Check it out!

I know most of you read Kelly Hampton's blog, but if by chance you don't, you MUST check out her blog post documenting her North Pole Christmas party for her little girl. It might be the cutest thing I've ever seen!

Prayer time at the Thanksgiving play! I thought this picture was cute and much better than last year's pictures of my boys picking their nose for most of the play. :)

A Yummy Pancake Idea!

First Time is a HARM!

After carrying the kids around (and breaking our backs) our homemade ice rink last year, we thought it was in the best interest of our physical well-being to invest in "learn to skate" lessons. Although the first class ended in tears after some pretty good spills, I do think it will be a fun winter activity.

Garlic lovers are in luck..... Anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, and anti-bacterial all in one! If you have a hard time eating garlic raw, try to add it to your soups, stews, sauces, etc. at the very end of the cooking process to obtain the most nutritional benefits. Also, let the crushed or chopped garlic sit for a little bit before changing the temperature to maximize the health benefits.

Fortunately, for me I love garlic. Infact a few years ago, Jake and Ben came down with a nasty virus and I read about the health benefits of garlic and an interesting home remedy. Their virus settled in their chest so the recommendation was to make homemade chicken stock/soup and load up with garlic and onion. Sounds normal..right? The next recommendation was a bit odd but worth trying. Crush fresh garlic and smear it on your child's chest and then cover with a warm was cloth. The garlic is suppose to penetrate the mucus and help break it up. Your kid will probably need a bath before going to school but hopefully they will feel better.

http://www.saltwater-kids.com/2010/12/thrifty-gifts-bird-seed-ornaments-for.html

Christmas Countdown!

I can't believe it is already December 5th! Time flies around the holidays. We are doing yet another holiday countdown. Everyday the kids get a message from Santa indicating an activity, craft, charitable project, or fun surprise for the day. So far we have found little surprises under our pillow, went ice skating, made hot cocoa and read a christmas book, and made the ornaments seen above. The ornaments were extremely messy! My recommendation is to do it in your garage, if at all possible. I think these will be a good gift for grandparents and friends.

Tonight's countdown activity was super fun! Check out www.portablenorthpole.tv/home for a personalized video to your kids, from Santa. You can download pictures and Santa reviews your child's activities, talks about goals for the year, and their wish list. It is ADORABLE! My kids loved it...well all except one. Luke had a melt down because he was pretty sure he was on the naughty list. :) He had a near panic attack waiting for the final result...NAUGHTY or NICE! Fortunately, to his surprise, he was on the nice list.

Other fun December countdown activities (mostly stolen from pinterest and friends) are watch a christmas movie, decorate cookies, visit santa, write a letter to santa, decorate the snow with red and green food coloring mixed with water in a spray bottle, drive around and look at christmas lights, support a food drive, celebrate Jesus's birthday, do a ginger bread house, draw names and go shopping for one of your siblings, donate toys (each kid has to pick the number of toys that correlates with their age), etc. etc. Fun and crazy times ahead!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Gift Idea

This would be a cute gift for grandparents for a holiday gift! This came from Pinterest! :)

A tip for cold season...

Set up a cool mist humidifier in your child's bedroom. Make a solution of the following in a small bowl:

1. 2-4 drops of peppermint essential oil
2. 2-4 drops of eucalyptus essential oil
3. 2-4 drops of winter green essential oil

Take a cotton ball and dunk it into the solution. Tape the cotton ball near the tip of the humidifier. The refreshing smell will instantly clear your sinuses.

A Few Halloween Ideas!
(Warning: sprinkles + a two year old= A MESS! :))

1) A Naughty Halloween Mix:
Candy Corn
Raisins
Chocolate Chips
Peanuts

Mix together and put in cute Halloween bags and pass out to teachers, neighbors, etc.

2) A Science Experiment:
Cut gummy worms with kitchen shears in long thin strips. Soak them in a solution of 2 T. baking soda mixture mixed with 1 cup of water for 15 minutes. Take works out of solution and put in a container of vinegar. The chemical reaction will cause the worms to wiggle. Mixing sodium bicarbonate and acetic acid causes carbon dioxide bubbles making the worms float and move.

3) A Halloween Treat:
Another good gift to make for friends and family are Halloween pretzel rods. In a sauce pan, heat chocolate chips and butter. Cook on low heat and stir frequently. Dip the pretzel rods in chocolate and cover half of the rod. Roll dipped rod in different Halloween sprinkles. We found candy eye balls and Michaels which turned out pretty cute. Wrap 4-6 rods in cellophane and tie with a pretty Halloween ribbon.

Halloween Countdown

We kicked off our countdown with our annual pumpkin carving party/contest tonight.

Day 6 will be a costume parade at school.
Day 5 will be dinner in a pumpkin.
Day 4 will be make a Halloween craft.
Day 3 will be make a spooky lunch...hot dog mummies and Halloween cookies.
Day 2 will be a Halloween party at Aunty Nicki's house.
Day 1 will be deliver Halloween treats to the neighbors.

Little Hunters!

After dad's weekend hunting trip, the kids were inspired to dress-up in their hunting gear. Lana, I am sorry if you hate me for this one day! :) :)

Holiday Baking Gone Healthy!

Lately, the boys have been complaining that their "lunches" don't have treats in them like the other kids in their class. I decided to try baking to remedy this problem. I AM NOT A BAKER...however I have to say I am having fun trying to be a baker.

Here are some baking tips I have come across from my favorite experts/websites that make me feel better about the kid's new lunch treats.

1. Substitute cocoa chips for when recipes call for milk chocolate chips. Check out the health benefits of cocoa chips:

Benefits of Cocoa

"Loaded with antioxidants, cocoa can slow the aging process and fight disease. Studies suggest that it may help maintain healthy blood pressure levels, improve blood flow, and keep your heart healthy. The flavonoids in cocoacan even help promote healthy heart function. Cocoa also contains a natural compound called phenyl ethylamine, known to promote happiness and relaxation."

2. Add chia seeds, ground flax seed or wheat germ to the recipe for additional health benefits.

3. Add fruit and vegetable purees.

4. Instead of canola oil use healthier oils like olive oil or grape seed oil.

5. Substitute whole wheat flour for white flour. Only use 3/4 cup of whole wheat to 1 cup of white flour. If using white flour, choose unbleached.

6. Choose aluminum free baking powder.

7. Add nuts for a protein punch.

8. Use honey and maple syrup instead of artificial sweeteners.

9. Avoid food coloring and artificial ingredients.

10. Check out nourishmd.com for healthy baking recipes.

Freeze your little goodies and stock up your freezer with some tasty treats. Ohh and please send your favorite baking recipes over to me! :)

Happy Fall!!!

Family Fun

Check it out!

Next time you are at Trader Joes, pick up some ginger beer. I actually first bought it after attending a party for Oprah's last show. Each guest had to bring a dish or drink that represented O! Amy made Oprah's favorite drink...which included ginger beer. Very similar to ginger ale but contains real ginger and lots of it. I have heard that ginger is great for indigestion, heart burn, nausea, etc. After having two episodes of heartburn last week, I gave it a whirl. Took a few sips and I said good-bye to the indigestion. I love the taste too. It might be worth picking up next time you are out.

Chick Pea Tacos
(Thanks Nicole!)

1 small onion, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained
3 - 5 tablespoons salsa
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 dash cayenne pepper, or to taste
8 - 10 taco shells

Directions:

In large sauté pan, heat oil over medium heat. Cook onion, celery, and green pepper until softened. Add chickpeas, salsa, cumin, and chili powder. Stir and cook until warmed. Mash chick peas slightly with a fork for better texture. I also add black beans and adjust the flavor using the seasonings. Serve in taco shells with cheese, sour cream and lettuce.

Bamboo Steamer

My late grandfather was an engineer and was very passionate about the dangers of using a microwave. He believed they were going to cause cancer, miscarriages and other health issues. He told us to never stand in front of a microwave while it was running. I do have a microwave and use it frequently. Its just so damn convenient! However, his warnings ring in my ears every time I use it.

This month my mini health goal is to reheat leftovers in a bamboo steamer, as seen above. For example, I am going to cook up a pound of breakfast sausages (which Creswick farms is now making/selling) on Sunday and reheat them with the steamer during the week for breakfast. I purchased one at Bed, Bath and Beyond for $14.00. You boil some water in a pan and rest the steamer on top and its suppose to heat your food within minutes. You can also stack several layers so you can reheat an entire meal at the same time. Of course it won't be as snappy as the microwave, but I am going to give it a try and see how it works.

Maybe one day we can say good-bye to our microwave....I really don't know how people do that!! For now, we are taking little baby steps! :)

Sweet Little Leah!

Here is a picture of my adorable God daughter! Maria, Dave
and Ruby welcomed her into the world last Tuesday.

Update: Raw Milk Adventure

As I have said before, health and nutrition have always been a hobby of mine. I am excited to eventually make it my next career choice but for now I just like to spend my extra time (which is next to none) reading about various health/nutrition topics. I think I mentioned that my first real interest was as a teenager but my goal was only for weight loss purposes. Then I went to college and studied nutrition for teaching purposes. I taught Life Management which encompassed nutrition, cooking, parenting, money management, etc. Now, I have reached a point in my life where I study nutrition for the purpose of good health.

Along the journey, certain decisions/choices were no brainers...like taking a whole food multi-vitamin or consulting holistic practitioners for more information. Changing over to raw milk was a choice I thought long and hard about for a few years. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone because a) I am not a licensed practitioner/nutritionist and b) because it has to be something YOU have a comfort level with.

I would highly encourage people to do their homework and learn about this fascinating industry. As you may already know, it is very controversial. I am 95% comfortable with my decision but from time to time worry about the food borne illness controversy. However, the longer I do it and the more I learn, I gain a lot more confidence in my decision.

My holisitc MD told me to read "The Untold Story of Milk" by Ron Schmid to help me understand the politics and benefits of drinking raw milk. Reputable raw milk has been known to cure/improve allergies, asthma, eczema, intestinal disorders, autism, obesity, and boost your overall immunity. We have been drinking raw milk and eating raw butter and cheese for 7 months. In the last 7 months, the kids have been really healthy. Interestingly enough, the kids got sick about a month ago with a fever/cold and I wasn't able to get my milk during that time period, which I thought was certainly related. Jake also had a spot (possible eczema) on his face for about a year. I took him to the dermatologist three times and we couldn't seem to get it cleared up. About three months into drinking the milk, I noticed the spot had disappeared. Again, could be a coincidence...but I think NOT! All in all, the kids (and hubby) love the taste and I am absolutely noticing an improvement in our overall health.

I must also mention that I am the type of person who likes my meat cooked well! So you can imagine that this was a BIG step for me. Choosing the right farm is the most important choice you will make if you decide to give raw milk a try. We decided to go with Hicks Dairy Farm because their milk is tested daily and they sell their milk to Horizon, a well known organic milk company. They said in their twenty years of selling milk, they do not have one reported case of illness.

Between the health benefits and supporting a local farm, it really feels like a win/win situation. Not to mention, it taste really good. The butter might be the most delicious thing EVER!

Happy 9th Anniversary to my hubby!

(wow...we did lots of celebrating this month. Three birthdays and one anniversary later! :))