Vanilla Yogurt

You probably think I'm crazy, but yes I make my own yogurt...we go through so much of it in smoothies and with granola, its really easy to make, and a lot cheaper this way. It just takes a digital thermometer and some precision.

You will need:

1 gallon of milk (you can use 1% or whole, doesn't matter)

1 cup of sugar

2 T Vanilla extract

1 cup plain yogurt

Bring Milk to just under 200 degrees over medium heat, in a large pot, making sure to stir occasionally to prevent burning.

Remove from heat and stir in sugar and vanilla.

Cool to 115-120 degrees and then stir in 1 cup of plain yogurt. (You can place pot into sink filled with cold water to make the temperature decrease faster. But make sure you keep an eye on it.)

Wrap pot in a towel and set out in a warm place for about 12 hours or until completely jelled, as little as 6-8 hours you will have yogurt. If you like it more tart/tangy flavor leave it out the full 12 hours.

Photo Shoot by Jo

3 precious little blessings

Expressions are priceless...

Fun loving Silas...I love that boy!

My sweet Tia, one of my favorite shots.

This little boy, with the kissable cheeks, can't get enough of him.

I Love this one...the 3 most special men in my life...I am so blessed.

I love this pose...too bad the kids had had it by then.

Thanks Jordanna!!! Great job!!!

Oh Canada...here we are!

After one kid being covered in throw up on the ride there, stopping at Panera Bread for a bite and having another making a puddle of you know what at the check out counter and a screaming infant in need of sleep, we made it 8 hours later, so thankful to be finally there.

We had a great time, (aside from Tia being sick) Enjoy the pictures!

The ride home was far from uneventful...waiting at the border, more vomiting, traffic, traffic traffic, and rain rain rain, 10 1/2 hours later we were so so glad to be home.

At least we made passer-byers smile, amidst the frustrating traffic, as they saw this handsome boy at the wheel.

Our Goof Ball

Yup, he was all over the car.

4 Years Old!

4 years ago God blessed us with your precious life, you were and still are a boy full of energy. We love your smiles, your funny expressions, your imagination, your willingness to help. We love you so much Silas and continue to pray for wisdom to raise you to love and obey God above all.

A special lady we miss so much, she came to visit you right after you were born.

1 year old

We had so much fun at the Science Center, especially because Daddy took the day off of work!

Ever since you were very young you have always loved birthday cake and candles, one of the most exciting things for a little boy.

Grandpa and Asher enjoying the party.

One of your gifts...a farm set just like your Uncle's. Maybe this will satisfy your love for the farm for a while:o)

Busy Farming!

Happy Birthday Silas!!!

Nourishing Traditions

Do you ever wonder why disease, cancer, allergies, learning disabilities, psychological illness' are so rampant in our culture? There has to be some explanation besides the fact that sickness is a consequence of sin. I have been reading a most interesting book on nutrition, it is called"Nourishing Traditions" by Sally Fallon and Mary G. Enig, Ph.D. It is a book that challenges the popular modern day thinking that a low fat and low cholesterol diet is important in order to ward off disease, especially heart disease, one of the leading causes of death in America. It gives a very thorough explanation of how we should eat and why, with numerous historical examples, statistics, and scientific research. This book points out very strongly that much of the research found today is left out or manipulated by those in the food industry in order to promote what we know as "the healthy diet", such as low fat, no saturated fats, low cholesterol, limiting sweets, lots of fruit and vegetables. Some parts of this diet are important, such as limiting sweets and increasing consumption of fruits and vegetables however, the rest is actually harmful.

Think about what you eat on a daily basis. Do you ever think about where your food comes from or what is done to it before you eat it? What has the industrialized age done to the nutritious food God has given to us? We take the natural state of wheat for example, in short, we mess with its genetics, strip it of its nutrients, refine it, bleach it, and sell it. Granted we probably do get a better crop production, longer shelf life, delicious pastries, bread, etc, but what effect does this have on our bodies over time? Take milk for another example, God made milk whole, why do we take it and make skim milk out of it and sell it as a healthy alternative? Farmers used to regard skim milk (after making butter, cheese, cream, etc) as worthless but we now drink it by the gallons. Wasn't the fat created to be part of the milk for a reason? Another example is the egg. God made eggs with the whites and yoke in perfect proportions, but we take just the whites, bottle them up and sell it as a health food. What is cholesterol? Is it really that bad for you? What is wrong with our modern day, highly processed, refined, prepackaged, convenient foods?

Here is an excerpt from the book that I found quite convicting.

" Before 1920 coronary heart disease was rare in America; so rare that when a young internist named Paul Dudley White introduced the German electrocardiograph to his colleagues at Harvard University, they advised him to concentrate on a more profitable branch of medicine. The new machine revealed the presence of arterial blockages, thus permitting early diagnosis of coronary heart disease. But in those days clogged arteries were a medical rarity, and White had to search for patients who could benefit from his new technology. During the next forty years, however, the incidence of coronary heart disease rose dramatically, so much so that by the mid-1950's heart disease was the leading cause of death among Americans. Today heart disease causes at least 40% of all US deaths. If, as we have been told, heart disease is caused by consumption of saturated fats, one would expect to find a corresponding increase in animal fat in the American diet. Actually, the reverse is true. During the sixty year period from 1910 to 1970, the proportion of traditional animal fat in the American diet declined from 83% to 62%, and butter consumption plummeted from 18 pounds per person per year to 4. During the past eighty years, dietary cholesterol intake has increased only 1%. During the same period the percentage of dietary vegetable oils in the form of margarine, shortening and refined oils increased about 400% while the consumption of sugar and processed foods increased about 60%. (Fallon & Enig, 2001, p. 5)

As I began to read this book, I thought of all the different opinions on healthy diets (i.e. Vegan, Vegitarian, Organic, Gluten-Free, Weight-Loss), each having a persuasive argument. But you never know who is right and who should be trusted. I am thankful that I can trust in Jehovah-Jireh(Provider) and do not need to fret over the possibility of disease. However, we need to be good stewards of our bodies and make wise choices for us and our children. Living in America has many benefits but our culture affects us in more ways than we realize.

As I read this book I hope to summarize some of the important information and post it for your benefit over the next weeks and months. I hope you find it interesting. Please respond and help me make sense of it all.

Enjoying the Beach!

I love gazing out at the ocean, admiring the beauty, majesty, and power of our Almighty God, and being calmed by the ceaseless waves crashing on the shore. It was a wonderful day for the beach, warm with enough breeze to keep you cool.

A rare snapshot of Silas and Tia.

Being chased by the waves.

An intricate creation.

Beautiful.

It was a little too windy for Asher...he spent most of the time all wrapped up.

The Big Sandbox!

Admiring something...

I love you babe!

Tia loves little stones.

Taking a break after climbing the rocks.

I'm chilly Mom!