Simple Living

My 30 Minutes

April 18, 2012

This was my lunch yesterday. I set my place at the table, poured myself a large glass of water, dished out my soup and my salad, and sat down to a good book. I did nothing for 30 minutes but read and eat.

The meal wasn’t consumed quickly. I had no one to talk to, no interruptions, and no place to be right in this moment.

It looks good, right? It looks like a luxury some might say, and they would be right. It is a luxury.

What you can’t see in the picture is the time spent all around these 30 minutes. The two hour conference call during Landon’s first nap, the 24 emails I have written, the play date that I have run Elwood to and picked him up from, the soccer practices I will soon drop them both off at, the lessons we have done and will continue to do, the breakfast and dinner made, the laundry folded (or perhaps just piled up waiting to be folded), the bathrooms that need cleaning, and the book outline that I need to complete. I could go on, but really I think you get my point.

These are my 30 minutes. Landon is quietly resting in my bed, the older boys are upstairs reading, something that I ask of them sometimes after lunch, so that I can enjoy mine.

This might be a luxury, the good meal that keeps me nourished and going, but this is also my sanity. My little slice of me time. I am a better mother after this meal.  A better friend, wife and daughter. I am refreshed and ready, and I can push through all the way to bed  time with just these 30 minutes.

Our days can go on forever if we let them. We can find ourselves at the end, ready to collapse into bed, wondering where it all went. For me, that is surviving, and no matter how crazy things get, I want to make sure that I am taking the time to not just get through it, but live it. I love the busy days that we have. As my kids get older, that is something that I knew would come. They love to live as fully as I do, and that means that sometimes days look the one above. They look crazy.

No matter how hectic the day is, there is still 30 minutes in it for us to say “This is mine, and I need it”.

Wishing you 30 minutes of peace today.

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A Strawberry Thank You

April 17, 2012

When I wrote the post last week on our journey with food, I was nervous about putting so much of ourselves, of our personal story out there. I had been balancing feelings of wanting to protect Jacob’s privacy with knowing that his story could help at least a few people who might be experiencing something similar. What I didn’t know was that the responses that we would receive would help us so very much as well.

Jacob and I have read every comment and email that you all left, and both of us are a little overwhelmed at how much was shared. I think that for me, it brought it all home how many people are living with food challenges, and even more important, how many of us are working hard to ensure that our kids are healthy and well. It was powerful to think about.

There is no good way to ever say thank you for such a thing, but I thought that I would give it a good try with some chocolate and strawberries.

Strawberries and chocolate. There really isn’t a need to say much more than those two words in my household to get my children to come running. I never tire of the combination of these two, and just about this time every year I find myself coming up with new ways to enjoy them together.

I recently discovered a recipe for tofu cream that I fell in love with, and adapted to suit my family’s needs. Now, to be honest, the idea of including such things as tofu cream in my kitchen repertoire was never high on my priority list. The words tofu and cream just didn’t evoke yummy thoughts  , but I will happily admit to my mistake here. Tofu cream is delicious, and a very happy alternative for certain recipes. When I first thought about making these bars I had been thinking more along the lines of a rich cream cheese substitute, so I adapted the recipe for tofu cream to make it a little bit richer.

The base of the bars is a baked almond crust, but one day soon I will have to try and replicate these with a raw crust as well, just to see how they differ. Almond meal, coconut, honey, and coconut oil combine for a rich but flakey crust, and a layer of chocolate is spread in between the cream and crust for an added treat. We use Enjoy Life chocolate, and love it. Having a source for dairy, soy and nut free chocolate is a great relief to me, because most people who visit us with any frequency have at least one of those allergies.

Strawberry season is coming, and I can not wait until the first picking at the farm. That is truly one of my favorite days of the season, maybe because it just reminds me that so much goodness is coming from the garden. Strawberries were the first food that Landon ever got his hands on, and he has been in love ever since (he grabbed a strawberry from my basket as we were picking last year, and got a quick lick in before I noticed him). I was lucky enough to find a container of strawberries that looked ripe and ready last week, so they topped off the bar with their sweet goodness.

Of course, if you have any left over berries, you can always save them for a scrumptious breakfast. Short grain brown rice cooked in almond milk, topped with berries, raw sunflower seeds and slivered almonds is a favorite in our household, and a good way to start the day.

Strawberry and Tofu Cream Bars

Printable Recipe 

Crust

1 1/2 cups almond flour
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp. coconut oil – melted
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp vanilla extract

Topping

Tofu cream

1 cup cashews soaked for 20 minutes
5 dates
1 package of medium silken tofu
1 tbsp honey
2 tbsp no sugar added strawberry jam
1/2 cup chocolate chopped (or chips)

sliced strawberries

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the almond flour, coconut, and salt in a bowl and set aside. Whisk the wet ingredients together, and combine with almond flour mixture until incorporated. Press the dough into an 8×8″ glass baking dish. Bake until golden brown, 12-18 minutes.

Remove the crust from the oven and top with chocolate. Allow to sit for 3-5 minutes, then spread evenly over the crust. Allow to cool completely.

For the topping, combine the cashews, tofu, dates, jam and honey in a high powdered blender and blend until creamy and smooth. Spread evenly onto the chocolate layer, and top with sliced berried. Allow to chill fully in the refrigerator, and serve.

Enjoy!

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A Communal Homestead

April 4, 2012

I had a conversation with my husband a few months back that went like this:

Me: “I found the perfect house!”

Him: “We’re moving?”

Me: “It is up near Carter Lake, has a ton of property, and it comes with 49 goats”.

Him: Blank stare. Dead silence.

Joel is a patient man, a good man, and certainly a saint in the making for marrying the likes of me. Over the past 10 years he has sat by patiently as I charged into the world of writing, and although he works tremendous hours he has little complaints when I hand him three kids and tell him I have to get out the magazine, knit one more row, write a blog post, or test a recipe. Having said that, I might have pushed him a bit too far with the issue of goats.

In just a little over a month we will have lived in our current home for ten years. 2012 is a big year all around for my family in terms of anniversaries, but this one really struck me as being huge. For some reason I never expected to stay this long.  We made the move to this house in haste, without much agreement, and with a sense that we would not be staying in the area long. Ten years later I find myself in suburbia dreaming daily of a small farm along the range of the Rocky Mountains.

The idea of a homestead is a popular one, and certainly there are many wonderful blogs that describe their daily life with beauty and grace. For me, I envision a small space where my kids can not only roam free and play, but also learn that their home can be a source of life for them, from the foods that they eat to the clothes that they make, etc.

So what happens when one of us sees goats in our future and the other does not? That is the question that has been weighing heavily on my mind for some time. The truth is I understand that right now, in this moment, our home and our three children feel like enough for my family, and that taking on something that we are not ready for is not healthy or wise. If we were to make such a move, it would need to be with the purest of intentions and certainly a bit more knowledge of what it would take to be successful than we have right now. I also, however, understand that sometimes the dream comes in stages, and that embracing the process is half the fun.

It was with that thought it mind that I started to look at my home differently,  and my community differently.

When we moved to this house, one of the first things that we did was put in two huge raised garden beds. Those beds are now tended by 5 sets of loving hands, and what we don’t have room for, we grow in our community garden less than 5 minutes from our home.

We don’t have chickens (yet), but the front of our house faces a county road that leads us to a raw milk dairy farm where we can purchase fresh eggs, cheese, milk, and local beef.

We don’t have bees, but the front range is scattered with those who do, and they will not only share their local honey, but as much info as you can imagine about the life of the honey bee.

We don’t keep farm animals, but we look out over a horse farm where the boys are always welcome to come feed and tend the horses.

As I stand in my kitchen and watch my children playing in our backyard, I see the space that we could use to keep bees, the small run on the east side of the house for chickens, the cold frame being built to house our veggies into the colder months. I see the possibilities. Our home is going to grow over the years, and we are going to grow with it. We may not keep 49 goats any time soon, but we have what we need to live in the sustainable manner we have always wanted. What we can’t do here, we are lucky enough to be able to find in our community, and that feels amazing. To get to know the local farmers, gardeners, bee keepers, permaculturalists has taught me so much, and I realize how it has shaped who I have become in my daily life.

We have enough in this space we call home, and right now that is just perfect.

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Two Simple Things

January 24, 2012

I have always been an advocate for finding time to nurture ourselves, no matter if it is 5 minutes on the yoga mat or an hour long soak in the tub at the end of the day. I would like to think that I am a pretty good mom, but I am certainly a much better one if I have remembered to take a few moments out of my day just for me.

As my family is expanding, and there are now three little ones running around (okay, two running and one making a darn good attempt), time is getting a little thinner.

The other day I sat down with my journal, set the timer for 60 seconds, and wrote a joy list out. This is an exercise that I love to do because it is both a reminder of all of the blessings I have in my life, and it is a way for me to see what is important in this moment to focus on.

Perhaps the best part of a joy list is that it brings up small things that make me happy, and simple quick things that I can do to make the day a bit better. When lots of water and the smell of lavender showed up on the top of the list (under sweet Landon kisses and Jakey hugs, of course), I found an easy way to incorporate them into my day.

Just after I wake in the morning, I fill a huge mason jar full of cut up oranges, cucumbers and ginger and place it in the fridge to stay cold. A quick glass here or there makes me feel like I am getting a refresher in my day, while getting the water I need as a nursing mama. As for the lavender, that goes in a bowl of fresh water with two washcloths, and goes over the eyes or face when the stress of the day begins to show itself.

It takes 5 minutes of my morning to prepare, but as simple as these two things are to make, they have a long lasting impact on my mood throughout the day. Maybe they are just my reminders that there is always joy in the simple things.

What simple things bring you joy today?

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Naturally Fun Parties for Kids

January 23, 2012

In late Spring of 2011 I was invited to help write a book on throwing naturally fun parties for children with Anni Daulter. Anni is the author of such books as The Organic Cookbook, Ice Pop Joy, and Organically Raised: Conscious Cooking for Babies and Toddlers. Having a 3 month old babe in my arms, I jumped into the task of creating recipes, crafts, and decor for distinct parties that would be fun for children of all ages.

This book was an incredible learning experience that taught me so very much, and that I will never forget. Naturally Fun Parties for Kids: Creating Handmade, Earth-Friendly Celebrations for All Seasons and Occasions is available for pre-order now, and is full of ways to use natural, recycled and eco-friendly materials to throw fun and festive parties both outdoors and in.

Naturally Fun Parties for Kids gives parents distinctive ideas and complete plans, decorations, activities, recipes, and more — for celebrating with their families throughout the year. All 12 parties are inspired by nature, are cost effective, utilize recycling and other sustainable practices, and are incredible fun for all! From a fabulous homemade, all-natural spa party filled with floral-scented foot soaks and chocolate facials, to a morning gathering in pajamas for a party with pancakes galore, there’s a party here for every personality. ~ Amazon. com

Anni and I hope that you enjoy a little “taste” of what is inside below, and we are very excited to share the book with you in March. If you are interested in reviewing Naturally Fun Parties for Kids ahead of it’s release, please email me at heather@shivayanaturals.com.

From the Natural Spa Day Party

Chocolate Facial

½ cup cocoa powder

4 Tablespoons oatmeal

½ cup honey

3 teaspoons cottage cheese

½ cup fresh plain yogurt

Mix all together and refrigerate until ready to use.

Apply to face and leave on for 10 minutes or until girls want to eat it off!

Rinse off with water.

::

From the Winter Solstice party

Cheesy Potato Soup with Honeyed Walnuts

2 Tbsp butter

1 ½ yellow onions, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 Tablespoon fresh tarragon, minced

1 Tablespoon fresh rosemary, minced

½ Tablespoon fresh thyme, minced

2 pieces of celery, chopped

½ cup mushrooms, chopped (any variety)

2 lbs potatoes, peeled and chopped

4 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth if vegetarian)*

2 cup water

2 cups white cheddar cheese, shredded

2 Pinches of cayenne

Salt and pepper to taste

:: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

:: On a large baking rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper, arrange a single layer of walnuts and coat with honey.

:: When oven is hot, cook the walnuts for about 15 minutes, set aside.

:: Meanwhile, set a large saucepan over medium-high heat and heat the butter for 1-2 minutes.

:: Add the onion, garlic, tarragon, rosemary, thyme, celery and mushrooms celery and sauté for 5-7 minutes.

:: Add potatoes, broth and water and bring to boil.

:: Add in the cayenne and salt + pepper.

:: Cover, turn the heat down to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes or until squash soften.

:: Puree with a hand held mixer or blender and return to a clean pot.

:: Add in cheese and mix until it melts.

:: Add salt and spices to taste, and garnish with honeyed walnuts.

Serves 8

Enjoy!

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