ewan's nursery

Thomas and Hannah have a knack for creating super-great rooms for their kids. Ewan's nursery is the fourth space they have customized and each room has been cool, unique, creative, and totally 'them'. It's a tough trick to pull off - to put your own stamp on a space like that. If that's not enough, they manage to do it without spending a fortune. Part of that of course, is the diy factor. But their creativity and attention to quality just wrap it all in a practically perfect package. I wish you could stand in the room - it is just so cool. Please pardon the pics. I did my best :) but I really haven't done the room justice.

One wall is painted with black chalkboard paint, the others are perfectly white. Thomas doodled the graffiti-esque street scene and they hung one of Mark's paintings in the middle of the scene. Supa-cool. The dresser (IKEA) previously lived in Theo's nursery where it wore a natural raw wood finish that was perfect for the outdoor/mountain theme. Now just the drawers are painted a fantastic yellow that 'makes' the room. There is a comfy black wool-covered chair in the corner for middle of the night feeds with a wire basket of diaper changing essentials close at hand. Hannah's clever sister Beth embroidered the amazing-cool Northern hemisphere sky chart that records the stars for the month Ewan was born. (That may be my favourite personal touch - I wish I had one for each of my own kids!) Jonathon sent the wooden caterpillar from Vancouver. Hannah made the nifty mobile out of twigs that she collected, painted, and balanced - her own brilliant idea. (If you have never tried to balance a mobile you will not appreciate how tricky and potentially hair-pulling a feat that can be.) Although the mobile is simple it is the perfect touch of colour and movement. The submarine print is an etsy find that suggested the color direction for the room. And finally, Thomas repurposed and retrofitted the light fixture. It was a find from the demo of  a local high school. So clever. And all so cool.

brand new

Tiny, brand new, fresh baby smelling. Ewan Thomas Litchfield. Born this morning - very early. 6 lb 15 oz of perfection. My eighth grandchild - fifth grandson - a handsome boy. He has a thick shock of blonde hair. A double crown like his mama. And skin that seems a bit too big for him yet. He is calm and alert, gently swimming through the air in that dreamy newborn way. Precious, so precious.  Although he shares my heart with seven others, he has it all. I am excited to watch his life unfold. To see and know the person he will be. My heart is full this evening. Life is very good. Well done Hannah and Thomas. I love you all.


He is even cuter (if possible) after a bath. And yes, I am in love again.

always, always...

Always, always, always I wanted to be a mother. When I was a little girl I loved my dollies. When I played with my cousins and friends, we more often than not played ‘house’, making elaborate messes with the doll clothes, play furniture and dishes. As I grew and those same friends started to talk about what they wanted to be when they grew up, I never wondered. I played along like I was exploring the different possibilities but it was never very real for me. Because I knew I wanted to be a mother. When I did in fact reach the age of attending university the decision to study Education was easily made. I wanted to take something that would be practical in my chosen career. There were other options that appealed to me as being interesting but I knew that if I could pursue my first choice (motherhood) that would be best served by studying how children learn and how to teach them. So I declared a major in Early Childhood Education. I didn’t teach professionally (aside from some interesting/alarming experiences as a substitute teacher) but I have never regretted that or my decision to prepare to teach my own sweet children.

Deciding to be a Professional Mother has been (and will continue to be) a joy and a blessing to me. I recognize that I have been very blessed to be able to follow that path - to have welcomed children into my life, to be at home with them and to make a home for our family. It wasn’t particularly fashionable to have five children but I didn’t care - I felt so lucky and so happy as we planned and anticipated the arrival of each child. I loved being pregnant and was fortunate to have healthy, active pregnancies. I felt strong and empowered as I delivered each beautiful son and daughter into this world. And I felt completed as I held and nurtured each tiny person. What a great privilege to be given the responsibility for another person’s beginning. So very humbling to know that a tiny being depends on you for every comfort and need.

At every stage of our family’s life I have wanted to stop time because everything seemed so perfect, so golden and I could not imagine that it would ever be as good again. But I have recognized how often I have thought that and now expect that I will love each new stage as I have the previous ones. Once I could not imagine how I could be happy without an infant in my arms and home but I was. I wondered how I would feel about mothering teenagers but discovered that my kids just got better and better as they got older. And when they all left home and it was just David and I together, I thought my whole purpose in life was finished as well, but again I learned that although the landscape had changed, it was only different not worse. I am always a mother. It is not only what I do, it is who I am. I  love each of my children fiercely and completely. I know them   - their strengths, weaknesses, joys, fears - and find them infinitely precious. There is nothing of myself I would not give them and not one of them that I would exchange for another. I marvel at the wonderful talents and strengths - each unique but curiously related - and rejoice in the love, support and respect that has grown between us.

I always knew I wanted to be a mother. I didn’t know how much it would demand nor could I have guessed how much it would return. I am happy to say now  - I love it! No matter the hardships or the sorrows, I love being a mother to the five I “hatched”. Nothing could be better. Always, always, always ....

Happy Mother's Day.


In the summer of 2010 Eden and Merin worked together on the beginning of a very special gift for David and I. Eden completed it after Merin's death. She asked me to write an essay on myself as a mother. This is what I wrote (with a few minor edits). For the last couple of weeks as I have been reflecting on mothers and mothering many various ideas have occupied my thoughts. As I sat down to record some of them this morning, I decided to add this to the public record of who I am. It is included in the book that Eden (and Jonathon) made but that is a very private record. This is in a way, my Motherhood Manifesto. 

sunday evening reflections

On Sunday evening I feel so .... full. I love the way the family flows together. The way each little family  blends and the lines between blur. The way that Thomas naturally holds his brother's baby son during the meal because Tiff is here on her own with two babies while Mark is finishing an end-of-term art project. Big(er) cousins holding baby cousins and learning more about the responsibility of being a helper and a role model - a "big sister" or "brother". I love working, together with my daughters, in the kitchen - equals and friends, easy. David with all the little ones vying for space in his arms. Eden's love and laughter. Hannah's warmth and beautifully round baby-belly. Tiffany's sweet soft smile. Deacon learning to play chess. All of it so very precious. Another day to hold in my heart. Forever.

Thanks Eden for grabbing my camera and recording these moments.

honey graham wafers

Graham wafers and I go way back. They have been a long-time favourite comfort snack. A dependable, familiar, slightly sweet crunch that was perfect with a glass of milk after school, before bed, or (later) mid-afternoon when the kids napped. Cinnamon and sugar-dusted or naked, I just really, really like them. They pretend to be nothing more than they are - no glamour or decadence, just simple goodness. Like the best people.

I have been on a quest (if that is not too grand a term) to make a wonderful home-made honey graham wafer. I have tested no fewer than five versions and taste-tested said versions with whoever was near and some who are dear. I made a gluten-free version ( a top contender even among those who don't avoid gluten), tried Smitten Kitchen's adaptation of Heidi Swanson's (101 Cookbooks) version of Nancy Silverton's recipe, and referred to Martha Stewart and Alton Brown. Some were too sweet. Too much vanilla. One try too salty. Another too dry. I tried a mash-up of the recipes, made a few minor changes to accommodate my personal likes and ended up with something we all think is pretty hard to stop eating. My tummy was certainly tight a few times during the process.

Why would one bother to make this simple wafer at home when they are so readily available instore? Because they are simply so much better. Better in more than taste - although that is a considerable motivation. Better in quality of ingredients (my apologies to Nabisco and manufacturers of no-name brands), better nutritionally, and better fun. These wafers have real, whole ingredients and smell amazing in the oven. They are so, so yummy naked but spread a little left-over cream cheese icing on and make a cookie sandwich and bliss out. Or how about some homemade nutella. Or better yet, some homemade nutella and a roasted marshmallow. Or the ultimate ... a roasted homemade marshmallow squished between two honey graham wafers that have been spread with a smear of homemade nutella....sigh. Or yeah, just plain and simple. With milk.

honey graham wafers

(adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

1 cup graham flour*

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup sprouted whole wheat flour

1/3 cup organic muscovado sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp ground chia seed

7 Tbsp (100 gm) cold, unsalted butter, cut into tbsp-size pieces

1/3 cup honey

4-5 Tbsp milk of your choice (I used coconut milk)

1 1/2 tsp good quality pure vanilla extract

In a food processor bowl combine the flours, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and ground chia seed. Pulse to mix. Add the butter pieces and pulse until the mixture is like a coarse meal.

Whisk together the honey, milk, and vanilla. (Start with 4 Tbsp milk, mix that in and add more milk if the dough is too dry.) With the food processor running pour the mixture into the dry ingredients. Mix until the dough just comes together. It will be quite soft. Gather into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and let sit for 30 minutes. 

All the recipes I looked at advised refrigerating the dough for 30 minutes to an hour before rolling out. I tried that two times and both times was dissatisfied with the process and result. Actually, the only part of making these wafers that was not purely fun and easy was rolling them out. The dough is really very moist and soft and regardless of the method employed in rolling (flouring the surfaces, using two sheets of parchment paper, chilling the dough) I was ready to scream and or pull my hair out. Fortunately for my hair and sanity, I tried - out of simple desperation - using ziplock bags. Genius (she modestly says). Simply this - cut the zipper part off two large size ziplock bags and cut down the side 'seam', effectively opening the bags up. Lay one bag down, put about 1/3 of the dough on that and top with the other opened bag. Go to town with your rolling pin. When the rolled out dough is 1/8" thick peel back the top bag, replace that with a sheet of parchment paper and flip the parchment paper, dough, and ziplock sandwich onto a baking tray. Peel back the ziplock bag. Cut the dough into squares with a pastry (or pizza) cutter - I didn't get too fussed about perfectly even squares and kind of liked the very homemade result. Prick dough-squares with a fork in rows.  Bake at 350 degrees F for  20-25 minutes. Allow to cool on the baking tray to harden further.

Watch your wafers the last few minutes. You want them to be firm and toasty-golden. As you can see from the photo, the last batch I baked (the little tiny ones for little tiny hands) got a bit too brown. They are still good but not as good - I do that more often that I would like to admit when baking the last tray of a batch of cookies. Repeat the process until you have used all your dough. If you want to dust them with cinnamon and sugar, do it before baking, after rolling and cutting.

*Final note: Graham Flour - you can buy graham flour (Bob's Red Mill has some) or you can effectively make your own by mixing white flour, wheat bran, and wheat germ in the ratio found in whole wheat. One cup of graham flour can be made by combining 

84 gm white flour

15 gm wheat bran

2.5 gm wheat germ

gluten-free honey grahams
(adapted from Gluten-free Girl)


70 gm sorghum flour
70 gm quinoa flour
70 gm tapioca flour
70 gm sweet rice flour
2 Tbsp organic muscovado sugar
3 Tbsp whole grain gluten-free flour mix
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
7 Tbsp cold, unsalted butter, cut into tbsp-sized pieces
1/4 cup honey
4 Tbsp milk of your choice
1/2 tsp vanilla


Follow the same method as above. (I pricked X's on the gluten-free wafers to distinguish them easily from wheat flour wafers.) Now everyone can have s'mores at the next campfire or stove-top roasting session.

mini anniversary

My MINI and I have been together for 4 years! Four blissful years of perfect harmony. It seems totally appropriate to celebrate a 'mini' anniversary. You can interpret that 'mini' however you like. If you are a person who can't relate to complete love for a car then mini will likely be interpreted as small and really somewhat ridiculous. Or you might (like me) love your car and then mini is in a class of its own.


Five years ago the little Nissan that I drove was written-off as the result of a scary head-on collision. David and I had been talking about another car for me - the accident simply made it a necessity sooner rather than later. Jonathon had a MINI that I had fallen for in a big way (I may have actually been visiting the MINI not Jonathon on trips to Vancouver) so a MINI of my own was top of my list. David was not on board. He thought MINIs were silly little pieces of vanity (not those precise words, that is simply the essence of his remarks re: MINI, pre-MINI). My heart and mind were set on a MINI. The hunt - and the contest of wills - began. 


We don't buy  brand spanking new cars. We simply do not - just cars that are new to us. So hunting meant more than going to the dealership and deciding which set of options and colours suited, it meant combing the ads .... for 10 dogged months. I suspect David thought I would get tired of looking and decide on a more suitable vehicle. I came within a hair's breadth of just that but my frustrating stubbornness carried me through and just as I was about to cave, one of the final four cars I offered as possibilities won his approval. My sister and I hopped on a plane for Chicago, road-tripped home in the new baby, and I have never looked back. I really must admit that it was a car worth waiting for. My little CooperS is exactly perfectly what I wanted. I would happily drive this car for the rest of my life. Four years later I get in my car and think "woo whoo!!!!" almost every day. David repented of his early judgement as soon as he had driven half a block and is now a MINI devotee as well. I (sadly) am much too selfish and entirely possessive, so he rarely gets to drive it but he loves me anyway.


(Mike and Merin used the MINI on their wedding day - so the sign was legit. Not a symptom of my obsession. lol)

Waterton, wind, & pancakes

We spent two and a half perfect days in Waterton last weekend. The wind howled (like it pretty much always does in Waterton) and although the temperature was moderate for a Canadian mountain park in March it was still cold enough that I layered up like the Michelin Man before sticking my nose out the door of our cozy, quaint, totally cool cabin. Inside, we turned the heat up, snuggled into (sheepskin-upholstered!!) armchairs and read. Or talked. And ate. And then read some more. We watched the snow falling. All kinds of adventure. 

Blissful yes, but we decided to brave the wind, strap on the snowshoes, and see what we could see - or how we would do. Snowshoes and I are not very well acquainted but happily we got along just fine after I figured out that turning on a dime was not going to happen. The wind huffed and puffed and gusted and quite literally almost blew me down a couple of times. It was pure fun. Enough fun to go out again after lunch and snowshoe up the trail toward Bertha Lake. And then come home to curl up and read and eat and talk some more. Heaven!

For breakfast we had gluten-free flaxseed pancakes. Hearty, thick and fluffy. Crispy edges. Absolutely yummy. They are my current favourite pancakes - and satisfy enough of my requirements for a healthy breakfast that I look forward to them for special breakfasts. (I dislike eating - and will pass-up the nutritionally empty - all purpose flour pancakes drowned in faux maple syrup that too often pass for breakfast.) Topped with greek yogurt mixed with honey and ripe raspberries.... mmmwhaw!! 

gluten-free flaxseed wholegrain pancakes

(tweaked, from Gluten Free Girl)

7 oz  wholegrain gluten-free flour mix (about 1 1/2 cups + 1 Tbsp by my mix and scale)

1 oz ground flaxseed (1/3 cup)

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp cardamom

generous 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 cup soured* milk (almond, coconut or cow's - your choice)

1/4 tsp almond extract

2 large eggs

1/4 cup melted butter 

Combine the flour mix, flaxseed, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and cardamom.

Whisk together the soured milk, almond extract, and eggs. Pour into the dry ingredients and stir. Add the melted butter and stir until everything is entirely combined.

Pour the batter into a greased (I melt the butter for the batter in the frying pan and scrape it out with a rubber spatula - leaves about the perfect amount of 'oil') frying pan. Cook until bubbles start to form and pop on the top of the pancake and the bottom of the pancake is golden. Flip and cook another minute or so.

Serve with yogurt and fruit, or maple syrup.

Serves 4.

NOTE: If gluten-free is not something  you pursue, feel free to substitute wheat flour. If you use white flour though, you will pass up the goodness of whole grains. And seriously? These are amazing with the gluten-free wholegrain mix. You'll love them if you give them a spin.

* 1 Tbsp lemon juice or vinegar and enough milk to equal 1 cup.

I feel elegant and cool and lucky and loved. Totally spoiled and happy about that for sure. I am up to my ears in new love. Real, total, forever love.

I knew I was a goner as soon as I clapped eyes in these babies. So totally what I love - a cool twist on a classic. Rough black diamond studs. Handmade. Gorgeous.


I think I will never take these off. 


Unless I was to get their white diamond twins. 


earrings made by Alexis Russell - LexLuxe


Thanks Jonathon and Eden!

Love, love, loved!!! Anonymous. If you haven't seen it yet, do. One of my all-time favorite books (and one of the few I recommend freely) is Chasing Shakespeares by Sarah Smith. Same theme - the authorship of the writing attributed to William Shakespeare. Absolutely fascinating and a ton of fun... the movie and the book. (Although movie and book address the same question, the movie is not based on the book - just to be clear.) I think I know what I believe but I know I wish I could know for sure. It has been teasing me ever since I read the book eight years ago. 

together

David returned on Saturday from a short trip to Japan. He was gone 11 days. Over the course of our marriage he has travelled or worked away from home - not frequently, but a fair bit.  A couple of times he has worked abroad for months at a time. At any rate I have some practise with him being gone. So it is with interest that I have noticed (the last few times he has travelled) that I long for him now in a way that is different than it was before.

One would think that with a houseful of busy children - with lessons and homework, bedtimes and mealtimes - the missing would have been so much more insistent. The work load was certainly demanding. I went to bed every night exhausted and missed curling into him. One could perhaps think that that very busyness lessened the missing - perhaps it did. But I stay very busy now when he is gone. No longer with a houseful of little ones or crazy teenagers even, but every day is fuller than the one before. And every night I am worn out.

In years past I missed his support and physical help, his half of our team. Now I just miss him. When he is here I feel stronger, better, more whole. The difficulties of life are easier to face and the joys are sweeter when we share them. It is something that is hard to find words for. But the missing becomes longing and is very insistent.

I read this post on Friday and thought "Dream hubby!!! What woman doesn't dream of a response like that?!" I doubt it is one that I will ever hear from David's lips. That's okay though because he takes a whole day out of his very busy schedule while in Japan for a trip that isn't quite long enough anyway to take the train 500 km each way to buy me some beautiful pans that can only be purchased at the factory. Isn't that dreamy? Sure is to me. It isn't the gift of the pans (although two NakedPans for Valentine's Day is pretty cool) but the doing something for me, that is not easy or convenient for him, just because he knows I would like it. It is that he knows me - that we know each other. That we are really, really together.

naked pans

David returned from Japan on Saturday evening and in his suitcase - not one but two NakedPans! Sensually beautiful in form - naked seems appropriate. The 'naked' however actually refers to the fact that the pan is indeed naked. As in no coatings or chemical treatment. They are made of cast iron following an ancient tradition by skilled craftsmen in an area that has produced cast iron wares for centuries. Oigen, the company that makes NakedPan, has patented a process that creates an iron-oxide film on the surface of the pans. This surface makes the cast iron rust resistant. It also creates a natural non-stick surface. Very simply explained, small batches of the cast iron is heated to 900 degrees C for a very specific amount of time. Craftsmen have been producing beautiful rust-resistant Japanese tea kettles using a similar process for centuries. Oigen has perfected and applied the process to make some truly elegant pans. And of course, being cast iron, the cooking qualities are first rate.

The shapes are simple with details (like the hobnail - or arare - pattern on the underside of the handles) that nod to traditional Japanese design. I have spent the day admiring their beauty. They really deserve a haiku in their honor but another caress will have to do.

Desire fulfilled, I have my own NakedPans. Tomorrow I cook!

(Top three pictures show my pans beautifully naked - straight out of the box. The last picture is after a light seasoning.)

walking

I used to walk every day. Summer, winter, rain, sleet, or snow. Okay, not sleet but everything else as long as the temperature was above -14 degrees C (my own arbitrary cut-off). I walked for miles each day and I loved it. I loved the fresh air filling my lungs and cooling my cheeks, the slight burn in my muscles, the way the knots in my mind worked loose and I could figure out what it was that I was thinking. Somehow after Merin died I lost track of that. I stopped walking and forgot to start again. Then the sand of life just sifted into the void that was left where I used to walk. Pretty soon it was filled up and I didn't even notice that there had been a spot for that in my life. Sometimes I would look out the window and think about a walk but the time and the inclination just....well, not there. But in the last few days, with our unseasonably spring-like weather, my walking shoes have been whispering to me again and I heard them. I went for a walk on Monday and the tips of my ears were hurting with the cold wind that blew but it felt so good - to walk. I was out again today. It felt so good again.


I walked by a few women and said hello and we smiled. They each looked like they would be lovely. I had a fleeting thought that it might be nice to walk with someone - to have a walking buddy. Then I thought about how I treasure the time I have with myself when I walk and I know I probably won't look for a walking buddy. I kind of need the time to remember who I am, to figure stuff out. I walk fast - just like my dad - but my mind slows down so that things seem much clearer. I come home feeling smooth and mellow. 


It is good. To go walking again.

hazelnut hot chocolate

When you make your own homemade 'nutella' you can use some of the delicious stuff to make a cup of amazing hazelnut hot chocolate. Just heat a cup of milk and stir in a generous spoonful of the nutella. Voila! Easier than a mix. Smells like heaven. Tastes even better than that. I used coconut milk (my fav 'So Delicious' from the dairy case) but you could use whatever milk you like to drink. It simply can't be less than wonderfully decadent.

homemade 'nutella'

To be 100% honest I am not a true Nutella aficionado. To be sure, I like it - but I have never been able to really get into eating it straight from the jar by the spoonful. And don't get me started on those ridiculous tv commercials that claim it is a nutritious breakfast. pshaw! But still, I do like it. 

We have crepes for breakfast every Christmas morning. This last year I thought (being intrigued by the many recipes offered online) that I should try making a homemade version of Nutella to fill some of our crepes. As the recipes all looked dead simple I was not concerned about the outcome. Turns out I should have been. It was not a success. Disappointed but not beaten I was determined to make my own and finally got back to the project. This time it was not simply successful but wonderful. I figured a few things out that I must admit I wish had been spelled out and were not - not in even one of the recipes I read. 

The first thing (and this I must admit was written into the recipes but I just didn't really believe it) is when the directions say to process the nuts until they 'liquify' they really mean liquid - not paste, not runny paste, but actually liquid. It is pretty cool to watch it happen, and it is critical to let it get to that point.

The second thing I learned is that when the honey is added to the nut 'liquid' DO NOT over-process. You will be sorry if you do because what you will get is a stiff quasi-fudge. Totally un-spreadable and very disappointing.

Aside from those two important points, making 'nutella'  really is dead simple. It is delicious and, without the additives in the commercial spread, it may even make (part of) a nutritious breakfast. Certainly a reasonable treat. I must confess I am now absolutely converted to eating it straight-from-the-jar-by-the-spoonful. Anything else seems kind of silly. Really.

homemade 'nutella'

(adapted from the Encyclopedie du Chocolat by way of David Lebovitz)

1 1/2 cups whole hazelnuts

1 1/2 cups whole milk

3/4 cup skim milk powder

1 1/2 Tbsp mild honey

1/8 tsp sea salt

2 cups chopped bittersweet chocolate

Spread the hazelnuts on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast them at 400 degrees F for about 10 minutes, giving the pan a shake two or three times. You want nice golden, very fragrant nuts. Transfer the nuts to a damp tea towel, gather into a bundle, and rub together to remove the skins. While still warm, put the nuts into the bowl of a food processor and process until they are very runny - liquid. Be patient, it happens.

Meanwhile combine the milk, milk powder, honey and salt in a small saucepan over gentle heat and bring just to a boil. Remove from heat. Melt the chopped chocolate in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds. (It shouldn't take much more than a minute and a half - just keep stirring.)

Now it's time to add the milk and the chocolate to the nuts - and time to be a tiny bit careful. Don't just let the food processor run. You want to simply pulse the chocolate and milk into the nuts. If you over-process you will end up disappointed, with something that tastes good but is nothing like Nutella in texture. The more you process, the harder it seizes. Trust me on this. To be safe, one could simply stir the milk mixture and melted chocolate into the nuts.

This makes about 2 cups of 'nutella'. Initially I wondered how we would eat it all. Silly me.

coconut black rice deliciousness

This deliciousness is breakfast! I could happily call it dessert. I don't want to oversell it but man, this is goo-ood. I am a hot-cereal-for-breakfast girl and silly as it may seem to some I really, loyally love my favorite bowl of oats, fruits, and seeds. I love it so much that I am a bit sad every morning when I get to the last bite. So it was with a ridiculous amount of trepidation that I decided this week to (drum roll) try something or two new. The motivation for branching out is simply my conviction that there are so many wonderfully healthy foods out there and every one offers something unique. If I only eat the same-old same-old, day in and day out I will certainly miss out on much that is good for me, to say nothing of the eventual boredom. There is also the theory that constant exposure to the same things creates allergies or sensitivities. (And how sad would I be if I could never have my favorite bowl of oats?!) That is how I arrived here, today, with this bowl of totally healthy awesomeness.  

Black rice - aka Forbidden Rice (which really means you gotta have it) -  is a natural source of the antioxidants anthocyanins. The same purple pigments found in blueberries, acai, and purple corn, etc. But in black rice you get the goodness without the sugar. The taste is slightly nutty and totally yummy. Black rice is a beautiful, deep purple when cooked with a soft, chewy texture. Top it with kiwi, mango, pistachios, and chopped dried young coconut along with a good slug of coconut milk. Then bliss out.

You could use regular dried coconut if you can't find or don't have the dried young coconut but I have to say the taste and texture the young coconut is well worth the effort to get. I used Philippine Brand Dried Young Coconut (Costco almost always carries it) but there are other brands out there, probably need to be sourced from a foreign foods store.

The rice cooks in about 30 minutes so if you are planning this for breakfast keep that in mind. The spices in it are wonderful to smell as you shower and dress. It reheats very well so one could always prepare the rice part in the evening and finish it with the toppings in the morning. Just fyi - I like it at room temperature. Actually, I like it at any temperature. And I was sad when it was all gone. Can't wait for next time.

coconut black rice

(tweaked, Alive magazine - Feb 2012)

makes enough for 2

1  1/4 cups water

1/2 cup black rice

1/8 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp ground ginger

generous 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 Tbsp honey

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 kiwi, skinned and diced

1/2 mango, diced

1/4 cup chopped dried young coconut

1/4 cup pistachios

coconut milk to taste

Combine the water, rice, salt, ginger, and cinnamon in a 1 quart saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until all the liquid is absorbed - about 30 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the honey and vanilla. Let cool for 5 minutes. 

Divide between two bowls, add the toppings and a good slug of coconut milk (once again - the kind you find in the dairy case. I like "So Delicious" brand, original flavour.)

Double this amount if you want to make it ahead and keep it in the fridge for a few days - or if you have more mouths to feed.

mark and isaac

There are some very beautiful pictures of this sweet father and son on Eden's blog today. 


Isaac is a solid blend of both his beautiful parents but the indisputable legacy from his dad? - his hands! I see his long, long fingers and remember so very clearly Mark's long, long fingers doing the same air ballet. What joy.....


I love them both. So much. Mark - his whole life and Isaac - already. Of course.

Congratulations Mark, Tiffany, and Kayden.  

Eden, thank you once again for sharing your wonderful talent so lovingly. The pictures you take are an incredible archive of the life of our family - such a rare and lovely blessing. You cannot begin to know how I treasure each image. 

For some strange reason I keep thinking - off and on all day - about the study I posted about yesterday. I have my own 'research' and conclusion to add. My research is not scientifically undertaken but my conclusion - after years and years of research - is that this effect goes both ways. I am absolutely certain that when I hear the voice of any one of my children my cortisol levels drop immediately and my oxytocin levels jump. I wonder if anyone will study this?

This morning I read about a new study that suggests something wonderful - that a mother's voice has a unique ability to reduce cortisol (the stress hormone) and boost oxytocin (the 'love' hormone) when heard by her children. Tailored just for them - not anyone else. As a mother and as a daughter, I think that is so absolutely cool. That kind of connection - that it can even be.

bamboo charcoal

When David goes to Japan he always brings me something cool. Or somethings cool. I am so lucky and I love it! One of the best cool things from a recent trip is bamboo charcoal. Although we have lived in Japan I hadn't seen this amazing product before. It can be used in many different applications -  from face towels that are touted to emit far infrared rays to improve blood circulation, to humidity and odor control, to water purification, and beyond. The product claims are more than interesting for sure. The white charcoal slices that he brought home are being put to use in our house as water purifiers and I am very happy with them (please note that no lab tests have been carried out on the water produced -consequently my happiness is based purely on taste - aesthetic and actual). According to all the research that I can find this white charcoal bamboo is practically magical in the abilities it possesses. Check this out:

- absorbs impurities and chlorine from the water

- studies done at Kyoto University  show that far infrared rays emitted from the charcoal break the water molecule clusters into smaller, more organized groups creating an 'energy water' that improves health. (really? I guess...)

- alkalizes the water (from pH 7 to pH 7.3)

- apparently bamboo charcoal water contains more oxygen due to the presence of more negative ions.

- releases minerals (potassium, calcium, iron) to the water.

- bamboo has a microstructure that makes it a unique and efficient natural filter.

I can't substantiate these claims but I can say that the water tastes a lot better than tap water - and Calgary is supposed to have pretty good water! We drink a lot of water. It is the beverage of choice in our house. Although I may simply be picky I consider myself a bit of a connoisseur - laugh at me! And although I can't verify the 'science' I am willing to take a gamble that it is all true. Who wouldn't want it to be, after all?

As well as tasting better, a cool pitcher at the side of the sink looks a lot better than our old Brita did (as awesome as Brita is).

The care and feeding of your bamboo charcoal is quite simple. 

1. Brush off the brand new charcoal slice with a soft brush.

2. Boil in tap water for 5 minutes. Let cool. Then dry.

3. Put one or two slices in the pitcher of your choice, let sit for 8 hours and enjoy.

4. Boil again once every week.

5. Replace after 3 months of use.

The used slices can be crushed and added to garden soil; it will aerate and revitalize the soil - holding and releasing moisture as needed along with minerals.

As if all this isn't enough, adding a slice to a pot of uncooked rice during the cooking process results in fluffier, better tasting rice that has all the advantages of 'devoid of chlorine, bad odor and toxic substances'. Seriously! we all need some.

It took a while for me to glean all of this from the Japanese usage pamphlet that came with the product - being as the way I 'read' Japanese is by looking at the accompanying cartoon-pictures. (David reads it well but is busy so it can take a while for me to tease it out of him.) At any rate, I love this stuff and love having a pretty pitcher of water by my sink. Sometimes I use the white pitcher, sometimes glass, and sometimes a special hammered aluminum one that Merin bought when we went to New York and carried all over Manhattan one afternoon and then home as carry-on. 

(If you want some bamboo charcoal slices and are not planning a trip to Japan, just google it. There are several sources that supply by mail. I would advise the Japanese-made product over what comes out of China. Just my preference.)