..so when you start explaining dessert lingo she pays close close attention. I got to explain to her how whole wheat and raw sugar were a healthier option for baking and how you can make it really delicisous with wholesome ingredients. We had a lot of fun!

Today we decided to try to find a healthier option for breakfast tomorrow so I looked under gracious pantry's site and saw these yummy looking poptarts! I was thrilled to find them and knew Adi would love to help out.

So here's the recipe for our Homemade Pop Tarts
2 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 cup raw sugar (for a cleaner version you can use sucanat)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract

1/2 cup safflower oil

1/2 cup of unsweetned almond milk

Filling
we used my homemade strawberry preserves
1 lb frozen or fresh strawberries
1/2 cup raw sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
bring to a boil and stir. let simmer for about 15-20 mins on med high till thickened

let cool down some and add extra to a clean hot jar

If it's not thick enough add little cornstarch dissolved in water

combine all the ingredients together. if too crumbly add little bit of milk to bind it together. form into a ball on parchment or wax paper. flour the paper before rolling out into a big rectangle.

make 10 rectangles (we had to make the 5th one from edges we scraped off and rolled back out)

after you have rectangles cut out. put one side down on greased cookie sheet. add the filling about 1/2 way on it and then put the top on . use a fork to pinch the edges together so the filling doesn't come spilling out.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 mins till golden brown.
Once cooled down a little brush fresh raw honey on top and let dry. Don't put in toaster. Microwave for 2-3 mins if not eating right away

2 week food challenge

Like I had mentioned in an earlier post I have been trying to learn more about "eating clean". So starting tomorrow I am going to start what's called the Clean Eating Kickstart Challenge #1 for 2 weeks by http://www.thegraciouspantry.com/
It's not going to be as easy as I wish it was...because I love, love, love my sweets. And this plan does not allow that other than fresh fruit. So my goal is to write about the plan as I go along.
Here's a link to the site if you want to research the it more. I am a picky eater so I of course will be substituting some foods for ones I like. I will be repeating a lot of the same meals to make it easier and cheaper. Enjoy! And here's to a healthier you :)
http://www.thegraciouspantry.com/clean-eating-kickstart-plan/

Noah's time in the kitchen

The kids and I love to bake together! I am always trying to "healthify" (ha is that a word?) a recipe and make it my own. It's fun to have quality one and one time with the kids, be able to teach them to cook/bake, learn about foods that are good for them and why, and to get a little messy if needed :) Noah loves to be all hands on when baking..he gets his spiderman apron on and is all boy about getting messy while "helping"..and of course he gets to lick a spoon or sneak a chocolate chip here and there lol.
Noah was home with me this past week while sissy was away and we decided to make a healthy/cleaner version of peanut butter and chocolate chip cookies. By saying my version of a clean recipe i mean i am trying to stick to a more natural and raw version as possible. I am new to this 'clean version" so I don't know all the of the "rules" haha

My version of a cleaner pb and chocolate chip cookie

1 cup rolled oats

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup applesauce (unsweetned)

3/4 cup raw or local honey

1 cup natural peanut butter

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 range free egg

1 cup chocolate chips

mix dry ingredients together in one bowl

mix wet ingredients in seperate bowl

add the wet ingredients to the dry

fold in the chocolate chips

place 1 tbs of dough 1-2 inches apart on greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 12-13 mins

Around Our Table

 "Around the table we offer friendship and celebrate life. Our meals offer a divine moment. An opportunity for people to be seduced by grace into a better life, a truer life, a more human existence." - Tim Chester

This is what our blog is all about and this is what we hope to convey in our future posts. Our goal is to discuss everything that happens around the table; food, fellowship, family, and faith.
So to start off our inaugural post we thought it would be fun to interview the people who are around our table.

-First we would like to introduce Adison Grace our eldest at 6 years old.

What's your favorite Breakfast food to eat?
Panacakes and eggs
What's your favorite food for Lunch?
peanut butter, honey, and craisin sandwich
What's your favorite food for Dinner?
Egg drop soup
What's your favorite fruit?
cherries
What's your favorite vegetable?
broccoli
What's your favorite Dessert?
cherry cake with whipped cream and cherry on top
What's your favorite drink?
hot chocolate
If you could eat a meal with anyone who would it be?
Aunt Candy because her name is Candy and that is funny

-Next up is our 4 year old son Noah Daniel

What's your favorite Breakfast food to eat?
Captain Crunch Cereal
What's your favorite food for Lunch?
Applesauce and peanut butter and jelly sandwich
What's your favorite food for Dinner?
Scrambled eggs and pasta
What's your favorite fruit?
grapes and apples
What's your favorite vegetable?
broccoli
What's your favorite Dessert?
Brownies and Cake
What's your favorite drink?
regular milk and orange juice
If you could eat a meal with anyone who would it be?
Ayden (his friend) so they could have a picnic

-Our third child Arwen Noel who is 17 months old (the picky eater) likes bananas, chicken, and milk.

-Anna, mother, wife and contributor to Around the Table:

What's your favorite Breakfast food to eat?
Buttermilk Pancakes and eggs
What's your favorite food for Lunch?
Chicken, blueberry, strawberry, spinach salad
What's your favorite food for Dinner?
Pork tenderloin and mashed potatoes
What's your favorite fruit?
Pineapple
What's your favorite vegetable?
Spinach; it's very versatile
What's your favorite Dessert?
raw cookie dough
What's your favorite drink?
Iced sweetened green tea
Least favorite food?
Beets
If you could eat a meal with anyone who would it be?
Jesus, because it'd be awesome.

-And finally, Rich, father, husband and contributor to Around the Table:

What's your favorite Breakfast food to eat?
bacon bacon, and bacon
What's your favorite food for Lunch?
pulled pork sandwich from BB's Lawnside BBQ
What's your favorite food for Dinner?
Fried Chicken
What's your favorite fruit?
pears and raisins
What's your favorite vegetable?
corn and potatoes..are those vegetables?
What's your favorite Dessert?
Tres Leches Cake
What's your favorite drink?
Stout Beer
Least favorite food?
Brussel Sprouts
If you could eat a meal with anyone who would it be?
John Newton at the Castle and Falcon Inn

Now that you have gotten to know a little about us, we hope you'll join us as we feast together through food, fellowship, family, and faith.

"So, whether you eat, or drink, or whatever you do, do everything to bring praise to God." -1 Corinthians 10:31