Say Yes to the Mess!

 Watching them in space. Watching their meaningful bodies interact with one another...

 Watching them at rest and in motion. Just taking in their perfect creation.

 Watching them share and care and give to one another.

Watching them touch hands, embrace, and delight.

 Delight in one another. Whisper secrets. Whisper "I love you Becket!"

 Celebrating differences and enjoying similarities.

Gianna (whispering to Augustine while they brush their teeth): "You are my best friend."

Augustine (whispers back): "You are my best friend too, Gianna."

Un-prompted. Un-inhibited. Love.

I read an inspiring quote recently about parenting. One of the lines said, 

"Say yes to your kids as much as possible." 

At first you go... what?! And then it sinks in. Kids ask to do crazy. messy, and wild things. Say, "Yes."

I often want to say 

"No, I just cleaned that."

"No, I don't want a mess."

"No, not right now. I have to get this done first."

"No, we don't have time."

"No, I'm to tired."

I'm not going to torture myself or you about how many times you say no.

 In fact, I have some serious 2yr old Sarah still in me because I quite enjoy saying "no" sometimes.

But, I celebrate the times I say, 

"Yes!"

"Yes, let's forget my to do list and play in the snow."

"Yes, let's build a fort."

"Yes, you can cut paper up and sprinkle glitter all over your project." 

The clean house is for my sanity now...

But the mess and the yes are for my memories later.

Food at $65 per week: Make your own yogurt!

In my real food switch I started buying organic whole plain yogurt at Trader Joe's for $3 a large container. My Augustine devoured it and it would be gone in a day or two... then came Gianna... it was gone in a day... It makes a great baby food. I had wanted to try making it for a while to stretch a buck, but it needed to be EASY and fool proof. I have to many memories of my mom's runny homemade yogurt. However, I have good memories of it... warm with cherries mixed in! Yummy! 

I found a recipe I love and fits in my busy life... and I'm here to share it with you! 

Pour 1 gallon of whole organic milk into my large crock pot around 3 or 4pm when my first kid wakes from naps.

Turn crock pot on high for 2-3hrs.

At around 2hrs milk should be 180*. (This depends on crock pot.) Heating kills of competing bacteria.

Take off cover and let it cool to 115*. (Don't let it cool lower than this or your yogurt won't be as thick.)

At 115* stir in 1 cup of plain yogurt with live active cultures. (With each batch I make I freeze 1cup of yogurt for the next batch and the gift keeps giving!)

Put on lid. Wrap entire crock pot, plug and all, in a big towel and put the whole thing in a dormant oven. I don't want to question your intelligence but, well, make sure the oven is NOT on. I also put one oven rack on my stove to remind my forgetful mind not to turn the oven on and make late night cookies! 

Leave for 8-12hrs. Overnight basically. In the morning you have thick and creamy yogurt!

The next step that I do is to make greek yogurt. I fell in love with Greek Yogurt before it was even cool. I went to Greece years ago and was served real Greek Yogurt with honey at all our bed and breakfasts. Oy yum! Now I can make it!

Greek yogurt is yogurt strained (in a cheese cloth) to remove whey and allow for a thick and high protein dessert er... food. Strain to desired thickness. Then use as breakfast, snack, dessert with raw honey or jelly/jam. I also use it for sour cream in recipes and as toppings as well as dips and it even passes for cream cheese if you strain it to long! (Oh happy fault!) I only strain about half of my yogurt. The kids eat the regular stuff, it lasts longer.

Now how about those health benefits? Yogurt with live active cultures is a great source of pro-biotics. Key to staying healthy during cold season. Feel free to google for more details! My personal testimony is that (knock on wood) I have not gotten sick for a couple months now despite the fact that my germ pool children get colds continuously. I am only this healthy when I am pregnant. And no, this is not a pregnancy announcement. ;-) The most recent change to my diet has been homemade yogurt. That's the only thing I can match it to. I usually catch almost everything my kids have to offer except perhaps their puke-- in the bucket I'm holding... inches from their face. Eck!!! So, this is pretty unusual for me and I am now completely sold on my yogurt kick!

Speaking of being sold...

A whole gallon of milk makes enough yogurt for a full week (or two) of yogurt eating here. I buy my milk for 5.99 at TJS using their organic store brand. It's even cheaper at Whole Foods but not worth the extra trip right now. Besides that I don't have to buy sour cream or cream cheese! Also, DON'T throw away the whey that you strain off of your greek yogurt. We use it to make smoothies and it has a great tart flavor. You can also freeze it for later use. Or experiment with fermenting veggies. I'm not there yet, but hopefully soon! I think it lasts for a couple weeks or so. 

**Also, as a side note. Based on my research I do not think low-fat is the healthy option. It's not natural and the body needs good healthy fats and so do our kids. Lower fat dairy goes through extra processing effecting it's health benefits. Also, the right fats help us absorb vitamins. I could go on and on but I'm not a scientist nor am I writing a research paper. I do encourage you to research it though, you might be surprised! Look at holistic and naturalist writers.** 

Here's to hoping for better health to all!

Evening Hours...

I am coming off of a couple of pretty incredible weeks with my little family. Jeremy had less pressing work than normal (theoretically) and so we have been able to spend some really great family time together. A great start to the new year since my New Year's prayers have been to focus life on: Family, Prayer, and Organization/Cleanliness. I have been going to adoration once per week and we've been going to mass as a family on Fridays and Sundays. So far GREAT! My cleaning schedule and attempts at organization have also been going pretty well actually. We decided on some new organization techniques for the family including a new "hide-a desk" for me in the living room instead of my use of our "bar table and chairs" which gets cluttered. I am also making great progress on getting Augustine's room ready. I've been going back and forth over room designs this was my top design for the small room...

 but finally decided on one that will go better with the beautiful quilt my "adopted grandmother" made for us.

I'll post pictures of my final product soon as I bargain for a bed, dresser, and so forth on Craig's List! Isn't it cute though? I'm actually probably just doing the blue color with accent colors... and less feminine -- you will see! I have the paint and tools and room ready so, now for some coffee and a late night and that room will be well on its way!

So, that's my New Years update but now I need some ideas...

Most wives look forward to that 4pm/5pm when their husbands come home and wrestle with the kiddos and make the day complete. Well, that's when Jeremy heads out to the Theatre after a full day of work. Ug. That 4pm-8pm is so boring and tedious. Augustine usually hits his - "I'm bored entertain me mode" after trying to play all day. Right then is when I hit my, "I'm bored, (and tired) entertain me mode" after working, cleaning, entertaining, cooking, throughout the day. However, nothing is going on during those hours that we can go do... nor do I have the energy to go do them. I need ideas. Is that the time of day when I should drink coffee and DO SOMETHING productive or fun with Augustine? If so... what? What should I do? I am on a mission. I'm really looking forward to the newness and busyness having Gianna will add to these long evening hours. (As odd as that may sound. I just feel like boredom is a huge enemy and forced busyness - baby- toddler- helps get me out of that slump a bit.) I just feel like Augustine is not quite old enough for "projects" yet and he often is extra whinny during that time.

I'm no super woman, nor do I pretend to be. I know this is a weak and wasted part of my day and I really need to change that around. I also would LOVE any suggestions people may have.

Until next time.

New Years Resolutions

Hello All!

So, I know, in terms of blog posts, I've skipped over the last two days of Advent and Christmas but they are coming. Right now I'm pretty pumped about New Years Resolutions and just couldn't wait to get them down in writing and have my Blogging world keep me accountable. :-)

2011 brought me a lot of exciting new things on my New Years resolution list...

• Sign up for adoration -- DONE! (Thanks to my friends Taryn and Sara!)
• Get Pregnant -- DONE! (I don't know if that is fair to have as a new years resolution, more just a hope!)
• NEW car by next Winter -- DONE! (This was God's hand and has been a MAJOR blessing!)
• Run a half marathon -- DONE! (This was actually someone elses New Year's Resolution that I completed, so again not of my own design!)

An interesting theme resounds when I look at each of my completed resolutions. They were not necessarily of my own will power or design. BUT I did them. I DO give fair total credit to God!

So here are 2012 New Year's Resolutions: (here goes nothing!)

• Family: Eat one meal per week together as a family (on Sunday).
• Family: Go to daily mass once a week (on Friday as a Family).
• Personal: Organize a do-able cleaning schedule and follow it (see below).
• Personal: Have a baby (not to take anything for granted, but, dare I say duh?)... and lose the baby weight.
• Personal: Paint, organize, and set up Augustine's new bedroom before the baby is born. (April)
• Personal: Organize the toy situation

I may add to this list in the days to come but please feel free to ask me how I am doing on my resolutions and help keep me accountable. I really feel that simple and year-long attainable goals is the way to go, so no crazy elaborate things this year. Starting small and hopefully growing in the theme of Faith, Family, and Organization.

Here is my weekly cleaning schedule:

• Monday: Vacuum Downstairs
• Tuesday: Bathrooms (alternate)
• Wednesday: Vacuum Upstairs
• Thursdays: Dust/Wipe down tables
• Friday: Clean and Organize Desk and Office

I will, of course, have other things around the house related to cleaning and organizing that I will need to do each week but if I can do those as I currently am and really stick to the basic cleaning listed above (even when life gets CRAZY BUSY) I feel that will add a lot of order and cleanliness to our home and lives.

You know how (at least for me) when you say I will do 10 sit ups per day you actually usually do more than 10 (which is great!) but on the days you are really busy or tired you still can "at least quick do 10" and so its realistic. That's my mentality. Why make resolutions if you can't be realistic. The fun is knowing and hoping in the realistic and great changes that can be made!

Good luck on your own goal making this month and do try to be realistic and save yourself the usual breaking of that New Year's Resolution.

and... MERRY CHRISTMAS everyone!

Apple Harvest!

One of the wonderful thing about the visit to my family in WI is that they always load me up with tons of food! I have never in my life been more grateful for free food than in the past couple years. Having an eating family will do that to you!

This is what they sent me home with this time...

2 Dozen Fresh "Organic" Eggs
Two Boxes of Pears and Apples
A huge Watermelon
2 cantaloupe
and more!

Saturday I gathered up some energy and had 22 cups of apples peeled, cored, and sliced to freeze and about 6 cups of hand peeled and sliced pears to freeze as well as an apple crisp baking in the oven all by 10:30am. Augustine even helped...

First he dove into the box of apples and threw them all out on the floor so I could reach them easier.

Then he sampled an apple or two or three...

I kept having to snatch apples away from him before he could bite into them... I finally sat him down to watch me peel and gave him his own apple to devour.

Do you see that scrap of an apple laying next to the whole apple. That was ALL that was left of Augustine's "aaapple". He ate the seeds, core and all - minus the stem and a small scrap of peel.

Having Augustine around to "help" sure do make my chores more enjoyable.

"Here here!" - to a great start on harvesting. I only have one more box of apples to go and then I'm looking forward to squash harvesting soon!

Meal Plan and Hummus Platter!

It's Monday and I'm on the ball! For a few seconds anyway...

Jeremy and I are leaving for a work trip this weekend but I'm still making the meal plans for a few of the days anyway. As it turns out a lot of times I make a big batch of the meal and it lasts mostly two days with a little bit of scrounging for food towards the end of the second day. I think it works best for me to just be realistic and give my meal options for the week and try to decide each morning what I will make for dinner so meat can thaw  etc... For a cleaner image I will still list days but I reserve the right to switch them up per the Chef's prerogative.

So here is this weeks plan:

Monday: Cream Cheese/Ham/Potato Crock Pot Soup
Tuesday: Lasagna (yes I STILL have not made my Lasagna!)
Wednesday: Hummus Platter

Weekend: I think I will try to get something in the freezer for when we get home... I've been dreaming of Pastys (spelling?) latley so maybe I will give them a go! :-)


When we were in California last month we went out to eat and I ordered the hummus platter for Augustine. I think I enjoyed it even more than he did! It was a fantastic combo. Since I can still get the ingredients on sale, I thought it would be my last hurrah of summer. The platter had sliced cucumbers and tomatoes as well as Greek olives and toasted pita triangles surrounding a dish of Hummus. I've been dreaming about it ever since I had it. I know it won't exactly be Jeremy's meal that night but that's why I will make Lasagna the night before. Everyone is happy!

Have a wonderful Monday!

Starving Artists - Edition 4 - "Drink your milk!"

Pardon me while I tangent off for a while (again) on my starving artist editions of this blog.

I now have a brand new reason to be frugal this summer. It has come to me in the form of a shaggy brown haired creature with a bottomless pit of a stomach. No, this creature is not an animal although by the way he eats you might think - horse? Nope, but close.

Boy.

No, not just, "boy". TEENAGE BOY that is taking after his father in height. I know the cliche' "eating like a teenage boy". But do you really understand what this means? Have you lived with a teenage boy recently?? I have a HUGE respect for mothers with teenagers, always have, but now I really do! My time in the kitchen has doubled in cooking and cleaning since he has arrived.

Aidan is his name. He is a wonderfully sweet boy who loves his little brother and can get him to shriek with delight at his silly antics and play for hours. Aidan is the beautiful reason I have my husband today. It was the shocking news of his conception that turned my wayward husband (only a sophomore in college) to seek mercy and grace from Jesus. It turned his life around and was the very driving force for his re-conversion. God makes all things new and he truly does use bad for good. Aidan has an innocence that one could only dream for of a child growing up in downtown Chicago and going to a public school. I truly feel like that is indeed the grace of God and Jeremy's fervent prayers for his son.

So, with all that said, we really do enjoy having Aidan stay with us for a month in the summer. However, my frugal "momness" really starts to blare when he is with us. I'm trying not to nag but not only does he eat strings of continuous meals/snacks, much like my toddler actually, but in larger potions, he wastes more food than I would. I know my mom would love to know I am finally getting a taste of my own medicine. Since I was also one to just take a portion of food and throw out what was left on my plate. For example this morning he poured a large bowl of milk and added cereal to it. He ate the cereal and left the milk, or so it appeared by looking at the leftover milk. Now, as a child I would have dumped the milk. Actually it was probably my mom making me drink the gross sugary milk that made me start eating cereal with no milk at all. However, now that I buy the milk... I DRINK THE MILK. As I watch him dump out 1 1/2 cups of milk down the drain I can't help but think, no, not of the children in Africa, but of Augustine and how that would be half a days milk for him. Down the drain. Ug.

The positive result is that I am clipping ever more coupons and scouring stores even more carefully to save us from spending unnecessary amounts of money and stretching our budget. So, I will certainly be sharing more deals and posting more "Starving Artist - Editions" than I normally would.

So here is a nugget from all this penny pinching:

Aldi this week has a bunch of Dole bananas that are getting brown. They are $0.44 per bunch. There is also a sign next to them saying, "brown bananas buy one bunch get one free". That means I was able to buy 4 bunches of bananas  for $0.88. So this morning I whipped up a double batch of whole wheat banana bread and mashed and froze the rest of the bananas for another batch next week.

For more great money saving deals check out this great blog "Money Saving Mom" that has been really inspiring me to pinch my pennys. I also really enjoy my dear friend's Frugal Friday's posts at Adventurous Beginnings.

Happy penny pinching!
Sarah

Starving Artists - Edition 3 - Ground Turkey

Yes, I am writing a post about ground turkey.

It's kind of my family's best kept secret that is no longer a secret.

Growing up I remember my family won a gift card/certificate for groceries and my mom was stocking piling her cart with frozen "tubes" of ground turkey. A guy came up to her and was like, "If I had won I'd be buying steaks!" Later my mom shared the story and how her mental reaction was like, "This will last us weeks. Which we NEED. Steaks would last a day." My mom is amazingly frugal she is not a freak at couponing but boy does she know how to make a tube of toothpaste or bar of soap last to the last drop.

My mom would make a lot of things with ground turkey, instead of ground beef, and I've grown to LOVE it! It is lean with no gristle (yuck!) and can be used in tons of recipes! I lucked out and married a man that also loves my cooking with ground turkey. This post is not only about how yummy ground turkey is but also what a steal it is at the store. A steal for meat anyway.

Right now at Rainbow Foods you can get 1lb of Frozen Ground Turkey (Louis Rich Brand) for $1.00! An entire pound of lean turkey for a dollar people - that is awesome! I usually stock up and never spend more than a dollar per pound.

That means I can feed my family a meal of Meat Spaghetti for: $3.20
Ground Turkey - $1.00 (Rainbow)
Whole Wheat Noodles - $1.20 (Trader Joe's)
Spaghetti Sauce - $1.00 (Aldi - they have the cheapest best tasting "cheap" sauce I have found)

That is just one example of many but using ground turkey I can easily afford to give my meat lover man meat at every dinner and keep the cost at usually less than $7 per dinner. I also cook with frozen chicken breast (best deal I have found is COSTCO) and fish and even turkey ham (best deal I've found is ALDI) but ground turkey is definitely our staple.

I read in a magazine one way to save money is by having one, really cheap, meal per week. So, thanks to ground turkey and Aldi's sauce, Spaghetti is our really cheap meal and it cuts down significantly on our budget each week. It's also healthy, and not a sacrifice to eat as it is quite delicious!

Bon Appetite fellow starving artists!
Sarah

Staying on top of life - there is an app for that!

Technology is a dear friend of mine. Most of the time. We have some issues but what friends don't. 

I have an iPhone and my life is so much easier because of it. Smart phones really are incredible and I'm using mine in ways I never imagined. I recently found an app that I would like  to share with you all because it is so helpful. I have recently been pondering how to better run and keep my household more organized especially when it comes to cleaning and housework.

So I searched some different apps and found "Motivated Moms." It is exactly what I needed. The app is basically a checklist of chores that is divided up throughout the entire year. There are "daily chores/activities" and there are "added chores."

For example the daily chores are:

• Clean Kitchen Sink
• Do Laundry
• Exercise
• Load/Run/Empty Dishwasher
• Sweep Kitchen/Entryway
• Wipe out bathroom sinks
• Clear/wipe kitchen counters
• Empty Trash
• Make Beds
• Plan/Cook Dinner
• Quiet Time
• Read to Children
• Take Vitamins
• Bible Reading

As you check off each item it drops to the bottom of the list and it gives you that satisfying "checked off - done" feeling!

Then each day (depending on the day) it gives you a few extra chores or items to do like:

• Change children's sheets
• Clip children's nails
• Spend time on a craft/hobby
• Go through coupons
• Clean out car
• De-Clutter Organize desks
• etc...

I'm LOVING this app! I can check off chores and feel satisfied as well as give myself some quiet time and not feel guilty. It's on the list, I want to check it off! You also have the freedom to push a chore to a different day when it works better for you or even hide a chore if you, for example, don't have a porch to sweep.

I am loving my cleaner home and loving the way the chores are split up so I'm not overwhelmed. I have also added things to my chores that I don't think of. For example I cleaned off my dresser and the heaps of junk piling up on my desk and it felt SO good! I'm not sure this app would have the same impact on others but I have a total obsession with checking things off a list, it gives me a high. If cleaning can give me a high than bring it on!

"Cleanliness is next to Godliness" (That's what they say!)

Swiffer Sarah