tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63343435907989070852024-03-14T05:07:55.666-05:00The Iowa Farmer's WifeThe Iowa Farmer's Wifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11746478042465556037noreply@blogger.comBlogger709125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6334343590798907085.post-37475661929831746782015-05-19T20:40:00.000-05:002015-06-04T21:45:37.150-05:00Homemade Banana Nut Fruit Bars<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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In an effort to start eating less processed foods {even "healthy", organic processed foods}, I went searching for a recipe for homemade Larabars. We LOVE <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Larabar-Gluten-Fruit-Banana-Bread/dp/B000EO0XA4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1432085588&sr=8-1&keywords=larabars+banana" target="_blank">Larabars</a>. BUT. They are expensive and when you need at least 2 to feed the kids, it can add up quickly. I wanted a cost effective way that didn't use 800 ingredients. I came across a few recipes, but really wanted to use what I had on hand so after seeing that I could dry bananas and use those, in addition to dates, I set out to create this recipe.<br>
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You'll need to dry your bananas first. I'm not sure how store bought dried bananas would work because these need to be somewhat sticky and help hold the bar together. </center>
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Set your oven to 170 degrees {that's as low as mine goes}. Cut your bananas into slices lengthwise and place on a drying rack. </center>
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Place drying rack on top of a cookie sheet to catch any bits that may fall off during the drying process. Place in the oven and allow to dry for 8-10 hours. I started my batch at 2pm and turned off the oven at 10:30pm and left the bananas in the oven overnight. They were the perfect consistency in the morning.</center>
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Recipe: Homemade Banana Nut Fruit Bars</center>
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What You'll Need:</center>
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3 bananas (dried first - see above for drying instructions)</center>
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1/4 c or approximately 8 <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hadley-Gardens-Pitted-Dates-Deglet/dp/B009Z3WZAQ/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1432085702&sr=8-7&keywords=dates" target="_blank">small dates</a> (this is the type we use from Costco)</center>
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1/2 c sunflower seeds</center>
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1/4 c other nuts (almonds, cashews, hickory nuts, peanuts, etc.)</center>
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Blend dried bananas and dates in food processor until they form a sticky dough. It should clump into a ball. </center>
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Blend in sunflower seeds and other nuts {we used peanuts this go round} until finely chopped. Turn out onto wax or parchment paper and form into a ball with your hands. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper and press the dough into the bottom of the pan. Refrigerate for 1 hour. </center>
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Cut into desired size. </center>
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We used peanuts this time because it's what I had on hand. You could also form these into balls instead of bars. </center>
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Based on the ingredients I used, these bars cost about $.31 a piece. When making 6 bars this saves me almost $1 per bar based on the price of Larabars at our Trader Joe's. Worth it!</center>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow The Iowa Farmer's Wife on Pinterest, Facebook and/or Google +.</div>The Iowa Farmer's Wifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11746478042465556037noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6334343590798907085.post-3792489449683240072015-05-04T07:20:00.001-05:002015-06-04T21:46:07.288-05:00A Love Letter to my Daughter<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Dear Sweet P, </center>
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Six. I can't quite comprehend how you are turning 6 because I can still vividly remember you staring up at me the moment they placed you in my arms after you were born. You were so alert. And your eyes were blue. </center><center style="text-align: left;"><br></center>
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When we first found out we were pregnant with you, I was scared. Scratch that. I was terrified. We'd only been married for 2 months and had no idea what we were doing. But God knew exactly what He was doing and I've never been able to imagine what life would have been like had it not happened that way. </center>
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At 20 weeks we found out you were a girl. We were overjoyed, but that terrified feeling I'd had when we found out we were having a baby came back. All the mistakes and not so great choices I've made in my life, pains I've endured and pain I've caused came flooding over me and I desperately didn't want you to be like me. So from the beginning, I've fought to make sure you feel valued, and loved, and important. A few months ago you came to me and asked, "Mom, what does ugly mean?" I did my best to explain and then said that sometimes people call other people ugly. You looked at me with all the innocence in the world and said, "That's terrible." And it is. I suppose many would say I've sheltered you from certain things as well, but I'm okay with that. I'm okay with you not learning the definition of ugly until you were almost 6. My hope is that you see the beauty in everyone and everything - looking deeper than the surface because the surface so often hides what's underneath (good or bad). </center>
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Your birth wasn't easy. In fact, of the three of you, yours was the toughest. I pushed for 3.5 hours and I wasn't even aware of the passing of time anymore. Just that I needed to be DONE pushing and holding my baby. You were quite content to stay put, but with a little help from suction and a whole lot of pushing from me, you burst into the world. And our lives were changed. Life is so much better with you in it.</center>
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You teach me more and more as each year goes by. I was worried about having another baby because I didn't want our relationship to change, but God eased my worries and Sprout was born when you were 2 and half. You weren't too sure about him at first, but your love for him is fierce. We see it any time he gets a consequence you don't think is fair. Or when you're worried about him getting hurt. Or teaching him something new. He's hit the age where he wants to do everything you do. Sometimes you like that. And sometimes you want to be left alone. </center>
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I pray you always know how loved you are. That if you ever start to doubt yourself or your ability to do anything, that you remember that anything is possible with God. That you never fear failure. Or success for that matter. And that when things get tough, you'll pray about it and keep going. I pray that you'll have the confidence to try new things, even if you're scared. That you'll grow up seeing the world through God's eyes. That you'll see that everyone matters, no matter their skin color or background or beauty. They all matter. And you do, too, You matter. Never forget that. Even when someone tells you you don't. Because you do. Your story matters, too. Be kind. Even when others aren't. This will be one of the hardest things to do - to turn the other cheek when someone wrongs you.</center>
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I pray you always love Jesus. That when you fail or get your heartbroken or find yourself in a lonely place, that you'll remember that you're never alone. Of course I wish you didn't have to fail or get your heartbroken or find yourself in a lonely place, but sadly, for most people, it's inevitable. I also hope that when you succeed, find true love or find yourself surrounded by those who love you, that you'll remember that you're never alone. </center>
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My heart feels both heavy and light as you turn 6. Heavy because I cannot believe so many years have passed and that you aren't a baby anymore. Light because I can't wait to see all that God has in store for you, for us in the next year. I feel like just yesterday I held you for the first time, but I also feel like I've known you forever.The past year has been amazing for us as mother and daughter, and I couldn't be more proud of the little lady you are becoming. </center>
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As a toddler, you were so cautious. But over the past several months I've watched you throw caution to the wind and replace it with a carefree spirit for adventure. My first born. My only girl. I have all the memories from the moment you were born stored inside me, but I feel like I blinked and we were here. I'm afraid if I close my eyes the next 6 years will have passed when I open them. </center>
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You blow me away every day with your creativity. With your wit. With your love for nature. With your strength. With your love for Jesus. I have so many wishes and hopes for you, but I know that as you grow you'll pave your own way. And as you grow, may you always feel worthy. Because you are. May you always be brave. Because you are. May you always feel loved. Because you are. </center>
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I love you, Sweet P. </center>
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Love, </center>
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Mom</center>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow The Iowa Farmer's Wife on Pinterest, Facebook and/or Google +.</div>The Iowa Farmer's Wifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11746478042465556037noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6334343590798907085.post-37287570291755724872015-04-24T21:33:00.000-05:002015-04-24T21:37:26.244-05:00Comparison is a Thief.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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"Comparison is the thief of JOY." ~Theodore Roosevelt</center>
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And yet, I do it. Every day. </center>
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Even though I know it gets me nowhere. NO. WHERE. Well, it gets me somewhere. Just not where I want to be. </center>
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And I don't just do it with material things. Like comparing my house with a bigger one. I compare my mothering with other mothers. My acts of service with others' acts of service. My child with another child. I compare my entire day with a snapshot I see of another mom's day on Instagram. It's never-ending. </center>
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And it robs me of my Joy. My daily successes. My favorite bits of the day. The tiny moments of life meant just for me. It comes silently and rips them from my grip until all I see are my failures. My not so great bits of the day. And a cloud settles over me. It takes my joy and leaves me riddled with guilt and self-pity and "if I'd only." </center>
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But. I have found that comparison sneaks in ONLY when I am seeking the approval of man rather than God.<b> Galatians 1:10 says, "For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ."</b> How can I serve Christ if I'm constantly comparing my life with someone else's? </center>
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I can't. </center>
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If I continue to compare myself with others, I'll never measure up. Because there's no end to comparison. It goes on and on and on until it completely sucks the joy right out of life. Until there is nothing left, but envy and anxiety and dissatisfaction and resentment.</center>
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So I have a choice. I can choose to compare (which is basically like telling God, "hey! This life you gave me? Yeah, it's not good enough so....") and continue to feel empty with each comparison I make. Or I can choose to seek the approval of God and focus on what He wants for me. </center>
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I choose the latter and the happiness and contentment that comes with it. Is it gonna go perfectly? Nope. Probably not. But I'm sure gonna try. </center>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow The Iowa Farmer's Wife on Pinterest, Facebook and/or Google +.</div>The Iowa Farmer's Wifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11746478042465556037noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6334343590798907085.post-5321934558949732592015-04-19T22:32:00.003-05:002015-04-20T07:11:07.806-05:00Return of the Blog<center style="text-align: left;">
How do you start a blog post after a 2 year hiatus? I've been wondering that for the past month after I decided it was time to return to blogging. And the only conclusion I've come to is to start off with what's gone on since I stopped blogging in 2013.</center>
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Here are a few highlights from the past 2 years:</center>
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<li>Sweet P turned 4, then 5 and in two weeks she'll be 6. WHAT?!#^!@ How did this happen?</li>
<li>Sprout turned 2, then 3 and provides constant comic relief for our family.</li>
<li>Bud (our 2nd sweet baby boy) joined our family in July of 2014 and we are now a family of 5!</li>
<li>We started homeschooling at the elementary level - Sweet P will finish our Kindergarten curriculum in a few weeks and she learned to read last fall!</li>
<li>Sweet P has tried cheerleading, basketball, soccer, choir, art classes, dance classes, gymnastics and continues to love AWANA.</li>
<li>Sprout started soccer two weeks ago and is now the coach of the green team (according to him).</li>
<li>Bud army crawls, rolls over and sits up. He's super close to full blown crawling, but I'm not rushing him.</li>
<li>TK & Uncle EZ moved to Iowa last summer! (yay!)</li>
<li>Auntie Rosita didn't move to Iowa, but she did become an Ambassador for Noonday Collection & we are SO proud of all she has done with that company.</li>
<li>Gammie, Nana & Papa Ray Ray still live in their respective areas, although we're slowly (and hopefully but surely) convincing Gammie to move to Iowa.</li>
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Much of our life continues to be the same or similar to what it was 2 years ago despite all the changes that have occurred! I'm not exactly sure what the blog will look like from here on out. Most likely a little bit of writing, a little bit of recipes and a little bit of crafty kid projects. I also plan to chronicle our homeschooling journey for the next year to share what we do with friends & family. </div>
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<div>For a long time I didn't miss blogging. It'd gotten to the point where I wasn't doing it for me and it wasn't fun for me anymore. It took too much time and felt very forced at times. My blog had moved from a space for me to write to something else and I'm not sure I liked that something else. So w<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">hy did I return to blogging? </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Well, I told the Farmer a few weeks ago that I've felt like I've been in survival mode for the past 2 years and have put a lot of my own interests on the back burner to care for our home & our children. Now that we've gotten to a point where 2/3 of our children are a bit more self-sufficient, I've decided to return to a few hobbies and those include writing and crafting. So here I am. It's been a slow process of getting started again and while this feels awkward and silly, ya gotta start somewhere. So here we go.</span></div><div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow The Iowa Farmer's Wife on Pinterest, Facebook and/or Google +.</div>The Iowa Farmer's Wifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17016320361470944589noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6334343590798907085.post-48424783351025232902013-04-29T22:02:00.000-05:002013-04-29T22:02:21.256-05:00IMM: Gluten-Free Vegan Banana Muffins <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBt3CdembmOXNlLHXRaEok-C0NGsC0WrU2R5es1A9UHZA2VbJYZmAJS56FxR8jQfqDY85Ptdp38f7f_rYA45DZJy8J8EUiP64OZpjLQrlV9i-BGeyHKSUt5pNFkUaweZmkR3_5aNMejvcw/s1600/DSC_0229.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBt3CdembmOXNlLHXRaEok-C0NGsC0WrU2R5es1A9UHZA2VbJYZmAJS56FxR8jQfqDY85Ptdp38f7f_rYA45DZJy8J8EUiP64OZpjLQrlV9i-BGeyHKSUt5pNFkUaweZmkR3_5aNMejvcw/s320/DSC_0229.jpg" width="320" /></a></center>
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It's taken awhile, but I finally did it. I finally made a Gluten-Free Banana Muffin we ALL like. It CAN be done! These are super simple, super quick and delicioso. But don't take my word for it - go make them! </center>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPlBI1cdAczFw_hUcoTG0hq7MAVUNniWufkiYcJ-4DWq3-0IthAX2VBAca-1CzfFHo-a5NsCxaj8tS3cczs4zcvSyuLI36nw-iq72CVaBSzTWPvnX0LIeZn4rvku4NKO6LdB6K5aKHmPJp/s1600/DSC_0456-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPlBI1cdAczFw_hUcoTG0hq7MAVUNniWufkiYcJ-4DWq3-0IthAX2VBAca-1CzfFHo-a5NsCxaj8tS3cczs4zcvSyuLI36nw-iq72CVaBSzTWPvnX0LIeZn4rvku4NKO6LdB6K5aKHmPJp/s320/DSC_0456-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></center>
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The Recipe: Gluten-Free Vegan Banana Muffins</center>
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What you need:</center>
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2 ripe bananas </center>
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1 c almond flour</center>
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1 c oats</center>
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1/2 tsp baking powder </center>
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2 tbsp coconut oil</center>
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1 flax egg (1 tbsp ground flax seed + 3 tbsp water)</center>
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1 heaping tbsp almond butter</center>
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1 tbsp honey (optional - omit for vegan version)</center>
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a few shakes of cinnamon</center>
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Use muffin liners or grease muffin tin. </center>
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Mix flax with water and set aside. Mash bananas into mush. Stir in almond flour, oats and baking powder. Add coconut oil, almond butter, honey, cinnamon and flax egg. Stir until well-combined. Pour into muffin tins. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Yields roughly 24 mini muffins.</center>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow The Iowa Farmer's Wife on Pinterest, Facebook and/or Google +.</div>The Iowa Farmer's Wifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11746478042465556037noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6334343590798907085.post-16995070919928653372013-04-23T00:57:00.004-05:002013-04-23T00:59:59.165-05:00IMM: Garlic Home Fries<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpvFchaI7JbtayKHJigkgaN7xWywWwbB6TZ1uReB3G_R7-3yCvc35FAKHVL02nI1cJQE2uRyiNTr6mW7onJHU9KS1ax2hr9yIX6ETBGpB90r3_RMihIJb_FBU1kQUEKXsR6md93bGkKkhV/s1600/DSC_0229.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpvFchaI7JbtayKHJigkgaN7xWywWwbB6TZ1uReB3G_R7-3yCvc35FAKHVL02nI1cJQE2uRyiNTr6mW7onJHU9KS1ax2hr9yIX6ETBGpB90r3_RMihIJb_FBU1kQUEKXsR6md93bGkKkhV/s320/DSC_0229.jpg" width="320" /></a></center>
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These are a family favorite around here and tonight we paired them with baked sandwiches and oven baked broccoli. Let's just say it was a little hot in the kitchen tonight! </center>
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The Recipe: Garlic Home Fries</div>
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What you need:</center>
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4-6 medium sized Russet potatoes</center>
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1-2 tbsp olive oil</center>
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1/2 tsp oregano</center>
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1/2 tsp paprika</center>
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1 tsp rosemary</center>
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2 tsp Rustic Tuscan Seasoning (Costco)</center>
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1 tbsp minced garlic</center>
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Dump everything into a gallon sized baggie or air tight container. Shake until potatoes are well coated. Let it marinate for about an hour. </center>
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Preheat oven to 400F degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and dump your potatoes onto the foil. Bake for 45-50 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Serve. </center>
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These are great leftover in an omelette or in a burrito. They are super simple and taste AWESOME. Kinda wish we had some leftover!</center>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow The Iowa Farmer's Wife on Pinterest, Facebook and/or Google +.</div>The Iowa Farmer's Wifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11746478042465556037noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6334343590798907085.post-4778363932825832102013-04-15T21:57:00.001-05:002013-04-15T21:57:56.254-05:00IMM: Gluten-Free Mongolian BBQ <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Last week we were recovering from the week before so Insta Meals Monday was put on the wayside. After a week of a stomach bug for Sweet P and bronchitis for Sprout, Sweet P had a fever on Monday (also bronchitis) so no IMM last. Hopefully this meal makes up for it...especially since it's actually a meal. Although, I'm pretty sure I could just eat <a href="http://www.theiowafarmerswife.com/2013/04/insta-meals-monday-homemade-almond.html" target="_blank">Homemade Almond Butter</a> as a meal.<br />
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My sister (Auntie Rosita) told me about this amazing Mongolian BBQ she made and I knew I had to figure out how to make it for us. It's gluten-free, vegetarian (vegan if you want to get technical) and delicioso.<br />
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The Recipe: Mongolian BBQ</center>
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What you need: </center>
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Gluten-free brown rice spaghetti noodles (I use Trader Joe's)</center>
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1 medium onion chopped</center>
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2 tsp minced garlic or 2 cloves of garlic</center>
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1 tbsp olive oil</center>
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3 large carrots grated and chopped</center>
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2 cup fresh or frozen broccoli</center>
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4-5 mushrooms chopped</center>
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1/2 tsp ginger</center>
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1/2 tsp garlic powder</center>
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1 tbsp sesame oil</center>
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2 tbsp sesame seeds</center>
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1/3 c Bragg's Liquid Aminos</center>
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Prepare spaghetti as directed, drain and set aside. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic and onions in olive oil until onions are translucent. Add broccoli, carrots and mushrooms. Saute until veggies are soft, but not mushy. Add spaghetti to skillet. Stir in spices, sesame oil and aminos. Add 1/3 c of water if spaghetti is sticky (brown rice pasta tends to do that). Top with sesame seeds and serve. </center>
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Simple. Fast. Delish.</center>
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<textarea cols="14" id="code-source" name="code-source" rows="3" style="margin-left: 1.81818px; margin-right: 1.81818px; width: 136px;"><a href="http://theiowafarmerswife.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img border="0" src=" https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-CtNqjuCGUndOMEf3jgWoV8Ls2DxdhBwfeYYkg5NMJLSsOsHs7KZMcjwKG08IsWY68IDFNYCyFvT8oospCdVgi4b5uXpilJO8McmL847gsyn4r8OkZt1LZ3Pc_fF8TZIV7WWzYyAHj3WX/s311/PastedGraphic-1.tiff" /></a></textarea></div>
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Did you know Earth Day is April 22nd? How are you celebrating the Earth? This week I'm featuring Earth Day activities that I hope will inspire you to get out and celebrate!</div>
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<a href="http://frogsandsnailsandpuppydogtails-jaime.blogspot.com/2013/04/how-to-make-homemade-multi-colored.html" target="_blank">Earth Day Multi-Colored Crayons</a> from Frogs & Snails & Puppy Dog Tails</div>
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<a href="http://www.dariamusic.com/earthday.php" target="_blank">Free Earth Day Song</a> from Daria</div>
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<a href="http://b-inspiredmama.com/2013/04/earth-day-for-kids/" target="_blank">15 Earth Day Activities for Kids</a> from B-Inspired Mama</div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow The Iowa Farmer's Wife on Pinterest, Facebook and/or Google +.</div>The Iowa Farmer's Wifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11746478042465556037noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6334343590798907085.post-81979739034023347502013-04-06T07:00:00.000-05:002013-04-06T07:00:00.719-05:00The Sunday Showcase: Lions<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Because I love the saying that March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb and our March very much went out like Lion - I'm featuring Lions this week! Sounds a little random, but I saw these two cutie patootie posts and said, yep, Lions it is.</div>
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<a href="http://memorizingthemoments.blogspot.com/2013/04/l-for-lion.html" target="_blank">L is for Lion Activities</a> from Memorizing the Moments: </div>
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<a href="http://craftulate.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/lion-crafts-for-toddlers.html" target="_blank">Lion Crafts for Toddlers</a> from Craftulate:<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Happening on the Blog:</span></div>
We spent the last 2 weeks celebrating the joy and sorrow that comes with Easter. See all of our crafts, activities and books in our <a href="http://www.theiowafarmerswife.com/2013/03/baby-bear-preschool-easter.html" target="_blank">Baby Bear Preschool: Easter</a> post.<br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow The Iowa Farmer's Wife on Pinterest, Facebook and/or Google +.</div>The Iowa Farmer's Wifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11746478042465556037noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6334343590798907085.post-62164012768393941142013-04-03T14:00:00.000-05:002013-04-03T14:00:03.455-05:00Preschool Book Club: Mike Mulligan & His Steam Shovel<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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March's Preschool Book Club was hosted by my sweet friend Kortney - who I'm delighted to introduce as my guest poster today! What a fun day full of music, noise and outdoor play! Kortney has 2 cutie-pie kiddos and a twin sister, Brooke, who guest posted for <a href="http://www.theiowafarmerswife.com/2013/02/preschool-book-club-dr-seuss.html" target="_blank">last month's book club</a>! Read more about Kortney in her bio at the bottom of this post.</div>
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For this month's book club, we chose <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0618737561/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0618737561&linkCode=as2&tag=thiofaswi-20">Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel</a> by Virginia Lee Burton. My little guy and I read Burton's Katy and the Big Snow several times this winter, and he enjoyed Mike Mulligan the first few times we read it. But what really hooked us was a narration/music combo we found at our local library. The London Philharmonic Orchestra preformed a symphony composed by Stephen Simon to go along with the story. It was fantastic! We've listened so much that he literally has every word of this long book memorized. (Maestro Classics is the name of the company who produced this work, and they've done several other symphonies to go along with classic children's books. I highly recommend them!)</div>
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We started book club by listening to the symphony/story narration and looking at the pictures in the book. It was quite long and harder for a one-time listening audience, but I think kids who get to hear it over and over - or who are very familiar with the story - will enjoy the music recording better. </div>
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For our snack we did a little building of our own. The book repeats the line "four corners near and square, four walls straight down" several times. I broke graham crackers in half and we looked at the four straight sides and four corners of the cracker. Then I gave them a plate with a scoop of peanut butter and five square crackers. They were supposed to spread the peanut butter on the bottom cracker, then try to build up four walls on each side. Then end result *could* have looked like the cellar Mike Mulligan and Mary Anne dug. I'm not sure any of ours were up to building code, but it was fun to try and yummy to eat.</div>
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While they were finishing snack, I showed them a few pictures of Mary Anne from the book, and pulled out some pre-cut shapes to show them. We looked at rectangles, a square and an oval and talked about the properties of each shape. I showed them an example of a Mary Anne that I built using my shapes, and asked them to build their own steam shovels by looking at my picture and the pictures of Mary Anne in the book. They did great with this activity! We ended with naming each of our steam shovels, which was probably my favorite part — Christy, Lily, Louie and Sueie.</div>
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Since the weather is finally warming up here, we took our last activity outside. I showed the kids pictures of a few other types of construction vehicles and trucks and talked about what they do. </div>
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Then I pulled out a bag of assorted instruments - a triangle, cymbals, wooden blocks, dowels, bells, etc. I asked each child to think of a construction vehicle, and try to make the sound it makes using an instrument. My directions were a little too open-ended for this age. I wish I would have assigned a vehicle/sound to think of first for more guidance, "A cement mixer goes around and around mixing the cement. What instrument do you think could make a sound like a cement mixer?" But they got to try a lot of different instruments, make some noise and then go play on the swings! </div>
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Even the little ones couldn't resist playing some music.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrALqAm52jPahVtrZQUVKYfLk3dUIQBhAHfYpTbouYa6iwMzAI7YgzBZRMf1qnhznqDkBMXb70OJOQyO4gwXk-mIGlXBPZzt2EvzdoEaOcAh2Ld-99L9OzKu_13LwRdClePRHQvvdJ9ZS_/s1600/DSC_0638.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrALqAm52jPahVtrZQUVKYfLk3dUIQBhAHfYpTbouYa6iwMzAI7YgzBZRMf1qnhznqDkBMXb70OJOQyO4gwXk-mIGlXBPZzt2EvzdoEaOcAh2Ld-99L9OzKu_13LwRdClePRHQvvdJ9ZS_/s1600/DSC_0638.JPG" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb63jLLzw_mcwkcSWvj3J_AL-UdFkEnkYwY2uK-nteph3KynQg61LH10nimNmdlwIrc5AzhcS47StvFGo5cw7HFAybDCK5WbCQAPKzH5sFWfxfja7_njPHBplnsc7b_8P96TZhpJPfbLB3/s1600/IMG_2959.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb63jLLzw_mcwkcSWvj3J_AL-UdFkEnkYwY2uK-nteph3KynQg61LH10nimNmdlwIrc5AzhcS47StvFGo5cw7HFAybDCK5WbCQAPKzH5sFWfxfja7_njPHBplnsc7b_8P96TZhpJPfbLB3/s200/IMG_2959.JPG" width="200" /></a><i>{Kortney is a stay-at-home mom who spends fun-filled days with her 4-year old and 18-month old copying all the fabulous ideas she can find on the Internet. She serves as a childcare coordinator for her church and has a huge heart for kiddos. While she has no musical training or talent, she has a son who loves music and fosters that love through musical books like Mike Mulligan & His Steam Shovel.}</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4NMCbqCYUX_OdDfmVj76QVD6juue1AQe7-Qq3du5PIBp0XtYQb6yTEebesYRLofAbVUQcCxNeGKIvu8-2DehtHzQCJejTMVHIBXs31bWUSPxo-Z6hzPVJ9Iw7c_7lp1hx_JlAfHzXvSfR/s1600/DSC_0229.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4NMCbqCYUX_OdDfmVj76QVD6juue1AQe7-Qq3du5PIBp0XtYQb6yTEebesYRLofAbVUQcCxNeGKIvu8-2DehtHzQCJejTMVHIBXs31bWUSPxo-Z6hzPVJ9Iw7c_7lp1hx_JlAfHzXvSfR/s320/DSC_0229.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Posting a simple recipe since Sweet P had a tummy bug today. Actually forgot about IMM until about 30 minutes ago! But since Homemade Almond Butter is our new favorite food, I'm sharing that today. </center>
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Adapted from Detoxinista's <a href="http://detoxinista.com/2012/09/how-to-make-homemade-almond-butter/" target="_blank">Homemade Almond Butter</a> recipe.</center>
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Before we get started here are a few things you should know:</center>
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<li>Heat/roast your almonds before you put them in the food processor even if you're using roasted almonds. It makes the process 432 times faster. Trust me. HEAT them.</li>
<li>Be patient. It takes longer than 2 minutes.</li>
<li>It's so easy your kids could make it! </li>
<li>This is by far the best nut butter I've ever tasted in.my.life.</li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_TLtEUI7FKFMZtR8iiWaI_yVNPcc_WQ1qrdGOAUW4G7lXsc9gYtKQYCIBrwes8Poutkldhe6sQa9wFqlT5qfTNPrz9acvMsgVhTr84eRJhjU-DrMycesmU58Gu9eDkYUBhMsFnQg_PZcL/s1600/DSC_0135.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_TLtEUI7FKFMZtR8iiWaI_yVNPcc_WQ1qrdGOAUW4G7lXsc9gYtKQYCIBrwes8Poutkldhe6sQa9wFqlT5qfTNPrz9acvMsgVhTr84eRJhjU-DrMycesmU58Gu9eDkYUBhMsFnQg_PZcL/s400/DSC_0135.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The Recipe: Homemade Almond Butter</div>
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What you need:</div>
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1 lb. Dry Roasted/Unsalted Almonds (I use Trader Joe's)</div>
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Optional Mix-ins: honey, maple syrup, salt, cinnamon</div>
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A decent food processor</div>
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Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place almonds on a cookie sheet and bake for 3-5 minutes. WARNING: Almonds will be HOT. </div>
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Dump almonds into food processor. Turn to first setting (mine has 2 options) for 1 minute. Stop, scrape down sides. Repeat until the mixture starts to clump together. Continue scraping every 30 seconds or so until it reaches a creamy consistency. Process for 1 more minute. The mixture will be HOT. Allow to cool slightly and pour into mason jar or other airtight container. Cool completely and store in fridge. </div>
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1 pound of almonds yields approximately 12-13 oz. of almond butter.</div>
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I'm not positive how long it will last in the fridge because ours was gone in less than a week.</div>
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If you don't think it's working, process a bit longer. Remember - PATIENCE!</div>
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NOTE: I've made this twice and the 2nd time I forgot to heat my almonds and the process took MUCH longer and my mixture got clumpy and stayed that way. I heated the clump of almond butter in the oven for 3 minutes and stuck it back in the processor. It eventually got creamy, but I'd recommend roasting them first to avoid this step.<br />
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Happy Easter everyone! I hope you're enjoying a weekend full of remembering Christ, His sacrifice and His love for you. This week I'm featuring the Christ-centered Easter activities from last week's linky. Enjoy:</div>
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<a href="http://craftymomsshare.blogspot.com/2013/03/resurrection-garden.html" target="_blank">Resurrection Garden</a> (LOVE this idea!) from Crafts Moms Share</div>
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<a href="http://leapfrogandladybugs.blogspot.com/2013/03/easter-cross-craft-how-to.html" target="_blank">Easter Cross Craft: Fingerprint Cross</a> from Leapfrog & Ladybugs</div>
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<a href="http://ppppizzazz.blogspot.com/2013/03/make-your-own-resurrection-eggs.html" target="_blank">Resurrection Eggs</a> from Princesses, Pies & Preschool Pizzaz<br />
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<a href="http://www.trueaimeducation.com/2013/03/Easter-craft-for-kids.html" target="_blank">Resurrection Craft</a> from True Aim<br />
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We spent the last 2 weeks celebrating the joy and sorrow that comes with Easter. See all of our crafts, activities and books in our <a href="http://www.theiowafarmerswife.com/2013/03/baby-bear-preschool-easter.html" target="_blank">Baby Bear Preschool: Easter</a> post.<br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow The Iowa Farmer's Wife on Pinterest, Facebook and/or Google +.</div>The Iowa Farmer's Wifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11746478042465556037noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6334343590798907085.post-8587118985053228572013-03-29T15:55:00.000-05:002013-03-30T09:38:16.761-05:00Baby Bear Preschool: Easter<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0pB1QvEaPJiQlT_D3dfyqraIVC-i4COuMryAA-V4_ctVJSxdEwsrW2NC4rpaVKUZbqMVQRRfQgUuktr4UhLMnAnL_IK0WQg8DvM5jNx0ennGHuY_qasnpM2JrzaJCLZ-WoczW4BjE9STR/s1600/bbp.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0pB1QvEaPJiQlT_D3dfyqraIVC-i4COuMryAA-V4_ctVJSxdEwsrW2NC4rpaVKUZbqMVQRRfQgUuktr4UhLMnAnL_IK0WQg8DvM5jNx0ennGHuY_qasnpM2JrzaJCLZ-WoczW4BjE9STR/s1600/bbp.png" /></a></div>
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We spent 2 weeks on Easter activities this year and I divided up a bit so that our first week involved bunnies, eggs and more springy type Easter activities while our second week focused on Holy Week. Jesus' crucifixion was our underlying theme throughout as we talked about the cross, what it means and why Jesus died for us. This is the first year we've actually discussed His death with Sweet P and while I'm fairly certain she doesn't understand the term death, she knows that He died to save us.</center>
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Verses: "Hosanna! Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!" ~Matthew 21:9</center>
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"He is Risen!" ~Matthew 28:6</center>
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Here are the activities we did over the course of the past 2 weeks: </center>
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<a href="http://www.theiowafarmerswife.com/2012/03/sensory-play-sound-eggs.html" target="_blank">Sound Eggs</a></center>
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Window Bunny: My mom found this plastic bunny window hanging at GoodWill and gave it to us last year. I found it in my trunk a few weeks ago (oops) and put out for her as one of her trays the 1st week. It was her first choice. She asked me to color with her so I helped do the flowers on the sides. </center>
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Smallest to largest and Nesting: I have a set of small, medium and large eggs and they started out in a bucket. We sat on the floor and modeled the activity using one color and arranging in order from smallest to largest. This was pretty simple for her so I added a nesting element. I didn't show her how to do it, but asked "Let's put all the eggs inside one another. Which eggs would we need to start with to do that?" She picked up the small and medium eggs and got to work. She got tripped up a few times trying to put the small in the large and then realizing the large wasn't going to fit in the medium. It was interesting to watch her mind work through the process.<br />
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Egg Matching & Textures: I made these for Sweet P the year she was turning 2 and thought they might be too easy, but she really had to look at the patterns to find the exact matches since there were 2 purple, 2 blue and 2 browns. She also really liked feeling the patterns on each egg and telling me how it felt.<br />
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E is for Easter & Flat Marbles: She used the E to practice patterning by putting a green and a clear marble on every other circle to create a pattern.<br />
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Memory: I cut these off of a box of Easter egg dye a few years ago and we played Memory together. She's gotten really good at memory games and understanding the concept of taking turns while playing games.<br />
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<a href="http://www.theiowafarmerswife.com/2013/03/easter-crafts-painting-with-pompoms.html" target="_blank">Painting with PomPoms:</a> View the link to see more on our pompom paintings.<br />
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Paper Weaving Easter Basket: Sweet P decorated coffee filters, paper and a paper towel with markers, then I traced eggs with an egg cookie cutter onto the finished projects. We both cut them out and she glued them to a paper bag I'd cut into the shape of a basket. Then she tried paper weaving! We've never done it before and it's so neat! I wasn't sure she'd have the patience for it, but she proved me wrong and did all 3 weaves at once.</div>
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Coloring & Counting Sheets: These are actually torn out of the free coloring book you get after you visit the mall Easter bunny. Apparently I kept last year's book (since we haven't visited the Easter bunny this year) and I found 2 counting coloring sheets. She counted the carrots and the bunnies and then colored them. Again she asked me to color with her and we colored the bunnies all different colors.<br />
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Bunny/Carrot Counting Match Game: I found this game at a garage sale 2 years ago. A preschool teacher sold several of her old games and educational resources and these bunnies and carrots were among the resources. This activity had several parts. Keeping the carrots and beads on the tray I spread the bunnies out on the table so that she could see all their numbers.<br />
1) Sweet P used the orange beads as counters and placed them in the black dots on each carrot as she counted out loud. The beads have a small part at the top and she held those to put them in place to keep them from rolling away (they sat on the flat edge).<br />
2) After she'd counted the dots, she put the beads back in the bowl and she found the bunny that corresponded with the number and laid them on the floor.<br />
3) When all the bunnies had their carrots we came upstairs for an active element. I asked Sweet P to line up the bunnies from 1-10 at one end of the living room. I set the carrots on a table and handed one. She counted the dots and took that number of hops across the room to reach the bunnies. Then she laid the carrot on the corresponding bunny and ran back to the next one. Her favorite part of this was when I helped her take giant hops by lifting her in the air.<br />
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Sprout had been busy doing Tot School with the Farmer so he explored the bunnies as well.</div>
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Stained Glass Windows: I found this idea in our <a href="http://www.clubhousejr.com/" target="_blank">Clubhouse Jr.</a> Magazine and thought both kids would love it. Sweet P did, but the 3 pieces of tissue paper you see on Sprout's window in the picture are all he wanted to do so I ended up finishing it while he dumped the tissue paper out of the bowl over and over again. I LOVE the way they look in the window.<br />
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Sweet P's:<br />
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Sprout/Mommy's:</div>
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Creative Table: At the start of last week, I put out 2 eggs and a cross (poster board), and a variety of tools to decorate and Sweet P set to work. She loves glitter glue so she was super excited to use it on 3 different projects.<br />
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Pompoms and Eggs: Sprout and I played with pompoms and plastic eggs in our sensory bin while Sweet P decorated at the Creative Table.</div>
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<a href="http://www.christianpreschoolprintables.com/BiblePuzzles.html" target="_blank">Stained Glass Puzzle</a>: Sweet P put together this puzzle (its magnetic) while Sprout colored on the dry erase board. <br />
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Palm Branches: I saw the idea for making our own palm branches on Instagram and knew we had to make them too. I churned them out at Sunday morning and then we used them on Monday night during our Last Supper party. Sweet P thought these were pretty cool (and I think was a bit bummed I didn't ask her to help me make them) and asked to make some of her own the next day. I got the materials out for her to use while I put Sprout down for a nap and I LOVE that she came up with using a clothespin as the stem of the palm branch all on her own.<br />
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Pattern Blocks: I chose 2 pattern block templates (the bunny and a flower). This was actually out for 2 weeks before she finally chose to do it. Normally we try to do all 4 trays, but many of the activities took longer than we had so the pattern blocks were left undone. For some reason it was her first choice on our 2nd day of BBP this week.</center>
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Letter Recognition/Sounds/Spelling: Most of these words are way too hard for Sweet P to know how to spell, but this was more of a letter recognition and putting letters in order to make words. I said the words aloud and she worked to figure out what letters she needed based on the sound. After she finished Resurrection she counted the letters and I said, "Wow! that's a 13 letter word!" She was pretty excited that she'd put all the letters on such a long word. When she'd finished all the words I called out letters to put back into the container (3 A's, 7 S's, T's, etc.). I used Bananagram tiles, but Scrabble or other letters would work too.<br />
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<a href="http://kidsbibledebjackson.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-12-disiples-of-jesus.html" target="_blank">Disciples Matching</a>: While looking for disciple cards for our Last Supper party, I came across these and printed out two copies to create a matching game. I love that several of them have identifying characteristics (Peter, Andrew, James and John all have a fish, Judas has a money bag, etc.). After she'd matched them all, I called out names for her to find and she had to listen to the sound of the name to find each disciple (the names are written across each disciple).<br />
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Double Digits: Sweet P has a really hard time with double digit numbers so we practiced 11 & 12 this week. 12 was used throughout the week (12 disciples) and I threw in 11 so that she could practice them together. This activity was really simple, she just glued 11 items in the 11 box and 12 items in the 12 box counting them out loud as she worked. I also had the 11 and 12 from our calendar and had her trace the numbers with her finger.<br />
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Water Color Cross: Using <a href="http://happyhooligans.ca/2012/03/07/homemade-watercolour-paints/" target="_blank">homemade water colors</a> (Happy Hooligans), she painted a sheet of paper and I cut it into a cross once it has dried.<br />
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Sprout was happy to vacuum while Sweet P painted. After I vacuumed the living room he was adamant about having a turn for himself. He didn't just want to push it around though, he wanted it ON! So my living room got quite the cleaning on Monday and he actually does a pretty good job!<br />
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Jesus' tomb: On Friday we built a tomb out of gray homemade play dough. Using a magnetic Jesus figure we have, I placed him on a cross made of sticks. Sweet P took Him off the cross, wrapped Him in a white tissue, placed Him in the tomb and rolled a large rock in front of the tomb. I told her we couldn't look until Easter Sunday and I'll take the magnet out tonight, but leave the tissue where it is. Sweet P was very serious about this activity. </div>
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Easter Sensory Bin: Filled with plastic eggs of various sizes, jumping bunnies, an ice cream scoop and cups for scooping.</div>
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Added a mirror and Sprout loved the way the eggs looked when stacked:</div>
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The books we use: Our favorite is the Bible for Me: Easter (we bought it as Ross several years ago) because it tells the Easter story in a simplistic, but detailed way.</div>
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Painting Easter Eggs: I can't remember the brand of these, but they are the dye in a q-tip that you snap and draw with. They are my favorite because she can draw and make designs and I don't have to spend an hour prepping dye! <br />
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Easter Egg Lunch: We had our friends S & C over on Wednesday for an Easter Egg lunch. I packed plastic Easter eggs with carrots, strawberries, chickpeas, a homemade granola bar, a mandarin orange and cheese. The girls got a kick out of opening the eggs to see what was inside and then dumped them out onto their plate.<br />
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Holy Thursday: In remembrance of Holy Thursday, we washed one another's feet. Sweet P washed my feet, I washed hers, Sprout washed the Farmer's and the Farmer washed Sprouts. The Farmer explained that in Jesus' time everyone wore sandals so their feet were really dirty and we even tried rubbing our hair on each other's (clean) feet like the woman who poured perfume on Jesus' feet.<br />
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Last Supper party: On Mardi Gras we started having family parties as our family devotional time. This week we had a Last Supper party with the <a href="http://kidsbibledebjackson.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-12-disiples-of-jesus.html" target="_blank">12 disciple printables</a>, our stuffed Jesus and very simple foods including bread dipped in oil/balsamic vinegar, dates, edamame, apples, almond butter, cheese, olives, grapes and carrots. These parties are a very special time for our family and Sweet P loves it. They are simple to throw together and the small change in the table bring so much joy to our home.</center>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow The Iowa Farmer's Wife on Pinterest, Facebook and/or Google +.</div>The Iowa Farmer's Wifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11746478042465556037noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6334343590798907085.post-89046648119290381082013-03-25T21:41:00.000-05:002013-03-25T23:21:14.591-05:00Insta Meals Monday: Peanut Butter Banana Bites<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Ok, so I really had no idea what to call these bad boys because let's just say there is no name to describe their awesomeness. The recipe for <a href="http://www.practicalpaleo.blogspot.com/2011/06/primal-fudge.html" target="_blank">Primal Fudge</a> is what sparked the creation of these tiny bits of deliciousness. I took her recipe, modified and created Peanut Butter Banana Bites. They are gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian and paleo. So. Good.</div>
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The Recipe: Peanut Butter Banana Bites</div>
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What you need:</div>
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1/2 c coconut oil</div>
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3 tbsp cocoa powder</div>
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1/2 c chunky peanut butter (or almond butter - can also be creamy, but chunky's better)</div>
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2 tbsp honey</div>
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1 banana (chopped)</div>
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Heat coconut oil in a pan on the stove until melted. Stir in cocoa powder, peanut butter and honey. Grease a mini muffin tin (you could also use mini muffin liners, but if you're asking me that's wasteful) and pour equal amounts of cocoa mixture into each muffin section. Place a slice of banana in each muffin section and gently press until the cocoa mixture covers the banana (you may see the outline of the banana beneath the surface). Chill for 30 minutes. </div>
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Use a spoon to pop the bites out of the muffin tin. Devour. You will. I promise. And if you don't - you must not like coconut. Or chocolate. Or banana. Or peanut butter. What's wrong with you!?</div>
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The banana takes on an ice cream like consistency that I can't explain and well, The Farmer and I can't stop eating them and he doesn't even like chocolate AND I'm perfectly fine with giving Sweet P one of these for breakfast. Yep. Chocolate for breakfast. </div>
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Stay tuned for another version coming soon. </div>
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<b>NOTE:</b> If you don't want the banana, simply omit. The result is still amazing and very similar to fudge.<br />
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For more gluten-free recipes follow my family's collaborative Pinterest board (my mama and sissies post to it as well): <a href="http://pinterest.com/deebetzen/gluten-free/" target="_blank">Gluten-Free</a></div>
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Needs ideas for plastic Easter eggs? Today I'm featuring 60+ ideas on how to use plastic eggs for play and learning from last week's linky.<br />
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<a href="http://enchantedhomeschoolingmom.org/2013/03/rhyming-eggs/" target="_blank">Rhyming Eggs</a> - guest post by Life with Moore Babies on Enchanted Homeschooling Mom<br />
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<a href="http://www.jdaniel4smom.com/2010/04/12-ways-to-learn-using-plastic-easter.html" target="_blank">12 Ways to Learn Using Plastic Easter Eggs</a> by JDaniel4sMom</div>
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<a href="http://www.jdaniel4smom.com/2010/04/12-ways-to-learn-using-plastic-easter.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfNTkCzRQAY79IeyHBkrJBMuSak3NziLvWbWecNV0ayqLkU9OqgMI2L_R2ZmhdgtdCQls-FxVQGR56Ai-W_QbWLFKqHW41jWkvyUr4LNbE6qYyZY13oGp8OTTgSbRkfayqgz_g76uXtO6d/s1600/Snapshot_20121028.JPG" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.messforless.net/2012/04/if-you-are-like-me-then-you-have-tons.html" target="_blank">Egg Letter Match</a> by Mess for Less<br />
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<a href="http://www.messforless.net/2012/04/if-you-are-like-me-then-you-have-tons.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZAjDKXSllgOWVNDX5yqZx6VLodmeyPTdZ47_dPuBuIxWagMwbnDXkG7uAPLz-yboK-w5aiqDGeZTQWEz5XJfPVqOlemQFoUX72e_wfkG4Z-6C8yzFq-Hio61Rh5dWKuJUC1_6Gv5AcgN_/s400/DSC_1614.JPG" width="203" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.readingconfetti.com/2013/03/50-activities-for-real-and-plastic.html" target="_blank">50 Activities for Real & Plastic Easter Eggs</a> from Reading Confetti<br />
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<a href="http://www.readingconfetti.com/2013/03/50-activities-for-real-and-plastic.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUG7Zn_veAhvxPqzOjTl_atFgzaId-ecRFOpSZzAHQ_Qh36Yv5jGIBs4rU-YfpsQKzNjB0jaLEkkr9nAA32vM1hmFRA6XcBgLnpVceyu_oU1rQVqrQ-wgt6kVgKk38_Vs3TP5bXmIkOuem/s400/pjocupcake.jpg" width="316" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Happening on the Blog:</span></div>
I started a new series on the blog called <a href="http://www.theiowafarmerswife.com/2013/03/insta-meals-monday-broccoli-slaw-salad.html" target="_blank">Insta Meals Monday</a>! Hope you'll pop by to visit sometime!
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow The Iowa Farmer's Wife on Pinterest, Facebook and/or Google +.</div>The Iowa Farmer's Wifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11746478042465556037noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6334343590798907085.post-29102550999649079072013-03-20T16:34:00.000-05:002013-03-20T16:34:24.643-05:00Easter Crafts: Painting with PomPoms<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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A week or so ago I saw a post where someone use a cotton ball and a clothespin to paint and thought, "Brilliant!" So yesterday while we were exploring our Easter sensory bin, I suddenly had the idea to paint with pompoms. We could use clothespins to hold the pompoms and create sweet little Easter creatures - chicks, ducks and bunnies!<br />
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After demonstrating how to use the clothespin/pompom paint brush (Sweet P kept accidentally squeezing the clothespin so the pompom would pop off), she set to work. Her first page was just exploring the paint with a pompom and then she moved on to another sheet of paper to create little Easter friends.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYHLcFnlN9tX80942KFdFy6_LRPzqNsaC72X9LuUZt7PBG40tFqIvhpisFuhqzRtSEJVVUSXtglOh5An3DRJaXA1RLjYdDIFIjI4Fia2GqcKdoz1_iue-eaYA3i5I2D0BDZ2EoWZt1jJzV/s1600/DSC_0492.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYHLcFnlN9tX80942KFdFy6_LRPzqNsaC72X9LuUZt7PBG40tFqIvhpisFuhqzRtSEJVVUSXtglOh5An3DRJaXA1RLjYdDIFIjI4Fia2GqcKdoz1_iue-eaYA3i5I2D0BDZ2EoWZt1jJzV/s1600/DSC_0492.JPG" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL9gbYftRZheyRQ-ED2YxTxnhQCur25Jd-WLWIUJ2pGU5yOjuMFOuFXuaQPaYMecjZqpC-ogmkiSkLRUCMoQR2OLwXY_i8pgt7mnADCNk2Rm2pecEVS22Vc0KMs6gqt-DUiZ72c6tu8WWB/s1600/DSC_0498.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL9gbYftRZheyRQ-ED2YxTxnhQCur25Jd-WLWIUJ2pGU5yOjuMFOuFXuaQPaYMecjZqpC-ogmkiSkLRUCMoQR2OLwXY_i8pgt7mnADCNk2Rm2pecEVS22Vc0KMs6gqt-DUiZ72c6tu8WWB/s1600/DSC_0498.JPG" /></a></div>
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Simple clip the pompom to the clothespin, choose your colors and add faces with a black marker. The beaks of the ducks and chicks are orange construction paper she dipped in paint and stuck on (worked like glue!). The ears of the bunnies and feet for the ducks/chicks were done with a small paint brush. After the paint dried, she drew on eyes and faces.<br />
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I just love the way they turned out and how simple this craft was to set up! We may end up making more to send as Easter cards to friends and family. I also love how springy it looks, especially when it's only 23 degrees!<br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow The Iowa Farmer's Wife on Pinterest, Facebook and/or Google +.</div>The Iowa Farmer's Wifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11746478042465556037noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6334343590798907085.post-55826275684060623872013-03-18T15:20:00.000-05:002013-03-18T15:20:19.695-05:00Insta Meals Monday: Broccoli Slaw Salad<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I got this recipe from a meeting I went to about a month ago and adapted it for our family. I left out the Ramen noodles, the seasoning that comes with it and Bacon Bits, and revamped the sauce to include <a href="http://bragg.com/products/la.html" target="_blank">Bragg's Liquid Aminos</a>. The sauce also called for a 1/2 c of sugar which I omitted. </div>
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It still turned out AMAZING. This is seriously my new favorite side dish...and who I am kidding? I'd totally eat it as a main course. We've paired it with portobello mushroom burgers and gluten-free pizza.</div>
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The Recipe: Broccoli Slaw Salad</div>
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What you need:</div>
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1 pkg broccoli slaw (I found organic at Trader Joe's for $1.99)</div>
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1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese (or cheese of choice)</div>
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1/4 c shelled sunflower seeds</div>
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1/2 c slivered or shaved almonds </div>
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1/4 c rice vinegar</div>
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1/4 c olive oil</div>
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1/4 c <a href="http://bragg.com/products/la.html" target="_blank">Bragg's Liquid Aminos</a> </div>
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Mix broccoli slaw, cheese, sunflowers seeds and almonds in a large bowl. Pour sauce ingredients into a small bowl and combine. Pour sauce over slaw, stir to combine and serve! </div>
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We eat it immediately, but it's also delish leftover or chilled for a few hours. </div>
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To be honest, I didn't even know they MADE broccoli slaw until I tried this salad at the meeting. Now I'm hooked! You'll never know you're eating broccoli! </div>
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**If you're unfamiliar with Liquid Aminos, it's a great gluten-free alternative to soy sauce. </div>
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Portobello burger: grilled on a skillet and served with roasted red peppers, avocado, spinach and cheese with pesto as the sauce on an <a href="http://udisglutenfree.com/products/classic-hamburger-buns/" target="_blank">Udi's gluten-free bun</a>. Yum.</div>
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Happy St. Patrick's Day! Here are 3 of my favorite St. Paddy's Day activities from last week.<br />
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<a href="http://www.housingaforest.com/stained-glass-shamrock-craft/" target="_blank">Stained Glass Shamrock</a> from Housing a Forest:<br />
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<img alt="Stained Glass Shamrock Craft" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-3199" height="267" src="http://files.housingaforest.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Stained-Glass-Shamrocks-6.jpg" width="400" /></div>
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<a href="http://stayathomeeducator.com/easy-st-patricks-day-literacy-activities/#" target="_blank">St. Patrick's Day Literacy Activities</a> from Stay at Home Educator:</div>
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<img alt="St. Patrick's Day Literacy Activities" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1288" height="400" src="http://stayathomeeducator.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/St.-Patricks-Day-Literacy-Activities.jpg" style="text-align: left;" width="344" /><br />
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<a href="http://fun-a-day.com/beaded-shamrocks/" target="_blank">Beaded Shamrocks</a> from Fun-a-Day:</div>
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<img alt="shamrocks, st. patrick's day, beads, pipe cleaners, clover, Ireland" class="size-full wp-image-3148 aligncenter" height="333" src="http://fun-a-day.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/P3110931-2.jpg" width="400" /></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Happening on the Blog:</span></div>
Last week I started a new series on the blog called <a href="http://www.theiowafarmerswife.com/2013/03/insta-meals-monday-introduction.html" target="_blank">Insta Meals Monday</a>! Hope you'll pop by to visit sometime! </div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow The Iowa Farmer's Wife on Pinterest, Facebook and/or Google +.</div>The Iowa Farmer's Wifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11746478042465556037noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6334343590798907085.post-43209414111242070872013-03-11T22:02:00.000-05:002013-03-12T08:30:27.083-05:00Insta Meals Monday: Quinoa Greek Salad<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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A little late today, but that's what happens when you're being spoiled my your mama! This is one of my absolute favorite meals for lunch or dinner. It's great leftover and SO delish. It's also super simple. (Somehow I deleted my original Instagram photo so this is a raw version). </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHM_FlUfCRox01ExedMyC8c81U-v-omxAlKiEms4bcitjIOosgUke92wpWKuMs9nWAlVbYWfBv6aNogIIbIFHP2Rr2K2MZmRSP-fT67wsb1_wDj6nEzhf2S5J55qDXaYk7ny9pMJNiAcgk/s1600/imagejpeg_2+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHM_FlUfCRox01ExedMyC8c81U-v-omxAlKiEms4bcitjIOosgUke92wpWKuMs9nWAlVbYWfBv6aNogIIbIFHP2Rr2K2MZmRSP-fT67wsb1_wDj6nEzhf2S5J55qDXaYk7ny9pMJNiAcgk/s400/imagejpeg_2+(1).jpg" width="378" /></a></div>
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The Recipe: Quinoa Greek Salad</div>
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What you need:</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
3 c of cooked quinoa</div>
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1 c cooked garbanzo beans (can also use canned)</div>
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1/4 c feta</div>
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1/2 - 1 c grape tomatoes (chopped)</div>
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1/4 c kalamata olives</div>
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2 shakes garlic powder</div>
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5 big shakes (or to taste) Rustic Tuscan Seasoning (from Costco)</div>
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2 tbsp olive oil</div>
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1 cap full lemon juice </div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
Prepare quinoa according to directions (we use a rice cooker). Allow to cool and place 3 cups of quinoa in a large bowl. Add garbanzo beans, feta, tomatoes and olives. Shake in Rustic Tuscan Seasoning and garlic powder, then pour in olive oil and lemon juice. Stir until combined. Add more lemon juice or olive oil to your liking. </div>
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Chill for 20 minutes or serve immediately. Can also be served over a bed of lettuce or spinach. We love it both ways.</div>
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Try not to eat it all at once, but if you do, just know you aren't alone! </div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow The Iowa Farmer's Wife on Pinterest, Facebook and/or Google +.</div>The Iowa Farmer's Wifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11746478042465556037noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6334343590798907085.post-45229247997941687672013-03-10T22:48:00.000-05:002013-03-16T21:48:09.773-05:00The Sunday Showcase: Math Ideas & Books<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<textarea cols="14" id="code-source" name="code-source" rows="3" style="margin-left: 1.81818px; margin-right: 1.81818px; width: 136px;"><a href="http://theiowafarmerswife.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img border="0" src=" https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-CtNqjuCGUndOMEf3jgWoV8Ls2DxdhBwfeYYkg5NMJLSsOsHs7KZMcjwKG08IsWY68IDFNYCyFvT8oospCdVgi4b5uXpilJO8McmL847gsyn4r8OkZt1LZ3Pc_fF8TZIV7WWzYyAHj3WX/s311/PastedGraphic-1.tiff" /></a></textarea></div>
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I know we've got 2 big holidays this month, but since <a href="http://trainupachildlearnaswego.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-sunday-showcase-easter-activities.html" target="_blank">Train Up A Child</a> did Easter features and <a href="http://www.momto2poshlildivas.com/2013/03/st-patricks-day-and-shamrock-crafts-for.html" target="_blank">Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas</a> & <a href="http://inspirationlaboratories.com/the-sunday-showcase-st-patricks-day/" target="_blank">Inspiration Laboratories</a> did St. Patrick's Day, I decided I'd go with math. Yep. Math! Here are 3 fabulous ideas I discovered this week:</div>
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<a href="http://www.themeasuredmom.com/letter-h-math/" target="_blank">9 Fun Math Ideas for Preschool & Kindergarten</a> from The Measured Mom</div>
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<a href="http://www.themeasuredmom.com/scrabble-addition-an-addition-game/" target="_blank">Scrabble Addition</a> from The Measured Mom</div>
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<a href="http://chasingsupermom.com/2013/02/100-books-about-math-for-kids/" target="_blank">100 Books About Math</a> from Chasing Super Mom </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Happening on the Blog:</span></div>
Last week I started a new series on the blog called <a href="http://www.theiowafarmerswife.com/2013/03/insta-meals-monday-introduction.html" target="_blank">Insta Meals Monday</a>! Hope you'll pop by to visit sometime! </div>
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Now it's your turn to link-up! If this is your first time, please read this <a href="http://www.momto2poshlildivas.com/p/sunday-showcase.html" target="_blank">informational post</a> for details.<br />
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This is a fun and relaxed linky with a few guidelines:
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<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white;">You can link as many kid friendly or child-centered posts as you'd like, however, l</span><span style="background-color: white;">inks for giveaways, shops, or downloads for purchase, etc. will be deleted. </span></li>
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Please NOTE: By linking up you are giving us permission to use a photo (with proper link to you!) in our featured section! If you prefer not to be featured comment below or e-mail me.</div>
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Thanks for joining us and I look forward to seeing what you've been doing this week! Don't forget to visit my co-hosts for additional features this week!</div>
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<a href="http://www.momto2poshlildivas.com/">Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.herecomethegirlsblog.com/">Here Come the Girls</a></div>
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<a href="http://inspirationlaboratories.com/">Inspiration Laboratories</a></div>
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<a href="http://trainupachildlearnaswego.blogspot.com/" style="background-color: white;">Train Up a Child</a><br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow The Iowa Farmer's Wife on Pinterest, Facebook and/or Google +.</div>The Iowa Farmer's Wifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11746478042465556037noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6334343590798907085.post-11242171648076552582013-03-09T07:00:00.000-06:002013-03-09T07:00:01.890-06:00Book Review: You're Made for a God-Sized Dream<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Since we're all friends here, I'll just tell it to you straight: Read this book.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Youre-Made-God-Sized-Dream-Opening/dp/080072061X/ref=cm_cr_pr_pb_t" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCF79v_4D5Qh-WsYrS8WANKj86Gj_WOZyhta0JsC6NixZTRtw50PiXL7nv7WCNRwd1XlOfirlnovA5t0EPK64bvrgJMB4wyYtoZFfJCQzeJinfx6OdJbIJ4osDgvdCXrEAdsfdbiRHygga/s320/Snapshot_20121028.JPG" width="208" /></a>Even if you don't think you have a God-sized dream (you do), even if you're not sure what it is (God'll help you figure it out) and ESPECIALLY if you know what your God-sized dream is, but you're just not sure how/if/when to pursue it. </div>
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Do I have a God-sized dream? To be honest, when I started reading Holley's book I wasn't sure. But as I turned the pages, I realized I had two or three dreams I hadn't even realized were there! Now are they all God-sized? Maybe not, but this book has given me the tools I need to pray about and pursue those dreams that are God-sized. The term God-sized doesn't mean you have a gargantuan dream. A God-sized dream can actually be very tiny. As Holley says, "The size of the dream isn't what matters.[...]It's not about how big or small they are, because he creates each one to perfectly fit the size of <i>your</i> heart."</div>
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Many of us, upon discovering we do in fact have a God-sized dream(s), start to tell ourselves lies about why we could never (ever) pursue that dream, embark on that adventure or clear that hurdle. Holley focuses on five lies that keep us from even dreaming in the first place! </div>
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<li>Dreaming is selfish</li>
<li>I don't have what it takes</li>
<li>It's too late</li>
<li>I don't deserve to dream</li>
<li>I don't have time</li>
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And even when we do allow ourselves to dream, fears start to creep in about all the reasons it's not going to work. Chapter 5 is your guide to overcoming those fears (and also one of my favorite chapters in the book). Most of us like to feel safe. So we pursue safe dreams (or don't dream at all). We don't take risks because doing so takes us out of our comfort zone and (gasp!) puts our safety in jeopardy. Holley encourages you to look fear in the face and take that risk. You know the one. </div>
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Her chapter on Disclaimers (Chapter 6) covers other reasons we don't jump in head first, and even when we do things might look differently than we imagined. My favorite quote in the book comes from Disclaimer #4: Success Will Look Different Than You Think. Holley states, "Success is simply this: obedience." Those five words nearly knocked me off my chair. Yes. Yes. Yes. Obedience to our Father. Not just listening, but doing what He asks of us. <i>That </i>is what makes us successful. </div>
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As if she knows exactly where our thoughts will go next, Holley covers what happens when God-sized dreams go wrong, how to stop sabotaging yourself and why your dream is worth it. Because it is worth it. </div>
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I love how loved I felt while reading this book both by Holley and our dear Savior. Holley gets it, and she's your cheerleader every step of the way, standing on the sidelines yelling, "You can do it!" Because sometimes, that's really all we need to get started...someone to tell us that our dream matters and that yes, you can do it.</div>
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Holley Gerth, best-selling author, life coach and co-founder of (in)courage, writes in a tone that makes you feel like you're just hanging out together drinking coffee. Her first book, <i>You're Already Amazing,</i> reminds us that we don't need to be more, do more or have more because we're already amazing just the way God made us. Hang out with Holley at <a href="http://www.holleygerth.com/">www.holleygerth.com</a>. </div>
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**Available now at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.**</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">FTC Disclosure: I received this book from Baker Publishing Group in exchange for an honest review. I received no other compensation for this post.</span></div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow The Iowa Farmer's Wife on Pinterest, Facebook and/or Google +.</div>The Iowa Farmer's Wifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11746478042465556037noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6334343590798907085.post-80007891446418020602013-03-04T07:00:00.000-06:002013-03-04T07:00:00.812-06:00Insta Meals Monday: Introduction & Raspberry Sorbet<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Today, I'm delighted to bring you the first post in my series: Insta Meals Monday. Let me share a bit of the background that led me to this series. First off. A confession. I, The Iowa Farmer's Wife, am addicted to Instagram. There. I said it. And I have definitely fallen into the Instagram trap of photographing my food. And after several encouraging nudges (and a few phone calls from Auntie Rosita) I decided to designate Mondays as Insta Meals Monday.</div>
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Now, before you get too involved, there are a few things you should know.</div>
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1.) All meals will be vegetarian. </div>
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2.) All posts may not be complete meals (i.e., side dish or dessert - although you just might consider dessert a meal).</div>
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3.) All meals will be gluten-free. Substitutions for gluten-free options may be suggested depending on the recipe.</div>
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4.) Meals are not based on the paleo plan, however, many meals will follow paleo guidelines.</div>
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5.) All recipes are my own unless otherwise noted.</div>
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6.) And finally, the term Insta doesn't mean that the meal will be Instant, it's simply because I post the pictures to Instagram. </div>
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Posts will include 1 picture (pulled from Instagram) and the recipe. I don't plan to take pictures of the process or ingredients. I'll do my best to share the ingredients and where I find/purchase them. </div>
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My goal is to make these meals/recipes and user/mom-friendly as possible without ingredients you can't find in a regular grocery store. While you may not have these items in your pantry, they won't be hard to find or locate. </div>
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And lastly, I hope that these posts will inspire you to try to meals for you or your family, try new foods, eat less meat and eat less gluten.</div>
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Without further ado: </div>
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The Recipe: Raspberry Sorbet</div>
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What you need:</div>
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1/2 cup Vanilla Almond Milk (I use Trader Joe's brand with no added sugar))</div>
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1.5 bananas</div>
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1 cup frozen raspberries OR blueberries</div>
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Note: I use an immersion blender for all blended recipes.</div>
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Place ingredients into a blender (or cup if using an immersion blender). Blend until smooth. If mixture is too thick, add almond milk. If mixture is too thin, add frozen raspberries until desired thickness. Serve immediately. Makes 2 small bowls of sorbet.</div>
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Can be frozen for 10-30 minutes before eating.</div>
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My kids eat this for breakfast, but we also like it for dessert. We call it ice cream because it really does taste just like raspberry sorbet, and I'm super excited to make it in the summer to eat outside! </div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow The Iowa Farmer's Wife on Pinterest, Facebook and/or Google +.</div>The Iowa Farmer's Wifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11746478042465556037noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6334343590798907085.post-72934001282267192272013-03-02T07:00:00.000-06:002013-03-10T22:09:04.341-05:00The Sunday Showcase: 10 Dr. Seuss Activities<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Since Dr. Seuss' birthday is TODAY!, we're celebrating by sharing these 10 Dr. Seuss-inspired Activities from last week's Showcase! You won't want to miss these!</div>
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1. <a href="http://www.makingboysmen.com/2013/02/cat-in-hat-peg-dolls.html" target="_blank">Cat in the Hat Peg Dolls</a> - Making Boys Men</div>
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2. <a href="http://livingmontessorinow.com/2013/02/18/montessori-monday-cat-in-the-hat-practical-life-activities/" target="_blank">Cat in the Hat Practical Life Activities</a> - Living Montessori Now</div>
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3. <a href="http://www.fantasticfunandlearning.com/dr-seuss-the-shape-of-me-and-other-stuff-virtual-book-club-for-kids.html" target="_blank">Shadow Exploring with Dr. Seuss</a> - Fantastic Fun and Learning</div>
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4. <a href="http://www.jdaniel4smom.com/2012/03/readexplorelearn-celebrating-dr-seuss.html" target="_blank">Fox in Sox Puppet</a> - JDaniels4sMom</div>
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5. <a href="http://3dinosaurs.com/wordpress/index.php/dr-seuss-abcs-gross-motor/" target="_blank">Dr. Seuss's ABC- Gross Motor Skills</a> - 3 Dinosaurs</div>
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6. <a href="http://www.kcedventures.com/blog/enhancing-kids-creativity-dr-seuss-books-games-for-kids" target="_blank">Dr. Seuss Books & Games</a> - KCEdventures</div>
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7. <a href="http://msbarbarasblog.blogspot.com/2012/03/celebrating-dr-seuss-birthday.html" target="_blank">Celebrating Dr. Seuss' Birthday</a> - For the Children</div>
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8. <a href="http://jennifischer.blogspot.com/2013/02/ten-for-tuesday-things-that-go-dr-seuss.html" target="_blank">Things that Go: Dr. Seuss Edition</a> - The Good Long Road</div>
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9. <a href="http://www.tutoringinthetriangle.com/blog/bid/173010/Celebrating-Dr-Seuss" target="_blank">Celebrating Dr. Seuss</a> - The Well Educated Family Blog</div>
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10. <a href="http://discoveringtheworldthroughmysonseyes.blogspot.com/2013/02/happy-birthday-dr-seuss-celebrating-at.html" target="_blank">Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!</a> - Discovering the World Through My Son's Eyes</div>
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<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white;">You can link as many kid friendly or child-centered posts as you'd like, however, l</span><span style="background-color: white;">inks for giveaways, shops, or downloads for purchase, etc. will be deleted. </span></li>
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Thanks for joining us and I look forward to seeing what you've been doing this week! Don't forget to visit my co-hosts for additional features this week!</div>
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<a href="http://www.momto2poshlildivas.com/">Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.herecomethegirlsblog.com/">Here Come the Girls</a></div>
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<a href="http://inspirationlaboratories.com/">Inspiration Laboratories</a></div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow The Iowa Farmer's Wife on Pinterest, Facebook and/or Google +.</div>The Iowa Farmer's Wifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11746478042465556037noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6334343590798907085.post-38994489543658261382013-03-01T06:30:00.000-06:002013-03-01T22:07:04.319-06:0010 Child-Centered St Patrick's Day Ideas<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOYEb7pguhcxez1g2i5BoWXJJjnOkTkSbBS9S4zAXeyYQvFLVp4pNPFfa__urzu0FSTq9XrITOpL3J7vgM0qBdVpo07cgLGRizqLW7UR8exuaKEl_cgdvcEuAoi10GQN914MqRF9OmgOcV/s1600/DSC_0135.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="593" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOYEb7pguhcxez1g2i5BoWXJJjnOkTkSbBS9S4zAXeyYQvFLVp4pNPFfa__urzu0FSTq9XrITOpL3J7vgM0qBdVpo07cgLGRizqLW7UR8exuaKEl_cgdvcEuAoi10GQN914MqRF9OmgOcV/s640/DSC_0135.jpg" width="600" /></a></div>
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1. <a href="http://www.theiowafarmerswife.com/2012/03/st-patricks-day-sensory-bin.html" target="_blank">St. Patrick's Day Sensory Bin</a><br />
2. <a href="http://www.theiowafarmerswife.com/2012/03/eating-rainbow-and-blog-hop.html" target="_blank">Eat a Rainbow</a><br />
3. <a href="http://www.theiowafarmerswife.com/2011/03/tot-school-st-patricks-day.html" target="_blank">St. Patrick's Day Toddler Activities</a><br />
4. <a href="http://www.theiowafarmerswife.com/2012/03/tot-preschool-rainbows.html" target="_blank">Rainbow Activities</a><br />
5. <a href="http://www.theiowafarmerswife.com/2012/03/leprechaun-stick-puppet.html" target="_blank">Leprechaun Stick Puppet</a><br />
6. <a href="http://www.theiowafarmerswife.com/2012/03/simple-shamrock-craft.html" target="_blank">Simple Shamrock Craft</a><br />
7. <a href="http://www.theiowafarmerswife.com/2012/03/guest-post-getting-children-to-eat-new.html" target="_blank">Introduce New Foods with a St. Patrick's Day Meal</a><br />
8. <a href="http://www.theiowafarmerswife.com/2012/03/muffin-tin-monday-rainbows.html" target="_blank">Eat another Rainbow</a><br />
9. <a href="http://www.theiowafarmerswife.com/2013/02/coffee-filter-shamrocks.html" target="_blank">Coffee Filter Shamrocks</a><br />
10. <a href="http://www.theiowafarmerswife.com/2013/02/egg-carton-shamrocks_27.html" target="_blank">Egg Carton Shamrocks</a><br />
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For more St. Patrick's Day ideas, check out our collaborative <a href="http://pinterest.com/momto2poshdivas/st-patrick-s-day/" target="_blank">St. Patrick's Day Pin Board</a>.</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow The Iowa Farmer's Wife on Pinterest, Facebook and/or Google +.</div>The Iowa Farmer's Wifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11746478042465556037noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6334343590798907085.post-34973333380726197672013-02-27T14:04:00.000-06:002013-02-27T14:04:37.634-06:00Egg Carton Shamrocks<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Sweet P's a wee bit obsessed with St. Patrick's Day. We checked out a book from the library last week and we've read it every day this week. At least 4 times. Not kidding. The other night we read it before dinner and when she was picking out books to read after dinner she said, "How 'bout this one again?" She LOVES it! All that to say that she's been loving shamrock activities as well.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu5URdFFolfbTEJ8GxpSkkiCvEew76X9L8CLPGHeWOTYqPlSrYQLqBEt9l799DYK2TLbNX3-yZvHAlcZYOmkC_y6F_LxzRKdob84S8z6dhmSgCWaY7w-uUFiuJ5bvHBMWSjPIjdbJEAV3z/s1600/DSC_0042.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu5URdFFolfbTEJ8GxpSkkiCvEew76X9L8CLPGHeWOTYqPlSrYQLqBEt9l799DYK2TLbNX3-yZvHAlcZYOmkC_y6F_LxzRKdob84S8z6dhmSgCWaY7w-uUFiuJ5bvHBMWSjPIjdbJEAV3z/s1600/DSC_0042.JPG" /></a></div>
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We created this simple activity out of an egg carton. I did the cutting and Sweet P did the painting.<br />
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I don't have any pictures of the painting process, but the end result speaks for itself (right?). They sat to dry for, oh, 4 days, before we got around to finishing them! I hot glued felt on bottoms for the stems, and glued a loop of pipe cleaner to the top as a hanger.<br />
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Sweet P chose glittery green St. Patrick's Day scatter to put on each one. I put the glue on (we used hot glue) and then she placed it where she wanted it.<br />
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I ran a bit of yarn through the loop and hung them up in our living room. I love how the glittery parts shimmer in the sun!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpgmSIGnwfubHlxM12SiVARJFWfxGQTLd2oCMEqMwMAa6R7r6t-DxwPyz1Ogz6b1jO69ibsqw9zb1CkhMHDTZYQGa71UffkZFLXlOi1DozyQkxLELGiYfwa3Y2utS41_BkOj4rnTfyD2J2/s1600/DSC_0046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpgmSIGnwfubHlxM12SiVARJFWfxGQTLd2oCMEqMwMAa6R7r6t-DxwPyz1Ogz6b1jO69ibsqw9zb1CkhMHDTZYQGa71UffkZFLXlOi1DozyQkxLELGiYfwa3Y2utS41_BkOj4rnTfyD2J2/s1600/DSC_0046.JPG" /></a></div>
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A super simple shamrock craft for St. Patrick's Day! And I bet you have everything you need around the house! Don't have felt? Use paper. Don't have pipe cleaners? Just poke a hole in the top and string the yarn through. Don't have yarn? Use string! The options are endless.<br />
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