the things you own end up owning you

Treats for People and Puppies

I've become a bit obsessed with this website called All Recipes. It's helped to get me through the winter, supplying me with a seemingly endless list of baked goods to try, from breads to cobblers. Lately, since I've been dreaming of warmer weather, I've had smoothies on the brain. I turned to my favorite recipe site for inspiration for some smoothie DIY and came across a recipe packed with fiber and protein combining tow of my favorite things, berries and oatmeal.
Sound a little gross? I'm very weird about the texture of my food, so I was frightened too for a minute, but you really shouldn't be. It turns out just about a smooth as a regular smoothie would be but really fills you up. Check out the recipe from All Recipes:

Strawberry Oatmeal Breakfast Smoothie

Rated:	Prep Time: 5 Minutes	Ready In: 5 Minutes
Submitted By: ASTROPHE		Servings: 2

"This is a fast and filling vegan smoothie with a deep pink color and a rich, creamy texture. "

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup soy milk 1/2 cup rolled oats 1 banana, broken into chunks

14 frozen strawberries 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 1/2 teaspoons white sugar

DIRECTIONS:

1.	In a blender, combine soy milk, oats, banana and strawberries. Add vanilla and sugar if desired. Blend until smooth. Pour into glasses and serve.

If you try a new tasty treat, don't forget your best friend! I recently found this great local business that makes yummy healthy treats for the four-legged and furry set, like my dog River. It's called One Lucky Dog Bakery and is located in the historic Medina square in the beautiful Arcade Victoria. The owner, Stacey, is very nice and really cares about making healthy treats for pets. Her chief taste tester and blog writer is her Scottish Deerhound Finn.

Isn't Finn cute? To take a look at my article about Stacey's shop, click the link along the right to my Examiner feed. After you're done reading it, stop by and visit her shop for some super smelling treats your pet will love!

Enjoy!

seeing the world in white

I Believe There's a Storm A-Brewin'

Mid-day during the day today, while I was happily chatting with my mom in her living room, the sky just opened up. Great big fluffy white tufts of winter started hurling themselves from the sky toward the ground. Then, just as quickly as they started, they had formed little armies, quickly taking the driveway, surrounding my car and blanketing the street. We were being infiltrated by one of Northeast Ohio's most insidious foes, snowflakes.

The thing about snow that makes it so sinister is its stealth. I'm pretty sure this is the only weather event around these parts that shows up so quickly and without warning (except, of course, for tornadoes). Maybe it's just more difficult to see since the skies are generally a drab gray color every day this time of year, making distinguishing the color of an impending snowfall that much more difficult. Most ninja-like of all though, is lake effect snow, which only a few locations in the world even have to experience. One minute it can be just chilly and drab and the next~ well, sometimes it's so dense it's hard to see the fingers on your own hands.

Tonight is supposed to be a mixed bag for our area, with accumulations ranging from an inch to 9 inches by the time it's all said and done. Such variety and range! Those crazy, talented snowflakes just can't seem to decide which neighborhoods they like the best this year.

While they are welcome to visit, I hope they don't stay long. I'm ready for this winter white to be replaced with the lush greens of springtime. Here's to hoping the invading troops are just as soon pushed out by the return of our ally, the sun.

Until then, stock up on blankets and books, start some stew and bake some bread, just in case you get snowed in, to warm you inside and out.

"Super Yummy Produce Muffins" ~or~ "What to Do with Leftover Cranberries"

I made these scrumptious muffins tonight. They are my favorite kind, the kind that is spawned from whatever is left in the house that needs used up before it spoils. (In this case, it was a bag of fresh cranberries.) They were surprisingly delicious for being so good for you.
My husband is diabetic, so I used honey and Splenda. I suppose you could use white or brown sugar, but they might turn out a little dry. If you do use sugar, try using unsweetened applesauce in place of the oil for more moisture.
Here is the recipe should you want to try it for yourself:

Super Yummy Produce Muffins

Ingredients

• 2 cups shredded peeled apples (I used one each of Granny Smith, Gala, and Honeycrisp)
• 3/4 cup honey
• 3/4 cup Splenda
• 1 cup fresh cranberries
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1 cup chopped nuts (I used pecans.)
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. In a bowl, combine apples, honey and Splenda; let stand for 10 minutes. Add cranberries, carrots, nuts, eggs and oil; mix well. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt; stir into apple mixture just until moistened. Fill paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full.
2. Bake at 375 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. Makes 2 dozen little bits of tastiness.

 Enjoy!

Food Rules

a year in retrospect

The new year brings with it planning and change: people vowing to ditch their bad habits and adopt new routines to better themselves. I've got big plans, but I decided I'll use it for a little reflection too...

As 2011 begins and I really look around to see where we are and what we have, I am both astonished and proud of myself and my family. We are a resilient bunch, to be sure. I can hardly believe that 7 years ago around this time we'd just about lost everything~ and I'd about given up. My husband needed a surgery it seemed no one would perform and was completely unable to work. We were a young family with a very small child, just starting out, and had to sell our home and most of what we owned and move clear across the country. I just couldn't keep it all going on my retail income, though over the years I've certainly tried. For those last seven years, my entire life was ruled by fear and uncertainty over where we would sleep and how we would eat. But we never gave up~ all we had was each other and our dreams, so we just kept on going, even when we weren't sure where we were headed. We've had to be both humble and strong, persistent and patient.

But in 2010 that dream came true. We finally moved out of our apartment and bought a house after 5 years of struggling and saving (mostly funded from quitting smoking), thanks to a fantastic USDA loan program (and a very patient real estate agent and loan officer). With the help of an incredible extended family, we were able to fix what needed fixing and acquire all that we needed to get settled and ready and move it all here along with a loyal and loving dog and two forgiving cats we've dragged all across this country. With some faith and patience, we got our tax credit check, paid off nearly all our debt and promptly set to work, clearing out overgrown and dead shrubbery, starting a compost pile, tearing astroturf off of the back porch and clearing out the storage shed. We've already grown some food on that same porch in containers, had a few backyard barbecues, and had family visit for a week from Arizona and Michigan. We've mowed the huge lawn (repeatedly) and plowed lots of snow with our little green tractor and got our daughter all excited about John Deere and a new school. We've accomplished a lot here at the homestead over the last 7 months. All that work makes the resting and planning of winter a welcome break, but the warm weather we've had the last few days has me longing for spring and ready to start all over again.

I never would have imagined that we'd get such a second chance, and am so very grateful to be where we are, starting this new year with steady jobs, our health, great family and friends, and a home with land where we can grow food to provide for ourselves and those that have helped us. We can finally help them when times get lean. We've redefined what success means for us~ it's about people, not money or things. We're growing a community now to help sustain us and we're trying harder to be part of sustaining the larger world around us. It's miraculous really, this give and take. We certainly wouldn't have survived without the kindness of others and a willingness to fail and to learn. Although I don't ever want to experience all that heartbreak again, our lives are certainly richer for it~ we have been on the receiving end of and seen first hand real examples of grace. I'm so glad to be hear and be part of this.
 
We've got big plans for this year, from the addition of a coop of chickens to our very first large garden. We've spent this time indoors dreaming of berry bushes, herbs and vegetables and picking paint colors so we are ready to go when the time is right. (And I am trying to do more meditating and yoga so I am mentally ready too.)

The year ahead is going to be all about growing: healthy food, herbs and flowers, but also my freelance business, growing our relationships with our community through volunteer work, and personal growth. I'm looking forward to helping others, letting go of fear and being myself. Hopefully we'll see bumper crops this year of both food and friends.

Thanks to everyone who has made time for us and our dreams. It'd be awesome if you'd keep growing right along with us. Wishing you and your families a safe and happy 2011!