Carrie's Angels!

I just couldn't help myself, they got into this pose all by themselves! Which one is Farrah? My dear sweet little girl spent her birthday money on these big beasts of water guns. She bought herself and each of her brothers one of these! Needless to say, I am staying inside and admiring my little Marines from the other side of the window! It is really nice to have them outside and running around. Hearing them laugh is very comforting, and it's especially nice that they are not whining that they are bored, Already?! School has only been out a few days, not even a full week and already they are complaining that they are bored! What's a Mom to do? It brought me back to the days when we used to play outside, although, I never wanted to come in, we played a tag/hide-n-seek game called Ringaleveo(not sure if I spelled that right) most summer nights. I always had to go in early and my friends were always sitting on the fence talking to me through the window(sorry Mom) and I always wished I could stay outside just a little longer. Street Hockey, Stick ball, and even Planet of The Apes, we were always busy. Today it seems I have to force and coerce my children to breath in any kind of fresh air, and two of the three would rather read a book than go out and play! What's up with that? They must be chips off the old blocks! I am hopeful that the arsenal will keep them busy and happy for at least a few days! So what are your kids doing for creative fun this summer??

Yummy!!!!!!

Tonight I made the most delicious Pasta, oh yummy~ It was from The Classic Zucchini Cookbook. Zucchini with Fettuccine, and it was good. First I quartered and diced 2 zucchini and then 2 summer squash. Sauteed them in butter and added garlic(and lots of it) then I added in 3 diced and seeded Roma tomatoes, parsley, and basil. Plus it called for stock so I got out my yummy Magic Mineral Broth, again! and added that in. Tossed it with some whole grain linguine(store didn't have whole grain fettuccine) and then sprinkled on fresh grated Parmesan. We ate it with a green salad and it sure was good! It was very fresh and light in comparison to some pastas sauces I have eaten.

Holy Corn!

Oh my, I just have to share this! Last night we watched a movie called King Corn. Wow.. where to start? This movie exposed the facts about farming, government, and my favorite thing to avoid Corn Syrup! It started out with the two young men filming the documentary renting an acre of land to grow corn. They took us through the process of growing, to where it goes after harvest. What an eye opening experience, stuff we all know, but most of the time close our eyes to. We grow more inedible corn in our country than anything else. How sad is that?

Then they took us to the Beef farms where they stuff the cattle with their unnatural food(corn feed), until sick, saying 'good thing they fatten up quick, cause they are going to die soon anyway' I have to say, that spun me up real quick. When we 'know' something it is definitely different then seeing it first hand, and they certainly showed the reality of the situation. There was a cow stuck in this contraption so that he can't move, and a hole(yes a hole) cut into his side so that the beef farmer can reach inside the gut and see how 'things are digesting' yikes! I wont go into any more detail.

How about the farmer family that said that they don't even eat the corn they grow, because it's not edible! Their attitude was, I don't care where the corn goes, it's my living! The farming program is set up that farmers can't support themselves without growing this genetically modified corn. Too bad we can't eat most of this corn. There is nothing more that I love then some good tasty sweet corn. The men making the documentary spit their own corn out, one saying that it 'tasted like chalk'.

Please check out the website for additional information here: http://www.kingcorn.net/

All I have to say is that, it makes me more determined to buy the most local produce, and organic whenever possible. I encourage everyone to take a vested interest in your own health, be aware of what you are eating and putting into your body. If you don't know what it is, find out, or avoid it! Read the entire label, check out the ingredients, not just how many calories per serving. Be an informed consumer, suply and demand, perhaps we can get more healthy options into our supermarkets. Be Well, Be healthy.

Bragging Rights!!!

Yesterday Morning the middle school had it's 6-7 Grade Awards. We had gotten a letter that our son would be receiving an award, however, we did not know what for. We never told Zach that we even got the letter, that Dad took the day off from work, or even that we were coming! Even as Zach walked right passed us coming into the auditorium, he did not see us. The night before, he said to us, "all we really are doing tomorrow is the awards ceremony.""Oh really", I told him. "Do you think we should come?" He quickly got defensive and said it was too late to find out if parents can come to the ceremony. Little did he know. We were pleasantly surprised and so excited for him, to not only receive 1 award, but 4. First he got the perfect attendance award. Then came a scholarship award for his 94 average for the year! Wow... that wasn't enough, he got a science award for achievement, then an award and medal for continental Mathematics league(I don't know if this is something we are supposed to know about or not).

With the school year starting off with living 45 minutes away, and getting up very early to drive to school, plus just moving across country, I must say we are beyond proud of Zach and his accomplishments! Great Job Zach!

Saying Good-bye to S.A.D.

Why the typo you ask? No typo, however pun intended. See this girl on the left, well that was me. yup... me! Notice I said WAS because I am no longer that sad girl on S.A.D. What is S.A.D. well it's the standard American diet. Humm... you know the one. Golden Arches and toys for the kids, cheese in the crust, ingredients you can't pronounce let know what they are, from the box, in the freezer, You mean french fries used to be potatoes? Wow. So if you see, this is where I say pun intended, because the smile is really just a farce of a scared and insecure woman, and certainly not indicative of a happy person. After years of hard work, exercise and eating healthy foods(you know the ones, the kind you pull right off the plants) Not only have I said good-bye to S.A.D. but I have also said good-bye to being sad! I have found for me that there is such a correlation to, caffeine, sugar, processed foods and depression, cravings and generally feeling tired, bloated and miserable. After several years of giving up fast food, refined food, boxed food and focusing on healthy homemade foods, I have to say that I am thrilled to say a big adios to the diet that has taken over America. I have a choice, if I want health and inner peace, if I want to be energetic, or tired, if I want to sleep well, be well and have a generally balanced life. I have given up instant gratification from food, for a deep and nourishing peace. For the energy to actually walk to the park with my children, even though I had gone for a long hard run that morning. I enjoy making my food,creating nourishing meals, and sitting at the table with my family to enjoy the blessing of health and share about our day. Food is fuel, so I finally realize that sometimes you get what your pay for. Sure organic locally grown food may be a little more costly, but I care to think about it like this. How many co pays am I going to save, because I am healthy and not going to the doctors, humm... how much does it cost for a week long vacation in the hospital after triple bi pass surgery? Missing work, and missing the biggest blessing in life being with my family... So I have to ask. Next time you pull up the the clown face with a speaker box, ask yourself, where do you really want to be in your life? How would you like your body to feel? Would you like more energy? How about not saying you hate to exercise because inside you know you can't do it? So I challenge you, to make one good choice for yourself, getting away from the S.A.D. and slow down enough to enjoy life and what it has to offer. I would love to hear about your choices and share in mine. I am always up for new recipes and new things to do to improve health. The Lady on the right, that's me too.. and my daughter. It's proof that healthy choices, exercise and positive attitude go a long way to a good life. For today I am going to pick, slowing down and enjoying each moment. No more S.A.D. for me.....or being sad!

World's Healthiest Foods, Book Review

Where to start with this book, I guess right at the begining, the cover in this large book(almost 900 pages) George Mateljan has beautiful close up photos of whole foods, the colors are great and it definitely makes me ask myself "What's for Dinner?".

George writes a note about "the healthiest way of eating" and the how and why he chose the foods he did. The nutritional value, availability, taste and so on of each food. He continues to inform the reader(in this case me!) about how to choose, prepare and even cook these foods, including photos, which can be a great help when trying something new. He covers his 'healthiest way of eating'. Writing of eating, whole, natural foods, in season and preferably organic whenever possible. There is a meal plan for those that have difficulty planning, and in my own opinion, when I plan for meals I eat healthier and feel better. The book includes clear understandable descriptions of each food, it's nutritional values are charted, he tells you when the food is in season. The book is colorful and written for anyone, not just the nutritional professional. George stresses the importance of not overcooking your foods, discus's his best recommended methods for each food. This book does not only cover vegetables and fruits, but also covers, meats, fish, and herbs & spices, and whole grains. He does note that we shouldn't only eat the foods in this book, that there are many other foods that we can and should eat; however, I can not imagine how large this book would be if all whole foods were covered in the amount of detail here. He answers questions, and his information is clearly referenced and obviously researched.

In the last section he covers nutrients, What they are, what they do and which foods have them. The information is thorough and laid out in a manner that the reader can understand and follow.

Overall, this is a great and informative book. I have enjoyed the reading and know that every time I pick it up there will be something new I can bring into my kitchen and health.

You can see this book on his website World's Healthiest Foods, and read more articles, information beyond what is in the book.

Crafty and Eco-Friendly

Bye Bye, little plastic bags at the grocery store and farmers markets(yeah it's summer time!), a new guy has moved in to replace you. It's the reusable produce bag! I did something crafty and useful. It's amazing that I did it with a sewing machine and it is actually fairly straight. This crafty little bag was made from tulle and double fold bias tape. I must say that it was a little tough to get the bias tape pinned on at first, but once I got going I just pinned away. The sewing part was actually fairly easy in comparison. I am not to good with patterns(or recipes) I always tend to add my own touch. I had some directions, but they were a bit hard to follow so all I really did was look at the one a friend had made and copied it. The tutorial that she used is no longer online which is too bad, or I would link you all too it. I for one am really happy to rid myself of those little bags, because of the many times the bags have torn and I had to waste another bag just to get my veggies home in one piece. Plus, there is nothing more embarrassing then having your produce rolling all over the place which has happened to me more than once!

I have plans to make several more in various sizes. The one shown here is really big even in my produce world. It will be great for corn on the cob and other large produce. So today, the Earth has something else to smile about and me, I get to take a break and do something relaxing. Plus no little plastic baggies to throw away! Appears to me that everyone wins!