if I ever become a professional photographer this is the kind of photos I want to take… raw, real, it tells a story of our life and the personalities and routines that make us who we are.  Ryan hated this photo when I showed it to him – his hair is standing up, he put on that shirt by accident that morning, there are boxes and clutter all over the room.  But I love it.  This is life, our life, two of my boys exactly how I see them, I couldn’t change a thing.

A couple weeks ago I had the opportunity to take a workshop from three amazing photographers.  By the end of the day I was beyond inspired and ready to start up my own photography business.  Then I remembered I’m a wife and mom and have about 13 spare seconds in the day to spend on my own hobbies… so that’s going on the back burner for about fifteen years.

Photographing portraits at noon in the worst possible lighting…. we got some tips from Stephanie on how to make the best of your lighting, and how to find the perfect spots and angles for your photographs. (Stephanie photographed my wedding six years ago – she is amazing and SO talented!)

Playing around with shutter speed – we got tips from Steve on how to freeze movement, or create movement.  I had fun with the shot below…. something I want to try with Lucas on his bike sometime soon.

Playing with aperture settings – Will let me use his super awesome lens to practice… that’s my lens on his camera – too bad I had to trade back.

All these photos are straight out of the camera – no editing.  So, nothing fancy, just demonstrating some basic skills.  If anyone is interested in a basic photography class to learn how to use their digital SLR camera, I highly recommend this.  Although I was already familiar with most of the principals that were taught in the class, I came out of it with so much inspiration.  A day among adults with the same passion I have.  I hope someday to be able to spend more time on this hobby of mine.

Three of the best tricks I know for getting young kids to eat healthy are 1) make it finger food, 2) disguise it, and 3) dip it!

I’ve combined those tricks into one amazing breakfast that can be made in advance, frozen, and microwaved in less than a minute on a busy morning.

Who doesn’t love french toast?!

Pumpkin French Toast Sticks with Agave dip

Ingredients:

approx 1 small to medium loaf of bread – I use gluten free multi-grain from trader joes or I make my own

8 eggs

1 cup of pumpkin puree

2 cups coconut milk (or your choice of milk) – I use SoDelicious Coconut milk because it doesn’t have a strong flavor

1 Tbsp cinnamon

1-2 Tbsp agave or maple syrup (optional) – I leave it out since they are dipping in agave syrup once it is cooked

Directions:

Break eggs into a wide, shallow bowl and beat lightly. Whisk in cinnamon, pumpkin puree, milk, and sweetener (if using).

Over medium-low heat, heat griddle or skillet and coat with a thin layer of oil – I use grapeseed or coconut oil.

Place the bread slices into the bowl, letting them soak up egg mixture for a few seconds.  If using gluten free bread, which is denser than wheat bread, you will need to soak a bit longer.

Transfer bread slices to griddle or skillet, heating slowly until bottom is golden brown. Turn and brown the other side. Cool on a wire rack and slice into sticks.  Serve with agave or maple syrup (my boys like a mix of the two) and freeze the leftovers in meal size portions to pull out when you need breakfast in a hurry.

One of my favorite breakfast foods right now is millet grits.  I buy the Bob’s Red Mill brand – they are very similar to polenta or corn grits, and can be eaten the same way.  I love mine hot with raw pecans, coconut milk, frozen organic raspberries, and a little stevia powder.  If you want to indulge and a little dairy is not a problem, substitute whole cream for the coconut milk and it will feel like you are eating a rich dessert for breakfast.  Yum!

If you want a hot breakfast cereal in the morning but don’t have the time to cook it every day, try cooking large batches and freezing in small portions to microwave on the go.  I do this with my grits, and with steel cut oats for the boys.  Saves time and still tastes delicious!

The wildflowers we planted last spring are starting to bloom again, and I just can’t take my eyes off of them.  Their colors are so rich and vibrant, a blessing from mother nature for sure.  The boys love to pick them and share them with anyone who drops by for a visit.  Just another one of many reasons why I LOVE spring!

(these photos were taken last year with my old camera, but I just had to share them.  I can’t wait to take new ones this year when the flowers are in full bloom)

Question of the Day:  What do you get when you give a four year old free reign of the kitchen and permission to invent his own recipe??

Answer: A delicious smelling, sort of okay but not really good tasting cookie that is decidedly put in the freezer to “save for Santa”. 

Bonus: You also get a more confident, happy kid and a proud mama.

When Lucas told me he wanted to invent his own, better tasting recipe for “balls” (a healthy, raw, nut based, sugar free cookie that I make regularly for myself when chocolate cravings hit) the other day, I figured it would be a fun kitchen experiment so I said sure, why not?!.  He knew just what should go in them: peanut butter, jelly, oats, cocoa powder, and honey.  It actually sounds good, right?!

Well, we needed a few ingredients, including peanuts to make the peanut butter, so he got all his change and told me he wanted to buy the peanuts himself at Trader Joes.  We counted his money and went to the store where he proudly made his own purchase, and received his own bag and receipt. (Cutest thing EVER, LOVE this kid!)

Back at home, we got started.  We put the peanuts in the vitamix and made our peanut butter.  We mixed in some ground up rolled oats, strawberry jelly, raw honey, and a bit of cocoa powder.  We stirred it all up and tasted it.  It was delicious, just like eating cookie dough.

We should have stopped there.

But…. he wanted to cook it – so I added an egg and a little coconut oil and with a bit of hesitation I put it in the oven.  The house smelled like yummy peanut butter cookies while they were baking.  We couldn’t wait to taste them!  They came out of the oven looking a little funny, and tasted gummy and pretty flavorless, but they were not terrible.  I was impressed for a first time four year old chef!  Not what he was hoping for, though!  He promised me he liked them after taking just one bite, and then requested that we save the rest for Santa.

I’m so loving this stage of four year old life – the creativity and interest in everything around him.  I love that he is interested in the things that I am, and that he wants to help me in the kitchen.  I’m a happy, lucky mom and I can’t wait to see what he comes up with next.

I’m a little bit in love right now.  With, well, life in general I guess.  I’m feeling inspired, motivated, healthy, and energetic.  I’m more confident and less fearful.  More willing to take some risks.  More open to opportunity, friendships, changes, and just allowing myself to be ME.  I’m doing it friends, I’m really doing it!

I’ve spent the last few days on a caffeine induced mission to tackle my to do list, and I’m feeling very accomplished right now.  I’ve caught up housework, cooked and restocked the freezer with the boys pancakes, oatmeal, bread, and french toast.  I’ve cleaned out closets and put away unused toys. I planted the summer garden.  I’ve marked off three days on the calendar for Nathan’s potty training party.  I’ve got the sewing machine out to start some projects for myself and the kids.  AND… I’m on the verge of beginning my new venture into fermenting and culturing veggies, kefir, and yogurt.

Mostly, I’m just really excited because I’m spending more and more time on my passion for photography.  I’m getting lots of practice and feedback from friends and some awesome teachers as well. It is SO. MUCH. FUN!

We have this iPad app called ABC Food.  The boys love it – there are movie clips about how food products are made, cooking videos, vivid photographs, and tons of facts about food as well as interactive play with the foods as you go through the alphabet.  I actually think it has increased my kids interest in helping me cook – they both want to be very involved, and Lucas is always asking me to let him create new recipes.

Lucas watched the video of this candy sushi being made at least thirty times – not joking at all!  He was obsessed with the idea of mixing up this candy concoction and begged me almost daily to make it.  Finally, I agreed that we would make them for his friends on Valentine’s Day. (Plus I was a little excited about the new Gluten Free Kellogg’s Rice Crispies that recently came out, and wanted an excuse to try them).

Here are a couple iPhone photos of the finished product.  They were super simple to make, and they were actually pretty good.  I had thought they would be too sweet and just plain gross, but most of the adults who tried them loved them as much as the kids.

Candy Sushi

(You will need: rice krispies cereal, marshmallows, butter, fruit roll ups, and candy such as swedish fish or gummy worms)

To make these sugary treats, start with the recipe for basic rice krispies bars.  Prepare your rice krispies mix and, while still warm, flatten small portions of it on top of fruit roll ups, top with gummy worms or Swedish fish, then roll up, let cool, and slice into candy sushi. It’s super easy and simple! And your kids will remember it forever.

We are all connected.

Through the air that we breathe, the ground beneath our feet, the sun that shines down and warms our skin.  The rain that falls and waters our earth, the wind that gusts from here to there.

Through words spoken to neighbors, stories passed down the line, through poetic lyrics blasting through the speakers of another car on the street, through the rhythmic drumming of the musician we stop to watch at the park.

We are connected through the pain of illness, the joy of friendship and love, the beauty of new life.  Through the vision and witnessing of hopeless and hungry men and women standing on street corners, their eyes pleading for help.  Through our desire to help, through our indifference, and through our fear.

We are connected through the food that we eat, the earth that grows it, the farmer who harvests it, the vehicles that carry it, the hands who select, prepare, and serve it.

Giving love where ever I go reminds me that there is more to this life than me.  More than just my children, my family.  More than my city, my state, and my country.  More than my universe.  There is an infinite world of awe inspiring creation and beauty that is nothing short of a miracle, of which I am just a tiny speck.

I believe there is one love in this world, big enough to share, and it is harvested every second of every day by those of us who choose to accept it, deliver it, and spread it through our hearts and hands.

We all love something. We are all of this earth. We were born here and we will die here. Not one of us is exempt. Yet we are not alone. We are all in this together. Give love. Please give love. Do not feed the fear and indifference. Give life. Give food. Give shelter.

In moments of clarity I remind myself to think of these things on the days when frustrations build, on the bad days and the tired busy days. The next time I put up the time out gate, the next time Lucas body slams his brother, the next time I’ve been yelled at, barfed on, or the next time I burn the broccoli and the whole house stinks.  The next time my husband grabs me for a hug when I’m in the middle of 17 things and I just. can’t. relax.  I will remember. And I will be grateful. Because these are the real moments, the raw living moments of this amazing life, where I have everything I need to survive and thrive.

I was perfectly sugar free for nearly a month and then…. Pop Tarts happened.  Gluten free pop tarts, or toaster pastries, whatever you want to call them.  I hadn’t had one in 13 years so you can understand my excitement when I saw them sitting on the shelf in my local Albertsons.  I brought them home and devoured them only to find that they weren’t even that good, kind of gross actually.  But once my brain got the effects of that sugar I was a hopeless case and I kept eating them.   I lost all control and I need to get myself together again.  My lunches need to look like this photo above… I’m hoping this will motivate me to get back on track.

EASY Lentil Salad

A couple hand fulls of Baby Romain lettuce

About a half cup cooked lentils

1/2 avocado

Olive Oil, lemon juice, and salt – or your favorite dressing.

Toss ingredients and enjoy!