It's the Holiday Season...

For years I have been wanting to make an advent calendar. Last year I was going to make this particular calendar, but never got around to it. So this weekend I made sure I had everything I needed, and started in on my project. I'm making three calendars. One for each of my girls with a treat inside, and one for our family that has the daily scriptures/stories/songs/movies to help us remember the Savior.
My almost 3-year-old took this picture.

Make sure you put magnets on 4 sides of the back of each circle.


She was so proud of the calendar she "helped" make. Excuse her sans pants appearance. She stayed home from church sick, and therefore never got dressed.

Also, as a kick-off to my HOLIDAY season, I wanted to share this great article from Gordon B Hinckley. Reading this helps me keep Christ in Christmas!
At this Christmas season, may I share a few thoughts concerning him whose birth we commemorate—the Man of Miracles, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Although he healed the sick, raised the dead, caused the lame to walk and the blind to see, there is no miracle comparable to the miracle of Christ himself.

We live in a world of pomp and muscle, of strutting that glorifies jet thrust and far-flying warheads. It is the same kind of strutting that produced the misery of the days of Caesar, Genghis Khan, Napoleon, and Hitler. In this kind of world it is not easy to recognize that—

A babe born in a stable of the village of Bethlehem,

A boy reared as a carpenter of Nazareth,

A citizen of a conquered and subdued nation,

A man whose mortal footsteps never went beyond a radius of 150 miles, who never received a school degree, who never spoke from a great pulpit, who never owned a home, who traveled afoot and without purse

Truly, his coming, ministry, and place in our eyes is as foretold by the ancient prophet Isaiah: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” (Isa. 9:6.)

I ask anew the question offered by Pilate two thousand years ago, “What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ?” (Matt. 27:22.) Indeed, we need continually to ask ourselves, What shall we do with Jesus who is called Christ? What shall we do with his teachings, and how can we make them an inseparable part of our lives? In light of these questions, at this season we ask another: What does Christmas really mean? May I suggest some things that it should mean?

Christmas means giving. The Father gave his Son, and the Son gave his life. Without giving there is no true Christmas, and without sacrifice there is no true worship. There is more to Christmas than neckties, earrings, toys, and all the tinseled stuff of which we make so much.

I recall an experience I heard at a stake conference in Idaho. A farm family in the community had just contracted for the installation of an additional and much-needed room on their home. Three or four days later the father came to the building supply dealer and said, “Will it be all right with you if we cancel the contract? The bishop talked with John about a mission last night. We will need to set this room aside for a while.” The building supply dealer responded, “Your son will go on his mission, and he will find the needed room when he returns.” Here was the spirit of Christmas—a family sending a boy into the world to teach the gospel, and friends coming to help the family with their problems. What then, indeed, shall we do with Jesus who is called Christ?

Christmas means giving—and “the gift without the giver is bare.” Giving of self; giving of substance; giving of heart and mind and strength in assisting those in need and in spreading the cause of His eternal truth—these are of the very essence of the true spirit of Christmas.

Christmas means the Christ child, the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger while angels sang and wise men traveled far to bring gifts. It is a beautiful and timeless story, and I hope each of us will read it again this season.

When I think of the Savior, I think not only of the words of Matthew and Luke, but also of the words of John: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

“The same was in the beginning with God.

“All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

“In him was life; and the life was the light of men.” (John 1:1–4.)

Here is something more than a babe in a manger; here is the Creator of all that is good and beautiful. I have looked at majestic mountains rising high against the blue sky and thought of Jesus, the Creator of heaven and earth. I have stood on the sand of an island in the Pacific and watched the dawn rise like thunder—a ball of gold surrounded by clouds of pink and white and purple—and thought of Jesus, the Word by whom all things were made and without whom was not anything made that was made. I have seen a beautiful child—bright-eyed, innocent, loving and trusting—and marveled at the majesty and miracle of creation. What then shall we do with Jesus who is called Christ?

This earth is his creation. When we make it ugly, we offend him. Our bodies are the work of our Creator. When we abuse them, we abuse him.

Christmas means eternity. As certainly as Christ came into the world, lived among men, laid down his life, and became the first fruits of the resurrection, so, through that atonement, all become partakers of immortality. Death will come, but death has been robbed of its sting, and the grave of its victory. “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

“And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.” (John 11:25–26.)

I remember standing before the bier of a young man whose life had been bright with hope and promise. He had been an athlete in his high school, and an excellent university student. He was a friendly, affable, brilliant young man. He had gone into the mission field. He and his companion were riding down the highway when a car, coming from the opposite direction, moved into their lane and crashed into them. He died in the hospital an hour later. As I stood at the pulpit and looked into the faces of his father and his mother, there came then into my heart a conviction that I had seldom before felt with such assurance. I knew with certainty, as I looked across that casket, that this young man had not died, but had merely been transferred to another field of labor in the eternal ministry of the Lord.

Indeed, what shall one do with Jesus who is called Christ? Let us live with the certain knowledge that some day “we shall be brought to stand before God, knowing even as we know now, and have a bright recollection of all our guilt” (Alma 11:43.) Let us live today knowing that we shall live forever. Let us live with the conviction that whatever principle of intelligence and beauty and truth and goodness we make a part of our life here, it will rise with us in the resurrection.

Christmas means compassion and love and, most of all, forgiveness. “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29.) How poor indeed would be our lives without the influence of his teachings and his matchless example. The lessons of the turning of the other cheek, going the second mile, the return of the prodigal, and scores of other incomparable teachings have filtered down the ages to become the catalyst to bring kindness and mercy out of much of man’s inhumanity to man.

Brutality reigns where Christ is banished. Kindness and forbearance govern where Christ is recognized and his teachings are followed.

What shall we do then with Jesus who is called Christ? “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” (Micah 6:8.)

“Wherefore, I say unto you, that ye ought to forgive one another; for he that forgiveth not his brother his trespasses standeth condemned before the Lord; for there remaineth in him the greater sin.” (D&C 64:9.)

Christmas means peace. I remember being in Europe a number of years ago at the time tanks were rolling down the streets of a great city, and students were being slaughtered with machine-gun fire. I stood that December day in the railroad station in Berne, Switzerland. At eleven o’clock in the morning, every church bell in Switzerland began to ring, and at the conclusion of that ringing, every vehicle stopped—every car on the highway, every bus, every railroad train. The great, cavernous railway station became deathly still. I looked out the front door across the plaza. Men working on the hotel opposite stood on the scaffolding with bared heads. Every bicycle stopped. Every man and woman and child dismounted and stood with bared, bowed heads. Then, after three minutes of prayerful silence, trucks, great convoys of them, began to roll from Geneva and Berne and Basel and Zurich toward the suffering nation to the east, laden with supplies—food, clothing, and medicine. The gates of Switzerland were thrown open to refugees.

As I stood there that December morning, I marveled at the miraculous contrast of the oppressive power mowing down students in one nation and the spirit of a Christian people in another who bowed their heads in prayer and reverence, then rolled up their sleeves to provide succor and salvation.

What shall we do then with Jesus which is called Christ? “For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.” (Matt. 25:35–36.)

He whose birth we commemorate this season is more than the symbol of a holiday. He is the Son of God, the Creator of the earth, the Jehovah of the Old Testament, the fulfillment of the Law of Moses, the Redeemer of mankind, the King of Kings, the Prince of Peace.

I thank our Eternal Father that mankind in these latter-days has been so blessed to know of Christ with added certainty and added knowledge. I rejoice with thanksgiving that he has reaffirmed his matchless gospel truths in their fulness, and that he has restored his priesthood power and church to prepare a people and make ready for his eventual coming in great glory and power in the opening of the Millennial era.

I rejoice at Christmas time that as a people, we Latter-day Saints know of his existence and reality, and receive certain direction from him.

“And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives!

“For we saw him, even on the right hand of God; and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father—

“That by him, and through him, and of him, the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God.” (D&C 76:22–24.)

This is our testimony to all mankind. It is our gift and blessing to the world. He is our joy and our salvation, and we will find Christmas of greater meaning in our own lives as we share these truths with others.

What shall we do with Jesus who is called Christ? Learn of him. Search the scriptures for they are they which testify of him. Ponder the miracle of his life and mission. Try a little more diligently to follow his example and observe his teachings. Bring the Christ back into Christmas.

Gordon B. Hinckley, “‘What Shall I Do Then with Jesus Which Is Called Christ?’,” Ensign, Dec 1983, 3

The wagon keeps on rolling

Remember how I was supposed to not eat meat for a month? Self-imposed goal. Well, I ate meat a few times last week. I didn't really enjoy it, but it wasn't bad. And I'm not beating myself up. I think I'm trying to look at the larger picture of my overall health. So I'll keep trying to focus on whole foods and not eating heavily processed things and I'm sure I'll still feel great!

The main goal of this post is to share this:



Oh yes! Homemade bread. That's what I'm talking about. I took some to share with my Sunday School class today (12 and 13 year old kids) and the Bishop's son said "oh, whole grain," in a sarcastic voice. He's a great kid. He's 13...
ANYWAY...
To make this delicious stuff, follow this basic recipe, but in the beginning substitue a cup of wheat flour for a cup of rolled oats, 1/4 cup quinoa, and 1/8 cup chia seeds. Or, you can add whatever seeds or quick cooking grains you like (I wouldn't use whole wheat kernals or rice, they'll be hard in the bread.) Let the soupy mixture sit for 20 minutes before you add the yeast mixture, to absorb some of the moisture. Add an extra tsp of salt. I also added two teaspoons of soy protein powder (88 grams of protein per TBSP!)

If you would like free bread-making lessons, come on over! Or come for a free sample. If you live close, that is. And if you know where I live.

Cop out

Isn't it so lame when bloggers just post links of other blogs. I guess sometimes other people just post things I wish I had posted. Or maybe it just goes to show that as God's Children, we need each other and all the varied talents and ideas we each bring to the table.

At any rate, my wonderful sister wrote this, and I was touched.

My other little *sister could sure use some love this month! I can't believe it has been a year since we lost Scotlin. I wish he was here now. I wish we were watching him learn to walk and play with his cousins. I wish we could all see the big picture behind this tragedy, but we're still a bit shocked, sad, and lost.

Reading in Luke 1 the other day, I had the reassurance that Scotlin's little spirit was in his body. When Mary meets with Elisabeth, John jumps in Elisabeth's womb for being in the presence of the Mother of the Son of God. I think Heavenly Father was reminding me that Scotlin had his brief mortal existence, and Scotlin has other purposes in the eternities that we can't yet comprehend. Still, I feel the loss of my little nephew. I wonder what he would look like. I wonder what his little personality would be like!

For now we continue following the Savior. I find great comfort in the words of the Savior: "IN the world ye shall have tribulation. But be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world."

*Don't read Whitney's blog unless you're prepared to cry.*

num nums

No, that is not a euphemism for anything. It's what my niece called anything tasty for a while.
And you can bet I'll be trying this pumpkin nutella cake this Thanksgiving!! Thanks Two Peas and Their Pod!

Food for thought.

The benefits of soy. Interesting. I'm inclined to think moderation in all things is a good maxim for life. But this fact sheet certainly makes me think twice before consuming animals.

a fun hobby

Artistic. Not a word I would ever use to describe myself. Still, I'm surprised by these




Yep. I made those. More mathematical than artistic. I'm pretty impressed with myself.

Vegetarian week 2 in review

How shocking that I haven't kept up with my posting schedule about my vegetarian experiment! But I did want to share a few things that I've learned this past week.

First, I have not had success in cutting out dairy and eggs, although I have definitely cut back by about 1/2, which I think is good!

Next, I'm trying not to think of my diet as a restricted one. Instead, I try to think off all the things I can eat and try (nutritional yeast, anyone?). I made a date/fig quick bread, which wasn't too awesome. But I tried it.

Whenever I start drooling over the thought of meat, I know that I'm hungry. So I eat something, and the cravings cease.

DH is completely supportive. To the point that he is mean to me whenever I ask him if I should put chicken into the white bean soup, or when I beg him to stop on his way home and pick up a ham sandwich. Perhaps mean is too strong a word. He just thinks I need to try this for a month to really perceive any health benefits.

I really don't know if I will make this long term or not. We shall see. Here is what I do know:
1. I plan on eating 8-10 servings of fruits/vegetables a day. Two at each meal, and at least 2 snacks a day.
2. Processed foods don't belong in my diet. That includes junk food, mixes, etc. Doesn't include canned beans or fruits.
3. Continue to limit sweets/refined sugars and flours, and fats (especially hydrogenated fats.)
4. Lots of whole grains (breads, pastas, rice, etc...)
5. Try at least 1 new recipe a week.

I'm still not sure if I'll eat turkey on Thanksgiving. At first I was planning to, but now I'm not so sure. The Thanksgiving we're going to is going to have a deep-fried turkey, and I'm just not down with that. However, I'm thinking I'll do a vegan fast the first week of December. (You know, going a week with absolutely no animal products. I might miss butter the most...)

Yummy stir-fry

I decided that instead of trying crazy new recipes all the time, I would just modify recipes I already like. So here is my Vegan veggie/lentil stir fry. (I would have used edamame, but I didn't have any.)

3 cups fresh veggies (your favorites, I used brocolli, cauliflower, and carrots, 1/2 onion).
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/4 C soy sauce
1/2 C vegetable broth
1/4 C water
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
dash black pepper
1/2 Tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1/2 C cooked lentils

Start rice cooking. When it has 15 minutes left, start stir-fry

Heat oil in skillet and stir fry veggies for 4 minutes. While veggies are cooking, stir together the rest of the ingredients, except the lentils, dissolving sugar and mixing well. Stir sauce and lentils into the veggies and cook for 2-3 minutes. Stir in a little thickener (cornstarch dissolved in water) and simmer until veggies are as tender as you want them and sauce thickens.

YUM!

Why not eat animals?

Just in case you want to ask why I'm trying not to eat animals or their products, I have created a list of reasons. If you think this is weird, that is fine. Please keep that to yourself. Or complain about it to your husband. :) Something I've learned this week is that Veganism is a process, and it isn't a list of dos and do nots. It's more about doing what you feel is best for your body and giving respect to everyone and everything around you. It involves being aware of the planet and how you impact everything you come in contact with. I still have a lot to learn, but these are the reasons I'm choosing to eat only plants.

1. To be healthier. I don't think eating small amounts of meat will cause you to die a painful death, but I have researched a substantial amount (not fad diets or tips from doctors who want to get rich, but from reading about 30+ years of comprehensive nutrition research) and feel that working towards eating few, if any, animals products is GREAT for your health, energy, and longevity.

2. The more I learn about how our bodies work, the less desire I have to eat meat. It really doesn't taste that great anyway.

3. I am aware that the Word of Wisdom does not say "Don't eat meat," but it does say to eat meat sparingly and only in times of famine or winter. I like to think of the Word of Wisdom in this respect, as telling us all the great things we can and should eat! Fruits in their seasons, every kind of grain. There are so many things I haven't tried.

4. I am really curious and want to try something new. :) I may be less strict when I get pregnant again, depending on how sick I get. But I kind of want to substantiate these claims that eating a plant-based diet is so great for one's body!!

Again, feel free to ask questions, or to think I'm crazy. But please omit any unkind comments. :)

And read the China Study. It just might change your life!

Some sites I've found helpful:
Whole Foods Vegan Momma
The Vegetarian Society

Information overload

I could attempt to inundate you with the vast amount of knowledge I've gained this week about practicing veganism (you read that correctly.)

Suffice it to say that my new-found knowledge is pushing me from the "experiment" stage into the "completely changing the way I think about nutrition as well as changing my lifestyle" stage.

Sounds crazy. I know.

And I will confess that, while attending a family party where the two main dishes contained meat, it was not easy to resist. I was very hungry. But when I really thought about it, the pulled pork and chicken salad really weren't appealing.

I'd like to share one tidbit, as I'm sure that if you are a personal friend and you are reading this, you are probably worried about me. The first thing my brother-in-law asked when I told him what I was trying was "aren't you still nursing?" I am, with no plans to stop in the near future.

So let's talk essential nutrients. There are 4 nutrients you get from animals that you can't get from plants. Vitamins A, D, &B-12 and cholesterol. You actually don't need to take in any cholesterol because your body can make everything it needs. Your body can readily convert all of the Beta Carotene you eat into Vitamin A, and if you spend 15 minutes in the sun every few days, your body will handily make all the Vitamin D you need. (Aren't our bodies awesome?!)

That leaves B-12. Dr. T. Colin Campbell, author of the China Study (one of the 3 books every person who wants to change their lives should read*), mentions in his book that our bodies store 3 years worth of B-12. So unless you're pregnant, nursing, or been a Vegan for more than a couple years, you don't need a B-12 supplement. He also mentions that all other supplements are unnecessary for those who eat a plant-based diet.

Isn't this all fascinating? I've tried to determine how I feel. I've still been eating a moderate amount of dairy, and I have eggs every day. I think I will replace dairy with soy and other plant milks (I tried soy yogurt this week and it was surprisingly good.) I may hang on to eggs for a while, until I get my pantry supplies built up. I may also continue to feed my girls an egg a couple times a week.

*The other two books being The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ and Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover.

I will go and do, not question You.

I have gained great strength from Nephi and his journey from Jerusalem to the promised land. His willingness to obey no matter what is inspiring. In 1 Nephi 9, Nephi explains a particular commandment. “I have received a commandment of the Lord that I should make these plates,” meaning the smaller plates. The large plates already contained a record of what had happened.

We know that Nephi is faithful in keeping God’s commandments. When he was commanded to obtain the Brass Plates, he knew why. He knew that his posterity would not have been able to obey the commandments unless they had the scriptures which contained God’s law. He knew they were commanded to leave Jerusalem in order to preserve their lives. He even knew that if he failed to obey the prompting to slay Laban, however repulsed he felt by such a command, would result in an entire nation dwindling in unbelief. So he had faith, not only that God would help him accomplish the commandments, but that each commandment had a divine purpose.

Verses 5&6 in 1 Nephi 9 provide interesting insights: “This Lord hath commanded me to make these plates for a wise purpose in him, which purpose I know not. BUT THE LORD KNOWETH ALL THINGS from the beginning; wherefore, he prepareth a way to accomplish all his works among the children of men; for behold, he hath all power unto the fulfilling of his words.” The powerful message behind these words is that sometimes we may not know the reason for a specific commandment. Often times we don’t fully understand why we are asked to do something. But we can exercise a particle of faith and ACT, knowing that God’s purposes will be revealed eventually.

This principle seems to fall directly in line with what Elder Richard G Scot of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said in the most recent General Conference: “Thus, every time you try your faith—that is, act in worthiness on an impression—you will receive the confirming evidence of the Spirit. As you walk to the boundary of your understanding into the twilight of uncertainty, exercising faith, you will be led to find solutions you would not obtain otherwise. With even your strongest faith, God will not always reward you immediately according to your desires. Rather, God will respond with what in His eternal plan is best for you, when it will yield the greatest advantage. Be thankful that sometimes God lets you struggle for a long time before that answer comes. That causes your faith to increase and your character to grow.”

I do have to clarify that I think it is perfectly acceptable to ask Heavenly Father to help us understand why we are to obey the commandments. Especially if it troubles us. But failing to obey the commandment until we understand every detail and the eternal perspective of it can result in missed blessings, decreased faith, and ultimately apostasy.

Progress

Do you think eating 12 pumpking chocolate chip cookies cancels out any good I've done from not eating meat the last two days? And would you believe how tempted I was by a sausage McMuffin from McDonalds this morning?

This not eating meat thing is hard!

My motivation right now is really curiosity. I'm curious how I'll feel at the end of the month by not eating meat.

Here are the recipes from this week's meals so far:

Broccoli Cheese Calzones:
1 container ricotta cheese
1 box (9oz) frozen broccoli, thawed (I used 1 raw bunch, chopped)
1/3 cup grated parm cheese
2 egg whites
1 tsp dried Basil
1/4 tsp garlic powder
pizza bread dough
1 can pizza sauce (or make your own)

Mix all but the last 2 ingredients together. Spread onto rolled out dough, fold over, and seal edges. Bake at 400 F for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown.
Verdict: Good. Not great. DH liked them, except the bread part. I probably could have just baked the filling with noodles or something for him. Or put it into a veggie lasagna.

Mediterranean Minestrone Casserole:
3 Medium carrots, sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 cups water
1 cup vegetable broth
2 6 oz cans tomato paste
2 TBSP Italian seasoing
1 TBSP sugar
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
2 cloves minced garlic
1 1/2 cups cut green beans
1 Cup uncooked elbow noodles

Mix everything except the noodles and green beans into a crockpot and cook on low for 6-8 hours. 30 minutes before serving, turn crock pot to high and stir in noodles and beans. Top with parmesan cheese.

Verdict: make sure you cook your green beans all the way. Ours were too crunchy. This was good. It would have tasted better with some italian sausage... And it kind of looked like throw-up. Not to deter you from making this. It was good. Just not THAT good. If I make it again I will probably use kidney beans.

Anyway, things are going well. I'm determined. And my grocery bill was ON budget this week, WAHOO! So that is a major motivation to not eat meat. And I got cage-free eggs on sale, so I'm excited to try those tomorrow. We'll see if I can taste a difference. It's ok if you think I'm nuts. I probably am.

To eat meat...

You might say I've been on a health kick lately. Well, minus the hundreds of fun-size candy bars I've downed this week. But really, I've been running more than I've ever run in my life, practicing yoga, and trying to get in my 5 fruits and vegetables each day. Nutrition has always fascinated me, but I've always thought people who were vegetarian were probably nuts.

But lately I've had this little bird on my shoulder urging me to research a meatless diet, and bugging me to try it out. So I am. I'm not morally opposed to eating meat. I don't think you are going to die a horrible death if you do. I'm not even saying that I'm never going to eat meat again. I'm just going to try, this month, not eating meat. I will still eat eggs and cheese, though I'll probably limit those things. I will be sure to get enough protein, iron, and B-12. I'm really just curious.

I had a friend in high school who was the kind of vegetarian who wouldn't eat meat, but who would down an entire package of oreos in a single sitting. That is NOT what I'm going for. Part of my plan is to stay away from candy and other packages goodies. I can eat cookies and things if I make them myself, and they will probably be pumpkin cookies or carrot cake, or even apple pie.

I'm also excusing myself for Thanksgiving. Turkey is my favorite Thanksgiving food.

Follow along with my dinner plans on my Google Calender at the bottom of my blog. I'll be posting recipes. Every Wednesday I will post a tip for how to implement more meatless meals into your lifestyle while keeping the flavor and getting the right nutrients. On Saturdays I will review my meals for the week and give a report on how I feel. I'm excited. This should be fun!!

Monday: Broccoli & Cheese Calzones with whole-wheat calzone dough, ricotta, cheddar cheeses.
Tuesday: Mediterranean Minestrone with garbanzo beans and a variety of vegetables, plus whole-wheat pasta
Wednesday: leftovers with baked mozzarella sticks
Thursday: Lentil and mixed vegetable casserole.
Friday: Eat out (We're eating at a temple cafeteria, so we'll see if I they have a meatless option)
Saturday: Nephew's party, we're bringing the vegetable tray. I'll probably bring something to eat since they'll be serving pull pork.

Image from http://karmafreecooking.wordpress.com/topic-index/vegetarianism-as-a-way-to-loose-weight/