ExtraOrdinary Family

Happy Father's Day

2009-06-13T15:35:00.000-07:00

Posted by Kim

So Father's Day is in ONE WEEK! Can you believe it? Have you thought about what you are going to buy your BabyDaddy for Father's Day? Well forgive me for the shameless plug, but why not right?

My husband and I started the FamilyFanClub with one simple t-shirt: Swim Daddy Swim, Bike Daddy Bike, Run Daddy Run. As a way for my sons and me to "Wear Our Support" when we were cheering Dad on during his triathlons. Our business has blossomed from there and now we can even do personalization!! Plus I really appreciate it when my husband wears his Run Kim Run t-shirt to all of my running events, it really does make me proud of what I just accomplished!

Check out the FamilyFanClub.net for great gift ideas for Dads, Grandpas, Sons, Brothers, Uncles (you get the picture). Everything from stickers to mouse pads, we have a fun design for you. And if you place your order by June 15th, you will receive automatic FREE shipping upgrade (2-day service). Thanks for your order!!!

Happy Mother's Day

2009-05-11T06:38:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day to all of the amazing Moms! We hope you had a beautiful, relaxing, loving weekend with your families. Every year I celebrate Mother's Day running the Title 9K race at the Boulder Reservoir! What a great way to start out the day. While breakfast in bed sounds enticing too, I just love the frenzy of getting the family up and out the door by 7am so we can get there in time for the kids race and to simply soak up the gorgeous view of the Flat Irons and the energy that radiates from 1800 Moms as they wait for the 9am start! What an amazing blessing to be a part of this event.

Well, this is what it is like under ideal conditions, because as Moms we all know that we have this ideal plan for what an event is going to be like and often it is the worst mistake I can make because I expect too much. For instance, is getting everyone out of the house by 7am easy, even on Mother's Day? No, of course not. It usually involves some coercing, begging, frustration, and on the rare occasion me sitting in the car making Dad take care of it (would this be considered pouting)! Then there is probably whining on the way there, but some how it always comes together and the hour it takes me to run 9K (now 9.9K) is like going out for Sunday morning coffee with my girlfriends, quite relaxing. In the mean time Paul is managing the boys and keeping them occupied. Sometimes I wonder why I try to get my best time each year, shouldn't this be the race that I try to take the longest?

I have been running this race for 7 years (since the year it started) and I have LOVED being a part of it, plus the fact that I can say that I have run it every year! This year was a bit different however, because for the first time I woke up to rainy cold conditions. We have now had just about all weather conditions, gorgeous, too hot, too windy, cold, but it had never rained before. I kept thinking if the rain can just hold out it would be perfect running conditions, I love to run when it is 45 degrees!

Changing the routine due to the weather I picked up my girlfriends Carissa and Rebecca and husbands and kiddos were going to meet us at the finish. I was feeling so great, quite giddy actually, until I realized that I forgot my number! UGH! So I called my Dad who was staying at our house and he zips down 66 to meet us and deliver my race number. At this point we still have plenty of time, but I am anxious and upset with myself for forgetting the number. I like to enter the back way into the reservoir so we head that way, but there is a sheriff car sitting on the corner. I ask if the back way is still open and he says yes, but that it is a bumpier ride. I was driving our dreamy 1995 eggplant purple Pontiac Sunfire, do I look like a few bumps are going to scare me? We head down the road only to see another sheriff's car at the next corner and he turns us back telling us that the road is closed. By this time I am really anxious and frustrated with myself so what is my response? I yell out my window that the other sheriff told us it was ok to come this way and that they should communicate with each other. What?! Did I just do that? So I head speeding back (toward 3 sheriff cars) and as we pass the sheriff that told me the road was open I yell out my window "The road is not open, don't tell anyone else to go that way." What?! Did I just do that again? I then come to the stop sign (right next to another sheriff's car) roll through the stop sign in my hurry and Carissa yells out "He's going to pull you over." As the lights of his car come on and he starts moving I just see the headlines MOTHER ARRESTED ON MOTHERS DAY! What is wrong with me? Luckily it all worked out and he was just moving to officially close the road, looks like they decided to take my advice! Phew.

It all worked out, we arrived early enough for Carissa to get her race pack, to find some friends and hang out for a bit, and then to cram (literally shoulder to shoulder) into the start and stay warm until the 9am start. Once the race started it seemed like it was sailing by. I was shocked when we passed the 5K point. But I felt great so I figured we must have been running a bit slow, but when I approached the finish line Griffin ran out to run into the finish with me wearing his Mommy's #1 Fan t-shirt I was shocked to see that my finish time was 1:03. I was surprised considering the crammed start, the water stops and the fact that I did have to stop to use the porta potty. Now that was a fun time!

Speaking earlier about foiled plans, this year the boys would were actually cooperating and willing to get their picture taken with me! Ahh yes, some things change! Another amazing year, another amazing race. The perfect way to celebrate Mother's Day with a personal accomplishment and my biggest fans waiting for me at the finish line!

Golf Revisited

2009-05-06T22:19:00.000-07:00

It has been a LONG time since I have golfed, but my friend Leandra finally wore me down and convinced me to hit the links the few weeks ago. Leandra plays in a golf group that meets once a week to golf casually for fun. I honestly have not golfed in 7 years so when I hit my first ball I was literally shaking in my shoes. My golf clubs are not only a starter set (so I only have every other club) but they are about 13 years old. In order to save face I put my old starter set in Paul's nice golf bag so they don't look so bad. I of course was the only one without a cart to push or pull, but I kept saying that I don't mind carrying my bag (because I don't). The way I look at it it is just a little extra exercise. I may as well burn as many calories as I can.

Despite my fear, my first time on the course wasn't so bad. Of course it really helps that everyone is very relaxed and just playing for fun. When it was over (we only played 9 holes) I was hooked again. It looks like this will be the perfect substitution for Yoga. My second week of golf brought out a few more bad shots than the first week, but I still had an awesome time hanging out with Leandra and I look forward to several more games of golf this summer!

Under Pressure

2009-05-06T10:00:00.000-07:00

Minute after minute there is a million things to do. Pressure, mini panic attacks because there is so much to do. Get up, workout, take the kids to school, volunteer at school, bring the kids home, dress and leave for t-ball practice, hustle over to soccer practice, Board Meeting, rush home and back to work. Sound familiar? It just about outlines my daily activity. So much to do, so little time. I never feel like I am ahead of the game and most of the time I have so much anxiety about it that it causes me grief that I haven't taken my son out back to play catch with him yet this summer. That's not what a stay at home mom is suppose to be like. What is wrong with me? Well, that's a whole other blog post.

With so much going on in my life, eating is the last thing on my mind. This of course would be fine if I was only cooking for myself. Unfortunately for them, I am cooking for a family too. So what to do when you have 40 minutes before you have to leave for soccer practice and have to make a dinner for four? First, let go of the idea of being on time for soccer and just be ok with that. Second, make some brown rice, mix it with a can of black beans, a can of corn, shredded cheese and some salsa. Then place chicken breast on top of the rice mixture and cover with salsa. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes and then sprinkle chicken with shredded cheese and for the final touch cruble tortilla chips on top. Heat to melt cheese and enjoy!

There is nothing like a burrito casserole to save a drowning Mommy during another insane day!

BeadforLife on the Today Show

2009-05-05T21:49:00.000-07:00

One of my businesses and my greatest professional passion, is BINSI Labor and Birth Apparel. My business partner Carri and I feel so blessed that through BINSI we have been able to help make a difference in a woman's birth experience. Beyond that we LOVE that our business has also helped to support other women owned businesses and in fact has helped to touch women's lives around the world. What an amazing feeling.

As with most great things that have happened in my life, I simply happened to be at the right place at the right time. After Carri and I launched our line of Birth Wish Bracelets, we were happy that our idea had finally come to fruition, but after several months we just felt like it could be better. Enter me asking a good friend, by chance, if she happened to know where I could purchase Fair Trade beads. Well wouldn't you know that she happened to be wearing a BeadforLife bracelet and she suggested we talk with them, because they happen to be headquartered in Boulder!

Well that one short conversation lead to a wonderful partnership and Carri and I are very honored and proud that we not only offer BINSI Birth Wish bracelets as a wonderful baby shower or blessingway gift or favor, but that the bracelets in our kits are the amazingly beautiful bracelets made by the BeadforLife beaders.

Because we are so honored and thrilled to be working with BeadforLife we were VERY excited to receive the news that BeadforLife will be featured on NBC's Today Show on Wednesday, May 6th. The show will feature the extraordinary work of BeadforLife, our poverty eradication organization working in Uganda. Over five million viewers will see how BeadforLife has created a network of women in Uganda and throughout North America and beyond to work together to eradicate extreme poverty.

Skin Cancer Awareness Month

2009-05-04T15:45:00.000-07:00

Did you know that May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month? This I did not know, but I am glad that I do now. Now living in Colorado where we get 300 days of sunshine I am VERY protective of myself and my children when it comes to sun exposure and I make sure to use good sun judgment. Hailing originally from Upstate NY where there is an ongoing sun dance and celebration when the sun actually decides to appear, we were less than protective and aware of sun damage when I lived there growing up. As a matter of fact I am a little appalled to think about the way I behaved in the sun wearing baby oil or tanning oil trying to capture that bronze tan look. Spending most of my High School summers "laying out" between the hours of 10am and 2pm to catch the "good sun". WOW, what a mistake. Luckily I have not seen much damage from that sun exposure, at least not yet, but now that we are exposed to the sun almost every day here in Colorado as well as a significant increase in altitude I am panicked if I go out without sunscreen. It is a part of my morning primp routine (I use Jason facial sunscreen) and I even keep a bottle of sunscreen within an arms reach at all times, one in the kitchen, one in the swim bag, on in the car, one in the soccer bag.... You get the picture. One of my favorite possessions and the item that determined the color of my bathing suit, is my Columbia UV wide brimmed hat! I wear it everywhere and love how light it is as well as knowing that I am protecting my face and shoulders from sun exposure.

For the boys I always make sure they have long swim trunks and UV protection swim shirts. Why haven't I mentioned any protective efforts for my husband? Well, he is an adult and not only that he enjoys his Columbia wide brimmed hat too. Seeing as though my handsome husband is bald, he is very protective of "The Motherland" and is very sun smart as well. Fortunately and unfortunately for Paul, he is not exposed to the sun as much as the boys and me seeing as though he is sitting in his office most of the days during the week. But now that he is a triathlete, sun protection is more on his mind!

For the boys, I usually pick up a swim shirt at Target or the local sports shop, but today a good friend of mine passed along an email from a company called UV Skinz and they are running a great promotion for the month, not to mention there is FREE shipping on all orders over $50. As a matter of fact I ended up buying myself the Sarah Long Sleeve Black and White Aloha UV swim shirt seeing as though we spend so much time in the sun and at the pool over the summer. I am looking forward to wearing my shirt knowing that I am protected.

So you may be wondering, what is this amazing promotion UV Skinz is running? Read below about the "Pay It Forward I Saved a Baby's Skin Today" promotion

Press Release: SUN SMART RIGHT FROM THE START

As spring days warm up, parents become more careful about protecting children from sun damage. UV Skinz promotes skin cancer awareness by shipping free Baby UV swim shirts with every order in May.

SONORA, CA – May 1, 2009 – With summer days fast approaching and in honor of Skin Cancer Awareness Month in May, UV Skinz UPF 50+ swim shirt company will evangelize skin and sun health through a unique promotion to get babies and infants covered. The company will ship a free UPF 50+ protective Baby Skinz swim shirt with every order placed in May.

“The intent is for customers to ‘pay it forward,’” says Rhonda Sparks who founded UV Skinz after losing her 32-year old husband to melanoma. “We hope our customers will donate the Baby Skinz to a charitable cause such as a women’s shelter, YMCA or even a neighbor in need. We want to get as many children covered as we can and with each donation, we hope to raise the level of awareness that much more.” Each May shipment will contain a free UV Baby Skinz along with a flyer encouraging customers to pass along the Baby Skinz to a chosen cause. UV Skinz was able to give away about 1,850 swim shirts for the May 2008 Skin Cancer Awareness promotion.
The company’s goal this year is to nearly double that as supplies allow.

Babies under age six months should not be in the sun at all. Most pediatricians recommend no direct sunlight exposure for infants within the first few years. However, most infants older than six months regularly spend some time outdoors, even if just for walks in a stroller, and should be sun protected from head to toe. Protecting babies’ skin, regardless of the season, is essential to good skin health and safe sun exposure into adulthood. “UV Skinz are free of harsh sunscreen chemicals that can not only irritate baby’s sensitive skin, but also are now suspected to affect hormone production and react with sunlight to produce free radicals, possibly contributing to some cancers,” said Sparks. “Parents should know that sunscreen SPF ratings indicate UVB protection but may not indicate protection from the more deeply penetrating UVA rays that damage skin’s connective tissue, can contribute to skin cancer development and are the primary causes of premature aging.” UV Skinz’ swim shirts carry a UPF50+ rating, blocking more than 98% of the sun’s harmful UVA and UVB rays.

The National Cancer Institute reports that many common cancer rates are falling but melanoma rates within the U.S. continue to grow at an alarming rate. Sparks implores parents to cover their children to prevent them from becoming the one in five Americans who will develop skin cancer. “I am doing all that I can to protect my children from suffering the same fate that their father suffered when we lost him to melanoma. I hope our Baby Skinz donation program will prevent more families from being impacted by this devastating disease.” UV Skinz produces hip, high quality UPF 50+ UV swim shirts for babies, kids and adults. After UV Skinz founder, Rhonda Sparks, lost her 32-year old husband to skin cancer, she made it her mission to raise awareness about the potentially harmful dangers of the sun. The UV Skinz website offers information and links for consumers interested in finding out more on how to fight skin
cancer.

Honoring A Mom

2009-04-06T14:27:00.000-07:00

You may have heard about the senseless tragedy that took place in Binghamton, NY on Friday. Well Binghamton is my hometown and while I often tease about Binghamton and how happy I am that I now live in Colorado, when I heard about this horrific event I started to feel nostalgic about my little hometown. I am drawn to the memories of all of the great times I had growing up, because Binghamton really was an amazing place to grow up. And in the middle of the wonderful memories I have of my youth, is one of my best friends from High School and College, one of the daughters of Mrs Roberta King. I was adopted into the King family and was always envious of the sheer size of their family as I am an only child. Ten children?! WOW! I can hardly handle the two that I have. But their house was always full of family, always open to friends, and at the center of it all was a jovial, happily married couple, Dr and Mrs King.

This past Friday one of the sweetest, most giving, most community oriented women I have ever known was tragically taken from this world and I have to pay tribute to Mrs King. The mother to 10 amazingly talented and successful children, one of the most avid doll collectors (seriously I have never seen so many dolls), and the world's greatest substitute teacher. Mrs King was always happy to see you and always offered a kind word. She is a true Binghamton icon.

While everyone in our town is trying to process this senseless act of violence I can only deal with the reality of the situation by believing and having faith that Mrs King has been reunited with Dr King in heaven and together they are looking down at the wonderful family they created together seeing how many people's lives they have touched and what a difference they made in the town of Binghamton.

As Carri said, "Anyone that can have 10 children and still have plenty to give is a rare gift to the world." This couldn't more true.

Beloved English teacher among deceased
PressConnects.com
By Nancy Dooling • ndooling@gannett.com • Staff Writer • April 5, 2009

Grandmother of 17.

Teacher.

Doll collector.

History and architecture buff.

Talented cook.

And she knew how to be a beloved friend.

Roberta "Bobbie" King, 72, was teaching English to adult students Friday at the American Civic Association when a gunman burst into her classroom and killed her and 12 others, before turning a gun on himself. Family members confirmed her death Saturday.

"I believe that 'Bobbie' had more genuine friends than anybody I know," said Brenda Margolis, one of the many friends who loved her.

Margolis had been a friend of Mrs. King's for more than 30 years, through child-rearing, weddings, grandchildren, funerals - all of life's big moments.

Other families affected by Friday's violent massacre on Front Street were anxiously awaiting word Saturday about their loved ones. Binghamton city officials are now saying a full list of victims won't be released until today.

Friends and family of Mrs. King's are trying to cope with her loss.

"She impacted a lot of lives because of her very warm, very upbeat, kind disposition and her many interests," said Margolis, of Binghamton. "Everyone loved her."

Funeral services for Mrs. King will be held at 1 p.m. Monday at Temple Concord on Riverside Drive in Binghamton, said Mrs. King's daughter, Georgia Lerner.

Family will sit Shiva from 3 to 8 p.m. Monday and Tuesday at Temple Concord.

Her family was the center of her life. But so were her many interests and her many friends.

She was always positive, always upbeat, and able to competently and without complaint tackle anything that life threw at her, friends said.

With 10 children, her house was always full, friends said.

But Mrs. King took everything in stride.

"Her strength came from her gentle kindness," said another long-time friend, Beverly Hirsch, a Binghamton resident.

Mrs. King loved teaching immigrants and had no plans to retire, said her son-in-law, Dr. Todd Lerner.

She taught English to immigrants learning to be U.S. citizens. She substitute taught at public schools.

She loved her students, family and friends said.

"She was an amazing lady," Lerner said. "She was always busy with something."

She and her husband, the late Dr. Abraham King, put their children first in their lives, sending all 10 to college, five of them to Cornell University in Ithaca, her son-in-law said.

She was a passionate collector of dolls and dollhouses, which filled her South Side Binghamton home. She loved historic architecture and was involved with Temple Concord's Hanukkah House, Roberson Museum and the Phelps Mansion.

But it was the quality of her character that drew people to her.

"She was always gentle and kind," Hirsch said.

"Never critical. Never negative."

Mike Rowe Dirty Jobs - Diaper Service

2009-04-01T08:55:00.000-07:00

My husband and I have been big fans of Mike Rowe and his show Dirty Jobs for several seasons now! As a matter of fact one of the reasons we started watching Deadliest Catch was simply because Mike Rowe is the narrator. Mike's ability to find some of the Dirtiest Jobs is amazing, but even funnier is his fantastic sense of humor. While all of the jobs he documents are difficult and hard to imagine being full-time work, he really brings a hilarious edge to the show. So of the companies/workers he documents find him hilarious too, but there is the occasional host who does not find him funny at all.

I have seen many, many episodes but this week we watched a funny and relevant episode, the life and times of the diaper cleaner. In this episode that originally aired on February 3, 2009 Mike follows a day in the life of the Tidee Didee Cloth Diaper Service in Sacramento California.

To watch a clip from the episode click here

According to the episode the Tidee Didee companies processes 10,000 diapers per week and that translates in 1/2 million less disposable diapers clogging up the landfills each year. Also, disposable diapers in the US acocunt for 2 billion tons of plastic, paper, pulp, and untreated urine and poo going into landfills each year.

When Connor was an infant we used a cloth diaper service and it was awesome! I love the fact that we were using cloth and yet I didn't have to clean them myself. We probably didn't save as much money as we would have had we purchased the diapers ourselves, but there are certain things that are worth paying for as far as I am concerned and washing poo is one of them. The other good thing about the service was that they used extra water efficient washers and in Colorado water efficiency is very critical. We used the Earth Smart Diaper Service in Longmont, but to find a diaper service in your area you can check the Diaper Service Directory or the more informational National Association of Diaper Services website.

You will also find the answers to the following questions on the National Association of Diaper Services website Why use cloth? Why cotton? Isn't it inconvenient? Anything else I should know about using cotton? Does dry mean clean? Chemicals? Are disposable diapers linked to asthema? Are disposable diapers associated with an increased scrotal temperature? Economic issues Convenience

Denver Museum of Nature and Science

2009-03-31T12:06:00.001-07:00

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

2009-03-30T08:44:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-27T08:10:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-26T12:33:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-25T11:33:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-24T10:00:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-24T06:00:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-03-20T09:26:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-18T12:01:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-18T11:39:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-17T21:49:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-11T21:18:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-10T12:31:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-10T07:30:00.001-07:00

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

2009-03-09T12:00:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-09T06:00:00.000-07:00

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.

2009-03-05T06:00:00.000-08:00

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

2009-03-04T08:00:00.000-08:00

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

2009-03-03T09:01:00.000-08:00

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

2009-03-03T08:00:00.000-08:00

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

2009-03-02T15:22:00.000-08:00

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.

Why Gluten Free?

2009-02-27T07:35:00.000-08:00

Since my decision to go gluten free I have had several people (including my husband) ask Why Gluten Free? While I do not seem to have any extreme reactions to gluten, I kept having these nagging symptoms and agitations. Together with my amazing homeopathic care provider we narrowed my symptoms down to a possible gluten intolerance. I had symptoms like:

1. Chronic Fatigue - I would wake up in the morning feeling like I had not gotten any rest at all. It was miserable. I also notice I literally crashed about an hour after lunch and dinner (like a coma).
2. Chronic Constipation - Need we discuss the details?
3. In ability to lose weight - despite 6 workouts a week!
4. Acne - I'm 36 years old! Why am I still dealing with breakouts? Seems even worse than when I was a teenager.

Taking these symptoms into consideration I decided to do a little experiment and went off wheat and gluten for 30 days. Susan, my homeopath, says that it takes 30 days for your system to clear the gluten out of your system. So in October I quit cold turkey and for over 30 days I stayed gluten free. I successfully lost 5 pounds, but what was most amazing was my renewed sense of energy. I was actually able to stay awake after 8:00pm and when I woke up in the morning I actually felt rested. Apparently this renewed life wasn't enough of a motivation for me because with Thanksgiving and Christmas around the corner I quickly fell off the wagon, until now.

I have now renewed my commitment to being gluten free for the last 2 weeks and I am finding it even easier to be gluten free this time around. Hopefully it will stick. The biggest problem I find with this lifestyle commitment is my ability to eat on the run, not to mention not being able to eat pizza (one of my favorite foods)! However, this new meal plan forces me to focus on eating healthy food and to look for fruit as a snack rather than crackers. In addition I have also started thinking about other ways I can eat cleaner and healthier. I have also been inspired to start planning a garden for our house, begin composting, and really make a meal plan for the family rather than simply freaking out every night around 4:30pm thinking I don't have anything for dinner!!! I'll keep you posted and let you know how I feel and how this new eating plan has impacted my life.

Homestead in the Suburbs - Brutvan Family

2009-02-26T06:43:00.000-08:00

Marty and I went to high school together in Binghamton, NY and we remain in touch via the new modern technologies of facebook and twitter! Yeah for the internet reconnecting me with great friends from the past!

Written for NEW YORK HOUSE The Home and Real Estate Magazine for Smarter Living

Homestead in the Suburbs
by ANNE PYBURN CRAIG; PHOTOGRAPH BY FRANCE MENK

When Janine and Marty Brutvan’s twins were babies, the couple realized that moving out of their 500-square foot apartment in Westchester had become something of an emergency. What had been workable for a childless couple was verging on ridiculous for a new family of four.

“Lydia and Riley shared a crib for the first six months,” remembers Janine. “We knew we had to move—and move fast.”

Logistically, infant twins and active house hunting didn’t mesh well. A friend stepped up and did some of the legwork. “We didn’t even see this house before we put money down,” Janine says. “I was nursing the babies, on the phone with my friend while she toured the house and described everything she saw. And it turned out so wonderfully.”

Originally, the Brutvans thought they’d add onto the 1,700-square foot, two-story in Gardiner. But a book, Small Houses for a Better World, convinced them to avoid enlarging the footprint, focusing instead on renovations that would transform the logistics of the interior.

Almost six years later, the house and garage are topped by solar panels that supply the electricity and hot water. “We’ve made over 8,000 kilowatt hours of electricity,” says Janine happily, displaying sheets of paper covered in numbers. “At first, I was checking the meters every day and taking notes, just seeing how it worked.”

The couple worked with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) to finance the solar installation (powernaturally.org), and found that a combination of low-interest loans and tax breaks melted a $52,000 project cost down to manageable size. A $20,000 loan at 2.75 percent, a $23,450 rebate from NYSERDA, and a $7,000 tax credit meant only $2,000 needed to be laid out.

Then Janine took it to the next level. “They estimated it would cover 70 percent of our electricity—so I got rid of the dryer and the microwave, and not only did it cover 100 percent, we got a $287 check. People should know there are great programs out there to help them with these things.”

“Some people want it to cost less than their current electric bill, which isn’t realistic right away,” Marty observes. “But in the longer term, it works out very well. This is our home and we’re going to raise our kids here, so for us it made perfect sense.”

The full basement, which provides a lovely playroom and stays naturally cool all summer with no help at all, harbors several of the family’s sustainability tools: a solar hot water system from Hudson Valley Clean Energy (hvce.com), a clotheslines for winter drying, a freezer neatly stacked with veggies and fruits, and a root cellar— a stairwell to the back yard in which totes packed with straw hold potatoes and squash. “I make all of our bread with grains from Wild Hive (wildhivefarm.com), and we belong to Phillies Bridge (philliesbridge.org) and Taliaferro’s (taliaferrofarms.com). And we leased our own apple tree at Liberty View Farms (libertyviewfarm.biz), and dried a whole bunch of apples—apple candy, the kids call it.”

Janine feels blessed by the community resources she keeps discovering, from those local CSAs (community supported agriculture) to low-VOC (volatile organic compound) furniture refinishing products at Green Courage in New Paltz (greencourage.com). Each New Year, she assesses the family’s progress and resolves to take one new step in the direction of sustainable living (it’s clear, however, that new ideas crop up between times—at one idea a year, Janine would be an extremely well preserved multi-centenarian).

Eating healthy has become, well, natural. “I had a mother who canned food herself, so it wasn’t a totally foreign concept—but I was a little nervous about it at first. It’s a learning curve. At this point, the vast majority of what we eat is local.”

In 2009, the twins will be joined by an adopted little sister, who will share in the fun—walks to the farm on a summer evening instead of drives to the supermarket, home schooling (Janine is a certified teacher), fair trade chocolate instead of Hershey’s, and birthday parties featuring organic cotton gift bags and themes like space, the ocean, and insects—no Disney here. Marty’s work in web design can be done from home, decreasing fossil fuel consumption and increasing togetherness, and the entire family—including the two rangy Weimeraners—finds that togetherness delightful.

Green as they are, some might expect the Brutvans to be a tad self-satisfied, but nothing could be further from the truth. “I’m constantly learning from everyone around me, and all I can say is, ‘here’s what works for me,’” says Janine. “It might not work for everyone, and that’s fine, too. But we really are finding that the ‘Green Triangle’ is a reality. If it’s good for the earth, it’s probably also good for your health, and good for your wallet. We don’t have all kinds of money to throw at this, but the idea that you need to be wealthy to live organic is a misperception.

“Bottom line: a lot of it is practical, and fun, too. Some tell me it doesn’t make a difference—it’s just a drop in the bucket. Well, they’re entitled to their point of view,” says Janine.

Bidding farewell to the polite, bright-eyed Brutvan kids, one might be just as entitled to reflect that a mighty river is simply a collection of drops.

Eating Between the Lines

2009-02-25T21:02:00.000-08:00

At the topic night for my Mother's and More group in January a local author, Kimberly Lord Stewart came to speak about her book, "Eating Between the Lines." This book was written to be "The Supermarket Shopper's Guide to the Truth Behind Food Labels." The book discusses topics like the benefits of Organic foods and how to spend your money wisely on organics based on pesticide residue for fruits and veggies.

Fruit and Vegetable Pesticide Residues

Most Residues
Apples
Cherries
Grapes, imported
NEctarines
Pears
Peaches
Raspberries
Strawberries
Celery
Potatoes
Spinach
Bell Peppers
Lettuce (winter)

Least Residue
Kiwi
Mango
Bananas
Papaya
Pineapple
Asparagus
Avocado
Onions
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Peas (sweet)
Corn (sweet)

The book also focuses on teaching shoppers how to read labels and understanding what is simply "marketing" and what is actually important. For instance, did you know that if you purchase Chicken with special labeling stating that it is "Hormone Free" is simply a marketing scheme? "All hormones were banned in poultry operations in the late 1950s. No Added Hormones and No Added Steroids are simply reiterations of a policy that exists for all poultry producers - so don't pay more for hormone-free chicken. (p. 53)"

There are chapters on how to buy Beef, Chicken, Fish, Dairy, Grains, Oils, Baking Ingredients, Canned, Boxed, Bagged and Frozen Foods, Snacks etc. But overall the best part of this book is the cut out wallet sized reminders that you can keep in your purse (or wallet) while shopping or eating out for that matter! Now that proves it was a seasoned mom that wrote this book.

Mango Chicken

2009-02-25T19:47:00.000-08:00

Made the Mango Chicken recipe tonight for dinner. The kids said it was ok, and the darling husband said "You guys should tell Mommy thank you for another awesome dinner." Not really sure if that meant that he actually thought it was awesome or if he was just making a point! Tonight's meal was pretty good. I was excited about it because I love mangoes, but overall I would put it in the bland category. Of course this is probably due in part to my lack of spices.

I started prepping the ingredients and it seemed to take forever. Thank goodness for the Pampered Chef Cutting Edge Food Chopper! It really helps chop onions, garlic, anything you want to chop up. Once everything was prepped I started cooking, that was the easy part. The one thing I didn't do was add the curry and ginger. I thought it would be flavorful enough and I was worried that the kids wouldn't eat it. Not to mention the fact that I was just flat out too cheap to purchase 2 $6 bottles of spices. Why are spices sold in such large portions. I needed 1 tsp of curry, would that be worth $6? Apparently not, but there was definitely something missing from dinner. One other change I made in the recipe was instead of adding uncooked cubed chicken to the mango mixture I actually cooked the chicken in a separate pan and once about 90% cooked I added it to the mango sauce. I was just a little worried that the chicken wouldn't cooked thoroughly quick enough.

I served the Mango Chicken over brown rice and it tasted pretty good. For some reason I seem to need to serve dished like this over something, pasta or rice usually. Again I would say this recipe was ok, but it doesn't go on the top ten list! Pasta and Brocolli tomorrow, hopefully that is a little better!!!

Mango Chicken
1 ¼ pounds chicken breast, cut into 1 inch cubes
¼ cup grapeseed oil
1 large onion
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 garlic cloves, sliced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon celtic sea salt
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 cup water
½ cup coconut milk
1 mango, peeled and diced

1. In a large saute pan, warm oil over medium heat
2. Add onions, stirring occasionally, cooking until soft, 5-10 minutes
3. Add red pepper, ginger, garlic, curry and salt, cook 5 minutes
4. Add vinegar, water, coconut milk and mango to pan, bring to a boil briefly, then reduce heat
5. Add chicken pieces, return to a low simmer
6. Cook for 8-10 minutes until chicken is cooked through –cut open largest piece to check
7. Garnish with cilantro
8. Serve

Balsamic Roasted Turkey with Apple Stuffing

2009-02-25T14:22:00.000-08:00

Made the Balsamic Roasted Turkey with Apple Sutffing last night for dinner. I thought I was so clever. I switched out the turkey for a chicken because we just didn't need a 15 pound turkey, and then I started to prepare the meal only to realize about 2 ingredients in that this is basically the exact same recipe as the Rosemary Apple Chicken. Oh well, I made it again. The only difference was that I actually stuffed the chicken with apples, I used Balsamic Vinegar instead of the dressing, and I used fresh rosemary (from the grocery store). What a difference that made. I have to plant myself an herb garden this summer, or any garden for that matter! Considering I can barely keep my house plants alive this will be quite an ambitious effort for me, but one must try right? I will be sure to keep you posted on how the garden planning etc. Goes. This of course will lend well to my new plan to start composting. Boy do I have some dreams for this spring. I better start planning!!!

HGTV House Hunters in Longmont

2009-02-23T22:07:00.000-08:00

As seen in Longmont Times Call

2/20/2009

Anna and Sandra Cordova found their new home in Longmont and were featured on HGTV’s “House Hunters”. Courtesy Sandra Cordova

HGTV’s ‘House Hunters’ comes to Longmont
Longmont mother and daughter find home on national television

By Kristi Ritter
Longmont Times-Call

Sandra Cordova and her daughter Anna will never look at television in the same manner anymore, especially when they now know what goes on behind the scenes.

On Sunday the Longmont mother-daughter duo will be in the spotlight as they watch themselves on HGTV’s “House Hunters.” The show airs at 6 and 10 p.m.

For those not familiar with the show, “House Hunters” takes a look at a Realtor who is working with an active buyer and shows them three prospective homes for sale.

Local Realtor Jonelle Tucker with ERA Tradewind in Longmont admits she had never seen the show prior to being contacted. After sitting on the e-mail from the show for a couple of months, she replied to inquire into the details of their proposal. A demo tape later and they were chosen to be filmed.

“I think it will be fun for our community to see itself on national TV,” she says. “I couldn’t believe how many people were excited to know that ‘House Hunters’ was here. It was fun for me to know that people really enjoy home-related shows.”

Filming for the show started in Lyons last March, as Cordova was looking to relocate from the small community into Longmont. “House Hunters” also toured some of the local hot spots in the two areas, including dining in downtown Longmont at the Pumphouse and enjoying a cup of coffee at the Stone Cup in Lyons.

“Sandra and Anna were perfect for their role and we all had a great time working with the film crew and site director,” Tucker says. “We don’t get to preview the show, so it will be a surprise to all of us.”

Preparation for the show started on Tucker’s end by researching homes Cordova and her daughter were interested in, including condos or townhomes. Other specifics included no yard, three bedrooms, a porch, south facing to let the light in, two-car garage and a ranch style.

Tucker spent many hours prior to the show coordinating the logistics, including researching properties, scheduling access to properties for showings and filming, and communicating with and getting paperwork signed by various homeowners, homeowner associations, brokers and clients.

Cordova says Tucker’s work on the home search went beyond her expectations, even handwriting letters to more than 30 homeowners searching for the perfect property. “I’m so excited about this for Jonelle. I chose her because I knew her when we lived in Lyons and I knew she’d find exactly what I wanted,” she says.

Tucker admits that “House Hunters” is really about the client, in getting them ready to move and deciding which home works best for them. The Realtor is a behind-the-scenes person. “You can’t really be yourself as a Realtor on the show because they don’t have time for it. It’s more about the buyer’s reaction,” Tucker adds.

Interesting enough, the filming took four days for 22 minutes of live showing this weekend. While Cordova and her daughter admit it was hard work, it was a lot of fun. “What was really interesting to us was what goes on behind the scenes and the filming process, such as being fit for mics and sound checks,” she says.

Anna adds that the interesting part of the experience was looking at the property first, and then going back to talk to the cameras about it. “I definitely learned more about television, but it really taught me about my mom and me, about how well we can get along,” she says. “Doing this stuff was not easy with long days, but we never once got angry at each other. It was a fun experience.”

While the two found fun things to do while waiting on the crew, they also say they gained some new wardrobe pieces because of the filming. Cordova says they couldn’t wear black or white, or have anything with logos or writing on it, which eliminated a lot of selections out of Anna’s teenage closet, who was 17 at the time. They also couldn’t change their hair color or style drastically, as the crew came back in August to do a follow up in their new home.

“We had only moved in five weeks before filming, so it was only long enough to unpack and hang a couple of pictures,” Cordova says, adding that her son, Brett, was able to be there for the follow up filming.

Now, almost a year later, their home feels more like home with some paint splashed on walls to personalize it. And they’re ready to see themselves on national TV.

“Sandra and Anna were excellent decision-makers, had a great sense of humor, and were, overall, fabulous to work with not only for the ‘House Hunters’ show, but as my clients,” Tucker says. “There’s no doubt they appreciated their buying experience, as well as the unique and once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be part of a national television show.”

So which one did they choose out of their three selections? Tune in Sunday night on HGTV to find out.

Gluten Free Meal Plan Week #2

2009-02-21T21:15:00.001-08:00

OK, managed to make it through one week gluten free and with creative meals most of the week. The only problem I had was managing the leftovers, but the way I looked at it I just had a buffet of food to eat over the weekend.

This week's meal plan looks a little something like this, with a few alterations I'm sure. I will let you know how it goes.

Day 1
Mango Chicken
1 ¼ pounds chicken breast, cut into 1 inch cubes
¼ cup grapeseed oil
1 large onion
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 garlic cloves, sliced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon celtic sea salt
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 cup water
½ cup coconut milk
1 mango, peeled and diced

1. In a large saute pan, warm oil over medium heat
2. Add onions, stirring occasionally, cooking until soft, 5-10 minutes
3. Add red pepper, ginger, garlic, curry and salt, cook 5 minutes
4. Add vinegar, water, coconut milk and mango to pan, bring to a boil briefly, then reduce heat
5. Add chicken pieces, return to a low simmer
6. Cook for 8-10 minutes until chicken is cooked through –cut open largest piece to check
7. Garnish with cilantro
8. Serve

Day 2
Balsamic Roasted Turkey with Apple Stuffing
1 turkey (10-15 pounds)
½ cup grapeseed oil
½ cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon celtic sea salt
10 apples, cored and sliced in half
4 sprigs rosemaryTo thaw out a frozen turkey place in refrigerator –this will take about one day for every 5 pounds, a 15 pound bird needs 3 days. Alternatively, thaw the bird in a cold water bath, this requires 30 minutes per pound –7 ½ hours for a 15 pound bird. Below are cooking instructions for the thawed turkey.

1. Remove the gizzards (save in refrigerator for gravy)
2. Rinse bird well and pat dry with paper towels; then truss (tie legs together with string)
3. Place turkey breast side up in a roasting pan, then slip rosemary underneath
4. Drizzle bird with grapeseed oil and balsamic vinegar, then sprinkle with salt
5. Wedge apples around roasting pan to prop turkey up evenly –place 2 apple halves in cavity of bird
6. Place roasting pan with turkey, apples, etc. in oven on lowest rack
7. Roast at 325°, 15 minutes per pound; a 15 pound turkey requires 3 hours and 45 minutes
8. If skin begins to brown too soon, cover with foil
9. To check temperature stick a meat thermometer deep into thigh; at 175° it is safely done
10. Remove turkey from oven and allow to sit for 20 to 30 minutes before carving
11. Serve

Day 3
Peach Chicken
(1) 3 pound chicken
¼ cup grapeseed oil
1 tablespoon celtic sea salt
6 peaches, quartered
4 shallots, halved
6 sprigs fresh thyme

1. Rinse off the chicken, pat dry, then place in a large baking dish
2. Rub with oil, season with salt, then scatter peaches, shallots and thyme around the chicken
3. Roast at 400° for 60 to 90 minutes.
4. Serve with peaches and pan sauce

Day 4
Chicken Parmigiano
4 chicken breasts, boneless (1 to 1½ lbs total)
2 cups blanched almond flour
2 eggs, whisked
6 tablespoons salted butter
2 (7) ounce bottles Bionaturæ® Organic Tomato Paste
2 cups water
1 teaspoon Herbes de Provence
6 cloves garlic, sliced
16 ounces mozzarella cheese

1. Cut chicken breasts in half for thinner cutlets; pat dry
2. Dip cutlets in egg, let excess run off then coat with almond flour
3. Melt butter over medium heat; then sauté chicken cutlets until deep golden brown on both sides
4. Remove chicken and drain on paper towel
5. For tomato sauce combine tomato paste, water, Herbes de Provence and garlic in a pan; simmer for 15 minutes
6. Place ½ cup tomato sauce on bottom of a 7 x 11 Pyrex baking dish
7. Spread cutlets out in a single layer; cover with remaining tomato sauce, then layer with mozzarella
8. Bake at 400° for 10 minutes
9. Serve

Day 5
Pasta with Broccoli
1 (7) oz. box Papadini Rotini Hi-Protein Pure Lentil Bean Pasta
2 tablespoon grapeseed oil
1 medium onion, sliced
1 head broccoli, cut into florets and steamed
1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
olive oil to taste
celtic sea salt to taste

1.In a large pot, bring 12 cups of water to a vigorous boil, then add 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil and pasta
2.Reduce to a slow boil, stirring frequently and cook uncovered 7-9 minutes
3.Drain pasta in a steel colander
4.Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil over a medium flame
5.Add sliced onion, reduce heat and cook onion until caramelized 10-15 minutes
6.Stir in broccoli florets and tomatoes and cook for another minute or two
7.Dish pasta and veggies into bowls; drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with celtic sea salt
8.Serve

Crockpot BBQ Pulled Pork

2009-02-21T21:14:00.001-08:00

Friday I made the Crockport BBQ Pulled Pork recipe and it was good! As seen in the picture I served it (to Paul) on a deli roll, but for myself (in keeping with the gluten free agenda) I simply served it over the left over rice noodles from the Peking Pork. Overall I thought this recipe was pretty great. The pork was moist and literally fell apart after a day in the crockpot. It was great as leftovers as well because I had it Saturday for lunch as well. This recipe will definitely go high on the list.

Peking Pork Chops

2009-02-21T21:13:00.000-08:00

OK so tonight I made the Peking Pork Chops and I had pretty high expectations because they were marinading and simmering in the sauce all day. Unfortunately I still had a hard time choking them down. I was disappointed, but Paul said I hit a home run.

As with the Chicken Chili this recipe wasn't that bad, but I wouldn't keep it on my top ten list.

Suggestions: I served the pork chops over Brown Rice noodles with steamed broccoli and carrots. I love soy sauce on noodles and I am looking forward to having them for lunch tomorrow.

Peking Pork Chops

Chicken Chili

2009-02-21T21:12:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday night I made the Turkey Chili recipe I found on http://www.crockpot365.blogspot.com/ and it was pretty good. I definitely wasn't wowed like I was with the Rosemary Apple Chicken, but it was easy and good enough. It was also great because we all ended up eating at different times and it was warm for everyone!

Alterations: The recipe called for poblano chili peppers, but I used sweet peppers because I was afraid the poblano peppers would be too spicy for the kids. I also did not add the spices, just the salt, because I was worried it would interact badly with the rosemary from the chicken. I figured we could just spice to taste if need be. I also added broccoli to the soup, which was not called for in the recipe. Finally, I served the soup over rice for a little extra.

I would probably cook this soup again if I had leftover turkey or chicken, but it won't be on my top ten list. The picture of this dinner does not look nearly as appetizing as the chicken either.

Rosemary Apple Chicken

2009-02-21T21:11:00.001-08:00

I accidentally made dinner out of order already and it was only the first day! Oh well, it was good. So last night I made the Rosemary Apple Chicken and it was fantastic!

Alterations I made: I forgot to get Balsamic Vinegar so I used Light Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing with the grapeseed oil. I also just spread a little rosemary all over the top of the chicken rather than putting it underneath

Suggestions: Cut up twice as many apples as you think you need because thy taste AWESOME! This recipe is SO easy, you just have to make sure you have 90 minutes to cook it!!!

Gluten Free Week #1

2009-02-21T21:09:00.000-08:00

The following is the meal plan I put together in the attempt to go back to being gluten free. Recipes were found on a Year of Crockpotting http://crockpot365.blogspot.com and Elana's Pantry http://www.elanaspantry.com/recipes/ Enjoy!

Monday - Peking Pork chops
6 pork chops
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon 5 Spice Powder
1/2 cup gluten free soy sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
4 cloves garlic, chopped
(there is a box of salt pictured, but I didn't use any; the soy sauce was plenty)

The Directions.

I used a 4 quart crockpot. Put chops into the stoneware. In a small bowl, combine sugar, spices, soy sauce, ketchup, and garlic. Pour evenly over the top of chops. No need to add any other liquid. If you had an onion in the house, it might be a nice addition, but not necessary for flavor.
Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for about 4. If your chops are frozen they will take longer to cook. The longer you cook the meat, the more tender it will, but it might fall off the bone (which is fine in my mind, but some people really like intact meat).

Peking Pork Chops

Tuesday - Rosemary Apple Chicken
1 chicken (2 to 3 pounds)
¼ cup grapeseed oil
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon celtic sea salt
4 apples, cored and sliced
4 sprigs rosemary
1.Rinse the chicken, pat dry with a paper towel and place in a 9×12 inch glass baking dish
2.Drizzle with oil and vinegar, then sprinkle with salt
3.Arrange the apples around the chicken in the baking dish
4.Place the sprigs of rosemary under the chicken
5.Bake at 350° for 90 minutes, until browned on the outside
6.Serve

Rosemary Apple Chicken

Wednesday - Peach Chicken

(1) 3 pound chicken
¼ cup grapeseed oil
1 tablespoon celtic sea salt
6 peaches, quartered
4 shallots, halved
6 sprigs fresh thyme
1.Rinse off the chicken, pat dry, then place in a large baking dish
2.Rub with oil, season with salt, then scatter peaches, shallots and thyme around the chicken
3.Roast at 400° for 60 to 90 minutes.
4.Serve with peaches and pan sauce

Thursday - Turkey Chili

leftover turkey meat, white and/or dark
4-6 roasted poblano chili peppers
2 quarts chicken stock (vegetable stock will work too)
2 medium onions, diced
3 carrots, diced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon celtic sea salt
1 tablespoon arrowroot powder
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon cilantro, minced
1.In a large crock pot, combine turkey, poblanos, stock, onions and carrots
2.Allow to cook several hours or overnight
3.Add cumin, oregano and salt
4.In a small bowl, combine arrowroot and water to make a slurry
5.Stir into crockpot and cook for another 1 hour or until thick
6.Garnish with cilantro
7.Serve

Chicken Chili

Friday - Crockpot BBQ Pulled Pork
4 pounds boneless pork shoulder
1 onion, sliced in rings
2 cups ketchup (a 24oz bottle seems to be exactly 2 cups. weird.)
1/2 cup warm water
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon gluten free Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

The Directions.

Use a 6 quart crockpot. Trim meat, and place into your crockpot. Add sliced onion. Squeeze in 2 cups of ketchup, and then pour 1/2 cup warm water into the ketchup bottle and shake. Pour the ketchup-y water into your crock. Add vinegar, brown sugar, Worcestershire, Tabasco and salt.
Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours, or until meat shreds easily with a fork.
Serve over rice, or make sandwiches on rolls or sliced bread.

2009-02-19T08:40:00.000-08:00

This blog is basically about our family trying to do our best to survive and live healthy productive lives. I have been trying for several years to make our family a "greener," more organic family and while I have succeeded in some areas I continue to fail in others. After all I am only human and we are simply an ordinary family with a little Extra!

Please review my ramblings and enjoy. I hope I can help or if you think you can help me, please don't hesitate to let me know! Many Blessings...........