ready for Halloween

After 15 months on the Feingold diet and seeing how food additives affect all three of my children, I am having trouble with the idea of handing out candy filled with chemicals to our trick or treaters this year, even if that is what they get at every other house.  However, finding a suitable alternative is not easy.  Most candy is loaded with artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives.  Grab your favorite candy bar and read the label. 

At my weekly grocery trip last week, I found what I was looking for: small treat bags of Teddy Grahams.  Coupled with Life Saver Pep-O-Mints, I have some reasonably priced treats without artificials to hand out!  However, even Josiah can't eat either of these.  They have a corn sweetner which causes him to react behaviorally.

What will he be having for Halloween?  We ordered him some white rock candy, naturally flavored and colored gummies made without corn syrup, and a Jack-O-Lantern shaped piece of maple candy.  Rachel will probably get a Gharadelli all natural chocolate bar, and Micah is getting some special gelatin-free "marshmallows."  This is so complicated, my boys can't even share their treats without having issues!

They are looking forward to turning their trick or treating candy in for some small toys.  Halloween is fun even without the candy!!  I'm thinking next year we may skip the special candy and just make cookies.

multi-tasking

Josiah has decided it is time to teach himself how to count to 100.  He can manage pretty well if he has a 100 chart in front of him, but not so well without it yet.  Today, I was reading a book to the older kids about a city in China, filled with locations that I can't pronounce.  It was at this moment Josiah decided to start practice his counting.  Our lesson sounded something like this:

Mom (attempting to pronounce Weihuaninggong): "Major Relgious Sites: Wee--xhgiahtome--gong! Imperial Residence"

Josiah: "26, 27, 28, 29..."

Mom: "Watchtowers top the many buildings of the tree-lined avenues of... (30!)... Changchun. 

Josiah: "31, 32,...,37, 38, 39..."

Mom: Most of these buildings were built by the Japanese (40!) during their military occupation of this region..."

All the way to 100.

So now I can teach geography and preschool math at the same time.  But then again, I think we might giggle too much.

you're kidding, right?

Yesterday someone put a long hockey stick in the hand of my 4-year-old son, and then patiently explained to him how to keep it on the floor, stop spinning around while holding it, and generally not whack anyone on the head with it.  Then they put an orange puck down in front of him and set him loose with about 8 other kids under the age of 8.  He followed the puck with the intensity of a hungry dog stalking its prey.

I didn't know whether to laugh hysterically or be very afraid.  I found both worked.

humility

Dreams of grandeur shattered,
trophies broken down,
treasure abandoned,
all forgotten
at the foot of the cross.

It is
a beautiful wreck
in the eyes of the Savior
as well as
to those who have come.

cooking around the world: Korea

Exploring Korea has been a special part of our Eastern Hemisphere journey.  To read about a country first oppressed for a decade by Japan, then divided after 1945 was eye-opening and tugged at my heart for those who were and still are affected.  It is no wonder the good news of the gospel spread quickly in South Korea after WWII among such brokenness.  We certainly didn't want to miss out on Korean food!  Kimchi is a staple, once kept in jars buried in the inner courts of Korean households, and the dumplings just sounded delicious.

Kimchi
5 c. green or Chinese cabbage, cut into bite-sized pieces
6 tsp. salt
2 T. sugar
1 tsp. to 2 T. crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 t. finely chopped ginger root
1 clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped
2 green onions, finely chopped

In a large colander, mix cabbage with 5 tsp. salt.  Let stand for 3 hours.  Rinse cabbage thoroughly two or three times.  Gently squeeze out excess liquid with your hands.  Place the drained cabbage in a large glass or ceramic bowl.  Add the remaining 1 tsp. slat and the rest of the ingredients and mix thoroughly.  Cover cabbage mixture tightly with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for 1 or 2 days.  Chill kimchi before serving.  Store tightly covered.  It keeps indefinitely in the refrigerator.

Kimchi is actually a very nutritious food, filled with friendly bacteria that is good for your gut.  Think of it as Korean yogurt!

Korean Dumplings
Filling:
1/4 lb. ground beef, pork, or chicken or 1/2 c. cubed firm tofu
1 T. vegetable oil
1/2 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
3/4 c. shredded cabbage (I will admit for our first time through, I left the cabbage, bean sprouts, and green onion out and just used more meat.  It was a good call.)
1/2 c. chopped bean sprouts
1 green onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 t. salt
black pepper to taste

In a large frying pan, cook meat about 3-5 minutes.  Set aside.  Wash pan and dry thoroughly.  Heat 1 T. vegetable oil over high heat for 1 min.  Add onions and stir fry 2-3 min., or until crisp-tender.   Add cabbage and continue to cook, stirring frequently, for another 2-3 min, or until cabbage is crisp-tender.  Add bean sprouts and green onion, mix well, and cook 1-2 min. more.  Remove pan from heat and pour vegetable mixture into colander to drain off excess liquid.  Return to pan.  Add meat, salt, and black pepper and mix well.

For dumplings:
dumpling filling
25 wonton skins
1 egg, beaten
1 c. vegetable oil for frying
soy sauce for dipping

Place wonton skin on flat surface.  Cover remaining skins with damp towel so they won't dry out.  Have beaten egg and pastry brush ready.  Place one wonton skin on work surface with one corner pointed upward.  Brush all 4 edges with beaten egg.  Place about 1 T. of filling just above center of skin.  Fold skin in half over filling to form triangle.  Press edges together to seal.  Repeat with remaining skins. 

In a large frying pan or wok, heat oil over medium heat for 2 min.  Carefully place 6 dumplings into oil with tongs.  Fry 3-4 min., or until golden brown.  Turn and fry other side for 2-3 min.  Keep dumplings warm in 200 degree oven while frying rest.  Serve with soy sauce.

Both recipes are from Cooking the Korean Way, by Okwha Chung and Judy Monroe

The verdict: We all loved this meal!  It is so fun to see the sense of adventure on the kids' faces as they explore new foods. The dumplings were delicious.  There was a lot of hooting going on over the kimchi, which was much more spicy than we'd expected.  (I would suggest starting with 1 t. of red pepper unless you know you like hot food; we misread the directions and started with 1 T.)  But, kimchi on top of dumplings was delightful.  We will definitely be making this recipe again and again.

in chains for Christ

Asia Bibi is a young woman in Pakistan who was arrested and sentenced to death for blasphemy when she took a stand for Christ.  Please go to this Voice of the Martyrs website (A Call for Mercy) and sign the petition that will soon be delivered on her behalf to government officials.  Asia has been in prison for 2 years, separated from her husband and 2 daughters.  God is sustaining her in miraculous ways!

Voice of the Martyrs is hoping for 1 million signatures and already have 300,000.  This is a way to make a difference in the life of a sister in Christ on the other side of the world.

feeling bookish?

"There is open to us a society of people of the very first rank who will meet us and converse with us so long as we like, whatever our ignorance, poverty, or low estate--namely, the society of authors; and the key that unlocks their private audience-chamber is their books."

A.T. Pierson from George Muller of Bristol

Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY, October 18, 2011

Outside my window...the sky and trees are competing for the mood.  The gray skies say cold and sad but the changing colors add warmth and beauty.  Today, I think the leaves win.

I am thinking...about how God is using the events of my life and the lives of those around me for the progress of the gospel in the midst of the larger story He is writing.  So often I reduce my circumstances to a puzzle that needs to be solved instead of a walk of obedience in response to God's word.  It is good to be reminded often of His sovereignty, trustworthiness, and bigger plan.

I am thankful...for difficulties that shave off the rough spots and make more more like Christ.  Looks like I can expect more, because there's a lot of work to be done here!

From the learning rooms...we've been taking a few mini-field trips while the warm weather lasts.  Our zoo pass expires at the end of the month, so I'm looking for a warmish day to go.  We are thoroughly enjoying Sonlight's Core F.  I'm not sure how it compares to their other cores, but I think we are hooked!  Feathered dinosaurs have been our science pursuit this week.  Micah loved it so much, he finished a week's worth of lessons in one day.

In the kitchen...'tis the season for pumpkin muffins, pumpkin bread, and pumkin pancakes.  My husband couldn't be happier!

I am wearing...a mulberry sweater and jeans.  Cozy and comfortable, which is my idea of fashion.  (Mulberry helps!)

I am wondering...if Micah will get out of braces before his sister needs them as well?  It's looking a bit doubtful.

I am reading...When My Name Was Keoko by Linda Sue Park.  Homeschooling the kids has reignited my own wonder for learning. This book gives a fascinating and sobering background to a darker time in Korean history, a "forgotten decade" when Japan had control of the country and ruled with oppression until the end of World War II.  Studying the Eastern Hemisphere is filling in the gaps in my own education.  I remember we talked a lot about Hitler and his rise to power, by why not Japan?  

I am looking forward to...our church's mission conference.  It is exciting to see God's hand at work around the world, and this is only one glimpse!!

I am hearing...Micah practicing trumpet, making it sound as ugly as possible.  It makes the dog bark, which seems to be the point.

Around the house...Eric brought home flowers on Friday night and it was Saturday morning before I noticed them.  I'll leave it to your imagination what that means.

I am pondering...the ugliness of my own pride and the incredible humility of the Savior.  It seems that gazing on Him is my only antidote.

One of my favorite things...is walking through crisp, fallen leaves with a small hand in mine.

A few plans for the rest of the week: The kids are trying out a homeschooling swim and gym class.  We were so excited to find a vending machine where all three kids can find treats.  They have Late July cheese crackers!!  Really, sometimes it is the little things around here, especially when it comes to food.

Here is picture I am sharing of a friend we loved so much, we set him free...

family photos with a cause

Running, pictures, and little girls in India.  You can see how they all fit together at this website.  We were excited to have Gail take our family's pictures and support As Our Own.  She does a great job!!

(By the way, the first beautiful family on Gail's website is pretty special to us!)

working toward a goal...

oculomotor dysfunction

So apparently, this may be how Rachel sees things. 

cooking around the world: Japan

Learning about Japanese food was a fascinating study.  School children are encouraged to try and eat 30 different foods a day and include 100 different foods a week.  The health benefits of a Japanese diet--which is low in calories, rich in fish and has a very different balance of food types than the typical American diet--are fairly well known.  The more we read, the more intrigued we became with trying this food, even though it is so different from what we are accustomed to eating.  There is a wonderful restaurant in town with a reasonably priced lunch buffet, but even though they said they do not add MSG to their food, this Asian cuisine is chock full of naturally-occuring MSG in seaweed along with soy products.  There is an interesting thought that perhaps the Japanese are naturally protected from MSG reactions due to the large amounts of taurine in a diet that relies so heavily on fish.  Still, not knowing how Micah's body will respond, I finally decided that we'll put the restaurant idea on hold for now and try something homemade.  Scouring my two cookbooks, I eventually came up with this recipe to try.

Moon Noodle Soup

1 bouillon cube
2 c. water
I substituted one carton Organic Pacific Chicken Broth, because I have yet to find bouillon without MSG or other additives.
4 oz. cooked Japanese noodles (almost made my own, but found a package at Meijer.  They were delicious!)
2 eggs
bunch of scallions, chopped

Cook Japanese noodles and set aside.  Bring broth to a boil in a large saucepan.  Put noodles in frying pan and break eggs over them, taking care to not break the yolks.  Pour boiling broth over mixture and bring to a boil again if necessary to fully cook eggs.  Sprinkle scallions on top and serve immediately.

I wasn't sure what we would think of egg in our soup, but it was a hit!  This recipe gets five thumbs up, one from each member of the Rhodes family.

My pickiest eater didn't even flinch when he found an egg in his soup.  He loved slurping the noodles!

The only thing missing was the chopsticks, which we don't know how to use yet anyway.  It was not easy to eat with a fork or a spoon, but we managed!

vision therapy

There are times as a mom when you see something going on with your kids, sense there is something amiss, but just can't quite put your finger on it.  I had one of those moments this summer as I observed Rachel during a violin lesson.  She was playing out of a book that had several lines of music, and kept losing her place.  Her teacher was very patient, but I could tell even he was perplexed at how often she skipped down a line or two while playing.

I thought about things like trouble with cutting, illegible handwriting, skipping words when reading, and lack of comprehension of things she had read.  After doing some reading and hearing others' stories about vision therapy, I began to suspect these things may have a visual component.  We made an appointment with a developmental optometrist, and waited for 2 months to get in.

Yesterday was that appointment.  It was intriguing to watch the testing.  Some of it was what you would see at any eye appointment, along with other vision tests.  The most telling was when the Dr. did some muscle testing.  She had Rachel follow her finger with her eyes, and I could see them jump rather than stay fluid in their tracking.  Sure enough, her diagnosis involved a tracking problem that can be addressed with a few sessions of vision therapy followed by a home program.

When Rachel reads, she sees one word and then skips to the beginning of another further on or perhaps even a line or two down!  This means that she skips shorter words, and spends so much effort and energy on making sense what she sees, there is little left for remembering and understanding.  The handwriting, cutting, skipping words are all due to this eye muscle difficulty.  I find it amazing that even with this vision problem, she has stayed mostly on grade level with her reading and spelling and still enjoys learning.  Comprehension is my biggest concern for her.  I'm not expecting vision therapy to be the whole solution, but at least it is a place to start.

I wish we had known about this when Rachel was younger!  I post it here hoping to raise awareness that when there is a reading problem, there truly may be more going on than meets the eye.

time for soup!!

It has been the most beautiful fall I can remember, but today there was enough chill in the air to make soup.  This recipe from my aunt is sooo easy and a family favorite!!  There is even enough for leftovers, which are becoming a rarity around this house with growing children.

Taco Soup

1-2 lb. ground beef
1 tsp. cumin
1-2 onions
2 jars Pace Picante Sauce
1 can whole kernel corn (undrained)
1 can red beans (undrained)
1 can black beans (undrained)

Toppings:
Fritos
shredded cheese
sour cream

Cook taco meat and onions.  Add picante sauce; add rest of ingredients and simmer, simmer, simmer.  (You can use a crockpot if desired.)  To serve put Fritos in bottom of bowl; add soup, top with cheese and sour cream.

do you see what I see?

"Your children are very different from each other."  That was a new friend's comment recently when I picked my oldest two children up from her house.  After spending 10 and 12 years in the same home with this son and daughter, I knew exactly what she meant.  One of the joys of parenting is discovering the unique way God has wired each of my children and encouraging them to use their God-design for His glory.  I look at the youngest and wonder what sorts of things we have yet to learn about him as well!

When we rewrote stories for school recently, I had an interesting glimpse into two uniquely crafted personalities.  The story was about a fox, a crow, and some cheese, but each child added his or her own twist.

Rachel's version has a redemptive thread, as has every story she has written since.  This girl desires everyone act righteously and that there be a happy ending.

The fox the crow and the cheese

It was a foggy and early morning. A sly, hungry fox was searching for something to devour. Above him something dark caught his eye. It was a crow and it caught his eye quickly. The crow looked vain and dull but in her mouth was new and fresh Colby Jack cheese. He trotted off towards the crow.


“Good morning” exclaimed the fox trying not to show his desire for the cheese. He flattered the crow because he wanted the cheese. He slyly and dramatically sweet-talked the crow. She was pleased but still didn’t open her mouth. He pleaded, “Crow, please sing for me”.


She opened her mouth, squawked, and hawed. The cheese tumbled; the fox carefully moved himself into position, and the cheese fell right smack dab in the middle of his mouth. He devoured it quickly because he was so hungry. He said to the crow “Next time don’t believe everything you hear”. But when he was walking off he felt guilty and the next day he gave the crow a present, a piece of cheese.

Micah had recently learned that "murder" was an old term for a group of crows.  He put this piece of information to good use in his somewhat darker story.

Glibberglodder by Micah

Freddy the fox was famished. On this stormy morning during the Most Terribly Oppressive Drought in the Land, even the weather seemed to be mocking him. The sky was dark, and there were frequent flashes of lightning, but it was not raining. Wait, what was that he could catch a whiff of? Cheese, in this withered deciduous forest? He could tell it was Swiss cheese, his favorite. What he failed to notice was that the cheese was moldy. Who had the cheese? There, in the blasted oak still smoldering from the lightning strike. It was a crow; she looked sort of dull and very vain.


Exploiting her vanity, Freddy flattered the crow irresistibly. He had no idea that he was speaking to the Crafty and Evil Duchess of the Fourteenth Murder, Augulus. She was very fortunate to find this victim of which to test the new fungus she was growing on her cheese, Glibberglodder. Freddy begged Augulus to cantillate, and, playing her part to perfection, she did, croaking harshly.


The cheese plunged straight towards Freddy’s mouth, and, feeling proud, he basically inhaled the cheese. He wondered, though, why the crow was flying away, cackling. After all, wasn’t she the one who was tricked?


A few days later, Augulus scanned the forest, wanting to record her research. Ah, there he was. Lying flat out, and completely transformed into Swiss cheese, was Freddy the fox. Augulus cackled and called the 14th Murder to a celebrative feast.

phonics, math patterns, and more, oh my!

This has been a fun website to find activities for my preschooler... manipulatives are fun, too, but at this age it's the variety of activities that keep him happy.

incredible change

Today I stumbled across the behavior checklist used to rate Josiah's behavior before we started the Feingold program in July of 2010.  I had 32 symptoms checked.  Even six months ago, I still had about 20 areas listed as improved but still somewhat problematic.  Today, there are only a couple of things I might check: low frustration tolerance and difficulty with writing.  The former is improving daily, and experience has shown me that my children are late bloomers when it comes to writing.  Amazing!  When I think of all the times we were broken and on our knees before the Lord, I am humbled beyond words to think of what He has done in answer to our prayers.

One other thing to celebrate: he can have tomatoes about once a week now!! Pizza, spaghetti, and chili are back on the menu for him.

immersed in God's classroom: quotes from Friday reflections

"What may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.  For since the creation of the world, God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse."

Romans 1:19-20

 "If you're not careful, you could have a walnut on your head." -Rachel

  (My kids didn't know what walnuts were before this week, except for the ones that come in a bag.)

 He learned that it is easy to fall out of a tree. I didn't get a picture of that.

"Even dying things can be beautiful." -Micah

"You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly."

Romans 5:6

"I like seeing the 'pretty' mantis with Rachel." -Josiah

"I learned that hay makes me sneeze."-Micah

"He's wonderful that He sends every leaf down a different way.  That He doesn't just snap His fingers and all the leaves fall out of the tree."-Rachel

"I learned that stepping in corn feels like a foot massage."-Micah

"The creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.  We wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies." Rom. 8:21, 23

more homemade crackers

Graham crackers used to mean a high price tag or a trip to Whole Foods (not really an "or" since it's so far away!)  A big, big thank you to the Feingold moms who shared their recipes with me!  It was hard to pick which one to try first.  I think these would be even better with a little cinnamon sugar sprinkled on top, which is basically what Rachel did with them anyway.

Homemade Graham Crackers

1 Cup Whole Wheat Flour

1 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour

1/2 Cup Dark Brown Sugar, packed

1/2 Tsp Salt

1 Tsp Cinnamon

1 Tsp Baking Soda

1/2 Cup Butter, chilled & cubed

1/4 Cup Honey

1/4 Cup Water


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a food processor or mixer combine the first 6 ingredients.

3. Add cubed and chilled butter to the mix and pulse/mix until it resembles coarse meal.

4. Add honey and water and continue to mix until it all combines.

5. Remove and shape the dough into a flat disk and place between two pieces of parchment paper.

6. Roll dough out until 1/4 inch thick. Cut into crackers or shapes.

7. Place cookies on aluminum foil or parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.

8. Cool and serve.

Gems of Proverbs

Meditating on the gems of Proverbs leads to a life of beauty.

how I feel about homeschooling this week...

Who is Great?

There are often times I need to reset my dial of importance.  This video, which I wrote about soon after our trip to the Creation Museum, does the trick.  There are 2 parts, hence two videos.  It is amazing information.  Please watch.  Great for kids!

Youth Exodus from the Church, a post by Ken Ham

The more we learn about the authority of the true words of the Bible, the more equipped our children will be to live by it without reservation.

Youth Exodus from the Church

cooking around the world: Antarctica

This recipe is really a stretch of the imagination.  With no cultures represented in Antarctica, I didn't really plan on sampling cuisine from this fascinating continent.  There has been food eaten here, of course, but krill isn't on our menu and we're not planning to kill weak sled dogs for sustenance.  The meringue we tried last week was still on my mind, and brought back memories of these cookies.  I found the recipe, changed the name, and made them last night.  They were a hit, and Josiah keeps asking for the "freeze cookies."

Iceberg Cookies

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Ingredients:
2 egg whites
1/8 t. salt
1/8 t. cream of tartar
1 t. vanilla
3/4 c. sugar
Less than 1 c. chocolate (or carob!) chips

Beat first four ingredients until soft peaks form.  Add sugar gradually while beating until stiff peaks form (be patient, this takes time!)  Fold in chocolate chips.  Cover cookie sheet with baking paper or aluminum foil.  Drop by teaspoonful on to cookie sheet.  Bake 25 minutes.

Our next country is Japan.  Not sure how to do this with Micah's MSG trouble.  Even if it is not an added ingredient, it is naturally present in many of the ingredients used in Asian food, and we don't yet know what his reaction will be.  I'll be putting my thinking cap on!!