Katie Kate, my sweet girl

Today is my sweet little Kate's 1st birthday. I cannot believe it has been one year since I gave birth. It has been a blessed year filled with sleepless nights, poopy diapers and snotty noses. But as my friend Tiffany says "all because I have a little baby".
What stands out more than the trying times are the wonderful moments. I remember going into labor at 5am that Monday morning. Around 6 Shane called our midwife and we were at the birthing center by 7. I was anxious to know my little one. We had no ultra sound to find out the sex of the baby. But if you would have asked me I would have guessed a little boy. Much to my surprise at 10:52 a little girl was delivered. The first thing she did as they sat her on my chest was sneeze. It was the most precious sneeze I had ever heard. That was the moment I fell in love with my sweet little Kate.
I loved the name Kate from the first talk of names. However, we decided to name her Katherine and call her Kate for short. Her middle name is Margaret after Shane paternal grandmother. I am so blessed to have my little precious Katherine Margaret.
Kate is not yet walking on her own but walks along the furniture and stands up and down in the squat position. She loves dolls and stuffed animals. If you hand her one she will hold it tight to her chest and rock it back and forth while humming (strangely, with perfect pitch). She has two bottom teeth and up until today only had one top fang. She looked a little silly but I did notice that today her top middle two had finally broken through.
Kate loves Hadassah. Her face lightens up every time she sees her. I look forward to watching their relationship flourish in years to come.
Today I honor you my sweet Katie Kate. You are my joy. I love you.

Banana Bread

What to do with rotten bananas?? Sometimes I can't keep bananas in the house and other times they sit and rot. Because I love this recipe so much sometimes I just hope they will go bad so I can bake up a batch.
This recipe does have a bit of a story. Several years ago, before I was a wife and mother, my best friend and I decided to take a summer off and go work up at West Glacier Park in Montana. We waited tables at a family owned restaurant called Eddies.
I had a day off during the week and headed into town. I decided to stop at a roadside market. I purchased some fruit and a loaf of banana bread. When I returned to my dorm I dug into the bread. It was the most incredibly moist and yummy banana bread I had ever had. I began to crave it.
When our summer was over and we were driving out of town, I decided to stop at the market to get one last loaf. I was so disappointed when they did not have any. I asked the lady at the register and she said the baker was out of town so they had sold out a day ago. I asked if she could tell me what the ingredients were so that I could attempt to replicate it. That is when she offered me the recipe. She said since the baker was out of town no one would ever know so long as I didn't sell the recipe, which I agreed to.
So this recipe is not up for sale...but I would like to share it with you. Actually the recipe has changed over time to incorporate healthier ingredients.

3/4 c. butter (1 1/2 sticks)
1 c. rapadura
1 1/2 c. mashed bananas (since I have reduced the amount of sugar, make sure they are black)
2 eggs beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 c. buttermilk (or sour milk)
3/4 cup walnuts (or your favorite nut)

The night before soak the whole wheat flour in buttermilk. The following morning cream butter and rapadura. Blend in bananas eggs and vanilla. Add baking soda and salt to flour mixture then add the banana mixture and blend together. Add nuts. I bake my banana bread in the mini loaf stoneware from Pampered Chef (best kitchen investment for me. I use it all the time). You can also bake in a regular loaf pan but you will need to adjust baking time. Bake on 325 for 45ish minutes. When toothpick comes out clean it's good to go. Serve warm with lots of healthy butter.

FYI
*The only ingredients I substituted were ww flour for white and rapadura for white sugar.
*I have also uses minimally processed organic sugar and it comes out the same.
*I also up the amount of buttermilk form 1/2c. to 3/4 c. when using ww flour, makes it more moist.
*My dad is gluten free and I have made this for him with an all purpose gluten free flour. I have tried several and with this recipe Bob's Red Mill works best.

This post is part of The Nourishing Gourmet Sweets and treats carnival

Butternut Squash Soup

I love soup!! Especially when it is below freezing outside. My favorites include 13 bean soup (from Bob's Red Mill-get their seasoning), broccoli w/ a touch (or a ton) of cheddar and my all time favorite is butternut squash.
Several weeks ago I was making baby food for Kate. I roasted two butternut squashes. When I realized I had more than would fit in my freezer I decided to make some soup. I looked up several recipes on the internet and improvised to make a wonderful winter soup.
So here goes:

1 large butternut squash, roasted
(I roast mine cut in half, inside up, 350 till tender)
1 onion
2 tablespoons butter
4 cups+ chicken stock (for those of you who do not make your own this is one box)
2-3 cloves of garlic minced
1 cup or so of cream or whole milk
Salt and pepper to taste

Dice onion and saute in butter on medium heat for a few minutes till onion is translucent and fragrant. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add minced garlic. Peel squash, cut up and add to stock. Return to a boil and simmer for about 10-15 minutes. Use an emulsifier to puree soup or transfer to a blender and puree. Return to pot and add cream, salt and pepper. Enjoy with fresh bread with lots of healthy butter.

*This recipe is so versatile. Make a bit of creme fraiche or sour cream, dab on top, sprinkle with toasted hazelnuts, pecan, etc. Over Thanksgiving I made delicata squash and had a bit left over. I just added what was left over to the recipe. If you like your soup a bit sweeter add a touch of real maple syrup. Have fun and enjoy.

**If you love soup as I do you can find many tried and true recipes on my friend Tiffany's blog. She has a Soups on Saturday post each week. Yummy!

Thanksgiving Meal Plan

I know it has been several weeks since I have posted a meal plan. With Shane gone I am not as active in the kitchen. We still have family dinner with my brothers and friends once a week but the rest of the week the girls and I usually go for soup, salad, cereal, yogurt or apple sauce. Since this is such a big food week I thought I would let you in on some of my plans.

I was just about to say that Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday but that is not really true. If it was Easter I would probably say the same thing. The truth is I just love holidays in general. I love getting together with friends and family. I love the food that accompanies holidays. I just love everything about all holidays.

This year, as we do most years we are going to spend Thanksgiving day with my Uncle Harold and Aunt Rita's family. This has been a tradition in our family for many years. I can only remember one or two Thanksgiving dinners that we were not together. Aunt Rita make a fabulous, traditional dinner. This years I will be adding to the dinner with corn casserole and green jello salad. I may also put together a little appetizer of artichoke cheese dip, mmm! I just can't wait for our Thanksgiving together. Plus Shane is coming home for a few days which is a bonus for us.

Another tradition that I started last years is, what we call, Thanksgiving Re-Run. On the Saturday after Thanksgiving I prepare a Thanksgiving dinner at our home. We invite family and friends (especaily those who do not have a family to celebrate Thanksgiving with) to our home and just enjoy food, fellowship and more food. This is what I will be preparing.

Dinner
Brine Turkey
Real Mashed Potatoes
Corn Casserole
Rolls
Cranberry sauce - I am trying a new recipe this year Cranberry sauce with honey and rosemary
Orange Jello salad - just for Derek
Stuffing - I have never made this before but am going to attempt
Delicata squash - Roasted, smothered in butter, a bit of real maple syrup and toasted pecans.
Dessert
Pumpkin pie
Apple pie
Pumpkin Cheese Cake - for Jenni

I hope and pray as you prepare for your Thanksgiving Holiday that you will be reminded of all we have to be thankful for. We have been blessed beyond belief.

Comfort Food

I have been so thankful for the chilly weather we have had the last few weeks. I love fall, the colors, the temperature and most of all the comfort food that comes along with this time of year. When I talked to Shane the other day he was saying how much he enjoys the comforts of food (being a foodaholic myself, I can relate). Since he is eating cafeteria food right now he especailly misses my cooking. He said that he had to go to the PX to buy some junk food just to feel it's comfort. Guess he misses home. In honor of comfort food I thought I would post my favorite meat loaf recipe. My uncle Jack gave this recipe to me years ago and I use it often.

Italian Meat Loaf
1 1/5 lbs ground beef (or mixture of ground beef and sausage)
1 1/2 c. finely chopped onions
1 c. quick-cooking rolled oats or bread crumbs
2/3 c. ketchup
2/3 c. finely chopped fresh parsley
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon ground thyme
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 c. shredded fresh mozzarella cheese
1 c. grated parmesan cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
*Kneed the mixture with your hands until everything is well blended. Do not overmix.
Fill the loaf pan with the meat mixture, mounding the top. Place the pan on a baking sheet and bake until the meat is firm to the touch and has shrunk from the sides of the pan or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of the load reads 160 F, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Pour off the excess fat and let stand for 15 minutes. Serve with mashed potatoes.

I need to catch up

It's been a little crazy around these parts...I have neglected to post these last few weeks. So, here is an update. Recent pictures and happenings at the Maher home.

Hadassah with her Great Grandma Dykstra. Recoving from surgery is much sweeter with a little 3 year old.

The girls with GG

My smiley girl

Hadssah's hair cut. I love the little bob.

Angle Kelsea and Princess Hadassah on the saddle at the Harvest Party.

First time trick-or-treating...so cute!

Our little Pumpkin

My cute girls in the leaves

Hadassah not quit sure about the dirty leaves.

An almost toothless grin

Hadassah on the train going out to the Pumpkin Patch

Me and my sweet little girl

It's all about the Pumpkins

Hmmm...precious little girls

Our family...

I hope that in some sense you feel caught up on our lives. God continues to bless our family as we look to him to direct our path.

A friend of mine sent this over to me on Facebook and I found it so convicting and thought I would share it with you.

Pray for Our President and Our Nation

Whether you voted for Barack Obama or John McCain, whether you’re recovering from your all-night celebration or drying the tears from your pillow, today’s a good day to remember the words of the apostle Paul: “I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness” (1 Timothy 2:1-3).

And the new President will surely need our prayers because he and his administration face huge, serious challenges to the health of our nation and to peace in the world—challenges that, in my opinion, neither he nor any government on earth will have the power to overcome without divine aid.

How has America come to this point? Why is our economy on the brink of disaster? Why is our culture so utterly depraved?

I can only think of what Alexandr Solzhenitsyn said about the catastrophic consequences of the Russian revolution. “I recall,” he said, “hearing a number of older people offer the following explanation for the great disasters that had befallen Russia: Men have forgotten God; that's why all this has happened.”

Solzhenitsyn was right. Indeed, I can’t find any better explanation for why we Americans find ourselves in the state we are in. We have forgotten God.

We have also forgotten that American democracy—indeed Western Civilization itself—is the product of the Judeo-Christian understanding of God and humanity. Without that revelation that man is created in the image of God, our founders never would have recognized the unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Indeed, as I and others like Rodney Stark have argued, modern science and education, liberal democracy, capitalism flourished in Western civilization precisely because of the Judeo-Christian worldview.

The attacks on Christianity these days are only going to intensify in the months ahead. But we must press on all the more to make a winsome witness. Those who would banish Christianity from American life are risking the very survival of American society.

Friends have asked me whether this economic crisis is God’s judgment upon us. I don’t know.

As I’ve re-read the Old Testament prophets recently, I couldn’t help but notice the recurring theme: The people of God turned away from Him and worshipped false idols. The result was always disaster.

Is God responsible for credit markets collapsing around the world? No. We’re responsible. Because instead of worshiping God, we’ve worshipped false idols of the marketplace, credit card companies and cheap mortgages. We’ve put our own appetites over our duties to God and neighbor.

So this is no time for Christians to go into the bunkers. No time to wail or moan over our retirement plans. This is a time to repent, to pray more, to give more. It’s a time for Christians to lead, encourage, and minister to a faltering country in a faltering economy.

This is a time for the Church to get serious about Christian discipleship. Enough cheap grace.

So pray for the new President and his administration. But most of all, my brothers and sisters, this is a time to love our neighbors and to hunger for God and His righteousness.

Charles Colson on Politics and Christian Faith