Beans and Corn Bread and a Rant

As promised, a couple days late, here is the recipes for the beans and cornbread.  They turned out fantastic!  BTW, the party was a HUGE hit. The kids ran around like mad, and when it was time for a story (Mad Dad set up wood around a red flood light) the kids all sat around the "fire" and helped me read one of their favorite stories.

Baked Beans

3 cups dry pinto beans, soaked (at least 4 hours)

4 cups chopped onions

2 Tbsp olive oil

1.5 - 2 tsp salt

1 Tbsp chili powder

2 tsp cumin

1.5 tsp dry mustard

6 - 8 medium cloves garlic, minced

6 tbsp dry white wine (optional)

6 - 8 tbsp cider vinegar (to taste)

3 - 4 tbsp molasses (to taste)

2 cups grated mild cheese (optional)

lots of black pepper

crushed red pepper, to taste

3 medium sized tart apples, cut into medium sized chunks

4 medium sized ripe tomatoes, chopped

 

place the presoaked beans in a kettle and cover them with plenty of water. bring to a boil, lower to a simmer, partially cover, and cook slowly until tender  (1 1/4- 1 1/2 hours), checking the water level during cooking.  drain off any excess when the beans are done (this can be saved for soup stock).

begin cooking the onions in olive oil in a medium sized skillet.  add salt, chili powder, cumin and mustard, and saute over medium heat for about 8 - 10 minutes.  add garlic, and saute for another 5 minutes or so.  add this saute to the cooked beans, along with all remaining ingredients.

preheat oven to 350.  mix the beans well and transfer to a deep casserole or a 9 x 13 inch baking pan. cover tightly with foil, and bake 1 hour.

Corn Bread

• 2/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 2/3 cups milk
• 2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1. 
     
• 1. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Combine the eggs and milk. Combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with egg mixture.
• • 1. Pour into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking pan. Bake at 400 degrees F for 22-27 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cut into squares; serve warm.

Hope you all enjoy these recipes, we sure did.

Now since my computer id working, how about a little Meditation Monday.  Todays topic, proper clothing for yoga.  Until I started doing yoga regularly, I thought stores that sold their clothing at outrageous prices for a pair of glorified sweatpants were a huge rip off!  My mind has been changed and I believe they are worth every penny of the brand name.  Ultimately I'm cheap, I try not to spend too much on my clothes especially.  I have 3 kids that need a new wardrobe every 3 months it seems.  I do what I can, and there are definitely hand me downs for Chaos and Supernan, from friends, and I try to repurpose what I can, and make stuff when I can.  YaYa does not like the stuff that I make all the time, she is far too "fashion conscious (in her mind)" to wear the uncool stuff that I spend hours working on for her.  Anyways, enough of my rant, with everything else that I have to worry about spending money on, expensive clothes for myself is not high on the list.  However, when it comes to doing yoga, there is something to be said for actual quality.  Like I said, I have 3 kids, I had 3 c-sections, and the mummy tummy to prove it (I try, but it wont go away) and it is particularly uncomfortable when you have to adjust your clothing constantly in a class.  Case in point, last weeks class, in between sun salutations and mountain pose we were not given a breath to adjust, our form or our clothing.  It's not such a pretty site to see my butt hanging out because my "yoga" pants have slipped down and folded under said mummy tummy and are literally hanging at the BOTTOM of my tailbone.  Basically what I am trying to say, is if you are going to invest your time and your body, invest in some proper clothes!  Lol, or might end up like me.

Until tomorrow, enjoy your day, enjoy your family, and happy doing whatever your day brings you.

Computer.Not.Working

Its.Monday.and.I.woke.up.to.my.computer.space.delete.and.tab.buttons.and.capslock.NOTWORKING.WOrking.on.the.problem.today.but.will.not.do.my.regular.post.due.to.the.fact.that.it.would.suck.lemons.Quick.update.I.lost.5.pounds.since.I.started.back.with.my.workout.regimen.YAY!I.beat.my.plateau.See.you.tomorrow.m
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I'm Baaaaccccckkkk!!!!!

Welcome back everyone, or should I say welcome back me.  After a too long hiatus, we are back in full swing in our household.  Kids go back to school today and hubby is back to work and I am back to wondering around my house, wondering how I can organize better, what I can create without having to leave my house, and wondering if I can just go visit all my friends instead.

While we were on our fabulous vaca to see family and friends in Cape Breton, I decide on my New Years resolutions, and I know this is coming a little late, but give me a break I just got back.  Every year, I make and break all of my resolutions, but this year, my # 1 is to NOT BREAK MY NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You heard it here folks, and if I say it out loud, I have to challenge myself to follow through, so thank you for your help in advance.

Resolution #2: Organize my life and house a little bit better, and maybe downsize   on some of the stuff I don't really use (maybe).

Resolution #3: Get back into better shape.  Last year I lost almost 50 lbs, and then I got cocky and lazy.  I had an injury that prevented me from continuing to run, and our towns gym closed down, so I took that as my excuse to slow down on my workouts.  I was ok until the holiday season, when I took it two steps further by just stopping my workouts (short of yoga, which I still do religiously), and over indulging on vaca.  Them east coast donairs and pizzas are hard to turn down.  While I haven't gained much of the weight back, I feel my body falling back into the old body and I don't like it.  So my goal is to get back into shape, not lose weight (too much pressure).

Resolution #4: Stay in touch better with friends and family.  I am a big believer in writing and email  (I do not and will not have Facebook, so I miss out on a lot of correspondence).  But it gets lost on my to do list, and sometimes, months go by without me talking to some people.  So the actual goal is to email or handwrite letters to  friends and family at the very least once every month to keep everyone updated on our family and find out how everyone else is doing.  I would say more than that, but realistically, I don't have that exciting of a life that I need to tell everyone what happens everyday.

Thats it, my Meditation Monday is dedicated to my resolutions, and to welcome me and you back.  My week will continue as normal after today, although, seeing as how we just got home, I'm not sure what kind of tut I am going to do.  I will get all my pics uploaded and edited and put up for Fotography Friday.

Until tomorrow, enjoy your life, enjoy your kids and take a deep breath, it will be the best thing you do today.

Why I Need To Meditate....... And Other Truths

As I do my last meditation post for a month, I realize that I have been looking forward to this for the last week.  I never realized exactly how stressful it would be to plan a month long vaca, while remembering that half of the trip is driving, with 3 kids, so I need to plan things to do, for a 5000 km drive.  All while planning Christmas, making Christmas presents, hiding presents from my kids.  And then...... I have everyday life!  Hockey 3 times a week, and I am the team manager, so I had to schedule all of that.  The kids have school, and I volunteered for a few things with them.  Oh and my weekend went like this........ Sat night, up with Supernan as he threw up a carpet in my bathroom, clean.  Up with Supernan as he sat in the bathroom for over an hour, bleach the bathroom, and all the doorknobs.  Up with YaYa as she threw up all day, do laundry from the kids throwing up all over their beds, bleach the house.  Up with Mad Dad as he threw up all night last night.  Chaos had it earlier this week, so at least he was good.  But the kids have their Christmas concert tomorrow night, and seeing as how it has run through the house to everyone but me, I fully expect to get it tomorrow (I have only seen 2 of YaYas Christmas concerts, she is in grade 6, because someone is always sick on that day).

So my plan this morning is to take advantage of some silence, relax with a coffee and reflect on December and all it has to offer.  I am thankful for what we have the opportunity to do for Christmas, and thankful for what we have here.  My moment of peace today will be when I think of that.  During my yoga, during my reflection, I will not be stressed out, if only for a moment.  I will take the time to smell the roses snow (LOL to all those whose live in the wintery north).

Until the last post tomorrow, when you get the BEST RECIPE EVER, enjoy your day, and enjoy your family, and enjoy the holiday season.

Merry Christmas!

Hurry Up, Slow Down and Enjoy the......... Everything!

Good Morning!!!!!!  I am finally in a state where I have realized that I need to Slow Down and Enjoy the holiday.  I am holiday girl.  Whether it be Christmas, Easter, Halloween, etc.  I love them all.  I love what they symbolize, I love the decorations and how people are generally in better spirits at that time.  It's Fabulous!!!

But it's also a time when people put a lot of pressure on themselves, myself included.  The need to have the perfect gifts, homes, decorations and baking, and a time limit.  Thats where today's Meditation Monday tip comes in.

STOP!!!! Whatever it is that you're doing and take 5 DEEP breaths.  Inhale through your nose and engage your tongue and throat, making your tongue soft against the back of your throat, to get the best of it, inhale as deep as you can, and exhale sloooooowly.  Take a second to look around you and see what's going on, see what your missing.  Enjoy the kids, the snow, the neighbors lights, or even the people, sights and sounds at your local mall.  Where ever you are and you need it, do it.  You don't want to miss out.

Until tomorrow, enjoy your day, enjoy your family and happy breathing!

Gratitude and an Apology

Hi everyone out there in blogland.  It has been a whirlwind weekend for for me and I owe you all an apology, as I am sure that you were all waiting for a fabulous recipe for the weekend.  I do have a few legitimate excuses though.  Number 1, we have been having troubles with our internet losing service on and off, it was off on sat.  Number 2, Mad Chads Christmas party was on Sat night, and quite frankly, it took me 7 hours to preen myself in order to be ready.  Not that conceited, but I did have laundry to do and dishes and everything in between.

And we also had the pleasure of going to the 98th Grey Cup on Sunday night.  AWESOME!!!!! Unfortunately my team lost again, but it was well worth freezing my butt off to go.

On to the post of the day, for Meditation Monday.  I am going to take an exert right from the Yoga Journal Magazine.  I really enjoy reading the magazine and the emails that come through.  It has some very helpful hints and tips for yoga positions and meditation.  Please check it out and let me know what you think of the magazines website.  Until you have a chance to check it out, I hope you enjoy this exert.  As the holiday season is upon us this rings very true.

Cultivating gratitude is less an act of creating something that 

isn't there and more of a practice of realizing what is. It's about 

reminding yourself of the miracles embedded in every second

 of every day—from the largest blessings to the smallest 

moments. By practicing shifting your attention to what is real 

(and not clinging to an idea of what you think should happen),

 you become more appreciative of even the most mundane 

moments in life, and for the richness all around.

As for the recipe that I promised you, it's not one that will feed the family a whole meal, but I can guarantee that everyone in the family will enjoy it as will all of your holiday guests.

5 Minute Fudge

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup (160 ml) evaporated milk
• 1 1/2 cups (375 ml) sugar
• 1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) salt
• 1 1/4 cups (310 ml) Epicure’s Dark Belgian Chocolate
• 16 marshmallows
• 1 tsp (5 ml) Epicure’s Vanilla Extract
• 1/2 cup (125 ml) chopped walnuts

Instructions

1. Combine milk, sugar and salt in Epicure’s Eclipse® Coated Professional Frying Pan. Bring to a boil. Cook for 5 minutes over medium heat, stirring frequently.
2. Remove from heat and stir in remaining ingredients until evenly mixed. Pour into a well-buttered or foil-lined 8" or 9" (20 cm or 23 cm) square pan and smooth over top. Refrigerate until set, and cut into 12 squares.

I have added different flavoring as opposed to vanilla and it is fantastic with a different flavor.

Hope you all enjoy todays post.  Hope the fudge works well for you and that you get a chance to experiment with different flavors.  

Enjoy your day, enjoy your family and see you all here tomorrow, I will have a tutorial ready for you, as I am making toques and mitts for the giving tree at school.

My Christmas Miracle and A New Way to Ohm

First of all, I'm gonna start my Monday, I'm sure jinxing myself, but it needs to be said.  Yesterday was family day.  Yesterday was also 3T's baby's birthday.  Little dude turned 2.  Now here is where it gets complicated.  I'm sure all of you mothers, at one point or another, have had your children "show off".  Not just singing and dancing, but put on their best show...... because you won't chastise  them in public (or so they think).  My 3 do just that, on a regular basis.  That being said, it's usually worse around certain people, not their fault, my kids just think that they need to be the center of EVERYONE'S universe.  (They are of mine, of course)  Yesterday though, something magical happened.  Some sort of Christmas miracle.  My kids........... listened (knock on wood that they can do it again in the future).  I don't just mean that they listened, but they played nicely with all the other children, they did not stand at the snack tables blocking everyones entry like a goalie up against Sid the Kid, they used their manners (even Chaos, who refuses to talk to anyone but me and Mad Chad), they did not rip into the presents or the cake, and absolutely nothing embarrassing came from their glorious little mouths.  Like I said, a Christmas miracle.  Thank you.

I would like to give you some infinite wisdom for Meditation Monday, but I really am still in shock from yesterday, lol.  So you get just plain ol' meditation ranting.
I really think that I have found my calling, my ohm so to speak.  For those of you who read my blog, if  you think waaaaaaaaayyyyyyy back to the first Meditation Monday, you will recall that I don't ohm.  Really I don't.  But I found my actual ohm zone.  Yogalates!  I am not some sort of crazed fitness junkie, or someone who is going to tell you 100 different ways to stay in shape, or live longer or lose weight (although this is fantastic for toning, lol).  But in my recent Yogafit class, a toned down version of yogalates, it came to me.  This is what I want to do, when I am happy, I want to go into a warrior pose and do the yoga version of 100's from there.  When I am angry, I want to go in a warrior pose, and do the yoga version of 100's from there.  And I want to do it all while listening to some classic '90's music.  I'm talkin Blue Rodeo, Michael Bolton, Roxette, Take That (Robbie Williams, oh yeah) and of course Jon Bon.  I really am being serious .  I found peace in that class and I did not want to leave.  So I guess my next step is loading up the ol IPod and givin' er.

I'm gonna give this question of the week thing 1 more try, maybe someone will answer me this week, or not.  But here goes anyways:

How do you find your peace? Not just to cool down, but in life.

Until tomorrow (be prepared for a challenge), ohm your way to happiness, however that may be. And enjoy your day.

5:30 am and a Question

I am seriously starting to wonder if 5:30 am is the only time I can align my chakra. I woke up this morning, to a VERY LOUD alarm clock (not realizing that I forgot to turn my phone down after a trip to the mall yesterday), and I got up with the hope that I could do some yoga, a quick workout, cut out a pattern or 2, and then get the day started for everyone else.  Normally I would have plenty of time to accomplish this, but having given myself a christmas sewing schedule, you know that this was not going to happen.

5:33, Supernan gets up, quietly, but no matter how quiet, chaos would inevitably hear him and get up also, and just from the sheer loudness of the house that early in the morning, YaYa had to get up too.

6:30, having fed everyone and lunches almost   prepared, I concede.

Yoga for everyone!

Not surprisingly, this is a favorite pastime for my children, and definitely the way I have managed to reduce injury drama in our household.  They are however missing the quiet part that I have come to enjoy.

So again, I concede, and throw on some music, not the serene sounds one would expect to hear from a yogic experience, but some good old fashioned rock and roll. Yes, rock and roll.  And you know what, they were quiet, sort of and we had a nice family yoga session. (minus the jungle gym that I became 5 min later)

Who knew that Guns and Roses was all it took to have a quiet experience.

Question of the week:

How do you feel about music during your yogic, meditation, or ohm experiences?
And what kind do you prefer?

I Don't Ohm

In the small town that I live in, I don't have the opportunity to take a daily yoga class.  I also am unable to drive to one, as it would take up half my day at least.  So alas, I am left to fend for the relaxation on my own.  I am currently in a small class, offered once a week, for 8 weeks.  It's something.  I have 3 children, trying at times, and taking care of a house and a husband and a family and ............ I am not complaining, I am merely stating what we all go through, eventually in our lives.  I am busy, I enjoy it, bit sometimes I need a break.

Enter the no ohm.  I feel ridiculous if the thought enters my mind.  I think of some yogi sitting in a diaper on a mountain top with birds flying around and nature sitting and watching.  I am not knocking those who do ohm, I just can't.  So I need to find different ways to relax my mind.  Everyone needs a break from reality sometime.

I do daily yoga (almost daily when time or children allow), and I craft.  I sew, I paper craft, I paint, I come up with household decor changing ideas.  That is my ohm.  I get into a zone and all thoughts of stress disappear, unless of course I have procrastinated for so long that I am behind on a project, lol, which can happen, a lot.  (I have crafters ADD, so I have a tendency to get distracted a bit)

I also run, when I get a chance.  Being out in nature, or on a treadmill, listening to my heart pound, feeling my breath.  I enjoy the long distance hall, and the feeling i get when the wind, or a/c, blows past my face.  And in that moment I am at peace, no thoughts of dirty diapers, dishes, laundry or anything that could put me down or stress me out.

I will try to come out with other ideas for relaxation, perhaps some yoga tips (I would like to teach eventually).  I would also like to have ideas from everyone else that I could post.

This weeks challenge:  Do you OHM? or share some ideas for how you relax.

See you all tomorrow for my first craft tutorial. (Don't get your hopes up that it's gonna be spectacular though, crafters ADD remember)

Relax and Enjoy your day!

mama cash