Good Fats Part 2

We eat a lot of hot cereal at the Clark house. It's cheap, it's easy, and I'm a big fan of both of those (but you knew that already). Several nights a week, I measure out a bunch of steel cut oats and dump them in the crock-pot with 2.5 times as much water. I add 2 Tbs whey for added nutrition and set the appliance timer to cook my oats from 5-7 am on high. When we wake up in the morning and meander into the kitchen, breakfast is ready and waiting for us. Then I add some organic sugar, cinnamon, and a big spoonful of coconut oil.

Coconut Oil has been found to be one of the most healthful fats that people can eat, and it has powerful antibacterial and antiviral properties. Populations in southeast Asia and the Pacific islands who use coconut oil as the primary source of fat often have less heart disease than people of other regions.

~Mountain Rose Herbs site

Here's what the yummy stuff looks like in my Mountain Rose gallon bucket (Trust me it's the best bargain I've found anywhere!):
We use coconut oil as a healthy substitute anywhere we would use butter. Remember the cookies I made once upon a time? (Hey, I may not bake very often, but when I do, it's healthy! Well, healthier anyway.)
So go ahead and bake those chocolate chip cookies you love, but make them with coconut oil. Your body will thank you!
And if you're baking, please come by so I can taste-test your creations. I'm a very skilled food critic.

Spring Fling

Yesterday we had our first annual Spring Fling (big celebration for all the Spring birthdays between my sister's family and mine). We met at the park for what turned out to be a very generous brunch. I made a complete glutton of myself and thoroughly enjoyed the bounty. [Thank you, Jamie, for the giant cinnamon rolls. They were fabulous!]
We hired our friend, Angela, as a face painter. She's an impressive artist! The face decor was the hit of the party! We'll definitely be requesting her presence again at the Fall Party.

Daniel instinctively backed into a hug from Uncle Mike after getting his face painted. I sure do love that little boy! Isn't he the cutest?
Stephanie and Alex are such sweet siblings. (I told you homeschooled kids have great sibling relationships. Look at that love!)
Liddy Bitty and her adoring Daddy:
Ainsley, Jamie's middle child, was only too happy to smile for the camera. She was having such a good time.Jamie's littlest, Lillian, is the sentimental type. She always reads the sappy cards before opening the gifts. She has such a thankful heart.
Stephanie and Maya: best friends & beautiful butterflies! More good friends: Dan & Tracy (parents to Maya's best friend, Stephanie & Isaac's best friend, Alex). They came over to play games with us after dinner that night. But we never actually stopped talking to play a game. Sat on the couch the whole night solving the world's ills. Good times! Grrrrrr! Isaac wants to try out for the musical, Cats! but I'm not too keen on being a stage parent. I don't think I'll let him.
Did you know a slinky could also pose as a clown nose? This picture is so indicative of their personalities. I can still hear Chloe and Ainsley giggling when I look at this silly picture:Pretty pretty Princess Elena:Party animals:
While I was taking pictures of all the painted kids, Shannon, my stepmom, snuck over to Angela's booth and had her own face painted! After almost two hours of face painting and relaxing socializing, we decided to go ahead and open presents. Bubba & Nana (my dad & stepmom) gave the kids a zoo membership and Nealy & Pappy (my mom & stepdad) gave them: (Drumroll, please.)

Something from our favorite store, Vision Forum. . .What is it??? There sure is a lot of it!
A complete set of Jonathan Park CDs!!! Woo-Hoo!
Daniel was also thrilled about his new set of Kid K'Nex. I was pretty thrilled about that one too. I'm a big fan of "play quietly" toys! [Dad, remember when I was a newlywed and I swore I wouldn't buy loud toys for my kids?? You laughed at me back then. Remember? Remember?? Who's laughing now, huh Dad? Who's laughing??]Isaac got a set of cap guns with a fancy shmancy holster. He was giddy! I immediately reminded him, with a big smile on my face, that those are outdoor toys. He knows this, though. He always plays the good cop. Um, I bought these for him. [Nevermind what I said earlier, Dad. I take it all back. But I still don't buy battery-operated toys!
Well . . . there is that one thing. Oh forget it!]

It was a great party and we're all looking forward to the Big Fall Party now.

Coupon Up For Grabs

I just received this Vision Forum coupon and I'm not going to be able to use it this go round. (Much as I'm just dying to!!) If you want it, email me. Here's the details:

For four days only, Vision Forum is pleased to offer you a $25 coupon, good toward any one online order of $75 of merchandise or more. This coupon may only be redeemed online. Coupons expire at midnight on March 31, 2008 (CST).

The Lord's Prayer

I can't help myself. This is just too cute not to share:

Trip to the Zoo

This morning I woke up late and was immediately reminded by my beeping phone, that today was free zoo day for homeschoolers. I quickly got it in gear, fed everyone, grabbed the camera and headed out the door. (I make it sound like that all happened quickly, don't I? I'm such a creative writer. LOL!)
The buddy system is very important for outings like this.
This is the most action we got out of the sleepy gorillas. So Elena took advantage and gave the big guy a big hug. He was so tame and tolerant.
Oops, I forgot to mention who we were with. My friend, Amber and her daughter, Hannah came with us. Hannah and Chloe stuck pretty close together all day. They're both very impulsive, so I don't know what we were thinking pairing those two together! They look cute and innocent in that picture, don't they?
This guy was really an entertainer! He clapped and waved and held out his hand like a beggar. When we didn't respond like he liked, he threw grass toward us.
Please don't turn me in, but I broke the rules and encouraged the kids to throw dried fruit to the funny chimp. (I wasn't going to get caught doing it myself, you see. If we got caught, I'd turn on my kids in a heartbeat. It was their idea! Their idea, I say!)
He was very appreciative of our criminal generosity. I think he signed "thank you, friend" before we left. The line up. There's seven kids there, right? There should be seven. (I know, because Amber and I spent half our time counting kids.)
Look at my beautiful butterflies! I sure do love those girlies.

Lydia was jumping up and down and squealing: "The penguin swim to me! He swim to me!!"
Elena was more interested in the penguin mating practices. She's all about the romance.
It was a great day at the zoo. The End.

My Main Man

This is the love of my life with one of my blondies. Can you guess which one?
May I take this opportunity to tell you how much I love this man? Kyle is my main attraction, my better half, my significant other. And he's so darn good-looking!
He does a lot for me. Have I told you all that he does for me? Once a month, I lead a Charlotte Mason book club. Once a month, I participate in an all-day Scrapbooking Saturday (10-10) with a bunch of my friends. He never complains.
Once a week we have breakfast for dinner. Kyle makes the best blueberry pancakes and the fluffiest waffles. Everyday, I come downstairs to breakfast that's prepared for us. I never have to make breakfast.Now you understand my secret, don't you? I have a man who loves me!
And did I mention the label maker he got me? Oh, and the crock-pot he bought me this past Christmas? (Now I have three and yes, I use them all.) I'm so blessed to have my man. Ain't he great?

You Picked A Winner!

You voted for your favorite kefir smoothie recipe. And the winner is. . .

Kefir Pina Colada
2 cups kefir
1/2 cup diced pineapple, frozen
1/4 cup pineapple juice
1/4 cup coconut cream

Blend well. Garnish with a slice of pineapple. Enjoy!

Congrats, Jamie! Your smoothie sounds delicious! You won a $10 Starbucks gift card!

Oh Happy Day!

Our Mountain Rose shipment has arrived! Woo-Hoo!! Another gallon of coconut oil, a big bag of Wild Cherry Bark (Daniel needs that for his yucky cough), and a bunch of Echinacea. The next cold anybody gets, we'll nip it in the bud!
I'm going to go boil up some tea with the Cherry Bark and put a big spoonful of yummy coconut oil in our oatmeal.

We Have a Winner!!!

The giveaway is over! And we have a winner!

Faith has just won a $50 Vision Forum shopping spree .

CONGRATULATIONS, FAITH! Happy shopping!

The Why & How of Kefir, oh and A Contest!

The exceptional nutritional content of Kefir offers a wealth of healthy benefits to people in every type of condition. More than just beneficial bacteria, Kefir contains minerals and essential amino acids that help your body with its natural healing powers and maintenance functions.

~ "Why You Should Drink Kefir" by Dr.Mercola

Around the Clark household, we drink kefir smoothies almost daily. Here's one of our favorite recipes:

You'll need:
a handful of strawberries
4 or 5 large peach slices
1 banana
about 3 cups of kefir

Pour the cold kefir over the fruit.

Then blend to your heart's content.

Look at that pink goodness! Yummy!

Now for the Contest: what's your favorite kefir smoothie recipe?

I Miss Her

This family picture was taken three years ago, when Stacey and her daughter Mariah were part of our family. Stacey was 16 and pregnant when we met her. She was one of the inner city kids who attended the Youth With A Mission meetings every week for a free meal and some discipleship. She grew up with an abusive grandma and wanted better for her soon-to-be daughter. Her grandmother intended to disown Stacey after the baby was born.
When Stacey went into labor at 4am, my good friend Gretchen drove downtown to take her to the hospital. (Her family refused to take her.) Stacey and her newborn daughter moved in with us when Mariah was two weeks old. She and Mariah were precious additions, but it was very hard for Stacey to learn to live in a normal family. As much as she wanted a better life for Mariah, Stacey admitted to me in a letter just before leaving us (10 month later): "I love you guys and I'll never forget all you've taught me, but I don't know how to live like this. I don't know how to be in a normal family."
She broke my heart.
We continue to have contact with Stacey, but it is nothing like I had hoped. I looked forward to raising our girls together. Mariah and Lydia are 6 months apart. They would have made beautiful "twins". Elena and Chloe loved Stacey like a big sister and they still love to get calls from her.
Stacey played a very important role in our family and I'm so grateful for all that she taught us. If it hadn't been for her, we would have never met our miracle son, Pedro, her cousin. Stacey and Pedro grew up in the same house. What very different outcomes.

Kefir Tutorial

Kefir is so good for you; just brimming with gobs of healthy probiotics. And we all love our kefir smoothies. Kefir is so simple to make, I thought I'd share.

These are kefir grains: We affectionately refer to them as kefir "brains" since that's what they look like. You'll need to google to find a local source. They are live, so it's best not to have them shipped to you. And you can't buy them in stores. The grains multiply, so most people are willing to share them for free. Other than (preferably raw) milk, the only other thing you need to make kefir is the brains, I mean: grains.

I've just plopped my kefir grains in the bottom of a big glass jar. Then hubby poured raw milk over them so I could take this picture.
Then I cover the jar with saran wrap.
And put it in a cool, dry place: my cabinet. And I abandon the milk to culture in privacy for 24-48 hours.
I personally like my kefir thick, so I like to let it culture until I can see the whey separate from the kefir. Then I'll pour the whey off the top and into my jar labeled "Whey" in the fridge. (My loving hubby gave me a label maker for my birthday two years ago. He knows me so well!) I use the whey to boost the nutritional value of a bunch of foods, but that's another post.
So, now that the kefir is done culturing, I pour it over a strainer.
This is all I'm after: my kefir brains:
I plop them back into another jar to make more kefir or I'll cover them with milk and put them in my tiny jar labeled "Kefir Grains" in the fridge. (Thanks again, Kyle, you're the best!)
Everything that made it through the strainer is kefir, which I'll store in plastic bottles in the fridge. I'll use that beautiful kefir to make deliciously healthy smoothies. That's also another post, no . . . contest. . . coming soon.

Our Little Over-Achiever

Liar, Liar!

Last night, Elena and Isaac got in a huff and (according to Isaac), Elena slapped his cheeks. So, we immediately got the two together and asked for their story. Elena denies hitting him. So they both sit out awhile until they're ready to tell the truth. (Because we really have no idea who's lying at this point.) Elena now says she thought about hitting him but changed her mind.
Sit out again.
I hear them talking it over and Isaac's pretty frustrated with her. They come back in. Elena now says she started to hit him, but didn't. By now, we're fairly confident Elena's the one lying. Isaac's story stayed consistent.
We send them back to work it out together. I think 2 minutes passed. They come back in. Elena says: I hit him.
So Elena became Isaac's servant for the night. We told her: It's your job to make sure Isaac has everything he needs. You need to fill his water glass before he has to ask. When you see him take his last bite, you need to jump up and offer him seconds.

Isaac was very relieved by this punishment. Elena learned how to love through service.

Lessons learned:

• justice will prevail
• telling the truth saves time and pride
• selflessness brings joy
• selfishness brings pain
• humility will be rewarded
  

Sweet Boy

This is a boy I worked with for 2 years. He was precious to me. Alex. When he was four months old, he was vaccinated and within 6 hrs his temp shot up above 105. Brain damaging fever. He was a normal, healthy baby. He's now blind, has multiple seizures daily, non-ambulatory, incontinent (wears a diaper), eats through a g-tube only, and takes breathing treatments 3x/day. I grew very close to this family. I went with them to several Medicaid appointments; he was sick a lot!
Breaks my heart that it didn't have to happen.

We don't vax because of the ingredients, and how they're made, and all the diseases, including autism, that are linked to vaccines.

I've seen firsthand, as a Speech-Language Pathologist, what vaccines can do to a kid's developing brain. I can't tell you how many autistic kids' symptoms began following the MMR vaccine. You can also read all about it in the book: Unraveling the Mystery of Autism and PDD.

Homemade Snoods

Be honest: had you ever heard that word before? I hadn't, until I wanted some. My sister made these beautiful snoods for Elena and Chloe to wear to ballet. Aren't they gorgeous? Elena and Chloe feel like princesses when they wear them. In fact, they made sure to wear pink last Sunday so they could wear their snoods to church.
Thanks Aunt Jamie!

Unraveling the Mystery of Autism

I loved this book! It reads like a novel, but it's full of so many answers. It truly does unravel the mystery the autism and pervasive developmental disorder, along with explaining how many other problems are caused by diet and toxin overload. I read the book to learn more about autism, one of the areas I specialized in back when I was a Speech-Language Pathologist. Many of the children I worked with had autism, and their population increased exponentially every year. I was intrigued and kept reading because so much of the information was applicable to my own family, although none of us have been diagnosed with autism.

Life is Precious

Even if you've already seen it, it's worth seeing again!

Good Fats Part 1

We eat a lot of popcorn around here. It's such a cheap, easy snack and I'm a big fan of both cheap and easy. Our favorite way to eat it is with red palm oil (aka palm fruit oil):

Extra virgin Palm Fruit Oil is pressed from the ripened fruit of the palm tree. It is a rich source of Vitamin E oil and antioxidants, and is stable against heat and oxidation. Palm Fruit Oil is commonly used in food products as a healthier alternative when compared with other higher saturated oils.

~from the Mountain Rose Herbs site

Here's what this golden oil looks like, scooped out of my Mountain Rose gallon bucket:

Now it's time to add the popcorn kernels. I like to experiment with different varieties, but today we're having regular old yellow popcorn. Add enough to almost cover the bottom of the pot:

Cover and cook over med-high heat. It will take about 2 minutes before anything happens. Alton Brown says to keep the pot moving the whole time, so I do. (Yes, I always do what Alton Brown tells me to do. I'm very obedient.)

When the popping stops, we have a big delicious beautiful bowl of what looks like movie popcorn. But this stuff is actually healthy! And it tastes fantastic!

I use red palm oil for anything savory. I add a big spoonful to pretty much whatever I'm cooking for dinner. For sweet stuff, I use virgin coconut oil, but that's another post.
The health benefits of red palm oil far surpass those of EVOO and I think you'll really like it once you try it! I'll save you a bunch of time and money too-- this is the cheapest place to find this healthy fat:

Out of the Archives

My goodness! Was it really only a few years ago that we only had two kids? I vaguely remember those days. Elena and Chloe fought a lot and hugged a lot. There's far less fighting now that there are more playmates available at home.

Here's my best friend, Amber, with my Liddy Bitty:

She wore Lydia like this every chance she got before her Hannah came home from China. She wanted lots of baby-wearing practice.

This is one of my all time favorite photos:

I wanted a shot of the girls with their grandma (Kyle's mom). They both threw a big fit and I told Shirley: "Just grab them and smile. I want to remember this moment as it actually was." I should make an album of all my pouting, tantruming pictures. LOL

Who is this potty cutie?

Who can resist those fat rolls? Just looking at this picture makes me want to give her a big squeeze!

Woo-Hoo!! Check It Out!

I'm so excited, I can hardly wait to head over to Vision Forum. I love that place. Just wanted to share the good news.
Speaking of Vision Forum, did you know they are sponsoring my BIG 20K Giveaway? It's gonna be great! More details forthcoming.

How a Toddler's Mind Works

This morning, during our Bible study, we were reading:

Matthew 6:26 (New King James Version)

26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?

I asked: What do birds eat? and Lydia said, "Strawberries!" Then she excitedly added: "I like strawberries. . . and ducks!" She then turned to face Daniel and they got involved in a private discussion about it, seemingly unaware that the rest of us were at the table and all staring at them.

Lydia: Do you like ducks?
Daniel: Yes, I like ducks and strawberries.
Lydia: And cake? You like cake with strawberries?
Daniel: Yes, I like cake too.
Lydia: Jesus went in the water.
Daniel: Yea, Jesus was baptized.
Lydia: The frogs go in water too.
Daniel: The frog says: Ribbit, ribbit.

Dancing for Daddy

We had just tidied up the downstairs in preparation for Daddy's return from work, and decided to have some fun. We turned up the music and got down!

We were listening to one of our favorites: TobyMac

Elena dear, I think it's time to pass that shirt onto Chloe.

Chloe was using a sand timer as a mic, while Elena played her air guitar. She's really good! Maya provided some impressive back-up vocals. Isaac stuck with what he does best: groovin'!

Deal of the Week

This week at Vision Forum, the exciting world of Jonathan Park’s Creation Audio Adventures
is available at 32% off! The Jonathan Park series equips parents and children to defend creation truths against evolution’s lies, following young Jonathan Park and his paleontologist family on their exciting creation adventures around the globe.
Each Jonathan Park episode is based upon real places and facts, featuring action-packed storylines that reveal specific evidences for Scripture’s creation account. Join Jonathan’s family and the Creation Response Team as they recover amazing treasures from Earth’s past, discover biblical answers to scientific issues of the day, and debate evolutionists about the true history of our world!
Listen to a sample here and let me know what you think!

Maya Sports a New 'Do

I took Maya to get her hair done today. I know how to do a few styles, but I wouldn't trust myself to do the style we're currently after: locks. First she gets her hair shampooed. Maya said that was her favorite part.
Since her hair has already been twisted, this was only a maintenance trip. Her stylist, Alake', only did the roots. Maya's hair is all done in two-strand twists, that will lock over time. Alake', a true African-American, used a crochet needle to twist and tighten the roots. Very interesting stuff. It would take me half a day to do this. It took her an hour.
It doesn't hurt Maya at all, although "Beauty is pain" is a cliche among blacks, African or otherwise. The girl can sit still for insane amounts of time, while having her hair done. [Tip: Don't hire a chatty hair stylist.]
The girls love looking at the hairstyle magazines and picking out their favorite 'dos. We bring a bag of stuff to keep the girls busy: coloring books, pencils and paper, snacks and drinks. We prepare for camping out, although it doesn't generally take that long. We got smart. [see previous tip.]
Here's the close-up view of her two-strand twists:
Final style: ponytail with side swept bangs. She has one single twist hanging down in the back with a shell on the end of it and one single twist in her ponytail has a pretty little African bead on it. Beautiful. And she is so proud of her new 'do.
Hair is a very big deal among blacks. A woman's hair is her crowning glory. The smile on Maya's face is worth the time and money we put into her beautiful locks.