Mamakims

Menu Plan Aug.6-12

2011-08-06T14:04:00.000-07:00

*sigh* I just can't seem to find my motivation to keep up with blogging. Which in the summer is a good thing as it means we're busy enjoying life! I'm hoping that this Autumn, life will settle back into the comforts of routine and I'll find my blogging mojo yet again. In the meantime... I'm posting this week's meal plan!

Saturday: deep dish pizza with salad from the garden
Sunday: simple soup
Monday: moroccan chicken on Quinoa (Quinoa 365)
Tuesday: market day... Dave and kids fend for themselves. :)
Wednesday: rice and bean burritios
Thursday: breakfast for dinner (french toast)
Friday: buddha bowl (http://annie.paxye.com/?p=1169)

Homemade Tooth Powder

2011-05-26T11:38:00.000-07:00

A few months ago my family switched to tooth powder instead of store bought toothpaste. We wanted to save money, be more self sufficient and I wanted to know exactly what we were using to brush our teeth with. Since we've been using it, my gums feel healthier and there's no weird after taste.

This tooth powder is SLS and flouride free. It's made with baking soda to gently clean and freshen breath, xylitol to sweeten the tooth powder and promote gum healing, sea salt to act as a mild abbrasive to gently clean and peppermint essential oil to reduce inflammation of the gums and freshen breath.

Making and using this tooth powder is very cost efficient. I'm guessing each batch I make costs about $1-2 where as a tube of Green Beaver tooth paste (which is what I used to buy) was $6.

Try it and let me know what you think!

Homemade Tooth Powder
Combine 2 heaping tablespoons of baking soda, 1 tablespoon of xylitol, 1/2 tsp of sea salt, and about 10 drops of your favourite essential oils (I mostly use traditional peppermint but I would love to recreate Green Beaver's Cilantro Mint or do a lime flavoured one).

Store in a resealable jar. To use, place a small spoon (I use a baby spoon) of tooth powder in your palm and dip a wet toothbrush in it. Brush as usual.

Birthday Tea!

2011-05-16T22:12:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in my last post, we recently celebrated Parker's third birthday! Except for a balloon pump, all his gifts from us were handmade. I'm trying to keep gifts simple and not the focal point in our family's celebrations.

Along with a few other handmade gifts, I made Parker some "birthday tea". I had wanted to make fairy tea but couldn't find any hibiscus which gives the tea a lovely purple colour so I decided to mix up some kid friendly ingredients and call it "birthday tea". Parker loves to drink tea so this was something I thought he'd enjoy. As it turns out, it's not only something he likes but we like it as well.

Keep in mind that I'm not an expert in tea making! I looked up child friendly tea ingredients and just mixed them up to my liking. I purchased my ingredients from our local health food store as I didn't have any leftover dried herbs from last growing season. Always choose organic when making teas.

Birthday Tea
In a small bowl, combine a tablespoon or so of the following dried herbs:
~peppermint, clover, nettles, chamomile, lavender and lemon balm.

You can also add dried stevia but I find the peppermint and lemon balm to be sweet enough. The lavender hides the bitter taste of the nettles (which are super good for you).

I put this all into a 4 ounce metal tin and attached a fun label to it.

When ready to use, put a teaspoons worth in a resuable tea bag or a tea ball and cover with barely boiling water. Allow to steep for about ~10 minutes.

Birthday Season 2011

2011-05-16T21:58:00.000-07:00

The weeks between April 24th and May 15th are filled with birthdays, Mother's Day and an anniversary. Busy celebratory times!

It's starts off with Ally's birthday on April 24th, this year she turned 15(!) which fell on Easter Sunday. On Saturday, Dave and I took Ally out for dinner and then we went to check out a roller derby game. It was fun and nice to do something with just her for a change. Being so much older than the little ones, she doesn't often enjoy all our family activities. But this she liked.

For her birthday gift, we finally gave in and allowed her to have her septum pierced. I don't like it but meh... I don't hate it either. I'm trying to have an open mind... she's a great kid, we talked at length about her reasons for wanting it and the care that goes into having a piercing.

On her actual birthday, she chose to have a pancake dinner which was a nice alternative to your typical Easter dinner. :)

On May 1st, Dave and I celebrated our 5 year anniversary. What a wild five years it's been!

Then it was Parky's birthday on May 5th, he turned three (again, !). We decided to do a low key bonfire complete with hotdogs and homemade marshmallows. It was lovely, everyone respected my wishes to not allow gifts to become the big part of his birthday (we had issues at Sophie's first birthday that I'm still upset about) and we ate, drank birthday tea (tutorial to follow) and had fun!

I made Parky a nature/treasure bag so he can use it on our walks to collect leaves, rocks, etc. I made it from wool felt and stitched on pieces and lined it in a rainbow fabric. I still need to attach a braided yarn strap so he can wear it though.

After Mother's Day it was my birthday and then yesterday it was my SIL's birthday.

Busy busy times. :)

Homemade Natural Deodorant

2011-04-29T13:32:00.000-07:00

I started a new etsy shop in addition to The Felted Fern called Nature's Cupboard. From it I sell natural alternatives to store bought chemical filled items such as tooth powders, playdough, hair teas (that's tea for hair!) and deodorant. I've sold a few tins of everything but the shipping is KILLING me. So much so that I don't think I'm going to sell online anymore and either just sell it locally or not at all. I can't decide.

But what I do know is that I want to share my recipes with you! Natural deodorant had me skeptical at first when I found the recipe. I have tried every single natural deodorant out there and they have all failed me. But this... this stuff works!

Make up a batch for yourself and let me know if it works (or if you're local or dont' mind paying an arm and a leg in shipping let me know and I'll sell you a tin!).

Natural Deodorant

In a small mixing bowl combine:
6 tablespoons organic unrefined coconut oil
1/4 cup kaolin clay
1/8 cup baking soda
1/8 cup arrowroot powder
Optional: you can also add a few drops of essential oil. My favourite combo is 3 drops each of lavender and peppermint e.o. So yummy!

Mix until a thick paste much like convential deodorant is achieved. Put in a tin or even an old deodorant tube. Apply a dime sized amount with fingers from tin (use as regular deodorant if using tube). I buy my kaolin clay from Island Artisan Supply. You can use 1/4 baking soda and 1/4 arrowroot or even cornstarch but baking soda has a very high ph level so many people get rashes from it.

Nature Dyed Easter Eggs

2011-04-27T22:33:00.000-07:00

It's a little late to be posting pics and how-to's for dyeing Easter eggs with natural ingredients, I know. But I'm a little late for everything so really, this is just how it is. You could use this technique for dyeing all sorts of other things like silks, wool, food, etc. :)

This cup has water, a tablespoon of vinegar and a tablespoon of turmeric in it that has been boiled for a few minutes. I should have let it boil longer until the turmeric dissolved but we were in a hurry. And it washed off so not a big deal!

This dye was made using the same method above but instead of powdered turmeric, I used a handful of frozen blackberries. Just strain before using.

This cup of dye was made with beet root powder. You could use cut up beet pieces but I happened to have some beet root powder so I used that!

Sophie liked colouring on her egg before putting it in the dye bath!

And here's the finished Easter eggs!

I enjoy using natural materials to dye our eggs with over the chemical filled dyes you can get at the grocery store and I felt better about my kids eating the eggs afterwards. But you don't get the instant satisfaction that you get with the store bought stuff... these sat in the fridge overnight to get this colour. It probably didn't need quite that long (an hour or two would have worked) but I kinda forgot about them. :)

Sick again...

2011-04-26T20:27:00.000-07:00

I never really used to get sick. Maybe once a year I'd catch something and that'd be it.

But this year, this year is the complete opposite. I blame sugar, stress and inactivity.

I've gotten so lazy with our diet, especially since we've moved and I've started driving Dave and Ally into town. I'd literally get breakfast from Timmies or Starbuck's every morning and then a coffee or a frap in the afternoon/evening. Sugar sugar sugar! All horrible overprocessed white sugar junk that is a nightmare to our bank account and even worse: to our immune systems. So no more drive through. That alone should give our immune systems a boost.

Stress has been a huge struggle for me this year. Having a third child killed my patience, lol. I get angry quickly (having a crap diet certainly adds to that too) and overwhelmed even quicker. I have a hard time with noises I'm learning. I really struggle with crowds and don't like too much visual stimulation. Having three children in the house (and one who isn't aware of their noise level) has been tough. I really need to learn to tune things out. And I also get stressed when I'm unorganized which we've been unorganized since we've planned on moving last summer. I like simplicity but right now my life feels anything but.

Both stress and poor diet with too much overprocessed sugar has led to inactivity. When I'm stressed or deperessed I have a hard time motivating myself to do anything. When the house is unorganized and a disaster, I don't want to do a single thing. I need to get over that and just go... when it's not pouring out we do get outside daily now which is an improvement but I miss hiking.

So we're no longer getting drive through and I'm hoping the easter chocolates get eaten soon (we didn't buy much but were given too much by family, I need to learn to say no to it). And I want to get outside regardless of weather, even if it's just a walk to the mailbox or to pull some weeds. I'm sure that once we improve on those things, we'll start feeling better and get sick a lot less.

But tonight, I'm drinking my vitman C tabs and vegging on the sofa.

It's been a long time....

2011-04-26T19:50:00.000-07:00

...... I think you can always tell when life is a bit crazy with me. When I have alot going on, I don't blog. Some people tend to blog more, using their blog as a way to clear their heads and hearts, to get it all out. Not me. But I'm here today and I hope to start blogging more regular again.

So let's recap the last few months as there's been many changes:

~ we moved. this is good, very very good. We moved from downtown to closer to my oldest's dd's school. We hated it literally from the minute we moved in. It was overpriced, in a cookie cutter neighbourhood and with a difficult landlord. We broke our lease and moved to just over half an acre in upper Lantzville and we're so happy. It's bigger, more private, lots of gardening space and it's cheaper. I still dream of having a small hobby farm but for the next few years I'm very happy we're here. :) I'll post pictures another time (I'm on a new computer with no pictures on it yet!).

~ my husband's grandmother passed away. It's been sad, our children no longer have a great grandmother. Their only living great grandparent lives in Manitoba and they'll probably never meet him.

~ my uncle passed away. We weren't close but it's made me very sad for the lack of relationship I have with my family. I found out about his death through facebook and I coulnd't help but wonder if that was how I'd find out of my own father's death.

~ in happier news, we have a new cat. Her name is Tubbs. She's gorgeous, timid but very loveable. I hope she'll become good friends with our other cat, Chancho but for right now: they're not so much friends.

And my kiddos are finished in the tub and are calling my name (they're not alone, they're with their dad upstairs, fyi).. so I'll come back soon....

2011-01-21T14:38:00.000-08:00

Remember Sophie's waldorf doll that I was making her for a Christmas gift? Yeah, well I never finished it. But.... I did finish it in time for her birthday tomorrow (yes, my baby will be one tomorrow!! *sniff*).
All I can say about making a waldorf doll is this: don't do it! It's so hard, especially because I foolishly expected it to look like the ones you see online or in waldorf shops. Next time (for Parker's birthday I think) I'll be buying a doll instead of making it again. I'll never complain again about the dolls costing up to $125 as well handmade ones from all natural materials are so worth it. :)

(I had a better picture but the server rejected it. I'll upload a better one later on... gotta go to Parker's dr's appt about whether or not he needs a cast!).

And on the flip side....

2011-01-20T15:07:00.001-08:00

... Sophie has taken her first steps!

Picture to come soon!

Screw you 2011!

2011-01-20T15:05:00.000-08:00

Well, as Parker's mom I say that. The poor guy caught a nasty cold that hung around for over a week. Then on Sunday we were preparing for Dave's birthday dinner and Parker was climbing the furniture as usual. Only this time he landed funny and hasn't been able to walk since. He screamed everytime pressure was put on it so I took him to the walk in (which luckily we got in right away) but Parker wasn't very comfortable with the doctor who was invading his space and he started to become very upset. Parker was able to stand at the doctor's office but I think that's just because he was so upset with the doctor he wasn't paying attention to how his foot was feeling. After 2.5 days he still couldn't walk on it so we took him to see our regular family doctor who was much more respectful of Parker's space. The doctor wasn't able to see anything wrong but it was obvious that Parker was in pain so we were sent for an x-ray where we learned that Parker has a tiny fracture called a toddler fracture in his foot. We have a follow up appointment with our family doctor on Friday and then we'll see if Parker needs a cast. :(
And then in the middle of all that I noticed Parker's front tooth was a light grey colour! A few weeks ago Parker hopped in the shower with me and fell, hitting his mouth on the rim of the tub. He cried for a long time and was in pain but there was very little blood and his teeth looked okay so we didn't worry. Now he gets to possibly have a baby root canal to fix it.
Again, screw you 2011!

Goodbye Facebook

2011-01-16T22:07:00.000-08:00

I'm making changes in my life to be more present in the moment.

Cable was first, facebook was next.

For my facebook friends that read my blog: no, I didn't block you... :) If you need to reach me, you can through my blog or through email: kim@plakoeis.com or westcoastgirlie@hotmail.com.

Breaking up is hard to do!

2011-01-07T09:19:00.000-08:00

Never had that phrase been truer than when dealing with Shaw Cable.

For most of my adult life, I never had cable. Most of the times it was due to finances but I look back on those years as quite relaxed. Most nights were spent reading but since moving in with my husband who is the biggest tv and movie junkie, I barely read. I don't really watch tv even though as soon as dinner is finished it's on until we go to bed. Usualy I do some crafting or flip through a magazine or if I can't handle the noise anymore, I go on the computer. I'm alot like Parker in that I get overwhelmed when there's too much noise going on. And having television turned on in the house makes it so that I spend most of my evenings overwhelmed with noise.

So.... yesterday we cancelled our cable! I've been talking to Dave about it since this summer but there's some shows on tv that he really enjoys and would miss so we kept putting it off. I found a way for Dave to watch these shows online and also now the dvd series of the shows come out just a few short months after the season ends on tv. Yesterday they cancelled our video on demand and on Wednesday they'll come pick up the cable box and cancel the basic cable. I was on the phone with the woman at Shaw for 20 minutes explaining why we are choosing to cancel our cable. She tried to give us all the best deals, even had it pared down to paying just $10 per month. When she heard the kids in the background she wondered what they would watch. Upon saying "nothing", she asked several times if we were sure we didn't even want the "educational" channels and tried to tell me how to still have cable but limit the amount of time spent in front. *sigh*

Not only is this saving us quite a bit of money each month (I think we're saving $65 per month not havig cable but keeping internet and phone) but I'm really hoping this helps us become a more engaged family, reduces stress and allows Dave and I to spend more quality time together.

Toddler Watercolour Art Project

2011-01-06T08:32:00.000-08:00

Parker and I spent part of our rainy afternoon yesterday creating a hanging piece of art. A few nights ago I was reading Rhythm of the Home and came across a neat art idea.

So I mixed up some watercolours and prepped a painting space for him and away we went! He had a hard time with the scotch tape (had I used masking or painter's tape as suggested it would have been fine) so I laid the tape down. The rest was all him:

Living (and loving) on One Income

2011-01-02T19:56:00.000-08:00

This past year has been the first time in my adult life that I've not brought in an income of some sort. As of last year we are officially a one income family and you know what? It's doable!
When I got denied EI maternity benefits last year just weeks before Sophie's birth, we were in a panic and didn't think we'd survive a few weeks without my income. It really is a shock to the system to go from expecting and having two incomes to just one instantly. No savings to stretch out, no nothing. I was totally one of those people that thought living off of two incomes was a must in our society. I cried when I "had" to return to work after Parker was born, thinking in order for our family to survive Parker must be in daycare and I must work (I was at least fortunate that Parker was able to come to work with me). And when we got that phone call, I cried even more and thought our family was doomed. After all, how does a family of 5 survive on one income? Income coming from a self-employed newish business at that!
We made changes in our spending. We learned as we went along. We made mistakes (many many mistakes) along the way. Heck, we're still learning and making mistakes but we're now confident in our choice for me to stay home with our children until they're older.
So now when I hear other parents complain that they can't possibly survive off one income and how they sob when they drop their babies off at daycare each day (I was there!!) thinking they "have" to work and they don't have a choice, I want to shake them and let them know it's possible. If we can do it, then trust me any family out there can do it too!
The biggest deciding factor for us was when we calculated how much childcare would cost and how much money I'd be bringing in. I think we worked it out to be about $400 per month that working full time would bring in. And that's not counting transportation costs, food for lunches (at home we eat leftovers from the previous night's dinner), work clothes. Financially it just wasn't worth it for us. Was being away from my children for 9 or more hours per day really worth a few hundred dollars?
There's many other changes we made too that I'll post about in upcoming posts, so stay tuned!

A Year in Review

2010-12-31T14:47:00.000-08:00

Doesn't it feel like we just started 2010?! This year has flown by, I can't get over it! At the end of each year, I like to to look back at all that I've accomplished and experienced and think about what I'd like to see happen in the new year. I'm not all for resolutions exactly as I feel they just set you up for failure but I think it's important to spend some time reflecting on our past to prepare for our future.
My year in general has been pretty good, or at least that's what I remember most from it. :)

We welcomed Sophie into our lives:

We became a one income family when my EI claim was refused. This was and continues to be such a learning experience. I honestly thougth that I'd have to go back to work when Sophie was only a few weeks old as I couldn't fathom our family living off Dave's barber salary. But you know what? We are and while money is tight, we're getting by and having fun along the way. We still need to seriously tweak our budget so that we aren't just getting by but are still able to put money towards savings and pay off our debt. We're working on it though!

I started offering placenta encapsulation in my area which has been a really positive experience! I really enjoy offering this service to local moms and also enjoy educating people on the healing powers of the placenta. I find it funny when people first hear about it, they're visibly horrified but then I tell explain the benefits and tell my own experience, most people find it interesting.

I started preparing my family's meals from scratch. And even more exciting is that I've learned to replace many store bought overprocessed foods and products with natural homemade alternatives. It's been FUN!

We've spent alot of time exploring nature. I've learned that being outdoors and getting fresh air is better than anything for combatting crankiness. Since winter's arrived, we've been spending less and less time outside which I'd like to change. There's no reason for us not to get outside for even half an hour each day regardless of weather. I know we'll all feel better if we do but sometimes it's hard to get out the door when it's raining hard out.

We started Parker on a gluten free diet which has been really successful. He's been happier and his speech has improved. It's definitely noticeable when he's off a GF diet so we're trying to be more consistent and strict with it.

We built our first ever garden! We grew brocolli, kale, spinach, cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, tons of healing herbs, strawberries, etc. So much fun and we learned so much. Can't wait to start an even bigger and better garden this year. :)

I started to get creative again, which has been so nice! Having two kids under two and a teenager in the house doesn't always leave alot of time for me but I've really come to enjoy creating crafts and art. I'm especially loving needlefelting!

We moved into a house across town which I'm not sure was the best decision. We needed to move as our old place wasn't working for us anymore. It was right behind a train track which when you have babies is not the funnest thing. It's actually kind of a terrifying way to wake up! And also Ally was walking through a not safe neighbourhood in the dark to catch the bus and she'd always be late for school so we needed to be closer to her school. So here we are closer to Ally's school which is great but our landlord is kinda crazy (we're expecting an eviction notice on the 2nd because we're refusing to pay a surprise deposit she's demanded two weeks ago), the neighbours not so neighbourly, it's so expensive and we really do spend most of our time downtown. I'd love to move back downtown or at least to Old City Quarter further away from trains and close to a bus stop for Ally or even better on some property in Lantzville but we'll see, I hate moving and that seems to be a constant in my life.

That's pretty much my year in review! Some things I'd like for next year are to be in a new home with a non-crazy landlord on a great piece of property. I want to spend more time outside, everyday even if just for a quick walk around the block. I'd like to work on my relationship with my husband... after two back to back babies, our focus has not been on each other. We still love each other but we could love each other a little more I think. :)

Hope you all have a great final night in 2010 and I wish you nothing but happiness for 2011!

Flourless Chocolate Cake and Poor Man's Dulce de Leche

2010-12-27T08:06:00.000-08:00

We hosted Christmas Day dinner again this year and were in charge of cooking the turkey (which was our first year of doing a local free range bird... so freakin' good. We'll never go back to factory farmed turkey again) as well as the dessert. Being that Parker is avoiding gluten (although we've slipped up on that quite a bit lately and have noticed the effects) I wanted to create a dessert that he could have and one that everyone would enjoy.

I've seen lots of flourless chocolate cakes before but it just didn't sound that good to me so I've never made them. But I was so wrong, this cake was so good that I'm wondering why anyone would ever put flour in cake again! It's creamy... almost like a mousse/brownie combo. Then top it off with a homemade caramel sauce and you've got one kick-ass dessert that any celiac or anyone else would love!

Flourless Chocolate Cake

1/2 cup water
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
18 squares of semi-sweet chocolate
1 cup butter
3 whole eggs
3 egg whites

Preheat oven to 300F and line a springform pan with parchment. Butter up the sides and parchment. Cover the whole outside with two layers of foil and set aside.
In a saucepan, combine sugar and water together until dissolved. Set aside.
Melt chocolate squares and mix in butter. Beat in sugar water, add vanilla and add eggs one at a time.
Pour batter into pan and place cake pan into a larger pan (I used a roasting pan). Fill larger pan with boiling water until it comes halfway up the side of the springform pan.
Bake for 45-50 minutes and then chill overnight.
You'll need to use a wet knife to loosen the edges of the cake before inverting it over a plate to serve.

Poor Man's Dulce de Leche

1 can sweetened condensed milk, label removed.

Bring a full pot of water to boil (make sure this pot is big enough so that when the can of condensed milk is placed in it, the entire can will be submerged). Turn down heat to medium and place in can of condensed milk. Allow to simmer for 3 hours, checking on it regularly to be sure that the can is fully submerged, adding water as needed. After the 3 hours, turn off heat but leave the pot on the element and the milk in the pot. When the water is cool, remove can. Open the can and voila: a yummy dessert topper!
*****Please be aware that this isn't the safest thing to make. Cans have been known to explode causing damage to cooks and to kitchens. I think the trick is to make sure the can is always FULLY submerged but use caution when making this!!!******

Homemade Vanilla Extract and Peppermint Extract

2010-12-27T07:47:00.000-08:00

This year as part of everyone's Christmas gift I made extracts. Before this I never really put thought into the commercially bought extracts and was never concerned with using them. Ummm... yeah, that's totally changed since then. The commercially bought crap from your local stores are filled with artificial everything: colour and flavour. Not only is that not good for you (hello petroleum products!) but making the real stuff is a trillion times tastier and it's super easy to boot. AND most extracts are not gluten free... making your own with wheat free vodka ensures this is safe for the celiac in your life! Here's what I did:

For the peppermint extract I grabbed a big handful of peppermint I had growing in the backyard. Muddle it a bit to release some of the yummy peppermint oil then put in a large canning jar (or clean peanut butter jar, etc). Fill to the top with a high grade vodka making sure all the peppermint leaves are covered. Not covering the leaves can cause them to spoil, ruining your whole batch! Place in a cool dark place (my pantry) and give it a gentle shake when you remember, I tried to do it everyday. After about 8 weeks or so, strain the leaves out and put in smaller bottles or leave in the original jar. That's it!

For the vanilla extract, I used 6 vanilla beans and opened them up to expose the delicious seeds. Try to buy as high quality as you can afford and make sure they're fresh, they shouldn't snap! They should be bendy and a bit moist. Put in a large canning jar (or again reuse a pb jar) and cover with alcohol. I used two cups of vodka and an ounce or two of bourbon. Same thing with the peppermint extract, store in a cool dark place and give it a gentle shake daily for 8 weeks or so. When I poured the vanilla extract into smaller bottles, I also added half a vanilla bean to each jar. That way they can add vodka to it as they use it to keep it going for a while.

Christmas Memories

2010-12-27T07:33:00.000-08:00

Looking back through my camera I'm realising there wasn't very many photos taken during Christmas. I got some when we went Christmas Tree hunting at Go-Go's and Christmas morning and that's it. The rest of the time I was too busy spending it with my family and enjoying myself to take photos. Sorry for the awful layout... I'm doing this while updating my iPhone which just makes both of these jobs annoying! ha!

The kids and I dragging our tree to the van after Dave cut it down.

Dave and Sophie topping the tree.

Opening his new stocking that his great aunt made for him.

Sophie asleep during most of the gift opening

Ally opening her stocking

Happy Dave.

Parker loves his new car ramp!

Ally wearing a mustache I made for her with Kate, the unicorned woman. Hmmm....

Oh yes, this baby was gifted to me for Christmas. :)

I needle felted Dave a barberpole ornament.

I felted each of the kid's a ball: the little ones had their names felted on it and Ally had the Nightmare Before Christmas guy on hers. I think it turned out alright, his eyes are a bit wonky but meh...

Make-up remover pads I made up for the women's gifts.

My first attempt at making a felt toy. This horse is for our friends' little guy.

Sophie approves of the tree!

I quickly sewed up a gift bag for a friend's gift. I think I'll make these for all gift giving now.

Crafting Fun!

2010-12-15T12:48:00.000-08:00

I've been a crafting mad woman lately and I love it! Being creative is my therapy, creating something instantly lifts my spirits. And as you can tell from my last post, I've been needing my spirits lifted lately. :)
After the holidays, I"m going to either open up my etsy shop again (http://www.mamakims.etsy.com/) or start up a new one (probably a new one, name suggestions anyone?). I think my focus will be on needle felting and other natural/ Waldorf creations. I have a few ideas on some needle felted figurines with the theme of natural mother (breastfeeding, baby wearing, etc). So excited... now here's hoping that I'll actually find time to get around to doing it!

I can't share all that I've been working on as a majority of my craftiness is for Christmas gifts but here's some of what I've been doing:

Long day.

2010-12-08T23:36:00.000-08:00

Last Wednesday we had a busy day. It started with having a mini-meeting with the Occupational Therapist that Parker is on the wait list to start seeing. I was unsure how seeing an OT would help us... in my work children who see OTs have much greater needs than my son does so going into the appointment I felt like it was a waste of my time. When our pediatrican wanted us to see OT, I thought it was because he thought Parker was overly cautious and hadn't mastered walking up stairs yet independently at 2. It wasn't a big deal to me and I thought the doctor was making a mountain of a mole hill.
But OT will help us with so much more than Parker's lack of confidence to try new things (which could be the reason he's delayed in speech). We did an unofficial checklist/questionaire about sensory and while she couldn't say for sure after only spending an hour with us, there were some big red flags that lead us to believe that Parker has a hard time with sensory perception. Which isn't a surprise to me at all and it was even a relief that someone else, someone "official" was listening to me and agreeing with me and not telling me my intuition was wrong. We're still on the waitlist but the OT said we're among the top 20 to be seen... so hopefully within the next few months.
Next we had our last day of playgroup for children on the waitlist for speech (or those who are already in speech). I'm sad that it's over because Parker really loves that hour we spend there. After the group was finished, the leader came up to us and commented that it was amazing to see the changes in Parker over the last few months. His speech has gone through another mini-burst and he was singing along (well, not all the words but all the signs and some of the words) to all the songs. I'm really hoping they start up again in January. Not only do I really love the group as does Parker, it'll be nice for Parker to be familiar and comfortable with the building as that's where we'll be for speech and OT.
Later that afternoon we had an appointment with Parker's pediatrician. I really appreciate not being rushed and the doctor taking his time with his patients but the wait to see him is pretty long. Too long for a toddler, a baby and a mama who's been on the go all day. The appointment went well, we talked about his milestones, development and he was weighed (32lbs). There wasn't a whole lot to say as we are still on the waitlists for OT and speech but Parker's general assesment was sent over. Our doctor mentioned that while he doesn't get the autism "vibe" from him, we should keep an eye on that over the next few years. He agrees that Parker does have difficulty with sensory perception and recommended a few books to us. One thing I really liked is when he said that sensory perception isn't something we can change in Parker.. there's no "fixing" him... it's how he's wired. It's us that need to change how we interact with him and help him go through the day.
Anyhoo... it was an emotional day but like I said.. it was a relief to have someone hear me and not shrug off my concerns yet again.
I really look forward to no longer being on a wait list and to having the support our family desperately needs. Our hard days where Parker spends all day screaming or hurting himself affects us all in all parts of our lives. It breaks my heart to see him so upset and I'm often at a loss of how to help him when its been hours of crying. It affects my relationship with my husband and our relationship with him. I love my son to a million bits but sometimes it's sooo hard. Like lately. I get so overwhelmed (as does he) that I don't want to leave the house, it's too much to get us all ready to go out and when we do go out, it's too hard to go out alone with him and Sophie.
Anyways... I'm rambling now. I'm feeling stressed after a week of really rough days.... looking forward to a few good days. The good days always make up for the rought ones a hundred times over. :)

Elderberry Syrup

2010-12-01T13:23:00.000-08:00

It's cold and flu season again and this year I'm determined to not get sick! I don't usually get sick often but the past few years, I have been getting one or two colds which knock me out.

I've been reading about elderberries and their effectiveness against the cold and flu viruses. Elderberries contain vitamin A, vitmain C, calcium, potassium and iron. They are also anti-viral and boost the immune system! Making a syrup from elderberries and taking it daily can prevent getting sick. If you do become sick with a cold, a flu or suffer from a viral infection, taking elderberry syrup will lessen the severity of the symptoms and decrease the length of illness.

So last month I made a batch of elderberry syrup and have been doing my best to take it daily. I don't mind the taste but my oldest daughter and my husband need some coaxing to take it!

Here's how I made it:
1 cup dried elderberries (if you can find fresh even better. They're usually found in September locally)
3 cups water
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup local honey, preferablly raw

In a pot, combine elderberries, water and cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Strain by squeezing all liquids from the elderberries over a mesh strainer then pour back into pot. Pour in honey and stir until melted. Pour into sterilized jar and refridgerate for up to 3 months.

I take two teaspoons daily, my kids take one (I made one without honey for Sophie as she's under 15 months) and should we become sick, we'll increase to 3 or 4 doses per day.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

2010-11-30T13:12:00.000-08:00

Well, not really but I did start making ornaments this past week! Parker is on the wait list for speech therapy (which is ridiculously long btw!) and while he's waiting, we joined a playgroup geared towards children on the wait list for speech. There's a lot of focus on language, signing, singing, turn taking, etc. Most of this we do anyways and I didn't think we'd go to more than a few classes but Parker really enjoys it. He really enjoys routine and loves anything repetitive which this group is all about. It's the same thing every week: same songs, same style of snack, same toys, same children, same routine, etc. It really works for him and he absolutely thrives in it! Plus it's really nice to get some one on one time with just him and I. :)

Tomorrow is the last class though and I know Parker's going to be sad for a little while. He always asks to go to "school" so I might find another music type class for us to do together during the week.

As a thank you to the wonderful playgroup leaders, Parker and I made a Christmas ornament for them. I've been into needle felting lately after buying a kit from the Sunrise Waldorf School winter festival. I find it to be so relaxing and love that I can finish something in one sitting. I lack the attention span for long term crafting projects: knitting is the worst for me!

To make these fabulous ornaments simply trace around a cookie cutter shape (I used a tree) onto pure wool felt and cut out (do this twice). On the front of one of the cutouts, needle felt on your design. On the back of the second piece, I needle felted on the year. You can either blanket stitch with embroidery thread or machine stitch along the edges like I did, making sure to stitch in a looped piece of ribbon to hang it by. Stuff the inside will wool batting (Parker loved this part) and stitch it closed. That's it!

(sorry the picture isn't so clear... I can't find my camera so I just used my iPhone)

Snow Day!

2010-11-27T12:49:00.000-08:00

Here on Vancouver Island we don't see alot of snow so when it does actually snow, the city all but shuts down. Which is both frustrating and kinda nice at the same time.
The last week, we've had many snowy days and Ally missed two days of school even! We spent alot of time playing in the snow, staying in our pjs all day, baking and drinking hot chocolate like it was going out of style.

And now a few days later the snow is mostly melted away, our snowman a small lump on the mostly visible grass which is just in time as we've nearly run out of cocoa! :)

Mushroom Barley Soup

2010-11-27T10:48:00.000-08:00

We love soup so naturally I've made alot of soups over the years, some really good and some not so good. This recipe is hands down, our favourite soup that we've been enjoying over the years. It's good for you with tons of veggies and fills you up and like all soups, it's even better the next day. It's not GF but I/m finding that Parker can eat this with no issues later on. I have used millet in place of the barley before.

Mushroom Barley Soup

1 leek, halved and sliced
3 celery sticks, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp olive oil
3/4 lb mushrooms, sliced
1.5 cups turnips, chopped (I often forget to buy turnips so I use whatever squash we have on hand which is yummy too!)
6 cups vegetable stock or water
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained (I didn't get around to canning tomatoes this year so I've been using a bag of frozen tomatoes I chopped up from our garden this summer)
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp salt and thyme
1/4 tsp pepper and caraway seeds
1 cup barley 4 cups fresh spinach, cut into thin strips (when I don't have fresh spinach I use frozen spinach from Europe's Best, it comes in little pucks and I use about 6)

In a large soup pot, heat oil and add leek, garlic and celery. Cook until fragrant then add the mushrooms, turnips or squash and carrots. Cook until mushrooms are tender.
Stir in broth or water, seasonings and tomatoes. Reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes until turnip or squash is tender. Add in barley and let simmer about 45 minutes or so then add spinach and cook just until spinach is tender. Discard bay leaf.

Operation: Organize the Cupboard!

2010-11-18T10:06:00.000-08:00

Organization has never been my thing. I'm full of ideas and bursting with creativity but cleaning up afterwards: meh! But I get really frustrated when I can't find what I'm looking for or if I forget a project I was working on because it was buried under piles and piles of crap.

See:

So my goal is to have this crafting/misc. cupboard and computer area cleaned and organized. By the end of Saturday. Which is only two days away. And I haven't even started yet. Yikes!

At least Sophie is excited about the project!

Then maybe I'll have the motivation to finish the million of projects we've been working on so I can share them all with you!

Bliss is right!

2010-11-16T15:03:00.000-08:00

I've died and gone straight to ice cream heaven. Try this coconut milk ice cream from Luna and Larry's and you too can be in coconut bliss. :)

Meal Plan Nov. 16-22

2010-11-15T21:50:00.000-08:00

I used to post about our meal plan for the week and then that just sort of fell to the wayside. But I'd like to start again because we've been eating alot of new recipes and I'd like to be able to refer back to things we've eaten.

You'll soon notice that my menu plans are starting on Tuesdays which I know is a weird day to start a menu plan for a new week but Tuesdays in my house are like Mondays in everyone else's. My husband works Tuesday to Saturday so our weekends are Sundays and Mondays.

My meal plans are date specific but I'm very flexible in it and will swap days if I feel like it. I also leave one day a week blank for take-out meals or what we refer to as "fend for yourself" dinners.

So here's this week's meal plan:

Tuesday: Roasted Chicken with quinoa and some sort of sauteed greens.
Wednesday: Buddha Bowl (I love her recipes, they're great for families on a budget!) We stay away from soy in this house so I add cashews instead and make a few other little changes, stay tuned for my version of this yummy recipe!
Thursday: Eggs and Black Bean Salsa.
Friday: Chicken quesidillas.
Saturday: Mushroom Barley Soup
Sunday: leftovers

What's for dinner in your home?

Caring for your amber necklace

2010-11-15T16:00:00.000-08:00

Parents are ditching chemical relief for their teething babies and are instead taking a more natural approach. Teething baltic amber necklaces are super popular right now with good reason. Amber has succininc acid which relieves inflammation and provides pain relief when the warmth of your baby's skin releases the oil.

Parker's been wearing his for about two years now and Sophie's been wearing hers for about 6 months and they both benefit from wearing their baltic amber teething necklaces. I love them, they're super cute and they really do provide relief to my children which then provides relief for me. :)

But did you know that you need to take special care of your amber necklace? Amber should not be worn in chlorinated swimming pools, when bathing or when wearing sunscreen or lotion. The chemicals and soap will create a film on the beads over time, keeping the oils from being released.

Don't fret if you've been forgetting to remove the necklace when in the bath or out at the beach... you can wash your amber! Take a clean toothbrush and using only water, lightly scrub each amber bead until clean.

You can also recharge your amber necklace by placing it in a sunny spot for a few hours. I did this last summer after Parker was struggling with his two year molars coming through. I cleaned them with water and put them on the deck for the afternoon in full sun. Doing this made the necklace like new again and Parker was able to cope again with teething.

2 and a half, baby!

2010-11-05T21:33:00.000-07:00

Parker is 2 and a half... I can't believe how much he's changed since he his birthday even! His personality is really emerging and I get glimpses of who he will become as he gets older. Fascinating to say the least. :)

Since we started a GF diet for him just after his 2nd birthday, his behaviour has really evened out. He's no longer the constantly raging baby. Looking back on his first two years, my heart just breaks for him and all the pain he was in. No wonder he wasn't a happy child. But now even though he has his rough days (don't most of us though?), his happy days are much more regular.

We're thinking that in addition to a gluten intolerance, he has sensory issues as well. Well, I know he has sensory issues. The more I read about sensory processing disorder the more I'm convinced this is what's going on. And you know what? I fully blame the 10 ultrasounds and his 2 month vaccinations for it. There's research out there now that shows that excessive ultrasounds can cause neurological damage, same with vaccines. I feel guilty but more than that, I feel anger that my caregivers during my pregnancy pushed fear on me and used that to bully me into tests and procedures I wouldn't have otherwise agreed to....

But that's all for another post I think.

This post is about my little man turing 2.5 and celebrating all that he has accomplished since his second birthday. :)

At 2.5 years, Parker:
~ is a very affectionate and loving child. Cuddles are always guaranteed when Parky is in the room.

~ still nurses on occasion but I think he'll be done before he's three. And in all honesty, I'm ready for him to be done.

~ uses the toilet when we're at home with very little accidents. Still working on ditching the diaper for naps and public but no rush.

~ His vocabulary keeps exploding but his pronounciation needs some work. Also, he tends to stick with 2 word sentences, sometimes 3 word sentences. We're on the waitlist for speech which he'll hopefully recieve before he's 3.

~ He and I attend a speech focused playgroup on Wednesdays for an hour. He looooves it, especially the circle time.
~ adores his sisters. He often gets annoyed with Sophie bothering him but he's protective of her and enjoys giving hugs as long as it's on his terms. Ally is his best friend for sure... he could spend all day following him if she let him. :)
~ Loves to go on nature walks, leaf picking is his new favourite activity.
~ loves loves loves music. He loves action songs, seeing people play musical instruments and putting on a show for us.

~ He sleeps in his bed in his room for about half the night. Sometime around 2 I find him laying in his makeshift bed (a bunch of blankets and a pillow) on the floor beside me.

~ He naps for about 1.5 hours a day but if I nap with him, he'll nap for 3 hours sometimes more.

~ loves brocolli, nutritional yeast, beans and yogurt.
~ loves to make pretend tea for everyone and insists that we pretend that it's too hot. He loves all imagination type play.
~ loves to be read to. He's really liking Robert Munsch's "I love you forever" and Strega Nona.

~ loves to be around me or his dad. He's a great helper who insists on doing everything by himself. "no me do" is his new favourite phrase.

Neck Point Park

2010-11-02T21:51:00.000-07:00

The little ones and I went for a walk through Neck Point Park today. I love going there, there's beaches to explore, forested trails and sunny trails to walk through and it's a short drive from my house. I brought the buggy today instead of wearing Sophie so we were a bit limited in where we went. But we managed to spend about 2 hours at the beaches and walking through the trails.

Parker loved collecting fallen leaves and he quickly filled up the basket of the buggy. We also saw lots of mushrooms, most of which (okay all) I had no clue as to what they were. Learning more about mushrooms and being able to identify what's edible and what's poisonous is something I'm really interested in. But like most things, I never seem to get around to actually doing it!

Here's some pictures of our day. If you can identify some of the mushrooms for me, please do!

Parker and his giant leaf!

"more gross" as Parker calls it.

Sophie enjoying the beach.

Walking on the trail.

Throwing rocks.

Sophie and Parker sharing a seat on a log.

Weird, eh? I think it's called a false morrel or a brain mushroom.

Apparently these are not rolling stones. :)

Waxed Autumn Leaves

2010-10-27T23:11:00.000-07:00

I've always loved Autumn and the colourful leaves have always been my favourite part. I've read about and seen photos of waxed leaves before and have always wanted to make some of my own.

Well, today I finally did! I already had the beeswax on hand that I bought from Freidrich's and I definitely had a yardful of fallen leaves so Ally and I browsed online on how to do it and we went for it!

It was fun, super easy to do and they smell so yummy!

We gathered our leaves

We melted our beeswax.

After pouring the melted beeswax into a plastic lined bowl, we dipped a leaf to coat both sides.

Let the excess wax drip off and let dry on wax paper.

Once they were dry, I hung them from floss.

And hung them on the windows!

No More Tears!

2010-10-27T22:59:00.000-07:00

You know what the worst thing about cutting onions is? The burning eyes and tears. I finally found a way to cut onions without having to leave the room every few seconds: peel them all, cut in half and soak in cold water!

It works, give it a try. Your eyes will thank you! :)

Little Miss Sophie is 9 months old!

2010-10-26T08:28:00.000-07:00

She's officially been out longer than she's been in!

At 9 months, Sophie:
~ is starting to wave.
~ loves to give kisses.
~ starting to dance to music. (so cute btw!)
~ is starting to become mischevious. She loves to do things that she knows she shouldn't do... and loves to watch me when she's doing something she knows she shouldn't do!
~ loves her brother and sister. Particularly loves pulling Parky's hair when he's sleeping.
~ is starting to nap in her crib in Parker's room. I also lay her in her crib at night but when bring her into our bed when she wakes up once we've gone to bed.
~ still nurses quite a bit at night. Even more so lately but I think its because she's so busy during the day and doesn't nurse much so she makes up for it at night.
~ weighs 19.7lbs
~ eats pretty much everything we do but nothing consistent. Eating is more of a fun thing to do and we offer her bits of food at the table to occupy her while we eat.
~ cruises around furniture.
~ crawls so fast now on hands and knees.
~ starting to feel seperation anxiety when I leave her sight.

Her personality is really starting to show, she loves to get a reaction out of us, loves to laugh but I can also tell she's going to have a bit of a temper. She can get so mad for such a little thing, take something away from her and look out! She's also so much more adventerous and "brave" than my other two were. Parker's always been very cautious and Sophie is his opposite. I have a feeling she'll be getting them both in a lot of trouble when they're older! All in all, we just love her so much and can't imagine our family without our little Sophers!

Three Crazy Love Filled Years

2010-10-20T21:39:00.000-07:00

Three years ago today, my husband and I got married. I can't believe it's only been 3 years since so much has happened in that short time: like having two babies!

We went out for a fantastic dinner at The Mahle House tonight. Every Wednesday they do what they call "Adventerous Wednesdays" which is a 5 course meal that's Chef's choice. I'll make a seperate blog entry about the yummy food because it really does deserve it's own post. Plus I'm too full to do anything but veg on the sofa.

We decided to not go all out and buy each other big gifts as we can't afford it and we'd like to focus more on us and our relationship rather than the gifts. But we did do a little something gift wise: Dave got me a new wallet which I really needed and I made up a 50s style tie for him (think Mad Men). He's been wanting one forever but I couldnt' find one already made so I just took a cool looking ready made tie and made it narrower as 50s ties are. He likes it so I'm happy!

I was going through my emails tonight and was reading a folder I labelled "love" which has all of mine and Dave's first emails in it. *sigh*... Man, I was crazy about him from the get go!
We met through an online dating service so at first most of our emails were through the dating website but our first official email to each other was:

"Kim
I'll call you on sunday. Monday will be fun...I might watch Rain man to get some tips on" how to impress kim on a date" but maybe I'll just be me. Glad you feel better! Talk soon. Dave"

Reading this makes me laugh at the inside joke we had going from the beginning (Rain Man was in reference to a man I had gone out on a few dates with just before "meeting" Dave) and I remember all the butterflies I got everytime I'd talk to him, see him or even just email him.

Upside down Caramel Apple Muffins

2010-10-19T22:58:00.000-07:00

Yummy, right? I made these last night after the little ones went to bed. They were gone by 9am this morning, that's how good they were!

A friend on facebook linked me to this recipe from The New York Times. I changed the recipe a bit to make them gluten free. Here's what I did:

Upside-down Caramel Apple Muffins

Apple topping:
3 apples, peeled, cored and sliced thinly
1/3 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
pinch of salt

Muffin batter:
2 cups Pamela's Baking Mix (you could use your own blend of gf flours, I just happened to have this mix in my cupboard.)
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla

~Preheat oven to 350C
~Cook the apple topping ingredients in a skillet until apples are tender, about 15 minutes. Divide evenly among 12 greased muffin tins.
~In a large bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients.
~In a seperate bowl, whisk together all wet ingredients.
~Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Spoon over apple mixture.
~Bake in oven for about 20-22 minutes.
~Let cool 5 minutes in muffin tin, then turn over onto plate.
~Serve warm or room temperature.

NOTES: If you're using a mix like Pamela's as I did, then there's no need for xantham gum, salt or baking powder as those ingredients are already in the mix. If you use your own blend of flour as I usually do, be sure to add 1/4 tsp salt, 1 tbls baking powder and 1/2 tsp xantham gum.

Pumpkin Patch fun

2010-10-12T22:49:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Thanksgiving Monday, we took our two youngest children to McNab's Farm. We've been going every year since moving back to Nanaimo and it was especially exciting this year to bring Sophie for her first visit. Ally was at home not feeling very well so it wasn't as great a trip as it could have been but we're planning on going with just her for an evening corn maze trip.

Every Autumn, McNab's has a themed corn maze (this year it was in the shape of an Inukshuk to commemerate the Olympics) as well as a hayride to the pumpkin patch. We had a week of rain so it was very mucky which actually added to the fun, although Dave nor I were dressed properly for all the mud!

Parker loved it, I think he could have spent the entire day going back and forth on the hay ride. Definitely his favourite part! Sophie enjoyed herself too, although she was getting pretty fussy by the end of our visit which we now know is because she has come down with a cold and has cut two top teeth. Poor bug!

I'm looking forward to going back at night to do the corn maze with Ally, flashlights and all!

Sophie's Waldorf Doll

2010-10-10T23:11:00.000-07:00

I've decided to try my hand at making Sophie a Waldorf doll for Christmas. I've wanted to make one for a while but was intimidated by the process, it looks so hard! But I went ahead and ordered some basic supplies from Maple Rose, a natural toy and supply shop in Nelson. This shop is great, the supplies arrived within 3 days which is flippin' amazing, imo!

There's tons of tutorials out there on how to make waldorf dolls, some have better written tutorial, some have better photos. For me, I used a combination of several online tutorials.

So far, I've been working on her head. Here's some pics, the first is a front view of her face, the second a side view. I still need to make a nose and then cover the head in doll skin before moving on to the body.

Menu Board

2010-10-09T11:18:00.000-07:00

I came across this tutorial on Little Birdie Secrets and I had to make one! Up until now I've been using a old dry erase board from the dollar store that was pretty stained and ugly.

But not anymore....

All you need is a picture frame (I used 8x10), a sheet of scrapbook paper in your favourite design, sticky letters if you have atrocious writing like me, a dry erase marker and some heavy duty magnet tape. I bought all my supplies at the dollar store and spent less than $5!

Jumping on the Chia Bandwagon

2010-10-01T15:33:00.000-07:00

Everyone's been talking and blogging about chia seeds lately. They're the new "superfood". Chia seeds are much like flax seeds but you don't need to grind them in order for the nutrition to be released and they're super duper nutritious for you too. After reading I swear like 5 blog posts in a row from various people, I had to give them a try.
I bought a package from Island Naturals here in Nanaimo, a big bag of white chia for about $9. I first tried chia as a drink with cold water and lemon. It was alright... it's supposedly really hydrating.
Today I made chia pudding which is surprisingly really yummy! I found a recipe for chocolate chia pudding but I've been on a matcha kick lately I thought I'd try replacing the chocolate milk for matcha. I liked it and Parker liked it so I'm thinking we'll be makign this often!

Matcha Chia Pudding
3 tbls. chia seeds
1 cup milk of choice (I used almond)
1 tsp. matcha green tea powder
1 tsp. sweetener (optional, I used agave)
coconut flakes (the chocolate chia recipe I found suggested this on top but I didn't have any)

Whisk matcha and milk together until smooth, add sweetener. While mixing, add chia seeds. Let sit covered in fridge for about an hour. You may need to mix it periodically. Sprinkle coconut flakes on top and enjoy!

Onion Chutney

2010-09-30T13:23:00.000-07:00

I know I've posted serveral variations of recipes found in the Rebar cookbook already but that's because this cookbook rocks. I love the restaurant and now I love the cookbook!

I was really excited to make a grilled cheese sandwhich with watercress, green apple and cheddar from the cookbook but wasn't so sure I'd like the onion chutney to be served with it. But oh, I was wrong... this stuff is so good. Like mouthwatering good. Like so good that I've stolen spoonfuls from the jar. We made sandwhiches last night after visiting the farmer's market, such a nice addition to our tomatoe, cheese and bacon sandwhiches (all local, btw. even the bread).

You have to try it! I've made a few minor changes to suit our needs, here's the recipe:

Onion Chutney

2 tbls vegan butter or olive oil

2 yellow onions, sliced thinly

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 - 1/2 tsp red chili flakes (depending on how hot you like it)

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp brown sugar (make sure it's not just dyed white sugar like most brown sugars out there!)

4 tbls apple cider vinegar with "mother"

ground black pepper

Heat butter or oil in a pan, add onions and cook until translucent over a medium heat. Add salt, chili flakes and cumin and cook for about 15 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and cook until onions are soft and creamy.

Waldorf Stars

2010-09-27T21:32:00.000-07:00

I've been loving waldorf stars for a few years now but this is the first year I have attempted to make a few for my own windows.

Waldorf stars bring in a beautiful coloured light into your home when placed in a sunny window. Very welcome in the otherwise dullness of winter.

Here's a simple tutorial on how to make an 8 point star:

You will need:

8 sheets of coloured kite paper (I bought mine from Hestia)

a paring knife

glue

a toothpick

1) Lay your square of kite paper on a white sheet of paper or other light surface. This makes it easier to see your fold lines.

2) Fold in half lengthwise and using your paring knife, cut the paper in two.

3) Fold along the length of the centre and open to leave a crease downt the middle.

4) Fold the corners in to the centre.

5) Repeat for both ends.

6) One one end, fold in the corners to make a long point.

7) Repeat until you have all 8 pieces completed. :)

8) Using a toothpick (or a glue stick) dab a tiny bit of glue as I've shown.

9) Lay another folded piece onto the glued piece, being careful to line up the edge of the top piece with the middle crease of the bottom piece. Also, make sure the points meet at the bottom.

10) Repeat until all folded pieces are used. When you get to the last piece, glue it down as usual but lift up the piece next and tuck under the last piece.

11) Voila! I like to stick it in a book for a few hours to help it lay flat.

12) To stick it in the window, I add a teeny bit of glue to the centre and a few of the points.

I have ordered this book and am excited to learn how to make more complex stars!

Goodbye Saran wrap, hello Abeego wrap!

2010-09-26T23:14:00.000-07:00

I went to see a friend of mine in Vancouver before she went back home to Australia to have her baby. We spent the afternoon on Granville Island which I just love, haven't been there in ages. While we were looking around for a gelato shop, I spotted some Abeego wraps in one of the little stands. I was so excited as I have been reading online about this great product!

Abeego is made up of a hemp blend fabric which is infused with essential oils and beeswax. This makes the material so it can be molded around food or containers to keep it fresh. No more plastic wrap! Best of all about this product is that not only is it made in Canada but it's made in Victoria.

This picture here is using one of the flats (it comes in a set of three flat sheets of various sizes) over a brick of cheese. Works fantastic!! I also bought the sandwhich wrap, love love love it!

Seriously, you need to check this stuff out. I *heart* it very much and know you all will too!

Sophie is 8 months old!

2010-09-26T23:06:00.000-07:00

Sophie turned 8 months this past Wednesday and as always I think to myself how quickly this is all going by. Time flies by quicker these past few years: our lives are fuller and just plain crazier!

At 8 months, Sophie:
~ cruises around furniture
~ climbs onto and into things! This past week, she's climbed into more than one moving box as I was trying to unpack it (yes, we moved this past month!).
~ has mastered the pincer grasp.
~ looks for a toy if she drops it.
~ loves to throw a toy so we can retrieve it for her. Over and over again.
~ has started playing with the volume of her voice. Today she was all about whispering. :)
~ loves to eat. We still only offer her solids as an addition to breastmilk. I feel that breastmilk should be the number #1 source of food for at least the first year but she gets bits of this and that at meal times, mostly to entertain her enough so we can eat our dinner. Her favourites are banana or avacado chunks, peas, and toast. She just started to cry out for food if she sees one of us eating something that she wants.
~ still cosleeps with us all night long. I would like to start sleeping seperate from her for a few hours a night as she is becoming restless and wakes to the slightest movement. Also, she's becoming an all night nurser. I'm hoping that having her sleep in her own space (a crib or mattress in our room, haven't decided yet), she'll actually get a better night's sleep.

Foccacia Bread

2010-09-25T00:01:00.000-07:00

I made mushroom soup from the Rebar cookbook (so good!) and along with it, I also made up two batches of Foccacia bread. I really had no idea how easy and delicious it would be to make it myself. This will definitely be something I make more often.

I used a recipe from the Rebar cookbook but changed it just a wee bit. Apparently it's what they use for pizza crust as well, will have to try that one time. :)

Rosemary Garlic Foccacia Bread

1 3/4 c warm water

1 tbls. traditional baking yeast
1/2 tsp maple syrup
2 tsp salt
1/4 cup olive oil
3 cups unbleached flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
Toppings:
4-6 cloves garlic, minced
4 tbls. olive oil
2 tsp coarse salt
2 tsp rosemary, chopped
cracked black pepper

In a large bowl, combine warm water, yeast and maple syrup. Let sit 10 minutes or so until it foams. Stir in salt and oil, then add flour, one cup at a time.
Turn mixture out onto floured surface and knead until stretchy.
Form into ball and place into oiled bowl. Cover with damp tea towel and leave to double in size, about 1.5 hours. Punch down then let rise again to double in size.
Preheat oven to 350C.

Stretch dough onto oiled cookie sheet. Sprinkle toppings on and let rise again until oven is preheated.

Bake for 20 minutes, rotating pan half way through.

Serve warm.

Gluten Free Foccacia Bread
I used the glutenfree goddesses' recipe but modified it to fit my needs. Here's what I did:

1 tablespoon active dry yeast

1 1/4 warm water 1 cup sorghum flour

1/2 tsp maple syrup

1 cup potato starch
1/2 cup quinoa flour
2 teaspoons xanthan gum

1/ 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon garlic powder

2 teaspoons dried rosemary

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 egg

In large bowl combine flours, potato starch, xanthan gum, salt, garlic powder and dried rosemary.
Combine yeast, water and 1/2 tsp maple syrup in bowl. Let sit about 10 minutes until foamy.
Pour yeast mixture into flour mix. Add in olive oil, maple syrup apple cider vinegar and egg.
Stir to combine. The dough will be sticky, not like the wheat foccacia. Pour out onto cookie sheet.
Preheat oven to 350F and bake for 20 minutes, rotating half way.

New business cards

2010-09-18T23:05:00.000-07:00

I got these a while back but haven't had the time to show you all: I got new business cards and rack cards! I'm pretty happy with how they turned out, they match my website (http://www.plakoeis.com/). Vistaprint rocks!

I also got a dosage card and labels but I can't seem to find a picture of those on my computer so I'll upload them later. I feel all professional and stuff now. :p

Yippee!

2010-09-18T22:58:00.000-07:00

I've always loved mac and cheese. Yes, the boxed noodles with the orange "cheese" powder. Annie's mac and cheese has always been a favourite of mine for those nights when I was too exhausted to cook or was feeling nostalgic for food from my youth.

When we discovered Parker's intolerance to gluten, we said goodbye to Annie's. No more boxed mac and cheese for us. I've experimented with all sorts of macaroni and cheese casseroles. And all of them have been delicious and worth the effort but still, I missed the boxed variety.

This afternoon I was shopping at the health food store down the road when I found this:

Annie's comes in a GF variety! I've never seen this before and I can't tell you how thrilled I am. Hello, quick lunch for tomorrow!!

Barber Pole cakes Take 2!

2010-08-25T14:48:00.000-07:00

One of my first blog posts written was about my attempt to make my husband (who's a barber) a barberpole birthday cake. It didn't quite turn out, to say the least... I chose a difficult recipe while I had no baking skills. It's been a year and a half since then and I've been baking alot more so I thought I'd give it a go!

My husband owns a barbershop downtown called "That 50s Barbershop" and this past July was his three year anniversary of being open. This was a big deal for us as we started the barbershop with nothing and three years was how long we were willing to keep trying to make this little dream of his go. Well, since opening we've never had to worry about making this a successful shop as it's done so well. At three years, the shop is very successful and I couldn't be prouder of my husband. :)

So.. I wanted to celebrate with some yummy cupcakes! I didn't want to have a big fancy barber pole shaped cake because it was soooo hot out that week and well, I have two very small children at home who need alot of my attention. So cupcakes it was and they were delish!

Since Parker is gluten intolerant, I decided to turn our favourite chocolate cake into a gf cake and it was good! I followed her recipe exactly but cut out the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. I replaced those with Pamela's Ultimate Baking mix (equal to the amounts removed from original recipe, just over 1 3/4 c). Then after icing it with chocolate buttercream icing, I piped on some barber poles! I think it turned out great!

Here's a picture of my husband and Parker having a cupcake in the barbershop. What a silly boy Parky is, whenever I said "look at the camera" he would look up at the ceiling so Dave decided to follow suit. :)

Sophie is 7 months old!

2010-08-25T14:24:00.000-07:00

Well, she's 7 months and 3 days old. :) This picture is from a few weeks ago but I just love it, we were at Rathtrevor beach and she was having such a good time!

At 7 months (and 3 days), Sophie:

~ has two bottom teeth. (and she has a bottom and a top tooth juuuuust about to pop through as well)

~ army crawls everywhere. This girl is speedy!

~ has started pulling herself up to standing onto furniture.

~ lifts arms up to when she wants up.

~ has started eating solids. We offered her some pieces of food when she turned 6 months but she wasn't too interested so we held off. ABout two weeks ago she started actually eating what was being offered. No baby food here!

~ loves to sleep with mama. She's been nursing more frequently at night but since we cosleep, I can't tell you how many times actually and I don't feel too affected since her waking up only requires me latching her on before drifting back to sleep. Cosleeping and breastfeeding rocks!

~ is still not interested in napping independantly. Naps are hard around here. Uusally her morning nap is a struggle, she wants to sleep with me but Parker's still up so that doesn't work. Often I'll either wear her, take her out for a walk or drive or if she's really tired she'll fall asleep while I nurse her and I can lay her on the sofa for a short whle. The afternoon naps are much easier as she naps with her brother. Sometimes she'll nap for just 1/2 hour but once in a blue moon she'll nap for two hours.

~ is much more vocal. When she's sad she says "dada" or "mum" over and over again.

~ loves to play. She often growls at me when she's feeling playful. Funny little girl!

The slowness of summer

2010-08-17T22:21:00.000-07:00

I've been promising to keep up with my blogging but I've been enjoying the slowness and laziness that comes with Summer. That and it's too darned hot upstairs where our computer is!

Our summer has been filled with many beach visits, meteor watching, phosphorescence, camping, visiting with friends, farmer's markets and gardening.

Plus, we welcomed a new member to our family: Cady! She's a Golden Retriever/Border Collie cross who we adopted from a family a few months ago. She's beautiful and kind but not the greatest listener and tends to get overly excited and barky around dogs she doesn't know. I'm contemplating obedience school as I'm a bit clueless when it comes to training older dogs but I'm having mixed feelings about the requirement to spay and have up to date vaccinations for her.

Oh! And we're gearing up to move.. hopefully! We live downtown which I love and it's convenient for Dave and used to be convenient for Ally but since she switched highschools and our desire to be a bit out of town, we're hoping to move to Lantzville. We found a great home on some property that I adore but am waiting to hear back from the landlord. We're up against another family but DAve spoke with the landlord today and he'd like to meet Dave so it sounds like maybe we have it? Ugh... house hunting is stressful!

Anyways... when life returns to a more normal pace and we're hopefully settled into our new home, I hope to resume more posting. I have TONS of recipes to share including some tinctures, teas, exracts and raw food! So enjoy the rest of your summer and I'll see you all (well, the 7 of you! lol) soon!

Herbal Salves

2010-07-27T15:15:00.000-07:00

I've been absent, I know. Our computer's USB ports aren't working and I haven't been able to upload pictures and for some reason I'm having a hard time blogging without the use of photos! But I'm here today and hopefully we'll remember to take the computer in to be repaired (a super quick repair we've been told) so that I feel more inspired to blog!

Anyhoo... this is about salves. I *love* salves and have been buying them from farmer's markets, health food stores and small brick and mortar stores for years now. But I always assumed making them was so difficult so I didn't even bother. Well, let me tell you: they're super duper easy!! I made up a placenta salve for a client using a basic first aid salve recipe and then adding about a teaspoon of her dried placenta. I've heard amazing things about placenta salves for cesarean moms and I know of someone who belongs to my placenta service providers group who's daughter nearly had her fingers amputated in a paper shredder accident (!!) and her mother applied placenta salve to it to speed up the healing. But I had no personal experience nor did I personally know someone who used it postpartum so I offered it free to a few clients in exchange for feedback. I also made up a batch without added placenta for a friend's birthday on the weekend. Now I just need to get around to making myself a batch (I want both placenta and regular first aid salve).

Here's a recipe and how to:

First Aid Salve

First you need to make an herbal infused oil. I used one part herbs to 2 parts oil. The oil I chose was a mixture of organic (make sure to only use organic ingredients for salves) virgin coconut oil and apricot kernal oil. I used comfrey, calendula and goldenseal and placed a tablespoon of each into a crockpot. Then I added 4 tablespoons of coconut oil and 2 tablespoons of apricot kernal oil. Turn the crockpot onto low and let the oil infuse for about 3 hours. Let cool and strain into a clean container using cheesecloth.
In a pot on low-medium heat, warm the infused oil and add about a tablespoon of grated beeswax (use local beeswax if available). Then you can add 800 IUs of vitamin E and a drop of lavender essential oil. You can also add 1/2 a tsp of tea tree oil but I chose not to. Stir until beeswax melts into oil.
You'll know your mixture is the right consistency by dipping a teaspoon into the pot and then sticking it into the freezer to set. When it sets, test it to make sure it's not too hard or too soft. If it's too soft, add a little more beeswax. If it's too hard, add more oil.
Pour into sterile brown glass jars and seal.
Voila... you are done! This can be used on cuts, scrapes, bug bites, etc.

For placenta salve, I make a second batch of infused oil using a teaspoon (or 1 or two capsules) of dried and ground placenta in 100mls of carrier oil: I used apricot kernel oil). Either in a double boiler or a crockpot set on low, allow the placenta to infuse the oil for abuot an hour or so. You'll know it's done when you start to smell placenta (not burnt or overly strong, just placenta-y.) Strain into a small pot using cheesecloth and then add 3 tablespoons of the first aid salve and follow above instructions.

To use placenta salve on a cesarean incision, wait until the bandages have been removed and the wound has closed up. A mother who birthed vaginally can also use this cream on tender or torn and reparied bits too. The same rule for taking encapsulated placenta internally applies for placenta salve: if infection of any kind is suspected, stop use until all symptoms disappear.

Farmer's Markets

2010-07-02T14:20:00.000-07:00

One of our favourite things to do is visit local Farmer's Markets. There is nothing better than locally grown produce and we're very fortunate on Vancouver Island that we have an extended growing season compared with the rest of Canada.
Lately, we've been enjoying strawberries, tomatoes, fresh local organic bread and the best scones EVER from Slow Rise on Gabriola, honey from Freidrich's, meat and eggs from Errington as well as locally grown organic teas.

Here's a list of local Farmer's Markets so that you too can enjoy some local goodness!

Downtown Farmer's Market on Fridays at the waterfront plaza.
Rutherford Market on Saturdays in the Rutherford (now called Nanaimo North Town Centre) parking lot.
Bowen Farmer's Market on Wednesday afternoons in Bowen Park
Cedar Farmer's Market on Sundays in Cedar at the Crow and Gate parking lot. (this is my personal favourite, great atmosphere, great people, great music and best of all: great food!)
Thursday Nite Live Ladysmith Market Thursday nights during July and August downtown Ladysmith
Duncan Farmer's Market on Saturdays. I think this one runs nearly year round (closed from mid-Jan to mid-March)

Checking in!

2010-06-28T23:06:00.000-07:00

I have a bad habit of forgetting what I was planning on blogging about. All week, I've been thinking of great blog posts but as soon as I get to the computer I forget what it was I want to blog about. My mind goes completely blank. Like it's doing right now.
I feel like I've been neglecting my blog and I feel bad. Not that I have very many readers but still.... I like blogging a few times a week, it helps clear the brain a little! ;)
Not much new is going on here...
Ally finished school, she's finished her first year of highschool! We're trying to find summer activities for her but like always we procrastinated on that and it's a little late for most programs. Oops! She'd like to get into dance so I think I found a dance class that's a week long of various different styles of dance. It's nice and close downtown and if she likes a particular style of dance then she can join something in the fall there.
Parker is my wild little man still. He had a hearing test today, not because we're concerned with his hearing but because his speech is behind a bit and that's the first step taken usually. He passed but they'd like to see him again when he's three because although he did great at hearing voice prompts, he had a hard time with the sounds. But she said she's not concerned and is still considered to pass because it's hard to test a 2 year old. So yay! I'm looking forward to having some support from the Infant Development Program at the Child Development Centre and for some speech therapy. I'm just hoping the wait isn't too long.
Sophie is 5 months old, can you believe it?! She can sit unassisted and is trying desperately to move her body but isn't quite there yet. I think she may finally be moving into some sort of daily rythym though. Finally! Her naps are becoming more predictable now that I'm napping her upstairs in our bed and she sleeps better at night too now that she sleeps half the night in our bed. As usual, she's a happy little thing!
Oh! And we got a dog! Her name is Cady and she's a Retriever/Collie mix. We found her on kijiji from a family that owns a horse and goat farm in East Wellington. She's great although you can tell she's a farm dog. She gets very excited when she sees other dogs so hopefully some doggy school will tame her a bit so we can take her to the Farmer's Market and the dog park.
I wanted to upload some pictures but of course we're yet again having computer issues! I bought a new printer a few weeks ago and pretty much since then our USB ports have crapped out on us. So hopefully we'll get that fixed soon, I hate not being able to upload pics or update my iTouch!
Anyhoo... that's the update from around here!
I'm working on a post on Canadian Immunizations that I've been meaing to do for months now. I'm finding that while I still know that I don't want to immunize my kids I do need reminding as to why I'm choosing not to.

Placenta Encapsulation ~ A How-To

2010-06-18T15:50:00.000-07:00

I was trying to decide if I wanted to post pictures on how to encapsulate a placenta or not. At first I didn't want to because afterall, it is a service I provide to Nanaimo and area families and didn't want to miss out on business. But then I changed my mind and because I want every woman to be able to experience the benefits of placentophagy even if they can't afford it (although I do offer a trade or sliding scale system as well).

So here it is... thanks to a good friend of mine who's placenta I encapsulated 2 weeks ago and has given me permission to blog about the processs and share photos with y'all!

Please be warned, there is photos of a human placenta and there is some blood. So if you're squeamish then please don't continue reading! :)

How to Encapsulate Your Placenta

This is a placenta that was previously frozen (my friend lives out of town and wasn't sure when I'd be able to come down to encapsulate it for her so she froze it). First thing you want to do is rinse it really well to remove blood clots. I sever the cord and leave the membranes on.

Wrap the membranes around the placenta and add some chopped hot pepper and ginger (I now also add lemon). Place in a steamer and set over a small amount of water.

Steam gently for 15 minutes on each side and bleed it occasionally (bleed it by poking it with a knife). It's done when there is no more blood when you poke it with a knife and the membranes have pulled back.

When it's cool enough to handle, slice into very thin pieces. Think beef jerky. :-p

Either use a dehydrator or line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and put in oven on the lowest setting with the door propped open. This will take anywhere from 7-10 hours.

Don't forget the cord keepsake! This one I later learned was done wrong. When it dehydrated, it was no longer a heart shape but a stick shape. I should have had the ends meet at teh bottom and twisted it to keep it from coming undone.

You can tell it's finished when the placenta snaps and is fully dried. Be careful not to cook it, you just want to dehydrate and a very low heat (remove all moisture but not cooking it). Put all the dried slices into a blender (I use a Magic Bullet) and grind until a fine powder. Use a mortar and pestle to get the stubborn bits that won't grind down.

When it's all ground up finely, fill up size 00 gelatin caps.

And Voila! That's how you encapsulate a placenta. And it only took 12-15 hours, lol!

I did it!

2010-06-08T11:58:00.000-07:00

I am now offering placenta encapsulation for Vancouver Island (mainly Ladysmith to Nanoose but can do other areas for a higher fee).
I am so excited to be offering this!!
Check out my website (still a huge work in progress!): Plakoeis
Why Plakoeis? Well, placenta is taken from the work plakoeis which means flat cake. Seems fitting, no?
Anyways... spread the word! Let's make placentophagy a normal part of the birthing and postpartum process! :)

Gluten Free Playdough

2010-06-03T11:36:00.000-07:00

It's no secret that I love playdough but when we discovered that Parker doesn't tolerate gluten, I was saddened to learn that his wheat playdough days were over.
But then I saw GF playdough being sold on etsy and then I realized "of course!", I can make my own! The texture isn't the same, it's bouncier if that makes any sense and it was lots of fun to play with. We've been experimenting with scents such as apple pie and chai tea.

No-Cook GF Playdough
2-3 cups all-purpose GF flour
1/2 c salt
4 tsp cream of tartar
3 tbls vegetable oil
2 cups boiling water

Mix ingredients together in a mixing bowl, adding in more flour if sticky. You can add food colouring or extracts/spices etc for scents.

To make the Chai Playdough, follow recipe as above but substitute 1 cup of boiling water with 1 cup of strongly brewed chai tea (minus the milk and sugar of course). You can also add in some chai spices such as cinnamon, cloves, cardamom,, etc. if you prefer a stromger scent.

To make the Apple Pie Playdough, substitute 1 cup boiling watwe with 1 cup hot apple juice. Add in 1 tsp apple or pumpkin pie spice.

Enjoy!

Healthy Popsicles

2010-06-03T11:19:00.000-07:00

Even though I'm in my 30s I still love popsicles on a hot day and my kids are no different. But the store bought ones are full of sugars and artificial colours and flavours. Not to mention expensive! So I make my own and that gives me total control of what my children eat.

The base is often the same but I vary the fruit or veggies in it.

Usually it's yogurt, spinach, whatever berries I have on hand, either a banana or half an avacado, probiotic powder (1 tsp per popsicle), sometimes greens+, sometimes meusli and either water or 100% pure juice. Usually it doesn't need to be sweetened but if it does, I add a bit of honey or agave.

My kids LOVE these. Ally's usually surprised there was any vegetables or greens+ in there at all!

I'm always looking for different popsicle "recipes" so if you have any to share, please do!

100 Things About Me

2010-06-01T14:39:00.000-07:00

1) I'm 32 years old.
2) I have 3 children: a teenager, a toddler and a new baby.
3) I have been married for 2.5 years.
4) I met Dave on an online dating site just over 4 years ago.
5) I had my oldest daughter a few weeks before my 18th birthday.
6) The man I had my oldest with has not called her in almost 4 years, including birthdays or Chrismtas'.
7) I was raised by a single father and nannies.
8) I have two younger brothers.
9) My mother left when I was 5 (brothers were 4 and 8 months)
10) I don't talk to any of my family anymore.
11) I grew up in and around Winnipeg.
12) I moved to Vancouver Island when I was turning 15.
13) While I strongly support homebirth, I've never had one myself.
14) I was not able to find a midwife who would attend a homebirth for me.
15) I have hemorrhaged each time I gave birth.
16) If I have another child, I will have a homebirth regardless of if I find a midwife who will attend it or not.
17) My oldest attends public school and I think that's my biggest parenting regret.
18) I crave simplicity.
19) Chaos and "stuff" makes me feel boxed in and crazy.
20) I love to be creative.
21) I dream of owning property.
22) I want to build my own cob house.
23) I am currently living in a city that I said I would never live in.
24) While I still don't like the city and don't want to live in it forever, I'd be very happy to live just outside of it. Somewhere between Ladysmith and Nanoose please. :)
25) When Ally was 7, we drove through Canada and the US to live for a bit in Mexico.
26) I taught all core classes for grade 1 and 2 in english.
27) I was in way over my head as I have no idea how to teach!
28) I have two cats: Chancho and Stellar.
29) It's horribly mean but I hate Stellar and am looking forward to when he passes.
30) I have crooked pinky fingers.
31) So does Sophie.
32) I am married to my best friend.
33) I love being married.
34) I sometimes miss my old life though: hiking, camping, kayaking and travelling.
35) I'm working hard at reuniting the old me with the new me.
36) I have so many dreams and ideas but am too lazy to see them to fruition.
37) My life has been hugely impacted by people I've never met.
38) During my pregnancy with Sophie, I attended 2 funerals and should have attended one more. THeir ages were 6 weeks, 7 weeks and 3 years.
39) I think about those three little girls every single day even though I hadn't even met one of them.
40) I stopped vaccinating my children when Parker started having seizures hours after his 2 month shots.
41) I need to remind myself why I'm not vaccinating but don't have the time to re-research it all again.
42) I am a chocoholic.
43) I'm learning how to garden.
44) In my 32 years, I haven't had one decent hair cut. I'm plagued with horrid haircuts!
45) I'd like to do my wedding all over again.
46) I didn't enjoy my wedding at all.
47) My husband and I have yet to go on a "honeymoon".
48) I drive a mini-van even though I always said I never would.
49) I LOVE my mini-van!
50) I hate wearing socks.
51) My favourite sandwhich is a tomatoe, cucumber and cheese toasted sandwhich.
52) My house is never clean.
53) I really hate that i haven't found a cloth diaper solution for night time.
54) I think disposable diapers are dangerous and shouldn't be used.
55) I get way too stressed about little things.
56) I don't share alot of the same values as most of the people in my life.
57) It's hard to find friends who share the same values as I do.
58) I often don't fit in. Not mainstream enough, not crunchy enough, etc.
59) I choose not to vaccinate my children.
60) I enjoy menu planning.
61) I love saving my family money.
62) I want to learn to play guitar.
63) I hate Walmart.
64) But I shop there once or twice a month. :(
65) I'd like to stop that but my husband is a Walmart addict.
66) I love watching documentaries.
67) I dislike watching tv.
68) Since getting an iTouch, I've been spending waaaay too much time online.
69) We no longer own a crib. (well, technically we do as it hasn't made it to the recycling centre yet but it hasn't been used in forever and I can't see why we'd use one ever again)
70) I have been a licenced early childhood educator for almost 10 years.
71) The thought of returning to work and having my kids in childcare makes me sick to my stomach.
72) While I'd love to open up a nature based childcare centre, I think I'm going to put that on hold for a long while.
73) Instead, I'll help support my family by continuing to encapsulate placenta for new moms.
74) It angers me when people think you need to socialize babies and toddlers.
75) It angers me even more when those parents put their child into daycare not because they require childcare as they're working but because they feel the child needs to be around other babies.
76) I think parents who follow Babywise should be charged with child abuse.
77) I am so tired of hearing stories about how so many women claim they can't breastfeeding. It's possible that due to medical reasons a mother is unable but it's quite rare.
78) I think formula should be available by prescription only.
79) I'd have no problems nursing a child that wasn't mine.
80) I often wonder what made unnatural parenting the norm.
81) I love to daydream.
82) I love co-sleeping.
83) I don't so much like being headbutted in the middle of the night by my toddler.
84) I'd prefer it if my bed wasn't crammed with a toddler or baby the entire night.
85) I really should be organizing my sewing area right now.
86) But I'm not going to.
87) Instead I'm going to take a short nap with the little ones.
88) I have two tattoos.
89) I can't stand to have long nails, I always clip them short.
90) I had PPD after the birth of my son.
91) I fully believe that Sophie's placenta prevented PPD this time around.
92) I enjoy reading cookbooks.
93) I spend most of my online time reading blogs.
94) I read mostly craft, natural family, waldorf and local blogs.
95) I think I have a cloth diaper addiction.
96) Same with a baby carrier addiction.
97) I'd like to live abroad again with my family.
98) I want to start sewing mine and my children's clothes.
99) I think my toddler is the funniest person ever.
100) Thinking of 100 things about myself was not easy at all.

Sharing My Life's Details

2010-05-27T10:27:00.000-07:00

Last night while I lay in bed with Sophie who was refusing to sleep unless she was attached to my breast, I read through my entire blog list on my iTouch (did I mention how much I love my iTouch?). I mean what else was I to do while Sophie nursed in her sleep and I was stuck to the bed at 8:30pm? I came across one blog post entitled 100 Things About Me and it was a simple post listing ...well, I think you can figure that out! lol

Anyways, I've been struggling with blogging lately. I've been posting lots of recipes, but I don't want this to be a cooking blog. I created this blog so I'd have something to look back on years from now or something my kids and I could reflect back on. And I wanted to share my life (as boring as it is much of the time!) with others who share my same values and such. But life has been complicated and I haven't felt like sharing much of it lately. I'd like to get back into that. Yes, life is crazy and I'm struggling with it right now but you know what? It is what it is and I want to remember all of this in the years to come: the good, the bad and the ugly! I don't post much about Ally, my oldest, and I know some of you wonder about that (same with on facebook) but she's at a tender age where she's not comfortable about me blogging or talking about her so I respect that. Of course, I get in the occasional post when it's her birthday or if I have a great pic of her!
So I hope to post more about my personal life and all that comes with it. And I'll start that with a 100 Things About Me post next!

Eggs 101

2010-05-24T20:18:00.000-07:00

Does anyone else get confused when looking at the many different varieties in chicken eggs? I used to think eggs were eggs and your only choice was between brown and white. But now there's free range, free run, added omegas, veggie fed, organic, etc.. (and this is just from one company!). In my quest to buy the most ethical eggs, this is what I found for store bought chicken eggs:

Free Range: These are the happiest chickens (imo) as they get to roam around a pasture.
Free Run: While these chickens aren't kept in a cage (most egg laying chickens are), they are still kept in a barn and do not have access to roaming a pasture.
Veggie Fed: Just that... the chickens are fed an all vegetarian diet, no animal by-products.
Organic: Chickens are fed an all organic feed, no hormones, no pesticides and no antibiotics. Organically raised chickens are usually packed less tightly than those given antibiotics but this doesn't mean that they are free range. Most are but check your labels!
Omega 3 eggs: Basically, the chickens are fed lots of flax in their feed which then produces a small amount of omega 3s in the eggs.
White eggs vs. Brown eggs: Chickens with white feathers and ear lobes produce white eggs and chickens with red feathers and ear lobes produce brown eggs. There is no difference in taste or nutirition values but for some reason I always choose brown.

However, the average laying hen is caged up 24 hours per day and lives a horrific life. To learn more about the abuse laying hens go through go to Farm Sanctuary. Also, I've recommended it before but seriously watching Food, Inc. changed my life and how I eat.

The best eggs you can buy are local small farmed eggs. Not only are they the most ethical, they are also the best tasting.

The Best Carrot Cake Ever (and it's gf too!)!

2010-05-24T16:54:00.000-07:00

I made my first ever gluten-free cake. After spending what felt like hours looking for the perfect cake, I decided on a carrot cake by Glutenfreegoddess. It was honestly the BEST carrot cake I've ever had. You know how carrot cakes are often either too dry or way too oily? Well, this was perfect: moist but not oily. And the cream cheese icing was so yummy on top! You'll notice in the recipe it calls for Pamela's Ultimate Baking and Pancake Mix which at first disappointed me because I wanted to stay away from mixes. But check out the ingredients, it's a really nice blend of flours and leaveners. I found a recipe online duplicated Pamela's Mix so I'll give that a try next to see if it compares as Pamela's is a bit pricey ($10 for small bag).

Carrot Cake Recipe with Coconut
3 large eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup demerara sugar
1/3 cup plain yogurt
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbls honey or agave
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
2 cups Pamela's Ultimate Baking and Pancake Mix
3/4 cup flaked unsweetened coconut
1 1/2 cups finely grated carrots (about 4)
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch cake pan and line with parchment paper. (I used a bundt cake pan)
In a mixing bowl beat the eggs, oil and demerara sugar and beat till smooth. Beat in the yogurt, vanilla, honey, cinnamon and spice, then add baking mix. Add in the coconut, carrots, raisins and nuts; stir with a wooden spoon to combine.
Pour batter into pan and bake at 350F for 40-45 mintues. Cool on a wire rack.

Cream Cheese Icing:

4 oz. softened cream cheese
2 tbls softened unsalted butter
1-2 tsp vanilla extract, to taste
3 cups powdered sugar
juice from a lime (or she suggests any citrus)

In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and cream cheese, then add vanilla. Add in the powdered sugar a cup at a time. Add lime juice and beat till smooth. Ice cake and enjoy!

GF Minestrone Soup

2010-05-22T12:04:00.000-07:00

Parker was feeling pretty sick this past week with a high fever. And along with his high fevers were febrile seizures which I just hate. Even though they're harmless, they're still not pleasant to see in your 2 year old. He spent 3 days not eating very much at all (he ate a buckwheat waffle and half a pair one day) until the late afternoon of Day 4 when he was asking for soup. I decided on Minestrone Soup but the kind I always used to make had wheat pasta in it. So I decided to a veggie and bean only minestrone and serve it over brown rice. Topped with some parmesan cheese and it was good!

GF Minestone Soup

1 can diced organic tomatoes
1 large leek, sliced white and light green parts only
1 onion, chopped
2 carrotrs, chopped
2 celery, chopped
1 potato, cubed
1 small zuchinni, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup green beans, chopped
1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
1 bunch of spinach, chopped (I use frozen spinach patties by Europe's Best when I don't have fresh on hand)
salt and pepper to taste
oregano
8 cups water

Add all veggies and seasonings to pot and bring to a boil. Turn down heat to medium-low and simmer for 45 minutes. Add in beans and let simmer 10 more minutes. Ladle over a bowl of hot cooked brown rice and top with some parmesan cheese.

Sophie is 4 months old!

2010-05-22T11:43:00.000-07:00

I just can't believe that she's 4 months old already, time has been going by so fast!

New skills:
~ Sophie rolls over both ways now. Back to front is still easier for her though.
~ She knows her name. If we say her name she'll look for the person saying it.
~ Usually wakes once per night.
~ She has a tooth that's been poking up and down for about a week now. I can feel it but not quite see it.
~ Sophie has started to have full belly laughs. Of course she only does this for daddy though!
~ She can sit with support.
~ She pushes up with her arms when on her tummy.
~ Sophie has just started discovering her feet.
~ She loves to hold and mouth toys. Her favourite is a playsilk that I've tied into a ring.
~ We've put her in an excersaucer a few times. She likes to spend a few minutes in it while we're out in the garden.
~ I've been noticing lately that she naps better upstairs in my room than downstairs. She's a very light sleeper and will often only nap about 20 minutes at a time downstairs. But I'm not sure I'm ready for her to sleep upstairs and plus I can't quite figure out how to get her to nap upstairs when Parker's awake.

I'm sure there's more but as usual, I can't seem to think of them all right now! :)

What we've been eating lately...

2010-05-18T20:55:00.000-07:00

So with starting a GF diet for Parker, cooking and baking around here has changed big time. You don't realize just how many things have wheat in them until you really look for it.

I've never been one for using mixes or convenience foods but I admit that I've used them more than once this past week or so. I don't know why but I feel intimidated at the thought of doing my own GF friendly baking. There's all sorts of flours that I've never used. I started to branch out last year and tried spelt, aramanth and several others but wheat was still the predominant flour in my recipes. And then there's adding xanthan to breads and muffins that I just have no clue about. Plus it doesn't help that building up a GF friendly pantry for baking from scratch is pricey. So until I have a decent array of flours and I'm less intimidated by it all, yes I will be using mixes!

One mix I quite like is Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Pancake Mix. The pancakes when piping hot are delicious. Like way better than plain boring wheat flour and they're more filling. Parker loved them, he ate 2 1/2 to himself which is 1/2 more than I ate! I bought the mix at Save-on-Foods here in town which actually has a decent GF foods section.

For breakfasts we've been having:

Breakfast Smoothie:

Blend together 1/2 banana, 1/2 cup milk, 1 tlbs cocoa powder, 1 tsp honey, 1 tlbs hemp hearts, several ice cubes, 1 tbls peanut butter, 1 tsp probiotic powder, either some spinach or a half scoop of greens plus.

Poached Eggs on a bed of Spinach:

Wilt some spinach in a tsp of olive oil with a crushed garlic clove and some red pepper flakes. Top with a poached egg and serve with GF bread.

Parker's 2 year Check-up

2010-05-18T11:27:00.000-07:00

Parker had his two year doctor's appointment yesterday and I was eager to discuss my suspected gluten intolerance with our family doctor. I worried all week how I was going to word it just right so my doctor wouldn't just shake his head at me like he tends to do. He's not the most supportive doctor, or at least he hasn't been when I switched my maternity care to a midwife when I was pregnant with Sophie. Methinks he was a tand offended.

I wrote all of my concerns for Parker so I could bring it with me. I tend to get flustered and forget everything I want to discuss. My concerns and possible symptoms were:
~ reflux up until around 1 year
~ delayed in speech development
~ Mucousy, acidic BMs up to 6 times per day
~ Often undigested foods in BMs
~ VERY fussy, cries a lot
~ Poor sleeping
~ Gassy
~ Horrid, open sores and welts kind of diaper rashes.
~ seems to have an intolerance to citrus as it will worsen his symptoms after eating.

Now imagine my surprise when my doctor agreed with me that it was most likely an inolerance to gluten!! He offered to have him tested for Celiac but I decided not to as it's a blood test and I don't want to put him through that. Instead we agreed to stick with a GF diet and check back with the doctor in 6 months. He said that sometimes it could also be an allergy to dairy but since our GF diet seems to be showing improvments already to stick with this. He also said that often a child will outgrow a sensitivity so we'll see.

So YAY that all went well... until my doctor started talking about his poor sleeping and crying. I wasn't so much looking for solutions to his nightime wakings as it doesn't really bother me, I just thought it was important for him to know and I've heard that it can sometiems be related to Celiac disease. He offered suggestons but then about the crying, he threw his hands up and said that Parker looked happy and healthy so he didn't know what to say. I was starting to get frustrated because this is what he said when I brought him in at 2 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, etc etc about his constant crying. Seriously my poor little man has spent the first year of his life crying and while it's not as often as before it's still abnormal, imo. All my doctor kept saying all those months was that he's healthy and maybe I was just overwhelmed and that caring for a baby was harder than I expected. Ummm.... I have been working with children and babies for 10 years and Parker is my second child. I think I knew exactly what to expect from caring for a newborn and baby. And yesterday he was starting to say the same thing, that because he looked healthy and happy (in the 10 minutes we were in his office he determined that since Parker wasn't crying then that he was a happy child who doesn't cry anymore than other toddlers!!) he didn't know what to say. I could feel myself getting angry and wasn't ready to argue with my doctor so I got up and told him I was leaving. I was at the door when I turned around, crying at this point, and just let all my frustrations with the care my family has been recieving from him in the past two years and how insulted I was by how he handled my concerns over my child's crying.
He apologized and gave me a referral to see Parker's old paediatrician again whom I really like. So hopefully he can give us some answers.
In the meantime, we're sticking with our GF diet and looking for a new family doctor!

Going Gluten Free.

2010-05-14T12:20:00.000-07:00

A facebook friend posted a link to the Gluten Free Challenge and I happened to be bored that day so I clicked on her link and had a read through. I was very interested when I read some of the symptoms of gluten intollerance in children and Parker fit several of them.

Since Parker was born, he's always had very mucousy, frequent BMs and horrid diaper rashes. He would poop up to 6 times a day and it would be (tmi warning!) very loose and sometimes even frothy and even if we changed him as soon as he had gone, his poor bum would be so red and irritated, sometimes welts and blisters would be left behind. Parker also has been a very spirited child, always irritable and has always been a bit behind in reaching his milestones (but not enough to warrant therapy of any sort). My dr wasn't concerned: he blamed it on teething, too much fruit, extended breastfeeding, and because even though Parker was slow to meet his milestones he did eventually meet them.

So after reading into Gluten Intolerance and Celiac Disease, my husband and I decided to go gluten free with him for a month and see if we noticed a difference. And my goodness... it's only been 5 days and already we noticed a HUGE difference!! He's only having one or two normal bms a day as opposed to up to 6 loose and acidic bms a day which has made him less irritable because his little bum isn't burnt raw constantly.

Yesterday was a slip up day though... we went hiking with my SIL and I didn't think we'd be gone for too long so I only packed him a snack and she didn't know we were going gluten free so she packed a pb/banana/honey sandwhich for him. He didn't eat the bread but we gave him the bananas from it and then later on that day I gave him a few of my potato chips not thinking there'd be gluten in there (I later read there was). So today his BMs were loose (not like before though) and his little bum was a bit red. I will definitely be more vigilant from now on, it's hard though as we're learning as we go along.

He has his 2 year check up on Monday and I'll mention this to his doctor and see what he has to say about it all.

Being that I love to cook, it's actually been fun looking up new recipes to try out! The other night I made mushroom soup from Gluten Free Girl which was yummy but cost waaaayyyy too much money to make (we're talking $35 for a pot of soup which is too much imo). She has some other recipes that I've tried and am eager to try as well. Last night we had quinoa salad with smoked salmon which was delicious!

Busy Weekend!

2010-05-11T14:52:00.000-07:00

This weekend was a busy one for us: On Sunday we celebrated Mother's Day, my birthday and Parker's birthday with extended family. Dave's family came over for a late lunch, some cake and some celebration. We had a nice time, Parker just loves all the attention he gets when family comes over!
I decorated my first cake ever which was SOOOO hard, too sweet but super cute! I used a very yummy choclate cake (SO moist even three days later!) (from a blog who's recipes I"ve been drooling over and using for a few weeks now.) but the icing from the Wilton website was too sweet but I wasn't comfortable using a different recipe as I've never piped icing before and wasn't sure what else might work.

For my birthday I was given some money to buy something for myself and I decided to spruce up our yard. When we moved in last August the yard was disgusting, truly truly horrible looking. The people that lived here before neglected it so it was full of weeds, moss and general grossness. So we've slowly been doing our best to pretty it up little by little. We've been picking out the weeds so there's actual grass that's growing (still not perfect but useable!), put in a sandbox and a playhouse for Parky and put in a garden box which I'm very excited about! We've got one long garden box along our fence and have another one that we're going to take apart and rebuild into two smaller boxes for cucumbers, zucchini, etc. Plus we have several pepper, tomatoe, strawberry, raspberry, mint and catnip plants growing in containers.

My adirondak chair that I'm in the process of painting purple:

My garden box with medicinal herbs, culinary herbs, garlic, shallots, brocolli and lettuces:

Parker's little sandbox area. We're hoping to find some cheap or free lattice to hide the under the deck part and then run more clematis along it:

It's soapnut love all over again!

2010-05-11T14:35:00.000-07:00

I posted already about using soapnuts for your laundry and mentioned that I was wanting to try using the liquid for general cleaning, etc. Well... on Saturday after losing the muslin bag ful of nuts three times in my wash I was getting frustrated with using them. I crave simplicity and these were not proving to be as simple as I first thought with having to shake and turn out each article of clothing from the washer looking for the muslin bag of soapnuts before putting it in the dryer.
So before I was going to decide if I was going to give up on soapnuts, I thought I'd give the liquid a shot. And I'm glad I did. :) I'm back in love with soapnuts and maybe even a little more now. I boiled about 12-14 new soapnuts in 6 cups of water for about 30 minutes then added enough water to bring it back up to 4 cups worth of liquid. I left in the soapnuts but you can take them out if you like. Also, don't be afraid of the tea coloured liquid, it will NOT stain your clothing! :) For an extra boost and to add some scent, I added a few drops (I accidently used too many of TTO) of tea tree oil and lavender essential oils.
For laundry (including cloth), I add in 3 tablespoons (which is how much the oxyclean scoop holds, so I just use an old one to measure it out).
I also added 3tlbs to my bottle of general cleaner and it works SO much better! I just didn't add the essential oils since the soapnut liquid already has some in there. I tried it on my very dirty patio windows and it works fantastic, works great on floors too.
All in all, I"m very happy with the results. I'd like to play around with some scents as I've been checking out the Rockin' Green laundry detergent website and they've come up with some yummy scents that I was thinking of trying.

ETA: A friend of mine just reminded me (thanks Shona!!) that this doesn't keep that long. I've been using the jar for 4 days now stored in my cupboard for 4 days now and it's still perfectly fine but this won't keep for too long. If you weren't a family of 5 who cloth diapers two children and uses this as your main cleaner (lol!) then I'd store it in the fridge or even better, freeze it in ice cube trays and pop up to 3 in the washing machine. If you're using cold water, I'd let the cubes melt first! :)

ETA (May 14, 2010): I made my second batch of soapnut liquid today and have learned something: This stuff loves to boil over furiously! Last time I made it, I used a big stockpot but this time I used a medium sized pot which boiled over all over the place. It's fine to use a medium sized pot, just watch it until it comes to a boil and turn to a simmer right away.

Pacific Ocean: meet Sophie Maddelyn!

2010-05-07T11:30:00.000-07:00

One of our favourite beaches to visit on the island is Rathtrevor Beach. The beach is great for exploring tide pools, building sandcastles, swimming (esp when the tide comes in over hot sand) and lounging. There's also a very family friendly campground which even though it's only 1/2 hour from home, I really enjoy going there.
Last Friday the weather was gorgeous, much like today, so I decided to pack the littles up and head for the beach for Sophie's first ocean visit!

Sophie touches the Pacific Ocean for the first time:

Parker finds a seashell:

Momma and Sophie relaxing while Parker explores the tide pools:

The views are just stunning from the beach:

Breastfeeding Ignorance

2010-05-06T22:15:00.000-07:00

When Sophie was born, I joined a moms meet up group hoping to meet other moms in my city, get us out of the house and for Parker to meet some other little friends. The first meet up I went to was great: We went on a toddler style hike and I met two other moms with children as close in age as my two. And out of the 5 of us, 3 are/have breastfed past 1 year. I was happy.
Then the second meetup I went to was specifically for babies (plus older siblings) at a mom's house. I was thinking it would be nice and relaxing but it was nothing like I hoped for. The mom who hosted swore constantly (I'm talking F-bombs), smacked her kid and the two hours we were there she only held her baby for 5 minutes. Ugh....not what I was looking for at all!
I thought I'd give it one more shot so today I went to another mom/baby playdate. The host was great, she even cloth diapered (yay!) and there was another mom that I liked too but the same mom who hosted last time was there along with another mom I hadn't met. Within 5 minutes of being there the two moms started bashing breastfeeding and were upset that the nutritionist at the health unit where baby group is held was recommending exclusive breastfeeding for at least 6 months and then breastfeeding up until 2 (me, I'm THRILLED that our healthcare system is doing this!!). They were upset because they felt it wasn't fair to the formula feeding moms and breastfeeding is talked about at the hospital so it shouldn't be brought up at baby groups (!!). This whole time I'm biting my tongue and seconds away from taking my kids and leaving but then the one mom goes on to say how gross it is to breastfeed past 6 months let alone two years! That's when I mentioned the WHO recommendation of breastfeeding for 2 years and beyond. The mom tells me that is for women in third world countries who don't have enough food and breastfeeding is all they have (sigh) and that breastfeeding that long will turn their child into a social outcast. I flat out said that's not true... and told them I still breastfed Parker (2) and had no intentions of stopping anytime soon. That he was in control of when he decided to be done breastfeeding, whether that be tomorrow or several years from now. Well, didn't that just shut them up! Of course, they didn't say much to me after that but that's okay I was busy loving up the babies and talking to the two moms who had a clue!
Anyhoo... all this got me thinking of how educated women view and understand breastfeeding. I was really shocked that people felt and thought this way. The one mom honestly thought that the only reason the WHO recommended breastfeeding until 2 and beyond was so that children in third world countries wouldn't starve to death.
So while I don't plan on going back to another meet up, I thought I'd do up a post on breastfeeding resources so that you all (because I have so many readers, ha!) could educate yourselves and others.

There are so many great resources out there with fantastic breastfeeding information. Why is there still so much ignorance about breastfeeding out there?!

Birthday Dinner

2010-05-06T14:59:00.000-07:00

Oh, how I love birthday dinners! In our family, the birthday boy/girl gets to choose what's for dinner. Ally usually chooses something like hotdogs or pizza (although this year she just wanted chocolate cake) and Parker isn't really old enough to decide what he wants. So I decided to go with tacos since he enjoys those and his birthday falls on Cinco de Mayo.
Normally I just buy the tortillas but thought I'd try making them homemade. And man, was it worth it! First off, it's SO easy to make once you find the masa flour (in Nanaimo, the only place I could find it was Walmart but later a friend told me that you can get it at Taj Mahal spices on Bowen) and secondly, it tastes SO much better.

Here's a picture of the masa flour (do not use cornmeal!):

All you need to do is add some water (2 cups masa, 1 1/4 cup water) and mix until it forms a dough:

Roll it into 16 balls:

Next, place ball of dough in between two thick pieces of plastic (I cut up a ziplock bag) and either use a tortilla press or use a heavy pan to squish the dough into a thin circle. You can use a rolling pin to thin the dough out if needed:

Peel dough from the plastic and cook in a dry skillet over medium to med/high heat for 45 seconds each side. Stack tortillas and cover while cooking the rest:

How easy was that?!

Normally I make cake for birthdays but there's a new cupcake shop in town called A Wee Cupcakery that I've been dying to try. It was yummy and the woman who worked there was really kind to us. The only thing I wished was that the cupcakes were boxed better because they were a little smooshed up when I opened it. We each chose a different flavour: Mexican Chocolate, Pink Lemonade, Triple Trouble and Coconut Vanilla. All to die for but I think the best weas the Coconut Vanilla.

Happy Birthday Parker!

2010-05-05T14:32:00.000-07:00

My wild little man is two today.

And what a great inquisitive two year old he is!

Such a passionate spirited little guy.

And a definite love of my life.

Soap Nuts

2010-04-29T09:55:00.000-07:00

I've been hearing about the benefits of soap nuts for a while now and finally about two weeks ago I decided to give it a try. To be honest, I was a bit skeptical of their cleaning power because it's just a the outer shell of a seed from a tree grown in India or Nepal. But I have to say, I'm so impressed with them! They work so well at my regular laundry that I tried them with cloth diapers and soap nuts work even better than detergent on cloth because you don't need to do a final rinse. Think of all the water and energy being saved from skipping a final rinse!
For a load of laundry, put 4-6 soapnuts in the cloth bag that is usually provided when you buy a bag of soapnuts from your health food store.Toss the bag in with your wash load and do laundry as you normally would. Just make sure to remove the bag before putting your clothing in the dryer.
I've been reusing them only twice because I want to make a liquid concentrate from the used soapnuts (I've been reading that you could use them up to four times and then compost the used soap nuts.). You can use soapnut concentrate for a lot of different things: shampoo, dishsoap, add some to a bath for clearing up eczema or psoriasis and general household cleaning. I'm eager to make up a liquid concentrate when I have enough soapnuts to do so. I found this website to be so helpful. There's tons of great information and ideas on how to use soap nuts.
The only negative I can think of for soapnuts is that they aren't effective at getting rid of stains but I usually pretreat my stains with some oxyclean anyways. Also, laying your stained clothing or diapers in the direct sunlight for a few hours will get rid of almost any stain!
I definitely recommend giving soapnuts a try. I'm glad I finally did as I will not be going back to man made detergents again. :)

Morning Adventures

2010-04-28T12:49:00.000-07:00

Since Sophie's arrival, I've spent more time walking on trails rather than city walks. I find that it's easier to do so when you have two little ones because I don't have to worry about Parker as much. On most wide trails he can do and go pretty much where ever he wants. Not having to say: "be careful", "stay on the sidewalk", etc is also very relaxing for me just as it is for him to not have to hear it twenty times on our walk! :)

Today we went to Hemer Park which has really nice wide trails and is very quiet except for the occasional dog walker. I wore Sophie in the stretchy wrap (I'm impatiently waiting for my babyhawk to arrive!) and Parker led the way. Parker was fascinated with all the sounds he heard: birds singing and frogs croaking. We spent about an hour walking and discovering at a toddler's pace. We came upon a lookout over a large pond that Parker absolutely loved...we spent quite a while there watching geese, looking at lily pads and cat's tails.

I thought for sure that Sophie was going to fall asleep (she was dozing in the van on the drive there) on the walk but instead she became quite fussy and cried most of the way back. I'm finding it harder and harder to wear her as she's liking it less and less. I'm hoping it's just the wrap that she just doesn't like anymore (as well as the ring sling but I think that's because it shrunk and no longer fits properly) and not that she just doesn't like to be worn anymore. She was content if I was bouncing as I walked and patting her bum with her soother in her mouth but by then Parker was starting to become tired and wanted me to pick him up but of course I couldn't. Luckily just as we were all about to have a breakdown we passed 5 dogs. Parker loves dogs and the owners were nice enough to stop and let him pet the dogs and I was able to soothe Sophie until she calmed down. Next time I think I might bring the jogging stroller along with a baby carrier as a back up.. Parker can hop on when he gets tired and Sophie can go to sleep in it when she gets tired of being worn.

Needless to say that Parker fell asleep within 5 minutes of us being in the van. I nursed Sophie and she chatted to herself happily the whole ride back into town. :)

My Secret Weapon...

2010-04-27T09:13:00.000-07:00

against chubby baby neck crease yuckies: probiotic powder!

Neither of my other children really had that problem but while they were big babies (9lbs12oz and 9lbs 3oz at birth) they were also long and not roly-poly like Sophie is. I always washed her creases in the morning and at night but that darn neck crease always got so red and I hate to say it: gross. It was cheesy and smelly and not very pleasant. I tried washing and drying it more often but that seemed to just irritate her. I tried cornstarch which we all know just feeds yeast so obviously that didn't work. Then I thought I'd try some of the probiotic powder that I had in the freezer (Reuteri brand) and it honestly cleared it up almost completely overnight. It was completely gone by day 2! Just sprinkle a little bit on and wash it off in the morning.
Works like magic!

Yummy Food!!

2010-04-25T20:50:00.000-07:00

As I already blogged, yesterday was Ally's birthday. Last night we had family over to celebrate and I made some pizza, salad rolls with peanut sauce and birthday cake for everyone. It was a nice evening, Ally got spoiled by the family, Parker spent most of the time playing in the yard with his Auntie and Nana and Sophie was cuddled by all.
I never used to like enteraining but in the past two years or so I've really come to enjoy it. I now cook for pleasure rather than just making food to feed us. I really like coming up with a meal plan, shopping for everything and putting it all together.
I made homemade pizzas. Both were vegetarian: one was a mixed veggie and the other was thin slices of zuchinni that was marinated in lemon, garlic and thyme and then grilled with goat cheese. So good! Then I made some salad rolls. I have never made these before as I was always intimidated but after some reasurrance from a friend, I decided to go ahead and try it. And I'm so glad I did, it was not only easy but a million times better than store bought salad rolls. Seriously, SO easy and SO delicious that I will never ever buy these premade again. And because I think they're so fab, I encourage you to try them out too!

All you need is:

12" round rice paper
some sort of leafy lettuce (I chose romaine)
either thai basil and mint or cilantro
cooked and cooled rice vermicelli noodles
assorted veggies cut into matchsticks such as: carrots, cucumber, bell peppers, celery, avacado etc...
you could also add cooked shrimp

Put some warm water in a pie plate to soak the rice paper in while you're stacking your veggies, noodles and herbs in a lettuce leaf. Lay the rice paper out flat and place the lettuce/veggies/noodles towards the bottom of the paper and roll over once. Fold over sides and then continue to roll up. Voila! It's as easy as that.

Peanut Sauce:
In a small pot, combine 1c. of water with 1 stalk of lemon grass. Let simmer for 5 minutes then remove lemon grass. Add in 1/3 cup hoisin sauce, 3 tlbs. peanut butter and freshly grated ginger to taste. Let simmer 1 minute, whisking often. Pour into serving dish and chill until you're ready to use (or serve warm if you prefer!)

I wanted to cook something that didn't require much effort because I was putting all my energy into baking a cake from scratch. I have never successfully done this before until yesterday. And what a success it was, the cake was so good. It wasn't overly sweet like some chocolate cakes can be, this was perfection, sweet sweet perfection smothered in a chocolate butter cream icing. I got the recipe from a blog I often read (paxye.com). The recipe is: here.

I'm already thinking of food to prepare and a cake to bake for Parker's birthday in two weeks. I think I might use the same cake recipe, but go with Dave's uncle Alan's suggestion of alternating the layers of the cake with dark chocolate and white chocolate and doing a vanilla buttercream icing instead of chocolate. Mmmm..... just thinking about it is making my mouth water in anticipation!

Happy Birthday, Ally!

2010-04-24T11:32:00.000-07:00

14 years goes by so quickly, doesn't it? She's turning into such a fabulous young woman and although her teenage years has been a struggle for her so far, I'm so very proud of her. She's strong, precocious and one of the most articulate people I know. I'm so proud to be her mother.

Happy Birthday Ally!

From this:

to this:

Movies and Ear Candling

2010-04-23T08:58:00.000-07:00

I don't know what it is about ear candling (aka ear coning) that I like so much but I am absolutely relaxed during and after the treatment.

Last Saturday night we ordered the Chris Rock documentary Hair off Shaw on Demand and candled our ears. The documentary was alright: I love documentaries but after watching so many "heavy" ones lately, I needed something much "lighter" and easier to watch. So Hair it was!

For the ear candling, we only did 1 cone per ear but we should have used two or three since we haven't had it done in almost two years. And no matter how many times I do it, I always amazed at how much wax is drawn from our ears, how much clearer my hearing is and how I don't feel as much pressure in my head any longer.

You can find ear candles at your local health food store usually.

And be warned... some people may find this next picture gross but I find it fascinating at how much wax is drawn from the ear!

A late night dinner

2010-04-19T10:11:00.000-07:00

I've been on a baking kick lately and last night was no exception. I love bread. Seriously, I love bread. And pair that bread with some melted gooey brie and I've died and gone straight to heaven.

No-Knead Honey Seed Bread

2 tbls. honey
1 tbls. active dry yeast
2 cups whole wheat flour
1.5 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp. sea salt
2 tbls. each: hulled pumpkin seeds, hulled sunflower seeds, hemp seeds (I like hemp hearts)
butter for greasing
milk, for brushing (optional)
1 tbls. poppy seeds, for sprinkling (optional)

~ Dissolve the honey in 1 1/4 cup hot (not boiling) water in a small bowl or pitcher. Whisk in yeast and let stand in a warm place for 15 minutes until frothy.
~ Combine the two flours in a mixing bowl. Using a wooden spoon, stir in salt and pumpkin, sunflower and hemp seeds. Gradually add yeasty water and mix into a dough. As the dough draws together, use your hands to press the dough into a soft, pliable ball. If it's very sticky add a big of flour. If it's dry, sprinkle in a few drops of water.
~ Grease a cookie sheet. Place dough on it and form into any shape you desire. Dust with flour and cover with a damp tea towel. Let rise in a warm place for about an hour, until doubled in size. Preheat oven to 400F. Use scissors to make decorative snips down the middle of the bread. Brush all over with milk and sprinkle with poppy seeds (optional). Bake loaf for 30-40 minutes until golden, firm and hollow sounding.

Hot Brie Fondue

boxed brie
little white wine

~ Preheat oven to 400F. Take the lid off the cheese and drizzle on a little white wine over the rind. Replace the lid and wrap cheese in it's box in foil. If you can't find boxed brie, you can just wrap the brie itself in foil. Place in preheated oven in middle rack for 15-20 minutes. Unwrap and dunk slices of bread into the warm runny cheese!

12 weeks already!

2010-04-16T09:07:00.000-07:00

Sophie Maddelyn is 12 weeks old today. I'm doing the best I can to savour every mili-second as she's most likely our last baby but it seems every time I blink, she's grown an inch or changed in some way!

Sophie at 12 weeks:
~ can hold her head up 90 degrees when on her tummy
~ has great head control
~ is starting to grow back all her newborn hair that she lost
~ Coos and baby talks
~ smiles all.the.time!
~ thinks her hands are the best playthings ever
~ on average, wakes up twice a night to eat
~ grasps for toys in her reach
~ kicking with her feet
~ thisclose to rolling from back to front. (I think the big cloth bum gets in the way, lol)
~ weighs about 12lbs (was 11lbs 15.5oz at 11 weeks)
~ is starting to create a daily rythm for herself.
~ loves to "sit" and prefers to face out to observe her surroundings
~ tends to really only get upset when she's overly tired
~ even though we've never adjusted our noise level when she's been asleep and she's been used to sleepign through normal family noises since birth, she now wakes up to the slightest sounds.

Window Painting Fun

2010-04-15T10:29:00.000-07:00

Parker loves to paint but he quickly fills up a piece of paper in mere minutes. So instead of wasting sheet after sheet of paper and in my quest to find anything to give me a few minutes break I set him up with some paints outside on our deck so he could paint our patio glass windows!

I just mixed some tempera paint with a few drops of dishsoap in a cup, gave him some paintbrushes and let him loose on the windows. He was entertained for half an hour... that's alot for a not yet two year old!

To clean up, all you need is a bucket of water and a wash cloth. It comes off so easily because of the soap added in to the paints.

Energy Balls

2010-04-14T20:38:00.000-07:00

A while back I had tried a Hornby Island Gourmet Energy Ball from our local health food store and have been addicted ever since. Problem is that they're $3 a ball which is a bit pricey so I wanted to make my own at home. I experimented with a few recipes but none of them tasted like the real thing so I just mixed a few of the recipes together until I got it right!

Rip-off Hornby Island Energy Balls

2 cups oats
2/3 cup natural peanut butter
2 tbls unsulfured blackstrap molasses
3 tbls powdered milk
1/3 cup honey or agave nectar
1 tsp vanilla (optional)
sesame seeds
melted chocolate

Mix the first 5 ingredients together in a bowl.

Roll into a log in wax paper and chill for 2 hours.

Shape into golf ball sized pieces and roll into sesame seeds.

Dip one side into melted chocolate.

Refrigerate!

Simple and Natural Cleaning

2010-04-14T14:44:00.000-07:00

Some of the most toxic stuff in our homes are those that are used for cleaning. So toxic that people die each year from the chemicals in cleaners.
Some of the toxins in commercially made cleansers are:

formaldehyde which is a known carcinogen.
chlorine which is the #1 cause of breast cancer and has also been used in chemical warfare.
triclosan which can cause liver damage
petroleum distillates causes skin and lung cancer
amonia which causes respiratory problems
perchlorethylene damages liver, kidney and nervous systems.
hydrochloric acid damages kidney and liver.
hypochlorite bleach damaging to skin, eyes and respiratory system and pulmanory edema.
enzymes and phosphorus cause rashes, allergies and sinus infections

This is just a SMALL list of what is in commercially made cleansers. Since world war 2, more than 80,000 chemicals have been invented. Most of these have been invented for chemical warfare but are now used in our cleaners, food and water supplies.
Once I found this out, I had to make a change! For the past few years I've stopped using most commerical cleansers and went back to basics: vinegar, baking soda, aromatherapy, washing soda, etc. These clean just as well if not better than what you can buy at the store and best of all you save SO much money.
Here's a list of recipes for cleaners:

Soft Scrubber: Mix 1/2 cup baking soda with just enough liquid detergent (I like 7th Generation) to make a paste. Scoop some onto a wet cloth and scrub away! Works great for the bathtub.
Window Cleaner: In a spray bottle, mix in 1/4tsp liquid detergent, 3 tbls vinegar and 2 cups water.
All purpose cleaner: Fill a spray bottle 1/4 of the way full with vinegar (5%), add 20 drops tea tree oil, 10 drops lavender essential oil and fill with water. Shake well before each use. I use this cleaner the most to wash down my counters, spray on cutting boards, wash the bathroom, etc.
Floor Wash: To clean my floors, I fill up the sink abouta 1/4 way with hot water and add a glug (1/4 cup maybe?) of vinegar with 10 drops tea tree oil and 5 drops of lavender. The essential oils will not only help disinfect your floors but leaves your house smelling great!
Mold Killer: Mix 2 tsp tea tree oil in 2 cups water in either a bucket or a spray bottle and apply to moldy area. Do not rinse. Works better than anythign I've ever used!
Disinfectant: To wash cutting boards or when cleaning the toilet bowl, use straight vinegar and leave on as long as possible. I spray vinegar on my cutting boards before I go to bed at night and just rinse in the morning.

Give it a try and I promise you'll never go back to toxin filled chemical cleaners!

Understanding Cloth Diapers

2010-04-06T14:19:00.000-07:00

(the kids are still napping so why not throw in another blog post today!)

Deciding to use cloth diapers was an easy choice for me (see previous post). Deciding which cloth diapers to use wasn't so easy! The easiest way to get started is to explain the differences in diapers out there.

Flats These are the diapers your mothers and grandmothers probably used. It's a big square of flannel or cotton that is folded to fit your baby. It's fastened with either a pin or a snappi and requires a cover.
Prefolds A rectangle piece of layered cotton (can be hemp or bamboo as well). Gets folded into thirds and either pinned or snappied together or placed in a wrap-style cover as is. Requires a cover. Also great to use as an insert in pocket style diapers.
Contoured Prefolds Same idea as the regular prefold but is more shaped and imo, easier to snappi. Requies a cover.
Fitted Just as the name suggests, this is a diaper fitted to your baby's shape. No folding required but a cover is needed. Usually closes with snaps or velcro although some require a pin or snappi to close.

Pocket Diaper This is a two piece system that comes with an insert (absorbant part of diaper) and a cover. There is an opening so that you can stuff the insert into the diaper. It closes with either snaps or velcro. Can be stuffed with multiple inserts to tailor absorbancy needs.

All-in-one This is as close the ease of disposables as you can get. No need to stuff with inserts. Just put diaper on as is. Closes with either snaps or velcro.
One Size Typically fit from birth to toilet learning. These can come in pocket, all in one and even fitteds. Usually sized with snaps that you can adjust as baby grows.

Covers Used over flats, prefolds and fitteds. There is a lot of choice out there in covers: PUL is in most covers and especially in pockets and all-in-ones. But you can also get covers in wool, fleece and some people still use plastic pants.

To get started here's what you need:

Pail or hanging wet bag To store soiled diapers until washing.
24-36 diapers I suggest going with 36 so you don't need to wash every day. Don't forget covers depending on type of diaper.
Wash cloths If you're using cloth, you might as well use cloth wipes too.
Wet bag To put soiled diapers in when out and about.
Snappis or Pins Depending on what type of diaper you are using, you may want to use these.
Diaper friendly detergent I always use Country Save laundry soap. Doesn't cause build-up and is bio-degradable. Remember you only need 1/4 to 1/2 scoop!
Oxyginated Bleach Powder Gets rid of stains and boosts your laundry detergent. Optional.
Tea Tree Oil and Lavender Oil Both of these essential oils are great for cloth diapers. A few drops on a cloth dropped into your diaper pail eliminates odours. A few drops added to the rinse cycle will help disinfect your diapers. Optional.
Diaper friendly diaper rash cream You'll find that your child doesn't often get a diaper rash but it's handy to have around. Be sure it's diaper friendly (such as Bum Bum Balm) and use sparingly to avoid build-up.

For laundry soap suggestions, I found Diaper Jungle to be really helpful: http://www.diaperjungle.com/detergent-chart.html

Reasons To Choose Cloth Diapers

2010-04-06T13:37:00.000-07:00

I have lots of pregnant friends right now who are asking me about my experience cloth diapering 3 children (two of whom are currently still in diapers). I'm so happy to see cloth diapers becoming more and more popular and even happier to see the great changes made to cloth diapers since I started using them on my oldest nearly 14 years ago!
Cloth diapering is the obvious choice for my children for many reasons. Some reasons to consider cloth diapering are:

Less of an environmental impact than disposables. The average child goes through between 6000-7000 diapers. That's a lot of garbage if using disposables. Only 30% of disposable diapers are actually biodegradable and what's worse is that a heavy majority of disosable diaper users don't bother to flush fecal matter so that gets sent to our landfills too. Many people don't know that you aren't actually allowed to throw human waste into the garbage because the viruses that can be found in fecal matter can make it's way into our water system. And that's just nasty! Also less energy is required to make cloth diapers. Choose a diaper made from a renewable resource and you're being ultra friendly to our planet!
Cloth diapers are healthier for your baby! Male infertility has been linked to disposable diapers because it's believed that the gel warms up a boy's testicles and can stop normal growth. Also, consider the chemicals that are used to make disposable diapers: Tribulytin has been found in Pampers Baby Dry (Greenpeace, May 2000) which harms the immune system, is a hormone disrupter and is speculated to cause male infertility. Traces of dioxen which is a known carcinogen has been found in disposable diapers. The gel in disposable diapers is made from Sodium Polyacrylate which is linked to Toxic Shock Syndrome. And yet another health reason to switch to cloth: It's been shown that disposable diapers can cause asthma in children!
Cloth diapers will save you money! Do the math! If a child goes through an average of 6000-7000 diapers the costs add up! On average, cloth diapers can cost you $500 over 3 years including laundering expenses. Disposables can cost on average $2000. That's already a savings of $1500... just imagine how much you'd save if you went on to have more children! And cloth diapers have an excellent resale value so you could easily get half your money back.
Children potty learn at a younger age. Because cloth diapers do not hide the feeling of wetness, children tend to use the potty at a much younger age.
Less diaper rashes and skin irritations. Disposable diapers tend to cause more skin irritations and diaper rashes than cloth diapers due to two reasons: the chemicals are irritating to the skin and because children feel dry parents tend to change their children's diapers less frequently.
Cloth diapers are just cuter! Cloth diapers have changed so much in the last few years... they now come in adorable prints. No one will argue that cloth diapers beat out disposable diapers in the cuteness factor!

Daydreaming

2010-03-31T13:03:00.000-07:00

Ally's at school, Parker's asleep on the sofa and Sophie is still sleeping in the buggy from our walk earlier. And me? Oh... I'm just daydreaming about this:

Wouldn't it be lovely to leave our rain soaked dreary island for a week over Christmas to a sun drenched gorgeous island? I think so too..... and so I'm off to google vacation packages for Hawaii. :D

It's moments like these.....

2010-03-27T14:30:00.000-07:00

......... that make the stresses of the day melt away.

My experience with Placentophagy

2010-03-27T09:19:00.000-07:00

As most of you know, I had my placenta encapsulated (dried, ground up and put into capsules) during my first few days postpartum. I decided to take them to avoid PPD but I got so much more out of it than that! For me the benefits were noticeable right away which surprised me.. I was thinking it would take a week or so to kick in.
Benefits of placentophagy for me were:

increase in energy. This was huge for me because with my first two children, I was so tired for the first few months. This time I was going for walks and feeling good about it at 4 days pp.
increase in mental clarity. I felt awake after only a few days of taking my pills. There was no "mommy fog" that I had with my first two. And you'd think with 3 children in the house, I'd be feeling foggy more so this time around!
no major mood swings. My mood and my emotions have been pretty consistent, no major ups or downs like during pregnancy or postpartem after my first 2.
milk came in earlier. With my first two, my milk didn't come in until day 5 an 6. This time it started coming in at the end of day 2.
faster recovery. I think because my body was more nourished from the placenta, I was able to heal faster, I wasn't as sore and my stitches healed faster.
shorter postpartem bleed. The other two times I had very heavy bleeding the first two weeks and bleeding didn't stop until around 6 weeks in. This time, it slowed down within days and fully stopped by week 4.
increase in libido/quick return of desire. This is a bit tmi but it's an unexpected benefit for me and I know lack of desire is a huge stress for most new moms. I don't know if it's the hormones or because of all the other benefits and I just feel more like my old self faster that this increase and return of libido has returned quicker.

I was taking two capsules a day bit on "rough" days I took two more later om in the day. I stopped taking it at 6 weeks as I felt 100% healed for a few weeks but within a few days I was no longer feeling as great. I was tired and irritable and feeling down. So started taking them again but only 1 per day now and will do so until they run out.
All in all, I am SO impressed and thankful for this amazing healing organ my body grew to grow Sophie and to heal me.

Homemade Yogurt

2010-03-26T13:30:00.001-07:00

I knew it was possible to make your own yogurt but I was always intimidated by it for some reason so I never tried it. But then someone on my facebook posted a link to a recipe and said how easy it was so I had to give it a try! http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/10/you-can-make-yogurt-in-your-crockpot.html
It was even easier and tastier than I imagined. Plus with making your own yogurt you know exactly what's going in it which isn't so true for store bought brands and not to mention the money saved.

All you need is:
2 litres of organic milk, any percentage of fat will do (you can use cow's or goat's, I've heard you can try soy and almond too)
1/2 cups starter yogurt (either saved from a previous batch of homemade or an organic plain yogurt with probiotics)
crockpot
strainer
cheese cloth
big bowl
several heavy towels

~To start, pour the milk into the crockpot and set on low for 2.5 hours.
~Unplug the crockpot and let sit for 3 hours.
~Stir in the 1/2 cup yogurt.
~Cover the crockpot with heavy towels.
~Let sit overnight or about 8 hours.

I find that at this point it's still a little too runny for my liking so I:
~line a strainer with 2 layers of cheesecloth and set over a big bowl.
~Put it in the fridge for a few hours or until it reaches your desired thickness.

I like to serve mine with fruit, granola and a touch of honey. SOOOO yummmy! Parker thinks so too:

* You can also make yogurt cheese by leaving the yogurt to strain over a big bowl overnight. The consistency will be like cream cheese. I add some salt and some herbs to taste. :)

Wear Your Baby!

2010-03-24T15:54:00.001-07:00

I really hope that babywearing doesn't get a bad wrap now that Infantino recalled their bag slings. Baby wearing advocates have never supported the use of those bag slings because of their dangers so hopefully babywearing will continue to rise in popularity with the general public!

Anyways... onto what this post is really about: I need a new baby carrier!! Even though my husband bugs me about my cloth diaper and babywearing obsessions, I honestly do need a new one.
When Parker was 7 days old I bought the cuddlywrap by Peapod Creations and I loved it. He was a very unhappy little man who was diagnosed with GERD so being in an upright position was really helpful plus he felt more secure being close up to his momma. Still to this day (at 22 months) he loves to be carried. I still use the cuddlywrap now that Sophie is here but meh... I'm not loving it as much as with Parker. I think because I am constantly changing positions chasing after Parker, it's losing it's stretch way quicker. It seems like it's fine for a bit but then if I take her out and then back in it goes all wonky and gets uncomfortable. And she's only 2 months old...I can't imagine carrying her in for more than another month or two.
I also have an upMama ring sling that I really like and use often. I originally bought it when I was pregnant and could no longer wear Parker in the Ergo. But it wasn't comfortable to side carry him and for some reason it made my belly go numb when he was in it. Sophie really likes it but only when upright in it (she does not like the cradle hold at all). But my darling husband was trying to be helpful and washed my sling in warm water and then dried it in the dryer. So while it still fits, the tail is really short and it just doesn't fit as great as it did pre-shrinkage!
Then when Parker was maybe about 6 months I bought an Ergo and it was a huge improvement from the pocket sling I was using (I'm not a fan of pocket slings as they are hard to fit to your body exactly) it still wasn't The One. It would fit great if there was just one more strap in the back or if the strap that buckles on your back was a bit lower. It sometimes felt like it was slipping off my shoulders. Plus this carrier was SO not attractive on a plus size momma, instead of holding me in like I would have preferred it highlighted and enhanced my momma belly. Not what I was looking for at all!
So now here I am looking for something new. I'm thinking either a woven wrap or a mei tei. I think the woven wrap would support me the best and have all the benefits that I love so much while not getting all stretched out like the stretchy wrap does. But the downside to that is that it's a pain to put on... with a busy toddler I want something a bit quicker to put on. So that leads me to thinking that a mei tei carrier would be best. Easy, supportive, super cute but just like the ergo, not the best for my body type.
Decisions, decisions....

2 months old already!

2010-03-24T08:31:00.000-07:00

How did that happen?! Little Miss Sophie Maddelyn is 2 months old (plus 2 days as of today) and she weighs 11lbs 2.6oz.

She has her first visit with our family Dr. on Monday to check her weight. Between weeks 5 and 8, Sophie has only gained 3oz. At our 6 week m/w appt, our m/w said to check her weight again in a week and if it isn't a substantial gain to take her in. Well, I missed week 7 so I took her in on Monday (2 months exactly) and since there wasn't a decent weight gain in that two weeks, I made an appointment.

I'm worried that the Dr. is going to blame tandem nursing for her slow weight gain but my supply seems to be as strong as it's ever been. In fact, when Parker nurses more often like when he was sick, my supply increased big time. Sophie is different from my other two in how she nurses. She doesn't like to comfort nurse, doesn't like to fall asleep at the breast either. She's just there to eat and that's it which makes it hard when she's very uspet and I'm trying to comfort her as nursing my other two would always be the way to instantly stop the fussiness and tears. So I get that's why she's not gaining a pound a week at this stage like my other two were!

Anyways.... here's hoping for a decent weight gain at the doctor's office on Monday!

Quality time..

2010-03-18T13:24:00.000-07:00

Quality one on one time seems to be my biggest struggle since our family grew to a family of 5. But it's something I'm really working hard on lately. This past week especially, I've been thinking more about our family and my relationship with each member in it and I learned that each one of those relationships can use a little help.
I find that Ally being that she's almost 14 is hard to connect with the most on a daily basis. We butt heads and don't always enjoy each other's company. But I know that she's been feeling left out now that we have 2 small ones in the house so I've been making extra effort even when some days I just don't want to! Quality time with her is all about doing things away from the little ones, letting her have all the attention for a little bit. That doesn't happen every day but we go to the library, sneak out for an ice cream cone and every night we'll talk about her day while doing the dishes.
With Parker most of my one on one time with him is when he's nursing or if he wakes up in the middle of the night and we'll cuddle together until he falls back asleep. I look forward to when Dave's home on the weekends so that I can lay down with him for a nap just the two of us. We snuggle in tight, arms wrapped around each other and he'll grab onto a lock of my hair to twirl as he drifts off to sleep.
Sophie... again one on one time comes when she's nursing or when Parker's asleep and I sing to her or bathe her.
Staying connected with my husband hasn't been easy either. Since Sophie's been born we pushed each other's needs to the side and forgot about us as a couple which I know isn't uncommon but it's scary how quickly a happy marriage can sour if neglected. Having three children (and all who are at such tough ages: teenager, toddler, newborn) has been hard on us and we were getting resentful of each other as well as felt rejected by the other so this past week we've been working more on us: going to bed together, sitting near each other on the sofa and actually talking to each other.
It's not easy and we're just a family of 5. Makes me wonder how large families do it and make it look so easy at the same time!

Meet my new love

2010-03-17T16:28:00.001-07:00

This has been my sanity keeper for those days when you've hit the wall. You know those days where your toddler is throwing himself on the floor because you stopped him from colouring on the carpet with permanent marker, your baby wakes up every time you put her down and your teenager is... well, is being a teenager ("but mom.... everyone else's mom lets them dye their hair pink, pierce their (insert body part), or go to parties").
4 drops of this lovely tincture and I've gone from crying in the corner to calmly being able to handle the situation.

Bach's Rescue Remedy.... where have you been all my life?

Plans for the future....

2010-03-16T19:44:00.000-07:00

I'm thinking of returning to school for waldorf training (I'm a licenced ECE already). I've been thinking about this for a few years as I love the philosophy behind waldorf but last time I looked into it, it was no longer being offered on the island.
So instead I was going on with my plan to open a nature based, waldorf inspired family care centre that I've been toying with for the past two years. After working in daycares for the past 10 years, I'm appalled at how much plastic there is and how many chemicals go through a centre. And don't even get me started on the amount of garbage from disposable diapers. I shudder when I think about it!
As a parent, I want what's best for my children but when it comes to selecting childcare for them... there is nothing that even remotely resembles what I want for my child. So I want to give parents the option of a greener toxin reduced childcare centre. Imagine children using real cups and spoons instead of the cheap ikea plastic ones, no sippy cups, cloth diapers, safe toys made from natural resources, real open ended props that encourage the use of their imaginations, chemical free cleansers and curriculum that teaches children about their impact on the earth, in a real family based care setting.
But then I went back to the waldorf education website for the island and guess what... they're offering courses again! And the schedule isn't bad at all... 2 weeks each July and a week each Spring and Fall for two years starting in 2011. Which means I can still open the childcare centre in my home but just hire out for those 4 weeks of the year and it wouldn't be such a stretch in the type of care I'd be providing.
NOw just to come up with the $4400 tuition by next May. :S

New beginnings (or returns of old habits?)

2010-03-14T17:32:00.000-07:00

We watched Food, Inc. last week and it's convinced me even more than I already was that we have to start eating ethically. We eat a mostly (octo-lavo)vegetarian based diet except for 1 or 2 meals per week but our snacks choices are pretty bad. We reach for overprocessed junk most of the time. Heck, I've even been lured in by McD's more than I care to admit in the last year.
So now I'd like to get back to healthier and more ethical eating. After two nearly back to back pregnancies, moving twice to new cities and a marriage, I've gained. A lot. Now that I'm done with having more babies (at least for the next 3 years), and about to embark on a new adventure in my life (see next post!) it's time to get back into taking care of this momma! I always feel like I push myself and my needs to the back burner (I know I'm not the only one out there that does this!) but no more, I need to be healthier and happier for me. :)
I'm not making huge changes.. just baby steps that I know I can stick with. That I won't give up on when things get a little tough... a return to old habits I've lost along the way.

Sick kiddos....

2010-03-11T09:06:00.001-08:00

My two littles are sick. Parker started feeling sick about a week ago with a nasty chest cold and runny nose. He's starting to feel better but he's been quite miserable the past few days, lots of crying and tantrums and needing lots of mommy time. He's been nursing as much as Sophie lately which is fine but I didn't even think about germs being passed on to Sophie. And plus he tried to share his soother with her a few times so of course Sophie is now sick.
She started to show signs of a cold on Monday with a cough and a bit of a runny nose but has been her usual happy self and was nursing lots (yay!). Then yesterday her cough got worse, she had a few spells of diarrhea and threw up twice. After she got sick the second time I took her temp and she had a very slight fever of 37.5 but was miserable and would only stay up for a few minutes at a time.
I decided to call the nurses line (in BC it's 8-1-1) just to get some advice because I know that symptoms can change for the worse in small babies really quick. I was worried she'd get a higher fever but because she was under 3 months I had no idea what to do about managing her fever. They recommended because she was so young and because she was having a hard time staying awake and was getting sick after she nursed to bring her in to the ER. I asked if the clinic would be okay since I loathe hospital trips but was told that she'd most likely need an x-ray so they'd send me there anyways. Then just for some fear factor.. she told me to take my cell phone and be prepared to call 9-1-1 on the way if her conditioned worsened. Umm... thanks for that! I wasn't worried about her being sick before until I heard that!
We called my MIL on the way so they could meet us to take Parker home so he wouldn't have to sit in the ER. The dr. ordered an xray and bloodwork but I was thinking it was just a heel prick but instead I learned they needed a vial. Parker had to have this done when he was just a few weeks older than Sophie because of his absence seizures and I just couldn't do that to Sophie for a chest cold. Just as I was telling Dave that we were going to refuse the bloodwork, the nurse came in and said the pediatrician who was going to see us said the bloodwork wasn't necessary (thank you!). But she did need the x-ray so off we went for that. Parker also had to have that and I remembered the chamber they put babies in to get a good look at them and was dreading it. Luckily, they didn't use that for her and she was just able to lay on the table. I was still upset about it but an old coworker of mine was doing the x-ray on her and that made me feel better.
When the pediatrician came to see us, she said she's already seen 8 kids with RSV that day and many of them had been admitted. But although Sophie sounds pretty awful, the congestion isn't in her chest (xray was clear) and because she was still nursing fine we didn't have to stay. But to keep an eye on her because she was either at the peak now or would be at the peak in the next day.
Anyways, long story short (if there's one thing I'm good at, it's rambling! lol)... she's still nursing but she's already thrown up her morning feed because her cough is so bad. And overnight her diaper was barely damp. So I'm praying that we don't need to bring her back. On the plus side, her breathing is fine and Parker seems to be back to his normal self today!

Sophie's Birth Announcement

2010-03-10T08:49:00.000-08:00

We finally got around to getting Sophie's birth announcement done and it looks fabulous!! Jenifer from hellolovedesigns made it for us (http://www.etsy.com/shop/hellolovedesigns) and she was so great to work with and super speedy too!

Placentophagy Resources

2010-03-08T20:54:00.000-08:00

When I was pregnant with Sophie I researched as much as I could about placentophagy (consuming placenta). It's hard to find resources on this because there really hasn't been many studies done so most of what's out there is personal experience.

I decided to do up a list and a bunch of links to resources I found useful in learning about placentophagy and encapsulation and share it! Hopefully you all find it useful as well and it helps you decide that using your placenta for postpartem healing is the way to go!

http://placentabenefits.info/index.asp (I really like the information on this site but as someone who is learning to process placenta I'm a bit disappointed with the business side of things. When I inquired about taking the training through them, I got a recorded interview to listen to before calling them for my own interview. In the taped interview, the owner of PBi explained how it would work once training is completed and it left a bad taste in my mouth. Basically, you pay PBi a certain amount from each time you are hired to encapsulate placenta and you have to get a certain number of clients each month. This felt like I was applying for a carsales position and I was not interested at all and have decided to learn myself through experience. But ignoring that, they do have great information on their site)

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1908194,00.html (a humorous article on a father's experience with encapsulation)

http://www.gentlebirth.org/archives/eatplcnt.html (GREAT resource with LOTS of information)

http://www.mothering.com/discussions/showthread.php?t=912886 (Mothering.com is one of my favourite resources for all things natural. This has a link to the process in encapsulating placenta.

http://www.mothering.com/discussions/showthread.php?t=944092 (another link to a discussion on Mothering.com)

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22087790/

http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local-beat/After_Birth_May_be_Key_to_Bouncing_Back_After_Birth_Bay_Area.html (video clip)

Meal Plan March 7-13

2010-03-06T15:24:00.000-08:00

For the past two years, I've been making up a weekly meal plan to help cut the cost of our grocery bill. I've come to love meal planning for not only that reason but because it allows for more creativity with cooking. I hate staring into my fridge and cupboards and having no idea what to cook for dinner! Now I leisurely browse through my cookbooks (I *heart* cookbooks!!) looking for inspiration.

This week I decided to stick with one cookbook, The Eat Clean Diet Family and Kids Cookbook. http://www.amazon.ca/Eat-Clean-Diet-Family-Kids-Strategies/dp/1552100502. I love the Clean Eating magazine so was curious to try out the cookbook!

Here's our meal plan for the week:

Sunday: Molasses Baked Beans served over brown rice
Monday: Falafel with tzaziki and Cucumber and tomato salad
Tuesday: Chicken Bites with Oven Fries
Wednesday: Leftovers
Thursday: Eggs over black bean salsa
Friday: Friday Night Chili
Saturday: Soup (I have frozen leftover soup from the week previous)

As an extra from the cookbook, I'm making breakfast hermit cookies. They sound so yummy and maybe now Ally won't fight me on eating something before rushing out to catch the bus!

I take it back!

2010-02-25T21:51:00.000-08:00

I must have wrote my last post on a good day because we've had a few very rough days here surviving with two under two.
It started with Sophie waking up to eat and be changed at 5am. Then just as I was falling back asleep, Dave's alarm went off. Then Parker woke up. Then Dave's second alarm went off after I sent Parker back to bed and was asleep maybe 10 minutes. Then Dave woke up with Parker and my day was to start. And it didn't get any easier as the day went on: quite the opposite actually. Parker was really whiny all day and threw temper tantrum after temper tantrum. Sophie wouldn't sleep more than a few minutes either. So basically it was a huge cry fest here, myself included.
This is where I'm thankful for tandem nursing though, I have to say! I've been breastfeeding the two of them but never at the same time. I'm not sure why but I do know that whenever I'm feeding Sophie, Parker likes to destroy the house. He's been wanting to nurse much more often lately (big surprise given how moody and sensitive he's been the past few days) and with Sophie being up and unhappy I decided to try my hand at simultaneously nursing them. I got comfy on the sofa and put a pillow on each side. Then I had Parker in a cradle hold as per usual then put Sophie on top of him on the other breast. It worked magically and I wished I had started this from the beginning. It was also very sweet to look down at my two babies and Parker rubbing Sophie's back while she nursed.
So I think that's my new weapon of attack for cranky days. That and a glass of good wine at the end of the day. :)