Homemade "Ice cream"

Who knew making ice cream could be so easy? Well to be fair, it's more like water ice, but it certainly does the trick. It's the perfect indoor, kitchen activity to do with a toddler.


You will need a few simple ingredients, and 2 bags, preferable one bigger and one smaller. 



*We used one biodegradable ziploc freezer bag (I can honestly say this came from the first package of ziploc bags I've bought in at least 2 years!) and one reused tortilla bag which also had zip and was slightly bigger. 
                                                      
*Milk. As much or as little as you'd like. I think we used about 1 and 1/2 cups. We first got our tutorial for this recipe from Kai's grandpa's friend. She used whole milk, but we chose to use almond milk in the chocolate variety! And I can fortunately say that almond milk works just as good as regular milk, and I imagine coconut milk would be even creamier. We'll be trying that next time.


*Sweetener if using plain milk. The chocolate almond milk was already sweetened (with evaporate cane juice aka sugar), so we dumped it in the bag as is. Nothing else needed! If you are sweetening, I would recommend agave syrup (which we used the first time) or maple syrup for the kiddos, but of course you could use regular sugar too.


*A drop or two of vanilla extract if using plain milk.


*A couple tablespoons of coarse salt. Be it sea salt, rock salt, kosher salt. Any and all!


*ICE!


Ok, so the fun goes something like this...


1. Pour milk in the small ziploc bag. (With yummy additives, if using... but not the salt!) Secure tightly.

The double bag system: outer bag filled with ice and salt.

2. Place bag inside bigger bag, and add ice and salt all around bigger bag. Secure tightly.


3. Wrap a kitchen towel around bag and get shaking! Shake, rub, shake, plop it up and down on counter top, shake some more. The shaking should only last for 5-10 minutes! And voila, you have ice cream!

The finished product!

*suggestions: The first time Kai made this, we also added chopped up strawberries as per his request, and strawberry ice cream he got. Go crazy, add whatever strikes your fancy!

Why I have loved co-sleeping with our child.

When I saw this article detailing an anti-co-sleeping campaign in Wisconsin my jaw dropped. Really?? Babies sleeping next to butcher knives?? This is the picture they are painting of a child sleeping in bed with the people that created him or her? Of course all families have different sleeping arrangements, what works for some may not work for others, but this attack on co-sleeping is just wrong, malicious, and deconstructive. In light of this recent campaign, I've decided to list a few of the numerous reason why sleeping with our child was the one of the best and most natural choices we've made as parents thus far.


1. We never had to buy a crib.
2. We never had to buy a port-a-crib. Traveling has always been a breeze; at a hotel, in a tent, visiting  family; we all can curl up anywhere!
3. In the infancy months, Graham and I will both attest to the fact that we probably got MORE sleep than we ever had before!
4. Night time feedings were (and still are) easy and smooth. I, literally, just lift my shirt up and continue sleeping.
5. He transitioned into his own bed (a mattress on the floor, first in our room, then in his own) extremely easily. He loves his room. And when he wakes up in the middle of the night he easily finds his way into our room. (Definitely easier because of living in a small apartment.) 
6. As an infant, we never had to "go get him" when he cried because he was always right there. Therefore, we rarely, if ever, had nighttime crying keeping us up.
7. We still have our "adult time" at night from the time he goes down (in his own bed) until we go to bed.
8. Makes going diaper free at night time all the more easy. If he wakes in the middle of the night, I just plop him on the potty which sits right next to the bed. During the day it stays in the bathroom. 

9. We get to cuddle with this little person we created.

10. We get to wake up next to this amazing little person smiling, singing, talking, kissing. The mornings have always been our most precious time of day.

11. The feel of his little hands gently rubbing my arm, the sound of his breathing...or snoring when he's stuffy, his tossing and turning, his whimpers when he's having a nightmare, his sleep talking. I love it all, and it's all been priceless.

12. And.... it makes for some great photo ops.

A Healthy Dessert

A "chocolate" smoothie. It's delicious. It's creamy. It tastes like ice cream.  It's HEALTHY! And, it's 100% approved by a little boy who became obsessed with ice cream over the summer. He even said, "Mommy, it tastes like ice cream!".


Here are the 4 simple ingredients:


1 Frozen banana (must be frozen to get the creamy affect!)
1 spoonful each of almond butter and peanut butter (or 2 spoonfuls of 1)
Enough milk of your choice to make it drinkable (I use almond milk)
1 spoonful of carob powder (like cocoa powder but naturally sweet, thus eliminating the need for added sugars!)
Blend and serve. YUM! 


You could also sneak in more healthy stuff like some chopped spinach or avocado, but because Kai usually gets at least one "green" smoothie a day, too; for us, this one is purely dessert!

Potty Break

Goodbye diapers! Hello... pants? That's right, pants. No cloth pull-ups, no disposable pull-ups, no undies! Yes, when the weather starts to get colder, I will put underwear on him to keep his little heiny nice and cozy, but up until now shedding all the extra layers was the secret ingredient. For the past month, Kai has been living his days diaper free, and for the past week, his nights, too! It wasn't all easy, but through trial and error we finally found success and it went something like this:


Step 1- In-home diaper free: In the house we went diaper/pants free. This made it easy for Kai to just plop down on the toilet when we asked him if he had to go, which we did, a lot! We started out using a reward system, offering him a little treat after a successful potty-go. This fizzled naturally only after about 3 days. He just completely stopped asking for a reward! There were times when he was hesitant about going (even though I knew he hadn't peed in a long time), so I would say something like, "Wouldn't it be nice to show Ernie (or any of his stuffed animals) how you can go potty like such a big boy?" This worked EVERY time!


Step 2- Wearing diapers out of house: At first we still put him in a diaper when we went out. We found he always still went in the diaper out of the house. But when we would come home and remove his diaper, he continued to use the potty. Having a diaper on must be a comforting feeling for them since they've been in one their "entire" lives.


Step 3- Pull-up: I purchased a cloth pull-up (blueberry brand, I think). Kai was excited about the idea of wearing, "big boy undies", as we called it, but in fact, they are just a stand-in diaper. When out of the house, he would still pee in the pull-up. I think I used it about 2 times before deciding to just shed it all!


Step 4- No More Diapers: I decided that I was just going to have to be ok with wet pants and "accidents" and stopped using the pull-up or diapers out of the house, too. Cold turkey. I simply brought an extra pair of pants anywhere and everywhere we went. For the first week or so of this, I definitely used them. Sometimes he would have a full on pee if he was intently distracted by something else, but more often he would have a little tinkle and than run and tell me, "Mommy, I'm going pee pee in my pants." Then we would go to the bathroom and he would finish there.


Step 5- Learning how to pull his own pants down: I think this was the crucial step for our successful potty-training. Kai likes to do things on his terms, so I think our incessant asking about whether or not he had to pee annoyed the bejesus out of him. He wanted to go when he wanted had to go. But in order to be able to run to the potty before it was too late, he had to be able to get his pants down by himself. So, we taught him. It was slightly challenging at first, but after a few tries he finally got it. First, pull your shirt up. Then, grab the sides and pull down. Then, reach around behind and pull down over your butt. Imagine having a pull-up on, too! What a lot of work that would be for the little guy! And, fortunately, pulling up is pretty easy. He always looks especially cute afterward, with the middle of the pants pulled over to one side and his shirt half tucked in to the top.


Step 6- Nighttime diaper-free: I honestly thought nighttime diapering was going to go on for a longgggg time before we even tried to cross that bridge. We did phase out nap-time diapering when he stopped wearing diapers at home, but nighttime, no way! It's such a long chunk of time... and he spends a LoT of it in our bed! We, honestly, did not have any intentions of allowing this to happen. But Kai, and his persistent ways, decided he was simply not going to wear diapers anymore, not even at night. He promised us that when he woke up in the middle of the night he would go potty without fussing. We assumed this would be a challenge because, to put it mildly, Kai is a bit of a "pouty face" when he wakes up... especially in the night. But so far, he's lived up to his word, and we keep the potty right next to the bed so it's a pretty easy transition for him, even when he's half asleep. And, I know I shouldn't be saying this, but knock-on-wood, we've had dry pjs and beds up till now. 


So there you have it, the Rachel/Graham/Kai potty training extravaganza! I should also add that all of this was done in a pretty relaxed and calm atmosphere. There was no pressure, no anger, no irritation. If it happened it happened, if it didn't it didn't. And well, what do you know, but it's seemed to have worked. And maybe, just maybe, some part of this will help you, too. Happy pottying! 

My Toddler Companion.

The CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) we joined this season recently had a potluck dinner at their farm to give thanks to all its members. Kai and I went sans Graham, who was playing in a soccer game, but still managed to have a great time. We brought oatmeal-walnut cookies to share, and feasted on carrot soup, green beans, spinach and potatoes, kale wraps, and other yummy dishes. We played in the children's garden, oohed and aahed at the chickens, toured the grounds where all our produce was grown, warmed up around the fire, and listened to music. We knew not a soul upon arrival, but left having made many "friends". 

As I was driving home, I realized one of the major awesomenesses of having a child (especially one of Kai's age who still thinks his mommy is god's gift to the world!) is always having a "companion" or as I like to think of him, a "conversation starter". "How old is your kid?" "What's his name?" "What's your name?" "I know, they just grow up so fast!" Etc. Etc. It never fails. Anywhere and everywhere we go we make friends. Whether it's my choice or not. Kai rarely lets a single person walk by without asking their name. Just the other day he shouted at our neighbor (whom we had yet to meet) as she was getting in her car, "What's your name?" No answer (she hadn't heard). "I asked, What's YOUR name?" The innocence and confidence of a toddler is magnificent to watch. At this age, they are so uninhibited, and naturally, this rubs off on their mamas... or daddies... or anybody who happens to be hanging out with them on a given day. In my non-mommying days, I would have been hesitant to attend an event like this on my own. Sure, I enjoyed doing certain things solo... going to a movie, a yoga class, a walk, a coffee shop, but a "party"... not likely. Now, I rarely think twice about it. I bring Kai, and he brings me. 

(Notice our plates on top of the boat. Eco-Tip: Bring your own dishware to a party/event! )

(Kai and his new "friends".)

(P.S. Don't we wish all chickens live as "nice" of a life as this? But the sad truth is, they don't!)

Life is Good.

On Saturday, we joined some friends at the Life is Good music festival in Canton, MA. And we had a fabulous time. This was my kind of festival, hands down. Not only because it was extremely KID FRIENDLY and had AWESOME music for both the kiddies and the adults, but also because it was GREEN. Ahhh, green. My favorite kind of anything. There were compostable beer cups. Refillable water stations. A nursing zone. Vegetarian food. And right alongside the trash and recycling bins were COMPOSTING bins. Ok, so of course hundreds of people also had to drive to get there, but with all the exposure to green initiatives I like to think it was offset just a little bit. And this festival proved that it is possible to have fun and convenience while still being earth friendly. 

The kids in tow had a blast. There was so much for them to do and see and hear. Kai and his buddy Grayson danced and played, laughed and whined all damn day. They made some friends, ate some yummy food (including a big plate of sweet potato fries that Kai scored for free), and enjoyed romping around with each other on one of those big, colorful parachute thingamajigs. Kai also enjoyed some baby yoga,  an obstacle course, rocking out at the kids stage, and of course, some QT in the nursing station. Wow. It's a lot even to write! Still can't believe those boys made it through the entire day with ease. And to think Kai was going on just a half hour nap! What a great way to end the summer!

And Let the Potty Training Commence....

We hadn't really planned to start potty training. Sure, we've had the baby bjorn potty for a few months now, and he'd gone on it a couple times here and there, but it was never in the form of any serious potty training. We just figured we'd ignore the issue until he decided it was time. Well, it seems like that time has come. A couple weeks back when I was getting Kai ready for bed, we had the following conversation:


Me: "I'm going to put your diaper on now."
Kai: "No diaper, Mommy."
Me: "Well, I have to put your diaper on for bedtime... unless, you want to go peepee on the potty."  
Kai: "I have peepee coming now."
Me: "ok, so do you want to go to the potty?"
Kai: "ok!"


And that he did. Followed by a poop! He was very proud of himself. And so he got a reward in the form of a treat. A (grain-sweetened) chocolate chip. I don't really know what's being said out there about potty training rewards, but its working for us. The second day he didn't wear a diaper the entire day, all peeing and pooping on the potty. A couple of times he didn't even ask for a treat after. He was also excited to show his other toddler friends how he goes on the potty when they came over for a visit.


Since that first day he has definitely made progress. He is still wearing diapers most of the time for sleeping and when we go out, but at home he usually always tells me when he has to pee or poop, and he's still asking to go in the potty. He even enjoys bringing the potty bowl over to the toilet to dump it in! I'm not really sure what the next step is. I do have some "big boy undies" and a cloth potty training pull-up, but don't know if he's quite ready to be wearing them full time yet, although he does ask to.  If any seasoned moms out there have some advice about potty training, please feel free to offer it up!

A New York Weekend!

~Birthday tickets to see the musical Hair!
~My lovely sister, Jessie, meeting us in the city to hang with the KaiGuy. They Central Park'd it up!
~Yummy falafel sandwiches from Maoz Vegetarian to kick off the weekend.
~Graham and I seeing an incredible, hippie dippie, sexy, hopeful, anything but conservative show on Broadway! 
~Going to dinner at a delicious vegan restaurant called Red Bamboo.
~Hearing Jessie tell us about how she so gracefully and perfectly put an uptight woman in her place when she and Christian took Kai out to dinner. 

     The Woman: (under her breath but so they could still hear her without

     saying it directly to them), "I just hope he's well behaved."

     Jessie: (hearing this and definitely not being one to let someone get away

     with talking about her nephew) "Well, he is very well-behaved, and we were

     ALL children once."

   

~Awesome Sunday brunch at the Village Natural Restaurant in the West Village with some great company- Graham, Kai, Jessie, and her friend Christian.

~A beautiful community garden... stumbled upon, while looking for a place to change Kai's diaper.

~Quick trip into FAO Schwarz (only looking, no buying!), and a visit to the giant floor piano. (Unfortunately, Kai, who is semi-cripple at the moment after a playground fall, could only sit and watch!)

~A flawless, exciting, fun, yummy food-filled weekend! Thanks, everyone!

Here are some pictures:

 *At Red Bamboo there were these delicious Buffalo wings, complete with a wooden "bone" inside. Strange, but true!

* For my meal, I had the most authentic tasting "chicken tenders". The potatoes and veggies were nothing to write home about, but who needs them anyway when you're having "chicken tenders" for the first time in almost 2 years! Graham's meal was yummy too, black pepper "steak" or something like that.

~And for the real treat, an incredible mocha "cheesecake". Even though I was already stuffed and couldn't envision taking one more bite, I managed to just about finish this off. So delicious!  I definitely wouldn't want to eat this way everyday; I much prefer a whole foods diet to a processed one (which surely fake "meat" is), but every once in while I think it's ok to indulge. And it makes it that much more special when you do! Vegans and non-vegans alike would thoroughly enjoy this restaurant!

*At brunch the next day, Jessie and I shared this yummy tofu rancheros- scrambled tofu on a corn tortilla with onions, salsa, guacamole, chili beans.  

*And delicious vegan buck wheat waffles! Oh, and some sweet potato fries!

Back in the Kitchen

Ever since we returned from our travels, I feel like I've been a real slacker in the kitchen. I'm admitting it. Gulp. For a few weeks, I've been lazy and reverted back to buying some of the food necessities... (necessities in my kitchen that is), which I had finally gotten accustomed to making before we left. Almond milk. Cereal (granola). Chreese Dip. Hummus. Snack foods. Sigh. Sigh. Well, slowly, but surely, I'm getting my mojo back. 

The granola came first. I always make the Mom's Granola recipe from this book, and I currently have a big batch sitting on the counter. Next, came the hummus, even though store bought hummus always tastes so much yummier and creamier. Then, today, I finally re-conquered the "power balls", aka fruit/nut balls that are high in fat and protein which my son will actually eat and enjoy eating while hopefully packing on the pounds! My awesome friend Christina was actually the first one to attempt to make these snacks, in the form of bars, and of course once I started making them, Kai still preferred to gobble hers up over mine any day. 

So, today, Kai and I set out to get back in the kitchen, and make some yummy snack food. Granted I did most of the work, but Kai did help me transfer each ball from my hand to the plate! And he even popped a couple in his mouth as he worked. Here's the recipe:


Power Balls


1. dried fruit (I used approx. 5 dates, 5 apricots, and a handful of cranberries). Place in hot (almost boiling) water for a minute or so just to soften. Then mash up with blender or by hand with knife.
2. nuts (I used a mix of almond slivers, cashews, and walnuts). Chop into powder in the blender.
3. oats- approx. 1/4 c. Chop with nuts in blender.
4. dried coconut flakes- approx. 1/4 c.
5. peanut butter and almond butter- approx. 1 spoonful of each
6. molasses- 1 spoonful (good for iron)
7. brown rice syrup or maple syrup- a small pour
8. ground flax seeds- generous sprinkle
9. carob powder (or cocoa powder)- 1 spoonful
10. Just mix everything together in a bowl, (or use a food processor), and roll into toddler bite-sized balls!


So simple, so yummy, so healthy. It tastes like a healthy cookie dough, except one that you can happily eat raw! Here's to hoping Kai still enjoys them tomorrow....

Maybe next week we'll conquer the almond milk.....

Dance- A Haiku

A toddler dancing

Following his mama's lead

Smiling together

*This post was inspired by Mama Knows It All's Haiku Tuesdays. 

Eco-Tip: Compost Your Food Scraps!

'Tis the season for starting a compost pile. Or really just a bag of food scraps (you know, leftovers that sat in the fridge until they have started to grow mold, fruit peels, veggie scraps from chopping, etc.). And here's why:

As is commonly thought, food that has been thrown away doesn't just decompose naturally.  But food is a natural, organic matter, so how could that be? Well, landfills are devoid of the proper air and light that food waste needs to break down, so instead the food quickly rots and releases methane gas into the air, which goes into the atmosphere and helps to pollute our earth.  Methane gas is one of the most potent greenhouse gases and landfills contribute 20% of methane emissions (primarily because of this food waste)! The rotting food also produces another toxic chemical that seeps into ground water. According to the EPA, the US generates more than 34 million tons of food waste annually, and only a staggering 3 percent of that is recovered or composted! Today, food waste has become the number 1 component of municipal solid waste in landfills! This has huge impacts for our environment, our health, and our economy. Read about it in the link above.

So what can you do? Well, if you have a garden you can use your nutrient rich food scraps for fertilizing your plants organically, by turning it into compost. You can even get a tiny in-home compost bin such as this one. But if you are city dwellers like us and don't have the space for a garden of your own, you can still help gardeners and farmers turn your food waste into compost.  It's so simple, how could you not do it!  All we do is store a brown paper bag in the freezer and add the food scraps to it.  It usually takes us about a week to fill it up.  When it's good and full we simply take the bag to the farmer's market (where we are lucky to have access to a compost stand, but most likely any farmer will be willing to take free food to turn into compost!), or on non-farmer's market days, to Whole Foods (they also have a compost bin).  You also should even be able to find a neighbor or a local urban garden who would willingly take your food bag, just search online.

Our food scraps filled bag in the freezer.

But what about using a garbage disposal? Well, this may be better than throwing the food into the trash (and thus the landfill), but it uses a huge amount of energy and most likely water (if you are running the tap while you dispose). Composting is your best bet! 

Things That Made Me Smile :)

1. A late evening stroll accompanied by a sleepy-eyed, pajama-clad little boy falling asleep in his stroller while clutching tightly to his bear.


2. Two friends chatting while watching two little boys romping around on sofas and pillows, giggling and chatting in their "secret" language.


3. Graham coming home with a vegan, chocolate cupcake.


4. Watching Kai collect compost at an urban garden.


5. The most incredible baby hugs from little Grayson.


6. A batch of fresh, homemade granola.


7. Reading to Kai at the end of the night.


8. Tickets booked to California and Alaska!


9. Listening to Kai play the harmonica and seeing his excitement when he tells me that the sound he made was "like a violin".  It really did sound like a violin!


10. Thinking about taking the train home in a couple days to see my mom, grandmother, Jessie, and Rebecca in her dance performance.


*After a sequence of a few frustrating things happening at the end of my night, I needed to remind myself that I have had lots to smile about today... and these are the things that really matter.

Fun at the Farm... Sanctuary!

Kai loves farm animals.  He talks about goats, chickens, horsies, ducks, and all the rest on a daily basis.  Ask him what a duck says, or a chicken, or a cow, and he clucks, quacks, or moos away.  His favorite songs... Old MacDonald and Baa, Baa Black Sheep. We love taking him places where he can see real, live farm animals. I definitely think the best way to learn is to be out in the real world, seeing and doing, so for this we have discovered the joys of the farm sanctuary. These are wonderful places; safe havens, for farm animals that have been abused, misused, neglected, or abandoned.  Living on a farm sanctuary is their chance to retire and live out their days in peace. Usually these sanctuaries are open to the public as a way to raise the funds necessary to shelter and care for the animals.  Since living in Rhode Island, we have visited two farm sanctuaries, Winslow Farm Animal Sanctuary and Maple Farm Sanctuary.  They are both wonderful places. The animals are always friendly, happy, and well-cared for.  Today we visited the Maple Farm because they were hosting a FarmFest complete with free music, food, crafts, and of course, animal petting. Kai and his best buddy, Parker, had a blast, dancing, chasing chickens, and enjoying a special treat (for the second day in a row...whoops!) of vegan ice cream! So here is my plug for the farm sanctuary: Go find one in your area! A sanctuary is a wonderful place to visit with your family. Children (and adults, too, of course) will love to see and touch the animals.  I really prefer exposing Kai to animals at a sanctuary then say, at the zoo, because I know the animals have been rescued and live happily, rather than forced into captivity and made to live in habitats that are neither big enough nor natural for them. I have a love/hate relationship with zoos these days. Of course I loved visiting the zoo as a child, and I know there are zoos out there that are doing positive things like breeding endangered animals, but I still can't help feeling guilty and sad whenever I see an animal that is meant to roam and run free living cooped up behind a glass wall. So, the next time you are in the mood for some animal viewing, visit a farm sanctuary! This website shows where some (but by no mean all) farm sanctuaries are located around the country. 

A Favorite Snack: Chreese Dip

A few months ago, my mom found this awesome non-dairy dip for me on one of our trips down to MD.  Whenever I come to visit, she always tries to stock up on whatever vegan food she can find. Isn't she thoughtful? Well, she really scored with this one. The two flavors I've tried are delicious.  I assumed it would be heavily processed with loads of ingredients, but surprisingly the ingredient list on the back was very simple.  Just oatmeal, sesame, coconut oil, nutritional yeast, and some spices.  Wow! I can make this at home (and reduce my purchasing of products packaged in plastic).  When I returned home, I shared this new, yummy discovery with my friend, Christina, who immediately set out to making her own version (Even before I got around to it! That's how awesome and motivated she is.) So, she inspired me to get started on making my own, too, which I've been doing ever since... (except for the day when they were buy 2 get 1 free at Whole Foods. I couldn't resist... the texture of the store bought kind is inevitably better!).  Here's my recipe for a spicy version. Note: I'm not good with measurements.  I just kind of shake the spices in.

Ingredients:
1/3 cup oats (made into powder in blender)
1 tbsp tahini
1 tbsp coconut oil
about 1 tsp. chili powder
some hot sauce
sea salt
1 tbsp nutritional yeast (this gives it the "cheesy" flavor)

Steps:
1. Make oatmeal with the oats. Boil 2/3 cup water then add oats to cook.  Store for a few hours in the fridge. (This helps get a better consistency)
2. Blend everything together.  Add more oil as needed.  That's it!

Kai and I both love this dip.  We usually eat it on toast, crackers, or blue corn chips.  Enjoy!

Monday Moments... and an Eco-Tip

If it wasn't for Kai, I would hardly remember to take my vitamin or give Kai his.  Everyday, without fail, he leads me into the kitchen with his favorite sentence, "Mommy, let's go!", points up to the shelf where the vitamins reside and says, "Mommy, take vitamin, now!"  I'm sure his consistency and determination must come from a strong enjoyment of the strawberry flavor of his "candy" vitamin... but I like to think he just knows mama needs a little reminding sometimes.  


Plastic Bag Eco-Tip

I try my very best to avoid plastic bags at all costs.  I always bring my own grocery bags, produce bags, and bulk food bags to the store or farmer's market, but sometimes they can't always be avoided.  It's usually the bread bags that I end up with. So, when I do find myself with plastic bags, I try to reuse them by bringing them to the store for my produce or for storing veggies in the fridge.  But, I always used to find them so annoying to clean and dry.  No matter what I did, they always seemed to stay wet with little drops of water throughout; and where to put them to dry was always an issue too.  A couple of years ago a friend showed me a great trick.  Simply turn the bag inside out, place a magnet inside, near the bottom of the bag, turn upside down, and attach to side of fridge.  It'll dry in no time.  I guess it kind of seems like a no-brainer, but had someone not shown it to me, I probably wouldn't have thought of it!  Also, this is a good way to put to use those advertisement magnets that sometimes come in the mail.  My grandma gave me an idea to cut them up into smaller magnets.  I made four magnets from one unneeded Domino's magnet, and now I use those ones for my bag drying.

Lemon Broccoli Pasta

Some evenings, preparing dinner can be very challenging. Usually, I wait to start cooking until Graham gets home from work so he can entertain and play with Kai (who, for some reason, always gets a little needy and fussy right around 5:00). But on other evenings, like tonight, when Graham goes to the gym after work, I have to start getting dinner ready before he gets home.  0n these nights, it's best to either have left overs ready to pop in the oven or to make something quick and easy. 


Kai can be a little demanding of my attention at times, so it's difficult to make a dinner with any sort of complexity when I'm on my own. He's not one of those kids who will sit and play quietly near me or in the other room while I do something that doesn't include him.  If my attention wavers from him for too long, he'll be at my feet pleading "Mommy, look me!".  Just the short week we spent alone together while Graham was away on a school trip was quite challenging, especially when it came to meal time.  I realized how difficult it must be for single parents to do it all on their own.  I can completely understand why so many turn to frozen dinners or take-out! 


So, for tonight's dinner I had some plain soba noodles already cooked from the day before.  I decided to turn them and whatever vegetables I had left in the fridge into a pasta dish. And... it turned out pretty good! It was so simple and easy.  I was able to prepare the roux (creamy sauce) in between building a tower with Kai, and I chopped the vegetables at the table while Kai had a snack.  I then let Kai "help" by cleaning up the discarded ends of the broccoli, putting them into a bowl, and dumping it into our compost bag. And throwing the veggies, noodles, and sauce all into a pan to cook, was, of course, super easy. Just FYI- soba noodles are a good source of protein (and broccoli has protein, too!), so you don't need meat in this dish!


Ingredients:
*vegan (or not, your choice) roux (recipe to follow)
*lemon juice (about 1tbsp or more depending on how lemony you like things)
*a couple heads of broccoli (chopped)
*a few stalks of asparagus (diced)
*garlic 
*soba noodles (or any other pasta)


Roux Ingredients:
*approx. 1 tbsp of margarine (Earth Balance) or olive oil
*approx. 1 and 1/2 tbsp of flour
*about 1 cup of liquid ( I used a mixture of almond milk and  veggie broth)
*1 spoonful of miso
*a few sprinkles of nutritional yeast (This isn't essential. If you aren't vegan, I imagine you wouldn't have it on hand. But it is tasty and adds a nice cheesy taste)


Roux Steps:
1. In a small pot on med. low heat, melt margarine (or oil) and flour. Stir about 2-3 minutes. It will condense and begin to thicken.
2. Pour in a little liquid and stir. Then slowly add more liquid and stir.  Do this until desired consistency.. the more liquid the thinner the sauce. 
3. In a separate bowl mix a tbsp of liquid with a tbsp of miso.
4. Add miso mix, nutritional yeast, and lemon juice. Stir.  Set aside.


Recipe Steps:
1. Saute broccoli, asparagus, garlic in olive oil until dark green.
2. Add cooked noodles to pan, and maybe a little more oil.
3. Pour in roux.
4. Done! That's it. So easy!

Try- A Haiku

I've never before

created my own haiku,

but today, I try.

*Inspired by Brandi from Mama Knows It All and her weekly Haiku Link-Up!

The Story of Stuff... and Why I Thrift

My lovely Aunt shared with me this informative you tube video about the process of "stuff". The narrator details, in a very clear, simple, and concise manner, the life cycle of consumer goods.  She discusses such things as how these goods are produced, what toxins they use, how those toxins effect our health and environment, why they are so cheap, and why producing and buying them inadvertently poses serious risks and dangers to impoverished people around the globe.  This video is very eye-opening and extremely relevant.  As consumers, we all need to try our best to be more responsible for the choices we are making.  It's hard, I know.  There is just so much out there, right at our fingertips, staring us in the face everyday.  How could you know that buying that $4.99 plastic radio at Radioshack (an example from the video) could carry so many repercussions for people all over the world and for the planet? There is no label to tell you that.  I know sometimes it seems hopeless, like we are too insignificant to make any lasting changes, but little by little we can make a difference.  We can start by simply paying more attention to what we buy, and asking ourselves, "Do I really need this?"  Don't be daunted when you see that this video is 20 minutes! Just stick with it, it's worth it!


So many of the things discussed in this video, are reasons why I thrift as much as possible.  Whenever there is something I need around the house, I always check out the local Salvation Army before going anywhere else.  There are multiple benefits to shopping there or at Goodwill.  1. Repurposing unwanted "stuff", 2. Keeping "stuff" out of the landfills, 3. Finding cheap hidden treasures, 4. Giving money to a good cause.  Just recently, I needed a new toothbrush holder.. got a beautiful ceramic one at Salvation Army for 1 dollar.  I needed a flower pot for my basil plant... got it for 69 cents. I wanted to get Kai some little pots and pans  for his toy kitchen... got 'em for about 2 dollars, and not plastic ones either.. real ones, just tiny size! Kai needed a pair of summer shoes... got an adorable pair in new condition for $1.79. And just yesterday, I bought Kai his very first mini hot wheels skateboard (new they go for 25 dollars and up) for just 3.99, as well as 3 books in perfect condition for 25 cents each.  These are all convincing enough reasons to get thrifting, aren't they??

Smoothie Juice, Please!

Kai, the forever fussy-eater, does have one continuous love in the way of solid food...and it's his "smoothie juice" or "ice juice" (when it's been frozen into cubes).  Smoothies obviously aren't an original idea or anything, but I do devote A LOT of my time to making them, so I thought they deserved a special blog.  I also just so happened to make one today.  Everyday, without fail, when I ask Kai what he wants to eat, whether it be for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, he always answers "ice juice".  It is, hands down, his favorite thing to eat.  He devours that cube, never stopping to put it down, even though his little fingers must be freezing as he holds it. And I know they are because his hands are always so cold after he eats one. So, because they are requested so often in this house, I have devised a technique to make them as convenient to have on hand as possible. Also, because smoothies are one of Kai's main sources of nourishment, they are jam packed with healthy goodness.  I usually make about one or two blender fulls a week. He always drinks a cup of the smoothie when I first make it and the rest gets poured into the ice cube tray and popped in the freezer.  The smoothies are always changing depending on what I have on hand, but here's an idea of what goes into them.


Smoothie Juice 
-2 ice cubes of mixed veggie juice (usually carrot/celery/cucumber/wheat grass). (I juice a lot at one time and store in an ice cube tray so I don't have to keep juicing every time I make a smoothie.  That juicer is a PAIN to clean!)
-1 banana (sometimes frozen, sometimes fresh)
-strawberries and blueberries (usually frozen, I plan to use fresh fruit once they are in season here)
-apple juice (and any other juice I may have on hand)
-a few leaves of chopped kale and some chopped spinach
-almond (usually homemade) or coconut milk
-molasses
-sometimes 1/2 container of coconut or almond milk yogurt if it happened to be on sale that week


*Most of the fruits (including apple juice) and veggies I use in this smoothie are organic as they are pretty much all on the dirty dozen list.
*I went ahead and purchased a stainless steel ice cube tray since I am always feeding Kai something in the form of an ice cube.  I do my best to avoid BPA at all costs.  They are a little pricey, but definitely a good investment and considering I rarely buy anything new, I thought it was fair.
*After finishing his smoothie juice, Kai must check out his "dirty face" in the bathroom mirror.  He gets such a kick out of himself!