April Showers Brought Mother's Day Snow

"Rainy Day Painting"

"Toy Cars Have Many Uses"

"I'd Rather Be Gardening"

"Can you see the snowflakes?"

Last Wednesday, we did our creative project, which was fun. We worked with Playdough today but I couldn't get a good shot of him at any time we were working the dough to make letters, shapes, smell it.... So far, the little man is not too hung up on painting but I think with time, he might change his mind. We're painting again tomorrow but with our fingers instead. And if not, its not a big deal; I trust he'll like what he likes, and not push him to be over the top with achievements. I want what's best for him but I want him to want it for himself. Happy, a life filled with sunshine with the occasional cloud-those do come, even if you don't want them to-and to just be; that's my goal as a parent and what I can give to my son.

And yes, we got snow on Mother's Day....something else. It was interesting to look outside, watch the snow fall in large, wet flakes, see that it wasn't sticking and staying. The day before, I took Tristan to Lowe's for their kids' workshop for a building project; he attends these little workshops and is really becoming more and more hands on with the building. I'll have to post about his projects.

Its been so busy here these last couple of weeks; I still have a list of things to do, writing to get through, soap to make (seems non-stop), a garden to continue planting, and priceless moments to spend with the man of the house-yes, the toddler rules the roost. I'm also research reading and reading to pull myself away from the "heady" stuff to give myself a mental break. And the fiber work? Yeap, still slaving away at that project, and wondering why the potty chair lays in pieces and there's Cheerios under the couch and coffee table....~Mom

The Last Wednesday of April, part one

"Tulips Resisting the Cold"

"Potted herbs with a Blanket"

"Who Requested This Weather?"

I have so much to write about today, so I'm going to have to break it down into a couple of entries. Spring/Winter weather changes, creative project for Tristan, and the dinner I cooked on Sunday; I still have to take a picture of Tristan wearing his new sweater so that I can put that post together but that's for another time.

It started snowing yesterday morning, after a light rain and slight hail decided to fall first. I stood in the kitchen, looking out the window by the back door, watching it come down. Little did I know, it would keep snowing right into mid-day today. Now, its moving over into a small patch of rain, and according to the weather man, who is never truly right anyway, its supposed to stop and start warming back up between late tonight and into tomorrow. Global warming? Climate change? Human kind messing with the planet? Lots of possibilities....

"The cure for boredom is curiousity. There is no cure for curiousity." ~Dorothy Parker 1893-1967

Earth Day 2010

Earth Day 2010....celebrated at our home by gardening more this morning. My Glory of the Snows are about to their lifetime, and all other flowers are in bloom or coming up to bloom later this season and into the summer months. Scattering of lettuce and greens seeds, cleaning areas out to let flowers and herbs grow...yarrow, dandelion greens, plantain leaves, and sorting through the massive tangled roots of flowers that have been here long since we've come but due to neglect, bulbs have formed root systems and need to be thinned out severly. I love the colors when the flowers bloom but I don't need massive groves of these beauties; they also multiply, anyway. Share, share, share.....
The other element of today's posting is what is for dinner tonight.

Traditional Hummus
Coconut Curry Hummus*
Black Bean Hummus*
Braised Chicken with Crushed Wheat Stuffing
Steamed Brown Rice

Focus is on the hummus for today. I love the stuff, especially when its made that day. Well, its a hummus making factory here in my kitchen today. The traditional is very basic: chickpeas-canned or dry to cook, your choice; salt to taste, 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped; lemon juice and tahini (ground sesame seed paste, found in the health section of some markets or located with the peanut butter at others). Combine ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. Serve at room temperature. That's the basic; here comes the good stuff.

Coconut Curry Hummus
-2 15oz. cans chickpeas (or dry if you have the time to cook ahead of time)
-4 Tbsp tahini
-Juice of 1 lemon
-3 lg. garlic cloves, minced
-1/4 c. water
-1 tsp. sea salt
-1 Tbsp. black pepper
-1 Tbsp. fresh thyme, chopped (you can use dried, just half the measurement)
-1 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped (same rules apply for dried herb)
-3-5 dashes paprika
-7-8 Tbsp. red curry paste (international section of market or make your own, I do)
-1/2 c. coconut milk (international section of market)
-1/2 c. coconut shavings (baking aisle)
-2 dashes olive oil

In a food processor or blender, puree all ingredients until smooth. Pour into a serving dish with olive oil and enjoy!

Black Bean Hummus
-16 oz. dry black beans, cooked, drained
-4 Tbsp. olive oil
-Juice of 1 lemon
-2 garlic cloves, minced
-Sea salt
-1 tsp. cumin
-Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
-Tahini, to taste

Combine the black beans, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, cumin, pepper, and tahini in a food processor container; process until smooth. Serve at room temperature.

Yum! If concerned about how your traditional hummus is going to turn out, jot down the ingredients, making reference to the recipes added here today for measurements and directions, and go for it. Getting the consistency just right is the essence of the whole experience; don't sweat it, just try it. So, in honor of a very special mother today, take time to smell the flowers, savor the sounds of the birds calling to each other, enjoy the making of and eventually eating of a home cooked meal, and take five minutes of your day to research something in regards to earth conservation, green energy, wildlife conservation, sustainable living practices, etc....just five minutes, really. You'd be surprised what you might find. ~Mom











Growing Pains
-" ...the most important event in a woman's life is the birth of a child...In this period, she learns the discipline of sacrifice: her body, her time, her nutrients, her psyche, her knowledge, her skills, her social life, her economic abilities, her relationships, and her spiritual knowledge and values are called into service for her children. This passage, ambivilent at best, pushes her to reach far beyond whatever limits she thought she labored within, making her stronger." Paula Gunn Allen

Spring is Almost Here!

"Tristan's First Garden" 2008

It has been some time since this picture but we are looking forward to gardening again this year; last year's weather was not exactly prospering garden growth and yield weather but hoping for a better growing season this year. Our first garden was located in a community garden project, of which I loved watching other garden plots grow as well as the joy I felt in working in the dirt in our own space that year. Our garden prospects for this year are here at home, working the soil and engaging in "urban edible landscaping." I have it on my writing list for an article/chunk of work focused on gardening in small spaces in a more populated environment...it should be fun.

So, Spring is coming and I'm feeling it. My chronic sinus issues of my lifetime have cropped up again this year, right on schedule. Being pregnant, I can't self-treat as aggresively as I can when I'm not pregnant or breastfeeding, so recovery time is longer than what I care for but for the safety of my child, I'm doing the right thing. A bonus of this Spring is that I'm finalizing my materials/ingredients collection for my new adventures into soap making for my business. I'm soooo excited and can't wait to get started. I'm really looking forward to the process and posting my experiences on my business page, which you can find the link to at the bottom of this page. And yes, writing an article/chunk of work about that, too....yeah!

Ahhhh....warm peach tea with lemon and honey, a coconut macaroon, the never-ending list of "Mom's things to do," and realizing there's Cheerios under the coffee table...are they in my shoes, too? I guess I better check. ~Love, Mom