Meal Plans March 16-29

These lists are my own meal plans. They are not in any way to be nutritional advice, fail-proof recipes (remember, it's my first time making the majority of them!), or anything that challenges the way you meal plan or your eating patterns.

I put a LOT of time and effort in putting these plans together. If you would like to copy them for purposes other than your individual in-home use (for example, blog, cooking party, print offs, etc), please give me credit. :-)

(Click on the document you would like to view.)

Monthly Meal Plan
Grocery Shopping List (not updated)
Recipe List

God bless you and keep you,
~Raquel

Our Precious Rhylee

My husband and I have suffered a terrible loss, the loss of our puppy Rhylee. We have been blessed to take care of her for the past month. Through unfortunate and only speculative circumstances, Rhylee died suddenly on March 28 at about 9:30am.

Rhylee was such a valiant, active, energetic, positive little darling. She made our lives so rich and full of laughter. She was like our child, going with us everywhere, playing together, teaching her to potty outside, and on and on.... She was so cute and sweet. She is very dear to our hearts even now. We feel her loss tremendously.

As I grieve, I like to reflect on the good times and moments of joy. I have taken a couple of videos and a few pictures of our little miss, which I am posting in this post as a memorial to her. Part of me immediately wants to fill the void of her loss with another puppy, but I know that she was special and cannot be replaced. In time, the Lord will bring a new puppy into our lives, whom we will also cherish, but will not use to cover our hurting hearts.

Please pray for our hearts to heal.
God bless you and keep you,
~Raquel

Pictures

Rhylee Hiller means "valiant in the battle with strife."

We first fell in love with her Saturday, Feb 22.
We did not know she would be ours until Monday, Feb 24.

She started off not being a beggar in the kitchen....
That quickly changed when she realized the deliciousness the kitchen contained!

Whenever we went somewhere and brought her along, she loved to lay in our laps.
She was a great car rider!

Rhylee loved her daddy and gave him kisses daily!

I little family felt so rich and full with a little one in the house. ;-)

If one of us was missing, even for just a little bit, Rhylee would anticipate the return!
In this picture, she is waiting for "daddy."

Rhylee's face was just so cute.
Her left and right whiskers were different colors.

Rhylee knew she could count on her daddy to save her from ferocious large dogs.
(The large dog here is actually not ferocious, just curious.)

She certainly had a lot of energy, but she also knew how to chill.
Often times, she would fall asleep in the car on my lap.

I told you she would learn to beg in the kitchen.... :-)

Rhylee loved to play!
The challenge was to wear her out before she wore us out. haha

We never were able to teach her not to run off while in the front yard. Too many new scents and scenes to explore!
So she inevitably had to be on the leash or in our arms when we walked into the front yard.

We took Rhylee to LOTS of parks in the month that we had her.
She looked SO cute outside with a green and blue background.

Our little Rhylee grew and grew. She started to be able to chew small rawhides.

Every time I had devotions, she fell asleep. One person said she was just really peaceful.
I was thinking maybe she was bored... haha

Play, play, play and more play!! Yes, our Rhylee loved to play.

About four days before Rhylee passed away, she and "daddy" took a nap together after I massaged both of them. I was folding laundry and just HAD to take this picture because they are just SO cute.

Look at those teeth! We were originally told she was 6 months old. After becoming very concerned because she was losing a lot of teeth, we realized she was probably only three to four months old.

Ready to play, always (just about). Rhylee knew that when we knelt on this carpet that it was playtime.

Small dog... Big bone. Small dog syndrome.

The only picture I have with my precious puppy (probably because I took the majority of the pictures).
I love her so much!

She and daddy were picking me up from the university.
She has seen this area multiple times, and so knew I would be coming out soon.

Rhylee loved to get under the covers and cuddle up.

She also started sleeping like a human, although her paws couldn't lay flat like ours do.

Videos

My Challah Bread Recipe

My first try at baking homemade challah bread & doing a 6-strand braid!

My first attempt at challah bread was... DELICIOUS! I made a large loaf and it was completely gone by the end of the evening. Since that day (four months ago?), I have made challah bread several times (sometimes I bake bread in batches and freeze loaves for later Shabbath services).

I chose not to continue with the recipe from my first attempt because it was an all-purpose flour recipe. When my husband and I have flour, the flour is whole wheat. So... I needed to find a new recipe.

I had not found a recipe I liked until last Shabbath.... My husband raved, and I must admit... it was the best part of the meal... ;-) The recipe is posted on All Recipes, which I have learned to rely on for baking purposes.

Without further ado, I present to you

the Whole Wheat Challah Bread Recipe

INGREDIENTS:

4 cups whole wheat flour 1 teaspoon salt 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast 2 tablespoons vital wheat gluten (optional )

1/2 cup honey 1/2 cup olive oil 1 cup warm water 2 eggs 1/4 cup raisins, to taste (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1.	In a large bowl, stir together the flour, salt, yeast, and vital wheat gluten until well mixed. In another bowl, stir together the honey, olive oil, water, eggs, and raisins. Pour the liquid mixture into the flour mixture, and stir until it forms a dough.
2.	Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Form the dough into a round shape. Lightly oil a bowl, place the dough in the bowl, and turn the dough over a few times to oil the surface. Cover the bowl with a cloth, and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled, about 1 hour.
3.	Punch down the dough, knead it a few times to remove some of the bubbles, and cut it into 2 equal-sized pieces. Set 1 piece of dough aside under a cloth to prevent drying out while you shape or braid the first loaf as desired.
4.	Working on a floured surface, roll the small dough pieces into ropes about the thickness of your thumb and about 12 inches long. Ropes should be fatter in the middle and thinner at the ends. Pinch 3 ropes together at the top and braid them. Starting with the strand to the right, move it to the left over the middle strand (that strand becomes the new middle strand.) Take the strand farthest to the left, and move it over the new middle strand. Continue braiding, alternating sides each time, until the loaf is braided, and pinch the ends together and fold them underneath for a neat look. Repeat for the other loaf, place the braided loaves on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 30 minutes.
5.	Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
6.	Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Serve warm for best flavor.

I chose to leave out the optional items, and I chose to proof my yeast before adding it to the mixture to ensure a rise in my dough. My order then was: lukewarm water and yeast in a bowl, flour/salt in a bowl, and honey, olive oil, and eggs in a bowl. Then pour the honey, olive oil, and egg mixture in the flour bowl. Finally, pour the yeast into the mixture. And mix it up!!

I learned how to braid the bread with six strands using the following video from Youtube. (My first attempt bread looked nice, but my braids since then have looked fantastic! This video is very helpful!)

If you cannot see the video, please click here.

Shabbath Shalom, everyone!
God bless you and keep you,
~Raquel

100% Whole Wheat Pancakes

Last night, I made a large batch of pancakes to freeze for quick breakfasts.

Usually, finding a recipe that is completely whole wheat is difficult-- if you want the pancakes to taste delicious, as well.

All Recipes (.com) has been a great source for me to follow for baking starter recipes. I love being able to read other people's reviews of the recipe and about the changes they made to the recipe.

My husband and I had to taste our pancake batch (of course!), so we each sat down with two pancakes and real maple syrup. They were yummy! We like to make our pancakes thinner than the usual bread-heavy pancakes. We also like to add spices and ingredients to the pancake recipe. I will post the recipe I used for the pancakes, as well as my additions.

100% Whole Wheat Pancakes from allrecipes.com

Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: 45 Minutes Ready In: 1 Hour Servings: 16 thin pancakes

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups whole wheat flour 2 tablespoons white sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt 1.5 cups coconut milk 3/4 cups water (and 1.5 cups more added, as necessary) 2 eggs 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

DIRECTIONS:

1.

Whisk whole wheat flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Whisk milk, eggs, and vegetable oil in a separate bowl; pour milk mixture into dry ingredients. Stir just until combined.

2.

Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-low heat for 5 minutes. Pour 1/3 cup of batter onto hot skillet and use a spoon to spread the pancake a bit. Cook until browned and bubbles appear on top, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Flip and cook until browned and set in the middle, about 2 more minutes. Repeat with remaining batter. My Additions (this time): -lots of cinnamon -sprinkle of ginger -three shakes of nutmeg -two shakes of cardamom -chopped almonds Could also add: -fresh or dried fruit (bananas, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, raisins, apples, etc), -other nut varieties (walnuts, pecans, etc) -granola, bran, or oats Pancakes are a favorite of mine to make! They are a little time consuming, though... Enjoy!! God bless you and keep you, ~Raquel

Wedding Photographs!!

I am so excited because we have received photographs from our wedding back from the photographer!! Each image brings me back to that special day when my husband and I celebrated our marriage with our friends and family. So many silly faces, so many smiling faces-- so much happiness and joy! Please enjoy looking at a few select photographs from our wedding, November 23, 2013.

Pre-Ceremony

Upon entering the church foyer, a table invited guests to "sign" our non-traditional guestbook. Our guestbook was a scrapbook with envelopes glued to pages. Guests wrote their names and a little note on a card, and placed the card in an unoccupied envelope. Looking through the envelopes a couple of weeks after the wedding was a treasure!

My bouquet and my husband's boutonnière. My maid of honor (and step sister-in-law) made these for us, as well as most of the other decorations for the wedding. She did beautiful work with the wedding! I loved it!

Our theme was an Irish Garden wedding. Originally, the wedding was to be held at a lovely park. Irish weather caused us to relocate the wedding to our church at the time. The church was so gracious to allow us to use several of their artificial trees, "park" lamps, and tulle to recreate a soft and simple garden. Also, I did not have a flower girl. I opted instead to have petals already lining the aisles. So gorgeous! 

My mother-in-law helped me get my dress in order before the ceremony.
I bought my dress and veil off Craigslist for $70. MAJOR blessing!

My handsome husband with his father (middle) and younger brother (left).

Ceremony

I walked down the aisle to an instrumental version of "Red is the Rose"
and the reading of Proverbs 31:10-31 by an elder and respected woman of the church.

My husband took me at the end of the aisle.
(I tried to get as few as pictures as possible with people in them since I do not have their permission. If you are in this photograph, and you would not like to be-- please let me know!)

I thought this image was such a lovely picture of my husband and I.
He is the love of my life!

Although only two ministers can be seen here, we had three ministers conduct the ceremony: my pastor, my husband's pastor at the time, and a very loved minister/elder at the church we previously attended (and were married at).

Our bridal party consisted of two bridesmaids: my maid of honor and sister-in-law (far left), a dear friend (closest to me) & three groomsmen: my husband's best man and older brother (male closest to husband), a close friend of my husband's (middle man), and my husband's brother. My sister-in-law was walked in by one brother and walked out by both brothers, which I thought was very special! Our other friends are a married couple, which was a requirement for our bridal party! I did not want to separate husbands and wives & have someone's husband walk with another woman (or vice versa). Thankfully, they are dear friends to us and are married to each other!! haha

My husband reading the vows he wrote to me. We wrote our vows the night before on our phones at IHOP over hot chocolate. A funny fact: Not all of my husband's vows to me were written down on his paper, so he only read part of his vows to me! Eekk!! haha :-) 

I am reading the vows I wrote to my sweet love.

In place of a unity candle, my husband and I chose to have a unity rose ceremony. My husband's mother walked down the aisle with two roses, which she laid on the table. My mother was not able to be at the ceremony, so she had two roses lying on the table to represent her. (A picture of her was also supposed to be on the table, but it was placed on the wrong table!!) My husband and I combined the roses into a vase while "Mo Gra sa Mo Dhia," a beautiful love song to the Lord, played in Irish.

I appear to be smiling in this image, but I was actually crying.... This part of the ceremony is about uniting families, and my family could not attend due to distance. (My family lives in Idaho.)

We finished the arrangement very quickly, and the song was about four minutes long. I was also trying not to continue crying, and so we could not figure out what to do. We decided to leave the table early in hopes the song would be faded out (it wasn't), and we could continue with the ceremony.

The song wasn't faded out, and so, as we stood waiting for the next part of the ceremony... I began crying again. It really was a very, very sad part in the service. I think most of our guests knew that my family could not come (they were on Google Hangout; I waved to them after I walked down the aisle and talked with them afterward), and they told us later that the emotions were so raw and real in the ceremony. Several guests were reportedly crying with me! Aww...

My husband's pastor of the time (far left) said the next part would cheer me up.... It kind of did.... ;-)

Whoop whoop! We are happy, in-love!! And we are Mr. & Mrs.

Our guests rang tiny bells (an Irish tradition) as we walked away from the altar.

After-Ceremony

Only the kiss in these photographs is staged! I love that the other images are completely natural takes!

Reception

Upon entering the reception area, a sign greeted our guests.
My sister-in-law (my maid of honor) wrote the sign. Soooo cute!

Our Mr. & Mrs. table... I am telling you! The ladies who planned, directed, and put together my wedding did a PHENOMENAL job, and I am forever grateful to them. Looking back through so many of these images reminds me of how loved I am. So many people contributed to putting our wedding together-- financially and in effort.
Thank You, Lord, for providing for us!

Our cake table was so beautifully set. I actually just realized we do not have a picture of the food table. I am telling you! The ladies who put our wedding together far exceeded my expectations and really did a marvelous job!

, but a few friends from church made the cupcakes homemade!
What a blessing to us.

Just a funny picture. :-) Everyone who's seen this picture says I look twelve. Thanks.... ;-)

Cutting the cake-- we didn't really understand the significance of it and were mocking it in several pictures.
I chose to use a decent picture for this blog. hehehe :-)

We also did not understand the significance of the drinking glasses. I don't remember what was in the cups... something non-alcoholic and not carbonated... but other than that, I don't remember. We were a little silly.

We're leaving!! Our guests blew bubbles, which was so much fun! Our wedding was so lovely. We were truly blessed by having so many friends and family to celebrate our marriage!

Blessings

My husband and I are so grateful to everyone who blessed us through the marriage celebration. Most of all, we are so thankful to the Lord that He cares for us enough to handle all of these small things in life. Truthfully, my husband and I could not have afforded as beautiful of a wedding as we received. So many people gave their time, services, and own finances toward our marriage celebration. Wow!! The Lord was working through these individuals, couples, and even whole families, and we are continuing to believe for manifold blessings to return to them!!

God bless you and keep you,

~Raquel