Update on our homemade soda!

It has been about a week I think and the sodas are still on the counter!  At first I was wondering what on earth was going on as I followed instructions to a T and there was no soda action!!

Low and behold however, there is now fizz in our strawberry soda!  The root beers haven't started yet, but I will not give up hope!  The strawberry soda is not as fizzy as I want it yet but is definitely carbonated!  Yay!  I will continue to update as it goes!

Strawberry Vanilla probiotic soda!

So I had to make 3 jars of soda to use up my ginger bug.  You don't have to use up your ginger bug, you can simply fill the jar up with water and continue feeding it.  Or you can put it in the fridge for later use (but have to bring it back to room temperature before you can use it again!)

I made 2 jars of root beer, and decided to make a strawberry one to go with!

Here's how I did it:

Step 1:  make your simple syrup (2 cups water, 1.5 cups sugar brought to a boil until sugar is dissolved).

Step 2:  Pour your simple syrup over about 15 frozen strawberries in another pot (or add strawberries to simple syrup pot if it is large enough).  Bring to a boil and then set aside until strawberries are thawed and mixture is bright red.

Step 3:  Strain mixture and really squish berries to get all their juice out!   Add this mixture to about 3 cups of warm water and stir.  Add a capful of vanilla extract if you want!

Step 4:  Pour mixture into your jar, and add 1 cup of strained ginger bug.  Stir and then top up the jar up (leaving head room) with extra water if needed).  Screw lid on, and let sit!!!

Here is a picture of our 3 sodas!  It should only take a few days to get to bubbly!  We can't wait to do pizza and soda night!!!

aren't they beautiful!?

Homemade Probiotic Root beer!!!!

Okay, so our ginger bug is ready!  Here is a pic of it this morning:

I fed it a final day yesterday and it is really nice and bubbly today!

So how do we make root beer?

Step 1:  Make your simple syrup.  I used 2 cups of water, and 1.5 cups of sugar.  Bring it to a boil, until sugar is dissolved.  Take syrup off the heat and stir in 2 tbsp of root beer extract (I used Watkins).  Taste.  Is it flavoured enough for you?  If not, add a bit more flavouring.  It will taste sweet.  Remember that this is just the syrup (you will add water to it) and the sugar will be eaten by the ginger bug to make carbonation and healthy probiotics!!

Step 2:  Fill a jar with 6 cups of hot water and make sure there is still head room!  I do this to make the jar warm enough to prevent breakage once you pour in your syrup water!!

Step 3:  Fill a large measuring cup with 4 cups of hot water (I used bottled water).  Pour your simple syrup into another container and check taste again.  Not necessary but yummy!

water, simple syrup and glass jar with warm water

Step 4:  Pour simple syrup into the 4 cups of hot water.  This should make approx. 6 cups of liquid.  Mix and taste to see that it is root beer flavoured enough for you again at this point.  If not, add a bit more!!

Pour root beer syrup into water

Step 5:  Let mixture cool to room temperature.

Step 6:  Pour water out of glass jar (this was just keeping jar warm).  Then pour your mixture into the jar.

I left some out to make sure there was room for the ginger bug.

 

Step 7:  Strain approx. 1 cup of ginger bug out of your jar into a measuring cup or other container.  Make sure there is no ginger floating since that would probably taste weird!  LOL.

Step 8:  Pour ginger bug into your jar along with your mixture.  Gently stir. Screw lid onto jar and set in a warm place out of direct sunlight.

after adding ginger bug, I topped it up with some of the reserved mixture
but I left head room for the carbonation. 

This will sit for a few days until bubbly!  The longer you leave it, the more sugar will be eaten by the ginger bug and the less sweet it will be.  Taste it once bubbly and see if you want it to sit longer.  Once it tastes perfect put it into the fridge to get nice and cold!  If you don't drink it all at once, make sure to taste it every so often since even in the fridge, the ginger will continue to work (and get less sweet).  

It's ALIVE!

Muahahahaha!  My ginger bug is alive!!!

Check it out!

see the little bubbles at the top! 

So it only took 3 days of warmth, ginger, water and sugar and we are almost ready to go!  Since I put the mixture in an old applesauce jar, the top felt distended today.  I took a closer look to see that the bug is bubbling!  Just starting to bubble, but definitely alive!  So I will use the cheese cloth on top again to allow it to oxidize a little bit more through the day, and screw the lid back on tonight.  In the morning its soda making time!!!

Day Two of homemade soda!!

Day Two!

All you have to do today is add 3tsp of ginger and 3 tsp of sugar to your jar!  Pop a lid on there and give it a good shake!!

(you are going to be doing this every day until your ginger bug starts bubbling!)

Here's today's ginger bug!

Soda Making Day One!!!

Mmmm... amazingly awesome homemade probiotic soda!  Delicious AND healthy!!!  Not laden with sugar like store bought soda, and good for your tummy too!

Every day this week I will blog our progress on homemade soda making and you can see how easy it really is!!

Day 1:  Starting your ginger bug starter!

You need:
- 3 cups of water (warm, bottled to reduce chlorine)
- 3 tsp of white sugar
- 3 tsp of ground fresh ginger root

Mix the warm water with the sugar and the ginger root.  Put it into a container (I used an old applesauce glass jar).  Put a square of cheese cloth over top, secured with an elastic band.  Put in a warm place out of direct sunlight :o)

That's it for today!!

I almost think it needs a little face :o)

Sneaky Muffins 2 (egg free, dairy free)

So I ran out of eggs today.  Well actually a few days ago, but I haven't ventured out to get any.  Making breakfast without eggs can be a challenge, since we make everything from scratch.  Ugh!  BUT the good news is that we found an awesome muffin recipe that is egg free and dairy free!

They turned out soooo yummy!

Here is the pic from this morning while they were cooling

Here is the recipe:

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 cup soy milk 
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup maple syrup (or brown sugar would work in a pinch for us budget friendly mamas!)
• 1 cup pureed carrot and sweet potato
• 1/2 cup dairy free chocolate chips or carob chips

Mix your dry together well, in a separate bowl mix together your wet ingredients.  Add the wet to the dry and combine well.  Add in chocolate chips.  Spoon into lined or greased muffin pan.  Fill them up to the top!  Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until muffins test done.  This will make 12 jumbo muffins or if you double it (or triple it like I do) you will get enough for breakfast and enough for freezing!  

Being loved

~Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her.~

psalm 31:28                          

I am so blessed to be the mother of 5 little boys, and the wife of an amazing, hard working, selfless man.  I often forget this, and let little things bother me.  Like the LEGOs that are all over my living room, all over the playroom, all over my horizontal surfaces, and always under my feet.  This is a quick stealer of my meek & quiet spirt.  Thankfully, the Lord will often remind me of the love that my family has for me (and the seemingly endless and monotonous day to day chores). 

This morning, beside my computer, my oldest son placed this:

A symbol of his love, and a symbol of hope.  Weariness will not overtake me.  I am walking with the Lord.  

After all, Philippian 4:13 reminds us that "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

Homemade Frugal Pancake Syrup

Please note: this is soooo not healthy!  LOL.  But I am going to start a series on Frugal cooking, and thought this was the perfect start!

I wanted to make waffles today - with this!

So I was half done making waffles (will post an awesome frugal waffle recipe later!) when I realized we had no syrup.  I need syrup. 

So.  On to creation!

Here is an awesome syrup recipe!  If I knew that syrup was so easy to make at home, I would NEVER buy it for the $4 a bottle they sell it for - and it tastes soooo yummy!

3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup very hot water
1/2 cup corn syrup
1 capful of maple flavoring
1 capful of pure vanilla extract

Mix it all up in a saucepan and then pop on to boil.  Once boiled, reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.  Let cool.  I did this by putting the saucepan in a sink of cold water (about two inches) and it cooled super fast! 

I honestly think this would be amazing with a butter flavoured extract, but I need to hunt where I could find it from.  I think if you were to double this recipe, it would fill a syrup container! 

Enjoy!

Smart Ice Cubes - Frozen Spinach Juice!

Okay, so remember we made spinach juice and froze them into ice cubes?   Just in case you forgot check it out here:

How to make spinach juice:
- 3 cups washed baby spinach fresh
- 1 cup water.

Bring spinach and water to boil, and simmer for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes pour through a fine strainer and squish the pulp of the spinach with a spoon or spatula to get all juices released. Freeze your spinach juice in ice cube containers, then once frozen move into a heavy freezer bag.

This is extremely healthy and just a single tablespoon is the same as eating 1/4 cup of raw spinach leaves. This has iron, calcium and digestive enzymes. Super awesome!  Each cube is 2 tablespoons, which is equal to eating 1/2 cup of spinach leaves! 

Anyway!  You can use these ice cubes in your kids soup, this gives a super veggie boost with no change in flavour or color and it cools the soup off perfectly!

OR

You can throw these funky green cubes into apple juice, etc... and the kids will think they are so lucky!  Score one for mama!

Poop. Literally.

Well today has been very informative for our science curriculum!  We found out today that the human baby can shoot poop about 18 inches across the room, all over the place.  Wonderful.  I honestly never wanted to know that, nor did I want to know that infant poop not only looks like mustard but also has the consistency of it.  And of course I tried to deflect the blow with my good white muslin swaddle blanket - which is now soaking in a bucket of oxyclean. 

Ayden of course was thrilled by the graphic pooping display as he sauntered over to hand me some wet cloth wipes.  Giggles errupted throughout the land as all the boys took turns ooooo-ing and awww-ing over the sheer amount of poop that was all over the floor and mama.  Only in a house full of boys I'll tell you!

So poop.  I hope the rest of the day goes better - lol.  Always an adventure over here.

The "innocent" face of the perpetrator...

Homeschoolers and Boy Mamas!!!

Attn: All mama's who homeschool!   AND all mama's of boys!!!

We have a giveaway over at my shop Brambles & Blossoms.  The link is here: https://www.facebook.com/#!/BramblesandBlossoms

It is for a custom waldorf doll from my shop, cloth diapers for your doll from EWies Diapers and a custom dolly & me set from my sisters shop The Handmade Princess.  You can get a custom super cape for your son and his boy doll you boy mamas! 

Check out my newest boy creation:

As a mama of 5 boys myself, I have a special place for boys of course!  This is my call to you!  You can enter a bonus entry (right now the max entry is 10) if you homeschool, AND another bonus entry if you are a mama of a boy!!!  In the "share my link" spot just write "I homeschool" or "I am a boy mama!"  That gives you the chance to get up to 12 entries!

Don't forget to check out some of my favorite blogs you mamas of boys/homeschoolers - https://www.facebook.com/#!/Boyschooling, https://www.facebook.com/#!/WarriorPrayers, https://www.facebook.com/HopeForTheWearyMom?sk=wall and https://www.facebook.com/TheMobSociety

And you mamas of girls - there is an awesome blog for you raising your daughters from a mama of 6 girls (and one boy - lol).  You can see her facebook page here https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Raising-Godly-Daughters/346270212065174  She rocks! 

a lesson on eating with grace

Often times my children don't like what they are served.  It is not easy to please a large family!  Let me give you an example.  Today's breakfast was not as planned on my meal plan.  I ran out of eggs, making it impossible to serve oatmeal bars for breakfast.  So in the back of my pantry I found a box of Cream of Wheat.  My kids don't like cream of wheat.  I know they don't.  But that is what I had. 

If you see the recipe below, you will see that I did add some sweet homemade jam to make it taste good!  And it did - it tasted like strawberry ice cream!  BUT my kids don't like the texture.  Oh well.  They had to eat it anyway. 

Stop the bus... they HAD to eat it?  Really?  You made them eat it?

Yes.

I made them eat it. 

Yes, they made a face.

Yes they complained and even cried.

Yes one or more of them gagged on the texture.

Yes they had a shiver after swallowing. 

Yes.  They ate it.   All of it.  

And they ate it with a smile. 

You see, this was a lesson in learning to eat with grace.  I knew they wouldn't like it, they knew they wouldn't like it.  But I explained to them that eating with grace means eating with a smile and without a word even if they dislike it.  So they did.  They tried to smile after each bite to show me that they appreciated their meal.  You see, if they were a missionary in a far away village and they turned their noses up at something that would be very offensive!  They must learn to respect whoever made them their meal and try to eat it all with grace.

Morgan had the hardest time, but even he was able to finish all but one spoonful in his bowl.  Oaklen ate the last spoonful since after eating his bowl he realized that it wasn't so bad afterall.

Their memory verse from this lesson is from Philippians 2:14: "Do all things without murmurings and disputings".  They also learned a lesson in obedience - to obey their mama when she tells you to sit and eat happily.  I promise you, I will appreciate this lesson as they grow and learn to eat what they are given.  Other people will appreciate it too.  Nothing is worse that listening to a picky child whine at a dinner table or in a restaurant, unappreciative of the meal that they were given.  Especially when there are children in this world that look like this:

No, our children won't be the children who will only eat weiners and noodles.  Our children won't be excused from the table without eating.  Our children won't be ignorant to the fact that many children get nothing to eat.  For this we are thankful.   For this we refuse to back down and we will die on this mountain.  We want our children to be grateful for what they have in a world that takes everything for granted.

Sneaky Strawberries & Cream

This morning's breakfast is quick and simple.  Of course, it is also nutritious!! 

Here is what you need for Strawberries & Cream:

- 3 cups of water
- 1/2 cup cream of wheat
- 2 tbsp pureed zuchinni and cauliflower
- 2 tbsp strawberry jam

Cook your cream of wheat as per the box tells you.  Once ready, add your puree and your jam.  Cook an additional minute, serve!  This makes 4 child servings at about 3/4 cup.

This breakfast if fast, and has a veggie boost of zucchini and cauliflower as well as berries (try using homemade jam with reduced sugar!).  The cream of wheat has 30% of your iron intake as well as 1g of fiber and 3g of protein.  It is low in calories, so having the extra flavour boost of jam won't make the kids go too crazy - lol.

An optional puree you could use is white bean paste.  Either should work just fine!  Or you could make it chocolate flavour with cocoa instead of jam and use the pureed blueberries and spinach!  So many choices!

Enjoy!

You can't possibly want MORE????

Sometimes people are just so funny!  Our family appears large to many people.  I don't really think of us as that big since we know a lot of families in our homeschooling and friend circle that have as many as 10-12 kids!   That is a big family.  LOL. 

After gawking and counting our children in the most obvious way possible, most people ask, "you are done now right?".  Nothing is quite as awesome as their expression when we say that "what's one more?  we'll have at least one more".  They even get a nice big shock when Craig tells them that we homeschool them too.  It's like people can't believe that we would WANT to be around our kids all the time!   I love my kids!  I love to be around them!  I would have 20 - lol.  Craig maybe not so much.  He always tells me we will take it "one baby at a time"... 

Oh and we do know how babies are made - lol.  So I always tell people that maybe I should start washing Craig's and my underwear seperately...

A plea for help!

We just found out today that there is a family out there in need in the Barrhead area.  A single father has had a heart attack, and his younger children have been placed in foster care for now.  He does have a 16 and a 17 year old who are staying at home alone, having requested not to be placed in a foster home.  However, they are struggling for food.  They do not have food in the home and it seems that social services won't provide them vouchers for food since they are not in care.  So I am putting it out there that if anyone is able to donate any frozen meals, baking or non-perishable food to this family to please please let me know.  Craig and I are going to be going to Walmart tommorrow to stock up a box of food (cereal, granola bars, soup, pasta, etc...) to send as well as a few frozen meals for these two children.  My amazing neighbour is going to arrange to take food to them next week.  So even if it is just one box of Kraft Dinner, that would be amazing.   These kids are still in school so lunch items would probably be wonderful as well. 

I know that these children would appreciate full bellies, and I can't imagine my children being hungry.   Even if a donation of food is not a possibility,  if you could pray for these children, that they are strong in this time of difficulty and that their needs are met that would be wonderful. 

Thanks everyone!
 

My hobbies!

Okay, so as if homeschooling and homemaking isn`t enough to do - lol - I have a few hobbies!  My mom and me own a buisness called EWies Diapers.  I started making diapers when my son Ewan was born (hence EWies - lol).  Here are some pictures!

My Ewan at age 2 - he is sooo tiny here!

My Morgan at about 6 months - I can`t believe he was so small! 

Our website for our diapers is www.ewiesdiapers.com.  It has been up and running for a few years now, and we have made well over 1000 diapers!  Such a feeling of accomplishment :o)

My second hobby has also turned into a little entrepreneurship!  I make dolls.  I have 5 sons, hence needing a little girlyness in this house - lol.   Here are some of them!

 

They are waldorf-inspired and I am in love with every single one I make and thus hate to sell them - lol.  Craig helps me form their heads and do the boys hair caps.  Thankfully, that makes the whole process run smoothly!  The website for them is www.bramblesblossoms.com or https://www.facebook.com/BramblesandBlossoms. 

Anyway, these are the things that keep me busy aside from the boys!  LOL. 

Sneaky spicy muffins

These awesome muffins (most reminicent of pumpkin spice muffins) are made with whole wheat flour, carrots, sweet potatoes, cauliflower and zucchini!

2/3 cup white sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
3/4 cup sweet potato and carrot puree
1/4 cup zucchini/cauliflower puree
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp salt

optional: mini semi sweet chocolate chips (chocolate always entices my kids and me - lol!

In a large mixing bowl, beat sugar, oil, eggs and carrot/sweet potato puree. Combine flour, baking powder, soda, spices and salt. Add to puree mixture; blend until wet. Spoon into greased muffin tins, filling full. Bake at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  This made 12 large muffins! 

Mashed potatoes (ps. they're sneaky!)

Who doesn't love warm and creamy mashed potatoes?  I know my kids do (well most of them anyway!)  They are the perfect place to hide sneaky veggies too!

The sneaky fix for mashed potatoes is simple!  They can easily be mixed with your pureed cauliflower and zucchini without anyone knowing.  Plus, it doesn't change their texture or color! 

Today I mixed a full 1/2 cup in my batch of mashed potatoes!  So when the kids scoffed at eating their corn but begged for seconds of mashed potatoes I could barely contain my smile ;o)