life is school

Several people have asked what we are doing with our preschoolers these days, and I thought I would pass along a few of my current resources and ask for your suggestions.

Beginning last fall, I set aside about an hour each day to focus on "school" with Coop, and Sweet A was hanging out with us and picking up what she could (which was a lot). They were learning the letter shapes with the Hand Writing without Tears wood blocks, we were reading books purposefully, and going through this book:
A is Amazing. (Which I can't find a picture of online...) It has about 15 words associated with each letter, activities for each, recipes, related books, etc. Anyone could come up with this stuff on their own, but it's all in a big fat book. I was also working through What Your Kindergartner Needs to Know.

After I read the three booklets pictured above, by Ruth Beechick (thanks, Mom) my approach changed a little, but more than anything my mindset changed. All of a sudden, our whole lives became opportunities for learning. We don't do any "sit down and focus" preschool anymore, but they are learning SO much, so quickly because I am more purposeful and focused about creating an environment of learning that sort of consumes our entire day. It fits our goals well, and I think it is just what our kids need to be doing during this season of their lives. The kids were already counting all the time, and doing typical 4 & 2 year-old things, but now they are much more aware of numbers and we take every opportunity to incorporate simple math into our everyday lives.

We still have a letter we focus on each week, with a pretty card and picture that goes on a tray along with any objects they find during the week that start with that letter sound. Our letter for this week is "H." Every time an "H" sound comes up throughout the day/week, we talk about it. Today we made chocolate chip cookies because we made a list of all the things that make Daddy HAPPY. We also focused on making each other happy, and reviewed Philippians 2:3, "Let nothing be done through selfish ambition..." This wasn't part of a curriculum, but life. They have a school notebook where their projects go...we try to do some kind of artsy thing each day and work the letter into our pictures/collages/paintings.

The other big change we made in the last few months came after reading this article:
Ten Things to Do with Your Child Before Age Ten

I haven't read the whole book, just this article (so far) but I realized we were not reading enough. I don't have a very strong voice, and it really wears me out to read for long periods of time. I think I just need to drink a lot of water and get tough! They suggest reading for two hours a day, which seems absurd but it doesn't have to be all at once (obviously) and it really goes by quickly once you start reading chapter books. I didn't realize my four year old would be able to comprehend longer books, and so we were just sticking with your typical juvenile library books. After I read that article I tested the waters with Homer Price and Little House on the Prairie, and he really enjoyed them. His attention span doesn't usually last more than a chapter (and I let them color or play quietly while I read) but he is loving it. We don't get two hours in every day, but now I have a goal.

Lastly, we are working through this list when we go to the library:
1000 Good Books List

I keep a printed copy in our school notebook and highlight the books we've already read. We are learning of new authors, who may have other books that aren't on the list. It's helpful when looking for used books at Goodwill, online, etc. Even if it's a book they aren't ready for yet, I can know it will be one we'll want later on.

Most of the day they play their little hearts out. They have a 45-minute room time when they play alone in the morning, and now that the weather is nice I think they would be happy to live outside. Even Baby T was digging for worms in the garden plot today!

If it sounds time-consuming, it's really not. It requires a lot of my mental energy (and they aren't even school age!) but I know these are the years to instill in them a love for learning so it is worth it!

I would love to hear how you are filling your preschool days...I know several of you have inspired me lately.

A first

I think it would be sadder if he wasn't still such a baby. But we've had a crib up for not quite 5 years now...kinda weird to be without.

To comment or email?

Don't worry, this isn't some shameless plea for people to comment on my blog. I love hearing from everyone, and some of my favorite blogs are like a little community with the back and forth banter, but that's not really my question. My real question, for those with blogs or those who read blogs (which would be you):

When you leave a comment or a question on a blog, do you prefer a comment back from the blog author, or a personal email? I know people who do it both ways. I like the blogs that have a running dialog in the comment section, just because sometimes the blog author is addressing my same question or whatever. Some people comment but have no email address associated with their profile page, so I have no way to contact them except to comment on their blog (kind of awkward). Then again, it's always nice to hear from a real actual friend in an email. What do you think? The downside of getting a comment back in a blog is that if I don't subscribe to the comments, sometimes I forget to go back and check.

Thoughts? Suggestions? Compare and contrast.

Another week bites the dust...

This week has been a blur. Sunday morning I woke up wondering how many hours until bedtime; when I fell asleep with a book in my lap on Sunday night I knew I had some catching up to do. Apparently, my body was determined to get me to rest, and protested with sickness. I got the rest I needed and then was up and running again. Sweet A and I had a girl day and did a yearly grain purchase this week...corn, wheat, rice, beans, honey, etc. I'm a bulk foods geek. Buying a hundred pounds of anything just seems fun (as long as I'm not loading/unloading). My siblings say I was born old...maybe Depression Era old?

When I was picking up the grain I got to spend a little time at a favorite fabric store about an hour away. I discovered that they have a warehouse in the back where you can buy fabric for $1/lb. I also picked up some oilcloth and foam to make the kids foam/bean bag booster seats. I made the first one today, and I think it's going to work well. I'm also working on a few birthday projects for Sweet A and some new bibs for my slob baby. Each child I have is a little messier than the first. Could it be that I'm just less concerned with toddler manners as I get busier with more kids?

Speaking of Baby T, he will be starting college in no time. Or so it seems...we moved him to a toddler bed last night. We're just trying it out to see if we he can handle it. He is a fairly compliant child (or maybe he just seems compliant compared to child #2) and is getting the idea that he is not supposed to get out of his bed. However, this morning we discovered he knows how to lock his door. At 16 months he is young to move to a bed, but we are having a friend come stay with us for an extended visit, and I don't really want to make her share a room with a toddler. This is the first time we've moved a toddler to a bed for a reason other than someone else needed the crib, a fact the children remind me of on a daily basis. If it were up to them we would have a steady stream of babies filing in to join our family.

They think they are so smart to come up with improvised skates. I think it's hilarious...so do the neighbors.

Letter of the week:

Doing a little freezer paper stenciling...poor man's screenprinting. Coolest thing ever. Or at least for this week.

So now that I've made a case for my busyness, I can tell you that the recipes I've included for this week's

FRIDAY WHOLE FOOD RECIPE REVIEW

are not all tested by me (or even close relations). They are all recipes I have either made or planned to make today, but didn't because I ran out of time and energy. So I'll edit it later on and tell you how it all turned out.

Whole wheat tortillas...not as hard as you think

(Original recipe source: Passionate Homemaking)

I've made these tortillas twice in the last week, and they are really easy and so much better than store-bought. About a year ago my husband asked me to quit buying whole wheat tortillas because they always fall apart. These are so much better, and if you want you can roll them out thicker and use them as a pita bread type sandwich wrap. We use them for burritos, enchiladas, and salad wraps (chicken, tuna, etc.). If you do use 100% whole wheat I recommend following her directions for soaking the grain ahead of time. It takes no extra work, just a little thought, and it makes whole grain foods less dense (among a ton of other benefits).

3 cups whole wheat or kamut flour
1 cup warm filtered water
1 Tbsp acid medium (kefir, whey, buttermilk, yogurt, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice)
1/4 cup coconut oil or butter, melted
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt

Directions:

1. Combine flour, water, melted coconut oil or butter and 1 Tbsp of acid medium. Cover and soak at room temperature for 12-24 hours.
2. After soaking, add baking powder and salt to soaked flour mixture, kneading in the flour until the dough is workable but not too stiff.
3. Shape into 8 – 10 balls and let stand 10 more minutes.
4. Roll to form a 10 inch circle or use a tortilla press.
5. Bake on a lightly greased griddle till done (not browned). Toast for about 20-30 sec. per side.

Yield: 8-10 tortillas.

Barbecue chicken...homemade barbecue sauce

(Original recipe source: Nourishing Days)

ETA: This sauce was great. I made it twice, and the first time I didn't chop the onions small enough so that was a little weird. The second time I used dried minced onion. I didn't have any chipotle, so I'm sure I missed out on that little kick. All in all, I was pleased, but I'd love to hear other recommendations and compare ingredients.

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil or unrefined coconut oil
• 1 cup minced fresh onion or 1 tablespoon dried onion flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon unrefined sea salt or 1 tablespoon tamari soy sauce
• 3 cloves minced garlic or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin (preferably ground fresh)
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/3 teaspoon ground chipotle (smoked dried jalapeno pepper)
• 1 teaspoon dried crumbed basil
• 1 teaspoon dried, crumbled oregano, optional
• 1 (6-ounce) can salt-free, sugar-free tomato paste
• 1 1/4 cups water, preservative-free chicken broth or diluted or full-strength chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons raw apple cider vinegar or 3 tablespoons of lime juice
• 1/4 teaspoon stevia extract powder ***(since making this recipe again I have found 1/4 teaspoon to be too much and usually start with 1/8 teaspoon)***
• 1 tablespoon honey, optional

1. Heat oil in a 1-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and stir until tender, about 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and whisk until smooth. Bring to low boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer with lid ajar to reduce splattering, stirring periodically until mixture thickens, 20 to 30 minutes.
2. Pour into wide-mouth glass jar, allow to cool. Cover and refrigerate. Use within 2 weeks or freeze.

Baked Beans
(Original recipe source: Alton Brown, via Lauren)

ETA: I was so glad for this recommendation, because the healthy version I made over the weekend was not worth mentioning. Edible, but nothing I'd like to repeat. (Thanks family- and friends- for not mentioning it!) Lauren left a comment saying she'd made these, and I've had a lot of her cooking so I look forward to trying it! If you are avoiding sugar you could probably replace the brown sugar with stevia or honey, but I think the molasses probably adds what my beans were missing.

Priceless

Coop: I love God 89 cents. But I love you 60 cents.

A former prodigal and his progeny

My Mom has been home sick for a few days, and the upside of being sick is sitting in bed with a good book/laptop (or if you are me, a Kindle! Yes, I'm getting too much enjoyment out of this...). My inbox is full of great articles and links she sent along, and I wanted to share two with you, both written by the same author.

The first is about how to lure a prodigal home. As mothers of young children, it's easy to naively think that if we parent our children well, we will never find ourselves in this situation. The article is written by John Piper's son, who was the prodigal, so the "faithful parenting= faithful children theory" is blown out of the water. God has given us promises, and we are to be faithful, but I think we do need to remember that He may choose to glorify Himself in causing our children to walk faithfully all their lives, or by bringing them back to Himself.

The second is just a reminder that God is in the business of creating abundant life and joy, even after sorrow.

It is very apparent from the word of God, that he is wont often to try the
faith and patience of his people, when crying to him for some great and
important mercy, by withholding the mercy sought, for a season; and
not only so, but at first to cause an increase of dark appearances. And
yet he, without fail, at last succeeds those who continue instant in
prayer, with all perseverance, and will not let him go except he blesses.

~Jonathan Edwards

Rice, grains, beans (and some happy kids)

FRIDAY WHOLE FOOD RECIPE REVIEW
(I apologize for the crazy layout from yesterday- I had to rewrite the post and I lost your comments. Ugh. One day I will figure out Blogger.)

Spring will officially arrive tomorrow, but winter foods still reign as we wait for the warmer weather to bring about all our favorite greens (at least for those of us who live North of Florida). So even though we have been doing a lot of this:


if you are trying to be conscious of the seasons and eat (somewhat) local foods, you may still be eating heartier meals with less than exotic ingredients. Salads are coming soon...I promise! For today, I want to share two new recipes I tried this week, and one old stand-by.

Erin submitted the following, and she was right- I could eat it for days on end (and have)!

Nutty Wild Rice Salad
(Original Recipe Source: Erin, from Hutchinlove)

1 14oz can chicken broth (or homemade broth)

1 c wild rice

3/4 c shredded carrots

1/2 c dried currants (or raisins)

1/4 c sliced green onions

3/4 c toasted chopped walnuts (or pecans...I just like walnuts in this better)

1 recipe Curry Balsamic Vinaigrette - In a screwtop jar, combine 3 TBS olive oil, 2 TBS balsamic vinegar, 1/2 tsp curry powder, 1/2 tsp dry mustard, and 1/4 tsp garlic powder.

(I like a bit less vinegar in mine...I find that a ratio of 2:1 oil and vinegar works better for this dressing.)

1. In medium saucepan, combine broth and rice. Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 45 minutes or until rice is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed. Let cool.

2. Stir carrots, walnuts, currants, and onions into rice. Add vinaigrette - toss to coat.

(Ed. note: I used craisins instead of currents, and red onion instead of green. It probably wasn't as pretty as hers, but it's what I had on hand. Also, if you throw some chicken in there I bet it would be a great main dish!)

Baked Lentils w/Cheese
(Original Recipe source: modified from the More with Less Cookbook)

The seasonings are what make this hearty meatless meal so inviting and much to his own surprise, even my husband really enjoys this dish! I serve it over brown rice and either with hot crusty bread, or a salad (or both if we have company.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine the following ingredients: 1 3/4 cups lentils, rinsed
2 cups water
1 whole bay leaf 2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon each marjoram, sage, thyme
2 large onions, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups diced tomatoes (canned or homemade) Cover tightly and bake 30 minutes. Uncover and stir in the following:
2 large carrots, sliced 1/8" thick (I've never measured) :)
1/2 cup thinly sliced celery (I don't use) Bake covered 40 minutes until vegetables are tender. Sprinkle with: 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese.

Bake uncovered for 5 more minutes until cheese melts.

My favorite dinner- Chili and Cornbread

(Original recipe source: The Nourishing Gourmet)

This is also a great link for tips on soaking beans and grains if you don't want to use canned beans. Since the earliest days of our marriage my husband has always made the chili in this family. It's not for the faint of heart (or pregnant, heart-burn laden...or children for that matter). So my first attempt at coming up with a family friendly recipe took me here, and I was pleased with the result. I made a few changes: I added a lot more water (incrementally, until I was satisfied with the consistency), and we threw in some frozen corn. The spices were just right for us. I even served it for a Sunday lunch and the males in the group were able to use a variety of hot sauces to make it more manly.

Hope your weekend is full of good food and hours of playing outside!

Family Prayers

Our pastor ran across this resource a few weeks ago, and now we are going through these prayers twice a week as a church. I haven't read through all of them yet, but the author has just put scriptures together in the form of prayers, changing the pronouns to apply to various family members. You can download his three books for free here.

Here's a sample from this week:

Prayer for a wife...

Thou Great Being who made and rules the world,
Put Your Spirit in my wife with perfect power and bear His
fruits from her life. May she be a loving woman; a joyful, peaceful
woman; a patient, kind, good wife. Make her soul and actions
abound with faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, for against
such things there is no law. By Christ Jesus crucify her flesh with
its passions and desires.
Let her not grow weary in doing good, for in due season she will
reap if she does not give up. And may she never boast except in
the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been
crucified to her, and she to the world (Galatians 5 & 6).


Prayer for a husband...

Great God,

May my husband be a man inclined to pour
himself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire
of the afflicted, so that his light will rise in the darkness and
his gloom be as the noonday. Then guide him continually and
satisfy his desire in scorched places. Make his bones strong,
so that he is like a watered garden, like a spring of water,
whose waters do not fail.

May he be radiant; his heart thrilled to say, “I will greatly
rejoice in the LORD; my soul shall exult in my God, for He has
clothed me with the garments of salvation; He has covered
me with the robe of righteousness.” Make him count the
garments of salvation as sufficient clothing, valued by him as
more precious and worthy of care than the adornments of a
king. May his robes of righteousness be ever prevalent,
outshining worldly dress. Amen (Isaiah 58 & 61).

Prayer for children...

Righteous are You, O LORD, and right are Your rules.
You have appointed Your testimonies in righteousness
and in faithfulness.

Your promise is well tried; may my children love it. Even
when they are small and despised, let them not forget Your
precepts. Your righteousness is righteous forever, and Your
law is true. When trouble and anguish find them out, make
Your commandments their delight. Your testimonies are
righteous forever; give them understanding that they may
live.

With my whole heart I cry for them; answer me, O LORD!
Cause them to keep Your statutes. I call to You; save them,
that they may observe Your testimonies. I rise before dawn
and cry for help; may they hope in Your words. Awaken their
eyes before the watches of the night, that they may meditate
on Your promise. Hear my voice according to Your steadfast
love; O LORD, according to Your justice give them life. When
they draw near who persecute them with evil purpose, who
are far from Your law, assure them that You are near, O
LORD, and all Your commandments are true. Long have I
known from Your testimonies that You have founded them
forever (Psalm 119).

Friend or foe?

Tonight WH was reading through an Old Testament account of Israel fighting the Philistines. He came to this verse and read:

³¹ Now they had driven back the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon. So the people were very faint.

And Coop says, "Wait a minute. I thought they were the bad guys. Why was Jonathan giving them a ride in his car?"

WH tried hard to honor Coop by giving him that "What a great question, son" look, but I had to leave the table I was laughing so hard. I'm giggling again as I type it. I just love the way these kids think.

Sauces, mixes, dips

FRIDAY WHOLE FOOD RECIPE REVIEW

If you are endeavoring to move away from additives and high fructose corn syrup (hfcs) in your food, a good place to start is with sauces, mixes, and dips. At one point I went through my pantry and set aside everything that had hfcs; I was shocked to see how little was left. The additive is in practically everything, and if it's not that, it's msg or some other chemical preservative. So, rather than start with a recipe for an actual meal, I thought I'd share a few substitutes for some commonly used sauces, mixes, and dips. Our grandmothers (or great-grandmothers) would probably laugh to see us needing recipes, but this is the age in which we live. Maybe these things will be second nature to our kids!

Food to avoid: Condensed soups or cheese sauce

Replacement: White sauce with variations

(Original recipe source: Betty Crocker)

2 T. butter

2 T. whole wheat flour

1/2 t. salt

pepper, paprika, celery salt (depending on what flavor you are going for), etc.

1 cup milk

Whisk together butter and flour over medium heat. Add salt and seasonings. Add the milk a little at a time, whisking after each addition until thickened. Replace half of the milk with homemade chicken stock for cream of chicken soup. Add 1 cup of cheese after mixture is thick for a cheese sauce.

Food to avoid: Taco seasoning mix

Replacement: Homemade mix (less expensive, too!)

(Original recipe source: Mandi )

2 teaspoons dried onion flakes

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic (or garlic powder if you are going to store mix)

1 teaspoon cornstarch (or cornstarch replacement if desired)

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon paprika

Mix all together and add to one pound ground beef along with 3/4 cup of water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook uncovered until thickened. I usually make up a big batch of this and store it so I don't have to do all this measuring each time. If made in bulk, use 2 Tablespoons of seasoning per pound of meat/beans.

Food to avoid: Bottled salad dressing with high fructose corn syrup (there are some great store-bought dressings available, but they are expensive)

Replacement: Vinaigrettes

(Original recipe source: Nicky Lewin)

1/3 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoons dijon mustard
2 crushed garlic cloves
salt and pepper

(Add 1 Tablespoon of flax oil to dressings for nutritional benefit)

Whisk all ingredients together or shake in a salad dress bottle.

Once you start making your own dressings, you can use the general ratio of oil and vinegar to create whatever combinations you like. Here's another we like:

Cidar and honey vinaigrette

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup honey

1/3 cup apple cidar vinegar

1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper

We used to be a ranch family with the occasional homemade dressing, but after several purposeful months of avoiding ranch (except on Sundays) :) our children now have a choice each night between "light and dark" dressing and they don't seem to miss the ranch. If you do prefer a creamy herb dressing, I read recently that you can add 1/4 cup of creme fraiche or sour cream to a basic oil and vinegar recipe. There are a plethora of homemade ranch, creamy ceasar, and other creamy dressing recipes available online. One of my next projects is to make a homemade mayo base for some of these dressings, but until then we will stick with the vinaigrettes.

Lastly, I wanted to share my favorite hummus recipe. I haven't purchased hummus in years, so I can't say that there's anything unhealthful about a prepared version, but you get so little for your money.

Homemade Hummus

(Original recipe source: Ashley Trice)

1 can chickpeas, drained (reserve liquid)

OR equivalent of cooked dried chickpeas, reserve liquid

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 cup tahini

1/4 diced onion

2 cloves garlic

2 teaspoons olive oil

2 teaspoons dried ground cumin

1/8 teaspoons ground red pepper

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

Mix everything in a food processor. Add liquid from beans as needed until smooth. We eat hummus with pitas, veggies, a chicken and pepper recipe, and tortilla chips. It's a great high-protein appetizer and I'd like to start making it every other week so I have it on hand for snacks.

If you have any favorite sauces, mixes, or dip recipes feel free to link or add in the comment section!

book nerd fun

Just a few random comments on literature related items, in celebration of my book club meeting this evening.

1) I requested a book at my library last week and the librarian asked in what form I would like my book. My options were paperback, audio download, or on the Kindle. When I told her I didn't have a Kindle she said, "No problem- the library bought one and you get to borrow it." How cool is that??? (This does help me forgive them for blacklisting my name because I put a piece of scotch tape on a torn book 8 months ago.)

2) My bloggy friend Emily (whom I have only met once, at my wedding, right?... Her husband and mine were friends in college) just told me about the PaperBackSwap. What a great idea! I signed up yesterday, and I've already mailed two books. You get two free book credits just for listing your first ten books and they make it all SO easy. Much easier than ebay. You print out your label with the address on it, as well as postage if you want to pay a little extra and avoid the PO (if you do have to go to the PO it tells you what the postage is ahead of time). I like it because it requires very limited time and organization; what a great way to unload books and I'm using it to get book club books for almost free. You can also create a wish list for books not currently in the database. Maybe I'm the very last person to hear about this or maybe I'm just easily impressed.

3) Do you get really excited about used book sales? I've been to two in the last week and a good book sale makes my heart beat wildly. I think that is considered a medical condition. (Do you think insurance would cover the books??)

4) What are you reading right now?

Faithful or Faith-filled?

Isaiah 30:15
"...In quietness and trust will be your strength."


As I was praying for faithfulness this morning, I remembered a distinction our former pastor used to make. He said faithfulness was really faith-filled-ness. It takes the emphasis off of us and places it back on the Lord; it makes believing as important (or more so) as doing. So even though I need to be doing a million things today, doing it in faith changes my focus and motivation.

So...
Lord, please help me to train them well today, changes to:

Father in heaven, I know you have given me all that I need for life and godliness, so I trust your provision as I train these children (even though one of them is extremely mischievous and constantly getting into trouble when my back is turned, creating constant mess). Help me consider them more important than myself.


Lord, I'm so tired and I need to get to bed on time so I won't be grouchy changes to:
Father in heaven, you are my Rock and my Strength; give me joy as I work despite weariness. Your grace is sufficient in weakness; this is an opportunity for You to be magnified.


Lord, I am so behind with the house- all the laundry is washed and dried in a big pile (except what I left on the line overnight). I haven't washed the crockpot from the church lunch on Sunday- please help me get all this done! changes to:

Father in heaven, You have given me this home and you will help me keep it a place of blessing. Glorify yourself through our family life and daily activities; the joy of the Lord will be my strength.

So, if you feel like you were shot out of a canon Monday morning, still racing to get things done before it all drowns you (and the kids) know there are at least two of us. Trust Him to work through your works and then do the next thing.

I'm off to wash the crockpot...

More on food, a whole food recipe, blah blah blah blah

There are some people who get tired of hearing about food ideas, news, fads, etc. I do not fit into that category, although if that describes you I understand your deletion of such posts and promise to have more pictures of my kids and sewing projects next week.

For everyone else, I am starting something new today. My hope is that these Friday posts will spur me on to stick to some of my stated nourishing dietary goals, and perhaps encourage others who need kitchen inspiration. But not run-of-the-mill four canned/boxed ingredients kitchen inspiration, and not full boar dairy free, wheat free, _________free inspiration, either (although we do some of that around here and if it happens to be allergy friendly, that's great). In the spirit of the Jamie Oliver's TED talk, suggesting every family have at least 10 healthful whole food meals on which we could depend (and know how to cook easily), I am starting the

FRIDAY WHOLE FOOD RECIPE REVIEW

Ta-da. You could call it the Friday Food Review for short, although that misses the main point. Maybe the Whole Food Review (but don't be confused with a review of Whole Foods, a store which my three stop-light town will probably never have).

Many people are trying to get back to a whole foods diet but it's hard to know where to start. I recently read a blog post by a woman who watched Food, Inc. and a few weeks later she declared March the month of eating no processed foods. What a goal...no dried pasta, no canned anything, nothing from a box. I think it's a good long-term goal, but something a lot easier to accomplish in the middle of summer bounty or after you've stocked your freezer with the fruits of your (or someone else's) garden. All that to say, while some people probably do need to overhaul their menu plans, most of us just want to move closer to the goal at a pace that will turn into a lifestyle, not a month-long project crowding out every other activity.

The truth is, we are all busy to different degrees. I don't have time to read all the blogs and magazines I'd like, and each of us are drawn to various content specific resources provide. If we combine our efforts we might find our options for healthful meals increased. Of course, no one will be coming to your house to actually make you a meal, but you have to start somewhere, right?

So, here are some guidelines:

• Email me your recipes or links by Thursday evening.
• Recipes must include whole food ingredients (that's not to say most of us don't eat meals unsuitable for this category, but I have no trouble finding non-whole food recipes)
• Avoid refined foods...white flour, white rice, white sugar, etc.
• Avoid recipes that are super time-consuming...an occasional labor-intensive meal is always a treat so don't shy away from those altogether, but the majority of meals should be weeknight meals.
• Non-recipes- meal ideas or food prep tips- are also welcome!

So to kick things off, here's a favorite simple meal we enjoyed earlier this week. (ETA: I'm sort of cheating because this is a recipe introduced to me by my sister- a comfort food I vividly remember eating at her house...)

Tomato Soup with Italian Grilled Cheese.
The link is for the soup, which has almost as many onions pureed as it does tomatoes, so it's not your typical sickly sweet tomato soup. It's dairy-free, but extremely creamy. As for the Italian Grilled Cheese, I make my own whole wheat (and when I use that term I mean 100% ww) Italian Bread. Fresh Mozzarella cheese at Sam's is about $8.50 for 2 lbs.- a great deal, especially since you can slice it thinly and make it last forever (also freezes well). You could substitute goat cheese as pictured above, but our meal is a little heartier. I make grilled cheese with these ingredients and I think I could eat this every week. Until I ran out, I used tomatoes from our garden instead of canned, which made the most delicious soup! My kids love it, and even my non-tomato-preferring husband enjoys this meal.
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It may be that I'm offering a lone little recipe each week. I do hope to hear from some of you because I often read of or talk to you about your kitchen adventures and wisdom. I've learned a lot from others already, and I'd like this to be a resource of good eating.

Bon Appetit!

Dear Sarah,

Thank you for motivating me to (finally) get some curtains up in my guest bedroom. We look forward to having you visit this weekend!

Gratefully,
Brite

(Much thanks to the Nester as well, who originated the window mistreatment and inspired women everywhere to use the uncut fabric and tacks they have on hand to make their rental homes cozy. If you have been waiting to put window treatments- or anything for that matter- on your rental windows and walls, you will be liberated after about 15 minutes on her blog. If you own your home and don't want to wait until your husband make your husband go through the trouble of installing hardware, you will also enjoy her ideas. )

If you are 7 feet tall you and you come to stay overnight in the guest room, you may notice the pushpins (I didn't even have any tacks on hand).

And this just makes me happy

the evolution of a skirt

People out there in internet land are amazingly talented and creative. Check this out- I have to make one of these soon. I just copy ideas (and spend too much time searching for them on other blogs) but some people blow me away with their ability to make something out of an item that seems to have no more life.

I bought three XL ladies skirts at Goodwill last week, with the hopes of turning them into summer clothes for Sweet A. She doesn't have much for the warmer weather (if it ever comes!) and I had the urge to sew for her. Two are cotton, and the middle one is a knit. I spent about $11 total.



I chopped up one of the skirts, which happened to be lined (more coordinating fabric!) and made a little tiered skirt with a contrasting lining, which doesn't really show in the pictures. Sorry they're blurry- she doesn't stop moving. Then I used this great tutorial to make her a matching shirt from an old t-shirt. I will probably re-make it since the tutorial looks much cuter and mine ended up looking a little like a bikini top on a toddler...I should have actually followed the directions.
There was even enough for Darling, her doll, to get a skirt. (She named her Darling because as she says, "Daddy calls me darling.")

Always a good sign when they don't want to take it off...
I may try to follow a real pattern for the other two, but I'm totally inspired to pull out some lifeless t-shirts and try to make them into something fun. (Probably not undergarments, but I guess if times get tough I'll know how.)

Transforming meals

My friend, Kate, has a good habit of pressing readers to think through hard social issues, and recently gave me the heads up about a new show, featuring Jamie Oliver aka The Naked Chef. He gave a prize-winning TED talk about the colossal effects of generations of poor eating habits in America, and what he is doing to reverse the trend. (As a side note, she introduced me to TED talks in the first place; yet another evidence of her surpassing coolness in my eyes.)

After watching TED talk I found myself heartened to think that someone (especially a male...not to mention a famous, endearing male with an accent) with a winsome personality is finally taking action to cause a stir about obesity and the surmounting food problem in America. While I don't believe that government is responsible to get us out of this fat, sinking boat, I do wonder how much responsibility they bear for creating the crisis in the first place. If millions of children eat two meals a day at school x 180 days of the year, and the food they are given is killing them, the responsibility lies in the hands of the adults (I'd say parents, he suggests Mrs. Obama & Co.). Turning a blind eye to the problem because my children will never be in a public school is not a loving response (although it is nice to know I'm not exacerbating the problem). Who knew that teaching someone to cook could transform lives? Very informative talk, and worth the 20 minutes.

my next crazy project

Toothpaste.

The natural stuff I buy is expensive and filled with a list of ingredients I've never heard of, so I think I'll give this a whirl. My Mom sent me the link, of all people!

I have a few prettier projects planned for this week as well. More to come.