by | May 17, 2013

Eggs, eggs, eggs! Twenty recipes that use a LOT of eggs

We have a lot of eggs.  A LOT of eggs.  We only have six chickens, but they are seriously prolific.  We get about 5-6 eggs a day, every single day.

I’m not complaining.  I love eggs.

But if we aren’t diligent about our egg consumption, we can get a pretty massive egg backlog in a hurry.  What can you do with a lot of eggs?

Plenty.  Here are 20 great recipes that use a bunch of eggs:

Angel food cake requires a whopping 12 egg whites.

These Dutch Apple Pancakes require 4 eggs each (and they are amazing).

Pound cake takes five eggs.

Even better than pound cake?  Coconut cream pound cake.

Deviled eggs are always fun.  This recipe is excellent, and for extra awesome points use homemade mayo (made with some of your eggs, of course!)

I didn’t realize that homemade ice cream required eggs.

Speaking of dessert, how do Portuguese custard tarts sound?  That’s one I haven’t tried, but the recipe sounds incredible.  Six eggs in that recipe.

Egg bread is not only tasty, but a loaf of braided egg bread is really beautiful.  Six eggs, plus one to glaze.

My personal favorite:  I just call it “breakfast.”  A bunch of eggs scrambled up with some crumbled bacon, sauteed spinach, green peppers, onions, and whatever other random veggies I can find.  And cheese.  Of course there’s cheese.

Quiches are an obvious choice, and this list of ten quiche recipes has lots of great options.

Someone braver than I am will have to report back on this Eggs Benedict Bread Pudding.   That has to be someone’s cup of tea, but it is definitely not mine.

You can make your own egg noodles.  Who doesn’t love big, fat egg noodles?

For the grain-conscious, a good coconut flour pancake recipe that uses four eggs is a wonderful option.

Of course, you could just hard boil a dozen and leave them in the fridge for some quick snacks.  Because our fridge is often home to a lot of eggs, I mark our hard boiled eggs with a big “H” so that we don’t confuse them with the raw eggs.

Spinach Pom Poms not only sound like a great recipe, but they have a cute name too.  The linked recipe even says you can freeze them.

Some breakfast pockets that are way tastier than anything you’ll find in the freezer aisle of the grocery store.

Frittatas are a great way to go through some eggs.  This recipe is a winner.

Emeril’s recipe for creme brulee sounds fantastic, but I am not skilled enough to make it.  But, if anyone wants to try it, I’ll supply some eggs.  You’ll just have to share your creme brulee with me.  Deal?

And last, but certainly not least, good ol’ egg salad never disappoints.

Happy eating!

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by | January 28, 2013

Ready, Set, Go! Hello Mornings Winter 2013 Begins

It’s here, it’s here!  The Hello Mornings Winter 2013 challenge has begun!

(If you missed my previous posts on Hello Mornings, it is an online Bible study group based on Facebook and Twitter.  The purpose of Hello Mornings is to get up early every day to spend some time with God through study or prayer.  I did the last Hello Mornings study in 2012 and loved it.)

Morning comes early around here during the week.  I have to be out the door by about 6:45 a.m. to miss the traffic rush hour and get to work on time, and before I can do that at a bare minimum I have to get myself dressed and ready, get Jack dressed and ready, and feed and water the chickens.  The Hello Mornings studies definitely add another dimension to my morning schedule, but through some careful planning I’ve made my mornings more than manageable.  In fact, I’ve really started to enjoy my morning “quiet time.”  It helps center me for a busy day.

Prep work

Every night before bed I make sure that I have certain things prepped for the following morning.  I lay out my work clothes and pack my gym bag.  I lay out Jack’s clothes for him.  I make sure that the food I’m going to take to work for my lunch is prepped and ready to grab and go.  And for my Hello Mornings study, I make sure I have a section of the dining room table completely cleared off (with a preschooler in the house, there’s always some kind of project on our table – usually Legos, or trains), I set my Bible and my Hello Mornings binder out, I make sure I have a working pen, and I select a coffee cup and put it in the ready position on the Keurig.  Having that coffee cup ready is more of a mental thing than an actual time-saver, but it works for me.

I also make sure that my sink is shining and all of my dishes are clean and put away.  I get a wonderful mental boost when I start my day in a clean kitchen.

Buzz!  Buzz!

My alarm goes off at 5:00 a.m.  I always allow myself one tap on the snooze bar, but I think as a part of this challenge I’ll try to wean myself off of that.  I get up, make my coffee and fix a little breakfast – usually an egg or broiled grapefruit.  I sit down with my Bible study, my breakfast and my coffee.  I do my reading, write some notes, and spend some time contemplating the lesson of the day.  It is a peaceful time for me – the house is quiet and I have the time to myself.  It feels good.

If things are going well, I also like to get up and move around a little bit to start my day.  As a yoga practitioner, sun salutations or a similar awakening, invigorating set of stretches are my favorites.  I spend my days sitting at a desk so whatever movement I can get in during the day is welcome.

If all is going as planned, it is just about six a.m. by the time I finish my study and yoga, and it is time to get dressed, wake my son, and bring him breakfast.  I’ve had an hour of time to myself and it makes such a difference in my days and my attitude.  By the time 6:45 rolls around, I feel like I’ve accomplished the things I need to get done and I can leave my home knowing that my day has started off well.

I’m ready for this Hello Mornings challenge – bring on 5 a.m.!

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by | January 21, 2013

I See the Moon

When I was little (and when I was much older, too) my Mom used to sing a song to me:

I see the moon; the moon sees me

Down through the leaves of the old oak tree.

I tucked it away in my memory with all of the other nursery rhyme songs, like Hickory Dickory Dock and Three Blind Mice.  It was definitely one of my favorites.  I particularly liked the touch that Mom added to it:

Please let the light that shines on me

Shine on the one I love – that’s you!

She was always embellishing songs like that.  For example, I’m pretty sure that the real version of Eidelweiss didn’t include the word “fart.”  But Mom’s version did.  Mom’s was definitely superior.

I sing lots of songs to Jack.  Most of them end up with him telling me not to sing, but he’s fond of a just few when I’m singing:  Happy Birthday, the ABC song, Two Tickets to Paradise, and I See the Moon, the Moon Sees Me.

Funny how that one song, that one melody – something that my Mom said she heard on the radio in the 60s and that stuck with her – endured like this and found a place in Jack’s heart too.

And his favorite part?  The one part that makes him say “Let’s do it again!” over and over?

Please let the light that shines on me

Shine on the one I love - that’s you!

Image Source: Planetsforkids.org





 
							

	
			

				
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				by  | 				January 16, 2013
							


			
Hello Mornings: Winter 2013 Challenge


				

				

In August I posted about my decision to embark on the Hello Mornings Bible study challenge, and how that decision really had a positive impact on my life.  The gist of the challenge is to wake up early every weekday to spend some time with the Bible.  Participants can use a particular study guide, or they can do their own study, but the purpose is to get into the Bible on a daily basis.  The real challenge was to make time for reading on a regular basis.


I loved the challenge.  It kept me engaged and interested, and the daily check-ins with my lovely Hello Mornings group on Facebook really kept me accountable.  The group was shepherded by an Accountability Captain whose took on the task of keeping us all engaged throughout the challenge.  She posted insightful and fun questions, fun pictures and inspiring quotes, and generally kept us all thinking about the challenge for the duration.


I was so inspired by the challenge that I offered to become an Accountability Captain for the upcoming challenge.  This next session starts January 28th and runs through April 26th 2013.


Would you like take on the Hello Mornings challenge and join me?  Signup starts today: January 16, 2013.  Registration is limited to just a one week window.


If you aren’t convinced, or if you want more information, please check out the Hello Mornings Frequently Asked Questions.


If you are ready to sign up and want to join me, registration starts here, and you can join my group at this link.


The Hello Mornings Challenge has been such a positive change for good in my life that I can’t help but want to share it with others.  If you aren’t sure but you’d like to give it a shot, go ahead and sign up.  I’ll walk you through it if you’d like, and I’d love to see you give it a try.  No Bible study experience needed – I’m sure an example of that!


I hope to see you in the challenge!


 


 
							

	
			

				
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				by  | 				January 14, 2013
							


			
Busy Box Giveaway:  Frosty’s Busy Box from Tmuffin


				

				

Busy boxes are one of those great toddler/preschooler projects that so many of us say “oh, I can make those!” but we rarely have the time to actually sit down and craft them.  Even though the components are always simple, actually putting them all together into one fun package is more of a task than many of us are up to – especially on those days that we need these easy diversions the most.  The three most popular posts on this blog are about busy bags for toddlers, so I know that parents are always looking for things to keep their little ones busy on road trips, in new places, and even at home on quiet days.  Even the most creative mom can appreciate an enriching toy/activity that’s already put together for her child to play with.


We had a serious need for a busy box a few weeks ago:  we spent three days at a waterpark hotel for Jack’s third birthday, but he was too sick to do much playing in the water.  Instead of three miserable days of trying to contain a sick-yet-energetic little guy in a hotel room, we were prepared with a beautiful Frosty’s Busy Box from Tmuffin.




And now, Tmuffin has one to give away to a random reader.


It was hard to get an action shot of Jack playing with the busy box that wasn't blurry - he was all over these toys!


Frosty’s Busy Box is a lot of winter themed sensory fun in one small package.  Jack spent a lot of time enjoying the scented Play-doh.  He explored it with the stamps, he rolled it into little tiny snowmen, he colored on it with the markers and sprinkled it with glitter.  He used the suncatchers to stamp figures onto the dough and he colored the stencils too.  He had days’ worth of fun with it, and he still asks to play with this busy box.  He certainly loves it much more than my own busy box creations.  Plus, it all came in an adorable little bucket.  What little one doesn’t love to have a bucket to put their treasures in?  Because it is so self-contained, this is the perfect little kit to toss in the car for a trip to see family, or the doctor’s office, a restaurant, or any other place where little minds and hands can get bored and restless.


I encourage you to check out the Tmuffin website and subscribe to the newsletter.  These busy boxes are just the tip of the iceberg there – you’ll find much more about babywearing, breastfeeding, and beautiful, gentle ways to connect with your children.  And don’t miss the chance to print out a perfect “thank you for breastfeeding” card while you are there.   I’m excited to see what Tmuffin has in the future, including a busy box subscription service.


If you want to win your very own Frost’s Busy Box, enter below using Rafflecopter!  The giveaway closes this Friday, January 18, 2013.  Good luck!


a Rafflecopter giveaway




 
							

	
			

				
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				by  | 				January 6, 2013
							


			
Trixie Belden:  Amateur Detective and Preteen Feminist Role Model


				

				

This piece was written for including in the Feminist Odyssey Blog Carnival, with an emphasis on women in literature.  I immediately thought of my childhood literary heroine, Trixie Belden.  


I was introduced to the world of Trixie Belden when I was eight years old.  My new neighbor and best friend Michelle was a bookworm like me, and she had shelf after shelf of this wonderful series.  She loaned me one book – Trixie Belden and the Black Jacket Mystery, the eighth book in the series.  I was immediately drawn to the title character:  Trixie Belden was a smart, feisty tomboy who always found herself in the midst of adventure.  With the help of her best friend Honey Wheeler, she was not afraid to get right in the middle of whatever problem was afoot.


What a concept:  a female heroine who doesn’t need rescuing.  She’s not the sidekick, she’s not the tagalong, she’s not the girlfriend.    Trixie was a rough and tumble tomboy, not exactly ladylike, but always true to herself.


My best friend and I spent the afternoon in her room reading.  I was hooked.


I brought the book home to my mom, who recognized Trixie immediately.  Unknown to me, the Trixie Belden series was started in the late 1940s, and mom grew up reading Trixie Belden, too.  The following week, she bought me my first two Trixie Belden books.  Over the years we’d go on to amass nearly thirty of the books in the series.  To this day, a number of them still sit on my bookshelves.


These books were completely unlike the other books that shared the preteen section of the bookstore in the 1980s.  Many of my friends were reading the Sweet Valley High books, which were fun reads but the stories focused on boyfriends, on their lives as rich girls, and other things that I just couldn’t relate to.  They read the Babysitters Club, which were fun too, but they also suffered from the same boy-craziness that Sweet Valley did.  Trixie, on the other hand, offered adventure in her own right.  She was intelligent, she was daring, and while she occasionally had a love interest it was never, ever the focal point of any story.  The stories were always about the mystery, and Trixie always led the way in thwarting the typically male, adult “bad guy” of the story.


That’s not to say that the stories weren’t without their faults.  Many of the Trixie Belden books were written at a time when women’s role was in the home, and that is reflected in the division of labor among Trixie and her brothers.  Though incredibly progressive, the books were definitely a product of their era.


Nevertheless, at age 8, Trixie was an incredibly positive role model for me.  Her appeal came not from her clothes, her toys or parents’ wealth.  Her appeal came from her willingness to persevere, to do what most people would tell a fourteen year old girl that she couldn’t do, and her success in doing it all.  If she could do it, why not me?


As the mom of a son, I don’t have to worry about him having positive, fictional male role models to turn to:  books, television, movies, and comics are full of strong, intelligent men.  Even the books aimed at three year olds, at his age group, rarely feature a single, strong female lead.  At best, they show male/female teams, such as the Little Einsteins.  An improvement, but couldn’t we do better?  Shouldn’t he have the experience of an adventure featuring a strong, female lead as well?  When the time comes, I hope that the love of these Trixie Belden books carries on to a third generation, or at least, that he’ll give them a chance someday.


 


 


 
							

	
			

				
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				by  | 				December 24, 2012
							


			
That post where I get all sappy


				

				

Merry Christmas Eve! Or as we call it around here:


Jack’s birthday.


Happy third birthday to my little guy, my “best friend,” my hugger, snuggler, train-loving, Daddy-chasing, hide and go seeking, wild and sweet boy.


We’ll spend Jack’s birthday celebrating a favorite tradition: watching White Christmas together as a family because that is the movie that we were watching when Jack entered the world three years ago. He was born while Bing was singing. What a treasured memory.


I’ve never experience so many smiles, laughs and hugs. Every day is full of something new and beautiful.


I’m so grateful for this wonderful little family of mine.


And, of course, because this post would be incomplete without a few photos, indulge me – won’t you?


Brand new. (And getting all that beautiful hair combed)


On his first birthday


Second birthday (toy-a-palooza!)


And today, we’ll celebrate the big “3.”  Happy birthday, baby boy.


And Merry Christmas, everyone!


Love,


The Monkey Butt Family – Jenn, Dan, Jack, six chickens and one parrot


 
							

	
			

				
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				by  | 				December 17, 2012
							


			
Natural Parents Network:  December 2012 Blog Blitz


				

				

When you visit the NPN’s website you will find articles and posts about Activism, Balance, Consistent Care, Ecological Responsibility, Family Safety, Feeding With Love, Gentle Discipline, Healthy Living, Holistic Health, Natural Learning, Nurturing Touch, Parenting Philosophies, Practical Home Help, Preparing for Parenting, Responding With Sensitivity, Safe Sleep, and so much more!


Today I would like to share some bookmark-worthy posts that highlight several wonderful posts from 20 volunteers with the Natural Parents Network. These posts were featured on the personal blogs of the Natural Parents Network volunteers and are some of the best of 2012.


We hope you enjoy reading these posts as much as we enjoyed writing them. We are always looking for new volunteers so please, contact us if you are interested. Just a few hours per month can help other mamas in a huge way!




Jenn from Monkey Butt Junction




Most Viewed Post: Why I want to Homeschool / Why I Don’t Want to Homeschool

Personal Favorite Post: Hello Mornings

Post I Wish More People Saw: Eating Healthy on the Road


 


Visit Code Name: Mama


Dionna from Code Name: Mama


Most Viewed Post: 32 Natural Remedies for Colds, Congestion, Coughs, and Fevers in Infants (Newborn to 6 Months)

Personal Favorite Post: Crying Does Not Equal Manipulation

Post I Wish More People Saw: Why Nurse A 4 Year Old?


 



Laura from WaldenMommy:Life Behind the Red Front Door


Most viewed post: Ten Reasons to Revoke my Natural Parent Card

Personal Favorite Post: The AP’d Child Speaks Out

The Post I Wish More People Would Read: Having A Child With Special Needs…


 


 


Jennifer from Hybrid Rasta Mama


Most Viewed Post: 333 Uses for Coconut Oil

Personal Favorite Post: You Will Understand When You Are A Mother

Post I Wish More People Saw: Constipation In Children and What You Can Do To Help


 


 


 




Lyndsay from ourfeminist{play}school


Most Viewed Post: Potty Learning the Gentle Way

Personal Favourite Post:Gentle Weaning and Play 

Post I Wish More People Saw: Rape and Attachment Parenting 


 


 


 


Abbie from Farmer’s Daughter


Most Viewed Post: Maple Cinnamon Swirl Bread

Personal Favorite Post: The Birth Story of David Joseph

Post I Wish More People Saw: A Farm of My Own


 


 


 


 


Gretchen from That Mama Gretchen


Most Viewed Post: Crockpot Yogurt

Personal Favorite Post: 100 Days Old

Post I Wish More People Saw: A Fresh Perspective | Jemma’s Beautiful Birth




Christine from African Babies Don’t Cry


Most Viewed Post: I Breastfeed My Toddler For The Nutritional Benefits

Personal Favorite Post: From Full-Time Formula To Exclusively Breastfed

Post I Wish More People Saw: How To Minimise The Chance Of A (Genetically Prone) Child Being Diagnosed With ADHD

 

 


 




Charise from I Thought I Knew Mama


Most Viewed Post: My Misdiagnosed Miscarriage Story

Personal Favorite Post: A Poem for My Baby Girl

Post I Wish More People Saw: How Does Attachment Parenting Foster Independence?


 



Mandy from Living Peacefully with Children


Most Viewed Post: Attachment Parenting: the Renewed Face of Feminism

Personal Favorite Post: Different Rules for Different Families

Post I Wish More People Saw: Introducing: Attachment Parents Get Real!


 




Amy from Me, Mothering, and Making it All Work


Most Viewed Post: Censored at the Beauty School

Personal Favorite Post: Let Them Have the Last Word: Demonstrating Peace For Children

Post I Wish More People Saw: Talents of the Heart


 


 


 


EarthMamasWorld.com


Angela from Earth Mamas World




Most Viewed Post: The No ‘Poo Method: Homemade Shampoo And Conditioner

Personal Favorite Post: It’s Okay…I Actually Enjoy Spending Time With My Kids!

Post I Wish More People Saw: Gentle Discipline And Our Family


 

 

 




Cynthia from The Hippie Housewife


Most Viewed Post: Winding Down at Bedtime: Three calming games

Personal Favorite Post: While the nights are still precious

Post I Wish More People Saw: Those days don’t define you


 

 

 


 Fine and Fair 


Joella from Fine and Fair




Most Viewed Post: Teen Pregnancy: Not Caused by Makeup

Personal Favorite Post:  A Letter to my Son: The First of Many

Post I Wish More People Saw: 25 Lessons for my Children


 


 


 


 


Megan at The Boho Mama


Most Viewed Post: Coconut Oil: Nature’s Baby Magic

Personal Favorite Post: When They’re One

Post I Wish More People Saw: Using Relaxation and Visualization to Support Breast Milk Supply


 


 


 


Julia from A Little Bit of All of It


Most Viewed Post: 10 Things I’d Like New Moms to Know

Personal Favorite Post: My Mother Blessing

Post I Wish More People Saw: Why Should You Wear Your Baby?


 


 



Amy from Anktangle


Most Viewed Post: Growing Sprouted Onions

Personal Favorite Post: Dear Daniel, (On Discipline and Love)

Post I Wish More People Saw: Garden (Time Out) Meditation


 


 

 



 Lauren from Hobo Mama


Most Viewed Post: Where to find cute maternity clothes

Personal Favorite Post: Getting used to having kids

Post I Wish More People Saw: On having two kids & not playing fair

 


 

 


 


Isil from Smiling like Sunshine


Most Viewed Post: DIY Alphabet Boxes

Personal Favorite Post: Children’s Books About Breastfeeding

Post I Wish More People Saw: 7 Tips for Breastfeeding in Public


 



Jorje from Momma Jorje


Most Viewed Post: Family Cloth… Really??

Personal Favorite Post: I did not Birth a Syndrome

Post I Wish More People Saw: “Good Baby”




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				by  | 				December 13, 2012
							


			
Spooky Kids


				

				

I may get some flak for the title of this post, but I think that it sums up the topic nicely:  sometimes kids say really spooky, weird things.  It doesn’t mean they are reaching out to the supernatural or having visions or speaking of some other worldly event – at least, probably not.  They just have different observations about the world based on their limited experiences in it.  And sometimes the resulting comments are spooky.


About a year ago, Jack had his first spooky event.  He had crawled onto my lap and looked at my forehead with great concern.  ”Oh, no.  Mommy.  Broken head.”  And then he kissed my forehead.  I’d try to get an explanation as to what was “broken,” but he’d just offer the same commentary.  I checked myself in the mirror – did I have a cut or a bruise? – but saw nothing.  It was weird the first time.  When he did it again and again over a period of weeks, it got spooky.


For the record, my head is not broken.  Not yet.


We recently had another spooky event.  It was about 3:00 a.m., and Jack asked if he could crawl in bed with us.  I said he could, and he crawled in, situated his pillow, and put his arm around my neck because that’s how he gets comfortable.  Then he sat up and looked over my shoulder.


“Who’s that Mommy?  Up there?”


Well, shit.  That’s scary.


I sat up and turned around.  Nobody there.  My husband was sound asleep.


“Do you mean Daddy?”


“No, up there!”  And he points near the ceiling.  ”He’s dancing!”


If I could type out the look on my face, it would be this:  O_0


“Who?  Where?  What are you seeing?”


“Up there.  Who is that dancing?”


I looked again.  Was something casting a strange shadow?  Was a different light in the room reflecting something he didn’t usually see?


There was nothing.  No dancing man, not that I could see, but nothing that would explain his questions.


He soon drifted back to sleep.  Me, on the other hand?  I was wiiiiiide awake after that, wondering about the dancing man.


What spooky/weird things have your children said?  Did you ever figure out an explanation?


 
							

	
			

				
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				by  | 				December 12, 2012
							


			
Wordless Wednesday:  School Pictures!


				

				

How did it come to this?  How did this, my teeny, tiny little baby -




Turn into a big kid who gets school pictures taken?




And, perhaps more amazingly, what kind of voodoo did they use to get him to look at the camera AND smile?




Not to mention, how did they get him to POSE?  At home, this would have been an hour of “Jack, look here.  Smile.  No, look at the camera.  Over here!  Wait, move your hand.  Okay, keep it there.  Wait, stop.  No.  Okay, now smile!  At the camera, Jack!  Jack, come back here!”  Topped off with a nice glass of wine or two for me.  Child photographers are pretty amazing – it isn’t like Jack was the only 2 year old getting his picture taken that day.  Someone managed to wrangle a whole roomful of these little guys and get them to pose and smile in a way that would make their parents drop $50 on school pictures.


Jack's senior picture, 16 years early


It was worth every penny.




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