My friend, Kendra, just emailed me her recipe for frozen yogurt. Y'all, this is THE STUFF. It not only epitomizes creamy, sweet goodness, but it also has only four--count 'em, FOUR--ingredients. Not to mention that it's pretty good for you, too.
Kendra made this frozen yogurt for us on the same day that Nathan and I had actually gone to TCBY to have some frozen yogurt. So we got two servings that day.
Let's just say that compared to Kendra's, TCBY's is not the country's best.
Are y'all ready for this? Have your ice cream maker ready. Freezer bowls frozen? Good! Ready, set, go!
Frozen Yogurt with Berries
2 cups lowfat vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup whole milk (or low-fat, whatever you have)
1/4 cup sugar
12 oz. bag frozen mixed berries, pureed and strained to remove seeds. (Or if you don't mind the seeds, just buy a bag of whatever berry you're in the mood for and smash them with a hammer. If you are using fresh berries make sure you freeze them for at least a little while; otherwise you will have a soup)
Combine the yogurt, milk, and sugar in a medium bowl and mix until sugar is dissolved (more or less). Mix in the berries. Turn the machine on, pour mixture into freezer bowl through ingredient spout, and let mix until thickened, about 25-30 minutes.
---
Alternatively, if you don't have an ice cream machine, leave out the sugar, add a little more milk, and blend. Voila! You've got a tasty smoothie.
I know, I know. You're welcome.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Monday, July 14, 2008
No TV Week
Nathan and I decided that we spend too much time being brainless in front of the TV at night, so we decided we'd have a "No TV Week."
I think we got into the habit of watching too much TV because we were too tired to do anything else after Noah goes to sleep, especially for the first few months. (Although we definitely did plenty of TV watching before, too.) It has gotten to the point, though, that we watch stuff we don't even care about, just to fill the time. So it was time to find other things to do with ourselves.
Why?
1. Because TV does very little to actually edify our lives.
2. It eats what would otherwise be our quality time with one another.
3. We get less done around the house.
4. I hate to be so blunt, but it encourages laziness.
So this week we are banning ourselves from TV. I made a list of things we can do instead:
- play games
- read a book we've both been meaning to read
- make a list of our family's goals, sort of like a Benesh mission statement
- paint the kitchen or bathroom (I'm tired of white)
- spend more time on our back deck on pleasant summer evenings
This is certainly not an "I hate TV" post, because I do think that it's okay to be entertained and also to just sit and be brainless sometimes. We've just been doing too much of it lately, and we needed to cut ourselves off for a bit. Lucky for Nathan, he only has to put up with five of the seven no-TV days this week, because he's going to Canada on Friday for work. But he won't have access to a TV there, anyway, so I guess it's okay. I wish I were going with him, though! The Canadian Rockies are awesome. The real sacrifice I'll be making is missing the first episode of this season's Project Runway on Wednesday. But I'm banking on the fact that they'll rerun it a lot.
In other news:
- Noah likes bananas after all. After the first failed attempt at feeding them to him, he decided they were pretty tasty. However, he is not so thrilled about avocados. He acts like he's gagging every time I try to give them to him, which, honestly, is pretty funny looking. He'll eat them if I mix in bananas, though. What a concoction! Avocados, bananas, milk, water, and rice. My gosh, people! The stuff we feed our babies! Ick! At least I'm not mixing in dried kelp and brewer's yeast like this one book I'm reading suggests. Double ick!
- This is a really neat website. This woman is making something in the crock pot every day for a year. Want the other websites I use a lot for recipes? Here they are: Cooking Light, Williams-Sonoma, Weight Watchers, The Food Network. I also sometimes go to The Pioneer Woman because her pictures are purty. I'll be honest. I don't own one cookbook that doesn't have pretty pictures. I just need the inspiration.
- And the big news . . . drumroll, please . . . APRIL HAD HER BABY YESTERDAY! Welcome to the world, little Justus Chandler Drolet! He was a whopping 8 lbs., 8 oz., and Mom delivered him with no drugs! Way to go, Superwoman!
I think we got into the habit of watching too much TV because we were too tired to do anything else after Noah goes to sleep, especially for the first few months. (Although we definitely did plenty of TV watching before, too.) It has gotten to the point, though, that we watch stuff we don't even care about, just to fill the time. So it was time to find other things to do with ourselves.
Why?
1. Because TV does very little to actually edify our lives.
2. It eats what would otherwise be our quality time with one another.
3. We get less done around the house.
4. I hate to be so blunt, but it encourages laziness.
So this week we are banning ourselves from TV. I made a list of things we can do instead:
- play games
- read a book we've both been meaning to read
- make a list of our family's goals, sort of like a Benesh mission statement
- paint the kitchen or bathroom (I'm tired of white)
- spend more time on our back deck on pleasant summer evenings
This is certainly not an "I hate TV" post, because I do think that it's okay to be entertained and also to just sit and be brainless sometimes. We've just been doing too much of it lately, and we needed to cut ourselves off for a bit. Lucky for Nathan, he only has to put up with five of the seven no-TV days this week, because he's going to Canada on Friday for work. But he won't have access to a TV there, anyway, so I guess it's okay. I wish I were going with him, though! The Canadian Rockies are awesome. The real sacrifice I'll be making is missing the first episode of this season's Project Runway on Wednesday. But I'm banking on the fact that they'll rerun it a lot.
In other news:
- Noah likes bananas after all. After the first failed attempt at feeding them to him, he decided they were pretty tasty. However, he is not so thrilled about avocados. He acts like he's gagging every time I try to give them to him, which, honestly, is pretty funny looking. He'll eat them if I mix in bananas, though. What a concoction! Avocados, bananas, milk, water, and rice. My gosh, people! The stuff we feed our babies! Ick! At least I'm not mixing in dried kelp and brewer's yeast like this one book I'm reading suggests. Double ick!
- This is a really neat website. This woman is making something in the crock pot every day for a year. Want the other websites I use a lot for recipes? Here they are: Cooking Light, Williams-Sonoma, Weight Watchers, The Food Network. I also sometimes go to The Pioneer Woman because her pictures are purty. I'll be honest. I don't own one cookbook that doesn't have pretty pictures. I just need the inspiration.
- And the big news . . . drumroll, please . . . APRIL HAD HER BABY YESTERDAY! Welcome to the world, little Justus Chandler Drolet! He was a whopping 8 lbs., 8 oz., and Mom delivered him with no drugs! Way to go, Superwoman!
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Six Months Old!
Noah is six months old today!
Please be kind and ignore the fact that there wasn't enough icing to cover the front. ;)
Noah is doing all kinds of new things. It never ceases to amaze me how quickly he grows and changes. Just yesterday, I walked in while Nathan was giving him a bath and was floored by how much of the baby tub he took up. How did he get so big?
We think he might be beginning to teethe, but we are not certain yet. He is just a little more fussy lately, and he's developed this awful growly cry. I'm hoping that cry doesn't stick, because until now, the sound of his crying has never rubbed me the wrong way.
He is so incredibly active now, and if I don't change things up for him fairly often (moving him around or giving him new toys or carrying him around with me), he gets really bored. Especially now that he doesn't have a plethora of doting grandparents to entertain him every waking moment. I really can't keep up with him and expect to get anything else done. Does anyone have any advice for this? He is so active, and he wants to be doing things and touching things all the time. He very nearly confiscated one man's magazine on the plane, and he launched off my lap today and landed on his face when he was trying to get to one of the cats (thankfully, he landed on the couch). He's going to be such a handful when he is mobile!
And that mobile day is imminent. He is starting to get his bottom in the air and is pushing off with his toes. But before you can crawl, you have to sit, right? Well, today Nathan set him on the ground, and he sat all by himself! I took a quick video to prove it. He did sit for longer than this, but the funny thing was that he couldn't balance and look up at me for long:
He is obsessed with anything with buttons. He loves the remote control, the computer keyboard, and your cell phone. Nathan's parents put a toy next to the remote several times in a row, and he chose the remote every single time.
He is so much fun! He just laughs all the time and LOVES to be kissed. He thinks it's a big game. His version of giving a kiss is opening his mouth really wide and basically slobbering all over you. But it's so sweet. :) As of the last couple of days, he's been giving hugs, too. At first, we weren't sure if it was intentional, but we are now convinced that it is. He just wraps his little arms around your neck, holds on, and then gives you a big, slobbery kiss.
He also loves games. He loves patty cake, peek-a-boo, and so on. And Nathan is great at thinking up new sounds to entertain him with. Noah really likes percussive sounds, as you can see in the following video. Nathan had no idea I was filming him, and his first words when he saw this were, "I am so weird." But I think it's sweet!
I made him a mini cake to celebrate, complete with half a candle.
Please be kind and ignore the fact that there wasn't enough icing to cover the front. ;)He was much more interested in the candle than in smiling for the picture.
Because I wasn't about to give him cake before he's had one vegetable, he got to try bananas!
You'd think he'd be thrilled, right? Can you believe the kid didn't really like them? I was all set with the camera to catch the look of glee I was sure we'd see, but he actually turned his head in refusal! We are going to have to work on the banana love.
You'd think he'd be thrilled, right? Can you believe the kid didn't really like them? I was all set with the camera to catch the look of glee I was sure we'd see, but he actually turned his head in refusal! We are going to have to work on the banana love.
Noah is doing all kinds of new things. It never ceases to amaze me how quickly he grows and changes. Just yesterday, I walked in while Nathan was giving him a bath and was floored by how much of the baby tub he took up. How did he get so big?
We think he might be beginning to teethe, but we are not certain yet. He is just a little more fussy lately, and he's developed this awful growly cry. I'm hoping that cry doesn't stick, because until now, the sound of his crying has never rubbed me the wrong way.
He is so incredibly active now, and if I don't change things up for him fairly often (moving him around or giving him new toys or carrying him around with me), he gets really bored. Especially now that he doesn't have a plethora of doting grandparents to entertain him every waking moment. I really can't keep up with him and expect to get anything else done. Does anyone have any advice for this? He is so active, and he wants to be doing things and touching things all the time. He very nearly confiscated one man's magazine on the plane, and he launched off my lap today and landed on his face when he was trying to get to one of the cats (thankfully, he landed on the couch). He's going to be such a handful when he is mobile!
And that mobile day is imminent. He is starting to get his bottom in the air and is pushing off with his toes. But before you can crawl, you have to sit, right? Well, today Nathan set him on the ground, and he sat all by himself! I took a quick video to prove it. He did sit for longer than this, but the funny thing was that he couldn't balance and look up at me for long:
He is obsessed with anything with buttons. He loves the remote control, the computer keyboard, and your cell phone. Nathan's parents put a toy next to the remote several times in a row, and he chose the remote every single time.
He is so much fun! He just laughs all the time and LOVES to be kissed. He thinks it's a big game. His version of giving a kiss is opening his mouth really wide and basically slobbering all over you. But it's so sweet. :) As of the last couple of days, he's been giving hugs, too. At first, we weren't sure if it was intentional, but we are now convinced that it is. He just wraps his little arms around your neck, holds on, and then gives you a big, slobbery kiss.
He also loves games. He loves patty cake, peek-a-boo, and so on. And Nathan is great at thinking up new sounds to entertain him with. Noah really likes percussive sounds, as you can see in the following video. Nathan had no idea I was filming him, and his first words when he saw this were, "I am so weird." But I think it's sweet!
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Deep in the Heart of Texas
Hello dear readers!
Have you been wondering where I've been? I've been deep in the heart of Texas! That's right, we went on a little Fourth of July visit to see family. We had a really nice time seeing everyone. Noah got to do some fun new things, too, which he really enjoyed, and everyone had a great time playing with him and teaching him new games.
Have you been wondering where I've been? I've been deep in the heart of Texas! That's right, we went on a little Fourth of July visit to see family. We had a really nice time seeing everyone. Noah got to do some fun new things, too, which he really enjoyed, and everyone had a great time playing with him and teaching him new games.
Mom and Dad, meeting us at the airport. Can you tell they were happy to see their grandson? Forget about Nathan and me! NOAH is here!
Granny and Papa were thrilled to have both their great-grandsons together: Noah and his new little cousin, Spencer.
Grandpa and Noah
Grandpa and Noah
GG and Noah
Aunt Patti was kind enough to get a kiddie pool for Noah to use while we were in Houston. It was his very first swim, and he enjoyed it a lot!
Notice the strategically placed ball. :)
I had bought a swimsuit for him, but it's a size too large, so I didn't bother bringing it to Texas. Turned out that maybe I should have. Oh well! He didn't mind!
He made funny faces when water got on his little face.
He already has a natural knack for swimming. He knew just how to kick. Nathan claims he is one of those babies who would do just fine if you threw him into the water. I am not very eager to find out.
Drying off
We also got to visit with my most excellent friend, Katie. She is so awesome. We had a great time together, and her mom made us some really yummy key lime pie. They got to meet Noah, and I got to hear more about how Katie and Sean met and how their relationship progressed, with is such a cool story of God's work and grace. You can read more about how Katie and I became friends on her blog.
After a few days in Houston, we headed on to Waco to visit Nathan's family.
Here's my cutie, enjoying the outside. He loves to be outdoors, like his daddy.
One note about this t-shirt: this was taken on the 4th of July, and the cool thing is that that little shirt is the very first thing Nathan and I bought for him while I was pregnant. We saw it at Target when I was only about two or three months pregnant and we were still a little in shock that we were going to be parents. We figured out how old our baby would be the next 4th of July to get the size right, and it felt so foreign to buy baby clothes.
Grandmother, giving Noah some yummy rice cereal.
Here's a video of Noah and Papa, doing patty cake. It's cute because Noah thinks the end is so fun. (The volume is really low, though.)
A sign of the smartie he'll become?
Noah had a lot of fun with Aunt Deb.
And Uncle Andrew is way awesome, too!
And he really loved Uncle Daniel because he totally treats him like a boy, tossing him around and hanging him upside down!
A cool shot of Noah and Aunt Jennifer, with the view out the kitchen window in the background.
Grandma Tanner loves me!
And Grandma Benesh wanted to hold me all the time!
One of the awesome things about visiting our parents was that we got some free babysitting. While in Houston, we got to go have some steak at Saltgrass Steakouse and see a movie. By the way, if you ever go to Saltgrass, be sure to try the Shiner Bock on tap. Somehow it was SO GOOD and even better than from a bottle. By a lot, if that's possible. I am not a big beer drinker by any stretch of the imagination, but that stuff was GOOD.
In Waco, we took an afternoon and did a few things on our own for our date. We tried to go to a neat library on Baylor's campus that I actually never went into while I was a student there, but it was closed. So we went to Lake Waco. I like this picture of Nathan--not only is he a handsome dude, but it captures the expansive sky, which he had mentioned earlier that day as something he enjoys about Texas.
The whole gang at my favorite BBQ place, Uncle Dan's.
We also got to spend a few hours in Dripping Springs with Ken and Meredith. Their church had a Fourth of July fish fry that we got to attend, and it was really fun!
Noah and Nathan.
Noah LOVES to grab everyone's hair. Grandpa Dale is no exception!
Actually, he was kind of asking for it when he put Noah on his shoulders. :)
Also, do you not love the baby flip flops?
GG took Noah to get a close look at Uncle Ken playing the drums.
On our last day in Houston, we got to have lunch with Sarah. Isn't this a cute picture?
Noah and all his grandparents. They were so sad to see him go.
Thanks, everyone, for such a great trip!
Notice the strategically placed ball. :)
I had bought a swimsuit for him, but it's a size too large, so I didn't bother bringing it to Texas. Turned out that maybe I should have. Oh well! He didn't mind!
He made funny faces when water got on his little face.
He already has a natural knack for swimming. He knew just how to kick. Nathan claims he is one of those babies who would do just fine if you threw him into the water. I am not very eager to find out.
Drying off
We also got to visit with my most excellent friend, Katie. She is so awesome. We had a great time together, and her mom made us some really yummy key lime pie. They got to meet Noah, and I got to hear more about how Katie and Sean met and how their relationship progressed, with is such a cool story of God's work and grace. You can read more about how Katie and I became friends on her blog.
After a few days in Houston, we headed on to Waco to visit Nathan's family.
Here's my cutie, enjoying the outside. He loves to be outdoors, like his daddy.
One note about this t-shirt: this was taken on the 4th of July, and the cool thing is that that little shirt is the very first thing Nathan and I bought for him while I was pregnant. We saw it at Target when I was only about two or three months pregnant and we were still a little in shock that we were going to be parents. We figured out how old our baby would be the next 4th of July to get the size right, and it felt so foreign to buy baby clothes.
Grandmother, giving Noah some yummy rice cereal.
Here's a video of Noah and Papa, doing patty cake. It's cute because Noah thinks the end is so fun. (The volume is really low, though.)
A sign of the smartie he'll become?
Noah had a lot of fun with Aunt Deb.
And Uncle Andrew is way awesome, too!
And he really loved Uncle Daniel because he totally treats him like a boy, tossing him around and hanging him upside down!
A cool shot of Noah and Aunt Jennifer, with the view out the kitchen window in the background.
Grandma Tanner loves me!
And Grandma Benesh wanted to hold me all the time!
One of the awesome things about visiting our parents was that we got some free babysitting. While in Houston, we got to go have some steak at Saltgrass Steakouse and see a movie. By the way, if you ever go to Saltgrass, be sure to try the Shiner Bock on tap. Somehow it was SO GOOD and even better than from a bottle. By a lot, if that's possible. I am not a big beer drinker by any stretch of the imagination, but that stuff was GOOD.
In Waco, we took an afternoon and did a few things on our own for our date. We tried to go to a neat library on Baylor's campus that I actually never went into while I was a student there, but it was closed. So we went to Lake Waco. I like this picture of Nathan--not only is he a handsome dude, but it captures the expansive sky, which he had mentioned earlier that day as something he enjoys about Texas.
The whole gang at my favorite BBQ place, Uncle Dan's.
We also got to spend a few hours in Dripping Springs with Ken and Meredith. Their church had a Fourth of July fish fry that we got to attend, and it was really fun!
Noah and Nathan.
Noah LOVES to grab everyone's hair. Grandpa Dale is no exception!
Actually, he was kind of asking for it when he put Noah on his shoulders. :)
Also, do you not love the baby flip flops?
GG took Noah to get a close look at Uncle Ken playing the drums.
On our last day in Houston, we got to have lunch with Sarah. Isn't this a cute picture?
Noah and all his grandparents. They were so sad to see him go.
Thanks, everyone, for such a great trip!
July Arbonne Specials
Hello all! Check out Arbonne's specials this July:
20% Off Vanish Products and Anti-Aging SunscreenThis July, you can buy the BefoRE Sun Damage Control Water Resistant Sunscreen SPF 30, a $28 value, for $22.40; the Figure 8 Vanish™ Water Relief Treatment Serum, a $40 value, for $32, and the Vanishing Act set, an $85 value, for $68.
Secret Crush Color Palette for 11!With every $50 f.y.i. Arbonne SRP order increment, enjoy the option to purchase the Secret Crush Color Palette, a $27 value, for $11.
BefoRE Sun Set for $66With every $75 SRP order increment, enjoy the option to purchase the BefoRE Sun set, a $164 value, for $66.
--
Lauren Benesh
Independent Consultant
Arbonne International
laurenbenesh.myarbonne.com
www.arbonne.com
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
The Musical Reformer
Did you know that Martin Luther, the man who started the Protestant Revolution, wrote the hymn "A Mighty Fortress is Our God"? I love that hymn--both the melody and the words are compelling, I think. In fact, speaking of the words, it is apparently a very difficult hymn to translate because the German is so vivid, which I think makes it even cooler. There are over 80 English translations.
I recently read this quote by Luther:
"Next to the Word of God, the noble art of music is the greatest treasure in the world. It controls our thoughts, minds, hearts, and spirits."
Nifty, huh?
I recently read this quote by Luther:
"Next to the Word of God, the noble art of music is the greatest treasure in the world. It controls our thoughts, minds, hearts, and spirits."
Nifty, huh?
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