Fall Happenings

I can't believe it's been two weeks since I last blogged! Where has the time gone?

In typical fall fashion (for me, anyways), I have started baking all things pumpkin (click here to see all my pumpkin recipes). So far I have made pumpkin muffins and pumpkin pancakes. Next on my list, pumpkin bread and pumpkin cookies! (As a side note, I just realized that if you type the word "pumpkin" enough times, it starts to look really strange...)

My favorite, pumpkin cookies, shown here with white chocolate chips although I actually prefer them with chocolate chunks or semi-sweet chocolate chips:

Earlier this week, the kids and I decorated the house for fall. I love putting out my pretty leaf garlands and pumpkins (there's that word again, what a weird word...). Every year the kids can help a little more, and this year Nathan remembered that last year we had strung orange lights in the kids' bedrooms. So of course we had to do it again! The fun thing is that no matter how uneven you string them and how tacky it looks during the day, at night it looks truly magical. It's turning into a fun little tradition for us. Right after Thanksgiving the orange lights will come down and the Christmas lights will go up!

One of the decorations we put up was this candle surrounded by pretty leaves. Nothing spectacular and original but I show the picture so I can tell a funny, kind of scary story. After decorating and having lunch, I put my kids down for naps and decided to light the candle. It smelled so good and I was enjoying it. So when Hannah woke up I decided to keep it lit for a few more minutes because she was keeping her distance and I was in the kitchen within eyesight of her.

I was wiping down my counters when all of a sudden I look up and see Hannah holding a flaming leaf and saying "Mom, help! Fire!" She dropped it on the ground and I quickly grabbed my glass of water and doused it. Fortunately she was fine and the floor was not damaged, but that got my heart beating a little faster! I won't be leaving candles lit around the kids for a few more years at least!

This morning we visited a nearby orchard and had a blast picking apples, pears, and pumpkins. The apples are so delicious, I can not believe the difference between fresh picked apples and those that are found at the store. I am excited to try the pears and to make some pumpkin goodies out of fresh pumpkin instead of from the can. But first I need to try this apple recipe that my friend Hanna posted: Individual Apple Streusel Pies. Doesn't the picture look divine?

photo and recipe by Hanna @ bouffe e bambini

The leaves are starting to turn and we are going to have family pictures taken for the first time ever. Something special to celebrate our first fall in New England. I am so excited!

My Boys

Nathan, September 2008, age 10 months (photos by Jana Graham Photography)

Notice how loose the clothing is! I never realized how much Nathan looks like his Uncle Dan in this picture.

Ray, September 2012, 8 months (photo courtesy of my iPhone, hence the huuuuuge difference in quality!)
Same outfit, two months younger but look how it barely fits him!

 My sweet boys!

Life is Beautiful

Just a short post to thank all of you who entered my giveaway! Congratulations to the winner: Michelle Wong! I will be contacting you shortly to get your address so I can send out your Introduction to Essential Oils Kit.

Here are a few pictures of our life lately:

Nathan and Ray

When Nathan wrote this he was very excited about a birthday party invitation from his friend Brandon. From the top it says: Netflix, play, pretend, books, read, 3, Brandon, invite

Hannah and Ray, she loves to "hold" him, even though he weighs about as much as she does!

Awhile ago I blogged about my resolution to involve my kids more in the kitchen. I have been following through with that decision and we have made waffles, muffins, and cookies together so far. Most recently we made Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies together.

It is fun how much more excited the kids are about dinner in general when they help prepare part of the meal.

I am thinking about making this salad for dinner tonight: Chicken and Pears over Arugula.

What are you making for dinner?

Thursday Pictures

It's a bit of busy day today, so I thought I would just share a few pictures with you.

The beautiful flowers my husband brought home for me last night, just because!

picture by Heather Christo

What we had for dinner last night: Roasted Chicken and Figs by Heather Christo

Look who found the stairs!!!

The kids and I made chocolate waffles this morning together.

Then we watched this video while we ate them: The Cat Came Back by The Muppets

I'm off to start the rest of my day: hanging with my kids, prepping for my online class tonight, and typing up part 2 of Ray's Birth Story which I will post tomorrow (you can find part 1 here).

Be sure to enter my giveaway if you haven't already!  

What are you up to today? Any fun Labor Day weekend plans? 

Washington, DC

Yesterday we returned home from several days in our nation's capital. We had a wonderful time with Jared's parents Stewart and Kelly, his younger sister Annie, and his older sister Katy, her husband Sean, and their three daughters: Anna, Elizabeth, and Jane. (Aren't those such beautiful, classic names?)

we were a little sad that the reflecting pool was empty

It was so fun to enjoy time with our family while seeing all the amazing sights in Washington DC. The first day we walked around and saw all the monuments. The new monument for Martin Luther King Jr was especially powerful.

The second day we toured the Capitol and visited the National Gallery of Art and the National Museum of Natural History. It was amazing to see where Congress meets and to view the incredible works of art at the museum, but the Museum of Natural History was far and away our kids' favorite of course!

The third day was a little more relaxed, starting with a leisurely breakfast at the hotel.

Then it was on to the National Zoo!

We walked so many miles overall, but our kids were total troopers and only tired and grumpy occasionally! By the end we were all amazed by how much we were able to accomplish with 6 kids, 4 of whom were ages 4 and under!

It's a Hard Knock Life...

This morning I ripped up a couple of old towels, dressed my kids in their swim suits, put on some kids music and had them scrub the floors with me.

We used doTerra's On Guard Cleaner Concentrate to make the mop water, so it was non-toxic. I loved not having to worry about their skin, their eyes, or their clothes!

I know, kind of reminds you of Little Orphan Annie a little, doesn't it? They were having fun though! In fact, I couldn't even get Hannah to smile at the camera, she was having too much fun scrubbing!

My floors look great! This may become a weekly routine.

What chores do your kids help you with?

***New recipe coming tomorrow!!!

Becoming a Better Mom

I originally started this blog as a way to share recipes and meal plans with my friends, as well as catalog them for myself for future reference. As my interests grow and change, this blog is morphing with them. Don't be surprised if you find me writing about topics other than cooking. I am looking forward to having discussions on parenting, fitness, natural healthcare (I am especially passionate about essential oils), homeschooling my preschoolers, and my faith.

Lately the topic that has been on my mind a lot is becoming a better mom. I am trying to challenge myself with new ways to have fun with my kids, educate them, and most importantly nurture them and help them grow into independent happy adults.

As I said in my blog post yesterday, I am constantly struggling with finding a balance between paying attention to all three of my young children and keeping up with my responsibilities around the house like cooking and cleaning. This fellow mommy blogger has come up with a great solution, check out her series of posts titled Why I Cook with My Children.

I need to be better about getting the older two in the kitchen with me!

I have also been struggling with discipline strategies. I tend to be too harsh with my kids, especially my oldest. I realize this is all relative and everyone has different parenting styles. The bottom line for me though is that my current parenting style is not how I want my parenting to be. It is not creating the kind of relationship that I want long-term with my kids.

I am a firm believer that I create my own destiny, so I know that I can change this. And frankly, the sooner the better before our bad habits are too ingrained. Some things I would like to stop doing are yelling and being impatient, typical mom things! I find that most days I am too focused on immediately stopping my kids' behaviors that I don't like, instead of trying to figure out what is causing those behaviors (like whining) in the first place.

I like to read good books to help me come up with solutions to problems I am having, so based on the recommendations found on ahaparenting.com I ordered these two books on Amazon:

I will be sure to let you know how I like the books after I read them!

Another slightly different way that I am working to improve my parenting is by learning more about natural forms of healthcare, specifically essential oils. Essential oils are for so much more than aromatherapy! They can be used to treat so many problems including ear infections, insomnia, depression, fevers, asthma, and so much more.

In fact, this morning I am especially excited as my youngest, Ray slept through the night last night for the first time ever - 11 hours! The longest he has ever slept before was 5 hours and it is usually more like 3-4 hours at a time. The only thing I did differently was apply a couple of drops of Serenity essential oil blend (has lavender, ylang ylang, chamomile and some others) on his spine and behind his ears, which was the first time trying this blend on him. You had better believe he won't be going to bed without this oil from now on!

I will be blogging more about this in the future, as it is really empowering to me. However, if anyone is curious to learn more in the meantime, my friend Julie Driggs is teaching a free webinar called Dr Mom, all about using essential oils on our children. She has such great information to share. It is open to the public, so if anyone would like to listen in, simply click on this link: http://www.anymeeting.com/azdoterra1 at 7 PM MST on Thursday, August 2.

In what ways are you striving to be a better mom, or a better person in general?
Have you read any good books lately? 

***Check back tomorrow for a new recipe! I served it to dinner guests that we had Sunday evening and the wife said, "I could eat this all day!"

How to make your own baby food

When my husband and I decided we were ready for a third baby, I remember thinking "This will be perfect. Nathan will be 4 by the time the baby is born. He will be so grown up and independent, it will be easy having 3 kids."

Double trouble - and always in motion!

Ha! I'm not sure what I was thinking, but having three kids ages 4 and under is anything but easy! Babies are a lot of work and baby Ray is no exception. Our Hannah-girl has a mischievous streak and must be watched like a hawk or else! And as sweet and helpful as Nathan is, he is still just a typical 4 year old - a young child who needs lots of guidance and attention.

Most days I end up feeling like one of the kids is getting the short end of the stick when it comes to my attention. On the days I feel good about how much time I have given each of them, I look around and realize my house is in shambles for lack of attention to the housework!

Ray adores his big brother

On days like that I remember that these are the days when I will make memories that I will treasure for the rest of my life. I try to keep in mind this poem I read once:

Cleaning and scrubbing can wait til tomorrow
For babies grow up we learn to our sorrow
So quiet down cobwebs and dust go to sleep
I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep 

 Even though it takes a little extra time, I have been very excited to make my own baby food this time around. We have a great food processor this time which makes it super easy, although I suppose I could have mashed it by hand in the past. I was just always a little intimidated to make my own baby food. How silly because it is so easy!

In case any of you out there wants to try making your own baby food but is not sure how, here is a little tutorial I put together:

Homemade Baby Food

ingredient ideas:
peaches, pears, apples, peas, green beans, carrots, squash, and sweet potatoes are all good starter foods
be sure to buy use fresh or frozen foods, not canned because canned foods have a lot of extra sodium

To cook peaches, carrots, green beans, or peas, I cover them with water in a pot and boil until they are soft. You don't want them totally nasty and overcooked, but you will want to cook them a little softer than you would normally eat them yourself.

You can boil sweet potatoes, pears, and apples, or you can bake them. I usually bake sweet potatoes for 1 -1 1/2 hours at 400F, depending on the size of the potato. Apples and squash need to be cut in half, cored or seeded, and placed in a baking pan filled with 1 inch of water. Bake at 400F for 30 minutes (apples) or 40 minutes (squash).

Let the cooked food cool then place it in the food processor. If it was boiled to cook it, drain it but reserve the cooking water just in case you need to add a little liquid to get it to the right consistency for baby. Puree until smooth, adding water if needed.

Yum - peas!

Place in containers and refrigerate for up to a few days or freeze for up to a few months.

These containers look small but each contain at least twice what the baby food containers in the store cost, made for less than half the price!

Do you make your own baby food or any other baby products at home? Is it worth the cost savings, or would you rather have the convenience of the store-bought option? I find I am enjoying the satisfaction of knowing exactly what I am putting into my baby's mouth.

Love this little guy...

Stewart Raymond "Ray," born January 12, 2012

Someday I'll get back to blogging recipes. For now, I'm enjoying every minute with this litttle big guy, as well as getting settled into our new home in Connecticut! Love to all!

-Heather

Hello There!

I haven't been blogging very much lately, not really any excuse except for this little guy:

That's right, in January we will be welcoming a new baby boy into our family! We couldn't be more thrilled.

We had a great summer and our kids enjoyed every minute of it. I found myself spending a lot less time in the kitchen, first because of the morning sickness all-day nausea, then because I found it easier to stick with some of my old favorites instead of trying new recipes while we enjoyed the beautiful Colorado weather.

In July, Hannah turned two. Cake and a balloon, all a 2 year old needs, right?







Isn't she turning into such a pretty little girl? She has such a fun personality too, a little more feisty than Nathan, but we figure with an older brother already and a younger brother on the way, it's a good thing that she is able to stick up for herself.

While I haven't been experimenting too much with new recipes, I have been starting to bake my favorite pumpkin recipes. Yummy!

 

I've picked up crocheting again. Check out this cute hat I am making for our new baby boy! I purchased the pattern from this seller on etsy.





I also have started making my own cleaning and personal care products incorporating essential oils, thanks to a class I attended by Jenn Oldham. This is a video of her demonstrating how she makes her own laundry detergent, lip balm, and deodorant.

The secret is in the Certified Pure Therapeutic-grade Essential Oils sold by doTerra. I'm sure I will blog more on this in the future, because I am falling in love with all the uses I have found for these awesome oils, including relieving stress, nipping colds in the bud, and cleaning my house.

I hope to be back to the blog a little more consistently in the future, so see you soon!

Wordless Wednesday

Merry Christmas Eve!

Look what my husband got me for Christmas!

I desperately needed a new bag. My old purse was one I bought at Target several years ago and was in bad repair.

We were on a tight budget this year so he used his frequent flyer miles to get this Burberry bag. Isn't it pretty? I love it.

Yesterday the kids and I had a fun afternoon in the kitchen. We made Chex Mix and Peanut Butter Blossoms (those recipes to come):

Nathan loved helping me measure ingredients and mix the cookie dough:

The best part was unwrapping the Kisses to put on top:

Although there is a teeny tiny possibility that more chocolate ended up in their mouths than in the bowl for the cookies:

The best part is sampling the end result:

While they stuffed their faces, I packaged some goodies for the neighbors. You don't think I could keep all these carbs here at my house and still be hungry for Christmas dinner, do you?