Thankful Thursday: Rock and a Sunrise

I am thankful for so many things... blessings I do not deserve. Today, I am thankful for my hubby. Truly a gift from God.

Rocky, you are rad! ;-)

Let's also throw into the thankful mix: A beautiful sunrise. Hubby and a sunrise. Ahhhh...the sweet life! Okay, I took this while Rock was still sleeping, but hey...two blessings just the same! ;-)

Have a beautiful day and find lots to be thankful for!

Whirlwind Week Recap & Banana Muffin YumYums!

Hello all! It seems like my posts are few and far between. This one is no different. I am so happy, though, that I can take a few moments each day to keep up to date on the fabulous blogs I follow. You all truly inspire me in the kitchen, for sure. I've been trying out lots of new recipes lately (all coming from some wonderful blogs out there). I will post pics and recipes and where I got them soon.

Life here has been super busy!!! It's pretty much been a whirl wind of a week, but a wonderful one at that. This is one of my favorite times of year. This week was obviously 4th of July for us Americans and then...on the 6th, Rocky and I celebrated 7 years of marriage. Since we both had work to do that day on various projects we celebrated it in passing, but will officially celebrate it together on a night without the young sprouts soon.

And...on the 7th our youngest sprout turned 3! Yep, she was born on 7/7/07 and she was three days early. The years have flown by all too quickly. Where's that pause button when you need it,right? Lol.  We will have a small get together with family on the 11th to celebrate!! On the morning of her birthday, I made yummy vegan banana muffins which turned out soooo lovely! Our tastebuds danced!

THREE CANDLE BLOW-OUT

Next time I won't add as much sugar, as the bananas are a great sweetener. Maybe drop the sugar by half next time is what I will do. Here's the recipe: The Best Banana Muffins Ever


FROM VEGWEB.COM
Ingredients (use vegan versions):

    2 tablespoons unsalted vegan soy butter
    2 heaping tablespoons sugar
    1/2 teaspoon of vanilla
    2 very large ripe bananas
    1/2 cup all purpose flour
    1/2 cup dry oats
    1 heaping teaspoon baking powder
    1/2 teaspoon baking soda
    1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
    pinch of salt
    walnuts or carob chips, optional

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Put the butter, sugar, and vanilla extract in a pan on a low heat to melt, then remove and set aside for a few minutes.

Mash the bananas and, in another bowl, measure out the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Don't over mix: just stir a couple of times; you will have a not terribly attractive lumpy sludge, but don't worry about it.

Fill the muffin trays about two-thirds full of mixture. Put in the oven and cook about 25 minutes. Leave in pan for 5 minutes, then remove to wire rack for another 5-10 minutes or until cool.

Enjoy the recipe!! It is really great!!

Serves: 24 mini size or 10 full size

Preparation time: 15 minutes


When these were done in the oven I sprinkled them with chia seeds, as I am chia-seed obsessed. They added a great crunch to the finished goodness! 


Later that evening we headed to Chester Frost Park. This is a very nice place with a nice little beach...the water was so nice and warm.

SAND CASTLE TIME

Rocky tried my raw pasta for the first time...first time I made it so, obviously...first time he tried it. ;-) And YAY...he liked it!! Hmm...the recipe?? It was super easy. I do not currently own a spirlizer YET so I used a carrot peeler and shredded a zucchini squash..topped that with marinara sauce (will soon be homemade sauce once my tomatoes in my garden start coming in and can't wait for that!!). That's it. I will get fancier with it, but I'm was happy as so were the kids and the hubby! 

ABOUT TO EAT

HELLO, RAW PASTA!

Sorry the picture doesn't really show the goodness of the pasta...it was pack and go and no time for a food photo shoot. ;-)

Have you ever made raw pasta? What's your favorite recipe? I'd love to learn new recipes! Please tell Kell..

Sushi, New Additions, Hitchhikers, and Little Feet

Hi! Wow, this post is a bit late..life has been so very busy lately! Must take a breather..

So let's see...well, you might have noticed I changed the name of my blog again. I am a silly girl and naming things can get so fun for me that I just can't stop. It's a gift and a curse? Okay, it's pretty much just silly I know. Maybe I'm done??

We have been really working hard on getting Rocky new clients for his civil engineering business. Check out Rocky's website if you haven't already. Honestly, it is fun working with Rocky on this project. I'm enjoying it! He really is a creative person that is super talented at whatever he chooses to do. His career choice was no exception.

So, needless to say that blogging has taken the back burner for a bit. I will post when I can. I really shouldn't be posting as I have a long list of things I need to be doing RIGHT NOW, but you are worth it. And for my sanity, I must.

Well...for Father's day (yes, this is a bit late) I made Rocky sushi for the first time. He had been asking me for while to make it and I never had. I just so happened to stumble across an awesome recipe for it at The Neverhomemaker blog.  It turned out great, based on my husband's reactions. Yay! I don't think I could ever be a good foodie as I forgot to take a picture of the finished product (shame shame, I know). But, go grab the recipe at the Neverhomemaker site and see pictures of it, too. It was yummy!

Some of the yummy ingredients

                                                              

Mama=Superhero

We have been having a problem with Indian moths lately, and they have been trying to get into all of my grains. They are driving me crazy. They have managed to destroy some rice and dried beans. I wasn't a happy camper. They WILL not mess with my 12 lbs of chia seeds and my lovely oats (which I use so often for VOO and savoury oats)...mason jars to the rescue! Since I can't refrigerate or freeze the chia seeds I am taking extra precautions. So, not only am I putting the chia seeds in the mason jars, but then I am placing them in a plastic bin..paranoid much??? 

I am also being a superhero for my precious maca powder!!

I believe I have the problem under control (that's what you get when you eat naturally, I'm afraid). I discovered that they (indian moths) can hitchhike home with you from the grocery store. So uncool! Always be sure to check your packages of grains and such before leaving the store. Look for little holes as that is a big clue.

Moving on...I LOVE Chaco sandals! Wearing these are kind of like slipping your feet into a cloud...wonderfully confortable! I have high arches and these suit me perfectly! I'd wear them for every occasion if I could. People that know me would agree. So, here in this picture Miss Sunshine is trying on my beloved shoes and I just had to snap a picture..yes, they have been busy working out in the garden with the kids and I, and well...could use a good cleaning.

Look at those precious little piggies!! 

Other news on the homefront....

We have a couple new additions...Little Man saved up enough moolah and bought himself a couple goldfish. He named them Rockstar and Rocket. Seriously. 

Little Man is very thrilled to finally have his fish, though you really can't tell by looking at his face in this shot. 

Little Miss Sunshine looking at Rocket and him...well, looking at her. Kind of looks like it doesn't it?

Any of you ever have a problem with Indian Moths? How did you deal? 

Anyone wear/have worn Chaco sandals? Love them? Hate them?

TELL KELL

My Dreamer's List & Changes to the Munchkins' Rooms..

I am a dreamer. I love to dream. I dream in color. My list is pretty lengthy, in fact, of things that I would like to accomplish before I expire (okay, that just sounds so wrong). It's true,though. I will give you a brief list of some of those dreams I have. In looking at the list I hope it gives you a little better understanding of who I am and how I tick. Okay, so onto the list:

• Successfully home school my children (will take it year by year)*
• Become a personal trainer
• Become a Pilate's Instructor
• Become a Spinning Instructor
• Become a Wellness Coach ( www.wellcoach.com )
• Become a Children's Book Author (at least one book would make me smile)

*I am already a licensed K-8 teacher, but it is different when your students are your own children and you teach from home, at least I think so. I am so excited to stay at home with my babies kids and to teach them! 

Whoa! Just looking at this list can be a bit overwhelming for me!  I must say that I  am thrilled to have dreams, but that I am currently living my dream! I am a wife to an amazing man and together we have two amazing children. I am able to stay at home with them, which is a dream come true! I am so blessed to be able to watch them grow, teach them, feed them healthfully, and of course to bring them closer to God daily. I realize that many mothers do not have this privilege, and I am beyond grateful that I do.
So, I can keeping my eyes focused on pursuing these dreams/goals, but not forgetting or losing sight of the dream I am currently living. I believe that it can be all too easy to plan, plan, plan for the future that you never really take the time to enjoy the present. That would be sad as time has a way of getting away from us quickly.

Anyone else have similar goals? Anyone actively involved with making similar dreams come true? Tell Kell!

So, on to doing something new and exciting with the kids' bedrooms..Well, let me start by saying that my daughter's room has never been completed, in the first place. Sad, I know..she will be three next month and mama still hasn't finished her room (it is currently an unfinished red painted color, and it was obvious that mama relied to heavily on the painter's tape)...pictures aren't needed as my paint job is seriously horrid. Poor girl. So, I owe it to her to make a pretty place for Lady Love to play and sleep. Here is the color scheme I have planned for her (notice how the edges of the paint card appears to be chewed up...hmm, silly girl! ;-)

So, as you can see...I'm going with a bright, cheery Geiko Green color with hotpink accents. Girly, for sure! Lady Love with love it, for sure! I've gotten the "okay approval" from her, rest assured. ;-)

As for Little Man's room makeover...his room, right now, actually is nicely done. If I do say so myself. He loves the outdoors so I brought a bit of the outdoors TO his room. He even wanted flowers to trim the carpet. But, now that he will be turning five he wants to go BLUE. So, blue it will be..

Decisions, decisions!! I have decided to do blue with brown accent color for Little Man's room. He approves!! Right on!

This is what Little Man's room looks like now...at least for awhile until it goes BLUE! The picture doesn't really show it, but here it is a Baby Bee Yellow color.

Okay, so the wall paintings may not be considered "artistically correct", but that doesn't bother me...the Little Man loved it and that's all that mattered. ;-)

Now on to the kitchen...yes, I really need to start photographing more than just my water kefir.. It's just so exciting and new right now. I will post dishes I prepare soon. Don't give up on me. ;-)

The water kefir is doing great and growing quickly...I have already shared some of my grains with my in-laws and now am hoping to share with some friends...this is a picture of the drains being drained (the drained result is what you pour down the hatch).

Here  you can see the liquid portion...the healthy, easy-to-make, and cost effective probiotics that you can drink to health. 

Now, onto some randomness in the kitchen: Rocky made this little stove out of a beer can years ago..this has been well used while camping and backpacking. Doesn't it just explode with awesomeness?? Rocky is always   doing resourceful things like this. I love that man!! 

Anyone else ever make a camping/backpacking stove out of an aluminum can? Any suggestions on my kids room makeovers? Anyone need some water kefir grains?? Mine are happy and growing. I would love to share!

Sea Travel Planning, Kefir Review, and Green Monsters

Hello to all! I hope this past week has found everyone doing great! Did you notice that I changed the title of my blog again?? Yep, I sure did. Honestly, there seems to be lots of spin off on the phrase 'peace love and happiness' on other blogs...so, I chose to change. It was my attempt at setting myself apart in a little way, I suppose. Don't we all try to be unique? It's either that, or well....I'm fickle. Yes, I'm that too (at times, but becoming less fickle as I get older...at least in my opinion) So, I started to analyze how I eat in general. I came to the conclusion that I love plants! I love love love to eat as naturally and clean as possible.So that is where 'Mama Eats Plants' was born. Basically, as I slowly evolve into a better blogger my blog is evolving along with it. I am not scared to change things if they need changing...including the title. Just going with the flow..

My hubby and I are still discussing and coming up with a strategy to make the 'sail around the world' adventure come alive. We have been looking at sailboats. We are leaning towards a Catamaran at this point in time. Check out this awesome couple who up and decided to travel the world www.bumfuzzle.com. I have a feeling you will be truly inspired to set sail and get exploring. We are getting the bug for sure. Oh and also check out another family who is doing a similar adventure http://hackingfamily.com. Wow, there experiences and stories are awesome!!

Image: Arvind Balaraman / FreeDigitalPhotos.net


Come and check out those sites and then let me know if you they spark your sailing curiosity. Bet they will!

Water kefir update!! This week was our first week trying out the new water kefir. It went great. I started the family out small...just a bit every other day to make sure that it agreed with our tummies. No side effects were noted (or no one complained about any anyway). I have now increased us to consuming some homemade probiotic goodness daily. Yay! I can totally live with getting probiotics daily cheaply and easily. I also love the fact that it is a dairy free source! Right on! You seriously have to try this stuff!  Either order some or get some grains from someone else who is doing this!

I will continue to experiment with the water kefir recipe. As of now I have tried using Florida Crystal's natural cane sugar as my sugar base and have used a bit of sucanat or molasses for extra minerals. I am also using spring water (never use tap as the chlorine will kill the grains) and being that the goal is to keep the grains happy, remember this.) ;-) I am keeping the fermentation period to 48 hours...my attempt to keep the alcohol level lower. You can ferment up to five days. 48 hours is working out great for me and my crew! Oh and one other thing to remember is to never use metal with your grains like a metal strainer or metal utensils..always use plastic or glass!! Good to know, right?? ;-)

So how are my kids liking the taste of the kefir? Well, so glad you asked...my daughter loves it plain, as do I. My husband, Rocky (yes, his REAL name) and my son do not. So we come to a happy little compromise and I put it in GREEN MONSTER and it works. If you are unfamiliar with green monsters aka green smoothies, check out the green monster movement site and see this wonderful resource  that  Angela from Oh She Glows blog got started. You won't be disappointed! Lots of yummy recipes found there! Green Smoothies are a great way to pack in lots of fresh fruits and veggies. Yay for nutrient-packed foods!! Gotta love foods that make our insides happy and strong all while making our taste buds sing. Oh yea!

Have you tried water kefir? How about green smoothies? Ever travel the world by boat or maybe tossed the idea around?  I would love to hear from you...please let me know if you've struck gold in any of these avenues! Have a great week!

I've got so much more to say, but will have to wait for next post. Must go for a run, do some push-ups and some ab work...and hubby will need the only (and lonely) computer for work soon,too! (We MUST get a laptop when we are able. My posts will be more frequent at that time I'm hoping.-Yay!) At least for now...I have my once a week posting..that keeps me sane. I would explode if I couldn't share my love of health. Anywho, starting your own business takes time, and I am so proud of Rocky! He is such a talented, hard worker. I admire him greatly! Go check out My Dear Husband's Site...it's coming along nicely! Still trying to come up with a slogan for his business. Any ideas? ;-)

 For breakfast this morning I've got Easy Vegan Overnight Oats waiting for us. My kids love it and so do I! It's a win-win, I tell ya!  I really need to get me some fancy bowls and parfait glasses like Angela (A blog that I love, if you can't already tell).

Peace & Love!

Water Kefir, New Beginnings, & World Travel

Hi! I hope everyone is having a wonderful week! It has been super busy and simply crazy around here.
Well, let's see...let's start with my new healthy project. Last week I ordered some water kefir grains from Erin, The Awesome Water Grains Lady and this week I started my first batch of homemade water kefir. I've got my first batch brewing in a kitchen cabinet as we speak, and I should be able to taste test it tonight as it has been the required 48 hour fermenting time period. Yep, I am excited!!

Are you aware of all the benefits of consuming probiotics (all those friendly bacteria)? I have just recently discovered that about 80% of our immune system is found in our gut. (Unsure of where I came across this awesome information-will post when I find it). With this new found knowledge I decided I would begin my family on some water kefir. I am nervous and excited all at the same time. I realize that fermenting means there is alcohol, so I will be careful of that. To my understanding the amount of alcohol in water kefir is actually quite small and we will start out slooowwwllyyyyyy. Small amounts to start, for sure.

*My first batch of water kefir brew*

Later on, after I get the grains established I will experiment with other recipes.( A nifty little list of recipes was included with my order..yay!) One that I am looking forward to trying is the coconut water kefir. I love coconut water so this one only seems natural!!

Other exciting news of the week: My hubby, who is a Civil Engineer, stepped out onto his own. He is embarking on the journey of starting up his own Civil Engineering firm. This is so exciting as he has been working very hard towards this goal for years. I am so proud of him and know that he will do amazing things.

Go check out my hubby's website. He has done some amazing design work. Let me know what you think!! www.rockychambers.com

Being that we only have one computer (yes, we haven't YET joined the world of laptop owners) my postings will generally only fall on Sundays (this past Sunday didn't happen as we had a birthday party to attend). He is working from home now which is great but interesting all at the same time: trying to keep 2 of our kids (under the age of five) and the other kids I babysit during the week quiet is sometimes challenging. But, God is so good and I know we can do this as he finds clients and eventually gets his own office. I am thankful for babysitting moolah as it is paying for us to eat right now. ;-)


We finished the week off with a bang: with an amazing couple's massage (which we had won at their open house) at Body Mechanics Massage Therapy in Ooltewah, TN. Oh this was an absolutely PERFECT way to end the week. Every tension ache and pain was soothed away. Very relaxing!! Wonderful massage therapists!

We also discussed the possibility of taking a couple of years off (after we make enough during the next two years to pay the house off as well as the student loans) My husband is planning on planting an extensive vineyard and orchard here on our property so, needless to say...I am NOT wanting to sell. So, after all of those biggies are payed off we may just hit the open seas on a sailboat. Hey why not?? As my sweet husband put it, "What better way to teach the kids about geography than to travel the world?" I plan on homeschooling them for a couple of years, so I could just as easily "sea school" them. hahahaha! More to come on the the adventures of sailing around the world to come later. Stay tuned!