Courage

Something Beautiful

Mother Teresa once said, “My prayer is that you make your family something beautiful for God.” As I thought about this it occurred to me that if I were able to contribute to making my family beautiful for God that would be enough for me. In all my pondering about what to do with the time I have there really isn’t anything more important for me to do.

I love the simplicity of this goal. I can do my part to make my family wonderful. And not just wonderful but wonderful for God. God has given me this family. What I can give Him is what I make of it.

This changes how I see challenges in my family. I feel more patient with family members I struggle with because I now see this as a way to prove where my heart is. Is it full of anger and bitterness or full of love? Can I be loving with the goal of creating a better family for God? And really, the irony here is that I feel I am doing this for God, but by following His commandments I get the blessings, not Him! When I am loving and kind I feel happy. I have fewer, if any regrets. I feel His love for my family and for me.

I’ve come to understand that really loving someone is its own gift. When I do something kind for my husband I feel joy. When a son sits in my lap and we read books together I am happy. When I play games with my boys, when I’m totally present in that moment, I savor that time together. The immediate result of loving my family is I feel happy. I am blessed by loving.

It’s easy to miss seeing motherhood in this way, especially when my child decides to be the most stubborn human on the planet! But when I look back on our annual photo albums and recall all the happy times I see the frustrations in their proper place. They are things that happen, but they don’t define our family.

When I see motherhood as a way to love and serve others, even a way to make something beautiful for God, I don’t look at the everyday hard work of cooking, cleaning, nurturing, taxiing, playing, refereeing, teaching and disciplining as terrible work. I see it as the gift God has given me to make, little by little, each day, something lasting and beautiful.

On a morning run along a lake I passed a fenced-off condominium construction area. There were bricks, tools and debris everywhere. I had the thought that we make a big mess in the process of making something beautiful. There’s really no way around that!

Next time I feel like I’m in the middle of a mess at home, figuratively or literally, I’m going to remember that I’m building something beautiful for God.

Gratitude

Shrimpy Pasta

(Picture coming next time I make this! I guess we were hungry. I forgot to snap a picture!)

1 tsp olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

pinch of red pepper flakes

1 lb large frozen shrimp (cooked or not, deveined and peeled), thawed and tails removed

1 jar of your favorite pasta sauce

12 oz linguine noodles

Heat a large pot of water to boiling. Cook noodles according to package instructions.

In a large pan heat 1 tsp olive oil to medium heat. Add onion and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Cook over medium-low, stirring often, until onion is softened; at least 10 minutes. 

Add shrimp. If the shrimp has not been cooked heat it over medium heat, stirring often, until it is pink and then add the sauce. If the shrimp has already been cooked heat for only a minute or two and then add the pasta sauce. Heat through. 

Serve over linguine noodles. Pair this with roasted green beans and you have a great meal.

Husband rating: 4 stars

Boys say: thumbs up

Pomegranate Power

I thought I'd get creative with some pomegranate juice I had left over from a recipe. This is what I came up with:

1 1/2 c pomegranate juice

1 c frozen blueberries

1 tsp chia/flax seed mix

1 banana

1 c frozen peaches

1/2 c vanilla greek yogurt

Mix all ingredients until smooth. If you need to go dairy-free I think this would still be good even without the yogurt.

My rating: 3.5 stars

Better Lunches

By this time of year you might be getting sick of making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for your kids to take for lunch! You check the lunch menu at school and decide that you'd rather make lunch than have them buy nachos (really? how is that a lunch?) or hamburgers or pizza, yet again. You want your children to have healthy eating habits and, unfortunately, that school lunch just isn't cutting it. But what can you and your children pack for lunches each day? Here are a few tip to mix it up and keep it healthy.

• This time of year I start making soups again. Last night I made Chicken Wild Rice Soup and had enough left to pack in a thermos. This thermos is the perfect size for a lunch box. And it's nice that the boys can have a warm lunch some days. If you don't have time to make soup buy the canned kind. Maybe you could get a Mexican chicken soup and add apple slices, tortilla chips and guacamole. You can also send left over pasta, stew or chili. There are ways to make it fun and give the kids something to look forward to.
• When you need to keep a lunch cold these ice packs are very handy. They give you more options when you're making a lunch. You can find these in the grocery store or even online at sites like Amazon.com.

• Try ham and cheese on a bagel. I don't know why but anything on a bagel seems more fun to my boys. 
• Make a turkey wrap. Inside a tortilla put honey mustard, turkey, provolone cheese and spinach leaves and wrap it up. 
• Club sandwich-If you've made bacon that morning save some for a sandwich. Bacon, turkey, cheese, lettuce and a tomato will make a sandwich that is filling. Don't forget the whole grain bread.
• Peanut butter banana tortilla. Yes, you read that right. I know, I think it's weird too, but my kids like to have a tortilla with peanut butter on one half. Then we slice a half a banana and put those slices on the peanut butter. We fold the tortilla over and you have something my 6 yr old will eat! 
• Peanut butter and honey sandwich. On whole wheat bread this sandwich will give the kids some energy but leave them with some protein that will keep them going for a while. We like the thick honey that comes in tubs.
• For little ones you can get away with finger foods for a lunch. Put turkey, ham slices or even jerky, cheese slices or string cheese, crackers, and veggies or fruits all in little baggies. It's a fun way to have something different for lunch.
• For sides try to avoid the chips. It's easy and quick but there isn't anything good in them for your kids. Always reach for the fruits and veggies first. Kids don't always like veggies, but they do like to dip their food. I have bought compartment tupperware where one part is smaller for the ranch and one part is bigger for the baby carrots, sugar snap peas or cherub tomatoes. I find my boys will eat their apples if I cut them up at home instead of putting a whole apple in their lunch box. Grapes, chopped melons, strawberries, bananas are all good options. Also, yogurts and string cheeses are good side options. This is where those ice packs will come in handy! And don't forget the plastic spoon so your little one can eat the yogurt.
• I would recommend not putting a treat in the lunch box every day. It creates a habit of always having something sweet after a meal. That's not a good habit! Every now and then makes it a treat. Every day makes it a habit.
• Don't forget to add a note! Once in a while I'll put a note on the napkin or on a sticky note and toss it in with the lunch. It's a fun way for my children to know I'm thinking about them while they are away from home. My mother used to do this for me and it made me feel special. Draw a funny face, tell them something you appreciate about them, tell them you love them. These little acts create positive moments that strengthen a relationship. 

Pineapple Yellow Curry

I was in Trader Joe's the other day buying more bbq sauce when I saw a jar of Yellow Curry Sauce. That reminded me of a pineapple curry dinner I had at a Thai restaurant once. I loved that and wanted to make something similar at home. This is what I came up with:

Pineapple Yellow Curry

2 tsp olive oil, divided
1 chicken breast or 2-3 pork chops, cut into small pieces
1/2 onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1/2 yellow pepper, chopped
1/2 cup pineapple tidbits
1 jar Trader Joe's Thai Yellow Curry Sauce (or more depending on how saucy you want your dinner)

Coat a pan with 1 tsp olive oil and heat to medium-high. Add the meat and cook, stirring frequently, until cooked through. Remove meat to a plate and cover with foil.

Add the last tsp of olive oil to the pan. Add the onions and carrot. Cook over medium heat for 7 minutes. Add the peppers. Cook, stirring often, for 7 minutes.

Pour the sauce into the pan. Put the chicken and the pineapple in the pan. Mix to coat everything and heat through. Serve immediately over your favorite rice.

Husband rating: 4 stars
Boys say: thumbs up