Yesterday was "International Peace Day." Ever since I was a little girl,
peace has always been important to me. Maybe, being a young child in
the 60's, when passionate peace marches were happening, or opening my school lunch box everyday with a psychedelic peace sign stamped on the lid, all had the effect of etching the importance of peace into my being.
Or maybe the knowledge that peace is a truth that just resonates with my soul. Now that
I'm older, I understand how truly important peace is in the world. It's so simple and yet so hard for us to achieve. Why do we humans take the harder path in life? Because we want to be right and we want to win. But really, if the world is in a state of peace, then we all WIN. What can be better than that?
It starts with basics like, respect, kindness, compassion, non-judgement.
Here are the highlights and the 6 things you can do to live more peacefully;
1. Let go of Ego and just be yourself.
2. Learn From the Masters
3. Bring Awareness to your Life
4. Realize we all Experience Conditioning of Some Kind
5. Understand you Create your Own Experience
6. How do you live your life, through fear or love?
Often when my young children aren't sharing, or they are bickering, I will ask them to stop and face each other, asking themselves if the thing they are wanting so badly, or the point they are wanting to make, is more important than the love and relationship they are wanting to experience and create with each other.
Inevitably, they drop the treasured toy, or stop shouting and simply reach for each other, sometimes telling each other they love each other. You can feel the energy shift and the anger dissipate if you are an observer. It's quite remarkable. Teaching our children when they are young, is a good start towards peace.
Being aware and asking, "what is my intention?" is a HUGE step towards peace.
A little over a year ago, a little 3 year old Syrian boy, Alan Kurdi lay drowned on a beach. He, his mother and older brother died trying to find a more peaceful place to live in the world. Yesterday, I was thinking of him. I was thinking about all the Canadians and others in the world, who want to close off the borders, for fear of terrorism entering their country. And almost like synchronicity, last night before I went to bed I watched a bit of the CBS 11 o'clock news. They did a story on another Syrian refuge family, who has recently come to Canada, and were hitting the ground running after arriving in the country last year. They are growing a successful business making what they know best, chocolate, (who doesn't LOVE CHOCOLATE!!!) and they are already starting to give back to the country who welcomed them.
This makes me cry with happiness but also with dismay. How many of us are already living in a beautiful part of the world, in a peaceful country, and we take it for granted. We take clean water, food and shelter, ALL for granted. For most of us, there are opportunities for us to become successful and give back to our communities. There are opportunities for us to extend our hand and say, "Welcome, come in peace." This family inspired me today, and has me thinking about "what I can do in my community RIGHT now?" to make the world a more peaceful place.
Eat chocolate of COURSE!!! but.....
maybe I can do little things, like writing this blog post and the few people who read it, may be inspired, sending ripples of peace out into their part of the world. I can assess some of my other strengths; I love to read and I love children. Maybe I can go in and be a parent helper in my younger children's classrooms, maybe reading with children, or at least helping out the teacher so she can offer the best education possible for all of our children.
I do believe education is one of the foremost steps we can take to live peacefully.
Hey and don't you think if someone handed you a piece of chocolate, AND a book, you would feel happier and more peaceful? Works for me.
AnYway, this was just a quick blog post as I wanted to give you the link to the news report about the Hadhad family in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. (click on the hyper-link if you can't see it below)
Mmmmmm, I love black olives. They fill me with thoughts of sunshine, earth and balmy breezes...and my mom, who could eat a whole can in one sitting, although she also liked to share, hence my love of them too. As I was chopping up whole pitted olives just now, to put in the Mexican Casserole I'm making for my family tonight, I was thinking how much I love humid, warm ocean climate foods. Foods from Mexico, Greece, Italy, oh anything Mediterranean, Indian, Thai, well, you get the picture.
This is what the weather looks like outside my kitchen window as I cook. September has certainly not been warm and sunny this year. More like cold and rainy. I even put a tarp around my chicken's covered run, to give them relief from the wind and rain. (see blue in right corner of our lower back yard.)
And here are a few pictures of the little ones as they took the bus for the FIRST time, brrrrr, early this morning (except for William, who is an old hand at this form of transport)
(And off they go for the W H O L E day....inside I head to have a cup of tea and decide, what's for dinner?....I like to get it out of the way early so I get sink into a few projects...decluttering is on the list)
And you may ask, why in heaven's name, am I not living in a warmer clime with some yummy cultural dishes???? What is Canada's cultural dish anyway? Well, I guess we are a diverse, hodge-podge of many countries. The only thing off the top of my head as I type is, Smoked Wild Salmon, Maple Syrup and Bacon. Oh and of course in Eastern, particularly French speaking Quebec, Canada they love poutine, but when I think about French Fries, covered in cheese curd and gravy it makes my arteries cringe.
Anyway, chopping up the olives just now got me thinking, I would really like to do blog posts that makes a difference in the world. I know it's been said before, but what if we did start making veggie dishes every Monday? Imagine.... if everyone in the world did that? Choosing to start the week with a vegetarian meal is delicious, may help you continue the week on a healthier note, and of course by taking that one step helps to decrease your environmental footprint on the earth.
So, stay with me, what I was thinking is that every Monday I'd like to write a blog post, highlighting a vegetarian dish from around the world. At least for 7 weeks which would give me/us a vegetarian meal for each day of the week and get my family, maybe yours too building a repertoire of meatless meals as we head into fall.
The side benefit for us obviously is this is a healthier, greener choice and who knows, maybe we can lose a bit of weight. Another BIG reason for me is that I have little ones who are learning to make good food choices. I'd like to share my love of eating vegetarian meals with my children, so like my mom, sharing her beloved can of olives with me so many years ago, my children will grow up and have fond memories growing vegetables in our gardens and eating favorite dishes from all over the world. This is another way of helping the earth and staying connected to other cultures, feeling connected to everyone on this earth.
I hope you will join me in choosing some around the world veggie dishes for your family.
Since I'm making a Mexican Casserole, let's start with that dish. I know on a chilly September day, it's a great way to nourish my family. Hey, and a side benefit, is this meal is relatively inexpensive, especially if you are harvesting your peppers and tomatoes from your garden, as we are doing right now.
Hope's Mexican Casserole (Makes a large 9x13 casserole dish....great for a large crowd of 8) Ingredients 3 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil 3 cloves of garlic 1 large minced onion 1 stalk of celery 1/2 cup of sliced black olives...more is you like them like my mom and I 1 Red hot chili pepper (I'm using a "Hot Portugal" from my garden) but if you only have dried, use 1 tbsp of chili powder 1-1/2 tsp of dried cumin Salt and pepper to taste 1 can of pinto beans (I'm using dried and cooking them) 1 can of black beans 4-5 large tomatoes chopped or you can add a large can of drained tomatoes 2 cups of salsa 4 tortilla wraps 1 cup of crushed taco shells or taco chips 1 cup cheddar cheese (I didn't have a cup...so I used 1/2 cheddar and 1/2 mozzarella)
I cooked my pinto beans early this morning, you don't have to soak them overnight, Rinse them, bring them to a boil, then continue to cook them on low heat for 2 hours. Finally. let them sit until you need to add them to the pot)
Directions: Heat oil in large pot, saute onions and celery until translucent, add garlic and red pepper, cook for a few minutes. Add the rest of the spices, stir well. Add the tomatoes and allow to cook for about 5 minutes to 10 minutes, and finally add the cans of beans and the 2 cups of salsa. Cook and heat through well.
Prepare a 9x13 pan by laying two tortilla wraps on the bottom.
Add 1/2 of the above bean and tomato mixture over the wraps. (at this point, if you wish, you can layer some cheddar cheese on top, if you want the dish really cheesy, but I didn't do this as I didn't have enough cheese today)
Now like a lasagna, add another layer of 2 tortilla wraps and finally top with the remainder of the bean and tomato mixture. Top with crumbled taco shells, or taco chips and finally sprinkle the top of the whole pan with cheese. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes While the casserole is baking, make a green salad of your choice.
My garden is abundant with kale, red cabbage, carrots and tomatoes....make what you have on hand, anything green is great
To plate, place a large square of the casserole, top with sour cream, add the salad and some taco chips of your choice. Serve with a "Provecho"....enjoy!
This is a favourite of our family as it's easy for me and the kids think it's a "fun" meal.
This is what our cat Ryuuki thinks of this gloomy Monday...but the family is going to LOVE dinner tonight
Oh, and did I mention one of the BEST things I can think about when making it a meatless Monday? If you love animals like I do, this is just a humane way to walk the earth. Here's a great link to the Vancouver Humane Societies page and an article on "Meatless Monday." Have a look and I hope you join me in eating this way, if not all the time, then at least once or twice a week. We can make a difference!!!
Before I say goodbye, I'd like to tell you about my little guy Will, "Will I Am, Where there is a Will there is a Way, Will Power." He's got a powerful, and peaceful name. He loves people. He loves the earth. He loves animals. He also has this strong belief, that we can all do something to make the world better for everyone. The seed is in each of us, but we all have free WILL to make it grow. Yeah, maybe Meatless Mondays are just a humble step, but with each little thing we do, we do make the world a better place.
Here's a link to one of his favourite videos. Interestingly, William was born on June 25, 2009, the same day Michael Jackson left the earth. I sometimes wondered if Michael didn't whisper something to Will in passing. When I tuck Will into bed at night, lately he's been playing this CD, (Peace in the World) and he likes to drift off listening to songs like Michael's, "Man in the Mirror."
Click on the hyper-link above to see this Youtube video.
"If you want to make the world a better place, then take a look at yourself and make the change."
Thank you for coming today and joining me in my kitchen.
I'd love to hear what your favourite veggie meal is for your family. Drop me a comment below.
Until we meet again, may you be well, happy and peaceful.
"Wake up sleepyheads," I whisper to my twin daughters. Victoria rolls from her tummy to her back and smiles sleepily at me, her hair a jumble of curls swirling around her chubby cheeks, the last vestiges from babyhood. She yawns and stretches her arms over head and says, "I had the best dream EVER!"
"Mhmm," I reply as I pull out socks and underwear from their respective drawers under the bed. Kathryn pops her blonde head down from the upper bunk and says, "What was it about Tori?" "Oh Kate, you will love it 'cause we were swinging so high that we got blue on the bottom of our feet." said Victoria with a huge grin on her face. "Oooh," Kate answered, "I do like swinging big."
"Okay sweet peas, time to get up and get ready for school." Thankfully, there has been a gradual entry into kindergarten this September. I think it's been more beneficial for me than the girls, who have been ready for school to start all summer. Me not so much. I need time to adjust to a quieter house and endless hours all to my self.
Life is bittersweet right now. I've been at this mothering gig for awhile now. For the last 21 years, every three or so years, I've sent another of our children off to start kindergarten. Finally, the day has arrived when our last two start their formal education journey. Of course, I'm thrilled for them to begin an exciting new adventure, but I'm sad that this time in my life is over. No little ones sitting on my hip as we say goodbye to their bigger siblings heading off to school. It just feels weird, almost surreal.
I have a best friend who commiserates with me each September, as we say a sad goodbye to our kids heading off to school. I don't know if we are a rarity but it just seems like so many parents are driving up to the school and saying, here's your coat and backpack, how fast can you exit the car so I can get to the gym, or to work, or whatever. We linger over that last hug and stand back, waiting to see if our kids will look back just one more time before they head into the school. Anyway, thanks Tamara for being there all these years with me. You get me. It's been nice to know I'm not alone in being a bit sad at the beginning of September
David and I have worked consciously, with a clear plan to prepare all our children for school, well for life in general for that matter, and this last year is no exception. Maybe I held onto our last babies a bit longer than I should have, but I believe by allowing them to move forward when they were ready, instead of pushing them, allowed them the space to find their own time to become the confident little people they are today. For instance, it wasn't until the girls turned 5 that we moved them out of their cribs and into a beautiful 2 level loft bed.
Their tiny and sweet room is from my dreams. When I was pregnant with our 5th child, Grace Elizabeth, I knew I wanted a very special place for her but our house was maxed out. Not wanting to move, as we love our location, one night I was lying in bed and looking into our cavernous walk in closet and a nursery suddenly materialized. We created a cozy little space for her and I will never forget stenciling pink hearts and blue ribbons on the walls when I went into labour with her two weeks early, just before Christmas 2002. (She just started high school this September!)
When we got pregnant with number 6, our son William, we renovated this little space, expanding it, changing the entrance so there was a door from the main hallway, instead of from our master bedroom and another doorway into the bathroom from the nursery. This room is a clear french door and gives the room its light and air flow. It was a delightful room with dragon flies and lady bugs on his peaceful sage green bedding.
Little did we know that he would have "lady bug" sisters (our names for them when we awaited their late spring arrival in 2011) join him when he wasn't even 2 years old. When the babies arrived, William moved into our room for like, FOREVER. He had his mattress on the floor in one corner of our master bedroom. It may not work for most people but it worked for us. I liked him close and he grew to also be a confident, happy little boy. Eventually he moved in with his older brother Harrison when our son Mitchell left for University. (Brothers sharing rooms is a whole other blog post!)
When the girls were about 31/2 years old and in preschool, we asked if they wanted to move out of their cribs but they weren't ready. They had a little step stool they used to safely get in and out of their cribs on their own and they said they loved their comfy beds. Of course they had the loveliest Laura Ashley bedding that was so cozy. They would sleep every night under a comforter that said, "Love." Who wouldn't want this for as long as possible?
I knew when they turned 4 though, that we would have to do something drastic, as they were getting to be tall little ones, and gee, I didn't want their feet to be hitting the ends of the crib and their growth to be stunted. Just kidding, but I knew we had to do something and so again I dreamed of a special space for them. I did a few sketches and right after they turned 5, we took down their cribs and started building their cottage chic loft space. Part of the idea came from all the tiny house shows I liked to watch. I figured if we used the vertical space in the room it would feel bigger and it does.
As September unfolds, we currently have 7 kids in the house and somehow our home just continues to stretch and meet everyone's needs. Yes,we could have found a more suitable house with more than enough space for everyone but every time we have talked about moving, or I start looking at the MLS listings, our kids say, "but mom, we love our house." And so, we figure out a way to make it work for our family.
In so many this is what I'm proudest about with my family. It's all about being creative. Using the space you have and making it special. Also, in many ways it's the most environmentally friendly option, opposed to building another home, or moving to another home. In addition to using the space we had, I used items in our linen closet to make some new bedding as well...the body pillow cover was Grace's old pink sheets from when she was a toddler.
Our next space conversion is over the garage and a place for our 17 year old son Harrison. Hopefully we can create a cool space for him to hang out with friends and play his drum set...up and away from the main family space. I hope after we get through some yard projects we are onto that so he has that space for most of his Grade 12 year. (maybe it will entice him to remain home to attend University too)
Well, here are a few pictures of the process we went through as we said goodbye to our little girls cribs and sweet nursery and hello to their big girl room. We turned it into a lovely space that they love to play in, read in and hang out in. There is even a secret, under the stairs closet, (we call it the Harry Potter room) that fits the girls dresses beautifully and gives them another hide away to read and relax.
I grabbed this picture just before we were about to take down the cribs....you can see how narrow the width of the room is in this picture. I still love the wall colour....it's Soft Earth and the Beadboard is painted with Calla lilly
The girls loved watching each stage of construction take place. This was just after we found the quilts, the mattresses and some of the pillows for their beds. The mattresses we bought at Ikea....love that place...thanks for the idea Auntie B!
I don't know who was more excited about the new beds, the girls or their big brother Will
And finally, here it is....the first night in the BIG/little room (The paint colour of the loft is Calla Lilly by Ralph Lauren)
We built the bottom bed with lots of head space so we could all cuddle together to read books under the great lights David installed...we are still looking for fairy lights for the inside of the bed frames...but the chandelier has a dimmer on it and it's magical at night time.
The three bunnies over the bookcase was something I picked up from Winners when I was pregnant with William...little did I know we would have three babies in 2 years. Three has been such a magic number!
The globe was given to me from a friend when I lost a baby before Will was born...it's an angel holding a baby and the little twin fairies were on our daughter Grace's 3rd birthday cake. She wanted a baby sister and was blessed with TWO.
More twin decor; Mom with twin babes and sisters talking...these are Willow Tree Angels
The end of the room is all mirror making it seem bigger and a great place for the girls to dance. The door to the left goes into the master bathroom which is perfect for little girls in the middle of the night....the other door to the right goes out into the hall...we are just next door which is great, as even though they are big girls now, they do like to be close to mom and dad.
Here's Victoria checking out the little reading spot in their Harry Potter room under the stairs
Kathryn's reading has taken off Big time!!! Who knew all this time when she was quietly watching me run my finger along the words while Will learned to read that she was picking up the words too. One day when Will stumbled over a word, she supplied it with ease. We realized then that she was reading at an advance rate for a little one about to head off to kindergarten. She loves to read to her stuffies and dolls...well anyone who will listen actually
The girls love fairy stories the best
Each girl has a deep drawer under the bed which is perfect for p.j's, socks and underwear and this dresser gives them each two drawers, one for tops and one for bottoms. We are REALLY working hard on continuing our minimalist theme and trying to have clothes that combine to make many outfits.
All ready for the first day of school...thank heaven it's just a couple of hours
The girls love to hang out in Kate's bed as it's so cozy. It's so funny how there was no discussion about who would get which bed either....but they have decided that they are going to have sleep overs in each others bed on weekends.
I embroidered the Hope pillow for Victoria Hope before she was born
And did one also for Kathryn Mira....which is short for Miracle...our Hope and Miracle babies
I picked the girls up at lunch time today. I found the whole class out in the school yard. I scanned the playground and finally found our girls on the swings. Victoria was trying hard to get on the swing which was higher than her bottom. I watched as she finally stepped up on the seat, pulling her whole body up to standing position and then she plunked herself onto the seat. Smart Cookie! She lifted her little legs and pumped them behind her, moving her body forward and back, trying hard to get some momentum.
I started walking towards her, thinking that I would give her a push but Kate got off her swing and gave her sister a push. As Tori pumped higher and higher I heard Katie say, "Touch the sky Tori!." Those words made me tear up because dreams come true. A long, long time ago, I wished on a star for these babies to come into my life and now they are taking off and flying, getting blue on the bottoms of their feet. What makes it even better though, is that they are doing it together.
Lately, I've been ending most of my blog posts with a recipe ('cause I'm always cooking or baking around here) but today, I just wanted to end it with a Youtube video by Israel Kamakawiwo'Ole called, "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." I've loved this beautiful song and his rendition, which combines the two inspiring songs, "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" and "What a Wonderful World." (If you are unable to access the video below, click on the hyper-link above.)
My little kids love to sing "What a Wonderful World," and I've loved the theme song from "Wizard of Oz," my whole life. In fact, my fav line from that movie is when Glenda, the good witch tells Dorothy, "You had the power all along my dear."
It took my whole life up to now, to realize we are "all" more powerful than we know. I hope as my two little ones head off into the world, they will experience what a wonderful world this is and also know they don't even have to click their ruby heels three times; that they have the power to create the life of their dreams.
Oh, and hopefully they will remember, "There's no place like home." Thanks for sharing this time with me. Gee and do you think that now that I have 6 whole hours a day to myself, I can write a few more blog posts, or finally get my book finished? One should hope....so stay tuned.
Until we meet again, may you be well, happy and peaceful.
For there is no friend like a sister in calm and stormy weather. To cheer one on the tedious way, To fetch one if one goes astray. To lift one if one totters down, To strengthen whilst one stands ~Christina Rossetti~
The above piece was written by an English poet, who lived during the Victorian era in London. Christina Rossetti was ahead of her time, being born almost 200 hundred years ago, she became a leading feminist, as she was able to support herself with her craft, when class and gender bias was rampant. When I read about women such as this, it inspires me to keep going. It's not always easy to be a mom to a large family. It's not always easy to be an older mom to young children. People have such huge judgments about what is right, ethical and proper. If she could overcome society's ingrained beliefs back then, then I can keep going in the 21 century, trying my best to open people's eyes to our true nature.
We aren't our gender, our colour, our religion, our class, our marital status, our sexual preference, our religion, our political party membership, or our age. We aren't the house we live in, the car we drive, what we do for a living or how much money we earn.We are, what is deep inside each of us. And for each of us, the journey within can take a lifetime. Some never discover their true self.
Summer was flying along on the wings of butterflies and was carrying me breezily through my days. The children were busy going to camp, taking tennis and swimming lessons, and I was happily in the garden, digging in the dirt, laying mulch and tending to our new chicken flock. Every spare moment was gloriously full. I lose myself outdoors, in the garden, in a forest, on the beach or in the country. Being close to nature keeps me grounded and connected to all things. It feeds my soul, allows my heart to sing and makes me feel peaceful.
My lazy summer reverie was shattered two weeks ago.
After having a busy week at home, I stopped in for a visit at my cyber parenting board and discovered a horrendous tragedy had happened to my dear board bud and her family. I have been fortunate to share my parenting path with a group of wise and intelligent women for several years now and I never thought anything negative would occur being actively on the internet. Yes, naive on my part but the need to connect with other women who are walking a similar path, was a strong pull.
Don't we all feel more comfortable when we find "our people." You know a bosom buddy who just gets us. Someone who shares many of the same things in life and understands how rocky and wonderful the path can be at times. Living in the 21 century affords us the technological luxury to connect quickly to like-minded friends all over the world. It's such a blessing and now I also see the negative side as well.
I am not going to go into the tragic event that occurred, as it's not my story to tell. What I want to share is what happened to me and my other board buds who were shocked and grieving for our friend and her family. This is the side tragedy that often accompanies painful events. Anger is one of the first emotions that rises up after a horrific loss and the reaction often is "who can I blame."
We had unwelcome guests coming on our board (which has always felt like our safe, private living room) spewing hate and horrible judgments towards our board friend and us as well. It shook me to the core, as I have not experienced that level of hatred and abuse in my life. I always look for the best in others but sadly, I see that there are those who do consciously choose to harm with intent. The fact that they feel their judgment is the righteous one, does not make their hateful remarks justified or above reproach.
These people lurk in the shadow of anonymity and must derive some sort of satisfaction from stirring up controversy. It gives them a sense of power, perhaps and also feeds their ego when they create havoc. "Sick, and perverse," is all I can say about this kind of behavior. All the things that they "claim" are wrong about everyone else, is something they should recognize in themselves.
I am not going to get caught up in this drama though, since I have a life to live and I have children to lead. At the end of my days, I hope I can look back on my life and say, I didn't waste any moments by being negative or intentional mean. What is gained when we travel that path? There are going to be great times of grief, that is part of life, but knowinghow to observe the feelings without reacting is a powerful tool and then flowing through the emotions with the least amount of resistance is key to healing. Yes, things will never be the same again, but with each experience we grow wiser.
What prompted this blog post today was watching nature and realizing it has much to teach me. Recently, we had a summer storm. The sky became dark and the clouds opened up, spilling torrential rain, like the tears I've shed for my cyber-friend and her children. Winds whipped up, filling our house with penetrating cold air.
The kids were transfixed, sitting safely on our window seat in the kitchen watching the changing sky, and the swirling lake below our home. They watched as buckets of water rolled off our decks to the gardens below. It occurred to me they were still young enough to have not experienced this kind of extreme weather pattern in their life. Certainly not too many summer storms since first, they have only lived a few summers and 2, we don't experience this kind of weather disturbance in the summer in our valley.
Suddenly, I heard them get excited and as they opened the french door and raced out to our deck, I followed them. There they were, ooohing and ahhhing over the double rainbow in the sky.
Mother nature is always teaching me how to walk this earth and my children are reminding me to live in the moment, to enjoy the experience and always, ALWAYS look for beauty andjoy.
This morning I woke up to another beautiful summer day. The sky couldn't have been more blue. I'm still grieving for my friend and her family, I still feel tremendous pain and hurt from the recent personal attacks towards my board buds and myself, but I'm not going to spend precious life moments being concerned about what others think of me or my friends.
I know judgments are largely fear based and if you know anything about me, I try really hard not to live in that place. It's too dark and it's also only a matter of perspective. What we don't understand, what we have been taught to believe, we are scared of. It's human nature. I think about Christina Rossetti, the poet who lived in a time when women didn't choose to remain single and work for a living, doing what they were most passionate about. What did her peers say during that time?
With the advent of the latest tragedy, and the attacks on the internet, instead of breaking me down, I have been inspired to rise up and be the best "me" that I can be. Can ANY of us ask anything more from ourselves? or others in our lives?
And so today is a day of healing. A day to move forward, for even though I'm grieving, (and some days grief is continuous on this earth don't ya think?) I need to help all my children continue to stay in a place of being conscious and in the moment. I don't want them to lose this gift from childhood. It's a choice...I will keep getting stronger, despite grief and sadness and I will follow my children's lead and look for the beauty in our world. And perhaps I can help others move through life always with hope in their hearts.
And what do children love more than fun....it's when it's fun and SWEET. Join us in making some old fashion ice cream. It's easy and delicious.
Our oldest son has worked at the local Science Centre throughout his University years. (he recently received his Science degree) He was originally hired as a summer student to plan science programs for kids but they kept him on throughout the year and he's been making ice cream, flubber, mento rockets, etc off and on for 4 years during Saturday Serious fun at the centre. Our younger kids are so lucky to have this Science geek big brother as he LOVES teaching and experimenting with his younger siblings. It's the joy of having kids all sorts of ages in our house.
Here's what you need to make Homemade Ice-cream
The kids with ice, cream, salt, cocoa, freezer bags....oops where is the vanilla?
Ingredients and Supplies
1. 1 Large Freezer Bag
2. 1 Medium Freezer Bag
3. 1 cup of half and half/whipping cream (or even whole milk works)
4. 1/2 cup of salt
5. 2 tbsp of sugar
6. 1 tsp of vanilla
(to make chocolate use 2 tbsp of cocoa)
7. Big bag of ice
Directions:
Add the half and half, the sugar, vanilla and the cocoa into the medium freezer bag. Zip well, making sure most of the air has been removed
Put the medium freezer bag into the large one and surround it with ice and salt. Zip the bigger bag, again removing excess air.
Now the fun begins and you can pass the large freezer bag around, shaking and turning the larger bag while pressing the medium bag around inside of it. Keep checkingthe bag with the cream until it becomes the consistency you want your ice cream.
Here's Clark checking to make sure the excess air is out of the bag
While the kids were taking turns making the ice cream, I was finding toppings.....the skies the limit but we used raspberries, chocolate chips and crumbled chocolate cookies we had made the day before for our toppings.This was just simple fun and again taught another sustainable lesson. Now we just need the cow!
On my journey to growing our family and becoming an older mother, I had lots of moments to think about who I am and what I can offer my children. It was while I was sitting in quiet contemplation when most of the insights came to me. Sitting on my yoga mat and thinking, "Be Still And Know I AM."
If you are experiencing a tough time right now, or everything in your life is dark, take a moment, sit quietly and just BE Still. Stay present with your breath, allowing it to move in and out, in and out. In time, you will discover you are a piece of everything;loving, limitless, ageless fearless. And peace will come.
As the last days of summer close, join me in singing a song my kid's (especially my William (Will I AM) loves to sing in his clear, sweet voice.) Click the hyperlink if you can't get to the video below. Here's Will i am, singing, "What I am."
Want to sing along with us? Here are the lyrics....keep on reaching high!
Until we meet again, may you be well, happy and peaceful,
Blessings from Hope
"What I Am"
If what I am is what's in me
Then I'll stay strong - that's who I'll be
And I will always be the best
"me" that I can be.
There's only one me, I am it
Have a dream I'll follow it
It's up to me to try.
Oh! I'm a keep my head up high
Keep on reaching high
Never gonna quit
I'll be getting stronger.
And nothing's gonna bring me down (no!)
Never gonna stop, gotta go.
Because I know
I'll keep getting stronger.
And what I am is thoughtful
What I am is musical
What I am is smart
And what I am is brave
What I am is helpful
What I am is special
There's nothing I can't achieve.
Because in myself I believe in oh...
Gonna keep our heads up high
Keep on reaching high
Never gonna quit
Just keep getting stronger.
For there is no friend
like a sister in calm or stormy weather; To cheer one on the tedious
way, to fetch one if one goes astray, to lift one if one totters down,
to strengthen whilst one stands.
Christina Rossetti
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/c/christinar165077.html?src=t_weather
