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These. Right here. Took a while to make with a teething babe and all – but success! It happened. Toddler approved. As seen after the recipe.

Sugar Free: Spelt & Oat Banana Muffins (Double Batch = 24 Muffins)
Heat: 400 F Cooking Time: 18-20 min.

• 3 cups spelt flour
• 2 cup quick-cooking oat
• 2 tablespoons applesauce
• 2 tablespoons of black strap molasses
• 2 teaspoons of baking soda
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1 teaspoon of nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons of cinnamon
• 4 cups over-ripe bananas , mashed
• 3 eggs
• 2 tablespoons of plain yogurt
• 1 cup of extra virgin coconut oil, melted (or grapeseed or almond)
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla

Preheat oven to 400°F. In large bowl (double recipe here folks), mix together the flour, oatmeal, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Appease teething baby. By way of sling wearing, kisses, cuddles, songs and snacks. Not stopping short of doing cartwheels.

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In a separate bowl, lightly whisk your eggs and add in your over ripe mashed bananas, vanilla, molasses, applesauce, yogurt and coconut oil. Add the wet to the dry, stirring lightly, until the dry ingredients are moistened. Don’t over mix, spelt flour absorbs liquid very quickly and gets too springy if over stirred! Also, don’t step on the baby under your feet. Give her/him some tupperware. Make a funny face or two. Sneak in some kisses. Clap hands. Maybe repeat.

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Spoon batter into greased muffin pan. (Use that coconut oil yo!) Bake for 18 to 20 minutes (check ‘em at around 12 minutes; oven temps vary) or until toothpick inserted into center muffin comes out clean. Let cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes. Take them out and enjoy warm, I’ve personally found that they were even better the next day in the morning! Let your baby have a wee taste. (Your bigger baby, of course).

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Especially let your toddler eat up a whole muffin for dessert, and one for breakfast too! (With some fruit, yogurt  - or green smoothie – and camomile tea).

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 Just like that. Baby sister and I have won all the prizes. Follow me over here to see how Abby did with her 1st time baking, over on the Babbles.

Big changes over here. Ones that I can’t share quite yet, as it involves other people we care about and delicate dicisions. Let’s just say we’re mixing things up over in our little world, to better suit our babies, our lifestyle and our careers.

I’ve much to catch up on…Blissdom, The One of a Kind Show and this nifty little blog collective I’m way behind is launching.

It’s just that life has gone and snatched me right up from thinking I can be such a busy-body. What’s most important – our family- they, we – are taken care of. Theere is joy in our home, stories being read, crafts being made, snuggles a constant, delicious spoonfuls being eaten and love just flowing. I’ve been taking time with my children. Hours of it. To the detriment of my business goals maybe – but for the better of our family.

In the meantime, let’s have a look-see at what Wyndham and Abigail are wearing today, because they look dang adorable. And that’s got to put a smile on your face. If you want to check out Lil’ Abner starring in her own fashion show, jaunt on over to the Babbles – that’s where she is.

There is a story to be told here. Of torture, complacency, love, joy and self-awareness.

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On Wyndham: thrifted Old Navy flannel, H&M hipster jeans, Joe Fresh socks and undershirt.

On Abby: Joe Fresh owlette onsie and leggings, H&M tutu and Baby GAP socks.

We’re a motley crew over here, which includes our wears. Try as I might, I cannot resist the pull any longer to begin a weekly small style post. Because really – little threads are just so darned cute. I also love taking pictures of my children, so. I guess I should have hopped on the band-wagon long ago.

As usual, late to the party – I arrive. Here’s my favourite ensembles (on Wyndham & Abigail), from this week.

Abby is wearing a dress made by Prairie Mama Designs  from an upcycled t-shirt via Sara Sophia, purchased at Blissdom’s Handmade Marketplace. Kim (maker of said dress), has this genius idea really – wherein the customer send her an awesome t-shirt they can’t bear to part with and she makes it into a delightful romper! Vintage mukluks gifted from Digging Roots. Organic cotton  long-sleeved onsie and stockings via H&M Kids.

Wyndham is wearing a flannel plaid shirt by GAP Kids, thrifted. Levis jeans, thrifted. E=mC2 organic cotton t-shirt by Antimatter Quasi Science Apparel. . Socks from Joe Fresh.

*Disclaimer – This is not a sponsored post. I was not compensated any which way to feature any of these pieces. I just like to dress my littles and dig sharing my mostly thrifted and/or hand-made threads. When and if our family is outfitted with something to promote, you’ll know all about it and it’ll only be something we (I), truly adore.*

With knots low down

We wait.

Like a child the hours seem far off and distant, until his return.

Really only a mere 7

House warm, soup’s on

Sinks clean, floors shiny, sheets fresh

Love, it trickles in

Imagining the joy I’ll watch unfurl

through the creases of my off-springs’ smiles

At finally having seen, and hurled their bodies into the arms of

him.

For now it’s the mad dash to tear that list down,

work-day drudgery it’s not

Creativity the major key

Lucky

Like a child though

All I want to be doing is

Dancing with glee

I suppose

Way over yonder, that he is thinking of me

Us.

This post was inspired by she.

Amy Turn Sharp's - a Poem a Day

I’m not gonna lie. The mister has been gone for going on 6 days now and I am in over my head. #SendHelpNow. He’s on a tour withNathan Rogers, playing all the songs he grew up with in his dad’s studio – from Nathan’s dad, the late great Stan Rogers.

Some of you may not know who that is, so Ima going to school you. Because Stan is a Canadian folk icon and you’ll be the better for knowing. He was a legend really, a voice of and for the people. He sang of ships and hard-working people, the Great Lakes and Ontario.

A maritimer himself, he sang greatly of the East. Stan died a tragic death on Air Canada flight 797 at Cincinnati, Ohio airport on June 2nd, 1983. He was coming home from the Kerrville Folk festival in Texas. His death did not bring an end end to the inspiration his music brought to people from all walks of life. It only solidified it, as is often the case with musical legends…read the rest of this post on the Babbles!

Ever road-tripped 7 hours, (that’s one way my friends), with two littles in the car? Sure, some of you may have, with perhaps even more, (children/babies). It is not for the weak of heart. Naye.

However. We survived. Rez bound, towards a most lovely place – Winneway, Quebec. The home of one of our very best friends, the band leader of the one in which (the band), that the mister plays bass in. This is a community that we all visit together at least once a year, largely for the community.

Also? It was dang cold in Winneway. Minus 30. That’s some chilly.

This didn’t stop the littles (and the even bigger littles), from partaking in some outdoor snow frolick and fort making.

See that little badge over there? The Blissdom one?

14 days.

2 weeks until I attend my first blogging conference.

Blissdom.

I’m just giving that one it’s own line. Room to breathe and stretch out in all of it’s sparkly magnificence.

Not just any blogging conference. The one where I exhibit at my first show in the U.S. (Y’all cross your fingers for me regarding all things ornery custom officials). It’s the one where I am one of the very few Newbie Community Leaders. It’s the one where I will come together with amazing women. Wonderful mamas. Top-notch business women.

There is so much feeling right now, that I am over-flowing with, concerning attending this conference – that it’s hard to put into words.

So bear with me.

I suppose I should start with how it is I began blogging. It was only a few years ago (2009), just after the birth of my son Wyndham. My posts were long (still are?) and infrequent. I was (still am?) a complete novice regarding it all. I had no idea how huge the blogging world was. The mom-blogging world specifically. Or whatever label you want to give it, as I know of many (I am one of them), who are not overly fond of the term.

I wrote for myself, without much concern for audience, or analytics, or sponsors. Any of it. Nothing but the pure learning and cleansing, uplifting experience of it. If you’ve been following me here, family, friend or foe – then you will know this: much has changed. As is often the case when one starts up a project, things grow, evolve and bloom. If you are decent at what you do? They have a tendency to take on a mind of their own, molded and defined by what one does when opportunity knocks. Which is a part of my bloggy story. I’ve written about her before, how I made her a tutu because Tutus for Tanner - and how none of this, pretty much, would be happening had she not seen something in the way that I write words.

Something worth a recommendation. The her being Catherine and the recommendation being my writing gig at Babble. What has happened since then has been nothing sort of BOOM, WHAM, POW! I need  not delve into all the technological, business blogging geekery that came forth (BIG learning curves), because this post is about relationships.

Friendships forged in the online world, where women fight, laugh and cry – sure. But above all else? Support and empower one another. Run businesses and pave the way in many an industry. A big one being the handmade world (my niche!) blogging and social media and technology. World rulers, these women I tell you. Leaders. Which brings to me to more shout outs.

I ‘met’ Arianne when I started writing for Babble’s, ‘Being Pregnant’ blog – she was a colleague and still is. Now that we’ve had our babes, battled colic and are about to hug each-other to the ground at Blissdom, we write for Baby’s 1st Year. I was drawn to Arianne by her eyes first. there was some sparkle, depth and lightness/darkness there. Visible in even her tiny thumbnail bio pic. I am drawn to women like that. It didn’t take long to connect with her through our various commonalities in parenting, vintage style, indie-art love affairs and values.  I was definitely smitten upon reading her personal blog, To Think Is To Create.  I had no idea, back then – that she was (is), the community manager of Blissdom (US chapter).

This Arainne mama? She’s the reason I’m going to Blissdom. It was she who asked me to bring my crafty wares to the Handmade Marketplace which launches the conference. It was she who encouraged me to apply to be a Community Leader. It was she who hooked me up with roommates. For all of this, and what’s to come, I thank-you Arianne. From the bottom of my cracked, well worn and travelled; heart.

Not just any roommates. Oh no, women who make my heart go pitter patter. Fluttering in admiration of their brilliance. Writers, artists, mothers, lovers, mentors, teachers. Arianne connected me with women, into a circle – that I feel distinctly electric in. On fire with possibilities, soul-feeding, business savvy learning possibilities. Not to mention the magnificence of the key-note spekers, sessions panelists, workshops…oh they THINGS they have planned for us. Again. BOOM! WHAM! POW!

It is with my great pleasure that I shall bunk-up, frolic and foray about Blissdom with Sara Sophia, poet-artist-writer and Amy Turn Sharp, writer and the wooden toy queen of Little Alouette. And they like me! They adore my creations! Hooray for art and creativity. In all of their vast, unique mediums, they truly draw people together.

So, here I type – one-handed while I nurse my darling babe and call out to all of you crafty, creative queens of the internets. If you are going to Blissdom, and are of the craft niche – sign on up on this list here. I want to make sure I connect with each and every one of you. Besides, I have to track all of you lovelies somehow…I’ve got some crafty swag bags to share! Just a little extra magic for your weekend, especially if you are a newbie like me. Pretty, shiny things make the heart happy.

Yes, I’m nice like that. Only sometimes. Keep that on the DL, k?

All vixens mentioned in this post? I hope you like hugs because Ima gonna bowl you over. If you are not into the hugs, tooshie spanks can be arranged. Please specify in the spreadsheet or in the comments section here if you are not of the craft niche. See you in T-14 days in Nashville yo!

Because it’s that time of year. Fresh off the cookie, chocolate, decadent, savory / sweet train. Aka: the holidays. As you may know, I am a firm subscriber to the mantra of moderation. Which means that when it’s the holidays? One indulges in (not vacuums up – but it happens), the treats. The fat-laden savoury goodness that is the celebratory, feast and entertainment cuisine of the season. G’won, go for it. I did. That and fatty mc-fatterson Bailey’s too.

Which all went directly to my….face. Not my ass. Oh how I wish it all went to my butt. I’m a fan of some junk in the trunk. On myself and other women. It’s true. All hail the curves. Boo hiss to weight gain in the face. At the drop of a dime. Woe is me. Does that stop me from sampling life’s finer pleasures? Uhm no, I’m not that vain. I just partake in some extra diligent, healthy eating come the New Year. Like countless others.

So. Join me in my quest for creating heathy, yet damn tasty dishes. This time of year begs for warm soups and stews, rich in colour, texture and taste. Brimming with the root vegetable bounty of the season. Oh, c’mere. It’ll be good. I promise.

What You Need:

• 3 large celery stalks, cut ‘em up however. Although I do suggest some smaller symmetry, because that’s good for presentation and fitting spoonfuls into your mouth. Same goes for the rest of the things you need to chop up. Think stew, mmk?
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 medium onions, diced
• 3 cups of organic baby spinach, (sounds like a lot but spinach reduces immensely)
• 1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch chunk-ola’s (use half and freeze the other half for your next stew…any stew or soup will welcome this sweet addition with open arms)
• 6 medium carrots, peeled and halved and diced
• 1 small turnip, diced into 1-inch chunkers (if you can only get a medium or large turnip, save half of the chunks to bag and freeze with that butternut squash)
• 1 carnival squash peeled (oh yes all this squash peeling s a bitch, but so #worthit) and diced into 1-inch chunk-quita’s (use half and freeze the other half for your next stew)
• 2 cups of this. Tru Roots organic sprouted bean trio. Which is a delicious mix of lentils, mung and adzuki beans. We get ours (as well as their pasta and quinoa), from Costco
• 1 cup of organic quinoa. Whatever kind you dig, you already know what we like. No one says you have to choose organic either. That’s just our preference, as often as our pocket-books allow
• 1 cup of frozen corn (peaches & cream but of course)
• 2 cup(s) water
• 1 large can(s)  of organic whole plum tomatoes (or diced). Just know that you want them to end up diced. Or squashed through your fists all Jamie Oliver rustico-styles
• 1 large mason jar or 1 carton of organic vegetable stock. Or chicken stock
• 2 kashmir chili’s
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 6 generous glugs of worchetershire sauce
• 6 generous glugs of Frank’s hot sauce (optional)
• About 20 (more or less, as you wish) peppercorns tied up in a little cheesecloth sack. (To avoid picking them all out lest you want to bite into them repetitively)
• 2 bay leaves
• Sea salt and pepper to taste
• 1 ounce(s) shave or grated Parmesan or Romano or Asiago cheese, shaved
  

  Home-made stock yo. Made 24 jars of this after Thanksgiving from the big0ass turkey carcass. Simmer that bad boy for eons with a truckload of herbs and veggies. Boom! Delicious stock.

They key to many a luxuriant stew.

Carrots; by the truck-load, get eaten over here.

How You Do:

Get you a cast iron pan. Sauté those chopped onions in a drizzle of olive oil and dollop of butter till translucent. Sprinkle with salt, add garlic. Stir and sauté for a couple more minutes till things starts to get sticky and you need to de-glaze. So use some beer or wine for that. Be generous with it. I don’t suggest cocktails however, but hey. Wouldn’t kill it. Beer and wine however would enhance it. Add the chopped celery.

Look at that. Onions that saute.

Stir and sauté till it all smells lovely and looks brown and starts to caramelize and crisp up ever so delicately here and there. This is key to starting up any good soup base, also known as a mirepoix. Some say carrots should be part of this mirepoix business. And bacon fat. (!!!) To each their own mirepoix business I say. Besides, we’re adding chunks of carrots in the stew. Although I do add in the bacon fat when I’m making a meaty stew. So.

Now that we’re clear on that myriad of things…you’ve got a good thing going on. Scrape and scoop all of that goodness into your dutch oven or crock pot. Me? I crock this action up. Start it mid morning and let it simmer on low all day. Sometimes, if I’ve got my shit together extra BOOM POW that day, I put my bread maker in action. Or I started a loaf of dough – the night before all, ‘Mark Bittman no knead styles’. (Takes mere seconds that turn into a couple of minutes people. Serious). Which brings me to a key point. If you are baking your bread this way, you should be using a crock for the stew and saving your dutch for the bread.

Bread-maker Styles

Mark Bittman No Knead Styles

Moving right along…now that everything’s been prepped, (the real time is in the washing, cutting and peeling). Basically you can dump the ingredients into your crock willy nilly. Nothing will combust. Cover and simmer on low for about 6 hours, 8 will only make it better, 4-5 will be just fine. This stew is an easy lay. In that it can be had at various times and is always willing and ready. So enjoy!

The Grand Hoopla

And for heaven’s sake. Slop it up with *a piece, mayyyybe 2* of fresh baked bread, it’s really not as hard as y’all think. Top it off with modest (remember there is point to this healthy stew), shavings of one of those 3 cheese choices up there. Lastly don’t forget the beer. Yes beer is fattening, but again. I’m all about moderation, not complete denial. Something crisp, blonde and imported – to compliment the sweet heat that this stew begs for. Crack a Labatt product and I’ll kick your arse.

a la YUM

(I’m only a snob when it comes to the important stuff. Like wine, beer and chocolate. Never Coach,  Burberry or fancy diamonds shall I yearn for.)

Meat Lover Approved. Be jealous of my hunk of a man. G'won.

I’ve noticed quite a few, “Top Posts of 2011″ and the like from writers in the blogging community.

I however have decided to choose from the much smaller collection from whence this blog began.

Why? Because I started out as an irregular, complete novice. Who still does not post everyday. However, come this year a whole lot of things are changing. The face of this site for one. Come February it’s going to be shiny and new, a hub for all that I do. More on that later.

This collection here? Is for me to share with those whom want to get to know me better, or those whom I really, really, like and want them to know me better. The awesome part about that is that it’s often a combo of the two.

It’s also a source of inspiration, for me – to come back to and meander over how I’ve evolved as a writer, found my voice and developed my mad blogging skillz. Because. Like I said. I plan on doing much more of this. In many ways. As an advocate, as a story-teller, as an ambassador and paid writer. But most importantly, for me and other women like me out there. Because the writing stuff? It heals. It empowers. It unites.

So. This curated list will be the first step into my second coming. A more frequent, constantly learning, embracing the everyday that is me. As a writer.  Gone the name acronyms will be, it’s about to get straight-up – the edgy that is me, REAL in here.

Without further ado…to serve as reminder to me. Kicks in the pants to me and FYI’s for you. So pull up a chair. Pour yourself a glass of vino. (I’m publishing this in the eveing people, as I pour myself a glass). Dig in.

BSM: Big Strapping Man (To always remember this is how I truly love HIM)

Bison Stew (Because I love to cook and you all NEED to cook this recipe)

To Have & Have Not (Of Infertility & Blessed Miracles)

Black Cherry Raw Chocolate Pie (Because obviously)

9 Month Old Wee Strappin’ Lad: Aka – WSL (How my heart bursts and still does)

No No Keshagesh… (My thoughts on many things First Nations, Native American, Christopher Columbus and then some)

Ghosts of Christmas Past (To remind me to share, and share unabashedly – more often. Because there are those who need to read my sort of stories. Heck, I need to write out my stories. Good and bad.)

Watch Them Undead Get Groovy See? (Because I’ll always be a little bit wild and that’s OK)

To Be Young & Wild & Free. A Love Story (Of How The Mister & I Met. Also, on valuing oneself)

A Day in The Life (All Wyndham, All Awesome)

The Naming Ceremony (For those who ask me about my beliefs & practices)

Abigail’s Birth Vlory (A vlog, yo’)

2 Years Old…Wyndham (Image heavy and completely necessary)

Very Beautiful Things (a look at where I’ve been & where I’m going with my business)

Tour of My Holiday Home (Because I love Christmastime and there are pictures of the siblings! Together! Not crying!)

Yesterday, one of my editors from the Babbles tweeted, ‘Today is the worst kind of day. Praying for one of my dear, dear bloggers.’

I had no idea what was going on, but I was worried. Now that I know, I am spreading the word over on the Babble’s today. Please visit this post and do what you can to help the Bielanko family pick up the pieces.

The Bielanko Family: Monika, Serge, Violet & Henry. All Safe, Thank the Creator.