Tomorrow is November…really! I can’t believe it either. And it means that the holidays will be here very soon.

At this time of year we all get busy with planning parties, buying gifts, baking treats, etc. It can be very hectic and very stressful. This is not the time to reach for whatever is simple and quick. This is the time to really take care of yourself and feed your family nourishing foods.

Ok, it sounds good, but what if all of your favorite holiday recipes use white flour and refined sugar? They don’t have to. You can make all of the food you love with real, whole ingredients. What if you don’t even know where to start with cooking Real Food?

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Here we are at the end of October…and looking through my goals I realize I did not accomplish many of them 😛  In my defense I lost an entire week to the flu. Plus we were busy. Oh well. Here’s the recap.

FOOD

1. Rebecca’s Recipes – Rebecca still helps me plan meals and baking projects. Even if they are not new recipes she still always has input.

2. Food preservation – I canned lots of applesauce and froze squash and peppers.

3. Once-A-Week Challenge – For the most part I stuck to this, except when I was sick. I hope to continue this challenge. I now call it Take It Out Tuesday.

4. Fall recipes – I’ve been enjoying using lots of squash, sweet potatoes and apples.

HEALTH

1. Supplements – I’m currently taking magnesium, cal-mag and a multi-vitamin daily. I’m on and off with other supplements. I haven’t been taking much fermented cod liver oil lately since I’m not sure about how I handle ferments. I should try it again, though since I know it is so heathy. I need to be better about giving it to the kids as well.

2. Psychologist – I had another good appointment. I’m looking forward to going back tomorrow.

3. Candida – I have a sample diet to look through and am still researching.

4. Homemade toothpaste and deodorant – I’m happy to finally have these restocked.

FAMILY/PERSONAL

Rebecca – we had great M/D dates and are still working on focus and self control. Some days are pretty good…others are a mystery to me and I feel lost. But we’re working on it.

a. Mommy-daughter date – Mommy and Me party at her school, Cinderella
b. Visualization and reasoning techniques to help with focus and self control.

Abram – Abram’s speach is really picking up. We keep working on the basics. We didn’t really get into potty training yet. But I think it’s coming soon.

a. Work on development/milestones – talking, numbers, letters, colors.
b. Organize closet.
c. Start potty training.

Me
a. Writing – I’m still enjoying writing for GRNL and RFAH magazine. The next issue of RFAH comes out tomorrow!!

b. Purpose – Pray about/seek purpose and ways to use my passions and talents – updates on this soon.

c. Sewing/hobbies – I hope to finish the matching aprons – not even close. I had no time to work on sewing.

d. Clean/organize – I hope to get rid of more of my clothes (I’ve already cleaned out a lot) and buy a few new things. I’m realizing that I’m a 32 year old mother of two. I’ve had 3 major abdominal surgeries. My weight has changed. My body just is not shaped the same as it was 10 years ago. It’s time to get rid of all of the old stuff and buy new stuff that works for the body I have now. Not to mention my clothing needs are different as a stay-at-home mom than they were when I was working. I still have a large assortments of button downs in my closet that I’ve hardly touched in years. It’s time to really gut my closet and drawers.  I didn’t have time for cleaning or shopping. But I need to…SOON.

I also want to organize the craft/game area in our living room. If I can get it cleaned there will be space for Rebecca to have a little desk to do all of her writing/coloring. That is her favorite thing to do, and she is always looking for a spot to do it that Abram can’t reach.  Thankfully I did get the craft area organized. Rebecca loves having a little desk for all of her “projects.” And I love having a place for everything.

Here is the link to my GRNL October post.

It’s October…time to bring out the fall decorations and all of our favorite fall recipes. This month I want to keep up with food preservation and some crafts. But I also want to find balance (as much as that’s possible) and not try to overdo. I want to be more relaxed and more patient with my kids. If I get too busy I get stressed. And it’s not good for anyone. So here’s what’s on the agenda for the month.

FOOD

1. Rebecca’s Recipes – continue to let Rebecca plan one meal a week…and serve it at Rebecca’s Restaurant sometimes.

2. Food preservation – I would like to can more spaghetti sauce and applesauce and freeze more squash. I will also be freezing peppers. We’re getting quite a few from our garden this year.

3. Once-A-Week Challenge – Once a week I want to make a “free” day. I’ll pick something to cut out of our diet for the day. It could be gluten, wheat, grains, sugar, meat, dairy, etc. I’ll decide at the start of each week when I plan my meals. I will use this as an opportunity to see if any small changes make an impact on Rebecca’s behavior. It will also be an opportunity to try new recipes and cooking techniques.

4. Fall recipes – I hope to use lots of pumpkin, squash and apples in my cooking and baking this month.

HEALTH

1. Supplements – I will continue to take cod liver oil, vitamins, magnesium, zypan and min-chex for now. I’ll talk to my friend soon to see how things are going and if we need to adjust any of the supplements.

2. Psychologist – I will be seeing my psychologist once this month to work on strategies for parenting Rebecca.

3. Candida – I will continue to research candida and decide if a candida diet is something I want to pursue.

4. Homemade toothpaste and deodorant – I haven’t been using either of these for a while. I want to make a new batch of each and get back on track.

FAMILY/PERSONAL

Rebecca

a. Mommy-daughter date – Mommy and Me party at her school.
b. Visualization and reasoning techniques to help with focus and self control.

Abram

a. Work on development/milestones – talking, numbers, letters, colors.
b. Organize closet.
c. Start potty training.

Me
a. Writing – Continue writing for GRNL and RFAH magazine.

b. Purpose – Pray about/seek purpose and ways to use my passions and talents.

c. Sewing/hobbies – I hope to finish the matching aprons.

d. Clean/organize – I hope to get rid of more of my clothes (I’ve already cleaned out a lot) and buy a few new things. I’m realizing that I’m a 32 year old mother of two. I’ve had 3 major abdominal surgeries. My weight has changed. My body just is not shaped the same as it was 10 years ago. It’s time to get rid of all of the old stuff and buy new stuff that works for the body I have now. Not to mention my clothing needs are different as a stay-at-home mom than they were when I was working. I still have a large assortments of button downs in my closet that I’ve hardly touched in years. It’s time to really gut my closet and drawers.

I also want to organize the craft/game area in our living room. If I can get it cleaned there will be space for Rebecca to have a little desk to do all of her writing/coloring. That is her favorite thing to do, and she is always looking for a spot to do it that Abram can’t reach.

Wow, September sure went by quickly! With the start of all of our fall activities we have been going, going, going. It was busy, but fun. Rebecca is loving preschool. And it’s good to see friends at Kindermusik and MomBreak again. I did pretty well with my goals. It helps when you don’t make too many 🙂

FOOD

1. Rebecca’s Recipes – Rebecca has been doing her once a week meal. I totally forgot about Saturdays. Oops.

2. Food preservation – I started canning applesauce. I froze squash, peppers and zucchini.

3. Family health – I’ve been trying to make sure we all get lots of nourishing food each day.

HEALTH

1. Supplements – I’ve been experimenting with various supplements. At the moment I have a multi-vitamin, cod liver oil, magnesium, a multi-mineral supplement (verdict still out on it since it has soy…I’m experimenting) and a digestive aid.

2. Psychologist – I had another good appointment and have started to teach Rebecca some focus and calming techniques. It’ll take time for her to learn to use them effectively.

FAMILY/PERSONAL

Rebecca

We had a blast at the American Girl tea party. Rebecca loves preschool. It’s amazing how much Spanish she has learned in just a few weeks. She walks around the house singing in Spanish. So cute. We’re still working on meal times. Some days are ok. It just depends how wound up she is. If she can’t focus, she can’t eat.

Abram

Abram is doing well with his speech, trying to repeat words we say. His favorite thing to say lately is “tooooot” and then grunt. Such a boy 😛  He has also started eating better finally. We learned that he wants to sit in a regular chair and eat off the table. No baby stuff for him 😛

Me
a. Writing – I continue to enjoy my opportunities to write. I’m actually back logged on my own blog since I had to get all of my paid assignments done. Hopefully I’ll catch up soon.
b. Purpose – I’m deinitely still working on this. Lots of prayer.
c. Sewing/hobbies – I started making matching aprons for Rebecca, her doll and myself…but had to take a break to deal with canning applesauce and making my niece’s baptism cake. But making the cake is a hobby for me…so it still meets my goal 🙂

I recently saw a post on The Nourishing Gourmet for using crayon scraps to make new crayons. So Rebecca and I tried it last week. It was so easy! And Rebecca loved it. It’s fun to use the new crayons. We call them rainbow crayons. You never know what color will show up 🙂

I don’t have any fancy molds. I just used paper muffin liners. They worked very well. The crayons came right out. And I didn’t have to worry about getting any of my pans messy or worry about toxins.

No more tossing all the broken pieces of crayons. We’ll recycle them and keep making new ones.

Recycled Crayons

Crayons, peeled of all paper
Ovenproof Mold or paper muffin cups

Heat oven to 350F.

Chop crayons into small pieces with a sharp knife (I didn’t do this. I just used them the way they were.)

Fill mold or cups with crayon pieces.

Place in oven to melt (about 5-10) minutes. Take out as soon as all of the crayon pieces are melted, otherwise they could burn.

Let cool. (After they are cool to the touch, I place in the freezer for about 10 minutes to speed up the process). Remove and repeat as desired!

Last night we ate at the best restaurant in town…Rebecca’s Restaurant. Or as she named it Rebecca’s Rainbow.

Rebecca is becoming quite the little chef/baker/creator in the kitchen. She likes to come up with her once a week menu.

But this week we did something different. Justin had to go out to eat for a work dinner. I kind of jokingly said that I should take the kids out to eat if he was going to be gone. Rebecca thought I was serious…and started to cry when I told her we weren’t really going out. Me plus my two kids without my husband’s help at a restaurant? No thanks 😛

I know what Rebecca likes to eat at restaurants. And I know we can make much better versions at home. So I thought…why not have a restaurant at home? So we did!

I told Rebecca she could make the placemats and the menu. We could eat at our breakfast nook…it’s just like a booth at a restaurant. She could order whatever she wants, and I’ll be the cook.

We had a blast!! Early in the day we made the placemats and menu. She decorated my placemat. I made one for her with games, etc. on it (like a kid’s menu at a restaurant). Then I wrote out the menu and she drew pictures of all of the food.

About 45 minutes before dinner we set the table with our placemats, silverware and water. Rebecca got some crayons to work on her placemat. And I took our orders. Even Abram joined in the fun coloring in his high chair.

Rebecca ordered grilled cheese, peas, olives and a butterscotch milkshake. No big surprises there 🙂  Abram and I had the same thing. We all enjoyed our meal. And I don’t know if I’ve ever seen Rebecca eat that quickly. She even asked for seconds!

I think the milkshake was the biggest hit. Abram kept asking for more…”cup, cup, cup!”

We made our menu pretty extensive so that we can use it any time we want to visit Rebecca’s Rainbow. I think next time we go it’ll be a pizza parlor. And I suppose we’ll let Justin join us 😉  We can add daily specials if we want to add to the menu or even make a full breakfast menu. Or maybe just go out for dessert some time.

This was so much fun. Rebecca got to pick out her favorite restaurant food…but I knew it was healthy since I was making it. And Rebecca got to help with everything. So she liked it even better than going to a real restaurant.

We rarely go out to eat. I have so many food restrictions that it’s hard to find something I can eat. Abram only sits in a high chair for about 5 minutes before he starts screaming. And Rebecca is too distracted in a restaurant to actually eat.

Now we can go out any time we want! The next time your kids want to go out to eat try making a restaurant at home. It can be fun for the whole family. Older kids can take orders and help cook. Even little ones can help make decorations. Going “out” for dinner just got a lot healthier, a lot cheaper and a lot more fun.

This post is linked to Fat Tuesday, Real Food Wednesday, Fight Back Friday and Fresh Bites Friday.

I finally did it…I made a facebook page for my blog. I’ve toyed with the idea for many months. I actually did it yesterday. Come on over and Like me 🙂

Homemade Dutch Apple Pie

September is here. Although I’m always sad to see summer coming to an end I really do love fall. I just wish it didn’t have to be followed by winter 😛  We’ve really enjoyed our summer and tried to make the most of it. I think we are all ready for fall activities to begin now and see friends at Kindermusik and MOPS. Plus meet new friends at school. No major goal changes this month. Our main focus is just getting into the swing of things with a new routine and the start of school.

FOOD

1. Rebecca’s Recipes – continue to let Rebecca plan one meal a week. I might also have her start planning Saturday breakfasts.

2. Food preservation – I would like to can more spaghetti sauce. Normally I would also be gearing up for lots of applesauce and pearsauce. But there won’t be many apples or pears around here this year because of the hot/dry summer. So we’ll just have to see what’s available. I will likely freeze more squash as well.

3. Family health – Make the health of the whole family a top priority. Especially as cold season starts. I want to be sure everyone is eating lots of nourishing foods.

HEALTH

1. Supplements – I will continue to take cod liver oil, vitamins, pituitrophin, min-trans and cholenest for now. I’ll talk to my friend soon to see how things are going and if we need to adjust any of the supplements.

3. Psychologist – I will be seeing my psychologist once this month to work on strategies for parenting Rebecca.

FAMILY/PERSONAL

Rebecca

a. Continue her encouragement chart to help focus on the positive/good things she does.
b. Eating – encourage Rebecca to focus on her food and set a time limit.
c. Mommy-daughter date – American Girl tea party
d. Start preschool!! We’re all excited and anxious. We’re praying she does well and that she enjoys learning Spanish.

Abram

a. Work on development/milestones – talking.
b. Organize closet.
c. Work on eating/figuring out what he likes/letting him feed himself.

Me
a. Writing – Continue writing for GRNL and RFAH magazine.
b. Purpose – Pray about/seek purpose and ways to use my passions and talents.
c. Sewing/hobbies – I want to make a bag for Abram, doll clothes, matching aprons for Rebecca her doll and me

Summer is just about over. It’s hard to believe. August went by so quickly! We definitely kept busy. Overall it was a good month. I spent more than enough time in the kitchen…which is why I did not start any new sewing projects. We did lots of fun activities. We’re trying to enjoy the nice weather and spend time in the sandbox (Abram’s new favorite thing). And I made some good progress on my health. Here are the details.

FOOD

1. Balance/Commitment – Overall I’ve been doing well with getting broth in my diet daily and eating soft, easy to digest foods that work for me. But I do have days where I slip up (am  human:) as well. My body lets me know when that happens. I still can’t handle fiber 🙁

2. Rebecca’s Recipes – Rebecca has been coming up with some good ideas and some crazy ideas. But we’re having fun with it. Thanks to her we have homemade Oreos! And she thoroughly enjoyed her “spaghetti bun” last night (hot dog bun with spaghetti inside…yes noodles and sauce).

3. Sourdough – I tried a few new sourdough recipes. They were good. I’m still not sure I handle rye based sourdough very well. Sometime I might try making a starter with whole wheat.

4. Food preservation – I froze blueberries, corn, beans, zucchini, winter squash, broccoli and raspberries. My freezer is jammed full now! I also canned my first batch of spaghetti sauce.

5. Hydration – I finally tried coconut water! I’m not crazy about the taste by itself, but I love it mixed with a little juice. Coconut water with orange juice is an amazingly refreshing drink. Best of all it’s packed with potassium and magnesium. Coconut water is a great addition to smoothies as well. Unfortunately I ended up with some past date coconut water this week and had quite a stomach ache for a couple days until I figured it out. I will always be checking the labels from now on.

HEALTH

1. Supplements – I did some nutritional testing this month and have experimented with some supplements. I’m currently taking a multi-vitamin, cod liver oil, petuitrophin (for my pituitary gland), min-tran (multi-mineral and good for anxiety) and cholonest (a homeopathic drop to help my gall bladder)…and of course the dreaded miralax. I’m still trying often to push my limits and cut down as much as my body will tolerate. I only have a couple bottles left and would love not to have to get a new prescription…ever!

2. Psychologist – I have been working with my psychologist on dealing with Rebecca and how best to parent her. It’s definitely a work in progress, but I feel like we are on the right track.

FAMILY/PERSONAL

Rebecca

a. Continue her encouragement chart to help focus on the positive/good things she does. – We are realizing just how critical a lot of encouragement is for Rebecca. She’s really been down about herself lately. Yesterday we made a poster with her picture and listed lots of great qualities she possesses. She LOVED it. We are trying to keep this up and encourage her a lot about all the stuff she does.
b. Eating – teach Rebecca to eat until she’s full and not have to clear her plate. – Eating is still a struggle in terms of focus. But Rebecca is also learning to let us know when she is ready to be done.
c. Mommy-daughter date – hair cut/school shopping/dinner – this was so much fun!
d. camp – Rebecca did arts and crafts camp and gymnastics camp. She loved both of them.
e. Teach Rebecca the difference between truly naughty behavior and things she does that are out of her control. – We’re making good progress on this and she’s really starting to open up and talk about behavior and feelings with us.

Abram

a. Work on development/milestones – talking. – He is really taking off with his talking and has quite a few words now. It’s nice that he can kind of tell us what he wants now. It makes feeding him easier when I can ask him about certain foods. If he doesn’t want it he will certainly let you know. Saves me the trouble of getting 20 things out at meal times 🙂
b. Organize closet. – hoping to do it this weekend.
c. 15m check up. – great!

Me
a. Writing – Continue writing for GRNL and RFAH magazine. The next issue of RFAH comes out tomorrow!! Can’t wait to read it. I’m working on my articles for the Nov/Dec issue. They are due soon 🙂

b. Pray about/seek purpose and ways to use my passions and talents – still working on this. Waiting on God’s perfect plan and timing.

b. Sewing/hobbies – I didn’t have time for this with all of the food preservation I had to do.