13 Hours of Rain

Life is full of changes. And when I have a certain rhythm going on in life, potential changes to that rhythm require adjustment. So, change can stress me out. Yet, I also welcome change. It implies a new season, a new way of thinking, a new approach to life. My view on food is changing. Back in the day I thought low-fat and multi-grain was the way to go. Now, I am not too sure. As I do sporadic reading, visit Naturopaths and listen to people who have made significant lifestyle changes, I am questioning the health kicks of the past. For instance, take fat. Fat is not that bad of a thing any more, as long as it is good fat. So, I cook with more healthy fats such as olive oil, coconut oil, and butter. I eat more nuts and avocado. And while I still purchase lean meat, I am more lenient on my consumption of good 'ole bacon. And while I am eating more fat, I am attempting to lower our family's sugar consumption, especially refined sugar. Our society's overindulgence of sugar ...

It has been 16 days. That is sixteen days since I last took my prescription drugs for my stomach. I feel almost awesome! (Well, maybe that is exaggerating a bit, but is sounds better that almost normal.) I have never been able to fully follow the advice of my Naturopath. Cutting out all grains was a tall order. And while I can do without many, many grains, rice is too much of a staple for me to eliminate. Removing eggs from my diet was quite difficult. I like my (rice) pancakes too much. And eggs are a quick (and cheap) source of protein for me, especially since we are on a one income budget. But I have managed to cut out dairy (and I've been gluten free for some time now). And that in itself is an accomplishment. And you know what? My stomach isn't as sore anymore. I am learning to listen to my body and treat the symptoms more naturally. Organic Ginger Tea soothes my gut when I am having a mild episode of the burn. Occasionally chewing gum gets me swallowing, which coats...

Today, I am thankful for... A green vitamin-rich smoothie for breakfast (not bad). Playing dominos with you, my son. Brilliant blue sky with late winter sun blazing while swinging in the park. Puddles. And rubber boots that still fit little feet. A moist homemade gluten-free, dairy-free apple cake for dessert (couldn't completely keep me away from grains and eggs today). Recipe below. Sweet kisses and hugs from kiddos. And, feeling better than yesterday. Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Apple Spice Cake* Ingredients 1/4 cup vegetable oil 3/4 cup brown rice flour 1/2 cup sugar 2 eggs 1/2 cup applesauce 1 tablespoon baking powder 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon 3/4 teaspoon vanilla 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum 1. Preheat oven to 350°F. 2. Mix flour and oil until well combined. 3. Add remaining ingredients. Beat until well blended. 4. Pour into 8- or 9-inch round or square pan that has been prepared with nonstick cooking spray or greased with margarine. 5. Bake 20-25 minutes...

  Creek Side Walk  For the last day of July, I post a thankfulness list in ode to the Summer of 2013 thus far: Moderate Temperatures : The summer is cooler than usual (or from what I have experienced thus far in prairie southwest). And I'm lovin' it. My system doesn't do well with extreme temperatures. Neither does our budget. Because 30+ temperatures mean more cooling costs, more watering-the-lawn costs, and more battling those wretched wasps cost. This year, these costs are much, much lower in spite of the fact we still dealt with two wasp nests this year (as opposed to four last year). Swimming Lessons : Our kids spent the first two weeks of July in the pool learning various skills. It forced me to "unplug" from my usual routine and enjoy cheering for my kids (plus my husband received some much needed quiet time from people). Thankfully both kids obtained their badges! Spontaneous Guests : We entertained three groups of spontaneous guests...

Yummy Brotchen! Dear Kids, To make up for Mommy's-gotta-do-a-lot-of-work-today-so-PLEASE-play-nicely-with-each-other Mornings, I attempt preschool creativity at least once a week. Some days it is a simple craft that gets both of you excited. Other days we don particular colors and celebrate elements of the rainbow. Occasionally, I go all out and have a load of fun with both you. The last couple of days were the later option! Thursday and Friday marked Virtual Travel Days , where we imagined travelling to some faraway destination at very little cost to our family. To coordinate with our church's MB Missions Daily Prayer Guide , our country of choice was Germany. It was an added bonus that your Mausi & Mausa (Maternal Auntie & Uncle) are currently living and studying in Germany, so we could remember them in our prayers as well. Here is what we did: DAY 1: January 24, 2013 ~ Let's Play Together! Put together the Melissa & Doug World Map Puzzle and...

We are starting preschool in our home. No, not outside-of-our-home classes, but rather inside-our-house-with-Mommy lessons. Today we are going to make soup, lentil pea soup that is. Admittedly, my children are not extremely fond of these legumes. But in this part of the prairies, we grow lentils and peas, amongst other things. And in the county of my ethnicity, we eat a lot of this source of complex carbohydrates, folic acid, and vegetable protein (or dal ). Two good reasons to adopt more dal into my repertoire of cooking! Thus, our soup journey started with a trip to the Bulk Barn (my new favourite store). We perused the aisles, rushed past the candy (or I did), and lingered in the health food section. We collected little bags of yellow and green split peas to add to our lentils at home. Today we will attempt this recipe*: 1 tbsp olive oil 1/2 large onion, diced 1 stalk of celery, sliced 1 medium carrot, diced 2 garlic cloves, crushed 1/2 tsp cumin p...

While the Autumnal Equinox is still days away, the Fall season has begun where I live. The nights are cool and crisp, leaves are embracing colors other than green, and children (along with teachers, of course) are loading backpacks with back-to-school treasures. And I am thankful. There is something comforting about routine. While I enjoy the leisurely pace of long summer days combined with all the natural blessings of being outside, I equally appreciate Autumn when I divert my attention to formally and intentionally educating my children during their stage of preschool. In our household, we have seasonal menus. It isn't anything official, but rather the way I tend to cook. As soon as it is warm enough to sit outside (usually mid-May), our summer menu begins. Our family BBQs (or grills) as much as possible. I rarely use my oven unless I am baking muffins or cookies. For instance, yesterday we prepared Tandoori Chicken Skewers for visiting family and tonight we a...

Christmas Goodies! Here is my seven day fantastic fantasy meal plan! Sorry to make all you "I gotta get some exercise and lose weight" New Year's resolution'ers drool. Day 1: Tacos with all the fixings: Cheese, meat, re-fried beans, sour cream, salsa, lettuce, cucumbers, guacamole, tomatoes, and a squeeze of lime (a crowd pleaser in our home). Dessert? Fried Ice cream (only tried it once, but remember it tasting GREAT) or ice cream from the D. King (my daughter can't wait until May!). Day 2: Pancakes with syrup, bananas, peanut butter, strawberries, peaches, whipped cream, and chocolate. With a greek omelet on the side. And hash browns. No dessert required after that! (N., can we split two meals again?) Day 3: Chicken curry, vegetable basmati rice, naan, cucumber raita, samosas, and mango pickle. Dessert ~ Warm Gulab Jamuns. Thanks Mom! Day 4: Veranika, farmer sausage, cream gravy, and garden corn. Dessert: Chocolate Flapper Pie. My mother-in-law got ...

She woke up with a runny nose and cough, again, for the umpteenth time this fall. I sighed. My plans for the morning began to evaporate before my eyes. I really wanted to go. We were invited to another Mom's place were several others were gathering. I made the dreaded phone call. The conversation went something like this: "My daughter woke up with a cold. I was totally ready to go! I got the car this morning. I even baked the muffins I promised to bring. But, she's sick," I explained with marked disappointment in my voice. "Oh, not again! Though there are already snotty kids here," she replied with a chuckle. "Really? I just don't like spreading the germs." "Come on over with your germs!" she replied enthusiastically. "Are you sure?" "Totally!" So I bundled my kids in their snowsuits and piled into the car. The morning was simple. We hovered around a table working on various Christmas crafts. The ki...

One of my husband's frequently used Hindi words is "undaz" (pronounced un-THE-az), which is best translated as "estimate" or "approximate". He learned the word while he was listening to a conversation between my sister and I. From what I recall, I was recounting a cooking experience and I remarked, "You know, I'm such an 'undaz' girl." My sister nodded in understanding while my husband looked puzzled. "What does undaz mean?" he queried. I chuckled and realized I had slipped a Hindi word into an English sentence without a second thought. My cooking experiences tend to be undaz moments (unlike times of baking where I meticulously follow a recipe to ensure success). In honor of such moments, I will share one of my favorites: Undaz Soup! The absent of specific quantities is intentional. Ingredients leftover roasted chicken, including bones 3 - 5 peeled garlic cloves whole peppercorns bay leaf coarsely chopped onion (or gre...

As promised, here is my favorite vegetarian recipe! Ingredients 2 x 400 g cans chick peas 2 medium-sized onions, finely chopped 1 tsp grated ginger 1 tsp mashed garlic 1/2 tsp turmeric 3 Tbsp vegetable oil 2 large well ripened tomatoes, chopped 1 Tbsp ground coriander 2 tsp garam masala 2 Tbsp lemon juice 2-3 Tbsp chopped fresh coriander leaves (optional) Method 1. Drain chick peas, reserving the liquid. 2. Cook the onions, ginger, garlic, and turmeric in the oil until soft and golden on high-medium heat. 3. Add the tomatoes and cook to soften. Add coriander and chick peas. Cook for 10 minutes, add 1 cup of the reserved liquid, and cook for an additional 10 minutes. 4. Add garam masala, lemon juice, and stir in the coriander leaves. Lower the heat, and gently cook for 2-3 minutes, adding more liquid (if needed) to make a sauce. 5. Serve with basmati rice and/or naan. Raita (yogurt salad) is also a great accompaniment to this dish. Provides a delicious vegetarian meal for 4-6 people. (R...

My brother is overseas and is learning the art and science of cooking. He has asked our family for our favorite skillet recipes since he is devoid of an oven! So, bro, this is for you: Cashew Chicken Ingredients: 3 T sesame oil 1 cup cashews 3 medium chicken breasts, cubed 1/2 cup water 4-5 cloves of garlic, minced 1 1/4 cup chopped carrots 1 cup chopped celery 3/4 cup chopped red pepper 1 small onion, chopped 1/2 cup water 1 can chicken broth (284 ml or 10 oz) 3 T soya sauce 2 T cornstarch dissolved in 2 T warm water 1-2 tsp chili paste or sambal oelek* (optional) salt & pepper to taste Serves 3 - 4 people Procedure: 1. At high/medium heat, heat sesame oil in a large skillet or wok. Add cashews and toast until slightly brown. Remove cashews with a slotted spoon and place in a medium sized bowl. Do not remove the oil from the skillet or wok. 2. Add chicken breasts to the oil along with the first amount of water. Cook chicken breasts thoroughly . Remove cooked chicken with a slotted...

I gotta share what I've been reading... SUGAR Known by many names such as glucose, fructose, and sucrose. Extracted from sugarcane in the tropics and sugar beets in temperate zones. Cultivation thrived at the expense of black Africans and other slave labour. Only became popular in Europe in the 1600s. Demand increased with the discovery of the preservation of fruit by sugar and the making of jams, jellies, and marmalade. The world's sugar production rose by 700% between 1900 and 1964, when many developed countries consumed one hundred pounds per capita annually! Compare that with England's annual consumption of four pounds in the early 1700s. Addiction to sugar and the resultant health problems associated with the over-consumption of sugar have spurred on the sugarless industry (ex: aspartame, sucralose, etc.), which sadly has its own share of problems. and SPICE Nutmeg: Grown in Indonesia. Monopolized by the Dutch during the 1600s. Used in China to treat rheumatism and sto...

Generally, I am not a baker. I do enjoy cooking though. However, here is one of my favorite muffin recipes that I adapted from Company's Coming: Muffins & More . Banana Oatmeal Chip Muffins 1 cup whole wheat flour 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup rolled oats 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1/2 cup chocolate chips 2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 2 eggs 1/4 cup cooking oil 1/4 milk 3 medium ripe bananas, mashed In large bowl measure first 8 ingredients. Stir to mix. Make a well in center. In small bowl beat eggs until frothy. Mix in cooking oil, milk and bananas. Pour into well. Stir just to moisten. Filled greased muffin cups (or paper lined muffin cups) 3/4 full. Bake in 400 degree F (200 degree C) oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Makes 12 to 18. Enjoy! (For more fabulous recipes from a person who is an amazing baker, check out Kimmy's blog . She recently posted two delicious temptations.)