Things M Says (Part 44)

This morning, before school:

M: I can't find my other Croc.
me: Well, that's why you need to put your shoes away when you take them off.  Now you need to go look around all the weird places like under your bed and in the yellow room.
M, walking back: Mom, you were right!  It was under my bed!
me: See?  I knew it!  Why do you think I have a "shoe pile" over there?
M: ...
me: Why do you think I tell you to put your shoes in the pile every day?
M (thinking): So that everyone will know where their shoes are.
me: Exactly.
M (thinking some more): Wow, it's like I'm at school right now, because I'm learning.

Things E Says (Part 12)

We work on pronunciation with E a lot, because of the cleft.  This is my favorite:

me: Say "one more t-t-t-tiiiime"
E: One more I-i-i-i-ime!

Things E Says (Part 11)

75 times a day:

E: Mama, wook!

Things M Says (Part 43)

This morning before school, with a new Wii from Christmas at our house.

M: My ear really hurts.  I think I need to stay home and rest my ear.
me: So you need to stay home and lay in bed and read?  If you're sick you have to let your body rest and lay in bed.  You won't be playing the Wii or watching TV and movies.
M: I think my ear would be okay if I was playing the Wii...
me: Maybe, but if you're sick then you need to lay in bed.
M (walking away): I think my ear is feeling a little better...

Things E Says (Part 10)

Everyone looking up at a helicopter:

E: "My hewicopper!"

Sure buddy, it's totally yours!

Things M Says (Part 42)

M and R talking during bathtime:

R: "It's a pain in the butt."
M: "Why is it called a pain?"
R: "If you say something is a pain, then you mean that it's annoying."
M: "Why do you say it's a pain in the butt?"
R: "It's just a figure of speech to say 'pain in the butt'."
M: "A butt?!" (lifts his bum out of the bathwater and points at it) "You mean like this little cutie?!"

I Love...This Thing!

It was recently my birthday on September 11th, which brought along with it reflections on the national tragedy in conjuction with the Birthday Fairy.  The Birthday Fairy is my mother's invention (don't tell my kids!), and she makes birthday mornings ever so much fun!  You wake up on your birthday with a trail of goodies from your bed to the living room where, like a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, you get some presents.  My kids love it, even when it's their mom's birthday.  M woke me up bursting and said "come see what you got, it's so exciting!!"

This year I chose several items from Amazon to "help" the Birthday Fairy choose things that I would truly love to have.  I found an old Super Nintendo game I used to love to play when I was a kid visiting my cousins house for under $10, as well as an almond flour cookbook to give support to my GAPS diet, and a CD that I haven't heard in years.  But the thing I am loving most is having this little doohickey around.  It's a scalp massager and I love it.  It relieves my stress and it was about $3, which relieves my stress a little more, ha!  The first time I used it on M he stopped in his tracks with half-closed eyes and said "it makes me feel all shiver-y".  Exactly.

Chocolate Coconut "Larabars"

Chocolate Coconut "Larabars"

Put these items in a food processor and mix until they form a ball.  Set the ball aside in a bowl.

1 cup pitted dates, chopped

1 cup dried fruit (figs, raisins, etc.)*

1 1/2 tablespoons cocoa powder

pinch salt

Now put these items in the food processor and mix until the consistency is like coarse flour.  Add the ball back in by pinching pieces of it off and adding them into the food processor bowl.  Then add the coconut oil and water by drizzling over the bowl evenly.  Process until the dough becomes a ball again, or close to it.

1 1/3 cups soaked and dehydrated nuts (almonds, walnuts, cashews, hazelnuts, pecans, etc.)**

1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1/4 cocoa powder

2 tablespoons coconut oil (to desired consistency)

2 tablespoons filtered water (to desired consistency)

Press into a 8x8 glass pan, then cut into bars and serve immediately.  You can also store them in an airtight container at room temperature.

*I used dried figs

**I used equal parts hazelnuts, almonds and walnuts

This post is a part of Fight Back Friday at Food Renegade, Pennywise Platter at The Nourishing Gourmet, and Real Food Wednesdays at Kelly the Kitchen Kop.  (And Fat Tuesdays at Real Food Forager!)

Herbed Chicken Salad

Herbed Chicken Salad

3-4 cups of cooked chicken, cut up into cubes
1/2 cup mayonnaise (preferably homemade)
1/3 cup sour cream
two handfuls of parsley, finely chopped
handful of tarragon, finely chopped
handful of thyme, finely chopped
several sage leaves, finely chopped
2 pickles, finely chopped OR dill pickle relish
1 tsp dried dill
1 cup of grapes, sliced in half (optional)
1 cup of pecans and/or walnuts (preferably soaked and dehydrated) (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

1.  Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and stir to combine.

Use to make sandwiches on sprouted bread, or if you are on GAPS, like me, eat wrapped up in a lettuce leaf.  Yum!

Onion, Pepper, Broccoli, and Herb Fritatta

photo credit: http://www.comfytummy.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/breakfast-pie-1.jpg

Onion, Pepper, Broccoli, and Herb Fritatta

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Chop all the vegetables and heat up a cast iron skillet to medium heat.  Grease a glass pie plate with butter or palm shortening or coconut oil and set aside.  Now saute these items together, until the onions are translucent, about 8 minutes.


2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried basil
salt and pepper to taste

Pour the cooked vegetables into the prepared pie plate.  Add all these items to the cast iron pan next, and saute until broccoli is bright green and tender, about 8 minutes.

2 tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped broccoli
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried basil
salt and pepper to taste

Pour this batch of cooked vegetables into the prepared pie plate as well.  Spread around evenly.  Then combine these items in a separate bowl:

8 eggs, whisked
1 cup shredded cheddar
salt and pepper to taste

And pour the egg mixture over the vegetables in the pie plate, making sure they are all covered and with egg (for the most part).

Add more salt, pepper, thyme and basil to taste on top.  Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes.