Saturday Salutes

I tend to forget about using potatoes at breakfast, but Amy's Homemade Hashbrowns may change that for good!  I'm hoping to try them soon.

Cassandra at Unplug Your Family reminded me to "smell the flowers" in We Ain't No Rushin' Family.

If you blog or do other work from home, I think you'll enjoy Simple Mom's post on finding your element.

Wishing all of you a very Happy Mother's Day!  May you be blessed this weekend.

Another Month in the Books

While my April reading didn't include any books from my 2011 reading list, I did read Love Food & Live Well by Chantel Hobbs (read my review) and The Go-Giver by Bob Burg and John David Mann.

The Go-Giver is a business book written in a parable format, but contains principles that apply to all aspects of life.  It was a short, helpful read and a powerful  reminder that true success comes from giving of yourself and serving others.

I have, however, been making progress through the book list I created for our daughters.  My eight-year-old and I just finished The Lost Princess by George MacDonald.  What a neat story!  It included some elements of fantasy, but the ugliness of being self-centered and how it can be overcome was wonderfully portrayed.

We have also been reading Dear Princess by Mary Landis.  This is a series of "letters" to a young girl that encourage her in cultivating the fruit of the Spirit in her life.  While the content is spiritually instructive, the book is written in a more formal style and is a bit over my daughter's head.

I am reading Rainbow Valley by L.M Montgomery to my ten-year-old and using a bit of parental discretion in leaving out a paragraph here and there.  It's not my favorite "Anne" book, but, as with all of her stories, there are fun moments and good lessons.  Until I read it to my children, I didn't realize how much gossipping some of the ladies do!

We are all enjoying George Muller: The Guardian of Bristol's Orphans by Janet and Geoff Benge.  I've never read much about his earlier life and am finding myself challenged by his simple trust in God and His faithfulness to answer prayer.

What have you been reading lately?

Linked to Booking It in 2011 at Life as Mom.  Amazon links in this post are affiliate links.

Review: No-Work Spanish Audiobooks

I attempt to include some foreign language instruction as part of the learning program I do with our daughters each summer.  Therefore, I was excited to have the opportunity to review No-Work Spanish Audiobooks.

Marketed as an easy way to learn Spanish, the concept behind No-Work Spanish is intriguing.  A narrator tells a story by reading a sentence first in English, then repeating it in Spanish.  At the end of a chapter, the chapter is re-read entirely in Spanish.

I received Yaks March on Washington and Poster Girl for my review.  The narrators of the stories are easy to listen to and are expressive enough to make the stories interesting.  I noticed that many of the same words are repeated throughout the story, which helps the listener pick them out more easily.  I would have appreciated the Spanish sentences being spoken a bit more slowly, but I understand the need to maintain a normal, conversational speed. 

I listened to the cd's while doing chores around the house.  While I picked up a few words or phrases the first time through, I am confident that the more often you listen to the story, the more you will find yourself learning.  One helpful feature is that the text for the stories can be printed from a PDF file on the cd or from the No-Work Spanish website. I believe that actually sitting down and reading the text while listening to the cd would be highly beneficial.

I would not recommend these particular stories for young children as they are rather long.  Older children, however, may find the stories interesting enough to follow along and be learning without even realizing it!

If you would like to see how this program works, you can listen to three chapters of one of their books for free!  You can also visit their website to explore various buying options which include audio cd's and music download sites.

This is a Mama Buzz review. The product for this review was provided to me free of charge by No-Work Spanish Audiobooks. The opinions expressed in this post are my own and I was not compensated for them in any other way.

Wisdom on a Wednesday: Influence

In a recent discussion with my dad on parenting older children, he shared this bit of wisdom.

"Influence is a small coin that should be used sparingly."

While our children are small, our interaction with them typically consists of their obeying our commands, because - hopefully - we have trained them to do so.  As the adults, we control where they go, who they are with and the influences that enter their lives.

However, as they grow into the teen years, they gain independence and begin making decisions for themselves.  If we have cultivated our relationship with them during the early years, the likelihood is greater that they will ask us for counsel when unsure of what to do. 

It is at this point that our influence as parents comes into play.  We seek to guide them with Biblical counsel and wisdom gained from our own experiences.  Surely, the stronger the bonds that we've formed with our children, the more influence we will have.   

Yet, as I ponder my dad's statement, I realize that I cannot exert my influence in every situation or it will be valued less and less.  I will need discernment as to when to use that influence and when to let them find their own way, learning and maturing in the process.

Looking back, I see that my dad, in his Godly wisdom, did exactly that with his children.  I am blessed to have his example to follow with my own daughters when that time arrives.

E-Mealz and Enchilada Casserole

iStockphoto

If you've ever listened to Dave Ramsey's radio show, you've probably heard a commercial for E-Mealz.  Thanks to a giveaway Amanda hosted, I won a free three-month subscription to E-Mealz! 

After hearing those ads umpteen million times, I was excited to see how it worked.  I started the plan last week.  I selected the family meal plan for Publix from several options that are available, based on dietary preferences and grocery stores you frequent.  I was pleased to see that the suggested meals are relatively healthy and use common ingredients.

I tried my first recipe from their recommendations for supper Saturday night.  It was this enchilada casserole and it was delicious!  I made only slight modifications - one of them being using large tortillas, as that's what I had on hand.  You could certainly substitute smaller ones, or use corn tortillas instead of flour.  I also substituted black beans that I had cooked from dry and frozen for the canned variety.

Enchilada Casserole

1 cup onion, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 10-ounce cans enchilada sauce
16-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 ½ cans diced Rotel tomatoes
11-ounce can Mexican style corn, drained

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

5 large flour tortillas

1 pound ground beef, browned

3 cups shredded Mexican cheese

Saute onion in hot oil in skillet until tender. Stir in next 6 ingredients (through cumin). Reduce heat and cook 5 minutes, stirring often, to heat through. Tear flour tortillas in half. Spoon 1/3 of sauce mixture into bottom of lightly greased 9x13-inch dish. Layer three tortilla halves, half of beef and one cup cheese. Repeat.  Top with three more tortilla halves, remaining sauce and cheese. (You will end up with one extra tortilla half which can be saved for another use.)

Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until golden and bubbly.

I served this casserole with fresh fruit.  Since our daughters didn't eat much, there was plenty for leftovers and it was nearly as good when reheated for another meal.

As I get further into the E-Mealz plan, I'll let you know what I think of it and share any other recipes that turn out to be winners!

Line Upon Line

During my daily Bible reading last week, I came across Isaiah 28:10. "For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:"

Isn't this the best way to instruct our children in the things of God? 

We begin when they are young, helping them memorize simple verses, explaining very basic commands such as children obeying their parents, and enjoying the narrative of Bible stories. 

As our children become school-aged, we give more detailed explanations of Bible principles and add applications from those same, now familiar, Bible stories.  The memory verses become passages of verses and teach character traits such as diligence and forgiveness. 

During the teenage years, we add yet another layer of knowledge, showing them how to study the Bible on their own and delving deeper into the doctrines and tenets of our faith.

Leading our children into spiritual growth is a building process and each child will progress differently.  It's "here a little, and there a little," just looking for teachable moments daily and being available to answer their questions.  Asking what the Sunday School teacher taught or discussing the Pastor's sermon on the way home from church can provide additional opportunities for instruction. 

During a recent revival meeting at our church, it was a blessing to see our oldest daughter taking notes during the service.  It was a reminder that helping our children build a strong foundation in the faith is a work that, with the Holy Spirit's help, will have eternal value.

Linked to Weekend Bloggy Reading at Serenity Now.