Indian Garlic Chicken Legs

Indian Garlic Chicken Legs

Do you like garlic?  I sure do!  I'm always thinking of new recipes and this one turned out great!  Lots of garlic and turmeric make a delicious Indian dish in this easy, slow cooker recipe. 

Indian Garlic Chicken Legs

2.5-3 lbs of chicken legs
20 to 25 peeled cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 medium onion, sliced
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 teaspoons salt
1 tsp pepper

Put sliced onion in the bottom of a slow cooker.  Combine chicken, garlic, turmeric, oil, salt, and pepper in a bowl, mix well. 

Pour chicken mixture over the sliced onions in the slow cooker.  

Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours. 

Serve with roasted vegetables, greens, and a side of rice.

We have a Preschooler in the House!

Today was Blue Rock's first day of preschool. These past three years have really gone by. I am pleased to say that his first day went great! Blue Rock had a lot of fun and I think he is really going to enjoy his time at school. He didn't cry or come after me, he went straight to the table with where the other guys were and started making magnetic crafts. He has come a LONG way! This is the child who cried and cried and cried when I used to leave him in the childcare in MOPS and PWOC in Germany. He would cling to my leg and chase after me. I never "snuck" out because I wanted him to always know I would be back for him. I think part of that had to do with the childcare workers. Also more times than not, I would just keep him with me. I could not bear hearing my baby cry out. It was if he was crying for help. So this is really new to us. Since we've moved back to the U.S. he has really loved his Sunday school teachers and now his preschool teachers. Some of the childcare workers in Germany were really good and some were not. They were all paid for by the military chapel and it depended on who was working that day.

Walking upstairs to preschool with my cute backpack

His teacher said he did really good today. The only problem he had was keeping his shoes on. Welcome to my world. He takes his shoes off everywhere we go. We don't wear shoes in our house, we carried that tradition from Germany and I think it really keeps away germs. But we would like him to wear shoes out in public. If he's up walking and playing around he keeps them on but once he sits down at a restaurant or at church, for example, off they go. Hopefully his preschool teacher will be successful. She said she told him he couldn't play if he wasn't wearing his shoes and she said he was pretty good about putting them back on. Sometimes a little positive peer pressure helps.

Blue Rock said he had a lot of fun. The kids played outside, read stories, played with play-doh and did some crafts, and he said his teacher made him a boat. I asked if the boat was on water and he said no. Maybe it was a paper boat or something, I'm not sure. Meanwhile, I went to a doctor's appointment, had a date lunch with my hot husband, returned a faulty item to the grocery store, went by Lifeway, and enjoyed 45 minutes at home to get some work done before picking Blue Rock up. It's amazing how fast I can shop and return items when I am alone. I love having Blue Rock with me but I think he had more fun at school. I'm hoping this will help my stress level. Spending nearly every minute of over three years with your child is a lot of parent/child time. I have loved it but am a little run down and am looking forward to hearing stories from Blue Rock about his time in preschool.

Blue Rock and his teacher

Blue Rock with his art and music teacher

Meet the Teacher!

He wasn't interested in having his picture taken

We decided to send Blue Rock to preschool.  It was a tough decision but I think it will be a nice break for both of us.  I've been homeschooling him since he was born and will probably continue in elementary school.  However, since returning back to the States and because we do not have anymore children at the moment, I feel like he'll enjoy the social aspects of preschool.  He'll get to play with kids and I'll be able to get a few things done at our new house that I have not been able to do having a 2 now 3 year old around.  It can be tough having an only child, there are many days I wish I had more than one so someone could tattle on the other rather than me discovering the messes made, and have someone besides me to play with.  But it's all in God's timing.

On our picnic at the park

Today was Meet the Teacher at his school.  Ms. Susan is his teacher and was really nice.  She has a Bachelor's degree in teaching and a Master's degree in early childhood.  She has four grown children, a single and set of triplets!  Is she prepared or what?!  

We decided to send him to the accredited Christian preschool at our church.  It's less than 10 minutes from our house and he is familiar with the building, classrooms, and some of the kids.  There are only eight kids in his class and I love everything that they'll be learning.  Blue Rock loved exploring his new classroom today and meeting his teacher and some of the other kids.  Afterwards we went on a picnic before shopping for a lunch box, sneakers, and a few new clothes.  Here's hoping his first day goes really well. 

Vitamix Review

I recently bought a Vitamix.  I have been wanting one for quite sometime.  I first really heard about these magic machines while living in Germany.  One of our friends even spent the 800 Euros or so to get a 220v Vitamix.  He's an older, retired teacher who moves around quite a bit but really enjoys life in Europe.  He is in really good health and I think a lot of it has to do with all the raw fruits and vegetables he consumes.  

A Vitamix is a professional blender.  I was hoping to get a Vitamix for Christmas.  However, life changed when I went with my dad to Costco one afternoon and they had a Vitamix demonstration.  We tried about four different things.  I called my husband and he said to go ahead and buy one.  Thank you Husband!!  To my surprise my dad also bought one!  My parents have enjoyed theirs as much as we have ours.  Blue Rock is also enjoying morning and evening smoothies as well as homemade ice cream.

I will say that my first Vitamix broke within 5 days.  The start button stopped working.  Rather than sending it in to replace we returned it to Costco.  My new one has worked perfectly and hopefully it will continue to work great.  Thankfully they have a 7-year warranty.

Vitamix's are expensive.  We paid $499.99, for the Vitamix 6300, which is basically the Vitamix 500.  

My review of the Vitamix 6300:
- Easy to use
- Has three pre-programmed settings to make it easy to "walk away" when blending
- Blends everything perfectly
- Chops and dices
- Makes ice cream and soups quick and easily
- Makes perfect smoothies
- Easy to clean

One of the main reasons I have wanted a professional grade blender is because of the health benefits.  My family has been trying to avoid processed foods as much as possible.  However, getting enough fruits and vegetables everyday is challenging.  In Germany I had a blender and a juicer.  When you juice, you lose a lot of vitamins and minerals.  With the Vitamix I can blend many foods whole.  I have started a new blog where I'm posting all my blender recipes.  Join me as I blog about my blender adventures!  Please join me at: http://everydayblender.blogspot.com/.  Happy blending!

Strong wind!

Friday night we got a lot of wind at our house.  My husband and I went on a date and when we came home we saw this. 

The wind was so strong it picked up our trampoline from our backyard and cleared it over our 6 ft. privacy fence into our front yard!  I didn't think this was possible.  It flew quite a distance!

I'm so thankful our trampoline didn't tear down our fence, hurt anyone, or cause any damage.  We were very lucky.  Blue Rock thought it was neat seeing his beloved trampoline in the front yard the next morning.

Baby Thoughts

Some days I dream about having a large family...but then reality sinks in.

I have so much to be thankful for so I really don't want to complain.  However, I am still sad about not having another child.  Baby Center is getting on my nerves as they continue to email me updates on my "newborn."  Last April I would have given birth to my second child if I would not have had a miscarriage.  This past June, I would have given birth to my second child if I had not had another miscarriage.  Right now I would have been pregnant and due in December if I had not had my third miscarriage.  So many of my friends and people I meet are pregnant with their second, third, and fourth child.  It makes me sad when strangers ask when I'm going to have another baby.  I'd love to have another child, but it's not that easy.

A few close friends have asked us if we're going to try again.  There's always the fear of having another miscarriage since my perinatal specialist said there's no guarantee I won't have more miscarriages.  I really have to leave it up to God and just trust that He'll give us another child if we're meant to have another one.

Last night my husband and I were talking.  I told him I didn't understand how some of the most irresponsible people end up having lots of children, unplanned, but there are many women out there that would love to have a child or more children and may not be able to.  He said fertility is not based on our actions.  There's no such thing as "good women" get babies and "irresponsible women" don't have babies.  That's pretty obvious.  He had me listen to one of Casting Crown's songs, "Already There."  We talked about how God's already sees how our life will unfold.  We don't know what is next for us.  When we first got married we never would have thought we would have lived overseas for 3.5 years or that I would have multiple miscarriages.  But experiences like this change us and turn us into people God wants us to be.  Here are the lyrics to "Already There."  By the way, my husband is the best!

From where I’m standing
Lord, it’s so hard for me to see
Where this is going
And where You’re leading me
I wish I knew how
All my fears and all my questions
Are going to play out
In a world I can’t control

When I’m lost in the mystery
To You my future is a memory

‘Cause You’re already there
You’re already there
Standing at the end of my life
Waiting on the other side
And You’re already there
You’re already there

From where You’re standing
Lord, You see a grand design
That You imagined
When You breathed me into life
And all the chaos
Comes together in Your hands
Like a masterpiece
Of Your picture-perfect plan

When I’m lost in the mystery
To You my future is a memory

One day I’ll stand before You
And look back on the life I’ve lived
I can’t wait to enjoy the view
And see how all the pieces fit

One day I’ll stand before You
And look back on the life I’ve lived
‘Cause You’re already there
You’re already there
When I’m lost in the mystery
To You my future is a memory
‘Cause You’re already there
You’re already there
Standing at the end of my life
Waiting on the other side
And You’re already there
You’re already there

I guess at the end of the line, we'll know what God's plan is for us.  Again, I am so grateful and thankful for my precious son.  There are many women who do not have any children and are trying to have one.  I'm just trying to figure out God's plan for me and my family.  If we're only going to be a family of three, I'm thankful for that.  I have to let go of my jealousy and truly be happy for those around me.  I'm not going to lie, sometimes it's just hard.

Awesome Bird Sandwich!

Sometimes I get creative and want to make food more fun.  The other day I made Blue Rock a bird sandwich.  Thanks to a friend who showed me how to cut the sandwich, I decided to make one and add a face using organic peaches and blueberries.  Blue Rock loved it!  First he ate the eyes and beak, then he ate the rest of the sandwich and fruit. 

To make a bird, turn your bread into a diamond, cut off triangles for the wings, then flip them over and put it next to the body you have a bird! For more fun, add a face using fruit or vegetables.