Mixed Diets & Bean Burgers

So I don't know about you but for me with small kids, trying to keep my house clean and being self employed it can be a huge challenge to eat healthy. It's a constant struggle between wanting to eat healthy and feeling like I have no time. 

I can tell you last week I ate an entire bag of carrots and a bag of radishes with hummus because I kept snacking instead of making a meal. Yes this isn't so bad, and not bad for me, but it left me with cravings because it wasn't a well rounded meal. Then I make the horrible choice to have corn chips or heaven forbid chocolate instead if real food. Tastes great but leaves me feeling sluggish and a little yucky if you know what I mean. I don't even really like chocolate but when I am not getting proper nutrients from my food I crave sugar and junk just like anyone.

So a couple weeks ago I decided no more! Time to get serious. But it's not going to be easy. My husband and my step daughter are standard meat and potatoes kind of people. They will eat salad if I prepare it sure but most of their plate is starch and meat. Me I am the opposite. Almost all veggies, as many raw as I can and beans. I love beans! 

I do like fish and eggs and even some wild game from time to time but I really only like meat once or twice a week and sometimes not at all. I was raised mostly a vegetarian accept when visiting family or friends. So sometimes I feel like I am making two or three different meals for supper. But I am learning. My kids love veggies too, I am grateful for this trust me, but they also love plain noodles and a little of daddy's meat or my beans. Whatever suites their fancy that day. My son is becoming a little more like his father and prefers potatoes now over noodles. 

I do believe more raw veggies are better than meat and dairy but I also refuse to tell my kids they can't have what daddy's having just because I said so. I don't want to encourage them to think less or loose respect for him just because I think a lot of what he eats is unhealthy. So I make a conscious effort to only make little comments like, no that has too much sugar before bed, or, you can have daddy's juice after your done your water. The last one is great because by the time they drink their water there usually isn't much room for daddy's juice ;) I never want to sound like I am putting their father down. To me that is unacceptable. 

When they are older and can understand more I will educate them to the best of my ability. For now I just keep things balanced and during the day feed them as much good food as I can. Teaching by example if you will.

But I digress. The point I was making is I am learning. I keep cooked noodles in the fridge to easily warm up and now I have started combining my meals with my husbands. I offer my main dish as a side dish to his if he's interested. As example I just created a been burger I love that he could eat in lieu of potatoes. But little does he know what's in them ;). I have baked potatoes in the fridge ready for him as back up though. One must be prepared. That way I only have to make a salad tonight and cook his meat. Makes things simple and easier for me.

If you haven't guessed by now I am not for forcing people to eat healthy or food they don't like. I know I will probably at some point have to bribe or talk my kids in to trying foods they don't like but hopefully I can find more creative solutions then forcing them. We will see ;) But as for adults I don't agree in forcing my health beliefs on them any more than forcing my spiritual beliefs on them. I am happy to share my information and knowledge but only if your interested. Otherwise it just creates bad feelings and resentment. I prefer to be an example over being a preacher. 

So in an effort to keep healthy meals handy and easy for me to warm up, for both me and my kids, I was inspired to take a couple different veggie burger recipes and make my own. And yes I compromised and let my daughter have some ketchup with hers ;) You can make your own or buy an organic healthy version of ketchup. But for me I buy what everyone likes as a small compromise. My daughter is a sauce girl and I have come to accept that.

Here is my recipe: 

• 2 1/2 cans of beans (black or kidney recommended) - 540ml/19oz
• 1/2 bell pepper
• 1/2 onion
• 2-3 celery stalks
• Large handful or 2 cups of loosely packed kale or spinach. (I used baby kale in mine)
• Handful of fresh cilantro
• 1 TBS of minced garlic
• 1 cup of cooked quinoa
• 1/2 cup spiced bread crumbs or plain
• 1 1/2 - 2 cups of dry rolled oats (uncooked)
• Braggs soy sauce substitute and spices
• 1 cup of water or some bean water if you cooked yours.

You can always cook your own beans but I didn't have any cooked so I just used the cans. First I used my arm powered food processor to mince up the veggies.

Once everything was the way I liked I put it in a pot with a bit of oil. Use oil of your choice. I just put a little in the pot to stop sticking. You may not even need any. Your choice. Then I put the beans in... I had to do two separate batches myself. They get quite sticky and can take some muscle to whip up. Once I got the this stage I added a tiny bit of water to help me mix it up a little more. 

Once I found the consistency that I felt was right, I put that in the pot too. I added some Bragg's Liquid Soy for taste, and some other spices that I liked. But I have to be honest, between the onion, garlic, cilantro and fresh veggies it smelled amazing so I didn't add much. Just a little Thyme and Turmeric. (Huge fan of Turmeric) 

Then I turned up the heat and added my water. My house smelled awesome by the way. 

Once things got sizzling I added in my Quinoa and Bread Crumbs. I like to make spiced bread crumbs for cooking so they already have basil, oregano, pepper and some other spices in them but plain would be good too. Whatever is your liking really. You can also by a can of Italian Spiced bread crumbs. I use that when I make meatballs for my husband. But if you are trying to avoid gluten maybe just go with some cooked rice or more Quinoa. Haven't tried that yet but it should work. ;) 

I actually have a hard time with wheat and usually try to avoid it because it literally hurts me but I find it in small quantities like this split between 8 burgers it doesn't really hurt me. 

I cooked it for about 20 minutes on medium, stirring constantly. Having small children and not much time, I wanted to cook it fairly quickly, so I turned up my burner as much as I dared with out burning it and just kept stirring. Once it got as thick as I figured it would get, (instead of bubbling it would give me one giant air burst lifting half the goop), I took it off the burner and put it on a cutting board. 

I then added my oats and kept stirring until it was all mixed in well. At this point it may seem still a little goopy for making burgers but I promise as it start to cool you will see it thicken up perfectly. Once again I was a little impatient so I improvised a little to get it onto the cookie sheet to bake. 

I laid out some wax paper and spread the burger batter over it to let it cool. I took a knife and gently separated the batter and then took a spatula (its a little sticky at this point and I didn't feel like being covered in it) and flipped it on to the oiled cookie sheet. Now if you are patient and have time to let it completely cool it is quite easy to form patties by hand, as I found out with the few I was not able to fit on the sheet the first time around. 

I then used my fingers to form them into rounder patties just because ;) This worked great for me. Only issue was the bean batter was a little warm for the wax paper and it would tear a little if I wasn't careful. So don't eat any wax paper by accident. 

I baked them at 400f for about 20-30 minutes. Leave them in a little longer for crunchier outside. Choice is yours. As I said before wheat hurts me so I chose to make a raw, tomato, cucumber, radish, zucchini chutney for my topping. Added a little Bragg's raw apple cider vinegar and a dash of olive oil, yes and some salt ;) to taste.

All in all I would say this was a success for me. 

I recommend that you experiment. I have tried several different veggie burger recipes and this is the first time I have every been really pleased. 

I let go of my fear of it being a total disaster... lets face it, it could have been lol, and just let my imagination and personal experience guide me.

And my kids actually really loved it! YEAH! 

Cheers and I wish you all the best in creating happy healthy meals for yourself and/or your family. Embrace the challenge and run with it. ;)

A Parent's Struggle

So lately I have had some issues with my patience not being a long as I would like it to be. 

Have you ever been out and seen that amazing smiling, well put together mom? She looks so amazing, happy and genuinely in control of her life. When her kids start to fuss and yell out in public she handles it so calmly but firmly never losing that amazing composure. I have honestly thought I have seen it but I am guessing by the time she makes it home that composure is slipping if not gone, if her kids don't let up with the crying and yelling and fussing. 

Kids are not perfect. They have to learn from being an infant and crying to get what they want, to using their words, and then to accept that sometimes they really cant have what they want as their wants and desires grow. This can lead to challenging times. Specially in the toddler stage when communication is just being formed. And sometimes the temper tantrums can last on and off all day. Add a fussy teething baby, a cranky overworked husband, bills, doctors appointments, laundry, messy house, dogs, family obligations etc. etc. and all of a sudden your not sure if you want to get drunk or punch someone ;) (Or is that just me lol)

I have had many days where I go to bed and berate myself for the way I have handled situations with my kids. I try my hardest to be the Mother I described above but it can come at a price if you don't take time to recharge. But there is another challenge, by the time you have time to recharge all you want is comfy jammies, a snuggly bed and absolute silence ;) Well at least I do lol. And for those of us with husbands or life partners there is the other struggle. They need to feel loved by you too. So how do we keep our sh*t together?

What do you do when you reach that point when you feel like everyone wants a piece of you and all of your time is so divided that you have nothing left for yourself? Sometimes our spouses get the short end of the stick (so to speak), and sometimes that is ok as long as they understand, but most times we do. So our tempers get shorter, are moods get messier, and our ability to feel in control crumbles. Some of us even feel depressed because we think we should be able to do it all. Didn't our mothers? What about our Grandmother's (The Leave it to Beaver mom's)? And we compare ourselves to the other mother we believe we saw who looked so perfect. Is it possible, is there a way to be so calm and in control? Perhaps. If I had money for a nanny and could take more time to myself, or if I had money for daycare, or if I had more family close by that didn't have jobs to help me out.  Maybe.

But that isn't my reality. Nor is it for a lot of us. We are not all well off with extra cash. Neither is our family so they are working when we would need them. That is life. So I ask again, what do you do when you reach that point? 

(I love the message in this image, but it's easier said than done.)

Recently my step daughter had something very sad happen to a friend at school. I saw her mood slide into a funk. (She is tween now). To help her get out of the funk I asked her to write me 20 things that made her happy. Could be simple, like eating pancakes, or sleeping in, or maybe just fuzzy slippers. The point of the exercise was to get her to search through her memory and remember the happy times/moments as she wrote them. Thus in theory when she was done she would be smiling. And thankfully it worked :) And then feeling confident because my exercise for her worked, I explained the benefits of helping ourselves be positive and grateful.

Of course two days later I became a hypocrite and got into my own funk after an argument with my spouse. And it got worse once I realized I was a hypocrite. Ever have those moments? You know logically how to fix your problem and really you shouldn't have the problem as you think you know (or did know) the solution but there you are with the issue you where just so busy and confidently preaching about? Hopefully some of you do, because I hate to think I am the only one ;) And when your trying to be that perfect mom there is no room for having a funk right?

I bet your wondering when I am going to bring out the ultimate answer, the easy solution or even a miracle cure right? Why all this babble and no solution. Well I honestly can't answer that for you. Each time I face that struggle, find myself wishing I had handled things differently, or feel like a hypocrite, or should have had more patience it is a little different. I handle it a little different. I learn something new about myself and life almost every time. 

What I can tell you is what I do if I genuinely feel like I messed up. I apologize for my behaviour. Yes even to my 1.5 yr old. I don't care if they don't understand all my words yet, that isn't the point. The point for me, is doing what I feel is right. So if lose my temper or raise my voice I apologize and ask them if they can forgive me. If they did something wrong I explain it was still wrong but I should have handled it better and I am sorry. For me this helps me not feel so down on myself. I have now acknowledged my mistake and taken the first step to fix it. I try my hardest not to mess up again but I know I will. Just like I know my kids will break one of my favourite glasses one day, or draw on my wall or maybe eventually dent my car. But like all long lasting relationships hopefully I will be able to give them the acceptance and forgiveness they now give me. 

I still have days when I feel drained, and I know that will continue from time to time for a little longer while my kids are growing up (or maybe life, who knows). But that is ok. I will figure it out, I will read the mom forums for ideas and motivational blogs/articles/books to lift my spirit. I will take long walks in the woods with and with out my family. It will be ok. I will accept I am going to mess up, I am not going to be perfect but it wont stop me from trying every day. Fight the fight worth fighting right?

And most of all forgive myself... even during those weeks where it feels like the whole week has been a big mess up. I'll take a time out, maybe I will have good cry, whatever I need to do at that moment, it is different every time, but I know it will be ok. But I will never take my kids acceptance or forgiveness for granted. I use it as motivation to try harder. And to not give up on being the best mom I can. Just like they try to make me happy every day. My only answer is love! Just keep on loving yourself and your kids. You will make. I know you can!

Yes We Can Be More Grateful

So it has been a long time since I wrote. Why? Well quite simple really. Life. Moved twice, had another baby, started a home business so I can be a stay at home mom and most importantly I try to dedicate as much time as possible to my ever growing kids.

But I am feeling the need to today. Actually have for a while but every time I find the time, I have been too tired to be honest. My topic today is being grateful. Why? Because it is a daily challenge for me and one I wish to get better at. 

I was nursing my son last night getting ready to put him down for the night and I got some tragic news concerning an old friend. But I will get back to that. 

I was consumed with my problems, I was tired, I still had a mountain of laundry to do, my bathroom sink is still broken and we cannot afford to fix it, I cannot seem to keep my house clean for more that 1/2 an hour before some sort of chaos breaks out again, I had been up since 7am going strong all day with no breaks, cooking, cleaning, kissing owies, scolding bad behaviour, calming tantrums, teaching numbers & colours and trying to get some work done. I was feeling down, unappreciated. I have Osteitis Pubis, which when I walk too much can make my entire back and legs throb and/or ache with stabbing pain. I still had to get back up and do the supper dishes, put laundry down stairs for tomorrow, sweep up the kids mess now that they are sleeping, make sure my husbands lunch was made and my step daughter had her homework done and teeth brushed before bed. I still had some work I needed to do for clients... and in the end if I was lucky to have energy left I really needed a shower. Being a stay at home mom has long long hours and if you are working too it can make for an interesting challenge.

So there I was consumed with these negative thoughts and I heard my phone buzz (I had it on silent so it wouldn't wake my son) and I read the email and everything I was thinking left just like that. Poof .... I had no problems any more. Tears came to my eyes and I couldn't help but shed some. My heart was breaking for my friend. I fight tears now as I write this. I have so much to be grateful for! So so much!

My friends son had just died on that Monday at the age of 22! I cannot express how much my heart hurt for her. There I was being so consumed with my problems I forgot to be grateful for what I had.

So there I was nursing my young son who was cuddled close to me. I still have my son. I am very lucky! (at this point I felt pretty ashamed of my silly not productive, negative thoughts) My 3 year old daughter was sleeping peacefully in her bed. Once again extremely blessed! 

I am lucky enough to have laundry to do when some don't even have a home to clean! My back hurts and my legs hurt but I can still feel them, use them. I am truly blessed! I have food to cook for my family, we can still afford fresh healthy food so I make meals from scratch which creates a lot of dishes sometimes. I so unbelievably lucky! Yes sometimes I feel like I have had no sleep but I get to wake up every morning to my wonderful children and their smiling faces. I am grateful. 

My bathroom sink might be broken but I have one, and running water. I am blessed. My days are long and weeks are busy but it means I have a purpose and I am accomplishing things. I am very grateful. My house is almost always a little messy but it's because my kids are exploring, experimenting and being creative. I am blessed. 

Yes sometimes I feel my husband doesn't acknowledge how much work I do or the effort I put in, or how I try to put the family first. But I am blessed, for when he can he helps me which is his way of saying thank you. He will do the dishes if I am too tired, or he will take the kids outside so I can mop the floor. And he is the best father my kids could ever ask for. I am truly grateful. 

My love goes out to my friend and I cannot fully understand what she is going through as I have never had such a life changing experience happen to me yet. I have had my problems but nothing that compares. 

And please just remember, Be Grateful for what you have, for there is always someone with less, sometimes a lot less. 

Remember the cup is half full after all...