Oops

Oops. Apparently I've been busy with other things as evidenced by the silence on the blog for more than 6 months! And it's true, we have been busy. We moved to the Iowa City area after Bobby accepted a position with Veritas Church here. We are still settling into our home but are already feeling connected in our new community. Though we miss our friends in Ames dearly, we are thankful to only be a few hours down the road and have been graced with many visits from familiar faces :) Thank you friends, both old and new!

Owen and Rya both started Kindergarten this fall and LOVE it! Here is a pic from the first day of school. Crazy kids.

Gibson and Adia got right to work getting themselves into new shenanigans. 

Below they are covered in mascara and concealer. Naturally.

During my absence from the blogosphere I haven't been completely absent in the kitchen, so I will be catching up with a few recipes in the next few days! 

Sweet Potato, Squash, Sausage Hash

Inspired by a dish made by my husband's cousin, we have enjoyed this Sweet Potato, Squash, Sausage Hash quite a few times over the past few months.

Sweet Potato, Squash, Sausage Hash

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed (bite-size)
1 small butternut squash, peel and cubed
1 lb. sausage
2 cloves garlic
1 small onion, diced
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, more to taste
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 egg per person

Heat oven to 375. Place sweet potato and squash on a large baking sheet, salt generously and drizzle with olive oil. Bake 35-45 min or until tender.

In large skillet on medium high heat sauté garlic, onion and red pepper flakes in olive oil. Once onions are translucent, add sausage and cook, breaking it up in the pan.

Once sausage is fully cooked, add sweet potato, squash and beans to the mixture and cook a few more minutes so all the flavor comes together.

Fry eggs in separate pan and serve over top of the hash. Note: I also like the hash without the egg if you're wanting one less pan to clean :)

Baked Oatmeal

LOTS of this has been eaten in our home the past few months as we have simplified breakfast menus and routines. And the good news, we all LOVE it!

Baked Oatmeal

4.5 c quick oats (or lightly blended whole oats)
1/2 c brown sugar
3 t baking powder
1 1/2 t salt
1 1/2 t cinnamon
3 eggs
1 1/2 c milk
1/2 c butter, melted

Combine all ingredients. Bake at 350 for 1 hour or until set.
Serve warm with fresh fruit and milk. Or enjoy without the extras!

Welcome Ladies!

We welcomed home our two ladies, Rya and Adia, on 12/12/12 and I CAN NOT believe they have already been home over two months. They are a joy and a blessing and add a wonderful new dynamic to our family. Everyone has adjusted well up to this point though there are certainly daily challenges due to the fact there are four children 5 and under in our home :) Our good friend Libby Asay, of Libby Asay Studio, took some family pictures a month ago and captured the personality of each of our loves!

We shared this little glimpse into the personalities of our kiddos with friends and family for Valentines Day:

Owen (5.5 years) continues to be the model big brother and keeps us (and his Early-Kindergarten teacher) on our toes with his many curious questions.

Rya (4.5 years) is such a sweet girl, a wonderful helper, and a very quick learner. She is almost always singing or dancing.

Gibson (2.5 years), our resident comedian, keeps us smiling with his many hilarious facial expressions. He is learning lots about his world right now and taking in all the changes.

Adia (18 months) has a whole lot of personality for such a little lady. She likes carrying around any object as her “baby” and loves being chased by her daddy.

neither height nor depth, nor anything in all creation, can separate us from the 

LOVE of GOD that is in CHRIST JESUS our LORD.

Romans 8:39

Lentil Stew with Rice

A friend posted this recipe a few months ago and we have been LOVING it! We skip the achiote and serve it with rice and a fried egg on top. Yum!

Pork Minestrone Soup

We have lots of pig in our freezer in the form of bacon, chops, and ground pork :) Thank you Bob and Barb! I haven't cooked with pork all that much so we're exploring some new recipes these days. Surprisingly, I also have never made minestrone soup so away we went.

Pork Minestrone Soup

1 lb ground pork
1 carrot, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1/2 onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic
1/2 zucchini, thinly sliced and quartered
1/2 c frozen green beans
1 can (15 oz) Italian tomatoes
1 can (15 oz) garbanzo or red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 c water
4 c vegetable broth
1 t parsley
1 t oregano
1/2 t basil
1/2 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1/4 t thyme
1 1/2 c shell pasta (farfalle is what I had on hand)

Brown meat in large pot. Once cooked through, transfer to small bowl.
Add carrots, celery, onion, garlic and zucchini to pot. Saute 5-8 min or until onions are translucent.
Add meat back to pot along with remaining ingredients except pasta. Bring to boil and then simmer for 45 min, adding pasta in for last 20 min.

Mac 'n Cheese

When we leave the boys with a babysitter their special treat is getting to eat mac 'n cheese. Though still not exactly "healthy," it's better than the box, right?!?! 

Baked Mac and Cheese
1 lb pasta (macaroni or shells)
5 T butter, divided
4 T flour
3 cups milk
2-3 inches Velveeta cheese, cubed
Parmesean cheese to taste
3/4 c shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 c plain fat-free yogurt
1/4 t black pepper
12 ritz crackers, crushed

Cook pasta as directed.
Cheese sauce: Melt 4 T butter over low heat in medium sauce pan. Add flour and whisk until smooth. Heat milk in microwave until warm and then add slowly to butter/flour mixture. Again, whisk until smooth. Add Velveeta and whisk continuously until melted through. Be sure not to heat to high!
Mix pasta and prepared cheese sauce together. Add 1/4 c cheddar cheese, yogurt, and pepper to mixture and pour into 9x13 pan.
Melt remaining 1 T butter and mix together with crackers.
Sprinkle remaining 1/2 c cheddar cheese on top of mac and cheese and then top with the crackers mixture.
Bake at 375 for 20 min. Allow to stand 5 min before serving so sauce can thicken.