The Skeptic in Me

It started about 8 years ago. I wanted to understand all the hype about organic foods so I read a book called To Buy or Not to Buy Organic. It really helped me get an idea of what foods are worth purchasing organic. But it was such an individual thing. A lot of it depended on the foods I was consuming daily or weekly, which could be much different than someone else's diet.

Then during my first few years of teaching, I was so enthralled to actually get to do what I've been wanting and waiting to do all of these years. As the days turned to weeks and weeks into years however, my sky-is-the-limit view of education began to narrow. It wasn't that the majority of students I worked with had special needs. And it wasn't for lack of positivity and effort from myself and the teachers around me.

2009: here comes baby #1. I was opened up to a whole new world of do's and don'ts. I quickly learned that black print on a white page was much more clear than actually living out pregnancy, labor, childbirth and mothering.

At some point I turned into a skeptic. Do I really trust and conform to what "they" are telling me is best for my diet, my students, my babies?

Could one size really fit all?

And so began the education of myself. My quest for truth. I know it sounds dramatic, but I can't help but dig beneath the surface. I don't want to be rude or disrespectful to those who "run the show" because there are many authorities and professionals who are highly qualified and well-meaning. Don't get me wrong. I just want to find the best fit for me and my family.

People deserve to be informed. And while it is our right to be informed, it is also our responsibility. It's our responsibility to take the time to do it. To chose our sources wisely. The Internet is so easy and accessible, but there's also a lot of nonsense out there. There are wonderful books, but many written with bias. Dig deep. And keep digging.

Only problem is, digging is work. Hard work. And once you do the digging, you now have a huge pile to sort though and to maybe even (gasp) apply to your life.

You might be thinking two things: "Duh." or "That sounds completely overwhelming.". Kudos to you if you're already the investigating type. I could probably learn a few things from you! And if you're so not into this idea because it sounds overwhelming, you're absolutely right. It is. But to you I ask, what if you started with just one thing? Maybe that thing that's already been in the back of your head? I think you know what I'm talking about...

And take heart, I've always been a mediocre-at-best student. I don't have it figured out. Just taking steps. This stuff can take a lifetime. But I want to be a LIFE LONG learner. I want to ask questions because I'm truly interested and I truly care. I want to make informed, prayerful decisions for myself and my family about the food we eat, the way we educate and how we approach health and medicine and more.

And here's the kicker, I want to RESPECT others who research and choose differently.

There are FAR TOO MANY judgments made, and believe me, I'm preaching to myself. I think it is sad and heartbreaking that The Mommy Wars are a "thing". We've judged and accused each other so much in the realm of parenting, there's a name for it. And it's called war? What a tragedy.

I am sorry. I'm sorry that we can put each other under a microscope. That I'VE put others under a microscope. Our stories are all written differently. Beautifully differently. What works for my family does not mean it's the "right" choice, just the best choice for us. And what works for our family does not mean it works for you. Because certainly, one size does not fit all.


*I've refrained from sharing the details about my experiences with food, education, childbirth and mothering, but if you would like to chat or hear more, feel free contact me via email or on Facebook. :)

DIY Kitchen Island

I spotted it just as the rain began. A sweet little farm house table on the side of the road waiting to be destroyed by the rain, or end up in a landfill. I couldn't pass it by.

I had been wanting a kitchen island for some time, and this seemed like it might fit the bill with a few altercations...

The first was the height. Definitely not tall enough to use as a work space in the kitchen. I know it needed to be at least counter-height, which is a standard 36 inches. With some suggestions from friends, I decided to add a shelf and legs to the bottom.

If found these 6" legs at The Home Depot. They came with a screw already in the bottom, but after

talking to one of their super-helpful employees, he suggested I use a double-headed screw to get through the half inch plywood I was using. He took out the screw for me with some tool (I think he called them chandlers?) and then put in the new, double-headed screws. Thank you Mr. Home Depot!

 For the plywood, I had the board cut slightly larger than the distance between the legs. Then I used a power drill with a bit to start a hole and I could then screw the legs in by hand.

 It definitely looked awkward at first. I brought it inside and the height was just right.

I trusted that once it was painted it wouldn't look so... unfinished.

 Now the REALLY fun part began. I had been dying to try Chalk Pain, by Annie Sloan. It's made specifically to use without having to prime or prep the surface of whatever you're working with. The only place that sells it around here is Pottsies in Levis Commons. The paint is pricey but totally worth it. I kind of want to paint all the furniture in my house with it now. It was so easy and turned out beautifully in just two coats. I also applied a protective wax coat, which gave it a bit of a matted finish and sealed it.

 I also used some white paint I had to do the trim. And I spray painted the knob on the drawer.

 When I first moved it inside in November, I hadn't yet acquired the crates and boxes

I desired for underneath.

Now, between some treasures in my father's attic and an amazing, dusty, old crate
some friends got me for my birthday, it's just what I had envisioned. 

Lessons Learned

December was lovely. Well, minus most of our family getting sick at some point. Not so lovely.

I felt like my spirit and my schedule were truly able to slow down. My soul found pleasure, joy and satisfaction in the advent of Christmas. However, what I didn't see coming, were some of the consequences that come with slowing down. For better and for worse.

Consequence- (noun) a result or effect of an act or condition.

Some of the better consequences of a slow Christmas season were less stress and more enjoyment. I stopped. I played. I had lots of extra sweet moments with my kids and with our family as a whole because I was satisfied with just being. And some of the "just being" was just being at the foot of the manger. Sharing readings and songs and conversations about the newborn King with my children. Love and excitement grew thick in our home.

One of the not-so-hot consequences of this unhurried season: not getting stuff done. It's not like I didn't get anything done. But when it came down to it, there were things I needed to let go of. Letting go is always hard for me. It was the hardest lesson I learned after my first baby and even more so when #2 came along 15 months later. Just let it go. Let the piles pile and the floor be sticky and leave the lists unfinished. So hard. But two words kept popping into my head: Do Without. We will do without. We'll just have to do without. And we did. And Christmas still came. And it was lovely. And I need to do without much more often.

While I learned to let go of some things, I also had lessons in embracing others. Back in November I shared some thoughts about gifts. And while it is still the desire of my heart to keep things minimal, I have learned I cannot and should not control the gift-giving of others. Because of divorce on both sides of the family, we celebrate 4 separate Christmases. And it's great. I love that we actually get to continue celebrating right into January and even February some years. We are blessed with beyond generous families. And for some of us, gift-giving is how we show our love. So I'm thankful for not only the pool pass and the zoo pass and the Imagination Station membership and the day at Memphis Kiddie Park we'll have this summer- those gifts of experience I desire so much for my family. But I'm also thankful for the abundance, maybe even excessive gifts poured out in love to our children. Lavish love that I dare not ask others to refrain from giving.

The Yellow Light

It's the first day of Advent. My spirit is telling me, Slow down. Proceed, but proceed with care.

I've already been feeling overwhelmed. (That's code for stressed) When to decorate? When to bake? Prepare gifts? Find sitters for the engagements we have on the calendar? And strings of holiday lights swirl into a blur around me...

This is NOT what Christmas was intended to be. A celebration- yes. And celebrations do come with preparations. But is my heart prepared? How am I going about the preparations?

My natural tendency, which I'm fighting hard not to do right now, is to pump my body full of good, strong coffee, make my lists and conquer them.

But there's this yellow light. This yearning, this urgency to lightly press the brake pedal and look from left to right. To look around. To be aware. Cautious even. If I just stay on cruise control (or let's be real- HYPER SPEED) I might miss it. Miss everything.

The past few Advent seasons I've spent some time in a book I've mentioned before. It's really stirred me to the soul. And this Advent I'm journeying along through Ann Voskamp's The Greatest Gift. I'll leave you with a snippet.

"Big and glossy and loud and fast-that's how this bent-up world turns. But God, when He comes- He shows up in this fetal ball... The mystery so large becomes the Baby so small, and the infinite God becomes infant. The Giver becomes Gift, this quiet offering. This heart beating in the chest cavity of a held child, a thrumming heart beating hope, beating change, beating love, beating the singular song you've been waiting for- that the whole dizzy planet's been spinning round waiting for. 
Waiting.
Advent.
It come from the Latin.
It means "coming"."

The Gift of Experience

I'm over the Christmas lists. Already. I have enough stuff and so do my kiddos. Don't get me wrong: we are so richly blessed and thankful for the things we have. With 4 separate sets of parents/grandparents, there is always an abundance at birthdays and Christmas. And for that I am grateful. Many times the monetary gifts we receive at Christmas will be our personal spending the rest of the year. With a tight budget of $10 a month of personal money these days, I am SURELY looking forward to some of the blessings that will be flowing our way this holiday season. Don't get me wrong.

It's just the stuff. Okay, I'm talking about toys. We've got a closet full of them downstairs and bedrooms stocked upstairs. Even a few bins in the attic that can be rotated in on a rainy day.

For the past several years, I've had this inkling to simplify. To purge. And not just to purge the excessive amount of kids' stuff in our home, but my closet, household products, etc.

But it's HARD. Especially when it comes to my closet. I like having lots of options. But I also like having a tidy, well organized closet with hangers that are neatly spaced apart from one another. If you think that's strange, I'd just like to say that I've come a long way from previously color coding and arranging from sleeveless to long sleeve. Baby steps.

So while these ideas of a simplified and more minimalistic lifestyle have been tugging at my heart, I needed to put it out there. There is something about telling others about the things living in your head that make them real. That invokes action. And maybe I'll even find some fellow sojourners along the way. I know you're out there...

Along with cutting the clutter from my heart and my home is the desire for my kids to cherish experiences and time spent with others or serving others over stuff. It's been a blast and a blessing to ask for a received gifts such as a pool pass, Imagination Station membership and Zoo membership in the past. These things are a good start. But I want to foster a love for seeking, exploring, doing and serving. I believe that these are true gifts, and deep, meaningful blessings can come from such things.

My dear friend and pseudo-mother, Laura Grace Weldon, often writes on this idea. She's onto something, has been for years. You can read about it here.

And so the question remains. Amidst my counter-cultural bend and good intentions, how do we keep gifts simple? Keep CHRISTMAS gifts simple? Please know that I am not anti gift-giving. I don't want to be a ba-humbug! Right now I'm just searching for a balance and to cut the excess. I'm looking for ideas and some friends who are along for the ride with me. Don't be shy now... :)

Quinoa- 3 Ways

I was first introduced to quinoa several years ago when we were at a neighbor's house for dinner. She used it as a side and I was intrigued by this unusual food pronounced "keen-wa". The more I found out about the health benefits (high in protein and fiber, wheat and gluten free to name a few) and its versatility, I was hooked! 

Recently I made this little dish shown below: Sweet and crunchy quinoa salad.

It. Is. So. Yummy.

I've made it lots before and kinda forgot about it. Going to have to get back to making it more often. I love having it around for lunch.

So with that said, I thought I'd share my top 3 fav quinoa recipes. They are all delightful and I hope they encourage even the most skeptical of quinoa to give 'er a whirl.

#1 Sweet and Crunch Quinoa Salad (Not sure of the original source of this recipe. My mom found it and passed it on)

1 cup quinoa (I used tri-colored organic quinoa from Trader Joe's in the pic above)
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into small cubes about the same size
3 1/2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil, divided
1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted (SUPER YUM)
4 tsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp honey
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/3 to 1/2 cup finely diced red onion

-Add the quinoa and water to medium sauce pan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer (covered) for about 15-20 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed. Remove from heat and let quinoa sit for at least one hour, preferably three, to cool.

-Preheat oven to 400 degress. Toss cubed sweet potato in about 1/2 Tbs of olive oil and spread them on a roasting pan or baking sheet. Bake for 25 mins or until you can just pierce them with a fork. Set aside.

-Place the pine nuts into a small pan over medium heat until lightly toasted, stirring often. Set aside.

-In a small bowl, place the remaining 3 Tbs olive oil, vinegar, honey, salt, pepper, cumin and cinnamon. Whisk well.

-When the quinoa is dry, use a whisk to break apart the seeds and place into a large bowl. All half the vinaigrette and mix with the whisk. Add more to taste. (I add it all) Add the sweet potatoes, toasted pine nuts, cranberries and red onion and mix gently. Serve at room temperature.

#2. Quinoa Chili (adapted from this recipe) Super flavorful, meatless option for chili.
1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
1 cup water
1 Tbs olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 or 3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbs chili powder
1 Tbs ground cumin
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
2 (19oz) can black beans rinsed and drained or 2 containers of slow cooker black beans
1 green pepper, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 small zucchini, chopped
1 tsp dried oregano
1 cup frozen corn
And toppings are always recommended: sour cream or Greek yogurt, shredded cheese, cilantro, etc.

-Add the quinoa and water to small sauce pan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer (covered) for about 15-20 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed. Remove from heat.

-Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large pot. Cook the onions and garlic until softened (about 5 mins). Add chili powder and cumin and cook for about 1 minute.

-Add tomatoes, black beans, green and red pepper, zucchini, and oregano. Simmer for about 20 minutes.

-Once the peppers are tender, add the quinoa and corn. Simmer another 5 minutes.

-Serve with desired toppings.

3. Turkey Quinoa Meatloaf  (also adapted from allrecipes.com) You won't have to worry about your meatloaf being dry with this recipe! And it's so tasty. I double it if we have guests or want leftovers. It goes quick.

1/4 cup quinoa
1/2 cup water
1.25 lbs of ground turkey
2 Tbs dried minced onion (soak in 4 Tbs. water for about 5 mins and drain off any excess water before using)
1 tsp minced garlic
1 Tbs ketchup
1 Tbs BBQ sauce (I usually just skip this and double the ketchup)
2 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper

2 Tbs brown sugar
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp water

-Add the quinoa and water to small sauce pan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer (covered) for about 15-20 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
*I've found it's best to make the quinoa ahead of time so it has ample time to cool. Sometimes if it's too warm it can throw off the temp on the meat thermometer.

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

-Stir the ground turkey, cooked quinoa, onions, ketchup, BBQ sauce, 2 Tbs Worcestershire, egg, salt and pepper in a large bowl until combined. The mixture will be very moist. Shape into a loaf on a baking stone/bar pan or a foil lined baking sheet.
*My loaf is usually short in height and wide across as opposed to tall and thick like it would be if it were cooked in a bread loaf pan.

-Combine brown sugar, Worcestershire, and water in a small bowl. Rub paste over the top of the meatloaf.

-Bake in the preheated oven until a meat thermometer reads at least 160 degrees. Center should no longer be pink. This should take around 50 minutes, but judge by the temp on the meat thermometer, not the cooking time.

-Let meatloaf cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Bon appetite!

Smoothies for Sickies

Earlier this week Millie was running a fever. It was a lower fever (101-102) and I let it burn while spending the better part of the day holding, cuddling, reading books and watching a few favorite shows with the little hot box. The next day the fever was gone and no illness actually developed. The fever did what it needed to do and fought off whatever it was fighting. The body amazes me. 

I'm a big believer that food is medicine. I often reach for the kitchen cabinet before the medicine cabinet. When we've got colds or fevers, smoothies are our go-to. 

Here are a few of our favorite (and simple) smoothie combinations when we're fighting colds.

Kale and Pineapple Smoothie  (we call this one a Crocodile Smoothie for it's awesome green color)

*modified from this Orange Pear Kale Smoothie

-about 1 cup pineapple (fresh or canned in pineapple juice, not heavy syrup)

-3 or 4 small leaves of kale (stems removed and torn into pieces)

-half a cup to 1 cup frozen peaches or mango 

*fresh pears or oranges are also really great to throw into this one

Combine all ingredients and blend until smooth. Add more liquid (water or pineapple juice, even OJ) as needed.

Strawberry, Orange, Pineapple
-about 1 cup fresh strawberries, stems removed (organic is best)
-1 orange or a few clementines or tangerines, peeled
-about one cup of fresh or canned pineapple
Combine all ingredients and blend until smooth. Add pineapple juice or orange juice if more liquid is needed.

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Smoothie (especially great for when the appetite starts to come back)

*modified from this Apple Banana Cinnamon Smoothie

-1 red apple (washed, cored and cut into chunks. Leave peel on. I use organic Gala)

-1 banana

-1/2 cup cooked steel cut oats

-1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk

-1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Combine all ingredients and blend until smooth. 

Smoothies are versatile and super kid-friendly. You can play around with the measurements, use what you have on-hand and switch up the ingredients to your personal preferences :)

*Things I like to keep around for smoothies:

-organic steel cut oats (I cook them and store them in a container in the fridge)

-frozen bananas (wait til they're good and ripe then peel, cut in half and store in a ziplock in the freezer)

-almond milk, unsweetened (great, non-dairy subsitute)

Photo credit

Interesting things I've learned about fevers:
-It's good to avoid dairy, protein, refined sugars and heavy food. It's especially helpful to avoid protein as your body needs energy for  a healthy immune response, and protein in a diet requires more energy for digestion than other foods.
-Drink water at room temperature as opposed to cold water. The body uses less energy to "heat up" tepid fluids as opposed to cold fluids.

Interesting things I've learned about colds
-It's good to avoid dairy products since they have a tendency to increase and thicken mucus.
-Onions are an awesome way to help relieve congestion in babies. I used to put a few slices of onion on a plate near the crib when my babes were stuffy. Not the greatest odor, but it works.

The information above can be found in Natural Baby and Childcare by Lauren Feder, MD and Smart Medicine fora Healthier Child by Janet Zand (N.D., L.Ac.), Robert Roundtree (M.D.), Rachel Walton (MSN, CRNP)

Both of these books do a wonderful job of describing and giving general information on the illness as well as providing conventional treatment, dietary guidelines, nutritional supplements, herbal treatments, homeopathic treatments, general recommendations and preventative methods. I appreciate the well-balanced, multi-faceted look at illness as opposed to a bunch of random and questionable advice that can come from a Google search.

As far as over-the-counter meds for kiddos, I really like Zarbee's All Natural Cough Syrup and Hyland's Homeopathic Cold 'n Cough. I've found these products at Kroger and Meijer. The kids love them and I think they help them rest better for naps and bedtime.

Would love to hear your cold season tips and tricks!


*Disclaimer: I am not a doctor or a nurse, nor do I claim to be. These are just simple, natural ways that I have found helpful  to me and my family when battling the sickies :)