Author: Jenny Irvine

Accept Failure Take Action Anyway

by // // No Comments

This space on Fridays has been saved for those days I can seem to muster up some extra writing energy. It is a space that I write freely for “5 Minutes unedited”  on a given prompt by my friend Lisa-Jo. It is a time to practice my art and share with others. Hope you will join me!

Go… Today’s word “willing” 
Dreaming is easy; but, being willing to act is not quite so. 
We dream of the what if’s, we feel the emotions as if it were real, that constant stirring of our inner most spirit. We long to express our deepest thoughts; yet, we continue to keep them bottled up inside. 
A bottle bursting at the seems waiting to be shaken and spew all that it contains. 
We wait, and wait! Then eventually, building the courage we start to leak. The dreams that keep us going. Let me encourage you to start leaking..
Take those next steps to action. 
Be willing to take risks
Be willing to fail
Be willing to struggle along the way
Expect frustration and moments of a well run dry. 
Keep going…leak your dreams today..act.. and be willing to accept the outcome regardless of what it was meant to be. 
So often it’s not the destination that matters most but the journey that got us there. Be willing to take action and fail along the way. It will only make you stronger.

Stop….

Dairy and Gluten Free Tomato Bisque

by // // 1 Comment

It has been years since we have had tomato soup in our home. Visit 31 Days of Food Intolerance’s for the full story. Typically, various store brands contain gluten as a thickening agent and even in those instances where I do manage to find a “safe” gluten free option it inevitably contains dairy.

My solution like so many other food choices here at the homestead; make our own. This soup is a great option for this lenten season. Make it for dinner and enjoy the leftovers at lunch. 

Homestead Tomato Bisque 

This recipe is gluten and dairy free and a homestead staple. My kids request it almost weekly.


Ingredient List
Serving size 6-8 small/medium portions
  • 2 T butter /1 T grape-seed or EVOO (Extra-virgin olive oil)
  • 1 Small onion, diced
  • 2 slices of bacon, ham, or salami (finely chopped)….this can also easily be omitted
  • 2 T minced garlic
  • 3 T Gluten Free Flour
  • 4-6  Cups chicken broth (we use organic)/or chicken stock
  • 1 14-ounce can of diced tomatoes (with liquid)
  • 1 14-ounce can tomato sauce
  • 1 T Parsley 
    1 T Thyme
  • 1 Bay Leaf
    1 cup almond or rice milk
  • Salt and Pepper to taste


Instructions

  1. Heat the butter and oil in a large dutch oven/soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion and saute for about 5 – 6 minutes or until the onion is translucent and soft in texture.
  2. Add the meat of choice and the minced garlic. Cook about 1-2 minutes longer.
  3. Whisk in the flour (it will get clumpy/ and cake like in appearance)
  4. Pour in the broth, milk, and tomatoes while continuing to stir vigorously. Whisk continuously until all the flour clumps are well blended and mixture is brought to a boil.
  5. Add remaining spices (parsley, thyme, bay, salt, and pepper) simmer 20-30 minutes
  6. Puree using an immersion blender (if you don’t have one….I highly, recommend it) It is such a great kitchen tool for soups and smoothies
  7. Lastly, dig in!

    (Click for a PRINTABLE version of this recipe)

     

St.Patrick’s Day Crafts for Kids

by // // 1 Comment

If your feeling especially crafty this week here are some fun crafts to keep you and the kids busy during these remaining unpredictable days of winter. My personal favorite was the hand print rainbow. I have them all hanging on our front door and those precious little hands at the end of a long day just make me smile. 

If the project involves paint it is pretty much guaranteed to be a home run in our house. I promise our lent crafts will not include so much mess. Just remember they are only little once and use washable paint.

This project has been a long standing favorite of my kids.

Supplies List;
Green Paint
A Pepper with the top cut off length wise and de-seeded.
Large (I recommend heavier stock) paper
A bowl

Simply squirt a desired amount of paint in the bowl. Give each child a pepper and paper and go to town. Even my 18mo old got in on all the action this year. He got a bit messy but it was all worth the smiles and giggles.