Fresh Frozen Crockpot Family Food

It took me all weekend to clean and rearrange the cupboards in my kitchen. Monday I shopped.

Today is Taco Tuesday. I will have all the 3 littles home with me all day, while Sugar Daddy teaches make-up Science & Drawing classes at Learning Barefoot.

So I searched for a crockpot taco recipe- let's see how it goes, simmering all day while I chop and sort and store for the coming busy weeks. Found these great fresh to freezer to crockpot to table recipes on Pinterest... where it looks like this mama got a lotta love for this brilliant idea and has recently written a cookbook.

It is now 11:07 am. The middles are playing Dr with their stuffed lovies. The littlest is sleeping- here we go on the tacos... and then it is time to start chopping!!

Posting to Tumblr throughout the day... http://barefootocmama.tumblr.com/

So much happening...

Where to begin and how to end? What to share and who to tell about?

Sugar Daddy is at the ER with our J-bug, she fell. I have been telling her for a couple weeks to STOP spinning in the living room. She probably will now... When I was 4, I fell into the corner of a TV. I can still just barely make out the scar on my forehead, about where hers will be.

This is the 3rd ER visit in 5 days. This is life with 4 kids. Well, at least, thanks to Facebook (and my constant updates to it)- my friends gave valuable feedback that resulted in a much better experience for my hubby and eldest middle girl. He took her to Millers (Long Beach Children's Memorial). I shall not bring anymore energy to the re-telling of my 8 hour ordeal with my 3 month old, M-cube, on Saturday OR the second 4 hour one on Monday.

This is hard. It sometimes totally sucks. (Love what Danielle LaPort says about a little commiseration)

Thank goodness for my Cuppow Lid. Now I can use my mason jar for all my favorite travelling beverages. Because I am always on the go and I never get enough sleep so my iced coffee cubes (original post on my inspiration from Pinterest is here) come in handy and this lid is the perfect way to keep it all contained. Now how do I keep a lid on my hot emotions?

Also been loving my coconut oil for skin that is dry from too much wetness. Does that even make sense?

Oh and we started "school" this week- our not back to school breakfast was a bit of a bust this time around, but my resourceful and smart 5th grader saved the day with a simple, no fuss alternative. Instead of building waffle houses the kids had Rice Krispies with blueberries and whipped cream.

Being a "mom" to 4 small human beings is the most challenging thing I have ever done.

The need for sanity (and yoga mom revolution yogini, Laura Jane) led me to a group on Facebook called the Abundance Game, which steered me to a fantastic little App on my Android called Wechat, and that has given  me such pleasure- being able to connect with amazing people. They have helped me see that I am stronger and more resilient every day. I am an effective leader and I inspire my children to become their most authentic selves and to love themselves and their community. I am a valuable part of my community and I enjoy close friendships with other women who are raising their children in our "tribe".

Oh yeah and did I mention I was peaceful and happy at the dentist where I had to go for a broken filling today? My dentist is the coolest, not so bad on the eyes, most patient, gentle and explanatory dental professional around. He's in Costa Mesa is you need him. Dr Eric Vanek.

Now for something totally cool. I got invited to a screening for mombloggers and am going to be joining 40 other bloggers for a PR campaign through the Circle of Moms network... It sounds totally amazing!

Being in the moment. Letting the now unfold. Focusing on the simple joys of the present draw for my attention and how to choose the actions that support peace, happiness and following our highest excitement. Recognizing that I attract my own reality.


And I'll wrap up this ramble with a little suggestion for family fun. Penny Pitching. It is such a wonderful feeling to share parts of our own childhood with our kids. This one really drew in the whole family. I snazzed it up a bit from what we did when I was a kid of course, we are homeschoolers after all!! We included tape, a ruler and several ways to "win"...

Family Meals

So the arrival of our fourth mouth to feed has me all in a tizzy. I have M-cube's nutritional needs covered for the immediate future, no preparation necessary, always ready on demand and free! 

But the other 3 all have very different eating habits and tastes- other than their shared desire for all things sugary or sweet!

This past couple of weeks we have been incredibly loved up on by some awesome mamas who have brought us meals. It has made all the difference for me in being able to maintain our family tradition of eating at the table as often as possible- which has allowed us to bond as a family while we adjust to the new arrival of another human being to share our daily lives with.

Last night G-pie said she loved people bringing us dinner. And that she has enjoyed all of them -although the Pasta with Ground Turkey & Corn was her favorite- and the delicious star cookies that came with it! I loved the casserole dish and realized I should make more 1-pot meals. This one really made me think of my dad, who loved to add corn to pretty much anything...

Sugar Daddy's favorite was the chili which he simmered all afternoon, adding spices and seasonings... the hard prep work was all done, and he got to tinker with the flavor the way he loves to do!! An added blessing to this wonderful dinner- which I appreciated both ways. Such comfort food, and the aroma of the house all afternoon was delicious!

Last night we feasted on Salmon with Brown Rice, Garlic & Lemon Green Beans and Apples & Yams, with Girl Scout cookies for dessert. Totally gluten-free & dairy free. Packaged for ease & convenience- it came together like a gourmet meal.

We were also so grateful for the snack foods- and the soups that people brought, this one was perfect in it's simplicity and so good. It was a great way to give myself a boost before or after a marathon nursing session! 

Another mom brought soup too- these wonderful, wise women know how to supply a postpartum mama with nutritional needs and delightful indulgences, as well! 

This experience left me wondering how this might work even beyond the babymoon- and how it would be such a benefit to busy mamas. It is a great way to expand our own familiar menu and try things made a different way than we do.

Tonight I will be trying out a frozen meal from my friend at Dinner This Month: Chicken Pesto. I have been considering forming a meal assembly group through DTM. I am not sure if the recipes will fit with our dietary preferences, and it seems like a lot of work. I found this option- discovered on Pinterest: http://www.bigredkitchen.com/2011/08/how-to-make-mason-jar-meals-part-2/ for fresh food, sorted & stored in sustainable servers.

Right now I think I like this option best: http://livewellnetwork.com/Deals/episodes/Meal-Sharing/8352502.

Search OAMC- once a month cooking, freezer meals, meal assembly groups & meal sharing for other options.

Doing Pinterest

Yesterday we made the DIY Bracelets that we had discovered on Pinterest. G-pie had noticed we had a lot of projects pinned and none done. So after doing the menu board, I created my "completed projects" board and have been inspired to do more (so I can fill that board on Pinterest, LOL!)... so many creative and crafty ideas.

G-pie made the bottom one for her Grandma's 60th birthday gift, while J-cakes and I made the top one, also for Grandma. Then we decided to make this tasty Kiss Gloss as a party favor for the fun celebration we shared with the family.

We made cinnamon flavor. It has a bit of a zing. But the candy melts and paraffin wax give it a nice consistency- it is super easy to make...


We used red candy melts, household paraffin wax, petroleum jelly and cinnamon candy flavoring. Along with the coconut oil, a baggie, a bowl of hot water and 9 sterilized bead containers from the craft store. We doubled the recipe given on Brooke's blog, http://www.cheekykitchen.com/, and next time I would probably cut down the cinnamon flavor. We have plenty left to try out the cherry and peppermint flavors that came with the set of oil based candy flavorings. I would love to try and make this a more natural gloss- replace the paraffin & vaseline with cocoa butter perhaps, and the artificial flavors with natural essential oils.

For this project I did finally get around to opening the new coconut oil that Tropical Traditions sent- and I also used it to make eggs yesterday morning (and to to rub down the potatoes and yams for baking for last night's dinner party). I am only comparing it to the other one I have tried, which we ordered from www.azurestandard.com, from Wilderness Family Naturals.

Both are certified organic- I really need to do some research on the differences in extraction methods- the Tropical Traditions sounds better

"...the pure coconut water from inside the coconut is used to extract the coconut milk using traditional methods. Small scale family businesses [in the Phillipines] produce this oil in small batches, taking great care and pride in their work."

The Wilderness Family Naturals on the other hand is "mechanically expressed without the use of solvents or chemicals and 'super cleaned' using hot water and steam."

For dinner we grilled Tri-tip, fully loaded the baked potatoes, which turned out perfect- the skins were softer than when I have baked potatoes rubbed with other types of oil or fat. The coconut oil worked splendidly. It was also a good choice for the yams- which were terrific with a tiny bit of butter. We also had sour dough bread and a Spring Berry Herb & Feta Salad with TJ's Rosemary Pecans and TJ's Champagne Vinaigrette- wish I had taken a picture of it.

The family enjoyed the evening and my MIL seemed to appreciate the celebration. and look at the dessert my equally creative SIL brought... Sprinkles Cupcakes and cake pops, brownie bites, chocolate dipped marshmallows, Champagne- oh and ice cream from a place in Santa Barbara where the boys and their mom used to stop on road trips.

An abundance of delight and decadence!

Happy 2012

Yesterday began a new family tradition which I discovered on Pinterest. Being the over-planner that I am, we started ours at noon: 12 envelopes of family fun! It did become a bit of a chore, and really illustrated to Sugar Daddy and I how quickly an hour passes when trying to do the simplest of things with toddlers in tow.

We also incorporated a fun little competition for a prize at the end of the evening, and we all enjoyed the ups and downs of the games that kept us guessing who might win. Basically we earned and received tickets throughout the day and they could be spent on treats, but the person with the most at the end of the night got $20.12! As it turned out- due to a lucky roll of the dice at midnight- G-pie and I tied!

We enjoyed a buffet of Mediterranean style appetizers (aka left overs and veggies with nuts & olives) which I had out all day and then a dinner of tea sandwiches and fruit at a kitchen floor picnic. This was probably my favorite part.

Our envelopes held the countdown announcement, a family focused question which we video taped the responses to, things like - your favorite Spring memory, your favorite field trip, etc. and a Star Wars trivia question to answer each hour- our theme for the day, we also watched the first 3 Episodes throughout the day. Each envelope also had an activity for the hour- watercolors, clean up blitz, Family Dance Party, dice throw for tickets, guessing games, and other "simple" activities.

All in all, it was super fun- although in the interests of full disclosure I must admit we stopped the activities at 8:00, just after the little went to bed!! We decided just get our hourly ticket, and roll the dice each time!! (And I actually fell asleep on the couch right after the 10:00 dice toss.) They woke me at 3 minutes until midnight, and we watched the ball drop- we counted our tickets, announced the winner(s) and off to bed I went! Next year with a little tweaking, I think we have a great plan- and I have taken notes on my Springpad, a wonderful tool for organizing menus, shopping lists, website links and notes for over-planners like me.

What sort of family New Years traditions does your family enjoy?

Art Studio

My new passion is our developing "Art Studio"- all my sweeties love to create, and having a place that allows some room for exploration, plus space to hang out together for inspiration and collaboration! I've been spurred on by so many great rooms while being incredibly productive Pinterest... you really should not click this link if you value your time on the internet http://pinterest.com/barefootin/family-style-learning/, but if you are already a Pinner, well then don't forget to open the link in a new tab so you'll find your way back here to finish my fascinating blog post.

We made Koolaid Playdoh recently, and it has been a popular little brother occupier, while I continue to sort and organize and the girls paint, cut, glue, glitter, bead & feather. G-pie has drawn many a cat picture and once C-dough had cut all the playdoh in little tiny pieces with his little Mickey Mouse knife, he learned to sponge paint, hold scissors (he is definitely a lefty)- oh yeah... and pour rubber cement out all over his sister's bedroom floor (one of the major factors in the rush job on the Art Studio, by dear sweet Sugar Daddy on Wednesday night)!

Last night we fit in a little family style creativity before bedtime with a really fun game, it was surprisingly easy and the 6 resulting pictures were funny - one actually turned out pretty good! http://familyfun.go.com/playtime/tag-team-drawings-844516/

There are so many studies on the benefits of art, I am blessed to have a family who is so talented and encourages me, the wordy one, to use more imagery and imagination when creating. We are lucky to have space dedicated to the messy business of creating.

And speaking of the messy business of creating, tomorrow I have an ultrasound scheduled, so the girls are doing an etching project discovered in the California Studies Weekly newsletter that we have been reading this year- it is fun, with crossword, trivia and interesting information delivered in a colorful, easy to digest format (and the state standards are covered for those using a charter school). Pics will be posted on Google+ and facebook soon...