Traditional Kimchi

I have been following Maangchi Korean Cooking for a while now, and one of her recipes has been on my to-do list for a long time now. Kimchi.

Maangchi is fun, quirky, and did I mention fun?! She has worked like a horse towards her YouTube channel and is gifted. She makes her cooking look extremely easy, she uses simple ingredients, she is descriptive and so, I feel like her dishes are so do-able! 

I love Kimchi. I love spicy Kimchi. My kids love Kimchi. Kimchi is healthy.

Finally on pay day, I went to the Korean market and bought everything on my Kimchi ingredient list, except sugar. I even bought the basin, and large sieve. The only thing that I didn't buy, that has to wait for next payday is the "Onggi". I used regular plastic containers BPA free. 

Okay, here is the version of the Kimchi. (By the way, there are 100's and 100's of kimchi recipes)

Ingredients:

• 6 lb Napa Cabbage
• 1 medium korean radish or daikon
• 1 large carrot
• a bunch of Asian chives (Buchu) optional
• a bunch of Minari (dropwort) optional
• a bunch of spring onion
• 24 cloves of garlic
• 1/2 large onion, I used white
• 2 C water
• 2 T glutenous rice four
• 2 T brown sugar (you can leave out...it's very little though)
• 3/4 C coarse sea salt
• 1/2 C fish sauce
• 2 t fresh ginger
• 1-2.5 C hot pepper flakes 
• 1/4 saeujeot (pickled small shrimp) with juice

Now you have the ingredients listed for you, I will let Maangchi take all the credit for this one! 

Instructions click HERE!

Tell me how it goes!!!

Pancakes "S" meal.

Yes, "S" meal.

The reason I came up with this recipe (incorporated a few recipes and mixed them to my liking), is because I want BUTTER and WHIP CREAM on my pancakes instead of "yoghurty- sour" toppings. My pallet isn't easily fooled and old habits die hard. I don't want my pancake topping habits to die at all, actually. 

When frying up these beauties remember,

Low (heat) and Slow. These do not cook as fast as regular wheat pancakes but the few extra minutes are so worth the wait!

I couldn't believe how yummy they tasted! I was upset that I forgot to add bacon bits to my last pancake. Oh well, lesson learned, I wont forget that next time! I also did not have any sugar free syrup in stock, so whip cream, berries and pulverized xylitol were more than enough to satisfy my Saturday morning sweet tooth :) Oh I can't wait for next Saturday!

Think of all the possibilities...blueberry pancakes, pumpkin spiced pancakes, cinnamon & xylitol pancakes, chocolate chip pancakes, bacon pancakes... all while losing or maintaining a healthy weight! 

Pearl's and Serene's little instagram post re-worded to fit the occasion:

"I eat pancakes-galore for breakfast, why yes I am on a diet!" LOL 

I found these pancakes fry up well, flip well and satisfy well. I cannot complain. I usually make a mess of sweet THM bakings, even the "mugs", so this is victory for me. I feel encouraged:) Finally, on-plan treats don't have to taste dry and unsatisfying... I have a few ideas, recipes clicking a way as I type! But those will have to wait til tomorrow since it's late, and this momma is tired! Tired with a full belly. He he!

Makes 4 small pancakes (single serving)

• 1 egg
• 2 T eggwhites
• 1 T 0% cottage cheese
• 1 T 0% Greek yoghurt
• 1 T psyllium husks
• 2 T almond flour
• 1/4 t baking powder
• dash of salt
• sachet of stevia

Whisk the ingredients together well and let stand for a few minutes, letting the husks soak up. 

1. Heat the skillet on medium-high, brush skillet with a little butter or coconut oil. 
2. Spoon 1/4c-ish batter onto skillet, and gently spread it evenly. 
3. Turn down the heat to medium low and fry for a couple of minutes before checking. Once it easily maneuvers onto your spatula, its ready to flip. 
4. Cook for another 3-5 minutes or until golden brown, and firm to the touch.

If you're using a Rival Grill - I had mine heating on 4 and then turned it down to 3 once I spooned my batter on the grill.

I truly hope that this recipe works in your kitchen! I truly hope that you are pleased with it.Let me know how it works out!

Your truly,

To order any THM products, please consider supporting my family through my affiliate link HERE

thank you !!!!

My Top 10 - October

Dear blog readers, I'm so sorry I have been M.I.A! I can't even list the reasons why, I just haven't had the time.

However, I'm here now! And to pick up from where I left, here are My Top 10.

1. De-Itemizing to the core! I am going through some rough growing pains and have taken de-itemizing to a whole new level. For those who don't know what de-itemizing is, read HERE. Stay tunes for what has happened and what is to come!
2. Crock Pot- I can't live without these days. I am following the THM plan, mostly S's for my personal reasons (pregnancy related- and no we're not expecting -yet!) and I'm loving the recipes, and the hands free approach.
3. Talking about the 'hands free'. I am reading this book AGAIN- can't memorize it enough! I put together a group of 10 mothers, who get together weekly at my home (with tea and cookies *wink*) and discuss each chapter, how it's affecting our lives. A life changing book. Check out the BLOG
4. Sparkling water. Cans after cans... I would like a soda stream! Freedom from cans and freedom to create my own flavours. Sparkling vitamin water, anybody??
5. Be Fruitful and Multiply - Nancy Campbell - a very educating eye opening book.
6. Matthew 6:19-24 -look it up!
7. Scentsy, I can't get enough of Scentsy! My home smells ever so good, especially now during autumn... *mmmmm*
8. The Purpose of Christmas, -R.Warren. Yeah it may be early BUT, I'm reading it to my kids in the space of a month, early enough to focus on the real REASON for when Christmas does come around. I'm liking the conversations that follows after each chapter. I don't recommend reading it to kids younger than 6, however I do explain it simply as I read.
9. Developing photos and going timeless. What ever happened to the time when a picture was enough without embellishments? I love scrapbooking and I love paper crafts... but right now, I love the fact that pictures themselves are enough and are in albums right away. They can be enjoyed right away.
10. Trust and Obey -blog. Perhaps my favourite blog at the moment? Such an encouraging and information-full site for HG moms (and all moms!!) and homeschooling families walking in Christ. 

and this may be #11 but must add -Trim Healthy Mama for a complete clear complexion and more of scale and non scale victories! HERE

My Top 10 (May 2015)

1. The THM Plan. Trim Healthy Mama. I loved the book and I totally agree with the "diet plan". I don't think that I will ever again embark on another diet again. Diet= the way eating. This is the way we eat from now on. http://www.trimhealthymama.com/
2. The "Shrinker"! Home made Chai Tea Oolong Minty Chocolatey Spicy iced beverage! Which burns calories, hydrates and is going to be my best friend during hot summer days.
3. Salmon. I can't get enough.
4. Miracle Noodles. Just amazing. (Korean yam noodles)
5. Love Your Husband, Love Yourself. A book that I cannot put down. A lot of wisdom, a lot of freedom in this book. I am so happy I bought it. http://www.amazon.ca/Love-Your-Husband-Yourself-Embracing/dp/0982626908
6. Above Rubies. A ministry that is dear to my heart. I just went to one of their retreats here in BC, Canada, and by going -it was one of the best things I've done for myself, ever. I gained so much! http://aboverubies.org/
7. GABA. In those times of chaotic home making, he he! http://overcomingyouranxiety.net/naturalanxietyremedies/gaba-for-anxiety/
8. Collagen! Just started drinking it... http://www.amazon.com/Custom-Collagens-Hydrolyzed-Collagen-Unflavored/dp/B00LGUIOOW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1429836617&sr=8-2&keywords=custom+collagen
9. White Collar. A clean and entertaining series on Netflix. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1358522/
10. 500 piece puzzles, for my own downtime.

Miracle Placenta Care, At Your Service!

I am finally licensed as a Placenta Encapsulation Specialist. Yay! My lovely husband worked extra hard on creating my website, and now it's up and running! Have a look!

www.miracleplacentacare.com

 

The first time I heard of "placenta encapsulation", I thought to myself "how weird!! Women do that?? -Gross!!" But then, about a year after my initial judgement, I began to do some research on it as I was expecting our number 4. What exactly was 'placenta encapsulation'?

 

One benefit of placentaphagy that intrigued me, was the effect on breast milk supply. Nursing was a tender subject and dear to my heart since I felt I had failed in with my babies #2 and #3. Would my placenta help me produce more milk, so that I could exclusively breastfeed? This was the number one reason I went ahead and decided to encapsulate my next placenta, but little did I know that it had so much more to offer me!

As a mother of 4, including a newborn, I was tired. The supplementation was incredible, this MIRACLE placenta, made by ME, was perfect for ME. I must admit, at first I was hesitant about taking the capsules. But after I gobbled them down and experiencing a rapid relief and increased milk supply, I never looked back! I can only compare my experiences to my previous times postpartum , and thankfully I have 3 prior ones! I had just had a baby, and three other kids under 8 (that I also homeschool) to look after and, I felt great! I was healing from my birth, and looking forward to the future instead of sitting around, moody and exhausted. My milk came in gushing. This too is odd for me, since it usually takes about a week or two to get going. 

When baby was about 4 months old, we had another major change in our lives. We moved house. We moved house under a very stressful scenario, that affected me incredibly hard. I was broken, stressed out, sleep deprived and falling into depression. My milk took a dip and I was feeling overwhelmed with everything that was going on around me. Fortunately I had some capsules left over for a "rainy day", and surely this now felt like a "rainy week"! I noticed a instant stability in my mood, my approach to my "problems", I felt more at peace and once again, my milk came gushing in like it had right after birth! The placenta, made by me, covered for me with what I couldn't naturally produce with the stress I was under. It surely is a miracle placenta with incredible healing powers.

Because of my experience, I feel that every expecting mother and every woman should know the benefits of placenta encapsulation and that no, it is NOT gross, -it is AMAZING!

Encapsulate your MIRACLE placenta!

Love,

Cathrine

P.S Here is an interesting blog post on Is Eating Placenta Cannibalism? And, what about God? 

Vancouver Placenta Encapsulation

During my last pregnancy, I decided to encapsulate my baby's placenta, read about it HERE. A few years back, I met a woman who was a Placenta Encapsulation Specialist, something I have never heard of before -was quite shocked to be honest, yet I kept her business card! I'm glad I did.

Why did I decide to have my placenta encapsulated?

After plenty of research and browsing through testimonies, I have learned that 

• after mothers give birth, their hormones and blood supply (iron among much more) take a dip. The placenta, used with traditional Chinese medicine, replenish this storage's and stabilizes the hormones.
• it helps with lactation.
• known for being an anti-baby blues capsule, a.k.a "Happy Pill!"
• it's made by us, perfect for us. -Custom made!
• it helps the uterus to return to it's normal size faster.
• etc

How does it work?

I contacted Eva Li, VancouverPlacenta and gave her my due date, to which she was able to decide whether she was able to sell her services to me. Thankfully she was!

After giving birth, the midwives took the placenta and placed it in a cooler (provided by us) on ice, and kept it in the placenta fridge for either pick up, or you drop it off to Eva Li. Prices vary depending on what "service package" you purchase. In about 1-2 days you pick it up or she drops it off, depending on what you choose to do.

My husband dropped and picked up my placenta from Eva Li, and what did I see and experience from this all?

I saw.. a beautiful packaging, indeed. It had my capsules in jars with the dosage instructions. I had a keepsake token, which was a pleasant surprise- a heart made from my baby's umbilical cord. I really felt the love put to into the presentation and I had no doubt about the quality of the product. 

I must admit I was at first hesitant about taking the capsules, but after I gobbled them down and experiencing almost an instant relief and milk supply, I never looked back! I can only compare my experience to my previous postpartum experiences, and thankfully I have 3 prior experiences.

I just had a baby, and three other kids under 8 to look after and, I felt great! I was healing from my birth, which was a good one, and looking forward to the future instead of lulling around, moody and exhausted. My milk came in gushing. This too is odd for me, since usually it takes a week or two to get started. 

I am a very happy customer.

(Placenta Art)

Thinking about encapsulating your placenta? Contact Eva Li , click HERE

Weight Loss #4 Week 3

Unfortunately, I have to put my weight loss on a break. I have been "swimming upstream" for the past week and I NOW know why.

I am on Domperidone. One of its side effects is WEIGHT GAIN. Yup.

During Christmas my family and I suffered a horrific cold. My milk took a dip and I tried everything to get it going again. I fortunately have a wonderful support group on FB called the 'Crunchy Families' and got several tips on how to increase my milk supply. 

I did as much as skin to skin as possible with baby, including drinking dark ale, mother's milk teas, eating oatmeal after oatmeal, drinking enough fluids, pumping... you name it and without success. I met up with a La Leche League trainer and fb friend who pointed out some "anatomy issues" regarding my struggle to feed baby well.

Now wiser and smarter I went to see my Dr. and she prescribed Domperidone 2 pills 4 x a day. Within like 4 days I filled out! I was carrying stones.... ouch! I went down to 2 pills 2-3 x a day and I feel better. Yesterday, I upped my placenta capsules too, to 2 capsules 2x a day. I'm hoping for a good balance.

So, because of the silly vanity I still seem to have within me I "Dr.Googled" weight loss with Domperidone, thinking that since it was producing milk on "overdrive", I must be losing weight faster, I hoped... BUT to my disappointment, it is the exact OPPOSITE!! 

Apparently hundreds of women suffer weight gain while nursing on Domperidone. Bummer.

Well, so until I stop taking Domperidone, I will stop weighing myself, I will accept that I probably won't lose any and might even pile some pounds on and will just focus on loving me the way I am right now. I will eat healthy, I will keep hydrated, I will do Pilates and Yoga... I will enjoy every day that's been given to me. 

I will keep posting recipes and my thoughts. Stay tuned!

As I type I have a 

Greek Yoghurt & Honey Mask on...

Ingredients

1T Greek Yoghurt

1t honey

Mix well, and spread avoiding your eyes, let it soothe for 15minutes + and wash.

Have you been on Domperidone? What was your experience like?

He Died so I can Live

The moment we take out first breath, is the beginning of our slow death, is the moment we are dying. 

We live like we are to live forever. We workout and eat like we're growing stronger and invincible. The truth is, we're only going to end up dying healthier that way, if that was the final case. We don't know.

The libraries and book stores has endless amounts of books on "how to be here and now", "live in the present", "enjoy today". We have ancient scripture on "living today, tomorrow has it's own worries", "love each other, focus on the now, don't let the world take you astray".

The moment you put your kids to sleep is the moment your heart and mind is connecting overdrive. You reflect on your mistakes of the day, the words you shouldn't have said, the frown and mean look you gave and caused, the yelling, the bickering, the pointless arguing that, then, seemed to be so important. Your heart is heavy now, everything around you is so precious, is a blessing, you see your inadequacy, your brokenness... you regret. You feel guilty. You think of tomorrow as a blank canvas, a new chance, you're wiser now, you will make a change. 

"I will enjoy and answer their questions, I will take my time and be present. I won't rush or rush them, tomorrow we live enjoy each other. I'm so excited, I cannot wait to get to know them, talk to them, see and hear them, instead of herding them from A to B to C,.. Tomorrow!"

Tomorrow's here and before you even know it, you're awake herding your family from A to B and to C... and finally rushing them off to bed, because it's "past" their bed time. "Finally, they are a sleep!" And you reflect on your shortcomings and you've made the "yesterday's" mistakes again...

When I lie down to sleep, I cannot but pray for a friend of mine who is battling cancer. I do not know if she is overcoming the beast or if she just has it cornered for now. I wonder how she sees her life at this very moment. How does she see her husband, he child.. her sweet child? What are her hopes for her child, what is her fiercest prayer upon her loved one? How does she see what the world has to offer now? Are there people in her life that she wants to be with each and every day, is she growing stronger spiritually, is she looking forward to meeting her Creator or is she asking for more time? 

I often wonder why we seem to be shocked and surprised with news like so? We are dying too... We may not battle cancer at this very moment, or been hit by a car either, but we are making our way out of this world as I type and as you read this. Everyone is going... dying. Our ticket out of here just varies.

Why do we let the world spin us around until we are dizzy with, I wouldn't even call it business, but, thinking we are invincible,- immortal? What would happen, if you would accept the fact that you don't know whether you have days or weeks or even just years until you are to pass, would that change the rest of your life? 

Our days are numbered, if only we could grasp that fact and live like this what we so preciously have, is all that matters. 

I'm only truly alive in Him, and this is not the end.

Weight Loss #4 Week 2

Was 221

Now 221

Weight loss =

0 lbs

Christmas Holiday week = Chocolate = No willpower...

Enough said!

Weight Loss #4 Week 1

was 225

now 221

-4lbs

So, I've had a pretty good week until now. Hubby JUST brought some Christmas chocolates home from work, and my self discipline is 0. Yup zero. Anyway, moving on....

I've meal prepped and eaten 5 x day. I've been satisfied, not left hungry at all. You can look at what I've been planning to eat HERE

 

 ((Freezer meals))

To the right, I have several freezer bags filled with taco mince (lean meat) ready to go. However even though the package read 'lean beef', I still strained the fried meat and this is how much fat dripped out. It's a LOT! The bowl was nearly half full...

I should maybe come up with some other foods, but I do love yams with taco mince! I can't get past it. Yeah, looks boring, and maybe unappetizing... but the taco spice makes the food go down, he he!!!

Darn those chocolates! Eating popcorn as I type,-ha ha!-  ready for a movie with hubby.

Grace and Peace

You should Quit Your Job!

Have you ever happened to have a rough day at work? Or even a whole week or even a whole season of hard times at work?? If your answer is 'YES'... then,

YOU SHOULD TOTALLY QUIT YOUR JOB! Seriously. Just quit!

Yeah well, if I told you that I get that advice at times, would you believe me? No really, I do.

I am a mother of 4. I homeschool 2 of them, grades K and 3. That means that I have a toddler and baby to take care of too. I also need to cook, clean and take care of my mental and physical health on top of the other million things that need doing. To top it off, my pregnancies can be quite testing to say the least, and I have been in situations at times where I've had to rely on other people's help. Yes, I've humbly asked or accepted a hand, to tackle my busy life.

I get a lot of advice and I hear a lot of opinions on how people think I should do things i.e. live life. When I've had a testing time in my life, as short as a hour or as long as a month (pregnancies for example), people tell me to give it up. They tell me we'd be better off putting our kids into school, stop having kids and to go get my life back (whatever that means???) To that I feel like saying,

-When the next tough time at work or in whatever you love to do happens, just give it up and quit! Life is supposed to be easy peasy all of the time, don't you know?? There are no trials, no testing, no growth, no negativity, no mistakes, and everything should be just great! If you don't have it good all of the time, you're obviously doing something wrong or don't know what you are doing, putting yourself into these situations... hello!

and that is what I feel like saying... but since I think before I speak type...

Okay, what I mean to say is that, life will always be hard at times in someway or another. We all have our trials, our bad days and we grow from them, we mature and we become more wise. We know the good days outnumber the bad by a zillion and we all make different choices in life, even though they may happen to have a hard journey to the destination and we may even have to ask and/or accept help to get there. Sometimes the journeys feel like they last forever! Hard work pays off. In my case, my pregnancies are hard, but they pay off, oh so well...

Children are a blessing, NOT a burden. My body might ache, my mind might be tired at times, well a lot perhaps, but my soul and heart leap for joy! Our children do not hinder our marriage but bring us closer together as a team, as husband and wife. 

This is my job. I am a mom. I homeschool them. I'm beat at the end of the day and cannot wait to put my feet up. There are days when I don't want to go to work, but I have to. There are days, I'm so tired, I moan about it and have a sour attitude about it, but it passes. There are times, I am so overwhelmed that I need to plug into the Word and prayer so that I can survive another hour... and I'd do anything for someone to just give me a hand. There are times I just want to scream... And it passes.

But guess what, I love my job. I love my calling. It's a holy calling. I love my family. Everyday I am taken aback by how blessed I am with all I have. I love teaching and spending time with my kids. I love watching them discover and grow. I love to menu plan and cook for them. I love taking them to activities and field trips. 

I love my job.

With or without kids, life can be testing.

"What seems to us as bitter trials are often blessings in disguise" -Oscar Wilde

Weight Loss #4 Day 1

I know, I know, baby is only a month old and I've already embarked on weight loss #4. To some of you who do not know my history, I gain a lot of weight during each pregnancy and I have quite a challenge to lose my pregnancy weight afterwards, yet somehow I manage to do it,  even if it's a slow process. More on my previous weight losses, HERE.

So here I am once again. Over weight with a newborn. 

I am nursing, so I have to be extremely careful that I don't hinder milk production or stop it. My baby is my priority. I won't let myself go hungry. I won't limit my vegetable intake either. I'll make sure my calorie intake is sufficient.

During my final weeks of pregnancy, I refused to be weighed at my check ups so I don't actually know exactly how much I weighed before birth, but I'm guessing 250lb ,or even more. Currently I weigh 225lb and that is 2lb less than two days ago. So here I am at 225. What is my goal? Well it's of course my pre pregnancy weight, which is 145lb. Some say I am too hard on myself and should aim for a smaller goal..  Buuut I don't want to.  Call me stubborn. 

My weight day 1 = 225lb

My plan is to prep and precook my lunch and dinners for the next two weeks. If I have the $, I will consider doing it for the next four weeks. This will save me time and protect me from temptations.  

My menu for the next 4 weeks is

2 WEEKS FREEZER MEALS

100-150G MEAT, 100G CARBS, 200G++ VEGG MEAL PLAN

3L WATER, OMEGAS, VITAMINS, OILS

7.30 BREAKFAST OMELET, WW TORTILLA, SPINACH, CHEESE AND SALSA Or oats with cottage cheese and berries

11.00 LUNCH PREPARED MEAL

1.30/2  SNACK GREEK YOGHURT AND BERRIES

4/5 DINNER PREPARED MEAL

*post workout shake

8 ILTAPALA (evening snack) APPLE AND PEANUT BUTTER

4 X CHICKEN, BROCCOLI, QUINOA
4 X MINCE, BEANS, SWEET POTATO
4 X CHICKEN, ASPARAGUS, BROWN RICE
2 X MINCE, QUINOA, BEANS

SHOPPING LIST

·         8 CHICKEN BREASTS

·         1KG MINCE AND TACO SPICE

·         1KG BROCCOLI CROWNS/FROZEN

·         QUINOA (600G COOKED QUINOA)

·         4 SMALL SWEET POTATOES

·         1,2KG GREEN BEANS

·         1KG ASPARAGUS

·         BROWN RICE (400G COOKED BROWN RICE)

·         7 X 0%GREEK YOGHURT

·         PRECUT FROZEN BERRIES

·         2X TRAY EGGS

·         WW TORTILLAS

COTTAGE CHEESE 0% AND 14 X ZIPLOCK BAGS MEDIUM / CONTAINERS WITH LIDS, MICRO AND FREEZER SAFE

  

I will weigh myself weekly on Fridays starting December 19th. I will also post photos of  start and present. I won't be working out until I go to my 6 week check up,  and I will begin with only cardio, kegels and Stott pilates to strengthen my body before I hit the weights. 

So, any suggestions or advice you want to give me?

Until my next weigh in,  

Grace and Peace