Musings at Home

Week Wishlist

2011-10-24T07:18:00.000-07:00

Enjoy every moment with my children

Breathe before reacting

Finish organizing kids clothes and donate clothes

Keep house tidy

Have a massage

Organize karma yoga class

Set up prenatal yoga class

Go out on a date with hubby

Halloween dance with Ethan

Meditate

Get a pedicure

Stay on top of laundry

Inventory for Avani

Journal

Read

Figure out a day to do homework

Clean office

Organize mud room

Make new yoga schedule

Laugh

Have coffee with a friend

Fall

2011-10-24T07:05:00.000-07:00

What I'm loving about fall

The colour of all the leaves

making leaf piles and jumping in

walking outside

root vegetable soups

pumpkins seeds

pumpkin muffins and cookies

back to school

routine

fall cleanup

decluttering the house, wardrobe anything

teaching yoga

Latest Arrival

2011-06-02T14:16:00.000-07:00

Perfect little baby girl

Juicing

2011-04-22T06:48:00.000-07:00

Maybe it is because it is spring, but all I want to do is juice, or maybe it is the pregnancy. Every morning for breakfast I have been making juice.

Today's juice was:

1 apple

1 orange

3 sticks of celery

3 carrots

handful of pea pods

kale stems

I thought that it tasted great, however Kai informed me that it was YUCKY.

I would take some photos, however I'm having major computer problems and I can't get iphoto working on my computer anymore. I think I need to go spend some time down at the apple store at the genius bar. I'm looking to get a new juicer, that juices greens, does anyone have one that they use that they would recommend?

Spring

2011-04-11T20:26:00.000-07:00

I love this time of year it is so exciting!

What we're grateful for and enjoying right now:

Kai's birthday and his new dump trucks

watching all the pussy willows bud

finding the first frogs of the year

smelling the fresh air

spending loads of time outside playing in the puddles and mud

changing our clothes five times a day and letting them dry in the sun from all the puddle stomping

making rivers and bridges in the sand pit

swinging in the breeze

evening walks and bike rides

discussing possible baby names, and laughing at the silly names that Ethan makes up

falling asleep, knowing we can do it all over again the next day

The last few weeks

2011-03-15T11:15:00.000-07:00

I have not been on here for a long time, so I'm sorry for not updating. So what have we been up to.

Repairing laptop (one reason for no blogging)
Renos: The children's bedrooms are now carpeted (they have had scrap carpet pieced together until now)
The laundry room, not completely finished but further along.
Painting the children's rooms (the boys have chosen apple green)
Making lemonade
Building snowmen and snow forts
Building train tracks and road systems with plan toys.
Lots of appointments with the pregnancy, actually way too many appointments.
Organizing the baby nursery
Re-organized all the kids clothes and are now sorted into containers by age and size.
Teaching yoga
And ofcourse the everyday life at home with children.

My goal for the next month.
Take some time to relax with the family
Slow down and rest
Prepare for birth of third child
Finish one more unit of school work
Practice gentle yoga or meditation daily
Work on morning pages
Complete taxes and have them filed before the baby arrives
Finish organizing the basement (almost done)
Make some curtains for Ethan's new room

Adventures at home

2011-02-10T12:56:00.000-08:00

Lately we have gone too far from home. We have been having some extreme weathers, from snowy blizzards, to melting snow, to freezing temperature again. The mercury is like a yo yo at the moment. When it is warm enough we play outside, but when it's past minus 30 I really don't like to venture outside.

Our new bird table the boys built with their grandparents... I love it, we can now see what the birds are doing all the time. (We just put it up, and didn't have any food yet)

Kai helping his dad clear the drive way

Ethan digging out after the big storm

Ethan decorating pine cones with yummy treats for the birds

Our birds are getting spoilt

And of course, no cold winter day is not complete with out a fort.

More pancakes please...

2011-02-10T12:40:00.000-08:00

My boys have been begging for lots of pancakes lately, I think it must be the cold weather. I'm trying to eat gluten free at the moment, so this is what I've been working on this week.

1 cup rice flour

3 Tbsp tapioca flour

1/3 cup millet flour

1/2 tsp xanthan gum

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 agave nectar

1 egg

1 banana mushed

3 Tbsp apple sauce

1 cup water

1 cup almond milk

1 tsp vanilla

sprinkle of cinnamon

Combine all dry ingredients in a mixing bowl, and then make a small well in middle. Add wet ingredients and slowly stir into the dry ingredients. Let batter rest while frying heats up. I put a little oil on the pan and added 1/3 cup of batter at a time, waited till bubbles formed and flipped.

Enjoy, really good with maple syrup and fresh fruit.

Napping

2011-02-08T12:09:00.000-08:00

Lately, Kai and his little baby have been my new napping partners. When someone else is around it is around to look after the bigger child, it is just too tempting to join in with the nap and with this pregnancy is doesn't take long to drift off into dreamland.

Enjoying

2011-01-26T06:48:00.000-08:00

It's Wednesday again, which means it's time for Wishcasting. The lovely Jamie's prompt this morning is "What do you wish to enjoy?"

I wish to enjoy each moment for exactly what they are.

Namaste

Banana Choch Muffins

2011-01-23T15:33:00.000-08:00

No photo yet, but this is a new recipe that I'm working on. Let me know how it works for you.

2 Ripened bananas
1 Tbsp coconut oil

1/2 cup natural nut butter

2 eggs
1/4 cup hemp seeds
2 Tbsp chia seeds
1/4 cup of agave nectar
1 cup apple sauce

3/4 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup almond flour
1/2 cups oats
3 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup choc. chips

Mash bananas in bowl, add in coconut oil, nut butter, eggs, seeds, nectar and apple sauce. Mix together.
Combine the rest of the ingredients in separate bowl (except chips), and add to the wet ingredients and combine. Stir chips and scoop into muffin cups. Bake at 350F for 20 minutes.

Let me know how these work out for you.

Wishcasting Wednesday

2011-01-12T06:52:00.000-08:00

Well it is Wednesday again, I'm not quite sure how it got to be Wednesday already, time is going by way too fast at the moment. I think it may have something to do with this belly that keeps getting bigger. Jamie's prompt for today is "What do you wish to renew?"

I had to sit on this one, then it came to me. I want to renew time for me, last fall I had one evening a week that I went out and practiced yoga; in the summer I took a pottery class, it was great knowing that one day a week, I was going to actually leave the house for something that I wanted to do for myself and not someone else. As winter started, my husband got really busy with work and I wasn't able to leave for a yoga practice. It wasn't until I wasn't able to get out of the house for my weekly activity that I realized just how important that weekly activity was for my sanity. So this year I would like to renew some weekly activity to keep my soul and creativity sparkling.

Spicy lentil soup

2011-01-10T11:32:00.000-08:00

I don't know what it is about soup, but I love soup whether it is summer or winter, it is my favorite meal.

So today as the snow falls; I thought what better than a heart warming bowl of soup and that I would have a go at making spicy lentil soup. I attempted this last week and it turned out more like a dal, so today with some modifications, it is perfect.

Spicy lentil soup

1 onion (chopped)

2 carrots (half moons)

1 stick celery (chopped)

1 inches ginger (grated)

2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)

1/2 tsp chili (more can be added, but I needed my children to be able to eat this)

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 bay leaf

1 can tomatoes

1 1/2 cups red lentils

1 L vegetable stock

(fresh parsley/coriander to garnish)

- Saute the onion, carrot and celery in a soup pot until soft. At the end throw in the ginger, garlic and chili and cook them for about 5 minutes, add the rest of the spices and fry for a further minute.

- Add the canned tomato juice from can, loosening all spices from bottom of pot.

- Squish the canned tomatoes with hand, and add tomatoes to pot.

- Add the stock and lentils and cook until the lentils are soft.

- Blend 1/3 of soup mixture (remembering to remove bay leaf first), and add back to pot, cook for further 5 minutes.

- Serve with toasted whole wheat bread.

Pregnancy Smoothie

2011-01-10T07:30:00.000-08:00

As I go through this pregnancy I've been quite concerned about nutrition, as prenatal vitamins and iron supplements have not been working due to the morning sickness that lasts all day. I'm finding that smaller meals, and more carbohydrate foods have been helping with keeping food in my poor tummy.
Things to help with morning sickness:
Avoidance of fatty foods.
Vitamin B6 can aid liver metabolism.
Other supplements helpful for morning sickness include vitamins B12, C and E as well as magnesium and potassium.
Higher fiber intake can help keep the intestines moving.
Acidic foods, iron supplements and milk may increase nausea and vomiting.
Munching on soda crackers or toast can help first thing in the morning.
Breathing and relaxing.
Plenty of sleep (I know this makes a huge difference with me, however, this is much harder with older children at home)

During pregnancy, the mother needs more of everything, so that she can support her own health as well as the growing fetus. The baby can pull minerals, vitamins, and protein from the mother's bones, organs, tissues and other storage areas. This can leave the mother depleted, and this condition can take time, even years to correct.

One quick fix that has been helping is this smoothie.

1/2 - 1 cup of juice (apple, coconut water, mango) citrus juice tends to be harder on the stomach.
1 frozen banana
1 tbsp wheat germ (for B vitamins)
2 tsp blackstrap molasses (for iron, calcium)
1 cup organic yogurt (optional)
1 cup almond milk (calcium)
1 tbsp chia seeds (provide omega 3, calcium, magnesium and protein)
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp hemp seeds ( for protein)
protein powder can be added also for extra protein.

Love

2011-01-06T09:28:00.000-08:00

As I'm sat here doing my homework, I came across this quote. I just wanted to share it, because it is just so true.

"The most important nutrient of all is love."

Leo Galland, M.D.

Yes

2011-01-04T22:03:00.000-08:00

The first Wishcasting of the year! The lovely Jamie asks us this week "What do you wish to say yes to?"

The first thing that came to mind was calmness and tranquility, I wish to bring more calmness into my life, especially since baby number three will be born in a few months. This is the most important thing for me this year, as I think if I can bring more calm to my life, then everything else will flow so much smoother. I also wish to say yes to acceptance, accepting help, accepting things that happen from day to day. I wish to say yes to mindfulness and creativity. I wish to say yes to love and nurturing. And lastly to tie back into calmness... yes to relaxing when it is much needed.

Namaste

Water

2011-01-03T18:53:00.000-08:00

One of my new years resolutions this year and probably the one that is most important is to drink more water. This may sound easy to most of you, but this is very challenging to me. I am more of a tea and juice drinker than water. However, all of that is going to change this year. So what is my plan? Simple, every morning I slice some lemon (this way it taste a bit better to me), place it in a jug and place it on the counter top, pour myself a glass and drink it before I continue on with the day. If the water is where I can see it, I can keep track of my water consumption through out the day. I am a very visual person so, if I don't have something right in front of me, I will probably forget about it. I'm always in the kitchen so this way I have my reminder all day long.

So why is this so important to me? I have noticed over the last little while that I'm always making sure that my kids have plenty to drink and water, juice, milk that I forget about myself and before I know it, I'm really thirsty and wondering when the last time was that I had something to drink.

Water is the primary component of all the bodily fluids - blood, lymph, digestive juices, urine, tears, and sweat. Water is involved in almost every bodily function: circulation, digestion, absorption, elimination of wastes just to name a few.

Water requirements vary greatly from person to person, and is based on a number of factors - our size; our activity level- amount of fluid lost though sweat; the climate or temperature; and our diet. The average person will need 8 cups of water a day, on top of water gained from other sources such as juice and food.

Water is best consumed at several intervals throughout the day.

Crepe Sunday

2011-01-02T10:17:00.000-08:00

This is our tradition on Sundays.... the boys get so excited for crepe Sunday. Daddy always gets up and makes the crepes with them ( I love it as I get to sleep in for 1/2 hour while they prepare them).

And then we all get to pick out our toppings. These are our favorites:

Nutella

Strawberry Jam

Cheese, tomato and basil

We are always trying out new possibilities, do you have any suggestions?

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T23:20:00.000-08:00

Today, I spent relaxing with my family, simply enjoying each other. I wrote down my goals for 2011 and resolutions, doing my best to make them simple, so they will be accomplished.

Photo credit: Valerie Holifield

Raw Truffles

2010-12-22T17:53:00.000-08:00

Don't be let the word raw scare you from these delicious balls of goodness, they are so addictive, even my none dessert eating partner can't keep his hands of these.

Raw Chocolate Truffles

2 cups of raw unsoaked nuts ( I did one cup walnuts and 1 cup almonds)

1/2 tsp sea salt

15 pitted dates chopped

1/4 cup of dried cranberries or blueberries

2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 Tbsp agave nectar

2 Tbsp H2O (this will be less or more dependent on the freshness of your dried fruit)

1/2 cup shredded coconut or 1/2 cup cocoa powder for dusting

Add nuts to food processor and grind finely. Add dried fruit, vanilla and agave nectar and water till mixture sticks together. Roll mixture into balls (approx. 1 tbsp per ball). Once balls are all rolled, roll balls in shredded coconut or cocoa.

This is fun, but really messy to do with the kids, my children helped me today, however, they kept calling their balls rabbit poo.

Wishcasting Wednesday

2010-12-22T06:41:00.000-08:00

The lovely Jamie asks today "What is your winter wish?"

What is my winter wish is to find calmness and peacefulness

through this season, like the trees covered in frost - strong, still and sparkly in the sunlight.

What I love about Christmas

2010-12-21T12:27:00.000-08:00

Having someone else to string the Christmas lights on the tree

Gingerbread House building

Guessing what is under the tree

Ethan's colourful paper chains

Ethan making sure that Santa knows which stocking is his

Sparkles everywhere

Cranberry Ice Decorations

Making snowflakes

Making ornaments for the tree

Don't trust these eyes

2010-12-21T12:00:00.000-08:00

This is what happens when Kai is left unattended with his father in charge....an entire bottle of soap in the washing machine!

Christmas time brings...

2010-12-18T18:41:00.000-08:00

{this moment} warrior crown

2010-12-16T19:21:00.000-08:00

Wishcasting Wednesday

2010-12-01T18:25:00.000-08:00

The lovely Jamie asks today "Where do you wish to go slow"? I feel like I haven't participated in wishcasting all fall, and so today, I thought I needed to re-join the circle of wishcasters as I've missed it.
Fall has just flown by, Ethan being back at school, teaching all my yoga classes weekly, after school activities for the boys, my online course for holistic nutrition, it all seems to be taking so much time away from just relaxing. As my yoga classes start to wind down and the extra activities for the boys wind down, I'm really looking forward to just spending lots of time with the boys doing whatever crazy adventures they want to take me on. I think the last few months has been challenging especially with Clayton working around the clock too, which has just meant that I'm on the go solo. So I wish to slow down, and savor every moment with the boys (especially before the baby arrives), so I can remember this holiday season for what it is, good old family time.

Holiday Baking

2010-11-26T04:36:00.000-08:00

I don't know what it is about the colder weather, but I really start craving these guys....

Ginger Molasses Cookies

2 Tbsp Coconut Oil

2/3 cup brown sugar (or 1/4 honey honey)

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 egg

1/4 cup of dark blackstrap molasses

1 1/2 cup all- purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350F.

Mix together oil and sugar. Then mix egg and molasses. Combine dry ingredients and add to wet mixture. Mix all together and then roll dough into balls and dip each ball into the sugar and cinnamon mixture, and then squish onto baking sheet with heal of hand. Place in oven and bake for 10 minutes, they should be cracked and come out feeling a little soft, allow them to cool for awhile on sheet and then transfer to wire rack, this will make for chewier cookies, if you want good dipper cookies, then bake longer.

Enjoy!

Long Time

2010-11-25T13:30:00.000-08:00

It has been a long time since I have posted and I never intended it for it to be this long. Lots has been happening around here. School has started once again and along with that all the activities. I have been teaching yoga through the week keeping me really busy, which has been wonderful working with so many amazing people. And for our biggest news.... we are expecting our third baby. I have had a little less energy due to the pregnancy and morning sickness, which should be called all day sickness. The yoga has helped so much with my all day sickness, just focusing on my breathing and asking for help with my other two, I'm so lucky to have such amazing support. SO for the last few months I have really been focusing on slowing down, living in the moment and enjoying each moment, breathing, and attempting to find calm and tranquility in every day.

My favorite yoga pose at the mOMent...Legs up the wall.

This pose is great, it is a like a passive supported variation of shoulderstand. FOr support in the pose, you will need two thickly folded blankets, you will also need to rest your legs vertically or nearly on a wall.

Start with your support about 5 to 6 inches away from the wall. Sit sideways on right end of the support, with your right side against the wall. Exhale and, with one smooth movement, swing your legs up onto the wall and your shoulders and head lightly down onto the floor. Try lowering the support and/or moving it slightly further off the wall until you are comfortable.

Your sitting bones don't need to be right against the wall, but they should be "falling" down into the space between the support and the wall.

Lift and release the base of your skull away from the back of your neck and soften your throat. Don't push your chin against your sternum; instead let your sternum lift toward the chin. Open your shoulder blades away from the spine and release your hands and arms out to your sides, palms up.

Keep your legs relatively firm, just enough to hold them vertically in place. Soften your eyes and turn them down to look into your heart.

Stay in this pose anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes. Be sure not to twist off the support when coming out. Instead, slide off the support onto the floor before turning to the side. You can also bend your knees and push your feet against the wall to lift your pelvis off the support. Then slide the support to one side, lower your pelvis to the floor, and turn to the side. Stay on your side for a few breaths, and come up to sitting with an exhalation.

What are some of the benefits to this pose?

Relieves tired or cramped legs and feet
Gently stretches the back legs, front torso, and the back of the neck
Relieves mild backache
Calms the mind

Have a go at this amazing pose, it may just surprise you.

Wishcasting

2010-10-13T06:38:00.000-07:00

Today is Wednesday, so that means it's time for Jamie's Wishcasting prompt. Her prompt today is

"What do you wish to fly free from?"

I wish to fly free from my routine of cleaning my home, obviously I still need to clean my home, but I wish to turn my cleaning process into something more of a thoughtful practice, so that it doesn't seem so much of a chore, if that is at all possible. I love my home and I love seeing it clean, but there are days that this seems to consume my life, and that is what I would like to fly free from, so that I can simply enjoy my days with all the other important things in my life... like my three boys

Giving Gratitude

2010-10-12T22:35:00.000-07:00

Lately, I have been working on the Niyama's and Yama's of Yoga. As part of the Niyama's I have been trying to truly think of those things that I'm grateful for and feeling that gratitude in my body before I go to sleep.

Tonight, I'm grateful for my loving and supportive family

I'm grateful to my partner for all his support

I'm grateful for this lovely and amazing fall that we're having

I'm grateful to my yoga class this evening

So, what are you grateful for? I am really loving doing this gratitude practice before I rest for the evening.

Good Night

{this moment} So proud

2010-10-04T08:36:00.000-07:00

{this moment} - a weekend ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. Helping me to slow down, take notice and enjoy these days.

Wishcasting

2010-09-29T06:26:00.000-07:00

It is Wednesday and time to take part in Jamie Ridler's Wiscasting Wednesday prompt. Today Jamie asked, "What do you wish to step into?" I wish to wake up every morning, standing strong through my day as if I'm stood in mountain pose, grounding down through my feet, connecting to the earth, setting a simple intention for my day, strong tall legs, relaxed shoulders not allowing them to carry tension, keeping my heart space soft, breathing with my whole body and then just keeping a smile on my face, ready to face what ever it is that may come my way; be a toddler not making it to the potty on time, a four year not wanting to go to preschool, or wanting to spread his own jam on his toast and countertop, but embracing each and every moment.

Beach

2010-09-27T09:15:00.000-07:00

2010-09-25T18:12:00.000-07:00

{this moment} No training wheels

Wishcasting

2010-08-25T06:44:00.000-07:00

Jamie's prompt this morning was "How do you wish to spend some time?" My wish is short and simple, I wish to spend some time just playing and forgetting about all my responsibilities, chores, and to do lists, just simply enjoying myself and feeling like a four year old all over again. Just enjoying myself so much that I loose track of time and don't care.

{this moment} Victoria Beach

2010-08-22T19:17:00.000-07:00

Wishcasting

2010-08-11T06:34:00.000-07:00

Jamie asks us today "Where do you wish to send some love?"

I wish to send my love to my mummy, because I don't let her know how much she really means to me enough. To the rest of my family, because they all need some love. To my partner, who has to listen to me, all the time and handle my crazy ideas and creations. To my children, because they just deserve it unconditionally all the time. To my friends, who I don't have as much time for since my children came, but I still love them all the same.

Photo credit: TheAlieness GiselaGiardino

Soap balls

2010-08-09T07:35:00.000-07:00

This quick little craft is so fun, and with adults helps can be done with children. This is how I made mine however, you could use whatever dried flowers and essential oils that you have on hand or like.

Ingredients:

2 bars of soap (unscented)

food processor with grating attachment, or cheese grater

bowl for mixing

dried lavender flowers

lavender essential oil

handful of oatmeal

1. Ground the oatmeal flakes till they are in smaller pieces, but not powder. Add to bowl.

2. Grate the soap and add to bowl

3. Add one tablespoon of dried lavender flowers to bowl.

4. Add five drops of essential oil to bowl.

5. Add five tablespoons of warm water to bowl.

6. Mix all the ingredients together, and form into balls.
7. Allow soap balls to dry for two days.
8. Use, or wrap and gift.

HAVE FUN!

{this moment} Kildonan park

2010-08-08T12:31:00.000-07:00

Inspired by Soulemama

Wishcasting

2010-08-04T07:42:00.000-07:00

Wednesday morning ritual of wishcasting, I just love it. It makes me slow down and think before I start my day, and set a whole new wonderful tone for the rest of the week. So, what does Jamie ask today? What do you wish for your creativity? I wish to step back, to take a moment and just relax, take a deep breath, let go out the perfectionism that I keep too close, and then just allow the creativity to flow through my hands. I love being inspired by other artists, and loose inspiration when I rush my work. I wish for more patience for myself and to accept where I am in my work and know that my creativity will grow stronger.

Tea and scones.

2010-08-03T12:14:00.000-07:00

Inspired after my tea out with the boys for my anniversary.

Gluten Free Scones

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups brown rice flour
3 1/2 Tbsp tapioca flour
2 tsp baking powder
4 tsp xanthan gum
1tsp salt
4 Tbsp sugar
1/2 cup margarine
1/2 cup sultan raisin (optional, dried cranberries, zest of fruit, almonds slivers)
2 eggs
1/2 cup rice milk
1 egg, beaten, for egg wash

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F.
In a large bowl sift all the dry ingredients and mix well. Rub in the margarine. Add the sultans (or canberries & zest) and gently mix together.
Lightly whisk the eggs and rice milk together.
Make a well in the center of the flour crumble mixture and add the egg and rice milk mixture. Mix to soft dough, adding a little more milk only if necessary.
Turn onto a rice-floured board and knead lightly (dough will be sticky), just enough to shape into a round. Roll out to about 1-inch thick and cut out rounds using a 2 1/4" cutter (or cut into 8 wedges). Place on a rice-floured baking sheet and brush with a little egg wash.
Bake for approximately 10 minutes until golden brown on top. Leave to cool on a wire rack.
Serve split in half with margarine and jam, and tea of course.

Note: butter could be used as well as yogurt in this recipe. My son has allergies to dairy and soy this is the reason for margarine and rice milk.

Forever

2010-08-01T14:24:00.000-07:00

For my sweetheart,

Happy Anniversary

Clayton and the boys took me to the tea house today where I had my wedding photos taken seven years ago. We had a lovely lunch, sandwiches, salad and of course tea. I forgot my camera at lunch time, but I may just have to bike there later, when Kai wakes up from his nap, as it was beautiful there today.

Ready for the bike ride on my favorite bike that my mother gave me for my birthday.

So this is the spot my wedding photos were taken, this time however, my photographer was my four year old, and made us stick out our tongue for this shot.

Scrambled

2010-07-29T07:11:00.000-07:00

Scrambled tofu

1 block of firm tofu (crumbled)

2 Tbsp soy sauce or braggs

1/2 onion, chopped

1/2 tsp tumeric

1 Tbsp nutrional yeast

glob of olive oil

pinch of oregano

salt and pepper

In a pan, add onions and oil and saute on medium heat until onions are soft. Add remaining ingredients and mix together. Saute on high heat till tofu is slightly seared on one side and moisture is mostly evaporated.

Enjoy inside a breakfast burrito or next to toast!

Outdoor Painting

2010-07-28T08:05:00.000-07:00

I felt like painting outside yesterday as the weather was so nice and it was windy, so I knew the bugs wouldn't be around. I set the boys up with their painting equipment outside. And let them just paint whatever they wanted. Their new painting tool today was spray bottles (from the dollar store, empty cleaning spray bottle would work great too), they had loads of fun with these. I took the spray bottles and simply filled them with paint. You could use stencils with the spray bottles too, or cut out pieces of card to spray around, or leaves or even other found objects.

Green snack

2010-07-23T09:26:00.000-07:00

Well today we went for a tropical smoothie, similar to before only today with a fresh coconut. Way more fun with a fresh coconut, plus the boys loved opening the coconut.

1 cup of ice

1 cup of frozen mango

water from one coconut

1/2 cup of coconut flesh
1/2 avacado

fill the blender with greens of choice (spinach, kale, chard, romaine lettuce)

2 bananas

spoon full of spirilina

1/2 cup of water (or more if needed)

Enjoy

Summer Days

2010-07-21T21:19:00.000-07:00

I haven't been blogging as much lately. I have been trying to be outside as much as possible while we have this wonderful weather. Picnics are a must these days, even if it is just on the front step. Car rides with the sun roof open. Yoga practices with open windows and the noises of life happening all around, outside is even better, as long as the bugs aren't too bad. Walking barefoot in the grass. Building sand castles, water balloon tosses , running through the sprinkler. Bike rides. And last but not least chocolate coconut ice cream.

Wishcasting

2010-07-21T07:31:00.000-07:00

The lovely Jamie's prompt this morning was "What do you wish to envision"? How did she know to ask this question? I swear this is what me and my partner were talking about yesterday. I wish to live my life in balance, balance was my word of the year. I envision a life where my family can live a slower life, that has plenty of time for each other, where we sit down and eat at the table and tell each other stories. I envision eating balanced and nutritious meals. I envision teaching my children to live, slow down and just enjoy everything around them. Yoga practices and evening walks just happen. I envision spending time away in the summers, where we can leave our daily lives and just focus on each other. I envision connecting my work of teaching yoga with also leading a healthy lifestyle.

Sewing Cards

2010-07-16T11:37:00.000-07:00

Ethan's favorite blanket had gotten a hole, so he wanted to fix it. I told him that it was an adult job, but he could learn how to sew. I remembered as a child that I had sewing cards, and thought that this would make a great activity to make these card, and then he would have an activity that he made to play with.

These were super easy to make, all your need is:

Card (old cereal boxes, or cardboard boxes)

scissors

markers

yarn or shoelaces

hole punch

Draw the shape that you would like, ( we did a butterfly, tree, fish and sun).

Cut out the shape (I recommend that even older children get parents to help cut as cardboard is hard to cut).

Get child to colour the shape.

Punch holes around the edge of the shape.

Shoelaces work great as the sewing needles and thread, but if you don't have any extras, then yarn works just as well, just use tape (wrap one end of the yarn with tape), and this is the needle.

Have fun!

Wishcasting

2010-07-14T07:00:00.000-07:00

It is Wednesday again, so that means Jamie has put out there another great promt.

"What do you wish to focus on?"

Through out my life I have done many things, and all these things I have put all my attention towards, whether it was my work, or university. Now, I'm at home, looking after two boys, attempting to be a chef, maid,and a yoga teacher. I always feel like I'm trying to juggle everything that I do. I have been slowing down a lot and not trying to do as much as I had been attempting to do in the past. Now that this prompt has been asked it has made me realize that it is not just about slowing down, but also staying focused on what your doing and not thinking about the everything else that I need to do and whether I have time to bake muffins before the kids wake up or get this done or that. It is like living my life as if I was in tree pose. Allowing my body to slowly move into the pose and then slowing the breath down and focusing on something that is also not moving and really feeling the breath and the pose. If I slow down with whatever activity I'm in, focusing on the task (simple or complex), I'm sure that I will accomplish it more effectively and enjoy it more at the same time.

Brown Spots

2010-07-12T13:51:00.000-07:00

What do I do with my spotty brown bananas? I'm so glad you asked me. I peel them and stick them in a zip lock bag, and put them in the freezer. This way they are perfect for smoothies. Or I will pull some out ahead of time if I'm going to make banana bread.
I've even been known to purchase my bananas with brown spots, they're usually cheaper this way. What do you do with your old bananas?

Beeting

2010-07-08T20:23:00.000-07:00

I love beets, but never know what to do with the greens. So I decided to try something. I tried cooking them as a side dish.

4 cups Chopped beet greens, kale, swiss chard (whatever greens you have)

4 or more sliced garlic cloves

3 gluggs of olive oil

sea salt

In a hot frying pan, add 1/2 water and chopped greens, stir greens around till water has gone. Add olive oil and garlic and sprinkle with salt. Sautee greens and garlic. Cook till garlic is soft, careful not to burn.

Enjoy.

I served this with my leftover rice and curry from the other night. Yummy.

Gratitude

2010-07-07T11:55:00.000-07:00

Some days I feel like I really need to reflect on what I'm grateful for.

Two healthy children

Shelter over my head

Loving partner

My yoga practice

My vegetable garden

Clean fresh water

Great local food

Supportive family

Freedom

Space to run

Just the simple pleasures in life

Wishing

2010-07-06T23:03:00.000-07:00

This week Jamie asks us "What do you wish for Your Relationships"?

So what do I wish? I wish for true friends, relationships that are honest. Relationships that are so meaningful, that you feel so loved and honored to share this relationship with someone else. Friends that you can learn and explore with. A relationship that lasts a lifetime and only gets better with age. I wish this for myself and also for my boys.

Photo credit: BB

Beach Packing

2010-07-06T11:50:00.000-07:00

This weekend I was lucky to have some fine weather, so what did we do? We packed our supplies and went to the beach. I try to have everything packed the night before, so that all I have to do is pack the boys and leave.

So today I thought I would put together my beach packing list.

Night Before:

1. Clean out the trunk of the car.

2. Pack a lovely blanket

3. Pack change of clothes for the boys (swimming diapers for little ones), diapers and wipes, towels. Wet bag, hats

4. Prepare food for beach. Bread sticks, crackers, baguette, hummus, chopped vegetables, fruit. Easy to grab yummy food. Lemonade, homemade ice tea and water.

5. Make sure freezer packs are in freezer for cooler.

6. Pack beach umbrella

7. Get kids to help pack what toys they would like to take to beach

8. Pack sunblock and bug spray

9. Blankets and soothers for napping children

Day of trip:

1. Get kids ready, coat them in sun block, giving the sun block chance to absorb onto skin. Dress in swimsuit

2. Pack cooler, and container for garbage

3. Pack snack and drink for ride

4. Load car with family and all your travel car songs and games. Ethan is huge into eye spy!

Red Love

2010-07-06T11:17:00.000-07:00

Red Love Smoothie

3 baby beets cut up

1 cup frozen raspberries

2 frozen bananas

1 Tbsp coconut oil

3 cups water

Put all ingredients into blender, and blend till' smooth.

Slurp up and enjoy!

Benefits of Beetroot:

Reduces toxicity in your system, cleanse the liver, kidneys and gall bladder

Rich in fibre to improve bowel movement

Has two anti-oxidant enzymes to help protect liver cells ad eliminate toxic substances from the body

Increase blood cell count

High in iron and can help cure anaemia

Help with blood purification and enrichment

Roasted Chunky Eggplant Pasta Sauce

2010-07-03T20:06:00.000-07:00

I love eggplant, but never too sure how to cook for my children to eat. They love pasta so I thought that I would try and make a pasta sauce to go with it.

1 eggplant

olive oil

1 onion

4 cloves garlic

1 tsp fresh ginger

1 tsp ground coriander seeds

1 tsp thyme

4 fresh tomatoes, cut into small cubes

4 Tbsp red wine

1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 Tbsp tomato paste

salt

Chili peppers (optional)

Chop eggplant into small cubes (I did small because of the children, but you could do larger chunks), and put them in an oven dish, toss the eggplant in olive oil, roast in oven, stirring occasionally until the eggplant is brown and soft.

Heat olive oil in a pan and saute onion, add garlic, spices and thyme. Cook for two minutes, making sure not to burn the garlic. Add chopped tomatoes, stir, then add wine and tomato paste. Simmer the sauce till thickened. Add roasted eggplant and cook for 10 minutes. Season with salt.

Toss sauce over pasta and sprinkle with parmesan.

Enjoy!

Long Weekend

2010-07-02T13:49:00.000-07:00

We are having a long weekend, the weekend set off with a bang, as the kids stayed up late to watch fireworks to celebrate Canada Day. We went out for breakfast, and played at the park. Not too sure what the rest of the weekend has, but we will take it one moment at a time, following the kids lead.

Fresh Box

2010-06-30T22:58:00.000-07:00

I just discovered this local treat. Local farmers growing fresh, natural greens. They even deliver! This box of greens made me so giddy and excited, it felt like Christmas. My box had Kale, Rainbow Chard, cherry tomatoes, baby fennel, baby beets, a whole mixture of herbs, lettuce, micro greens and spring onions. I love greens, they make me Smile.

The Full Strawberry Moon

2010-06-30T22:49:00.000-07:00

June's Dreamboard

Wishing

2010-06-30T07:41:00.000-07:00

Another thought provoking question by the lovely Jamie, I have had to sit back and think about this one. What do you wish for your well-being?

I wish to slow down, and enjoy the things and people around me.

I wish to slow down, and breathe, and allow my body to relax with each breath.

I wish to get up and keep running a few times a week to keep up with a cardiovascular workout in my life.

I wish to maintain my yoga practice to keep me balanced.

I wish to keep listening to the foods that my body is asking for and those that it's not.

I wish for moments of creativity.

I wish to keep enjoying and loving my relationships with friends and family around me.

I wish to give gratitude.

Bubbles

2010-06-28T12:48:00.000-07:00

I love bubbles, it just brings out the inner child in me, and luckily for me my children love bubbles just as much. It was raining this weekend, so while it was raining and there were no customers coming to our garage sale, we decided to make our own bubble wands and bubbles.

Supplies:
Wire snips
Dowel or wooden lolipop sticks
wire (if you can reuse leftovers from a renovation, even better, this is what we did as our garage sale was about left overs from our renovation)
1 cup of unnatural dishwashing liquid (such as sunlight)
1/2 cup of water
deep plate (such as a pie dish)
ribbon
beads

The Bubble Wands (or magic wands which they became after)

Wrap or spiral one end of the wire around the wooden stick a few times so it is secure, and then shape the wire into whatever shape your creative heart desires. Leave approximately 4 inches of wire to secure back onto the stick. Fold the wire back over, or pinch closed with wire snippers, so that there is no sharp parts poking out.

Beads can be beaded on to the end of the wire for an extra special creative flare, or ribbon tied on the end of the stick. Sparkle, anything thing that you think can be done, allow your creative touch to put magic on your wand.

By making your wire two dimensional instead of three, makes it a little easier in the bubble juice.

Bubble juice:
Just simply mix soap and water into deep plate or bowl, and dip and blow away, dancing with your wand!

ENJOY!

Even musings daddy got inspired by this one!

Kai's feet after dancing around with bubbles!

Lemonade

2010-06-28T11:52:00.000-07:00

I had a wonderful weekend with my family, and I will share some of these moments over the week.

One of the highlights was Ethan's Lemonade Stand. We had a garage sale over the weekend and Ethan wanted to have a lemonade stand, so he got everything ready, got me to make him a sign. We had already just made a fresh stock of Lemonade concentrate so all he had to was sell glasses of lemonade. He was a little slow getting peoples attention, and not to sure what to do, but with a little help by the end he was a professional sales man. He took us all out for ice cream with his profit (how sweets is that?) and had leftovers for his piggy bank. He was so proud of himself that he earned his own money.

Happy Friday

2010-06-25T11:04:00.000-07:00

The weekend

Ethan is so excited that it's the weekend,

as his daddy is going to be home all weekend, to play.

What do we have planned?

Visit to the farmers Market

A garage sale

Playing outside in the sun

If my yard dries up, I will cut the grass

Having a glass of wine outside under the umbrella

Journal writing

Finishing my book

Catching ladibugs for the vegetable garden, the boys favorite thing to do at the moment

Playing on the swings

Summer Sweets

2010-06-24T20:16:00.000-07:00

Following yesterdays Wishcasting, I was thinking of things that make we feel happy, that make me smile and bring some fun to my life, things that just make my life a little sweeter!

Blowing bubbles outside with the kids

Letting the kids stay up late and watching a movie together with one big bowl of popcorn

Going for a massage

Falling asleep with a lavender eye pillow

Have a long soak in a bath tub with some essential oils and candles

Hanging out with my feet up the wall

Lying in the grass with the kids and name cloud shapes

Painting outside with the kids and not having to worry about clean up

Having a picnic at the park

Playing outside in the rain

Opening the windows and letting in the fresh summer air

Practicing yoga outside

Bringing in some fresh flowers (especially hand picked)

Sitting outside in the morning and having a late on the deck and watching the sun rise

Writing in my journal, or even sketching

Smiling at a love one

Just smiling

Going for a walk

Having a jog early in the morning, before everyone else gets up

Turning up the music and having a dance party

Slowing down and taking some deep breaths

Snuggling up with a partner around a fire

Roasting marshmallows

Sipping Lemonade on a hot day

Finger painting as a family and getting messy

Dancing with hula hoops

Running under the sprinkler

Fun and Laughter

2010-06-23T04:25:00.000-07:00

Jamie's prompt for today wishcasting was "What fun do you wish to have?" I wish to have fun doing the everyday chores around the house, keep having fun teaching yoga and of course playing with my two ankle biters. My children teach me so much, they are able to find a place for fun in EVERYTHING they do, so why can't I.
I have been getting up early to run, followed by a lovely green smoothie (green is my new favorite colour), and I'm finding that I can get my jobs done sooner. This way when the boys get up, I can give them my full attention, and get down on my hands and knees, and drive those toy trains and tractors.

I wish to find fun and laughter in every moment, even if it's just smiling and playing with the bubbles while washing dishes.

Shopping Outdoors

2010-06-22T08:33:00.000-07:00

Farmers Markets

I love summer for the farmers market. Last year I tried as hard as possible to only shop from farmers markets. I still went to the shops for pantry products, but mostly just shop from the farmers market. It was way more fun going to the market with out a list and then seeing what lovely vegetables and fruits there were to inspire my cooking. It was great for the kids too, especially my older son as he always has so many questions, this is a great way for him to realize that food doesn't come from the supermarket, and that farmers grow the food for the stores. The market had great entertainment for the kids too, as there were clowns and performers dancing with fire and juggling.

Happy Weekend

2010-06-18T08:28:00.000-07:00

"Smile, breathe, and go slowly"

Thich Nhat Hanh

This weekend is looking like another fun packed weekend, however I have full intentions of retreating to the sunroom and kicking up my heels and finishing my book. We have a birthday party at some point this weekend to attend. I would also love to go the farmers market again this weekend, only this time I think crocs or rubber boots are required due all the rain we have had. I also intend to do something with my father and my husband and children this weekend for fathers day, perhaps cooking a great meal from goodies from the farmers market. Have a fabulous restful weekend.

Popsicles

2010-06-17T08:04:00.000-07:00

Homemade Popsicles

These are so easy to make, I make them all year round,

but I make them a lot in the summer. These are my pretty in Pink popsicles.

Pretty in Pink Popsicles

4 or 5 Large slices of watermelon

2 frozen bananas

6 fresh or frozen strawberries

How to:

Blend in a blender till smooth, (don't forget to cover your ears)

You can add some water if you need it to have more liquid, it is going to depend on how juicy the watermelon is. You can have this as a dessert smoothie. Yummy.

Making Faces

2010-06-16T20:48:00.000-07:00

This little boy has discovered his face and posing for the camera, this is one of our new past times.

Do you ever make faces?

I Wish to Nourish

2010-06-16T07:42:00.000-07:00

What do you wish to nourish?

This was the thought provoking question from the lovely Jamie this morning. This has been on my mind for a few days now, as my energy has been feeling low. So I would like to nourish my body, I would like to do this by taking care of what I'm putting into my body, and really paying attention to food that my body is reacting to. I really want to up my intake of greens. I also would love to nourish my body with water, I'm the type of person who reaches for juice and tea before water. I wish to nurture the time in each day by slowing down and enjoying the two little people running around my ankles. I wish by slowing down to see more things helping me relax and enjoy the little things in life, and being grateful for all the people and life around me.

I love this quote

2010-06-15T08:49:00.000-07:00

"courage doesn't always roar. sometimes courage is the quiet voice at

the end of the day saying

"I will try again tomorrow"

Mary Anne Radmacher

Breath

2010-06-14T07:50:00.000-07:00

In a yoga class, I really try to get students to be aware of their breath, this is so much harder than I thought it would be, as this is a function that we do everyday in our lives. I think we take the breath for granted, and all the benefits it has for our body, mind and spirit. Every inhale, we breathe in fresh oxygen and transform nutrients into fuel. Each exhalation with remove carbon dioxide. Breath can affect our mind, it can make us excited, calm, tense or relaxed. It can affect our thinking, it can make us confused or clear. Our breath is the link to prana. So what is my problem with breath? Well, we are all so busy, and stressed that we have turned into these upper chest breathers, and have forgotten how to use our diaphragm to help us breathe.

For my beginner classes I always teach the three-part breath, also known as the complete breath.

The purpose of this breath is to teach students how to fill the three chambers of the lungs, starting at the bottom: the lower lungs, then the thoracic area, and finally the clavicular region.

Benefits to this breath include: relaxation of the mind and body (yeah), oxygenation of the blood, and promotion of proper diaphragmatic breathing.

So how do I do this breath?
1. Choose to sit with your spine tall, or by lying down on your back.
2. Simply begin by taking long, slow, and deep breaths. Breathing in and out through your nostrils.
As you inhale, allow your belly to fill with air (you can place your hands on your beely to help), drawing air deep into the lower lungs. Imagine your belly filling like a balloon. As you exhale the belly will deflate like a balloon. Keep this breath flowing, repeating several times, keeping the breath smooth and relaxed, never force the breath.
3. Breathe into the belly as in the second step, but this time also expanding the mid-chest area, allowing the rib cage to open to the sides, and on the exhalation the rib cage comes back together. Stay here with this breath. Once again if you have a hard time connecting to the breath here, you can place your hands on your lower ribs.
4. Keep the breath flowing with the first two steps of breath and continue to inhale into the upper chest (the clavicular region).
5. Combine all three stages of the breath into one continuous wave like motion of breath.

When to do this?
Anytime, could be in a yoga class, could just be at home when you want to slow down and relax.

Photo credit: Isolino

Happy Weekend

2010-06-11T12:32:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone has a fabulous weekend! Our weather is suppose to be brighter this weekend, and really hope it is, we are going to be going to our friends wedding.

What other creative things do I have planned for the weekend? I'm so glad you asked.

I would love to......

Finish planting vegetables (it's been raining none stop)

Go to the garden centre and get some more herbs

Finish some anatomy homework for yoga

Plan the landscaping for our yard

I'm sure that musing's daddy has other plans...

Photo credit: milk and honey

Purple

2010-06-11T06:28:00.000-07:00

Green

2010-06-10T06:59:00.000-07:00

Wishcasting Wednesday

2010-06-09T06:46:00.000-07:00

What leap do you wish to take?

I'm looking forward to Wednesday's to see what Jamie's wishcasting prompt is going to be. This week she asked us "What leap do you wish to take?"

So, what leap do I wish to take? I wish to take the leap of just following my instinct and trusting it. I wish to take the leap of letting go and just allowing myself to be free and leaping through my days with fun and laughter.

Chives

2010-06-06T03:47:00.000-07:00

Chives

I love chives, they are such a great herb to grow, you don't need a green thumb. They come back every year, they are a pretty hardy perennial that dies back into the ground each winter, and then comes back in the spring. Chives is always the first herb to come back onto my dinner table.

Most people have had chives before, usually on a baked potato or in an omelette, but have you ever had the flower of the chive? My big thing this year is trying not to waste a thing, so when I discovered that I could eat the flower of the chive, it made my day! These little star-shaped flowers have a sweet onion taste.

The purple-mauve flower is composed of these pretty little star-shaped flowers. The flowers are best used in early summer. SO what do you do with these pretty little things. Simple... scatter them over salads, rice, really on anything that you would like to make pretty.

Benefits of Chives:

When the flower or leaves are sprinkled onto food they stimulate appetite and help in promoting digestion. They are also a beneficial antioxidant and the leaves are mildly antiseptic.

Don't you just love finding a new treasure everyday.

Stone

2010-06-05T05:04:00.000-07:00

Holidays with Kids

2010-06-04T08:53:00.000-07:00

I have recently just got back from visiting my family in Europe, and this trip I had two little boys. I was a little scared about this trip as I did not have my partner with me, but I was lucky enough to have gramps travel with me (however, he's not always fast enough for a two year old). I had lots of advice from friends, so here is what I found.
Don't have any expectations
Realize that the kids will struggle with jet lag
Go with the flow
Try and get a routine, so that at least they are getting in their meals, snacks and naps.
Get the kids to help with packing, so they get to have some things they like (favorite clothes, books, toys)
Allow them to have treats, I had yummy organic juice lolipops for a treat for landing and take off, to help with the ears.
Staying in places that have laundry facilities is a bonus when traveling with kids. This trip was easy as I stayed with family, and had a yard to play. Other trips, I have rented an apartment hotel instead of a regular hotel, that was close to playgrounds or parks. This has made the trip so much easier and future trips I will be doing the same. This also meant that I didn't have to haul children to a restaurant all the time and could buy and cook food that they love.
I took my laptop so they could watch movies on the plane, to help the long flight go by.
Look up if the airports have play structures in them, this is especially helpful if you have a long wait.
Pack lots of snacks for the kids, this is useful if they sleep through the plane meal. While saying this you have to be careful about traveling with fruit nuts and seeds, as customs do not like these items. My apples got taken away from me, so make sure that you eat the food before you land at your destination.
I hope some of this information helps your future travels, if you have any further ideas, please share, as I know this is not my last trip traveling with small children.

Photo credit: google images

Wishcasting Wednesday

2010-05-26T05:45:00.000-07:00

The lovely Jamie has another wonderful question for wishcasting Wednesday, "What do you wish for your space?"
Well before I can wish for anything, I must say that I'm completely grateful for the space that I have, I'm a very lucky to girl to have a beautiful house, that's heated and has running water. The last three years of my life have made me so grateful to have my own space. I have lived with my parents, and lived in my friends house, so to be back in my house unfinished is just fine with me.
So now your wondering what is it that I wish for.... well, I wish obviously to complete my renovations, so I'm not dealing with construction mess and children, but most of all I wish for my home to be filled with love and tranquility, a place to nourish my soul, and a place to inspire creativity.

What do you wish for?

Wheat-free Pancakes

2010-05-14T08:55:00.000-07:00

Pumpkin Pancakes

1/2 cup buckwheat flour
1/2 cup rice flour
1/4 cup tapioca flour
2 tsp baking powder
sprinkle of cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1/3 cup of pumpkin puree
2 Tbsp sunflower oil
1 cup of Rice milk
1 egg

Mix all the dry ingredients together. In a separate bowl, mix all the wet ingredients together. Then combine the two mixtures, and stir till smooth.
Heat skillet. I used 1/3 cup of batter to make each pancake. Of course serve with whatever topping your heart desires... whipped cream, maple syrup, agave nectar... you know what to do.
Enjoy!

Photo credit: Google images

30 Things to Do This Summer

2010-05-13T05:11:00.000-07:00

1.) Go to the Beach

2.) Go camping

3.) Go to Folk Fest

4.) Stay at my Friend's cabin for a weekend

5.) Build a deck

6.) BBQ for friends

7.) Sit around the bonfire and tell stories

8.) Plant trees

9.) Go for long bike rides with the kids

10.) Lie in the grass and watch the clouds

11.) Plant a vegetable garden

12.) Go to the farmers market

13.) Go to the waterslides

14.) Sit on the deck to be and have a cold drink on a hot day

15.) Watch the movie Eat, Pray, Love

16.) Do yoga on my new deck

17.) Throw frisbee with my family, maybe even join an ultimate team

18.) Check out local art galleries

19.) Explore thrift shops

20.) Go to weekend garage sales

21.) Send postcards to friends

22.) Watch ballet in the park

23.) Enjoy just being outside

24.) Make popsicles and eat them before they melt

25.) Go hiking

26.) Tye-dye t-shirts with the boys

27.) Explore new yoga classes

28.) Have friends over to play

29.) Hang my laundry to dry

30.) Relax

Green Smoothie Maddness

2010-05-12T17:07:00.000-07:00

I have been making a lot of smoothies lately, for many reasons. They are a great breakfast, great snack, a great way to get a lot of greens into my kids diet and they don't mind greens apparently when they drink them.

So how do I make a green smoothie? Well, it's kind of different each time, but this is how I made this one.

Green Smoothie

A blender full of spinach

1 cup of orange juice

1/2 cup of water

1 cup of frozen mango

2 frozen bananas

1Tbsp of Spirulina

1Tbsp of Coconut oil

Blend till smooth, and enjoy!

Wishcasting Wednesday

2010-05-12T04:47:00.000-07:00

What do I wish to experience?

This is the prompt from Jamie's wishcasting Wednesday. I wish to experience balance, I wish to pay attention to how much is what I can do and not push myself out of balance. I wish to experience everything just falling into place. Keeping with my last week's wish of staying in the positive, I wish to feel all the wonderful positive energy around me, and staying in that energy and with that experiencing life. I wish to experience everything as I do it, I wish to stop going through the motions, to slow down and really experience what I'm doing, and keep a smile on my face.

Small ways we can make a difference

2010-05-11T06:39:00.000-07:00

"be the change you wish to see in the world." - gandhi

Smile

Say hello to your neighbours

Grow your own vegetables

Plant a tree or two

Recycle

Take your own shopping bags

Host a clothes swap

Buy local

Do yoga

Send a thank you card in the mail

Give gratitude daily

Hold the door open

Let someone in front of you, if they only have a couple of items and you have a cart full

Give a compliment

Eat organic when possible

Eat more veggies

Walk or bike when possible

Car pool

Bake cookies or muffins for a friend

Listen

Go for a walk and breathe

Carry water in a reusable container

Vote

Sip tea and slow down

Volunteer

Be aware

Support the local farmers market

Make donations to charity

Help your friend when they need and they don't ask

Hug your children and show them love all the time

Pet your pets

Live with less

Support your partner

Allow your voice to be heard

Meditate

Listen

Live

Laugh

Love

I Love Mondays

2010-05-10T11:49:00.000-07:00

What is so great about today:

I have along list of things to do (I even write small things on

- just because I enjoy crossing them off my list, it feels good)

A clean home by the end of the day! (I like to get a huge chunk of my cleaning done on Mondays)

A fresh start to the week

Plans to do some spring cleaning

A clean home by the end of the day!

Two wonderful groups of yoga classes to teach tonight

Great food that I cooked for lunch gingered carrot soup for lunch

Yummy food in the slow cooker for supper (coconut dal) to have with rice

Great events all week to look forward too.

Inspiration to do some painting

Happy Weekend

2010-05-07T14:49:00.000-07:00

Happy Weekend everyone!

What are your plans this weekend? We have a busy weekend. We are having Ethan's birthday party tomorrow at the park. So busy prepping for that today and then partying tomorrow morning. Sunday we have swimming in the morning and then not too sure what are plans are for Mother's Day. I'm sure just some good quality family time!

Birthday Boy

2010-05-06T11:53:00.000-07:00

This is to you my Baby Ethan

You have been the sweetest baby

Always had a smile on your face

You make me laugh till I have tears in my eyes!

I love you, and have enjoyed all four years together, and look forward to many more!

Happy Birthday!

Wishcasting Wednesday

2010-05-05T12:13:00.000-07:00

I wish, I wish,

Today on Jamie's site her wishcasting prompt is, What rules do you wish to make or break? So what do I wish for?

I wish to let go of the rules I have in my head, of who I think that I should be. I wish to break these rules to be more open and free. To let go of the perfectionism, stop judging myself, so that I have time to be more creative and enjoy my family. Allow things to just be, and look for the good and not dwell on the negative. Time is so precious, and it just seems to go by so fast.

What Rules Do You Wish to Make or Break?

Photo credit: google images

Gluten - dairy free cornbread

2010-05-03T04:58:00.000-07:00

GLUTEN-FREE CORNBREAD, adapted from a recipe glutenfreegirl website

½ cup white rice flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
¾ cup cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 eggs
3 tablespoons rich, high-quality honey
1/2 cup rice milk
1tbsp lime juice
2 tablespoons olive oil

Turn the oven on and let it preheat to 400°. Grease a square or round baking pan with your favorite oil.

Mix the gluten-free flours, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set that bowl aside.

Whisk the eggs and measure out the rice milk, olive oil, honey. Beat them all together until the liquids have become a coherent mixture.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones and stir it all together until just moistened.

Pour the cornbread batter into the pan of choice and bake the cornbread for 20 minutes, or until the top is golden. Allow to cool for a few moments. Serve immediately with some butter or margarine of choice.

Last night we had this cornbread with Chili, so yummy!

Enjoy, and please let me know how this works for you.

Full Moon Board

2010-05-02T18:53:00.000-07:00

This post is a little late, but I finally got everything glued down and the photo taken.
This board is inspired from Jamie Ridler's beautiful blog. The Full pink Moon, this name came from the herb moss pink, wild ground phlox, which is one of the earliest widespread flowers of the spring.
So this is what I'm dreaming of this Full pink moon. Finding some balance, de-cluttering my space, knowing when to rest and taking time sip some tea.

Next Full moon: May 27th 2010
Full Flower Moon – May In most areas, flowers are abundant everywhere during this time. Thus, the name of this Moon.

I hope everyone write this date down and starts collecting their magazines for the next Full moon dreamboard.

Oatmeal

2010-05-02T07:04:00.000-07:00

With the past few colder mornings we have had a few more bowls of oatmeal. Oatmeal is a great food choice for breakfast, it has so many wonderful benefits including:

Lower blood cholesterol

Reduced risk of heart disease

Healthier metabolism

Stabilized blood glucose levels

Healthy weight control

Normalized blood pressure

Now in saying that we have been having oatmeal, we are trying to make our oatmeal a little more exciting. So once the oatmeal is made, I lay out an option of toppings for the boys to choose from. Here were this mornings options:

raisins

cut up dried mango

shredded coconut

almond slices

hemp seeds

agave nectar

Inspiration for breath

2010-05-01T19:17:00.000-07:00

Breathing in, I know I’m breathing in.

Breathing out, I know

As the in-breath grows deep,

The out-breath grows slow.

Breathing in makes me calm.

Breathing out makes me ease.

With the in-breath, I smile.

With the out-breath, I release.

Breathing in, there is only the present moment.

Breathing out, it is a wonderful moment.

-Thich Nhat Hanh

Lunch Time

2010-04-29T13:50:00.000-07:00

This morning I got asked what is a typical day of my life as far as food goes. So I thought I would give my menu and recipes for today. I will try and upload photos later.

Breakfast

Morning Gluten free granola with rice milk. I recommend rotating milks every week, there are so many options out there. Look through your grocery shelf next time for rice milks, hemp, almond, soy. Yummy. Make sure that your milk choice has been enriched with calcium, and vitamin D.

Granola

8 cups steel cut oats
1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup sunflower oil
1/4 molasses
1 1/4 cup honey

Mix together dry ingredients in a huge bowl. Then put wet ingredients into a sauce pan and heat till combined. Add the syrupy goodness to the bowl of dried goods and mix till the syrup has evenly covered all the dry ingredients.

Spread out on cookie sheets (cookies sheets should be covered in parchment paper first - this will make for an easier cleanup). Place in preheat oven (350F), then bake for 10 minutes, stir, then bake for another 10 minutes. Remove trays from oven and allow to cool.

Once it's cooled down, mix together and break up, and stir in one cup of dried fruit (raisins, cut up dried apple, apricots), mix together and then store in an air tight container.

Lunch Time

Today I made the kids lactose, gluten free cheese quesadilla. Also, on there plates was carrot sticks, cherry tomatoes and crunchy romaine lettuce. All to eat with there fingers.

For myself.....
I had left over salad rice wrapped rolls with guacamole.

Garden Salad

1 romaine lettuce sliced
2 big handfuls of baby spinach
1 handful of baby arugula
1 handful of thinly sliced purple cabbage
1 cup of cherry tomatoes cut in half
2 baby cucumbers sliced into halfmoons
Half orange bell pepper thinly sliced
Handful of carrot slivers

I really just like playing with colors and textures in my salads. Cut vegetables into different shapes... sliced, chopped, shredded.

My new favorite dressing

6 Tbsp Olive oil
4 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 Tbsp Agave nectar or Maple syrup
1 Tbsp Nama Shoyu
2 Garlic cloves crushed
1 Tbsp chopped parsley
1 tsp orgeano
salt and pepper

Put in a jar and give to a toddler to shake!

For my rolls, I prepped the rice roll wrappers, and then placed some salad in the middle of the wrapper, put a little dressing on top and then roll. I always use to wrappers per roll, just because the rice wrappers are really fragile compared to over traditional wrappers.

Supper

Alright well the boys in the house are having chicken, and I'm going to have salmon (yes, I occasionally eat fish).
For the chicken dish:
I place the chicken in an oven safe dish, add 1 Tbsp of olive oil, 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar and 1 cup of tomato sauce over the chicken cover with tinfoil and place in oven at 375F till chicken is cooked. Usually for 45 minutes, half way thru I flip the chicken, stir up the sauce.
Salmon, I"m going to put a piece in tinfoil (I've used parchment, but I see I'm out) with some dill and maple syrup, wrap it into a bundle and cook till tender.
I'm going to steam some rice and brocoli to go with this.
Dessert:
Mini cones... Coconut chocolate ice cream. This stuff is so good. It's made with coconut milk instead of dairy or soy it's really creamy and yummy.

Birthday Party

2010-04-20T20:29:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since I last posted, I have been rather busy with teaching yoga and then just simply enjoying this wonderful spring weather we're having. My lovely mother bought me an early birthday present.... a new bicycle (pictures to come), so I have been out enjoying bike rides with the boys.

My little baby is not longer a baby and just turned two! I can't believe it. Here's some photos from the celebrations. We got a fish tank as a present, we thought it would be a present that he would not outgrow, there are pictures of Kai and his dad putting the stand together. Also pictures of him riding his new digger. I made the tractor cake myself, he is insane about tractors at the moment, so I thought a tractor cake was in order.

Wishcasting Wednesday

2010-03-17T07:20:00.000-07:00

Jamie's wish prompt today was "what do you wish to pay attention to?"

I wish to pay attention to my heart, and follow it. I wish to pay attention to my surroundings, to pay attention to the moment that I'm in. I wish to pay attention to opportunities and doors the universe opens for me. I wish to let go of the everyday routine, so that I can pay attention to those creative inspirations and intuitions.

Photo: flickr

Spring Daffodils

2010-03-16T13:16:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday, was Mothering Sunday. So my boys and I decided to make something for my mother. Since no daffodils are up through the ground yet, I thought that we should make some for my mum.
All you need is empty egg carton, yellow construction paper, green straws, tape, yellow paint and paintbrush, scissors and pencil.

Cut the egg carton apart so that the actual egg cups are separated.

Draw a flower shape out of the construction paper, a child can cut these if appropriate.

Paint the egg cups yellow.

While the paint is still wet, place the egg cup in the center of the flower (this way it will stick without glue)

Allow the paint to dry, then flip the flower over and then tape a green straw to the back of your flower.

Gratitude

2010-03-15T21:10:00.000-07:00

Waking up, and finding my whole family in bed with me

I loved my unexpected walk with the boys today in the fresh air. I couldn't get Kai to have a nap, so I thought a walk would help. The sun was so nice and the freshness of the spring air.

My yoga classes today, I feel so blessed to be able to spend time with people and sharing yoga with them.

Watching the sun set as I taught my yoga class

The melting of the snow

Blowing bubbles with giggling, squealing boys.

Finding time to breathe and slow down

Sipping a warming cup of Roobios tea with honey

Reading the last chapter of the Artist Way.

Kissing my boys good night

Sushi fun

2010-03-13T18:52:00.000-08:00

One of Ethan's favorite food is sushi, yes you read that right sushi. He has been asking me to go out for sushi for weeks. So I decided to save some money, and make the sushi instead. It doesn't take too long, and is actually easier than it looks. Plus making it at home, is really fun because you can put in anything that you want. Tonight, we had avocado rolls, yam tempura rolls and vegetable rolls. Sometimes, if I don't have a lot of time, I will make sushi bowls. To make sushi bowls, you use the same ingredients you use to make sushi, except you put them in a bowl instead of rolling them. It's a lot of fun for the kids, because they can add the ingredients they want to their own bowls. Just add the sushi rice first to the bowl and then add the toppings, the wasabi and soy sauce. I cut up the nori sheets, so they can be sprinkled on or my favorite is to soak arame seaweed in soy sauce and then add it to the bowls. Toppings that I use are, thinly sliced carrots, cucumber, peppers, pea shoots, edamame, sesame seeds (black for colour), and sauteed tofu.

Good Karma Gift Swap

2010-03-10T20:33:00.000-08:00

The lovely Kaileen organized this wonderful adventure. I love sending parcels and receiving mail, this was the perfect opportunity to do just that and to meet new bloggers.

The recipient of my Karma parcel was Elisse, I love reading her blog and learning more about her fabulous creative life.

I was so excited today when I had a note saying that I had to go to the post office to pick up a parcel, I was so giddy, my husband thought I was going crazy! I came out of the post office with the most beautiful parcel I have ever received, it felt like Christmas, I could barley wait to get home and take a photo and open the parcel. Thank you so much Micaela for this thoughtful gift. So here is what I received.

The parcel included tea to calm, the loveliest lavander scented satchet (with embroidered daffodils) to comfort, hand made envelopes to celebrate and recipe cards with a fork holder for creativity.

Thank you Kaileen for organizing this wonder Karma swap.