food stuff

raw food...it is a strange but interesting concept for me. i mean, i love raw veggies and fruits, nuts and the like, but i don't always understand why people wish to transform avocado and nuts into a mock chocolate pudding. but, i want to eat healthier, and a friend gave me a cookbook, so i decided to try some raw cooking.
what i made consisted of soaked cashews, maple syrup, dates, salt and water for the "cream" sauce. the chocolate pudding was avocado, cocoa powder, maple syrup, and dates. i just blended the ingredients together, and then layered the pudding and cream sauce into a beautiful parfait. it looked amazing, and the kids all rushed over to try it. their reaction did not give me much hope that jello pudding soon be replaced by raw avocado pudding. however, when i tasted it i thought it was creamy, smooth, and chocolaty. because it was unsweetened cocoa, it was slightly bitter, which i like, but i think the kids did not like it because of the bitterness. s0, maybe i will try again, and use more sweetener...

here is another cool place to look for inspiration; Destination Dinners. MomStart is having a giveaway for a deistnation dinner gift certificate! head on over to MomStart & enter to win! CLICK HERE to enter! (12/28)

advent

the first light of advent
is the light of stones
stones that live in seashells
and crystals and in bones

the second light of advent
is the light of plants
plants that grow up to the sun
and in the breezes dance

the third light of advent
is the light of beasts
beasts that walk upon the earth
the greatest and the least

we have out advent candles out and have been placing appropriate things around it. things we have found on our nature walks, like rocks, crystals, even a crab shell we found on the beach in the summer. the wreath is the plant, representing the second week, and for the third week, we usually place wooden animals around the wreath. i would post a picture, but someone dropped the camera the the lens shattered! oh dear. maybe Santa will notice.

garden mama

there are some beautiful blogs i am into right now, i check them almost everyday for inspiration. here is one, garden mama, that is also offering a beautiful giveaway of rainbow gnomes.

http://www.typepad.com/services/trackback/6a01156f7e3eba970c012876441e83970c

dear santa

dear Santa

i know you are busy, and may not have caught something my son, Elias said earlier this week. i just wanted to report him.

he was not behaving, and i reminded him that you were watching, and here is what he said;

me- Elias, you better be nice, Santa is watching!

E-i don't care, he's not even real

me- don't let him hear you say that

E- mom, he cant hear me, he doesn't care!

me- he just crossed you off his list!

E-mom, i was HORRIBLE last year, and i still got everything i wanted.

OK? did you get it? he was horrible, and you still brought him everything he wanted? no wonder he is doubting ( i say doubting, because he still wrote you a letter) this year, i think you should bring him coal. maybe then he would get the message and stop pouting and crying.

break

dear time,

i would like to ask you to stop moving so fast, especially when i am on holiday. i find it quite annoying and would like to know why, when i am trying so hard to work with you, you work against me.

in the morning, when i am trying to get out of the door on time, you move so fast, no matter how hard i try, i cannot catch you. and when i am at work, you drag on and on, as if you don't care at all about a working moms guilt.

yes guilt. and sadness. i would like to be home with my babies all day, but will settle for what i have, which as you know, is after school, nighttime, and weekends.

you can make those hours longer please.

thank you,

emily