The Queen of...

Banana Bread! For the last five years I have tried and tried to make my husband a loaf of banana bread that he enjoys as much as his mothers. I have tried her recipe but could never get it just right. I tried dozens of others, some were too dry, others were too banana-y, some were too sweet and others were not sweet enough BUT finally....drum roll......I was able to make a delicious, two thumbs up, five star loaf. Not once, but twice. The recipe comes from a great book recommended to me called, "The Amazing Wheat Book" by LeArta Moulton. It is chock full of good, wholesome recipes- everything from a homemade taco seasoning to bread. Here it is:

Banana Nut Bread

1/2 cup butter

1 cup sweetener (I used 1/4c honey and 3/4c agave)

2 eggs, beaten

3 bananas, mashed

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 t baking powder

1 t soda

1 cup chopped walnuts

Cream butter and honey. Add eggs, then mashed banana. Sift dry ingredients (this is worth the extra time) and add to first mixture. Added chopped walnuts. Bake in buttered 9*5 loaf pan at 350 for 45 min - 1 hour.

(I could not snap the picture fast enough, Matt had already dug in!)

Lucky enough for me, when I told my mother-in-law about my accomplishment, she said, "Good. I can finally stop making it for him." Love ya Grams!

Monkey see.

Monkey Do.

Internet Debut.

How exciting! Luke, Eli and myself have made our debut on the Baby Girl Cleaning Products website. Wahoo.......we are almost famous. www.babygirlproducts.com.

Well, my life changed after meeting Sarapage, founder of Baby Girl Products. I saw a presentation she gave on the dangers of chemicals in our homes. I had always thought that using 7th Generation or Method Products would help keep my family safe and was worth the extra money. Unfortunately, it is just the companies clever marketing and the governments lack of mandates that coerce everyone into thinking these "green" products are both safe and effective.

Once again, I was at it, researching everything I could find from the EPA to the American Cancer Society to the Centers for Disease Control. Sure enough Sarapage was right, check out her site and you will be flabbergasted.

Here is a sneak peek:

* Toxic chemicals in househould cleaners are 3 times more likely to cause cancer than outdoor air.

* There has been a 26% increase in cancer over the last two decades.

* Cancer is the number one cause of death in children.

* One in every 400 Americans can expect to get cancer before the age of 1.

* Scientists believe that 80-90% of cancer is due to environmental causes.

From that point on I started using lots of vinegar, essential oils and only toxin free products to clean my home with. It really is so easy to get started.

Give it a try~ here are a few of my favorites "recipes".

1. Oven cleaners are one of the most toxic products you can buy, containing lye and ammonia. The fumes affect your respiratory system and the air within your home. However, a simple solution of 2 T baking soda dissolved in 16 ounces water will do the trick. Spray the inside of a cool oven and it will clean itself the next time you turn it on.

2. Floor cleaners often contain ammonium chloride (NH4Cl). Ammonium chloride is also found in contact explosives...nice. This compound can irritate skin, eyes and breathing passages and cause skin cancer. The EPA lists ammonia as a toxic chemical so I have no idea why they allow it on our household cleaning products. So, instead just fill a squirt bottle with vinegar and add 5 -7 drops of lavender or tea tree oil (thanks for the tip Kristie). It works like a charm and is inexpensive!

3. Just thinking about bleach makes my eyes water. But did you know that you can simply spray an area with vinegar and then spray it with hydrogen peroxide to disinfect? (Don't mix the ingredients in one bottle, keep them separate and spray away.) In fact, studies done at Virginia Polytechnic Institute found that the pairing of the two mists killed virtually all Salmonella, Shigella or E. coli bacteria. This spray combination is more effective at killing this bacteria than chlorine bleach or commercially available kitchen cleaner. Use it on countertops, meat, toys, just about anything. Clean away.

The best part about all of this is Luke can be my cleaning partner in crime with no worries!

Nice and Easy Brunch.

Inhale......do you smell the delicious aroma of french toast coming out of your kitchen? No, well you should because this recipe is so very easy, absolutely scrumptious and refined sugar free! It comes from my friend, Jen. She is THAT friend who has the most perfectly decorated house, always brings the most delicious dish to the bbq and can whip up custom made drapes that would put Nate Berkus to shame. Amazing! So, if you have an extra 15 minutes tonight, throw this together and your family will thank you in the morning. Oh and you may just feel a tad bit like June Cleaver (see picture below). 

French Toast Bake~

1 cup maple syrup

2 tsp cinammon

1 stick butter

about 6 slices of bread (Publix Homestyle bread is great. About 1.5 loaves) 

6 eggs

1/4 cup milk

vanilla

Melt the first 3 ingredients in a pot and then pour in a 9*13 buttered pan. Put 2 layers of bread over the mixture. Beat eggs, milk and vanilla and pour over bread. Cover with foil and refrigerate over night. Bake in 350 oven for 45 minutes with the foil on. 

Dad(s).

I am daddy's little girl, I always have and always will be. Looking back on my childhood, I remember my dad being my hero. The first one to hold me in the hospital, the one to sing lullabies to me with his guitar as a little girl, the one to cheer me on when I gave the commencement speech at our high school graduation and the one to walk me down the aisle on my wedding day. My dad's heart is sincere, always wondering how he can make someone else smile or bring happiness to their life, even if he is having a rough day. My dad's love is encompassing, only hoping that each of his children find their path in life, the road that makes us happiest. My dad not only taught me but showed me the value of honesty and hardwork, a lesson I have found to be invaluable throughout my life. I love you dad and hope you know that I am who I am today because of you.

Now, not to brag but I am one of those lucky girls that not only likes but genuinely loves her in-laws. "Pax", my father in law, has a heart of gold. He is always willing to play trains with Luke, even when the US Open is on. He is the strong silent one, taking everything in, enjoying each moment. He is the one line comedian, wondering why it is called a birthday and not a birth date. Matt is the man he is today because of Pax and for that, I am forever thankful.

Happy Father's Day Dad and Pax! XOXO

The best 5.

Happy Anniversary babe! It is amazing to me that the last 5  years have gone by so quickly and brought so much joy to my life and love in my heart. The best 5 of my life!

One of the greatest things about being your wife is the fact that we are not afraid to learn and grow, both as individual people and as a couple. Your passion for learning is to be admired and your courage to change is even more righteous. From you I have learned that it is okay to be the first to apologize. I have learned to be humble. I have learned that it is okay to listen to my heart instead of my head. I have learned it is better to enjoy a moment than complete a task on my to do list (this one is a work in progress).  I have learned that it is okay to question what anyone else may deem as being okay.

I hope each and every day you know how deeply I care for you and appreciate you as a husband, friend and father to our children. I love the way you hug Luke, arms wrapped all the way around him with a long drawn out squeeze. I love the way you glance over at Eli as I hold him and radiate with pride. I love how we can sit at a beach bar, sip margaritas and chat about our desire to homeschool while rocking out to the live music.  I love how much you love your family and the Lord. 

Your are my schmoop and I can't wait to see what the next 55 years will bring. All my love forever.

Beaming with Pride.

I have been proud of many things over the course of my life but nothing has prepared me for the unannounced, hit you over the head, WOW times a child can bring. 

This past weekend we visited my parent's house in Ponce Inlet, FL. Going to Grammy and Pops' house is always a nice, little getaway. They live in a quaint town that has its own beach bar, surf spot, white picket fence park, boat launch, soft sand beach and historic lighthouse. Luke is always enthralled by the tall, brick red lighthouse. Completed in 1887, it is a historical landmark for the area and Luke searches for it around every bend during our walks. 

On Sunday afternoon, we decided to drive Pops' 1978 Volkswagon bus (a Luke favorite!) over and climb to the top. I wasn't prepared for what that trip had in store for me.

Luke started out, taking each step one by one. Matt was prepared to carry him but slowly and surely the kiddo kept going, by himself.

Lifting his little right leg up and down, higher and higher. 203 very steep steps up.....

and then we reached the top. It was amazingly gorgeous and I was in awe, so very proud.  For some reason, I could not grasp that he had done it on his own. I hope this is just 1 of the 1000 times I feel this way throughout his life.  A precious moment to treasure and a lesson of the heart~ never underestimate the raw power of excitement in a child. 

Give me a B!

Give me a B. Give me a P. Give me an A. BPA~ no way! 

About two years, there was a ton of media coverage around BPA (Bisphenol A) and its effects on infants and toddlers. Being both a new mother and determined researcher, I wanted to know more.  I started to look into it and soon our abundant supply of plastic tupperware became crayon holders for Luke and digging toys for the sand box. It was just too simple to start using Pyrex and glass containers for our storage. 

But I continued to purchase BPA-free bottles and sippy cups until about a year ago. They were safe, right? Oh so wrong. You can't trust the FDA, they are a government run agency. Enough said. Thank goodness too because just a few months ago the FDA advisory board  stated that the agency disregarded evidence suggesting that the levels of BPA in plastic products could cause harm to infants and toddlers. This is after they were previously declared safe. In fact, the FDA admitted that it was wrong to base their decision on studies run by the chemical industry- ya think? In fact, the case is now reopened. Come on here.  

What we love- Klean Kanteens! They even have an adapter cap and spout so it can work like a sippy cup. The only semi-painful detail is that the caps need to be handwashed but the stainless steel bottle is dishwasher safe. Luke likes to use mommy's "big bottle." 

No B, No P, No A~ okay!  

Granola Cruncher.

Granola cruncher, tree hugger~ I am from Colorado, what did you expect? One of my new favorite recipes (from my friend/mentor, Rebecca) is absolutely delicious.  Give it a try if you are up for something free of refined sugar, sweet and both breakfast and snack worthy. Yummy. Yummy.

Multi-Grain Granola:

Add or remove any ingredients to suit your taste, simple as that!

Combine:

4 c rolled oats

1 ½ c puffed quinoa*

1 ½ c puffed brown rice*

2 c puffed millet*

2 c puffed kamut*

1 c sliced raw almonds

2 c chopped raw pecans

1 c raw cashews (opt)

1 c raw sunflower seeds (opt)

3 c unsweetened coconut*

½ c flax seed

1 ½ c pumpkin seeds

In saucepan, heat:

1 ½ c unrefined, virgin coconut oil*

2 ½ c honey

1 ½ T vanilla

½ t nutmeg

1 t cinnamon

2 t sea salt

*available at health food stores or Publix in the Greenwise section.

Pour warm mixture over oat mixture and stir until moistened. Line 3 cookie sheets with parchment paper. Spread mixture evenly in sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes (or until golden), stirring occasionally. Remove and immediately store in container. (If you let it cool on the parchment paper it sticks). Makes about 30 cups. You can also add raisins (after baking), cranberries, chocolate chips, dried apricots, dried apples.

Oh and being a tree hugger is not all that bad!

Try, try, try again.

Alright, here it goes, my first post!

One thing I am not afraid to do is try something new. I encourage Luke to try new things each day and keep a whole list of things I am going to attempt in hopes of empowering myself, enriching my mind or helping my family live a better life.  So, today I ventured into the world of cloth diapering. (Gasp, right?) Who would cloth diaper in this day and age? Isn't it soo stinky and, well, disgusting? Today was my first day so I can not give you a definitive answer just yet but I have to say that little Eli did look oh so adorable in his bumGenius pocket diaper. I will be sure to update later on how this adventure turns out. 

BTW- I do hope that cloth diapering saves a land fill or two from being stuffed to the brim with my disposables but, in all honesty, I am doing this because I want to keep all of those nasty chemicals (think dioxin, tribuytyl-tin, and sodium polyacrylate) off of my love bug's hiney. All smiles so far!