Laurie's Everyday Notions

 My new favorite lunch? Chicken Salad! In the past I had a couple of bad habits that I've been trying to break: 1. Feeding the daycare kids crap. Although for the most part I've always been pretty good about making "healthier" choices for the kids (we avoid fruit juices and canned fruits, never have sugared cereal, etc), I was still falling back on kid-friendly (there's nothing friendly about processed foods), inexpensive and easy meals such as hot dogs, mac&cheese and frozen pizza (who doesn't love Pizza Friday?). I don't remember the last time I served the kids any of those three (except today we're having nitrate-free turkey dogs!). 2. My lunch was usually quick, if I "ate" at all. Usually I'd gobbled down a slice of pizza (or other "naughty" foods) while serving the kids and clean the kitchen. When I eat while I'm "on my feet" I have the tendency to overeat. One slice of pizza turns to three slices. I...

I grew up in small town in Iowa, just two doors down from an amazing woman. She wasn't glamorous nor did she have a job with a fancy title that required a fancy degree. She was just Madeleine; housewife, mother and Jesus-follower. I know that she loved Jesus because of the way that she loved others. Madeleine was the one who led me to Christ that summer so long ago at Vacation Bible School. She was the adult that I could have gone to if I had something that I "couldn't discuss" with my mother. I don't think I ever did but it sure was comforting knowing that there was someone that I could trust with anything. She was somebody that I could count on.  Today Madeleine is having a mastectomy. After suffering for the past years from a debilitating disease (Parkinson's) she now has breast cancer. Tears flow down my face as I think of this sweet, caring, selfless woman and the suffering that she has endured over the past years. Thoughts of "it's NOT F...

Last week I did a little craft project with the daycare kiddos. I did the first cross painting to model for the children how to create this water painted cross. As I showed them the importance of using just the right amount of water - not too much and not too little, we talked about Easter. I opened with the question, "Why do we celebrate Easter? What is it all about?" Responses varied but most had to do with the Easter bunny. Instead of getting discouraged I instead agreed with them (hold on here), "Yes, part of our celebration includes the Easter bunny. We sometimes add things to holidays to make them fun. At Christmas we have Santa and at Easter we have a bunny but......Why do we celebrate Christmas? Whose birth do we celebrate?" They all cheerfully exclaimed, "JESUS!" "Yes, Christmas is really about the birth of Jesus! Does anyone know who Easter is really about?" One boy hesitantly said, "Jesus?" "YES! It...

As I was preparing dinner the other night, hubs walked through the kitchen and saw this: and said that I needed to take a picture. Being the obedient wife that I am (only by the grace of God as obedience has always been a struggle for me), I did. There is something very satisfying in the act of preparing dishes such as this one. It's like a slow, sweet dance that I perform in my kitchen. A dance that I prefer to dance alone but one which will benefit those that I love. I lined my pan with foil, carefully placed the fish and drizzled it with oil. Next came the cutting board and my favorite knife (does everyone have a favorite knife or is this just another one of my oddities?), herbs and fruits spread across the counter top, each waiting their turn to contribute their delishishness to my dish.  First the pineapple. Top and bottom cut off for my backyard chickens to feast upon. Slicing the pineapple in half and carefully shaving off the skin so that only the sweet, juicy frui...