Flo's Foibles

Hi 2012...

2012-01-12T09:49:00.001-08:00

I haven't blogged in a long time. Like a loooooong time. So long, that I don't care about grammar at this point.

My life has been a whirlwind these last few months, but I can honestly say that God is good.

I hope to get back to blogging soon... VERY SOON!

Check it out! 2012 Guide to Groceries under $250 per month!

2011-12-01T12:56:00.001-08:00

Farm Phresh

2011-09-06T22:06:00.000-07:00

These eggs are fresh. These eggs are phresh.

;)

Our girls are producing lots of good eggs for us.

Okay. That's all.

Slumber

2011-09-05T08:54:00.000-07:00

I hear it.

Breathe in.
Breathe out.

Breathe in.
Breathe out.

I look at her. I can smell her hair.
I touch her arm. Soft and warm.

My littlest one. Quiet and sleeping.

I treasured those quiet moments. Listening and silently offering up Thanksgiving to my Savior for that child, sleeping on the daisy covered sheet.

We'll be right back...

2011-08-23T09:19:00.000-07:00

with all the summer activities and school planning, I've put blogging on the back burner. SORRY!

I'll be back though.

Fermenting- branching out

2011-07-26T00:00:00.000-07:00

We have an abundance of carrots from our garden and my DH harvested the whole crop. So...

I have to proess a TON of carrots!!!

I found a recipe for Dilly Carrots and I am so excited. I love pickles and this will be my first time to lacto-ferment a vegetable. I bought some dill from the farmers market and it's beautiful and smells wonderful. I only had one clean quart-sized jar last night, so that's all I could start. I plan on going to the store today to get some more jars. :D

I got the recipe from Nourishing Gourmet.

Homemade salted caramel sauce

2011-07-25T11:10:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, we were invited to our friends' house for a "bring a dish to share" dinner. I don't say "pot-luck" because we knew what we were bringing and so did the hosts. We were having a baked potato bar and ice cream sundae bar. So, I decided to make some caramel sauce. Caramel is my FAVE! Salted caramel?? oh yeeeeaaaaaahhhh...

It was SUPER easy to make and I plan on making more in the future: gifts, bribes, etc.

Here's the recipe I used from Cooking God's Way:

Buttery Maple-Caramel Sauce

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)

2/3 cups dark muscovado sugar (you could probably use rapadura or sucanat)
1/4 teaspoon unrefined sea salt (omit if using salted butter)
1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 cup real maple syrup
1/2 cup raw cream (or store-bought – but NOT ultra-pasteurized)

In a 2 to 3-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.

Add in sugar, salt (if using), and lemon juice. Quickly mix these ingredients together, breaking up any lumps of sugar with a whisk or fork.

Continue to cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, and scraping down the sides of pan.

Allow mixture to come to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes.

Add in maple syrup all at once, stirring quickly to mix in.

Stir constantly and allow to boil for 3 to 5 minutes more, until mixture thickens (coats the back of a spoon).

Remove from heat and add in the cream, stirring well until combined.

Let caramel sauce cool for 1 to 2 minutes, then transfer to heat-safe jar(s). Let cool to room-temperature in the jar(s) before moving to the fridge for long-term storage (up to 3 weeks).

Warm sauce gently before serving.

Makes 1-1/2 cups.

Frivolous Friday: Artisan Bread

2011-07-22T09:01:00.000-07:00

You know my obsession with the Artisan Bread books, right? I check them out ALL the time from the library. I think I will have to buy them. Or, maybe I could ask for them for our anniversary this year.

Any-hoo... I made some artisan bread from the Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day. It was crusty on the outside and chewy in the middle. LOVED IT!

Check it out from the library if you can. It's definitely worth it! I'll make some more and will take pics of each step next time!

Minister :: Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

2011-07-21T08:45:00.000-07:00

scroll down for the recipe

Have you ever asked the LORD: God, how can I be used of you today?

Last week, I asked that question of the LORD. You see, our church was sending a group to Arizona to minister to those living on a Navajo Reservation. Those people are poor and lost. Many are lost in addictions to drugs and alcohol. The children need love and gentleness shown to them everyday, and all need the message of the Gospel.

Because the LORD didn't call us to go on this trip, I still wanted to do something tangible.

Then God spoke to me!

"Make cookies for the people going on this trip. It's a long drive for them."

It wasn't a Charlton Heston, Ten Commandments kind of a voice. Just a thought in my head.

So, I went to work.

I baked and froze cookies during the week and brought them to the church on Thursday before they left.

20 dozen cookies.

Yes, 20 dozen. It was so fun and they turned out quite yummy (yes, I had a few taste tests!).

It may sound silly to some people, but this was my way of ministering to people. If you ever feel the Holy Spirit tugging at your heart, and you want to be used, just ask the LORD to show you what to do. It might be as simple as calling someone on the phone or sending someone an encouraging text message!

See cookie recipe below. WARNING!! Not WAP or NT friendly!! However, this can be adapted to the unrefined way!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

adapted from "$250 Cookie Recipe" Makes 5 dozen.

1 c. organic salted butter

1 c. granulated sugar

1 c. brown sugar, lightly packed

2 organic free-range eggs

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

2 c. all-purpose flour

2 1/2 c. rolled oats

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

24 oz. bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375˚F. In a medium sized bowl, combine flour, oats, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, scraping down bowl in between additions. Add vanilla.
Slowly add oat mixture to butter mixture until well combined. Scrape down sides of bowl to make sure all is incorporated. By hand, mix in the chocolate chips.
Drop by rounded teaspoons on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 6-8 minutes.

:: beach day ::

2011-07-05T10:22:00.000-07:00

one of our precious nieces was visited us for 10 days. we had such a great time having her here in our home. she has a REAL personality. there is no "bones about" her at all. she is honest. she actually talks.

a teenager that talks.

AMAZING!

she has a heart for the LORD and I pray that she continues to follow God's path.

anyway, we went to the beach while she was here. the water was freezing, but the sun was warm and i felt so nourished by it! the hubby and I hope to plan a family vacation near the beach before the weather turns cold.

any-hoo. that's it for now.

i have a dentist appointment today. not. excited. at. all.

nope.

It's peeked my Pinterest

2011-07-04T10:31:00.000-07:00

No thanks to my friend, Heather, I am now addicted to Pinterest. Look at it. You'll get hooked too.

Homestead Revival: Give Away: GNOWFGLINS™ Lacto Fermentation eCourse!

2011-06-29T22:48:00.000-07:00

Homestead Revival: Give Away: GNOWFGLINS™ Lacto Fermentation eCourse!

Click on the link above for a chance to learn about lacto-fermentation!!!

The Sunshine has finally arrived!

2011-06-08T08:53:00.000-07:00

After weeks of what has been dubbed as "Junuary" here in our neck of the woods, the sun and blue skies finally emerged. It was glorious to see the blue skies. I had to stop and take this pic!!

So, hi June. It's nice to see you.

Fully Recovered! YAHOO!

2011-06-07T12:35:00.000-07:00

Sunday was the 6 week mark from when I had my appendix taken out. WHEEW! The incisions still feel weird, a little sore, but that's to be expected.

Everything else is great. Now... if only I could get motivated with the whole weight-loss deal. hehehe

Frivolous Friday: Chocolate Coconut Latte

2011-06-03T08:03:00.000-07:00

A famous chain coffee shop has come out with some new flavored iced blended coffees. I tried one the other day and it tasted a lot like a tea that I recently purchased. I thought, I can make this at HOME! So, yesterday I tried it. This morning, I made it again, and documented the yummy geniusness of it all. **if you don't have an espresso machine, HOT brewed coffee will work just fine!**

Trader Joe's Organic Fair Trade Espresso Blend

Super yummy chocolate coconut tea!

Tea bag in mug

hot espresso filling mug whilst brewing the tea

Letting the tea bag steep in the hot espresso. See it peeking out?

After a few minutes, pour over ice, then add some raw milk!

Add sweetner of choice (maple syrup or stevia would be awesome), and blend for a nice treat.

It's okay... Soured Raw milk isn't bad!!

2011-06-02T10:11:00.000-07:00

Check out this article on what to do with soured raw milk!

20 Things to do with Soured Raw Milk or Cream

Frivolous Friday: New phone

2011-05-27T09:26:00.000-07:00

Well, it finally happened. This gal got herself a smartphone. I used to say that it was a waste of money and all I needed was a phone to make calls.

And I am sure that is still the case.

Did I REALLY need a phone that I could use to get online and check Facebook statuses?

Did I REALLY need a phone to check email and weather reports?

Did I REALLY need a phone that I could use for penmanship practice or to check the constellations in the night sky?

Did I REALLY need a phone to use for backyard bird watching?

The answers to these questions:

NO.

Of course I didn't.

But... it does come in handy! ;)

Data plans are so affordable these days and you can get an iPhone for a super duper price right now.

So, that's it. That's what I got and this gal is a happy camper!

Recovery Week #5: Almost there!!!

2011-05-26T13:15:00.000-07:00

I am so happy to say that I am nearing the END of my 6 week recovery. I have taken it pretty seriously and I am glad that I did. I've been really good about taking all of my vitamins and minerals. I've pretty good about drinking kefir daily. The kombucha didn't happen very often this week.

(ok. I just got back from pouring myself a few ounces of kombucha, just for good measure)

I picked up our youngest the other day and she said, "YAAAAYYYY!!! Mommy UP me!" That was probably the sweetest thing I've heard in a really long time. My family has taken this recovery seriously as well. The kids made sure that I didn't lift anything too heavy, reminded me that my tummy had owies, and my oldest wanted to help with nearly everything I was doing.

(ew. I have decided that I do NOT like this flavor of kombucha. I think I'll stick with Mango from now on)

I am trying to get back into baking and cooking for these people here. I feel like such a slacker, but I suppose I get a pass for now. This week, I baked some strawberry scones. OH MY! They were scrumptious! Today, I cooked up some ground turkey sausage (Thank you, Heavenly Homemakers!), and prepped dinner... BEFORE NOON! WOW... this is quite an accomplishment.

Oh... and I forgot to mention that I RE-joined WW a few weeks back. It's been a hard road to get back on this. I absolutely hate it right now. I am SO not motivated. But, today I am. I have to take this one meal at a time. I need to be VERY GOOD at writing down EVERYTHING I eat. EEEEKS. It will be good. It will get better. And I WILL lose this weight. I cannot re-join again. It's almost humiliating.

In the meantime, here's a pic of the strawberry scones. FWIW, I only ate 1. Click on the caption below for the recipe from A Dash of Sass.

Strawberry Scones

Herbed Potato Salad (mayo-free)

2011-05-24T09:04:00.000-07:00

We've enjoyed a few sunny days out here and decided to put some meat out on the grill. A dear friend of gave me a wonderful recipe for Armenian style chicken kebabs. I decided to pair it up with some potatoes. The salad is full of flavor and the herbs make the salad so bright and cheery! It makes your mouth very springy. This can be served warm or cool. :)

Mediterranean Style Herbed Potato Salad

serves 8

6 medium red potatoes, quartered and boiled until tender

1/4 c. FRESH flat leaf parsley

2 small-medium sized garlic cloves

4 fresh basil leaves

1/4-1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil

1-2 tbs. red wine vinegar

sea salt & freshly ground pepper to taste

fresh flat leaf parsley for garnish

Arrange cooked potatoes on a serving platter.
In a blender, food processor, or Magic Bullet, blend the rest of the ingredients until blended and smooth. Drizzle dressing over cooked potatoes.
Roughly chop a few leaves of parsley and sprinkle over top of potatoes and serve.

Baking today... OOPS!

2011-05-17T12:48:00.000-07:00

Last week, I bought an oversized bag of organic "baby" carrots from Costco. It's HUGE. What was I thinking when I purchased that thing? Oh wait, I remember what I was thinking: "Great deal, healthy snack!!" I completely forgot that I don't have a family of 15 that looooooves carrots. Ugh.

I decided to try making some carrot cupcakes. I've never made these before, but I needed to try something, right? I used my soaked Zucchini Muffin recipe (I haven't posted it yet) and it smelled SO GOOD when it was in the oven. I pulled the muffins out after the BBEEEEEEEP, and noticed something quite peculiar. They weren't so puffy, like muffins should look. Then I realized:

I completely forgot the leavening agent. EEEKS!

However, my kids gobbled down their muffins this morning during our "recess". They loved it. "Oh mom! These are SO GOOD!" "MOMMY! Can I have another one?!"

So, the recipe is a keeper. I'll start soaking some flour again tonight to make another batch. I'll post pics tomorrow... of the way the muffins should REALLY look.

Recovery Week #4

2011-05-17T00:01:00.000-07:00

I am on my 4th week of recovery. The incisions are not as noticable. They still are sore if I wear the wrong thing, so sweats and stretch pants have been my uniform for a while now. I am sure my DH is so sick of it. I am practically in Jammies all day long.

I am keeping up well on my "recovery" foods. Unfortunately, I've been eating some refined flour and sugar, so my skin is paying for it. It doesn't help that my "friend" is coming for a visit soon. Tomorrow should be a better day when it comes to food intake.

I've been slacking on the bone broth. UGH! I really need to get some chicken bones in the pot when I wake up tomorrow. The foods that I have been VERY good with are Bubbies pickles and sauerkraut. Oh my.... so good! I really need to try my hand at some sauerkraut! If you haven't tried Bubbies, you REALLY need to find it, buy it, and HIDE IT! My kids love Bubbies... So, I have to buy double each month. Oh great.

Spring WAS here...

2011-05-16T23:41:00.000-07:00

It was cold and rainy today. It snowed up in the mountains about 3 hours away. We enjoyed some great weather last week, then it turned wintery over the weekend. Good thing my DH got the garden planted!

This past weekend, I was able to attend an absolutely beautiful tea at our church. The speaker spoke about "Serenity".

Me? SERENE?

That's comical.

SERIOUSLY!

96% of the time, I live in FREAK-OUT mode. It was passed down to me from other freak-out women in my family. I can blame it on that, right? ok ok... I guess not. FREAK-OUT mode is really a disguise for "NO TRUST IN GOD". Why oh why do I do this? It's my default. I need to change it.

I was serene for about and hour and a half today, but the kids were napping. Does that count?
Probably not.

I just need to trust.

Just trust.

Blessed Mess(ed)

2011-05-12T09:39:00.000-07:00

Our house has been a crazy mess. Every day, it's a mess. I clean it up, it gets messy again.

Legos, over-turned dump drucks, dolls missing shoes, and even a banana peel under a couch cushion.

I have to smile. My babies, my precious gifts from the LORD...

they were the creators of those messes.

Week #3 of Recovery, Alaskan Cruises, and Thoughts on Family trips

2011-05-11T08:46:00.000-07:00

Not much is new here. I am still slowly recovering from my surgery. People are probably thinking, "Really? You're a wimp! Just get to it!" Well, I'd really like to "get to it" and get on with my life, but I am taking my my surgeon seriously. He made me promise to take it easy for 6 weeks and he assured me that I would not be 100% till then. I recently got an order from Dr. Ron's Ultra Pure. I was introduced to this company by a good friend of mine. Dr. Ron does not use additives in the supplements. It's ultra-pure. Here is a quote from the website.

Why are Stearates in Supplements?
These stearates, made by hydrogenating cottonseed or palm oil, are used throughout the supplements industry as lubricants. They are added to the raw materials in supplements so that production machinery will run at maximum speeds. These fatty substances coat every particle of the nutrients, so the particles will flow rapidly. This ensures that production schedules will meet profit targets.

Why are Stearates in Supplements?

These stearates, made by hydrogenating cottonseed or palm oil, are used throughout the supplements industry as lubricants. They are added to the raw materials in supplements so that production machinery will run at maximum speeds. These fatty substances coat every particle of the nutrients, so the particles will flow rapidly. This ensures that production schedules will meet profit targets.

In a study published in the journal Pharmaceutical Technology (April, 1985), the percent dissolution for capsules after 20 minutes in solution went from 90% without stearates to 25% with stearates. In other words, stearates reduced the rate the capsule dissolved by 65%! This delays the absorption of nutrients. Individuals with impaired digestion may have particular difficulty absorbing nutrients coated with stearates.

How Much Hydrogenated Lubricant Oils Are You Getting With Your Supplements?

Up to 5% of the average 1000 mg capsule or tablet is magnesium stearate. That’s 50 milligrams. Suppose you take 8 capsules or tablets a day. That’s 250 a month – or 12,500 mg of this hydrogenated oil, nearly half an ounce. That works out to about 6 ounces of hydrogenated oils a year, from just 8 pills a day.

100% Additive-Free Supplements

Remember, the sole purpose of using these oils is to make the machines go faster. Supplements can be made without them – it just takes more time, care and attention to detail. Our exclusive process yields absolutely pure supplements – no lubricants, binders, flowing agents, fillers, dyes or additives of any kind – only the pure nutrients.

Our Certificates of Analysis Demonstrate the Purity of Our Products

The raw materials that go into our supplements are independently analyzed. Here are some typical results:

Alpha Lipoic Acid: Assay: 99.72%; Loss on Drying: 0.25%. Purity thus tested at 99.97%.
Glucosamine Sulfate Potassium: Assay: 99.88%; Loss on Drying: 0.072%. Purity thus tested at 99.952%.

I ordered Doc's Best for a multi-vitamin, Organ Delight for the benefits of organ meats, without having to prepare them, and Sea Vegetables (I suspect that I might have Thyroid issues). I have been taking these in addition to a daily dose of Fermented Cod liver oil/High Vitamin Butter Oil, Kombucha, Pascalite Clay, and dairy kefir. It sounds like a lot, but it really isn't.

In the meantime, my parents left yesterday for a 10-day cruise to Alaska. This is HUGE. They have never been on a trip like this before IN THEIR LIVES. As I was growing up, they never went on vacations by themselves. I do remember 2 times before when they left for an overnight trip, but that was it. If they went on a vacation, my sister and I were always with them. Disneyland, Lake Tahoe, San Diego, etc... we were always together. My parents were pretty frugal when we were growing up so, we very rarely went on vacations. We usually just went somewhere during 3-day weekends. This taught me a lot about how important family time was for my parents. They always wanted us with them, where ever they went. Even with the little money they had to spend, they tried their hardest to make our mini-vacations as special as they could.

So, my kids and I miss my parents a LOT. They are a big part of our lives. Since my parents live a block away and are RETIRED... they spend every day with us. They are a huge help to me and my hubby. They are always willing to help and watch the kids. We never need a babysitter. Just this morning, the kids said, "We miss Gramma and Grampa. Why did they have to leave for 10 days?"

Oh boy... this is going to be a LOOOOOONG vacation!

Detox and Recovery...

2011-05-02T21:28:00.001-07:00

I am starting my second week of recovery from surgery. Yes, it was a simple and quick surgery, but recovering is taking a bit longer than I expected. In addition to the little bit of pain/soreness that I am experiencing right now, I am dealing with a rash from the antibiotics that I was on.

A week after my surgery and I am not 100%. I went in for a follow-up appointment with my surgeon and he said that I probably won't be feeling 100% for a few more weeks. That made me irritated. However, it's my own personal opinion, that once something is stuck in your skin, something invasive has occured. I had an I.V. and that is invasive. They are pumping me with synthetic forms of hydration and antibiotics... that to me is invasive in itself. So, I can't expect to be feeling 100% if I had all this stuff done to me. My Dr. also informed me that I am a carrier of MRSA. Awesome. He said that most of the general public NOW carries MRSA, but just doesn't know it. OH GREAT.

So, in the mean time, I am drinking Kombucha as a means of detoxifying my body from the fluids pumped into my arm. I am also takingPascalite clay orally in gel caps to absorb toxins.

Also, after some research, I will be using a GSE nasal spray to combat this MRSA deal. Yeeeesh.

In addition to all of these, my main goal here is HEALTH RECOVERY through diet. Some friends and I ordered some supplements fromDr. Rons. I'll continue to have plenty of bone broth, coconut oil, Fermented Cod Liver Oil, High Vitamin Butter oil, and very nourishing food for the next few weeks. I am going to try and follow Eat Fat, Lose Fat's Health Recovery diet.

Frivolous Friday: Royal Wedding Fever

2011-04-29T00:06:00.000-07:00

yes, I caught the fever.

It's rather pathetic. I set the DVR. I will attempt to get the Transferware out for the day.

I'll make some tea.

Attempt some scones? no...

But, we'll enjoy the day.

Weekend Update: Who Needed that Appendix anyway???

2011-04-28T08:48:00.000-07:00

This past week has been pretty difficult. Saturday night, my hubby took me to the ER for major abdominal pains. I had my appendix taken out on Resurrection Sunday. I came home the next day.

The procedure was fast but the recovery is unbelievably slow for a stay-at-home-mom. My husband has been a rock. He stayed home on Monday to take care of me. He worked from home Tuesday and yesterday. He's back in the office today.

The pain is much much less today and I am getting up out of chairs with very little pain. Praise God!

I've been spoiled by friends and family with flowers, emails, phone calls.

People have stepped up and brought us meals.

God has been so amazing.

Good Friday: True Love

2011-04-22T07:16:00.000-07:00

True Love
by Phil Whickam

Come close, listen to the story
About a love more faithful than the morning
The father gave his only Son just to save us

The earth was shaking in the dark
All creation felt the Father's broken heart
Tears were filling heaven's eyes
The day that true love died
The day that true love died

When blood and water hit the ground
Walls we couldn't move came crashing down
We were free and made alive
The day that true love died
The day that true love died

Search your hearts you know you can't deny it
Lose your life just so you can find it
The Father gave his only son just to save us

Jesus is alive

He rose again

AMEN

Invite to Tea and Vintage lace

2011-04-19T15:40:00.000-07:00

I just finished our oldest DD's birthday party invitations. She requested a victorian tea party, so... that's what she is getting! It is going to be a lovely time. Invites are going out tomorrow!

My mom is going to let me borrow an old "lace" tablecloth for the party. It's beautiful.

2 for the price of 1 Frivolous Friday: Antiquing

2011-04-15T13:49:00.000-07:00

Why didn't anyone tell me when I first got married, that I would one day need some pretty little tea set? I wish they did.

Well, it's all good. There is this sweet little antique shop in the next town over. The store owner lost their lease and is closing in a few months. Right now, everything is 25% off. The shop itself looks like it needs to be on the show, Hoarders. You walk in and there are books stacked up to the ceiling, old signs hung up everywhere or in wooden boxes on the floor. There is a little trail that leads to the left or to the right. If you follow it to the left, you will find vintage china, silverware, silver serving ware, and other table top items. I immediately fell in love. My heart leapt when I saw all these beautiful, delicate pieces of table pretties. It was hard to sort through during the trip. Most teacup/saucer sets are all by themselves. I picked out a few, knowing that I would one day hand them down to my girls. In one corner, is a hutch. Each drawer is FILLED with silverware. A drawer for each different kind: spoon, fork, knife, etc.

If you go to the right of the store, you'll find prairie costumes, mostly new. Pinafores, bonnets, and all things Laura Ingalls Wilder are hung, tucked, and shoved into shelves, baskets, and drawers. There were lots of toys, linens and books.

OH NO! I just realized that I didn't take a pic of the vintage hymnal that I bought. Old and pretty and full of sing-songy Truth about our Savior. I'll have to take a snap-shot of it later.

So, I picked up 6 teacup/saucer sets so far. I have a few luncheon plates as well. I'll need to go back to get a set of 8 total. I wanted to hold off and wait until next month when the discount goes up. ;) But I look at the flowery dishes and think of my girls. I can't wait to show them. I haven't yet. It's a surprise.

I can't wait to host a tea party. It's going to be so much fun.

Frivolous Friday: Heirloom Seeds (but wait, there's MORE!)

2011-04-15T13:08:00.000-07:00

Heirloom seeds arrived the other day! The shipping was SUPER fast and my poor hubby. He's gonna build boxes for raised beds. He's got to get it done FAST so we can get these seeds started. Praying that God will bless us with an abundant garden!

Seeds from Baker Creek. Check that company out!

Yaaayyyy for hair cuts!

2011-04-13T20:50:00.000-07:00

I've been seeing the same hairdresser for over 12 years now. Yes. 12 years. Her prices go up, but I still go to her. Why? Because, she is the only one who knows how to cut my hair. She knows my hair and knows what I like. If I don't like something, she will change it. NO problem. I don't go nearly as often as I should, but she doesn't mind... and it saves us some $$. I love seeing her and catching up and cracking up about kids, family, and all things coconut oil.

Best of all, I get my hair washed, conditioned, and styled. At the end of it, I feel like a million bucks, and didn't even have to spend a million bucks.

Thanks, Trusty Hairdresser!

Seeds. It's that time.

2011-04-12T22:21:00.000-07:00

My husband finalized the seed order the other day and it was my job to place it. We're all pretty excited about the garden this year. Lord-willing, it will be abundant and we will be good stewards of it. This year we ordered heirloom seeds from Azure Standard and for the first time, from Baker Creek.

Coffee breaks from blogging

2011-04-11T08:00:00.000-07:00

photo taken by my sweet hubs. He saw the separation in the glass and knew I'd appreciate it. Pretty sweet, eh?

Okay, so... not really. I haven't been taking a break from blogging. I have been lazy. It really is a good thing for me to blog, to get things out, look at things from a different perspective, and just SHARE.

however, I've been spending most of my time feeding people, breaking up fights, stopping the whines, and stepping on crumbs.

That's okay, right?

I look around this house today and it looks like a lot has been put on hold. I can't seem to get my mind back in swing of things. I used to be great at multi-tasking. Now, I can barely get grains soaking over night in a bowl and sleep at the same time.

Why does that happen??

Maybe my brain is on a prolonged coffee break?

Technical difficulties again...

2011-04-10T21:13:00.001-07:00

Apparently Picasa and Blogger are not cooperating. So, I can't blog pics from Picasa. I also tried adding pics from iPhoto... but I can't figure it out.

HELP!

UPDATE! I figured it out...

now, I just need to figure out how to put text on my pics in iPhoto.

UPDATE #2

welp. just found out that you can't do that in iPhoto. hm.

UPDATE #3

YAAAYYY.... my friend-sister helped me out! We're back in business...

picky picky

2011-04-06T22:39:00.000-07:00

natural light

artificial light

Well, those were the colors for the hallway for our picture gallery. I picked out 2, and guess what?

I DON'T LIKE THEM!

So, it's back to the drawing board... ugh.

In the meantime, say a prayer for me as I am dealing with that same "thorn" that has plagued me for most of my life. It's been an emotional and heart-breaking time for me. God is certainly using this for His Glory.

I am also searching for fabrics for pillows and contemplating white couches.

yes, white.

white + kids= wash and bleach.

Ready for Updates

2011-03-25T00:00:00.000-07:00

We are in the process of updating our blessed little home. We've been hear for a little over 8 years and it's about time our colors get updated. We're going with cooler tones of greys. We're choosing a blue for the hallway to accent black & white pictures that I have taken over the years.

I forgot how difficult it is to get the right shade of anything. I don't have and fabric or a favorite pillow cover to pull colors from. I am basically starting from scratch here.

It will be nice to pick some final colors and brighten up this house!

Frivolous Friday: Sparkles for Me

2011-03-18T13:20:00.000-07:00

I told my friend about this necklace I spotted. There was a lady at our local Costco wearing this gorgeous crystal stone necklace on a silver chain. Next thing I know, my friend shows me some crystal stones she picked up at the recent gem fair and invited me and my kids over for a coffee/play date. There she made my necklace right in front of my eyes! Talk about custom!

I was so excited, I had to wear it. Look how it dressed up a frumpy, UNSHAPELY t-shirt! My wardrobe needs all the help it can get these days. At least you can't see the teeny stains and holes in this picture! The necklace distracts...

Chocolate Stout Cupcakes

2011-03-17T00:00:00.000-07:00

Don't those look scrumptious?

I am drooling at the thought of eating one of these cupcakes. It's a darn good thing that these are all gone. Although, I want to make another batch. I got the recipe from Smitten Kitchen (I love that site). The only difference was that I didn't fill the cupcakes with ganache, I topped them with it.

OHHHHH MYYYY!

CLICK HERE FOR THE CUPCAKE RECIPE!

The ganache recipe was pretty basic. Here's what I did:

GANACHE RECIPE

12 oz. semi sweet chocolate, chopped

1 c. heavy cream

-Place chopped chocolate in a glass bowl.

-Heat cream on medium heat in a saucepan until it comes to a simmer. Take off the heat and carefully pour over the chopped chocolate. Mix until smooth and shiny. Let it cool until it isn't so drippy. This is enough to cover 2 dozen cupcakes. With an off-set spatula, spread the ganache onto the cupcakes. LAY IT ON THICK! Here's a great tutorial on chocolate ganache, 3 different ways.

Immunity Boost in a frozen cube

2011-03-16T12:56:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago, I purchased a bottle of raw colostrum from the Organic Pastures booth at our Farmers Market. I buy milk each week from that booth, but never bought colostrom. The thought sort of grossed me out. Why?? Not really sure.

After reading about cold/flu season and the best ways to fight the illness, colostrom kept coming up. It comes in powder form in capsules, or you can buy it in raw form. I chose the raw form. I poured the contents of the bottle into 2 ice cube trays, froze it and then popped them out and placed them in a freezer baggie. I would put a cube in my iced latte every morning.

I never caught what my family had. Well, for a couple of days, I felt pretty run down, but my body fought it off. I am CONVINCED it was the colostrum. Read what is said about this SUPER MILK:

Unlike highly processed colostrums in pill or powder form, fresh raw colostrum is filled with transfer factors, five vital and life giving immunoglobulins, antibodies, lactoferrin bacteria, fatty acids, essential amino acids, vitamins and the highly valued and sought-after human growth hormone (HGH).

I started giving the kids smoothies again and would throw a cube in each of their cups.

Yay for a immune boosters!

Yay for raw colostrom!

Thank You, God... for the freedom to be able to BUY raw dairy (let's pray this lasts!!).

Baking last week

2011-03-15T10:22:00.000-07:00

We celebrated out youngest's 2nd birthday on Saturday. We didn't invite a whole lot of people, we just wanted a simple little party, and that's exactly what we had. We 2 families from church and some relatives come and fill our little home. I baked on Thursday and Friday. I made 2 kinds of cupcakes: Stout chocolate cupcakes with ganache and banana cupcakes with caramel swiss meringue buttercream.

I love to bake. I especially love to bake when it's for others or for little parties. I had a lot of fun baking this time around.

I sorta wish we had another birthday party coming up... hehehe!

pics of the cupcakes to come later!

Frivolous Friday: Homemade Yogurt

2011-03-11T13:29:00.000-08:00

Our family goes through a LOT of yogurt. I was buying a 2-pk. of Straus Organic whole milk yogurt each week. That cost about nearly $7/wk. on yogurt. I thought for sure I could make it from scratch. However, making it the crock pot, cooler, or other methods seemed really daunting. I am sure that once a person gets the hang of it, that it would be pretty simple, but at this point, I can't keep up with all these items culturing and fermenting on my counter.

I found a yogurt maker that received good reviews from Williams-Sonoma. This machine was just the answer and the price wasn't so bad. My hubby said that it would pay for itself in no time.

I didn't bother using raw milk, since I was going to bring the milk to a low boil. I read that in order to get a thicker yogurt without thickeners (i.e. milk powder), the trick was to slowly heat the milk to simmer. So, that's what I did. I bought Trader Joe's cream-top milk. I noticed the cream turned yellow and the butter fat separated after being heated, but I didn't let that stress me out.

Once the milk cooled to 110 degrees, I threw dolloped in a few tablespoons of some leftover yogurt to get the milk culturing. No "starter culture" was needed, since I had some leftover yogurt in my fridge.

The results:

AMAZING! The yogurt is tasty and smells wonderful. It isn't as smooth as store-bought yogurt, but if you wisk it long enough, it will get smooth. I store the yogurt in old yogurt containers that I saved. HOW CONVENIENT!

I managed to cut the cost of our yogurt in half! YAHHHOOOO!!!

Messy Hands... needing a clean heart

2011-03-10T13:35:00.000-08:00

Lately, God has been showing me that He has a lot of heart changes that need to happen in my own life. It's during those dark, quiet moments right before a heart change that you think everything is okay. Everything is calm.

Then, all hell breaks loose.

The people in my life that are closest to me, seem to turn their backs on me. I see the ugliness of the Garden Sin coming out of their mouths and hands. Every time, my own Garden sin bubbles deep within. Hot and molten, my mind swirls and tries to wrap itself around what is going on right at my finger tips. Without notice, I explode, leaving a huge mess to clean up. The mess is all over... all over hearts that I was suppose to be gently nurturing and guiding to Him that makes everything clean. But instead, I made them scorched and ashen.

That is when I see the Light.

That is when I see that it wasn't about the hearts around me.

It was about my own heart first.

Why is it always like that? My heart to be changed first? When my job is to be taking care of these little souls about my feet, tripping me up, clinging for hugs, foreheads to be wiped and kissed, getting them to change... I miss the whole point.

It is about me, after all. But it's not about my needs being fulfilled by the people I loved most. It's about the LORD filling me and changing me. To show me my own sin and faults. He uses them to be mirrors, where I see the ugliness of that day where the first man Fell. Breaking me. It's about God using those around me to CHANGE ME.

Making me clean.

It's also about HIM cleaning up the mess thru His Son's death. That reality alone brings me to my knees. The bloodied body of my Savior... that mess... making me clean. Healing those around me that I hurt.

I cannot live my life fully unless I die to myself. I need to fully give my life to the LORD.

Daily.

Period.

Wordless Wednesday: Dress-Up

2011-03-02T16:19:00.000-08:00

Frivolous Friday: Fair Trade Dark Chocolate

2011-02-25T00:10:00.000-08:00

I haven't written a Frivolous Friday post in a really long time! Not that it really matters. I am not really sure that many people read this blog anyway. hahahaha...

I have recently discovered a joy for dark chocolate. I've never really been a fan, in fact, I've always turned my nose up to it. What can I say? I did love the creamy richness of milk chocolate. However, a few weeks ago, I opened up a package of dark chocolate that I bought for my husband. He LOOOOOOVES dark chocolate, and I bought it for HIM! Tee-hee. I broke off a square and popped it in my mouth. I let it sit there. Then something amazing happened.

My mouth just woke up to that chocolate. It was good. CRAZY GOOD!

So, then I was hooked.

My poor hubby. Now he had to share his dark chocolate with me.

Anyway, my favorite dark chocolate (probably because of the price) is Trader Joe's Fair Trade Swiss Dark Chocolate. One or 2 square at a time. So yummy and satisfying. But don't forget, it's good for you! ;)

Happy 2nd Birthday to my sweet little girl

2011-02-19T09:16:00.000-08:00

She turned 2.

I can hardly believe it. She's growing so fast and talking up a storm. She is even bossing.

I still cannot believe that the LORD chose us to raise His precious hand-made soul.

Thank You, God. Thank you for your Grace... to allow her to be here for 2 years. We pray for more.

Happy Birthday to my Hubby

2011-02-18T12:58:00.000-08:00

Happy birthday dear. 36 isn't so bad, is it? You'll have to let me know.

I hope you have a wonderful day, even though you have to work and our girls are phlegmy.

Love you, dear. Happy birthday.

pictured above: soaked grain coffee BIRTHDAY cake

Sewing Along... ...

2011-02-17T14:57:00.000-08:00

Little Girl's quilt is coming along. Not as fast as I would like. But, I have all but 2 rows sewn up. I should finish the other 2 this afternoon. Maybe I'll start sewing the rows up. That would be grand.

This week has been crazy. Our girls have had coughs the last couple of days. Big girl started getting a fever last night, but nothing huge. I believe her body is just fighting off her illness. She has a good appetite and is still bossing everyone around. I've been giving the girls Chestal during the day and hope for another restful night tonight. I'll be making a batch of G.O.O.T in a bit to slather on them tonight.

Hubby's birthday is tomorrow. I have nothing ready. Ugh. I feel like a loser of a wife.

Pellegrino and Fabric "bricks"

2011-02-17T11:50:00.000-08:00

I cut up all the "bricks" for the quilt last week. I sewed some rows a few days ago. I started back up last night and this morning.

more pics later.

Pellegrino with a squirt of lemon is my drink of choice lately. Gotta love all the extra minerals.

2011 Goals: Quilt Project #1- Bday quilt for the Little Girl

2011-02-15T08:31:00.000-08:00

About 3 weeks ago, I had the notion to make a quilt for our Littlest Girl for her birthday. I don't know what possessed me to do this. I made some baby sized patchwork quilts for our Big Girl when she was a baby, but didn't make one for The Boy. Anyway, I really wanted to make all 3 kids quilts for their beds this year. It was one of my goals. So...

I scoured the internet for fabrics and easy patchwork quilts. I found some beautiful Amy Butler fabric fat quarters from Etsy. They are part of her Soul Blossoms: Joy collection. I love Amy Butler designs. They are gorgeous and each collection comes in different color stories. I'll use a different color story from the same collection for the Big Girl's quilt for her birthday. She also has some free patterns on her website, one of them being the Brick Path quilt. That's what I decided to use for the pattern!!!

There are the fat quarters above. I have them all cut up. That will be in the next post.

I don't much time left to sew. Ugh.

Back Track: New Years Day 2011 Baking

2011-02-02T10:30:00.000-08:00

Easy Sticky buns, from Ina Garten. I used rapadura instead of brown sugar in this recipe. They turned our really nicely! Yummy, sticky, and very good.

Chocolate Biscotti from Farmgirl Fare. Next time, I will definitely try this recipe using unrefined flours and sugars.

New York Style Cheese cake. This was super good. I mean REALLY good. This was my very first time making a cheesecake. It was so dang good.

Like really good.

Did I say it was so FLIPPING good?!

Cod Liver Oil Giveaway at Nourishing Days!

2011-01-31T13:06:00.000-08:00

If you haven't tried Fermented Cod Liver oil, but would like to, here's your chance to win a free bottle of Cinnamon Tingle Fermented Cod Liver oil. It's worth $44!

Click here: Nourishing Days Fermented Cod Liver Oil GIVE AWAY!!!

Breakfast, Featuring: Peach-Topped Baked Oatmeal

2011-01-31T08:00:00.000-08:00

Rated: VG (Very Good)

I posted a while back about Baked Oatmeal. This is on my menu plan a few times per month. The whole family loves it, except for our oldest daughter. She's picky. Something about the texture of the oats that she doesn't appreciate. I say, "Sorry, too bad. This is it."

But, I do try to make it more exciting. I add blueberries to it. That's yummy.

Last week, I added frozen organic peaches to the top. It was so pretty and delicious.

It was screaming to be on the big screen!

And Laura... thanks for the tip on Picnik. This gal is having too much fun!

Goals 2011: Memorize

2011-01-29T00:01:00.000-08:00

So, our oldest babe is in AWANA. Every week, we work with her on memorizing Scripture. Kids are such sponges. They can read something once or twice and have a few verses completely memorized. I wish I was a little kid again.

I am trying to memorize some scripture each week. I am having a rough time.
Anyone have any good tips for memorizing scripture?

Springtime fun in the middle of winter

2011-01-27T23:16:00.000-08:00

We are enjoying some wonderful spring-like weather lately. My babies are running around outside in boots and gathering up rocks, leaves, and getting sand in their hair.

Oh, and our White Ameraucana is laying again. Blue eggs.

love it.

35

2011-01-23T13:22:00.000-08:00

3-5

thirty-five years of sin

and the LORD continues to shower His love, forgiveness, and grace upon me.

Thank you, LORD for the undeserved life I live, because of Your Son, Jesus- my Savior.

Because of His kindness, I turned 35 today.

Saturday Snack: easy and simple

2011-01-22T00:01:00.000-08:00

Here was a special treat I made up for the kids. It took about 7 minutes total.

Cinnamon Crisps

1 Sprouted Flour tortilla (these are Alvarado St. Burrito-sized)

lots of pastured, unsalted, cultured butter, like Kerry gold

rapadura

cinnamon

Take the sprouted tortilla and put it on a plate. DON'T EAT IT YET! Slather on as much butter as you want!! Sprinkle as much rapadura and cinnamon on top of the butter!

Toast.

Cool.

Cut.

Munch!

Frivolous Friday: Eggs, storebought that is...

2011-01-21T09:25:00.000-08:00

We have 4 chickens. Three of them are currently free-loaders. Because of the winter season, the 2 Ameraucanas and 1 Barred Rock are on an Egg-Laying Hiatus.

It really stinks. We do love the chickens. But...

C'Mon!

1 egg a day doesn't cut it around this house.

But, I am grateful for good quality eggs that can be purchased at Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, or the Farmers Market.

I do still get irked, though when I have to pick up a couple of dozen eggs per week. sheesh.

2011 Goals: Books

2011-01-19T00:01:00.000-08:00

Another one of my goals is to read.

I have a big list of books that I would like to read this year. There are a few "book challenges" out there right now. I would like to participate in 2 of them: Jane Austen and L.M. Montgomery. Love those 2 authors, but I haven't read all of their books.

First on the list is From Clutter To Clarity: Simplifying Life From the Inside Out

It's very good so far. Clutter, not just physical but also spiritual and emotional. Contentment.

CONTENTMENT.

This spoke to me. Well, it YELLED at me.

The LORD MUST be all that I need. I have to be content in Christ.

But that is so easy to say, and not do. Would I be content in prison, or running from people who would want to kill me, like the Apostle Paul? He was called to be an Apostle by the will of God.

I am called to be a wife and mother, by the will of God.

Contentment in poopy diapers.

Contentment runny noses.

Contentment in dirty socks.

Contentment in a full sink.

Contentment in the things I have for right now.

Grain-Free Nut butter muffins, from Grain-Free Foodies

2011-01-18T00:01:00.000-08:00

In an effort to reduce our grain intake here in our home, I've been making a list of all sorts of grain-free snacks to give to the kiddos (and the hubby... and me). I tried this recipe for Nut Butter muffins are they are SO YUMMY! If you have nut-allergies, obviously, this would not be the right choice for you. These are high in protein, uses honey for sweetener, and are actually light in texture. They are filling as well.

Goes REALLY nicely with a tall glass of RAW MILK!

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

I used my Pampered Chef Stoneware muffin pans. They popped right out!
Next time, I'll make a double batch and freeze one.

Back into the Groove on a Monday?! + Buttermilk Waffles Recipe

2011-01-17T10:24:00.000-08:00

I love Mondays. Well, most of the time. I love that I am forced to get back into a routine. I feel soomewhat organized and productive on Mondays.

That feeling usually ceases by Monday afternoon.

Oh well.

Have I posted my recipe for Soaked Buttermilk Waffles? Maybe I have? Too bad, I am posting it again.

I adapted this recipe from the Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book (from 1999, not so new, eh? It was a wedding gift). It's easy and delicious. Best of all, the grains are soaked in freshly cultured buttermilk, which neutralizes the phytic acids and makes it more digestible. The waffles themselves are light and fluffy!

here is the recipe:

Soaked Grain Buttermilk Waffles

1 3/4 C. Whole Wheat flour, freshly ground is best

1/2 c. organic butter, melted & cooled

2 C. buttermilk, divided

1/4 tsp. sea salt (or other salt high in trace minerals, like Real Salt)

1/2 tsp. baking soda

2 eggs

12-24 hours before cooking:

1. in a large glass bowl, combine:

Flour

melted butter

1 c. buttermilk

-Cover and put in a dry warm place until ready for cooking.

-Leave the 2 UNCRACKED eggs out overnight (yes, this is safe), so they are at room temp. when ready to cook

2. The next morning (12-24 hrs later), separate the eggs. Drop egg whites into a small mixing bowl, and drop the egg yolks into the flour/buttermilk mixture.

add to the bowl:

last cup of buttermilk

salt

baking soda

egg yolks

3. Whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gently fold egg whites into the flour mixture, until combined.

4. Cook according to waffle iron instructions.

Creme Fraiche Quiche on a Saturday night

2011-01-15T11:21:00.000-08:00

I had 2 containers of creme fraiche in my fridge that needed to be used up. I found this recipe for Creme Fraiche Quiche on Joy the Baker's website. It was simple and VERY yummy. I added broccoli for some extra "healthiness" (?).

2011 Goals: Date nights

2011-01-08T17:09:00.000-08:00

This year, my hubby and I are committed to at least 2 date nights per month. It doesn't sound like that many, but with all that we have going on in our lives, 2 is a luxury!

God really has impressed it on my heart that DH and I need these times alone. Time alone after the kids have gone to bed can be meaningful, but also... it can just be a time to veg-out. So, DH & I are planning at the very LEAST 2 dates per month. I want to be renewed. I want hubby and I to be able to converse with one another without being interrupted. :) While we do treasure our moments with the babies, we don't want our marriage to be ONLY about them. We don't want to turn out like those couples who are empty nesters and have nothing to talk about.

So, I am about to grab my planner and jot down some date nights.

Criss Cross Coasters

2011-01-01T19:31:00.000-08:00

A few years ago a friend of mine gave us a couple of these hand-sewn coasters. I thought they were so beautiful and wanted to make some for Christmas gifts. These were VERY easy to sew up, however... each coaster takes 6 squares. That's a lot of cutting for this lazy girl. hahahahah... but they turned out great. I'll make more... when I am motivated to cut up squares.

Click HERE for the pattern

Zzzzzzz... Oh... HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

2011-01-01T08:16:00.000-08:00

My hubby and I had a fun evening planned for the 2 of us. We had fondue on the menu and a bottle of champagne. We both fell asleep on the couch.... perhaps a Fondue Coma-induced sleep.

We completely missed the ball drop and everything...

Oh well! Happy New Year!

Tourist for the Day

2010-12-30T22:28:00.000-08:00

It sure is fun to play tourist sometimes!

My mother-in-law is visiting and wanted to see the city.

We had lunch at Boudin and enjoyed clam chowder in their sourdough bread-bowls. YUM! We took a drive across the Golden Gate bridge and it was just a beautiful day!

Go play tourist sometime. You'll be surprised!

Christmas Eve.

2010-12-24T15:46:00.000-08:00

all is quiet.

ready for the smiles and giggles.

Thank you God for our Blessings.

Simplifying during Christmas: baking for others

2010-12-23T19:24:00.000-08:00

In years past, we have always made a big assortment of cookies and mints for our neighbors and friends for Christmas. Some years, I even baked pies and breads for them.

This year?

No.

I needed to simplify.

So, I decided to bake up some chocolate cupcakes and cover them with cream cheese frosting and sprinkle them with crushed up candy canes.

Simple.

Pretty.

Yummy.

Frivolous Friday: G.O.O.T

2010-12-10T09:19:00.000-08:00

G.O.O.T

What does it stand for??

G.arlic coconut O.il, O.live oil, T.reatment

I made up a batch of this wonderful stuff because I have a house full of sick kiddos.

Beacuse this contains garlic, coconut oil, and olive oil, it has anti-microbial, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-candida properties! People have used this treatment for years and years. It's all natural and well... if you like garlic, it smells REALLY good. hahahaha!!

I use this salve on the kids when they are sick to help heal their colds and prevent infection. I slather it on their chests or the bottoms of their feet at night to help them with their coughing. It doesn't supress their coughs, but I feel like it keeps their coughs more productive. And again, it prevents any infections.

Click here for more uses of this amazing, yet smelly stuff!

UPDATED: here's the recipe

3tbs chopped garlic
3 tbs. extra virgin olive oil
3 tbs. unrefined coconut oil, melted

blend for 1-2 minutes. Pour into a glass jar and keep in fridge. Lasts up to 2 wks.

Yummy, nourishing salad

2010-12-08T12:54:00.000-08:00

Why does an avocado make me smile?? It's so creamy and yummy. It's also full of good fat.

In this salad I had:

organic mixed baby greens

1/4 avocado, sliced

1 cup cherry tomatoes, chopped (no nightshade sensitivies here)

1 Persian cucumber, sliced

2 tbs Zukay Red Pepper Cilantro dressing.

It was soooooooooo good!!!!!

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal

2010-12-06T13:50:00.000-08:00

Since we have a lot of pureed pumpkin, I decided to use some of it in our oatmeal. The kids gobbled up the oatmeal, especially since I said it was Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal!!

Here's what I did:

the night before:

Soak 1 cup of steel cut oats in

2 1/2 cups of filtered water with

1 tbs yogurt, buttermilk, or kefir

(remember, the soaking neutralizes the phytic acids)
Cover and set this aside in a dry, dark area on your counter.

the next morning, when ready to cook, strain out the soaking liquid into a separate mixing bowl (you'll use the liquid). Set the oats aside. To the soaking liquid, add:

2 pastured eggs, beaten

1 cup. pureed pumpkin

1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

Add the mixture back to the oats. Then, pour everything into your favorite pot. Bring everything to a boil, then lower the eat to simmer. Stir constantly until thickened and the grains are soft, but still chewy. Then, add

1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

**Serve with maple syrup, and butter. Pour in some raw milk to cool it off a bit.

Makes 4 - 6 servings.

Make your walls beautiful! ART by SUNSHINE BARLOWE LEWIS

2010-12-04T22:39:00.000-08:00

A very dear friend of mine, Sunshine, has opened up her Etsy shop. She is a very talented artist, paint and music. Please take a look at read her Bio. The LORD has worked in her life so much... she shares it through her paintbrush.

Click below to see her shop.

Waiting. LORD Jesus. Come.

2010-12-03T09:07:00.000-08:00

We started the Jesse Tree book from A Holy Experience this week. My mind is spinning.

imagine. know. the God of this Universe who loves you and me.

so much.

we turned our backs on Him. We cannot see Him coming after us.

We have forgotten our first LOVE.

all throughout Scripture, we see God's love. we SEE HIS SON.

we can SEE HIS PLAN.

His plan to RESCUE us.

you

me.

It's becoming so real to me.

all over again.

thank you God.

Come LORD Jesus.

COME

Family Traditions and why we "suffer" through them...

2010-12-02T14:27:00.000-08:00

As I have mentioned before, our little family is BIG on traditions, especially when it comes to trips. One thing that we do every year is drive up to the mountains to cut down our Christmas tree. Some people think we are crazy to go that far just for a tree. However, we see it more than just getting a tree. My husband and I see it as creating memories for our children to treasure and to help nurture the bonds that they have as siblings.

When I was growing up, my family didn't do very much. Don't get me wrong, I had a very happy childhood, but I can look back and see where there were (and still are) disconnections in our family unit. We all lived together in a nice little home, attended church and ate some great food. During the holidays, we'd get together with other family, but something always seemed to be missing. There wasn't anything intentional about what we did.

That's where my husband and I wanted to make a change. We wanted to give our kids experiences that we never had growing up, to get them out of their comfort zones in order to see what God can do in different situations. Most of all, we wanted to give our kids time together. Time to have fun together, time to fight together, time to resolve conflict, and most of all, time to be THANKFUL together.

Of course, we could do that at home, without going away.

But honestly, where is the fun in that??

Yes, this last trip had a few more challenges than we anticipated. Yes, it would've been easier to stay home and cut a tree down at the local hardware store. Seriously... that's no fun at all! hahahaha!!!

This last trip, we had a lot of crying, traffic, super cold weather, and a TON of snow. I had my moments of doubt. In the back of my mind, I thought, "Wow... we are NEVER doing this again! Next year, we're getting our tree from the Home Depot."

However, we had a LOT of great teaching moments with ourselves and the kids. And how great to see God's provision during the entire trip.

I secretly can't wait for next year.

But, don't tell my husband.

Wordless Wednesday: Christmas Time

2010-12-01T09:26:00.000-08:00

Milestones

2010-11-30T16:25:00.000-08:00

I had to take a pic of this in my car yesterday. I am sure that it wasn't legal.

Early Thanksgiving Feast

2010-11-21T22:40:00.000-08:00

There it is. Our little family Thanksgiving dinner.

This is our 3rd year of having our own Thanksgiving at home. It all started when I realized that the meaning of Thanksgiving was getting lost in the celebration.

Does that make sense?

I mean, we love getting together with my family, and it's always a LOT of fun, but since my extended family (aunts, uncles, cousins) totals to over 20 people, we can't really sit down and really be intentional with the time together. Anyway, so that's why we have our little dinner. It's a special time for us to go around the table and talk about what God has done for us, what we are thankful for, and just have a sense of contentment.

Contentment.

It's a good feeling.

Being truly thankful for what God has given... even for the stuff that isn't so fun.

But today... it was fun.

Peets while cooking

2010-11-21T15:09:00.000-08:00

my hubby is pretty darn cute. He bought me a coffee from Peet's today so I could get going on our Family Thanksgiving.

So... here I go! I am off to cook a dinner for our little family here.

More pics to come!

Easy Creamy Chicken Soup

2010-11-20T11:02:00.000-08:00

It is definitely soup weather and I am so thankful for it!! A favorite the lately has been creamy chicken soup that I've been making. I use leftover chicken, homemade broth, and any sort of veggie I can find in the freezer or fridge.

Here's a basic recipe:

EASY CREAMY CHICKEN SOUP

2-3 cups free-range chicken meat, cut up in bite sized pieces

1 small yellow onion, diced

2-3 carrots, diced

2 celery stalks, diced

1 pkg. mixed variety of mixed veggies (optional)

4 cups homemade chicken broth

1 cup. raw milk, or half milk half cream

salt to taste

pepper to taste

1 bay leaf

ghee, coconut oil, or butter for sauteeing

about 2 tbs. flour or arrowroot powder for thickening (add more if you like a really thick soup)

Method:

1.) In a heavy bottom stock pot, heat fat of choice on Med-Hi heat. Add diced onion, carrot and celery. Season with salt and pepper to help the vegetables "sweat". Sautee until tender.

2.) Add chicken broth, frozen veggies, chicken, and bay leaf. Add more salt & pepper to taste. Let simmer on Medium-Low heat for about 10 minutes.

3.) Using a stainless steel ladle, scoop out about 1/2 c. of broth. Pour into a heat-safe glass mixing cup or bowl. Add flour or arrowroot powder and wisk until there are no clumps. Add this back into the pot. Add in milk.

4.) Season again with Salt & Pepper if needed.

5.) Simmer covered for about 15-20 more minutes, until nice and thick and creamy, and COZY!

Serve with REAL sourdough bread smothered with LOTS of pastured butter, salad or fermented veggies.

The BEST breakfast (or lunch)... really.

2010-11-17T12:37:00.000-08:00

I can't get enough of fried eggs. Today, I had a fresh egg (from one of our girls) fried in ghee & coconut oil. Then, I added a mixed green salad with a bit of Zukay dressing & olive oil. I washed that down with some sparkling mineral water & lemon. WOWEEEEE...

Frivolous Friday: Mason Jar and Cheesecloth

2010-11-12T00:01:00.000-08:00

Don't have a sifter for powdered sugar? Just grab some cheesecloth and a mason jar and band. Don't use the lid for the mason jar.

Simply cut a piece of cheesecloth to fit over the opening of the mason jar. In my case, I used a 1/2 pint jar (so cute). If you want a fine "sift" just use 2 or more layers of cheesecloth on the opening of the jar. Secure the cloth with the band and tighten!

I needed a sifter for cornstarch when I was rolling out the fondant for the Sweet 16 cake. I found this idea somewhere... I can't remember.

Probably Martha Stewart or Real Simple.

Either way, it worked VERY WELL!!!!

My new toy and how it's in the way of meal planning

2010-11-10T13:17:00.000-08:00

Can you blame me?? It's so pretty.

And it smells like Scotch Tape. All brand new and yummy.

I get sucked into all the features, how to use it, and my oh my... it's so fast!

Ok, ok. I know.

Back to life and meal plans.

Entering the Mac World

2010-11-09T13:55:00.000-08:00

Once you go Mac, you never go Bac(k).

Or so I've heard.

We just got our new laptop yesterday and it's been really fun getting to know it and all it's amazing functions. We decided on a Macbook Pro because of all the photos and video editing that I try to do. Plus, we wanted one that would last. Macs are known to last and last and last.

So, there you have it. I am typing on a Macbook Pro and I love it. I can't wait until my hubby cleans out the old PC and we are on this laptop full time. WAHOOOOOO!

Good-bye, PC. You were great in the beginning... but now I need to move on.

Mission Accomplished! Sweet 16 Cake PICS!

2010-11-08T15:17:00.000-08:00

I did it!!

I did it!!!!

I actually DID IT!!!!

Okay, I HAVE to admit, the cake did turn out pretty dang cute. I was so nervous the night before, but I woke up on Saturday morning ready to get to work. Friday night, I took the cakes out of the freezer so they would thaw out completely.

When I woke up Saturday, I got my stations all prepped and all my tools out. I tried to be as organized as I possibly could (for some, it may not have looked organized, but it worked for me). I gave myself 7 hours to finish the cakes. I started at 9am, so that meant that I should be done filling and decorating by 4pm. I figured that since it was a simple design and I am new at this, 7 hours would be BARELY enough time!! hahahahaha...

All those hours of watching FoodNetwork and Martha Stewart really paid off. I filled all 3 tiers (4 layers each tier), and crumb coated them in less than an hour. I was pleasantly surprised. Next, I worked on coloring the fondant and covering. The middle (pink) tier gave me trouble, so I had to uncover and throw out that fondant. I had to color and roll out new fondant for that tier. I am glad I did, because the 2nd time looked SO much better (and fit nicely).

I had some trouble getting the wrinkles out of the bottom tier, so I sent my hubby to a local costume/party supply store and had him buy a white feather boa. My poor hubby, having to go to the store and buy one of those. sheesh. But, the boa TOTALLY made the cake!

My 6yo daughter helped roll all those little balls. I threw those into a plastic food container with some pearl dust and shook it around. I set that in a box to go, so I could apply those when we got to the venue.

I got all 3 tiers covered in fondant ahead of schedule. I think it took me a total of about 5 hours to get it all covered, and dusted with pearl dust. We put the tiers in boxes and drove just about 5 miles (I am guessing) to the venue, thank GOD it was in our city!

When we got to the venue, NOTHING was set up! I had to wait quite a while before I could set anything up. Finally, the table cloth, netting, and cake stand arrived and I rushed to get to work. People were already there, so I had these eyes on me. Oh... that made me nervous! I took my royal icing and carefully glued each "pearl" in between the top 2 tiers. I placed the mask where I planned and it was finished.

I was so dang excited. Well, I was more relieved than anything else.

So, the questions I've had that need to be answered:

Was it really hard?
No, not really.

Were you stressed out?
A little.

Would you do this again?
Yes.

So, there you have it. Yes... I would do it all over again. I really enjoyed it. I was able to pour some love and creativity into something. I was praising God all the way through it... singing worship songs. It was just a good time.

Happy Sweet 16 to my Sweet Cousin.

Project: Sweet 16 Cake- Swiss Meringue Buttercream DAY!

2010-11-05T13:11:00.000-07:00

click on image above to read captions

I absolutely adore swiss meringue buttercream. It's rich, but not heavy. It's sweet, but not too sweet. It's easy to make and easy to apply to cakes. This is DEFINITELY my go-to for a cake that calls for a simple frosting.

I used the recipe from Smitten Kitchen.

(notice where I got my inspiration for the titles of this cake project? ;) Thanks, Smitten Kitchen!!)

I was going to fill and coat the cakes today, but my mom said that it would be better if I waited till tomorrow.

yeeesh! Guess I'll be super busy tomorrow. UGH!

Project: Sweet 16 Cake/ frozen cakes

2010-11-04T12:46:00.000-07:00

Well, here they are. Six cakes, frozen to stay yummy for the party. I had to re-arrange the freezer around to make room for the Yellow Butter Beauties.

The homemade broth, organic rolled oats, and jug of raw milk had no where else to go...

Project: Sweet 16 Cake

2010-11-03T09:59:00.000-07:00

So, about a month ago, I was talking with my aunt, who is practically like my sister since she's only 9 years older than I am. At that time, she was talking to me about the big plans for my cousin's sweet 16 party. The plans were for a masquarade type of party, with pinks and platinum, feathers and sparkles. I thought it sounded so exciting and fun.

And then... the topic of the cake came up.

My aunt didn't "know" what to do. Who was to make the cake? Cupcakes? Cake?

I said, "Well... I could try to make it."

So, there you go. I volunteered to make a cake for a crowd. We're talking 100+ people.

That's quite a crowd, doncha think?

My research began. I scoured the World Wide Web (thanks, Al Gore) for pictures, ideas, instructions, and recipes.

I settled with a yellow cake recipe from good Ol' Martha Stewart (lady, I love you). I kept on looking and researching, and watching YouTube videos on fondant, how to use it, roll it, color it, etc.

I was getting VERY nervous.

My last post was about the test cake for the party. It turned out pretty good.

Over the last few days, I've been baking 2 cakes at a time in shifts. Why? Well, for 2 reasons:

1.) my mixer can't handle more than 1 batch of batter at a time.

and

B.) My oven doesn't bake too well when more than 1 rack is full. Neat, huh? (and did you catch the numbering of reasons? That always makes me laugh)

So, the cakes are baked and in the freezer. Next post you'll see a pic!!

This is getting fun and crazy. And I like it.

My first fondant cake

2010-11-01T14:05:00.000-07:00

This is sort of a test cake that I made for my cousin's 16th birthday. Overall, it turned out okay. The cake itself was pretty yummy. Obviously, I have some practice to do!

No time for practice tho. I have a 3-tier cake to make for this coming SATURDAY.

YIKES!

C'mon Picasa... and some updates: Weaning, Anniversaries, etc.

2010-10-27T08:22:00.000-07:00

I can't upload pics from Picasa to Blogger. It's weird. I have a feeling it's from an update or... something. I may have to switch back to Internet Explorer (currently using Google Chrome). Ugh.

Some quick updates from the last couple of weeks:

Our son is weaned. No, we didn't have a big celebration, but it was an easy transition at naptime (that was the only time he nursed near the end). I was going to give a beautiful weaning story, with symbolism and allegories, but... yeah. It never happened.

OH! And my hubby and I celebrated our ELEVEN YEAR ANNIVERSARY! :) We had a nice little dinner and good talks. God is amazingly good. I am truly blessed!!

And a new computer is in my future!!! I'll let you all know what it is when I get it!

I am giddy.

It's cold in our house. Our furnace broke. We need our chimney cleaned so we can use our woodstove. Where is that kindling??

Hmmmm... okay, that's all for now.

Frivolous Friday: Yayyyy for Apples!

2010-10-15T18:56:00.000-07:00

I have been desperately waiting for Fall to arrive. However, it's still quite warm. Last weekend, we headed up to the "hill" to pick apples and participate in other "festival" festivities.

Pony rides, cider, and apple donuts.

Can't wait to cook up all the apples that we got!!

Fighting...

2010-10-12T22:54:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, the kiddos here caught a cold from their papa.

I've had a sore throat for the last 4 days. Been feeling fine, just a little more tired than usual. Probably my body working to fight the virus.

I woke up this morning feeling horrible. Scratchy throat, headache, and definitely RUN DOWN.

I fell asleep on the couch this afternoon.

And now... I can't sleep. Awesome.

I've been taking some homeopathic meds and it's been going really well. Hopefully, my body will just kick this virus in the next day or so.

**I had some bone broth soup for lunch, and a crustless spinach quiche for dinner. Had extra raw milk and I'm about to take a 2nd dose of cod liver oil. hmmmmmmmm

I live with Dutch Baby-haters

2010-10-06T13:37:00.000-07:00

How in the WORLD can you hate all that eggy, puffy goodness?!

Slathered with butter.

Drip-drops of maple syrup.

Don't Be Hatin' on the Dutch Baby.

UPDATE: here's a link to the Coconut Flour Dutch Baby recipe (from Tropical Traditions).

a Thorn in my Side

2010-10-05T14:20:00.000-07:00

Do you ever feel like there is just one thing in your life that haunts you? Something (or someone) that causes you pain? Have you asked the LORD to take it from you? Have you found contentment, only later to be hurt all over again?

I have a thorn in my flesh.

It is something that I have had all my life. It is something that I love, but something that I must keep at a distance. This hurts me. Then, it tries to bring peace. But it's not real Peace.

I am 34 years old. It wasn't until about a year ago that I was finally able to let IT go. The LORD continued to work in me, change my heart, and show me the hurt, but showed how He would heal it.

I asked Him to just take it away.

He said, "No."

So, day after day, I am reminded of the hurt, but for a while, it didn't hurt at all. In fact, it was almost healed over. You know those deep abrasions you can get... like skinning your knee as a child? The scab would be big, thick, and even hurt when touched. It was rough and ugly, but it meant that there was healing. Did you ever pick at that scab? Perhaps, out of boredom? Or, you thought it was all better? When the scab was ripped off, you only found more blood and new pain from the same wound.

I picked at that scab. I thought I was healing up.

I was wrong.

The pain is raw. It's very much real. It's something that won't go away. Not yet.

But, it's a precious reminder of my Gracious God. My Savior who loves me more than I can imagine. My God who knows exactly what to teach me and when. My LORD who experienced the ultimate pain, so He would understand the pain I would have to endure.

But why? Why does it stay with me?

Here is the answer...

"So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the LORD about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weakness, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me."

2 Corinthians 12:7-9

Frivolous Friday: How about those schedules, eh?

2010-09-24T13:08:00.000-07:00

Remember that schedule of mine that I so blatantly and PUBLICLY posted? Ugh... I wish I could take it away. Some of you have read it, so I can't. That schedule worked so well for the first 3 weeks of school. However, it went completely OUT the window this past week.

I could not, for the life of me, get out of bed on time. That would just throw the whole morning off. The results??

Cluttered counters
folded laundry STILL in a basket, sitting on the family room floor.
house chores not completely done by today
MESSY family room!!

This really stinks. Yes, I suppose I could catch up over the weekend, but I always think that I can finish something over the weekend. NO WAY.

Our weekends are ALWAYS packed. I was looking at October and EVERY SINGLE WEEKEND is booked with something! And these are things that we really cannot say "no" to.

Seriously??

hmmmm... Guess I better get back on track over here!!

My favorite crust recipe

2010-09-23T08:26:00.000-07:00

This is my all-time favorite pie crust recipe. I have used a few different recipes, but this is the one I love. I consistently get a flaky crust that cooks all the way through and tastes good. So, here it is:

Perfect Pie Crust (adapted from a MOPs mentor mom's recipe)

5 1/2 C. whole wheat flour, freshly ground makes a BIG difference!

1 tsp. sea salt

1 tsp. baking powder

2 tbs. rapadura or sucanat

1 lb. cold lard (leaf lard), cut into small pieces

1 tbs. raw apple cider vinegar or raw coconut water vinegar

1 pastured egg

ice-cold water

In a large bowl: mix flour, baking powder, and salt. Cut in lard using a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse oatmeal. Set aside.
In a 1 FLUID cup measure, beat egg, then add vinegar, next add ice cold water to make 1 cup. Gradually stir egg mixture into flour mixture. Add only enough to make dough cling together (you may not use it all).
Gather into a ball and divide into 5 equal portions. (I am a nerd and actually weigh it all out). If desired, wrap unused portions and refrigerate or freeze.
Roll each portion on a lightly floured surface. If dough is sticking, chill 1-2 hrs. Transfer dough to pie plate and bake according to your recipe.
An egg wash before baking is crucial to make the crust brown and shiny!! So, in a small dish, beat up an egg, with a pastry brush, brush on the egg wash on all exposed dough before baking.

UPDATED!!!! Yield: 4 single crusts, for deep-dish pie plates. *The original recipe yielded 6 single crusts, but that was not big enough for my deep-dish pie plate.

****please note, the picture features a pie crust was made with a mix of white and whole wheat flour. I have since started using all whole wheat again and it turns out fine. I'll try to take an updated pic soon.

Check out MORE nourishing and frugal recipes featured on the Nourishing Gourmet's Pennywise Platter Thursday!

Berry Peachy Cobbler

2010-09-21T13:16:00.000-07:00

I bought some peaches from the farmers market on Saturday and decided I'd try to make a cobbler. I've never made a peach cobbler before! I found a recipe online but decided to change it up quite a bit. Here's what I did and it tured out super yummy:

Berry Peachy Cobbler

Ingredients:

4 fresh peaches- peeled, pitted, and sliced into thing wedges

2 c. frozen blueberries (I am sure u can use fresh, but this is what I had)

1/3- 1/2 c. rapadura or sucanat

1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

4 tsp. arrowroot powder

"Dumplings"

1 c. freshly ground whole wheat flour, or sprouted

1/2 c. rapadura or sucanat

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. sea salt

6 tbs. unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces

1/4 c. boiling water

Method:

-Preheat oven to 425ºF

-In a large bowl, combine peaches, rapadura, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice, and arrowroot powder. Toss to coat evenly, and pour into a deep dish pie plate. Bake in a preheated oven for 10 minutes.

-Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine flour, rapadura, baking powder, and salt. Blend in butter with a pastry cutter or fork, until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in water until just combined.

-Remove pie plate from oven, and drop spoonfuls of topping over the fruit. Put back in oven and bake until topping is lightly browned, about 20-30 minutes.

**my good friend just told me about a recipe for peach cobbler in Nourishing Traditions. I'll have to try that out soon!!

Small Sugar Pumpkins!!

2010-09-17T00:00:00.000-07:00

Did I ever mention that my hubs is an amazing gardener? This year, we started most of the vegetables from seed that we purchased from Azure Standard. They are heirloom seeds from Heirlooms Evermore.

One vegetable that is part of his happy family of veggies are the Sugar Pie Pumpkins! We harvested some a while ago and I baked them and froze the puree. We even enjoyed the seeds. YUM YUM!

Can't wait for pumpkin PIE!!!!

Slow Cooker Yummy Sweet & Savory Short Ribs

2010-09-16T10:23:00.000-07:00

So.... I am not very good at writing out recipes. When I cook, I usually just throw a little of this and some of that into a pot and pray that it turns out right! I made some ribs a few weeks back and they turned out quite lovely. I can't remember how many pounds of ribs I cooked, but it was probably about a 1-2lb package. These ribs are marinated overnight and then cooked in a slow. So.... here it goes. **Please... just use this as a guide... I am so bad at recipes....

Ingredients:

1-2 lbs. beef short ribs
4 tbs. San-J Tamari Soy Sauce
2 tbs. sesame oil
3-4 tbs. raw apple cider vinegar OR coconut water vinegar
1 clove garlic, smashed
a few turns of the pepper grinder

---------------------------------

1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced (to be added right before cooking)

Method:

Place all ingredients in a gallon-sized zip-top bag. Smush around and place in the fridge and let marinate overnight. *you can also place everything in a shallow glass dish to marinate over night, if you don't use zip-top bags. ;)

Time to cook!

Dump everything, including the marinade into the crock pot. Add the sliced onion. Set on low and cook for 6-9 hours, or until the meat is barely hanging on to those bones.

Serve with brown rice or mashed potatoes and a nice green veggie. Use the marinade to drizzle over the rice or potatoes! Because of the vinegar, it helps draw out the gelatin (read minerals) from the bones, so... ADDED HEALTH BENEFITS!!

For more nourishing and frugal meals, check out the Pennywise Platter @ The Nourishing Gourmet!

My Daily Schedule

2010-09-14T12:52:00.000-07:00

I thought I would post my daily schedule. I don't really know why, but I guess I will. It IS my blog after all...

6:30am- Alarm goes off. Press SNOOZE.

6:37am- Alarm goes off again. PRESS OFF. Get ready for the day. Wipe down bathrooms, swish toilets

7:00am- Throw in a load of laundry. Empty dishwasher. ZONE cleaning. Get kids ready for the day, somehow.

7:30am- (M,W,F Vacuum the house). Throw laundry into dryer. Start making breakfast. Clean up kitchen as I cook.

8:00am- Serve/ eat breakfast.

8:30am- Clean up kitchen. Send kids outside. Check email, pay bills, get ready for school.

9:00am- 11am: SCHOOL TIME (break and snacks are thrown in there somewhere)

11:00am- 12pm: prep/ eat lunch/ story time

12pm-2pm: Naps/quiet time for the kids. COMPUTER TIME for me. Fold laundry and put away.

2pm- more reading and teaching to for the kids. Outside time.

4pm- begin dinner prep. Snack for the kids.

5pm- clean up familyroom/ kitchen before Hubby gets home.

5:30pm- Dinner time

6:15-ish pm- Clean up kitchen.

6:30pm-7pm- showers for the kids, bedtimes. (Bedtimes are scattered, ending around 8:30pm)

8:30pm- Time with hubby, prepping for the next day, reading, relaxing, cleaning up anything else.

10:30pm- shower

11:00pm- Time with my Savior

11:30pm- BED!

Of course, there are some days that I don't get everything done (laundry, hehehehe) but, it works for me and my house is in a little more order. However, don't ask about the master bedroom, ugh... or the garage... double-ugh

Frivolous Friday: Unexpected early wake-up call...

2010-09-10T08:43:00.000-07:00

"MOMMY!!"

"DADDY!!!"

That was our son at 5am this morning. He proceeded to wake the youngest up, who was snuggled next to me. URGH! Daddy went in and told the boy to go back to sleep. However, when the boy heard the garbage trucks drive down the street, there was no stopping him.

It's 8:45am now and he is still going back and forth to the front window to watch those trucks get to work.

At least I had a good breakfast:

1 tsp. of coconut oil

1 egg, fried in ghee

1 heirloom tomato, sliced

1 dose of Cod Liver Oil

I'll be having my iced coffee with plenty of raw milk as soon as I click "Publish Post".

Happy Friday everyone!