Ours lately has been like fried rice – onions, leftover vegies, fried egg, leftover chicken, beans, sesame seeds etc. in quinoa all fried up. No dressing if eaten warm. Squeeze of lemon juice if cold.

But oh, who would have thought that parenting could be so rough?

Yes, eggs are good. Ive made Almond milk but we run out so quickly! I need to make a bulk order of raw almonds somehow. We do pancakes A LOT. Im still not sure if its dairy thats giving him hives, but that alternatives are so great, its not a problem so far. I am sure that the eczema is related. He has similar skin to me. I had issues with both things at his age too. Hes never liked cheese, and he wont drink milk, thats what gave the idea to start with dairy.

Yes. Muffins rock! I need to make more. We do scones quite a bit, butt hey have butter. I need a dairy free scone recipe…

Angie

thanks-
cammy in hawaii
lokahi3@gmail.com

Thanks!
Erika

Also I tried to subscribe…is there a way

I have made Almond milk – it’s pretty easy. Soak almonds in water overnight (makes them easier to digest and sweeter). drain water, add new water and blend really well in a blender. strain. that’s it. It takes a lot of almonds. I’m sorry I don’t have measurements, it’s been a while since I actually made it.

Wondering what other grains you could use (gluten free ones)- I need you to take me shopping!

Interesting pie crust recipe – I’ve never seen one with egg in it before. Must try it (with spelt flour of course).

The authors use the Quaker concept of ‘right relationship’ as a framework to build a new global economy based on respect for the environment, sustainability, fairness, and the complete well-being of people – both material and spiritual.

I wonder what it would look like if we followed all the different parts of it? I think this is a project or a book in the making.

those little bits of leftover misc vegtables go well in soup broth – store them int he freezer until you are ready for them – I know you do this already – or make fried rice with them – that’s for lunch for me today.

Love the bread site – Clint figured out a similar recipe for me using spelt flour that really couldn’t be easier. we’ve been eating a LOT of bread here lately, including my first ever current bread. yum yum. This will get us through the cold snap.

I think you could def. sell something like this reproduced by hand. Sometimes if what you are trying to do just seems too complicated maybe that’s not the right solution for you right now. I think they would be more precious as original pieces.

I decided that when I resume art sales I’m going to buy a fancy printer because I really struggled as well to find high quality printing that was not outrageously expensive.

I love the pots idea. We did something similar in our first rental and loved it. The look reminds me of jars of spices and things out on a shelf. unpretentious and real life, but beautiful. Celebrating the beautiful in the everyday.

about shaving the castile soap for detergent – i grate it by hand using a fine cheese grater, then put all the ingredients in my cuisinart to blend into finer particles. it is a little bit of work, but i find it kind of fun and relaxing. it gives me an opportunity to listen to the radio or a podcast while keeping my hands busy (as if they aren’t busy enough with all my other tasks – ha!). i found the soap (dr. bronner’s brand) in the natural food section of our grocery store.

That link is broken! Not sure what is up

You know what I was thinking was that a simple line drawing like that would be easily hand-embroidered. Maybe just one line of it (line 2?) on a t-shirt or the whole thing as a wall-hanging.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this one, Angie!

1) See the end at the beginning:
I’ve turned many times to Baha’i writings for guidance on all sorts of topics and found my source of inspiration there. Of course, “how to’s” are still hit and miss and come through trial and error. Here’s a couple of quotes from Abdul-Baha that may help you focus on the end goal:

“My meaning is this, that in every aspect of life, purity and holiness, cleanliness and refinement, exalt the human condition and further the development of man’s inner reality. Even in the physical realm, cleanliness will conduce to spirituality, as the Holy Writings clearly state. And although bodily cleanliness is a physical thing, it hath, nevertheless, a powerful influence on the life of the spirit. … The purport is that physical cleanliness doth also exert its effect upon the human soul.” and again

“External cleanliness, although it is but a physical thing, hath a great influence upon spirituality.”

2) When do I do all of this?
Determine a schedule, stick to it and work on other things around it. If it’s going to be Sat. morning for 3 hours, so be it! All hands on board, Mark and the boys need to chip in. You need to be the working captain! Have a list of things that need to be done that day. If you stick to it, picking toys off the ground is all you need to do during the rest of the week.

3) Assign Tasks
Give the boys responsibility: a little at a time – when they play during the week, make sure you help them understand, they need to put it away when they are finished . Their job on Sat. morning will be to put their room in order – maybe their weekly chore can be taking the sheets off their beds, vacuum & dust their room, even fold clothes from the dryer. Their daily habit might be to help mom set the table, make salad, clear the table & even wash dishes. Teach them how to do a thorough job (you’ll have to be patient here

4) Do deep cleaning once in while only
Clean fridge, exterior of cupboards etc. may need once in a month, whereas carpets (especially if you have pets), curtains, windows etc. need to be done at least once a year. Don’t try to do everything everyday, every weekend etc.

5) Learn from good examples
If you like something that someone is doing, ask them how they do it! In turn, your kids will learn from your good habits, they often observe and repeat behaviour. So don’t obsess over things and show your stress, just do it.
Kids love order (as you mentioned, as soon as you clean they destroy: this shows that orderliness inspires them to be creative with their toys!) and they love schedules, so take advantage and make it fun!

6) Love it!
If you leave it, no one will do it, so go ahead and enjoy it! It’s good exercise and you get a sense of accomplishment at the end of it. Reward the little ones for good job: milk shake, pbj sandwich, frozen berries are all good snacks.

It’s still a challenge for me but I try to stay on top of it so it doesn’t become overwhelming.

Hope this helps.
love always,
m.