Month: September 2016

Smoked Tofu and Vegetable Stir Fry~Meatless Monday #2

/ Lee Reynolds

Welcome back to my second Meatless Monday. It’s a gorgeous day in the Okanagan and what I want more than anything is to get outside and harvest some more tomatoes. I have been doing that almost daily and after the kids are in bed at night, I’m either cutting them up and putting them in the freezer, or I’m making salsa and canning it. It’s been a GREAT tomato gardening season! We eat a lot of tomatoes in the winter, as I add them to so many meals. Stay tuned for my Salsa making/canning experience later this week and let’s get cooking with an Asian inspired dish, for our Monday Meatless dinner. Do you have places to go too?

Stay tuned….and join me in making some salsa later this week

You know what I love about “Smoked Tofu and Vegetables?” They aren’t just a healthy, MEATLESS, combination, but they are SUPER EASY TO PREPARE. Perfect, if your Monday is like mine and kids are flying in and out of the house, off to after school activities. I like them to have something filling either coming or going.

The little girls are off to ballet after school which makes dinner time more hectic

For years, my kids, especially my older ones, would protest when we had a meal with tofu. As soon as they arrived home after school the question, “What’s for dinner Mom?”  would be asked, with hopeful anticipation and I would reply with dread, “tofu,” knowing a groan would be their response. What about tofu makes kids groan? And why did I always reply to their, “what’s for dinner question,” with the protein choice of the meal? Why didn’t I say instead, “we are having, Squash, Carrots, or Broccoli?” You know why, because in many parts of the world, meat and potatoes is still the way people want to eat, choose to eat, like to eat. They probably don’t know any better. We used to not know better. It was the way I was raised to a degree, and also many comfort foods were associated with meat centered meals. Meals like; meatloaf, chicken pot pie, and pork chops with orange slices.

“Sigh,”……that’s me.

I know 20 some years ago, when I started cooking with tofu now and then, my kids felt TOFU was synonymous with vegetarianism ,and anything with the word “vegetables” in the title, was not good in their books. KIDS!

Thankfully~

Times change~

Palates Evolve~

And I have grown up too~

I have a more discerning desire to feed my family healthier choices and as a side benefit, it helps the earth. (Although if I was really smart, that would be my number one reason to become a vegetarian, since, if I help the earth, I help ALL the children in the world)

Whatever my children’s perception was, the bottom line is that tofu is a good source of protein when choosing a meatless meal and maybe it didn’t hurt that I found a yummy smoked tofu that everyone likes. It’s meaty, savory, and of course, it has a great smokey taste. It just adds another flavour dimension to our meals.

If you have a busy Monday, or any day of the week, the biggest part of making a stir fry is cutting up the vegetables but make it easier on yourself, and do it the night before, placing the veggies into a large container and store them in the fridge until you are ready to WOK with them. Okay, poor pun, but speaking of woks, you don’t need one to make this meal, just a large frying pan will wok, I mean work. (sorry, I couldn’t resist)

Having said that, once you have used a wok and experienced how fast it cooks, while maintaining the texture of your food, you will want to purchase one for your kitchen. I have an electric wok, but I have always wanted to do the hanging wok from the ceiling thing, which says to me….

dinner in a sec.

and good cooks live here!

Okay, ready to start chopping? by the way, you don’t have to limit the vegetables to what I have chosen. You can add anything you have in your fridge, the more the better, the brighter the colour, the healthier. I have chosen kale as my main green vegetable, as that’s whats in the garden right now but broccoli works great and would be my other number 1 choice.

Meatless Monday #2 – Smoked Tofu and Vegetable Stir Fry

Ingredients

Rice, thin egg noodles or Spaghetti Squash (we chose the later for this dinner as it’s in season)

Marinade:
2 cups of vegetable broth
1/4 cup dry sherry
4 Tbsp of low sodium Soy Sauce….my number one choice is the Bragg’s variety when I have it
1 Tbsp  honey (or sugar)…this is optional
3 teaspoons of cornstarch
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp powered ginger
Opt: 1 tsp red pepper flakes

Now for the rest of the ingredients –  vegetables, etc: Note: If you cut the veggies in strips, more of the vegetable can absorb the spices and it will improve the flavour of the dish

2 tbsp of sesame oil
3- 4 cloves of garlic
1 tbsp of grated ginger
1 chopped white onion
1 stalk of celery sliced
1 red hot pepper cut finely (optional…even our kids are starting to like things SPICY and even though I also have red pepper flakes in the marinade, I like layering my spices)
1 orange, red, or green sweet pepper, sliced
2 to 3 carrots sliced
2 cups of  red cabbage..sliced
2 cups of kale or broccoli, cut up
1 sliced small zucchini
1 cup of mushrooms, sliced
1 package of smoked tofu cut up in cubes
Garnish of green onions, sesame seeds or almonds

Directions:

Cook the rice, noodles or spaghetti squash, as we have done, before you start your stir fry, as that part of the meal takes the longest to cook. Once you start cooking with the wok, dinner moves fast!

I had this cooked in the afternoon and Harrison just scooped the spaghetti squash and put it in a casserole while I stir fried…I also had rice cooking on the back burner..I use brown rice which takes 40 minutes

1. Heat  oil in wok, then add, onions, garlic, ginger, celery and red hot pepper

2. Add tofu and mix well with the above spices and vegetables, Cook for several minutes
3. Add the vegetables that will take the longest to cook, saving the softer veggies for last 

 

 

 

Cook these for a bit, stirring well, then add the last of the vegetables, in this case the mushrooms and zucchini….leave the more tender veggies until the end to avoid mushy veggies

4. Add the marinade to the vegetables and mix well with vegetables. If the heat is too high, turn down to medium low, and cook with cover on, stirring occasionally, checking often to see if the vegetables are cooked through, don’t let them get too soft, not a nice texture in my opinion.

 When the kids start circling the island, (that’s what they do in my house when they are hungry) then serve on a bed of rice, noodles, or like we did today with rice AND spaghetti squash. I topped it with green onions but you can garnish it with sesame seeds or do what we do often, a handful of almonds



Wished I had cut up my green onions a bit smaller, but hey, you should see them in my garden..they are HUGE…also, this dish is for William and he likes his food separate…so it’s not plated for an adult…but he eats like one in amount!


 

 

 For my blog sake, and because Will has to head off to swimming right after dinner, I dished him up first.
 

He told me to tell my blog friends that the spaghetti squash was a nice touch

 

 Well it’s that easy.

Sometimes we make things so hard in life but choosing to adopt a vegetarian lifestyle is quick and really perfect if you are a busy mom too. I’d like to think that when my grandchildren ask their parents, “What’s for dinner?” someday, and my kids tell them, ” Grandma’s Tofu with Vegetable Stir fry, they will say, “Hooray!” I’m holding the vision for someday having grandchildren AND a world where everyone has food on their dinner plate. and peace in their heart.

Join me as I end this blog post with one of my son William’s fav songs. In the evenings, after bath time, teeth have been brushed, stories are read, after I have said goodnight, sleep tight to his twin sisters, Will often asks, “can you come and lie with me for awhile Mom?” When I shut out the evening work of making lunches and cutting up and processing more tomatoes, and accept his offer, it’s the BEST time of my day. “It’s a choice to make a better day…”

Will starts singing the first song on the CD with his sweet, clear little boy voice. Sometimes he talks about his day with me and sometimes he asks me about my day….he’s very mindful that way. He asks about children all over the world. As his body relaxes and his breathing slows, we both drift on the wings of the music. 

I remember a time, being little like him. A 7 year old in the 60’s. My Dad had died in a truck accident 2 years before and I can recall feeling so small, so insignificant in the world, and yet, there was this tiny part of me that was BIG. I didn’t know it then, but I believe it was my shining soul energy. Even though times were often tough, I held onto that golden cord connected to this loving part of me, and I knew, if I had the opportunity to grow up, I would try to make a difference. 

I’d like to think with my writing I make a dent on this earth, and by raising children who are conscious of their own golden cord, that we will all weave a thread of love and peace around the world. IT’S MY HOPE. Here’s the song that Will sings from his, “KIDS FOR PEACE, ”  CD, called, “We are the World.” It’s a good song to sing on Meatless Monday!

If you can’t see the youtube video below, click on this hyper-link, We are the World.


Until we meet again, may you be well, happy and peaceful.

Blessings from Hope

Clam Chowder and Transformation

/ Lee Reynolds

I love the beach, the ocean beach to be precise. The waves, rolling in and out, with the clock-like tide, the screech of sea gulls overhead, and the endless sand all beckon me to come and sit in peace.

My family used to go to Rathstrevor beach in Parksville, Vancouver Island, B.C. every summer for years, when our older children were younger. We would rent a cabin at “Tigh Na Mara,” with 2 bedrooms and a large open family area with a cozy wood burning fireplace. The cabin was in the woods, well back from the beach, which created a deep and quiet refuge in the evenings, but was only a short walk until one could hear the rhythmic, rumbling of the waves, crashing onto the shore.

Vancouver Island, is also home to some of the oldest trees still standing on the planet. Each summer, our holiday was not complete, without a visit to the old growth forest called, “Cathedral Grove,” or our long and winding trip across to the most western side of the Island where Tofino and Long Beach are situated. It was there, when standing on the edge of the ocean, with toes digging deep into the sand, that my whole being would exhale releasing pent up energy, and inhale all the beaches negative ions, restoring me with the grace of nature. I would be transformed into a relaxed, peaceful woman, if not until the next yearly trip, at least for many months after our holiday.

We would end our day trip with a delicious dinner at the Sea Shanty in Tofino, which has been run by the same, First Nations couple since 1994. The view of Clayoquot Sound from the patio (perfect for kids!) is intoxicating. At the end of the day, I would drink in the ocean, like the landlocked woman I was and know my soul was being restored. There is something poignantly special, about sitting amongst your family and knowing, life doesn’t get any better life than this. The fact that the food was AMAZING didn’t hurt either.

I’ll never forget our first trip, our oldest son Clark was around 5 years old. A precocious 5 year old, I might add, who was already reading with a larger than life personality. “Mom, there is nothing on the kid’s menu that looks good. Can I see your menu?” Passing it over, he carefully read all the dishes and then declared, “I’d like the Seafood Platter please.” Of course he would I thought, it’s the most expensive dish on the menu. “But Clark,” I said, “that dish is for adults, do you think you can eat it all? “I’d like to try, besides I want to taste every kind of seafood on one plate.” His Dad and I exchanged looks over the table and finally we both nodded in agreement.  He was so happy to dig out meat from the crab legs and dip his lobster in the butter, relished over the grilled salmon and enjoyed the scallops with a “mmmmmm, this is so good.” He even shared as I recall. He STILL remembers that experience to this day. (Mind you, he usually remembers every adventures in relation to what we ate along the way)

There is also something so pristine about that part of the world, that propels me to promise to care for the earth and do EVERYTHING I can to honour it, by keeping it clean and healthy.

 

This summer we took our younger children back to Vancouver Island for an end of the summer holiday. Part of the reason was to get our son Mitchell, who was starting his 3rd year at the University of Victoria, stocked up with food before the semester started. Personally, I really needed an ocean fix. Every pore of my being was dehydrated and needed to be refreshed, BEFORE we started a new, endlessly busy school year. It was delightful watching our younger children experience the ferry ride with all the ocean sights for the first time. I was reminded yet again, we are always creating pathways for our children, teaching them to walk the earth more gently and be TRANSFORMED with grateful hearts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Recently, I wrote a blog post about choosing a vegetarian lifestyle, and if you are unable to do it full time, then starting with one dinner a week is a great first step. After writing that post, a friend of mine asked me how I have gotten my family converted to eating mainly vegetarian meals. I thought about how we have been moving in that direction for a long time and what the process was and realized, we are STILL not where I would like to be, fully vegetarians, but we are in the process. In order to achieve your goal, taking steps in the direction of that goal is sometimes what’s most important and also appreciating how far you have come and being okay with it. I tend to be too hard on myself, so looking back on what used to be on our dinner plates was an awesome realization for me.

Each day that we consciously choose to buy food that is not just healthy for us, but good for the environment too, has to be enough right now. At least we are moving in the direction of change and many days I can say we are there. (One of these days, we will totally stop eating bananas too, since it takes a lot of fossil fuel energy to bring them to my part of the world) That reminds me of Barbara Kingsolver’s book, called, “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle,” where she and her family chose to eat local, LONG before it was cool. In that book, she chronicled their experience. If you are wanting to be inspired, I recommend reading this beautifully written book.

Anyway, back to my friend’s question.

“How does one move in the direction of becoming a vegetarian?”

Well, first, you start making one vegetarian meal, then two meals and then three meals and before you know it, you have a complete repertoire of food your family loves, or will grow to love. Something we have done for years now is reduce our consumption of meat in the meat meals we eat. For instance, when the recipe calls for 1 lb of meat, you cut that in half. For more inspiration, here is what another blogger wrote about how to become a vegetarian.

Just like when we are trying to sneak more vegetables into our family’s meals, (you know hiding carrots, broccoli and zucchini into everything), you do the reverse with meat and slowly, you have cut out the amount of meat you add to your meals, until you replace it with an alternate source of protein; tofu, quinoa, beans/rice, almonds, etc.

Another way to move in that direction is to give a vegetarian alternative for the family members that do choose to eat solely vegetarian. It’s that old, try a bite of everything and before you know it, your meat eating family members have acquired the taste buds for a fresher, more alive, healthier choice. Their bodies will tell them what feels better after they have eaten a vegetarian choice.

I’d like to share a delicious soup I made recently for my family last week, when we had another cold and rainy day. It’s a long time favourite of my oldest son’s who was the one who ordered that Seafood Platter years ago. It’s my Clam Chowder Soup but instead of adding three cans of clams, like the original recipe calls for, I only use two. It tastes great, and no one notices the lack of clams. Actually, my “totally vegetarian” daughter asked if I would be offended if she picked the little clams out of the soup…and her brother gladly said, “I’ll take them.”

Okay, so it’s a life time process, especially if you raised your children to be meat eaters. I try also to not talk too much about food in general, no sermons about how eating meatless is better for our world. I call everyone to dinner and part of the enjoyment of the food is knowing we are only together for a short time. I know better than most moms since I have grown children and still little ones, how fast childhood flies and before we know it, our children are out in the world and making their own food choices. I hope they will have some favourite, comfort foods that will continue to nurture them with fond memories of home and holidays, long after I’m gone.

If you are cooking with me today, join me in listening to this great song, full of flowing harmony and easy beachy rhythm, “Tofino,” by Old Man’s Beard. 
(If you can’t see the link below, check on the hyper-link above to hear this cool song)

And as we are groovin, here’s my Clam Chowder recipe

Hope’s Clam Chowder

Ingredients

2 cans of baby clams ….(the recipe originally called for 3 cans of clams)
4 strips of bacon    (this recipe also originally called for more…you can use vegan bacon)
1 minced white onion
1 minced celery stalk
3 minced cloves of garlic 
8 medium cubed chunks of potatoes
2 medium sliced carrots
1 cup of frozen corn kernels
3 tbsp of whole wheat flour
6 cups of vegetable stock 
2 cups of whole milk 
2 tbsp of dill (if you have fresh, chopped and add…..the more the better)
Salt and pepper to taste
garnish with parsley

(Note; adjust the stock and milk based on how much liquid you like in your soup and also how creamy you would like it)

Directions

Cook bacon in large soup pot, drain off the fat, add the onion, celery and garlic. Cook until translucent. Add the chunks of potatoes, sliced carrots, flour, salt and pepper and mix really well.

I  am always amazed when I grow potatoes, beneath that dirt, it’s always a bit of a miracle to see food appear.


Add vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Cook until potatoes are tender. 

Drain the clams and put the reserved juice in the potato mixture, bring back to boil, and add the corn, the clams, and milk. Season with dill. Heat well and then serve with parsley and a nice big bun. (link to my homemade bun recipe) 

(Tip…..We often have a bit of left over Salmon or other fish in the fridge. It’s not enough to feed my family so when this happens I will add it to this soup, making another whole meal…if doing this, you can reduce the clams to just one can…and call it a Seafood Medley)

 

It’s ALL good!

Thank you for visiting today. I try to give my blog content to share with my readers some of the things I stumble upon in my day to day life moving in the direction of living on this earth more consciously and of course being mindful to care for our home. If you want to listen to an awesome Youtube video on caring for our oceans, which when you think about it, is really the earth….since land is actually on top of the ocean….and most of our planet is water…anyway, check out Sylvia Earle’s prize winning, Tedtalk video called, “My Wish.” Click the hyper link if you can’t connect to the video below.

Until we meet again, may you be well, happy and peaceful.

Blessings from Hope

International Peace Day

/ Lee Reynolds

 

Yesterday was “International Peace Day.” Ever since I was a little girl, peace has always been important to me. Maybe, being a young child in the 60’s, when passionate peace marches were happening, or opening my school lunch box everyday with a psychedelic peace sign stamped on the lid, all had the effect of etching the importance of peace into my being.

Or maybe the knowledge that peace is a truth that just resonates with my soul. Now that I’m older, I understand  how truly important peace is in the world. It’s so simple and yet so hard for us to achieve. Why do we humans take the harder path in life? Because we want to be right and we want to win. But really, if the world is in a state of peace, then we all WIN. What can be better than that?

It starts with basics like, respect, kindness, compassion, non-judgement.

Here’s a link to an article by Andrew Martin who wrote, “The 6 Traits of People who live Peaceful Lives.”

Here are the highlights and the 6 things you can do to live more peacefully;

1. Let go of Ego and just be yourself.

2. Learn From the Masters

3. Bring Awareness to your Life

4. Realize we all Experience Conditioning of Some Kind

5. Understand you Create your Own Experience

6. How do you live your life, through fear or love? 

Often when my young children aren’t sharing, or they are bickering, I will ask them to stop and face each other, asking themselves if the thing they are wanting so badly, or the point they are wanting to make, is more important than the love and relationship they are wanting to experience and create with each other.

Inevitably, they drop the treasured toy, or stop shouting and simply reach for each other, sometimes telling each other they love each other. You can feel the energy shift and the anger dissipate if you are an observer. It’s quite remarkable. Teaching our children when they are young, is a good start towards peace.

Being aware and asking, “what is my intention?” is a HUGE step towards peace.

A little over a year ago, a little 3 year old Syrian boy, Alan Kurdi lay drowned on a beach. He, his mother and older brother died trying to find a more peaceful place to live in the world. Yesterday, I was thinking of him. I was thinking about all the Canadians and others in the world, who want to close off the borders, for fear of terrorism entering their country. And almost like synchronicity, last night before I went to bed I watched a bit of the CBS 11 o’clock news. They did a story on another Syrian refuge family, who has recently come to Canada, and were hitting the ground running after arriving in the country last year. They are growing a successful business making what they know best, chocolate, (who doesn’t LOVE CHOCOLATE!!!) and they are already starting to give back to the country who welcomed them.

This makes me cry with happiness but also with dismay. How many of us are already living in a beautiful part of the world, in a peaceful country, and we take it for granted. We take clean water, food and shelter, ALL for granted. For most of us, there are opportunities for us to become successful and give back to our communities. There are opportunities for us to extend our hand and say, “Welcome, come in peace.” This family inspired me today, and has me thinking about “what I can do in my community RIGHT now?” to make the world a more peaceful place.

Eat chocolate of COURSE!!! but…..

maybe I can do little things, like writing this blog post and the few people who read it, may be inspired, sending ripples of peace out into their part of the world. I can assess some of my other strengths; I love to read and I love children. Maybe I can go in and be a parent helper in my younger children’s classrooms, maybe reading with children, or at least helping out the teacher so she can offer the best education possible for all of our children.

I do believe education is one of the foremost steps we can take to live peacefully.

Hey and don’t you think if someone handed you a piece of chocolate, AND a book, you would feel happier and more peaceful? Works for me.

AnYway, this was just a quick blog post as I wanted to give you the link to the news report about the Hadhad family in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. (click on the hyper-link if you can’t see it below)

I hope it inspires you too.

Thank you for coming.

Until we meet again, “peace out!”

Blessings from Hope

Mexican Casserole~Meatless Monday #1

/ Lee Reynolds

Image result for making a difference in the world going vegetarian

Mmmmmm, I love black olives. They fill me with thoughts of sunshine, earth and balmy breezes…and my mom, who could eat a whole can in one sitting, although she also liked to share, hence my love of them too. As I was chopping up whole pitted olives just now, to put in the Mexican Casserole I’m making for my family tonight, I was thinking how much I love humid, warm ocean climate foods. Foods from Mexico, Greece, Italy, oh anything Mediterranean, Indian, Thai, well, you get the picture.

This is what the weather looks like outside my kitchen window as I cook. September has certainly not been warm and sunny this year. More like cold and rainy. I even put a tarp around my chicken’s covered run, to give them relief from the wind and rain. (see blue in right corner of our lower back yard.)

And here are a few pictures of the little ones as they took the bus for the FIRST time, brrrrr, early this morning (except for William, who is an old hand at this form of transport)

 

(And off they go for the W H O L E  day….inside I head to have a cup of tea and decide, what’s for dinner?….I like to get it out of the way early so I get sink into a few projects…decluttering is on the list)

And you may ask, why in heaven’s name, am I not living in a warmer clime with some yummy cultural dishes???? What is Canada’s cultural dish anyway? Well, I guess we are a diverse, hodge-podge of many countries. The only thing off the top of my head as I type is, Smoked Wild Salmon, Maple Syrup and Bacon. Oh and of course in Eastern, particularly French speaking Quebec, Canada they love poutine, but when I think about French Fries, covered in cheese curd and gravy it makes my arteries cringe.

Anyway, chopping up the olives just now got me thinking, I would really like to do blog posts that makes a difference in the world. I know it’s been said before, but what if we did start making veggie dishes every Monday? Imagine…. if everyone in the world did that? Choosing to start the week with a vegetarian meal is delicious, may help you continue the week on a healthier note, and of course by taking that one step helps to decrease your environmental footprint on the earth.

So, stay with me, what I was thinking is that every Monday I’d like to write a blog post, highlighting a vegetarian dish from around the world. At least for 7 weeks which would give me/us a vegetarian meal for each day of the week and get my family, maybe yours too building a repertoire of meatless meals as we head into fall.

The side benefit for us obviously is this is a healthier, greener choice and who knows, maybe we can lose a bit of weight. Another BIG reason for me is that I have little ones who are learning to make good food choices. I’d like to share my love of eating vegetarian meals with my children, so like my mom, sharing her beloved can of olives with me so many years ago, my children will grow up and have fond memories growing vegetables in our gardens and eating favorite dishes from all over the world. This is another way of helping the earth and staying connected to other cultures, feeling connected to everyone on this earth.

I hope you will join me in choosing some around the world veggie dishes for your family.

Image result for making a difference in the world going vegetarian
Since I’m making a Mexican Casserole, let’s start with that dish. I know on a chilly September day, it’s a great way to nourish my family. Hey, and a side benefit, is this meal is relatively inexpensive, especially if you are harvesting your peppers and tomatoes from your garden, as we are doing right now.

Hope’s Mexican Casserole

(Makes a large 9×13 casserole dish….great for a large crowd of 8)

Ingredients

3 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves of garlic
1 large minced onion
1 stalk of celery
1/2  cup of sliced black olives…more is you like them like my mom and I
1 Red hot chili pepper  (I’m using a “Hot Portugal” from my garden) but if you only have dried, use 1 tbsp of chili powder
1-1/2 tsp of dried cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
1 can of pinto beans (I’m using dried and cooking them)
1 can of black beans
4-5 large tomatoes chopped or you can add a large can of drained tomatoes
2 cups of salsa
4 tortilla wraps
1 cup of crushed taco shells or taco chips
1 cup cheddar cheese (I didn’t have a cup…so I used 1/2 cheddar and 1/2 mozzarella)


I cooked my pinto beans early this morning, you don’t have to soak them overnight, Rinse them, bring them to a boil, then continue to cook them on low heat for 2 hours. Finally. let them sit until you need to add them to the pot)



 Directions:

Heat oil in large pot, saute onions and celery until translucent, add garlic and red pepper, cook for a few minutes. Add the rest of the spices, stir well. Add the tomatoes and allow to cook for about 5 minutes to 10 minutes, and finally add the cans of beans and the 2 cups of salsa. Cook and heat through well.



Prepare a 9×13 pan by laying two tortilla wraps on the bottom.









 Add 1/2 of the above bean and tomato mixture over the wraps. (at this point, if you wish, you can layer some cheddar cheese on top, if you want the dish really cheesy, but I didn’t do this as I didn’t have enough cheese today)





Now like a lasagna, add another layer of 2 tortilla wraps and finally top with the remainder of the bean and tomato mixture. Top with crumbled taco shells, or taco chips and finally sprinkle the top of the whole pan with cheese.

Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes



While the casserole is baking, make a green salad of your choice.

My garden is abundant with kale, red cabbage, carrots and tomatoes….make what you have on hand, anything green is great

 



To plate, place a large square of the casserole, top with sour cream, add the salad and some taco chips of your choice. Serve with a “Provecho”….enjoy!

 

This is a favourite of our family as it’s easy for me and the kids think it’s a “fun” meal.

This is what our cat Ryuuki thinks of this gloomy Monday…but the family is going to LOVE dinner tonight

Oh, and did I mention one of the BEST things I can think about when making it a meatless Monday? If you love animals like I do, this is just a humane way to walk the earth. Here’s a great link to the Vancouver Humane Societies page and an article on “Meatless Monday.” Have a look and I hope you join me in eating this way, if not all the time, then at least once or twice a week. We can make a difference!!!

Before I say goodbye, I’d like to tell you about my little guy Will, “Will I Am, Where there is a Will there is a Way, Will Power.” He’s got a powerful, and peaceful name. He loves people. He loves the earth. He loves animals. He also has this strong belief, that we can all do something to make the world better for everyone. The seed is in each of us, but we all have free WILL to make it grow. Yeah, maybe Meatless Mondays are just a humble step, but with each little thing we do, we do make the world a better place.

Here’s a link to one of his favourite videos. Interestingly, William was born on June 25, 2009, the same day Michael Jackson left the earth. I sometimes wondered if Michael didn’t whisper something to Will in passing. When I tuck Will into bed at night, lately he’s been playing this CD, (Peace in the World) and he likes to drift off listening to songs like Michael’s, “Man in the Mirror.” 
Click on the hyper-link above to see this Youtube video.

“If you want to make the world a better place, then take a look at yourself and make the change.”

 

 

Thank you for coming today and joining me in my kitchen.

I’d love to hear what your favourite veggie meal is for your family. Drop me a comment below.

Until we meet again, may you be well, happy and peaceful.

Blessings from Hope

 

 

Touching the Sky~today is the day!

/ Lee Reynolds

Image result for Dr. Seuss quote about being up and away

“Wake up sleepyheads,” I whisper to my twin daughters. Victoria rolls from her tummy to her back and smiles sleepily at me, her hair a jumble of curls swirling around her chubby cheeks, the last vestiges from babyhood. She yawns and stretches her arms over head and says, “I had the best dream EVER!”

“Mhmm,” I reply as I pull out socks and underwear from their respective drawers under the bed. Kathryn pops her blonde head down from the upper bunk and says, “What was it about Tori?” “Oh Kate, you will love it ’cause we were swinging so high that we got blue on the bottom of our feet.” said Victoria with a huge grin on her face. “Oooh,” Kate answered, “I do like swinging big.”

“Okay sweet peas, time to get up and get ready for school.” Thankfully, there has been a gradual entry into kindergarten this September. I think it’s been more beneficial for me than  the girls, who have been ready for school to start all summer. Me not so much. I need time to adjust to a quieter house and endless hours all to my self.

Life is bittersweet right now. I’ve been at this mothering gig for awhile now. For the last 21 years, every three or so years, I’ve sent another of our children off to start kindergarten. Finally, the day has arrived when our last two start their formal education journey. Of course, I’m thrilled for them to begin an exciting new adventure, but I’m sad that this time in my life is over. No little ones sitting on my hip as we say goodbye to their bigger siblings heading off to school. It just feels weird, almost surreal.

I have a best friend who commiserates with me each September, as we say a sad goodbye to our kids heading off to school. I don’t know if we are a rarity but it just seems like so many parents are driving up to the school and saying, here’s your coat and backpack, how fast can you exit the car so I can get to the gym, or to work, or whatever. We linger over that last hug and stand back, waiting to see if our kids will look back just one more time before they head into the school. Anyway, thanks Tamara for being there all these years with me. You get me. It’s been nice to know I’m not alone in being a bit sad at the beginning of September

David and I have worked consciously, with a clear plan to prepare all our children for school, well for life in general for that matter, and this last year is no exception. Maybe I held onto our last babies a bit longer than I should have, but I believe by allowing them to move forward when they were ready, instead of pushing them, allowed them the space to find their own time to become the confident little people they are today.  For instance, it wasn’t until the girls turned 5 that we moved them out of their cribs and into a beautiful 2 level loft bed.

Their tiny and sweet room is from my dreams. When I was pregnant with our 5th child, Grace Elizabeth, I knew I wanted a very special place for her but our house was maxed out. Not wanting to move, as we love our location, one night I was lying in bed and looking into our cavernous walk in closet and a nursery suddenly materialized. We created a cozy little space for her and I will never forget stenciling pink hearts and blue ribbons on the walls when I went into labour with her two weeks early, just before Christmas 2002. (She just started high school this September!)

When we got pregnant with number 6, our son William, we renovated this little space, expanding it, changing the entrance so there was a door from the main hallway, instead of from our master bedroom and another doorway into the bathroom from the nursery. This room is a clear french door and gives the room its light and air flow. It was a delightful room with dragon flies and lady bugs on his peaceful sage green bedding.

Little did we know that he would have “lady bug” sisters (our names for them when we awaited their late spring arrival in 2011) join him when he wasn’t even 2 years old. When the babies arrived, William moved into our room for like, FOREVER. He had his mattress on the floor in one corner of our master bedroom. It may not work for most people but it worked for us. I liked him close and he grew to also be a confident, happy little boy. Eventually he moved in with his older brother Harrison when our son Mitchell left for University. (Brothers sharing rooms is a whole other blog post!)

When the girls were about 31/2 years old and in preschool, we asked if they wanted to move out of their cribs but they weren’t ready. They had a little step stool they used to safely get in and out of their cribs on their own and they said they loved their comfy beds. Of course they had the loveliest Laura Ashley bedding that was so cozy. They would sleep every night under a comforter that said, “Love.” Who wouldn’t want this for as long as possible?

 

I knew when they turned 4 though, that we would have to do something drastic, as they were getting to be tall little ones, and gee, I didn’t want their feet to be hitting the ends of the crib and their growth to be stunted. Just kidding, but I knew we had to do something and so again I dreamed of a special space for them. I did a few sketches and right after they turned 5, we took down their cribs and started building their cottage chic loft space. Part of the idea came from all the tiny house shows I liked to watch. I figured if we used the vertical space in the room it would feel bigger and it does.

As September unfolds, we currently have 7 kids in the house and somehow our home just continues to stretch and meet everyone’s needs. Yes,we could have found a more suitable house with more than enough space for everyone but every time we have talked about moving, or I start looking at the MLS listings, our kids say, “but mom, we love our house.” And so, we figure out a way to make it work for our family.

In so many this is what I’m proudest about with my family. It’s all about being creative. Using the space you have and making it special. Also, in many ways it’s the most environmentally friendly option, opposed to building another home, or moving to another home. In addition to using the space we had, I used items in our linen closet to make some new bedding as well…the body pillow cover was Grace’s old pink sheets from when she was a toddler.

Our next space conversion is over the garage and a place for our 17 year old son Harrison. Hopefully we can create a cool space for him to hang out with friends and play his drum set…up and away from the main family space. I hope after we get through some yard projects we are onto that so he has that space for most of his Grade 12 year. (maybe it will entice him to remain home to attend University too)

Well, here are a few pictures of the process we went through as we said goodbye to our little girls cribs and sweet nursery and hello to their big girl room. We turned it into a lovely space that they love to play in, read in and hang out in. There is even a secret, under the stairs closet, (we call it the Harry Potter room) that fits the girls dresses beautifully and gives them another hide away to read and relax.

I grabbed this picture just before we were about to take down the cribs….you can see how narrow the width of the room is in this picture. I still love the wall colour….it’s Soft Earth and the Beadboard is painted with Calla lilly
The girls loved watching each stage of construction take place. This was just after we found the quilts, the mattresses and some of the pillows for their beds. The mattresses we bought at Ikea….love that place…thanks for the idea Auntie B!

 

I don’t know who was more excited about the new beds, the girls or their big brother Will

 

And finally, here it is….the first night in the BIG/little room (The paint colour of the loft is Calla Lilly by Ralph Lauren)

 

We built the bottom bed with lots of head space so we could all cuddle together to read books under the great lights David installed…we are still looking for fairy lights for the inside of the bed frames…but the chandelier has a dimmer on it and it’s magical at night time.

 

The three bunnies over the bookcase was something I picked up from Winners when I was pregnant with William…little did I know we would have three babies in 2 years. Three has been such a magic number!

 

The globe was given to me from a friend when I lost a baby before Will was born…it’s an angel holding a baby and the little twin fairies were on our daughter Grace’s 3rd birthday cake. She wanted a baby sister and was blessed with TWO.

 

More twin decor; Mom with twin babes and sisters talking…these are Willow Tree Angels

 

The end of the room is all mirror making it seem bigger and a great place for the girls to dance. The door to the left goes into the master bathroom which is perfect for little girls in the middle of the night….the other door to the right goes out into the hall…we are just next door which is great, as even though they are big girls now, they do like to be close to mom and dad.

 

Here’s Victoria checking out the little reading spot in their Harry Potter room under the stairs

 

Kathryn’s reading has taken off Big time!!! Who knew all this time when she was quietly watching me run my finger along the words while Will learned to read that she was picking up the words too. One day when Will stumbled over a word, she supplied it with ease. We realized then that she was reading at an advance rate for a little one about to head off to kindergarten. She loves to read to her stuffies and dolls…well anyone who will listen actually

 

The girls love fairy stories the best

 

Each girl has a deep drawer under the bed which is perfect for p.j’s, socks and underwear and this dresser gives them each two drawers, one for tops and one for bottoms. We are REALLY working hard on continuing our minimalist theme and trying to have clothes that combine to make many outfits.

 

All ready for the first day of school…thank heaven it’s just a couple of hours

 

The girls love to hang out in Kate’s bed as it’s so cozy. It’s so funny how there was no discussion about who would get which bed either….but they have decided that they are going to have sleep overs in each others bed on weekends.

 

I embroidered the Hope pillow for Victoria Hope before she was born

 

And did one also for Kathryn Mira….which is short for Miracle…our Hope and Miracle babies

I picked the girls up at lunch time today. I found the whole class out in the school yard. I scanned the playground and finally found our girls on the swings. Victoria was trying hard to get on the swing which was higher than her bottom. I watched as she finally stepped up on the seat, pulling her whole body up to standing position and then she plunked herself onto the seat. Smart Cookie! She lifted her little legs and pumped them behind her, moving her body forward and back, trying hard to get some momentum.

I started walking towards her, thinking that I would give her a push but Kate got off her swing and gave her sister a push. As Tori pumped higher and higher I heard Katie say, “Touch the sky Tori!.” Those words made me tear up because dreams come true. A long, long time ago, I wished on a star for these babies to come into my life and now they are taking off and flying, getting blue on the bottoms of their feet. What makes it even better though, is that they are doing it together.

Lately, I’ve been ending most of my blog posts with a recipe (’cause I’m always cooking or baking around here) but today, I just wanted to end it with a Youtube video by Israel Kamakawiwo’Ole called, “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” I’ve loved this beautiful song and his rendition, which combines the two inspiring songs, “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” and “What a Wonderful World.” (If you are unable to access the video below, click on the hyper-link above.)

My little kids love to sing “What a Wonderful World,” and I’ve loved the theme song from “Wizard of Oz,” my whole life. In fact, my fav line from that movie is when Glenda, the good witch tells Dorothy, “You had the power all along my dear.”

It took my whole life up to now, to realize we are “all” more powerful than we know. I hope as my two little ones head off into the world, they will experience what a wonderful world this is and also know  they don’t even have to click their ruby heels three times; that they have the power to create the life of their dreams.

Oh, and hopefully they will remember, “There’s no place like home.” Thanks for sharing this time with me. Gee and do you think that now that I have 6 whole hours a day to myself, I can write a few more blog posts, or finally get my book finished? One should hope….so stay tuned.

Until we meet again, may you be well, happy and peaceful.

Blessings from Hope