Dear Blog,

Hi. How are you? I am fine.

That’s a big fat liiiiieeeee I ammmm insssssaaaaannnneeeee!!!

*ahem*

My Dearest Blog, I’m terribly sorry that I’ve been neglecting you in recent days – please know that I am here and still love you. We’ll be moving into a new house together in just a few days so please hold tight and know that I still love to run, eat healthy food, write crazy posts and return library books late. My daily insanity will return when real life insanity subsides – I promise.

So Blog, the very least I can do is fill you in on some of things I’ve been up to when I’m not packing, carrying all our worldly possessions out to the car in boxes or wiping cobwebs from the basement out of my eyebrows.

First, we’re still doing our homeschooling thing.

Yesterday we hit a park that just so happens to be right down the street from our house. This would be the same park where I ran trails this fall and found a big wad of cash on the ground. Remember that, Blog? Good times.

We had a lesson on gravity, potential energy, kinetic energy and selected a sacrifice to be an example and show the rest how a catapult works.

Another lie. Well, really – a joke. They just played. They’re kindergartners and preschoolers for crying out loud.

Maxine actually did pretty well at the start of our trail walk, but before long was cranky and into the sling she went. I considered signing her up to be the next catapult sacrifice but we moved on to other things before the sign up sheet came around to us.

Right after I took this picture she cried “Don’t take my picture! Did you take my picture??”

No honey, I definitely did not take your picture.

I’m up for mother of the year, did you hear?

Our trail walk ended with a little ice skating booting in the woods – fun for kids and adults a like.

As far as food goes, all you’ve been missing out on Blog is lots of cinnamon raisin Ezekiel toast with almond butter and bananas and giant salads too. When the going gets tough, the tough make a salad.

I did buy a green Kombucha today though.

A 10 day course of antibiotics (thank you infected tooth) is my excuse to spend $3.49 on a bottle of this stuff thanks to it’s probiotic magic.

I also like the Multi-Green variety because of all the B vitamins it’s got from the blue green algae and other sea shrubbery. Given my quasi-vegan lifestyle I like to believe drinking seaweed helps out with some essential B vitamins I am otherwise missing out on.

I should probably be taking a supplement but I hate supplements. I’d rather get it from food. I’m happily living in the dark and hoping my b12 stores are holding strong. What can I say, Denial isn’t just a river in Egypt. Or wherever the hell the Nile river is.

That’s right I am HOMESKOOLING ! I am totaly kwalified to teatch these kids.

I can’t forget about the vegan-minded man in my life either! I had a little one-on-one time with my boyfriend Brendan today too.

This Whole Food Energy Bar came from Vega and was one of many that was sent a while ago. It’s been in hanging out in my stash of the bars and I snagged it as I ran out the door today to make my 174th trip to the new house in the last 13 days.

Oh Brendan, you still rock. Thanks for everything you’ve taught me, I still think about your advice daily!

Sorry about the glare on your face, bro.

I do like these bars and they definitely do a good job of quelling hunger pangs on the run.

I’ve been eating a ton of oranges lately too (just one today though), much like the rest of the produce loving world. It is winter after all.

So Blog, that’s what’s been happening around here. We are slipping ever closer to the brink of insanity as our moving day continues to inch ever closer.

Wait, what do you mean Friday is CHRISTMAS?? All I’m thinking about is Saturday!

And to all my fellow blogs out there in blogland that I know and love – I miss you and will be around again soon.

Yours truly,
Alison

• Sweet Tooth Fairy
• Our Sunday Best
• Like a School Girl

We were almost forced to write a strongly worded email to the Tooth Fairy this morning. Apparently the Tooth Fairy slept like a rock last night and did not wake up in the middle of the night like she expected to. Fortunately, the toothless child in question decided to use the bathroom before she remembered about the visit from the Winged Dental Nymph and our crisis was averted.

We’ve got an outdoor homeschool adventure on tap first this morning which will suffice for a workout today. I spent my usual workout time prepping food and packing lunches.

Pineapple is SO cheap right now I need to start buying them every time we hit the produce section. For $2.99 a pop it’s totally worth the time and mess involved in cutting them up.

Can you spot the bean pot in the background? That would be dried black beans soaking to be used for dinner tonight. While emptying cupboards in preparation for the move I’ve discovered an abundance of dried beans. Hello, my name is Alison and I am a bean hoarder. It’s time to stop worrying about famine and start feasting on these beans. The fewer bags of beans we have to move the less complaining there will be from the men folk hauling boxes. I’m thinking black bean soup is on the dinner menu for tonight unless something more spectacular sounding comes to mind before then.

I need to keep our packed meal light today given I’ll be carrying our lunch (and our toddler) on my back through the woods. For the kiddos I made tortilla and cheese roll ups, pickles, raisins and raw cashews. For myself, sliced red pepper and some baby carrots, an orange plus a small dish of walnuts, raisins, pumpkin seeds and dried apples.

Yesterday’s breakfast cookie made with hemp seeds held me over for SO long I had to pinch my stomach to make sure it was still working 4 hours later! Now I understand the appeal to adding protein powder to oats. I’m not really a fan of protein powder but protein packed hemp seeds? That I will do.

Knowing we’ll be out all morning and on our feet until lunch time, on top of the fact that I’ve got to keep lunch on the lighter side today, I wanted another protein packed breakfast that will hopefully perform like it did yesterday.

Instead of breakfast cookie form this morning, I went overnight oats style.

1/3 c rolled oats, 1/2 smashed banana, 1 Tbsp almond butter, 1/4 c hemp seeds, 1/4 ground flax seed, 1/4 c chocolate almond milk and 1 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder. Soaked overnight in the fridge and topped with banana slices this morning.

See those cute little hemp seeds in there?

Between the oats, hemp seeds, flax and almond butter I’ve got to believe this breakfast will do it’s thing! Here’s hoping this breakfast won’t disappoint like the Tooth Fairy almost did!

• A Day of Calorie Counting
• Stay at Home
• Shakey Fists

I was off dark and early to the gym this morning. I was |this close| to driving there, when at the last minute I put my keys back and just ran there in the dark instead. It takes me 5 minutes to get there by car considering the time it takes to give the car a minute to warm up, park and walk into the building. Might as well just spend the 8 minutes running there and get my body warmed up instead.

I spent 25 minutes on the stair climber this morning before the 1 mile run back home for 40 minutes total. It was still dark when I left the gym at 6:55. *Shaking my fist at the tilt of the earth on it’s axis and it’s current angle to the sun*

I got there early this morning and was home just after 7:00 to give Zak time to swim laps before work this morning. *Shaking my first at a husband who had be dragged out bed and sweetly reminded that I went early today so he would have time to go.*

Love you honey! Smootch smootch! Thanks for bringing home the facon bacon!

Upon returning home I enjoyed some fresh pineapple for a little rehydration after sweating like fiend for those 25 minutes on the stair climber. *Shaking my fist at that blasted machine!*

I’m now enjoying my bowl of overnight oats, prepped last night before bed.

1/2 c rolled oats
1/2 smashed banana
1 Tbsp Almond Butter
1/2 c unsweetened almond milk

Topped this morning with the other half of the banana and 1 Tbsp ground flax because I forgot to add it to the mix last night. *Shaking my fist at the sneaky bag of flax seed hiding in the drawer* *Also shaking my fist at the “out of sight, out of mind” cliche*

And a cup of Candy Cane Lane tea with some agave nectar!

Now I’m off to see what else I can shake my fist at today.

• Terribly Tired Tooth Fairy
• Our Sunday Best
• Birthday Beet Juice

Didn’t I just say the other day that swimming is one of my least favorite forms of cardio? It’s cold, it’s wet, it’s tedious, it’s boring. But just like that ex-boyfriend you run into after some time apart, you find yourself wondering what was really so bad about him after all.

This is my way of announcing that Swimming and I have decided to start seeing each other again.

Before hitting the pool early this morning I had a quick pre-swim date with almond butter. So quick in fact that I apparently couldn’t be bothered to even close the refrigerator door.

And then it was pool time.

I know, I know. We’re back together. It’s a little awkward at first. I’m not exactly looking forward to this, but let’s just jump in and get this part over with, ok?

The best part about being back together is that you’re already past that scary “what do you look like first thing in the morning” phase. Love me.

Today’s swim work out was 6 sets of:

(25 yards = 1 length of the pool)

100 yards freestyle
100 yards backstroke
50 yards kickboard

And a lovely cool down of 6 sets 25 yards free style, 25 yards backstroke.

During the 40 minutes of monotony I found myself listing the things I do like about Swimming.

I love that it’s a form of cardio that works the whole body
I like that I get focus on my breathing
I love that stretch you get along side your body when you reach forward during freestyle
I like that it’s low/no impact
I love that I get to wear a speedo without worrying that everyone thinks I’m a total dork. At least as far as my swim suit is concerned anyway.

The absolute best part about swimming? The long, hot, peaceful shower I get after I’m all done. And when I get home it’s like I’ve saved 20 minutes and I’m way ahead of the game.

Post workout I cut up one of my favorite varieties of pear, D’Anjou. I can only find these around here in the fall . D’Anjou is that long distance boyfriend who only comes in to town once and a while. Gotta get some D’Anjou pear action while I can.

The flesh is creamy, perfectly soft and sweet. The skin is a little thick though so I’m glad D’Anjou only comes around once a year. Nice to have you here, only a little sorry to see you go.

Well Swimming, it’s been a while, huh? I’m really just using you as a cold weather fling but we can pretend we’re soul mates for now. Don’t check the list of calls I’ve made on my cell phone, OK? Or if you do… don’t worry. D’Anjou is just a friend.

• The Beautiful People Know
• Terribly Tired Tooth Fairy
• Shakey Fists

I swapped my early morning work out today for a little early morning de-cluttering/getting-ready-to-pack-up-this-entire-house-and-move-our-worldly-possessions-25-minutes-east-of-here instead.

La de da just taking stuff we don’t use any more to drop off and donate! Don’t mind me!

Wait a minute. Not so fast. Have you ever tried to donate or get rid of something with your children around? Be it their old toys or your own kitchen and household items? Trying to move stuff OUT when you have curious creatures wanting to know what they are missing out on or are being robbed of makes this a very delicate operation. This should only be attempted in the wee hours of the morning when no one is around to protest the donation of old toys. Old toys that are haphazardly thrown from toy bins directly to the floor while in search of the toys they actually play with.

In all fairness, last week I tried to get them do this with me; explaining that they have lots of toys.

Why don’t we pick out the toys that you no longer play with and give them to children who need them?

This is a perfectly reasonable request, wouldn’t you say?

Have you ever tried to explain to a shark that he’s really not that hungry and your bloody stump isn’t as good at the old boot you saw floating just off shore a mile back?

But I digress.

Suggested Toy Donations turned Treasured Possessions were of course cast aside within minutes in favor of the empty paper towel roll and lone sock with a hole in it named Fred.

So I guess I’ve got no choice but to go undercover.

I am like the opposite of Santa Claus. Instead of delivering toys to children while they are sleeping, I take them away. Naughty or Nice, Mama Claus doesn’t care. MC just wants to move with fewer items in the Toy Shop than she has right now.

Santa Claus says Ho! Ho! Ho! Mama Claus says Oh! Oh! Oh!

Don’t give me that look. How do you think these kids got here in the first place?

My sneaky unSanta karma caught up with me shortly after taking that picture because I soon realized my camera was no where to be found.

I’m ready for breakfast, where the hell is my camera?

Wouldn’t it be just my luck that I mindlessly set it one of the boxes I went back out with later to shove under the blanket? That would just be too perfect.

But alas, my story isn’t that ironic. After 20 minutes I finally located my dear Canon in the remote corner of the basement where I had been recklessly throwing toys into a bags like the Grinch Robin Hood.

With the exception of the rind, I ate all the parts of the pineapple that are missing here. Sorry camera, I couldn’t wait.

Clueless children awake, time to load them into the car and hope they don’t ask What’s Behind the Circus Stripped Sheet Mommy?

Shhhh shhhh go back to sleep.

So where were we off to on this fine day? Why the dentist of course! Ava was first in the chair. Well, actually mommy went first but no one offered to take MY picture while I got my teeth cleaned. Sometimes I just get sick of asking.

Aren’t the sunglasses a nice touch? Whatever keeps’em in the chair.

Today’s appointment was special and in my mind deemed blog worthy because it was Maxine’s maiden voyage in The Fun Chair. A little look-see teeth counting and warm up so she won’t suspect the robotic restraints that come up out of the arm rests next time around.

Please note that I did not take this picture, Ava did. I’m not THAT obnoxious with the camera, at least not on Monday’s.

48 teeth cleaned (28 of mine, 20 of Ava’s), 20 teeth counted, one loose tooth (not me) and no cavities (for all). Best of all, no sheets were prematurely torn off any boxes full of toys. I call today’s trip a rousing success.

I’ve got a meeting scheduled for this evening, so my clueless philanthropists were dropped off at Aunt Ellen’s house for the afternoon before I revealed to Goodwill what was behind the curtain. With a belly that shakes like bowl full of veggies, I shouted Oh! Oh! Oh! as I drove out of site.

A child-free, good will toward men, leftover lunch was in store for me today. The last of the curried lentil and squash soup with my favorite vegeta-ful sandwich on toasted Ezekiel.

It hasn’t been a very foodie day, but it’s been a day, you can’t deny it. Tomorrow we will return to your regular Mama’s Weeds programming. For now I must say:

Merry Sneakiness to all and to all a good night!

• Our Sunday Best
• Let's Call the Whole Thing Off
• Eating Out of Their Hands

I was feeling totally cold and lazy early this morning and not feeling my exercise mojo at all. But then the sun came up and the sky was just a little too clear, the air a little too crisp. It’s probably the very last of the gorgeous weekends we’ve got in store for us until spring and I couldn’t just sit here and let it pass me by.

Except the fates had other plans for me.

Barely 2 miles in and I hear that all too familiar and none too welcome rubber-on-rubber sound effect. BLAAAAHHH.

Door 1: Fix it on the side of the road

I take all the tools to fix a flat tire with me in my little bike bag under my seat, but it’s a hell of a lot easier to do at home than it is with the bare minimum of tools and equipment, in the grass with cars whizzing by and nothing to wipe the grease off my hands but the ass of my pants.

Door 2: Call Zak and have him come fetch me

I had my cell phone and could have called him to come get me and gimpy, but by the time he got his act in gear, kids dressed, in the car I might as well chose what’s was behind Door #3.

Door 3: Run home and drive back to get my bike myself.

OK. Door #3. Stash bike out of sight – let’s go.

2 mile run home, bike in the back of the car. Not exactly the bike ride I’d envisioned on this beautiful day but that’s how it goes.

Talk about Deju Vu. Didn’t I just do this?

Wheel disassembled. Geez man – if this story were a fairy tale then this is straight out of Princess and the Pea.

A very tiny, but very sharp rock. Princess Tire, you are totally suited to marry the Prince. May you live happily ever after. Jerk.

Tube patched, wheel back together, we’re back in business. A quick (25 minute) test ride – (or so I told Zak – evil, evil wife!) ride, run, ride anyone?

It is seriously so beautiful outside this morning it’s hard to be annoyed for long. A quiet Sunday at home didn’t make things too bad either.

Time for breakfast, finally! 2 slices of Ezekiel Cinnamon Raisin with 1 Tbsp of almond butter, 1/2 Tbsp on each slice. Yes, I totally measured because clearly I cannot be trusted when it comes to almond butter.

Enjoyed on the deck with half a mango – and even a ripe mango this time! Go me!

Exercise mojo? I found it. Bastard pebble? Found it. Proper almond butter portions? Yup, found that too. Ripe mango? Found. Missing anything? Let me know. I’m on a roll today.

• A Day of Calorie Counting
• Caterpillar Kick Counts
• Won’t You Be My Neighbor?

Today’s day of calorie counting began with a freezing bike ride to the gym. Well, actually it was 33 degrees so I guess it wasn’t exactly freezing. I’m such an exaggerator sometimes.

30 minutes on the treadmill with some speed work intervals (4 two minute sets at 9.3) thrown in to keep things interesting – a total of about 4 miles. I noted today what the calorie total said and it was about 450.

Treadmill dues paid, followed by a Very Cold (but this time welcome!) ride home for my first calories of the day.

Green juice for two! My serving: 131 calories (based on my numbers from yesterday)

About an hour and a half later I was ready for My Real Breakfast.

Fruit Cereal:

1 1/2 bananas (158 cals), 2 Tbsp ground flax (60), 2 Tbsp sliced almonds (85), 1/2 unsweetened vanilla hemp milk (30) = 333

We had to leave early this morning (”early” as in 9:30!) to meet up with some homeschooling friends for a nature walk.

We were on a leaf hunt! Maxine was cold and cranky and refused to walk. Carrying an extra 30 lbs for a 30 minute walk. As if I didn’t already run for 30 minutes this morning, kid? Thanks for doing your part Maxine to help these final 10 lbs come off that much faster.

Moments after this picture was taken the 3 older girls shrieked in utter delight when they spotted “poison cherries” on a tree about 50 yards to the left.

Before we left we hit up the nature center and did a little research for my new Taxidermy blog. I just need some help coming up with a new name. Any ideas?

The Flying Squirrel?

Hug a Nut?

Play Dead?

I’ve Got Beaver Fever? (I wonder how many calories are in the leaf?)

Meh. I’m still working on ideas.

We had some errands to run after our leaf picking poison cherry stuffed carcass adventures. I packed some snacks to hold us over until we could get home for a proper lunch.

Carrots and jicama sticks anyone? Yours for a mere 70 calories! Yes please!

And how about half a MamaBar at a whopping 111 calories? Sold to the lady with that crazy look in her eye!

My Proper Lunch would be a salad as big as my head (150 cals – for the salad, not my head) and homemade balsamic dressing.

1 Tbsp EVOO 130 cals
2 Tbsp balsamic 30 cals
1/2 Tbsp agave nectar 30
+ s&p

Lunch! 340 calories!

The Snack: Round 2

2 Tbsp chia seeds 138
1 tsp agave nectar 20
1/2 c hemp milk 30
Dash of cinnamon

Soaked in all it’s 188 calorie glory for about 4 hours to be called chia pudding.

Orange you glad I did the dishes after my snack? 70 calories of citrus goodness.

For dinner tonight I made a tomato bean soup.

28 oz can of tomatoes: 175 calories
1 Tbsp EVOO: 130
1 can of garbonzo beans, rinsed and drained: 350
2 carrots, peeled and sliced:70
1 onion, diced: 30
2 cloves of garlic: 10
A couple shakes of parsley, salt and pepper: .002568999 calories

Recipe total? 695 calories

It made about 5 cups.

695 / 5 = 139 calories per cup

I sauteed diced onion and garlic in olive oil until soft. Added all vegetables, salt and pepper + parsley and simmered on medium heat until carrots were soft, probably about 40 minutes. Stir occassionally and subtract 1 calorie for every spoon revolution in the pan.

1 1/2 cups = 215 calories

+ a grilled (in Misto’d olive oil) hummus (75) and tomato (10) sandwich on 2 slices of sesame Ezekiel bread (160) for a dinner tally of 460.

Today’s day of calorie counting? 1783.

I’ve had a couple of revelations today. I know what you’re thinking… already? Yes! Already!

1. I’ve been a little too friendly with the nuts in my life. No, I’m not talking about my husband and children, but the kind that good old Hug a Nut is hugging up there. Me and almond butter have become more than just good friends, we are lovers. Nuts are good for you, but I’ve been a little too eager to be a nutty overachiever. A handful of raw cashews for a pre-dinner snack? And after breakfast? And before lunch? Hello lady I just figured out your problem. Well, at least your nut problem. Now let’s get to work on your sense of humor.

2. Intuitive Eating, Thrive and the Raw Food Detox Diet have made things a lot easier for me. First, as I’ve said many times before, if I don’t eat stimulating foods, I don’t crave them, so eating like I did today and most every day is pretty effortless. I don’t feel like I’m deprived of anything. But most importantly, if I’m hungry, I’m going to eat! When calorie counting in the past I would often make myself wait just a little bit longer before finally getting something to eat. None of that now. If I reach for fruits and vegetables instead of dates with almond butter or a handful of raisins and cashews every time I feel the need for a little something, I think I’ll easily obtain a calorie deficit. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still going to eat nuts – I’m not crazy! I’m just going to stop slathering nut butter on dates or anything and everything without a pulse like it’s going out of style.

3. Thanks for all the recommendations for The Daily Plate! It’s easy, I like it! I entered in all of my data for today and I especially like being able to see the fat, carb and protein totals, fiber too.

Thanks to everyone for your supportive comments. Like a number of you said, I’m using calorie counting as a tool to reach a goal, not an excuse to obsess over food and go nutty with. I’ve already had quite a few clues as to where I’ve been going wrong and this is exactly what I needed. A wake up call! And thankfully not one that involves a horse head in my bed.

• Scary Spoon
• Two Lefts Don't Make a Right
• Terribly Tired Tooth Fairy

It’s Tuesday. That means it’s a magic basket full of snacks for me and one or more of the offspring. Today’s basket of packed goodness was for me and Ava. I was unexpectedly assisting in her homeschooling class today. Maxine stayed behind with Aunt Ellen while Ava and I forged ahead.

I was of course excited to dig into my MamaBar and give it a real trial run. (i.e., not sampling it over the food processor bowl.) I chowed this puppy moments before getting out of the car to tackle a room full of 5 and 6 year olds for three hours. I needed every last ounce of coconut oil.

Dinner tonight was inspired by Justine from the Confessions of a SAHM. Curried Squash and Apple Soup.

It all started with a lone buttercup squash I snagged the other day. The produce manager told me buttercup is a very sweet squash, so I knew the perfect recipe to use it in when I saw Justine’s post yesterday.

Halved, de-seeded and roasted with a sweet potato at 350 for about 50 minutes. When I could easily stick a fork through the skin, it was done.

What jumped out at me with this recipe was the addition of an apple! A large peeled crispin apple, sauteed with onion in extra virgin olive oil until soft.

Squash and potato removed from it’s flesh, into the pot with the apple and onion and a couple cups of vegetable broth. A tablespoon or so of cinnamon and curry powder, and then cooked for a few minutes before moving the entire contents into the food processor. I usually leave some veggies in the pot to make the soup chunky, but decided today to go wild and puree the whole pot.

This combination of flavors was awesome, the sweet with savory was so good!

Served by candle light with some garlic hummus on toasted Ezekiel bread with salsa.

So since tonight’s dinner was inspired by Justine, the queen of confessions – here’s mine.

My little calorie math project last night has me totally contemplating calorie counting again – or at the very least food journaling – for the month of November. For the past year now I’ve wanted to lose the last 10 “vanity pounds”, as Jillian Michaels puts it. I was reminded last night of how well calorie counting works. Food journaling was what worked for me like nothing else ever had before. It allowed me to bust through my plateau and go on to lose an additional 23 lbs in two and a half months. Writing it down and seeing the numbers is like balancing your check book. There’s no denying the numbers when they are there in front of you. It worked great for me and I’m suddenly feeling motivated to do it again. I got down to the upper 120’s in the summer of 2008 and have been hanging out in the low 130’s for almost a year now. My clothes still fit but they fit better when I was in the 120’s – and I would love to get back there again. It’s what I’ve wanted for a year now! After trying everything Raw Food Detox Diet and Thrive, the bottom line is that I need to pay closer attention to how many calories I eat. At the end of a day, it’s all about the math. Calories in have to be less than calories out and the weight will come off. If I want to see results I’ve got to keep track.

I hesitate to post this. It’s embarrassing. But it’s real so here it is. There’s no denying that it works – so I’m going to do it. I’m going to food journal for a month and see where I end up 4 weeks from now.

Confession over. Time to hit publish.

• Laundry Catch 22
• Change of Plans
• A Day of Calorie Counting

Brownies last night called for a very simple, cleansing breakfast this morning. Cleansing in both body and refrigerator. Who the hell bought all these damn apples anyway??

Speaking of cleaning, notice that barely in focus disaster of counter top back there? That mess was sponsored by yours truly from deserting the kitchen after birthday brownie dessert last night.

So! I’m sporting my stay at home mom outfit today and flashing you the international sign for “Get to Work”.

Yoga pants and inside shoes?

Check!

Toys to be picked up?

Check!

Laundry to be folded and put away?

Check!

Checking account begging to be balanced?

Check-ity Check!

10 AM and kids still in pajamas?

Check!

Yup – it’s a stay at home day for sure. I declare it.

• Confessions
• We Came, We Saw, We Raked
• The Thanksgiving Bowl

Per usual, I was up before the rest of the crew this morning. I fired up the oven first thing and put together another batch of Toasted Apple Cinnamon Cereal a la Brendan Brazier and Thrive.

When I made this cereal earlier this week I was sort of surprised at how perfectly chewy the apples turned out. I sliced up a second apple and baked it right along with the cereal, both for an hour at 250.

I’m pretty sure I saw Mama Pea do this a while ago.

I think I can safely stop spending $3.50 a bag on my favorite Woodstock Farms dried apples. These turned out better than I could have ever expected! They’ve only turned out so-so in the food dehydrator. I don’t know why I didn’t try is sooner – Mama is always right!

I moved most of the cereal to a container to be stored in the fridge. (For up to two weeks according to Brendan, but there’s no way it’s going to last that long here.)

Today’s cereal was made with a diced apple, a half cup or so each of sliced almonds, hemp seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, ground flax with a couple dashes of cinnamon and nutmeg. I used a 1/4 c of Grade A real maple syrup today instead agave nectar like last time, as well as a 1/4 c of canola oil.

What didn’t fit in the storage container got moved to my bowl:

I ate my homemade cereal with sliced bananas and got back to work on the Operation: Clean Out the Filing Cabinet project I started while my cereal was baking this morning. Gotta make it a little bit lighter for whichever big, strong, handsome, strapping man I ask to pick up and move to the moving truck in just a few short weeks here. (Note to self: start reminding all the men in my life how big, strong, handsome, strapping they are.)

Once the gang was up and I’d sufficiently spread huge piles of paper all over, we headed out for a Sunday walk/ride on this beautiful fall morning.

Even Ping came along today. (Hissy didn’t fit in the trike trunk.)

Goose has recently been renamed Ping and is now a regular tag-along thanks to the latest book I’ve read approximately 100 times over the past couple of weeks here.

It was a beautiful morning to make our way slowly and surely to the coffee shop about a mile from home.

A few weeks since my last cup of coffee, I felt like one today and got a tall pumpkin spice coffee with milk.

We admired the fall decorations.

We also noticed that a certain 3 year old is now tall enough to reach the water jug and serve herself.

Interestingly enough said 3 year old who claims to be “so big!” also claims to be “too little!” to peddle the mile back home.

Good thing Daddy isn’t too little to carry that big girl, and Mama isn’t too little to carry the big bike.

This morning’s walk, in combination with a short half mile run to home and back to fetch a coat for Ms. Ava about 5 minutes into our walk – who, let the record show that upon leaving, swore she didn’t need a coat and had to sign a contract stating “I will never argue with mom about needing a coat again” before I agreed to run back and get it – as well as resistance training in the form of tricycle carrying has sufficiently taken care of today’s work out.

Zak Attack had to go in to work for a few hours today so the girlies and I are holding down the fort. Now it’s time to get started on my next Operation; Donate or Toss.

• Greetings From the South Pole
• Terribly Tired Tooth Fairy
• Signs