Fried Green Tomatoes

There was little to no drama in the making of these fried green tomatoes. But there was much munching and begging for more upon the completion of the saga.

Although the South is probably my favorite place to be, I have never actually tried these divine little creations made famous by a certain dramatic movie. The only reason I decided to make them is that I have, literally, hundreds of large green tomatoes in the yard. After asking for expert advice (thanks B), I learned I needed to harvest some greens to get the pants ripening.
So, the kids and I set out to find 6 of the largest green tomatoes. Results were more like 8-10.. the kids thoroughly enjoyed this task.

I sliced them about 1/3" thick, placed them on paper towels, and salted lightly. I let them sit there while I put the rest of the fixins' together. In order:

• white flour mixed with salt & pepper
• egg/buttermilk mix (2 eggs & about 1/2 cup buttermilk) salt & pepper
• Panko breadcrumbs mixed with cajun seasoning (Shout-Out for Panko- LOVE these crumbs!)

 I also heated up my old faithful cast iron pan, with about 1/2" of canola oil, really hot.
 Then, in usual breading fashion, dredge the tomatoes in flour, then into egg mix, then coat in bread crumbs. Pop into the oil and watch them sizzle. Turn them over after about 1 minute, and once both sides are beautifully browned, remove and place on paper towels.

Make an aioli or remoulade sauce, or something similar, dip and go!!

I made a sauce out of a little buttermilk, mayo, cajun seasoning, lemon juice and ketchup. Very good and easy! Enjoy!

Another thrilling topic- laundry

But it must be done- when you find something that rocks your mile-high piles of laundry, you simply must share, right!?
Coming back from camping- even if its just a one night trip, is laundry nightmare, or used to be. After our most recent trip I had the regular big bag of camp smoke infused fleeces and soggy socks, and as an extra bonus, a whole set of puked on toddler clothes, said toddlers pee accident pants, and other toddlers hot cocoa soaked PJ's. Yes, these are stains to challenge event me most seasoned house keeper.

In my previous life (pre-Shaklee), I would have, no doubt, ruined something with bleach stains, or, used something even worse- Oxi Clean.. have you ever gotten that stuff on your wet hands??? It burns like crazy!

So in my current, more sane, Shakleeized life I took the calm approach of pre-treat with strong Basic H, put a tiny little scoop of Nature Bright in the drum, popped the nastiest laundry in there.. .added my detergent and softener, and bam- CLEAN.  No stress, no burns, no worries. It works every time. It is safe for me, my family and the planet, and these are the best laundry products I've ever tried.

There, exciting laundry post complete.

A recipe, its been too long!

For the past month or so, I have in support of my hubby, tried low carbing my diet. The best part about starting a low carb diet, is to get over sugar addiction. What a difference! I was literally the biggest carb addict you'd ever meet. Sweets, breads, pasta, candy, you name it, I LOVED it. I never thought I could stop eating all that, but, I did. And it was not that hard. The first week I had mad cravings for random carbs, but I struggled through them with iced lattes made with whipping cream (yes they are as good as they sound). Nuts and cheese became the new snack of choice. Also lots of celery and lettuce. Romaine lettuce leaves with cream cheese- yum!
I've learned a few new tricks and recipes along the way, and since this is now the whole families favorite breakfast, I thought this would make for a good share!

Cream Cheese Pancakes (easiest pancakes you've ever made!)

2 eggs
2 oz cream cheese
pinch of stevia sweetener
pinch of cinnamon
a few drops vanilla.

Mix in blender (used my bullet type blender- pour right into pan from blender!)
fry in a little butter.
Serve with sugar free maple syrup, a little more butter, and my personal fave- LEMON JUICE.
Divine.

Enjoy!

Disinfectant- what an exciting topic... none the less..

It is incredibly important to research all chemicals you use in your home. Everything you use can impact your health and that of your family. Not to mention what it does to the planet!

Today I am going to run down some facts about disinfectants.  I will compare Shaklee's Basic G with Bleach. These numbers are easy to find, I have googled the answers and they are all there for the taking.

Shaklee's Basic G (Germicide) is a powerful cleaning agent with strong anti microbial qualities. Use only as directed, but DO use it.

Both Basic G and Bleach (most brands) are EPA Registered Disinfectants.
Basic G has a residual effectiveness of up to 3 days (in lab conditions using E.Coli on linoleum tile). Bleach, no more than one hour.
Basic G's shelf life is over 3 years. Bleach, up to one year.
1 Quart of Basic G makes 64 gallons of disinfectant cleaner. Bleach- 1 Quart makes 7.5 gallons.

Basic G has no corrosive properties, Bleach may corrode stainless steel and aluminum.
Basic G has a fresh and clean scent, Bleach gives off pungent, noxious fumes.

Basically Basic G out-performs Bleach all around. Except for the bleaching part. For that, you need Nature Bright!

Please share, and lets try to minimize the use of bleach. It will not just permanently stain your clothes/linens, it is also a toxic mess, dangerous for you, your family and your pets.

My Vegetable Garden

Living in a city has its drawbacks, I can't have the acreage of vegetables and pumpkins I dream of. But, I can have a small vegetable garden! This is my fourth year of being a back yard "farmer", and we all love it so. The kids and I plant the seeds in spring, and transfer the seedlings into the little fenced plot in the back yard (we have dogs, hence the fence).
We all love to harvest, and we are finally at a point this year where we can harvest something almost daily. We have at least one zucchini each day, tomatoes (4 varieties) are starting to ripen, jalapenos are ready as are the green beans. The strawberries never actually make it inside, since they are the responsibility of the toddlers.. 
We have tons of herbs that I use in cooking each day. We have tons of basil, rosemary, oregano, parsley, chives and even fennel. I can't wait to harvest the fennel bulbs this fall!

Now, all that said, I have had one little problem this year. Aphids. They showed up when the cabbages started forming. I started asking around with gardening friends and family, and got lots of great advice. I will not use any kind of chemicals or pesticides, ever. Well, of course, Shaklee came to the rescue again! I was surprised to hear that lots of people use Basic H in gardening! It is used as a deterrent for all kids of bugs, including aphids! And, lots of people use their waste water from cleaning the house(with Basic H) and pour it over the plants to enhance growth and greenery!
So, I tried it. I sprayed a strong dilution Basic H (50/50 water) all over the cabbages. The very next day the aphids were gone! I have since sprayed it on them about once every other day. No more aphids!! The cabbages look great!

Ever think about supplements?

Most over the counter vitamins and supplements do not dissolve in your body. So why pay for them?
If you are interested in your health, and have thought about supplements, you may want to check out this short video.

If you do have any questions about this video or would like to try some of Shaklee's famous supplements, contact me. There is a nice convenient form in the right hand bar of this site.

Educate yourself when it comes to what you are putting in your body, and in the bodies of your loved ones.

Super Inspirational!

As a mom trying to make a living working out of the house, this following video clip is so incredibly inspiring. I am lucky to be partnering with the same company as Miranda, and feel strongly about sharing this with anyone else interested in making a difference in their lives.
When you partner with Shaklee you not only work to improve the health and well being of your family, but of the whole planet! And, the most amazing part of it all- you can make a great income doing it as well!
Check out this 8 minute video, and share with anyone you feel might benefit!

Think

Just have to share this image. It speaks louder than any words. 

Can a nation get motivated by another?

I know people can motivate people, but can one country motivate progress in another? I say yes, since the country is made up of thinking individuals.
The thinking evolved from my recent trip to my home country of Sweden. The kids and I went to visit for a month. I haven't been home in four years, and it was eye-opening to say the least.

Of course it was fabulous to see my family, eat all the familiar foods (and some new ones, hello black licorice/raspberry ice cream!), and expose my kids to my childhood. BUT, the greatest impression was made by the country's progress.
Sweden, and Scandinavia in general, has been progressive in environmental protection and policy for decades; something I believe shaped me and my struggles to green life here in the US.

So, as I was helping my parents clean out the summer house, we had to take a trip to the "dump".  At least that's what it used to be called. Now, it is the most amazing recycling station I've ever seen.
A neat, clean, organized drive through place to recycle almost ANYTHING. And, to top it all off, almost every Swede uses them.
On the property that used to be the "dump", there are wind turbines as well. Check out this areal photo:

 How come we can't have these kinds of places here? I understand its a big undertaking, but if we never get started, it will never be done!

Later in my trip we drove across the country to the opposite coast, and, as always, the Swedish landscape leaves me with a nostalgic, should I move home again, kind of feeling.
Intermingled with the red/white farms and fields and fields, were evenly spaced wind turbines. Again, why can't we?

As I continue my small part, I wish progress in this country could pick up pace. How do we tell all the individuals in this country about what Sweden, and other European countries, have done? If you read this, spread the word.
In the meanwhile, shop green, don't waste, reuse and recycle. And, of course, use Shaklee.

Match made in heaven...

The new Rubbermaid Reveal + Shaklee's Basic H = Floor Love

Amazing combo on all my floors; tile, laminate and hardwood! Strongly recommend.

Spring Cleaning around the Corner...

Spring cleaning is right around the corner! Isn't it time EVERYONE decided to clean green? I think so!
With Shaklee's cleaning products you know your home is safe, clean and green. If you can not find it in yourself to get Shaklee for the environment, how about for your kids? Or pets? Or to save a few dollars?
Check out our celebrity endorsements, and my site for more deets! Happy cleaning!

Oprah!

 Rachel!

The birthday party that never was..

My tots turned 3 a couple of weeks ago, and we had a rather cool ( I think!) birthday party planned for 10 am on a Sunday. It was to be at their dance studio (Integrated Rhythms), a really cool local dance studio for kids, where they go once a week for classes. We had invited about 10 kids, almost all had RSVP'd yes, and all was under control, more or less, by me and my mom-in-law.

It was a Super Why themed party- since that is/was the flavor of the week. For those not familiar- it is a PBS show, with spelling super heroes.
A fan of the show is very familiar with Super Letters. Red sparkling letters found throughout the show to complete a word or sentence at the end, to complete the story.
Anyways, to accommodate the theme, I prepared a number of fun crafts/treats. First I made large jars of home made red sparkling play doh. I also ended up making some blue, since I ran out of red food coloring *blush*.
I then tied a cookie cutter in shape of the first letter of the child's name to the jar- as a party favor to bring home.
Recipe for Play Dough:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup salt
• 2 cups water
• 1 Tablespoon oil
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• food coloring (lots of it)
• glitter
  Mix food coloring and water with oil in a large pan. In a separate container mix flour, salt and cream of tartar. Add the dry mixture to the wet- and cook. Stir constantly- you will have playdough in less then 5 minutes.
  When the texture feels right to you, turn it out onto a silicone sheet or onto a counter to cool. When cool enough to handle, knead in desired amount of glitter. Store in airtight container.

Also- to accommodate the theme and said "super letters"- I made extra thick jell-o, got some pricey, but pretty edible glitter, and made edible super letters in the kids first initials. 

I also got some (too many) adorable, delectable cupcakes, ordered and picked up from our favorite local cupcake bakery, Happy Cakes. My mom-in-law made 50 mini ham biscuits, we had veggie tray, coffee, balloons, hats, fruit, snacks- you name it.

And at 5 am that morning I had to call 9-1-1 and my son and I headed to the ER. He had awful croup, and had to stay in the hospital until the following day, his birthday.
Needless to say the party was cancelled (via iPhone from the ER), and all these fixins' were, well, kind of useless. Of course the kids still had a lilttle party with the family, and enjoyed the Super Why theme alot. At least I can look back at this and think that this was all pretty irrelevant, and my little guy is healthy :)

This is why I've been absent..

This picture summarizes my life for the past few weeks. This, combined with sick kids can make any vigilant blogger loose steam on occasion.
Bear with me, I will return with lots of fun and goodies soon!!

My kids are turning 3! Trying something new!

Next Monday my twins are turning 3! (were the heck does time go)
I am going to start a tradition. I read about this idea on Pinterest.com (yes, that place again, I'm so hooked!).
The pin suggests you ask a list of questions to the birthday child on their birthday, the same list of questions ever year. Add a picture too- and make a book of it.
I am going to make this an electronic effort, rather than hard copy.  Here is a list of the suggested questions:

1. What is your favorite color?
H: Pink
N: Blue
2. What is your favorite toy?
H: Fancy Nancy Doll
N: Legos
3. What is your favorite fruit?
H: Grapes
N: Melon
4. What is your favorite tv show?
N: Caillou
H: Clifford the big red dog
5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch?
H: Cheese sandwiches
N: Pizza
6. What is your favorite outfit?
H: Flower Dress
N: Lightning McQueen PJ's
7. What is your favorite game?
H: the doggie game
N: fish game
8. What is your favorite snack?
H: crackers
N: pumpkin bread
9. What is your favorite animal?
H: pig
N: T-rex
10. What is your favorite song?
H: Blast off song
N: Lightning McQueen song
11. What is your favorite book?
H: Cat in the hat books
N: Cat in the hat
12. Who is your best friend?
H: Claire
N: Ben
13. What is your favorite cereal?
H: Squares
N: Squares
14. What is your favorite thing to do outside?
H: dig with a shovel of course
N: shovel
15. What is your favorite drink?
H: Milk
N: Juice
16. What is your favorite holiday?
H: Valentines day
N: Halloween
17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night?
H: Comfy, Panda, Chuck Chihuahua,  and turtle, and big puppy, and little puppy, and kitten
N: Lionel
18. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast?
H: Bacon
N: Plattar
19. What do you want for dinner on your birthday?
N: cupcakes
H: Calamari
20. What do you want to be when you grow up?
H:  Wanna help babies
N: Police officer

Answers to be posted after birthday :)

Childrens Vitamins Have Changed Alittle....

During the winter months more and more parents think about getting some vitamin supplement for their children. Why? If you're the parent of a toddler or more, you know the answer- they come down with something new every week!!! 

yeah, kids vitamins have come a long way

For this very reason I decided to get some multivitamins for my tots.  I hesitated for a long time, since I feed my little ones a very healthy and varied diet, but read enough data to support my decision. Before I started working with Shaklee, when I was attempting to breast feed, I learned about a nutrient called lactoferrin- one of the main immune boosters that make breast milk so valuable. So, when I was doing my vitamin research, I was pleasantly surprised to find that lactoferrin is in Shaklee's multivitamin for kids!! They are called Incredivites, and is more than a multivitamin. It is also a multimineral, and an immune booster!

They have more vitamin D than any other brand- super important for strong bones and teeth. Also really cool, no artificial flavors or sweeteners, or preservatives- and they are gluten free.
 My kids love the berry flavors, we call them our "super vitamins" and they have one every morning.

I am certainly no expert, but I must say, after a few months of taking Incredivites, the kids have not been sick! I probably jinxed myself now.. but I had to share!

Here's to a happy, sunny, and healthy winter for you and your kids!

Eat your mushrooms!

I know, you're not supposed to eat toadstools, but I simply could not resist making this for snack time the other day!
It is simply a boiled egg, I cut the bottom flat so it would stand, and put 3/4 of a tomato on top. I piped on a few white dots (mayo), and done!
I put some pretzel sticks surrounding it when I served them up- I guess they look a little like twigs :)
Happy snack time!

Let's Go Toxin Free in our Homes 2012!

A new year, new resolutions. New beginnings. One of my resolutions (yes, there's multiple!) is to eliminate toxins out of my home. I made great progress last year, but I still have some things lingering in the back of the garage and in the basement closet.

Shaklee's motto, and mine, is: We believe home should be the safest place in the world. Sounds so simple, right?!

•   More than 9 out of every 10 suspected poison exposures occur at home with household
products, including 824,000 cases per year involving children under the age of 6.
 •   An average home generates over 25 pounds of toxic, hazardous waste each year. Much of this
waste can be attributed to household cleaning products.
•   The EPA says that only a fraction of the more than 75,000 registered chemicals have gone
through testing for human health concerns.
•   A person who spends 15 minutes cleaning soap scum off a shower stall could inhale three
times the acute exposure limit of some chemicals.
•   According to a 15-year study presented at the Toronto Indoor Air Conference, women who work
at home have a 54% higher death rate from cancer than those who work away from home. The
study concluded that this was a direct result of the exposure rate to toxic chemicals in common
household products.



Yeah- I got scared too! But- this is easy to remedy. Read on.

My campaign to kick of 2012 right, eliminate all toxins out of your home, and start living cleaner, and safer.
In the garage, I have old paint cans with paint still in them, paint thinner, old containers of motor oil, etc. etc.
In the house I have gotten rid of almost all my toxic household cleaners already, but I still have a bottle of bleach. I also have an old coffee jar with used batteries.
So, I want to get rid of all these things, but how, and where?

The Awesome City of Denver has a recycling program that rocks. Not only do they come pick up our day-to-day recycling every other week, they also have a pick-up program for residents, where once per year you can call them, and they come pick up all these toxins!
If you live outside of Denver, check out Earth911 for your nearest recycling center.

I am getting this done by the end of January- will you join me? 

Lets make our homes safer for our families, and the world a better place. You will breathe easier inside and out, and it really makes a difference!
Shaklee's cleaning products are as good, or better, than that windex, tilex, or tide you have lurking in your cabinets! And it will save you lots of money through the year as well :)

Let me know if you have any questions, or need assistance! Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

Fizz Bubble Pop! Ready to celebrate the beginning of a new, exciting, amazing year! Welcoming 2012 with tremendous optimism and grand visions of world domination ;) Love to all! See you in the new year!

Xmas break b -gone!

How odd- I am so over Christmas! Usually I like to linger in the Christmas slow-paced holiday feel for weeks after the main event. This time, I'm done. No bad feelings, nothing negative, I just want to move on with the daily rhythm. Back to birthday parties, shopping without being elbowed in the gut, visit the zoo, visit with friends and get out of the house!
I've also taken a slack break from blogging, but will ramp up again!
We've had a couple of rounds of family visits, lots of good foods and crafts to share with everyone. And, I am sure I will blog about my new discovery- Pintrest! More to come on that topic:)
New and awesome things to come on my business front as well, Shaklee will help me get my new year started right. Green and Healthy. And I will be sure to share!
Now to prepare for New Year celebrations!
Cheers!

So thankful for..

.. my Energy Chews! Just sayin' is all! If it hadn't been for these little golden gems, I would not have baked 5 different kinds of cookies, made a popcorn garland, built a two level gingerbread house, wrapped dozens of gifts, shopped, cleaned, had a dinner party, taken care of two tots and visited with friends. Just sayin'!