Junior's Story...Part II

Read the first part of Junior's Story HERE

After a grueling pregnancy, mostly spent on bed rest, and a loss in the family (not to mention a devastating diagnosis for another close family member), we were beyond ready for the joy of meeting our beautiful little boy. Following an uncomplicated labor and delivery, Junior was finally here.

"Something's Not Right"
All babies in California must be given a newborn hearing screen before their release from the hospital. At 12 hours old, a nurse came in to test Junior. He didn't pass, but she assured me they had tested too early, and he probably still had residual fluid in his ears from the birth. After all, "everyone passes". The next day, before discharge, another nurse tested him. Again, he failed. We endured two more failed tests in the following weeks, before we met with a pediatric Ear, Nose, and Throat specialist who commented that Junior's ears were, indeed, filled with fluid and that the issue should resolve itself within the next few months. So we waited. Hopeful, yet guarded.

The Diagnosis
After a follow-up with the ENT determining his ears were clear of fluid, 3-month old Junior had one more hearing test. After no brain activity or nerve function was detected in the presence of sound, he was diagnosed as being profoundly deaf. Immediately, my world came crashing down. This child who was supposed to be a healer, supposed to be the catalyst for healing in a still-grieving family, would likely never hear my voice, or be able to speak that he loves me. That day was a whirlwind of emotions. Anger, sadness, fear, regret, frustration...I was completely overwhelmed in every way possible. 

The Aftermath     
I was very low for the next few months. Depressed isn't even the right word. I questioned God's sovereignty. I questioned His plan. I questioned His love. But, at the same time I dug deeper into Him than I ever had before, because I had no where else to go. 
He taught me that I needed to love our little boy, despite his being imperfect in the eyes of the world, because all of us are imperfect and flawed, but God loves us completely anyway.
He also taught me that true joy is in Him, and not in my circumstances. 
Soon, I had a peace that everything would be okay. That I would soon see God's glory in the life of my son.

Read the last part of Junior's Story Here!

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My Favorite Things at Trader Joes: Frozen Entrees

Ohhhh the frozen aisle of Trader Joes. Not only is it packed with delicious meals, but the top of the shelves are lined with all sorts of sweet, chocolatey, sugary, how-come-they-always-go-straight-to-my-hips treats.

But, today, I'm only focusing on the Frozen Entrees. Please chime in with your favorites as well!

Stinker loves these turkey corn dogs for lunches. The corn battering is sweet and crispy and it's nitrate free!

These pasta dishes are my pick for a quick lunch. Well, once I pick every single nasty little cherry tomato out of the vegetable pasta. I love salsa and spaghetti sauce, but raw or chunks of cooked tomato are just icky. My husband feels the same way. I think that's the real reason he married me.

These burritos are delicious. But, a word of caution--don't cook them in the microwave, cook them in the oven, otherwise the tortillas get hard.

These handmade pizzas taste great. But, they are a little on the small side, so there definitely aren't any leftovers like we would get with a homemade pizza.

We enjoy these chicken skewers. They say "marinated chipotle", but they don't have an overly Mexican vibe. In fact, I usually serve them with pita, veggies, and rice pilaf!

See my favorite things from other sections at Trader Joes:
Snacks and Chips
Refrigerated

Weekly Menu-March 24-March 30

These amazing refried beans? My black bean recipe using pintos and mashed up!

I've come a long way in my culinary pursuits. I still have a scar on my right hand, ever immortalizing the great "Frozen Taquito Incident of 1997". Apparently there are burners on top of the inside of the oven. Who knew? 

As a child I would eat plain cheeseburgers, plain noodles, and plain cheese pizza. And not much else. Luckily, I have come a long way in my tastes. Yesterday I made a spinach and mushroom lasagna....two ingredients, had I been forced to eat 10 years ago, probably would have killed me. Now, I love them. I have also branched out to try sushi (eh, raw fish will never be my thing), salmon (it's Stinker's favorite meal!), and blue cheese (sorry, but I go out of my way to avoid moldy cheese, not eat it). I'm open to trying almost any food now. So, there is hope for your little picky eaters! Your chicken nugget connoisseur may grow up to love mushrooms and sushi!

Stinker has been hating on cheese lately. Don't ask me why. I cannot claim to understand why she does what she does. But, she got black beans and fruit when everyone else had lasagna last night. She missed out!

Sunday
Spinach and Mushroom Lasagna
French Bread

Monday
Black Bean Burritos
Avocado, Salsa, and Chips

Tuesday
Leftover Lasagna

Wednesday
Black Bean Quesadillas 
Green Salad

Thursday
Lentil Soup 
Biscuits

Friday
Homemade Pizza (toppings TBD)
Green Salad

Saturday
Attending a Wedding

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Junior's Story...Part I

My then-3 year old daughter, painted this picture of our soon-to-be-completed family several weeks before our son was born. We had a beautiful daughter, and were expecting a precious little boy. Life was good. We could not wait to welcome our son, and counted down the days to when he would make his grand appearance. Little did we know that his arrival would flip our lives upside down.

The Pregnancy 
I found out I was pregnant on a Sunday in September. While a planned pregnancy, I cried when I found out, only because I knew what I was going to expect. Among other issues, I had severe morning sickness all 40 weeks with my daughter (well, 39, as she decided to vacate a week early, probably out of pity for me.) Imagine the worst food poisoning you've ever had...then imagine suffering through it for 24 hours a day for 8 and a half months. I still shudder to think about it. Sure enough, about 5 weeks into my pregnancy, the morning sickness started. It was intense and unwavering, but not nearly as bad as with my daughter when I had lost 15 pounds, so I knew it was going to be a boy. 

While praying for my children one night, God placed on my heart that this baby was going to be a "healer." I didn't know what that meant, but kept it in my heart. 

At 11 weeks pregnant I started spotting, and was put on bedrest. The first week wasn't so bad...no cleaning, (vacuuming was especially prohibited), and people bringing meals...but then the weeks turned into months. I had an active and energetic 3 year old at home who couldn't understand why Mommy couldn't play with her. Frustration began to set in.

Soon after Christmas we confirmed our baby was indeed a boy. Three days later, my mother-in-law passed away suddenly and unexpectedly. We were all grief-stricken, but the words "this baby will be a healer" popped into my head. Perhaps this boy was going to heal our family from our great loss. 

Junior's Arrival
We worked through the next few months, until finally, I went into labor. (After 24 weeks of bedrest, I was off for one measly week, then put back on for high blood pressure until delivery, so it couldn't have come soon enough!) After 5 hours of labor and three pushes, Junior was finally here. He was beautiful. Perfect. Precious. 

That night, the nurses came in to perform a few routine tests. I was not prepared for the results, and suddenly our entire world changed...

Be Sure to Read the Second Part of Junior's Story Here...

Weekly Menu--March 17-23, 2013

 

Oh how I love Spring. I love the "lighter later" seasons because I can go for a run after dinner and I feel like I get more accomplished when the sun doesn't go down until after 7pm. I made the nachos pictured above last week. We're not having them again, they just look delicious and I was hungry writing this post. 

Junior has had a lot of therapy appointments and follow up appointments after his surgery last month, so I've been a bad saving-money-blogger person. We've been eating out for lunch faaaaar too often the last few weeks, and that's going to stop this week! (Not counting today when we got In-N-Out on the way home from therapy.) But, I hope to plan ahead for our lunches and pack them, as opposed to stopping between appointments the rest of the week.

Sunday, 3/17

Meatball Sandwiches

Potato Chips

Fruit

Monday, 3/18

Spaghetti and Meatballs

Green Salad

Tuesday, 3/19

Mushroom and Steak Sandwiches

Fresh Fruit

Wednesday, 3/20

Greek Salad with Creamy Feta Dressing

Warm Flatbread

Thursday, 3/21

Black Bean and Rice Bowls with Avocado

Sauteed Bell Peppers

Warm Tortillas

Friday, 3/22

Mushroom Pizza

Green Salad

Saturday, 3/23

Leftovers

Browse all my family favorite recipes HERE

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My Favorite Things at Trader Joes: Snacks and Chips

Once a week when I was younger, my dad and I would sit in the living room, munch on "Little Fishies" (aka Goldfish) and have a Wonder Years party. I think my fondness for snacks stems in part from this experience; quality time with my dad. Wednesday nights were almost sacred, and he never forgot to pick up Little Fishies on his way home from work so we could watch our favorite show with our favorite snack. (Except once he got plain instead of cheddar, and ew.) 

Growing up, when I would ask for a snack, my mother would direct me to the refrigerator for fruit. Really? Fruit was not an acceptable snack in my opinion. It lacked the saltiness and crunch and overall satisfaction that I used to equate with snack foods. Now, I've come a long way in the healthy department, but I still have a weakness for the crispy, crunchy snack foods of long ago, so I apologize if this list is a little light in the "healthy snacks" department.

Favorite Snacks at Trader Joes:

Nuts and Dried Fruit:

I love making homemade trail mix, and Trader Joe's has a great selection of both.

 

Organic Popcorn:
Homemade popcorn is so much healthier than microwavable bags, and this organic popcorn is even better for you.

Kettle Corn:
Perfect sweet salty mix. I may have been known to eat a whole bag in one day. (Shhhh!)

Potato Chips:

These potato chips taste like a major brand, but aren't nearly as greasy. Perfect for lunches or a side for BBQ!

Organic Corn Chips:

I love Fritos on my chili. These are organic and cheap! Score!

Pita Chips and Hummus:

The pita chips are delicious and crispy and the roasted red pepper hummus (my favorite) is well spiced. 

What do you consider to be a snack food? What are your favorite snack foods at Trader Joe's?

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Book Review: Damascus Countdown

Waaaay back in ancient history (the year 2000 to be exact), I had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to travel to Israel. It is an amazing country wrapped in more history than we in the US could ever fathom. I strolled along the same dusty paths walked by Jesus. I gazed at ruins in the city of Jericho, stones that Joshua's men could very well have touched.

I hope to return to the Holy Land someday, but in the meantime I've enjoyed reading books that involve Israel and imagine myself there. So, I was very excited to have the chance to read Joel C. Rosenberg's latest thriller Damascus Countdown, the third book in the Twelfth Imam series. 

You know those books you start and can't seem to stop reading, even when it's late and you really should be sleeping because the baby will be up in 4 hours, and you keep promising yourself "just one more chapter", and fall asleep drooling into the book because you never put it down? That's how this book was for me. It was like the Left Behind series meets Tom Clancy.

The main character, David Shirazi, is a CIA plant in Iran and his team's mission is to find two nuclear warheads missing from the Iranian arsenal after Israel strikes Iran in a preemptive attack. Intelligence shows that the Iranians are going to launch both warheads at Israel, and it is up to David and his team to stop them. David is a likeable character who has recently become a Christian, and there are many references to Biblical prophecy that have already come true, as well as what prophecies have yet to be fulfilled before the second coming of Christ. The tale follows David and his team, as well as the entourage of the Twelfth Imam, the Islamic messiah who is hellbent on destroying the Jewish nation. Several other characters, such as David's childhood-friend/girl-next-door/potential-love-interest Marseille Harper and blind Islamic teacher turned Christian Dr. Birjandi play sizable roles.

Damascus Countdown has many action scenes, a lot of Biblical reference, scenes of political tension, some emotional scenes and it was eloquently written as such that I could imagine the faces and personalities of each character in each scene. It was riveting and I was actually kind of sad when I finished which, in my opinion, is the sign of a good book.


*Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of Damascus Countdown from Tyndale publishers. All opinions and comments regarding the book are my own, and have not been influenced in any way.

Saving Money: Online Coupon Codes

While I haven't had the opportunity to do as much couponing since my second child was born last year, I have been able to do more online and comparison shopping. Barring groceries, I often find what I'm looking for cheaper online. Before I purchase anything, I check online for the lowest price and scour the web for coupon codes. Here are some of my favorite sites for gathering coupon codes:

• Save1.com
• Save1.com is like other coupon code sites, but with a humanitarian twist. If you use one of their offered coupon codes when you check out at a retailer (they offer coupons for several thousand online retailers), this family-owned company receives a small commission. Part of that commission is then used to fund several BBB-accredited, non-profit charities that provide meals for needy children. Since their inception in 2012, they have provided over 93,000 meals for malnourished children around the world!

•  RetailMeNot.com
• Retailmenot.com is the largest of the coupon code sites. Coupons are updated constantly and allow user contributions. It also allows people to vote on whether or not a particular coupon worked for them, allowing you to find the most reliable coupons quickly.

• Ebates.com
• Ebates really comes in handy during Christmas season when I do a lot of online shopping. By using their retailer links and provided coupon codes, they offer you a percentage of their commission as cash back. I have been using Ebates for about 5 years, and have enjoyed getting a little extra money in my mailbox every few months.

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My Favorite Things at Trader Joes: Refrigerated

Trader Joe's is one of my favorite stores to shop at. I do the bulk of my shopping here. For starters, they claim to not use foods that are GMO (genetically modified), plus they offer many high quality or novelty items at very reasonable prices.

I am often asked about my favorite items when shopping at Trader Joe's, so I thought it would be fun to compile my favorite (and possibly not so favorite) things at Trader Joe's. What are your favorite things to purchase here?

First up are my top 5 Refrigerated Items:

Trader Joe's Uncured Apple Smoked Bacon
Who doesn't like bacon? My late mother-in-law was allergic to it, but other than allergies, there are no excuses. TJs bacon is uncured (read: nitrate free), and cooks up crisp and flavorful. While it's not super thick, it's also not a paper thin pathetic excuse for bacon that some stores sell.
The only downside is that there are about 8 slices in a pack, which is enough for one meal. Stinker, my 4 year old, once commented about a meal I had prepared that "I can't eat this. It doesn't have bacon."
Better buy two packs :)  

Trader Joe's Jumbo Cinnamon Rolls

I buy these about once a month as a treat for breakfast, and we look forward to them all month! They're sweet but not overly so, with a perfect balance of cinnamon and sugar. Plus, the frosting is fabulous. I cook these a little longer than noted, just because I don't like undercooked, soggy dough, and the result is a firm exterior and soft, fluffy interior, dripping with just enough frosting to satisfy an early morning sweet tooth.

Trader Joe's Peeled Garlic

Okay, I don't normally buy produce at TJs, but these peeled garlic packets are ingenious. Each packet contains several cloves of peeled garlic, vacuum sealed for freshness. Brilliant!

Trader Joe's Mirepoix

Again, not normally a produce shopper at TJs, (it's shipped in, and not always as fresh as can be), but this combination of pre-cut carrots, onions, and celery make my life so much easier when I need to throw together a quick soup or stew. Cutting veggies takes me forever, so this pack of pre-cut veggies literally shaves 25 minutes off my prep time. If you can chop veggies like a whiz, skip this, but if you like convenience or need a quick prep meal, this is wonderful.

Trader Joe's Cilantro Salad Dressing

I struggle finding salad dressings I love, but this dressing is so versatile, I always have it on hand. Delicious on a salad sprinkled with tortilla strips, I also use it as a sauce for fish tacos, and it is the ultimate dipping sauce for these amazing Southwestern Egg Rolls.

Runners Up:

• Pizza Dough-The plain is great. I can't say the same for the whole wheat or herb. I'd still rather make my own dough, but in a pinch this is good.
• Cheese-Trader Joe's cheese is priced pretty well compared to the grocery store. They also have a wonderful selection.
• Biscuits and Croissants-These refrigerated gems taste just like, scratch that, better than Pillsbury without all the preservatives.
• Pre-Cut Veggies-These can be hit-or-miss. Pick them up if convenience is necessary.
• Deli Meat-I don't really buy meat at TJs, haven't had the best experiences, but the lunch meat is nitrate free and preservative free and actually pretty good quality. I like to buy pepperoni here for our homemade pizza.

Join us next time to see which Snack Foods made the list of my favorite things at Trader Joe's!

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