Should I let my 3 years old be more independent?

My almost 3 years old Flower is driving me crazy.

She says she is already a big girl, that she's almost three and therefore she needs no help for certain things. Like dressing up in the morning when I'm in an hurry because I have to take Sun to school and I have to be in the office at 9 AM. I know it is a good thing that she wants to dress herself alone and she already can do it by herself. The problem is when she doesn't like the trousers or the T-Shirt and she wants to change the clothes I already chose. I start being late and I began to stress.

My Sun was always too dependent on me as he was for 5 years the only child. I always dressed him and bathed him and now at the age of 8 he still wants me to be present or help him when he dresses and bathes.

So, at the age of 3, should I let her choose her own clothes? Should I get her up a little earlier so that she can dress up alone even if it takes a little bit more time? Will this make her more independent in the future?

From Flower: Words to Remember

This last few weeks Flower has been saying something to me that it's totally sweet and makes me feel very loved. As we are Portuguese, the sentence is in Portuguese, but I want to write it down on the blog so that one day I can remember it (as if I could forget it).

Out of nothing almost everyday she comes to me and says:

Mãe, és linda e fofinha.

The translation can be:

"Mom, you are beautiful and fluffy".

(When I say "fluffy" I means like a Teddy Bear that has a fluffy hair).

I melt down...

Favorite Ingredients Friday (Portuguese Cream Custards)

Portuguese Cream Custards - Pasteis de Nata

http://www.fooddownunder.com

This Cream Custards are one of the most popular desserts in Portugal. Every coffee shop got them. It's great to have a coffee and a Cream Custard.

PASTRY
2 cup flour plus more
1 tsp salt
2 tbl sugar
10 tbl chilled butter cut 1/4" cubes
5tbl ice water - (to 7 tbspns)

CUSTARD
1 tbl cornstarch
1 ½ cup whipping cream
1cup sugar
6x egg yolks

1 - For the Pastry: In bowl of food processor fitted with metal blade, pulse flour, salt and sugar to combine. Add butter and pulse until flour resembles coarse, uneven cornmeal, about 10 one-second pulses. Drizzle 5 tablespoons ice water over mixture. Pulse several times to work water into flour. Add remaining water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and continue pulsing until mixture develops small curds. Turn dough out onto work surface, shape into a disc and cover in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 1 hour.

2 - On lightly floured surface, roll half the dough to 1/16-inch thickness. Cut out 6 (4 1/2-inch) circles. Ease dough circles into a 12-cup (4-ounce capacity) nonstick muffin pan, pressing out any overlap. Repeat with remaining dough. Place in freezer 5 minutes. Trim overhang with knife. Line dough cups with cupcake papers and fill with dried beans or pastry weights. Bake at 350 degrees 10 minutes to set.

3 - For the Custard: Dissolve cornstarch in 1/4 cup cream in medium bowl. Add remaining cream and sugar and stir until mixture is smooth and sugar dissolves. Check for sugar granules with a spoon; none should remain. In small bowl, blend yolks with fork until smooth. Add to cream mixture, stirring gently to combine.

4 - Ladle egg mixture into partially baked pastry cups, filling to 2/3 capacity. Bake at 350 degrees until edges of custard are puffed and middle is still jiggly, 20 to 25 minutes. (Custard will continue to cook after removing from oven.) Cool completely in pan. Best when eaten the same day.

This recipe yields 12 servings.

To check other Favorite Ingredients Friday visit Overwhelmed With Joy

Two days in a post

Tuesday
It was holiday in Portugal - Carnaval Day.
The day was grey, raining on and off. In the morning we played in a room we have on the basement called "the Toy Room". We played all together for quite some time. I also arranged some clothes that don't fit any more to take to daycare.

After lunch we went out to have a cup of coffee and we meet my recent-married BIL/SIL. As usual the conversation ended up talking about money.
I need extra money and we talked about home jobs that actually could make me earn some extra cash. There are also courses I could take to improve my know-how but working full time, two kids, it's difficult to manage a university / other school course right now.

I like crafty works, decoupage, cloth painting, clothes accessories, but it's difficult to sell. ... I have to think...think.

The afternoon was spent outside the house (dad stayed in the living room watching TV). The kids played with some neighbours and I chat with their mom's while looking after them.

Wednesday
I took the day off since my kid wasn't having school and I had one day left from last year holidays. We spend some time playing in the garden, in the swings, we watched TV, I played with my Flower to what I call "cut and glue". I cut images from the supermarket catalogue and she glues them in a white sheet. She loves doing that. While she was asleep in the afternoon I played computer with Sun. It is a Football game and although I dislike it...well I made an effort. Then we just laid in bed, the two of us, and watch the youth soap opera that both of us like.

When Flower woke up she joined us and soon it was time to start dinner.

Among all these good moments spent together there are always some not-so-good moments when they misbehave and I have to lift up my voice and get mad.

Husband health issues

This post was supposed to be written last Thursday but due to lack of time... (I need at least 36 hour per day to do everything...sigh!)

Three years ago my husband had to go the ER since he had something on is lower back that was making him having a lot of pain, and he no longer was able to walk. It ended up to be a milium - a small whitish lump in the skin due to a clogged sebaceous gland. He was given local anesthesia and the lump was cut right there in the ER. It is a non dangerous lump, it is normal to occur and many people have them and remove them. Some time after this, my husband had an appointment with a surgeon and she said that the lump would have to me removed through surgery. Here in Portugal our Health department is miserable and only 3 years after, he was called to start all the procedures for the surgery.

He has blood tests, Rx and an electrocardiogram to make on March 8th. As he is allergic to Aspirin he has an appointment with the Anesthetists Nurse on the same day because she/he has to make sure that there will be no component in the anesthesia that is based on Aspirin or related to it. He also had to update his vaccines, once the Tetanus was out-of-date.

On March 20th he goes back to the Surgery Appointment with all the exam results in order to establish the surgery date. I hope it is not in this same week (20-23) because March 22th is my Flower birthday.

We already know that the recovery is going to be a little painful and it's going to take a couple of weeks. He is not going to be able to sit for sometime. The lump is right in the beginning of his buttocks, at the end of the spice. So, he is showing his buttocks to a lot of people, surgeon, anesthetists, nurses, his buttocks are going to be famous!!

Carnaval is on the street!

Carnaval season

Last Friday children went to school all dressed up and they did a parade in the avenues of the city. The rain was iminent and some kids got wet.

These photos were taken today.

Sun and Flower were all dressed up. Sun was a Black Ninja and Flower was a Bear (without painted nose and without "whiskers") she didn't want her face painted. Sun is always very excited with Carnaval but Flower is afraid of some outfits used by other people even knowing that it is a person that is under the masks. There are some really scary masks and she really freaks out when she sees one.

We went to see a Parade in our city. There are Parades in almost every cities, some very well known in the country others organized by local people or communities like the one we went to see. It was windy and cold, I'm glad Flower had that outfit because she was very warm and her ears were cover with the "bear head"and she was protected from the cold. There are masquerade balls everyday, from Friday to Tuesdays, we usually do not attend them, it's a lot of people and for the kids is too much noise and confusion.

Tuesday, the same Parade we saw today is on the street again.

Favorite Ingredients Friday (Sausage Frittata)

Tortilha com Chouriço - Sausage Frittata

(by David Leite)

This recipe can be server warm as a meal or at room temperature as an appetizer or snack.

Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 pound Portuguese chouriço, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1/2 pound waxy potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/8-inch slices
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup diced roasted red peppers
7 large eggs
1/8 teaspoon black pepper


1. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in an ovenproof 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the chouriço and sautéuntil lightly browned, about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a plate. Adjust the heat to medium-low and add the onions and potatoes. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and cook, stirring often, until the onions are translucent and the potatoes are fork tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes more. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and add the roasted red peppers and the chouriço.

2. Preheat the broiler. Beat the eggs until fluffy. Season with the remaining 3/4 teaspoon of salt and the pepper. Pour over the chouriço mixture and toss to coat. Wipe out the pan and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the skillet and heat over medium heat, then pour in the egg mixture. Using a rubber spatula, quickly stir to briefly cook the eggs, then shake the pan to settle the filling. Run the spatula around the sides of the pan to release the tortilha. Adjust the heat to medium-high and cook until the edges are set, 3 to 4 minutes. Place the skillet under the broiler and cook until the top is nicely browned and no puddles remain, 1 to 2 minutes.

Slide the tortilha onto a large platter. Serve warm or at room temperature, cut into wedges.

(Chouriço is very similar to smoked dried sausages).

To check other Favorite Ingredients Friday visit Overwhelmed With Joy

Valentine's Day report

In Portugal, Valentine's day is more celebrated between dating couples, it is a girlfriend / boyfriend thing. However married or living together couples also started to celebrate this day in the last few years.

For us at home it was just another day. We worked all day, got home with the kids and spend the rest of the day as usual.

We never got out to celebrate, although we exchange a little "present". This year it was boxes of chocolates. I gave Mon Cherry to my husband and he gave me a heart shaped box of Guylian chocolates.

My son took a Valentine Card made by himself (which he refused to show me) to his recent "girlfriend" Mariana (first he told me she was called Beatriz...I guess he wasn't sure to whom he was given the card!)

I was really fascinating reading some posts about people that exchange cards and sweets between friends and neighbours. Here that doesn't happen...still.

Happy Valentine's Day

Change of template

I was looking for a three column template for a while. After several attempts to make the changes by hand I gave up and made a online search and I was able to find The Blog Crowds Site with 3 column templates versions from the regular Blogger templates already converted to the new Blogger. I was looking for a "very good looking" template but for now I am going to use this one.

Now I have to make a header that fits the blog name "The Sun-Flower Family", a header with Sunflowers.

I added my Online Store on the left sidebar. For now it only has a few products, I intend to expand it as soon as I have more time to search for quality products at a fair price. Take a look!

Fluffy but not Friendly - Pine Catterpillar

There is always a first time for everything, people say, and last Friday I saw for the first time in my life a well known caterpillar (worm) that is not very friendly.

I live (always have) near the biggest Portuguese Pine Forest, and always heard about a caterpillar that attacks the Pines, weakening them and even killing them. The caterpillars are dangerous because if someone touches its fluffy, soft hair, will have a major skin allergy, irritated eyes and respiratory problems. The allergy can be very serious particularly in children and dogs.

I work surrounded by pines and Eucalyptus and in our parking lot I saw a big line of caterpillars on the ground. They almost touch each other as they “crawl” one after another. I went to the office grab the camera and took some pictures. It was funny. There was this woman inside a parked car and when I noticed her, she was looking at me. She was probably asking herself: "What is she doing, taking pictures of the ground?" I believe that from the distance she could not see the line of caterpillars. My co-worker who was in the office came to the window screaming: Are you ok? Have you lost your mind? What are you doing? ...

Well...they really look fluffy!!!

My kids are well informed about touching these small animals since our house is also near pine trees.

Favorite Ingredients Friday (Portuguese Paradise of Chocolate + Liqueur)

Thanks Overwhelmed for having this great idea - hosting a Valentine's Day Chocolate Edition.

I am going to present a delicious Portuguese chocolate cake. It's called Paradise of Chocolate. Unfortunately the only time I made it I didn't take a picture...we ate it too fast, no time for pictures. Yummy.

• 14 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened baking chocolate
• 10 tablespoons margarine, softened
• 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
• 6 egg yolks
• 6 egg whites
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
• 1 cup apricot jelly

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place a circle of parchment paper into the bottom of a 10 inch pan for easy removal.
2. Break the chocolate into pieces, and melt it in a metal bowl over simmering water. Stir frequently until melted. Remove from heat, and set aside to cool - don't let it harden.
3. In a medium bowl, cream together the confectioners' sugar and margarine until light and fluffy. Mix the 6 egg yolks into the chocolate until well blended, then stir the chocolate mixture into the sugar mixture.
4. In a large clean glass bowl, whip the egg whites to soft peaks. Gradually pour in the white sugar while continuing to whip the egg whites to stiff peaks. Combine the flour and yeast, and fold them into the egg whites. Fold in the chocolate mixture. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared 10 inch round cake pan.
5. Bake for 1 hour in the preheated oven, or until the top of the cake springs back when lightly touched. Allow cake to cool completely before removing from pan.
6. Split the cake in half horizontally and place the top of the cake onto a serving plate. Spread 2/3 of the apricot jelly onto that layer, then flip the bottom layer, flat side up, and place on top of the other one. Spread remaining jelly over the top.

Enjoy.


I also found a recipe that I think some of you might like. It is a little late to be made for Valentine's day because it takes 10 days to be ready!!
It is a Portuguese Chocolate Licor - home-made liqueur from the island of St. Michael in the Azores.

• 1 quart whiskey
• 1/2 lemon
• 4 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1 quart milk
• 6 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate
• 2 vanilla beans

1. In a gallon container combine whiskey, lemon, sugar, milk, chocolate squares and vanilla beans. Keep at room temperature for 10 days, stirring once a day.
2. After 10 days, remove the lemon half, chocolate and vanilla beans. Insert a coffee filter into a large funnel. pour the liquid through the filter into a gallon jug. Change filter as needed. A clear yellow solution should result. This liqueur can be stored in a sealed bottle at room temperature.

For more Valentine's Day Chocolate Recipe go to Overwhelmed With Joy.

Any ideas for a online part-time job I could have?

Right now we are more trying to survive than "living". The income is not enough for the montly expenses and it is a daily struggle to cut on no-existing expenses.

I've been trying for some time to find something I can do online. Here in Portugal being online is still a new thing and there are no (that I know) companies accepting emploees for online jobs. Here, there are no telecommuting jobs or virtual assistance jobs.

I have been thinking a lot (too much indeed) in what I can do to earn some more money. I work 8 hours a day, two kids, I get home real tired but if I find a work online I can spend a few more hours (lunch time, at night) working in the computer. I love being online. I use that time now to search, and search for jobs.

I've entered the world of PTR -Paid to Read emails, but they all end up being scam and the ones still working on the market are mostly for US members.

I've been printing some tutorial books of html, css, etc and I thought that it would be a good idea to enter the Web Design business, but there are already so many sites offering that kind of work.

I know some people make newsletters for some organizations but I have no contacts.

I have some Certificates of English as a Foreign Language from Cambridge University, I could do some translation, be a online tutor for some online schools teaching languages. I could also contribute to some blog organization where I could write about my country, culture or other required themes.

If someone visiting this blog know of some companies accepting online workers (from outside US) or other useful information or contacts please leave a comment or email me at soleflor@sapo.pt.

Any ideas are welcome!!

From the Sunday afternoon...

we spent the entire Sunday afternoon enjoying the sunny day. It has been very cold but yesterday we had a wonderful sunny day.

We left home right after lunch and we headed to a local park. We took the In-line skates and the bicycle. It was the first time Sun was outside on the street rolling his skates and Flower her bicycle. I also tried Sun's skates and it was great. Around 25 years ago I used to skate in competitions but since than no skates for me. Well... it's like riding a bicycle...we never forget. (although mine we 2+2 wheels and there are 4 in-line wheels).

Afterwards we went near the beach where there is a special bicycle / skate / walking path (like the one in red in the pictures) and we spent more time there with some family who were also enjoying the day.

Of course the day could not end without a discussion between father and son and I was not so happy at the end of the day.

Favorite Ingredients Friday (Tuna (or Sardine) and Olive Paste)

This is not a traditional Portuguese Recipe but I love to eat Tuna Paste on small toasts when I go to a party as an appetizer.

Pasta de Atum (ou Sardinha)

Tuna (Or Sardine) and Olive Paste

(By Patricia Wells and from the Provence Cookbook).

1 cup best-quality french brine-cured black olives, pitted (such as Nyons)
2 tablespoons capers, in vinegar, drained
2 tablespoons dry red wine
2 plump garlic cloves, peeled, green germs removed, minced
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper (to taste)
1 (7 ounce) can best-quality tuna in olive oil (do not drain)
1-2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, as necessary

1 - In the bowl of a food processor or blender, combine all the ingredients.
2 - Process to form a thick paste, adding additional oil if necessary to form a smooth puree.
3 - Taste for seasoning.
4 - The spread can be stored, covered and refrigerated, for up to 1 week.

Variation: Along the same lines, prepare a more pungent sardine-based spread, or sardinade, substituting a 3 3/4 ounce can of best-quality sardines cured in olive oil for the canned tuna.

Served on small toasts - delicious.

I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

To check other Favorite Ingredients Friday visit Overwhelmed With Joy

A letter to my Son on his 8th Birthday

Hello Son,

Today it’s your 8th birthday. Happy Birthday.

Last night I invited you to sleep in my bed together with your sister. Your birth hour was at 0:48 and I wanted to be near you at that time. You woke up at 7.30 and you said, “It’s my birthday”., and I replied "Yes it is, Happy birthday" and I hugged you and kissed you.

I sang the happy birthday song, Flower was still “not very” awake but she sang along (although with other words, you know, that words we put in songs to make us laugh!!)

I had already prepared your clothes for you the night before and they were waiting for you with a present on top, it was a Sweat Shirt that you immediately said you adored and wanted to take to school.

I prepared the drinks, soda, juice, plastic cups, etc to take to school and I told you I would leave from work earlier at lunch time to pick up the cake and meet you at school and spend the lunch hour with you. We had discussed the theme of the cake but even so you were surprised with the final result. The cake was beautiful with your favourite music band printed on it- "4Taste". I was around the school play yard with you and your friends for about one hour, I took pictures and at 13:30 the teacher joined the class and we all went to the refectory. The teacher lightened the candles and the all class sang the Happy Birthday song. They ate cake and drank the juices and sodas. You were very happy, and so was I.

Dad picked you up earlier at the day care and took you to a music/game store where you bought your favourite Play Station game GTA S.A..

At 18:30 I picked up the other cake, the one I bought only for the four of us. It had the picture the young people participation on your favourite youth soap opera on TV - "Morangos com Açucar (Strawberries with Sugar)".

Flower gave you a T-shirt and neighbour L. gave you a waistcoat.

Dad stopped at Mac Donald's to bought your favourite food, Hamburgers (Happy Meal) and we made a Picnic in the middle of the living room. Than we brought the cake to the picnic and we sang the Happy Birthday to you, only the four of us.

Later Uncle M., Aunt A, and Cousins A. and N. made us a surprised and dropped by to give you a present - In-Line Skates - the present you were wishing for.

Over all it was a very nice day and you were very happy all the time.



As you know you’re grounded because of misbehave and you are not allowed to invite any friends to the Birthday Party we usually make every year. You are still going to receive presents from the family, and from some friends. For sure they will stop by our house even without an invitation.

It’s not that we don’t love you, or that we are mad at you but dad was right when he grounded you. We are keeping our position and you’re not having a Birthday Party. My heart is broken so is dad’s. We hope you learn something from this situation and that in the future you don’t see it has a bad lesson but as a constructive one.

I love you very much and I wish you all the best in the worls.

Kisses, hugs, tickles, love, a lot of Love from
Mum