My Blog = My Life: milk

This recipe is easy-peasy! And has zero nutritional value. But, oh is it ever good! Monkey Bread is a great hit with young people as well as a perfect recipe for little chefs. It's a fast, no-fail winner that everyone and their uncles will love.

You'll need: 1 (3.5 ounces) package of cook and serve butterscotch pudding mix 1 Tbsp. Cinnamon 3/4 cup Sugar 1/2 cup Butter, melted 3 (10 ounce) cans of refridgerated biscuts (I used Pilsbury) icing sugar & milk for glaze optional: nuts of your choice Combine pudding mix, sugar, cinnamon and nuts (if you're using them) together in a bowl with a tight fitting lid. Pour melted butter into a seperate dish. Cut biscuts into quarters with kitchen shears. Dip each piece in butter and than place in cinnamon mixture. Seal lid and shake until each piece is evenly coated. Remove to a greased, 10-inch bundt or fluted pan. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes. Cool for 30 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate.
Dig in!

Like many of you, we are a single-income, larger-than-average, (1.8 or more children), homeschooling family.

And both my husband and I come from a rich, Dutch heritage.

In other words, whether or not we need to be, we enjoy frugal living. I'm also a lover of nutritious, from-scratch, whole-food cooking. Overtime, we've found that you can have one and the other! Here's how we can enjoy a mainlywhole-food diet on a budget (we still eat take-out more often than I'd like to admit!).

Cheap foods that are good for you

1. Whole grains. Oatmeal, brown rice, and quinoa are cheap! For ultimate nutritional value, choose any of these grains and soak them for a hearty breakfast that'll keep you energized all morning.

For a fabulously healthy, gluten-free, blueberry-muffin smelling breakfast, pour 1 cup of steel-cut oats, brown rice, OR quinoa in a crock-pot. Add 1 1/2 cups of almond milk, 1 1/2 cups water, 1-2 Tbsp of ground flax seed, 2-3 Tbsp butter or coconut oil, 1 cup fresh blueberries, cinnamon, sea salt, and sweetener (honey, maple syrup, stevia, or brown sugar) to taste. Stir. Cook on low overnight. Alternately, try using diced apple and a handful of walnut in place of blueberries.
2. Beans and legumes. Beans are one of the cheapest proteins available and can be used to replace meat in a meal. Given a good, over-night soak in purified water, they are a highly digestible form of fiber, complex carbohydrates, iron, and folate - ideal if you're pregnant or breast-feeding.

Our favorite way to enjoy beans are in chili, taco salad, and brownies (there's a Special Agent Brownie recipe in Trim Healthy Mama that's absolutely fabulous!).

3. Eggs. Eggs are one of the very few complete proteins available to us (they contain all 9 essential amino acids), contain only 70 calories, and are chock full of nutrition. Besides being excellent sources of protein and good cholesterol, they also contain iron, vitamins A, D, E, and B12, folate, selenium, and lutein.

Eggs can be cooked quickly in a variety of ways (hard or soft-boiled, fried, poached, scrambled) and provide great structure and texture when added to baked goods.

We enjoy them on their own and in omelettes, crepes, breakfasts bakes, and pizza crust.

Foods worth paying more for

No matter how tight our budget, there are certain foods I don't cheap out on as we feel the extra dollars are insignificant compared to the health benefits. We'd rather "pay the farmer than the pharmacy," as the saying goes.

1. Oil. It's a safe bet that anything you can get in a big plastic jug for $4 is not good for you. Vegetable oils and margarine derived from cheaply grown or genetically modified plants like sunflower, corn, soybean, canola, safflower have little nutrition to begin with and are chemically altered and deodorized in order to make them palatable. Our bodies were not meant to consume them.

Opt instead for healthy saturated fats that are rich in Omega 3 fatty acids. These include butter (preferably organic), coconut, olive, and red palm oil.
2. Fresh, local, organic produce. We can't afford to purchase all of our produce this way, but we try our best to grow or purchase the infamous "Dirty Dozen" organically as these fruits and vegetables contain the highest pesticide residue otherwise:

• Peaches
• Apples
• Celery
• Peppers
• Nectarines
• Strawberries
• Pears
• Cherries
• Spinach
• Lettuce
• Potatoes
• Grapes

• onions
• avocado
• sweet corn
• pineapples
• mango
• asparagus
• bananas
• cabbage
• broccoli
• papaya
• kiwi

Instead, we use coconut or almond milk. They contain high levels of vitamins A & D and are lactose free. They cost slightly more than pasteurized, hormone enhanced cow's milk, but since we rarely use it for more than our morning smoothie, we don't notice a difference in our grocery bill.

As our budget allows, we try to purchase higher quality dairy products like kefir, greek yogurt, cream and cottage cheese.
4. Meat. Cheaper cuts of meat are usually that way because they come from animals that are pumped full of genetically modified grain products, growth hormones, and antibiotics - the sole purpose of which is to fatten an animal up as quickly as possible for slaughter. Food Inc. is a fascinating documentary that explains how the food industry is making us sicker, fatter, and poorer through this process.

Although more expensive, grass-fed, locally raised, organic beef and chicken is a far more nutritious alternative and of much less consequence to your health.
5. Sweeteners. Sugar is cheap, appeals to our pallet, and is easy to come by. Consequently, diabetes, obesity, cancer, heart failure, and a host of other health concerns are also the norm. We stay away from refined sugar as much as possible and use raw honey, pure maple syrup, and stevia instead.

While they should still be used in small quantities, these sweeteners contain healthy enzymes and minerals which are difficult to get from other foods. They also have a healthier Glycemic Index which means they don't mess with your blood sugar levels in the same way refined sugar does.

Where to get healthy food for less

1. Garden. Anyone can grow their own produce, even a little bit. Be it a pot on the balcony of your apartment or a 3 acre market garden, all you need is some seed, soil, water, and sun and you're in business.

We put in a large raise bed last year for free - my husband made a tarp in exchange for a truckload of triple-mix and I used the gift cards I got for my birthday to purchase our seeds and plants.
2. Farmer's Market. Farmer's markets are great places to find local, seasonal produce, cure meats, eggs, honey and maple syrup at a fraction of the price you find in the store. Plus, farmers generally care about individual relationships with their customers and often offer a faithful buyer further discounts and "throw in a little extra."
3. Local Farmer. In the fall, we often purchase 1/4-1/2 a cow from a Christian farmer who grows his beef organically. We get to choose how we'd like it butchered and our freezer is well stocked for several months. We estimate purchasing our meat this way saves us 30% of the store price.

If we had the space for it, we'd love to keep our own chickens. We go through plenty of eggs around here! Thankfully, they are cheap to come by! We buy them from Brad's co-worker whose family keeps organically raised laying hens as a sideline business.

In the summer, we pick our own berries, freeze most of them, and turn some into sauce or jam. A relative of ours keeps a bountiful raspberry patch where we can come and go as we please.

It didn't work out last year because of pregnancy complications, but this summer, my mom, sisters, and I plan on putting up other produce from local farms that we don't grow ourselves: peaches, pears, carrots, pickles, etc.

4. Bulk Stores. I buy most of our grain from The Bulk Barn. We often receive coupons for $3.00 off a purchase of $10.00 or more (which I can easily spend in one visit!). I blend whole kernels with my Wondermill and the stuff I purchase pre-ground (flax), I purchase in small quantities as it goes rancid quickly. I purchase my organice herbs, teas, sea salt, and spices from The Bulk Herb Store.

I also purchase soap and other dried goods here like coconut, almonds, walnuts, and cranberries.
5. Grocery Store. You can save money at the grocery store by using coupons, ad-matching, checking the clearance shelf, and purchasing store-brand non-perishables like brown rice and tomato paste.

The clearance shelf where everything is ripe and ready, is a wonderful place to get greatly discounted produce. If you have a juicer, freeze your juice into Popsicles for a healthy summer treat or into ice cubes for slushies. Peppers and onions can be cut up and bagged for pizza toppings, apples turned into sauce, and mushrooms sauteed in butter for a fine steak topping.
6. Online. I must admit to rarely purchasing groceries online. I prefer to see the product myself. The exception to this is the extra virgin coconut oil I get from Tropical Traditions. The quality is truly remarkable. We use it a lot, especially in desserts like Chunky Cream Pops, Skinny Chocolate, and Peppermint Patties. I'm thankful it regularly goes on sale for 40-50% off.

In the interest of full disclosure, some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I receive an affiliate commission. I only recommend products I use personally. Your purchases through these links help support Growing Home. I humbly thank you for your support! Linking to: Mind Body Sole, Raising Homemakers, Deep Roots At Home, Frugally Sustainable, Natural Living Raising Arrows, Time Warp Wife, Far Above Rubies, Homestead Barn Hop, The Better Mom,

This is the perfect bread recipe for a beginning baker. If you're kinda like me and get a little intimidated by terms like "proofing yeast," "kneading dough," and the like, than this recipe is for you. I'm not one to measure ingredients exactly, which isn't always the best policy when it comes to sensitive baking situations where yeast is involved. This recipe leaves a large margin for error (probably why it's one of my favorites!), and you'll be walking away from it like you've been baking bread for years!

You'll need: 1 envelope (1/4 oz) active dry yeast 2 cups warm milk 6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour ( plus more for dusting ) 1/2 cup butter, room temperature, cut into pieces 1/2 cup sugar 2 large eggs, plus 1 large egg that's lighty beaten 2 1/2 tsp salt 1 cup raisins 1 tbsp cinnamon vegetable oil for bowl For filling: 1 1/2 cups sugar 2 tbsp cinnamon 2 tbsp water

In bowl of an electric mixer, sprinkle yeast over the warm milk and whisk to combine. Add flour, butter, sugar, 2 eggs, and salt. Attach the dough hook to your mixer. Mix on low speed until all ingredients are well combined (about 3 minutes). Increase speed to medium-low and mix until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the sides of the bowl (about 3 more minutes).

Your dough should look soft-like something above.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Pat dough into a 9-inch round (about 1 1/4 inches thick) and sprinkle with raisins and cinnamon. Knead dough until incorporated. Place dough in lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place (I use my oven-warmed slightly by heating to the lowest degree for 50 seconds) until doubled in volume, about an hour.

Return dough to lightly floured work surface, and pat into a round again. Fold the bottom third up, and then top third down, and the right and left sides over, tapping dough to release excess flour and pressing down to seal. Return dough to the bowl, seam side down and cover with plastic wrap, and let rise again until doubled, about 40 minutes.

To make filling : Mix sugar and cinnamon with 2 tablespoons water in a small bowl.

Place dough on lightly floured surface and divide in half.

Roll out one half to a 12 x 10 inch rectangle. Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with half the filling. Repeat with the other half of dough.

Grease two 9 x 5 inch loaf pans, set aside. Fold in both long sides of dough, about an inch. Then roll dough toward you with short side facing you, making a nice and tight log. Place in prepared pans with seam side down. Cover loosely with oiled plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until dough is just above the rim of the pan, about 30 minutes. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Brush tops of loaves with beaten egg and place loaf pans on a baking sheet to catch drips.

Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until loaves are golden brown, about 40 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before turning out to a wire rack.

Enjoy!

I love nursing.

After breast-feeding Charity exclusively for 8 months (she quit on her own), I never thought I'd say that. That's because I was "doing it all wrong." Charity had some trouble with latching on when she was first born, so at the midwife's suggestion, I started using a silicone shield. It worked great. Too great; Charity grew so accustomed to using it that all my attempts to try again without it proved fruitless. It was similar to bottle feeding, having to clean and disinfect an artificial nipple after every feed.

Also, the easiest way for me to feed Charity was lying down. It's still I position I favor, but now I know the importance of switching it up. I nursed Charity lying down for the first few weeks, and that ended up being the only way she would feed! Whoops! Imagine having to ask, "Do you mind if I borrow your bed for an hour?" whenever you went visiting. It ended up being rather frustrating trying to schedule everything "just right" to avoid nursing her in public.

I didn't know it then, but I had a very low milk supply. I just figured it was normal for a baby to eat for an hour. Now that we've had Judah (a champ eater-done in 10-15 minutes!) and a lot of expert advice on getting this whole nursing thing to work-like taking Fenugreek to increase milk production- I know better.

Nursing is so much easier this time. I've had a lot of help from a different midwife than I had with Charity, who also happens to be an excellent lactation consultant. Her motto is, "sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind." In other words, flicking your lethargic baby's feet when he's just a day old and making him scream might be just the thing to getting his sucking reflex in high gear! She also taught me how to get his mouth to open and how to get a good latch. It took over an hour of one-on-one time with her to figure it out, but now that I've got it "mastered," I don't regret a minute of it! When Judah latched on within the first try after our "training session," I had a "so-this-is-how-it's-supposed-to-work!" moment.

There's a hundred and one reasons why I love nursing which I won't get into now, but here's small list of things I consider to be "Nursing Time Essentials"; things that make quiet time with your own baby even easier!

• A good nursing cover. I've tried three now and by far, my favorite one is the Udder Cover which I got as a gift from Sarah. It was a wire insert inside the top hem, allowing you to peek at your baby and nobody else. Also, the fabric is breathable and there's plenty of it; no need to worry about baring your midriff accidentally.
• A bottle of water. We normally don't buy bottled water because it can get pricey. But when I'm nursing, this is the luxury I like to indulge in. Bottled water stays contained much better than in a glass so it's easy to take a swig, even while lying down, when your mouth starts feeling parched. I drink a 500ml bottle at every feeding.
• A pocket Bible. Brad bought me a cute little, lime green, leather Bible when we were going out and I make the most use of it while I'm nursing. It's small enough to hold with one hand and its soft cover allows it to remain open on its own.
• A good book. Judah's barely two weeks old, but I've been able to do more reading in that time than I have in the previous two months combined! I've just finished three books, all highly recommended: Running Scared by Ed Welch, Shepharding a Child's Heart by Tedd Tripp, and Be Fruitful and Multiply by Nancy Campbell.
• Quality nursing pads. There's nothing more irritating than a nursing pad that doesn't stay in place when it's supposed too: "So that's why the delivery guy looked at me funny!" I've tried several brands, but there's only one that I really like: Johnson's Nursing Pads. They're extremely absorbable, breathable, and they have a sticky peel that actually works.
• Pen and Paper. My penmanship looks like chicken scratch if it's done while I'm nursing (I know people who can write beautifully while breastfeeding-that's what I'm working towards!) so for now, I limit myself to writing what my eyes only will see: grocery lists, reminders, etc.
• The telephone. If I have any phone calls to make, I like to do them while I'm nursing. I know Judah will be quiet, and it's a better us of my time to call while I have to sit down anyway. I can focus on the conversation much better then when I'm trying to clean the house, make supper, or fold laundry.

Please note that I am not being compensated for the endorsement of any of the above products. The views expressed are simply my own opinions.

The whole family will enjoy this dish for breakfast, lunch, or dinner and because it's loaded with fresh spinach, this breakfast bake is an ideal choice for pregnant mamas who need an extra boost of folic acid! Maximize the health benefits by using farm-fresh eggs, raw milk (almond milk works great too), grass-fed turkey bacon, and organic produce.

An excellent source of protein, folic acid, calcium, and fiber. Gluten-Free and Trim Healthy Mama friendly!

Ingredients:

• 6 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, grated
• salt and pepper to taste
• 10 bacon strips, fried and crumbled
• 8 cups fresh spinach leaves, washed and dried
• 1/2 an onion, finely chopped

Cut into squares and serve warm.

I have searched high and low for a good, affordable, gluten-free alternative to canned cream soups to use in recipes like Chicken Broccoli Casserole. Who knew such a thing could be so difficult to find?! Then a friend emailed me this from-scratch mix. I tried it, we loved it, and just had to share!

Adapted from Taste of Home.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups dry milk powder (non-instant is preferred)
• ¾ cup organic cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• ½ teaspoon dried basil
• ½ teaspoon dried parsley
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together with a whisk. Store in an airtight container.

To make into soup, combine 1/3 cup dry mix with 1 ¼ cups water in a small saucepan. Whisk until smooth. On medium heat, bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes, until thick. Cool. This amount = 1 can condensed cream-of soup.
For Cream-of Chicken Soup: use 1 ¼ cups chicken broth instead of water.
For Cream-of Mushroom Soup: use water; add ¼ cup diced, cooked mushrooms to soup after it thickens
For Cream-of Celery Soup: use water, add ¼ cup diced, cooked celery to the soup after it thickens or add a dash of celery seed to the mixture while it’s cooking.

Linking to: Mind Body Sole, Raising Homemakers, Deep Roots At Home, Natural Living,Modest Monday, A Wise Woman, Walking Redeemed, Gluten-Free Homemaker

Many mothers who are determined to breast-feed their babies, including myself, often worry needlessly about whether or not they have enough milk to grow their babies. Assuming you and your child have no major medical concerns, let me reassure you: You are well-equipped by God Himself to feed your nursling! I am not a lactation consultant or medical expert; just a mom who's enjoyed breast-feeding two of our children exclusively for most of their first year and am currently nursing our preemie.
Genetically speaking, we are not a large family. My pre-pregnancy weight is 120 lbs. and my husband has a slim (and handsome ;-) build, but as babies, our kids are chunky-monkeys! We're often asked where they get their rolls from - it's from Mama's milk, the benefits of which scientists haven't even fully researched yet!

Charity at 8 weeks Our first-born never dropped more than 2 ounces from her birth weight. She was all chubb until she started walking and slimmed down.

Judah at 8 weeks Our second was 17lbs at 4 months old - more than twice his birth weight.

When our Anna-Grace was born, the nurses at the hospital tried to convince us she needed formula because she was premature. I have no medical expertise but I knew they were wrong. I wanted to breast-feed my baby and believe God equipped me to do so. We fought long and hard for the right to nurse her, and eventually we won. As soon as I put her to the breast, she started gaining weight rapidly - 4 ounces during her last night at the hospital where she roomed in with me for the first time, and another 6 ounces within the first two days of coming home.

Here are some things I do to ensure a good milk supply for our babes:

Fenugreek (available through The Bulk Herb Store and Mountain Rose Herbs). Immediately after giving birth, I start taking Fenugreek: 3 capsules, 3 times a day with meals for the first week post-partum. By then I usually have too much milk and cut back to 3 capsules a day for the rest of my nursing duration. Blessed Thistle (available through The Bulk Herb Store and Mountain Rose Herbs). Blessed Thistle can be added to Fenugreek to further increase your milk supply. 6-12 capsules a day is adequate, but be sure to spread them out rather than taking them all at once. You can also drink this as a tea. Drink, drink, drink! It's so important to stay hydrated when you're nursing! I drink 500ml of water at each feed. No caffeine. Try to stay away from liquids that dehydrate like sodas, coffee, and some teas. Pump. I only pumped for our preemie because it was absolutely necessary (she wasn't allowed any oral feedings for the first few days of her life), but it worked splendidly! By the time she was 10 days old, she was solely breast-feeding and I haven't pumped again.

Use an electric pump an do both breasts at the same time, every 3-4 hours beginning soon after your child is born. Don't be discouraged if there's nothing collectible for the first few days. By the third or fourth day you'll be producing more milk than your baby will be able to consume in one feeding! A good latch. If your baby doesn't seem to be getting enough, more than likely the problem is in the latch. Wait for a wide open mouth, tongue down, before bringing your baby to the breast rather than your breast to the baby. It shouldn't hurt at all. A steady swallowing sound is a good indicator they're feeding properly. Rest. As a mom of three, aged 3 and under, I know this is easier said than done. Perhaps relax is a better word. The less stressed you are, the more milk you'll produce. Nursing while lying down is a good way to catch some shut-eye.A good diet with plenty of EFA's.I've found that incorporating DHA and EFA oils into my morning smoothie not only give me more energy to breast-feed, but the fat in my breast milk is higher too. Drain one breast completely before offering the other. Not only is it important for your baby to get your hind-milk (the stuff that fattens them up!), but draining one side completely helps keep mastitis at bay and regulates your supply.The best way to tell if your baby is gaining getting enough milk is by the amount of dirty diapers they produce and a steady weight gain.

Have you breast-fed your babies? What kind of tips do you have for mothers who'd like to do the same?

Linking to: Mind Body Sole, Raising Homemakers, Deep Roots At Home, Frugally Sustainable, Natural Living,Modest Monday, A Mama's Story, Raising Arrows, Homestead Revival

I'm about to show you the grossest thing you've ever seen. (Aunt Connie, if you're reading this, look away or you'll fall out of your chair. Mom, you too.) This is what my fridge looked like yesterday morning:

Okay, now that you've picked up your jaw from off the floor, allow me to explain.
That spilled milk? It leaked out of Judah's bottle during the night. The rest? I'm afraid I have no excuse. My fridge has been in desperate need of a cleaning for a while - it's just not on my list of favorite things to do, I guess. The spilled milk was the last straw before I got a scrub-a-dub-dubbing. And now?

Dun-dun-da-dun. Let's just say the results from a little bit of elbow grease are so, so worth it!
If you're fridge looks like mine did, here's a few tricks to make the dreaded job easier:

• Take out all the food. If you're worried about spoiling, store the perishables in a cooler while you clean.
• Remove all the drawers and any shelves that can fit into your sink.

• Fill your sink with steaming hot water, vinegar, baking soda, and a bit of dish soap. Using a dish brush, scrub away the grime from the drawers and smaller shelves.

• Once the drawers have been dried, pass them off to your two-year-old and watch her imagination soar! Apparently they make fantastic beds for stuffed bears and dogs. Not to mention they're great for keeping a wee one occupied while you finish cleaning.

• Sprinkle some baking soda on the larger shelves. Add a splash of vinegar and real lemon juice before putting all your might into scrubbing away the residue with a dish brush. Don't forget the sides of the refrigerator too.
• Use paper towel or a microfiber cloth to wipe away the wet mess and leave a streak-free shine.

I couldn't help myself. I just had to show you this picture one more time. Isn't it a thing of beauty?! Now the challenge is to see how long it will stay this way.
How long has it been since you cleaned your refrigerator? Does your mess beat mine or am I Queen of the Filthy Fridge?

I'm no prophet, but excepting Christ's return, our children have a very bleak future ahead of them.

They will grow up in the most godless state their country has ever been in; they will inherit a debt load that will enslave them to the government through astronomical taxes for their entire lives; there will be too few of them to adequately support the health-care of the dying Baby Boomer generation; they will live in a world where the murder of unborn babies and people who have "lost their dignity" is normal while the right to defend and protect their own families will be taken away; they will live in a country that somehow tolerates homosexuality and radical Islam while dismissing anything God's Word says as hate speech.

At first glance, it's easy to understand why one would take action to prevent any of their own children to be born into a society that's "going to hell in a hand-basket."

However, there have been many times in history where God's people had an equally good excuse not to procreate. The persecution of Christians under King Nero, The Protestant Church in France during the 17th and 18th centuries, World War I and II, The Great Depression - these are periods in history where it was much harder to be a Christian compared to the relative freedom we enjoy now.

Take the story of Moses for example. If ever there was a time in history where it could be considered completely irresponsible and irrational to have children, this was it. 400 years of slavery to the Egyptians under some of the cruelest conditions imaginable - who could blame the Israelites if they decided that surely God didn't mean for them to keep bringing children into such a terrible world! "Be fruitful and multiply" must have been meant for periods of peace and prosperity.

Not only did the Israelites obey during their frightful circumstances, but the more they were persecuted and afflicted, the more they multiplied! Pharaoh's attempt to rid himself of the Israelite nation by literally working them into the ground was met with supernatural fertility among the people of God (Exodus 1:12).

To combat the influx in birth rates, Pharaoh ordered the midwives tokill the male children as they were being born to mothers still on their birth stools (Does this ring a bell? Sound anything like the partial birth abortions Obama is in favor of?). Again, God gave His people exceptional labors and deliveries so that the midwives, when asked why they let the male children live, had to explain, "Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; for they are lively and give birth before the midwives come to them (Exodus 1:19)."

We know how the rest of the story goes. Eventually Moses was born to lead God's people out of slavery to the Promised land, flowing with milk and honey. Through times of bondage and affliction, trials and persecution, God faithfully provided and the Israelites continued to multiply. Who are we to assign limits or terms to God's commands just because money is tight, impending judgment is on our country, or the survival of the nuclear family seems impossible?

No matter what circumstance we find ourselves in, we ought to obey God rather than man (Acts 5:29). The second we think, "You've got to use your head. God gave you a brain for a reason," and rely on our own understanding instead of acknowledging God to direct our paths, we dismiss God's unchanging faithfulness, compassionate mercy, and amazing grace for a humanistic, self-absorbed agenda that makes the devil dance.

Satan hates it when God's people multiply! What a sinking feeling it would be to witness the birth of a covenant child into a family who serves the Lord and relies on His saving grace when your mission is to rob God of His glory by destroying His people! Christians have every reason to "be fruitful and multiply" because it is the nature of our God to bless the future generations of righteous parents who diligently teach His ways to their children (Psalm 14:5; Proverbs 20:7; Isaiah 44:1-3).

Neither a balanced budget, nor a heterosexual nation will be able to save the souls of our children. I can't save them, homeschooling can't save them, church can't save them. I'm not worried about bringing babies into our world because the One who has the power to deliver them from eternal death, also has the power to raise up Moseses, Billy Grahams, preachers of righteousness, godly mothers, and Presidents who fear the Lord. I have no reason to doubt His timing, grace, mercy, or faithfulness. The children who are born to us, are born "for such a time as this (Esther 4:14)."

The following recipe is a variation on a breakfast smoothie we were introduced to during the LifeWatchers cooking class at Goodness Me. If awesome had a taste, I'm sure this would be it. Even better, the addition of essential fats and protein powder make it an easy, filling, and healthy alternative to cold breakfast cereal. Give it a try - you'll like it!
Ingredients:

• 1 cup fresh or frozen berries (I use blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries)
• 1 banana
• 2 servings (50 grams) of protein powder (whey or rice)
• 2 Tbsp Udo's Oil (or another high quality EFA/DHA oil like virgin coconut)
• 1 1/2 cups coconut milk
• 1 cup full fat yogurt or kefir

Brad's Mom made this dish one night while we were living at their house during a stricter month of bed-rest. It is phenomenal in my humble opinion. I crave saucy, pasta dishes often but gluten-free ones that are actually delicious are hard to come by. I love this recipe more than any other pasta we've tried - the whole family gives it 5/5 stars!
Linguine with Garlic Sauce | Original recipe from Taste of Home
Ingredients:

• 12 ounces uncooked linguine*
• 1/2 lb sliced bacon, chopped
• 5 cups fresh, baby spinach leaves
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 tsp minced garlic
• 1-1/4 cups milk
• 1 8oz. package of cream cheese, cubed
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. ground pepper
• 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted

Directions: 1. Cook linguine according to package directions.
2. Meanwhile, fry bacon until crisp in a large skillet. Using a slotted spoon, remove cooked bacon to another dish and set aside.
3. Drain all but 1 tablespoon of bacon fat. Saute spinach and onion in bacon fat until onions are clear and spinach is wilted. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute more.

4. Add milk, cream cheese, butter, salt, pepper, and nutmeg and stir until smooth. Add pine nuts and bacon.
5. Drain pasta and toss with sauce. Serve 4-6 people.
*The original recipe calls for regular wheat pasta which we substitute with rice linguine to make the dish gluten-free. For THMer's, use Dreamfields pasta for an amazing Satisfying dish!

Enjoy!