Homemade Yogurt/Keifer and BEAN Secrets

HOMEMADE KEIFER

Keifer:  

This is essential homemade yogurt... which I don't particularly like on its own, but it is cheap, full of organic probiotics,  and taste great in a smoothie.  

I got the starter Keifer (good Bacteria) from a friend... 

You can buy Keifer in the dairy section at the store or you can make it at home.  

"it has valuable bacteria strains to promote healthy bowel function and digestion, and to help ward off pathogenic disease organisms. A healthy colon is the cornerstone of a healthy 

body."

So the experts say :)

Speaking of Good Digestion

I have a little TRICK my mom taught me for you BEAN LOVERS like myself... 
To avoid: "the gassy" day after :) 
*ADD GINGER:  When you are making your favorite pot of chili or just having beans and rice sprinkle a little ground ginger on the beans...Seriously it does the trick.  And don't forget to drain the liquid off your cans of beans... 


No matter the season... We eat Soup/Chili Around here... just made some 
Taco Soup last night:  Its is cheap, super easy, and DELISH!

Taco Soup

1 lb. ground hamburger/turkey
1 Medium to Small chopped onion
3 Cans of Beans (Black, Pinto, Chili Beans) Combinations or Just one kind...
1 Can of whole Kernel Corn
1 Can Diced tomatoes, undrained
2 1/2 Cups water
1 Can of Chopped green chiles
1 package taco seasoning mix
1 package of Ranch seasoning


Directions:  Brown meat and onions
Drain Corn and Beans
Add all ingredients... (Don't forget to sprinkle some ginger on the beans)
Bring to a Boil and then Simmer for at least 20 mins


Serve with:  Tortilla Chips, Fritos, or corn bread... Shredded Cheese, and a dalop Sour Cream.


Enjoy!!!  




Do you eat soup during the summer?  


Hope you have a LOVELY Thursday... 

Lots going on over at the Luster's

First:  I won my first blog giveaway from HERE..via.. TheVanillaTulip which is just about the cutest blog...you'll love it!

Secondly:  My Sweet friend Stephanie brought me some of her families farm fresh eggs 

I don't even want to eat them they look so pretty and Eastery :) 

Thirdly: (thats a funny word)

My handsome man is taking the Morning off so a special breakfast for this hard working guy!

BAKED OATMEAL

1/2 C. Veg. Oil

3/4 C. White sugar

2 eggs

1 C. Milk

1/2 Tsp Salt

1 Tbsp. baking powder

3 Cups quick cooking oats

(May add: Raspberries or craisins, or almonds, anything really)

Topping:

2 Tbsp. Brown Sugar

1/2 Tsp ground cinnamon

Directions: mix ingredients in this order be sure to mix liquids well and sugar before adding other ingredients.  Add in Extras: berries, nuts... etc

Lightly grease pie pan. Sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon on top.  Stick in refrigerator covered.

NEXT MORNING:  preheat 350 degrees

  Bake 35 mins or until firm. Serve HOT with vanilla/Plain yogurt.

You'll love it!

Tomorrow I am going to do a post on Homemade Keifer and BEAN Secrets :)

Have a great Thursday! 

Our Neighborhood.... wellllll kinda :)

My husband and I moved to the "city" almost a year ago and I have really been enjoying living in Clayton.  Its probably my favorite part of St. Louis.

My Favorite part of living here is the incredible neighborhoods I get to walk through.  You look one way out our front door and you see starbucks and high rise buildings and you look the other way and you see these neighborhoods that have the crazy unattainable kind of houses... (This is good for me... if they were semi. affordable I know I would be coveting the whole walk...)

  

We also have the beautiful Forest Park Just a bike ride away... If you haven't visited St. Louis it is a wonderful place to come have an affordable vacation.  :) (I sound like I am getting paid to say this :) I'm really not I just like this city)  

The Early spring flowers and trees have been an incredible blessing.  I love these Jane Trees not only are they beautiful like the pear trees, the Jane trees actually smell wonderful.

 Anthony and I finally joined the gym down the street from our house and of course the next week the weather would be unbelievable... Who wants to work out in the gym when you can run these white legs outside :)

And one Random Photo of my Super Handsome Husband... :)  Just thinking I suppose...

 For those of you that read this... Please pray for us these next couple of weeks are important baby making weeks...Dr. Apt, Medicine..etc... We would love the prayers!!!

Go BANANA'S.....

Good Morning Friends!

Its another BEAUTIFUL morning in St. Louis!  This weather is blowing my mind... 

Just wanted to make a quick post to share my mom's incredible Banana Bread recipe...

Bananas are so great because in all stages of there ripeness(is that a word :) ) They can be eaten or used for one of life's greatest treats... BANANA BREAD!!!  

This recipe is great and simple... One little secret that I learned from my mom, who learned it from some mennonite woman is, the more ripe/rotten your bananas are, the Better your bread...

Smash 3 ripe/brown Bananas (Several days ahead and put them in an air tight container in the frig.)

1 cup Sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

2 c. flour

1/2 c. melted butter

1/2 tsp vanilla

(My Husband Loves when I add a couple of chopped up Dove Dark Chocolates... Trying to be good though!!! Its great without it as well)

Grease and flour One or Two loaf pans

(makes two smaller or on large)

Mix Banana, melted butter, and vanilla is a bowl and set aside

Mix all dry ingredients (I always sift the dry ingredients together... not necessary I just think it taste better for some reason)

Then slowly fold the dry ingredients into your wet ingredients... Mix well and pour into your greased and floured pan.  Or you can use Pam Spray with flour. (saves time)

Bake 325 Degrees for
60 min. for 1 Pan
45-50 for 2 smaller Pans 

*Also another little trick is... just as soon as it comes out of the pan wrap it in aluminum foil... it will hold in the moisture and stay for several days...*

*Also another little trick is... just as soon as it comes out of the pan wrap it in aluminum foil... it will hold in the moisture and stay for several days...*

Prone to Wander Lord I feel it....

"When you love someone, you do not love them all the time, in exactly the same way, from moment to moment. It is an impossibility. It is even a lie to pretend to. And yet this is exactly what most of us demand. We have so little faith in the ebb and flow of life, of love, of relationships". 

Gift from the Sea: by Anne Morrow Lindbergh

I was so encouraged by this quote... Hopefully you will be as well!
And will add how Grateful I am of the Lord's unchanging love for His Children!  

I love this guy!!! 

I was talking to my sweet single friend this week about a relationship that she is in...kinda :).  We were talking about how wonderful marriage is but also how hard it can be.  She said...”Gosh..I’m never getting married.”  I told her that its hard to explain until you experience it but marriage is the most amazing blessing!  I immeditately thought of the constant comparison in the Bible of our relationship with the Lord and marriage  over and over... My relationship with Jesus is HARD sometimes...I’m prone to wander!!! But I would absolutely NEVER not want my relationship with Him!!!  I think that is like marriage its hard... BUT it makes you more HOLY!!!  I love the analogy that C.S. Lewis wrote in one of his books...(really old one that is plum color :) 

He talked about a boy that had a really bad tooth ache and didn’t even want to ask his mom for an aspirin because then he would have a dentist appointment the next day... So he waited and waited until he couldn’t bare it anymore and finally told his mom.  Of course there was pain from the tooth pulling BUT it was nothing compared to the pain he was in the day before.

And in a few days then he was completely healed and that darn tooth would never bother him again... 

What a beautiful picture of being sanctified...being more holy... and the fight we put up for something so wonderful that the Lord wants to teach us.

I went to 3 different worship services last week;  One in Arkansas, one in Kirkwood, and one in Fenton and at each one we sang the song...

”Come Thou Fount”

The verse that struck me so much each time... (I think the Lord was trying to tell me something... 3 TIMES!!
 I mean come on!!!)

O to Grace how great a debtor

Daily I’m constrained to be

Let Thy goodness like a fetter

Bind my wandering heart to Thee

Prone to wander Lord I feel it

Prone to leave the God I love 

Here’s my heart O take and seal it

Seal it for Thy courts above.

I am grateful for the LORD and how he daily teaches me...even if it hurts!!