Triple Baby Shower

I was recently involved in a low key Triple Baby Shower.  None of which these ladies were having their first baby (baby #3, baby #3 and baby #4).  This group of ladies (including myself) have been having babies together since baby #1 was born; I just decided to sit this round out.

At this shower I read a depiction of what it might look like if what happens to a stay-at-home-mom during a typical day happened to a working dad at his office job.  (not written by me, just read by me)  It got me to thinking about how much we stay-at-home-parents or daytime providers actually do every day, and what types of typically insurmountable tasks we manage to conquer. 

For example(s):

1. If you have children under the age of 5 and manage to use the restroom all by yourself, you have really accomplished something great!

2. Finally folding that pile of laundry?  Before having kids our clothes were always put away, ironed, clean...  After having kids you are lucky to have clean clothes.  When I do finally decide to fold the laundry the kids decide they want to 'help'.  Oh yes, I am grateful for their 'help'.  Not so much because they actually help me (because the only thing they help me do is turn a 20 minute task into a 4 hour task, and they increase my level of patience) but because I know it helps them.

3. Having a phone conversation without the sound of dying animals or screaming children in the background.  There is something about Mommy getting on the phone that signals to our children to be as loud as they possibly can?  I think they have a built in radar.  They are perfect angles all day then...Mommy gets on the phone!

Did you get to eat today?  Finish a complete thought?  Take a shower?  Have 5 minutes alone?  Wear a CLEAN shirt all day long?  Mop a floor?  Vacuum?  Not step on a toy?  Locate the very thing you were looking for without a long hunt?  Then you accomplished more than I did today, but it was all worth it!

Stuffed Butternut Squash

I tend to make similar meals throughout one week then switch the next week.  That enables me to use the same ingredients different ways each meal and cuts down on my cost.  As you may have noticed I had several wraps and avocado type meals the past few posts, and these next few posts will be of various stuffed squashes.

Today: The Stuffed Butternut Squash

Oh, and it was so delicious.

See, the proof is in the empty AFTER picture.

 

And here is one of my son eating it, yes, he cleaned his plate too!

 

 

Squash:

Preheat oven to 450*

Cut butternut squash in half lengthwise, clean out and discard seeds.

Score the squash diagonally without piercing skin. (see first picture above)

Glaze the top with a little bit of coconut oil (or extra virgin olive oil)

Sprinkle lightly with kosher salt.

Bake 45-50 minutes until tender with a fork

 

Stuffing:

Cook beans (we chose black beans)

Lightly sauté onion, yellow bell pepper and kosher salt in some coconut oil

Add the cooked beans to mix flavors

Stuff the squash

Serve and enjoy.

 

 

Growing Up Again

Do you ever feel like you are reliving you childhood through the eyes of your own children?  Not that you make you children do the things you never had an opportunity to do, or pushing your own dreams on them, but more in the everyday kid of stuff.

Right now my daughter has 2 loose teeth and she was asking how they would fall out.  I began telling her some of my tooth losing stories, and now she talks about them all the time.  She actually hopes to lose one of her teeth in an apple just like I did.  I actually lost one tooth in a piece of soft corn bread (that tooth must have been really loose), and another one in a glass of water (and this one was even more loose).  Actually, we were at a wedding reception and this would have been my third tooth to lose.  I was thirsty and took a drink of my water.  Water that was in a fancy, stemmed, crystal glass.  When I set it back down there was no longer a clear glass of water, but rather it was a red and bloody with my tooth inside.  I was a shy person and embarrassed easily, so you can imagine that I was mortified!  All the same, I survived that evening to grow up and have a daughter of my own, and am now looking forward to all of her tooth losing stories.

Another thing I have thought about lately is growing!  My son is rounding out again.  You know, that roundness little kids get just before yet another growth spurt?  Well, that is what is happening to my little 2-year old.  It has me remembering how I would grow, and how my legs would ache.  I would solicit my Dad to rub them as hard as he could to alleviate the achiness, but he would stop all too soon saying that he was afraid he would break my leg!  Thankfully my kids have not experienced growing pains thus far, but those pains are not that far from my memory.  Or, what about that time in high school when everyone has that last big growth spurt?  When boys sometimes grow and entire foot and girls get at least a little height.  I remember that age.  I began to round out a bit, just like all of my friends, but I just watched them grow and nothing happened to me.  Well, not nothing.  I just shed the weight and didn't grow.  So 5' 3" I still stand.

It is those kind of memories I seem to be reliving through my children, and I am enjoying every one of those moments.

Do you have any childhood memories, or things you seem to live out a second time while raising your own little's?

Light Lunch Wrap

I really enjoy wraps and wanted to have something light and refreshing for lunch.  This is a simple tortilla with Vegan Ranch, fresh cilantro, avocado, tomatoes and mini sweet heirloom bell peppers.  It was so good I had more than one! 

You could change it up by using hummus with citrus flavors.  Or maybe use greens like arugula and kale with some ginger, corn and black beans.  If you are going gluten free you could use a large Swiss chard leaf instead of a tortilla, or use a corn tortilla.  The sky is the limit with fresh produce.

What are some of your favorite ingredients to put in a wrap.

Vegan Tips

You don't have to give up flavor to go vegan, you just have to get creative!  No meat, no dairy, no animal byproduct.  Yup we can do it...uh...I think?  We have chosen to eat vegan at home and not be strict when out with family and friends that way our bodies are getting what they need but we still have flexibility (except for those pesky artificial food colors and the like...we avoid those like the plague no matter where we are).  Our first day eating vegan was February 23, 2013.  So by the time you read this we will have been eating vegan as a family for 1-month.

Tips:

1. Make the same foods/dishes/meals you already make just without the meat and animal byproducts.
2. Use coconut oil, sesame oil, avocado oil, olive oil (all organic) instead of butter.
3. Use vegetables as a meat instead of meat: acorn squash, butternut squash, eggplant, portabella mushrooms, zucchini...
4. Eat legumes, beans and whole grains (if your body allows).
5. Eat a TON of fresh fruits and veggies (mostly raw when you can).  This should be the majority of your diet.  The fiber will keep your blood sugars stabilized.
6. Drink fresh juice and smoothies.
7. Trail mixes, dried fruits and nuts are your friend.
8. Use milk alternatives: Almond milk, soy milk, coconut milk... (Organic/Non-GMO) and if you are concerned about hormone balance stay away from soy on a regular basis and only use on occasion.
9. Drink lots of water.
10. Grow some of your own food.
11. Make your own food.  Homemade dressings, spreads and breads are good!
12. Use a lot of herbs.  Herbs add flavor and nutrients so you use less of the higher fat items.
13. Shop Organic.
14. Remember, many foods are still higher in fat content, even the vegan foods, but some of the fats are short chain and easy for the body to process, digest and eliminate (opposite of animal fats which are long chains and difficult on the body causing clogged arteries and other issues).

If you have special dietary needs such as gluten free then you can simply remove the gluten grains, or if you need meat you can search out the Paleo style of eating.  We are eating vegan with some of the gluten grains but mostly without.  Many of the products we purchase or make at home are gluten free...that will be our next adventure, but not yet.

Some products we have found:

Do you feel the need for a creamy ranch style dressing that is vegan and gluten free?  This is a good one that we found at Whole Foods.  We also like to make our own dressings.  Adding 1/4 avocado to many of our homemade dressings gives it a creamy texture and taste!

Do you NEED chips?  Some times my kids do!  Here are some vegan and gluten-free 'chips'.  We are careful when buying because we avoid natural flavors in the ingredient list, and some of this brand contain those; otherwise this particular flavor does not and we like them.

I have not tried this Rice (soy free) vegan cheese, but my kids and hubby like it for sandwiches.  I just don't want to try a 'cheese' and it disappoint.

Vegenaise.  My husband loves mayonnaise, and thus so do my kids...vegenaise has solved that problem for us.  This one is made from Grapeseed oil, but there are many varieties.  I like the way this one tastes, and it is gluten free.

Fun In The Sun

Do your kids like gardening, flowers and being outside as much as mine do?

Here they are smelling flowers at our local gardening center.

And here is a photo update on our baby garden.

Blueberries in bloom.

Green Strawberry.

Mandarin Orange Blossoms.

Bell Pepper Blossoms.

A row of peas.

Baby squash plants.

Baby zucchini plant.

Tomatillo in bloom.

 

 

 

Vegan Sandwich Lunch

In a former post I told you that I like to eat, and like for my food to taste good.  Hopefully you have been able to see that from some of my Food Friday recipe posts.  Today is about lunch!  Above is one of my vegan sandwiches.  That is sourdough bread, vegenaise, tomato, avocado, lettuce and cilantro.  Very tasty!  Add a side of fruit or Lentil chips if you need that added crunch.

The vegenaise we use is a Grapeseed oil base and it tastes really good, oh and it is Gluten free also!

Lentil chips, Vegan and only a few ingredients