Summer....

Wow, if the weather has anything to do with it, it FEELS like summer is winding down here in the Pacific Northwest. BRRR! We had our outdoor service today for church and I am thankful I brought blankets along!

Our time in the Pacific Northwest is also winding down....we shared with our congregation here last week that we will be moving soon. Bryan has accepted a "call" to be the Associate Pastor at Rockford Reformed Church in Rockford, MI. He will be preaching weekly, which will be a new but welcomed challenge for him. God has been working in him over the last 6-8 months or so and has ignited a desire to preach God's Word regularly. That, along with doing some adult discipleship and assimilation of new members into the life of the church will make this position a perfect fit for Bryan. We are excited about the new ministry opportunities there.

The BEST part is that we will be only about 40 minutes from our families! For that, we are rejoicing! (and so are our families!)

We found a house there a couple weeks ago as well. We are excited to down-size a bit and live a bit more simply. I'll keep you posted on that progress!

Since my blog is also about food- I will leave you with a QUICK and easy way to use that nutritious KALE that might be growing in your garden........

KALE CHIPS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1. Wash and de-stem kale

2. Cut kale into smaller, bite-sized pieces

3. Arrange on cookie/baking sheet

4. Drizzle with olive oil

5. Sprinkle with salt. (add some garlic powder for extra yumminess, if you choose)

6. Bake on tray for 8-10 minutes until edges JUST start to turn light brown.

7. Allow to cool and then ENJOY!!!

A few of my favorite things....

I have 2 homes. My actual home (where I was born, raised and went to college, where my heart is) is in Michigan - Zeeland and Holland, Michigan, to be exact. But for the last 6 years our family has lived in Oak Harbor, WA. A part of my heart is there now, too. Friends, a church, our first house, life experiences, joys, pains, the place where our kids have grown up so far....

I have realized that it is strange to me that when I am in Oak Harbor I talk of going back "home" to Michigan. When in Michigan, like we've been the last 2 weeks, I talk of going back "home" to Oak Harbor. It is confusing really. Where is my REAL home?

Well, obviously my "real" home will someday be in the presence of the Lord in heaven. (Definitely looking forward to that!). But for now, here on earth, I have 2 "homes". I guess I am lucky for that.....

Goodness, this whole post started because I wanted to share a few fun things about being back in my "Michigan home" and I took off on a tangent. So, here are a few of my favorite "Michigan home" things:

Thunderstorms. Wow, I think we had about 4 of them (including 1 tornado warning, which was a bit scary) while I was here. Glorious. I LOVE thunderstorms. They are one of the big things I miss since living in Oak Harbor, WA, where there are no thunderstorms.

JP's Coffee Shop. When in college, I would take study breaks here - sometimes my dorm room or the library were too "quiet" and I needed some background noise and distractions to help me study. Plus, their Creme Caramel Latte's were the best (and they still are - I have had at least 4 of them while here):

Downtown of Holland, MI - some of the best shops, window shopping and people-watching are here. My mother-in-law said she's a happy woman when she can weekly take a stroll downtown. I am in complete agreement.

Not to mention, they have a great "Street Performers" night every Thursday night during the summer months:

And of course, Lake Michigan.

And yes, for those of you who have never been to the West Michigan lakeshore area, there are WAVES (even some pretty big ones) and SANDY beaches (not too unlike the ones in Florida or California). The best part is that its FRESHWATER, so no saltiness here like in the ocean

But best of all, our families are here. Our kids have had a great time with their grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. The time went too quickly.

A couple months ago I mentioned how I was taking an online e-course on the subject of making good, homemade, nourishing food! I have REALLY enjoyed it and the recipes that come along with it.

GOOD NEWS!! The creator of this course is now opening up the lessons again, and anyone can sign up to access them/start them ANYTIME. You can go at your own pace, download them, etc. I put a new "linky" on the right side of my blog's home page. I do earn a small commission for referring people, but I would never refer people if I didn't think it was worth your time/money. Its been awesome! Just yesterday I made a chicken in the crockpot and am now turning the bones, etc, into a homemade and nourishing broth!!! SUPER healthy! I skipped the lesson on making soft, spreadable cheeses, but I'm going to go back and learn that one too!

It's been SO fun! And the best thing is that even with a busy family and schedule, I can do these lessons at my own pace, when I have time - and she has both VIDEO tutorials for each lesson along with PRINTED instructions.

I HIGHLY recommend it! If you are interested in checking it out, clink on the advertisement on the right side of my blog! THANKS!!!!

Fiesta Dip - BEST DIP EVER!!!!

THIS IS SERIOUSLY THE BEST DIP EVER!!!!!

Fiesta Dip

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 can Mexicorn (sometimes called Fiesta Corn?), drained

2 firm avocados, diced

2 firm tomatoes, diced

1 bunch of green onions, thinly sliced

red onion - to taste

Dressing:

1 packet of dry Italian dressing mix (I found an all-natural one)

1/2 cup oil (I used olive oil)

1/4 cup vinegar (I used white)

*Whisk dressing ingredients together and pour over veggies - mix gently. Serve with tortilla chips (the "scoops" work great!)

Easy Cheesy Tortilla Soup

When my mom was here helping after Andrew was born, she took this recipe along and made some for us! It was super yummy! Although its not technically all-natural, whole food-y, its still really yummy and there is really nothing "bad" in it!! You could easily make it more "healthy" by using soaked beans, make your own refried beans, use organic free-range chicken broth, etc. I think the idea of this soup, though, is to be easy and frugal.

Eat it with tortilla scoops or tortilla chips. Our favorite are the Garden of Eatin' organic blue corn tortilla chips shown here:

And here's the recipe:

Easy, Cheesy Tortilla Soup

1 can fat-free refried beans (16oz)

1 can black beans, drained (15oz)

1 can chicken broth, reduced sodium (14.5oz)

1 1/2 cup frozen corn

3/4 cup chunky salsa

3/4 cup cubed, cooked chicken breast

1/2 cup water

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese - divided

"Scoops" or other tortilla chips

1) Combine 1st 7 ingredients, bring to boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover for 10 minutes

2) Add 1 cup of the cheese - cook on low and heat until melted.

Sprinkle with remainder of cheese or mix into soup...ENJOY!!!!

*works well to make a double batch and freeze half!

Melissa's Stir Fry

One of my favorite meals is stir-fry. I always loved Chinese food for that reason. I have been trying to make that perfect-tasting sauce at home, as well as get those veggies perfectly cooked yet still with a bit of crunch to them.

I THINK I have perfected it and wanted to share my "recipe" so you can try it at home too. Feel free to adjust as needed - I am not going to put "measurements" in this recipe as I just sort of eyeball it and add things to taste!!!

Here's what you'll need:

Brown rice (or sometimes, if I don't use meat in my stirfry I will use Quinoa instead of rice - since quinoa is a complete protein)

Veggies of choice: I usually use carrots (sliced), broccoli (small pieces), sugar peas, and mushrooms (sliced)

onion cut in larger chunks, about 1/2 cup

4-6 garlic cloves

chicken, or meat of choice (optional), cut into bite-sized pieces

chicken broth

Tamari sauce (or soy sauce)

water

cornstarch or arrowroot powder (as a thickener)

honey, rapadura, or other natural sweetener

basil

ginger

1. Get the rice cooking since it takes the longest amount of time to cook.

2. Then, in a LARGE wok or saute pain, I saute the chicken in some chicken broth (or you could use olive oil or coconut oil). Once cooked, removed from heat and set aside.

3. Next, saute/steam the veggies in some chicken broth - I put the carrots in first since they take the longest....after a couple minutes I add the garlic, onions and broccoli....adding mushrooms right at the end. Cooking time depends on how crunchy/mushy you like your veggies. Just keep tasting them as they cook.

4. In the meantime, in a small bowl mix the soy sauce (about 1/2 cup) along with about 1/4 cup cold water....and stir in about 2 tablespoons cornstarch.

5. When veggies are ALMOST cooked to your liking, add the chicken in.

6. Next, with heat still at the medium level, stir in the soy sauce mixture and stir until thickened.

7. Stir in basil and ginger to taste - then add more chicken broth if too thick and more soy sauce if more needed.

8. Serve over rice!

Sloppy Joe's in a Bowl

The online e-course I am taking has been great! I am learning new tricks to make our meals more nutritious! The great thing is, even when you prepare and eat natural, whole foods, it can STILL be TASTY!!!

I THINK my family likes it that I enjoy trying new recipes from time to time. The most recent one came from the e-course and is called "Sloppy Joe's in a Bowl" - they were SUPER yummy!!! My kids loved them and Bryan said more than a few times "this is SO good"! So, I think its a hit and will go into the menu planning rotation.

I wanted to share the recipe with you - the original can be found on the GNOWFLINS website, but I have copied and pasted it below for your convenience. Here it is! I only had black olives, shredded raw cheddar cheese and plain whole-milk yogurt (in place of sour cream) on hand, but I will look forward to trying some of her other suggested toppings next time I make them!!!

--->NOTE: she adds the step of soaking the rice overnight the night before to reduce phytic acid - i am learning about this in the online course and you can read more about the benefits of doing so HERE.

SLOPPY JOE'S IN A BOWL

***(she said that for company, she stretches the meat by adding 4 cups of cooked green lentils to the meat mixture, while (just about if not entirely) doubling the sauce ingredients.)****

• 2 cups dry brown basmati rice
• 2 cups water plus 2 T raw apple cider vinegar
• 2 cups stock
• 2 pounds grass-fed ground beef (or ground buffalo)
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, diced
• 3/4 cup filtered water
• 1 can tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons raw honey
• garnishes: sliced olives, thinly sliced or diced onions, diced tomatoes, diced avocado, and/or homemade cultured dairy, chopped cilantro, shredded raw cheese

In a 2 to 3 quart pot, soak the rice in the 2 cups of water and raw apple cider vinegar overnight. The next day, add the 2 cups stock. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until all liquid is absorbed and grains are fluffy and tender. This will be about a half hour if the grains have soaked overnight. Remove from heat. Let stand for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

While rice is cooking, put the ground beef in a 4 to 6 quart stock pot. Over medium heat, brown the beef. Add onions and garlic. Saute until soft. In a 4 cup measuring cup, whisk together: water, tomato paste, sea salt, pepper, olive oil, and honey. Add sauce mixture to meat. Cover and let simmer for 20 minutes.

Fill bowls with rice, then meat sauce, then desired garnishes.