Tasty Bites: Frozen Watermelon Slush

By Candy, RN (Steele the Day)

I’m not sure about where you live, but here in Iowa among the corn and soybeans it’s hot, hot, hot in the summertime. Our bodies acclimate quickly to the heat and humidity, but most of us still don’t stay well-enough hydrated. Even though water is the best way to rehydrate, sometimes you just to make hydration tasty. Add some healthy nutrients and hopefully you will drink more fluids, even if they take just a little bit of preparation.

This frozen slush is a good source of potassium and folate, and a very good source of Vitamin A and Vitamin C, manganese and fiber. Garnish with a mint sprig and enjoy!

Frozen Watermelon Slush

3 cups ripe seedless watermelon, cubed

1 cup frozen strawberries

2 scoops lemon sorbet

¼ cup pineapple juice, chilled

2 tablespoons  fresh lime juice

Put all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. Pour into 4 glasses and serve.

Candy Steele is a registered nurse who has worked with cardiac patients for over thirty years. “Functional foods” have become her passion, and she enjoys sharing her love of cooking, a random life and a faithful Jesus with her friends at Steele (the Day). She is blessed with three grown children, a new daughter-in-law, and a kind and patient husband who only knows how to fix popcorn (but she’s OK with that).

YOB: # 30. Have an International Dinner (Part 2)

By Lara

I honestly don't remember how International Dinner got on the Year of the Birthday List. I know that I must have suggested it. As you have already read, Beth would never have suggested that. I think I envisioned multiple guests each bringing their favorite international dish for our sampling pleasure.

Obviously, it didn't work out that way.

I think my order at the International House of Pancakes consisted of a hamburger and mozzarella sticks. I don't think there is anything less international about that meal. I just wanted it to count because I was feeling anxious about getting the list finished.

Once I realized that the list wasn't going to get finished anyhow, I relaxed a little bit. That didn't stop me from wanting to get a little bit further into the 30 items. I had planned to take Beth to a Japanese Steak House. After all, Beth has been to Japan. Surely, she would like something there, right? Apparently, the only thing she liked in Japan was goyza. Also, I started having flashbacks of people with giant spatulas throwing food at me.

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The Overnight Guest

By Michelle (Graceful, Faith in the Everyday)

Recently my friend Sarah’s daughter stayed with us for two days. And I’m going to state this honestly, without fear of offending Sarah, because good friend that she is, she knows me oh-so-well: I did not look forward to the experience. Not because I don’t love Laini – I do – or because Laini’s not a great kid – she is – but because the visit interfered with my finely orchestrated life. It was different; it strayed from the routine. Laini’s visit required that I step out of the box, shake up the system a bit.

I said yes because I genuinely wanted to help my friend Sarah, who had to travel out of town for a conference. I said yes because I love Sarah and her daughter. I said yes because I knew Sarah would do the same for me, without a moment’s hesitation. I said yes out of love, sure, but also out of a sense of duty and responsibility.

What’s funny is that in saying an obligatory yes, I was the beneficiary in so many unexpected ways.

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Life Is Funny: Levers

By MAD21

I hope you all had a wonderful Father's Day. It was a very sunny and hot day here, so our choices of activities was a little limited. After some discussion about what my hubby wanted to do on his day, we decided to go to a mall that is a little more than an hour away from us. Yes. He chose to go to a mall.

Now, before you take his man-card away, realize that this is a HUGE mall that has some awesome stores in it. One being the Bass Pro Outlet store because it has a fish tank bigger than my living room and dining room combined. But there is one other store that we love going to. And that is the LEGO store.

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Fingerprint Fridays: Life Around Us

By MAD21

My mother-in-law lives near a nature conservatory. We enjoy the drive to her house because you never know what kind of wildlife you might see. In the last week, we've seen a Blue Heron, hawks, deer, rabbits, chipmunks and a really cool box turtle.

I know that having a bird choose an area around your house to build it's nest is something lots of people experience, and while there are a lot of people who do not like it, our family loves it. Probably because the birds are good at choosing areas where the mess they make doesn't matter.

We have been watching this nest of Robins (residing on the front porch of my mother-in-law's house) for the last few weeks. My girls have LOVED watching them grow. And were surprisingly happy when they finally left the nest this past weekend.

I love that we can experience these small fingerprints of God, and the joy of watching the animals that live around us. Even the pesky squirrels that eat all the food out of the bird squirrel feeders in our own front yard.

Fellow blogger Beki at The Rusted Chain has a really great weekly post she does every Friday called "Fingerprint Friday." We are to look around and see where we can see God's fingerprints. Is it in nature? Kids? Animals? Anywhere? Go find out where Beki saw God this week, and be sure to check out the other bloggers who linked their stories as well.