Recipe Rennovation - Blueberry Buckle

I enjoy sweets and breakfast... Is that a crime? Not if you live with the guideline of "everything is ok in moderation".

So, when my husband and I invited our friends over for brunch, I knew I definitely wanted to make a coffee cake to go along with our egg-white omelets. I landed on making "Blueberry Buckle", a recipe my mom made often when I was growing up. I saw this as a perfect opportunity to try to make the recipe a bit healthier for all involved in eating its deliciousness.

I doubled the recipe so we could have some left overs for a couple days. Here are a few of the additional changes I made:

1) The original recipe for blueberry buckle calls for shortening, which I cringe at using for its hydrogenated oils. I substituted it with non-dairy butter (so my daughter with lactose intolerance could eat with us).

2) Next, I substituted the whole eggs for egg-whites. I know it's not much, but I thought "why not decrease the cholesterol for today?". ***Note: 1 1/2 oz or 3Tbs egg whites = 1 whole egg.

3) In everything I cook, I almost always substitute whole-wheat flour for white flour. In this recipe I used whole-wheat pastry flour to try to keep the texture light and fluffy.

4) Throughout the recipe, I used 1/2 white sugar and 1/2 brown sugar to add richness and less refined sugar.

5) Lastly, I added an extra cup of organic frozen blueberries to boost the antioxidant and nutritional content.

To my satisfaction, the recipe turned out beautifully and was VERY forgiving! Next time I make this, I will do the same substitutions but want to try using applesauce instead of butter - just to see if it will work. For me, it is exciting to try and make recipes a little more healthy and still be able to enjoy the sweet things in life!

Helpful Resources for Buying Organic

As many of you know, I have been on the hunt for better ways to shop and cook more healthfully for my family. Part of this commitment has meant buying organic produce, dairy and meat as often as I can.

One of the questions I have been trying to find a solution to is "where can I shop for organic produce that is both economical and convenient?". I tried normal grocery stores, but felt disappointed time and time again in their prices and selection. I tried Specialty Produce (a wholesale distributing company who sells farmers' market bags weekly, which are full of local, organic and sustainable produce from over a dozen farmers), but found it to be more of a "once in a while" type of resource as it 1) seemed repetitive week after week until new produce came into season, and 2) was hard to meal plan for, as each week's bag was a surprise until the day before. I still love Trader Joe's for lots of items, but have never been satisfied with the amount of organic produce they carry. This all lead me to give the Ocean Beach People's Organic Food Market a try. It is a member-owned vegetarian consumer co-op here in our local neighborhood in San Diego. I paid $10 for an annual membership and can guarantee when I walk in that ALL the produce inside is organic, local and seasonal for reasonable prices. I have even begun to purchase all of my whole wheat flour and grains there in their bulk section. Shopping here does have what other's might consider drawbacks. I have had to adjust my shopping routine to go to two different stores, but for our family, it is worth peace of mind that we are putting better foods into our bodies. Also, the store is small, so quarters are tight. For us, this means having my husband come home 30minutes early one night a week so I can go without the company of our 18-month old daughter. I encourage you to look into local resources such as a co-op like this - you never know what might be around your corner...

Another resource I have found extremely helpful in my effort to purchase organic produce is to refer to the "Dirty Dozen" and "Clean 15" lists. I know for many, it is either not always economically feasible to buy ALL organic produce, or these organic produce items are not available where you shop. These lists give you the top 12 produce items with the highest amount of pesticide residues (those you would want to be certain to purchase organic) and the top 15 produce items with the lowest amount of pesticide residues (those you could skip buying organic if you have to). I found this neat, printable pocket guide to keep in my wallet as a quick reference on my shopping trips. I also found this more comprehensive list of 49 fruits and Vegetables and where they fall on the list of pesticide residue amounts.

A Quick Update in Pictures

The countdown to our move to Oregon is definitely ON! Our calendar is quickly filling up in order to create some intentional "lasts", so I wanted to as least give a glimpse through pictures what we've been up to. Two weeks ago, my parents were able to bless us with a week long visit! Knowing it was a "last" to have them in our home in San Diego was rather emotional for me after the fact...

From the minute we picked them up from the airport, Mimi and Pappy were ready to shower Harper with love and attention all week!

Harper took all of about 5 seconds to get snuggled up to Pappy. Over the week, we noticed Harper's affinity for Pappy - I think it might have something to do with the fact that he's a "big kid" himself :)
Harper has always loved to stop and smell the roses... on this stop she smelled about 25 varieties.

We took Mimi and Pappy to the San Diego zoo. We can never tell who enjoys it more... Harper or Pappy?
Mimi and Pappy spoiled us by giving us the gift of attending our church marriage retreat in Palm Springs for the weekend. We were able to completely relax and enjoy each other, knowing Harper was in such good hands. Thank you Mimi and Pappy!
When we returned, we could see clearly that Harper has a special relationship and bond with her Mimi and Pappy. Jeremy and I look fondly at these pictures, knowing that our kids will be growing their grandparent relationships so much deeper once we move.
Over the weekend, Harper and Mimi found a NEW way to use her grocery cart...
I told Harper to get ready to go to the park... when I found her waiting by the door, I was laughing out loud. You see, Harper loves necklaces... but hasn't quite figured out that mommy's undies aren't exactly that... No - she did not go to the park like this!
The 4th of July was monumental for Harper! It marked the first day, as a toddler, that she allowed mommy to do her hair AT ALL... I managed to put in pigtails! I do admit... there were a few tears on her part as I tried to keep them in for the day.
Since Monday was a holiday... our dear friends, Adam and Rhiannon, invited us over for some pool time and a yummy dinner. Harper and Jeremy shared a few good laughs as we re-acclimated her to the water.
Daddy loves to throw her high into the air... Harps got a bit wet on this landing.
Our friend Adam and their son, Carter. Carter is one of Harper's best friends and... in the running for future husband someday!
Our picky little eater. Mommy is having to become A LOT more creative on certain days... here she's eating a breakfast panini.

Crazy June!

I can't believe how fast this month is flying by! I have a feeling, that with our upcoming move in August, this is going to be our new norm. I'm usually terrible at getting pictures up relatively close to when they actually occur, so I'm trying. Here's a quick update of what the Swift's have been up to...

June started with a bang when Jeremy ran the Rock'n Roll half marathon here in San Diego. I was so proud of him - and so was he, I might add - since that's the furthest he's ran since cross-country! He even did it under his goal of 2 hrs! Harper and I were sad we couldn't be there to document the occasion with a picture.

My sister and her friend, Laura, visited us for a week and spoiled Harper with 2 new playmates who indulged her every wish. They jumped on the Swift train for our CRAZY weekend and even blessed us with a few babysitting nights! Us girls spent some time in Balboa Park, Mission Beach and even got Harper to indulge us while we had a "grown-up" coffee time at Cafe Bassam. I loved the company of these ladies as they are so easy to be with and always make me smile.

In between all the hectic-ness, I have tried to keep Harper appropriately busy. We have made it to the park regularly, the San Diego zoo a handful of times and I finally got to take her to SeaWorld for the first time with our friends Carter and Rhiannon! There was an Elmo area there with people dressed up as Sesame Street characters... lets just say it was the highlight of Harper's month (sorry everyone!). They all received hugs, high-fives, kisses and she nearly cried when it was time to say good-bye!
This past Sunday was father's day and I do say it was an amazing day for our family to celebrate Jeremy and God, our heavenly Father. We went to church, spent the day biking around Mission Beach and playing at the park, and then Jeremy and I actually got out for dinner and a movie while Harper went to bed - such a treat!

Now... I'm off to prepare for my parents to fly in tonight for a week and I can't wait!

Changes Ahead!

As Harper is napping and the house is filled with silence, I have a moment to stop and reflect on just what has and is happening with our family these days. I can't help but feel the nagging reminder that "changes are brewing" for the Swift family. This constant reminder makes me pull out my Bible and read some of my favorite verses from the Psalms:

"We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, even as we put our hope in you." (Psalm 33:20-22)

Life has been a whirlwind lately and I haven't even written about two of the biggest pieces of news in 2010 for us. For starters, we found out that our second baby, who is due in October, is a BOY! We are thrilled that Harper will have a little brother and are so thankful that he is healthy so far. Going from pink to blue will be a change for our household as we have been told there will be more pee, more dirt and much more wrestling! At the same time, Jeremy is looking forward to things like spring training and other sporting events someday, and I am hoping for a "mama's boy". We are now even more glad we bought the blue BOB stroller instead of the pink one I wanted 2 years ago. Yes, we are thrilled about our boy and can't wait to meet him this fall!

Our other news is that we have officially decided to move back to Portland, Oregon this coming August. The decision has been anything but easy, but we feel confirmed that this is where the Lord is leading our family right now. We have described the decision as being bitter-sweet as we will be "gaining" ALL of our family in the Northwest, but "losing" our friends in San Diego. Jeremy and I feel it's the first HUGE decision we are having to make for our family and one that is taking a giant step of faith.

I have already gone through some emotional ups and downs in regard to the move. Some days I am filled with hope and bright thoughts of being near family. Other days I have cried at any mere thought of leaving our friends and San Diego. I know I'll have many more ups and downs as we move toward change... but the verses from Psalms remind me that even when life is uncertain we can be certain that God has got our back, as long as we are putting our trust and hope in Him. As Jeremy and I begin to experience a few "lasts" here in San Diego, we've talked about the importance of truly experiencing the sadness and the joys of what is ahead. We have loved much here in San Diego through the years, and loving much is what draws us to Oregon now as well. We hope that you'll support us through this season and know that we are so thankful for each and every one of you who have loved and touched our family in some way.

Growing up before our eyes!

Jeremy and I were just talking this morning over coffee about how fast Harper is growing up. She is already 16 months old, trying to talk, climbing on everything and extremely independent. Right now she is all about feeding herself, "reading" to herself, walking by herself and if she could she'd probably change her diaper by herself... Before we know it, Jeremy is going to be walking her down the aisle!

We love, love, love the spirit and love for life that Harper has! There is never a dull moment with her, whether she's laughing or crying. We are reminding ourselves to cherish every day and every change we experience with her as this time is precious. Here are a few pictures of what Harper's been up to lately.

Yes, that's our daughter with ALL of my credit cards in hand. Shopping spree anyone??
Harper has adopted the Rice Krispies box as her own "possession"... We don't dare try to join in. She walks all over the house with it, leaving her mommy sweeping quite often!
Since we don't have a swimming pool, we make up our own water fun for Harps.
Harper LOVES to pretend to drink coffee like mama and dada. Don't worry folks, it's empty!
Harper is into wearing whatever clothes of mama's that she can find within reach.
Hats were the old obsession... now on to wearing sunglasses!

Here's Harper about a month ago, wearing mama's sunglasses and trying to talk. We have found that she isn't shy to "try" to say whatever we suggest to her - for good or bad ;)

Sweet Family Time

Over the past few weeks, we have been blessed to have both my cousin and my mom come to visit us. Family means so much to me, so to get a double-dose over two weeks was wonderful!

My cousin Kelly took her sacred vacation time and stayed with us for a week. It was wonderful to spend time with her and get to know her sweet heart even more. Harper especially LOVED Kelly and even said her name by the middle of the week! I took her around to see different parts of San Diego, we went running often, cooked together, and had many great conversations!

One of our favorite nights... we took Kelly out to the hotel Del in Coronado for drinks, yummy food and a gorgeous sunset.
Love this girl ;)
We had lunch up in La Jolla and walked around seal beach. So much fun!

My mom came the following weekend for a few days while Jeremy was away, which gave us an all girls weekend! It was a special time for Harper to spend some quality time with her Mimi and for me to get some much needed "mama time" too. My mom means the world to me - she is my best girlfriend, easy to spend time with and always an encouragement. Thank you mom for loving Harper and I so much on this memorable trip!

Harper gave her Mimi lots of sweet kisses, which Mimi says was her favorite part.
The three of us girls enjoyed going to the park to eat lunch and play before Mimi had to fly home.
Harper and Mimi shared a "baba" moment, which are becoming few and far between.
Mimi made Harper laugh harder all weekend than I had heard in a while...