Our garden has produced a TON of zucchini. Even if you don't garden, people are bound to try and pawn off their zucchini on you. I wanted to share a yummy recipe for when you're sick of zucchini bread, but still have a ton of zucchini to use up. :) It is really yummy, and also freezes nicely. A great option is to make a couple portions and freeze them for an easy dinner to warm up on a cool Fall night after sport's practices. I kind of made it up and it turns out different every time, but here is the general recipe:
2 c. uncooked brown rice
2 c. shredded zucchini
1/2 onion, minced
2 stalks celery, chopped small as onion
1 c. cream of chicken soup (I make my own with powder from Azure, but you can use a store-bought can too)
1/3 c. milk
1 c. shredded cheese
Garlic salt
Pepper
Cook brown rice and while warm, mix with cream of chicken soup, 1/2 c. of the shredded cheese, milk. Allow to melt, then add all other ingredients, reserving the final 1/2 c. of cheese. Grease 9x13 casserole pan and pour in mixture. Cover with remaining cheese. Cover pan with foil and bake at 325 for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until cheese is bubbly. I also thought about adding white beans or shredded chicken for added protein. You could try that too. :)
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Saturday, August 11, 2012
Growth Encouragement
By and large, one of the American Church main goals is growth in numbers. The explosion of entertainment-based ministries and programs, advertisements for free donuts at church, and even rewards for bringing guests to church are on the rise more and more. While the American Church continues to encourage more giving for more growth, it leaves out one major and important factor -- even scoffs upon it: Family growth.
Far too many churches blend right in with the world's sad view of children. Too many Christians are right alongside those who whisper about the 6-children with their parents at the grocery store, those who tell the young couple that one child is all they can love, those who criticize the family expecting their 5th or 6th baby, those who insist that another child will inconvenience their budget, and those who look down on adoption as a last-choice for the infertile only. But, if the American Church's logic on family growth was applied to their church growth model, it would look radically different.
Imagine, walking into a church to be greeted by a church staff member to turn you away. A staff member who says, "Oh we have too many members already. Our budget cannot handle another one. We can hardly keep up with the ones we have, and so we won't be letting anyone else into our church." We would never see this in a church but we see it ALL THE TIME in the family. There may be a few churches who do this, but with all the emphasis the American Church puts on growth, I would argue that these churches are few and far between.
God instituted the family and the church, and growth in both are a very positive thing! But, if we elevate one so high and trample the other, we throw Christ's divine proportions out of place. If the Church's view on family growth was even a half-step closer to its view on church body growth, I would bet we would be in a radically different position as Christians.
Just a thought.
~Hannah~
Far too many churches blend right in with the world's sad view of children. Too many Christians are right alongside those who whisper about the 6-children with their parents at the grocery store, those who tell the young couple that one child is all they can love, those who criticize the family expecting their 5th or 6th baby, those who insist that another child will inconvenience their budget, and those who look down on adoption as a last-choice for the infertile only. But, if the American Church's logic on family growth was applied to their church growth model, it would look radically different.
Imagine, walking into a church to be greeted by a church staff member to turn you away. A staff member who says, "Oh we have too many members already. Our budget cannot handle another one. We can hardly keep up with the ones we have, and so we won't be letting anyone else into our church." We would never see this in a church but we see it ALL THE TIME in the family. There may be a few churches who do this, but with all the emphasis the American Church puts on growth, I would argue that these churches are few and far between.
God instituted the family and the church, and growth in both are a very positive thing! But, if we elevate one so high and trample the other, we throw Christ's divine proportions out of place. If the Church's view on family growth was even a half-step closer to its view on church body growth, I would bet we would be in a radically different position as Christians.
Just a thought.
~Hannah~
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Sugar-Free July
What is three times as addictive as cocaine but three HUNDRED times as socially acceptable as cocaine? (ok, I made the 300 thing up, but really... what police officer hand-cuffs you for a candy bar?) Sugar! Sugar is loaded into all sorts of foods and is America's #1 food additive aside from salt. But sugar can wreak havoc on your body by disrupting your blood sugar and metabolism, creating an acidic environment within your body, as well as causing tooth decay and weight gain.
So, for the month of July I cut out all sugar from my diet including honey, high fructose corn syrup, white sugar, cane juice crystals, molasses, you name it. I did still consume fruits and grains, and yes, I am aware that they contain naturally-occurring sugar. ;) I try to go off sugar completely twice a year for 2-6 weeks each time. In general, I try to consume more natural forms of sugar when I have it and avoid high fructose corn syrup entirely. But, there are times when abstaining 100% is in order. :)
I have felt so good and it is really encouraging because certain times I have gone off sugar, I have literally displayed symptoms of withdrawal. No such thing this time which is exciting because my body is not as addicted as it has been previously. Yay!
I wanted to share a couple of recipes that I have found to curb a sugar craving when you're avoiding sugar... because, hey, everyone needs something sweet occasionally. :)
Carrot Cake
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
4 ounces unsalted butter, heated until just melted
1/2 cup dried dates, seeded and finely chopped into a paste
3 ripe bananas (1 1/4 cups), mashed well
1 1/2 cups grated carrots (about 3 medium)
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
For cream cheese frosting:
6-8 ounces cream cheese
Pineapple juice to sweeten
A few drops of stevia to sweeten
(Though I do prefer honey when I am not 100% off sugar)
Ice Cream
2 Bananas, frozen
2ish TBSP whole milk/cream/half and half
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
Place bananas in blender, add milk slowly until desired consistency is reached. Add vanilla extract. If you don't like banana taste, freeze green bananas. You will get your ice cream consistency but not the banana-y flavor. The riper the banana when you freeze it, the more banana taste you'll get in your ice cream. Try adding peanut butter, berries, cinnamon, or cocoa powder for an added twist. Enjoy!
Chocolate Mousse
1 can full-fat coconut milk
5 TBSP. cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
A few drops of stevia to sweeten
Leave open can of coconut milk in frig overnight until thick. Beat in other ingredients to milk and serve right away. Really good with strawberries or just on its own. :P
So, there you have it, my blogging friends! Try going sugar-free but beware of artificial sugar substitutes that are worse for you than sugar itself, as they mess with your metabolism, hormones, and body's way of absorption. Beware of Splenda and aspartame! :)
Also... Here is a short video with a few tips on how to kick the sugar habit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0E3tLLe0BM&feature=relmfu
So, for the month of July I cut out all sugar from my diet including honey, high fructose corn syrup, white sugar, cane juice crystals, molasses, you name it. I did still consume fruits and grains, and yes, I am aware that they contain naturally-occurring sugar. ;) I try to go off sugar completely twice a year for 2-6 weeks each time. In general, I try to consume more natural forms of sugar when I have it and avoid high fructose corn syrup entirely. But, there are times when abstaining 100% is in order. :)
I have felt so good and it is really encouraging because certain times I have gone off sugar, I have literally displayed symptoms of withdrawal. No such thing this time which is exciting because my body is not as addicted as it has been previously. Yay!
I wanted to share a couple of recipes that I have found to curb a sugar craving when you're avoiding sugar... because, hey, everyone needs something sweet occasionally. :)
Carrot Cake
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
4 ounces unsalted butter, heated until just melted
1/2 cup dried dates, seeded and finely chopped into a paste
3 ripe bananas (1 1/4 cups), mashed well
1 1/2 cups grated carrots (about 3 medium)
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
For cream cheese frosting:
6-8 ounces cream cheese
Pineapple juice to sweeten
A few drops of stevia to sweeten
(Though I do prefer honey when I am not 100% off sugar)
Preheat oven to 350F. Butter a 9x5x3 / 8-cup loaf pan (or 8x8 cake pan) and line it with parchment paper.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in the walnuts and set aside.
Stir the dates into the melted butter, breaking up the dates a bit.
In a separate bowl combine the bananas and carrots. Stir in the date-butter mixture, breaking up any date clumps as you go. Whisk in the yogurt and the eggs. Add the flour mixture and stir until everything just comes together. Spoon into the prepared pan. Bake for about 50 - 60 minutes or until a toothpick tests clean in the center of the cake - it'll be less if you are using a standard cake pan. Remove from oven and let cool.
Beat cream cheese and pineapple juice. Add stevia. Spread over completely cooled cake.
Ice Cream
2 Bananas, frozen
2ish TBSP whole milk/cream/half and half
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
Place bananas in blender, add milk slowly until desired consistency is reached. Add vanilla extract. If you don't like banana taste, freeze green bananas. You will get your ice cream consistency but not the banana-y flavor. The riper the banana when you freeze it, the more banana taste you'll get in your ice cream. Try adding peanut butter, berries, cinnamon, or cocoa powder for an added twist. Enjoy!
Chocolate Mousse
1 can full-fat coconut milk
5 TBSP. cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
A few drops of stevia to sweeten
Leave open can of coconut milk in frig overnight until thick. Beat in other ingredients to milk and serve right away. Really good with strawberries or just on its own. :P
So, there you have it, my blogging friends! Try going sugar-free but beware of artificial sugar substitutes that are worse for you than sugar itself, as they mess with your metabolism, hormones, and body's way of absorption. Beware of Splenda and aspartame! :)
Also... Here is a short video with a few tips on how to kick the sugar habit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0E3tLLe0BM&feature=relmfu
Monday, July 23, 2012
Why Lowfat Foods May Not Be As Healthy As You Think...
Practically every grocery store you walk into advertises things to the "health conscious", and at the peak of their advertising campaign is pushing the LOWFAT label. Lowfat have less calories, they say. Lowfat prevents heart disease, they say. But is lowfat really healthier?
Another benefit and important function of fat in food is for the assimilation of fat-soluble vitamins. Vitamins A, D, E, and K are fat-soluble and therefore require fat to be absorbed (and stored) properly, as opposed to the water soluble vitamins which the body absorbs into the intestines and then are dissolved into the bloodstream. Fat-soluble vitamins are stored in fatty tissues and the liver for current and future use. If fat-soluble vitamins are consumed without food that contains fat, the vitamins aren't assimilated and used by the body, and are rendered useless. Thus, fat in the diet is very important for the absorption of proper vitamins and nutrients.
Fat in food is vital for bodily function for cell repair and growth, brain and organ development and protection, moisture for skin, hair and nails, and regulating fat soluble vitamins. Of course, too much of anything is harmful, but as is too little.
One major problem with lowfat foods, is that the fat is replaced with sugars, carbohydrates, and fillers. You might put less calories from fat into your body by consuming low-fat foods, but you end up skyrocketing your bloodsugar because carbohydrates were added to the food to replace the fat. Fat can act as a bloodsugar regulator by causing starches to take longer to absorb. Bread for example, takes longer to be used by the body when topped with butter or olive oil and causes less of a sugar spike than if the bread was just eaten on its own.
Fat in food also tells your body that it is satisfied and full. And thus, taking most or all of the natural fat out of a food can lead to overeating. The hormone the body secretes upon fat consumption, cholecystokinin, will curb hunger and cause the brain to think you are full. This way, you are less likely to overcompensate at other meals.
Additionally, lowfat milk can also actually contribute to osteoporosis. Everyone knows you drink milk for the calcium which strengthens bones, right? Upon consumption, the body must use bone mass to compensate for the high acidity of the food. This pulls minerals out of the bones to help the body re-establish its pH levels, which can cause decreases in bone mass. Of course, small quantities will not have this effect, but if you rely on lowfat dairy products as your sole source of calcium for osteoporosis prevention, you might need to reconsider. Try eating spinach, collard greens, salmon, sesame/chia/sunflower seeds, quinoa, brocolli, or white beans for alternative calcium sources.
Politically, encouraging lowfat dairy product consumption is profitable for dairy companies, as it is cheaper to skim the fat off the milk, selling the milk without the fat/cream and using the cream for other dairy products to sell.
Your body also does not know how to properly absorb the fat in "reduced fat" foods. When fat cells are altered, the body processes them differently and thus you do not always reap the health benefits from the fat.
Your body also does not know how to properly absorb the fat in "reduced fat" foods. When fat cells are altered, the body processes them differently and thus you do not always reap the health benefits from the fat.
Another benefit and important function of fat in food is for the assimilation of fat-soluble vitamins. Vitamins A, D, E, and K are fat-soluble and therefore require fat to be absorbed (and stored) properly, as opposed to the water soluble vitamins which the body absorbs into the intestines and then are dissolved into the bloodstream. Fat-soluble vitamins are stored in fatty tissues and the liver for current and future use. If fat-soluble vitamins are consumed without food that contains fat, the vitamins aren't assimilated and used by the body, and are rendered useless. Thus, fat in the diet is very important for the absorption of proper vitamins and nutrients.
In conclusion, avoiding low-fat products is important to avoid added sugars, fillers, artificial flavorings, and metabolism and hormone altering chemicals. God knew what He was doing when He put fat in food! Of course, a balanced diet is always important so avoid packaged foods and sugar as much as possible, and fill your plate with fresh vegetables.
Thursday, July 19, 2012
One Thing
The account in Genesis of Man's Fall when Adam and Eve sinned is fairly familiar to many people. When reading and studying it, I have often wondered why it was that Adam and Eve sinned when God only asked them to do one thing. All they had to do was not eat the forbidden fruit. That was it. And somehow, they still rebelled and sinned.
And though we can look upon Adam and Eve's fall as incredulous as they only had one simple commandment from God, we do the same thing. Galatians 5:14 says, "The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself."" God only asks one thing of us... to love our neighbor (God coming first...) as ourself. God's Word and His Law demonstrate to us HOW to love, but God's whole Law is written to instruct us on how to love the Lord and our neighbor.
So, while I am sure many of us have gazed upon Adam and Eve's situation and pondered as to how they could break one simple commandment from God, we must turn around and realize that we too do the same thing. We break God's one instruction to us and transgress His Law... most every single day.
When I think about this, I am all the more grateful and thankful for Christ's amazing love he demonstrated on the cross. His grace and mercy are so humbling, and even as I fall short daily, I am so blessed to be resting in His arms.
Friday, July 13, 2012
Summer's Started...
June seems to have flown by and was brimming with activity.
It started with a visit to Pennsylvania, spending time with family there. My Aunt and Grandmother came down so we got to hang out with them, and my brother had a recorder concert and a baseball game I got to attend. This is Chloe and me hiding in the car after the baseball game got rained out. It was POURING.
We also went rock climbing:
After getting home, I completed my academic school year and celebrated my high school milestone! You can see all the pictures here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.3476681355018.2136959.1210746934&type=3
I was blessed to attend FCA basketball camp for the third year, and it is always a blast. Basketball workouts twice a day plus conditioning once a day, two chapels, three meals, two small group "huddle times", and a shower... pretty much sums up a successful day at FCA!
The Group camp pic - 400ish people!! I am in the bottom corner of the A ;)
Next week I am counseling 3rd and 4th graders at Vacation Bible School and attending volleyball camp! And working - but that is not as out-of-the-ordinary, right? ;)
What are you up to this Summer?
~hannah~
It started with a visit to Pennsylvania, spending time with family there. My Aunt and Grandmother came down so we got to hang out with them, and my brother had a recorder concert and a baseball game I got to attend. This is Chloe and me hiding in the car after the baseball game got rained out. It was POURING.
We also went rock climbing:
After getting home, I completed my academic school year and celebrated my high school milestone! You can see all the pictures here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.3476681355018.2136959.1210746934&type=3
I was blessed to attend FCA basketball camp for the third year, and it is always a blast. Basketball workouts twice a day plus conditioning once a day, two chapels, three meals, two small group "huddle times", and a shower... pretty much sums up a successful day at FCA!
The Group camp pic - 400ish people!! I am in the bottom corner of the A ;)
Next week I am counseling 3rd and 4th graders at Vacation Bible School and attending volleyball camp! And working - but that is not as out-of-the-ordinary, right? ;)
What are you up to this Summer?
~hannah~
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
A Day at the Airport...
Air travel can definitely present interesting situations, unique dilemmas, and just flat-out entertaining people. Though it is only 10:14 a.m., my day has already been sprinkled with humor through various situations at various airports.
Yesterday morning I decided to get checked-in online early and print my boarding passes. After patiently waiting for the computer to do its thing and let me check in, I hit the "print" button to get the boarding passes. Unbeknownst to me, someone had loaded our computer full of colorful construction paper. So, my flight documents are printed on yellow, orange, and magenta colored paper! The guy taking tickets at 6 a.m. this morning was humored by the brightly colored paper I handed him, and said it was the most unique ticket he had ever seen at Southwest. So ya, I am pretty special! ;)
This morning, around 5 a.m., I was going through security. The guy in front of me pulled out 5 of those plastic bins you are supposed to put shoes, change, and computers in. I assumed, incorrectly, that he has no intention of using FIVE bins. What do you put in 5 bins? So I asked him if he was planning to use them all and he grumbled, "yes", at me. I collected a bin of my own and assembled my belongings in there, highly entertained at the guy in front of me trying to get 5 bins into the x-ray machine with only two hands.
Layovers are fun. "Layovers?! Is that like a sleepover?! Movies, popcorn, PAJAMAS?"
"No it is called a layover because you will be so exhausted you will be willing to lay all over the airport. You know, anywhere where it is flat, you'll just lay there."
We landed a little early, so I had 3.5 hours to kill in the Denver International Airport. I walked through the C terminal, up it and then back down, and then for about a half hour attempted, quite unsuccessfully, to get onto the airport's wi-fi. So I opted to work on a project in Microsoft Word, again unsuccessfully. Word is suuuuper picky when you use text boxes and it kept trapping me in mine so that was a fail. I gave up and went on a hunt for lunch. (Denver has this really nice hunting area right near the airport in the basement. You know, with deer and elk and stuff. They even provide the firearms since you cannot take them on the plane for convenience for the travelers. Pretty handy.) Kidding. Instead, I boarded the tram that took me to the other terminal in the airport. After ascending several escalators, which just make you feel so lazy, I ordered a really yummy taco salad and sat down to eat that. I decided to try to get on the wi-fi again but it still did not work so I used the Pilot-Crew wi-fi, which is surprisingly un-password protected. If I get arrested, you all will know why.
I always bring my Nalgene bottle on airplane trips but with all the TSA rules you have to dump out your water before getting on the plane. So I am sitting here typing this PARCHED because I missed drink time on the plane (Naps rock though, so no complaints) and do not want to lose my wi-fi connection by walking the 50 yards to the water fountain to fill up my water bottle. If I die of dehydration, you all will know why.
Fashion advice of the day:
1. Ruffle skirt wanna-be's (i.e. gaucho/cullote style pants) add about 20 pounds to your figure. If you are going for the "wow you lost so much weight" comments upon changing out of said ruffle pants into normal one, you're on the right track.
2. Sleeve tattoos do not qualify as a shirt. If you think you will attain more modesty, warmth, or comfort by wearing a too-small tank top and using your tattoos as a shirt substitute, you probably need to re-think that.
3. Ladies wearing 6 inch heels, what is your problem??? You WALK a lot in this airport, why would you make your life any harder than it has to be by wearing those heels?
I digress.
Now I am off to hand my neon orange boarding card to the next unsuspecting ticket taker, hoping to make his day as well. :)
What are you doing today? Not being entertained by airport personnel, I trust.
"No it is called a layover because you will be so exhausted you will be willing to lay all over the airport. You know, anywhere where it is flat, you'll just lay there."
We landed a little early, so I had 3.5 hours to kill in the Denver International Airport. I walked through the C terminal, up it and then back down, and then for about a half hour attempted, quite unsuccessfully, to get onto the airport's wi-fi. So I opted to work on a project in Microsoft Word, again unsuccessfully. Word is suuuuper picky when you use text boxes and it kept trapping me in mine so that was a fail. I gave up and went on a hunt for lunch. (Denver has this really nice hunting area right near the airport in the basement. You know, with deer and elk and stuff. They even provide the firearms since you cannot take them on the plane for convenience for the travelers. Pretty handy.) Kidding. Instead, I boarded the tram that took me to the other terminal in the airport. After ascending several escalators, which just make you feel so lazy, I ordered a really yummy taco salad and sat down to eat that. I decided to try to get on the wi-fi again but it still did not work so I used the Pilot-Crew wi-fi, which is surprisingly un-password protected. If I get arrested, you all will know why.
I always bring my Nalgene bottle on airplane trips but with all the TSA rules you have to dump out your water before getting on the plane. So I am sitting here typing this PARCHED because I missed drink time on the plane (Naps rock though, so no complaints) and do not want to lose my wi-fi connection by walking the 50 yards to the water fountain to fill up my water bottle. If I die of dehydration, you all will know why.
Fashion advice of the day:
1. Ruffle skirt wanna-be's (i.e. gaucho/cullote style pants) add about 20 pounds to your figure. If you are going for the "wow you lost so much weight" comments upon changing out of said ruffle pants into normal one, you're on the right track.
2. Sleeve tattoos do not qualify as a shirt. If you think you will attain more modesty, warmth, or comfort by wearing a too-small tank top and using your tattoos as a shirt substitute, you probably need to re-think that.
3. Ladies wearing 6 inch heels, what is your problem??? You WALK a lot in this airport, why would you make your life any harder than it has to be by wearing those heels?
I digress.
Now I am off to hand my neon orange boarding card to the next unsuspecting ticket taker, hoping to make his day as well. :)
What are you doing today? Not being entertained by airport personnel, I trust.
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