Power Mom

As I rolled out of bed before everyone else in my family today, I realized how powerful I am. I am Mom. My choices make or break things for this family. I could stay in and sleep as long as the rest of them, but the morning would then be hectic and unpleasant. Instead, I choose to rise early, get myself ready, pray for my family, and set us up for the day with a good breakfast and things in order, ready to go.
Power Mom...not a mom who seems to have it all together, or rushes around always busy. Not a mom who works out at the gym or who manages a career. These don't give us power. Our power lies in our choices. Do we pursue our selfish desires, or do we sacrifice for our family. And, is it really a sacrifice? It's a pleasure for me to serve my husband and family. In fact, it's why this blog is so sporadic. They always come first. Life goes so much smoother that way, and I love it. Really, I don't need "me time" if my mind is set in the right paradigm. The paradigm of being the helpmeet I was created to be.
So, off I go...a quick bath while I pray for my family. Then I will pack up what we need for our day and help them enjoy the time we have together this morning eating a healthy breakfast that will feed our bodies. We're not perfect, but wow, this morning I just realized how powerful my choices are. Am I going to be a Power Mom, or a Martyr, "poor-me" mom? I choose Power Mom.

Kid's Allowance and Chores

I recently read a quote that made perfect sense to me..."A parent's job is to raise adults, not children." It is a constant struggle, because they are kids. :) My husband and I want to teach our children how to manage money and how to take care of themselves when they leave the house. With my new focus on efficiency, I have put together a plan which implements allowance, chores and addressing negative behaviors.
Monday is a big chore day for me, so I was inspired to complete this list of chores for the kids. Once I think of something, I like to go for it immeadiately! :)

ALLOWANCE
Each DAILY task = 10 cents
Each WEEKLY task = 25 cents
ELLIE (10) AND WILL (7)
Daily
1. feed Kady (E) collect eggs (W)
2. feed Frank (E)
3. sort laundry
4. empty garbage cans
5. walk Kady and get the mail
6. unpack backpack/lunch box
7. complete homework
8. help make lunches
9. put laundry away
10. empty dishwasher
11. pick up stairs
12. help cook dinner
13. set the table
14. load dishwasher
15. sweep kitchen
16. Make dad’s coffee
17. Make dad’s lunch
18. nightly pick up
19. Read 20-30 minutes with Will
WEEKLY
1. clean Frank’s cage (E) vacuum stairs (W)
2. clean chicken coop (E) clean windows (W)
3. pick up dog poop (E) pull weeds (W)
4. vacuum room (both)

Here's how we're going to work it:
Every two weeks, the kids get an empty mason jar. We have one jar filled with small marbles and 16 big marbles. Each time a daily task is completed, they get to add one small marble to their jar. When a weekly task is completed, they get to add a big marble to their jar. Here's the catch: if I have to pick up after them, or if they perform the negative behavior we are trying to eradicate, then I get to take a small marble from their jars and put it back into the big jar. On payday, we'll count up the marbles in the jars and convert them to money.
The goal is for the kids to do all 4 weekly chores and 40 daily chores. This equals 5.00. I suppose they'll have to do more to make up for the marbles they are bound to lose. We'll see how it works!

PS I got some ideas for the task list at http://totallytogetherjournal.com/chores-aka-but-thats-why-we-had-you/ .

Jump In

I learned a lesson this past week. It's a lesson I should have learned a long time ago, but so it goes. The kids and I spent several days at my parent's house, and much of our time was spent in their pool. I am typically a wuss, I get in the water one step at a time even though it is 100+ and the cool 82 degree water feels SO good. I finally realized that my hesitation was robbing quality time spent with my kids. So, I finally jumped in.
The more I thought about it, this is a metaphor for life. How often does God lead us somewhere, and we go in one step at a time testing out the water? I waste so much time! If I have given my desires and my life over to Him, shouldn't I trust that He will lead me? So, if God has taken me somewhere, or has somewhere for me to go, I am going to be looking out to make sure I just jump in!

Hot Spot

What on earth is a hot spot? Right now, in AZ, you'd probably name any one of the many wildfires burning, and that would be true answer. But, in your house, a hot spot is any spot where junk piles up. I have four major hot spots: the counter right next to my refrigerator, my stairs, the bench at the top of my stairs, and my entry way. If I take time each day to clear these off, my house is looking pretty good. If I don't, watch out! My day timer/calendar gets so covered it's useless, my stairs - which are visible from the main rooms of my house - make everything look cluttered, and my entry way looks like a shoe store. Really, it doesn't take long IF you clear them every day!!! So get started now! What are the hot spots in your house? Grab the kiddos and clear them out. Then just sit and enjoy how nice it looks. :)

Good Morning Summer! Hello Routines

Good morning Summer!

It's been a while since my last post. I just didn't have time with work and family. Now that summer is here, maybe I will have some more free time. Just a blurb about one of my favorite things: my ipod touch. Now, I try not to get too attached to material possessions, but my ipod touch houses two great things: my Daily Audio Bible podcast and my Home Routines app. Neither of these things I NEED, but I certainly enjoy them, and my hubby really enjoys it when I use my Home Routines app.
This app lets you input your routines and check them off as you go. You can do this at home with a chart and such, but it is so nice not to have to deal with that. I got my ipod touch as a gift, and the Home Routines app was $2.99. Definitely worth it. Each time you check off ann item, you get a star. We joke about how many stars I get in a day. So, this morning with no school we are back to our full routines. Even the kids get into it, helping to get all of our stars. They know they don't get free time until our morning stars are done. :)

Our morning routine:
computer
dressed
breakfast
laundry
dishwasher/dishes
counters/table
calendar/hotspot
sweep floor
dinner
chickens/garden
vacuum
zone
one weekly task

This is all based on the flylady...www.flylady.com I've adapted her philosophy to my life. The Home Routines app is also based on her philosophy. You should be able to click on the title of this post and go to her website. Be careful! It can be overwhelming. Our job is to figure out how it fits into our lives. You don't have to do everything! I like to get up early so I can listen to the DAB podcast while I bust some of these out. More on what some of these things mean, like hotspot, next time. Good luck, and happy summer!

100% Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread in Five Minutes

Here is a recipe worth trying out. It comes from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. There is an entire website dedicated to making bread in 5 minutes a day: www.artisanbreadinfive.com. It is a fabulous concept! The website and books are worth checking out. I found the Artisan Bread book at my library. Since this first book, the authors (one being a professional baker) have published also a book titled Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day with recipes using more whole wheat.
I have had a hard time getting this bread to rise, but it could be due to my being at 5,000 feet above sea level. So, I decided to post this recipe anyway, for those of you who are at lower elevations. When I figure out the secret for my altitude, I'll post it again.
It is definitely worth a try! Easy and yummy.

A few notes:
I have made this with milk and also with all water.
Yeast is MUCH cheaper when bought in the large container vs. packages.
I use grapeseed oil, which I buy in bulk from Azure Standard.

Ingredients
1 1/2 c lukewarm water
1 1/2 c lukewarm milk
1 1/2 TBSP granulated yeast (1 1/2 packets)
1 TBSP sea salt + 1 tsp sea salt
1/2 c honey
5 TBSP neutral flavored oil, plus more for greasing the pan
6 2/3 c whole wheat flour (freshly ground if possible, and NOT whole wheat pastry flour or "graham" flour) I like to use my sprouted flour.

Directions
1. Mix yeast, salt, honey and oil with milk and water.
2. Mix in dry ingredients WITHOUT kneading. This is easily done by hand with a spoon.
3. Cover - not airtight - and allow to rest at room temperature until the dough rises and collapses (or flattens on top); approx. 2-3 hours.
4. The dough can be used immediately after the initial rise, or I like to throw it into a container (or two) with holes punched in the lids and put into the 'fridge for a while. Usually until the next day. (This dough is pretty sticky.) The dough can be kept in the 'fridge for up to 5 days.

On Baking Day
1. lightly grease your loaf pan. Using wet hands, scoop out a 1 1/2 - 2 lb handful of dough.
2. Quickly shape the dough to fit your pan and drop it right in. It should be filled a little more that half-way.
3. Allow the dough to rest for 1 hour and 40 minutes.
4. Preheat the oven at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes for a 1 1/2 lb loaf OR
preheat to 375 for a 2 lb loaf.
5. Bake 1 1/2 lb loaf for 50 minutes and 2 lb loaf for 60 minutes.
6. Remove from the pan and let it cool completely before slicing.

This recipe yields 2 loaves if you use 1.5 lbs of dough, or one 2lb loaf and some rolls. My family isn't sold on it yet, but again, I think it is due to the high altitude factor. When I figure that out, I'll let you know!

Vita-Mix

A few years ago, when I was just starting my health journey, I was over at a friend's house soaking up as much of her wisdom as possible. She whips out this blender, fills it up with all kinds of healthy stuff, turns it on and walks away! What is this?! A blender that doesn't get all clogged up? A blender you don't have to babysit, and make sure it doesn't fall off the stand? This blender, a Vita-Mix, instantly made my wish list. I knew it was costly, but really how much could a blender be? Uff da. Quite a bit more than my hubby was willing to part with! So, I learned to be content with my garage sale blenders. The old seventies blenders sell for about $5, and last longer than those I purchased new. I like my smoothies thick!
Fast forward to Fall 2010. I figure out that if I want to feed my family according to Nourishing Traditions, I need to be making things from scratch. It's much cheaper (more on that in a later post)and healthier. So I begin to research grain mills and stumble upon one little sentence on www.thenourishinggourmet.com which basically said a Vita-Mix works great for grinding grain. Hooray! Here's my in! Long story short: everything worked out and I got a Vita-Mix for Christmas!
Smoothies have never been better! They sell a wet container and a dry container. The blades are different. I can grind 4 cups of flour in 1 minute. This machine really is incredible. I debated between trying to grind the wheat in the wet container, but really felt at peace when I got the dry container. It works great, and costs less when you purchase them together. Another bonus: clean-up is a breeze.
Final thoughts: the Vita-Mix rocks. If you can save your money to purchase one, I highly suggest it! If you can get it as a combined gift from everyone you know, even better. :) Go for it! It really makes life a little easier and healthier. :)

Weekly Plan/Template

I think I have finally figured out what I want to do each week, and how long each thing takes. So, today I wrote out a generic template. Hope it works out! I figured out how long each thing takes, and the best time to do it according to my schedule. I plan on posting this on my 'fridge for easy reference. That way, when I get home from school, I can just have a look to see what I should be doing. No thinking involved...I like it. :) Automatic pilot is my friend!

Coming soon: No Knead whole wheat bread. YUM and easy!


Food Strategy

Saturday: PM Soak / Sprout beans

Sunday: PM soak oats

Monday: AM Cook beans
PM Wheat berries into jars/water
Hummus/honey almonds/granola

Tuesday: AM rinse wheat berries
PM rinse wheat berries

Wednesday: AM dehydrate grain

Thursday:PM Soak nuts
Bake; snacks; etc.

Friday: AM/Lunch dehydrate nuts

Free Exercise - Living Room

Here's a quick idea my 9 year old came up with. When folding the laundry, take it out to the living room. Sit in a straddle position and place a pile of laundry at each foot. Reach to a pile and grab something to fold. After it's folded, stretch out in front of you and place it on the floor. You will be stretching and folding at the same time. I think it feels great. Today, I kept my legs in front of me and placed a pile at my toes. I am happy to say I can still touch my toes. :) If you can't reach your feet, then place the laundry where you can reach it. Baby steps, right? :) Although, it should be a little tough in the beginning because your muscles will limber up shortly. Again, I love it when I get two things done at the same time!

High Altitude Brownies

Today is the first day of Spring Break! We are at the beginning of what I hope will be a glorious two weeks. The first week is promising, full of temps in the 70s. I love it!
Here is a recipe I adapted from www.allrecipes.com. I use the Lance Armstrong My Plate www.livestrong.com/myplate/ to configure my recipes so each serving has only 10 g/sugar or lower. These brownies have about 10 g of sugar if you cut at least 24. I cook them in a round crockery dish from Pampered Chef, because I like it. :) It is 12" in diameter. The recipe calls for an 8x8 pan, but that was just too little for me. I prefer to have slightly larger, thinner brownies. Then, at 10 g of sugar each, I can scarf them down throughout the day, during my "chocolate days", like I did this week! :)
A note on the high altitude... We are at 5000 feet, so when I saw this recipe, I grabbed it. If it doesn't work for you, you can at least look at my version vs. the original (High Altitude Deep Dish Brownies) at allrecipes and see how I changed it. Then you can find one for you and do the same!

High Altitude Brownies

Ingredients
7/8 c sprouted whole wheat flour (1 c - 2 TBSP)
1/2 c unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
3/4 c butter, melted
1 c Rapadura sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3 eggs (we try to use free range or organic)
1/2 c mini chocolate chips
1/2 c peacans (optional)To see how to soak nuts to make them more digestable and make the nutrients more available to your body check out The Nourishing Gourmet.  Check out the tabs at the top of her site, and click on Nourishing Foundations.

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350. Grease your pan.

Cut up butter, and melt over low heat on the stove.
Meanwhile, combine flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt and set aside.
Now, combine melted butter, rapadura and vanilla.
Mix in eggs.
Gradually stir in dry ingredients just until blended. Don't worry if the cocoa powder isn't totally blended.
Fold in chocolate chips and pecans.
Spread the batter evenly in your pan.
Bake in oven for about 20-25 minutes depending on how gooey you like them. :)

We cut these into at least 24 pieces. Then we put 15 aside in snack baggies for lunches. We save the rest for whenever we want them. Hope you enjoy!

Free Exercise

I used to call these posts "Exercise Room of the Week." But, like I mentioned in an earlier post, I am not keeping up on it, so I decided to just call it free exercise. It's free in a two ways: 1. it doesn't cost any money and 2. it doesn't cost any extra time. You work it into whatever you are doing. I like that. I spend enough time away from my children without adding a trip to the gym into the mix.
So, this is something I've been thinking about implementing FOREVER. It's so simple, it's ridiculous. You may already do this. Here it is: when you need to pick something up off of the floor, kneel down/lunge when you do it. No more bending at the waist. Get a full on lunge going. Keep that waist straight, and try to keep your knee lined up with your ankle. I noticed that I lead with my left leg more often, but both of my thighs are hurting. I don't need to go to the gym to feel the burn. I just need to cowgirl up and stop being lazy.:) Tonight, I was standing on the stairs waiting for my kids, and I busted out 10 pushups. Nothing big, but better than nothing! I still can't seem to consistently remember to do them in the bathroom, but my calves are still good shape. :)

A Tale of Two Beans

Unlike the book referenced in the title, this post is a bit comedic. A few weekends ago my hubby and I cooked up some pinto beans using beans I had sprouted. I have heard that sprouted beans cause less gas, and I had been waiting to test this rumor. The beans were great, and shared with guests. No one knew they were sprouted, which I consider a victory. People eating healthy food, and they don't even know it. Stealth, I love it. Back to the experiment. Throughout the night, as I lay sleeping, gas was definitely present. However, it was odorless. Hmmm. This was unusual. :)
Fast forward to this weekend. I found a recipe for Bean with Bacon soup. Yummm. I couldn't wait to try it, as Campbell's Bean with Bacon was my favorite as a kid, and the reviews at www.allrecipes.com promised a Campbell's result. I was not let down. It was delicious, and again shared with friends. However, the beans used in this recipe were not sprouted, just soaked then cooked. Again, as I lay sleeping, there was the presence of gas. This time, however, it was not of the odorless variety! Let me tell you, that alone is enough to get me to only use sprouted beans from here on out! :)

Template Week 3

I love having a template. Last week, I looked at our leftovers and picked a template that went with them. No thinking needed. :) So, I decided to post my Week 3 template. I don't know if you noticed, but I schedule the most complicated things for the beginning of the week. This is when I have the most energy. :) I have learned that at the end of the week, it just needs to be simple.

Week 3
TO DO:

Sunday: defrost ckn
Monday: AM beans in crock pot PM make crust for pot pie keep in fridge

TUES: AM soak quinoa and rice

WEDNESDAY:

THURS: PM wheat berries in jars OR PM soak nuts or beans

FRIDAY: AM water in to jars of wheat berries


MENU

Sunday: BBQ

Monday: Breadcrumb chicken; broccoli; pinto beans; salad

Tu: cashew chicken with quinoa; rice; bread;

W: chicken pot pie; sprouted flour; bread

Th: Mexican chicken salad vitamix guac p. 104, vm cal. Salsa p. 106; chips

Fr: Burgers

Soaked Wheat Crackers II

Aaahhh. It's a lazy, snowy day. Can you believe I actually read for a couple of HOURS and finished a book today? Not sure I should be proud of that, but it's been a nice day, and we have tomorrow off as well.
I'm about to throw some rolls into the oven thanks to a new recipe from a friend. You make enough dough to last five days, and approximately 5 loaves of bread. It is easy and different. More on that later when I am done experimenting with the dough.
Today I wanted to let you know what I am doing with our soaked wheat crackers. I end up making them about every two weeks. With the recipe, you end up rolling out the dough in four batches. I can't always make all four in one day, so I have thrown the dough into the refridgerator for a few days with no problem. It's so much easier to pull it out and roll one batch at a time.
I have started making three different types of crackers each time I make the recipe. With the first/second quarter I sprinkle cinnamon sugar(rapadura-unprocessed sugar) over the top and then cut. The kids love these. The third quarter gets sesame seeds and a bit of salt on top. Finally, the third batch gets a bit of salt and garlic powder for Hubbs. The kids love to eat the cinnamon sugar crackers immeadiately. The sesame crackers get eaten with cheese usually, and Hubbs takes his crackers for snacks at work and while hunting.
The rolls and homemade chicken noodle soup are calling...looks like a nice family night.

Sunday, Sunday / Week 2 Template

Aahh. Sunday night. Lunches are made, mostly for the entire week. Snack baggies filled with baby carrots rest in the fridge. Healthy cheese puffs are snuggled in the cabinet. A contented sigh escapes my lips as I know this will make lunch making so much easier. What's even better? My daughter took care of all of it. We actually spent time together in the kitchen. Her taking care of lunches, and me getting ready for dinner.
Want to know how else I am spoiled? My hubby loves to BBQ on Sunday nights. This weekend he BBQ'd on Saturday night as well. So, he cut up all the extra steak and we are ready for a TUES night stir fry. Nice. I have four weeks of meal plans so all I had to do was find the one that had steak stir fry and I was set. I know exactly what we're having for dinner this week. It's beautiful. After 16 years, I am finally learning how to be an effective helpmeet. :)

Here's the Template for Week 2

Week 2

Sunday: BBQ steak
Defrost chicken
Soak / sprout beans
Night: Cut up leftover steak for Tuesday

Monday: Oven Baked Sesame Chicken (allrecipes.com)
Broccoli; make homemade tortilla chips for week
Morning: Garbanzo beans into crockpot or defrost beans that were cooked previously

Night: cut leftover chicken for WED
put quinoa and rice in bowls for soaking in AM

Tuesday: Sizzling Beef with Black Bean Sauce P. 69 Jaime Oliver
Soaked rice; soaked quinoa; garlic green beans
MORNING: soak quinoa; soak rice
Night:

Wednesday: Chicken Quesdillas with leftover chicken
vitamix guac p. 104, vm cal. Salsa p. 106
homemade chips
broccoli or peppers

Thursday: Penne pasta with cheese and ground turkey/buffalo
Bread; green beans; salad
NIGHT: wheat berries into jars OR soak nuts


Friday:
AM: water into jars OR sprout nuts

SAT: AM dehydrate!
soak beans: pinto, black, garbanzo

WAR

Do you ever wonder when you'll see the big pay-off for radically changing your diet? Sure, I've seen changes, but my youngest is in kindergarten, and let me tell you, it's been one sickness after another. All last week he was coming down with a cold. And now, bam, 104 temp. Sigh. I am working with preschoolers this year, as well as teaching K-3 music, and I have had my share of colds too. I am currently recovering from a doosie.
The change I have seen is that we don't seem to get things as bad as everyone else. But right now, I feel like I am at war:
WASH YOUR HANDS!
DRINK THIS BODY BUILDER!
EAT THIS RAW HONEY AND GARLIC!
Hahahaha. I wish they would do the latter. After feeling a sore throat this afternoon, I did. Oh well. I can't even get them to eat cinnamin and honey.

By the way, I downloaded a more recent version of posting, and I can't find the spell check. So, my apologies for all mispellings. :)

Also, if anyone reading this has helpful hints, please share!

Now I have to GO TO BED!

Sprouting Success!

Finally, sprouting success! I have a ziplock bag in my freezer filled with my little sprouted wheat babies. Hooray! I also made an edible loaf of sourdough bread. It was a pleasant surprise as I pulled the loaf out of the oven and thought it was going to be another brick, but no! The only thing I can't figure out is why it won't rise to normal loaf size. I let it rise for 12 hours for goodness sake. This is disappointing. I made another loaf today, and increased my sourdough starter by 1/2 cup with no luck. I will be researching this soon. In the meantime, I will be enjoying little pieces of yummy sourdough bread.

Sprouting Tradegy II

UGH. I began sprouting my little babies yesterday morning. Soaked them all day and let them sit last night. They were sprouted by this morning! Frantically, I rinsed them and threw them in the dehydrator and turned them on. I was not about to go through another ruined batch! They should have been done by the time school was over.
Sigh...I came home to a dehydrator that was not on. PANIC! What could have happened? Was it broken? Did my mother-in-law turn it off unknowingly? Of course not. This was purely my fault. In my hurried frenzy, I failed to notice that it was only set for one hour. That's the default setting. I didn't set the timer, so I assumed it would just stay on. No luck. I had the dehydrator turned sideways, so I failed to notice. UGH. Mold city by this afternoon. I hate learning lessons this way. From now on, soak Friday morning, sit Friday night, Saturday morning, nice and relaxed-like dehydrating. Or maybe Tuesday to Wednesday. Anyway, how many lessons do I have to learn? I much prefer things to go like clockwork.
At least one part of my day is clockwork...shopping on Thursday afternoon while the kids are at church. Gotta run!

Black Bean Brownies

Well, at least I successfully sprouted, and cooked, black beans. And, I have a bag equal to one can in my freezer, so it wasn't a total loss. The beans sprouted quite easily. Here they are in the collendar on my counter. I started them Friday night and they were ready Sunday night, but I didn't cook them until Monday morning. Just threw them in my crock pot and cooked them on low until about 4pm.
I discovered that the beans sprout without you actually seeing the sprout. Rather, you can see the bulge of the sprout beneath the skin. The picture of the bean is a sprouted bean.

As for the brownies, DISGUSTING. The recipe called for flour, beans, cocoa, eggs, sugar and flour. I'm not even going to post it here. Bleck. It tasted like something my daughter experiments with while playing with her easy bake oven. I hate that I wasted my ingredients on it. I even added mini-chocolate chips and it was gross. I kept thinking it was too thick and shouldn't it have some oil and water or something? But, I trusted the recipe. Always go with your gut. The only thing I can say is that I couldn't taste the black beans. So, maybe it's worth a try at adapting. But I don't think I'll use my expensive ingredients when I do it.

So sad, no chocolate brownies.

Home Routines

Sigh...I am super content. I am actually able to relax before bed. Love it!
Yesterday, my daughter and I revisited our home routines. The kids and I have a routine for the morning, afterschool, 3:45pm, 4, 4:30, and before bed. This is all based on the flylady. www.flylady.com I discovered her a long time ago, and she has revolutionized my life. I tried to do everything she did, but finally realized I needed to adapt her philosophy to my life. This is the result.
Probably seems kindof silly to have so many routines for times that are so close together. But, I need this. An afternoon routine alone just doesn't cut it for me. We followed our routines today, thanks to the HomeRoutine app on my itouch, and earned all of our stars. With this app, you earn stars as you complete your tasks. I told my husband tonight, "We may make fun of my stars, but look at our house." He agrees. He loves a clean, restful house. Aahh.

Sprouting beans

As I was getting my beans ready to soak last night, I was wondering why it just didn't feel right. I am new to this whole routine and haven't soaked anything for a few weeks due to us being out of town and me trying to get into a routine of doing this. As I mentioned, I was TIRED, but determined. I had the beans in the jars and just stood there looking at them for a few seconds or so when I remembered that I soak grains this way, not beans! Beans are actually easier.
So, I poured my beans into a big bowl, covered them with filtered water and just left them. This morning I will transfer them to my colander and rinse them. This weekend I will just leave them in the colander, with a towel or plate under them, on my counter. I will rinse them right in the colander morning and evening and stir them around a bit. Leaving them in the colander lets them drain. It's that easy! On Monday morning they should be ready for me to throw into the crock pot, and Monday afternoon we can try out those brownies! :)
In the meantime, things are going well with the new roll recipe. The flour has been soaking and rising overnight and is ready for the final step and rising. I can't wait to have warm rolls with butter and maybe raw honey as well. I have high hopes even though I have not had much luck with the whole wheat thing. God has seemed to open up some time for me on the weekends to try this baking thing out, and I am not ready to give up yet. Someday I hope to be a testimony to those who are NOT bakers. Hopefully I will have a NON-BAKER to BAKER story to tell. That will be the day my husband stops buying bread at the store. Right now, that seems highly unlikely, but I continue on with my hopes high. :)

Friday/ sprouting beans

Well, it's Friday. After a week of a little boy with a cold and hives, now a girl coming down with it, I am tired! But, I am still motivated to sprout some beans. It's really not that hard. I bought some quart sized canning jars and I will fill four of them halfway with black beans, fill with water and cover with cheese cloth. They will soak tonight, drain tomorrow and rinse, then sit slanted upside down in the jar Saturday and Sunday. Rinse morning and night, and by Monday they should sprouted and ready to cook in the crock pot. They say doing this reduces the gas and ups the nutritional value. We'll see. :) I will use some in a new brownie recipe. They claim you can't taste the beans. REALLY? I am highly skeptical. We'll soon find out.

Also, I have a new recipe for whole wheat rolls I can't wait to try. You make the dough and leave it in the fridge to use for fresh rolls all week long. I've tasted the rolls, and they were FABULOUS. I am doubtful that I can make them like the ones I tried. I have yet to master whole wheat bread making! More to follow on that one...

Exercise Room of the Week: Living/TV Room

So, I have this desire to get in shape without joining a gym, and by just having fun with my kids. I feel like I should be able to exercise throughout my day. This is why I started the exercise room of the week. So far, we've done only the laundry room and the bathroom. I guess it's more like the exercise of the month or quarter. :)

Anyway, I was reminded this weekend of how easy it is to exercise with the Wii. I don't mean Wii fit, just the regular old Wii. I am sad to say that after one game of boxing and one game of bowling with my little guy, my entire backside is hurting. Yep, from the back of my thighs up to my buttocks, the back of my arms and my shoulders. One game of each...really? Holy cow, I may be thin, but I am NOT in shape. I should say, when I box, I box. Watch out! Don't get in front of me for goodness sakes! And, when I bowl, I alternate legs and go into a full lunge, making sure my knees don't go past my ankles of course.

So, if you have a Wii, play it with your kids! But, you have to really play it. No just moving your wrists around. Really, there is no excuse. I hate that I don't do this on a regular basis. There have been some days when I just can't get them to play with me, so I must improve my approach. But now that I am already hurting, I have no intention of letting it be in vain. Here's to fun with the kids and the Wii while building some muscle! I love a multi-task like this. :)

Soaked Wheat Crackers

OW! My shoulders, back, arms and my core are hurting! The only reason I can think of is the vigorous rolling out of these crackers! My daughter likes them really thin, like wheat thins, so I was really going at it. I think I'll make them more often. Healthy eats and a workout. I like that multi-task!

This recipe is based off of a recipe posted by Kimi at www.thenourishinggourmet.com. She has great information on why you should soak your grains before cooking. Check out her site...it's fabulous!

Soaked Wheat Crackers
THE NIGHT BEFORE:
3 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour (I am happy to say I used freshly ground hard winter wheat! Yeah Vita Mix!)
1/4 cup oil (I use grapeseed)
1 cup water with 2 TBSP vinegar (or buttermilk, yogurt...)

Mix the above together until it just forms a ball. Feel free to use your hands in the end. :) Cover, saran wrap works best, and leave overnight. This breaks down the phytic acid in the wheat and makes it easier to digest.

MORNING/NEXT DAY
Flatten your ball out on the counter. Use white flour if needed to prevent sticking. I had no trouble with this. Sprinkle the following over the top:

2 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder

Fold in half and knead until salt and baking soda are mixed in. My dough was a bit stiff, but I still had no trouble with this. I just squished and squeezed my way through it. I also broke it into 4 chunks.

Preheat oven to 425.
Flour your rolling surface if necessary.

If you like thin crackers, roll only a chunk at a time. Roll until it is almost see through. This will give you a VERY thin cracker which will not stand up to hummus or other dip. You'll have to play with each chunk to see how thin or thick you like them.
Cut to wheat thin size with a pizza cutter, and prick holes in them with a fork.

Place them on your baking sheet. (greased if necessary)

Bake for 10-15 minutes depending on how thin they are, and how you crunchy you like them.

Let them cool and enjoy! We like to eat them with hummus or cheese. I just eat them plain. :)

Basic Template for Every Week

Monday: Chicken, beans
cook sprouted beans

Tuesday: Stir Fry
begin sprouting nuts or grains

Wednesday: Leftover chicken
baking

Thursday: Leftover meat from Tuesday/ Mexican or Pasta
dehydrating
grocery shopping

Friday: Begin sprouting beans

Weekend: Adventures in baking

Week 1 Template

I have to have a plan or we will not eat dinner. I will not have what I need when I need it. My house will be wreck. Hubby will come home from work cranky with low blood sugar, and the night will be ruined. The downfalls go on and on. Anyone else like that? The good news for me is that I love to come up with plans. I love to try them out and then rework them. This is fun for me. So, I have come up with a Winter template. I am planning on using this until Spring Break when I will come up with one for Spring.

The keys to my template:
1. Always make double portions so you can stick some in the freezer for next time!
2. Use leftovers throughout the week. I am best at the beginning and exhausted at the end of the week, so I don't want to be doing a lot of work!

Week 1

SUNDAY: BBQ steak
defrost chicken
soak/sprout beans

MONDAY: BREADCRUMB CHICKEN
Morning: pinto beans into crockpot
defrost turkey/buffalo for Tuesday AND Thursday
Night: soak quinoa; soak rice (Make extra for Thursday)
cook up corn chips for Thursday and for the week

TUESDAY: GROUND BEEF ASIAN STIR FRY
Night: soak/sprout garbanzo beans
save extra extra meat, rice and quinoa for Thursday

WEDNESDAY: CHICKEN KORMA WITH QUINOA IN SAUCE AND LEFTOVER RICE FROM TUESDAY

THURSDAY: TACOS WITH LEFTOVER MEAT AND PINTO BEANS AS REFRIEDS

FRIDAY: OPEN/LEFTOVERS
Afternoon: sprout beans

Sprouting Tradegy!

I felt so deflated! For two days I had 4 beautiful quart sized jars of hard winter wheat berries sprouting on my counter. It was Friday evening, and company was coming over for dinner. My wheat was sprouting so I transferred everything to my dehydrator and set it at 115 degrees for 7 hours. This was all happening in my laundry room which is right off of the front door. During the dehydrating process, the smell is, well, different. I didn't want to stress my hubby with a strange odor greeting our guests, so I turned off the dehydrator and came back in the morning. BIG MISTAKE!!!!!
The next morning, I couldn't wait to get it going. I figured I should rinse everything again, so I removed the lid of the dehydrator and my shoulders just sank into my chest. WHITE PATCHES OF MOLD EVERYWHERE. Boo-hoo. Why do I always have to learn lessons the hard and money costing way? Learn from my mistake! Dehydrate everything immeadiately, even if you have to do it in your garage or private bathroom!

2010 and Plans for a New Year

I had an amazing experience this year. I was finally submitting to my husband...in the middle of a HUGE project in 2009, I realized that I could not be in charge of huge events on a volunteer basis, and keep my family going. So, as soon as the event was over, I bowed out of everything. Some people think I have dropped off the edge of the earth, but no. I am doing quite well focusing on my family instead of everything else. Even though my extra projects were in the name of ministry, it's not what God wanted me to be doing. My ministry is to my family.
Anyway, 2010, finally submitting to my husband and letting God run my life. This fall, He provided me with an opportunity to teach music at my kid's school. Not only that - I love music and kids - but only to K-3rd grade. I couldn't ask for a better job. From the beginning, I was encouraged to plan a good Christmas show. I started praying in August...from the start of listening to Christmas music to the very last day, this show was prayed for. For guidance, and for God's will to be done. And, it was. It was fabulous. Not only the show, in which God was glorified - I think - in the public school(Hanukkah and Kwanzaa were in the show too, so I was free to sing of my Saviour's birth.) but, also in the way it came about.
God has given me a gift to dream big. In the past, this has gotten me into trouble because the rest of my life wasn't lined up right. But now, doing what I know was His will - submitting to my husband - I had an opportunity to use His gift the way He intended it to be used, and it was amazing. Things came together in ways I couldn't have foreseen. I planned this big show, but had no idea of how it would really come together. There were some things that were changed mid-way, but really there was no plan B. I realized about half-way through that if I just followed God's lead, He would provide the time and resources necessary. But, even then, I was not confident. Dress rehearsal day was a mess, and I was making excuses for my big ideas. I should have just had confidence that I had truly given this to God, and all was as it should be! Performance day was amazing. I almost cried the entire way through the first performance (we had 3) as I witnessed everything going down according to plan. God is amazing.
So, on to 2011. I am making plans. I love to. I am submitting to my husband. I want to take what I have learned from the Christmas show, and apply it it life now. I just had an entire hour to reflect on last year and submit my plans to God. Now, my little boy is coming down the stairs for some snuggle time. While I didn't finish writing all I intended, I will trust that this is God's timing, and He will give me time to finish whatever He wants finished. My healthy eating plans are only half done. I have been submitting to my husband this week, as he has taken time off work, and have not had time to finish my big menu plans. But today is football day, so maybe God will have me finish them today. However, if not, I will just trust in Him. His plans are what I want most of all.