Happy Memorial Day!

Yummy Chunky Guacamole

I love guacamole because it makes raw onion and tomato appetizing to the whole family. This is a very simple and delicious recipe. Great for those scrumptious garden vegetables. By the way, at our gardening class a few weeks ago, the instructor said be sure to pick your veggies as soon as they are ripe and eat the same day, to get the most nutritional value out of your food.

2 ripe avocados, cut into tiny cubes (NOT MASHED)
1/2 of onion, diced
1 Roma tomato, diced
1/2 lemon, squeeze the juice into the mixture
Celtic Sea Salt, to taste
Fresh Cilantro, chopped finely
garlic powder, to taste
olive oil, enough to coat mixture

Mix all ingredients until everything is well coasted with olive oil. This is completely addicting and so healthy. ENJOY with some seeded (chia, flax and hemp seeds) tortilla chips from Trader Joes.

Sardines

2011 is the year to try new foods! Not just for the kids, but for me too. Dr. Erlich, our holistic pediatrician, recommended we add canned sardines and anchovies to our diet. She did mention that it is important to purchase your sardines from a reputable source. The site she recommended is called Vitalchoice.com. I also ordered canned salmon from this site as well. I am sure Whole Foods and Better Health also carry reputable brands too. Here is some info. on sardines:

"Sardines are rich in numerous nutrients that have been found to support cardiovascular health. They are one of the most concentrated sources of the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA, which have been found to lower triglycerides and cholesterol levels; one serving (3.25 ounce can) of sardines actually contains over 50% of the daily value for these important nutrients. Sardines are an excellent source of vitamin B12, second only to *calf's liver as the World's Healthiest Food most concentrated in this nutrient. Vitamin B12 promotes cardiovascular well-being since it is intricately tied to keeping levels of homocysteine in balance; homocysteine can damage artery walls, with elevated levels being a risk factor for atherosclerosis.

Promote Bone Health

Sardines are not only a rich source of bone-building calcium, but they are also incredibly concentrated in vitamin D, a nutrient not so readily available in the diet and one that is most often associated with fortified dairy products. Vitamin D plays an essential role in bone health since it helps to increase the absorption of calcium. Sardines are also a very good source of phosphorus, a mineral that is important to strengthening the bone matrix. Additionally, as high levels of homocysteine are related to osteoporosis, sardines' vitamin B12 rounds out their repertoire of nutrients that support bone health.

Promote Optimal Health

For many years, researchers have known that vitamin D, in the form of calcitriol, participates in the regulation of cell activity. Because cell cycles play such a key role in the development of cancer, optimal vitamin D intake may turn out to play an important role in the prevention of various types of cancer. Selenium, of which sardines are also a very good source, is a mineral with powerful antioxidant activity, whose dietary intake has been associated with reduced risk of cancer.

Packed with Protein

Sardines are rich in protein, which provides us with amino acids. Our bodies use amino acids to create new proteins, which serve as the basis for most of the body's cells and structures. Proteins form the basis of muscles and connective tissues, antibodies that keep our immune system strong, and transport proteins that deliver oxygen and nutrients throughout our bodies."

*Once again, another recommendation for liver! Wishing my kids would eat it.... :)

Mac & Cheese Cakes

Make Mac & Cheese from scratch or use a box of Annie's Organic Mac and Cheese for this easy recipe. In a bowl, add cooked Mac & Cheese, 1/3 cup of organic Panko bread crumbs and 1/3 cup of shredded cheese. Mix all ingredients. Line a muffin tin with 12 cup cake liners. Bake for ten minutes at 350. These mini cakes are great as left overs. I like to store them in the fridge for a few days and pull them out for a quick snack or lunch.

Amy's Amazing Energy Bars

I love this recipe. It is so perfect for a snack or dessert. Hubby, kids and all enjoy this protein packed treat. Plus it takes seconds to put together. Thank you, Amy!

1 cup brown rice cereal
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1/ 2 cup dry roasted peanuts
1/2 cup raw honey
2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup walnuts
1 cup dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter

*I also sprinkled my new favorite seed in the mixture, Chia seeds.

Spray a 9x13 pan. In a bowl, combine all of the ingredients except the chocolate chips, honey and peanut butter. In a sauce pan, cook the peanut butter and honey over medium heat for 3-5 minutes or until bubbly. Pour over cereal mixture. Add chocolate chips. Stir until everything is coated with the honey/peanut butter mixture. Pour and press into the 9x13 pan. Cool and slice into bars.

Why you shouldn't buy just any sand for
your kids' sandbox

From Katy At Non-ToxicKids.net - Premier Partner SustainLane Premier Content Partners are part of a growing network of publishers bringing you the very best green content from across the web.

"I noticed a label on the bottom of the sand bag, that read the now famous line, dust from this sand "is known to cause cancer in the state of California."

Last year, I went to a garden store to pick up a few bags of sand. At a garage sale I had found a sandbox, and I was intent on filling it up and letting my toddler dig, pile and create to her heart's content.

I got it home, then noticed a label on the bottom of the bag, that read the now famous line, dust from this sand "is known to cause cancer in the state of California." Annoyed from the wasted time and money, I threw the bags in our garden shed to be returned (where they sit this very minute).

Fast forward to another spring, and thoughts of outdoor play. We have a new play set care of my kid's generous grandparents. There is a great little spot for a sandbox. I visited my neighbor today, and she had just bought sand that looked less refined then what I had bought, and it didn't have the warning label. I checked the website of the company, and sure enough, it contained a hazardous material warning. Not on the bag, mind you, but on the website. So folks are buying this sand without knowing that it might be bad for their kids.

So what is the problem? Apparently, most types of play sand contain crystalline silica and asbestos tremolite. The silica is derived from quartz stone and is a known carcinogen. California's fantastic Prop 65 requires the labeling of carcinogen's in products for sale in that state.

OSHA (Occupational Health and Safety Administration) says this about crystalline silica, "Silica, Crystalline: Silicosis is a disabling, nonreversible and sometimes fatal lung disease caused by overexposure to respirable crystalline silica. More than one million U.S. workers are exposed to crystalline silica, and each year more than 250 die from silicosis. There is no cure for the disease, but it is 100 percent preventable if employers, workers, and health professionals work together to reduce exposures." Apparently, the small pieces of silica can be inhaled and trapped in lung tissue. To see the California label, and to learn more about silica, visit SafeSand.com.

Asbestos tremloite is a form of asbestos, and puts kids at risk of developing a lung cancer that is mostly caused by limited absestos exposure, and this risk can continue for decades. According to the Green Guide, and Philip Landrigan, M.D., director of the Center for Children's Health and the Environment at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, children breathe proportionally more air than adults, and they play close to the ground, thus increasing their exposure significantly. Think about kids playing in sandboxes, they literally sit in it, are constantly pouring and creating dust (and c'mon, they're kids--many times, they are eating it!), therefore ingesting and breathing in these carcinogens.

It completely boggles my mind that this sand is being sold labeled and unalabeled, right now, all over the U.S. I think if parents knew about this most of them wouldn't buy it.

So what to do? CHEC's HealtheHouse shares some good tips for what to do. The kind of play sand that can have these two carcinogens is made from crushed rock, so look for river or beach sand, usually found at landscape and gardening stores. This is what I will be doing. Also, there is a company called Safe Sand that sells sand without tremoite and silica (but unfortunately it is expensive). In the very least, avoid very fine sand that gives off easily ingested dust."

safesand.com is sooo expensive. I am on the hunt for safe sand. Please post if you know a good source. THANKS, Danielle

My second set of twins....Luke and Lana are looking so much alike these days. Even their facial expressions are similar.

Chia Seeds

After hearing Chia seeds mentioned over and over again, along with other super foods, I decided to investigate this micro-mini seed. I have to say, this particular seed is extremely easy to add to food. The kids won't even notice! :)

Here is some information and a recipe I made tonight that included Chia seeds:

"Chia is very rich in omega-3 fatty acids, even more so than flax seeds. And it has another advantage over flax: chia is so rich in antioxidants that the seeds don't deteriorate and can be stored for long periods without becoming rancid. And, unlike flax, they do not have to be ground to make their nutrients available to the body. Chia seeds also provide fiber (25 grams give you 6.9 grams of fiber) as well as calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, copper, iron, molybdenum, niacin, and zinc.

Another advantage: when added to water and allowed to sit for 30 minutes, chia forms a gel. Researchers suggest that this reaction also takes place in the stomach, slowing the process by which digestive enzymes break down carbohydrates and convert them into sugar.

Chia has a nutlike flavor. You can mix seeds in water and add lime or lemon juice and sugar to make a drink known in Mexico and Central America as "chia fresca." As with ground flax seeds, you can sprinkle ground or whole chia seeds on cereal, in yogurt or salads, eat them as a snack, or grind them and mix them with flour when making muffins or other baked goods. I find them tasty and an interesting addition to my diet.

Chia is undergoing something of a renaissance after centuries of neglect. It was a major crop in central Mexico between 1500 and 900 B.C. and was still cultivated well into the 16th century, AD, but after the Spanish conquest, authorities banned it because of its close association with Aztec religion (Indians used the seeds as offerings in rituals). Until recently, chia was produced by only a few small growers, but commercial production has resumed in Latin America, and you can now buy the seeds online and in health food stores.

Because of its nutritional value and stability, chia is already being added to a range of foods. Research has shown that adding it to chicken feed makes for eggs rich in omega-3s. Feeding chia to chickens enriches their meat with omega-3s; fed to cattle chia enriches milk with omega-3s. Chia can also be added to commercially prepared infant formulas, baby foods, baked goods, nutrition bars, yogurt, and other foods. Another bonus: insects don't like the chia plant so it is easier to find organically grown varieties. I expect we'll soon be hearing much more about chia and its health benefits."

Andrew Weil, M.D.

Banana Bon Bons from Nourish MD

2 cups of peanut butter, almond butter, or sunflower seed butter
2 brown bananas, mashed
1/4 cup cocoa powder
2 T. Chia seeds

Optional add-ins: unsweetened coconut, dark chocolate chips, chopped up raisins

Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Roll into balls and lay out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Freeze for a minimum of two hours. Keep in the freezer in a air tight container and save for a snack or dessert.

Kevin's Pistachio-Crusted French Toast

This is not the healthiest recipe but looked so gourmet and tasted wonderful. You could always sub out the naughty bread and use sprouted or whole grain...I am not sure it would taste as good.

4 eggs, beaten
2 cups milk
1 T. sugar
1 t. vanilla extract
1/4 t. nutmeg
1/4 t. salt
8 (1 inch thick) slices of white bread/Texas toast/challah
2 cups of pistachios, crushed or 2 cups of slivered almonds
2 T. butter
Powdered sugar for dusting

1. Pre-heat oven to 350. Butter a large baking dish. In a bowl, mix the first
6 ingredients and whisk.
2. Heat a large skillet. One by one, dip bread into egg mixture and then dip in the ground pistachios coating them evenly on both sides.
3. Add butter to skillet and brown toast for two minutes per side and transfer to baking dish. Bake the toast for 15 minutes.
4. To serve, spoon powdered sugar over each piece. Serve with hot jam, maple syrup or a fresh berry compote.

Enjoy!

These are pictures from our craft night. Maria orchestrated a cute craft that was simple and fun to make. It is a summer to do list for the kids. Everyone brought their summer to do list and we all copied ideas from each other. My favorite part (other then girl talk, wine and good company) was getting some excellent ideas from the girls of things to do this summer. Here are a few from our lists:

• Fly a kite
• Make root beer floats
• Family picnic
• Paint and pudding party
• Make homemade popsicles
  
• Nature walk
• Stargazing
• Water balloon fight
• Summer reading program
• Tea Party
• Bon fire and smores
• Dance in the rain
• plant a garden
• Miniature Golf
• Trip up North
• Farmer's market
• Zoo trip
• Petting farm
• Fireworks
• Family fondue night
• Music in the park
• pick your own fruit/veggies at pickyourown.org
• Build a fort
• Milk a cow/Visit a dairy farm
• Tiger's game
• Drive-in movie theater
  

Two Sick Babies

After two weeks of a weird virus going through our house, little Lana and daddy are the last two to get hit. Moms, do you oddly escape most illnesses that hit your house? I am not sure how that is humanly possibly, seeing as how we are the ones that take care of everyone... My mother-in-law told me that God blesses mother's with a super human immune system and I think she is right. Although, sometimes a few days in bed with the sniffles doesn't sound half bad.

Way To Go Costco

It is so nice to buy in bulk. However it is extra rewarding to buy organic products in bulk! Nicole recently told me that Costco now carries organic apples. I also was excited to see that there baby carrots do not have chlorine (the white slimy coating) in them. What are your favorite products from Costco?

Here are a few of my favs:

Costco's Laundry detergent (recommended by my green mentors: Amy and Christina)
Organic Baby Carrots
Organic Frozen Green Beans