Easter Egg Hunt Ideas Without Candy

A friend of mine posed a question the other day about non-candy Easter Hunt Ideas so I thought maybe I would share a few of my ideas but would love to hear yours. Easter in our home is really about the gift that Jesus gave us and this is not to be overshadowed but bunnies, eggs and candy. Our home, church and their school really surround them with the true celebration for Easter and I can't give enough thanks for the love we have been given.
Since Easter is such a celebration, we do enjoy having a little fun with the girls.  Every year we have set up an egg hunt for the girls and their cousins.  They may find one or two pieces of dark chocolate in an egg but for the most part there are filled with other fun ideas.

 

Here are a few ideas of things that we have put in our eggs:

1. coins (who doesn't like adding to a piggy bank)
2. tattoos
3. barrettes
4. hair elastics
5. lip gloss
6. nail polish
7. socks 
8. shoe laces
9. band-aids
10. beads
11. glow sticks
12. lego
13. play-doh
14. seeds for the garden
15. pieces of a puzzle
16. notes of things to do (give out a hug, jumping jacks, act like a tiger etc.)
17. questions about the Easter story
18. notes of where to find another egg
19. pieces of a treasure map to find a larger treasure (I tend to use practical ideas for the treasure ie. night light, crafts, markers, outside toys, games, books, new bathing suit)

 

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Salt Dough Valentine Magnets

We are not huge Valentine celebrators over here.  I think Dan and I celebrated it once, on our first year of marriage and have since left it alone.  We are constantly striving to love more each day and not just on February 14th.  Nevertheless, the girls are celebrating Valentine's Day with their school so we will participate.

 

As I am sure you figured out, I am not big on sweets etc. but we love a good craft.  Even though I would not consider myself creative, I am very thankful for Pinterest and this idea of creating some magnets about love.  These were really quite simple, the longest part was just the drying in the oven so do plan ahead.

Ingredients

• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup salt
• 1/2 cup water
• food colouring (optional)
• small cookie cutters (I found mine at Michaels)
• magnets
• glue gun
• paint, stamps etc,

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 225 degrees F.
2. Combine all ingredients and roll out into 1/4 inch thickness.
3. Cut out shapes and place on a baking tray.
4. Bake for 2-3 hours or until completely dry.  I flipped mine after the first hour.

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Saving Money and Planning Ahead Tip #1

I love ways to still eat well but save a little money.  This idea does take a little planning ahead but it will save you time in the long run.  It has been years since we have bought canned legumes, beans, peas or whatever you want to call them.  I am not a fan of using cans when I can avoid them, due to the BPA liners, sodium and additional garbage waste.

Letting your dried beans soak for 6-8 hours actually begins bean germination.  This germination causes enzymes to release, breaking down the complex bean sugars. Some suggest that breaking down the complex sugar is a good thing as this is what gives us gas.  Once beans are soaked and cooked they can placed in freezer save containers and ready for your next meal.

Some of our favourite ways to eat beans/peas or legumes are:

• Chana Masala
• Chili (Vegetarian)
• Chocolate Black Bean Fudge
• Honey Roasted Chickpeas
• Maple Baked Beans
• Mung Beans and Cabbage

Soaking and Cooking Beans 

Option 1-Pre-soak with Boiling

1. In a large pot add dry beans, rinse with water and remove any poor looking beans.  Add enough water to full over the beans plus another 1-2 inches.
2. Let soak for 6-8 hours on counter.
3. Rinse beans and place in a large pot.  Add enough fresh water to cover the beans and simmer them for 30 minutes and then check to see if they are tender but still firm. If cooking kidney beans to let them boil for 10 minutes and then simmer (to reduce the Phytohaemagglutini) 
4. Once cooked either use right away or rinse with cold water and place in freezer safe containers.

Option 2-Quicker-Doubled Boiled 

1. In a large pot dry beans, rinse with water and remove any poor looking beans. 
2. Add enough fresh water to completely cover the beans plus another 1-2 inches.  Bring pot to a boil and turn off and let sit for 1 hour. If cooking kidney beans to let them boil for 10 minutes and then simmer (to reduce the Phytohaemagglutini) 
3. Rinse beans again and add enough fresh water to completely cover the beans plus another 1-2 inches to the pot and bring to a boil.  Tilting the lid a little let the beans simmer for 1 -2 hours depending on the bean.  Check frequently to ensure they are tender but still firm.  You don't want to over cook your beans.
4. Once cooked either use right away or rinse with cold water and place in freezer safe containers.

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*Beans that don't require soaking, just cook for approximately 30 minutes

• Black beans
• Black-Eyed Peas
• Lentils

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Natural Wood Sealer, Wax or Polish-Without the Chemicals

I recently learned how to make a natural wood sealer or wax. I finally decided to update our bedroom since we moved into this house a year ago.  The closest was stained a light wood but our furniture is dark so I attempted to stain the closest to match.  I didn't want to use a toxic sealer so decided to see what was out there for natural options.

I found, The Modern DIY Life and Ben Nyquist's DIY Beeswax Wood Polish and Sealant so I have it a try.  I was really impressed with how easy it was to make.  This wax really brought out the new stain and seems to be locking it in.  I added in some lemon essential oil as helps bring out shine.  I am aware that I will probably have to reapply this sealant every year or so, but at least I won't be subjecting the family to any more chemicals.

Ingredients

• 1 part beeswax 
• 3 parts olive oil
• 10 drops lemon essential oil (optional)

Directions

1. Grate beeswax and add to a double boiler pot.  
2. Melt until a complete liquid.  Turn heat off and add olive oil and blend completely.
3. Add your essential oil and stir to combine.
4. If using as a sealant it is best when warm.  You can always bring it back to the double boiler to soften as it hardens once cooled.
5. As a polish simply add a small amount to a clean cloth and rub on wood in a circular motion.
6. Store in a sealed glass container.

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DIY Homemade Laundry Detergent

A friend of mine got me into making homemade laundry detergent.  I have now made it about 3 times and have found a recipe and really like.  The best part is definitely the cost savings but knowing exactly what is going into your detergent is also huge for me.  I had always bought the natural, biodegradable detergent before but here in Canada they do not come cheap.

So I did a bit of math today for you so you can see how much you actually are saving.
With this recipe I made approximately 7.25 L of laundry soap which coast me about less than $2.00 to make.  I use about 1/4 cup of detergent per load which gives me about 116 loads at less than 2 cents per load!  If I compare this to what I was buying before I was spending about  per load.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup borax
• 1/2 cup washing soda
• 1/2 cup grated natural soap bar (I use a homemade bar or one by Soap Works)
• 30-40 drops pure essential oil (lemon, lavender, orange, flower blends etc.)
• 1 litre plus 8 litres of hot water

Directions

1. In a medium size pot add borax, washing soda, shaved soap and 1 litre of water.
2. Heat to a medium heat and allow soap shavings to completely dissolve.
3. Add soap mixture to a large bucket and then add the 8 litres of hot water.
4. Let soap sit until completely cool and stir a couple times if possible.
5. Once cooled whisk until fully combined.  I used my hand blender to ensure everything was combined.
6. Store in sealed containers.  I used about 1/4 cup per load and shake the bottle just before use.

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DIY Homemade Washing Soda

I wanted to make my homemade laundry detergent but realized I didn't have any washing soda.  I then remembered that you can make your own.  When baking soda is heated at a high temperature, its chemical composition changes and washing soda is created.

Ingredients

• 2 cups baking soda

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
2. Place baking soda on an oven safe baking dish/pan.

3. Bake for approximately 30 minutes, stirring 2-3 times in between until baking soda has turns a bit more grey dull colour and more grainy in texture.  

 4. Store in an air tight container.

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DIY Homemade Foam Hand Soap (Chemical Free)

I am always trying to save money and live with less chemicals.  I have another recipe for hand soap but there is something fun about foam soap, especially for the kids ;)  I used some vitamin E in this recipe to help protect the skin and keep it moist.  I have seen recipes which use almond oil, fractionated coconut oil and/or Aloe Vera juice.

Do ensure you are using pure essential oils without any synthetic additives.  I like orange as it has antibacterial properties and smells great but I have also used melaleuca, peppermint, lemon and/or lavender.
* I can make a bottle of soap for about $0.75 or less.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons liquid castile soap (I use Dr.Bronner's)
• 10-15 drops essential oils of choice (I like the citrus oils or lavender)
• 1 tablespoon vegetable glycerin (optional)
• 1 teaspoon vitamin E oil, aloe vera, fractionated coconut oil or almond oil (optional)
• filtered water

Directions

1. Add ingredients into empty hand soap container in order listed.
2. Add the water to fill bottle to the top leaving room to add the foam dispenser.
3. Shake lightly.
4. Use 1-2 pumps as needed.

*Large Batch

• 6 cups water
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons liquid castile soap
• 2 tablespoons vitamin E oil, aloe vera, fractionated coconut oil or almond oil (optional)
• 1/4 cup vegetable glycerin (optional)
• 60-80 drops essential oils

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Eczema, Allergies and Diet

I have never really struggled with eczema until this past year.  This winter my hands started to show signs of eczema.  They were dry, itch and red.  It really came on around Christmas so I kind of thought it might be related to an increase in chocolate (as it is my weakness) as well as the dry weather.

 This is my hand on a "not so bad day," unfortunately I didn't get a photo of flare-up

 It wasn't until we recently took our oldest daughter to the naturopath and mentioned her dry hands that she told us, dry skin on hands is often related to eggs but of course could be another food. Of course... why didn't I think of this?  I know dairy often causes eczema but I forgot about eggs. Needless to say, for the last three weeks I have been very strict with eggs at home.  Our oldest has had a huge improvement on her skin and so have I.

Eczema is typically a reaction to a food allergy or intolerance.  The main food culprits are eggs, citrus, dairy and corn, however there are others.  We don't have a lot of dairy or corn at home and I know egg whites are on some of our food intolerance lists, so why I didn't put this together? I don't know.  You live and learn I guess.  So I am sharing my experience with you.  Eczema is not fun, it can be hard to get rid of but instead of using topical creams etc. consider looking into your diet perhaps you are eating something your body does not tolerate well.


 

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"No Ice Please."

My husband works for a company that specializes  commercial water treatment technology.   His company focuses specifically on applying UV disinfection for eliminating harmful bacteria and viruses from water.

Dan is always making sure our family doesn't receive ice in our water glasses.  Here is a great article letting you know just why you too may want to start say, "No ice please."
...Ice Machines Contain More Bacteria Than Toilet Water

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Back From Travelling and Eating Out

It has been over a week since my last post.  The girls and I took the opportunity to join Dan on one of his work trips.  We were blessed to be able to see the Rocky Mountains and discover more of God's creation.  I have never had the opportunity to visit the west coast of Canada and I am so glad I could do that as a family.  Canada is not only a safe and friendly country but it is also gorgeous.

Travelling and trying to eat well is not easy feat.  I am thankful that non of us have any food allergies as we are able to eat everything...even though we may not like some of the effects.  We had an early start to our vacation so I was able to make some bars and pack some fruit for breakfast. On our flight I brought along some gum and treats for the girls.  I often give the girls xylitol gum as xylitol increases salivation, which is great for swallowing on the airplane.  According to some researches, xylitol is also a cavity fighter.

Once we arrived in Calgary we made our way to Banff.  On the way, we made a pit stop in the beautiful town of Canmore.  Canmore is home of the three sisters mountains.

photo courtesy of Jessica Stoner

When Dan and I are on vacation, we often spend a lot of time driving around just finding places that have "real" food.  It didn't take us long to find an awesome cafe in Canmore.  Mountain Juice Cafe has a large menu of smoothies, juices, soups and wraps.  After being stuck on a plane with lots of germs it was great to find a place to get some real nourishment.

On to Banff, where we would be staying for the next few days.  Dan had to work for the first part of our trip so the girls and I enjoyed a lot of swimming and even some shopping.

Finding restaurants with food that won't make you feel rotten all week is a bit of a challenge.  I am thankful that the hotel room had a fridge and Banff had a couple grocery stores.  We were able to put together a few of our own meals and some things like non-dairy milk, hummus, juices etc.

I will admit, I did have to let the "healthy happy wife" part of me go at times and let the girls try some foods I would not normally have in our house.  I definitely noticed more wheat get added to our diet while away.  No one is intolerant to wheat however, I did get the "fuzziness" in my eyes on occasion due to the extra gluten.  For those of you who have eliminated wheat/gluten from your diet may know what I am talking about.

We were able to do quite a bit of sight seeing on the latter part of the trip.  Lake Louise was a beautiful place to walk, ski, skate or dog sled.  We enjoyed some fresh air and a picnic lunch parked at the base of a mountain, something we can't do here in Kingston.  While touring, my youngest claimed she saw "a lot" of mountain goats crossing the highway, none of us did, however we were happy to have seen some elk on the side of the road.

My six year old has learned how to draw an elk

I am proud of my little travelers, they were fabulous on the plane, hotel and restaurants.  I did enjoy the break from cooking, dishes and regular house maintenance but am happy to be back making my own food.

My four year old drew our airplane

We asked our oldest if she preferred restaurants or eating at home.  I wasn't surprised when she said, eating at home, however her reasoning was not what I expected.  She can be quite a home body so I figured she would just like eating at her own house, but she said she liked having smoothies.  A girl after my own heart!

For my family and friends, especially those in China and Europe, here are a few additional photos.

Getting packed up

 

 Lake Louise..it was a really sunny day

 Lake Louise 

My husband's favourite photo as the town is called Field, yet we didn't see any fields only mountains

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Natural Food Colouring or Dyes That Won't Harm Your Body

This weekend we celebrated our youngest's 4th birthday.  She is a big fan of the Despicable Me movies and in particular the Minions.  Who doesn't love these adorable little yellow guys?  My husband and I had fun decorating the house and coming up with fun activities for the day.  I love and yet always struggle with the idea of the cake.  I want to make something that other children will like but without using the harmful ingredients.  For this year's cake, we decided on my Grain Free Chocolate Cupcakes.  The icing became the next challenge. How to make yellow and blue icing without using harmful food colours/dyes?

Warning!
Food dyes have been linked to everything from bladder cancer, brain tumors, attention deficits, bed wetting, migraines etc. Most artificial food dyes are petroleum based, yes the same stuff used to make fuel for your car.  According to Dr. Mercola, artificial dyes have the same effect on your child as lead. Yikes!  Why is this stuff even aloud.
I took the girls to the dentist a few weeks ago and was completely appalled that they handed the girls toothpaste and a mouthwash filled with blue dyes and not to mention fake sugars. Yuck! Sure, according to the food industry, there is so little added to your favourite pastas, chips, drinks, pickles etc. there isn't enough to cause an effect.  That doesn't work for me.  A little is still too much. Thankfully there are a few other countries who have already banned unnatural food dyes.

At home we try to completely avoid artificial food colouring.  We have managed to make birthday cakes by using natural foods to make our coloured icing. Here are a few ways we have created coloured frostings/icing.

Yellow
-Turmeric spice works awesome.  A little goes a long way so start slowly.  If you add too much you make alter the taste.  I love this spice but not in my dessert.

Purple
-Strained blue berries work wonderfully

Blue
-Strained blueberry juice with a pink of baking soda.  It will cause a chemical reaction and make a blue

Green
-I have not yet tried this one but apparently juiced spinach works really well and doesn't not give a spinach taste

Pink
-Juiced or boiled beets, a little juice goes a long way and not it doesn't taste like beets.
-Strained raspberries or berry jam also make beautiful pink colours

If you are not up for making your own colours I have heard good things about this natural food colouring India Tree Natural Food Colouring.


Here are a few pictures of the rest of our party, I figured my family may want to see these.

Happy Birthday Beautiful!

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Home-made Montreal Steak Spice (Gluten/Grain, MSG and Preservative Free)

I am always worried about added MSG when buying spice combinations.  I used to suffer from migraines and am a bit paranoid when it comes to ingredients listed as "spices."  For more on MSG you can read my post MSG, I Found You.  When combining all these ingredients to ensure your spices are gluten free and don't contain any additional ingredients.

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 tablespoon sea salt
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1/2 tablespoon thyme
• 1 tablespoon coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients and place in a sealed container.
2. Keep in a dark dry spot.

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Recipe Fails

I had a friend over this week and was experimenting with a cookie recipe just before she came. Needless to say it was not a successful recipe and the cookies ended up more like pancakes.  We had a good laugh and decided to eat them anyway just in a bowl with a spoon.  I realized I have A LOT of fails in the kitchen and figured it might be fun to show you some of them.  Here are just a few of the fails I have had and these are only in the last couple of days!

Chocolate Chip Almond Cookies?

I am so thankful to have a family who will pretty much each anything.  Since we changed our eating habits before the girls were born, they are used to a lot of "interesting" dishes.  They will eat pretty much everything. Our oldest has coined a phrase for "mush bars."  Mush bars are simply bars I have tried to create that didn't set in the least and well look like mush.  She seems to think this is normal and will even take her mush bars to school ;)

An example of one of my "mush" bar fails

These are suppose to be biscuits?

I have to thank my mother in law for raising a son in a home where food was prepared and meant to be eaten.  Dan will eat anything I make and will always tell me it is good even though I know it really isn't at all.  There has only been one meal which he didn't finish and didn't go back for seconds.  I had experimented a while ago with thickening a stew using psyllium husk and I accidentally put in way too much husk.  The stew literally turned into a jello and needed a knife to separate the pieces.  On the bright side, it was easy to clean up as it literally slid out clean from the pot.
Cutting out gluten or grains and adding in more nutrition doesn't always come easy, but I figure at least I am trying.
Much success to you.
Irene

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Happy Advent Season and a DIY Advent Calendar

Today starts the first Sunday of the Christian Season of Advent.  Today we began our count down to Jesus birthday.  I had actually never done an advent calendar with my girls, I know sad but my youngest keeps asking, "Are we at Christmas?"  "When are we going to Christmas?" etc.  I figured a calendar would be a good way to visually show her how long till Christmas day.  The whole calendar will symbolize the Christmas season.

I decided to make my own as I am not keen on giving them chocolates each day and I am also a picky chocolate eater and couldn't find one with dark chocolate.  The only problem with home-made, is that I am not a crafty person.  As you can see, it is really rather simple, but it works.  I like the idea of separate envelopes, as this way I could write my own notes, create my own activities and thus limit the edible treats.

In case you get the gumption to create your own, here are a few ideas I came up.

• make paper snowflakes
• decorate a Christmas ornament (set aside)
• make a Christmas card for someone you love
• make a paper chain
• make a craft/bake for your teacher
• do something for our neighbours
• watch a Christmas movie
• sing your favourite Christmas carol
• have a candle light dinner
• read a Christmas book
• play a family game
• colour Christmas pictures (printed and set aside)
• give a treat (included in the pouch) to someone else
• special activities for the advent candles of (hope, peace, joy and love)

Have fun with it.  If I can make my own you definitely can as well.  The girls did help me with making the board and are just thrilled with opening something each day.  I don't think they care what it looks like.

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Toothpaste and The Dangers of Fluoride

If you follow me on Facebook you will have seen that I am reading, The Nourishing Traditions Book of Baby and Child Care by Sally Fallon Morell and Dr. Thomas S. Cowan.  I highly recommend this book if you have children or are planning on having children. There are some excellent chapters on illnesses, vaccinations, disorders, pregnancy, nutrition and remedies.

One section in particular was of interest to me.  The authors have written a simple yet informative piece about the dangers of fluoride.  We are finally living on a fluoride free well but before this, we had been on a fluoridated city water system.  Many European countries as well as some Asia countries have banned fluoride from their drinking water, however in many parts of Canada and the United States, fluoride is still added to much of our drinking water.

According to the authors, fluoride can suppress your thyroid, slow down metabolism, cause behavioural problems and create white or even staining spots on your teeth.  The Environmental Health Perspectives Journal has even found that children in high level fluoride levels had significantly lower IQ scores than those who lived in low fluoride levels.  Yikes with fluoride and sugar (see The Secrets of Sugar) we are creating some less than intelligent people.

Dr. Mercola has a great interview with dentist, Dr. Osmunson, who after much research realized that fluoride does very little to reduce tooth decay but in fact found that areas with less fluoride had less decay. Dr, Osmunson goes on to explain the dangers of fluoride.  Fluoride can inhibit the production of melatonin, increase the changes of cancer,  encourage hyperactivity as well as dementia.  For more on this interview please see  The Toxic Import from China Hidden in this Everyday Beverage...

If you are concerned about the amount of fluoride your family is ingesting do consider fluoride free toothpaste as well as omitting any dental fluoride treatments.  There are many brands of toothpaste which promote a fluoride free recipe.  There are also some great sites on making your own toothpaste.  Talking to your region about their water treatment process will also give you some more insight about what you are ingesting.

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More Natural Remedies for a Cold

Cold and flu season is upon us.  Ever since we moved, about six weeks ago the girls have been battling a cold.  It has been rather frustrating and mind boggling for me.  I am trying to ensure their diets only promote a stronger immune system yet they have been struggling with this cold.  I believe the change in location, school and house has contributed to their fight as they are fighting against some new germs.

I decided to go to the nearest health food store to get some help.  The on-sight homeopath was very helpful and gave me a couple suggestions that I had either forgotten about or hadn't tried.
I figured there were more people struggling with the same situation so I am sharing what we have used and am glad to report we are cold free.

For more information on some more natural remedies check out my post Natural or Alternative Remedies to Keep on Hand

1. Astragalus
In morning before eating any food I am giving them some organic apple juice with astragalus.  Astragalus has been used in Chinese medicine and works at stimulating the immune system.  Our naturopath had suggested it to me years ago as a natural flu "vaccine."

2. Vitamin C
Through fresh fruits and vegetables as well as juicing.  We also add a scorbatate mixed into a drink and occasionally take some fun vitamin C "candies" for a treat.  These do contain sugar so I would not solely rely on them.

3. Oil of Oregano
The oil of oregano is key for killing bacteria.  A simple drop into a glass of water will help kill those germs.  I can't get the girls to drink it as it is so strong but they don't seem to notice it in a juice.

4. Probiotics
Will keep balance your digestive system and allow for proper nutrient absorption.  The probiotics give your body healthy bacteria which will help fight off the unhealthy bacteria.

5. Gargle with Sea Salt Water

The girls have been taught to properly gargle with salt water which will help clean our the germs which linger in their mouths.  Gargling with salt water is also a great way to get rid of or prevent a sore throat.

6. KIDS 0-9 Cough and Cold
This remedy was new to me as I usually separate my homeopathy but both girls had a variety of symptoms so I thought I would try a combined cough syrup.

7. Vitamin D
Perhaps not as essential in fighting a cold but I do feel it is important in the winter months for mood and general health.

8. Increase Water, Raw Fruits and Vegetables
Increasing water as well as raw fruits/vegetables is also important in flushing out toxins as well as increasing essential nutrients.

9. Decrease Sugars and Dairy.  
Eliminating dairy will also help decrease the mucous production.

For more on sugars I highly recommend this video The Secrets of Sugar by the Fifth Estate.  This video made me even more conscious about our diet.  I HIGHLY recommend you watch this video.  Check out the rat experiment 28 minutes into it.  We may be creating a stupid society with sugar.

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