20 Random Things That Bring Me Pleasure

1. Warm Cherry Tomatoes Straight from the Vine 2. My Children’s Laughter 3. Tender Kisses on my Neck 4. Yoga 5. The Aroma of my Mother’s Cooking 6. Rain on a Summer Afternoon 7. Mashed Potatoes Drowning in Gravy 8. Sitting on a Dock With my Feet Dangling in the Water 9. Lilacs 10. Chocolate 11. Black and White Photography12. Hot Soup On a Chilly Day 13. Driving with the Windows Down 14. Sitting Under a Shady Tree15. Children’s Art 16. Late Night...

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Mother's Who Don't Vaccinate... A Risk?

As mothers, we innately want to protect our children, so concerns are valid. I have been reading literature about vaccinations for the past 10 years. Some suggest that the un-vaccinated children pose a threat to the vaccinated population.If the vaccine theory was sound, then the unvaccinated children would not pose a threat to the vaccinated population, right? Think about it.In order to be a threat, the unvaccinated child would have to first come...

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Frustrations Facing The 'Autism Industry'

I find it difficult to comprehend how service providers can charge an exorbitant amount of money and still sleep well at night. As a parent of a child diagnosed with autism, I have researched many viable treatment modalities and service providers. Many groups advertise through books, websites, and talk shows about how beneficial their products are, but they all come with this high ticket.More frustrating is the amount of children that go untreated...

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Quick GFCF Taco Goulash: Recipe of the Week

8 ounce Rice Penne Noodles1# Ground Beef (or turkey)½ White Onion Finely Diced½ Zucchini Finely Diced1 tsp Minced Garlic1 tsp. Sea Salt½ tsp. Cracked Black Pepper3 TB Taco Seasoning2 Cans Petite Diced Tomatoes (or 2 chopped fresh tomatoes)3 TB Fresh Salsa3 TB Fresh Sweet Salsa½ cup Frozen CornTofutti Better Than Sour CreamVegan Gourmet Cheese Alternative- CheddarPrepare Rice Penne according to package.In the mean time, brown ground beef. Add...

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A Year of Leap and Bounds

As the yellow school bus pulled up, I felt a surge of excitement… I couldn’t contain my childish smile!All day I wondered if Sahara would get that it was her last day of school for summer break... Or would she wake up on Tuesday wondering why we were out of routine? As the bus neared, I could see this smiling little face peering through the bottom of the 3rd window back; a spark was in her eye and she appeared to be rambling on about something that...

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It's Been A Week!

My apologies to my readers… I understand I haven’t blogged in 7 days, but I promise you it was for good reason…I would like to tell you it has been for selfish reasons like we took a spontaneous vacation to Australia (ahh Mate, that would be an incredible story) or for personal reasons like I was laid up with the swine flu (now, I thought that was funny) or maybe I just didn’t have anything to say. Although, that, too, would be very unlikely, as...

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Ballet Met Columbus - Momentum: An Educational Dance Program -- BRAVO!

Chaperoning a field trip is tolerable at most. Ususally I walk away with admiration of the teachers we entrust our children to and relief that I am not in their shoes.... but today was different; today I spent the afternoon being inspired by 400 youth and found myself loving it!Ballet Met Columbus puts on a yearly program called Momentum, an enrichment program using dance as the medium to enhance 4th graders’ ‘excellence, discipline, and self-confidence’...

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Hydrating Your Body Without Draining Your Wallet: Money Saving Tip #5

The best water of choice is artesian— complete with salts and minerals of the earth. Lourdes (natural artesian water from France) is considered a miraculous water source and widely recognized as Holy Water among Catholics. This Holy Water has been known to cure sicknesses… I assume this is in relation to artesian water having all the electrolytes the body needs to maintain health. The chemical compounds of artesian water are most conducive with the...

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GFCF Cherry-Chocolate Cake: Recipe of the Week

This cake is so moist!! Nobody will know it is Gluten/Caisen Free!!2 Cups Rice Flour2/3 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa2 tsp. Xanthan Gum1 tsp. Baking Soda½ teaspoon Baking Powder3 Eggs1 2/3 Cups Raw Cane Sugar2 tsp. Vanilla¾ Cup Cherry Syrup (From the Jar of cherries) 6 ounces Strawberry Soy Yogurt1 Cup Water2 Cups Dark Morello Cherries in syrupCombine rice flour, cocoa, xanthan gum, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.In a large bowl beat eggs, sugar,...

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Mother's Day 2009

My birthday fell on Mother's Day this year; I felt like a Queen for the entire weekend!Pampering, no dishes, no cleaning, no cooking… just wonderful TLC !My daughters both made me a card at school and they were better than anything you could have purchased! Hallmark, Beware!On Friday afternoon Sahara rushed in the door from school, unloaded her backpack, and said, “Happy Birthday!” OMG- such sweet words to my ears! She handed me a card and pointed...

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Artificial Dyes in Our Foods, Medications & Cosmetics...

I went to the grocery to purchase hot dogs for our first seasonal cookout… I was shocked when I read the label of a popular brand of dogs that read “Red #40”.I put them down and went to the pasta aisle. My daughter had been begging me for some real Mac-n-cheese. (Now mind you, her definition and my definition of real differ quite a bit.) I thought this popular side dish would be an okay rare treat to go with the rare dogs, but…Upon reading the label...

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Recipe of the Week: GFCF Taco Casserole

1 # ground beef4 TB Homemade Taco Seasoning2 cups Chicken Stock1 TB Xantham Gum1 cup Tofutti Better Than Sour Cream1 can Diced Tomatoes with Chilies (or 3 fresh tomatoes + optional chili for heat)1 bag of Tortilla Corn Chips1 block, Grated Vegan Gourmet Cheese Alternative- Cheddar2 chopped scallionsAdd taco spices to browned meat. While meat is browning whisk stock and xantham gum together, add to meat after the spices have incorporated. Bring to...

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The Mother Consciousness

It is time for us to reclaim our innate rights and restore our instincts as they guide us towards true health and security for the children of the today and of the future.We must reinvest in the natural development of our children behaviorally, emotionally, physically, and spiritual...

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The Many Wonderful Things About May!!

May Is Here! Okay, let’s be frank—I love May. It is a beautiful month when the earth comes back to life. The snow is gone, the smell of fresh cut grass is in the air, and the tulips & lilac bushes are blooming. (I love lilacs and wish they were in bloom much longer than they are—it may be the best fragrance I have ever encountered… well, that is except the smell of a new baby.) Mothers everywhere are honored on the second Sunday of May and given...

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Money Saving Tip #4: Shop Smart While Buying More Organic and Healthy Foods

Managing a healthier home may seem overwhelming when embarking upon this new lifestyle. When we started changing the foods we ate, I used to argue it was too expensive to eat all organic and healthy food. Now I have learned to shop smarter. Here are my top 10 ways to save money while shopping organic:1) Buy only what you need by creating a week’s menu. Check the pantry and refridgerator for what is on the menu for the week and make your list accordingly....

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