A Tea Party Birthday for Emily Rose

Emily Rose is so blessed to have another birthday. We are so blessed to have her.

Here are some of the highlights from the birthday party.

Each girl wore a pretty dress and the apron we gave her. They brought their mother and a favorite doll or stuffed animal.
CeCe the kitten was the butler Forest was her assistant. They answered the door and politely invited the ladies into the parlor. CeCe was also the "doll" that Forest brought to the party. Even though Forest isn't a girl, he is part of the family, and got to take part in the party. He even consented to dress nicely for the occasion, though he couldn't understand why he should.

CeCe sat very nicely with some of the dolls and stuffed animals to get her photo taken. while we went off to play the first game of the party called Halt. I found it at a wonderful web site full of themed games for children's tea parties. It was an alphebet game where you had to think of items in five catagories that starated with a certain letter of the alphabet. We chose categories sligtly different then those suggested by the web site to fit the interests of the girls: flower, fruit, color, place, song. You earn points for having an answer different from other people.Next we played Musical Teddy Chairs, with directions on the same web site. Instead of the children sitting on the chairs, the doll or stuffed animal sat on the chairs. CeCe cooperated and did a good job as Forest's teddy cat.

The third game we played was a relay race with little bowls of beads. You hold your doll with one hand, and scoop beads onto a spoon with the other hand. You move the beads to a bowl on the finish line, then give the spoon to the next player on your team. It took four moms to keep up with the spilled beads that had to be moved back to the starting line bowls.
We had two crafts. One was to cut out an old fashioned paper doll and her dress. I thought it was appropriate that she was holding a doll in her arm.
The other was to make sachets.Each child put some lilac scented potpourri into little squares of purple sparkle netting that was secured with ribbon. They got to take home their own sachet to sweetly scent their drawers.
Then it was time for tea. Each girl was so sweet and polite at the table without being reminded. There was a place card for each person. Everyone had a different pretty tea cup to sip herbal tea or fresh apple cider if they preferred. The tea was my homemade blend with spearmint, peppermint, lemon balm, chamomile, nettle, red raspberry and hibiscus, Emily Rose tried to choose a tea cup for each person that they would especially enjoy. We served delicious Thumb-print Almond Date Cookies, a platter of red grapes and Mandarin orange sections, and cucumber slices topped with Sunflower Almond Pate'.

The birthday mini cupcakes were a success. They are called Impossibly Delicious Gluten Free/ Vegan Cupcakes. We only put 1/3 of the sugar in the frosting and they were delicious. We flavored both the cup cakes and the frosting with orange extract. What a yummy treat. They have more oil, sugar and processed foods in them then we normally use, but I guess I call it the birthday exception.

Happy Birthday, Emily Rose. It's a joy to be your mother!

Sunflower Almond Pate'

Sunflower Almond Pate'

1 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup almonds
1 clove raw garlic
1 /4 raw onion, chunks
1 small red bell pepper, seeded, cut in large pieces
1 carrot cut in small pieces
1 tsp raw ginger, grated or minced
juice of one lemon
2 tablespoons olive or flax oil
1 - 2 tsp dried basil

Whiz in your Vita Mix or other strong blender (or maybe food processor) until very smooth, almost fluffy. This will take some work, because there isn't much liquid. Use an accent decorator, or large frosting tip to squirt some pate' onto a slice of cucumber. The tiniest size of ice cream scoop also works, but isn't quite as pretty. Make a lot of these because they go really fast.

In Memory of Hunter

Two days ago our neighbor called to tell us that they found our big kitty, Hunter, dead in the road. Oh, there has been so much sadness in our house. Emily Rose and Hunter were such good friends. She faithfully made sure that he had food and water. She got to see him be born. He came to her when she called. He would sit beside her and knead his paws on her leg. If she was laying on the floor, he would wuzzle her hair and purr. He was such a loving comfort for her on hard days, but now he is buried and her heart has been broken. Tears flowed freely for hours. In August we got a new kitten, and she is Forest's best friend. When we first got her, Hunter would have nothing to do with her. He hissed at her occasionally, but never hurt her. Eventually they started sniffing noses. And then less then a week before he died, they were finally friends and we found them sleeping together. CeCe has lost a friend too.

To keep our memories of Hunter fresh, I thought I would share some photos from his life.

Hunter as a newborn in June 2004 with his mother Windy and his siblings, (left to right) Muffin, Licorice, Gravy Cake, Hunter, and Stripes.
The kittens on their first adventure in the yard when they were about four weeks old. We set up a play fence for them, and they had a wonderful time. Hunter is the second kitten from the left, eagerly looking out from the middle.
With a little help from Emily Rose, Hunter got to climb a tree for the first time. As Hunter grew older, he started becoming more independent. He liked to sleep on the top shelf in the garage with the camping supplies. Fearless Forest devised a way to visit him one day. Hunter was king of the garden path, terror of the local rodents, and rival of the neighbor cat, Pokey. But he was a gentle as could be with his people. He loved a good prowl, and a good nap.

And here he is last Christmas Eve. As the Christmas song says, "Sleep in heavenly peace", Hunter.

Drink Your Greens - Lemon Drop Smoothie

If I don't make a definite effort to keep getting greens into my body every day, it is easy to forget. There are lots of good foods which are fine to eat, but they don't have as many important nutrients as greens. I can really feel it in my body when I eat more greens. And if I start forgetting, I start to suffer. Before I started eating them all the time, I really didn't know how much they could help a person. But now I know they are the most important thing a person could eat.

So, to help us all start eating greens more, I'm going to post a favorite green recipe. It may look green, but it is a fresh vibrant green. And it doesn't taste green at all. My husband has named it "Lemon Drop Smoothie". Because that is what it tastes like.

Lemon Drop Smoothie

2 - 3 large Fuji apples or other sweet apples, washed, cored, cut in large chunks
1 - 2 cups of cold water
1 large handful of washed fresh parsley
3 - 8 leaves of romaine or other dark greens
1/4 of a washed lemon, flesh and skin, minus the seeds (The skin is important. It is what makes it taste like a lemon drop. It is full of nutrients.)

Place it all in your blender jar and whiz it until it is smooth. A Vita Mix can get away with less water. A regular blender will need more water, and it will help if the apples and lemon is cut in smaller pieces. Pour into elegant glasses and enjoy the best breakfast/lunch/dinner/snack you could ever drink. Serves 4

Plant Based Thanksgiving meal

Happy Thanksgiving! We've had a lovely day. Friends invited us over for lunch and we enjoyed a lovely meal of nutritious plant based food (Gluten Free Vegan). There was no turkey in sight. Only the millet loaf, the pineapple sweet potatoes, and the apple pie were cooked. Everything was just delicious! Every one ate their fill, and no one felt heavy afterward.

Here was what was served.

-millet loaf
-festive loaf
-pineapple sweet potatoes
-gingered cabbage
-romaine and veggie salad
-cranberry orange relish
-apple pie

I made the romaine salad, the cranberry orange relish and the festive loaf. I got the recipe for the festive loaf from an raw food holiday ebook at Nonie Shannon's website.

The Cranberry Orange Relish is my own recipe, adapted from what I used to make that had orange jello in it.

Cranberry Orange Relish

1 bag of raw cranberries
1 - 2 raw oranges, peeled, cut in chunks
1/2 cup ground almonds or walnuts
1/4 cup honey

Pick through the cranberries and throw away any that aren't good.

Place cranberries and orange in the food processor. Pulse until desired relish consistency. Be careful to not to process too smooth. Pour into a serving bowl and mix in nuts and honey. Serve.

Sew Crafty Friday - Party aprons, fleece shirt

I have been sewing this week. There is another birthday party coming up in our family, and it is going to be an old fashioned tea party. I've never made so many things for birthday's before. Usually I shop at a d*llar store and just buy part favors. This is taking more work, but I think it is going to be more meaningful to the children that come.
With their invitations, each girl will receive a homemade eyelet apron, to help them anticipate the party. They are instructed to wear their nicest dress, and bring their favorite doll or teddy bear, along with their mother. We will play parlor games and make old fashioned crafts. And of course we are going to have healthy treats and tea.

I've finished 4 aprons and have 3 more that just needs a waist band and ties.

One of my frustrations as a mother is finding shirts appropriate for a wholesome boy. Most of those available in the stores are either very plain or covered with evil, violence, fiction, or sports. Forest loves animals, and I would love to have animal shirts for him to wear, but they are hard to find. So I have started trying to do what I can to make shirts for him. I am thankful that one can still find nice fabric with natural themes.

Last year I made Forest three fleece sweat shirts and matching solid pants. Two had tropical fish, and one had puppies. They have been his favorite clothing all year. He has grown and needs some new ones now, but my pattern didn't go any bigger. I had to search for a new pattern, which was difficult, because all the fleece patterns have zippers in them. If there is a zipper, he thinks it is a jacket, and doesn't wear it as much. I finally found a pattern that would work though. It has the required hood. It didn't have a big front pocket though, so I made one from my old pattern, just a little bigger.
The new pattern has contrasting short and long sleeves. I wasn't sure how that would work, but it was easy to just not make the short sleeves. I have fabric for tan pants. And more fleece for a couple more sets. He is going to have a warm and happy winter.

Leaves Sailing on the Wind

Monday we had high winds that rattled the windows, whistled down the stove pipe, and upset anything that could be moved. Winds like that do happen in our area every year. The rattling and noise can make me tense. But I get so excited when they happen at the right time.

Raking leaves can be fun, but I can't seem to keep up with our row of huge trees. Some years, it seems that just when there are more on the ground then I can keep up with, then a heavy rain comes making the leaves even more difficult. But some years are different, and this was one of them. Some years the rain doesn't come until after the wind comes and blows them all away. Really! There are hardly any left in the trees and not enough left on the lawn to worry about now. The ones that are left will turn into compost for the health of the soil. And I haven't raked once. Yippee! The wind did the job for me sailing those leaves far, far away.

The Baptism of Emily Rose

This weekend, our precious daughter was baptized as Jesus was, by immersion. We are so happy, as her parents, that she wishes to live her life with Jesus as her all the time friend and Savior.

After church friends came over for lunch and a special blessing for Emily Rose. I allowed her to choose the menu (haystacks and apple crisp), and to do the inviting of the people herself. About 25 of her favorite people were here, most of them adults that have special meaning in her life. Ten family members from out of town came an spent the weekend with us.

When lunch was finished, we gathered everyone together. I had earlier given them a chance to use paper and stickers to make a little card for Emily Rose with an affirmation, blessing and or Bible text on it. At this time everyone had a chance to share their thoughts with Emily Rose, and then she got to keep the cards they made for her.

On Thursday my husband and I had written out a prayer of blessing for her, printed it out and framed it. In Bible times people such as Abraham and Isaac blessed their children on their death bed. We have decided that we wish for our children to walk in the blessings of the Lord all their life, so we decided to take this opportunity to make a formal prayer of blessing for her. We placed our hands on her, and my husband read the prayer. Next we gave her a symbolic gift, a nativity set, to remind her that Jesus wants to be born in her every day. A friend gave her a little lamb to go with the set, and a wooden stable to place it in. She said that sometimes when she feels like her life is hard or bad, she remembers that Jesus was willing to leave heaven to be born in a dirty rough stable. So she takes courage that Jesus would be willing to be born in her too.

At the end of the day, at tuck in time, I asked Emily Rose about her feelings concerning the day. She said, in a quiet, awe filled voice, "It was special." And how does she feel after the day? "I feel loved."

It was good, so very good.

Homemade Gluten Free, Dairy Free Pizza

I've learned to live with out Pizza Hut, though it used to be one of my most favorite places to eat. Most of the time I don't even think of pizza anymore. I feel better then I did in high school and college, and have lots of other delicious foods that have taken the place of bread and cheese. Still once in a while it is nice to eat pizza. I thought I'd share my crust and sauce recipe, just in case you too need a gluten free, dairy free pizza.


Gluten Free Pizza Crust
Makes 3 or 4 - 12" to 15" crusts

2 cups Sweet rice flour
2 cups sorghum flour
2/3 cup potato flour
2/3 cup garfava flour or garbonzo bean flour
2/3 cup tapioca starch
2 TBSP GF baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp Italian seasoning (or a combination of oragano, basil, rosemary and thyme)
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup olive oil
2 1/2 cup to 3 cups water

Oil your pizza pans. Preheat the overn to 400F.

In a mixing bowl mix together the dry ingredients. Add the oil, and then slowly start adding the water. If you use a Kitchen Aid or other mixture, just keep working the dough until it is workable and not too sticky, but not dry either, then turn the dough out onto a floured board. If you don't use a mixer, turn the dough out onto a floured board and knead until it is the right consistency. Divide your dough into 3 - 4 balls, depending on the size of your pans. Take one ball and roll it in brown rice flour. Cover your clean hands with brown rice flour. Place your ball in the middle of an oiled pan. Start pressing the dough flat. Push and press until it covers the pan. If you develop a sticky spot. Sprinkle just a tiny bit of brown rice flour there, and keep working it flat. Don't worry about how the dough looks, because it will soon be covered with sauce and toppings, and you won't be able to see that it isn't smooth.

Bake the crusts for around 10 - 15 minutes. Now you have a choice. You can either wrap the crusts in plastic wrap and store them in the freezer until you rare ready for pizza, or you can top them and bake pizza right away. Either way it is delicious! Once you add the toppings bake another 20 - 25 minutes.

Homemade Pizza/Pasta Sauce

1 29oz. can of tomato sauce
1 29 oz. can of crushed tomatoes
3 tsp Italian herb seasoning (or a mixture of orangano, basil, rosemary, thyme, etc.)
2 tsp basil
2 tsp garlic powder or equivalent of pressed garlic
4 tsp turbinado sugar or other sweetener
1 1/2 tsp salt

Combine all ingredients and mix. That's all. Spread on pizza crust or heat for pasta sauce. Make a smaller batch if you don't have a large family. Yum! Very flavorful!

Carry Some Quiet Around in Thee

Moss Covered Maple
Olympic National Park, Hoh Rain forest

Carry some quiet around inside thee.

Be still and cool in they own mind and spirit,
from thine own thoughts.

Allow God to turn thy mind to Him
from whence cometh life.

Thus you may receive the strength and power
to face all life's storms and tempests.

-George Fox, Quaker pioneer

Hoppin' Fun Frog Birthday

Every birthday is such a blessing, not to be taken for granted. Life is a wonderful gift, and not everyone has it for long and not everyone one has it abundantly. We are so glad to celebrate another year of life for our son. We are so blessed to have him as a member of our family. We are thankful for his health, energy, enthusiasm and joy. We pray that he will grow as Jesus did, through the power of the Holy Spirit, in "wisdom, stature and in favor with God and man."

Birthday day cakes are a challenge for me. I have never learned how to manipulate Butter Cream frosting into beautiful designs with just a little pouch and an assortment of tips. But since we have changed what we eat to "food as grown", the challenge is even harder, because we are not using margarine of any kind or powered sugar anymore. I tried a new recipe for both cake and frosting. It was called Better Banana Cake, but I think it would be better off in loaf pans or muffin cups. The frosting recipe I used didn't match the flavor of the banana cake. It was cashew based, and thickened with potato flour. It was lumpy and strange. I tried to color it with blue berries, but it turned out to be a gray purple. I remembered what a Biology professor I know told me, that there is very little in nature that is truly blue. I think he is right. Blueberries are purple. But what color is water anyway?

When we served the cake, each guest got to choose one of the little frogs to keep, to the great delight of the boys. The girls were more timid in the choices. (We invite whole families to birthday parties, so we have plenty of adult supervision, and siblings of all ages present. It makes for a really nice time.)

When the party guests arrived, each received a pair of "frog feet" (fleece slipper socks) in their own size. The girl's were colorful hot pink "jungle frogs". The boys were mottled green tree frogs, with a green print that coordinates with the purple print that I used when I made my first try at slipper socks. It took a little time to make them all, but each guest seemed to really enjoy them. I really wish I would have lined them all up and taken a picture of the froggy toes. But as you are sure to understand, it is a challenge to get froggies of any kind to line up in a row and hold still.


Forest requested those tall candles that are a bit like sparklers. They shoot out little sparks as they burn, which are quiet exciting to a little boy. They are hard to blow out, and are quick to relight themselves. Forest was able to get all of them out, except this one last one, and we dipped it in water to finish it off.


For the meal we served gluten free and dairy free pizza, salad and a fruit plate. I made the crust and the sauce from scratch. The "cheese" was Vegan Gourmet Brand, a rare deviation from our avoidance of processed foods. We made one pizza without cheese for those who would rather go without. One pizza didn't have any mushrooms or onions. All of the pizzas had all the veggies we could put on. My favorite pizza topping now is broccoli, chopped very fine. Yum!

For games we has an a froggie metamorphosis obstacle course. Part one represented the eggs, which can move or do anything, but if they could, they would likely roll. So summer saults were performed from point A to point B. Next we thought of those little tadpoles hatching. They have no arms or legs at first they just wiggle along with their tail wagging behind them. So the tadpoles had to wiggle across the ground trying to reach their destination. It was difficult, so as they got closer to me I told them that little arm stumps were starting to grow, then one little leg stump. Then the arms grow longer, by the time they arrived they had all four arms and legs. Next I know the new little froggies would be hungry and needed some practice with insects. So I gave them each two little plastic bugs to try throwing into a tall plastic container that represented the frog's mouth. They could do it up close, and then step back and try again to see how far away they could stand and still get bugs in the frog's mouth. Now that the frogs had full tummies they were ready for some hopping. We played leap frog with a girl's team and a boy's team. What fun! There was no competition to see who was the winner. It wouldn't have been fair because we had kids of all ages and sizes. It was fun just to do things together as friends, enjoying each other's company.

Before and after the game time we allowed the children to have some free play time outside. This was Forest's desire, as he always longs for kids to come over to play. It was so nice to see the children getting along happily. All the kids involved are homeschooled kids and are used to playing with kids of different ages and genders. They are all wonderful kids. All in all it really was a wonderful birthday.

Sewing Every Day of the Month

My husband gets excited about open source software, programed for the benefit of all people and not just the profits of one company. I get really excited when people post sewing tutorials on their blog for the benefit of all their readers, rather then keeping their creativity and skills to themselves.

Sew Mama Sew has gathered the best of the best sewing tutorials and has organized them into a topic a day for the month of November, all for the benefit of our holiday sewing and gift giving. If you like to sew, you will really enjoy the whole month of ideas. You can access their blog here.

Squirrels

These little guys are busy! The nights are frosting and cold weather is coming.

I'm busy too. I don't have any nuts to gather, but if I'm not careful, I might start chattering at my people too much.

Company is coming Saturday. The guest room needs to be uncluttered. It seems this room becomes the place to put things when guests aren't here. And it is where I fold the laundry.

There is a frog themed birthday party needing organized for Monday. Or*ental Trading Company didn't send the little plastic frog flashlight key chains I ordered with some froggie plates and napkins. Instead they sent 144 tiny black plastic compasses! Now I've got some re-planning to do.

The kids and I are singing at church. We found a sweet song about the boy Samuel learning to hear God's voice. The song is a new challenge for them because they are going to take turns singing melody while I sing alto on the verses. Then on the chorus we are going to each sing a part. Forest will have the melody. I will have second soprano, and Emily Rose is learning the alto part. It is a challenge but I think it is going to turn out good. It is so much fun to sing with my kids. When we get it right the harmony is so sweet.

We bought a third (used) freezer this summer to hold all those peaches we brought home. Well, the bad news is that it is having problems already and last week we found the bottom shelf all melted! I was sick inside. We started looking for a new freezer, but haven't found what we are looking for yet. So today I need to pull everything out of our other two freezers that doesn't have to be there, such as nuts and dates, flours and grains, and then move everything that is still good out of the third freezer into them. I think I'm going to have buy a new freezer soon, if I can figure out which is the right one to buy. This is the second freezer I've had go out on me. And neither were very old. One was a Kenm*re and one was a Fr*gidaire. I'm looking at Ama*na and Mayt*g now.

I have done some sewing this week, but I'm not going take the time to post pictures. I made some more slipper socks. Seven pair to be exact. I remodeled a beautiful rusty red shirt jacket from Christopher and Banks to fit me. The cuffs had to come off. And I took 1 - 2 inches in on the side seams, curving it a bit to make it more fitted. And took in 1/4 to 1 inch on the sleeves. I really like the jacket now. I think it will go well with many things I own. I shortened a black and white, heavy cotton, plaid/checked jumper. With adorable ceramic buttons that have a red rose theme. Each is different. The funny thing is the buttons are just sewn on, and there are no button holes. I'm going to add button holes so I can unbutton to put it on. Then I can take in the side seams and make it just a bit more fitted. I think it is going to be a comfortable, fun dress to wear.

A Box of Free Books

Wow! And Thanks! Was all I could say.

I didn't know yesterday was going to be such a good garage sale day! I was actually on my way to a second hand store when I saw a garage sale sign. We stopped and found some nice goodies, like Christmas decoration kits, and alunch bag full of rick rack for $2. But the most amazing deal was in the bedroom. One wall was lined with boxes of books, and the sign above them said they were free. I didn't see the sign until I had a mostly full box. I would have been willing to pay for them, but instead I took them home for free. They feel like a real blessing! The books to the right of the box were found at a couple other garage sales for regular garage sale prices. All together they are a great addition to our library. I am so thrilled to have good books at home for our children to read whenever they need to sit down with a good book.

Come and Reflect a While

I don't know what is happening in your life today, good or bad. But I do know that there is no better time to stop hurrying around, sit down in a quiet place and spend some time alone with God. Time alone with God, T.A.G. Time, is so important, because the Christian life is not based on what you know or have achieved, but rather on who you know. Jesus wants a personal relationship with those He has come to save.

"Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent." John 17:3 NIV

There is no better way to know someone then to spend time with him. And the more time you spend with someone, the more they are reflected in your life.

If you have been forgetting your T.A.G. time. Here is a simple way to get started again.

1. Start with heartfelt prayer, talking honestly with God about your life.

2. Read one chapter or passage out of Matthew, Mark, Luke or John, or another part of the Bible. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you discover the answer to these two questions as you read. Write your answers in journal or notebook. Look for more then just the right answer. Sit and be quiet long enough to hear what God is telling you in His Word.

• What does this passage teach me about Jesus?
• What is the principle found in this passage that God is calling me to apply today to my life?

3. Pray again and allow the power of God's Word to start transforming you.

Sew Crafty Friday - bags and a dress

I have done some sewing this week.
I've made some tote bags from garage sale fabric. I just love the batiks. But I have already discovered that I am going to have to make stronger handles for that bag. The strawberry bag reminds me of my friend that loves strawberries.

I finished a bag made with a pattern from Lazy girl Designs. (Go to their web site and then scroll down to see more about this bag, including a blog entry and a video). It is their Gracie Handbag #118. The directions are good and it makes a nice bag. I am seeing if I like it as my everyday purse. I like the color and design, but I am used to using something as small as possible, so I might need to make a different one for every day.

I finished a green gingham dress for Emily Rose. Now I need to make the pinafore and bonnet that goes with it. It is McCall's 9424. I actually made a good start on the pinafore with some white fabric I got from some unremembered location. I had some misgivings about the quality as the fabric as I started, but tried to push them aside. As I got farther into the pattern, those misgivings grew. It was clear it was not quality fabric as it was starting to sort of pill. I didn't know woven cotton would do that. After I got the facings all in and tried it on Emily Rose, I decided that it was not worth the effort. I am going to pull out some better white fabric and make it nice. She may not wear it much, but when she does wear it, it shouldn't look worn already.

I have a huge pile of projects to work on now, so I should be able to keep posting for Sew Crafty Friday for the next several months. If you want to see what others are doing, or post what you are doing, go to Shereen's blog.

Fall Exploration Field Trip

Yesterday was a perfect fall day. We just couldn't spend the morning inside. There likely wouldn't be many more morning like this before the weather changes and turn cold. So I declared the day a fall exploration field trip day. We went to a nearby town where I knew there were some old houses and lovely large trees near a scenic college campus with a pretty little stream and trail.

Every where we turned vivid colors delighted our eyes. We had a wonderful time wandering down quiet streets and playing by the stream. The goal was to go enjoy the day and to create a sketch or poem to take home with us to remember the day.

Forest spied this fountain as we were first driving into the area. He knew that this was the thing he was going to sketch. He wanted to stop there first, but I knew we would see nothing else if we started there. But we did come back to the area later much to his delight.
After playing in the fountain a bit he set right to work and drew his fountain. Big college kids walked by and he didn't notice them at all. He was very focused.

Emily Rose took her journal over to the nearby steps and soon was writing poetry. Many students clearly wondered what she was doing there, but she didn't seem to see them. I was hoping to write poetry myself on a bench by the stream but didn't want to move my earnest students. So I set aside self consciousness and sat down and wrote too. It was a lovely day.

You may read the poetry of Emily Rose at her blog: www.homeschoolblogger.com/akidslife

Sir Henry's Birthday Cake

So how do you make a gluten free, dairy free, food as grown, birthday cheese cake? It isn't easy, but we came up with a delicious one for Sir Henry's birthday.


I found the recipe in "The Complete Book of Raw Food: Healthy Delicious Vegetarian Cuisine Made with living Foods" Lori Baird, Editor.

Just Like Cheesecake
By Emily Lee Angell
Makes 24 slivers

I will type out the original recipe for you just as written, but will tell you that I decreased the amount of coconut oil in the cheese like filling to only 1/3 cup. Coconut oil is said to have some good health benefits. Even though it is called a saturated fat, it isn't the same thing as factory processed hydrogenated fats, but it is processed some, so my husband would rather not eat much. Even with the reduced coconut oil it was delicious, and a very satisfying treat. I didn't add the salt and didn't miss it one bit.

One cheese cake I made with lemon juice as suggested, and the second one I made with orange juice, and it was very delicious.

I made the raspberry sauce as suggested, but froze it with the rest of the cake, as the top layer. It turned out very lovely.

Ingredients:
For the crust:

2 cups raw macadamia nuts
1/2 cup dates, pitted
1/4 cup dried coconut

For the cheese:
3 cups chopped cashews, soaked for at least 1 hour
3/4 cup lemon juice
3/4 cup honey
3/4 cup coconut oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon sea salt (optional)

For raspberry sauce:
1 bag frozen raspberries
1/2 cup dates

Directions:
To make the crust, process the macadamia nuts and dates in the food processor.
Sprinkle dried coconut onto the bottom of an 8 or 9 inch springform pan. Press crust onto the coconut. this will prevent it from sticking.
To make the cheese, blend the cashews, lemon, honey, gently warmed coconut oil, vanilla, sea salt (if using), and 1/2 cup water. Blend until smooth and adjust to taste.
Pour the mixture onto the crust. Remove air bubbles by tapping the pan on a table.
Place in a freezer until firm. Remove the whole cake from the pan while frozen and place on a serving platter. Defrost in a refrigerator.
To make the raspberry sauce, process raspberries and dates in a food processor until well blended. (Do not use a blender for this or the raspberry seeds will become like sand.)

Happy Birthday, Sir Henry

Last night we had a birthday party for my dear husband, Sir Henry. It wasn't a milestone year we were celebrating, but rather the fact that we are thrilled and thankful that he is here to have a birthday. Some of you may remember that last January, at the age of 46 he experienced a heart attack. You can read about it here. It was a shock to us, because he was having no noticeable symptoms before hand. He is young and active, riding his bike to work every day. We really were eating a good diet. He doesn't smoke or have diabetes.
It wasn't a good thing, but as he says, "It has turned out to be a blessing in disguise." Right after he got out of the hospital, he was able to get into the Coronary Health Improvement Program (CHIP). We were already eating a diet similar or better to what they recommended. My husband felt that they were trying to present a sort of middle of the road diet that would help most people who eat the standard American diet (SAD). But he needed something better, because we were already doing many of the recommended things. So he paid careful attention to the research presented looking not for the comfortable middle of the road, but rather the optimum diet for his life and health.

His final conclusion is simple: Eat no processed foods; foods that you buy in a box or a can. They were optimized for profit and not for health. Eat out of the produce and bulk foods section of the store. Food (fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds, grains and legumes), as it is grown, is best for the health of the whole body. It prevents and reverses disease of all kinds.

So for that last nine months that is how we have been trying to eat. It hasn't always been easy, especially when on vacation or eating with other people. Several times I have found my self rebelling and longing for French Fries, Ketchup, and ice cream. And there have been a few times when the kids and I have had something he wouldn't eat. But I don't want to do that all the time and sabotage his success.

I am in whole hearted support of my husband. I am so proud of him for not being like so many other Americans and refusing to change diet and lifestyle. I am so glad he was willing to search out what he needed to do and was willing to give up many of his favorite foods, because they were processed or high in fat. The cardiologist said there was nothing he could do, that he was already doing all the right things. But my husband wasn't going to give up on life and just let himself waste away.

In the last 9 months he has lost quite a bit of excess weight. He says his stamina has increased, because he can ride his bike up a particular steep hill in a higher gear and at a faster speed then ever before.

The kids and I are just so thankful. Life would have been so different now, if things during his heart attack had turned out differently. One out three heart attack victims don't survive. But he did, and because of his determination to do what is needed, I think we are going to have him around for many more years.

Happy Birthday, Sir Henry!
You are loved.

Thank you to Commenters

I want to say thank you to all my readers for your comments. I really enjoy hearing what you have to say. And it helps me to know that I am not just writing for myself. You ladies are wonderful and I just wanted you to know it. I appreciate you.

The ninth comment just came in on the entry I wrote called "Pretty Prairie Rose Dress". I've never had so many comments on one entry. Thanks!

Fabric Reconstruction

Clothing reconstruction. Clothing remodeling. Alterations. I don't know what you call it, but I'm getting quite excited about it. In the fall and winter I love to wear cotton knit skirts made out of higher quality fabric then I can't get at the two fabric stories in my town. My solution is shopping at the second hand stores. I get so excited about this because I love to keep something from going to waste that I can reuse. I disagree strongly with the prices in the department stores for clothing. And I find myself disagreeing with modern styles pretty strongly too. I'm not ready to sign a pledge to not buy anything new like the ladies Wardrobe Refashion are doing here. I will buy something new if it's a reasonable price and I really do need it and can't get it another way within the needed amount of time. For example tee shirts, turtle necks, sweaters. They put them out early in the season, and once they are gone in your size and color, they are gone. If I see something like that in a color that is good for me, I do buy it, and then wear it for years. By doing this, I am gradually making a collection of clothing that fits my style and fall coloring.

But back to the idea of clothing reconstruction. I go to the second hand store looking for something that would work for me in my size or larger. I found the above outfit on the 75% off clearance rack at a consignment store. Yipee! The skirt and matching jacket cost me a little more then $3! The tee shirt was already in my drawer. The problem was that the skirt and jacket were too big for me. I'm sure the lady at the counter was wondering why I was buying it. But how could pass up a cotton knit skirt that was going to be so comfortable. I wasn't sure how the jacket was going to turn out, but I was ready to give it a try at that price. If it didn't work, I knew it wouldn't be a waste, because I would also gain experience and knowledge about what I could do. On the skirt I took in the waist, side seams, and hem. I just pinned up the sides with it on me, wrong side out. Then sewed it up, and zig-zagged the raw edges. Then my husband helped me pin up the hem and it wasn't long until that was done.

The jacket turned out to be easy. I just took in the seams 1 inch on each side from hem all the way to the hem of the sleeves, zig-zagged, trimmed the excess and was done.

Monday afternoon I met a girlfriend at a second hand store, and we had a good time looking for things that fit, or things that we could work over. I came home with a flannel tiered skirt in reds, greens and black that just needed a hem. I fixed that this morning, and it is already to go. I found a lovely navy blue cotton knit skirt that needs to be shortened. I don't wear a lot of navy, but do have some sweaters that would go nicely with it. I also found a deep red corduroy jacket with flowers and navy colored leaves, but the sleeves are way too long and I will have to take in the sides. It is going to be really fun to wear brand names that I can't, or don't want to afford at a fraction of the price.

Do any of the rest of you do any fabric construction or reconstruction? Would you like to but just haven't got brave enough? Let me know what you think.

Blog changes

My kids reminded me that it is no longer spring, and that maybe I should give my blog a new look. I actually agreed that I was ready for something new, but how do I do it? I started changing things one at a time, using the same blogger template. And now I have something new, though I don't know if I really like it. I'd love to a have a textured background, but I don't know how to do it. I see people out in blog land do amazing things to their blog, but I don't know a thing about how to do that. But I do have a collection of photos I've taken over the last few years, so I suppose I can change them with the seasons, or when I get tired of a gold background. If anyone knows a of a website or book that can teach me more of what I can do, in a simple way, I'd be thrilled

Sew Crafty Friday-Slipper Socks and Dress

It is already Sew Crafty Friday. Since I haven't been on my computer as much this week, I have got some more things done. Though I have to say that the list of blogs I read in bloglines is addicting, I am pulling myself away more often.


Yesterday afternoon I made three pair of slipper booties. The pattern came from The Green Pepper Inc. I found it at the local J*Anns store. It is pattern number F837.
As you can see, it has sizes for tiny children up to Men's size 13 all in one envelope! I found the directions very clear and easy to follow. In about 1 1/2 hours I had opened the envelope, figured out what I was doing, then cut and sewed three pair of slipper socks. And now that I know what I am doing, I think I could make quite a few more really fast. There are only three pieces and four sewing steps. I would recommend this pattern to even a beginner. I had never made anything from this company before, but look forward to trying other patterns in the future.

In other sewing this week I finished a prairie type dress for my daughter. If you haven't read about it yet you can see pictures here, information about the pattern and a story of answered prayer here. And on this page you can read that I was able to make the needed adjustments so that it fit her nicely now.

Thanks to Shereen at Waiting for Him for hosting Sew Crafty Friday. If you have done something creative this week, put a link on her blog so we can go see.

Why I Cook Gluten Free

VJ had another question for me.

"Excuse me for being so dense about gluten, but why are you staying away from it? My family loves the gluten steaks I make. Is there a nutritional something-or-other I'm missing or is someone in your family allergic?"

My answer is that yes, both my kids and I are gluten intolerant. We are much healthier and happier without it. We used to love gluten steaks too, and homemade whole wheat bread, and oatmeal, and crackers and pasta, etc. It takes some adjustment to change. It isn't convenient to eat with other people. But I'm glad I've made the change. I've learned that there are many delicious grains that don't have gluten in them. I've learned that I was really overeating wheat products and not eating very many fruits and veggies in proportion. It has helped me stop eating junk food, and I'm very happy for that. Being overweight is no longer a struggle for me. My weight has gone down to what it should be without having to try, something that I'd never been able to achieve before.

So that is the reasons my recipes use different grains. A person who isn't sensitive to gluten may not want to eat exactly as I do, but maybe they would. It is fun to try new ingredients, especially when they too are delicious and nutritious.

And the Good News Is...

I spent some time yesterday afternoon and this afternoon working over the sleeve and shoulder area of the dress I just made for Emily Rose. I wasn't sure if it would work out, but the good news is that it fits now. There are two seams in the sleeve to make it more fitted around the elbow. It is also a princess line dress that has a seam in the front and the back curving up into the sleeve hole in about the same place as the two seams in the sleeves. Even though I had zig-zaged and trimmed, there was still a little bit I could take out of each seam, and I reduced the seam allowance in the sleeve hole as much as I could which gave a little bit more room across the back. I tried it on my daughter just to be sure and was so relieved that it was going to work. Then I zig-zaged up those tiny seam allowances once again. The next step would have been to try to figure out how to put in a gusset, as La Tea Dah suggested, but I'm glad I didn't have to, as I've never made one before.

I would have loved to be a Home Economics major in college, but just after I got to the college of my choice, they closed the Home Economics department. I only got two of the sewing classes I desired. I'd still love to take some more clothing construction classes, but it seems they are hard to find anywhere now days. And I'd really like to learn to sew like they do in Asia, just from a magazine photo and some measurements. Lately it seems I am doing more clothing reconstruction, but I'll blog more about that at another time. I've been on the computer more then I should today.

Pattern Review Butterick B4569 and a Story

VJ said...

What was the name of the pattern you used, and the pattern number if you used one?

That is a good question. It is Butterick B4569.


I thought that since I am writing about the pattern, I should go ahead and give my comments about the pattern. I would not recommend anyone taking it on if they are a beginner. Make sure you are at least at an intermediate level or have someone around with a lot of experience to help you.

The sizing seems to be accurate to the bust measurements, so make sure you measure the child before you choose a size. Pattern sizes are not the same as store sizes.

When you are cutting out your pattern, be sure to mark all the little dots onto the fabric. They are important in several different places. I found that out too late and had some problems figuring out the spacing when it came time to attach the gathered ruffle to the skirt. With some fussing I was able to make it work, but would have taken less time to make the dots then it did to do all the fussing I did.

This is the first time I set myself free from iron on interfacing and I have to say that I am very happy with the results. I used sew in interfacing designed for this weight of fabric and I had not problem using it or sewing it in. I am going to use sew in in the future to avoid the stiffening and sometimes bubbling that comes where the iron interfacing is used.

The pattern called for 11 buttons, but I bought only 9 as their price is so high now days. I spaced them 1 1/2 inches apart and it looks just fine. It seems more buttons would be unnecessary.

The biggest problem with the pattern is that the directions are not clear for how to make the the section at the bottom of the strip of buttons. There is a little bit of information given in the drawings, but no clear written details of how to make it turn out correctly. This is the part of the pattern where you need experience or someone to help you. I figured something out and made it work, but I know that it wasn't how it was intended to be finished.

Still, I like how the dress turned out in the end. It has a flattering, nice cut for a little girl.

My final note is a story. Do you ever pray about sewing frustrations? I don't usually think to do so, but after making this dress, I think I should do it all the time.

A few years ago my husband purchased me a nice new sewing machine with lots of features for quilters. It didn't come with one of those special feet that help you sew a button hole the right size. This pretty little dress comes with 9 - 11 buttons on the front! I was dreading putting in all those button holes and getting them to come out right with just a basic button hole foot. In fact I was downright worried about it. I have done button holes before, but I'm not really good at it, and I have had problems before. I sat the dress aside several days, putting off the dreaded task. Finally this weekend I knew I needed to do it. I was so afraid I decided I'd better pray about it, then I got some scraps to practice on and started trying to make them come out the right size. I was working away wishing for one of those fancy feet for my machine. I even went up to my computer and did a web search to try to figure out how much one might cost. Expensive! So I went back to my machine and started to try again. Then all of a sudden it hit me like sunlight. My old machine, which my daughter is using now, has a nice buttonhole foot with a slider that you insert the button into so that each button hole comes out the same size! And the machine was set up only a few feet from me! I switched machines, then did a couple practice holes which turned out beautifully, and it wasn't long before I was done with all nine holes on the front of the dress. I redid only two of them so they lined up with the others more evenly. My resolve is to pray more often about even my sewing frustrations.

Cream of Broccoli Soup and Corn bread (Gluten and Dairy Free)

I know I said I wouldn't blog very much, but I will give you one more thing to read tonight as it won't take me very long to do it.

As fall starts coming on, we start eating more soup. Here is a family favorite served this past Friday evening. It was a simple supper, easy to prepare, and satisfying to eat. As usually, food at our house is gluten and dairy free, and made out of simple ingredients for optimum nutrition and health. But don't let that scare you away, it still tastes really good.


Cream of Broccoli Soup

Bring to a boil. Simmer until onions are soft, around 10 minutes:
3 cups of water
1 medium onion diced
1 1/2 tsp. Salt
2 T Bill’s Chick’nish seasoning or other vegetarian chicken type seasoning
2 T Nutritional Yeast

Once the onion is soft, add:
6 cups more or less of bite sized raw broccoli pieces
1/2 to 1 whole red pepper, diced (optional)
Simmer 5 minutes or until tender but still bright green

Meanwhile blend until very smooth:
1 cup raw cashews
1 cup water

Add the blended mixture to the cooked broccoli soup and serve.
Optional: Cooked brown rice is yummy mixed into the soup.

adapted by Elizabeth Joy at joyinthemorninglight@blogspot.com

Cornbread

Dry:
1 1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup Masa Mixta (usually used for making tortillas)
1 cup brown rice flower
4 tsp. Baking powder
1 tsp. Salt
2 T. tapioca flour

Wet:
1 cup water
1 cup rice milk or other desired milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil of choice
1/3 cup honey

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Get a 9 x 13 inch baking dish oiled and ready to go. Mix the dry ingredients completely. Mix the wet ingredients separately, then combine with the dry ingredients. Stir just enough so it gets completely combined, then quickly pour into your baking dish, before it has a chance to rise much. Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes.

Update on 2/19/08: Would you like to make this oil free? I just figured out how to do it. Into your blender place: 1 TBSP flax seeds, and 2 TBSP raw cashews. Substitute 1/3 cup water for the oil, place in the blender along with the 1 cup rice milk and 1 cup water. Blend until smooth and add to the dry ingredients along with the honey.
adapted from a friend's recipe by Elizabeth Joy at joyinthemorninglight@blogspot.com