How to be prepared for tough times April 11, 2009

After my post about voluntary simplicity yesterday, I was feeling inspired, especially by the comments and mails I received, so I wrote this post. I hope you will like it!

Yep, you know that, tough times are coming, and some people think it could be very bad very soon.

How do you think your life would be affected? What could you do to minimize this effect?

Do you believe in a “back to basics” living?

Are you prepared for it?!

Well, today I will give you some advice about how to prepare yourself and your family to keep or even improve your quality of life through tough times!

1. Be as self sufficient as you can.
2. This can be achieved by building a full pantry, especially basics like flour, oil, cereals, water, sugar, honey, and lots of canned vegetables and fruits. Dry milk can be useful too.
3. You can also fill up your freezer with some basics like butter, meat, and homemade prepared meals, etc…
4. If you have a garden, plant food! Fruit trees, veggies, etc…
5. If you have some place and are allowed to do it, take some chickens, you will have fresh eggs each morning and maybe some day you could even sell them to those neighbors who didn’t read this post!
6. Find a farm near by (if possible) to buy your milk, it can always be useful to know people who grows cows.
7. Begin right now to live without the comfort. For example, avoid the dryer when you can use the sun and wind to do the job; knead your dough by hand vs processor/mixer; broom when you can vs always use the vacuum; wash the dishes by hand half of the time vs always use the dishwasher; and so on…
8. Learn some homemaking basics like canning, bread making, cooking, organizing etc…
9. Learn to entertain yourself and your family for free. It is very important! If you can’t get rid of your TV, then try to leave it off at least one day a week, and plan a “family night” with games, conversation, music, whatever you are up to!
10. Try to exercise,  maybe some day you will not be able to get your car to go somewhere, you will need to walk; or maybe you will have to do the laundry by hand,etc… So, better get prepared by doing some exercising, walking, and other outdoors activities.
11. I can’t sew nor knit, but that’s something I definitely have to learn! And buy some fabric and materials to do whatever I may need some day.
12. There is a huge amount of resources and info on the web, but maybe you will not be able to consult them when you will need them the most. My advice is to print all the interesting stuff and build a nice notebook that may be lifesaving some day!
13. Build a nice, complete first aid kit, and some basic medicine/remedies. You never know!
14. Limit the products you need for your personal and house hygiene/beauty. Prefer one soap/shower gel that fits all the family needs better than one specific for each person, the same with shampoo, moisturizer, etc… In your home, buy or do yourself one multipurpose cleaner, that could be used to clean floors, counter tops, kitchen, bathroom, and even laundry! Replace your softener by white vinegar and essential oil, and, of course, avoid disposable wipes and other “swiffer” stuff; prefer the old fashioned way: soap, warm water, and some exercise!
15. Enjoy the simple treasures of life! Be happy and positive with all what you already have, smile, and transmit your joy to your family.
16. Trust the Lord to provide for your needs.

Don’t panic! As always, you can do it little by little, with baby steps, and soon you will be able to survive this nasty economy, and even kinda like it!!

For more info, I encourage you to “google” simple living, homesteading, homemaking, and voluntary simplicity. You will be blessed by all the interesting stuff around there to learn from!

If you have more tips to prepare for the worst scenario, or simply become frugal, leave your comment!

Voluntary simplicity April 10, 2009

Hey, here we are, for another hooked on fridays, and what I am hooked on today is voluntary simplicity!!

Have you ever heard about it? Maybe you do practice it already, or you would like some more info about it.

Well, I hope this post will be helpful anyway, and will help you understand and know better this movement.

‘Normal’ is getting dressed in clothes that you buy for work, driving through traffic in a car that you are still paying for, in order to get to the job that you need so you can pay for the clothes, car, and the house that you leave empty all day in order to afford to live in it. Ellen Goodman.

What is voluntary simplicity?

Simple living (voluntary simplicity) is a lifestyle characterized by minimizing the ‘more-is-better’ pursuit of wealth and consumption. Adherents may choose simple living for a variety of personal reasons, such as spirituality, health, increase in ‘quality time’ for family and friends, stress reduction, personal taste or frugality.

Others cite socio-political goals aligned with the anti-consumerist movement, including conservation, social justice and sustainable development.

According to Duane Elgin, “we can describe voluntary simplicity as a manner of living that is outwardly more simple and inwardly more rich, a way of being in which our most authentic and alive self is brought into direct and conscious contact with living.“

Simple living as a concept is distinguished from those living in forced poverty, as it is a voluntary lifestyle choice.

Voluntary simplicity means doing/having/living more with less–more time, meaning, joy, satisfaction, relationships, community; less money, material possessions, stress, competition, isolation. It doesn’t mean depriving yourself; it doesn’t mean buying “cheap” and always pinching pennies; it doesn’t mean poverty. It does mean wanting what you have, and finding joy in having less; and recovering the connection with other people and with the Earth that alone makes life really worthwhile.

Voluntary simplicity is a growing movement of people who have realized that happiness and fulfillment do not lie in having more money, or new and bigger things, but rather in the time with loved ones and connection with community. They are questioning the consumer society’s insistence that possessions, especially of the newest design and color, are the means of fulfillment, or that any material possession can possibly be “to die for.”

How to apply this to your life?

Yeah, you might think that all this sounds very nice but how could you apply it in your daily stressed/busy life? Well, there are a lot of things that you can do to go forward simplicity, you know, baby steps, that everybody can do.

Here are some advices of what you can do to improve your quality of life right now:

• each time you are about to buy something, ask yourself:

- Could I do this item myself cheaper/healthier/greener ?
- Do I really need this item? Will my life be affected if I don’t buy it?
- Could I find this item second hand/used/cheaper, or without packaging?

• try to buy food and groceries locally, at your farmers market for example.

• do not buy more decor items for holidays, try to decorate with the stuff you already have or some items you can do yourself frugally.

• do not feel obliged to buy presents for Valentine’s day/Christmas/Easter etc… You can do crafts/cards/homemade goodies, that will be even more appreciated than an impersonal store bought present.

• Avoid all kind of prepared meals, if you are not a great cook, learn! Good food is about experience, you have to try, and fail, until you can do it right.

• If you have a garden, try to plant some veggies.

• Are you an expecting mom?

- Don’t buy anything!! I know it is so tempting to go shopping for the new baby but you will receive lots of gifts, and you really do not need as much stuff as you think. Babies need their mom, almost nothing else.
- Inform yourself about the wonderful benefits of breastfeeding your child, you will be blessed!
- Consider using cloth diapers, you can find them by internet, in some stores, or even do them yourself!
- Teach your child to entertain himself! A baby does not need tons of colorful plastic toys to be happy and stimulated; in fact, I strongly encourage you to limit the collection of toys to a small amount and ban all battery-operated/plastic toys.
- Prefer neutral clothes for your baby, better than all pink or all blue, so you can keep them and reuse them for another baby.

• If you are like me a book lover, then you may prefer to go to your local library to borrow books better than buying pricey books.
• With your kids, prefer activities that are not related to a shopping/buying activity. For example, you may prefer going to visit a farm or to a natural park (almost free), better than to the theater which usually includes buying candies, popcorn, etc…  Teach your child that fun is not related to money.
• In general, always try to buy second hand/used items. Think about garage sales, thrift stores, craig’s lists etc. although the best to do is to limit your shopping. Simplicity is not only think “Can I have this cheaper?”, it is more a “Can I live without it?” kind of thinking!

Well, I hope you liked this entry and maybe you are feeling like applying some of my advices!

If you are looking for some more info about choosing voluntary simplicity, you would like to have a look at those websites I found for you:

- THE SIMPLE LIVING NETWORK

- GREAT RIVER EARTH INSTITUTE

- THE SIMPLICITY RESOURCE GUIDE

You can find also some great blogs in my blogroll, on the right side of this site.

In this week before Easter, this is my contribution to stay focused on the important things, and free ourselves from the secular consumerist way of life…

I wish you all a great, happy, and cross-centered Easter!

And if you want to see what people are hooked on this week, check it out on HOOKED ON HOUSES

Hooked on Latino Music!! :) April 3, 2009

Hi there!

Today I will share with you something that I discovered when I was living in Spain.

It is Latin music, including flamenco!

I really love Latin music, Cuban, Spanish, flamenco, Latino, etc… I love it!

So, I will show you which are my favorite songs and artists! I hope you like it!

PS: if your babies or kids are having a nap, turn the volume down to watch these videos…

Crepes: my childhood recipe March 24, 2009

Today, I want to share one of the most appreciated, easy, versatile and yummy of all my recipes!

Crepes! They are like pancakes but thinner, and we love them.

I like to eat them filled with fresh fruit and chocolate or cream, with just some marmalade or sugar, or in fancy dessert like crepe cake.

We also love them salty, with ham, mushrooms, eggs, oregano and more…

They are a big part of my childhood, I remember my grandma used to do them for us after school. I like to do them for my family often, especially for a Sunday dinner. I do a batch of salty and then some sweet. They are always a hit!

So don’t be afraid by crepes, give it a try and experiment with them! Here is my recipe:

CREPES

You will need:

- 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tbsp sugar (or salt)
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 cup water

How to:

In a large bowl mix the flour, the baking powder, baking soda and sugar. Make a hole in the center and add the eggs. Beat well. Then add the milk a bit a time, mixing well to incorporate it. Then add the water mixing well.

For french style crepes, add some brandy and 1 tsp orange flavor (eau de fleur d’oranger).

You will need a nice non stick skillet. Heat it, grease it a little bit (I use coconut oil) and pour about 1/4 cup of this dough, moving the skillet to allow dough to expand. When the dough is done (about 2 minutes), take the crepe and flip it to cook the other side (about 1 minute).

You have to know that the first crepe is ALWAYS not good, I don’t know why but that’s the way it is. The second is much better!

At the beginning, you will have to try several times, until you find the right amount of grease, heat, dough, and time. The experience is key to make good crepes, that’s why grandma’s crepes are always the best!

I hope you will enjoy this recipe as much as I do! Have a nice day…

This post was part of:

Ultimate blog party 2009 is on! March 24, 2009

I had to share that with you! How exciting is that!

Check out 5 Minutes for Mom to know more about this awesome blog party. They have a lot going on this week, with “real life” party, tons of blogs posting and partying, and of course tons of great prizes to win!

For first timer here, first I am so glad you are here! Thanks for visiting, I hope you are feeling comfortable in my “virtual home”. Take off your shoes and relax!

My name is Elodie, I am a French 24yo girl, happy mom to Cecilia (4 yo) and wife to Jose. I am currently living in Arizona, and began this blog 4 month ago to help me practicing  my English!

Feel free to browse my blog, here you will find recipes, posts about homeschooling, faith, homemaking, and more…

We also are in middle of an interesting series about Natural Healing, if you are interested check it out HERE.

I hope to see you soon around here!

And for my followers, thank you for being around, I hope you can win some of those fabulous prizes on the Ultimate Blog Party 2009!!

The list of prizes is HERE. Isn’t it awesome? What would you like to win?

Here are my favorites in order of preference:

- 1: a 100 $ gift certificate for either Pedal cars & retro or A rocking horse to love (I would love a doll house for Cecilia!)
- 7: a Ergo baby carrier valued at 163 $
- 2: a Sydney Andrews bracelet (I love her designs!)
- USC 35: a pouch style baby sling
- 71: flip flops for Mom and Daughter, aren’t they cute?
- INTL 31: ABC Bible memory verse songs from Sonbeams
- 83: a 25 $ gift card for EcostoreUSA
- 30: a 25 $ gift card for WeeBgreen
- 58: A Kitchen Aid artisan stand mixer valued at 349.99 $ !!!
- USC 45: a pair of shoes from Eleven Collection Spring/Summer ‘09, I love their shoes!!

I would also love 19, 21, 22, 46 (Target gift cards) or 47, an Amazon gift card.

But there is a lot more out there!

Go and check it out now! The party is on until March 27th.

Hooked on volunteering! March 20, 2009

Today I want to share what I am hooked on! It is volunteering!!

During this spring break, I have been with my friends and her daughter (and mine), volunteering in the association CARE PARTNERSHIP, a great place that helps a lot of people in the East Valley.

They have a small clinic, a lot of activities for children, a food bank, and much more.

It all begins 15 years ago in the backyard of a small house, now thanks to a lot of volunteers and workers they are still there, with great facilities, and doing so much for their community.

It has been a very nice experience for me and my daughter to help there. We just went 2 days this week but it made a difference.

If you are bored in your house some days and don’t know what to do, why not find a local association in your community to go help, it is always so rewarding, and they are always thankful for your time and effort.

Depending on what sort of association or work, you can maybe bring your kids with you like we did. What a great time for them to help some people, and realize that some others don’t have all we have and are not as lucky as we are.

You can browse websites like VOLUNTEER MATCH to find a volunteering opportunity in your area.

So, that’s what I am hooked on this week!

To find out what people are hooked on, visit HOOKED ON HOUSES.

Easy and quick pizza dough! March 16, 2009

Today I will share with you my favorite pizza recipe! Yummy!

I love pizza! My husband too! And, it is a mystery, our daughter doesn’t like pizza!

Anyway, every person who tasted my pizza loved it (except my daughter!).

I especially like this recipe because it is so easy, and quick. You don’t have to wait for the dough to rise, and the ingredients for the topping are simple and fresh for a great result!

It is the perfect recipe for unscheduled visits. So, I hope you will like it as much as we do!

EASY AND QUICK PIZZA

You will need:

For the dough:
- 3 cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup warm water
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 tsp active dry yeast
2 tbsp olive oil

For the topping:
- ham
- tomato sauce
- grated mozzarella cheese

How to:

So, first you will dissolve the yeast in the water. It has to be warm! Let it set for awhile. In a big bowl put the flour, the salt and the sugar. Mix well.

Then, add the water to the flour. You have to mix very well until it is soft. Then add the olive oil. You will knead the dough for about 10 minutes very well. You will notice it becomes easier.

Let the dough set for 10 minutes in the bowl, covered. Meanwhile you can prepare the topping grating the cheese and cutting the ham in thin pieces.

I like to add some fresh mushrooms, if you do so, prepare them now by cleaning and slicing them.

Put the dough on your counter top or any flat surface. Put some flour so it doesn’t stick. Knead the dough a bit more for 4-5 minutes, then flat the dough and shape it however you want.

Put it on a cookie sheet or a pizza stone, add the tomato sauce, the ham, mushrooms and top with the cheese. You can add some Italian seasoning, or as we do, some oregano.

Bake it immediately for 15 minutes at 375F or until the cheese is melted and the dough is done.

You are done! Enjoy!

This post was part of:

and :

Easy yummy very french lemon tart (tarte au citron) February 19, 2009

Hello y’all! I hope you are having a nice week!

Here I am on my baking days, I am having a batch of muffins in the oven right now.

But the recipe I will post now is the one I did yesterday.

This is definitely my favorite dessert EVER !

I was talking to my friend yesterday, she was telling me how much she loves french food, but it is so complicated, expensive, fancy… for her.

I don’t know why people have this image of french food!

You know, there is a lot of “poor” people in France and they actually eat!

French food is about tradition, local good products, nothing to do with those fancy-super-expensive-big-plate-small-food restaurants!

Anyway, I would like to share with you my favorite recipe! It is easy, cheap, quickly done, and so yummy!!

TARTE AU CITRON MERINGUEE

You will need:

For the crust:

- 2 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup butter
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- 6 tsp ice water

For the filling:

- 2 lemons
- 4 egg yolks
- 1/2 cup white sugar

For the meringue:

- 4 egg whites
- 1/2 cup sugar

How to:

For the crust, you mix with your fingertips the flour with the butter, then add salt, sugar, and water. Mix it a little bit and form a ball.
Let it set for an hour, then roll it and place it in a pie pan.
Bake it in the oven 10 minutes at 350 F.

Then, you will have to take the zest of 1 lemon, just the yellow part, not the white. Mince it well in very small, thin pieces.
Squeeze the 2 lemons and keep the juice in a bowl.
In another bowl, put the sugar, add the egg yolks (keep the whites for the meringue!!)
Mix well until it turns white and creamy.
Add the juice, mix well to incorporate it, then add the zest and do the same.

Now you can pour the lemon mixture in the pie crust. Put it in the oven at 375 F for approximately 25 minutes.

Your pie is done!

But since we have the egg whites and it is a french recipe, OK, we can add the fancy part!

Whip up the egg whites until firm (it may take 5 to 10 minutes), when it is done, progressively add the sugar and whip 5 more minutes. They have to be shiny and firm.

When the pie is done, put it out the oven and pour or put nicely the meringue on top. Gently! Then put it back in the oven for 5 minutes or until the meringue is brown.

You have to let this pie cool completely before cutting or eating.

I recommend putting it in the fridge for an hour before eating, so the lemon filling will become thicker (when it is hot it is liquid).

It is also very good the next day, I like to do it Saturday night to eat it as a dessert for Sunday lunch.

Did you like it? Leave me a comment to know how it turned out for you!

This post was part of:

Natural healing Part 4: Bach Flowers Remedies February 19, 2009

This is Part 4 of this series about natural healing. It is about Bach Flowers Remedies.

Did you ever heard about it?

If not, I will try to inform you about this wonderful natural resource!

Remember that you can read Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3, of this series if you didn’t yet!

What are Bach Flowers Remedies?

The original Bach®Flower Remedies is a system of 38 Flower Remedies that corrects emotional imbalances: negative emotions are replaced with positive.

They were invented by Dr Edward Bach, an English surgeon, in 1934.

The Bach ® Flower Remedies are 100% safe and natural and work in conjunction with herbs, homeopathy and medications.  They are safe for everyone, including children, pregnant women, pets, elderly and even plants.

How do they work?

You first have to know yourself very well to determine which is your character and your state, to find out what is your problem, and therefore which would be the right remedy for you.

As you will see, the Bach flowers remedies are for mental healing, not physical (except for the cream).

Here you have a listing of the 38 remedies and their indication:

- Agrimony: Mental torture behind a cheerful face

- Aspen: Fear of unknown things

- Beech: Intolerance

- Centaury: The inability to say “no”

- Cerato: Lack of trust in one’s own decisions

- Cherry plum: Fear of the mind giving way

- Chestnut bud: Failure to learn from mistakes

- Chicory: Selfish, possessive love

- Clematis: Dreaming of the future without working in the present

- Crab apple: The cleansing remedy, also for self-hatred

- Elm: Overwhelmed by responsibility

- Gentian: Discouragement after a set back

- Gorse: Hopelessness and despair

- Heather: Self-centerdness and self-concern

- Holly: Hatred, envy and jealousy

- Honeysuckle: Living in the past

- Hornbeam: Procrastination, tiredness at the thought of doing something

- Impatiens: Impatience

- Larch: Lack of confidence

- Mimulus: Fear of known things

- Mustard: Deep gloom for no reason

- Oak: The plodder who keeps going past the point of exhaustion

- Olive: Exhaustion following  mental or physical effort

- Pine: Guilt

- Red Chestnut: Over-concern for the welfare of loved ones

- Rock Rose: Terror and fright

- Rock Water: Self-denial, rigidity, and self-repression

- Scleranthus: Inability to choose between alternatives

- Star of Bethleem: Shock

- Sweet Chestnut: Extreme mental anguish, when everything have been tried and there is no light left

- Vervain: Over enthusiasm

- Vine: Dominance and inflexibility

- Walnut: Protection from change and unwanted influences

- Water Violet: Pride and aloofness

- White Chestnut: Unwanted thoughts and mental arguments

- Wild Oat: Uncertainty over one’s direction in life

- Wild Rose: Drifting, resignation, apathy

- Willow: Self pity and resentment

So, here you have all the remedies!

Although the most famous is the “Rescue Remedy“, it consist in a combination of 5 different remedies ( Cherry Plum, Clematis, Impatiens, Rock Rose, and Star of Bethleem), and helps deal with any stressful or emergency event.

It comes in a small bottle, and you will have to take 4 drops of it as frequently as needed until the nerves or emotions are gone.

The Rescue Remedy also exists as a cream, and contains the same 5 remedies plus Crab apple, added for its cleansing qualities. It can be applied to bumps and bruises of all kind.

I used it for my daughter’s diaper rash. It worked wonderful!

If you are interested by purchasing Bach flowers remedies, I recommend that you only buy the original product (be aware of false products). An excellent link, recommended by the Bach Center is this one: NELSON STORE.

You can also find the remedies in your local Sprouts store, or similar “natural” store.

Did you like this entry? Leave me a comment!!

Stay tune for Part 5: Natural supplements, coming soon!

Valentines treats, kids, bubbles and more! February 17, 2009

Hi there,

What have you been up for Valentine’s day? Here we didn’t do anything special, I am afraid that we just don’t celebrate this day, in Europe it is not that important.

So, as we were free from any obligation, we decided to babysit our friend’s daughter Amber. She is a sweet 4 year old, like mine, and we had so much fun!

She is also allergic to wheat, so I found a recipe for her without wheat and we have been making coconut macaroons!

The girls had fun and they both loved the final product!

So, here is the picture of my brunette with her blond girlfriend, and here is the recipe!

Coconut and cornflakes macaroons

You will need:

- 3 egg whites

- 1 1/2 cup coconut flakes (sweetened)

- 1 1/2 cup frosted cornflakes

- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (optional)

How to:

You will have to blend the coconut and cornflakes together. If you have kids who want to help, give them some cornflakes to “scratch” .

Then you have to whip the egg whites. When it is done, add the vanilla extract and then mix the egg whites with the coconut/cornflakes.

With your hands do small balls to make the cookies. Place them on a cookie sheet and bake them for 15-20 minutes at 300F.

You are done! They are so easy to do, yet yummy! And wheat free if you are interested by that!

For more tasty stuff, go check FOREVER WHEREVER,Kim has many great recipes including a chicken noodle soup today!

So this was Saturday night, on Sunday morning I did some pretzels, they were sooo good! If you want the recipe, check HEAVENLY HOMEMAKERS. I made them with all purpose flour and white sugar (I didn’t have honey).

They turned out great!

Then we went to Church, we had good time and we spent the afternoon bubbling!! Yes, this is the new passion of my daughter, she is crazy about making bubbles!

My mother bought her THIS, and it is a hit! Cecilia can spend hours playing with that in the backyard.

I made some research for our homeschooling, you know if we can have fun and education! … So I will share with you some interesting links about bubbles!

You will find a nice story you can read to your kids HERE, Cecilia loved it!

And I found this great resource for homeschooling, a whole lesson about bubbles and recipe to make your own “bubble mix” . Go check it HERE!

For older kids, you should have a look at BUBBLE.ORG, very interesting stuff.

So, that’s it for today!

How did you spend your week end? Leave me a comment!