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Freckled Faced Mama

Kid Tested Mother Approved

This was a big hit.  I think it helped I whipped up some fry sauce with canola oil mayonnaise and ketchup.  The kids loved it.  Genevieve was asking for more "hamburgers".  Yummy and Guilt Free.  

"Naked" Turkey Burgers

Ingredients:
Turkey Burger:
1 lb. extra lean ground turkey
1 egg white
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 c. finely chopped onion
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. poultry seasoning
2 tsp. Dijon mustard

How to Prepare
1 Fire up the grill!!
2 Combine all ingredients for turkey burgers together in a large bowl. Mix well using your hands – yes, your hands! Divide the mixture into 4 even parts and shape into 4 patties

Sweet Potato Fries

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Makes: 6 Servings
Serving size:4 or 5 wedges

You'll Need:

• 2 pounds sweet potatoes (about 4 small)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Cut each sweet potato in half lengthwise, and place it flat side down on a cutting board. Cut the potato halves into 1-inch-wide wedges.
2. In a small bowl, combine the oil, chili powder, and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Place the potatoes on a roasting pan and brush with the oil mixture. Lay the potatoes flesh side down on the pan and put the pan in the oven.
3. Cook until potatoes, turning once, until soft, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and season with remaining1/2 teaspoon salt. Let the wedges cool for a bit, and serve warm.

For dunking, ketchup always works (at 15 calories per tablespoon), or try a squeeze of fresh lime juice for a British chips-and-vinegar effect.

Nutrition Information (per serving): Calories 171, Carbs 30g, Fiber 5g, Protein 2g, Total Fat 5g, Saturated Fat 1g

Words.

This sweet boy has definitely done things on his own time. He didn't get up on all fours until 11 months and didn't go up right until 18 months. Joe and i have had a few sleepless nights worrying and have helped him with a few sessions of physical therapy and now because he was a slow walker he is a slow talker. Something that is very normal for kids who don't walk until later. Once a month a speech therapist comes to pay Finley a visit. Since 18 months he went from about ten words to 80 words and counting. We are ever so proud of our boy. He is starting to talk up a storm. it has made our jobs easier and he is less frustrated.

Joe and I find ourselves reflecting on the last three years of constant babies, diapers, sleepless nights, bottles, and binkies etc. which is now beginning to wind down and come to end. We have a little girl and a toddler. It is quite odd to find ourselves here but we are going to relish in this new stage before starting all over again with a third babe.

Finley you are growing up and there is nothing I can do to stop it. My only option is to hang on tight and try to enjoy the ride.

The Gift of an Ordinary Day

 “...there is no such thing as a charmed life, not for any of us, no matter where we live or how mindfully we attend to the tasks at hand. But there are charmed moments, all the time, in every life and in every day, if we are only awake enough to experience them when they come and wise enough to appreciate them.” 
― Katrina Kenison, The Gift of an Ordinary Day: A Mother's Memoir

Clean Eating Turkey Chili

Clean Eating Turkey Chili

(Makes approximately 10 cup – freezes well for up to 6 months)

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive or avocado oil
• 1 large red onion, chopped
• 1 large green bell pepper, chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, diced
• 1 1/2 pounds lean ground turkey meat
• 4 tablespoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 3 cups fresh tomatoes, diced
• 1 vegetable bouillon cube, dissolved in 1 cup of water (gluten free if needed)
• 1 (6 ounce) can of tomato paste
• 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans
• 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce, no sugar added (optional)

Directions:

1. In a large soup pot, sauté the red onion, bell pepper and garlic cloves in the oil.
2. Once the onions are translucent, stir in the turkey meat. Continue to stir until the meat is cooked.
3. Stir in cumin, coriander and chili powder.
4. Pour in the water with the dissolved bouillon cube.
5. Add the tomatoes, tomato past and beans.
6. Keep at a low and steady boil for about 5-10 minutes to allow the spices to really absorb.
7. If you find the chili is to thick or dry, add the can of tomato sauce.
8. Cool and serve.

Nutritional Content:
(Data is for approximately 1 cup)

Calories:208
Total Fat: 7 gm
Saturated Fats: 2 gm
Trans Fats: 0 gm
Cholesterol: 54 mg
Sodium: 200 mg
Carbohydrates: 19 gm
Dietary fiber: 6 gm
Sugars: 6 gm
Protein: 18 gm
Estimated Glycemic Load: 6

Artichoke Lemon Pesto Chicken Pasta

Yummy recipe I tried last night.  Thought I'd share. Enjoy.

Artichoke Lemon Pesto Chicken Pasta

Prep time:  35 mins

Cook time:  20 mins

Total time:  55 mins

Serves: 4-5

Ingredients

1. 1lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed (or chicken thighs if you prefer)
2. 1 large spaghetti squash, cut in half lengthwise (get a BIG one)
3. 12-15 artichoke hearts, cut in half (I used jarred artichokes that were in olive oil for more flavor)
4. ⅓ cup walnuts
5. 4-5 tablespoons olive oil
6. 4-5 tablespoons vegetable broth
7. 2 garlic cloves, minced
8. ½ cup fresh parsley
9. ½ cup fresh basil
10. juice of 1 lemon
11. salt and pepper, to taste
12. 3-5 cups of spinach (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 405 degrees (not 450, stop questioning me)
2. Cut the squash in half lengthwise, place cut side down on a baking sheet and bake for 30-35 minutes or until squash gives when you poke the outside of it.
3. Use a spoon to remove the excess seeds then a fork to thread the strings from the squash. To make spaghetti, duh.
4. But while the squash is baking, make the pesto and chicken.
5. Place a large pan over medium-high heat, add a splash of fat and 1 minced garlic clove. As soon as the garlic becomes fragrant, add the halved artichokes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and let cook until slightly browned and tender on all sides.
6. Once artichokes are browned, add them to a food processor along with the walnuts, olive oil, vegetable broth, and second garlic clove. Puree until smooth.
7. Then add the parsley, basil, lemon, and salt and pepper. Puree once more until smooth. Taste and add more lemon and salt and pepper to your preference.
8. Once pesto is done pureeing, add the chicken to the same pan that you sautéed the artichokes in.
9. Cook chicken over medium-high heat until browned on all sides. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper.
10. Once chicken is cooked through, add in about ¼ of a cup of the pesto to the chicken along with the spinach, in the pan and mix well to coat. Cover and let cook for 2-4 minutes or until spinach is wilted.
11. Then add the threads of spaghetti squash to the pan (or a large mixing bowl if you need more room). Mix spaghetti squash, pesto, and chicken all together.
12. Serve with some fresh basil on top.
13. Love pesto in a new way!

Happy Birthday friend

"Life is an awful, ugly place without a best friend." 

Madi... I'm glad you're mine.

Happy Happy Birthday.

more of madison's birthdays here, here, here and here

Letters to Finley

Dear Finn,

Tonight was the first and most likely not the last time you broke a girls heart. My heart.
Since you've been born we have had a unique connection. In a way I have always felt like you were sent here for me. We have jokingly called you "my barnacle" or "mamas boy" but secretly I have always loved your unwavering affection for me. There is something about the way you put your arms around my neck and give me a squeeze or your wet slobbery kisses. I have always relished being the only one able to comfort you. For almost a year I was the only one who really fed you, put you to bed. because of nursing we spent a lot of time together. Wherever I go you go and that's way it has always been... Until now.
Tonight, was like any other night. I started to put you to bed and that's when it started. You scram and called for your daddy. I tried to hold and snuggle you against my chest and sing our nightly songs and you pushed me away. Your looks of disinterest tore through my heart. What happened? I have always been your moon and stars and tonight I was clearly just mom and you wanted dad.
I know it's silly to feel so broken over a toddlers bipolar decision of which parent was his favorite tonight. But I am. It was a change in the tide. My baby is growing up. You are growing up and I'm going to have to accept that, but it's hard. Your babyhood has been so wonderful and I have loved every moment of it. I'm sad to see it go.

Today we are embracing change as you grow into a boy.

Love you always,
Mommy

Got Oatmeal

Remember my oatmeal recipe from yesterday? My good friend/"pen pal" Lauren, who has two cute boys and is striving to create a healthy life style for her family too put some of the ingredients to good use and created a cookie recipe. I'm excited to try them.  Here is what she writes:

You will need:

- Two ripe bananas   – 1 cup rolled oats   – 1/4 cup flaxseed  - 1 tablespoon natural peanut butter

Mush all the ingredients together and scoop out onto lightly greased cookie sheet.  Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

Yes, I cheated a little here and added chocolate chips but these would be good without them.  You could also add cinnamon and raisins for more of an oatmeal cookie flavoring.

My husband was in love with these.   He described them as “Cliff bars but so much better” (and WAY better for you!).  These were incredibly simple to make, and an awesome breakfast on the go!  Looking forward to discovering more simple solutions to eating cleaner and healthier!  

HAPPY EATING

Green Smoothies

If your kids are anything like my kids its torture to try and get them to eat ENOUGH veggies and fruit. Of course they will down a clementine here and there, an apple or banana but veggies are the hardest.  I'll admit I'm kind of the same way.  If it isn't drenched in ranch I'm not a huge fan unless its cooked.  So I started looking into green smoothies.  What better way to entice them into eating something healthy if it is also a "milk shake", right?  I started my search on Pinterest, where else. I was a bit leery about spinach and kale but I gave it go and it was quite yummy.  Here is our first green smoothie attempt.  The "immune booster" because boy could we use some immune boosting in these parts.

GREEN SMOOTHIES: NATURAL IMMUNITY BOOSTER

Boosting your immune system is a great way to stay healthy, especially during cold/flu season. The stronger your body is, the faster you get back on your feet. A diet rich in fruits and vegetables contain immune-boosting antioxidants. On top of that, you can add probiotics, olive leaf extract, and elderberry extract to keep you in fighting shape all winter long.  This smoothie is so easy, there is no room for excuses. Let’s get our families healthy right now!

IMMUNE BOOSTER SMOOTHIE

2 cups spinach
1/4 cup carrots
1 banana
1/2 cups orange juice
1 cup water
2 cups frozen strawberries (I defrost them first because the flavor is more intense)
1/2 cup frozen blueberries

Additional immune boosters: powdered probiotics, olive leaf extract and elderberry extract (amount varies depending on how many people are drinking the smoothie)

http://familysponge.com/simple-green-smoothies/blending-natural-immunity-booster/

I found the children's acidophilus at whole foods in the freezer section and the extracts from Harmons.  I'm sure Whole Foods has them too, I just wasn't in the market for extracts when I was at Whole Foods purchasing the acidophilus.   

So, there you have it... a salad in a cup. Yum.

Clean Eating

I started a goal of loosing ALOT of weight this November and to start eliminating sugar and dairy from mine and the kids diet and eating clean.  Its been HARD. Especially over the holidays.  But after loosing 20 lbs (30 more to go) and the kids getting so so sick I have a renewed commitment to my goal of going CLEAN.

There are some who are curious just about what we have been eating and where we started.  I started by eliminating all dairy.  My kids were having huge bowls of yogurt in the morning, cottage cheese for lunch and milk throughout the day.  So my first move was to incorporate this awesome oatmeal recipe into their mornings.  It was given to me from my aunt who is a nurse and incredibly knowledgable about nutrition and the harmful effects sugar has on our bodies.

It must be eaten 4 times a week for the effects to be noticeable.  People who use it regularly notice and enhanced immune response and fewer allergic reactions, as well as improved digestion.  They often report increased energy and stabilized blood sugars.  It also is instrumental in lowering cholesterol and triglyceride levels.  High fiber diets have been demonstrated to reduce the risk of colon cancer.  Most of the ingredients are found at Smiths.

·      4 cups rolled organic oats

·      2 cups oat bran     

·      1 cup sunflower seeds

·      1 cup raw unsalted nuts, chopped  ( I use the almond slivers)

·      1 cup lecithin granules (I have never been able to find this)

·      1 cup ground flaxseeds

Mix all the ingredients well and grind in a blender.  I add a little cinnamon as I'm grinding the ingredients together.  I use un-sweetend 30 cal. almond milk and Agave Nectar before microwaving it for one minute.

  I have very picky eaters and my kids love love it!  Finn can eat more then me and Genevieve combined.  

If you are like Joe and are worried about the kids or yourself not getting enough calcium without dairy.  Here are some other sources of calcium:

·      Spinach                            245mg/cup

·      Turnip greens                  198mg/cup

·      Broccoli                           42mg/cup    

·      Almonds                          251 mg/cup 

·      Brazil nut                          213mg/cup  

·      Salmon                             181 mg/3 oz

·      Almond Milk                   450mg/cup  Silk Pure Brand

Thought for the Day:

Refined sugar was introduced to Japan after the U.S. Civil War, and the Japanese used it as a medicine.  By 1906, 45,000 acres of sugar cane were cultivated in Japan.  As the Japanese consumed more sugar, the onset of “western” diseases began to increase.  In 1960, Sakurazawa, a renowned Japanese physician noted, “No western doctor can cure diabetes, even thirty years after the discovery of insulin.”  In 1964, he wrote, “I am confident that Western medicine will admit what has been known in the Orient for years: sugar is with question the number one murderer in the history of humanity-much or lethal than opium or radioactive fallout.  Sugar is the greatest evil the modern industrial civilization has visited upon the countries of the Far East and (Africa genocide)…foolish people who give or sell candy to babies will one day, to their horror, have much to answer for.” 

Sick and tired.

Genevieve gave us quite a scare this week. After a horrible cough, high fever and blown blood vessels in her eyes we took her into our pediatrician at three in the afternoon Thursday. They checked her all out. No ear infections, her heart was racing a bit and she was on the edge of dehydration but they sent us home and encouraged us to push fluids. Their guess was influenza. By six that evening she was crazy with ear pain and delirious. I gave her some pain reliever and put her to bed. By 7:30 I was packing our things for the hospital. Something just did not seem right. I was worried I was overreacting and being dramatic so I wavered back and forth whether to take her or not. But my mama bear got the best of me and I yanked her out of bed and took her up to primary children's. by the time we arrived her eyes were sunken, her lips her cracked and dry and she was incredibly lethargic.
After a night in the hospital and more tests Friday. Genevieve's tests came back positive for rsv. Double ear infections, severe dehydration, and glucose in her urine. I was overwhelmed and scared when the doctors started talking diabetes and kidney failure. Luckily, her urine was clean Friday and her blood glucose levels were within normal range. Thankfully no diabetes! However, she was so dehydrated her kidneys were under stress which explains her spilling glucose and keytones into her urine.

We are so grateful for modern medicine and something that is temporary and can be fixed. Genevieve has been so sweet and strong through lots of "pokes" and prodding. I sure love that little girl. Her innocence is so sweet and perfect. I hope she stays that way for quite awhile longer.

Now our next worry is directed towards Finley. Rsv is extremely contagious and Finn has begun to show symptoms of it today. High fever, cough. We will keep or fingers crossed and pray this passes quickly.

Snow.

Genevieve is like a puppy. She needs exorbitant amounts of exercise and outdoor time in order to be an obedient and loving puppy. If she could chew slippers and rip apart couch cushions, she would! All this snow, inversion and plain old horrible winter weather has made it near impossible to get her the amount of exercise her little mind and body need. After a rather difficult week with Genevieve, joe and I were at our wits end. Every evening we were brainstorming on what to do with our little peanut. The only thing we found that has worked so far is at least two hours of climbing through the snow every night before dinner. This is on top of her schooling, dance classes and kinder music. This little girl has a lot of spice but we sure do love her that way.
As long as we know how to cultivate it in a healthy way!

Sunshine

It's been ages since we've seen the sun. So to celebrate its short lived return we went for a long family walk and soaked up the rays.

First Day of Kindermusic

New Years Resolution...

keep blogging.

This week was the first day of Kindermusic.

I must admit I was feeling a bit nostalgic.  I was remembering back

to the last two years.  here and here

Boy have things changed.

Today was a little different then our last two years of Kindermusic.

Genevieve would be going it alone this year and Finley tagged along.

He was able to take his very own class.

What a treat to have an entire 45 minutes just me and him.

I think it is safe to say Finn loved it.

He spent the entire class giggling.  

Success. 

the many faces of Evie

G: "hello Ms. Anne? Yes, we are on our way!"

Looking out the window to see popcorn popping

Celebrate the True meaning of Christmas

Letters from Santa

Dear Genevieve,

Pepper was a good elf and brought me your letter. I was so happy to hear from you. You have been a very good girl this year. You have been such a great big sister. You have been a good listener and help your mom out a lot. Keep up the good work and I'll try to bring the things you asked for. Take care of my friend pepper and be a good girl.

Love, Santa

Dear Santa

Writing letters to Santa... in the nude.

"Dear Santa,
Welcome to our home. I will take the glass off the fireplace so you can get in. I want a train table and trains. Lots of rainbows and babies and a drum, guitar and piano in my room."

Love,
Your friend Genevieve

Baby it's cold outside.

Our first real snow fall of the year. We weren't quite prepared. Socks for gloves. Jeans. Jackets. I think we might need to take a trip to get some winter gear. The kids didn't seem to mind. They played until their hands were purple.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

Never seen before footage

Never seen before footage of Finley's birthday. 

I have been really excited with the love Finley's first birthday has received.

It has been featured on spearmint baby (here), babble (here) and cheap and chic nursery (here)

What an honor!

You can see the whole circus soiree (here)

There has been too many weeks of radio silence, let the catch up begin.