Oh he is Just 2 and a boy, he will grow out of it!

Any one who knows me knows i hate the phrase "Jackson is going though the 2's and is a boy! he will grow out of this!"  for some this is true for others its a whole different life.  My life is never dull, yes i have 2 kids, yes i stay home....but when people say you have your hands full , they don't realize how true that is.   I never know how the day is going to go.  We wake up...eat breakfast... for Jackson it is usually oatmeal....then if its gone well then there is a hope the day will be ok.... if he is upset just  getting to the table i know its "one of those days"but even then its up in the air.  Jackson has Sensory Processing Disorder which can make day to day tasks very hard.  He does not like the feel of some clothes, we even had to stop cloth diapering..the way his shoes fit becomes a task...he has issues with the texture of foods, he has a need for deep pressure on his joints and body which is why he is very "crash bang" and does not show much in the way of pain when he does something that should hurt and teach him not to do it again.....he does not handle large crowds very well and has a very strict routine in day to day life.  Those are just some examples of the life of Jackson.    Jackson has always been a mama's boy and seemed to like things just his way....for a while i just thought well it will change...i started questioning many things one being autism, he was big on lining things up, his high pain tolerance,  not very snuggly among other concerns but for 2 his speech was amazing and above his level  and he acted "normal" to many who saw him but what they did not see is how stressed out he got in every day situations and how it was hard to get him to calm down.  What did it for me was one day while dropping Adeline off for Ballet class we walked in a room, a room he could not connect with dance because he has never been there before and he just started crying and screaming louder and louder.. his trains, blanket or snack would not  help, his 3 must have items every were we went were not helping.  A mom saw how stressed i had become and told me she would take over helping Adeline change and just go and it was ok, I left the building in tears in my car, sitting there not understand as his mother feeling like something was wrong and i couldn't fix it, and before you think to your self " well you cant fix it all and kids will get up set" this was a moment with him that i knew he could not control and what ever it was was to much and to not be able to make it better with the ways i knew have helped in the passed just really got to me.  You know that gut instinct as a mom when you know its not just right and to stop listening to everyone trying to give you the normal advice and the they will grow out of it speech.  Now at this point i have felt very trapped in my home, he does not let dad help him, grandma babysit him and if we have to go to the store it better be when it was less crowded.  I began to talk to some people and got him in to first steps and it was made a world of difference in my home to know what i need to do to help him so he can do things with out so much upset.  It will not be over night and i still have my moments were i feel very lost and just spend a few minutes alone crying but now i feel like even though it will always be something he deals with some how it will become easier.  He is a joy to have and surprises me each day.  We have been approved for a weighted pressure vest and I CAN NOT WAIT! it will give him a feeling of boundaries and put that pressure on his body to were he may calm down some and not go trying to be a stunt devil... balance him out so to speak. It is just the start of this journey.  well i must go! bye!

Haupia Coconut Pudding!

Ok, yes its been a while but why not start off with an awesome recipe! 

Haupia Coconut Pudding:

• 3/4 Cup cornstarch
• 2 14- oz. Cans coconut milk
• 1 Cup sugar
• 1 tsp. Vanilla extract
• 1 Pinch sea salt
• 1/2 Cup shredded coconut
• 1/2 Cup chopped macadamia nuts

1. Preheat oven to 375.  Coat 8 inch square baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Stir cornstarch into 3/4 cup cold water in bowl until dissolved. Set aside.
3. Bring coconut milk , sugar, vanilla, and salt to a boil in a sauce pan over med.-high heat. Cook 5 minutes, whisking constantly. Add cornstarch mixture, reduce heat to med-low, and cook 1 minute, whisking constantly. (Mixture tends to bubble up.)  Transfer to prepared baking dish, and chill 1hour, or until col enough to slice.
4. Meanwhile, spread coconut flakes on small baking sheet, and toast 3 minutes, or until just golden.  Transfer to bowl.  Toast macadamia nuts (if desired) on same baking sheet5 minutes, or until just golden.  Add to bowl with coconut flakes.  Sprinkle this mixture on top of haupia while cooling.
5. Slice cooled haupia into squares.

Enjoy!!!!!!!!

February Monthly Menu

Ok since i could not really stick to the menu last month due to the whole not being able to eat thing i said i would post this one so here you go! now so i do not have to keep saying it, any "dairy" type thing you see is not really dairy in our house. Also please remember i do not push not eating meat or eggs or what have you on my kids but my kids can not have dairy do to health reason's so that makes it easy when buying things since my husband and i do not do dairy.

1.  Potato asparagus soup
2. Veggie burgers w/ green beans and long grain wild rice
3. Pumpkin waffles w/ spiced apples and home fries (and eggs for the kids)
4. Spinach stuffed shells
5. Mini pizza's w/ salad
6. Cashew macaroni w/ kale
7. Veggie soup
8. Kale pesto pasta
9. Portobello french dips w/ green beans and carrots
10. Oatmeal apple cinnamon pancakes with home fries (and eggs for the kids)
11. Best vegan mac n' cheese
12. Veggie burgers w/ corn and broccoli 
13. Left over night ( what ever is in the fridge)
14. Potato stuffed portobello's 
15. My Birthday - Probably go out to eat
16. Coconut waffles with pineapple sauce and home fries (and eggs for the kids)
17. Spinach lasagna w/ salad
18. Crispy tofu fingers with sweet n' sour sauce and rice w/ edamame 
19. Black bean burgers w/ mixed veggies and potatoes
20. "Fettucinie Alfreda" w/ salad
21. Tuscan kale and white bean soup
22. Strewed tofu and potatoes in miso gravy 
23. Pitas w falafel and chips
24. Mushroom,white bean and arugula pasta w/ salad
25. Rustic potato leek soup
26. Mini pizza's w/ salad
27. "Buttered" pasta with broccoli 
28. Cashew macaroni w/ kale

There you have it! some stuff that i can freeze like onions and potatoes i buy bulk and freeze other then that i shop weekly for that i'm making that week and this way i stick to my budget ( because i have a spread sheet of what everything cost, the joys of having a programmer for a husband!) and i cant change my mind because its already bought.  I also do not buy bread (unless i'm super busy and cant make it , but i try and not make a habit of it) I make my bread at home and i make my pizza dough for our mini pizza's.  Another thing i do to save money is Adeline LOVES waffles for breakfast so instead of buying them in the freezer isle and paying to much i make my own at home, i just do not set it to crispy and i make a whole bunch and then freeze them and when we want them i just  pop them in the toaster, that way its quick and in the long run i'm saving money and  i know whats going in to my kids food, dairy or what ever wise and i can customize them, Adeline likes chocolate chip, Jackson gets bananas in his, Lenny likes coconut, pumpkin and maple and i like them all! i also make home made graham crackers (perfect for a teething baby by the way!) i make a big batch and freeze half, i also pre make cookie dough and freeze them in rolls so i can just cut them and bake ( same with the graham crackers, when i make soups i make a little more then the recipe so i can freeze it in freezer bags for Lenny to grab and take to work. If any of the meals or things i mention sound good to you let me know and i can get you the recipe. well i must go! have a great weekend!

So first off i'm late in saying Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! i hope everyone had a great holiday! and now i would like to announce i now have a 7 year old!!!! time has flown by for sure, for 7 years i have watched her, laugh, cry, learn, struggle, become more independent, become an amazing big sister and just turn in to this wonderful girl i'm so proud of, She is in 1st grade, takes ballet, and is a Daisy in Girl Scouts.  She is a very crafty girl and loves to express her self ever though art and dance. 

Just hours old 2005

Age 7 2012

so there you have my bragging moment of one of my awesome children, my kids always make me so proud of them!

i have been doing my best to stay organized and my goal this year was to start posting my monthly menu's because i get asked all the time "If you do not eat dairy or meat then what do you feed your family?" and i know some people on FB are always commenting on how some of the meals i post sound good, so if you see something you like i can give you the recipe or were i found it, i have a few other friends who do this and i did not want it to look like i'm just stealing their idea ( because i promise i am not not that i think any of you think i am!) i partly wanted to wait only because i was still getting use to making my monthly meal calendar and now that i think i have it all together i don't mid trying tis out, but since Jan. is almost over i may wait until i make Feb. menu.  and i was out of commission for a while and the other 3 had simple things and left overs due to having surgery on my tongue, (ouch does not come close) iv had a tongue ring for 9 years and some how i recently developed a cyst in side my tongue, which the doc said does not happen often but leave it up to me to get the odd things to happen! and we found it back in late Oct. and it had also developed an infection, so i saw my Doc who sent me to an ENT who confirmed it was a cyst and if it did not go away on its on by the first of the year i was going to have to go in and get it cut out and basically what he would do was cut an oval shape on the top of my tongue take out the cyst, pit back oval shape and stitch it up al all would be fine.....wellllllllllll after i finally was able to remove the tongue ring the cyst decided to take over the hole that was there and it became a lot larger then expected and he had to cut all the way though from top to bottom and i ended up having to have stitches on both sides and i just know you all want to see a picture of the demon they removed! here you go! 

The picture does not do the size justice, it was huge! i hope no one ever has to go though the pain i went though when i got it removed.   Im on day 6 and just now being able to eat, and im so excited about that, it still hurts but im finally getting relief, but since most of my meal i planned for the last week got kicked to the curb because i just did not even have the energy to make my family food and it really sucked watching people eat around me that i think i will start it in Feb and also so i will blog again, i was told it will be good to blog and to do it more often since i do stay home and some times i feel likt i just do not use my brain like i should and it will help haha! 

so now we can move on from that lovely picture and i want to say i am sooooo excited to announce my daughter is selling Girl Scout cookies! i love that she is in Girl Scouts, she loves it too.  Her goal is 2,000. so i told her she needs to get out there and sell, sell, sell!  Next month they have a father/daughter dance which Adeline is excited about as well and then she will have her first day camp experience in a few months!!! they do not get to have over night camping until they are Brownies but i know she will LOVE IT!!! 

I am making it my goal to be more organized in every way possible, i cleaned out my pantry, which was nice and  i plan on cleaning out our bedroom next, i swear you would think we were on an episode of Hoarders (ok its not that bad but ya know) , because every thing Apple Jacks cant have his hands on goes there and i suck at filing important papers and what have you and i just can not seem to find the right place for half of our things! Then i will move on to the rest of the house.

well i guess i will go for now! 

have a great day!!

hello there!

So its been a while i guess, whats new.... well my daughter will be 7 at the end of this month! i can not believe i will have a 7 year old!!, these 7 years have flown by like crazy, it just amazes me.

My 18 month old is keeping me busy busy busy! he is always on the go and wants to climb and jump off of everything and can now open doors! as his doctor would say.. i'm in trouble with him.  his vocabulary is amazing, not only is he just picking up on every word said daily but he is saying so many complete sentences, one thing he says that i am very proud of because it did not even take any working on with him is Thank you, you hand him something he say's thank you or if you do something for him, it is to cute!

i have been getting back in to photography, i have missed it.  The last day we had decent weather i strapped Jackson to my back and went to the park and just got pictures of everything i could, it was nice and relaxing. Every few minutes i would here Jackson say "whats that?" i just really enjoyed that day.

lets see.. i am now canning home made foods, so far i have made cranberry sauce and juice and strawberry jam, i love it! its fun and i like having fresh home made items on hand. i hope to get in to soups and what not soon.

i am also making Adeline a quilt for Christmas or her birthday, i have not decided which one yet since they are 2 days apart, i hope it turns out ok, i also have to finish crocheting Lenny's and Jackson's afghans.  i also made a sock monkey's for Jackson and Adeline.  Jackson loves monkey's and Adeline use too so i just decided to make her one too.

i have been making a lot more things at home to not only safe money but i like knowing whats in my food.  iv been making home made bread, granola bars and some other snack foods for the kids. i really enjoy baking, i just do not have the time i use too so i end up running my self in to the ground half the time trying to do all of this.

Last night i made a dinner Lenny wants daily, Portobello "French Dips" and i must say they were amazing! and super easy and they will be made often, since going vegan i have not found a good filling sandwich and i think that one was it! well i must go for now. i leave you with some pictures i have taken over the past few weeks!

Homemade Graham Crackers

So these are by far Jackson's favorite snack and since he is teething they are helping with that since they are a little tough but once he gets a bite  they are easy to chew.

Ingredients

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup butter, chilled & cubed (non dairy for me)
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup water

Preparation

1. 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. 2. In a food processor or mixer combine the first 6 ingredients.
3. 3. Add cubed and chilled butter to the mix and pulse/mix until it resembles coarse meal.
4. 4. Add honey and water and continue to mix until it all combines.
5. 5. Remove and shape the dough into a flat disk and place between two pieces of parchment paper.
6. 6. Roll dough out until 1/4 inch thick. Cut into crackers or shapes.
7. 7. Place cookies on a Silpat or parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.
8. 8. Cool and serve.
9. To Freeze: After step 6, place the cut out cookie shapes on a baking sheet and freeze for 20 minutes. Remove, place in a Ziploc bag, label and freeze for up to 4 months. When ready to bake, follow steps 7-8, adding an additional 1-2 minutes baking time.

Also if you want chocolate flavor ones ( which Adeline and my husband likes) just add 1/2 cup unsweetened coco powder, i did add a little more honey and water and butter because it seemed a little dry.

Enjoy!

Sweet corn coup with peaches and Coconut oil biscuts

i made this for dinner tonight and Lenny said it was the best meal i have ever made.

Soup Ingredients:

• 6 ears of sweet corn, husked ( i actually used frozen corn kernels) 
• 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 2 cups of water
• 1 tbsp white miso paste
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• pinch cayenne
• 3 ripe peaches
• 1 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 12 basil leaves, sliced

Directions: 

(If using ears of corn)With a sharp, heavy knife, cut kernels from corn cobs and place cobs and kernels in a soup pot.  Add broth, water, miso, onion, garlic, and cayenne.  Peel, pit and finely chop 2 of the peaches and add to the pot.  Bring to a boil over high heat, lower heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until corn and peaches are very tender, about 30 minutes.

(is using cobs) Use tongs to remove and discard corn cobs; cool soup to room temp.  Puree half of the soup in a blender and return to pot.  Stir in almond mil. To serve soup hot, reheat gently over med. heat,  stirring frequently; do not allow to boil.  To serve cold, refrigerate until chilled.

Halve, pit and dice remaining peach; ladle soup into bowls and garnish with peach and basil.

Coconut oil biscuits ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour

1 tbsp baking powder

1 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp fine sea salt

1/2 cup solid refined coconut oil

3/4 cup canned light coconut milk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425.  Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, sugar and salt.  Cut in coconut oil with a pastry blender or two knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Stir in coconut milk just until a dough forms. Pat together and flatten on a lightly floured work surface to a rectangle about 1/2-inch thick.  Cut into 12 squares and arrange on the prepared baking sheet, about 1/2 inches apart.  Bake until golden brown, 15 to 17 minutes.  cool slightly before serving.

Enjoy!!