Why I'm Pro-Life... No Matter What

I've blogged before about being pro-life. Even my "About Me" declares that I advocate for the tiniest of babies, including the unborn. If you didn't know all this about me already... well, there you have it. I am, as I always say, "unapologetically pro-life".

When you declare yourself as being pro-life, the question that people love to throw at you is this:

"What about cases of rape or incest?"

It's a good question. It's also an easy question- those are the circumstances underwhich so many people feel abortion is completely defensible. It makes it kind of "fun" to challenge those of us with different ideas. I've never once had someone ask me:

"What about cases when a woman gets pregnant and it's inconvenient for her?"

Because, well, where's the fun in that? Suddenly, the defense of life makes total sense.

Anyhow, I'm getting off-topic. The question is this:

"What about cases of rape or incest?"

My answer? I'm still pro-life. And here's why:

• Rape and incest are crimes and need to be treated as such. When a pregnancy occurs, there is a huge problem. But the problem is not the baby. The problem is still the crime. The violence needs to be dealt with (and severely, in my opinion), but not through the killing of the most innocent party of all...
• Abortions being performed to terminate pregnancies resulting from rape or incest are extremely rare (at .3%)... rarer, even, than those performed because of fetal anomalies (.5%). But over 97% of abortions are completely elective-- not a result of rape/incest, not because of fetal defect, not because of risk to the mother. Just because the baby isn't "wanted".
• Finally, I don't believe putting a "rape/incest clause" on the law books would help. If we're to "illegalize" abortion (as I firmly believe we should), it will not work to write in such exceptions. Why not? I hate to say it... but... women will lie. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that we'll hear more women "crying rape" in order to be "allowed" to terminate an unwanted pregnancy. And that helps no one. If we don't require that charges be filed, it will make it too easy to claim an unwanted pregnancy was the result of a rape. If we insist that charges be filed in order for the woman to proceed with the abortion, we'll over-burden our already stretched-thin law enforcement departments with a bunch of bogus claims. I just do not believe it will work.
  

Please don't think that I'm trying to down-play the horror and devastation of incest and rape. I do not claim to be able to even imagine the fear and disgust and anxiety that would accompany a resulting pregnancy.

But I'm still pro-life. I will defend those precious unborn children for all of my days. And I will pray- not just today or on Sundays, but every single day- that someday, maybe even during my own lifetime, people will respect and honor the sanctity of life... the miracle of creation... the wonder of being given the gift of an innocent child.

Raising Good Eaters: An Introduction

My children are far from perfect. And, believe me, I am far from a perfect mother. But you wanna know one thing I'm pretty confident that I'm good at? Raising good eaters. I hear time and time again from teachers, family, and other parents that my kids are great eaters. When people aren't remarking on what good eaters I have, they're lamenting their "only eats Eggo waffles and chicken nuggets" offspring.

Truth be told, these other parents very, very rarely seek my advice or input on how to broaden their children's gastrointestinal horizons. Frankly, it's easier to throw up your hands, shrug, and declare, "What can I do? He's just picky." If that's where you're at- no problem. But this series isn't for you.

Likewise, if you're looking to transfer your child over to a vegan diet or raw diet or completely sugar- and flour-free diet or any other fairly specific and narrow meal plan... this probably isn't for you either.

This series is for parents of babies and toddlers who want to raise children who will try things. Explore things. Eat what's set in front of them. Learn to take bites and say "no, thank you" if it's truly something they don't like. It's for parents of persnickety preschoolers who are wondering where they went wrong and if it's even possible to get back on track. I want to share with you all both the philosophy behind how I approach feeding my children and specific steps I've taken to ensure they're the kids labeled "good eaters".

Throughout the month of April, I'm going to be offering up tips and suggestions to help you raise your very own troop of "good eaters". I encourage you to join me on this journey if you're trying to improve the variety in your children's diets. I also encourage you to chime in if you're raising your own good eaters! I have no doubt that there's a wealth of knowledge out there and I still have much to learn... after all, my oldest is still in preschool.

For this week, I just want to leave you with one thought in your head... one little nugget to file away and keep ever-present in your mind... because it is crucial that you get this concept if this process is going to be successful:

Your child will not starve.*


That's it. That's all I want you to focus on and let mull around in there for the week. Really think about it and allow yourself to get comfortable with the idea that, as long as you're making nutritious food accessible to your child, he is not going to starve.

I'll see you next week and we can really get started.

(* note: Clearly, these posts are designed for parents who are raising "typical" children who are picky eaters, but otherwise healthy. Please do not think I intend these suggestions to be appropriate for all children. I realize there are special circumstances. All that being said, however, please be aware that one of my preschoolers is a former micropreemie who had all those "difficulty gaining weight" preemie issues... and she still turned into a good eater- and there's not an ounce of Pediasure in our home. Use your own -and your doctor's- good judgement here.)

This post is linked to Works For Me Wednesday.

Almond Streusel Coffee Cake

A cool, drizzly afternoon and a raging sweet tooth a week or so ago put me in a baking mood and sent me searching the cabinets. When I came to the realization that I had no cocoa powder, no chocolate chips, no rolled oats, and I was super low on peanut butter... well, I was feeling a little uninspired. Then my gaze fell upon a little tupperware container of whole almonds and the wheels started turning...

I brewed up some decaf and got to work.

I now share with you....



Almond Streusel Coffee Cake

1 cup unbleached flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour 9" round pan. Whisk dry ingredients together in large bowl. Add milk, butter, and vanilla. Beat until well-mixed (I do this with my mixer) and then add egg. Beat until smooth.

Pour into prepared pan.

Almond Streusel

1/4 cup almonds
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons chilled butter
2 tablespoons flour

I chose to throw all of the above in a food processor for a few seconds until I had a nice, crumbly mixture.

You could certainly chop the almonds by hand and cut all the ingredients together, however. Sprinkle over cake batter.

Bake for approx. 20 minutes until center springs back when touched.

And that's that! This recipe could easily be adapted with a different variety of nut or with the addition of fruit... I would love to try a blueberry pecan or cranberry walnut version.

This post is linked to:
Tasty Tuesday
Tempt My Tummy Tuesday

Menu Plan Monday: Happy Easter 4/4/10

Happy Easter!! It feels like maybe Spring has finally sprung around here! We're excited to get out there some more as T-ball season begins and family walks brighten our weekends...

Sunday:

B-Cereal, Yogurt, Juice

L-Easter celebration with family!

D-Leftover picking if anyone's hungry...

Monday:

B-Jelly Toast, Yogurt, Juice

L-Mac & Cheese, Corn, Milk

D-Spinach and Feta Stuffed Turkey Burgers w/ Red Onion, Roasted Greek Potatoes

Tuesday:

B-Oatmeal, Red Grapes, Milk (I found Steel Cut Oats marked down at my Aldi for 89 cents a canister!!!)
L-Peanut Butter Sandwiches, Yogurt, Pretzels, Water
D-Garlic Spaghetti, Broccoli, Garlic Toast (that's a lot of garlic!)

Wednesday:

B-Peanut Butter Toast, Applesauce, Milk

L-Mac & Cheese, Mixed Veggies, Juice

D-Pigs in Blankets, Pickles, Baked Beans

Thursday:

B-Smoothies, Fruit

L-Grilled Cheese, Apples, Milk

D-Bourbon Chicken & Rice with Carrots & Broccoli

Friday:

B-Pancakes, Apples, Milk

L-Cheesy Beans & Rice, Milk

D-Pepperoni Pizza

Saturday:

B-Homemade "McGriddles"

L-Pasta Fagiola, Bread Sticks

D-Fish Sticks, Fries, Corn (I have not had fish sticks since I was a young child and my children have never tasted them... we'll see how this goes! ;) )

I hope you all had blessed Easters with your own families and are ready to embrace the rest of this lovely Spring!

This post is linked to Menu Plan Monday.

"But There Are No Good Coupons!!"

I spent the past four weeks providing you all with forty different opportunities you might have to get those coupons clipped. It was important to me that I dispel the myth that you don't have the time to do it. You all jumped right on board with me and offered up some more great suggestions in the comments.

A few of you, however, do not seem to be having issues with finding the time to clip coupons... you just don't believe me that you can use coupons to buy quality, healthy foods. "They're all for junk!" you tell me. Or, "I never find any coupons for anything I would ever buy for family!"

Okay. I hear you. And there is the chance that, perhaps, there really are no coupons out there that will suit your particular family's needs. But I kind of doubt it. And I do challenge the notion that all coupons are for junk. I think we can all agree that we all have different ideas of what constitutes "healthy", but stick with me for a moment...

This was my quickie grocery trip I made after church this past Sunday:

And, okay, those fruit snacks are junk-y. Nothing "fruit" about them- I am aware of this. I am also aware that I am not the only mommy buying them occasionally. The other stuff I brought home?

• Yogurt
• Broccoli
• Peas
• Pasta
• Chocolate Chips (not healthy but, hey, I love to bake!)
• Soap
• Sour Cream
• Cottage Cheese

This is not "weird" food, people. These are things that I would, indeed, be buying even if I didn't have coupons. But here's why I choose to use the coupons:

By using my grocery store's "loyalty card", I saved $12.05. That's good. But my coupons saved me- wait for it- $23.09. All told, I bought $40.82 worth of food for $5.68... a savings of 86%. Want me to sweeten that deal for you even more? All of those coupons (except for $1.50 off the fruit snacks, which was mailed to me) were internet printables. I did not even have to purchase the Sunday paper to get those savings.

Still skeptical? What do I need to do to convince you that coupons could probably help your budget? Let me know in the comments!

This post is linked to Frugal Friday.

Easter Finery, part deux

Last year, I shared about how much I love seeing my kiddos dolled up in their Easter Finery. It still makes me smile to look back at that picture and see my son and older daughter snuggled together!

This year?

We've added another precious little girl to get all dolled up...

And that, my friends, is a finer thing indeed.

Did your children be get dressed up for this blessed Easter Sunday last weekend? I'd love to hear about what they were wearing!

This post is linked to Finer Things Friday.

"We're Pregnant"

No, no we're not. Or, rather, no I'm not. Because, see, despite the fact that we have three children together, my husband has never been pregnant. Not once. He never will be. He's, ahem, a man. And men do. not. get. pregnant.

I know it might seem silly. I also realize it's a petty thing to let bother me. But I just can't help it, people...

It drives me batty when couples announce, "We're pregnant!"

Yes, I am fully aware that the man was involved in the process and is, hopefully, very excited about the bundle-of-joy on the way. I'm really not trying to deny him any of the credit he so richly deserves...

But I'm thinking...

Do you think maybe all you glowing parents-to-be could perhaps change your lingo to the more accurate...

"We're going to have a baby!"

or

"We're expecting a baby!"

...at least when you're talking to me? :) That's all I ask. Oh, and by the way...

Congratulations.


(Isn't it convenient how this post ended up being on April Fool's Day? Hadn't even planned it!)