Recipe: Rory-Safe "Oreos" (Gluten, dairy, soy, chocolate, and artificial-junk -free)

Since Rory's allergy diagnosis, a multitude of normal, everyday foods have become completely taboo.  We went to a birthday party yesterday, with the usual array of sweets, and he was stuck with fruit, and a few marshmallows that I let him have, even though they most likely had blue food coloring in them (Really!  Check the labels).  We will be spending tomorrow with Hubby's family to celebrate Memorial Day, so I wanted to have something special that Rory could actually eat.  So I found a recipe in "Cooking for Isaiah," one of my favorite cookbooks since starting this bewildering food journey, and tweaked it a little.  The result?  Allergy-free "Oreo"-type cookies, and one happy little boy!

Rory-Safe "Oreos"

gluten, dairy, soy, chocolate, and artificial junk - free

Ingredients:

Cookies:

1 cup Namaste Perfect Flour Blend

3 tbsp. carob powder

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup shortening (I use Spectrum Palm Oil Shortening, as Crisco has soybean oil)

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Filling:

1/2 cup shortening

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees, and line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and carob powder
• In a large bowl, beat shortening and sugars until fluffy, then add egg and vanilla.
• Slowly add flour mixture to sugar mixture.
• Drop onto cookie sheets - use about a rounded half-teaspoon per cookie.  Bake for 7 minutes or until crinkled on the top.  Let cool on the sheet for about two minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Mix together filling ingredients.  Put a small amount on the bottom of a cookie, and squish down with the bottom of another cookie that more or less matches.

That's it!  Yields about 30 cookies and 1 happy boy!

This is War!

All I can ask is "Why?"  I can't understand why there is so much suffering.  For the past year or so, I have seen too much.  Cancer.  Sickness.  Strife.  Anger.  I have had at least four people die of cancer, and there are at least four more battling it now, and one or two in recovery.  Splits in the family.  More friends in pain.  Suicide.  Stress.  Persecution.  Accidents.  Children, my own and others, with allergies, seizures, hospitalizations, SUFFERING!  WHY???

Who can I scream at?

How can I stop it?

Why do I feel so powerless?

My heart is broken.

I caught my face in the mirror as I walked past today, and I looked just like this "tragedy" mask.

But walking around upset is not helping anyone.

So this is war.

I can't help everyone.  But I can help one.  I can be the hands and feet of Jesus to someone.  I can be a listening ear, or a comforting shoulder, or food or clothes or a ride to the store.

I will put on my armor (Ephesians 6:9-18).  I will stand with the sheep.  "For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat:  I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink:  I was a stranger, and ye took me in:  Naked, and ye clothed me:  I was sick, and ye visited me:  I was in prison, and ye came unto me."  Matthew 25:35-36.  I will give cups of cold water (Matthew 10:42).  And I will take up my cross, and give my life for my King (Matthew 10:38-39).  


Because this IS war.  And I DO know the adversary.  "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against, powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places"  Ephesians 6:12.  And he would like nothing better than to make me powerless.  But I know how it ends.  Jesus spoke these words:  "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace.  In the world ye shall have tribulation; but be of good cheer;  I have overcome the world."  John 16:33.

Easy Healthy "Dippin' Dots" recipe

So, I'm trying to come up with foods that Rory can eat with his very restricted diet.  One of the most difficult has been ice cream.  It is extremely difficult to find ice cream that is free of dairy, soy, and chocolate all at the same time.  There was a sticker on my banana yesterday, advertising "yonanas."  I went to the website, and they were trying to get you to buy a machine which basically mushed up frozen bananas with other ingredients and came out with something like soft serve ice cream.  "Well," I said to myself, "I don't need a new machine for this!  I have a Ninja Kitchen System 1100!  So, I proceeded to freeze some bananas.  Then, I put them in the blender with some frozen strawberries, and voila!  Not exactly soft serve, as there were tiny bits of bananas and strawberries mixed all together, but Rory said they were like Dippin' Dots.  They passed the kid test, as both of them wanted more!  I put the leftovers in the freezer, so we'll see what happens to it next (oh, boy - science!)  But in the meantime, here's what we did.


Homemade Dippin' Dots
2 bananas, peeled and frozen
1 cup frozen strawberries

Put all ingredients in blender, blend on "Crush" until desired consistency, stopping blender to scrape down sides if necessary.  Scoop into dishes - enjoy!

Tired!

Too tired.  Exhausted, really.  I can feel myself walking around with a drawn expression on my face.  My mind is wandering around somewhere else.

Rory's blood tests came back this week, and the results were not particularly good.  He has allergies to dairy and gluten, borderline vitamin D levels, and low adrenal function.  That last one is the worst.  And because of it, we now have to keep him away from not only dairy and gluten, but chocolate, caffeine, soy, artificial sweeteners, and artificial coloring.  It seems that his adrenal glands are taxed beyond their abilities, and we have to try to get all of the toxins out of him, while putting only good stuff in.

This is a little difficult, as it involves a really hard food switch, but more than that, I'm a worried mom!  I find myself watching him for any little sign that he's getting better, or worse.  I read labels, and find out there's all sorts of junk in so many foods I thought were healthy.  Innocuous things like milk and wheat are now the enemy, and soy is in everything!  It is incredibly difficult to find foods that don't have at least one of the things he's not supposed to have.  I'm even having trouble finding the vitamins he should have - why in the world do vitamin C pills need yellow artificial coloring ?!

So right now I should either be doing dishes, or be in bed, but I'm writing because I have to get this mess out of my head somehow.  I'm not sure it's helping, but hopefully I can make some sense of things.

Rory is also tired, and hungry.  I think he's been tired for a while, and just didn't realize what it was, because it was just normal to him.  I'm trying to get him to pay attention to how he's feeling, and take it easy when he needs to so that his body can start to heal.  I'm not sure why he's hungry.  Maybe it's psychological, because he knows there are things he can't eat.  Maybe it's his body going into some sort of withdrawal from the dairy and gluten, like trying to give up cigarettes or coffee.  Maybe he's growing.  Maybe his body needs more food to heal itself.  Whatever it is, it seems to be real, because he gets really tired, and then perks up after he's eaten something.

The good thing is, there are plenty of things he can eat;  vegetables, fruit, meat, rice and some other grains.  He's not allergic to goat or sheep's milk, so he can have some cheeses.  He can have nuts.  I guess it's not a terrible thing to avoid candy, cookies, ice cream and chocolate.  Well, I'd have a pretty hard time with that last one!

So right now, I'm trying to find alternatives for the things he really likes, and to figure out how to bake without wheat or dairy.  Other than that, we will all be eating a whole lot more "meat and potatoes" type meals, and a lot less pasta and pizza.

I just pray that he will heal.  That this will be enough.  Even if he has to watch his diet for the rest of his life, it will be much better than medications and surgery.  And I thank God that we switched doctors when we did, because his former doctor didn't catch on to any of the signs that he was having problems, and I didn't realize what was going on, either.

Okay, now I will try to catch up on my dishes and get to bed, because we have baseball practice tomorrow!

Not-So-Simple Food...For Rory

Okay, you are going to laugh.  My last two posts had to do with how we simplify our food and making ice cream.  So, we go to the doctor yesterday for Rory's yearly check-up.  He's been generally healthy, but we had a few minor concerns.  The doctor checks him over and said he had symptoms of being intolerant of dairy products.  Not an allergy, but maybe a sensitivity.  So, he recommended that Rory not be given any dairy products for a month to see if it helps.

So Sorry, Cows!

My stupendous menu includes for the next week or so...chicken parmesan, quiche, quesadillas, burritos, pizza, and cheese ravioli.  Hah!  Also, leftover pancakes (made from milk) and yogurt with granola.  Do you realize how many times a week we use dairy products?  Plus, the kids drink milk for most meals.  And, Rory reminded me, we have ice cream cones, which is a rare treat.

I stopped at a health food store on the way home, and bought some almond milk, almond milk yogurt, and rice milk ice cream (for the cones, of course).  It would probably be simpler just to not have Rory eat these types of food for a month, but I couldn't imagine trying to make him go "cold turkey" without some sort of substitute!  Besides, if this turns into a permanent thing, it will be good to know what some of the options are.

So, welcome to the world of recipe modification, label-reading (there are dairy-based ingredients in our favorite bread, and - gasp - chocolate chips, for example), and asking everyone at Sunday's pot-luck what is in their dishes.  Blah!  But, as I told Rory, if it makes him feel better, it will be worth it.

How to Get it all Done when you're Sick!

Haha!  Maybe you thought I actually had the answer to this.  Nope!  I've had a terrible cold/flu/respiratory infection/crud/whatever you want to call it for about a week and a half, now.  I'll spare you the gory details, but I haven't felt this bad in a really long time.  The good news is, I've been able to stay awake all day since Tuesday.  Believe me, this is reason to celebrate when I think of what was going on before Tuesday.  The thing I noticed was, when you are home all day by yourself with two little kids and can't get off the couch, nothing actually gets done.  Hmmm.  I mean, nobody starved or anything, although I vaguely remember one meal consisting of pickles, crackers, and raisins on the coffee table with a movie.  Poor Hubby ended up having to do three dishwasher loads of dishes on his day off, when it finally came.  So, I thought, there has to be a better way.

The Idea:  Forced Child Labor!  Why didn't I think of this before?  I have an almost-nine year old and a three year old here.  It occurred to me that if this happens again, they need to be ready to take over.

The Plan:  Teach the kids to cook and clean!

Now, I don't want you to think my kids are helpless.  Here is a list of their current skills:

Rory:  Dress self, put clothes in hamper separated by color, make bed, pick up room, vacuum and sweep, wipe dishes, get breakfast (cereal or toast), bathe self, feed dog, cat, chickens, collect eggs, shovel snow, make sandwiches, get mail from box.

Lily:  Dress self, put clothes somewhere, get in bed, play in room, look cute, wipe 2 dishes, eat breakfast, sit in bathtub, feed dog, cat, self, get things out of pantry and refrigerator, get mail from box.

So, I have once again set up a daily schedule (I know, I know, but I try at least!).  This time, it includes time for me to actually spend teaching each kid to do housework and cooking.  We've been doing it since Tuesday, yes, the day I could actually stay awake, and it's amazing what you can accomplish in 3 days!  Lily has learned how to make her bed and clean her room with only verbal directions from me, and Rory has learned how to completely clean off the dinner table and wash the dishes.  Lily has helped me make quesadillas and egg drop soup,  and Rory made tacos with just a little help (he later claimed that he can make anything, as long as he has a recipe, ingredients, and a mom!)  We also managed to keep the living room cleaned up, get our regular school work done, and make and paint a volcano - and I'm still not feeling quite as good as normal.  We did skip a couple outings that we usually have during the week, but I think we've done pretty well, all told.  I still have to figure in the laundry, though.

Maybe if I don't get sick again for another two years or so, things will go better!

The Gospel of Health and Wealth

Have you noticed how many big-name religious people are preaching a "health and wealth" gospel?  They make it seem that if you are a Christian, you will automatically be freed from the plagues of sickness and poverty.  If you do happen to be sick or poor, you are obviously doing something wrong.  You must not be praying enough, or sending your money to the right place, or maybe you don't have enough faith.

I just wonder what the very first Christians would think of this.  One of the best arguments for the bodily resurrection of Christ is that the disciples preached it, even though they were under horrible persecution.  Think about it.  If they were trying to prove a hoax, and they had really stolen Jesus' body to make it look like he rose from the dead, would they have all stuck to their story after being punished for it?  What would their motive have been?

The early Christians were imprisoned, beheaded, stoned, hanged, shipwrecked, and fed to the lions.  They hid in the sewers.  They sold all of their land so that they could share with others.  This doesn't sound like "health and wealth" to me.  Preachers like Paul gave up every chance at having a comfortable life in order to tell as many people as possible about the good news of Jesus Christ.

Somehow, I think we're missing the boat.  While we're worried about "enlarging our land" or "having our best life now," we're ignoring our true purpose.  When we get to Heaven, we're not going to bring our land or our house or our SUV, or even our well-toned, healthy bodies.  We're going to bring those people who came to Christ because of us.  While we run after the things of this world, we have to realize that we are running away from God.  Yes, He could choose to give us these things.  Or, maybe he won't.

We have been teaching the Sunday School kids about the Ten Commandments.  The first one is that we should not worship any other gods, and the second is that we should not make any idols.  Focusing on money and possessions, and maybe even our health, is actually worshiping idols.  Jesus said we shouldn't worry about what we will eat, or what we will wear, because the Father knows we need these things. So instead of spending time praying for all the things I want, I need to pray for all those people who need to hear, and pray that I will be used to tell them.  Instead of trying to save my life, I need to spend it for the gospel of Christ.  Come, Lord Jesus!

You Look Marvelous!

I may be dating myself, but how many of you remember the song "You Look Marvelous" by Billy Crystal?  It's a very silly song, complete with a "European Aristocrat" sort of accent.  One of the lines that has stuck in my head all these years goes "It's not how you feel, it's how you look.  And you look marvelous!"

We've had quite a week, here.  For most of it, I had two sick kids.  One was throwing up and the other was sniffling and coughing.  We missed the Tuesday whirlwind at the Library (Lily is scheduled for story time in the morning and Rory in the afternoon), but replaced it with an all-day doctor visit on Thursday. The good news is, I think we have fixed the stomach issue.  Now, we have to try to get the sniffles to go away by tomorrow so my little guy can go to his first ever week of sleep-away camp.

You can pretty much tell with kids when they don't feel good.  They look sick.  They act sick.  They don't go around pretending not to be sick.  Not so with adults.  We adults like to pretend we're fine.  We go on with our lives and "muscle through it."  We wear make-up to cover up the bags under our eyes.  We smile when we feel like crying, and always answer "Fine" to the question "How are you?"  It's expected.  It doesn't matter how we feel, we look marvelous.

Sometimes it's hard to tell what's wrong with kids.  They have a hard time explaining their symptoms.  Some pediatricians are gifted to be able to look at a hurting child and figure out how to heal them.  Sometimes it's hard to tell what's wrong with adults.  They have a hard time admitting to their symptoms.  Some Christians are gifted to be able to look at a hurting soul and figure out how to pray for them.

We had a long day at church.  After the service we had a pot-luck meal, then a meeting for the VBS workers.  That was all kind of routine.  The amazing thing happened after all that.  There were only a few of us left.  In this smaller, more intimate group, the masks started falling away.  Faces which had been frozen into pleasant smiles melted into tears.  Sobs replaced polite conversation.  Hearts were poured out, wounds were exposed, and prayers were offered.  Spirits connected.  The Holy Spirit was called upon, and the Great Physician was enabled to begin his healing work.

I don't know what is going to happen with the situations that were prayed about today.  I will continue to pray, and I'm sure others will, also.  I do know that those saints, with tears washing away their carefully applied make-up, shoulders stooped from the heavy loads they were trying to carry, spirits laid bare for all to see, looked marvelous.

My Poor Baby

We just found out yesterday that Lily has Lyme Disease.  She has been having fevers for the past few days, but didn't seem to have a cold or the flu or anything.  Then, we noticed a rash around her ear.  So, off to the doctor.  She now has 3 weeks of antibiotics to deal with.  Luckily, however, we seem to have caught it relatively early, so hopefully she will not have too many complications.  


This can be a very difficult disease to deal with.  I had it years ago, and it took a very long time for me to get better.  Please pray that it will be a short illness for Lily, and that she will be back to her own funny self soon!  Thanks so much!

Monday Morning Musings

Happy Monday, everyone!  I am up before the kids, so I'm enjoying a little quiet time before the day gets into full swing.  Last week was a hard, busy one for our family.  First of all, the kids and I all got sick.  We must have had the flu, because it hit full force and all of a sudden.  Rory didn't get out of bed at all on Tuesday, except to use the bathroom.  If you know Rory, you will realize how scary that was to watch!  He never lays down for that long.  I got sick at the same time, and then Lily started feeling bad, too.  Mike took the day off work on Wednesday so that I could rest.  That was a big help!  I wasn't well, but I'm sure I would have been worse without the extra sleep.  We are still all coughing and sneezing a bit, but the fevers and aches seem to be gone.

During all of this, Friday night was the AWANA Pinewood Derby.  If you don't know what this is, I will enlighten you.  It is a car race.  The kids get these little blocks of wood, and they have to make them into little wooden cars (about 5" long).  Then, on the night of the derby, a big track is set up.  Four cars race at a time, and each car races four times.  The track works by gravity.  It is raised at the starting end, and then swoops down to the finish.  There is a trigger mechanism which lets all four cars go at the same time, and an electronic eye at the other end which records the time for each car as it goes underneath.  Rory won two of his races, and came in 2nd on two more.  At the end of all of these races (there were about 40!), they find the cars with the four fastest scores, and they race for the trophies.  My goodness!  It was quite the big deal!  There were also prizes for design, and there were some really inventive cars.  Rory's favorite had Lego's mounted to the top.  Well, Rory didn't win a trophy, so he was a bit disappointed.  However, we went to McDonalds afterwards, which cheered him right up.

After the late night Friday, we all had to get up early on Saturday to go to the first day of Baseball!  Luckily it was relatively warm outside.  Rory was happy to find that he head the same coach as last year.  He really liked her!  They got their schedules, did some warm-ups, and played one "game" with each kid getting up to hit once.  Then it was over.  It was much too short for Rory.  He was having a good time.  Well, this is just the beginning.  We will be spending every Saturday there for the next three months!

Yesterday was church.  Mike went to Sunday School, but I let the kids sleep in so that they could get through church okay.  Lily still had a little trouble.  She just wasn't feeling well, yet.  I went out last night to get some groceries.

Today, it's drizzly outside.  We are staying home!  Hopefully we can all get better before the next whirlwind arrives.  We also have a bit of schoolwork to catch up on, since we missed a few days last week.  I'm relieved.  I have to submit my 3rd quarter report to the school with Rory's progress on Friday, so I need the time to get caught up.  I also need to get started on Lily's and my Easter dresses.  So, everyone have a great Monday!

Book Review - "A Compromised Generation" by Beth Lambert

"A Compromised Generation:  The Epidemic of Chronic Illness In America's Children" was written by Beth Lambert, with Victoria Kobliner, MS, RD.  It was published in 2010 by First Sentienent Publications.

Anyone who has children, or spends time with children, has probably noticed that our children seem to have more medical issues than past generations.  In this book, Beth Lambert gives a compelling argument that our environment and lifestyles are contributing to diverse maladies such as Autism, ADHD, Celiac disease, and allergies.  Many parents are concerned about what has happened to their children, and unsure about what to do about it.  Potential parents are worried about having children at all, given the possibilities of having a chronically ill child.  This book addresses those issues very well.

Ms. Lambert has done a huge amount of research in this area.  She methodically presents her case, which is that our children are in danger, and then proceeds to tell us why.  Her premise is that there is not one thing that causes Autism, for example.  It is a "perfect storm" of influences.  She also presents the idea that each child reacts in a different way to those influences, depending on their own constitution, how many environmental factors they are encountering, and even the timing of those factors.  The reaction could be unnoticeable in one child, and cause neurological or physical problems in another.  She reviews five different factors:  Medication Overusage, Environmental Toxins/Pollution, Diet and Nutrition, Habits and Lifestyles, and Immunizations.  She ends the book with case studies of children who have been healed from their "chronic" diseases, and a chapter on how to prevent these things in our own children.

I was very impressed by this book.  It it very well-organized, well-researched, and well-notated. It gave me insight into things that I can do for my own children, as well as hope that any mistakes I have made can be remedied in some way.  I would recommend it to anyone who has children, wants to have children, or cares for children.  The author includes a note at the beginning, stating that she documented all of the research presented in the endnotes to leave a "breadcrumb trail" for others to follow.  She also hopes to provide support and guidance to parents.  I believe she accomplished her aim.

Ms. Lambert also has a website based on the book, where you can get more information about these issues.  You can also sign up for e-mails as more information becomes available (I just did!).  The website is: acompromisedgeneration.com

Rory's Black Bean Soup

Hello, everyone - Rory made supper tonight.  He decided he wanted to make black bean soup, so we came up with a recipe.  It turned out very good, so we thought we should post it in case anyone else wants to enjoy it!  Just so you know, the measurements are approximate, as we did not measure things while making the soup.

1lb. dried black beans
     - soak overnight, then bring to a boil, and skim.  Reduce heat to a simmer, simmer several hours, adding water as necessary.

1/2 onion
1 carrot
3 cloves garlic
     - process in food processor until small pieces, then add to soup.  Bring soup back to a boil, then add:

juice from one lime,
cayenne pepper, cumin, cilantro, salt and pepper to taste.

     -continue to cook until vegetables are tender, about 1/2 hour.
     - serve with grated cheese and plain yogurt or sour cream.

Enjoy!

The Homekeeper's Journal

In my yard… Trying to keep up with the vegetables, looking at the empty space left by the huge bush that was pulled up by the wind last week.

On my grill… Nothing today, but yesterday we had hot dogs and potatoes!

With my children… Rory had his award ceremony for baseball tonight.  He was so excited to get his trophy!  Lily, as usual, Will Not Go To Sleep....

On my mind… H0w to get a 2 year old to stay in bed.

The book of the Bible I keep finding myself turning to lately… Paul's letters.

I am reading… Just finished a mystery by Elizabeth Peters, which I couldn't put down and stayed up much too late last night because I needed to find out what happened.  Have a large biography of Martin Luther from the library which I plan to start If Lily Ever Goes To Bed!

I am looking forward to… Some relaxation...no school, no baseball.  Also, going to visit my family in a few weeks!

Good Morning!

Good Morning, everyone!  Yes, I actually managed to get up BEFORE the kids!  Don't ask me how, as I was actually up pretty late last night.  I did have some motivation, because I realized that Mike was not up yet when I first woke up, and this is his early day for work.  So, I got up and started his coffee, realizing in the process that I had forgotten to start the dishwasher last night before bed like I intended.  It is a portable one that has to be plugged in to the kitchen sink, so I will now have to wait until after breakfast to run it.  At least I don't have any laundry that needs to be done immediately!

Yesterday was absolutely beautiful!  It was (finally) warm outside, and sunny, and the kids and I got to go out and get some fresh air!  Lily seems to be feeling much better, though she woke up coughing yesterday morning.  Our push lawn mower broke a few weeks ago, so I asked Mike if we could get a reel mower (non-motorized) to replace it, as he mows most of the lawn with a lawn tractor, anyway.  So, when he and Rory went to get the plywood for the chicken coop (he has the frame finished) the other day, they checked at Home Depot, and there was actually a reel mower.  They got it, so I'm trying to teach Rory how to mow the lawn.  It really needs to be "hayed" with the tractor before we get too far, because some of it is just too high for the reel mower to handle, but we got a little of it done, and Rory got some practice.  He feels very proud of himself for being able to do a "man's job."

I went into the garage to get the chickens and take them outside, and they were really all over the place!  I actually had a hard time catching them to bring them out, because they kept flying over things I had to go around to get to them.  One stayed in the garage quite a while before Rory managed to chase it out so we could catch it and get it into the fence!  The good thing is, since Mike at least got the frame done on the coop, I decided that I could put a tarp over it so they would have some shelter, so I don't have to try to transport them back and forth anymore!  It is probably just as warm outside as in our unheated garage at this point, and
probably safer for them, too.  The garage is full of bunches of stuff that chickens really shouldn't get into.

Even with the beautiful weather, I had a hard time keeping on schedule and getting anything accomplished.  Mike's younger brother had a pretty serious surgery, so even though I was at home with the kids, my mind was at the hospital, hoping everything was alright. Praise God the surgery went well, and by supper time he was up and able to eat!

Well, today is supposed to be another beautiful day.  I found a different way to print a schedule with Google Calendar.  I read about using it for family scheduling on an internet site.  I have used it for a general calendar for myself, but didn't realize that you can include calendars for different people and display them all together.  It's even color-coded!  Cool!  So, I was able to schedule myself, Lily, Rory, and Mike, and print them out all on one page.  I put this in the clear front of my house notebook (something I'm trying to develop), so I can see at a glance what everyone is supposed to be doing.  I also printed Rory his own schedule, and then wrote in specifics, such as what his school assignments were for the different blocks of time.  I had previously been making color-coded schedules with Microsoft Word, but then I would have to go back in and change them all the time, or disregard them if a particular day had something else thrown in (like a doctor's appointment, for example).  This way, it can be specific for each day, and I can do them ahead of time and just print them up if I want to.  Or, I can keep it up on the computer to refer to.  So many options!

As I look at my colorful schedule, I realize that I am now supposed to be getting dressed and making breakfast, so I think I'd better get to it.

"But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint."  Isaiah 40:31

Home Keeper's Journal

Here’s What’s Happening ………….

In My Kitchen …… fried polenta, lunch cleanup!

On My Mind ….. sick baby, brother-in-law in hospital

One Big Goal For This Week …. clean playroom

Something I Would Like To Do …. get a system going for my paperwork/desk

It Means A Lot To Me ……to get some time to myself 

I am looking forward to ……  better weather!

On the Back Burner of my mind …… feeling stressed, there seems to be too much to do and I just want it to be done!  Husband not feeling well, friends with cancer, money....I think I'd better stop probing now before I find anything else!

Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow!

Yesterday was...to use a dear friend's word...AWESOME!  Sunday was rainy, and we sang a song in church called "Showers of Blessing."  Neither Mike or I could figure out how the person who picked the song a week earlier knew it would fit the weather, but that was all I could think about yesterday as the day went on.  I'm going to give you a list of praises here...

1.  Mike had to take his car to get repaired, and it took less time and less money than they said it would!
2.  On the way home, since he had extra time, he went fishing, and caught a beautiful 14 inch trout, which we ate for dinner!
3.  We had to get paint for the chicken coop.  Rory had his little heart set on red, but there was no can of red paint on the discount shelf.  The paint technician at the store actually made us a custom red gallon for the price of a discounted can! (about $30 savings)
4.  I finally figured out a sourdough rye recipe that works!
5.  I went to pour a cup of tea, and the lid fell off the teapot.  Instead of landing on the floor and breaking, it landed on the pile of grocery bags I hadn't put away yet! (and no-one tripped over the bags before I got them put away.)
6.  My favorite coffee was on sale for $2 off!

There were probably even more awesome things, but that's what I remember right now.  God is good!

Odds & Ends

I finally used the canner I got for my birthday!  I canned chicken stock, and I think it even worked!  I had to start over, because I didn't have the gauge on tight enough to begin with, and it was leaking steam, but I figured it out!  So, I have eight almost pints of chicken broth to use whenever I want.  Right now they are on top of my cupboards.  They are almost pints, because the instructions said to leave an inch of space.  I might have left a little too much space, but anyway, they are canned!  I'm also trying to make ginger ale, from the Nourishing Traditions cookbook.  We'll see how it turns out.  It calls for Rapurda for a sweetener, which I don't have, so I used sugar, and it called for lime juice, which I don't have, so I used lemon juice.  It could be ginger ale when I'm done, I guess!

The chicks went to the garage about a week after we got them, because they started jumping out of their pan.  I didn't really want chickens in my bed!  The chick with the sore wing has fully recovered.  They have about half of their feathers, now.  We installed a 10 X 10 dog run behind the garage, and Mike started putting the chicken wire around it yesterday.  We need to put some sort of wire over the top, and build the house to go inside next.

Rory entered a baking contest at our homeschool support group last Tuesday.  He made peanut butter cookies.  He didn't win, but the cookies turned out really good!  He had to make them all by himself.  The only thing I could do was put them in and out of the oven.  Boy, was that hard to watch!  I wanted to help so much!  But he did it!  I was also very proud of him, because although he was sad when he didn't win, he did not get visibly upset, and he went right back to playing with his friends.  That is a big thing for him - he tends to get upset over everything.  So, it was a good contest even though he didn't win.  Plus, we got to eat peanut butter cookies!

If you're wondering where my second curriculum review went, I decided not to do it.  We actually did try the curriculum, which was about firefighters.  However, neither of the curricula that were sent were really something I would have picked for myself, and using them took time away from our regular studies.  From what I understand, I could receive up to 70 different things to review in a year, which is more than 1 a week.  It took me most of a morning to write the review for the one I did, (especially since I always have so much "help" around here), so I decided it wasn't really worth my time to get involved in it.

I am currently looking for a new math curriculum for Rory for next year.  He has done okay with the one we used this year (Singapore Math), but it seems to be moving very fast for him.  I actually skipped a little of it, because it seems to go in a different sequence than most curricula.  I am considering using Math Mammoth for next year.  Any math people out there, please take a look at it and let me know what you think!  I did order one of their single-subject e-books on place value, because that seems to be something Rory has continually had trouble understanding.  He has done a few of the pages, and said he liked it.  One thing I like about it for him, is that it has very basic illustrations, instead of the colorful ones in his current book.  He gets distracted easily with too many pictures, even when reading books, so I think this may be easier for him to concentrate on.  I also like that it is only one book, instead of three different ones for each level like the current curriculum we have.

I set Rory up with his own computer account this morning.  He also has his own version of Google Chrome, which at this point has Webrangers and Lego.com on it. He doesn't have e-mail or anything, and I didn't show him how to search for things, but this way he can start to learn how to navigate things by himself, without my having to find his programs for him.  It gave him something to do this morning, since his baseball game was cancelled because of rain.

Mike has been having severe stomach problems for the past few weeks.  He went to the doctor Monday, and was found to have H. Pylori, which is a bacterial infection in the stomach.  He is now on two different antibiotics, as well as Prevacid, twice a day.  Please pray that this will work, and that the antibiotics will not mess his digestive system up worse than it already is!  If anyone knows of a natural way to deal with this infection, let me know.  The doctors only want to prescribe pills.  They didn't even mention that he should be eating yogurt (which he hates anyway), or taking acidophillus (sp?) pills along with the antibiotics, which I only know from having to have antibiotics for Lyme Disease years ago.  They also told him that ginger would not help with the nausea.  I guess they have never been pregnant!  Of course, teething doesn't cause babies to get sick, either.  Hah!

I guess that's all the news that's fit to print, right now!  Off to the rest of my day.  Happy Saturday!

Food

I'm trying to find a balance in my life.  I've come across a lot of things about food, lately...specifically how bad our American diet really is for our health, and the way that we acquire food is basically bad for everyone.  This is worrisome to me for a lot of reasons.

First, I have two children who depend on me to give them the best foundation that I can in this world.  That is part of the reason that I am homeschooling my son.  His experience with school was causing him to become more emotionally fragile, and more closed to learning anything.  I have come to realize that the food supply has undergone a big change even from when I was growing up in the 70's and 80's.  (Of course, we all know that there is no longer "Fruit Float,"  but that is a whole different story).  The family farm  has been gobbled up by BIG BUSINESS, and our milk, meat, and vegetables are full of hormones, chemicals, antibiotics, bacteria, and genetically modified organisms.  Much of the food in the grocery stores that is supposed to be "healthy" is made up of chemicals of different kinds.  This cannot be good!

Second, I have a husband who keeps coming down with illnesses, many of them digestive.  I can't help but think that there has to be something that will help his immune system, or digestive system, or whatever system he is having problems with.

Third, I need to be healthy in order to take care of the rest of my family.

Fourth, buying food from BIG BUSINESS is only helping BIG BUSINESS, and is hurting the few family farms that still exist.  It also hurts the workers, who are many times unfairly treated.  And the environment, because of the unsustainable farming practices and the amount of transportation required for the food.  And the people in other countries who now cannot afford to grow their own wholesome food, because it has become cheaper to buy the processed junk.

I could probably think of many more reasons, but these are at the top of my list.  Now, what am I going to do about it?

First, I am researching all I can about nutrition and food production.  Here are some resources I have used:
 Food, Inc., a movie about how our food is produced in the United States,
Nourishing Traditions, a cookbook that explains how to prepare food based on time-tested natural methods (which inspired me to finally try making sourdough bread),
The Maker's Diet, a really inspiring book by a doctor about his victory over Crohn's Disease, mostly through changing his diet,and
"Feed Your Kids Right" by Lendon Smith, M.D., which I borrowed from the library and have just started reading.


Second, I am working on my garden, trying to fit as much food as I can on my half-acre lot.  (No, we are not really planting a cornfield in the front lawn!)  I also got a pressure cooker for my birthday, and plan to can as much homegrown or locally grown food as I can this summer for use in the winter.  We are also seriously considering getting chickens so that at least we will know what is in our eggs! (Okay, Mom, go ahead and comment.  I know you want to.)

Third, I am trying to find local places to acquire food that don't require going to the grocery store to buy their mass-produced and mass-transported food.

Fourth, I am trying to feed my family the best food I can find.  I've found that buying organic and natural foods does not really change the grocery bill if you are also eliminating things like chips and cookies.  I am also being conscious of planning meals better and trying to use up the leftovers better (Conglomeration, anyone?)

So that's my current obsession.  Hey - I've just noticed that it's almost time to get supper!  Healthy eating, everyone.

Layla

Hi, everyone.  I just saw this story on another blog, and thought I would pass it along.  Please pray for this little girl
Meet Layla-

Layla's Story-

Layla has always been a healthy child, 80th percentile for weight, a great eater, a great sleeper. She is sweet as pie and a little cuddle monkey (she won’t let you put her down!). She has a very advanced vocab for her age which really helps us manage her pain and give her what she needs as her care continues.
Layla had a great 15 month checkup. At around 16 months her sleep habits and appetite started to change and she started to become more irritable. Mid March appetite began to decrease. At the time we thought we were dealing with a “picky eater”. Beginning of May Layla woke up one morning with a swollen eye. We took her to the doctor and she was treated for an ear infection and the doctor said the swelling was just a result of the ear infection. At the same time we noted that her belly was hard and somewhat distended. She had not had a bowel movement for a few days and we were concerned that she was becoming constipated.
The next day we took her to the pediatrician who put her on Mirilax over the weekend and told us to call back Monday. By Monday morning she was not eating at all, still no dirty diaper, her activity level had decreased and was rubbing her belly and lower back and saying “owie”.
Our pediatrician referred us to a GI specialist to see why she was so constipated and wasn’t eating. On Thursday May 7th as we sat in GI specialists office expecting to be told that Layla would need some kind of treatment for constipation we instead hear words like “Cancer” and “Leukemia”. A series of X-rays and tests were ordered and we were sent home to wait on the results.
That evening about five minutes after we walked in the door we got an urgent call from the GI specialist telling us that the test results were in, that things were not good and that we were to bring Layla into the ER immediately and that a team of doctors would be waiting for us.
Layla has a massive cancerous tumor (Stage 4 Neuroblastoma) in her abdomen. It extends from above her left kidney, around her side, over her belly and wraps around her aorta. In addition, the cancer is in her bone marrow.
Our sweet Layla went from normal happy and healthy to lethargic, in pain, and skin and bones in a matter of a week and a half.

Follow updates by her Mom at - http://laylagrace.org/






Each time this tutu is sold, Little Diva Tutus will send
50% ($15.00) directly to Layla's family
to help pay for her care.

Please help spread the word about this adorable Little Diva
and the beautiful tutu created to help her family!

Money Sent to Layla Grace as of March 2nd-$1,449.58!

Get your Layla Grace tutu at -http://www.littledivatutus.com/catalog.htm?item=271

Repost this to your blog and let's help this family even more!

Random Thoughts

Believe it or not, both kids went to bed tonight with not much fuss.  Lily only cried for a couple of minutes and then fell asleep, and Rory was okay as soon as he got his glass of ice water.  I hardly know what to do with myself!

If any of you have tried to comment on my posts and have not been able to, I think I have the settings fixed so that it will work, now.  If you still want to comment on any of them,  you can get them from the archives if they are not currently showing.

I tried a new grocery store today, called Trader Joe's.  I had expected the prices to be high, but they really weren't.  Most of the items in the store were Trader Joe's brand, and all of them are all natural, which is a good thing.  I try to buy natural products whenever I can, and it was easier knowing that I didn't have to read all of the labels!  I spent more money than I do sometimes at the local store, but I also bought more specialty items than usual, just to try them out.  I had also been very frugal the last couple of weeks, which meant we were out of a whole lot of things, so I had to stock up a bit.  We had some of the food for supper tonight, and it was all quite good!

I think I've decided on a curriculum for Rory for next year.  Geography Matters carries a curriculum called "Paths of Exploration," which uses biographies of different explorers to teach the history and geography of America.  The curriculum basically ties in all the subjects except for math, so that will be helpful.  It is supposed to be for grades 3-5, but they say it can be modified for 2nd and 6th.  I looked at the samples, and I believe Rory will be able to handle most of the third grade work without modification, anyway.

Rory is convinced that the calendar and Punxsutawney Phil are both wrong, and spring is already here.  I'm tempted to agree with him!  It has been warm for the last two days, and most of our snow has melted.  We're both getting the gardening bug.  Rory wants to plant a corn field in the front yard.  We'll see how that works.  Maybe hubby won't be too upset, because it will keep him from having to mow that part!  I don't think Rory knows exactly how difficult it will be to dig up the whole front yard, but maybe it will keep him out of trouble for a while.  We haven't really had good grass there since we had construction done on our house, so it wouldn't be a great loss.  The corn might actually look better.

We are planning to go ice skating with our homeschool group on Monday.  Rory has never been ice skating, and I haven't been for about 20 years, so this should be interesting!  Hopefully neither of us will break anything but our egos.

No one has gotten back up yet, so I am going to take this opportunity to get ready for bed, and actually get some sleep myself!  Good night, all!