I'm Out of the Box

And maybe a little crazy.....

Here's proof-

 

I like to think of myself as a food explorer- and since I ditched the box (boxed food)  I make

strange strangely delicious food.  Here's my latest adventure of "out of the box" cooking.

 

What you need-

2 avocados

1-2 c. yogurt

1/4 to 1/3 cup honey

Blend together in a blender until creamy

 1 large bowl of fruit.

  1tsp. fruit fresh to prevent browning of your fruit.

Add to your favorite mix of fruit and stir until well blended.

(mine is whatever I have on hand to throw in there)

 

This closely imitates the boxed pudding idea, except it's way healthier.

 

So...Yum!

 

Lily Lake Camp Trip 2013

 On our way- taking a break at a rest stop.  Emmaus and Lucy.

Vaughn walking Teddy, not sure which one looks happier.

 

 Jachin actually smiled for Mommy
 

 Great Grandma Braisted and Gracey.

 

 I really don't know what they are looking at.
 

 Silas is quite the charmer.  He had just told Great Grandma " I love you, you beautiful woman!"
 

 At the Discovery Center

 

 

 Jonathan's mom's work purchased this stone in memory of Karagen, it is in the garden at the Discovery Center.

 

 Big chair at the discovery Center.  I need one of these.

 

 Silas had a butterfly walking all over him.

 

 Visiting with Janet Dixon- Gracey was trying out all the chairs.

 

 

Singing wit the children at camp with streamers.  Silas was supposed to up there too, but he decided he needed sleep.

SADLY I didn't get any photos of Grammy!  Or Pop Pop.....next time I guess.

For you Karagen

And for me.....

    Finding words to express how we feel after losing Karagen is difficult.  Describing emotions even more so.  We love Karagen yet "I love you" doesn't say enough.  We miss her yet "I miss her" can never describe the feelings that well up when we mention her name....or a memory floats through our minds.....there are no words and there is no comfort close enough to ease the ache.  It simply is impossible.
   Sometimes I ask myself when will I get over this?  Then I realize, I will never get over losing her....I will never get over loving her.  I will live the rest of my life with an ache where there was once the glow of love.  Her unique presence filling my heart with its life and warmth.
    Then to realize that there is few pieces left of the woman I used to be and the life that I used to live.  There is only what remains and that is forever altered.  I have to get to know myself again, re-learn how to live, excepting this "new" me.  Fragile yet strong.  Emotions unpredictable.  Either gushing tears or silently angry or somewhere in between.
    There are no words terrible and awful enough for death.  If there were I'd say them.  I'd rend my clothes and sit in sack cloth and ashes and still would feel no better.  There is no "feeling better".

   Yes it's hard to describe.

Here is a poem we read in our Bereaved Parents Group.  Of all the poems we read this touched me the most.

Jessie's  Karagen's Piece

 

The world's a jigsaw, once I thought,

With each of us a piece to fit,

A predetermined Grand Design

And each of us a part of it.

 

I thought that God must surely have

A blueprint of His final goal,

And all who come into this life

Are meant to play some fated role.

 

But when my little Jessie Karagen died,

It seemed to me but sheer caprice

Where fits a child in God's design

Who never lived to add her piece?

 

How often I walk alone

To still the anguish in my heart,

To ask why God would make a plan

In which my child had no part.

 

One day upon a village square,

I happened by a tiny shop.

What random step had led me there?

What in the window made me stop?

 

It was a quilt, a crazy quilt,

Each brightly colored patch,

A joyful work of art

From scraps you'd think would never match.

 

I looked upon the quilt with awe

To think a thing so oddly fine

Was stitched from fragments never made

To fit anyone's design.

 

I wondered then if God might wish

That in this way His world be built,

Each life a motley-colored scrap

And He the weaver of the quilt.

 

If such be true, I realize,

My child's life, though short it be,

Is yet a joyful, shining patch

In God's eternal tapestry.

 

I looked upon the quilt and saw

A patch that seemed sheer caprice,

So whimsical it made me smile.

I knew it was my Jessie's Karagen's piece.

 

by Robert Brault
 





 

I love you Karagen.  Our family is not complete without you.

 

Forever.  I love you.

11 Years!

We've been married 11 years, where does the time go?  Saturday, June 22, 2013

We had a wonderful date, we went to Texas Road House where we enjoyed rolls, salad, steak (Jonathan) chicken tenders (me) baked sweet potatoes, coffee and water.  We then went to Slaughter Beach in Delaware, where we walked and walked.

 

 The beautiful moon!

 

 

Horse Shoe crabs were everywhere.  May and June is their spawning season.  Jonathan kept rescuing the stranded ones by flipping them back over after the waves flipped them on their backs.  Their eyes are on the top of their heads-the small brown round things.

 

 



Mother Day 2013

I want to remember this day, this moment.

 

I wanted to remember Karagen on this day, we took some solar lights to her grave and took our family picture there.

 

 

 

Gracey climbed up for some snuggles while I was napping.

 

Jonathan wrote me this wonderful letter below, I think I'm going to frame it.

 

There are few words to describe the complexity of my feelings today.  I miss Karagen more than I can ever describe, yet am surrounded by so many blessings too numerous to count.  I am so thankful for the 5 beautiful children I still have to hug, kiss and love, they make my world go round.

Spinach Pita Bread

Spinach Pitas/Snack Cakes


1 1/2 tsp. yeast
2 1/2 cups warm water
2 TBS sugar
2 1/2 cup wheat flour (I use spelt)
2 cups ground spinach ( I shred mine with some extra water in the food processor or blender) Measure spinach after grinding.
1 tsp. salt
1 TBS oil (olive preferably)
2 1/2 to 3 1/2 cups white flour (I use a mixture of spelt or whole grain)

Mix first 3 ingredients in a large bowl then add flour, stir.  Let sit for at least 1/2 hour or up to 8 hours.
Add salt and oil, mix.  Then stir in the rest of the flour.  If making into pitas you will need to knead in the rest of the flour.  Cover and let rise 2 to 3 hours.  Shape into balls, roll into circles then cook on hot griddle (between 350/400) for a minute on each side.  If you want a softer pita, cook less, dryer, cook more.

For the Snack Cake variation simply add more water until you get a consistency slightly thicker than pancake mix. You can cut the rising time to 1/2 hour after the second addition of flour.  Scoop them onto a greased hot griddle in the desired size and spread them a little with a spoon.  Cook like a pancake.

This recipe also works well without the spinach.

Serve the snack cakes with peanut butter and yogurt mixed together, or homemade berry sauce, apple sauce or syrup-use your imagination.  They are handy dandy and my kids love them!

I will post pictures today after mine are cooked.

They get eaten almost before they even hit the plate.  These were made with my donut maker.

 

 

On the griddle.  These are the snack cake version, they are softer and more moist.

Back To Eden Gardening...A Family Affair

We are switching our gardening techniques this year.  We don't have a lot of time to spend weeding and what not...so we looked in to gardening info and a local organic farmer told Jonathan about Back to Eden gardening.  No tilling, you start by laying down newspaper 6-7 papers thick, cover that with wood mulch 6-7 inches thick, aged manure and then plant.  Every garden needs 3 things, food, oxygen and water.  If you are into gardening I highly recommend watching the video on the Back to Eden web site.  I will be chronicling our journey and our results.  We should have started our garden in the fall and let it sit all winter, but alas we just came across this gardening method. We are very hopeful!

 

 Putting down the paper.
 

 Capturing the renegade
 

 Silas on top of the mulch pile
 

 Mmhhhmm I can help too (Jachin)
 

 Emmaus the rooster.
 

 Handsome Hubby.
 

 Hard working Buddy-Vaughn
 

Another rooster, he was born to be one :) (Silas)

 

Tuesday, April 9. 2013