Sunday, September 30, 2012

And We're Done...

In a few short hours it will be October and our month of changes will be over. I remember feeling at the end of August how much I needed this month. I was in a rut and stuck in some habits I didn't love. While this month was a lot different than I expected it definitely achieved the results I was looking for.

As J and I were talking the other night he declared himself to be five times happier than he was last month. A pretty bold claim but I think it actually might be true. Our marriage is better, we are healthier, we are not as focused on our selves and feel more connected to God.

In terms of not eating junk and sugar, I have definitely seen the benefits. Between us we have lost 11 pounds without even trying. I think I've realized how quickly snacking can add up, especially when you do it whenever you feel like it. I never quite mastered the art of having a bunch of healthy snacks on hand....something I'll keep working on.... but the cravings for sweet things disappeared and I don't really miss them. This week I will definitely enjoy a Coke and popcorn and probably some form of chocolate but going forward I plan to keep my sugar intake significantly reduced. I believe in moderation, I just think my perception of what was moderate was a little skewed.

I think not watching TV has been the hardest just because I enjoy it after a long, busy day. But this month was so busy getting our house ready to host and other life things that it would have been a lot more stressful trying to fit our favourite shows in. The benefits were evident though. J and I had so many good talks, almost nightly, that we often didn't make time for before. We made some pretty significant life decisions and communicated really well as we processed things. Going forward we're going to limit our TV nights to twice a week so we can keep on up on a few shows we really like and enjoy a weekend movie. It will still be a challenge as I know we'll WANT to watch more, but it will force us to be not as lazy and more relational which is always a good thing. I do miss connecting with people on Facebook and plan to go back on, but in a much more limited way. I'm sticking to a few minutes at nap time and then after dinner while Joel cleans up. I don't need up to the minute information on what you're having for dinner, but the reality is I get to stay in touch with many more people than I would and I find it a great place to bounce ideas off of other people.

Journalling didn't go at all as planned but in the end I'm okay with that. It wasn't about the journalling so much as reconnecting with God and I am definitely moving in the right direction. I do want to be more disciplined about gratitude (in my one thousand gifts journal) and recording significant thoughts. I'm a huge fan of going back and reading where I've come from and what I was processing at certain times of life. I think following Jesus is best done in community and I'm very thankful for several little communities that are forming, even just in this past month, where I can do life with others.

I wish it only took a month to make all the changes I want in my life. Although I guess if it was perfect it would also be a little boring. What I wanted was momentum that I had severely been lacking and moving forward, even if it's slowly, is a lot more rewarding than not moving at all. I hope your September was a good one too!


Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Toddler Activity: Cheerio Towers

* A classic example of how random my blog is, but I thought this was a good one to share with my toddler mom friends *



I can't even remember where I came across this idea to give credit... likely Pinterest, who's kidding who. I am always looking for simple, cheap and fun ways to keep my boys busy, especially as the colder months approach and we spend more time inside.



Simply stick some raw spaghetti in some play-dough, give them some Cheerios and they're off to the races. It didn't hold their attention for hours but they were pretty into it and they got a little bonus snack on the side. It's one we will be doing again.


Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Parmesan Zucchini Bites

The one time I made it to my city's Farmer's Market this summer I bought a zucchini. I don't particularly like them but am trying to expand my vegetable repertoire and they looked good. I found this recipe on Pinterest so thought I'd give it a try. The recipe I worked from can be found here.  You can find exact amounts, I just estimated.



What you need:
- A zucchini or two
- Panko bread crumbs (regular would work too, I think)
- Parmesan cheese 
- Kosher salt
- Pepper
- Olive oil



What you do:
- Cut zucchini into 1/4 inch circles and toss with olive oil.
- Combine bread crumbs, salt and pepper. I also added garlic powder to add to the flavour. You can experiment with spices.
- Put the breadcrumb mixture on a plate and dip the coat both sides of the zucchini with it. 
- Put zucchini on a foil-lined, sprayed cooking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for around 25 minutes, possibly longer if you want them crisper (check them at 20 to be safe). I would probably even broil them for a minute or two at the end.  They don't need to be flipped.



My verdict:
- I am still not a big fan of zucchini but if I was ever going to eat it, this is the way. Cheese and a golden crust with help me eat almost anything. For my zucchini loving friends I'm pretty sure you'll love this. It's a fun way to mix up a side dish or even a healthier appetizer. 

Sunday, September 23, 2012

A New Adventure

As of tomorrow our family will be on a new adventure. We are leading and hosting a group from our church each week. Because we're such a large church, it's hard to develop a sense of community on Sunday mornings so these groups provide people with a smaller family to connect with and grow spiritually. We've been part of an awesome group for several years, which has provided us with some great friends. But with growing numbers and feeling the need to be a little less comfortable we decided to start our own. Also selfishly, we didn't want to have to get babysitters so hosting was ideal. Our other group was in the city next to us so naturally most of the friends we made were from there. We always found ourselves driving west to spend time with people. And although we're still happy to make the drive we wanted to start building friendships in our own community. Our city is very diverse and we're excited to engage in it. As our sign-up sheet indicated today, there is definitely a need. We made a last-minute shopping trip tonight to increase our mug supply :)

So we're stepping out of our introverted comfort zones and opening our home to strangers who we're hoping will eventually be family.  The bathrooms are clean, the floors are mopped, the baking is done and the plan is in place. We're excited to see who walks in the door tomorrow night and the ways we'll be challenged to love and serve them, especially on nights when we won't really feel like it. Those often end up being the best ones. There is always that sense of anticipation before something new. I'm ready to jump in!

Thursday, September 20, 2012

Week Two

I haven't been blogging as much as planned but this has been a particularly busy month.  We are hosting (and leading!) a small group for our church that starts next week and have been working our way through the to-do list to get the house ready. Here's how my month of changes has been going in the midst of it all.

Food. This has been the easiest. Thankfully the headaches are gone and so are the cravings for the most part. Would I like some chocolate? Yes. But I can live without it pretty easily. We successfully avoided the dessert table at a family BBQ and when hosting a games night last weekend I ate apple sauce while everyone enjoyed snacks. Surprisingly easier than I thought. It makes me realize how much I eat junk, especially socially, simply because it's there. My goal when this is over is to just stick to things I really enjoy. As an unexpected bonus I've lost about three pounds, not that I'm expecting it all to stay off come October. And I still have some work to do in having healthy snacks around (thanks Robin for your ideas!).

TV and Internet. I really don't think about Facebook any more except connecting with a few friends. I do miss TV, especially when I'm folding laundry or have run out of energy at night but for the most part we've had too much to do to even think about it.

Journalling. Well, let's just say this hasn't been going as planned. I haven't quite mastered the discipline of just sitting, being quiet and writing. We've been having some pretty big discussions about major life things and definitely involving God in that which has been good. But I still seem to be lacking my awareness of him throughout my day. Once again, a work in progress!

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Hunger and a Twin Mom Success

Last night as I was lethargically lying around, I was complaining to Joel of hunger and the fact that we still have three weeks to go. I wasn't in my highest energetic state yesterday and by evening I had crashed, just wanting to eat some ice cream and watch my show. The headaches don't help either. The meals have been fine but it's snacking that has been my issue. I need to snack. As a teacher I eat every recess and don't know how people get through the day without it. My body likes to have food every few hours. But I'm a little tired of fruit and nuts. And who's kidding who, a bunch of vegetables just aren't going to cut it. I need something more substantial and all I could think about was muffins. But I didn't have any I liked already made and definitely wasn't up for baking. My favourite Quaker oatmeal muffin mix with chocolate chips isn't within the rules this month. So, if you have any great, healthy (and not wimpy!) snacking ideas, please let me know!

In other news I'm a bit excited over what may seem like a small win to some, but a big one for me. Three times in a row I have successfully brought my boys in and out of the gym without a stroller. This includes walking through a decent sized parking lot, through the main floor, up and elevator and into the childcare centre...and back. I tried the no-stroller approach a few months ago at the senior's home and it was an epic fail. I had two boys running in different directions, putting themselves in danger and having to choose which one to go after first. For the record I can't remember who that was, but likely the one who is a bit more of a monkey (those of you who know my boys can guess who that is). I put that idea on hold for several months and finally got up the courage again last week. After lots of talk about parking lots, holding hands and staying with mommy I think it might have clicked. Not to say it'll always go perfectly but I'm no longer nervous about it. And in my little world of mommyhood, that is a BIG deal! :)


Monday, September 10, 2012

The End of Week One

Well, here we are at the end of week one of my September month of changes. It's had its challenges but overall the week wasn't as bad as I thought. Here's how it's been going....

Food. I've stuck with not eating any extra sugar, salt or junk food. I've started eating this cereal most mornings, with some almonds and a banana instead of my usual peanut butter and jam sandwich (weird I know, but I generally don't like breakfast food unless it involves bacon). Lunches have mostly consisted of salad with home made dressing. Dinners have been less processed and healthy although we did splurge on weekend pizza. I often forget to snack in between so am trying to keep some nuts on the counter or grab some fruit. I have yet to cut up a bunch of vegetables I bought a week ago so I haven't been eating as much as I should. I can't say I've really missed the junk. A few days I've wanting to reach into the chocolate chip bag but easily resisted. The hardest part has been the headaches I've been getting pretty much daily. I'm sure it's due to my diet changes and hopefully they'll go away soon.

TV and Internet. I haven't watched any TV at home except sitting with my boys when they watch Super Why (the best kids show ever!). They're allowed to watch it while I make lunch or dinner so usually I'm busy but like to grab a free moment for cuddles when I can. I've also watched a few minutes while I've been working out at the gym, but neither of these count as cheating for me. I've logged onto Facebook a few times to respond to things but haven't lingered to read updates. Again, all within my boundaries. Although there is still lots to do on the Internet I am definitely spending less time on it. There have been several times in the evenings where we've just wanted to relax and watch TV. That has been the hardest part. The beginning of the week was rough as the evenings were full with chores, preparing for school etc. and didn't feel restful at all. We were tired and grumpy. By the time the weekend came we were able to enjoy some great conversations, an at-home steak date night, and win a game of Sequence or two....not that I'm competitive or anything ;) Tomorrow is the season premier of my favourite show so I'll have to distract myself with something exciting. Overall, this area has been the biggest challenge and success of the week and yielded the greatest pay-off. I already know I want to make permanent changes to our TV habits.

Journalling. It's been going okay. I enjoy writing and have managed to get pen to paper three evenings. I've also finally gotten back to my journal of one thousand gifts. (I started this a year ago and it comes and goes from my radar....getting close to 100 which is a pretty good indicator of how it's been neglected.) I'm a huge fan of gratitude. I am slowly reconnecting with God although still trying to figure out what works for us. I rebel a bit at the Christian idea of "quiet time" (okay, that whole phrase actually makes me cringe but more on that another time). I think time with God is all the time and want to be more aware of him in my everyday life. But I can pretty easily go through most of the day without acknowledging or thinking about him. Definitely a work in progress.

So, week one has done what it's supposed to do. It's gotten me off my butt and moving in the right direction. Change is never easy and good things are often hard. I'm okay with that. I'm probably still in the honeymoon phase and will get tired of it all, but am hopeful by the end I'll be feeling great.

Sunday, September 9, 2012

Healthy Basic Muffins


I'm a big fan of muffins. They're pretty easy to make, freezable and make great snacks for me and the boys. I'm always on the hunt for healthy versions. I found this one in an issue of Today's Parent magazine and it's gone over well here. I made them with blueberries the first time. Once my month of no sugar is over I'll be trying them with chocolate chips and probably with apples too! If you make them, let me know how you like them.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup each oat flour, whole wheat flour and all-purpose flour (I found oat flour at Bulk Barn)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp each baking soda, cinnamon and salt
1/4 cup each white and packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup canola oil
3/4 cup buttermilk (I just used regular milk)
1 cup berries, chopped fruit, nuts or chocolate chips

*You can mix the dry ingredients together ahead of time and store in a container to use later. I find this helpful as a mom!*

Directions:
1. In a bowl, whisk together dry ingredients.
2. In another bowl whisk together the eggs, oil and milk.
3. Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients.
4. Stir in your fruit, nuts or chocolate chips.
5. Divide among 12 muffin cups.
6. Bake at 350F for 22 minutes or until muffins are golden around the edges.
7. Allow them to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then cool on a rack.






Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Welcome...back!

I started this blog back in 2007 as a place to reflect on life after our return from spending a year in Africa. It’s evolved over the years as my life has changed. I don’t claim to be a great writer but I enjoy it so if someone else wants to read it I’m happy to share my thoughts. There’s no central theme and nothing fancy, just my random thoughts on anything, including the kitchen sink (stay tuned for a deep post coming on that one ;). You’ll find recipes, things I’ve discovered, posts about my quest to live simply, faith, parenthood and whatever is on my mind. Read what interests you, skip what doesn’t. I’m hoping to post more often, even if it’s just a short, seemingly insignificant thought. If you’ve been with me for awhile, thanks for sticking around. If you’re new, welcome for the ride. As always I love to hear your thoughts and comments. Feel free to let me know if you’ve stopped by.

(Oh, and I know great blog posts are usually accompanied by great photos but I won’t have any new ones for awhile. Just what I have saved. My boys have broken my second camera in a few months and I’m trying to figure out if I can repair it or need to buy yet another. I know...I need a new spot to keep my camera!)

Some Changes for September

For a while now I feel like I’ve needed to press the reset button on my life and I’ve decided that September is the month to do it. Being a student most of my life and then a teacher, September has always felt like the beginning of a new year, much more than January. There are many things I’m looking forward to in this new season of life, but some changes I want to make. They aren’t profound but I think they have the potential to change my life. I am not good at just subtly introducing changes into my life. It’s almost like I need to shock my system before I can make real lifestyle changes. So September will be a month of fasting from things that aren’t helping me be the person I want to be. There are three main areas I want to focus on.

The first is what I eat. If someone asked me if I was a healthy eater, I would say yes. But if I stopped to take a look at what I ate every day the answer might be different. My goal for September in the area of food is not to eat any refined sugar, salt and very limited process food. I want to eat clean, whole foods and significantly bump up my fruit and vegetable intake. Lots of whole grains, nuts, seeds and homemade food.The main place this will change is in my snacking habits which are my downfall. I love my Friday nights with Joel eating air-popped popcorn with melted butter and a Coke. Delicious. But not this month. I’m going to be very conscious about what I eat which will require more time.

Conveniently my second goal with help with that. How I use my free time. I’m a mom of twin toddlers so free-time isn’t in abundance but I do have some. They nap daily and go to bed at a decent time, leaving several hours in the day for me to make choices about what I’ll do. There are things to be done, meals to prepare, chores to do. But I have felt lazy for awhile. I waste time on the internet or watching TV and I feel like at the end of my life I might have regrets about that. So as of today, I will be staying off Facebook and not watching any TV for the rest of the month. I’ll get email notifications from Facebook so if I really need to communicate with someone, I’ll log on quickly but no lingering. It’s not about losing touch with people. I can blog, check email and go on Pinterest (primarily a great way for me to find healthy recipes...I’m actually good at not wasting time on there). These limitations will force me to do better things with my time. Read, prepare food, journal, think, pray, spend time talking to my husband. I’m hoping it will be the catalyst to make some great changes on the inside.

Which leads me to my third goal. I want to reconnect with God. My views and expectations have evolved a lot over the years and I’m a work in progress. I have lots of questions and uncertainties but I do know I want to follow Jesus. For me a big point of connecting is prayer and I’ve found journaling has really helped in the past. So each day I want to spend some time journalling. From there we’ll see what happens but that’s a good start for me.

I’ll be blogging about my journey over the next few weeks. I’m expecting this first one to be the hardest as I detox from some unhealthy things in my life. But I’m hoping this month will be the catalyst I need to make some permanent changes. We’ll see what happens!

New Web Address

Turns out the web address I gave out in the previous post isn't going to work. So you can update your readers to www.thekitchensink8.blogspot.com  Hopefully this one works!

Monday, September 3, 2012

A New Name

This just in! I’ve decided to change the name of my blog. Maybe not front-page news but I’ve been wanting to for, well, years! I’ve never really liked it. I knew I wanted to start a blog and that was the best I could come up with at the time. I always felt that it was a little cheesey and didn’t love having my name attached to it. So my new blog will be called "The Kitchen Sink" and as of tomorrow the new web address will be www.the.kitchen.sink.blogspot.com So if you’re a faithful follower you can update your Google Reader, or whatever you use and continue along for the ride (the website won't be active until later tomorrow but I don't imagine most of you will read this before then anyway). I’ll officially introduce it tomorrow! :)