Just say "no" to chocolate coins....

Do not eat those chocolate coins in the Halloween baskets. For information on why, check out the link below. Well, unless you like to ingest melamine from candy made in China.http://www.snopes.com/food/warnings/coins.asp.

An Apple a Day.......

This is what my kitchen will look like come Wednesday morning as my shipment of apples are delivered. I will be busy peeling, coring and canning these delicious rounds of juicy fiber. I love the smell as it fills my kitchen, it signals the arrival of fall to me. It is apple season and as a I have mentioned once or twice before, we are to eat our fruits in season as was intended by our creator. If you are in the practice of selecting your produce from a farmers market, you will be doing just that. I have been purchasing the local fresh apples, just picked at the Mesa Farmers market and the smell and taste is unbelievable. It is what an apple should taste like. Not a grainy, watery , low flavor taste that you get from the local supermarket. Anyways, now it is time for a little apple education so you know exactly why the saying goes "An apple a day keeps the doctor away."

Apples have been around forever. We have even tell about them in Biblical times, remember Adam and Eve? There are 100's of varieties of them and they are grown everywhere around the world. They were used medicinally to cure many ailments especially with the Greeks who often prescribed apple juice as the first known antidepressant. The Greeks would also serve them raw at the end of a meal to stimulate proper digestion. The apple is filled with insoluble fiber which adds bulk to the intestinal tract keeping in water to help cleanse the intestines and move the food along. It is also full of soluble fiber which helps to prevent cholesterol build up. Another component of the apple is the content of flavonoids which is an antioxidant used to improve immune function; thus, as the saying goes, keeps "the doctor away."
The pectin content in the apple also helps regulate blood sugar level controlling the insulin level. This helps the sugar to release slowly unlike sugary junk food. The apple contains many nutrients such as folate, Vitamin A, C, and Calcium. In addition, the apple is great to munch on for massaging gums and cleansing teeth. Make sure you leave the peel on as it contains 1/2 of the Vitamin C and contains much of the fiber. There is 3.7 grams of fiber in one medium apple. Don't give in to those pre-sliced and peeled apples in those cute little packages. We already went over that with baby carrots. Do it the old fashioned way and cut them yourselves. My Costco now carries organic apples which I have to say were incredibly delicious and a great price. I love you Costco!

If you also find yourself with an abundance of apples, here is my apple crisp recipe that is simply delicious, especially if you don't leave it in the oven too long and have apple mush instead of apple crisp. I know a girl.....

Apple Crisp

6-8 apples
1/3-1/3 cups sugar
1 T. lemon juice
1 T. cinnamon
1/2 t. nutmeg
3 T. flour

Peel and slice apples into desired size.Toss lemon juice and above ingredients. Place in 9X13 pan and top with:

2/3 C. brown sugar
1/2 C. flour
1/2 C. oats
3/4 t. cinnamon
1/3 C. butter.

Mix until crumbly. Use hands, foods processor or pastry cutter. Crumble over apples. Bake at 375 for about 30 min or until apples are done.

So, do as the Greeks !!! Eat an apple after every meal and keep those Dr. bills down.Add a little natural peanut butter for a perfect snack. YUM.

Essential Oils Class...

Okay, the date has been set. The essential oils class will be November 6th at 11:30 am at my house in Gilbert. I am sorry if this time is a conflict for anyone but it was the only time slot I had. I am very excited for these ladies to come and introduce you to these incredible oils. You will also be able to purchase magnesium oil that day and order the oils. She will be there to answer your questions about what oils you need and why. This is not any type of "pressure to buy" type of a meeting. It is informational only and if you want to buy some, great. So many of you have asked questions and I am still asking them so this class is for me as much as it is for you. Please leave a comment, not an email letting me know if you can come. If you need directions, email me. Please also let me know if you have to cancel so I can get a head count. For those of you out- of -towners who want to order, you can visit my order web page link to the right, Forever Green. If you want to order and can't come to my meeting but live close, call me to order. If I do a group order, the shipping cost can be almost nothing. You can always order on the website but you will pay shipping. Ordering more oils at once will help you save shipping cost. There are many types of essential oils out there and while there might be some oil company out there as good as Forever Green, no oils can be better. You can go to sprouts or other stores and get a bottle of oregano oil but most of them are diluted or not pure. These are the real deal and work because of their quality. There are so many different types of oil and if you want to know what oils to start with or what oils to buy for a certain symptom but can't attend, email me and I will let you know. I just add a few oils at a time to my arsenal to have on hand. I love them all! With cold and flu season approaching, the bacterial and viral oils are a must! Hope to see you!

Vote....

Although I am not a Catholic, this is a great video they have put out to put the voting decisions into perspective. Please take a moment to watch this and very carefully decide how your vote will affect our great country. We need everyone to take a stand. Thanks!

Catholicvote.com

Those Cute Little Baby Carrots.....

So my Dad was telling me some disturbing info about these cute little baby carrots that we are all so fond of at the grocery store. You know, no peeling required, just open and eat. Well, after hearing the details, these cute little carrots are not so cute anymore. What the tale is is that these carrots are the centers of the deformed ,old carrots that no one wants. After they are carved down into the cute baby carrots, they are soaked into a mixture of water and chlorine. This is how they are preserved because they no longer have their skins as a barrier. If you notice, sometimes you can see a white film on the carrots. You don't see that on the real deal long variety in the packages. This story seemed quite logical, I mean, why would a company waste a good carrot to just get to the middle. I checked out snopes and a few other sites and yep, it's true. There may be one company that doesn't do this but I haven't found it. Convenience never pays. Is it really so hard to peel and slice a carrot? Have you noticed how good the real carrots taste after you have eaten the chlorine baby carrots for so long or even a garden carrot? I bought some local organic carrots last week and couldn't believe the flavor and the crunch. The best part is that they are even cheaper! Why are we all so sucked into convenience that we will trade it for value? Now, this is one more thing I will have to cross off my list at the stores, no more baby carrots. Time to pull out the peeler. And just in case you didn't know, you don't want to eat chlorine. I am sure it also strips away many of the nutrients in the carrot as well. As always, eat your food naked. Just like God made it.

In Response.....

I can't seem to get my emails answered in a timely manner so here is a blanket answer to the top asked questions. First of all, essential oils: I am working on it. I need to get it set up which doesn't require much but once again, time is my problem. I would like to get it all done in the next two weeks and I would like to have any who are interested over for a meeting with the top oil guru in the valley. She will be here to answer your questions and help you know what oils you may need. Please email me if you are interested and what is the best times or days for you. There is no cost. I am not doing this to start a multi level business. I just simply love these oils and want to share them with you. No pressure in anyway. If you want some, you can order them. This is not Amway. I have to say that on my beach trip, our friends little girl was stung by a bee and I just happened to have my peppermint oil on me. One of its qualities is removing the sting from insect bites. We dabbed a drop and voila ! no sting. Great stuff. It also tastes and smells wonderful.

Next: Magnesium oil. Where to get it? You can go to www.powerhousehealth.net or call 1-866-256-8206. Great stuff. It is inexpensive and we should all be using it. There is a big difference between pills and transdermal application. My sons blood work proves it. If you haven't checked out my Magnesium blog, go to the entry on April 3rd. If you would like to learn more about magnesium oil, email me and I will forward a word document book to read.

Last: Recipe request from Tate's birthday. I had a recipe club last year and received so many incredibly yummy recipes. I made two of them Sunday and they are always a crowd pleaser. Here you go. Super easy . Just pretend that it is actually fall and cool enough to make soup.

Creamy White Chili
Courtesy of Lindsay Jensen

1 lb chicken breast, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
1 medium onion, chopped
2-3 red potatoes, peeled and diced
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 t. garlic powder
1 T. vegetable oil
2 15 oz. cans great northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 14oz can chicken broth
2 4oz cans diced green chilies
1 t. salt
1/4 t ground cumin, rounded
1/2 t pepper
1/8 t cayenne pepper
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup whipping cream

In a large sauce pan, saute chicken, potatoes, celery, onion and garlic powder until chicken is no longer pink. Add beans, broth, chilies and seasonings. Bring to a boil, reduce heat; simmer uncovered for 30 min or until potatoes tender. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream and whipping cream.

Pumpkin Dessert
Courtesy of Kelli Granum

1 yellow cake mix, reserve 1 cup
1/2 cup melted butter
1 egg
1 20 oz can pumpkin
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. nutmeg
2 eggs
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup soft butter

Mix cake mix, except 1 cup reserved, melted butter and egg. press into a 9X13 greased pan. Mix pumpkin, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, 2 eggs and milk together. Pour over crust. Make topping of reserved cake mix, sugar and soft butter. Crumble over filling. Bake at 375 for 50 minutes.

Back to reality....

I am back, all in one piece and with a great tan to boot! Thanks to the Gillelands for sharing a wonderful week with us despite freezing nearly to death in our tents! Such great troopers! Anyways, I have lots of emails to answer but since I am on my 20th load of laundry (literally), I have to put them off a little longer. I have lots of things to blog about so be patient and check back soon. The ideas are spinning. I just have to share one thing about why I am smiling tonight. Tate had his birthday celebration today with some family which was really his first real party. He is 4 but before he would never really understand what is going on. Tonight, he was so excited when we started to sing to him then he blew out his candle. To many, that is a very simple thing, for us, that is a miracle. He knew what to do and did it on cue. He then opened up his presents with excitement, saying "open" and "help" when he wanted to open the box. Just a few months ago, the idea of him saying anything was overwhelming. He waved and said "Bu bye" to grandma and bent to give her a kiss. I never appreciated these moments before with my other kids but tonight couldn't have been any sweeter. I love this little guy! Happy Birthday my angel Tate! Mommy is sooooo proud of you! I can't wait to see what this next year holds for us. We are winning our battle with Autism.

Off to the Beach....

In one more attempt to get a little tan, I am off with the Goodman 7 to frolic in the waves of the Pacific Coast . I know I have many lingering emails to attend to but due to the fact that I have spent the last few days in a packing tivy, I will have to get to you when I return. I wish you all a great week and for those of you on fall break, make it a memorable one! I can't wait for the memories we will be creating this week. I have to say that the little monkeys were a bit saddened that Grandma Cindy wouldn't be coming on this beach trip like she always does. Not just because they love her so, but also because she is the sugar mama delving out loads of M & M's and twizzlers the moment they come in from the salty waves. They are sure that I will be making them snack on broccoli the whole time. Silly little monkeys. Vacations are just that, a time to eat the things we shouldn't and don't do anything we should. They will be thrilled to know that our suitcases have such delectable items as Zebra cakes and Snicker bars. This was tough for me to fill my cart with such an abundance of High fructose corn syrup, but I will make them eat the carrots and cucumbers to go with it. I am sure we will all live in the end. If not, at least we had a good zebra cake to end it all with. Adios my friends!

Friday at the Farm...

For any of you locals, today is free day at the Superstition Farms in Mesa. They have all kinds of activities and food. They also will be selling organic produce there. Kids have a blast. It opens up at 10am. See the link here for more info. Thanks, Becky for giving me the info!

GMO foods.....

I have a friend whom I have connected to in my blog world and autism world, Ms. Terri Hirning. She has been a great source to me and she has a great blog entry for you all to check out. Click here to read about GMO foods. It's just one more thing for you to think about....if you dare. It just gives more fuel to the fire to eat local produce and organic foods.

Where to find grapefruit seed extract????

I found some grapefruit seed extract at Whole Foods but I bet Sprouts has some. Anyone know? Also, you can also use a mixture of Orange Oil and Lemon oil, 10 drops each. I can get these for you if you would like. Orange oil is $12.50 per bottle and lemon oil is $15.00. They each contain about 300 drops so they will last you a while. They are essential oils from a great company called Forever Young. You can use these oils in some water as an atibacterial spray with no harmful effects to anything. Great for cleaning in the kitchen and on toys. I am really starting to learn a lot about the healing power of essential oils and hope to blog much more about them in the future. I am in the learning process right now. I know that the quality of the oil is very important and this company only sells the pure ingredients.Email me if you would like some. Some of the other healing properties of Lemon oil are:

Anti- viral to help on colds, coughs and flu
helps rid body of phlegm
helps to decongest toxic liver
stomach acidicy


Orange Oil healing properties:

Great for skin health, helping with collagen production and cell regeneration
help with coughs, colds, chills, bronchitis
healing effect on sore muscles, strains and sprains
supports the body in overcoming colds, flu.
helps detox body after a heavy meal.
helps eliminate toxins
premenstrual tension and stress
calming

*****Chinese medicine have used these for centuries, no new ideas here, just us Americans are slow to catch on if it isn't in a prescription bottle.

Keeping it Clean.....

I have mentioned before that I was going to go all organic, and, I meant it ,but I think I am finally there. It is all baby steps like you all know and now is the time for me. I don't know why I haven't taken the full plunge, of course other than the fact that it is expensive and not always easy to find, but, I feel much better now. I don't think I would have fully embraced it if Tate wasn't autistic. His tests show he is full of pesticides so if I am spending thousands of dollars on his Dr.s, why not a buck more a pound for apples? I tried the organic basket from Bountiful Baskets but was disappointed when my basket yielded 5 heads of ice burg lettuce and 5 enormous bell peppers to name a few. If I was going to spend the money, I wanted a little more variety. The local grocery stores are very expensive and they don't carry a whole lot. My little farmers market up the street carries some good produce but I wanted more. I finally tried out the farmers market on Friday mornings in Mesa. It is outside the Mesa Community Center on University and Center. I loved it. It is small but has what you need. The big booth is run by a farmer from Queen Creek. They had local pears, apples , potatoes and much more. I filled up my bag for only 10 bucks. I swear it all tastes so much better. My little boy loved it because they had baby goats there to pet. You just feel healthy being there. Next time I will need to bring my "going green" bags and wear my tie die shirt with my hemp beads. I was a little out of place. (I really don't have hemp beads or tie die shirts, I swear.) I have also placed my first Azure Standard order, see prior blog, and I can't wait to get my order. They have some great deals. I feel like with some good shopping skills and new shops, I can get my produce for not much more than what I am paying at the stores for the regular produce.

For any of you out there concerned about the pesticides but not quite ready to increase your grocery bill, here is a good spray to help rinse some of the pesticides off. I was given this by my friend, Abby Runyan. Thanks fellow organic Mommy!

1 c. water

1 c. white distilled vinegar

1 T. baking soda

20 drops grapefruit seed extract

Mix all in a big container then transfer to a spray bottle. Spray on produce and rinse well after 5-10 minutes.

Recap....

I have done a little blog surfing today and need to comment from a fellow blogger about a post she wrote. Without naming me, she indicated about my findings about aspartame based upon one article I read. I want her and all of you to know one thing. I have studied this for a couple of years now. I have not simply read one article and blogged about my new findings. My opinions then are created by lots of research and are backed by some of the leading Dr.s around the world. To name one, Dr. Russell Blalock who is a neurosurgeon and has taken this battle on. Like him, I don't just fight against aspartame but many other food poisons like food dye and MSG. I need to talk about this because as Dr. Blalock warned, the only way we will win this fight is through blogs. The government in America is too controlled by money and the FDA works for that money. Many other countries have banned these additives that we still ingest. How come they can know that these toxins kill and America still says its OK? Money , dear friends. It is cheaper and makes food taste better. We as moms need to know better. This is my mission. For any out there who want to ignore this or only read one article supported by the FDA saying that it is ok, you are not doing your homework. Read the information from the homeopathic societies, from research Dr.s like Andrew Weil and Blalock. They get the whole picture. It is so much easier to just ignore the problems but I can't do that. You can't argue with me that food additives like the ones I have listed are in any way good for you. There is no case against that. That is not my opinion. A fact. For more information other than my opinions, please check out this article from Dr. Blalock here.

To Enlightened Homemakers Everywhere.....

Enlightened Homemakers of America, Uncle Sam needs you! Are you listening? Are you reading and watching debates? Do you know the issues and what is at stake? Now is not the time to stand by idly. No election in our time has been so important and we must voice our opinion. We cannot let others decide for us. I hope all of you are registered voters. I pray and hope that you all will show up to the polls. I hope that you know the issues and know what we need as a country. I am scared to death of what is going on. I am mostly scared that people aren't paying attention. So, to you I make the plea. Vote. Vote for morality. Vote for freedoms and less government. Vote because you want God in our country. Both candidates have good things to say and if you just listen to their candy coated promises, both look like they will save the world. However, actions speak louder than words. If we are known by the company we keep, then Mr. Obama must NOT be allowed to be our leader. His closest friends are a terrorist who bombed the pentagon, politicians who ran Fanny Mae and Mac to the ground and his church leader who is one of the most radical racist on the planet. This is the church Mr. Obama belonged to for 20 years. A church that blasted the government, our country and white people. It is a church of hate. You will certainly not hear much about this by the media as they are mostly left wing liberals themselves. You need to do your research. This is a man that will push for gay couples to have the same rights as those who are heterosexual saying there would be "No distinction" between the two. Senator McCain may not be the everything we want, but , he loves our country, he has always been a moral man who knows what the Constitution means. That's who I want in my corner. There is no room for radicals. That is what destroyed so many other countries. Enlightened Homemakers, I beg, please become politically enlightened. Our votes will make a difference. You have 33 days to decide.