Kids in the Kitchen

I love cooking with my kids.  As they get older, cooking with them gets easier, and we are having a great time in the kitchen.  Cooking with kids has lots of developmental benefits like improving fine motor skills, math (counting, fractions, numbers, measuring, more/less concepts), reading and vocabulary development (reading recipes, ingredients, kitchen tools and procedures), nutrition knowledge, science concepts (reactions, gas/liquid/solid, heat transfer, bacteria, growing food from seeds), and safety skills.  But the best benefits are learning a life skill and making memories with mom!

Kids can help in the kitchen at almost every age.  These are some ways your kids might be ready to help in the kitchen:

Toddlers:
-Give them a plastic knife and small chunk of food to cut
-Help dump out measuring cups and spoons
-Help stir
-Press oven and microwave buttons

Preschool & Kindergarten Age (all of the above, plus):
-Getting out ingredients and measuring cups, taking off lids
-Measuring and dumping out measuring cups and spoons alone
-Cutting with a table knife or plastic knife
-Reading parts of a recipe
-Cracking eggs


Elementary School Age (all of the above, plus):
-Using the can opener, garlic press, hand mixer
-Starting to use an oven or stove with help (i.e. flipping pancakes on a griddle, putting a cookie sheet in the oven)
-Grating cheese
-Using the blender with supervision
-Reading and following simple recipes

Several months ago, Autumn announced that she was going to make lunch for us.  All by herself, she got a big carton of yogurt out of the fridge, spooned it into a few small bowls, then sliced up a banana to top each yogurt.  She was SO proud and told everyone she saw for the rest of the day that she made lunch all by herself!  With that in mind, here are some simple meals and snacks that preschool age kids can do completely independently:

-yogurt and sliced bananas (add granola and other fruit for a parfait)
-toast or a sandwich with butter, cinnamon-sugar, jam, peanut butter, avocado, honey
-crackers and string cheese
-cereal and milk
-peel hard boiled eggs
-snack mix (a mix of anything you have: pretzels, chips, cereal, craisins, raisins, chocolate chips, candy, popcorn, crackers, etc.)
-Ants on a Log (celery sticks with peanut butter and dried fruit bits on top)
-veggie and dip (They can arrange veggies on a plate if they are already cut up in the fridge-- baby carrots, sliced cucumbers, sliced peppers, celery sticks, etc.)
-fruit and dip (bananas, clementines, grapes, berries, pre-cut apples, etc.)

Of course, it's also really fun to make special treats with your kids.  Here are some fun treats we've made together:
-Smoothies
-Dirt Cups (The kids at a group play date helped measure milk and stir it into instant chocolate pudding mix, crush Oreos, and spoon those into cups along with some gummy worms-- everyone loved helping!)
-Homemade popsicles, including frozen chocolate or yogurt covered bananas
-Cookies (Snickerdoodles are fun because they can roll around the dough in cinnamon-sugar; chocolate chip cookies are fun because they can eat lots of chocolate chips :)
-Chocolate suckers (Melt chocolate chips in a baggie in the microwave, snip off a corner, pour into any shape onto a popsicle stick set on wax or parchment paper-- you can do a ghost at Halloween time, heart for Valentine's, etc.)
-Muffins

Lastly, my kids always love the dinners that they can help with by putting on their own toppings.  Some of their favorites are:
-Salads (green salad, chef salad, taco salad, Asain salads, etc.)
-Tacos
-Omelets
-Pizza
-Hawaiian Haystacks

What are some things you like to make in the kitchen with your kids?  

Thoughts on Faith

I’ve had this topic on my mind for weeks if not months. Probably ever since the Ordain Women movement became a thing. I don’t want to spend much time on that movement as I feel it has gotten a disproportionate amount of attention already.

What I want to talk about is faith and doubt and how in this mortal life of ours the ability for each will always exist. I have been working my way through “The God Who Weeps” by Terryl and Fiona Givens. I haven’t made really fast progress but they said some things in the beginning that really hit my “that is true” zone. I like the word “resound”, because truth “resounds” or “rings true” in my heart AND mind.

“The call to faith is a summons to engage the heart, to attune it to resonate in sympathy with principles and values and ideals that we devoutly hope are true and which we have reasonable but not certain grounds for believing to be true. There must be ground for doubt as well as belief, in order to render the choice more truly a choice…. An overwhelming preponderance of evidence on either side would make our choice as meaningless as would a loaded gun pointed at our heads” (From The God Who Weeps, p. 4).

In this life we will always have evidence of truth and evidence for doubts. We MUST have both in order to truly exercise faith. As the prophet Lehi stated:

“For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so, my firstborn in the wilderness, righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad” (2 Nephi 2:11).

I like how Seth Adam Smith put it: “Doubt—opposition to our faith—actually gives us the ability to strengthen our faith. So keep in mind that if Lehi’s formula of opposition is true, then opposition will grow in proportion to our faith. Ironically, the more we increase in faith, the more our faith will be tested and opposed. It’s a law of nature that must be observed” (http://sethadamsmith.com/2013/06/02/crisis-of-faith/).

So it is normal for doubts to arise, it is part of the process of exercising and strengthening our faith. My frustration with this process arises when people look to those around them, to blogs, to articles, to strengthen that faith instead of relying on the power of the Holy Ghost – which is our own personal testifier of truth. Do we realize how marvelous this gift is?

Moroni 10:5 “And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.”

It is so easy to get confused in the tumult of personal opinions. But we can look to Joseph Smith’s experience with confusion for guidance.

“In the midst of this war of words and tumult of opinions, I often said to myself: What is to be done? Who of all these parties are right; or, are they wrong all together? If any one of them be right, which is it, and how shall I know it?” (Joseph Smith History 1:10)

That statement could very well come from our day and for the solution I testify of the power of following Joseph’s boyhood example, (Joseph Smith History 1:11-13). We can ask of God and we can receive a witness of peace and comfort and of truth, stronger than that of any truth we will find online. So often we go online for answers to problems but we should be careful that it does not become our source for eternal truth, because it can never whisper truth and become a part of our soul like the Holy Ghost can.

“The Spirit of God speaking to the spirit of man has power to impart truth with greater effect and understanding than the truth can be imparted by personal contact even with heavenly beings. Through the Holy Ghost the truth is woven into the very fibre and sinews of the body so that it cannot be forgotten” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Fielding Smith –Chapter 14: The Gift of the Holy Ghost).

I don’t want this post to get too long but I just want to testify that we do have sources of truth for this confusing day. These are God Himself, the scriptures, and His servants the prophets. All of these testify to us through the power of the Holy Ghost.

Also, I want to share a couple of quotes from President Hinckley that were used in some of the Gospel Doctrine lessons from the past few months and that really stood out to me when considering some of our present circumstances.

First, speaking of the spies that were instructed by Moses to go and find out about the Canaanites:

“Ten of the spies were victims of their own doubts and fears. They gave a negative report of the numbers and stature of the Canaanites. … They compared themselves as grasshoppers to the giants they had seen in the land. …

“We see some around us who are indifferent concerning the future of this work, who are apathetic, who speak of limitations, who express fears, who spend their time digging out and writing about what they regard to be weaknesses which really are of no consequence. With doubt concerning its past, they have no vision concerning its future” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1995, 93–94; or Ensign, Nov. 1995, 71).

Secondly:

“There is no place in this work for those who believe only in the gospel of doom and gloom. The gospel is good news. It is a message of triumph. It is a cause to be embraced with enthusiasm.

“The Lord never said that there would not be troubles. Our people have known afflictions of every sort as those who have opposed this work have come upon them. But faith has shown through all their sorrows. This work has consistently moved forward and has never taken a backward step since its inception. …

“This is an age of pessimism. Ours is a mission of faith. To my brethren and sisters everywhere, I call upon you to reaffirm your faith, to move this work forward across the world. You can make it stronger by the manner in which you live” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1995, 94–95; or Ensign, Nov. 1995, 71–72).

I hope that we can move beyond spending so much time in internet forums on things that eternally are not significant, unless we make them into spiritual obstacles for ourselves. It has saddened me to see friends and family fall away from truth, unable to see it through the confusion of the world. It also has frustrated me that those proclaiming their doubts as a badge of courage and a mission of change do not understand the potentially eternal destructive impact they are having on others. What a waste of talents that could be spent proclaiming eternally significant truths, like how we have a Heavenly Father who loves and has a plan for us. Or a Savior that has suffered and died for us that we do not have to. Or how we can become like our Heavenly Parents through the Atonement and become much more than we could ever imagine. Eventually all the mysteries of God will be made known to the faithful (Doctrine & Covenants 76:7), but in this life there are still "many mysteries which are kept, that no one knoweth them save God himself" (Alma 40:3). This life is meant to be a trial of faith because that is how we grow into who God would have us be.

“My people must be tried in all things, that they may be prepared to receive the glory that I have for them, even the glory of Zion; and he that will not bear chastisement is not worthy of my kingdom” (Doctrine and Covenants 136:31).

I hope in this age of pessimism that we can choose faith, not doubt, and yes, in this life it will always be a choice.

Other reads that I appreciated:

-"Crisis of Faith" by Seth Adam Smith (I really recommend reading this).

-Op-ed: Changing the church: How Ordain Women gets it wrong (short and to the point)

-Feed Christ's Sheep, Not Public LDS Controversy (more brash than I might be but really what is the most important thing here?)

-Mormonism, feminism, and being snarky ("Being a woman is something special. But so is being a man.")

Norwex

Man, time just flew by.  I was wondering who was going to post today, and I realized that it is supposed to be me!  Go figure...
Anyway, as promised I am going to do a little sales pitch for Norwex.  And no, unfortunately I am not getting paid for this.  About a year ago, some ladies in my ward all started hosting these parties for cleaning rags.  I didn't go to the first one, because I thought it sounded a little silly and lot of wasted money.  But the next one, the lady gave me a personal invitation and so I felt guilty not going.  And I was blown away but what I saw.  The basic idea is that it is a microfiber cloth that has silver woven into it, so when you hang it up to dry, the silver kills all the bacteria.  (Silver doesn't allow anything to grow.)  The microfiber is uber thin and so thickly woven that it picks up and traps everything as you wipe it down.  So as you wipe all your surfaces, it picks up and contains everything: dirt, bacteria, etc.  And then it won't spread what it has already picked up. 
At the party they did a few demonstrations which were pretty cool.  For one they took some butter and rubbed it onto the window.  Then they took the basic enviro cloth, and wiped off all the butter.  and then they passed around the cloth for everyone to feel.  Once the butter is rubbed into the cloth, you can't feel it at all.  And the window is as good as new.
The other one they did involved raw chicken.  They rubbed some raw chicken onto the table, and then cleaned it up with the cloth and they continued to wipe down the entire table with the cloth.  They then took a test tube that checks for proteins, like the kind used for sanitation checks at restaurants, and swiped it.  The test was negative for proteins, meaning no smeared chicken juices.  It was pretty impressive. 
One of their big things is that they are environmentally friendly, and you don't have to use any harsh chemicals.  I am overly opposed to chemicals, and I do still use them for my toilet, but that is only when I am doing a major clean.  Otherwise I just use my enviro cloth and wipe down essentially my whole house with it.  It is great for doing a quick but effective clean, especially when kids are sick.  It really cuts down on the spreading of germs in the house.  I actually have Emily wipe down all the doorknobs in the house with it every Friday as one of her chores.  If you guys want to see it for yourself, here is a youtube video of a consultant doing the demos and explaining a little more about it.  Demos
Because it is an independent consultant type business, the best way to go about ordering them is to have a party or go to a party.  I did end up having a party, and I got so much free stuff from it.  On their website there is a link to find consultants in your area, and I highly recommend looking into that if you are interested at all.  Here is the Norwex website if you want to look: Norwex website
And just because you guys are all dying to know what I have and love, here is a list of the things that I have used from them.
The enviro cloth (I have the little travel size ones as well, and I use those for my dishrags)
The window cloth (these two are by far the ones I use the most)
The dust mitt (I have Isaac do the dusting with it)
The mop pad
The dry mop pad (like a dust mop, it is amazing for dog hair!)
The body cloth (Brandon loves this, gets all grease off his face and his hair.)
The hair wrap (I got it free, but I use it every time I wash my hair.)
The car wash mitt (Brandon loves it, no more soap to wash the cars)
The cleaning paste (anything you can't get off with the rag, you can get off with the paste, I think it's
     ground marble)
The mattress spray (it kills dust mites etc.  I got it free, and it makes me feel better when I use it...)
The laundry detergent (I got a bag free, and I liked it, it did a good job, but I don't mind what I usually use, so I've never bought more cause I don't want to pay for shipping.)


I'm sure I forgot something, but those are the main ones.  I really do love my rags, and I would recommend them to everyone.  They are an investment, but so worth it.  Just in not buying widow cleaner alone I have paid for them!  And if you do decide to have a party, invite me!  I would love to come! ;)

Photography tips

First of all, what a fun get-together last night! You ladies are amazing and I feel so uplifted after chatting with you (even the multiple discussions about child poop--it's good to be supported in all our trials and adventures).

Anyway, a few months back I was asked to give a little intro to photography class for our Relief Society evening class. I have only taken a few community college courses, but I learned a lot. The main thing I learned is that while an expensive camera is nice, it is not necessary--you can make lots of changes even with your point-and-shoot camera to get better results. Here are some of the points I found most helpful:

1. Simplify the scene

• PROBLEM: Watch the background and surrounding areas for anything that might compete with the subject. Especially distracting things include poles/trees that seem to protrude from the subjects' heads, items that stand out between multiple subjects, and photobombers.
• SOLUTION: Change your position, move items out of the scene, move subjects closer together blur the background (if your camera can), crop the photo in closer to eliminate distractions.

Tree trunk between the subjects and car to the side are distracting.

Car cropped out, trunk sort of photoshopped out quickly :)

2. Fill the frame

• PROBLEM: Too much empty space or distraction around the subject.
• SOLUTION: Move in closer, crop after the fact, move subject farther forward, use a natural frame from trees or poles.

[Victoria, BC Chinatown] Subject appears to be gate, without much focus on real subject (people)

[Seattle, WA Chinatown] Subjects brought farther forward so gate becomes frame that adds interest without dwarfing people

3. Leave space

• PROBLEM: Moving objects seem to be ready to fall out of the picture. Not enough room left for full body, so parts get cut out.
• SOLUTION: Leave room in front of where the subject is moving toward. Don't chop off body parts at the joint (mid thigh, mid upper arm are better areas if you are cropping in closer).

Too much space behind the movement (read: Matt was driving too fast)

Room for subject to move into

4. Avoid the middle

• PROBLEM: Subject always in the middle of the frame.
• SOLUTION: Rule of thirds (tic-tac-toe overlay on the picture, aim for the subject to land on one of the intersecting points).

5. Change your elevation (**this is the point that made the biggest difference in my pictures**)

• PROBLEM: Camera looking down on subjects (distorts the features).
• SOLUTION: Squat down (or lay down) so the camera is at the eye level of your subject.

Looking down on the action makes it hard to see any faces, heads look much bigger than they are 

Looking straight on brings in faces and decreases distortion

Get down on your tummy to capture little baby moments!

What are some tips you have for taking pictures? How do you get your little ones to cooperate?

Book Review: Just Ella

Hi everyone.  Sorry to be a slacker lately.  Last month it was moving (Bethany, I am SO impressed you posted while moving!) and this week it was the stomach flu.  Yuck.

Anyway...

I have been THINKING about the blog.  Does that get me any points?  :)

This week I've decided to do a book review.  I'm always looking for a good book to read and when I find one I enjoy I like to share it with others.  Usually I read what I call "book candy:" books that aren't literature but that allow me to relax and enjoy the story.  So if you're looking for Pulitzer recommendations you'll need to talk to someone else.

I stumbled across Just Ella by Annette K. Larson due to a recommendation by another author whose work I've enjoyed (Julianne Donaldson).

Just Ella is a young adult romance.  It is the story of Ella, a princess and one of seven daughters.  She yearns to know more about the lives of her people.  She befriends a palace gardner named Gavin.  They become good friends and he helps her leave the palace from time to time to see what life is like beyond the palace walls.  Ella is discovered on one of her trips outside and it changes her relationship with everyone - her family, her people, and Gavin.

I enjoyed this story because it seemed more realistic to me than other fairy tale love stories.  Everything wasn't rosy.  Ella had to learn about trust (earning and keeping it).  She also had to learn that sometimes you can't have everything you want.  I also appreciated that I could relate to what Ella was going through but I could also relate to her parents and their perspective.  They were not villainized for behaving like well-meaning parents.

While this book is considered young adult it didn't seem juvenile to me. It was an enjoyable read.  If you have Amazon Prime you can check it out for free.  If you read it let me know what you think.  Meanwhile, what books have you read lately that you'd recommend?

Question and Answer

We had two questions that seemed to go together so I'm going to post them both for this week's Q&A:

What things have you had to let go of as you've pursued your idea of perfect motherhood? 

How do you battle feelings of inadequacies as a mom? In a Pinterest and blogger world I often feel like my kids are having a less than stellar childhood because I do not do super creative, fun activities with them all the time. I don't spend a whole lot of time on Pinterest or blogs but the feelings of inadequacy can still bubble up.