Little Dancer…
She’ll be a year next week…
Oatmeal smoothie…
Smoothies are great, you can add whatever you want to them and the more you add the more of a complete meal it can become. The kids here love smoothies… so it is an easy and fast breakfast to make and it always feels like a treat… Since I got our new blender I have been making them almost every day…
A while back (before my old blender broke) I decided to try oatmeal in our smoothie to make it even more complete. It took a few tries but I finally figured out the perfect way to do it.
First put some dry oats (about a cup) in the blender and make process them until they are a like flour… it is OK if it has a few lumps but you don’t want many.
Put the Oat flour into a saucepan, turn the heat on and then add fresh juice or milk (about 2 cups) You can add whatever juice or milk you have on hand… soy/almond/coconut etc… and cook the oats for a few minutes. I have also used apple cider in this step and it was delicious!
Add the oat mixture back to the blender and add about a cup more of liquid (milk, yogourt, juice etc ) and blend for a few seconds until it is thin and smooth.I also add some vanilla at this point and any other ingredients that I want to blend very well (like the handful of spinach I put in it today and/or banana, fresh strawberries etc)…
Then add a few handfuls of frozen fruit (melons, bananas, berries, grapes etc) and again, blend until smooth. If you want it a bit thicker add some more frozen fruit and it will become nice and thick. More liquid like make it thinner.
Though the Oatmeal is there, you don’t notice it in the finished product but it adds so much to the drink and helps to keep you full for longer.
(I keep on forgetting to take a picture before I actually finish it… it is so yummy)
There's an app for that…
Now that I got an ipod touch for xmas.. I understand the catchphrase so much better.
I used to have a Zune for music, podcasts and videos and a palm for grocery list, recipes, reading etc… but going to a Mac made both of those no longer possible to use.. so this not only replaces both but works so much better…
Wilhelmina is nearing a year it is getting a bit easier to get things done so I am trying to get into more of a routine so that weekends will be less of cleaning and more of family time… I am also ready to get rid of this weight finally and I won’t have another pregnancy to get me off track this time…
So I have downloaded and have been using a few apps that have been helping me out…
One of the apps is called HomeRoutine and it has been a way to get me motivated in the house. I have only been using it for a week but I love it. I customized it for what I want to get done in the day and then I am able to check off the things as I do them… I tried the same system on paper or a dry erase board in the past but it was never as satisfying and never kept me as motivated as this one does. Not only does it have daily routines, but it also has “zones” which are parts of the house that change each week to focus on for 15min each day so that the little jobs that you often forget to do get done…
With weight loss, journaling what I eat has always helped me out. I am happy with the way we eat, but journaling it makes me accountable for portion sizes some days or even makes me realize that I need to eat more others. I tried the “LoseIt” app for journaling and I love it. Not only does it keep me journaling but it comes with a small online community and lots of motivation. Whatever you add into the app is uploaded automatically onto the website (if you choose so) and it is an amazing feeling to get comments when you log a bit of exercise or even a small amount of weight loss… it is so motivating.
Another great app that I found is Home Budget. I have been using Quicken for years but again, with the transition to Mac, it makes it hard and having the numbers always on me, letting me enter expenses right away if I want makes it easier to see where our money is going. With one income, and 6 people, we really need to stick to it…
ibook is great for reading though I miss the automatic scrolling I used to have on my Palm and after a few years of using the same grocery list on the palm, I am starting to get used to using the app that I got for the ipod. I am also slowly entering all my recipes into the “Paprika” app so I can have all my favourite recipes in one place. Another thing that I loved with my Palm.
I have to admit that I might be a hippy in many ways, but technology can not only be helpful, but makes it fun also and it is all in a small enough device that I can stick it into my wallet and always have on me.
Do you have an ipod or iphone? I would love to know you favourite apps too!
Winter Unschooling gathering…
On the 2nd we left for the Winter unschooling gathering at Oka national park. It was amazing!
We were only 7 families which made the gathering the perfect size for talking and sharing and for the kids to play and have fun without being overwhelmed…
I stuck to my plan of not taking to many pictures and instead just enjoying and living the moment..
We talked and shared, the kids played and played.
The first night we got there it was more about settling in, on the second night we had a great potluck with amazing food and great conversation. After Supper the kids, and a few parents, all headed to the playground in the dark and played games under the stars, coming back in with red cheeks and noses and ready for sleep. During the day, they played Sardines (an amazing derivative to Hide-and-seek where when the hidden person is found, the group starts hiding with them until everyone is there) and board games and just hung out in other peoples rooms or outside…
On the third day the Ice slide was re-opened (it had been too mild for it) and the kids spent part of the afternoon on it and then we headed back after supper in the dark for a few night slides when the park was closed and we were the only ones there…
I feels so refreshing to be with people that share the same lifestyle, the same philosophy of learning, the same attitudes towards children.
I took the camera out when we went to the Ice slide just before heading home…
I even made a video 🙂
If you are in Montreal, Oka National Park is a great place not too far away to head for the day for a walk or sliding…
Can’t wait for the next unschooling gathering!!
It's a new year… 1-1-11
2011 already…
Here are a few things that have been happening around here…
I finally got my Xmas pics up, It was so hard to get good pics with the little daytime light that we have this time of the year especially because we don’t have great indoor lighting either…
(Xmas morning)
My uncle is feeling better and I was even able to wish him happy new year over the phone last night… It is amazing how fast the body can recover after having been so close to death. He should even be getting out in the next week… I just hope that this is a bit of a wake up call to take better care of himself…
I just found out that I became an aunt on Xmas day… I find it sad that I might never meet my nephew and that my kids may never meet their cousin… I never thought that my brother would ever settle down…
Tomorrow we are leaving for a 4 day unschooling gathering at the same place we went in the summer… It will be a smaller group which will be great. I am looking forward to hanging out with other unschoolers, talking over tea, playing outside (hopefully temps will return to normal) and just relaxing unplugged for a few days.
I hope to take lots of pics but I might not… I have been making a conscious effort to live the moment instead of trying to capture it…
Have a great New year!