{Peanut Butter & Cocoa Granola Topping}

 

 

Rich has been traveling a lot for work, which I'm very used to, but it also means dealing with sick kids (Henry has the stomach flu today) by myself, along with a million other things. I've been eating a very healthy, nutrient rich diet and let me tell you what a HUGE difference it makes in my energy levels!

 

Some days I go with only 5 hours of sleep.  Bad I know, but when you have so much to get ready for work/daycare/teenager stuff at night time, and you have to get up at 5 a.m daily to get things going for the day, it's inevitable. Those hours of sleep I do get, though, are pretty quality. I crash!

 

So, lack of sleep, along with cabin fever from winter would normally pull me so deep down into the dumps I feel like bawling. But that has changed as my diet was cleaned up and I rid it of processed sugars and chemicals.  It has made a major difference.

 

I wrote this recipe because I was getting a little tired of plain greek yogurt and needed a yummy topping. This granola is right up my alley with the peanut butter and chocolate and almonds, and it contains no processed junk. I have to watch how much I put on because it's still high in calories, but I just love the texture and taste!

 

{Peanut Butter and Cocoa Granola}

dry:

2 c. quick cooking oats

1/2 c. raw almonds, chopped fine

2 t. cinnamon

2 T. baking cocoa

(mix all of these ingredients together in a medium bowl; set aside)

 

wet:

5 T. all natural peanut butter (crunchy or creamy)

3 T. pure honey

1 t. pure vanilla extract

(whisk these together, then microwave for about 45 seconds until the mixture is foamy/bubbly and melted)

 

1. Add the 2 mixtures together until well combined. This may take a bit. It's easiest to use your hands and really make sure the dry mixture gets coated well.

 

2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a sheet with parchment and pour the mixture evenly on the sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the granola is somewhat crunchy and crisp. Don't overbake. Stir half-way through baking.

 

Store in an airtight container.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vegan Oatmeal & Bean Burgers

 

 

 

Where in the world have I been you say? Well, I've been in the depths of frozen tundra winter hell. It's that time of year that always pulls me down, down, down. However, this year hasn't been as bad as others simply because I've been way too busy for that nonsense.

 

I've been eating almost exclusively vegetarian lately. I do have some chicken here and there and I love me some fish, but red meat is out.

I made these "burgers" that are completely meat-free, and was eating one in the lunchroom at work. Several coworkers gave it a try (all meat-eaters) and said it was good and tasted like a real burger. The ultimate test I say!

I love these and have been eating a lot of them lately. They make a huge batch, so plan on freezing them if you aren't going to eat them up right away.




Vegan Oatmeal and Bean Burgers
4 c. water (add 1/2-3/4 c.lite soy sauce to water)
1/2 c. lite soy sauce
4 c. quick-cooking oats
2 T. flax meal
1 c. bulghar, cooked
3/4 c. cooked black beans
1 c. chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans, almonds, etc.)
1/4 c. minced onion
1 T. minced garlic
1 t. italian seasoning
1 t. garlic salt
dash of salt and pepper

Method
1. Bring water and soy to a boil in a large saucepan. Stir in the oats until blended. Add all of the rest of the ingrediens and stir well.

2. Line a baking sheet with parchment or foil. Use a round cookie cutter and place it on the sheet. Fill with the batter and level the top with a spoon. Carefully lift the cutter to leave a formed "burger" on the baking sheet. Repeat this until batter is used up. Bake in a 375 degree oven for about 25 minutes, or until the burgers are darkened and firm in the middle. Flip over half-way through baking. These can also be fried in a sprayed pan.

 

The Flu: Fight Back! (Enter for a Great Giveaway!)

 

 

 

The stomach flu already hit our home, and it was not a fun one. While I was sick with it, Rich was obsessively trying to keep the surfaces of the house clean so they wouldn’t all get it too. While I was laying there in agony, I kept thinking about the big flu, the respiratory flu that can make the stomach flu look like nothing. 

 

I realized that because I work in an elementary school, Sam goes to a high school, and Henry goes to a very busy daycare, I need to take more action to keeping germs away from our home. Henry has problems with he gets a respiratory illness because he had RSV as a baby. He gets hit harder than the average person. With this year’s massive flu outbreak, it’s more important than ever to have our family prepared to fight the flu, both at work and school AND at home.

 

We have had our flu shots, but here are some other things we can do to up our chances of holding off the nasty, evil flu germs that seem to be everywhere:

 

--Wash your hand frequently, and with warm water for at least 20 seconds (that’s longer than most people usually do!)

 

--Disinfect germ hotspots spots you and your family touch frequently like the remote control, door handles, light switches, faucets, phones, keyboards, and toys. Clorox® Disinfecting Wipes work wonderfully for this, and they KILL the flu virus germs.

 

--Do the elbow cough (sneeze, cough into your elbow instead of your hands) and teach your kids this also. I’m constantly showing kids at school this technique. If they cough into their hands and don’t wash, it’s a field day for those germs to spread.

 

--Finally, follow good health habits such as eating right, exercising, and get plenty of sleep to boost your body’s ability to fight off flu and colds.

-I washed down all of our bathroom surfaces with this:

 

To learn more about the importance of disinfecting and tips to keep your family healthy visit Clorox.com

It is just the perfect time to have the opportunity to use more of Clorox's disinfecting products just at the right time! Our family gets double whammied from all sides with these nasty germs and bacteria, and I do feel so much better with a wipe and a spray of these products that kills them. I'm working with the entire family to start wiping down surfaces after they use them to cut down on the spread of germs.

I'm also taking a container of Clorox Disinfecting Wipes to work with me to wipe down anything and everything!
*Use as directed

 

"Visit Clorox.com to learn more about the importance of disinfecting and other tips for keeping you and your family happy and healthy."

 "Which are your favorite Clorox cleaning products that help keep you and your family healthy?"

Answer the above question in the comments here to be entered for a chance to win a $1,000 Visa gift card!
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Kitchen Recipe Board

While I love Pinterest (and here are my boards if you'd like to follow me), I get mildly annoyed every time I need a recipe and have to log in and find it on my boards. I also tend to just forget about most of the recipes I've pinned.

I really like just having an old fashioned, written recipe in front of me.

I made this real-life board of pins and pins of recipes I want to make, have made and like, or am inspired by.    I "pin" from magazines and old recipe cards from relatives, and especially love the hand-written cards.  I pin pictures that inspire me or make me smile in the kitchen, keep a magnet container with current coupons, and even my little store list. It's all in one place and right in the heart of my kitchen so I don't forget about those much-anticipated recipes.

I just love it and it's so easy and cheap.

The magnet board is from Ikea: Magnet Board for $12.99
Magnetic Spice Containers $4.99/3 pack

{A Simple, Well-Loved Playroom}

 

When we bought this house, it had 4 nice sized bedrooms. The 4th bedroom was at the end of the hallway and away from the rest. It always seemed out of place to us. So years ago, we removed the doorway, added some french doors, and made it into a media/family room of sorts.  Then Henry came along, and along with a little boy, come more toys than I had ever planned on buying again!

 

We still use this space as a computer area for Sam (we took out the closet and put in a desk), but the rest of the room is now Henry's playroom. It's pretty much perfect for that because it has ugly wood wainscotting all around the room. I had thought about changing that, but then realized it was perfect for a little guy and his friends to bang against and not have to worry about it.

 

So I kept everything simple and love the space it turned into. I didn't add any fancy artwork, though that was my original intention. Instead, Henry's art hangs on the walls. I moved our kitchen chalkboard in there for a little personality as well. The furniture is all inexpensive or self-made.

 

But who cares if I like it. The most important thing is that Henry loves it :)

 

This corner of the room became the kitchen/market area. He loves making food in his microwave and serving it to us. The table and chair set is so light that he moves it all around the room to play. Just what I wanted.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This corner of the room houses his Reading Tent that we made awhile back. It's still a favorite for him and I'm so glad we have it. I like to throw his stuffed animals in there too, as I'm not a fan of them laying all around the house.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The curtains are sheer but still cute and fun, adding a little personality to the room.

 

 

 

 

 

 

One thing I've learned about kids is that if they have too many toys and choices, they really get overwhelmed and don't play with anything long enough to even appreciate it. I rotate Henry's toys a lot, and half of them are stashed away in the basement. I have an entire closet devoted to all of the building sets and craft supplies so those don't get thrown all over the house. He knows that he can only take from that closet if he asks first. More is not better, really!

 

Here's the list of items in this room and where to get them (and I can guarantee you it's all inexpensive!):

 

                   Chalkboard

 

                   Kitchen

 

                   Table

 

                   Train

 

                   curtains

 

The shelves are very inexpensive shelving from a discount store years ago. I had them in my old pantry and they worked nice in the playroom because they are so neutral, and again old and ugly so they can be beat up and drilled on with playdrills and beat on with play hammers!