Springtime Festivities

Life just hasn't stopped for one minute to let me catch up this week. In lieu of no time, here are some picture highlights from the last few days:     

 

Every Sunday night, we have a group of friends over for dinner and hearty conversation. We've met most of them at church or college. When we get together we talk about the most recent Redemption Hill sermon. We discuss what we liked, things that didn't make sense, and the vastness of God's wisdom. We share our lives with each other and how our weeks have been. We've been doing this since December and it's just been so awesome. It's nice to have people that know and care about what's going on in my life, week in and week out.

This past week we decided to celebrate Passover for our Sunday night dinner (I wrote briefly about the history of Passover here and my mom just posted about it here!). During the Passover meal, the story of how the Jews were powerfully delivered is told. Each item on the menu symbolizes something from the story. For example, a bowl of salt water represents the Jews' tears as they cried out to God to deliver them from slavery. As Christians, we celebrated Jesus, the Lamb of God, who died as the ultimate sacrifice for sin.

"For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.  He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God." 1 Peter 1:18-21


 

Tiny thing miraculously fed us all...$18 later

I made Herb Roasted Leg of Lamb. I said many-a-prayer throughout the day as it cooked. I've never made lamb so I was a bit nervous to serve it to everybody. It ended up turning out! I tucked the recipe away for next year.

Kombucha

My kombucha was finally ready today after ten days of brewing! If you haven't been introduced to this lovely beverage, it's basically fermented sweet tea. As it ferments, the sugar gets eaten up so when it's time to drink, it doesn't leave that sugary film on your tongue. Once you bottle it up and let it sit another few days, it can become bubbly like soda. It has live cultures galore (good bacteria) so it aids in digestion and everything else that goes along with a healthy tummy. It also helps your body detox. I got my starter (SCOBY) from my sweet friend, Jess. One bottle of this stuff at the store is $3.99, so I'm pumped that I'm finally making my own and saving some cash.

yum!

The SCOBY will remain hidden...not too photogenic.

I made some chicken broth last week. I put a whole chicken and some veggies in a slow cooker for 24 hours and out pops this beautiful stuff...

Homemade Chicken Broth

The chicken broth recipe is very easy or else it wouldn't have gotten done. The best part about using a whole chicken is that I also use the meat to make other meals. We've already used it to make chicken pot pie and I'll make enchiladas tonight. Homemade broth is so different from the store bought stuff. You know it's good for you when you put it in the fridge for a day or two and it gets jiggly like jello. All the gelatin concentrated in the broth is vital for your joint/tendon, skin (your very own fountain of youth!), and hair health. It also soothes digestion and gets things moving. It also stimulates the immune system, regulates hormones, and is a natural anti-inflammatory. Got some aches and pains? Heat up some of this and drink it instead of your morning coffee and start your day off feeling well. 

Here's the recipe (from Nourishing Traditions):

• 1 whole organic pastured chicken or 2-3 pounds chicken bones with or without bits of meat, including feet and organs if you have them
• 4 quarts filtered water
• 2 T vinegar
• 1 large onion, coarsely chopped
• 2 carrots coarsely chopped 
• 3 celery sticks, coarsely chopped (Sometimes I omit if I don't have any)

I put mine in a large slow cooker and cook for 8 to 24 hours (Depending on how much time I have or when I need the broth/meat). The longer it cooks, the more nutrient-dense the broth will be.

After it's done, I fish out the chicken with two slotted spoons and take the meat off and reserve it for other meals. Sometimes I also reserve the veggies for dishes like pot pie as well.

Stovetop Directions:

1. Put chicken and/or chicken parts in a pot, add the water, vinegar and vegetables. Let sit for a half hour, then bring to a boil and remove the scum/foam that rises to the top with a spoon. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 6 to 24 hours. 
2. Remove chicken with a slotted spoon and reserve meat for other meals.
3. Strain the stock into a large bowl. Pour into mason jars or paper cups. Let the glass jars sit until they are pretty cool, then freeze or refrigerate. 

Frozen Chicken broth

I used paper cups covered with foil. I know it's not the most eco-friendly option, but I haven't built up my mason jar collection yet. 

 

DIY Pom Pom Chicks

While nannying this past week, the kids and I made these adorable little guys (get directions here!) They were pretty easy and even the 4-year-old was able to use kiddie scissors to help make the pom poms. We want to try and make bunnies today! 

DIY Pom Pom Bunny

Happy Easter!