WDW - Banana Split Oatmeal

Try this fun way to eat your morning oatmeal!

Cook oats as usual. I prefer the microwave method of 1/2 cup old fashioned oats with 1 cup water, in a large pyrex bowl, cooked on 50% power for 6-7 minutes. Stir halfway through cooking.

When done, transfer oats to serving bowl. Quickly sprinkle on chocolate chips to your liking. With a spoon, don't stir, but gently cover up the chocolate chips with the oatmeal- just so they can melt and there are wonderful little pockets of oozy chocolate. Top the oatmeal with chopped strawberries and bananas. Enjoy!

A Busy Season

Hello everyone out there in blogosphere...I'm the e-wife...remember me? Long time no write...

My poor blog has been sadly neglected. I haven't had the time or energy to post. Whenever Wednesdays roll around, I have fleeting thoughts of WDW, but I haven't even tried a new recipe in who knows when. Dinner these days is usually decided at about 3:00 in the afternoon instead of being planned ahead.

It's just a really busy season.

We leave in just about 3 weeks for our trip... it's hard to believe that it's nearly upon us after almost a year of planning. We have officially entered what Rich and I call the "panic phase." Re-checking everything and making sure we didn't forget anything... frantically re-scanning the travel books and gathering info from friends, gathering reading material for flights, organizing the zillions of documents we have (plane tickets, hotel reservations, etc), getting foreign money, squaring away foreign cell phone use, buying last minute clothing items (like coats! whoops we might need those.) and all those last minute details. I seriously find myself feeling nervous and shaky several times throughout the day whenever I think about the trip. I guess I ultimately worry that things won't go as I have planned. I need to remember that it's not my plans that matter - but God's. He has graciously allowed us to plan this trip and is completely in control of every detail. Any changes or mishaps will be in His perfect plan. But, I still echo the sentiment of one of the toys in Toy Story when he declared, "It's the PERFECT time to panic!!"

I realized that I haven't even blogged about Drew once while he's been gone! Hopefully some of you have been following his blog. I have loved seeing all his posts and living vicariously through him on his travels. God has blessed him in many ways thus far, he really is doing great and enjoying everything. It's good to see him on Skype a couple times a week (we don't skype more often because of the 10 hour time difference). It sure does a mother's heart good to look at her son and see that he's doing well. I can't imagine life without skype! He sprained his ankle last week, so we are praying that heals quickly. He has an archeology dig this week, and a 5 day trip to Galilee the following week, so hopefully the ankle won't be a hindrance. They do some amazing things at IBEX - what an experience! I am so thankful Drew could take advantage of it. I can't wait to give him a big hug when we meet in Paris!

On top of getting ready for the trip, life has just been super busy! Recently, we enjoyed the semi formal Master's Seminary 25th anniversary banquet at Reagan Library, under the majestic Air Force One. Our special friends, Myra and Brian Shealy, came into town for it and spent a night with us which was just wonderful. We also got to "double date" for the event with David and Christy Caldwell, a couple we met in Rich's parenting class that we are enjoying getting to know. We also just finished hosting and serving at the Shepherds' Conference, which was such a privilege! I was especially blessed that one of our guests brought his wife, Deena, a dear friend of mine. I had a wonderful time of fellowship with her and loved gleaning from her wisdom. Our visitors have been such a blessing, as we've enjoyed rich fellowship and lots of laughter and good times. Below are some pics from the Seminary banquet.

The amazing venue! Our table was on the other side of the plane. There was aslo a ground level below with lots more tables. There were 1000 people at the event! The food was amazing!

Here's a photo of me and my studly date.

I was totally delighted to see my sweet friend Deidre's nametag sitting on the table next to mine! We had a wonderful time of fellowship with her and Jesse!

A big chunk of my time and energy lately has been devoted to the Master's Kids. The stack of applications are in for next year, and I just finished processing them and determining next year's leadership crew. Plus, I'm still in the midst of planning the rest of the current year including our huge graduation ceremony in May! I keep reminding myself that I am still in the learning process - I'm sure next year will be easier and less effort. But, I am truly enjoying this ministry that God has given me - spending time at TMK with the ladies (which I do a couple times a month) has been such a highlight and makes all the behind the scenes detail work worth it all. They are a precious group of women, and I thank God He has allowed me to be in their lives. I try to not only help provide a wonderful time for them to spend with their children, but to minister to and encourage them as wives and mothers.

My niece is also getting married in May, and I am helping with her bridal shower and wedding favors (I'm making soap daily!). And, not to mention, Emma is graduating high school! She will have a graduation in June with our homeschool group, Lighthouse, so there are details that need attending to for that. Thankfully we found a graduation dress last week (now to find one for a prom she's going to...). The last month or so has been filled with senior pictures (with 3 different photographers), SAT's, FAFSA's and TMC paperwork, visits to nursing schools, etc. She will be attending Master's next year, but is unsure of her course of study. She has desired to be a nurse for some time, but nursing school admission is difficult as all local schools are impacted. She's considering alternate plans and we are still praying for direction from the Lord in that. Meanwhile, she's finishing up her home school, enjoying her volunteer work at City of Hope, and keeping busy babysitting and with her photography. She's been doing a lot of weddings, and even gets to go to Hawaii in August to shoot one with Tracy Dodson! What a rough job, huh?

So, I guess for anyone interested, that about catches you up with what's been going on and my excuse for not blogging. I am not sure if I'll have time to blog from our trip. I am NOT bringing my laptop, but others will, so maybe I'll have a chance to post a photo or two during our travels. :-)

Reverse Thinking Video

Emma showed me this video yesterday and I thought it was awesome. Take a minute to watch.

It's soap time again!

I really enjoyed my soapmaking endeavors last fall, and couldn't wait to make some more. After selling off a bunch of the soap I made, as well as giving a lot away as Christmas gifts, I was down to merely 10 bars of soap for our family! And out of those 10, six went to Israel with Drew (he requested to take mom's soap along - love that boy.) Anyways, I put some thought into what I'd like to try next and got my supplies replenished, and made 8 batches. That is the really fun part of it for me - thinking of something new to do. It was interesting experimenting with new essential oils and different spices for color. There are four types of goat milk soap and four types of all vegetable oil soap. The first two are made especially for hands, and the rest are great all-body soaps.

One thing I realized is, that you are fairly limited color-wise and scent-wise when you choose to be an all-natural soaper. But that's ok, as I think it's totally worth it and I absolutely love using all natural ingredients. My skin is so much less dry than it used to be. In fact, I used to say I had dry skin and I don't think I can even say that anymore. Amazing what happens when you stop rubbing detergent all over yourself!

Soaps are still 4 for $10. If you are interested, please email me at harasick@ca.rr.com or click on the mail icon at the end of this post.

I can ship 4 bars for $4.95, and can quote you shipping for more bars if you like. If you live locally, I can just give them to you in person.

Remember, not all bars are exactly the same size, shape or weight - each one is hand cut. As they sell, I will try to update the blog with the quantities of each still available.

Here are the offerings this time around.... photos courtesy of http://www.emmaleighphotography.blogspot.com/ (thanks, Ems!)

Coffee & Clove Kitchen Hand Soap

(Goat's Milk)

This soap contains brewed Kenyan coffee and coffee grounds, and the spicy aroma of clove bud essential oil. Use on hands for dissolving the smell of garlic and onion. Not a great all body soap unless you like a good exfoliation.

Ingredients: Saponified olive oil, saponified organic palm oil, saponified coconut oil, goat's milk, brewed Kenyan coffee, Kenyan coffee grounds, clove bud essential oil.

Available: 10

Lavender, Lemongrass & Apricot Kernel Gardener's Soap

(All Vegetable Oil)

Apricot Kernel helps make this soap very exfoliating. Not a good shower soap, but great for scrubbing hands clean anytime, and especially after gardening. I love this smell of this soap - so clean and refreshing! The combination of lavender and lemongrass is divine.

Ingredients: Saponified olive oil, saponified organic palm oil, saponified coconut oil, ground apricot kernel, lemongrass essential oil, lavender essential oil, turmeric, dried lavender flowers.

Available: SOLD OUT

Green Clay, Grapefruit & Sage Soap
(Goat's Milk)

Normally, the colorant wouldn't be in the title of the soap, but French Green Clay is not merely used as a colorant in this soap, but the minerals in the clay actually benefit skin by absorbing impurities. Also added were crushed sage leaves and the fresh citrusy scent of pink grapefruit essential oil. A great all body and especially nice complexion soap.

Ingredients: Saponified olive oil, saponified organic palm oil, saponified coconut oil, goat's milk, French green clay, grapefruit essential oil, crushed sage leaves.

Available: SOLD OUT

Lightly Lavender Sweet Baby Soap

(Goat's Milk)

Same as the "Sweet Baby" soap I made in the fall, but this time with an eensy amount of lavender essential oil, and just a little swirl of lavender color on top. Still gentle and mild,a great soap for babies' skin or for those who like a plain, super moisturizing soap.

Ingredients: Saponified olive oil, saponified organic palm oil, saponified coconut oil, goat's milk, lavender essential oil, alkanet powder.

Available: SOLD OUT

Orange & Mint Soap

(All Vegetable Oil)

This refreshing soap is both minty and citrusy all at the same time. It is predominantly mint with a burst of orange on top, and the scents come together when you lather. A great all body soap.

Ingredients: Saponified olive oil, saponified organic palm oil, saponified coconut oil, peppermint essential oil, sweet orange essential oil, peppermint leaves, turmeric.

Available: SOLD OUT

Ginger, Lime & Calendula Soap

(All Vegetable Oil)

This is not the "spicy" ginger you think of when you eat a gingersnap. This essential oil is from the ginger bark, and is much more earthy in scent. Key lime essential oil is mixed in for a burst of citrus. Naturally coloring the soap are dried calendula petals. Calendula is not only beautiful, but has antibacterial and antiseptic properties. A great all body and especially nice complexion soap.

Ingredients: Saponified Olive oil, saponified organic palm oil, saponified coconut oil, calendula flower petals, ginger essential oil, key lime essential oil.

Available: 8

Lemon Poppyseed Soap

(All Vegetable Oil)

I love lemon poppyseed muffins, so I knew I'd love this soap. I have really fallen in love with lemon essential oil. Poppyseeds add a nice texture and light exfoliation. For some reason, this soap turned light pink in areas after a few weeks on the curing block. I was a little disappointed but it is still a lovely soap and smells super lemon fresh. A great all body soap.

Ingredients: Saponified olive oil, saponified organic palm oil, saponified coconut oil, lemon essential oil, poppy seeds.

Available: SOLD OUT


Oatmeal, Orange & Clove Soap
(Goat's Milk)

This one could be my favorite. It looks good enough to eat! The aroma of orange and cloves together is spicy-sweet and really yummy! Organic oats and ground cloves add texture for light exfoliaton, while turmeric adds orange flecks of color. A great all body soap.

Ingredients: Saponified olive oil, saponified organic palm oil, saponified coconut oil, goat's milk, organic oats, clove bud essential oil, sweet orange essential oil, ground cloves, turmeric.

Available: SOLD OUT

Valentine's Day

Growing up, on Valentine's Day, I used to come to the breakfast table to find red and pink decorated gifts from my mom, and our normal dishes often replaced with pretty heart decorated paper plates. It was so fun to get a new game or puzzle or even a Bonne Bell Lip Smacker (the fat ones - my fave was Dr. Pepper). My mom didn't bake much, but used to buy those super yummy Van de Kamp's heart shaped sugar cookies (anybody remember those?). They were in the bakery section of the market, and were stacked in white paper cupcake liners, uniformly lined up in a rectangle box with a clear top. Oh, they were so buttery and crispy and pure heaven. I know I'm making my sister's mouth water right now. We loved those cookies. Van de Kamp's made them for St. Patrick's day too, and for 4th of July, I believe. Unfortunately, they are long gone now.

I miss my mom, and all the special things she always did. But, this year, my dad gave me a beautiful card, and a box of See's candy. Isn't that sweet? I'm glad he still remembers that he's still my first valentine. :-) Love you, Dad.

I also have fond memories of Valentine's parties in school. Remember those? We kids would be sent outside for an extra playtime, while the "room moms" came like little fairies and set up the room all festive in red and pink and often quite elaborately with streamers and such. When we returned to the classroom, we found our desks with cupcakes, punch, and our little construction paper valentine pouches bursting with unpersonalized store bought valentines that said "dear friend" on the envelope. Once in awhile you would get a special one with a clear red lollipop or a really cheap piece of chocolate. I just remember thinking that Valentine's Day was one of the best days of the whole year.

Anyways, these days I'm the mom and I enjoy giving my family little treats for Valentine's Day to say "I love you." I usually get everyone a small gift, and make a special dessert. This year I put together these easy caramel apples. I might have made them more for myself...but I say they are for my family! I cheated and bought the Kraft wrapped caramels, but they are still good. I just melted the caramels with some half and half, double dipped giant Granny Smith apples, and let them chill a bit. Later, I came back and drizzled dark and white chocolate over them, and sprinkled on a few red non pariels. I think they're rather festive. And, they are a serving of fruit, you know.

Happy Valentine's Day! Enjoy your loved ones on this special day.

Coming Soon!

These newly made soaps are on the curing rack.

Check back soon for another soap sale!

WDW - Easy & Healthy Dessert!

I got a text from my hubby around 3:00 in the afternoon one day last week, asking if I'd be up to having two of his business colleagues from out of state for dinner that night at 5:30. Seemed they popped into his office and he wanted to have them over before they had to fly home in the morning. I said yes, then panicked as I remembered one of the guests was gluten intolerant! I was out shopping for shoes at the time, but thankfully near a Costco so I headed over there to try and get dinner together. I tried to think on my feet as I browsed the store. I decided on Chicken Tortilla Soup, so I grabbed a roasted chicken for that. What would we do without Costco roasted chickens? I picked up salad ingredients and a ready made artichoke/jalapeno dip to go with tortilla chips as an appetizer (which was REALLY yummy, by the way). Then, I got stuck thinking about dessert. I would have no time to make anything at home, and for someone GF, I wasn't about to pick up anything in the bakery section.

I initially thought of fruit, and went to browse around the produce section where I saw some really nice organic blueberries. I thought they would be nice over rice or vanilla pudding, but couldn't find any, so I opted to go with Fage 0% Greek Yogurt instead. The yogurt is not sweet, so I grabbed some Agave to sweeten it, thinking I'd make a yogurt parfait. I hoped that it would go over well with the guys- I have to admit I was a little nervous serving three men yogurt for dessert!

Well, guess what - it was a total hit! The GF guy, Mark, said Fage yogurt with fruit was one of his favorite go-to snacks! And the guys even knew what agave was! Rich loved it as well, and I thought it was quite delicious myself. Agave has the consistency of real maple syrup but has a similar taste to the burnt sugar in creme brulee (one of my favorite desserts). Now I'm using it in everything, over my toast with almond butter, in my tea, and I've had a more than a few of these yogurt parfaits since then! Agave is a great all natural sweetener, and it's cheaper than maple syrup. I think I will even make my granola with it next time.

The parfait is so easy to make that you can probably see how to make it just by looking at the photo. Be sure to grab a pretty glass or goblet for a nice presentation. I measured 1 cup of yogurt per parfait. I layered some yogurt, then drizzled on some agave, and topped with the blueberries. I repeated that a couple of times until the glass was full. Talk about fast and easy -even elegant and beautiful, too! And, with less than 200 calories and health benefits to boot, this makes a splendid dessert, breakfast, or snack. Enjoy!

WDW - Balsamic Spinach Salad with Salmon

One of my favorite restaurants is the Black Cow in Montrose. They have some awesome menu items, a great walk up coffee bar/ice cream counter, and the place just has a great vibe. They have nice patio dining too, which is my favorite on a nice warm day. I especially love their breakfasts, but there is a Spinach Salad on their menu that is topped with salmon and a wonderful balsamic vinaigrette that I really adore. We went there recently, and I ordered it, and then I thought to myself, "I can make this!" I talked to our server about how it is prepared and I learned that the fish is actually cooked in the vinaigrette. Seemed easy enough, so I decided to try it at home. It's really a simple dish to prepare, but one full of flavor and healthy, too.

When I made it, it was just the two of us, so I sauteed one sliced red bell pepper and one sliced red onion on med-high heat in a little olive oil, and seasoned with salt and pepper. While the veggies cooked I made the vinaigrette in the blender(recipe follows). When still slightly crisp tender, I removed the veggies from the skillet, covered them to stay warm, and set them aside. I seasoned my fish with salt and pepper. I then poured out a scant 1/4 cup of the vinaigrette into the same hot skillet, and sauteed the fish in the vinaigrette, on medium high heat, until cooked but still soft. I had thin filets so it was really quick, about 3-4 minutes per side. You want to have the heat up high enough to brown the fish a little, but don't burn it.

While the fish cooked, I started plating my dish. I put down a nice bed of fresh baby spinach on two dinner plates, then distributed the warm veggies and drizzled some vinaigrette over it all. When the salmon was finished, I topped the salads with a nice piece of hot fish, and drizzled a bit more vinaigrette on top. That's it - super easy and super delish! Enjoy!

Balsamic Vinaigrette

3-4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced(or a small shallot)
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. dried basil (fresh would be better)
salt and pepper

Process all ingredients together in blender, or whisk in a bowl. Adjust oil or vinegar to your liking (I like more balsamic vinegar than most). If it's too acidic, just add a little more olive oil.

It's going to be a long 83 days

The day that our family has been both dreading and excited for has finally arrived. As I write, Drew is on a plane bound for Israel to study at the IBEX (Israel Bible Extension) program through the Master's College for the spring semester. He knew from the time he began Master's that he wanted to take advantage of this special opportunity to study abroad. At IBEX, there are no classes offered for your major, just general education credits for Bible and History. Drew carefully planned out his schedule so that he could afford to take some time off from his business/accounting major to go to IBEX at the end of this his sophomore year. He will have such interesting classes such as "the life of Christ," "Jewish thought and culture," and even a weekly hiking class. How fun is that? He will be staying at the "Moshav" which is a kibbutz-type place that includes both his lodging as well as his studies. I believe it is about 20 minutes from Jerusalem.

Each semester the college offers a "family and friends" trip, where parents can go visit their kids and tour Israel. We had been planning all along to go, but for some reason, that trip wasn't being offered this semester. We decided that was an opportunity that we just didn't really want to miss, so... we planned our own "family and friends" trip! The family is Rich, Emma and myself; the "friend" is Stephanie. The four of us are meeting Drew over his spring break (mid April) in Paris and also seeing Italy for a total of 9 days with him! We will then all fly to Israel together when Drew needs to get back to his studies, and the four of us will go on a 3-day tour with a guide from IBEX while he attends classes. We get to stay at the Moshav with him for five nights. And, something exciting is that we will be in Jerusalem on Easter Sunday! Wow! On the way back home, the four of us will stop in London for 3 nights, dropping in just in time for the Royal Wedding! I am so excited (well, not about the wedding part) as I have never been overseas before. I just got my first passport! But, it will be 83 days until we go....such a long time apart.

So, this morning at LAX, we had our tearful goodbyes (well, the girls all cried). Drew was so warm and sweet with us as we repeatedly hugged him goodbye. As I watched that brave, handsome man-child of mine walk away, though there were tears, my heart actually overflowed with joy that he is who he is. God has already done great work in his life, and I pray that this trip will grow him even more in his walk with the Lord. Even though he will be far away from all his loved ones, and the comforts of home, I think it will be good for him. My prayer for him is that, like the Lord Jesus, he will grow in "wisdom, stature, and favor with God and men." (Luke 2:52). I will miss that boy dearly. Thank God for Skype!

If anyone is interested, Drew's travel blog is http://www.drewthetruejew.tumblr.com/. As for the title, I think it speaks to the fact that he is kind of proud of his Jewish heritage! :-)

WDW - TJ's "shopping day" Dinner

Do you ever find yourself grocery shopping and want to bring home an easy dinner for that night? I know I do. At Costco, it's usually the standard - a bag of salad mix and a roasted chicken - but when I'm shopping at Trader Joe's I love to bring home this easy dinner for us. And when I say easy - I mean easy! It's not even a recipe, in fact it's hardly cooking at all.

Have you ever tried this Sun Dried Tomato & Pesto torta? This little gem is found in the refrigerator section with the hummus and other ready-to-go dips. It has 3 layers: the bottom layer is chopped sun-dried tomatoes, the middle layer is pesto, and the top layer is like thick cream cheese. You can invert it out onto a plate and serve it with crackers for an easy and delicious appetizer, or... you can do my little trick and turn it into dinner! All you need to do is boil up some pasta, any kind you like - about 1/2-3/4 lb. depending on how saucy you like your pasta (we like it saucy, so I do closer to 1/2 lb. pasta) Then, when the pasta is done, drain it and immediately toss it with the whole contents of the torta. As you stir the torta into the hot pasta, it becomes this delicious, creamy pesto sauce with bits of sun-dried tomatoes! If it needs moistening you can stir in a little half and half or milk. I like to round out the meal with some of TJ's chicken Italian sausages, which I just brown in a skillet while the pasta cooks. This pasta dish would also be great with a grilled chicken breast sliced on top in the summertime. Add some nice crusty bread and you have yourself one delicious and easy dinner. And, IF there are any leftovers, chill them and you'll have a yummy pasta salad for lunch the next day. :-)