Go Raw!

I've been doing a ton of experimenting lately in the kitchen!

I've been finding it much easier to experiment with dinner's and cooking then baking. Baking poses a larger struggle because baked goods aren't supposed to be healthy! I did however, discover that using raw recipes (instead of baking in the oven, they just go into the fridge/freezer!) to bring out some yummy results! This recipe here so far is the best one. It tasted so delicious!

....They also didn't last very long in my house!

Cookie Dough Chocolate Squares (raw)

Crust

1 cup of Peanuts

1 cup of Cashews

4-5 Pitted Dates

1-2 tablespoons of raw honey

1/3 cup of dark chocolate chips

Chocolate Ganache

1 cup of Coconut Oil

1/4 cup of Maple Syrup

1/2 cup of Cacao powder

1. Crust- Add everything but chocolate chips to food processor and mix together. Add 1-2 tablespoons of water if needs something to stick together. Add chocolate chips by hand and mix together with hands. Add to bottom of glass 8x8 pan (oiled) and press down.
2. Ganache- Add everything to food processor and mix together. Scrap down sides to ensure well mixed. Pour on top of crust.
3. Cover with plastic wrap and place in freezer for 3 hours. Cut squares. Serve right away. Put pan back in freezer with leftovers.

Half Full

I'm naturally a negative person. The moment things get tough for me, I automatically assume the worst. In everyone and any situation. I've been trying so hard to change this lately, and here is why:

I started thinking a few weeks ago (I believe it was a random quote on Pinterest that started the thought) that as a parent, I need to lead as an example for my sons. I need to live by example, to live my life everyday and think everyday exactly how I'd want them to live and think. My negative "glass-is-half-empty-the-world-is-ending-because-I'm-having-a-bad-day" attitude is not something I want them to develop. It has stopped so many GOOD things from coming my way, has stretched as far as introducing so many angry thoughts and actions over the years and even gone as far as affecting my self-esteem. I don't want that for my children.

I've have to sometimes stop myself after every thought and tell myself that things really are not that bad. That things could absolutely get worse (because really, the moment you say "things can't possibly get any worse" they inevitably get much worse), that I am lucky to have so many beautiful people in my life and that I am healthy and smart and funny and my LIFE is beautiful. Things always find a way to work themselves out.

Today I had to remind myself of this. No matter how dark it seems, there is always some kind of light nearby. Usually that light shines a little faster and brighter if we are positive with our thoughts and actions.

As a mother, I'm sure other mom's understand when I say sometimes I just have a "bad mom day". Where both kids are miserable (either for a known reason or unknown) and I'm tired, my "to-do" list is literally a mile long and I just want to sit in my bathroom and cry. With cookies. It's those days that thinking positive about my situation seems impossible. Then I look at my boys, realize how lucky I am to have them call me "mama" and that I am a strong, independent woman and the only person on this earth capable of solving their problems and healing whatever issue they are having that makes them grumpy. Some mom's aren't so lucky to have beautiful and healthy children to take care of (that thought totally comes from my mom telling me as a kid to eat my veggies at dinner because some kids in Africa are starving).

This morning my kids woke me up at 4am. They have been humongous grumpy pants since then. While at my wits end, I realized that hard as it is to believe now, I will one day miss the pitter-patter of little feet (we call Gage a baby elephant) to my bed at 4am saying "mom, make me a sandwich".

Or at least I tell myself I *might* miss it. Right now it's a little hard to believe!

The Best Day Ever!

Yesterday I had the amazing opportunity to attend a lecture given by David Wolfe!

It was such a fun evening, unlike anything I've ever attended before.

It just happened to take place in my hometown, during the same week I listened to his previous lectures for school. There were a ton of vendors on location (that I went broke over purchasing their products!) and a room full of David Wolfe admirers.

I had the chance to talk to him before the event started, and I was so nervous! I haven't really met anyone "well known" or "famous" before, and I feel like the 20 seconds I had to speak with Mr Wolfe consisted of me rambling. I got a picture with him, and then I sat down to enjoy a superfood smoothie I bought. My hands shook while I texted Stu the picture, and I felt completely high on adrenaline! It was such a crazy experience!

I don't know if it was just being in the same room of like-minded people, or if it was David Wolfe himself, or the superfood smoothie I drank before the event started, but I felt like I had chugged 20 mugs of coffee! I could have run a marathon! The information was invaluable, I learned so much!

I came home afterwards and couldn't sleep for hours. I just sat at my computer and googled all the things I learned. I learned how awesome spring water is, and how much it can affect your health. I looked up local springs known near me and I want to go and collect some to try. I also learned about medicinal mushrooms and how they grow in my area. While I never really thought I'd be interested in "medicinal mushrooms", I find it fascinating that these little tree-growing fungi can cure an assortment of illness and disease. And they grow in the forests all over Ontario!

I can't wait to attend another event like this, it was so much fun!

Giddy YoYo is a local small business with the most amazing chocolate I've EVER tasted!
Anyone that knows me knows how much I love chocolate, and this is better then any high quality milk chocolate. There are so many flavors (this one, Vanilla, was my favourite) and I fell in love with the "Raw Love Butter". Amazing company!

Easier Said Then Done

While I know this topic is something a lot of people will probably find an impossible feat, and maybe even roll their eyes when they read it, I think it's important.

So many people work a job or are in a career they hate. A lot of people hate their boss, their coworkers, the work itself, the hours, the money they make, etc etc etc.

I have a no nonsense approach, so prepare yourself.

Change it!

Your job is something you do 5 days a week, 8 (or more) hours a day. It takes up a HUGE portion of your life! Why stick to a job that sucks the life out of you? So you can work until the weekend and have 2 days of relief, only to have to go back on Monday and do it again? Why not find something, CREATE something, that makes you happy and look forward to Monday mornings?

I can only speak from experience.

I worked a customer service job I hated. HATED. I knew that after my maternity leave with Gage I wasn't going back. I wanted to stay home until he started school.

So I did.

It was hard. There were a ton of financial challenges in our path. We had to plan ahead, and move in with my parents. Stu had the same job, and knew it wouldn't support us. So he found another job. He is much happier doing what he is now, and has plans to do what he loves as soon as he is able.

My mom stayed home with my sister and I for 17 years. She went back to work after that, and has gone from retail/customer service job to job. She hates her job, finds it exhausting, the pay degrading and is treated poorly. While I know she isn't happy, she refuses to take charge of her life and do something about it. It makes me sad, but I also know that she will get to a point soon where enough is enough and she WILL change it.

My dad has driven a bus in Toronto for the TTC for over 23 years. He has a hard, long day and never complained once. He recently made a change to the subway because he was starting to not enjoy his job.

We all know by now I'm honest and blunt to the point of offending people.

Don't complain to me about much you hate your job but then be unwilling to change it!

Make a list of 5-10 things that you LOVE to do. Then make sub-points to brainstorm careers that include those things. Then make an action plan and set goals- big and small. Follow it step by step.

I know, easier said then done. But it IS possible!

Me Time

It took me 3 years, but I finally figured out how to be a positive influence in my children's lives, and how to be happy.

I need time to myself, on a regular basis.

I know from experience that most mom's have a difficult time making themselves a priority. They put their children, housework, their husband's, pets and other family members before themselves. It's easy to forget to recharge your sanity!

I've said it a million times before, being a mom is the hardest job in the world. Whether you are a working mom, or you stay at home. It is HARD.

We need to take a time out, regularly, so that when we go back to wearing the "mom pants" we can handle the tantrums, the whining, the negotiating, the housework, the cooking etc. If we don't get time away, we end up pushed to our limits, and NO mom is a good mom then. It's ridiculously hard to keep it together.

You don't need a whole day away, or hours away, just time to yourself each day for 5-10 minutes. I know there are single mom's out there that don't have a partner to rely on for help, but it IS still possible. If your kids nap, make yourself a tea and just sit and breathe. Watch a girly movie. After the kids are in bed, have a warm bubble bath. If you can find a sitter, go for a walk with the dog, go window shopping with a tea. The possibilities are endless!

I know it's hard to imagine, and I know mom's that work a lot of hours per week that say "When I'm home I just want to spend time with my kids". But you know what? That ISN'T normal. You don't win mom of the year because of that.

We change after becoming mother's, in a HUGE way. In a lot of ways, we forget who we were before and we think to ourselves "I lived so selfishly!". But we need to be selfish again! It is what makes us "mom of the year". Our children will enjoy us more!

My experience started as a kid. My mom was a stay at home mom well into my teen years, and she NEVER (still doesn't ) take time for herself. She put(s) everyone first, and doesn't leave enough time for herself. She is stretched very thin most of the time. I started off motherhood doing much of the same. But you know what? I found it overwhelming, stressful, anxiety-ridden and exhausting. I learned it absolutely does NOT have to be that way.

Now I take time each day for myself. When Finn goes down for a nap, I make myself a hot tea and I sit and relax and breathe deeply and I watch a movie. In the evening when Stu comes home, I go for a walk around my neighborhood with Max. I sit and read a book. I ignore my household chores.

Because when I'm old, I don't want my children to remember me as the mom who's house was spotless, all the time, who was frazzled, impatient and yelling all the time. I want them to remember a happy mom, who was fun and took time for herself so she could love them more.

Portobello Pizza's

I have been having so much fun experimenting in the kitchen lately!

This recipe in particular is really easy and fast to make, and Gage LOVED it!

Ingredients:

6 Portobello mushrooms, intact.
1 can of pizza sauce (organic)
2 cups of mozzarella cheese (or for Vegan's, 2 cups of Daiya shredded cheese)
1 bunch of baby spinach
2 cloves of garlic, chopped or grated
1 sliced tomato

(really, anything can be used as toppings on these!)

1. Pre-heat oven to 350F. Cut off the stems and line mushrooms upside down on baking sheet.

2. Spoon pizza sauce onto mushrooms and spread.

3. Add toppings, starting with garlic. Then add cheese on the very top.

4. Put into oven for 15 minutes. If mushrooms are deep and thick, 15-18 minutes. Enjoy!

Little Boys

This post is dedicated to all the parents with little boys.

I have 2 and I love them.

When I became pregnant with Finn, everyone (I mean, EVERYONE) kept saying "I hope you have a girl this time!".

No.

I don't want a girl.

I started off all "I'll be happy wither either gender as long as baby is healthy". But then it changed as I got closer to finding out what baby would be and I desperately hoped for a boy.

I love my little boys.

So many people think they are messy, loud, smelly, lazy, busy, trouble etc. all wrapped into one constantly moving entity. And yeah, they are.

But I am a girl, and I remember my teenage years. And my sister is younger then me, so I remember hers really well too. While I know boys are no walk in the park during their teenage years, I don't think I could handle a teenage girl and come out the other side alive and well. I was made to mother boys, and I'm glad I have two!

A lot of people get caught up with society norms and what people will think if your little boy was loud and dirty and being goofy in a grocery store or out in public somewhere. I'm REALLY lucky that Gage is so well behaved whenever we go out anywhere. I get compliments all the time that he's so polite and quiet.

But he's not always like that. Sometimes he forgets we are in public and sings at the top of his voice. Or he makes car noises. Or he pretends (loudly) he has a jetpack strapped to his back. And I never quiet him, despite the stares from the non-parents and older generation in my local grocery store. Or when he asks for something at the checkout and I say "no" and he has a MASSIVE (I mean MASSIVE) tantrum? I don't threaten him with punishment or time out. Because he's a KID, and he's still learning his emotions.

When he plays outside and squishes bugs and gets mud all over or sits on the muddy ground, I don't yell at him because he's a KID.

A friend of mine mentioned that today she took her kids to a local play group and how she noticed all the mom's hovered over their children and didn't let them play freely without interference.

Kids need to be kids! I personally don't think Gage would have the incredibly creative imagination he has now if I'd hovered and insisted on helping him play!

Sometimes I need to remind myself of this when I'm having a busy day and I don't feel like I talk to him or played with him a lot. I'll go looking to see what he's up to only for him to be totally into a game he's invented. He is totally in this "Watch this, mom!" stage, where he has to show me every little thing he does (and compliment how big his muscles are and how tall he's grown) and I LOVE it.

I love my smelly, loud, goofy, dirty little boys!