practical-stewardship.com | Faithfulness in Finance, Fitness, and Food

Growing Our Own Food: Our Garden Update, Two Tips for the First Year Vegetable Gardener, and a Blessing

Posted on 05/24/2013 by Sonja

Thrifty Thinking

Living here in the Pacific Northwest during the spring and the first part of summer we are blessed with God’s sprinkler system: drizzle. (We don’t know what a truly hard rain is in Washington; we just get a continuous stream of drizzle which contributes to all of the loverly green we have most of the year.) So if you’ve ever planted seeds or transplanted little seedlings here, there is virtually no need to water at first. This is good AND bad. Nice that we save on our water bill for a while, but I learned a lesson the hard way last year. Continue reading →

Posted in DIY, Faith, Food, Food Philosophy, For the Heart, Growing Your Own Food, Low Cost Familly Activities, Money Saving Ideas, Thrifty Thinking, Thrifty Thinking | 4 Comments

Double Chocolate Energy Bars, G-F, D-F, V

Posted on 05/20/2013 by Sonja

Want a whole foods, healthy, naturally sweetened, raw (except the chocolate chips), creation that tastes like a brownie? Here is a delicious, and incredibly easy recipe to whip up and have as a portable snack. These energy bars are even vegan. The only thing I don’t like about making them, is that two days later I have to make them again. I finally got smart the last couple of times and made a double batch. You can also omit the chocolate if you want a different flavor or can’t have chocolate for whatever sad reason. Continue reading →

Posted in Breakfast, Desserts, Food, Gluten Free, Healthier Recipes, Healthier Recipes, Healthy Recipes, Lactose Free, Lunch, Snacks | 4 Comments

Questions Worth Asking #5: Slavery to Any But Christ

Posted on 05/20/2013 by Jonathan

A slave is forced to obey the will of another. And while slavery as an inhumane trade was made illegal 150 years ago in the USA, many of us still find slavery to be commonplace. A slave does not have the freedom to make his own decisions. We must- like the Holy Club, question whether or not we have control over certain areas of our lives…or if instead they are controlling us. How can we answer these questions honestly and accurately? Let’s examine question #5. Here it is:

Am I a slave to dress, friends, work, or habits?

We’ll take these in turn and take a brief look at Continue reading →

Posted in Faith, For the Heart, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Watch Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead for Free, and Our 2 Week Meal Plan #9

Posted on 05/18/2013 by Sonja

May 2, 2013 Dr. Oz finally had Joe Cross of the food, health, and wellness documentary, Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead, on the show. I was surprised it took so long for Joe Cross to be on the show since Joe’s documentary and personal story has been a weight loss inspiration to so many and has sparked a juicing revolution. Continue reading →

Posted in Food, Food Philosophy, Healthier Recipes, Healthier Recipes, Main Dishes, Menu Musings: Twice a Month Meal Planning, Menu Musings: Twice a Month Meal Planning, Menu Musings: Twice a Month Meal Planning | 4 Comments

Contacting Companies and Returning Faulty Merchandise

Posted on 05/17/2013 by Sonja

Thrifty Thinking

As a busy wife and mom, I, of course, want the things that I buy to work the first time (or in the case of perishables not go bad right away). A lot of times, I actually NEED these things to work. That’s why it is so frustrating to buy an item, get it home, and realize that it doesn’t work or that it’s already bad. I NEVER want to turn around and go right back to the store. Once I come home from an outing, I actually don’t want to go out for a few days because usually my outings are purposeful and involve going to multiple places already. When I am done, I want to stay done for a while! Continue reading →

Posted in Finance Philosophy, Finance/DIY, Money Saving Ideas, Thrifty Thinking, Thrifty Thinking | Tagged Thrifty Thinking | 2 Comments

Sourdough French Toast, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free Options

Posted on 05/13/2013 by Sonja

French Toast was one of the few things I could prepare from scratch when Jonathan and I got married 13 years ago. Now that I have gone dairy-free and egg-free for medical reasons, I have had to modify my recipe so I can still eat it. If you have to eliminate different foods out of your diet, it really is amazing the different healthy and tasty alternatives there are out in the food realm. The hard thing is going to a restaurant or a potluck. Most people aren’t thinking about allergies and food restrictions when trying to feed a crowd. Continue reading →

Posted in Breakfast, Food, Healthier Recipes, Healthier Recipes, Healthy Recipes, Lactose Free | 1 Comment

Favorite Fifteen No. 3: Turkish Get-ups, 1 per side

Posted on 05/13/2013 by Jonathan

As I continue with my series on my favorite fifteen workouts, I return to the Turkish Get-up (the first mention being #14). If you’re looking for an exercise that generates greater strength and greater mobility, it’s hard to get more bang for your buck than the Turkish Get-up. Continue reading →

Posted in Exercises and Lifts, Favorite Fifteen Workouts, Fitness | Leave a comment

Crock-Pot Lentil Vegetable Chili Recipe

Posted on 05/11/2013 by Sonja

A few months ago my friend and I were at Costco and got a sample of their lentil chili. It was amazing! It had that “out of a can” thickness that I have been after, so I started on a journey to the perfect lentil chili.

My kids and I then ventured forth to the library and we found a book all about chilies: The Ultimate Chili Book by Christopher B. O’Hara. In it I found a Lentil Vegetable Chili recipe. It’s not the same as what I tasted in Costco, but it was still amazing and got that same great thickness that I was after. I adapted Christopher’s version, adding a few extra ingredients, and used the crock-pot. Continue reading →

Posted in Food, Gluten Free, Healthier Recipes, Healthier Recipes, Healthy Recipes, Lactose Free, Main Dishes, Slow-Cooker Saturdays, Soups and Chilies | 5 Comments

Fast and Easy Patriotic Bunting Tutorial

Posted on 05/10/2013 by Sonja

DIY Time

It’s DIY Time again, where I post something you can do yourself rather than buy, which is a money saver, and can be just plain fun! Some of these posts are crafts, sewing projects, re-purposed ideas, homemade cleaners, homemade health aids, tutorials, and the like.

I’ve been wanting to make bunting for a few years now. By the way, you could call this a pennant banner if you want, too. Bunting is so celebratory, fun, and easy to make. If you know me, I like easy, fast, efficient, and fun crafts. I like how the bunting is reusable, and making it with a patriotic theme makes it useful for Memorial Day, Flag Day, Fourth of July and basically all of summer!

At Christmastime last year we were able to visit my in-laws, and my mother-in-law gave me a lot of fabric in patriotic colors. Perfect for patriotic bunting I thought! I also had some red, white, and blue patterned material from an old basket liner that I re-purposed. Continue reading →

Posted in Crafts, DIY, Sewing, Tutorials, Upcycling & Repurposing | 3 Comments

Confessions from a Selfish Daughter, Cancer, and A Mother’s Day Charge

Posted on 05/08/2013 by Sonja

This post has been stewing in my mind for over a year. Since Mother’s Day is fast approaching, I thought this would be an ideal time to share about my mom and our relationship or lack thereof.

Yep, I am a selfish daughter. I was even more selfish growing up. I am the firstborn of two girls, just me and my sister. Growing up, my mom was a servant. She did everything for us girls, to a fault. My sister and I had unspoken expectations of my mother. We expected mom to make our food, clean our clothes, clean the bathroom, clean the house, and any other detestable housework or duties. I did have responsibility for cleaning my room, though. My sister and I were allowed to watch TV, play Super Mario Brothers on our Nintendo, eat for recreation, read our Babysitters Club, and Sweet Valley High books and watch more TV. What a life. Continue reading →