Procrastination

Hey y'all - it's me again. I've been doing what a lot of you are probably doing on a Sunday afternoon: perusing Facebook and Pinterest and maybe Instagram and Twitter. While I'm looking, especially at my neat, organized, very highly interesting Pinterest boards, I'm thinking to myself "when on earth am I ever going to have time to really make any of these crafts, bake any of these cakes, remodel my bathroom or kitchen?" And it's depressing me. Many of you are my friends on Facebook and may remember a recent tirade I posted about wanting to work part-time instead of the 40 hours per week I work now. I'm still torn. Can we afford for me to drop hours and earn less? I think we certainly could if either of us were willing to sacrifice. Sacrifice what? Mostly crap we don't need. Satellite television that we only have so we can watch every NFL game, every week. Satellite television that I hate. More shopping networks than anyone ever needs to watch. Sacrifice what? Eating out twice a week. Expensive and not always good for me. Those are a good start. So: am I procrastinating because I work more than I want to? Am I working more than I want to because someday I want to be able to do all these things like redecorate and bake all day? Let me know - I'd love to hear from some or all of you about what and why you procrastinate. What is really holding us back?

Ice cream and clean eating

They don't mix. That's what the coaches tell you. But the coaches aren't perimenopausal, overly emotional women who at any given moment may cry, thinking of a moment in their last 48.9 years of life that had no effect on them before. Now, however, twenty or thirty years later, said moment can make a person cry. And want some ice cream. Coffee ice cream. Or better yet, coffee frozen yogurt. With crushed Heath bars. And maybe some hot fudge. Is there any in my house, or even in my town? No. There is not. Clean eating people will tell you that frozen bananas blended with cocoa and almond milk taste like a Wendy's frosty. These people are liars. Dirty liars. It does not, and it's even farther from the true product when mixed with plain Greek yogurt. Horrid. I am doing my best to eat as cleanly as possible, to follow the rules of consuming food for nutritional purposes and in their whole, natural form as much as possible and to avoid sweeteners in any form and bread in any form as much as possible. Tonight, I just can't stomach one more lettuce leaf, one more mouthful of quinoa or raw cashews or Swiss chard or raw vegetables. I can't. Tonight, I want ice cream flavored like coffee or salted caramel or sweet corn with black raspberries and whipped cream on top with roasted, salted nuts.

Dinner. Every night.

Every night, we have to eat dinner. Well, we don't really HAVE to, I guess, but we do. When the pantry is getting low and I have to really put on my chef hat, I can usually come up with something fairly edible. I'll admit that while I was putting tonight's creation together, I was optimistic , but when I took it out of the oven and sliced into it, I was a bit less optimistic. My dear husband dove in first and stated that it was good, so I can now share with you all. Chicken and black bean enchilada casserole, at your service. 2 cans chicken breast meat in water 1/2 tsp cumin 1 tsp garlic powder 1 can green (verde) enchilada sauce 1 can diced tomatoes with green chiles 1 8-oz block Monterey Jack cheese, shredded or grated 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed 1 package corn tortillas 2 avocados, diced 3-4 heaping tablespoons plain Greek yogurt Juice of 2 limes 2 tsp chili-lime seasoning Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste First thing I did was make the avocado sauce: in a small bowl, combine the diced avocados, lime juice, chili-lime seasoning, Greek yogurt and salt and pepper and mix with hand mixer until smooth. Set aside or refrigerate at least an hour to allow flavors to mingle. For the casserole, once the avocado sauce is mingled and meshed, cover bottom of a 9x11 pan with half of the enchilada sauce. Layer 6 tortillas (assuming they're the small size - I've never seen large corn tortillas in a store) over the enchilada sauce. Mix chicken (drained), cumin and garlic powder together and layer half the chicken mixture over tortillas. Cover with half the beans, half the canned tomatoes and a third of the shredded cheese. Place 6 more tortillas over top, cover with remaining enchilada sauce, remaining chicken, beans, tomatoes, a third of the avocado sauce and a third of the cheese. Top with remaining tortillas, another third of the avocado sauce and remaining cheese. Place in 375* oven and bake for 45-50 minutes. Let the casserole sit for about ten minutes before serving. I paired it with refried beans (I know, I know) and shredded lettuce, diced cucumber and Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced scallions and shredded cheese. Let me know what you think and how you might vary the recipe!

Livin' in a Small Town

I'd just like to shout out another gratitude post about living in a small town. I love being able to go to a local festival or high school football game or pizza place and catching up, even if only for ten minutes, with friends I haven't seen in a while. I love being able to walk to the library or antique store or local historical society. I love knowing the local police officers and firefighters and feeling fairly safe. I may love to travel to big cities and to the beach (Lord, how I love the beach) or to the mountains, but I'll always come back here to my little town and see familiar faces at the grocery or the farmers' market or the pharmacy. I love living in a small town.

My Very Personal Story, for all the young ladies of today

Today I am writing to beg you to help the young girls of today. The 20somethings. This is a topic we should all be concerned about. Our young ladies of today are losing a battle they don't even know they are in. These beautiful women have lost their way. Or maybe they haven't ever found it. Or perhaps we are not teaching them what they need to know. Or, maybe, they see us not living our lives the way God intended us to and they are actually learning from us. Whatever the case, we need to help them find themselves. I'm going to share a story of my own. It is factual. It happened to me. The worst absolute HELL I have ever lived, is the BEST thing that ever happened to me.

When I was young, in my early 20s I married a very sweet man. Unfortunately, I married him for the wrong reasons. About 4 years in, I realized I had made a terrible mistake. I was young. I wanted to play. It broke my heart, and I say this honestly - it was HARD to do - but I left him. A few years later, I met the Devil himself. He was good - he told me what I wanted to hear. He was "fun". I married him, even though I knew he had already cheated. For ten years, T E N, he cheated, lied, put me down, was mentally and a few times even physically abusive, and was the absolute worst choice I had ever made. One day, I met my friend Janet. Janet was the most amazing, beautiful person I have ever known. For a few months, Janet watched, listened to me cry, saw what he was doing, and took it all in. Then she started asking me what I was doing. It took over a year but finally I was done. I was starting to see the truth. I decided it was time. I had to go. (We had a 5 year old son at the time.) But how. How was I going to make it without him. How was I going to survive. And why. Why wasn't I good enough. Why didn't he love me enough to want to be good to me. (These were real thoughts my friends.) I couldn't leave because I hadn't changed him. One afternoon, I was laying on my couch sobbing, literally unable to pack my things. Unable to move. Janet came over and gave me THE GIFT. It changed my life. It was my bible. She said it would change me. She said it was going to get me through. She told me I was beautiful. That I deserved better. And more. She told me that Jesus loved me, and that she loved me. And she helped me pack my bags . She helped me decorate my apartment. She took care of my son when I was weak, and she kept on talking the talk. Showing me, through her love, that Jesus did not want me to be with that man. Telling me that He would bring the right one into my life when I was ready.

It was a long road. I went back to him. More than once. Then it happened. I hit the bottom. Rock. Bottom. The weakest I have ever been. Laying on the sidewalk, in the rain, in the cold, sobbing and begging him. Asking him why he was doing this to me AGAIN. Then I heard it. I. Heard. HIM. (I'm crying as I type this - it was that amazing, and real. I still cry.) I heard "GET UP. GET UP." And so began my next, and best, relationship. Me and Jesus. I started counseling with a woman who was my next gift. Every time I went to her and said "but he said" or "but he did", she would look in my face and say "SO WHAT". Ouch. But I started to learn - it didn't matter what he did. He only affected my life when I let him. He only upset me, when I let him. He only hurt me, when I gave him the power. I started telling myself, everyday, often multiple times a day, I AM GOOD. I DESERVE GOOD. I AM BEAUTIFUL. I DESERVE BEAUTIFUL. GOD ONLY WANTS GOOD FOR ME. And then, one day, I BELIEVED it all.

I surrounded myself with amazing, beautiful, strong, Godly women. Positive influences. Women who know - God is good all of the time. Women who sent me cards with Bible verses or positive inspiration. I started looking for the good things. Living the positive life. That is when I found love. I found Jesus' love. I found personal love - love of myself. And I found TRUE LOVE. I found my Jason. Actually, he was given to me. My gift from God.

Ladies (and gentlemen, if you're listening too), please. I beg of you. We have to start teaching our girls - love of self. Abusive relationships are NOT RIGHT. Drugs are NOT RIGHT. They are NOT where you are MEANT TO BE. You are beautiful women - you need to say it everyday. I AM GOOD AND I DESERVE GOOD. You will not die without him. YOU WILL THRIVE!!!!!! I promise you! YOU CANNOT CHANGE HIM - you were not born with that power!!!! YOU ARE NOT THE PROBLEM  (except that you are allowing this to be your life). FIND THE POSITIVE THAT WORKS FOR YOU. Find the love of Jesus! Or if you're not a believer, find WHAT MAKES YOU FEEL WHOLE. Something good for your soul.  

GIRLS - LISTEN TO MY WORDS -

"G E T  U P"

Gratitude

I just want to say I'm really glad it's Friday!

Sausage and peppers, what could be better?

I'll get to the sausage and peppers in a minute, in my round-about way, of course. So last night, my husband and I took a short bicycle ride to the park near us to see what's moving in for the weekend - this weekend is a biggie in our little village. Steam Show!! Hundreds of antique tractors and steam engines running all kinds of old and new farm equipment. A huge parade on Friday night that lasts a good hour and a half or so, fair food (yep), sights and sounds galore. Our grandsons, ages 2 1/2 and 1 1/2 are really going to make it wonderful for us this year - those boys LOVE tractors. And trucks. I'm sure I'll hear "Nana, yook at dat tractor" at least 5,000 times, and that's ok. And are they going to be in seventh heaven this weekend. So since there will be fair food, and since I'm trying really hard to NOT cheat on my Clean Eating Challenge lifestyle change, I had to find a way to crush my craving for sausage and peppers. I gotta say - it's one of my all-time favorites. I found clean chicken sausage in different flavors at one of our local Amish-style markets and bought a package of the apple-chardonnay flavored links and let me tell ya, I hit it out of the park. My husband and I devoured this dish! Simple, tons of veggies, clean buns from that whole-paycheck market (they were worth the splurge), a bit of clean Parmesan cheese grated on top, and supper was delicious! Here's a recipe that'll take you to the fair, the Steam show, a parade, or wherever you want to be this summer! Sausage and Peppers, Clean Eating Style: Serves 4 1 package clean chicken sausage - 5 links (no preservatives, no sugar added, no chemicals or added minerals - read label!) 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil 1 tsp butter 1 medium red onion, sliced or diced - however you want 1 green bell pepper, sliced or diced 2 Roma tomatoes, diced 2 tsp tomato paste (I never buy cans anymore - only tubes - they're clean and contain only tomatoes and you only use what you need) 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar dash each dried oregano, dried basil and dried rosemary salt and pepper to taste 1 Ezekiel bun per person, toasted in toaster or in skillet In a 12-inch skillet, sear chicken sausage on all sides then remove from pan and slice into buttons. Add olive ol and butter to skillet and when butter is melted, add onion and green pepper and cook until slightly softened. Add diced tomatoes and paste and cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring often. Add tomato paste, stir into veggies and then add red wine vinegar to deglaze pan. Add sausage buttons back in and cook until heated through, stirring often. Make sure when you're stirring you don't crush the onions and peppers - you want them to have some substance to them. Serve sausage and peppers on toasted buns, dusted with grated fresh Parmesan. This is a knife-and-fork sandwich - but you can certainly try to pick yours up if you're so inclined. I served these with some roasted redskin potatoes and iced tea and felt like my next move should be either the tilt-a-whirl or a big bag of kettle corn! I hope you're enjoying our Fivesisters65to78 blog! Please follow us by email, google+ and on Pinterest (wrightsisters).

Near Perfect Summer Nights

My father lives in Piqua on this amazing plot of land that is the perfect place for a cookout. You can see the Great Miami River from his front yard. His fenced in back yard is home to chickens, and ducks, and roosters. His home....oh this glorious, big, old brick farmhouse. It's lovely. Every July, the weekend following the 4th, Dad's neighbor sets fof fireworks, and from my Dad's house, the view is spectacular. (Ok, well, this year the trees were a tad taller than last year, but we could still see and hear them.) Dad and his wife Nancy invite us for a cookout every year to watch the show.

For some reason, this year, miracle of all miracles, almost everyone was able to come! We were missing a few, but this night, to me, is what I consider a near perfect summer night. Nothing makes me happier than to see my sisters and their families, all together in one place, laughing and enjoying each other's company. I get more joy from watching "the boys"  running around, playing with the chickens, getting dirty, and making memories. For those who don't know who "the boys" are, they would be the absolutely precious, funny, beautiful, smart, silly and seriously perfect great grandsons. We have 2 three (almost four) year olds, a two year old, a one year old, and a six month old. All boys. And this year, we've been blessed to add a nine year old boy to the mix. A niece's boyfriend's son. He's ours now. :) 

I cannot put into words the joy I get from watching these boys grow. They make me laugh so much. They brighten my days. My heart is full of so much love for these boys. I love their parents like they are my own kids, and to me, being a great aunt is THE best title ever!! As I said before - love is my gift. God has given me a lover's heart. And I'm pretty sure the little ones get it - last night, as I was coming out of the house, some of the older nieces were calling my name, they said one of the three year olds had something for me - I turned around and he was standing there with a bouquet of fresh, hand-picked flowers!! 

When we arrived for the festivities, as we were setting up the tables and prepping the food, we realized that we had 4 side dishes (2 potato salads, a Mac salad, and some cowboy caviar {I will post a recipe for this shortly}) and A TON of desserts. This my friends, is how the Wrights throw a party!! Peach pie. Berry Cobbler. Blueberry Zucchini Bread (Lisa, please post your recipe because it was FABULOUS!). Dirt Pudding, for the boys of course haha. Strawberry Delight. Black Bean Brownies (Jenni - are you a guest post-er yet???)  All made in the kitchens of the Wright girls! 

Seriously, for real, my cup runneth over.  Onto the table. And the floor. 

Black Raspberries Make Me...

Happy. Very happy. So happy, I think I'll bake something delicious with the ones my incredible husband went to a local berry farm and PICKED for me this morning while I was saving lives. That's a bit dramatic. I was at work doing a couple 'emergency' surgeries. More about 'emergencies' at a later date.

Anyway - how about a mixed berry cobbler on a warm summer night? I think we'll have some tonight. This recipe is easy peasy lemon cheesy. Only there's no cheese. Ooh. But there could be. I'll play with it and see what I come up with in the future.

Here ya go!

Mixed Berry Cobbler

  3 cups mixed berries, washed and patted dry (raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, whatever)
  1/2 cup honey  plus 1 Tbsp honey, divided
  Juice of half a lemon
  3 Tbsp cornstarch
  1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
  1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  4 Tbsp butter, cut into cubes
  3/4 cup heavy cream or whole milk

Place berries, lemon, cornstarch and 1/2 cup honey in a bowl, stir together and let sit for 15-20 minutes.

In a separate bowl, stir together flour and baking powder and cut in butter with a pastry blender until mixture forms pea-sized pieces. Stir in cream or milk and remaining 1 Tbsp honey and stir into dry mixture to form a soft dough. Place berries in a buttered dish and drop dough by spoonfuls over top of berry mixture.

Bake at 350* for 55-60 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly. Serve with ice cream or cold heavy cream or milk.

Let me know what you think!!
 

Hope and Sunshine

I tried to post a picture this morning but it didn't post so this evening I am posting a few inspirational thoughts for y'all. Be happy and be blessed friends. Thank you for reading!


There is nothing wrong with loving the crap out of everything. Negative people find their walls. So never apologize for your enthusiasm. Never. Ever. Never.        (Ryan Adams)

"A person who has good thoughts cannot ever be ugly. You can have a wonky nose and a crooked mouth and a double chin and stick-out teeth, but if you have good thoughts they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely.”     (Roald Dahl)

John 12:46. I have come into this world as light so that no one who believes in me shall remain in the dark. 

Living the Positive Life

 When I wake up in the morning, every morning, before my feet touch the floor, I am thankful. I thank God for everything I have ever had. I thank him for the hard times. I thank him for the losses, because it means I was blessed to have had something I felt strongly enough about, to feel pain when it was lost. I'm thankful for the wins, and the things that didn't work out the way I wanted them. I am thankful for my gifts - and by gifts I mean the talents I possess. I acknowledge that my way is not always His will. I then tell God - I am open to receive more good things. And God always brings me more. I have learned that stress only breeds worry only breeds negativity only breeds seeking the negative things. When you look for and expect negative things, you will only see the negative things. 

So I challenge you today (who doesn't love a good challenge??) to only see the positive side of your day. ONE day. Today. Be thankful you have a job that brings home some money. Be thankful you have a house (even if it isn't a perfect and beautiful castle - and trust me I can say this one! If you've ever seen my house, you know I am qualified to tell others to be thankful for theirs haha. I am truly thankful for my "ugliest house in town"). Be thankful for the illness, or the muscle aches, or the poor vision, because you're still alive to feel these things. Be thankful for the traffic jam - it may have saved you from being in an accident. Be thankful that this place we are in is only temporary, and we have the freedom to change our situation. I challenge you to ask for ALL GOOD THINGS to come to you! I challenge you to BELIEVE! 

I am thankful for you all!!!

Summer days gone by

I'm lying in bed, watching NatGeo's "The 90's: The Last Great Decade?", and I'm thinking. Reminiscing. Remembering summers of the 90's when my kids were growing. You know how we adults are always saying how we miss holidays when our kids were small and what fun Christmases were and Easters with little ones running all around, making noise, making a mess? Well, I miss summertime with my children.

We are fortunate enough to have lived in a quiet, older neighborhood within walking distance of our village park and swimming pool. When I say 'walking distance', I mean I can see the big kid baseball diamond and the diving board of the pool from my front yard. It's that close. When my kids were young, in those summers of the late 1990's, I waited tables at a local restaurant to supplement our income and could basically choose my hours. So, in the summer, when the oldest child could handle cereal bowls for the younger three, I'd work the early shift and be home by 11am, which meant the middle two were likely still sleeping. I'd round them all up, feed them lunch, wait the obligatory 30 minutes past mealtime and we'd walk down the street to the pool.

A pool pass for all six of us had already been purchased, back in the spring, so one of the kids could sign us in, I'd carry the cooler full of juice boxes and cheese balls for snack time and we'd settle in for a good four hours of sun and fun.

I really miss all that. I miss the shout of the nine year old as he executed a perfect cannonball to impress his dudes. I miss the vanity of the thirteen year old who 'just washed my hair and I'm not ruining it'. I miss chatting, comparing recipes and yes, gossiping with their friends' moms, most of whom I'd gone to school with myself. I miss the four and six year-olds falling asleep on their Little Mermaid and Lion King beach towels after playing Marco Polo for a solid 45 minutes. And I miss those grownup moments of solitude during rest periods when adults could get in the pool for a solid 15 minutes without fear of getting splashed, jumped on or shoved aside by screaming, shouting kids.

I loved those summer days, when we'd come home and meet my husband as he pulled in the driveway from work, all of the kids vying for his attention to tell him who they played with, who they saw, who tripped and scraped a knee or an elbow. Evenings back then were spent grilling hamburgers and hot dogs, playing in the yard, chasing lightening bugs and fighting off mosquitoes, just like evenings are these days. Only now, when our kids stop by in the evening, eventually they head out to their respective homes and we're here alone, just the two of us, and talk usually turns to those summers past. We both work full time and have to get to sleep earlier and don't see near as many fireflies or mosquitoes.

But we remember, and miss those times and pray that our kids have just as many pleasant memories of their small town summers.

Shakin' Up My Breakfast

Good morning everyone - for those of you who try to remain healthy in this crazy, eat-crap-bacause-it's-easier, world we live in, here's an easy, quick, and oh so delicious breakfast shake I make a few times a week. Remember, I don't measure - I do it all to taste!

5ish ice cubes
Vanilla Almond Milk (or whatever milky type substance you choose) - about a cup
2 tbsp peanut butter (or whatever nut substance you choose)
1/2 frozen banana or berries 
1-2 tbsp honey 
A shake or 2 of cinnamon

Blend with your handy dandy blender :) ENJOY!

(I add a scoop of Slim Fast vanilla shake powder and a tsp or 2 of flax seed powder to mine because it's what I do. The idea is to add what you need or desire! It's really delicious. My hubby even likes them and he's funny about stuff! You can add more liquid if you want it less thick.)

Crispy Flavorful Delicious Asparagus (Grill)

How's about 2 recipes this morning? Lori added hers and here's mine! (By the by, just so you know, I NEVER measure ingredients. I fly by sight. So I'm going to guess but it will work! I promise!)

Grilled (Or sautéed) Asparagus

1 bunch of asparagus
2-3 tbsp. Olive Oil
Some spray butter (I Can't Believe It's Not Butter is what I use)
  *OR 1 tsp. butter, melted
Grated Parmesan cheese

Snap or cut off the bottom inch or so of your asparagus. Pour the olive oil in a large (gallon) zip lock bag, squirt in a few spritzes of the butter (or pour in the melted butter), toss in the asparagus and shake it around until coated. Fire up your grill and let it heat up for a few minutes. I use a grill pan that has holes in it so the flame actually comes through - dump the coated asparagus in the grill pan and throw it on the grill. After about 4 minutes, toss the asparagus around and then grill for about 4 more minutes. Once the asparagus is done, remove from the heat and sprinkle on the grated cheese. Enjoy!

The grill flames add a crispy coat on the outside of the asparagus, and the salt and butter give it a sweet flavor that is unbelievable! (My 15 year old son LOVES this!!!)

(If you don't have a grill, you can do this on the stove. Just toss it in a pan on medium heat and toss it around for about 7-8 minutes. You want the asparagus to still have some crisp to it. No one wants mushy asparagus! EW! (Garlic salt, or lemon and pepper, can be used also for different flavors.)

Easy Vinaigrette Dressing

How's about another recipe? Tonight I made a simple vinaigrette for our dinner salads. Simple and really yummy, and of course, clean! Tangy and lemony with a hint of spice, it's so easy to whisk together. I hope you enjoy!

Celery Seed Vinaigrette

  2 Tbsp Red Wine vinegar
  1 Tbsp Raw Honey
  Juice of half a Lemon
  1/2 tsp Celery Seed
  Teeny tiny pinch Crushed Red Pepper
  Dash Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper
  2 Tbsp Olive Oil

Place the first six (or are the salt and pepper two, which makes it seven?)
ingredients in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until all the
ingredients are well combined. Immediately pour over salad greens and
serve.

You could add a little grated Parmesan cheese if you'd like. This can also
be a great marinade for chicken breasts.

A Hello & An Intro from Mandy

Hi, I'm Mandy, the youngest sister. Like Lori said, that designation doesn't mean much most of the time--except when we do something like start a blog together based on the fact that we're five sisters--and then it seems important to mention. Now that we're all adults and even most of their kids (I don't have any) are adults, well, it doesn't always matter as much!

A little bit about me: I'm in Southwest Virginia attending grad school at Virginia Tech, where I'll write my dissertation on communication in the architecture/engineering/construction industry (to be very brief about that). Other possible blog topics for me: I've been interested in food (making it and eating it, of course, but also food as culture, food politics and policy, food production, etc.) for all of my adult life. I've been married for 5 years; I went to high school with my husband (and we even had mutual friends and activities), but we didn't meet (at a mutual friend's birthday party) and start dating until we were 28.

I'm also the one on this blog whose contributions may include thoughts on things like belly dance, yoga, and kung fu. I love good beer, good music (particularly if it's played live and I can dance to it), and seeing as much as I can of the world right outside my doorstep and far beyond.

And since I'm interested in having some kind of "unified online presence," go ahead and take a look at:

My professional website (which needs updated);

Follow me @wrightcron on twitter, where I follow, tweet, and retweet about rhetoric, education, food, philosophy, politics, belly dance and hip hop dance, kung fu, yoga, beer, ... ;

and/or @the_mandohlin on Instagram, where I'm trying my hand at #100happydays;

and more to come (a YouTube channel--as TheMandohlin, maybe a Pinterest page, and contributions to my kung fu school's new website, for sure).

I also like parentheticals. My use of dashes and parentheses might make you dizzy, dear reader. Let's hope not.

Cheers!

Tap, tap, tap - is this thing on?

Hey folks - just checking to make sure we can now post individually so you know who's talkin'!! This is great, because we have some cousins and a couple daughters we'll be having post as guests in the future - they're excellent cooks, seamstresses, party planners, crafters and the like. We have one gal cousin who is a gluten-freebie and we're planning on asking her for some advice in that arena. We're so excited! I know I am, anyway, and really looking forward to spreading the word about things we love!! Out for now - Lori

Good morning! I am Jodi and I'm daughter #4.  I have a passionate love for all things. I love life. I love family. And above all else, I love that God gave me the gift of LOVE. I am a photographer and, of course, I love it! I have a 15 year old son (Tanner) and am married to an amazing and sweet man. He is the LOVE of my LIFE. For real. I  am blessed beyond words. In every aspect of my life. I am so excited to be doing this blog with my sisters. You will soon see that they are amazing, beautiful, fun, and talented women! Welcome to our world!!

I think I'll start us off with a Clean Eating Recipe

I need a snack, and it needs to be on the sweet side. I'm currently participating in a Clean Eating Challenge at my gym, so it also has to be clean - no white flour, no white sugar, no preservatives. Solution? Cinnamon Crisps and Fruit Salsa. I modified the following recipe from SpendWithPennies.com and made it clean with fresh fruit, honey, fresh mint from my garden and whole grain tortillas, cinnamon and Stevia granules. Hope you all love it!!

Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Crisps Made Clean!

Salsa:
   1 Gala or Pink Lady or whatever kinda apple you like.
   1 Cup fresh strawberries, hulled
   1/2 Cup fresh red raspberries
   1 or 2 kiwi, peeled 
   Juice of one lemon
   1 to 1/2 Tbsp local honey (raw honey is best for Clean Eating)
   1-2 tsp fresh mint leaves, finely diced I'm lucky enough to have this growing all over the dang     place, so I can just go out and pluck some off. If you don't have it, it's ok. Don't sweat the small stuff. It just adds a little "I don't know what", as the French say.

Crisps:
  2 or 3 100% whole grain tortillas
  2 Tbsp butter - check your labels and make sure there's nothing in your butter but cream and maybe some salt.
  Ground cinnamon
  2 packets or 2-3 tsp Stevia granules

For the Salsa, just finely dice all the fruit and mix it together. I have a fabulous thingy from The Pampered Chef (trademark - I don't know how to add those things in yet) and it works wonders for the dicing and the mixing-all-together if you don't feel like chopping. But sometimes chopping is therapeutic, so have at it. Add in the honey and diced mint leaves and mix it all up.  Place in a pretty bowl and stick it in the fridge for an hour or so to chill and let the flavors meet each other and mingle.
While that stuff is mingling, place the tortillas on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and heat your oven to about 350*. Melt the butter in the microwave and brush the tops of the tortillas. Sprinkle them with ground cinnamon and the Stevia granules. Using a pizza cutter or a sharp knife, cut the tortillas into wedges. Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for about 10-15 minutes. Check them after about 8 minutes and peek every few to make sure they're getting crispy but not burning. Take them out of the oven, let them cool for about 5-10 minutes.

Dip those crispy, sweet triangles of goodness into the fruit salsa and DON'T FEEL GUILTY. 
You're going to love them, and you're getting at least a serving of fresh fruit and one serving of whole grains. If you share. If you don't share, you're getting a days' worth of fruit and grains, but you're still ok.

Hope you enjoy!!

Welcome to our blog!

Hey out there - welcome to our blog! We are 5 sisters from good old Central Ohio who have a lot to say, a lot to share, and a lot to be thankful for! Check back in a few days and we'll have some great stuff to share with you - recipes, kid-friendly crafts and travel ideas, money management, college funding ideas, our favorite books - you'll see! Here's a little about each one of us!

Lori - Hi! I'm the eldest, but in this group, that doesn't count for much unless the other 4 are telling me I'm older than they are! I love to cook, read and bake. I'm a Operating Room Nurse, mother of four great young adult kids, Nana for two gorgeous little boys, and wife of one great dude. I love cottage-style decor, despise cleaning day with a passion, and would love to travel for a living!