Author: Nurture Mama

2015 Family Theme: Building a foundation on Jesus Christ

Nurture Mama Leave a comment

Each new year I like to pick a scriptural theme for our family. Having one verse to focus on gives me something to direct my personal and family study and Family Home Evening lessons. I have known since October what the theme for 2015 should be.

It started with General Conference, when I noticed that many of the talks were focused on Jesus Christ, and how we should know him and build our foundation on him. (This isn’t really a surprise, since we belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints after all, but it was the overlaying theme that stood out to me).

As I have reviewed and studied the talks, I found three speakers who quoted the same verse of scripture. Heleman 5:12 has always been a favorite of mine, so I noticed when it was quoted.

“The gospel of our Lord and Savior provides a sure and solid foundation…Jesus is the great Exemplar. The only way to find lasting peace is to look to Him and live.”  Elder L. Tom Perry, “Finding Lasting Peace and Building Eternal Families”. October 2014 General Conference.

“That sure foundation is Jesus Christ. He is “the Rock of Heaven.” When we build our house upon Him, the rains of the latter days may descend, the floods may come, and the winds may blow, but we will not fall. We will not fail, for our home and our family will be founded upon Christ.” Elder Robert D. Hales, “Eternal Life–to Know Our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ”. October 2014 General Conference.

“When we heed the words of the prophets, we build our homes and our lives upon an eternally sure foundation.” Carol F. McConkie, “Live According to the Words of the Prophets”. October 2014 General Conference.

So Helaman 5:12 will be the focus for our family this year.

“And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.”

I found this pretty graphic at LDS Printables, which I will display in a prominent place in our home all year long. We will work on memorizing it as a family.helaman-5-12

I am planning to introduce the theme tonight at Family Home Evening. When talking about building a foundation on Jesus Christ, a lesson with young children will naturally lead to the Parable of the Wise Man and the Foolish Man (Matt 7:24-27 ). A Year of FHE has a great lesson here, complete with printables and directions for an object lesson. A few other resources to consider: Scripture Figures: The Wise Man and the Foolish Man or this colored and enlarged version and Sharing Time: Build Upon My Rock.

Book Notes: The Anatomy of Peace

Nurture Mama Leave a comment

The-Anatomy-of-PeaceI recently read The Anatomy of Peace: Resolving the Heart of Conflict, by the Arbinger Institute. This is a great book to read, with life-changing lessons if you open yourself up to it. A good reminder of how much our way of being influences the success we have in our relationships, both at home or in the workplace.

This is a book worth reading and studying repeatedly, like Leadership and Self-deception by the same authors.

The main focus of the book comes down to The Peacemaking Pyramid. We spend our lives in either two ways: helping things go right, or dealing with things that are going wrong. It makes sense that it is better and more effective to work first at helping things to go right! The steps to helping things go right include:

  • Get out of the box/Obtain a heart at peace
  • Build relationships with others who have influence
  • Build the relationship
  • Listen & learn
  •  Teach & communicate

In the dealing with things that are going right, the only action is to Correct.

Reading both books will explain more fully what getting out the box really means, so I definitely encourage further reading and review!

Snowy books to read in January

Nurture Mama Leave a comment

In January we like to read books about snow, especially since we won’t actually see any of the white stuff where we live in Florida. Hands down my favorite is The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats, but there are a lot of great books to choose from. Here is what we are reading this month:

The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats

Here Comes Jack Frost by Kazuno Kohara

It’s Snowing! It’s Snowing! Winter poems by Jack Prelutsky

Snowbots by Aaron Reynolds

The Snowman books by Caralyn Buehner: Snowman at Night, Snowmen All Year, Snowmen at Work, etc

Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin

Thomas’ Snowsuit by Robert Munsch

Katy and the Big Snow by Virginia Lee Burton

The Mitten by Jan Brett

You can also check out my snowy book lists from years past: 2014, 2013,  2012

What is your favorite snow book?

A family dessert favorite: Scotcharoos

Nurture Mama 1 Comment

One dessert that is always on my December planning list to make is Scotcharoos. The recipe comes from my mom’s side of the family, the Larsens. Not the healthiest thing to make by any means, which means that this recipe is a once a year treat for us to enjoy. This year I made a batch of these to share with the family that invited us to share Christmas Eve dinner.

Scotcharoos: A Larsen Family Tradition

1 cup karo syrup

1 cup sugar

1 cup peanut butter

6 cups rice krispies cereal

8-9 oz. semi sweet chocolate chips

8-9 oz. butterscotch chips

Bring to a boil the karo syrup and sugar on medium heat. Be careful to stir frequently  and not to let it boil very long. Add peanut butter. Mix well. Add rice krispies. Press into buttered 9×13 pan. Melt on low the chocolate and butterscotch chips. Spread on top. Cool 3 hours before serving.

A New Year’s Menu

Nurture Mama Leave a comment

We are enjoying our Christmas vacation, and a little break from the usual routine. It is nice to sleep in and spend most of the day playing and relaxing with the children. Most of our time has been spent building Lego’s, reading books, watching movies, and spending time outside in the gorgeous Florida weather (walking or hiking while the children ride rollerblades or bikes).

Sometime during the holiday break I usually get a little itch to have some friends over for an evening of good food and games. Hosting an event is a good reason to clean the house, and the children are usually more motivated to help! We worked hard yesterday cleaning and prepping food, then rewarded ourselves with a nice evening with one of our favorite neighbor families.

New Year’s Eve makes me want to eat appetizer type dishes (foods that my normally picky eaters usually don’t like). This is what the menu looked like:

Sweet and Sour Meatballs: I have been wanting to make these for years, and they were so easy and delicious. Just three ingredients in the crockpot!

Cheeseball: This is a repeat of a favorite we discovered last year. Served with crackers and carrots, celery, and bell peppers on the side.

A green salad: nothing too difficult here, just green lettuce with tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers, and a little bit of peppers. I mixed up a bottle of Zesty Italian dressing to serve with it.

French bread: easy store bought bread. Some pieces were cut and served plain with butter, while the other half of the loaf was topped with Garlic Bread Seasoning and toasted.

Hmmmm, I am noticing a theme here–all of my recipes come from Our Best Bites! If you haven’t checked out that site, you really should. They are always my go-to source for any recipe (so much that I have two of their cookbooks!).

For dessert we had our Fried Ice Cream Balls. I had planned to serve these on Christmas Eve, but our good friends ended up inviting us over for dinner that night. Happy day! So that means I just adjusted our menu a bit, and we get to have our Chinese food menu for dinner on New Year’s Eve.

Sibling Gifts

Nurture Mama Leave a comment

My children like to give gifts to each for Christmas, and we are happy to encourage them in that activity. They usually request a bit of assistance, whether it be coming up with ideas or taking them shopping.

My oldest daughter likes her gifts to be handmade. Last year she made hand stitched stuffed animals for her sister and brother. She spent a lot of time, and the gifts were all received (read my husband’s post about that exchange of gifts).

After some discussion, this year she opted to make a travel Lego kit for her 4 year old brother. She gathered Lego pieces from our collection, printed and colored and laminated and cut the pattern cards, and packaged them in a nice tin. The inspiration and pattern templates came from Fun At Home With Kids. Sometimes our large stash of Lego’s can be a little overwhelming, so having them broken down into a little set is perfect for our little guy. Zach was very excited about his gift, and now he can easily build and play with Lego’s in a way that is tailored to his ability.1-DSC_0014

My seven-year-old Lily loves to do science and creative projects. When I saw this Science Kit for Kids from I Can Teach My Child, I knew it would be perfect for her. Anwyn agreed to help me get it ready for her sister. We printed the instruction booklet, laminated for durability, and then purchased the few items we didn’t already have on hand at home. This gift is the gift that keeps on giving, since it will allow for some quality bonding time in the future as we all explore the experiments. 2-DSC_0017

Lily and Zach opted to use their allowance money to purchase gifts. Lily knew immediately that she wanted to get a book for her big sister, and toy cars for her little brother. Zach had trouble knowing what to get, so we took him shopping and he picked out a Lego set for Anwyn and a battery-powered pet for Lily.3-DSC_0027

We allow our children to open these gifts on Christmas Eve. We want to be sure that the children feel the joy of giving, and that it doesn’t get lost in the excitement and shuffle of opening the presents on Christmas morning.

How do your children give gifts to each other?

A lesson from “The Mansion”

Nurture Mama Leave a comment

This Christmas I re-read “The Mansion”, by Henry Van Dyke. This is a book that I first read  on recommendation of President Monson. It is on his annual December reading list, as mentioned here.

It is a short story, with a lovely lesson on living your life with meaning, the kind of meaning that brings eternal rewards, not just wealth and comfort in this life.

“But how have I failed so wretchedly,” he asked, in all the purpose of my life? What could I have done better? What is that counts here?”

“Only that which is truly given” answered the bell-like voice. “Only that good which is done for the love of doing it. Only those plans in which the welfare of others is the master thought. Only those labors in which the sacrifice is greater than the reward. Only those gifts in which the giver forgets himself.”

I hope that I can be the kind of person that does the kind of good, just for the love of doing it and without worrying about myself.

A Woman of Joy

Nurture Mama 2 Comments

A dear friend sent me this lovely card this year:1-DSC_0063She commented that I was like the “woman of joy” pictured on the cover. Her comment brought a smile to my face as I thought about the many reasons I have to be joyful.

1-DSC_0366I have joy with my husband. He is such a great support to me, and he shows me much love and kindness. I am so thankful that we are together…we make a great team!

IMG_0147I have joy with my children. Raising my children brings purpose and fulfillment to my life. While the day-to-day tasks may seem small (feeding, clothing, cleaning, teaching) the effects are far-reaching. The arms around my neck for a hug, the sticky and slobbery kisses, the bed-time stories and snuggles are moments to treasure.

IMG_0078I have joy in mothering and nurturing…especially the new spirit that will join our family in the spring.

lost-lamb-art-lds-425852-tabletI have joy in my Savior. Following the teachings and example of Jesus Christ bring great peace and comfort to me, showing the path that I should follow in this life.


I have joy in this Christmas Season, remembering that He Is the Gift.

Peppermint Pretzel Cookies

Nurture Mama Leave a comment

2-DSC_0004For a lot of people, baking is a big part of their Christmas holiday celebrations.  Baking isn’t a big tradition that I grew up with, but I enjoy involving my children in the kitchen with me when I can. These cookies are my favorite thing to make at Christmas time because the recipe is very kid friendly!

You only need three ingredients: pretzels, peppermint flavored Hershey’s Kisses (the kind with red and white stripes), and red and green M&Ms.1-DSC_0002Set your oven to 200 degrees.

On a large baking sheet, lay out the pretzels. Top each pretzel with a Hershey’s Kiss.

3-DSC_0005

Place in the oven and WATCH THEM CLOSELY. You want to soften the Kiss, not melt it too much and turn into a gooey mess. It will only take 5-8 minutes. When it is soft you can drop an M&M on top. Chill until set.

4-DSC_0006Enjoy and share some with your friends!

Our Christmas Menu

Nurture Mama 1 Comment

For most of our married life, we have lived far away from our extended family. Since traveling at this season can be difficult and expensive, we have opted to make the most of Christmas celebrating with our own little family in our own little home. Over the years we have developed a holiday menu that we really look forward to!

Christmas Eve the theme is Chinese Food. You can follow the links to view the recipes. This year I am planning to serve:

Sweet Sriracha Chicken-purchased from Sam’s Club

Egg Rolls-purchased from Sam’s Club

One pot wonder Chicken Lo Mein

A couple of other items I am considering: Chow Mein, General Tso’s Chicken, or these Thai Peanut Noodles.

Fried Rice: my recipe is mostly of the make-it-up as you go along variety, and it varies overtime. Take a guess at the proportions! Saute sliced onion and garlic. Add sliced carrots and bell peppers, then frozen peas. Or you can just use a bag of frozen mixed vegetables. Scramble 2-3 eggs. Add prepared white rice (2-3 cups, cooled). Toss in some soy sauce until it tastes good. If you want a real recipe, try this one.

For dessert we always have Fried Ice Cream balls. Not actually fried, so at our house we call these Cruncy Ice Cream balls. These are especially good with peppermint flavored ice cream, but with the picky eaters at my house we will stick to vanilla ice cream this year.

Christmas Day breakfast is Butterscotch Caramel Pull-Aparts (made by my husband). We also have hard-boiled eggs, and the oranges that are in everyone’s stockings. Perhaps this year I will try this Bacon & Egg Breakfast Casserole.

Dinner on Christmas Day is the traditional ham and potatoes. I am going to try the Orange and Brown Sugar glazed ham posted by Our Best Bites, as well as Funeral Potatoes. Most likely green beans for a side.

Ever since we moved to Florida I have been trying to learn how to make rolls. My husband’s family makes fabulous rolls, which I have been trying to replicate with moderate success. I think the elevation and humidity have something to do with my failures, but let me just say that bread making is not really my thing. Last January my good friend kindly gave me a one-on-one lesson on roll making. I made them for Thanksgiving this year and they were my best ever. So this is my roll recipe for this Christmas.

Dinner Rolls from Stacey

Proof yeast:

1 Tbs. yeast

1/2 cup warm water

1 Tbs. sugar

Mix the first four ingredients in Bosch (I use my Kitchenaid)

2 cups milk (or 1/4 cup powdered milk and 2 cups hot water)

1 cup butter

1/2 cup sugar

2 tsp. salt

Add:

2 beaten eggs

8-9 cups bread flour

1/4 cup melted butter

Heat butter, milk, sugar, and salt until warm. Combine beaten eggs with milk mixture then add yeast mixture (make sure liquid is not too hot before you add the yeast mixture). Gradually add the flour until dough leaves the side of the bowl. Cover and let rise until double. Punch down. Knead and spread out onto a floured surface to make a circle (actually rectangle shape works better for me) and spread with melted butter. Using a pizza cutter, cut 24 even wedges. Roll each wedge beginning at the wide end. Place on a cookie sheet and bend slightly to make a curved roll. Cover and let rise until double. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Butter tops while hot.

What do you think? Anyone want to join us for a meal?