Ontario strawberries are almost in season! When they are, we'll eat them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. There's nothing quite like them! Strawberry Spinach (or Field Green) Salad is our favorite way to incorporate the sweet, red berries into an evening meal.
Serves: 4-6 people Ready in: 15 minutes * For THMer's, this recipe falls into the Satisfying category. Ingredients:
6 oz. fresh spinach or organic field greens
2 cups, sliced strawberries
1/4 small, finely sliced red onion
2/3 cup slivered almonds or walnuts
1/4 cup goat cheese (chevre, or feta)
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp plan-approved strawberry jam (Smuckers has a stevia-sweetened version)
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper.
Directions: Mix first 5 ingredients together and set aside. Add the rest to a jar and seal tightly before shaking to make the dressing. Add dressing to taste and refrigerate the unused portion. Enjoy immediately!
It's Sunday morning. The alarm clock didn't go off like it was supposed to. Rolling over in bed, you squint at the red digital numbers and start to panic. There's an hour before you need to leave for church. You bolt out of bed, rudely wake your sleeping husband and try to scare him into action by telling him the time. Jumping into the shower, you realise you forgot your change of clothes and holler at your drowsy hubs to bring them over. You skip shaving your legs and conditioning your hair, dry yourself off in a hurry, only to discover that you had forgotten to iron your Sunday blouse. Having just had a baby, this is the only one that fits and is convenient enough for breastfeeding. You sigh as you button it up, promising yourself you'll keep your coat on the whole church service and nobody will notice.
You throw your hair into a quick ponytail. No time for anything fancy today. Running downstairs, you wake up your toddler and are too frustrated to enjoy her chipper morning spirit as she chatters away while you change her diaper. You rummage through her clothes, only to discover that her Sunday dress is still in the laundry room, probably hidden under the rest of the unfolded clothes. A skirt and tights will have to do. The tights have a hole in the toe. Oh well, her shoes will cover it.
Racing upstairs, you plunk her in her seat at the table and dash off to wake the baby, hoping he'll be alert enough for a good feed by the time the rest of you are done breakfast. While changing his diaper and trying to decide what he should wear to church, he has an explosive bowel movement leaving you no choice but to give him a bath. While you frantically wash the poop out of his hair, your husband calls from the kitchen to let you know that the syrup bottle is empty. Cheerios for breakfast on a Sunday. Again.
Placing baby in his bouncy chair, you wolf down your Cheerios, bouncing baby's seat with one foot, and feeding your toddler, who is highly distracted by the shadows the sun is helping to make on the dining room wall, with your empty hand. As soon as you're done your cereal, you ask (tell) your husband to take over feeding your toddler while you nurse your wailing baby in the messy living room you were too tired to clean up the night before. Trying to be as holy as possible considering the time, the rest of family gathers in the living room for devotions, where you pick the shortest Psalm and mumble a 20-second prayer so you can say you've done your duty.
After cutting baby's nursing session short, you lay him down on the floor, throw on your new white coat, and buckle your newborn into his seat. You had forgotten to burp him and he hurls all over the front of your new coat. No time to change. You pass the infant seat to your husband to place in the car while you hunt for your toddler's missing shoe. Where did she put it?! Already running three minutes late on the week your husband needs to hand out bulletins, you decided it's okay if she wears her rubber boots to church just this once.
Finally, you're all in the car and you race off to church. As your toddler begs you to sing "Twinkle, Twinkle" for the hundredth time, you scream "Shut up! We're going to worship!" The gas light comes on. Hubby assures you that even though you might be running on fumes, you'll probably make it back. And if not all the way back, at least you'll be stranded on a major highway where lots of other church folk will be passing by and will surely stop to help. Just as you remember you left the tithing cheque and diaper bags in the front entrance, you see cherries flashing in the rear view mirror and hear a siren wailing in your ear. Busted.
Have you ever had a Sunday morning like this? We haven't had one quite that bad, but pretty close. Even though we need to leave by 8:45am to be at church in good time, I've found there are several things I can do to make it fairly relaxing and peaceful for everyone. A good morning starts the evening before. Here's some things I try to make a habit of doing so that Sundays truly are a day of rest and I'm not running around like chicken with my head cut off or barking out orders like a drill sargent:
Things to do Saturday morning:
Decide what you'll be eating for each meal on Sunday. Make as much as you can ahead of time and slot in a trip to the grocery store if necessary.
Check to make sure all the Sunday outfits are washed and ironed. A good way to avoid ironing, is to pull out your clothes from the dryer as soon as it finishes and hang them neatly in your closet.
Make a trip to the gas station and top up the tank.
Things to do Saturday evening before bed:
Pack diaper bags. Include at least one extra outfit, three diapers, and wipes. Charity's bad also includes a cookie or two and a drink for in the baby-sit. Judah's bag is the bigger of the two as it also holds my nursing cover, extra nursing pads, a spit-up rag, and another shirt for me-just in case.
Lay out each person's complete outfit in where they normally get dressed. For us this means a onesie, dress shirt, socks, pants, coat and hat on top of Judah's dresser; an undershirt, tights, a dress, shoes, and coat on Charity's; a suit, dress shirt and tie on the bathroom counter for Brad to change into after his shower; and my skirt, a button up blouse, camisole, and head covering beside my bed.
Set the table for breakfast. If you're worried about flies pooping in your bowl or glass overnight, turn them upside down. We usually have waffles with Maple syrup, and orange juice on Sunday mornings which means three place settings including forks, knives, plates, and glasses. I also lay out Charity's bib and put two capsules of fenugreek next to my glass.
Shower. I've realized I don't have to have a shower Sunday morning. It saves a lot of valuable time and is a great way to wind down by taking it Saturday evening before bed. After my shower, I usually lay out my earrings, and hair accessories on the bathroom counter so I don't have to hunt for them the next morning.
Tidy the house. It's not the most wonderful thing to be doing on a Saturday night, but waking up to a tidy house is so much more relaxing for everyone! Set the timer for 10 minutes and you'll be surprised to how much you can accomplish. You'll be glad you picked up the toys even though you didn't feel like it.
Put anything you can into the car. Diaper bags, purse, tithing cheque. The more that's already in the car, the less you'll forget. And you'll save yourself a bundle of time.
Place all the footwear by the door. Make sure there's two of each. Unless of course, you happen to be missing a leg.
Things to do Sunday morning:
This is the order that works best for us in this season of life: wake up, do my hair, get kids dressed and Charity's hair done while Brad showers, have breakfast, family devotions, nurse Judah while Brad clears the table and gets Charity's coat and shoes on, get myself dressed, put Judah's coat on, out the door.
Get the kids dressed as soon as you take them out of bed. This saves having to go back into their rooms after having breakfast. If you're worried about them spilling on their clothes, invest in some good quality bibs and help the younger ones eat if necessary.
If you're nursing, dress yourself after baby's done his feed, burped, and in his car seat to save having to put together another outfit. You can get dressed in 4 seconds flat. I've done it.
Your husband wants to help. He might just need you to ask him what to do. Ask kindly and specifically instead of using body gestures and indirect commands. (i.e. Ask, "Honey, could you please put Charity's coat on?", instead of huffing loudly, "Charity's coat still needs to be put on and I've still got to get dressed, and I can't find Judah's soother!")
Give your hubby a really good kiss on the way out the door. No matter how rushed the morning was, this will erase any memory of it. :-)
Several months ago a food-loving group was created on Facebook. Its name was the "Cathedral Village Needs a Cheap Breakfast Place", or something like that. It seems that the Village just hadn't been the same since the Quality Tea Room shut down several years back.
I quickly joined the group, as did several hundred other Regina folks (What did we ever do before Facebook groups became the new face of activism, by the way?). The Facebook fan page continued to grow, many of its members calling for a cheap plate of hash browns and bacon... like now.
Well, some wishes do come true.
The Mercury Cafe and Grill opened its doors in April. The place seemed to spring up overnight on the corner of 13th and Robinson streets in a spot that has housed numerous other restaurants.
The Mercury is a diner, no doubt about that. From the bright red vinyl booths to the formica and chrome tables, stepping into The Mercury is like stepping back 50 or 60 years in time. The Mercury is also under the same ownership as Regina's well-loved Novia Cafe, another all-out diner. This is a good thing -- who better to start a new diner than the folks who run one of the city's oldest and best?
I've been to The Mercury twice now, once for breakfast and once for supper. It's hard to find the right word to describe both experiences. It wasn't fantastic, but it wasn't horrible either. Perhaps satisfactory is the right word.
Weekend breakfast bustles and hustles in The Mercury. If you're not there by 11 on a Sunday, you're going to wait in line for awhile. Granted, The Mercury could easily jam a few more tables into the dining room in order to shave some time off the waiting game.
Your choices for breakfast are classic standbys: bacon and eggs; hash browns; pancakes; an omelette. You get the picture. Now, is it cheap? That depends on your definition of cheap. Most items run around the $8-9 mark, plus the cost of coffee and/or juice. I've had cheaper, but I've also had more expensive.
Service can be a little disorganized, but hopefully the servers work that out amongst themselves as the restaurant irons out the operating wrinkles. We had to wait 30 minutes for any food to hit the table at breakfast, almost enough to push us to the breaking point, but not quite. Fortunately, our waitress took good care of us in the meantime.
Now let's talk about supper for a moment. Once again, there are few surprises on the evening menu. Nachos; chicken wings; chicken fingers; burgers; clubhouse sandwiches; and grilled cheese are a few of the choices.
We ordered up a plate of nachos to get things started. With a $10 price tag, we pictured a nice platter of cheesy chips and veggies. We couldn't have been more wrong. A dinner plate with a puny pile of nachos on it was what we got. Even worse: the scarce bits of cheese on the chips were overcooked and rubbery. Epic fail, my friends. Epic fail.
Next up: the burgers. Now this is where the action is at. Tender homemade beef patties are smooshed between fresh buns with all the fixins. I went for the Mushroom Swiss. Big Willie had The Mercury Burger (two patties with fried onions, mushrooms, shaved ham, Swiss and cheddar cheese). All burgers come with a side. We went for the french fries and they were done to perfection.
Big Poppa (my dad) went for the open-faced Hot Turkey Sandwich... which came with hot chicken, oddly enough. But he got past that.
All in all, The Mercury offers up decent food in a comfortable room. The motto seems to be: come as you are, eat what you will. Now if they'd only fine-tune the nachos and up the portion size for most of the breakfast menu, we might have a sure-fire winner on our hands.
This recipe is a low-fat, absolutely decadent-tasting, cheesecake-like dessert that keeps you full, healthy, and satisfies your sweet tooth! When I first discovered it in Trim Healthy Mama, I said, "Where have you been all my life?!"
I win The Best Mom In The World award when I serve this to the kids for breakfast. They think they're getting dessert!
This recipe comes from Trim Healthy Mama and is reposted with permission fro the authors. Cottage Berry Whip Time: 5 minutes Servings: 5-6 *For THMer's, this is an E, S, or FP.
Ingredients:
2 cups (1 container) low-fat cottage cheese
2 cups mixed berries
Truvia or NuNaturals to taste (when I make this for the kids, I use honey as the sweetener)
Directions: Put all ingredients into blender. Pulse until thoroughly blended. Serve and enjoy!
The whole family will enjoy this dish for breakfast, lunch, or dinner and because it's loaded with fresh spinach, this breakfast bake is an ideal choice for pregnant mamas who need an extra boost of folic acid! Maximize the health benefits by using farm-fresh eggs, raw milk (almond milk works great too), grass-fed turkey bacon, and organic produce.
An excellent source of protein, folic acid, calcium, and fiber. Gluten-Free and Trim Healthy Mama friendly! Ingredients:
6 eggs
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, grated
salt and pepper to taste
10 bacon strips, fried and crumbled
8 cups fresh spinach leaves, washed and dried
1/2 an onion, finely chopped
Directions: Beat eggs, milk, cheese, and salt and pepper together in large bowl. Fold in bacon, spinach, and onion. Lightly butter a 9"X13" baking pan. Spread mixture evenly inside pan and bake at 375F for 25-30 minutes or until knife comes out clean.
This weekend I headed down to the Portland Antique Expo in beautiful Oregon! I planned to meet up for the first time with a couple of my favorite fellow bloggers. Let me tell ya, I was sooo excited!! I've read about so many of the Georgia bloggers getting together and I must admit I was more than a little envious *winks* And I would be meeting Isabel from Maison Douce who has one of the most fabulous dreamy blogs ever!! As well as her being an antiques dealer! (can it get any better? *winks*) Anyhoo, I took one look at Isabels booth and knew it was hers!! So full of wonderful things!! Here we are! And I must say, Isabel is just as warm kind and lovely as I thought she would be! She even took me to a few of her favorite booths... and boy howdy did I see why!
Then my new friend Michelle from Chocolate and Marmalade Tea joined us and we all had ourselves a good girl gab! Actually we "gabbed" so much we pretty much missed the show! That was actually OK because both Michelle and I had broken our budgets by about the third isle! Lol ! *winks* Anyhoo if you haven't visited her blog please do! She has the most beautiful pictures of comfort food! As well as her three wonderful kitties!
Me Isabel and Michelle (note to self black boucle is NOT slimming! Lol!)
Isabel had the most beautiful wedding dress in front of her booth! The front was lovely... but the back!! oohhh la la!! Soooo fab! Check it out!
Isn't it wonderful???!!!
And here is one corner of her booth, full of so many charming things! Isn't that a darling pink desk and chair? And that lampshade is a neat one too!
And isn't this the cutest dresser?!!! Well Isabel gives you instructions on how to make your own here as well as a few other wonderful projects. I know mine would never turn out as darling as hers because she is the QUEEN of fabulous old fabric!! And look at the sweet concrete statue of a deer.
This wonderful old vintage pillow with pink roses went home with Michelle.
In retrospect I wish this vintage barkcloth pillow had gone home with me WAAAHHHHH !
This little coffee table was in Isabel's neighbors booth and was only $65
This one was more than a little bit more... but oh so charming!! Don't you agree?
I loved the old fabric covered drawers!
I REALLY wanted this one to come home with me. It's a late 18th /early 19th century letter box. The seller even offered it to me for $200 less than the marked price... but I was really trying to be good!
I saw these quimper plates and thought immediately about Debbie at Confessions of a Plate Addict The seller told me I could have it for $35. I don't know enough about quimper to tell if that's a good price or not... but Debbie always has pairs with a boy and a girl... And there wasn't any boy... so I passed. Au revoir !
This sweet little dish reminded me of my dear friend Ann at LIFEATANNSPLACE I just know she would love it!
This italian tole candelabra was sayin ' my name... but I wasn't listening "LA LA LA LA LAAAAA " Sheesh ! Some of those items can really "scream at ya! *winks*
So did these sparkley warkleys !! And just look at the fabulous silk tapestry behind it! I might have to go back for that one. It has ME written all over it!
This spelter figural clock reminded me of my friend Gloria at Happy To Be She has a collection of the most amazing clocks... Don't think she has this one, and the seller said I could take it home for $100. It's a big one too!
Then I spotted this one out of the corner of my eye and I went a runnin "!! Only to find that she was $2400!! NOOOOOO !!! That's WAY TOO MUCH!!! And I really wanted to take her home!! Sometimes the sellers are smoking crack... or just really out of touch with our current economy *sighs*
OK so for what I DID get. I had to be good at the show and keep to a $100 budget because I found this on ebay !! It was $247 and it's absolutely gorgeous!! It's a 6'x9 aubusson carpet featuring the most beautiful pink roses! I will be using it in an upcoming project which involves a chandelier as well *winks* So keep visitin '!
But I did find this pretty little dresser jar/casket. It's lined in blue velvet.
Here it is with a couple of others that I have.
And just look at this sweet antique cherub clock! Well he HAD to come home with me!!
In the larger context.
And this wonderful vintage dresser tray come from Isabels booth. It will always remind me of our meeting!
Cute rose detailing.
And last but not least, this little Victorian syrup pitcher. I can't wait to use it for Sunday breakfast!
Well thanks for coming along with me! The Portland Antique Expo show was a winner! I can't wait to go back for the next one! Vanna
Some mothers don't believe it's fair for a young child to work. They say it deprives them of a fun childhood and is nothing more then an excuse for Mom not to do all the work herself. I suppose this could be true in some cases, but in our house we give Charity and Judah jobs to do because:
We are not raising children; we are raising adults. Hopefully, by God's grace, ones that will be responsible, capable, productive members of society.
They want to help. Seriously, they do. I can't clean the bathroom without one of them asking, "Mommy, can we have a rag too?" Giving into their request and praising them for hard work is not child abuse. It's capitalizing on a small window of a child's life where being "just like Mommy and Daddy" is fun!
Of course, I don't expect them to clean the same way I do at 2 and 3 years of age. Many times (most of thetime?) their jobs could use a re-doing. Sometimes I go over where they've "dusted" when they're not looking. If I know they've tried their best, I usually leave it and live with the imperfections that will naturally become more apparent to them as they grow older.
If it's obvious that they've been hasty in their work or have done a job half-heartedly, we go back and finish it together. They like working beside me and usually try to copy what I'm doing exactly, or I'll try to coach them through it with simple instructions. It might look something like this: Charity (3) is using a wet rag to wash the floor with me. Frustrated, she complains, "I can't get this dirt off!" I take my rag and wipe away the spot saying, "See? If you push hard and go up and down like this, it cleans up much easier." She runs off to find another spot on which to utilize her newly found information. Jumping up and down excitedly, she exclaims, "Look Mom! I just washed that spot all by myself!" She has just been taught how to effectively wipe up a spill and now the game is fun all over again.
One of our tots helping to wipe up his smoothie spill after breakfast. In addition to wiping away dirty spots on the floor (because something about carrying around a damp rag is absolutely empowering for little cleaners!) here is a list of other jobs we ask our tots to do:
Line up footwear neatly in the closet when coming in from outside.
"When you take something out, you put it back." If they're big enough to dump all their toys, they're big enough to put them all away.
Help Mommy put laundry in the washing machine or dryer (this works well if you have front-loaders. Top loaders are probably too difficult for them to reach).
Sort laundry by colors.
Fold wash-cloths, tea towels, socks, and small blankets (Our 3-year-old daughter loves to do this. Our almost 2-year-old's fine motor skills just aren't there yet).
Dust baseboards.
Bring dishes to the counter after they're finished eating.
Straighten the hand towel in the bathroom after using it.
Tuck chairs underneath the table after eating
Use a hand-held vacuum to pick up crumbs
Don't insist on perfection, be generous with praise, and specific in instruction. If you're understandably worried about getting your kids to clean with harmful chemicals, I highly recommend Simply Clean: DIY Solutions For A Naturally Clean Home. This book provides over 30 tried and true, natural, homemade cleaning recipes that actually work!
What other chores have you discovered your toddlers are capable of performing? Anything else you'd add to this list?
I saw a billboard today advertising the return of Regina's Farmers' Market. This now has me convinced that spring is really on its way.
The spring markets start March 6 in the Cathedral Neighbourhood Centre on 13th Avenue (across from Safeway).
True, the indoor markets are nowhere as exciting as the outdoor markets on Scarth Street. That being said, the farmers' market is still you best one-stop shop for local products. Plus it's an excuse to have breakfast in the Cathedral area on a Saturday.
Today, we're heading back to bustling Hamilton Street, site of many changes and new businesses in downtown Regina these days.
One such business, The Great Panini, opened a few months back. Although I work at my "real" (i.e. non-blogging) job in an office tower just a couple of blocks away, I hadn't visited the shop until last week when frigid temperatures made me skip my usual walk home during the lunch hour.
The Great Panini, located a couple of doors south of the TD Bank, is a clean and cozy cafeteria style eatery that opens in the early hours of the morning and stays open through lunch until the end of the work day.
It just so happens that I timed my visit for the unveiling of a new sandwich: The Fozz. And let me tell you, The Fozz was moving fast -- I got the last one. Shaved chicken breast and a mild cheddar combined with roasted sweet red peppers and hot banana peppers were layered on a nine-grain Ciabatta bun then toasted to perfection. I have to say it was pretty tasty.
The Great Panini offers sandwiches on their own, or as a meal. I opted for the meal and had my choice of soup, salad, or a pickle. A sucker for all things canned and vinegary, I went for the Van Holten's Kosher Pickle, which comes individually wrapped in a pouch. It was a giant pickle, but I always find Koshers lack the crunch and garlic of homemade dills. Blame it on my Ukrainian roots.
As for drinks, The Great one offers much more than fountain pop, including a number of unique teas and juices, and a good range of Boylan's sodas.
So far things were going smoothly, until my grand total was rung up on the till. I admit I wasn't paying attention to prices until this point, figuring that a sandwich combo would run at about $7 or $8. Boy, was I wrong. By the time taxes were included I was almost at 11 bucks.
A bit pricey for a takeout lunch, if you ask me. Especially when you consider the all-you-can-eat Thai buffet at Siam restaurant three doors down is less than $9. But as I said, the sandwich was appetizing, the service was fast and friendly, and the selection is top-notch. Whether it's worth it again in the future will depend on how close I am to payday, I guess.
Perhaps I ought to stop in during breakfast some day when specials are priced much lower, including the 16-ounce coffee for just 99 cents. Now that's a deal.
The following recipe is a variation on a breakfast smoothie we were introduced to during the LifeWatchers cooking class at Goodness Me. If awesome had a taste, I'm sure this would be it. Even better, the addition of essential fats and protein powder make it an easy, filling, and healthy alternative to cold breakfast cereal. Give it a try - you'll like it! Ingredients:
1 cup fresh or frozen berries (I use blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries)
1 banana
2 servings (50 grams) of protein powder (whey or rice)
2 Tbsp Udo's Oil (or another high quality EFA/DHA oil like virgin coconut)
1 1/2 cups coconut milk
1 cup full fat yogurt or kefir
Directions: Blend fruit and milk products together. Add the oil and protein powder, processing until just mixed. Serve and enjoy immediately!
Today I'm joining the party over at Debbiedoos! These are pictures of a couple of my fur babies. Unfortunately the computer that houses my pet pictures crashed and I'm waiting to retrieve them. So I'll have to make do with the few I have.
This is my Shelby Maine. She's 14 yrs old and the sweetest, kindest slow as molasses dog in all of Gods creation!
Here she is on her sofa being a goof!
All of our foreign exchange students love her! Sometimes too much *winks* This is our last student Ai who somehow fell asleep on her. Seriously it has been my experience that Japanese kids can fall asleep anywhere! Must be built into their DNA... But I digress... Right after I took this shot she looked up at me with the most pleading expression as if to say "Please get her off of me mom" But she's far too polite to just move and wake Aichan up. Awwww that's my sweet baby!
Caught brown pawed! Here she is on a sofa she knows she's NOT supposed to be on! Looking all regal beagle.
And a favorite spot under the table during breakfast. Looks like she could use some coffee! Those eyes look just like her moms first thing in the morning!
This is my youngest Luca Rey. He's a two yr old American Bull Terrier mix... And he's a very pushy boy! But by far the most loving of all my fur baby kids. If for a second you should look sad? He's right there to put his head in your lap and try to cheer you up. All of my fur babies (4 total) are pound puppies or were unwanted in some way. I'm very blessed to have each of them in my life!
Luca Rey at his happiest! Safe and secure in Daddy's arms!
Last week I had the pleasure of meeting one of my bestest blogging buddies! Her name is Christine from the blog Christine's Home and Travel Adventures And that girl travels more than anyone I know! Check out her blog if you want to virtually travel all over the world in the comfort of your Jammie's *winks* She and her husband came to Seattle from Natchez Mississippi for her husbands medical conference (Yep he's a doc) and I was able to play with her all day! We started out with a little breakfast followed by a trip to a favorite antique store called the Pacific Gallery. We only intended to be there for a couple of hours tops... but there were so many things to look at!... We were there for 4.5 hrs! Here are a few of the things I liked/loved. Please excuse my picture quality. My camera chose this time to go on the fritz *sighs* Beautiful bed canopy in blue. LOVE this!
A great 4' statue of Mary Magdalene. Wish she could've come home with me but she was quite pricey.
Here is my sweet friend Christine looking glamorous in gray!
An oeil de boeuf window in zinc. Me likey!
This set of Jesus and Mary statues were life size.
Cool pair of girandoles with paintings of ruins.
I fell in love with this old wallpapered screen. It almost came home with me. I'll probably regret that it didn't *winks* You know how that goes.
Close up on the details.
This plaster lady statue covered in seashells was neat. That Raggedy Ann isn't doing it any justice but it was high on top of a case and I didn't want to move anything and have it fall on my noggin (That sort of thing happens to me a lot)... Probably explains a lot too! Lol!
This was one of a pair of sweet Italian angels.
My friend Christine didn't go home empty handed (I couldn't have that!) Here she is with some pretty linen treasures. She's a tablescaper supreme!
And by now she was getting boared... But never boar-ing! Lol!
So we went off to the Space Needle restaurant for dinner...
Where we looked out at this...
Followed by this...
And we ate this. It was absolutely delish!
So what did I come home with if you care to see?... A large (Very heavy) cherub shelf! Actually a fairy?... I think?? He has pointed little ears. My hubbs said "Oh you bought a baby vulcan" He's a big Star Trek fan! Actually we both are *winks* When I spotted him he reminded me of something my friend Andie from The Divine Theatre would have. She has a really fabulous collection of statuary! Isn't it amazing how much our blogging friends can influence and inspire us? I feel so blessed to have found such creative talented people here in Blogaritaville!
At a distance. I'm still working on the vignette for the top.
See his cute little ears?
This little shabby chippy boy also came home with me.
And this little green jewel casket that matches my vanity set.
Lined in luscious orange!
Christine brought me a few prezzies too! Aren't I a lucky girl?! This little Italian cherub plaque and a dangling crown with crystal. She obviously knows what I like! *winks*
Topped off by these yummy little sundae candles.
Here we are at the end of the day.
Christine I had such a great time with you! I hope you'll come back for another visit soon! You are just as sweet, kind and beautiful as I thought you'd be! Vanna I'm joining for the first time Debra at Common Ground for:
I'm also joining Diane for the first time at A Picture Is Worth A 1,000 Words for:
Photo source: Getty Images When we were on our honeymoon, I picked up a bacterial infection. I couldn't keep anything down and spent a day in the hospital on IV. The doctors gave me an antibiotic designed to kill the bacteria. I took it as prescribed, but the problem got worse. I sought the advice of a Doctor of Natural Medicine who suggested I take Black Walnut tincture. The infection was gone in two days.
A few months later, Brad lost thirty pounds in three months (and he didn't have a pound to spare in the first place). He saw multiple specialists and had every test under the sun. No one could make a diagnosis. He was eventually told, "Maybe this is your ideal weight. Not everyone is meant to be the same size." Another doctor recommended that he should start drinking Boost to gain weight.
We took a look at the ingredient list and were shocked to discover that the first three ingredients were water, sugar, and corn syrup which made up 47% of the actual serving! That's equivalent to swallowing your vitamins with a 237ml glass of water containing 7 teaspoons of sugar.
Brad wanted to gain the weight back but in a healthy way. He chose not to drink Boost. We quit going to doctors and started doing our own research. For two years, we tried various diets and eventually eliminated gluten, and limited corn, and cow's milk (we still love dairy, just not store milk itself). I started making smoothies full of good fat and kefir for breakfast and he started taking probiotics with his meals. We still have a long way to go, but he's slowly putting the weight back on.
When our then 18 month old son started getting chronic ear infections (at least one a month), we took him to a specialist. He said our son would eventually grow out of it, but in the mean time, we could either choose to have tubes put in his ears, or relieve the pain with Tylenol and Motrin. I knew Tylenol and Motrin would do nothing more than mask the real problem and was concerned with the toxic effect regular doses of ibuprofen would have on his liver and kidneys. A friend of mine recommended I take him to the chiropractor. After a series of four adjustments, he hasn't had an ear infection in over a year.
When our daughter was born 6 weeks premature, I was denied the right to breastfeed our daughter because the nurses said she would burn too many calories if I let her work for it instead of using the tube for feedings like they recommended. My midwife was happy to intervene on our behalf and when I finally got the chance to breastfeed our little girl, she gained four ounces overnight - more than she had gained on the tube since birth!
We were told our youngest baby's life was not "viable" (worth trying to save) until I reached 24 weeks; I hemorrhaged nine-days postpartum after a botched manual placenta removal; our ex-gynecologist had no problem delivering a child in one room and aborting another in the next.
Doctors are but men.
They have helped us on many occasions and to a large extent, we place a lot of faith in their expertise. However, we must be careful not to credit them with an infallibility they do not have, and remember that it's an individual's right and responsibility to choose who they trust with their healthcare.
We've been reminded many times over the past few years that the best men are men at best. Doctors make mistakes, just like everybody else. They don't have a solution to everything, and often their solutions are atomistic instead of holistic. If that's what you like, it's not a problem, but if your philosophy of healthcare has got you believing that we ought to focus on healing the root cause of a malady in addition to providing symptomatic relief, then it makes sense to investigate alternatives to conventional medicine.
It's odd to me that our advocating the use of natural means (which have proven to be effective and superior to conventional medicine several times in our experience) can bring out the worst in people. There seems to be some sort of understood rule that if you don't put all your money on a conventionally trained M.D. from the Mayo clinic, you must therefore be a fringe greenie who will drink herbal concoctions to the death!
We make our healthcare decisions based on a position somewhere in the middle of the two extremes. I'm not comfortable putting all my eggs in a basket I've seen break before, and I'm skeptical of advice that comes from a doctor who doesn't believe all of life is sacred, beginning at conception and ending with natural death.
I don't trust natural "medicine" doctors who believe the power to heal lies within yourself (this philosophy contradicts everything Scriptural), and I don't buy the lie that you can discredit diet, exercise, and proper hygiene so long as you take several handfuls of supplements and chug them down with a bottle of Pepsi. With conventional medicine now the third leading cause of death killing 225,000 people each and every year as recognized by the Journal of the American Medical Association and half of doctors routinely prescribing drugs they know won’t work, learning to stand up for yourself in any sort of medical situation and not take advice blindly can be a lifesaving skill. An informed patient is no doubt a doctor’s worst customer.~ The Healthy Home EconomistSo, who do we trust?
That's for you to decide, but these are a few principles our family tries to take into consideration when we have a decision to make regarding our health:
Find a Christian, pro-life doctor who respects your parental rights and invites inquisition. If your doctor ignores your questions, fails to give straight answers, or gets agitated when you don't immediately jump at his offer to write up a prescription, it's time to find someone who treats you like a human being instead of another cog in the wheel. Get a second opinion, and a third, and a fourth. I feel more confident of a diagnosis and prescription if multiple doctors are in agreement. If four doctors tell me four different things, I don't know who to believe and start seeking the counsel of others who have been in a similar situation. Seek counsel from seasoned mothers. Is there anything more sincere than a mother's love for child? Mothers who have dealt with a sick child are usually well-studied in all the different options available, and tend to have an empathetic heart to go along with it. Do your own research. By that I mean, don't believe everything you read online. Study reputable sources, consult with herbalists, chiropractors, nurses, nutritionists, doctors, and homeopaths. Self-educate and become well-rounded so you can make an informed decision. Trust your intuition. God gave that to you!
Pray! Too often I forget that the miracle worker of Nazareth is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). God is not limited by time, space, medicine, or a diagnosis. He invites us to touch the hem of His garment when we've spent all our living searching for answers and finding none (Matthew 5:25-29). Remember that God has all our days planned. I can't explain the paradox of God's Sovereignty and man's responsibility, but it's a comfort, not a curse, to know that even though the responsibility of their healthcare falls into my lap, God entrusted them into our care after He had planned out all their days (Psalm 139:16). Not a hair can fall from their head without His permission (Luke 12:7). Recommended Resources:
Treating Fevers Naturally by Meagan Vissers, RN, FH. Meagan is a Christian friend of mine who has been trained in both conventional and herbal medicine. The information in her eBook was the answer to my concerns about Tylenol and Motrin's effect on our organs, and gave me a plethora of effective, natural solutions.
Treating Fevers Naturally taught meeverything the doctor didn't:what a fever is and why it’s a good thing; what’s going on with your child when they have a fever; what the difference is in “degrees” of fever; the concerns of fevers and how to deal with them appropriately; the difference in medical vs. natural treatment options; and natural treatments for bringing a fever down and making your child comfortable.
Treating Fevers Naturally sells for $14.97, but the education and confidence it gives a mother in charge of her child's health is priceless.
The Bulk Herb Store. The Bulk Herb Store is a Christian, family-run business that sells a vast collection of organic herbs and teaches people how to use them for practical and medicinal purposes.
I used their herbs to help a complicated pregnancy, and to make the post-partum herbal bath I enjoy after each child is born. Their book, Making Babies, taught me how to make my own herbal tinctures and salves and how and when to use them. I also use their spices and sea salt in my baking and cooking.
Other hugely informative books and videos they carry include:
Be Your Own Doctor by Rachel Weaver
Gut and Psychology Syndrome by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride MD, MMedSci(neurology), MMedSci(nutrition)
Herbal Antibiotics by Stephen Harrod Buhner
Herbal Antivirals by Stephen Harrod Buhner
Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health by Rosemary Gladstar
Practical Herbalism by Phil Fritchey
The Green Pharmacy by Dr. James A. Duke
The Herbal Drugstore by Linda B. White, M.D., Steven Foster.
Trust Your Intuition by Jenni Wilson, M. H., wife of an M.D. Trust Your Intuition is the combined work of several Christian medical experts (three of whom are my personal friends), and seeks to provide balanced, grace-filled, information regarding both conventional and alternative medicine.
It offers easy ways to protect yourself and family from synthetic medicine and it's negative side effects, help you avoid toxic treatments, and choose natural therapies that have proven to be effective in homes all across the country.
The Maker's Diet by Jordan Rubin, Ph.D., N.M.D. We were thrilled to discover this book shortly after Brad's weight reached an all time low. Most diet books are designed to help people lose weight, but The Maker's Diet is the story of how Jordan Rubin, a once healthy young man in his prime, who experienced the same kind of weight loss as my husband and was eventually given up on for dead by several doctors.
He started patterning his diet and nutrition according to principles he discovered in the Bible, attained his ideal weight, and wrote about his journey in book that has helped people boost their immune systems, improve their physical appearance and digestion, regain their energy, and reduce their stress.
We don't follow The Maker's Diet explicitly, but it was the foundation for much of our diet change and investigation into holistic healthcare.
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I've recently heard someone say that it's not fair to a child to make them work. You know, that a kid needs to be a kid; that they need to have fun first; that their lives will eventually be weighed down with enough responsibilities; that it's a mother's duty to do the chores around the home. If you've been a long-time reader of this blog, you'll remember comments (made anonymously, of course) along the same line popping up every now and then.
Is it true? Is all play and no work the answer for curing Jack's dullness? I'm not an experienced mother by any stretch. I've only been one for a short sixteen months. Yet, I believe that it's not only necessary for children to participate in family chores, but that they can even find great enjoyment in doing so!
Children don't instantly become helpful once they reach a certain age-just like a girl doesn't automatically become a good help-meet the day she gets married. The responsibility of running a home, I believe, is a duty required of mothers to teach their children. I had just 18 short, sweet years at home before I flew the nest to take care of my own. While I didn't always appreciate participating in housework, meal preparation, grocery shopping, gardening, and folding the laundry back then, it's something for which I am inexplicably grateful for now. So grateful for, in fact, that I'm trying to instill in our one-year-old the same homemaking skills my mother taught me!
Obviously, I can't expect a sixteen-month old to stay on task long or be held responsible for regular chores. Charity is in the "preparatory stage." The great thing about teaching her now, is that she loves it! She wants to help. She loves to accomplish things and loves to be praised. It brings great joy to my heart when I witness for the first time, a daughter who sees her work and takes action to do something about it.
Yesterday, Charity sneezed just as she was eating her last bite of breakfast. I'll spare you the details, but the kitchen floor was covered in regurgitated cheerios. Looking at her mess, she wrinkled up her nose and said (very dramatically, as usual) "EWWWWWWWWWWW!" I took her out of her booster seat, and before I had even grabbed the washcloth from the sink, she had pulled the tea towel from off the stove and was wiping up beneath her chair.
I could've done the easy thing: take the tea towel away from her and think, "She's doing it all wrong. The towel's not even wet! She's just spreading the dirt farther across the floor!" The fact is, she wasn't doing a very good job. She wasn't being efficient and you could hardly call it "cleaning."
I praised her anyway. She had the right idea, and what's more, she had the right attitude. She wanted to help me clean up and she did everything she knew how to be helpful. She was pleased as punch when I gave her a hug and said, "Big Girl, Charity! Thank you for helping Mommy clean up! Mommy likes it when you're eager to help!"
I doubt she'll ever remember our little clean up session yesterday, but I do hope that involving her daily with household tasks and praising her for obedience, cheerfulness, and a job well done will eventually result in the mastering of helpful work habits she'll take with her wherever she goes.
It blows my mind at how much a one-year-old is capable of. I still think of her as my "baby." But my "baby" can already help empty the dishwasher, switch laundry loads, put her toys in the toy box, dust the furniture, clean the floors, and bring Mommy and Daddy things when they ask for them. To Charity, it's just play. She's doesn't realize that she's learning life skills.
Mothers, we are not passing the time babysitting; we are mothering. We're not here to simply entertain them, but to teach them to be godly offspring who will one day, Lord bless, be able to maintain their own home in good order.
This is the easiest, yummiest, no-fail fudge recipe you will ever find! Use this base to create all sorts of mouth-watering flavors by replacing the vanilla extract with maple, peppermint, orange, or cherry. Or use white chocolate, butterscotch, or peanut butter chips in place of semi-sweet. Ingredients:
3 cups high-quality, semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions: In a saucepan, melt the chocolate chips and milk on low. Stir in vanilla. Pour into a foil-lined pan and allow to cool and harden slightly before slicing.
For a loaf of fudge, use a 9-inch loaf pan. If you prefer fudge squares, pour into an 8-inch square pan or double the recipe and use a 9"x13" pan. Enjoy!
This fudge makes a great Christmas gift for all the chocolate-lovers on your list, from hostesses to your husband, and everyone in between! Wrap it up in parchment paper, tie with pretty string, and you've got a quick, pretty, practical, inexpensive, delicious gift to bless a friend with.
Wholesome Mixes and Holiday Mixes & Gifts in a Jar$3.95 $2.00 ea. 'til January 17. Speaking of quick, pretty, practical, inexpensive, delicious gifts, now would be a great time to grab yourself a copy of Kristy Howard's eBooks Wholesome Mixes and Holiday Mixes & Gifts in a Jar! I've been using Kristy's recipes for years and have several of them memorized. You can whip up these mixes in no time at all, package them in a cute jar, add a ribbon and you're a golden gift-giver. The recipes in Wholesome Mixes and Holiday Mixes & Gifts in a Jar include:
Wholesome Mixes
Cinnamon Oatmeal Pancakes
Cinnamon-Banana Muffin Mix
Spiced Pumpkin Mix
Fudge Brownie Mix
Snicker Doodle Cookie Mix
Easy Fruit Cobbler Crust Mix
Southern Biscuit Mix
Homemade Pizza Dough Mix
Holiday Mixes & Gifts in a Jar
Chicken Noodle Soup
Calico Chili
Homemade Breakfast Cereal
Winter Morning Mocha
Candy Cane Cocoa Mix
Apple Pie in a Jar
Homemade Peanut Brittle (without Corn Syrup)
Can’t-Believe-it’s-Healthy-Fudge
Popcorn Balls (without Corn Syrup)
Spiced Pecans
Candied Peanuts
The only difference between her recipes and my fudge recipe, is that her's are actually quick, pretty, practical, inexpensive, delicious AND healthy. That's quite a feat, if you ask me. I'm working on the latter. ;-)
From now until January 17, you can get all of Kristy's eBooks for $2.00 a piece.
This post contains affiliate links for products we love! Linking to: Raising Homemakers, Deep Roots At Home, Raising Arrows, A Wise Woman.,Walking Redeemed,, The Modest Mom, A Mama's Story, We ARE That Family, Raising Mighty Arrows, Hearts For Home, Frugal Homeschool Family Time Warp Wife
$10-12 for brunch or lunch, $15-25 for supper. Open seven days a week for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
2124 Albert Street, Regina, SK 306-545-8811
_______________________________________
Dear Abbey:
It's about this time of year when the intended joy of Christmas starts to compete with the utter madness of Christmas.
The lineups at the grocery store are longer; the parking spots at the Cornwall Centre are fewer -- heck, the lineup just to get out of the parkade is enough to make you cringe. What's a guy to do? Signed, Crazy for Christmas
- - - - - - - - Dear CC:
There are plenty of ways to deal with Christmas Craze. Some of them involve muttering swears underneath your breath. Others involve a simple retreat to a welcoming watering hole.
I suggest the latter. Yours, Abbey
- - - - - - - -
Today me and Big Willie opted for an easy Sunday morning and headed over to The Abbey on Albert Street. It was a brutally cold morning to brave the outdoors but the lure of breakfast without having to cook it was enough to get us out there.
I'd been to The Abbey a couple of times since it opened in December '08. My first visit, less than a week after the doors opened, was good but a little rough around the edges. And that's to be fully expected so early in the game.
My second visit, about two months later, left me with a bad taste in my mouth -- literally. A friend and I went for a Sunday-night supper before heading out to a show at the Brandt Centre. I had high hopes that the kitchen would have ironed out the wrinkles by that point but I left feeling happy with the atmosphere yet disappointed with the food, especially a very greasy pizza that was overcooked.
Since that time, I learned that The Abbey hired a new head chef. I was a bit reluctant to go back until a few friends and coworkers reported positive experiences recently.
Today, my third visit proved to be the lucky charm. Big Willie and I were seated quickly on the second-floor balcony overlooking the dining room. We took a few minutes to study the brunch menu and then placed our order.
I decided to keep things simple and ordered The Usual -- two eggs any style (I went with Sunny Side Up), bacon or sausage, hash browns, toast, and a few pieces of fruit. I figure if a kitchen can't get the most basic breakfast items right then there's little hope they'll succeed with anything else.
Big Willie chose The Eden Eggs Benedict (served with tomato and spinach on a homemade biscuit). We also opted to share The Abbey Salad, which came recommended by a friend.
All things said, our only complaint with the food was that it took too long to hit the table (close to half an hour). On the one hand, this wasn't an outrageous amount of time. On the other hand, you start to wonder what's going on after about 15 minutes at breakfast time. Both our waitress and the floor manager gave sincere apologies for the delay, so at least they were aware of the problem.
Otherwise, the food was delicious. I'm not normally a fan of Eggs Benedict but The Eden won me over. I think it was the fresh, crumbly homemade biscuit that did it. Big Willie was pretty pleased with his choice, too.
My eggs were cooked perfectly, not always the case when you order Sunny Side Up. And the best part of The Usual? The crispy sausage, just like we used to eat at home when I was a kid. I'm happy to report that The Abbey serves real sausage -- not the greasy breakfast kind that some people seem to love.
The Abbey Salad, strangely the most expensive item we ordered, was also pretty delish. A Roast Shallot Dressing came drizzled over mixed greens, grilled chicken, bacon, crumbled blue cheese, and a few slices of pear. This salad was a meal in itself and is also on the restaurant's lunch menu. I think it's safe to say I'll be back for it someday.
To make a nice meal even nicer, The Abbey plays host to live jazz music on Sundays from 11-2. Today's warm groove, combined with the awesome Viennese Dark Roast coffee, pretty much made us forget it was 30 degrees below zero, at least for awhile.
All in all, The Abbey is finally coming into its own as a restaurant. Despite the odd glitch here and there, it seems that things are almost nearing perfection.
If they keep this up they might just start to lure me away from La Bodega a bit more often.
