Qi (chee) on this.

It’s time to update you about my long-time health drama.  I have had a sour stomach most of life.  Just before I chose to stay at home,  it completely whomped me.  Throat, esophagus, stomach.  Likely stress-missed meals-stress-missed sleep-stress- induced….numerous doctors, tests, meds and diagnoses culminated into one thing – not solving my problem.  Finally, I quit what doctors told me to do.  I stopped all medication.  I changed the way I ate, in an effort to eliminate “pain” foods.  I loyally attended yoga (stress reduction/better circulation) and even started acupuncture sessions.  I wanted to fix myself – naturally.

*Enter new alternative medicine doctor.*

WOW.  Her therapies literally swept pain out of my body.  I FELT it.  And in the process of treatment, she coached me about lifestyle and diet.  She described me as an ‘earth’ body (whaa?) and someone who deals with spleen Qi deficiency.

Okay…..

I researched it.  I was shocked, to say the least, to find case after case about people with the same issues and a common theme for resolving the problem:  diet.  Over and over again….all of my crazy symptoms didn’t seem so crazy.  Was it possible that there was something to it?  After all, Chinese medicine has been around for a heckuva lot longer than western medicine.  There must be something to it.

According to literature, I am eating all the wrong things.  My favorite foods essentially ‘weaken’ my spleen Qi.  (stay with me).  Instead, I need to drop the last of my dairy intake.  Wheat is out.  Refined sugar.  High carb fruits- gone.  Uncooked veggies.  Cold food (ice cream!), soy, greasy food, bananas and anything unnatural -moot.  Instead, my new diet is rich in other grains, cooked beans, garlic, baked root veggies, mushrooms, some red meat, basil and various strong spices.

And here I am.

My first efforts at cooking this food introduced me to TarteletteBlog’s version of Butternut Squash and Coconut Milk Rice.  I found it on Pinterest, which continues to be an awesome source of information and inspiration.  After tweaking it to meet my needs, it was awesome and substantial enough to leave me fulfilled.  Better yet, my husband liked it.  Best yet, it’s a great way to incorporate one of my favorite veggies:  butternut squash!

Butternut Squash =

Butternut Squash and Coconut Milk Rice by TarteletteBlog

So far, I don’t feel better….or worse.  But I just had that surgery….AND I admit I cheat here or there.  After all, life is too short to absolutely cut out chocolate (dark please) and frozen desserts (hello, ice cream).  I just need to incorporate loads of the ‘good’ foods, until I can feel fulfilled by those means.  Sigh.  I’ll let you know how it goes.

Before I go, guess what?  I’m in the process of updating my NEW blog title and site.  Talking about work-to-home is limiting and frankly, it doesn’t fully express what I’m about.  Change is refreshing.

Til’ then,

~Edhead

Fun! My Friend’s Giveaway…

My incredibly talented friend is having a giveaway today!  Don’t miss it.  Visit her blog:  Gilda knits and knits and knits and enter to win!  I’m throwing my hat in the ring!  =)

Until next time,

EdHeads-

Love is in the Air

and POOF!  I’m back in the blogosphere.  Happy Valentine’s Day!  I’ve been laying around my house because of my hernia surgery 2 weeks ago.  This down time is frustrating.  Luckily, I also caught a bug - Pinterest !  I have been “pinning” and sharing a wealth of inspiration with friends…all pulled from the internet.  What a perfect organizing tool.  All of my decorating/recipe/inspirational thoughts are quickly filed, so my brain has room for creative thinking.  LOVE it.

Despite doctor’s orders…I couldn’t stop myself from moving at least some of this time.  It’s amazing how pain killers can make you feel productive LOL!

First family movie night, featuring Free Willy 2.  The husband and oldest son where off to see a basketball game…or the movie might have changed.

Movie Snack and yes, I hit up pretzel M&M clearance after Christmas

Inspired by Valentine’s Day and a belly full of M&Ms, I launched a crafty project.  It was so fun and easy!  Thanks to the inspiration weibo.com/wodiy, the entire project took about 30 minutes.  You can see the original instructions here, but you can also enjoy our pics below.  The felt I bought was a little flimsy, so I incorporated a bead between hearts – double strung - so that the bead helped hold the hearts in place on string.  I plan to use it for classroom decorations today.

Grab your favorite felt rectangle.

Fold it in half and sew 1/4" seam down folded side.

Open your felt like a book.

Now fold the opposite way from the first fold. Sew another 1/4" seam down the length of the open seam.

Repeat.

Now flatten your heart and cut it into 1 to 2" strips. It doesn't have to be exact.

Ta-Dah!

Cut a length of thread (we used about 5 feet). Thread a sewing needle and push through your heart.

Keep threading in any pattern you like. It will look something like this. (Those are tiny beads between hearts.)

Fun!

While my daughter and I were being crafty, we also made some delicious whole wheat bread.  Mmmmmmm!

Bubbly goodness.

= Tummy Goodness!

See how uneven the tops are?  If I had taken the time to shape the dough nicely, these would have baked up a little prettier.  But the taste of homemade bread makes you forget about that.  Mmmmm…

Here’s our recipe, courtesy of my favorite recipe website, AllRecipes.com:

Ingredients:

3 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45

degrees C)

2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast

1/3 cup honey

5 cups bread flour

3 tablespoons butter, melted

1/3 cup honey

1 tablespoon salt

3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

2 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions:

Step One

In a large bowl, mix warm water, yeast, and 1/3 cup honey.  Add 5 cups white bread flour, and stir to combine.  Let set for 30 minutes, or until big and bubbly.

Step Two

Mix in 3 tablespoons melted butter, 1/3 cup honey, and salt.  Stir in 2 cups whole wheat flour.  Flour a flat surface and knead with whole wheat flour until not real sticky – just pulling away from the counter, but still sticky to touch.  This may take an additional 2 to 4 cups of whole wheat flour.  Place in a greased bowl, turning once to coat the surface of the dough.  Cover with a dishtowel.  Let rise in a warm place until doubled.

Step Three

Punch down, and divide into 3 loaves.  Place in greased 9 x 5 inch loaf pans, and allow to rise until dough has topped the pans by one inch.

Step Four

Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 25 to 30 minutes; do not overbake.  Lightly brush the tops of loaves with 2 tablespoons melted butter or margarine when done to prevent crust from getting hard.  Cool completely.  Slice and enjoy!  We ate ours with South Dakota honey.

I am going to try really, really hard to share more Edhead thoughts in 2012.  I am very inspired by all of my creative friends.  Stay tuned!

-Edhead

Oatmeal

I have a very distinct memory of my grandpa and his habit of eating hot oatmeal for breakfast.  One morning, he ushered me forward until we both leaned over the hot steam of favorite porridge on the table in front of him.

“There’s only one way to eat oatmeal,” he said with a twinkle in his eye.  “First, you add the butter.  Then, brown sugar and plenty of it.  Wait…while it melts a bit.  And the best part of it all is to add just the right amount of milk…until it swirls. ”

I watched with intense delight as the milk tugged at the pool of sugary cream in the middle of his bowl.  It did look perfect.  My grandpa was perfect, in my young mind.  I tucked that ‘important’ moment away and I ate oatmeal just like that for the next 25 years of my life.

Now here I am in present day, consuming oatmeal void of sugar or fat.  Nuts and fruit are “ideal.”  Because I’m worried about health?  Maybe.  My grandpa died of a sudden heart attack just a few years later.  More so, I know it’s the best power breakfast for the ‘on the move’ mom.  That’s what the experts tell me.  I admit to my own sort of mechanical bandwagon when it comes to eating.  If They tell me, I will generally alter my food intake the same day.  Then, I move onto my kids.  Obsessing about anything they eat outside of my presence has been a passion of mine, but not so much this year.  School lunches have improved.  I don’t stop breathing when my son eats cheesy bread once a month.  I let my sons drink pop every so often.  Why?  Because I happily drank from my grandparent’s stash of glass-bottled grape soda growing up.  I sneak my dark chocolate.  I have been known to claim dessert as my one and only meal item.  I never suffered from cavities until I was 35 (and then only two).  I don’t struggle with my weight, despite my social grumps and groans.

You could say I appreciate the taste and essence of food more than ever.  More often than not, my oatmeal must be served plain.  The nuts and fruit are reserved for my ‘rebellious’ moments.  I often eat a bowl of plain Cheerios when I’m not eating oatmeal.  Water, instead of milk or juice.  Crispy toast and an array of vegetables.  Little snacks all day long.  I do fit the other stuff in – minus the guaranteed pain culprits (spice, acid or fried).  But, I pay…and unfortunately, payment terms are often 10 days to a month.  The experts tell me it’s a nerve disorder.  I think the experts have left me to tread water on my own.  I don’t believe they want to acknowledge that the medicine they told me to take for over a decade was incorrectly prescribed.  They don’t want to admit that the long-term side effects may have permanently impacted me, worsening a less intense condition.  They particularly don’t want to admit that they just don’t know.

I know I sound bitter, but I’m not.  You could say I’m complaining, but I’m not.  I’m just trying to make do with what I have …and I do become a little bit desperate when the nerves go South.  Them’s the facts.  I can only make the best of it.  So, tonight….I decided that oatmeal, Cheerios or toast just wouldn’t do.  I whipped up my version of comfort food:  cornmeal mush.  There’s only one way to eat it.  First, you add the butter.  Then, brown sugar and plenty of it.  Wait…while it melts a bit.  And the best part of it all is to add just the right amount of milk…but that’s really out of the question now.  So I added more sugar.  Rebellious.  Perfect.

Happy birthday, Grandpa.  I miss you.  I hope you have oatmeal where you are.

Less is more.

Yesterday, I spent a whopping 4 hours putzing in my kitchen and dining room.  Putzing, then tweaking.  Tweaking, then cleaning.  Cleaning turned into an all out offensive attack on any can, jar, box, appliance, dish or linen that failed to make my heart warm and fuzzy.  My results:  2 boxes full of donations (courtesy of still unused wedding gifts)….one huge garbage bag stuffed with, well, garbage…and much more order in space.  Getting rid of the stuff did make me feel like a cold-hearted B, but the act of keeping only what I use and LOVE felt good.  Really good.  Less was more.

In the process of doing all of this, I wore S.P.A.N.D.E.X yoga pants.  Yup, I did.  Why bring this up, you ask?  My spandex is starting to feel TOO BIG (woot woot!)  I am down 18lbs and a couple of inches on the waist and hips.  Partly from health issues last spring.  Partly from my new life-diet void of dairy and white flour.  Mainly, I exercise.

I’ve lost significant weight 3 times:  all post-baby blubber.  Nice people would always say nice things about my ‘amazing transformation.’  Each time they said it I thought, thanks!  Wait, what the hell?  Was I really THAT fat?

This time, I was in the clear.  No post-baby thing.  Just exercising my free will to take care of myself.  So when my kid’s teacher innocently gasped and then whispered, “you are so much thinner!  Wow, you really lost weight!  Oh, were you working at that?”

I pause.

I smile.

“Well I was sick for a few months.  I’m eating differently now.  And I like to do yoga and stuff.  Thank you for noticing.”

And we go about our business - the teacher none the wiser about my internal woes.  Was I really that heavy before?

Well, heck.  I guess I shouldn’t care.  I feel great.  Less of me DOES feel good.  And because I’m a person who likes feedback on my work, I am even more inspired to kick my butt on the yoga mat.  Less of me feels like more.

Before I leave you, I have to share daughter’s recent art work.  Completely innocent:  the couple is forming a band.  She thought the police officer would like to come and watch.  Good grief.  I hope this never falls into the hands of a child psychiatrist.

Must Buy Lipstick

It’s another year of homework, runny noses and volunteering at school.  This is THE moment where I can drop my kids at school and actually exercise for an hour.  I have been waiting for this for years.  Yet, just as I think I have a new schedule worked out, I am reeled into the volunteer trap (aka volunteering for too many things).  This is partly due to the fact that I want to know what is going on with my kids.  I also realize our schools need volunteers and I want to help.  Much of the time, I sign up because I just feel guilty.

Let me explain.  While attending an annual back-to-school meeting, the Head Super Volunteer must have said, “I know it’s very challenging for us working parents’” a MILLION times.  Ok.  I recognize that her statement is indeed true.  The tone by which she continuously shoved her insight down my throat insinuated that I, Stay-at-Home Parent, could make it easier on Over-Worked parent.  Stay-at-Home Parent has it easier.

Why had I chosen that ONE day to show up sans makeup, crisp clothing and a shower?  I felt like a blemish in an unusually sparkly crowd.  A very crisp crowd.  good-looking.  Lattes.  Income makers.  And there I was, presenting myself as the stereotype I despised:  Bon Bon Mom.  I was particularly sensitive, but my irritation with her words stems from my own observations about a lack of support by FEMALES.  Working moms often believe they have it so much harder.  Home moms often find a way to think they carry the harder burden.  Both groups just want to justify that they are taking the best actions when it comes to their children.  That they are doing their part.  “Mommy guilt” strikes again.  What better target than where the grass seems greener?

Now I’m signed up to volunteer on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays…amongst other odds and ends days.  When I drop my kids off, I will often walk in behind them to report to duty.  Instead of feeling guilty or bitter (well, maybe just a teeny tiny humanly bit), I am going to focus on the fact that I am SO lucky that I get to be so involved with my children and their environments.  I will also shower more and purchase some lipstick.

Miserly Me

Jello salad.  It’s what I’d like to have around more often.  My problem is that I buy the jello boxes.  I find the jello recipes.  I just don’t get around to making the darn jello.  Such as it is with our evening meals.  I plan, plan, plan….and then the desire to execute just sort of fizzles.  Don’t get me wrong.  Thanks to my farm roots and my 1989 home economics class, I feel like I can whip up a pretty stellar meal with whatever is around the kitchen.  But when I mix in oldest son’s texture issues and my non-dairy/no soy/tomato/oj/onion/peppers/white flour diet… my creative brain hurts around dinner time.  What’s a girl to do?  I, generally, enjoy a bowl of Cheerios and almond milk.  The fam enjoys the hot, seasoned food.  The oldest son enjoys bread.  It works, but it’s not my vibe.  Nope.

So.  Instead of reading so many frugal cooking advice blogs – many of which suggest the use of ketchup as a major ingredient – I am sticking to this:  Cook the favorites.  Sneak in my healthy ingredients more often.  Plan menus around the front page and the last page of our weekly grocery sales flyers.  That nifty suggestion comes from an inspirational little read by Jonni McCoy, entitled “Miserly Moms:  Living Well on Less in a Tough Economy.”  It caught my eye simply because I like the challenge of getting more for less.  Or ensuring They* make less off of Me**.  Her suggestions, like shopping only the front/back of sales ads (actual deals designed to lure us into the store)….or reminding us of the lost art of bartering….or that Ranch wasn’t invented in a bottle, but in a bowl for just pennies in fresh ingredients…  well, these are easy suggestions.  I will NOT pay $4.25 for a box of whole-grain cereal anymore.  The thought makes me physically ill.  Instead, I plan wisely.  I see the sale (you know, front and back pages).  I grab a coupon.  I do not think everything on sale is a good deal.  I head to the cereal aisle and out.  I pay no more than $1 for a box.  As a family of cereal lovers, this makes a huge dent in the food bill.  Money saved can go toward other things that almost never go on sale (e.g. fresh parmesan cheese…mmmmm).

Yes, I am a homemaker. stay at home mom. domestic goddess.  Yes, my bottom-line contribution is being frugal without depriving my family.  Yes, I need to make the J-E-L-L-O.  Not because I’m trying to be frugal.  Because I shouldn’t dare deprive my family. 

*They   a.k.a big·wig/ˈbɪgˌwɪg/noun  plural big·wigs

[count]  informal: a powerful or important person
▪ corporate bigwigs [=big shots]▪ a bigwig in local politics (http://www.merriam-webster.com/)

**Me  a.k.a. commoner

noun \ˈkä-mə-nər\

http://connect.facebook.net/rsrc.php/v1/yK/r/RIxWozDt5Qq.swf

http://www.facebook.com/extern/login_status.php?api_key=246481352045554&app_id=246481352045554&channel_url=http%3A%2F%2Fstatic.ak.fbcdn.net%2Fconnect%2Fxd_proxy.php%3Fversion%3D3%23cb%3Df1549a48bebf519%26origin%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fedheads.wordpress.com%252Ffb5b6f84363e4%26relation%3Dparent.parent%26transport%3Dpostmessage&display=hidden&extern=2&locale=en_US&next=http%3A%2F%2Fstatic.ak.fbcdn.net%2Fconnect%2Fxd_proxy.php%3Fversion%3D3%23cb%3Df29991ede6c19d2%26origin%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fedheads.wordpress.com%252Ffb5b6f84363e4%26relation%3Dparent%26transport%3Dpostmessage%26frame%3Df3b50af6762215c%26result%3D%2522xxRESULTTOKENxx%2522&no_session=http%3A%2F%2Fstatic.ak.fbcdn.net%2Fconnect%2Fxd_proxy.php%3Fversion%3D3%23cb%3Df2febd2b942bda%26origin%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fedheads.wordpress.com%252Ffb5b6f84363e4%26relation%3Dparent%26transport%3Dpostmessage%26frame%3Df3b50af6762215c&no_user=http%3A%2F%2Fstatic.ak.fbcdn.net%2Fconnect%2Fxd_proxy.php%3Fversion%3D3%23cb%3Df16c06d9ccbe73c%26origin%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fedheads.wordpress.com%252Ffb5b6f84363e4%26relation%3Dparent%26transport%3Dpostmessage%26frame%3Df3b50af6762215c&ok_session=http%3A%2F%2Fstatic.ak.fbcdn.net%2Fconnect%2Fxd_proxy.php%3Fversion%3D3%23cb%3Df3d2701069f250c%26origin%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fedheads.wordpress.com%252Ffb5b6f84363e4%26relation%3Dparent%26transport%3Dpostmessage%26frame%3Df3b50af6762215c&sdk=joey&session_origin=1&session_version=3

a: one of the common people b: one who is not of noble rank

2: a student (as at Oxford) who pays for his own board  (http://www.merriam-webster.com/)

Wanted: Fresh Lemon and Sparkle

The second thing I did after resigning from my full-time, paying career:  clean my home.   The first: figuring out how to do it without going nuts.

Kirstie Alley, while gabbing on Oprah, revealed that she is an avid cleaner (as in paid to clean houses in her past).  She also announced that mops are a big NO NO.  She conveyed this vital information in such a passionate, scrupulous way….I immediately sentenced my own mop to garage time.  Let the spiders enjoy it.  Instead, I bent down on my hands and knees and scrubbed my wood floors by hand.  No fun task, but channeling a little Karate Kid vigor (wax on/wax off!) left me smiling at clean, sparkly floors.  This is how I clean now.  Every time.  After all, Kirstie said this on OPRAH and I do what Oprah says.

My new Dyson came next: the revolutionary cleaning tool that never loses suction!  Well, almost never.  It is the best purchase I’ve made this year.

Last, but certainly not least…I threw out all 30 cleaners adorning my storage closet.  As a busy working mom, these cleaning products helped me feel like I was taking care of my family and home.  It does this?  That sounds great!  Half the time?  BINGO!  I accumulated one expensive, confusing, disgusting (was that wet paper towel hiding under the Windex bottle since ’96?) cleaning stash.

No more.

On a new budget and determined to simplify, I armed myself with just a few major cleaning items:  a lemon, vinegar, bleach, baking soda and Clorox wipes (in every bathroom my boys use.  ahem.)  Cheap and effective.  Simple and not as dangerous as most products.  (see more information on the bleach controversy and why I think it’s safer than we think here).

These have worked so well for me…I can’t believe I didn’t listen to my grandmother sooner.  Why, today’s cleaning challenge to de-maggot, disinfect and de-stink my exterior garbage dumpster would make her smile.  I didn’t.  Not one bit.  But I found that sparkle.

Lettuce be happy

I wanted a garden this year.  And a tiny garden I did get.  Inspired by my in-law’s green thumb setup (actually jealous), I claimed my sunny backyard patches.  Ok, I glared and hrumphed at my neighbor’s looming trees eating up my precious sun.  I.  Was. Determined.

And so we dug and built and dug and built and prettied my little garden with raised beds and decorative rock.  Wheelbarrow upon wheelbarrow full of delicious black dirt made its way to my new space.  Bring on the veggies!  To my surprise, my usual bed of lettuce failed to thrive (thanks trees and wandering squirrels).  Yet, tomatoes grew above my head and fell over the rest of the garden.  Cantaloupes snuck in and I even salvaged a few green onions and carrots (thanks family dog).  Sweet peas, pickle cucumbers, swiss chard and green beans have made their presence known.  Just enough to make it to our dinner table….and just enough to scare me as I realize most of it will need to be dealt with all at once in just a month or so.  Nonetheless, I am so grateful to have the time to enjoy this summer pleasure.  It’s a taste of childhood growing in my own back yard.  And the grocery budget likes it, too!

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Oops Strikes Again!

My lovely daughter awoke Saturday morning with a whiny, tired tone.  After about 30 minutes of this nonsense, I announced that was ENOUGH.  She needed to stop with the silly business and get dressed for our kid photo session in 45 minutes.  She promptly threw up.

Oops.  I bow my head in mommy shame.

I guess we all get wrapped up in our schedules, routines and whatnot.  Kid chatter becomes background static noise.  I, personally, hear only static until I can get two cups of java down every morning.  This was my reminder to slow down and listen to my kids.  Stop what I’m doing, look them in the eye and have a genuine moment.  After all, that’s what I want from other people.  Kids count, too.

My other stellar mommy challenge:  My.  House.  Is.  A.  Clutterfest.

This summer, I just can’t find a balance between taking care of the outside stuff and keeping the inside stuff in order.  School journals still sit on my washer from last school year.  3 partially complete knitting projects keep that company and I think I lost several knitting needles to the dark depths behind the washer.  There is too much STUFF here and there.  I feel the itch of simplifying it all.  Donate.  Send it to a garage sale.  Recycle.  My one obstacle is that I must carry out this mission during kid off-hours.  Meaning, they MUST be elsewhere or they will notice just how much they looovvveeedddd that stuffed rabbit that sat under their bed for a year.  Luckily, school is just around the corner, when I can roll up my sleeves and carry out my secret mission.

For now, I can work at having more genuine moments with my kids.  DAILY.  They grow up so fast, I don’t want to miss a minute.

2007DogDaysSummer