We had a great day of relaxing at home with some awesome food. I tried a pomegranate balsamic glaze for the turkey from a recipe in the All You magazine. It did add a little bit of sweetness and flavor. I think it would have been better if I had just poured in on like a gravy afterwards.
The star was a brussel sprout salad with hot bacon dressing from the Southern Living Thanksgiving issue. We've never eaten brussel sprouts any other way but steamed with salt and pepper. I may have added some crumbled bacon at some point. This was rich and decadent. I could have lived without dessert after that.
I love Southern Living. It's very visually appealing. I go through most magazines and find a handful of pages I want to keep. I go through Southern Living and can only find a handful of pages that I don't want to keep. I like everything from the Southern Living magazine. I'm thinking of starting holiday boxes and keep my Thanksgiving magazine with my Thanksgiving crafts and decorations. Same with Christmas. Same with Easter. So on and so forth.
I had heard a couple ideas about Thanksgiving traditions that appealed to me. One was a Thanksgiving tree with leaves with all our blessings written on them. The other was writing our blessings on strips of paper and bring them out next year as memories. I decided to combine the two. I had a box that was about two feet high. I broke it down and cut off the flaps. On the inside, I wrote Thanksgiving vertically and drew a totem-pole looking tree as the box ended up about 6 ft long .
We sat around in a circle and wrote our blessings on construction paper leaves with the year and glued them on the tree. I folded the box back up and put it in a large ziploc storage bag. This way, if any leaves fall off then they aren't lost. I'll put this in (or beside or under) my Thanksgiving box . We can bring it out each Thanksgiving and add blessings for that year.
Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours!
Thursday, November 27, 2014
Wednesday, November 26, 2014
Culinary efforts and results
Yesterday turned into a leftover day instead of red beans and rice. My red beans and rice keep getting postponed. I meant to do it last week but I didn't realize that we were out of worchestershire sauce and that gives my recipe a distinctive flavor. Definitely wouldn't have tasted the same. I have successfully substituted Country Bob's all-purpose sauce but I was out of that too. Heaven help us! Groceries don't last too long in this house.
So last week, I made chili (replacing the red beans and rice) and Cuban black beans. Both were served with cornbread. I'm getting back to using yogurt in a lot of things. I'm almost through my second batch. Make your cornbread as you normally would but replace the milk with yogurt diluted with water so that it is the consistency of milk. It makes a lighter, moister cornbread. I guess buttermilk would work similarly. My husband noticed the difference right away and complemented the cornbread as he was getting seconds.
I did make the Baked Blooming Apple on Monday. It was delicious. It called for a bit of flour so I used teff. Teff is an awesome flour that gives almost a chocolatey taste. It is used in cookies and desserts and it adds nutrition like protein and iron. As I was whipping up some homemade whipped cream, I thought, "Oh no, dairy!" I hadn't even thought about it. But it didn't bother me. I don't know if it is the amount that is the problem or certain ingredients in some dairy products or what. Food sensitivities are so baffling. But I'm learning the homemade stuff rarely bothers me and the processed and take-out stuff often does.
The biggest success has been the Boston Butt. I had some Weber seasoning Garlic and herb that needed to be used up. I figured that a lot of my spices were in it so I mixed that with some chili seasoning and brown sugar. I dry rubbed the meat the night before. It was so big so I ended up putting it in an ice cream bucket and covering the top with a ziploc bag.
In the morning, I put it in my Bella slow cooker with a couple sliced onions and a cup of chicken stock. I think my slow cooker is one of my best-ever purchases. It is 16 or 18 qt. It was a returned item that has a big dent on the side but it still works. I figured that was a sign that it could take a licking and keep on ticking. It is so versatile. It works while I'm busy with schooling, errands, and such. I can't find it on their website but Rival has a similar one.
It cooked at 275 degrees for about 8 hours. I shredded it and used Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce although several of us were eating it plain. John Micah was about having a temper tantrum to have some more so we ended up eating supper at about 4pm. It was a huge bowl of meat. The meat was over 10lbs raw and cost $18. I imagine removing the bone and fatty portion ended up shaving a couple pounds. Let's say that we conservatively have 7 lbs of cooked meat.
Homemade pulled pork - $18 plus maybe a couple dollars for spices and onions
Dickey's pulled pork at $12 lb x 7 lbs - $84
Savings = over $60
Now, we love Dickey's! Especially their kids-eat-free Sundays and free ice cream. We make mini coke or root beer floats in the barbecue sauce bowls. Their brisket is awesome! My son even requested his birthday party to be there. In fact, we may eat there the Sunday before Christmas so that I can keep the fridge clear for a thawing ham and other fixings. But nice to be able to create some of that flavor easily at home! I think I will have to try brisket again. I've made it once. Pretty good but not quite as memorable as the Boston Butt.
Sunday night, I put a whole chicken in the slow cooker with apple cider vinegar, salt and pepper. It roasted til the next afternoon. I scooped out some of the bone broth into a smaller crockpot. I worried the carrots and onions wouldn't get soft while we were gone to taekwondo class so I sauteed them. I also added some frozen peas with some of the shredded chicken breast. This was some of the absolute best chicken soup. So flavorful!
I've developed a theory of why we use so much cheese. Slow cooking and using whole pieces of meat lend fat and flavor to our meals. Using boneless, skinless low-fat everything has removed a lot of fat and flavor. So we add fat and flavor back in the form of cheese. I thought I couldn't make it a week without cheese but I'm finding myself craving it less and less.
I'm enjoying cooking a lot more. The baby is getting bigger and more independent. I'm not seeing it as a chore that I would much rather someone else do for me. Now, I will gladly take a dish washer. Monday night, the kitchen was a mess. We had relaxed a lot Sunday and ran errands a lot Monday so the dishes were piled up terribly. But the kitchen can look so much worse in my head than it really is. It was a mess Saturday morning after a busy day Friday. Stuff was all over the floor and the dishes seemed so piled up. I assumed it would take a couple hours to get it done. I put on some peppy music and decided to tackle what I could before taekwondo class. I got the kids to pick up the floor. I unloaded and loaded the dishwasher. I washed the stones and sippy cups by hand. I wiped down the counters and swiffered the floor. Guess how long it took! A total of 14 minutes! And it wasn't even a full load in the dishwasher cause I had to add the coffee pot and kettle to make it worth starting. Very motivating because that afternoon, I got a lot of cleaning done in the house. Sometimes, getting started is the biggest part of the battle.
So last week, I made chili (replacing the red beans and rice) and Cuban black beans. Both were served with cornbread. I'm getting back to using yogurt in a lot of things. I'm almost through my second batch. Make your cornbread as you normally would but replace the milk with yogurt diluted with water so that it is the consistency of milk. It makes a lighter, moister cornbread. I guess buttermilk would work similarly. My husband noticed the difference right away and complemented the cornbread as he was getting seconds.
I did make the Baked Blooming Apple on Monday. It was delicious. It called for a bit of flour so I used teff. Teff is an awesome flour that gives almost a chocolatey taste. It is used in cookies and desserts and it adds nutrition like protein and iron. As I was whipping up some homemade whipped cream, I thought, "Oh no, dairy!" I hadn't even thought about it. But it didn't bother me. I don't know if it is the amount that is the problem or certain ingredients in some dairy products or what. Food sensitivities are so baffling. But I'm learning the homemade stuff rarely bothers me and the processed and take-out stuff often does.
The biggest success has been the Boston Butt. I had some Weber seasoning Garlic and herb that needed to be used up. I figured that a lot of my spices were in it so I mixed that with some chili seasoning and brown sugar. I dry rubbed the meat the night before. It was so big so I ended up putting it in an ice cream bucket and covering the top with a ziploc bag.
In the morning, I put it in my Bella slow cooker with a couple sliced onions and a cup of chicken stock. I think my slow cooker is one of my best-ever purchases. It is 16 or 18 qt. It was a returned item that has a big dent on the side but it still works. I figured that was a sign that it could take a licking and keep on ticking. It is so versatile. It works while I'm busy with schooling, errands, and such. I can't find it on their website but Rival has a similar one.
It cooked at 275 degrees for about 8 hours. I shredded it and used Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce although several of us were eating it plain. John Micah was about having a temper tantrum to have some more so we ended up eating supper at about 4pm. It was a huge bowl of meat. The meat was over 10lbs raw and cost $18. I imagine removing the bone and fatty portion ended up shaving a couple pounds. Let's say that we conservatively have 7 lbs of cooked meat.
Homemade pulled pork - $18 plus maybe a couple dollars for spices and onions
Dickey's pulled pork at $12 lb x 7 lbs - $84
Savings = over $60
Now, we love Dickey's! Especially their kids-eat-free Sundays and free ice cream. We make mini coke or root beer floats in the barbecue sauce bowls. Their brisket is awesome! My son even requested his birthday party to be there. In fact, we may eat there the Sunday before Christmas so that I can keep the fridge clear for a thawing ham and other fixings. But nice to be able to create some of that flavor easily at home! I think I will have to try brisket again. I've made it once. Pretty good but not quite as memorable as the Boston Butt.
Sunday night, I put a whole chicken in the slow cooker with apple cider vinegar, salt and pepper. It roasted til the next afternoon. I scooped out some of the bone broth into a smaller crockpot. I worried the carrots and onions wouldn't get soft while we were gone to taekwondo class so I sauteed them. I also added some frozen peas with some of the shredded chicken breast. This was some of the absolute best chicken soup. So flavorful!
I've developed a theory of why we use so much cheese. Slow cooking and using whole pieces of meat lend fat and flavor to our meals. Using boneless, skinless low-fat everything has removed a lot of fat and flavor. So we add fat and flavor back in the form of cheese. I thought I couldn't make it a week without cheese but I'm finding myself craving it less and less.
I'm enjoying cooking a lot more. The baby is getting bigger and more independent. I'm not seeing it as a chore that I would much rather someone else do for me. Now, I will gladly take a dish washer. Monday night, the kitchen was a mess. We had relaxed a lot Sunday and ran errands a lot Monday so the dishes were piled up terribly. But the kitchen can look so much worse in my head than it really is. It was a mess Saturday morning after a busy day Friday. Stuff was all over the floor and the dishes seemed so piled up. I assumed it would take a couple hours to get it done. I put on some peppy music and decided to tackle what I could before taekwondo class. I got the kids to pick up the floor. I unloaded and loaded the dishwasher. I washed the stones and sippy cups by hand. I wiped down the counters and swiffered the floor. Guess how long it took! A total of 14 minutes! And it wasn't even a full load in the dishwasher cause I had to add the coffee pot and kettle to make it worth starting. Very motivating because that afternoon, I got a lot of cleaning done in the house. Sometimes, getting started is the biggest part of the battle.
Tuesday, November 25, 2014
The Stop rule
I've been reading this book Home Improvement little by little and I wanted to share a success that I've had with it.
One of the issues was refereeing little squabbles which often resulted from one wanting to stop doing something the other was doing or pestering to start doing something that the other didn't want to do. So I explained to the older boys that we respect each other and because of that, when one says, "Stop" then the other must stop. No matter what! I still had to remind them to use Stop instead of tattling but by this past Sunday, I realized that they totally grasped the concept. A simple reminder of "He said stop" was all it took to end the confrontation. No listening to both sides and being judge and jury. Not only that, but Katie Rose was understanding it. She even used it when she thought the boys' play was getting too rough.
This is so valuable for several reasons.
1) It teaches respect for others. Your sibling isn't there to do whatever you want. You have to respect their wishes.
2) It teaches self-control. I watched one of my most rambunctious kids immediately somber up and stop. That is awesome. I wasn't sure that was even possible.
3) It's empowering. They don't have to put up with anything from anyone. Use their voice and it is respected.
I am definitely going to have to finish this book. It's one that works in the trenches!
One of the issues was refereeing little squabbles which often resulted from one wanting to stop doing something the other was doing or pestering to start doing something that the other didn't want to do. So I explained to the older boys that we respect each other and because of that, when one says, "Stop" then the other must stop. No matter what! I still had to remind them to use Stop instead of tattling but by this past Sunday, I realized that they totally grasped the concept. A simple reminder of "He said stop" was all it took to end the confrontation. No listening to both sides and being judge and jury. Not only that, but Katie Rose was understanding it. She even used it when she thought the boys' play was getting too rough.
This is so valuable for several reasons.
1) It teaches respect for others. Your sibling isn't there to do whatever you want. You have to respect their wishes.
2) It teaches self-control. I watched one of my most rambunctious kids immediately somber up and stop. That is awesome. I wasn't sure that was even possible.
3) It's empowering. They don't have to put up with anything from anyone. Use their voice and it is respected.
I am definitely going to have to finish this book. It's one that works in the trenches!
Monday, November 24, 2014
Lesson plans Nov 24-26
Religion
Since it's a short week, I think we will stick with just some Bible stories before starting our Advent reading.
I need to go through my plans for Advent so that we're ready to start.
Science
Look through all the robotic parts that we have ordered and see if we have everything. David has watched most of the videos but James and I need to go through them as well so that we know what we are doing.
Math
Khan Academy
Latin
Continue Lesson IX
Language Arts
Spelling lists
History
Famous Men of Greece (goal of two chapters)
Thanksgiving history (continue)
Piano
Practice 3 x a week
PE
Taekwondo (2x for Katie Rose and 3x for David and James)
Art
Knitting and rubberband loom bracelets
Memory work
Homeschool Advantage
Our morning offering
Cub Scout requirements
Literature
The Aeneid (try to finish up this book - still working on it...It's the book that will not end!!! But it's incredibly interesting. I'm tempted to read ahead of the boys to see how it ends since this is my first time reading it as well. I want to see the movie. They did make one in 1962. Maybe they could recreate it and Gerard Butler could play Aeneas. That's who Aeneas looks like in my imagination)
The Hobbit (goal of 9 pgs)
Phonics
All about Spelling
More Starfall
Preschool
The littles will join in every chance they get with the older boys.
Pilgrim and Indian crafts and activities continued
Since it's a short week, I think we will stick with just some Bible stories before starting our Advent reading.
I need to go through my plans for Advent so that we're ready to start.
Science
Look through all the robotic parts that we have ordered and see if we have everything. David has watched most of the videos but James and I need to go through them as well so that we know what we are doing.
Math
Khan Academy
Latin
Continue Lesson IX
Language Arts
Spelling lists
History
Famous Men of Greece (goal of two chapters)
Thanksgiving history (continue)
Piano
Practice 3 x a week
PE
Taekwondo (2x for Katie Rose and 3x for David and James)
Art
Knitting and rubberband loom bracelets
Memory work
Homeschool Advantage
Our morning offering
Cub Scout requirements
Literature
The Aeneid (try to finish up this book - still working on it...It's the book that will not end!!! But it's incredibly interesting. I'm tempted to read ahead of the boys to see how it ends since this is my first time reading it as well. I want to see the movie. They did make one in 1962. Maybe they could recreate it and Gerard Butler could play Aeneas. That's who Aeneas looks like in my imagination)
The Hobbit (goal of 9 pgs)
Phonics
All about Spelling
More Starfall
Preschool
The littles will join in every chance they get with the older boys.
Pilgrim and Indian crafts and activities continued
Sunday, November 23, 2014
Menu plan Nov 11/23-11/30
Prepping for Thanksgiving!
I start out each menu planning session by checking the grocery stores for the best meat deals. I found that Winn Dixie had shank hams for $1.99/lb and Boston Butt for $1.77/lb. Ground beef was $3.99/lb on sale. Sigh!
I much prefer beef and poultry to pork. I read a couple books several years ago about the clean and unclean meats. I didn't believe that it was necessarily a sin to eat pork. But I felt that Peter's vision had more to do with Gentiles than meat and God didn't make up rules for the Israelites just to jump through hoops. The science backed up that the unclean meats are absolutely more toxic. Pigs are scavengers. Shrimp will purify the water. I grew up going to Red Lobster. Now I can't stand the smell of shrimp.
But I've backed off pork a bit. I still often get beef brisket at a bbq place. I will take a roast on sale over a ham if available. But I decided that refusing pork wasn't worth breaking fellowship over and let's face it, pork is served a lot in the south. And buying a ham over a roast when it's on sale is the difference between my growing boys getting second helpings or not. And let's face it, we're pretty maxed out on poultry.
So anyhow, this week I went over budget to purchase some holiday baking ingredients at Sam's + 2 Boston Butts and 2 shank hams at Winn Dixie. I also bought a bucket load of sweet potatoes that were $0.48/lb. The grand total reached $270. So I made out a plan to use 1 big cut of meat a week along with some things in the pantry and freezer. My budget for the next six weeks will be $50 per week for milk, produce, etc excluding the ingredients for Christmas dinner (but we already have our ham!) and our Jesse tea.
I also needed a little more predictability to my schedule. The sourdough schedule changing from day to day is confusing and I've lost track a couple times. So I'm going to make a code like FS#1 for Feed Starter #1 and MD for mix dough. And put the menu plan on the white board in the kitchen. So I can see at a glance what I need to do and when I need to do it.
Sunday will be our big meat day with the exception of the Sunday after Thanksgiving and Christmas when we'll probably not have room in the fridge to cook another big meat.
Monday will be soup day.
Tuesday will be eggs (omelets, frittatas, quiches, breakfast burritoes). Tuesdays are one of the later nights at Taekwondo so a quick egg meal will be helpful to getting a meal on the table quick.
Wednesday will be homemade sourdough pizza night. Everybody loves it. This is a great meal that doesn't add leftovers to the fridge and breaks up the leftovers a bit.
Thursday will be a bean dish(red beans and rice, chili, Cuban black beans and white bean and kale soup). Thursday is our latest night at Taekwondo so something simple in the crockpot is essential. Since both Thanksgiving and Christmas is on Thursday, the bean dish will be moved to Tuesday on those weeks.
Friday will be salmon or pancakes. I've been wanting to do the blender pancakes for breakfast but I can't seem to remember to start it the night before and it really doesn't work with our habit of everyone getting up at different times. I really should start waking up early but as we're recovering from this latest cold, I figure that sleep is more important than a particular breakfast.
My plans for breakfast are not always coming together. So I think I'm going to simplify for all breakfast except Sunday (and Christmas) which will either be cinnamon rolls or pomegranate oatmeal. *Tip- definitely buy pomegranates at Sams. Some grocery stores have them at 3.99 each. Sams has them in a pack of four for less than $8. 50% savings!* The rest of the week, we will have options of cereal, fruit and hard boiled eggs. My growing kids need plenty of protein. Hard boiled eggs keeps it easy for them to grab as they wake up.
Lunch will pretty much always be leftovers. This uses up the odds and ends in the fridge and it keeps us from disrupting our school day.
Snacks will be kefir and/or fruit in the mornings and yogurt/fruit/smoothies/maybe a few holiday cookies in the afternoon
So my plan today will only be suppers with the exception of Thursday which will probably be served at lunch with leftovers for supper.
Sunday
BBQ/Baked Beans/roasted asparagus - I dry rubbed the pork last night and put it in the slow cooker this morning on a bed of onions. Asparagus has been on sale a lot lately. I get the skinny stems and roast them in a 9x13 pan with a splash of red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. James eats them like candy!
Monday
Chicken soup - I bought a whole chicken that will go in the slow cooker Sunday evening as soon as we get the BBQ out. I will save some of the shredded chicken for tacos on Saturday.
Bloomin' Baked Apples I usually don't get too hung up on a particular brand of apple but this recipe called for Honeycrisp and wouldn't you know, they had them on sale at Sams plus a tasting cart for us to try them out before buying them. Totally looking forward to this!
Tuesday
Red Beans and Rice with cornbread
Wednesday
Pizza with salad (maybe Broccoli Grape Slaw)
Thursday
Turkey
cranberry sauce
sourdough rolls
brussel sprouts
sweet potato casserole
Ritz crackers and peanut butter sandwiches covered in white almond bark (Totally not healthy but it's tradition from my grandmother. When I talked to my husband about my ideas for healthier eating and my plan to not make any extremely restrictive plans til after the holidays, he said, "Oh good, so I can still have almond bark candy!")
Friday
Supposed to be at a family get-together but it's still up in the air with a couple of us still coughing and sniffling. If we end up having to stay home, we'll have crabby patties (salmon croquettes), mac and cheese and biscuits. Mike hates this meal (and the smell) because he dislikes most fish but it's Black Friday and he's a retail manager so he's probably working late this day anyhow.
Saturday
Chicken tacos with refried beans (If I do make it to MS, I'll need to remember to leave the beans dry in the crockpot and ask Mike to cover them with water and start them on low before he leaves for work)
Sunday
Turkey cornbread dressing
and Sourdough beignets for supper
I start out each menu planning session by checking the grocery stores for the best meat deals. I found that Winn Dixie had shank hams for $1.99/lb and Boston Butt for $1.77/lb. Ground beef was $3.99/lb on sale. Sigh!
I much prefer beef and poultry to pork. I read a couple books several years ago about the clean and unclean meats. I didn't believe that it was necessarily a sin to eat pork. But I felt that Peter's vision had more to do with Gentiles than meat and God didn't make up rules for the Israelites just to jump through hoops. The science backed up that the unclean meats are absolutely more toxic. Pigs are scavengers. Shrimp will purify the water. I grew up going to Red Lobster. Now I can't stand the smell of shrimp.
But I've backed off pork a bit. I still often get beef brisket at a bbq place. I will take a roast on sale over a ham if available. But I decided that refusing pork wasn't worth breaking fellowship over and let's face it, pork is served a lot in the south. And buying a ham over a roast when it's on sale is the difference between my growing boys getting second helpings or not. And let's face it, we're pretty maxed out on poultry.
So anyhow, this week I went over budget to purchase some holiday baking ingredients at Sam's + 2 Boston Butts and 2 shank hams at Winn Dixie. I also bought a bucket load of sweet potatoes that were $0.48/lb. The grand total reached $270. So I made out a plan to use 1 big cut of meat a week along with some things in the pantry and freezer. My budget for the next six weeks will be $50 per week for milk, produce, etc excluding the ingredients for Christmas dinner (but we already have our ham!) and our Jesse tea.
I also needed a little more predictability to my schedule. The sourdough schedule changing from day to day is confusing and I've lost track a couple times. So I'm going to make a code like FS#1 for Feed Starter #1 and MD for mix dough. And put the menu plan on the white board in the kitchen. So I can see at a glance what I need to do and when I need to do it.
Sunday will be our big meat day with the exception of the Sunday after Thanksgiving and Christmas when we'll probably not have room in the fridge to cook another big meat.
Monday will be soup day.
Tuesday will be eggs (omelets, frittatas, quiches, breakfast burritoes). Tuesdays are one of the later nights at Taekwondo so a quick egg meal will be helpful to getting a meal on the table quick.
Wednesday will be homemade sourdough pizza night. Everybody loves it. This is a great meal that doesn't add leftovers to the fridge and breaks up the leftovers a bit.
Thursday will be a bean dish(red beans and rice, chili, Cuban black beans and white bean and kale soup). Thursday is our latest night at Taekwondo so something simple in the crockpot is essential. Since both Thanksgiving and Christmas is on Thursday, the bean dish will be moved to Tuesday on those weeks.
Friday will be salmon or pancakes. I've been wanting to do the blender pancakes for breakfast but I can't seem to remember to start it the night before and it really doesn't work with our habit of everyone getting up at different times. I really should start waking up early but as we're recovering from this latest cold, I figure that sleep is more important than a particular breakfast.
My plans for breakfast are not always coming together. So I think I'm going to simplify for all breakfast except Sunday (and Christmas) which will either be cinnamon rolls or pomegranate oatmeal. *Tip- definitely buy pomegranates at Sams. Some grocery stores have them at 3.99 each. Sams has them in a pack of four for less than $8. 50% savings!* The rest of the week, we will have options of cereal, fruit and hard boiled eggs. My growing kids need plenty of protein. Hard boiled eggs keeps it easy for them to grab as they wake up.
Lunch will pretty much always be leftovers. This uses up the odds and ends in the fridge and it keeps us from disrupting our school day.
Snacks will be kefir and/or fruit in the mornings and yogurt/fruit/smoothies/maybe a few holiday cookies in the afternoon
So my plan today will only be suppers with the exception of Thursday which will probably be served at lunch with leftovers for supper.
Sunday
BBQ/Baked Beans/roasted asparagus - I dry rubbed the pork last night and put it in the slow cooker this morning on a bed of onions. Asparagus has been on sale a lot lately. I get the skinny stems and roast them in a 9x13 pan with a splash of red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. James eats them like candy!
Monday
Chicken soup - I bought a whole chicken that will go in the slow cooker Sunday evening as soon as we get the BBQ out. I will save some of the shredded chicken for tacos on Saturday.
Bloomin' Baked Apples I usually don't get too hung up on a particular brand of apple but this recipe called for Honeycrisp and wouldn't you know, they had them on sale at Sams plus a tasting cart for us to try them out before buying them. Totally looking forward to this!
Tuesday
Red Beans and Rice with cornbread
Wednesday
Pizza with salad (maybe Broccoli Grape Slaw)
Thursday
Turkey
cranberry sauce
sourdough rolls
brussel sprouts
sweet potato casserole
Ritz crackers and peanut butter sandwiches covered in white almond bark (Totally not healthy but it's tradition from my grandmother. When I talked to my husband about my ideas for healthier eating and my plan to not make any extremely restrictive plans til after the holidays, he said, "Oh good, so I can still have almond bark candy!")
Friday
Supposed to be at a family get-together but it's still up in the air with a couple of us still coughing and sniffling. If we end up having to stay home, we'll have crabby patties (salmon croquettes), mac and cheese and biscuits. Mike hates this meal (and the smell) because he dislikes most fish but it's Black Friday and he's a retail manager so he's probably working late this day anyhow.
Saturday
Chicken tacos with refried beans (If I do make it to MS, I'll need to remember to leave the beans dry in the crockpot and ask Mike to cover them with water and start them on low before he leaves for work)
Sunday
Turkey cornbread dressing
and Sourdough beignets for supper
Saturday, November 22, 2014
Home Depot workshops
I've signed the kids up for the next two workshops.
November 29th will be a Give and Save Bank Workshop. This is a very clever idea for the holiday season. In our consumer-focused society, we need ideas to keep us focused on giving to other and saving for the future.
December 6th will be Holiday Yard Stakes. This looks like one where painting will be a major part of the activity so definitely old clothes! But how fun! They'll be making art to display in the yard for the holidays.
One perk of Home Depot workshops is the metal pins to attach to their aprons instead of patches that need to be sewn on since the iron-on is not always reliable.
November 29th will be a Give and Save Bank Workshop. This is a very clever idea for the holiday season. In our consumer-focused society, we need ideas to keep us focused on giving to other and saving for the future.
December 6th will be Holiday Yard Stakes. This looks like one where painting will be a major part of the activity so definitely old clothes! But how fun! They'll be making art to display in the yard for the holidays.
One perk of Home Depot workshops is the metal pins to attach to their aprons instead of patches that need to be sewn on since the iron-on is not always reliable.
Friday, November 21, 2014
Science center
I seem to have an aversion to clear surfaces. There was one bookshelf that has been piled up ever since we moved here. I am inspired by my thoughts, "Remember the purpose and keep it free for that purpose." It's helping in the kitchen. So why not give each surface a specific purpose so that we will be inspired to keep it functioning for that purpose.
So I decided to make this small two shelf bookshelf into a science center. I put in the Science Labs that we made at the Lowe's Build and Grow workshop, goggles, a calculator, a handheld microscope, binoculars, a bug house, etc. I've already thought of a handful of items to add like rulers, small containers, snack bags for gathering leaves and things to study, etc. The boys thought to add a journal for documenting their scientific pursuits.
I included some 3D glasses since some of their animal books use 3D glasses. I won't drag out every book right now but as we use any science books, we'll put them away in this bookshelf. That will make it a complete science center.
They spent nearly two hours watching birds, studying leaves, making leaf prints, looking at mushrooms under the microscope and more. They were totally inspired and directing their own study. Awesome! They are also loving the preschool activity center which we may need to call the art center since the older boys are just as enthused over it. Even though they could have reached the paper and other items before, having it organized in one space had them up this morning spending another couple hours at the table doing paper crafts along with their loom bracelets. The older boys were so lost in their activities that they didn't eat breakfast til nearly 10am. I did manage a spelling and Latin test in the middle of their pursuits. Yesterday was the most student-led school day we have had and that's where impactful learning will occur.
Happy learning!
So I decided to make this small two shelf bookshelf into a science center. I put in the Science Labs that we made at the Lowe's Build and Grow workshop, goggles, a calculator, a handheld microscope, binoculars, a bug house, etc. I've already thought of a handful of items to add like rulers, small containers, snack bags for gathering leaves and things to study, etc. The boys thought to add a journal for documenting their scientific pursuits.
I included some 3D glasses since some of their animal books use 3D glasses. I won't drag out every book right now but as we use any science books, we'll put them away in this bookshelf. That will make it a complete science center.
They spent nearly two hours watching birds, studying leaves, making leaf prints, looking at mushrooms under the microscope and more. They were totally inspired and directing their own study. Awesome! They are also loving the preschool activity center which we may need to call the art center since the older boys are just as enthused over it. Even though they could have reached the paper and other items before, having it organized in one space had them up this morning spending another couple hours at the table doing paper crafts along with their loom bracelets. The older boys were so lost in their activities that they didn't eat breakfast til nearly 10am. I did manage a spelling and Latin test in the middle of their pursuits. Yesterday was the most student-led school day we have had and that's where impactful learning will occur.
Happy learning!
Thursday, November 20, 2014
Tea light heater
I watched this video about making a tea light heater last winter and thought it was a fascinating project to do with the boys. With 20 degree temps (In November!), this was a perfect week to try it out.
It provided a great opportunity to discuss how heat moves and what makes a good heater work. I found this kids science website with info on terms and ideas to discuss.
I put it on our bar and used it for the two coldest days this week. We spend much of our time in the kitchen and dining/school room and it did help make these rooms a bit toastier. One day, I had to turn the furnace temp down and the next, it took the chill off the air so I didn't need to turn the heat up. It couldn't heat a whole house unsupported but in a bad ice storm, should the electricity get shut down, it could heat a room modestly. David pointed out that putting it into a glass loaf pan also made it a source of light as well. Dual purpose!
It provided a great opportunity to discuss how heat moves and what makes a good heater work. I found this kids science website with info on terms and ideas to discuss.
I put it on our bar and used it for the two coldest days this week. We spend much of our time in the kitchen and dining/school room and it did help make these rooms a bit toastier. One day, I had to turn the furnace temp down and the next, it took the chill off the air so I didn't need to turn the heat up. It couldn't heat a whole house unsupported but in a bad ice storm, should the electricity get shut down, it could heat a room modestly. David pointed out that putting it into a glass loaf pan also made it a source of light as well. Dual purpose!
Wednesday, November 19, 2014
A new standard
I find myself spending more and more time in the kitchen. It's becoming my sanctuary. It's the cleanest room in the house. So I spend extra time wiping counters and sweeping up crumbs to keep it that way. And I'm catching all the messes the boys make much quicker and making them fix it. I had no idea how many times in a day that they leave something out or put it in the wrong place or halfway clean up a mess.
And it's not their fault. This is unfortunately the standard that I have created. That I have been accustomed to. I've spent so much time working on clutter and routines hoping that at some point I get things pared down and scheduled enough to be able to keep the whole house clean and organized. But it always seems to eventually revert back to a disorganized chaos.
Now with a cleaner space that must stay clean to function properly, I wonder if I could apply the same thing to the whole house a little at a time until it is all held to a new standard. The older boys and I will have to break some habits. But if the younger three grow up in the new standard, we'll be less likely to go back to a mess.
So I moved out from the kitchen and created a preschool activity center that the children can access themselves but that must have only one thing out at a time. I've asked the older boys to help me catch the little ones if they drag out more than one thing at a time. I've been keeping these boxes in an office box and the little ones are accustomed to only one thing at a time so this shouldn't be a problem. The extra independence will be given cautiously so that the standard remains high.
I've cleaned all boxes and what nots out of the bar area. I have two large appliances (a convection toaster oven and a slow cooker) that I can't have on the counters all the time. I have one box for things that need to go to the van or shed and one box for things that need to go to the thrift store.
I'm keeping one notebook with my menu plan on one page and my lesson plans on the back of that page. I turned to the back and started a list of standards to keep it the way I want it to stay. The babysteps for health are working so well because it's tailored to our health issues, personal tastes and lifestyle. It's personal. The same thing should work better for keeping a new standard in our home. I'm not starting with a shiny sink like Flylady or some other plan. I'm starting with what works in our home.
1) Stay on top of the dishes - Unload the dishwasher even if there isn't a full load waiting to go in. In my mind, it has seemed more efficient that I unload and load at the same time. But having an empty dishwasher for dishes to go in keeps the counters and sink clear and prevents messes from piling up quickly. And honestly, it's not going to be long before I have a full load anyhow.
2) Keep dishcloth draped over the middle of the sink when not in use - This way, the family all know where the clean dishcloth is and we're not going through two or more a day. I can make sure we have a fresh dishcloth. And it's not wadded up in the bottom of the sink where the sippy cup of milk is dripping and making it sour.
3)Keep towel draped over the oven handle - Again, everyone will know where it is. I can keep it fresh and accessible.
4) Toys kept off the kitchen floor - It's a dangerous place to play anyhow. And I find myself postponing sweeping because we haven't picked up yet.
5) All non-essentials kept off the countertops - I've established what each counter is for and we need that space clear to do the work that needs to be done. So ingredients and most appliances need to be in their cabinet and pantry space. Dirty dishes need to be in the dishwasher or sink.
6) Bar area kept neat with nothing on or underneath the stools - I am a guilty party here of dropping my purse or coat or mail in this area. This is a great area for the boys to do schoolwork and help with kitchen tasks. Remember the purpose and keep it available for that purpose.
7) Preschool activity center kept orderly with only one thing out at a time - I found these boxes severely discounted at Dollar General. I don't think I paid more than $3 for 10 of them. I put in activity sheets, colorful math manipulatives, pompoms, felt squares, threading activities, foam stickers, puzzles, construction paper, etc. I can change out the activities. Right now I have some fall foam stickers. I have some Christmas stickers waiting to go in at the beginning of Advent.
And it's not their fault. This is unfortunately the standard that I have created. That I have been accustomed to. I've spent so much time working on clutter and routines hoping that at some point I get things pared down and scheduled enough to be able to keep the whole house clean and organized. But it always seems to eventually revert back to a disorganized chaos.
Now with a cleaner space that must stay clean to function properly, I wonder if I could apply the same thing to the whole house a little at a time until it is all held to a new standard. The older boys and I will have to break some habits. But if the younger three grow up in the new standard, we'll be less likely to go back to a mess.
So I moved out from the kitchen and created a preschool activity center that the children can access themselves but that must have only one thing out at a time. I've asked the older boys to help me catch the little ones if they drag out more than one thing at a time. I've been keeping these boxes in an office box and the little ones are accustomed to only one thing at a time so this shouldn't be a problem. The extra independence will be given cautiously so that the standard remains high.
I've cleaned all boxes and what nots out of the bar area. I have two large appliances (a convection toaster oven and a slow cooker) that I can't have on the counters all the time. I have one box for things that need to go to the van or shed and one box for things that need to go to the thrift store.
I'm keeping one notebook with my menu plan on one page and my lesson plans on the back of that page. I turned to the back and started a list of standards to keep it the way I want it to stay. The babysteps for health are working so well because it's tailored to our health issues, personal tastes and lifestyle. It's personal. The same thing should work better for keeping a new standard in our home. I'm not starting with a shiny sink like Flylady or some other plan. I'm starting with what works in our home.
1) Stay on top of the dishes - Unload the dishwasher even if there isn't a full load waiting to go in. In my mind, it has seemed more efficient that I unload and load at the same time. But having an empty dishwasher for dishes to go in keeps the counters and sink clear and prevents messes from piling up quickly. And honestly, it's not going to be long before I have a full load anyhow.
2) Keep dishcloth draped over the middle of the sink when not in use - This way, the family all know where the clean dishcloth is and we're not going through two or more a day. I can make sure we have a fresh dishcloth. And it's not wadded up in the bottom of the sink where the sippy cup of milk is dripping and making it sour.
3)Keep towel draped over the oven handle - Again, everyone will know where it is. I can keep it fresh and accessible.
5) All non-essentials kept off the countertops - I've established what each counter is for and we need that space clear to do the work that needs to be done. So ingredients and most appliances need to be in their cabinet and pantry space. Dirty dishes need to be in the dishwasher or sink.
6) Bar area kept neat with nothing on or underneath the stools - I am a guilty party here of dropping my purse or coat or mail in this area. This is a great area for the boys to do schoolwork and help with kitchen tasks. Remember the purpose and keep it available for that purpose.
7) Preschool activity center kept orderly with only one thing out at a time - I found these boxes severely discounted at Dollar General. I don't think I paid more than $3 for 10 of them. I put in activity sheets, colorful math manipulatives, pompoms, felt squares, threading activities, foam stickers, puzzles, construction paper, etc. I can change out the activities. Right now I have some fall foam stickers. I have some Christmas stickers waiting to go in at the beginning of Advent.
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
Overwhelmed and underprepared
Overwhelmed and underprepared......this is where bad decisions are made.
Last week, I had planned the menu pretty well for everyone but myself. I had dental work on Tuesday and needed to eat soft foods. I had soup but I wanted something else. If I had frozen fruit in the freezer, I would have made a smoothie. Instead, I tried to think of an easy way for my husband to get me something more to eat without having to get all the kids out again. So I asked him for a milkshake.
BIG mistake....dairy (non-fermented dairy) and I are becoming increasingly hostile. I spent the rest of the day bent over with intestinal cramps. A little more preparation and a bag of frozen fruit would have made a completely different story.
Later in the week, I had fought my best against this cold but it still was making the majority of us feel a bit rotten. I was watching a college football game and seriously considering take out for supper. But I had a plan for supper. I had even done part of the prep work. Might as well cook what was planned. I may have been a bit overwhelmed with the cold but preparation made all the difference.
The worst day of the cold was yesterday. I felt so cold and achy that I was seriously considering a flu test. I feel better today so I guess it was just a rotten cold. That morning, I followed through with getting my savory meat mix into the slow cooker. Mike took off half the day to help me out and was able to put together supper by just scooping some savory mix out of the slow cooker and adding some taco seasoning. I had mixed up the sourdough that morning so all I had to do that evening was divide it into three loaf pans to keep rising and we had breakfast ready to bake this morning. I had even started the yogurt fermenting despite it all.
Things happen and I can't always account for every issue that may arise. But meal planning is keeping us out of the drivethru. I can't always count on not feeling overwhelmed but I resolve to no longer be underprepared.
Last week, I had planned the menu pretty well for everyone but myself. I had dental work on Tuesday and needed to eat soft foods. I had soup but I wanted something else. If I had frozen fruit in the freezer, I would have made a smoothie. Instead, I tried to think of an easy way for my husband to get me something more to eat without having to get all the kids out again. So I asked him for a milkshake.
BIG mistake....dairy (non-fermented dairy) and I are becoming increasingly hostile. I spent the rest of the day bent over with intestinal cramps. A little more preparation and a bag of frozen fruit would have made a completely different story.
Later in the week, I had fought my best against this cold but it still was making the majority of us feel a bit rotten. I was watching a college football game and seriously considering take out for supper. But I had a plan for supper. I had even done part of the prep work. Might as well cook what was planned. I may have been a bit overwhelmed with the cold but preparation made all the difference.
The worst day of the cold was yesterday. I felt so cold and achy that I was seriously considering a flu test. I feel better today so I guess it was just a rotten cold. That morning, I followed through with getting my savory meat mix into the slow cooker. Mike took off half the day to help me out and was able to put together supper by just scooping some savory mix out of the slow cooker and adding some taco seasoning. I had mixed up the sourdough that morning so all I had to do that evening was divide it into three loaf pans to keep rising and we had breakfast ready to bake this morning. I had even started the yogurt fermenting despite it all.
Things happen and I can't always account for every issue that may arise. But meal planning is keeping us out of the drivethru. I can't always count on not feeling overwhelmed but I resolve to no longer be underprepared.
Monday, November 17, 2014
Lesson plans Nov 17-21
Religion
The First Christians pgs 155-165 and we're finished. It's been an awesome book!
St Elizabeth of Hungary
Feast of the Presentation of Mary
Science
Make a heater with a loaf pan, tea lights and terra cotta pots. Study about heat.
Feed and observe birds (The dark-eyed juncos have arrived for their winter stay)
Math
Khan Academy - Boys are to finish all booster and mastery challenges each day as well as work on a goal of practicing more skills to reach new levels.
Latin
Lesson VIII quiz and half of Lesson IX
Language Arts
Composition - Description of a bird
Spelling list #11
History
Famous Men of Greece (goal of two chapters)
Thanksgiving history
Piano
Practice 3 x a week
PE
Taekwondo (2x for Katie Rose and 3x for David and James)
Art
Christmas ornament of the nativity (a study of form), knitting and rubberband loom bracelets
Memory work
Homeschool Advantage
Our morning offering
Cub Scout requirements
Literature
The Aeneid (try to finish up this book - still working on it....just a few pages but small text so taking longer than I expected)
The Hobbit (goal of 9 pgs)
Phonics
All about Spelling
More Starfall
Preschool
The littles will join in every chance they get with the older boys.
Pilgrim and Indian crafts and activities
The First Christians pgs 155-165 and we're finished. It's been an awesome book!
St Elizabeth of Hungary
Feast of the Presentation of Mary
Science
Make a heater with a loaf pan, tea lights and terra cotta pots. Study about heat.
Feed and observe birds (The dark-eyed juncos have arrived for their winter stay)
Math
Khan Academy - Boys are to finish all booster and mastery challenges each day as well as work on a goal of practicing more skills to reach new levels.
Latin
Lesson VIII quiz and half of Lesson IX
Language Arts
Composition - Description of a bird
Spelling list #11
History
Famous Men of Greece (goal of two chapters)
Thanksgiving history
Piano
Practice 3 x a week
PE
Taekwondo (2x for Katie Rose and 3x for David and James)
Art
Christmas ornament of the nativity (a study of form), knitting and rubberband loom bracelets
Memory work
Homeschool Advantage
Our morning offering
Cub Scout requirements
Literature
The Aeneid (try to finish up this book - still working on it....just a few pages but small text so taking longer than I expected)
The Hobbit (goal of 9 pgs)
Phonics
All about Spelling
More Starfall
Preschool
The littles will join in every chance they get with the older boys.
Pilgrim and Indian crafts and activities
Sunday, November 16, 2014
Menu plan Nov 16-22
Sunday
Breakfast - Cinnamon sourdough rolls (postponed from Saturday's menu so that my husband could have them fresh) (Feed sourdough starter #2) (Pull bones out and add veggies for turkey soup)
Lunch - leftover turkey spaghetti
Supper - Turkey soup (ended up with two gallons after supper so some may end up in the freezer if we don't eat it fast enough)
Monday
Breakfast - Cinnamon sourdough rolls (made two pans full so leftovers from Sunday) (Start ground turkey {yes, turkey again but it was much cheaper than ground beef} in slow cooker with veggies for savory meat mix that will be used for tacos, chili and spaghetti) (Mix sourdough bread) (Make yogurt)
Lunch - Turkey soup
Supper - Tacos (Feed starter #1)
Tuesday
Breakfast - Apple butter (I made two pints using a dab of black strap molasses and this recipe using my crockpot) and sourdough bread (Bake sourdough bread) (Start kidney beans soaking)
Lunch - Turkey soup
Supper - Red beans and rice with cornbread (Mix sourdough to rise for pizza crusts tomorrow night...normally a 12 hour rise would work but with the cooler temperatures, I think a 24 hour rise is best)
Wednesday
Breakfast - cereal
Lunch - leftovers
Dinner - Pizza (Start a ham bone from the freezer simmering in the slow cooker with plenty of water) (Feed starter #2)(start black beans soaking)
Thursday
Breakfast - pancakes (start Cuban black beans in the crockpot and if I have enough ham from the ham bone, I'll save half for black-eyed peas later on)
Lunch - leftovers
Supper - Cuban black beans and cornbread (Mix sourdough)
Friday
Breakfast - Biscuits (experiment using a bit of unfed sourdough starter) with eggs and sausage
Lunch - leftovers
Supper - Spaghetti with sourdough garlic bread (Bake sourdough)
Saturday
Breakfast - cereal
Lunch - leftovers
Supper - Breakfast Burritos
Breakfast - Cinnamon sourdough rolls (postponed from Saturday's menu so that my husband could have them fresh) (Feed sourdough starter #2) (Pull bones out and add veggies for turkey soup)
Lunch - leftover turkey spaghetti
Supper - Turkey soup (ended up with two gallons after supper so some may end up in the freezer if we don't eat it fast enough)
Monday
Breakfast - Cinnamon sourdough rolls (made two pans full so leftovers from Sunday) (Start ground turkey {yes, turkey again but it was much cheaper than ground beef} in slow cooker with veggies for savory meat mix that will be used for tacos, chili and spaghetti) (Mix sourdough bread) (Make yogurt)
Lunch - Turkey soup
Supper - Tacos (Feed starter #1)
Tuesday
Breakfast - Apple butter (I made two pints using a dab of black strap molasses and this recipe using my crockpot) and sourdough bread (Bake sourdough bread) (Start kidney beans soaking)
Lunch - Turkey soup
Supper - Red beans and rice with cornbread (Mix sourdough to rise for pizza crusts tomorrow night...normally a 12 hour rise would work but with the cooler temperatures, I think a 24 hour rise is best)
Apples, spices and sweetener cooking overnight into apple butter. I put sourdough cinnamon rolls beside it to rise with benefit of the warmth of the crockpot.
Wednesday
Breakfast - cereal
Lunch - leftovers
Dinner - Pizza (Start a ham bone from the freezer simmering in the slow cooker with plenty of water) (Feed starter #2)(start black beans soaking)
Thursday
Breakfast - pancakes (start Cuban black beans in the crockpot and if I have enough ham from the ham bone, I'll save half for black-eyed peas later on)
Lunch - leftovers
Supper - Cuban black beans and cornbread (Mix sourdough)
Friday
Breakfast - Biscuits (experiment using a bit of unfed sourdough starter) with eggs and sausage
Lunch - leftovers
Supper - Spaghetti with sourdough garlic bread (Bake sourdough)
Saturday
Breakfast - cereal
Lunch - leftovers
Supper - Breakfast Burritos
Saturday, November 15, 2014
Babystep #17 Avoid food dyes
Babystep #1 Add kefir daily or at least several times a week. We are fighting a cold. James started with it and Katie Rose, Joseph and I joined with the sniffles. The turmeric milk helped me and the older boys to feel better or avoid worsening. But I couldn't get the little ones to take it. I think I will try making a paste of it so that it isn't so grainy and hopefully more pleasant for the little ones. Katie Rose woke this morning with gunky green drainage from her nose. About mid-morning, I gave her some kefir and within ten minutes, it was lighter in color and thinner. We can't avoid every germ but this cold is much milder.
Babystep #2 One batch of broth and subsequently soup a week. I absolutely love my large slow cooker for cooking a massive amount of broth and soup without having to monitor the stove.
Babystep #3 Introduce fermented veggies. check
Babystep #4 Streamline kitchen - Done! I set up one counter for all things sourdough and coffee. My sugar container is there along with the rice cereal that I use to feed my starter. My measuring cups is in the cabinet above. My marble slab and rolling pin are ready for rolling out the cinnamon rolls tonight to rise overnight. I have one counter for prep work with bowls and cutting boards below. One small counter is completely empty for slow cookers and crockpots. The last counter has extra space for prep along with the dish drain and basket of sippy cups and water bottles. I am so very pleased with how well it looks and functions. The boys and I were all able to work in there this morning with space to spare.
Babystep #5 Add detox baths check
Babystep #6 Add omega 3 supplements check
Babystep #7 Purchase some more local raw honey. check
Babystep #8 Ginger tea - check
Babystep #9 Magnesium supplements - check
Babystep #10 Sourdough starter - So enjoying fresh bread, pizza crust and anticipating cinnamon rolls tomorrow morning without the tummy upsets of regular bread.
Babystep #11 Drink water first thing in the morning. - Most mornings!
Babystep #12 Work on creating a natural bath set for the children - saving up baby food jars in a basket in the kitchen and researching ideas online
Babystep #13 - Menu planning each week - Followed it almost to a T this past week. A few adjustments had to be made when the boys wanted to go to taekwondo event and I needed to move the breakfast burritoes to that day so I could feed them quickly and get them out the door.
Babystep #14 - Exercise daily - check
Babystep #15 - Glucosamine for arthritis - check
Babystep #16 - Homemade yogurt - Done and got a starter for kefir
Babystep #17 - Avoid food dyes - This babystep happened as a result of other choices rather than a planned effort. Hopefully that means more natural and more likely to stick.
Last week, I went grocery shopping. I shopped the perimeter for the most part. I ended up with some meats and lots of veggies amongst the other items on my list for only $60. I couldn't believe it! I decided I could get a few items at Sam's and we had another milk run so it ended up closer to $100 for the week for 7 people. Still pretty good! I noticed a fruity cereal on sale. I did get some plainer cereals but I just couldn't buy something that looked so unhealthy. Same went for fruit snacks as I opted for raisins instead.
This week, I got a few more items including laundry detergent and ended up spending $140 but the same thing happened. The froot loop or fruity cheerios cereal was on sale but I couldn't buy it. So I figure that I should add this unexpected babystep to the list.
Of course, we're not going to be militant about it. In fact, I'm sure that the vitamin gummies we have probably have food dyes. That may be something to research further and see what non-dyed options there are. It's a start. Just another one of many small, seemingly insignificant choices that add up to make a big difference.
I feel so much better. I have more energy. I am more focused. I have less anxiety. I'm in a better mood. Just hard to believe how a few simple choices can make such a big difference.
Babystep #2 One batch of broth and subsequently soup a week. I absolutely love my large slow cooker for cooking a massive amount of broth and soup without having to monitor the stove.
Babystep #3 Introduce fermented veggies. check
Babystep #4 Streamline kitchen - Done! I set up one counter for all things sourdough and coffee. My sugar container is there along with the rice cereal that I use to feed my starter. My measuring cups is in the cabinet above. My marble slab and rolling pin are ready for rolling out the cinnamon rolls tonight to rise overnight. I have one counter for prep work with bowls and cutting boards below. One small counter is completely empty for slow cookers and crockpots. The last counter has extra space for prep along with the dish drain and basket of sippy cups and water bottles. I am so very pleased with how well it looks and functions. The boys and I were all able to work in there this morning with space to spare.
Babystep #5 Add detox baths check
Babystep #6 Add omega 3 supplements check
Babystep #7 Purchase some more local raw honey. check
Babystep #8 Ginger tea - check
Babystep #9 Magnesium supplements - check
Babystep #10 Sourdough starter - So enjoying fresh bread, pizza crust and anticipating cinnamon rolls tomorrow morning without the tummy upsets of regular bread.
Babystep #11 Drink water first thing in the morning. - Most mornings!
Babystep #12 Work on creating a natural bath set for the children - saving up baby food jars in a basket in the kitchen and researching ideas online
Babystep #13 - Menu planning each week - Followed it almost to a T this past week. A few adjustments had to be made when the boys wanted to go to taekwondo event and I needed to move the breakfast burritoes to that day so I could feed them quickly and get them out the door.
Babystep #14 - Exercise daily - check
Babystep #15 - Glucosamine for arthritis - check
Babystep #16 - Homemade yogurt - Done and got a starter for kefir
Babystep #17 - Avoid food dyes - This babystep happened as a result of other choices rather than a planned effort. Hopefully that means more natural and more likely to stick.
Last week, I went grocery shopping. I shopped the perimeter for the most part. I ended up with some meats and lots of veggies amongst the other items on my list for only $60. I couldn't believe it! I decided I could get a few items at Sam's and we had another milk run so it ended up closer to $100 for the week for 7 people. Still pretty good! I noticed a fruity cereal on sale. I did get some plainer cereals but I just couldn't buy something that looked so unhealthy. Same went for fruit snacks as I opted for raisins instead.
This week, I got a few more items including laundry detergent and ended up spending $140 but the same thing happened. The froot loop or fruity cheerios cereal was on sale but I couldn't buy it. So I figure that I should add this unexpected babystep to the list.
Of course, we're not going to be militant about it. In fact, I'm sure that the vitamin gummies we have probably have food dyes. That may be something to research further and see what non-dyed options there are. It's a start. Just another one of many small, seemingly insignificant choices that add up to make a big difference.
I feel so much better. I have more energy. I am more focused. I have less anxiety. I'm in a better mood. Just hard to believe how a few simple choices can make such a big difference.
Friday, November 14, 2014
Babystep #16 Homemade yogurt
I made yogurt! And it was very easy! I looked at many recipes. I used this process from Whole Foods Mom on a Budget. I used a half gallon cause that was all that would fit in my crockpot. My adjustment was to use only 2 T of greek yogurt as my starter instead of 1 cup since I had read another recipe that said that 2 T was all you needed and that was all I had. I also used my oven that was still a bit warm after baking a cake to put the entire crockpot inside.
Having a half gallon of yogurt is pretty thrilling. The uses are limitless with smoothies and baking. But I've never just eaten plain yogurt or flavored it myself so I had to learn a bit there. I'm going to get some more frozen fruit to make syrups but in the meantime, I'm using what I have.
My mom gave me a half a box of apples that were starting to turn. I took four apples; peeled, cored and diced. I put a dab of water in a saucepan with them and cooked til they softened. I added some honey and spices. I overdid the spice a bit for the little ones so next time, I'll take theirs out first and then spice it to my tastes.
James gave it a 10 right away and said, "We've had a week of 10's, good food!" How wonderful! We are eating healthier and he believes it's tastier. He can be one of my pickiest eaters so this is awesome!
We've also sliced bananas with it. David ate it that way unsweetened. The bananas added some sweetness but I think we should add a drizzle of honey next time. I broke up my bananas so I could get a bit of banana with each bite but I still had a bit left in my bowl. I had a sweet potato that I was eating with just a pat of butter. I took a forkful of sweet potato and dipped it into the yogurt. Delicious! So I dumped the rest of the yogurt into my bowl of sweet potato. I think I could do without the butter if I added a couple tablespoons of yogurt.
I'm going to make a goal of a half gallon of yogurt every couple of weeks minimum. It may need to be weekly with the baking for the holidays. Here's a great article about the cost benefits. Here's an article about the health benefits of yogurt. I love that it helps kids grow. Not necessarily a problem that we are dealing with since David will be passing me in height in no time (and I'm taller than average) but it gives me a good feeling to know that this is something that will help make nutrients more available to their bodies.
Having a half gallon of yogurt is pretty thrilling. The uses are limitless with smoothies and baking. But I've never just eaten plain yogurt or flavored it myself so I had to learn a bit there. I'm going to get some more frozen fruit to make syrups but in the meantime, I'm using what I have.
My mom gave me a half a box of apples that were starting to turn. I took four apples; peeled, cored and diced. I put a dab of water in a saucepan with them and cooked til they softened. I added some honey and spices. I overdid the spice a bit for the little ones so next time, I'll take theirs out first and then spice it to my tastes.
James gave it a 10 right away and said, "We've had a week of 10's, good food!" How wonderful! We are eating healthier and he believes it's tastier. He can be one of my pickiest eaters so this is awesome!
We've also sliced bananas with it. David ate it that way unsweetened. The bananas added some sweetness but I think we should add a drizzle of honey next time. I broke up my bananas so I could get a bit of banana with each bite but I still had a bit left in my bowl. I had a sweet potato that I was eating with just a pat of butter. I took a forkful of sweet potato and dipped it into the yogurt. Delicious! So I dumped the rest of the yogurt into my bowl of sweet potato. I think I could do without the butter if I added a couple tablespoons of yogurt.
I'm going to make a goal of a half gallon of yogurt every couple of weeks minimum. It may need to be weekly with the baking for the holidays. Here's a great article about the cost benefits. Here's an article about the health benefits of yogurt. I love that it helps kids grow. Not necessarily a problem that we are dealing with since David will be passing me in height in no time (and I'm taller than average) but it gives me a good feeling to know that this is something that will help make nutrients more available to their bodies.
Thursday, November 13, 2014
Turmeric milk
I had heard great things about turmeric milk and its use as a cold remedy. I had used turmeric in skin treatments and in Cuban Black Beans. But I always seem too overwhelmed during a cold to actually think about using it as a treatment.
James sniffled a bit yesterday and woke up with more sniffles and a sore throat. Everybody has been doing well so I'm not letting this come in without a fight. I put some essential oils in the diffuser. I pondered the ginger detox bath but still feels too harsh for kids. Then I thought of the turmeric milk.
I found this recipe from Jouney Kitchen. I didn't have any cardamon but I did have everything else. We used our honey for sweetening and it is pretty tasty. Pepper apparantly helps with the absorption of the curcumin in the turmeric.
I was surprised at just what all turmeric does. I knew it was anti-inflammatory but it's also anticarcinogenic and antioxidant. Ginger works in much the same way so adding it gives a double punch.
I made three cups for the older boys and myself. I haven't been able to get the little ones to drink much ginger tea so I doubted that I would be able to get them to drink the turmeric milk yet. Within a few sips, I cleared some congestion from the back of my throat that I didn't even know was there. Hoping this does the trick and keeps us well.
James sniffled a bit yesterday and woke up with more sniffles and a sore throat. Everybody has been doing well so I'm not letting this come in without a fight. I put some essential oils in the diffuser. I pondered the ginger detox bath but still feels too harsh for kids. Then I thought of the turmeric milk.
I found this recipe from Jouney Kitchen. I didn't have any cardamon but I did have everything else. We used our honey for sweetening and it is pretty tasty. Pepper apparantly helps with the absorption of the curcumin in the turmeric.
I was surprised at just what all turmeric does. I knew it was anti-inflammatory but it's also anticarcinogenic and antioxidant. Ginger works in much the same way so adding it gives a double punch.
I made three cups for the older boys and myself. I haven't been able to get the little ones to drink much ginger tea so I doubted that I would be able to get them to drink the turmeric milk yet. Within a few sips, I cleared some congestion from the back of my throat that I didn't even know was there. Hoping this does the trick and keeps us well.
Babysteps #14 & 15
Babystep #1 Add kefir daily or at least several times a week. check
Babystep #2 One batch of broth and subsequently soup a week. If you've ever seen Ratatouille, you'll recognize this quote, "They like the soup!" After my first soup, my second child asked if there were any leftovers because he enjoyed it. I said to my husband, "He likes the soup....wait where have I heard that before...oh, Ratatouille!" So that is our running comment now when we have a good comment on a new soup. We like the soup!
Babystep #3 Introduce fermented veggies. check
Babystep #4 Streamline kitchen - Working on keeping it from staying a mess....washing big things immediately even if they might fit in the dishwasher. Those big bowls, crock pots and stock pots can pile up quick. I want to get the pantry rearranged more efficiently because I still have way too much stuff on my counters.
Babystep #5 Add detox baths - I traveled 2 hours there and 2 hours back to visit family in Mississippi. I was downright sore the next morning. I've gotten so spoiled with having most everything I need within a 5 mile radius. How in the world did I drive so much once upon a time? Anyhow, the epsom salt bath really helped to get rid of the muscle pain.
Babystep #6 Add omega 3 supplements check
Babystep #7 Purchase some more local raw honey. check
Babystep #8 Ginger tea - Got a kettle full steeping now.
Babystep #9 Magnesium supplements - Still haven't needed my inhaler and I am very much more focused.
Babystep #10 Sourdough starter - Both going well and baking up a storm
Babystep #11 Drink water first thing in the morning. - Getting better. I drink my water and then tend to the children and any kitchen tasks before sitting down for my breakfast.
Babystep #12 Work on creating a natural bath set for the children - Haven't seen what I need in stores so going to look online for some options for containers.
Babystep #13 - Menu planning each week - It's really helping me keep on track
Babystep #14 - Exercise daily - I have a terrible time sticking to a schedule with exercising. I allow any upset in our schedule from a change in my husband's work schedule to an illness to derail me. I may not always be able to make it to the gym so I need to have a plan to make something happen at home so that I am more consistent. I need to have Katie Rose practicing her pushups and crunches for taekwondo so I'm going to try to set aside some time every day to do just a few reps. I will do at least 1 plank and several crunches while the older boys and I give an example to Katie Rose on how to do her exercises. You would think that with all the work I do tending to five kids, physical fitness wouldn't be an issue. But it is going to take some concentrated effort to build up more strength.
Babystep #15 - Glucosamine for arthritis - My husband has arthritis which is a blessing that it isn't the rheumatoid arthritis that we feared. We're both getting older because the cold weather started and our knees started hurting. I'm sure eating soups with more of the connective tissue from the bones will naturally help rebuild the protective parts of our joints and it will get better. In the meantime, we already had a big jar of glucosamine that hasn't been used much. So both of us are taking it.
Babystep #2 One batch of broth and subsequently soup a week. If you've ever seen Ratatouille, you'll recognize this quote, "They like the soup!" After my first soup, my second child asked if there were any leftovers because he enjoyed it. I said to my husband, "He likes the soup....wait where have I heard that before...oh, Ratatouille!" So that is our running comment now when we have a good comment on a new soup. We like the soup!
Babystep #3 Introduce fermented veggies. check
Babystep #4 Streamline kitchen - Working on keeping it from staying a mess....washing big things immediately even if they might fit in the dishwasher. Those big bowls, crock pots and stock pots can pile up quick. I want to get the pantry rearranged more efficiently because I still have way too much stuff on my counters.
Babystep #5 Add detox baths - I traveled 2 hours there and 2 hours back to visit family in Mississippi. I was downright sore the next morning. I've gotten so spoiled with having most everything I need within a 5 mile radius. How in the world did I drive so much once upon a time? Anyhow, the epsom salt bath really helped to get rid of the muscle pain.
Babystep #6 Add omega 3 supplements check
Babystep #7 Purchase some more local raw honey. check
Babystep #8 Ginger tea - Got a kettle full steeping now.
Babystep #9 Magnesium supplements - Still haven't needed my inhaler and I am very much more focused.
Babystep #10 Sourdough starter - Both going well and baking up a storm
Babystep #11 Drink water first thing in the morning. - Getting better. I drink my water and then tend to the children and any kitchen tasks before sitting down for my breakfast.
Babystep #12 Work on creating a natural bath set for the children - Haven't seen what I need in stores so going to look online for some options for containers.
Babystep #13 - Menu planning each week - It's really helping me keep on track
Babystep #14 - Exercise daily - I have a terrible time sticking to a schedule with exercising. I allow any upset in our schedule from a change in my husband's work schedule to an illness to derail me. I may not always be able to make it to the gym so I need to have a plan to make something happen at home so that I am more consistent. I need to have Katie Rose practicing her pushups and crunches for taekwondo so I'm going to try to set aside some time every day to do just a few reps. I will do at least 1 plank and several crunches while the older boys and I give an example to Katie Rose on how to do her exercises. You would think that with all the work I do tending to five kids, physical fitness wouldn't be an issue. But it is going to take some concentrated effort to build up more strength.
Babystep #15 - Glucosamine for arthritis - My husband has arthritis which is a blessing that it isn't the rheumatoid arthritis that we feared. We're both getting older because the cold weather started and our knees started hurting. I'm sure eating soups with more of the connective tissue from the bones will naturally help rebuild the protective parts of our joints and it will get better. In the meantime, we already had a big jar of glucosamine that hasn't been used much. So both of us are taking it.
Wednesday, November 12, 2014
Our Father
I am so thrilled with the Founders of Freedom history book we are going through this year. It is part of a set and teaches history along with Biblical history and church history. We're at the point of Christ's life. One of their assignments was to make a book about the Lord's Prayer.
I googled The Lord's Prayer book and found a printable on DLTK. Afterwards, I found this Catholic version. But I had already printed the first one so I will just make a note that the doxology portion is used at mass. The Catholic Toolbox had an article with a lot of activities. But most seemed to be focused on learning or memorizing which isn't something we need since we pray it every evening. Both John Micah and Joseph have started saying parts of it at 9 months old.
The challenge to the older boys is to find pictures to represent the different parts. So I have left the backs of each page blank so that they can add pictures from magazines or their own drawings. I think it's a great challenge to dig a little deeper into a familiar prayer.
I googled The Lord's Prayer book and found a printable on DLTK. Afterwards, I found this Catholic version. But I had already printed the first one so I will just make a note that the doxology portion is used at mass. The Catholic Toolbox had an article with a lot of activities. But most seemed to be focused on learning or memorizing which isn't something we need since we pray it every evening. Both John Micah and Joseph have started saying parts of it at 9 months old.
The challenge to the older boys is to find pictures to represent the different parts. So I have left the backs of each page blank so that they can add pictures from magazines or their own drawings. I think it's a great challenge to dig a little deeper into a familiar prayer.
Our Father, Who art in heaven
Hallowed be Thy Name;
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil. Amen.
Hallowed be Thy Name;
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil. Amen.
Tuesday, November 11, 2014
St Martin of Tours
I found this great book at a homeschool second hand store. They had put it in the clearance bin and I couldn't believe my luck. It has a lot of simple ideas from stories to crafts to snacks to help us celebrate our traditions.
For today, they have a mini book telling the legend of how St Martin of Tours was converted. He was a Roman soldier that became a "soldier for Christ."
Catholic Cuisine has a lot of great ideas for celebrating customs like goodie bags for the children and a special bread.
Catholic Missionary Family has a lot of great ideas for all the major November saints and feast days.
We might try our hand at paper lanterns. I like this tutorial.
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Today is also Veteran's Day. The book above also has a prayer for all those who have served as well as a star garland craft to write names of those in our family who have served in the military.
Thanks to all who have sacrificed for the cause of freedom!
**************************************************************************
St. Martin of Tours, pray for us!
For today, they have a mini book telling the legend of how St Martin of Tours was converted. He was a Roman soldier that became a "soldier for Christ."
Catholic Cuisine has a lot of great ideas for celebrating customs like goodie bags for the children and a special bread.
Catholic Missionary Family has a lot of great ideas for all the major November saints and feast days.
We might try our hand at paper lanterns. I like this tutorial.
**************************************************************************
Today is also Veteran's Day. The book above also has a prayer for all those who have served as well as a star garland craft to write names of those in our family who have served in the military.
Thanks to all who have sacrificed for the cause of freedom!
**************************************************************************
St. Martin of Tours, pray for us!
Monday, November 10, 2014
Lesson plans Nov 10-15
Religion
The First Christians 142-152 (We're going to get this book finished up before Advent)
The Lord's Prayer book
St Martin of Tours book
Science
Explore various stages of aquatic animals and match young with adult stages
Several experiments with the Science lab they made at Lowe's Build and Grow workshop
Math
Khan Academy - Boys are to finish all booster and mastery challenges each day. I'm going to have them set a personal goal. I want them to work at their own pace so I don't want to assign 10 skill mastered if they can only achieve 5. But I also want them to have a number to work towards. I think it will be better for them to each pick the number they are comfortable with.
Latin
Vocabulary list VIII and second declension
Language Arts
Parts of a poem
Use of is/are and was/were
Spelling list #10
History
Famous Men of Greece (goal of two chapters)
Piano
Practice 3 x a week
PE
Taekwondo (2x for Katie Rose and 3x for David and James)
Art
3D animals and the Parthenon (a study of form), knitting and rubberband loom bracelets
Memory work
Homeschool Advantage
Our morning offering (refresher for older boys and introduction for the littles)
Cub Scout requirements
Literature
The Aeneid (try to finish up this book)
The Hobbit (goal of 9 pgs)
Phonics
All about Spelling
More Starfall
Preschool
The littles will join in every chance they get with the older boys. I will also work on The Five senses and labeling body parts with them.
The First Christians 142-152 (We're going to get this book finished up before Advent)
The Lord's Prayer book
St Martin of Tours book
Science
Explore various stages of aquatic animals and match young with adult stages
Several experiments with the Science lab they made at Lowe's Build and Grow workshop
Math
Khan Academy - Boys are to finish all booster and mastery challenges each day. I'm going to have them set a personal goal. I want them to work at their own pace so I don't want to assign 10 skill mastered if they can only achieve 5. But I also want them to have a number to work towards. I think it will be better for them to each pick the number they are comfortable with.
Latin
Vocabulary list VIII and second declension
Language Arts
Parts of a poem
Use of is/are and was/were
Spelling list #10
History
Famous Men of Greece (goal of two chapters)
Piano
Practice 3 x a week
PE
Taekwondo (2x for Katie Rose and 3x for David and James)
Art
3D animals and the Parthenon (a study of form), knitting and rubberband loom bracelets
Memory work
Homeschool Advantage
Our morning offering (refresher for older boys and introduction for the littles)
Cub Scout requirements
Literature
The Aeneid (try to finish up this book)
The Hobbit (goal of 9 pgs)
Phonics
All about Spelling
More Starfall
Preschool
The littles will join in every chance they get with the older boys. I will also work on The Five senses and labeling body parts with them.
White Bean and Kale Soup
I can't remember who but someone in my Facebook feed mentioned fixing white bean and kale soup as a fall tradition. I thought, "I have white beans in the pantry and kale in a pot out front so I should really try this." I looked up some recipes and realized that I could make do with what I had on hand with the exception of getting some smoked sausage.
I started with soaking a pound of white beans. I always forget that white beans go to mush so much faster than black or kidney beans. I thought I had messed it up but the mushy white beans made it a creamy stew without needing to add dairy. David and James tried it first and gave it a 10. We all enjoyed it. Very filling!
Christy's White Bean and Kale Soup
1 lb white beans, soaked
1 lb smoked sausage, sliced
1 onion, diced
4 carrots, sliced
1 quart chicken stock
1/4 tsp paprika
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups kale, washed, destemmed and chopped
I put it all in the crockpot to cook on low all day. I added the kale for the last 10-15 minutes. I don't like my kale mushy. I served it with fresh sourdough bread.
I started with soaking a pound of white beans. I always forget that white beans go to mush so much faster than black or kidney beans. I thought I had messed it up but the mushy white beans made it a creamy stew without needing to add dairy. David and James tried it first and gave it a 10. We all enjoyed it. Very filling!
Christy's White Bean and Kale Soup
1 lb white beans, soaked
1 lb smoked sausage, sliced
1 onion, diced
4 carrots, sliced
1 quart chicken stock
1/4 tsp paprika
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups kale, washed, destemmed and chopped
I put it all in the crockpot to cook on low all day. I added the kale for the last 10-15 minutes. I don't like my kale mushy. I served it with fresh sourdough bread.
Sunday, November 9, 2014
Menu for Nov 9-15
There is a lot of turkey in our menu this week. To be honest with you, I'm really tired of turkey. Thanksgiving will be all about the sides and desserts. Last year, we bought about 20 turkeys and hams for the freezer during the holiday sales. We still have a couple left. We are a large family and turkey is the best price you'll find right now on meat. Our Publix has them already at 69 cents a lb.
Sunday supper - Smoked sausage, leftover mashed potatoes, steamed broccoli, fresh apple cake for dessert
(Feed my sourdough starter #1 so I can mix the dough tomorrow evening.)
Update- The apple cake was superb. Greek yogurt replaced part of the oil. The brown sugar glaze gave a molasses flavor that matched well. This is a perfect Christmas recipe!
Monday
breakfast - cereal (Start black beans soaking)
lunch - leftover soup and grilled cheese sourdough sandwiches
supper - turkey, asparagus, roasted acorn squash, quinoa (cook enough quinoa to go ahead and put together the black bean quinoa enchilada bake and mix and knead sourdough)
Tuesday (having some dental work done this morning so must have a simple day)
breakfast - cereal
lunch - leftover turkey
supper - black bean quinoa enchilada bake and sourdough bread
Wednesday
breakfast - cereal (Feed sourdough starter #2)
lunch - leftovers
supper - stirfry with squash, zucchini, carrots and turkey
Thursday
breakfast - muffins (Start turkey bones cooking in large slow cooker with plenty of water, onion, salt and pepper)(Mix and Knead Sourdough)
lunch - leftovers
supper - Breakfast burritos (Feed sourdough starter #1) (Put dough into loaf pans)
Friday
breakfast - oatmeal (Pull all bones out of turkey stock and add veggies) (Bake sourdough bread)
lunch - leftovers
supper - turkey soup (Prep cinnamon rolls for overnight rising)
Saturday
breakfast - cinnamon rolls
lunch - leftovers
supper - turkey spaghetti with spaghetti squash instead of noodles
Sunday supper - Smoked sausage, leftover mashed potatoes, steamed broccoli, fresh apple cake for dessert
(Feed my sourdough starter #1 so I can mix the dough tomorrow evening.)
Update- The apple cake was superb. Greek yogurt replaced part of the oil. The brown sugar glaze gave a molasses flavor that matched well. This is a perfect Christmas recipe!
Monday
breakfast - cereal (Start black beans soaking)
lunch - leftover soup and grilled cheese sourdough sandwiches
supper - turkey, asparagus, roasted acorn squash, quinoa (cook enough quinoa to go ahead and put together the black bean quinoa enchilada bake and mix and knead sourdough)
Tuesday (having some dental work done this morning so must have a simple day)
breakfast - cereal
lunch - leftover turkey
supper - black bean quinoa enchilada bake and sourdough bread
Wednesday
breakfast - cereal (Feed sourdough starter #2)
lunch - leftovers
supper - stirfry with squash, zucchini, carrots and turkey
Thursday
breakfast - muffins (Start turkey bones cooking in large slow cooker with plenty of water, onion, salt and pepper)(Mix and Knead Sourdough)
lunch - leftovers
supper - Breakfast burritos (Feed sourdough starter #1) (Put dough into loaf pans)
Friday
breakfast - oatmeal (Pull all bones out of turkey stock and add veggies) (Bake sourdough bread)
lunch - leftovers
supper - turkey soup (Prep cinnamon rolls for overnight rising)
Saturday
breakfast - cinnamon rolls
lunch - leftovers
supper - turkey spaghetti with spaghetti squash instead of noodles
Sunday morning funnies
Here are some of the things in our family that made us laugh this week.
- David understands that he had ADHD and has to avoid or tune out distractions. Often, he says, "Mom, James is distracting me!" Katie Rose came up to me one afternoon and said, "Mom, James is distracting me." Keep in mind she is only 4. No doubt where she got that from.
- Then James told Katie Rose to just be cool and take a COOL PILL. I laughed and asked, "Did you mean a Chill Pill?"
- We were going to the post office. David asked why and Mike replied, "just have to mail some letters for work." David wondered, "I wonder what letter I should write." James mischieviously answered, "How about the letter D?"
- James was working on Khan Academy while I was finishing something up in the kitchen. I couldn't come answer his question so David said, "Don't worry, Mom. I'll help him." David had earned the Sally Ride badge before James so James said, "Stop bragging!" David replied, "I'm not bragging. I'm highly complimenting myself!"
Saturday, November 8, 2014
Taekwondo medalists
This past weekend, we had our first Taekwondo tournament. The boys were invited to Honors team which required participation in at least one tournament a year. We postponed our decision to after actually participating in one tournament.
They both did great. We were concerned about David because he had fluid on his ears and was scheduled for surgery Monday. But even so, he got the first point in his sparring match. Didn't slow him down much but you can see that he was very tired.
David got bronze in sparring and silver in form.
One of the coolest part of the tournament was Katie Rose (4yrs old) walking around the gym. We've been working on her letters for a while but much of the time, instead of A, Ah, Apple, B, bu, Ball, it sounds all the same like eh, eh, apple, eh, eh, ball. But she has been paying attention after all because she called, "Hey Mom, Look, a W!" I looked over and saw the team mascot "Wildcats" written across the floor. Cool!
They both did great. We were concerned about David because he had fluid on his ears and was scheduled for surgery Monday. But even so, he got the first point in his sparring match. Didn't slow him down much but you can see that he was very tired.
David got bronze in sparring and silver in form.
James got silver in sparring, silver in form and gold in board breaking.
One of the coolest part of the tournament was Katie Rose (4yrs old) walking around the gym. We've been working on her letters for a while but much of the time, instead of A, Ah, Apple, B, bu, Ball, it sounds all the same like eh, eh, apple, eh, eh, ball. But she has been paying attention after all because she called, "Hey Mom, Look, a W!" I looked over and saw the team mascot "Wildcats" written across the floor. Cool!
Friday, November 7, 2014
Babystep #13
Babystep #1 Add kefir daily or at least several times a week. check
Babystep #2 One batch of broth and subsequently soup a week. This week, the soup bones looked old at Publix so I got back rib bones instead.
Babystep #3 Introduce fermented veggies. check
Babystep #4 Streamline kitchen - removed everything from one counter so that it is always ready for the large slow cooker or the electric griddle.
Babystep #5 Add detox baths - We all got 20 minutes in a detox bath.
Babystep #6 Add omega 3 supplements check
Babystep #7 Purchase some more local raw honey. check
Babystep #8 Ginger tea - Done!
Babystep #9 Magnesium supplements - Done! No need for my inhaler for two weeks and counting. I haven't heard any coughing or wheezing from James since we've started him on magnesium. I won't call it a cure-all and I can't be certain what effect other changes are having on our health. But magnesium is definitely a contributing factor to our improved health.
Babystep #10 Sourdough starter - I have two starters going so that I can bake every 1-2 days rather than 3-4 days.
Babystep #11 Drink water first thing in the morning. - Spotty success. I'm thinking about it more often but still missing it some days.
Babystep #12 Work on creating a natural bath set for the children - Thinking about using baby food jars with decoupaged lids and/or colored ribbons or labels for the moisturizer but I will need something bigger for the body wash. Still looking.
Baby Step #13 - Menu planning each week - I'm finding that cooking some of the GAPS foods doesn't require so much extra time or even expense. It really doesn't take much time to put some bones in a pot and cover them with water. It does however require a great deal more thought. Not only do I need to plan what to eat but some parts of meals start 24 hours or so before you eat them. This morning I spent an hour and half in the kitchen but that including all prep for supper other than putting the bread in the oven and ladling the soup from the crockpot plus breakfast, dishes and tending to kids.
There are many menu planning printables online or can just use a notebook. The prep time has to be documented as well. If broth needs to be simmered, yogurt fermented or beans soaked then these all must start 12-24 hours before the meal so I need to write down what prep needs to be done to keep things running smoothly.
I'm accustomed to getting a general idea in my head of a menu plan (occasionally it gets written down) and rolling with it. But this diet won't work unless I write down a plan and actually stick to it. This past week, I was 12 hours late starting a couple things so instead of having supper for breakfast the next morning, my plan had to be reworked.
I've created a notebook with a guide to the intro diet so that I can plan the soups, stews, casseroles, snacks, etc for each week as I learn more about cooking GAPS foods. It times out pretty good for the first of the year. If we do a week for each stage, we'll be adding baked goods back just in time for James and John Micah's birthdays. Good timing!
Babystep #2 One batch of broth and subsequently soup a week. This week, the soup bones looked old at Publix so I got back rib bones instead.
Babystep #3 Introduce fermented veggies. check
Babystep #4 Streamline kitchen - removed everything from one counter so that it is always ready for the large slow cooker or the electric griddle.
Babystep #5 Add detox baths - We all got 20 minutes in a detox bath.
Babystep #6 Add omega 3 supplements check
Babystep #7 Purchase some more local raw honey. check
Babystep #8 Ginger tea - Done!
Babystep #9 Magnesium supplements - Done! No need for my inhaler for two weeks and counting. I haven't heard any coughing or wheezing from James since we've started him on magnesium. I won't call it a cure-all and I can't be certain what effect other changes are having on our health. But magnesium is definitely a contributing factor to our improved health.
Babystep #10 Sourdough starter - I have two starters going so that I can bake every 1-2 days rather than 3-4 days.
Babystep #11 Drink water first thing in the morning. - Spotty success. I'm thinking about it more often but still missing it some days.
Babystep #12 Work on creating a natural bath set for the children - Thinking about using baby food jars with decoupaged lids and/or colored ribbons or labels for the moisturizer but I will need something bigger for the body wash. Still looking.
Baby Step #13 - Menu planning each week - I'm finding that cooking some of the GAPS foods doesn't require so much extra time or even expense. It really doesn't take much time to put some bones in a pot and cover them with water. It does however require a great deal more thought. Not only do I need to plan what to eat but some parts of meals start 24 hours or so before you eat them. This morning I spent an hour and half in the kitchen but that including all prep for supper other than putting the bread in the oven and ladling the soup from the crockpot plus breakfast, dishes and tending to kids.
There are many menu planning printables online or can just use a notebook. The prep time has to be documented as well. If broth needs to be simmered, yogurt fermented or beans soaked then these all must start 12-24 hours before the meal so I need to write down what prep needs to be done to keep things running smoothly.
I'm accustomed to getting a general idea in my head of a menu plan (occasionally it gets written down) and rolling with it. But this diet won't work unless I write down a plan and actually stick to it. This past week, I was 12 hours late starting a couple things so instead of having supper for breakfast the next morning, my plan had to be reworked.
I've created a notebook with a guide to the intro diet so that I can plan the soups, stews, casseroles, snacks, etc for each week as I learn more about cooking GAPS foods. It times out pretty good for the first of the year. If we do a week for each stage, we'll be adding baked goods back just in time for James and John Micah's birthdays. Good timing!
Thursday, November 6, 2014
Faith vs Works
I wanted a challenge so I joined some apologetics groups. I have learned a little about how the arguments are shaped that I found very interesting. There are differences but not the differences that we think.
Let's start with a bit of history and keep in mind that this is just an extremely brief summary related to this discussion. The doctrine of faith alone began largely with Martin Luther. He was a Catholic priest. He spent a great deal of time in confession and penance. But nothing helped him to accept forgiveness and it was a great struggle for him. You can read or watch movies about the time to learn more. But eventually, he had constructed his doctrine of faith alone although the only place "faith alone" is used is in James 2:14-24 where James tells us that it is NOT faith alone that saves us. Luther solved that problem by calling James an epistle of straw.
So begins this dialogue that many Protestants believe in faith alone and Catholics believe that works save us. Neither tells the whole story. And it's not likely that my simple post here will change the dialogue of hundreds of years but I'll share what I've learned anyhow.
I grew up Baptist. We are probably the most extreme on the "faith alone" scale. Once-saved, always-saved is defended militantly. Children are told in Vacation Bible School and Youth retreats that all they have to do is accept that we are sinners, believe he died for our sins, and confess Him as Lord. Then they are told that nothing they ever do will take them from God's hands. They are secure. The idea is that true faith will result in works. However by not being up-front about what it means to be a Christian, my generation in particular because of the ease of travel and availability of the internet has probably heard this message hundreds of times and they've taken it to heart. "Our actions do not matter." And they've taken this and applied it to their lives and marriages and families. And we wonder why the traditional family has become such a rare thing. Should someone attempt to suggest that we follow the teachings of the Bible, they are attacked severely as legalists. I firmly believe that we are wrong if we focus so much on following the Law that we miss the Giver of the Law. But there is so much in the Old Testament and New Testament that would save us all from so much heartache if we valued it.
I am Catholic now because I read the Bible cover-to-cover and realized we have missed a few things. Jesus' words especially pointed to a life of action and not only passive faith. The faith that I found in the Catholic Church was dynamic. The life of conversion in the Catholic Church had much more appeal than a conversion-experience-and-you're-done that I had heard for most of my life. So many of us are not satisfied with our experience and keep searching because second baptisms, rededications and such are very common in some Protestant churches. How intriguing to find that we have a lifetime to work out our salvation(Phil 2:12-13)
What is salvation?
There are three parts; justification, sanctification and glorification.
For the Catholic, all parts are necessary. Salvation is achieved when we arrive in heaven.
For the Protestant (Baptist), justification is necessary. Sanctification and glorification are results of justification.
The argument usually surrounds the thief on the cross. He believed and Jesus told him that he would be with him in Paradise. But our sufferings contribute to our sanctification and he definitely suffered on the cross. How comforting that our sufferings are not a sign that God has turned His back on us! They are what make us holy. And it could be that he was even baptized (which in part can be glorification as we are made sons and daughters of God) when the soldier pierced Jesus' side and blood and water flowed. Neat!
There is fear that if works are necessary, baptism is necessary and even great faith is necessary, what if we miss one or more of the elements? That is where we depend on God's mercy and love. He doesn't desire us to fail. He is longsuffering. Just look at what all He put up with from the Israelites. There is no need to fear.
Are good works necessary for the true Christian's life?
Catholic - Yes!
Protestant - Yes!
I have talked to pastors, laypersons and apologists. None will say that works are not necessary. Because they are. Now some Protestants will try to frame the argument by saying that if they don't show good works, then they weren't really saved in the first place. I think the desire is to allow the works that result in some Christians lives to be the product of love. And that does happen. But I think every honest Christian will admit to sometimes when you have to work whether you feel like it or not. And often, it is the actions that bring about the change of heart.
Grace
This is what begins the work of salvation. Not our faith because even the demons believe. Not our works because we can do nothing that can compare to what He has done for us. It is a gift and it's up to us what we do with it. We can leave it on a shelf. Or we can take part in it daily. We believe because Jesus told us so in John 3. We do good works because Jesus said so in Matthew 25. But it is His grace that begins the work. This is what keeps us coming to Him through prayer and the sacraments.
Fellowship
It would be truly awesome if some day we could follow Christ's command to truly be as one as the Body of Christ. There are many factors that dictate our place of worship; familiarity, family ties, pursuit of truth and some jobs even dictate where you worship. There are differences and some of those differences do matter if nothing else but to our own conscience. But in the essentials, there is a lot more difference in how we argue our beliefs than what we actually believe.
Let's start with a bit of history and keep in mind that this is just an extremely brief summary related to this discussion. The doctrine of faith alone began largely with Martin Luther. He was a Catholic priest. He spent a great deal of time in confession and penance. But nothing helped him to accept forgiveness and it was a great struggle for him. You can read or watch movies about the time to learn more. But eventually, he had constructed his doctrine of faith alone although the only place "faith alone" is used is in James 2:14-24 where James tells us that it is NOT faith alone that saves us. Luther solved that problem by calling James an epistle of straw.
So begins this dialogue that many Protestants believe in faith alone and Catholics believe that works save us. Neither tells the whole story. And it's not likely that my simple post here will change the dialogue of hundreds of years but I'll share what I've learned anyhow.
I grew up Baptist. We are probably the most extreme on the "faith alone" scale. Once-saved, always-saved is defended militantly. Children are told in Vacation Bible School and Youth retreats that all they have to do is accept that we are sinners, believe he died for our sins, and confess Him as Lord. Then they are told that nothing they ever do will take them from God's hands. They are secure. The idea is that true faith will result in works. However by not being up-front about what it means to be a Christian, my generation in particular because of the ease of travel and availability of the internet has probably heard this message hundreds of times and they've taken it to heart. "Our actions do not matter." And they've taken this and applied it to their lives and marriages and families. And we wonder why the traditional family has become such a rare thing. Should someone attempt to suggest that we follow the teachings of the Bible, they are attacked severely as legalists. I firmly believe that we are wrong if we focus so much on following the Law that we miss the Giver of the Law. But there is so much in the Old Testament and New Testament that would save us all from so much heartache if we valued it.
I am Catholic now because I read the Bible cover-to-cover and realized we have missed a few things. Jesus' words especially pointed to a life of action and not only passive faith. The faith that I found in the Catholic Church was dynamic. The life of conversion in the Catholic Church had much more appeal than a conversion-experience-and-you're-done that I had heard for most of my life. So many of us are not satisfied with our experience and keep searching because second baptisms, rededications and such are very common in some Protestant churches. How intriguing to find that we have a lifetime to work out our salvation(Phil 2:12-13)
What is salvation?
There are three parts; justification, sanctification and glorification.
For the Catholic, all parts are necessary. Salvation is achieved when we arrive in heaven.
For the Protestant (Baptist), justification is necessary. Sanctification and glorification are results of justification.
The argument usually surrounds the thief on the cross. He believed and Jesus told him that he would be with him in Paradise. But our sufferings contribute to our sanctification and he definitely suffered on the cross. How comforting that our sufferings are not a sign that God has turned His back on us! They are what make us holy. And it could be that he was even baptized (which in part can be glorification as we are made sons and daughters of God) when the soldier pierced Jesus' side and blood and water flowed. Neat!
There is fear that if works are necessary, baptism is necessary and even great faith is necessary, what if we miss one or more of the elements? That is where we depend on God's mercy and love. He doesn't desire us to fail. He is longsuffering. Just look at what all He put up with from the Israelites. There is no need to fear.
Are good works necessary for the true Christian's life?
Catholic - Yes!
Protestant - Yes!
I have talked to pastors, laypersons and apologists. None will say that works are not necessary. Because they are. Now some Protestants will try to frame the argument by saying that if they don't show good works, then they weren't really saved in the first place. I think the desire is to allow the works that result in some Christians lives to be the product of love. And that does happen. But I think every honest Christian will admit to sometimes when you have to work whether you feel like it or not. And often, it is the actions that bring about the change of heart.
Grace
This is what begins the work of salvation. Not our faith because even the demons believe. Not our works because we can do nothing that can compare to what He has done for us. It is a gift and it's up to us what we do with it. We can leave it on a shelf. Or we can take part in it daily. We believe because Jesus told us so in John 3. We do good works because Jesus said so in Matthew 25. But it is His grace that begins the work. This is what keeps us coming to Him through prayer and the sacraments.
Fellowship
It would be truly awesome if some day we could follow Christ's command to truly be as one as the Body of Christ. There are many factors that dictate our place of worship; familiarity, family ties, pursuit of truth and some jobs even dictate where you worship. There are differences and some of those differences do matter if nothing else but to our own conscience. But in the essentials, there is a lot more difference in how we argue our beliefs than what we actually believe.
Wednesday, November 5, 2014
Chicken tacoes
I needed a quick meal for a busy taekwondo night so I checked my pantry and freezer. I had frozen chicken breast and a couple cans of rotel. I searched for a recipe and came up with this.
3-4 chicken breasts
1-2 cans of rotel (2 cans made it a bit soupy but needed to add a little water with just one can so depends on how spicy you want it)
1-2 T taco seasoning
The first try turned out scrumptious. We all agreed it was a keeper. But I felt it could be even better so I got an avocado to slice over the tacos for the second try. It could be eaten with taco shells, tortillas or even just piled on rice. Delicious and super easy!
3-4 chicken breasts
1-2 cans of rotel (2 cans made it a bit soupy but needed to add a little water with just one can so depends on how spicy you want it)
1-2 T taco seasoning
The first try turned out scrumptious. We all agreed it was a keeper. But I felt it could be even better so I got an avocado to slice over the tacos for the second try. It could be eaten with taco shells, tortillas or even just piled on rice. Delicious and super easy!
Tuesday, November 4, 2014
Greek yogurt
Greek yogurt was an acquired taste for me. I really didn't care for it when I first tried it. It is more expensive but with twice the protein of regular yogurt, it is one of those foods that really pack a punch nutritionally. The children love it. I usually use Great Value or Yoplait brand depending on what's on sale and which store I happen to be shopping at.
We do buy individual portions of greek yogurt with the fruit on the bottom or the blended Yoplait brand. But we also get the quarts of vanilla flavored greek yogurt. I normally use these in smoothies. I have found that too much juice or milk in a smoothie makes it upsetting to our stomachs so I have simplified it.
Christy's smoothies
1 cup greek yogurt
1 cup frozen berries
1 banana (frozen is best but room temp will work as well)
1 T chia seeds (benefits here)
1/4 tsp stevia
a splash of vanilla
about a quart of water until it blends to the desired consistency
I usually make two blenders full to have enough for the whole family.
Last night, I made blueberry pancakes. I had run out of frozen strawberries and didn't make as many smoothies as I had planned. I needed to use up the greek yogurt in a different way. Years ago, I would buy the plain yogurt before greek yogurt became popular and water it down to use in baked goods like muffins or cornbread. I'm really not sure why I stopped. I don't really recall it being a conscious decision. I just somehow got out of the habit.
I needed 2 1/4 cups of milk for my recipe. I used 1 cup of yogurt and 1 and 1/4 cup of water. These pancakes turned out to be the fluffiest, most delicious pancakes. The children loved them! The little ones almost ate more than the big boys. I was barely able to save a few for Mike to eat when he got home from work.
Here's an article about some of the benefits of greek yogurt. Give it a try, or a second try, or try it in a different way. Delicious and nutritious!
We do buy individual portions of greek yogurt with the fruit on the bottom or the blended Yoplait brand. But we also get the quarts of vanilla flavored greek yogurt. I normally use these in smoothies. I have found that too much juice or milk in a smoothie makes it upsetting to our stomachs so I have simplified it.
Christy's smoothies
1 cup greek yogurt
1 cup frozen berries
1 banana (frozen is best but room temp will work as well)
1 T chia seeds (benefits here)
1/4 tsp stevia
a splash of vanilla
about a quart of water until it blends to the desired consistency
I usually make two blenders full to have enough for the whole family.
Last night, I made blueberry pancakes. I had run out of frozen strawberries and didn't make as many smoothies as I had planned. I needed to use up the greek yogurt in a different way. Years ago, I would buy the plain yogurt before greek yogurt became popular and water it down to use in baked goods like muffins or cornbread. I'm really not sure why I stopped. I don't really recall it being a conscious decision. I just somehow got out of the habit.
I needed 2 1/4 cups of milk for my recipe. I used 1 cup of yogurt and 1 and 1/4 cup of water. These pancakes turned out to be the fluffiest, most delicious pancakes. The children loved them! The little ones almost ate more than the big boys. I was barely able to save a few for Mike to eat when he got home from work.
Here's an article about some of the benefits of greek yogurt. Give it a try, or a second try, or try it in a different way. Delicious and nutritious!
Monday, November 3, 2014
Babysteps to health and wellness
I changed the title to Babysteps to health and wellness. I'm not sure exactly how far I will go with the GAPS diet and it may be a combination of several things since Paleo, SCD and GAPS overlap a lot. Pursuit of health encompasses more than just preparation for GAPS.
I am feeling great with just the small changes we have made. I've dealt with IBS for as long as I can remember. I swing between two extremes although most of the time it stays in the mild to moderate range. This week, I came very close to normal. Can't remember when I have been normal. Have I ever been normal? Exciting!
Babystep #1 Add kefir daily or at least several times a week. Still at it! Target has four flavors so I got Strawberry, Raspberry and Blueberry for this week.
Babystep #2 One batch of broth and subsequently soup a week. Took the turkey neck and tried to make broth out of that. Turned out too weak and not really something I could drink straight up. I took the white meat and legs from the turkey for a meal and a couple leftover meals. I left most dark meat on the turkey carcass and divided it into two bags and stuck it in the freezer. I used the weak turkey broth, half a turkey carcass, ten carrots, one onion, three sweet potatoes, celtic sea salt and pepper to make a soup. It was a very orange soup! But my toddler who has a wierd aversion to anything red or green, eats up orange. Whatever works! Don't forget to pick out the bones before serving or better yet, before adding the veggies.
Babystep #3 Introduce fermented veggies. Still eating sauerkraut with my soup.
Babystep #4 Streamline kitchen - Work in progress!
Babystep #5 Add detox baths - Got some epsom salts since I had run out. Pinned several recipes on Pinterest. Epsom salts add minerals and draws out toxins. Baking soda purifies the water. Looking at trying some essential oils like lavender and lemon.
Babystep #6 Add omega 3 supplements - Done!
Babystep #7 Purchase some more local raw honey. Done! Funny story here.....I decided to add honey to my coffee one day. I normally drink 2-3 cups of coffee daily. This is weak coffee. I do use Dark Roast to get a good flavor but I only use 2 Tablespoons when the recommended amount is 10 Tablespoons. Caffeine relaxes me and helps me focus. I drink coffee or drink colas late in the evenings with no problem. I once drank a Red Bull. The only time I've gotten jittery was with a sample of caffeine accelerator that came with a Plexus Slim sample. But with honey instead of sugar in my coffee, my hands were shaking and I felt jittery. I wondered what in the world was going on. I'm guessing it is proof that honey is definitely absorbed faster than sugar. Makes me wonder what effect metabolism plays in ADHD and treatments.
This week's babysteps
Babystep #8 Ginger tea - Ginger is a great help for digestion and immune support. I had some ginger tea bags that we have used a few times this past week. I need to get ginger root to have on hand. David and James drank the ginger tea but it was a bit strong even watered down for the little ones. Saturday evening, I was feeling the effects of the Halloween sweets and a busy couple days with All Saint's Day celebrations and Taekwondo tournament. We had a light supper and I drank some broth and ginger tea. I felt much less bloated and blah the next morning. I feel empowered because let's face it, nobody's perfect and even with the best of intentions, plans get derailed. We need tricks to help us back on track so we aren't tempted to just give up on living healthier.
Babystep #9 Magnesium supplements - Magnesium was one of the supplements mentioned at the autism support meeting. I had researched it after David had not done well on two ADHD medicines and we needed something to help him stay focused on the task in front of him. This was about the time that I was pregnant with Joseph and I didn't give it to him long enough to see if it would make a difference. I added it back to my supplements about a week and a half ago. I noticed a big difference in how well I could focus on what I needed to accomplish. I also haven't needed my inhaler at all the past 10 days or so. Turns out that asthma along with ADHD and epilepsy is on the list of disorders that may be linked to chronic magnesium deficiency. So for myself and the two older boys (David for ADHD and James for asthma), this will be supplemented for a while.
Babystep #10 Sourdough starter - I borrowed Southern Living's Christmas Idea book for 2014 from the library. It definitely put me in the holiday mood. I want to have some delicious food for my family. I want to try some of the GAPS-legal fudges and such but we aren't following GAPS fully until after the holidays. Sourdough has worked well for us in the past. The fermenting process breaks down the gluten and makes it much easier to digest. It also make some of the most fabulous bread, cinnamon rolls, beignets and pizza crust. I let my starter die with the busyness of a new baby. I've been wanting to start one back for months so I started one a couple days ago. It will be ready to start in a couple days. I'm going to start another today so that I can have one available every day or two. With this family and with all the yummy ways of using sourdough, every three days just isn't enough. I use this recipe from Living on a Dime and use rice baby cereal instead of potato flakes.
Babystep #11 Drink water first thing in the morning. I usually start the children off with milk and I start with coffee or tea. A quick google search will uncover a myriad of reasons why to start with water and most recommend adding lemon to your water. I will add lemon to our grocery list but the purpose of this babystep is to establish the habit.
Babystep #12 Work on creating a natural bath set for the children - Last year, we got character labeled body wash and bubbles for fun stocking stuffers. This year I want to find bottles and jars that are in their colors (blue for David, green for James, pink for Katie Rose, red for John Micah and light blue for Joseph) or can be colored with a lid or maybe a label. I bought some mild castille soap at Target. I'm researching how to use my essential oils and mild soap for an effective body wash. I want to switch to using coconut oil as a moisturizer instead of lotion. As we run out of storebought cleaners and health/beauty supplies, I want to try to replace them with a homemade version.
We know that some cleaners have caused rashes for David and Katie Rose. Scrubbing Bubbles is especially troublesome which is disappointing since it does clean so well. Joseph has had two allergic skin hives/rashes so far. Doctors don't know what he is reacting to and experience tells me that we will probably never know. He is just a sensitive guy like his older brother and sister and we'll have to be as mild as possible with everything we use.
I am feeling great with just the small changes we have made. I've dealt with IBS for as long as I can remember. I swing between two extremes although most of the time it stays in the mild to moderate range. This week, I came very close to normal. Can't remember when I have been normal. Have I ever been normal? Exciting!
Babystep #1 Add kefir daily or at least several times a week. Still at it! Target has four flavors so I got Strawberry, Raspberry and Blueberry for this week.
Babystep #2 One batch of broth and subsequently soup a week. Took the turkey neck and tried to make broth out of that. Turned out too weak and not really something I could drink straight up. I took the white meat and legs from the turkey for a meal and a couple leftover meals. I left most dark meat on the turkey carcass and divided it into two bags and stuck it in the freezer. I used the weak turkey broth, half a turkey carcass, ten carrots, one onion, three sweet potatoes, celtic sea salt and pepper to make a soup. It was a very orange soup! But my toddler who has a wierd aversion to anything red or green, eats up orange. Whatever works! Don't forget to pick out the bones before serving or better yet, before adding the veggies.
Babystep #3 Introduce fermented veggies. Still eating sauerkraut with my soup.
Babystep #4 Streamline kitchen - Work in progress!
Babystep #5 Add detox baths - Got some epsom salts since I had run out. Pinned several recipes on Pinterest. Epsom salts add minerals and draws out toxins. Baking soda purifies the water. Looking at trying some essential oils like lavender and lemon.
Babystep #6 Add omega 3 supplements - Done!
Babystep #7 Purchase some more local raw honey. Done! Funny story here.....I decided to add honey to my coffee one day. I normally drink 2-3 cups of coffee daily. This is weak coffee. I do use Dark Roast to get a good flavor but I only use 2 Tablespoons when the recommended amount is 10 Tablespoons. Caffeine relaxes me and helps me focus. I drink coffee or drink colas late in the evenings with no problem. I once drank a Red Bull. The only time I've gotten jittery was with a sample of caffeine accelerator that came with a Plexus Slim sample. But with honey instead of sugar in my coffee, my hands were shaking and I felt jittery. I wondered what in the world was going on. I'm guessing it is proof that honey is definitely absorbed faster than sugar. Makes me wonder what effect metabolism plays in ADHD and treatments.
This week's babysteps
Babystep #8 Ginger tea - Ginger is a great help for digestion and immune support. I had some ginger tea bags that we have used a few times this past week. I need to get ginger root to have on hand. David and James drank the ginger tea but it was a bit strong even watered down for the little ones. Saturday evening, I was feeling the effects of the Halloween sweets and a busy couple days with All Saint's Day celebrations and Taekwondo tournament. We had a light supper and I drank some broth and ginger tea. I felt much less bloated and blah the next morning. I feel empowered because let's face it, nobody's perfect and even with the best of intentions, plans get derailed. We need tricks to help us back on track so we aren't tempted to just give up on living healthier.
Babystep #9 Magnesium supplements - Magnesium was one of the supplements mentioned at the autism support meeting. I had researched it after David had not done well on two ADHD medicines and we needed something to help him stay focused on the task in front of him. This was about the time that I was pregnant with Joseph and I didn't give it to him long enough to see if it would make a difference. I added it back to my supplements about a week and a half ago. I noticed a big difference in how well I could focus on what I needed to accomplish. I also haven't needed my inhaler at all the past 10 days or so. Turns out that asthma along with ADHD and epilepsy is on the list of disorders that may be linked to chronic magnesium deficiency. So for myself and the two older boys (David for ADHD and James for asthma), this will be supplemented for a while.
Babystep #10 Sourdough starter - I borrowed Southern Living's Christmas Idea book for 2014 from the library. It definitely put me in the holiday mood. I want to have some delicious food for my family. I want to try some of the GAPS-legal fudges and such but we aren't following GAPS fully until after the holidays. Sourdough has worked well for us in the past. The fermenting process breaks down the gluten and makes it much easier to digest. It also make some of the most fabulous bread, cinnamon rolls, beignets and pizza crust. I let my starter die with the busyness of a new baby. I've been wanting to start one back for months so I started one a couple days ago. It will be ready to start in a couple days. I'm going to start another today so that I can have one available every day or two. With this family and with all the yummy ways of using sourdough, every three days just isn't enough. I use this recipe from Living on a Dime and use rice baby cereal instead of potato flakes.
Babystep #11 Drink water first thing in the morning. I usually start the children off with milk and I start with coffee or tea. A quick google search will uncover a myriad of reasons why to start with water and most recommend adding lemon to your water. I will add lemon to our grocery list but the purpose of this babystep is to establish the habit.
Babystep #12 Work on creating a natural bath set for the children - Last year, we got character labeled body wash and bubbles for fun stocking stuffers. This year I want to find bottles and jars that are in their colors (blue for David, green for James, pink for Katie Rose, red for John Micah and light blue for Joseph) or can be colored with a lid or maybe a label. I bought some mild castille soap at Target. I'm researching how to use my essential oils and mild soap for an effective body wash. I want to switch to using coconut oil as a moisturizer instead of lotion. As we run out of storebought cleaners and health/beauty supplies, I want to try to replace them with a homemade version.
We know that some cleaners have caused rashes for David and Katie Rose. Scrubbing Bubbles is especially troublesome which is disappointing since it does clean so well. Joseph has had two allergic skin hives/rashes so far. Doctors don't know what he is reacting to and experience tells me that we will probably never know. He is just a sensitive guy like his older brother and sister and we'll have to be as mild as possible with everything we use.
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