Simple Abundance

Orange Thai Beef Skewers and Coconut Rice

I made this dinner a couple of weeks ago and it was honestly one of the best things I've ever made!  We loved it and need to make it again soon!

Orange Thai Beef Skewers
adapted from ourbestbites.com

• 1/4 C soy sauce
• 1/4 C seasoned rice wine vinegar
• 1 T honey
• 1T sesame oil
• 1 t ground ginger
• 1 t coriander ( I substituted a few chopped cilantro leaves)
• 1 orange
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2-4 t Sriracha chili sauce (you can buy this in the Asian foods section at most grocery stores...look for a rooster on the bottle.)
• 1 1/2 lb flank steak

First make your marinade in a bowl or large Ziplock bag:  Juice the orange and add the soy sauce, vinegar, honey, sesame oil, ginger, coriander/cilantro, and garlic.  Then add Sriracha to your liking.  2 teaspoons was mild enough for my family.

Take the flank steak and slice it across the grain into about 1/4" slices, then add them to the Ziplock/bowl and marinate in the fridge at least 4 hours.  Preheat your grill, then take your skewers (pre-soaked in water for at least 30 mins. if you're using wood/bamboo ones) and thread on the strips of meat, just like you're stitching.  Place them on the grill.  These cook really fast. Overcooked flank steak will be tough and chewy, so don't over do it!  They should only take about 3-4 minutes on each side.  Serve piping hot off the grill!

I served these skewers with another fabulous recipe I adapted from ourbestbites.com, Coconut Rice.  The meat was sooooo great with this, we loved it!

Coconut Rice

2 c. white or Jasmine rice

1 can coconut milk

2 c. water

1 tsp. Kosher salt

Splash of white vinegar (optional, but it helps with the texture)

1-2 tsp. white sugar

Large handful of chopped green onions

Black pepper to taste

 

Combine rice, coconut milk, water, salt, vinegar, sugar, and onions in a saucepan and bring to a boil.  Turn heat to low and cover for 20 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed.  Allow to stand 5 minutes.  Add black pepper (if desired) and additional salt if necessary.  Serve with any Asian or tropical-inspired food.

Cute Pink Cake

I imagine the middle to be moist, light, and slightly lemony...but that's just me!

(image via http://angelahenrie.blogspot.com/)

I love peonies...

(photo via Farm Chicks)

Zach Turns 6!

This poor neglected blog!  We have been so busy around here...busy with end-of-the-school-year fun, getting ready for baby fun, Zach's birthday fun, going to Utah to be with Lindsey and Darren fun, Lindsey in town for a week fun...FUN, FUN, FUN!

Zach's 6th Birthday:  (it was a long time ago, but I didn't want to not post about it!)

Our little guy is growing up.  He is such a good boy, full of spunk, smiles and a touch of naughtiness thrown in for good measure!  We love you Zach!!

 

First ride on his new motorcycle!  (aka Mother's Heart Attack)

A few days later, he's a seasoned pro!  So cute!  (And can you see the Rexburg Temple in the background?)

Boston loves to ride too!  (Mom sits on the sidelines and takes pictures...) 

Red Hot Raspberry Jello

Does anyone make Jello anymore?  I hardly ever do, but I've had the ingredients for this since Christmas so I decided to go ahead and make it for our Mother's Day dinner.  Only two servings were left when we came home...maybe I should make Jello more often!

Red Hot Raspberry Jello

2 6oz. packages raspberry Jello
3.5 c. hot water
7-8 oz. Cinnamon Red Hot candies
3 c. applesauce

Put water and red hots in a pan on the stove and let them come to a boil.  As soon as it boils, poor the hot water over the two packages of jello that you have placed in a bowl and stir until dissolved (about 3 minutes).  Add the applesauce and stir.  Pour into 9x13 pan and refrigerate until set.  Cut into squares and serve topped with whipped cream.    

 

FHE Idea #5

Topic: Heavenly Father Answers our Prayers

Opening Song:  "I am a Child of God,” Children’s Songbook, p.

Opening Prayer:

Family Business: 

Scripture or Quote:  "Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them." (Mark 11:24)

Lesson:  When Jesus lived on the earth, many people came to listen to His words. They brought their children so Jesus could bless them, but the disciples told them to go away. Jesus said, “Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God” (Mark 10:14). Jesus loved the children and blessed them.

The Primary song “A Child’s Prayer” reminds us of that scripture story and teaches us about prayer.  (I have the Children's Songbook CDs and we will listen to this song)

Heavenly Father, are you really there?
And do you hear and answer ev’ry child’s prayer?
Some say that heaven is far away,
But I feel it close around me as I pray.
Heavenly Father, I remember now
Something that Jesus told disciples long ago:
“Suffer the children to come to me.”
Father, in prayer I’m coming now to thee.

Heavenly Father loves you. You are His child. He wants you to pray to Him often—anytime, anywhere. The next verse of this song reminds you to pray.

Pray, he is there;
Speak, he is list’ning.
You are his child;
His love now surrounds you.
He hears your prayer;
He loves the children.
Of such is the kingdom,
The kingdom of heav’n.

The Song "I Pray in Faith" is great for teaching little kids how to pray.  I printed this flip book thingy (scroll down to where it says "Preparation For the flip book activity", then click on the picture and print it as many times as you need) and had them all made up for my kids to use as we sing the song and talk about the proper way to pray.

I begin by saying “Dear Heavenly Father”; (raise one finger—keep
fingers raised throughout the activity verse)
I thank him for blessings he sends; (raise second finger)
Then humbly I ask him for things that I need, (raise third finger)
In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. (raise fourth finger)
[“I Pray in Faith,” Children’s Songbook, 14]

Activity:  The kids are going to paint small rocks that they can use as prayer rocks.  After the rock is dried, they can put them under their pillows...when they get into bed they will "bonk" their heads on them and be reminded to say their prayers.  Then, before they go to sleep they put them on the floor next to their beds.  When they wake up and get out of bed they will "stub their toes" on the rock and be reminded to say their morning prayers.

Treat:  Don't know yet! 

FHE Idea #4

Topic: Mothers!

Opening Song:  "Mother Dear,” Children’s Songbook, p. 206

Opening Prayer:

Family Business: 

Scripture or Quote: And they rehearsed unto me the words of their mothers, saying: We do not doubt our mothers knew it. (Alma 56:48)

Lesson:  We will read Alma 56:45–48. Then we will discuss what the mothers of these young men taught them. 

Next, we will take turns sharing favorite memories about our own mothers and talk about why mothers are important and what good qualities all mothers share.

Activity:  We are using my "vintage" (ha!) scrapbooking supplies to make Mother's Day cards for our Grandmas.   

Breakfast/Brunch Casserole

It seems that every family has it's own favorite breakfast casserole recipe, and this is our family's.  My mom made it for dinner the other night and I was at her house later that evening and had a bite.  Oh!  It was so good I made if for dinner the next night for us!  Mmmm.  Enjoy!

 (Image via Google Images)

Breakfast Casserole

1bag frozen hash brown potatoes  (I have used shredded, potatoes o'brien, etc.  All have worked great.)

1 cube butter, melted

salt and pepper to taste

2 c. diced ham

2 c. grated cheese (I have used pepperjack, mozzerellla, cheddar, etc.)

1/2 c. diced green pepper

8 eggs

2 c. milk

Rinse your potatoes in a colander under cold water and then lay them out on paper towels to drip dry.  Pat the top of your potatoes with paper towels and then put them into a 9x13 baking dish.  Pour the melted butter over the top of the potatoes and salt and pepper them to taste.  Bake at 425 for 25 minutes and allow them to cool completely. 

Sprinkle the ham, cheese and diced green pepper  over the cooled hash browns.  Mix the eggs and milk thoroughly  with a wisk in separate bowl and then pour that over the potatoes, ham, etc. 

Bake at 350 for 45 -60 mins, until the eggs in the middle are cooked. 

Notes:  I always add some crushed red pepper flakes or a few dashes of hot sauce to my eggs/milk mixture for a little kick.  I have also added a little finely diced onion with the green peppers.

Buttermilk Syrup Recipe

A loooong time ago I posted a link to Michelle's divine Buttermilk Syrup recipe.  I just got an email asking me for the recipe again and I thought I would go ahead and add it here on my blog too.  I just had it this weekend drizzled over a steaming hot pile of waffles and man, was it heaven! Once you try this you won't ever want to use plain old maple syrup again! 

Buttermilk Syrup

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 cube butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon baking soda

Bring sugar, butter and buttermilk to a boil. Remove from heat and add vanilla and baking soda. Stir well. * Mixture will foam up when you add the soda so use a large pan.

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 cube butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon baking soda

Bring sugar, butter and buttermilk to a boil. Remove from heat and add vanilla and baking soda. Stir well. * Mixture will foam up when you add the soda so use a large pan.

FHE Idea #3

Making Good Choices

Opening Song:  "Choose the Right"

Opening Prayer:

Family Business: 

Scripture or Quote: "Choose you this day whom ye will serve, but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."  Josh. 24: 15

Lesson:

This is Nathan. (Display a laminated clip-art picture of a boy.  I downloaded mine from here.  You can print the following document to use:  Download Boy  it's just a Word doc you can print and laminate, although I am not even laminating it, just putting it into a protective sleeve!!)

One day, Nathan's mother told him to take the garbage cans out to the curb so the garbage men could empty them, and to please remember to put the lids on tightly to make sure the dogs didn't get in the trash. Nathan took the cans out, but ran off to play with his friends...never stopping to put the lids on securely. A couple of hours later, Nathan came home. He found papers, watermelon rinds, and other trash all over the yard.


How do you think Nathan felt? Because he disobeyed his mother, Nathan felt unhappy. He knew that by doing something wrong, it was as if he had dirtied his spirit. (smear some peanut butter on the boy.)

Nathan sometimes helped his mother with work around the house. He really tried to be good, but sometimes it was difficult. One time he and his brother both wanted to play with the same toy. They yelled at each other and hit one another. Nathan won because he was bigger, but he had hit his brother and hurt his arm.

What did Nathan do wrong? What do you think happened to Nathan's spirit when he did this? (Smear some more peanut butter on the boy and explain that his spirit doesn't look very good anymore because it has been smudged.)

One day, Nathan left school late. as he was leaving, he noticed how cold it was getting. He saw a scarf hanging on a hook by the door. It would help him keep warm on the way home. Nathan took the scarf. He knew it was not his, but no one saw him take it, and he could return it in the morning.

What was Nathan doing wrong? Because he was borrowing something that belonged to someone else, without asking, he was adding another smudge to his spirit. (Add some more peanut butter.)

The next morning Nathan had to hurry to school, and he forgot the scarf. The teacher told the class that a scarf that belonged to one of the children was missing. She asked if anyone knew where it was. No one said a word. Nathan felt bad because he had taken the scarf and had forgotten to return it. after the other children left, the teacher asked Nathan if he had seen the scarf. Nathan did not want anyone to know what he had done, so he told her he had not seen it.

How did Nathan make his problem bigger? How was Nathan feeling now? By lying, Nathan made himself unhappier. (smear more peanut butter on the boy.)

None of the smears that are on Nathan's spirit are too dirty for Nathan to clean up. How can Nathan feel happier and clean his spirit? (By repenting.)

To clean his spirit, Nathan needs to repent for disobeying his mother. What must Nathan do to repent? (Go through the steps of repentance {feel sorry, tell the truth, ask for forgiveness, fix the problem, stop doing it}, relating to this mistake. Clean away some of the peanut from the boy.)


What must Nathan do to repent from being unkind to his brother? (Go through the steps of repentance and remove more peanut butter.)


How can Nathan repent for borrowing something without asking? (Go through the steps of repentance and remove more peanut butter.)

What must Nathan do for not telling the truth? (Go through the steps of repentance and remove the remaining peanut butter.)


How do you think Nathan felt after he repented of his mistakes? How did repentance change Nathan's spirit?


When we repent, we free ourselves of sad feelings and we make our spirits clean and pure like they were when we first came to earth when we were born

Activity:  This is included in the peanut butter story.  We will let our kids help put the peanut butter on and wipe it off...  We talked about how making good choices is best, but when we mess up/make a mistake, repentance is a gift from Heavenly Father that can make us happy and clean again. 

Treat:  Strawberry Shortcake

ETA:  Lesson Idea found HERE!  A great little website!

Making Good Choices

Opening Song:  "Choose the Right"

Opening Prayer:

Family Business: 

Scripture or Quote: "Choose you this day whom ye will serve, but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."  Josh. 24: 15

Lesson:

This is Nathan. (Display a laminated clip-art picture of a boy.  I downloaded mine from here.  You can print the following document to use:  Download Boy  it's just a Word doc you can print and laminate, although I am not even laminating it, just putting it into a protective sleeve!!)

One day, Nathan's mother told him to take the garbage cans out to the curb so the garbage men could empty them, and to please remember to put the lids on tightly to make sure the dogs didn't get in the trash. Nathan took the cans out, but ran off to play with his friends...never stopping to put the lids on securely. A couple of hours later, Nathan came home. He found papers, watermelon rinds, and other trash all over the yard.


How do you think Nathan felt? Because he disobeyed his mother, Nathan felt unhappy. He knew that by doing something wrong, it was as if he had dirtied his spirit. (smear some peanut butter on the boy.)

Nathan sometimes helped his mother with work around the house. He really tried to be good, but sometimes it was difficult. One time he and his brother both wanted to play with the same toy. They yelled at each other and hit one another. Nathan won because he was bigger, but he had hit his brother and hurt his arm.

What did Nathan do wrong? What do you think happened to Nathan's spirit when he did this? (Smear some more peanut butter on the boy and explain that his spirit doesn't look very good anymore because it has been smudged.)

One day, Nathan left school late. as he was leaving, he noticed how cold it was getting. He saw a scarf hanging on a hook by the door. It would help him keep warm on the way home. Nathan took the scarf. He knew it was not his, but no one saw him take it, and he could return it in the morning.

What was Nathan doing wrong? Because he was borrowing something that belonged to someone else, without asking, he was adding another smudge to his spirit. (Add some more peanut butter.)

The next morning Nathan had to hurry to school, and he forgot the scarf. The teacher told the class that a scarf that belonged to one of the children was missing. She asked if anyone knew where it was. No one said a word. Nathan felt bad because he had taken the scarf and had forgotten to return it. after the other children left, the teacher asked Nathan if he had seen the scarf. Nathan did not want anyone to know what he had done, so he told her he had not seen it.

How did Nathan make his problem bigger? How was Nathan feeling now? By lying, Nathan made himself unhappier. (smear more peanut butter on the boy.)

None of the smears that are on Nathan's spirit are too dirty for Nathan to clean up. How can Nathan feel happier and clean his spirit? (By repenting.)

To clean his spirit, Nathan needs to repent for disobeying his mother. What must Nathan do to repent? (Go through the steps of repentance {feel sorry, tell the truth, ask for forgiveness, fix the problem, stop doing it}, relating to this mistake. Clean away some of the peanut from the boy.)


What must Nathan do to repent from being unkind to his brother? (Go through the steps of repentance and remove more peanut butter.)


How can Nathan repent for borrowing something without asking? (Go through the steps of repentance and remove more peanut butter.)

What must Nathan do for not telling the truth? (Go through the steps of repentance and remove the remaining peanut butter.)


How do you think Nathan felt after he repented of his mistakes? How did repentance change Nathan's spirit?


When we repent, we free ourselves of sad feelings and we make our spirits clean and pure like they were when we first came to earth when we were born

Activity:  This is included in the peanut butter story.  We will let our kids help put the peanut butter on and wipe it off...  We talked about how making good choices is best, but when we mess up/make a mistake, repentance is a gift from Heavenly Father that can make us happy and clean again. 

Treat:  Strawberry Shortcake

ETA:  Lesson Idea found HERE!  A great little website!