Ode to the Pomegranate

To those that have had the pleasure of trying a pomegranate, they are an exotic and wonderful surprise. As a fruit juice, they can be a favorite mixer (blended with other juices or with alcohol).  The flavor is also tremendously delicious in yogurt.
While readily available in stores, most of us are daunted by this strange fruit because we don't have the faintest clue how to get the seeds out (which is what you eat) or what to do with the seeds beyond just snack on them. Thanks to table leaders Amy and Amy for providing these links to answer those questions.

Deseeding a Pomegranate

"I did this over a mixing bowl in the kitchen sink, with minimal mess.  And the juice didn't stain my hands like I had thought it might. We are really enjoying the seeds." - Amy Heneisen

From the MOPS website: 

Pomegranate seeds are glorious. The work required to get to those little seeds is not glorious... until now. A wooden spoon and 10 seconds is all you need.

http://www.mops.org/deseed-a-pomagranate-in-10-seconds?PHPSESSID=24d73akh5adaovav81khc68616

Pumpkin Soup with Pomegranate and Pesto

"For the easy, kid-friendly version, we leave out the Serrano chiles, substitute jarred roasted red peppers for the piquillos, and use regular canned pumpkin and ground cumin.  And I would add, make sure to use unsalted or low-sodium chicken stock b/c the pesto and cheese are very salty."- Amy Eddy 

Click the link to go to see this recipe on the Pinch My Salt website:

http://pinchmysalt.com/spicy-pumpkin-soup-with-cilantro-pepita-pesto/

School Dates

Remember our fantastically informative school panel last month? There are some important dates coming up that you should mark on your calendars if you are in school shopping mode.
This Wednesday, November 13th is Parent Preview Morning at the Fall Creek Oaks Academy (2301 N. Park Ave.). The event is from 8:30-11:30 am. There will also be Oaks Academy Open Houses in the new year, on January 15 at the Brookside location (3092 Brookside Parkway North Drive) and February 5 at the Fall Creek location, 4-6 pm on both days.
The deadline to apply to Oaks Academy is February 8. For more information on Oaks Academy, visit www.theoaksacademy.org/
The deadline to apply for IPS magnet schools is December 15. This includes all 3 Center for Inquiry schools, Rousseau McClellan School #91 (i.e. Montessori) and the William A. Bell School #60 (i.e. the Reggio/ Butler Lab school). The application can be downloaded at magnet.ips.k12.in.us/magnet-programs/.
There will be a parent information meeting at the William Bell school on March 12 from 5-6:30 pm.
The deadline to apply to Paramount School of Excellence is March 1st. They have tours of the school every Friday at 10 am. For more information on this charter school, visit www.paramountindy.org/
Important education links will soon be added to the Resource tab, watch for updates.

Indy Ex-Pat: Special Needs

Hi Redeemer MOPS moms!

Some of you don't know me, so I'll start by introducing myself.  My name is Beth Williamson.  My husband is Andy, and our children are Silas, 4 1/2, and Nora, 1 1/2.  I was part of your group for the last three years and planned to return this year to work on the Publicity team with the very talented Mary and Cheryl; however, it seems that God had other plans for us.  Over the summer, we felt led to move from the Indianapolis area, where we had lived all our lives, to Raleigh, NC, a place I had never even visited.  Mary suggested that it might be interesting if I write occasional blog posts about what it's like to make a major move with a family.  Before I get into all of that, though, I want to share something with you that has a tremendous impact on the choices Andy and I make, including our decision to move.  Our son is autistic.  Although he is high-functioning, we still have to think about things the average family doesn't.  We don't just need good schools; we need good special education services.  We don't just need health insurance; we need insurance that will pay for autism therapies.  We don't just need new friends; we need friends who will be patient with Silas and expect the same from their own children.  The list goes on and on, but it's all part of the "beautiful mess" that is our unique parenting experience.  So, for now, I would like to leave you with an essay by children's writer Emily Kingsley that has nothing to do with moving but definitely describes where I am.

WELCOME TO HOLLAND

by Emily Perl Kingsley

I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability - to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It's like this......

When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip - to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting.

After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland."

"Holland?!?" you say. "What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy."

But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay.

The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place.

So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.

It's just a different place. It's slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around.... and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills....and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandt.

But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy... and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned."

And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away... because the loss of that dream is a very very significant loss.

But... if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things ... about Holland.

Fall Recipes

submitted by Amy Heneisen

Pumpkin Cookies
utterly amazing, even without the carmel topping!
Makes 3 dozen

Mix:
1/4 c. butter
3/4 c. Crisco
1 c. sugar
1 c. pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla

Add:
2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon

Mix well.  Drop by spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake 8-12 minutes (depending on size of your spoonfuls) at 350 until top of cookie springs back quickly when touched lightly.  If your finger leaves a dent in the cookie top, the cookies need more cooking time.  Cool 1-2 minutes on cookie sheet and remove to wire rack to cool completely.  *Be sure cookies are completely cool before icing.*

Carmel Topping
Bring to boil in saucepan:
3 T. butter
1/4 c. milk
1/2 c. brown sugar

After boil, cook for 3 minutes.  Remove from heat and add:
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 c. powdered sugar

Mix well.  Dip cooled cookies immediately.

Oatmeal Apple Cookies
(from www.food.com)
Makes 2 1/2 dozen

3/4 c. shortening
1 1/4 c. firmly packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1/4 c. milk
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 c. flour
 1 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
3 c. quick oats (not instant or old fashioned)
1 c. peeled diced apples
3/4 c. raisins (optional)
3/4 c. coarsely chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 and grease cookie sheet.

Combine shortening, sugar, egg, milk, and vanilla in large bowl.  Beat at medium speed until well blended.

Combine flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and soda in small bowl and mix into creamed mixture at low speed until just blended.

Stir in oats, apples, raisins, and nuts.

Drop rounded tablespoonfuls of dough about 2 inches apart onto greased cookie sheets.  Bake for 13 minutes or until just set.

Cool for 1-2 minutes on cookie sheets, then remove to cooling rack to cool completely.

Hot Spiced Apple Cider

Combine in large pot and simmer about 30 minutes:
1 gallon cider
1 tsp. allspice
12 whole cloves (OR 1/2 tsp. ground cloves)
2 sticks cinnamon
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. white sugar

Add:
1 c. orange juice
2/3 c. lemon juice

Heat and serve. Can be frozen or refrigerated and served again.

I typically make 1/4 recipe (1 quart cider) for our own family at a time.

School Panel Audio

We are thankful for an excellent school panel this week! Four schools were represented, including:

- Paramount School of Excellence (Mr. Tommy Reddicks, School Director and Ms. Peggy Purvis, Office Manager)

- The Oaks Academy (Ms. Robin Shaw, Admissions)

- Classical Conversations (Ms. Debra Radke, Director)

- Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) Magnet Programs (Ms. Jennifer Botts, Magnet Program Director, and Ms. Christy Shaul, Magnet Coordinator)

If you missed the meeting this week, or have a friend who would like to listen, please access the school panel audio at this link: http://www.redeemindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/MOPS-School-Panel.mp3.

Mentor Moms Needed for Young Lives Ministry

Young Life is starting a new program for teen moms this fall in Indianapolis.  It is called Young Lives and there is a need for Mentor Moms. Teens and Mentor Moms gather every Wednesday evening from 6-8 pm at Church at the Crossing (Keystone and 91st).  The group eats dinner together, reads scripture, and does a craft.  You can bring your children - childcare is provided.  Being a mentor could also include hanging out, helping with homework, giving her a ride to a doctor's appointment, etc.  The goal is to be in relationship and support these girls in their transition to motherhood.
If you are interested, contact Renae Dorsey at jed.renae@gmail.com, 317-313-7928, or Erin Whittmer (coordinator) at erin.wiersma@gmail.com, 317-777-0903.

Mark Your Calendars

We have a small change to our MOPS schedule for the year. We had to swap a talk for October with one that was scheduled for February.
So please note the change:

October 16- Raising Grateful Kids with Marianne Miller
February 19- How to Talk to your Kids about Race with Tara VanderWoude

A Beautiful Mess – Story of my life!

Well, the “mess” part anyway. The “beautiful” part didn’t come until recently.

I’ve always been kind of a mess, though the definition of that word has changed over the course of my life. In high school, I felt like a mess because my clothes never seemed quite right, and my hair was always frizzy. In college, I experienced some relational pain, and my heart felt like a mess. As I got married and moved out on my own, my house was often a mess – and to this day, please, please don’t ask me to see my bedroom (a.k.a. dumping ground) when you come over!

When I became a mom, I definitely felt like a mess. Not at first – I was on a high of just having moved back to my hometown of Indianapolis, quitting my full-time corporate PR job and having the baby we had just tried 13 months to conceive (with the help of a fertility specialist).

But as time went on, things got more complicated. Our eldest daughter, always a strong-willed one, began exhibiting behavior that led us to seek professional help. Six months ago, she received a diagnosis of Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD). Her SPD is mild, we attend weekly sessions with an amazing occupational therapist and my daughter is really just all-around awesome. But in my darker moments, I find myself asking, did I mess things up?

Of course, the answer is no. The truth is, life is messy. One of my favorite authors, Madeleine L’Engle wrote,

“Maybe you have to know the darkness before you can appreciate the light.”

In the same vein, maybe you have to know the mess before you can see the beauty. Seeing my house as a complete mess makes me really love those few occasions when it’s clean. And knowing where we started with my daughter makes me so thankful for how much progress she’s made. On a faith-related note, knowing the ugliness and depth of my sin makes it all the more amazing that God has redeemed me and loves me (in spite of my mess).

By the way, have I mentioned how glad I am you’ve found your way to Redeemer MOPS? In many ways, our little group personifies “a beautiful mess.” But I wouldn’t have it any other way. Since I joined MOPS four years ago, I’ve found lasting friendships, inspiration through our speakers, made some awesome crafts and received amazing encouragement in my journey through motherhood. I look forward to getting to know you better this year.

Nikki Reed

Redeemer MOPS Coordinator

My Beautiful Mess

For the last four years I have been a part of MOPS (Mothers Of PreSchoolers), the first two in Illinois and the last two at Redeemer Presbyterian Church downtown Indy.  I can't imagine where I would be in motherhood without the support of MOPS!  This year, the international theme is:  A Beautiful Mess.  "Moms live in messes. The toys, crumbs, and spit-up are their natural surroundings. Moms often feel like a mess. They are exhausted, under-showered, and hormonal. Their past and present circumstances and decisions can leave them feeling inadequate for God’s love and purposes.  A Beautiful Mess — reminds moms that beauty can come out of their difficult spots. The grime of mothering young children brings the beauty of motherhood. The bruises of life can bring God’s redemption" (www.mops.org).  My group came up with the idea for each table to display a mess created by one of the table members.  I was asked to contribute my papercrafting mess with a finished product, a card, to represent the beautiful creation that comes out of the mess.  I am excited to start my fifth year of MOPS this week, meet new friends, take a break from the mess, and reflect on the theme verse: "For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago" (Ephesians 2:10).     

Summertime Fun at Peewinkle’s

Are you looking for something different and fun to entertain your children during the long summer break? One of my daughter’s favorite activities, any time of year, is to go to a marionette show at Peewinkle’s Puppet Studio.

Peewinkle’s features family friendly puppet shows throughout the year, delightly young audiences and educating older children (and adults) about the art of puppetry. The cozy little theatre is adorable and the shows are always enchanting; great entertainment for children from toddlers through school age.

Currently playing is the Summertime Cabaret, which runs every summer and showcases some of Peewinkle’s best marionettes, all handmade with love by the puppeteer proprietors (Heidi Shackleford, Peggy Melchior and Debbi White). Some of the highlights include an egg-laying ostrich ballerini and an octopus that does the hokey-pokey. What could be more fun for young audiences than that?

My daughter and I have been going to every Peewinkle’s show since she was only 18 months old and the performances have always captured her attention and imagination. All of the shows are just exciting enough, and just short enough, to hold the attention of even the youngest viewer. And the free popcorn doesn’t hurt!

Inspired by these frequent visits, my daughter loves puppets. She loves to play with her many hand puppets and marionettes (which I spend a lot of time untangling), engaging them in dramatic adventures with her toy dinosaurs and princess dolls.  A good friend of the family built her a custom puppet stage, appropriately named the Ladybug Theatre, which she plays with all the time. She frequently sits me down to watch mini-performances, normally of the puppets singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star or Disney showtunes. 

I know as she gets older this love of puppetry will help expand her creativity and imagination. I look forward to when she is just a little older and can take advantage of the educational opportunities Peewinkle’s offers with its workshops (sometimes offered after shows), summer camps and mini-camps offered throughout the year. During these classes, young students make their own puppets and learn how to operate them. Peewinkle’s truly celebrates puppetry as an art form.

This delightful little theatre is located right downtown, just a few blocks south of Monument Circle, at 25 E. Henry Street. The Summertime Cabaret is only running for a short time, with performances at 10 am and noon on Thursdays and Fridays through July 19. The cost is $8 per person (kids under 2 are free). The puppet theatre is wonderfully intimate, with only 50 seats, so shows can sell out fast. Get your tickets online at www.peewinklespuppets.com or call (317) 917-9454 for more information.