"Mother"

The Chains of Motherhood!

            I was reading a book while I was on vacation that I was kinda enjoying – until I began to see how much this woman-author was putting work above family and how much effort she was putting into excusing it, into making it sound like it was a such a good, wise decision.  She had congratulated herself for focusing on raising her children for the first six or so years of their lives (along with focusing on having an affair to get back at her adulterous husband) before needing to pursue her dreams and professional goals. 

            It was as though she was saying, “See how much I sacrificed for you for those six years!  Be thankful for that much.  Wow!  Six whole years!  Look at what a saint and a dedicated mother I have been.  And now that you are six years old, it’s my turn to take care of me.”  And she left her family to live with the guy she was having an affair with and to build a career.  Because it fulfilled her more than just being a "mother and wife."

            It bothered me deeply to read that.  But what really did it – what made me close the book in disgust and refuse to read anymore - was this line (paraphrased) …

Maturity

 

 

 

Lavender Essential Oil and Tea Tree Oil for Owies, Bug Bites, and General Wellness

            (Auto-correct doesn’t think “owie” is the right spelling.  But I think it’s just fine.)

            By far, the best essential oils for bug bites and general owies are lavender and tea tree oil.  Always keep these on hand to tackle any mystery bump or bite (diluted in carrier oil, of course).

            I became a loyal fan of lavender when I saw a few drops of it heal a red, hot, spreading spider bite on my toddler, a growing skin infection (cellulitis, I believe) from a mosquito bite, and a blood infection that was a black line travelling up someone’s arm from an infected burn.  It only took a couple drops, and all of these things went away completely.  The blood infection vanished within two hours of applying the oil once and the infected bites within two days after applying it a couple times each day.  (This was before I knew to dilute them, though.  I strongly believe in diluting them now so that you don’t become sensitized to them.)

            And my husband had a bad spider bite on his knee that made his knee hot and swollen and red.  We tried various oils on it, but the only one that worked was Tea Tree Oil.  It healed it within a few days.

            If you only ever buy two oils, make it these two. 

Fakey Bacon

            There’s only one thing I never feed my children.  I mean, for the most part we avoid GMOs and artificial this and artificial that.  But the one thing I tell them never to touch is pork.  No ham, no bologna, no sausage, no bacon.  (So who’s thinking “horrible parent” right about now?)

            The only time we eat pig products is when we have marshmallows (gelatin) for s’mores on vacation once a year, when we take vitamins with gelatin (but we try to buy those without gelatin), and when we forget to not eat pie that we didn’t make (many pre-made pie crusts have lard) or bean dips at parties (most people buy the regular refried beans which contains lard). 

            But other than that … no pork!

Moist and Chewy Low-Sugar Chocolate Zucchini Breakfast Cake

            (Say that 5 times fast!)
            I am constantly cutting down the sugar in everything I make.  And yet I do like a nice chocolate cake.  And I also like finding ways to use up the abundance of overgrown zucchini that I get from the garden in the summer.  (From my father-in-law’s garden, that is.  I don’t get enough sun for much summer squash in mine.) 
            So I found a way to combine “low sugar” with zucchini and chocolate … and that’s what this cake is.  A good-for-you cake that we usually eat for breakfast.  (I am not a morning person so I do not cook breakfast in the morning.  But I make cakes like these the night before so we have something quick yet healthy to grab for breakfast.)

Our "Go To" Stove-top Pot Roast

I really suck at cooking beef of any kind, in any way.  But this is my easy, "go to" recipe whenever I get a huge hunk of beef.  (Wow, that sounds a bit inappropriate.).  

This recipe works great with brisket, but less expensive cuts of meat work good too.  You can use tougher cuts because it simmers all day in juice, till it falls apart.  

Today, I am trying top round, but chuck roast works good too.  (I seriously don't know what the difference is between most cuts of meat, other than filet mignon, so I just pick one based on size, shape, and price.  Use whatever cut you prefer.  And I wish I had pictures to post, but our computer isn't working.)

Here's the recipe:

Low-Sugar Zucchini Bread - Three Ways

(Spiced, “Carrot Cake-ish,” or Chocolate Chip)
A "go to" breakfast bread for us!

            I cringe – physically cringe and gag – when there is too much sugar in a recipe. 

            Whenever I make dessert for other people and I try to pour in the called-for amount of sugar (which is usually double what I put in for my family), I physically cannot make my hand pour the whole amount in.  I start to sweat and panic at the thought of too much sugar.  So I always stop short. 

            Personally, the ratio of sugar to flour that I think is perfectly sweet is about 1 cup sugar to 4-5 cups flour, maybe with a spoonful of sugar sprinkled over the top to trick your mind into thinking that it’s sweeter than it actually is. 

            But the recipe that I found for zucchini bread in a cookbook is more than 1 cup sugar to 2 cups flour.  UGH!  So I made this one with less sugar.  I think that the less sugar you have, the more flavor you can actually taste in your food and the better you feel about yourself.

Simple Tomato Salsa - Two Ways

#1  This is one of my favorite ways to use tomatoes from the garden.  You could make a whole meal out of just this with some chips or crackers, some cheese on the side, and some fresh fruit.  It would be great on a really hot day when you don’t want to cook.

            All you do is dice up some tomatoes and garlic cloves and add some rough chopped basil.  If you want, season it with a little salt and pepper and/or a drizzle of olive oil.

            That’s it!  So simple.  (I would say about a clove of garlic and a couple basil leaves per regular-sized tomato.) 

            It’s great on sliced, buttered, toasted French bread or with crackers, tortilla chips, pita chips, or other chips.  (I’m partial to Cracked Pepper and Olive Oil Triscuits.  Oh, so good!)

 

#2  This is almost the same thing, but not quite. 

            Just dice up some tomatoes, garlic, onions (red, if you prefer), and bell peppers (optional), and add a little salt and pepper.  (Use the quantities of each that you like.)  

            A friend made this once as an appetizer, but we experimented by spooning it onto our slices of cooked pizza.  It added so much flavor and pizzazz to an otherwise boring pizza.  And we have never been the same since.  It has revolutionized “pizza night” at our house.  Whenever I don’t make it, my cheese pizza slice looks really sad.  

            These would also be great on tacos, fajitas, or other such food!

Easy Garlic Butter

            Today, I am making garlic butter for my kids who all have colds.  I have one son who cannot swallow a pill or vitamin to save his life.  So one day, I made a ton of this garlic butter for him, and he ate it slathered all over a piece of toast. 

            Garlic helps you fight germs. 

            So this is not only a great butter to serve with dinner (especially on warm, homemade bread or French bread), but it’s also great for when you are not feeling well and need a boost for your immune system. 

            And it couldn’t be easier to make.  (The hardest part is peeling the garlic.)