Posts from — January 2009

Mercury in Vaccines Was Replaced With Something Even More Toxic
This is a must read if you’re pondering the whole vaccine thing….or even if you’re not.

Candy Cane Hearts
I really want to make these for Valentines Day, but I don’t have any Candy Canes!!  Aren’t they cute?

Today is Johnny’s birthday and we always try to start birthdays out with a special breakfast and gifts.  I hadn’t really decided what I was going to make for breakfast and my friend Katie happened to send me her Baked Oatmeal recipe.  It was SO yummy, and especially easy since you can make it up the night before, that I just had to share it with you!

BAKED OATMEAL

¼ C. vegetable oil (canola / olive blend or grapeseed)*

½ C. honey*

2 eggs

1 C. milk

½ tsp. salt

1 T. baking powder

3 C. Old Fashioned oats

½ C. raisins (opt.)

2 T. brown sugar

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

Beat together oil and sugar; mix in eggs and milk.  Add salt, baking powder and oats to batter.  Stir in raisins if using.  Pour into lightly greased 9×13” casserole dish.  Sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon.  Cover and place in refrigerator overnight.  (OK to bake immediately if needed.)

Next morning, bake at 350 degrees for about 35 min.  Serve hot.  Great with butter melted in warm milk or cream.  Garnish with fresh berries (opt.)

*original recipe called for ½ C. oil and ¾ C. sugar

This is the way Katie makes it, with less oil, and the honey.  That is the way I did it too, but I didn’t have any raisins, so I used Craisins, instead.  It was very yummy, and everyone at our table enjoyed it.  

Thanks Katie!!

How I Taught My Preschooler the Value of a Dollar
I thought this was an interesting idea.  I’m not sure I would do it in the exact way, but it’s still a neat idea.

FDA Warns Against Salmonella Outbreak in Peanut Butter Products
If you’ve been wondering what’s recalled, here ya go. 

SafeMama Review: Chem Dry Carpet Cleaners
Need a safe way to professionaly clean your  carpets?  This is a great option!

A few weeks ago when the boys were playing together in the office Gabriel fell on Nathaniel’s leg.  This really isn’t that unusual, but the amount of crying Nathaniel did was.  He wouldn’t stand up, so we took him to the bathroom for better lighting and took all of his clothes off.  His leg was red, but nothing seemed to be out of place.  He finally calmed down and we gave him some Tylenol, and since it was bedtime, we went ahead and put him down.  

The next day, and the following two days, he wouldn’t walk on it.  I called the nurse at our doctor’s office on day 1 and she said to give him some Motrin, which is apparently better for pain relief in children, and to watch him.  He was still in a little pain, so we went ahead and took him to the doctor.  The doctor felt around on his leg, which Nathaniel wasn’t too excited about, but didn’t find anything.  Let me also say that there was no bruising or swelling, or anything on the outside to even know there was an injury.  But, if you moved his leg just right when you were changing his diaper, he would complain.

The next day he finally started walking on it.  So we thought he getting better.  Then a good friend told me a very similar story to Nathaniel’s, only the little girl had ended up in a cast because her leg was fractured.  That kind of freaked us out, to say the least.  So we watched him a few more days.  I personally thought he was pretty much fine.  He was playing outside and walking all over the house.  Johnny noticed that he was limping sometimes.  And then the night that I had pretty much ruled out that anything was wrong, I squeezed his leg and he cried.  That did it for us and we decided that he needed to go in for an x-ray.

The next day we did just that and the tech said they would give us a call in a few days.  The very next day after lunch our doctor called and said that Nathaniel had fractured both of his leg bones, and that he would need to be put in a cast.  So a few hours later we found ourselves getting a full leg cast – mid-thigh down to the toes – that would have to be worn for 3 weeks.

Nathaniel has done super.  He’s never complained, not even while getting the cast.  He hasn’t even had trouble sleeping, which is a huge blessing for all of us!  I wanted to post this story for anyone out there who is having second thoughts about an injury their child may have.  When in doubt, maybe you should go ahead and do the x-ray, just to be sure.  Now the only thing I’m really worried about is getting the darn thing off.  I hear cast saws are kinda scary.

While I don’t have anything profound to say about today’s events, I really love this prayer from Dr. Albert Mohler.  I haven’t even had a chance to watch much of went on today.  I’m so glad that I can watch the replay online!  I’m about to go do just that!

Cold Remedy Warning
A video concering Vicks VapoRub and the correct/incorrect ways to use it.

Great Deal at Babies R Us Stores this weekend
If you buy diapers, this is a great deal to take advantage of!

The End of Second-Hand Kids’ Clothing and Toys?

Gov’t Says Sorry, No More Reselling Your Kids’ Stuff
Have you heard about this?  Some new laws are coming into place on Feb. 10 that will possibly close down children’s consignment shops and you won’t even be able to legally resale your kids’ stuff at your own garage sale!

I told you on Tuesday that I’d have a Chai tea recipe for you today.  so, here are a few different variations for you.

The way we make it at our house is with Masala Chai (No. 920) from Special Teas.  Heat fresh water to a roasting boil, add 2 level teaspoons of the tea for a 6 oz. cup.  Then we just add our milk and sugar to taste.

My friend Mendy uses Tazo Chai, and she pours her boiling water into a mug over the tea bag, and covers it with a saucer to steep.  Then she puts about 1/4 cup of milk in another mug with a teaspoon of sugar and heats that up in the microwave until it’s boiling.   Then she mixes it into her mug of tea.

If you want the REALLY easy route, you can always try the Oregon Chai.  It’s really good too.  All you have to do is add milk or soy.  Now, go enjoy yourself a cup of Chai tea!

I guess it changed when we lived in China, but we’re tea drinkers at our house.  We used to drink coffee more, and we still enjoy it, but slowly, over time, we became tea drinkers.  Johnny says it’s because there is so much more variety with tea.  And there really are TONS of variety and flavors.  I like that there are decaf teas, such as rooibos, that are just naturally decaf.  They don’t have to use a chemical to make it that way.  Some of our favorite places to buy tea are Special Teas and Adagio Teas.  

I like that you can buy the teas in sample sizes to try out a flavor before you buy a lot.  And even the sample pack is enough to get about 10 cups, which is great.  I bought Johnny some great holiday flavored tea from Adagio and put it in his stocking.  Here’s what I got for him; gingerbread, chestnut, pumpkin spice, and they also included a free sample of Taurus.  He also received some great new tea from Special Teas; Rooibos Lemon Chiffon and Honey Bush Vanilla.  We tried the Lemon Chiffon, and it was amazing.  He also recieved a flowering tea, so I guess we need to get a glass tea pot so we can see the display!

We also have a Chai tea from Special Teas that we really like, and it’s great to add a little milk and sugar to.   I’ll have the recipe for you on Thursday.  Right now I’m off to buy myself a sample size of Fruit Medley at Adagio.  It sounds wonderful!

Toy and Product Recall Finder
This is a great new tool from Parents magazine.  Got any new Christmas toys to look up?

Nine Ways to Get Your Vegetables
Some great ideas and tips to help you incorporate veggies into your meals.

Chipotle Black Bean Burritos
Ohh!!  A recipe that’s quick and healthy to make at home!  Make your own takeout!

I thought I’d tell you about a few of my favorite new things.  Most are Christmas gifts I received and you may already have some of them, but it’s still fun to share ideas, right?

First, my new favorite tea is Tazo Organic Apple Red Tea.  I’d seen it at the grocery store for weeks and I finally bought some for myself.  It is SO good.  I don’t add any sweetner at all and it’s perfect.  It’s also a naturally decaf rooibos tea.  So for those of your avoiding caffeine or if you’re pregnant you can have this one!

Next…my new red down throw from Kohls.  It is a very pretty color and it gets you toasty quickly and keeps you there.  It’s washable and comfy!

I also love my new workout pants from JC Penney.  VERY cute and comfy!  I can’t find the jacket to match however because they’re all sold out in my size.  I even checked the clearance rack here to see if anyone had made a return.   Maybe I’ll just buy a bigger size and do some work on it.

My new Cast Iron Gridde/Grill Pan, which I cannot wait to try later this week.  I’ve needed a good solution for making pancakes and hamburger and now I have it with this one pan!  Most griddles are made with a non-stick teflon coating, which I do not want.  Now I have a safe way to cook my pancakes and a large surface to get it done quicker!  And I can cook my hamburgers, chicken, or whatever on the other side!

Last, but certainly not least.  I love my new diamond earrings that Johnny gave me.  They are beautiful and they go with everything.  What a thoughtful husband I have!

If I’m forgetting anything else that I love, I’ll just have to tell you later.