One Piece at a Time

For those of you that know me well, you know I am very nostalgic and crafty, especially when it comes to my kiddos.  I spent a lot of time getting ready for and documenting pregnancy and newborn months with each of our girls and tried to find ways to create keepsakes for them for when they're older.  Well, as we work towards adopting our son, I am once again looking for ways to document the time, effort, prayer, and in this case, the people that have gone into making him an Eddie.


Michael and I are generally very self-sufficient people and rarely ask for help, especially when it comes to money.  We know that God wouldn't put this calling in our hearts and not provide for us one way or another. We trust that it will all work out in His time and according to His plan.  Maybe you are a part of that plan, too. It is not easy for us to fundraise for our adoption, but we keep reminding each other that it's for our son.  It's to give this small orphan child a family, a home, and a hope for a better life. It's to give us one more sweet kiddo to love on and the girls another sibling to play with, argue with, and adore. We can't do it alone. It's going to take a lot of prayer, a lot of paperwork, a lot of guidance, and a lot of support from our village of family and friends. It's going to take a plan far bigger and better than any of ours.

In order to show our future son just how many people were lovingly involved in helping bring him home, I have created this puzzle that we will display in his room.  For this fundraiser, you can purchase a piece of the puzzle, either by purchasing one of my cookbooks, donating directly to our adoption fund, or contributing items/time for our garage sale we are planning for later in the summer. Have another idea of a way you can help? YOU ARE AWESOME! I am all for suggestions! Then we will write your name on the back of a puzzle piece.  When it's done, we will frame it in an open back frame so we can take it down and show him every single person that played a part in this chapter of his life story.  Right now, it's all going towards the $5,100 that we have due at the completion of our home study. (which will be very soon! EEEEK!)

Our first Disney trip! 2017

In the midst of completing our adoption home study, preparing to send Annalyn to kindergarten and Emma to preschool, we got the pleasure of escaping to Disney World for our first Disney vacation as a family (and first ever for Michael and the girls).  Luckily, we've been planning this trip for years (since I was pregnant with Annalyn and went to Disney with my mom), and it was entirely planned and paid for before we even started our adoption.  Honestly, I still had a hard time with spending any extra money, so we had groceries delivered to us and packed almost all our meals outside of the couple we'd pre-paid for.  This was one time I was so glad that I had planned ahead so far in advance, because we enjoyed every minute of the trip I never would've planned after starting the adoption process.  After promising the girls for years that we would go before Annalyn started school, I'm glad we were able to follow through with it while they are both in the short-lived magical stage.

 

Village of Us

It takes a village, it takes us all
To raise them up, to answer the call.

How can I help? What can I do?
A village of us, STARTS WITH YOU!

A mother's resolve, a child's plea
All for the sake of family.

More than a "why," so much bigger than "how"
No time for waiting, someday is now.

So much to plan, even more to discuss
It takes a village, a village of us.

A Village of Us refers to the old saying that "it takes a village to raise a child."  But not just any village, or the obscure idea of a village.  A village of US.  I don't know why my brain never stops churning, but the other day on my way to work, the idea of "a village of us" popped into my mind.  Maybe because I grew up in a village, maybe because I truly believe in the it takes a village mindset.  Or maybe because these things have a way of finding us when we need them most.






When you see my #VillageofUs on my cookbook posts, I'm referring to my village of friends, family, coworkers, and followers that are helping me raise money for adoption.  Hopefully, it will be for our own adoption, but if not, I plan to pay it forward to another adoptive family.  Village of Us means doing your part, whether it be financial, emotional, or actually becoming an adoptive parent/grandparent/sibling/friend.  Because it takes a village of us to help connect orphans with families, and families with children.  Please share and repost this message with #VillageofUs.  Thank you so much for being a part of our village.  I'm grateful to be a part of yours as well. 




Update!  We have officially started the process of international adoption.  It will be a long process, but I will try to keep everyone updated when I can.  In the meantime, please continue to share our blog, cookbook, and story to help us raise funds.  We trust that God will provide the funds needed to complete this adoption.  One way may be through the help of friends and family like you.  With that in mind, we ask that you consider being a part of our village.  Please pray that God will make it possible for us to bring our son/daughter home.  If you would like to contribute to our adoption fund or help us share our story, please visit https://www.youcaring.com/villageofus

5 Ways to use leftover Easter ham

Anyone else have lots of delicious ham or ham bones after the weekend?  I can never decide which I like better, the freshly baked ham, or all the ways to use the leftovers!  Here's 5 of my favorite ways to use leftover ham:

1.  Creamy Ham and Wild Rice Soup - This is one of my favorite soups, and a great way to use leftover ham.  You can also cook it with the hambone in, then remove the bone and cut off any remaining ham to add back in to the soup.

2. Split Pea Soup - The classic leftover hambone recipe!  So inexpensive, feeds an army, and tastes delicious, especially with extra freshly ground pepper.

3. Ham & Bean Soup - Ok, so we really love soup around here!  Here's a comfort food classic that's always a hit!

Peanut Post: Preschool Lunches Part I

You didn't think I was going to pack Peanut's lunch several times a week and not take at least a few pictures, did you?  Psssh, of course not!  For the first time, I'm realizing "the big deal" with packing healthy, easy to eat quickly lunches that can be kept cool with an ice pack for several hours.  It's not as simple as it sounds!  But, never fear, here are a few fun ideas from this Mama's kitchen:
Also, see Part II here!

1.  Leftover pasta salad, whole grain fig bars, grapes (This is one of her favorites)

2.  Turkey/cheese/spinach wrap, whole grain fig bars, strawberries

(and extra leaves by request)

3.  Half PB&J sandwich, hummus with feta and carrots, dried cranberries with almonds

4.  Leftover pizza, spinach/cherry tomato "salad", blueberries, craisins/mixed nuts

5. Chicken/cheese/spinach wrap, cucumbers/tomatoes, grapes, whole grain cinnamon crackers

6. leftover pizza, tomatoes/olives, quinoa bar

7.  whole wheat pancakes/syrup, pecans, grapes

(be sure the syrup part is sealed well... ours was not)

8. apples/celery with peanut butter, cheese stick, almonds/raisins, whole grain fig Newtons.

9. turkey slices, spinach/tomato salad, olive/cheese toothpicks, cheddar bunny crackers

General tips:

- Pack for multiple days at a time and store in the fridge, ready to go.  Pack your own lunch while you're at it to cut down on time in the morning.

- Preschoolers don't eat much of any one thing, so split the wrap/sandwich and use it to make two lunches.  Cuts down on waste and time!

- Try a variety of foods and rotate so your child doesn't get bored or in a routine of eating the same thing.  Once they do, they may not want to try something new.

- Incorporate whole grains, protein, dairy, fruit and veggies, if possible.

- Use leftover lunch food as their after school snack - that way, you know they are getting all of those carefully balanced nutrients you worked so hard to include.  And again, less waste.

- Finger foods are always a bonus for this age.  But it never hurts to send a fork/spoon once in awhile for favorites, such as pasta salad.

- Pack realistic portions for your child's appetite and the time allotted for lunch.

- Not a must, but out of courtesy, try to limit the number of lids/wrappers/containers the poor preschool teachers have to unwrap - remember it could be whatever you send times 20! Practice with your child to see if they can open them on their own.  Sectioned containers work well - at the very least, it's only one lid. (Annalyn has no problem with these containers.)

Peanut Post: Preschool Lunches, Part II

A few more of our favorite school lunches. (See Part I here.) Annalyn is a huge fan of mixed nuts and dried berries, so you'll see a lot of those included in this round! I try to mix it up day to day, but I also only get groceries once per week, so I also try to be efficient!

1.  Turkey/spinach wraps, olive/cheese skewers, dried fruit

2. The ever-popular turkey/string cheese rollup, carrots, berries, and crackers/pea crisps

Wooden Spoon

 

"You can't always give your children a silver spoon at birth, but you can give them a wooden one and teach them to cook." ~Mama

 

 

 

If you order one of my cookbooks, you might wonder why I included a tiny wooden spoon.  Well, one of the biggest joys and challenges of the past 5 years has been figuring out how to share my kitchen with my kiddos.  From a very young age, both of my girls showed interest in helping Mama cook.  Maybe because they spent a fair amount of time in a baby carrier while I prepared dinner, or in their high chairs pulled into the kitchen to watch and snitch ingredients as I cooked.  Without really thinking about it, I started narrating what I was doing, as if performing in my own cooking show.  Once they were old enough to pull a chair over and actually help with some parts of the cooking process, I was surprised by my own words coming back to me from their little lips.  "How did you know that?"  You told me, Mama.  WOAH. 

Grilled Favorites

With a awesome forecast predicated for our area this week, we have at least 2-3 of these on our weekly menu!  Love the return the grilling season!!

1.  Grilled Chicken & Steak Kabobs - If only I could decorate my kitchen in garland made of kabobs! These are always so pretty.


2.  Feta Stuffed Turkey Burgers - feeling crazy?  Add some chopped black olives along with the feta.

Making Mama's Kitchen Facebook Page

Hi everyone!  Just to be sure I don't miss anyone, I wanted to give all my followers a chance to join my Facebook business page where I will be launching my cookbook soon!  I am working out a way to put a link to buy directly on the blog as well, but if you want to follow along the excitement leading up to the big release day (before Mother's Day!), like my page below!  Thank you as always for your support!!  Love you guys!




https://m.facebook.com/MakingMamasKitchen/

I Thought I Was Done

I thought I was done, but then I slept

Into my dreams you slowly crept.

In different forms, in different light

Never the same, but always mine.

I'm not sure how you'll come to be

My sweet little baby, just find me.

I thought I was done, but here you are

In my thoughts and in my heart.

~written August 2016 around 3am

while snuggling/rocking my Emma