Dwelling on the past...Fried Okra

As I have said before, I have discovered (through pain) that gall bladders should be taken better care of especially during pregnancy.  Gratefully, diet has been a primary relief.  At least once in our marriage, Pete requested that we have a vegetable that is *not* fried.  With the new gallbladder friendly diet, this is no longer an issue between us.


I grew up in South Carolina.  The best tasting things are those with a little breading and fried up crisp.  In honor of my roots and fondly remembering when I could enjoy fried foods with abandon, I submit to you what I call "REAL" Fried Okra.

Aside: If you are a true southerner, you pronounce the last word as /oak - ree/.  I have somewhat lessened my intensity of the pronunciation after nearly ten years of teasing by my more grammatically-correct Canadian husband.

If you have only had okra from Cracker Barrel (or equivalent), you have not truly experienced okra in all it's deliciousness. Notice that you can actually see the vegetable. This is a food that is not "battered and deep fried,"  it rather has a light flour coating and is pan fried (or baked in the oven). 


Real Fried Okra

1. Gather a mess of fresh okra (picked small, fresh as possible)
2. Wash well (your fingers may itch just a little if you grab one too tight near the top)
3. With a nice sharp knife, cut into disks (maybe 1/3 inch or so) into a clean bowl (that has a tight-fitting lid)
4. After you have a nice bowl full of (yes, somewhat slimy-feeling) sliced okra, you add the "breading"
5. Scoop a small amount (1/2 cup or so) of flour (whole wheat of course)
6. Shake some salt and pepper (to your taste, but more salt than pepper and use sea salt of course)
7. Cover the bowl and shake it well so that all the sticky okra gets a light coating of the flour.
8. Dump the bowl of okra into a hot frying pan (cast iron is a great choice) with some coconut oil in the bottom (not a ton, but enough to cover the bottom well).You can also "bake/fry" this in the oven.  Use a jellyroll pan and lightly coat the bottom with coconut oil.  You'd cook it about 375 for half an hour but stir it a couple of times for even cooking.
9. Stir or continue to scrap with a spatula.  If it begins to stick, add a little more coconut oil.  You may do this several times while it cooks.
10. Cook the okra until it is tender, crispy on the outside and literally melts in your mouth.

Love,

Pregnancy update and belly picture

Last Sunday after church I was preparing lunch.  Of course I had definitely thrown off the shoes.  So there I was...all dressed up but barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen.  Pete thought that was an opportunity not to be missed.  I posed and he snapped the photo. This is the belly at the end of the second trimester.

I saw my midwife this week. Everything is looking great with the pregnancy - even my iron levels!  The main thing I have to do is to walk.  I'm trying to walk for 30 minutes everyday.  I have been really slack on walking. It feels like I've has so many things going haywire that consistency has been tough.  I'd appreciate prayers for me to focus on getting this walk in.  Two different midwives have told me that apart from any other exercise- the absolute best indicator of an easy labor and delivery is walking.  Two miles / 30 minutes a day minimum.

Three weeks ago I developed some gall bladder pain.  I certainly recommend being kind to your gall bladder - that pain was tough!  I had to employ my "labor mindset" once again to help get through them. Gratefully with more diet changes I had been able to more or less live pain-free (except for two bad days in the middle where I was a little too bold in my food choices).  Once the baby is born and life re-balances, I plan to try a natural cleanse.  Since that's several months out - I haven't decided which one to go for.  Anyone tried a cleanse for gall bladder issues?

Love,

Toothpaste Follow Up

Check out my previous post: "Opening a can of...toothpaste"

We just saw a pediatric dentist who saw both girls at the same time. I stayed in the closet about our stance with flouride and just observed what they did. The girls did really great!  Kept mouth open, didn't fidget - pretty amazing actually.

At the end of the visit, I was given a overview of their teeth condition.  Faith had a tiny bit of tarter and he expressed concern about her overbite (She is a passionate thumb-sucker).  I asked about Gracie's overbite because she sucked her thumb until she was almost five.  The dentist said that Gracie's teeth were fine and he didn't see any overbite.  Hmmmmm...... So Gracie stopped sucking her thumb before her permanent teeth came in, and after a little over a year, her teeth are in perfect alignment.


I love the fact that my girls sucked their thumbs - they never lose it (like a pacifier) and can comfort themselves at night without the mommy (that's me - in my bed sleeping :-) ).  But I was concerned about eventual braces. Wouldn't it be cool if God designed us that way?  That the thumb is a gift to the tired mommy and if kids give up the habit earlier enough, their teeth naturally go back to their proper position?

I mentioned this (at least a paraphrase) to the dentist.  He was certain that teeth didn't go back on their own. Well, Gracie hadn't been to "this" dentist before, but she had been to others.....all which warned me about her overbite.  Yup, the overbite that no longer exists.  Maybe a unique occurrence....but certainly something that God did.

The hygienists encouraged us to definitely use fluoride toothpaste on Faith and begin adding a fluoride rinse for Gracie.  They've never had more than a teaspoon of fluoride toothpaste in their whole lives... and no cavities.  I think we're going to stick with what we've been doing :-) ...maybe floss a little more often...


Love,

Homeschool Musings

We're beginning our homeschool journey. Honestly, it is harder to figure out than I expected, but when it goes well - I'm soooo excited. Gracie is somewhere between Kindergarten and First Grade. So I say she's in "Fir-indergarten." It's amazing that we can cover 6 subjects in less than two hours a day! We're only a few weeks in, but I'm hooked.

One of my favorite things is the variety of subjects. I love that she can spend time learning different things from us. Pete shows her all kinds of animals and insects (she is comfortable touching many random creatures including snakes!). He also taught her how to work a tape measure and throw a frisbee. I say that's biology, woodworking and phy ed!

You can see my influence here. Yes, she is operating a hand sander solo. I'm not sure what to call the subject ...environmental science? ...economics? (since she's learning the value of natural renovation and improving older furniture to save money).

Well, it's time for culinary arts (she'll help me make dinner).

Love,