Summer Salads: Part 2

I love cooking from what is available seasonally. As much as I sometimes want to grab for that container of strawberries in the middle of Winter, waiting 'til Summer has proven to result in major payback. Not only are fruits and vegetables cheaper when they're bought in-season, but they are OH SO DELICIOUS too. Lately we've been eating lots and lots of watermelon, cherries, and berries. Also squash, peppers, tomatoes & of course- the star of summer: corn on the cob. :)


Tonight I made a very unusual-sounding salad recipe using green beans and strawberries as the base. I wasn't sure how this was going to taste in the end, but I was pleasantly surprised- it was scrumptious! If you decide to give it a try I hope you enjoy it too!

~Strawberry & Green Bean Salad

with Feta, Mint & Pistachios~

Serves 4-6

1 lb. fine green beans

1 lb. strawberries

2-3 Tablespoons pistachios

1 small bunch fresh mint leaves

(I used some from my yard!)

4 oz. feta cheese

salt & pepper

Dressing:

2 Tablespoons raspberry vinegar

2 Tablespoons superfine sugar

1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard

pinch of salt

1/2 cup olive oil

1. To make the dressing, mix the vinegar, sugar, mustard, and salt together in a bowl until smooth. Slowly poor in the oil, whisking constantly until the mixture has emulsified. Cover and refrigerate until required. 

2. Blanch the beans in a large saucepan of salted boiling water for 1-2 minutes, so that they retain plenty of crunch. Drain and quickly toss in a large, cool bowl. Hull and halve the strawberries, then add to the beans. Stir in the pistachios and mint leaves. Toss the salad with enough dressing to coat lightly.

3. Break the feta cheese into chunks and scatter over the salad. Add a good grinding of pepper and serve immediately.

Happy & Healthy Food to You,

Gail

Freedom in Christ! & Fourth of July Waffles

This Fourth of July I thought I'd share some verses that are good reminders to me of our FREEDOM IN CHRIST!! How grateful I am that we have freedoms here in the USA, but without the freedom that Christ brings....oh my...I would be lost. Thank you, Dear Jesus!!


"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." (Galatians 5:1)

"We are under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and He will deliver us. On Him we have set our hope that He will continue to deliver us." (2 Corinthians 1:10)

"In my anguish I cried to the LORD, and he answered by setting me free." (Psalm 118:5)

May those verses resonate through your heart today!

And now onto a delicious waffle recipe! Good for today (though it's a bit late for breakfast now) or any day of the week. Enjoy!!

~Fourth of July Waffles~

Adapted from my mother's recipe of "Popular Waffles & Pancakes"

*Makes 8 7" waffles*

2 free range eggs- beat

beat in remaining ingredients:

2 cups organic buttermilk

2 cups organic whole wheat flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons coconut oil

Heat waffle iron; cook. Top with a little butter,

your favorite organic berries, & a drizzle of pure

maple syrup. Yummy & healthy!!!

HAPPY FOURTH of JULY!!!

Gail

Cole Eating Rice Cereal

We've been hearing for months not to expect much out of the first "real" feeding experience, cause most babies don't take to it that well and will only eat a tablespoon or so. Sooo....we were happily surprised that he not only took to it right away, but that he was coming back for more! He ate the entire bowl and was as happy as a clam! ;)

If this video doesn't show that we are new and adoring parents, I don't know what will....

He looks so small and cute in his feeding chair. ;)

Messy face!

More more!

Not too happy...

A few tears, but he's alright. :)

Happy Weekend!!!

Gail

Pumping with Purpose

When our sweet Cole started sleeping through the night at only 1 1/2 months, I knew I was going to have to do something about my abundant supply of mommy's morning milk. To give it all to Cole was just too much for him...and he'd end up spitting half of it up anyways. Feeding him one breast in the morning was more than enough for his little tummy. :)

So I started pumping. And pumping. And pumping. Every morning.

I was accumulating quite a freezer full of Lansinoh milk bags, and because I rarely feed him a bottle, the freezer was just getting fuller and fuller. I knew something had to be done, so I contacted our birthing instructor Linda (who is also a lactation consultant) to see if there was anything I could do to regulate my milk supply to my baby's new schedule. The answer?

No. I was doing everything right apparently...bummer. So, I guess I'd keep pumping.

What she did ask though, was had I ever thought about donating my milk? What? Who does that? What does that even mean? I started to research more about it and visited the Mother's Milk Bank of North Texas website that she had recommended. Wow. I'm so glad I did. What I found was that healthy mothers like me who were lactating well could donate their extra milk to the milk bank to help critically ill and premature infants in the NICU in area hospitals. Formula is too harsh of a substance to give them because of their fragile state, so human milk is the best for them. Sooo cool. Isn't God awesome? For one reason or another, their own mothers are unable to supply them with their milk (their milk hasn't come in yet, etc) , so donations become invaluable.

Jump ahead about a month (after applying to be a donor mother and having the routine blood tests required before donating) and I am officially a donor mother. I know the concept sounds weird for some people, but for me, it's so rewarding to know that I'm helping other mothers out there nurture their own sweet babies with the blessing of abundant milk that God has given me. My own dear baby is well fed and doing remarkable...and if what I have helps other babies get there too....then that's nothing short of awesome. Only God could have thought of something as cool as this....and in the end, it's His milk anyway. ;)

So yesterday, I packed Cole and my cooler full of 100+ oz. of breastmilk bags in the car and headed to one of the donation drop off sites. On my way out of the donation center, I had a huge smile on my heart. I could have hugged someone walking by! I don't get paid to do this monetarily...but the rewards are great. God has given me life so that I could supply life to someone else. Ahhh.....sigh....(huge smile). :)

And now for some pictures of our own sweet baby....

Love & Blessings,

Gail

Lately {In Pictures}

A little bit of what we've been up to lately...

Enjoying lunch and red velvet cupcakes (yum!) in honor

of my sweet sister Gwen's birthday ;)

{L-R: sister Gloria, Grandma Linda, sister Gwen,

my mother Cindy & Cole}

Honorary Auntie Katie Joy getting some

lovin' in with Cole

My dear nephew Levi (1 1/2) "holding" Cole.

He was so sweet with him!

Kisses for cousin. :)

Tummy time!

He had had enough tummy time at this

point....aww...much better!

I love how innocent he looks when he's

asleep in his car seat. Melts my heart!

Smiling while asleep. Precious!

Profile. I love his slopy nose...because

he got it from me!

This was so cute. One night when I was folding

clothes in the nursery and he was in his crib,

he started to fall asleep....and while doing so...

started stroking the ears of this Peter Rabbit stuffed

animal. It was precious!

And for those of you wondering about the hazard of

sleeping in that mass of stuffed animals...no

worries. I was there the whole time keeping an eye on him.

Normally they're not all over the place like that!

Yummy veggie and chicken spring rolls for dinner

with peanut sauce and orange slices. The bad

photography doesn't do it justice...they were sooo

good! {and healthy too!)

~Reading with Daddy~

Tuned in to "Tootle" the train.

Looking at the pictures....

"Hey Mom, we're reading!" :0)

{YAWN}. Someones getting sleepy.

Matthew is such a good Dad. ;)

I love this chunky, cute face.

Playing with Daddy. ;)

Smiles and Giggles

He gets such a kick out of standing

in front of the mirror and seeing

his reflection. It always makes him smile!

Happy little fella ;)

Daddy & Cole

We finally got a stroller! Yay! I'm excited

because now it's going to be easier to take him

out or on walks... or rather...."strolls". ;)

Me and my little guy. (me with no makeup- I

wasn't going to put some on just for a stroll

down the street...sorry!)

The sweetest little face ever!

His "puppy" face ;0)

Yummy "flowering" jasmine tea

A little ball of tea leaves open up when

you pour the hot water over it.

Isn't that cool? ;)

Have a fabulous weekend!

Gail