As you might have noticed things around here look a little funny right now. My Husband "clicked" a button "by accident". No matter. I've actually been thinking of moving my blog and changing its name. I'm finding that my current blog name is a little long winded.
So expect some changes in the next week or so. Until things have settled I'm going to postpone the giveaway, not that it matters since nobody has entered it yet. I guess people are a little weary of "surprises". Don't worry, I think I'll go and pick something up first and then give it away so that you guys aren't as nervous.
Please be patient as I move things around.
Thanks!
Update [30/5/2012]: I've changed my blog name to Backwoods Mama. The address is www.backwoodsmama.com. You can still access my blog through the old address but everything will be forwarded to the new address in a few days.
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Giveaway: Little Surprises
I am fond of surprises. Over the last few weeks I have been blessed to be the recipient of a few lovely surprises and so have my children.
One dear friend bought me some pants after hearing my lament that I had absolutely no pants to wear, another brought me a delicious dinner. I received a beautiful bouquet of flowers and earth friendly body care products from friends from afar.
Even my little ones found two lovely umbrellas sitting outside our front door not long ago. I still don't know who gave them the umbrellas, but whomever it was - thank you!
I think one of my love languages is receiving gifts, which is funny because I would have never thought that several years ago. But it does make sense because I do enjoy blessing other people will gifts and little surprises as much as I do receiving them.
And so, I think it's time to bless you, one of my readers, with a little surprise. That's right, I am going to giveaway a surprise gift to someone. What's the gift? It's a surprise. Once I've picked the winner I'll ask them to tell me a little bit about themselves, then I'll go to our farmers' market and find something local and non-perishable (unless they live locally) to send to them.
So if you'd like to enter the giveaway, here is what you need to do:
1) Tell me about the kind of little surprises you enjoy receiving in the comment section below.
2) For one extra entry you can blog, tweet or Facebook about this giveaway. Come back and mention that you did one of these things for one extra entry.
Please make sure that you leave some way for me to contact you if I pick you as a winner.
This surprise giveaway is open to anyone who'd like to participate. It will beopen for one week, until June 5th, 2012 postponed until further notice...
One dear friend bought me some pants after hearing my lament that I had absolutely no pants to wear, another brought me a delicious dinner. I received a beautiful bouquet of flowers and earth friendly body care products from friends from afar.
Even my little ones found two lovely umbrellas sitting outside our front door not long ago. I still don't know who gave them the umbrellas, but whomever it was - thank you!
I think one of my love languages is receiving gifts, which is funny because I would have never thought that several years ago. But it does make sense because I do enjoy blessing other people will gifts and little surprises as much as I do receiving them.
And so, I think it's time to bless you, one of my readers, with a little surprise. That's right, I am going to giveaway a surprise gift to someone. What's the gift? It's a surprise. Once I've picked the winner I'll ask them to tell me a little bit about themselves, then I'll go to our farmers' market and find something local and non-perishable (unless they live locally) to send to them.
So if you'd like to enter the giveaway, here is what you need to do:
1) Tell me about the kind of little surprises you enjoy receiving in the comment section below.
2) For one extra entry you can blog, tweet or Facebook about this giveaway. Come back and mention that you did one of these things for one extra entry.
Please make sure that you leave some way for me to contact you if I pick you as a winner.
This surprise giveaway is open to anyone who'd like to participate. It will be
Friday, May 25, 2012
Nature Walk: Tulips and Books
At Elisa Loves
It is a beautiful day outside. The sky is clear with a few clouds. The temperature has warmed up since last week, and I'm finally putting away the last of our winter gear, hopefully for more that three months.
My tulips are blooming. Most of the perennials in my garden are growing back, except for a few that didn't make it through the winter. There always seems to be one of two that don't make it.
I was able to spend a bit of time in my gardens this week, weeding and dividing plants. Most of my gardens are perennial flower gardens but there is a small raised garden bed in the backyard that we use for herbs and vegetables. This year we planted peas, lettuce and carrots in there, as per Monkey's request.
When the weather is nice like this we try to be outside as much as possible. Even if it's just lounging on a blanket reading books. About reading books, I just noticed that Bird and Little Bird is starting a Read Aloud Book Along for the month of June. I think that it might be a fun activity for us to do during the month of June, especially while we lounge about in the sunshine.
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Discovering Real Food
This is my second week of being mostly gluten free and dairy free. I say say mostly because I did have a little butter twice... and a bit of cheese (how could I resist!). I am learning a lot from going gluten and dairy free. It's expanding my healthy recipe repertoire, and it's stretching my assumptions of what healthy eating really entails. At this point I don't see us remaining dairy free, but I do want to make some changes to our dairy consumption. I suspect that my Husband has some sensitivities to lactose so I am in search for another source of raw "real" milk as well as some kefir grains.
My little ones have been eating healthier and trying foods that they haven't tried before. Overall, our diet has been more balanced. We've been eating hummus and chickpea salad. I'll admit that I'm the only fan of chickpea salad around here. Monkey will eat it if he must, and Hubby only eats it for show. Baba ghanoush is has been another good snack but nothing beats the chocolate avocado mousse we made. Monkey declared it to be "the best chocolate ice cream" he's ever had. (note: I would recommend substituting the agave syrup with honey, since agave is not a very healthy sweetener).
After this week I'm debating what the next step will be. I think I'd like to continue going gluten free, but reintroducing some forms of dairy. I'm also considering getting rid of all types of processed sugar from our home.
Here are a few real food blogs that are worth perusing:
My little ones have been eating healthier and trying foods that they haven't tried before. Overall, our diet has been more balanced. We've been eating hummus and chickpea salad. I'll admit that I'm the only fan of chickpea salad around here. Monkey will eat it if he must, and Hubby only eats it for show. Baba ghanoush is has been another good snack but nothing beats the chocolate avocado mousse we made. Monkey declared it to be "the best chocolate ice cream" he's ever had. (note: I would recommend substituting the agave syrup with honey, since agave is not a very healthy sweetener).
After this week I'm debating what the next step will be. I think I'd like to continue going gluten free, but reintroducing some forms of dairy. I'm also considering getting rid of all types of processed sugar from our home.
Here are a few real food blogs that are worth perusing:
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Monkey Business
This morning Monkey locked us out of the house. It wasn't an accident. He was upset that I wouldn't let him play a computer game. Thankfully, we were all outside, including Teddy, the weather was nice and I happened to bring the phone outside before it happened. So we lounged around until my Hubby came home to let us in.
A few days ago we went to visit my parents. After supper Monkey went outside with Papou (grandpa) and Zak the dog. They went for a quad ride and then decided to teach Zak some tricks using doggy treats.
After a while Monkey got jealous that Zak was getting all the treats so he snagged a treat and wolfed it down. I tried to explain that dog treats were for dogs, not for little boys and that they weren't very good. His response to me was "they're actually really yummy!". What do I know? I've never eaten a dog treat before.
A little later Hubby jokingly said that Monkey would turn into a dog if he kept on eating dog treats. Monkey wasn't convinced but when Mamou (grandma) gave Zak a cookie a few minutes later Monkey replied "don't give Zak cookies, he'll turn into a boy!". What a Monkey!
 |
| Don't be fooled by that innocent smile :) |
After a while Monkey got jealous that Zak was getting all the treats so he snagged a treat and wolfed it down. I tried to explain that dog treats were for dogs, not for little boys and that they weren't very good. His response to me was "they're actually really yummy!". What do I know? I've never eaten a dog treat before.
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| The tulips in my garden are in bloom. |
Monday, May 21, 2012
The Horseback Riding Lesson
A while back someone gave me a friendly bit of advice. She told me that each activity I register my child into, I register myself into it as well. It it made sense to me. When you put your child in any sort of structured activity you commit, at the very least, to getting them there and back, but there's usually more involved. You might participate with the child or observe the activity. There might be home practice sessions or out of town commitments. Equipment to buy, snacks to pack, carrots to bring.... you get the idea.
There are so many different activities that are available for little ones and many of them are wonderful. But after reading Simplicity Parenting, I made the decision to limit the structured activities our little ones take part in. Right now, for our family, that means no more than one activity for each child.
In the past we've registered Monkey in swimming lessons and gymnastics. The swimming terrified him. Gymnastics was fun for a while. He hasn't been registered in anything for the last six months, neither has Sweetpea. Then this past Saturday Monkey had his first lesson in horseback riding.
I've never taken horseback riding lessons, but I always wanted to. My mother grew up around horses. I grew up around an inverted Rubbermaid bin with a saddle perched on top. Over the last couple years my mother started riding again and she wanted to share this passion with her grandson. All we had to do was show up with Monkey and bring his helmet (which we forgot).
We weren't sure what kind reaction Monkey would have to learning to ride a horse. He was shy, but the instructor was so good. He was scared to guide the pony on his own but he did manage to do it. I could tell that he was unsure about the whole experience, and so was I.
The next day as we were driving to church Monkey mentioned that he wanted to go ride a horse again. We were a little surprised. His Mamou (grandmother) was pleased.
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| Sweetpea, stop licking that carrot! It's for the pony, not you. |
In the past we've registered Monkey in swimming lessons and gymnastics. The swimming terrified him. Gymnastics was fun for a while. He hasn't been registered in anything for the last six months, neither has Sweetpea. Then this past Saturday Monkey had his first lesson in horseback riding.
I've never taken horseback riding lessons, but I always wanted to. My mother grew up around horses. I grew up around an inverted Rubbermaid bin with a saddle perched on top. Over the last couple years my mother started riding again and she wanted to share this passion with her grandson. All we had to do was show up with Monkey and bring his helmet (which we forgot).
 |
| She wanted to have a turn so badly. |
The next day as we were driving to church Monkey mentioned that he wanted to go ride a horse again. We were a little surprised. His Mamou (grandmother) was pleased.
 |
| Lucky girl! |
Friday, May 18, 2012
Gluten Free: Coconut Honey Muffins
Eating gluten and dairy free eliminates most of my usual breakfast foods. In an effort to find something filling to eat in the morning other than fruit I came across a recipe in Cooking with Coconut Flour for coconut honey muffins. These muffins are simple to make and are a hit with the Husband and little ones.
Coconut Honey Muffins
adapted from Cooking with Coconut Flour
makes 12 muffins
4 Tbsp. coconut oil, melted
6 Tbsp. honey
1/4 cup coconut milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt
6 eggs
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
Preheat oven to 400F (205C). Add the coconut oil, honey, vanilla, salt and eggs to a bowl and whisk until well blended. Add coconut flour and baking powder and whisk until smooth. Divided into 12 muffin cups and bake for 15 minutes.
Coconut Honey Muffins
adapted from Cooking with Coconut Flour
makes 12 muffins
4 Tbsp. coconut oil, melted
6 Tbsp. honey
1/4 cup coconut milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt
6 eggs
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
Preheat oven to 400F (205C). Add the coconut oil, honey, vanilla, salt and eggs to a bowl and whisk until well blended. Add coconut flour and baking powder and whisk until smooth. Divided into 12 muffin cups and bake for 15 minutes.
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Nature Walk: A Cold Spring Day
Today it's a cold windy overcast day. We're spending the day at the cabin on the lake and here are a few things I discovered on my walk around.
As I stepped outside I took a picture of the thermometer. It's cold, but not as cold as it was this morning. Apparently, an inch of snow had blanketed the area early in the morning. Thankfully it had melted by the time we arrived although I could see evidence of it here and there.
Spring comes slowly up North but even slower out at the lake. Here you can see the lupines just pushing through the ground. In the summer purple lupines cover the banks by the cabin. It's stunning.
There is still evidence of fall clinging to some trees. I'm surprised that these leaves are still attached to the branch after all the snow that fell over the winter.
The ice melted off the lake only a couple weeks ago. The water is murky and there aren't many fish around, much to Monkey's dismay.
In the summer you can see little minnows swimming in the shallow water. Monkey can catch them with a little net.
The irises are just poking out of the ground. It'll will be a while still before we see the flowers emerge.
I'm not sure what these are. They remind me of asparagus but I wouldn't eat them.
To join Elisa's Nature Walk feel free to visit her blog.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Yarn Along: Joy and Hummus
On my recent road trip I had plenty of time to knit. I finished a In Threes Cardigan for Sweetpea and started a Tea Leaf Cardigan for myself. I also had the chance to start reading Between Heaven and Mirth: Why Joy, Humor, and Laughter Are at the Heart of the Spiritual Life.
The last couple months have been somewhat stressful and not very joy-filled. Reading about the importance of joy as part of the spiritual life has resonated something inside me. So often I think that a faith-filled person must be serious and stolid, but this book has challenged my assumption. I've only read the first couple chapters of the book but based on what I've read I would definitely recommend this book to others. There are even jokes sprinkled throughout the book which I tried to share with my Husband last night with mild success (I don't tell jokes very well)... I think he was laughing more at me than at my jokes.
As I work my way out of post-partum anxiety I've been making adjustments to areas of my life. Daily exercise and stretching have become a must and healthy eating is making it's way back into our home. For the next couple weeks we will be eating gluten and dairy free (with some exceptions for the little ones). Since cheese and bread aren't an option for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack anymore I'm trying to have other options available.
Today we made some Spicy Hummus. Instead of using canned chickpeas (which would likely contain BPA from the can liner and be more expensive) I soaked dried chickpeas overnight and cooked them. Surprisingly Monkey loved the hummus and my Husband declared it to be the only acceptable way to eat chickpeas.
The last couple months have been somewhat stressful and not very joy-filled. Reading about the importance of joy as part of the spiritual life has resonated something inside me. So often I think that a faith-filled person must be serious and stolid, but this book has challenged my assumption. I've only read the first couple chapters of the book but based on what I've read I would definitely recommend this book to others. There are even jokes sprinkled throughout the book which I tried to share with my Husband last night with mild success (I don't tell jokes very well)... I think he was laughing more at me than at my jokes.
As I work my way out of post-partum anxiety I've been making adjustments to areas of my life. Daily exercise and stretching have become a must and healthy eating is making it's way back into our home. For the next couple weeks we will be eating gluten and dairy free (with some exceptions for the little ones). Since cheese and bread aren't an option for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack anymore I'm trying to have other options available.
Today we made some Spicy Hummus. Instead of using canned chickpeas (which would likely contain BPA from the can liner and be more expensive) I soaked dried chickpeas overnight and cooked them. Surprisingly Monkey loved the hummus and my Husband declared it to be the only acceptable way to eat chickpeas.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Eating Gluten Free and Dairy Free
I'm experimenting. For two weeks I'm going to eat gluten and dairy free. This, my friends, will be the ultimate challenge for me because I love bread (especially homemade sourdough bread) and cheese. In fact, I could survive on bread and cheese alone, with the occasional glass of wine for good measure.
Why am I doing this? Trust me, I've asked myself the same question repeatedly the last couple days. The truth is I'm curious to see how my body will respond to no gluten and no dairy.
I have some family members that are lactose intolerant and sensitive to gluten and while I've always been convinced that I have neither of these problems I'm curious to see if cutting them out of my diet will have any sort of impact on my health.
I'm also hoping that going gluten and dairy free will force me to start preparing healthier meals for us to eat. We haven't been eating as healthily as we usually do. Lack of energy and time have been the biggest culprits, but I'm convinced that eating healthier will give me more energy.
Do you eat gluten free and/or dairy free? For the next couple weeks I'll share with you some gluten and dairy free recipes. If you have any favourites feel free to share them in the comment section below.
Why am I doing this? Trust me, I've asked myself the same question repeatedly the last couple days. The truth is I'm curious to see how my body will respond to no gluten and no dairy.
I have some family members that are lactose intolerant and sensitive to gluten and while I've always been convinced that I have neither of these problems I'm curious to see if cutting them out of my diet will have any sort of impact on my health.
I'm also hoping that going gluten and dairy free will force me to start preparing healthier meals for us to eat. We haven't been eating as healthily as we usually do. Lack of energy and time have been the biggest culprits, but I'm convinced that eating healthier will give me more energy.
Do you eat gluten free and/or dairy free? For the next couple weeks I'll share with you some gluten and dairy free recipes. If you have any favourites feel free to share them in the comment section below.
Monday, May 14, 2012
A Road Trip
In the end, Teddy and I joined my parents for the 800 km (500 miles) road trip to my cousin's wedding. We've driven on this stretch of road many times but the scenery never ceases to amaze me.
I played the part of the tourist and took pictures of the mountains and the mountain goats. I didn't stop for the bears though, only tourists wanting to tempt fate get close to bears at this time of year.
When I'm not admiring mountain goats I knit like a mad-woman and read books for long periods of times. On occasion I'll converse with the other people in the car about unhappy cows or happy mountain goats.
We stopped every two to three hours to feed Teddy and ourselves. Teddy was a trooper and slept most of the time. I was reminded by how easy it is to travel with a 2 months old... as opposed to travelling with a four year old, two year old and two month old. Overall, the road trip was great and the wedding wonderful. It was a nice respite and I returned home feeling rested and rejuvenated.
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Washing My Face With Oil
A couple weeks ago I ran out of my Druide face cleanser, so I started washing my face with whatever happened to be in the near vicinity. Shampoo, bar soap, baby bubble bath... and sometimes just plain water. The fact is I'm wary of most body care products. Even products that claim to be natural or organic can still contain some frightening chemicals in them. I like to use products on my body that I could eat without any ill effect. Not to say that I would eat my body care products, but it's nice to have the option in case of emergency. You can check out what kind of chemicals are in your body care products by visiting the EWG's Skin Deep Cosmetic Database.
Over the last year I've experimented with making my own body care products. Some of my homemade products have been a success like my homemade lip balm and deodorant. Here is a good recipe for anyone wanting to try homemade deodorant. Other homemade body care products have gone terribly wrong like my homemade toothpaste - yuck!
One thing I haven't been able to figure out is how to make a nice face cleanser. But then I started to question the benefits of conventional face cleaners. Most face cleansers strip your skin of its natural oils which forces you rebalance your skin by using toners and creams. It seems a little strange when you think about it. Then I stumbled upon the idea of washing my face with oil, and it makes so much more sense.
Here is the Nitty Gritty on the Oil Cleansing Method. I decided to mix half-and-half castor oil and organic jojoba oil for my first oil cleansing regiment. The process is easy and leaves your face feeling nice and clean. Plus, because I'm not stripping all the oil off my skin I don't need to be using a face cream afterwards. The end result is a simpler, healthier and cheaper face cleansing regiment.
Over the last year I've experimented with making my own body care products. Some of my homemade products have been a success like my homemade lip balm and deodorant. Here is a good recipe for anyone wanting to try homemade deodorant. Other homemade body care products have gone terribly wrong like my homemade toothpaste - yuck!
One thing I haven't been able to figure out is how to make a nice face cleanser. But then I started to question the benefits of conventional face cleaners. Most face cleansers strip your skin of its natural oils which forces you rebalance your skin by using toners and creams. It seems a little strange when you think about it. Then I stumbled upon the idea of washing my face with oil, and it makes so much more sense.
Here is the Nitty Gritty on the Oil Cleansing Method. I decided to mix half-and-half castor oil and organic jojoba oil for my first oil cleansing regiment. The process is easy and leaves your face feeling nice and clean. Plus, because I'm not stripping all the oil off my skin I don't need to be using a face cream afterwards. The end result is a simpler, healthier and cheaper face cleansing regiment.
Friday, May 4, 2012
7 Quick Takes Friday
This week was Screen-Free Week. I would love to tell you that we were screen free this week, maybe next year. We did manage to reduce our screen time, thanks to the milder weather and having my mother-in-law around.
We decided to postpone selling our home. Getting our home ready to sell was adding too much stress and anxiety to my already high level of postpartum anxiety. We've decided to re-evaluate again next month and see how I'm feeling. It been such a huge relief for me.
I am doing a little better this week. I have been getting a lot of help from my mother-in-law which has help curb the downward spiral I was on. I'm on a slow climb upward now. Some days are better than others. The sunshine helps, so does sleep. So does a new pair of trail running shoes...
Little Teddy was baptised a couple weeks ago.
Tonight I went trail running. It was more like trail run...walking but it was good to get out for some exercise. Thankfully my brother accompanied me and went at my pace. Isn't he sweet? It was good because the rest of the trail running group was leagues ahead of me and had I been on my own I might have got lost in the trail or maybe even eaten by a bear. I need a trail running buddy. Any takers?
To go or not to go. My cousin is getting married next weekend in a city 800 km away. My parents have offered to take Teddy and me along for the road trip. I'd love to be there for her wedding but I'm not sure about the long road trip. It doesn't help that making decisions is particularly difficult for me right now.
I was a little stumped with this last quick take so I asked my husband what to write. He told to mention that Diablo 3 is being released on May 15th and that I should start playing Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup. How these games are related I'm not sure...
For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!
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