A Mom Birthday

"Mom, what do you want for your birthday?"  Almost every week for the last month, the kiddo has asked me this very question.  In truth, I don't really have anything I need but my list of wants goes on forever.....

And so, when the kiddo asked me again just today, what I wanted for my birthday tomorrow- here's what I thought to myself.


I want you.
I want Daddy.
I want to eat breakfast together.
I want to spend the day with you.
I want to have no fighting.
I want you to do as your told.
I want to not have to work any of my jobs today.
I want to eat cake, preferably one that I didn't have to bake.
I want to enjoy one more day with Lucky Dog.
I want to NOT feed anyone today.
I want to sleep in.
I want no whining.
I want to snuggle with my boys.
I want to end the day with a cocktail.
I want to laugh and play.
I want to watch Buddy Boy play Frisbee.
I want to not worry about chores and household tasks.
I want someone to bring me coffee in bed.
I want quiet time to read a book.
I want to eat my favorite meal- fettuccine alfredo and not feel guilty.
I want to sit in the backyard and enjoy the fruits of all my labor.
I want to be loved.
I want to be cherished.
I want to forever be your Mom.
I want time to stop.


I want this life that I'm already living.  Forever.


Tomorrow I turn 34.  I am feeling equal parts amazed that I'm this old and pretty damn happy that I'm at this blessed point in my life.  When someone asks me what I want for my birthday- my answer will always be- THIS.  I want this.  I want what I have.  I want it to last forever.  I want to live it, breathe it, relish in it- forever.  Because I know how truly blessed I am and there is nothing I want more than to continue living this life of unimaginable riches.

"But Mom, what do you really want for your birthday?"

And so I simply told him I wanted to spend the day together, go out for pasta and eat cake.  Because that's pretty great too.

To 34- may it be the best one yet!

We Homeschool Year Round

I posted a question over on the Facebook page today asking, "How Do You Homeschool?"

A. Same as the public school calendar.
B.  Year Round.
C.  We make it up as we go.
D.  Cram everything into a few months & we're done.
E.  Misc/Other/We don't homeschool.

For the most part, it was a pretty even mix of A, B and C.  What surprised me was just how many of you are homeschooling year round- I totally thought we were the only weirdos doing this!  BWHAHAHA!

So, why do we personally homeschool year round?  Why not follow the local public schoolers?  Why make my child do school work in the summer time?  Why oh why oh why....

Here's the answer-

It's what works best for us.

BOOM!  And there you have it!  Do what works best for your family and don't make any apologies for it!  We tried following the public school calendar and I simply felt that we weren't getting enough done.  I also felt the pressure to constantly be "staying on task" and it just became too much.  We then tried "powering" through and trying to get everything done in a short amount of time so that we could then have summer off.  Well....that didn't work for us either.  The kiddo wasn't really retaining all that information coming at him, I was getting frustrated and it was simply NO fun!

To be honest, I don't know why we didn't just homeschool year round from the very beginning.  Our pace is much more relaxed, it fits in with our family's lifestyle, there's no rushing to get ahead to the next thing, we can slow down and really explore the kiddo's interests and on and on it goes.  But perhaps the #1 reason why we love to homeschool year round is because we all know that the learning never stops.  As homeschoolers- we are learning every day, all day.  Each moment is seen as a learning opportunity and we are constantly looking for the educational value and teachable moment in every single thing.  Seriously- I'm not kidding here.  So homeschooling year round just makes sense.

This is what we do now.  It might change.  It might not.  And that's the true beauty of homeschooling.  So how do you homeschool?

My Weekly Menu

I've had several folks reach out to me and ask for help in what to feed their family.  Meals that are fairly easy to prepare, mostly healthy, homemade, full of fruits and veggies and limited on meat and animal products.

So Wow.

I'm just so honored that you would consider me a good person to ask.  Please know that I don't take this lightly- feeding your family is such a personal thing and I'm so privileged to share with you all I've learned thus far.

In case you're just now stumbling across my blog- We Are Flexitarians!  We eat a mostly plant based diet with limited meat.  That means LOTS and LOTS of fruits and veggies, healthy grains and such.  We also try to eat all organic foods and have everything be homemade.  There's not a lot of processed foods in this household y'all!

So here begins the first installment of "My Weekly Menu".  I'm super excited to share with you what a real family eats.  Whenever possible, I will provide links to recipes and because I love looking at pictures of food (yeah- I'm weird that way!) I will also try to slip in as many photos as possible.

Each week will consist of 6 meals, 2 breakfasts, one dessert and other miscellaneous items like homemade snacks, dips, party items etc.  Since we tend to eat our leftovers for lunch- I don't typically buy "lunch" foods and this is why it's missing from the weekly menus.  Another thing to note is that I try to keep our meat consumption to just one day per week and of course this is ALWAYS organic (and local when possible!) meats.  Since I do all the cooking, I like to give myself one day off per week and on that night- we go out!

Alright- let's go!!!!


Evening Meals

• Leftover Quinoa, Bean & Veggie Burgers with "fried" Zucchini sticks that are actually oven baked.  The burgers were made 2 weeks ago- I simply cooked up a double batch and threw the other half in the freezer.  

"Fried" Zucchini sticks- photo courtesy
DamnDelicious.net

• NW Salmon Chowder and homemade biscuits.  I made salmon last week and popped the leftovers in the freezer.  This is an excellent way to use up a small amount of leftover salmon.  My tip when making any cream based soup like this one is to use milk or chicken/veggie stock instead and then simply finish the soup with cream.  So I will substitute the 2 cups heavy cream in this recipe for milk and then use about 1/4 cup heavy cream at the very end to give it a rich taste without all that added fat.

Our favorite biscuits!!!

• Macaroni and Cheese served with garlic green beans.  The kiddo has been asking (ok- begging) for a big bowl of this homemade Mac and Cheese for the last month!  Since we are having meat later in the week and leftover salmon, I will be making this recipe without the added bacon.  
  

• Southwest Chop Salad with cilantro lime dressing.  I love making a big salad for dinner in the summertime.  While we've done many southwest/mexican salads, I've never made this dressing before so I'm super excited to give it a try!

Photo courtesy
DamnDelicious.net

• Hot Dogs (Applegate organic) and cilantro corn on the cob cooked on the BBQ- this will be our special Father's Day dinner per the husband's request.  And you guys- this corn is simply the BOMB.COM!

• Lentil Cakes, steamed carrots and a large salad.  Another new recipe this week- looks so yummy and I can't wait to give it a try!

Breakfasts

• Pancakes and fresh fruit.  I will mix up a big batch of pancakes this weekend in my super large 8 cup measuring bowl (see photo below) and it will last for several breakfasts.

• Leftover homemade biscuits served with jam.  Sometimes I will make egg and cheese biscuits or for the husband- sausage and cheese.  YUM!!!

Desserts

• Apple Pie per the husband's request for Father's Day.

Misc.

• Yogurt Berry Smoothies
• Black Bean Hummus

So- my goal is to post our weekly menus for you all, every single week.  But let's be honest here- I'm a super busy Wife and Mother, so I would say that this probably won't happen.  I'll try my best and hope that this will provide some inspiration for you.  It's completely possible to feed your family homemade, healthy and vegetarian food.  If I can do this, I know you can too!

Looking for more inspiration?

• So What Do You Eat?
• Tips For Food Shopping
• Eating Well When You Don't Have the Time

Summer Reading Challenge

A few weeks ago, the kiddo declared that he was going to read 10,000 pages this summer.  While I certainly thought it was an awesome goal- I knew that it would never happen without some way to keep track of all those pages and a few incentives along the way.

So was born, William's Summer Reading Challenge.  The idea is simple, create a visual where your child can keep track of their pages read throughout the summer and make notes of the rewards along the way.

• Our challenge begins with 3,000 pages.
• Each reward is at the 1,000, 2,000 and 3,000 mark.
• The rewards build up in value as you get higher on the challenge.
• Have your kids come up with the rewards so it ensures they will work towards the goal.
• For each 100 pages read, the kiddo must do 3 things.  #1- Write down the name of the book.  #2- Write down the exact pages read.  #3- Summarize to me what he's read.

Today marks our first official day of the Summer Reading Challenge.  The kiddo is SUPER EXCITED to get started and has declared that we need a trip to the library so he can "stock up on lots of books."  Let's hope we can keep this momentum going all summer long!

PS- I made this super cute "reading thermometer" with an recycled paper grocery bag and some of the kiddo's construction paper.  No need to go out and buy supplies to make this- just you what you already have at home!  The lines or "temperature" is drawn at the 100 page mark, so for every section, he must fill in the name of the book and the pages read.  The title at the top reads, "How Hot Will Your Summer Be?"  

Pure awesome you guys!  Summer reading, here we come!!!!

Crock Pot Refried Beans

These beans are perfection.  Simply throw all the ingredients in your crock pot in the morning and by dinner time you've got a healthy dish without all the added chemicals and junk found in the canned refried beans.  Plus- they taste AMAZEBALLS good!  Trust me on this one!

If you don't have a crock pot, you can easily cook these on your stove top.  Simply simmer on low until your beans are cooked all the way through.

Homemade Refried Beans

1 bag dried pinto beans
1 jalapeno, seeded & cut
1 onion, quartered
4-6 garlic cloves
1 bell pepper, cut into large chunks
1 small handful fresh cilantro
1-2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
6 cups water

Step 1-  Toss everything in your crock pot.  I like to use a combination of bell peppers depending on what I have on hand.  So many times I throw in lots of different colors- red, green, yellow...really, you can't go wrong here!  Another tip- you do NOT need fresh cilantro.  You can leave it out or substitute with dried- but we always seem to have cilantro on hand so I typically just toss in a small handful, stems and all!

Step 2- Cook on high for 8-10 hours.

Step 3- Drain out almost all of the water.  Reserve about 1 cup for adding back in later.

Step 4- Get out your immersion blender and blend baby, blend!  Add in some of your saved bean water to get the consistency you want.  Remember that the beans will naturally thicken up over time.  So a little watery is OK because when you eat them the next day, they will have thickened overnight.

And that's it.  Now you're enjoying delicious, homemade refried beans without any added junk!  PLUS- you've just made them healthier with all those added veggies!  Yeah Buddy!

Eating Well When You Don't Have the Time

As many of you  know, I work a butt ton.  Well over 50 hours each week in addition to homeschooling.  What you might also know from following me over on the Facebook page, is that we don't eat a ton of junk.  We are Flexitarians and eat a plant based, homemade meal just about every night.  In addition, I pack all our lunches for work or classes.  I do not rely on convience foods and cook almost entirely from scratch.

But seriously- when you're supa dupah busy, how in the world do you make this happen?  Here's a few tips on how I make it all work.

• Planning is key.  When I'm completely on top of my game, I do a monthly menu plan.  But many times, I like to keep it to a weekly plan- MUCH easier that way.  I do not assign meals per day but choose to have 6 dinners and 2 breakfasts planned out and can then simply decide what to make each day.  I also try to think of one yummy dessert each week- although this doesn't always happen.  Be mindful of planning a variety of meals and try not to make two similar entrees one right after the other.  Meaning, don't plan Pinto Bean Tacos and the next night a Quinoa Enchilada Casserole.
• The crockpot is your best friend!  On extremely busy weeks, I try to always have one or two meals that I can simply dump 'n go.  Take it one step further by prepping your crockpot the night ahead so all you need to do is pull it out and turn it on before heading out in the morning.  If you aren't going to be using it right away, you can always prep your crockpot meal in a ziplock bag and then simply write any further instructions (how much water to add, how long to cook etc) on the outside of the bag.
• Double up!  When cooking a meal, make a double batch and either use this as lunches for part of the week or freeze it for another week.  Things like homemade burgers, soups, casseroles all freeze beautifully!  Try to plan on making a double batch for at least one meal each week and then freezing it.  This will help you begin your freezer stockpile of healthy and homemade entrees.
• Take a day.  I like to simply take one afternoon and do the majority of my prep work and baking.  You can slice and dice, prep pancake mix, throw things in your crockpot for tomorrow, bake a loaf of bread etc.  You can also take this one step further by having a baking day for all your breakfast goodies, breads, desserts etc and then having another day for your actual meal prep. 
• Become a fan of the one pot meal.  Years ago I changed the way I cook.  With that came the concept of cooking everything in one pot- Ok, sometimes I need two.  But rarely do I ever have all of my pots and pans littering my kitchen.  One pot meals are faster and there's less clean up. 
• Eat your leftovers!  When you are cooking 6 meals each week, you will inevitably have leftovers.  We eat ours as lunches throughout the week and if we have enough, by Friday we typically pull it all out of the fridge and finish everything off.
• Keep a few quick and easy meals on hand.  Sometimes you simply don't want to make what you had planned or life gets in the way.  When this happens, it's always nice to be able to throw something together fast.  This is where your freezer meals will come in handy.  Pasta is another quick, 20 minute dish.  Teach yourself how to make a few quick and healthy meals from scratch so that you're not reaching for the yellow box of mac & cheese or the frozen pizzas.
• Casserole it up!  On nights when I'm working and won't be home for dinner, I love to put together a healthy casserole that my boys can just throw in the oven.  This makes dinner super easy for my cooking challenged guys and makes enough for leftovers the next day.  Plan on having one or two casseroles per week and simply prepping them on your "day".
• Two For One Special.  This one will take a little more planning but the idea is simple.  Make something once and use it twice.  My favorite way to do this is to cook up a batch of homemade refried beans in my crockpot and then eat off it all week long.  One night we will have it as a side with Veggie Fajitas, then make bean and cheese burritos for lunch and finish by using it in my Mexican Casserole.  See what I did there?  I made it once and in this case, actually used it three times!!!
• Soup Day!  Even in the summer time we have a designated soup night.  Soup is seriously SO easy to make from scratch and its an easy dish to convert if you're trying to eat less animal products.  Plan on making a big batch of soup and then eating it for leftovers during the week.  To stretch your soup to a second dinner meal, you can make a batch of steamed rice and then pour a little over the top of your rice.  This works especially well with lentil chili!
• No cook night.  Every so often we will have what is referred to as "Snack Night" in our house.  This is simply the idea that Mama's not cooking tonight so you get to forage for healthy snacks and foods.  Things like cheese, smoked salmon, a big green salad, olives, homemade hummus, air popped popcorn, cut up fruit- even chips and salsa has graced our "Snack Night" table.  And because it's supposed to be easy and fun, we will usually sit in the living room and watch a movie.
• Give yourself a Freebie.  All things in moderation right?  Everything now and then, you just want to go out and eat french fries.  It's OK.  Go for it!  Give yourself a break from the kitchen and allow yourself a junk food treat.  We typically have one meal out per week- usually lunch while out running errands.  While we do our best to pick a healthier option, (ie Chiptole vs Taco Bell) we really don't worry too much about this meal.  When you're eating well at home, you simply don't need to worry about the occasional junk food.
• Don't forget your foods on the go.  Like everyone else, most weekends are pretty busy around our house.  The husband works about 2 weekends each month and I work all of them.  Yes, all.  Add in the kiddo's activities and normal chores and errands and we are seriously loaded down.  Having quick and healthy foods that we can "Grab n Go" are essential.  All lunches are packed for the weekend, I will usually mix up some homemade hummus, the  fridge is stocked with plenty of fresh fruit and veggies, there's lots of salad mix, nuts/seeds and Kombucha.  And if you've done all your menu planning ahead of time, you should be able to come home to a great meal at the end of your long day. 

So that's how I do it.  Some weeks are certainly busier than others but I try my best to make feeding my family a priority.  When you eat right, you feel right.  And when you feel right- you can accomplish so much!

It's Our June-A-Versary!

This month marks fifteen years with the husband.  FIFTEEN YEARS.  So Wow, that's kinda big.

We've officially been married for 11.5 of those 15 years- because hey, that half a year is super important right!  There's so many things that I've learned in this time with my man and you just know I'm going to share it with you all here!



#1-

We are stronger together.

Like, for reals.  He's my person and I need him.  It's OK to just admit that- I need my man.  I need him by my side when I walk into a room full of strangers.  He needs me to navigate so he can focus on driving.  I need him to be a strong Father to our son, he needs me to nurture and mother.

But the other part to this is that not only do we need each other- we are better when we are together.  Sure, we are pretty kick ass rocking the single checkout lane but put us together and we are simply unstoppable.  We are a team, in all ways.



#2-

What it feels like to love and to be loved.  

The love from a parent or other family member is completely different than the love of a spouse or a partner.  This person can at any moment leave- they are NOT obligated to love you but rather choose you.  Above everyone else, they choose you.  Over and over, day in and day out- THEY.  CHOOSE.  YOU.



#3-

The knowledge that this man will ALWAYS have my back.

It might be quiet and steady and other times its fierce in its protection and shelter.  He might tolerate you because he has to, he might be cordial or downright rude- this man does what he needs to do.  He guards my heart just as he protects my body- with his own.

#4- 

It takes a strong man to love a strong woman.  

Marriage is hard, like seriously HARD.  To be a strong leader and head of the household takes amazing strength of character.  Just as allowing someone else to lead is a great lesson in humility, grace and love.

When both people are strong willed, stubborn and fiercely opinionated- it takes work to make it work.  To ebb and flow so that at times one person can lead while one can follow.



#5-

To see someone's darkness, to share your own & to still love unconditionally.  

To be vulnerable and to still be loved, faults and all- is simply the greatest gift of all.  To lay yourself open for another being and to trust them with your deepest weaknesses and be rewarded with their love- it's just life changing.

Putting aside your fears and insecurities and being present and real.  To show someone that quiet you, that resides softly in your soul and to have them say, "I love you just as you are"- words can't even describe it.


#6-

What it feels like to have a forever friend.  

The husband and I are best friends.  For over fifteen years I have shared, laughed, loved, cried with him by my side.  To know that I will always have that is truly a special thing.  To have the greatest friend in your corner- cheering you on, calling you on your bullshit, making you laugh, sharing a drink, venting about crappy people...yeah, it's good stuff.

To have this for a lifetime- wow.


#7-

Patience.

So yeah.  'Nuff said.


#8-

How to truly forgive and how to ask for forgiveness.  

It's said that those we are closest to have the power to hurt us the most.  We all know this is true of any marriage.  When you share a life together, it will get messy.  It's not all rainbows and glitter- life is yucky sometimes.  Being a good partner means you're willing to admit when you've done wrong.  Being an even better partner means you are quick to forgive- like, REALLY forgive.

Quit holding on to the bitterness.  Let go of the anger.  Give your person grace and understanding and say, "I forgive you."


#9-

That love is in the everyday.  

Sure, grand gestures are great.  Who wouldn't love that shit?  But love shows up in the everyday.  When I make the husband's lunch or he brings me up a bowl of ice cream at night.  A sweet flirty text to let him know I'm thinking of him or when he watches a chick flick on the Netflix with me.  It's there.  Everyday.  Showing up.

Don't take your love for granted.  Most people can spend a lifetime searching for this forever kind of love and you've found it.  So recognize that sometimes love comes in softly and that sometimes that's even better then the big and the grand.


#10-

Normal is overrated.  

You might be shocked to hear this but NOTHING and I do mean, nothing about the husband and I could ever be called "normal".  We are not normal people.  We don't follow a normal life.  We do things differently.  Always have, always will.  And yet- despite what people thought about us, here we are 15 years later, proving that you don't need normal to have a successful marriage.

Look us- succeeding and shit.  Dearest Naysayers, tell me again what marriage number you're on again?  Exactly....normal is boring.  Love is what matters.

Fifteen gorgeous years.  It's truly been an honor to be called his WIFE.

Creating the Foundation

"You just seem so sure of yourself.  So calm and good."

You guys, I've received compliments (and negativity too!) over the years but this one really made me stop and think.  It came while I was speaking with an older co-worker, in truth she reminds me very much of my Mom.  Quiet, hardworking, beautiful.  She is grace and honesty, kindness and hurt- you can see it in her eyes and I so enjoy the little snippets of time that I get to speak with her.

Today she asked me if I go to church.  And so I shared with her my story.  I grew up going to a Presbyterian church and was raised in the Word by a community of believers.  I was sheltered and loved and I knew Jesus in my heart.  It was so good and so very normal.  Just good people who loved Jesus- it was everything church should be.  When I went away to college, I struggled to find what I had at home.  And then when I came home, nothing was the same.  So I've been without a church ever since.  It's a bit of a sad story really....but one full of hope all the same.

And then she told me a bit of her story.  I won't share it with you here because it's not mine to share.  But it put a new light on this person, one that I deeply appreciated.  I SO love when women open up to one another in honesty and fellowship!

As we were speaking, she remarked how mature and grounded I seemed.  That she could see the light of goodness in the way I handled myself and the way in which I interacted with everyone here at work.  I responded that it was the way I was raised- the foundation that set the path for me.  I was very fortunate to have both parents present in my life- they are still married and about to celebrate 40 years of marriage in November.  I know for certain that the person that I am today is because of the way in which I was raised.  Was it perfect?  Of course not.  Was I blessed?  Absolutely.

I am confident in myself.  I know who I am and I know what I believe in- there is no conflict in my heart.  I am at peace and I am happy.  I am me and me is good.

As a parent- can I just say that I want nothing more for my own child than this simple sense of self.  To be at peace in your heart, comfortable in your skin and sure of the thoughts in your head.  Knowing why you're here, having a purpose, a knowledge in your heart that you are good and worthy of love- it's simply an amazing feeling.

How will I give my child this gift?

It's simple really- by creating his foundation.  By being confident in myself, by showing him what it means to love and be loved, by raising him up, through loving his Father and nurturing our marriage, in choosing his community, by being present- together the husband and I will make sure that his foundation isn't cracked.  It will be strong.  It will carry him.  Until one day someone will remark- "you seem so sure of yourself, so calm and good" and he will be blessed.