We're havin' a heat wave

I'm popping in just long enough to say that I've been enjoying the outdoors too much to spend time blogging. This Mom Loves that Summer is just around the corner.

{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.

M is for muffins

I've been baking a lot of muffins lately. A few months ago we started sending a paleo approved snack with Magoo to school. Because she goes to a Waldorf school they eat grains at every snack. We let this slide for a while but the longer we were off grains at home the more sick she got when she ate them at school. We started sending the same kinds of things we sent for lunch for example ham, carrots, and almond butter. She was having a hard time fitting in so I thought I'd make something that looked and tasted a little bit more like what her classmates were eating.

Enter Elana Amsterdam from Elana's Pantry. She whips up delicious grain-free baked goods that taste just as good if not better than their gluten-heavy counterparts. I just got her second cookbook, Gluten-Free Cupcakes in the mail a month ago. It is already smeared with batter and has little rings from a bowl or measuring cup being placed on it's pages. This is a loved cookbook.

So far I've made Chocolate Cupcakes, Chocolate Chip Mini Cupcakes, Triple Chocolate Cupcakes, Chocolate Banana Cupcakes, Blueberry Lemon Cupcakes, Coconut Cupcakes, Cinnamon Crumb Cupcakes, Apple Spice Cupcakes, Pumpkin Cupcakes, Honey Walnut Cupcakes, Almond Poppy Seed Cupcakes, and Banana Pecan Cupcakes. I haven't even messed with frosting yet because I'm not really a big fan anyway.

Tonight I mixed up a batch of Honey Walnut Cupcakes that is now on my list of favorites. I also played around with a recipe and made a batch of Lemon Poppy Seed Cupcakes. Now, Elana always calls for agave nectar in her recipes but I prefer to use honey. I don't know if honey is sweeter that agave nectar or if I just am really sensitive to sweet since I did my Whole 30 but I use a little less honey that she does agave nectar. All my treats have turned out lovely. Well, almost all. There was a almond flour chocolate cake disaster that rose too high, fell in the middle, and tasted too sweet and there was one recipe that I mistook the salt for the sugar. Not so good.

Anyway, This Mom Loves eating Paleo. Especially when I can still treat myself and my family with delicious, nutritious baked treats.

lucky

The hubby, Junior, Magoo, Grandma M, and I all crowded together under the stairs in the basement this evening. The girls were squirrelly. We were supposed to be eating dinner. Sometimes it seems like a waste of time to go to the basement for a storm. There was a tornado just South of us today. I guess it was the first one in history to hit town. It went by just where I go to play group and some friends have property damage. We were lucky to scrape by with just a little hail. Every time there's a storm I take my children downstairs and I'll continue to treat storms with that respect. It's not a waste of time. Taking shelter could save your life. This Mom Loves her family. I love them so much and I'm so glad that no one I know got hurt.

{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.

fresh air and sunshine

We spent the afternoon enjoying the backyard.









The girls are zonked out. Hopefully that big full moon won't keep us up tonight. This Mom Loves the sweet, fresh smell of Spring.

running on steam

So, I'm broke and I'm tired. I've got the laundry done, the dishes done, and snacks made for the week. My mother in law is coming this weekend so I'll have a little meal planning and last minute cleaning. I'm hoping I can just get through this week. We get paid and my mother in law will be here to help out. I'm off to bed with hopes of getting Some sleep. Both girls were up way too much last night and Junior as been nursing non-stop day and night. Here's hoping...











This Mom Loves and could really use a good nights sleep.

{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.

back in the swing of things

So the hubby set out for assignment in Florida early this morning after having been home for a month. We'd really gotten used to having him around so much. He'd been a huge help in the morning getting us ready and out the door for school. I was worried that we wouldn't make it in time today. As it turned out, the kids woke just before my 5:50 AM alarm so we had plenty of time to get ready. We got to school early enough that Junior got to pet Truffles (the class bunny) while Magoo got her rain gear on and both girls got to play on the swings before the school bell rang in the morning.

Although Junior really wanted to get on the "train" with Big Sister I had an appointment to get to. After a quick stop at the chiropractor we raced the storm home. Just after we got settled inside the thunderstorm rolled in and the skies were very dark. Junior wanted to nurse and because she was up early and because it was so dark out she fell asleep for "afternoon nap" at 10 AM. Oh well. I mixed up a batch of muffins and blogged a bit while she snoozed. It was so quiet in the house.

By the afternoon the skies had cleared and it was really warm and humid out. We picked up Magoo from school and spent the next hour outside playing. I did eventually have to go in to start dinner. I made Chicken Parmesan without the cheese of course. Really we just call it Chicken Marinara. No matter what it's called it is a family favorite and the girls gobble it up. Magoo had four helpings!

After the clean-up fairies visited, the girls had a nice bath with some Sleepy Baby to help them relax. We got jammies on and all piled into Magoo's bed for a chapter in the storybook. We got half-way through when Miss Early-Napper decided she was done for the day. We nursed and read The Big Red Barn and she went right to sleep. I climbed back into Magoo's bed to finish her chapter and rub her back a little. She was worn out too and fell asleep easily. I made it through the day without a hitch.

But wait, there's more. Dishes, dishes, dishes. I really hate dishes. After stalling as long as I could I finally did the dishes, got the diapers in the wash, got a shower, and mixed up a batch of Chocolate Coconut Flour Cupcakes so Magoo can have a special treat for a birthday party tomorrow. Whew. Now, now I'm done. This Mom Loves a cup of Sleepytime tea at the end of the day.

Chocolate Coconut Flour Cupcakes
¼ cup coconut flour
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
¼ teaspoon celtic sea salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
4 eggs
½ cup pure olive oil
½ cup raw honey, warmed slightly

1.In a medium bowl, combine coconut flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda
2.In a large bowl, blend together eggs, oil, and honey
3.Blend dry ingredients into wet thoroughly
4.Line a cupcake tin with 9 paper liners and scoop a scant ¼ cup into each
5.Bake at 350° for 18-20 minutes

Mothers' Day weekend

I had a nice Mothers' Day weekend. It was sunny and warm and filled with wonderful things and wonderful people. Friday was the first farmers' market of the season. I picked up some herb seedlings and got them planted in the garden. It was nice to get my hands dirty again. Mom and Dad came over for Mothers' day lunch. We had grilled grass fed burgers with onion and parsley. I roasted sweet potato "fries" and steamed ups some asparagus. I seriously could eat asparagus everyday while it's in season. Yum. The tossed salad had romaine, spinach (from the farmers' market), mint, parsley, carrots, and homemade balsamic vinaigrette. Because it was a special occasion I also made dessert - a tasty and beautiful pear crumble. After lunch we went out to visit and push the kids in the swings. Mom brought some violets from her yard and we transplanted them in the corner of mine I can't wait to have a yard full of little violets.

Everyone was really tired last night. The girls both were asking to go to bed at 5. We got them ready but both girls took quite a while to wind down and fall asleep. I don't know if it's the weather or the end of school but things are a little off around here. On top of that, the hubby just got put back on assignment after having been working from home for a month. *sigh* Anyway, I snuggled down with Magoo last night to help her sleep and fell asleep right along side of her. The hubby came in twice to tell me to crawl into bed. Finally I got up and wandered across the hall, slipped into my jammies, and fell right to sleep. This Mom Loves feeling loved.

Happy Mothers' Day

This Mom Loves our moms.

{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.

crazy

My eldest has been acting strangely lately. In Simplicity Parenting the author would call that a "soul fever". I don't know about that but I do know that something is not quite right for her right now.

I've been spending more time with her and taking things slowly. Maybe it's Spring fever. It's finally getting warm around here. Maybe it's that school is almost out. I don't know what it is but I'm doing my best to be patient with her. Sometimes it's hard to remember that she's just four. I have a hard time not expecting too much from her. I'm working on that.

I spent a lot of time tonight getting her relaxed for bed. She popped out of her room and got tucked back into bed for a good half hour before I went in to lie down with her. I turned on her quiet music (for the third time), cuddled up with her, and tickled her arms. She loves that. I used to love that when I was her age. Anyway, I'm tickling her arm and she lets out a big sigh and says "I'm tired." "I know Baby," I say. Just like that...she was out. Then about 10 minutes later she woke suddenly with a belly ache. I felt so bad for her. She said she had some cheese crackers and peanuts on her school field trip today. I packed a snack for her but she may have gotten into some anyway. Since we don't eat grains, dairy, or legumes anymore these things really make her feel sick. I cuddled up to her again and she did relax enough to fall asleep. I really hope she feels better tomorrow for the Waldorf school Spring festival.

This Mom Loves Magoo. There's a great little book called Mama, Do You Love Me? This book means so much to me because it's so familiar. The little girls tests and tests and tests her Mama to see how she'll react and Mama says, "I will love you for ever and for always because you are my Dear One." Magoo is my Dear One.

quite a little homemaker

The past couple of days I've been so domestic. I used the cast iron dutch oven for the first time, whipped up some homemade mayonnaise, replaced the screen in my back door, and scrubbed spots off the floor with a toddler riding around on my back. Today I pulled the stove out and swept under it rescuing all the little toys that have been hiding there for too long. I intend to do the same with the refrigerator and vacuum the coils while I'm back there.

My kitchen smells yummy. This evening I fixed a week's worth of snacks for the family. I made Gluten Free Pumpkin Bars (with honey in place of the agave nectar), Chocolate Cranberry Date Bars, and paleo crunch. Now only if someone else would do all the dishes.

This week I also was a good school mommy. Last night I made little ribbon "pom-poms" for the kindergarten class to waive at the Spring Festival on Friday. They turned out cute! I'm looking forward to the festival. Magoo already said she wants to wear her whirly-twirly dress.

This Mom Loves putting on the apron of domesticity. I love learning new recipes. In fact I just got a new cookbook. I really love accomplishing tasks. Finally getting the screen put in made my day. I did it and didn't have to wait for the hubby to get it done. This weekend for Mothers' Day. I'm sure I'll still be the one cooking and cleaning up but I don't mind so much. Maybe the hubby (and Junior) will let me sleep in and I'll get to take Magoo to the nursery to get some raspberry bushes to plant. How's that for domestic?

yawn

Are we there yet? This weekend was supposed to be an easy weekend. Instead I decided to spend more time decluttering the house. The hubby and I spent a good deal of time getting junk out of our bedroom. It drives me crazy that my bedroom is supposed to be the place I go to relax and get away from it all but really it's the place where all the odds and ends land. It's the place where I stash things I don't want the kids to get into. I'll take piles of paperwork and such to my room to hide it away while we have company but I never manage to get it out of there. My room is a black hole of stuff. Odd socks end up on my dresser. Receipts I'm not sure what to do with are there too. I got two big boxes and two big bags of junk out of my room today. Whew. What a relief. Of course they now reside in my van until I can drop them off at the donation site this week.

I plan to climb up into Magoo's closet sometime this week while she's at school. I'll pull down all the crap I've been saving for ... what?...I don't know. I've been pretty good about donating from Junior's closet but I think it already needs another round of purging. I have a cousin who's expecting a girl in June and I'm hoping he and his wife will take some things off my hands.

My kitchen pantry is getting a little easier to see through. I'm weeding out what we don't need and organizing what we do. I went through all Magoo's art supplies recently and kept all the natural crayons and paints and got rid of the harsh markers and other junk I held onto. I ditched the character coloring books in favors of blank pages to color on.

We got a lot done this weekend while Jr napped and Magoo played downstairs. I'm off now to clear out some leftover junk in my room. It will need much more attention but This Mom is done for the weekend. I'm off to read a chapter in Simplicity Parenting before bed. This Mom Loves simplifying life. Clear the junk out of my way so I can enjoy my time and my children. Clear away the stress so I can have more meaningful relationships with my husband and children.


What could be more simple that a couple of girls and their blankies?