Messy Kids--I can either give them napkins or feed them in the bathtub.

My kids are really messy when they eat.  Food and drink often make appearances on shirts and shorts, chairs and floor.  I never really liked to give the kids napkins because they really wouldn't use them but I also found them to be completely wasteful (we eat three meals a day together, five people...you get the concept).  I thought about introducing cloth napkins to the kiddos but the ones I have always used don't feel good...they aren't soft and they CERTAINLY wouldn't stand up to an entire cup of spilled milk.  So I went to Target and found these awesome washcloths.  They were under $10 and my kids love them.  They can wipe their hands, faces and messes without having to grab multiple napkins or paper towels.  The kids put their plates in the sink and throw their washcloths in the laundry basket; it is that easy.  I bought two bundles and we rarely run out.

If only I could get them to wear toddler-sized bibs... 

The happenings...

Sorry that I haven't posted lately, it hasn't been because I am UNinspired but because life has been busy.  :)  I always try to remember that a full life is happier than an empty one so I need to keep that perspective in my pocket while I am shuttling around town.

I haven't been meal-planning lately (SHOCK!  HORROR!) because I have been all over the fresh local food that I have been getting at the farmer's market and Whole Foods.  :)  Last week I made batches of green garlic pesto, taco salads and a bbq tempeh BLT.  :)  Lots of good stuff with some eating out thrown in there.

We received our first CSA pick-up yesterday and I was delighted to find lots of lettuce, kale, radishes, green snap peas and STRAWBERRIES in my brand new eco-friendly bag.  My farmers rock.  And if you have never eaten a fresh, local, strawberry, find yourself one.  No, they aren't the big (however delicious) Driscoll's strawberries, they are tiny, slightly dirty and imperfect...they absolutely will melt in your mouth. 

 Find them.  This week.  Before they are gone.

I plan on eating lots of leftovers this week thanks to my sweet friend that made me an entire pan of vegan enchiladas as well as the almost entire veggie cheese-less pizza from Father's Day dinner.  But oh the salads we will eat this week...yum.

just give.

Most of us spend each and every day wondering what we are going to get out of it.  How am I feeling, am I happy or sad?  What am I getting from the grocery store?  What am I getting out of my workout?    When am I going to get a break?

We forget an awful lot about GIVING.

We all know the benefits of a warm smile, the feeling of surprise when someone lets us take a turn in line or when someone lets us in during a traffic jam.  Why don't we give more often??

I challenge you to consciously give today.  It doesn't have to be anything with money, it can be a compliment, a simple gesture or a hug.

Just give...and don't expect anything in return. 

Our farm experience...

I am so excited because we have a new CSA this year!  For those of you who don't know, a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) is when you buy a share of a farm and every week during the summer and fall, you get freshly harvested local (and in our case, organic!) produce.  We started doing this last year with a well-known farm but I felt they were too expensive and I became bored with what was in my box.  I ended up going to our local farmer's market and meeting a new organic farmer and I supplemented what was coming to me every week.  I bought a huge grocery store bag of basil for $4 and whipped up five batches of pesto sauce and stuck them in the freezer.  The spinach was amazing.  I bought 50 pounds of organic potatoes from the farm at the end of fall and we consumed them throughout the winter. 


The farm had an open house on Memorial Day.  So with a few good friends, we packed into the van and drove a little more than an hour north.  As we get closer, we see little girls in dresses and bonnets as well as little boys in pants and suspenders, playing in the fields and wavinging to each car as they passed by. 

I forgot it was an Amish farm.  :)

When we arrived, our farmer took us on a tour (after I had to stop in the outhouse for some business) and we got to see the cows and the horses.  My littlest one thought a small cat was the most entertaining feature of the farm; he kept trying to pick him up by his tail and back legs  and would respond with such ferocious laughter, it was hard to tell him to put the kitty down.  ;) 

The entire farm is farmed by horses so we went on a hayride and got to see where our kale, corn, tomatoes and peas are growing.  After the hayride, we went over to the Amish family's personal garden and were invited to eat raw asparagus that we plucked right out of the ground.  NEVER have I EVER eaten asparagus like this...sweet, crisp...you could eat the whole stem.  We ate spicy radishes and tender strawberries.  After our garden experience, we sat on the porch and ate popcorn and drank pink lemondae with the Amish family.

Our farmer that comes to market is more of the PR person of the farmer; she does help harvest but truly, she brings the farm to the farmer's market.  She and I have been working with the head farmer and this year, they are going to harvest dried beans for me.  Last week I bought six pounds of dried black beans and I felt a little frustrated and disappointed because they were the same price as Whole Foods but there were a lot of debris in the bags.  But once I saw the farm, I realized that my few dollars probably makes a bigger impact on this family rather than Whole Foods.  So I look forward to my garbanzo beans too.


The experience was extraordinary.  It was really neat to see another way of life and to see where and how our food is being grown. 

BUY LOCAL.  BUY ORGANIC. 
To find a local farmer's market or CSA near you, go to www.localharvest.org!  :)

Sunscreen Chemicals

What are you putting on your body? 

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) conducted a study that shows that MOST commercial American sunscreens contain chemicals that accelerate skin cancer.  This is absolutely unacceptable.  Check out this article and then click on the bottom link to check your sunscreen.  As usual, we use California Baby for all of us and yes, it is pricey, but don't you want to protect yourself and your children this summer???

Click HERE for the article.

Click HERE to check your sunscreen.

Since we can't change the FDA and it's regulations, we need to be pro-active and change our buying habits...READ LABELS.  :)

I Love You, Homemade Granola

Granola isn't just for hippies anymore.
Oh my... 

I made homemade granola the other night and it was so good.  I have been eating a little bit a day with coconut milk and it is so fulfilling. It gives you that sweet salty taste you have been craving, so go ahead and try it.  It's really not that scary.  Obviously you can play around with the types of nuts and fruits and play with the textures, too.  You can chop the nuts really fine or you can just  cut them in half...whatever you like.  :)  

Homemade Granola

3 cups oatmeal

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 cup chopped lightly salted almonds

3/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 agave

1/4 cup vegetable oil (I used grapeseed oil)

1/2 cup unsweetened flaked coconut

3/4 cup raisins

3/4 cup dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

In a big bowl, mix oatmeal, nuts, brown sugar.  In a small bowl, combine agave and oil.  Mix wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir until mixture is evenly coated (won't be too wet, just moist). Mix in coconut.  Pour into 9  x 13 pan.  Bake for 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours depending on how crisp you want the granola, stirring every 20 minutes or so.  After you have pulled it out of the oven, mix in the fruit and raisins.  Store in an airtight container.  Serve with milk, on yogurt, ice cream, etc. 

Meal Plans Week of May 16th

I know what it feels like to not want to meal plan.  My husband and I went away for the weekend (first time in almost two years!) and the LAST thing I wanted to do was meal plan and go to the grocery store when we got home.  I was tired, I was irritable...but I knew we needed to eat.  :)  Here's my plan for the week:

Sunday 16: 

Dinner:  pizza

Monday 17:

Breakfast:  homemade granola, banana

Lunch:  miso soup with udon noodles

Dinner:  homemade refried bean burritos, chips and salsa, salad

Tuesday 18:

Breakfast:  homemade granola, banana

Lunch:  leftover bean burritos 

Dinner:  linguine "alfredo", broccoli, salad

Wednesday 19:

Breakfast:    toast with jam, yogurt

Lunch:  leftover miso soup

Dinner:  out for school fundraiser at Buffalo Wild Wings

(yes, I will have to eat something else!)

Thursday 20:

Breakfast:  coconut chai coffee cake

Lunch:  sandwiches

Dinner:  homemade pita, hummus and mujadra, salad

Friday 21:

Breakfast:  coffee cake and fruit

Lunch:  hummus wraps and carrot sticks

Dinner:  tostada pizza, salad

Saturday 22:

Breakfast:  cereal

Lunch:  grilled cheese sandwiches, apple slices

Dinner:  Leftovers...

It seems like it will be a good food week and I hope I don't have to make a trillion trips to the grocery store.  I have semi-sick boys and I tend to cater to their sicko cravings, so we will see what happens.  :)

If meal-planning freaks you out, start with just a couple dinners a week. 

Need ideas? 

Go to www.allrecipes.com and type in the ingredients you have for new recipes. 

The user reviews rock. 

Open a cookbook you have been wanting to try. 

Don't have time?  Bust out your crockpot and fill it with meat, veggies, whatever you want. 

Cooking doesn't have to be difficult if you plan ahead.  :)