Check out how cute she is! Our family is so proud to get to contribute to this video for an issue so close to our hearts.
Macklemore and Ryan Lewis' Same Love
Friday, October 5, 2012
Thursday, October 4, 2012
The real problem with Gatorade
No, the real problem with Gatorade is not the high fructose corn syrup. Not the sucralose. Not the glycerol ester of wood rosin (what???). Not the FD&C color # of the day. Not even that it comes in blue.
The real problem is with Gatorade is that it tastes so darn good.
This week I got really sick. After way to many hours of throwing up, my dear hubby decided I needed something to keep me from getting dehydrated. He provided me with a wealth of options - lovely purified water from our filter, organic lemon/maple syrup drink he made himself and a bottle of green Gatorade.
My body was wrecked, my liver was working overtime, and every 30 minutes I'd find myself waking up craving another suck out of the high-fructose, neon-colored sports bottle. Weird. I'm pretty sure the stuff is highly toxic, but maybe my body recognized its deep need for salts and chose the Gatorade to meet its most basic needs. But I don't think so. I think the stuff just tastes weirdly good.
Healthy enough to drive myself around town today but not really wanting to get too close to solid food or much water, I made the health-concious, responsible choice to pick up some organic, non-sugar plant based sweetened electrolyte powder. It's great, I notice I'm feeling better with more fluids in me, and I'm not stressed about the secondary effects of what I'm putting into me.
But it sort of tastes like my 1980's memories of Crystal Light and my tongue is crying out, "Where's the Gatorade?!"
The real problem is with Gatorade is that it tastes so darn good.
This week I got really sick. After way to many hours of throwing up, my dear hubby decided I needed something to keep me from getting dehydrated. He provided me with a wealth of options - lovely purified water from our filter, organic lemon/maple syrup drink he made himself and a bottle of green Gatorade.
My body was wrecked, my liver was working overtime, and every 30 minutes I'd find myself waking up craving another suck out of the high-fructose, neon-colored sports bottle. Weird. I'm pretty sure the stuff is highly toxic, but maybe my body recognized its deep need for salts and chose the Gatorade to meet its most basic needs. But I don't think so. I think the stuff just tastes weirdly good.
Healthy enough to drive myself around town today but not really wanting to get too close to solid food or much water, I made the health-concious, responsible choice to pick up some organic, non-sugar plant based sweetened electrolyte powder. It's great, I notice I'm feeling better with more fluids in me, and I'm not stressed about the secondary effects of what I'm putting into me.
But it sort of tastes like my 1980's memories of Crystal Light and my tongue is crying out, "Where's the Gatorade?!"
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Flock of Eagles?
Tuesday on our way to Park Day with the Seattle Homeschool Group, I *swear* I saw a flock of eagles over Wallingford and 45th. I tried to take a picture, but nothing came out.
Am I crazy? Anyone every heard of a flock of Bald Eagles? Could they possibly be over Seattle?
Am I crazy? Anyone every heard of a flock of Bald Eagles? Could they possibly be over Seattle?
Friday, August 10, 2012
If We Ever Needed to Vote, We Sure Do Need to Vote Right Now
Reverend Dr. William Barber II addressed the NAACP Wednesday, July 11 with this moving call to action.
The delivery and cadence is amazing. There is lots I'd like to say about it, but I think the message and delivery stand stronger on their own. I hope you are as touched and inspired as I. I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments.
Monday, August 6, 2012
Gosh I Like to Cook for Myself
I'm high off the lovely dinner I made for tonight. Perhaps the burn from the garlic, but I know what I like.
My most recent food goal is to eat fish at least once a week. The fishmonger at Whole Foods suggested fresh cod, so I started with that. Mark Bittman, from his book Kitchen Express, suggested Pan-Seared with Spicy Lime Butter (pg 91). Mark's recipe directed me to make a butter compound with shallot mixed with lime zest and juice. Lacking shallot, I substituted about 6 cloves of garlic. Hee, hee, let the fun begin.
Staring at the seasoned fish I was about to sear in butter and olive oil, I realized we were going to want something else on the table to go with it. Rosie grabbed some kelp noodles while we were shopping today, and I thought in a little broth, they might be a great way to catch any butter compound that melted off the fish. Of course, the chicken broth, noodles and fish would look very mono-chromatic in the bowl together, so I dropped a handful of arugula into each bowl before pouring in the small amount of soup.
The result delighted me. Creamy textured fish, slightly crunchy kelp noodles, the sweet of the butter contrasting with the acidic of the garlic and the bitter of the arugula, all went down nicely with our animated dinner conversation about the Mars Curiosity.
Here's Mark's recipe that I started out with (plus my notes), in case you'd like to try some similar fun.
Pan-Seared Fish with Spicy Lime Butter
Stir together about a half stick of softened butter, a finely chopped shallot (I substituted the 6 cloves of garlic), the zest of a lime and a good squeeze of its juice (Bill and I were talking, so I put the juice of the entire lime in), a minced red chile (left this out for the kids), and a pinch or two of salt. Pat any type of fish fillets dry, season them with salt, and cook them quickly in a tablespoon of each olive oil and butter. Turn the fish once and cook until golden and cook through, about five minutes. Serve the fillets with a generous spoonful of the compound butter on top.
My most recent food goal is to eat fish at least once a week. The fishmonger at Whole Foods suggested fresh cod, so I started with that. Mark Bittman, from his book Kitchen Express, suggested Pan-Seared with Spicy Lime Butter (pg 91). Mark's recipe directed me to make a butter compound with shallot mixed with lime zest and juice. Lacking shallot, I substituted about 6 cloves of garlic. Hee, hee, let the fun begin.
Staring at the seasoned fish I was about to sear in butter and olive oil, I realized we were going to want something else on the table to go with it. Rosie grabbed some kelp noodles while we were shopping today, and I thought in a little broth, they might be a great way to catch any butter compound that melted off the fish. Of course, the chicken broth, noodles and fish would look very mono-chromatic in the bowl together, so I dropped a handful of arugula into each bowl before pouring in the small amount of soup.
The result delighted me. Creamy textured fish, slightly crunchy kelp noodles, the sweet of the butter contrasting with the acidic of the garlic and the bitter of the arugula, all went down nicely with our animated dinner conversation about the Mars Curiosity.
Here's Mark's recipe that I started out with (plus my notes), in case you'd like to try some similar fun.
Pan-Seared Fish with Spicy Lime Butter
Stir together about a half stick of softened butter, a finely chopped shallot (I substituted the 6 cloves of garlic), the zest of a lime and a good squeeze of its juice (Bill and I were talking, so I put the juice of the entire lime in), a minced red chile (left this out for the kids), and a pinch or two of salt. Pat any type of fish fillets dry, season them with salt, and cook them quickly in a tablespoon of each olive oil and butter. Turn the fish once and cook until golden and cook through, about five minutes. Serve the fillets with a generous spoonful of the compound butter on top.
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Mocha Mama's YA summer reading list
One of my very favorite bloggers, Mocha Mama, recently posted a Young Adult summer reading list. Some of the books look beyond Theo at this point, but right in my interests. And of course, there's always next year.
Says Mocha Mama:
Says Mocha Mama:
Every year I make myself a list of all the great new YA books that have been published during the school year and try to read them all. Lately, however, I find myself looking toward books that I’ve missed in the past (because, really, I cannot read them all) and asked a bunch of friends to help me put together a list of favorites. Some of them are new and some are not, but they all came highly recommended from people whose opinions I trust. Even the school librarian where I work chimed in and loaded me up with a boxful of books for the summer.
Click here for the rest of the post!Good luck with your summer readers.
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Writing elsewhere
Yesterday I made a guest post to the Seattle Neufeld Community's blog. You can read it here. Also, while you are there, read the lovely posts by Sara E. and Molly. They are amazing writers and inspiring mamas that I feel so fortunate to have in my life.
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