Kempf Family

Catching up!

2011-10-30T05:46:00.001-07:00

I've been on a hiatus, I can't get caught up! Here's a cute pic of Noah and his new favorite toy, the dancing skeleton, that sings, "the club can't even handle me right now..." thanks Grandpa Joe. :)And here's an idea for a rainy-day activity. I got the idea from my sis, and it turned out well. Easy and fun, and lasted about an hour from start to finish! AND the kids were bathed after we finished.Take the clothes off (except diapers), give them the water colors, and let them go at it! When they're done, turn on the water, wipe it all off, then give em' a bath!I had pics, but they're taking too long to upload... unpatient? yes. So you don't get any :)Next up, a recipe for some easy, healthy muffins. Try these instead of those full-fat, sugar-laden preservative-filled kind:Orange Almond Muffins1 c. fresh orange juice1/2 c. agave nectar1 tsp. almond extract2 large egg whites2 Tbsp. oil (canola or grapeseed)1 c. unbleached flour1 c. whole wheat flour2 tsp. baking powder1/2 tsp. baking soda1/4 tsp. salt1/2 c. ground almonds (or chopped--my kids just don't like to know they're there!)*you could also use almond butterPreheat the oven to 350Mix the wet ingredients. Mix the dry ingredients (except the almonds). Add the wet to the dry, stir to combine, then fold in the almonds. Fill the muffin pan full, because they won't over-rise. Bake about 20 minutes. These are so good, not too sweet, my kids loved them! Muffins for breakfast make kids happy. Healthy muffins for breakfast make moms healthy. Win/Win.AND I have one more for ya. I threw together this turkey chili in a snap. It was great, loaded with veggies. The kids'll love it over whole wheat pasta! Veggie Chili w/ a Hint (of meat)3 medium peppers, chopped (I used green and yellow)2 red onions, chopped2 medium zucchini, 1-inch dice6 cloves minced garlic1 lb lean ground turkey2 Tbsp. olive oil28 oz. tomato sauce3 cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes 3 cans chili beans3 Tbsp chili powder1 Tbsp cuminSalt to tasteSaute the onions and garlic over med/high heat in the olive oil. Transfer to large pot. Begin to cook the turkey over med/high. Meanwhile, add all other ingredients to the large pot (don't drain any of the cans, just throw them right in!). Add turkey after browned. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer on low for an hour, stirring occasionally. Add salt to taste. We had a ton left to throw in the freezer individually portioned for healthy go-to meals!

Lentils, 2 Ways

2011-09-27T11:50:00.000-07:00

Did you know that along with being breast cancer awareness month, October is also vegetarian awareness month? So, here's a challenge for ya--cut some meat this month! And no, not with a knife... cut it out of your weekly diet!

If you're a crockpot freak, as most busy moms are, here are two veggie recipes you MUST try. They are inspired by some recipes in a crockpot cookbook that I have, but without the meat, woohoo! And P.S. lentils are full of nutrition, including iron!

Lentil Tacos
serves 6ish

1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves minced garlic
1 Tbsp EVOO
1/2 lb. dried lentils, rinsed and sorted
1 Tbsp. taco seasoning (or more if you like it spicy)
1 tsp. dried oregano
2 c. veggie broth
1/2 c. salsa
shells and condiments that you prefer

Saute onions in oil for a few minutes, add garlic, and cook about a minute more. Add onion/garlic mix to crockpot with the rest of the ingredients. Cook on low 4-6 hours (depending on a. how you like your lentils cooked and b. how strong your crockpot tends to be--mine is like the Incredible Hulk and cooks in half the time). Add water as necessary if you start to run out and want softer lentils.

Sub the lentil mix in for the meat and enjoy! These were awesome last night, Sidney loved them (of course) and even Noah got his down (he can't stand ground beef tacos).

Oh and if you can find these shells, they are awesome.

They are light and thin, but don't totally fall apart when you fill them. AND they don't have a bunch of unneccesary ingredients.

They did well! Nice and healthy... just the way we like it.

Sloppy Joes, Veggie Style

1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 large carrots, finely chopped
2 large celery stalks, finely chopped
1 c. dried lentils, rinsed and sorted
2 1/2 c. water
3/4 c. ketchup
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire
2 Tbsp. cider vinegar
salt to taste

Combine all ingredients in crockpot, except vinegar, stir well. Cook on low 6-8 hours, adding water if necessary. Add vinegar a little before serving. If you like them thicker and little less messy (although they are called sloppy joes for a reason), mix a couple spoonfuls of cornstarch in a tiny bit of cold water, then add to the mix until thick. Serve on whole wheat buns.

These are two easy, family-friendly ways to incorporate meatless mains into your menu this week. And, as an added bonus, you will also save money at the grocery store... you can just drop it in the mail to me, thanks.

Let's Just Get This Straight...

2011-09-21T12:06:00.000-07:00

After a quick visit with my family over the weekend, my sisters and I established that we are good at very different things--but we each have our "thing". Mine, well, obivously, is health and fitness (and hair cutting, apparently, sweet. that beauty school stint did me good after all).
After reading their hilarious posts here and here (seriously, if you want a laugh, have at it), I came to the conclusion that even though we each have our own thing, we do have one important commonality (the most important of all)... Jesus. Inspired by that, and the fact that He is more important to us than our other "things", I wanted to clarify something.
I AM a health-nut (most of the time). I LOVE exercise, especially the sweating, puking kind. I AM a believer in alternative medicine, when possible and smart. I DO feel like a huge emphasis should be put on the way we treat our physical bodies.
Here's the B-U-T...

I don't believe it's THE most important thing (are you loving the all-caps yet?). The most important focus in our lives should be our faith in and reliance upon God. So let's just get it straight that although I do love to talk about my food, it isn't what my life revolves around... that's what the blog is for.

Sometimes we all just need a stiff kick in the pants to remember what we're here for.

NOW I'm going to work out. And EAT. In that order.

No Recipe Tuesday

2011-09-06T20:30:00.000-07:00

I was supposed to have a recipe. However, we got home from work at 6pm and in my haste to de-clutter the house today, I ran out of time to prep dinner... oops.

It turned out fine. A little barley, a little beanage, some veggies, and a good orange miso sauce to tie it all together. Worked out great! Although we didn't eat until almost 7... oops again.

On another note, we had a great Labor Day weekend.

Here are a couple of pics from an evening of outdoor fun with some friends (it WAS fun, although our children came home with gashed knees, elbows, and foreheads... oops AGAIN)!

P.S. Turns out Noah's a 3-yr-old frisbee prodigy. Who knew?

You Just Have to Use Your Noggin...

2011-09-03T18:58:00.000-07:00

I came home from work this morning with not a clue what we would have for lunch. We were out of bread, peanut butter, grains, and more. We had a lot of different veggies and fruit, but could I make a meal out of that?
Sure!

One key to coming up with recipes on the fly is to work with what you have and think about what flavors go together. And so, this recipe was born. I'm quite proud of it and since I know being prideful is NOT one of the fruits of the spirit, I'll be generous and kind and share with you to make up for it.

Italian Tempeh Salad:
Serves 2 (or 4 small side salads)

*Note, tempeh, which is essentially a block of fermented soybeans (protein!), is not available here in FLW, MO. So stock up next time you go to Springfield or St Louis and stick it in the freezer like you would meat (and it's a whole lot cheaper than a pound of beef).

1 block plain tempeh
1/3 c. low sodium soy sauce
water to cover
1 c. chopped tomatoes
3 cloves minced garlic
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/3 c. crumbled feta (plain or herb/garlic) (or make it vegan with daiya or other vegan cheese)
2 chopped green onions
1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
black pepper to taste
1 lemon
dark salad greens (not iceberg, AKA water)

In large skillet, add soy sauce, crumble in the tempeh, then cover with water. Bring to a boil, simmer about 10 minutes, uncovered, until most of the water is gone.
Meanwhile, chop tomatoes, add to a large bowl with garlic, olive oil, feta, green onions, and balsamic vinegar.
Drain remaining liquid from tempeh, then toss tempeh with other ingredients in the large bowl. TASTE first, then add pepper if you need more spice.

It'll look something like this:

I know, it looks like peanuts, but it's soybeans, I promise. Now try not to eat it straight out of the bowl (you'll want to).

Place lots of salad on two dinner plates. Squeeze half of a lemon over each salad. Top with tempeh mix.

Now, since my kids tend to give me looks like this

And this

when I serve salads as a meal... I also quickly roasted some zucchini and sweet potato in the oven for them. And served them this salad instead:

Some greens, cranberries, and crushed raw pumpkin seeds.

The moral of the story is that you CAN find lunch in a flash, without stopping at McD's on the way home... you just gotta use that noggin. Oh and keep your pantry well-stocked with essentials!

Next up... how to get your kids eating better (even the picky ones):

Sometimes a Little Comfort's All You Need...

2011-09-01T04:33:00.000-07:00

When I think of homemade bread, and thick, creamy potato soup I think of the comforts of home... and a lot of fat, especially from a cow. Hmmm... let's change that, shall we? I'm telling ya, you won't miss the cow.

Disclaimer: I didn't write this down as I created it, so I'm trying to remember the exact recipe as I write--just TASTE it as you go and adjust (as little as possible, now, don't ruin it!).

Homemade Creamy Potato Corn/Carrot Soup (Vegan):

Serves 4

1 c. raw cashews, soaked in 1 1/2 c. water--do this FIRST, they need to sit for at least an hour
1 1/2 lb. yukon gold potatoes
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 cloves minced garlic
2 c. fresh or frozen corn
4 medium carrots, coarsely chopped
4 c. veggie broth (plus more for thinning)
2 c. plain full-fat soy milk (unsweetened)
1 Tbsp. dried chives
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 Tbsp. dried parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Pour water over cashews and allow to soak at least an hour. Heat oil in large skillet or soup pot (med/high), add onions and sautee for about 8 minutes. Add garlic, cook one more minute. Add potatoes, carrots, and spices with a little salt and pepper. Stir to combine, then add veggie broth. Simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes. Stir in soy milk, continue to cook over low heat for about 10 minutes. Mash potatoes right in the skillet with a potato masher, until most of them are mashed (some chunks are okay).
Add the cashews and soak water to a blender and blend until creamy (as creamy as possible), adding a little more water if necessary. Pour into the soup, stir to combine. Add corn, and continue to cook until heated through. Add salt and pepper to taste.

This stuff is GOOD:

Serve it up with a Kale Sunshine Salad:

P.S. I used curly kale and it still turned out delish.

Add some homemade bread (with Earth Balance, non-hydrogenated spread):

If I were going to publish a cookbook, this soup would totally be in it. But I'm prone to taking on way too much at one time, so I'm not. I'll just share it with you instead.
Good food comforts the soul... seriously. And you won't leave the table feeling tired and bloated.

Donuts are a Kid's Best Friend...

2011-08-19T18:38:00.000-07:00

I'm not usually a heavy breakfast eater (or cooker). We usually just stick with things like fruit, yogurt, cereal, and oats. But this morning I was feeling like a donut (literally, not figuratively, although that happens occasionally too), so I decided to throw some together. I knew the kids would be excited--just the word "donut" elicits a response like no other. So, without further adieu...

Vegan Cinnamon Sugar Donuts...Guilt-Free!

2 c. spelt flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. nondairy milk (Rice, for me today)
1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar (love Bragg brand)
1 flax "egg" (1 Tbsp ground flax seed mixed with 3 Tbsp. water)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 c. pure maple syrup (Grade B if you can)
1/4 c. nondairy, plain yogurt
1 dropper-full vanilla stevia (or 1/2 Tbsp of the granulated)
1/2 c. unsweetened coconut (optional, I just love coconut)
1 Tbsp. vegan margarine
cinnamon/sugar mix (about a Tbsp of each)

Preheat oven to 350. Add cider vinegar to milk, let sit for a couple of minutes. Meanwhile, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. In a seperate bowl, stir together milk mixture, flax egg, vanilla, maple syrup, yogurt, and stevia. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, in as few strokes as possible. Fold in coconut, if using. Bake 15-20 minutes, until they spring back to the touch.
Allow to cool for just a couple of minutes, then gently transfer to a cooling rack. Try not to eat one on the way.
Melt the margarine in the microwave about 20 seconds. Brush lightly over the donuts. Sprinkle cinnamon/sugar mixture over the top. Devour while they're warm!

A little of this:

Plus a little of this:

Equals a perfect morning for two little rugrats:

Where have you BEEN all summer!?

2011-08-16T19:59:00.000-07:00

Well, my summer blog hiatus is officially over. I didn't actually intend to be gone for so long. But this summer was uncharacteristically busy for us--and about as LONG as that word.
So, what I want to know is, where the heck did the summer go!? For us, it was new ministries, new endeavors, trips, etcetera etcetera... I won't bore you with the details. How about some pictures instead?

We fit just about all you could into a couple of months, AND managed to come out alive... beat that.
Did I mention the food? Oh, the food. I LOVE summer because it's oh so easy to cook fresh whole food!! Since I've been scrimping on recipes, I'll leave you with one easy one. It is Quamazing... hehe, just made that up.

Savory Quinoa Breakfast Mix:
Serves 4(ish)

4 c. cooked quinoa
6-8 garlic cloves, minced (just depends on your opinion of garlic, I LOVE garlic, so I do 8)
3-4 green onions, minced (white part also)
4 organic eggs
salt and pepper to taste
EVOO

Cook the egg over medium heat, until set, turning once. Remove from the pan, and chop.
Sautee the garlic over med/high heat in 2 Tbsp of oil, until light brown. Add cooked quinoa, constantly stirring for 2-3 minutes, until heated through (may need a tad more oil). Reduce heat to low, add green onions, stir, cooked/chopped egg, stir, and salt and pepper to taste.
Simple and delicious.
For a completely vegan option, substitute the egg with about 8oz. crumbled extra-firm tofu (squeezed as dry as possible), or go for some beans if you're a no-soy type of vegan.

AND, as an added bonus, a mid-afternoon, pick-me-up-for-my-workout snack:

3/4 c. plain non-dairy yogurt (or dairy if you live in FLW and have no access to non-dairy unless you drive 2 hours to St. Louis... urg. Which is why we stopped at Whole Foods to stock up on the way home from Indy, heehee... I digress...)

1/4 c. low sugar granola--Bare Naked has the BEST "Fit" granola--no added yuckies (preservatives, sweetners, etc) and only 4 grams of sugar!

Small handful of goji berries (I know, I know, you may have to order them online if you don't want to drive to Whole Foods)

Mix and enjoy!!!

Those bright red gojis make all the difference I tell ya...

Oats for Dinner?

2011-05-05T17:49:00.000-07:00

Yes Please!

Chris is off again, doing what he does

So I wanted my kids to eat dinner tonight, without any hassle or bribery... baked oatmeal it was:

On a night like this

it's the only solution.

The kids were happy

We baked bread.

I ate it after they went to bed... no, not ALL of it. But quite a lot.

P.S. I KNOW I haven't blogged in a month. We haven't had a whole lot going on. But I did get a new cookbook that I really like (this particular round of baked oatmeal came from this book).

Let Them Eat Cake

2011-04-08T04:58:00.000-07:00

I have a confession to make:

We have a BANNED children's book in our house... okay, we have more than one banned children's book in our house.

One of our favorites here in the Kempf house is this one:

In The Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak.

I had never heard of it, but I guess it was Chris's favorite book as a kid, and got passed to Noah. He LOVES this book and I have to say it is a pretty good one. So I was amazed to find out it has been placed on the banned book list "for nudity when Mickey loses his clothing in the middle of the night".

Excuse me, what??

He's a little boy. My little boy runs around naked all the time.

Whatever. Anyway, here are a few others that I thought you might find interesting:

Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank for being too depressing for students; sheesh, she shouldn't have let her imagination run away with her on the details, eh, stuck more to real life.

A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein, apparently for a single poem and accompanying illustration which suggests that children could avoid washing dishes by breaking them

Sylvester and the Magic Pebble (Stories to Go!) by William Steig, for a quite ridiculous reason, possibly the most ridiculous of all these: the depiction of the characters as animals, particularly the police as pigs, apparently upset people.

The Lorax (Classic Seuss) by Dr. Seuss, banned in some U.S. areas for, and I quote, "being an allegorical political commentary". Yes, that's an (pretty basic) analysis; what's wrong with that!

Don't get me wrong, there are certain books that I won't let my children read for quite some time (or ever). But COME ON...

There's a bigger list here

So back to In The Night Kitchen. It's a great book about a little boy who dreams his way into cake-land. Yes he does lose his clothes. And I find it funny and not the least bit detrimental to my child's well-being. Again, Noah "loses" his clothes all the time.

But I won't post a picture of that.

So here's a recipe instead:

Mickey's (Healthier) Apple Spice Cheezecake

2 c flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
2 T pumpkin pie spice
1/2 c non-dairy milk
3/4 c pureed pumpkin (or sweet potato)
1/4 c oil
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c brown sugar
1 dropper full liquid stevia (or more brown sugar)
1 T cider vinegar
1 peeled, cored, chopped apple
6 oz. non dairy cream cheese

Topping:
1/4 c. oats
3 T flour
4 T brown sugar
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
3 T vegan margarine

Preheat oven to 350, lightly grease an 8x8 pan.
In a large bowl mix the flour, baking powder, salt and spices. In a large measuring cup, mix all the wet ingredients along with the brown sugar. Mix the wet into the dry until just mixed, then fold in the apple. Pour into prepared pan.

In a small bowl, mix the first four topping ingredients together, then cut in the butter. Mash and mix to uniform consistency (streusel-like). Sprinkle over top of the entire cake.

Bake for 30ish minutes, allow to cool, enjoy!

"And that's why, thanks to Mickey, we have cake every morning."

Newsflash...

2011-04-06T04:51:00.000-07:00

I AM NOT PERFECT...

did you get that?

Let me say it again, just so you, err, I can get that again.

I AM NOT PERFECT...

I let my kids eat chocolate for breakfast.

When I see a bug in Noah's closet, I don't kill it. I wait for Chris to come home from PT to hunt that thing down.

I haven't gotten the whole parenting thing. Sometimes Noah conspires in that tiny little brain about how he will nail me in the head with his Nerf gun bullets

then, when asked about it, will say, "I'm talking to dad right now mama".

I have many, many other perfectionist flaws that are not to be spoken of...

But thankfully, I have something to build me up when I am down:

"The Lord is my light and my salvation--whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life--of whom shall I be afraid? When evil men advance against me to devour my flesh, when my enemies and my foes attack me (or shoot me in the head with Nerf guns), they will stumble and fall. Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then will I be confident. One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple. For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock." Psalm 27: 1-5

BAM... take that, Nerf Gun.

Hallelujah!!

2011-04-02T19:03:00.000-07:00

It's about time... this is what I came home to this afternoon:

But of course I was even happier to see this

and this

no piece of paper will ever get me like those smiles.

Ladies' Night

2011-04-02T18:58:00.000-07:00

Had a great overnight with some new friends this weekend! Lake of the Ozarks was beautiful, we ate... and ate... and ate... (fondue, how can you not?), we talked and laughed and ate some more. I got very little sleep, but am thankful to my hubby for keeping the kids so that I could get some good fellowship in (and a nap when I got home)!

Can you throw some things in a pot and call it dinner??

2011-03-28T17:48:00.000-07:00

Why certainly!

After a long day I didn't feel like reading a cookbook, so I pulled out some onions, garlic, ginger, daikon, bok choy, napa cabbage, a few spices, vegetable broth and quinoa... and out came this:

Throw in a salad of avocado, cucumber and tomato over some greens (and a few pumkin seeds)...

It's amazing what you can do with a knife and a cutting board.

I love my doughnut pan...

2011-03-28T17:42:00.000-07:00

that's another favorite thing that was hiding for a while. What was I thinking?? I broke it out and out came these...

Hello my lovelies...
if you need a doughnut, this as about as healthy as you can get without being tasteless.

My Favorite Things

2011-03-26T18:49:00.000-07:00

Inspired by my sisters, here are a few of my favorite things right now:

Thai Kitchen Chili Sauce

Can you see this tiny picture?? Nevertheless, this stuff is so great for cooking some mildly spicy dishes--it's also a little sweet!

Greenology Cleaners

I found this stuff at Lowe's while shopping for dryers--it's not overly expensive for organic, non-toxic ingredients! Great stuff! There are a few different kinds for different cleaning needs.

Steaz Organic Sparkling Teas

Want to kick your unhealthy soda habit? This stuff is amazing. We have lemon-lime flavored green tea in the house right now, love it!

Food Matters

I just decided to add this one. Chris and I are watching it as I write this. After finishing my holistic nutrition degree, it's nothing new to me, BUT it's a must-see documentary for YOU! :)

Back to Normal...???

2011-03-26T18:02:00.000-07:00

...or so I thought when driving home from Indy.

We got home and our dryer died. Then Noah got a vaccine, got sick, and hasn't been well all week--we're still fighting through that one. We baked for MOPS (which we then missed because of the sicky), tried to start potty-training (again) and made a long list of things that needed to be done asap. Incidentally, my three-page list did not have a chance in heck of getting done this week. Instead I focused on doing a couple of things every day. And, of course, I got back in my kitchen! So that in the midst of the craziness we could go back to things like this

and this

and this

This afternoon I had a heyday in the kitchen while Chris hung with the kids.

My inspiration was from our date last night. We had these amazing veggie thai rolls at our favorite local Japanese restaurant. Do you ever bite into something new, look at the person sitting next to you, and say, "oh...my...gosh..." That's totally how we were. I've actually had it before, and I never order anything else because it's that good. But this was Chris's first time and he had stars in his eyes.

Anyway, because I still had the taste in my mouth from those amazing rolls, I needed to making something with the same flavor ingredients. So I came up with this Thai Foccacia--spicy/sweet, loaded with cilantro, peanuts, and thai chili sauce.

So great dipped in my vegan version of Green Goddess Dip!

So, we had a picnic with our foccacia, green dip, roasted veggies, apples, and coconut curry popcorn (don't knock it til' you try it).

Noah Turns 3!!

2011-03-26T17:27:00.000-07:00

I feel like I have so much to catch up on after being in Indiana for a little over a week... I finally got to catch up on all my favorite blogs, and now I'm going to update mine!
On the 11th Noah turned 3 years old! Since Chris was going to be on TDY the week after we decided to head to Indy to visit family, throw Noah a Chuck E Cheese bash, and finish it off with my little sis's first baby shower.

We started off throwing Noah a little mini-birthday party the day before we all went our seperate ways, so that Chris could celebrate with him a little bit too. We had a little cake, and a few presents (this car is one he picked out with his money from his great-grandparents).

Sidney enjoyed the cake too:

Then Noah and Chris got haircuts to prepare for the week. Noah just loves to have hair all over his body and in his mouth...

Saturday morning we were off to Indy! Chris's convoy left earlier than us, but they were headed to Camp Atterbury so we ended up catching up to them on 70E. The kids got to wave to them!

We spent a whirlwind of a week in Indy, ending with Noah's Chuck E Cheese party. He had so much fun and it was great to have so many family members and friends with us!

Seriously, you gotta' try this:

2011-03-07T17:04:00.000-08:00

How good does that look?

Spicy coconut veggies and grilled tofu over quinoa... It smelled great, but was SO much better than that.

I'll leave the quinoa and tofu out because it was simple--I grilled the tofu on my stovetop grill:

And I boiled the quinoa in salted water for about 15-20 minutes:

Here's the veggie recipe:

1 bunch kale, thick stem removed then chopped
2 shallots, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 medium sweet potato, 1 inch dice
2 medium carrots, sliced in coins
2 Tbsp Asian Chili oil
1 can vegetable broth
1 can coconut milk
2 tsp brown sugar
salt and pepper to taste

In a large skillet, over med/high heat, saute the shallots and garlic in the oil until golden. Add the sweet potato and carrot, mix well, then add just enough veggie broth to cover. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove the lid and continue to simmer to reduce almost all the liquid. Then add the kale, brown sugar, and coconut milk. Stir to combine, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer covered for ten minutes, then uncovered for another 5-10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

This was great mixed with tofu and quinoa, but you could do rice and beans, or as a side to another protein of your choosing. Yummy! Easy and Healthy... perfect combination.

As a side note, I pureed the veggie mix because my kids really struggle with cooked greans. This way they could see the little bits, but didn't have to chew through them. Sidney loved it, as usual. Noah got down several bites before getting to have his banana, which is pretty good for him and greens...

Lent

2011-03-04T04:55:00.000-08:00

For the last month I have been thinking about the season of Lent, and I decided to do a little more research. In my opinion, I feel that sometimes we lose reverance for our Holy God when we focus on Him as our friend. Not that He isn't, and that's what's so amazing about Him--He's everything! However, I feel like in the Evangelical-type churches today we sometimes fall short of really understanding that our God is a THE one and only, he is HOLY and ALL-POWERFUL and to be FEARED (as in, reveranced).

Here is a little quote I found that I thought very thought-provoking:

"The season of Lent has not been well observed in much of evangelical Christianity, largely because it was associated with "high church" liturgical worship that some churches were eager to reject. However, much of the background of evangelical Christianity, for example the heritage of John Wesley, was very "high church." Many of the churches that had originally rejected more formal and deliberate liturgy are now recovering aspects of a larger Christian tradition as a means to refocus on spirituality in a culture that is increasingly secular."

You can read more about the season of Lent here.

I personally have decided to give up... drumroll... coffee AND dessert. First let me say that I AM NOT TRYING TO LOSE WEIGHT. First, that would totally defeat the purpose of Lent, and second, I am totally happy with my post-preggo body and have come to appreciate it so much more. It seems cliche to give up these two things, right?

But for me, these are two things I've come to rely on--coffee for a pick-me-up, and dessert for, well, an emotional pick-me-up. I know that it will be a struggle to have to say no, and yet I also know that I will have to do it so often that I will have to focus on my committment to the Lord and in doing so will spend MORE time with Him throughout my day.

I'm still deciding what to do about Noah, because he's only three and will have a hard time understanding. But we will do daily readings to prepare our hearts for Easter. And speaking of Easter, the Passover season is also upon us. Read about hosting a Christian Seder here.

History is important people! The old and new testament give accounts of the Passover, first the actual story in Exodus 12 ("So this day shall be to you a memorial; and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord throughout your generations" v. 14), then in Mathew 26 Jesus celebrates Passover with his disciples (which lead to the institution of the Lord's supper).

Do we HAVE to do these things for salvation? No. But if it draws more focus to Him in our daily lives, and reminds us of our heritage, WHY THE HECK NOT?

Pancakes for Lunch?

2011-03-03T04:11:00.000-08:00

I don't usually ask Noah what he wants for lunch because I already know his answer will be the same... pancakes. But yesterday was a crazy day getting ready for Chris's promotion ceremony so I decided what the heck...

Here's my recipe for amazing vegan gluten free sweet potato pancakes:

2 1/2 c. Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Flour (gluten free, dairy free)--I order this stuff from Amazon and it's great!
3/4 tsp. Xanthan gum (a must-have with gluten free flour)
4 tsp. baking powder (aluminum free)
2 tsp. Sucanat
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Nutmeg
2 Tbsp ground flax mixed w/ 6 Tbsp water (instead of 2 eggs)
4 tsp. melted vegan "buttery" spread (Earth Balance is what I use)
2 c. non-dairy milk (I used rice milk)
1 c. cooked and pureed sweet potato

Mix the dry ingredients, mix the wet ingredients, mix all together, drop by 1/3 cups onto a greased skillet (I use Earth Balance again, about a tsp each dropped batch of 4).

As per my sister's advice, I always make extra to throw in the freezer for another breakfast!

Serve with MORE Earth Balance and Pure Maple Syrup... delish!

A tip for better quality freezing if you don't have one of those fancy vacuum sealers--zip the bag almost all the way closed, stick a straw in the corner and suck all the air out. Then quickly close it up and voila... vacuum-sealed:

Next, look for my post on Lent, and why we Evangelicals will also be participating this year! Coincidentally, my big sis' just posted on this as well (although they actually are Catholic), you can check it out at Blessed Simplicity .

What Do YOU Do On A Cold Rainy Day?

2011-02-24T17:29:00.000-08:00

We like to make up new recipes. We created this today, Almond Joy Brownies...

...Noah helped, of course...

...and we like to eat pizza...

...while watching movies.

Gasp

2011-02-22T18:19:00.000-08:00

This is what my kids had for dinner tonight:

Sidney looked at me like I was crazy, took one bite, then promptly threw it on the floor.
Noah, however, was in heaven:

Can't be perfect all the time, right?! ;0)

Part 2: Guilty

2011-02-22T18:14:00.000-08:00

This time it was, "but mom, I'm making you some coffee"...
apparently I can't read in my room in the morning anymore.

Gravy Makes The World Go Round...

2011-02-20T17:16:00.000-08:00

I'm just saying, gravy makes everything taste good. Not that you have to have it to make this meal good... okay, you do, it's the proverbial icing on the cake.

Some days I don't feel like using a cookbook, too lazy to read through the directions. So this recipe was inspired by a couple I've read lately out of 1000 Vegan Recipes and Veganomicon--I had the general idea in my head and just recreated it to my liking.

Crispy Tofu and Mashed Potatoes w/ Brown Gravy (and a big ole' side of Roasted Brussel Sprouts):

Chris jokes that he knows it's a tofu night when Shakespeare comes out (I use it to press the water out of the tofu).

This was so good, ultimate comfort food... thumbs up from Noah.

Okay I might have forced it a little, but he did eat some and that's good for him! Sid discovered she loves brussel sprouts--she wanted nothing but more and more of those little green "salads". Chris's mom told me he used to call them little salads, I thought that was cute.

Anyway, I'm not going to post the whole recipe, so if you must have it you'll have to email me. I am, however, going to give the gravy recipe because it was SO good and way healthier than normal lard kill-your-heart-and-fatten-your-thighs gravy...

1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1-2 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 c. flour (just shy)
1 3/4 c. vegetable broth
1-2 Tbsp poultry seasoning (or a mix of thyme, sage, marjoram, rosemary, black pepper, nutmeg)
salt & pepper to taste
1 15 oz. can chickpeas (garbanzo beans) drained and rinsed

Saute the onion and garlic in oil over med/high heat until golden. Turn the heat down the med/low, stir in the flour and seasoning. Slowly wisk in the vegetable broth until thickened. Put the gravy in a blender, add the chickpeas, and blend until smooth. Pour the gravy into the pan to keep warm, season with salt and pepper. Wisk in a little water if it's too thick.

For our mashed potatoes, I boiled five small potatoes for about 20 minutes. At the same time my steamer was going with a head of caulifower (also about 20 minutes).

After they were mash-able I drained them and put both the potatoes and the cauliflower in my kitchen aide mixer, along with 1/4 c. vegan margarine (I like Earth Balance) and 1/4 c. sour cream (Tofutti). Salt and pepper to taste!

Top the "potatoes" with the gravy and enjoy... protein rich and oh-so-delicious. I could eat it for a snack.

On another note, we had a fun weekend with Granny!

Hi, it's ME again...

2011-02-17T17:27:00.000-08:00

and yes, this is my third post today. After a month off I have a lot to say, gimme a break!

I was debating what to have for dinner tonight and barbecue chicken pizza came to mind. I found this at the commissary this morning:

organic, gluten free, and vegan, yummo!

and I had this in the pantry:

I make my own crust sometimes, but this one is really good and quick! I sub 2 Tbsp. ground flax mixed with 6 Tbsp. water for the eggs, then follow the directions on the back. Sometimes pre-mixes like this can be expensive, but I found this one at the commissary for 3 bucks! Sometimes time is money, you know?

After I finished the dough and set it aside to rise, I sliced a yellow onion to saute--I can't do raw onions, ever, always have to saute them sweet. On a whim I found a sad, lost, lonely baby head of radicchio and decided he would make a good addition to the onions (plus the purple color would blend into the BBQ sauce, thus making it impossible for my picky eater to tell).

As the veggies cooked I fixed up the tvp (texturized veggie protein) chunks to make our "chicken". I mixed one cup of hard chunks with 1 cup water and let sit for about 10 minutes to rehydrate, then drained the excess water and doused it in BBQ sauce.

I baked the crust at 425 for about 8 minutes on the bottom rack, then pulled it out to top it. First a layer of BBQ sauce, a thin layer of sauteed veggies, the tvp chunks and sauce, more sauteed veggies, a little daiya cheese and vegan mozzarella bits, some green onions, and some minced fresh parsley. Looked like this:

In the oven it went, middle rack, 15 minutes. In the meantime I cleaned up the kitchen, then went out to find my guys doing this:

Pizza turned out great, even Noah liked it (except for the "meat", which really looks and feels like meat so he wouldn't go there, reminds me of... well, me.) But caution, it is MESSY!

Good Debate on TV today!

2011-02-17T13:18:00.000-08:00

I'm so glad I decided to be lazy today. :) Dr. Oz did a show on "What Causes Autism". Doesn't answer the easy questions parents have about vaccines and such, but still, go to www.doctoroz.com to check it out. Some good info!

We need to take care of our future. Continue to pray for wisdom to make the best decision for your littles. Most importantly remember that no matter what happens God has them in the palm of His hand. He's the ultimate healer!

GUILTY...

2011-02-17T11:59:00.001-08:00

Does this look like an innocent face to you?

I...don't...think...so.
This is the scenario I found when I walked out of my bedroom this morning at 0700 (mind you I was up at 5 so he was quiet as a mouse, the little sneak).

Noah, standing on his Elmo table (which is usually in the living room) eating candy out of the candy jars... thankfully he wasn't interested in trying to play with the sharp knives right next to him.

Wow did I need this:

And I shared some with them too...

The cheesy smiles get me every time. Just call me sucker...

Cookin' in the Kitchen

2011-02-16T17:48:00.000-08:00

We were lovin' the weather today! After playing outside for a while we came in to start cooking. My kitchen looked like this:

So I decided I needed to break out the apron. My kids decided they needed to don their's too:

Chickpea Romanesco was great, added some asparagus and quinoa and we were good to go. Sadly my DH didn't make it home for dinner so I was left to my own devices to get them fed and in bed.

After coercing my picky eater to eat some aspargus by agreeing that, yes, it was indeed a rumor weed and needed to be killed in his belly (I know, but he's a boy, and it worked) and finishing up our amazing feast, it was already time for bed. Yippie!

Now I'm going to relax with the box full of cookies I got in the mail today

Yum.

New fave chocolate pudding!

2011-02-15T17:01:00.000-08:00

I found this pudding mix at a local (well, 30 minutes away, but as close as it gets to local here) health food store. It and the tofu both happened to be on sale so I bought multiples. The package says to just blend in the tofu and water, but I also decided to add an avocado I had on hand (it was ripe so I thought what the heck). I ended up having to add some maple syrup to sweeten it up enough, but it was great! The kids love it.

And another kid-friendly recipe

2011-02-15T16:56:00.000-08:00

Noah and Sidney love their blueberry smoothies! Noah even likes to make them--stuffs the spinach right in the blender himself. Just another way to get them to eat their greens...

1 c. frozen blueberries
1 big ole' handful spinach
Vanilla milk until smoothie consistency is achieved
Agave (or other sweetener) to taste
*We've been using up the case of vanilla hemp milk I got on Amazon and it's already sweet enough that we don't have to use extra sweetener... just the berries, greens, and milk!

2011-01-27T05:09:00.000-08:00

Cupcakes...

2011-01-19T19:03:00.000-08:00

I wanted to write this post several days ago, about some girlfriends who came over to hang out and eat cupcakes... it's now Wednesday and I'm finally sitting down to do it, if that tells you anything about our crazy week. Instead of relaying all the details, I'm just going to say

PRAISE GOD FOR CUPCAKES...

and if you haven't tried out Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World... run now, right now, and get it. Love.

Are ya' serious??

2011-01-09T19:14:00.001-08:00

How amazing does that look... A berry chocolate blondie which the kids and I made this afternoon. And yes, it's veg... doesn't always translate to healthy, but oh so delicious.

As you can see, we're making headway on getting back to normal.

And a seriouly hilarious story.

A couple that goes to our church and happens to live on our street told us this today in Sunday school and I was about on the floor laughing. Their back windows were blown out when the tornado came through. All of a sudden they realized a little yorkie-style dog had flown into their house, landed on the couch then bounced onto the floor only to get up and start running around. So, they go to the neighbors' next door thinking the dog was theirs--oh no, this dog was sucked out of a house FIVE or SIX houses away, thrown through the air, in through their window and onto their couch... and the dog was fine. The house that the dog came from? Totally caved in on both sides so that the owners could hardly get out. Yet the dog was sucked out and thrown through the window of a house way down the street...

I mean, are you serious!? I am ROFL...

Aaaannnnddddd we're back...

2011-01-06T19:11:00.000-08:00

in Missouri. Chris deployed to Pathfinder school so the kids and I came back to take care of business. After two nights in Army lodging (could be way worse, it's not too bad here!), I think we get to go home tomorrow morning... so thankful, more on that later...

Update on the tornado situation...

2011-01-01T20:38:00.000-08:00

The kids and I are back in Indy--still not much of an idea when we will get back into our house. We are lower on the list, but I'm not upset because the Army is taking great care to find immediate housing for those who completely lost their houses and cars.

So, the kids and I will hang at Gramma's while we wait for the green light to head home. Chris continues business as usual (well a little unusual, but you know what I mean...)

This is one of those times when I am thankful to be part of the USArmy!

Tornado 12/31/10

2010-12-31T17:43:00.000-08:00

Ft Wood got pounded by a tornado. We huddled over the kids in Noah's little closet while they screamed and Chris prayed aloud--we could feel the suction in the air and hear a train roaring over us--a very scary experience. We were blessed and thankful that we were safe and our house was still standing, with mostly exterior damage and minor car damage. Many others were not so lucky, so keep us all in your prayers!

These are pictures of our house, backyard, and the giant tree right next to our house... following are of our neighborhood, although it's much worse than my pictures can show.

More of the Neighborhood

2010-12-31T17:37:00.000-08:00

The pictures don't even do it justice... those were whole houses, just like ours...

And some more

2010-12-31T17:32:00.000-08:00

The view from the top of our street (looking down toward our house)... demolished.

So, after re-thinking the whole dog thing...

2010-12-30T16:17:00.000-08:00

I needed a comfort meal, because I really do miss that little lab.

A big ole' "meaty", "gravy-y" (is that a word?), potato-y southern-style meal... hmmm... so we had this amazing Sheperdess Pie from my new Veganomicon cookbook the hubby got me for Christmas. It was so delicious and filling and now I'm in a carb-haze... followed by a Boom-Choco-Boom haze... ahh... good night folks.

Aww, but he's so cute!!

2010-12-30T16:13:00.000-08:00

Someone PLEASE Take the Graham Crackers Away!

2010-12-30T08:52:00.000-08:00

I just discovered Ricemellow Creme... my oh my...

Robin's* Marvelous Momos

2010-12-29T05:17:00.000-08:00

You know how there are times when you spend hours making a meal, sit down and eat it, and think, that was totally not worth my "thyme" (pun intended)... well this is totally not like that. Even though it was a tad time-consuming, these Nepalese Momos are so garlicy and gingery and spicy and delicious. The recipe comes from the latest VegNews Mag, but I made some changes to suit our family. I then proceeded to eat my weight in momos... which are essentially dumplings if you didn't know.

Momos
2 c. flour
2 Tbsp vegetable oil, divided
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 c hot water

1 small yellow onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp fresh grated ginger
1 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 1/2 c finely grated cabbage
1 c finely grated carrot (I did the cabbage and carrot in the food processor, much easier!)
1/2 c. minced scallions (again, food processor)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro (...aannnddd again, food processor, my favorite toy)
sea salt to taste

In a large bowl, combine flour, 1 Tbsp oil, and salt. Stir in water, mix and knead well until dough is smooth. Cover and set aside for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, start cutting and chopping your other ingredients... it takes a little time. Then, heat a large skillet with the remaining 1 Tbsp oil, add onion and cook until soft. Stir in garlic, ginger, curry powder and pepper. Add cabbage and carrot, cover and cook until soft, add salt to taste. Remove from heat to cool.

This is the part that takes a little grunt work. Oil a steamer pan (or in our case, a two-tiered steamer, which is awesome) so the momos won't stick. Flour your hands and knead the dough on a floured surface for a few minutes. Pull the dough apart in little pieces and roll into small balls--you should have enough for about 20). Roll each small ball flat, place about 1 1/2 Tbsp. veggie mixture in the center, then pull all sides up to the center and pinch closed with your fingers. Place each momo into the steamer pan and steam for 15-20 minutes, until fully cooked. They will feel a little doughy, but once they begin to cool it will be perfect.

While the little momos (I just love the name!) are cooking prepare your achar dipping sauce. In a blender, put the following:

14 oz. can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, drained well
huge handfuls cilantro (2 or so)
1/2 of a hot pepper (or more, but if you have kids you might want to skimp a bit)
2 minced garlic cloves
1 Tbsp grated ginger
2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp each of cumin, curry powder, paprika, sugar, and salt

Blend all until smooth, then place in serving bowls to dip.

Take the momos out when done, they'll be hot on the inside, but cool quite quickly... dip them in the tomato achar, and enjoy!!!

This would be a great appetizer for a party, or you can just serve it up for dinner with a big green salad, like we do at the Kempf house... yum.

And P.S. this meal is very inexpensive, especially if you keep your flour, sugar, salt and spices stocked!

*Robin Robertson is one of my favorite vegan cookbook authors, she doesn't disappoint!

Christmas 2010

2010-12-28T05:08:00.000-08:00

We all had a nice Christmas this year, a little bit of a vacation. We got to see lots of family and friends, although we still didn't see nearly enough! The kids were blessed with lots of great gifts--we couldn't even fit them all in the Durango!
We had a blast. I didn't get enough pictures though, so if you have some please send them to me!

Book Review

2010-12-07T07:36:00.000-08:00

I've read a lot of good books lately, and I usually try to stick with Christian fiction for the most part, but this book is really good and very clean for secular fiction. Highly recommend it, I was only disappointed that I didn't start with the early Shenandoah books--it's sort of a series, although you don't have to read them in order. I read Touching Stars after this one and liked it as well.

Brownie Review

2010-12-07T07:24:00.000-08:00

I love to cook, and bake, but I have always had a problem with brownies. For some reason I can never get them to turn out just right. Well, I have found my perfect brownie recipe... perfect for my family at least.

Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free, Dairy Free Brownie Mix

Oh yes, gluten free and dairy free AND I also made it egg free, so it became some vegan deliciousness. Seriously, just try it out.

I followed the instructions on the back of the bag, with the following changes:

I used vegan margarine, found at most grocery stores in the dairy aisle.

Instead of the egg I used 2 Tbsp. ground flax mixed with 6 Tbsp. water (this would equal 2 eggs really, but I thought it would add to the moistness)

I used a little more than 3/4 c. organic soy milk (warmed) instead of water.

Baked at 350 for 20 minutes... sprinkled with a little powdered sugar, although they were so moist you don't even need it.

SO GOOD... try it out!

The Train is Up and Running!

2010-12-07T07:22:00.000-08:00

It's a Veggie Tales Day

2010-12-02T07:09:00.000-08:00

Baby Girl is sick again. My frustration is growing as we try to figure out what is happening in her little body that won't listen to reason. After many trips to the doctor, tests, and way too many antibiotics for my comfort level, we'll be spending the day inside once again.

Thankfully, yesterday, after a long day at the doctor followed by a trip to St Louis to acquire the necessary supplements and homeopathic remedies (yes, I said St. Louis, remember we live in the middle of nowhere) we came home to a package of Veggie Tales DVDs from grandma. So today, we'll nurse, rest, and laugh at the veggies... and then head to the doctor again.

Here's what we're loading up on:

Udo's Children's Probiotics(for refilling the good gut bacteria the antibiotics are killing off)
Garlic Mullein Oil (for the ear infections)
Vitamin C & Echinacea (ten days on, ten days off)
Yummy Bears Multivitamins (the kids' fave)
Barlean's Kids Omega Swirl Fish Oil (lemonade flavor--they'll drink it right out the bottle, it tastes pretty good!)

I'm also taking the dairy and sugar out of Sid's diet (they are mucous builders)--thank goodness for enriched rice milk and vegan chocolate rice protein powder, which both kids downed this morning!

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-11-26T17:01:00.000-08:00

We had the Kempf family Thanksgiving at our house again this year. I decided on a Southern-Style menu this year, and in regular Cara-like fashion I made TONS of food. If you know me, you know I tend to over-do things... heehee... but we indulged and then Chris gave us a Thanksgiving Bible "lesson" (his words, not mine, and it was actually very good... what little of it I heard as I changed diapers and watched the kids).
Before we ate the guys tried to put together Noah's early Christmas present--a new train set. However, sadly the company sent a couple of wrong pieces and we have to wait until we get them to put it up. Bummer! But Noah and Sidney will love it when it's finished. Thanks Granny!
Today (Black Friday, although I did no shopping, except for the commissary which doesn't really count) we put up our Christmas decor, tree and all and I mapped out my Thanksgiving Leftovers Menu to use up every last bit of the food we have, well, leftover...
Now we're looking forward to a relaxing weekend, and the beginning of Advent on Sunday as we prepare for the birth of our Lord in four weeks! Can you believe it's only FOUR weeks!? Eek! Gotta' get moving!

The Walking Tornado...

2010-11-19T17:15:00.000-08:00

She walks! and now my house is even messier... ahh...
But she's still so darn cute.

Bringing Up Girls

2010-11-02T12:42:00.000-07:00

"Good parenting almost always requires sacrifice..."

Halloween

2010-11-01T13:02:00.001-07:00

Really, the pictures say it all... fun times with the Kempfs!

Two Great Movies

2010-11-01T12:58:00.001-07:00

We watched a couple of good movies Saturday night that I highly recommend:

The Way Home --this one is about a man whose work has gotten in the way of his family life. When his son disappears he starts to question what is important in life. The movie is based on a true story. A feel-good must-see!

Food, Inc. --I already knew most of what this documentary would be about, from all the books I've read by its' producers, but to see it with my own eyes was a different experience. You may not want to know, but you should anyway, so just watch it already. Chris even thought it was interesting!

Coming Full Circle

2010-10-24T04:43:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted anything related to health and fitness in quite some time--no recipes or tips or anything. In the last few years, since we started having babies, I've really been experimenting with the best ways to achieve good "health". Because I've studied holistic nutrition for oh so long, we've tried it all--macrobiotic, vegan, RAW, good ole' american-style eat-whatever-you-want...

Well, in the last few weeks, I decided I was still feeling tired and yucky and out of shape. I decided to come full circle and go back to my roots, which I happened upon in 2001 when I began a career in health and fitness. CLEAN EATING and EXERCISE... wow, that really works???

By eliminating all processed junk, majorly upping my protein intake and lowering my "yuck" carbs (think white bread, pasta, sugar) and going back to the basics of weight and cardio training... I am already seeing and feeling the transformation in my body.

Some days are hard... like last week when the kids were sick, there was nothing to do, and all I wanted was to lay in bed and medicate with a giant cookie. But when I finally reached Saturday night I had the cookie and it wasn't even that great. You know what that means? My body is adjusting to the healthy changes and wanting healthy things. You would be amazed at how great an orange tastes when you haven't had anything sweet in a week.

Oatmeal (whole, not the quick stuff, and stevia, no sugar), lean protein, tons of veggies, fruit, sweet potatoes, brown rice... this is the stuff to live by. I have indeed come full circle...

And if you're wondering how you can make the changes easily, google "clean eating", get the latest issue of Clean Eating mag (or the books, which are great too, by Tosca Reno), Oxygen mag for exercise help, I've said it all before and yet somehow managed to forget it myself, thinking having kids had changed the way I could do things. NOPE, still works.

Vacuum cleaners, LOT of them

2010-10-24T04:18:00.000-07:00

As anyone at Ft Wood knows, there ain't much to do around here...

this weekend we drove to the vacuum cleaner museum...

and it may sound strange, but it was actually very cool--and Noah loved it. He's a little obsessed with vacuum cleaners at the moment.

Sid and I liked the 1950's the best--I totally wish I had that kitchen.

Pumpkins

2010-10-24T04:12:00.000-07:00

Last week was not our greatest week because both kids have been sick--antibiotics and all...
but we did get a pumpkin achieved. One more week til' Halloween!

Things That Make Me Smile

2010-10-13T12:47:00.000-07:00

"I wub you mama" from my Noah (read: "I love you")

Big toothy smiles from Sidney first thing in the morning

Not having to do diaper laundry because my husband takes it upon himself

Awesome workouts achieved without a gym

Being offered "soy milk" from my son as he plays pretend

The END of a sinus infection

A Quick Trip to Indy

2010-10-07T17:49:00.000-07:00

I know, I know, we didn't get to see anyone... except the grandparents. But it's only because we arrived in Indy at 2pm on Saturday and left Indy at 10am on Sunday. We took a FAST trip to surprise Chris's dad for his big 7-0 birthday. We had a good time though, spending time with the Kempfs. Then we hit the Foote grandparents' for a quick breakfast and play time before heading back to Missouri. We'll be back at Thanksgiving!
On another note, to update you all on our time in Missouri...

Chris started work, says it's like getting hit by a bus every day, but I know he's doing well--he's just a perfectionist. :)
I am beginning to make friends, yeah! I attended my first MOPS meeting here in MO today, at the church we have been attending. Praise God for MOPS--I needed that mommy time! I also attended my first-ever Army Sr. Spouse coffee--the group is great, made me feel right at home.
Tuesday night we attended our first FRG (family readiness group) meeting this week, with Chris's Company. Again, everyone was nice and welcoming and it was very laid-back.
Noah is becoming more of an independent boy, loves to do things "by myself" and is getting pretty good at a lot of them.
Sidney is getting closer and closer to walking. She's beginning to pick up words too, which is totally crazy--she can't be morphing into a little girl already, can she??
So, we're livin life out in the country--I had to make a Target run in Indy because we don't have much of anything close by the base... but we're all in the same boat, so we find ways to keep busy and have fun!
Until next time,
The Kempfs

Sidney, when YOU awaken HER

2010-10-07T17:42:00.000-07:00

Just a cute pic...

2010-09-17T18:30:00.000-07:00

No more pacis...

2010-09-17T18:09:00.000-07:00

We hit another milestone tonight with Noah... his pacifiers are gone, cut up in the trash. I cooked a dinner fit for a king--whole roasted chicken, parmesan potato pancakes and peas w/ gravy... then caramel brownies for dessert. We got the pacis out, cut each one with scissors and threw them one by one into the trash. The weirdest thing is that I didn't expect to be so traumatized myself. My little boy is growing up and that small act was just another step toward his independence. I'll be over it tomorrow when the major whining for it kicks in, but right now I'm feeling sad.

Tonight's the night...

2010-09-17T05:19:00.000-07:00

Chris and Noah broke out the sleeping bags this week, to test them out. They are sleeping out in the backyard tonight, in celebration of... no more pacis! I can't believe I'm actually going to do it, but tonight we're having a little paci party, cutting them and throwing them out, then the guys are headed out to "camp". At least I won't have to deal with the first night without paci... hehehe...

Herrman, MO

2010-09-17T05:05:00.000-07:00

While mom and dad were here we went to a cool little town a couple of hours away from us for a country fair. It sure was country... but it was fun! And yes, that picture is of the three guys watching the football game--some things you can never get away from.

The house is becoming a home!

2010-09-17T04:55:00.000-07:00

We're slowly decorating our house, as our budget allows, and it's starting to really feel like home. In Virginia we didn't hang any pictures because we knew we would be leaving in a short time. It's amazing how pictures can make you feel at home! Mom and Dad Foote brought Sidney's furniture from Indy and Mama Kempf brought my new antique...

Cousins

2010-09-06T17:29:00.000-07:00

A little girl turns one... almost

2010-09-06T17:19:00.000-07:00

Right before we left Indy for Missouri, my sis-in-law and I decided to have an "almost one" birthday party for Sidney and her cousin Trenton. The best part was that we were able to see so much family before we left--Chris said it well when, as we were driving off he said, "it was so cool to see them all standing there waving us off as we headed back to Missouri". Sidney will officially be one on October 2nd, but here's a great pic of her from the party anyway!

We have GOT to get back to normal!

2010-08-16T07:27:00.001-07:00

I totally blew up on Chris yesterday (well, not that bad maybe, but I got snippy for sure) because my fuse is growing short as I long to be in my own home again.

Don't get me wrong, being in Indy has been fun. But, if you've ever been displaced you can understand the need for your own space and your own stuff. For me, my kitchen is a place of solace and I am desperate to get back to my own things.

So, yesterday, as we ended a long week of moving, coming back to Indy, attending a party, and much more on the horizon for the week... I lost it. I simply wanted to go to the grocery store and plan our weeks' meals--healthy meals, no junk! I just wanted to get back to normal.

So, please pray for me, for patience and the ability to allow us to enjoy these last two weeks in Indy. I know our time is limited here, and we need to spend quality time with our family and friends. I just need my fuse to extend a little further the next couple of weeks!

Back to Indy...

2010-08-16T07:16:00.000-07:00

We're home away from home again. Chris is doing some home-town recruiting while we continue to visit with family and friends here in Indy. Less than two weeks and we'll be heading back to Missouri for good!

Our Next Move...

2010-08-11T18:47:00.000-07:00

We made it to Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri on Monday, August 9th.

I came out here several weeks ago with the kiddos and my sister, to scout around. I have to say that even though I was choosing to stay positive, I was a little nervous as to what our house would look like on the inside--the outside of many of them looked kind of... well, old. But, there were a few that looked like they had been re-painted and were kind of cute. So as Chris and I were driving through the neighborhood, I was keeping my fingers crossed that we would get one of those.
We pulled up in front, and with the exception of some much-needed landscaping, the house was indeed one of the cuter ones, yippee!

All of the houses in the neighborhood are doubles... or so we thought. As we drove into the driveway I looked at Chris and said, "The other front door has been removed. It looks like they might have turned this into a single." Lo' and behold, we walked into the door and everything was brand spankin' new! My heart was starting to race at this point, and as I walked through our new house I was ready to do cartwheels (remember where we came from in good ole' Fort Lee? think the EXACT opposite...). The woman who brought us to the house said we were extremely lucky to have gotten it, as it was one of the few of the first remodeled houses (praise God!).

The house did used to be a double, but because it was totally remodeled into a single, we have tons of space. Both of my kids have TWO walk-in closets in their rooms, and those are only four of the many closets throughout the house. The rooms are all great size--we have the biggest master bedroom we've ever had in the six years we've been married!

I also have an amazing laundry room that I am ecstatic about!!!!!!! Below are some pictures of the inside of the house.

All in all our move has been so great. We have almost everything put away in only two days, and it's only been Chris and me (with two babies in tow!). Tomorrow we'll do a little decorating, and the rest will have to wait until we make one more trip to Indy for a goodbye to family and friends!

2010-08-11T18:40:00.000-07:00

2010-08-11T18:33:00.000-07:00

Ice Cream Cone Again...

2010-07-22T17:25:00.000-07:00

Told you she loves it! HAHAHA!

Indianapolis Children's Museum

2010-07-22T17:18:00.000-07:00

They had a blast!

Check out our big girl...

2010-07-22T17:10:00.000-07:00

She can't get enough of that ice cream cone. She will keep that in her mouth for ten minutes and play with other "food".

Family Update

2010-07-22T16:49:00.000-07:00

We have a house in Missouri, yay! Recently I took the kids to visit my little sister and family, and while we were there we took a quick trip to Fort Leonard Wood. It's a two hour drive from St. Louis, but really easy and pretty!

The base is definitely in the middle of nowhere, but it's beautiful and HUGE! We saw horse stables, a pool/splash park/miniature golf course, a library, a movie theatre.. and although we didn't see them, Chris told me there are three gyms (yes!).

We also drove through our neighborhood. Once again the housing is old, but still looks pretty cute with a few exceptions, and not as old as our last house! All in all I'm happy with what I saw. Chris and I are always striving for a simpler life, and we'll definitely have one there. I'm also thankful that we're so close to family this time around.

No More Facebook

2010-07-15T03:20:00.000-07:00

First, my disclaimer--isn't it sad we feel we must have one in order not to offend? Anyway, here is mine:
I want to write that these are my convictions about facebook. I have been thinking about this for months, have been seeking wisdom on what to do and when, and I finally got my answer. My husband still has a facebook page--at this time he does not feel the same convictions. I think nothing less of him. I hope this makes you think, but you can decide for yourself when you might have gone too far (and when you haven't).

As I said before, I have been toying with the idea of getting rid of facebook for months.
1. I have seen posts and status updates that do not sit well with me, and sometimes I felt that taking part in something that could be damaging to others' lives wasn't something I should be doing.
2. I got some very unusual friend requests. And I also confirmed friendships with some people I never really knew. I felt bad if a girl from my high school class sent me a friend request and she happened to be "friends" with 25 other people that were my "friends". So I would confirm, and then I would see a status update of "f--- this, I'm going to get drunk", or some other crazy words. Now, my kids aren't old enough to see that yet, but I can't imagine if they were to walk in and say, "mommy look what your friend wrote".
3. I have always felt a little unsure about posting when we would be away from my husband, or when he would be alone in the house, or when we would be going on vacation and leaving the house empty. I know that criminal activity happens when people do that (more on Fred's sermon later). Do YOU have to be the one posting it? No. What if one of your friends writes on your wall, "hey, how are you doing now that your husband is gone?" and it's out there.
4. There were times that I was on facebook three or four times a day (okay, or more...) and would think to myself, "I could be doing much more with my time". For me, it was becoming too much and now I just don't even have the option.

There are also lots of reasons that I wanted to stay on facebook--I loved hooking up with old friends that I may never have heard from otherwise, being able to see what my family and friends were up to often, seeing pictures daily of my loved-ones families, and being able to stay connected to my fellow military wives!

However, I was seeking wisdom and that is what I got. After a series of difficult days I was praying that God would give me wisdom about facebook. I haven't been to my old stomping ground (where Chris and I were married!), Chapel Rock Christian Church, for at least a year. Jan and I decided the night before that we would go there for church rather than a couple of other places. So we show up and you would never even guess that Fred opened with talk about My Space and Facebook... Jan and I looked at each other like, what?!
Fred wasn't totally bashing them, but he was giving his honest opinion about the negative side of facebook--the unsafe side, the spending-too-much-time side, all the things that I had already been feeling (and that I wrote above). He said, "Is it really your space when it is so public?"

He goes on to talk about "making My Space God's Space" and that ultimately we need to be asking constantly, "Will that please God?". And I did not feel that what I was doing was totally pleasing to God--maybe some of it was, but if it isn't all and I know that, then I need to let it go.
Here are some key verses to look up on your own if you wish--they helped me remember where my perspective should lie: 1 Peter 3:8-14, Romans 6:6-7, Ephesians 4:1, Col 1: 10-12, 1 Peter 4: 1-3, Romans 8: 10-11, Jeremiah 10:23, Philippians 1:27-28.

Fred also reminded us what Peter talks about regarding putting off the old ways (about sin in general, when you choose to follow Christ):
"Don't need it, desire it, I'm done, No excuses."

Of course he was talking about more than just internet sites (he was simply using them to make it relevant), but for ME it was exactly what I needed to hear. If I were to then say, "well, I think I'll wait a little longer for a REAL answer", I would be blatantly ignoring God's perfect timing in answering my prayer. So, I just did it, no hesitation, and that's that!

I hope you can take some wisdom from this--if not about facebook, then maybe just God's calling in your life!

Love,
Cara

Sweet Marriage

2010-07-06T04:02:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was talking to one of my best friends about marriage, and what a "good" marriage is supposed to look like. We talked about respect and communication--two hallmarks.
Chris and I have learned that being married is tough... sometimes it even seems unbearable. But, we also know that God designed marriage in such a way as to challenge and refine us. Because we both decided to change, we now can communicate in ways that may not be easy, but are always effective at helping us work through issues. We voice our opinions in a loving manner, after thoughtful consideration of word-choice (well, most of the time at least!) and we discuss the things that need changing. Sometimes it is daunting and seems like a never-ending cycle... but nothing worth doing is ever easy. Sort of like exercise and healthy nutrition--are those things fun to practice day in and day out? Heck no! But how much better do you feel when you do them? How much better is your life? And how much better could your marriage be with loving, open, and honest communication?
I opened a prayer book (for marriage) at my mother-in-law's this morning and this is what I read:
"Lord of married lovers,
Only You could defy the law of mathematics to make one plus one equal one. And that "one" is not even two halves that add up to a whole but two drastically different people who add up to an entirely new creation: Us!
...You hear voices, Lord, that attempt to separate Us: 'Are you sure you did the right thing?' 'You deserve more than this.' 'What if you get bored?' 'Well, as long as you're happy...'
But You've shown us 'the most excellent way' (1 Cor. 12:31)--cherishing our commitment as we cleave to one another (Gen. 2:24), nurturing mutual respect as we submit to each other (Eph. 5:21), finding our lives as we surrender them to You (Luke 9:24).
And this way of love will never fail (1 Cor. 13:8)."

I could also add my own questions, "What if I just don't feel like talking?", "What if I simply want to let it go so as not to disturb the house, even though I know it will fester in my heart with all the other things I've let go until I explode on my spouse?"

I feel like my marriage is sweet. I love my husband for the work he does, and I feel proud of the marriage we have allowed God to create. Who wouldn't want that? It's tough, and yet, like my daily dose of exercise, I try and try to keep on going because I know it always pays off. So, my challenge is...

Are you working hard enough to change your marriage into a sweet one, daily?

Dose of Reality

2010-06-10T05:18:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was flipping through the channels on TV, and as I was passing the Ft. Lee Command Channel, I stopped short. Up on the screen was the name of a man, who had died in Afghanistan, on June 4th, 2010. That was JUST LAST WEEK, like several days ago. He was 29 years old and he was a lieutenant.

I just kept thinking, how crazy is it that this is really happening--it's hard to feel like it's real when it hasn't actually happened to you. When you aren't over there experiencing the things that they are experiencing. And my husband is a lieutenant, just like the one who gave his life.

My little brother and several of my friends' husbands are serving right now. I don't write this to call attention to the severity of their situations, or to make them think (all over again) about what could or could not happen--that is already reality for them every day. I was simply reminded to pray, intentionally, every day, for each one of those men and their families. And to pass on the truth that God has each one of them in the palm of His hand, no matter where they may be or what they may be experiencing.

Praise God, for courageous, hard-working husbands that will do anything to protect country and family.

After 31 Years

2010-05-29T14:11:00.000-07:00

I feel blessed with an amazing family and friends... thank you God!

Baby Food that Tastes GOOD

2010-05-25T05:51:00.000-07:00

I hate baby food--every jar I've ever tried tastes the same, and it's nasty. I also like my kids to experience different tastes early on so that they get a feel for what life will be like in our house as they get older. :)

Recently I was searching for "fresh" organic baby food online (how fresh can it be when it has to be shipped?). There were a couple of brands that stuck out and they look incredible, but I cannot bring myself to pay the exorbitant amount of money that these foods would cost to feed Sidney regularly. So instead I checked out some of the ingredients lists and off to the store I went. I got all the ingredients, all organic, which will last 3-4 weeks or more, for around $40.00-50.00.

I am making 8 different combinations so far, and still searching for new ideas (if you have any let me know). After I prepare and puree them, I use the food cube method to freeze and store them.

When your baby is 7 or 8 months old, he/she can start incorporating herbs and spices into food. Herbs and spices are NOT just for taste--they have a ton of great health properties as well (like turmeric, which studies have shown to help fight cancer).
Now, I made almost all of Noah's baby food, but I just threw things together and didn't really think much about taste. Still homemade, but not like this--this stuff is GOOD.

Here are just a few recipes that you can try:

Mexican style: Lightly cookes apples, butternut squash, garbanzo beans, minced fresh cilantro--puree all and freeze.

Beach appeal: Pureed young coconut (young coconut is creamy, as opposed to the normal brown coconuts we are used to seeing, which have the rougher texture--and Kroger carries them!), bananas, apples, and brown rice (I grind the rice before cooking to help aid digestion)

Sweet potatoe pie: Pureed broccoli, sweet potatoe, butternut squash, and cinnamon

Spicy fruit: Apples, bananas, brown rice, ginger, turmeric, cardamom

I usually cook each ingredient seperately, some I steam, some I roast, some I boil, and some I don't cook at all (like bananas and coconut)--so that I can add just enough of each to taste great.
When adding herbs and spices I always put them in last, a little at a time, until they can be tasted mildly--don't want to overwhelm the babies!

You can try anything that sounds good together--carrots and ginger, peas and mint... there is a world of flavor in which to introduce your baby... literally!

The Worst Week Ever?

2010-05-14T12:00:00.000-07:00

Today, finally, we made it to MOBI. It's a moms' group at my church here in VA--MOBI stands for "Mothers on the Brink of Insanity". And boy did I need that group today.
We are reading through the book, She's Gonna' Blow, which is about dealing with anger as a mom. I've actually read it before, a while back, but it's always nice to revisit a book with friends to refresh your mind. Well, let me tell ya'... I have been an angry mom lately.
Noah is a constant whiner at the moment. He whines when I say "no", he whines when I say "maybe", he even whines when I say "yes". He whines when he wakes up in the morning, he whines when he has to have his diaper changed, he whines when he can't find his toys (which are usually easy to find had he even looked), he whines and whines and whines... and I had had enough this week. Yesterday I finally just broke down and cried, right there in front of my two kids, because I was so tired of the whining. And also because I've just been in a rut--life has been boring, and blah, and like, what the heck is the point?? ...of me staying home and cleaning, cooking, laundering, cleaning some more, cooking some more, and laundering some more, taking care of a whiny son and a sick daughter and feeling like I do NOTHING ALL DAY. And this was totally the worst week ever. Except I said that last week, and I think the week before.
So today at MOBI, one of the girls said something that knocked me off my nasty, angry, bored, selfish horse. She said, "you know I keep saying this is the worst day ever, or the worst week, but then I say the same thing the next day, and the next week... like, when is that gonna' end and when is it going to feel fun in our house again?" And I realized that's exactly what I have been doing lately.
Now, don't get me wrong, it HAS been hard, but it doesn't make it any better to constantly say, "oh no, THIS was the worst day ever" EVERY SINGLE DAY. Yes, I feel like I need a break, and yes, a tahitian vacation would be nice. But that ain't happening any time soon so I might as well just buck up, and move on.
And hey, maybe sometimes Noah is whiny because I'm not in the best of moods myself.
I don't know, and I'm sure I won't know any time soon, but I can at least try to change my attitude a bit.
P.S. Noah is crying in his room as I write... so I'll just have to work extra hard to make this NOT the worst day ever. :)

Leading My Children

2010-05-05T06:49:00.000-07:00

Lately I have found it difficult to devote a certain time every day to Bible reading & prayer. With two babies and lack of sleep (or not sleeping well) I find it hard to motivate myself out of bed extra early every morning. I did today though, discovered it was worth it, as usual.

At church this month we are studying the book of Micah, so I am reading through it instead of trying to keep up (and failing miserably) with the daily readings I usually try to get accomplished.

In Micah chapter 3, verses 1-7, the issue of leadership is addressed. I can't help seeing the obvious connection between parenting and leading, and this little blurb touches on just that:

"Ever think of your pastor or other Christian leaders as held to a higher standard? As Micah explains, people closely watch their leaders. Sadly, some leaders have led their children astray. As parents, we are the leaders of our homes, and our children watch us closely. We can either lead them to God or lead them astray by our words and actions. Directing our children in the way of God's truth is one of the most important jobs we have. Yet we can't be wishy-washy. The world may waffle on what's right and wrong, or maintain that truth is up to the individual. But we must hold to a much higher standard--God Himself. We can leave no better legacy for our kids than to point them in the direction of truth."

I am led to reflect on how my actions and behavior are showing Christ to Noah. He mimics everything I do, and sometimes I feel I am doing my job--like, when we pass a cross and he exclaims, "a cross! for Jesus!". But other times I know he watches carefully as Chris and I argue, and probably notices when I'm not being very gentle with my words. I know I need to continue to be more diligent in remaining in the Word, daily, even when I'm tired or have a million other things to do. My children are precious to me and even MORE precious to God, and I know that He is holding me accountable for the way I show them Him. Sometimes parenting is difficult, especially when my children may not be happy with me--but I continue to remind myself that my calling is to bring them up to love God, respect authority and follow rules. I can't allow my selfishness (giving in to cease the crying) to get in the way of doing right by God and ultimately by them.

Detox and Rest

2010-04-19T10:28:00.000-07:00

Man oh man... the weekend tore me apart. Friday night we had friends over, which was great AND we had tons of healthy food to eat. So no biggie. After that it was all downhill and ended with a trip to McD's with Noah on Sunday afternoon. Immediately I went home and got straight into a hot bath, then laid down for a while because I felt awful. Sometimes when you don't feel like cooking you develop an anything-goes mentality. And I was also just feeling like coconut m&m's, popcorn, and a fun trip to McD's would be worth it... and yet it was NOT at all. I began feeling down and out yesterday, bloated and tired and I had zero patience to deal with my children.
In the bath I had an epiphany--I needed a break, but not a mom's night out type of break. I needed to give myself a break. I've been trying to do everything lately and I needed to just stop and relax and simply enjoy again.
So today, instead of spending time working on my various tasks, then hitting the gym (and dragging both kids), and grocery shopping and cleaning and cooking... blah, blah, blah... I got up and made some fresh apple ginger juice to go with the apple walnut bread I made last night. Then we layed around for a while, me and Noah, while Sid took her morning nap. Then instead of going to the gym, we hit the bookstore where I got to lazily enjoy a dairy-free latte while Noah played with the big Thomas the Train set and Sidney drank her bottle (she can hold it herself now, so that's a bonus!).
Afterward it was home for the kids' lunch and nap, and I enjoyed a huge plate of curried quinoa, fresh green beans, and split peas with a tahini ginger dressing. Now, I'm signing off the computer for the rest of the day, slowly enjoying dinner prep and maybe some sun outside. Maybe I'll hit the gym later for some yoga... maybe I'll stay home and read my newest book. Either way I'm focused on slowing down today to be healthy--to detox from a yucky weekend, and rest.

Two Dips

2010-04-16T19:12:00.000-07:00

For my friends who love dips... hahaha:

Basic hummus:
1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed well and drained
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/4 c. tahini
2 garlic cloves (unless you like it garlicky, then add more)
EVOO

In food processor, mince garlic first. Add beans, salt, tahini and process again. Slowly begin to feed EVOO through top of food processor, until you get hummus consistency (some like it thick, some like it thin). When you reach your consistency, add more salt and/or tahini to taste. Top with paprika right before serving.

Some fun additions to your hummus might be sun-dried tomatoes, pine-nut pesto, or roasted red peppers.

Guac Dip:

2 ripe avocados
2 medium tomatoes, seeds squeezed out
2 garlic cloves
sea salt to taste
juice of 1/2 a lemon
cilantro to taste (about 1/2 c. loosely packed)

Throw avocados, tomatoes, lemon juice, and garlic into food processor and process until smooth. Add cilantro, taste, then slowly add sea salt until you reach your desired saltiness. If you want to thicken it, add a little EVOO at the end.

Walnut Pesto

2010-04-16T18:56:00.000-07:00

So, inspired once again by Vegan Planet, I made this walnut pesto for our pizza last night, and it was my favorite pizza yet! But of course you can use it for anything you like to put pesto on:

1/3 c. roasted walnuts (roast them over medium heat in a dry skillet--careful not to burn!)
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 c. EVOO
2 c. loosely packed parsley

In food processor, puree walnuts, garlic, and sea salt. Add parsley, then slowly feed EVOO through the top (while running), until the mix forms a paste.

I actually doubled the recipe, and used most of it on our pizza, with some fresh tomatoes (chopped), some jalapenos (Chris's side only), and a small amount of mozzarella. SO good.

Oh and I also made an enriched pizza crust:

1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
3/4 c. warm water
1 3/4 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 c. spelt flour
1 1/2 Tbsp. ground black sesame seeds
1 tsp. salt
pinch of sugar
1 Tbsp. sunflower oil

Combine yeast with 1/4 c. of the warm water, mix well, then set aside for ten minutes. Meanwhile, mix flours, seeds, salt and sugar. Add yeast mixture to flour mixture, along with the rest of the water and sunflower oil. Use your hands to mash and mix it, then knead it right in your large bowl, for a few minutes. Add a little more water if you need. Place the dough-ball in a lightly greased (with some extra oil) large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 1 hour. Bake on bottom oven rack at 450 for 10 minutes. Add toppings, bake another 8-10 minutes!

RAW Banana Cream Pudding

2010-04-13T18:00:00.000-07:00

Whip this up when you have a chance, it's great!

2 avocados
1/2 c. pureed young coconut (the meat in a young coconut is fresh and smooth)
2 ripe bananas
1 tsp. vanilla
1 Tbsp. agave
2-3 Tbsp. ground chia (use ground flax if you need)
stevia to taste

Throw it all in the food processor and process until smooth. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes. I did throw a little back for Sidney before adding the vanilla, agave, chia and stevia--she loved her "dessert"!

We also had a great salad for dinner: lots of greens, fresh leeks, zucchini, black sesame seeds, fresh fermented veggies (cabbage and carrots), fresh basil, topped with that amazing homemade ginger dressing from the other night (oriental broccoli night).

After a great cycle class tonight, I'm starving, so I'm off to hunt down a snack...

The Urban Farmhouse Market and Cafe

2010-04-12T03:41:00.000-07:00

We visited downtown Richmond this past weekend, and loved the little restaurants! We specifically wanted to find The Urban Farmhouse Market and Cafe to have lunch, and can I say it was awesome! It's a little family-owned restaurant that uses product from their farm to fulfill our every desire in healthfood eats... Chris had the lox and cheese, I had an amazing asparagus and white bean salad, and Noah had an AB&J--almond butter and jelly, I was SO stoked that they had almond butter! The restaurant is completely open on two sides and has this really cool vibe going inside. They also sell several healthy goodies for you to take home. Chris and I sat the whole time and dreamed out loud about how we would love to open a RAW/vegan/vegetarian restaurant (using product from our own farm) in Broad Ripple--after Chris retires from the Army. It was great!

On a side note, of course I have a recipe for you! Last night part of our dinner included this amazing RAW oriental broccoli...

4 cups chopped broccoli (I very lightly steamed a few for Noah since he can't do raw yet)
2 dates, soaked 20 minutes (then drained)
1/2 c. fresh orange juice
1 tsp. minced ginger
1/4 c. tamari (soy sauce)
1 tsp. toasted sesame oil (not raw, but gives great flavor)
1/4 c. EVOO

Combine all ingredients except broccoli in blender and puree. Pour over the broccoli and toss.

Chris and I have had a ginger salad dressing at an Asian restaurant in Indy and I've never been able to recreate it--but this tastes exactly like that!! Yippee!

Oh, and pictured is the juice we had for breakfast--I juiced a bunch of oranges, blended the juice with some frozen bananas, homemade kefir and stevia to taste. Delish!

Food for the Soul

2010-04-08T03:54:00.000-07:00

I've been giving lots of recipes lately, so I thought today I would give you a little food for the soul, which comes from my FFSB:

READ LUKE 12:22-34

DO NOT BE ANXIOUS

It's sometimes difficult to strike a balance between providing for the family's needs (today and in the future) and trusting God as the ultimate provider. Where does working, planning, scrimping and saving stop--and waiting on God begin? Trusting God for His provision is not a once-for-always decision, it's the kind of decision-making that goes on and on. This tension is one of the many that believers live with all the time.

This passage where Jesus instructs His followers not to be consumed with worry about all these issues can be of immense comfort. Jesus' words offer us a good reminder that while we need physical provisions, "life is more than food and clothing." Keep Jesus at the focus of your family's plans and "all these things shall be added to you."

Would you characterize yourself more as a "toiler" or a "truster"?

Bottom line: Ultimately it is God who provides for our family.

For helping younger children understand: Talk with your child about their worries. Use God's Word--open it right in front of them!--to show them God's promises of care and provision. Read the specific Bible passage to them so they will connect the word with God.

Have a great day!
In Him,
Cara

Thai Curry Lentil Stew

2010-04-07T16:55:00.000-07:00

I totally have to share this recipe because we had it for dinner tonight and it was amazing! And I know lots of people are at a loss as to what to do with lentils, which are SO good for you!

1/2 1b. lentils, any color (I soaked mine overnight, but you can just rinse and drain if you want)
1 med onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
3-4 c. vegetable broth
1 red pepper, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped
1 med eggplant, peeled and chopped
1 14-oz can light coconut milk
2 Tbsp. green curry paste
1 big Tbsp. minced ginger (or grate some fresh, even better)
EVOO
Salt and pepper

Cover the lentils with water in a large pot and bring to a boil, simmer until soft (but not mushy), 15-30 minutes. Drain and place back in the pot.

While the lentils are cooking, add a Tbsp EVOO to a large skillet over med/high heat. Sautee onions and garlic around 5-7 minutes. Add red pepper, 2-3 minutes, plus more oil if necessary. Add zucchini, 2-3 minutes. Add eggplant, 2-3 minutes.

Drain lentils and place back in large pot. Add broth, a little EVOO and salt and pepper, then coconut milk, curry paste, and ginger. Carefully mix well, then add veggie mix from skillet to large pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 15-20 minutes. Season to taste w/ salt and pepper. Serve over basmati rice.

*You may add more or less broth depending on how you like your stew. I like it hearty so I only added enough to just cover everything. Also, if you want more spice, add more curry paste.

Hot Tuesday

2010-04-06T10:19:00.000-07:00

Happy Hot Tuesday! It's hot here, at least, and I L-O-V-E it! I've got a ton of things brewing, literally, in house today... the kefir grains I ordered from the Kefir Lady are thriving, I think they're going to eat us out of house and home! If you want to try making your own kefir, let me know and I'll share some with you.

Right now I've got Homemade Rice Milk Kefir Brewing, as well as some water kefir--I'm going to add some lemons to it this afternoon, cap it tightly and wait for it to get nice and fizzy for Homemade Fizzy Lemonade. Fun stuff!

We've also got a bunch of chickpeas soaking, which will turn into a big batch of hummus (one of my favorite things). And some lentils, for Indian Lentil Stew. Soaking beans/grains/nuts/seeds helps with digestability so I like to whenever I can (although I also buy lots of canned beans for quick and easy meals). I've also got to make baby food for Sid, and make-then-freeze some veggie wontons before all the fixins go bad... phew! That's a lot of kitchen work for today, but thankfully I also got a lot done yesterday...

I was able to reorganize my fridge (well, some of it) so it looks nicer and more accessible. AND my house is clean, diapers washed and hung outside to dry (love being able to hang them outside in the sun!)

So today I'm feeling great, energized after a huge bowl of fruit this morning, with a chocolate "cream" topping. For lunch I had a couple of pieces of cheese, some raw veggies and hummus (surprise!), and some freshly made (not by me) pita chips, which I could NOT put down... so good. Noah had playgroup today, so he loved his once-weekly HFCS cookies and juice snack, haha... and he still ate a sunbutter and jelly sammie w/ yogurt and kefir for lunch so mama was happy.

Enough relaxing, back to grind. Have a great day!

RAW Volcano Cookies...

2010-04-01T14:31:00.000-07:00

I made these yesterday and they turned out great! If you like almond-flavored cookies, and chocolate (of course), these are for you!

1/2 c. ground raw coconut
1/4 c. raw pumpkin seeds
1/4 c. raw sunflower seeds
2 Tbsp. agave nectar
2 Tbsp. tahini (plus a littl more to make them "doughy" enough)
2 tsp. pure almond extract
2 Tbsp. vegan chocolate chips

Throw it all in a food processor until you get a gooey mess, then roll into balls, a little flat on the top.

For the "lava":
1/3 c. EVOO (or another healthy oil, like coconut or sunflower)
3 Tbsp. agave nectar
1 tsp. almond extract
5 Tbsp. cacao powder (or carob)

Process (or stir) until smooth. Place about 1/2 tsp or so on top of the balls, then sprinkle the whole thing with coconut... throw them in the freezer to set for about 20 minutes, then enjoy!

He loves it!

2010-03-31T06:15:00.000-07:00

Noah enjoying his Raw Muesli... Chris has requested it every morning!

Pea-sto Pasta and Cabbage AND Vegan Breakfast Muesli

2010-03-30T17:16:00.000-07:00

Noah loved this quick and easy dinner! I threw some farfalle in boiling water while
I quickly pureed a pesto sauce with:

1/3 c. toasted pine nuts (toasted them quickly on the stove)
2 fresh minced garlic cloves
1/4 c. EVOO
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 big handful fresh basil

I threw some organic peas into the cook water right before the pasta was done, until heated through, drained it and tossed it with the pesto.

As a side I cut up a big cabbage and sauteed it with garlic and EVOO, easy!

And, with some extra time this evening I made a quick muesli:

3 bowls, filled with:
1/2 c. organic oats
1 big scoop soy/spirulina protein powder (vanilla flavor)
1 big spoonful ground flax

1 scoop each of:
ground raw cashews
ground fresh coconut
sliced raw almonds
dried cranberries
raisins
vegan chocolate chips
raw pecans
raw sunflower seeds

So we're set for breakfast straight from the fridge... just pour some rice milk over the top and enjoy!

Raw Cooking Day

2010-03-29T17:10:00.000-07:00

Noah and I did some raw cooking today: Ball Treats (as Noah calls them), Chocolate Pudding, and Avocado Dip.

For the Raw Chocolate Pudding I threw together, in my food processor:
2 avocados, 1 c. vanilla soy yogurt, cacao powder and agave nectar to taste--easy and so good! We dipped our bananas in it at dinner. The rest of it went into the freezer for some chocolate "ice cream" later!

For the Avocado Dip:
2 avocados, 2 cloves garlic (minced), three big fresh basil leaves (minced), some EVOO and sea salt to taste--voila! Good on crackers, w/ tortillas, or raw veggies!

For the Raw Balls (or "ball treats"):
1 c. raw cashews
1/4 c. raw almonds
1/4 c. raw pecans
1/4 c. raw sunflower seeds
1/4 c. raw pumpkin seeds
1/2 c. shredded coconut (from a fresh coconut I chopped up yesterday)
1 c. pitted medjool dates
1/4 c. raisins
1/4 c. vegan chocolate chips
...I think that's it, but you could really add whatever you want!
I processed the dry ingredients first, then the dates and raisins seperately. We used our hands to mash it all together with the chocolate chips. Then, I was trying to get Noah to help me form them into balls to freeze, but he just kept stuffing them in his mouth!
After all this, Noah helped me peel, core, and cut up a bunch of butternut squash to cook and puree. And then he helped me clean up too.

Green Feet Homestore

2010-03-29T06:43:00.000-07:00

I just came across this new homestore... www.greenfeet.com--they have the cutest stuff! Check it out!

Timing Is Everything...

2010-03-27T17:02:00.000-07:00

Today we went to Ukrop's with the sole intent of picking up some bulk food items--raw nuts, seeds, raisins, grains, brown rice flour, some avocados, another coconut, medjool dates and vegan chocolate chips. As we were walking toward the register, I looked back toward an aisle with some balloons that said "Sale". I told Chris I wanted to run over quickly and see what they had... and boy oh boy... organic HEAVEN.

Ukrop's was bought out by another company, so in light of the change they had marked all of their Full Circle Organic products down, as well as a few others... and I mean they were marked down. Here's a run down:

4 Canisters oats
2 Canisters Soy Spirulina Protein Powder
1 Bottle adult multivitamins
1 Bottle kid multivitamins
8 Jars baby food
4 Sunflowerseed Butters
3 Jellies
1 Large jar cinnamon applesauce
1 Each whole wheat rotini, penne, and capellini pasta
9 Cans soup (minestrone, veggie, chicken noodle)
5 Cliff Kids Zbars (only 4 pictured because Noah ate one on the way home)
2 Jars butternut squash puree
1 Bag pure cane sugar
1 Bag raw cane sugar
2 Boxes cereal

All Organic!

I actually would have cleared them of everything they had left, but since it's the end of the month we only have so much money left in the grocery budget, darn it.

Anyway, the total rang up to $176.88, but we paid... drumroll... $35.80!!!!!!!
We also got the bulk items we came for, which cost us another $35... so for $70 we still ended up with about a 250% savings. Woohoo!

Chris was cracking up as I happy-danced out of the store.

It's Just The Way We Roll...

2010-03-26T11:07:00.000-07:00

We eat seeds, nuts and grass, make kale/spinach smoothies, eat tofu and tempeh and tvp, and the highlight of my week is when I get to go to the healthfood store and take my time, browsing the aisles for healthy goodies...

We use cloth diapers (and LINE dry them), keep few chemicals in the home, cook in as little plastic and aluminum foil as humanly possible, and we COOK our food, like, in the oven...

We use homeopathic and home remedies first, before taking OTC or prescription drugs, and we don't choose to vaccinate our children according to FDA guidelines... (don't freak out, yes they have had several--this is a whole seperate topic, I know).

We believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God, He was crucified, died, and rose again for the redemption of our sins, and we want to live our lives to be more like Him.

Yes, we're weird, and proud of it.

How do you stock your kitchen?

2010-03-24T07:10:00.000-07:00

We've got a good supply of our favorites foods going right now. I do have to hit Costco again soon--I love that they are carrying more and more healthy goods! But I went to the Commissary and thankfully they had lots of organic coupons lying around... so our storage is back to normal again. What does the Kempf food stock look like, you ask?

*We love to have lots of fruits and veggies on hand and in sight, all the time--bananas, avocados, coconut, apples, berries, oranges, squash, onions, greens, broccoli, carrots, and a few more... are in our house right now.
*As much as our budget allows, I like organic eggs, soy and/or rice milk, and some cheese and yogurt.
*Some of my fave condiments are Bragg's Liquid Aminos, miso, soy sauce, minced ginger, ground flax and wheat germ, and Newman's organic salad dressings.
*We keep some of our supplements in the fridge--Noah's vitamins, all probiotics, and flax oil.
*In the pantry I've got the usual flours and sugars, lots of cereals and oats, Sid's food (I've been too lazy to make it myself lately... or busy maybe?), soups (love Annie's black bean), beans and nuts and brown rice, healthy oils, popcorn (we've started popping our own), and lots and lots of other goods!
*I like to empty and restock the freezer, so right now we've only got a few things, but they are my favorites! Morningstar Farms "chicken" nuggets, veggie pizzas, yogurt parfait desserts, and frozen organic veggies. Usually we have chicken and salmon, but this is why I need to hit Costco.

So, this is how the Kempf family regularly eats, if you were wondering...

And then he got sick...

2010-03-22T12:09:00.000-07:00

As our whirlwind week in Indiana came to an end, Noah woke with a fever... the day before our 12-hour drive home. Thankfully he was virtually fever-free the next morning and we loaded up and headed out. He coughed all the way home and since then the cough has gotten nasty (with a flowing runny nose too). Yesterday I went to the store and bought just about every medicine I could think of to help the little guy feel better. However, I just couldn't bring myself to give him any of the strong OTC drugs pictured... even though he woke every three hours, crying because he couldn't sleep through the cough. I did give him lots of Hyland's Homeopathic Sniffles N Sneezes, Sambucus, Emergen-C Kids, lemon water and honey (second picture)... it worked well enough to get him through the night and he's actually looking a tad bit better today. We also started the day off with a bang... healthy eats and a nice walk in the fresh air (Noah's breakfast pictured).

So far Sidney has not been affected, which is crazy because I just can't seem to keep Noah away from her (not to mention the long car ride from Indy to Virginia). Praying she doesn't get it too! Especially since she can have nothing but baby Tylenol...

Noah's 2nd Birthday

2010-03-22T11:50:00.000-07:00

For Noah's 2nd birthday we headed to Kentucky to see Grandma Millie, then to Indy to see family. Missy and Jess were in town too, so all all four sisters got to hang out with Grandma and Grandpa and lots of kids! Noah also had fun with Granny Janny and Kevin, and Grandpa Joe. We hit Monkey Joe's, MOPS, Chuck E Cheese and various other places. Noah had a blast!