These brownies are incredibly moist and chocolatey. Made with no flours, dairy, or soy, they are allergy friendly while being packed full of protein and fiber.  The egg is a binder and could easily be replaced with an egg substitute. My husband has declared them his favorite way to eat beans. 1 can black beans... Continue Reading →

We recently participated in a yarn bombing. Yarn bombing is a non-destructive form of artistic expression, aka graffiti. While participants are usually not prosecuted, it is usually considered illegal. Our yarn bombing was done at the request of one of the local library systems as part of their summer reading program kick-off. While I have... Continue Reading →

Before we headed on a recent trip, I made some simple wrist wallets, modeled here by my 6 year old daughter, for my older three children. They worked well for my 8 and 6 year olds and my 3 year old wore his on his ankle (an ankle wallet). It solved the problem of wallets being... Continue Reading →

Our project over Memorial Day weekend was to build a fire pit in the back yard. It isn't big, but it holds plenty of fun. I've been reluctant to go camping while we still need refrigeration for our Lact-Aids. Having a fire pit in the back yard has given us the best of both worlds.... Continue Reading →

With a constant stream of crayons available, the kids and I like to recycle the broken and extra ones. Melting them and making them into fun shapes gives them new life and also provides some little gifts to have on hand when we need something fast. Peeling the paper off is not fun, said by the mom... Continue Reading →

Our words and actions affect other people, just as those of others affect our lives. We often go through life without letting others know just how much of a positive impact they have had on our lives. In his book, This Is the Moment!: How One Man's Yearlong Journey Captured the Power of Extraordinary Gratitude,... Continue Reading →

1 cup almond meal (leftover from making almond milk) or 2 cups almonds ground 1 cup packed brown sugar 5 large eggs, at room temperature ½ cup canola oil ½ cup unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ½ teaspoon saltPreheat oven to 350 F. Grease an 8 inch nonstick springform pan lined... Continue Reading →

Bridget Heos's What to Expect When You're Expecting Larvae: A Guide for Insect Parents (And Curious Kids) (Expecting Animal Babies) is a delightfully tongue-in-cheek children's book about the life cycle of insects. The full page colorful pictures have child appeal and the information is presented at the right level to interest even younger children. It's rare... Continue Reading →

   Parker Blue's Underground Series, which includes the titles Bite Me, Try Me, and Fang Me, left me with a feeling of lost time.  Sentences tended to be choppy, and the characters were two-dimensional at best. Continual references to Buffy the Vampire Slayer made me want to bang my head against the wall at times.... Continue Reading →