tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56541704448860901782024-03-14T00:20:04.861-04:00Dandelions In My Vase~LKBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10456220846939366385noreply@blogger.comBlogger284125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5654170444886090178.post-23414493604287462872014-04-14T01:04:00.000-04:002014-04-14T01:04:53.578-04:00Menu Plan Monday<div style="text-align: justify;">
Time for a menu plan! I've been doing a great job at planning but not so great with putting it on here. Things are finally starting to slow down a little bit, so I might be able to get around to doing a few of the things I've been letting slide - like blogging! Anyhow, here's what will be on our table this week:</div>
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<b>Monday</b><br />
B: French Toast, Sausage<br />
L: Mini Grilled Cheese, carrot sticks with ranch, strawberries<br />
D: Bunless Cheeseburgers, Potato Salad, Apple Carrot Slaw w/ lemon chia dressing<br />
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<b>Tuesday</b><br />
B: Eggs & Bacon, Orange Wedges<br />
L: Leftover Slaw & Potato Salad<br />
D: Chicken Chimichangas, Beans, Guacamole Salad, Salsa<br />
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<b>Wednesday</b><br />
B: Oatmeal, Fruit, Boiled Eggs<br />
L: Beef Fried Rice & Veggies<br />
D: Grilled Steaks, Baked Potatoes, Honey Glazed Carrots<br />
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<b>Thursday</b><br />
B: Pancakes, Sausage, Fruit<br />
L: Avocado Egg Salad Sandwiches, Fruit Salad, Celery Sticks<br />
D: Sweet & Sour Chicken, Rice, Broccoli, Pineapple<br />
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<b>Friday</b><br />
B: Yogurt, Fruit & Granola Parfaits, Boiled Eggs<br />
L: Chicken & Cheese Quesadillas<br />
D: Salmon, Zucchini Rice Casserole, Green Beans<br />
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<b>Saturday</b><br />
B: Eggs & Bacon, Grapefruit<br />
L: Tuna Salad, Leftover Zucchini Caserole<br />
D: Deer Roast, Roasted Potatoes &Carrots<br />
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<b>Sunday</b><br />
B: Oatmeal, Boiled Eggs, Fruit<br />
L: Easter Dinner North (my family)<br />
D: Easter Dinner South (hubby's family)<br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">~LKB</div>~LKBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10456220846939366385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5654170444886090178.post-61609507520205657722014-04-07T22:45:00.000-04:002014-04-07T22:45:50.327-04:00An End to Innocence<div style="text-align: justify;">
Today is an anniversary day for me, though not one that I celebrate. Today, April 7th, is the anniversary of my last day of innocence. An innocence in which everything turns out the way we think it’s supposed to be. Life is lovely, filled with possibility and futures to be planned. Happily-ever-after exists and each approaching new day promises excitement and wonder. For me, that fantasy ended on April 8th, 2003. <br /> I was five months pregnant with our first child - a child we struggled nine long years to conceive. We woke up early and excitedly got ready to go to the hospital’s imaging department for the first glimpses at the little life growing in me. My heart was swelling with joy as I anticipated seeing a tiny heart beating and those 10 precious fingers and 10 precious toes. <br /> Moments into the ultrasound, I sensed there was a problem. I pretended not to notice how quiet the technician was. I forced myself to pretend like it was a normal thing for the technician to excuse herself from the room only minutes after starting what was supposed to be a half hour long event. Panic was welling up inside me but I made myself remain calm as I prayed that everything was going to be fine. After 15 agonizing minutes, the technician came in again and told me we were done and I could head to my doctor’s office which was located in another wing of the hospital. We saw no images of a beautiful, active, tiny person moving on the screen. No heart beating. No fingers. No toes. <br /> As we made our way through the halls, we both knew there was something terribly wrong though neither of us could even begin to speak it. We sat in the waiting room for another 30 minutes. Waiting. Praying. Hoping. <br /> Finally, sitting in front of the doctor’s desk, we heard the words. "Your baby has died." It echoed in my head. I only remember snippets of the conversation from then on. He gave us our options for how to proceed and we left the hospital in the deepest grief we had ever known. Physically, I knew what I would be doing in the coming days, but I wasn’t sure how I was going to emotionally get through everything that was coming. I wept that entire night.<br /> When morning came, we quietly drove back to the hospital, dreading the coming hours. I was induced into labor and later that day, gave birth to a beautiful, silent, tiny, baby boy. I marveled at how perfectly formed his little body was. Tiny fingers, tiny toes, tiny mouth, tiny nose. Perfect save for one thing. Silent and still, I held him. We wept over him. We named him Alexander. The nurse dressed him in a tiny white gown that was made and donated by a volunteer from the area. The nurse took pictures of our son and then brought him back to us one last time before taking him to the morgue. <br /> My heart had been filled with the excitement and joy of expecting the birth of a child but two days later, my heart was broken and stricken with grief. We buried our son on April 12, 2003 in a tiny, white casket, covered with miniature blue and white carnations. Leaving the cemetery that day, knowing my son’s little body would stay there forever was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. I was a mother who would never see her child grow up. There would be no diaper changes, no sweet giggles, no first words, no memories to be made, no sight of him again on this side of heaven. <br /> Only by the grace of God did I manage to make it through those days, weeks, months - though, I was never the same. Those around me were disappointed that I didn’t snap back to my old self, but that woman died the moment the words came out of the doctor’s mouth. The person that I am today was born in the days that followed those words. I became a woman who desperately needed to lean on her Heavenly Father to make it through the rest of life. My days of happy innocence were gone. Though I went on to have two living children, I wasn’t able to fully experience the joys of pregnancy. I worried about all the things that could go wrong. I needed constant assurance that the little one growing in my womb was okay. I didn’t breathe a sigh of relief until the day that I held each of those little ones in my arms and saw the life in their eyes and heard their newborn cries. And even then, I still worried about what might go wrong. Honestly, I still have days when fear tries to take over and trusting God seems to be an impossible feat.<br /> It’s been 11 years since I experienced that last day of innocence. Since then, I’ve been able to have moments of joy that I never imagined could have happened while I was living out those days of grief. While the innocence is gone, joy never left me. It was just hidden for a time. There are still days when my grief flows as fresh as it did that day when I held my silent child. Days when my mind briefly wanders to what life might be like today with an 11 year old boy added to the mix. I wonder if he would have had the same gentle and loving spirit as his younger siblings. If he would have had the same fiery hair and fair complexion. If he would have the same love of life and learning. But, the Father gently reminds me that all life is but a moment on this earth. This place is not my home. It’s just a stop on the way. I miss him terribly, but Alexander is waiting for me in my true home. And there, joy, like none other, will never get lost behind grief.</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">~LKB</div>~LKBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10456220846939366385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5654170444886090178.post-91320319535645819472014-02-03T15:31:00.000-05:002014-02-03T15:31:01.709-05:00Muffin Tin Monday - Groundhog Day<div style="text-align: justify;">
Every year, the kiddos and I wake up extra early in order to watch some of the spectacle that is Groundhog Day. We watch it from the warmth of our house, on television, because I don't think I will ever be willing to stand amongst 25,000 people in the freezing cold for hours and hours in order to see the whole 15 seconds of Punxsutawny Phil being thrust up in the air before he "chooses" a scroll which spells out our meteorological fate for the coming 6 weeks. I do, however, thoroughly enjoy watching it on tv. From the fireworks at 6:30 AM to the crazy men singing popular tunes with the lyrics changed to pay homage to the ground dwelling critter to the Pennsylvania Polka being played as the festivities end - I'm down with all of it. For that short time, I will even make comments about how cute the most famous groundhog in the country looks. My opinion of groundhogs does, however, change quite a bit in the spring when the local beasties start to lay waste to my garden. </div>
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Anyhow, in order to celebrate the fun that is Groundhog Day (even though he saw his shadow) I decided on a Groundhog Day themed Muffin Tin Monday! Here is what was in the tin this week:</div>
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Punxsy Phil PB sandwiches (tortilla rounds with peanut butter, candy eyes, blueberry nose and cheese whiskers and teeth), broccoli trees, pretzel sticks & cashews to represent things a groundhog might eat (they eat plants and bits of trees) and blueberry applesauce & pom plum juice to represent the darkness of the shadow Phil saw. </div>
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The kids really enjoyed the Groundhog Day theme and gobbled everything down. Well, Micah skipped the broccoli. No big surprise there. I'd share pics of the kids with their meals but the 4000+ photos on my phone are making it difficult for me. I think I need to spend some time uploading some pics!</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">~LKB</div>~LKBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10456220846939366385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5654170444886090178.post-81291245844519323452014-01-29T14:17:00.000-05:002014-01-29T14:17:42.809-05:00Tiny Lunch<div style="text-align: justify;">
I decided to have a little fun with the kiddos for lunch today. After finishing morning school, I sent them on quiet reading time while I tried to decide what to make for lunch. Our usual plan of leftovers for dinner was not doable since we ended up having a last minute dinner elsewhere for our little nephew's 2nd birthday. What fun! He's too cute!</div>
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I scanned the fridge and the only thing that stood out to me was about half a pound of ground beef left over from burger night. Mini meatballs popped into my mind. We could have cheese cubes and boiled eggs with mini meatballs. Add some crackers and veggies and we'd have a rounded out meal. As I stood in the kitchen for 7 hours (or so it seemed) forming approximately 97,000 mini meatballs (ok, it was actually only 90), I thought it might be fun to surprise the kids with an entire mini meal.</div>
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As the mini meatballs cooked, I cut tiny cheese cubes and cut pieces off the egg putting a wee bit of yolk in the center to look like a half a boiled egg. Then I put it all together! Here is what lunch looked like when my two little redheads came out to eat.</div>
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They were quite amused! They said we should have tiny lunch every day.</div>
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And yes, my son is wearing one of his sister's old, pink & purple jammies. Hand-me-downs - it's how we roll.</div>
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">~LKB</div>~LKBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10456220846939366385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5654170444886090178.post-89259469648300795812014-01-27T16:24:00.001-05:002014-01-27T16:28:36.987-05:00Menu Plan Monday<div style="text-align: justify;">
One of my goals for this new year of 2014 is to get back into menu planning. It saves me time and removes the age old question of "What should we have for dinner tonight?" which is almost always answered with "I don't know." I don't have a recipe for "I don't know." Anyhow, I'm on my 4th week of menu planning now so I thought maybe it was time to blog it and link up with other meal planners (though I suppose I should have checked to make sure the website I used to link with is still hosting). Here is what's on the menu at our house this week!</div>
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<b>Monday:</b> Bunless Cheeseburgers, Fried Potatoes, Steamed Carrots.<br />
<b>Tuesday:</b> Chicken Chimichangas, Fried Rice & Beans, Guacamole Salad<br />
<b>Wednesday:</b> Family Table at SLW<br />
<b>Thursday:</b> Grilled Chicken, Pasta Alfredo, Steamed Broccoli<br />
<b>Friday:</b> Out to Dinner for My Birthday!<br />
<b>Saturday:</b> Venison Steaks, Mashed Potatoes & Gravy, Golden Beets<br />
<b>Sunday:</b> Out to a Super Bowl Party<br />
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Sounds like a pretty good week - especially since I don't have to cook so much!<br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">~LKB</div>~LKBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10456220846939366385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5654170444886090178.post-65187838805404289052014-01-27T15:49:00.000-05:002014-01-27T15:49:22.624-05:00Muffin Tin Monday - Snow Day Theme<div style="text-align: justify;">
Well, it's been a while, but I finally made it back to my poor, nearly abandoned, little blog. I am really hoping to be able to spend more time here now that we are getting more organized in our home and daily schedule. It's simply amazing how busy life gets as the children grow. Once upon a time, life was busy due to all the things you must do for a baby and toddler, and I thought (silly me for thinking) that once they were old enough to do things like go to the bathroom on their own, bathe & dress themselves and even get their own snacks, then I would be able to sit back and relax a bit. I was wrong. All those baby things have been replaced with homeschooling, homeschool group meetings, Trail Life, American Heritage Girls, Gym & Swim, Uchooz (Wed night kids church), service projects, field trips and social things like play dates and birthday parties! Wow! In the beautiful chaos that is raising children, I sometimes stop and think that maybe changing diapers 10 to 12 times a day wasn't so bad after all! The truth is though, that I wouldn't change a thing. My kids are happy & healthy and enjoying all the wondrous things and amazing people God has brought into our lives. </div>
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Even though we are undoubtedly busy, I've missed the fun we used to have with Muffin Tin Mondays. It takes a bit of time to plan and even more time to put together, but I love seeing the kids' faces when they see their little trays of fun food. Plus it gives me a chance to be creative in a different way. It was a last minute decision to make a muffin tin meal today, so I couldn't put much time into planning. Since the snow is still steadily falling here, I decided to make today's theme Snow Day. </div>
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<b>Top:</b> Blueberry applesauce with snow sprinkles, sliced apples (the center looks kind of snow-flakey) and snowy white milk</div>
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<b>Bottom:</b> A snowy white boiled egg (these were meant to be molded to look like bunnies but the eggs were too small for the mold and they just look like eggs), carrots (if you intend to build a snowman on a snow day, you must have a carrot for the nose, right?) and pita crackers with snowflake cheese bits (I thought I had a tiny snowflake cutter but this was the closest thing I had)</div>
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Yeah, I know. Some of these are a bit of a stretch but it worked for the kids! Hopefully, we will be back next week with a new tin! I intend to keep up with this since we don't have too many years left before they start to think they are too grown up for MTM!</div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">~LKB</div>~LKBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10456220846939366385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5654170444886090178.post-17976771158550626262013-09-12T22:03:00.001-04:002013-09-12T22:03:38.258-04:00Making Snack Time a Little Easier<div style="text-align: justify;">
I'm a mom. Like all moms out there, I always have at least 974 things going on at one time. Homeschooling, cooking, cleaning, planning meals, playing referee in arguments, never-ending laundry, washing dishes, more cleaning, paying bills, feeding chickens, feeding cats, catching the chicken who escapes from the enclosure 90 times a day, cleaning some more, reminding children to flush & wash hands, feeding a cricket (as of yesterday), exercising, running kids to various homeschool activities, rounding up library books, fixing broken toys, changing batteries, planning field trips - to name a few of the things I find myself doing day after day. When I finally have a moment to sit down and rest, here come the kiddos asking for a snack. With a heavy sigh, up I get and head out to the kitchen again. We've all been there.</div>
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So what's a mom to do? Let the kids go get their own snack, shoving grubby little hands into the bag of whatever, leaving it open to get stale, eating way more than they ought to and leaving crumbs all over the kitchen? I don't think so. I'd have to add cleaning to that list up above yet another time. Time to start the thinking wheels a'turning.</div>
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Today, I put my evil plan to have a little more down time for myself into action. Mwahahaha! Sorry. I got carried away for a moment. It's kind of exciting to think about having a little extra time to yourself!</div>
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So here is what I did.</div>
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First, I did pantry snacks. I sat down at the kitchen table with a box of snack size zip bags and a variety of packages of snacks. Then, I simply measured out individual portions into the bags. I neatly stacked the bags of snacks in a plastic shoebox container. In this box: individual serving packets of peanut butter; Udi's GF crisps; Annie's Cheddar Snack Mix; pretzel crackers; a homemade trail mix that has pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, dried berries (cran, straw & blue) and Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips; and lastly fruit leathers. Other options for the box: granola bars, tortilla chips, fruit & nut mix, beef jerky, rice crackers, snap pea crisps, nut thin crackers, granola & raisins, popcorn, homemade Lara bars, banana chips or homemade cookies as a special treat. </div>
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Next, I did refrigerator snacks. First, I had to clear a space in the fridge. I have to admit, I am not very good at keeping my fridge neat & tidy, so this added a little time to my initial prep time. After that, it didn't take long to get the rest done. The fridge snacks include: various fruits - oranges, peaches, apples, grapes and a kiwi; cut veggies - carrots and celery sticks; mozzarella cheese rounds; colby jack mini cheese sticks; and yogurt in little mason jars (the containers with the dry erase "y" on them because I also have cups of milk in the fridge and don't want them to get confused). Other options for the fridge snacks: olives, pickles, pepper strips, snap peas, hard boiled eggs, cherry tomatoes, cooked sausage links (we love apple, maple chicken sausages), cucumbers, meatballs, fruit salad, melon balls, apple sauce, ham cubes, cauliflower, broccoli, chicken cubes or ham & cheese pinwheels (spread cream cheese on a slice of ham, top with a layer of spinach leaves, roll it up and cut into half inch long pieces).</div>
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Now, with just a little bit of prep time once a week, when the kids start begging me to get them a snack 9 seconds after I sit down, I can simply direct them to the snack section of either the fridge or pantry. They love the freedom of getting to choose what they feel like having from a number of options and I love getting to have a few extra minutes to sit and enjoy some quiet while they are eating. Wait, did I say quiet? Yeah, it's rarely quiet. Add reminding the kids not to talk (or sing) with their mouths full to that list up above.</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">~LKB</div>~LKBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10456220846939366385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5654170444886090178.post-8291760646281208712013-01-15T23:30:00.000-05:002013-01-16T00:26:20.593-05:00Back to the Blog with a Muffin Tin Meal!<div style="text-align: justify;">
It's been a little while since I've written anything here. Life just got busy over the summer and then school started and well... I let it go a while. So I decided to ease back into things with a Muffin Tin Meal post! My kids love when I do these but I just never seem to have the time to pull them together anymore but I managed to get one done today. Well, sort of - the muffin tins didn't easily hold what we were serving, so we basically just used one silicone muffin liner on a plate. </div>
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We recently got a membership to the library and one of the first books that Laural decided to check out was A Princess Cookbook. The recipes require no cooking, just some mixing and putting stuff together. Laural had a blast reading the book, helping me make a shopping list, shopping for all the ingredients and then putting the meal together. We made a couple changes to some of the recipes that worked with some stuff we already had on hand. </div>
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Laural reading A Princess Cookbook the night before we went shopping.</div>
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The Princess and the Pea Salad. We cut the tomatoes to look like hearts - that wasn't in the cookbook.</div>
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Laural's Princess Meal: Wish on the Evening Star Sandwich (this was supposed to be a Slipper Sandwich as in Cinderella's slipper, but we couldn't find a shoe cookie cutter & I didn't want to try cutting it free hand, so the next best thing was a star), Magic Wand (pretzel rods dipped in candy melts with sprinkles), Princess Parfait (vanilla yogurt, raspberries & granola), Castle Crunch (peanuts, dried cranberries, banana chips & marshmallow cereal) with the Princess & the Pea Salad in the middle. Not shown is the Fairy Tale Float (natural cherry soda & cherry ice cream) which we saved for dessert.</div>
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I wish I could have taken pics of the kids enjoying their meals, but I had to finish making the grown up dinner so mommy & daddy could eat too! They really enjoyed helping make the meal and then eating it too! I think I need to try to do these more often again.</div>
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">~LKB</div>~LKBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10456220846939366385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5654170444886090178.post-83410605153616206142012-06-16T21:42:00.000-04:002012-06-16T21:42:03.947-04:00Our New Backyard Residents<div style="text-align: justify;">
They've been a part of the family for a little over 3 months now, but our chickies didn't get into their permanent quarters until last night. This morning, after breakfast, we went out, opened the door and let the flock have their first look at their new world. We sat back in our lawn furniture to watch the show. Yes, we are easily entertained.</div>
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A couple of the reds & a black were the first to pop their heads out.</div>
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This is Ariel, Aurora & Jasmine. </div>
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Ariel hung out on the logs a little while & looked around but Aurora & Jasmine ducked back inside.</div>
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Prince Charming was the 1st one brave enough to actually put feet on the ground.</div>
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Laural helped make the new waterer. Here she is hauling over the supplies.</div>
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Micah decided to come get a closeup seat for the chicken watching.</div>
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When we opened the front door to put a little more bedding material in, the Brahmas decided they were heading out. They stuck together in a group, finding the mulch pile right behind the coop and picked in that for a bit.</div>
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I love how they all stayed in their safe little group.</div>
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After a little more exploration, they found some weeds by the fence that they just loved! They pretty much stayed here for the rest of the afternoon.</div>
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Snow White, Cinderella & Rapunzel look for some tasty greens.</div>
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Aurora, Tiana & Belle were finally coaxed out of the coop by some food.</div>
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Pocahontas joined the others for a bite to eat. Ariel & Jasmine went & hid under the coop before running back inside. They weren't quite ready for the great outdoors.</div>
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After they were a little more used to their surroundings, the group of Brahmas explored a little further away from the coop but the reds & blacks finished eating at the feeder and went back in the coop. I herded the Brahmas back into the coop in the evening and everyone seemed happy enough. I hope the reds & blacks get a little braver & explore a little tomorrow. </div>
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<br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">~LKB</div>~LKBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10456220846939366385noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5654170444886090178.post-69091255301083695112012-06-11T01:08:00.000-04:002012-08-04T00:10:00.934-04:002012 Summer Bucket List<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ayx6MuWzE7Q/T9V8hZgveFI/AAAAAAAAB7s/jirISFSuwxY/s1600/bucket2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="248" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ayx6MuWzE7Q/T9V8hZgveFI/AAAAAAAAB7s/jirISFSuwxY/s320/bucket2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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For several years, at the beginning of summer, we have talked about all the things we'd like to do over the summer. We usually get a few things accomplished but by the end of summer we have forgotten many of the things we so excitedly discussed at summer's start. This year, we are going to try something new. After seeing a post on Pinterest, the kids, hubby & I sat down to create our own Summer Bucket List for 2012. When we were all done brainstorming, we had a list of 103 things to do! Some are simple backyard fun things while others require some travel. Some are free while others will require a fee. Some are educational while others are simple, mindless fun. No matter what they are though, one thing is certain - we are going to have quite the fun summer! We have already completed several things and we might just add to the list if something comes to mind. I might make up a cute chart, list or something else like the ones I've seen on Pinterest, but not sure yet.</div>
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<u><b>Our 2012 Summer Bucket List</b></u></h3>
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1. <strike>make backyard tents</strike></div>
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2. water balloon piñatas</div>
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3. go camping</div>
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4. <strike>toast marshmallows</strike></div>
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5. outdoor finger painting</div>
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6. make branch blocks</div>
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7. build a fairy garden/fairy house</div>
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8. create our own outdoor wonderland </div>
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9. color scavenger hunt</div>
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10. make a water wall</div>
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11. <strike>have a picnic in the park</strike></div>
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12. take a nature walk</div>
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13. take an alphabet walk</div>
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14. go to Carnegie Museum of Art</div>
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15. <strike>go to Carnegie Science Center</strike></div>
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16. go to Carnegie Museum of Natural History</div>
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17. <strike>go to the drive-in movies</strike></div>
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18. <strike>go to the beach</strike></div>
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19. fly a kite</div>
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20. read outside</div>
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21. <strike>blow bubbles</strike></div>
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22. go fishing</div>
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23. <strike>go bowling</strike></div>
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24. plant a garden</div>
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25. gaze at the stars/find constellations</div>
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26. bird watching/learn bird calls</div>
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27. make a bird house & feeder</div>
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28. <strike>go geocaching</strike></div>
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29. <strike>go to the farmer's market</strike></div>
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30. play board games outside</div>
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31. make a terrarium</div>
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32. make homemade ice pops & eat them outside</div>
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33.make sun prints</div>
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34. <strike>play in the sprinklers</strike></div>
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35. <strike>make s'mores</strike></div>
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36. participate in summer reading program</div>
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37. go mini golfing</div>
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38. <strike>bbq & eat outside</strike></div>
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39. have a yard sale</div>
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40. make root beer floats</div>
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41. have a water balloon battle</div>
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42. make nature rubbings</div>
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43. make straw structures</div>
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44. <strike>watch fireworks</strike></div>
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45. make elephant toothpaste</div>
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46. paint outside</div>
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47. <strike>play I spy</strike></div>
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48. jump rope</div>
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49. <strike>hula hoop</strike></div>
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50. go to the zoo</div>
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51. watch a meteor shower</div>
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52. go to a flea market</div>
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53. <strike>go swimming</strike></div>
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54. <strike>go to a parade</strike></div>
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55. <strike>go to a fair</strike></div>
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56. visit the train park/museum in Greenville</div>
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57. make pizza on the grill</div>
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58. tour a fire department</div>
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59. <strike>play at a playground</strike></div>
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60. make rock bugs</div>
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61. play with play dough outside</div>
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62. make sponge balls & have a water battle</div>
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63. outdoor bowling</div>
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64. go to creation museum in Akron</div>
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65. <strike>make a sand castle</strike></div>
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66. play Frisbee/Frisbee golf</div>
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67. <strike>watch a sunset</strike></div>
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68. ice block treasures</div>
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69. make bubble snakes</div>
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70. <strike>play with sparklers and do backyard fireworks</strike></div>
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71. make a photo memory book</div>
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72. play in the rain</div>
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73. catch crawfish (and release)</div>
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74. have a campfire sing-a-long/jam</div>
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75. play hot/cold</div>
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76. make a nature table</div>
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77. do the mint candy/diet cola experiment</div>
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78. decorate enchanted garden for 4th of July</div>
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79. <strike>go to Strawberry Days in Grove City (June 8, 9, 10)</strike></div>
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80. <strike>go to an outdoor concert</strike></div>
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81. make lemonade</div>
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82. ride bicycles</div>
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83. <strike>find shapes in the clouds</strike></div>
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84. feed the geese at the park</div>
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85. memorize a scripture verse (or a few)</div>
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86. make a fruit pizza </div>
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87. drink mojitos/faux-jitos around the campfire</div>
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88. <strike>make a backyard melody maker (as seen in Family Fun magazine)</strike></div>
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89. Koosh ball painting</div>
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90. <strike>go to yard sales</strike></div>
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91. <strike>eat watermelon & spit the seeds</strike></div>
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92. make dot art with ink & pencil erasers or cotton swabs</div>
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93. <strike>blow up balloons with CO2 (vinegar & baking soda)</strike></div>
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94. make homemade finger paints</div>
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95. make cotton swab fireworks pictures</div>
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96. play with glow sticks outside at night</div>
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97. <strike>watch fireflies and report what we see online</strike></div>
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98. make mountain pies</div>
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99. have glowing drinks at night</div>
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100. play with lots of glow sticks in the pool at night</div>
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101. <strike>hike at McConnells Mill State Park</strike></div>
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102. <strike>go Cosmic Bowling</strike></div>
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103. <strike>feed the fish at Linesville</strike></div>
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I'll be keeping this list up, crossing off things as we do them and linking to posts of us doing each thing as we go. I'm really looking forward to our summer of fun!</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">~LKB</div>~LKBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10456220846939366385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5654170444886090178.post-68255047198035450722012-03-15T19:23:00.000-04:002012-03-15T19:23:57.571-04:00Green SmoothiesJust over a month ago, I decided to finally purchase Fermented Cod Liver Oil (FCLO) and start the whole family on it. After all, the benefits of FCLO are wonderful, so why not get everyone in on it? The only problem is that FCLO is gross. I'm not going to lie. It smells awful and tastes worse. Plenty of people say that after a while, you get used to it but I just can't ever imagine getting used to it. So, I decided that I needed to find a way to hide it. Enter our super hero: The Green Smoothie. <br />
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What is wonderful about this smoothie is that not only are we getting the benefits of the FCLO, but I've added other ingredients to boost the benefits of this smoothie even further. My son, who has some eating issues will suck down his smoothie quick as a snap not even realizing he has just has just ingested several things that he would normally refuse without consideration. I make this in a large batch that serves all four of us - a pint each for my hubby & I and half pints for the kids. We cannot taste the fish oil at all.<br />
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GREEN SMOOTHIE<br />
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2 medium organic bananas (these can be frozen, if desired)<br />
1-1/2 cups frozen organic strawberries<br />
2 cups fresh organic baby spinach leaves<br />
1 pint raw dairy kefir<br />
1 pint raw milk<br />
1/3 cup coconut oil<br />
1-1/2 tsp FCLO (we use the high vitamin butter oil/FCLO combination)<br />
3 TBSP organic chia seeds<br />
1/4 cup raw local honey<br />
stevia drops as needed for desired sweetness<br />
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Put all ingredients into the blender and blend until smooth. Because of the strawberry seeds, chia seeds and the coconut oil, it won't get completely smooth but we like the occasional crunchiness we get from the seeds.<br />
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So, besides the vitamins and minerals from the bananas, strawberries & spinach AND the <a href="http://www.cheeseslave.com/why-fermented-cod-liver-oil/" target="_blank">benefits of the FCLO</a>, we get the <a href="http://www.coconutoil.com/" target="_blank">benefits of coconut oil</a>, the <a href="http://gnowfglins.com/2009/06/01/why-kefir/" target="_blank">probiotic goodness of dairy kefir</a>, the <a href="http://nuts.com/cookingbaking/chia-seeds/premium.html" target="_blank">benefits off chia seeds</a> and the wholesome goodness of raw, whole milk. Some great places to find info on some of these amazing ingredients are: <a href="http://gnowfglins.com/" target="_blank">GNOWFGLINS</a>, <a href="http://www.cookingtf.com/" target="_blank">Cooking Traditional Foods</a>, <a href="http://www.foodrenegade.com/" target="_blank">Food Renegade</a>, <a href="http://www.cheeseslave.com/" target="_blank">Cheeseslave</a> and of course the <a href="http://www.westonaprice.org/" target="_blank">Weston A. Price Foundation</a>.<div class="blogger-post-footer">~LKB</div>~LKBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10456220846939366385noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5654170444886090178.post-48177069250013637152012-02-02T18:49:00.002-05:002012-02-02T18:49:32.475-05:00Real Food Journey: Goals, part 2: Dietary Dangers<div style="text-align: justify;">
As I stated in my previous post, there are two lists that I am using to base most of our dietary changes on at the Weston A. Price Foundation Website. I covered the first list, Dietary Guidelines, in my last post so in this post I will share how we are doing on the second list, Dietary Dangers.</div>
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<b>1. Don't eat commercially processed foods such as cookies, cakes,
crackers, TV dinners, soft drinks, packaged sauce mixes,
etc. </b></div>
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*We are doing well on this one with the exception of the occasional pack of cookies. I think we've purchased store bought cookies twice since we started this journey last summer. I'm not counting times when the kids are out at a church event, or at friends or family since it is quite difficult to enforce our dietary standards on others. I make sure that the kids are eating well at home so that these occasional deviations surrounded by whole foods. I'm doing pretty well with my soda addiction as well. I haven't completely given it up but I no longer drink it at home, only when we happen to be out.<br /> </div>
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<b>2. Avoid all refined sweeteners such as sugar, dextrose, glucose and high fructose corn syrup</b>. <br /> *We are doing quite well with this one as well. I use organic granulated sugar for my fermented beverages, but since the sugar is consumed by the fermentation process, we aren't consuming them. When we need something sweetened, we use maple syrup, honey or stevia or a combination. </div>
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<b>3. Avoid white flour, white flour products and white rice. </b><br /> *We are doing well with this. We do occasionally buy white bread when I have planned poorly and don't have bread ready, but it isn't often since we don't eat bread very often anymore. I have been using wheat flour or a variety of gluten free flours (such as coconut, almond or rice) when I bake. </div>
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<b>4. Avoid all hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fats and oils. </b><br /> *We have completely eliminated these oils. </div>
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<b>5. Avoid all vegetable oils made from soy, corn, safflower, canola or cottonseed. </b><br /> *We have eliminated all of these oils. </div>
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<b>6. Do not use polyunsaturated oils for cooking, sauteing or baking.</b> <br /> *We do not use any of these types of oils. We only use coconut oil, olive oil, lard, tallow or bacon fat for cooking, sauteing and baking. </div>
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<b>7. Avoid fried foods.</b> <br /> *We still occasionally have fried foods, but they are not commercially fried foods - I only fry fresh foods at home with one of the oils I listed above. </div>
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<b>8. Do not practice veganism; animal products provide vital nutrients not found in plant foods. </b><br /> *We could never practice veganism because we love meat, cheese, butter, milk, eggs, etc.</div>
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<b>9. Avoid products containing protein powders.</b> <br /> *Since we rarely buy anything processed or with more than 5 ingredients, this is not a concern. </div>
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<b>10. Avoid pasteurized milk; do not consume lowfat milk, skim milk, powdered milk or imitation milk products.</b> </div>
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*Since last summer, we have only consumed raw, whole fat milk & dairy products.<br /> </div>
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<b>11. Avoid battery-produced eggs and factory-farmed meats.</b> </div>
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*We buy our eggs from a local farm which allows their chickens to roam freely. We have stopped buying meat from the grocery store because it all comes from factory farms and now only purchase locally raised meats.<br /> </div>
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<b>12. Avoid highly processed luncheon meats and sausage containing MSG and other additives.</b> <br /> *We no longer purchase lunch meats or store bought sausages. </div>
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<b>13. Avoid rancid and improperly prepared seeds, nuts and grains found
in granolas, quick rise breads and extruded breakfast
cereals, as they block mineral absorption and cause
intestinal distress. </b></div>
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*We are doing well with this one since we no longer buy processed foods. We do occasionally buy unsweetened, cold cereal - I think we've probably used 2 boxes in the past 3 months. Steve doesn't cook so when he is in charge of breakfast, he usually goes for a box of cereal. <br /> </div>
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<b>14. Avoid canned, sprayed, waxed, bioengineered or irradiated fruits and vegetables.</b> </div>
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*We buy organic, unwaxed produce when possible, especially items on the dirty dozen list. <br /> </div>
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<b>15. Avoid artificial food additives, especially MSG, hydrolyzed
vegetable protein and aspartame, which are neurotoxins.
Most soups, sauce and broth mixes and commercial condiments
contain MSG, even if not so labeled. </b></div>
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*I am very vigilant about keeping these neurotoxins out of our home. When we are out at family, friends or church, products containing MSG, aspartame or hvp are not allowed at all.<br /> </div>
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<b>16. Avoid caffeine-containing beverages such as coffee, tea and soft drinks. Avoid chocolate. </b></div>
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*I fail at this one. Completely. I love chocolate and I do drink tea with caffeine. I have drastically reduced soft drinks but still have an occasional soda.<br /> </div>
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<b>17. Avoid aluminum-containing foods such as commercial salt, baking
powder and antacids. Do not use aluminum cookware or
aluminum-containing deodorants.</b></div>
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*We are doing well on some of these and not so well on others. I have stopped using aluminum containing foods with the exception of the rest of a can of baking powder with aluminum in it. I have also stopped using my aluminum cookware and have been using a lovely set of stainless steel cookware I was able to snag for an amazing deal a day or two after Christmas. We have not been able to stop using aluminum containing deodorants yet. I hope to find something soon that will take the place of deodorant but for now, I really don't like to go out of my house smelling like BO.<br /> </div>
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<b>18. </b><b>Do not drink fluoridated water. </b><br /> *Our town water supply is not fluoridated. Once we have a little extra money, we plan to purchase a Berkey filter to eliminate anything else that may be lurking on our water. </div>
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<b>19. </b><b>Avoid synthetic vitamins and foods containing them. </b></div>
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*We are doing well with this since most of these would be found in processed foods which we seldom use. We are in the process of switching our supplements over to real, non-synthetic versions but since the cost is much higher for the real thing, this has to be a process since we can't afford to do it all at once.<br /> </div>
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<b>20. </b><b>Do not drink distilled liquors.</b> </div>
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*Not an issue since we don't drink alcohol.<br /> </div>
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<b>21. </b><b>Do not use a microwave oven.</b></div>
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*We got rid of our microwave on January 7th this year. It's been nearly a month without and I haven't missed it much at all. </div>
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So those are our major goals as we make our way on this journey. In some areas, we are already where we want to be and in other areas, we have a long way to go. I am just going to continue with my baby steps and we will get there. I do have a bunch of sub-goals that fall under the heading of one of the goals on this or the other list, like obtaining kefir grains and adding that to our diet or eating a fermented food at every meal or getting my children to eat a fermented food at every meal. I am hoping that by the end of this year, we will have met all the goals I have listed. I think my next step is going to be to prioritize the things we haven't yet accomplished and then perhaps set a date to each one to give myself a deadline for making the change. Some parts of this journey are not going to be easy (like giving up chocolate) but with God's help & the reminder that God's food is real food and we glorify Him by eating the food He created for us, we will get there!</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">~LKB</div>~LKBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10456220846939366385noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5654170444886090178.post-536093366609059962012-01-31T07:24:00.000-05:002012-01-31T07:24:42.129-05:00Real Food Journey: Goals, part 1: Guidelines<div style="text-align: justify;">
When I wrote my first post regarding our real food journey, I noted that I would soon be including a list of our goals and changes that we want to make. I have sat down several times to make this list but never finished it. So, I decided that I would take a different approach to it. The Weston A. Price Foundation has two lists that I am basing pretty much all of our dietary changes on, so rather than sit here and try to make up my own lists, I will instead include the Weston A. Price lists here along with a brief explanation of how we are doing or plan to incorporate each one into our lives. I'm breaking this into two posts since the lists are a bit lengthy.</div>
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<b>Dietary Guidelines</b><br />
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1. Eat whole, natural foods. <br />
This is still a work in progress for us. While we do eat mostly whole, natural foods, we do still have a few processed foods that we continue to use (mostly snack items). This is an organizational issue for me. I need to better plan my days to allow for snack food preparations as well as regular meal prep.<br />
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2. Eat only foods that will spoil, but eat them before they do.<br />
This is also a work in progress as there are still a few items we use which are convenience or processed foods. <br />
<br />3. Eat naturally-raised meat including fish, seafood, poultry, beef, lamb, game, organ meats and eggs.<br />
We haven't been able to fully do this yet because of the cost but we have stopped buying grocery store meats that come from CAFO lots and have started buying locally raised meats and eggs. We also make sure to purchase fish & seafood that is wild caught and not farm raised.<br />
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4. Eat whole, naturally-produced milk products from pasture-fed cows,
preferably raw and/or fermented, such as whole yogurt, cultured butter,
whole cheeses and fresh and sour cream.<br />
In June last year, we started buying raw milk from a local farm that pasture feeds their cows. Besides drinking the milk, we use the cream to make butter & sour cream, and the milk to make homemade cheese & yogurt. I also use the buttermilk for biscuits & other recipes and whey in recipes and for lacto-fermentation.<br />
<br />5. Use only traditional fats and oils including butter and other animal
fats, extra virgin olive oil, expeller expressed sesame and flax oil
and the tropical oils—coconut and palm.<br />
We have completely eliminated industrial oils such as corn, soy & canola and have been using butter, coconut oil, olive oil, lard & tallow.<br />
<br />6. Eat fresh fruits and vegetables, preferably organic, in salads and soups, or lightly steamed.<br />
We have been increasing the amount of produce we eat. Last spring, I planted my first organic garden and we enjoyed fresh produce from it all summer. I also preserved some of the produce we harvested for later use. We plan to plant a garden again this spring. We try to purchase organic produce as often as our budget allows, especially the items on the dirty dozen list. <br />
<br />7. Use whole grains and nuts that have been prepared by soaking,
sprouting or sour leavening to neutralize phytic acid and other
anti-nutrients.<br />
This is a work in progress. I try to plan ahead so I can soak my grains & nuts but I frequently forget or end up changing my mind about something last minute and use unsoaked flours, grains, etc. This is also an organizational issue for me. I've also been trying to incorporate sourdough into our diet, but a few days after starting sourdough starter, it seems to die on me so I need to figure out what I'm doing wrong there. <br />
<br />8. Include enzyme-enhanced lacto-fermented vegetables, fruits, beverages and condiments in your diet on a regular basis.<br />
We are doing pretty well with this - well, I am. I'm having a rough time getting the kids on board. I have started brewing my own kombucha and I've recently made sauerkraut (2 kinds) and lacto-fermented ginger carrots. I've also been making lacto-fermented lemonade punch and raw milk yogurt. Laural will drink the kombucha, eat yogurt and I can usually talk her into eating a little of the other stuff but Micah will have nothing to do with any of it except the yogurt. He will drink the store bought kefir I've brought home a few times but that isn't really all that ideal since it's pasteurized. One of my short term goals is to get some water & dairy kefir grains and start making that as well.<br />
<br />9. Prepare homemade meat stocks from the bones of chicken, beef, lamb or fish and use liberally in soups and sauces.<br />
We are working on this one too. I have made bone broths on several occasions and we have started to drink it but it has been a little difficult for us to get down. We just aren't accustomed to it yet. We started doing really well with the broth a couple weeks ago and one night I used it to make the rice I was using in a stir fry. It tasted great and went over well. Even my picky Micah ate it! But later that night we all came down with a stomach bug and well, everything came up. After dealing with the undigested rice, the smell of the broth in crock pot made me sick so I made my husband dump it out. I haven't been able to start a new batch yet, but maybe soon. <br />
<br />10. Use herb teas and coffee substitutes in moderation.<br />
We don't drink coffee and seldom drink tea but when we do it is usually organic & herbal. <br />
<br />11. Use filtered water for cooking and drinking.<br />
We are hoping to get a Berkey filter later this year but for now we use water from our tap. I know it isn't fluoridated but I do believe there is chlorine added. All of the pitcher or faucet filters remove the chlorine taste & odor but don't appear to remove the actual chlorine. Not sure what that is all about really. I need to look into it more but until we can buy the Berkey, we will have to continue to use our tap.<br />
<br />12. Use unrefined Celtic sea salt and a variety of herbs and spices for food interest and appetite stimulation.<br />
We currently use Real Salt and Celtic sea salt. I've been experimenting with Bragg seasonings and have always used plenty of herbs & spices. <br />
<br />13. Make your own salad dressing using raw vinegar, extra virgin olive oil and expeller expressed flax oil.<br />
I've been making my own dressing for a while though I do still crave a particular brand of honey french dressing that is full of high fructose corn syrup & soy oil. I don't buy it but I miss it.<br />
<br />14. Use natural sweeteners in moderation, such as raw honey, maple syrup, dehydrated cane sugar juice and stevia powder.<br />
We made the switch to local raw honey, local real maple syrup, organic sugar (occasionally) and stevia powder & liquid this past summer. I didn't realize how very yummy real maple syrup was! So much better that the maple flavored corn syrup! <br />
<br />15. Use only unpasteurized wine or beer in strict moderation with meals.<br />
Not an issue for us as we don't like beer and rarely have wine. <br />
<br />16. Cook only in stainless steel, cast iron, glass or good quality enamel.<br />
I used Christmas money to buy a new set of stainless steel cookware during the after Christmas sales. I threw away a bunch of my cheap & non-stick bake ware but still haven't decided what to do with my rather large set of aluminum cookware that was rather expensive and still in excellent condition. I hate to throw it away but don't want to give it away for someone else to use either.<br />
<br />17. Use only natural supplements.<br />
Working on this one too. I am planning to start using fermented cod liver oil and other natural supplements but the cost can be a little prohibitive. <br />
<br />18. Get plenty of sleep, exercise and natural light.<br />
This is a tough one because I'm just not a day person so I'm up late, don't get enough sleep and really don't start to function until evening. Exercise can be tough due to some physical issues I have. I don't have a game plan for this one yet. <br />
<br />19. Think positive thoughts and minimize stress.<br />
I don't really have a lot of stress to begin with so that's not a problem. I do tend to be a worrier but I've been praying through that. <br />
<br />20. Practice forgiveness.<br />
Another work in progress. That old human habit of holding a grudge can be so hard to get past sometimes! <br />
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Overall, we are doing pretty well with the guidelines. Some are easy changes, some not so easy and some can cost a bit more that we can afford, but we are taking things slowly and doing what we can with what we have. Even small changes can have a big impact on your health!<br />
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Tomorrow, I will post the Weston A. Price Foundation Dietary Dangers and how we are progressing with those. For more information on the Dietary Guidelines and Dangers, go to the <a href="http://www.westonaprice.org/">Weston A. Price Foundation website</a>.<div class="blogger-post-footer">~LKB</div>~LKBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10456220846939366385noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5654170444886090178.post-91029390831621859002012-01-23T13:19:00.000-05:002012-01-23T13:19:51.775-05:00Muffin Tin Monday: Angry Birds<div style="text-align: justify;">
So, it's been a while since we've done one of our typical cutie patootie muffin tin meals. I can blame that on our ongoing transition to traditional foods. This food change has been challenging enough without worrying about trying to fit traditional foods into a cute muffin tin theme. I think I finally have enough of a handle on things to allow myself a little fun in the kitchen again. </div>
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Since we got a Kindle Fire for a birthday present - our first android device - we have been introduced to the world of Angry Birds. We are really enjoying it! So much so that Laural thinks she wants an Angry Birds themed birthday party this year! I started looking up ideas for a party on Pinterest (such an addiction) last night and in the midst of all that, I started thinking I might do a muffin tin meal for lunch. But what theme? Well, hey, why not Angry Birds since I'm knee deep in birdie searching anyhow? Here is what I came up with.</div>
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<u>Top Row</u> (of each tin): <b>Blocks</b> made of PB&J on wheat; <b>Red Bird</b> made from Babybel Cheese, nori features & carrot beak; <b>White Bird</b> made of boiled egg, carrot beak & nori details.</div>
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<u>Bottom Row</u>: <b>Boards</b> made of carrot sticks and a piggie about to buy it; <b>Little Pigs</b> made from green grapes with cheese and bits of grape as details; "<b>Grandpa Pig</b>" (that's what we call him, not sure what he is actually called) made from half a kiwi, sliced grape nose, fruit leather mustache& cheese eyes.</div>
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Overall, I was pretty pleased with how it turned out. I forgot ears for the pigs, the eggs were super fresh so peeling them was messy & I could have toasted the bread to make it stand up a little better. It was still pretty cute and the kids really liked it. Here are a couple close pics of some of the things, just for fun.</div>
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Laural & Micah really got a kick out of their tins. Honestly I probably could have just put plain stuff in the tins & they would have been happy just because it's been so long since they've had a muffin tin meal but what fun is that?</div>
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Linked up to:</div>
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<a href="http://muffintinmom.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Muffintinmom.com" border="0" src="http://i607.photobucket.com/albums/tt151/vistamommy/MTMblogbutton1252.png" /></a><br /> </div><div class="blogger-post-footer">~LKB</div>~LKBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10456220846939366385noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5654170444886090178.post-48222736963351873402012-01-15T00:21:00.000-05:002012-01-15T00:21:23.772-05:00Real Food Journey: There's Something Growing Behind My Slow Cooker<div style="text-align: justify;">
This sort of sounds like a kitchen nightmare! Yes, there is something growing behind my crock pot that is filled with beef bone broth, but I put it there and started it growing on purpose. Actually, there are several things growing. My ferments! I was a busy bee in the kitchen today and started several foods on their fermenting process today. </div>
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From left to right: navy beans (not fermenting but soaking so they can start sprouting tomorrow), regular sauerkraut, sauerkraut with carrots, kombucha, lemonade, ginger carrots & sourdough starter. I cleared out the corner of my counter which was filled with odds & ends that have no permanent home and turned it into my fermentation corner. Since my kitchen stays pretty chilly during winter, I figured that behind the slow cooker would be a nice, cozy and slightly warmer place for my little cultures to grow.</div>
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Sauerkraut is amazingly easy to start. Shred the cabbage, salt it, beat it up a little & then pack it in a jar. Since I don't have a proper crock, I just used a couple of wide mouth pint mason jars (I made smaller batches since this is our first and I'm not sure how it will go over). To keep the cabbage under the brine, I used an upside down lid for a regular mouth size mason jar and then weighted it with a jelly jar filled with water. I used the <a href="http://www.wildfermentation.com/resources.php?page=sauerkraut">Wild Fermentation</a> website to learn the particulars on how to make my own sauerkraut.</div>
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This is my kombucha tea which has already been brewing for about a week. That funky white-ish looking thing on the right side is the scoby which is what does the work of fermenting sweet tea into kombucha. When it is ready, I'll mix in some fruit juices to flavor my kombucha. When it's ready to drink, it will be a fizzy, tart beverage that is full of healthy bacteria. I've been drinking store purchased kombucha and the past few days, I've been sipping wonderful kombucha from <a href="http://fabulousferments.com/">Fab Ferments</a> that I got as a prize in the 30 Day Kombucha Challenge contest but I am super excited about making my own and can't wait until it's ready! For more info on kombucha and how to make it, check out <a href="http://www.kombuchakamp.com/">Kombucha Kamp</a>.</div>
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Next on the counter is lacto-fermented lemonade. This isn't my first time making this but if I don't mess it up, it will be my first time drinking it. While it was finishing in my fridge last time, I barely bumped the jar it was in with another jar which cause a quarter sized chuck of glass to break and my lemonade went pouring out onto the shelves of my fridge. Total bummer! My daughter is especially excited for this one to be ready. She loves lemonade! This is a Nourishing Traditions recipe that I saw on <a href="http://kellythekitchenkop.com/2008/05/fermented-lemonade-punch-from.html">Kelly the Kitchen Kop</a>.</div>
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Then there is my jar of ginger carrots. This is also a Nourishing Traditions recipe but I wasn't thrilled with the idea of using grated carrots so I cut them into matchsticks instead. I also decided not to grate the ginger and sliced it into tiny matchsticks too. The carrots & ginger are in a salt water brine with a little bit of whey from my homemade raw milk yogurt to aid in the fermentation. I used less ginger than the recipe called for and a little less whey as well.</div>
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This one is hard to see but it is a freshly started batch of sourdough starter. The one I started last week up and died on me. I don't know what happened. It was bubbling and doubling every day and then, 2 days ago, when I took the cover off to feed it and noticed it was not bubbly and hadn't increased at all. I went ahead and fed it again but again nothing happened. I was so disappointed. I hope I am more successful with this one. </div>
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I've been wanting to start consuming cultured foods & beverages for some time now but I was already overwhelmed with all of the other changes that we were making or wanting to make. Since allowing myself time to make the changes more slowly and taking baby steps instead of trying to do everything all at once, I am finally able to be more successful in implementing new items into our lives. I'm excited to be taking this next little step and can't wait to sample our ferments when they are ready!</div>
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For information on fermented foods and why they are beneficial for us, check out <a href="http://nourishedkitchen.com/fermented-food-lactic-acid-fermentation/">this</a> article or <a href="http://nourishedkitchen.com/how-to-make-fermented-foods/">this</a> article on the Nourished Kitchen website.</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">~LKB</div>~LKBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10456220846939366385noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5654170444886090178.post-78274169732824675222012-01-13T02:20:00.000-05:002012-01-13T02:20:32.149-05:00Fried Chocolate Oatmeal with Peanut Butter Molasses Topping & Bananas<div style="text-align: justify;">
My little boy has a lot of food issues. A good part of this is due to aversions and sensitivities to certain textures and flavors but a part of it can be attributed to him just being picky. He has a definite sweet tooth so sometimes, in order to actually get food into him, I cave in and add a little something to appeal to his tastes. He usually won't eat oatmeal, so I decided to jazz it up for him a little. I made chocolate oatmeal. It was a big hit and for the first time, he ate an entire bowl of oatmeal without having to be prompted constantly. He even had seconds! Success!</div>
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I always make a double batch of oatmeal so we can have fried oatmeal the next morning. We usually have regular fried oatmeal with butter & maple syrup, but this was going to be fried <i>chocolate</i> oatmeal so I wanted to kick it up a notch plus I was out of maple syrup. I remembered a recipe from <a href="http://www.cookingtf.com/">Cooking Traditional Foods</a> for Peanut Butter Molasses Pancake Sauce. I had already been thinking of fitting peanut butter into the plan somewhere to sort of mimic No-Bake Cookies, so this sounded just right. I looked up the recipe and, of course, I was missing ingredients but I didn't let that stop me. I just went with what I had on hand and this is what we ended up with.</div>
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This was probably one of the best breakfasts we've had lately. It was almost more like a dessert. The oatmeal had a pudding like texture with a little chewy crispiness on the outside and the topping was kind of thick & fudgy. So good! And I didn't have to keep after the kids to eat - they devoured it! Well, almost. Micah got full quickly ate all but half the oatmeal but he did eat all the bananas & topping. I was left wishing we had more so I could have seconds. </div>
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To make <b>Chocolate Oatmeal:</b> Mix about 2 to 3 tablespoons of cocoa powder to 6 servings of cooked oatmeal. Sweeten with stevia powder to your preferred sweetness.</div>
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To make <b>Fried Oatmeal:</b> Put your leftover oatmeal into a square pan and spread out to a nice even layer. Put it in the fridge and chill it overnight so it's nice and firm. Cut the firm oatmeal into squares and fry it in coconut oil over medium heat for 3 or 4 minutes or until it starts to get a little browned. Flip It & do the same for the other side. Remove it from the pan to a plate and melt some fresh butter over it.</div>
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<br />To make the <b>Peanut Butter Molasses Topping</b> (my way): Melt 2 tablespoons of coconut oil in a small sauce pan. Add 1/2 cup peanut butter, 3 tablespoons of blackstrap molasses and 1 packet of stevia. Stir over low heat until mixed & melty. Spoon over warm fried oatmeal.</div>
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Then top it with sliced bananas. Dig in and enjoy!</div>
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If you'd like to try the Peanut Butter Molasses Topping the way it appears on the <a href="http://www.cookingtf.com/">CTF</a> website, go <a href="http://www.cookingtf.com/2010/02/12/confessions-of-a-breakfast-heretic/">here</a>. Spend some time checking out the Cooking Traditional Foods site - loads of great info & recipes there!</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">~LKB</div>~LKBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10456220846939366385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5654170444886090178.post-36850472079668930862012-01-11T16:10:00.000-05:002012-01-11T16:10:05.991-05:00Real Food Journey - Learning As We Go<div style="text-align: justify;">
I think some of the most important things to realize about making a commitment to making a major lifestyle change, such as switching to a real foods diet, is that you need to be flexible, you need to be open to learning new things and you have to be willing to try new things & then learn from your successes as well as your mistakes. I also think that it's important for other people to realize that whether you are new to the real foods journey or a seasoned pro or anywhere in between, we all seem to have moments where something happens that is not what we hoped for or expected. Sometimes these things are big and costly and sometimes they are just little things that have us slapping our foreheads in a "duh" moment. Today brought one of those moments for me.<br /><br />I am not new to making butter. I've made it plenty of times, starting out the hard way making small batches using a stick blender and then kneading & rinsing it using spatulas as paddles and now my current method of using my KitchenAid stand mixer - the paddle attachment for beating the cream to butter followed by using the bread dough hook to knead it and wash the buttermilk out. The machine does all the work for me but I need to keep an eye on it because once the butter separates from the buttermilk, that big ball of butter sloshes that buttermilk around and has the potential to make a big mess. So while making butter today, I checked on my mixer and saw that my cream was getting close to that magic moment when suddenly it becomes two distinct products. As I gazed into the bowl, I realized that all my quart jars are in use or in the dishwasher so I need to wash one real fast else my buttermilk will have no vessel to call it's own. So, I made the mistake. I turned my back on my mixer and went to the sink to quickly wash a jar. I was just about finished - turning the water off after rinsing the jar - when I heard a loud splat behind me. I turned around just in time to see a nice big white wave of buttermilk come soaring up over the side of the bowl and onto the counter and floor. I ran across the kitchen, while shouting "No, no, no, no, no!" (as if that would stop it or something), getting a nice splash of fresh buttermilk on the tops of my feet as a reward for my efforts. After turning the mixer off as quick as I could and watching the paddle come to a halt, I surveyed my mess - which I have already dubbed my Buttermilk Fiasco. Yes, I took a picture of it. I want to remember the ups & the downs of this crazy ride. My floor looked even worse. I had splashes of buttermilk nearly 6 feet away from the counter. I didn't take any pictures of my floor because my floors are ugly to begin with and I didn't sweep today (or yesterday, to be honest). The butter was fine and I finished it after sopping up a pint of buttermilk from the counters, floor and a few toys my son had left in the kitchen. I feel a little silly for making a mistake when I knew better but no major damage is done. I have a pound of fresh butter and a quart of buttermilk chilling in my fridge. Everything is back to normal now and kitchen life is moving on.</div>
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So why do I share this with the general public? I mean I could try to make myself look like Perfect Mrs. Homemaker on my blog. Super Mom who does nothing wrong and creates only wonderful and flawless dishes making this real food thing looks like a breeze. I could, but in reality, it's far from the truth. While I have done a lot of things well so far, I still sit in my kitchen some days wondering: What the heck can I cook today? How do I even start on making _______? Does this or that count as real food? Am I a complete failure if I am just too tired or busy to make something traditional and just give my kids a pb&j on store bought bread for dinner tonight because I forgot to thaw the meat, bake the bread or soak my beans? Can we still be healthy if we can't find or afford grass-fed meats? What the heck am I doing? Why isn't my scoby floating? Or any of a number of other things that dart through my mind.</div>
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Yeah, this journey can be a little overwhelming at first and even after you've been on it for a little while. But that's where you need to realize that this is, after all, a journey. It takes time to get to where you are going. There will be ups and downs and the occasional pitfalls. Sometimes you just need to take a break in the midst of it all. The important thing is to look around, get your bearings and don't give up. Give yourself a minute to take a breath and then move on from there. There is no failure as long as you are willing to keep going forward, learning a little as you go and do the best that you can, cleaning up the spilled buttermilk along the way.</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">~LKB</div>~LKBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10456220846939366385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5654170444886090178.post-32012755507843744102012-01-09T08:30:00.000-05:002012-01-09T08:30:01.757-05:00Changes<div style="text-align: justify;">
My poor little blog has been sitting, abandoned by me for 2 months now. I haven't posted since early November! What has been keeping me from blogging? Good question! The answer is, that besides being busy with the kids, homeschool, holidays and family, we have been spending a lot of time making some changes in our daily lives - changes that have been keeping me busy reading blogs and books, planning and plotting, and cleaning out the old to make room for the new. It has to do primarily with food. For a little over 6 months now, we have been working on changing our eating habits - leaving behind processed, preservative filled, pre-packaged, convenience foods in favor of real, whole, fresh, traditional foods. Thanks to the encouragement of some friends, I've decided to blog about our changes once or twice a week or maybe even more if I feel led. </div>
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In my next "real food" post, I will share my personal prioritized list of changes we want to make and are working on implementing as well as why we are making or want to make each of the changes but we have already made a few changes: </div>
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We started (slowly) on this journey back in June last year by switching from pasteurized, processed milk products to farm fresh, raw milk from pasture fed cows. Besides just drinking the delicious milk, I use the cream to make butter and buttermilk which I use to make biscuits or pancakes, and some of the milk gets made into cheese or cultured into yogurt. I hope to start making milk kefir in the near future as well.</div>
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The next change we made was the meat we buy. Since most of the local grocery stores carry meat that has been shipped from somewhere out west (from meat processing companies that are notorious for tainted meats involved in numerous recalls), we decided that we would seek out a source for local meat. Ideally, we wanted to find an affordable source of grass-fed meat, but it is completely out of our budget at this time, so we decided to go to the next best thing we could get - locally raised meat that is butchered locally. It <i>is</i> grain fed but I find it to be a better choice than meat that has been raised in CAFO (concentrated animal feeding operations) conditions. We have very recently been purchasing locally raised grass-fed meats in small amounts on occasion from a local health food store. We also found a source for local, free range eggs.</div>
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Our next change was to significantly reduce our intake of grains. At first we were going to completely eliminate wheat but decided that we are not quite ready for that step but we have reduced the amount we do consume. We used to be a bread at every meal family but now we only have bread once or twice a week. We still have waffles & pancakes but we frequently use gluten free flours in place of wheat flours. At the same time, we eliminated soy from our diets with the exception of fermented soy, though it is something we rarely eat anyhow. We also eliminated corn oil, canola oil, soybean oil, and any other highly processed oils. In place of these, I now use coconut oil, lard that I rendered myself, olive oil and butter. </div>
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In the midst of these changes, we also began purging the processed foods from our house. Considering I am a recovering coupon addict who had quite the large stockpile of items that I purchased for next to nothing using my crazy coupon skills, this was a nearly monumental task. Even though I don't think these foods are good foods, I could not throw them away when I know there are people all around me who are struggling to put food on their tables every day. I chose to donate the food because I believe that eating something is better than starving. This picture is approximately a quarter of what I ended up giving away. </div>
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This was an exceptionally difficult change for me to make. I was totally addicted to the rush I got from walking into a grocery store with a handful of coupons and walking out with a couple cartloads of food for just a few bucks. My coupons saved me an average of 85% every time I went shopping. I also felt very secure having a large stockpile of food I could rely on in case of an emergency. I am working on rebuilding a stockpile but using real foods instead of processed. That is definitely a work in progress.</div>
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We have also: started drinking & using bone broth, started drinking & brewing kombucha, stopped using aluminum pots & pans in favor of glass & stainless steel, got rid of our microwave (2 days ago!), reduced refined sugars in favor natural sweeteners like local honey, local maple syrup & stevia, started drinking & cooking with filtered, fluoride free water, started buying organic foods & produce as often as our budget allows, stopped using canned foods, and started soaking and/or sprouting grains, nuts and beans. Plus, last spring we started an organic vegetable garden in our backyard.</div>
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This probably seems like a pretty extensive list of things we've already done. The truth is that this is still just the beginning. We have a long way to go to be where we want to be. This coming year is going to be a challenge for us as we make the desired changes. Many of the changes are very recent changes so they aren't habits yet and many of the things we have recently changed are still so new that I am unsure about how to continue to incorporate them into our daily life. For instance, just today I made sourdough starter. I am still a little confused about how often to feed it once it's established and I'm still not sure about how to make bread from it though I did find a few recipes for pancakes, english muffins and pizza dough using the starter.</div>
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I have a long way to go, but it is my hope that my blog posts will serve as encouragement for anyone else who might be unsure about starting out on this journey. It's not always easy but it's worth it. I'm learning that I don't have to know it all to make the changes. I just had to be willing to start, even with baby steps. I've started so now I just need to remember why I'm doing it and make sure we continue on this journey and see where it takes us.</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">~LKB</div>~LKBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10456220846939366385noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5654170444886090178.post-999227850991252962011-11-10T23:01:00.001-05:002011-11-10T23:29:01.851-05:00Fun Food - Thanksgiving Style<div style="text-align: justify;">
I love making fun food for the kiddos. I think that's probably pretty obvious if you spend even a few minutes looking around this blog. Sometimes though, I come across ideas that I love but they work better on a larger scale. However, having only two very small children with appetites that make tiny birds look like ravenous beasts, I usually do not bother some of the cute ideas I have bouncing around in my brain. Thanks to a new <strike>addiction</strike> <strike>obsession</strike> organizing tool, Pinterest, I have been able to fill my brain up with some neat ideas and thanks to signing up to do snack for our homeschool group meeting, I got to bring some of these fun foods to life. </div>
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A cheddar cheese & black grape sunflower with a celery stem.</div>
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A veggie turkey made from cucumbers, green, red & yellow peppers and carrots. I used raisins for eyes, bits of pepper for beak & waddle and celery for the legs.. </div>
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Indian corn marshmallow treats made from Kix cereal, raisins, dried cranberries and dried papaya. I used fruit roll-ups for the husks.</div>
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Everything was a big hit with the kids and we ended up only bringing home a couple pieces of veggies. Most of it was devoured rather quickly. I was actually expecting to be bringing home most of the veggies but I was surprised at how many times the kids kept coming back for more. Yay!</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">~LKB</div>~LKBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10456220846939366385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5654170444886090178.post-78400661378326638982011-11-06T20:26:00.000-05:002011-11-06T20:26:44.355-05:00The Orphan Experience and Global Marketplace<div style="text-align: justify;">
Our church, Sandy Lake Wesleyan, had an incredible event today for Global Orphan Sunday - The Orphan Experience and the Global Marketplace. For the Orphan Experience, several rooms were transformed into scenes that are common for orphans living in third world countries. </div>
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We first visited the bedroom. There was a cardboard mat on the floor, with some cushions, a sheet and a mosquito net hanging overhead. We talked about where we sleep compared to where orphans in Haiti sleep. We also learned about a 6 year old girl named Anastasia who lives in an orphanage in Russia and shares a room with 19 other girls. When she has a bad dream, she cries herself back to sleep because there is nobody to comfort her. </div>
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Next we visited the "bathroom" facilities. There was a large tub filled with cold water and we learned how orphan children often take a bath in cold water with many other children at once and have to share towels which end up being wet and dirty by the time several children get done with them. Laural and Micah got to bathe some little dolls in the cold water. Then we looked at the toilet which was a representation of a squat toilet - a hole in the ground. There isn't any toilet paper, just a cup and some water to clean with.</div>
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Next, we went to the Orphan Table where we had dinner much like orphans in Haiti would have. Many of us crowded around a makeshift table, sat on the floor and were served a small bowl of rice and beans. Most orphans only get one meal a day and it is usually rice and beans. Afterward, we had water in a little plastic baggie. Since bottles are rare, they might fill a bag with water and put a little hole in the bottom to suck the water out.</div>
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The next room we went to was a little glimpse into daily life in an orphanage in India. The children carried buckets of water like orphans have to. Orphans might use the water to wash clothes in a tub with a washboard. Laural and Micah got to try their hand at laundry this way. they thought it was pretty neat but I'm sure once the novelty of it wore off, they would understand it isn't all that much fun. Then they got to look at the toys on the shelf. Some orphanages have toys for the children but they often don't allow them to play with them because it might lead to fighting among the children. </div>
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The next room we saw taught us a little about foster children who live near us. We looked at bowls containing jelly beans and corn kernels to show us how many children are in foster care. They also planted some grass seeds in a cup to make a foster buddy to remind them about how foster families "foster" kids without a good family situation into healthy, growing children.</div>
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The last room we visited had piles of trash in it and we learned how many orphans have to dig through garbage to find something they can wear on their feet to give them some protection. Laural found some bags and rubber bands and put those over her feet. She didn't care for it too much.</div>
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At the Global Marketplace, we were able to purchase items made by artisans
around the world. Many of these artisans are women rescued from
trafficking, or people in impoverished areas of the world who deal with
the reality of orphans every day. Proceeds benefit global missions
projects. Laural chose a flowery headband and a doll made in Haiti.</div>
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Micah chose, what else, a scrunchie. It is some sort of silk, I think. I tried to get him to pick something else but he was starting to get tired and grumpy.</div>
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We also picked out a few pieces of candy. They both chose a couple items but I didn't see what they were until later. One of them picked up this:</div>
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Hot & salted tamarind pulp candy from Mexico. I knew as soon as I saw it that it wouldn't go over well. We all tried a little nibble. It was sour at first. Then the saltiness kicked in which was weird. Right after the saltiness, the chili powder became obvious. Yikes! It was too much for me and I had to spit it out. I think we will be avoiding hot & salted tamarind candy in the future... LOL</div>
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Micah picked out some cute Hello Kitty candy from Japan which turned out to be gum. It was much tastier.</div>
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For myself, I got something that caught my eye right away. There were lots of pretty things that would have been nice to have, like scarves, decorations, jewelry and hair accessories but I chose a lovely handmade Kenyan journal. I already put one of my little ink drawings into it.</div>
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Overall, it was an amazing experience and very enlightening. I hope it has opened the hearts of everyone who attended like it did for us. We will be praying for God's direction as we consider what our role will be in caring for orphans around the world. If you are inclined, I invite you to pray as well. God's blessings to you. ♥</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">~LKB</div>~LKBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10456220846939366385noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5654170444886090178.post-51186049844341934112011-10-26T15:59:00.001-04:002011-10-26T15:59:47.216-04:00Felt Jack-O-LanternsSince Halloween is just around the corner, we've been playing with all of our fun Halloween stuff to play with. I made these cute felt board style jack-o-lanterns last year but Laural was the only one who used them since Micah wasn't quite ready. This year, both kids have been enjoying them.<br />
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I cut two orange circles at about 8 inches diameter and then cut a variety of eyes, ears, mouths, noses, hair, hats, and other items.<br />
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Mouths & Eyes </div>
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Whiskers, Mustaches & Noses </div>
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Hats & Hair </div>
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Ears & Horns</div>
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The kids had a lot of fun making up lots of different faces.</div>
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Laural started with a blue-haired princess.</div>
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Micah made an interesting jak-o-lantern face.</div>
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I got in on the fun and made a pig-nosed, mustached, blue-haired vampire with a jaunty little hat.</div>
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<br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">~LKB</div>~LKBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10456220846939366385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5654170444886090178.post-23559090825756776152011-10-26T14:12:00.000-04:002011-10-26T14:12:54.168-04:00Halloween Sensory Tubs<div style="text-align: justify;">
Yep, we did two sensory tubs for Halloween this year. I figured I might get a little more peace if I had a tub for each of them to play with.</div>
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First up is the Creepy Crawly Tub. It's got black beans, various plastic bugs & spiders, a ghost bell, wicker pumpkin basket, candy corn candle holder with battery operated tealight candle, jack-o-lantern metal bucket, plastic leafy sprigs, a little wooden pumpkin and plastic confetti pumpkins. </div>
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Laural started this one off. I just had to post the second picture because of the goofy look on her face.</div>
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The second is the Monster Tub and is filled with purple water pearls, googly eyes, green porcupine balls and 2 submersible led lights. The water beads are typically used for fresh flower arrangements. They are slippery and fun to play with!</div>
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Micah really enjoyed squishing the pearls in his hands. I like playing with them too. </div>
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I have a bunch of other fun Halloween goodies for the kids to play with too. I'll be posting some of that stuff later and try not to let a month go past between posting again!</div>
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">~LKB</div>~LKBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10456220846939366385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5654170444886090178.post-81190808945986908912011-09-26T20:10:00.000-04:002011-09-26T20:10:20.889-04:00Alphabet Sensory Tub<div style="text-align: justify;">
I finally got our Alphabet Sensory Tub put together today! I was held back by not being able to find the alphabet pasta I really wanted. So, we are already on the letter C in our letter of the Week, but since I have planned to do a tub every four weeks that features the letters we will be covering those four weeks, we are still good. </div>
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I love how bright and colorful it is! </div>
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I started by coloring lots of alphabet macaroni in the same fashion I <a href="http://lovelykillerbee.blogspot.com/2010/09/pretty-dyed-pasta.html">colored pasta</a> last year. The only difference is that I didn't soak it as long since they aren't very big and I had to keep mixing them up as they dried to prevent them from being a big pasta pancake. I still had to spend a little time breaking them apart after they were dry. Once dry, I put them in lines in the tub.</div>
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Next, I sprinkled letter beads & charms over the pasta. The circular beads glow in the dark! Fun!</div>
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Then came all the goodies! We are focusing on the letters A, B, C & D. We have various wood & plastic magnetic letters, large foam letters, tiny foam sticker letters, wooden letter blocks, letter cookie cutters, letter beads and charms on chenille stems, a Bb book and finally items beginning with the letters. A: apple, acorn, alligator, and ant; B: bowl, butterfly, button & bell; C: caterpillar, cross, car and coin; and D: dolphin, dragonfly, dice and dinosaur.</div>
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I am also including a small pail & scoop on the side for the kids to play with in their tub.</div>
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I don't have any action shots yet since I got this done a little late in the day. They've seen it though and are anxiously awaiting their chance to have at it. I also laid down the law in regard to the tubs - they each get to play at one of the tubs and not together. After a certain amount of time (not sure how long yet) we will switch off. I'd like to say that my kiddos are perfect angels and play sweetly side by side, but I cannot tell a lie. When it comes to the "choice" items in the tubs - like plastic jewel acorns - it's just plain hard to share!</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">~LKB</div>~LKBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10456220846939366385noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5654170444886090178.post-24658197530189059982011-09-23T17:13:00.000-04:002011-09-23T17:14:00.826-04:00Autumn Sensory Tub<div style="text-align: justify;">
Happy Autumnal Equinox! Or in other words, Happy 1st Day of Fall! It came in with a blah here - cool, rainy & grey. At least a couple of the trees outside my back window have leaves that are starting to change to a lovely deep crimson hue which is quite nice to look at. </div>
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To brighten up our day, I put together our Autumn Sensory Tub and introduced the kids to it. It's jam packed full of fun fall finds for fledgling fingers.</div>
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I started with the rice that I colored yesterday (<a href="http://lovelykillerbee.blogspot.com/2011/09/autumn-colored-rice.html">here</a>) in four vertical lines. I love the autumn colors!</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-A7cumn-qJ6c/TnzxRC9MJLI/AAAAAAAABnk/ZXCz_4k2teQ/s1600/100_7895.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-A7cumn-qJ6c/TnzxRC9MJLI/AAAAAAAABnk/ZXCz_4k2teQ/s320/100_7895.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Then I added: silk fall leaves, leaf buttons, sparkly foam leaves, silk sunflowers, a pine cone, wood mushrooms, wood people, a wooden scoop, a grapevine ball, some sort of nuts, a wooden bowl, wooden bucket, plastic jewel acorns, foam and yarn apples, mini foam pumpkins and squash, yarn pom poms, an apple chalk board with chalk, and bits of green & brown pipe cleaner. </div>
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On the side I included an extra yarn apple, a mini basket and the Rubik's cube style fall puzzle cube for extra fun. Laural took to the puzzle cube right away and tried to figure it out. Micah went straight for the acorns as I suspected he would.<br />
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It was a winner for both kids, who are still seated behind me on the floor playing with it. I will be putting together a 2nd sensory tub - the alphabet theme I've been planning - this weekend in hopes of eliminating some of the arguments that seem to come along with two kids trying to share one tub. </div>
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Have a fabulous first day of fall!</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">~LKB</div>~LKBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10456220846939366385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5654170444886090178.post-17884637237741190032011-09-22T23:53:00.000-04:002011-09-22T23:53:49.669-04:00Autumn Colored Rice<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I can hardly believe that today was the last day of summer! It seems like this year is just screaming by at breakneck speed. Although I do enjoy the coming seasons, this has been one of our best summers and I'm really going to miss it. At least the last couple of days have been pretty warm and enjoyable. But, onward and upward, right? So I am trying to get myself into the spirit for autumn by preparing for our autumn sensory tub - which meant making rice in some lovely autumn colors. </div>
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I made a apple-ish red, bright leafy yellow, crunchy leaf brown and pumkin-y orange. </div>
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The How-to:</div>
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Gather ingredients:</div>
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<b>cheap white rice </b></div>
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<b>vodka</b></div>
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<b>food colorings</b></div>
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<b>zip top baggies</b></div>
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also: </div>
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<b>paper towels</b></div>
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<b>plates (paper or otherwise)</b></div>
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Start by putting 1 to 2 tablespoons of vodka in a bag along with your coloring.</div>
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My color "recipes:"</div>
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<b><span style="color: #783f04;">Brown:</span></b> 10 drops red, 10 drops yellow, 2 drops blue (this gave a lighter brown but doubling the amounts would probably allow more color to get into the rice for a deeper hue)</div>
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<b><span style="color: #f1c232;">Yellow:</span></b> 20 to 25 drops of yellow</div>
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<b><span style="color: #990000;">Red:</span></b> 25 drops of red but it turned out to be too light (almost neon pink) so I colored it again with 20 red and 2 blue.</div>
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<b><span style="color: orange;">Orange:</span></b> 10 red and 30 yellow (it was too light with 4 red & 12 yellow so I colored again with 6 red and 18 yellow)</div>
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Some people might prefer to use vinegar or rubbing alcohol. I choose to use vodka for two reasons: 1. it doesn't have an odor like vinegar does and 2. rubbing alcohol may leave undesirable residue behind. </div>
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Add 2 cups of rice and make sure to tightly seal the bag (or you might have a yellow rice mishap such as mine which called for a break in coloring to pull out my stick vac). Knead & smoosh the bag until the color is evenly distributed through the rice. </div>
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Allow the bag to rest 15 to 20 minutes to really let the color penetrate the rice. Using a mesh strainer, give the rice a quick rinse to clear some of the starchiness. Drain it well.</div>
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Spread the rice on a paper towel lined plate and allow it to dry. The rice dries fairly fast and should be ready to play with in 2 hours or less. </div>
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I can't wait - Laural & Micah are going to be thrilled with their new autumn play rice. I think I'd better keep my stick vac handy though...</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">~LKB</div>~LKBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10456220846939366385noreply@blogger.com0