Sidewalk Prophets - You Love Me Anyway

Sweet Potato Chili

Since the weather has cooled off - slightly - it has made me start getting the itch to break out my crock pot to make some yummy delicious concoction! I wanted to share with you what I made yesterday. But I cannot take the credit for this delicious vegan dish. I found the recipe for sweet potato chili over at Stephanie O'Dea's website. She has a TON of great recipes, so I encourage you to head on over (after you finish reading this, of course) to see what yummy things she has to share with you!

Sweet Potato Chili

2 Sweet potatoes, peeled and cut in 2-inch chunks
1 yellow onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (15-ounce) can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped (I used a green bell pepper)
1 (14.5-ounce) can tomatoes
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika (I didn't use any, because I don't keep that in my cabinet)
1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup water
1/2 cup orange juice

Use a 5-6 quart slow cooker. Chop everything up. Put everything in the crock pot. Pour in the water and orange juice. Put the lid on it and cook for 6-8 hours, or until your sweet potatoes are tender. And that's IT! VERY simple!!

This recipe is DELICIOUS, and it is CHEAP! I highly recommend you trying it! When this was cooking yesterday, there was just something about smelling this delicious dish while enjoying looking outside at the beautiful rain. They just seemed to go together. And when it was finally cooked, and when it was finally able to ladle up a bowl of this yummy goodness, it was heavenly!

Now, go make your own crock pot full of this delicious vegan chili, and then, while it's cooking, head over to Stephanie's page to check out more great recipes! And after you finish eating, be sure to come back here and tell me how heavenly you thought this chili was!

What a Beautiful Rainy Day

This summer in the Deep South has been horrendous! We have broken a record for the most days of temps over 100 degrees. But for the last several days, with the hurricane season in full swing, we have had a fantastic reprieve from the scorching heat!

Yesterday, we woke up to a lovely drizzling rain and clouds covering the sky. Considering the fact that the sun has been beating down on us for the last three months non-stop with a vengeance, the rain and clouds were a welcome sight! This morning, the rain was still coming down slowly but steadily. But by mid-morning, it had stopped and been replaced by a fantastic breeze! The temperatures were in the mid-70's, and the day shaped up to be quite beautiful!

So my hubby broke out the hammock that he picked up a few weeks ago at a garage sale for TWO DOLLARS, and hung it outside between two perfect trees! We headed outside with the kids and just enjoyed some family time in the hammock. We all enjoyed it so much, because we have been cooped up inside for much of the summer due to the heat, and especially the last few days while the kids had a stomach virus. We all needed to get out and enjoy some fresh air. I was so thankful that God gave us such a beautiful, cloudy, breezy, cool, amazing day to enjoy!

LEGO School: Working Together

This year of schooling is so different for me for several reasons. For any of you who know me personally, you know I am NOT a planner - AT ALL!! I don't keep a schedule, I never EVER keep records of ANYTHING, and I have no idea what we are doing from one day to the next. I know some of you are picking your jaw up off the ground at this point, but to be perfectly honest, it has worked beautifully for me for years!! We are prime examples of unschooling and I LOVE it!! But this year, I have decided to actually lay down a plan (GASP!) and attempt to accomplish more than we have in the past. Hey, even I can admit when something isn't working anymore and when I need to go at it from a different angle - even if it does make me start to hyperventilate just thinking about it. And so far (surprise, surprise!!), my days have gone a bit smoother and a little less stressed because of all the work I put into planning over the summer. (Of course, I am still a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants kinda girl, and that daily schedule could still be scrapped at any given moment if something else came up!)

The other thing different in this year is that I attempted to set an overall theme for each of my kids' schooling. That way, I can look at every activity we are doing and see if it lines up with our theme or if it can be related back to that theme. And if it doesn't, I can seriously look at whatever it is and decide if I want to include it this year or wait for another year. There are so many great ideas out there, there is no way I can do them all! So this was a way, at least in my mind, to narrow down my list of things that I would take on my plate for each of my kids.

Britches' theme this year is "Books Can Take You Anywhere." This girl is definitely my reader, and if I don't watch her, she will curl up on the couch and sit quietly reading ALL DAY! She prefers a book to TV or video games, which I think is fantastic! So I told her that, this year, I want her to start focusing her book choices on topics that tell about a famous person, a historical fiction, maybe a famous scientist, or some geographic location. Oh I'm not completely choosing all of her books for her, but I wanted her to start including some of the "better" choices of books out there. I am ready for her to start picking something besides the "How to Make Crafts" books she usually gets. Besides, she already knows them all by heart. Time to move on!

Little Man is NOT a lover of books AT ALL, and I am hard pressed to get him to read anything more than his comic books or the instructions for his newest Wii game or other video game. To find him picking a book to read just for pleasure, well, that just doesn't happen. He is my hands-on learner, and as long as his hands are moving, his brain is working. So his theme for this year is "LEGO's". When I told him that, he was THRILLED! Especially since that is one of his most favorite things in the whole world! And when I went online to see what things could be taught using LEGO's, I was THRILLED to see that you can teach basically ANYTHING!!

Today's LEGO assignment was all about cooperation. Their challenge was to work together to build a library. But the rules were that each one had to place one brick on the base plate at a time, alternating turns. And the big thing was, they couldn't talk to each other! So they were to build a library one brick at a time, not knowing where the other person would put the next brick, not being able to communicate to decide on how it was to be built, and simply work together to get it finished. I told them that it must have a desk for the lady to check out the books, a children's room, a room for videos, and an adult section. This is what they came up with.

Here are my 2 architects with their finished library.

Front view of the library.

And the rear view of the library.

The checkout desk.

Two guys researching and finding books on the computers.

This kid is sitting in the children's room watching a DVD on the television, and the books and DVD's are all shelved under the T.V.

This man is taking a book from the shelf.

This lady is sitting in the adult section on a couch with a lamp and the bookshelves to the side of her. Little Man was telling me about her, and I said, "She's a knight." "Actually, mama, she's a space police, but whatever." ~Oh excuse me. My mistake!

When they showed me their finished project, I was very impressed. I told them, "See, I told you it wouldn't be as hard as you thought with not being able to talk to each other." They both smiled and told me, "Well, we were using our hands to talk." Little stinkers! 

Social Networking

I have been on Facebook for about two years now, and I have to say, it has been a life saver where mommy social interaction is concerned. Everyone always says they think homeschoolers aren't socialized, but I would offer to you that MOMMY'S don't have enough socialization!! I joined Facebook at a time in my life when I needed to hear during the day from other mom's who were in the same stage of life and situations as I. I needed a support group to call on when I was having "one of those days" with my kids. And boy did I get it! I have loved every minute of connecting with my friends and getting more deeply in touch with them, their kids, and their lives. Only problem is, Facebook is very addicting.

Nearly two years ago, I gave up drinking coffee, because it had become an addiction in my life. I prayed for a long time over that one, and I finally realized that I didn't want anything controlling my life in that way except God Almighty. (Yes, coffee addictions CAN and DO control your life! But that's for another day and another story...) But the more I have thought and prayed over this, I realize that I have let another addiction creep into my life. Social networking has become such an idol in my life that I can't seem to get anything done in my day with out thinking about and wondering about what everyone is doing in THEIR homes! It has become such an addiction that I am not only checking it to see what help, support, and advice other mom's can give me, but I am now just sitting starting at a screen waiting to see what everyone is going to post that they are up to in their day. It has taken first place in my life where GOD should have been!

This has become such a problem that I can't even seem to sit down to a meal with my kids and focus on THEM without just itching to go see what everyone has posted. Every time I walk past my computer, I click on the "refresh" button to see if there is anything new. I find school related "reasons" to head to my computer all throughout the day so I can check if anything new is happening. And at night, when I SHOULD be spending some quality time with my hubby, I find myself distracted and heading often to my computer to see everyone's day coming to an end. I am spending more time with my FRIENDS than I am with my FAMILY! It is RIDICULOUS!

I continue to wonder why it is that I can't seem to accomplish all the things that I want to do because of lack of time. When I sit down and really look at it, though, it isn't a lack of time but a misuse of time. I haven't taken time to blog or write any articles to send in for magazines. My house is NEVER clean! My kids don't get the benefit of my time undivided and given to them. I am always telling them, "Just a minute. I have to finish reading this." Meals are rarely together on time, because I'm usually in a mad rush at the end of the day just to decide what we will have. I have just been a bad steward of the time that God has given me, plain and simple.

The Bible says not to make any idol for yourselves. Idols come in many shapes, sizes, and styles. They can be in the form of TV, food, exercise, or even in the shape of Facebook. How many idols are in your life? How many things are you giving your time to? What things in your life and family are suffering because of your idol worship? And a bigger question: Are you going to keep those idols?

As for me, I am taking a weekend break from social networking. I need some time to refocus my priorities, putting God at the very top of my list and my husband and children right after Him. I seriously need to find balance in my life right now, and getting rid of idols and addictions is at the top of my "to-do" list to make that happen! I don't want to ever let any THING in this life control me, what I do, what I think, and how I act, except for my God and Savior! He is the ONLY ONE I want to have in control of me. How about you??