LOVE that hurts.

Love that hurts. 

I seriously look at this kid we've created, and my heart literally hurts and is bursting with love. It's so darn corny, but it's a love I've never quite experienced before. It's a feeling of responsibility, wrapped up with pure joy.  It hurts, because you know that someday this pure innocent little man is going to face life's real problems, and it hurts because you know that someday you will have to let go and trust him to make the right decisions, it hurts because this world has so many messed up crazy things going on that you can not control. But the joy... that genuine joy, is what makes that hurt, feel so good. The joy you feel when you look into those big innocent eyes, the joy you feel when your baby learns how to put that puzzle piece in for the first time, or the joy you feel when you watch your toddler build a personality, do things to make someone ELSE laugh, and learn to communicate with you. I can't tell you how proud I was the first time Caleb signed "i love you" and was able to communicate what that little heart of his was feeling. It was the corny... bursting love kind of feeling, that feeling of love that literally hurts. 

Caleb is growing up, and more and more I am left having to make decisions that impact his life in a huge way. Let that sink in, the decisions we make impact our children greatly. If I wake up crabby, yell or treat others poorly, guess what... those baby eyes are watching me, and soon he will copy those behaviors. For instance, our sweet dog Milly... well she's kind of a spaz. We often yell at her to stop barking, use a harsh voice to tell her to shut the heck up when she is barking at the car that's driving by. Well now our little toddler, although its pretty darn cute, walks around, waving his hand, furrowed brows yelling "sta! sta!" telling her to stop barking. We think its cute now, but in a way it does make me think... I am yelling at her, I am teaching him that I don't like her barking so I'm going to handle it by yelling... rather than walking up to her, and helping her calm down and showing caleb the correct way to handle this situation. So instead of waking up crabby on rainy days, or nights you don't get a full night sleep... my sweet husband once told me...make that conscious decision that today you will wake up happy, because you have a life full of blessings and people to love. As women, our moods are often based on our emotions... so if I wake up tired and crabby, that is how my morning will be. But what Adam said made sense, make the conscious decision when you wake up, to make your day great. You control your emotions, which effect those around you, especially our kids.

Now is a time to TEACH. Children are watching. So, NOW is the time to live like Jesus did. Love others, and really put others before yourself. Get down to your baby's level and communicate, interact, and play. And when you are interacting with others, your spouse perhaps... interact with encouragement, love and respect. Because that is where your child will primarily learn how to treat others. If you want your little boy to grow up to be a gentleman, someone who respects and treat others with dignity and grace... then be that person yourself, each and everyday. It's hard, and sure easy to just say... but if you are reading this, then take time today to start. Encourage someone around you. Take time to hug your spouse when you get home and ask how his/her day was. Compliment the cashier at Target or hold the door open for the family walking in the grocery store. It doesn't take much to put a smile on someones face. And because we have a generation to impact... let's impact it for the greater. Let's love so much that it hurts. :)

Blueberry Banana MUFFINS! :)

yum!

I've been looking for a "treat" for Caleb that didn't contain a bunch of preservatives and excess sugar, and soy free of course. When I came across a whole wheat blueberry banana muffin recipe I thought I'd try modifying it to be gluten free. So this recipe can be easily made with whole wheat flour for those of you who don't need to bake gluten free. I used rice flour, and all purpose gluten free flour in it's place.
TRY THESE! :)

Ingredients:

*1 1/2 cups of rice flour

*1/2 cup of all purpose gluten free flour

*1 1/2 tsp baking powder

*1 tsp baking soda

*2 ripened bananas, mashed

*1/2 cup brown sugar

*1/4 cup buttermilk

*1 cup whole milk

*1 egg, lightly beaten

*1/4 cup olive oil

*1 cup frozen blueberries

*1 Tbsp stevia (or you could use organic white sugar)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease mini muffin tins.  In a large bowl mix up the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and brown sugar.  Make a hole by pushing the mixture around to the sides, and add the bananas, buttermilk, milk, egg and olive oil in the center. Fold together, just until combined, being careful of not over mixing. Gently mix in the blueberries with a few stirs. Drop mixture into muffin tins.  Sprinkle the tops of the muffins with some stevia (or sugar). Plop in the oven for 20-25 mins, until golden brown and risen. Let cool, then ENJOY! DELICIOUS! Finally a gluten free baking recipe I didn't ruin. :) 

You can also FREEZE these little treats, and thaw on the counter when you want to eat them. :)

Yield: 24 mini muffins

Clean, allergen free, BROCCOLI SOUP!

Broccoli Soup

Adam is currently following a dairy and sugar free diet, for the month.  On top of his already gluten free, and Caleb's soy free diet, my recipes have gotten a bit more challenging the past few weeks. It has finally warmed up here in MN, but when I made this soup it was snowing out, just a few days ago. :) I was looking for a good comfort, warm the soul, kind of soup and came across a recipe similar to this. I again, made a few modifications and wahlah! A creamy, CLEAN eating, Broccoli and cauliflower based soup. I have to admit, its no creamy cheesy broccoli soup like I used to eat constantly at Panera Bread, but its a good healthy substitute. :)

Ingredients:

1 head of Cauliflower-cut in florets

1 head of Broccoli (or bag of frozen)-cut in florets

2 Tbsp Coconut oil

1 small onion-diced

2-3 tsp of minced garlic

1 can of great northern white beans (any white bean works)

2.5 cups of chicken broth (homemade=best)

1 tsp basil

1 tsp garlic powder

salt and pepper to taste

(optional) parmesan cheese, grated 

Directions:

Place cauliflower florets in a large pot and just barely cover with water. Bring to a boil, then steam an additional 10 minutes. Add the broccoli florets and cook another 3-5 mins until soft. Drain the veggies and set them aside in a separate bowl.  Return pot to the stove and melt the coconut oil over medium heat. Add onions and saute until soft, add garlic and cook an additional few minutes. Add broth, beans, and seasonings. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat. Add broccoli and cauliflower. Use food processor or blender to puree into creamy soup. Season with salt and pepper, and top with cheese if desired.  

ENJOY!