Fresh Brussel Sprouts - YUMMY!

I broke my golden rule today and spent more than 30 minutes in the kitchen tonight making dinner. It wasn’t a complicated recipe but fresh Brussels sprouts that made me spend the extra time. I am a sucker for really fresh produce and today was no exception. I went to our old produce market to buy just a few things. My kids always laugh at that, they know I can NEVER buy just a few things at the produce store. Everything fresh and in season just naturally calls my name. Today, it was Brussels sprouts. It’s the right time of year for really fresh sprouts and the ones I saw were nice and green and small. No yellow spots or over-sized sprouts for me. Most people turn up their noses at Brussels sprouts – probably because they’ve only been served over-cooked and merely boiled sprouts. We love to take fresh Brussels sprouts, cut them in half, remove the inner v-shape and sauté them with lots of garlic. Yummy! Frozen ones just aren’t nearly as delicious – but it does take a while to prep the fresh sprouts – at least when you are prepping about 2 pounds. If there is one thing we don’t skimp on in our monthly budget, its fresh produce. There were only 4 of us at dinner, and there weren’t very many leftovers. When the vegetables become your main course, it’s amazing how much you can eat! Tonight we had baked eggplant slices, fresh and delicious corn-on-the-cob and Brussels sprouts and fresh raspberries for dessert. No processed foods on our plate – just a few tasty morsels of God’s grand garden.

It's Been A While!

It’s been a while since I’ve been able to sit down and write what is happening in our lives and hearts. I often think of all the things I want to share, and then get so involved in living, I hardly take a breath to pause and reflect. I am rethinking my family schedule and going to make sure there is more time for writing and sharing. There’s just something special about inviting others to join in and celebrate LIFE with us!

It was a great weekend this last Saturday and Sunday. The weather was a little gloomy, but we had a great time anyway. I held my first cooking class at Paradise Health and Nutrition on Minton Road. This was a new location for my cooking class, although I shop there frequently. The people who attended the class were wonderful and friendly and encouraging! We had a great time together learning how to cook Mushroom Stroganoff with Soy Curls, Vegetarian Chili and Tofu Cubes with Brown Gravy. (YUM,YUM,YUM!) Three dishes is less than an hour – we were cranking! I love talking about food almost as much as I love eating and preparing it – so I was in heaven – getting to combine two of my passions at once. The staff at Paradise was also incredibly accommodating and helpful. I love shopping there because I always leave feeling better than I did when I entered the store. There are VERY few stores you can say that about anymore.

Today, we are enjoying the sunshine – finally! The kids have been outside as much as I will let them chasing bugs, snacking on grapes and generally creating adventures of all kinds. We had a picnic for lunch, although it is still warm – much to my chagrin. Pretty soon we will be embarking on another camping trip – this time for 8 nights. We can all hardly wait to go north – to Georgia – and hopefully encounter some cooler weather. Last weekend we camped at Fort Clinch State Park. The park was absolutely gorgeous and the weather very pleasant. We were able to enjoy a half-mile long fishing pier, deserted pristine beaches, a Confederate army reenactment at the Fort and a relaxing family time together. I am so grateful to God that He has blessed us with health and vitality as we enjoy His creation and all of it’s majesty.