Last summer, I told you how to harvest baby spinach leaves.  Assuming you end up with a surplus of the stuff, or you find some on sale (as did my husband most recently), you can have more spinach than you care to eat freshly at one time.

Sam picked up two big containers of pre-washed, organic spinach last week, and we had salad after salad... after salad.  Finally, it occurred to us that drying leaves for later may be a good option.


I pulled out the Ronco Food dehydrator, placed the leaves evenly on each tray so as not to have any overlap, and let them do their thing... I rotated each tray as the the bottom ones dried out.


Then, I checked each leaf for doneness by lightly touching them with a clean finger.  (Squishy leaves are put back onto the tray to dry longer.)


I dumped each try into a clean, dry bowl and let them cool.  Then, I transferred the leaves into clean freezer bags, trying not to crush the leaves.


We had these leaves for one day, before I was compelled to use them.  The first meal, I crushed a handful up very finely and mixed them into my meatball mix.  The second meal, I added them to two soups I made from dried mixes.

Other ways I could see using the dried spinach?  Dips, breads, omelets, smoothies, and casseroles!  The kids don't notice the strong spinach flavor, and -- because they are so easy to crush info a fine powder -- they don't really appear to be obvious to the eye, either.

My family has really gotten into playing games as of late. The more strategic you need to be to win, the better. We were recently asked to review Commissioned by Chara Games, and I was so happy! Another great game to add to our game closet? Yes, please!





First, you should know that this is not a simple game. Like most strategy games, there is a lot of thought that goes into creating the rules and gameplay theory. I'm not saying that it's complicated, but it is something that you should play for the first time when you are sharp and understanding that it can be a longish gameplay time. It is designed for kids 14 and up. But I have allowed my 13-year-old to play with no issues.

Commissioned is Biblically-based. I welcome this because we do play a lot of games, but sometimes, I feel like we should be doing something more enriching. This kind of meshes the two priorities and allows you to play a really fun game with your kids while also reviewing the principles of discipleship and sharing God's Word.

We have actually been really paying attention to the worlds of God as He speaks to the Great Commission in the past month. Having this game review come up was perfect timing!


So what's gameplay like?

Well, there is a lot of set up. I would get a big table area and commit that to be your gameplay space. Since the time to set up and play can be longish, you don't want to go through all the work of setting it up just to take it all down for lunch. There is a setup and gameplay video from Chara Games where they walk you through everything. I would highly recommend taking the 24 minutes to do this. Without out, you might miss an important aspect of the game or become discouraged.


Once you've equipped yourself with the gameplay rules, it's really quite easy! The game focuses on three gameplay categories: trails, faith, and growth. Just like in real life, you'll be asked to make decisions that will guide you through the game toward the end result of becoming more mature.

You start by picking one of five gameplay scenarios. All are very good, so we had a hard time picking:

• Acts of the Apostles
• Peter's Gentle Outreach
• The First Missionary Journeys
• Appeal to Caesar
• To the Ends of the Earth

Once you settle on that, it's time to set up the game. The notes and rules for each scenario are laid out and you are also told how to win. These are unique to each scenario. There are also notes as to what qualified a failure (which can happen). A brief history of the time period is mentioned on the back of the card, as well.

The sample in the video had a 3-player scenario, so that's how we played. It is designed for 2-6 players. As a large family, however, it's not uncommon for the older kids and grownups to have a younger child on their lap, helping and feeling "included" in the play, even though they are not officially players.





Gameplay will obviously differ from scenario to scenario, but the basic premise is that you want to work together with your teammates to build up your faith decks through good decision making and cooperation. You'll also want to collect all the books of the New Testament. Do this without losing your churches, and you win!

The game is to take just an hour to play. Since we are kind of new at this, it took us a bit longer, plus set up time. The first time you play, I would recommend having the adults watch the official play video, and then set it up for the scenario you want. Then invite the kids in for the 1 hour play time. After you've done it a few times, it really gets to be easy to set up and you don't have to refer back to the video or rules.




As with any strategy game, there is an investment in learning how to play, but it's very rewarding! Commissioned is a game that is just super fulfilling to play! You can play for years, as it is always relevant to our lives.

I will also be reviewing another game from Chara Games in an upcoming post. It's called 3 Seeds, and it's about the principles of reaping what you sow! I really, really enjoy what we've done with it so far. Look for that in the weeks leading up to the holiday season!



Learn more about Chara Games on their website. Feel free to see what else they are up to on Facebook and Twitter, too! 

On a recent trip to Grand Island, NE, my husband insisted that we visit the Stuhr Museum. I had never been, but since it was a lovely day -- and the kids were with us -- we ventured in. As a family of 8, it was just a few dollars more to get a family annual pass than to get one-day tickets, so we became members.


The Stuhr Museum of the Prairie Pioneer (the full name) is a sprawling property with too many things to take in during one day. But we tried. Here's what you should know about visiting this location.

With a mission to "preserve and portray the inspiring era of the pioneer town builders who created the first communities in Nebraska," the Stuhr has set out to share all of the culture they can from the history of the area, from Natives to the present day. There is a variety of modern buildings, with fun things to see inside, as well as the Railroad Town -- a recreated village to look like you were really there in the late 1800's. As much as could be preserved was, with the rest thoughtfully recreated to look like it did back then.

Here are some of the highlights of our visit...



Designed to look just like main street from central Nebraska in 1898, this large outdoor exhibit is open during select months of the year. Staffed with volunteers ready to show you how Nebraskans lived back then, it's a highly interactive exhibit. My kids really enjoyed chatting with the tool shop keeper while playing checkers..



Visiting the old schoolhouse...



Watching the wood being worked...



Shopping for penny candy and marbles before checking out the carriage house...






And got a good view of the surrounding area...


Just this part of our visit took a little over three hours. None of the buildings are air-conditioned, so if it's a really hot day, be sure to bring some bottled water!



We also made a stop at the Stuhr Building, the largest, most-modern building, designed by Edward Durell Stone (who also designed the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts). It's full of displays, beautiful architecture, interactive pieces (such as the large jail cells my kids loved playing in.)


We learned about Willa Cather, early medical practices, guns, musical instruments, farm machinery, and also how sugar was made... there were so many original pieces to view.






Photo opps abound here. Non-flash photography is encouraged!


Can't you see your next Christmas card?


Outside the buildings were amazing, too. The Hornady Family Arbor featured plenty of benches, a bridge, floral gardens, butterfly gardens, turtles, ducks, and coy fish! Several feeding stations were set up that you could buy food from for the animals.





Finally, we also stopped for a bit at the Gus Fonner Memorial Rotunda. It was full of interesting Native American artifacts and displays. My boys may have enjoyed this building the most! With historical timelines and arrowheads, it really caught their interest.



Other things to see include an antique farm machinery building, the railroad exhibit, Pawnee Earth lodge, Taylor Ranch, Log Cabin Settlement, and the old Flour Mill. We didn't have time to see everything. It was enough for a whole weekend!



Stuhr Museum has exciting events going on year-round, but the last day to visit Railroad Town is September 3rd -- then it closes for the winter season. The best way to do everything is to become a member. Be sure to check out their website for the full schedule of events.

Looking for the easiest technique of how to harvest baby spinach? We've got you covered!

I never grew up liking spinach.  Maybe it was the way it was cooked, but I'm thinking it was because the leaves were huge by the time we ate them.  This led me to try baby spinach in salads, and now I'm hooked!
 


When we started our own raised garden bed this year, my husband liberally planted spinach.  I got very excited to see the leaves popping up, and decided to harvest the leaves young -- baby style. I have found that the spinach grows fast and is always tender and delicious.  Here is how I do it:

​How to Harvest Baby Spinach

1.  Cut only the leaves that are crisp and large enough to make it worth your while.  

(I prefer those the size of a matchbook.)  Use small, pointed, child-sized scissors, as it produces nice, clean cuts and you won't accidentally rip the whole plant out of the ground.
 

2.  Cut as many leaves as fit your size requirements, but always leave at least one.  

​
​Even if it is a teeny-tiny one.  This is also a good time to cut any overgrown or bug-eaten leaves, even if you don't plan on eating them. (Although I always do.)
 

3.  Put the leaves directly into a cloth grocery bag.  

I like the canvas types.  This protects them from being broken and the bags are heavy enough to not blow away on a windy day.  The dirt will also fall nicely to the bottom, if you happen to harvest leaves after a rainstorm.
 

4.  After you have harvested all the leaves, take them inside and lightly rinse in a pasta strainer or colander.  

I never use a salad spinning machine -- they seem to break the leaves up and cause them to look ugly.

5.  Line a clean bowl with a few paper towels or a clean tea cloth and put the leaves on top.  

​Stick them in the fridge for at least 15 minutes; it will help crisp them up and let the excess water drain off -- without damaging the leaves.
 

Now, you can serve them in a beautiful salad!  My kids love eating spinach this way, and - when mixed with other greens - they don't even realize that it is spinach they are eating! You can even teach your children how to harvest spinach. Then, you'll won't have to do it yourself!
 

What ways do you like to eat this yummy green? Do you have your own tips for how to harvest baby spinach?