"Hello"...again

I’m  kind of embarrassed to say “hello” and “let’s try this again” to writing here on my blog; I think because I’m afraid of my own imperfections in life and that I might, once again, find myself hiding from this space of the universe. I’m afraid of failing again because of my ability, or lack of ability, to cope with life in the way I feel that I want to or that I feel I should, and knowing that that failure will be public.

BUT, one of the things I want to be known for and remember for the most is persistence. I don’t care about being “amazing” (whatever that’s supposed to be anyways), I care about getting up more times than I have fallen. I care about never giving up.

I am learning to embrace the resistance and struggle that naturally ebbs and flows throughout our daily lives, throughout my daily life. I’m learning that the struggle isn’t bad or good. It simply is. It exists no matter how hard we try to avoid it or escape it; no matter how carefully we plan or how cautiously we make decisions about our life and the future. What matters, and what makes the struggle good or bad, is what we do with the struggle, what we believe about it, and, I think even more importantly, what we believe about ourselves as we let it pass through us.

I used to think that life was a test, and being the perfectionist that I am, I wanted to pass every test of life with flying colors and respond to every challenge with perfect resilience, perfect faith, perfect optimism and hope, and a perfect attitude. I mistakenly believed that in doing so, I would become a better person, a shining example to others, and be on the receiving end of perceived blessings from above.

I was wrong.

What I’ve learned is that struggling doesn’t affect my character, it doesn’t make me any less of a person than I was before, it doesn’t make me a failure. It makes me human. I’ve learned that not always having perfect faith or a perfect attitude, or even perfect resilience isn’t wrong or something to be ashamed of. It’s part of the journey in discovering who we are and what we are capable of; it’s part of the journey in discovering who God is and what he is capable of doing in our lives. There is no pass and fail because how I am handling the struggle, how I am handling grief and loss and heartache and disappointment is constantly changing and will be for the rest of my life.

We have something called grief gifts at our house....it’s kind of a joke between my husband and I, but it’s where you buy something for yourself after someone you love has died. Usually that “something” tends to be expensive and not financially prudent. In our case, we bought a boat after my husband’s sister unexpectedly passed away in January. It had always been a dream of his to one day buy a boat, a dream he had talked of frequently with her.

  

I’ll never forget the first time we took it out on the lake. It was February. We didn’t wake-board or tube, we just took a picnic lunch, found a quiet cove, and basked in the silent sunshine of nature. In time, as the weather warmed up, we began to embrace boating activities that required getting wet. We often took my nieces and nephew with us. It was our way of helping their family out.

Being with them, being together as a family, was like therapy for my soul, and laughing together as we got bounced over the waves in our inner tube was like medicine for it. I hadn’t laughed that hard in years. And then it came time for the wake board, a sport I had not attempted in nearly thirteen years, before having children.

And I got up! I didn’t stay up for very long, but I got up, and when I fell, I got up again, and again, and again. My inner driving force was the connection I felt to my own personal life, and the need I felt to get up from life’s challenges again, and again, and again. It was an instant way of gratifying the need for personal triumph and perseverance. I needed to feel that I could be victorious. I needed to give myself hope that I would eventually succeed.

With each trip to the lake I embraced the struggle, the potential possibility of getting water up my nose, the sore muscles that followed the next morning, and the fear I felt inside from pushing myself outside of my current comfort zone as I developed new skills to help me more fully enjoy my time on the water. I loved the feeling of getting back up after a fall and I loved seeing my ability to handle the waves, the turns, and the jumps increase with each trip to the lake. My success wasn't measured by how good I was compared to someone else; my success was simply measured by where I was and how far I had come.

You see, the interesting thing I've discovered about success is that it really isn't a destination (to be honest I'm starting to wonder what in life is a destination). Success is a journey, and in my story, my successes aren't that I've finally arrived at having perfect resilience, perfect faith, perfect optimism and hope, and a perfect attitude, but rather that I have become better at these things than I was before. I have grown, I have increased, and in so doing, I have increased in my ability to face the struggle with a perspective and with the tools necessary to fuel growth, learning, and many more triumphs along the way.

Notice above that I said that I loved seeing my ability to handle the waves, the turns, and the jumps increase with each trip to the lake, not with each attempt while at the lake. Why? Because there was some backpedaling that occurred during some of our trips. I did not always improve or master new skills on a given day. One time, after a really bad face-plant, I had to call it quits for the rest of our time at the lake because it hurt so bad, it scared me, and I had a headache. 

Likewise, I have done some backpedaling in my personal growth.  I've gotten up many, many times only to retract, rather than expand in the way I cope, in my attitude, and especially in my faith. 

And I'm ok with that. And I'm ok sharing that. We always talk about becoming better and growing as a person, but I don't think we emphasis enough that along with that you may regress a bit. You may be angry at God or at life or at the people in your life who are trying to help and show you kindness. You may be frustrated with yourself or your circumstances. You may feel like to can't do it, like you can't handle it, and you may question if you even want to.

The key here is getting up more times than you fall. The key is never giving up, even if you give up temporarily (which I've done more than once), even if you lose heart or, dare I say it, even if you lose faith. Time is your friend and so is the willingness to try again. In fact, I believe these two things may be among the greatest secrets of success. If you get up enough times, no matter how long it takes, you will succeed. And if you give Him the chance, God, in time, will show you that he is on your team and that He wants you to succeed. 

Pink Play-Dough

YouTube Video Tutorial:

Pink Play-Dough

Play-dough. I've got a love-hate relationship with it and for that very reason I don't tend to keep it around very often. However, I have found that every once in a while it can be a great tool and a life saver. If you find that it doesn't capture your child's attention for a long period of time or that it makes too big of a mess try setting your child next to or across from you at the counter (sometimes I will also set it up at the kid's play table next to my desk). I find that when I give my kids play-dough and then leave the room (for more than a minute or two) they tend to loose interest more easily than when they are able to engage with me in a conversation and I can offer suggestions, ideas, and occasional help.  This also tends to keep the play-dough from running off and drying out and then showing up in the most unexpected and odd places imaginable (key word being "tends"-not always)! 

I also find with play-dough that keeping it simple really is best. One big color versus multiple little colors.  For little ones, a few cookie cutters, a knife and a rolling pin tends to work just as well, if not better, than all the fancy stuff you can find in the stores. Keeping it simple also means that it is more time efficient and less exhausting for me to quickly whip this out than to drag my kids to the store (especially in the middle of the Arizona summer). For me, shopping with young children is never a bonding, fulfilling experience. Enjoy time with your children while you make this and then feel guilt free getting some stuff done while they happily play. I hope you will give this a try and let me know how it goes. I bet your little ones are going to think it is so cool to make their very own play-dough!

You can find these adorable cookie cutters and so many more at Sur La Table. They seriously have the most amazing collection and they are very affordable. Olive and I stopped by their store one morning after visiting the splash pad and we were both blown away, especially when we found one in the shape of a dove.

Recipe:

3 C Flour

3 C Water

3/4 C Salt

6 Tsp Cream of Tartar

3 Tbsp Vegetable Oil

Food Coloring

Mix all ingredients in a sauce pan. Cook for about 7-10 minutes over low heat, stirring constantly to prevent the mixture from burning. You will know the dough is done when it is dry and pulls away from the pan. Turn dough out onto a piece of wax paper. Cool and knead the dough. Store in an airtight container and enjoy!

Great Jobs For Children Include:

Measuring dry ingredients
Holding the measuring utensil while you pour the wet ingredients
Food coloring drops
Stirring the mixture before the dough becomes too stiff
Cutting a piece of wax paper
Finding a storage container

When Your Child Doesn't Want To Help

YouTube Video Tutorial:

Feisty Fajitas

Let's be honest, there are days when I do not feel like cooking. Cooking for me is not a hobby, but a part of life that I accept and do because I value living a healthy lifestyle for myself and my family. It therefore stands to reason that my kids on any given day may or may not feel like cooking as well, and that is totally normal.

Despite what moods may circulate through our home, cooking and contributing to the family team remains nonnegotiable (I do on rare occasions make exceptions). In my experience, the quality of food you eat has just as much impact on your ability to think clearly and function properly as quality sleep. Although it can be frustrating and annoying to work with a child (or multiple children) who are grumpy and reluctant to help, excusing them from the kitchen to go play will only perpetuate the problem.

I debated long and hard about whether or not to edit this video, but I want people to see that my kids don't always want to cook. As cute as Olive is, she is still a very typical three year old who has her own ideas for the day and what she wants to do. We don't just cook together when it's convenient or when we are having an awesome day and I have time for it. Nope. We do it on the worst of the worst days (believe me, I've been there often in the past four months) because I know that if I get out of the routine or if I let my children get out of the routine that it will be that much harder to get going again.

Building grit and learning how to persevere means doing the hard stuff, even when you don't feel like it. Life will always be filled with things we don't want to do, but as I have learned from my own life, especially during the most challenging times, digging in and just doing it really really does help. The more you do the things you don't want to do, the easier they become. It becomes a way of life, a way being and doing, doing hard things becomes a part of you.

So, if your child is grumpy and doesn't want to help don't get discouraged, don't give up and don't give in. Create the happy, find something about what you are doing that is fun. Praise their efforts and remember to have joy in the journey.

We took this on the go to Benson's baseball game and it was a hit.

Recipe:

1 Green Bell Pepper, sliced into strips
1 Yellow or Orange Bell Pepper,  sliced into strips
1 Red Bell Pepper,  sliced into strips
1 Small Yellow Onion, cut in half and then into thin pieces
1 1/2-2 lbs Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, sliced into bite size peices
1 Packet Favorite Fajita Seasoning
1 Can Black Beans, drained and rinsed
2 Tbsp Olive Oil

Combine bell peppers, onion, and chicken on a baking sheet. Add fajita seasoning and drizzle olive oil over the top. Then toss everything together. Cover and store in your fridge until dinner time. Then bake at 450 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Add a stack of tortillas wrapped in foil to the bottom oven rack 5 minutes before fajita mixture is done. Remove from the oven and add black beans on the top. Serve with your favorite toppings such as lettuce. guacamole, sour cream, and salsa (check back soon for my favorite dressing to go with this dish).

Great Jobs For Children Include:

Transferring bell pepper slices from the cutting board to the baking sheet
Spreading the bell peppers around before adding the oniona and raw meat
Opening seasoning packet with scissors
Sprinkling seasoning with a 1/2 teaspoon or small spoon
Helping you toss all ingredients using tongs or a fork
Rinsing the beans in a strainer

Green Yellow Red

YouTube Video Tutorial:

Green Yellow Red

America's Test Kitchen has long been a favorite place of mine to gather new recipes and their new cookbook One-Pan Wonders, recently discovered at Costco, is no exception. I was so excited to find this book because I simply love one pan meals that allow you to prep and clean up everything before the chaos of the evening sets in. If you are looking for some "one-pan wonders" I highly recommend you check it out. It is available on Amazon as well.

As I looked through the book, I was immediately drawn to one of their recipes, Vegetable and Orzo Tian. It is delicious! However, when we made it the first time the minced shallots made it impossible for Olive to help because her eyes burned. She also thought the dish was too spicy. So I made a few changes and am now renaming this dish Green Yellow Red. Why? Because this recipe incorporates concepts that children should be learning at a young age, primarily the concept of patterns. 

Recipe:

1 1/2 C Grated Parmesan Cheese

1 C Whole Wheat Orzo 

1/2 tsp Onion Powder

1/4 tsp Garlic Powder

1 tsp Italian Seasoning

1/8 tsp Salt

1/8 tsp Pepper

1 Zucchini

1 Yellow Summer Squash

3 Roman Tomatoes

1 3/4 Vegetable or Chicken Broth

1 TBSP Olive Oil

Combine 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, orzo, and all spices together in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish.

Slice vegetables approximately 1/4 inch thick. With your child create rows from the vegetable slices  by following the pattern green, yellow, red. When you are done you can cover and place the baking dish in the fridge until dinner time. 

When you are ready to eat preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Remove the baking dish from the refrigerate and pour the broth evenly over the top. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes. Remove the dish from the oven and drizzle with olive oil and remaining Parmesan cheese. Broil for 5 minutes, just until the cheese begins to brown and serve.

We at this on a week night on the go with Sabatino's Smoked Mozzarella With Artichokes & Garlic Chicken Sausages from Costco. I simply heated them on a baking sheet in the oven while our Red Yellow Green dish was baking. I also served this for a Sunday dinner with a simple salad of spring greens, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and salt and pepper. 

Great Jobs For Children Include:

Measuring the whole wheat orzo using a tablespoon and one cup measuring cup (have them keep the bag tight up against their body so it doesn't tip over and spill everywhere)

Measuring the spices (you measure, they dump)

Combining the ingredients using a fork or their hands in the bottom of your baking dish

Arranging the vegetables in tidy rows (they may need a hand in the "tidy" department)  

Lining up the sausage on your baking sheet (they are fully cooked so no need to worry!)

Additional Notes:

On that Sunday dinner Olive ate only the vegetables and salad and for our dinner on the go she only ate the orzo and sausage. Kids can sometimes be funny about what they will and will not eat, however, this dish is definitely here to stay. I love how light it feels and the flavors were delicious. The ease of assembly, the low mess, the portability, and the fun of playing with patterns were an added bonuses as well.

I hope you will give this one a try with your kiddos! I'd love to hear how it goes! 

Sharp Knives

I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE IF YOUR CHILD GETS HURT WHILE USING A SHARP KNIFE. 
INTRODUCE THIS SKILL AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION. 

Four years ago, right before my son turned three, I looked out the kitchen window to find him jumping on the trampoline, butcher knife in hand. He was swinging it and waving it through the air as if he were fighting off a great dragon or monster. I was horrified and immediately, but calmly addressed the situation, careful not to overreact. Of course I told him that sharp knives were not for children and that he was not allowed to touch them. Of course I told him the dangers associated with using a sharp knife. But it didn't work. In the weeks and months that followed I struggled in vain to keep him away from the sharp knifes. I set them up high, but he set a stool on the counter to get them off the top of the fridge. I tried to hide them, but I used them so frequently that he quickly discovered their whereabouts. I talked to him, I punished him, I tried just about everything I could think of and then I gave up and I gave in.

I gave in because he cut his finger when I wasn't in the room and despite the tears and the blood he still wanted to use the knives. So, I showed him a small paring knife and told him that it was his special knife. I told him that he knew the potential consequence of using a sharp knife and that if he was ready to accept that consequence (cut his finger again) he was welcome to use it. I gave him boundaries for where and when he could use his knife and told him that if he broke the rules that his special knife would be taken away. I taught him knife safety and then I had to let it go. Surprisingly for me and for this child this was the right move.

With boundaries in place he was no longer sneaking into the kitchen to use the sharp knives behind my back and he was more willing to help at meal time because he knew it meant he could use his special knife. He has cut his fingers several times throughout the years, but usually as soon as he is bandaged up and his tears are dried he is back at it again. This may not be the right solution for your child and I do not share this to promote the use of sharp knives in young children, but rather to help you understand why I let my kids use something that I know most parents forbid. If you think you might like to give it a try here are some suggestion based off what I have learned from working with my own children for the past four years.

#1 Regular practice with a standard dinner knife (as Olive has done in our previous videos) is the best way for your child to learn how to cut without the risk of cutting their fingers. Just like balance bikes give a smooth transition to pedal bikes, standard knives give a smooth transition to sharp knives because your child will have experience in keeping their fingers out of the way while they chop. Soft fruit is a great starting point. Check out my video on teaching your child how to cut soft fruit for more ideas.

#2 Your child must be standing in place to use a sharp knife. When we first started this four years ago I would get their knife and give it to them once they were on their stepping stool or sitting on their bar stool with a cutting board ready to go.

#3 Use a small paring knife. Although sharp enough to cut your child's finger it is not big enough to do serious damage. I found some at Walmart recently as well as Pampered Chef. They are about six inches in total length and the blades are thin and small.

#4 Prep the food for them. This means you are not going to hand them a sharp knife and an apple and just let them go for it. When they are first starting out and especially if they are little (between the ages of 3 and 6) you are going to prep everything for them to cut to ensure that nothing is going to suddenly roll around or slip while they are cutting. This also means that you are going to prep everything to size because their hands and fingers are small and cannot cut large foods safely. For example this zucchini has been sliced into quarters creating strips that are easy to manage and have at least one flat side for stability.

The only exception I make to this is cherry tomatoes, grapes, and green beans because they are small enough for them to secure safely with their hand. (This is a bit more advanced so you will want to make sure you are confident in your child's ability to use a sharp knife before attempting this one).

#5 Stay close by so you can frequently remind them to watch their fingers, slow down or be careful. You can never give too many reminders.

#6 If they do cut their finger don't freak out. Cutting your finger is something you never grow out of (I just cut mine earlier this week) and it generally helps your child learn to be more cautious in the future.

Although it is sad to see them hurt and in pain, in my opinion, the benefits of teaching your child to use a knife far outweigh the risks. My older kids (now ages 8 and 7) come into the kitchen every day to cut their own fruits and vegetables for school lunch and after school snacks rather than grabbing something that is prepackaged. Habits are hard to change and eating habits are no exception. In my experience the more prepackaged food I keep in my house the less likely my kids are to grab fresh produce. If you want your child to make healthy food choices you have to empower them by letting them get their own food and teaching them how to prepare it. Once again, as stated above, I am not responsible if your child gets hurt while using a sharp knife. Every child is different and every parent works differently with their children. Be smart and in tune with your child's strengths when determining if and when you might want to introduce this skill.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Birthday Cake

For the past two years my son has requested carrot cake for his birthday. This year he surprised me by changing his request to chocolate peanut butter (this kid never tires of peanut butter). Naturally I turned to Pinterest and was delighted to find this yummy recipe from The Baker Upstairs which was well received by not only the birthday boy, but the entire family as well.

This was the first birthday in our family since delivering our stillborn daughter Dove in January. My perspective on many things in life has changed since that time, including my perspective on birthdays. My thoughts are these:

This year I did not ask Benson to stop growing up. This year I did not tell him to stay little forever. This year I felt no sadness by his age, only gladness. 

This year I want him to grow up because growing up is not something I will see Dove do. This year I do not want him to stay little forever for that is now what Dove is to me. This year I feel gladness for the chance to see all the milestones he has hit so far in his life because that means that he is alive.

And so dear Benson, grow. Please keep growing. Don't stay little forever. Hit those milestones and continue to make my future bright with the anticipation of all you will do and become.

Moana's Fish Dinner

If you have not seen this video yet, click here

When I decided to make this dinner I certainly did not intend on naming it after Disney’s new release, Moana. However, the kids (who had just seen the film for the first time) would not stop singing the songs or reciting their favorite lines. We had a great time making this (even if I did get a little tired of everyone's singing) and we all enjoyed eating it too. Here is the recipe if you want to give it a go.

Ingredients:

Roughly 2 lbs fresh Asparagus

Between 1 and 1 ½ lbs of Tilapia

1 C Quinoa

2 C Chicken Croth

2 Bay Leaves

Salt and Pepper

Avocado Oil

Coconut Oil

Optional: Cajun Seasoning

Process:

There are several options when preparing this dinner so let's discuss.

Option 1: If you stay at home you can prep this in the morning by preparing the asparagus and fish on your baking sheet, covering, and storing in your fridge until you are ready for dinner. About thirty minutes before you want to eat you can turn on your oven and start the quinoa. They should finish about the same time and you should have a very small mess to clean up once dinner is done.

Option 2: If you work during the day or didn’t have time in the morning you can prep this dinner in about 10 minutes or less. The more hands you have cutting the asparagus and the more piece you cut at a time will definitely help speed up the process. Once everything is cooking you can quickly clean up

You will want to rinse your quinoa to remove the bitter coating on the outside. In a medium saucepan bring the quinoa, chicken broth, and bay leaves to a boil. Once it is boiling you can cover and reduce the heat to low for about 15 minutes or so. Then turn off the heat and let it continue to sit, covered on the stove for another five minutes. At this point you can fluff it with a fork. I like to add a little butter and salt as well.

With the asparagus you will want to remove the hard, woody ends and slice into thirds. I tossed mine in avocado oil and seasoned with salt and pepper. I used a small amount of coconut oil on the fish (because I like the taste of coconut oil and Tilapia). I seasoned Olive’s with just salt and pepper and if your kids are not accustomed to spicy food I would recommend you do the same. If you want a little kick, you can add some Cajun seasoning, but be careful not to add too much! I roasted it at 400 degrees for about 12-15 minutes or so until the fish is cooked through (depends on how thick your fillets are) and asparagus is tender.

Survival Mode Omelet

If you have not seen the video yet click here. Olive's lipstick job is killer.

Well there is not much to say about this omelet. My kids love it, it takes about ten minutes to make from start to finish, and we lived off of this for the first two months or so after Dove passed away. We love switching up the cookie cutters for different holidays or just for fun. It is super simple and super yummy!

Recipe:

1/2 Sweet Potato or Yam, washed and grated
1/2 Tbsp Butter
5-6 Eggs (depending on how large they are)
Salt and Pepper
Light sprinkle of Garlic Lovers Seasoning (Flavor God Seasonings, link bellow)
2 Tbsp grated cheese

Melt the butter in a cast iron skillet. Add potatoes and cook for about 2 minutes on medium heat. Add seasonings. Make sure they are spread evenly on the bottom of your pan before adding scrambled eggs. Cook for another 2 minutes or so then "sprinkle" the top with cheese. Place under the broiler for about three minutes and enjoy!

If you are interested in the garlic seasoning I used you can find it on Amazon or the Flavor God website

Butternut Squash Medley

Haven't see this video yet? Click here to watch.

When it comes to dinner I am all about preparing my food ahead of time, especially when my husband is out of town or working late. The reason why? Well, here it is:

Cooking dinner usually involves two steps: preparing the food and then cooking the food. I find that both of these steps require some amount of time and create some amount of dirty dishes, how much will depend on what you are making. Now I don't know about your kids, but speaking from the experience of my own, they have a really hard time lasting forty to fifty minutes in the kitchen both preparing and cooking dinner at the same time, especially when it is the end of the day and they are hungry and cranky and sometimes tired. Also, now that my kids are getting older and have extra curricular activities I do not have an hour to give to dinner every night.

However, when I break up the preparations and the actually cooking of the meal into two separate activities (one in the morning and one in the evening) I find that young children are more willing and able to help and that their attention span can usually last for two twenty to thirty minute sessions without too much of a challenge. I have also found that my older children are very motivated to get in and help for those twenty or thirty minutes at night because they know that their assistance creates more time for me to go outside and play with them. Whether its shooting hoops, swinging a bat, playing hopscotch or going for a short bike ride we can create meaningful relationships as we both work and play together.

I have also found that this method of preparing dinner in the morning prevents a huge, huge mess come dinner time because the dirty dishes you created from preparing the meal have already been taken care of in the morning. When I prepare my dinner ahead of time I am usually looking at one pot, occasionally two that require my attention after dinner, plus everyone's dinner plate (which my kids now take care of themselves). I think for a homemade meal that is pretty minimal and I mentally feel better when I don't feel like I have been in the kitchen all day. When I do not prepare my dinner ahead of time I typically find that the mess has gotten out of control and requires more than just a few minutes to quickly clean up. This I truly dislike.

Now, perhaps it is the recent loss of a child that is making my life feel even more unpredictable and less stable than ever, but I think regardless of your circumstances life has and always will be unpredictable. Life happens and often the day just gets away from you, at least it gets away from me more than I would like it to. With kids, anything and everything can happen. However, with all of the instability, there is one thing that usually never changes: the need to eat and the guarantee that come dinner time everyone is going to be hungry. You can hate it, you can try to hide from it, but like it or not dinner is coming for you every single night. Sure, you can try to not think about it, to procrastinate it, but unlike that paper in college that you saved for the eleventh hour there is a little army of hangry children to be reckoned with, and we all know that nothing quite compares to the fury of a tired, hungry child.

Am I prefect at preping my dinner every day? No. But I always regret it when I do not prepare my dinner ahead of time. There are a lot of things in life that you cannot prevent, but I know that when my life is falling apart at 5:30 in the evening, when it feels extra chaotic and I am flustered trying to throw something together that I could have prevented this chaos if only I had taken a few minutes earlier in my day to prepare. When I split up dinner between morning prep and evening assembly I sigh a huge sigh of relief because I can now handle the unpredictability and the instability of the day with a little less anxiety, a little more patience, and a feeling of freedom to do the parts of motherhood that I love and live a life that feels just a bit more free.

Of course I know that mac n' cheese, a five dollar pizza, and premade meals exist, but I feel like crap when I eat crap and I am sure my kids do too. Although it takes more work to cook, more mess, more time, I will gladly accept the short term consequences for the long term benefits of health and energy, and the meaning and purpose that cooking with my kids gives to the every day mundane, a meaning and purpose that a meal in a cardboard box will take away. I am not just a provider of food. I am a nurturer, I am a teacher, I am an example of hard work, productivity, and perseverance. The time my children spend in the classroom at school, on the ball field at practice, and in the dance and music studios we attend only serve as an enhancement of values and principles we are already learning at home, lessons that can be learned not once or twice a week, but every day, multiple times a day as we gather together in the heart of our home: the kitchen.

So, this is my substitute for mac n' cheese when my husband is out of town. If you do not have the time to cut up a butternut squash you can buy it pre-cut at many grocery stores. I only like to cut it because Olive and I enjoy washing and counting the seeds (a super fun activity if you need to kill some time).

We usually cut everything up first thing in the morning. I can fit a large baking sheet in my fridge so I will just put the food right on that, cover, and refrigerate until dinner time. I toss everything in a bit of coconut oil (I've also used avocado oil, my kids just like the flavor with coconut oil) and season with salt and pepper. I cook it at 425 degrees for about 40 minutes or so and serve with a fried egg on top.

The best part about the meal is that I can put it atop a bed of greens and eat it as a salad and the next morning I use the leftovers in our breakfast omelets (life saver when dad is out of town since we are not a cold cereal family).

Tips for kids:

Onions. Most kids do not like them. However, after about a year of making this on a regular basis my six year old son loves them. My eight year old daughter does not. Olive just tried on for the first time two weeks ago. We'll see if she will try them again. However, I still make it with onion, I still put it on their plates, and when they are young (about four and under) I just give them a toothpick to easily pick up the other vegetables and not the onion.

As with any chopping, your child will have better success with flat surfaces. This is why I give Olive the center pieces, which are totally square. Your child will get frustrated and be more likely to hurt their fingers if their food is rolling around or wobbling.

Sprinkle Song Brussels Sprouts

If you haven't already seen this video click here.

Many people call Olive my clone and if you have seen this video you will know that she definitely takes after me in two ways: she loves to sing and she loves Brussels Sprouts.

When I was a kid I can remember my mom cooking up a big pot of Brussels Sprouts from the local farmers market. She would serve them steamed with salt and red wine vinegar. Evidently I loved them so much we would fight over who got the last one. Although now days I prefer roasting to steaming and balsamic to red wine vinegar this food remains on the top of my favorite foods list. They make such an easy side dish and some nights when my husband is gone they take center stage with a fried egg. However you choose to serve them these little vegetables provide great sensory and fine motor skill development for your child and, who knows, they might even grow to like them along the way. It took some convincing on the part of my husband and older children, but I do believe I have won them over (after cooking them weekly for about six months). Simply cut them in half, drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and roast them on a baking sheet in the oven at 400 degrees for a good 30-40 minutes. Immediately following their removal from the oven drizzle with balsamic vinegar and enjoy!

Ideas for kids:

Have them transfer cut Brussels Sprouts from the cutting board to a baking sheet. If you are right handed make sure they stand on your left and that you create a nice pile for them to grab from that is as far away from your knife as possible. If you are left handed make sure you place your child to your right.

Have them pull off bad leaves or just have them pull off the outer leaves to keep them busy (plus I love the single leaves that get a bit chard).

Have them place all of the Brussels Sprouts face down (just to give them something to do).

Have them compost or dispose of any bad spots or leaves.

Let them rub the Brussels Sprouts around with the oil. Olive loves this job!

Check back Wednesday for the other half of this meal: Butternut Squash Medley!

Graveside Service For Dove

Our Sweetest Dove

By Michael Clark (my dad)

Oh daughter fair, oh daughter sweet

May years fly by until we meet

All bathed in glorious heav’nly light

And filled with joy that is complete.

Oh daughter fair, oh daughter bright

Please help us trust in God’s great might

And know His promises are sure

That we may strive to win the fight.

Oh daughter fair, oh daughter pure

Let worldliness be not a lure

That keeps us from the courts above

But pray that we will well endure.

Oh daughter fair, our angel Dove

Please know of our great lasting love

And wait for us in courts above

We’ll meet you soon our sweetest Dove!