New here? A warm welcome to you! Allow me to introduce myself and give you a whirlwind tour of Growing Home!
My name is Jacinda Vandenberg. I'm a 20-something Canadian girl who's happily married to the love of my life, Brad. We homeschool our three children, Charity, Judah, and Anna, and are passionate about home-based, parent-led, biblical family discipleship, mentorship, economics, and entrepreneurial endeavors, of which we have many!
I'm a second-generation homeschooler, passionate homemaker, lover of medium roast coffee, whole food novice, and deeply thankful for God's grace, without which I am nothing.
Growing Home is where we share a holistic approach to gospel-centered family building with the desire to encourage and engage our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. Here you'll find our thoughts on everything from family life, biblical womanhood, homeschooling, whole food cooking, and natural remedies to preserving the homemaking arts and casting a vision for future generations.
We believe in the sufficiency of Scripture, and understand that it's not our work or methodology that saves us, but the perfect redemption bought and paid for by Jesus on the Cross when he died and rose again to satisfy God's justice on our behalf. To that end, we desire to live holy, holistically, and wholeheartedly for the glory of God.
A few popular posts around here include:
5 Things To Expect If You Homeschool
Child Trophies
Girls Shouldn't Be Highly Educated... (is something I've never said)
How A Single-Income Family Can Afford A Whole-Food Diet
How To Be A Perfectly Miserable Mother
I am a Feminist (not really)
You can browse through our collection of favorite recipes (all of them are delicious, most of them are healthy), peruse our bookshelf, flip through our favorite curriculum, and, if you're a blogger (or want to become one), learn how to grow your blog while managing your home.
In my spare time (cough), I enjoy creating homeschooling and homemaking resources and eBooks such as the 1777 New England Primer Cursive and Alphabet Printable Sets, Growing Your Blog While Managing Your Home, Homeschooling Day by Day (a collaborative effort of 11 homeschooling Moms), and The Pursuit of Motherhood (another joint project involving 17 moms), and providing them to my readers as cheaply as possible.
If you'd like to connect in other ways, you can find Growing Home on Facebook, Google +, Twitter, Pinterest, and subscribe via email to receive updates each time new content is published.
We welcome your comments and questions as well, and will do our best to respond to them as soon as we can.
Thanks for dropping by! Join us again soon? *** If you have a homemaking related product you'd like to give away on Growing Home, please vising our Advertising Page for more information.
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
12 fruits and vegetables that contain the contain the least contamination we don't worry about paying the organic price-tag for:
onions
avocado
sweet corn
pineapples
mango
asparagus
bananas
cabbage
broccoli
papaya
kiwi
3. Dairy products and alternative beverages. Although we use several cultured forms of dairy, we don't drink animal milk products as they are difficult for the body digest. If it was legal to purchase raw cow's milk, we would certainly give it a try!
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,
Last week, I was sent a copy of Real Food for the Real Homemaker and let me tell you, this is one gem of a cookbook! I love a good, hearty, healthy, home-cooked meal almost as much as I enjoy making them so when the opportunity to get creative with new recipes in the kitchen presents itself, I jump!
Real Food for the Real Homemaker sifts through the myriad of information (and misinformation) we've all heard about fats, grains, raw milk, and organic produce and provides a condensed and sensible approach to eating healthy, hearty food that tastes like it came from Grandma's kitchen.
No offense to the authors, but this eBook is reminiscent of those coil-bound United Church Cookbooks put together by sweet little seventy-year-old members of the Ladies Guild. I mean that as the sincerest compliment!
It teaches the basics every cook should know like which kitchen tools are absolutely necessary (and which brands give you the best bang for your buck); how to practice hospitality; how to make granola, yogurt in a crock-pot, and tortillas from scratch; how to save at the grocery store, freezer cook, and substitute ingredients.
Plus, you'll enjoy over 75 home-style recipes with a healthy twist. Among them:
Breads & Breakfast Recipes Apple Nut Muffins with Caramel Glaze Baked French Toast Baked Oatmeal Banana Bread Best-Ever Scrambled Eggs Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting Chicken, Bacon, and Ranch Quiche Cornbread Egg Bake Egg Sandwiches Eggs in a Nest Granola Orange White-Chocolate Chip Scones Perfect Pancakes Popovers Rolled Biscuits Sausage Gravy Simple Cream Biscuits Tortillas Yogurt
Sides, Soups, & Salad Recipes Applesauce Baked Beans Caesar Salad Cheesy Potato-Vegetable Soup Homemade Garlic-Herb Croutons Chicken Salad with Grapes and Apples Chicken Stock Chili Cucumber Salad Fruit Salad with Yogurt Dressing Fruit Salsa Ham and Cheese Soup Italian Pasta Salad Italian Vinaigrette Mashed Potatoes Mushroom Soup Oven-Fried Potatoes Peaches with Ginger Syrup Quick Tomato Soup Ranch Dressing Roasted Root Vegetables Ruby Red Fruit Salad Tomato and Cucumber Salad Vegetable Beef Soup White Chicken Chili
Entrée Recipes Bean, Rice, and Salsa Bowls Cheeseburger Macaroni Skillet Cheesy Chicken-and-Rice Casserole Chicken and Pasta with Balsamic Vinegar Sauce Chicken Fajitas Chicken Parmesan Chicken Pot Pie Chicken Stir-Fry Couscous Chicken Pilaf Creamy Lemon Pasta Fresh Tomato-Vegetable Sauce Fried Rice Grilled Shrimp Pasta Homemade Macaroni and Cheese Meatballs Pasta al Fredo Pizza from Scratch Slow-Cooked Chicken Slow-Cooked Pork Chops with Gravy Slow-Cooked Herbed Pork Roast Stuffed Bell Peppers Tilapia Variations Toasted Tomato-Cheese Sandwiches Tuna-Stuffed Tomatoes
Dessert Recipes Baked Apples Butterscotch Pudding Classic Pie Crust “Everything” Cookies Homemade Brownies Lemon Cheesecake Squares Lemon-Lime Ice Rice Pudding Strawberry Pie
Best of all? Full-color photos are included with almost every recipe! Whether you're a rookie in the kitchen, deep inside a cooking rut, attempting to replace your favorite dishes with healthy versions, or simply looking to expand your recipe repertoire, Real Food for the Real Homemaker is valuable resource for any cook and a guaranteed hit with the whole family!
For $12.95 $9.99, you get all of the following:
Real Food for the Real Homemaker in both the KINDLE and PDF version,
a set of beautiful recipe cards,
an Excel program for creating shopping lists and menu planning!
Enter below to win a copy or purchase yours here for $9.99 - this week only! a Rafflecopter giveaway
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 an affiliate commission. I only recommend products I use personally. Your purchases through these links help support Growing Home. Thank you for your continued support! Linking to: Raising Homemakers, Deep Roots At Home, Raising Arrows, Time Warp Wife, A Wise Woman.,Walking Redeemed, The Better Mom, The Modest Mom, The Prairie Homestead
We learned how to make these raw energy bites in a Goodness Me! whole food cooking class. I still have a hard time believing they're good for you. Usually anything I get cravings for is unhealthy, but I find myself wanting these things all. the. time. They're right up there with chocolate. Charity fondly calls them "Timbits" (you might have to be Canadian to get that). If you've committed to eating healthy (good for you!), Snicker Snackers are a guilt-free indulgence for when the urge to eat something rich is just too strong.
Ingredients
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup seasame seeds
1/2 cup raw honey
1/2 cup almond butter
1/2 cup cocoa or carob powder
1/4 cup ground flax
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut
Directions:
Combine ingredients in blender. Roll into small balls (refrigerate mixture for 1/2 an hour if it's too soft). Store in an air-tight container and keep refrigerated.
If you love whole food recipes, you'll love the Cottage Mama's eBooks written by Kristy Howard. The Cottage Mama Plans Her Menu is a favorite in our house with 29 healthy, tasty, budget-friendly recipes and a 2-week menu plan. You can download it here for $3.00.
2135 Albert Street, Regina SK. 306-565-8894 ___________________________________________ Those who follow the blog will recall the news that Café Orange (in the Cathedral area) shut down a couple of months ago amid rumours that it will reopen as a sushi café. This is all fine and well, except it seems that just about every month a new sushi restaurant pops up in this city. At some point, sushi just isn’t going to sell enough to make a profit at each one of these places. At least that’s my opinion. So when Sake Japanese opened on Albert Street (near 13th Avenue) in February, I was only a little bit excited. On one hand, it is fantastic to see a vacant storefront turn into a thriving restaurant. There were too many empty buildings on that side of Albert Street not so very long ago. On the other hand, do we really need more sushi? Judging by the crowd at Sake on a recent Wednesday lunch hour, we do. The place was packed with groups and couples, likely from the office buildings nearby. To Sake’s credit, the restaurant is clean and decorated tastefully – nothing out of the ordinary, just a typical Japanese restaurant décor. Sake offers a mix of traditional tables, along with a number of “tatami” tables, where guests sit on cushions on top of bamboo mats. Lucky for us non-Japanese, the floor is sunken beneath the tables, making for a much more comfortable sit. As for the menu, be prepared to pig out. It’s an all-you-can-eat feast at Sake. You’re provided with a paper menu and a couple of pencils. Then you go to town marking off all the dishes you’d like to try. And there are plenty to taste. Sake offers at least 15 types of sushi rolls. Each roll consists of eight well-portioned pieces, far more than your average all-you-can-eat sushi joint. The Salmon Roll, California Roll, and Rainbow Roll that my dad and I shared were fresh – so much so that the sushi rice was moist and just a tad warm (meaning it was cooked only minutes before the rolls hit the table). Score! We also tried the crispy tempura, which comes with one jumbo shrimp per order; the fried fish; the edamame (whole soybeans); and the wonton soup. We cut ourselves off at that point, not wanting to overdo things and then go back to work in a food-induced coma. (Note: Sake, like every Japanese all-you-can-eat, will charge for food wastage, if need be.) Ice-cream fans, listen here: Sake also offers an unlimited amount of serve-yourself ice cream for dessert. Another classy touch. On offer were Tiger Tiger, Raspberry, and Pistachio the day we were there. Big Poppa and I both dug into the Tiger Tiger. Like father, like son as they say. So far, we’ve established that the food is great and the décor is good enough. That leaves the service. It was what I would call friendly, but not overly attentive. Our waiter neglected to bring one item we ordered (a rice bowl with chicken) and never came back to check if we wanted to order more food after the first round. Given that you pay a flat rate for lunch, missing an item wasn’t a big deal. Let’s just hope it isn’t a regular habit. I went in a skeptic, and I came out a believer (in the food anyway). Sake is on the right road to success.
Another week goes by, and this blog grows another inch or two. Bear with me, folks. It is truly a work in progress.
It was tough to decide which restaurant to talk about next -- actually, that's just a cliche. It wasn't so tough this time. The Four Seas Restaurant on Rose Street downtown is a new discovery for me. Me and Big Willie have been there three times in the last three weeks. And we're now frequently trying to recruit our friends. Surely that's worth writing about.
From the outside, the Four Seas is easily forgettable. Heck, from the inside too. Mind you, the owners have done a decent job of sprucing up this old building that has clearly been through a few restaurant incarnations during its lifetime.
Anyway, the surroundings are secondary. What I really go for is the food. And what the Four Seas really does best, as far as I'm concerned, is Dim Sum.
OK, perhaps it's time for a definition. Not everyone is familiar with Dim Sum (but everyone should be!).
Essentially, Dim Sum is this: a wide range of Chinese dishes served on small plates alongside tea. You could think of it as the Chinese version of tapas. What you must not think of is Chicken Balls, Sweet and Sour Pork, or giant, greasy Egg Rolls. Dim Sum is NOT that kind of Chinese food.
The most exciting part of Dim Sum is when the waitresses come around with carts of food inside small bamboo steamers. You never know what's on the cart until they take the lid off -- and try to tempt you.
Each time I've been there are new items, but you can count on there always being Shrimp Dumplings, Pork Dumplings, Steamed Buns, Spareribs, and a few vegetable dishes. There will also be things that you have never seen before, but don't worry. The waitresses are happy to answer any questions that you have.
In larger cities with larger Chinese communities, you'll find huge, loud Dim Sum restaurants where the waitresses fly past you with carts and you practically have to scream to get their attention.
The Four Seas is on a smaller, quieter scale. It's nonetheless a welcome addition to Regina's list of restaurants. And it's definitely popular with Regina's Chinese community who fill the place by 11:30 a.m. on weekend mornings.
Big Willie, who is half-Chinese, says that the Four Seas Dim Sum reminds him of the food his grandma made when he was a kid. If that's not a compliment, I don't know what is.
The next time you find yourself bored with what Regina restaurants have to offer, head downtown for Dim Sum. A whole new culinary world awaits you....
To me, there's something comforting about tucking into a restaurant below street level.
Those few stairs that lead down to the dining room make the noise of traffic outside seem even further away behind the glass windows. It's like discovering a secret getaway in the middle of the city.
Big Willie and I popped into J & A Restaurant across from The Bay on 11th Avenue last weekend. The place was fairly full for a Saturday so I figured we were in for a good time.
Friends told us that J & A, which specializes in Chinese cooking, does a mean dim sum. Being dim sum fans, we just had to check it out.
We settled into a table fairly quickly -- our waitress just had to wipe it clean before we could sit down. She wiped it, though I wouldn't say it was clean. But we got past that. We were hungry, after all.
We waited a few minutes for tea and then a few more minutes to order. With only two waitresses working the floor, the service wasn't exactly speedy.
Unlike most dim sum restaurants, J & A does not bring carts of hot food by your table. Instead, you are provided with a slip of paper on which to tick off your choices from the menu.
We went with a range of standbys, like dumplings and spring rolls, along with a few more unique items (like cassava cake).
As we waited for the food we started to take note of J & A's decor, which includes a strange mixture of fake flowers, pink chairs, and Walt Disney characters on the walls.
First to hit the table were the Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings. These weren't exactly proper Chinese food, but they sounded good. And they tasted good. At first.
I was on my third wing when our whole experience started to go downhill. I bit into the wing and noticed that underneath the crispy skin was a whole lot of blood. How a chicken wing can be deep fried and crispy on the outside, but bloody on the inside, I'm still not sure. I stopped eating the wings and waited for the next item to arrive.
The Vietnamese Spring Rolls were up. Three puny spring rolls came on a small white plate. That's it. No sauce, and an odd number of rolls (there were two of us, as I said).
The rolls tasted about as good as they looked. In fact, they really reminded me of frozen appetizers from Costco. I'm just saying....
We asked the waitress if she had any type of sauce for the rolls. She brought us some plum sauce. In a package.
Next we got the Cassava Cake. This dense, yellow cake was hearty and very filling. Cassava, a root vegetable common in the tropics, is mixed into a sweet cake and then cut into squares. It tasted OK but I'm no cassava expert so I'll refrain from judgement here. Big Willie grew up eating the stuff and he thought J & A's version was on the sweet side.
Next up, another item and another disappointment: the Shrimp and Vegetable Dumplings.
Unlike any other dim sum restaurant I've ever visited, J & A serves dumplings in metal steam baskets instead of traditional bamboo steamers. That's a bit of a shame because the metal seems to dry the dumplings out while bamboo seems to retain more moisture. Plus the bamboo adds a touch of authenticity.
These dumplings were overcooked and the pastry pockets weren't even staying closed. And they had almost no flavour. Good Lord, it was time to take action.
We still had at least three more items to come, but me and Big Willie had more than enough by this point. We called the waitress over, pointed out the bloody chicken and asked her not to send any more items. Oh, and Big Willie mentioned that his teacup was dirty when it came to the table.
You might be thinking that we should have pointed out the chicken incident sooner. And we probably should have. But I like to be an easygoing diner and I was willing to let it slide at first, until everything else turned out to be a disappointment too.
We asked the waitress for our bill and she brought it quickly. Thankfully, she took the chicken and the items that never made it to our table off the bill.
We settled up, threw on our jackets and made a beeline for a real dim sum restaurant: The Four Seas on Rose Street.
To read my review of Four Seas, follow this link: http://www.reginafooddude.com/2009/10/four-seas-restaurant.html
As for J & A, your quaint basement location in a convenient spot downtown almost had me at hello. Unfortunately, you blew it. Big time. We won't be back. And please lose the Mickey Mouse decorations.
$9 for lunch buffet, $13-18 for dinner or Saturday lunch. Open Monday-Saturday for lunch and dinner.
1946 Hamilton Street, Regina, SK 306-352-8424
_______________________________________
When I first heard there was a Thai restaurant on Hamilton Street downtown, I have to admit I was a little skeptical.
I pictured a little hole-in-the-wall place that would see a lot of foot traffic during the day (but few actual customers) and almost no one at night (when Regina's downtown transforms into a semi-deserted ghost town).
Boy, was I wrong.
First of all, Hamilton Street is undergoing a huge makeover. Over the last couple of years, new shops and eateries are popping up and filling in the holes left by vacant storefronts. There are still a few gaps, but given time they'll fill in too.
Second of all, Regina's downtown office crowd loves the place. Pay a visit almost any weekday at lunch and you'll be lucky to get a table if you're not there right at noon.
If you're new to Thai food, Siam's lunch buffet is an excellent place to start. There's always a good selection of meat, vegetable, and noodle dishes (Pad Thai is a sure bet), along with a couple of appetizer and dessert items.
Best of all, you can be in and out of the place with a full belly in 30 minutes or less. And get this, the grand total for the lunch buffet comes to less than $10 per person, tax included. I know, shocking.
Hold on now, before you drop the laptop and run down to Hamilton Street I need to talk more about the food.
On a recent Saturday morning, a group of us paid a visit to Siam for a not-so-traditional brunch (there's no buffet on Saturdays, FYI). We got off to a rocky start when we showed up at 11 a.m. (opening time) and the doors were still locked for another 15 minutes.
This didn't sit well with me -- unlike my usual Saturday morning of sleep and relaxation, I'd already done two loads of laundry, shopped for groceries, and ran a couple of other errands. I was hung-ree.
Once we were seated, things went more smoothly. Our gracious waiter was patient with us as we waited for others to arrive and took our time figuring out what to eat.
We ordered a ton of food, by the way. Siam makes this relatively easy by including pictures in the menu and on nifty digital photo frames hung on the walls next to tables.
These are my top three picks, for the first-timer:
- Appetizer: Mieng Kham (Leaf Wraps): This dish is a pleasure to behold and to eat. Crispy fresh coconut, fresh ginger, red onion, Thai chili, lime, cashews, and plum sugar sauce, served on top of bok choy leaves that you roll up yourself, then pop in your mouth.
- Entrees: Larb Moo: This item technically falls under the Salad category on the menu, but its size and filling portion makes it more like a meal. Spicy ground pork is mixed with roasted rice, red onions, green onions, cilantro, and lime juice. It's got some heat but not so much as to scare the beginner away.
Pad Thai: You haven't truly lived until you've had this Thai classic. A bed of warm rice noodles is covered in fried tofu, bean sprouts, and shrimp, then layered with sauce. Practically everyone likes Pad Thai. If you're completely unsure of what to order, start here.
On the whole, Siam is one of downtown's best restaurants with a huge menu, good service, reasonable prices and decent opening hours.
One of my many goals this year is to avoid unhealthy snacking, both for myself and for our kids. I have a huge weakness for chips and chocolate, and I fear I've passed my bad habits onto our kids. So, I'm taking extreme measures and have committed to not purchasing packaged snacks; if it's not in the house, we can't eat it!
Of course, that means we need to replace the junk with snacks of the healthy variety. In addition to these ideas, Coconut Oil Banana Muffins fit the bill perfectly! These muffins are moist, flavorful, and melt in your mouth. They're also egg-free and dairy-free.
Coconut Oil Banana Muffins Time: 15 min. prep; 16 min baking (per batch). Yield: 3 dozen Egg-free, dairy-free
Ingredients:
2 cups organic all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon aluminum-free baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg (optional)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup melted coconut oil
1 cup coconut or almond milk
2 cups coconut sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
5 very ripe, mashed bananas
Directions:
Preheat oven to 385 F. Insert paper liners into muffin pan.
In a large bowl, sift and stir flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and sea salt. Set aside.
In a small saucepan, heat coconut oil and milk together until coconut oil has just liquefied. Pour into a large bowl and add coconut sugar and vanilla. Blend together
Mash bananas and stir into wet ingredients. Add dry mixture to wet mixture and fold together until just combined.
Fill muffin cups half way (this batter spreads!).
Bake for 16-18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Cool for 10 minutes before removing.
Freeze, or enjoy warm!
I'm not a huge eBook reader, but our diet suffered so badly over the holidays, I'm taking extreme measures and printed off both whole food eCookbooks by Kristy Howard (The Cottage Mama Plans Her Menu: Spring Edition and The Cottage Mama Plans Her Homeschool Menu) and am dusting off my copy of Real Food for Real Homemakers by Elsie, Jami, and Jaime.
Are you making a conscious effort to snack healthier, too? What's your favorite resource for quick, budget-friendly, healthy treats (besides Pinterest, I mean)?
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 at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products I use personally. Your purchases through these links help support Growing Home. Thank you for your support. 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.
Who would've thought there'd come a time in my life where I'd wonder where my next breath would come from when I'd be able to squeeze in my next shower? Not me! But here I am with 3 kids in three years, wondering some days when I'm going to find the time to do things I used to take for granted.
"When do I take a shower?" If Brad is home, then I have it after the oldest two have gone to bed while he watches our newborn, Anna. If I'm away in the evening, then I attempt to have one before the kids wake up in the morning. If that doesn't work out, then I wait until Anna's morning nap - place her in the bassinet, Judah (2) in his crib or a playpen with several toys to keep him occupied, and trust our 3-year-old to keep herself occupied and out of trouble. So far, so good (famous last words)! Worst case scenario, I look like a slime ball when someone unexpectedly pops in for a visit.
"When do I have my devotions?" My friend Anna, from Feminine Adventures, covered this question in beautiful detail. Go and read her post if you haven't already!
I try to have them while I'm nursing in the early morning or late evening. It never hurts to involve the kids either should they wake up earlier than expected. If I'm not too sleepy, I go through my prayer list when I'm nursing in the middle of the night.
"When do I make supper?" Raise your hand if 5 o'clock seems to be the most hectic time of the day. Okay, you can put it down now. Someone is guaranteed to be nursing, crying, needing to use the potty, discovering (and spilling) things in the pantry (like flour) while the rest of the house sits in disarray. Plus, the kiddlets are starting to get cranky from hungry tummies and you're expecting your husband home from work any minute.
This is why I try to make dinner first thing in the morning. I love using the recipes from Trim Healthy Mama (you can read my entire review here). They are easy, healthy, whole-food dishes that can be prepared quickly and made ahead of time. That way, even if the rest of the day is chaotic, there will still be a nutritious meal on the table, and hopefully, an atmosphere of relative peace and calm for my husband to come home too. He deserves it after a long day at work!
"When do I clean my house?" I used to reserve one day a week to do all the major housework like cleaning the bathrooms, scrubbing floors, vacuuming, and dusting, etc. Now with 3 kids, 3 and under, I spread it over two days.
The biggest jobs I try to finish on Thursdays, leaving Friday and Saturday morning to wrap it all up. Brad has Saturday afternoons off from work and we like to spend it relaxing with the kids, visiting our grandparents, or having friends over.
"When do I fit in exercise?" Normally I like to take a brisk 1/2 hour walk in the early evening after the kids have gone to bed while Brad stays home with Anna. We've been having so much rain lately though, that I've resorted to torturing myself with Jillian Michael's 6-week six pack during the first 35 minutes of the kids afternoon nap time.
I've joined the Redeemed Health and Fitness Facebook group for accountability purposes and encouragement. All the ladies in this group are mothers (most with larger than average families) who are seeking to shed unwanted pounds on a tight schedule. We share our highs and lows, praise each lost pound, steal each other's great ideas, and kept accountable with a daily check-in. "When do I nap?" HA HA HA HA HA! Good one.
***For further reading, I recommendLarge Family Logistics: my favorite resource for learning how to build household routines within a larger-than-average families. Brad bought me this book for my birthday a few years ago, and I've been giving it out as gifts to other young moms ever since then. It's filled with step-by-step procedures, organizational advice, and a myriad of tips for efficiently managing a home in a way that honors God and builds up family relationships.
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: Raising Homemakers, Deep Roots At Home, Modest Monday, A Mama's Story, Raising Arrows, Homestead Revival, Time Warp Wife, Far Above Rubies
We learned how to make this salad in our weekly whole food cooking class at Goodness Me. I had my doubts at first. Seaweed?! The smell of the stuff alone could knock me off my feet. And quinoa? I had never cooked with the mother of all grains before.
However, I mustered up the courage to give it a sampling in class and was pleasantly surprised to discover how well it suited my taste buds! I made some at home and Brad declared it a winner too. We even took it along to our Young Couple's Bible Study (I didn't tell any one what was in it until after they had tried it) and it was complimented by everyone who gave it a try. It's one of those recipes, I guess, that proves eating healthy can taste good!
Crunchy Quinoa SaladSandy Pomeroy
Ingredients:
2 cups cooked quinoa
1/4 cup dried arame (seaweed), crumbled and soaked
1 cup grated carrot
1/2 cup fineely chopped red pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1 Tbsp dried parsley
Dressing:
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp Tamari (soy sauce)
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp Herbamare
Directions: Soak the arame in 1/2 cup of water for 5 minutes. Drain. Stir the salad ingredients together in a bowl. Mix the dressing ingredients together in a glass jar. Shake well and pour over salad.
This salad keeps well for several days. Make a large batch and enjoy a healthy lunch every day this week. Or, serve with chicken for a protein-packed dinner!
One bite of this flavor-packed salad and you'll understand why Goodness Me cooking instructor Sandy Pomeroy named it Sensational Salad! A plate or two of this, and you're well on your way to 5-10 servings of vegetables per day. I've tweaked the recipe to suit our taste, but the original came from her.
Sensational Salad
4 cups organic salad mix (choose one with lots of different leaf varieties)
1 cup cauliflower florets, finely chopped
1/2 cucumber, quartered horizontally, then chopped
1/2 red pepper, finely chopped
1/4 cup green onions, finely chopped
1/2 carrot, grated
1 cup kale, finely chopped
1/2 cup mushrooms, finely chopped
1 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1 cup dried cranberries
Mix together in a large bowl. Serve with salad dressing (recipe below) to taste. Dressing:
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup flax oil
1 tsp. Herbamare
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 clove garlice, finely chopped
Mix together and store in a sealed jar. Shake before using. Refrigerate unused portion. If you love whole food recipes, you'll love the Cottage Mama's eBooks written by Kristy Howard. The Cottage Mama Plans Her Menu is a favorite in our house with 29 healthy, tasty, budget-friendly recipes and a 2-week menu plan. You can download it here for just $3.00.
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:
God
Spouse
Children
House
I start everyday in the Word. I can't make it through the rest of the list with out God's help so it only makes sense to give Him the #1 place in my life.
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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I wish this Japanese restaurant earned a higher score -- I really do. Not only is Hanabi close to a number of downtown offices and hotels, its bland storefront hides a warm and inviting dining room that puts you immediately at ease. The lanterns, curtains, sushi bar, and large number of semi-private booths could almost -- just for a second -- make you believe you were in Japan.
Hanabi's menu is full of Japanese favourites: Sushi, Tempura, Bento Boxes, Teriyaki and Edamame (whole soy beans) are all there. For the more adventurous, there's Soft Shell Crab, Okonomiyaki (Japanese pancake), and Seaweed Salad. There are also a a few Korean dishes on the menu.
When visiting for lunch last week, my friend (let's call her Ms. Thang) and I ordered a number of our favourites. It was her birthday and we have sushi on her birthday almost every year.
We asked for Miso Soup to start, followed by Gyoza (pork dumplings), Salmon Rolls, the Cream Cheese Roll (a house specialty), and two Inari (tofu pockets).
Things started reasonably well. The Gyoza arrived in about 10 minutes. They were OK, but I am almost certain they were store-bought -- a bit of a disappointment.
After another 10 minutes or so, we got the Inari, which usually come at the end of a meal, like a dessert item. At least they tasted good.
Then came the Cream Cheese Roll. Crisp seaweed wrapped itself around salmon, cream cheese, cucumber, avocado and a "Special Sauce" (our waitress told us it was warm apple sauce). This roll was a new one for both of us, and it was delicious.
Next up, and after another noticeable delay, we got one of the Salmon Rolls. The other was mysteriously absent. We split the eight tasty morsels of soft sushi rice and tender pink salmon. And then we waited.
Finally, the next Salmon Roll landed on the table. We devoured it quickly. Lunch hour was basically over at this point. It was at about that moment that Ms. Thang, who was getting testy, had a realization. "Umm, we never got our Miso," she said, usually the first item to arrive within minutes of ordering.
"No, we sure didn't," I said, and rolled my eyes. At that point we had no further time to waste.
I asked for the bill. It came two or three minutes later, so I put my money in the billfold and waited for the waitress to come get it. She didn't.
Ms. Thang and I gathered our things and headed to the till, by this point grumbling to each other about the service.
"How was everything?" asked the sweet and smiling hostess.
We diplomatically told her that the food was great, but holy jeepers, could it have come any slower? At lunch?
Perhaps the secret to success at Hanabi is to visit their website and pre-order items off the online menu. It couldn't hurt, anyway. Or, just go in at supper hour when you have a couple of hours to kill.
1822 Broad Street Regina, SK 306-586-BITE (2483) http://www.bittenonbroad.com/ _________________________________________________________
It's slightly gutsy to open a restaurant on a semi-abandoned block in downtown Regina that has seen its share of restaurants come and go over the years.
But entrepreneur Astrid Baecker did exactly that two years ago when renovations at 1822 Broad Street got underway. After sitting empty for a few years, the building was looking in pretty rough shape when things got started. Within a few months Baecker and her team added plenty of shine.
What's now known as Bitten used to be home to Gingerz. Before that it was a satellite location of India House for a matter of months. And wayyy before that it was New Orleans. And that's all the history I know of the place.
The room itself, long and narrow with a balcony looking over the main floor, is an awkward shape for a restaurant. That being said, Bitten has made things work by modernizing the colour scheme and placing high-top tables with bar stools on the main floor that can be easily moved around to accommodate groups of all sizes.
The second floor balcony is cozy and closer to the bar. If drinking is your main reason for visiting Bitten, sit upstairs.
The menu has grown over the last two years. It's now several pages long and covers a surprisingly wide range of cuisines. If you want Asian, Bitten does that. If you want Italian, Bitten does that. If you want Cajun, they do that too. While the variety is nice, the menu lacks focus overall. Some of the appetizers, like the stuffed mushroom caps, seem like a throwback to the '80s.
On the other hand, appetizers come in very generous portions. Some might even find them large enough to be a meal. They definitely make for good sharing in a group.
As for the rest of the food, it's generally good. Some entrees, like a Surf and Turf I had around Valentine's Day in 2009, lacked flavour. However, the pizzas and salads are filling, tasty, and priced just right.
I've been to Bitten five or six times in the last two years and the service has always been good, no matter the server. Service isn't always lighting fast, but it's attentive. And Bitten isn't really the type of place you go for a speedy meal.
I can't finish this review without talking about dessert. Bitten's motto, after all, is "Life is Short... Have Dessert First."
The menu features a whole page of desserts to choose from, all of them made in-house. Bitten does a good job of classics like the Creme Brulee and Creme Caramel. The Mascarpone Toffee Parcels were delish when I tried them a few months back. I haven't had Bitten's version of Sticky Toffee Pudding just yet, but that's next on my list.
My advice: check Bitten out if you haven't been, or if it's been awhile. It's worth supporting a local eatery that's breathing life into our downtown core.
Some of my fondest memories as a child were of summer vacations with our family. No matter how tight the budget (and with a large farming family, it was tight!), we always took a few days off from our regular routine in the middle of the year.
Sometimes we borrowed a trailer from friends and camped not a half-hour from home. Sometimes we tented in a provincial park. Four years in a row we cottaged at my Opa and Oma's resort up North.
We always come back refreshed and recharged after long nights of story-telling around the campfire, roasting marshmallows, early morning fishing off the dock, burying each other in the sand, and swimming across the lake. It bonded us closer together as a family and we excitedly looked forward to it every year.
Now that I'm married, we're carrying on the tradition with our own family and I have a whole new appreciation for the time and energy my Mom invested each year into our vacations! A summer holiday, especially with small children, requires a lot of work and preparation. There are plenty of ways however, to ensure that Mama enjoys some rest and relaxation too.
Here are 10 tips I learned from my Mom who's been camping with kids for 25 years!
1. Create a master checklist. Include everything from food to clothes and equipment. You may wish to incorporate multiple check boxes beside each item so you can reuse the list each year. Make mini check-lists for children who are old enough to read and be responsible for packing their own clothes.
2. Designate a "Camping Spot." In the weeks before hand, designate a room (or part of a room) in the house as "The Camping Station." Anything on the checklist that can be put together ahead of time can collect in that spot. Mark it off as you go.
3. Pack efficiently. This is especially important if your space is very limited. Camping with 3 kids ages 3 and under this year meant we had to take along many bulky items like strollers, a playpen, bassinet, and lawn chairs. We still had room to spare in our van by using stackable totes and diaper boxes for dry food and clothes, and large garbage bags for things that could be "squished" into awkward spots like blankets and towels.
4. Prepare your meals in advance. If you're hard-core camping (no electricity) this probably won't work. We rented a cottage this year that included an oven and fridge. I froze our dinners ahead of time in disposable foil pans. This made for quick and easy serving and clean-up! The ABC's of Freezer Cooking is worth a read if you plan on doing this.
5. Use paper everything. You're not going to win an eco-friendly awards for doing this, but if you want a real holiday from doing dishes, bring along paper cups and plates, plastic cutlery, and a large garbage bag. I thoroughly enjoyed a week off of dishes this year (and the kids loved having us be able to spend that extra time with them).
6. Prepare for bad weather. Bring along warm sweaters in case of cold and rain. Read-alouds and board games are great for days you're forced to stay inside.
7. Stick to your routine as much as possible. Children thrive on routine! Try your best to schedule meals, nap-times, and bed-time as you usually would for a family of happy campers.
8. Insist on small children wearing life-jackets. You don't want your vacation ending in tragedy! If you're going to be next to water, insist on young children wearing flotation devices any time they're outdoors. Two minutes of being distracted with something else is all it takes for a child to drown.
9. Use the "Treasure Chest" to keep long drives fun. Fill a container with fun finds from the Dollar Store and allow children to pick something new out of the Treasure Chest to play with every hour on long drives. Lap-sized Magna Doodles, snacks, plastic animals, and dinky cars are great hits! Audio books like Adventures in Odyssey, Jonathan Park and Farmer Boy (our choice this year) are great ways to keep older children occupied (and to be honest, Mom and Dad too!). 10. Keep your expectations low. Be determined to make the best of each situation, that way you won't be disappointed when it rains all week, the mosquitoes are vicious, you get a flat tire, and the kids don't sleep well at night. If the point of your holiday is to enjoy bonding time as a family, embrace the opportunities to display a selfless love towards them!
Do you enjoy vacationing with your family? What are some tips you've found helpful in making your time together as restful and relaxing as possible?
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: Raising Homemakers, Deep Roots At Home, Raising Arrows, Time Warp Wife, Far Above Rubies, A Wise Woman.
It took a few years of being surprised each time I peeled off the shell before I finally thought to ask Brad's Mom, a master with food, how to guarantee a perfectly boiled egg each time.
When I used my own method, soft-boiled eggs would turn out runny, and hard-boiled eggs resulted in an ugly gray film around the yolks. Now, they turn out perfect every time! Here's my mother-in-law's secret: For soft-boiled eggs (pictured above): Add eggs (don't use fresh ones as they're harder to peel) to a saucepan and cover with cold water. Dribble in a little vinegar and a dash of salt. Bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. Turn the burner off and cover the pan with a lid. Set the timer for 6 minutes. Immediately immerse eggs in cold water to stop the cooking process. Peel, slice, and enjoy! For hard-boiled eggs: Repeat the same steps above, only increasing the cooking time to 8 minutes instead of six. My lunch above consists of a whole grain pita, old cheddar, mayo, organic salad greens, and a boiled egg seasoned with freshly ground pepper and sea salt. So easy, so yummy!
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