What I Now Do With Leftover Chicken and Turkey

I am not a left over person. It's taken me a long time to actually reheat and warm up anything in the refrigerator. But since we are trying to save money I have been much better at being creative and making left overs into meals.

Whenever I make chicken or turkey for a meal and I have some left over I now have an AWESOME way to re-use it and make it last another meal (even one that Bubby likes which is hard to do sometimes). I've been making Chicken Salad or Turkey Salad Sandwiches! Honestly, this is worth celebrating because when I was growing up I wouldn't even touch the stuff and now here I am making it, eating it, and serving it to my growing child!

Here's what I do:

1. Take the left over turkey or chicken and chop up really fine (I use my Pampered Chef food chopper and it works awesome). Toss it in a bowl and set aside.

2. Chop up and any veggies you want in there! I usually chop up carrots, onion and celery. Chop it really fine and mix in with chopped meat.

3. Mix in some Mayo, just enough to moisten it and give it a little flavor, and then add in about 1 tsp of mustard (Dijon is best).

4. Sprinkle in some Tarragon, Salt, Pepper, and Garlic Powder.

5. Mix and serve on bread!

LOVE IT! It's super easy and super fast without using lots of dishes either. Plus you get your meat, veggies, and bread all in one serving. You could probably mix some fruit in there too, my Hubby likes chopped up grapes in his.

Enjoy!

My Thursday Thought: God's Healing

Over the past several years God has healed me of a lot of issues. Physical issues. If you didn't know, I struggle with a lot of digestive problems. The list goes like this:

Chronic Gastritis:
Swelling of the stomach and lower esophagus, possibly bleeding, due to acid reflux. It can lead to polyps and ulcers (which I almost had once)

Acid Reflux:
When acid goes up from the stomach, into your esophagus and gurgles in your throat (nasty!)

IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome)
Basically speaks for itself, a bowel that is easily irritated, lots of gas, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, and is usually triggered by certain foods. (for me it's Mexican, Chinese and spicy foods which stinks because I love Mexican and Chinese food!)

Lactose Intolerance
Unable to digest lactose, which is in dairy products. Therefore I have to take Lactaid when I eat dairy. It's a digestive enzyme that helps break down lactose.

For a while there I also thought I had Celiacs Disease, but when I tried to eat gluten free it didn't really do much for me. All of this started in 2006 when I all of a sudden, no matter what I ate, I would get horrible reflux (literally anything I ate!). I ended up seeing a Gastroenterologist, having an upper endoscopy (when they stick a long tube down your throat with a camera on it to look in your stomach) and getting diagnosed with Reflux and Gastritis. They gave me some temporary treatment for it but it never helped so I just kept dealing with it and popping the Tums.

Then, right after Hubby and I got married I was having A LOT of problems. Throwing up, stomach pains, gas, bloating, reflux, and feeling very crummy whenever I ate. The only way to manage all of these issues was to take lots of medication. 2 Omeprazole in the morning, 1 Zantac (which is complete crap and did nothing!) at night, plus Milk of Magnesia for any "lower" issues. And on top of that still popping the Tums when I needed it. Whenever my IBS got really bad I would take the prescription Hyomax to help with those issues. I was convinced that this would be my life from then on and forever more. I would never heal, be taking tons of meds and still suffering. Plus, insurance companies don't help whatsoever with "pre-existing conditions" which meant I would never be able to really figure out what was wrong and try to fix it.

I've done a lot of praying over the years for healing and received lots of prayer, and God has definitely answered some of those prayers. One answer to prayer was learning that I was Lactose Intolerant, which was about 2 1/2 years ago. Learning that I couldn't eat dairy meant I was able to manage my diet by either cutting out dairy all together or taking Lactaid when I needed to eat my bowl of ice cream. This really helped to reduce a lot of my symptoms and now my IBS is a whole lot better. I also have learned to try to reduce the amount of spicy food I eat. Yes this means I have to eat bland tacos/fajitas and avoid eating lots of Chinese food, but my IBS really hasn't been a major issue in a long while!

On top of this I've been taking Probiotics. I know I've blogged about how great Align is and I would definitely still take it if it wasn't so expensive, but being that our family is now on a strict budget I've had to switch to Culturelle. It contains a different type of Probiotic but it works just as good and saves me $5-$10! I also drink a glass of Kefir every day or eat a nice big bowl of yogurt (while taking Lactaid!) to help give me the Probiotics I need. Probiotics have changed my life! Talk about my IBS issues going away, PRAISE THE LORD!

Reflux is still one issue that I struggle with and the Gastritis only acts up if my reflux isn't doing well. After changing my dairy diet and taking Probiotics, I've been able to stop taking the Milk of Magnesia, Zantac, and reduce my Omeprazole intake to 1 pill per day, rather than 2. This is AWESOME! It feels so good to only have to take 1 pill, and it saves money for me having to buy so much of it! I've tried cutting out the Omeprazole all together, but if I don't take it then by 10 a.m. I am feeling the reflux come on. I am trying to explore some natural remedies for Reflux that can help me manage this, like drinking Ginger Tea, Ginseng Tea, taking a Papaya Dietary Supplement, and drinking a glass of warm water in the mornings. We will see how this goes.

In the mean time I am 1. Praising the Lord for all of his help in healing me and giving me the answers and tools I need to cope with all of my digestive issues, and 2. praying for continued healing so that one day I no longer have to take Omeprazole! Wow that would be an awesome day!

Puff Puffs and Cake Cakes

Bubby is 10 months old now...I can't believe in only 2 short months he will be one year old! My little boy is growing up!! I have really seen his personality come out over the past few weeks. He loves to laugh, especially if you make faces at him, sing to him, or dance with him. His absolute favorite song is "Ba Ba Black Sheep" and I think it's because when we sing "Ba Ba" it sounds like Bubba (also his nickname). Sometimes I'll sing the entire song just saying "Ba Ba" and he loves it! He still crawls on his belly, but can pull himself up to stand really well and sometimes takes a few steps if you are holding his hands or if he's holding himself up on the furniture. He just learned how to play "So Big" this week and it's now a highchair tradition to play that game. His sleeping habits still need some improving despite our efforts to sleep train him, but I am very pleased that he took two naps today, one of them being 2 1/2 hours long!

And lastly, he is totally over eating baby food. I keep some on hand as a back up in case I can't find anything else to make him, or if he's really grumpy and I can't get food made fast enough for him. So he's been eating lots of table food.

Some of Bubby's Favorites:
-mandarin oranges
-peaches
-pears
-bananas
-melons (there is a great Organic Tropical Fruit Mix we like with all sorts of melons!)
-applesauce
-Baby yogurts
-sweet potatoes
-mashed or sliced potatoes
-sweet peas
-lima beans (he LOVES lime beans and will eat as many as he can get! But they do make for some stinky diapers!)
-corn
-carrots
-turkey breast
-turkey hot dogs
-spaghetti with hamburger and tomato sauce (I mixed in some green beans too because its the only way he'll eat them)
-pasta with melted cheese and butter
-bread/toast with butter (great for teething!)
-buckwheat pancakes (aka Cake Cakes)
-baby puffs (aka Puff Puffs)

One thing you should know is that Hubby and I try our best to eat All Natural and Organic food and we prefer fresh foods. However, since we are now creating a strict budget for our groceries I am having to resort to some canned and not always organic foods. I have found a few brands of canned fruits and vegetables that seem alright, like Del Monte vegetables or Dole fruits. I am still trying to find a way to give him some decent protein without having to cook up some meat on the spot because 1. meat is expensive, 2. we don't like to have lots of leftovers, 3. I don't always have much time to cook for him. I am learning to cook items in advance and save them in tupperware in the refrigerator so I can easily pop them in the microwave for him.

Puff Puffs are a pretty typical snack for him. At Wheatsfield Cooperative Grocery store they have organic puffs that I get for him. Feeding him puffs was probably how he developed his pincer grasp! And Cake Cakes are an occasional breakfast treat (served warm with melted butter). Hubby grew up eating Buckwheat Pancakes so we are going to start eating those more often. I make them with Almond Milk which makes them a little easier on my digestive system.

My Thursday Thought: Indescribable

Louie Gilgio: Indescribable

I was first introduced to Louie Giglio when I attended Passion Conference while I was in college. He is an amazing speaker that I always look forward to hearing when I get the chance. You can often find him traveling around with Chris Tomlin, one of my favorite Christian music artists. This talk "Indescribable" is one of my very favorites of his. He makes you feel so small, but oh so very loved by our incredible God! This is the link to one part of his talk, but if you listen and you like then you can find the rest of them on You-tube. Enjoy!

My Thursday Thought: The Power of Prayer

My husband and I have been part of a small group at our church for 2 1/2 years now. We have learned so much from this community that I thought I would share some of the things God has been teaching us lately about THE POWER OR PRAYER.

I started praying when I came to Christ as a child and was deeply involved in my church. But prayer wasn't something that I saw as a tool to use all the time but more in times of distress or when we needed to say a blessing before we ate. Most of my prayers were short, sweet, to the point, and sometimes there were even moments of pleading with God telling him what I wanted or else who knows what I might do. But now, my idea of prayer has really changed. In our small group we've been practicing the following:

1. Taking time to sit in silence and wait on God and listen to what he is telling us to pray for.
2. Share with one another what we think God is saying to us.
3. Be bold in not only asking for prayer but praying for others in our group.
4. Laying hands on one another when praying.
5. Praying in command for healing and against Satan.

This was all very new to me when I joined the Vineyard church but I have seen some amazing things happen when people really take the time to pray with the help of the Holy Spirit. I've witnessed healing, seen spiritual freedom, and even felt the presence of the Holy Spirit upon me.

The other day I was shopping around Barnes and Noble and decided to pick up the book The Power of a Praying Wife. I'm not too far into it, but I was in need of a good devotional and since I've seen the power of prayer at work in our small group I thought "why not give praying for my family a try and see what happens." I can already see God showing up and encouraging not only my husband but also ME! Andrew and I spent some time praying for our family the other night as a couple and a lot of burdens were lifted off of both of our shoulders. For the first time in a while we actually felt like we agreed on some things....like how to handle some of our financial difficulties, how we both were really struggling with some of the sacrifices we have to make as parents, and how neither of us had been communicating well. I am so thankful to have a husband that is growing and learning with me, especially when we are facing some struggles as parents.

My Thursday Thought: The Adultress Woman

John 8

² At dawn he [Jesus] appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. ³ The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group ⁴ and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. ⁵ In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” ⁶ They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.

But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. ⁷ When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” ⁸ Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

⁹ At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. ¹⁰ Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

¹¹ “No one, sir,” she said.

“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

I think what I love so much about this story is the fact that Jesus calls out everyone else that is judging the adulteress woman. How many times a day do I look at someone and think to myself how much better I am than them? To be honest, a lot. And vice versa, there are times when I think I am a horrible person and I will never be as good as other Christians. I see people who have such a strong relationship with the Lord and are blessed with so many gifts that sometimes I feel as though God has forgotten about me. But then I look at how Jesus shows love to this woman and says "neither do I condemn you," and I remember that God says the same thing to me. I am not condemned! What a great reminder for me on days when I am impatient, rude, prideful, and angry towards the world.

My Thursday Thought: Definitely Late

Here I am...only the 2nd week after committing to write and I am already late, way late. My excuse isn't that I forgot (because really I didn't) but just the stress of getting ready for my sister's huge wedding weekend and planning my cleaning schedule for next week.

One thing I have learned about myself these past few weeks is that so often I anticipate the future. I worry SO MUCH and make SO MANY long term goals that are WAY far from now that I get myself all stressed out and worked up. For instance, in my mind I have my whole ideal life planned. Andrew and I will live in a nice acreage right outside of Story City and Andrew will run his own coffeeshop here in town. I would stay at home with our kids and home school and I would be very involved in church (helping out with kids worship, being a small group leader, and maybe even helping to lead worship). On top of that Andrew and I would be very healthy and eat well, plus have enough money to go on a nice vacation every year. Now, who doesn't dream about having the perfect house, perfect job, and perfect family? I'm sure everyone does, but for me these were serious goals, and they weren't goals that I had for 5-10 years down the road, but more like 1-2 years! Obviously that is not realistic! I was stressing myself out over something I had no control over and I was worrying so much about the future that I had no joy in anything that was happening now.

Andrew helped to put things in perspective for me. It's okay to have hopes and dreams for the future and pray for those things, but I'll never get there if I don't have faith in God or even set short term goals for my life. And I definitely won't enjoy getting there if I don't have joy in what the Lord is giving me now. So, I've been reflecting on James 4. It says:

Submit Yourselves to God

¹ What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? ² You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. ³ When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

⁴ You adulterous people,^[a] don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. ⁵ Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us^[b]? ⁶ But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:

“God opposes the proud
but shows favor to the humble.”^[c]

⁷ Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. ⁸ Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. ⁹ Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. ¹⁰ Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

¹¹ Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister^[d] or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. ¹² There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?

Boasting About Tomorrow

¹³ Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” ¹⁴ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. ¹⁵ Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” ¹⁶ As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil. ¹⁷ If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.

I've also been trying to work in some time in the Word every day. I've been setting my alarm for 5:45 a.m. so that I have time to shower and then spend 15-20 minutes reading before Josiah gets up. It went pretty well this last week, although I did miss my alarm a couple mornings and ended up not having the time I wanted to read. But I have noticed a difference since I started this. I have been more patient with Josiah and the kids at work when I DO get up and read and for some reason I've been able to get myself mostly ready for the day before Josiah even gets up which makes the morning a lot less stressful. I guess that time is really doing some good! My hope for this week is to continue to get up and read, be patient and joyful, and not even worry about making goals but rather focus on the changes that God is currently making in my life!

My Thursday Thought

Lately I’ve been finding myself on a spiritual roller coaster in my life. One day I’m feeling encouraged and actually WANT to read my Bible and grow in faith and pray for others and show Jesus’ love. And then there are days where I feel like not caring, discouraged, alone, and frustrated with life. I used to journal a lot but, in the midst of motherhood, working full time and trying to physically take care of myself (like going to bed early or sleeping in) I just haven’t taken the time to do it. Getting into The Word daily has been a constant battle, which I know it is for everyone. So I’ve decided to use Thursday’s on my blog as a day to reflect on my week and what God has been teaching me. He’s doing a lot in my life right now and I’d really like to be able to share it with others. So, each Thursday (I’ll try my best…I promise!) you can check on here to see what sorts of things God is teaching me.

Lately God has really been teaching me about patience. Working in a child care center with 7 toddlers has been a big challenge for me. You put 7 two year olds together and you can learn the real meaning of the word “chaos.” You’ve got one kid screaming in the corner, another telling you they’ve got to go potty, 2 others fighting over toys, some who actually listen, and others who need your constant attention. By the end of the day I’m just drained. I get tired of saying “no” or “gentle hands” or “stop that” and putting kids in time out.

Now, here’s the weird part, I find patience to be really hard at work with 7 kids, but even when I’m home just with Josiah I struggle to be patient, and he’s just ONE kid. I guess there’s a whole new set of struggles that come with one baby, like having to spoon feed him when all I really want is to enjoy my own dinner (or to actually cook a decent meal instead of eating frozen pizza/food out of a bag or box since I have to make something quick). Or having to chase after him now that he’s getting into everything, wiping up spit up all the time, and especially getting up in the middle of the night when I’m dead tired from never getting a good night sleep. It all just builds up and builds up and eventually I just can’t take it anymore and I need a break.

Ok, now that I’ve realized that patience is a major struggle of mine, it’s time to repent of my impatience and make a new name for myself (Praise God for making us new again!). One thing I’ve started doing is putting post it notes of bible verses around the house. I’ve found these to be helpful in at least getting some encouragement from The Word every day, and my husband seems to appreciate them too! Here are some of the verses that have been up around the house lately:

“Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.” -Proverbs 16:24

“In the light of the King’s face there is life, and his favor is like the clouds that bring spring rain.” –Proverbs 16

“Thus says the Lord, cursed is the man who trusts in mankind and makes flesh his strength, and whose heart turns away from the Lord…blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord and whose trust IS the Lord…the heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it? I the Lord search the heart, I test the mind, and even give to each man according to his ways, according to the results of his deeds…heal me O Lord and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are my Praise!” –Jeremiah 17

These verses have made me stop and think about my attitude and the workings between my heart and mind. In order to be patient I NEED to have pleasant words, I NEED to be refreshed by my God every day, and I NEED to trust in the Lord. My heart is deceitful and sick and the results of my impatience are never good. God is the only one who can heal me and save me from this struggle, and though it’s a constant battle I will fight against my flesh and the enemy to be a better mother, wife, caregiver, and friend.

Thanks be to God!