Here's to the healthy moms.

The healthy ones. Not the perfect ones.

I will be the very first one to admit I am far from a perfect mother.

To be honest, most days I fall asleep with a knot in my stomach,

thinking about what I didn't do, what I should of done better.

There are days I want to stay in bed and watch 29 episodes of desperate housewives

and eat jalepeno chips in my pajamas. 

Being someone's mommy is the best job, don't get me wrong. 

The. Best. 

I love every hectic, overwhelming, chaotic and beautifully messy moment 

of this journey. 

A lot of things change day by day, and a schedule is hard to keep

when you have a little person who {basically} owns you.

One thing that has remained the same,, for me regarding my son,

is health.

My sons health is a very high priority and has been since the day I held him

in my arms. I never knew I would be "that" mom. 

But I am. And until today I was always cautious to tread carefully with this subject,

knowing that I am one of the few moms with such a passion for this.

Until today I made sure to be polite mentioning that my son doesn't eat candy or 

that we can't meet you at mcdonalds for lunch.

I made sure that I went out of my way to explain that it's just what WE do,

and that I respect everyone regardless if we feed our children differently.

Until today I was quiet when a group of people were talking about what they were making  for dinner.

Until today I let people make jokes about me and I would laugh with them,

again, not wanting to offend people, or make them think that I judge them or think I am better.

Until today I ignored the fact that I consistently have been skipped for bringing snack for a play date group. Or kicked out of play groups because of my sons diet.

Until today I let comments slide when people say 

"A piece of candy WONT kill him"

"You are taking away his childhood. He will HATE you for this!"

"He will grow up eating junk food because you force him to eat healthy"

Until today.

This ones for the healthy moms who are constantly slammed for their choices.

And constantly made fun of, mocked or secluded.

This ones for the moms who feel alone and feel hated, judged and like an outcast.

This ones for the moms whose kids love kale. Actually love it. And no we don't force feed them kale chips!

This ones for the moms who feel like they shouldn't post cute stories about when their toddlers say "I don't eat gmos" 

This ones for the moms who sacrifice greatly to afford an abundance of organic produce.

This ones for the mom who is ready to give up.

Please don't.


Please don't feel shamed and please do not feel like you have to sensor what you say because you are scared someone will make you feel wrong or that you are judgmental.

Please REconsider who you surround yourself with and know that 

MOTHER knows best.

Always.

Mushroom lentil spaghetti squash casserole {vegan}{gluten free}

My kid loves pasta. 

Like, asks for pasta for breakfast, love.

On top of that, he wants "sauce" on everything. His darling father taught him to say "sauce me!!!" So now he demands "sauce" (which is just veggies- puréed) on everything. Apples, cereal, bananas, carrots- you get the jist of it. 

So spaghetti squash is a sneaky mom win. Holla!

Ingredients:

1 Sketti squash

1/2 c lentils

1 cup veggie broth

1cup or less onions

2-5 cloves garlic

A package of organic mushrooms (I used less)

A splash of unsweetened almond milk

1 TBSP tamari (I'll skip this next time probably) 

1 TBSP nutritional yeast (I'll skip this, too)

1 TBSP instant oats 

1-3 cups of kale

First I (ok-I made kody do this because... Let's face it- cutting squashes SUCK)

Cut the squash in half, removed the seeds (save them & roast them if you want to, YUM) 

And placed them flesh down in a shallow casserole dish of water.

It takes about 30-60 minutes on 375 to bake, depending on how big your squash is.

While the squash is bakin', get to cuttin'! Mince garlic (hopefully you have a garlic press, unlike me) 

Chop onions and sautée in oil (extra healthy points for using coconut oil) for a few minutes.

Add in mushrooms and cook until soft.

Meanwhile boil the cup of broth in a small sauce pan. Add lentils and lower heat. Cool until broth is absorbed into lentils. 

Add lentils to the onion, garlic & mushrooms. Sautée for a few minutes before folding in kale.

After the squash is tender, use a fork to remove the yumminess into a collinder to remove extra liquid. Add the squash to the pan and sautée with all the other ingredients for a few minutes. Add a splash of milk with all the seasonings and tamari or soy sauce.

Throw all of the ingredients into a casserole dish and top with nutritional yeast and instant oats. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes (or less) 

Voila! 

Ro devoured it! So did I. 

I didn't bake it long enough though,(supa important!) I had two hungry boys waiting on me.

Kody said "it's good, I just don't want to eat it.. Ever. Again... "

  

Thanks, babe!

I'll definitely cook it again. Just cause he said that :)

Egg plant nuggets {vegan}{gf}{soy free}

I often feel guilty Roman will feel left out growing up as a healthy, vegan kid.

While most kids are having Taco Bell, or chicken mcnuggets he is eating kale.

That's why I'm always on the lookout for foods that won't make Ro feel so completely different all the times. But at the same time are healthy and vegan and nourishing and protein filled.

I saw a recipe on Pinterest for "eggplant bites" not vegan, full of crap, but it sparked my interest to try to create a vegan and healthy version.

Lucky for me, I nailed it the first try. Roman ate all of his, and all of mine. Husband even approved!

I got a small graffiti organic eggplant in my farm box this week.

The truth is I've tried to cook with eggplant three times before and HAAATED it. The texture, the appearance  and the taste. 

But I was determined to find a way to like it, damn it! 

I cut the end off of this beauty and peeled the skin.

Then I cut it into one inch(ish) cubes and salted them with pink salt and let the sit in a strainer for about 30 minutes (just a few minutes would be fine, I'm sure) eggplants really absorb so this was the key to making it really tasty.

Next I combined a 1/2 cup of unsweetened almond milk and 2 table spoons of chickpea flour. I mixed and waited until they were completely mixed together.

In another both I added some more chickpea flour and seasoned it up- I simply used salt, pepper, garlic salt, paprika, cayenne and a little tab of rosemary. 

Heat a skillet with coconut oil over medium high heat

Coat the eggplant cubes completely into the chickpea almond milk mixture and let them sit for for 30 seconds. 

Immediately after fold them into the dry chickpea and once coated throw them on the heated skillet. Make sure you rotate so all for sides get nice and brown (or, if you're like me, black) cooking thoroughly is key so they aren't squishy on the inside. 

Perfect as is, or for dipping! 

I'll definitely be making them once or twice a week from now on.

Tuna salad sammy {vegan}

So I have a confession to make.

While 98% of the time I eat and enjoy the healthiest of organic and vegan food out there.

What's that other 2%, you ask?

Well mostly chips.

And cookies.

And anything gluteny.

All vegan, of course.  BUT the second Roman is napping or asleep for the night I hit the bag of chips, and most times, finish it.

Not my proudest moment.

And it always make me feel like crap.

I tell myself it's okay because at nap or night I deserve a break and shouldn't have to make an extravagant meal so I can eat healthy. 

And cookies are just grab and go.......

And the chips, too..

So I've been testing out EASY & QUICK, but still healthy recipes that I can throw together quickly.

This one is my favorite!

(One tree hill in the background; no shame)

Ingredients:

1 - 2 avocados 

1 can of garbanzo beans

1 lemon 

Onion

Garlic

Salt, pepper & any other seasonings you'd prefer.

I used about half of a can of chickpeas for just me.

Smash chickpeas until desired consistency. I like them really mashes, and of course I have no sort of masher; but a fork works well!

Mix in lemon juice.  I cut my lemon in half and used that.

Add onions, garlic, and seasonings.

I threw some tomatoes and lettuce and toasted a sprouted bun from my local farm. 

So. Good.

So. Easy.

And i still had time to sit on my ass and do nothing before Roman woke up from his nap. win.

Instagram: 

Hippiehails

Homemade chickpea tortilla bowls{vegan}{gf}

Seriously, if you don't have chickpea flour- stop what you are doing right now and go get some. 

They make my life so EASY... Oh, and delicious! 

Oil a frying pan with coconut oil and put on medium/high heat. 

Preheat oven to about 300

Take equal parts flour to water.

I did 1 cup chickpea flour and 1 cup spring water plus about a tablespoon of pink salt. 

Wisk until it's smooth and clump free.

Cook like you would a pancake. 

Flip once bubbled and cook other side.

Let them cool on a plate until they are workable.

Lots of coconut oil helps for easy flipage!

 

Oil the bottom side of a muffin tin.

{my unpaper towel needs sunning!}

Assemble them in between four tins for a bowl, or two for a taco shell.

Bake until they are as crispy as you want them!

Turn broil on for the last few minutes if desired. 

Perfection!!!!

I added refried organic black beans and organic rice with hot sauce. I was in a rush with a crying baby at my legs, but anything could go in there! 

Yum.

Enjoy!!

22months.

Dear Roman,

22 months ago were only a few hours old. You had jet black hair and green blue eyes. You weighed 7 pounds 7 ounces and almost 21 inches long.

I'll never, ever forget the moment I first held you.

You came into this world blue, and silent; your umbilical cord had wrapped it's way around your neck 3 times. 

I didn't even know, I reached for you and they just took you away. 

A few minutes later they brought you over to me. 

Your eyes look right into mine for the longest time. I only blinked when the tears welled up into my eyes too much, I couldn't take my eyes away! 

You wrapped your tiny little hand around my finger and I swear for a second it was only me and you in the whole entire world.

That was the best day of my entire life, with every day following coming in second. 

Life with you is overwhelmingly beautiful.

Fast forward to almost 2 years later!

Man, you are SO smart. 

You are so sweet, gentle, tender, timid and shy. 

You are 100% potty trained.

You sign close to 100 words, and talk almost as much.

"Daddy home"

"Mama keys"

"Football"

Are some of your favorites.

We were at the park the other day feeding the ducks and one quacked really loud. You said "bless you ducky"

You love to dance, sing and play air guitar. You love doing yoga with me.

You love everything with wheels.

Garbage trucks, fire trucks, monster trucks, trains, cars and trucks.

And HELMETS!!! You call them "dada"

You love footballs, soccer balls and basketballs.

Anything superhero is your favorite- superman, Spider-Man, ironman, batman! You love them all. 

 

You've never been a fan of sleeping.

You don't quite sleep through the night yet. You like to sleep in my arms and wake up if I'm not next to you.

You usually sleep about 2 hours at a time.

You are still breastfeeding, with no end in sight.

You are such a mamas boy. You always make sure I'm happy. If I'm sad, you hug me and kiss me and pat my back. 

Some of your favorite foods are : garbanzo beans"da balls",broccoli "trees", bananas, pasta & sauce, grapes, lentils, chickpea nuggets, chickpea tortillas, butternut squash, kale chipsand sweet potatos

You love being outside so much!!!!! You could stay out there all day and night. 

We read probably 50 books or more a day. 

You are what I've always wished and dreamed for you.

You're my dream come true and I cherish all my days with you. 

I love you!

Mama

Mom VS Mom no more

I want to start out saying this, 

I get it.

I do things different than most.

But it's not just for fun, or to be different, it's not that I enjoy being the black sheep. I'm not trying to make a statement or prove you to be an inadequate parent.

I'm not judging you for not feeding your child like mine. I'm not on a self put pedestal. 

honestly? 

Wait for it. . . . . 

I. Don't. Care. 

Really, it's that's simple.

You feed your kid cake for breakfast?

Awesome!

And believe it or not, I don't do things differently to piss you off. Or make you feel like a bad mom, or to try to compete with anyone. 

It's simply because this is something I have chosen to do with my son.

If you want advice I'll gladly give it, but if not, I'll like your picture of your baby eating an Oreo because it's adorable and I know how fun it is to watch your child eat something they find so yummy & really enjoy. 

That's mutual in mommydom.

What moms don't realize is that we have more in common than we think. 

We love our kids and want the best. Instead of dividing a line between moms who do things different; 

Remember: 

The perfect mom who does Pinterest worthy crafts with her toddlers Every. Single. Day. probably cries in the bathroom while little hands reach under the door yelling for her after a hard afternoon, too. 

The mom who has perfect hair, perfect clothes, perfect make up, perfectly matching and well behaved kids at target while you have one eye with mascara, yesterday's foundation and an outfit from three years ago that has your babies breakfast on the sleeve. 

Instead of scoffing, 

Walk by her and say something nice.

Because maybe she's just like you. 

Because maybe this is the first time in years she has felt beautiful.

Because maybe yesterday, she had yesterday's make up on too and was rocking the mom bun while grocery shopping. 

When you pass a new mom with a screaming newborn in her hands, with that look of defeat of her face. Who is fighting back tears while trying to console her baby, 

Hug her. 

Buy her a coffee.

Tell her she's doing great.

Tell her she will sleep again.

Tell her she's a great mom.

Tell her this will pass.

Tell her she's beautiful.

There's that mom who forever is posting pictures of her perfect little life, and family. Don't be so quick to judge her because she may be envying what you have, which you may not even think is worth envying.

She may be quietly going through something unimaginable. 

All moms are working a 24-round the clock-exhausting-amazing-terrifying-humbling-all-time-consuming-job 

Every day. 

Formula moms, breastfeeding moms, working moms, single moms, stay at home moms.

We all have one thing in common. 

Coffee.

Ok, what I really meant is, our heart.

Our hearts lie with our kids, they beat for them. 

Raising kids is the hardest, most amazing job we will ever do.

It's also the most important job.

I think that it's safe to say 99% of mothers who give their soul to what they do, never hear how amazing they are.

Never hear a "thank you" for waking up 34 times with a teething baby at night.

Never hear words of encouragement after trudging through the grocery store while your toddler looses his shit.

Never hear "you are doing great" after a hard day. 

What you might hear instead is  criticism from your partner, 

From your mom.

From your In laws.

Mothering is a thankless job, and after being a mom for almost 2 years, I know how intensely satisfying it is to be a mom. 

But the fact of the matter is, 

You give way more than you get

So for those moms who don't hear it enough; 

{for those boo boo kissing, late night rocking, tickle monster-ing,  keeper of mama milk, peeing in front of a small audience daily, drinking wine in the shower while crying, never ending laundry doing, late night cleaning and early morning waking, impossibly tired, without coffee you might actually die, selfie taking (because this is the first time this month I brushed my hair!!) veggie sneaking,closet chocolate hiding, counter downer of minutes til dad gets home, silly song maker uper, teacher of all things, borderline freakin lunatic moms who love their kids SO much they could explode.}

You are amazing.

You are enough. 

Through your children's eyes you are a super hero. 

You are trying your very best every day. And it is more than enough. 

( You aren't a bad mom, you had a bad day. )

I encourage every mom to try to say something uplifting to another mom as often as possible. 

Your small words of kindness may affect their world in a huge way. 

{remember those moms with the seemingly perfect lives are those usually far from it}

I encourage moms to come together in our differences and celebrate how good we are doing at a job that is the hardest on the planet.

Imagine a world were moms empowered and encouraged each other instead of judging and hating.

 We aren't so different after all.

Instagram  / hippiehails