Whole Grain Blueberry Pancake Muffins

Pancakes without standing at the stove, full of nutritious delicious goodness in less than 30 minutes? Bonus, no sticky syrup on table, fingers, faces and furniture because Mommy cooked it in? Yes, Please! 

This little cutie thinks they're great. She ate a whole at the table (um, wow) and working on another one right now 

:) Good Stuff

Here's how the kiddos can help:

- Measure and Pour Ingredients 

- Place liners in muffin tin

- Add the fresh blueberries!

- Watch muffins cook through stove window and announce loudly every time the timer dings :)

Preheat: 350 F Cook Time: 15-20 minutes

Servings: 12 medium Muffins

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups of Whole Grain Flour (any single or combination of flours is good)

3 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 Tbsp Maple syrup/raw honey  

1 1/4 of liquid (cow's milk/ water/ almond milk/buttermilk- or anything else you have on hand)

1-2 eggs (more to pump up protein) 

3 Tbsp of melted butter or unsweetened applesauce

1/2- 1 pint of fresh blueberries :)

Mix dry ingredients (flour, soda, salt). Make a well, add wet ingredients (syrup,milk, egg(s), butter) and mix until smooth. 

Pour into tins (3/4 full) and top with a hand full of blueberries each.

Pop in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool and enjoy... Or eat scalding hot because you don't want to wait :)

Project Gratitude Update!

Here's my first real update :)

So two weeks ago I managed to stay up late a couple nights and make it through one entire box of papers and all the miscellaneous ones strewn about the house. I organized, piled, purged and shredded. It was great! While we still have two more I our room and at least 4 more in the garage (most of which I know is garbage), it feels like something was truly accomplished and we have a place to jump from now.

Since then, all incoming mail has been sorted within a day or two. I purchased a wall organizer for files and love it already! Woot woot! 

Today I cleared "action file" items that had been building for months. Simply because they were easy to access. 

Most importantly... We wrote our first THANK YOUs!!!! Little boy wrote his first two for Christmas :) I am so excited!

I still have one week to finish organizing my space, which with a system seems doable and then I can really start the thank you writing :)

I am so pumped about it right now. There's a lot going on in our lives (as usual) but taking the few minutes to give thanks every day (almost) we are already feeling better, with better attitudes, better relationships within the household and better organized spaces all around!

Hope you're keeping up with me and I haven't lost you too much with my rambling! There are lots of posts I have percolating right now and I'm so excited to start rolling them out soon :) 

Day 22 {Year of Gratitude}

Today hubby comes home from almost two weeks away, with single nights home here and there a couple times. I am so excited to welcome him home for six nights in a row!

Today I am grateful for:

1- 6 nights in a row 

2- phone calls with good friends miles away

3- one little boys growing confidence 

Day 20 {Year of Gratitude}

Today

1- alone time

2- the help of other moms, especially ones who know how to do little girl's hair

3- cell phones 

Day 19 {Year of Gratitude}

Today was a good day--- we met some great homeschooling families that live somewhat close by (we're considering homeschooling as one of many options and have starting easing into it)

Today I'm grateful for:

1- internet for networking

2- time to lay in bed and rest because kids are I worn out from playing at the park

3- the chance to start exercising and feeling the strength of my body increasing!

Day 18 {Year of Gratitude}

Today I am grateful for-

1- community coming together

2- cuddles on the couch

3- a peaceful mass again

Day 15 {Year of Gratitude}

I've been working on some really great posts lately. Cooking, birth, life lessons, and I was planning on sitting down and really working through some of them tonight to put out there. 

Then I decided to do some budgeting. I, overall, think budgeting is a good thing. It helps you focus your spending, gives you freedom without anxiety and open communication. Tonight however, the reality check I was given hit a bit hard and so in response I'm going to eat leftover hidden Halloween candy and watch Star Trek until a child wakes up and needs me and/or I fall asleep. Sorry, but since nobody is out there reading yet anyways... I'm just gonna give myself a pass.

Goodnight world, oh and, Today I'm grateful for:

1- Great bosses

2- Friends that follow through

3- Blessings and prayers answered, even when the answer is tough

Day 13 {Year of Gratitude}

I missed yesterday because i fell asleep with a wee one, but I'm grateful for:

1- cuddles

2- 9 hours of (mostly) uninterrupted sleep

3- crockpots (frozen chicken->roast with no steps in between besides 10 hours to cook)

Day 14 {Year of Gratitude}

Today:

1- back up for when things break

2- time alone, even 30 minutes

3- Netflix, so my husband and I can watch tv together even when apart

Day 12 {Year of Gratitude}

Today, I am grateful for 

1- other mommy bloggers and their sleep troubles

2- sleep, when I get it

3- Organizational tools from Mardels

Day 11{Year of Gratitude}

Today my husband left for a week long business trip. But it was overall a good day, today I am thankful for:

1- Cell phones and video calls

2- Reconnecting with someone close over a beer

3- The chance to see sweetness in the children that are growing up too quickly

Day 10{Year of Gratitude}

I took Jonah you shopping today, with money he had earned and been gifted over Christmas. He looked at everything in the store and had a really good time. It was great to do something fun with just him. 

Today I am thankful:

1- Time alone with my little boy

2- His smile and look of wonder at all the possibilities

3- Time to play once we were home

Day 9{Year of Gratitude}

Today I am grateful for

1- Moms groups

2- Grandparents

3- Datenights

Day 8{Year of Gratitude}

Grocery day and today I'm thankful for

1- little girls who think meatballs are cute

2- friends in other states with the willingness to visit the DMV for us

3- leftovers

Day 7{Year of Gratitude}

Today was much better... And while I spent most of it alone with the kids, I really enjoyed myself. Today I am grateful for:

1- all the people, friends and family, that have bought and lent us clothes so that my kids may have a very full closet 

2- extended time alone with my kids to reconnect

3- putting kids down and having free time

Day 6 {Year of Gratitude}

Boy, today has been a doozie, the house has come down with strep for the second time in three weeks. My husband came home with a migraine and we had some banking issues. Not to mention a run in with the NYS DMV. So, I had to take a deep breath and search myself for some gratitude. Today I am thankful for:

1- Texting, it's helped me stay in contact with those in "quarantine" while with the kids and keep up with promises I made to friends

2- A warmer day so I could take the kids out of the house for some exercise and play in the yard

3- Leftovers, while I generally like cooking it was great to reheat and eat on a day like today

Day 5{Year of Gratitude}

Today I am grateful for

1- Prayer with my kids, it's so cute to hear what they come up with (like God Bless the old people)

2- Friends and a couple hours to talk, listen and learn from other moms

3- Having alone time (even just in the couch) with my hubby

Day 4 {Year of Gratitude}

Today I am grateful for

1- Good acoustics, especially in large halls, like churches

2- Reconnecting with those important to me

3- Being home to watch little ones grow 

Day 3 {Year of Gratitude}

Today I am grateful for

1- Quiet Saturday's at home, even with a house full of home

2- Popcorn to snack on while watching Star Trek after bedtime

3- A husband who enjoys grilling on days he's home 

Day 2 {Year of Gratitude}

Today I am grateful for 

1- my husband making it home safely on his birthday

2- Peanut Butter Fudge Frosting and Kitchenaid Mixers to make it

3- time to play with Jonah one on one

Day 1 {Year of Gratitude}

Three things that I am thankful for today are:

1-Seeing my daughter dance like a ballerina

2-Cooking homemade chicken soup from scratch

3-Watching my son excitedly talk to daddy on skype about his Legos 

Day One: The Big Plan for our Year of Gratitude

Gratitude to Change Our Attitude

That's the name of the game. But how? 

I'm the kind of girl that needs a plan. Some kind of guidance, a framework to come back to when I fall off course, because I always fall off course. I'm human and my free will gets the best of me most days. Free will, and small children, interesting recipes and messy projects, and cute pictures of cats and dirty dishes and you get it.

Which is why when I moved last April I found Thank You cards from our wedding I never sent. And sample birth announcements I never ordered. And stacks of cards/gifts I meant to reply to. 

My number one excuse for not showing gratitude? Time.

Hello, my name is Vicki and I'm a mom. In case you didn't know, I have no time. 

That's so wrong. Not in the I have to be "Super Mom" kind of way, but the "I can do this if I set my mind to it, don't give up" kind of way.  There's a quote I used to have pinned up in my dorm room somewhere about how all the awesome people that did great things ever also only had 24 hours a day. Including moms.

So, I need a plan and so far (because this is still a work in project, aka: my life) here's what I have:

Step One: Prioritize Gratitude 

Number One Excuse of No Time, I've met you before. Like when I had an early copy of the 4th Harry Potter book shipped to my house and I had no time to go to my job or leave my bed. Or when I first met my husband and I had no time to talk to other human beings (yes, we were that couple). Or when I had my first baby and I had no time to wash dishes, or shower, or breathe.

And then, I learned how to prioritize. And now I know things can get done. It might take extra work, you will have to sacrifice preferable activities, possibly sleep, but they can be done.

So - I will state three things I'm thankful for everyday and post them under the project day on this blog. (More on this in another post) 

Also, I'm going to give myself attainable goals with defined time limits. (Because that's what job coaches and the such day to do) 

Step Two:Organize My Space

My second excuse, is always, I don't know where anything is. Including the box I packed last year with all the unsent thank you cards.

So, I will, by the end of January 2015, clean and organize my room and office space into a functional work/relax area. 

Step Three:Gather Supplies

Like I said, over the past, well basically 28 years, I have accumulated a lot of things to be grateful for. And I haven't been very good at showing that. So, I have a lot of thank you cards/letters/packages to send and it's going to take some supplies. 

On my list: cards, envelopes, stamps, flat rate boxes, decent pens and a binder to keep track of where I'm at. It ties back to organization, but what doesn't? This should be completed by February 14th, 2015.

Step Four:Compile List and Send Thank Yous

In said binder, I plan on compiling a list of all those people I need to show gratitude to and what for. Hopefully in the end it will be a reminder of my many blessings and to keep going.

This will begin with the procurement of the binder and hopefully never end. 

Throughout this year we should send at least one Thank You a week once the other steps are completed. I say we, because my husband is in on it, too!

That's the master plan (so far) and here's to a Very Happy and Grateful New Year!