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Monday, December 31, 2012

'12 in 12 Pictures


2012 was a great year and we are truly blessed.   We certainly experienced some challenges, but life is not always meant to be comfortable.  When we are uncomfortable, we are forced to grow and change, right?  I will summarize the high points of 2012 month by month with pictures.

 

January - Packer Playoff Game against the Giants
February - the finish of the 50K Birkebeiner with my brother
March - I took the 2 little ones winter camping at Camp Phillips
April - Easter in Osseo
May - hike to the top of Heaven's Dome
June - I got to meet with Temple Grandin in Washington DC
July - Trip to Valleyfair

 
August - Water fun in Manitowish Waters at Paula and Rick's
 
September - Season Opener at Lambeau Field
 
 
 
 October - first trip to a Badger game for Graham and me
 
 
November - Madonna Concert in St. Paul with my cousin Erinn
 
 
 
December - holiday light show at Bentleyville in Duluth
 
 
 
Wow, what a great 2012 and I had to leave out a Pre-season Packer game, Skyzone (twice), Minnesota State Fair, Motley Crue / Kiss concert, Como Zoo, my first Brewer game, Duluth rock climbing day, Mall of America (twice), tent camping at Lake Minnebelle, Bayfield Berry picking, and many trips to Osseo and Chippewa Falls.    Looks like a lot - but this is over a whole year and I bet if you looked back at your year you've been around too.  It's been fun to take a trip down memory lane.
 
Happy New Year!  Wishing you all well.  What are you doing for New Year's Eve? 
 
Kristin

Sunday, December 30, 2012

Working Out: Gotta' Vent

The Norwegian in me has a really hard time complaining about ANYTHING.  Seriously, if someone says, "it sure is cold outside", I'll say "sure, but it's great to see the sun" or if someone says "it sure gets dark early" I respond with, "only 4 more months until Spring."    Most of the time I can turn any negative into a positive, but I do have a few complaints tonight.


MY LOCAL FITNESS CENTER

My winter workout plan was absolutely perfect - the ideal blend of outdoor activities and some challenging indoor classes but on 01/01/13 the price is doubling.  And if you want to take a shower it is even more.  Granted, there's more included with that increase but doubling the price is just a hard pill to swallow since I can only take a couple of classes a week because of my ski training.  Bummer.  Especially since I was LOVING the classes.  Once I'm done skiing I hope to join up again during the transitional months between skiing and running.


Lifetime Fitness by my sister-in-law
Amazing place and pool for $49 a month
Lucky for me, I have the amazing Birkie trail for only $40 a YEAR


MOM GUILT

When I've been out skiing on my own during our Christmas break I've had extreme guilt and I've cut myself short to rush home to be with the kids.  Every time I've rushed through the door to find them totally engaged in activities and then I'm mad at myself for skipping out on my workout time.  Ever since the kids were in the car accident last year I have a hard time leaving them.  I found a great article about mom guilt:  Mom Guilt - Get Over It.  My favorite quote from the article:   "So many devoted moms think that no matter what they do for their children, it's not enough -- and our culture plays into that insecurity,"    Moving forward, I'm going to remind myself that a happy mom equals happy children.

Skating Again Friday night - how can I NOT feel guilty leaving these cute munchkins (and Graham too)



SERIOUSLY, CAN YOU JUST SAY HEY?

My biggest pet peeve when I'm skiing on the Birkie trail is people who do not say hi back.  Since the trail is almost in my back yard and I know it really well, I feel like a piece of it belongs to me.  Lots of times I'll run into people I know which is always fun, but when I ski past a visitor and they don't say hi back it really bugs me.  I'll give a pass to people under the age of 20, and to those that are clearly giving the trail hell but with everyone else I'd appreciate a little love back.  Hey, life is short - check out your surroundings and say hi. 

If you see us coming down the trail, say hi



THE PLAN

I have a great plan lined up to get me in shape for the Birkie without the use of the gym but I'll share my 50 day Birkie Training plan on my New Year's blog.

Hey, I feel better - I should vent more often.  What's your workout complaint?  Certainly, I can't be the only one with mom guilt?


Thanks for reading,

Kristin

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Clementine Cake

Every Christmas we bake a birthday cake as a fun way to remember why we are celebrating Christmas.  When I saw an interesting clementine cake floating around Facebook (thanks Ellen) I knew it would be our 2012 Christmas cake.  Clementine cake is gluten free, contains only 5 ingredients, it's different (rinds are included) and it's super tasty.    Since clementines are so amazingly delicious right now we've been keeping my Grandma's bowl stocked full.

Clementines in my Grandma's Bowl


CLEMENTINE CAKE
Adapted by recipe from Smitten Kitchen

5 clementines
6 eggs
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar or stevia
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/3 cup pecan pieces (the other recipe called for walnuts)

Boil the clementines for 2 full hours.  Drain and run under cold water.  Then finely chop rind and all or do a rough chop in your blender. 

Preheat oven to 375.  Beat eggs and add in sugar and baking powder.  After mixed well, add in chopped pecans and chopped clementines.  Pour into a round pan covered with parchment paper.  Bake for about 35 to 40 minutes.  Baking time vary depending on size of pan so watch carefully.

I also added a basic glaze frosting on top because I was worried it would be too bitter for the kids.  For the frosting I used 1 1/3 cup powdered sugar and 3 tablespoons of milk.  Slowly add in milk and use more or less until desired consistency.

DELICIOUS!


Clementine Cake on my Grandma's Platter



_________________________________________________________________________


BOXED CAKE MIX

Did you know that boxed cake contains antifreeze (aka proplyene glycol)?  I heard it on 20/20 about a year ago and a quick internet search confirms this report:  Antifreeze is in your cake mix.
While the convenience of a boxed cake mix is great, clearly it's better to take an extra few minutes and make it from scratch.  By the way, antifreeze can also be found in some salad dressings and some low fat ice cream so you might want to check for the ingredient proplyene glycol.


Do you make a cake on Christmas?

Thanks for reading!

Kristin





Sunday, December 23, 2012

Making Lefse

Lefse has always been a part of our traditional family get-togethers but up until last week I'd never been a part of the lefse making fun.  My friend Sue Scheer was on schedule to host our December book club but because of the busyness of the holidays there were only 3 of us in attendance so we had the chance to make some lefse!  Lucky for us, Sue had already peeled 10 pounds of potatoes and processed the dough.

STEP ONE:  Making the dough

STANDARD LEFSE RECIPE:

10 pounds potatoes
1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup whipping cream
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
2 1/2 cups flour

Peel potatoes and then boil until tender.  Run potatoes through a ricer and then add all ingredients except flour.  Once mixed, add flour until dough forms.  Refrigerate for one hour.

Me and Colleen making lefse at Sue's house


STEP 2:  ROLLING OUT


Break off 1/8 inch of dough and roll out on a floured pastry cloth using a rolling pin with a white sock over it - roll until extremely thin.



STEP 3:  COOK

Slide a lefse pastry stick underneath the middle of the dough and lay it out flat on 400 degree griddle.  Brown on each side.



STEP 4:  COVER

Once cooked, place lefse in a white towel that has been washed and dried without dryer sheets or else your lefse will taste like Bounce.     

I will end with some lefse pictured on my Grandma's dishes.  I think she would be proud.  Thank-you Sue!!


Lefse on my Grandma's dishes




And we just got in from a ski - how very Norwegian.  My dad has created some really great trails in and around Osseo, WI.

My Dad, Greta, Me and Gus going out for a ski
 


What traditional food do you make???  Have you been skiing lately?  We are off to go bowling - wish mw luck.  I'm a pretty bad bowler.  Merry Christmas!

Kristin

Saturday, December 22, 2012

Dishwashing Soap and DIY Shampoo

Our dishwasher broke exactly one week ago today.  I wanted to call the repair man but Chad insisted he'd fix it (not yet - but soon).  I'm sensitive to taste (I can taste dish washing liquid on dishes) which lead me to discover a new all-natural dish washing soap which works great.  I've also been making my own organic shampoo which I also love.

DISH WASHING LIQUID

Needless to say, with a busy family of 5 I've done more dishes by hand in the past week than I have in the past year.  My issue with washing dishes by hand is that no matter how many times I rinse I can always taste the dish soap.  When our dishwasher first broke, I poured myself a cup of coffee the next morning and it tasted like dish water.  I tried another cup with the same results, so I knew I needed to try a more natural product so I've been using ULTRA DISHMATE dishwashing soap.  It only has 3 natural ingredients and it doesn't leave that disgusting bitter taste on our your dishes.  It's affordable, sudsy, smells amazing, all natural and works great.  Two thumbs up!

All natural dish soap - works great!



DIY SHAMPOO

I've noticed a lot of shampoos on Pinterest and since I'm always concerned about the nasty chemicals we rub into our scalps and let run down our bodies I decided to give this one a try.    Here's the recipe I used:

1/4 cup coconut milk
1/3 lavender castile soap
1 teaspoon olive oil

Mix and use a small amount each time you wash your hair.

DIY Shampoo



Despite a few injuries (Gus has a goose-egg on the back of his head and a bruise on his face) we had the best time ice skating last night.  We can't wait to go again.

Greta, Me and Gus - yes, he's n the process falling
Graham was at a birthday party


What's your latest DIY project??  Have you been skating lately? 


Thanks for reading,

Kristin

Friday, December 21, 2012

Feeding the Birds

Feeding the birds is SO MUCH FUN and I especially enjoy teaching my kids about the various species of birds, their songs, their migration patterns and personalities.    If you are new to  bird watching, I have some suggestions on how to get started.  As with anything, it's always best to start small (seed feeder with sunflower seed) but if you want to attract the largest varieties of birds you will need a seed feeder, a thistle feeder, suet, and water - that's it.

1.  SEED FEEDER (sunflower seed)

There's a million different seed feeders in the market and tons of different seed mixes and I've gone through a dozen feeders over the course of my bird watching career, but I just use a standard feeder with a shepherds hook on our deck and I find that straight sunflower seed works best.  I like a feeder that holds up to a gallon of seed because right now it's dark when I leave for work and dark when I come home so I only want to fill up the feeder on the weekends.

Chickadee at my feeder


2.  THISTLE FEEDER

If you are interested in attracting finches, I recommend a simple thistle feeder to fill with thistle (nyger) seed.  As I mentioned earlier, I've been through about a dozen seed feeders but I've had this same Droll Yankee finch feeder for about 15 years.  They are really meant to last and they obviously hold up well.  Finches are fun to watch, especially in the Spring when they turn bright amazing colors.

Droll Yankee Finch Feeder
You can see the reflection of our Christmas lights on the window
 
 
Red Poll Finch at our thistle feeder

 

3.  SUET

Birds need suet in the winter time to raise their body temperatures.  I prefer all-natural suet versus the rendered suet (processed).   Suet is also the only bird product that will attract wood peckers and woodpeckers are a BLAST to watch.

Goldfinch eating from my Packer suet snowman
I have several suetballs and suet logs but this snowman is my favorite



4.  WATER

Water is only necessary for birds in the winter months when the lakes, rivers and streams are frozen. Obviously, you will need a heated bird bath so the water doesn't freeze but having water available will attract an even wider variety of birds.

Finches in our bird bath


CHRISTMAS IS FOR THE BIRDS

My kids made some treats for the birds for Christmas.  They took a pine cone, covered it in peanut butter, rolled it in seed, and tied it to a tree.  The birds are loving it!!

Chickadee on peanut butter pine cone




I know you are thinking, "who has time?" but in all reality bird watching really takes limited time.  It's not like we stare at the window waiting for a bird but we stop and notice various birds throughout the day.   For our family, it's another way to connect to nature and to appreciate and respect mother earth.   

Do you feed the birds?  What works for you?   What's your favorite bird?  If you don't partake in bird feeding, hopefully you'll feel inspired to pick up at last a seed feeder and some sunflower seed.

Happy Winter Solstice,

Kristin

Sunday, December 16, 2012

Our Annual Baking Extravagenza

This weekend we enjoyed our annual Christmas baking weekend which means lots of laughs, a big mess, lots of love and lots of cookies.  My dishwasher decided to quite working on Saturday, so my hands are extremely wrinkly from all the dishes.  When my I was complaining Graham said, "mom, it's o.k. - it's just like living in the olden days." 

We distribute our cookies to neighbors and such, which makes it all the more special.  Friday night we made peppermint platters (read about it here peppermint platters) which we are using to deliver all of our goodies.  And the best part of all:  we were able to use my Grandma's old mixer, her rolling pins, bowls and her cutouts.  As we're baking, we really feel like she's with us in spirit and for that we are grateful.

Cooking with Grandma's Equipment
These bowls, rolling pin, mixer and cutouts are over 60 years old


1.   Sugar Cutout Cookies

Here's the recipe I used this year - turned out great:  Cutout and Frosting Recipe

This year I made the frosting a bit thinner (added a little more milk) so the kids could paint decorations on their cookies and it worked it really well for the kids.

Painting on the frosting



2.  Easiest Fudge in the World

INGREDIENTS
3 cups of chocolate chips
1 14 ounce can of sweetened condensed milk
1 tablespoon of vanilla
1/2 teaspoon of salt
4 tablespoons of butter

Combine and melt in microwave for 1 minute.  Stir.  Place in microwave for another minute (or less, don't overcook).  Stir and place in an 8 x 8 pan with parchment paper or add to a small mini pan loaf.  We like the mini-sized fudge that we can easily give away.

Easy Fude on our Peppermint Platter



3.  Almond Bark Pretzels

INGREDIENTS:

1 package of almond bark
1 bag of pretzels
Sprinkles

Microwave almond bark for 1 minute.  Stir.  Microwave for another minute until melted.  Dip pretzels in bark, shake off extra with a fork and place on parchment paper.  
Graham was the master at shaking the excess off the pretzels



4.  Gingerbread Houses

We cheated this year and bought gingerbread kits.  The kids had a lot of fun with this!!

Greta's Gingerbread House


5.  Out-of-this-world Crock pot Hot Cocoa

INGREDIENTS

1 cup whipping cream
5 cups milk
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vanilla

Add to crock pot and cook on low for 2 hours stirring every 1/2 hour.  Garnish with whip cream and candy cane.  Delicious!

White Hot Cocoa


We keep our recipes simple because the baking extravaganza is about the kids actively participating every step of the way as we try and make memories that hopefully last a lifetime.

Do you do any baking?  Someday I hope to make krumkaka, sunbakkels (sic), rosettes and lefse like my grandma used to make with her sisters.

Thanks for reading,

Kristin

Saturday, December 15, 2012

Peppermint Platters and Peppermint Steel Cut Oats

The night before our big baking day, we made some platters made out of peppermint.  Most of our baking we present to our neighbors or friends, so the peppermint platter was perfect.

PEPPERMINT PLATTERS:

1.  Lay out the peppermints in any design you want on top of parchment paper

Greta laying out the Peppermint Platter
We took out my Grandma's old tablecloth

2.  Bake for 10 minutes at 350.


3.  Wait until cool and take off pan - ready to rock.

Peppermint Platter to be used to deliver cookies
We made 5 of them - no one was exactly alike


CHRISTMAS CROCK POT STEEL CUT OATS

With the crushed and leftover peppermints, I added them to my oatmeal in addition to a few peppermint marshmallows.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup dry steel cut oats
2 cups of water

Cook in crock pot on low overnight.  The next day mix in peppermints and marshmallows.  Now I only used slivers of the peppermint and they immediately melted - yum!  Also, I usually add stevia to my oatmeal, but the marshmallows melted and added in the sweetness I need with only 60 extra calories (200 calories total).  I wouldn't do that every day - but for Christmas oatmeal It. Was. Delicious.

Christmas Slow Cooker Steel Cut Oats



We've spent all day baking and we've had such a great time.  Last Thursday we had school programs and tomorrow is their Sunday School program.  Despite the busyness of it all, I love all of these special times with my children.  I am so blessed.

SWELL GAL PEPPERMINT GOODIES

Speaking of blessed: my friend Kristie Weber, owner of Swell Gal Products,  my friend for 30 years and owner of Swell Gal Products sent me a HUGE care package yesterday.  I literally cried with happiness.  This time of year for mom's (ok, maybe just me) consists of a lot of running around, making everything special for the kids, exhaustion, etc. so to receive a gift pack filled with her home-made awesome products made with peppermint (mostly) and love really made my day.  And I know I've said this before, but her products changed my life (eczema gone) and every day when I apply her creme I am grateful. 

Swell Gal Products and Hofer's Goal Milk Soap - LOVE!


What are you grateful for?  Are you baking cookies this year?    Do you have any peppermint inspirations?   Greta worked really hard on all the peppermint patties and she now has an aversion to peppermint which I hope will pass.

Thanks for reading,

Kristin

Friday, December 14, 2012

My New Favorite Websites

I finally checked out three websites that I've been hearing a lot about and now I'm totally hooked.
Not only will these sites enhance your life (in my humble opinion) but they are totally FREE and at least worth checking out.

Here's my 3 new faves:

1.  INSTAGRAM:

Instagram is a free social media application you can use to doctor up your pictures and use like Facebook only without the advertisements.  Instagram is just a simple way to connect with your friends via photos.  I actually resisted Instagram only because when I saw the photo's on Facebook I really did not like that "old fashioned" look but now that I've played around I LOVE IT!!

Gus and Greta - pre-Instagram magic



Gus and Greta Instagram Style
This isn't the best example, but you get the idea


2.  SPOTIFY:

Spotify is another free application/website that is the best virtual radio station ever.  If you are in the mood for "Beautiful Day" by U2 for example, type it in and Spotify will suddenly be playing you the most amazing songs that you forgot you loved.  And it's awesome because my music tastes change daily, hourly or weekly - some days I'm in the mood for Top 40, some days Indie Rock and many days I prefer Metal (somehow I can't shake the '80's).  I've been using internet radio for awhile (iHeart Radio) mainly because I'm partial to KDWB morning show out the Cities, but after that I'm listening to Spotify in my car, at work, and at home.  Check it out - I'll think you'll love it.

My favorite song of all time is Closer to Fine by the Indigo Girls - here's the video if you wish:  Video - Closer to Fine.  I consider this the theme song of my '30's (if you listen to the lyrics - you'll totally get it) and now I'm looking for a new theme song for my '40's - I have some ideas but nothing has stuck yet.

3.  PIC MONKEY

Picmonkey.com is a fun photo editing site.  So, if you have a picture you like but someones eyes or closed, red, or you want to jazz it up with some awesome frames it's SUPER easy.

Gus, Graham and Greta - pre Picmonkey.com


The kids post Picmonkey.com



I'm looking forward to our family Christmas baking day tomorrow.    I have all the ingredients, the recipes, and some ideas and I can't wait!!  I'm planning on making the sugar cutout dough tonight because the longer it sits in the fridge (up to 48 hours) the better it tastes.

What's your favorite website?  Do you have a theme song for your life? 

Thanks for reading,

Kristin

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Kombucha and Apple Cider Vinegar

I've had an expensive 3 year-long daily addiction to GT's kombucha and so I was extremely happy to discover a product with the same affect - apple cider vinegar.   Below you will discover a little about both of these ancient healthy elixirs.


KOMBUCHA

In case you are unfamiliar with my all time favorite beverage let me fill you in.  Kombucha is a fermented tea that leaves you feeling energetic, slightly buzzed, light and clean all at the same time.  Kombucha has 1 billion live cultures so it's an excellent probiotic.   I order it by the case at various health food stores because it's cheaper and by ordering in bulk I'm sure not to run out.  Just like some people reach for a beer when they need to relax, I reach for a kombucha and I rarely go anywhere without an emergency bottle.    If I were sent to a desert island for a year and could only bring one thing, I would bring Green Algae Chia Kombucha and I'm pretty sure I would survive.

Benefits of Kombucha
 
-Detoxifer
-1 billion probiotics
-Prevents cancer
-Improves digestion
-Prevents arthritis, fibromylagia, depression and anxiety
-Boosts immune system and energy levels
-Boosts energy
 
Here's an article outlying all the benefits of my favorite drink:  health benefits of Kombucha
 
 

GT's Kombucha - super health elixir



APPLE CIDER VINEGAR

For about 3 weeks I've been making an apple cider vinegar (ACV) concoction consisting of water, 1 teaspoon of raw unpasteurized organic ACV) and 1 packet of stevia.  Now, if you over-do this you will get a stomach ache so I'd stick to 1 teaspoon at a time.  It's weird but it makes you feel like you just ate a huge meal - you are just not hungry.  Also, I've noticed it has the same detoxifying affect as the kombucha but with an added bonus - my skin just cleared right up.  I've had these hard white bumps on my face since I was 13 and after about 5 days my skin was the clearest it's ever been - and trust me I've tried everything from chemical peels to retin-A.  At first I hated how it tasted (actually, I hated kombucha at first too), but now I actually crave it.  And the other huge advantage is that the cost is minimal - a bottle of Bragg's (which is what I recommend) is less than $4.00 and will last me two months.  A bottle of kombucha is around $4.00 and lasts me about 5 minutes.

Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar
-Boosts energy
-Aides in healthy digestion
-Prevents arthritis
-Helps hiccups and a stuff nose
-Prevents cancer
-Helps lower blood sugar
-Prevents diabetes
-lowers cholesterol
-Clears up the skin
**Actually, I have a 200 page book listing all the benefits of ACV but I'm only on page 75.

Wow, that's some powerful stuff!!  Just a few tips:  start with a teaspoon to 8 ounces of water and add enough stevia so you can stand the taste.  Eventually, you'll be able to use less and less stevia.  One morning I drank about a tablespoon because I was feeling so good and I ended up with a stomach ache so take it easy.


Bragg's Raw Apple Cider Vinegar


Now you probably think I'm weird, but I swear by these healthy drinks and I challenge you to at least try a kombucha.  If you can't take the vinegar taste, add some stevia - you will be amazed at how great you feel immediately following into the next day.  What's your secret healthy elixir drink?    What drink would you bring on a desert island?

Thanks for reading,

Kristin





Sunday, December 9, 2012

Crazy for Curry

In the past few weeks I've tried two new curry recipes that I absolutely LOVE.   Not everyone likes curry, but if you do I have some recipes for you!

Curry has many health benefits including aiding in digestion, boosting immunity, and burning fat but here's a complete list of the benefits of eating curry:  benefits of eating curry.

RECIPE #1

This recipe is so fantastic - I'm actually making my second batch right now.   My mother-in-law bought me some organic lentils from Weaver's (located by Amish country) and I can't believe I've never cooked with them until now - DELICIOUS and healthy.

CURRY LENTIL SOUP

1 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
4 large garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons (or more) curry powder
1 cup lentils
2 1/4 cups (or more) water
2 cups broth
1 15- to 16-ounce can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained, rinsed
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
 
Directions:
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add onion and carrot; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook until onion is translucent, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. Add half of chopped garlic; stir until vegetables are soft but not brown, about 4 minutes longer. Add 2 tablespoons curry powder and red pepper if desired; stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add lentils and 2 cups water and 2 cups of broth, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Increase heat and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer until lentils are tender, about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, puree chickpeas, lemon juice, 1/4 cup water, remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, and remaining garlic in processor.
Add chickpea puree and butter to lentil soup. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and additional curry powder, if desired.

Curry Lentil Soup - Seriously Delicious
Not the best picture - but so, so good
This cast iron pot (thanks Aunt Paula) is the best for making soup.


RECIPE #2

My friend Carolyn Krampe brought this to a potluck after a 1/2 marathon run on my birthday, and I sincerely thought it was the best thing I had ever tasted so I was pretty happy when she shared this delicious recipe.

COCONUT QUINOA CURRY (say that 10 times)
-my friend Carolyn Krampe
Seriously delicious.

Ingredients:


2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium leek
1 small zucchini, winter squash or carrots (I used a Butternut Squash)
2 celery stalks
1 yellow pepper
2 teaspoons curry (I used more probably 3 or 4 teaspoons as I really like the flavor)
2 teaspoons cumin (use a little more if you like)
1/3 cup uncooked quinoa
2 cups water
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup cooked kidney beans
1 cup coconut milk
Fresh parsley or cilantro (I used cilantro)

DIRECTIONS:

Cut vegetables into medium pieces. Heat a heavy bottom soup or casserole pot. Add the olive oil and leek and saute. When the leek is shiny, begin mixing in the remaining vegetables. Mix ground spices into the vegetables. Mix the quinoa wit the vegetables, and then add water, salt, cinnamon, beans, and coconut milk. Cover and simmer until quina drinks up the liquid, and vegetables are soft. Remove the cinnamon stick, garnish with chopped cilantro or parsley. Serves 4




Coconut Quinoa Curry - in my Grandma's Bowl


If you love curry, I hope you'll give these recipes a try.   I'm super excited for my next couple of blogs:  raw apple cider vinegar, tips for feeding the birds, my new favorite websites and do-it-yourself shampoo.

What a great weekend in Northern Wisconsin!  My work Christmas party was SO MUCH FUN (Foxy's in Spooner), we trimmed the Christmas tree and SNOW IS FALLING which makes me extremely happy.  What did you do this weekend?  What's your favorite curry recipe?

Thanks for reading,

Kristin

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Frane's Second Episode of Hoarders

Since I last blogged about my lack of organization and clutter (check out our first episode here), I've been inspired to make a few more changes:  I organized my freezer, worked on Greta's closet and continued to CLEAR OUT THE CLUTTER!  And trust me, there might be more blogs on this topic because I've got a long way to go.

FREEZER

After organizing my fridge, I knew I had to hit the freezer next.  When I went black Friday shopping in the Cities I was able to run into the Container Store to stock up on a system to organize my freezer - what a difference.  Because we have the bottom pull-out freezer EVERYTHING was dumped in a pile and I never knew what I had.  Now I have everything organized in clear Tupperware containers:  meat, frozen fruit, waffles / breakfast foods, and potatoes.  On the top tray I keep miscellaneous items - mostly pizza.

Before - Crazy Unorganized Freezer

Here's a video of the organized freezer:


  



GRETA'S CLOSET

After we turned one side of Greta's closet into the "Homework Hub" we lost a lot of storage space which meant we really needed to organize her clothes and toys.  The biggest help was the purchase of a shoe organizer from The Container store.

Greta's closet - Before



Greta's closet after



I'm picking one area per week to organize and it is working GREAT.  I love the feeling of knowing where I can find things and this little project is LONG overdue.  I'm pretty sure if Hoarder's needed participants I might be a candidate.  What project are you working on?    I should be working on Christmas, but there's time - right?

Thanks for reading,

Kristin