Playing in the rain puddles!

Baked Bird's Nest

This side dish recipe is very simple. The end result looks like a bird's nest, which the kids think is cool. You could plop a few cherry tomatoes in there and call them eggs.. Or the adult version could be laying some grilled filet strips or baked salmon over the top of the nest.


Directions:
1. Cook 1/2 pound - 3/4 lb of spaghetti noodles
2. Add hot noodles to a big mixing bowl. Add a little bit of olive oil to avoid sticking.
3. Add two eggs to hot noodles.
4. Add a handful of shredded Parmesan and Mozzarella cheese.
5. Mix well.
6. Grab a small handful of noodle mixture and mold into a ball and place on a baking sheet, lined with parchment paper.
7. Continue until noodle mixture is gone. Sprinkle each nest with Celtic sea salt, garlic powder and dried basil.
8. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until nest is a little golden brown and crunchy on top.

Lana's Daily Chore

Kevin found this mini watering can at a garage sale and it has provided hours of entertainment! Little Lana loves watering the garden, flowers, etc. She means business too! Anytime, I divert from the plan, she says "No Mommy, Water Plants NOW!" The last picture is my bossy girl enjoying one of our homemade popsicles after a hard day's work.

Homemade Popsicles in the Vitamix

I found these BPA free popsicle molds at Bed, Bath and Beyond. We threw in some kifer, honey, blueberries, strawberries, banana...and VOILA! The kids really enjoyed them. Whole Foods also has a similar mold with a swirl shape. Its so sad that 90% of the popsicles at the grocery store have toxic chemicals listed in the ingredients. I like the homemade ones because they are a cheaper, healthier alternative.

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

Transit Time

My sis also consults with her own nutritionist and this was some interesting information she received from one of her meetings. Check it out:

It's important to know the transit time for a bowel movement. Eat some beets and take note of how long it takes to see them in your stool. Kim said that if you do not like raw beets, you could try roasting them in the oven.

"What is important in a healthy body is how long it takes for a body to flush out the waste after the process of eating is completed. Basically this refers to how long it takes food to go from the mouth to the bowel.

Average transient time is around 21 hours. If your transient time exceeds 26 to 30 hours, then you have a mild case of constipation. If your transient time is 31 to 36 hours you are constipated. If your transient time is 37 to 48 hours you may have chronic constipation."

Thanks Kim!

Lana enjoying a yummy treat!
When grampy stepped away, she gobbled up his cake too. :)

A Tea Tip

Today at Whole Foods I had a nice talk with a tea expert. She said white tea actually has more antioxidants than green tea. She also told me its important to mix it up...buy a box of green, then white, then black, etc. Some teas have a green/white combo. I have to imagine this tea technique is important for the same reason you should switch up your probiotic every time. Also, a tea bag should sit for 8-10 minutes in hot water to get the most nutritional benefit from the brew. Drink up, friends!

Mimi , Lana, Papa & Cousin Chloe on Easter Sunday

Jake with his BFF, Sophia

Lukey and Grandma

Ben with sticky fingers!

HAPPY EASTER!!!!

Celebrating Earth Day: April 22nd
http://crafts.slides.kaboose.com/277-favorite-recycled-crafts/8

I think Earth Day is a really important day to recognize and talk about. Whether it is going for a walk in your neighborhood and picking up trash or doing a fun Earth Day craft. Check out the link above for some cool Earth Day crafts. I especially like the coffee ground fossil craft.

Also, here is a coupon for my favorite green self-tanner product (http://www.lavera.com): EARTHDAY15

Yummy Easter Muffins

I doubled the recipe below and made some mini-muffins as well. The minis freeze well and make for a nice breakfast treat. This was also our Easter gift to the boy's teachers. They look so pretty with the frosting and crushed walnut topping. Enjoy! :)

Ingredients:
2 pasture-fed eggs
1 1/8 cups organic sugar
1/3 cup organic brown sugar
1/2 cup grape seed or olive oil
1 t. vanilla extract
2 cups shredded carrots
1/2 cup crushed pineapple
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cup of unbleached flour
1 1/4 t. baking soda
1/2 t. Celtic Sea Salt
1 1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1/2 t. ground nutmeg
1/3 t. ground ginger
1 cup crushed walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease 12 muffin cups.
2. Beat together the eggs, white sugar, and brown sugar in a bowl, and mix in the oil and vanilla. Fold in carrots and pineapple. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Mix flour mixture into the carrot mixture until evenly moist. Fold in 1/2 cup walnuts and 1 cup of chocolate chips. Transfer to the prepared muffin cups.
3. Bake 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool completely on wire racks before topping with the whipped vanilla frosting and sprinkling with remaining walnuts.

Found It!

http://eighteen25.blogspot.com/2010/03/easter-countdown.html

I have been searching for an Easter tradition. We do a fun scavenger hunt for Valentine's Day but had nothing different or unique for Easter. Check out the blog link above to read more about this cute Easter countdown. I like to center my Easter gifts for the kids around the true meaning of Easter and spring time fun versus candy, candy and more candy! This year I picked up kid's brooms, shovels, garden tools, and a kid's kit for growing strawberries at Joanne fabrics. Here are some ideas for my Easter countdown:

Day 1: Make carrot cake or muffins and deliver it to great-grandma.
Day 2: Color Easter Eggs (Whole Foods has a cute kit right now)
Day 3: Go see the Easter bunny
Day 4: Plant some indoor flower pots
Day 5: Set-up our strawberry kit
Day 6: Make Easter cards for the cousins
Day 7: Read an Easter Story
Day 8: Make an Easter craft
Day 9: Make egg shaped rice krispie treats
Day 10: Color an Easter picture
Day 11: Write a letter to the Easter bunny
Day 12: Go to church

Jake's New BFF: A Worm!

So often I want to scream "GROSS" every time I see my kids lovingly pick-up a worm. They treat the little slimy thing like it is the cutest thing in the world. Kelly's mom (a nature expert!) did a great job at one of our mom's meetings teaching us about how we should encourage exploration and curiosity versus being disgusted every time our kids want to pick-up a slug or some other little creature.

I love Lana's look of disgust in this picture, as her brother dangles a worm in her face.

Once Jake shows her how cool it is to play with worms...she starts to reconsider.

Ben is starting to become jealous of Jake's cool pet.

Ben decided to snag Jake's friend and to let him return to his family but Jake was not ready to say good-bye yet. We were sad for a good ten minutes over this one.

Don't want to do a huge garden?

Consider container/sill gardening: http://www.thedailygreen.com/green-homes/latest/container-gardening-460709

Ah-Ha Moment!

Last night the girls and I went to an organic gardening class put on by Thera Gardens and Organically Done. Kevin and I used Organically Done last year to fertilize our turf and were very unhappy with the results. But after going to the class last night, I realized that I need to check my priorities at the door. Instead of aiming to have the greenest lawn on the block, with no weeds in sight, we need to switch our goal to having the cleanest/safest yard for our family and the environment.

Here are some things that I found to be very helpful/useful from last night's class:

1. Have your garden soil tested. Call 248-858-0902 (MSU) to get a test kit. They said this is the most important step in maintaining a healthy garden.
2. Your garden needs a minimum of 6 hours of sunlight to thrive. 8-10 hours would be optimal.
3. Rotate your crops yearly to avoid depleting soil nutrients.
4. Gardeners.com is a site that you can enter the dimensions of your garden and what you want to grow and it will plot out your garden and provide care instructions.
5. Get a drip line from Lowes for $15.00 and set it on a timer for watering your garden. Have it set to water your plants before the sun comes up. The plant and fruit do not need to be watered, just your soil.
6. Call Michigan State University Extension Plant and Pest hot line for a free service that diagnoses disease and pest infestation. 248-858-0902
7. Do not rototille your garden. It typically brings up weed seeds.
8. Soil typically contains 80 trace minerals if cared for correctly.
9. Do not get soil or compost from Lowes or Home Depot. He recommended Maines in Oakland County.
10. Do not get seeds from Home Depot or Lowes. Get them online from Burpees.
11. Do not use Milorganite fertilizer. It contains heavy metals.
12. Consider using Ringer for Turf.

Girls, What were other helpful hints/tips????

Food Matters..Have you seen it?

Kevin and I watched the Food Matters documentary this weekend and it did a great job of reinforcing why it is so important to spend money on good quality food. How can you argue with an investment in your family's health?

The documentary had lots of interesting health facts. One example was that two handfuls of cashews has the same therapeutic effects as the medication Prozac. Not sure how that happens but I do believe in the power of food and your body's ability to heal with proper nutrition.

Check it out when you get a chance!

Grampy Love

The kids love their Grampy! Grandpa Bill helps us on a weekly basis with the the kids..he is wonderful! Thank you Grandpa Bill! XO

Toxic Tylenol

Lana had her fist fever this week, since her seizure. I quickly made a trip to the drug store to stock up on Motrin and Tylenol. Pre-seizure, I liked to wait it out before medicating but we don't have that choice for the time being. Sooooo when I examined the ingredients in the medications, I was disgusted to find Red #40, HFCS, etc. So I opted to buy the dye free, which is a little better, but was NOT available. I went to two stores to look for the dye-free option and couldn't find it at either location. I can not believe that this is a medication that is SUPPOSE to help children when they are ill. How sad that I am trapped and have to give my daughter these toxic chemicals.

Lana's Holistic MD gave me an excellent program of homeopathics to use for her fever but I still feel nervous about using homeopathy for Lana. For the rest of the kids, I will be using homeopathy for fevers. She did say stick with Motrin over Tylenol, if you need to medicate.

Liver Update

I will not be posting my recipe because liver night was a total failure! :( One of the four kids ate it and it wasn't Lana. My grandma (aka my BFF) cooked liver all the time for her kids. I called her tonight to ask her what do I do with all of this cooked liver? She said ground it tomorrow and mix with mayo and serve with crackers. That will be our mid-day snack tomorrow. I am on a mission to get my zinc deprived daughter eating liver. I can see this won't be easy.

My husband politely told me he ate a big lunch and wasn't hungry. I can take a hint! :) I did taste it and to be completely honest, didn't like it a bit. I wonder if the "trying it twenty times" works with adults too??? HA!

Tonight's Dinner: LIVER

Lana's holistic MD did a full body examination and told me that Lana has white spots or lines on her finger nails, indicating a zinc deficiency. She also told me that when you have children close together and you breastfeed, it is not uncommon for the third or fourth child to have health issues/nutritional deficiencies. Reason being is that the mother is probably deficient as a result of multiple close pregnancies and breast-feeding. Chances are all of my children are genetically prone to febrile seizures but Lana may be more susceptible due to a nutritional deficiency. Interestingly enough, she is the only one in our family that has the spots on her nails...and we all eat the same foods. It really makes sense.

I wanted to share her advice regarding her zinc deficiency. Please know that I love sharing my findings along my journey but I probably don't always explain things well, due to my lack of education on the topic. I try to do my best because I assume the rest of the world is as interested in this stuff as me... :) Probably not, but hopefully there are a few people who may also benefit from some of this information.

Back to her advice....she told me to cook liver once a week for the family. She said liver has more nutritional value than any vegetable you could consume. Here is some information on liver:

"Function of Liver: One of the function of the liver is to neutralize toxins (such as drugs, chemical agents and poisons); but the liver does not store toxins. The liver is not a storage organ for toxins but it is a storage organ for many important nutrients (vitamins A, D, E, K, B12 and folic acid, and minerals such as copper and iron). These nutrients provide the body with some of the tools it needs to get rid of toxins. Poisonous compounds that the body cannot neutralize and eliminate are likely to be deposited in the fatty tissues and the nervous system.

Health Benefits:

• Liver is an excellent source of high-quality protein. Protein is important for muscles growth and for repair of body tissues.
• Liver is one of the most concentrated sources of vitamin A. Vitamin A helps to promote healthy vision, promote fertility in males and females, and allow for proper embryonic development.
• Liver contain CoQ10, a nutrient that is especially important for cardio-vascular function
• Liver as cure for Anemia. For those who want to prevent pernicious anemia from ever occurring, the best course of action is to eat liver once a week.

chicken liver pate

• Liver help boost energy. In a study liver was found to greatly boost swimming endurance in rats.
• Liver is a rich source of vitamin B12 and folic acid.
• Liver has a highly usable form of iron.
• Liver also contains trace elements such as copper, zinc and chromium."

On a side note, the cook book Nourishing Traditions recommends you soak your liver in lemon juice before cooking, to clean the organ of any impurities.

So we will see if the kids dig liver on their first try. I am 33 and have never once had liver and can honestly say it scares me. I am going to try to be a good role model and eat it up with a smile on my face. If the recipe is a success, I will post it. Wish me luck! :)

PS) That picture above does NOT look appetizing...