Toast

All my toast is now made on a cast iron skillet best toast ever! Definitely does not compare to any toaster oven or toaster out there.

Dried oranges

I had these oranges sitting on my counter for I really don't know how long....but a really long time. Month or two? Well, I was definitely not going to eat them, then I came across something online saying you can dry them. I don't have a dehydrator but I found I could use the oven at the lowest temperature. When I was not around I stopped them and took them out and just let them sit on the counter. They came out great! I hear they are delicious snacks and can be used for cooking or grinding for zest as well. Very excited about this and they smell so great!

Tea

Tea from my front yard lemon balm plants. I never even planted them there. God is so good you shall reap what you have not sown.

Good eating ideas

I'm always trying to find ways to eat healthier. I have always wanted to.Try zucchini noodles and I finally did it today!
I adapted a recipe from a blog post on www.chiotsrun.com (search zucchini if you want to find the post). I used a regular grater with the larger holed size to make the shape, then let it sit in salt to get the water out and help it retain its shape. This really helped to avoid sogginess. I love the results! Absolutely delicious!
The tomato sauce was made from tomatoes from my garden mixed with carrots and zucchini roasted together.
Good clean eating. I just realize I am going to have to grow a whooooole lot more tomatoes next year to be able to have more tomato sauce. =D

Shea butter babies




My babies have had some dry skin occasionally, and while there is plenty of controversy about what might be the cause of eczema, I know I lean towards for the actual skin care. Pure shea butter. I have tried coconut oil and pure cocoa butter as well in the past and they work pretty well too, but nothing compares to the price and consistency of shea butter.

Yes, yes, I did use an old Chinese take out container to store my shea butter. Works really well.

My mom usually buys it for me on Ebay straight from Ghana, where my family is from. It's something like $20 for 5 pounds of it which usually lasts me a year between my two little ones. I lotion them up every day right after bath time in the evening and it makes their skin nice and soft (see below) Adorable huh? Works very well for lip balm too! When it first goes on it might be a little greasy but quickly absorbs into the skin (after maybe 5 minutes) and just leaves smooth skin. I also use this for my natural hair in the evenings mixed with pure vegetable glycerin which also works really well. For some reason Shea butter tends to be used more by Africans and black Americans. I guess because it is native to Africa. It is some sore of large fruit that grows on trees I think and has this butter inside. It is yellow in color and pretty soft. I highly recommend it!

My  shea butter baby

Going barefoot

 My 3 year old daughter is always asking me if she can take her shoes off when she is outside (ok, not always, when it's warm). This made me think about some of the simple joys that I need to try to take advantage of to bring down my blood pressure...er....to enjoy the simple moments in my life. Sitting outside and feeling the warm sun, the feeling of grass between my toes. It's a time I love to just think about how great my God is! I read Dr. Tieraona Low Dog's book Life is You Best Medicine about trying to be the healthiest you can be with simple ideas and concepts and I was amazed the number of things you can do that are very simple but effective to improve your health and just make you happy. For instance, taking a nice relaxing bath with nice scents, or playing music that makes you happy, or getting some sunshine, or having some nice scents around that are relaxing, or enjoying a good cup of tea, etc., etc. The list goes on and on. These things really do make your life better. Any thoughts on simple ideas to make you happier and healthier?



Aaaahhhh....Don't you just want to do this right now?

 

O Mary we crown thee with blossoms today!

 

It's May! Does anyone else remember being taught as a kid the saying "April showers bring May flowers"? I used to say that to myself over and over again growing up in upstate NY to get me through those cloudy, cold early spring days in NY in hopes that it was going to get better. We always had the Tulip festival in May. I always looked forward to beautiful flowers everywhere around me. Another find memory was the May crowning for Mary. Yet another Catholic thing that just makes life as a Christian lovely. I always loved to see the pretty crown of flowers placed onto a statue of Mary while singing the hymn "Bring flowers of the rarest".

We never had a statue of Mary at our house, but I bet I would have loved to have one! We still don't have a statue at our house and I still bet I would love one (They really aren't cheap), especially during the month of May when Catholic Christians honor Mary the mother of God in a special way (Look, if we can celebrate stuff like black history month, we can give the woman who was found worthy to carry Jesus Christ a month too).

This is an awesome opportunity of course to discuss our Catholic faith with our children. Why do we honor Mary? Why is she such a special woman in all of history? I definitely don't want to go into it here but I just want to mention that this is such a great month to take the opportunity to teach our children. The May crowning is such a wonderfully visual thing to engrave the teachings of our faith in our youngest children as well as the older ones. 

This Mary statue is at my parent's house. I'm so glad they had one anyway. Pray for us holy mother of God!

Here are the words to the song!

Bring flowers of the rarest,
Bring blossoms the fairest,
From garden and woodland and hillside and dale;
Our full hearts are swelling,
Our glad voices telling
The praise of the loveliest flower of the vale.

O Mary, we crown thee with blossoms today,
Queen of the Angels and Queen of the May,
O Mary, we crown thee with blossoms today,
Queen of the Angels and Queen of the May,

Their lady they name thee,
Their mistress proclaim thee,
Oh, grant that thy children on earth be as true
As long as the bowers
Are radiant with flowers
As long as the azure shall keep its bright hue.

O Mary, we crown thee with blossoms today,
Queen of the Angels and Queen of the May,
O Mary, we crown thee with blossoms today,
Queen of the Angels and Queen of the May,

Sing gaily in chorus,
The bright angels o'er us
Re-echo the strains we begin upon earth;
Their harps are repeating
The notes of our greeting,
For Mary herself is the cause of our mirth.

 

Another version:

Bring flowers of the fairest,
Bring flowers of the rarest,
From garden and woodland
And hillside and dale;
Our full hearts are swelling,
Our Glad voices telling
The praise of the loveliest flower of the vale.

O Mary, we crown thee with blossoms today,
Queen of the Angels and Queen of the May,
O Mary, we crown thee with blossoms today,
Queen of the Angels and Queen of the May,

Our voices ascending,
In harmony blending,
Oh, thus may our hearts turn
Dear Mother, to thee;
Oh, thus shall we prove thee
How truly we love thee,
How dark without Mary
Life's journey would be.

O Mary, we crown thee with blossoms today,
Queen of the Angels and Queen of the May,
O Mary, we crown thee with blossoms today,
Queen of the Angels and Queen of the May,

O Virgin most tender,
Our homage we render,
Thy love and protection,
Sweet Mother, to win.
In danger defend us,
In sorrow befriend us,
And shield our hearts
From contagion and sin.

O Mary, we crown thee with blossoms today,
Queen of the Angels and Queen of the May,
O Mary, we crown thee with blossoms today,
Queen of the Angels and Queen of the May,

Of Mothers the dearest,
Oh, wilt thou be nearest,
When life with temptation
Is darkly replete?
Forsake us, O never!
Our hearts be they ever
As Pure as the lilies
We lay at thy feet.

O Mary, we crown thee with blossoms today,
Queen of the Angels and Queen of the May,
O Mary, we crown thee with blossoms today,
Queen of the Angels and Queen of the May,