Bulk cooking: Step by Step Veggie Stuffed Shells

First off, I'm very sad because all of my photos for this step-by-step recipe were accidentally erased from my phone.  So I will walk through this recipe without photos.  I plan to post another recipe and step-by-step guide soon.

This recipe was one I wasn't really sure the whole family would end up liking.  It has no meat, which was attractive to me, but it also meant that there were veggies instead (also attractive to me, but usually not to the children).  There is some yummy cheese in it, though, and the veggies are hidden inside.  Of course, the spaghetti sauce is over everything, so the actual veggie content is well-masked.  (Mwahhahaha!!!)  I decided I would make 6 meals' worth and hope they liked it!!  I enlisted the help of my 11-year-old daughter, who thought stuffing each shell was super fun, and we got things rolling.

Each recipe is supposed to feed 4-6, but we had enough for our whole family, sometimes with leftovers, and I made 6 meals' worth (plus some extra which I divided up among all the bags.  The day I made this, we ate it for dinner and then froze 5 meals' worth.

Veggie-Stuffed Shells*

Ingredients:

144 Jumbo Pasta Shells (I always make more just in case)

84 oz. Chicken Broth

3 cups Carrots, shredded

6 cups Potatoes, diced

6 cups Onions, chopped

12 cups Cottage Cheese (I use fat free)

6 cups Mozzarella Cheese, shredded (use part-skim for lower fat)

12 Eggs

4 cups Parmesan Cheese, grated

4 T Italian Seasoning

24 cups Spaghetti Sauce (optional recipe below)

When I make something in bulk like this, I either chop everything the night before or in the morning.  Then when I'm going to assemble, it's already done and saves me time.  

Assembly Directions:

Cook pasta shells for half the recommended time.  Do not overcook (the pasta will be softened when the frozen dish is thawed and baked later).  Drain. IMMEDIATELY spread in a single layer over cooling racks, waxed paper,nor even just paper towels to cool and drain completely.  If you leave the shells in the pot for too long after draining. especially large quantities of shells, they will stick together and break when you try to separate them for filling.  I might know this from experience... Maybe... :)

Meanwhile, heat the chicken broth to boiling in a large saucepan (I have really HUGE stock pots I use for this kind of thing, and I actually also mix together in the large stock pots because they are the only thing the entire recipe can fit in).  Here is a picture of one of my huge pots full of one of my bulk recipes:

Stir in carrots, potatoes, and onions. Cook for 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender-crisp (again, because you are freezing this, you don't want things to get soft or they will be mushy when they are thawed).  Drain well.

Mix all the ingredients except shells together in a large bowl (or a giant stock pot, which is what I do).  Fill each shell with about 2 T. of cheese mixture (this was my 11-year-old's job).  If you have any extra cheese, fill any extra shells you may have boiled, or you can freeze it for later recipes (great for lasagna).

Place shells in rigid freezer container OR you can fit about 24 in a gallon-size freezer bag.  I use the freezer bags so I can lay them flat in the freezer (next recipe I will post a photo of the bags stacked in my freezer).  This is a lot more space-saving.

Freezing and Cooking Directions:

Package the shells and sauce in separate bags or rigid freezer containers.  Tape the bags or containers together or place them in a 2-gallon freezer bag.  Label and freeze.  If you don't use homemade sauce, you can just purchase your jars of sauce and label them to keep in your pantry.  The last time I made this, I just used jars, and it was super convenient.  I had all 6 jars and saved them to use with the recipe.

To serve:  TWO OPTIONS

1. Thaw. Place shells in a 9x13 casserole dish,  cover with sauce.  Bake covered at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until hot and bubbly.  Serve with crusty garlic bread and a salad.  

OR

2. Super easy method!!  I recently discovered this, and it is so easy I wanna do a happy dance!  Take bag of shells out of the freezer, and thaw only slightly to separate shells enough to fit in crock pot.  Place frozen shells in crock pot, cover with sauce, and cook on high about 3 hours or on low 6-8 hours.  If you would like, you can add a can of French-style green beans before covering with sauce.  I've done this before, and the kids loved it.

Marie's Spaghetti Sauce (for 6 recipes, this is easy to double and freeze for 12 meals!!)

3 lb. Ground beef (optional--I used meatless sauce)

6 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 cups Onion, chopped

36 oz. Tomato Paste

36 oz. Water

90 oz. Stewed Tomatoes (any of the following seasonings:pasta style, basil, garlic and onion, or oregano style)

3 t. Basil

2 T. Oregano

I wish I could post the adorable pictures of my kids' reaction to this recipe.  They LOVED it!!  It is yummy and healthy!  I hope your family tries it and enjoys!  I just used up the last of my frozen shells, so it's time to make a new batch!  This time I will do a photo journal and just post the pictures.

*This recipe is from a friend of mine, Marie Cole's, cookbook, Freezer Pleasers.  She and a close friend had a freezer cooking business, but they are no longer doing that, and the book is no longer available.  I use it all the time, though, so I will share recipes here on my blog.  Thanks, Marie!!

Menu Planning 101

This may seem pretty basic indeed, but for me it took several years and adding many, many babies to my family to realize how helpful it is to plan a simple menu for at least a week at a time.  I've shared before how just a one conversation with my husband about what was important to him began a revolution in how I plan and cook meals for our family.  The next big step for me was planning a menu for all three meals per day and snacks too for a week or more at a time.

I personally like to plan meals for at least two weeks at a time.  This way, I can shop for non-perishables ahead of time and then I can also look to the menu with confidence when thinking about the week.  I have a nice little magnetized dry-erase menu (pictured above) on my fridge, and every week I write in breakfast, lunch and dinner so that everyone in the family can see what is for each meal.  They still do come and ask me "what's for dinner, breakfast, lunch....?" But the menu is there so everyone can see it.  I like having a menu plan because it also helps the children to see what the items I have bought are for.  Last year I stopped buying packaged and processed snacks to have in the house.  They were for the most part not that healthful, plus they cost quite a bit of money when you add things up.  So the fruits and vegetables we have in abundance in our kitchen are for the taking whenever anyone may need a snack.  Other than that, most items are for a specific meal, and the children have learned (for the most part) to leave those things in the pantry, fridge or freezer.  

Here are some tips that may help you in planning your own menu:

• Make a list of your family's favorite meals.  These are the things they like so much that repeating them once a week or so won't bother them.  Include lunches and breakfasts as well as dinners.
• Make a list of easy meals you can throw together fairly quickly.
• Refer to your list of meals you may have in your freezer ready to be used (if any)
• Pull out a blank calendar, or even just make a list down a page with each date and then B, L, and D down the page so you can fill in what you will have for each meal of the day.  If you prefer, at least just plan your dinners.  I really do like to have each meal planned.  I think in general it helps make the house run more smoothly, and it keeps us from needing to resort to fast food or pizza so much.  :)
• Fill in the favorite meals a few times in the month or over your two week period for which you are planning. Try to have your schedule for the time period for which you are planning nearby, so you can plan a simple meal or plan to take something out of the freezer on days when you may not have as much time.  If you want to make several times a recipe, plan to do that a few times throughout the month on days when you have more time to spend in the kitchen.
• If you want to try new recipes, plan these according to your schedule (easy or complicated)
• Either post the month's menu plan in a spot where your family can see it, or at least post a week at a time.
• Use your menu to plan your weekly shopping trip!  If you have a plan, you will be a lot less likely to have to run to the store many times throughout the week, so you will save money in the long run, and you will have what you need for all the meals for a week or two so you can be flexible!
• BE FLEXIBLE!!  This is a theme in the life of a homeschooling mom (or any mom really, for that matter)!  The menu is your tool to help you not panic when it comes to meal times in your home.  If you have a plan and have shopped for at least a week's worth of meals, then you can flex as necessary and switch things around as life shifts and throws its curves at you!  

"She is like merchant ships; 

She brings her food from afar.

She rises also while it is still night

And gives food to her household 

And portions to her maidens..."

Proverbs 31:14-15

The Basics of Freezer (Bulk) Cooking

I haven't posted in a while, but I have been writing, so here is the first in a little mini-series about meal planning and freezer cooking (bulk cooking) I had promised previously.

When Todd and I first got married, I wasn't completely clueless in the kitchen, but I still had a lot to learn.  We began having children, and before I knew it I had three children all under the age of 3 years old!  We wanted to homeschool the children, so we decided to "practice" by beginning with preschool.  I soon found that I was so preoccupied with caring for little ones, teaching them a little nursery curriculum that I found through A Beka, and trying to keep the house running (including laundry and meals), that I wasn't doing the best job with most of it!  I sat down with my husband, and asked him to help me prioritize all the things for which I was responsible.  I was actually surprised by his response. His top priority for me, of course, was teaching and caring for the children.  After that, he told me if I could get meal planning and cooking under control, it would greatly bless him.  For my husband, the "clean and tidy" house wasn't at the top of the list.  I had thought that it was, so once the children and I were finished with our "school time" each day, we had gotten to work straightening and cleaning up so when Todd got home the house would look presentable.  Oftentimes, however, when he would arrive home, I would suddenly realize that I had no idea what I would be cooking for dinner that evening.  I would rush to throw some chicken breast in the microwave, steam some broccoli, and slap some BBQ sauce on the side.  Not exactly the best meals ever.  Once I knew how important this was to my husband, I began to find ways to help me prepare meals without having to spend all afternoon in the kitchen.  There had to be a better way. 

A friend of mine told me about a book entitled Once-a-Month Cooking.  I decided to buy the book and try this thing out.  It completely revolutionized the way I thought about cooking.  I really do enjoy cooking.  I love trying new recipes, and I enjoy the process of making a hot, home-cooked meal, fresh bread and baked goods.  However, I also needed to survive this busy time of my life.  The babies kept coming fast and furious, until we had 6 ages 7 1/2 and under.  Freezer cooking helped me survive, and even thrive during this time!  The way I freezer cook has taken on a different style over the years, but now that I have teenagers to help me, I may try the once-a-month method again.  I will be sharing how I plan my menus, what I do to get meals in the freezer right now, as well as the tried-and-true (but truly exhausting) method of cooking for 30 meals in one day (errr, weekend, usually in my case).  

How I did it in the early days

After buying the book, I just dug right in and tried the 30 meals in one day method.  The book also has meal plans for two weeks worth of meals.  I soon realized (especially at that time in my life,when I had only 3 little ones) that when I cooked a month's worth of meals, I was actually cooking for at least 1 1/2 months' worth of meals.  Between leftovers, eating out, traveling, etc. I always was able to stretch out my freezer meals. I started out by trying to write certain meals down for certain days of the month, but I quickly found that I could just as easily just keep a list on my freezer of what meals I had in there and simply cross them off as we ate them. I still like to have a general plan, but if I need to juggle something around it's no big deal.  

There are a few things to think about if you are going to try to do a cooking "day":

1.  The cooking day really ends up being the whole weekend.  I would chop and prep Friday night (my husband would usually help me with this).  Saturday was the big cooking/assembly day, and then Sunday I always had dishes to clean and maybe a meal or two left to assemble.  If you go into it thinking that it's all going to be finished in one day, then you might be a bit shocked.  Plan to be consumed with cooking for the whole weekend.  This is pretty much true even if you are just doing the two-week plans. 

2.  Plan for your husband to take the kids for the entire day Saturday, or arrange for a babysitter.  It was really useful for my husband to take the kids away from the house for a good chunk of the cooking day.  They would be gone for several hours.  If I had a nursing baby, I would obviously have to keep the baby nearby, so I wore the baby for a lot of the day, or tried to entertain him/her in the swing, etc.  If you have a nursing baby who will need you every few hours, maybe hire a babysitter to keep him/her happy and occupied between nursing sessions, or if you have a family member in town this would be a great time to enlist their help!  Having kids on top of you for cooking day will slow you waaaaaay down and possibly hinder your success in completing the cooking in a timely manner.  So be prepared to have them occupied by someone other than yourself.  My husband took the kids on some really fun outings on my cooking days.  They visited a reptile farm, the Austin Zoo, numerous parks and swimming holes, window shopping adventures, etc.  It can be a great time for dad to make memories with the kids.  If you have older children, as I do now, they can help you on cooking day!  I'm thinking if I do try this bulk method again, I will definitely offer my older girls some incentives for being my cooking partners.  It could be a fun, bonding time as well.  

3.  Prepare yourself for a long time in the kitchen and lots of work.  You will be exhausted at the end of this weekend, but it is well worth it.  I used to open my freezer every couple or hours and just take in the beautiful sight of all my meals made and ready to be served with a salad and side dish.  It was a huge weekend, but it saved me tons of time in the kitchen for weeks to come!

4. Invite a friend to cook with you and split the meals.  I did this most of the time when I was doing once a month cooking.  Occasionally we made two of everything, other times we each took enough for 15 meals.  Still not too shabby, and I had a partner to share the load, have fun with rather than spending all those hours working hard alone.  One friend was super efficient, and we always finished faster!

The Process
If you use the freezer cooking books, they have shopping lists for you, and all you do is shop for the ingredients listed.  They will tell you what to prepare in advance, and the order in which you will assemble the meals.  The books also tell you what types of freezer bags or containers you will want to use to freeze the meals.

If you decide to choose your own recipes, you will need to compile a grocery list from all the recipes.  You will make yourself a list of to do's, such as what you will need to chop the night before.  You can then group your recipes according to common ingredients (chicken dishes, beef dishes, etc) and make yourself an assembly order.  Then you just work through it on cooking day, letting things cool and then freezing things as you go.

Here is an example of a general order:

Friday

Shop and chop (onions, peppers, any other veggies)
Brown ground beef, if necessary
Pre-cook chicken, and dice or shred if called for in your recipes
Start something in the crockpot so you will have one meal ready to freeze in the morning!

Saturday
Cool and freeze crock pot meals
Chicken recipes (including marinated raw meat that you can freeze in bags to thaw and grill later)
Ground beef recipes
Beef stews
Vegetarian meals

Sunday
Finish any meals you may not have gotten to
Put remaining dishes left to cool in fridge overnight in freezer
Wash remaining pots, pans, measuring cups and dishes

Tips for cooking day:

•  Definitely have at least one or two crock pot meals cooking overnight Friday, and cool/freeze in the morning.
• Have your assembly order and recipes well organized, and laid out.  If you have a recipe stand, use it to easily see and follow assembly order and recipes
• Move your trash can right next to your work area
• Wash pots and pans as you go
• Take short breaks between recipe groups to wash things, or sit and have a cup of tea so you can keep going
• Place your spices in a row on the counter so they are easily seen and used
• Have one set of measuring cups for wet ingredients and one for dry
• Make sure you have purchased the right kinds of containers for your recipes--foil pans and heavy duty foil for casseroles or lasagnas, quart-sized, gallon-sized and 2-gallon sized freezer bags
• Have masking tape and permanent markers nearby to label your meals before freezing.  You may prefer to make typed labels ahead of time on the computer. 

If you want to choose your own recipes, here are some tips:

• Choose family favorites, and double those.
• Make sure you have a variety of chicken, beef or pork, and vegetarian dishes.
•  Make some soups, roasts, and casseroles
• Have a few recipes that are good for serving when you have company or meals that you can take to someone who has just had a baby or surgery or whatever. 
• Plan according to how many burners you can have going at the same time, and also according to oven space.
• Recipes.com and other recipe websites will convert the ingredients list according to number of servings, so if you want to double or triple a recipe, this is an easy place to start. 
• Choose recipes that freeze well: honestly, almost anything will freeze well. Pasta dishes may need to have pasta slightly undercooked.  Don't try to freeze things like raw potatoes.

Equipment to have for bulk cooking:

*Appliances:

Blender or mixer

Crock pot

Food processor or grater 

*Pots, pans, skillets

1 extra large pot, canning kettle, or 2 large pots

1 large saucepan with lid

1 medium saucepan with lid

1 small saucepan

1 large skillet

1-2 rimmed baking sheets

*Bowls and containers:

1 set of large med and small mixing bowls

8-12 small to med bowls or plastic bags (for chopped, grated, sliced ingredients)

Heavy duty aluminum foil

Freezer bags--both gallon and quart and 2-gallon

Foil pans, if needed

*Misc tools:

Can opener

Colander

Cutting board

Hot pads

Kitchen scissors

Knives (cutting and paring)

Ladle

2 sets measuring cups (dry and wet)

2 sets measuring spoons

Metal or plastic spatula

Mixing spoons

Rolling pin

Rubber gloves

Rubber spatula

Tongs

Veggie peeler

Wire whisk 

Ways to freeze more effectively:

Use gallon sized bags.  Lay flat to freeze.  Almost any meal can be frozen in gallon or 2-gallon bags.  Casseroles with toppings put in separate bags (main part in larger bags, and toppings in quart-sized bags) and place all together in a 2-gallon freezer bag. Label all with permanent markers before freezing, or type labels.  Make a master list to post on freezer with what you have frozen so you can cross off  you use the meals.  

What I do now:

I really did enjoy my once-a-month cooking years.  It was wonderful having everything in the freezer for weeks and weeks.  However, I was unable to continue to do this as my children got older and we had more weekend activities.  BUT, the once-a-month way of cooking really changed the way I look at meal preparation.  Now I rarely cook anything without either doubling or tripling the recipe to have enough to freeze for another meal or 2 (or 3 or 5!).  I have lots of recipes that I know my family loves that I have adapted to freeze.  I keep several of these "staples" in the freezer so that I can plan to pull something out of the freezer for us to eat at least once a week.  I always have at least 10 meals in my freezer at any given time.  Sometimes the number drops down, but I can replenish it in a couple of relatively easy days of cooking a recipe we love times 3 or even 6.  I decided to stop the bulk cooking day because it was really hard once we had more children in soccer and other weekend activities.  I didn't see how I would be able to dedicate an entire weekend to cooking.  The ideal would possibly be to cook a bulk day and then supplement the freezer throughout the weeks by doubling or tripling recipes as you may have time to cook. This is probably what I will do next.  On a weekend where I may have time, do some bulk cooking, and then just keep those meals on hand for times when we really need them.  I can do this in combination with slow cooking and making other simple meals.  Over the next few days and weeks, I will give you some examples of my menu and meal planning and how I can put all of this into practice. 

Desperatemom.com!!

I have purchased my book and several extra copies!  I'm so excited to read it and lead my MomHeart group though the book!  

Today, check out SarahMae.com to enter the latest giveaway--a $300 Target Gift Card and an iPad Mini!  If you read the book, let me know what you think!

Have a blessed day!

As iron sharpens iron, 

so a friend sharpens a friend. 

Psalm 27:17

Do you ever feel desperate?

The reason I began blogging was to create a sort of chronicle of our life as well as to hopefully encourage others out there in their walks mothering, homemaking, and spiritual life.  Today I want to share a really awesome ministry that has encouraged me  over the last several years.  

As a mom, have you ever felt "desperate?"  Have you ever felt like things are out of control, like you can't do anything well, or like you can't even come up for air in the midst of your schedule, caring for your children, husband, and house?  Have you ever felt like just curling up under the covers and hiding there all day?  Have you ever thought or said the words, "I just can't be a mother today?"  I have had babies and toddlers in my house now for 15 1/2 years straight, and I have definitely had those days.  With my 9 precious children, I am in the very interesting position of having a baby, toddler, as well as teen aged children (and everything in between) in my home now.  I know a lot of people look to me for advice and answers to their questions.  The truth is that I have lots of ideas, lots of things I have done wrong and a few things I have done "right." I have felt very alone at times and still can have those lonely days, even with such a full house.  As moms, we need to know we are not alone.  We can reach out to others and listen for the voices of those who are reaching out to connect with us.  I love to be available to younger moms to encourage and mentor them in any way I can, and I also love meeting with older moms who have been down the path ahead of me and have raised their children well from whom I can glean wisdom.  Sometimes I get this kind of "mentoring" and encouragement from reading books by such moms.

This is why I am so excited about Sally Clarkson and Sarah Mae's new book, Desperate!  I have attended Sally's Moms' Conferences in Irving,TX for coming up on 10 years now, and I always come away refreshed and inspired in my high calling of motherhood.  The new book is available now!  Here is a link to the web site and a video about the new book:

http://desperatemom.com/

Even better, on Sally's blog right now there are a couple of very amazing giveaways, including a spa retreat and an exclusive mentoring weekend with both Sally Clarkson and Sarah Mae!!  I know I would love to win!!  Check it out:

http://www.itakejoy.com/celebrating-desperate-launch-and-grand-giveaways-mentoring-monday/

Right now I am leading a MomHeart group and we are going through Sally's last book, Dancing With My Father.  It is always such an encouraging time when we come together as moms to discuss the book and pray together.  If you live in or around Southwest Austin and are interested in joining our group, it is not too late!  We meet in SW Austin twice monthly on Sunday afternoons.  If you are interested, comment below or contact me via messaging on Facebook.  

I am purchasing my copy of Desperate today, and I'm planning to have our group go through this book together in the spring!  The book is extra cool because there are QR codes and links at the end of each chapter that lead to videos with Sarah Mae and Sally talking about the chapter.  If you can't join us for the discussion now on Dancing With My Father now, consider reading Desperate with us in the Spring, if you live in the Austin area.  I may do an online group for Desperate as well, if anyone out there who is not local would like to join in.  I'll post an invitation on my blog and on Facebook before we begin.

Praying that you will be encouraged in your walk with God today as you seek to know Him more and to "be still and know He is God!"  He will carry you through your desperate times and into a place of joy!!  Also know that you are never alone!--there are moms like you everywhere.

Some yummy recipes from this evening and a look ahead!

Tonight we had a nice meal that most of the kids loved.  I wanted to make something meatless for today, so I chose a broccoli casserole that had only a few ingredients and looked really easy to throw together.  I doubled it, and it fed my family just fine, with a little bit left over (I do have lots of little ones still who don't eat quite as much).  Even the most skeptical of the children ended up liking this and going back for seconds or thirds.  My oldest son had 5 helpings!  I was able to make this a meal for us because I added some leftover "party beans" (recipe for this on 12/24 of my blog, "Day 30 and 2 Bonus Recipes) and yummy cornbread with honey butter.

Broccoli casserole 

Serves 4

2 10-oz. packages frozen broccoli spears, thawed and cut into pieces

10 1/4 oz. can cream of celery soup

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided

1/4 cup finely chopped yellow onion

1 cup baked potato chips, crushed

1. Combine broccoli, soup, 1 cup cheese, and onion in *greased* slow cooker.

2. Cover and cook on high for 2 hours or low for 3-4 hours or until broccoli is soft.

3.  Combine remaining 1/2 cup of cheese and crushed potato chips in a bowl.  Sprinkle on top of casserole 30 minutes before end of cooking time.  Leave uncovered during the last 30 minutes of cooking.

Note: I would possibly skip the crushed potato chip topping.  My family loved this dish, but they weren't crazy about the topping.  They devoured it all anyway, but I think we would all have liked it better without the topping.  Just our preference. 

I served this with fresh homemade cornbread and homemade honey butter, which was a big hit!  Here is the simple recipe for the honey butter:

1 stick of butter, softened

2 Tbsp. sweetened condensed milk

5 Tbsp. honey

Mix together with beater or in food processor until smooth.  Serve with warm bread.  Sooooooo delicious!!

I am preparing to launch a series on my blog on freezer cooking, so stay tuned!!

Also, check out Sally Clarkson's new book, Desperate.  I can't wait to get my copy!! http://desperatemom.com/

Happy 2013!!! Praying for the "Wisdom From Above"

A new year!   2012 was a good year for us.  No big changes except, of course, for the big changes happening in each of our children as they grow and learn.  I always feel so good about a new year.  I don't usually have a hard core resolution I try to fulfill (does anyone actually keep these for real??), but I feel like I get a new start, a new beginning, a second chance at who I want to be in this new calendar year.  I like to think about things I would like to improve or do better.  Do you have resolutions?  What are they?  I think this year, if I were to pick some things I would like to focus on, I would choose three categories for myself, and I feel like the Lord also pointed me to one for our family as a whole this morning as I read Scripture.  

For myself, one area is physical/health (this is usually one big category for "resolutions").  I would like to get back to eating a bit healthier, and for us, we are convinced that changing to a more plant-based diet is the way to go.  So, area one is to find a good balance between this and the cravings my family tends to have for meat in particular.  Also, I would like to figure out how to bulk cook and freeze while trying to eat this way.  I think I will focus my blog on this area quite a bit.  I will begin posting about my meal planning, bulk cooking days, and I will give a play-by-play of how those things go.  If you would like to follow along and meal plan with me, I would love that!  I will continue to use my crockpot quite a bit as well.

Another area on which I would like to focus myself is to really become more "minimalist" when it comes to our possessions.  I have had mild success with this in the past year, but I can most definitely improve.  I will be pulling out the trash bags to throw and give more things away inside and outside the house.  Also, I would like to practice using caution when it comes to purchasing new things with which to "clutter" up our already small spaces in this cozy little house.

The third area is spiritual.  For me as well as for all the family, spiritually, I feel like at times our home is a war zone. Children find so many things to fight about.  Who has a bigger serving of food, what game we should play, who wins or loses the game, whose job is what and when and why... the list goes on and on.  I realize that sometimes I play just as much a part in the war as the children do.  I try to be peacemaker general, when perhaps I need to make peace myself with each child and teach them to be peacemakers.  I need to focus less on who is right or wrong in each case and help us to all focus more on this one principle: be the peacemaker, no matter what the circumstances.  I am currently reading through the wonderful book of James in my quiet times.  This morning, these verses jumped off the page and into my heart: 

"For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every evil practice.  But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.  And a heart of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace." 

James 3: 16-18

This year, my focus will be for me to rid myself of any selfish ambition that may exist in my heart, and as a family, I think these things would be a great focus as well: to rid our home of selfish ambition and jealousy.  If these things exist, there will be disorder and every evil practice!  Boy, can I see this in our home at times!  Next, I will focus, and hopefully help the children focus on the positive virtues contained in these verses, and on being the ones who make peace.  "A heart of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace."  That sounds pretty good.  The root of all kinds of problems is pride and selfishness.  This year it will be my prayer for myself and for each member of my family, that we will learn and practice selflessness, take the focus off of selfishness and turn the focus onto others and being the one to make peace first.  I will be thinking of ways to help encourage the children especially in this, so if any of you reading this has any ideas for me in encouraging these things, whether with incentives, exercises, reading material, etc.  let me know, and I will definitely share all ideas on my blog.

May this year be a year where we all grow to be more excellent, and where we truly grasp the "wisdom from above."

Here is the definition of "wisdom from above" found in James in a different translation.  May we meditate on these verses and be filled with God's wisdom. How excellent that He promises that He will give it to us (promise found in James 1:5)!!

"But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy."

James 3:17

"But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him."

James 1:5

Praise God for His faithfulness, and may 2013 be the most excellent year for all of you!!!