That'll wake you up in the morning

About six months ago I decided to start working out every week day ( a miracle ) and at the same time I also discovered that fat burns quicker if you work out on an empty stomach (which has lead me to work out earlier and earlier each day out of hunger).
I started frying two eggs and making a smoothing for myself and the kids after I'd completed my excersise, from there my smoothies have developed into a super food extravaganza and I just get carried away with filling them with goodness.

We are becoming more conscious of the fact that 80% of sickness and disease starts in the gut, so we are trying to give our gut as much healthy bacteria as well as the nutrition it needs keep us healthy. Our aim is to make supplements affordable and the ingredients below are about as cheap as it gets.

Here is my recipe for starting the day.

The obvious Bananna and summer fruits (blueberries, rasberries, stawberries and blackberries)
Then the fun starts.

Raw un-pasterized milk
Followed by Raw un-pasteriezed Yogert (Terra, fancy doing an entry on why raw dairy is so good for us?)
Here's my bit...
"Raw cow’s milk contains all the standard amino acids, which your body does not need to convert into usable form. Raw milk also contains complex proteins called immunoglobulins, which help fight viruses, bacteria and bacterial toxins and may also help relieve asthma symptoms.
Raw milk is a living food it is rich in beneficial bacteria.These bacteria are critical to your health; indeed,beneficial bacteria are so critical to human health that you cannot live without them. These bacteria are responsible for stimulating and training your immune system to function correctly. They also work in conjunction with your immune system to keep pathogenic bacteria at bay. By consuming foods rich in beneficial bacteria – like raw dairy products and naturally fermented foods – you can help to optimize the levels of beneficial bacteria present in your gut. These bacterial allies are destroyed by pasteurization and are absent in pasteurized and UHT milk."

Then come the supplements:

Hemp hearts
'are the Most Concentrated and Best Balanced Source of Proteins, Essential Fats and Vitamins in Nature' (they are also cheap) they are perfect for people/kids who don't like meat but need to get protein into them.

Then, in goes our multi vitamins in the form of Bee Pollen..

'The nutrients found in Bee Pollen are extremely high quality. Not only does bee pollen contain high quality nutrients that can be burned as fuel, it also provides nutrients that are helpful in maintaining and promoting health.
The nutritional makeup of Bee Pollen is extremely broad spectrum. The wide range of nutrients found in Bee Pollen include polyphenols, enzymes, beneficial fatty acids, free amino acids, vitamin complexes, chelated minerals and trace elements. This nutritional diversity makes Bee Pollen an ideal dietary supplement as a complement and boost to a well-rounded diet.'

A squirt or two of Acnachia (for when colds and flu are going around)

And finally good old maple syrup to sweeten it up, we are also in the process of making our own Kefir which will be our acidophilus and probiotics.

'Kefir has many reputed health benefits. It has antibiotic and antifungal properties. It's been used in the treatment of a variety of conditions, including metabolic disorders, atherosclerosis, and allergies, tuberculosis, cancer, poor digestion, candidiasis, osteoporosis, hypertension, HIV and heart disease. You might find it odd that that a drink containing yeasts would be good for treating candidiasis but it has been helpful to many people, both by restoring a better balance to the gut flora and because some elements of the microflora will kill off Candida Albicans. Not all yeasts are harmful.'


humm doesn't look that great...

That's more like it!

And last of all the kids get a syringe full of Kefir yogurt drink to hide the rather horrible taste of black walnut (which will be our best friend this winter) our best defense against sickness (if you buy black walnut make sure it's green in color, that's the most potent form).

'For the relief of runny nose and head colds, Black Walnut Leaf has been used for decades as a popular remedy to help dry up continual sinus discharges in young children and adults. As an effective herbal antiseptic and antibacterial, it combats infection and has been used in Germany for decades to clear sinus infection. Black Walnut Leaf is an antiseptic with antibacterial agents in the essential oil (juglone) that combats infectious micro-organisms and bacterial infection. The large vitamin C content in Black Walnut Leaf is also thought to be responsible for fighting infection.'

By the I've finished that I'm about ready for a nap...
NO SUCH LUCK!

Carrot Ginger Soup

The last few days have coaxed me into a fall mood as temperatures have started dropping during the night and we are waking up to lovely crisp mornings. With this change in season I have begun to crave warmer, wholesome and nourishing foods. I did a quick search on Google to find a yummy blended soup that I, Jobie, and the kids would all appreciate. I found a simple soup that seemed fitting and then did some slight adjustments to my liking. I've added turmeric as it really is a wonder spice, helping to detoxify the liver, balance cholesterol levels, fight allergies, stimulate digestion, boost immunity, and enhances one's complexion :) (http://www.turmeric.co.in/turmeric_ayurvedic_use.htm)

I would say that this soup was a hit and I think all three kids would agree! Here's what you need:

10 carrots
1 onion
2 cups cooked chicken, pulled or diced
4 cups chicken broth (preferably homemade, which I may blog about at a later date)
2 tbs minced ginger
3 bay leaves
3 cloves garlic
1/4 tsp-1 tbsp turmeric
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Chop carrots into medium sized chunks and bring to boil in chicken broth with minced ginger. Boil until carrots are tender. Pour mixture into a blender/food processor.

Chop onion and saute with garlic and turmeric until transparent. Add mixture to blender. Blend until smooth.

Pour blended carrot/onion mixture into a saucepan and add pulled chicken, salt and pepper to desired liking. Stir and simmer for 5-10 minutes. Add more chicken broth if desired.

Serve and enjoy (with fresh bread if desired)!!

I hope this small yummy comfort will warm your bellies and your heart on a cold winter day :) (not that it's winter yet but you know it's a comin'!)

Terra xoxo

Sister 4 Life

A little bit of a delay in my post, but better late than never is what i always say.

I don't even know where to start, but find it an honor to have sisters and despite how life glides by, to feel the love an acceptance from women such as these fills my heart.

I am sitting here trying to think of what would be interesting to write, I have quite a few projects going on in my life currently. For the past 15 years I have worked in some capacity with Canada's Aboriginal Communities, more recently in the past year I have finally started my own company called 'Our imagi'NATION' (www.oination.com) and have written/directed and produced a play called Beneath the Surface about Suicide amongst First Nations Youth. Along with my cast of 8 we have toured throughout BC and more recently have been approached by the School Board to bring it into highschools. I also have a contract in which i run workshops with street youth and am working on a documentary project with them. Needless to say, I have been a really busy girl.

All this work that I do is so humbling, but I have realized too, that my life and my home needs to be in order and priority if I am going to do anything great. This summer the kids and I took up fishing and made it our mission to find the best fishing lakes in our area,.. In all our ventures we only caught one tiny one, but to see the kids faces and their excitement made me realize it really is the simple things in life that matter.

Parenting is such a gift, one I cherish more than anything else that I do, My kids remind me daily of my shortcomings which only drives me to dig deeper within myself to become a healthy woman, one they can look upon as a hero.
It really does suck to be imperfect. Who wants to have flaws, bad habits etc.? After having worked through some of my 'stuff' with my counselor recently, I came to realize that all of that junk that I see and hate, is stuff that has brought me to where I am at now, and all I can do is continue to strive to be the best I can, as a mother, a lover, a prevention worker, writer, singer, actor, director and business owner. So as this fall gently rolls in and this season change is in full swing, I am challenging myself to continue to work towards the 4 Agreements.

agreement 1

Be impeccable with your word - Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.

agreement 2

Don’t take anything personally - Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won’t be the victim of needless suffering.

agreement 3

Don’t make assumptions - Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.

agreement 4

Always do your best - Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse and regret.


With that I will sign off, and start thinking on my next brilliant blog.
So much love to my sisters!!!
XO

flour swap!!

This week has been a dissaster!,knowbody has died, we havn't gone bankrupt, I didn't dye all the whites pink....but by the state of my mood one could be mistaken for thinking all these things had happened. The reason for the dissaster you ask? Well somebody (yet to admit) put the bread flour in the self-raising tin and vis versa...For anyone who knows me, cakes that don't rise and soggy bread is by far worse than bankrupsy. To make things worse I proudly gave some carrot cake to our neighbours who are without a kitchen....when I

tasted them later on they were like bread pudding....OH THE SHAME...
Last night after recovering from the rage of this discovery I simply had to get straight to work in the kitchen and make sure I hadn't lost my touch. I am now the proud owner of a batch of perfect cupcakes..YEAH !
It has got me to thinking. Should something this small have such a big effect on me? I have been questioning over the past year the role as housewife without children at home through the day. I certailny haven't come to any conclusions but one thing I know for sure. This role as housewife is of great importance to me! For as long as there are people to bake for I will be doing it.
What worrry's me most is what happens when there is knowone to bake for? but hey that's years away right? ...gulp, martha x

Terra

Hello, my name is Terra and I am the youngest 'sister' :) I blush a little when I say this because, being a sister-in-law, I feel very fortunate to be asked to join this group. I am an only child and have always longed for a sibling of my very own. Now I have many :) Although I have my own wonderful family, I am truly thankful for this one, and wish they were not so far away!! I have yet to meet Sophie in person and it will still be some time before we are all able to sit down and have a conversation in the same room and this is one of the reasons I am very grateful for this blog.

I am a first time mama to my beautiful daughter Amelia, born at home and in the tub just over a year ago, and motherhood has changed me in ways I could never have imagined. I have found inner strength unbeknownst to me and found a love that continues to take my breath away. I have also learned to function on very limited amounts of sleep and to do most things one-handed. I now also have an immense respect for mothers everywhere, especially those with 5 children (Martha).

My partner in crime, Jobie, is my rock and the love of my life. A true man, he is a hard worker and has the most integrity of anyone I have ever met. He is a fun and caring father and has graciously brought his two children into my life. Raven (10) and Jazmyn (almost 9) are beautiful, thoughtful, amazing children and I am so lucky to have them in my life. Though we may have another child, Amelia is already blessed with two siblings whom she adores. Some days it feels as if we live at the zoo, but it is all worth it to see the love amidst the chaos.

In my pre-motherhood days, I studied sculpture at ACAD and went to music shows. I did a lot of yoga, sang in a couple groups, worked for an airline and managed a stage/art gallery. I currently have less time but still hold similar interests. I have goals to attend more yoga and my focus has shifted to nutrition and holistic healing. I plan to go back to school for holistic nutrition, specializing in pre and post natal nutrition, and take part in various mama/baby projects along the way. I may also take another Reiki course? I am passionate about natural birthing and parenting, holistic lifestyle choices, nutrition + recipes, hiking and trees (love them!), books and bettering myself, FOOD and GOOD WINE!, my kids and anything creative and inspiring: this is what you will find in my blog. I’ve also been resigned to a gluten, egg and almost dairy free diet due to intolerance, so most of my recipes will probably cater to those sensitivities. I joke that I’m a meat eating vegan :) I hope that doesn’t offend anyone! Thanks for reading and have a glorious day!

Breakfast party

My parents hosted a number of Breakfast parties when I was going up and mum would make the most delish cinnamon fritters, for the Breakfast party we hosted this morning I opted for blueberry muffins (my first attempt). Friends each brought a dish and the combination of favors was perfek!
What a lovely way to start the day...

(Abigail)

Why the world needs wine lovers

I need to start by saying that I am not a wine lover, I'm a wannabe wine lover!
I'm envious of people who derive so much pleasure from liquid. Anyone can drink a glass of wine and enjoy it, but someone who is passionate about wine, now that's another story.
So the question is how do you recognize a true wine lover?

A true wine lover will pour some red wine into a wine glass and after taking the smallest sip (no more than a tablespoons worth) they will look like they are about pass out! then after 5 seconds or so they come to and instantly reach for the bottle and start examining the label intently (I have no idea what they are looking for?).

A true wine lover, loves to taste in the company of friends and can spend Literally hours talking exclusively about wine, wine regions, the difference between a Merlot and a Cabernet Sauvignon. They talk about wine that they hope to purchase, wine that they have purchased and the occasion that went with it.
Wine lovers usually love cheese's as well (the smelly sock kind).

I know of wine lovers who have collections of empty bottles that they have saved especially, because when they look at each bottle it reminds them of significant conversations and experiences that accompanied the drinking of the fine grape that was inside.
Above all a true wine lover wants to share the experience and doesn't want to drink alone because it's the connection to a friend that makes the wine richer. They have a generosity of heart, if there was only one bottle of wine left in the world I am almost certain that they would choose to share it rather that drink it alone.

So you may ask why does the world need wine lovers? and here is my argument (I can only talk from my observations)
All the wine lovers I have know have the same quality and that is that they know how to enjoy LIFE. These special people have tapped into the 'essence' of what it means to appreciate the sacred here on earth. They have a deep understanding about the goodness of God.
It's not the wine itself that that matters here, it's the type of person that is a wine lover that is worth examining because these people have something to say, something about the nature of God, they truly know that God is good. How can a God who created wine and smelly cheese not be good?

(Abigail)

Abigail

My name is Abigail and I think I might be the youngest sister (32)? Terra how old are you?
I live in rural New Brunswick with my husband (Joseph) and our two delightful kids (Missy 4 and Dinky 2) we have been living here for 4 years, before that we lived in New Zealand for two years and before that we lived in the UK which is where we are from.

Joseph and I both have adventurous spirits and probably have to work harder at holding back then at pushing ourselves forward, naturally we like the horizons.

I am a full time stay at home Mum and although this job is not easy I wouldn't want anyone else to be doing my it,  having kids has challenged me to the core of my being on an almost daily bases (though I have a feeling that I might actually become a better person because of it.... so watch this space).
On my journey I look foremost of realness. I had an epiphany the other day, I assume that everyone else is being as real and honest as I am trying to be but I've come to the conclusion that many people aren't?
So in the blog I will try to be more real because I appreciate more than anything else realness in others.

You are most likely to see posts from me about my journey in parenting, marriage, friendship and church. I am also likely to share projects I'm working on (often in the realm of home decro and crafts), Social occasions that we host, Nutrition, photography and general chatter.

                            I never would have thought that this would be me.....20 years ago I was looking for love and that was all I wanted. Well I got it in bucket loads!!! Two marriages and five children later. Be careful what you wish for is my warning. You may get your desires but they certainly won't look the same. They will come with lessons and trials. I remember praying that God would make me like him...this should also come with a warning. Life-God-Fate or whatever you believe in will make you grow and stretch and become more than you ever thought possible. I am surrounded by more love than I could have wished for and I hope I am a better person for it.
In one day all five of my children will be in full time education for the first time ever and learning to adapt will stretch me yet again. Excited? No. Im just hoping I don't mess it up cos I certainly have the potential to waste the time or spend our entire monthly budget in one day....
          Hopefully this blog will help me process.....If your lucky I may say something useful!!!

P.S Im Martha by the way!

Sophie

Let me introduce myself. I am sister number one or rather the oldest sister. I hope certain others don't respond with an allergic reaction to that statement, when you're younger its not so cool to brag about being the eldest but I've just realized that when you pass maybe 35 its cooler to be the youngest ;-)

I am proud to have turned 40 in May and celebrated 20 years of marriage to my best friend in life, Rogier, in August. We have 3 boys. My oldest son, Joshua, turned 18 in June and yes I am still in shock. Judah is 16 and Joel 13. We only have teenagers now!! But they were once little'uns, really.

10 years ago they looked like this

Yes I was a young Mum, we started young and are now enjoying the freedom that comes with having teenagers. We have "Little empty nest tasters" as I call them here and there. For instance leaving the boys on the campsite during vacation and going off for the day just the two of us. Its great :-)

Although I have teenagers at home my work is all about pregnancy and babies. While being a full time Mum, I have dabbed in catering (my other passion) for some time and I am now making a career switch and have just qualified as a doula. My business is in it's first year and I have the grand total of two paying clients right now. I spend much time trying to get the word out there and networking. Something that does not come naturally to me.

I grew up my first 18 years in Cornwall in the UK, then lived 19 years in The Netherlands and 3 years in the US in California. I speak fluent Dutch. Someone asked me this summer which culture has influenced me the most in my life, and I realized that the dutch culture weighs as heavily as the UK maybe even more. This is something that I think about quite a lot recently.

Some things you will hear me talk a lot about in my blog posts are:
Life as a Mum of teenage boys.
Pregnancy, birth and babies.
Living (as a local) in The Netherlands.
Maybe a recipe here and there.