My Favorite Things & My Absolutely Least Favorite Thing EVER

   Wanted to share some of my new favorite things with you all. These are little items that make me oh so happy and I wonder how I ever lived without.

   We are slowly making our home non-toxic. It is really important to me to have safe dishes for the girls. We have cheap plastic dishes for them and it kills me. I just feel the toxins leaching onto their food. Finally added these wonderful dishes into our cupboard. Green Eats is such a great brand. Made here in the U.S. out of recycled plastic, which is way cool. They feel so sturdy and safe. I love them! We have a couple plates and bowls for now. Looking forward to adding their utensils and cups in the near future.

     Our dog really needed a bed. I finally made her one. It was so easy and super inexpensive. I knew I wanted a bed with a pillow case for her so I could wash it weekly. The beds sold at the store with cases were ridiculously priced. Seriously? It's just for my dog. She loves this thing. We used to find her sleeping on the couch in the middle of the night. And she used to wake up with us when we had to deal with the girls late night needs. The first night she got her bed she didn't move! We no longer find her wondering or on the couch! 

     I wanted the bed to be a neutral color that blended into our home and hid any hair she would shed. I was so excited when this fabric was $1 a yard! I made the pillow orange. That pop of color really makes me happy. These were my first button holes! It was nice making something for a dog so I wouldn't be freaking out about it being made perfectly. It is what it is. 

   This is my new favorite book series for kids. My First Pictures of Easter is such a great book to teach kids about Easter. I love it because it is short while explaining important details about Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday and the rest of Holy Week. Kind of bummed it doesn't include the Agony of the Garden, but all in all, I think this book is fantastic. One reading, and it takes your kids right in the moment. 

   I love how they portray the Resurrection. Mary Magdalene weeping, then rejoicing. Helps kids understand how everyone was feeling.

FREEZER MEALS! Okay, let me just say, I'm in love with freezer meals. The first time I made them, I was alone with the girls, I made a weeks worth of meals and had the kitchen cleaned by noon! This project makes the rest of the week dish and labor free! This is seriously amazing to me. I just stick the defrosted meal in the crock pot or in a pot on the stove on the day we are ready to eat it. 

     After I did this the first time, I would find minutes here or there to throw a meal together to stick in the freezer. Yesterday I set the day aside to make a bunch of meals. I didn't go shoping for it, and it turned into me finding a way to use up all the produce we had in our fridge. I would have prefered to do this on Saturday and rest Sunday, but I was busy Saturday. I didn't get started till afternoon. Between this big project and the girls...really pooped me out big time. 

  This is actually a picture from a couple weeks ago. What I made yesterday: Scalloped Potatoes, Tortilla Soup, Zucchini and Corn Cannelloni (I made my own vegan ricotta for this), Rice Frittata, Rustic Pot Pie. All dishes except the soup and cannelloni were from Fresh from the Vegan Slow Cooker. 

   I also made oat bars for snacks to eat throughout the week. I used cranberries instead of dried cherries. Monique and I love them. Thérèse doesn't know what all the fuss is about. 

     I also love reusable toys! A sweet friend is sharing this jumper with Athena. I've been wanting to get this for her, she is definitely my active one. I rearrangned my tiny living room to make space for this. I love changing our living room up. We've lived in this home a year and three months and I've change the living room around about four or five times. I can just see the girls as adults in therapy, "Our lives were so unstable as children. Our mom was always rearranging the living room furniture." 

     OKAY, LEAST FAVORITE THING: SWITCHING OUT THE GIRLS' OUTGROWN CLOTHES FOR A BIGGER SIZE, which is actually way harder than it sounds. I used to hate doing this when I just had Thérèse. Now I have to do this times three. I can handle pretty much everything involving the care and hard labor of children and I love it. But this, THIS is just my least favorite thing about having kids. I must be doing something wrong because it is such a huge task and takes me forever. I go through every article of clothing to know if it needs to be stored, donated or for current use. It took me about eight hours to get all three girls' clothes done. But every box with clothes in the garage is now perfectly organized, and every drawer in this house looks so beautiful I don't even recognize it. It's like Real Simple came into my home and fixed 'em drawers. So I guess it was worth it. So glad it's over. This Saturday project drained me. And then to spending Sunday cooking! I was basically worthless today. We had a pajama party. Thérèse won since she stayed in her pajamas the longest. 

     I feel like throwing up just looking at this picture. 

     So after this very hard weekend, I was so excited to sleep. Went in my room to find my spot on the bed occupied by this person. Which is the creepiest thing ever. I don't know who did this, but it's not okay. 

     Speaking of babies...my eight month old has SIX TEETH! Yeah...I've had kids before...and I've seen it all...but this is a first...

     Sorry this is blurry. She doesn't stay still. 

Easy Macrobiotic Family Meal

I miss you people! 

I've been so busy with school

I haven't had a chance to blog 

about all the great food I've been chowing down on.

Monday night I was beat! I've been doing about eight hours of homework a day,

and between that, toddlers and life, I was exhasted.

I came home from picking up my daughter from a play date 

after my four hour class, and I felt awful.

My hubby made this amazing dinner for me and it was just what I needed. 

Very medicinal and restored my body.

I followed it up with vegan chocolate cake of course.

Here is what we ate:

- Adzuki beans (leftover from Tasty Tostadas)

- Arame with Carrots and Onions from The Kind Diet

-Fried Rice with Kale and Scallions from My Father's Daughter.

Yum!

Everyone in my family ate this, everyone.

Including my one and two year old. 

I think this is toddler friendly food because it is loaded with flavor,

but macrobiotic flavor is very subtle

so they can easily eat it.

The Brown Rice Dish is easily my favorite rice dish.

So good!

As you know, I'm learning to appreciate sea vegetables.

Thankfully, Daniel accidentally added 

way too much soy sauce to the Arame with Carrots

so I couldn't even taste it! Love it! 

It makes me so proud when my family eats this food. 

I can already see their bones strengthening and their skin brightening.

And lastly, we must reward ourselves with a healthy chocolate cake.

I made it with my toddler over the weekend.

Baking is one of our favorite things to do together,

so I make time for it.

We added strawberry jam over the frosting for the middle filling.

Totally delicious!

You can get this gluten-free, sugar and dairy-free cake recipe here.

A while back, one of my readers ask if I'd share what is in my pantry.

I hope to share this with you this upcoming week!

Until then, if you want a good ghost story

read Turn of the Screw,

a story I just read for class.

Or IS it a ghost story?

Dun dun DUN!

Can you tell I've been spending way too much time doing homework?

Turning slightly geeky.

Books We Love: Cookbooks

When we were on vacation

I really missed my cookbooks. 

I'm a literature major,

which means I've read Shelly,Thoreau, 

Hemingway, Tennison, Dostoyevsky, Tolstoy,

you get it.

I've read all the good stuff.

But I have to tell you

my absolute favorite genre is the cookbook. 

Here are just a couple of my favorites.

The Kind Diet

by Alicia Silverstone

Years back, I remember reading that Alicia Silverstone had a vegan wedding.

How cool is that? But I didn't realize she was a major foodie.

This book is great because she explains all the reasons to be vegan:

 health, environment, and animal treatment. 

So by the time you are done reading all these scientific facts that she simplifies, 

you are not only pumped to be vegan, but you can't wait to get started! 

It's an easy read, and once you have serious reasons to be vegan

it makes it so much easier to give up something you love.

Like steak. I don't miss steak. Crazy, right?

And she isn't pushy. 

She promotes "flirting" which just means easing up on meat and dairy,

instead of making it all or nothing. 

Also, all her recipes are easy and I've loved everything I've made.

Some of my favorites are:

Artichoke, Mushroom, and Leek Crostini with Pesto - good enough for company

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

Crispy Peanut Butter Treats with Chocolate Chips

Oatmeal, Walnut, and Dried Plum Cookies - My favorite oatmeal cookie, and I've tried them all!

Cornbread - My brother-in-law is a cornbread connoisseur, this is his favorite

Mixed Berry Cheesecake - No, really, it doesn't get better than this.

Nabeyaki Udon - Japanese food rocks!!

Alicia's Magical Healing Soup - For when I feel a cold coming

Baby Bok Choy Drizzled with Ume Vinaigrette - I eat this several times a week

Scrambled Tofu - without this, I would have never been able to give up eggs.

Thin Mushroom Pizzas

Barley Casserole

Polenta Casserole with Seitan

Vegan Family Meals

by Ann Gentry

Her restaurant, Real Food Daily

made a believer out of my omnivore husband.

Her restaurant cookbook is great,

but like many restaurant cookbooks,

it requires lots of work, and, well, i don't have a sous chef.  

This cookbook is composed of her recipes 

she makes in her own home for her family.

That being said, she is not an amateur chef. 

These recipes are designed to taste good, 

not to take fifteen minutes or five ingredients. 

However, she does have easy dishes in here.

This is my absolute favorite cookbook on my shelf.

Everything I make tastes amazing

and they make me feel like a pro.

If someone had given me this book two years ago

I probably wouldn't have been able to make anything in it.

They aren't difficult,

they just require some savvy.

I don't mind prepping something ahead of time 

to make these dishes happen.

It's totally worth it.

I'm not a salad person.

The only time I would eat a salad pre-vegan

was when I was forced 

or at a restaurant when they load it 

with meat, cheese and creamy dressing.

Talk about calories! 

(We weren't talking about calories. 

And you won't see that word on my blog. 

I believe in eating healthy, not calorie counting.)

Once I became vegan salads turned me off.

Seriously? A bowl full of raw vegetables? 

Sounds....great....

But Ann Gentry has really perfected the art of a good salad.

No, I mean, she makes salads that make me want to jump for joy

and ask the world to eat them with me.

They are hearty and oh so good!

With her salads, your meal will not need anything else. 

Some favorite recipes so far are:

Watercress and Butter Lettuce salad 

with israeli couscous, orange - basil tempeh, and sweet miso dressing - 

What a title! Best dish of my life. No joke

One-pot vegetables and tofu with sesame rice - Super simple and delicious

Lasagna rolls with tofu ricotta and everyday tomato sauce 

Vanilla and chocolate swirl bundt cake with chocolate fudge glaze

Ann's morning power smoothie - My morning staple

Super Hippie granola

Quick oats and quinoa flakes - How I get more good stuff into my toddlers oatmeal

Kung pao tofu and vegetables - Another basic and simple dish

Babycakes Covers the Classics

by Erin McKenna

You can read my raving love for Babycakes here.

I prefer this cookbook over her first one

because there are more of a variety of recipes in here.

Their pancakes and waffles are my hubbies and my absolute favorite.

The first time we made the pancakes, I called my mom on the phone,

"Get over here now! I just made pancakes that are going to change your life!"

Some of my favorites recipes are:

Pancakes

Waffles

Snickerdoodles - Daniel asked me to keep these around the house at all times

It's - It - We made these the first night the book came in the mail. Best ice cream sandwiches ever!

Rugalach - Just made this today. It's a more delicious cinnamon roll. How does that happen?

Blackberry Swirl Donut - I dream about these.

Spice marble Donut - Made these yesterday. Yum!

Chips Ahoy!

If I were single and had no one to take care of

I'd probably spend all day baking every single recipe in this book.

We dream. 

For now, I'm enjoying baking with my daughter,

and trying to convince her one...or three is enough. 

Erin McKenna is probably my favorite person in the world. 

I thank God for her. 

Books We Love: Children's Literature

I wanted to share some of my favorite children's literature with you. 

These are the ones that made a huge impression on me in elementary school, 

and the ones I can't wait to share with my girls. 

If you have any kids in your life, get them one of these.

 Guaranteed to entertain them through summer.

It really frustrates me that this next generation of kids

are so consumed with only objects that glow.

Kids need to kick back, love life, and read a good book. 

Or several good books. 

The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle. When I was in elementary school, 

my mom would rent a stack of books from the library 

and plop them down onto a little stool in the living room. 

Eventually I'd mosey over there and pick a book that looked slightly interesting. 

This book ended up captivating me.

Its about a girl who travels aboard a ship across the Atlantic. 

The captain is hot and cold throughout the story, 

we don't know if he's good or bad. 

This is probably the first page turner I ever read 

that made my jaw drop and my eyes unable to shut.

From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Rankweiler. Alright, I'll admit it. 

I read this book as an adult when I was working in a library. 

I still loved it and wished I was ten again. 

It's about a brother and sister who run away from home 

and go live at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. 

They later turn detective and solve a mystery 

using wealthy Mrs. Frankweiler's files. 

Roaming the museum at night? This book is plain fun.

It's Like This, Cat. This is my all time favorite book. 

I first read it in 5th grade and it's the only book I've read over and over again. 

It's about a boy who meets an older friend, 

a girl and a cat, with New York as his play ground.

I used to love how he would hop on the subway and end up in Coney Island. 

This book made me fall in love with New York, left-over cold spaghetti sandwiches and my cat.

Call it Courage. This is Daniel's recommendation. 

It's about a boy who was not good at anything 

so he was made fun of by the other kids in his tribe. 

He hops on a canoe with a dog for adventures 

that prove he's courageous and competent. 

Any books I missed that your childhood would have been complete without?  

Books We Love: Summer Reads

Motherhood can be monotonous. Between the diaper changing, dish washing and clothes scrubbing, I realized I was slowly going brain dead. So my new years resolution this year was to read more. I've actually been fulfilling my new years resolution! I know, isn't that amazing? Here are some of my favorite books I've read over the last six months.

Jane Eyre is by definitely one of the best books I've ever read. It manages to be both about a strong independent girl who proves repeatedly that she doesn't need a man to survive, while still being a sweet romance. This book is full of beautiful lines. The first fifty pages are downright depressing, but it's worth getting through.

After I finished the book, we went to see the movie. I've heard lots of great things about the BBC version, but we wanted to catch this one while it was still in theaters. My husband was in awe. I'm pretty sure if he had seen this before he had asked me to marry him, he would have stollen Mr. Rochester's proposal. 

This book is about a girl trying to figure out what she wants out of life after a trip to Italy. All the characters in this book are fantastic, but what really steals the show is Forster's prose.

This book is for anyone looking for a straight up romance. The Pioneer Woman never seizes to win us over through her humor. 

If you want to read a good murder mystery Agatha Christie is the queen of her genre. I love her Miss. Marple series mostly because when I'm decrepit, I hope I'm just like her. 

Hope you all got your family time in this weekend!