Creating a Serene Bathroom

I don't know about you, but my mornings are hectic. Getting everyone ready and out the door can be a challenge. And my bathroom counter used to look like a drugstore exploded onto it after I'd finished getting myself ready. I had baskets for everything, but it was still covered in products and make up all the time. Not any more.

This is my bathroom today.

I'd like to tell you that I simply made a change and stuck with it when it came to changing my bathroom, but it's only because we'd really like to sell our home. In this current market you need every edge you can and that includes staging your home well. So, I spent the last two months cleaning out every closet and cabinet in this house. The results were surprisingly refreshing and freeing.

Yes, I have to put things away as I use them, but it certainly feels a lot better to walk into the above bathroom rather than the drugstore battlefield. (Sorry that there's no "before" picture. I was working so hard to stage everything that I didn't take many pictures!) I'm not promising that cleaning up your bathroom will actually make your mornings less stressful, but they just might feel a little less hectic.

Here's how I did it:

1. Purge - Start by mercilessly tossing all your old products and cosmetics. (Most of them have expiration dates anyway!) If you don't use it, get rid of it.

2. Separate items into categories - I have 3 basic ones. Make up, Everyday items and Occasional items.

3. Decide on storage for each category - I have all my make up in a tray in a drawer. I can see everything I need quickly and easily. All my everyday items are in a small basket that fits under the sink, and all my occasional items are in a larger plastic bin, also under the sink.

4. Keep your items organized and put away!

This is the real kicker. I thought it would be a real pain to keep my house in good "showing" condition all the time. But it's really not difficult. It takes only an extra 30-60 seconds to put everything back in the basket and set the basket back under the sink each morning. And when I walk into my bathroom all day I feel more calm and enjoy being there.

It sounds silly, but it has made a big difference in how I feel about my mornings. I encourage you to give it a try. You just might like it!

Let me know if you try it or if you've had any success at streamlining another "problem" area in your home.

Are We Willing to Listen?

Jeremiah 29:11-12 says, "For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.Then you will call on me and come and pray to me and I will listen to you."

This the life God has given us, for better or worse we must walk the path he has laid before us. We are simply guided by his direction and will. The question for every Christian is, are we willing to listen and obey? Are we willing to surrender all our fears and emotions to the Lord, by putting our faith in Him?

Six years ago, my husband Chris and I became foster parents of two little girls whom we intended to adopt. The year was 2005 and my husband a soldier in the United States Army was about to be deployed to Iraq. The “path” (meaning our plan) was we would complete the girls adoption process when he returned home from his tour. Those were our plans not God’s. The girls would be returned to their biological mother ten months into his deployment. Now, I’m not going to get into the multiple details concerning why and how they were returned; but because “our plan” had been changed, my husband and I were rocked to the core. I was left with an empty house, empty beds and my whole world torn apart. Not only was I was dealing with the fear of my husband not returning from a war zone, the one thing I wanted more then anything was to be a mother, and now that had also been taken away from me. Chris and I were separated oceans apart, both left clinging to our faith, that this was somehow, someway in God’s hands and a part of his great will. Remembering Jeremiah 29 vs 11-12 and holding on that there would be a glimmer of hope in all this, we marched forward with life.
Then about a year later, God’s plan started to take place and what a ride it would be! We had recently come down on orders, to PCS (Permanent Change Of Station) from Fort Stewart Ga, to Fort Knox KY. We were still heartbroken over what had transpired with the girls, but with faith, and our hope renewed, we made the move. Fort Knox, nestled in the north western part of Kentucky was not the place I would have picked to launch our family. Little did I know that within one years time, God would answer my prayers and strengthen my faith.

In February of 2007 after months of waiting and praying for God’s direction in our lives, we received “the phone call” from the adoption agency we had been working with. It appeared that the state of Kentucky was at “the end of the road” with a certain pair of little boys, in much need of love, discipline, shelter and a home to call their own. Travelle and Travon at the time were five and four years old and had grown up in the foster care system. Right from the get go they were a 100% “all boy” with tons of energy and inquisitiveness. After sometime of getting to know Travelle and Travon, we made the transition to become a family of four moving them into our home Easter weekend of that year.

Now we know that all things work together for the glory of God, remembering our prayers from Georgia, and holding on to the steadfast faith that we were going to adopt the boys in a few months would be the conclusion of our prayers of petition to God for children. Would I be out of line, if I told you I believe God has a sense of humor? Well in my humble opinion he does. After five years of fertility treatments with no success, two years as foster parents with no fruit to show for our love and labor. An interrupted attempt to adopt, cross country travels to and fro to meet adoptable children, it happened! What happened you ask? Against all common logic, against many doctors professional opinions, against medical proven knowledge, God rewarded our faith with an answer to our prayers. On November 1, 2007 our son Malachi was born, and two months later we finalized the adoption in a court of law of Travelle and Travon making us a permanent forever family. See faith is what drives us and connects us to our creator. God was saying yes to our prayers.We went from zero kids to three kids in about nine months! We settled in as a family of five and thought our life was complete.
Once again God began to orchestrate His plans for our lives. Just after we had finalized the adoption of Travelle and Travon, Chris came down on orders for Recruiting Duty. Anxious to have a break from deployments and training schedules we looked forward to living in the civilian world again. In the spring of 2008 after we had adjusted to life in Ohio, we began to think with three boys a girl would be nice.

Now I will admit I was not as sure as my husband was that we could make a smooth transition from a family with three kids too a family of four. Quite frankly, the thought of a fourth child really intimidated me. In a sense I felt that having four kids would create the concept of a “big” family I did not think I was ready for. We proceed to meet with the caseworker to complete the necessary adoption paperwork. I was real specific almost dare I say “testing” God a bit when we talked with the caseworker about a child we wanted to adopt. I told the caseworker we wanted a girl between the ages of two and three. If she had a sibling that would be fine, but only one sibling and they had to be between the ages of two and three as well. My thought was OK God, if it is your will to have us adopt again I am willing but under these circumstances. Now, recall for a moment in the book of Genesis when Sarah laughed when she found out she was to have a baby. Sarah was old the Bible says, she along with Abraham were well advanced in years. Sarah most likely had lost all hope in having a baby. But Genesis 18:14 states that God asks Abraham “Why did Sarah laugh? Is anything too hard for the Lord.?” Sarah was given her baby just as God had promised, and a week after we filled out the paperwork the caseworker brought the kids pictures to us. Laney was three and her brother Anthony was two. It was as if God was saying to me why do you doubt my plans? Why do you test what you know I can do?

We spent that summer of 2008 getting to know Laney and Anthony and getting all the kids acquainted with each other. Moving them into our home permanently the day before Laney’s fourth birthday. Eleven months later we finalized the adoption of Laney and Anthony expanding our family once again. On the day of their adoption we also had another surprise as I was five months pregnant with our sixth child! Levi was born New Years day 2010. God had answered our prayer of petition for children giving us a houseful of six kids in just three years!

God knows the plans for our lives. He is ready and willing to reveal them in His time. The question is are we ready to pray and ask God to direct us on our path? If you had asked me when I got married nine years ago would I have planned this. In one word No! But that’s the beauty of God’s plans. They are always bigger and more wonderful then we can every imagine. Is my life busy crazy and chaotic at times, of course! But, I would never trade it for anything the world has to offer. God knows each of our strengths and weaknesses, leading us down our paths as He intends. Walking with us each step of the way. The question is are we willing to listen?


So my question for you today is this, what plans does God have for you in your own life? Maybe life changing like a child, or a move. Maybe as simple as reaching out to someone, or a volunteer opportunity in your church or community. As you have read a glimpse into my life and God’s blessings in it, I hope and pray for you to have an open heart. That you have a willingness to be open to God’s plans for you life, and that you are willing to listen.

--Cassie

Game Day Game Plan

What's on your Super Bowl day menu? Using Wisconsin cheddar cheese in everything? Putting Pittsburgh's Heinz ketchup in steel serving bowls? Going for bar-b-q since the big game is in Dallas? From appetizers to desserts, from the full menu to the one dish you're taking to the potluck--we all need more recipe ideas.  

Starting next Thursday, February 3rd, we'll have a link-up for the super food you'll be enjoying during the Super Bowl. Write a post on your blog to link-up or just leave the recipe in the comments next week. Get your game day game plan going!

Are You a MOB or MOD?

 

We love sites and resources that encourage and equip us as moms! Here are two we recommend: The M.O.B Society for mothers of boys and MOD Squad for mothers of girls. Of course, if you have boys and girls, check them both out!

What are your favorite parenting blogs or websites?

Sandra is the family editor for Today's Housewife. She's a pastor's wife and mom to two boys and is in the process of adopting from Ethiopia. You can see what her family is up to at Celebrate Every Day.

Scrap Happy, My Version

I am NOT a scrap booker. It is a time consuming and expensive hobby, but I love the finished product and the story that it tells of times gone by. Instead of the "traditional" scrap booking, I am going to give you some ideas that may save you some time and money that work for me.

1. Blog. Blogging is free. You can upload all your pictures and stories. The downfall is the internet and who knows how long Blogger will be around. There are companies that turn your blog into a book for you to keep for years to come. Check out Blurb, Blog2Print, Bookemon, Scrap Book Blogger, or Book Fabrik. Have you used any of these companies? Reviews please!

2. Photo Albums. A few years back, my SIL shared a fantastic idea with me. She buys a photo album each year and prints enough pictures to fit into the album. This can be a hard task! I take so many pictures each year. And having to narrow it down to the typical 200 per album was a process. But I love having all pictures from one year sitting on my coffee table. It makes the organization easy. Plus, it cuts down on my printing cost since I am only printing 200 pictures a year.

3. Special events books.  I wanted to document LilE's first year, but instead of scrapping it, I put all of her pictures into one album. I also put place cards inside with her birth info and labels for each month. She loves being able to get it out and see how cute she was as a baby. I am also working on one from my pregnancy with her. I wrote a week by week playbook with her and am including that text on a 4x6 card that will fill a slot in the photo album. You can do this with vacations, birthdays, or any other special event.
There are companies (Shutterfly, Snapfish, etc) who will print photo books. You can easily turn your special occasions into a bound book if photo albums are not your thing.

4. Scrap booking Special Events. I told you, I am NOT a scrapper. And one reason (other that the ones aforementioned above) is which child (assuming we would have more that one) would get to take the scrapbook of all our family adventures. At that point I was officially sold on not scrapping. Until I found a steal of a deal on a birthday kit. Scrapbook, lots of paper, stickers, etc all for $10. Hmm. I bought it. My plan (note: I still have not started) is to document each birthday in this album. It is just for LilE. And when the other kids come along, they will get their own album as well. And that solves my dilemma of the family dispute when I am gone. :) And it only requires me to pull out the scrap booking paraphernalia I have once a year.

How do you preserve your family memories?

Decorating Your Home for Valentines Day

I'm so glad Valentine's Day comes in February! It's the perfect holiday to warm up another cold month here in Pennsylvania. It's my second favorite holiday to decorate for! I rounded up a few cute ideas from around the web to get you started! Just click on the images below for instructions and inspiration!

Sandra is the family editor for Today's Housewife. She's a pastor's wife and mom to two boys and is in the process of adopting from Ethiopia. You can see what her family is up to at Celebrate Every Day.

Are Goals Just for New Year’s?

Did you set New Year’s resolutions? How are they going? Have you already made progress? Have any goals provided unexpected challenges or slipped from your focus?

I’m not that crazy about New Year’s Resolutions. Perhaps it’s because of the short-lasting pressure and high pedestal that our culture places on this once-a-year goal setting tradition. I do support setting goals, though. My mindset follows a bit more on the “any-time-is-a-good-time-to-set-a-new-goal” side.

In fact, I love to set new goals. I will often, even if just in my head, set new goals for each month or week or even day. Isn’t a to-do list basically a set of goals for a specific time frame?

The sense of accomplishment that comes from checking off a daily to-do list definitely brings satisfaction my way.

To set responsible goals, you have to reflect on your needs, wants, and resources available. Setting goals alone requires a desire to change. Continuing to work on goals necessitates perseverance, dedication, forgiveness, and most likely a lot of grace – from God, to and from others, and to and from yourself. Setting and pursuing goals provide opportunity for focus, growth, and obedience.

But, even more importantly, constant change and growth is essential in our lives as daughters of God, mothers to our children, and wives to our husbands. The chaos of the world likes to pull us away from - and provide stumbling blocks against - the growth and renewal that God desires in our hearts and minds.

It is a few weeks into January, but that doesn’t mean we have to forego setting goals or striving for positive change. We can set new goals for living out our faith right here, right now. Will you join me?

Many of you may have read about the one-word theme movement around many blogs. You can pick one word or one phrase to be your focus of change and growth for the year. This method is a great way to center on a theme that can motivate and direct many of your actions and thoughts throughout the year. Or, you can choose a verse (or two…or ten!) to hold in your heart and guide your paths over the days of this new year.

Whatever method of goal setting you choose, here are a couple of tips to help you start:

1. If you’re not sure what you should focus on for you or your family, pray about it. Ask God to lead your path of growth towards Him.
2. In your Bible reading over several days or even weeks, write down verses that particularly strike your heart or that you struggle with obeying. After you have several verses listed, see if there is a connecting theme between these words. Use that theme as your focus for the year.
3. Share your new goal(s) with a trusted friend or family member. Ask for accountability (a hard step!). Write your goal (and your key verses) down and post it somewhere you will see it often.
4. Make it a priority to pray and revisit your key verses throughout the year. Refocusing is a necessity for most of us, and can help ensure that this goal doesn’t become just another well-intended, but ill-fated “New Year’s resolution.”

My theme for this year is humble servitude. This theme can guide me in many smaller goals in the year… setting my heart on serving will affect my words, actions, thoughts, and purpose. I also have several verses I’m memorizing and regularly rereading to lead and renew my heart. Now that I’m sharing that with you, you can hold me accountable. I pray that my words can serve you here on this blog.

Regardless of if you set specific goals or not, just going through this process helps you to reflect and renew your heart and mind to God’s purposes for you and reignite desire to change and improve. Persevering, growing, and enduring refining change is tough, but holds such value. I have many goals and growth I want to experience this year. Failure is something I do fear, but I know I can make progress – but, not because of my abilities, but rather because of this truth in Galatians 2:20: “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me” (ESV).


What are your goals, themes, or verses for this year? How can we serve your growth with these goals?

Caroline is a wife, mother of a beautiful and charming toddler son, avid reader, and writer. She is honored to write with Today’s Housewife. You can also find Caroline at her personal blog (Under God’s Mighty Hand) and on Twitter.

Top 10 Menu Planning Tips

Hello! I am so excited be a part of the food channel here at Today's Housewife. I have previously guest posted on two occasions here, sharing my recipe for Autumnal Muffins and how to Fuel Yourself for Exercise. I began blogging at The Pajama Chef in order to chronicle my adventures in and love of cooking and baking. Currently, I am a second-year graduate student at Indiana University working towards a Master of Library Science and a Master of Arts in African Studies. My husband, Ben, is indispensable in my life for many reasons including his kind and loving spirit and his leadership in our lives, but also due to his stellar dish-washing and sous-chef skills. These last two items are vital for my culinary sanity (as well as supporting Ben's hearty appetite)! We have been married since May 2009 and together enjoy running, reading, our local church, and spoiling our kitty, Sheba.

In lieu of a recipe, I wanted to share today about why I plan our weekly menus... and provide some tips to help you. My weekly Menu Plan published on my blog is easily the shortest and easiest post to write, however it is one of the most helpful because it gives me direction for our meals for the week. There's nothing worse than getting home at 5 o'clock [or having your husband arrive home] and having the dreaded "what's for dinner?" question echoing throughout the house. Sometimes that situation isn't so bleak--when the pantry, fridge and/or freezer are full and a craving or idea hits full-force. However, other times, it is--and I just want to lay down on the kitchen floor until a solution magically appears (hint: it usually doesn't). I've been menu planning since we got married, and it has saved me so much time, money, and sanity. There is a lot out there on menu planning, but the following are the top 10 things that have helped me with the menu planning process.

1. Determine what meals and time frame you are going to plan. I formally only plan dinners for a week. However, I do consider breakfast and lunch and come up with ideas for those meals, but do not follow the rest of the process very thoroughly for those meals.
   
2. Inventory your pantry, fridge, and freezer. Use what you have on hand as the starting point for your weekly menu. Websites like Supercook are helpful because you can plug in ingredients you have--or don't have--to find recipe ideas.
3. Peruse store sale ads. I receive these in the mail every week, and they are also available online. I do not purchase a lot of packaged foods, but I do watch sales for produce, meats, yogurt, pasta, canned beans and tomatoes, frozen veggies, bread, etc. All these items can be used in my menu plans--if not for this week, for the weeks to come. I try to always have a surplus of meat in our freezer so that I am not "stuck" buying chicken at $3/pound instead of the $1.88/pound sale price.
   
4. Consider various categories for each day of your menu plan for variety. I am not the sort of planner who is satisfied having Mexican every Tuesday or chicken on Fridays. However, I do have a list of different types of meals that we enjoy eating and refer to that list as inspiration. For more tips and examples of categories, see The Empty Kitchen's post on categorical menu planning.
   
5. Schedule a leftovers day [or two] depending on your family's needs/schedule. Growing up, we usually had leftovers on the weekends for lunch and maybe a night or two a week. No one really ate the leftovers for lunch. Now, my husband takes most of our leftovers for lunch but we do save some for dinner one night a week--usually Thursday, since we have our small group that night.
   
6. Look at only 2-3 of the following recipe sources: cookbooks, folders of torn out recipes, your recipe box/binder, Google Reader, or food blogs for inspiration. Any more than this and you will be overwhelmed. Trust me. (Instead of falling to the kitchen floor you'll just fall to the living room floor in panic.)
7. Consider if there is a day where your husband or children need to be more invested in meal preparation. If this is the case, involve them in the decision making for dinner that night. Since I am a grad student, sometimes I have night class or get home later than Ben--those nights he either makes his own dinner or he makes dinner for us. I always want to consider his preferences and abilities (he is very capable in the kitchen though!) when planning a meal for those nights.
   
8. Write out your planned meals on your blog, planner, calendar, or list. Money Saving Mom has some great printable tools. It really doesn't matter where you write out your menu plan--just write it out and keep it in a place that is easy for you to reference!
9. Make your grocery list, and try to get to the store early in the week. I try to go to the grocery store just once a week. This cuts down on impulse buys and extra spending. Making a list really helps!
   
10. Give yourself grace! Dinners can be switched around when you just need tacos on Tuesday instead of Friday and that is not the end of the world as we know it. Some nights just go haywire. Some weeks are busy. Having a menu planned for the week does not mean everything in the kitchen will be perfect, or that you are a failure as a wife, a mom, or a woman when things aren't. Life happens. A menu plan tries to help make things go smoothly. Your worth isn't determined by performance. A menu plan is just that--a plan. If all does not go as planned, then make the meal the following week. No big deal. Just do what works for you in the moment. A menu plan can only help!

Question of the Day: What are your menu planning tips? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

When I Grew Up

At six years old I wanted to be an artist.

When I was eight, I wanted to be an entomologist (person who studies bugs).

When I was ten I wanted to be a comedian, a psychiatrist, and paleontologist.

At twelve I wanted to be a singer.

At sixteen I wanted to be a writer.

Around eighteen I wanted to be a speech pathologist.

At twenty I wanted to be an English teacher.

At each age, I dreamed of what I would be when I grew up. How do I feel when I look back on those dreams? I haven’t painted anything hanging in a museum, sung in front of thousands of cheering people, or written a best seller.

But I am a mom. And each day we create a masterpiece for the refrigerator. We look for an inch worm in the grass. I make my son laugh, I give my husband advice, and I explain which dinosaurs eat plants. I sing the alphabet. I write for my blog. I help my son say “map” instead of “nap” and “may” instead of “can.”


Even though professionally I’m not everything I wanted to be, I’m doing everything I’ve ever wanted to do. And I’d say that makes me pretty successful.


How are you fulfilling your dreams as a wife and mom? 

Sandra is the family editor for Today's Housewife. She's a pastor's wife and mom to two boys and is in the process of adopting from Ethiopia. You can see what her family is up to at Celebrate Every Day.

Cute Camera Strap Covers

I've had my camera for about a year and am finally figuring out what all those buttons do! I'm still not a pro, but I feel more like a photographer since I got a camera strap cover for Christmas. Here are few I found from Etsy shops I thought were cute!

From The Sweet Strap:

From Swanky Camera Couture:

From Polka Dot Pixie:

If your camera is looking a little bland, check out these Etsy Shops, or try to sew your own with this tutorial from Make It Do!

Sandra uses her camera to take pictures of her busy boys every day! You can usual find her on Today's Housewife writing for the family channel!

The Value of A Home

What's your home worth?

Tim and I have been talking a lot about this topic lately. We've only lived here a few years and the Navy says it's time to move on. We probably won't be coming back to this area so we'd like to sell our home. Last week it went on the market and I know that people are going to be asking us this question over the coming months.

It's really got me thinking about the value of our home, not necessarily the monetary value, but the intangable. What did I love about living here?

It's the place where my middle child took his first steps.

And the place where my boys started to become friends.

It's a home where we laughed a lot.

And where we cried a little.

We brought our baby girl home here.

And it's where we celebrated homecomings and holidays.

It's where our marriage got stronger.

(Photo by Julie Paisley Photography)

And our family got bigger.

(Photo by Julie Paisley Photography)

So after all that, what's the value of this home for us? I'd say it is pretty priceless.

How do measure the value of your home?

There's still room for contributors who'd like to write on the Home Channel. Be sure and contact us if you are interested.

Do You Squidoo?

I'm sure you've never heard of this great site before. It's a fun way to make a little money on the side. I have been a member for about three years now and have probably made $1000.

What you do is you make a "lens" about something that interests you that you think will interest others. I have 55 lenses. They range from my Freebies lens to my James Avery lens. They can literally be about anything you want. The more you have, the more money you have the potential to make.

To make money, you just make sure they are maintained. I do this by editing my lenses about once a week. This takes about 30 minutes to do all 55 lenses. At the start of the month, you will get money for your lenses based on your rank--how many people visit, how much they buy off of there, etc.

This really is just a way to organize information (amazon, ebay, etc.) in one place. Then instead of google getting the credit (and portion of the profit), squidoo gets it and they share it with you!

This last month I made $20 for very little time invested. It's fun, free and easy! To learn more, click here. If you decide to sign up, use my referral here: Squidoo. TRY IT OUT!

Check out my most recent lens about my recent trip to Israel: http://www.squidoo.com/senora_m-israel

Falling in Love with a Good Book

Ever get lost in a good book? I mean a book that you just can’t put down? A book you absolutely fall in love with?

I love to read. When I find a book that I love, I won’t put it down. I’ve been known to read 900 page books in a day, just because I won’t stop reading it. It doesn’t matter what the topic is, if I like it, I won’t stop reading it.

Do you ever find a book that you dislike reading? When I was taking online classes for school, I found I just couldn’t read my text books. I wanted to skim through and just read the notes that were important for the quizzes. Reading textbooks was a duty. I had to do it. Not because I wanted to, but because I had to.
Let me ask you this, where does the Bible fit into those two categories for you? Do you see reading the Bible as your duty? Something you have to do. Or do you read the Bible like a great story? Something that you just can’t put down.

I’m reading the Bible in 90 Days. Honestly, it’s the first time that I am reading the Bible cover to cover. One of the tips I was given was to read the Bible like it’s a story. The Bible is a true story, written by God.

2 Peter 1:20-21 says: “Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”

This is a story that was given to us by God. A true story that I can fall in love with. God has given me this book that I may grow closer to Him, learn about Him, and fall in-love with Him. How can I not read this book that has an amazing story to fall in-love with?

If you've never read the Bible completely through, I encourage you to reevaluate how you look at it. Do you see it as a duty to read your Bible? Or do you see it as a great story with a bonus of growing closer to God? It's easier than you think to read the Bible.

Elizabeth Benge has been married to her husband, Seth, for almost 11 years. She cyber-school's two of their three children. Elizabeth blogs at Elizabeth's Treasure Chest and can be found tweeting here.

Gingerbread Pancakes with Roasted Pears and Maple Whipped Cream

One of the top tastes of the winter season for me is ginger. Gingerbread, ginger cookies, ginger snaps, ginger in soups, ginger in smoothies, and these fantastic gingerbread pancakes. What a way to wake up (and so easy in the morning because you do most of the work the night before)!


Gingerbread Pancakes (makes plenty, so easy to freeze for weekday meals, too)

1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup flour
1/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 ground nutmeg (fresh preferred)
1 tsp orange zest (or more if you really like orange, which I do)
1 egg
2 cups skim milk
2 tsp vanilla
3 T unsalted butter

Roasted Pears (for topping)
2 pears (any type will do), chopped
1 tsp allspice
3 tsp unsalted butter
1 T maple syrup

Maple Whipped Cream
8 oz heavy whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla
2 T powdered sugar
1 tsp maple syrup (the real stuff)

For the pancakes:

Melt butter over medium heat. Let cool. Add in the milk, vanilla, and vanilla. Sift together all the dry ingredients. Combine with wet. Let sit OVERNIGHT in the fridge. When you are ready to eat, on a medium griddle pan, either spray with Pam or use butter to grease the pan. Using 1/4 cup scoop of pancake batter, cook pancakes until bubbly on one side, then flip and cook until done. Mine usually cook faster on the second side. The smaller the pancakes are, the easier they are to flip. Serve immediately, or freeze for a quick weekday breakfast.

For the pears:

Preheat oven to 400. In a small pan, melt the butter and add in the spices and syrup. Pour over the chopped pears. Spread out on a rimmed baking sheet and roast for about 20 minutes or until done.

For the whipped cream:
Prefer: have your mixing bowl cold. Add in cold whipping cream and let spin for about 3-4 minutes until your desired consistency. Add in flavorings and sugar. Beat until you think it looks good. Some like stiffer peaks, some like softer peaks. Its up to you.

To assemble: Three pancakes, pears on top, spoon on the whipped cream (or just eat it by the spoonful out of the mixer), and drizzle with maple syrup. Enjoy!


Hospitality Tips:
1. The batter is made ahead of time, so it makes for a real easy morning for guests or family members.
2. Cool whip is a good substitute if watching your waistline. It just doesn't taste as indulgent.
3. You can also roast bananas for the tops of these pancakes as well.

Kim is a writer and photographer who lives in North Carolina. She loves to cook and has started a new adventure in 2011--going meatless! You can read about her year long journey at Meatless 365, and read her writing and see her photography at kd316.

Celebrate Snow Days

Is is snowing at your house? CNN says there's snow on the ground in 49 of the 50 US States! Here are ways to celebrate and enjoy the snow, even if there's no snow falling outside your window!

• Make homemade hot chocolate. I like the recipe Add a Pinch shared from Martha Stewart.
• Let the kids wear their mittens inside and put velcro on a ball. The velcro will stick to their mittens so they can have a snowball fight inside where it's warm.
• If you have little ones, print off 1+1+1=1's Winter Fun tot pack. That will keep them busy for a while! 
• Bundle up and get everyone outside to sled, make a snow man, have a snowball fight, or shovel the front steps. Not Just Cute has lots of ideas for outside play.
• Make a nature ice wreath like The Artful Parent.
• Take lots of pictures. Espeically those of you down south, like KLee yesterday. You'll want to remember how cold it can be when you're sweating in August!
• Read a good book. Michael Hyatt had 2010's top 100 Christian books listed. I've read 16 of them, and there's more I'd love to curl up with under a blanket.
• Try a new recipe. Check back here tomorrow for the first recipe from our new food channel!

Make some family memories while enjoying the snow days! How will you celebrate the snow?

Snow Day

I just remembered it is my day to blog. How responsible am I? But in my defense, I have two extra children and 7" of snow in my yard. And I live in the south. It hasn't snowed like this since 1988.

What have we been up to?

 
Here's to staying safe and warm!