As things are slowly coming together in our disheveled house right now (and I’m preparing to host the first non-traditional homeschooling meeting right here in my living room tonight!), I thought this would be the perfect time to share some pretty incredible deals with you.  Two deals you can’t pass up.  Here we go:

I know I shouldn’t even be talking about bread, but it is still back and forth in my life.  Today it was in, so I wanted exactly what I wanted: my dry-rubbed artisan loaf.

Shout Yes for fruit bars!  A 100% whole grain bar sweetened by fruit and agave.  Yes, I’m proud to say that after experimenting yesterday, there is no refined sugar (or refined flour, for that matter) in these bad boys.  I was pleasantly surprised by the flavor: toasted pecan topping, glazed cranberry, raisin, and date filling, and oat based crust.

How would I define this past year on this blog?  Real life with my family and creating as we go.  I hope you enjoy this small collection of some of my favorite moments and creations.  As I looked through thousands of photos of last year, I came up with a grand idea.  Fridays will no longer be The Sleepy Time Tip but will now be Projects Revisited.   I can’t even begin to tell you how excited I am about that.  There were so many creations and learning experiences while creating this year that I don’t want to get lost as new life and experiences are shared in this space.

(Thanks to everyone for voting on Babble’s Top Mom Blogs for the Sleepy Time Gal blog.  They are still taking votes (vote if you haven’t!) and at the moment we’re in 32nd place!  It is so exciting!  Thank you!)

When we’re needing a change for lunch (or when I’ve forgotten to throw the ingredients into the bread machine early in the morning), I announce for all to hear, “Today we’re having a tapas party!”  I always get cheers from wherever the girls are in the house that can cheer.  And then everyone runs into the kitchen to help out.

I’ve always wanted to try chalkboard paint.  I’ve seen it used in a friend’s home and recently in a Pottery Barn catalog over a food covered buffet.

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With the excitement of fall in the air and anticipation of all things pumpkin, squash, and simmering for hours, I’ve introduced the girls to recipe hunting.

The larger my family grows the more I realize the value of good equipment and tools to get all of the jobs of a busy household done and done well.  I think it’s about time I highlighted some of my favorites that I couldn’t live without.   Here’s one.

With a good recipe and a little help, something sweet to celebrate with can come together healthier.

I used a classic Martha yellow cake recipe with dark chocolate frosting for company the other night.  But I just had to tweak it a bit.

I only put half of the sugar in the yellow cake, tasting, of course, to confirm it still was simply sweet.

I chose to follow the frosting recipe’s sweetness exactly to make up for the milder yellow cake.

Our company brought dinner: the most incredible Indian cuisine I’ve had.

And ended with cake that was rich in cocoa, not necessarily in sweetness.

The best part for me (besides getting my hands on a large piece of cake) was seeing Caroline pull out a birthday card for our guest with her own birthday message to him, completely of her own accord.

The return of the warm sun called for some celebratory lemonade.

My new year’s resolution has been to find alternative ways to sweeten life without using refined sugar.  Lots of taste testing takes place in making lemonade, for example, to make it sweet enough and not overly sweet while experimenting with other natural sweeteners.

Agave is a great substitute I’ve been experimenting with.  It has become fascinating to me, dating back to the Aztecs.   It is sweeter than sugar so requires less in recipes.

Its sweetness comes primarily from a complex form of fructose called inulin. Fructose is the sugar that occurs naturally in fruits and vegetables. The carbohydrate in agave nectar has a low glycemic index, which provides sweetness without the unpleasant “sugar rush” and unhealthful blood sugar spike caused by many other sugars.

(www.allaboutagave.com)

I was impressed years ago when I visited Europe how simple and delicate desserts and sweets were.  That other flavors could be the spotlight instead of the intensity of just “sweet” I was accustomed to back home.

A million things come to mind: twinkies, soda, candy, cookies, pies, cakes, etc.  How accustomed we are to very sweet.

So far, these past few years, my children still love and are thrilled with cookies made with whole grains (I put it in everything) and much less sugar (or substitutes).

Give it a try: use a natural sweetener like real maple syrup or honey in a recipe.  You’ll actually be benefiting from their natural vitamins and minerals as well.  Check here to know how to substitute for refined sugar.

Now for the winners of the totes!

Anna Hale and Zeeny–Congrats!  Send me a message in “Contact Me” with your home address to know where to ship them.

Nicole