I tried to make some paleo pumpkin cookies, and man they sucked! No, seriously, I literally gave the whole batch to our chickens. They enjoyed them, but they have pretty low standards, I mean, they eat bugs for goodness sake. Anywho......
   I still had pumpkin puree left over, and we had guests coming over and thought, "hey, maybe I'll make some pumpkin pancakes or muffins, or bread for breakfast for our guests...", but my indecisive mind couldn't settle on anything. 
   So, as I often do, I turned to my council of beautiful minds (um, my 4 and 5 year olds), and asked them what to do. 5 year old Abby said, "well, can we make something with pumpkin...but also chocolate chips?" (because when you're 5 everything should include chocolate...wait, I still feel that way, and I am no longer 5 years old....I digress. I'm sorry).
   So, since her only requirement was chocolate, and I wanted something I could make ahead for breakfast for our guests, but also something that didn't require too much scooping (feeling lazy!), we settled on the loaf!
   It turned out super-duper, and we all thoroughly enjoyed it. I hope you get a chance to make this festive, autumn-y loaf! :)  

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

Ingredients:

• 1 and 3/4 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg & 1/4 tsp ground cloves (or 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice or allspice)
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 and 1/2 cups canned pumpkin puree 
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 1/4 cup buttermilk (put 1 tbsp lemon juice into measuring cup, and fill to 1/4 cup with the milk. Allow to sit and curdle for a few minutes)
• 2/3 cup chocolate chips

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Spray a 9x5 inch loaf pan with non-stick spray and line with parchment paper, leaving some "handles" hanging over the edge. Set aside
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, spices, and salt until merrily mixed. 
3. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together until well combined. Then whisk in the pumpkin puree, melted butter, and buttermilk until incorporated. 
4. Pour these wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently mix together using a rubber spatula or a wooden spoon. Do not over-mix, there may be some lumps but that's o.k.
5. Gently fold in the chocolate chips, then pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. 
6. Bake for 60-65 minutes. Check the loaf half-way through baking and make sure the top isn't getting too brown. If it is getting too brown, loosely cover the top of the bread with aluminum foil. 
7. The bread is done when a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean with only a few small moist crumbs. Depending on your oven this may take more or less time than the 60-65 minutes mentioned above. Fear not, just check on the loaf every 5 minutes or so starting around the 55 minute mark.
8. Allow the bread to cool in the pan on a wire rack before removing and slicing. 

   This tasty loaf will stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature for a few days, or in the refrigerator for up to a week. But seriously, who will have this just hanging around for a week?!? Bonkers. And if you think you will have it for a week (again...bonkers), share it!  :)   

   Well, to all those heading out tonight to collect enormous amounts of candy, best of luck to you! I am heading out (into the rain and flurries!) with my kiddies, and they are so, so, sooooo very excited! 
   I am not quite as excited, but their enthusiasm more than makes up for my lack of natural eagerness towards walking around in the rain. There is candy though, so....
   Oh, and, I will be in costume...dressed as a tired, wet, slightly grumpy Mom. Best costume ever! I actually already had it handy, so I just figured I should participate. :) 
   Well, world-wide-webers, I'm signing off, and I wish you a happy weekend!

   Well now, a few weeks ago I asked what dessert I should make (with dented, 50% sweetened condensed milk) for my treat day, and Marshmallow Chocolate Chip Shortbread Magic Bars from Picky Palate were chosen! 
   I decided to change the crust a bit because I much prefer whipped shortbread over regular shortbread. It can be more crumbly, but once you've caught those crumbs and put 'em in your mouth, you won't mind at all! Whipped shortbread is delightfully "light" (if you can say that about a cookie being held together by butter!), and melts in your mouth. 
   Well, alrighty, that's all for now!    

Whipped Shortbread, Chocolate & Mallow Magic Bars (try saying that 10 times fast) :)  

Ingredients:

For the base:

• 1 Cups butter (must be butter, no margarine allowed!), room temperature.
• 1/2 Tsp vanilla
• 1/2 Cup icing sugar
  
• 1/4 Cup cornstarch
  
• 1 1/2 Cups flour
  
• 1 Cup chocolate chips

For the rest: 

• 1 cups chocolate chips, divided
• 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 10 large marshmallows, halved, or about 40 minis, or just dump a bunch of mallows on top of this if you don't feel like counting! :)  

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Prepare an 11x7 (ish) baking dish by lining with parchment paper, and lightly spraying or greasing the part of the pan that is still showing.
3. In a large bowl, cream the butter really, really well on high speed with a hand or stand mixer
4. Add the vanilla and continue beating.
5. Turn the mixer down, and add in small increments the icing sugar, cornstarch and flour. If your mixer is still on high you'll get a  cloud of white powder in your face and you'll regret it! Just trust the idiot that's done it before! 
6. Once all ingredients are added, continue beating the mix. Whip it. Whip it real good.
   
7. Stir in the chocolate chips
8. Put dough into your prepared pan, and and press it down as evenly as possible. Bake for 30 minutes then remove from oven, but leave the oven on
9. Drizzle your deee-lightful base with sweetened condensed milk. Top with the  chocolate chips. 
10. Top the chocolate with the mallows, then bake for 10 more minutes. 
11. Remove and let cool completely before trying to cut into squares. I mean it, let them cool completely!

   The thing about making bars with real marshmallows (and not just mallow fluff out of a container) is that they will cut waaaaay better if you just leave them alone for a whole day! I know, it seems like torture, but just tell yourself it needs to happen! 
   If you try to cut them within a few hours of making them, the marshmallow is super un c0-operative, and they also choke you! My Keziah said when eating one only a few hours after I made them, "this treat is trying to kill me!". I love 5 year olds! :)  

   By the way, things made with sweetened condensed milk are referred to as "magic" for some reason. I'm sure, back in the day, when someone used the sweet milk for something (probably as an experiment!), and whatever they were making turned out so good, and everyone who ate said experiment and went, "wow, this is like magic!" or some other such nonsense, and the "magic" part stuck. This false moment is history was brought to you by me, and has no real legs to stand on. But I like my story. I can imagine myself as that experimental housewife, whipping up something new and hoping it works! Haha...oh boy, I'm rambling now.... time to go! 
   Have a great Wednesday!   

   I am tiiiiiired!!!! :)   But, I am tired because I stayed up late with some friends who we only ever seem to have a proper visit with once a year, so there is a lot of visiting to cram into one evening/early morning. So, it was fun...but man I'm tired! 
   Anywho, being tired and cool autumn days calls for stuffed sweet potatoes! Well, I think that at least, so that's gotta count for something! 

Kale & Egg Stuffed Sweet Potato

Ingredients (for one): 

• 1 medium Sweet potato
• 1/2 Onion
  
• 1/2 sweet bell pepper, diced
  
• 1 Kale leaf, washed and chopped fine
• Pinch of cayenne pepper

• 1 Tsp garlic powder
• 1 Egg
• Salt & pepper
• 1 Piece of bacon, cooked and crumbled (cook it in a large skillet to use again later in this recipe)

Method:

1. Pre-heat your oven to 400 Degrees. Place the sweet potato on a baking sheet and into the oven for about 30 minutes. Take out and poke a few holes into it with a fork, and bake for 20-30 minutes more. Until it's good and tender.
2. While the sweet potato is cooking, re-heat your pan with the bacon grease to medium heat. If you're making this without bacon (gasp?!?), just warm some olive oil and continue. Then seriously think about why you're excluding bacon...
3. Once nice and warm, add the onion, and begin to brown and caramelize them.
4. Once the onions have some nice colour and are soft, add the diced pepper, kale and the spices. Stir and allow the peppers to get soft and the kale to cook down and wilt a bit. 
5. Crack the egg into the pan with the pepper and kale, and scramble it up, mixing and cooking it well with the veggies. Set aside until the sweet potato is ready
6. Once the sweet potato is ready, cut a slit into the top, and carefully scoop out the soft baked flesh.
7. Return the kale and egg pan to the stove on medium heat, and add the sweet potato to pick up on the flavours in the pan. Stir around for 5-10 minutes (I actually like to get the sweet potato to start to brown and really get some nice flavour). 
8. Once you're happy with the mixture, add it all back into the sweet potato skin (it'll be super-full!), top with the crumbled bacon, and eat 'er up!

   Some people don't care to remove the flesh from the potato and will just add whatever mixture they have prepared on top, but I much prefer the taste of the whole thing once it's been worked into each other. That's just my opinion though! :)  

   I generally only make one stuffed sweet potato at a time because no-one else in my family enjoys them enough for me to want to share the sweet potatoes with them! 
   Anyway, I'm drinking my coffee hoping to suddenly feel revived, and also feeling pretty sure I will need to have some serious self-talking to get my workout in for today! 
   Well, that's all for now! Happy Monday! 

   Alright, so, eating paleo means you cut out things like sugar, dairy and beans, but another thing you cut out is grains. I really didn't care much about that last one because I've never really been a huge grain lover. Well, I loooves me some grilled cheese, but that's not just regular toast or a sandwich; it exists all by itself as a delectable food, so, yup. 
   Anyway, not having bread and buns, etc., didn't bother me. But one day I had made some fantastic soup and thought, "....gee, something to dip into this would sure be swell" (o.k., maybe I didn't talk like that, but it makes a better story). So because the soup was ready before it was actually dinnertime I started to experiment. 
   Truth time: my first 2 attempts at some sort of "roll" were terrible. I threw them into our "chicken bowl" (aka-our compost-aka-what we feed our chickens!). :)  
   But, the second bun was better than the first, so I thought third time could be the charm, and it was! Oh it was!!! It was soft, but could hold it's own, and was just what my soup needed! So many exclamation marks in this post!!! Sorry!!!!! haha...oh man...
   I still don't crave bread and buns, but having a recipe to use when you do want it is awesome! I felt like eating a burger with my hands and not completely bun-free with a knife and fork, so I whipped a double batch of bun and it made my (grumpy, pre-period) day! Over share? My bad.   

The Amazing Paleo Bun

Ingredients: 

(This makes one bun with 1/2 inch pieces when sliced in half. Double recipe for a thicker bun as I did in the photos). I like a double bun for a burger, but just a single bun if I want something to dip into soup. :) 

• 1 tablespoon coconut flour
  
• 1 tablespoon almond flour
  
• Pinch salt
  

• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  
• 1 tablespoon oil (melted coconut, olive oil or melted butter or ghee)
  
• 1 egg
• 1/2 Tbsp seasoning-Optional: if you're making this to toast for breakfast or just as a snack, add some cinnamon or nutmeg. Or, if making as a hamburger or sandwich bun, add some powdered garlic, onion, paprika, a spice blend, you get the idea.

Method:

1. Combine all the dry ingredients in a small bowl.
2. Add the egg and oil, and mix 'er up!
3. Spray a 6 ounce ramekin with cooking spray (or with coconut oil using your fingers).
4. Pour the batter into the ramekin and microwave for 90 seconds. When I made 2 buns I just flipped the first bun out of the ramekin onto a cooling rack and re-used it to make the second bun. 
5. Um....there's really nothing else to do now but eat the bun! 

   The picture above shows how these buns are soft and flexible, and not crumbly and weird! 

   Well, I'm off! I'm feeling kinda lazy, but laziness is not an option today, unfortunately! (thumbs down). 
    I hope everyone has a good weekend!

xo

   People who know my son Caleb know that he is a great many things. He is cheeky and funny, he is bright and smart, he can be so loving, and thoughtful. 
   But a side of Caleb people often don't see is the one that pokes at my every nerve; it's a Caleb that won't back down, even if I've asked him to. He back-talks, and starts endless fights with his siblings.
   And some times, I loose my cool. That's a really nice way of saying that I have a bad temper, and Caleb is often staring down the barrel of that temper. 

   As an example, the kids were eating breakfast recently, and they were each bothering one another. No particular child was to blame, they were all being butt-heads. I was tired of hearing the whining/bickering/grumbling, etc., so I said, "I think everyone just needs to eat their breakfast quietly and not talk anymore at all". I said this in a very nice, calm voice. 
   All was quiet....for about half a second....then I heard, (mumbled and low) ".....Mom will to be quiet.....". 
    I look at Caleb and say, "excuse me, but you don't back-talk your Mom. I asked everyone to eat quietly so that breakfast wasn't all fighting. No more talking please" (still calm-ish, but my words were getting a little more purposed).
   "Abby and Keziah will be quiet for Caleb...." said that same low, mumbled voice. 
    For real?!?! Now he was blaming the whole thing on his sisters! **Temperature rising**....
   "Caleb", I said/barked, "I've asked you to stop talking, and so far you haven't! You need to listen to Mum, and stop...talking...now". (this is the moment where the internal pot is about to boil over, and you either move it off the heat, or leave it for one more second and it's pouring all over the stove!).
   "Grrrrrhhh"-a loud grumbly/growl of disapproval from Caleb. 
   His sisters faces say they know what comes next. The pot boils over. 
   I marched around our kitchen island to where Caleb was sitting, and said  in a loud voice, "I'm not sure you heard me asking you to stop talking?. "I think your ears may be broken, so you need to go lie down in your room until you are ready to listen!". By now I'm yelling.
   Caleb runs upstairs crying and screaming, and shouting, "Mom will be a good listener for CALEB!!". Seriously? He just won't quit.    

   This argument could have taken place between a Mom and a regular obnoxious 10 year old boy, really. 
   The girls can often see when I'm heading into scary-ville, and will back off from their fight. Caleb doesn't do that. He is so focused on what is in his brain and he doesn't notice the change in my voice, my facial expression, my body language. Then suddenly I'm lunging at him and he'll start to cry and say something like, "Mom is very not nice to Caleb". Which is true. At that moment, I am not being nice. But I was trying, he just didn't notice!
   I struggle with finding the balance between keeping sane, but not letting him get away with poor behaviour. I could ignore him and remain semi-blissfully ignorant. I could pretend I didn't hear him back talk me (because sometimes he does it so quietly I think he really thinks he hasn't been heard), but then I wonder, "what kind of person will this make him?". 
   I want my kids to mind me, and do as they are told, not because I am the all-powerful Mommy, but because listening to those who are in charge of you is a life skill! But if you add a little defiance from a child prone to mind-blindness (an autism trait where the individual can't understand that each person has their own thoughts), and mix in a short-tempered Mum-gosh, you've got a disaster heading your way!
   The reality is that I need help with Caleb more often than I care to admit. The last incident where I lost my marbles on Caleb, my 5 year old stepped in to help. Bless her heart.
   I knew I was boiling hot angry, and I said, "I need 5 minutes alone!!!". As I sat by myself in the living room, I could hear Abigail saying to Caleb, "it's alright Caleb (he was crying). Maybe you could lay down in your bed for a few minutes until you feel better?". To which Caleb replied, "yes!", quite angrily. 
   I beat myself up over getting so heated with my special needs son, but I know him. I know what he is capable of. I know he understands the words, "stop talking". I want to push for the best in him, I just don't want to loose  my mind while I'm pushing! I want and expect the same manners and behaviour from him as I do from his neuro-typical sisters.
    I also can be close minded as to what other things may be bothering him at that moment (lights, sounds, smells, etc.) But then again, I go full circle and think, "extra stressors or not, I need to set a standard for him!". I want him to learn to cope and adapt, and use his words to explain if something is going wrong for him. Not just back-talk. 
   At the end of the day, at the end of a melt-down (either his or mine!), there is learning and growing to be done. 
   I am learning to sit down and talk with my kids and to apologize for getting so angry. Caleb is learning that his life is part of a bigger organism-the family. He needs to be a co-operating member, not just an observer/disturber! 
   Parenting a child with autism is a very emotional journey, and different feelings show up at different times. There are easier days and harder days, but I love Caleb no matter what. We're a good pair, I guess. We both lose our minds together-neither of us should though, so we'll work on it together too!  

   So, the thing about life hacks is that sometimes you may be doing one, and have no idea! Those are maybe the best kind!
   That's what happened with me and giving my kids medicine. We had people over, and I needed to give my sick sickies a dose of medicine, and so I did what I always do, and my friend went, "whoa....that's brilliant!". Really? O.k!
   So, here it is, the easiest thing in the world (and I know it may not work for every child)-but the purpose of doing this was duelled. One, it was meant to water down the wretched taste of the medicine, and two, it makes it so the medicine isn't clinging to the measuring cup so that your child gets their full dose.
   So, pour the package recommended amount of medicine into a medicine measuring cup, add a smidge of apple juice (or any fruit juice), take a knife, stir it up, and hand it to the infirmed! 
   Like I said, not all kids will go, "ohhh, juice with it? Well then I will gladly drink that nasty medicine!", but most will be intrigued enough to try! And if you don't give your kids juice that often, it  makes it more alluring. 
   Can I just point out that I am not that brilliant though, Mary Poppins thought up the idea of adding juice to medicine....sort of. Please tell me you know what I'm talking about...?..."just a spoon full of sugar helps the medicine go down"...please feel free to sing that all day now. :)

   Us parents will jump through hoops to get our kids to takes their meds because we know it will help them feel better. But kids often don't want to either because they hate the taste or syrup-y feel of it, or because they  feel so darned sick they don't want to cooperate! Fair enough! 
   Some other tricks to try if you need some more:
- Strait up bribing!: Hahaha....no, but seriously....I'm not necessarily talking a candy bribe, it could be a sticker, a stamp, a cool rock, just something you know your kid would actually love to have! 

- Hand over the reigns: As kids get older, they want to feel like they are active participants (if not the one in charge!) of their wee lives. Around 3 or 4, when a child can hold the measuring cup, put the medicine in it, hand the cup over to them, and let them take it. Again, I know it's simple, but for some (strong willed) type children, this could be just the pinch of power they need to take the meds.  

- Syringe it: If your kids are too young to hold the cup of medicine, and they seem reluctant, putting the meds in a syringe can help you be able to squirt the medicine inside their cheek (which can alleviate the weird taste by way of skipping some taste buds!), or you can just squirt it right down their throats. Then give them a chaser of juice!   

   Anywhoooo...., that's all! I thought I would write about this because currently everyone in our house is fighting something, and the medicine is a flowin'!  :)  
   Can I also say that we haven't always had rosy gardens over here when it came time to do medicine. Our lovely Caleb wouldn't take anything-ANYTHING!-for most of his life (we once had a very exciting experience at a hospital where 4 adults had to hold Caleb down while a doctor tried to give him some meds. Good times...)! Not until the last few years has he started to willingly take some meds. And the girls went through a time when they would start to cry as soon as they saw me take the medicine out! I've been covered in my fair share of sticky children's medicine, so I know it's not always fun! I know! 
   Anyway, if you have any helpful tips or tricks for helping with sick kids, please do share! I would love to hear them!   

   Good Monday morning to ya.
   I hope everyone had a great weekend and are now ready for a new week! 
   I thought I would share a really great salad that you can make early in the week, and eat for the rest of the week! It's a great little salad to pack away in lunches, or to add a scoop of extra veg at dinnertime. 

Mayo-free Broccoli & Cauliflower Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 Ripe avocado, cubed
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 3 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 Tbsp real maple syrup
• 1 Onion, finely diced
• 2 Cups broccoli, cut into florets
• 2 Cups cauliflower, cut into florets
• 1 Red bell pepper, cut into nice small pieces (about 1/2 inch)
• 4 Pieces bacon, cooked and crumbled (optional) You can also use more than 4 pieces if you want! 
• Salt & pepper to taste

Method: 

1. In a large bowl, squish up the avocado with a fork, then whisk together all the ingredients with the avocado, except the broccoli and cauliflower (& bacon, if using). 
2. Add the broccoli and cauliflower to the bowl, and using 2 large spoons, toss with the dressing until everything is happy together. 
3. Add the bacon (if you're using some), and give one last stir. Taste the salad, and add salt and pepper if you feel it needs it!

   My girls really loved this salad, even picky picky Abby. Thumbs up! 
   Adam liked it too, despite his rather strong dislike of vegetables, though e is willing to try anything with bacon in it! I didn't bother giving any to Caleb who said, "Caleb will not eat crunchy broccoli! Crunchy broccoli is brains!". Okey dokey, I can't argue with that I guess.
   Well, enjoy Monday!  

   I literally cannot believe that I have been writing this blog for a whole year (technically a whole year tomorrow the 18th, but geez)!
   This year has been an up and down one, and parts of it have been chronicled here! 
   On the first day I decided to start the blog I put up 6 posts! Haha, I remember my sister saying something about being a little ambitious, and I just thought, "I dunno! I just had a bunch of things I wanted to post! I used up an entire weeks worth of ideas in one day! Fail. :)   
   Anyway, I wanted to take today to highlight some of my favourite recipes, DIY and life hack ideas, and some of my posts about autism. 
   I hope you take the time to click through and enjoy bits and pieces of what I enjoy! 
   ...But first, I want to give you a little history here on a bushel & a peck! Not history about me, but the term itself! Because I know you were dying to know! ;) 
   Well, a real bushel & a peck are dry measurements in agriculture. There's a pint, quart, gallon, peck, and a bushel. 
   But the real reason people know the phrase, "I love you, a bushel & a peck" is from a song written for the musical "Guys & Dolls".
   Back in 1950 the song was recorded by many artists, and the song was already so well known before the musical even opened that they moved the number from the second act to the first. 
   In the context of the show, "A Bushel and a Peck" is the intro to the Hot Box, a night club in which the headliner is Miss Adelaide. 
   Doris Day (among many others) recorded a version of this song, but she changed the lyrics a bit to remove some of the more direct references from the show and to clean it up for 1950's radio.
   And there you have it! If you've never seen Guys & Dolls, you should, it's a good show!
   Now, onto my favourite and most popular posts (p.s., just click on the green titles to go to that recipe!)!   

   This pie....oh this pie!!!
   It is honestly just the tastiest thing you'll ever eat! The homemade graham crust, the chocolate in the form of semi-sweet chips and chocolate bars of your choice, and gooey mallows....drool.... 

   When my sister invented this evil little sandwich I loved her so much! :)  
   Inside of that lovely, grilled and icing sugar dusted bread is peanut butter, Nutella, and marshmallows. Oh my goodness gracious, it is too good to be true.

   This project felt long in coming, but I was so glad when it was finished as it gave me the extra cupboard space I needed, and it was so unique and fit my house perfectly! Hazaa! 

   Just do this and thank me later. :)  

   I never thought these slightly strange looking cookie would be so popular, but it just shows you can't judge a book (or a cookie) by it's cover! 
   The Huffington Post even had this cookie in one of it's online articles, making this ugly, humble cookie my most viewed recipe EVER with over 20,000 views! 

   This easy-peasy recipe has been pinned on Pinterest more times than I thought it ever would be. It may be paleo, but it's crazy simple to make, has all regular pantry staple ingredients, and you can't beat a crock pot meal that's ready for you  at super time! 

   I love this post because it was all Caleb! His answers to my questions, and "hearing" what he thought about different things. It shows how sweet, and strange, and fantastic he is.

   This post was the first I ever did on autism. It was inspired by the fact that he was getting a Terrific Kid award at school for empathy. I still admire how he sees the world through very empathetic eyes, and I try to practice empathy whenever possible. 

   I am always amazed by this recipe, and how often it is viewed and pinned on Pinterest. 
  It literally was a recipe of. "oh crap! People are coming over! What do I have!", but I think that kind of recipe hits home for a lot of people! It is simple, but tasty. Win/Win!  

   This dessert is a layer of brownie, a layer of mallow fluff, and a chocolate peanut-butter Rice Krispie layer! What? I know! 

   I wanted to pick my all time favourite post, but I couldn't! In fact, my little Dory (from Nemo)-like brain was actually going through the blog and going, "oh yeah....I forgot about that....". Whomp whomp. Memory fail.
   Suffice it to say that writing this blog has (so far) been a blast. I have enjoyed being more experimental in the kitchen, getting some of my thoughts out of my brain, and knowing people like a few of the recipes and articles is a great big cherry on this Sunday! 
   I'm still writing this blog, fear not. I have been toying with the idea of buying my domain (instead of having it hosted by Weebly), and maybe changing my design too....but we'll see. I'm not a big fan of change! 
   So (insert cheesy music, and hear my voice all teary like I'm winning an Oscar), to all those who read here regularly, or just now and again; to those from Pinterest and Foodgawker who share recipes and ideas (hint hint-feel free to follow or 'heart' me!), and to my Mom, who almost never remembers to read my blog, merci beaucoup!  :)  
   I know, I'm a cheeky bugger. Here's to another year! Woot woot! (I love you Mom)

xoxo

Amy-Lyn 

   Those who are even a little familiar with autism know that routine, routine, and more routine keep life as stress-free as possible. It helps a person with autism feel some order in their world that can feel chaotic.
   But beyond routine, what can help a child, with autism or not, feel secure and safe?
   I believe the answer lies in traditions.
   A tradition is something you do over and over, either daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, etc. you get it. It is habit, ritual, it sounds like autism, really! But why is it different? Why is tradition important for a child with autism, and for a family in general? 

   Growing up, our family had many, many traditions that I carry today with my own family.
   Sunday morning pancakes (o.k, we do Saturday, I'm not quite as amazing as my Dad!), singing prayers at the dinner table, Easter morning getting new socks, underwear and a skipping rope or bubbles at your place at the table....and chocolate too, of course! Another important family tradition was going to the Rockton World's Fair on Thanksgiving weekend! This is a tradition I could never abandon! 
   Caleb is now 10 years old, and has been going to the fair his whole life! He looks forward to the fair for WEEKS in advance! As soon as the calendar moves to October, he is non-stop fair talking. He loves the barn with the birds and rabbits in it, and literally shrieks and squeals when the ducks start a "conversation" (if one starts quacking, they all start quacking!), or when a rooster crows, and he'll say (super loud), "Hey rooster! It is not the sun coming up!". 
   He loves the arts and crafts buildings, especially the walnut shells-turned-characatures. These things are kinda weird, but they've been at the fair for as long as I can remember! And he loves all the pumpkins! The big, the small, ALL of them! 
   I think what Caleb loves the most is the demolition derby in the evening. This year he was amazing; cheering, clapping & laughing, but still staying calm. This is where the demo-derby differs from previous years.  

   In years past, Caleb will be cheering, then yelling/cheering, then yelling at the drivers saying (with very big hand gestures), "You are not to be crashing, you are very danger!!!", or "where is the Chevy Cavalier?!?" (he always wants one in the derby) and he would slowly get more and more upset until he was crying, and would shut down, then we would pack up and leave.
   Caleb has had serious meltdowns at the fair, it seems obvious that he would be overwhelmed, but we kept going back every year, hoping it would be better. This past weekend at the fair, we were in one of the buildings that has enormous lollipops in it, and I said to my husband, "remember that time when Caleb ran away, and we chased after him, and we found him grabbing one of those lollipops and ripping off the plastic wrap....so then we had to buy the $13 sugar and food colouring on a stick?" 
   Caleb was probably 3 or so then, and we mostly just kept him strapped into a stroller to avoid having him run away. A few years ago, when he was too big for a stroller, he disappeared. This occasion was particularly annoying because there was my husband and I, and 2 other adults with us, and we all thought someone else was keeping their eye on him. We got the police that are always at a fair to help us track him down. He had only gone maybe 50 feet from us, but he had sat himself at a picnic table with a group of complete strangers, so he was blending in. The people at the table thought he was pulling a prank because he just walked over, sat down, didn't say anything, and ignored them when they talked to him. Classic autism symptoms can be sort of funny, I guess!    

   So, with all the grief from years past, why did we keep going? Because creating family traditions helps kids to connect generations, and to feel a sense of identity. It helps to strengthen family bonds, it offers security and comfort, creates a solid sense of time, and it teaches values.     
   My kids know that I went to the fair throughout my entire childhood, and I hope when they are older with their kids at the fair, they will say, "Oma {me!| went to this fair her whole life" (and they'll hopefully point out where I grew up, likeI show the kids every year). This connection to the fair and myself will give my kids a sense of heritage, and of identity. We feel the need to connect ourselves to the world; it's so large and we want to feel grounded, and tradition does that for us. 
   Family bonds are formed and strengthened through tradition and those bonds create a sense of comfort and security. When a child knows that something is coming, something that they have experienced on a regular basis, it helps them to feel something constant. Our busy lives of this century don't foster sameness. It fosters fast-paced, ever changing feelings, trends and ideas. This idea of traditions as comfort and security can be easily seen when life has sudden changes in it; a move, a death, etc. Being able to continue something that happens regularly (even something as simple as reading at bedtime), can offer calm to the storm.
   Sensing time is crucial for kids. Knowing that going to the fair means the fall reminds my Abigail that her birthday is coming. Christmas time reminds Keziah her birthday is coming, and Canada Day celebrations send Caleb into birthday happiness, knowing his party is in the summer. The kids smelling pancakes in the morning remind them that it's Saturday, and there's no school! Time can feel abstract to a child, and traditions nail the idea down for them.
   Lastly, traditions teach values. The value of education by reading at bedtime, for example. Or of the value of relationship with God  by praying at meals and bedtime. And most importantly, they teach the significance of family values like spending time together and getting to know each other through activities like regular family dinners, weekly walks or bike rides, or after-church lunch at Swiss Chalet! 
   All of these things make tradition so important, and if they are important for a neuro-typical child, they are equally as important for a child with autism. 

   If we had thrown in the towel regarding the fair because Caleb had so many difficult years there, we would have robbed him of the joy he now feels knowing it is coming. Somewhere in the grief of his meltdowns, running away, and making us buy expensive lollipops, Caleb was building an idea, and catching a glimpse of what could be fun at the fair, what could be memorable. I know he felt some safety in the tradition, even if it was mixed with anxiety for some of his years. 
   I feel badly for families who shut themselves out from the world because of their child's behaviours associated with autism. Am I saying, "just get over it!". Gosh no, I can't say that. But what I am saying is to create traditions, regardless of the behaviour. If you have a family where your child with autism came later in line than the first born, and you had traditions in place before they came along, continue in those traditions! For the sake of your other children, but also for the sake of that child with autism. I really believe tradition, despite bad behaviours, can help a child with autism feel like they are a part of a functioning family. I think that children with autism anywhere on the spectrum have a sense of the chaos they cause. And I, trying to think empathatically, know that I would rather feel like life is still happening around my meltdowns, instead of feeling like life had to stop.    

   Creating family traditions doesn't need to be complex, and you don't need a million of them either. 
   Think daily traditions like kissing your kids first thing in the morning, or weekly traditions like a Saturday morning walk, pancakes, a trip to the library, or for kids going to school, a Monday lunch note! 
   You can have birthday traditions, like telling your child about the day they were born, or serving cupcakes for breakfast!
    Yearly or holiday traditions could be going to a fair, going to an apple orchard in the fall, reading "The Night Before Christmas" on Christmas Eve, or having a first day of summer party. 
   Think back on your life, and see the traditions that you had as a child, and what you have carried into life now. Remember how important they are, and if you don't have any, work them into your life! 
   I know this post was more about traditions than autism, but watching Caleb this year at the fair was so rewarding. We saw, for the first time, the fruit of the tradition of going to the Rockton Fair. We enjoyed ourselves as a family. We laughed, ate treats, and rode the ferris wheel at 10 o'clock at night when all the fair lights look so beautiful. Last year Caleb had a meltdown because he wanted to ride in a very specific ferris wheel car (it's not a car, but I can't think what the name would be?!). This year, he didn't even mention it! He just happily jumped into the one he was sent to. He was so happy at the derby, and enjoyed the time with all the cousins and aunts and uncles we meet up with there. 
   I am thankful I loved the tradition of going to the fair too much to give up on it because of the things Caleb would do when we got there. I know I love going to the fair, but I can see how much more Caleb and my kids love going to it. It is a tradition I hope continues long after I'm gone, and one Caleb continues to enjoy his whole life! 

   Helllloooo! Where have I been? Well, I've been away! We travelled south to Brantford to see family and celebrate Thanksgiving, and we had a busy and really good time! 
   Anyway, moving onto food! For my birthday a few weeks ago, I decided to make a recipe favourite of mine that I hadn't made in ages! It can seem like a little too much work, but honest-to-goodness, it is so worth it! Also, the work is not intense, there are just a few more steps than a usual chicken or pot pie kind of dish.
   The ingredients are so simple, and (bonus) you can make this a full day ahead, then put into the oven (or...bbq) the day you want to eat it. 
   This pie includes white wine, which is considered to be a on-the-fence item in a paleo diet. If you Google "wine and paleo" you'll get  a bazillion hits and lots of reading material about it. For me, I include it in my paleo life, so, yup. It's in this here pie (be sure to read that like a Hillbilly).  
   Well, you'll want to make this, so stop pondering and just get ready! :)  

Braised Chicken & Cauliflower Pot Pie

For the Insides:

• 2 Tbsp Olive oil
• 4 Chicken leg quarters (4 thighs, and 4 drumsticks)
• 2 Onions, chopped 
• 2 Cloves of garlic, crushed and diced 
• 2 cups white wine
• 1 carrot, peeled
• 1 bay leaf
• Another carrot, washed, peeled and sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
• Salt and pepper
  

For the Top:

• 1 Head of cauliflower, cut up
  
• 5 Cloves garlic
• 2 Tbsp Coconut oil
• Cup milk (coconut, almond (not vanilla), etc.).

Method:
 
Braised Chicken

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
2. In a large ovenproof skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil then set the chicken legs in, skin side down, and brown until nice and crispy. Turn over the legs. 
3. Season with salt and pepper. Add the onions and garlic and cook until browned. 
4. Add the wine, carrot and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. 
5. Cover I just use tin foil as I don't have a lid that fits my oven-proof skillet), transfer to the oven and bake for 1 1/2 hours. Uncover and bake until the flesh pulls easily from the bone, about 30 minutes to 1 hour more.
6. Remove the chicken from the skillet to a cutting board to cool. Discard the carrot and bay leaf.
7. Leave the cooking liquid in the pan, add the sliced carrots and reduce it on low-medium heat until thick

While the meat is cooling, and you're reducing your cooking liquid, start your mashed cauliflower top. 

1. Boil the cauliflower and garlic in salted water until the cauliflower is tender, about 10 minutes. Drain.
   
2. Using a ricer or  potato masher, mash the cauliflower and garlic with the coconut oil. 
   
3. Add the milk and puree using an electric mixer. Taste and add salt & pepper if needed.
   
4. Now that the chicken should be cool enough to handle, debone it (take off all the meat!), and put the meat into your now reduced cooking liquid. 
   
5. If you're making these to eat right now (or today), skip to step 7! 
6. If you are making this a day ahead, spoon the meat mixture into four-6 ounce ramekins, then top with the mashed cauliflower. Wrap up tight, and stick 'em into the fridge. When you're ready to make these, stick them into the unheated oven, and turn the oven to 350, and allow to cook for about 45-60 (start timing once the oven has full reached temperature) minutes, until the top is browning and you can see the juices bubbling at the sides. 
   
7. Preheat the broiler*
   
8. Spoon the chicken mixture into four-6 ounce ramekins. Top with mashed cauliflower. 
   
9. Broil until tops gets brown, and you can see the juices bubbling at the sides. 

*My change (because I was using the bbq) was to put the pies back into the bbq until the insides were hot and bubbling, then I took a blow torch to the tops! Hazaa! :)  

   I know it may not seem like much, but this pie is really fantastic. The white wine becomes a perfect flavour to compliment the chicken and carrots, and isn't "creamy", but adds moisture and a sauciness. 

   Well, I seriously hope you give this a try! It is so good, and you won't be disappointed. Pinky swear.
   Happy Wednesday!!!