Live Simply, Love Strongly

Little Green Guy

2011-06-25T11:38:00.000-05:00

Monster Food

2011-06-21T10:42:00.000-05:00

Traditional Tuesdays
Whole wheat pasta, eggplant and green beans chopped small in my Vitamix, garlic, salt, and fresh basil, oregano and thyme. I told Chili this was Monster food, and that monsters like it because it has lots of vitamins to make them strong and healthy ;) She ate it all!
Check out more Traditional Tuesdays recipes here

Interesting New Flora

2011-06-15T14:36:00.000-05:00

What we refer to as the "snake tree." Some cool spikeys.

We call this the "swamp monster tree."

These we call "naked trees" due to their apparent lack of bark.

Some more spikes. Palm trees are so cool!

Just a few images from our morning walks. We are enjoying the novelty of all these new things!

Repurposing Project #8: Pillowcase dress

2011-06-11T18:11:00.001-05:00

What a personality! She certainly has some spunk! Here is Chili's dress from the same sarong skirt. Now I just have to do some adjustments so that it will stay tied and in place - 3 year olds are always on the move! Stay tuned, Nena may get one too...

A Good Anytime Meal: Potatoes with veggies

2011-06-07T14:00:00.003-05:00

Traditional Tuesdays Chili likes a little smile to start off the day. She thinks everything is better with ketchup :)

This is a common breakfast meal (and sometimes my lunch if there's leftovers). The ingredients are pretty basic, you might have most of them in your fridge, and if you don't, be creative! You can't go wrong with potatoes. Onion, carrot, yellow pepper, and yellow squash blended small in a blender or food processor, or simply cut up. I find that if they are smaller they are less noticable to fussy eaters. It seems more like a sauce, and less like veggies. Some oil, some garlic, and salt and sometimes cumin, and of course potatoes, that I cut pretty small(I add a little cayenne or fresh ground black pepper to mine, but Chili won't eat that, sounds ironic, doesn't it). I added a bit of water to clean the blender and added that to the pan. I have found that it sticks less on my stainless steel pans if I use a little liquid. Cover and cook until done, stirring and testing throughout the cooking. It's done when the fork goes into the potato easily (but you probably already knew that, right :) Switch out one of the ingredients for an instant variation, or swap a spice for a different flavor. Last time I added a little piece of fresh oregano from the garden. Easy, delicious, and healthy!

See more great recipes at Traditional Tuesday blog carnival.

Repurposing Project #7: Skirt

2011-06-02T17:36:00.003-05:00

A sarong skirt from a garage sale, cut and added pleats, attached to the band of a pair of maternity pants. Very comfy, and very cool in hot weather. It was pretty much free, except for the 2 needles I broke on the sewing machine making it. Lesson learned: Beware of the metal buttons on the front of a pair of jeans! To come, Chili's matching dress...

Nightime visitors

2011-05-28T13:20:00.002-05:00

Look who I found in the backyard when I went to take out the garbage!

Repurposing Project #6: Bread Bags

2011-05-27T14:13:00.007-05:00

Made from curtains I got at a garage sale. These were "something to remember me by" gifts for my two besties before I moved...I am wondering if there's enough fabric left to make one for me.

Beef and Brocoli with Chinese Vinegrette

2011-05-13T15:02:00.004-05:00

This recipe was so delicious and relatively simple (as far as cooking from scratch goes). Roast from the crock pot(shredded), carrots and onion grated in my blender, fresh garlic, grated ginger, and brocoli. Cook onion, garlic, carrots, and brocoli, and ginger until done. As far as seasonings go I added salt, red pepper flakes, a little sesame oil, and rice vinegar, and a pinch of sugar. (I didn't put the vinegar or oil on until the end.) I served it over brown Jasmin rice, and yum! We will DEFINATELY be having this again.

Raising Bilingual Kids - The Challenges

2011-04-10T09:28:00.001-05:00

Raising bilingual kids is no easy feat! I have to admit that since pregnancy with Nena, the amount I speak Spanish has gone down. Sometimes my plate is so full, or my patience is so low, that the first thing that comes out of my mouth is English. I have to constantly remind myself to speak Spanish. Then there is the fact that Chili watches shows on Netflix a little every night, in English. I wish they would put some kids' programs in Spanish on there! So now she is talking increasing amounts of English(ok, almost exclusively English), although she understands 100% of what I say in Spanish. I am hoping with the move that she will be exposed to a little more Spanish. We continue to try every day to increase language exposure with the goal of acheiving fluency in both languages. Poco a poco...

Moving

2011-04-06T12:29:00.001-05:00

That's right! We are on the move again. This time out of state. Finally, we are headed to someplace warmer. We are excited for new opportunities and can't wait to get started! I'm excited for the extended gardening season, but I don't know if I will have a place to garden our first year.

Two Beauties

2011-04-03T12:03:00.003-05:00

Aren't they precious??!!!

Eggrolls

2011-03-26T13:03:00.004-05:00

1 lb ground beef

1/2 shredded cabbage

onion

garlic

shredded carrot

ginger

mung bean sprouts(optional)

Put in pan, ground beef and onion first, then carrot, ginger, and cabbage and sprouts towards the end so they are only partially cooked. Put mix in egg roll wrappers. Fry in sesame oil. Yum!

Cool Cowl

2011-03-24T22:23:00.004-05:00

To start with, the word cowl isn't at all appealing to me. Doesn't sound fun, sophisticated, or like anything I would want to put around my neck. But I was inspired by this, and went to the store in search of yarn. I fell in love with this yarn. The color is vibrant and it is a wool/silk blend that is incredibly soft. It was different than the yarn in the pattern I saw, which was probably all the better since the weather is turning warmer anyway. I cast on 60 stitches using size 7 yarn and size 15 needles. Then I knit until I ran out of yarn. This is my result.

CT scan results

2011-03-11T12:48:00.002-06:00

Here is just a quick summary of what the CT scan showed. The specialist said that it was not a pulmonary sequestration although there is some sort of abnormality in the lungs. The CT scan shows some enlarged bronchials and some cells that appear black on the CT scan so there is also something not normal about them. The specialist said he didn't have a name for this abnormality as it is not something common. The only way to "fix" something like this would be to take it out, and to do that, he would have to take out the whole lower left lobe of the lung, but considering that it has not caused any difficulties for Nena yet, that option seemed a little drastic in his opinion. Should it cause pneumonia, he would be concerned that there would be some lung scarring, possibly damaging other areas of the lung. If she would have several cases of pneumonia, we would probably have to take it out. If she continues healthy like she has been so far, and has no signs of development on follow-up X-rays then we would probably leave it alone. So it sounds like good news. Although part of me would like to have a permanent solution and know that she's "fixed," it's also good to be able to avoid surgery for the moment.

Sitting Up and More

2011-03-03T11:27:00.002-06:00

Chocolate Bean Cake

2011-02-27T21:58:00.005-06:00

3 eggs

1/2 c sucanat (or sugar)

1/3 c butter (I used coconut oil instead, I'm sure canola or even olive oil would work too)

3 T cacao powder (or cocoa powder)

1 tsp baking powder

a little salt

1 1/2 c cooked garbanzo, White Northern, or black beans

or 1 can (make sure to rinse and drain them)

put ingredients in food processor or Vitamix blender (wet ingredients on the bottom if you are doing it in the Vitamix), blend until smooth, grease pan, I put it in on 350 for 35 minutes in what I think is an 8 X 8 inch glass pan, top with powdered sugar

It was good. It didn't taste like beans. It has a slightly different texture than if you would have used flour, but I didn't dislike it, just different. It reminded me of brownies.

What? Did you seriously just say that?

2011-02-18T15:59:00.006-06:00

From a fast food bag, "Our Secret is No Secret. Why does ********'s food taste so good? Because we make it the way you would. With 100% beef. White meat chicken. Farm fresh produce. From some of the most trusted brands in America."

And the chicken says, "An Excellent Source of Happiness."

WHAT??? There are just so many things wrong with this. I don't even know where to start. First, the idea of marketing fast food as healthy baffles me. Second, they make it the way I would??? um, sorry but no. And selling happiness, I don't think so.

Maybe it should read:

Why does ******'s food taste so good? Because we are careful to make sure it doesn't even resemble real food. We put all kinds of artificial flavors and preservatives. With beef from food lots where cows are walking knee deep in manure, fed food that is not part of their natural diet, crowded into cramped quarters, and pumped full of antibiotics so they won't be sick. With chickens who are bred to have breasts so big they can't even walk, much less forage for food like chickens are supposed to. With produce covered in pesticides and shipped from who knows how many miles away.

But then, who would buy that?

Repurposing Project #5: Tissues

2011-02-11T13:53:00.000-06:00

So, I had a ton of receiving blankets, and I figured they might as well be put to good use. It occurred to me that they might as well be cut up and made into tissues since that's what they get used for here most of the time. I like that they are much softer than other alternatives for a little nose that is suffering a cold(or mine for that matter) and that they can be washed and reused. Other than the idea, I can't take much credit for this project. It was my sister-in-law who did most of the serging while I cut threads (yeah, impressive I know). So a big round-of-applause for my sister-in-law for hooking me up with some pretty nifty tissues!

Repurpsing Project #4: Backpack

2011-02-07T12:48:00.000-06:00

This was one of Chili's Christmas presents, just never got around to posting. I used some leftover fabric that I was going to make into a dress (but THAT never happened. If you are a crafter/sewer/knitter you probably know about those projects.) and part of an old mattress pad that doesn't fit anyone's bed (used to have a bed that fit it, but no more). It's not anything fancy, but she has a good time playing with it. It needs some sort of closure, but I haven't decided what would be best, and so it is eternally propped open.

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle Thoughts: How Can We Make a Difference?

2011-02-05T11:27:00.005-06:00

Although I am not real convinced that my voice has clout with politicians, I am convinced that my money does have power. Where I choose to spend it, and whom I support with those choices does send a message and make an impact no matter how small...but what if another 100 families in my city made similar choices? What if thousands all over the country did the same? How many people would it take to make a change in our current food system? I don't know. Maybe my changes are only a drop in the bucket, but I can be sure that the changes we are making help align our family values with our food choices.

In Animal, Vegetable, Miracle it states that if every U.S. citizen ate one meal from local, organic ingredients we would save 1.1 million BARRELS of oil every WEEK. That sounds like a lot to me. And that's only a start. What if everyone ate mostly locally??? Doesn't that make you think?

Currently in our country we farm 1.2 acres/person in our country. Based on predictions for 2050 we will only have about .6 acres/person...so change is coming. Maybe we won't have room to farm corn for the corn syrup for the 219 gallons of soda/person we drink in this country? It is possible to have enough food/person. Barbara Kingsolver calculated that their food footprint for their whole family was about 1 acre (this includes their own produce, animals, farmer's market produce, grain, and dairy). And they ate for about $.50/family member/meal! So the question is will we change when we are forced to, or will we be proactive and be part of positive change.

Here are some things you can do (if you aren't doing them already):
1-grow as much of your own food as possible
2-store and preserve(freeze, can, etc) as much our your own food as possible
3-buy as much of your food as possible at the farmer's market
4-use a food coop to buy large quantities of things like grains
5-for the rest of what you buy, look for products with the fewest ingredients and least processing(the more ingredients, the more things had to be shipped to the factory just to make the product)Example: if you have the choice between a box of cereal and a tub of oatmeal, the oatmeal has the least ingredients and least processing
6-Find local sources (farmers) for beef, chicken, pork, eggs, etc.

Maybe your family isn't ready to embark on the same journey that Barbara and her family did. Mine isn't. But we are committed to making changes, small changes over time that we can stick with. I hope you will think about what changes your family can implement.

Animal, Vegetable Miracle Thoughts: Bacteria and Dirt

2011-01-31T18:21:00.005-06:00

Bacteria. Yuck, right? Make you sick, right? Except for the good ones. Strains that can be helpful. But have you ever noticed? We don't call them that. Bacteria, I mean. We call them cultures, or probiotics, or whatever else, just not bacteria. Somehow I don't think Activia would sell quite as much if they used "Good ole bacteria in every bite" as their slogan. And what about those commercials showing all the bacteria in your mouth. Better get yourself some good toothpaste to kill them off.

Dirt. Yuck. Nobody wants that in their house. Get it out. Out! And certainly don't get it on your clothes or put your hands in it. What? Food comes out of that? Certainly we can't eat that. It's DIRTY! Better buy your food from the grocery store where they sell clean food.

:) Just saying, we have some conceptions in our culture that we are going to have to change if we are going to eat locally and healthfully. If we are going to get a new generation of youth interested in gardening and where their foods comes from, we are going to have to get over the yuckiness of digging in the dirt. Especially if their parents aren't introducing them to those experiences at home. We are going to have to recognize the interconnectedness and balance of each organism in our environment, even bacteria and dirt.

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle Thoughts: Kids in the Garden

2011-01-28T16:01:00.005-06:00

So, if we will be forced to change how and where we get our food as the amount of fossil fuels we had dwindles, that means my life, but even more so my daughters' lives will be affected by this. They will have to eat differently. Which makes me think: How will we help them do this? What knowledge will we share with them? They will need knowledge about agriculture. About how things grow and how they can grow them. They are not (in the current system) going to get that in school.

Carla Madigan writes, in the book The Backyard Homestead, about this lifestyle being "...a way to pass along to your own children skills for self-sufficiency and to create in their minds the memory of time spent doing something practical and fun with the people they love. It's amazing to me that I can still remember so much of my food life from when I was a child. Something from those days must have stuck with me, because I've become a person who gardens, forages, bakes, makes cheese, and puts up fruits and vegetables, much like my parents did."

Yes, that is the hope that I have for my daughters. That they would have positive memories of times shared as a family and skills they can use in the future. That they would also see value in resourcefulness, frugality, the flavors of homemade food, and being good stewards of this Earth.

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle Thoughts: The Future of Food

2011-01-27T18:40:00.004-06:00

After listening to the audio book of Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver, there are a lot of thoughts floating around in my head. These next few blog entries will be an attempt to organize those thoughts and hopefully, urge you to think too. :)

In her book, Barbara talks about how farmers are barely making a living while the rest of us play make believe about the important part being the grocery store. For us, that's the focus, isn't it? Going to the store to pick up food. Rarely stopping to ask where it comes from or how it is grown. In grocery store sales, so little goes to the farmer who actually grew the food, making it almost impossible for farmers to make ends meet, and turning over the responsibility of growing our food to ever larger companies. Companies who have little connection with the land that they work and no relationship to the community where the food is sold. Is that where I want my money to go?

My kids are growing up in a generation that is the first that statistically will have a shorter life expectancy than their parents and in a time where the government advocates that kids eat fruit and vegetables while giving subsidies to commodity crops that get turned into junk (aka high fructose corn syrup).

Everyday we use millions of barrels of fossil fuel to ship food from halfway across the country. We are going to run out of them eventually, depending on fossil fuels to get our food is not something we will we able to continue to do. Produce from Texas and California will someday be a thing of the past.

So we start thinking of doing things different, which usually in our minds equals what we will have to give up(soda, processed food, etc). This book gives new perspective to eating locally. What I can't eat...No, eating is about comfort, nourishment, and delicious smells. We should enjoy it. But restraint=indulgence. When we wait for the season, we taste things that are the freshest and at the peak of their flavor. We shouldn't settle for tastless tomatoes in December, but change our meal plans to accomodate what's in season, and learn to store things to have them out of season. Also, when we eat things that are homemade instead of processed and shipped, we enjoy a superior product!

Additionally, the varieties of fruits and vegetables companies pick, are usually just a few varieties chosen because they look nice on shelves, keep a long time, or transport easily. But relying on just a few varieties makes us more suseptable to pests, disease, and famine. Variety is mother nature's way of ensuring the survival of a species. Using just one variety goes against the evolutionary change necessary for survival.

So, will we allow companies to control the quality of the product we receive? Will we allow them to be in control of the seeds? Will we start to make changes in our food system now, or wait until fossil fuels run out and we are forced to make them? I, for one, will not.

La vaca Lola

2011-01-13T18:24:00.003-06:00

Thinking about cows today. We went to pick up a fourth of a cow from the meat locker from a local farmer. Mostly grass fed, but finished on some oats. Excited to have the freezer stocked up with local, natural meat! Chickens and beef! Won't hardly ever have to buy any meat at the store!

However, this is what Chili was thinking about. She's also had cows on the brain. There's a couple of kid songs on Youtube that she's been watching. This is what she thought we were going to get today. I think she was kinda bummed. La vaca Lola seems a little more fun.

Fermented Ginger Carrots

2011-01-11T15:21:00.003-06:00

My first experience with fermented veggies. And YUM, I will be making these again, as well as trying out some other kinds of ferments.

I used:

2 c of grated carrots, tightly packed

1/2 T of freshly grated ginger

1 T sea salt

Mix all ingredients, and press or pound to release the juices. Put in a mason jar, and press until the juices cover the carrots. Leave at least an inch at the top of the jar. Cover tightly, and leave at room temp for about 3 days. Then put in cold storage or the top shelf of the fridge. I have especially liked eating them with black beans and eggs. They have greatly improved my digestion of beans ;)

Two Year Blogging Anniversary

2010-12-27T12:13:00.004-06:00

My two year blogging anniversary was December 20. I missed it in the rush of the holidays. Happy 2nd birthday Live Simply, Love Strongly! Here's to continuely learning to tread lightly on our Earth: learning to cook things from scratch at home, repurposing, learning to make things ourselves instead of buying store-bought, simplifying our lives and learning to be content with less, gardening, preserving, and living a more natural lifestyle! Here's to enjoying life with kids, blowing bubbles, digging in the garden, playing outside, singing, dancing, laughing, and loving! Hope you continue to join me in this adventure to do more living simply and loving strongly.

Coconut Hot Chocolate

2010-12-27T11:46:00.002-06:00

Growing up, I thought all hot chocolate was made with water. Later, I discovered how delicious and creamy it is with whole milk and never went back. Not being able to eat dairy, I needed to make some adjustments to find a hot chocolate that I was going to like.

Here's what I did:

1 can coconut milk (not light)
1 can water
1 circle (pastilla) of Mexican hot chocolate (I used Ibarra this time, I usually buy that one or Abuelita)
a little cornstarch (maybe a tablespoon, remember to dissolve in cold water first, then add)

Add coconut milk, water and the chocolate. Warm over medium heat, stirring frequently to dissolve chocolate. When warm add your mix of corn starch dissolved into cold water. Boil a few minutes til it thickens. Enjoy!

Not so Holla-daisy Sauce

2010-12-27T11:13:00.006-06:00

Not eating dairy can limit your cream sauce options. I really like hollandaise sauce, but after reading how to make that, knew I was out of luck - lots of butter is required. So I decided to attempt a dairy-free hollandaise sauce. First, I just thought I would replace the butter with oil, but I never got it to thicken up that way, but a little bit of cornstarch did the trick. So, without further ado, here's my recipe...

Not so Holla-daisy Sauce

3 egg yolks

salt

6 T oil

1 t lemon juice

pinch cayenne

a little dry mustard (maybe a teaspoon)

garlic powder

some cornstarch (maybe a Tablespoon)

Put egg yolks, 2 T water, and a pinch of salt in a small saucepan on very low heat. Whisk constantly until slightly thickened 3-5 minutes (don't let it curdle).

Remove from heat and stir in the oil a tablespoon or two at a time. This is the part where the hollandaise is supposed to thicken. Mine didn't. I assume because I didn't use butter. So I added a little cornstarch (put the cornstarch in a little cup with a tiny bit of water and stir until dissolved, then add it). You have to let the cornstarch boil or it won't thicken, but I whisked it the whole time, just in case the eggs wanted to do funny things. Then I added the mustard powder, lemon, cayenne, garlic powder, etc until it tasted good!

We served it over shrimp, with asparagus, and bread spread with coconut oil. The white thing is the leftover egg white, cooked flat, and rolled.

Happy Holidays!

2010-12-27T11:04:00.003-06:00

Nena, getting in the spirit of the holidays by making herself a Santa beard! Ha! If you click on the pic, you can see it larger/more clearly.

Wishing you and your family a very happy holiday season!

Gingerbread Disaster aka Poop Cookies

2010-12-18T18:04:00.003-06:00

As the title suggests, these came out crappy! ;) So much for our first time making Xmas gingerbread men. But we had a good time laughing about them. Yes, I did say in front of my 3 year old that they looked like poop, which led to her saying things like, "I like poop." (She actually did like the cookies.) and "Papi, you want eat poop, papi?" as she offered him a cookie. I know, I know, moms aren't supposed to let their kids say stuff like that, and I may regret it later, but I couldn't help it! I mean look at them! These cookies really stink!

Christmas Countdown

2010-12-11T16:50:00.002-06:00

This week for our Christmas preparation we made a Christmas countdown chain. Remember making those when you were little?

Here We Come A Wassailing...

2010-12-04T22:36:00.004-06:00

Time to start some merry-making! Last week we set up our tree (and then re-set up our tree, first time with a real tree, who knew they needed water?! Had to take it back down, cut off a piece, put water, and put it back up :) Chili really got a kick out of that! This weekend we made Wassail! I had never had it before, but the ingredients sounded good, and it sounded like a holiday-ish thing to do, so we gave it a try! Here's what we did...

Wassail
1 3/4 c sugar (original recipe called for 2 1/4 c but it called for lemon juice, and I was using lemonaide, so I reduced, I thought it was a bit too sweet, so next time will use less)
4 cups water
2 cinnamon sticks
2 slices fresh ginger root
10 allspice berries
1 T whole cloves
4 c orange juice
2 c lemonaide (see above)
8 c apple juice

Original directions said to combine sugar and water and boil 5 minutes(I added the cinnamon in before boiling too, I figured they would let out more flavor that way). Then remove from heat and add spices...it didn't mention what to do with the juice, so I added that in after the boiling too. I tried it and thought it tasted a little too orange juicy, and couldn't taste much of the spices, so I left it covered and simmering for awhile and really liked the result! Yum, tastes like the holidays!

Coconut Bread/Cake

2010-11-28T15:03:00.004-06:00

Made this as a birthday cake for hubby a couple weeks ago. It was very filling. I later read that is because coconut has a lot of fiber. We decided to drizzle more honey on top as it was not as sweet as we would have liked for a cake, but if you are looking for a bread, if would be fine.

6 eggs
1/2 c of oil (or melted butter if you are eating dairy)
2 T honey
1/2 t salt
1 t baking powder
3/4 c coconut flour*

Whisk eggs, add oil, honey, salt, baking powder and whisk together.
Add flour and stir until lumps are gone.
Cook on 350 for 40 minutes.
I covered it with a little honey and sprinkled coconut to make it look nice.
Store in fridge. (If there's any left.)

*Coconut flour is not a grain. It's made from the fiber left over from making coconut milk or coconut oil. There's not many vitamins in it, but it can be used by people with other grain allergies or diabetes.

Crustless Pumpkin Pie

2010-11-25T23:35:00.003-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving! Here is what I made this year:

Crustless Pumpkin Pie

1 can(15 oz) pumpkin puree
3/4 c sucanat (or white sugar if you prefer)
3/8 c all purpose flour
1/2 c coconut milk (or whole milk if you do dairy)
3 eggs
6 T oil (or melted butter)
cinnamon
pumpkin pie spice

Blend and pour into pie pan. Bake at 350 for 60 minutes.

Easier to not have to make a crust, and I don't enjoy the crust much on pumpkin pie anyway. This was so fast and easy I will be making it again soon. Sorry, I was going to take a picture, but most of it is gone already.

The "Un-Cheese"

2010-11-09T18:25:00.002-06:00

Looking for dairy/soy free recipes today, I come across a recipe for a fake mozzarella (or so it said). I had all the ingredients, so I decided to try it. It was pretty good, but it was not remotely like cheese. More like dip. Would be good spicy too for a Mexican dish.

1 c cashews
1/4 c pine nuts
1/4 c lemon juice
salt
1/2 c water
italian seasoning (I added this in)

Put all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth.

Happy "Hallow-ember"

2010-11-06T16:00:00.003-05:00

Okay, so I've been meaning to post these pics for awhile, and somehow we've made it well into November...oops! Here are my little ones in their Halloween duds!

Chicken Pot Pie - Gone Latino

2010-10-20T17:56:00.011-05:00

The other night, I tried something new that I had read about. It's basically a chicken pot pie, but I found it much easier to make. I cooked a chicken the day before in the slow cooker, deboned it and broke it into pieces. I stored that in the fridge all ready to go for the next day, and started some black beans soaking with a little vinegar. I saved the broth, and in the morning I put them in the slow cooker. In the evening, I put some carrots, celery, and zuchini into the food processor. Then saute these veggies with some onion, garlic, cumin, salt, chili powder, oregano or whatever seasonings you want. Add some frozen corn in too.
Now grease the pan, and put the chicken pieces on the bottom, then a bunch of black beans without the cooking water, and put the veggies on top.
Finally, you make the crust to put on top. Use:
1/2 c flour and 1/2 c masa harina
1 T sucanat/brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1/4 c of whatever oil you like to use (if butter or coconut, melt)
1 T vinegar plus unsweetened almond milk/rice milk to make a cup (or buttermilk instead)
Mix together the wet ingredients, mix together the dry ingredients, pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until smooth. Pour over the top and bake at 375 until browned.

"Sloppy Joes" - Gone Latino

2010-10-14T15:12:00.004-05:00

Ground beef, potato (shredded, cubed, however you want), green pepper, tomato, and seasonings (garlic, onion, chili powder, cumin, salt). Cook it up and serve on tostadas and top with tomato, cilantro, and maybe some cheese.

Welcome, Nena!

2010-09-15T19:03:00.004-05:00

No, Nena is not her name. It's Spanish for "girl." But on this blog, we will refer to her as "Nena." So give a warm welcome to the newest member of our family!

Chocolate Avocado Pudding

2010-09-14T11:08:00.004-05:00

Who would have guessed that avocadoes make some mean pudding...and dairy free, which my baby is happy about.

1 avocado
a little honey
1 tsp vanilla
sprinkle a little cocoa powder
1/8 cup water or until you reach the right consistency for pudding

blend really well in the blender

Oh, yum! And I feel like I'm getting some nutrition in too! And no, I doesn't taste like avocado.

Blessed

2010-09-12T22:54:00.004-05:00

Feeling overwhelmed by the goodness of these last few days.
An amazing birth. A few unexpected bumps, but things worked out perfectly. I felt so supported, and cared for. Leaning against my husband in a tub of warm water. My doula coaching me through each contraction. Bringing my little one out onto my belly. A beautiful, HEALTHY daughter.
Incredibly, incredibly blessed.

Ice Cream!

2010-08-27T18:12:00.002-05:00

And someone REALLY enjoyed it!

My New Favorite Place

2010-08-24T09:39:00.003-05:00

This is the place where I have been savoring these last few days of summer, and these last few days of pregnancy. Right in my own backyard, under our biggest tree. I love this view from below it. I love how it's massive roots go down into the ground under me, steady and firm, and it's branches reach high up towards the heavens. The calm of this place is refreshing. I love breathing in the life all around me; soaking up the serenity. This would be a good place to spend some of my labor, and to visualize when at the hospital. It has been a place to give thanks for the goodness in my life, and to spend time with family. A place to enjoy the moment -- the last few days of how things are -- and to open our hearts for new things, for change and transition, and a precious, new daughter to join us at home.

Strawberry jelly

2010-08-02T20:49:00.003-05:00

My first jelly ever! Yum! Don't they look cute.

My Vote for Best and Worst Latin Remakes

2010-07-26T15:42:00.002-05:00

Worst:
David Cedeno - I'll Be There
Click here, and it's the first one on the list, and you can hear a little. That's about all I want to hear. Nothing against the artist, some of his other salsa stuff is good. I don't know if it's the style that doesn't suit him, or the thick accent, but I do not like this remake.

Best:
Prince Royce - Stand By Me
Nicely done. Love the fusion of the English/Spanish lyrics. Not to mention that this song sounds nice to the bachata beat. Plus, you gotta love the kids and the racial/ethnic diversity in the video. Check it out here.

Breakfast Basket

2010-07-23T15:38:00.004-05:00

A friend of Chili's is having a birthday party. This is what we made for a gift. A felt food breakfast basket! I got the idea from Smashed Peas and Carrots. She made one with cinnamon rolls and muffins that was super cute! We decided to use a few different items. The tutorials for this food can be found here: eggs, orange slices, and cinnamon rolls. We hope she has a very happy birthday!

Grilled Chicken Tacos

2010-07-20T22:46:00.003-05:00

I just made these last night for the first time, and will definately be making them again!

Use whatever kind of chicken you want, I use shredded chicken from a whole chicken, but the original recipe called for breasts, or you could use a store bought rotisserie chicken if you were in a hurry, so whatever you like. Fry for 3 minutes(on one side) in a little oil with the following seasonings:
2 T chili powder
2 t ground cinnamon
2 t cumin
2 t sucanat or brown sugar
2 t salt
1/2 t black pepper
It will become slightly crispy or blackened.
I served this up with curtido (here is a basic recipe http://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/recs/495/Curtido_Salvadoreno_El_Salvador48777.shtml) I do it pretty much like that, but I don't blanch it first. It is better the second day, so if you can prepare it the day before, even better.
I also served it with grilled poblano peppers(blacken on gas stove, or on the grill, and then put in a plastic bag or covered container for a few minutes, then peel and remove seeds, and cut up. Warning: sometimes these are spicer than others. I peeled and deseeded with my fingers and a knife, but they weren't too spicy. Sometimes this can be a dangerous move, if they are spicy and you touch the seeds, please do not touch your eyes, etc. as it may hurt, even if you have washed your hands several times :)
We also put some avocado on it, and of course served it on tortillas! I was initially skeptical about the cinnamon, but it was good! I ran out of chicken today, and ate the remaining poblanos in a quesadilla with curtido, and that was good too!

Bubbles

2010-06-21T17:10:00.002-05:00

"Grandma's hankies" dress

2010-06-18T15:15:00.005-05:00

Here is the dress I just finished for Chili. The fabric was called "Grandma's hankies." I love the dainty vintage look of it. It took me about 3 days to do. I'm sure an expert sewer could have whipped it out, but an expert sewer I am not. I made quite a few mistakes, and learned how to do a few new things (pleats, how to make a slip/liner, and how to attach all of it), but with the help of my ever-so-skilled sister-in-law, it is finally done. I absolutely love how it turned out.
Cute as a bug.
Dancing to some music on the radio.

Baby T-shirt

2010-05-25T17:40:00.002-05:00

This t-shirt I did for a baby gift for a friend. I used double stick fusible web to iron the shape on to the t-shirt, and then used pink thread to hand sew around the edge to give it a little hand-made detail.

Meat-crust Pizza

2010-05-21T18:05:00.004-05:00

The bottom is like a big meatball, squished flat. I think I used a pound of ground beef, 1/3 c bread crumbs, 2 cloves of garlic, some fresh basil chopped up, and just a tad of water for the "crust." Covered it in tomato sauce, cheese and put some mushrooms that I had sauted with onion, some fresh tomatoes, and zuchini on top. Baked in a glass casserole dish at 400 for maybe 30 minutes. I used 85% beef, but wished I had used leaner beef. Oh, it was so good! Hope you like it too.

Pulmonary Sequestration

2010-05-12T18:13:00.002-05:00

I have honestly been putting off writing about this. Mostly because we don't know much at this point about how this is going to evolve. On my 20 week ultrasound, we found out our baby girl has a pulmonary sequestration. There is more info here about what that is. To summarize in very simple terms, it's some lung cells that separated from the other lung cells in early development. It has it's own blood supply, but doesn't do anything. It does need to be removed by surgery after baby is born. How soon depends on how baby is handling having it in there. If it causes problems, it could need to come out immediately. If not, it would need to come out somewhere between 6-12 months. And while no one wants to hear that their newborn/baby will have to have surgery, in most cases, this is a treatable condition, and kids go on to have normal lung function. We are hoping for the best possible outcome, and trying to stay positive. Only time will tell how baby tolerates having it there, and if it will shrink, grow in size, or stay the same. It will be monitored monthly by ultrasound to make sure there is not a buildup of fluid in the chest cavity, and to make sure that it's not growing and causing problems to other organs. While the possibility exists of a few nasty complications, the risk for these is small. The specialist in town did say that currently it is bigger than what they usually see at 20 weeks, but this next ultrasound and subsequent ultrasounds could show changes, so treatment can only be determined as we see how things progress. So here's to a healthy baby! We appreciate your thoughts and prayers.

A New Way to Eat

2010-04-17T09:36:00.002-05:00

Repurposing project #4

2010-04-01T15:59:00.005-05:00

This came from an old denim shirt of mine, and a small piece of fabric I found at our church garage sale. I got a lot of ideas on this one from my sister-in-law, who is much more advanced at sewing than I am. I cut same sized strips for the bottom, and used a pattern for a general guide on size. I top-stitched on the green fabric to make it look nicer. And the green trim on top, I just folded a strip and adjusted it to make it work. Well, what was going to be a quick and easy play dress, turned into an all day project, but I learned a lot, and really love the result. I will have to do something in the back to make it a little more snug, but hey, you learn as you go.
Doesn't she look cute?!

Repurposing project #3

2010-03-30T14:32:00.001-05:00

Was a stretched out dress from my niece...
Tah-dah!
New play dress made for free!

The First Gardening of the Year

2010-03-22T09:09:00.002-05:00

Apple Crisp

2010-03-19T16:33:00.003-05:00

Can you believe I have never made apple crisp before? It's so easy!

6 cups apples (peeled, cored, and sliced)

1 t. cinnamon

2/3 c brown sugar

5 T butter, cut into bits

1/2 c rolled oats (not instant)

1/2 c all purpose flour

butter pan, put into cut up apples

put other ingredients together in food processor, or mix well with fingers or a fork

Bake 30-40 minutes at 400 degrees

Mine seemed a little sweet, I think next time I'll put more apples. But definately yum, and the house smells great too!

Repurposing project #2

2010-03-09T13:25:00.004-06:00

This shirt I got at a garage sale for 50 cents. I really liked the color and print, but it just didn't fit me right in the shoulders. I decided it was time for it to get a makeover. I tried to turn it into a tank top for me, but it ended up too small. So....

The straps for it came from another thrift store shirt I got for 10 cents, and the thread I already had. So, not bad for a 60 cent play dress.

Repurposing project #1

2010-03-06T15:34:00.003-06:00

I picked up this flowered fabric at the thrift store last summer, but was unsure of what I would use it for. It had a different texture than your typical cotton fabric, a little rougher/thicker, and I wasn't imagining it would become clothes. Plus the fact that it had a couple of spots that were lighter as if bleached by the sun. So just after Christmas it was turned into some bags. Two were given away as Christmas gifts, one as a birthday gift, and Chili has one of her own too. I think they turned out pretty darn cute. What better gift for a little girl than a flowered bag to stash her treasures!

Recovering from the Blahs

2010-03-05T15:45:00.002-06:00

The last few months I have had a bad case of the blahs. Winter is always a challenge for me. I have an adversion to it. It's actually quite a miracle that I haven't "flown the coop" looking for a warmer climate. In addition, I've had the typical pregnancy nausea and lack of energy. I feel like I've spent most of the last two months as a lump on my couch. BUT, it seems there is hope! The sun is peeking through, the snow is melting, and my nausea is fading and energy returning. It is time to do stuff! I actually feel like cleaning my house, washing dishes, and organizing papers. Nesting, no... it's called celebrating that I'M ALIVE! Hopefully, we'll have some fun crafting and cooking blogs coming up, so stay tuned!

A picture speaks a thousand words

2010-02-22T10:50:00.000-06:00

Interpreting my daughter's speech

2010-02-04T16:04:00.003-06:00

I finally figured it out. The mystery of why my daughter was calling lobsters "granolas." She kept telling me, "shop Hyvee - granola" but then made the little lobster claw movement with her hand that helped make her meaning clear. But...granola? What does granola have to do with lobsters? First, the word in Spanish for lobster is "langosta" (lahn GOS tah) and my daughter also knows the word for crab "cangrejo." (cahn GREH hoe), but neither of these words sound like granola. So they other day we had a talk about "granolas." I said "langosta." She said "granola." Langosta. Granola. Langosta. Granola....but before I decided to "call the whole thing off," I thought to myself "Well, there are a few consonant blends there that she can't pronounce." So let's just pretend for a minute that I took those out. Lagota? Then I thought, "well, what if she can't pronounce a few of those sounds?" Gagoga? Well, she doesn't pronouce all the sounds in granola either. It sounds more like ganowa. So, I listened again. Langosta was somewhere between ganowa and ganoja (spanish j is like h). So there it is. My daughter was saying langosta all along. Who knew?

My Little Interpreter

2010-01-25T17:03:00.005-06:00

It has been interesting to listen to Chili as she increases her vocabulary in two languages and to observe her making the connection between words of the same meaning in each language. She sometimes thinks it is fun to play "interpreter" and say the word in both languages. Here are some examples of what she has been saying: snow-nieve, apple-manzana, I love you-mucho(she hasn't figured out the te quiero part yet), mine-mio(that was the first one, I guess just in case anyone didn't understand it was HERS), Ya voy-I'm coming(this one always makes me laugh), trash-basura, cookie-galleta, money-monedas(techinically monedas are coins, but at least she gets the connection), socks-medias(she can't say calcetines yet, so we're going with this). These are the ones that are coming to mind right now, I know there are more. It's so fun to hear her come up with new things.

Living Better in 2010

2010-01-14T15:18:00.003-06:00

Looking back at my goals from last year, I can say that I did a pretty decent job with them. I planted my BIG garden, read some gardening books, and set up my bulletin board. All of which have been great "investments." As far as meal planning, I would say I get that done 75% of the time. Things go better when I plan, but it doesn't always get done. I did form a cleaning schedule, and liked having it as a guide, and not a strict schedule. Since I have moved, I haven't written a new one, so it has fallen to the wayside. One of the best cleaning routines I have established is to clean up the family room with my daughter before bed. I tell her she is going to go nite-nite so the toys do to. We put them in their beds (containers). We don't do it every night, but it's a huge help for me when we do. The family room is where we are all the time, and if her toys are everywhere (which is pretty much everyday) we all have to step on her mess. Ouch! I don't feel like I'm any more patient that last year. How does one get more patient anyway? I know my daughter has given me plenty of opportunties this year, but I don't feel like it's helped much. Will have to keep pondering and post another day about that one.

So, here's my list for this year:
Ecological - 8 repurposing projects, a trash analysis, attempt to do sprouts at home (pea and bean sprouts), and get my tomato and pepper starts going at home
Personal - organize my closet, and our attic space upstairs into a useable space, do another cleaning schedule
Family Health - prepare more smoothies, walk daily (or almost daily) once it gets nice enough, continue with meal planning
Spiritual - consistantly keeping a time before bed for prayer/meditation in order to maintain my center

What are your Living Better goals for 2010?

Movie Review: Leonera (Lion's Den)

2010-01-08T09:35:00.003-06:00

This movie, in Spanish (with subtitles), is set in Argentina. A young girl is accused of murder and sent to prison. The catch, she's pregnant. She is sent to a special cell block for pregnant women and women with children. I was surprised to see that they allowed these children to stay with them until they were 4 years old. I was also surprised at how long the judicial process lasted. She was in prison almost four years for she even had her trial.

I like to watch movies that allow me to see life through someone else's eyes. This movie did that for me, allowing me to see another mother's struggle and love for her child. I have to give this movie applause for showing mothers breastfeeding, a normal part of life, yet something we don't see often enough in our culture.

Getting Creative When Homebound

2010-01-07T12:30:00.005-06:00

We received a Christmas present in the mail the other day. Not only was I super excited to get a case for my sewing machine, but the unexpected surprise was the filler in the box. Paper! And lots of it. So on day four of being shut-in, we are happy to have another activity to occupy our time. I'm surprised when I look at this photo, at how much Chili is looking like a "big girl."

Our "work of art." :)

That was one big sheet of paper!

Now what to do with the other 9 hours in the day...

Movie Review: The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

2010-01-04T16:27:00.002-06:00

This movie is set in WWII Germany. The young boy's father is a soldier. He gets a promotion and they prepare to move to the country. The boy begins to ask questions about the "farm" he can see through his window and why the people there are always wearing pajamas. He begins exploring the woods, and eventually discovers this "farm." He befriends a boy on the other side, and tries to understand the situation in his child-like mind. The dynamic changes when he decides to help his friend to find his missing father, by crossing under the fence and pretending to be a child on this "farm."

This movie made me reflect on how throughout history, looking at others as different has allowed us to separate ourselves from others, and in some instances even justify the mistreatment of others. I think it's important we remind ourselves of the similarities the exist between us all. When we hear of the sufferings of others, before we go on with our day, we need to ask ourselves: what if that was me? what if that were my child? I think the world would be a better place if we did.

Homemade Christmas

2009-12-31T09:43:00.004-06:00

This year, I wanted to save some money and make Christmas even more special by giving as many handmade gifts as possible. These are the bags I made for my niece and nephews, I will fill them with cookies when I see them this weekend, and hopefully get a drawstring inserted into the blue bags, but I need a little help from my sister-in-law to do the buttonholes on the sewing machine. Hats galore this year. Actually, a couple are missing from this photo because I sent them out of town before I took the picture. Whoops! I was pulling my hair out with a couple of them. It took me a while to perfect the pattern, and I used an acrylic yarn for one of them which I will never do again. It was not fun to knit with!

Potholders for my sister-in-law.

Chili's monkey robe. This material was a pain to work with, but the end result was well worth the effort!

Had to get creative this year for the "tree." In all the moves of the last couple of years, the artificial tree was lost. We talked about getting a real tree, but have been busy, and that plan never materialized. This was what I engineered to hang our ornaments.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!

Movie Review: The Visitor

2009-12-28T16:26:00.003-06:00

This movie is about a university professor who finds himself depressed and unhappy with his life after the loss of his wife. He is unsatisfied in his job, where he admits it's been a long time since he's done any real work. He tries to look busy and go through the motions, but without any real interest. He is trying to learn piano, I guess as a way of remembering his wife, who was a pianist, only to learn he really doesn't have the talent or love for it that has wife did. When he goes to another city to present a collegue's paper, he stays as his apartment there. When he arrives, he finds an immigrant couple is staying there, presumably someone named Ivan was renting it to them. They apologize and quickly offer to leave, but really don't have anywhere to go. When the professor sees them outside later, he offers for them to stay a few days while they look for something. This begins a friendship that brings him back to life. The two men bond over drumming, something the professor finds he has a passion for. When some unjust events bring difficulty to the lives of this couple, the professor is deeply affected as he sees and experiences the world from someone else's point of view. I highly recommend this movie. It can be found on Netflix watch instantly(for those who have that).

One BIG Snowman

2009-12-27T12:41:00.001-06:00

The snowman Papi made for Chili.

Snowy Day

2009-12-26T17:17:00.005-06:00

Chili enjoying some fun in the snow with Papi!
Oh, and this is the hat Mami knit her for Christmas. I love how it looks on her!

Funky Santa

2009-12-24T10:15:00.002-06:00

Wishing you and your families a Merry Christmas!

1 Year and Over 100 posts!

2009-12-21T21:37:00.002-06:00

Yesterday was my one year blogging anniversary. I've been sharing with all of you my journey to live simply and love strongly for one year now. I hope that my experiences have encouraged or inspired or at least amused someone out there...has it? Now is the perfect time to say hi if you've been reading this! Let me know what you've learned or enjoyed in this last year of live simply, love strongly.

Winter Wonderland???

2009-12-09T09:44:00.005-06:00

Looks so pretty from the pictures, but the reality is, the roads have been a challenge to say the least. We are getting a little stir crazy. Personally, I think this winter weather is not so wonderful.

Obsessed

2009-12-07T11:58:00.003-06:00

No, not the Mariah Carey song...but toddler obsession. Once a toddler gets something in their head, there is no stopping them. It can be something they want to do or something they like, but whatever it is, the feelings that come about are extreme. They do nothing in moderation. Our recent experiences with toddler obsession have to do with a pair of pink Dora sunglasses and a dilapidated thrift store dog. Wherever she goes, she must have them. Glasses on, dog in arms, she heads about her business. That is until, inevitably, she lays them down to do something, and absentmindedly leaves them behind. Then we hear screams of "wow, wow"(what she calls dogs) and "dentes"(lentes, Spanish word for glasses), as she adamently demands that mami find her lost items. She will not rest until they are found and returned to her. The lentes only come off to sleep, and the wow, wow accompanies us on most of our trips. But everything goes "to the dogs" if during the trip she realizes he's not there. Ah yes, toddler obsession. We know all about that.

Bread Pudding

2009-11-25T17:25:00.007-06:00

This is our current favorite afternoon recipe. So easy! This is the first recipe Chili can actually help with...most times her help does more damage than good :) She is pretty good at ripping bread apart though. Let the ripping begin!

Not all of it goes in the pan though...

Yum!

Beating eggs.

Now doesn't that look good!

Did I mention Papi loves this?

Here's the recipe, this is doubled from the original(so you could cut it in half):

16 slices of whole wheat bread

6 c of milk

6 eggs

1 stick of butter, melted

1/2 c sugar, plus more to sprinkle on top

a little salt (if you want, I used salted butter, so I left that out)

cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves if you want

raisins

sliced bananas

Grease pan, put in ripped up pieces of bread. Beat eggs together, add spices and milk and stir. Pour mixture over bread pieces. Make sure all bread gets wet. Add butter and raisins. Sprinkle sugar on top. Slice bananas and place on top. Bake in oven on 350 for at least one hour, maybe more. It will get harder as it cools. Enjoy hot or cold!

Out My Window

2009-11-25T17:18:00.003-06:00

What a beautiful way to end this special day!

Monkeying Around

2009-11-24T10:53:00.007-06:00

With the money she received for her birthday, Chili bought herself a swingset. Mami and Papi found it on Craiglist, and she paid for it herself. She has enjoyed swinging and monkeying around these past few days.

Just a reminder for those who know me personally, we are trying not to use our names in our blog, so please don't use our names in your comments. Thanks!

The Best and the Worst

2009-11-14T14:43:00.003-06:00

The best pizza I have ever made! The worst outfit ever! Lime green pants, pink long sleeved T, with a short sleeved red button down shirt...can you tell who picked out that outfit?!

More Fall Fun

2009-11-12T13:04:00.003-06:00

Fall Fun

2009-11-11T16:39:00.004-06:00

Planting Garlic and Shallots

2009-11-09T15:11:00.002-06:00

With help of course! We hope to see them make their appearance in the spring.

Recycling

2009-11-06T12:15:00.002-06:00

This is one thing I WON'T be recycling.

The Tale of the Scary Bunny

2009-11-05T14:26:00.004-06:00

This little Chili thought she was tough stuff this Halloween all dressed up as a...bunny! She growled the whole night long thinking she was just as scary as all the other little monsters. And here is my little monster:

Homemade Chicken Pot Pie

2009-11-04T08:54:00.003-06:00

After getting inspired from reading this: http://adventuresofhannahandcharlie.blogspot.com/2009/10/chicken-pot-pie.html, I decided to try my first ever pot pie. It took a long time to make, but it was much better than the store bought variety. I cooked a chicken the day before, deboned it, and shredded it up. The next day, I added some fresh green beans, carrots, and parsnips and let them cook in the broth. I added a little flour to try to thicken it up a little. When they were done I added frozen peas and the chicken to warm. Then I tried to prepare the crust which was a mess! I used the recipe that my favorite cook book recommended. It was:
1 1/4 flour
1/2 t salt
10 T butter, cold and cut into chunks
1 egg yolk
3 T ice water, more if necessary
(I doubled this to make a larger pot pie.)

Put flour, and salt in food processor for a couple seconds. Add butter and process until uniform. Add egg yolk and process a couple more seconds. Put in bowl and add ice water, mix with hands and form a ball. Wrap in plastic and freeze ten minutes. Sprinkle countertop with flour and roll with rolling pin....so I did this. When I took it out of the freezer it was rock hard. It did get a little more managable as it warmed. But it started cracking and I couldn't roll it out well. Eventually when I had it flattened to the thickeness I wanted, I put the pieces in the pan and used my fingers to connect the pieces and form the shape I wanted. This part took a long time, and was almost impossible to get the top pieces to connect. That turned out to be ok, since my inside mixture was not very thick, and the holes let the water evaporate as it cooked.

The end result was very tasty! I think next time I will try a different crust recipe and see if that makes a difference. I think I will leave out the parsnips too. This was the first time I had ever used them, and I wasn't crazy about them. I will definately make this again!

200 Words and Analysis

2009-10-28T14:21:00.004-05:00

Early in the month of October, Chili hit her 200 word mark. She is picking up new words everyday and loves to copy things she hears even if she doesn't know what they mean. She is enjoying being able to communicate, and we get such a kick out of hearing what she is thinking. The linguist in me of course had to do a brief analysis of her language aquisition. She has more than 104 words in Spanish and more than 42 words in English. She has more words (about 16) referring to animals and noises, and more than 22 referring to people she knows or characters (in books or on TV). She is now starting to put words together to show who it belongs to (like "mami gorro" for "mom's hat"). She also has a couple phrases she can use like, "How are you?" (not that she knows what that means, but she hears people say it all the time), "love you," and "alli esta" (it's over there). She really surprised me the other day when she said, "woo, woo alli esta" to tell me that there was a dog over there. My personal favorite is lately when she is asking for something and I tell her not right now, or maybe later, she responds, "mañana." I don't know if she really understands the concept of tomorrow, but she at least is okay with the fact that she's not getting it now. It makes me chuckle every time.

Now that I have written this blog post, it is really bothering me that I don't have my tildes on any of my Spanish words. Does anyone know how to do this when you use a IBM laptop and are writing using Blogger?

Making Birthday Cake

2009-10-22T09:34:00.002-05:00

Chili helped make her own birthday cake this year. Some good, not-so-clean birthday fun!

She had fun, and got to put that apron I made her to good use.

I can't believe my baby is 2!

Curtains!

2009-10-15T11:35:00.003-05:00

I finally have real curtains up. I made the curtains for the family room and the bedroom with the help of my sister-in-law E. She found some store bought curtains that she split in two lengthwise, hemmed, and added loops in order to have matching curtains for the two kitchen windows. Thanks to E's help, my niece and nephews keeping my daughter occupied, and my sewing, my house now has curtains! And here they are:

Bedroom curtains, need to finish the other panel, but this works for now.
Kitchen curtains

Family room

Tie-dye and Polka dots

2009-10-03T14:47:00.004-05:00

Some Big Shoes to Fill

2009-09-25T19:46:00.003-05:00

Yes Chili, these are some big shoes to fill. Here you are playing around in his shoes, and it just makes me think of that saying. Your Uncle J is a pretty cool person, and I would be proud to see you grow up to be like him. But not just him, you are blessed with two mighty fine uncles setting great examples for you! Here's to my two great brothers!

Questions

2009-09-19T16:33:00.008-05:00

Do you think I have enough squash? Why do you think I needed a bigger bed? Just how far in will she go?

Doesn't she look adorable?

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cookies

2009-09-15T13:22:00.004-05:00

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cookies

1 c butter, softened

2 c sugar

2 eggs, beaten

4 c whole wheat flour

2 t baking soda

1 t salt

2 c grated zucchini

2 c chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven 325

2. Cream butter and sugar

3. Add egg, flour, baking soda, and salt

4. Stir in zucchini and chocolate chips

5. Drop onto baking stone, or greased cookie sheet

6. Cook for about 15 minutes

We love them fresh from the oven or straight out of the freezer!

Becoming the Person I Want to Be

2009-09-14T09:22:00.010-05:00

I have been thinking about this topic for awhile now. Am I going in the direction I want to go? I heard a guy say once, that you are going to become the person you are becoming now...in other words, if you want to do something, take steps to make it happen. So the next question for myself, am I in the process of becoming the person that I want to be?

Well...

*To develop my creativity through craft projects. Being able to create for my family and friends with love.
My last project was some living room curtains that I worked on together with my sister-in-law, and my next project will be a present for a baby.

*To learn more about gardening, and expand my garden to include fruits. To be able to store the produce in various ways.
Finishing my first season of gardening, and have plenty of zucchini and tomatoes in the freezer. I also have tons of squash that will last for awhile.

*To reduce waste by consuming less, purchasing products with less waste, and starting a compost pile.
Trying to buy used instead of new, repurpose things to make others(my apron project, and bought some used fabrics to reuse). Pondering a worm bin.

*To expand my cooking abilities and have nourishing food ready for my family when they are hungry.
Tried making zucchini cookies for the first time last week. This week, not sure yet.

*To parent with compassion and patience. To try to see things from my child's point of view, to guide and educate her with love.
I'm trying, but I still feel like there are times where I could have handled a situation better. I need to remember to stop, breathe, and practice patience.

*To encourage and support my spouse. To try to see things from his point of view, to be patient and communicate effectively.
Need to work on the being patient and communicating better.

*To maintain my household organized: bills, papers, clean-up, etc.
Right now this place is still a mess post move. Although I do feel that it has gotten better, there is still so much more to do.

So maybe I am on my way to becoming the person I want to be...it's good to sit down and look at what I have done, and what I still need to do. What about you? Are you on your way to becoming who you want to be?

Reaping What You've Sown

2009-09-02T14:22:00.009-05:00

Celebrating 100 Words!

2009-08-26T15:49:00.004-05:00

I know, I know. Nobody counts their childs words and writes them down one by one. It must be the linguist in me that loves to see her progress, study the ratio of English to Spanish, and just celebrate language learning with each word! Yeah to bilingualism and and big Hip Hip Hooray to Chili!

Chili cuenta Lempiras

2009-08-25T09:10:00.003-05:00

We love to watch Chili count Lempiras (Honduran currancy). She will sit down for a long time and count, "Dos, dos, dos..." Apparently, the result of her counting is always "dos."

Chili cuts her toenails

2009-08-10T22:12:00.005-05:00

Sorry this is so dark, but I had to catch her in the act! I thought this was hilarious!

Shorts

2009-08-07T23:45:00.004-05:00

Aprons!

2009-07-29T14:28:00.006-05:00

First sewing project finished. I made two aprons, one for Chili and one for a friend whose birthday was this month. I'm not sure it they're quite done...I wasn't really happy with the way the ribbon looked, the stitching was definately not straight (you can't see that here, but take my word for it). I might have to do some modification. These were made out of curtains purchased at a neighborhood thrift shop (yeah, Blue Flamingo) and I used a tank dress pattern my sister-in-law had. I love the fact that I could make something new out of something used, and of course I love the garden fabric!

Now we just need to get cooking!