Dairy-Free Challenge

Wow! It's been a while since I've posted anything. I've been at college this fall, it is the night before final exams and I've decided to give a quick update (smart, right? ;) ). 

I've been reading drmomma.org, a blog focused on different aspects of "peaceful parenting" recently. A few posts I've read have made me question the human consumption of dairy. I'm considering taking a Dairy-free challenge where I'll go a specific amount of time without dairy products (most recommend somewhere between 10 days to a few weeks), keep a daily record of the way I am feeling, and then after the time is up, have some foods with dairy and see how I feel. 

Why? I've never been able to link any health problems to dairy consumption, but many food allergies go undiagnosed, especially if the symptoms are slight, or not something usually associated with a particular allergen. My family does have allergies. My brother was even tested for allergies and given a whole list of things he was allergic to. Interestingly enough, dairy products were not on that seemingly endless list, but when reading about common symptoms of milk allergies I noticed one that stuck out to me. . . "shiners". My brother has had dark rings around his eyes all our growing up years. He was a big milk drinker. My other brother had bad skin problems when younger. His skin seems to be better than it was back then, but again, problems with eczema, acne, and itchy skin are usually treated with prescription medicines, ointments, and cleansers rather than elimination diets. 

What will I eat?

Simply put, dairy is in practically everything these days. I am wary of the excess use of soy products, so I normally try to avoid soy products, which makes soy milk (a common milk substitute) out of the question. I have been considering oat milk, rice milk, and coconut milk. 

What about my calcium?

As I've seen others say, "I'll get it the same place cows do. . .my vegetables!" In fact, what many people don't realize is that a lot of the nutrients naturally found in cow’s milk are killed in the pasteurization process. By law certain things have to be added back in, which is why milk will say "fortified with Vitamins A & D."

Once I start this (if I do), I will try to keep posted on what I am eating (including any recipes I try), how I am faring, and if I decide to go dairy-free for good. (As previously stated, I have no serious reactions to dairy, so eating the occasional dairy-laden dish would not kill me; it would be a lifestyle choice.) I fear that the cleansing period of the challenge might be the most difficult. For many years I have called ice cream my favorite food. Might need to find another favorite. :)

A World Without Borders

Metaphorically speaking, a world without borders is where we see ourselves when we read; literally, though, I am speaking of the closing of what was once the second-biggest book superstore in the U.S. during it's 40th year of business. A few months ago I talked about the dying use of hymnals. Unfortunately, I realize now that there is a dying use of the written word, whether in church, bed, car, hammock, or bathroom (admit it, surely you've read a book in there at least once!). With an e-reader called the Nook, Barnes and Noble is barely keeping it's head above the water in this tough economy, competing with the likes of Kindle, iPads, and others like it. But even still, I find it sad that society is doing away with paper, in favor of all this "cool" technology.

Remembering Books
I remember, as a child, being asked to do something and responding "just one more page?" What does one say today, on these e-books -- "just one more scroll down?"
I remember, as a child, reading myself to bed, and after reading several chapters, finally deciding to stop at the next page that ended with a period. What does one do today? Just finish at the end of a chapter? How boring is that!
I remember, as a child, the joy I received in getting books for Christmas, and the sadness that would follow because I read them too quickly!
I remember, now an adult, the cases full of books I own, and the years it took accumulating them. The floor-to-ceiling case given as a birthday gift to a 13 year-old girl, because her little 3-shelf case wasn't enough any longer.
I remember my books, weathered with love and aged with care, and find it curious that other little girls do not boast the same fond memories, and the happy shelves full of books!

_____________________________________________________
It seems fitting to list the books that help make my shelves complete, and have shaped me over the years. The books that have taken me to such exotic places as Minnesota, Prince Edward Island, Wisconsin, England, the fictional River Heights, the Appalachian mountains of Tennessee, and ancient Baghdad, just to name a few. . .places I can say I've been, even if only through the doors of books.
The Betsy-Tacy series by Maud Hart Lovelace
Anne of Green Gables series by Lucy Maud Montgomery
Little House on The Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
David Copperfield by Charles Dickens
Nancy Drew by Carolyn Keene
Christy by Katherine Marshall
Seven Daughters and Seven Sons by Barbara Cohen and Bahija Lovejoy.

When sharing my distress and sadness with my wonderful, caring guy, he said "don't worry, our kids will know what books are." Needless to say, that made me smile. I'm glad he appreciates books. Maybe not to the same extent I do, but he nevertheless sees the value in owning a collection, and reading books.

Do you have fond memories of books? Have they been a friend to you when no one else wanted to play with you, or when you needed an escape from others? What are your more memorable books? What makes them special?

Hapy Birthday!

(No need to send me birthday wishes, my birthday was at the end of May, I'm just catching you up on what I did)
My birthday was amazing! I had a four-day long celebration of my birth.

Day 1:On Friday (day before B-day), I ate breakfast with my fiance, who surprised me by flying all the way from South Carolina to be with me, at Chick-fil-A. I believe it was his first time eating breakfast at CFA. . .and he didn't even eat chicken. Haha. He ate a Bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit. :) Later that evening, after my dad got off work, my parents and my love made the trip into Houston to see the Astros play in Minute Maid Park. I can't even remember who they played. It was exciting in the begginning, but they ended up letting the other team not only catch up, but get a ahead in the end. There were fireworks, but we watched them as we left. Nate and I planned on getting up at 5 am, so we couldn't stay. It was overall an amazing experience. We were closer to the action than I have ever been at any pro sports game. Still not sure how he did. He still has both of his arms and legs. ;)

Day 2:Saturday, May 28th, 2011 marked the 22nd year since my birth. I woke up Nate (he's not a morning person), who was sleeping so peacefully on the couch, and we made the 45 min. drive into Galveston to watch the sun rise. We didn't quite make it to the beach before the sun came up. It was rising as we entered the island. So, praise the Lord that He designed the rising of the sun to last more than a minute or two, or I would not have gotten the gorgeous pictures I did! It was beautiful. Nate and I had an amazing time. We took pictures of the sun rise, waves and clouds, read some scripture together, and and even sang some hymns. We also did some beach walking, shell searching, wave splashing, and sun bathing/beach napping (we only got about five hours of sleep after all!). So, at about 10-ish, I believe, we walked to a Denny's across the street for breakfast. When casually mentioning my birthday to the waitress, she informed me of their birthday special. I ended up getting my grand slam for free!

After getting home and relaxing for a tiny bit, Mom, Nate and I saw the movie Hop. It was an adorable movie, even if it was all about the Easter Bunny (Easter's Santa Clause, if you know what I mean). And tickets at the dollar theater are $1.50, not a dollar. And they rob you blind at the refreshment stand. But I guess that's the same as any place you go to be entertained (an Astros game, for instance).

Day 3:Sunday evening I went bowling with Nate, and another friend of mine. It was only the 3 of us (my friend's mom was there, but just to watch and cheer), and we were able to bowl 6 games in 2 hours! I lunge deep when I bowl, and my legs were so sore for almost the rest of the week! I didn't win any of the games, but it was fun, and brought back memories of how I went bowling every week with friends from my work when I was in high school. After we were done bowling, we went to James Coney Island. It's a hot dog diner. It was fun, and almost the whole time we talked about the end times, what the Bible really says, and that crazy kook in California.

Day 4:Right after I got home from work and changed clothes the entire family went into Houston to eat dinner at California Pizza Kitchen. I had been wanting to eat there ever since I fell in love with their line of frozen pizzas. We all got different pizzas. Mom got a BLT pizza, I had BBQ bacon and chicken (I think that's what it was), Nate had pepperoni (of course), Shannon had garlic chicken, and I can't remember what Dad had. It was delicious. Mom, Dad and I all shared slices of ours with each other, and everything I tried tastes good. Before we headed back to Friendswood, we drove through the rizty neighborhood near CPK, which is apparently where the elder Bush's live. I'd like to say we stopped in for tea, but for security's sake, they don't hand out their specific address to just anyone. We had fun admiring the houses mansions, but it was during this time that my head and stomache started hurting. It was not long after we got home that I ended up throwing up. . .in the doorway of the bathroom. Nate is so wonderful. He helped me clean it up. I am so blessed to have a guy who loves me as much as he does. So, with the exception of throwing up, I had a prety enjoyable birthday weekend, and almost wish is was my birthday again tomorrow. ;)

Yes. . . I'm still alive!

     This post is dedicated to Amanda and LeAnne, and all the other silent followers who have yet to make their voices known.
 I realized that I have let my followers down by not writing on my blog these past few months. But to be honest, until not too long ago, I didn't realize that anyone other than my wonderful fiance was even reading what I was writing. Not that everything you write should be for the sake of others, but it was a bit discouraging to read other people's very interesting blogs and see that they had 100+ followers. But of course, you have to write interesting entries, so that people will want to "follow" you. And you should also be regular with your postings, so that your followers will know that you have something fresh to say everyday (give or take).

I got that job I had mentioned. I have been working at Chick-fil-A since the middle/end of March. I am so thankful for the 3 years I had at Six Flags. I learned so much while I was there. Knowledge that I would take with me to Chick-fil-A. I am also thankful for my mother, who has instilled in me a godly work ethic.

As far as the rest of that wish list I wrote out on March 17. . .
I know I could be closer still to my Lord and Savior; I still have twenty pounds to lose; I have not learned any new craft (although, after payday I need to get the supplies to whip together a craft I'm already skilled in as a promised gift to a friend), but the road is slowly being paved for me to go back good ol' Bob Jones to finish my education. Which is pretty exciting, because I'll see my fiance pretty much everyday. But also a little on the scary side, considering that it's been two years since I've been there and I won't know hardly anyone except for a few seniors. There have been so many changes at the school, that were barely just getting started when I left. Ha ha. . .I still remember my dad saying "The day they get co-ed dorms, you're outta there!" Thankfully that hasn't happened yet. :)
And we'll see how going to school full-time, and working part-time coincides with planning a wedding. I'm still not sure of where to have the reception. and should probably call about my dress to get that going. (check out dollycouture.com. . .adorable dresses!) Agh!!! so much!

Scripture Reading Update:
I just finished Joshua today. I know. pathetic, right, I was in Deuteronomy way back in March. You'd think I'd be in II Kings or something by now. But I guess the important thing is that I did in fact read my Bible today. And that I will read it tomorrow. . .

Have to work at six in the morning, so sweet dreams everyone.

P.S. Most of the next few posts will be about my summer. and a big learning experience I had involving money (more on that later).

Death of The Hymnal

Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today in memory of a well-loved book, who is used no more. The hymnal has been declared "not needed", and whether that is the case or not, it is rarely ever used anymore.


My family just recently moved, and like always, it is somewhat difficult to find a good church. Every church you visit seems to have a hard time measuring up to your old church (or even the one before that!). One thing I've noticed in the past few years is that it is difficult to find churches that still have a more traditional style of music. Most churches nowadays either have very a contemporary style, or have a "blended" style where they mix old with new, in hopes of attracting both kinds of people, while not offending either type (traditionalists and contemporary worshipers).

A church I visited has hymnals in it's pews, but the congregation does not pick them up, or even mention them (as in, "turn to page 342 in your hymnal, or follow along with the words on the wall"). I asked a sweet lady about that, and she mentioned that the hymnals weren't needed because of the projector. I guess I just have mixed feeling on using a projector in church. If hymnals aren't needed because of the projector, where did the need for the projector come from?
Pros
Being able to sing contemporary songs that aren't in some hymnals. (BIG con to some people, myself included)
The projector can be used for displaying announcements and scripture readings.
The projector can be used for sermon outlines to help the congregation follow along with the sermon.

Cons
Is not convenient for near-sighted people who would better benefit from holding a hymnal closer to them.
Discourages the necessity of reading music. (could be a pro or might not matter, depending on how you look at it)
In most cases, does away with conducting as part of the song leading (again, might be a pro or not matter to you).
The hymnal becomes obsolete.

What about you? Has the hymnal died at your church? What is the worship music style of your church? Can you think of any pros or cons to using a projector in church that I have forgotten to mention?

In Christ,
Hayley

Homemade Tortillas (And Pizza Too!)

    Tonight was a fun experiment in making homemade flour tortillas that I thought turned out pretty well. I have never made tortillas. Growing up, it was never even something I considered making at home. They are one of those items you just always buy at the store. The idea did not just come to me, it was given to me in a bag mix, by way of some Chinese friends my family made this past summer. They were cleaning out their pantries before leaving to go back to China after a summer work program. I have the feeling they thought it was flour, rather than tortilla mix.

    I guess a "true" 'from-scratch' cook would balk at my calling them homemade, considering I used a flour tortilla mix, but I did mix the dough, knead it, let it rest, and roll it out into tortillas. It felt pretty scratchy to me. ;) It was really fun. But the tortillas were only fajita/carnita size (if that), next time I would like to double or triple the recipe in order to see if I can make burrito size. Every Tuesday my grandmother comes over to watch Wheel of Fortune and Biggest Loser. My mom and I always enjoy finding new ways to impress her with our culinary skills. If she touted my homemade pasta (no, the noodles were not from scratch), I would love to see her reaction to my tortillas!

My mom also made her first homemade (I love the passion and love imbedded in that word!) pizza since moving to our new house a month and a half ago. It was delicious pepperoni. Better than DiGiorno!  

Here are some pictures. Unfortunatly, I didn't realize the flash wasn't on (whoops!), and well, you can't turn back time and re-take pictures of the past, maybe I'll try again with my next batch.



Rolled out tortilla



All eight rolled out tortillas

Tortilla in a cast-iron skillet

cooked tortillas. Yum!

Even with bad lighting my mom's pizza looks amazing! (the one in front was just out of oven,  the one in  back about to go into oven.)



















Wish List And My Jealous God

Grow closer to the Lord

Get a job (might happen soon)

Lose twenty pounds without trying . . .ha ha ;)

Learn to knit, crochet, or both

Go back to school

Start exercising again (could go hand-in-hand with the losing twenty pounds =). . .)

Well, we'll see where I get with these.

On another note, one thing I've noticed when reading my Bible, is the continual mention of attributes of God. Sometimes a word can get such a bad connotation. The word jealous, for instance, when you hear that word you think of a possessive boyfriend or husband who won't let his girlfriend or wife talk to any other guys, or have any "fun" without him. In that case, of course, jealousy is a bad thing. But this is the way I started thinking about it, God loves us so much, that he doesn't want us to love any one else more than we love Him. He wants us to love Him as much as He loves us. Which isn't too much to expect, considering how much He does for us, but when we don't, He gets rightfully jealous. (Deut. 4:23-24; 5:7-9; 6:5,13-15)

I'm now at Deut. 7. Yay!

Just one more chapter

     All my life I have been an avid book reader. I would do my schoolwork in my room, out of the watchful eyes of my mother and read a book during school time. I thought I was quite clever with my system. I would read a paragraph, or chapter, and then answer a certain amount of questions or read a certain amount in my school book.
    Once you get into a book it is hard to put it down. It draws you in. You have to take it everywhere with you. But for some reason, the most important book that any of us could read sometimes feels like a chore. You read a chapter or two and you think "OK. I've done my reading for the day. God should be pleased. After all, I have spent some time with Him." I think we lose sight of the fact that it's not just "the book of all answers", or your holy book that you must read in order to stay faithful. Yes, it's true, the Bible does have the answers to most everything in life, and reading it does help you stay more focused on the Lord and being true to Him; but it is so much more than that. It is a story, with plot and climaxes, and main characters, romance, war, great writing. The good guys win in the end. It is a story that can suck you in. . .if you let it.
     I read Gone With The Wind a couple years ago. It was 1024 pages long. The first chapter or two were not that interesting at all. It was all about the history of Mr. O'Hara in Ireland, his journey to Savannah, and eventually, Tara, not to mention, Mrs. O'Hara's childhood  in New Orleans, etc. I continued reading however because of the hope and knowledge that it would get better, and this background was crucial to the story. Maybe I should mention that it took me less than three weeks to read this book, while working my busy, summer job at Six Flags. If I could read a novel like Gone With The Wind in so short a time, why not the book every Christian claims as their "favorite"? As a child, I remember many times reading a book when asked by my mom to do a chore. I would usually give one of two responses "Let me finish the chapter" or "just one more chapter, please". So, as I challenge to myself, my new motto when reading my Bible is 'just read one more chapter'. If I keep saying that, there's no telling when I'll finish from beginning to end. I'm just now at the beginning of Numbers Deuteronomy (whoops!).

sincerely,
 Hayley