{these moments}

Since I missed last week because of Screen-Free Week I thought I should post two pictures this week.


4-22-11


4-29-11

{these moments} - Two photos - no words - capturing moments from the past two weeks. Simple, special, extraordinary moments. Moments I want to pause, savor and remember.

delicious

Today was just a delicious day. Magoo and I planted some lettuce, carrots, and green onions in the garden today. What a perfect way to spend time together. She ran off to swing while I weeded the flower bed. I'm not sure what to plant there yet. I'm actually thinking about getting some berry plants to put in instead of flowers. Oh, how I'd love to have fresh raspberries and blackberries still warm from the sun.

We went inside to wash up and Junior got up from her nap. After a quick snack, we headed back out to play. That is where we stayed all afternoon. Luck for us the whole neighborhood gang came over to play on the swings, play in the sandbox, play tag, and play kickball too. That's a lot of play. I know my kids were worn out.

The hubby came out and fired up the grill while we played some more. When dinner was ready it was difficult to get the kids inside. Everyone wanted the day to last longer. Dinner was grilled chicken, steamed asparagus, and a salad of romaine, mint, green onions, and celery with a homemade raspberry vinaigrette. It was perfectly Spring and perfectly delicious. Now I promised the hubby that I'd make a batch of date bars so I'd best get on that. This Mom Loves that I took the time to savor today. I have four baskets of laundry to be folded and dinner dishes to be done but I really spent some quality time with the kids on this perfectly delicious day.

herbed pork loin roast

Tonight I did a boneless pork loin roast for dinner. Every time I try to do one in the oven it takes twice as long as the recipe indicates. We just got a grill thermometer so the hubby threw that in the oven to check the temp and our oven is really right on. At any rate, an hour later we had a delicious boneless pork loin roast that everyone in the family loved.

Herbed Pork Loin Roast
4 lb boneless pork loin roast
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 tsp herbes de Provence
2 tbsp coconut oil or olive oil

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Rub the salt, pepper and herbes de Provence all over the pork.

Heat an oven-safe skillet over medium high heat with oil and when it is sizzling add the roast. Sear over medium high heat turning until browned on all sides.

Place roast in the oven and roast for about one and a half to two hours, until internal temperature reaches 150 degrees. Let it rest, covered loosely with foil, for 10 minutes before slicing.

Everyone in the family really loved this recipe and except for it taking longer than expected it really was a very easy dinner. We'll definitely do it again. Next time I'm thinking about trying it in our new cast iron dutch oven. I'm sure that will change the cooking time too. This Mom Loves cooking a new family favorite.

whole 30 - day 30!

I can't believe it's been a month already! For the past 30 days I've been doing the Whole 9 Whole 30 challenge.

•Do not consume added sugar of any kind, real or artificial. No maple syrup, honey, agave nectar, Splenda, Equal, Nutrasweet, xylitol, stevia, etc. Read your labels, because companies sneak sugar into products in all kinds of ways.
•Do not eat processed foods. This includes protein shakes, pre-packaged snacks/meals, protein bars, milk substitutes, etc.
•Do not drink alcohol, in any form.
•Do not eat grains. This includes (but is not limited to) wheat, rye, barley, millet, oats, corn, rice, sprouted grains and all of those gluten-free pseudo-grains like quinoa. (Yes, we said corn!) This also includes all the ways we add wheat, corn and rice into our foods in the form of bran, germ, starch and so on. Again, read your labels.
•Do not eat legumes. This includes beans (black, kidney, lima, etc.), peas, lentils, and peanuts or peanut butter. This also includes all forms of soy – soy sauce, miso, tofu, tempeh, edamame, and all the ways we sneak soy into foods (like lecithin).
•Do not eat dairy. This includes all cow, goat or sheep’s milk, cream, butter, cheese, yogurt, whey, ice cream, etc.
•Do not eat white potatoes. It’s arbitrary, but they are carbohydrate-dense and nutrient poor, and also a nightshade.
•Most importantly… do not try to shove your old, unhealthy diet into a shiny new Whole30 mold. This means no “Paleo-fying” less-than-healthy recipes – no “Paleo” pancakes, “Paleo” pizza, “Paleo” fudge or “Paleo” ice cream. Don’t mimic poor food choices during your Whole30 program!
One last and final rule. You are not allowed to step on the scale for the duration of your Whole30 program. This is about so much more than just weight loss, and to focus only on your body composition means you’ll miss out on the most dramatic (and lifelong) benefits this plan has to offer. Give yourself a well-deserved, long overdue break from fixating on that number on the scale! Absolutely NO weighing yourself or taking comparative measurements during your Whole30.

I was not perfect but I'm sure I accomplished what I set out to accomplish. The main goal for me was to break my sugar habit. I'm sure that's been done. Week one was really hard. I was crabby and anxious. What can I say? I was going through withdrawal. The next week was easier but I still confessed to the hubby that as soon as the challenge was done I'd get myself a big bowl of strawberry ice cream. Week three and four went by so fast I didn't even realize that today was day 30 until I looked at the calendar this evening. I feel good (although I'd feel better if the girls would let me sleep through the night). I've cut the sugar habit. My coveted sweetened black tea latte no longer interests me. That bowl of strawberry ice cream might have to wait for the 4th of July. I'll probably weigh in tomorrow morning to see if I lost any weight but honestly I don't care. I'm really happy with the outcome of this challenge. This Mom Loves breaking the addiction that's been killing me. Sugar is a big deal. It is so addictive and I'm really, really glad to be free of this habit.

sunny day

Today was gorgeous! Magoo had a day off from school today so after a leisurely breakfast the girls and I geared up for a walk. We walked all the way down to the "way, way far down" park and played the morning away. We came home for a quick snack of almond flour "morning glory" muffins. Junior went down for a nap and Magoo and I spent some time snuggling and reading. After a quick leftover lunch Magoo and I took a trip to the Co-op for a few groceries. She and I sang along to our favorite songs and stopped for some iced tea on the way home. It's always nice to catch these moments with Magoo. By the time we got back, Junior was up, changed, and ready to play outside. We spent the rest of the day in our back yard. The sun felt so good on my shoulders and the kids were so happy in the fresh, sweet air. The hubby fired up the grill for the first time this season and we dined on yummy grass-fed burgers, pastured bacon, sauteed red peppers, and roasted sweet potatoes. We got the kids to bed and I threw a blueberry peach crumble in the oven. The perfect end to a perfect day. I'm off to enjoy my dessert now. This Mom Loves this sweet, warm weather. I just wish it would stick around for more than one day.

I'm back

So, it's been a busy week. Last week was screen-free week and I did my best to stay screen-free. Was I perfect? Of course not. I logged on the computer a couple times to pay bills, order something, and send a couple emails. I even sat down to watch a show with the hubby. For the most part I stayed on task.

I found that Magoo behaved much better when I wasn't standing at my computer during the day and I found that I was worlds more productive without the computer on all the time. We really don't watch that much TV anymore so that wasn't a big deal but cutting my computer time really had an impact on the family.

I was a chore-machine. I seriously can't believe how much I got done. It really brought to light how much time I was wasting online. I'm not even talking about blogging here. In fact I'm likely to increase the frequency of my posts. I'm sure I'll have time for it because I plan to permanently cut the amount of time I spend online so that when I am on the computer I'm being productive.

Some of the projects I got done this week:
cleaned out Junior's closet
cleaned out my closet
got the Huge pile of clothes off my dresser and into my dresser
bags of clothes to Good Will (well almost. They were closed for Easter.)
load of things to Once Upon a Child
bags of clothes and books to be donated to various friends
lots of baking (Irish soda bread, morning glory muffins, Paleo crunch, date bars)
a little embroidery

reading Simplicity Parenting
simplified our kids' bookshelf (90% of the books are now boxes and downstairs to be rotated as needed)
Easter basket shopping at the Waldorf school store
needle felted a little pink bunny

molded Easter chocolates
baked Easter butterfly cookies

bought seeds (to be planted this week I hope)
cut ribbons for a kindergarten project I'm helping with

On top of these fun things I did countless loads of laundry, did dishes, scrubbed sinks, cleaned the bathroom, changed and washed all the sheets, vacuumed, swept twice a day, washed the windows, and had plenty of time to play with the kids. The only thing I didn't do that I wanted to was nap. That's on the agenda for this week. This Mom Loves getting things accomplished. I have a long way to go to get this house simplified and I'll keep working until it's done.

What will you do instead?

I'm off to do some embroidery. This Mom Loves unplugging.

April snow

So we woke to snow this morning and instead of being upset because it's supposed to be Spring I just went with it. Magoo was so excited. She looked out the window and exclaimed, "It's Christmas!" Promptly after breakfast she got her Winter gear on and started singing her "mitten song". She tromped around making tacks in the soft, wet snow. When she came in she declared it a sugar snow.

It likely will be melted by this afternoon but the excitement of one last romp in the snow for Magoo was worth it. This Mom Loves seeing the excitement and wonder in her big, blue eyes.

{this moment}

{this moment} - A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

thinking Spring

This week we're taking a step back into March weather. I'm not too excited about this. Instead I'm thinking Spring.





This Mom Loves that Spring is just around the corner. I just have to find the right corner.

whole 30 - day 16

I've been asked several times about what I can eat on the Whole 30 challenge. The truth is even though I'm cutting out grains, dairy, legumes, and sugar I still can eat a lot.

For breakfast we eat eggs - poached, scrambled, or fried. Sometimes we make bacon. I'm a big fan of making bacon in the oven. It's so much easier to clean up. I found a yummy recipe for sweet potato hash that's a big hit with the girls. Sometimes we do fruit at breakfast but usually not because we've been trying to cut the amount of sugar (natural sugar included) we start the day with. Instead we usually have veggies with breakfast. Sometimes it's leftover veggies from dinner and sometimes I'll steam asparagus or saute mushrooms and onions.

Lunches are easy-peasy. A lot of times we have leftovers from the night before. What's easier than that? Hard boiled eggs, nitrate-free lunch meat, chicken salad, egg salad, or a nice green salad with any of these proteins. I usually eat some raw veggies with lunch and here's where fruit usually comes in. We'll have a dessert of apples slices and almond butter, a handful of berries, or a cup of melon.

Snacks have changed a lot from our pre-paleo diet. Honestly we look at snacks differently now. They're really just mini meals. I would eat any of our lunch ideas for a snack. A common on the go snack is dried fruit and nuts or coconut flakes. For a special treat I've been making my own fruit and nut bars. Today we made a smoothie with coconut milk, frozen peaches, blueberries, a banana, and a handful of spinach. It was delicious but it has a lot of natural sugar so I don't do it very often. Today we were able to run it all off outside so it wasn't too bad.

Dinners are great. We recently purchased a quarter cow from a grass-fed, organic farm. We've been enjoying that. We'll have lettuce wrapped burgers, taco salad, roasts in the crock pot (and we just got a cast iron dutch oven I can't wait to try). I've started roasting whole chickens and making stock with the leftovers. I love almond coated chicken and when it's just we girls I'll make almond coated cod fish sticks (the hubby has an allergy). I'll make loads of veggies; sometimes two or three kinds. Tonight we had turkey meatloaf made with onions, celery, and red peppers and on the side we ate sweet potatoes, broccoli, and some leftover cauliflower from the other day. Way to pack in the veggies Mom!

What do I miss? Whole 30 is pretty strict. Honey and maple syrup go a long way to sweeten things up and are normally acceptable paleo fare. I miss honey in my black tea or making yummy almond flour treats from Elana's Pantry. One of the premises of Whole 30 is to cut the sweet tooth. After a week of sugar fits the first week I really feel like I could be over all the sugar. This Mom Loves overcoming my sugar addiction.

whole 30 - day 15

I'm half-way through and over the major cravings and sugar crash from the first week. I'd say I'm feeling more energized but my girls aren't letting me sleep much. I'm trying to get naps in when I can so I can reduce my cortisol levels. I can do this. This Mom Loves feeling accomplished.

a bit like Summer

Despite a huge thunderstorm last night my girls slept all night. Jr was up early to nurse but managed to fall back to sleep. The next thing I knew it was 7:40! I can not tell you the last time we slept that late. We opened up all the windows, ate a yummy breakfast, got our play clothes on, and went out to play. After a few pushes on the swings we decided to go for a walk. We barely got down the driveway when we declared it a worm hunt. The storm drove all the worms into the street and Magoo was squealing with delight. Dad went back to the house for a bucket and a camera.



Today was hot. It got up to 80 this afternoon. Jr went down for a nap and Magoo spent the afternoon outside - the WHOLE afternoon. The neighbor buddies who haven't been out all winter finally came out to play. They bounced between our yards, dug in the sandbox, swung on the swings, and chased each other around ALL afternoon.

Gram and Gramps stopped by on their way to dinner just in time to join us in the basement for a tornado warning. Fortunately for us the tornado passed us by and the trickiest park of the evening was getting the girls back upstairs. Bath, dinner, and bed. Both girls were tired. The cold front is blowing in. The winds are whipping. Tomorrow will be cool but today was a bit like Summer. This Mom Loves the I-want-to-stay-outside-and-play-all-day kind of day.

yummy date bar goodness - now with chocolate

So I been known to mix up some of my own fruit and nut bars. Larabars are great and we still get them for convenience but it's always nice to save a few pennies and make my own. This week I made a simple batch and the family loved it. Today I tried something a little more "fancy". They taste like Christmas.

Simple Date Bars
2 cups pecans
2 cups dates
1 Tbsp cinnamon
2 Tbsp unrefined coconut oil, melted

Blend pecans and dates in food processor until coarsely ground. Pulse in cinnamon and coconut oil. Press into a bar pan and refrigerate. Cut into squares and enjoy.

Chocolate Cranberry Date Bars
2 cups pecans
1 cup dates
1/2 cup dried cranberries
3 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
2 Tbsp unrefined coconut oil, melted

Blend pecans, dates, and cranberries until coarsely ground. Pulse in cocoa powder and coconut oil. Press into a bar pan and refrigerate. Cut into squares and try not to eat the whole pan.



My next mission is to come up with a good combination for dried apricots. I've got something rolling around in my head and I'll probably have a recipe up this week. This Mom Loves making Paleo work. These little bars are like Paleo candy. By the way, I'm on day 13 of my Whole 30 challenge already. Woo hoo!

{this moment}

{this moment} - A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

whole 30 - day 6

I had a great day today. I'm really starting to feel the pull to go back to eating junk. By junk I meant dairy and honey. Those are the two Whole 30 no-nos that I crave most. Oh how I miss my sweetened black tea latte. That was my treat. The thing that I had that was just mine. I would get a tea and take the long way home. *sigh*

Anyway, today I managed to stay on track. I got past the cravings by keeping busy with the girls, chores, and playing outside. Today was just lovely. It finally felt like Spring. This Mom Loves that the weather is getting warmer. I'm more likely to get outside. That means more exercise and better sleep which in turn means fewer cravings for the junk.

{this moment}

{this moment} - A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.