Foodie Friday -- Whole Wheat Pancakes with Strawberry Sauce

A good friend of mine introduced me to a new cookbook.  (Thanks Maryle)  It is called 7 Secrets Cookbook written by Neva and Jim Brackett.  It is a vegan cookbook and I am in love with it.  Many of you know that we try to eat healthy and take care of our bodies.  We aren't totally Vegan (no animal products whatsoever), but are pretty close to it.  We definitely eat a plant based diet.  Well, this cookbook is seriously so good.  I have tried a lot of the recipes from it and and love them all.*  Best part?  My kids love it too.  They have eaten EVERYTHING I have made from this book.  No lie.  I got mine off of Amazon for $13.

Whole Wheat Pancakes

• 4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 quart regular soy milk (one box)
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 Tbsp. baking soda

1. Mix all ingredients together with a blender or a whisk.  (I just used a spoon).
2. Cook on a medium high griddle.
3. This makes about 20 pancakes.

Strawberry Sauce

• 4 cups fresh or frozen strawberries, diced
• 12 ounce can frozen concentrated apple or white grape juice  (we used apple)
• 1 cup water
• 3 Tbsp potato starch mixed with 1/2 cup water (can use 1/3 cup corn starch)

1. Mix first three ingredients in a sauce pan and bring to boil over high heat.
2. Remove from heat and briskly stir the sauce while slowly adding starch/water mixture.
3. Return to heat and stir while bringing back to boil.  Keep stirring until it is thickened.

These were so good I didn't want to stop eating them.  My kids loved them and want me to make them everyday.

*I think she goes a little heavy on the salt and onion powder, so I adjust it down, but that is the only adjustment I have had to make to any of the recipes.  I'm sure it is individual preference.

I'm linking up to these sites.  Go check them out!!

• Transformation Thursday @ The Shabby Chic Cottage

• Strut your stuff Thursday @ Somewhat Simple
• Favorite Things Friday @ A Few of my Favorite Things
• Frugal Friday @ The Shabby Nest
• Foodie Friday @ Cheffie Jo
• Home and Family Friday @ Home is Where my Story Begins

Thoughtful Thursday -- a Patriot's Heart

I just finished reading "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan".  It is the story of a girl in China while she passes through the different stages of life.  It is fiction and takes place well over 100 years ago.  I have no idea how true to life it is.  I really liked it, but it wasn't your typical "quick read" although it didn't take long to get through.  For me the entire book was incredibly thought provoking.  I found myself stopping to really digest what I was reading and I haven't done that in a while.

Ultimately it made me realize how truly blessed I am to live at this time and in this country.  This is not to say that being born now means everyone will have a blessed life or that being born in the US means that all is well.  I also don't mean to belittle the very real struggles that others are currently living through or have lived through in whichever country they call home.

I guess all I'm trying to say is that I'm thankful for my life and I'm happy it's mine.

How often we fail to realize our good fortune in living in a country where happiness is more than a lack of tragedy. ~Paul Sweeney

Happy 4th of July everyone!

The Five Love Languages for Children

I read this book a little while ago and I LOVED it.  I can't believe how helpful it has been in improving my interactions with my children!

Dr. Gary Chapman wrote a love languages book for couples and I read that this summer.  It was really a good read and very eye opening.  I reviewed it here.  At the end of the book he has a chapter about how the love languages relate to children.  I was very intrigued.  Then I found out that he teamed up with Dr. Ross Campbell to write one for children and I was so excited.

The concept is the same.  Everyone has a "love tank" and when our love tank is full, we are happy and feel fulfilled.  When our love tank is empty, we feel unhappy and unfulfilled.  Each person speaks a particular "love language" and in order to make sure those close to us have full love tanks, we have to know what their love language is and then speak it to them.  There are 5 love languages...Physical Touch, Words of Affirmation, Quality Time, Gifts, and Acts of Service.

The difference comes in how children handle themselves when their love tanks aren't full.  As adults, we can talk about how we are feeling or try and change it.  As children, they know they don't feel happy or loved, but they don't know why or what to do about it.  So, they misbehave hoping that the attention they will get will help to fill their love tanks.  Drs. Chapman and Campbell believe that if a child's love tank is full, their "problems" will become significantly less.  They are still children and so will still act like children, but the tantrums, outbursts, hitting/any other physical form of violence, excessive crying, excessive clinginess, etc will diminish or go away when the child feels they are truly loved.  They also say that as parents, we are responsible for filling their love tanks.  It means the difference in having a well-adjusted happy child, or the opposite.

Reading this book made perfect sense to me.  It helped me figure out what my kids' primary love languages are.  I have to say, some were quite obvious, and others were not.  Once I knew what each of my kids needed, I decided to experiment with it.  I have been making a conscious effort to talk to my kids in their love languages for the last month.  I can't even believe the difference in each of them!  It is unreal.  They weren't ever "bad" kids, but they each have definitely had their moments.  Within a week each of them was more playful, easier to talk to, and more likely to do what I ask them without any resistance.  I also learned that some languages are easier for me to talk than others and that I need to be very aware of that when interacting with my children.  The really amazing thing is that I have recently seen my children take my lead when they interact with each other.  They are treating each other the way they see me treating them.  It is truly amazing and I am indebted to these men for writing this book and explaining a concept that can quite simply change a person's life.

I highly, HIGHLY recommend it.

P.S.  Don't forget my Hooded Towel Giveaway.  It ends tomorrow so hurry and enter...tell your friends.

Healthy Eating

I have been a little hesitant to mention the health problems I have been having because I don't want anyone to think I need or want a pity party.  The only reason I am mentioning them now is because I have found something that has really helped.

A couple of years ago my husband trained for and ran his 1st marathon.  (He has since run 3)  The man/really great friend who trained him gave him the book, "Eat to Live" by Dr. Joel Fuhrman.  My husband promptly put it on the book shelf and never thought about it again.  In April I was looking in my hubby's office and saw this book that I had never seen before.  I picked it up and started reading.  Three days later I had finished the book and resolved to follow it's healthy eating program.

Why did I need this book?  Because when I was pregnant with my 4th child I had a miserable pregnancy and about half way through stated having complications wiht my heart.  My son was born prematurely and was in the NICU for a week.  The OB Dr. and the Cardiologist both thought it would get better once the baby was born.  It did get a little better, but not much.  Then when he was a couple of months old I started waking up to my hands being so swollen and stiff that I could barely use them.  After a few more months,  I was so weak and tired all the time that doing anything was difficult.  I went to my Dr. who ran a gazillion tests and sent me to a Rheumatologist who also ran a gazillion tests.  The end result, I have hypoglycemia and sero-negative arthritis which may or may not turn into Rheumatoid Arthritis (my mom has RA).

So, I started a special diet for my hypoglycemia and started a series of different meds to try and help my joints to stop hurting and being so swollen.  Several weeks later and I wasn't feeling ANY better.  And that's when I found this book.

The very simplified version of what Dr. Fuhrman says is that our bodies are made to process fruits and veggies much better than meat and dairy.  If we feed our bodies what they process better, then they will function better.  Makes sense right?  He also says that once our bodies are getting what they really need from the foods we eat, then they can start healing themselves.  On his diet TONS of people with Type II diabetes have been able to completely come off of their insulin.  People with hypoglycemia have a full recovery from their symptoms and people with Rheumatoid Arthritis don't have to take their medicine anymore.  He also found a significant decrease in multiple types of cancer among people who are eating a plant-based diet.

We were by no means "meat eaters".  We do eat meat occasionally, but not a ton.  However, we were definitely dairy eaters.  We also ate a ton of casseroles and even though I was cooking our meals at home, they were still very processed.  Following this plan was definitely a pretty drastic change in our eating habits.  I figured it was worth a try.

We have been eating healthy for one month now and have noticed some pretty big changes.  It was not easy going at first.  We have eaten more salad and fruits and veggies in the last month than I think we have in the last year.  Some of it was quite tasty and some of it was barely palatable.  What changes have we seen?  Well, my hypoglycemia is completely gone...GONE!  I can go several hours between meals without getting the shakes and without feeling like I am going to throw up or pass out.  My arthritis pain isn't gone, but is completely manageable.  I don't have to take my medicine anymore and it only takes a couple of minutes in the morning for my hands to stop being stiff and achy.  One more big benefit that I didn't really NEED, but do really LOVE.  I have lost 8 lbs. and my husband has lost 15.  We also both have more energy and don't feel as tired.

The down side?  My kids haven't loved it.  Dr. Fuhrman has a set of books that have other menu plans and recipes in them and he has a kid's book.  I bought all of those as well.  After a month, we have decided that we need to find a middle ground.  I can't make separate meals for us and the kids every day.  So, we are going to keep eating LOTS of fruits and veggies, but we are also going to add a little bit of meat and dairy back into our diet.

I absolutely recommend these books, but you do have to be committed to doing them, or you are wasting your money.

The Five Love Languages for Couples

I read this book a few weeks ago and LOVED it.  It was so helpful in understanding how to communicate better with my husband.  We have both been working on talking to each other in our specific love languages and it is amazing what a difference it is making.  I highly recommend it.

Dr. Gary Chapman is the author and the concept of this book is refreshingly simple.  He says that each person has a "love tank".  If your love tank is full you feel happy and content.  If your love tank is empty, then you feel unhappy and unfulfilled.  He also says that each person has a primary "love language".  In a marriage, if you want your spouse to feel happy and fulfilled, then you need to speak to them in their primary love language.  This will fill their love tank and help you to have a happier marriage.  What are the love languages?

Dr. Chapman says there are 5 love languages.  They are Quality Time, Receiving Gifts, Acts of Service, Words of Affirmation, and Physical Touch.  Most people have one that is their primary language, but it is possible to be bilingual.  This book helps you realize what your love language is and what your spouse's love language is.  It also gives suggestions of how to speak your spouse's love language.  He offers other sound marriage counsel as well.

The last chapter briefly talks about love languages for children and how parents can talk to their children in the correct love language so their kids will also feel happy and fulfilled.  From a parental standpoint, it was very interesting.  I wonder if it will help eliminate or at least make better some of the discipline issues we have been having with our kids.  I think it may.

There is a Five Love Languages book for kids too.  I have it on reserve at the library.  Once it comes in and I get a chance to read it, I will review it too.  I think it will be extremely helpful in knowing what our kids need from us to keep their love tanks full.

"Positive Parenting with the Gold Standard"

Have you ever had one of those moments as a parent when you have had enough and you just want to quit?  I definitely have.  Several months ago I had a whole week of days like that and I was desperate.  I finally got the dishes washed and laundry folded and decided that something had to change or I just wasn't going to make it.  It was past midnight and I sat down to the computer to look up parenting advice.

Now, I love to read and read a lot.  When I was pregnant, I read everything about pregnancy that I could get my hands on.  When I had a newborn I read everything about newborns.  With each new phase, I have done the same.  So trust me when I say I have read a LOT of parenting books.  All of them had good ideas, and some of them even worked, but none of them "fixed" my parenting dilemmas.

I realize that parenting has its ups and downs.  I think it is compounded when you have multiples or lots of kids close together (like me).  It is especially hard when your kids are little and aren't able to communicate very well.  Add the lack of sleep that accompanies being a mom to young kids, and it is a recipe for hard times.

This particular night I found something that intrigued me.  It is an e-book written by a woman named Wendy Jensen called "Positive Parenting with the Gold Standard".  She has 7, yes 7 children, and she said that by following the techniques in her book, you could parent your children without yelling, spanking, nagging, or time outs.  As soon as I read that, I was sold.  The book cost just under $25 if I remember correctly and I was able to download it immediately.

She uses a ticket system for rewards and punishments.  If you do what you are supposed to, you earn tickets.  If you don't do what you are supposed to, you loose tickets.  You can use your tickets to play on the computer or have special one-on-one time with mom or dad, or any other number of things.  It makes the child responsible for themselves and allows the parents to guide their children instead of being the "good guy" or the "bad guy".

I loved everything about the book and was convinced that we had to try it.  I knew that B and C wouldn't be able to do it, but I thought for sure that E and J could.  I took a couple of days to digest it all and to make our tickets.  Then we started.  After about a week and a half, I mournfully realized that my E and J just didn't seem to get it.  The concept was a little too old for them and I was disappointed.   However, I knew it was a good idea and so we put it away for when they were a little older.

A couple of months later E came home from school talking about "bucket fillers" and "bucket dippers".  She told me that when you do something nice for people you are filling their buckets and when you do something mean you are dipping from their buckets.  In a matter of days, my 3 oldest children were all about being bucket fillers instead of bucket dippers.  I was amazed.

I emailed E's teacher and asked her what E was talking about. She told me about a book called, "Have You Filled a Bucket Today: A Guide to Daily Happiness for Kids ", by Carol McCloud.  It is geared at school age children and it gives them a visual concept of how to be nice to people.

A few days later I saw our tickets from "Positive Parenting" and wondered if we got some buckets to put them in if my kids would get it.  I got some buckets (thanks to a friend who found them at the hardware store) and it worked!!!

Here is a picture of our buckets with the tickets inside.  I wrote the kid's names on them with a permanent marker, and they do really well with it.  Of course there are still moments when things don't go well, but I have been really happy with it.  It does take effort on my part.  I have to be consistent for it to work, but isn't that how everything goes with parenting?