Denver Museum of Nature and Science

Along with my hopes of teaching the boys about the immediate world around them and the impact they have on it, I love it when we have to opportunity to go to places where they can learn about where they can from and that the world is a much bigger place than simply Longmont, CO.

Without going far I was able to introduce the boys to a fun day at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. Of course on the way down we had to stop at the Krispy Kreme doughnut shop on 120th to discover the science of doughnut making. Connor thought it was fascinating, but refused to eat a doughnut and proclaimed that he does not like doughnuts and I should never buy him one again. Griffin on the other hand offered to eat Connor's doughnut for him.

Once we arrived at the museum Connor was in heaven. I think "A Night at the Museum" is one of his favorite movies so when we walked in and saw the skeleton of a giant dinosaur he thought it was the coolest place he has ever been (even though he has already been there 3 other times, he just doesn't remember).

We spent all of our time before the Imax movie in the Space Exhibit. It seemed to be primarily focused on the planet Mars. There were a lot of awesome interactive games and displays that the kids could try, including a sensory table for "feeling" the surface of Mars, a computer for guiding a remote control aircraft so the kids could take pictures of the surface of Mars, an infared camera that projected their image on a monitor, adn even a star making station. At one point Galileo came out and put on a show about experimenting and the importance of developing a theory and testing it out in reality. I think it was a little over the kids heads, but they enjoyed his humor.

After the Space Exhibit we moved on to the Imax theater to see "Ring of Fire." Yes the title did conjour up several different images for me, not the first being about volcanoes, but that it what the movie was about. The movie was created from research and footage taken over a 7 year period and focused on the volcanoes of the Pacific Rim. It was amazing to see and was an amazing reminder to me about how ustable our world is and how there is a whole different world living under the earth's crust. Pretty Cool!

After the Imax we lunched and head to the Nature Unleashed exhibit . "From earthquakes and volcanoes to hurricanes and tornadoes, nature's forces have shaped our dynamic planet. Throughout history, these catastrophic phenomena have affected people around the world. Now, uncover the causes of these natural disasters and find out how people cope and adapt in the aftermath." It was amazing to see items that were ruined as a result of Hurricane Katrina and the engineering dynamics of the buildings in San Francisco.

Our last stop was in the Prehistoric Exhibit that Connor was antsy to get to all day! They were amazed by the skeletons and all of the different eras and types of animals that lived long ago!

What a day it was at the museum, and we barely even saw 1/3 of it! It looks like we will be heading back to the museum again soon. Especially seeing as though the Expedition Health Exhibit starts in only 3 days! What a great day with the boys.......

Traditional Medicinals

I started feeling a little off this weekend, started taking my Aconite right away, but my throat has just started to get worse and worse. Unfortunately allergy season is starting and although I have never seen a Dr regarding my allergies, I have finally made the connection between this annual throat issue and burning eyes. It seems to have progressed and effect me not only in the Spring, but whenever there is an extreme temperature change (which can be pretty often here in CO)! By this point, I basically cannot speak at all above a whisper without falling into a hug coughing fit.

So what do I do for this throat issue? Well whenever my throat hurts, or is extremely dry for whatever reason, the first thing I reach for is the Traditional Medicinals Throat Coat tea. Not only does it taste delicious, but it also truly coats my throat and seems to moisten my dry scratchy throat that nothing seems to help. What else is great about this tea? I can buy it at the regular grocery store. I don't have to make a special visit anywhere, even though I go to the Vitamin Cottage regularly, it is great when the good ol' King Soopers has what I need!

In addition to the Throat Coat tea, I regularly used the Mother's Milk tea while nursing my boys and I really believe it help my milk supply stay adequate. Adequate, what am I talking about? I could have fed triplets!!

About Traditional Medicinals:

Get the Most Out of Your Tea
Herbal Tea CupThere are several grades of herbs used for tea, including pharmacopoeial (far´mă-kō-pē´ăl) grade, food grade and inferior grades. We use pharmacopoeial grade herbs, (the highest quality herbs available in commerce) and are the only tea company in the USA to designate this quality standard for our herbs. These herbs may cost more, but we think you’re worth it. Learn more about our use of pharmacopoeial grade herbs.

Passion, Knowledge, Commitment
The beauty and mystery of Nature continues to capture our imagination and reverence. For more than thirty years, we have been exploring the plant world, providing you with reliable teas and other herbal products formulated with our knowledge of Traditional Herbal Medicine and the most modern scientific methods of quality assurance.

Recognizing that all things are connected, we are guided by a deep respect for the earth, striving always to ensure that our actions reflect our commitment to the environment.

Living Like There is a Tomorrow
Sustainability and preservation for generations to come...

All things are interdependent; our health and well being rely on the health and well being of the planet. Good stewardship of the earth's precious natural resources, both human and natural, is a cornerstone of our business philosophy. We want to leave a legacy of preservation and sustainability for generations to come.

Whether it's our commitment to using organic herbs, off-setting our electricity use with solar and wind power, utilizing recycled paper in our packaging or seeking out partnerships for sustainable herb sources, we go to great lengths to bring you reliable herbal products.

EnviroKidz Organic Cereal

Healthy isn't so hard these days, especially when there are companies like Nature's Path out there. My boys absolutely LOVE EnviroKidz cereal. Connor and I were literally cut from the same cloth because he could eat 3 bowls of cereal for breakfast and then again for lunch and dinner. I remember my dad telling me that I was going to turn into a box of cereal. I even remember my college and graduate school days when I would have a nice bowl of cereal for dinner quite often, following my tuna sandwich and tomato soup lunch. I tend to get hooked on foods and eat them over and over and over again. Oh, and over again!!!

We have tried the Peanut Butter Panda Puffs, the house favorite, Koala Crisp, Gorilla Munch and Amazon Frosted Flake (Griffin's new favorite although he seems to need more variety as you never know what he will pick that day). The great thing about these cereals is that they are all gluten free, so I can eat them without guilt and I can keep down the amount of gluten the kids eat each day, they are vegetarian, contain no trans-fats and tend to only have about 7 or 8 grams of sugar. Not bad compared to the other sugar cereals out there masquerading as healthy. Healthy sugar cereals? This is why I worry about the American Heart Association giving their seal of approval of some cereals? What are t to be he requirements considered Heart Healthy? Obviously their standards are not very high, but I digress.

Another great thing about the EnviroKidz cereal is that every year 1% of EnviroKidz sales is donated to Endangered Species, Habitat Conservation adn Environmental Education for kids.

When reading Dr Sears 12 Tips on Choosing and Preparing Healthy Cereals for Your Family I realized that the Peanut Butter Panda Puffs are just under the recommended 4:1 ratio of Carbohydrates to Sugar, but it is only 1 gram of sugar over. Not too bad when you consider the high percentage of horrible kid cereals that are out there. Dr Sears goes on to say:

WHY CEREALS ARE GREAT FOR KIDS

Children love cereal and willingly eat a lot of it. Add to this the nutrition found in cereals and you'll agree that grains are great kid food. One cup of a nutritious cereal can supply as much as half the daily nutritional requirements for fifteen of the top vitamins and minerals. Add milk or yogurt to the cereal, and it boosts the nutritional content even higher. Plain and simple, cereal is a great way to get a lot of nutrition into a child at one sitting. In fact, a nutritious cereal is like a multi-vitamin/multi-mineral supplement in a tasty, attractive package.

In order to add a little extra to our cereal we use Silk Plain Soy Milk instead of regular cow's milk. Sometimes Connor wants cow's milk, but Griffin always goes for the Soy

For more information on the cereal controversary, check out the book Cereal Killer by Alan Watson, very interesting. As reviewed by Healthy Low-Carb Living Blog"

"So! How are the children doing? End of summer, 2008. A record number of American children are being diagnosed with asthma, obesity, diabetes, and bipolar disorder. Along with surging food and medical costs, Americans must come to grips with declining life expectancy – now 37th in the world.

In this explosive book, Alan Watson sheds new light on how corporate greed, government delusion, and slippery science are making our children sick and causing what the late Dr. Robert Atkins called “diabesity.”

Cereal Killer is a stinging indictment of the big cereal companies and drug industries who enjoy huge profits as Americans of all ages suffer from failed “low fat” federal nutrition guidelines and record levels of chronic disease.

After you read Cereal Killer, you will know:

Why obesity is epidemic.

Why diabetes is soaring.

Why cholesterol and saturated fat are not the cause of heart disease."

Pumpkin Muffins & Pineapple Angel Food Cake

I just wanted to pass along one of my favorite, and easiest, recipes in my recipe box! This recipe was given to me by my Sister-In-Law, but I think it may have originated from Weight Watchers because I have had people tell me that they had heard of it before. While the recipe is not gluten-free, it is easy, consists of only 3 ingredients (one of which is water), and kids absolutely LOVE it! I have made this recipe as muffins, cake, in a bundt pan, and in a bread pan. I make a large batch and freeze them so I can take them out one by one or make a large batch and take them into school for snack and the kids & teachers always love them. I am letting out my secret though, while I try to make people think I slave over the stove, if they read my blog they are going to know the truth.

Pumpkin Muffins:

Ingredients
1 Box of Carrot Cake
1 15 oz Can of Pumpkin Puree
8 oz of water

Directions:
Combine the powdered carrot cake mix (do not add any ingredients as stated on the cake box) and can of pumpkin puree. Mix together and gradually add the water until thoroughly mixed. Then you can choose your pan of choice and bake at 350 degrees for the appropriate time. Usually just follow the cake box recommendations for time.

That's it! How easy can you get?

This also reminds me of a recipe my Mom often makes

Pineapple Angel Food Cake.

Ingredients:
1 Box of Angel Food Cake
1 can of Crushed Pineapple, with juice

Combine the two ingredients and bake at 350 degrees until done, times will vary depending on what type of pan you use. My Mother typically bakes this in a 9 X 13 pan and tops each piece with a dollop of "whipped topping" as she always says!

Product Find - Hero Bags

As you can imagine, I receive several product review emails, group emails, and subscribe to about 10,000 blog. That's why I am so thankful Paul introduced me to Google Reader, an app to aggregate all of the blogs I enjoy reading. While receiving this volume of email and trying to stay up to date with such a large number of blogs can at times feel overwhelming, it also how I get info on some pretty cool products and articles that I otherwise would not have time to find, and would miss out on.

One of my more recent finds, as sent out by The Daily Stroll, was the Hero Bag! This adorable little store carries Grocery Bags, Gift Sets, Large Shopping Totes, Medium Shopping bags/Book Bags, Musette Messenger Bags, Mini Hero Tote, Two Bottle Wine Bags, and Lunch Bags. All of the bags are made from quality recycled cotton canvas and are designed to withstand years of use. In addition, all of the bags are manufactured in the USA by fair labor workers in a fair labor certified factory.

I am particularly drawn to the lunch bags and the wine tote. What a great gift within a gift. For only $14.95 it is a unique idea and the answer to my question on how to manage bringing wine and an appetizer to a party. Perfect!

I love that so many products made of organic materials are becoming affordable and mainstream. If I have the choice why wouldn't I choose organic? Check it out when you get a chance.

Crockpot Jambalaya

Last night I made the Crockpot Jambalaya recipe that I had on the schedule for last week. Of course with my birthday messing everything up over the last few weeks and my busy business meeting schedule I didn't focus much on cooking last week and still had some recipes left over. So tonight I finally got it together to prepare a real dinner for my family.

The recipe for the Jambalaya was very easy. Of course I did have to pre-cook the sausage, but I just stuck it in the oven for 20-30 minutes and tried to make it as easy as possible on myself. Everyone seemed to like the dinner, I thought it was pretty good myself. In order to make it edible for the boys I only used mild sausage, I didn't want it to be too spicy. I picked up Mulay's Mild Italian Sausage at the Vitamin cottage because it is All Natural and contains no nitrates, preservatives or artificial ingredients. Paul said that it was good and that he liked it. Not an exciting recommendation, but I think he was just happy that I didn't serve frozen pizza, soup or grilled cheese sandwiches. I think he figures he doesn't even care what type of dietary experiment I am on, as long as I am cooking decent meals. I am sure that in and of itself is a welcomed change!

Crockpot Jambalaya

The Ingredients:

--5 fully cooked sausages; 2 spicy and 3 not-so-spicy. I chose 3 garlic-artichoke turkey and 2 turkey Louisiana hotlinks. They were left over from when I made this.
--2 cups chicken broth
--1/2 cup white wine
--1 cup raw brown rice
--1 can (and juice) Itallian stewed tomatoes
--1/2 can drained and rinsed black beans
--1/2 chopped onion
--1/2 head chopped garlic
--3 chopped celery spears
--1 green pepper
--1 red pepper
--1 cup frozen white corn kernals
--2 cups cooked frozen shrimp

The Directions:

--pour the broth, wine and the uncooked brown rice into the bottom of your stoneware. Stir the rice in the liquid.
--cover with chopped vegetables, frozen corn and garlic
--put in the black beans
--add sausage
I promise it's enough liquid.
--cook on low for 8-10 hours, high for 6.
--an hour before eating, stir in frozen shrimp and turn to high.

Confessions

So you may be wondering how my gluten free diet is going. I have talked about it enough and made intricate dining plans each week, but guess what? It appears that I am a week day gluten free person. I am trying so hard, but my birthday was my downfall. No it wasn't cake, it was pizza. I thought I would have the will power to go to our favorite Pizza place and just have the Italian salad, but I just couldn't say no. I had to have a bite. Since then I have made healthy food choices and have eaten gluten free throughout the week, until the weekend. The good news however is that I am not binging on gluten based foods, I just don't say no. For instance on Sunday afternoon we went to Denver and had lunch at the Paramount Cafe. I ordered the Mediterranean salad and it was served with Pita bread slices. How could I not eat my hummus on Pita bread?

Well, it is what it is, I don't have the greatest self control. Are you wondering how I am feeling when I eat gluten. Aren't the side effects of eating gluten what inspired me to change my diet in the first place? Yes, of course it is. Well lets just say that I enjoyed several Girl Scout Thin Mint Cookies on Saturday evening for dessert and I was asleep by 7:15pm and literally felt comatose throughout the night until I finally dragged myself out of bed around 5:45am. What? 11 hours of sleep in one night? I don't usually get 11 hours of sleep in 2 nights usually!

So, I am back on track with the aspiration of being gluten free, but most of all to have a healthy clean diet that helps me run to my maximum potential and with any luck lose some weight, but basic health is my main goal.

After all, I am only human. Right?

Keep on Gardening!

On Wednesday afternoon the kids and I headed over to the Garden to do some more work, this has become a great afternoon activity for me and for the kids. They just love running around the yard, playing with sticks and their new favorite activity, climbing the Apple tree! What kids wouldn't have fun doing that? And what mother wouldn't love seeing the kiddos having so much fun!


Today's agenda was setting out more rows for the garden. We didn't plant any more seeds because the local farmers are all sure that it is still going to snow, but we just wanted to get the rows prepared for planting. Gretchen and I spent a couple of hours laying out 10 more 25 foot long by 3 foot wide rows of newspaper covered with straw. Leaving the center dirt of planting. We chose 3 foot wide rows so that the kids and the ladies managing the garden wouldn't have any trouble reaching to weed around the crops.

While we were paying out the rows the kids planted seed starters that Susan is going to keep in the house. They LOVED doing that of course and thought it was great that they could bury the magic seeds and we would soon see them growing into plants!

Garden factoid I learned today: I learned about the difference between Hay and Straw. I had been saying that we were laying out hay, but I now realize that we were using Straw. Hay is something the animals eat and Straw is what is used in their pen to make beds (or gardens), but wouldn't be eaten by the animals. Interesting.

UPDATE: Oops, problem in the garden. Apparently we need to put a roof on the chicken coop because the roaming chickens got out of the coop and decided to rip up everything we have already done. They plucked all of the seeds we had already planted and even grabbed the newspaper under the straw and ripped it up until the garden no longer resembled the organized garden we had started. Oh well, I guess we will be professionals at laying out planting rows. Next time we will do an even better job!

Garden Prep

Garden prep continues so on Tuesday we headed over to the farm to shovel poo into the dirt, start laying the rows for the planting using newspaper and hay and clean out the water ditch. Luckily the weather was amazing and four of us worked together to get the chores done. Actually it felt a little bit like we were setting up our own little women's commune. When this project is over I feel like I am going to be able to set up my own self-sufficient farm. OK so maybe not so much, but it just had that mystical feeling to it! I suggested we have a garden dedication ceremony! The way things have been goign this week, gardening has been my exercise. I just keep envisioning the boys coming over, checking out the garden, seeing what we grew ourselves and running through the rows, breaking off fresh organic snacks. What a life! Is it really mine? I know that there is still a lot of work to be done, but I am so excited I can hardly stand it...

Spaghetti Pie

Yikes, my meal planning didn't go so well this week. At least I have started to stock up on enough gluten free supplies that I can actually make a meal on a whim. Actually I didn't cook much last week because it was my birthday week so I had several planned meals waiting to be made. However, I was in a pinch on Tuesday night because we were running between activities and I needed to make something that I could prepare before we went to soccer practice and would taste great when it was warmed up. So what did I make? Spaghetti Pir of course, my go to easy meal that I know the boys will eat.

This was the first time I made Spaghetti Pie with rice noodles, but it was great and no one ever even knows the difference. To make Spaghetti Pie simply cook the noodles, mix in Ricotta Cheese and Spaghetti sauce to taste and place in the bottom of a pie plate. Brown ground meat (I usually use ground turkey) and sprinkle on the top of the spaghetti, cheese & sauce mixture. Then spread spaghetti sauce and shredded mozzarella cheese on top of meat. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees for about 20-30 minutes or until heated throughout.

This is a super easy an yummy meal that everyone will love. Just a little twist on basic spaghetti!

Willow Farm Garden

I am so excited because for the first time I am going to have a garden. Well, that may not actually be an accurate statement because the garden is not "mine." Instead I am actually going to be the labor with the hope of learning about how to plan, plant, harvest, and enjoy a garden. A small group of us (about 10 women) are planting a 1/4 acre. WOW, now that is a lot of garden! We have had a few meetings about the garden, but my contribution has always been the same - "Just tell me what to do because I have no idea what to do."

Last weekend we had someone come to the farm and run over the dirt in the garden to prepare it so we can begin. On Monday we headed over to the farm with the kids and moved rocks! It has been an amazing week and the weather has really been cooperating. I just love going over there because I love to watch the kids play with the goats, check on the chickens, find sticks and simply play with rocks! Now that is what kids are suppose to be doing.

Buffalo Chicken Lasagna

On Tuesday I made Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Lasagna. Gluten Free you may be wondering. Why yes! I have been buying Tinkyada gluten free rice pasta from the grocery store and no one in my family even seems to notice. I was a little concerned about how lasagna in a crockpot would come out (figuratively and literally), especially seeing as though I could not find a gluten free lasagna noodle. I had to use spaghetti noodles, but surprisingly it come out great! Of course my husband likes anything that is made with Hot Sauce! Unfortunately the boys found it a little too hot, even though I used Mild Wing Sauce. So next time I may turn up the heat and make it with at least a Medium Wing Sauce, I think I will try this on my Brother and Sister in-law when they visit in April because they both love hot sauce!

The only down side to this recipe is that I had to pre-cook the chicken. This would be great if you had left over chicken or maybe even turkey. This is definitely on the top 10 list!

CrockPot Buffalo Chicken Lasagna Recipe

The Ingredients.

--uncooked traditional lasagna noodles (I used Tinkyada brand)
--4 already cooked chicken breast halves
--jar of prepared pasta sauce
--1 cup buffalo wing sauce
--3 red, yellow, or orange bell peppers
--tub of ricotta cheese (15 oz)
--2 cups shredded cheese (mozzarella and cheddar blend)
--1/2 cup bleu cheese crumbles
--1/4 cup of water (add at very end)

The Directions.

use at least a 5qt crockpot, or cut back on the amount of ingredients.

In a large glass bowl, combine cooked and chopped chicken breast, the pasta sauce, and 1 cup of buffalo wing sauce. Ladle a big spoonful of the sauce into the bottom of your crockpot. Cover with a layer of uncooked lasagna noodles. You'll have to break them to get a proper fit. Add a smear of ricotta cheese to the top of the noodles. Add a layer of chopped bell pepper. Sprinkle on a handful of shredded cheese.

Repeat layers until you run out of ingredients.

Add the bleu cheese crumbles, if desired. Put the 1/4 cup of water into your empty pasta sauce jar and shake. Pour the liquid over the top of the entire lasagna.

Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours, or on high for 4-5. When cooking time is complete, unplug and take off the lid of the crock. Let it sit for 20 minutes before cutting into. Or it will fall apart.

Dijon Chicken Dinner

Last night I made the Dijon Chicken Crockpot recipe and it was delicious! In fact I feel like it was even better today for lunch. As with most crockpot recipes it was super simple, throw the chicken, mustard, and syrup into the pot and mix. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook. Of course I couldn't get myself together soon enough to slow simmer so I had to cook on high for 4 hours, but it turned out fine. Paul really like it (I think he is liking my little cooking experiments gluten or no gluten). The boys were not as crazy about the sweet potatoes, but then again my oldest son won't eat potatoes in general, I just thought he might like the sweet potatoes. But they liked the rice!

I served the chicken and potatoes over rice because for some reason I seem to have the need to serve recipes like this "over" something.

I also did not have any substitutions in the recipe. I actually made it just as the directions suggested, well if you don't consider the fact that I used Organic Pancake Syrup instead of the true Maple Syrup. I suppose the maple syrup would have added a delicious extra flavor, but the syrup seemed to work well. I would recommend this recipe, it definitely goes on my top ten list and that says a lot because there are only 2 recipes on that list so far.

Vote for BINSI in Leading Moms in Business Competition

I recently became aware of a competition that Start Up Nation was sponsoring in conjunction with Ladies Who Launch and I had to find out more! I receive the Ladies Who Launch daily emails, but many times am so overwhelmed by how much email and reading I do that I skip reading these daily digests, I don't think I will do that again seeing as though I found out about this competition via Twitter. I voted for a few friends who had made the request, but then I started reading about it and I said to myself "We need to be a part of this." Granted the format of the competition is somewhat popularity based and the results are based simply on who gets the most votes, regardless of true quality. However, one would hope that the combination of a quality business/product and loyal friends and family you could acquire the most votes. So I figured what the heck, it certainly can't hurt.

I entered BINSI in the competition and we have until Midnight March 31st to acquire enough votes to be part of the top 200 vote getters. The problem, this competition has been going on for while and we are just entering in the last month. So what do we need? Your daily vote. You can vote for us once a day on the Start Up Nation website. Or you can simply click on the Vote for Us button on the BINSI website or on the blog! We hope you do think of us as one of the Leading Moms in Business and will consider voting for us everyday! We will greatly appreciate it!

A Tribute to Moms in Business - from the Start Up Nation website

Everybody knows one. Like a super hero, she balances running a family with the heroics of running her own business. We’re talking about moms in business, of course. And now, StartupNation is conducting its first annual ranking of these astonishing entrepreneurs and the businesses they run.

But, how do we know who’s the best of the best? We’re leaving that to you. Over the next few months, it’ll be your daily votes that will tell us who deserves to be named a winner. The list of the 200 winners will be published in May and will be ranked according to votes accumulated.

The competition has just begun taking entries, so sign up now. Or, if you know a dynamo mom who should enter, tell her to sign up!

To learn more about the competition check out the Start Up Nation website

Intestinal Anguish

So last week was quite interesting. I only wish I knew what hit me, how I got it and how I can avoid ever getting it again. If I hadn't talked to 3 friends who had the same problem I really would have thought that my insides were ripping up from the inside out and I was going to die. The pain was second only to my labor and in this case it was not the happy joyous pain of contractions because something amazing and beautiful is on the other side. Instead this was anguish, horrific pain that was unsolved by anything but time.

I woke up on Saturday feeling relatively normal but "loose" shall we say, without the need to too much gross detail. On Sunday we took the boys to the Butterfly Pavilion and it HIT me, I am not sure I remember anything from the Pavilion because I was so out of it I was just trying to hold it together long enough so the boys could see all of the exhibits. On the way home I fell asleep in the car and when we finally got back I crawled into bed and didn't get out until Monday morning, it was awful.

Throughout the week I felt relatively normal, but remained "loose" and completely unable (or afraid) to eat any solid food. I was completely on the liquid diet. I thought I was getting better until Wednesday. In the early evening I was HIT again and this time it was 10 times worse! I stayed up until 2am going back and forth cringing in pain and talking with one of my best friends from college as she explained that this was exactly what she went through. This was the point at which I hit rock bottom, I was sure death was eminent. Thankfully I woke up Thursday morning feeling like whatever had been cruelly badgering me had passed and I was on the mend. On Friday I finally had my first taste of solid food and I am finally back to my old self (more or less).

Throughout the week I had been taking Nux Vom and Pulsatilla given to me by Susan my homeopath. Nux Vom relieves downward gas, heartburn, hangovers, stress induced issues and flu like symptoms and Pulsatilla with its applications for gas, heartburn, hiccups, nausea, sluggish digestion, constipation, diarrhea, and practically everything gastric, this homeopathic remedy is an asset. I held out using these remedies and taking them diligently until Wednesday night when I crashed again and the paing became so intense. I of course called my mommy and she of course advised me to go the Urgent Care, which I did, knowing what they were going to say. Thankfully I didn't have to wait long and after the examination she said "Yes, you seem to have some sort of intestinal issue, but there's nothing we can really do for you. I recommend probiotics." The only other thing she recommended was doing a stool sample, but seeing as though there was no blood in my stool at the time (am I really discussing this with you) there was no indication of salmanella which was good. So she sent me home with a box of sample probiotics and that night I was opening the capsules up and putting the power directly onto my tongue rather than waiting for it to go through my stomach. I am now thinking that this is something I should be adding to my regular vitamin regimin. I just can't imagine eating as much yogurt as would be needed (considering the sugar content) so I think I am going to purchase some capsuls or liquid probiotics to take regular. Maybe this will help my odd digestive tract in general. We'll see. I am going to do some more research on probiotics and I will let you know what I find out.

Gluten Free - Week #3

Starting my third week of Gluten Free cooking, but my fourth week of Gluten Free eating. You may have thought I jumped off the wagon because I didn't write about my cooking at all last week. Well the truth is I felt a little more like I had been run over by the wagon and then dragged by the wagon for about 10 miles. To say the least last week was Gluten Free, actually it was solid food free, but that I will talk about in another post.

Anyway, I just wanted to post my meal plan for the week. I am not sure if I will actually make all 5 meals because Wednesday is my birthday and I am planning to order out or go out! But here is what I am thinking. I will post pictures as recipes are made and as always all crockpot recipes came from the Crockpot 365 website and the others came from Elana's pantry, great resources!

Maple Dijon Chicken CrockPot Recipe

The Ingredients.

--1 lb chicken pieces (I used frozen breast tenderloins)
--1 cup chicken broth
--2 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
--1 onion, chopped
--2 T dijon mustard
--3 T maple syrup
--3 cloves garlic, chopped
--2 bay leaves
--1 tsp thyme

The Directions.

I used a 4 quart crockpot---it was a good size. This fed the four of us with a tiny bit left for lunch the next day. If you have a large family or would like leftovers, double the quantity.
Put the chicken into the bottom of your crockpot and toss it with the thyme, maple syrup, and dijon mustard. Peel and slice the sweet potato, and add to the pot. Add the onion and garlic. If you don't want your onion to have a crunch, put it at the bottom of the crockpot; otherwise on top of the chicken is fine. Pour in the chicken broth. Add the bay leaves. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 4-5. This is done when the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables reach desired tenderness.

CrockPot Buffalo Chicken Lasagna Recipe

The Ingredients.

--uncooked traditional lasagna noodles (I used Tinkyada brand)
--4 already cooked chicken breast halves
--jar of prepared pasta sauce
--1 cup buffalo wing sauce
--3 red, yellow, or orange bell peppers
--tub of ricotta cheese (15 oz)
--2 cups shredded cheese (mozzarella and cheddar blend)
--1/2 cup bleu cheese crumbles
--1/4 cup of water (add at very end)

The Directions.

use at least a 5qt crockpot, or cut back on the amount of ingredients.

In a large glass bowl, combine cooked and chopped chicken breast, the pasta sauce, and 1 cup of buffalo wing sauce. Ladle a big spoonful of the sauce into the bottom of your crockpot. Cover with a layer of uncooked lasagna noodles. You'll have to break them to get a proper fit. Add a smear of ricotta cheese to the top of the noodles. Add a layer of chopped bell pepper. Sprinkle on a handful of shredded cheese.

Repeat layers until you run out of ingredients.

Add the bleu cheese crumbles, if desired. Put the 1/4 cup of water into your empty pasta sauce jar and shake. Pour the liquid over the top of the entire lasagna.

Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours, or on high for 4-5. When cooking time is complete, unplug and take off the lid of the crock. Let it sit for 20 minutes before cutting into. Or it will fall apart. Ask me how I know this...

Chipotle Lime Salmon

1 lb salmon, cut into 4 fillets
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
2 limes, sliced in half
1 teaspoon celtic sea salt
1 teaspoon chipotle powder

1.Preheat oven to 500°
2.Rinse salmon, pat dry and place on a metal baking sheet
3.Rub each fillet with olive oil
4.Squeeze the juice from one-half lime onto each fillet
5.Sprinkle fillets with salt and chipotle, then place a half lime on top of each fillet
6.Turn down oven temperature to 275°
7.Place salmon in oven and cook for 8-12 minutes, depending on how well done you like your fish

CrockPot Jambalaya Recipe

The Ingredients:

--5 fully cooked sausages; 2 spicy and 3 not-so-spicy. I chose 3 garlic-artichoke turkey and 2 turkey Louisiana hotlinks. They were left over from when I made this.
--2 cups chicken broth
--1/2 cup white wine
--1 cup raw brown rice
--1 can (and juice) Itallian stewed tomatoes
--1/2 can drained and rinsed black beans
--1/2 chopped onion
--1/2 head chopped garlic
--3 chopped celery spears
--1 green pepper
--1 red pepper
--1 cup frozen white corn kernals
--2 cups cooked frozen shrimp

The Directions:

--pour the broth, wine and the uncooked brown rice into the bottom of your stoneware. Stir the rice in the liquid.
--cover with chopped vegetables, frozen corn and garlic
--put in the black beans
--add sausage
I promise it's enough liquid.
--cook on low for 8-10 hours, high for 6.
--an hour before eating, stir in frozen shrimp and turn to high.

CrockPot Fried Rice Recipe

The Ingredients.

--2 cups leftover rice/quinoa
--3 T butter
--2 T soy sauce
--2 t worcestershire sauce
--1/2 t black pepper
--1/4 t kosher salt
--1/2 diced yellow onion
--1 cup of whatever frozen or fresh vegetables you have on hand. (I had a bit of asparagus, some carrots and peas)
--leftover meat (I had leftover chicken and 3/4 of a cheeseburger patty from a restaurant--I told you I was Scottish!)
--1 egg
--sesame seeds for garnish (optional)

The Directions.

Plop everything on in there together. Mix it around, and cook on high for 2-3 hours, or on low for 3-4. You are only heating everything up and cooking the egg.

One of BINSI's very first retailers was Zoe b now known as Zoe b Organic. Since partnering together owner, Valerie, and I have had the wonderful opportunity of becoming friends, working together at events and growing our businesses together. Isn't that the greatest thing about the maternity industry? Everyone is SO helpful and happy. It has been my experience that most people I have met started their businesses out of necessity or out of the genuine interest in helping other moms-to-be! What a blessing!

A little about Valerie:

It's easy being green.

I am a "green" mom, not an eco-evangelist but a mom who thinks we need to take care of our planet for the sake of our children. It makes sense, it is becoming easier to make green choices in your day to day life.

That's how Zoë b Organic started. Most products you can find on our website are either designed by me or products I have tested and use everyday.

Why go organic?

Though you may be unaware of it, growing cotton uses more pesticides and synthetic fertilizers than any other crop (50 million pounds of pesticides annually in the U.S. alone.) The pesticides used on cotton harm people, wildlife, and the environment. They can poison farm workers (especially in developing countries), drift into neighboring communities, contaminate the ground and surface water, and kill beneficial insects.

Our daughter Zoë was my inspiration for starting my own company. She,Lucas and our newborn daughter Sophie (born in November 2007) continue to inspire me every day. Thanks to my husband John for his support. I could not do this without him.

Along with BINSI Labor and Birth Apparel, Zoe b also carries organic products for Mom and Baby







Natursutten BPA, Phthalates Free Pacifier, BPA, Phthalates Free Teethers, Natural Rubber Teethers, BPA, phthalate-free Baby Bottles, Glass Baby Bottles

Lemongrass Spa

Along with healthy eating I have also tried to start using healthier cleaning products around the house. By this I don't only mean mean cleaning solutions, I also mean how we clean ourselves. One of my favorite companies to buy soap, lotion, and shampoo from is Lemongrass Spa. All Lemongrass Spa products are handmade in Colorado of all natural products with no harsh chemicals added and are a great price.

Some of the natural moisturizers and components used in creating Lemongrass products are:

Almond Oil - Sweet almond oil is a good general lubricating oil suitable for most skin types. It is rich in protein and vitamin E that softens and smoothes the skin. Used in creating most of our Body Polish, Lotion Bars, Peppermint Foot Balm and others.

Aloe Vera - from the Aloe Vera plant, this natural liquid is used in our Body Crèmes, Hand & Body Lotion and Body Spritz products. It helps soothe irritated or dry skin because of the polysaccharides contained therein help improve skin's ability to hydrate and protect itself.

Mango Butter - Obtained from the kernels of the mango tree. It has a high content of stearic acid, which makes it similar to cocoa butter. Mango butter has good emoliency and lends protection against the sun. Prevents dry skin, reduces degeneration of skin cells and restores elasticity of skin tone. Featured in some of our Body Polish products and moisturizers.

Allantoin - A healing, moisturizing, soothing and anti-irritating natural component found in comfrey root. It is a cell-proliferating healing agent, which stimulates healthy formation of tissue. Excellent in the treatment of acne, sunburn, abrasions and mature skin ailments. Used in the Face Crème and Tea Tree Face Crème products.

Jojoba Oil - excellent natural oil for improving moisture in the skin. Is most like the natural sebum, or oils in human skin. Used in Body Crème, Hand & Body Lotion and more.

Vitamin E Oil - An anti-oxidant that helps slow skin's natural aging process. Used in most of our skin care product line.

Shea Butter - Contains a high content of fatty acids that moisturizes and retains elasticity of skin. Shea Butter is found in the tropics of Africa. It is extracted from the nuts of the Shea-Karite tree which begins to bear fruit after about 15 years; and can take up to 30 years to bear a quality crop of nuts with a high content of irremovable fatty acid. It is this irremovable fatty acid that gives Shea Butter its unique healing properties and makes it far superior to other vegetable butters. Used in creating Whipped Body Butter, Almond Body Butter, Body Crème, Hand & Body Lotion and several body polish products.

On a regular basis I use the facial creme with botanicals, shampoo and conditioner, deodorant, and my favorite Oatmeal Milk and Honey Body soap. My favorite scent from Lemongrass if the Grapefruit Lily and I regular use the hand soap, lotion, deodorant and shower gel.

I love that I can purchase the products from my good friend and business partner Carri's sister Kristin, but it is also difficult for me to plan ahead and when I run our of lotions I can't just run down to the Vitamin Cottage and get more. I actually have to place an order and pay a little extra with shipping costs. Although they make it very easy to place the order through a consultants website, or I can have a home party and earn commissions to use on lemongrass products. I did have a party once and it was great fun and of course I have attended many!

I highly recommend Lemongrass Spa for natural, chemical free, handmade products.

Awesome Power Bar Recipe

My friend Holly asked that I pass this recipe on to her, but I thought of a better idea, I will pass it on to everyone! My good friend and business partner Carri sent me this recipe and it is fantastic! The power bars are VERY nutritious, and easy to make. I usually make a whole 9 X 13 pan of bars, cut them into small bars and then keep them in the freezer. You can eat them right out of the freezer, you don't have to wait for them to thaw! As a matter of fact, I have been thinking of this recipe and now Holly has inspired me to make a batch myself! These also make great after soccer snacks etc. You can be creative with this recipe too. For instance I am going to remove the coconut, pumpkin seeds and nuts, but I may add in mini mini chocolate chips or another dried fruit. So go for it, be creative and see what you come up with, just let me know if you come up with a great idea! After I make a batch I will post a picture.

Power Bars:

1 1/2 cup chunky peanut butter
1/4 cup butter, cubed
3/4 cup honey
2 tsp vanilla
2 Tbsp carob powder
Combine the above ingredients and melt slowly in saucepan until smooth and a bit runny. Pour over dry ingredients. Mix well.

4 cups quick oats
1 cups rice crispy cereal
1/2 cup flaked raw coconut
4 Tbsp flax meal (ground)
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup nuts, chopped
1/2 cup raisins or chopped dates
2 Tbsp wheat germ
1/4 raw sunflower seeds

Homeopathic Medicine

In my attempt to broaden my horizons, to take preventative rather than simply acute care of my family's health and to have a global perspective of our health I started seeing a homeopathic doctor last August in addition to our regular medical physician and our chiropractor. This has been particularly wonderful because my homeopath, Susan Nemcek at the Willow Farm in Hygiene, CO, has a lot of experience in counseling as well as homeopathy. Not that there is a lot wrong with me (well, I don't think so) but I figured it would be nice have someone to talk with and to hear her perspective on my overall health. Plus, she was recommended to me by one of my best friends whom she has really helped.

So one may be wondering, What is Homeopathic Medicine? According to ABC Homeopathy homeopathic remedies are a system of medicine based on three principles:

• Like cures like

For example, if the symptoms of your cold are similar to poisoning by mercury, then mercury would be your homeopathic remedy.

• Minimal Dose

The remedy is taken in an extremely dilute form; normally one part of the remedy to around 1,000,000,000,000 parts of water.

• The Single Remedy

No matter how many symptoms are experienced, only one remedy is taken, and that remedy will be aimed at all those symptoms.

Similar principals forms the basis of conventional allergy treatment, where the allergic substance is given in a small dose, and in vaccines where an impotent form of the virus is given to bolster the immune system against that particular virus.

I have found that working with Susan has helped me to make healthy decisions for my family in what I eat, my overexposure to medications and most importantly the importance of keeping myself and my family healthy so that we do not need medical interventions. Of course if I feel this is needed I am more than willing to seek medical help. However, my hope is that through our healthy lifestyle, a combination of healthy eating, exercise, homeopathic counseling, and regular visits to the chiropractor, we will remain healthy and will not require visits to the doctor, unless it is for well visits!

Homeopathic Remedies we take on a regular basis

1. Bioplasma - Taken as an immunity booster we take this everyday to simply fight off germs we come in contact with, similar to vitamin C.

2. Aconite - As soon as we feel a cold or illness coming on we take regular doses of aconite in order to shorten the intensity and duration of any illness.

3. Arnica - used to treat sore muscles, bruises, sore and aching joints. I basically consider it a safe advil. I also have arnica in a gel that I can use to rub on to sore muscles and aching neck (which is a common occurrence for me).

Live Well Longmont

The city of Longmont has received a large grant to fund a new program called "Live Well Longmont." This program will help promote making healthy choices regarding things such as food choices and increasing physical activity. If you care about the health of our kids and are able to volunteer to spend time on this Task Force, you can contact Danette Tye at es4dtye@aol.com

The title of this task force is "the education partnership healthy choices task." It will involve discussion regarding ways the district can support students (and their families) in making healthy choices - everything from nutrition to physical activity. There will be a short meeting for this group on March 9th to give an overview on the task force. You needn't live in the city limits of Longmont to be a part of this. If you are interested, contact Danette to get more information about the meeting.