Just Giddy

I have messed up in the kitchen more times than I can count.  I have worked hard only to taste my creation and be disappointed!  These disappointments stink!  I make myself eat most things, but on occasion I just can't do it!  One good thing about these disappointments is they make the successes seem much sweeter!!!!  This diet has forced me to try things and experiment with food!  My favorite recipe so far is this pot roast!  I made the roast for life group and I just had to try it before bringing it!  Once I put a bite in my mouth I jumped up and down clapping my hands and squealing like a giddy school girl!  Landry looked at me confused, then she joined in!  

Saturday was another giddy food day!  I made plantain crackers found at the paleo mom and they were delicious and easy!  I also made plantain tortillas.  I can't remember whose recipe I used.  It was a mix of two different recipes.  

Sunday was (you guessed it) another giddy food day!  I somewhat made up a recipe!  I wanted pancakes and I wanted them bad!  I have to eat a lot of food on Sunday morning, because by the time we get home from church I am STARVING!  I like the plantain recipes I have found, but they don't keep me full.  I thought, why not throw an avocado in the mix?!  I have made so many mess ups at this point, one more wouldn't be that big of a deal!  Well….. They. Were. Good!!!!  At least Landry and I thought they were yummy!  I can't promise this recipe isn't somewhere else in cyber space, but I didn't find it.  Here is the recipe.

This is what was needed

The process

The results

Here are some successes and failures from the past two weeks!

This Raspberry vinaigrette was just okay.

This was not the greatest meal!  We did not force ourselves to eat this more than once.

I did like the semi sweet treat of coconut cream with blueberries!

I tried making up a recipe and the story behind it could be an entire blog post.  It was horrible!

The first two bites weren't bad, but by the third I was gagging!  The plantain crackers hid some of the nasty!

Receiving our first quarter cow made me more excited than I could have imagined!!!  We love the Butterfield's and I am so happy we were able to support their farm!

Saturday made two complete weeks for me and the AIP diet.  I wish I could say I felt different, but I don't.  I'm still not giving up!  

I linked up this week to the AIP Roundtable!

Think about it!

"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you."
Philippians 4:8-9

This verse has played over and over in my mind lately!  It's a good verse to have on repeat!  I want my thoughts and speech to look identical to Philippians 4:3-9.  If I am thinking on things that are excellent or praiseworthy instead of listening to lies that often play in my head, then the lies will be shattered!  My heart has been broken for people who speak negatively about others, including myself when I catch myself thinking or saying things that aren't uplifting.  I catch myself doing it!  I don't even mean a literal bashing at the cost of someone else.  I am talking about subtle comments that sound as if we are concerned about the person.  We may even be concerned and usually are genuinely concerned, but the end result can still be gossip if we are not very careful.  I don't want to speak things that aren't giving life to others.  The only way to stop is to begin meditating on things that are spoken of in the verse above.  I desire to focus on things God wants me focused on.  

Maybe this is how we are broken for our sins, but not to the point of being overtaken by guilt which leads to misery. Maybe this is how we fight for joy. We have a family of believers who are fighting with us. The thoughts that begin in our minds are to be taken captive in the moment of thinking them. If they are negative towards others or ourselves they should be killed with prayer immediately.
 Is our speech
1. True?
2. It may be true but is it noble?
3. Right?
4. Pure?
5. Lovely?
6 Admirable?
If it isn't, then it shouldn't leave our mouths. It is to be killed in our minds. I think it takes practice and we may never fully meet this goal on this side of Heaven, but I want to strive to meet it. We are going to slip up, which is why I'm so thankful for grace, but I don't want to misuse grace.

A wise woman gave me some parenting tips recently.  One thing she told me was never talk about others in front of your children.  If you have a concern to share with your husband, say it in privacy.  Children begin to internalize these thoughts and think, "Others speak badly about me behind my back.  They may say nice things to me to my face, but when I am not in the room they are talking about me."  Children hear things differently and they can interpret a sincere concern for another person to be gossip.  I don't want my baby to live with the insecurities I have lived with all my life.  This is why I pray God will control my speech.  Taking thoughts captive is not just for my good, but the good of those I love.  Most importantly our speech glorifies the Lord when we learn how to stop our thoughts and check them with God's word. 

This is totally unrelated, but I just wanted to share pictures of this sweetness!

Also, just in case you are wondering, the diet is going well and not so well.  I don't feel different as of now, but tomorrow makes two weeks.  I am giving it eight.  I have cried a lot, because I have felt judged by others.  I am actually not sure anyone has judged me, but my thoughts automatically go to "others must talk bad about me."  Actually, it seems like more people have supported rather than judge.  My cousin/friend, Wade made me a special hamburger patty when we celebrated Van's birthday.  He left off seasoning, because he knew I couldn't have them.  My mother-in-law made a dish that I could eat and we also made THESE FRIED APPLES!!! Eileen has become one of my favorite food bloggers!  She makes wonderful recipes and she is so nice!  Who knew such small acts of kindness could bring tears of joy?  I am in the process of making plantain tortillas and plantain chips for a shower tonight. 

Can I do this?!!!

I am writing this as I sip on bone broth for breakfast!  You can read some of the benefits here.  I didn't make this cup of broth.  I decided to buy it from a reputable source.  Y'all!  I don't know if I can do this!  Every time I take a sip I get a little queasy. I'm not saying it's a terrible taste, because I think it would do great in recipes, but to drink… I just don't know if it is going to happen!  I am a person who will make myself eat or drink almost anything that is "healthy" for my body.  I may draw the line at broth for breakfast!  The most difficult part of the whole diet will be finding something I don't mind eating in the morning.  I am not a cereal or granola girl, but I love me a warm bowl of oatmeal with a whole banana and don't judge my pb and honey I put in my oatmeal.  It's not an unhealthy breakfast, but for the AIP, I can't have it!  So for now, I will gag like a pregnant lady, as I sip on this broth!  If I happen to become preggers during this diet, then the breakfast part of the diet will probably go out the window and I will eat whatever I can stomach!

My little personal kitchen helper:

This weeks soup was a sweet potato based soup.  I loved it, but Landry refused it!

 My bacon from US Wellness Meats arrived and it is good!  It is a little pricey, but for the next eight weeks of my life we will be using food for medicine!  I usually cannot handle bacon.  It makes me feel a little like drinking bone broth for breakfast, queasy!  This bacon didn't make me feel sick, which probably means it is something in the processed bacon from the grocery store that I can't handle.

After dinner play time

I never thought I would see a baby girl walk in my shoes!  I remember walking in my mom and grandmother's shoes as a little girl.  This is a blessing to see!  Landry is such a mover, so with the low light I couldn't get a crisp (is that the correct word) picture!

Landry likes to play with chords.  We have to watch her closely! We don't usually allow this, but I had the camera out and ready!

  

Easter

The majority of this post will be about our Easter, but I have to write down one of my favorite things in the world!!!  I LOVE when my husband walks in the door and kisses me before doing anything else.  He has a routine.  He kisses my head, washes his hands, and then sits to play with Landry!  I love it!  We also get bye kisses every day!  I'm so thankful that Landry has a daddy like Alan!

Also, this should be a three part post. It is long!

Our Easter weekend started early. We spent the WHOLE WONDERFUL week in Shreveport.  It was like a minnie vacation!

We attended the wedding of Pops and Mames:

The easter bunny came to Shreveport for Landry.  This was on a Friday afternoon.  We cheated and gave it to her early.  Who wants to wake up extra early on Sunday?  Not us!  Shhh!

We gave Missy her mothers day/birthday gift early and she LOVED it!  

 I could not pass this giant ducky up in the story! Landry loves Ducks!  She calls everything ducky!  Birds are ducky, chickens are ducky, etc.  

Aren't they beautiful?!

She liked the bubbles more than hunting eggs!

On Easter Sunday we went to church, then headed to see family!  Alan and I had the nursery, but Lis and I combined classes and the husbands went to rescue a friend who was in an automobile accident.  Mrs. Bonnie prepared the Lord's Supper for the kiddos!  She is so creative!  They had fancy plates and cups!  They loved it!  We had a blast!


  I love these two! Landry wouldn't take a picture.

In the words of my younger sisters, We are SEEESTERS!

Morgan has a ring on that left finger!  She is getting married in November!

Pictures are for the birds or duckies if you are Landry! 

These two are crazy about one another.  I know you can't tell from Landry's expression, but they really are!

I love my Hannah Nanna!

Grandpa's favorite thing to do is to tickle Landry.  He turns into the tickle monster and the grandkids think it is the funniest thing ever!

After leaving Grandpa and Mae Mae's house, we went to Landry's GREAT, GREAT Grandmother's house.  Yup you read that correctly!  I am sad that we didn't get a generation picture!

Landry with her Grandmother and Great-Grandmother!  It is still strange to think of my mom as a Grandmother.

Maw Maw Linda did a great job organizing activities.  We had an easter egg hunt for big kids (that's me) and the little ones (that's Landry)!  We also had a water balloon toss and egg race.

Cousin Henry

To heck with the little eggs!

Landry and Maw Maw!

This child is just too precious!

Grandpa and Mae Mae got Landry a HUGE easter bunny with big eyes! Daddy said it made him think of Landry!

Yes, we are in the bathroom.  The light was better. Don't judge! Ha!

And….. The best part of the day was Tucker being born!  He was born on my Grandmother's birthday!  This was Memommy's first birthday spent in Heaven and Tucker's first birthday on Earth!  Baby Tucker you are special in SOOOOO many ways!