I'm Still Here!!

Hey all!

Sorry I haven't posted in a while.  Life is crazy right now, but all good things!  I'm working on more THM posts, life posts, and just random things.  I'll have new posts up soon, I promise!! 

Honest Thoughts on Miscarriage...

Going through a miscarriage is awful.  It's been 5 months since our baby went to heaven, and it feels like it was yesterday.  Here are some of the things I've been feeling...

1.  How many kids do I tell people I have?

I have 7 children.  But normally, people don't talk about the dead.  My dilemma is that to not include Darcy in my child count feels like I'm saying he/she wasn't a child.  So, most of the time, I say I have 6 kids and 1 in heaven. 

2.  Why do people ask if we are done having kids?

It's like, "oh your baby died, so you're done now, right?"  Or maybe it's because we have 6 living children and people think that's 4 too many.  I'm not sure what makes people ask us that.  I am not sure how I feel about it, either.  I'm used to it as people asked us this before we lost our baby.  *shrug*

3.  Do I want to get pregnant again?

I've been struggling with this one alot lately.  Some days I feel like my depression would lessen if I got pregnant soon.  And then I think that if I did get pregnant, I'd worry and freak at every little thing. I guess we'll get to that if God gives us another one.

4.  It hurts when friends have babies/announce pregnancies

I'm not going to lie...it hurts alot when friends have their babies or announce their pregnancies.  Not because I'm jealous, or because I'm not happy for them...but because it is just something that I'm supposed to be experiencing right now, and I'm not.  My sister is overdue with my niece at this very moment, and I am so super excited for her arrival!  

5.  Church is hard.

Sundays are mixed emotion days for me.  I love to sit in my Dad's class about the Covenants!  Service is different, because I'm surrounded by moms and newborns and it occasionally overwhelms me.  

6.  It has brought my faith into focus.

I have never needed the Lord as much as I do now.  (well, I have always needed the Lord, but you know what I mean.)  Honestly, I would probably be unable to function if I wasn't a child of God.  I have my bad days, but I know that He is and will always be there for me.  He has used music as a way of healing for me.  (I've always been a music person.)  A few songs that help me on the bad days are:   Thy Will by Hillary Scott, Trust in You by Lauren Daigle, and Eye of the Storm by Ryan Stevenson.  Thy Will was written by Hillary Scott after she had a miscarriage, so that one is especially dear to me.

Trim Healthy Mama in a Large Family #2

I posted about doing THM in a large family here: THM in a Lrg. Fam. #1

So, this is another post related to having a large family while doing THM.  We have 8 people in our family.

The THM Cookbook is perfectly made for our family.  Most recipes are made for 6-8 people, and we almost always have leftovers for my hubby's lunch the next day.

My husband does THM only because I make THM suppers.  And once in a great while, I'll do a non-THM supper.

I sometimes add a non-THM element to my suppers for my hubby and kids.  Like, when we do enchiladas.  I make it an S or a E.  I take as much as I need for 4, on plan enchiladas.  I use my on plan tortillas.  Then, I add in other ingredients like beans, (I add those to mine if I'm making an E.) and other things.  I use regular tortillas for theirs.  Bake them together, and ta-da!  We all get to enjoy a delicious meal, and I stay on plan!

Pizza night is a weekly occurrence in this house.  I would normally just make the pizzas as usual, using regular flour for the crust.  But I discovered something from a mama in the main THM group on Facebook!!!  Use the Butterfly Wings Cake recipe in the cookbook, omitting the sweetener.  It fluffs up, and crisps just like real dough!!  It is AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!   It's a revelation!  I can now enjoy thick crust pizza with the rest of the family while sticking to the plan!

Another recipe I split is Slim Sloppy Joes.  I use sprouted buns for myself, and off plan buns for the rest of the family.  Here is a list of some meals I split:

Chicken Florentine

Salsa Chicken

Balsamic Chicken

Coconut Thai Chicken

Rich N Tender Stew

 I split these by making them as they are in the cookbook, then adding some off plan carbs for my growing kids, and off plan hubs.  Carbs such as noodles, white rice, sometimes brown rice to make it a crossover for them.  I have no qualms about eating a crossover occasionally if I'm really hungry and wanting some carbs. 

Ok, so that was just a small post on doing THM in a Large Family.  Do you have any tips/tricks?  Please share them in the comments below! 

THM Super Bowl Party ~ No Special Ingredients Edition

The Super Bowl is upon us once again!  My Seahawks didn't make it, but the Patriots did so I have a team to cheer for!  If you're planning on having a Super Bowl party, here are some great, no-special-ingredients ideas.

Snacks/Appetizers

Cheese stuffed bacon wrapped jalapenos
Cheese tray
Nuts
Smoked sausage
Cheesy Bacon Zucchini Skins (using Rohnda's Ranch Dressing)
Bacon-wrapped Meatballs (There's a meatball recipe in the cookbook)


Main Dishes

Hamburgers (plain, or on plan-approved bread/buns)
Taco Salad (cookbook)
Tacos
Enchiladas (Mrs. Criddle has a great recipe!)
Ribs (with on-plan BBQ sauce. Mrs. Criddle has a great one!)



Sides

Broccoli Salad
Veggie tray (with Rohnda's Ranch Dressing from the cookbook!)
Fruit tray
Deviled Eggs (cookbook)
Ham & Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms


Dips

BLT Dip
Coney Island Party Dip
7 Layer Pizza Dip (for veggies, plan-approved chips, any of the crunchy recipes in the cookbook)
Honey Mustard Dressing (cookbook)
Rohnda's Ranch Dressing (cookbook)

Desserts

Cottage Berry Whip (cookbook)
Magic Bars (there are a few on plan ones floating around Pinterest)
Strawberries and Whipped Cream
Cheesecake (cookbook)

These are just a few of the many delicious, on-plan Superbowl party ideas you can find on Pinterest or on the many THM blogs.  Have fun watching the game, and staying on plan, Mamas!

(GO PATS!)

*Recipes taken from these bloggers:  Mrs. Criddle's Kitchen & Joy Filled Eats.