Part of April, at a glance

I apologize if I'm boring some of my readers out there - most of you are family and friends anyway so I'm sure you'll bear with me.  For the strangers who come across my blog I guess you'll just have to deal with me posting April pictures in July.  'Kay?

Here is a quick re-cap of most of April.  I'll put up a post about Easter later.

While getting ready for school one morning we saw that the light was making an awesome design on our stair case.   There was no water nearby but it looked like there was!

These are the ceramics the boys painted at a birthday party in March.  (I recently posted a photo of that party, just a day or two ago.) Alex's robot on the left, Aren's lizard that I helped him with (just guiding the brush a bit, but he did most of it and chose the colors) and Ajay's robot on the right.

We got creative at snack time one day - Ritz crackers with peanut butter, pretzels, raisins, all made to look like spiders.

Aren with some awesome shades and a straw hat.

Alex and Aren went outside and picked some pretty yellow flowers for Mama! (Note: Dandelions don't live long once plucked, even if you put them in water.)

We joined our neighbors for a cook-out.  Mr. K was even nice enough to grill my hickory black bean burgers - the grill made them taste even better!  (And Biju made sure he used separate tongs so the meat tongs weren't flipping my un-meat burgers.)

While we were grilling up front the kids were playing out back.  A swing set, a trampoline and good friends.  Ahh, Springtime.

And then there was snow. 

Aren and his train set, again.  He always likes me to take pictures of the different ways we're able to set up the track.

I taught the boys how to finger knit.  It is very quick, easy and portable.  Grab a small ball of yarn as you head out the door and the kids can stay entertained (without an electrical device) while waiting at the doctors office (or wherever).

For our last Parents as Teachers visit Miss Emily brought a "cooking" activity.  The boys got to pour, measure, mix and divide up their own trail mix.

I was a co-parent for Alex's kindergarten class.  For our Spring party, the last party of the year, we made some little treats.  I can't remember what they were really called when I found them on Pinterest but I call them little nests.  Alex enjoyed helping make the treats for his classmates.

Very Spring-like and the kids all liked them!

Fixin' It Up

Do you ever see a small problem around the house and figure you want to fix it up but you let it go and let it go and next thing you know it's been over a year and the problem is still there?
A few months ago we (finally) decided to put some pulls on our cabinets and drawers.  Pulls were on our "to do" list but it didn't really bother us to not have pulls (handles).  However, while we were visiting some neighbors we saw pulls in their kitchen and we realized we wanted to bump that project to the top of the list. 
While Biju was working on that project in the kitchen he decided to patch up some of the weird holes that were there when we bought this place.  With the patched up holes came a fresh coat of paint on a couple of walls.

Measure, drill, add on the pull .... times 40  (or more, I lost count, actually!)

A couple of after shots taken by a short person.

Another pic from the view of a child.

Ajay wanted to help!

Patching and painting.

The new color was a few shades off of the old one but no worries - this new color felt fresher.

Alex wanted to help!

Photos

I'm gonna throw out a few photos from a few months ago for your viewing pleasure. 

Aren was practicing his scissor skills - love that he has his tongue out to help with his concentration.

Aren loves bell peppers!!

Ajay took this photo.  He wanted to show the regular Cheerio (on the right) compared to the Super Cheerio.

Alex helped Aren make the train track into a circle.

 

The boys went to a birthday party in March.  It was at a ceramics studio and they got to choose their ceramic piece and the colors.  Alex doesn't look thrilled but it was just because I was taking the picture.  All three enjoyed their time there!

Construction paper, glue sticks and cut up tissue paper.  Messy but fun.

Ajay likes a good salad.  I wanted to document this.

Alex learned how to use the timer function on our camera so he used it to take this pic of himself and Aren.

Aren and his thumb with Gracie.

We (pant) did it (pant, pant) !!

Lisa and I can now (proudly) say we ran our first 5k!! (We actually ran it two weeks ago.  I told Lisa I would get this post up right away and not wait a month.  It hasn't quite been a  month, so we're good, right??)

We met at the mall so we could carpool to the park.  Would be nice if we lived closer to each other!! 

8 weeks ago, we both happened to see a Groupon for a lower registration fee for the race.  I called her up and we said yeah, it's crazy, but we kinda do wanna do this!  However, by the time we tried to sign up the Groupon was sold out :(  BUT - we were lucky enough to still get in on the Early Bird fee so we went for it!

8 weeks ago, my best form of exercise was climbing onto the elliptical in our basement and going for 30 minutes.  This was good exercise but it did nothing to prepare me for the first day I hit the track and started running.  What a difference! 

8 weeks ago I was eating vegan and gluten free (along with using the elliptical) and weight was slowly coming off.  But then I decided to try MyFitmessPal (again) to count calories and this time I actually liked it!  I think the difference was I was able to use the app on our iPad and didn't have to clomp down 3 flights of stairs to log my food every time I ate.  I realized that while the food I was eating was all very healthy my portion sizes had to change.  (I'm hoping once I get to my proper weight I can stop counting calories!) 

8 weeks ago I started running AND tracking my vegan and gluten free diet and over those 8 weeks I have lost 20 lbs.  And if you add the weight that I had lost over the previous year, I'm actually down 45!! 

As for run training for the 5k, little by little I added on minutes to my "run."  Eventually, I stopped counting minutes and went for a 1 mile run.  Then 2 miles.  Then 3 miles.  I had some disappointing runs but for the most part I aimed to improve something each time I ran.  Whether it was to lessen my mile time or add on more distance I wanted to be happy I got out there and did something.

I'm still the slowest runner at the gym.  I love reading shirts (on Pinterest) that delare "I run.  I'm slower than a herd of turtles stampeding through peanut butter, but I run!" or "I run slower than Internet Explorer on 90's dial up but I run."

So enough back story, let's move on to the 5k!!

The night before the run I decided to get a little crafty!  You can read more about that on our crafty blog. (Now I owe you two posts over on that blog - the crafts for the 5k and the blankets I made for the boys for Christmas.....)

The morning of the run I pin-curled my hair to the top of my head and put on a bandana in the style of "Rosie the Riveter."  I slapped some Arnica Rub on my hips and knees and figured I was good to go!

Lisa and I painted our nails to go with the color theme, and wore our crocheted wrist bands to catch more color.

A sea of mostly white at the start line. (Although you can see that some people opened their color packets early!)

Ready to RUN!(Yes, I wore tights - I was wanting to catch as much color as I could!)

The before and after collage Lisa put together from pics on her phone.

After the run covered in "gravy" - we called it "gravy" because our sweat mixed with the color powder which was made with cornstarch.  (Gross, right?)

Here is my head to toe shot.  (Honestly, I still have a few splotches of color left on my shoes, even two weeks later!)

After the 5k we went to my favorite soup place in town.  I got a vegan/gluten free sandwich and some tomato bisque.  No, the bisque wasn't vegan but man was it good!

 My bandana that helped keep the color out of my hair.

My curly hair after taking down the pin-curls.  Too bad all the big curls got washed away with my shower!

We had so much fun!  There was a bit of huffing and puffing on my part and maybe a few whines.  ("There should be more water stations!"  "Where is the next color station??"  "Aren't we done yet??")  But I must say I'm planning on doing this again next year.  In fact, Lisa has invited me to be on her team from work to run another fun-themed 5k in a couple of months.  I'm looking forward to it!

Recipe Wednesday - Mexi-Quinoa

As many of you know I've been eating a vegan, gluten free diet for a few months now.  (Many of you didn't know that since I think this is the first time I've mentioned the "gluten free" part on the blog, but now you're all caught up!)  I've also signed up to run a 5k with my girlfriend Lisa.  (Yes, it's true.  I've gone 'round the bend!)

Since I've taken meat, eggs and dairy out of my diet AND I'm doing some intense (for me) runs, I need a good source of plant-based protein.  Quinoa happens to be a great source!  I try to use it as much as I can, in my burgers, in my smoothies (yes!) and here in this dish.

I came across this recipe awhile back and, as usual, made a few tweaks.  I think I made enough changes that I can post it here and say it isn't the same recipe.

Mexi-Quinoa
2-3 Tsp. Coconut Oil
1 Red Onion, finely chopped
1.5 - 2 cups Chopped Red, Yellow and Orange Bell Peppers (we buy the three pack combo when they're on sale, chop them and freeze them.  Then when I need them for something like this, I just open  up the freezer bag and pour some out.)
3-4 Cloves Garlic, finely chopped
1 Tbs. Chili Powder (next time, I might try using homemade taco seasoning)
1 c. Uncooked Quinoa (rinsed, drained)
1.5 - 2 c. Vegetable Broth
1 Tbs. Lime Juice
2/3 c. Nutritional Yeast (make sure this is nutritional yeast, not any other kind)
1 jar of your favorite salsa (about 680mL)
1 can Black Beans, rinsed, drained
Corn Chips

In a dutch-oven, heat the oil over medium then add the onions and peppers.  Cook until tender then add in the garlic.  Cook for 1-2 minutes.  Sprinkle in the chili powder, cook about one minute.  Put in the quinoa, veggie broth and lime juice and give a quick stir to get everything mixed together.  Bring to a boil then place a lid on the pan, reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes.
Once all the liquid is absorbed stir in the nutritional yeast, salsa and black beans.  (The nutritional yeast gives this dish a sense of cheesiness!) 
Serve with chips.

Recipe Wednesday - Banapple Smoothie

Last fall, when Biju and I invested in our VitaMix, I found a smoothie recipe in the cookbook that came with it.  It called for regular milk and yogurt and since I was eating a vegan diet (still am, for the most part) I needed to change a few things.  Well, I ended up changing more than just a couple things and the smoothie sort of morphed into something I have for breakfast multiple times a week.  Biju likes this on weekend mornings with cashews blended into it (the cashews go in last, after I've already blended everything else up, and only for a small amount of time on a low blend speed. Just enough to break the cashews up.  He likes their crunch!)  Even Alex asks for this smoothie despite the fact that it is green and clearly healthy!

Banapple Smoothie

1 c. almond milk

1 c. water

1 banana

1/4 c. uncooked rolled oats (quick oats would work, also) (use gluten free oats if needed)

1 medium apple (we use either gala or red delicious)

1/3 c. dried cranberries

1/8 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1 Tbs. ground flax seed 

1 “mini muffin” cube of spinach

1 “mini muffin” cube of kale 

(or two spinach or two kale, which ever combo you want to use)

Put everything into the blender, in order, blend until smooth.  It might take a bit longer to break down the green cubes.  Frozen, cut up bananas work well with this.  

This usually makes just under 4 cups which is the perfect amount for two adults or one adult and three kids.  Sometimes, I pour half into a tall drinking glass and the rest into a mason jar for the next day.

To get the kale and spinach cubes, pour about 1 c. of water into the blender then add in handfuls of the leafy greens bit by bit until the whole bunch is blended up.  Pour into muffin tins and freeze.  Remove from tins and place into freezer bags.

 

Pine Car Derby

Alright, ya'll might be wondering why I'm bothering to go back and post what happened months ago.  I might be a little slow in getting these things up but since I started this blog so family in India (and even friends and family here in the states) can see what our family does on a regular basis I figure I might as well try to catch up.  (That seems to be a running theme, catching up.)

Ajay's Cub Scout Pack had their annual Pinewood Derby.  Biju and Ajay got the shape taken care of during one of the weekly meetings and then spent some time at home finishing it up.  Alex got someone's bit of block they had sawed off and had fun painting it up.  Aren got to play with watercolors while the other two painted their cars.

Here is Ajay's finished car!

Standing at the check in table, getting the final weight, registering, etc.

Here's the track they use for racing.

After weighing the car Ajay and Biju decided it needed a bit more weight, so they added that little one at the front.  They also used some graphite powder to help "slick" the wheels.

All the boys' cars lined up, ready for racing!

Ready to start??

While the Cubs were racing, Biju let Aren play on his phone.  It kept him a little more calm than he would've been had he been let loose in the gym. 

Ajay did a fine job on his car and since he didn't take first place this year he has a goal to work towards next year!

Recipe Wednesday - Red Berry Smoothie

Hi, it's me again!  I realized the other day that I hadn't even uploaded pictures from the camera to the computer since the middle of March!!  So I got all caught up with that (check mark!) and now I can move on with getting a few more blog posts up here.

First order of business, though, is to share this delicious smoothie recipe with you!

Since September I've been having mainly smoothies for my breakfasts.  Occasionally I'll throw in a bowl of (gluten free) oatmeal, but honestly, smoothies are just what I'm wanting right now!  (Winter weather didn't even dissuade me from having these delicious, healthy drinks.)

This morning I got out my trusty kitchen scales and measured everything as it went into the VitaMix (instead of just eyeballing it).  This mornings smoothie had just the right amount of tartness for me, you can adjust however you feel fit.  Also, if you don't have a VitaMix or high powered blender, you may want to sub some of the frozen items for non-frozen.  I usually have to use the tamper to get everything down to the blades. 

Red Berry Smoothie
1 cup Almond Milk (use whatever milk you prefer, but I love using my homemade almond milk) (8oz/228grams)
1/3 c. Dried Cranberries (56g.) (I used a quarter cup the other day and it just didn't have the right level of sweet-tartness for me)
1 c. frozen strawberries (140g.)
1/2 c. frozen raspberries (56 g.)
2 frozen spinach cubes (42 g.)*
1 Tbs ground flax seed (6g.)

Put into blender, in order listed, blend until smooth!  This made up a little over 2.5 cups of smoothie this morning.  I drank a tall (2 cup) glass and Aren drank the rest.

Nutrition info (for the whole smoothie) as given by MyFitnessPal:

Calories 358
Carbs 75
Fat 5
Protein 5
Sodium 181**
Sugar 57

*To make my frozen spinach cubes I pour about a cup of water into the blender, throw in a handful or two of baby spinach and blend on medium speed.  Through the opening in the top, while the blender is still running, I (carefully) put more handfuls until the spinach container is empty and the blender is full of liquid nutrition.  Then I pour the mixture into a silicone mini muffin tin and freeze.  Each cube is about 3 calories.

**I'm not sure what the sodium count really is for my smoothie.  I use homemade almond milk but on MyFitnessPal I only have the option of choosing a store bought almond milk.  I can't imagine my homemade milk has much sodium, if any at all.

If you try this (and please do!) let me know what you think!  I have another smoothie recipe coming up soon and a few Indian dishes planned, also! 

Electronics and Playthings

Eli, one of our neighbors, was over playing one day.  He brought his Kindle along with, so Alex played with the Kindle and Eli played with our iPad.  (Alex is scratching the top of his nose, not the inside, ha!)

Ajay had the iPad, Alex had Daddy's old phone that we kept around for entertainment, Aren was left without an electronic device so he played with Play-Doh.

All three boys gathered around Daddy's old phone wrapped up in a game of some sort.

We gathered 'round the table one evening, Aren had his puzzle, Biju was dealing with some paperwork that followed him home from the office, and Ajay and Alex and I played an abbreviated game of Yahtzee!

Aren playing peek-a-boo!

Aren wearing a pair of overalls that my older brother (and probably younger brother, too) used to wear!

They look so peaceful when they're sleeping, don't they?

Ajay started painting on his Cub Scouts Derby Car and Alex had a spare piece of wood that he painted on.  Aren wanted to get in on the painting action so we gave him some watercolors and paper.

Aren practicing his cutting skills - love that tongue sticking out in concentration!