A Frozen Treat

I know we are nearing the end of summer, but there are still some warm days left for an ice cream treat. Who am I kidding? Ice cream can truly be enjoyed all year round. I came across this recipe Online and thought this was too incredible not to share!

I know some families struggle finding healthy (and tasty) treats for kiddos with special dietary needs. This ice cream would work to make everyone in your family happy!

Check out this one ingredient frozen treat:

Dairy Free - Gluten Free - Sugar Free – Vegan Friendly

That’s right! You don’t even need an ice cream maker. Just grab a few frozen bananas and a food processor or blender and you can make homemade BANANA ICE CREAM.

Who would have thought that when you blend a frozen banana, you get such creamy goodness? I originally thought it would be flaky or icy, but it turns out that frozen bananas can become creamy rich ice cream. The little bit of natural fat in a banana is the trick to turn a frozen banana creamy instead of crumbly when blended.

Here is the Step-by-Step:

1. Peal a couple of ripe bananas (they should be sweet & soft but not too mushy)

2. Cut bananas into small pieces or chucks

3. Freeze for 1-2 hours on a plate (until the pieces are hard all the way through)

4. BLEND!! They will look crumbly at first but keep scraping down the bowl when they stick

** EXTRA (when the bananas turn creamy add anything else you care to mix in)

5. Enjoy your one-ingredient banana ice cream!

The texture will be similar to soft-serve, but you can freeze it again in an air-tight container to make it harder and have a more similar texture to regular ice cream.

** There are so many possibilities to turn this into a 2 or 3 ingredient recipe by adding your own extra flavors. If you want, try a tablespoon of peanut butter or honey. Maybe you want to add a few gram crackers or pretzels for some crunch. You could even throw in a small handful of chocolate chips. These extras may add to the calorie count, but it seems fun to mix it up and try other banana flavor combos.

I am so excited that I found another way to serve one of Aliyah’s favorite foods – BANANAS!

Building Language Naturally

Here is a post that I wrote for Happybottomus and thought I would share:

We all know that babies can crawl before they can walk…

But have you thought about how they can sign before they can talk?

That’s right!! Sign language is not just a communication tool for those who are D/deaf or hard of hearing.

Every time a baby waves “bye-bye” or reaches their arms up to be held, they are communicating using simple signs.

HELLO sweet Aliyah

Aliyah telling me she wants a BANANA

There is a nasty rumor going around that using sign language will delay speech, but fortunately, that is not true at all. When you see your baby waving, would you rush over and and tell him/her “no no no no…. don’t do that” because you are worried he/she will never actually say “bye-bye”? Of course not. That is because speech is a skill – American Sign Language and English are both languages. If your goal is communication, you will find that when you give the gift of language no matter if you choose Spanish, Norwegian, English or American Sign Language.

Teaching sign language to your baby is not intended to make a Baby Einstein or create a My Baby Can Read prodigy. It is a very natural way to present a beautifully visual language that can help make connections with any spoken language. Even older kiddos can benefit by learning ASL as a second language. Try using the American Sign Language alphabet when practicing spelling words or ASL signs to have a special way to communicate as a family.

The results that you can experience when using sign language with your baby is not just the new rage. It has been carefully studied in clinical and university settings for over 25 years proving that signing can…

* Boost IQ
* Strengthen Parent/Child Bonding
* Increase Confidence
* Decrease Tantrums, Tears and Misbehavior
* Help Children to Read Earlier
* Help a Child Become Better Adjusted
* Be Helpful to Children of all Abilities

It really is possible that the “terrible twos” don’t have to be so terrible after all!

Our family first looked into signing together when we became foster parents to a very special deaf girl. We have now been a foster family for 2 deaf children and currently use ASL (American Sign Language) with our biological (hearing) daughter. I have become very passionate about sharing the amazing benefits of using American Sign Language with all ages and abilities because I have seen those benefits first hand.

I am now helping others use sign language enhancing communication in their homes and love it! Check out www.withsign.com and 'like' on facebook to learn a new sign every week for FREE and see what my little business is up to.

In Our Home, Signing is a Sign of Love!

A Tough Decision

New Friend

This is Aliyah's new friend, Moonbeam. She loves feeding him every morning when she wakes up and again before bed. I have only had to pull her hand out of the bowl once.

10 Things I'm Not Too Proud Of...

1. I don’t go to the doctor like I should. The only exception was when I was pregnant - I went to a doctors' office more times last year (to ensure my body was in fine condition for growing a child) than I did total in the 5 years prior.

2. The living room can become a disaster when it comes to piles of laundry. I don’t mind washing and folding, it’s the putting it away that drives me nuts.

3. I cannot for the life of me open up a tube of crescent rolls (I am getting anxiety just thinking about it). I refuse to deal with a randomly exploding tube. On the same note...  a jack-in-the-box seriously creeps me out probably in the same way that clowns or monkeys disturb some people.

4. Even though I have gotten extremely better, I can get a mean case of road rage. People who drive really slow, take too long to go when the light turns green, or hold up a line of turning cars by being overly cautious can see a side of me that only escapes when I’m behind the wheel of a car. Tyler has taught me to think of every slow driver I encounter as if it were him behind the wheel (i.e. with patience and kindness) - yes, my handsome man drives like my grandpa... It only works sometimes.

5. When Tyler and I get into an argument, sometimes instead of trying to talk it out like he wants to, I just shut up. Refuse to talk. do not respond. It drives him bonkers and I know it.

6. I let my nails grow long and pretty for weeks, then something will trigger inside me (usually it's learning a new song on my guitar) and I’ll chop them all off in less than a minute.

7. I’m can be hard to get a hold of. I have a love/hate relationship with email and an on-again-off-again relationship with my cell phone. Sometimes I wish it was 1892 and the only way to communicate was via horseback and smoke signal.

8. I cannot remember the last time we have had fast-food. Our diets have completely changed for the good since Aliyah started eating off our plates... however... sometimes, if Aliyah falls asleep while we are out running errands, I sneak into a McDonald's drive-through and order fries for a mid-day snack.

9. I was mean to my brother when I was in middle school. I bossed him around and tried to look cool in front my girlfriends. He could be a bratty little brother at times, but mostly, he just looked up to me and wanted to hang out. He loved me despite my attitude and I wish I could go back and put my 13 year old self in place. I love that guy!

10. I don’t write enough thank you notes. That bugs me to no end. What’s so important in my life that I can’t sit down and thank those who have done something kind for me? I manage to send them out sometimes, but often - I don’t. and I let the guilt of it build up and work me over on a regular basis. I should really just sit down and write them! ... I am STILL working on Aliyah's birthday thank yous - AGH

I still need a lot of work to be the woman I want to be, but I am okay with all the little lessons along the way.

An Evolution in Photos

A little look back at 5 years worth of photos and how much my life has changed, grown and blossomed

May The Force Be With You

Don't talk back to Darth Vader... he'll getcha'