Gratitude

Giving Thanks

  My husband told me last night he heard it said like this.  "What if you were only able to have what you gave thanks for the previous day?"

Makes me take a hard look at what I give thanks for on a daily basis.

I Break The Rules

     Give me a chance to explain why I break the rules.  We were together as a family playing mini golf and on the menu was greasy, sweet and yummy pizza.  Don't get me wrong, I love pizza.  I just can't have it all the time.  My choices that night were pizza or the celery I had in the car. I asked my husband for the keys to get my celery.  He said, "did you see the sign?   The sign clearly stated in large bold letters, NO OUTSIDE FOOD.  I said to him, I need my celery, and if they ask I will tell them why I am eating celery and drinking water tonight.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not a food snob, but when my kids sit down to eat, I want to eat too.  I'm just trying to find balance in what I eat.  

     The facts are,  I use celery, exercise and watching what I eat to help keep my high blood pressure in check.  Simple as that.  If I stop any of these things, my blood pressure goes up, jeopardizing my health.     

     I believe with all my heart that food can be medicine.  Instead of showing up to dinner with my pill box for the rest of my life, I'm trying to find balance with what I can control.  How many vegetables I eat, is under my control.  I named this blog revive.  I'm trying to help remind myself to revive what is good for me, even if I have to break the eating establishments rules sometimes.    
     Coming up with guidelines for myself has helped me find balance.  Cheers to balance. 

Spices

It is this time of year we rake leaves. . .

I clean out my spices, see what I need to restock and . . .

try new recipes.
     I have been very intrigued and curious about Indian food.   I decided to see if I could create my own Garam Masala.  You can buy this in the store, but, I just wanted to have a little bit.  I didn't measure I just added the following spices together and toasted them in a skillet with a little bit of oil.  I used it in a chickpea curry. 
cinnamon
cloves
nutmeg
pepper
cardamon
     Surprisingly, I had all these in my spice organizer. The only one that may not be in your spices is cardamon. 

     I use it to add flavor to oatmeal, rice and use it in a spice cake I make.  Now I use it to make Garam Masala.   A little bit goes a long way.  It has a strong zing, not hot spicy, but, smoky flavor to it. 
     I'm constantly learning new things about cooking, I hope this helps stir some interest into your cooking at home too.
   

Pumpkin Galore

     I love to use what I have.  Grandpa gave us pumpkins that he grew in his garden.  We carved them right before the 31st of October.  I then roasted the large pumpkin and pureed it on the next day.  This process isn't for those who don't like to get a little messy. I dove right in peeling the pumpkin skin off with my hands and using my food processor helped speed things up.  For some reason, I find great satisfaction in processing food.  Especially, when I know where the food comes from.  It feels pure, and oh, does it taste good.  I ate a whole slice of pumpkin hot from the oven, with no salt or sugar. 
   

     I made pumpkin bread and muffins and sent them to school with my son for his teachers.  I feel blessed and want to pass it on.  I snapped this photo very quickly as he was leaving for school.  Sharing just a small gesture like pumpkin bread, I hope it will speak to my children to share God's bounty and blessing with others.  I also, love the thought of getting a gift on a non holiday.  Teachers get gifts at Christmas and the end of the year.  Why not let teachers know you are thankful all year?  Why not let your family know you are thankful for them all year long with small blessings?  A personal challenge for me this year is to express that thankfulness. 
     I keep markers, paper, stickers and specialty napkins right where I make my children's lunches.  I try and send notes quotes or Bible verses with them all year long.  Confidence in my opinion is birthed from knowing that you are loved and supported.  I appreciate that my mother made me feel supported and encouraged in all my interests.         
     Revive, all things pumpkin and thankfulness. 

Sneaking Squash

     I put a yellow squash in my enchilada pie.  I used mostly squash, leftover steak pieces, olives, sauce, covered with a cornbread topping.  Nobody in my family noticed it had squash. 

       I took a very mild delicata squash and added it to my white sauce over noodles.  I have also added butternut squash to my Mexican soup. 

     I went to my daughters kindergarten classroom and read the book "Sophie's Squash."  It is about a little girl who takes the butternut squash she got a a farmers market and makes it her playmate.  She then plants "her"and waits.  Then at the end of summer gets two more playmates.  It is such a cute book.  Just like the girl in the book I'm also all about squash this time of year.  I try to incorporate it 2-3 times a week.  Acorn, butternut, delicata, spaghetti squash are also just great roasted in the oven and eaten with and pepper.  I hide them in dishes to get my family to eat them.  I find it is worth the time to roast them. 

 I love squash!  I put it on my mantle.

Fall Tea

Tea

     The smell of crisp leaves, fog and scones baking in the oven are great scents of fall.  For this special tea for my daughters teacher, I kept it simple.  Spice tea and chocolate chip scones. 
     Sitting around a table and sharing a cup of tea is a small celebration.  For this particular day we wanted to celebrate and thank her teacher.  Taking a moment for tea is warmth for the body,  it also helps me to take a moment to revive for the day. 

I'm Back To Writing

     My youngest child has gone to school and now I'm back to blogging.  Tea in the morning, tea in the afternoon.  It is quiet in the house and I feel like I can concentrate.  I'm making time for tea this fall.  I've been a stay at home mom for 13 years and love it.  Some of my other loves are being in the kitchen and writing.  Hence, I'm making time for blogging.

     Rose Hip Tea
     I have been collecting Rose Hips on my morning runs and walks.  I combine them with an already favorite tea bag and steep for 10 min.  It makes a beautiful colored tea.

The definition from the Dictionary is The ripe fruit of a rose, especially of a wild rose.
     We have many wild roses near our house.  In June the air is filled with rose scent and now in September it is time for harvest.  They seemed more plump and more visible than in years past.   I decided to give it a try and really like it.  The key is to add a tea bag, otherwise it is a little bitter.
     Cheers to Rose Hip Tea.