Granola Bar Cookies

This week I've been baking and hanging out with the kids. As school wrapped up last week it has been great to hang out more as a family. Andrew comes home for lunch and we all eat together. He is also home at night and we are loving all the time! What to do with ourselves? It is nice and chilly here today but this is a change from the continual rain we've had.

We live in gumbo country where the mud sticks to you. I push the buggy (double stroller) and the wheels just get more and more mud. Last year Andrew and I put in drain tile and used shovels in this terrible mud. That was an intense work out. I had to push the mud off the shovel with my foot and then the mud just stuck to my shoes. I felt like I was weighted down. I found with shoes it is best to let it dry and then beat it. Anyway enough of my mud woes.

With Andrew coming home for lunch I've been trying to cook and bake more. If any of you know me well know that I don't really care for either. I can do them well when I do since my mom was a great teacher. She is an incredible cook/baker. I know how much don't really like to do it. I would much rather be sewing or making cards. But everyone has to eat so I push myself to do it. Most times our meals are very low key. I eat gluten free. A lot of what we eat is gluten free. Andrew and the girls still eat some gluten but not nearly as much as we used to. We eat rice pasta and I make a homemade sauce. In the last three years we've switched to all natural cleaning and personal care products. I make most everything we use. I've learned a lot along the way! I am happy with where we are with all that and am so much more comfortable knowing that it is gentle, fragrance free and no toxins. Now I am starting to tackle the food issue. We are moving away from processed foods and trying to eat real foods.

Most of you know that I hate getting up in the morning. I hate getting out of my nice warm soft bed. Ironically God gave me a very early morning rising daughter. She thinks the world is most alive at 6 AM. Really? Nuts! After 3.5 years I'm getting used to it. It has made me a better morning person and I get up and make a homemade breakfast nearly every morning. This is something I said I would never do. My kids love breakfast. Eggs are a great! We run out of eggs all the time and so we walk over in the morning to the school's cooler (in our PJs) to buy eggs.

Slowly we are moving toward foods with less sugar and more natural carbs. However I do still make some snacks. Andrew couldn't live without snacks. He eats more food than anyone I've ever met. This man can eat and eat and eat. I wish I had his metabolism! Out of his need/desire for snacks I found this recipe and he loves it! He says that it is more like a cookie. I will continue to take out the carbs as I continue to make it but for now here it is. I don't remember where I got it from.

Peanut Butter Granola Bars

1 cup old fashioned rolled oats

1 cup rice crispy cereal

1 cup crushed salted pretzels

1/4 cup ground or whole flax seed

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup chopped nuts - we used almonds

In a large bowl stir the above ingredients together.

1 cup peanut butter

   Add the peanut butter to the dry ingredients. Break up the peanut butter with your spoon and continue to mix, mix and mix until you get it all mixed. Takes a while.

4 tbsp butter (melted) or coconut oil (melted)

2 tsp vanilla extract

      Add melted butter and vanilla to the mixture and stir some more.

1/3 cup honey + 1tbsp honey

     Add the honey and mix some more!

1 cup Chocolate chips

    Add the chocolate and fold them in.

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 inch pan and pour in the granola mixture. Pat down. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Top will be golden brown- be careful not to over bake. Honey will burn quick. Remove from oven and cool on wire rack. Cut bars once the are cool. May crumble some- perfect for putting on ice cream or eating with milk. You may put them in the refrigerator to chill further before trying to cut.

Our pup loves water! So much so that she leaps in the tub with the girls at night. The girls think it is great and pour water all over her. Audi loves the attention. Audi likes to stick her entire face in the water and little bubbles come floating up from her nose. I always think she will take on a lot of water but she doesn't. I've never see a dog swim or play in the water like her. So many dogs like water but I think Audi could be part fish. She dives in the pond out back and at home I find her standing in her water dish-splashing water all over the floor. Good thing there are 2 ponds on the property. She swims until I call her out. She is a dog that could kill herself running or swimming. She doesn't quit. I wish I could bottle her energy!

I don't remember if I ever shared this but I found this chair in the dump out back. A great metal chair with peeling paint. It needed some help but I fixed that. It took me some time that was for sure but I'm really happy with how it turned out! I did put vinyl on the seat - which I don't love- but it keeps it clean from messy hands. I love the blue color I painted it. I found the vintage fabric at a thrift store. The pillow is also one of my creations from a while back. Very eclectic and very me!

Banana Bread Recipe etc...

I am more than excited for the first time in my life I have found a perfect banana bread recipe! I mean it cooks up perfectly and everyone loved it! Andrew took it over to school for the retired couples, who volunteer during the summer, and it disappeared. I got this recipe from www.whatmegansmaking.com and she got it from http://www.food.com/

Isn't it pretty? I mean it pretty? I am bragging here I know. But is more about the recipe than my baking skills. You can have this beauty at your home too.

Ok here it is: CREAM CHEESE BANANA BREAD

3/4 cup butter- soft- I used Coconut Oil which is great!

8 ounces cream cheese - soft

2 cups sugar

2 large eggs

3 cups flour- I used whole wheat/buck wheat

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups mashed banana- about 4 medium bananas

1 cup chopped nuts- almonds, pecans or walnuts

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

In a large bowl beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed until creamy. Slowly add sugar- beat until fluffy. Add 1 egg at a time- beat after each. Add in the bananas and vanilla, mix until combined.

In another medium size bowl: combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Slowly add flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat at a slow speed until just combined. Stir in the nuts if desired. Spoon batter into 8x4 inch loaf pans. I used three pans.

Bake 350 degrees for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean with moist crumbs. The sides will pull away from the pan. I did cover the bread with aluminum foil the last 25 minutes or so. Cool bread in pans on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely before slicing.

I've been a baking fool. I bake food when I know that I can't eat it. Andrew says I get it all mixed up. I can't have any gluten etc and so I say the next best thing to eating it is making it. The house smells great, I'm losing weight and we've got tons of food to share. I'll share some more great recipes in the following days.

A while back we got flowers from a neighbor to celebrate our adoption profile being approved. That was really sweet and we enjoyed the reminder of the months of hard work. Our neighbors have adopted two children and so they understand the process. It is exciting to think that families may be looking at our profile and considering us.

Audi is our wired dog. Always on the go but this picture makes her look mellow. She sleeps in the craziest positions. She usually sleeps on her back. She is a real cutie and that keeps me from killing her most days. She is very hyper unlike her mom. We had the compliant dog first and now we have our strong willed pup.

When the girls aren't in the car Abby claims the padded car seat!

Get ready, set, go riding!

YAY! The girls love to ride!

On our way to pick our new horse we stayed in a camping cabin. Epic Fail! The girls got all stuffed up and had major reactions to the cabin. It had some water damage and by the morning Dakota's entire face swelled up and her eye was swelled shut. We didn't get any sleep and then a storm passed through during the night with really high winds. The girls were in turmoil! There was no sleep! Did I mention I'm not much of a camper? The girls' must have gotten my genes. Abby and Audi loved it though!

I've been busy making/sewing toiletry bags for the graduating seniors. I really liked the look of the bags and was proud of my accomplishment. I still have several orders to finish up though.

The weekend Andrew was home and took a walk all by myself. "All by Myself!" That rarely happens and I really enjoyed myself. The dogs ran ahead of me and I enjoyed the wind and crisp air. While walking I noticed these two dark specks. They were so small that the dogs ignored them. I heard their soft little peeps and got down to take a closer look. I believe they were little Kill Dear. They are so soft and light as can be. That was the frosting to my walk. (See when I'm on a diet- I think in food terms.) I was thrilled!

We've been seeing the most fascinating birds around here. They are all kinds of colors and sizes. We don't know the names of many of them and some of their calls are very unique. This bright orange bird showed up in the tree next to our home. His head looked more blue than black. This photo is pathetic to what he actually looked like -it was taken through the double pane window. Anybody know what kind of bird this is? We do not.

Andrew is making fun of me right now since I'm writing about the birds. But I will have you know that he was just as excited as me. I will forgo talking about the bees: "birds and the bees."

 I hope to have a few more etc... posts in the following days. Nothing exciting but a little bit of this and that. Come on back!

Hello Summer!

 The school year is over and we have kicked into official summer mode this week!  A big thank you to all our veterans including our niece, Dawn, who just returned from Afghanistan two weeks ago.  We had the opportunity to go to a welcoming home ceremony in Pierre that was an eye-opening experience as to what these soldiers go through both in their military operations and their assimilation back into civilian life.  The above picture was taken by Darcy at a local state park just after a thunderstorm.  Below, Daraby is hanging out enjoying life. 

 A good Memorial Day nap!

And a good Memorial Day ride!  This is a mare named Diamond that we picked up from Darcy's family and she is coming along nicely.  This was her 5th ride today.

We added another member to the family and no it doesn't have to do with adoption but it does fit into our family criteria-his name is Dally.  We bought Dally (that was his name before we bought him for those who think his name is too good to be true) last weekend out in Rapid City.  He will be Darcy's horse and hopefully the girls' horse in the coming years.  He's 19 and has a pretty calm personality but still has a gas pedal when you want it.  He was owned by a family for the last 10 years where he was used as a beginner horse for their son who then started roping off of him. 

We have lots of great plans for the summer but really are trying to ready ourselves for adding another child to our family.  As many of you know, we are in the process of adopting an infant.  Our profile is being shown to birth parents and only God knows at this point when and how this will take place.  Thank you for your prayers along the way and we urge you to keep praying for us as God continues to teach us about his plan for our life.  Isn't it a blessing for us who know Christ as our Lord and Savior that he continues to do a good work in our life to carry out unto completion (Philippians 1:6)?  Sometimes Darcy and I scratch our heads and wonder what in the world is going on but we know that God is at work and try humble ourselves before him. 

By the way, it is our anniversary tomorrow so thank you for the 8 wonderful years of marriage Darcy!  A couple of states, houses, jobs, kids, and animals later and here we are.  Praise the Lord for his goodness and grace.  Well, at 11:25 pm I'm going to have to end it here.  Thank you for tuning in! -Andrew

Happy May Day! Sunny Skies!

We cleaned up for Junior/Senior Banquet

The kids were all spiffed up too! They looked so good!

A neighbor came over and brought us flowers to help celebrate the approval to adopt! Yes, you heard right! After 9 months of paperwork, classes and so forth we have been approved to adopt. Now we are waiting for a birth family to choose us. Our neighbor and her husband have adopted both of their children and so she understands the process. They've been very supportive!

I don't think I posted these pictures on the blog yet: A months ago on April Fool's day it was near 100 degrees and we tipped our toes in the water and laid on the beach.

The kids loved it! I mean loved it! Hours of simple play time = sand and water!

Dakota took a dunk and we laughed so hard. After we had told her that it was too cold to swim she took the plunge anyway. I don't think she will do that anytime soon. However, we've had the small pool put up on the deck. I fill that with warm water and the kids play out there on 80 degree days. They love the water.

Two Years in a Row! Yes! Two years, Folks! I hope to make it annual! This Easter we went again to the Easter Egg hunt on the governor's lawn. He is kind enough to take a photo with us. More like 5 photos with us and yet this is the best we got. Actually the best we got was the one with Daraby digging in her nose but I can't put that up here. We had great laughs though. Really I just use the kids as pawns to get photos with the governor!

Daraby loves her Audi! Sometimes Audi sleeps with Daraby during her afternoon naps. Audi is feisty but she is fitting in really well with our family. She is very busy!

Crazy dog loves to sleep on her back. I think it is adorable! I just shaved Abby's hair off. Of course she still had her hair in this photo. Now she looks like a pink wrinkly dog. In a few weeks her hair will grow out more and she will be her pretty chocolate color again! She loves having it short though. She is much cooler and more content! I like that I can wash her off quickly after she's been swimming in the muddy pond water.

Lately I've been making these. I'm making them to give as graduation gifts. I've also sold quite a few. All the money we make we keep putting in the adoption fund. The are stiff, fully lined with interfacing in between. They are super durable and nice looking. These ones are around 11 inches long and 4.5 inches wide. They are perfect toiletry bags for men and women. I sell these for $17.00 each. Shipping is extra.  

I also sell square ones (left side) 6x6 for $15.00. Shipping Extra.

If you are interested in buying bags just let me know.

A friend that sells Thirty-One products is also throwing a fundraiser party for our family and adoptions funds next Tuesday night at our home. She has graciously decided to donate all the proceeds from the Thirty-One party to our adoption costs. WOW! Not only can you buy a great product from Thirty-One but you'll be putting money toward our adoption fund. YAY! This is the link to shop online! www.mythirtyone.com/pardee find the Boersma party! I can get you a catalog to look at. Just let me know.

Other than that life is crazy busy here. We have events pretty much every night until school gets done. I'm working on adoption grants- paperwork, paperwork and paperwork! The girls are wanting to be outside all the time! I agree! the weather is nice. The dogs love it too! Mud is our buddy right now. I live in gumbo country and so it is pure slim and sticks to you. Makes for lots of baths!

I hope you are enjoying your May Day! May your skies be Sunny! If I was organized- which I'm not- I would knock on your door and leave you a fun basket! Is it the thought that counts?! :)

They up and flew the coop!

So perhaps they didn't fly the coop but went to live with wonderful families. All the pups are gone now except our pup Audi and our dog, Abby. I think I've had way to many headaches brought on by crying over the leaving of our pups. I'm happy for them and their new families. I really am! I just miss them! I don't think I would want 6 pups at 9 weeks of age. I would be crying about them not leaving. I know some of you will be sending pictures of your pup and family. If you want, I'll post them on the blog as updates throughout the year. We would love to hear how it is going. We are very happy with all the new homes and the calliber of families that have chosen to buy pups. Other than that we had an excellent Easter! I'm so very thankful that the Lord made the choice over 2000 years ago to die and then arise for me and you. I'm so very thankful that He is making me new. It is a humbling yet refreshing time of year. New Years isn't one of those seasons that make me think of a fresh start. The smell of spring, the realization of the depth of the sacrifice of Christ,and the budding of all things green always makes me hopeful for a new beginning in my own life. May you be blessed as you realize the depth of Christ's love for us and His power to make all things new!