Found this beauty hiding under drafts!

Keep Calm and Carry a Wand

[Image]So today was sunday..normally a peaceful beautiful food filled day in our house. Today was not. Friday my son came down with a cold that kept him from "freeschool" and that set a wild unruly angry tone for the weekend. I have to admit before going further that I am a complete germaphobe. I don't generally use commercial/ store bought cleaners but there were GERMS ......nasty, infectious, disgusting GERMS. Out came my old friend the bleach. I am a big believer in baking soda, vinager and tea tree oil as cleaners but when someone gets sick the best thing to do is BLEACH EVERYTHING. Also we take collodial silver which means I don't get sick (no self respecting house elf/mom has the time) my son was already getting over his cold by saturday but of course my husband just kept getting closer to death( aka the flu) He started by sniffling a bit, then the throat clearing started and then the coughing and tissue shoved up the nose.......he was getting nearer to death by the second. By death I mean a cold. Not just any cold....THE MAN FLU. By today he was vomiting at full volume and slipping in and out of conscience......( took one gravol and fell asleep in bed) SOOO my lovely day of planning the spring gardening, cooking, baking etc was over. I am still standing and when I suggested hubby take his dose of silver( I may have said I told you so or mentioned that good handwashing and good witchery have kept me healthy for months) I got the middle finger from the toilet. His loss.

My husband is a super hero.....

I drove home tonight 1.5 hours on a stormy night  alone as my almost 4 year old decided  refused to come home with me. He stayed at the funny farm with the clothes on his back. When I left ( sadly and unsure of leaving him) he was happily listening to Nigel on guitar and playing legos with his cousins surrounded by people and dogs. Part of me is soo proud that he has that confidence and assurance in him, me and our family. Part of me feels very lonely tonight in our 1000 sq. ft. The point....right the point of my post. All the things I want to tell him. All the things I hope for him, want him to be etc. I think Bob Dylan summed it up perfectly in his song "Forever Young"

May god bless and keep you always
May your wishes all come true
May you always do for others
And let others do for you
May you build a ladder to the stars
And climb on every run
May you stay, forever young
May you stay forever young
May you grow up to be righteous
May you grow up to be true
May you always know the truth
And see the lights surrounding you
May you always be courageous
Stand upright and be strong
And may you stay forever young
Forever young, forever young
May you stay forever young
May your hands always be busy
May your feet always be swift
May you have a strong foundation
When the winds of changes shift
May your heart always be joyful
May your song always be sung
And may you stay forever young
Forever young, forever young
May you stay forever young

 As I was pondering everything my little man is, was and will be this song came on the ipod. Sung by Audra Mae. I want to add that I will apologize to him one day for him being sooooo much like me, lol. Stubborn, Quick tempered, moral to a fault, honest to a fault, speaks before he thinks and so on. His father on the other hand............shy, socially awkward, goofy, patient, good, kind. I hope Kevin learns that from his Dad. His Dad is a superhero. Not int he way little boys see their Dads, but in how I see him. He absorbs everything without pause. AND TRUST ME in 8 years I have thrown everything at him and some days everything! We have been through his brother dying at 27 of cancer, several miscarriages, cancer, everything. I am lucky. ON the eve of my follow up Dr's appointment that will either clear me of cancer or tell me we have a few more months to deal with things I am thinking of my husband. We have tried a long time to get pregnant. We got pregnant...........the fates decided for whatever reason that it was cancer, not a life growing inside me. IN the span of a few hours I went from happy pregnant lady at the midwife to laying in the hospital on a bed waiting for surgery. I am soo very lucky that they removed the whole tumour and I recovered swiftly(physically) Unfortunately mentally it has been more than rough. IN the last year alone I have thrown grief,. sadness, happiness, deep depression, fear, anger, fury, frustration, confusion, hate, love and everything in between at my superhero of a husband and through it all he absorbed each emotion and stood silently waiting. It's his quiet way. We are polar opposites and NO ONE from either family, our friends etc gave us a fighting chance. We still fight for it. BUT I married a superhero who picks up my pieces on any given day and moves forward. That my friends is not easy to do with your wife who has often been called hot headed, bitchy, fiery, hard to handle, stubborn, more stubborn...well , you get the picture. 8 years and he still comes back for more. Not all heroes where costumes, have powers you can see or do great, amazing things. Some are just there, quietly waiting to pick up the pieces. That is what I hope my son learns from his Dad. It's not always beautiful and perfect this life we have but it's ALWAYS worth it.........without a doubt.

Cracker Challenge.

 Can I make a cracker that tastes better, costs about the same and the kids will devour???? CHALLENGE!!!!!! SO I pulled out the ole cookie press and got to work. Let me tell you....right away economy went out the window. These little suckers sucked back a whole pound of cheddar( thanks Walmart The DEVILLLL for having it on sale last week) So while I waited for the "illegals" I got to work. Sent Kev off to preschool with his Dad, put clean pants wait...let's all be honest here.......pajama's and a sports bra on, put up my unbrushed hair and went to the kitchen. Now homesteaders will balk at my next move. I shredded a pound of cheddar in my food processor.......not by hand. Sorry but my grandmother would have been  relieved to have one so I will use mine for her. Shout out to NAN! She is dead but maybe will see this..who knows! D you know how much cheddar is a pound? A lot of freakin' cheddar!!!! So without touching the butter, flour etc we are at about a cost of $5. Already Cheese Nips 1, Pam 0. But hey...they will taste better right???

She's not sure I can do this!!

 So here is my recipe.
1 whole pound ( 16 ounces) sharp/old cheddar shredded. FOR THE LOVE OF ALL GOOD AND NATURAL DO NOT BUY A BAG OF PRE-SHREDDED..........PRESERVATIVES PEOPLE PRESERVATIVES. Dust off something electric you lazy bums and shred a damn block of cheese.
1/2 c. softened butter( doesn't matter what kind) AGAIN...if you use margarine I WILL jump out of your laptop and slap you.
A shake of Frank's Red Hot Sauce
So cream that up in a mixer.....do it by hand if your a brave one ( I was not) Now at this point your thinking " WTF, how does ALLL that cheese fit into that little bit of butter"  Trust me..it does.
Add to it...
1 1/2 c flour
Seasoning: I  used onion soup mix..about 2 tsp.

Mix until it forms a ball or log ( Yes it looks like orange poo) The daycare kids illegals thought so anyways.

I used a meat holder ( gag) to make holes

Throw it in the cookie press and make crackers! Don't forget to poke small holes in them if you don't want them puffy.
Oh right....preheat oven to 375. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Makes about 4-5 dozen

I think they taste amazing, cost me about $7.00 to make triple what the Cheese Nips box has. ( 225 grams)) whereas the Cheese Nips cost me $1.98. So was it worth it..........mehhhhhhhh. Waiting on the preschooler taste test.

SUCCESSSSSS!!!!!!!!! They love them! Next time I am going to try with no cheese and ranch flavour. That should cut the cost down below the bought crackers!

Measuring success my way with a hearty side of used coffee grounds.

Lately I have been feeling "less than" Less than a good Mom, less than a good wife and less than successful. I am a stay at home mom. We are not rich, we don't HAVE a lot and I work 2 jobs from home to help make ends meet. Lately I have been noticing the differences in my life and others....the dream house, vacations, money to burn. Today while sweeping dirt from around the illegals ( the daycare kidlets) and feeling "less than" I came to the realization that I HAVE a heck of a lot. I have a crazy wild almost 4 year old boy, a wonderfully loving and patient husband, a HOME, a family and a wonderfully simple life.  Does the rest matter? I don't think it does. If someone had told me I was not successful I would have eaten them alive but because I decided it was so.............it was so. I was comparing myself to people with different values, families, lives. It turns out that this girl right here is VERY "MORE THAN" We live in 1000 sq ft of condo space....yes, I want a farm. We have one vehicle ( it's new..but who cares..it's still a minivan) and a very full life of everything. Life's not always beautiful..trust me, it is not. But I always come out the other end more grateful and happy than I was before. So I tip my hat to those of us who don't keep up with the Jones because I firmly believe that leads us down a path of debt, divorce and despair. I am worth way more than that and so is my family. Onwards and upwards!!! So.......What do you do to re purpose your old coffee grounds? Did you know you could re purpose them? I was standing over the percolator today while it bubbled away and was wondering to myself what I could do with that black mess inside the cup. So I hopped into my shower with a cup of them and scrubbed away....my face and body. Let me tell you that this was close to a miraculous discovery. I mean who would have thought that it would be sooo good to exfoliate all that winter dead skin away with coffee!! It actually made my skin feel alive. Makes sense.............caffeine keeps me from falling asleep in the bread dough why couldn't it liven up the rest of me. I did a little google research today and turns out there is quite a lot we can do to reuse the stuff! I already knew about mixing it into my garden soil for nitrogen replacement. Shout out to my Mudder here...............coffee grounds placed into the base of the blueberry plants makes the blueberries grow bigger, sweeter and more. BUT did you know it acts as a hair softener/shiner? A exfoliate, a pot scrubber, a shower scrubber, fridge deodorizer( dry it out add to bowl, place in fridge..easy peasy) This shit is A.MAZ.ING!!!!!! No pics today.....I used up my grounds before thinking of taking a pic!!. Anyways a recap.....Simple= Fuckin' Awesome, Coffee Grounds = A.MAZ.ING and my life.........damn near beautiful.  Shameless Charity Plug time.....my favorite people, my favorite Non profit society that I would do anything for( My husband fears winning the lotto big) Please take a minute and learn about Cameryn. A very special little girl who started something amazing without even knowing it. www.camerynscause.com. If you have it..give a bit. One day you too might be on the receiving end of a small cheque to pay a bill when you  need it. Nothing is more important than our kids.

ISO Hand Powered Kitchen Tools.......with no luck.

I spent the morning out "Thrifting" with a good friend. She owns a business that turns old into renewed (http://www.etsy.com/shop/lovemetimestwo) It's a awesome idea and the best excuse in the world to browse old things that make me think of my Great Grandparents. One find in particular today was a little sign that said " Kissin' don't last but good cookin' do!" My Nan had a sign like that in her kitchen. I didn't buy it today but if it's there next time....it's mine. I did however complete my cast iron pan collection with a mini for $4.99 !

Yesterday I made a awesome Quinoa wrap mixture/salad.

Recipe:

1 cup Quinoa cooked according to package.

1/2 cup beans ( I used black)

1/4 cup chopped pineapple

1/4 cup of spinach chopped, peppers chopped and tomatoes chopped.

2 tablespoons epicures pueblo bean dip mix

Zest of one lime

Juice of 1/2 lime

Garlic Garlic Garlic

Mix together and let sit one hour.

Eat as you want it!

PS.....I did not find any hand crank kitchen tools and the salad would be great with fresh cilantro in it!

Moon Dust

So in a effort to do more myself and make more myself I decided to take on "Moon Dough" Let me tell you that the stuff is awful....it's meant to be. On a cold, ice rain into snow slush day with the illegal daycare kids hidden in the condo.......nothing seemed more perfect. I don't particularly care about mess. I clean it up ferociously but don't care it happens. After all a mess says " We had a great day" Never expect children to leave " inappropriate daycare lady's" house clean because My Ducky...it ain't gonna happen. OK, back to the "Moon Dust" 8 cups of plain ole flour, 1 1/4 cup ( awful, disgusting, harmful for your baby) Baby Oil. I just so happened to have a unopened bottle some well meaning person gave me when my son was young. Wasn't sure why I kept it until today:) Mix and knead and squish in your fingers ...get the kids going, they will love it. I didn't add colour to this batch but next time for sure. Hours of enjoyment( just kept the broom handy) After we were done playing it was a quick clean up by brushing it onto the flour and vacuuming it up. Easy Peasy.

Condo Homesteading....can it be done?

I am completely intrigued and interested in homesteading. It fits my values and lifestyle. One BIG issue for me though............we live in a condo box. So can I homestead while dwelling in a condo building? I can't seem to convince my husband that I could sneak 2 "quiet" breed chickens onto the deck to live a peaceful existence. I can't seem to convince anyone else in our strata that community gardens would be a great idea or that solar panelling the shit out of our roof is a awesome way to send a big "up yours" to the hydro company and other condo communities. Let's share a small well kept secret. CONDO LIVING IS NOT AT ALL GREEN LIVING. Let's start with the excess heat in hallways, lights everywhere, stupid lamps turned on in the "lobby" all day, air conditioning ( we live in a rain forest, a Pacific Northwest rain forest), no composting, barely recycling and the watering of green grass twice a day. It's enough to give a hippy a heart attack. My neighbors find me weird to say the least. I have the wrong colour blinds and run a illegal daycare out of my unit. SHHHHHHHH What's a few chickens????? Alas, the dream will continue being a dream...for now ;) . I believe the microwave is the devil and have not used or owned one in over 8 years. My great grandmother hated it...I hate it. I don't owe a coffee pot....cool girls percolate! I am currently amassing a large collection of cast iron and copper molds. I think doctors are " hocus pocus" and will try anything first. When I had my son my eyes opened wide to the array of shit chemicals we ingest, soak in, inhale, touch, eat, use, love. I spent a few years on Salt Spring and began to realize the hippies were right!! Out went everything but my makeup ( I can't do it..I have tried) I went back to Dr. Bronner's soap........and I put that shit on everything! Hair, face, body, bath, kids, dogs, husband, cleaning solution and more! At $18.99 for a concentrated 1 litre bottle I truly think it's a miracle. The peppermint will change your life, the tea tree will change your hair and the lavender will bring your bath to a whole "notha level kids. I tend to make my own moisturizers, and many other "hippy" items. I have never lived better. My skin still sucks but the benefits and enjoyment I get from not slathering cancer all over myself and family is insurmountable. I hope to share some of my ideas and recipes here. If it can be made homemade I want to make it and can't list everything we do already. I have stopped buying canned foods.......very hard to do and have also switched most of my baking, cooking and eating to a more natural approach. I have never sacrificed flavour however. It does not cost more, taste less, or smell worse to cook with a natural mind frame. This week we made our own pasta and own roasted tomato sauce and served it with bread I made and butter(not made by me) This week we will try making our own butter and I am pondering ketchup and home canned pineapple chunks. This is just a ramble about where we are heading but stay tuned for more adventures in CONDO HOMESTEADING ( said with a movie guy voice)