Little Pancakes

Yesterday morning I made cocoa-banana pancakes for breakfast using this recipe. I added about 1/4 cup of sugar to the pancakes, because I don't serve them with syrup (pancakes are messy enough without syrup in our house : ). They were delicious! And there were leftover pancakes that I froze for easy breakfasts : )

I started out making normal-sized pancakes, but switched to making tiny pancakes. I have always been fascinated by things that are smaller than normal, and these itty bitty pancakes were so cute and fun! I thought they tasted better too because they ended up being more done in the middle. And Titus loved them! He was losing interest in the normal-sized pancakes, but when I made these little baby pancakes he gobbled them up : ) This was an easy way to make regular food more fun and kid-friendly. I am so glad I made this culinary discovery!

Time flies!

Well my baby is now 7 months old and has 5 teeth! Caleb is the joy of our lives (along with his brother Titus!) His smiles are plentiful and are bestowed on friends, family, and random strangers at the grocery store : ) He isn't showing any signs of crawling or rolling around, which I am very thankful for! Having 1 child on the move keeps me busy enough ; ) Poor Caleb, we are all so busy chasing after Titus that we forget to take pictures of him : (  I am really trying to be intentional about taking pictures of him because I want to document all his cute little baby stages!

Here is a sampling of the pitiful amount of pictures I have taken of Caleb:

Caleb on Christmas morning with some of his presents

Tummy time! (Love the whale on his butt)

Titus doing "tummy time" with Caleb : p

Chilling in the Boppy

Exersaucer - I love this thing!

Holding hands - so sweet!

I love these boys so much!

Kitchen Tip Tuesday: Peeling Hard-boiled Eggs

Look at me posting two days in a row! I might just make this blogging thing work ; )

Today I am sharing a tip that has revolutionized my life. I no longer live in fear of spending hours peeling eggs, only to end up with patchy, ugly looking eggs. Seriously though, am I the only person who has not heard of this tip and has been a miserable failure at peeling hard-boiled eggs?

It is so simple, but this really does the trick. First, crack the egg all over and carefully start peeling away a little bit of the eggshell. Then, slide a spoon in between the egg and shell, so the bowl of the spoon is cradling the egg. Use that to break the seal between the egg and its shell, and the eggshell will detach easily. As long as the peeling is started correctly (ie. without little bits of the egg white attached to the peel), the spoon will do the rest of the work for you : )

I hope I explained this all clearly! I wanted to take a picture yesterday when I was peeling eggs, but my camera battery was dead, and I don't have a way to get pictures from my phone to my computer (it is just a regular non-smart phone).

Find more helpful kitchen tips at Tammy's Kitchen Tip Tuesday!

Menu Plan Monday - April 1

This is really what we are eating this week. No April Fools here!

Monday - Enchiladas verde and corn

Tuesday - Shepherd's pie (with leftover lamb, so yes Sarah, it is actually SHEPHERD'S pie : )

Wednesday - Baked salmon, roasted carrots and potatoes

Thursday - Chili and corn muffins

Friday - Chicken Teriyaki, rice, and green beans

In my kitchen - January 11

I am starting a new series (I think that is what it is called) that I may or may not do regularly. I cook and bake a lot, and I am always inspired by reading about what other bloggers are making, so I thought I would return the favor and post about what I am cooking right now. I don't have any pictures to go along with this post because I know myself, and if I have to post pictures, it will never get done. Maybe someday when I get a full night's sleep and the boy's nap times align I will put up a picture or two. But until then, you will just have to imagine what the deliciousness looks like (or make it yourself ; )

In my kitchen today I am:

- Cooking black beans - I don't use a recipe, I just soak some beans overnight, drain off the soaking water, cover with fresh water, bring to a boil, and cook on medium for 1-2 hours until the beans are tender. Then I add salt until they taste delicious : ) I will use these beans in our dinner tonight, and the leftovers will either go in the freezer or be part of lunches this coming week.

- Making olive oil granola - This is the best granola ever! (In my opinion : ) It has a lot of flavor, and seems like it is probably pretty healthy too. I didn't have dried apricots or pistachios, so I left them out. And I added some ground flax seed and substituted dried coconut for the coconut chips.  Otherwise, I pretty much followed the recipe. It smells awesome, and I hope it tastes great too!

Having an eternal perspective

I have been thinking about the title of my blog, which comes from my favorite verse, Ecclesiastes 3:11,

"He has made everything beautiful in his time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men, yet none can fathom what God has done from beginning to end."

That is the reason I am a Christian, because God has set eternity in my heart. I know that this life is not all there is, that I have desires and longings that can't be satisfied by any things or relationships here on earth. My husband and I have a great relationship that is a source of encouragement and joy to me, but it isn't perfect. Sometimes we have problems with miscommunication or selfishness or unmet expectations, because our relationship is just a representation of our relationship with God.

"For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known." - 1 Cor. 13:12.

This morning, in my Bible study, I read a verse that really inspired me to have an eternal perspective on life, and a desire for heavenly things. The verse is in Hebrews 11, which talks about men and women who had faith in God's promises, even though they didn't always see the fulfillment of them.

"But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city." - Hebrews 11:16

"God is not ashamed to be called their God" - what powerful words! God wants us to desire heaven, and to desire HIS presence. Looking at things in view of eternity brings a new perspective to the rest of life. Sometimes being the parent of a toddler and an infant is tiring and discouraging, but being a mom means more than just trying to keep my kids from destroying the house and driving me crazy. God's word tells me that I am raising my sons to be servants of the most high God! They have eternal souls, that were made to praise and glorify God. Remembering that encourages me to diligently correct and discipline them. It is not for my glory, it is for the glory of God!

Menu Plan Monday - November 5

Here is what our family is eating this week:

Monday - Sausage, potatoes, and carrots

Tuesday - Chili and cornbread

Wednesday - Bourbon Chicken, brown rice, and green beans

Thursday - Hunter's Delight and peas

Friday - Tortellini