Natural Facial Scrub

I have been using this recipe as an excellent facial scrub in the shower. Combine a small amount with water and your favorite facial cleanser; rub over your face for an exfoliant that will leave your skin feeling wondrously smooth.

Favorite Cleansing Grains
from: Natural Beauty at Home, by Janice Cox

Mix together the following and store in an air-tight container at room temperature until ready to use:

2 tablespoons oatmeal (I used 5-minute oats, aka quick oats, which are oats broken into smaller pieces)
2 tablespoons cornmeal
2 tablespoons wheat germ

Natural and Effective!

Yellow Split Pea Soup

I found this recipe on one of my favorite websites: Allrecipes.com. I love this site because it allows me to read reviews (sometimes hundreds of them on the same recipe!) and get a feel for whether it is something my family will enjoy or not. Also, many reviewers leave their own suggestions on how to make it just a little bit better. This Split Pea Soup recipe is perfect for a chilly spring day, or a rainy one like we so often have here in the Pacific Northwest. Try it, and maybe even change it up a little to suit your family's taste.

 

Yellow Split Pea Soup

by Downsey

Prep Time:
20 Min

Cook Time:
1 Hr 15 Min

Ready In:
1 Hr 35 Min

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 Spanish onion, finely chopped
• 1 large carrot, finely chopped
• 2 ribs celery, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (I used about 3 teaspoons of minced)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground mace (I left this out)
• 2 1/2 cups dried yellow split peas (green works great too!)
• 5 cups chicken stock
• 8 frankfurters, sliced (or polish sasuage)
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in onion, carrot, celery, and garlic; cook to soften, but not brown, about 7 minutes.
2. Mix in the mace and split peas. Stir in the stock; cover, and simmer for 1 hour, or until the peas are soft.
3. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in frankfurters, and heat through.

Imagining Ourselves Strong

This is from The Women's Book of Courage, by Sue Patton Thoele:

We all face situations in which we feel powerless and afraid. I once had a client who was terrified of an upcoming child custody hearing. She felt intimidated by the legal system, her lawyer, and especially her ex-husband. I asked her what it would take for her to feel safe and strong in the court room.

"Nothing short of riding in on a brahman bull!" she answered jokingly. It was a great idea, straight out of her inner wisdom.

I had her work with the image. She had fun creating a scenario of herself galloping into the court on a huge, snorting bull that threatened to gore anyone who tried to frighten her. Her day in court was a success because each time she felt the least bit scared she visualized herself astride the bull. With the help of her amusing but effective mental imagery she felt strong and capable. As a result, she was treated as if sher were powerful, someone not to be dismissed or manipulated.

As the story illustrates, we are all as strong as we imagine ourselves to be. When we act as if we are strong, we move towards becoming the powerful women we desire to be. Having the courage to see ourselves as strong, capable, and wise, able to do what we need and want helps make it so. But we need not do it alone. We can move creatively through our fears by accepting support and guidance from an unseen helper, whether that is a higher power or a brahman bull.

I am strong and capable.

I can do whatever I set my mind to.

I am filled with strength and confidence.

Spring Sale: 20% off entire shop!

Sophie Marie is having a huge spring sale: 20% off our entire shop! Spring is just around the corner, so it's a great time to make sure your baby is protected from March winds and April showers with an Infant Car Seat Cover.

Some of our recent feedback...

This is the most gorgeous car seat cover!

It's beautifully made and I get nothing but compliments on it every time I take the baby out!



Fantastic Quality!



Super-fast shipping to Canada. Beautiful product, I get compliments everywhere I go!

Two Quick Recipes

Here are a couple of quick recipes we tried this week; we play "Guess the Secret Ingredient" as we eat, and my girls love trying to figure it out!

Refried Beans and Squash: mix in 1/2 to 1 cup of pureed squash with 1 can of refried beans to use on tacos or as dip for nachos or vegetables.

Scrambled Eggs and Cauliflower: add 1/2 to 1 cup of pureed cauliflower to your scrambled eggs as you prepare them.

I have a new appreciation for pureed vegetables, and as I often have them on hand (as baby food for my youngest), I like tossing them in to new recipes. If you're wondering about incorporating them into your cooking, check out these books:

1, 2, 3, Cook for Me: by Karin Knight, R.N., and Jeannie Lumley
This book is a great resource if you want to make baby food but it seems too daunting a task!

Deceptively Delicious: by Jessica Seinfeld
Great recipes and ideas for using pureed fruits and veggies in your family's meals.

Zuppa Toscana

Time for another recipe! This is another favorite in my house, so I always make a double batch. I found this recipe online at a site for Italian recipes; they claim that the original came from someone who used to work at Olive Garden. It certainly tastes like the soup from the restaurant, and it is delicious with a side of salad and some french bread. I have adapted the recipe to fit our tastes.

Recipe #3, adapted from www.tuscanrecipes.com/recipes/olive-garden-zuppa-toscana.html

Zuppa Toscana
makes 6-8 servings

Ingredients:
1 lb ground Italian sausage
1 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1 large sweet onion, diced
1 pkg bacon
1 heaping Tbsp minced garlic (we like a lot of garlic)
10 cups water
5 cubes chicken bouillon, or 5 tsps chicken "Better than Bouillon"
1 1/4 cup whipping cream
3 large Russet potatoes, or 6 red potatoes, scrubbed and sliced (you can leave the peel on)
1 to 1 1/2 cups red cabbage, chopped
1/4 bunch kale (about 3-4 leaves)

Instructions:
1. Begin cooking the bacon in a large skillet, as much as you can fit. As one batch finishes, lay each piece on a paper towel, let it cool, and then crumble into bacon pieces.
2. Saute the sausage and the red pepper in a large pot. Once it is cooked, drain the grease and set the sausage and red pepper aside for later.
3. Once the bacon has all been cooked and crumble, combine it with the onion and garlic in the same pot you used to cook the sausage. Saute it for about 10 minutes, or until onions are tender.
4. Add water and chicken bouillon into pot and bring to a boil.
5. Add potatoes and red cabbage to pot; cook for about 30 minutes.
6. Once potatoes are soft, add cream to pot; cook for about 5 minutes.
7. Add sausage and kale; heat thoroughly and serve!

Congratulations, Lacie and Marcus!

Big news for Lacie and her husband, Marcus: they delivered their second baby on February 2nd: Liam Anthony! He was expected to be the fifth granddaughter for my parents, who had no sons or grandsons...lo and behold, he surprised the lot of us! Welcome, little man!