When I went off to college, I was, what you might call, "life-skill-impaired." Cooking consisted of food from a can or bag, heated up in the microwave. I never really knew how much money I had or needed. I ran out of clean underwear more frequently than I care to admit. Some of the most valuable things we know as adults aren't taught in a classroom, a lecture, or a sermon. This is because the most basic life skills are better learned by watching and doing. In his book, Revolutionary Parenting, George Barna tells parents, “Own a detailed vision of what your child will blossom into as an adult.” Picture your son or ...Read More
Cut the Smut: Teaching Your Son to Guard His Eyes
"Mom, can I look at this?" The answer should have been an easy yes. In an ideal world—and perhaps even in a decent world—I would be able to rest easy in my son's perusal of the Sports Illustrated magazine while he sat in the allergist's waiting room, confident in the knowledge that the sports magazine contained only...well, sports. Unfortunately, the world isn't ideal, and is drifting further and further from decent. And so I couldn't let my son flip through the magazine until I first checked every page. I finally handed it to him after neatly removing—you guessed it—a full-page picture of ...Read More
#MomFail (when you don’t live up to your expectations)
Before I became a mother, I had elaborate visions of what I wanted motherhood to look like with my own children. Don't get me wrong: my mother is amazing—which is probably one reason I felt so much pressure to be just as fabulous. My mother was and is always there for me and my brothers. She was and still is the epitome of grace and class in every circumstance. How was I supposed to live up to that? For years, society has shown us mothers in the news, magazines, and on television. They are all perfect—at least, in ways that I find I'm not. And don't even get me started on Pinterest. I am not, nor ever have been, ...Read More
Foods Homemade Taco Seasoning Mix
Not only does homemade taco seasoning mix taste better, it's a great way to avoid unnecessary and bad ingredients and also to save money. I remember the first time I was cooking for my grandma after she found out she had celiac disease. It was a family function and we were having Mexican food. Yum. I was making the meat to go along with our little Mexican Fiesta. It should be easy peasy, right? Wrong. Looking for more gluten-free resources? This Everything Gluten Free page is a library of everything gluten free we’ve worked on. I had assumed it would be as easy as picking up the ground meat, a few taco ...Read More
Mexican Fiesta Smoothie
Strawberry, lime, pineapple, and a hint of spice come together in the most delicious Mexican Fiesta Smoothie ever. It's super flavorful and very easy to make! Smoothies have become a staple in our house. They're a quick, easy way to whip up a breakfast that the kids (and parents) enjoy. My husband has recently begun major smoothie experimentation. Sometimes the smoothies are a huge hit and other times...they're a total bomb. When the kids turn their nose up at them and make a crazy face, we know it was a failure. I don't like wasting food, so I'm ready to share with you a tried and true smoothie. It's a ...Read More
3 Ways Every Parent Should Be Praying for Their Kids
Have you ever read a passage of Scripture and thought to yourself, "If this wasn't written in the Bible, I would wonder what the author was smoking"? In the past, one of those passages for me was James 5:16b-18: The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit. Why would James prop up Elijah, of all people, as an example of how ordinary people should pray? One of the fiercest, ...Read More
7 Minute Homemade Salsa
Having a Mexican fiesta? Need to kick up the wow and yum factor a little bit? Might I suggest this 7 minute homemade salsa recipe? Making fabulous homemade salsa is so ridiculously fast, easy, and so tasty you'll never want to use store-bought salsa again. Looking for more gluten-free recipes and resources? This Everything Gluten Free page is a library of everything gluten free we’ve worked on. If you know me, you know I love my Mexican food. Whether it's making chipotle-style burrito bowls, southwest beef fajita salads, pollo fiesta, or going out for Mexican—I'm in! Luke and I are a bit unconventional ...Read More
Pollo Fiesta (a.k.a. Fiesta Chicken)
I'm kinda funny about chicken. All right, I admit it. I don't really like chicken that well. I'd much rather have beef or pork. Chicken is just kinda...blah. But, if I am going to eat chicken, eating chicken with a Mexican flair, like this Fiesta Chicken, is the way to go. Chicken with homemade salsa or creamy guacamole definitely ups the yum factor. And having an easy to throw together recipe, like this one, is always a bonus for this busy mama! A few things to know before making Fiesta Chicken... I think one of the things that has turned me off to chicken is learning how they're raised. I'm not fooling, it's pretty ...Read More
