Adventures of Emily part 3

Day 136: My mission of observation and sabotage is going better than we anticipated. As my body grows acclimated to this new environment, I can feel my strength growing. A key component of my observation tactic is to take full advantage of meal times. My captors foolishly lift me to a higher elevation while they administer the nectar. Though initially I can only focus on the delicious food, as I become less starved, I utilize every muscle in my body to gain a 360 degree observational area. This activity greatly displeases my jailer (indeed she cries out as if in pain), but I doubt she can fully comprehend the significance of my endeavors. Please annotate our manuals so that our trainees can be sure to follow my lead in this area.

Jason's Sermons

07/01/12
Christ is the Rock

07/08/12

Unity For The Sake of Christ Jesus

07/15/12

How Will You Serve Him With Your Talents?

07/22/12

In Life or Death, Magnify Christ!

07/29/12
The Lord's Supper: Past, Present, and Future

08/05/12
Feed on Food that Endures to Eternal Life

08/12/12

Where is God in My Suffering?

Whole30 and Insanity Day 2

Well we survived Insanity this morning but I know that I am nowhere near the intensity that I need to be at to benefit maximally from the program. The issue is twofold: I am nursing. Nursing + jumping = PAIN. Also I am just plain out of shape.

So the Whole30 meal plan of the day:

Breakfast: Egg scramble (eggs, onions, broccoli)
Snack: Almonds and raisins, Grassfed jerky
Lunch: Uncured sausage, onions and cabbage
Dinner: Sauteed zucchini with the crockpot leftovers (beef, onion, tomato, garlic) seasoned with Italian seasoning

Getting It Together

So today we started the official changes outlined here:

Jason picked up the Insanity DVDs from a craigslist seller yesterday, and we did the fit test this morning.

I was planning to start the Whole30 eating plan August 1st, but I figured I might as well start on a Monday! Breakfast this morning was a coconut milk smoothie and coffee with coconut milk in it. Coconut milk is nothing like half and half but loads better than black coffee.

So we woke up before the kids this morning, exercised, did family worship, and ate according to the Whole30 plan. Now to get to the FlyLady/housekeeping goals... not my favorite but necessary.

One final note, we did get on the scale (scary!) but we won't do it again for a full month. I'll let you know how it goes.

Edit: Food for Day 1:

Breakfast: Coconut milk smoothie (milk, ice, protein powder)
Snack: Sliced almonds with raisins
Lunch: Grassfed beef hamburger with chopped cucumber and grape tomatoes
Dinner: Crockpot -> stew beef (grassfed), tomatoes, onions, and garlic

Thankful for Free Resources

I'm teaching children's church this summer with ages ranging from Emily at 4 months to Alex at 7 year old. We're using The Big Picture Story Bible and a free curriculum found here. You have to search for The Big Picture Story Bible as there is no other link to the full series.

Not only is the curriculum well done, but the generosity of its author to present it free online allows people around the globe to benefit. I am so thankful for free printable resources, and the ability to teach our children through them.

Sunday Hymn 7/29/12

This is our family's hymn of the month; we were introduced to it at Pear Orchard, and it's become one of our favorites:




Satisfied:

All my life I had a longing
For a drink from some clear spring,
That I hoped would quench the burning
Of the thirst I felt within.

Refrain

Hallelujah! He has found me
Whom my soul so long has craved!
Jesus satisfies all my longings,
Through His blood I now am saved.

Feeding on the husks around me,
Till my strength was almost gone,
Longed my soul for something better,
Only still to hunger on.

Refrain

Poor I was, and sought for riches,
Something that would satisfy,
But the dust I gathered round me
Only mocked my soul’s sad cry.

Refrain

Well of water, ever springing,
Bread of life so rich and free,
Untold wealth that never faileth,
My Redeemer is to me

Whole30 Meal Idea: Sausage and Green Beans

One of the challenges of eating clean is providing food that works for the needs of the whole family. I tend to be easy to cook for; I simply cook what I like to eat or whatever I'm in the mood for that day. The kids are not especially picky, but they do have strong opinions about what they eat.

Last week, I hit a home run with an extremely simple idea. I browned uncured sausage until it was nearly done; then I added a full bag of frozen french cut green beans to the same skillet. By the time the beans were ready, they had taken on a wonderful flavor from the sausage. I served the sausage and green beans over roasted Yukon gold potatoes to the kiddos. I did use some awesome olive oil Mom brought back from Italy on the potatoes. There's nothing like fresh olive oil!

For the perfectly Whole30 version, you could serve it with onions and cabbage, riced cauliflower, or on top of a fresh green salad.

The dish harkens back to a favorite dish from our time in China: Gan Bian Su Ji Dou. Maybe next time I fix it for Jason and me I'll bring the Sichuan heat!