November 4, 2008

I’ve started nesting. Already. Normally it’s a sign that the baby is on the way. What do you think, is there any more room in there?

Today I tackled our bedroom. Something that I’ve been wanting to do for a long time, but just couldn’t work up the energy for. With the Chicken crawling and cruising all over the place and getting into literally everything that isn’t nailed down, I really couldn’t put it off any longer. I took the opportunity to not only babyproof the space, but also to make it more functional for what I’m going to need in the upcoming months. We lowered the bed so that Chicken can get on and off easily, moved some furniture to the basement to make room for the baby’s bassinet, and created a surface to put books and papers on for when I start school in January. Also, I tried to make it a little more ‘cozy’ feeling, since I anticipate spending quite a lot of time in here (hopefully) very soon while in labour. I think it looks pretty awesome.

And, just because she learned to play the soup-pot drums like a champ this week:

November 1, 2008

In the last year, I’ve made so many changes to make my body healthier, that I began to wonder just HOW healthy I could be.  In typical ‘me’ fashion, I decided if I’m going to get healthy, I’m going to get HEALTHIEST.   So, I started researching different nutritional plans, and found myself coming back, again and again, to the raw foods diet.  It’s not a ‘diet’ per say, so much as it’s a way of approaching your food.  And between my pregnancies I ate a diet of about half raw food and half just unprocessed food.  Specifically, I still cooked some veggies, and I ate tofu, etc., but about half of my diet was just plain ol’ unprocessed, straight from the earth goodness.  No sugar, no flour, no dairy or meat, and no preservatives or chemicals.

When I got pregnant, both my necessary food intake went up and my energy to prepare food went down, making it harder and harder to live on a diet like this and still make sure that I was getting everything my son needed.  Once he’s born I plan to go back to the same sort of diet, as it’s the healthiest I’ve ever felt in my life.  Right now though, I’m eating some meat and processed foods, simply for convenience sake.  In an effort to incorporate more of these sorts of things into my diet, even as my ability to stand and cook has decreased dramatically, I asked for (and received) a really great food processor for my birthday this year.  I figured if I had a super fancy piece of gadgetry, I’d HAVE to make all kinds of good for me foods!

And, today, for the first time since I got it a month ago (really inspiring me, huh?) I made a raw dessert to bring to a bbq at a friends place tonight.  Ironically, the bbq is being held to celebrate the success of this years moose hunting season, so my vegan, raw dessert and signature spinach salad may be lost on this crowd, but ah well.

I chose to make a recipe that I’ve been eyeing up from over at the sunny raw kitchen for quite some time.  Carmella makes raw food look so GREAT that you’d be a fool not to try her stuff!

So, what do you all think?  Would YOU eat this? Here’s what my version ended up looking like.  No where near as amazing as hers, but still super yummy, don’t ya think?

On being a wife and mother October 27, 2008

I’ve been doing a lot of reflection lately about what the titles of ‘wife’ and ‘mother’ entail.  When I think about my ideal in both cases, I have to return to my grandmothers.  One, my moms mom, exemplifies everything that both these words mean.  She, in everything she does, puts her family ahead of herself.  She demanded to stay home and raise children and run the household when she married my grandfather, and saw it as her duty and privilege as a woman to do so. I’ve never heard her speak ill of anyone, and would offer a warm bed and a hot meal to anyone in need without a second thought.  Today she is in her 80’s and very sick, but still insists on entertaining the extended family every Sunday, even if it’s just for ordered-in pizza.  She is the true definition of the word ‘nurturer’, which I think defines the role of both wife and mother.

My dads mom on the other hand, although an equally committed mother, was led down a different path.  A working mother of five, my nana is the absolute toughest lady you will ever meet.  You do NOT cross her, unless you want a good backhand to the head.  Once, she fell while crossing the railroad tracks at 70 years old, sliced her leg open to the bone, and took 2 buses and walked 5 blocks to the hospital to get it stitched while holding the two pieces of torn flesh together. She has set the example for me that I want to achieve in being an unflinching, strong and capable woman.  Whereas in my first pregnancy, I did a lot of complaining and feeling sorry for myself, this time around I am determined to follow her example and ’suck it up’.

When I think about the months and years ahead of me, and the many challenges that our family is sure to face, these two women are constant inspiration.  I want to be the best wife I can to my husband; to support him while he’s home, and to be a good representative of our family while he is away.  I want to be the best mother I can to his children – to be strong and capable and unflinching in the face of hardship, but also nurturing and warm – someone they can always come to when they need a place to fall.

And while I’ve always admired both of my grandmothers, it wasn’t until I had a family of my own that I truly understood the strength that both these women posses.  I only hope that one day, when I have grandchildren of my own, that they’ll look at me with the same admiration that I hold for these two women.  THEN I will feel like I’ve done my job, and led a good life.

Reflection: October 24 October 24, 2008

Todays reflection: I’m grateful for my husband. Not only is he a great person and a wonderful man, but he’s the absolute best husband and father I could have asked for. I’m grateful for the opportunity to spend the rest of my life as his wife, and with him by my side everyday. Nothing is more important than that.

I don’t think you’re ready for this belly October 21, 2008

We’ve reached what I like to call the ‘yoga pants period’ of pregnancy.  That’s right, the belly is now so humongous that the only thing that can contain it is a yoga pant.   Even my favorite fleece pajama bottoms are not roomy enough to accommodate the watermelon growing out the front of me.  And while that’s good because it signals the last, final, absolutely-never-again-having-to-do-this point of pregnancy,  it also means that for the next 6-9 weeks I need to walk around in my husbands old tshirts and the same pair of lint-collecting yoga pants, everywhere I go.  Good thing I don’t ever have anything to DO. 

So what is the responsibility of parents anymore? October 17, 2008

The schools are supposed to discipline children, feed them breakfast, hand out condoms and birth control, and now this? I mean, where does it end? What are we, as parents, responsible for? If we didn’t want to be at least partially responsible for shaping the people that our children will become, why have kids at all?

Plea to my American friends October 16, 2008

I watched the US presidential debates last night. It made me physically ill to think that someone would even need to think about which of these two men would be a better leader. One poised, prepared, compassionate and eloquent…the other sputtering, sweating, shaking and spouting out talking points.

America, please make the right choice. Those of us in the rest of the free world really need you to get it together right now. Prove us all wrong, ok?

Oh, P.S., way to set an example Canada…GAWD.

October 14, 2008

Reflection for today: I look at my baby girl and I can’t believe how fast the time is going. I’m grateful for every second that we have together, and I can’t believe how quickly she’s becoming a little person.

Reflection, Oct 11-08 October 12, 2008

I was reading a book the other day (ok, so it was like 2 months ago, but whatever, I’m busy, ok??) and it had a really good idea for an exercise to do with children to teach them to be mindful and greatful for the blessings of everyday life. The author suggested that every night you sit down with your child and ask them to think about all of the ’special’ moments that they had in the day. It could be as simple as ‘I got to have a cookie at lunch’ or ‘I got to spend time with grandma’. The point is, to help kids see the blessings and the unique little moments that make every day worth living.

I thought this was a really awesome idea. I really want my kids to be mindful and greatful, and I plan to do this when they’re a little older. But, I realized that too often, I can go a whole day without taking notice of these little moments. And since yesterday we celebrated thanksgiving with my family, I wanted to start what I hope will be a daily thing for me. I want to just write something that I’m greatful for, everyday. It can be little or big, it doesn’t matter. But every day, I need to write something. And because the point is to do it as a reflection on the day, this will be yesterdays, although I’m writing it today.

My reflection today is about family. I’m grateful that I have a family who prepared a meal together, to eat together. I know that we’ve had our differences, and that a lot of the time it’s really difficult for us to exist in the same space, but I really am grateful for the blessing of having a family. I try really hard to see that they’re all their own people, and that while I might disagree with so much of their behavior or their opinions, they’re entitled to them, the same as I am. And while our relationship could really go in a bad direction, resulting in a total disintegration, I really don’t want that. I am really trying to be committed to letting go of how I think things should be, and accepting my family for who they are.

I’m really trying to see this time with them as a lesson in emptiness and compassion. And although I’ve done a lot of things that I’m not proud of when it comes to my family, they’re still there, as am I. So, regardless of where we’ve come from, I really hope that going forward, we can become better people together. Because they really are the only family I have, and I know that in their own way, they’ve done so much for me. And for that, I truly am grateful beyond words.

Recipe of the Week #1 September 24, 2008

I need to make this blog cooler and more full of ’stuff’… my other blog was cool and full of stuff but it just wasn’t what I ‘wanted’ in a blog.  It wasn’t fulfilling me.  I LURVE the layout and design of this one so much… I’m excited to post everytime I come here because I love the cool little rounded boxes that each and every post is encapsulated in.  Problem is, I can’t get any of my usual ‘extras’ to work because wordpress is the devil.

On that note, I’m going to start something new.  Recipes!  Anyone who knows me knows how important healthy awesome food is in my life.  It’s sort of a passion – to create really good for me food that tastes like it ISN’T good for me.  And if I can do that with organic, wholesome, local foods, all the better.  I try to eat vegan whenever I can, and since the rest of my family (with the exception of my daughter) are all dedicated and proud carnivores, it can be a challenge finding vegan friendly items that they’ll also eat.  I’ve totally done it with THIS recipe though.  I originally was trying to find things that would be high in protein and other good things for pregnant ladies.  But aside from being super high in protein and omega-3, these bars are DELICIOUS.  I substituted agave nectar for the rice syrup, so I halved the amount, and it turned out great.  I urge you, even if you aren’t a vegan, TRY THIS recipe.  It’s not like, crazy and full of tofu or lentils…you wouldn’t even KNOW they’re good for you. 

Omega Bars

Full of brain food Omega 3.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup brown rice syrup
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1/2 cup almond butter (or 1/2 cup more peanut butter + 3/4 cup chopped almonds)
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
• 1/2 cup ground flax seed (flaxseed meal)
• 1/2 cup sesame seeds
• 3 cups brown rice crispies

Directions

Heat syrup, canola oil, and nut butters over medium heat until soft and smooth. Stir in nuts, seeds, and rice cereal. Press into a prepared 9 x 9 pan.

Cut into 16 pieces and chill.

These bars have 1.8 grams of Omega 3 per serving and 7.8 grams of protein. Can cut into 8 pieces and have over 3 grams per serving!