Patty Pan Squash

A vegetable that my mom introduced to me a year ago was Patty Pan Squash.  Since then, I've noticed that not many (younger) people have heard of them.  Probably because they are pretty expensive.

Patty pan squash is delicious! Tim and I are not big squash people, but we love these.  The best place to get them around here are at any market. We get ours at central market.  Though the picture below shows yellow ones, we always go for the green.  And the smaller, the better.

Health benefits?  Squash is not a well researched and studied vegetable as others have been.  But there are some things that they know for sure.  Squash is becoming more and more known as an antioxidant, surprisingly.  Helps maintain blood sugar, so a wonderful vegetable for diabetics.  Prostate benefits, contains Omega-3, contains anti-cancer properties.  So that's good.

But really, all I care about is finding a vegetable that I look forward to eating. And that Tim looks forward to eating and requests frequently during the summer months.

How to cook them?  Just boil them for a few minutes and then salt and pepper them.  Healthy goodness.

Cleaning Routine

Home Sweet Home ... right?  Not right, if your house is a mess!

Being home means I am becoming anal about keeping things tidy and clean.  As anal as I can be while pregnant, that is.

I've decided to pick a day to clean something on a certain floor of the house.  This is what I mean:

Monday - Second Floor - Kids Floor
     Tidy both rooms and bathroom
     Collect trash and empty diaper pails
     Put away clean laundry and collect dirty clothes
     Pick one extra thing to do (Ex. bathroom, vacuum, go through clothes etc.)

Tuesday - First Floor - Main Floor
     Tidy
     Pick one project (Organize a closet, clean windows, vacuum, etc.)

Wednesday - Basement - Where Small Group Meets
    Tidy
    Vacuum
    Bathrooms

Thursday, Friday, Saturday
     Anything that needs to be done
    Go back to first floor, work outside, etc.

Sunday - Relax

Then there is, of course, the everyday list of chores that need to be done such as ...
      Bathe the children
      Cook and clean up dinner
      Clean spills, messes, stains
      Etc, etc, etc, etc and ETC!!!

It never takes me more than an hour and a half to finish any of these things. So I am not over doing it. I've found by keeping a routine like this, keeps the house pretty tidy and clean all the time.  One day I hope to be at the point where things are clean, the house just needs a good tidying up.

To Market, To Market

I've started back on my Tuesday routine to head to Central Market.  The fruits and vegetables taste so much better and are much cheaper than the grocery store.  For example, last week it was $1.50 for 1 lemon at the store.  At market I got 4 lemons for $1.  Huge difference!

Disclaimer:  Not all items are cheaper at market.  It's good to have an idea of what the prices are at the store to compare.

Here are my favorite stands:

The Turkey Lady
My husband and I love this stand.  She makes wonderful turkey sausage.  My husbands favorite is the spinach and feta.  We also love her deli turkey.  Lots lots lots less fat than regular sausage and you can't tell the difference.

Ric's Bread
One day I hope to start making homemade bread, but for now, this stand is WONDERFUL.  We've been making grilled sandwiches with their bread and the turkey lady's deli turkey.  Amazing.  And to finish off the sandwich, a perfectly ripe juicy mango (also from market).  They also have a thin crust pizza crust, rolls, homemade english muffins and of course, different loaves of bread.  The bread does mold fast because there are no preservatives, but I prefer that.  Less chemicals the better!

Lemongrass
This is a fabulous Thai restaurant and as a treat for buying local, every tuesday I always buy us something for lunch.  Their curry's are delicious.  Can't wait for this tuesday!

Eat Fresh. Buy Local.

Big Grocery Trip is Better

My usual grocery shopping routine includes a few hours of creating a food menu for the week, a well thought out grocery list and clipping appropriate coupons.  When I am at the store, I usually check out the Redbox first, spend a couple bucks on a few dvds. Then I splurge on name brands and extra things I think would be fun to try or have in the house to throw away later down the road.


This month I changed things up and so far I am diggin' it.  I created a food menu for the entire month.  Created a long grocery list that included all non perishable and freezable items and things I would need for this week.  The I created a smaller list for each week that consisted only of perishable items like vegetables, fruit, dairy and bread.

How did this go for me? Super!  I hardly ever go to the store without my coupons, so I had those with me to save as much as I could.  But I found that by starting the month off with a super large grocery list changed my mind set to ... miser.  I didn't check out the Redbox, I bought cheaper brands and I did not stray from my list ... not one iota.

Overall I spent less money and time in the store.  That was the most surprising factor.  Instead of my usual hour and a half stroll through the store, I was in, out and leaving the parking lot in one hour!

Cross Stitching Fun

I finished my first cross stitch!  What an enjoyable project!

This was so much fun.  If you're looking for something creative to do with your hands that you can pick up while your husband's watching the game or you're looking for a quiet afternoon while the children nap, pick up your cross stitch and create a little!

Once I started this one, I could not put it down.  I just had to finish it and see what I could do.

I'm looking for hobbies like this that I can do with my hands and give away!  I'll have to keep some, of course, but I'd like to give most of them away.  We will most likely send our kids to a local private school where they hold an auction every year to raise money. I'm hoping that some of my finger skills will be good enough by them to donate some of my work.  I really have a wonderful feeling of accomplishment.  It's great!

For my next cross stitch I've been looking at the ones of famous paintings and a few by a European company called Vervaco.  But first, I need to figure out how to use my sewing machine!

This cross stitch took me about 2 weeks and I will be hanging it in the boys room.  Very proud of this one for being my first one since elementary school.

Oops

There have been some things that I have said or have done in my past that were not the kindest or well thought out.  Usually I feel a great deal of remorse and regret for putting those ugly or stupid sides of me out there.

I would guess that most people in the world could write a statement like that and it would be true about themselves.  But how often can we say that we feel that much remorse and regret for doing something truly out of the kindness of our hearts?

Recently I believe I might have hurt someone close to me.  My intentions for the gesture were good, honestly good.  But sometimes even a well intention-ed gesture can be an offensive one.

This is something that I like to say from time to time when the situation suits, "You're not really helping if you're not really helping."

What I mean by that is ... if you don't help people the way THEY need help, then you are not really helping them at all.

It's hard to know how to end this post because I still feel so bad ...

Mommy Meanie

Last night Tim took us all out for Maggie Moo's! Best ice cream in town.  Another family came in after us to order some ice cream.  Mom did not look happy and was using some very harsh tones with her boys.  She raised some eye brows and created some awkward tension in the little shoppe.

I used to look at those moms through judgmental glasses and vow that I would never become a mother like that.  Well, now that I have children of my own, I no longer think badly of those tired, stressed and overwhelmed moms.  Instead, I sat there thinking, "Is that what I really sound like at home when I am talking to my kids?"

I want my children to grow up reflecting me (and Tim) and how we chose to raise them.  That includes their tone of voice with others when they are tired, annoyed, irritated or upset.  So this one goes out to the mom at Maggie Moo's.

Thank you for reminding me to always smile before I open my mouth, no matter how I'm feeling, and plant seeds of kindness and cheerfulness, even when I am correcting.

Pick a Hobby, Any Hobby

I am a  project person.  Since I quit my job, I dove into my list of house projects and realized that one day, my projects would be finished. Is that even possible?  Out of sheer fright that one day I would become bored, I decided it was time to pick a hobby that might outlast my house projects. So, my hobby of choice? Sewing.

I know, it sounds old maid-ish.  But I think it suits my personality.  I like artsy, crafty type things and I tend to lean toward more of the geometrical, left brainy type artsy crafty.  Which is sewing, I think.  And it's practical.  Windows should have curtains, pants need to be hemmed (because manufacturers still think most people are tall), babies need blankets and  .... I need something to do!

Anway, I went to the store and picked up a cross-stitch kit and found that hobbies are not just something to do. They help create a simpler, calmer, quieter life.  When I am concentrating on getting this cross stitch pattern right, I forget about things that stress me out or drama situations that could make me upset.  I just sit quietly and focus on what I'm doing. It's a lovely distraction, beautiful escape.

Tim surprised me with a sewing machine today.  It's a Brother brand, computerized.  I can't wait to start using it.

No Such Thing as a Rotten Banana

There is (almost) never a time when you should throw away a banana.

When you buy too many bananas (which is inevitable from time to time) and there is one or two that are past 'good for eating', toss the aged bananas in a ziplock bag and keep them in the freezer.  When you have 3 or 4, you are ready to make banana bread ... with perfectly aged bananas. This is a great way for a homemade snack without spending any extra money because often times you have all the ingredients for the bread laying around your kitchen.

In case you didn't know, aged bananas are perfect for banana bread because the older the banana the sweeter they are.

This isn't all that clever or original, but any tips and tricks help, right?

I got this idea from a friend who had a similar idea.  She bought a container that would hold just the right amount of vegetables for vegetable soup.  So whenever she has left over vegetables, she tosses them in the container. When the container is full, she knows it's time for soup.

Here is my grandmother's recipe for banana bread.  I am open to trying other banana breads and have tried many, but this one is always number one on the list.

Grandma's Banana Bread
(tweaked a little by me)

1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
3-4 bananas, mashed
2 eggs
2 cups flour
5 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla

Cream shortening and sugar together.
Add all other ingredients.
Bake in greased loaf pan at 375 for 1 hour.

Note: If you think the shortening is gross, reconsider eating anywhere like Panera, who uses shortening in almost all their breads.

Camera Blues

I consider myself to be a very responsible person, but you see, when you have children you lose part of your brain. It can't be helped.

Last summer I got sand into my little Canon Elph and two weeks ago, I threw it in the diaper bag, where it drowned in bug spray.   Since then, I have been in a panic trying to figure out how I was going to get a (good) camera (fast).  Meanwhile, praying that nothing picture worthy would happen until I got one.

It's amazing how life seems to create the most magical moments for a camera when you don't have one.

I started shopping and discovered Panasonics newest SLR (which means you can change the lens) the Lumix GF3.  My two thoughts behind wanting this camera were 1. I wanted a really nice camera to learn on and 2. I wanted to have pictures where the object was in focus and the background blurred. My thoughtful and generous Dad offered to pay for the camera.  I ordered it and then promptly returned it.

I missed having a zoom.  To buy the lens that zooms would mean shelling out another few hundred dollars (making the camera almost a $1,000). Not practical.

In the short time I had with the GF3, I must have screamed at my daughter for even looking at the camera a hundred times.  Not fair to her, I brought the object into the house.  I quickly realized, this is not a product for mothers with children.

So for those of us that enjoy photography but don't have the time for the professional level or are able to foresee the future and know that our children (or husands-unintentionally) (or yourself) will ruin it, try the Lumix ZS7.

I read up on this model including many articles written by professionals that this is their new favorite.  Picture quality is superb.  The zoom is smoother, faster and farther than the other brands out there (including Canon).  The features on the camera can keep up with most SLR cameras. A friend of mine (who has the older version - ZS3) and her dad who has a very good SLR, both took a shot of a starry night sky.  The ZS7 came out much clearer and crisp than her dad's SLR.

A compact digital camera perfect for me to learn on and yet practical enough for me to keep in the house.

Can't wait for it to come ...

Here are some pictures I took with the GF3:

Obviously I still have room to grow ...

Catching Up

Daniel Fast
I never finished the fast. I found out I was pregnant during the fast and the food made me extremely nauseous.

Housewife
Me: Tim, I'm an official housewife.
Tim: Just don't become desperate.
(Probably not as funny as I thought it was.)

It's true. I quit my job and I am home now raising my children (and actually giving them baths), making dinner, keeping house and taking better care of myself.

In today's day (whatever that means) it's hard for a family to live on one income.  So I feel very fortunate to be in my position.  My aunt said to me when I shared the news, "This is a decision you will never regret." And I don't think I ever will.

So Soph, what have you done in the last week since you've had off?
Thanks for asking such a fun question. Well ...
I've reorganized and cleaned my kitchen cupboards.
Filed, organized and tidy-ed the office room and stuff.
I've started clearing out our storage area. (We couldn't even open the door the whole way.)
My children have (almost) gotten a bath every night.
Ruined my camera with bug spray.
Got a new, nicer, better one as a gift.

Anyway, so here begins a new fresh start on blogging. An outlet for times when I feel deserted on an island in my home. (But at least it is a clean and organized island.)

Daniel Fast: Getting Started

I have never successfully fasted in my whole christian life. There, I said it. I can just hear the gasps and imagine the look of horror and judging.   Since our small group just discussed fasting, Tim and I decided to challenge ourselves with the Daniel Fast.  I bought a book called The Daniel Fast by Susan Gregory. Here is what I've learned so far.

The first chapter of Daniel in the Old Testament is when Daniel, Meshach, Shadrach, Abednego are told to eat the King's food. They refuse and decide to drink only water and eat pulse.  Pulse, directly translated, means any food that comes from a seed.  They also obstain from any pleasurable food, so that cuts out all sugar.  They only eat unleavened bread (no baking soda, baking powder or yeast).  So basically it is a vegan diet with more restrictions.

Here is how I've been preparing:
When: It's good to pick a start and end date. The first day of our fast will be the day after easter and will be 21 days long.

Purpose: Usually fasts have a goal or purpose in mind. Mine is to practice discipline by saying no to my flesh and growing closer to God and my husband.

Cutting certain things out early: Cutting out caffeine, sugar and chemicals suddenly can trigger headaches, leg cramps, fatigue and malaise (a general feeling of being unwell), it is good to start cutting out these things early.

Food: Since cooking is pretty time consuming for this fast and I have never eaten such a restrictive diet, I have been looking up many recipes and have been planning on what dishes and snacks Tim and I will eat.  A great snack for Tim is peanuts and raisins.  I plan to make curry, tofu, quinoa, brown rice and smoothies.

Maybe you're not interested in the fast but you are interested in some recipes. Here are the two best sites I've discovered so far:

http://happyherbivore.com/
http://www.manifestvegan.com/

Peace and Rest Before I Die

In my mind, I have pursued a slower life style ... one that I miss when I was in Barbados.  I loved having a routine that was strictly enforced and yet allowed for so much rest, meditation, self reflection and other do-goods that kept my mind, body and spirit alive.  It's so hard to live that pace of life in our culture.

I've decided to make this fantasy a reality by taking purposeful steps toward that disciplined and yet slower pace.  I've been getting up at 630am to actually drink (not gulp) my coffee, to spend some time with God before my children wake up and ... make my bed!  I've been listening to more classical-ish music. (Even our music can be so adrenaline stimulating.)  I've been trying to find more time to read.  I've also been forcing myself to enjoy silence.  Memorizing scripture has also been a great way to slow down my thinking and focus on something that I know will build me up and renew my weary mind.

*Big Breath* 

Persistence is Futile

Before I was a parent, I did not like pacifiers.  But now that I have children, I understand the need for a pacifier for both baby and parent.  Pacifiers are wonderful comforts for us both in many ways at many times.

I prefer my children using a pacifier than sucking on their fingers.  The thought behind that is, I can take a pacifier away, but I can't take their fingers away.  But no matter what I do, I always find my son with his fingers in his mouth. I'm beginning to think that persistence is futile.

Here's a quick word about pacifiers and incoming teeth:

Newborns should have newborn pacifiers. Makes sense.  At 6 weeks, I suggest switching their pacifiers to a 0-3 month orthodontic pacifier.  At 6 weeks, baby has no attachments to the newborn paci and is willing to make the switch, stress free (for parent).  Orthodontic paci's allow baby's teeth to come in as they should.  Although, if you never make the switch, no worries. Children's teeth straighten out pretty fast. No lasting damage physically, just a little embarrassment for parent because people are commenting about your child's funky teeth. I know, because I've been there. 

Fasnacht, Fast Not

I know it's been a few weeks since Lent began, but I think this is worth a post.

First, history lesson.  Fasnacht donuts are a very fatty, sugary, bad-for-you treat.  The purpose of these donuts were to use up all the left over lard, butter, sugar and any other source of fats in the pantry BECAUSE these were the things that were fasted during Lent, which began the next day.

So what is Lent? Lent is the 40 days that begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on the saturday before Easter.  During those 40 days one is supposed prepare themselves for Easter through prayer, penitence, almsgiving and self-evaluation.

This year I really took notice of the excitement for fasnacht donuts.  (Personally, I find them rather tasteless and dry. I might be eating the wrong kind.)  I was really turned off by the lack of equal excitement for the fasting part of Lent.

So, I think if you are going to eat a fasnacht donut, you should also participate in Lent. It's only fair.

Super Quinoa (to the rescue!)

Everyone's raving about this new grain, quinoa.  Only, it's not a grain, it's a seed.  I couldn't find it at the grocery store, so I got it at the health food store.  I made it tonight and it was A-mazing!

Here are some of the health benefits that I really care about. I got (much of) my info from this site:
http://bodyecology.com/articles/quinoa_benefits_guide.php

Complete Protein - I learned about complete proteins in a Nutrition class.  A complete protein contains all 9 essential amino acids (which are the parts that make up a protein and help build muscle).  In fact, a lot of people eat peanut butter for protein, but it's not a complete protein. Peanut butter on whole wheat bread is.  Anyway, quinoa, all by itself, contains all 9 essential amino acids. Impressive.

Fiber - Quinoa is an insoluble fiber.  Insoluble fiber means the food cannot dissolve in the fluids of your digestive tract. Because of that, insoluble fiber adds bulk (or roughage) to your stool.  The 'bulkier' your stool, the faster it moves through your system and the better it can clean out your system because it's scraping along the walls of your intestines.  It can also prevent cancer since it is moving toxins out of your body quickly.  Fiber, in general, keeps your blood sugar level, and keeps you feeling fuller longer.

Gluten free

Carbs - One serving of cooked white rice is about 45g of carbs. One serving size of cooked quinoa is about 23g.  Big difference, and they taste almost the same (to me).  In fact, the recipe (I'm about to share) Tim said it tasted just like rice and beans.  He couldn't really tell me if he liked it or not because it tasted just like rice.

There are so many more benefits. I encourage you to do some of your own reading and try making it yourself.

Here is the recipe I made.  It was so good, it is going directly into the notebook.
Thanks allrecipes.com

(picture borrowed from another site, but looks the same)

Quinoa with Black Beans

Oil

1 Onion, chopped (I used quarter of an onion in mine)

3 cloves Garlic, chopped

3/4 cup Quinoa

1 1/2 cup Vegetable Broth

1 tsp Cumin

1/4 tsp Cayenne (I used 1/2 tsp)

Salt & Pepper (don't be afraid to use the salt!)

1 cup frozen Corn

2 (15 oz) cans Black Beans, rinsed

1/2 cup Cilantro

Saute onion and garlic in medium sauce pan.

Mix in quinoa, broth, and spices.

Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer 20 mins.

Add corn, beans.

Stir in cilantro.

So Easy. So GOOD!!

Chubby Forever

I mentioned (in my old blog) how I was going to try very hard to lose the baby weight after Liam was born.  Well, I have eaten (almost) nothing but salads and apples for the last 8 weeks and I'm pretty sure my blood has turned into chlorophyll ... with no loss.

Jogging?  I know chubby chicks can run too, but it's not fun.  

So I've complained to a few people and everyone seems to think the same way. 

         "You're body has a lot of hormonal issues right now.  You just have to wait."  

I had never given hormones a fighting chance.  I've always caved into the idea that using hormones was a cop out to taking full responsibility for yourself.  That is, until I had Lydia and dealt with postpartum depression.  Then I realized that validating hormones WAS taking full responsibility for myself.  So ...

I will probably spend some time educating myself by way of google and agonizing over the idea of going to my doctor to have my levels checked.  

The Great Thing About Puke

There is a stomach virus going around among our youngsters and it attacked my Lydia.  One our way to small group, Lydia started crying. I thought she was just sick of sitting in the car but she was literally sick to her stomach.  It sounded like someone threw a bucket of water in the back seat.  Then came this overwhelmingly horrible smell.  I jumped out of the car, threw open the door and there she was, my little girl, completely drenched in pink puke.  Parenting is positive!

Since it was already late, we decided to take everything we could to the laundry room and let the car alone until the next morning ... while it marinated in it's own pukey goodness.  The next day we were pleasantly surprised to find out that puke is very easy to clean up.  It all came right out and there is no smell left behind.  

Here is how I recommend cleaning up puke:

- Most importantly, don't freak out. Your child is probably feeling pretty bad and embarrassed as it is.

- Get everything into the washing machine that you can.  

- Get a bucket of hot soapy water (we used dish detergent) and an old rag. Wipe everything up.  

- Get a deodorizer, we used baking soda that was scented. Sprinkle over the area in the car. Let it set for a few minutes. Vacuum and the smell is gone.   

The great thing about puke is that it cleans right up without requiring too much work and if Febreeze-d or baking soda-d, there is no smell. 

Have at it!

Fort Charles

I thought I wanted to be a good cook.  But I don't think I really care about the cook-er part as much.  No, I have much loftier dreams for my place in the kitchen. I aspire to have the best recipes in the world.  Not possible, I know, but this is one of my many life's pursuits ... that I take too seriously.

First I find a recipe with potential and recruit it into my collection with false advertising and bogus promises.  The recipe spends several weeks in basic training where I break it's will by running it through a course of humiliation and impossible expectations. Then I whip it back into shape with hours of drills, marching, and ridiculous punishments.  The recipe will also be able to memorize and recite on the spot core values of the Constitution of Good Recipes.  When I feel the recipe has passed the pre-test, it will bunk with the other recipes and wait.  When the recipe is called into the next phase,  the recipe will prove it's physical aptitude by producing a wonderful (or not so wonderful) meal.  If it passes this final test, the recipe is added to the notebook with honors.  If not, it will learn to do better by running through another course of grueling, unreasonable and futile punishments until it becomes a piece of dependable, reliable machinery.

Hoo-rah!

Family Notebook

When Tim and I got married, his mom handed me a notebook full of her recipes that she's collected over the years.  I thought this was such a fantastic idea, that I created my own notebook.  Every new recipe I experiment with, I ask Tim if it's 'notebook worthy'.  If it is, I type it up really nice and put it in the notebook with a copy also saved in a document on a USB.  If it was just an 'ok' dish, I keep working on it until it's amazing.  If it was horrible, I pitch it.

My goal is to fill a notebook with 'restaurant worthy' recipes that my kids will be proud to have and I would be confident in having published one day.  The book is called, believe it or not, Tried & True.  Tried & True has been 'published' 3 times so far, each edition different from the last.  I'm dreaming of having this cookbook really published for my kids by the time they are getting married.

I guess I need to figure out how to copyright a title. 

To be continued ...

a-Baby

Two days ago was the first time that Lydia (21mos) verbally accepted Liam (11wks) into her family.  Her exact words were, "a-mammy, a-daddy, a-baby."  After their bath, Liam was quite fussy and unhappy in his position.  Lydia compassionately looked over at her little brother and gently put her hand on his arm.  It did nothing to console him, but it made my heart swell with love, joy, peace, patience ... you get the idea.  

I seem to have frequent heart-swelling moments with my children.  Oddly enough, each one is usually followed by a sense of guilt.  I imagine the thousands of lonely, neglected and possibly abused children in orphanages around the world.  I wish for them all to have a safe and loving place, where they feel like they really belong.  

Our small group has been reading through 1 Corinthians together.  Paul says if anyone feels they should do something and does not do it, it is a sin.  Jesus also commands us to help the orphans.  

One day down the road ... Lydia might be accepting more into her family.