Kids & Vegetables

It seems that the topic of how to get kids to eat their vegetables is one that has come up a lot in recent conversations I've had.  So, I decided to put together some recipes that my kids really like.  I have to say, my kids have never really given us trouble in this area.  Ethan would be vegetarian if we let him.  While Hailey prefers carbs (pasta, bread, cheese, etc) she will eat vegetables.  But, these are some recipes I've come across and thought I'd share them.

Broccoli & Cheddar Nuggets

1 16oz pkg frozen broccoli, cooked, drained and finely chopped

1 cup bread crumbs

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

3 large eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine all ingredients.  Shape mixture into nuggets and place on greased baking sheet. Bake 20-25 minutes, turning over after 15 minutes.  Serve warm.

Stuffed Vegetables

3 bell peppers, halved & seeded

2 small zucchini, cut in half lengthwise, seeds removed.

1 lb ground turkey

1/4 cup bread crumbs

1 egg

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp ground mustard

Salt

Pepper

1 tsp thyme

1 cup Spaghetti sauce

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Mix together all ingredients, except vegetables, sauce and mozzarella.  Chill, prepare vegetables.  Fill vegetables with filling (this will fill them generously).  Ladle spaghetti sauce evenly over each vegetable.  Sprinkle each with mozzarella cheese.  Bake 40 minutes.  **I have used just zucchini or just peppers (whatever was on sale)**  It's like a pizza on a vegetable!

Vegetable pockets

1 can buttermilk biscuits OR your favorite dinner roll dough

whatever vegetables you like, finely chopped and sauted until tender, drain any extra juice.

Shredded cheddar cheese

Pizza sauce, if desired (this is totally optional and will obviously go better with some vegetables)

Roll out each biscuit to approximately 6 inches.  Fill with 2 TB vegetable mixture, cheese and sauce (if using)  fold in half and seal edges.  Cut a small vent hole in the top.  Bake at 375 13-15 minutes.  ** You can also freeze these before cooking them.  To Bake place frozen pockets on ungreased sheet, bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes.

**these pockets are so versatile and a frequent request from my kids.  Just use your imagination for fillings.  One thing to make sure of is that whatever you use is not too wet.

Cauliflower & Cheese soup

1 Medium head of cauliflower, cut into florets

2 cups chicken stock

1/4 cup butter or margarine

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

2 cups milk

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Cook cauliflower in chicken stock until tender.  Do not drain.  Cool a bit.  Run thru blender until desired texture (for a chunkier soup just mash with a hand masher).  Set aside.  Melt butter in a saucepan.  Add onion and saute until limp.  Do not brown.  Mix in flour, salt & pepper.  Add milk.  Heat and stir until it boils and thickens.  Add cheese and cauliflower mixture.  Stir to heat and melt cheese. 

A couple other suggestions I've heard recently are:

*chop up extra vegetables and put in spaghetti sauce, on pizzas or in chili (if your kids will eat that)

*puree butternut squash until very smooth, add to macaroni and cheese

* Shred carrots and add to macaroni and cheese

*slip some finely chopped vegetables into a grilled cheese sandwich.

A lesson on prayer.

Prayer is a topic that I've been studying lately.  I have been learning so much and am more amazed each day at the wisdom of the God that I serve.  

This past week I read about when God answers prayer.  While most of it was a review there was one thing that struck me as very profound and something I'd "read over" many times but had never hit me.  Under this subject of God answers it was said that while we always want a "Yes" to our requests God's other answers include "No", "Wait" and "Trust".  I had heard that before but one of the examples that was given was of Mary & Martha when Lazarus died (John 11).  These women who loved Jesus and were friends of his sent him a message telling him that Lazarus was very ill.  But notice Jesus' response in verses 4-6.  He didn't run right to them.  He simply stated that Lazarus wouldn't die from this illness, Jesus loved Mary & Martha yet he stayed where he was for 2 more days before going to them!  His answer to their request was "wait".  

To these women the situation looked hopeless.  Jesus hadn't come, Lazarus had died and was now buried.  When Jesus shows up they even say "if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died" (verse 21), while Jesus was sad and deeply affected by the death of Lazarus He knew that a greater purpose would be served (refer to verse 4).  Jesus then raises Lazarus from the dead (proving that the sicknes wasn't "unto death") and many that were gathered there to comfort Mary & Martha believed on Jesus (verse 45).

If Jesus had come right away and healed Lazarus it could have been said that Lazarus simply recovered; however, there was no doubting the miracle of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead (the Son of God was glorified, verse 4).  Not only that but there would not have been all the other mourners there (verses 18 & 19 state that many Jews had come from Jerusalem to comfort Mary & Martha in their loss).  Jesus waited to come so that all these people would be there, as witnesses to this miracle that many would believe on him and gain eternal life.

So often our vision is so narrow and clouded that we can't see the whole picture.  Praise God that we serve Him who knows all and will answer our prayers according to His purposes and His timing.  When, from a human standpoint, all seemed hopeless God was working to bring glory to His Son and many to a saving faith!  

I would encourage you to read thru this chapter and prayerfully apply these truths to situations in your own life that may seem hopeless, or discouraging and thank God that He knows the beginning from the end and will work all things for His glory (John 11:4, 40), our good (Jeremiah 29:11) and for our growth (Hebrews 13:20-21).

A yummy recipe to share.

For the last couple days I've really been wanting some cinnamon rolls.  While I love the thought of having warm rolls for breakfast getting up at 4am to make them wasn't something I loved the thought of doing.  I found this recipe for overnight cinnamon rolls so I decided to try them.  They were very easy to put together and very yummy (not to mention how nice the house smelled this morning as they were baking).  Next time I will cut the recipe in half because this makes 24 rolls (the recipe didn't say how many it would make).  At least we have cinnamon rolls for awhile :)

Overnight Cinnamon Rolls:*

Dough:

1/4 Cup warm water

1 tsp sugar

1 pkg dry yeast (or 2 1/4 tsp)

2 cups warm milk

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup oil (I used olive oil)

1 1/2 tsp salt

6-7 cups flour

Filling:

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1-2 TB cinnamon

Softened butter

Pecans and/or raisins (optional)

Icing: (if desired)

1 cup powdered sugar

1 TB cinnamon

3-4 TB milk (or until desired consistency)

1 tsp vanilla

Mix the first 3 ingredients, let stand until yeast is dissolved.  Add the remaining dough ingredients and mix well.  Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until dough is smooth and no longer sticky.  Place in greased bowl and cover.  Let rest 3-4 hours.  Roll out dough into a large rectangle.  Spread generously with softened butter.  Mix sugar, brown sugar and cinnamon.  Sprinkle heavily over butter.  If using chopped pecans or raisins sprinkle these over sugars.  Roll up the rectangle starting from the short end seal edge.  cut into 1-inch slices and place into ungreased 9X13 pans.  Cover, put in refrigerator to rise over night.  

The next morning take out of refrigerator.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Uncover rolls and bake for 20-25 minutes.  Cool Slightly.  Drizzle with icing.  Yield: 24

* you will want to start these early in the evening as they do need to rise 3-4 hrs before shaping and putting into the fridge.

An enjoyable weekend.

This weekend was much different then we had planned it but as with so many other times God's plans were truly the best.

Our original plan for the weekend was to meet up on Saturday with my parents and some of my other relatives for a dinner at a local restaurant.  Sunday's plans were to go to church and then to a birthday party for my neighbor's son.  

Due to some sickness and the weather the dinner for Saturday was at first cancelled but after talking to my parents they decided to come down anyway and that we would just go to dinner with them and then they would spend the night.  My kids were so excited to have Mimi & Papa spending the night.  Dinner was yummy!  Since my husband needed a tool for some remodeling we're doing  we headed to do a little shopping.  Although he wasn't able to find the tool that he needed we had a nice time out.  After getting the kids in bed my mom & I settled in to watch a movie we had rented called "Life is Beautiful".  It's a very stirring story and is one that will stay with you long after the end of the movie.  We both enjoyed it, although the subtitles weren't my mom's favorite :)

On Sunday my mom was not feeling well so she stayed home while we and my dad headed to church.  It was a nice time at church.  My parent's headed out shortly after lunch but it was so nice to relax and visit with them.  The kids had a lot of fun playing with them and are looking forward to the next time they can see them.  

So, although we missed out on the birthday party, it was a very relaxing and enjoyable weekend.  I'm very grateful for my parent's and the close relationship that we have.   

Something New

After reading several different blogs I was inspired to start my own.  This is something new for me so we'll see how it goes.  My vision for this blog is to share parenting, cooking, crafting, Biblical truths I'm learning, and other life anecdotes.  

As the name of my blog suggests I was raised in two small towns (one until I was 12 and the other until I was out of college).  I love country life so it was a big change to move the the city after graduating college.  Since then I have married a wonderful man (also from a small town) who, alas, loves "being near everything".   This has created a growing experience for me; something, I admit, that has not always been easy.  Thankfully God is teaching me contentment and helping me to realize that it's not where I'm planted but how I grow in that place, that really matters.  

So feel free to stop by anytime. 

Before I close this I will share one "lightbulb" moment that God led me to this week.  It is easy to dwell on what we think our lives "should" be or what our "dream" life would be but God has promised that his plans are for our good.  Many times I've thought "if I only lived in the country then..." most of those "then" statements had to do with how my home would be run.  Crafts I would do, activities I would do with the kids, etc.  This week I realized that I can have those moments right here, I don't need the trees and quiet to enjoy those things.  This may sound foolish to many of you but it's so easy to get caught up in what I want and be pulled away by my own desires rather than realizing that God has provided many of the same (and many other) opportunities to enjoy Him, my family and the home he has blessed me with.

Some of these things that I have incorporated (not just this week, some of these I've been doing since I was married, it's just my attitude that has changed) are baking my own bread, canning applesauce and jams, sewing, crocheting and menu planning.  These have always been somewhat therapeutic activities for me, there's something about doing a task that women have been doing since Eve left the garden, and the physical labor of these things that is so very rewarding.  Again, it is not so much that my activities have drastically changed but that my attitude in doing those activities has changed; and after all, isn't that really what's important.

My disclaimer here is that I truly hope this doesn't sound prideful, I still have a lot of learning to do but it has been such a blessing and encouragement to realize truths about God and to truly meditate on his goodness.