The Happy Domestic

Well folks, it's Christmas Day. Actually, night. And here I am in fine Christmas spirit, exorcising my humbugs on Blogger. I should be catching up on mountains of paperwork, which, actually, I have been doing to a certain extent already, but it's just so hard to concentrate on work with a belly full of treats, a house full of opened presents, and a brain full of notes to self (tinged with a smidgen of hormones). It may not be New Year's Eve yet, but I feel like summing up the year, or at least the month, in review. December has been... interesting. Other possible adjectives include strange, perplexing, frustrating, promising, sickly, busy, predictable, difficult, exciting, and full of change. I have a hard time keeping up with my own life. At least I'm not puking every day, which is more than can be said for the first few weeks of December. At best, my girlies are the highlight of my life, particularly when they're not driving me up the wall. And Thank You God for...

I have heard several couples declare they don't celebrate Valentine's Day. These are loving, well-adjusted couples who give a lot of attention to their relationship and their partners, every day of the year. Valentines Day, in comparison, seems like such a cheap, commercial version of the real thing, that they don't see the point in celebrating it. Sometimes that's how I feel about Christmas. One day 2000-ish years ago, Jesus Christ was born. He lived a remarkable life, and then he died. Three days later he rose again, and he has profoundly impacted the world and my life ever since. We celebrate him every day. We live life with him every day. So decorating a tree and buying presents for others and stuffing ourselves with treats seems so meaningless in comparison. And so much pointless effort. Then I think about how I saw Christmas as a kid. The lights, the tree, the mysterious packages, the delectable smells and tastes, all these gave me a sense of greater magic tha...

I have six kids. Seven if you count my husband. Are they all mine? Thankfully, no. But this kind of craziness explains in part why blogging has taken a backseat to real life in the past ...weeks? month? Anyhow. My girlies are turning 1 and 2 in a week and a bit, and I am going to be 28. For some reason I feel like I've been 28 forever and I should be turning 31 by now. We just found out that we have a foster child being placed in our home full time, and she is already staying with us. This is exciting, and so far things have been going well. All (3) of our girls are getting along great and enjoying each other's company. On Tuesday some friends of ours were able to get last minute flights to Alberta to pick up some belongings that have been missed for some time, so we are also looking after their three school-aged children. Despite my initial panic, life has continued on at a manageable but very busy pace. I love to be creative in the kitchen, but cooking for eight (me and h...

I was sent an email from the agency I work with today containing a presentation of Fast Facts on H1N1 by a qualified medical doctor. I found it extremely interesting, from the charts and tables to the statistics quoted.  I particularly enjoyed doing the math. According to the presentation, nine to twelve out of every hundred people get the flu, or up to 42 in 100 if they have young children (in school or daycare). 11/1000 of these got REALLY sick, enough that they went to their local emergency clinic and sat waiting however long it took for someone to actually take them in and examine them. So now we have around a tenth of a percent of the normal population (0.132%) really sick. Got that? Now 7/10,000 of THOSE people died (in the U.S.)... putting us at an expected 0.0000924% rate of death in the population. That means that in Northumberland, Hastings, and Prince Edward Counties (a combined population of 236,933) there may be 0.2 people who die... in their worst case scenario. I'll...

I went for a walk today with our girlies, savouring the breezy autumn air and the riotous falling leaves. The colours, if you take a moment to gaze at them, are overwhelming, supersaturated hues of gold and scarlet and tangerine with hints of lime, deep-dark purples and blackish greens tinged with crimson. Colour is everywhere. Soon the azure skies and ice cream scoop clouds will flee before wild, dark and stormy skies when the setting sun gilds the world under a heavy slate horizon. I love autumn. All the blustery, chaotic, colourful changefullness of the season tells me I'm alive, so very alive! Maybe that's why I don't mind a little messiness, chaos, unpredictability and drama in my world. Life is full of both glee and heartache, pleasure and pain, and I'll take them both together for better or worse... I'll take it all.

This past spring I blogged about my intent to set healthy habits , and to fit into my pre-preg pants. Now that it's autumn, I thought it was time for an update on my progress, goals, etc. Confession time. I have not been drinking 8 glasses of water a day. Some days I have forgotten to drink at all, and other days I have struggled to get in 4 or 5 glasses of water. This is partly because I have been drinking coffee, milk, and occasionally juice. From time to time I feel incredibly fatigued and headachy, and then I know I am dehydrated and immediately get some water. Sometimes being dehydrated has made me feel hungry, and I snack unnecessarily without thinking. I don't get 30 minutes a day of straight exercise, but I do get that at least 3 times a week. Carting children around helps. The good news is... I fit into my old pants! So it would seem that part of the problem was simply my abdomenal "muscles" (I can hardly use the word without sarcasm) still contracting af...

My one girlie loves playing with Mr. Potato Head. She also likes playing "Mr. Potato Head" with her sister.

Today, finally, my house is clean, Clean, CLEAN! I am flabbergasted by the sheer productivity of my time this morning, that and the fact that the girlies slept for 3 whole hours, allowing me to get it all done. The usual stacks of dishes all got washed, pots and pans scrubbed and sparkling, counters made spotless, and even my sinks and faucets were scoured until they shone. Floors were vacuumed, baby clothes were sorted and put away! and laundry was gathered up from all over the house. Bathrooms were cleaned. Garbages were emptied, and beds were made. Windows were opened and rooms aired out. And this was all by lunchtime! My bedroom is unrecognizeable. This carpet... this dingy, stained, disgusting old carpet, that we meant to replace when we first moved in but never got the time or money together... is such an eyesore now. Now that you can really see it, I mean. But the rest of the bedroom looks pristine. It makes me want to paint the walls, like I intended to do over a year ago. A...

Last night we went out on a date to the Brighton Speedway. Now, I'm not normally into the whole stock car subculture, but this weekend we had a good friend racing and a few of us went out to cheer him on. The noise was, as I remembered from the one previous time I'd gone, painful and deafening. The air was a miasma of exhaust fumes, flying dust, and cigarette smoke. But the races were awesome . The skill of these drivers really hit me while watching these pure stock cars skidding and sliding through curves, then screaming and bumping their way down the straightaway. Serious skills are required. The sheer adrenaline that drives these races is contagious, and although at another time I would probably say it's just a bunch of dirty, smelly, polluting machines going in circles a gazillion times, up close I could not help being in awe and cheering at the top of my lungs for a favourite car. While I can't understand people wanting to poison their lungs, damage their eardrum...

Get out of your meat and potatoes rut with this delicious Thai stew. Despite the name, this does not contain curry - Thai curries are actually based around a chili spice paste. It is not too hot, about equivalent to mild chicken wings at Kelsey's. It is also bursting with sweet, sour, and salty flavours! What's not to love? Thai Red Curry 1/2 pkg Asian Home Gourmet "Thai Red Curry" spice paste 5 tbsp sunflower oil 1/2 can coconut milk 4 medium raw potatoes, diced 1 medium yellow or red bell pepper, diced 1 1/2 cups zucchini, diced 1 pkg button mushrooms, coarsely chopped 1/2 can diced tomatoes 3/4 cup pineapple tidbits, with juice 4 tbsp fish sauce 1 1/2 cups baby spinach, washed a handful of chopped cilantro Heat oil to medium-high in a large and deep skillet. Add spice paste and stir well. Add half of the coconut milk, followed by potatoes, bell pepper, zucchini and mushrooms, and stir well. Let cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add tomatoe...

My girls. Don't ask me why Boo wanted to wear a diaper on her head - she has a thing with hats right now.  And Cutes saw the photo op as another kind of opportunity altogether... as her expression clearly shows.

It has been a good week. Sunday we took the kids to the Stirling quarry with some friends, and enjoyed some swimming and sunning on a gorgeous day. Monday we visited a veteran parent therapy home (for foster kids) and were impressed with what a rewarding opportunity we have, and how well suited to us. Yesterday I bowled badly (Tuesday night bowling league started the beginning of this month), but that was offset by a kind and anonymous giver who left a generous portion of veggies on our front porch - zucchini, squash, cabbage, potatoes... yum! The veggies came at a great time, because I had already gone grocery shopping but had not bought much produce this week. Now I'm baking zucchini bread - several loaves - to freeze for later. Then I'll make some Asian Cabbage Salad (a new family favourite!) and maybe some sauerkraut, and probably a delicious batch of curry for later in the week. Wow, what a blessing! We finally have a few relief days booked, meaning we will be getting...

Lately some conversations have brought me back to thinking about roles in marriage, and gender roles in general. A child development and crisis book I'm reading (from the early 90's) talks a lot about sexism issues and gender bias, but the more I read, the more I'm convinced they're missing the big picture. It seems that in our push to swing the pendulum away from the fiercely patriarchal and misogynistic culture of times past, feminists and other liberators have teetered over the brink of delusion toward uniformity. Let me illustrate this logical fallacy. We believe women are equally as valuable as men. Therefore we feel that women should have the same opportunities as men. Since we want to ensure women have the same opportunities as men, we insist that women are the same as men - and we skew job standards to gender, to support this assertion. So female candidates for a police officer position have one set of criteria they must fulfil, and male candidates have anothe...

In the absence of a productive garden of my own, I have been thriving off the clearance produce at No Frills - a fact I may have mentioned a few times already. Whether you have a garden abundantly producing, or produce abundantly available, all these ripe pickin's require fast use before they spoil. I previously blogged about an episode of peach chutney brought on by this very dilemma, and on a later day this week I was faced with a similar situation in home-grown veggies (or fruit, if you want to get technical). A few much loved friends and family members bestowed on us some very welcome garden goodies - tomatoes and cucumbers. We have been enjoying them freshly sliced with a sprinkle of salt, but as fast as we could eat them, they were heading toward spoilage. So, what could I do? The plump and juicy tomatoes, just starting to discolour in small spots, were the inspiration for a spur-of-the-moment experiment in a " salsa fresca " for pasta, which turned out fantasti...

This is a very quick and easy dinner, about 15 minutes from shelf to table. It's also very kid-friendly. Even if you don't know how to boil an egg, you can manage this one! Pasta Con Salsa Fresca 1/2 pkg (or 450 g) rotini pasta 3 medium-large tomatoes, washed & cored 1 large green pepper 2 large cloves of garlic, crushed 3 tbsp red wine (or balsamic) vinegar 1/2 cup shredded cheese (marble cheddar or fresh parmesan) salt to taste Boil pasta according to directions. In a food processor or large blender, combine remaining ingredients. Chop until sauce is desired texture. Drain pasta and toss with fresh sauce, serve immediately. Serves 4.

These may be a bit too hot for some people's liking, so feel free to adjust down the amount of chili flakes, or omit completely. Also let me warn you, from experience, not to use cucumbers that are too old or already getting soft, as they tend to develop a slightly bitter aftertaste. Freshest is bestest! Spicy Garlic Dills 6 - 8 baby cucumbers (average 5" long) 4 cups (1 litre) cold water 1/2 cup white vinegar 3 tbsp salt 2 large cloves of garlic, lightly crushed 1/2 tsp curry powder 1 tbsp dried dill weed 1/2 tsp dried chili flakes Wash cucumbers thoroughly and slice lengthwise into wedges (4 to 6 wedges each). Fill a large jar or Tupperware container with water, vinegar, salt and spices, and stir well. (Adjust to taste, should be rather briny.) Fill with cucumbers, making sure all wedges are able to soak in pickling liquid. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours before eating, or follow normal canning directions to preserve for later use.

I love, absolutely love, getting ripe fruit and veggies off the clearance rack (49c to 99c) at our local No Frills for next to nothing. I also love their doorcrasher sales - like a fantastic basket of peaches I picked up this week for a couple of dollars. Of course, peaches don't keep very well once they're ripe, so I had to find something to do with them. We've been eating them like crazy, and I have had a good chuckle at my husband peeling the fuzzy skin off his peaches before eating them. It reminds me of my little brother, who used to say "it gives me shiver-ies!" Last night I saw that some of them were starting to rot, so today I set to making peach chutney. I read online that if you dip a peach in boiling water for 30 seconds, the skin slips off easily. So, I blanched, skinned, sliced and chopped peaches this morning, sprinkling them with lemon juice and salt. Then I boiled vinegar and brown sugar with finely chopped onion, cumin, coriander, and a pinch mo...

This is not my recipe. I found it on Allrecipes.com , and it worked so well for me - and turned out no matter how many substitutions I made - that I adopted it as my permanent bread recipe.  I've substituted various oils for butter when I was out of it (just don't use anything a strong flavour, like olive oil). I've even used corn syrup instead of honey. (I imagine molasses would work too, maybe with dark rye flour and a little caraway to make a nice pumpernickel loaf!) I sometimes forget the salt, which doesn't affect the rising or texture of the loaf, just makes it a bit sweeter than my liking.You do need at least half of the flour to be all purpose or bread flour though, for the gluten to make it rise nicely. Notice that I don't use bread flour myself - all purpose requires a little more kneading, but is cheaper and more convenient for me. So, here goes: Bread From Scratch 3 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C) 1 tbsp active dry yeast (quick rising)...

Here's one recipe anyone can try - but shouldn't. You won't like it. Trust me. Baked Lobster 1 adult, lightly dressed 2 youngsters, lightly dressed 1 large bottle of 55 SPF sunscreen Liberally slather sunscreen on the 2 youngsters. That's it. Sounds like a no-brainer, eh? Or maybe I missed something... Anyway, we still had lots of fun at Riverview Park & Zoo today. :)

Here we are in the final days (I hope!) of getting ready to open our home for foster care, and the list of things to be done seems interminable. Medicals are done, criminal checks are done, bedrooms are ready, but still there are the last couple of reference letters to collect, CO detectors to buy, small handyman jobs to finish, locked cabinet to pick up, and... first aid training to take! Just when I thought I had everything ready to go, I realized we don't have our CPR certification. I really didn't have any idea, going into this, how much it was going to cost all at once to get up and running. It certainly can be a deterrent for anyone looking at fostering as just "a job". For us, however, it has if anything given us an opportunity to reaffirm that this is something we feel is a real calling. Whatever it takes, we will make it through, because of our convictions. Being parents is an enormous privilege, whether of biological children or otherwise. It's worth i...

I've been thoroughly enjoying making curries lately, blending my own spice pastes and hot oil to release fragrant aromas throughout the house. In fact, I've been doing a lot of from-scratch cooking in the last while: baking bread, scones, brownies, creatively using pantry staples, and finding new ways to use clearance produce. In the midst of my foodie euphoria, however, I am having some trepidation. Right now our family has adventurous palates. My husband will eat anything I make, and usually love it. My toddler will eat almost anything (except for some reason she doesn't like meat much), and my teething baby will try to eat ANYTHING she can get her hands on. And me, I love food. If it's edible, I'll eat it. But soon we will have new mouths to feed, who will probably be unused to many of the foods and flavours that we enjoy. Take lamb for instance. I don't know a whole lot of people who like lamb. We love it! It has such a great, full-bodied flavour, and is nut...

Yesterday was what Anne Shirley would call a "Jonah Day" for me. It wasn't the large cup of coffee that my toddler dumped behind the couch at 8:00 AM, it wasn't the 29°C heat in my house, it wasn't the food that got thrown on the floor at every meal... but these things didn't help. Things really started going downhill when I went to get Boo up from her morning nap and found her diaperless, smearing poop all over the crib, her body, her face and hair. Now don't get me wrong, I love my kids, and I can even see the humour of the situation - when it's happening to someone else - but at this particular moment, I felt like I was losing it. This little girl got an earful and besides that was forced under the shower despite her aversion to getting her head wet. If it's the only way to get her clean, I'm sorry, but she will just have to cry! After she was clean, dressed, and hair done up pretty, I put her downstairs in the playpen and went back up to st...

One of the reasons my posts have been sparse and oft interrupted in the last month or so is that we are in the processing of taking a big step towards opening our home to more children. That is, we are soon to be foster parents. Having passed through the rigours of psychological testing / personality profiling and an initial home inspection, we are now in the process of getting our home fully safety compliant, going through medical screening, criminal background checks, and character references. On one hand almost anyone can be a foster parent, but on the other hand, it sure takes a lot to get to be one! All the rigamarole, far from being burdensome, is just getting me more excited about being a foster parent to the kids we will have in our care. My Prince Charming and I have felt for some time now that we would like to adopt an older child who might have difficulty finding a good home. Ever since we started thinking about raising children, I knew I would love to have a big family...bu...

One of my favourite bloggers runs a "Wifey Wednesday" posting, and this week's was about the idea that a man who makes his wife cry is not worth having. The point of Sheila's post was that we need to get over the idea of a fairy-tale life with Prince Charming and value our real-life marriages. I saw the Disney movie Enchanted just last night (and loved it). I found it more humourous than anything, and took it to be poking fun at our tendency to expect fairy-tale endings. (All the spoofs involved were hilarious!) The premise is that Gisele, a fairy-tale girl, is waiting for her Prince Edward to sweep her off her feet, complete love's duet with her, give her True Love's Kiss, and marry her for a happily-ever after ending. Unfortunately, the jealous evil queen interrupts her plans and sends her to the real world of New York City, where "there is no happily every after." There she learns about love in real life, where she can actually get upset, get hu...

I made a new friend this month, who is as interested as I am in eating healthy, living on a dime, and family matters. You can visit her blog here , which is a fairly recent initiative. Deep in conversation with my new friend, however, I felt convicted of not having spent enough energy blogging about the OTHER "green". While a lot of my blog posts have focused on low-cost living, not so many have talked about our environmental impact. The fact is, my husband and I are both very concerned with living sustainably and practicing good stewardship, and finances are only part of the picture. Maybe I don't blog about eco-friendly living mainly because most of our household choices naturally tend in that direction without much thought. For a large part, frugality is synonymous with sustainability: For instance, buying in bulk reduces waste AND saves money. Cutting down on energy consumption reduces your carbon footprint AND saves money. Saving food scraps for soup and composting r...

My latest craze is Japanese food, particularly sushi. Before I go any further, let's get one thing straight. SUSHI IS NOT RAW FISH. Neither is it hazardous to your health. In fact, among world cuisines, it is one of the most healthful, low-fat, nutrition-packed foods you can find. Sushi, a popular snack food in Japan and a popular restaurant food in the West, is actually a wide array of bite-sized delights based around a vinegared and seasoned sticky rice (commonly called "sushi rice"). These delectable morsels may range from elaborately stuffed and garnished cones of sushi rice, veggies and other fillings wrapped in nori (edible sheets of seaweed), to simple cubes of sushi rice topped with exquisitely delicate and supremely fresh squares of, yes, raw fish (called "sashimi"). The greatest enjoyment I found in sushi was the meticulous and artistic presentation of every piece of food. To the Japanese, eating and drinking are sacred rituals, and this is evident in ...

Since I last wrote about my need for some books worth reading, I have discovered two classic authors that I had forgotten about, and whose works I had neglected to try. One is George Eliot, a nineteenth century, liberal, female author, whose novel Middlemarch is now as much beloved to me as Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice . I came across the BBC miniseries adaptation at the library, and enjoyed it thoroughly - now I can't wait to read the book. The other is Henry Fielding. His infamous character, Tom Jones , surprised my expectations. Having been loosely acquainted with various film and television adaptations of this particular novel, I had not held any desire to acquaint myself in any more depth with the original, until I recently picked up the book on a whim. Fielding's characters evoke much more sympathy and much less contempt than the trite film adaptations I had seen, and his keen sense of morality and justice come through brilliantly. When I'm done both of th...

This dish is a popular one both with my own family and with extended family. It originally came from my mother-in-law, but of course has been adapted to my own uses. Some occasions have necessitated creating gluten-free substitutions, so I am including this information at the end of the recipe. Chicken Divan-in-a-Pan 6 chicken breasts 1-2 heads of broccoli, chopped into small florets 2 tbsp vegetable oil 2 cans condensed cream of chicken soup (10 oz each)* 1 cup mayonnaise (or Miracle Whip if preferred) 2 tbsp lemon juice 1 tsp curry powder (or more to taste) 1 cup grated cheddar 6 cups cooked rice (regular parboiled or Uncle Ben's brown rice) Preheat oven to 350°. Brown and pan fry chicken and set aside to cool. In same pan, add oil and saute broccoli just until tender. Cube chicken and combine with broccoli. In a large mixing bowl, combine condensed soup, mayo, lemon juice and curry powder, and whisk together until smooth. Adjust curry to taste. Add chicken and broccoli and mix u...

A Campbell's soup can recipe provided the inspiration for this recipe, which I frequently prepared in university with whatever leftovers I had on hand. I often used leftover chicken nuggets and breakfast sausages or hotdog weiners for the meat, and whatever leftover or frozen veggies I had on hand, with equally delicious results. Easy Jambalaya 2 cans Campbell's condensed Vegetable Broth with Onions 1 cup minute rice 1 cup frozen peas 1 tbsp vegetable oil 2 boneless chicken breast halves, cubed 2 stalks celery, chopped 1 cup cooked sausage, diced 1 whole tomato, chopped (or 1/2 can diced tomatoes) hot pepper sauce & black pepper (to taste) Cook rice in condensed broth instead of water. Stir in peas, and set aside. Heat oil at medium-high in a large skillet. Add chicken and cook through. Add celery and cook for 2 mins. Drain fat. Reduce heat to low and stir in sausage, tomato, rice mixture, hot pepper sauce, and black pepper. Heat through. Serves 4.

I read a blog yesterday that praised a parent for what I consider a terrible response to their teen's bad choices. In short, a 16 year old who was caught driving ridiculously fast was made (by his mother) to stand at a busy intersection for a month wearing a sandwich-board that said "I am stupid, I was speeding and could have gotten myself and my friends killed." Meanwhile, he awaits his court date for official punishment. Do you think I am advocating leniency for this teen's irresponsible behaviour? Certainly not. But what has this mother accomplished? She has embarrassed her son, that's for sure. And probably alienated him with her childish put-down. She will have a reputation as the woman who publicly humiliated her son for a whole month. Are any of these results desirable? If I may now be allowed to philosophize on the fine art of child-rearing, let me give a short lecture on the difference between discipline and punishment. Believe me, there is a difference....

Chili is one of my favourite comfort-foods to make, mainly because it's so forgiving and leftover friendly. My own chili is hardly ever made the same way twice - I usually use beef, beans, veggies, a tomato ingredient, and whatever spices and seasonings I feel like at the time. My most recent chili, however, got a 10/10 from my hubby and was highly praised by our friends and their toddler as well, so by request I actually wrote down the ingredients. Hope you like it. Daddy's Favourite Chili 1.5 - 2 lbs lean ground beef 1 medium onion, chopped 2 large cloves garlic, crushed 1 red pepper 1/2 bunch celery, chopped 1 can diced tomatoes (with juice) 1 can beans in tomato sauce 1 can kidney beans, drained & rinsed 1/4 cup Diana Sauce (Original) 2 dashes Worcestershire sauce 2 dashes Tabasco sauce 1 tsp paprika 1 tsp chili powder 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp black pepper 3 tbsp. flour Scramble-fry ground beef until no longer pink. (Do NOT drain.) Add onions, garlic, pepper & celery, and...

If I could run a free advert in the local personals, it might read something like the title of this post. I am probably one of the most frequent visitors to our local library - but that doesn't mean I get to spend much time there. As a busy mom with a baby and a toddler in tow, my library visits usually consist of dashing in the door with arms full, clumsily dropping books and movies on the counter, and desperately scanning the video and new book racks in a furious 2 minute search for something that looks remotely interesting. Then I juggle my kids and library selections to check them out, stuff the new material into a diaper bag or pocket, and balance my load back out to the car or stroller to get them all home before we have a meltdown. What I would really love is to have a list of books that are guaranteed good reads, from which I can reserve a couple ahead of time and simply dash in to pick them up! So, here are my criteria for a good book. Must contain at least 2 of the follow...

Hi folks, I'm back from a blogging hiatus during which I had a chance to work through some tough issues and get over a little case of the blues. Glad to say all's well in the house! We had a great weekend recently visiting some dear friends in the Muskokas, and while we were there my friend and I were discussing a Sunday school lesson she was given, called We Should Love Our Families . It was such a cliché theme, overstating the obvious, but when we began to talk about love not as a noun (a warm, fuzzy feeling), but as in DC Talk song Love Is A Verb , it suddenly became more relevant and challenging. I believe love is not about feelings. Sure, when you love someone you may have warm, fuzzy feelings for them, but then again you might not. Parents, when your teenager defies you and says they hate you, do you feel warm and fuzzy toward them? I'm betting you don't. Do you still love them? If you're a good parent, you do. I have heard parents say "I love you no matt...

Do you ever feel like you're trapped in a hopelessly ordinary life? The tedium of your day to day responsibilities weighs you down like a millstone around your neck when you think of the dreams and passions you had in your youth. Maybe you dreamed of being a social activist, a political leader, a missionary, or a well-known writer, and now you're just an average Joe with an average job and a family to take care of. With all the routine busyness of everyday life, you've stopped pursuing or even thinking much about your grand dreams. Maybe you do still cherish some secret passions, but have stopped believing that you will ever achieve anything. You doodle endlessly in the margins of your notebook at staff meetings, but don't take the idea of drawing for a living seriously. You send money to World Vision, but never go yourself to see, hear, touch the people in desperate need. You write songs that you might share with a few friends, but don't take the leap of pursuing a...

Lately I've been letting my girls watch TV a little more, to wind down for nap time as well as to distract them before dinner. I know it's not the best thing for them, but it has been good for me for a couple of reasons. First (and most obviously), it helps me maintain my sanity during times when the kids are prone to crankiness. Second, since we don't actually have television per se, they are watching videos and DVDs that I have picked out for them. Shows like Franklin, Winnie The Pooh, Davey & Goliath, and the ubiquitous (in our house) VeggieTales. Shows that make me think about what I am teaching my kids. It has got me thinking about values education - how we can raise our children to be children of virtue. Children who are truthful, kind, compassionate, helpful, patient, generous, and courageous. Maybe this is shooting for the moon, when we adults can't even live up to these on a daily basis. Do you think it's unrealistic? At least no parent would say these ...

Father's Day is coming up, and this year, why not get something that YOU read (or listen to), and HE reaps the rewards from? If you want to stop your marriage from fizzling and start it sizzling, I've got the answer for you! He says, "you’re never in the mood." She says, "That's all you ever think about!" It’s a conflict as old as time. We’re told "opposites attract", but given time and circumstance, what once lured you in, can quickly lure you out. But you don't have to be stuck in this trap! Sheila's book, Honey, I Don't Have a Headache Tonight: Help for women who want to feel more in the mood, can help you solve this impasse! It's fun, real, and extremely practical. I love this book, and I know it can help your marriage. I know, because Sheila, the author, didn't always have a great marriage. She's not "talking down" to you. She wrote it as a research project to help herself. And her husband says he definit...

In case you haven't heard, there's a new fad out there that is taking the world by storm... at least the teen and pre-teen world. Normally I'm not big on youth trends, but for this one I may make an exception. The latest craze is...? Smoking Smarties. Or if you're Canadian (as I am), smoking Rockets. I'm not kidding, this is what the 8-15 year olds of America are really into. And as usual the media and school administrations are wayyy overreacting. Dire health warnings range from the ridiculous (smoking Smarties can give you respiratory infections) to the bizarre (maggots may nest in your nose)! And me, I'm just amazed at how the kids look to be the more mature ones in this discussion. In fact, this pop culture phenomenon is one of the least unhealthy activities that kids could indulge in these days. "Smoking" candy is basically just crushing it up in the wrapper, sucking a bit of the sugary powder into your mouth (think Pixie Sticks), and letting the ...

As mentioned in my previous post, this recipe is loosely based on a Blueberry Grunt featured in Inspired (by Compliments) , which I picked up in Sobeys. My version, however, has way more flavour, and is packed with nutritiousness (is that a word??). For the sake of the uninitiated, "Grunt" is a more biscuity variety of fruit cobbler, traditionally steamed, but in this case baked. Apple-Berry Grunt 1 quart strawberries, hulled and sliced 1 pint blueberries 2 large apples, peeled, cored and diced 1/3 cup sugar 2 tbsp lemon juice 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 tbsp baking powder 2 tbsp sugar 1 tsp salt 2 tbsp cold butter 1 cup milk Preheat oven to 400° F. Grease a square 8" baking dish. In this dish, combine berries, first amount of sugar, and lemon juice. Pack down well. In a medium bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, second amount of sugar, and salt. Cut in cold butter until mixture forms crumbs. Gently mix in milk to make a sticky dough. Drop dough in 6 portions onto pr...

Just thought I'd better let everyone know - I'm not dead yet! I know it's been well over a week since I last posted, and not much has happened in the mean time. It's difficult to get in the mood to share your positive and encouraging thoughts, when your thoughts have been rather less than positive and encouraging, largely due to depressing weather, teething cranky children, and insurmountable housework! There have, however, been a few bright spots. 1. We have our whole house to ourselves, for the first time since being married! When I married Prince Charming in 2005 we first lived with my in-laws (because our first house fell through), and then rented an apartment in the upstairs of a nice older couple's century home. We bought this house in November of 2007 (when Boo - my oldest daughter - was born), and have had tenants in our basement since we moved in. Our latest tenants are now completely moved out, and it feels like we just got a new house! It's pretty exc...

Joel Wright is a talented, if somewhat retiring, songwriter from the suburbs of southern Ontario, but his music sounds like it was born in open fields near a quiet stream, in some other more peaceful time. It carries the weight of great hopes and dreams longing for expression, the whimsy of Once upon a time , and echoes of lighthearted laughter with good friends. I had the privilege of hearing a compilation of his songs lately, and it made me nostalgic. It also made me want to hear more. Joel is now on Reverbnation.com and if you haven't heard of him or heard his music yet, go have a listen. It will soothe your soul.

We live in my dream house. Our small town life suits me just fine, and even the trains that creep by blowing their whistles incessantly can't change my feeling that this is the best place to live. Small town though it may be, the traffic on our street has been getting busier this year thanks to an awesome country furniture / decor / gifts / grocery / candy store that opened up next door. Someone on town council must have had the bright idea to redo our road with new pavement and sidewalks, perhaps to make it safer. While they're at it, all our water mains and sewers are being upgraded as well. I can't complain about that, especially since they've hooked us into city water and shut off our water meters while they do construction - yay, smaller bills! But the gaping hole at the end of our driveway, now that I could do without. For the last few days we have been unable to use our driveway, or indeed most of the street on this block. Now if we were retired and had nothing ...

The last several months have found me losing patience and developing a growing need for control - over my children, my husband, our finances, my weight... it seems like the harder I try to control things, the more out of control I feel. Which makes me wonder, if everything was much more manageable before this crazy cycle, why did I start going down this path? Don't get me wrong, taking charge of our nutrition is a good thing. Organizing our lives really does improve how smoothly our home life runs. And getting a grip on our finances is a step towards responsibility and good stewardship. But obsessing about things I can't control is detrimental to my health and our happiness. The global economy, the weather and the clock are all out of my control, but not out of God's control. My husband and toddler are autonomous people who make their own decisions - I can only influence them, not control them. So, this week, I'm learning to let go. Starting yesterday morning, I resolve...

I had a revelation a few days ago, as I was scrambling to reorganize the disaster zone that was my living room. Toys littered the floor, kids' clothing piled up on chairs, blankets hung from playthings or sat in little heaps in corners. Books, papers, and other random objects were strewn across the room by my enterprising toddler. The chaos was overwhelming, and I thought, how can one small child create such bedlam in one afternoon? It seems that this has been a daily (and worsening) occurrence for the last few weeks, and slowly more items have been finding their way into the mess. I started seriously considering calling a maid service and using my grocery money to pay for domestic help to help overcome the madness. It took me two hours to finish sorting, folding, organizing and putting away everything in its proper place. We have too much stuff! That observation got me thinking, maybe I can outsmart the mess by getting rid of some stuff. Turns out, more than half the clutter was ...

Lately I have been more conscious of the fact that my eldest daughter eats more bread and starchy foods than anything else. Sure, she likes fruit, mainly banana, loves dairy products (like her mom), and is starting to tolerate a bit of meat, but she really needs more vitamins and minerals. I am not a big fan of supplements, because I don't believe the body makes very good use of them, and besides they are expensive. I do give her peas, green beans and carrots regularly, but leafy greens are not something she will swallow... knowingly. I read about green smoothies on a few different food blogs that I follow, and was intrigued. The concept is simple: purée greens with flavourful fruit and other yummy ingredients, and you get a very drinkable version of all your nutrients. And unlike juice, it has lots of fibre too! Sounds healthy, but trust me, it doesn't taste like health food. Now my husband and I and my daughter have a smoothie every morning (actually, she often has two becaus...

You may think that drinking spinach sounds pretty gross, but you absolutely will not taste spinach - I promise! These smoothies are a cool shade of green that looks appealing to kids, and they taste like Yogen Fruz (fruit flavoured frozen yogourt) in milkshake form. Green Smoothies 1 banana, peeled and broken into chunks 1 1/2 cups baby spinach, packed 1 seedless orange, peeled and divided into quarters 1/2 cup plain yogourt 1 scoop vanilla flavoured whey protein powder (optional) 3/4 cup water Put all ingredients in blender (in this order to facilitate smooth blending). Blend on highest speed for 30 seconds. Drink and enjoy! Serves 2.

This was me just a few sweet days ago. Like, before my adventures in hairdressing. At the time I took this picture I was saying to myself, Ooh, this is shaggy... do I ever need a haircut! In retrospect, it really was nothing to complain about. A little shaggy around the ears, maybe. In my last post I shared with you my reasons for going punk, but after a couple of days the look was getting old and I thought I had better get my hubby to help me cut the top to even things out. I'm posting the "after" shot so that, when you see me on the street or in the store, you will be able to suppress the shock and "Whoa!" factor and I won't feel so self conscious. No, actually I'm posting this so that my mother can get all her freaking out over with before I come over to visit. Don't worry , I keep telling myself, it will grow back in a few weeks. When you're going to extreme lengths (no pun intended) to be a frugal housewife, you're bound to have your sh...

In my neverending quest to stretch pennies, I recently decided to take my mother-in-law's advice and learn to cut hair. It started with a little trim around my ears and bangs last week. My hairdo went from "Shaggy" to chic, and got lots of compliments, which was very encouraging. This is great , I thought, at $35 a cut, I'm never going to the salon again! My husband also has been starting to sport the shaggy look, and since my first haircutting venture had been successful he encouraged me to take the plunge and cut his too. He went out to Canadian Tire and picked me up a set of clippers, scissors, barber comb & cape for $20 (and ended up paying $5 less thanks to an in-store promotion). Dutifully I barbered his hair with bated breath... and managed to pull it off! Okay, his regular hairdresser would probably notice the difference, but nonetheless it looked pretty decent. Maybe these successes made me a little too cocky. "Pride comes before a fall," and my...

While my toddler has been battling the crankiness of an incoming molar, it appears that my little baby girl has been hatching a tooth of her own. The funny thing is, just this morning I was talking at her (which she finds amusing) and commenting that it seems like a long time for her to go between teeth - the first two came at 2 months, and now she is 5 months. This afternoon I was getting her dressed to go outside and tickling her just to see her huge smile and hear her squeaky little giggle, when I decided to have a good look at her gums to see if there was any sign of swelling yet. I kind of thought she should be getting the two teeth next to the bottom middle ones soon, but her pink little bottom gums showed no sign of teeth under the surface. To my surprise, however, it looks like an eye tooth on the top right is about to emerge! So, I have two actively teething babies at once. Thankfully my baby isn't very cranky, she apparently prefers to work out her discomfort by gnawing o...

My sweet little toddler has been not-so-sweet for the past half a week or so. In fact, although I love her dearly, she's been downright terrible. (Can you see where this is going?) Yesterday Daddy looked in her mouth as she was opening wide for a bite of dinner, and said "Well, that molar's finally showing!" Oh, that explains a lot. Like the fact that she bit me today, which she never does. And her waking up in the night crying frequently - she who normally sleeps like a rock for 12 or more hours every night. So now Mommy has a new best friend: Hyland's Teething Tablets. Previously I tried dissolving them in water as directed, only to have her spit it out. I even tried putting them in ice cream - that's the only time I've known her to refuse ice cream, wouldn't you know. It's like mind games for mommies. I finally came up with the most unusual solution. Put the tablets in her pudgy little hand. Oooh, a toy? Yummy! With no effort, she pops them i...