past or present?

Lewis and his 'petite amie'  Simona

Children have this great way about them, they're outlook is so fresh , new it's all about living in the now.  Any time I've been off in a day dream I catch my son staring. Wondering what i'm doing, where is mommy looking and  I watch him turn and look into the direction I'm looking.  He's probably wondering what's so interesting. They must wonder where we go for those few seconds... I wonder about it too sometimes. How some thoughts just trigger moments where your off to another place, another time.  Yet we are quickly brought back to reality by a smile or a "mama" .  How wonderful it is to watch them discover so many new things, learning how to articulate and have you finally understand what it is they want.

No past in their eyes, not yet. It sounds crazy but it's almost like dogs. They love unconditionally and remember certain key things, and yet have this wonderful ability to live in the moment. ( gotta love Cesar Milan )  Everyday is a new day for them with new exciting things to do, and even if they aren't so new they still find the joy and excitement in it.  This is something we should do...everyday as we once did. Why do we lose the essence of this as we get older? It really shouldn't be .
Happiness should be everyday, as if it were something new. It is new ! So why not ?

“When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive—to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.”
—Marcus Aurelius


thank you kids,
thank you Cesar,
thank you Marcus ( for the amazing quote)

A domani,
L&L

WINTER Skin

Winter weather is havoc for skin especially sensitive skin like little Lewis's. So we protect, nourish , and moisturize all the time especially in the winter. We love to be outdoors so I'm always extra careful, and with the extra warm/hot baths we take this time of year it's easy to dry up our skin. My remedy has always been and will always be ARGAN oil.
http://www.resana.ca/english/index.php .
( It's got  amazing health benefits too when ingested but i'll save that for another blog!)  
 I've been using an amazing product for years now that I was very happy to share with Lewis when he was born.  He had a few patches of eczema on his legs that quickly went away with this miracle liquid.   100% PURE and NOTHING else... You heard me , one hundred percent ORGANIC ARGAN OIL and that's it !!!  I  wouldn't trust anything else on my newborn's skin.  I don't know how these so called baby company's can manufacture "baby " products using chemicals that are toxic .
I really don't understand the concept behind all this. I feel like I have to be informed and on top of things all the time.  The other day a friend posted a comment that  inspired this blog ( thanks nanc-)  it said,
"don't believe everything you read"....
and that's exactly the way I see it.   JUST because they say it's a BABY product doesn't mean it's good for baby's ( I know this doesn't make sense for some of you, but once you start looking at things more closely you'll understand what I mean)
Now this goes for all things not just baby products, one of the reasons I stopped using facial moisturizers, among other things.  I won't list them all, I am an extremist when it comes to natural foods  and products so the list will be long .   But this is my interest, for some it's fashion, some it's decorating, some it's toys, electronics, cars, my money is spent on the most natural foods and  products I could find.
Well this is  the only moisturizer I trust to put on my skin and Lewis's! It brings life to any complexion, it's great on the whole body,  even throughout winter's toughest months is soothes and nourishes the skin.
 We love it !

Ready to glow?
L&L

More CLEAN, COZY Food !

It's getting cold outside and we've been spending  much more time indoors, which means more cooking !!!
COZY cooking is what we like to call it. Lewis loves it .... he watches in amazement as a few simple ingredients turn into fabulous meals. One of his all time favorites is "pate chinois" as we call it, or better known as "shepherds pie". Ever wonder how it got it's name, cuz it is definitely NOT an oriental dish, well this is what Wikipedia had to say about it:

Pâté Chinois is not a Chinese recipe. It may simply be an adaption of "Shepherd's Pie", but one possible explanation for the 'Chinese' reference is that it was introduced to Canadian railway workers by Chinese cooks during the building of the North American railroads in the late 19th century^{[citation needed]}. These cooks made it under instruction from the railway bosses (of English extraction) as an easily-prepared, inexpensive version of the popular cottage pie, with the sauce in the tinned creamed-corn serving as a substitute for the gravy. The French Canadian railway workers became fond of it and brought the recipe back with them to their home communities. From there it was brought to the textile mill communities of Maine (Lewiston), New Hampshire (Manchester), Massachusetts (e.g. Lowell and Lawrence) and Rhode Island (Woonsocket) where many French Canadians immigrated to work in the mills during the early 20th century.

So interesting I  had no idea ... well there is the explanation, let me share my twist on the classic recipe!


Ingredients:

• 1 pound Ground Bison meat ( much healthier than beef or pork check this out http://www.canadianbison.ca/consumer/Why_Bison/nutrition.htm  and yes it tastes good , I promise if you try it you'll NEVER go back to beef or anything else!
• 3-4 Whole corns ( I like to use whole corn and cut off the kernels after boiling it , just tastes much better than canned corn and less salt!)
• 4-5 Yukon Gold potatoes ( they are less starchy than regular and taste better too!)
• 2-3 cloves Garlic 
• 1 Lg  white Onion
• 1 Tbs of Oregano and Basil  dried herb
• 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese cubed  
• 1 Tbs Coconut oil ( is a high smoking oil great for stir fry's and your health!!)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Things you need:

• Small - med. pot to boil  potatoes and corn
• Large frying pan to cook minced meat and potatoes
• Potato masher
• Rectangular, deep pan to put it all together in.

What to do:

• Peel and cube potatoes add cleaned garlic cloves and bring to a boil in pot.
• Chop onion add to frying pan with coconut oil and let onions cook until translucent then add ground meat and herbs. When cooked remove from pan and set aside in a bowl.
• When potatoes are cooked, ( you can easily put a fork through ) remove from pot with a straining  ladle and put into the frying  pan you used to fry up meat.  Add cubed cheddar,  let it all warm up together then mash.  Adding a little potato water if needed.  Use the rest of the potato boiling water to boil corn! I usually cut the corn  in half so it's easier to cut off kernels once cooked, and fits into the pot.
• Cut kernels off corn and add to minced meat in bowl and mix all together.

Putting it all together:

 It's super simple,  put a layer of potato at the bottom of the baking pan, then add the corn and mixed meat mixture , and a top layer of potato and it's done!!!

Sprinkle with bread crumbs  to add extra crispiness (optional)

Stay Cozy & Toasty,

we are!!!

L&L

Clean FOOD

Well another topic I'm passionate about, CLEAN EATING. For those who have read previous blogs you all know how passionate I am about healthy eating and organic foods, so i thought i'd share another quick, healthy, nutritious meal. Do you all know the health benefits of kale?  
Excellent source of...

• Manganese
• Iron
• Copper
• Calcium
• Dietry Fibre
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin B1, B2, B6
• Vitamin E

A great antioxidant and rich in beta carotene too ! 

Yes but lets face it at some point it's hard to get creative with it. So here is a fabulous dish the whole family will love.

First off what I like to do is when I buy kale is wash it, strip the stem off,  cut into small pieces and freeze.  It makes life a whole lot easier. 


Ingredients you will need :

• 1 bunch kale (prepped like I mentioned above)
• 1 large onion
• 1/2 squash (butter nut)
• 1 cup grated chedder (no not the orange one, cheddar is actually  like most other cheeses, the orange has coloring in it, so stick to the real thing!)
• 3 tablespoons of flour 
• 1/2 cup of milk
• salt and pepper 

How to put it together:
In a deep pan layer kale, onion, grated or sliced squash, salt and pepper, sprinkle a little flour and cheese.
repeat layering till you get to the top. End with cheese and top with squash. Pour the milk over it all.
Bake at 350' for about 20 mins or till you see that it's shrunk down half the height. 
Let stand a few minutes and serve.
E voila !!!

• quick
• healthy
• fun
• CLEAN FOOD!!!

BUON  APPETITTO!

L&L

looking back....

Being a mom is so time consuming that we really don't realize how fast time goes by. When Lewis was barely weeks old  I'd be out with him and the moms I would encounter all had the same thing to say...."enjoy it cuz it fly s by"  at the time I wanted to reply "really cuz it ain't going fast enough !!!" exhausted and over worried I wondered when my next full night of thoughtless sleep would be, would there ever be a full night of sleep...??? Well almost 18 months later I"M STILL WAITING!!!! 

We're getting there,  s  l  o  w  l  y   but surely! 

• So New moms take the time now, open up the album look back, smile, cry, laugh... and remember to take the time every once and awhile to look back...

                                            I DID : )

THEN

NOW

 

THEN

NOW!

NOW!

THEN

THEN

NOW!

Hold the memories, and enjoy making new ones!

L&L

Last Days....

These are the last couple of days before the real cold hits and well we won't be visiting the park as often, probably not at all for a long while. Winters are so ooo ooo ooo long here in Montreal, It seems never ending!
Exactly why I really took advantage of my summer! We were at the park twice a day, having fun, swinging,  sliding and meeting other kids!!! But- it doesn't mean we have to stay indoors all winter. Last winter I was out almost every day, except those really -35 cold days,  but other than that I would get Lewis all wrapped up and off we went. The outdoors do wonders for both mommy and baby, the fresh air , seeing other people and just getting out of the house and changing the scenery helped soooo much.  This year will be different, Lewis won't be strapped to me all nice and snuggled in my coat.   I'm sure Lewis will want to walk and play in the snow for the first time! This will be a new adventure for us both!  I'm looking forward to seeing his face on the first snow fall, and the wonder in his eyes when he gets to touch snow! So many new and wonderful things to look forward to.

It`s a scary thought for a new mom, to be stuck inside all winter with a baby or toddler !!!  What will I do?? How will the day go by?? Will he get bored?? Will I get bored??  All questions I asked myself last fall when the cold started to hit, and well it really wasn't that bad. Begin by setting up a routine...
Wake up
a little relax time slowly coming out of sleep, we would read together in my bed. then
Breakfast
as I prepared something for us to eat I set him in his chair with a few toys, most of the time he wanted a spoon and bowl!( a real chef I tell you)
We eat
then some relaxing on the couch with his favorite toys or even a favorite cartoon! ( you heard me sometimes it's the only way, I love Handy Manny -now LOL)
Nap time
the beauty of babies is that they nap a lot,  so before I knew it we were back in bed all cozy!
Up and dressed  then
Lunch
we would have lunch and off we went out into the cold, all nice and bundled and warm! We would stay out for about an hour of so.
Come home
snack time with more play time
Cooking Lessons
I would put Lewis in his chair and cook up our supper , he loved watching me.  I would make him smell everything, garlic, tomatoes, onions, carrots, basil, he loved it.He would have fun playing with all the food .
Eat
we would eat , clear up and a little more play and then it was bed time routine.
Bath, story time , lullaby and nighty night for Lewis
and the couch for me,  EXHAUSTING I tell you! Well worth it!
The routine helped cuz I knew exactly what came next and so did Lewis so it made for 2 happy souls!

I really enjoyed it , make the best of it- it passes oh so fast before you know it you`ll be swinging your baby from the swing again wondering when he became a toddler!
L&L

UPDATE

So it's been about a week since I've introduced the new method of sleep, "THE BED".
It's been very positive, He's been falling asleep with no rocking or fussing, we basically get in and do some relaxing.   I  hum or sing a few of his favorite lullabies, and before I know it he's snuggling next to be fast asleep. There have been sometimes where he's more excited and thinks it's all a big game, so I explain it to him that here in his bed we relax and do "doe, doe".  
He LOVES his room now, he's always in it, he goes there to play or just to chill on his carpet. It's so nice to see his room is now HIS room, not only in theory!!!

I have also been able to ween him off the breast milk!!!!!!!!! YES you all heard right, Lewis is finally weaned!!!16 months not bad. Not bad for this longer method of letting the child sort of decide. I basically one night offered him the bottle instead of the breast and he took it!!! I guess with all the newness he experienced this too was a new thing he was OK with. It went well, my boobies, not so well.  They were so swollen still are and I just started drinking sage tea to help with the engorgement, It's helping! He'll still ask for it from time to time, the other day,  during an afternoon nap he was awoken too early and he kept pointing and asking for breast milk.  I explained mommy has no more milk, and offered the bottle, he cried a little and then took the bottle and went back to sleep.
FANTASTIC!
It's always a little sad for both parties, I think if it doesn't stop somewhere it'll go on forever!!! We still do lots of cuddles and snuggle up close like we use to do while breastfeeding. I hope it helps. He'll eventually forget, so they say. lol  I'm guessing he'll be a future "breast man" !!!

Look for my up coming blog on POTTY TRAINING!!! (it's never too early)

Ciao for now,
L&L