Burnt hand sos

Had a little mishap yesterday with my magic elixir!

After simmering my chicken broth, with a whole chicken, (as I planned to use the meat in sandwiches) I went to sieve the broth, as you do.

Only, the chicken seemed to want revenge for boiling him whole, and decided to jump from pan to sieve, making a huge splash as he went!!

I managed to stop it burning my front, as it splashed all down me, but my poor hand took the brunt!!!

I Slathered it in butter, as it was all that was filtering through my mind in the way of natural treatments, but it was still very painful. 

Once that had melted, I tried coconut oil. This was good. It took the sting right out, and it smelled lovely, (so that made me smile. A little. It really hurt!)

It was this point where I praised God for home schooled children, because Haribo was on hand to help me change into my pjs out of my soaked skirt. I told him this is the circle of life. I dressed you for years, now it's time to help your mama when she can't do it herself!!

I still love my stock, but I have a feeling a full hazmat suit may be required next time!!!

If at First You don't Succeed...

So You know I tried to go no 'poo for a while last year?

Yeah, the time I failed miserably? 

Well, after seeing Red from Red and Honey issuing a 1  month no 'poo challenge, I was inspired to try again!! 

It has been irritating me (and my scalp) to be using shampoo again, and, although I love the smell of some commercial shampoos, I hate the thought of what I am doing to my body. I am convinced that if I can make a few transitions in my personal care routine, I will see a huge change in my hormonal reactions! 

Some of these changes include going back to my homemade natural deodorant, changing to cloth mama pads, and.... yep, you guessed it, trying no 'poo again.

The last time I tried it, it took me about 4 weeks to realize that my hard water was not helping the issue. In fact, it was making everything very much worse!! the gunk was driving me up the wall, to the point where I HAD to wash it with shampoo. 

This time, though, I am prepared, and have done a ton of research on the interweb, and I have some more trouble shooting ideas to help me persist this time! (I hope!)

So today is day one. I have boiled up my water, washed with Baking Soda and rinsed with Vinegar, had the slick feeling (this is apparently vital) and even done a little oil treatment, and I feel very clean! (my hair was a grease bucket after 4 days no washing!)

We shall see how we go....

Falling back on the wagon?

I have a confession to make. 

This weekend has not looked very much like the Real Food meal plan.

We had 2 events that we attended and food was provided. Needless to say, there wasn't a real piece of food in sight. That, plus 2 very late nights and not NEARLY enough water has left the whole family feeling very sluggish. 

I have to also admit, that I don't think I really realized the impact of Real Food. I know that we have been eating differently for about 18 months now, but it wasn't really real food until about 6 months ago. We started taking our health a lot more seriously, and that lead to making the final move to real eating.

Our cupboards and fridge have never looked so wholesome!

However, because the only times we really deviate are Saturday Sweets ( a huge thing in our house) and Sunday lunch at church, our bodies are used to a good amount of healthy fuel.

So this weekend, running on rubbish fuel and no sleep, when the behavior of my babies is worse than it's been for months, and tempers are fraying, when little bud is constantly complaining of tummy ache, it has come as a huge eye opener, as to the cause.

WHAT I HAVE DISCOVERED:

• White flour pastry, Margarine and White bread are not good fuel. ( I know this, but the weekend got away from me....)
• Eating before we go may be a lifesaver
• Coca Cola is not a nice substance: 
• Water is
• Sleep is good

I think, should a weekend like this come up again, a little trip down memory lane to THIS weekend might help me to plan a whole lot better!!

Back on the wagon from today, whether we fall, or climb, kicking and screaming!

Weekend Links

It's mainly been about recipe gathering this week, I must admit, so I apologize in advance...

Honey sweetened Hot Chocolate - from Red and Honey, definitely giving this a try, maybe even tonight!

This Surprise Ingredient Chocolate cake looks great, from Melissa K. Norris. Mmmmm

7 Reasons Your Real Food deserves Real Containers was really food for thought (pardon the pun) and will have to look into this.

As we seem ready to take the next step in decreasing the store bought, chemical heavy laundry sundries and dish soap, This recipe from The Prairie Homestead will be tried soon!!

And This very sweet, very timely post is a must read for mums feeling insignificant.

Enjoy!!

Weekly (Friday) Recipe: My spicy Tomato Stir fry Sauce

When I started down this real food journey, there were a few things that I really couldn't get my head around making from scratch. Ketchup was one, and stir fry sauce was another. 

I couldn't see how I could compete with the sticky, sugary, sour, florescent sauces that came in a jar in the supermarket, so I just avoided making stir fry.

The problem is, we LOVE stir fry. So I put it in one of my meal plans, and thought, "I'll wing it..."

And here is the result. Easy peasy, but super tasty.

Ingredients
1 can of Tinned Tomatoes
1 fresh tomato, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp mild chilli powder
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
splash of Worcestershire sauce

Method
Place all the ingredients in a blender and mix until smooth
Strain through a sieve, and add to meat and vegetables. 
Cook all together for 5 mins.
Serve.

So yummy, and goes well with any meat.

Enjoy!

Heart in my Olympic sized mouth!!

In our home, we love to watch sports.

I have to confess, I was never very sporty, I was a theater girl. My hubby, however, played all sorts of sports growing up, and it was only a severe knee injury that stopped him play football professionally. 

My hubby's love of sports has meant that I have had to learn or cry, basically. So I have learnt. I have learnt the rules of snooker, and darts, (which I have grown to love) and of rugby league (I knew Union from my dad growing up).

I have ALWAYS love the Olympics though. Summer or winter, the athletes intrigue and mesmerize me. The things that the human body is capable of are just such a testament to God's amazing design.

I also know it's something that I could never do. 

I sit writing this watching the women's Figure skating final, and right now, my heart is in my mouth!! One slip, or badly timed jump could ruin everything!! To work that hard for so long on something, all the hours of training, all the pain, the early starts lead to this for these women, (girls, most of them actually,) and if they fall, as many do, it's over. 

You need to be a special kind of person to be an athlete. 

I have great admiration for them, and I love to watch them, knowing that God puts different gifts and talents in us all. 

They may pale at the thought of homeschooling 4 children!! (which is why I don't think about it!!)

It's lovely to know that God smiles on us all when we are fulfilling what He gives us to do....

To GAPS or not to GAPS...

Ever since starting on our real food journey, about a year ago, I have frequently come across bloggers and articles extolling the virtues of the GAPS diet. (Gut And Psychology Syndrome) 

The creator, Dr Natasha Campbell-McBride, developed this diet to treat her autistic son, and has treated many thousands of patients with digestive issues. 

If you have never heard of it, the basic premise is that as 85% of our immune system is in our gut, an awful lot of the diseases and problems we have in our modern society can be directly relate to our diet. She believes that by resetting the body's natural defenses, with fresh natural food, lots of good animal fats, and pro-biotics, along with mineral rich homemade bone broths, and homemade ferments, then a great deal of these issues will resolve themselves.

Now, I don't have any digestive issues at present that would warrant NEEDING to go on the GAPS diet, I want to be as healthy as I can be, and, as I have started to notice a difference when I eat any form of processed food, (including a yummy bar of chocolate last weekend, that REALLY disagreed with me :( ) then I just get the feeling that it would benefit me to do it.

Boo has been listening to me talking to DH, who wont even entertain a grain/ starch free diet, and has shown an interest in doing it with me, so we may begin in the near future. (I need to get the book first, that always helps!!) 

Our dilemma though, is do we do the introduction diet, which is very restrictive, of just go onto the main GAPS diet?

As we have no real digestive issues, I look at the intro diet, and think we may not need it, but on the other hand, if you are going to do something like this, you might as well do it all. The intro diet, from what I understand, can be advanced at a pace to suit the individual, too, so if we went through the intro, it might be over in a few weeks. 

But it seems like we have no issues with a lot of the foods that are prohibited on the diet, like my beloved raw milk!!

I know we will have to prepare beforehand, that much advise I have seen, on things like bone broth, pro-biotics, and veggies, eggs and meat.

I have to admit, I am a bit nervous about my staying power, but with Boo by my side, and the fact that the feeling that I need to do it wont leave me, I think we can make it through.

So... Intro, or notro???

The Magic Elixir....

I have a freezer full of my magic elixir again, and I am very happy!!

No, it is not some new-fangled potion, in fact it's very old (the recipe, I mean, not my stash)

Your Granny would most definitely have made it, and I strongly believe it is a practice we should bring back: I'm talking, of course, about the health giving Homemade Chicken Stock.

There are so many health benefits to consuming a good stock, and any homemade sauce is transported to new heights with it's use. The fact that it's so EASY to make too, just seals the deal.

Lets take a look at why it's so valuable. 

1. Helps heal and seal your gut, and promotes healthy digestion: The gelatin found in bone broth is a hydrophilic colloid. It attracts and holds liquids, including digestive juices, thereby supporting proper digestion.
2. Reduces joint pain and inflammation, courtesy of chondroitin sulphates, glucosamine, and other compounds extracted from the boiled down cartilage
3. Promotes strong, healthy bones: As mentioned above, bone broth contains high amounts of calcium, magnesium, and other nutrients that play an important role in healthy bone formation
4. Promotes healthy hair and nail growth, thanks to the gelatin in the broth(from Mercola.com)
5. It's a frugal way of getting the most out of your joint, and therefore saving you money
6. And like I said, soups, stews and sauces taste AMAZING with some broth added.

Easy Chicken Stock Recipe

You can use a whole chicken and peel of the meat once cooked, or use the carcass after you have removed the cooked meat.

Place the carcass/whole chicken in a large stockpot with 1 tbsp of apple cider vinegar vinegar (this help the calcium draw fully from the bones) and fill with water. Let sit on the stove top for an hour, then turn on heat and bring to the boil. Skim the scum (I love that phrase!) off the top and turn heat down to a simmer. Add 2-3 carrots, 1 medium onion, cut in half, but with skin on, and 1 large stick of celery, a pinch of salt and pepper, and let simmer gently for 6-12 hrs. 

Strain into a bowl and place slightly cooled stock into the fridge. When cooled the fat will solidify on the top. Remove this and store in clean jars in the fridge for 1-2 weeks, or do as I do, and freeze in small portions. I store mine in ice cream tubs, and defrost in a bowl of hot water before use.

SO tasty, and SO healthy. Win, win, I think!!!!

The True Way to Go

Today I attended my first Christian funeral.

I am blessed in my life to not have lost many people close to me and have only attended probably 3 funerals in my life. All of these, though, were before I became a Christian, and were very sad, down affairs, completely devoid of hope. 

A dear friend of mine lost her husband a couple of weeks ago, after a long battle with a myriad of health problems. He was in constant, excruciating pain, and had to have round the clock care, in the end. BUT.... He loved Jesus, and his faith was evident all the way through. He was a calm patient man, and never asked why him, never doubted God's love for him. He and his wife have been such a witness of what faith in God looks like.

His funeral was today, and I have never seen our tiny church so full, of friends, family, church members, doctors, so many people who loved him, and were touched by his life. 

It was sad, especially for his close family, most of whom don't know Jesus. 

However....

I have never been to such a joyous funeral in my life!! His life was celebrated, his faith was celebrated, but most of all, his God was celebrated. A few tears were shed, but mostly there were smiles, stories and songs of Jesus.

I want my funeral to be just like it. 

Help me finish strong Lord.

RIP Mike. Enjoy your mansion, and see you again soon. x 

Weekend Links

Hmmmm. This has been a busy week and I haven't browsed as much as I would like, but I still learnt a few things.

Planting a butterfly garden on iVillage has some nice ideas, as we start to think about spring!!!!!!

5 medicinal ways to use honey from Village Green Network is fascinating, just trying raw honey for the first time this month!

8 All Natural Kitchen Cleaners from Little house on the Valley has some nice pointers. We have been using white vinegar and Baking Soda for a while now, but I love the fruit and veg wash.

These Elderberry Syrup Gummies look delicious, definitely need to try some of these!!

Hope you enjoy!

Weekly Recipe: soaked Baked Oatmeal

I feel I need to change the name of our weekly recipe, because I am posting it usually on a Saturday!!

This week, we are looking at our family favorite, (at least, the boys and mine's) : Soaked Baked Oatmeal.

This is beautifully tasty and a hearty start to a dreary winter's day.

Ingredients
the evening before combine...
3 cups organic rolled oats (not instant)
1/2 cup melted butter or coconut oil
1/3 cup honey ( preferably raw)
1 cup diluted live yogurt/ buttermilk/1 tsp lemon juice, topped up with water

Cover and leave in a warm place in your kitchen to soak.

The next morning, add
2 eggs
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
optional; chopped, peeled apples/ raisins /banana chips/ frozen berries

Mix in these ingredients and any optional extra you wish to add, smooth down the top a little, and bake in a medium oven, for around 45 mins, until set in the middle.

Serve with some fresh raw milk, or cream. Mmmmmmmm 

we eat this at LEAST once a week in our house, but my boys like it plain or with raisins. (every now and then I will throw in some berries for mama and tell them to pick them out if they don't want them....)

Weekly obsession

I have been running on empty on the music front for a long while now, but a few months ago, I felt led to start up a new worship group at our church.

At first, I didn't want to, because I have had no love of singing for the last 6 months at least. As a singer for my whole life, and a worship leader in church, this is obviously a problem. It was borne out of others' expectations of me, I think, and a bit of burnout ("No" needs to be said in church, just like any other walk of life)

About the same time, I found the most amazing band, who sing without instruments, (a Capella) and they are called Pentatonix. They are 5 american singers, Scott, Mitch, Kirstie, (vocals) Avi (Bass) and Kevin(beatboxer extraordinaire). 

With a background in musical theater, harmonies and intricate vocal arrangements have always caught my attention, and fire me like nothing else, so the songs these guys do, their arrangements and the things they can do with their voices has inspired me, and brought back a love of singing that I thought was lost. 

At the moment, their rendition of "Payphone" by Maroon 5 is on repeat in my head, and has become my weekly obsession!! I am thankful for their music, as I am thinking more creatively. I'm also using my voice more, instead of sitting on it, so no-one uses it for their own gain! (yes, that happens in church too!!)

I just have to thank God that He knows just what to use to inspire in us all exactly what He requires, and that His gifts don't depend on our gratefulness!

Check them out on Youtube. 

Homemaker's Binder

I was updating my homemaker's binder last week, after seeing some inspiration on another blogger's site, and I though I would share with you what I have been up to. 

I was never the sort of woman who would have needed a binder, I just wasn't that organized, and my family scoffed at me when I first made it up. We all use it now,however, and especially for me, it has become a source of great joy and comfort. 

"What is she talking about?" you may be asking.

This is what I am talking about: my Homemakers Binder :)

Not the flashiest thing in the world, but full of a wealth of information about our family. 

I just grabbed the nearest binder I had, and put it together with stuff I had, or downloaded, but I updated it this week to include a few extras.






I start with my Chore chart. I love this from The Confident Mom, i just need some pointers, so I go for the full version, although she also does a blank version, for the Super efficient among us!! (NOT ME) 

This is printed and stored in my binder, and week by week it comes out and is stuck to the fridge. What I like about this is there are clear jobs to do each day, and the kids can come independently and choose a job to do, tick it off, and we are done!









Next, is my new addition of a birthdays page. I am SOOOO bad at remembering birthdays, I have them on my phone, on my main calendar, but I felt I needed a central place where I could see all the birthdays in the month in one place, so I printed this great template from Fun With Mama
and the main birthdays and anniversaries are on here.
(It's also cute, and I love it!)







I have also included a Holiday Gift Tracker, from iheart organizing, which I used for the first time this year, and it worked great! 
All of our Christmas gifts were in one place, and I could keep track on just how much I was spending.(would be great for those with large extended families to buy for.)




Next comes my spare meal planner sheets, which I got from The Project girl. I really find that now we have started to use this, we can't function without it now!
lovely lay out too, with room for notes on soaking and prep, and again, goes on the fridge for all to see, so when I get the usual cry from 4 children, "what's for tea mum?" I can tell them to go and look on the fridge and it will tell them. 
Happy mummy!!







I also added a utilities main page, with account numbers, emergency phone numbers and renewal dates. This has been added, because I have found that, as we do most of our account management online, if the internet goes down, as it has recently, I have no idea what the phone numbers are, nor my account numbers, so one main page is a huge benefit, and DH has already used it!! This is the one we use.

I then have all of my recipes organized into breakfasts, lunches, dinners, soup, dessert, etc. 

So that is what's in mine, but you can make it personal to you, with an Emergency Telephone List, a To Do List, a Monthly cleaning list, a Gardening template or anything else that you feel fits your family.

I love my binder, and all the family know where the main things are. In the binder, in the kitchen, next to the coffee pot!



                  

Friday Recipes (on Saturday, Sorry): Beef Chunks in Gravy

It's been a busy week, and we had friend over last night, so I opted for plain and simple.

I went with Beef in gravy, with Mashed potatoes and vegetables. 

It was a hit, so I thought I'd share my easy peasy recipe with you;

Ingredients

2 tbsp butter

1lb of stewing beef, in fairly small chunks

1 medium onion, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, crushed

2 tbsp red wine

1 pint chicken stock, hot

1/2 cup peas (I used frozen)

1 tsp salt,

1 tsp pepper,

2 tsp Arrowroot or cornstarch to thicken

Method

• Melt butter in a cast iron pan, and brown the meat for about 30-45 second each side. (working in small batches makes this easier)
• Add the onions and garlic to the same pan, so they fry in the juices. let fry for 2-3 mins, and then ad the red wine to loosen any residual meat juices stuck at the bottom of the pan.
• Add peas and chicken stock, stir to combine, add salt and pepper and simmer for 20-30 mins on a medium heat.
• When ready to serve, dilute thickener of choice with water in a separate cup, and add to pan, while still on the heat. Stir for 2-3 mins to allow to thicken, and then serve with potatoes and vegetables of your choice. 

Healthy, tasty food with not a hint of MSG or nasty chemicals in sight.

Simple, but worth it.

What happened there???? (And Weekend Links)

Wow, where did this week go??

I looked up and it is Saturday! I have had a productive week though, updating my Home makers binder, trying new food, and relaxing with friends.

So I will be posting my Friday recipe on Saturday today!! 

First though, my weekend links.

Homemade Popcorn  from GNOWFGLINS (it's a crazy great acronym) looks yummy, never seen red palm oil, s might have to give it a go!

These hand warmers are a nice idea, from Little House Living, although now we don't own a microwave, they would not be as easy to warm up.

Off-Grid Alternatives to Everyday Appliances from Mom With A Prep was a nice read, some good tips, especially the root cellar idea....(pick up all the tips you can from wherever you can...)

And since I am GOING to start it this year,

the beginner vegetable garden at the Modern Homesteader has been a great starter to read for my fledgling veg patch.

Enjoy!!

There's something growing in that there cage....

We have a visitor.

It is a very unwelcome visitor.

Our beautiful Bearded Dragon, Vadar, had a growth. 

We think that it is Yellow fungus, and on researching this nasty visitor, (google, anyone?) our outlook for the little guy was not too good.

However.....

We searched some more, and found an alternative, and after speaking to our vet, she said it was worth a try! 

The good thing is, that Vadar seems healthy and happy at the moment, so no sickness or lethargy and he is eating VERY well!! 

It's a good job that he likes his baths, because he will be having plenty of them in the next few weeks!! 

It just made me think though. Haribo was heartbroken when we told him, (it's TECHNICALLY his pet) and what crossed my mind was my mum's mentality. My mother will not have a pet, because you get too attached and then it dies, and you get brokenhearted. And seeing his little face, and the concern he has for his animal, I could, for a split second, see what she means. No mama likes to see her child hurting.

However.....

As I look around at all the pets we have, and the animals we want long term, (our dream is a small holding, with chickens, a cow, some rabbits, etc), I would rather experience the temporary heartbreak and the years of joy, companionship and fun that pets bring, than never have one and avoid pain. 

So, animals get sick. So do children. So they cost money. So do children. And spouses. and life. So they need training and clearing up after. So do children. 

Are they the same? Of course not. But the reward of a loyal dog is worth the training time. 
The companionship of a cat is worth the time and effort. The beauty and humor of a tortoise is priceless (and it will probably live longer that you!!) And a boy taking care of his sick dragon warms this mama's heart on a cold winter day :-)

Weekend Links

Read and browsed some lovely articles on some great sites this week, I feel the need to share...

• Managing Stress in a simple Life from Little House Living - definitely tip#4!!

• How to render beef tallow from Jill at The Prairie Homestead; (In view of what I was talking about this week, learning new skills for our future is a must!)
• Debunking confusion about eggs, at The Paleo Mama. As we cannot keep chickens in our current house, this is helpful.
• 17 tips for going off the grid from Off Grid World; loved these tips.
• Before words: Using Baby Sign-language - loved this, as Little Bud came to us only speaking sign language.
• My House Is Dirty, But My Conscience is clean I LOVE THIS!!!!!

Some great posts and some great encouragements.

Hope you enjoy!!