Happy-Belly Pumpkin Pie!

Just for you!  There's still time to make it for Thanksgiving... or any day throughout the year. :)

Happy-Belly (Not to Mention Ecstatic Tastebuds) Pumpkin Pie!

(non-dairy, sweetened mostly with agave nectar, and easily gluten-free)

Ingredients
-Your favorite unbaked pie crust (optional)
-Pumpkin Filling

• 3 whole eggs
• 1/2 cup agave nectar
• 1/8 cup organic brown sugar or maple syrup
• Spices (about 1tsp cinnamon, 1/4tsp nutmeg, 1/2tsp allspice, 1/2tsp ginger, and 1/4tsp cloves, or more, depending on your preference)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups fresh or canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix)
• 3/4 cup unsweetened almond-coconut milk (~2 p. almondmilk to 1 p. coconutmilk) 
• 1/2 Tbsp melted non-dairy margarine (like Earth Balance)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.  Prepare your crust, if desired, in a 9-inch baking dish.  Do not bake the crust.  It will bake with the pie.
2. Beat eggs in a large bowl.  Add agave, sugar, spices, salt, and vanilla.  Mix well.
3. Mix in pumpkin.
4. Gradually mix in almond-coconut milk and melted margarine.
5. Make sure batter is thoroughly mixed.  Pour into unbaked pie shell or directly into dish.
6. Bake at 425 degrees for about 15 minutes.
7. Reduce heat to 350 degrees.  Bake 40-50 minutes or until firm and set (when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean).  Cool on a wire rack.
8. Eat warm or chilled.  I love it both ways, though I've found that it tastes best the next day, after the flavors have blended!  Store in the refrigerator.  Top it with non-dairy ice cream (like coconut bliss!), whipped topping, or whatever!  You could even add a meringue topping.  I haven't tried that one yet, but it sounds like a great non-dairy option!

Really, I can never decide whether to eat it warm or wait for the flavor boost... so of course I do both. ;)

Enjoy!

Here it is! Baby Clement #2 is a...

human!  Surprise!



Ok, ok, really.  We DID find out baby's sex today.  And we were not surprised. ;)
Guesses?  Yes, another boy!  The Clement Y tendency continues to hold strong. This guy seems to look a lot like his brother, but still different.  Maybe he'll look more like Ryan?

Anyway, that's all.  Have a great day!

Thoughts on Mother's Day

I'll start by letting you know some unique things about my mom.  I don't know quite how she did it, but from a very young age she made us strong.  She gave me, and my siblings, tools to face the world head on.  She started teaching when we were so young I don't remember, but it's affected us for life.  She often had to bear a heavy burden.  Sometimes she struggled, but she came out on top, and so did we.  With that being said, I have a few thoughts on what I think Mother's Day should and should not be.

I've always had mixed feelings about Mother's Day.  On the one hand, it can be a positive thing: a great opportunity to show appreciation for hard-working moms.  On the other hand, it can be just a shallow, commercial spend-money day... or worse, a NEGATIVE thing.  It can become a day of anger, loneliness, and enmity.

To be honest, Mother's Day was hard for me as a teenager.  I worked hard caring for people who needed mothering.  It was my number one priority for as far back as I can remember.  I cared for my brother to the point that I truly felt like he was my own baby.  I was a mother through and through, but I didn't have my OWN children.  At church people went out of their way to acknowledge women who could not or had not yet had children as mothers to the world, which I thought was very thoughtful.  However, I was not included in this because I was not technically an adult.  I guess only adults can be mothers.  I felt left out.  It's not that I necessarily wanted a special treat or card or even recognition.  I just got really sick of being treated like some pampered, ungrateful, useless teenager.  I got tired of being told just HOW MUCH my mom did for me and how much I didn't realize it.  I agreed that my mom and others needed recognition.  I did, in fact, have a general idea of how much my mom did for me.  I knew that when I left for school or activities, she was the one who stayed behind and continued being a mother.

My feelings on Mother's Day caused more conflict in my mind because I believe that Mother's Day should never be about ME.  I felt guilty for ever thinking of myself, because a mother is selfless.  I committed early on that, when I had my own family, I'd never be jealous and angry if I didn't get what I wanted on Mother's Day.  It should be a happy day.  I decided that if my future husband or children forgot or ignored Mother's Day, I wouldn't even care because I'd be busy appreciating other moms.  Yes, it's a nice thought, but I doubt many of us are quite THAT selfless yet!  I know that of course we all have some self-centered thoughts.  That's ok, because we're not perfect.  I also know that children, and some men, need to be taught about what to do on Mother's Day.  I think it's completely appropriate to remind a husband, in a loving way, that his support would be appreciated and that the children may need his help with something special.

Anyway, the important messages I want to get across here are, first, remember to recognize the "Other Mothers" in your life.  Look hard, because they (like any mother) are often quietly behind the scenes.  And second, Mother's Day isn't about YOU getting recognition.  It's an opportunity for you to GIVE recognition to those who mothered you or those around you.  It's nice to relax and enjoy your well-earned holiday for mothers, just PLEASE don't turn it into a day of hate and anger.

Here's to a day full of joy, remembrance, and relationships made stronger.

The Writer (freeverse poem)

I'm thinking about submitting this to an on-campus literary magazine, so comments would be helpful.  Does it make sense?  Is it boring?  Does it flow?  What else?
I actually intended on posting this on my wordpress blog... but I can't remember my password and I can't get it back. :P
Thanks, enjoy!



The Writer

Who am I?
An artist?
A philosopher?

I am no creator,
Nor brilliant speaker.

Who am I to take credit 
For these words which flow from my pen?

I don’t make stories.
Stories use me.
They fly around in the air
Looking for a voice...
Until they find me.

I am a filter.
I sort out the chaos.
I am a channel,
A frequency,
A tool.

I am, myself, a pen.
A hand.

A writer.

Sick and Tired of Being Tired and Sick... Could This Be the Answer?

This is just a quick blog, so I'm not going to go into details about all the issues I've had with food.  I'll just say that currently I'm moderately sensitive to gluten, extremely sensitive to dairy and sugar, partially sensitive to eggs and yeast, and, when I cut all of those out, most food STILL makes me feel ill.

I've been searching for the answer.  I discovered there's an ailment called leaky-gut or intestinal permeability.  Basically the intestinal wall leaks, and food gets absorbed before it's broken down all the way.  The body responds with antibodies, and the person effected develops allergies to those foods.  I've never seen a doctor for my problems, but I was sure I had this.


Recently, a friend recommended this film.  Ryan and I watched it together.  We were sceptical about some of their dramatic connections in the earlier part of the film.  For example, blaming the "autism epidemic" on GMO foods. Scientists are sure that autism existed before the diagnoses, it was just referred to by other, derogatory terms.  In recent years we've become more sensitive with detecting it.  That being said, there seems to be link between GMO's and autism (as well as other problems).  I think that people with autism may be especially susceptible to GMO foods.

As the film progressed, they offered more and more convincing, scientific evidence against GMO's.  They gave a list of the current foods that have been genetically modified.  They include soy, corn, cottonseed oil, canola oil, sugar beets, papaya, zucchini, yellow crookneck squash, and alfalfa hay.

I strongly recommend that you watch it, especially if you're like me and have problems with health and/or food.  Enjoy!

(Watch the whole thing: it keeps getting better)