"As the gardener, such is the garden."...Hebrew proverb
I'm not a stickler by any means when it comes to organic foods and feeding my family, I go by the fact that I was raised fine with the foods local supermarkets provide us, so why conform when something is working for us, and our budget. So if I add a few organic ingredients or 'natural' products to our weekly meals I feel I'm living up to the health craze at least a little bit.
Now here comes breakfast... the sweetest meal of the day. Every breakfast item is sugary, from pancakes and muffins to oatmeal and cereal. Most of the time I try my best to cut the sugar by adding the natural sugar of fruits into every breakfast; like stirring purred fruits (or go the easy route and use natural applesauce) into oatmeal or offer cereal mixed with raisins or dried fruit.
I came across this article and thought that since this new wave of eating organic is everywhere it seems, maybe it'll give a few ideas to those who could use it. But some of the recipes I definitely will be trying out, especially the Pumpkin Walnut Cream Cheese, but minus some of the 'organic' in front of the ingredients :)
chowmama Breakfast: "Here’s the skinny (or not-so-skinny, as it were): Cascadian Farms is owned by General Mills who recently quietly reformulated Purely O’s adding THREE times the sugar, fillers including corn meal and sweeteners including tapioca syrup....
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Gavin's 3rd birthday!
If you carry your childhood with you, you never become older- Abraham Sutzkever 
Here's the day before when both boys were helping to make the cake. They were good helpers... cleaning the mixer and bowl that is :)
Super cute idea I found in using Oreo cookies and melted chocolate for Valentine's treats! Made some for party favors and extras for neighbors with an 'It cool being your friend' message.
The finished flyboat cake. This was the first time I worked with fondant and it was fairly easy to use. It was the almost hour of kneading it from the color white to red that took alot out my hands though!
But it was worth every bit when Gavin saw it the next morning and thought it was his flyboat toy!
So after playing save the baby animals with stuffed toys, coloring the Wonder Pets, and playing with balloons, the only thing Mommy forgot was some celery to end a great day!
Happy birthday to my big guy!!!
Here's the day before when both boys were helping to make the cake. They were good helpers... cleaning the mixer and bowl that is :)
Super cute idea I found in using Oreo cookies and melted chocolate for Valentine's treats! Made some for party favors and extras for neighbors with an 'It cool being your friend' message.
The finished flyboat cake. This was the first time I worked with fondant and it was fairly easy to use. It was the almost hour of kneading it from the color white to red that took alot out my hands though!
But it was worth every bit when Gavin saw it the next morning and thought it was his flyboat toy!
So after playing save the baby animals with stuffed toys, coloring the Wonder Pets, and playing with balloons, the only thing Mommy forgot was some celery to end a great day!
Happy birthday to my big guy!!!
Go Wonder Pets!
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Sweet ways to have fun
"Winter is the season in which people try to keep the house as warm as it was in the summer, when they complained about the heat." ~Author Unknown
Eat your heart out- Make everything from heart pancakes for breakfast to decorated Rice Krispie treats using heart shaped cookie cutters. No heart shape cutter? Just use M&M's or chocolate chips to outline a heart instead!
Look for love- Play the "I love you to pieces' game. Cut out a big heart from construction paper, tear it to pieces and hide the pieces around the house for kids to find and reassemble with tape when found.
Go cocoa- Nothing brings a touch of sweet to winter like hot cocoa. Putting it in a bowl instead of a cup allows the kiddos to arrange mini marshmallows into designs and also works on hand-eye coordination scooping them with a spoon before they melt. Or take the easy route, smoosh a large marshmellow, press a tiny heart cookie cutter into it and plop them in a cup of cocoa... yummy any way you use them!
Eat your heart out- Make everything from heart pancakes for breakfast to decorated Rice Krispie treats using heart shaped cookie cutters. No heart shape cutter? Just use M&M's or chocolate chips to outline a heart instead!
Look for love- Play the "I love you to pieces' game. Cut out a big heart from construction paper, tear it to pieces and hide the pieces around the house for kids to find and reassemble with tape when found.
Go cocoa- Nothing brings a touch of sweet to winter like hot cocoa. Putting it in a bowl instead of a cup allows the kiddos to arrange mini marshmallows into designs and also works on hand-eye coordination scooping them with a spoon before they melt. Or take the easy route, smoosh a large marshmellow, press a tiny heart cookie cutter into it and plop them in a cup of cocoa... yummy any way you use them!
Snow much fun!
Plant carrots in January and you'll never have to eat carrots. ~Author Unknown
Bizard of 2010 here in Maryland
Gavin says 'Wow' to all the snow we woke up to on Saturday
The 25" is almost as tall as Carter
Our neighbor was a big help with Mike not being home. The boys loved the snow blower atchment to his tractor- too cool!
They were glued to the window- I'd put money on one of them working with trucks or tractors when they grow up!
Gavin helping to shovel a path
Carter enjoying the taste of the season
Little tracks up the driveway and then 'thud' He sat there a good 10 minutes enjoying the newness of the snow!
"A snowflake is one of God's most fragile creations, but look what they can do when they stick together!" -Anon
Bizard of 2010 here in Maryland
Gavin says 'Wow' to all the snow we woke up to on Saturday
The 25" is almost as tall as Carter
Our neighbor was a big help with Mike not being home. The boys loved the snow blower atchment to his tractor- too cool!
They were glued to the window- I'd put money on one of them working with trucks or tractors when they grow up!
Gavin helping to shovel a path
Carter enjoying the taste of the season
Little tracks up the driveway and then 'thud' He sat there a good 10 minutes enjoying the newness of the snow!
"A snowflake is one of God's most fragile creations, but look what they can do when they stick together!" -Anon
Thursday, January 28, 2010
New life
I have been so let down by my socks here lately! I'm always finding holes in them and it's not like I'm doing hard labor, they just wear so quickly and I feel like I'm just throwing money down the drain. But I have found a way to re-use and give new life to all the holy or mis-matched socks that we have accumilated around here over the years and just wanted to share in case anyone else is experienceing this too.
Dust rags
Ice Pack
Use the socks with out holes of course! Pour uncooked rice in them, tie closed, freeze and you have a make shift ice pack.
Sock puppets
The kids enjoy helping but it's been a release for me to draw on the socks I'm most frustrated about too!
And my favorite one I utilized just today....
Freezie pop holders!
Just slip a freezie pop into a sock and no more cold little hands or sticky mess to clean up from the juice running down their arms!
Dust rags
Ice Pack
Use the socks with out holes of course! Pour uncooked rice in them, tie closed, freeze and you have a make shift ice pack.
Sock puppets
The kids enjoy helping but it's been a release for me to draw on the socks I'm most frustrated about too!
And my favorite one I utilized just today....
Freezie pop holders!
Just slip a freezie pop into a sock and no more cold little hands or sticky mess to clean up from the juice running down their arms!
Friday, January 8, 2010
Snow Cream
"A snowflake is one of God's most fragile creations, but look what they can do when they stick together!" -Anon
Snow Cream, Mmmmmm, need I say more!!!!
My mother would help my brother and I make this tasty treat every winter. She always told us that the top of the snow was the best to use, since the snow just finished cleaning the air, it was dirtier on the bottom, but the top layer of snow was perfect for snow cream!
Ingredients:
- Heaping bowl of "White" Snow
-Milk/Cream
-Sugar
-Vanilla extract
Stir ingredients together and add more snow if needed
Get as creative as you'd like by adding maple syrup, or smashed bananas, or Nestle's Quick mix for chocolate snow cream, or even add friut juice instead of milk for a fruity drink... let your creativity run wild and enjoy- quickly!
"When I no longer thrill to the first snow of the season, I'll know I'm growing old."
-Lady Bird Johnson
Snow Cream, Mmmmmm, need I say more!!!!
My mother would help my brother and I make this tasty treat every winter. She always told us that the top of the snow was the best to use, since the snow just finished cleaning the air, it was dirtier on the bottom, but the top layer of snow was perfect for snow cream!
Ingredients:
- Heaping bowl of "White" Snow
-Milk/Cream
-Sugar
-Vanilla extract
Stir ingredients together and add more snow if needed
Get as creative as you'd like by adding maple syrup, or smashed bananas, or Nestle's Quick mix for chocolate snow cream, or even add friut juice instead of milk for a fruity drink... let your creativity run wild and enjoy- quickly!
"When I no longer thrill to the first snow of the season, I'll know I'm growing old."
-Lady Bird Johnson
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Christmas at home
Christmas, children, is not a date. It is a state of mind. ~Mary Ellen Chase
This might rank as one of the best Christmas' we've had in a while considering the circumstances this year. We were able to keep the kids home instead of dragging them around town from house to house and working around nap schedule's, which made everyone happier in the long run! The simple and quiet times of fellowship with family are the best!
The boys helping Mommy with the decorations the night before
Lighting the advent candles on Christmas Eve
Even the day before, boxes are too much fun to play with!
Christmas morning Gavin ran to the fire house under the tree but Carter was more excited about the cookie pieces that Santa left on the plate!
Gavin's 1st time on a sit-and-spin, he did really well but...
Carter was the one to hop right on and start spinning full circle!!!
Mom-mom having to help an excited Gavin to learn to take turns!
The Geotrax train set was also a big hit the day after Christmas, and the day after that, and the day after that...!!! Mommy and Daddy can't wait for Gavin's birthday to add the airplanes onto this one too! We have had as much fun with the toys as they have!
But most of all-
"The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other." ~Burton Hillis
This might rank as one of the best Christmas' we've had in a while considering the circumstances this year. We were able to keep the kids home instead of dragging them around town from house to house and working around nap schedule's, which made everyone happier in the long run! The simple and quiet times of fellowship with family are the best!
The boys helping Mommy with the decorations the night before
Lighting the advent candles on Christmas Eve
Even the day before, boxes are too much fun to play with!
Christmas morning Gavin ran to the fire house under the tree but Carter was more excited about the cookie pieces that Santa left on the plate!
Gavin's 1st time on a sit-and-spin, he did really well but...
Carter was the one to hop right on and start spinning full circle!!!
Mom-mom having to help an excited Gavin to learn to take turns!
The Geotrax train set was also a big hit the day after Christmas, and the day after that, and the day after that...!!! Mommy and Daddy can't wait for Gavin's birthday to add the airplanes onto this one too! We have had as much fun with the toys as they have!
But most of all-
"The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other." ~Burton Hillis
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