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The Round-up:

• Food - 3 out of 5
• Decor - 3.5 out of 5
• Service - 3 out of 5
• Overall - 9.5 out of 15

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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.

(no website)

The Round-up:

• Food - 4 out of 5
• Service - 3.5 out of 5
• Decor - 4 out of 5
• Total - 11.5 out of 15

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.

Kudos to you, The Abbey.

http://www.theabbeyregina.com/

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.

• 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.

• 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. :-)

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

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

Cut into squares and serve warm.

Appetizers:

• All-Day Apple Butter GF
• Guilt-Free Peppermint Patties GF, THM
• "Just Like Wheat Thins" Crackers GF, THM
• Roasted Red Pepper Butter GF, THM

• Good Morning! Breakfast Smoothie GF

• Best Gluten-Free Pizza Crust EVER! GF, THM
• Cinnamon Raisin Bread
• Cinnamon Raisin Muffins GF, THM
• Coconut Oil Banana Muffins
• "Just Like Wheat Thins" Crackers GF, THM
• Pumpkin Streusel Muffins

• Good Morning! Breakfast Smoothie
• Honey Cinnamon Granola

• Grandma Kroesbergen's Cookies

• Cottage Berry Whip GF, THM
• Chunky Cream Pops GF, THM
• Cream Puffs
• Peanut Butter Chocolate Cheesecake GF, THM
• Tuxedo Cream Dessert GF

• Boerenkool Met Worst GF
• Cheeseburger Pie GF, THM
• Chicken Broccoli Casserole
• Fooled Ya Pizza GF, THM
• Gourmet Mommy's Pizza Recipe
• Linguine with Garlic Sauce GF, THM
• Real-Good Chili GF, THM
• Spinach Quiche
• Spinach Bacon Breakfast Bake GF, THM

• Bacon-Cheese Topped Chicken GF, THM
• Coconut Curried Chicken GF, THM
• Classic Homemade Burgers GF, THM
• Easy Chicken Parmesan GF
• Homemade Sausage GF
• Honey-Mustard Lemon Chicken GF

• Broccoli Raisin Salad GF
• Crunchy Quinoa Salad GF, THM
• Sensational Salad and Dressing GF, THM
• Strawberry Spinach Salad GF, THM
• Taco Salad GF, THM

• Beautiful Beet Soup GF
• Cream Of Broccoli Soup GF
• Old-Fashioned Chicken Soup GF, THM
• Tomato Spice Soup GF, THM

• 3-Ingredient Chocolate Fudge
• 10 Healthy Snacks Children Love
• Cinnamon Raisin Muffins GF, THM
• Coconut Oil Banana Muffins
• Peanut Cream Cheese Squares GF, THM
• Pumpkin Sheet Cake
• Pumpkin Streusel Muffins
• Raspberry Oatmeal Bars
• Snicker Snackers GF
• Two-Bite Brownies GF THM

• How A Single-Income Family Can Afford A Whole-Food Diet
• How I lost 40 lbs Post-Partum
• How To Boil a Perfect Egg GF
• How To Give Your Baby A Healthy Start on Solid Foods GF
• How To Make Gluten-Free Cream Soups GF
• How To Make Your Own Taco Seasoning GF

Several years ago, Andrew Pudewa spoke at our homeschooling conference and he said something I'll never forget:
"The problem with trying to cover all the bases is that you end up going a mile wide and an inch deep. In other words, you know virtually nothing about everything." He suggested delving deeply into one particular topic of interest, and in so doing, touch on everything else.

Thematic concepts jive with the vision for our children's education and so far, learning together has been fun, organic, and life-integrated. There are few things more wonderful than seeing your children more eager to start "school" than they are to eat breakfast!

This week we are studying "Fall." Besides learning to write her numbers and letters each day using the Rod and Staff Pre-K Series, we are also learning about God's Word, government, science, math, art, English, home economics, and Phys Ed. We don't use a curriculum to teach these things, or categorize them as such, but it's happening whether she realizes it or not.

Here's a peak into our week:

Bible

After breakfast, we read the story of Naomi and Ruth. I chose this story as part of our theme because it takes place during harvest time. Our memory verse is Leviticus 23: 22:
"And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not make clean riddance of the corners of thy field when thou reapest, neither shalt thou gather any gleaning of thy harvest: thou shalt leave them unto the poor, and to the stranger: I am the Lord your God."We discussed what kind of principles God is trying to teach us through this verse and how we can apply them to our lives:

• Why should we share from the bounty that God has given us?
• Should poor people still work to get their food or should they rely on rich people to collect their grain and bake their bread? (the role of government, socialism) Read Proverbs 10:5; 6:6-8; 13:11; 19:15
• What things has the Lord blessed us with that we can give to someone else? Read Proverbs 11:25; 19:17; 22:9; 28:27
• Who can we bless this week and how? (Make plans to visit a nursing home, invite someone over for dinner, or drop off toys or clothes to someone that could use them)

• Count, add and subtract with leaves.
• Discover fractions while making pumpkin puree for our 7-month old (quarter, half, and whole pumpkin).

• Use as many adjectives as you can think of to describe various "Fall" objects (i.e. leaf: big, red, thin, pretty, maple, broken, wide, etc.)
• Read "Autumn Fires" poem by Robert Louis Stevenson (Included in 1 Week of Fall Activities and Printables for Preschoolers)

• Read Animals in the Fall Preparing for Winter by Martha Rustad, Why Do Leaves Change Color by Betsy Maestro and Seasons by Robin Nelson. (More reading suggestions in 1 Week of Fall Activities and Printables for Preschoolers)
• Go on Treasure Hunt (Alphabetical list of objects in 1 Week of Fall Activities and Printables for Preschoolers). Identify and collect items on the list using a field guide.

• What is it called when animals go South in the Fall? Can you name some animals that do this?
• How many seasons are in a year? What are they called?
• What is a "cycle"?
• Who made the Earth so that it is tilted?
• What happens inside a leaf to make it change color?

Art

• Make a "Thankful Tree." (Instructions in 1 Week of Fall Activities and Printables for Preschoolers)
• Create a Corn Husk Doll. (Instructions in 1 Week of Fall Activities and Printables for Preschoolers)
• Paint a Pumpkin. (Instructions in 1 Week of Fall Activities and Printables for Preschoolers)

• Bake leaf-shaped sugar cookies and decorate them (Instructions in 1 Week of Fall Activities and Printables for Preschoolers).
• Dehydrate apple peelings to make Apple Twigs ((Instructions in 1 Week of Fall Activities and Printables for Preschoolers).
• Make and freeze sweet potato and squash puree for Anna.

Phys Ed.

• Rake leaves!
• Hike through the woods for our Treasure Hunt.
• Pick apples at an orchard.

FREE! Download and print your copy here.

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Like many of you, we are a single-income, larger-than-average, (1.8 or more children), homeschooling family.

And both my husband and I come from a rich, Dutch heritage.

In other words, whether or not we need to be, we enjoy frugal living. I'm also a lover of nutritious, from-scratch, whole-food cooking. Overtime, we've found that you can have one and the other! Here's how we can enjoy a mainlywhole-food diet on a budget (we still eat take-out more often than I'd like to admit!).

Cheap foods that are good for you

1. Whole grains. Oatmeal, brown rice, and quinoa are cheap! For ultimate nutritional value, choose any of these grains and soak them for a hearty breakfast that'll keep you energized all morning.

For a fabulously healthy, gluten-free, blueberry-muffin smelling breakfast, pour 1 cup of steel-cut oats, brown rice, OR quinoa in a crock-pot. Add 1 1/2 cups of almond milk, 1 1/2 cups water, 1-2 Tbsp of ground flax seed, 2-3 Tbsp butter or coconut oil, 1 cup fresh blueberries, cinnamon, sea salt, and sweetener (honey, maple syrup, stevia, or brown sugar) to taste. Stir. Cook on low overnight. Alternately, try using diced apple and a handful of walnut in place of blueberries.
2. Beans and legumes. Beans are one of the cheapest proteins available and can be used to replace meat in a meal. Given a good, over-night soak in purified water, they are a highly digestible form of fiber, complex carbohydrates, iron, and folate - ideal if you're pregnant or breast-feeding.

Our favorite way to enjoy beans are in chili, taco salad, and brownies (there's a Special Agent Brownie recipe in Trim Healthy Mama that's absolutely fabulous!).

3. Eggs. Eggs are one of the very few complete proteins available to us (they contain all 9 essential amino acids), contain only 70 calories, and are chock full of nutrition. Besides being excellent sources of protein and good cholesterol, they also contain iron, vitamins A, D, E, and B12, folate, selenium, and lutein.

Eggs can be cooked quickly in a variety of ways (hard or soft-boiled, fried, poached, scrambled) and provide great structure and texture when added to baked goods.

We enjoy them on their own and in omelettes, crepes, breakfasts bakes, and pizza crust.

Foods worth paying more for

No matter how tight our budget, there are certain foods I don't cheap out on as we feel the extra dollars are insignificant compared to the health benefits. We'd rather "pay the farmer than the pharmacy," as the saying goes.

1. Oil. It's a safe bet that anything you can get in a big plastic jug for $4 is not good for you. Vegetable oils and margarine derived from cheaply grown or genetically modified plants like sunflower, corn, soybean, canola, safflower have little nutrition to begin with and are chemically altered and deodorized in order to make them palatable. Our bodies were not meant to consume them.

Opt instead for healthy saturated fats that are rich in Omega 3 fatty acids. These include butter (preferably organic), coconut, olive, and red palm oil.
2. Fresh, local, organic produce. We can't afford to purchase all of our produce this way, but we try our best to grow or purchase the infamous "Dirty Dozen" organically as these fruits and vegetables contain the highest pesticide residue otherwise:

• Peaches
• Apples
• Celery
• Peppers
• Nectarines
• Strawberries
• Pears
• Cherries
• Spinach
• Lettuce
• Potatoes
• Grapes

• onions
• avocado
• sweet corn
• pineapples
• mango
• asparagus
• bananas
• cabbage
• broccoli
• papaya
• kiwi

Instead, we use coconut or almond milk. They contain high levels of vitamins A & D and are lactose free. They cost slightly more than pasteurized, hormone enhanced cow's milk, but since we rarely use it for more than our morning smoothie, we don't notice a difference in our grocery bill.

As our budget allows, we try to purchase higher quality dairy products like kefir, greek yogurt, cream and cottage cheese.
4. Meat. Cheaper cuts of meat are usually that way because they come from animals that are pumped full of genetically modified grain products, growth hormones, and antibiotics - the sole purpose of which is to fatten an animal up as quickly as possible for slaughter. Food Inc. is a fascinating documentary that explains how the food industry is making us sicker, fatter, and poorer through this process.

Although more expensive, grass-fed, locally raised, organic beef and chicken is a far more nutritious alternative and of much less consequence to your health.
5. Sweeteners. Sugar is cheap, appeals to our pallet, and is easy to come by. Consequently, diabetes, obesity, cancer, heart failure, and a host of other health concerns are also the norm. We stay away from refined sugar as much as possible and use raw honey, pure maple syrup, and stevia instead.

While they should still be used in small quantities, these sweeteners contain healthy enzymes and minerals which are difficult to get from other foods. They also have a healthier Glycemic Index which means they don't mess with your blood sugar levels in the same way refined sugar does.

Where to get healthy food for less

1. Garden. Anyone can grow their own produce, even a little bit. Be it a pot on the balcony of your apartment or a 3 acre market garden, all you need is some seed, soil, water, and sun and you're in business.

We put in a large raise bed last year for free - my husband made a tarp in exchange for a truckload of triple-mix and I used the gift cards I got for my birthday to purchase our seeds and plants.
2. Farmer's Market. Farmer's markets are great places to find local, seasonal produce, cure meats, eggs, honey and maple syrup at a fraction of the price you find in the store. Plus, farmers generally care about individual relationships with their customers and often offer a faithful buyer further discounts and "throw in a little extra."
3. Local Farmer. In the fall, we often purchase 1/4-1/2 a cow from a Christian farmer who grows his beef organically. We get to choose how we'd like it butchered and our freezer is well stocked for several months. We estimate purchasing our meat this way saves us 30% of the store price.

If we had the space for it, we'd love to keep our own chickens. We go through plenty of eggs around here! Thankfully, they are cheap to come by! We buy them from Brad's co-worker whose family keeps organically raised laying hens as a sideline business.

In the summer, we pick our own berries, freeze most of them, and turn some into sauce or jam. A relative of ours keeps a bountiful raspberry patch where we can come and go as we please.

It didn't work out last year because of pregnancy complications, but this summer, my mom, sisters, and I plan on putting up other produce from local farms that we don't grow ourselves: peaches, pears, carrots, pickles, etc.

4. Bulk Stores. I buy most of our grain from The Bulk Barn. We often receive coupons for $3.00 off a purchase of $10.00 or more (which I can easily spend in one visit!). I blend whole kernels with my Wondermill and the stuff I purchase pre-ground (flax), I purchase in small quantities as it goes rancid quickly. I purchase my organice herbs, teas, sea salt, and spices from The Bulk Herb Store.

I also purchase soap and other dried goods here like coconut, almonds, walnuts, and cranberries.
5. Grocery Store. You can save money at the grocery store by using coupons, ad-matching, checking the clearance shelf, and purchasing store-brand non-perishables like brown rice and tomato paste.

The clearance shelf where everything is ripe and ready, is a wonderful place to get greatly discounted produce. If you have a juicer, freeze your juice into Popsicles for a healthy summer treat or into ice cubes for slushies. Peppers and onions can be cut up and bagged for pizza toppings, apples turned into sauce, and mushrooms sauteed in butter for a fine steak topping.
6. Online. I must admit to rarely purchasing groceries online. I prefer to see the product myself. The exception to this is the extra virgin coconut oil I get from Tropical Traditions. The quality is truly remarkable. We use it a lot, especially in desserts like Chunky Cream Pops, Skinny Chocolate, and Peppermint Patties. I'm thankful it regularly goes on sale for 40-50% off.

In the interest of full disclosure, some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I receive an affiliate commission. I only recommend products I use personally. Your purchases through these links help support Growing Home. I humbly thank you for your support! Linking to: Mind Body Sole, Raising Homemakers, Deep Roots At Home, Frugally Sustainable, Natural Living Raising Arrows, Time Warp Wife, Far Above Rubies, Homestead Barn Hop, The Better Mom,

I debated whether or not to include my personal schedule as part of the Keeping A Growing Home Series because really, it probably won't work for anyone else; our circumstances aren't the same. However, several women who are contemplating homeschooling have written and asked to see how it can actually fit into their day in addition to managing the rest of their homemaking responsibilities. I have chosen to include it for the sole purpose of assuring those who sincerely wonder that it can be done.

Below is a summary of a very good day at our house. It often looks nothing like this. Kids get sick or wake up on the "wrong side of the bed" and need more training and correction on some days than others. Interruptions happen. Sometimes it's little stuff like a blender explosion that takes me 30 minutes to mop up. Sometimes it's a bigger deal like the 20 week bed-rest of my last pregnancy.
Schedules and routines are designed to serve you, not the other way around. Learn to be flexible and roll with the punches. It's good to have a vision (Proverbs 29:18) and be intentional about your day, but remember: "A man's heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth His steps." Proverbs 16:9God often allows disruptions to teach us life lessons, bring blessings in disguise, remind us of our dependence on Him, and equip us with grace to overcome obstacles greater then our own strength could bear so that His name is ultimately glorified.
If supper doesn't get made, there's a pizzeria down the street; if school doesn't get done, there's always tomorrow; if the laundry doesn't get folded, we can live in wrinkly clothes for a week and no one will care; if I don't write a blog post, there are hundreds of thousands of other ones on the web for people to read.
If I develop a stinky attitude over a few interruptions and storm around miserably because I haven't gotten my way, the whole family suffers and I've just made keeping a growing home appear to be the worst trial a woman can endure.
This is not what I want for my daughters. It's not what I want for you.
So please don't take my schedule too seriously. :) My Daily Schedule 6:30-7:15: wake-up, personal devotions, get dressed, nurse Anna while checking emails. Flag any messages that need a reply.
7:15-7:30: write, schedule or publish blog posts, schedule Facebook and Twitter updates (I can pre-schedule updates on Facebook which are synced to my Twitter account)
7:30-8:15: wake kids up, change diapers, get dressed, have breakfast (smoothie).
8:15-8:40: Bible Time

• Bible Story
• Sing A Psalter
• Recite memory verse
• Pray

• Charity (4) works in her Rod & Staff textbooks at the kitchen table
• Judah (2) plays in the kitchen sink (I fill it up part way with water and give him a few toys) or colors a picture
• Anna (7 months) bounces in the exersaucer
• I start supper prep when Charity has independent work to do

• playtime
• I might throw a load of laundry in the washer and check my emails

• Teach Your Child To Read in 100 Easy Lessons with Charity on the couch
• Judah usually like to sit beside us and sound out the blends too
• Anna goes down for her morning nap

• Read from our weekly selection of books we borrowed from the library or do a craft that involves both kids

• kids play outside in the sandbox
• I throw laundry in the dryer, clean up kitchen, or start working on an odd project like switching out the winter/summer clothes or organizing the pantry

• Charity is allowed a few books in bed (if she's tired enough, she'll fall asleep)
• Judah and Anna nap

• write blog posts, answer emails, reply to advertising inquiries, working on reviews or eBooks, reply to comments, and interact with my Facebook community

Part 1: Keeping A Growing Home | A Management Series for Moms Part 2: Keeping A Growing Home | Know Your Role! Part 3: Keeping A Growing Home | Making Priorities & 15 Good Things I Don't Do Part 4: Keeping A Growing Home | Time-Saving Home Management Tips Part 5: Keeping A Growing Home | My Daily Schedule

If you enjoyed this post, you may wish to follow Growing Home for updates via Google Friend Connect, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google +, or have them emailed directly to your inbox. In the interest of full disclosure,some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I receive a small commission. I only recommend products I use personally. Thank you for your continued support!
Linking to: Raising Homemakers, Deep Roots At Home, Raising Arrows, A Wise Woman.,Walking Redeemed, The Better Mom, The Modest Mom, A Mama's Story, We ARE That Family, Raising Mighty Arrows, Hearts For Home, Frugal Homeschool Family,

The Round-up:

• Food - 3.5 out of 5
• Service - 2.5 out of 5
• Atmosphere - 2 out of 5
• Overall - 8 out of 15

It's time to take ourselves to a new part of town on the blog: North Albert Street.

True, North Albert isn't exactly a dining mecca. But there are a few bright spots among the autobody shops and gas stations. Chappy's Restaurant and Lounge is one of them.

Tucked into a strip mall across the street from the Northgate Mall, Chappy's is an unassuming kind of place. It's located so far off the street that you'd hardly notice it -- most people probably don't at all.

My focus today is on Chappy's brunch only, as that's the only meal I've eaten there.

Big Willie, the Advertising Exec, and myself stopped in on a recent Sunday for some grub. I use the term "grub" deliberately because that's what Chappy's serves: good, honest, homecooking with no shortage of butter n' bacon fat.

The Advertising Exec had been trying to get us to Chappy's for weeks, claiming it to be one of Regina's best greasy spoons. In that respect, I think he's right.

You don't go to Chappy's because it's chic, or decorated oh-so-cutely. You go because it's cheap and the brunch hits the spot.

For about $10, you will be treated to delicious buttery hashbrowns; crispy bacon (and plenty of it); scrambled eggs; breakfast sausage; lasagna; a bit of fruit; a couple of desserts; and some juice. And Chappy's Sunday brunch is a buffet, so fill your plate a couple of times (at least). We certainly did.

Service can be slightly off the mark, but since it's a help-yourself kind of joint that doesn't really matter.

Do something different and head up to North Albert one weekend for some grub. And don't forget your appetite.

Carrying Anna outside to pick some beans from our garden for supper, I sighed.

The patio was more green than grey with all the weeds coming up through the cracks. The hose lay in a tangled mess off to the side and toys from the sandbox littered the yard. The flower beds looked like they were in need of a good drink and weeds had begun to crowd out the herbs I had planted in the vegetable garden.

The kiddie pool in serious need of a good cleaning, and our weedy patio. The lawn showed serious signs of neglect too. Not having been cut in two weeks, the grass had reached that unpleasant length where your ankles get tickled by the blades and bit by mosquitoes that had found a home near the roots.

I picked a bowl full of beans and returned to the house. Weeds were poking through the pavement in the driveway too. I opened the door and felt a hot tear trickle down my cheek. I quickly brushed it away. The kids were laughing hysterically together and I didn't want to rain on their parade.

Charity's dolls from Aunt Connie, all swaddled up and sleeping on the couch. Notice the pillows so they don't roll off? Toys strewn all over the living room showed signs of active imaginations and serious creativity. I like to have things neat and tidy for my dear husband when he gets home from work, but that clearly wasn't going to happen this day..not if I was going to have a nice dinner ready and Anna fed by the time he walked in the door too.

I felt deflated, hypocritical, and way behind on everything. I write about the joys of motherhood and being a homemaker, but today I just wasn't feeling it as I stared a sink full of unwashed dishes, enough food underneath the table to add an egg and make a casserole, and a long to-do list of things that still needed to be done: laundry, bath the kids, make supper, clean out the van, etc., etc.

It's not that my husband doesn't pitch in. He does, more than any other husband I know. He works hard all day and then comes home is a SuperDad to our kids and a loving husband to me. He washes, dries, and puts away the dishes after dinner, gives the kids piggy-back rides around the house while they shriek with delight, brushes their teeth, reads them stories before bed, and tucks them in at night. Then he pays our bills, runs errands I didn't get to during the day, and often brings me back a little surprise like Reese's or ice cream. He's a champion in every way so this feeling of "way behindishness" I get doesn't come from him.

Our tiny kitchen, looking well-used. :-) The unreasonable standard I had set for myself was self-imposed and largely influenced by staged photos on Pinterest and the comparison game I played with other homemakers. No one was telling me I had to serve gourmet meals every night, keep a spotless, well-organized home, and dress my children in trendy clothes that matched. But somehow I had gotten the idea that doing all these things would mean I was being successful in my role as a wife, mother, and homemaker.

Brad walked in the door and I didn't greet him like I normally do. I knew I'd probably have a melt down so I kept washing dishes. Silly of me really, because he knows his wife well and immediately knew something was up. He kissed my on my cheek and asked, "Hi Sweetheart. How was your day?"

I lost it. His kind gesture was no match for the frustrations I had pent up inside and the tears started flowing while I rattled off my list of failures. "I didn't get anything done today. The grass still needs to be cut, supper's not ready and we've already had cereal or take-out twice this week, Anna needs to be fed again, Charity's out of clean underwear, and I can't remember the last time I gave the kids a proper bath!" For emphasis, I added, "I just can't do it any more. Sometimes I think I'd just be better off at work."

Brad knew I didn't mean that. He put his hands on my waist and looked me in the eye. "The reason you feel like you didn't get anything done today, is because you were busy doing more important things." He glanced over at our three busy kids and continued. "I don't care if we have to eat take-out every night, or use paper plates for a while, or if the wash doesn't get folded. If you get nothing done all day but the kids are happy, then I'm happy too!"

I thought back on our day. It started with me crawling into Charity's bed for our morning snuggle. She told me all about how her stuffed animals had behaved at night. Judah had peed through his diaper, so I washed him up before breakfast and started a load of laundry. We had our usual smoothies, read the story of Jonah for devotions, and prayed that God would keep Daddy safe at Opa's shop and give us clean hearts that love Him above all and our neighbors as ourselves.

Judah's raspberries. Then I read Charity a chapter from Little House in the Big Woods while I nursed Anna. Judah can't sit that long, so he played "excavators" on the coffee table. After making sure everyone had gone to the bathroom, and the diaper bag was packed, we went to my aunt's farm to pick raspberries.

"See Mom? If you just squish them like this, then we don't have to make jam when we get home!"

"I'm picking all the tiny little hard ones 'cause they're SOOOO cute!"

"Look, Mom! I picked all the white ones! We can just pick off the green prickles after."

Anna had decided she was finished before we started, so I discovered how fast I can pick with one hand while rocking a screaming baby: 2 quarts in half an hour.

We made it home in time for lunch. I had some leftover chocolate drizzle from a cheesecake so I made happy faces on their peanut-butter sandwiches. They were over the moon with delight.

After nap-time, we took a walk across the road to the park and cooled off for a few minutes at the splash pad. Back home, Charity wanted to do "school," so she found her books and pencils and I showed her how to make the number three. "Around a tree and around a tree. This is how to make a three!" we sang together.

Throughout the day there were squabbles to break up, attitudes to adjust, meltdowns to clean up, time-outs for tempers, kisses for boo-boos, apologies given and accepted, and hugs for the emotionally distraught.

Brad was right. I may not have gotten much done by way of housework, but alongside me had been three little sidekicks whose minds and hearts, for better or for worse, were being shaped, molded, and influenced by their Mom.

The weight of my responsibility struck me. I wasn't raising children here, I was raising adults. I was forming the next generation of fathers and mothers. I was shaping the characters of those who would raise our grandchildren. There was so much I needed to teach them, so much discipling that needed to happen in their tender hearts as well as mine.

The laundry, dirty house, and weeds in the patio will still be there one day when I have time to play catch up. But I'll never be able to play catch up with my kids. My time with them is slipping away like hourglass sand and I can't stop it.

So, while I'd like to maintain an immaculate house, keep our patio weed-free, and cut out the take-out, I've only got one chance at this Mom thing. Charity is three years old - almost four. If she marries at the same age I did, I have just 14 short years left before she leaves the nest. The first three have come and gone in a blink of an eye. Five more blinks and it's over.
"And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up." Deuteronomy 6:7 Truth is, if you're way behind on everything except time spent with your kids, you're way ahead.

Linking to: Raising Homemakers, Deep Roots At Home, We Are That Family, Raising Arrows, A Wise Woman., Walking Redeemed, The Better Mom, The Modest Mom, A Mama's Story

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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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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, Time Warp Wife, The Prairie Homestead,

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.

Hello again and welcome to... FLEA... MARKET... FINDS!!! WHOO HOOO!!!
Actually I was afraid I wasn't going to be able to come up with anything to share for this weeks post, but then good fortune struck in the form of an estate sale only one block away from me! And it was Sunday so everything was half off! YIPPEE! Then one visit to the Goodwill netted me another interesting find. Sometimes when it rains it sprinkles Lol!
I've had to be good for the last week because I purchased something really special that I'll share with you soon *winks*
However I did find a few little things... so come on lets take a looky!
I'll start with a new addition to my boudoir doll collection found on ebay for $50. Doesn't she look a little like Marilyn Monroe? She even has the cute little mole, but I think my doll predates Marilyn by a few years *winks*

I added a little rhinestone necklace to give her some "Marilyn glam" *winks*

And with my french candy box doll from last week

Then I scored a few new additions to my small vintage rhinestone collection at the estate sale.

A 1950's cigarette holder for $17.50 that extends on and on! And this buffalo head penny necklace pendent for $2.

A pair of vintage screw back earrings for $1.

Just look at how long that cigarette holder gets! It's crazy long!! And no I don't smoke but for some reason I just love old cigarette holders! So Audrey Hepburn Breakfast At Tiffany's! *winks*

Then for another $2 I found this small vintage etched glass curio cabinet. I really wasn't sure what to do with it. I figured "worst case scenario" I'd just sell it if I couldn't find a spot for it... But...

... then as I was taking pictures of my rhinestone finds I thought they might just look cute in this little case?? So I tried them out... Hmmmm kind of like it...

With a little more added... OK a lot more *winks* I like it a little better...

Then I added a cherub lamp to the top and I loved it! I don't think I've had this much fun for $2 in years!!

What do you think? Isn't it sweet?

And my score at the Goodwill was this Victorian style doll house/mansion. It has some issues. The front steps are missing, the windows (which open and close) are a little wanky, but it was quite a steal so I couldn't say no... You understand right?? *winks*

Window open.

Hardwood floors through the front door...

Funny how even empty doll houses have an air of mystery... and seem just a little haunted? This one was made in the 70's or 80's and "how could you tell" you might be thinking?

It has those awful popcorn ceilings!!! Sheesh you can't even get away from them in doll houses! Lol!

From the back.

And finally this sweet little gypsy girl who's read your cards and wants you to know that you'll have great luck for the rest of the day!!

Thank you for stopping by! I hope you'll leave me a comment and I'll do the same. And please come back next week for more flea market finds. I LOVE to hear from you! Vanna
I'm joining Kathleen at Charm Bracelet Diva for:

Marty at A Stroll Thru Life for:

Sherry at No Minimalist Here for:

The French Cupboard for:

And Courtney at French Country Cottage for:

Yesterday the hubby took me out to breakfast after church and as we were leaving the restaurant, I spied in one area of the parking lot, a store by the name of "Cake" Well as a girl who wants to have her cake and to eat it too, I just HAD to check it out! So in I went dragging resistant hubby behind me *winks* I sure wish I'd brought my camera with me because this store was dreamy! Anyhoo as I was busy perusing about in the corner of my eye I spotted a golden crown. Now I have been searching for a crown for quite some time. Even my friends were jumping in on the act trying to find one for me (probably to get me to hush up about wanting one every ten minutes!) And this one was just the ticket!! And I didn't even have to sell an arm and a leg to afford it! Just had to twist hubbys arm really HARD! But I'm pretty good at that, heh heh heh ! Oh yippee Ki yay it's MINE!! Here is my new crown displayed with one of my little spelter boys for Christmas. I stuck a moss ball in it and Wa -La!!

And here is a close up on my little spelter boy. Isn't he a cutie?

As we were driving back into our little town, I spied a sign for an estate sale. Those of you who already know me KNOW I can NOT pass by an estate sale without stopping! (also applies to all garage sales... tag sales... sales of pretty much any kind *winks* You get the picture) Who knows? I might miss a the treasure of a lifetime!! So once again hubby in tow leaving black shoe marks of resistance behind him, I dragged him from room to room of the estate sale. With less than one hour left, I spotted these vintage flower prints from 1943 at $15 each... Well because it was the last day of the sale everything was half price! So the two fab ole prints cost me $15! They're big ones too! I'm pondering where to put them... Perhaps in my shabby chic bedroom here?
http://ratemyspace.hgtv.com/snc/ViewItem.aspx?pguid=6db6be3f-1720-4ba3-a081-999042c09b6b&itemguid =d47da 89b-0cbc -44bd -b660-ee 8a50b75154

As I wandered into the garage of the estate sale house I spotted this birdcage and stand. The birdcage was marked $15 and the stand was $38... Well that's wayyyy to rich for my blood! But the man handling the items for the estate sale told me I could have them both for $15! Well that's more like it!! But me being the cheapo... ahem... I mean "thrifty gal that I am I asked him if he would consider $12? He said sure! So now I have me a white stand and red birdcage! I'm going to use the stand as a display for a vintage chandy *winks* NO idea what to do with the cage but it sure is a cutie! Does anyone need one? (Ann my friend?) Let me know!

The birdcage is marked "crown"! It seemed to be my theme for the day! Lol ! Don't ya love the old mosque style top?

But here was my piece de resistance for the day!! I was chatting with the gals inside running the sale and spotted something sparkley warkley in a box... Unfortunately it was in the "SOLD" area. I asked if I could carefully take a look anyway (glutton for punishment that I am) The gal told me that if the lady that had placed it on hold didn't show up in 15 minutes she would let me have it if I wanted it... IF I WANTED IT??!!!! Well OF COURSE I WANTED IT!!! It's an antique empire chandelier and the price was only... are you ready?... $25!! OK it needs some work... LOTS of work!! Some of the crystals are cracked and many will need to be restrung. Some of the ribbon details are broken. There are a few missing crystals... But when I'm done with it, it will be glorious!! I just know it!! Well I'm pretty sure!!... OK fairly confident... (Hubby is snorting in the background because he knows HE will have to work on it *winks*) Fingers crossed that it won't be a total mess and waste of money... and sit with the other 6 chandeliers suspended out in the garage!Lol ! Please check back with me next week when I will post it in all it's restored glory... such as it is *winks*

It has some cherub faces that aren't very fine... But whatcha expect for $25? *winks*

And lest I forget, this little chandy Christmas ornament was also a Cake find. Isn't it darling? And 25% off! Well thanks for sharing my shopping outing. If y'all post any estate sale/flea market finds will you please give me a holla ? I just love seeing others finds and treasures!

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:

1. We are not raising children; we are raising adults. Hopefully, by God's grace, ones that will be responsible, capable, productive members of society.
2. 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!

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

What other chores have you discovered your toddlers are capable of performing? Anything else you'd add to this list?

Most women, myself included, get overwhelmed when they read Proverbs 31. There is no way in this world I could get done in one day what she got done in one chapter. That's why it's important to understand that her picture is a portrait of a lifetime, not a summary of Super Woman's day.

We go through seasons of life where we are able to engage in different things; right now I'm mothering through the little years where all the kids are still in car seats, they all need their shoes tied by an adult, and someone else to give them a bath. They aren't quite big enough to make their own beds, make dinner, or watch younger siblings when Mommy needs a nap.

It's busy, exhausting, and rewarding. I have to remind myself not to compare my Chapter 1 to someone else's Chapter 100. I'm not Martha Stewart. She can keep an immaculate home, tend glorious gardens, and grow every vegetable perfectly because she is at a different stage of life and her priorities are different than mine. She does not have three small children, nor does she homeschool. Of course she isn't any less of a person for that, but it would be silly of me to measure myself against her.

I'm responsible for using 24 hours wisely everyday. I use 7-8 of them for sleeping. That leaves me with 16 to manage well. Managing them well means learning how to prioritize and giving the most important things the most attention. In our house, that order looks like this:

1. God
2. Spouse
3. Children
4. House

My husband prefers a good meal to a clean house or an empty laundry basket, so if I have to choose between making dinner or cleaning the shower, the former takes priority.

We believe our primary purpose as parents is to raise our children in the fear of the Lord. It's a hard exhortation to remember when there are crumbs under the table and sticky fingerprints on the window, but if it seems the only thing I accomplish in a day is giving instruction, administering correction, breaking up squabbles, reminding our children of the necessity of their salvation, and teaching them to pray for a clean heart that hates evil and wants to do good, then the most important things have been given the most attention.

I'm told by seasoned mothers whose children have flown the nest that one day you will have time to bake, and sew, sell handmade goodies and keep a spotless house, but you'll probably wish you still had the company of several little people who think you're the world.

To help keep my priorities aligned properly, there are several good things that I just don't do. One day I'd like to do them, but right now I don't have enough time or attention to give them.

1. I don't cloth diaper. I know it's more eco-friendly, and I've heard it's no more work than disposables, but I haven't taken the time to build up a stash. My washing machine doesn't get much of a break as it is and I'm not sure how I'd find the time to keep a clean supply of diapers on hand or the stomach to slosh around poopy diapers in the toilet (or is that not required anymore?) When a pack of 136 diapers goes on sale for $17.99, I stock up.

2. I don't bake my own bread; partly because Brad eats gluten-free and I cannot seem to make a loaf that doesn't taste like a hockey puck, and partly because homemade bread isn't very high on our priority list. I don't eat much bread either. The kids eat store-bought sourdough bread at lunch time. One loaf lasts us a whole week, so the time and effort it takes to make my own doesn't save me any serious coin in the long run.

3. I don't iron. I recently pulled it out for the first time in three years to iron a blazer. Marveling at this new invention, our two-year-old son asked, "Why are you vacuuming your shirt, Mom?" Wrinkle-prone items get pulled from the dryer as soon as the cycle is finished. Sometimes they get hung up on hangers and hung neatly in the closet. Sometimes they lay on top of the dryer until I need to wear them.

4. I don't bath our kids every day. I don't even bath them every other day. We (usually Daddy) bath them when they're dirty (at least once a week, I assure you).

5. I don't use natural remedies for everything. I'm a vaccinated, formula fed kid and grew up taking Tylenol for headaches. I have a long way to go before I'm comfortable knowing what herb to give for what ailment, what homeopathic drops to pour into my baby's mouth when she's teething, and what essential oil to rub into my temples when my head is pounding. I want to though, and I'm slowly learning how, but you'll still find Tylenol in our medicine cupboard.

6. I don't grind my own flours. In fact, my electric grain mill is for sale if anyone is interested.

7. I don't have a large garden. There's not a great deal of room on our city lot. We grow tomatoes, peppers, onions, cucumbers, a few herbs, and whatever happens to seed itself through our compost. It's more of a teaching tool for the kids and it satisfies my gardening itch. I enjoy making Tomato Spice Soup from our produce, but I buy and preserve nearly everything else from local farms.

8. I don't can. I don't know how. It's on my list of things I want to learn. Thankfully, my friend Jill is a great teacher and my Mom is willing to hold my hand and walk me through the process. I'm terrified of things exploding in my face. For the past five summers, I've simply cleaned, cut, bagged, and thrown seasonal produce in the freezer. Gently, of course, so it doesn't get bruised. That much I understand about preserving.

9. I don't dust every week. It's really just a country accent anyway and we're honored when folks take the time to autograph our bookshelves. Kidding. Sort of. I make an effort to dust every Friday on "Housework Day," but sometimes it goes two weeks before it gets done. The kids each get a rag too, which means our carpet is probably due for an interesting homeschool science experiment...

10. I don't sew, knit, or scrapbook. At night, when the kids are in bed and I've got some time to relax, I write. Keeping a blog is the therapy that works for me. It's a fun way to interact and learn from a community of like-minded moms and a bonus to be able to contribute to our family income.

11. I don't coupon. I don't even look at flyers. They go from the mailbox to the recycle bin. I can purchase everything I need from three stores and they're all within 5 minutes of each other. It's quick, convenient, and just one afternoon in town (if you have three children in car seats, you get me).

12. I don't go to the Ladies Bible Study at church. We homeschool.

13. I don't have a phone. I don't want one either. I'm not sure I'd have the self-discipline necessary to give it the same amount of attention I give the non-existent one now. I'm sure it'd be handy one day if I were in a car accident or stranded on the side of the road. I'm relying on the generosity of those passing by and assuming they probably have one I could borrow.

14. I don't exercise. Not deliberately, at least. I've been blessed with a good metabolism and consider giving under-doggies to thirty-five pound toddlers on the swing for half an hour, and chasing our one-speed (fast) son around all day good enough.

15. I don't serve fancy meals. I like to cook a mainly whole food diet, but I don't go all Jacques Pepin on my family. Every morning we have the same smoothie for breakfast. Every afternoon we have the same sandwich for lunch. Snack-wise, I serve simple things I know our kids love. In the evenings, we typically enjoy healthy, low-fuss dinners like Cheeseburger Pie, Taco Salad, or Coconut Curried Chicken. Sometimes we have grilled cheese, or order pizza.

How 'bout you? Are there good things that you don't engage in because you simply don't have the time? What are they? What or who gets the bulk of your attention and what gets the leftovers?

Part 1: Keeping A Growing Home | A Management Series for Moms Part 2: Keeping A Growing Home | Know Your Role! Part 3: Keeping A Growing Home | Making Priorities & 15 Good Things I Don't Do Part 4: Keeping A Growing Home | Time-Saving Home Management Tips Part 5: Keeping A Growing Home | My Daily Schedule

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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)

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!

Thanks for stopping by!

The Round-up:

• Food - 3 out of 5
• Service - 4 out of 5
• Decor - 3 out of 5
• Total - 10 out of 15

120-1914 Hamilton Street, Regina, SK
306-949-4005

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.

www.thegreatpanini.ca