THIS WEEK'S MENU: 2/29-3/6

What a wondeful weekend!  We spent this weekend celebrating my beautiful niece's wedding in Nashville, TN. It was themost meaningful wedding I have ever seen, including my own!  No detail was overlooked!


Here's what I'm cooking up this week.  Josh won't be home for dinner for part of the week so I've included some of my favorites that my kids love in those spots.

MONDAY:  Rotisserie Chicken and zucchini tots.  Tutorial coming on how to make your own rotisserie chicken-- The Prissy Girl's Guide to Cooking Whole Chicken!  My personal Hottie won't be here for dinner tonight, so we are doing some kid friendly things.   Here is the recipe for the zucchini tots! http://damndelicious.net/2015/08/08/zucchini-tots/http://damndelicious.net/2015/08/08/zucchini-tots/


TUESDAY:  Chicken Pot Pie.  Mmmmm... I used to HATE this as a kid but now that I'm all grown up, it's AWESOME!  My kiddos love it, too!  I don't have a link to the recipe, so here's the recipe I use....
1/2 lb cubed chicken (use the rotisserie from last night!)
2 to 3 c frozen mixed veggies.  You could cut fresh ones, but for real, who has the time?
1/3 c butter (Butter is best.  And, better for your body!)
1/3 c chopped onion
1/3 c all purpose flour
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1/2 t celery seed (I don't use celery because I'm n ot a fan of the smooshiness (Yes, that's a word... somewhere.))
2 1/2 c chicken broth, or as needed.  I never use that much but you might like yours soupier (Yes, another real word.)  If I were you and I made homemade rotisserie chicken, I'd use the bone broth.
2/3 c milk
2 deep dish pie crusts

Preheat oven to 425.  Use egg whites to lightly coat bottom of pie crust and bake for 7 minutes.  In a saucepan, cook onions in butter until soft and transluscent.  Stir in flour, salt, pepper, and celery seed.  Slowly stir in half of chicken broth and milk.  Add chicken, frozen veggies, and some broth to cover, if needed. Simmer on medium low until thick.  Pur into par-baked pie crust.  Cover with second piece of pie crust and brush with egg whites.  Cut 2" vent holes (about 7) into the top of the crust.  Bake for 35 minutes, or until golden brown.  Cool 10 minutes.

If you are a diehard chicken pot pie eater that uses Cream of Something soup, try this substitution.  It's so much healthier and not as nasty looking!  Well, I'M SORRY!  That canned stuff is N.A.S.T.Y.!  http://1orangegiraffe.blogspot.com/2011/07/anything-you-wanna-call-it-casserole.html?showComment=1310864846151#c3489139395376988271  I've used this recipe a ton of times and it's delicious!


WEDNESDAY:  Beef Barbocoa with seasoned black beans. I'm a sucker for Mexican.  Mmm... I could eat it (and Chinese, and American, and...)  all the time!!   http://www.fivehearthome.com/2015/02/03/slow-cooker-beef-barbacoa/  Here is the recipe for the seasoned black beans.  Yes, you can buy seasoned black beans in a can at the grocery store.  I promise they aren't as good as homemade!  http://allrecipes.com/recipe/63113/best-black-beans/?internalSource=recipe%20hub&referringId=2020&referringContentType=recipe%20hub Allrecipes is one of my favorite cooking websites for one major reason.... REVIEWS!  I always read the first 3-4 reviews to see how to tweak the recipe to make it more successful.  It's like knowing the answers to the test before you take it!


THURSDAY:  Madeira Chicken with roasted broccoli.  I love ANYTHING cooked in wine. Or in beer, actually, but this is alll about the wine!  http://www.chewoutloud.com/2015/05/13/chicken-madeira-cheesecake-factory-copycat-2/  And here is our all-time favorite broccoli recipe!  I think the lemon juice will add just the right amout of acidity to balance that rich chicken!  Yep!  Broccoli with LEMON JUICE!  http://www.amateurgourmet.com/2008/11/the_best_brocco.html
  

FRIDAY:  Taco Bar!  We are having our church group over for dinner and we thought a taco bar would be so much fun!  Who doesn't love tacos?!  I'm going to provide the meat and shells and assign toppings to our guests.  You know us women... we loooove to bring food to other people's houses.  :)  Found this handy-dandy checklist on Pinterest.  Instead of beef, I may do chicken.  Still thinking...


SATURDAY:  Date night with the hubby!!!!  We are headed to Exit Strategy in Charlotte with a big group of friends after eating at Mac's Wing Shop!!!  Yay!!!

SUNDAY:  Our old faithful Kale Soup from Gathered in the Kitchen!  http://gatheredinthekitchen.com/2015/09/14/kale-sausage-cannellini-sun-dried-tomatoes-soup/  I prefer California Sun-Dried tomatoes from Walmart.  I think they have the most flavor.  And, I'll add a splash of balsamic video and a few glugs of white wine.  Soooo yummy!  I think I'm going to try this gluten free Brazilian Cheese Bread to go along with it.  They look so fluffy!  http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/easy_brazilian_cheese_bread/


Thanks for stopping by!  Y'all come back now, ya hear?  xoxoxo

DIY- Birthday Morning on a Budget

Have you been to the Dollar Tree lately?  I was able to rack up on some super fun birthday decor for less than $10 that is sure to make my little sweetie feel like a million bucks!

Balloon avalanche on the bedroom door:

This pic was snapped while I was still working on it... 

Written note on the bathroom mirror:

Everyone has a expo marker laying around.  I have seen some amazing ones done with Crayola window crayons, but the expo with cute sayings like "double digits" and "The big 1-0" made an impact without the added expense.

Big sign hanging and balloons everywhere:

It's amazing how festive something can look with some colorful balloons!

Car Pool Party!

The excitement and surprise continued when we went out to the car to find it decorated too!

Items bought:
4 mylar balloons
Package of latex balloons
Happy Birthday sign for the wall
Happy Birthday banner for the car
Table centerpiece
Streamers

Total cost $9 (plus tax)

Fun memories made, priceless!

Menu for 2/22-2/28

What a wild weekend it has been!  Took the kiddos down to GA to visit my parents and some extended family that is visiting. So tired from that, but it was fun!!  Kids love going down to visit Bubbe and Poppy, and Bubbe Jo and Poppy D!  Now on to the week!

Monday:  SESAME CHICKEN WITH QUINOA.  If you haven't tried quinoa, do it today.  It's a great replacement for rice (as is cauliflower, by the way) but it has so many more nutrients than rice, which helps to counter the carb spike!  I even use it in place of grits for cheese grits!  Still feel like your sinnin' but you aren't!  Here's the recipe for sesame chicken with quinoa. Super easy.  If you want to boost the nutritional value, throw some sauteed veggies into your quinao to  make it more of a fried rice style.  http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/sesame-chicken-with-quinoa/#_a5y_p=1330288


Tuesday:  SPICY KALE SOUP.  This is the ORIGINAL kale soup our family used to eat before my friend Stephanie modified it for us.  This version is super yummy too!  Still a ton of nutrients but it fills your belly, which is often not the case with soups.   http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2013/03/kale-soup-sausage-sweet-potato.html



Wednesday:  TORTILLA AND BLACK BEAN PIE WITH A SIDE SALAD.  This is sooooo yummy and really easy!  I use the low carb version of the tortilla because it's higher in protein.  And, if you're really feeling crazy, cook your meet with some beer in it.  Takes it up a notch, that's for sure!  I also add some black beans to it.  It makes a ton with black beans, so you can actually make two and invite your neighbors or your mother-in-law over for dinner.  What??? I've crossed the line with the MIL?  ;)   http://www.marthastewart.com/336692/tortilla-and-black-bean-pie?backto=true&backtourl=/photogallery/meatless-comfort-food#slide_43



Thursday:  MAPLE DIJON CHICKEN WITH BACON.  Bacon.  Mmmmm.... Need I say more?  http://www.wholesomelicious.com/creamy-maple-dijon-chicken-with-bacon/  Serve this up with a side of sauteed zucchini and it scores some serious points with the hubby.  PS-- I'd add a ton more bacon.  Bacon would be mad at me if I didn't.


Friday:  Who wants to cook on a Friday night?  Not this girl.  As a matter of fact, we have plans so no cooking here, but I didn't want to leave you high and dry.  Here's a great recipe that is super duper easy.  If you want to make it really easily, use butter and sqirt some Italian dressing on top.  I even will bump up the flavor with some homemade Italian dressing powder so I can lessen the sodium a tad.  There is no recipe link with this one but you can see how easy it is from the picture.



Saturday:  CHOPPED THAI SALAD WITH SESAME GARLIC DRESSING.  This is really yummy and super duper easy, too. I add chicken to it to make it more of a meal.  I know soy beans have gotten a bad rap over the years and I think there is something to be said for they being read as a false estrogen, but I think if you keep it in moderation, you're good.  That's what I tell myself because I love me some edamame.  Whatever helps you sleep at night, right?  http://pinchofyum.com/chopped-thai-salad-sesame-garlic-dressing



Sunday:  HOMEMADE PIZZA.  Do try this at home:  quinoa pizza crust.  Really, you must do it.  It isn't bad!  I like it way better than the cauliflower pizza crust, for sure!!!  http://www.simplyquinoa.com/ultimate-quinoa-pizza-crust/  It's really not hard to make but you do have to soak the quinoa the night before, so plan ahead.  Top it with healthy ingredients (or not) for dinner.  This is what I like to do... I scour menus of my favorite fancy restaurants and find my favorite pizzas there.  I buy those same toppings at Aldi or Walmart and make my own!  Easy peasy!



You guys have a great week!!!  Thanks for taking a peek!

The Tired Mommy's Guide to Spending Time With Your Kids... From the Couch

Wow. At least once, every mom has the dream of spending time, valuable time, with the kids without leaving the sofa and have it not wrapped around some dumb cartoon you've seen 63 times.  Well, from the depths of our genius, Angel and I have compiled a list of things you can do with your kiddos without using the last bit of energy your body has.

1.  Freeze Face.  Put on your favorite movie that's approved for tiny eyes.  Every few seconds, pause it. Everyone in the room has to make the face of the character on the screen.  {Don't judge me.  I'm tired and I'm trying to maintain enough energy to inhale and exhale.}

A perfectly perfect example.

2.  Fetch:  Yes, this is traditionally a game used with dogs.  We get that.  And, in a lot of ways, children are just like puppies.  We have to train them to be adults.  Enter in:  Fetch.  This actually occurred while sitting through one of the million soccer practices for my older son.  My little guy was bored and wanted me to get up and play.  I had already played... played pass the ball back and forth, played copy-cat games, eye spy.... you name it, I had played it.  So here is the game... the parent, plops down in their chair; this is a very important step, because you are a parent and deserve it.  Next, with the child facing away from you, you throw the soccer ball and they have to anticipate which direction it will go and chase it down before you can count to 5.

3.  Taste Challenges:  Your kid is hungry and won't take "I don't feel like getting off the couch" as a viable response.  Yes, I understand this takes work.  But, let me tell you why it's oh soooo worth it. IT BUYS YOU MORE TIME ON THE COUCH. Jump up, grab every snack you can think of (like 9 or so).  This can include veggies, fruits,  nuts, chips, etc.  ANYTHING.  Did I mention this doubles as a pantry clean out??  Double score!  Once you've lined up all the food items on the table, number each one with a post-it note, or have your kid do it.  Then, write the same numbers, each on one small paper, fold them, and throw them into a bowl.  Your kid draws a number out and eats the snack with the same number.  D.O.N.E.  You're welcome.

This is an ice cream challenge we did for breakfast.  Listen people, sometimes you just have to break society's rules.

And this is our snack challenge.  That girl is actually eating a carrot. Your eyes don't deceive you.

4. Laundry Race:  Now this little gem works to help get the daunting task of laundry done and entertain the little sweeties.  If you have ever gotten behind by a couple of loads and you feel like you should just rewash the clean pile to give yourself time to catch up, this one is for you.  It starts with the sorting phase.  Set the timer on your phone for 30 seconds.  Give the kids their own baskets.  They will all pull out of the large pile, their own clothes and throw them into their basket.  You can make this harder by making the baskets far away and they have to shoot, etc.  At the end of the 30 seconds, count the items.  If they have accidentally added someone else's item, they get a point taken away.  The one with the most points wins.  If at the end of 30 seconds, it's not done, play round 2 and so on.  Once done, move on to the folding round: Worth double points.  Same idea, just time them while they fold and put hangers on items.  Give 5 extra points for neatness at the end.  Round 3: winner takes all!!  They will race to their rooms and put away their clothes.  The winner will be selected by the neatest drawers and closet.  Ta-Da!  Laundry done!

5.  Sock War:  This game is fun for the whole family!  Similar to the game above, it serves a purpose... to match up all of the socks in the house.  Everyone sits in a circle and makes as many sock matches as possible.  The sock bombs will be their ammunition for the war.  Now, everyone can either take an even share of sock bombs or the number that they made (this will have to be determined based on the age of the children involved).  Turn off the majority of the lights in the house and GO!  Everyone throws sock bombs at each other until they get hit 3 times.  Once hit 3 times, you are dead and have to wait for the next round.  Collect the socks and play again.  We like to play both boys vs. girls or every man for themselves.  This is cheaper than a Nerf war and yet still gets your socks folded in the process.  

What are your favorite "Lazy Mommy" games?  No judgement, we promise.

Menu for 2/15-2/21

STUCK. INSIDE.  EW.  I don't mind being at home, but being at home without the option of leaving???????  NOOOOOOOOO!!!  It looks like nothing is happening out there by way of weather, but stay in!  My Expedition took a turn I didn't authorize out there on the ice!  Not worth it!

Here's the menu for this week!  Happy Eating!

MONDAY:  Zucchini lasagna.  I am using my favorite lasagna recipe and subbing SOME noodles with zucchini I slice on my mandolin slicer.  Don't have one? Girl! Getcha one! They are AWESOME!  I'm only doing some noodles because I want to shave off some calories but still keep the flavor.  Because, let's face it.  Noodles are fan-freaking-tastic.

Here's how I make my lasagna.  I used jarred sauce (2 jars) and mix in some ground beef and/or Italian sausage.  That's all in one pot.  In a large container of ricotta or cottage cheese, I mix in one egg. That's container #2.  I use dry noodles and raw zucchini. That's container #3.  And, I also layer in fresh or frozen spinach, as well as shredded or slized mozzerella.  Adding spinach is an easy and tasteless way to get vitamins.  Layer all that, starting with pasta sauce and ending with mozzerella cheese.  Make it as thick as your 9x13 allows.  Bake
 http://www.recipebyphoto.com/zucchini-pasta-lasagna/



TUESDAY:  Parm Crusted Chicken with Bacon.  http://otasteandseeblog.com/parmesan-crusted-chicken-with-bacon/  Yummy, yum, yum.  I heart bacon.  I'll follow this recipe to a T except I just might crust the bacon with dried potato flakes (gluten-free) and back it instead of fry.  For sides, I am going to make zucchini tots.  Yummy!!!  http://damndelicious.net/2015/08/08/zucchini-tots/  And maybe some roasted broccoli. Ta Da!!!  Done!


WEDNESDAY:  Brown Sugar and Balsamic Glazed Pork Loin with Roasted Asparagus.  Two of my most favorite things EVA.  Honey and balsamic vinegar.  Holy Heaven.  Yes please!   http://lecremedelacrumb.com/2016/01/slow-cooker-honey-balsamic-pork-tenderloin.html Doncha kinda wanna take a bath in that?  Yeah, me too.  I may sub maple syrup for the brown sugar just to keep the refined sugars low, but you can do what you want. And don't forget, balsamic will sweeten on its own.  I think I'll be sure to make the sauce separately and taste it before I pour it in the crock pot.  That way I can limit the sugars a little but more if need be.

I'm going to serve it with mashed cauliflower which is pretty dang close to mashed potatoes IF IF IF you throw in a small russett potato with your cauli.  Cut up a head of cauli and a russett potato and steam them till soft.  Mash each as well as you can with a potato masher or with your submersible blender thingy.  Add cheddar, ranch dressing, Greek yogurt, a little butter, bacon, and viola!  Delicious!!!  And will fool the pickiest kid on the planet (aka, my son).




THURSDAY:  Enchiladas.  I never got around to making these last week.  Although, I did have the homemade rotisserie chicken all ready to go to tuck into these little gems.  I'll send some tips your way on how to make your own rotisserie chicken and bone broth in an upcoming post.  http://joyfulmommaskitchen.com/white-chicken-enchiladas/



FRIDAY:  Shrimp Boil Kebabs. We LOVE these in the summer time when the living easy. Fish are jumping and the cotton is high. ;)  But, even then, we modify the recipe because corn cobs are so hard to cut and then thread onto a kebab stick. Use this delicious recipe by Martha Steward, but modify like we do....  I will sautee the sausage and the shrimp in some sauce instead of grilling because it's cold out side. I boil the potato then put a little sauce over the top once they are served.  As for the corn, I buy frozen kernels and throw them into my iron skillet (still frozen) and char them.  You can toss in a little sauce right there at the end.  It will give you a little glimpse of sunshine in all this grayness.  Not sure that's a word, but whatev's.  http://www.marthastewart.com/355825/shrimp-boil-kebabs


SATURDAY:  Greek stuffed chicken.  Man, this looks sooooo good.  Only change I'd make is making the filling actually a topping.  Saves time.  I'll sautee it while my chicken thighs (Yes, we like thighs instead of breasts.  I have a slight tendency of overcooking breasts.  Ahem.) and then pile it right on top. http://littlebitsof.com/2015/07/greek-stuffed-chicken/  I'll serve it with fresh cucumbers and Everything hummus (from Food Lion.  Our favorite hummus.) and squash sauteed in butter, salt, and pepper.  Dern.  I'm. hungry. right. now.
 

SUNDAY:  Taco salad.  It's the same one from the week before.  Just didn't have time to make it last week. Pioneer Woman still rocks.  :)  http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/chicken-taco-salad/http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/chicken-taco-salad/

Dear Diary... Family Diary

Dear Diary....

If you were a little girl in the 80's, I can bet money that you had a diary and it had a little tiny lock with a teeny tiny key and some god-awful picture with pink glitter.  I remember buying a fountain pen to write in mine... which of course ended up in some sort of inky disaster!  But I loved it!  I loved the quiet time at the end of fun day, journaling my thoughts about our family trip or my latest crush.

 

Technology and social media don't really leave room for this time-honored tradition of writing down your inmost thoughts and feelings.... instead, we post every meal, selfie and Starbucks visit online.  The moment is fleeting and quickly documented out in cyber space, never to be thought of again.  

When I moved a few months ago, I was given a sweet gift that included a travel journal.  There are spaces for writing and spaces for doodling.  

It is left on the coffee table, along with a couple of other cute coffee table books.  

My family is encouraged to write in it whenever they have something fun to talk about.  So far, I am the most contributing author haha, but if I catch one of them sitting around, needing something to do, I hand them the book and ask them to write something specific.  I'll say "tell us about your big soccer game" or something like that and they will get to work...  I am hoping that this bit of prompting now will lead to them contributing to it on their own soon.  

I look forward to looking back at these memories one day and not only remembering the fun experience, but also the sweetness of their little stories and doodles.  

Comment below to give us some writing prompt ideas or to let me know if your family does this or will start it now.  <3

Iron Chef Kids 2

I am happy to announce that our children are still very involved in their cooking night.  They have basically forgone the competitive part of the game (little mister figured out how to throw it by scoring everyone else low haha) and just love choosing and making dinner every Monday night.  There was one week that we were all running around and rehearsals ran late, etc... so I told them that we weren't going to cook that night and just grab something on the way home.  You would have thought that I had laid down the biggest punishment in history!  I was shocked at how upset they were!

Here are a few of the latest themed dinners:  Thanksgiving in February and Build your own Pizza.

Why the Thanksgiving meal?  Because this is about life skills more than anything and I want to create good kitchen helpers by Thanksgiving!  I bought a turkey breast and taught them how to use a brine to flavor it and a meat thermometer.  They made the sides of mashed potatoes and veggies.

This week, my middle one asked if they could do pizzas.  They all made their own dough and chose the types of pizzas to make.

Little Mister wanted to make a white pizza with a ricotta filling.  Egg cracking is always fun!

All hard at work!

My middle guy wanted to make a traditional pizza with pepperoni and bacon crumbles.  The boys both had to choose which spices to flavor their dish with.  They smelled the spices and decided to go with oregano and basil and little mister went with a thyme again too. 

Missy poo made a dessert pizza with chocolate chips and crushed pretzels for a sweet/salty flavor.

The outcome was pretty delicious but the time together in the kitchen, priceless! 

THIS WEEK'S MENU 2/8-2/14

It's that time of the week again!  I'm sorry I didn't get this to you sooner.  I was too busy being depressed about the Panthers in the Super Bowl.  Sigh.

Monday:  Asian.  I didn't get to make these dishes last week, so they are rolling over to this week.  Here's the link to last week's post with all three recipes tagged there.  http://theroadtohappyhealthymommies.blogspot.com/2016/02/this-weeks-menu-21-27.html

Tuesday:  It's a Boy Scouts day so something easy is on the menu!  Sometimes convenience trumps super healthy!  These chili cheese enchiladas are soooo yummy.  Sub Greek yogurt in for sour cream to bump up the healthy points a tad. http://joyfulmommaskitchen.com/white-chicken-enchiladas/

Wednesday:  Chicken legs with Pepper Salad.  I have some frozen chicken legs left over from a couple months ago.  No better time to use them than the present! And don't these look simply delicious?

 http://www.thecomfortofcooking.com/2013/04/herb-and-citrus-oven-roasted-chicken.html

I make my pepper salad so so simply.  Buy tri-color peppers at the grocery store.  I get mine at Aldi because they are so much cheaper and they come in yellow, orange, and red.  I don't care for green peppers so I like not having to buy one in my pepper pack.  You can also use those little sweet peppers that come in tri-colors.  Slice the peppers and cut the slices in half.  Dice half a purple onion to throw in there.  Toss in some feta cheese (flavored is the best) and toss it all in your favorite vinegar-based salad dressing.  The end!  

 

Thursday:  Balsamic Skirt Steak with roasted veggies.  I am a sucker for a balsmic reduction!  You might even catching  me lick the pot! Mmmm!!  I'm going to roast my veggies, though.  I like how crunchy they stay and the flavor deepens so much.

 http://www.thecomfortofcooking.com/2015/08/skillet-balsamic-skirt-steak-with-garlic-zucchini-squash-and-tomatoes.html

Friday: Pioneer Woman Taco Salad.  Her's is the b.e.s.t. I ain't even kiddin.  We don't use Doritos on top though. Doritos are crack.  And crack is whack.  Once we get started eating those delicious nibbles, it's all over.

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/chicken-taco-salad/

Saturday:  The kids and I are traveling out of town that day so we have to make something easy for Daddy.  Black bean soup it is!  I have some left over ham cubes that will work perfectly in the soup.  Be sure to add cumin and lime juice to push that flavor right over the edge! You will be so happy you did! Sometimes I add salsa and chipotle powder too.  As long as you stay in the Tex Mex vein, you won't go wrong making it up as you go.  Here's the Pioneer Woman's recipe for it but I haven't tried it. I'm sure it's super duper though!  http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/black-bean-soup/

Sunday:  Kale soup AGAIN! See the link for Monday for the recipe!  

Happy eating!!!  :)

Book Review: For the Love by Jen Hatmaker

I so love Jen Hatmaker.  I love her sense of humor, her simple way of explaining things, her logic, and her house.  All of those make me happy.  If she and I were sisters, we would spend a lot of time together, I just know it.  Jen has a way of taking this Lord-loving, simple-minded girl and making her understand things a little bit differently.  That's what I enjoy most about her and her style of writing.

I bought this book about 2 weeks ago and read it super fast, as I do all of her books.  She typically makes me laugh through the entire thing while presenting Jesus in a way I can understand.  This book had a good balance of light heartedness and serious reflection.  I was, however, surprised when a serious chapter would show up because it seemed a little of the blue.  One second she was sharing her life story in chronologicial Facebook posts (hi-larious!!!!) and the next sharing about how missions should really look in today's world.

My favorite chapters, well there were far too many to mention.  I love laughter so, of course the ones that made me giggle were awesome!  But at the same time, the ones that made me truly reflect on the course of Christianity in today's world were stated so simply, pointing out what should have been obvious all along.  Many churches use missions as advertisement, a sort of "Look what we did!" type of mission trip. Don't get me wrong, any help is help indeed.  But are we, as Christians, using the time we have in the most helpful and efficient way.  Another point brought to mind is when we think of missions, we think of third-world countries. There are many mission opportunities right here in our very back yards... literally.  What could we be doing to help those in need right here?

I've always had a fascination with missions.  I've always wanted to go on some grand mission trip but fear stands in my way.  I have a little of a control issue (wink, wink) and going far away is a little too far out of my control.  In a way, I think it's a preparation thing. God has big plans for me right here, with my people in my home... and maybe in yours.  My heart is being pulled in a major way to create a mission for preschool and elementary-aged kids that consists less of what they can do with Mommy's help, but more of what they can do on their own-- creating the biggest impact with their little hands.  I'm praying about this but I really feel I'm on the verge of something.  I can't wait to see what God does with my simple mind.  For the Love brought that back to the forefront for me.

Now, back to the book!!!  Like I said before, I love what Jen says so simply, "Be you.  Be kind.  Love Jesus."  She says those words in a chapter about her children, but can't that go farther than just the young?  I think that's a good less for everyone!

Below you'll find a video review of For the Love featuring a very special guest speaker!  Enjoy!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7-Xx4QmMXs