Giardino Burgers

Last week, Ellie informed me she knew what we could have for dinner.  She even printed out a recipe.  I took a look.  She wanted to have Chef Pisghetti's Giardino Burgers.

Now for those of you who don't have anyone in your life who watches Curious George, you probably don't know who this chef is.  He is George's chef friend.  And he apparently inspired Ellie.

Ellie isn't usually the one to help me cook, so I made sure to follow through with her idea.  We even went shopping for ingredients.  She was very into it.  She took the recipe and mentally checked off the items as we found them and informed me of the ones we had at home that did not need to be purchased.  She also relayed the extra comments she heard from Chef Pisghetti himself from the website where she found the recipe.

Then we went home and made some burgers.  I enjoyed cooking with her, even though I figured that these burgers would probably not get eaten.  For these burgers were chick pea burgers, and I already knew Gary wouldn't like them.  The kids were not put off by the look of them, which surprised me.  Upon Gary's arrival home, I touted Ellie's efforts in dinner planning, prep and cooking, showed him the recipe, and told him he was eating one whether he liked it or not. 

I thought they were okay and even better if eaten with something else.  Josh liked them, Ellie took one bite and didn't want anymore.  And Gary ate it with a smile, not disliking it as much as he thought he would. 

A year

This evening we were discussing what day we bought our house.  We knew it was the beginning of July.  Turns out it was today.  One year of owning our third home. 

Tea to drink

My kombucha is now ready.  It is actually a little past ready.  It is rather vinegary.  Ellie likes it plain, Josh says it's too bland.  I have made two more batches to try out.  This time I will check it at 7 days instead of 9.   Gary doesn't like it.  At all.

Kombucha

I have had a small, hmm, obsession is too strong a word, interest in kombucha (I pronounce it kŏm’bū’chah) since I first heard about it.

To start with, it is a fermented tea that contains antioxidants and boosts the immune system.  It's also fizzy!  Bonus! 

But please do not get hung up on it's looks.  It can be off putting.

You can buy it at Whole Foods or Giant for over $3.00 a bottle.  Or you can make your own.  But first you need a SCOBY.  What is that you wonder?  It's an acronym for Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast.  It is what ferments the tea.  And you either buy one, make one, or get one from a friend.  It's the thing floating on the top there.

Short on funds here, so I made one.  Lovely, isn't it?  I have read that homemade ones don't make as good kombucha as bought ones from specialty sites.  Oh well, I won't know the difference until I buy one and make some.

Click here for the How To!  It really isn't hard, just a lot of waiting.  You brew tea, cool, add starter kombucha, and the scoby, and wait.  And wait and wait and wait.  7 to 14 days of waiting. 

 All ready to wait.

We'll see you in week!

My imagination

I have this ability to make worse case scenarios with situations in which I find myself.  Take Gary not being home at his usual time.  I picture he's had an accident and is being rushed to the hospital and I am going to receive a call or visit from police telling me to get to the hospital, or a call that he's been killed in an accident and now I am a widow.  And now what am am I going to do?

It happened the day Josh was hit by a car.  While I was gathering the stuff we needed for our outing and hearing the kids play outside, I imagined Ellie running in to tell me Josh was hit by a car.  And I had to call Gary to tell him I was taking Josh to the ER. 

That time my scenario came true.

Right now my brain is at it again.  I am home with Ellie because she is has a fever.  It started Thursday night.  She was really hot, but I thought it was just from the heat.  But then Friday she was saying she didn't feel well, had a headache, and around dinner we took her temperature.  It was 102.8.  When we checked her before we went to bed, she felt much cooler and she was sweaty.  Saturday, still a headache and fever, though down two degrees.  And today, still she has a fever and doesn't feel well.

So where does my imagination run?  To cancer.  I imagine I will be taking her to the doctor's, they'll take blood, run tests and tell me she has stage 4 leukemia and not much time left.  She'll die and I'll feel like I failed her as a mother.  That I didn't get the chance to really be the mom she needed and I want to be.

I think I let my mind go there sometimes to prepare myself if ever they come true.  I wasn't a wreck when Ellie actually came running telling me that Josh was hit by a car. 

My friend

Here she is, my friend.  I have known her since 1995.  And yes, it's been a grand adventure!

Here we are in Atlantic City for a Sugarland concert.

Her beloved Italian GREEN moss.

 Sporting our Italian scarves in Fiesole, Italy.

We both love pizza.  We had all manner of pizzas in Italy.  And we did not think it possible, but one can get tired of eating pizza.

And in case you are wondering, pizza in Italy is different than American pizza.  The closest here I've encountered is a margharite pizza.  It has fresh mozzarella and basil.  One place we watched the chef make the pizza.  He had a bin of water next to him with the mozzarella in it.  The shredded kind you find in the grocery store . . . not at all the same.

I went with her when she got her tattoo.  I am still waiting to get mine.

We both love milk.  But we have different ideas of when it should be consumed.  I couldn't imagine not having milk with pasta.  She finds it disgusting.  The loving friend that I am, I made sure to send her this photo.

Josh and Ellie with Aunt Myrtle.  She adores these two.  And they love her back.

Her beloved Amos, the white fluff.  This is before he became the white fluff beast.  He is suppose to be a small dog, but he is twice the size of his parents.  He can reach onto counter tops.  His stretching ability is impressive. 

 

My sister friend. 

My brother

Happy birthday, Matt.  So, I'm a little late.

This laid back fellow is my brother.

He is a great father.  He is riding in a pink elephant for his girl.

And if one crying child doesn't phase him . . .

Neither will a few more..

Sibling love. . . . it was always like this between us three!

Enjoying a Popsicle with my brother.

My brother's family.

My niece and nephew with my kids. 

Ed

The laid back guy is my mother's father.  I miss him.

My sister

I have known this girl for 35 years.

And I think it is important to note that she took this herself.

Apples don't fall far from the tree.  Love you, Mom and Dad.







Traveling west.













Just chillin'.

She is a most favorite Aunt.

Proud graduate.

Following me around again.










The birthday girl.

High fashion, right here.

Experimenting with mummification.

Sisters.  Forever.



Love you, Sissy-pooh. 
Happy Birthday!

Almost done

It has been four days that I've spent almost all day at my parents' house helping them get packed up or cleaning.  Gary has also helped this past weekend and tonight.  And there are two more days to go.  I should have off tomorrow, but closing day doesn't change because of the day of my first breath.

Over thirty years of living in one house sure does say accumulation.  I highly recommend you start to simplify your life.  NOW!

And make sure that when your kids move out, they take all their stuff with them.  Every last book, photo, and toy.

And do you really need that?  REALLY?  Be honest, now.

Psst. Update.

We've (I've) kind of taken a break on the no gluten thing.  It's hard work excluding it from the diet (since, again, it is in everything) and expensive.

Also, I might possibly have been a little zealous about it without checking with everyone, especially the husband type.  Sorry, I have issues.

So it was decided, by more than just me, that we (me) would hold it a moment.

Besides, things with wheat flour just taste better than with rice flour.

Going gluten-free and limited casein-free

 
 Or at least we are going to try to go gluten-free.  And being big dairy product users, casein-free will be a bit more difficult and take more getting used to. 


To start off with, I purchased some flour while at Whole Foods this morning. 

I have been reading this book.  It is quite interesting.  Here's the science lesson: food is usually digested into its most simplest parts.  Proteins into amino acids, fats into fatty acids and carbohydrates into simple sugars.  Once absorbed, the amino acids form new combinations of peptides and proteins that the body can use.  But sometimes before they are broken down all the way, the proteins are absorbed through the intestinal wall, due to damage in the lining of the intestine.  From here they make their way to the brain causing short circuits in brain functions, contributing to symptoms found in children with ADHD and autism.

And gluten and casein are the most common foods that cause this problem.  

So, I have decided to limit gluten in our diet and to see how it does with behaviors and moods.  Taking casein out will be more of a change, so that one will happen more slowly.

Gary's fun

Here is how Santa got into our house.  At least that's what the kids think.

We might have a reason

For a long time now, Gary and I have been struggling with parenting Ellie.  Last year we took her to a psychologist, then a therapist.  They really didn't help.  At all.

This past Monday, Gary and I went to talk to another counselor.  We described what it's like in our household; how Ellie behaves; how frustrated, worn out, upset, and unsure of ourselves we are.  She listened.  She asked questions.  She understood.  She did not condemn, blame, shame, or judge.  She listened.  She gave us hope. 

She asked us what we knew of ADD or ADHD.  She gave us, and one for her teacher, a short questionnaire to fill out.  If the scale leans toward ADD, then we will take Ellie to see a psychologist for further testing. 

And if it doesn't lean toward ADD, then she will still work with us and give us practical techniques in parenting her more effectively. 

Yesterday, when I had to redirect Ellie so many times, that I can't remember how many, to do her home work and to get her bath, I kept telling myself that maybe she is having trouble because of something she can not control.  I did not blame her, or shame her or judge her and I did not compare her to others.  Our afternoon and evening went exponentially better.  Gary even noticed a difference when he got home.

I know it was just one day.  And I know things will not always run so well.  But my mindset was different.  It was better.  And that makes a difference.

Josh turns 6!

One of our first family-of-four photos.











I just love looking at him.

And in case you were wondering, it isn't just my side of the family that is goofy.

Josh gets it from both sides.












He likes to dress up, too.



















And he is VERY inquisitive. 

"What's in there?"

.

He loves to work with his hands

"What's in there?"

"What happens when I do this?"

"What happens when I make this?"






That's my boy!
 

My Strenghts

What are they?  Sometimes it seems as though I have none.  I feel like I live in my weaknesses.

But . . . 

God has given each of us gifts and abilities.  Really thinking about it and ignoring the lies of satan (which is hard because he continually plants doubt, lack of confidence, and comparison in me), I came up with a few.

Photography.  Finding things.  Organizing.