Do You Pinterest?

Are you on Pinterest? I have been on there for a while now, I like to use it more like a virtual bulletin board, pinning all the great stuff I read out there. Sometimes I forget to share those things with my followers, You can find me here on Pinterest. Oh and if you are not on there and want to be shoot me an email at granolacatholic (at) gmail(dot)com and I will send you an invite.

10 Things You Probably Did not Know About Me

1. I have a degrees in French and Linguistics, really. I also have a B.S. in Business. I loved college and learning.
2. When I was younger I wanted to be an archeologist or a anthropologist. My role models were the Leakey’s and Indiana Jones.
3. I was turned on to the world of herbs and natural healing by reading the  Clan of the Cave Bear Book, I read the series sometime in college and quickly started using herbs first in cooking and then branched out into other natural cures.
4. I met my husband while working a summer job, he walked into the local store I was working at then he turned up the next day at the Boy Scout Camp, he was my brother’s boss that summer, definitely some divine intervention in that one.
5. I have worked in non profit management, retail management, education and sales. but by far the most rewarding job I have had is being a mother, really, I know it is a cliché but it is true.
6. I am an introvert. Some who know me, may not believe this, even those of you who only know me via my blog or Facebook page, as I am a bit outspoken on topics I am passionate about but truth be told I am happy at home or in a small group, I crave alone time, and time to be quiet.For those of you are familiar with Meyers Briggs I am an INTJ, this explains why I love to research some the topics that I cover on this blog
7. I have swum in a hurricane and walked across the cauldron of an active volcano but I will not skydive or bungee jump.
8. I had other career aspirations in addition to anthropologist when I was younger, I wanted to be writer in the vein of Laura Ingalls, of Louisa May Alcott.
9. I also wanted to be an architect, I would design house and fill them with furniture  at least on paper.
10. I am reluctant to try new things, but once I have made the decision to commit to something I commit all the way. 

7 Quick Takes

-1-

When it rains it pours, our in other words when I am busy I am super busy. This last Tuesday I not only had a full day of teaching but we had scouts, and dance, but add to that Peanut’s debut as a Cheerleader and you have a 14 hour day away from home. Yesh!

that would be my Peanut in the middle with the big white bow.

-2-

Speaking of bows, my middle daughter has started making them. When she found out how much they cost and how easy it was to make them, she started making them not only for herself but to sell.

-3-

We continue to work on Pumpkin’s shelter, it has been a great bonding experience and a great way for us to spend time outside. He and his Dad have great plans to camp out overnight in it, sometime soon.

-4-

This past week I had one of those moments where I thought I had bought something, I was positive I had bought a big multi pack of Lara Bars. When I went to look for them, they had disappeared. I was a bit perturbed as they were supposedly put in the pantry and never made it to the kitchen. I ranted something about them costing $18. Not the right price, but my husband had sticker shock. He decided to take matter into his own hands and solve my problem in his own way. He developed his own recipe. Might I say this is a work in process but so far my family has eaten 2 plus batches of these bars. My favorite is made with cherry and chocolate chips.

-5-

Many Thanks to all of you who have been praying for my mother in law, Judy, she is doing much better, better than what all the Doctors said she would ever be. She will soon be moving on to the next step of her recovery. We know this is truly a miracle.

-6-

I have started back up with walking/jogging again. I am only doing a mile right now but I would like to do a 5k with kids later this year. The other day when I was jogging with my son he commented that he was walking just as fast as I was jogging. Thanks for the encouragement Pumpkin

-7-

And just because I could not find anything else to say I will leave you with this parting picture of my oldest and this potato she found, just in time for Valentine’s Day

Family Ideas for Valentines Day

Valentines for the Whole Family
I used to be that Valentine’s Day was a day for couples, but some time in the last 10-20 years it has become as much a holiday for children and others important people in your life as it is for couples.
When I was a kid we had the normal Valentine’s Day party in school, moms brought in home made cookies and we made valentines and mailboxes for them to go into. Now you can hardly walk into a store from the Gas Station to the Biggest Store without seeing aisles of cheap trinkets for everyone in your life from your child’s teacher to your neighbor. Now there is nothing wrong with giving people who are important a token of our esteem, but since many of us did that barely two months ago, do we really have to do it again now in February?
Valentine’s is a big spending day. In the last two years the average person spent over $100 on Valentine’s Day merchandise, that is Stuff people, not a dinner out with your sweetheart.  By all estimates I would have to say my family has been guilty of that too. My husband and I would each by the kids a small token of our affection, usually I would send balloons or flowers or whatever the high school kids were doing for a fundraiser at school. The kids would end up with a stuffed animal. It was all so much stuff. Balloons and flowers fade or blow away.
This year instead of spending our $10-$15 per kid on a holiday that was not originally a kid holiday but rather a solemn day to commemorate a martyr we will be doing something with the kids. 
Some of the plans in the works are

• see a movie with the kids with a lunch out
• go to Incredible Pizza
• Go to the Zoo
• Make something at a Paint & Pottery Place
• Do something for a family less fortunate than us, buy them some gifts and deliver them
• Take socks and mittens to the Homeless Shelter

It is time we made Valentine’s Day less about buying trinkets and more about true LOVE. Valentine’s Day was started as a Christian Holiday to commemorate a martyr who against Roman Law married young Romans. He broke the law. Now we don’t need to break the law to celebrate Valentine’s Day but how about breaking with the new normal? 
How do you plan on celebrating Valentine’s Day with your family?

Technorati Tags: holidays,St. Valentine's Day. Family Holidays

Basic Homemade “Cliff Bars”

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This recipe was developed by my dear husband after he learned just how much a box of protein bars goes for.  You see somehow last week an 18 count box of Lara Bars disappeared in my house.  When I complained that $18 worth of food was missing my husband realized just how much protein bars cost.
In a true man fashion he decided to come up with a solution.  Make our own, the best part it was all from ingredients we already had in the house. It pays to have a well stocked pantry.
This is a basic recipe, we are still tweaking it. But from this basic recipe we have made two different versions. Those of you who know me, know that I am a little of this, little of that sort of cook.  Please feel free to use this recipe as a jumping off point for your own combinations.
Basic Peanut Butter “Cliff Bar” Recipe

• 2 cups of a cereal grain like oatmeal or brown rice puffs
• 2 cups of peanut butter or other nut butter, we like nutella but it has diary in it
•  1 cup  dried fruit (optional)
• optional – chocolate chips, cinnamon, other spices, nuts
• 1/2 cup of honey

Combine the honey and peanut butter and heat on stove or in microwave until peanut butter is melted and honey is thoroughly combined.
In a large mixing bowl combine all ingredients and mix well, my husband recommends using a butter knife. It will start to come together like dough when it is mixed well.
Pour mixture in a wax paper lined pan, tap down with a flat object, like a cast iron pan  and refrigerate at least 30 minutes or until firm.
Cut into bar size piece and wrap in wax paper, they may be sticky.

What I love about this recipe is the ability to change the flavors and use whatever is on hand. If you want to increase the protein level you could add your favorite protein powder to this mix, but as it is it delivers more protein than a pb sandwich.

this post is linked up to Green and Natural Mamas, Simple Lives Thursday, Penny Wise Platter, Living Well Blog Hop,Fresh Bites Friday, Homestead Barn Hop, Hearth and Soul Blog Hop, Traditional Tuesdays, Healthy 2Day Wednesday, The Green Phone Booth

Technorati Tags: real food for real people,homemade cliff bars,homemade protein bars,gluten free bars,no bake protein bars

Sh*t Granola Catholics Say

This post is inspired by the very funny Sh*t Girls Say videos, since I don’t have the time to make my own video you will have to imagine my running around and staging all the scenes. Instead I am going to share my take on this very funny trend going on.

• Try some tea tree oil on that
• Where do you keep the honey? I need to wash my face.
• Where do you keep the baking soda, I need to wash my hair.  
• I get my honey from a neighbor
• My kids don’t drink juice, they however LOVE Kombucha
• It’s time for Mass
• It’s time for Vespers
• Have you been to confession lately ?
• I love going to Fr. Incognito, he only assigns 3 Hail Mary’s for confession, Fr. Finnagin makes me do community service
• Make sure you fill your water bottle before we leave the house.
• I am eating gluten free now
• I only eat meat I know the farmer/ranchers
• The ugly fruit always tastes better
• No you can not put the holy water in your water gun
• We go through so much baking soda we buy it by the 5lb bag
• Where do you keep the compost pile?
• Where do you put your recyclables?
• Did you hear she named her new baby John Paul?

What things do you catch yourself saying?

this post is linked up to Saints and Scripture Sundays

Technorati Tags: sh*t people say

7 Quick Takes

-1-

We are certainly blessed to know some great people in our family. Just this week our favorite Nun, Mother Miriam of the Lamb of God was named One of the Top Ten People to Watch by Inside Vatican Magazine. She is an amazing woman. I love her straight forwardness and she has been nothing but welcoming to me and my family.

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In other news we are going to miss “our” Monks. Recently my dear husband became a Benedictine Oblate at the Monastery of Our Lady  of the Cenacle, however our dear monks including Fr. Kirby will be moving the monastery to Ireland in the next couple of months. Our family has come to enjoy our visits with them. My youngest even made his first communion at the Monastery, without me being present I might add. (but that is a story for another time)

-3-

My 8th grade daughter is already making life plans, she is planning on becoming a Naturopathic Doctor, but in order to do so she is lining up not only her courses for high school, planning concurrent enrollment her junior and senior year but where she will go for under grad and graduate school. As of me writing this she is hoping to go to The North American College in Rome, YES! Rome, Italy! People.  I was planning on her going to grad school on the East or West Coast, we live in the middle of the country, but now she wants to go to Rome?

-4-

Remember when my daughter’s both auditioned for the same role in the school musical? Well Pi, got the solo. She is beyond thrilled, Peanut is only in 6th grade and it is her first semester in drama so she has plenty of time to grow into roles.

-5-

Food is important to me at our house, as I am sure it is at your house. Recently I changed how I eat, I have been vegan in the past and I have been gluten free for at least 6 months, well I have combined the two in the last month. I will be truthful, it is not as hard as it sounds when you eat Real Food, I eat plenty of food just not bread, cheese, diary or meat, nor do I eat pasta’s (most gluten free are not that good). I do eat up to 1 lb. of fresh veggies a day and 1lb. of cooked veggies. Friends that is a LOT of food.

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Given that I am eating so much green food lately I have been working on the garden, I am getting ready to plant some early greens. Using a cold frame I can start growing my kale and spinach in February very easily. My only problem is that my favorite store to get seeds at was out of them this week when I went. I guess there are other gardeners who are taking advantage of this mild weather we are having. So tell me if you garden what are your favorite early crops? I have onions coming up already and I am planning on spinach and kale what else do you like to put in for spring?

-7-

My son, Pumpkin, and I have been working on a project this week. After clearing out some dead limbs from around our pond my son decided to build a fort, but this is not just any fort. It is big enough for the whole family and a shelter worthy of Bear Grylls. It is still a work in progress and he has plans to fill in the sides with hay and mud to make it water tight.