A note on Mothers and flourless microwave minute cake

As I reflect on this, my last not-quite-yet-a-mother's day, I need to call attention to a handful of incredible, beautiful women who made me who I am today.


I will obviously mention my mother who raised 9 children. Who, at the age of 19 packed her infant daughter up and flew to Germany to be with my dad. Who, while pregnant, went to school to become a nurse. I love the story of how she studied while pregnant with me, delivered me on a Thursday and took her final that Monday.. as a pregnant lady, I can't imagine retaining enough information to remember what I went to the store for, let alone a nursing school final! I love the quiet memories of hiding behind the kitchen wall while she cooked, just trying to remember how she put certain meals together... an act that served her well a few years later when I took over the cooking and she came home from her 12 hour shifts to a hot meal. The day when I got in her car after school and she rushed me home, not telling me why. Commanded I go upstairs and change.. I have 5 minutes. Not knowing what I was to change into, but not wanting to challenge my mother, I took off. There on my bed... a pink leotard. Little pink shoes. Pink tights. I don't remember if we drove to my first day of ballet, or if I flew....

I will mention her mother... who was brave enough to raise her children on her own. Who worked as many jobs as she could get her tired hands on to feed her children, often enduring grueling physical labor working at the packing house for half (or less) than men were making for the same work. As tired as she was, she made a weekly date with her children to cuddle up in the livingroom and watch Creature Feature with a weekly treat of soda and candy. She would wake you up at 4am to have a cup of coffee and play Yahtzee. From Grandma Fisher, we ladies became stubborn and strong willed. We learned that excuses are for the weak, and we would never do her the dishonor of being such. She was our Joan of Arc.. the strongest woman in the world, and I see her every day in the actions of my incredible sisters. 

I think of Shannon, the captain of the Locke sister team. I remember a year, Shannon was newly single and had 5 perfect sons to feed, clothe, and keep from knowing things were tough. She could have worked a as a waitress and flirted for enough tips to keep the lights on... but she decided instead that this was the time to go to school. She worked so hard, staying up to study after a long day of work, school, running her sons everywhere, cooking, and keeping the house and laundry up... just to wake up bright and early and do it again. She never snapped.. she never pushed her sons away when they needed her and patiently, she got her degree. Those 5 incredible boys are such a testament to their Mother's strength and love.. One of them has graduated and moved out, another is graduating today. Brilliant, beautiful boys who I am so proud to know!
Now, after raising those 5 sons into teenagers, she has 2 baby daughters to start over with. She is the picture of motherhood.. and I'm so thankful for her <3










                                                      



Heather... where to begin???
She's my best friend. I've looked up to her since I was.... born. She is strong.. but she is so much more. I've mentioned her before, and I mention her often. If we've ever met, you've heard me tell you about my other mother, my sister Heather. You've heard me tell you about her taking me to see Frankenstein at the community playhouse. Or the time she tried to help me fix my overly highlighted hair by buying a box of red... I looked like the koolaid man! Then we ran to the store at 11pm to find a box color and HOPEFULLY fix it...  Or renting a cabin and bringing us kids out to make s'mores and go swimming. Taking us to Joe's lake, just to get us away. I'm thankful for Heather every day. 

Erin taught me everything I ever needed to know about how to perform an opera in the basement. Step one: Stand on the pool table. There are better acoustics up by the ceiling... Step two: Put a book on your head. If it doesn't fall off, you were not emoting. Step three: Always have a large pizza on hand. The grease.. uhm. Lubricates your vocal cords? And step three: The words aren't important. I hope these are the same lessons she's teaching her 7 children as they grow under her creative eye! 

My Little Lindsay.. Sweet little sister <3 She's always been a bit of a tough cookie. Not so mushy as myself. Not SO sentimental. Another hard worker. Determined and strong.. and then one lovely Christmas, she announces she's going to have a baby. This tough little cookie didn't give an inch of her strength over, but instead became the perfect example of how a person can be tender, loving, kind... but firm. I've never seen anyone look at someone the way she looks at her son. I imagine if a blind person wakes one day.. vision restored, just in time to see their first sunrise. Every day. 






I can only begin to hope that I can show the strength and love these women have taught me. I hope I can make them all proud of the Mother I will become.


I have so many other Mothers to thank... but I will leave you with this: If you've ever loved someone with everything you have.. if you've ever given over the 'best slice' or the 'pretty piece of cake' or the last of dinner to someone you love more than yourself.. if you've ever spent a sleepless night tending to a fever.. if you've ever worked yourself so hard you don't know how to keep standing... then remembered the sweet face of the one you love and found new strength... Happy Mother's Day. 

Flour-less Microwave cake! (perfect for your favorite Mama!)


Soooo easy... 1 minute to prepare


1/4 cup ground flax seed
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cocoa powder
1 tsp butter or coconut oil


You could throw some walnuts in if you like.. mix into a coffee mug and microwave on high for 50 seconds.
That's. It.
You could get creative and sink a piece of dark chocolate into the center to make it a molten cake, if you like =) 

That's all I've got for you today.. give your favorite mama a hug and a cup o' cake today and smile <3

My tiny project that has kept me away... And a cavegirl goes colonial. (Butter)

Hey guys!! It's been a while =)

Many of you already know why.. but I'll get to that.

For starters, I delivered all of the donations to the Open Door Mission a while back and just wanted to update you on that... after about 2 dozen trips around Omaha picking up your clothes, food, and toys you were ready to part with (And a couple of group pick ups at the gym I teach at) and 3 trips in my little tiny Mazda to get them delivered, 1200 pounds were donated to the people who need it the most.

I was so overwhelmed by the generosity of my friends and loved ones.. and perfect strangers!!!

So with that, the LockeYoga food and clothing drive is closed and has left me incredibly satisfied with the beautiful people in my life. Thank you <3

This project filled me with joy and energy and determination.. so I decided to use that momentum to start a weekend project: Free Will Donation Yoga in the Park!

Simple idea.. coffee can at one end of my yoga mat. Throw in some pocket change or a couple of dollars and flow with your friends. Many people can't afford studio prices and still others just find the whole scene too pretentious.. this gives them the opportunity to pay only what they want to!

Plus, the atmosphere is amazing.. Zorinsky Lake is so beautiful! And the park nearby gives any children attending a place to play while their parents practice their asana!

I maintain this was an amazing idea.. but the weather didn't cooperate right away..

That's ok. Spring is fickle.. it'll work out!!!

Then.. I started feeling tired. 

So incredibly tired... that the back of my mind started telling me something was wrong.

Sometimes, everything would be just fine.. til suddenly I'd just become ill.

I didn't want to tell The Caveman how worried I was, so I just tried to sleep a lot.. 

I finally decided I would visit a doctor.

Not knowing how worried I was, Abrabacon handed me a pregnancy test.

Just to humor him.... just to make him stop teasing me.... Knowing it would be negative, I sulked into the bathroom.

Sooooooo.

Guess what guys????

=)

That's our tiny little cavebaby, BamBam <3 <3 <3 I love him/her so much!!!

So the theme of this blog might be changing ever so slightly... to that of a Paleo Pregnancy =)

As I sit here with my morning sickness bucket on my left, my Paleo Banana Bread on my right, and my Caveman fawning over my as-yet-not evident baby belly, I am so excited to take you all with me on this journey!

So I'll see you all Saturday morning at 10 or Sunday night at 6 for yoga in the park.. and until then, just a small recipe (since food sounds like an awful idea just now!)

Alright, so butter...

If you've been Paleo for a while, you know how important grass-fed butter is... and you probably know how hard it is to locate at your local grocery store.

However!!!

You can probably find grass-fed cream!

Turns out, butter is ridiculously easy to make. 

Ready?

Ingredients: Grass fed Cream.

Yup. That's it.

But here's where you can learn from my mistakes ;)

I poured my cream into this glass bottle and shook it like a polaroid picture... but didn't really think ahead to how I would get the butter out...

So my NEW recommendation is that you put your cream into a food processor or blender and just overwhip it.

When it's coagulated and begun to form chunks, you're there! Now spill this all out into a sieve or colander and rinse with very cold water (the liquid dripping out is buttermilk, so you can save this if you want to use it in other recipes later!) and press out with a rubber spatula.

And that's it! You've got butter =)

If it tickles your fancy, you can salt your cream before you begin whipping or shaking or stirring the living daylights out of it.. or you can add roasted garlic or pepper... whatever you want to season your butter with =)