Our LITTLE guy turns the BIG 1!

Was it really a year ago that Eli came into our life? It seems like just yesterday yet I can't remember what life was like without his sweet nuzzle into my neck, without his precious smile lighting up my morning, without his crazy hair sweeping over his eyes (we are at 8 haircuts and counting), without his mouth being full of food every waking hour of the day, and without his "grandma bootie" wondering around naked before his bath. Oh, I love you so much.

We woke up this morning and Luke could not wait to bake a cake. He declared himself the official taste tester- Chocolate Buttermilk cake with Cookie and Cream frosting.....yum.

We went swimming at the pool, played pin the tail on the donkey, and ate lots of dessert!

Happy Birthday my sweet Eli!

Homemade Bread- Take 2.

This is my second attempt at making fresh bread. I milled the flour, mixed it in the Bosch, let it rise, put in a cold oven and while it tasted delicious the consistency was more like a muffin than a loaf of bread. Humpf....any suggestions?

The last long run.

10 miles.

22 degrees and flurries.

2 hours of Alex Jones on my podcast....

I completed my last long run and am ready for the big race next Sunday!

Out for a visit.

Last week my parents came out from Florida to see our "new life". What a treat it was to have them here and the kids were thrilled! The weather was wonderful, three days of snow and three days of sun. We had to say goodbye on Valentine's Day....our hearts were broken.

Playing hard with Grammy.

Lots of fun with Pops.

Sledding on the ice skating rink in Evergreen. Pops whipped them all around.

Sweet.

And he is off......

The walking milestone is proving to be a bit peculiar over here. Luke started walking when he was 9 months old and then the next day he crawled for the first time. So, we just skipped that stage all together. I forgot, how silly it looks for such a little guy to be cruising around but Eli brought all those memories back. He is officially walking!

Well, he started off climbing~

(this is on a slide in the playroom)

Then walking on flat ground~

Now just getting daring~

With all of this, Luke is starting to like him a little bit more.

Coconut lime cookies- vegan friendly.

Luke and I were in the mood~ well, really I was in the mood for something sweet and he loves to be my taste tester so we decided to whip up some cookies. This recipe comes from Vive le Vegan. I have made a few different batches and have changed up the recipe (depending on what I have on hand and to make it free of refined sugar) and they have always been gobbled up. Something a little different~

Ingredients:

1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1/4 cup + 2 TB agave

1 tsp lime zest

1/4 tsp sea salt

1 1/4 cup flour- I used kamut and wheat

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/3 cup maple syrup

2 1/2 TB fresh squeeze lime juice

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/4 cup coconut oil

Preheat oven to 350. In a bowl, combine coconut, lime zest, and salt. Sift in the flour, baking powder and baking soda. Stir well. In another bowl, combine maple syrup with lime juice, agave, vanilla, and oil. Stir well. Add the wet mixture to the dry and gently fold in (be careful not to over mix). Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and flatten a wee bit. Bake for 11 minutes or until lightly golden. Let cool for one minute and remove from sheet. Voila!

In trying to stay away from dairy, we have been over indulging in cashew milk. I whip up a batch about once a week. Matt and I enjoy it but Luke will not budge from his "milkie". All you have to do is let 1 cup of raw cashews soak overnight. Drain them and put them in a high powered blender with 4 cups water, 1 tsp agave and a pinch of salt. Blend and chill. Oh I love how simple it is.

Good enough to eat.

I have seen this idea a couple of times but was not sure how Luke would react- he is very particular about getting his hands dirty. However, when I mentioned that we were making play dough that he could eat, his eyes got big and wide. Simple recipe- 2 cups peanut butter and 1/2 cup honey. Play and eat to your heart's content. Eli is not quite old enough to enjoy peanut butter or honey just yet, but was all smiles never the less.

Getting started.

Well, that was quick.

Back to business.

Oh geesh, too cute. I can't believe he is almost a year old.

Overall, two thumb's up. (We are still working on that one.)

Nutritious and delicious.

I think I have mentioned (on mulitple posts) how I LOVE the little health store by our house. They have miniature shopping carts so taking the kiddos to the store is a truly fun experience. We explore and I am surprised at how much a 2.5 year old can recognize at the produce stand- grapefruit, pears, kale, parsley, avocado. Luke loves filling up the cart and roaring it around the store.

Recently, I have started to make a conscioutous effort to reach for something new each week in the veggie department. We eat a lot of produce but it tends to be the same thing over and over- spinach, kale, tomatoes, apples, bananas, strawberries~ the old stand bys. Recently the bok choy looked so fresh I could not pass it by. I cooked it up with a little ginger and garlic, topped it off with sesame oil- delicious. It got me in the mood to try some others!

Next was red cabbage. I started reading some studies on the benefits of red cabbage and decided I was going to start eating a small red salad most every day before lunch. Anyway, it is really simple. Chop up some red cabbage, add a few cubes of beet and top with a bit of apple cider (organic and unfiltered). It is surprisingly good and the health benefits are off the charts. Luke and Eli both enjoy the cabbage but I think the apple cider vinegar and beet will take some time for them. (We juice beets but that tends to mask the earthy flavor.) If that does not sound delicious take a look at what it can do for your body~

Red cabbage is a great source of phytonutrients, Vitamins A and C (think strong antioxidant properties), iron, sulfur and anythocianin. I had no idea what anthocyanin was but after looking into it learned that it aids in brain health. Raw beets have high levels of anti-carcinogens, lots of carotenoids and folic acid. Researchers have refered to apple cider vinegar as the Wonder Drug~ lots of vitamins, beta carotene, potassium, magnesium and malic acid.

So, as any 2.5 year old would do, Luke is constantly pulling items off the shelf and trying to toss them in the cart. When I reach to remove it, he says, "It has to be nutritious and delicious, " with a cute little smile. No fighting back yet, I think that will come next year. But for being such a great helper, he does get to pick out a honey stick at the check out stand!

Really, Snow White too.

What is it about Disney stories that just entrance children? Luke loves Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. I can just not get passed some parts of the story line~ the evil queen, the request to kill Snow White, the huntsman needing to return with her heart inside a box to prove the task was completed, magic mirrors and potions and then her laying in a casket. Hmm....the pictures do not help the either. Thank goodness for a black Sharpie marker.

A seemingly innocent and jovial story.

Throughout the book, I found the following words~ magic- 4 times, evil- 2 times, wicked- 2 times, kill- 2 times, blood- 1 time, casket- 3 times and goblin- 2 times.

On this page, the "evil queen is looking for a magic potion." Notice the skull on the table and the "bird that is mad" as Luke refers to it.

As a mother, I feel it is upon me to protect my children from those things in which they are too young to comprehend. Whether it comes from Disney, a child in the neighborhood or something seen out in public, I owe it to them.