Hi e’dybody (as the Bear would say), my friend Eve is sharing a wonderful Whole Foods Holiday guest post today! She is super. I’ve made you wait long enough for this edition of the Whole Foods Holiday posts…so without further ado…

Born Up a Tree!

***

Food for Thought

When I was pregnant the first time, I have to admit that I didn’t eat very well. Maybe I should say that I ate really well, but I just didn’t make good choices about what I ate. I gained 50 pounds and had a 6 pound 13 ounce baby. I nursed my bundle of joy and when it came time to feed him solid food, a light came on for me. Would I feed him the same things I had been eating? Um, NO.

I tediously made all of his baby food- it was easy by the way. Recipes are easy to find and as long as you have a food processor and a freezer, you are good to go. Since I am a full time mom and have a full time job, it took a lot of planning and a lot of cooking on the weekends. Out of desperation one evening because of a busy weekend, I stopped at the store and picked up some baby food in jars. All I had to do was open them, take a whiff, and I knew that I was not feeding that to my child.

As my son grew, I realized he was an extremely picky eater. I am blessed that my son is not allergic to any foods, and we do not have any behavioral or developmental issues that require special diets. I know lots of people who have to put lots of love and care into meals because of special dietary needs- and I admire you. But he is still a picky eater, which also requires love, care, and patience with every meal.

Since I do have to balance my workload with my mother load, my son goes to a great Christian pre-school/day care that I dearly love. They feed him, but it is certainly not what I would feed him at home. At home we eat as many whole foods as possible- potatoes (usually sweet), rice, whole grains, whole fresh or frozen veggies, whole fruit, and whole meats.

And when I say whole, I simply mean not processed and with no added ingredients. If I buy something that has a label, I make sure that there is nothing on there that I can not pronounce or anything artificial. I firmly believe that this whole food is what my Creator created me to eat. I can’t afford to purchase all organic foods. So I do the best I can with what is available in my rural community. Fortunately, there are lots of natural and non-processed options to choose from.

It takes some creativity to not eat the same thing every day. Especially with a picky four year old. We have some favorites that we rotate through that my child loves to eat and I feel good about feeding him.

One favorite is something we call Chocolate Cookies, for lack of a better term. The ingredients are simple- and you can use organic or conventional products.

Recipe for Chocolate Cookies

2 ½ cups rolled oats (old fashioned Quaker Oats work fine)

½ cup cocoa (dark cocoa is a bit healthier)

½ cup milled flax seed (in the baking aisle near the flour)

½ cup wheat germ (near the cereal)

½ cup honey

½ cup peanut butter

about 1 cup HOT water (hot as you can get it from the tap)

Optional: for a little extra protein boost, add 1 tsp Spirulina Powder, available at health food stores)

Mix all the ingredients except the honey, peanut butter, and water until well blended.

Add the honey, peanut butter, and water (a little at the time), and stir until the “batter” is the consistency of mashed potatoes, with everything mixed well.

On wax paper, pat the cookies out by hand into patties about the size of a small hamburger.

Using wax paper between the cookies, store in an airtight container in the fridge for at least 6 hours before you eat them- they will firm up.

This recipe makes about 8 cookies and will keep for a week or more in the fridge, but at my house I have to make them twice a week.

Don’t be fooled by the appearance- they do NOT taste like the no-bake-oatmeal-peanut butter-sugar-cookies that you may remember from your childhood. The texture and flavor is very earthy, due to the flax seed and wheat germ. My son has eaten these since he was old enough to hold them in his hand. You can tell by the pictures that he enjoys eating them, but they are a little messy. He loves them for breakfast, and sometimes for a quick snack.

If you would like some more ideas on how to add more whole foods to your families meals, I will be happy to share. Send me an email at ehhoneyc@gmail.com.

***

Thanks so much for sharing with us, Eve! That was definitely some good food for thought for me — and I’m hoping to make “Chocolate Cookies” with the Bear soon!

We might have one or two more Whole Foods Holiday posts on the way, but in the meantime, do you have something to share? Just add a link to the link below if you have a Whole Foods Post or Recipe somewhere else on the net that you’d like to share!

xCC

Hi guys and gals! I’m kicking off a Whole Foods Holiday series today {pause for a round of applause} with a wonderful step-by-step from the awesome magician/Mom behind a site I’ve shared with you before, Se7en. {Here’s the Travelling Tuesday where I showed you around her place!} Mrs. Se7en and her Se7en + 1 kididdles do some amazing things in the kitchen. Often involving food. But also arts and crafts. And homeschool. Today she’s introducing a simple way to make your own Tomato Sauce in Se7en easy steps!

Born up a tree!

***

Many folks think that cooking from scratch is quite unachievable, and it is easier to just buy instant meals, instant sauces and well instant everything!!! What we have discovered as a family is that we eat more and more food, cooking from scratch. It all began with having an allergic child and I started reading food labels.

While I was looking for allergens, I discovered just what we were eating… and I didn’t want to feed it to our children. The trouble with pre-prepared food is that it is packed with heaps of sugar, and filled with unnecessary additives and colorants. We made a decision to start cooking from scratch. It is not only healthier but it is a whole lot cheaper. Remember the more an item of food has been processed or packaged and the further it has traveled the more expensive it is going to be. Often it is just so much easier to buy bulk and save and make a batch of something.

It wasn’t really an overnight switch, just a consistent and conscious effort to change and eagerness to try new recipes with our kids.

We started by baking our own bread and then we moved onto pasta… and before we knew it we were cooking all our meals from scratch. My older kids have become adept at them and I tell you, you will never want to eat shop bought pasta again… you just won’t!!! The first few attempts were a grand mess, and nothing like the smooth ease that you see when watching the “Food Channel,” but practice really does breed success.

• A Batch of tomatoes.
• Salt
• Pepper
• Olive Oil
• Crushed garlic, you can use whole garlic cloves as well.

Let’s Play The Game:

1. 
   
   1. Begin by roughly chopping your tomatoes – I usually cut them into eight… quick and easy, no time for perfection!!!
2. 
   
   2. Pop your chopped tomatoes into a roasting pan.
3. 
   
   3. Lavish salt and freshly ground pepper onto your tomatoes… And pop your crushed garlic into the mix as well. If you only have cloves of garlic – all the better. Drop the whole cloves into the tomato mix…
4. 
   
   4. Sprinkle some olive oil over your tomatoes and then pop the tray of tomatoes into a hot oven and leave them there to roast.
5. 
   
   5. When your tomatoes start to brown then you take them from the oven and leave them to cool.
6. 
   
   6. Once they have cooled you can put your roast tomatoes through the blender.
7. 
   
   7. Blend away and keep it in the largest jar you can find on the shelf in the refrigerator.
8. 
   And the Se7en + 1th Step:
9. 8. Now when we make the sauce we keep it really simple, and then add whatever we want to it later when we use it for our meals. You can use your sauce in so many ways:
10. • Plain with a few crushed basil leaves on fresh pasta… top it with a pile of parmesan.
    • As the topping for a pizza… We use it for lunch a lot. Roll out your batch of pizza dough, top with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese and it is almost instant pizza.
    • Brown an onion or two and add the sauce and you have a fabulous sauce for Spaghetti and Meatballs.
    • Brown some onions and mince and then add your tomato sauce and you have almost instant bolognaise sauce.

Really a jar of tomato sauce is indispensable, so quick to make and then so useful in any number of dishes… If you would like to try more recipes like these then feel free to follow the link…

 

I am the laziest cook in the world and when a recipe asks for peeled tomatoes I often skip it and then I always regret it. However, with this recipe the skins are so soft after the roasting, and then once you have blended them you don’t notice them at all… really – and I have a few fussy folk who would mention it!!!

P.S. It’s not too late to join the Whole Foods Holidays party. Get in touch if you have something you want to share! Or, if you already have something on your blog that you’d like to link to, let me know — I might just host a little link-up for this occasion.

It doesn’t always look like this.

And these days, when it doesn’t look like this, the Bear often has some ‘splaining to do. Then he probably has an apology to make.

We’re cultivating the habit of look-me-in-the-eyes-good-and-serious apologies round these parts, and it has me thinking about how often I make apologies, and how often I perhaps should.

Are you one to say you’re sorry? Do you mumble an excuse and move on?

I’m chatting about that over at Signposts today, and I’d love for you to click over and join the conversation!

xCC

Reflecting on where life was ten years ago last week, a friend of mine wrote a piece of her story, strong and brave, and offered to share it here. You might remember her from {Thanks}giving Week last year. May Laura Anne’s words challenge and encourage your heart…what a strong reminder of the amazing God who loves us they are to me!

Once upon a time, there was a girl who was known as the Bacardi Queen. She was a bubbly caring sort of lass who loved to dance, with a thick Scottish accent and quite the potty mouth. She liked to drink Bacardi and often got a little tipsy as her teeny body filled up with alcohol and sugar, and the Bacardi would turn into tears and anguish of all the hurts she’d kept locked inside of her. The queen wanted to be away from all the hurt, so she came up with a plan to escape.

And then a chance came! The Bacardi queen gave up on her love of dance and studied hard hoping it would earn her a ticket to another world, a world free of all the people that had hurt her.

The Bacardi queen got her ticket, but at a high cost. She had to sacrifice the life of her unborn daughter in order to keep it. She made the sacrifice, and got to keep her ticket, and so she ran away to a place in the far North where she met people from foreign lands.

There seemed to be a never-ending flow of Bacardi in this land, and the queen drank and soon all the tears came out and the queen felt all the pain that she’d not allowed herself to feel before. Soon the pain began to overwhelm her and she went on a search for something that would ease it.

She met some strange people. They called themselves Christians. These Christians were funny characters, and did things and said things the queen found very bizarre. One day she asked one of them to take her to the place where they all gathered, and she saw them all together for the first time. There was an energy she had not encountered before, and being a curious sort of girl she decided to investigate further. What was this energy they had that she did not? She wasn’t sure what it was but her instincts said it was good.

After some months of observation and a little bit of study, she found out what it was. Agape. Love.

But could the queen partake of this love after the sacrifice she’d made for her ticket?

She decided to dance again, but it did not bring her the same kind of love that the Christians had.

One day the Christians caught her singing, and they asked her if she would lead them in songs. But the songs were about the love she couldn’t have and she didn’t know how to tell them that.

The more she tried to sing, the harder it got to hold in the hurt, until she finally told one of the Christians about why she couldn’t have the love they had. “There’s a bigger sacrifice that was taken up and it makes up for the one you made”, said the Christian. “Look! See!” And he showed her in a book that it was true, and he explained to her how to receive the Agape.

And that day, the Bacardi Queen began a transition…gradually she put down her Bacardi crown, and she got a new crown of laurels, and could now use the name she was first given:

Victory. Grace. Worshipper of God.

***

Laura Anne, thank you for so bravely sharing your story. Knowing the work you do now, considering the life you are living for the Lord — it is such a beautiful picture of the God who Redeems. Thank you for living it and sharing it with many.

And friends, Laura Anne blogs at Learning from Sophie, if you haven’t checked her out already!

xCC

P.S. Do you have a story to share and want a space to share it? I’d love to create an opportunity for you to step up to the metaphorical microphone. Please get in touch!

I recently read a surprising statistic: The average supermodel weighs 28% less than the average woman.

As women, we often compare ourselves to the women on tv, in movies, and on the covers of magazines. But if we take the time to remember the photoshop magic used to make those eyes bigger and brighter and those thighs tighter, we might be a little less hard on ourselves.

We’re often tempted to compare our children with other people’s children…our homes with other folks’ homes…but if we don’t compare with everyone else, how do we tell if we measure up?

I’m over at Signposts today, talking about the temptation of comparing oneself with others, and how difficult it is to avoid as a parent.

Care to click over and share your thoughts?

We’re enjoying our last day in Scotland today, taking the train down south to London again tomorrow. And we’re NOT stopping at Sainsburys on the way there. In case you were wondering. Can you believe we’ll be in the Carolinas on Saturday afternoon? And our sweet little six month old will meet his G.C. and Gpa for the first time!

xCC

Hi friends! As I mentioned already, I have some guest posts lined up here and there, during our travels over the next ten days. My dear friend Amanda {who writes over at Seriously.} is sharing today. I think the topic suggestion had something to do with home or transition or moving or whatever anyone fancied talking about (who knows what I’m saying these days?) but Amanda blessed me with a good story that I wasn’t even aware I was a part of.

Friendship…such a gift from the Lord. Enjoy!

****

I’m so excited about posting here today while my friend makes her long journey through the UK and then back to North Carolina! We’re praying for the Collies—safe travels, happy babies (and parents), and an easy trip! We can’t wait to see you guys!!!

Caroline and I have a long history. We met while we were at East Carolina together about. . . well, 10ish years ago? Is that right?!?!

Shoo whee, Caro, we’re turning into old ladies!

And, in all actuality, we weren’t close friends while we were at ECU together. We attended the same campus ministry, had many friends in common, shared some meals together, and my sister was even her roommate at one point.

But, it wasn’t until the past year or so that we’ve really reconnected via blogging, emails, Christmas visits, and the occasional phone call. However, she has become one of my most trusted friends and I DELIGHT in the fact that she will be returning to the area in a mere few weeks.

Caroline came back into my world just in the nick of time. I was preparing (as much as one can prepare for such things) to lose another friend to ALS. Not only was this person near and dear to me, she was also my spiritual confident and mentor. She was the one person that I could be strangely and comfortably vulnerable and transparent with. Losing that friend was a major blow.

Around that time I was also feeling some tugging on the heartstrings (and most definitely from the Lord) that I needed to invest more in my relationship with Caroline. For some reason, the Lord laid it very heavy on my heart to contact her about support for their ministry in South Africa. I began praying for her, her family, and their ministry. She and I began exchanging emails on a more regular basis, and our friendship flourished this past year.

I am so thankful that I’ve had Caroline to “chat” with via the web this past year or so. It’s been such a blessing to discuss life, family, and spiritual matters with a lady I respect so much. I delight in her humor and in her sweet spirit. There were many days that I wish we could have had chats over a strong cup of coffee, and I look forward to those when she’s back in good ol’ eastern NC! She was a breath of fresh air during a very difficult time.

Sometimes the Lord puts people in your way because He knows you’re going to need them.   And it’s always interesting when He puts people back in your way decades down the road. My mama always said to be nice to everyone because you just never know when your paths will cross again in the future.

I’ve recently started a new teaching position in Washington, NC (the same place sweet Caroline is headed! WHOO!!!) It’s not my first year of teaching, but I feel like I’m starting all over again. It’s so hard going to a new place. Whether it’s a new job or an actual move, it’s hard having to make acquaintances and new work friends, and figuring out the routines, procedures, and locations. It’s very intimidating and overwhelming, and somewhat lonely as well.

Unbeknownst to me, another old friend from my college days, Kathryn, also works at the school and she and I have shared lunch a few times. It’s been such a relief and a blessing to have a familiar face in the workplace!   

I love it when God reveals pieces of His plans for us—even when they are revealed decades later. Caroline and I certainly had no clue that He would bring our lives back together when we were sharing college experiences. We were too busy Painting It Purple* in our pre-baby bodies!

But I am so thankful that the Master of all things does all things in His time.

I’m a scheduled and routine driven person, and there are many times I’m ready for God to open His Big Book of Life and let me in on all the secrets and paths I’m going to take. I’m one to try to rush Him and try to persuade Him that little ol’ me has got it all figured out.

Me.

A blip on the radar.

A vapor.

I approach life with an urgency of what if?, then what?, and how? Caroline has reminded us time and time again that life is not an emergency. I love it when He shows me that He’s going to handle it in His own sweet time.

So, whatever life is throwing your way this moment—a new job, a difficult conversation, a season of joy, a season of discomfort, or a transcontinental move—just keep reminding yourself that He’s in control of the clocks, the plans, the conversations, and the paths. He works all things together for our good.

I didn’t know that I would need Caroline’s friendship. But He did.

I didn’t know I would work one day with Kathryn. But He did.

I don’t know what will happen tomorrow.

But He does.

*******

Amanda, thank you so much for sharing with us today. I wasn’t expecting to be such an integral part of the story but it blesses my soul! Your friendship means heaps to me!

Happy Thursday, guys and gals…hopefully we’ve landed in London by now!

xCC

*Note from CC: Our alma mater’s school colours are Purple and Gold. At the end of sports matches, especially football games, the announcers often close off at a winning game by saying “You can paint this one purple!” Probably my Dad’s most favourite sentence to hear, more than any other.

The Hubs’ folks lost a dear friend on Wednesday. We’ve made a spur-of-the-moment decision to travel down to the coast with them so that they can attend the funeral. They’ve found holiday accommodation near Knysna (pronounced Neyes-nuh — as in that first syllable rhymes with “eyes”) where we’ll enjoy one last holiday together before we depart these shores on the 7th.

(Which is like, twelve days from now? Has anybody seen the Tank’s passport?)

Funny enough, before leaving Gordon’s Bay, HH and I were sorry that we didn’t get to visit Knysna just one more time before leaving. It’s one of our favourite places in SA and holds a lot of special memories for us. Here we are at the last minute, looking forward to one more hurrah!

Life has a way of suddenly throwing a lot onto your to-do list all at once. It can take you from having a few things in mind for the weeks ahead to suddenly rushing to catch up on laundry and shop for a new pacifier (you know, to replace the one the monkey stole) and pack a few suitcases and make a shopping list and plan a few meals all at once.

And it’s when life feels busy like this that I often struggle to find those green pastures and still waters where I hear the voice that speaks peace to my soul.

Care to join me over at Signposts today, where I’m talking about listening for the voice of the Shepherd?

xCC

P.S. Did I share with you that I’m now the behind the scenes website manager over at Signposts Ministries? What a privilege…score! It’s three hours a week that I am enjoying immensely! I’ve been slowly making changes to the site and as a team we have some exciting plans for the future — I’d love your thoughts about how things look so far! (Especially if you’d visited the site before the makeover!)

My sweet friend over at Se7en is hosting a blogaversary, and she asked me to share a post on her site in celebration of the special event. Privileged, I am!

{In case you haven’t been around here when I’ve mentioned Se7en before, she is the spectacular crafting, blogging, homeschooling Mom of Se7en + 1 (yes, eight) wonderful kids and lives in Cape Town. I shared about her and even did a home tour on a Travelling Tuesday right here! If she wanted to, she could rename her website thebomb dot com, she’s just that super.}

A wee little post featuring the Se7en + 1 Things I’ll Miss the Most from SA was featured on her brilliant site just yesterday. I thought I’d let ya know so you can hop on over there if you’d like to see the list!

But here’s one more thing I forgot that I’m really going to miss!

First one to remember what these delightful creatures are called, and name their closest relative gets a clever badge! Whoo-hooo!

xCC

Do you ever realise you’ve needed to go to the bathroom for several hours, but you’ve been too busy to stop, just so you could go? Ever feel like you’re running at a ridiculous pace, and wonder when the race is going to stop?

Join me at Signposts today, where I’m sharing about a maxim that is helping me slow down, and make some quality life decisions.

But, ya know, maybe you should take a break and go to the bathroom first.

xCC

O ne day back in the late 80s, the Lord was in an especially good mood, and He created my dear friend Agnes. He had it in mind to bless a lot of people with joy, sunshine, some good laughs, a sweet friend and a listening ear among other things. And one of the folks blessed with the gift of Agnes was me!

When my feet landed for a good stay on Scottish soil six years ago, I had the privilege of meeting Agnes. We began meeting up over coffee, and talking about God and life and faith, over tasty Scottish treats with occasionally anxious waitresses. I was especially thankful for her friendship when a lot of the friends I’d made on the church plant team started heading on to new adventures after the first year or two in Edinburgh.

Look, here we are, hanging out when I was pregnant with the Bear!

When Agnes touched base with the idea of coming to visit for a wee while here in SA, I was delighted. And when she shared the dates she had in mind and I realised I’d be giving birth while she was here, I was ecstatic. If she hadn’t been here this labour story would be very different.

Next Wednesday, we’ll be taking Agnes to the airport, and she’ll be making her way back to our beloved Scotland. It has been an incredible joy and pleasure to have her here — and there will be many tears when we have to say goodbye! I asked Agnes if she’d like to share a little something with you dear friends and readers in summation of her time here in Mama Africa, and I’m so glad I did. Without further ado, I turn it over to the Bear’s new BFF!

___________________

Hey, this is Agnes here. I’m the Scottish/Danish girl who has had the honour of living with the Collies for the last three months and had a few appearances in the past few blogs of Caroline’s. You could say that I am blog shy. Instead of writing a huge post, I have opted for a short list of the Top Ten moments during my time here in SA while sharing life for the last three months with the Collie Clan.

My Top Ten Moments in SA

1. BLAKE DARROW COLLIE – Allowing me to witness and hold a pure miracle by God. You may have been overdue, but my boy, you were fast!

2. Directly after that- Learning that baby poo is a luminous yellow the first few weeks. (Changing that nappy put me off my favourite dish- Honey Mustard Chicken! Thanks for noting that Caroline!)

3. Learning the SA motto- TIA (This is Africa), that never fails when you find yourself in an unexplainable/crazy/ hilarious situation….pretty much an everyday occurrence

4. That after 16 years in Scotland/Britain, I’d be lucky if my skin got burnt or even a slight pale roasted chicken coloured tone to it.

5. Hearing Asher sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, after just a few minutes of teaching him! And hearing him spell “stop” the right way after months of correcting him saying P.O.P = Stop.

6. Asher- Although stinky, cleaning up Asher’s poopy after a wee toilet disaster!

7. Realising that God is God wherever you are travelling. Even when I doubt Him and His goodness — He is always good and never has doubts about me.

8. The many bright, intense and fluffy, marshmallowy sunsets reflecting on to the waters surface.

9. Watching the movie “Faith Like Potatoes” and the next week having dinner with the lead lady and her husband at the Collie Household- Awesome and fun!

10. Abseiling 200ft down Table Mountain with Alan and puking up on the hike back. I’d recommend it to anyone, not the puking up part but the abseil is a great way to put a real scare in to your boots and see an awesome view!

So there you have it.

The most amazing part of my three month journey, is that it actually happened! Before I landed in Cape Town I promised God to be a blessing to Caroline and her family, in whatever way I could.

Turns out I am not a blessing — God is.

He sent me to the Collie Clan and showered me with time and sun. Probably the two most needed things in everyone’s lives, I know it was for me.

I would have to say that when Caroline asked if I would write for her blog, it was a sweet enough request but still quite daunting as I know the skill and talent which she has for writing. She is in that respect the complete opposite from me, I find writing a challenge and at times it frustrates me to be unable to put in words the moment or thoughts I have. However in the kindness of friendship I have found to ASK.

Let others help and always ASK. Ask about everything, for learning is the sweetest blessing there is.
I would really like to end this with a request for you. Join me in praying for this full-hearted, quirky, kind family, for blessing to be a continuing cover for them to walk under in this next season. Ta, Love Agnes x

______________

How delightful is she?

Dear Agnes, this is most definitely my most favourite guest post ever. Thank you so much for your kind words and your wonderful heart! You have been an INCREDIBLE blessing from God to us as we’ve transitioned from a family of three to a family of four. The next time I see two little lines on a stick I might be calling you again! In all seriousness, it has been an overwhelming blessing to have you in our home. “Thank you” seems insufficient, but Thank You! We love you and look forward to being together again somewhere around this big wide world soon. You are absolutely one-of-a-kind!

Now does anybody know another sweet Danish/Scottish dancing lassie who’s great with kids that can come stay with us for a while? I kid. But pray for me next Wednesday.

xCC