I should make no promises...

Another slacker week at blogging.

Back to business...

Last week got away from me.  My birthday was on Thursday and basically from that point on I felt I spent my time celebrating, going out and spending time with friends (and also working).  It was wonderful!  I even meant to post some pictures of some of the spoiling I got, but that too got away from me! 

Besides that, there have been some work and schedule changes to our lives.  Now I'm looking at the week ahead and realizing that I still need to meal plan, I'm behind on laundry and need a moment to refocus on those things that need to get done. 

So, that is the lack in posts and the lack of Meal Plan Monday if you follow the Trader Joe's blog. 

Back at it tomorrow...more posts to come :).

Tonight I've been listening to Evee cough in her room as she desperately tries to sleep.  The coughs have come and gone, but haven't stopped for the last few hours.  I've gone in with honey.  I've gone in with a drink.  I've gone in to check the vaporizer.  I just want her to sleep well and to be able to get better quickly.  I know it's just a cold (she doesn't even have a fever or anything) and she's not even complaining, but it still breaks my heart.

My mind then went to friends in our community who's new baby had been in the hospital for many days without known cause and was finally able to come home yesterday.  I thought about how that must have for them.  To watch a child suffer and not be able to do anything about it must be one of the worst things.

Now I think about the many moms and caregivers around the world who have little to offer their children.  Lack of medical treatment, clean water, answers to what is happening and no finances to help find out.  I just can hardly imagine. 

I am thankful for the maternal instinct that many have, the desire to hold a little one and love them in the midst of pain.  I'm sure this is the greatest gift.  But, much more is also needed.  May we pray and act as we hear and see.  Whether it's the mother or child down the road or those across the globe.  To support, to love, to encourage, to walk beside.  

Tired of being sick!

So, over the last 2 months Clint has been sick once, I was sick twice (one that turned into a sinus infection), and Evee has just started her third round!  Yikes!  I'm really tired of it and know that there are many others who are sick or have been sick.

I do not write this post only to complain :), but to share a homemade remedy we are trying out.

Last night I read 6 Natural Remedies You Probably Already Have by Maya at Simplemom.  I felt inspired to do what I can to get my family healthy.

We eat well and are generally healthy people, but with sickness it can still be hard and this fall has been crazy.  It's also difficult to decide what to do when your 2 year old is sick since there aren't a ton of medicine options for her and I'd prefer something natural anyway.

From the article: I already use garlic and pepper a lot in cooking.  We do use cumin as well, but I will now try to use it more frequently.  Cloves were a new one for me.  Honey and ginger I knew about, but haven't really ever put to use for remedies.

Today was our day :).  This morning I ran out and got ginger and honey (we'd just ran out).  I already had lemon juice on hand.

I boiled some ginger and added lemon juice and honey (a teaspoon of each).  Although Evee general likes tea, she said that it was a little spice.

Now Evee has been drinking the mixture with a tad bit of orange juice and hasn't noticed a difference at all!  I added the mixture to a 1/2 cup of herbal tea and am enjoying it. You can read exactly what I did here if you want more details.

I'll let you know if it helps prevent (for Clint and I) and help lessen the symptoms for Evee.

Easy Breakfast - French Toast Casserole

Last week a friend passed on this recipe.  It is so easy and really good!  I used Trader Joe's 100% maple syrup with it and it adds to the flavor!  I also love that this is a great recipe to use up bread that is going bad.

I originally made a 9 x 13 baking dish, but it's a lot.  I was happy to have opportunity to share it.  So this recipe is for a 8 x 8 or a similar sized baking/casserole dish.

Here's the recipe, slightly modified.

• Cut up bread into little cubes - enough to fully fill your baking dish
• Combine  5eggs, 1.5 cups of milk, 1 tsp sugar, 1tsp vanilla, 1/4 tsp salt
• Pour mixture over bread in baking dish 
• Soak overnight
• In morning - dot it with butter and cinnamon sugar (maybe 1/8 cup of cinnamon sugar combination)
• Bake on 350 for 50 minutes
• Serve with syrup.

 Here it is in pictures.

Bread into cubes.

With mixture on bread.

 In the morning, before baking.  With dabs of butter and cinnamon sugar.

 

A partly eaten breakfast dish :).

(thanks to Michelle for this recipe!)

New York Times - parenting thoughts

I read this article awhile back and thought it would be interesting for others to read.  You can find it here (it's the top story).  The article is called "For Some Parents, Shouting Is the New Spanking".

The most interesting paragraph in it...

Many in today’s pregnancy-flaunting, soccer-cheering, organic-snack-proffering generation of parents would never spank their children. We congratulate our toddlers for blowing their nose (“Good job!”), we friend our teenagers (literally and virtually), we spend hours teaching our elementary-school offspring how to understand their feelings. But, incongruously and with regularity, this is a generation that yells.

I will say, it made me feel encouraged that we'd read and found helpful Love and Logic.  It's nice to find something that fits you and your family and that you feel good about. Not that it's perfect in any way, but still so helpful.

A friend just wrote this post on explaining things to your 2 year old.  Good read and she now has a follow up post on her blog.  I think it can be such a positive thing to think about our own parenting and to talk to other moms about it (although sometimes it's helpful not to talk about it too :)). 

In other notes: I'm also sharing a great pizza recipe on my Trader Joe's blog today.  Made it with my fresh homemade pesto with basil from my "herb garden"!

And, the bread recipe...

that I talked about in this post.  I meant to post the recipe right after I tried it without sugar.  I changed the recipe twice, but will just put the second one on here (since all I changed on the first is white flour to whole wheat flour).

If you want to make the same bread using sugar, just omit the honey and apple juice and use 1/2 cup sugar instead.

I love this bread because

1. it tastes so good
2. it's good for you
   
3. I love homemade bread in general
4. it is so easy (no kneading - although, there are times I love kneading)
   

I will note that they are both great ways to make this bread, but the one without sugar goes bad faster (I've had to keep it in the fridge so it doesn't go moldy).  Just depends how fast you eat bread.  We go in spurts.

Also note that this is for 2 loaves.  I always cut it in half and just make one loaf at a time.  This is easier to do if you use yeast out of a jar and not packets.  You could always freeze one though.

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Whole Wheat Bread - modified from More-With-Less Cookbook (pg. 58)
In large mixing bowl combine:

• 3 cups whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup apple juice
• 2 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp salt
• 3 pkg dry yeast

Then, heat the following in a pan on stove top till very warm (120-130 degrees)

• 2 cups water
• 2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup oil

Add wet ingredients in with the dry as well as 2 eggs

Blend all together (I use a hand mixer or use any mixer) until moist.  Beat with mixer for 3 minutes at medium speed.

Stir 5-6 cups of whole wheat flour in by hand (I usually do half of that with the mixer and then the rest by hand).  Add flour until dough is stiff.  Cover and let rise till double (about 1 hour).  Punch down and put into 2 9x5 bread pans.  Let rise 20-30 minutes.  Bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes.

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I hope you enjoy this great bread and that it turns out well for you too!