A little bit "crunchy" in South Texas!

Moving...

2014-09-30T14:49:00.002-05:00

I'm exploring the blog world by moving. You can now find my ramblings at:

http://alittlebitcrunchyinsouthtexas.wordpress.com

Come by and visit! Let me know which blog looks better as I transition in this blog world and leave me some feedback! :D

~Norm

Cesarean Birth... Again.

2014-09-24T05:00:00.000-05:00

So as so may as well already know, I'm pregnant with baby #5! I have so many mixed emotions about this pregnancy. Don't get me wrong, I'm totally anticipating the birth of this little mystery bundle of joy! The entire family is super excited to have another little one join our family. The hubby and I are ready for the challenge of raising our soon-to-be family of 7!!!

My mixed emotions come from the birth I am about to experience. I've done it 3 times before and I can't say it gets any easier. I didn't get to welcome my babies into the world the way I would have hoped. I still long for the ability of birthing my children naturally even though that desire will eventually turn into an unlikely event.

Baby #1 arrived via emergency c-section almost 13 years ago after a failed induction. I was due December 22nd and I distinctly remember my OB telling me he would really like to "get this baby out of me" before he was to go on Christmas Vacation. Naive Norma believed this would be possible 13 years ago. There was no one to tell me to wait... to let nature runs it's course... that babies don't stay in your uterus forever. Etc, etc... I figured my doctor knew what he was talking about and knew how to induce me successfully. I never knew how much my chances of a c-section would increase with this said induction. I never knew that I had the right to say "no, this is my body, my choice." I was 21, naive, and trusting of the medical system. Well 26 hours of induction, unbelievable Pitocin induced contractions, and a water rupture later... I was told my baby was simply not going to come on his own and he needed out. I was prepped for an emergency c-section and wheeled off to the operating room. My poor husband must have been so scared at the time. Neither one of us was prepared for this and I'm sure he never thought he would get to see what my guts look like by simply peeking over that dreaded sheet in the operating room. My baby was placed near my face so I could kiss him and for me to get a glimpse of him. I wish I could tell you that moment was carved into my memory... but it isn't. I was so doped up and sleep deprived that I have to really focus on that day to remember everything that happened. My baby was wished away to the nursery (a perfectly healthy baby I must add) and I was separated from him for the next 6-8 hours. It was awful. I never wanted to do this again. This wasn't the birth I imagined. I knew it would be hard, but I didn't know it would be like this.

Baby #2 was conceived a little over 2 years later and I promised myself that I would do better. Be more aware. Be more picky about my provider. I promised myself a VBAC! I didn't know much (still, I know, silly me, research Norma, research!) about VBACs except that they were possible and that the success rate is very high for a healthy pregnancy. I did everything different. I exercised, interviewed doctors, ate "right." Healthy momma, healthy baby. I got to week 39 and I remember getting to my OB appointment excited to almost be at the finish line. I was going to do this! Well that excitement died quickly. My OB was very optimistic throughout the entire pregnancy and built me up... only to drop me like a sack of potatoes at this appointment. His words "it seems your hips are just not letting this baby come down. He's too high, you're already 39 weeks honey, a vbac just seems highly unlikely for you." My heart sank. Where do you go at 39 weeks? Who do you ask for a second opinion when you are this pregnant??? I was horrified that I had no back up plan and I was looking at a repeat c-section. Why was this happening to me??? There's no need for me to talk about this birth... you can simply scratch the induction part of the first birth and there you have it folks. Healthy baby, drugged up momma, baby is taken away for several hours... I have pictures of people coming to see me on the day I had my 2nd little bundle but no recollection of them being there. I truly thank my lucky stars that I had a healthy baby again and that I came out of surgery number two without complications, but this is truly not what I wanted in a birth and I had a long recovery ahead. Not only was my body healing from this procedure, but my heart from the feeling of failure I had just experienced for the second time.

Baby #3 came many years after the first two. I think I held out so long for this little guy because I still carried these birth stories with me. I had a lot of personal healing to overcome with my first two little guys. I'm sure not everyone takes a long time to heal from a csection but I did. I took it very hard. I felt I was just not ready to experience this again. After reading so much about the possibility of birthing naturally after 2 cesareans, I wanted to be a success story so badly! I felt that if I could achieve this, my heart would finally erase those scars I have carried with me over the years. My birth didn't turn out the way I'd hoped. You can read about it here. I wish I could tell you that I'm over all of this pain but I can't really say I'm moved on from it just yet. I really felt robbed after surgery number one and those feelings seem to intensify every time my body "failed" me.

Don't get me wrong, my healthy children are the light of my life. If I had to endure this all over again, I would do it in a heart beat. Would I make better decisions, yes? The outcome of the way I brought my babies into the world does not for one second change the way they make me feel. I adore them and I am so thankful to be their momma. One day, when they are all grown up and starting lives of their own, the hubby and I will be left here to talk about anything and everything under the sun. Maybe even how little this matters in the wide spectrum of our lives. I hope that if you're experiencing the same things I am, that one day you can reflect on how this life event (or events in my case) don't define you or me. Life brings on many struggles in different shapes and forms. While I'm recovering from a failed natural birth, another momma is visiting her child in the NICU, and another momma is waiting to finally conceive after many years of trying. We all walk difficult paths but always try to think of how this particular situation is building you up. Take something from it. I know I will...

Now that I'm facing c-section #4, I will try to get all my thoughts in order. I will focus on healing after this procedure. I hope to achieve a family centered cesarean where I will get to hold my baby and hopefully have my baby by my side during my entire stay at the hospital. I will focus on my complete and healthy family. If you have any words of encouragement, please share them. They will be very welcome! 26 weeks down, 14 weeks to go...

By the way, if you or someone you know is trying to attempt a VBAC birth, contact your local ICAN chapter. They have resources to help you along the way and can be your cheerleaders in this sometimes difficult journey! Good luck to you!

~Norm

Vegan Chilaquiles

2014-09-22T05:00:00.000-05:00

Chilaquiles are a breakfast I had many times as a kid. My mom always made them so delicious! I seriously don't know how she does it. Being from a Mexican household, it's no doubt that we had these a lot. I think mom would always take it easy on me though because once I grew up and ordered these bad boys at a local Mexican restaurant, I quickly learned that this dish can be super spicy depending on who made it. Mom didn't make them so spicy but always got them just right.

I have attempted to re-make her delicious dish but I think I will never reach her perfection. Hahaha.

So for now, here's my vegan version of this delicious Mexican dish!

Ingredients:

Corn Tortillas (about 10)
Tomato Puree (1/4 cup)
Your favorite hot sauce. Mine is Cholula. Yum! (just a splash for me)
2 tbsp Olive Oil
1/8 c. water
Daiya Shreds (I use cheddar but mozzarella would work well here)
Salt & Pepper to taste

In a medium skillet, heat your olive oil on medium. Slice up your tortillas into 1/2 inch pieces. I like to make mine into little squares but you can chop these up anyway you like. Add your tortillas to the hot oil and toast them up! Get them nice and crispy so they don't break up too much when we add the liquid ingredients.
Once you tortillas are nice and toasted, mix in your liquid ingredients and add salt and pepper to taste. At this point I like to add the Daiya shreds (as much or as little as you'd like) to get them nice and melted! :D
Simmer and reduce your liquid ingredients until they are mostly dried... Serve and Enjoy!

I love to eat these with a side of homemade pinto beans and some avocado slices. I really could eat this everyday but I probably shouldn't! Sometimes if I want to add a little more green to my plate, I like to steam some peas and serve them on my plate. No matter what you choose to add, your tummy is sure to be pleased!

Being vegan isn't bad at all in this house! Our tastebuds are satisfied ;)

~Norm

Breastfeeding in the RGV

2014-09-17T05:00:00.000-05:00

My first son was born almost 13 years ago... where on earth did the time go? Back then, I only had the support of my close friends and family when it came time to raising and caring for my new baby boy. Sure we had the internet... but it was no where near what it is now with all the current social media outlets. Back then, I relied on my instinct and following what I had learned from my wonderful mom.

I chose to breastfeed my son because I knew it was nature's way of giving him everything he needed. I don't remember struggling to nurse him but I do remember the nurses in the hospital pushing me to supplement my new baby with formula because he was just "too hungry." I didn't fight the nurses but when I went home, I chose to exclusively breastfeed and we did well as a new mom and son team.

Now, I have found a huge support system within the Facebook world! Mommas coming together to cheer each other on during the joys and struggles that breastfeeding can bring. Supporting each other and offering kind words of advice that may just help during a very difficult moment. I'm so glad that social media has brought forth a new "support group-like" atmosphere at the click of a mouse.

I've watched our local group grow in numbers and it's truly inspiring to see so many moms pushing forward and feeding their babies the way nature intended. We have nursing moms, exclusively pumping moms, and supplementing moms. The diversity brings on a ton of knowledge that can be shared with moms-to-be who may one day find themselves in a tough spot and in need of a word of encouragement. I am excited about this group and all it has to offer to local mommas.

Recently, I had the opportunity to capture some of these wonderful moms in a small photo shoot. It was amazing! In this photograph, I see strong moms who have presevered through the good, and the bad. I see babies who are happily thriving in their mom's arms. I see comfort and nutrition. What a great experience it was to be able to capture these lovely mommas and babies. If you are a nursing mom living in South Texas, come and join the group. You might just find yourself amongst some new local friends!

~Norm

One year later...

2014-09-14T09:00:00.000-05:00

A year ago today our entire family changed. We were faced with news that we could never have imagined we'd ever hear. We came face to face with loss and our hearts ached. We are not the same since since.

I have my gorgeous cousin and her beautiful son fresh in my memory. They lived in Mexico just about 6 hours south of the Texas/Mexico border in a town named Tampico. She was like my 4th sister. I grew up so close to her and her family because my mom is very close to my aunt. It was always a happy place to be. We played as children, laughed, and passed the days as little girls together. For a long time, we had distance as a barrier and we didn't see each other. Despite those long years, she always wrote and sent pictures. I always felt like she wasn't really that far away.

I remember the day we reunited after so many years. She was a brand new mom to her little bundle, Oscar. I remember looking at her holding this tiny baby and thinking that I wish I had been by her side the entire pregnancy and birth. We picked up right where we left off. We came right back to loving each other's company and sharing laughs and sorrows together. Months later, I had my first son and the boys were just under a year apart. We shared birthday parties, ice cream dates, and parenting advice every time we reunited. I always admired her youth (she loved to dance the night away), her dedication to her son, and her hard working demeanor. She was a single momma and quite the package for any lucky guy to snag.

My heart now has a burning spot which will never really heal. Every time I think of how young she and Oscar were the day their tragic accident occurred, my heart breaks. I know they must be rejoicing in a peaceful afterlife but my selfish heart wishes they were here for one more hug. I wish I had one more opportunity to tell them how much I love them.

Life is never guaranteed. I know this, I've always known this. It's so hard to accept when your loved ones are ripped away from you in an instant though. I felt so much anger just one year ago. I still feel the pain even though I have come to accept that they are not longer here. I still randomly think of them and can't hold back the tears in random places. I know time will make this feel less painful but frankly, I can't really believe that quite yet. I don't know when these tears will stop because they were a big piece of my heart. I can't imagine how that pain would change over time but I suppose time will tell.

Today, hold your loved ones tighter, make that call you've been setting aside, send that text, say I love you. You never know what tomorrow will bring so take that moment now while you are fully able to express your love for those who mean something to you.

~Norm

Pregnancy: Week 25

2014-09-12T05:00:00.000-05:00

This is the first pregnancy post for baby #5! I suppose I can blame that on the fact that keeping up with 4 kids, homeschooling, and pregnancy is kind of tough. Well it's not too bad actually, we just always have something to do.

I have three healthy boys, one pre-adoptive-super-adorable baby girl, and a bun in the oven. Baby #5 decided to surprise us and we truly didn't know we were expecting until we had almost reached the end of the first trimester. So this pregnancy seems to be passing me by way too quickly!

I feel good! Aside from the obvious weight gain, things are going really well. The only complaints are the occasional headache or heartburn. I can't say it's something specific that I'm eating because I'm following pretty much the same vegan diet, which is what I did while pregnant with my 2 yr old. His pregnancy was a breeze! No complaints, and I felt good the entire time! When I'm stricken with a migraine now, I think to myself that things could be a heck of a lot worse so I just suck it up.

Recently (as in the last couple of days) I have experienced a little shortness of breath as well but I suppose that this large belly is bound to do that to me anyway so it's not too big of a deal. I simply take it easy on days when I feel the shortness of breath coming on. I'm experiencing a mix of emotions about this pregnancy. I know this is our last baby so I'm trying to really soak it all in. The baby kicks, the rounded belly, the ability to crave my soy iced chai with no judgement ;) lol... and of course, the loving cuddles from all the boys. They love to gather around my belly and talk to their "little bitty" sibling.

As I type, baby #5 is performing some acrobatic moves and I can't help but feel so much joy. I know there are tons of sweet couples out there struggling to conceive and they are always in my thoughts. I am blessed to have a lovely home filled with laughter, brother fights, and sweet cuddles.

~Norm

Homeschooling: Week 3

2014-09-10T05:00:00.000-05:00

Week three for us has been the wake up call from the "honeymoon" period. Haha! Or at least that's what I'm telling myself is happening.

Like anything new, homeschooling two boys has been a challenge as well as a big improvement around here. The boys and I are complete newbies at this whole thing so it's no surprise that we are working to figure all of this out.

The first two weeks were like this honeymoon phase. You know, when your eyes are sparkly and everything is peaches and roses. Week three however, has been that tester week. I've had to be more "pushy" when asking the boys to get started with the daily lessons and they have been a bit more hesitant to follow instruction. (For this hormonal pregnant momma, that's not always the best approach... But we won't get into hormonal details today!)

Overall, the boys are following a pretty slick routine. (If you can call it that.) They stay up late so they sleep in. I would say by the time they roll out of bed and have breakfast... The clock is usually around the 11ish mark. At this time, they get started with computer time. Usually we can get all of our lessons in during this computer time. Math, reading, spelling, writing, science, foreign language, history, and the occasional tech skills, music, and art. Not too shabby for first timers eh?

They are self pacing and since I have some smart cookies, it takes them anywhere from 1 1/2 to 3 hours to finish up everything and review with me. During this time, I have my 6 month old napping most days and Ben coloring and playing with the iPad on a Chalkboard Art app or the Hooked on Phonics app. The busy bags come in handy during "school" time also! (If you haven't seen the post on busy bags, check it out!)

I think the only thing we need improvement on are household chores and picking out better books at the library. They seem to love all those Goosebumps or Pokemon books and completely forget about real literature. I'm sure it will take some time to get better at this... Right?

If you've got this all figured out, feel free to throw some tips my way! Lol

~Norm

Vegan Chik'n Pot Pie

2014-09-05T12:39:00.000-05:00

Being vegan doesn't mean having to sacrifice good flavors and comfort foods. It simply means you'll probably have to get a little creative with your recipe and make it work for you and your diet. I have fiddled with many recipes for the past 3 1/2 years to help our family expand the dinner options and it was a trial and error game for me. Chicken pot pie wasn't something I grew up eating so I am not a classic girl when it comes to this recipe lol... I always was curious about this dish growing up and didn't actually try one with actual chicken until my adult years. I'm pretty sure it was a crappy frozen meal too. I hope my version does some justice to the classic even though I'm sure it's quite different.

Ingredients:

Veggies (Fresh or Frozen ---- there are endless possibilities here, add any veggies you love :)

1 c. green beans (chopped to about 1 inch pieces)
1 c. peas (shelled of course)
1 c. diced carrots
1 c. chopped broccoli
1/2 c. corn
1/2 c. diced onions
1 clove minced garlic

1-2 Tbsp. Olive oil

1 c. Soy milk

1 Tbsp. whole wheat organic flour

Salt and Pepper to taste.

1 Package Boca Chik'n Patties (baked according to package instructions and diced up)

Your favorite vegan biscuit recipe. Mix and have ready to bake prior to starting your veggies. You may want to double your recipe here so you can have plenty of biscuit mix to cover a 9x13 casserole dish! (We did!)

First:

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.

Next:

Start by sautéing your onion with olive oil over medium heat in a medium to large pan for about 5 minutes or until tender and translucent.
Add your veggies to the pan and garlic. Sauté together until veggies are partially cooked. You want to let them have a little bit of a bite since you will be putting these in the oven shortly. (another 5-7 minutes)
Add your milk and flour to make a thick sauce as you continue to cook your veggies. Add salt and pepper to taste. Allow your new "sauce" to thicken a bit and then remove from heat.
Pour your veggies into a greased casserole dish ( I used a 9 X 13 but you can use what you may have on hand... cake pan, casserole dish, a couple of bread pans, or a traditional pie dish.)
Evenly spread your diced and fully cooked Chik'n patties over your vegetable mixture.
Take your biscuit recipe and cover your veggies and Chik'n patties.
Bake in the oven per biscuit recipe instructions or until golden brown at the top. (Ours said 8-10 minutes but actually took a little longer since we have all these yummy ingredients under the biscuit mix.)
Serve and enjoy! Pair it up with some mashed potatoes, or some rice... or anything else your little heart desires ;)

I really hope you enjoy this dish! It's one of our favorites even though we don't make it too often. It sure hits the spot when we do add this to our weekly menu though! If you have any suggestions, leave them in the comments and I will be sure to try them out. :) Happy veggie dining!

~Norm

Adoption Update: A look back at our journey.

2014-09-05T06:00:00.000-05:00

Recently we got a little more insight on what is happening with our latest little one. It looks like everything is lining up for us to be adoptive parents soon! I can't wait to be her official forever family. We seem to have been on this journey for a really long time but timing has a way of working itself out. We are crossing all of our fingers and toes to have this little one officially join our family sometime before Thanksgiving. Prayers and positive thoughts/energy are very much appreciated :)

Our adoption journey began quite a while ago. Back in 2009, my husband had the opportunity to work with his children's choir at a local Spaulding for Children Adoption Fair. He was so moved by the stories being told that day that he came home talking up a storm about finally being ready to "do this." You see, when we first met, I had brought up the possibility of adopting in the future and he wasn't the biggest fan of this idea. Since I was a child, I always envisioned that I would have a ton of adoptive babies. I recall my mom laughing about it and telling me I was crazy. My little sister and I would talk about all the kids who were homeless (back in we lived in Mexico) and needed homes. We felt compelled to help somehow but only being children ourselves, were kind of at a road block. Anyway, getting off track here. When my husband shot the idea down, I was kind of bummed but decided to tuck the idea back into the back of my mind. An adoption would never work if weren't both on the same page. How could we love and accept any child if we were not on the same page. If he wasn't ready for this, I didn't want to force it on him. So after 10 years of our relationship, he finally came around and decided that adoption was something we should look into as a family.

At this point, we already had two young boys and had to talk to them and see if this would be something they would be ok with. After all, it wasn't just Kevin and me anymore. The boys seemed thrilled at the idea of having our family grow! We went through trainings, classes, more trainings, retreats, support meetings, background checks, and finger printings. The process was slow, and long. We volunteered in hopes to meet some of the children who had already found their forever homes. We wanted to absorb everything that came with this adoption process. You see, we didn't opt to find a newborn baby at a private agency. We chose to go through the foster care system.

There are thousands of children in and out of the system daily. So many of them have permanently lost their biological families. Every day they wait to see if someone will come forward and welcome them permanently into their home. Many of these children never find their forever family especially if they are over the age of 8. They age out of a broken system that sets them up for a difficult life. It's truly heart breaking. We anxiously wanted to be parents to one of these children. Even though many times, I wanted to help them all.

Kevin and I were blessed to meet so many children and prayed that we had found the child that would join our family, only to learn that we were not matched. We didn't give up. About a year and a half into the process, we learned that we had been matched to a sibling group of three. Three!!! We were going to grow from a family of four to a family of seven! The excitement was building but we held reservations since we knew nothing was final until the ink was dry. Upon finding out that our family was matched, we learned that we were expecting a baby. We were torn, confused, nervous, and excited all at once. Ultimately we came to the conclusion that a newborn and three additional "newborns" (in a sense, since we would all be learning to live together initially) would probably not be the best decision and we made an extremely difficult decision to stop our process of adoption. The children didn't know about us so there was no harm done to them. My heart however, was crushed into a million pieces.

After our healthy pregnancy and new bouncing baby boy, we decided to jump back on the horse and keep going. We weren't giving up yet. We started looking into being foster parents and began that process. Our little guy was only 5 months old when we officially opened our foster home. 5 placements later, here we are, at the adoption court's door. Anxiously waiting to forever change our family. We feel incredibly blessed. Our journey hasn't always been the easiest. We've seen good days, bad days, incredibly trying days, and heart wrenching days. We've had our hopes up and our hearts broken multiple times. Every challenge has made us a little bit stronger and more ready for this stage of our lives. I hope our family can be everything this little one needs to live a life filled with love and acceptance. She's our little piece of heaven and I can't imagine our life without her. I hope that the next update is about our new official family member. :::crossing all fingers and toes again:::

~Norm

Vegan Molletes

2014-09-03T10:54:00.000-05:00

Growing up I ate a lot of molletes. I mean A LOT! If you're not familiar with this particular meal, I will explain.

A mollete is a single piece of bread buttered up and grilled. It has a layer of beans spread on top and shredded cheese. The bread is turned on to the cheese side on the griddle and it gives you this delicious melted and almost crispy layer of cheese on top when done right.

(Image courtesy of Wikipedia)

Originally, this is done on a "bolillo" or a sub like bread. The beans can be black or pinto (growing up, I think my mom used mostly black beans.) The cheese used on top was always "queso fresco." I suppose you can use a swiss or monterrey jack if you prefer the flavor. Anywho, I'm getting away from the vegan version!

Now that my diet is very different from the one I grew up with, some adjustments to the recipe had to be made!

Ingredients:

Sliced bread (Your fave vegan option works here)
Daiya shreds (I love using the Pepperjack version!)
Refried Pinto or Black Beans (I used fresh made beans and blended them in my Nutribullet)
Vegan Margarine (Optional)

Take your sliced bread and spread some vegan margarine on both sides. Set your sliced bread on a hot griddle (about 300 degrees works well.) Once you have a nice golden brown going on both sides, remove bread.

Spread some beans on each slice of bread and sprinkle as much of the Daiya shreds as you prefer on top of the beans.

Drop your bread back on the griddle (Daiya Shred side down.)

Give the griddle a few minutes to get those shreds melted and almost a little crisp. I would say 3 minutes will do (for my taste) but you can easily check by lifting a corner of your bread to see what you have under there. Once you are ready to remove your molletes from the griddle, do so quickly with a nice big spatula. You want to slide that spatula quickly to avoid creating a mushy mess haha... If your "cheese" has a nice crisp to it, the spatula should have no problems sliding and picking up your bread beautifully!

Allow the mollete to cool if you can stand not eating it right away and enjoy! Now I have to admit, my version is not nearly as good looking as the original... But it taste pretty darn good!

This is one of my favorite quick lunches! When the kids get a little wired and I run low on time to "cook" myself a hot lunch, I can always count on just enough time to put this little meal together. You have your grains, and legumes all in one. For a busy mom, this is just enough to get me going for a few more hours hahaha!

~Norm

Vegan Poblano Macaroni

2014-09-03T05:00:00.000-05:00

Poblano spaghetti is a common side dish used in a lot of Mexican dishes. This little mysterious green pasta always looked and tasted so delicious back in my carnivorous days. The creamy texture, the mild spicy-ness, and the funky green color were always so enticing. I never learned to make this side dish until I was vegan though! I always enjoyed this when someone else cooked it lol...

So when we switched our diet and slowly felt low on options, I started exploring ways to bring back some of the dishes I would eat prior to our diet change. I had to brain storm and figure out a way to make new ingredients work for me. Some ingredients were flat out rejected by my taste buds but luckily, I was able to find something that worked for this recipe!

Ingredients:

Vegetable Stock (about 2 cups)
8oz Tofutti Cream Cheese Style Spread
2 Poblano Peppers
1 box of your favorite pasta (I used whole wheat macaroni but have also used spaghetti noodles in the past.)
Salt & pepper to taste

In a toaster oven, broil your washed and dried poblano peppers. Keep an eye on these bad boys. The "skin" of the peppers will bubble up and once it does, it is time to turn it to get those bubbles to pop up on all sides of the peppers. (These bubbles help loosen the "skin" of the peppers which will later be removed.)
Once your peppers are bubbly all around (this step can take anywhere from 8-10 minutes,) take the peppers out of the toaster oven and place them in a container with a lid. Let them sit in their own steam for about 5 minutes or so. In the mean time, you can start cooking your pasta according to package instructions.
Take your peppers and carefully remove the "skin." It should be fairly simple, it's just a paper thin layer. Remove the stem and take out the seeds if you don't like a lot of heat. (These peppers are not generally super hot but they can give you a little kick if you're not used to eating spicy food.
In a blender, pour your vegetable stock, add some salt and pepper to taste, and add your "skinned" peppers. Blend these ingredients until fairly smooth.
In a pan or small pot, heat up your vegetable stock and add in the entire package of Tofutti Cream Cheese Spread. Take a whisk to your sauce and make sure that the "cream cheese" is blended really well into the stock. Bring your sauce to a boil and keep whisking. You want to reduce your sauce slightly but not too much! I would say this step can take about 5-8 minutes on medium to medium high heat.

That's it! Combine your pasta with the sauce and toss it together until it is generously coated and serve as a side dish or as a main course if you want to pair it up with a protein. You can get creative and add veggies to your pasta. You can serve this as a side to some grilled tofu. Your options are endless! It's a creamy dish with a nice spicy kick to it. In my case, I used a chopped up Boca Chik'n Patty. My sisters and I can't get enough of it! :) I hope you enjoy it too!

~Norm

First Year Homeschooling: Day 1

2014-08-26T07:19:00.001-05:00

My oldest child brought up homeschool a few years ago (maybe 3) and I just nodded and smiled along with his idea. I wasn't in a place where I could mentally grasp homeschooling my kids. He did plant the seed though!

I took a lot of time to think and really organize my thoughts about whether this was something I could do for my boys or not. I read a lot of blogs, stats, and facts. It didn't seem so far fetched, I mean, who could look after my boys better than me right? Well at the beginning of last school year, I was ready and willing to start this journey with my boys. That's when I learned that my second child was not on the same page. He had heard me mention homeschool but never thought I was serious. He didn't want to leave his friends or the public school setting. So we ended up back in public school until we were all in agreement to start homeschool together.

Fast forward to now, and here we are, starting our first year of homeschool! Both boys are on board with the plan and seem willing to cooperate with whatever I throw their way. Of course, this is day 1 and I'm sure we will all need motivation to stay on track. I've decided to mix it up a bit this year. I'm leaning more towards unschooling my children but with my husband being a teacher, we haven't quite agreed on this decision. So this year, I will following along with the Easy Peasy curriculum that was recommended by friend along with some self guided reading for the boys about things that spark their interests.

Day one went well. We did a little bit of math, a little bit of history, vocabulary, foreign language, and writing. The boys also had some exercise as part of their "curriculum" for the day. I think we didn't cover science yesterday but it was my mistake. I must have missed that part of our "plan." I hope today is just as good, if not better. I don't have every detail planned out for them for every single day this year, I think if life has taught me anything, it's that nothing every really turns out exactly as planned. So we are pushing ahead with a new adventure at our home and I really hope to offer the boys the freedom to be themselves and explore the things they love along the way. I don't want a system to hold back their capabilities and creative minds. I want them to thrive and I hope to make that very accessible to them as we learn and grow together.

Wish us luck!

~Norm

Toddler Busy Bags

2014-08-23T10:55:00.001-05:00

I have two sons who I raised by trail and error per say... I have always just followed my mommy instinct and tried my best at giving them love and nurturing to help them achieve their own personal best. I think I mostly just went with my gut because Google wasn't the go-to resource 13 years ago haha!

Now that there is social media and so much communication amongst mommies across the area and across the world, there are so many new things I've been tempted to try differently! Some ideas work, others don't, but it's always nice to look at what other moms are doing to parent their kids.

I was recently invited to attend a "Toddler Busy Bag Swap" with a group of local mommas. This was completely new turf for me. I have no idea what a busy bag is!!! Lol

After some online research, I thought the ideas were cute and definitely worth a shot. My two year old can probably get good use of these little busy bags while we travel, eat out, or simply need a little bit of quiet time at home.

I decided to go with a magnetic "fishing" game.

I made felt fish with a metal eye. The fish have two pieces of felt glued together by a handy glue gun.

The "eyes" I was able to pick up in the scrap booking section of my local Hobby Lobby. I used a little yarn and cake supports as a finishing rod and added a magnet to pick up the "fish."

For the added learning element, each fish is numbered and the back side has a vowel.

My little guy tested out our new busy bag last night and it works! 20 minutes of quiet toddler time was very impressive! He's only two, so 20 minutes is fantastic! I might be able to get more stuff done around the house once we bring home the other baggies that our mom group is putting together. I made a total of 8 fishing games and once we exchange baggies, we will have a variety of games to choose from.

I'm not sure where this idea originated, but I'm glad it's out there for moms to explore! If you haven't tried making a busy bag, go for it! Get together with some mommy friends and swap. You'll have a small selection to choose from when you need a few minutes of peace in your home. :)

~Norm

Vegan Grilled Cheese & Soup

2014-08-21T08:20:00.001-05:00

Growing up we never really did the grilled cheese and soup combo. I grew up in a traditional Mexican family so believe me, soup was a regular at our house, but grilled cheese was never a thing for us. (We missed out for years!!! Lol)

Now that we choose to eat vegan, our soup recipe isn't quite the same and of course, neither is our grilled cheese.

Here's the adapted version of this yummy combo.

Soup ingredients:

Vegetable broth

Tomato sauce

1/4 c chopped onion

1-2tbs olive oil (I used sunflower this time)

One package of soup

Salt and pepper to taste

Onion powder to taste

Garlic powder to taste

Alternative ingredients you can add:

Chopped veggies of your choice

Ingredients for grilled cheese:

Vegan butter or coconut oil

Whole wheat bread

Daiya cheese shreds

Alternative ingredient:

Tofurkey deli slices

To make my soup, I start by adding the oil to my pot on med-high heat. I add my onions and stir these until the are almost transparent. I then add my soup. This allows the soup to toast up a bit.

Once you start to smell the nutty smell of toasting soup, you should be able to add your liquid ingredients and your seasonings.

Bring to a boil, and then reduce your heat to med-low. Allow your soup to summer for about 20 minutes or until your pasta is fully cooked. If you added veggies, it may take a little longer, maybe 30 minutes or so.

To make your grilled cheese, you want to add some vegan butter to your bread, sprinkle some cheese and set on a hot griddle. This should only take a few minutes on each side to brown up beautifully and melt your cheese. I like mine extra crispy! Yum!

If you're not vegan, give this a try anyway... My non-vegan brothers always like coming by to eat so it has to be good right? ;)

~Norm

RGV Fluff: Cloth Diapering 101

2014-08-16T19:49:00.000-05:00

Facebook has a way of making life easier for moms... and sometimes more difficult. (It's a complicated emotion right?) haha

I have joined several groups on FB: Cloth Diapering, Foster Parenting Support, Buy/Sell/Trade, Local Garage Sales, Babywearing, Breastfeeding Support, RGV Vegans, Play groups, Homeschool Coops, and Attachment Parenting. These are all great ways to meet local people living a life similar to mine. Sometimes our "real life" friends can choose different directions than we choose and it's nice to meet other folks that can relate to what you are doing. I know I get funny looks when people ask why I cloth diaper my kid or why I nursed him until he was 2... Well, it's nice to be surrounded by mommas who don't question it and can share along with stories of their own.

Recently, our cloth diapering group suggested a "Cloth Diaper 101" class and after much talk about it. It finally happened! The original venue for this class was supposed to be the library... after one cancellation and a schedule mix up, the class almost didn't happen. I decided to offer up my living room to host and it was so nice to have all the mommas show up today to learn and talk about cloth diapers! There were babies everywhere! It was adorable.

We had a couple of presenters show a power point and pass around different types of cloth diapers today. For mommas that have never used cloth, I'm sure this was great info to get started. I'm excited to see cloth diapers in the RGV and to see that more interest is showing. What a great way to help our environment, and our babies' health! (Who can complain about the money savings also, right?)

I wish I had more pictures to share with you but sadly, my toddler decided to take over my phone this morning... (anything to keep him cooperative lol.) I'm glad to be a part of this growing community of cloth diapering mommas. I hope to see more fluffy bums in the RGV soon.

~Norm

RGV's Big Latch On Event 2014

2014-08-03T19:08:00.000-05:00

This is the 3rd time the Rio Grande Valley has been able to participate in the Big Latch On. We have been blessed to have the event being sponsored by Blissful Baby for the 3rd year in a row and I was lucky enough to participate despite no longer being a nursing momma.

When I learned about my most recent pregnancy, I was sure I would be one of those lucky mommas that would be able to continue nursing my toddler. I was wrong. My milk dried up and we had to wean despite my little guy not being ready. I felt bad for ending our journey together but also very blessed to be able to continue nursing him for his two first years of life. I will treasure that gift forever! My little guy has grown so fast... but that's a different post haha.

The Big Latch On event was wonderful this year! It was held at the McAllen Public Library this year and it allowed for all of our breastfeeding mommas to browse the local vendors, our farmers market, and local library all in one morning. There was plenty of room and I think this year ran so much smoother than our previous two events. Mommas were present, baby wearing, and excited to meet and talk to each other that morning. I swear I must have been grinning from ear to ear just watching all the like-minded mommies that morning.

I was able to help out with registrations and I'm happy to report that we had over 50 folks attend, 27 nursing moms, and 1 expressing momma latch on during the event! This is such an improvement for our region and I'm excited to watch the numbers grow. Our area is just starting to wake up and participate and it brings little butterflies to my stomach to see so much support for local mommas these days. Lord knows breastfeeding can be a challenge in the beginning, but with a little support and awareness, mommas in our area can succeed! Normalizing breastfeeding in our area will be a little challenging, but I'm certain we will see progress sooner rather than later.

Picture credits go to Blissful Baby. Next year, I hope to join the nursing mommas with our newest addition... and I might even convince my hubby to be the photographer. Who thinks I can train him to use the dslr before August of next year? (I'm hopeful.) lol

~Norm

Picture taking...

2014-07-17T22:17:00.001-05:00

Have you ever noticed that taking pictures of your littles can easily turn into the nearly impossible task? Well that's what it turns into at our house these days. Someone is always looking away, or crying, or blinking.

Here's our attempt at announcing baby #5!

How do you capture your kiddos these days?

~Norm

Hand Foot and Mouth Disease

2014-07-12T21:41:00.001-05:00

Three boys... 12, 9, and 2. In all these years of parenting, I had never encountered Hand Foot and Mouth Disease. In fact, I'm pretty sure I didn't even know it existed for most of my life.

When you learn about other littles having these viruses, you wish parents well and kind of forget the details. Well, in our case, I had seen other moms in our parenting group post stories about this particular virus, but being that we hadn't dealt with it, I didn't give it much of second thought.

Well my little man was having an off day a couple of days ago and I attributed it to possible teething or growing pains. No big deal. He had a low grade fever of 99.1 that night but it was so low grade that I was not concerned at all. Well the following morning I woke up to a very cranky two year old with a rash. This rash was on his knees, hands, and feet... I knew what it was at first glance.

As most mothers do, I quickly ran a Google search for Hand Foot and Mouth and saw some pretty disturbing pictures of nasty rashes. Oh man, I should have guessed that I would immediately want to do whatever it took to heal this little man. I call the pediatrician and the on-call nurse asked us to come in. We avoid the doctor at all possible times but this one was a little different. I know nothing about this disease, or virus, or rash, or whatever. I wanted reassurance, so off to the pediatrician we went. She confirmed my suspicions and suggested ways to keep my little guy comfy. There's not much anyone can do to make this go away any faster but there's ways to comfort your child. We opted for making organic lemonade popsicles, and offering our guy plenty of icy drinks. Hydration is key here. As far as the blisters go... well we decided that a little coconut oil with lavender essential oil would do. We also used an oil from DoTerra called On Guard. This one is supposed to boost the immune system so we figured applying that to the bottom of babies' feet should keep them fighting off these bugs. My next plan is to use fresh aloe on his rash to prevent scarring.

So far, the blisters are ugly and frankly, a bit scary.

Luckily, our little guy has been very good about taking in his liquids and eating this whole time. I can tell he is in pain at times but it seems to be subsiding now that a couple of days have passed. I hope he doesn't scar from any of these blisters. I suppose time will tell on that one. So we are on day 3 of this mess and hope that we don't have very much longer to go! Have you dealt with this in the past? If you have any encouraging advice, feel free to drop me tip in the comments!

~Norm

Busy Summer!

2014-07-12T21:23:00.000-05:00

It's been a while since my last post and a lot has happened in this busy home. Our foster baby will be five months old soon and she's an absolute dream to have in our home. Things are going extremely well with her and we hope to continue to have good news about her in the near future. She has simply been heaven sent!

We recently hit a slump health wise... well two of the boys did. I have a case of walking pneumonia in the house and one case of hand foot and mouth disease. I think we've seen the pediatrician more this week than we have in the past couple of years with the boys haha! Luckily, one of these will pass on it's own in due time and the other we have treatment for. So I'm hoping that within the next week we will have healthy boys again. I have also been boosting everyone's immune system with essential oils... we wouldn't want these viruses to spread like wildfire around here.

Our summer has not been very eventful but we have gone on one mini road trip and spent time with friends at a Quinceanera in North Texas. We have also enjoyed our local parks and spent time in playgroups. This is always nice to beat that cabin fever I seem to catch ever so easily. (I think we can thank our outings for the recent viruses lol.)

I recently took up a beginner's class for belly dancing... more on this one later! We have also been granted permission to take baby girl to the beach this summer so we will try our best to head out to the sandy beaches of south Texas soon!

Well, now that all this miscellaneous chatter has distracted you, I also found out recently that we are expecting! This will be my 4th delivery and due to my prior c-sections, it's safe to say that we are looking at c-section number 4 here! I'm a bit nervous about what another surgery means health wise for my body and a bit more nervous about recovery while having two other babies in the home under the age of 3. I'm sure we will be just fine but there's always that feeling of "what if" in the back of my mind. What if something goes wrong... What if it's too much to handle for this old momma of 4 soon to be 5... What if we can't find enough help once baby arrives... you get my drift. Not to mention the possible surgery scenarios that cross my mind... eeeesh! Overall, I'm trying to focus on positive thoughts. I simply want to have a healthy baby and delivery. Everything else will fall into place... it has to... right?

Many years ago (15 in fact,) I mentioned to my husband (boyfriend at the time) that I wanted a large family. "5 kids minimum," I said. If I had a picture of his face, it would be a nice touch to add to this post. haha! It looks as thought subconsciously I've made that happen! We are thrilled to know our family is growing and can't wait to meet this little one. Ok, maybe I can wait a bit... We are excited to finally complete this wonderful family of ours. I think this will make for a busy few years since we will have 3 kiddos under the age of 3 but we will find a way to make it work and make it fun in the process. After all, time passes ever so quickly and babies don't keep. One day the hubby and I will look back to all this chaos and wonder how our house became so empty and quiet. For now, I will try to remind myself to embrace the loud, the dirty, the disorganized, and the lack of me-time. I will try my best to take deep breaths and enjoy all the things that come with babies, toddlers, preteens, and big families. Wish us luck!

~Norm

Newborn baby smell...

2014-03-04T09:07:00.000-06:00

New baby in the house.

Chores being ignored.

Coffee is a survival tool.

My own meals are set aside, skipped, or ignored for the sake of children's needs.

I wouldn't have it any other way. The sweet smell of newborn baby has blessed this home again with a new love. She has won the love of all of us with her sweet sounds, smells, and cries. I can't imagine living my life differently right now. She may not be with us forever, or she may stay depending on her circumstance... but right now, in this very moment, I get to hold her and love her like she were my very own.

Being a foster mommy isn't always this easy... so I will bask in the joy now because tomorrow is not promised.

~Norm

14 Day Water Challenge: Day 3 and 4

2014-02-27T20:18:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was a craaaaaaaazy day!

So I might as well confess that I fell off the wagon. Caffeine was my best friend yesterday evening and this morning as well. Sweet warm coffee to the rescue. I promise this was for a good reason though.

I received a call on Monday asking if we would be able to foster a couple of kiddos. I sadly declined and second guessed my decision the entire day... Then I got a call asking about another little one. I quickly said yes. I figured our path within this journey would unfold as it's destined to unfold so why not right? Well we were declined for that little one. Then we go another call... Yes, there's a high demand for homes.

I didn't get my hopes up but I sure did send my prayers upstairs after this call. Baby girl. Oh the thoughts of a sweet baby girl and her pitter patter in our home was just overwhelming. I couldn't say yes fast enough. I sent my prayers off and hoped for the best. Well she's here! The teenie tiny little one is with us and I couldn't be more excited to be her momma while she's with us. The tiny accents of pink in a sea of blue are adorable. Everyone here is excited to watch this little one grow. I pray that we are granted the strength to show this little one all the love she deserves. :)

Well, I got sidetracked, since I now have two little ones... there's no way in HELL I'm going to survive without that little cup of joe in the morning... or elevensies, or brunch, or dinner, or midnight! Hahahaha, maybe I'm exaggerating, but really I need my joe now more than ever!!!

So on that note, I will continue to attempt my 90 oz of water pr day... but you better believe that my good friend joe will be joining the party...

~Norm

14 Day Water Challenge: Day 2

2014-02-25T22:27:00.000-06:00

The migraine.

Yes, the inevitable migraine began late last night and continued today... ALL DAY LONG!

Am I a caffeine junkie? Yes, yes I am.

Day 2 was about me overcoming the pain and temptation to cave and have the coffee. Since it's already 10:20 p.m. I would say I have survived.

So on to day 3! I've been averaging about 90 ounces of water each day so I hope to keep hydrating like this everyday. Maybe my darn zits can be eradicated with all this H2O! haha... wishful thinking ;)

Hasta mañana!

~Norma H

14 Day Water Challenge: Day 1

2014-02-24T19:56:00.001-06:00

I was recently asked by a fellow Facebook friend to join her and a group of other lovely ladies on a "14 Day Water Only Challenge."

Now when I first got this invite, I dismissed it and though, "pft, not happening." After a second look however, I decided to join in because food was still involved! Haha!

So the challenge is this: Eat, exercise, as usual but your drink of choice shall be water for the next 14 days. 8-10 glasses. Not that hard right?

Today is day 1. My usual morning coffee was replaced with water. Oh how I longed for that warm, delicious, eye-opening first cup of coffee... I somehow managed to make it through the morning. I even did a couple of house chores... Not too shabby. By lunch time, I was hurting. I AM A CAFFEINE JUNKIE! By dinner time, I was ready to brew a whole pot of coffee for myself and ignore that I signed on for this... Hahahaha I'm weak, what can I say?

Well I have pushed through dinner and I'm now lounging in front of the tv while The Bachelor prances around on a home town date. I hope to take this challenge a day at a time and tell you about the headaches, the irritability, and all that jazz. I have given up caffeine in the past and I've triumphed past the withdrawal stages. I hope I find success again, especially since I am chasing a very active toddler now and will potentially be fostering another little one soon (that is another post on its own.)

For now, I have a mild headache and I want to quit... But it's only day one! I shall keep pushing forward.

~Norm

Our first time in Laredo, TX

2014-02-11T06:00:00.000-06:00

My baby has a fantastic Godmother. She is a few hours from home and since Ben is not the biggest fan of his car seat, we hadn't taken a road trip to see her. She has always been a doll and visited us.

This past weekend, I decided enough was enough and I packed my little man in the mom mobile and headed towards Laredo. Our first trip to the historic city. Now, since I was traveling with a toddler, the historic aspect of the trip was x'ed out lol... but we did spend some quality time with our dear friend.

Chick flicks, cake baking, pizza night, and wine... what more can a girl or a toddler want right? Ok, maybe the wine would be omitted for my little guy but overall, Ben loved visiting his "Mimi." (Babies sure have a way of nicknaming don't they?) He was exploring, taunting the pups in the back yard, and stacking his "Mimi's" canned goods.

I was very grateful for a smooth drive to and from... Lord knows road trips with Ben are usually anything but fun. He was quite the tolerant kid this weekend. :) Driving from the RGV to Laredo is different... small towns, narrow roads, and very few vegan anything along the way made this trip a bit of a challenge.

While in town, we were able to find a fine little pizza spot named Brick. They offer brick oven baked pizza which is always a winner in my book. I simply had them leave off the cheese. I had portabello mushroom as my toppings along with tomato and enjoyed some baked Kale chips as an appetizer. Ben didn't complain about our dining choice either... but he sure did christen the place by letting the poor waiter know he had been on a long road trip... as soon as we walked in the door, Ben decided to throw up his recently eaten blueberries. I was mortified, but you would think that by baby #3, I wouldn't be so prone to turning all sorts of shades of red when something like this happens. Thank the heavens that no one got puked on... I don't know if I would ever be able to go back! Haha!

While our visit was a short one, it was quite nice. I loved being there to talk to my dear friend and to have my little guy bond with such a special adult in his life. She's so special to us, I hope we can make her see how much she means to our little family. :)

#Godmothersrock!

~Norm

My C-section 1 1/2 years later...

2014-02-10T13:43:00.000-06:00

I originally meant to publish this post at the 18 month mark, but with busy motherhood at hand... That has now turned into 20 months! Well, here goes nothin'

Caesarean sections are no joke... they are highly overrated in case you're thinking, "I want to pick my baby's due date," or "I want to keep my lady parts in one piece," or any or crazy reasoning you want to throw out there lol..

I didn't opt for any of my c-sections. I was one of the many statistics here in the USA when it comes to the business of birth. The usual hurry up and have the baby bustle... The time is ticking... The doctor leaves for his holiday vacation so we absolutely must induce you!" (sigh) If only I knew then what I know now...

Anyway, this post is not about the many unnecessary c-sections performed in "The Land of the Free," but rather to show you my scar (in case you care to see it... If not, I highly suggest looking away now...)

How I feel: I still have a little tenderness around the scar itself. It just feels weird... not painful or anything of that sort... just tender. There is a bit of redness all the way around the incision site which should fade in time if this one is anything like my previous sections. I'm back to riding bikes, chasing my little man around the park, climbing jungle gyms, etc. I can tell you that immediately after my c-section, I noticed that this recovery was going to be much harder than the previous two. Although I did have a slower recovery, I did bounce back eventually and started to feel much better about the surgery about 4-6 months later. Now that it's almost been 18 months, I might even consider another pregnancy... hAhaha! Maybe not... but eh, who knows. For now, I think my little baby boy and my big guys keep me busy enough... especially when we add foster kiddos to the mix.

I suppose we will leave procreation for another post... For now, here's the pic!

~Norm