Grin & Bear It: June 2009

No more Dye

>> Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Nope- not talking about hair dye! Artificial dye. I'm sure you've heard talk and rumors of the effect artificial dyes have on your system. Its amazing. If you haven't read research on this check this out: No more Dye & Red Free Dye

I am hardly a "No Dye Nazi" but I do try my darnest to not allow artificial coloring in the things we eat and buy. When it happens I notice a HUGE change in the boys behavior. They are children and boys will be boys, but when they eat that cool red, white, and blue popsicle they had to have from the ice cream man, their behavior is almost instantly changed. (could be from the sugar intake as well).

Anyway, in my need to cut out anything that is potentially harmful to my son's and really that makes them crazy Satan boys, I started looking around the web for different ideas for food coloring alternatives. Here is what I found;

Itty Bitty Bistro has the coolest idea for all natural food coloring for frosting. Yummy....butter cream frosting....I say who needs color anyway when you have a bowl of buttercream frosting. Really awesome blog too. Fun and super healthy recipes for your little ones. Can't wait to try some of them.

(taken from her blog, hope she doesn't mind)
I made a big batch of my favorite buttercream frosting (the Cook's Illustrated recipe - 2 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar, 2 1/2 sticks of unsalted butter, 2 Tbsp of heavy cream, a splash of vanilla, and a pinch of salt) and added some dyes. My thoughts:The spices (turmeric, paprika) added the most easily, but leave a hint of their flavor behind. Not as badly as I thought they would, and I would definitely not hesitate to make yellow or light orange this way.The juices (blueberry juice, beet juice, pomegranate juice) yield the best tasting frosting, but their sheer liquidity is a problem. I had to stir in a lot of extra sugar to compensate for the liquid, and they are still separating a little. For a "real" cake, I would probably try my hand blender to really emulsify the liquid in.The avocado actually works well, but tastes avocado-y. I should have pureed the avocado better before adding it in. It is a nice green, and I would probably just stick to using it for accents, like flower petals, rather than trying a whole green cake/cupcake.No blue - I thought the blueberry juice would be closer to blue or purple, but it's really just magenta. I Googled and found some people use red cabbage or onion skins, but... ew. I can't imagine frosting my cake with water that cabbage was boiled in. If I'm desperate to make something blue, I'll use my India Tree dye.

I just want to add that I am going to try juicy pureed strawberries for red dye and also going to check with the local health food store and see what they've got.

Tshirt for pants

>> Monday, June 29, 2009

I'm not sure what it is, or why it is, or where my two boys get their sense of style, but they love nothing more than to express themselves freely and I say "Go for it boys!". When they are dressing in the morning, there is no telling what they will come downstairs wearing. That is what makes my mornings so entertaining. Self expression and self confidence is so important to me. It is a quality that I want my boys to grow up learning and sharing with others. I feel that all too often parents are pulled into the competition trap with their children and essentially that wears off to the child, who then grow up not knowing their true soul and who they are, but yet always trying to be the best and look the best and have the best things that they loose touch with reality and what really matters in life. I hope for real. I hope for honest. I hope for courageous. I hope for warriors of doing right and if that means letting them head outside in a tshirt for pants then so be it. (ok, not really...but the galoshes and swim trunks are fine by me).

Only as high as I reach can I grow, Only as far as I seek can I go, Only as deep as I look can I see, Only as much as I dream can I be.~Karen Ravn

To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting. ~e.e. cummings, 1955

Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind. ~Dr. Seuss

My week

>> Thursday, June 25, 2009

I've waited all week for a phone call, just to hear that the results were indecisive and they will be retesting on July 17th. Not a good week!

If you looked inside this girl
you would see how much she really cries
you would find so many secrets and lies
but what you'll see the most
is how hard it is to stay so strong
when nothing goes right
and things seem so wrong

Quiz time

>> Monday, June 22, 2009

I'm on face book and every now and then I get bored and fill out silly quizes. Some of them are pretty fun and some are pretty lame-o! This one however nailed me! I've always known my soul was stuck in the 60's.

Tirzah completed the quiz "What Decade Fits Your Personality Best?" with the result 1960's.
You are anything but square...you're more like a flower. You are a cool, laid-back, deep-thinker type of rebel-- one who has strong beliefs about keeping the peace with regards to society and the world. You go against the norm and are proud of it; you don't care what others think because, after all, your differences are what make you stand out in order to make a difference. You clash with the rules and regulations of the cultural norm which stereotype you as a Class-A Rebel-- but a rebel WITH a cause. You are also in tune with nature and protecting the environment; therefore you are most likely drawn to bohemian, earthy styles (or perhaps anything that stands you out in a crowd of boring colors). Your style and attitude POP. You are in touch with your inner-self, feelings, and deep-seeded emotions, and love to express them with music and art. .

Thyroid says what?

>> Sunday, June 21, 2009

Where have I been? Where are pictures of my garden and the boys and my sweet tan I'm getting from lounging by my pool? Well folks....here's what I've been up too! (story shortened due to laziness)

2 weeks ago I woke up with trouble swallowing and a soreness to my throat. I noticed a large lump around my lower throat area and thinking it was a swollen lymph node, decided to call the doctor to get some antibiotics. I had recently been feeling awful. Very tired, cranky, no energy whatsoever and I really believed that I had some big infection my body was trying to fight which was causing this lump. I went into the doctor and was told that I needed an ultrasound as this lump was NOT a lymph node. Ultrasound proved to be a Thyroid Nodule. Was then sent to a Thyroid Specialist within another day. The specialist did another ultrasound and freeze framed my thyroid for me to show me all the nodules. The Doctor said my thyroid looks like swiss cheese and he wasnt joking. I have 6 nodules in my right side and 8 in my left side to include my 3x3 centimeter cystic nodule with a solid mass in it. I did undergo a fine needle assperation to pull fluid off the nodule and biopsy it (which I will only say was pure HELL) and a ton of blood work. Results should be in no later than Tuesday. If the nodule is benign, I will be given medicine to take for the rest of my life and constant follow ups to check the size and any growth of the nodules. If the test reveals the nodule is malignant or the test comes back indecisive, the doc will remove my whole thyroid and I will take meds the rest of my life. So.....meds and no surgery or meds and surgery. At this point, I'm tired of being tired and I want to enjoy my summer with my two crazy cute boys. I'm anxious to get better and my fix is coming. I will keep you posted!

For more information on Thyroid Nodules check out this site: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/thyroid-nodules/ds00491

My baby, My little Man, My Graduate

>> Thursday, June 11, 2009

A few weeks ago, my little babe, who I once cradled in my arms, was dressed in blue and wore a tassel as he proudly graduated from preschool. He walked in rhythm to pomp and circumstance and retrieved his little diploma from his teacher. They sang songs and recited a poem. My babe, my little boy is growing way too fast. Yes......I cried.