Thursday, September 30, 2010

Supplements are here.

All the supplements are in. I will be leaving town the end of next week so please make arrangements to get them before then. Just shoot me an email so we can hook up. I have a few extra spice of life, A & I and yeast cleanse products. First come first serve.

I am mailing out the out of state orders today.

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

MISSING: Homemade Bread



I can remember the smell of homemade bread. This picture I took a few months ago even reminds me that I did at one time or another even bake it myself. However, it is missing. I haven't seen it on my counter, cooling since I last took the picture. Maybe I was prompted to take the picture for memories sake... in case it didn't happen again.

It frustrates me. I want the homemade bread on the counter. I want my children to come home from school and taste of it's goodness. Really I do. But somehow in the last year or so, life has seemed to take over. The time to create bread has been filled in on the calendar.

I have been analyzing why I can't seem make bread anymore. Why I can't create any great new dinners lately or even some nights....dinner at all? Why was I able to get it all done in days of yor all while nursing a baby and stirring the dough in the other hand with another toddler hanging from my sleeve? Where did my ability go to be able to do it all? (I know some of you are under the impression that I really do it all. Silly ladies.) We could really go so beyond the bread here and talk about how dusty my blinds are right now or how my closet is a complete disaster. But, I won't go there so you still have some respect for me.

I know it has lots to do with older kids and living the life of carpools and social lives. I know it has some to do with church callings and helping at school. I am sure it has something to do with the fact that I am getting older and can't go as fast as I used to. However, I think there is also something else to it. Something more important I am learning.

I was at the table tonight. Sitting (a strange concept). I was frustrated that dinner was late and involved some 3 day old toasted french bread, Costco Tomato Basil Soup (totally organic and really good) , a few cut up veggies that were past there prime and a cold glass of water. I had plans to make a really good dinner but it was lost in the late afternoon therapy for Tate and picking up and dropping off the underage in the house. Everyone else was gone to their evening activities and I was just sitting there next to my 8 year old and my Tater tot. Tate was coloring a picture for me and Tallin was just sitting next to me asking questions. He stopped and said,

"Mom, do you know what I love best right now?"

"What, Tallin."

"That you are just sitting here talking to me."


That is what I have learned these past few months. We are quick to clean, quick to take a dinner to someone in need, quick to get kids to where they need to be and meet their physical needs, but, what many of us don't do is stop and listen. Somehow we feel it is not the best use of our time.
Time is really what most people are craving. Our time just for them, unrushed and unobstructed. Homemade bread tastes really good, but nothing tasted better tonight than hearing those words from my sweet 8 year old. I had wanted to get up and get to the dishes and all the things that awaited me this night. But, I made a conscious decision that I would just sit by him and let him talk about anything he wanted. When he made his comment I knew that by letting everything else go right then, I made a tender moment with a child. The dishes are still there right now at 10:30.

I get to go to my aging grandparents house weekly to bring meals and to be with them. We sit at the table, hold hands and pray over our meal. My grandfather always blesses me and then tells me about his life. It is priceless. My life is so busy and my grandmother always talks about how I don't have time for this and to not worry about them. However, what she doesn't get is that sitting and listening to them has caused me to understand these past several months that time flies. They tell me story after story about vacations with their children, dances, friends and special moments. Life is about moments. We rush around so much that we can miss them.

I bought some bread from the bread company. My blinds are still dusty. My closet once again did not get picked up. But, while this would have made me crazy in years past and caused me to loose sleep, I now go to bed thinking about the special moments I created by letting it go.

I will get it done. I am confident that bread will again be on my counter soon. I still make a great hot breakfast and pack 5 organic lunches but some things like blinds and closets can slip by for now. My family is growing up. My grandparents are getting older and soon will move onto the next life. I want to jam pack these memories while I can. Whoever created the concept of time really should have made it a little longer. I need just a little more, please.

Monday, September 27, 2010

Bragg's recant

If you read my post about Bragg's, you need to go and reread. I had to recant thanks to a friend with lots of insight.

Thanks, Terri!!

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Soy Sauce, Piano lessons and nuts





I am sure I had you at the post title! Attention grabber for sure. We will first talk about soy sauce.

I was talking to a friend the other night about cooking from scratch and why it is so important. She then told me about a recipe she made and we started talking about the actual ingredients of the "home cooked" meal. It contained soy sauce. Lots of it. Since it was made from home and full of veggies, she thought it was a great, healthy meal. What she didn't know is that the soy sauce is not healthy. It contained salt (lots),
Hydrolyzed soy protein ( a form of msg), corn syrup, caramel color and potassium sorbate. Nothing in that concoction is healthy. Nothing.

Healthy cooking must be scrutinized. If we have the intention of making a good home cooked meal, it is important that we use good, healthy ingredients. Why go through the effort if we are just adding chemicals and toxins into our food that we are avoiding at the fast food joints?


There are other options out there. I had just posted about using Bragg's liquid amino's if you read that and now I have to recount. My good friend, Terri informed me that they use hydrochloric acid to process the soybeans and have had to even remove the "No MSG" label since it contains glutames. Great. I love to recant posts! So, she informed me of an even better solution:
Coconut Aminos. You can get it at Whole Foods or even from Azure Standard. I am sure you could find it on Amazon as well. You can check it out at the website here.

Sorry for having to amend what I said. Hopefully it was before you went out and bought it. In any case, Bragg's is still much better than the other soy sauces.

Next topic: Piano lessons.

My daughter who is 14 is teaching beginner piano lessons and can take a few more students. We are in the Higley/Elliot area and she will teach at our home or yours if close by. She is wonderful with kids and is an amazing piano player. She has taken lessons for years and will teach beginner students at $10 per 1/2 hour lesson. First come , first serve.

Last topic: Nuts

My fellow Enlightened Homemaker, Linda Heywood is taking orders for the "Nutty Guy" in Utah due by October 4th. There are amazing deals on all sorts of nuts, seeds, dry fruit and sweets. She is going to Utah to get the orders and is doing this as a favor for all us here in AZ. They even have organic nuts and some unpasteurized almonds.

If you are interested, email me and I will shoot you over the order form.


****Last plug, I am ordering the supplements at noon tomorrow (Monday) for those still wanting products. Email me what you need.

Have a great Monday! I love school days!

Friday, September 24, 2010

Preparing Wisely sale

My year supply stash is slowly dwindling. I need to stock up again and get back into the groove up buying extra food and freeze dried foods for long term storage. My friends at Preparing Wisely have some great deals, as always so check out their September specials before it is too late. I am super excited about the raw honey! You can link to them off my sidebar or click here. They also ship from their online store.




New Grains, Seeds and Baking Supplies
White Chia Seeds 5 lbs ($25.00)
White Chia Seeds 1 lb ($6.00)
Oat Groat Organic 5 lbs (10.00)
Lentils Organic 5 lbs ($10.00)
Sunflower Seeds 5 lbs ($10.00)
Adzuki Beans 5 lbs ($10.00)
Millet Organic 5 lbs ($10.00)
Spelt Flour Organic 5 lbs ($12.50)
Citric Acid 1 lb ($8.00)
New Items in #10 Cans
Honeyville Farms Freeze Dried Sharp Cheddar Cheese ($32.50)
Freeze Dried Cheddar Cheese
Honeyville Farms Tomato Powder ($20.00)
Honeyville Farms Freeze Dried Mushrooms ($15.00)
Freeze Dried Mushrooms
September Sales Items
*** Freeze Dried Raspberries ***
Sale Price: $20.00 Per #10 Can (Regularly $25.00)
Freeze Dried Raspberries capture the wonderful blend of sweetness and tartness found in fresh raspberries.
Honeyville Freeze Dried Raspberries come sealed in a #10 Can for storage of up to 15 years. The #10 Can of Freeze Dried Raspberries is equivalent to 3.5 pounds of fresh raspberries.
*** Freeze Dried Pasta Primavera ***
MountainHouse Freeze Dried Pasta Primavera is one of our top selling freeze dried meals and a favorite of our customers. This meal features Spiral Noodles, Zucchini, Cauliflower, Broccoli, Red & Yellow Peppers, and Green Peas in a Creamy Parmesan CheeseSauce.
$23.50 Per #10 Can (Regularly $31.25)
This meal will store for up to 25 years in the #10 Can. The #10 Can features 11 servings
$4.50 in the Mylar Pouch (Regularly $6.19)
This meal will store for up to 7 years in the pouch and serves 2.
Sale on Freeze Dried Raspberries and Freeze Dried Pasta Primavera Ends September 30th, 2010. No minimum amount required and no limit.
*** Raw Honey Sale ***
Gallon: $35.00 (Regularly $45.00)
1/2 Gallon: $20.00 (Regularly $25.00)
Quart: $15.00 (Regularly $20.00)
Our Honey is local, desert blossom raw honey. It has a beautiful amber color and is quite thick. This raw honey has various wild-flower tastes, including mesquite.
The sale on Raw Honey ends September 30, 2010. No minimum amount required and no limit on how many you can buy.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Allergies


I know I have talked about allergies before but I get so many emails about it, especially this time of year, that I think it is time for another recap.

I have allergies. My kids and husband all have allergies. We moved out to Gilbert with pecan trees lining the street. They are beautiful. Unfortunately, we found out that we are allergic to them. Fortunately, I can now deal with it and I don't have to take drugs.

First thing, let's discuss why you don't want to have allergies. There is the obvious; runny nose, sneezing, itchy eyes, fatigue, irritability, eczema, itching. You know the drill. Who wants to deal with that? However, there is much more to allergies. When the body becomes allergic, it gets inflamed. It is irritated. It creates mucous. Mucous attracts illness. Once your body gets allergies, it creates more allergies. This is especially true when children come down with allergies early on. Food allergies perpetuate themselves. You start with one then it snowballs until you have a whole plate full of things you can't eat. Airborne allergies are hard because you can't take yourself out of the world. I can't cut down the whole neighborhood of pecan trees.

What to do? If it is food, start eliminating what bothers you. Start one at a time until you figure out what it is. The big offenders are: Dairy, eggs, soy, corn and wheat. Go one by one, allowing at least one to two weeks each. Once you figure it out, stop eating it for at least 6 months. The body can actually heal itself of the food allergy and you may be able to eat it later in life. However, if you don't lay off of it, the allergy will get worse and other allergies will grow.

For outside allergies, you need to help the body not react to the allergens. You need to calm the body down. This also helps with food allergies.

There are natural ways to do this and I am here to swear by them. I have tried many natural solutions and I have been disappointed by many. Now I have a true and tried system that works for me. It may not help everyone but I know that almost everyone who has tried it faithfully has come back for more.

New Beginnings has a product called A & I (allergy and inflammation). It is non-drowsy and contains only a few herbs. You start off taking a loading dose, am and pm then after things calm down, you can take a smaller dosage in the am and pm. When allergies are down, you don't need to take it but if you are allergy prone, it is a good idea to take some regularly. The idea is to keep the inflammation down so you don't flare up.

My other trick is peppermint oil. If I wake up with a little allergies, I put a very small bit of the peppermint oil on my tongue and under each nostril. Very little as it will sting a bit. It opens up the sinuses and zaps the allergies. I follow it with a couple A & I and I am good to go. You can take it 3 times a day if needed.

Since I have followed this regimen, I rarely have allergies that stick around any longer. I can go outside and run without coming home with itchy eyes.

The children's chewables are my favorite when my mouth starts to itch from eating certain types of fruit that trigger an allergic response for me. I chew on them and hold them in my mouth for a minute. It takes away the itch on contact. Kids do great on the chewables and they have helped many eczema laden kiddos.

Cod liver oil is another great tool for helping bind the histamines in the body and getting them out. 1 - 2 T. daily is a great thing to add to the breakfast smoothie or juice.

You don't need to live with allergies. You don't need to live on Claritan. You don't need to feel drowsy and irritable.

I am ordering on Monday for any who need to place an order on any products.

A & I capsules are $34
A & I childrens chewables are $15
Peppermint oil is $16
Cod Liver Oil is $32

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Giving Permission

Why do I need to give myself permission to relax, leave my kids and enjoy big girl conversation? Why do I like to bathe in guilt of doing anything for myself? Why have I only allowed myself 5 days out of 16 years to be away from my mothering duties? My husband gives me his blessing to leave. He wants me to have time off. My children survived just fine. It is OK to leave and for once in my life, I gave myself permission to relax and enjoy life without children. Heaven's knows it was due. Why are we so hard on ourselves??

I would have backed out on the trip if I wasn't so committed with friends. I went with the rhetoric that I "didn't need it", "didn't want to leave", etc. I left with a little tear in my eye. I got there and called home only to find all the family was at my son's first debut with his band at the High School talent show. I missed it. I was sad. I shouldn't have left. Then....something magical happened: I SLEPT.

I woke up without an alarm. It was even 7:30. No one asked me to make breakfast. I didn't have one chore to do or obligation ahead. I got to run on the beach in 55 degree weather. I missed the family but by the end of day one, I decided; I was giving myself permission to enjoy this trip, to relax and enjoy being with women.

I brought a book but by the end of the trip, I had only gotten to page 20. We talked the entire trip. We laughed and cried. We solved each other's problems and gave advice if wanted or not. Women are great at that and I realized how very important girlfriends are. I don't allow myself girlfriends too often. Another thing I will now give myself permission for.

I sat around, enjoying the chilly weather. I ate and shopped and even rode tandem bikes on the Santa Barbara boardwalk. It was delicious.

I came home relaxed but could have spent another 3 weeks sleeping.
I realized how tired I really was. 4 days wasn't going to touch that. I decided to go easier on myself. I am doing pretty good at that now. I am sure it won't last but I am still in a relaxed state and kind of want to hang on to that. I am sure it will end tomorrow with my preschool class but it was a nice few days that will be reflected upon until the next years trip. Yep. I have decided that I will give myself permission to do this once a year.

I came home more in love with my children. I came home more in love with my husband who missed me as much as I missed him. He has been cleaning and helping out more than ever since I returned. Shoot. That was worth the trip right there. He is a pretty great guy. I was surprised that not only was being away good for my sanity, it is also pretty great for a marriage. Going away makes you want the guy even more and that is a great thing for an 18 year marriage.

I am a better person for leaving my kids. They are better kids for me leaving and my husband is a better husband due to my brief absence. Who would have thought?

Highly recommended.

Tomorrow, I will end my relaxed state and get onto nutrition. Blog to follow. Check back.

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Solo time

Sorry for the lack of posts. I don't even have time to blog this right now but I have to keep in touch so you know I am still thinking about you all. I promise to do better when I return.

I am leaving. I am packing my bags and going away. No kids. 4 days. 5 moms. The beach. A book. A whole lot of guilt.

There is one thing that I was not created to do and that is leave my kids. The strings that are attached to my babies are extra strong for me. I was given a triple dose of the bonding glue that comes when a child comes from your womb. In the 16 and 1/2 years since I have had babies, I have been away for a total of 5 nights from them. I just don't like to miss the "good nights" and "good mornings" but this trip is necessary. I am forcing myself to go out that door tomorrow bright and early. Don't get me wrong, I am going to have a great time and the kids will be just fine - I just wish I didn't feel so wrong about the whole situation.

I am going because......

I am tired and want to sleep for 4 days
My kids need to miss me
I need to miss them
I need quiet time to think, to be inspired for them and for me
I need to remember what it is like to be just me, not a mom or a wife


My 8 year old looked at the one page of instructions I typed up for the Mr. Mom who will be caring for the brood and said, "Is that all the instructions you are giving dad?" Yep. I assured him he will do just fine.

"Who is going to do the laundry while you are away?"

"The same guy who is going to make your breakfast."

"But I won't be able to yell, MOM! and Dad won't let me yell, DAD!"

"That is why I am leaving, so no one will yell MOM! for four days."

"But I like to yell it so I know you are there."

(heart melting)

My kids don't know what it is like to not have a mom to yell for at their every whim. Precisely why I need to be absent for a few days. Wish I could take all you overworked moms with me. Maybe we will have an Enlightened Homemaker cruise next year. Save your bucks. We all deserve it.

So I will talk to you all on Monday, refreshed and inspired. My 10 year old will no doubt be wearing his favorite football jersey everyday while I am away since I ban it on a daily basis and my 16 year old won't shave, the glass door won't get cleaned 3 times a day and no one will get gourmet pancakes in the morning. But, I know they will be loved and bellies full. They are in good hands and I think the man of the house will miss me a little too, and that is also a good thing. I really want to be missed.




Thursday, September 9, 2010

Spice of Life is here.

The Spice of Life is here. Please email me or call me at 388-9970 to schedule a pick up. I have all the supplements in so all your orders are ready.

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

gluten free....getting better.

Tate has been Gluten Free for 3 years now. He doesn't really know what it is like to eat a good fluffy donut or a piece of yummy bread. Choices have been pretty slim but lately, it seems that due to the increase of gluten intolerant folks, our options have opened up to a new and exciting world. I gave up on bread since every bit I tried, whether store bought or homemade were dense and dry as could be. I bought some Udi's brand at Sprout's and was amazed. It was fluffy. It was amazing. Tate had his first sandwich and felt like a regular kid. He had the cutest grin there was. He just knew somehow it was special. Udi's has lots of other products as well and you can go to their site here to get a great coupon to boot.

Tonight we had to go to Borro's pizza for a football meeting. Tate has never had pizza before but to our great fortune, Barro's now has gluten free crust. I bought his own little cheeseless pizza and he looked at me with great joy when I gave him his first slice. His smile could not have been bigger. He ate half the pizza and carried his little box with leftovers for the rest of the night. So exciting.

I am so thankful for restaurants who are helping these little ones enjoy life. Thank you, thank you. You made our day.


Sandwiches and pizza. Tate is now a real kid. Pleased as punch. The simple pleasures in life.

If you have some great gluten free finds, let us all know. Many of us are in the same boat.


*****FYI, I have supplements in but the Spice of Life is on back order. They keep telling me it will be in any day. If you want your other supplements , please email me or you can wait for the spice of life to come in. I will let you know asap.

Friday, September 3, 2010

Adjustments

After the birth of my fifth child, my back was a bit disheveled to say the least. It hurt. I let it go for a few years, giving in to spasms now and then and general pain. I finally called up my cousin, Jim, who had just finished up Myropractic school to come fix me. I had heard he worked miracles. He did not disappoint. He is amazing and from that point on, I was in love with Myropracty. Myropracty is like chiropracty ( I don't know what the correct terms are, sorry professionals) but they work with the muscles. This made perfect sense to me as the muscles are what hold the bones together. If the muscles are tight, they are going to pull the joints and bones in the wrong place. Chiropractors just crack you and leave the muscles as is and you end up back in a week since the problem was never really fixed.

My miracle cousin, Jim moved. He is now working with the Biggest Loser TV show and I am without him. Sad. The problem is that even though I found another good myropractor here, insurance does not pay and it adds up. So, I had a car accident 1 1/2 years ago and found myself having daily problems with my right side from neck to toe. I can't hardly run anymore among other issues. I decided to try out a chiropractor so my insurance would pay and would see if I saw results. Just what I thought, he cracked me and sent me out. No help what so ever.

A friend in my neighborhood and church has a chiropractor husband. I stayed away because of the fact that I didn't like chiropractors and if I did try him out and didn't like him, how would I act around them when I never returned? One day I talked with this friend. She told me a bit about her husband and I was intrigued. He trained as a chiropractor but took his schooling to a higher level. He was trained in ART which is Active Release Technique. It is the practice of releasing the muscles to help the body relax and keep it all in line. That is what I am talking about. They use ART in the Iron man competitions for the athletes so it must be good.

I decided to try ole Dan out and see what he was made of. I gathered my two aching teenagers and went to his office. I went back again today. I am sold. It was different than anything I have done before; a mix between chiropractors and Myropractors. It seemed to be the complete package. Better yet, my insurance covers this. That is rare for me!

I am now a regular. Not many chiropractors go through this schooling because it takes more time and cost quite a bit. Thanks, Dan, for taking the time! My body thanks you. I am your new best friend, even if my calves felt like the muscles were being ripped from them today. They feel loosy, goosy now so I have forgiven you.

My hero.


You can reach this new miracle worker at 480-833-0302 in Mesa on Mckellips and Gilbert or click on his logo on the right sidebar or the picture above. If you don't live in AZ, look up ART certified chiropractors in your area for help.

Hooray.

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Supplement orders

I keep getting emails from those who missed my Tuesday order and wanted products. I will order again on Friday for those in need so please email me by tomorrow at 3. I will not be ordering for a couple weeks after that. I will have a few Yeast cleanse kits in this week for those who asked about those.

I have lots and lots of products but I know many of you really don't know what they are or why your body could use them. I will start posting about one natural supplement/oil per week so you can learn how to heal your body naturally. Education is key to our well being. You can also read about each supplement on the Apothecary Shoppe web page.

Here are some of my personal favorites to look at and what I have stocked on my personal shelves.

Methy Folate
Liquid Zinc
Activated Charcoal
A & I
Epsom Salt Cream
One N Only multi vitamin
Trie Enza Enzymes
B12, nasal )methyl Mate
Calcium/Magnesium Citrate
Liquid D3
Oreganol
Allimax
Curcumin
Melatonin
Spry Toothpaste
Carlson Cod Liver Oil
Probiotics
Co Q10
Vitamin C chewables
Buffered Vitamin C

Email me with any questions you have or if you have specific questions about what you might need, I will be happy to share anything I know. I have a firm belief that we can overcome most if not all our health issues the natural way but we need to be educated. We need to take matters into our own hands.

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Molasses Peasant Bread


I love a good, hearty peasant bread with a vegetable soup anytime of year. This round loaf is thick and pleasantly sweet with a touch of molasses. It serves up best with a spread of cold butter on the still "warm from the oven bread." It doesn't rise up very high but has more of the texture of an Irish bread. Super yum.









Molasses Peasant Bread

5 cups fresh ground whole grain flour (sprouted is preferred)
1 cup corn meal
2 T. Yeast

2 tsp. sea salt
2 C. warm water
5 T. soft butter
1/2 C. molasses


Stir 2 cups flour, corn meal, yeast and salt together in mixer. Add water, butter and molasses and beat for 2 minutes. Add in enough flour to make a dough that pulls from the sides. Mix for 5 more minutes or knead by hand.

Cover and let rise for about 1 1/2 hours. Turn on board or counter and form into two round loaves. Put on greased jelly roll pan and make 3 slits in top of loaves with knife, cutting about 1/2 inch deep. Let rise about 30-45 minutes.

Bake at 375 for about 25-35 minutes or until golden on top or bread reaches about 180 degrees. Serve while warm.