Simple Woman's Daybook

Outside my window...it is a lovely day.  What am I doing in front of the computer?  Josiah and I will head to the park later this afternoon.  Eric is at Starved Rock with our church's college class.  What a perfect day for hiking there!

I am thinking...that a week without my oldest two children is plenty long enough!  The house is quieter, things stay cleaner, there is less laundry, and I'm ready for all of that that to change.  They come home on Monday after lunch!

I am thankful for...the little things, like the youngest being able to dress himself and how the older two are now folding their own clothes.  Rachel was even caught turning her clothing right side out before the last washing.  That never happened when Mom was the one doing the folding.

From the learning rooms...we have 4 more days of preschool before we take a break for the summer.  How much of a break, I'm not sure, as school activities are one of Josiah's favorite things to do when he's otherwise bored.  We have plenty we can pull out and work on, but the pool beckons us as well.

From the kitchen...I've mostly avoided this room over the past week.  Kids are coming home, so I'd better get reacquainted with what needs to be done.  We are going to try some different lunch ideas this summer to avoid the constant sandwich rut.  Baked potatoes, black bean nachos, maybe even some tuna/egg/chicken salad recipes.  I'm not expecting the last offerings to be well-received, so stay tuned.

I am wearing...the same top I wore to church, paired with jeans.  It was easier than changing the whole outfit.

I am creating...a wishlist on 2 websites full of items I want to buy for homeschooling.  After the used book sale this weekend, I hope to place my order.  That's a bit scary, because it means I will have to stop changing my mind about math.

I am going...to physical therapy once a week for now.  I broke my thumb when I fell down the steps in March, and finally had it X-rayed last week.  The goal is no pain by the end of summer.

I am reading...a couple of books from the Sonlight Core my children will be studying next year.  Commodore Perry and the Land of the Shogun was an eye-opener.  I've never known this piece of history, which makes me all the more thankful we will be studying the Eastern Hemisphere this year.  This mom has as much to learn as the kids.

I am hoping...to train Josiah to obey the first time he's asked.

I am hearing...such quiet.  I can even hear the birds sing, in between slurps of water by the 4-year-old.

Around the house...it's a little dusty, but cleaner than it has been in quite awhile.

One of my favorite things...is spending time with others.  I had no idea people were so fascinating in the days when I allowed shyness to rule my interactions.

A few plans for the rest of the week: Get ready for Thursday's Bible study.  Dust.  Cook some food.  Go to the library. Re-engage frenetic activity with two preteens home again.

Here is picture I am sharing from Rachel's luau the last week of school:

radio interview

Dr. Carlton has been working closely with the Feingold Organization for many years.  If you look for his topic of Food and Mood at this link, you can listen to his radio interview from this past week. 

A few highlights:

The three biggest food offenders for learning disabilities, ADHD, autism, health issues, and even depression in adults: dairy, wheat, and chocolate.

90% of children reacted to food additives in a double blind study.  Some do react much more strongly than others.

Children who were treated with the Feingold diet and then given vitamins in a double blind study saw 2-3 years increase in reading comprehension.  Some went off the vitamins and the increase in comprehesion lasted for an additional 1 1/2 years.  He urged parents not to buy their children vitamins with additives or fillers.

This one is lovely: Undertakers are saying that it takes the human body longer to decompose than it used to, due to our consumption of preservatives.

new blog

I've started a new blog with an emphasis on Bible study.  You're welcome to come and check it out!

www.miningtheword.blogspot.com

guess what my kids are doing today?

Micah and Rachel are on vacation with their grandparents in another country.  Granted, it's not quite as exotic as it sounds.  This is where they are headed today.

I've been spending the morning cleaning the house, and am a wee bit jealous. :)

you are what you eat

About a year ago, I sat chatting with a friend about this and that, and she brought up a blog post she had read recently about cutting out food containing preservatives.  I thought, "Wow, that's strange" about trying such a thing, and the conversation drifted to other topics. 

Two months later, at the end of my rope with our youngest child and his behavior, I was reading everything I could find about the Feingold diet as a way to manage ADHD.  This approach was incredibly successful, and suddenly I was in the same camp as the blog author, cooking from scratch and cutting preservatives and more out of my own family's diet.

Feingold has helped with many things, but more than anything it has directed me to a world that I never really considered and barely knew existed: the world of nutrition and its influence on health.  Organic foods, GMO's, vitamins, fish oil...all this and more has become a part of my working vocabulary, and I have seen firsthand how some of it affects my own children.  Consider:

-Chronic constipation in my breast-fed daughter, from birth.  Breast-fed babies are not supposed to be constipated.  For years she was on and off laxatives, many of which I hope never pass her lips again.  Then came the chronic diarrhea/constipation cycle.  Then other health issues.  While we don't completely understand all that was involved, every symptom disappeared when we removed dairy from her diet.  Her handwriting even improved. 

-Our youngest son was diagnosed with ADHD, but there was much more to the story.  As an infant he suffered from true GERD and feeding difficulties associated with it, then when he went on whole milk he started a cycle of ear and sinus infections.  Later he dealt with anxiety, was an incredibly picky eater, had geographic tongue, was always hungry to the point of irritability, and his iron was low.  Removing artificials from food was only part of the answer.  Removing salicylates helped the anxiety, constant hunger, and geographic tongue.  Removing milk meant no more spinning around, hyperactive behavior, and less pickiness in eating.  Adding iron and a multivitamin caused another bump up in behavior and more openness in trying new foods.

-Our oldest is still a bit of a mystery, but using some detective work is getting us closer to understanding his digestive triggers.  One thing we've learned is that clean eating means better health, even for him.

All this to say, I had never considered the impact of proper nutrition on the health of my children until this past year. 

Kelly Dorfman, a nutritionist, has written a book called What's Eating Your Child? that addresses the impact of nutrition on children.   In insightful, compelling case studies she uncovers the connections between nutrition and picky eating, anxiety, ear infections, digestive issues, learning and behavioral difficulties, allergies, educational success, and so much more.  As I devour each page, I am confirmed that those things I have suspected play a role in my children's difficulties are not fiction but fact. 

I honestly wish every parent, pediatrician, nutritionist, and educator could read this book.  I wish I'd had it when my children were younger.  It may have saved them some damage, unnecessary and costly medical procedures, and many difficulties.  And once I'm done reading it, we may never eat the same again.  But then again, that was a path we'd already started traveling.

The tide seems to be turning.  I'm hopeful that the next generation will know far more than I did.  I'm hopeful that more parents and doctors will know how they can help children heal through good nutrition.

www.whatseatingyourchild.com

getting excited!

This week, Josiah and I are doing preschool in our new school room!!!

$5 dinner mom--mmm...., yummy!

I've been enjoying my new $5 Dinner Mom cookbooks, and so have my kids.  Tonight we had our favorite recipes...they are so delicious and well-received here, I thought I'd share.

Baked Parmesan Chicken Fingers

1 1/2 pounds chicken tenderloins

1/2 c. fine cornmeal

1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese (leave out if you have milk allergy)

1 t. garlic powder

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. pepper

1 large egg

2 T. milk or milk substitute

1 c. spaghetti or marinara sauce for dipping (I used pizza sauce, recipe to follow)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly coat a 9x13 inch glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.  In small mixing bowl, whisk together egg and milk.  In another small bowl, toss together the corn meal, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.  Dip each tenderloin into the egg-milk mixture and then coat with cornmeal mixture.  Place coated tenderloins into the prepared baking dish.  Bake in preheated oven 25-30 min. or until cooked through.  Serve with sauce for dipping.

Homemade pizza sauce

1 can tomato sauce

1 t. oregano

1 t. dried basil

 1 t. garlic powder

1 t. onion powder

2 t. extra-virgin olive oil

In a small saucepan, whisk the tomato sauce with spice and olive oil.  Simmer for 6-8 min.  Store any extra sauce in freezer for next time!

My oldest has always had a thing for lemon, even more so than chocolate.  We are once again trying gluten with good success (we are wondering if MSG or some other chemical is responsible for his digestive issues).  He loves this recipe (in spite of the coconut, which you could leave out but why would you?) so I double it to freeze the extra loaf.  He can take the extra one with him to Niagara Falls next week.

Lemon Coconut Bread

3/4 c. sugar

4 T. butter or margarine

2 T. canola oil

2 T. baby pear sauce (for FG stage 1 kids like Josiah) or applesauce

2 large eggs

1 t. vanilla extract

1 t. lemon extract

2 t. lemon juice

2 1/2 c. flour

1 T. baking powder

1 t. salt

1 c. sweetened coconut flakes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly coat loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.  In bowl of stand mixer, stir the sugar, butter or margarine, oil, pear or applesauce, eggs, vanilla and lemon extracts, and lemon juice until smooth.  Then mix in flour, baking powder, and salt.  Stir until a batter forms.  It will be thick.  Stir in coconut flakes.  Spread batter into prepared pan.  Bake in preheated oven for 45-55 min., or until a toothpick comes out clean from center.  Let cool before serving.