The Switch Witch

Halloween is usually a fun filled holiday for children and adults alike. I mean, who doesn't enjoy dressing up in a crazy costume and getting free candy from all of your neighbors?! I have so many wonderful memories of trick-or-treating as a child. Back then we either made our costumes or we bought the cheap plastic costumes from Venture or Kmart. I fondly remember my homemade costumes like a black witch, Little Bo Peep and a clown. Best of all was coming home from a night of trick-or-treating, dumping out my loot and binging on sugary treats. Personally, I liked to sort out my candies into specific group. Chocolates like peanut butter cups, kisses, Twix, etc. were in the favorite pile. Next was the "OK" candy pile that consisted of treats like Skittles, Star Burst and Now & Laters. The crap pile was full of, well crap, like Raisinets, Smarties and Bit-o-Honey. The crap candy was always thrown away, the OK candy pile was placed in a bowl in the kitchen and the favorites were stashed in my room so I could gorge on them as I liked. I never once questioned whether scarfing down that Kit Kat or smuggling a Snickers would affect my health. I happily gobble away on sweets until my stomach ached and bounced off the wall on a sugar induced high. God, I loved Halloween!!

Fast forward to many, many years later. I am now the mom of a child with severe food allergies. Just one bite of an allergen can make my son very, very sick. Just one bite of an allergen can swell up his throat making breathing next to impossible. Just one bite can literally mean a matter of life and death. Trick or treating is still fun, but coming home to check out our loot is a totally different experience for Bryan and I. Instead of the favorite/OK/crap piles of treats, we have the safe/unsafe pile. Brennan must wait as Bryan and I carefully scour each and every label. Candies without an ingredient label are deemed unsafe. Treats that contain peanuts/tree nuts or are made in a facility with peanuts/tree nuts are totally out of the question. Most chocolates like Kit Kat and Twix are not safe. He is usually able to safely eat candies like Skittles, Start Burst and Nerds. While I am grateful he can at least enjoy those goodies, it is hard to watch his little face as I take all that candy away.

Thank goodness for the Switch Witch! Brennan places all of the unsafe candy in a bag and leaves it on the kitchen table. When he is fast asleep the Switch Witch comes in and takes all of that unsafe candy far away from our house (The candy usually finds its way to Bryan's work). In its place she leaves fun, safe goodies like pencils, fruit snacks, gummy worms, Rice Krispie treats and tattoos. Not only does Brennan get to celebrate Halloween, but he gets a bonus surprise from our beloved Switch Witch! Not many kids can say they have a super cool, super safe witch visit their house on Halloween!

For those of you reading who celebrate Halloween, please consider purchasing some safe treats so ALL trick-or-treaters can enjoy the fun and magic of Halloween. Pencils, fruit snacks, tattoos, Utz brand pretzels, individual baggies of Teddy Grahams or Oreos, Rice Krispie treats and even small containers of Play-doh are safe alternatives for kiddos with nut allergies. I always purchase Utz brand Halloween pretzels or fruit snacks as well as a non-food item like pencils. I do not ever want a child to miss out on the fun and excitement of being a kid on Halloween. This food allergy mom thanks you for considering this idea!

It Hurts!

My foot is killing me! It hurts so bad that I want to cry and at times I still get nauseated. I know I am supposed to be on rest, but that is hard to do! I have to get the boys ready for school each morning and that is like an hour long process. They are still little and depend on me for much of the morning routine. My house is a flipping disaster and I cannot do much about it. Dishes have to be washed and laundry has to be finished so I have to keep up on it. It is just never ending. I wear my boot, but that is not enough. I need like a week straight of total bedrest, but that is not going to happen anytime soon sadly. I worry about returning to work next week. How can I teach in such pain?!

I started researching some homeopathic approaches to healing and I came across some info on the use of arnica. I am desperate to find anything that will help me heal and ease my pain. I know this is not a quick fix and it will take time, but if the arnica aides in healing, why not try it? I see a visit to the nutrition store or Whole Foods in my future. I need relief!! Let's hope this pretty little yellow flower packs a punch in helping me feel better sooner!

It's Fall Y'All!

Autumn is officially here!! I have such a love/hate relationship with this season. I hate the fact that my beloved summer days are long gone. No more flip flops or lazy days in the pool or hot summer nights with a cool drink in hand. No more summer vacation...booooooo! I hate seeing the dark come earlier and earlier each evening (the boys like to play outside and this cut into play time!). I hate this season because it bring on asthma flair-ups, colds, viruses and the flu. I loath super cold temperatures and icy weather. Most of all, I hate this season because it is when I lost my father to cancer.

Despite all of my dislikes, I truly love this season for so many reasons. I love the absolute beauty of the rich colors around me. The trees turning bright hues of blazing orange, fire red and hazy yellow can bring a smile to my face. I love walking through crunchy fallen leaves. The boys love making piles of leaves and jumping in them. Apple picking and pumpkin picking at the local farms are always a family hit (we visit several farms during the season because I am so in love with farms!). I don't know about you, but sitting around a warm bonfire with a cold beer in my gloved hand is a favorite past time of mine. And pumpkin, let's not forget how many wonderful pumpkin items you can indulge in this time of the year! Pumpkin lattes, pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, pumpkin beer......YUM! Of course we always celebrate Halloween and Thanksgiving, with Thanksgiving being one of my favorites. My birthday is on Thanksgiving this year! I don't want to get another year older, but I sure do like a whole day to indulge! I love Thanksgiving because it is a time to truly reflect on just how very blessed we are. The smells of autumn are some of the best around: apple crisp, cinnamon, burning leaves, frosty air, vanilla. When it is just too cold outside for a bonfire we light up the fireplace and snuggle in warm blankets and jammies. While I love my flip flop I also love slipping into my boots (Although this year I am not going to wear my heeled boots due to my broken foot. Guess I need to shop for some flats!). Knowing that my father is gone rips my heart in two, but this season also brings me some quiet times to stop, remember and reflect and for these moments I am grateful for the season that makes me slow down and think.

Here is to another season of natural beauty. Enjoy what the Earth gives us!

Recipe: Cookies & Cream Popcorn

I am stuck at home, for the most part, so I have found myself having the munchies quite a lot. I'm trying not to eat as I cannot exercise much, but let's face it, I need some comfort food!! A friend of mine passed along this popcorn recipe a few weeks ago so on Friday night I decided to cave in and make this sweet treat. Holy  goodness is this stuff delicious and addicting!! I cannot stop eating it. I bet I gain 6lbs from this popcorn! You have to make this, share if need be, but make this! I promise you will love it. And if for some odd reason you hate it, I promise I'll be a good friend and come take it off your hands (and pile it upon my thighs!).

Ingredients
Oil of your choice (I used about 2 TB coconut oil)
Popcorn (I didn't measure, just enough to cover the bottom of the pot)
24 Oreos, crushed
16oz white chocolate, melted

Directions
1. In a large pot heat up about 2TB of oil. Once heated, pour in popcorn kernels. Shake the corn a few times to evenly coat. Soon the corn will start to pop!

2. When the popcorn is fully popped (be sure not to burn it!), remove it from the pot and place it in a large bowl. Be sure to discard as many unpopped kernels as possible.

3. In a Ziploc baggie or food processor, crumble Oreos into a fine crumble. Toss crumbled Oreos on top of the popcorn.

4. In a microwave safe bowl, begin to melt the white chocolate. Be careful to not scorch the chocolate! When fully melted, pour the chocolate onto the popcorn. Using a large spoon mix everything together well. The chocolate will stick to Oreo and then stick to the popcorn. You will have to mix for a few minutes to ensure it all mixes.

5. Let the popcorn sit until the chocolate firmly sets. You can also place the popcorn in the fridge.

Store in an air tight container. I stored half of the batch in the fridge because I like my chocolate cold. I stored the other half on the counter. Either way is amazing! Be sure to take out as many unpopped kernels as possible; believe me, your teeth will thank you for that extra step!! Enjoy!!

Cruel Foods

I broke my foot and ripped a bunch of tendons and ligaments on Monday night so for the last several days I've been sitting on the couch nursing a painful foot while playing on-line, catching up on old recorded Grey's Anatomy reruns and napping. I'll fully admit, I've been reading/playing a lot on the computer, mostly mindless fun stuff. This morning I logged on the computer as usual and an article on Yahoo caught my eye. As I read the article I wanted to cry/puke/quit reading but at the same time I thought, "I must share this!". It is no secret that I am a vegetarian. It all started almost two years ago when I watched a documentary about vegans. I am not vegan (I love my ice cream and yogurt too much), but I consider myself a pretty healthful and conscious shopper/eater. True, my family is a bunch of meat eaters and yes it does bother me to a point, but they do eat a lot of meatless meals these days. In fact, as I was making out our weekly dinner menu I realized of five planned meals, four are meatless! Anyway, I thought this article was worth reading and sharing and I hope you all take something away from it. Whether you become more health conscious or you make small changes to items you buy or decide to take a stand against animal cruelty, it is all a small step in the right direction.

I want to clearly note that I take absolutely zero credit for any of this information. I'll highlight some of the real eye opening information, but I'll also provide a link to the whole article. Enjoy!

According to the article, there are eight foods that are deemed some of the cruelest foods in our world. I'll admit, I didn't recognize some of the foods, but that doesn't make the cruelty towards the living creatures any less horrific. As you happily munch away on your egg omelet or your mouth begins to salivate at the mere thought of indulging in a little exotic cuisine, think about how that dish got from the farm or field to your plate........

1. Lobster: Lobsters can feel pain and distress (duh!). Some restaurants serve an awful dish called Lobster Sashimi where the lobster is served on your plate still alive and in pain from the slit down its middle. Who would want to eat that?! Lobsters living in tanks at the grocery store or restaurant also feel distress as they are placed in unnatural surroundings.

2. Shark: While I've never eaten Shark Fin Soup, I have heard of it. Apparently they slice off the fin of the shark and then toss him back into the ocean where he bleeds to death and/or drowns.

3. Veal: This one really bothered me. Baby cows, usually males because they cannot produce milk, are taken from their momma when they are only a few days old. They are force-fed milk and formula and not allowed to move around in a crate that is so small the baby cannot even turn around. Around five months of age the baby is slaughtered so human can feast on ultra tender meat. Ugh, that is so heartless!

4. Foie Gras: I've never eaten this and never will! Basically it is goose or duck liver. In order to get the liver so fatty, workers restrain the poor bird, shove a tube into its stomach and force feed it several pounds of corn daily. After a month or so of this cruel act, the bird is slaughtered for your fancy meal.

5. Eggs: Many chickens live in dark, super cramped buildings that do not even allow the birds space to spread their wings or walk. They are so cramped they defecate on their own feet and bodies as they are pumped full of processed grains. Chickens have high salmonella rates due to defecating on the floor and living in such squalor.

6. Balut: I've never heard of this dish, but damn did it turn my stomach when I read what it is. Basically a duck lays an egg. When the egg contains a semi-formed baby duck (yes, feathers, bones, etc) it is cracked open. The consumer drinks the liquid from the egg and then scoops out the baby duck to eat. Gag, gag, gag! There was a balut eating contest in Brooklyn this past summer and the winner ate 18 of these baby ducks!

7. Beef: I could write a book on cows. Let's start with the genetically modified grains they are fed. How about the hormones they are pumped with that cause infections which are treated with antibiotics? How about the bolt that goes through their heads in the slaughter house? Or maybe we should talk about the electric prods they are zapped with. Should I go on?

8. Pork: Have you ever heard of a gestational crate? Basically a pig is placed in a small crate a couple of feet wide and it endures constant impregnation. Only four states in the US have banned this process. How does that bacon taste now?

I just cannot justify forcing tubes of corn into a bird's stomach or ripping a baby from its mommy days after after he is born all to feed me. There are so many humane ways to treat animals and not to mention our world is full of healthy plant based foods that can provide a great deal of nutrition, all free of animal cruelty. Here is the link to the complete article along with some facts and ideas for alternatives: http://health.yahoo.net/articles/nutrition/photos/8-cruelest-foods-you-eat#0