Toddler Approved Sauce

This winter little M has been going through a horrible teething/being sick/teething episode that has left her not liking variety in her food, or at times, food at all. It has been difficult to get her to try foods again, even foods that she once loved get spit out once they enter.

Pasta sauce is one thing that she has never liked. It is either too spicy, too acidic, or too chunky for her taste. Last week, Smitten Kitchen posted this recipe. The tomato sauce has 3 ingredients, 3! Canned whole tomatoes, butter and an onion cut in half. I decided for simplicities sake to try it. Little M devoured it. For 3 meals she devoured it. Unanimously approved.

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Picture via Smitten Kitchen

So sad Agave.

I just read this article. It makes me sad. I was so excited for agave nectar. But I do respect Weston Price and his methods and research. I guess I will have to stock up on my raw honey storage instead!

Handmade Revisited

Here is a sample of some of the gifts that were made by your truely this Christmas. I made about 4 of these cute little shirts for some adorable kids I know. (This one is for you Lex, I need to send it still) And, I have finally taken some pictures of little M's kitchen. Though not as fancy as these. I think it is great. Now all we need to do is fill her little fridge with play goodies!

Ahh, I love permaculture. Making the desert blossom like a rose. This is a great inspirational clip about how they made 10 acres of Jordan desert produce like agriculture cannot, reduce soil salinity and, gasp, grow mushrooms!?!

The Blessing of Little Children

For years I have struggled with myself at Christmas time. I want to give the most perfect, meaningful gifts to those I love... but then when it is time to exchange gifts, I find myself extreemly self-centered and selfish, wanting the most perfect and meaningful gifts to be given to ME. I know in my heart that this ruins Christmas for me. Last year it made me feel horrible. With a new little one, a new job, a new city and a new house, we almost didn't have a real Christmas!

Skip forward a year. TWO little ones. Now used to being away from family in this city and in this job. I decided that little M needed a play kitchen. It is a little old for her, but she will be growing into it very soon. I wanted to get C the perfect, most meaningful gift, and I found a couple. BUT, this year, I found in our excitement of watching little M open all her gifts (thank you Grandma, Grandpa, Omi and Opi!) it was so much more meaningful than the gifts I recieved. For the first time, probably in my life, I wasn't concerned with what I recieved, because I was so absorbed in the joy of watching the little ones recieve. Even little E enjoyed his gifts (either that, or he was just enjoying being in the middle of the Christmas joy, as was I)!

Little M playing with the child-friendly Playmobile nativity set while Daddy reads the Christmas story.
Ahhh, the spirit of Christmas.

Handmade Christmas.

I think from now on I want to have handmade Christmases. It makes me so festive to make things for other people. Right now, I want to learn to make these.

[Photo by birdfarm]

They are straw ornaments. I love the snowflakes and the angels. Oh, the angels are beautiful.

[Photo by bzmch]

My in-laws sent us a DVD of the Christmas Markets in Germany. It highlights about 6 different cities, telling the history and interesting things about the city, then it shows the Christmas market. It makes me want to go there... live there.

I found this file on Apartment Therapy a while back. ..

Filing it away for future tiny home use.

I love the idea of having the dishes put away after drying, makes one less step for me!