Tag Archives: food

Boys, Family

Be Eating Gummy Bear Soup

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Whenever change occurs we have an opportunity to go with it or rebel against it.
For some strange reason I enjoy change and look forward to seeing what will unfold. I do grieve and grumble some losses deeply but most I can see the good and keep on moving. Like the autumn leaves, I embrace the change of seasons.

Since my mom has been healing from cancer, she has been provided with a variety of food and drink that do not normally adorn her refrigerator. You are probably wondering how this affects me.

One of the changes that has occurred for me is that I have become the next stop for these interesting food and drink. My parents don’t like throwing things away.

I hadn’t realized how my own refrigerator contents have changed post-cancer diagnosis until today.

I pulled out a plastic container given to me from my dad and opened the lid. Our four year old guy was standing beside me and started to jump up and down. He then exclaimed, “Mom, look gummy bear soup!”

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I responded, “Yup, sure looks like it!” (And probably had as much sugar!).

The gelatin wasn’t a hit for lunch, even though we called it gummy bear soup.

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Now can someone please tell me what to do with my pomegranate juice, pure cranberry juice, prune juice and coconut water. These aren’t big sellers in our household of water drinkers.

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Boys, cancer, Family

Be Putting Your Microwave in a Corner (on the floor!)

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Having guests in your home always helps you to look at your habits and why you do what you do.

I have never felt good about possibly one of the greatest inventions of our time: the microwave. I rarely use it, probably less than once per week. You can probably tell this by the placement of this machine in our home.

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As my mom struggles to eat, we are challenged as a family to get the MOST nutritious high protein foods in every spoonful that goes into mom’s mouth.

This week, I have been personally challenged to find out about this machine that I didn’t really understand.

But here is what I found out:
– it uses microwaves (this made me laugh) to bounce around in a metal box to heat things up.
– creates hot spots in food or “steam explosions”.
– microwaving in plastic has shown to release toxins into the food.
– decreases the nutritional value of food that is heated up
– differences in opinions on whether it changes the food on a molecular level.
– great for disinfecting you kitchen dish cloth.
– for a product that sits in nine out of ten homes, there is little research on its safety in terms of how they are made or even work.

What am I going to do? Me, I am going to continue to use it as little as possible. How about you? What do you do when you read something like this?

Update: Sexy Neck has moved the microwave to the unfinished basement. I haven’t seen it since. It is now amongst the sea of boxes. I do see him head downstairs with a cold cup of coffee every once in awhile that mysteriously comes back hot.

Boys, Parenting

Be Mexican and Mediterranean

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I am unsure of which continent my childrens’ palates come from.

Isn’t cooking for and eating with children tricky?

They love their Mexican food so perhaps they are North American after all.  But meat and potatoes they won’t eat.  Turkey dinner with all the trimmings (turkey, potatoes, salad, cranberry sauce, stuffing…) is YUCKY for my boys.

Throw a plate of cheese, meat and olives in front of them, with some raw vegetables and fruit, the plate will be bare before we can give thanks.

Here was our lunch today:

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I combined the best of both Mexican and Mediterranean worlds by adding a few corn chips to the plate!

Next stop: Indian, for dinner!

Boys, Family, health & fitness, Parenting

Be A Cookie Recipe Sharer

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Hands up (or hands down depending what time of girl you are!) the best cookies I have had in a long time!

My neighbour brought over some freshly made cookies and the recipe.  I love this as you get to see and taste the finished product, plus see how it was made.

Chocolate Chip Seed Cookies 

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(From Betty/Lizzie, my tea drinking neighbour)

These are big and yummy and freeze well, if they last that long! 

Back at 350 degrees for 15 minutes (mine were smaller and only took about 12 minutes)

1 1/2 cups of butter

2 cups brown sugar

2 egss

then add 2 cups of cold water

2 tsp vanilla

2 cups flour (I used 2 1/2 cups of spelt flour)

1/2 tsp soda

3 cups chocolate chips

1 cup raisins

1 cup pumpkin seeds

1 cup sunflower seeds

5 cups quick oats

*You can also add sesame seeds/millet/poppy/flax seeds or whatever you wish.

This is a stiff dough that needs good mixing and makes lots of cookies.  Some people make them large.  I don’t… plop them on the cookie sheets… you can flatten them, but I don’t.  

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Thanks neighbour.  I have made them twice in the last week to share with people.  YUM!

Family, Parenting

Be A Scooper

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It is Taco Tuesday at our house!  What are you having for dinner?

Sexy Neck is at work so the meal has to be simple.  We usually have tacos on Tuesday, but when daddy is away it becomes DIY dinner.

It is a simple meal that the boys can make themselves: Scoops, meat and beans that I have cooked earlier in the day with salsa, add some cheese and avocado.  Put in the oven at 350 degrees for 5 minutes.  Add some fresh veggies and humous.  Viola c’est fini.

Enjoy!

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Family, Parenting, Self-help

Be Surviving While Your Hubby’s Away – Part II

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I had to share another email from my great friend and wise woman, D!  She has been surviving and thriving as her husband has started his new job in a new town.

If you didn’t catch her first hilarious email, here is the link:  https://beenough.wordpress.com/2013/03/08/be-surviving-w…our-hubbs-away/

Before you read her email, I have to say how does she have time to write such witting things and be so self-reflective while being so busy!  We are still house hunting, my husband is on holidays (thus home to help ALL day!) and I am barely keeping all four walls standing.

Here is D’s email:

well… 12 days and nights in now… here’s my tips for how to survive 3 children under 6 without a husband!!
 
1) practice regular desensitization to neck stiffness, headaches, and even skin pain caused from overtiredness (make sure car has carrots – the crunch can keep you awake while driving)
2) feed children toaster waffles and apple juice, not necessarily together (but each a great novelty when never or rarely before been seen!)
3) forget any intention to sweep/mop entire house and just aim for the occasional kitchen sweep
4) drop children at great friend’s place for dinner and go to yoga… the yoga high can carry you for days after!
5) don’t grocery shop. children really can survive on raisins, apples, cheese and the generous donations of friends
6) take your bike in for a tune up. just BEING in the bike shop and feeling your freshly tune ride is a high (even if you might not get a chance to ride until next month…)
7) SING. SING a lot. SING loundly. Same reverberations as screaming, but a lot more pleasant for the children.
8) it’s okay for your 15 month old to say “all done” 15 times in his highchair before you respond. this is particularly true if he woke up before 5, unless he is going to run off and play happily (this tactic can save your neck back and or legs from his 29 lb bug a lug clutches)
9) CHOCOLATE. enuf said.
10) when all goes sideways (meaning kids’ emotions and interactions going downhill), just say loudly “I THINK TODAY IS GOING TO BE AN AMAZING DAY!!” as genuinely as possible. Their shock and surprise will make them forget their lil troubles and move things forward!
 
and my last tip…
 
11) call your husband at 6 am. claim the baby wanted to talk to him. then take the opportunity (while baby enjoys pressing all the beeping buttons) to catch 40 more winks!!

Thanks for sharing again D!  You are inspiring… and how you make me laugh.

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D and I playing a game at her husband’s surprise party. 

Book, Boys, psychology

Be A Recovering Food Addict

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Most days, I don’t know what to call myself, today it is clear. I am a food addict.

I drink a glass of wine or two a week. Beer and hard liquor isn’t my thing.

I don’t do drugs, nor enjoy seeing or smelling people on drugs.

I could become a gambler if I wasn’t so cheap… but I am cheap!

I don’t like taking pills nor going to the doctor so prescription drugs would be hard to get addicted to.

My drug of choice is food! I am a food addict.

I think about food constantly, what we are going to eat, when are we going to eat, who is hungry (my boys are always hungry). I am starting to enjoy cooking more, enjoying the process more and allowing myself the ability to throw a bad recipe into the garbage. (Note, do not ever make peanut butter cookies with sunbutter – yuck!)

I often cruise through the kitchen grabbing something to graze on. Come take a look at my grazing cupboard in the picture below. It is packed full of treats: nuts, dark chocolate chips, crackers, dried fruit. Oh ya, I have to include cookie dough in my food addiction too! I love that stuff. YUM!

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Yes, that is our dog’s nose checking out the cupboard too! Everyone loves it!

I am not sure why I am constantly cruising through the kitchen: habit, boredom or trying to fill some deep-seeded need inside of me. The verdict is still out. I will let you know.

BUT alas, there is hope! I did have a very interesting book jump off the shelf at the library the other day. I am going to hop off this computer right now and start reading it. Here is the book inside my other favourite place to graze:

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Book, health & fitness, Uncategorized

Be a Gamer!

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This post is for my Gamers: Danielle on 29th Cres., Angela in Edmonton and Rea in Spain!

Do you want to be a Gamer?

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In the past two years, I have played this game 4 times now! (Three times with groups of women and once on my own.)

I have learned about my food addictions, my habits (healthy and unhealthy), my love of exercise and my need for water and sleep.

Mostly, I have learned that I need a community of women, like an old-fashioned quilting bee, to have around to inspire and encourage me. Rea, Angela and Danielle have been these women for me. We have played the game twice together (almost!).

We have learned about each others flossing habits, run ins with rice pudding, setting goals, feeling less fluffy, how to post on facebook so that everyone doesn’t now you are smooching your husband, BB’q sardines, playing for money, what to do with leftover food, and RIP 60.

I have learned moderation with food and unhealthy habits and how to replace these things with healthy habits, exercise, sleep and water! I could talk about this game all day long! I love it!

Need a little inspiration in your life? Check out the book. GAME ON!