tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23285271775271399272024-03-08T00:51:51.766-06:00Adjust to LifeThoughts on the changes to life and how we adjust.Aaminahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743051190683021622noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2328527177527139927.post-47072133734131866432011-07-04T14:41:00.001-05:002011-07-04T14:42:54.205-05:00I gotta say it!<div style="text-align: justify;">Its been quite a while since I blogged. I am having one of those days so I thought of listing all the things that upset me and hopefully they will not upset me so much. If you agree with me, or have thoughts of your own, feel free to leave comments. These are in no particular order, just things that have been bugging me. Some things in life, you can't do anything about so some of these I live with, some I distance myself from and some I like to say something about.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Enjoy my rantings:</div><br />
<ul><li style="text-align: justify;">Hypocrites: We are all guilty of hypocrisy from time to time, myself included. I try to be perfect but fail obviously as no one is perfect. However, I see so many two-faced people around me that sometimes I just want to say something. They say something to me and pretend to be my friend but really they are not. There are very few real friends in this world, so keep your loved ones close and forget about these two-facers.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">People trying too hard to be something they're not. You know you've met these type and with social media they seem to be on the rise. You see them trying so very hard to fit into a group but they stand out like a sore thumb. My motto, "be yourself". If someone doesn't like you the way you are, they are not going to like you if you change to their 'type'. Life is short, what a waste of time trying to be something you're not.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">This brings me to "cliques". Where do these groups come from? They are a real social phenomenon. Who decides which person is in and which person is out. Is it by color, race, fashion, religion. Who gave them the power? Guess what, you did. You stop caring about them, they loose their power. Plain and simple.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Abusive people. We have all met them but we say nothing to them. Not anymore for me. I am sick of people using bad language and rude behavior. I am going to speak out in public if I see it. This is just not on.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">People who take loans and never return them. Been burnt many times and still burning. These people think its their right to take a loan, object or money from you and just keep it. This is someone else's money or thing you have, return it. If you can't remember you borrowed it, ask the person if it is theirs. If you don't, you know you're going to pay for it later.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Complainers. We are all essentially complainers. I complain to my husband from time to time. But the ones I'm talking about are those who complain about every single thing. The sun is out, its too hot, the sun is not out, its too dark, the food has too much salt or its too bland, the water is not cold enough or not room temperature. Life is short, stop spending so much time complaining and get out there and live your life</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">People who are afraid to try new things. When I joined college, I didn't know how I was going to do it with a family, assignments, exams, pickup, drop off from school etc etc. But I managed somehow. People often don't realize what they are capable of until they try. So go out and try something new. Do something with yourself, learn a new skill, read a new book, try a new technology, talk to a new person. </li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">One last thing...people who don't RSVP or return phone calls, sms or email. I know you're busy but it only takes a few seconds to email. I am busy too but I try my best to make sure I reply to all my emails and return all my calls. I'm sorry if I ever ignored any of you, remind me or shout at me if you like.</li>
</ul><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">That's all for today. Now and get out there and go live!</div>Aaminahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743051190683021622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2328527177527139927.post-43262887259148705642011-03-03T23:04:00.001-06:002011-03-03T23:05:18.087-06:0010 Things You Can Do To Be Green<ol><li><span style="font-size: small;">Tur</span><span style="font-size: small;">n the faucet off when you're brushing your teeth. You're supposed to be brushing your teeth for 5 minute so why is the water running for that long?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Carry your own grocery bags. At <a href="http://www.wholefoods.com/">WholeFoods</a> you get 10 cents back for each bag you use. You save money and the planet.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Make your own cleaning solution. Its easy, a little clorox, water and liquid soap. <a href="http://www.clorox.com/products/clorox-regular-bleach/how-to/">http://www.clorox.com/products/clorox-regular-bleach/how-to/ </a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Make your own floor shining solution. Even easier, a little vinegar and water and if you don't like the smell, just add a little tea tree oil or perfume oil. Tea tree disinfects so I prefer to add that. <a href="http://www.vinegartips.com/">http://www.vinegartips.com</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">When you're buying chicken, buy the whole chicken instead of cutup. Cut out the bones yourself and use the bones for stock whilst use the chicken for your cooking. You can use the stock for soup or just have it as a broth. If you don't like skin, just remove it after cooking. You won't have to use oil or butter to make the chicken crispy and moist if you leave the skin on. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRWTHM-Q-CA">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRWTHM-Q-CA</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">When using butter in baking, use the empty butter wrappers to butter your pans. You will save on butter. You can also use the wrappers to line your pan.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Have two bins in your kitchen. One for garbage and one for recycle. Most cities now have separate recycle bins, its as easy as putting the recycle garbage in the correct bin.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Wear clothes again before washing. You can also dryclean with Dryel thus saving on water and detergent.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Carpool whenever you can.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Make a grocery list and plan your meals so you don't have to keep running to the grocery store. You will save time, money and gasoline with this one.</span></li>
</ol><span style="font-size: small;">If I think of more tips, I will keep adding. For now, these are some I came up with quickly. </span>Aaminahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743051190683021622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2328527177527139927.post-68439371019525857812010-07-25T00:25:00.000-05:002010-07-25T00:25:55.567-05:00A journey begins<div style="text-align: justify;">The first time I entered the kitchen was when I was just five years old. My baby sister had just come home and I, being the eldest, went to the kitchen to get myself something to eat. It was not much but I found myself comfortable in the kitchen.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Growing up, I watched my mother pick fruits and vegetables from the garden and bake cakes, make ketchup and mayonnaise, anything you could think of. As I learnt to handle the kitchen utensils, my mother gave me more and more responsibility in the kitchen. Eventually, by the age of thirteen, I could cook a decent meal for my family. At boarding school and college, I experimented more and more with cooking. And once I got married, there was no turning back. With my own kitchen and a taster, namely my husband, I experimented with recipes and tried new foods from all around the world. Suffice to say, I enjoyed cooking. My major, however, was computer engineering. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">After I had my first born, I decided to take a break from computing. The break became longer and longer as I looked for jobs, interviewed and came home disappointed time after time. The break turned into seven years and now I had two kids to handle. I had taken the odd website work in between but nothing solid enough to get me a full time job. I thought to myself, do I really want a full time job in a field that I no longer enjoy. The world of computing had become extremely competitive. Most of the work was now outsourced so what would I be expected to do. I wanted to spend time with my children. After all, they are home for just a small portion of our lives, then they will be off to college, married and have their own lives. How much time do I have with them? Eighteen years, twenty years? This really pulled at my heart strings as I battled between full time work and stay-at-home. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">As I enjoyed cooking and baking, I used that to start a home business. I started taking orders for simple party cakes. This was good as it fueled my desire to spend time on my hobby and the work hours were flexible. If I didn't have time, I could refuse an order whereas some weeks I could take five orders. It was fun. I even did some wedding cakes which I never though would be possible. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">When my second one came along, I thought, "there go my cake orders, no more time now". But surprisingly, the second one was much easier to handle and I realised perhaps there was something more I could do. Finally, after talking with my better half and doing some research, I decided to enroll at culinary school for a pastry arts certification. Sometimes I feel like I am betraying my computer engineering degree but then maybe I am just enhancing it.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I started college 2 weeks ago. The first day I was really nervous. I thought the students would all be young, energetic and have much more time than I do therefore do better than me. To my surprise, I found a varied age range in our class of 12. From 18 to 50, believe it or not. Men, women, teenagers. Its quite a group. The first week, we made bread. I learnt a lot and thought this isn't so bad. Then there was the quiz. I got an A to my surprise. I hardly had time to study with both kids vying for my attention. The first week was tough on the kids but they have adjusted. I think the next 2 weeks will go well. I am enjoying studying and acing my course. In fact, now I'm thinking perhaps a full degree would be a good idea. I'm going to get the basic courses done first and then look into that. But I can tell you this much. If you have ever thought about going back to college, do it. This is the best thing I have done for my heart and soul. I feel alive again and I am truly happy doing this. I find myself smiling more and I am so lucky to have a supportive family. Without them, I wouldn't be doing this or even think about doing it.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">I look forward to treating them all to lovely pastries once my course is done. Just goes to show, there is always something more you can learn. Good luck all of you out there with your ventures. Make the most of them.</div>Aaminahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743051190683021622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2328527177527139927.post-26412722113399349852010-06-03T10:04:00.000-05:002010-06-03T10:04:21.056-05:00A month later<div style="text-align: justify;">It has been a month since my daughter's new diet. I see a marked improvement. She has more energy, a better digestive system and she's hungry. She is finally eating like a seven year old.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Through this journey I've discovered that the food industry is adding a lot of artificial and unnecessary ingredients to our food. Recently, I had skipped reading labels for food, assuming that if it says 100% Whole Wheat Tortillas then that is what is in it. Try reading the label the next time you're at Target, Walmart or any other store. The main ingredients for 100% Whole Wheat Tortillas are bleached enriched flour and sugar! There seems to be no one controlling the food labeling for the foods we are provided on our grocery shelves. The FDA seems to have been either paid off or just not doing their job. This lack of responsibility now brings the responsibility to us. We have an added responsbility to our already over extended lives. We have to make sure what our family eats is healthy and not "enriched" "bleached" and devoid of all nutrition.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">It is not an easy task when everyone around you is continuing as they always have. But remember, they don't have the knowledge you do. It is now your obligation to inform your loved ones. Would you let your family eat poison? Of course not. This is essentially the same. The effects are not immediate but then you won't see the effects of a slow poison either.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Start your own research, look up new easy recipes. Go to your local kitchen store and take the free cooking classes. It takes a bit of organization but once you have a basic menu of foods that your family likes, you can repeat those. It becomes easier to grocery shop from there on. For special ocassions I'll make a dish requiring more effort, but for the everyday its simple things, like baked fish, home-made chicken nuggets, carrots, pickled cucumbers, cheese toast, baked vegetables, veggie burger or pasta.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I will end now with an easy recipe for pickled cucmbers.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Slice cucumbers. Soak in vinegar and little bit of water. Add a little salt and minced garlic. You can put them in a jar and refrigerate. They're better than store bought with no additives, preservatives or artificial colors.</div>Aaminahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743051190683021622noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2328527177527139927.post-6679368701090417892010-05-26T13:31:00.001-05:002010-05-26T13:32:44.914-05:00Brown Rice Flour CakeHere is a tried and tested brown rice flour recipe I found on net. It works well and tastes good even for those who can have wheat.<br />
<br />
Brown Rice Flour Cake (Wheat free)<br />
<br />
4oz (1/2 cup) butter or vegetable oil or shortening (not Crisco; instead try Earth Bound)<br />
4oz (1/2 cup) sugar<br />
2 eggs<br />
2 tsp vanilla extract (alcohol-free)<br />
5oz (1 1/4 cup) brown rice flour<br />
1 tsp baking powder<br />
<br />
Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C). Grease and flour an 8" cake pan. Cream butter and sugar until light, then beat in eggs and vanilla. Beat in flour adn baking powder until thoroughly combined. Note: Alternate wet and dry ingredients for better combination. Pour into cake pan and bake for 40-45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean from center.<br />
<br />
Happy Baking!Aaminahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743051190683021622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2328527177527139927.post-20891439758323581962010-05-24T00:57:00.000-05:002010-05-24T00:57:53.868-05:00Changing times<div style="text-align: justify;">The world we live in has changed exponentially since we were children. Perhaps, it is difficult for our brains to comprehend this and learn to adapt to it. I find a sort of Luddite mentality emerging. "Lets ban or boycott..." I have seen the same with people removing television from their home. Living like a hermit is certainly possible but is it healthy or is it something that our religion/way of life supports?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Over the years, mankind has said "automobiles cause deaths", "television teaches violence", "video games make people shoot other people", "internet spreads pornography" and now facebook, twitter, myspace etc. But actually, these are all tools that the human being uses for good or bad. You can cut vegetables with a knife or you can stab someone, do we then "ban" the knife? Should we start boycotting every page, group or person who doesn't agree with us? Where does it stop?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">On the other hand, however, how we express ourselves has changed greatly over the years. When this happens, we have the power of influence to make a change through this new media. We've seen this through online petitions, web pages dedicated to making a change, mass emails to congress and so on. However, these are all coordinated efforts. If there is a certain issue that needs to be addressed through a social networking site then the effort has to be coordinated, otherwise, all it is doing is creating confusion.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">With a recent controversy in the news, I feel the reaction has certainly been over the top. Perhaps, if we were to ignore the person trying to get a reaction, then the person's efforts would be fruitless. If majority of the population ignores a site, the site gets fewer hits, is less popular and eventually goes offline. The more we share certain sites, the more popular they get, the more hits, and in the end, they end up on the news along with shows of extremism from both sides concerned.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I know everyone will not agree with me but I am a person who supports technology. The only way forward, for me, is to embrace this new technology, learn it and adapt to it. Yes, it is a change, from writing a letter on my best stationary and I certainly miss that. But we have to move with the times. How else, are we to keep up with our children. We will definitely loose them to extremism if we do not even try to understand where they're coming from.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Perhaps, in this whole episode, there is a lesson for us. Firstly, we should certainly think how our actions affect the technology and what will in the end get potrayed to the world. Secondly, taking action may not be the best choice. Sometimes, doing nothing is the perfect choice. Doing nothing, brings down traffic, hits, popularity, stats and comprehensively marketing money. So, in conclusion, lets not do too much, just the simple stuff, make our personal lives more constructive and go have fun with the family. Facebook, twitter, myspace etc will still be there tomorrow. We shall live to protest another day.</div>Aaminahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743051190683021622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2328527177527139927.post-71219704761994638832010-05-13T01:08:00.000-05:002010-05-13T01:08:57.994-05:00Life gives you lemons, make tartar sauce<div style="text-align: justify;">The last couple of days have been slowly getting to routine. We made chicken nuggets, molasses taffy, fish sticks and tartar sauce...all from scratch. I am now equipped for a seven year old's whimsical appetite. There is a great variety for her to choose from in the pantry, fridge and freezer so theoretically there should be no more sad whines of "But mommy, I can't eat anything!"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">With both the kids birthday party coming up, I need to find a good cake recipe that my daughter would be able to eat. I am thinking about experimenting with date cake using brown rice flour. This will be my weekend assignment.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">My other assignment, that I've given myself, is to find some websites for healthier cooking. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">As promised here are the recipes for our various experiments:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Chicken nuggets</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Chicken breast boneless (4)</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Half an onion</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Garlic minced 1tbsp</div><div style="text-align: justify;">2 eggs </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Brown rice cereal</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Put the chicken breast, onion, garlic and eggs in the food processor and blend until minced. Make patties, cover in brown rice cereal and shallow fry in olive oil, about 5-7 minutes each side or until done through. Enjoy.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Molasses taffy</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">2 cups molasses</div><div style="text-align: justify;">1 cup sugar</div><div style="text-align: justify;">pinch of salt</div><div style="text-align: justify;">1/2 tsp baking soda</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Oil or butter 1/2 cup</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Heat pan, add oil or butter. Add sugar, molasses, salt and baking soda. Slowly cook until temperature reaches 250C on candy thermometer. Take off heat and pour on to cookie sheet or marble. Cool for 5 minutes. Slowly peel edges to center and make two balls. Pull a few times and cut off small pieces like candy size. Once cooled completely wrap in wax paper. Tastes better the next day. Ours was a little burnt.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Fish sticks</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Fillets of cod</div><div style="text-align: justify;">1 egg</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Brown rice cereal</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Cut fillets into stick size pieces. Dip in beaten egg, cover in cereal and shallow fry. Cook through, takes about 7-10 minutes. Enjoy.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Tartar sauce</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">2 tbsp mayonnaise</div><div style="text-align: justify;">1 tbsp sweet relish</div><div style="text-align: justify;">1 tsp lemon juice</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Mix all ingredients together. Cool in fridge for an hour. Enjoy.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div>Aaminahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743051190683021622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2328527177527139927.post-53148850850455283742010-05-10T00:28:00.000-05:002010-05-10T00:28:30.569-05:00A mother's day with a helping of ranch dressing<div style="text-align: justify;">Today was fairly decent. It was Mother's Day. Perhaps a made up holiday but fun nonetheless. I received a drawing and a poem from my daughter, telling me what a great mom I was and how much she loved me. The rest of the day was mundane, with eating, scolding for not eating and hugs to make up for the temper. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I don't know if every mother does this, but I find myself being judged as to what kind of mother I am. I am a good mother, I believe, and I do my very best at my one job. Why then, do these outside judgmentals, make me ponder if I'm doing my mothering correctly? I wonder if they judge themselves as to what kind of parents they are. If we start judging others then we should be ready to be judged by others, don't you think. Would they like it if I started pointing out their flaws in raising their child? </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">It is exhausting physically and emotionally being a mother in this time and age. I have little help. I am a chauffeur, chef, laundromat, cleaner and personal assistant all wrapped in one pretty little package. My mother did the same for me so I do the same for my kids. I appreciate my mother who raised three daughters and now six grand kids. She is tired and sometimes ill-tempered but I now know why. She gave herself selflessly to her childrens' needs. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">We buy gifts for our mothers on this day and other occasions but most of all, what they really need is a hug from their kids and once in a while, being told, 'hey, you're doing a good job being a mom and I know its tough.' That would make their day and most probably make us all even better moms.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</div><div style="text-align: justify;">As promised, our day ended with homemade ranch dressing. Very easy and very delicious. My daughter's smile after tasting the ranch dressing was the best moment of the day.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Ranch Dressing</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Mayonnaise</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Goat's milk Kefir or yogurt or sour cream</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Salt, pepper to taste</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Garlic powder or minced garlic</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Mix ingredients together. Mayonnaise and sour cream/kefir/yogurt in almost equal quantities. Salt, garlic, pepper or other seasoning according to taste. It tastes great and no additives.</div>Aaminahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743051190683021622noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2328527177527139927.post-56121475250501354202010-05-09T00:14:00.001-05:002010-05-09T00:15:46.984-05:00Getting There<div style="text-align: justify;">The last week has been exhausting. I've had to make sure that my daughter eats the right things and doesn't eat the wrong things and takes all her vitamins. It is a lot of pressure and responsibility.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Our eating habits are changing. We are very conscious of what we are buying and consuming. My daughter has starting reading labels for everything. Before we would just read the labels for sugar content and calories. Now we look for corn or corn syrup and if there is any, then its a 'no no'. With the store bought items on the 'wrong' list, my daughter has requested me to make ranch dressing and taffy for her. Again, more work for me but this is not that difficult a request as it turns out. I discovered ranch dressing is just mayonnaise with sour cream which I can easily replace with goat's milk yogurt. Taffy is not too difficult once corn syrup is replaced with molasses. So the next few days are going to be some new experimental recipes for us. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">We have discovered close replacements for her favorite foods like instead of wheat pasta, she now has brown rice pasta with goat cheese. I have made a pot of chicken stock which I put in the pasta or rice, thus adding more nutrients. She has chicken and fish too with the rice and of course some salad of some sort to balance it all out. Dessert is fruit. I will be trying sorbet soon. Today, I used my new food processor and made salad and vegetable casserole. It was quick, easy and a good investment, I believe. Next step, is to try pastry and cakes with brown rice flour. Sorbet and smoothies are also a good option to get the fruit in. But none of this before the taffy, of course.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">In just one week, however, I can see the difference in her behavior. She is happier and more energetic. I will soon post the list of foods that our nutritionist has told us to change for her permanently. I hope this will help others make this lifestyle change. And of course, as always, I will be posting recipes for everything I try.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I keep getting a nagging feeling that this is one of those changes in our life that we will remember forever. Years later, we will look back and say 'remember that year, when we changed the way we eat forever.' That thought, alone, makes me happy and yes, we are getting there. </div>Aaminahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743051190683021622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2328527177527139927.post-41850444281605206572010-05-06T08:11:00.000-05:002010-05-06T08:11:27.598-05:00Another grocery tripMy daughter is now getting a little bored with the food options. She misses her berries and wants some other jams. So, here I go again, another trip to Whole Foods to look for alternatives. Before I began her on supplements, I did thorough research on the test results and the supplements. Basically, the acids in her body are high. This is due to her not being able to process them caused by her body being too busy processing cow's milk and also because she prefers things like berries which are high in acid. A lot of these acids are also found in processed foods to preserve them. Although, they may be naturally occuring they are not natural for those foods they are added to, to preserve them. Yet another example of what the multinational corporations are doing to our bodies without us knowing. I know people don't want the government to tell us what to eat but shouldn't we control what the corporations are putting in our foods without us even knowing? Slow poison, is what I call it.Aaminahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743051190683021622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2328527177527139927.post-90283358540251932062010-05-05T17:38:00.000-05:002010-05-05T17:38:09.608-05:00Brown rice flour cookiesToday we tried baking cookies with brown rice flour. It was pretty simple and they came out really well. So here's the recipe to share with everyone.<br />
<br />
1 cup Brown Rice Flour <br />
2 Tbs butter or vegetable oil<br />
¼ cup honey or maple syrup<br />
½ teaspoon salt<br />
1 tsp vanilla <br />
1 egg (beaten)<br />
1 cup nuts (ground)<br />
<br />
Directions: Blend all ingredients thoroughly. If you'd like, chill for several hours or overnight. Roll into 1-inch balls and arrange on oiled baking sheet. Press flat with bottom of glass. Without chilling, just spoon onto baking sheet. The balls will spread out, but the cookies will still be tasty. Bake at 350F for 10-12 minutes.<br />
<br />
Cookies came out well and my daughter enjoyed having them. Yield was about 8 cookies.Aaminahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743051190683021622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2328527177527139927.post-36104224229164109362010-05-05T08:33:00.001-05:002010-05-05T13:33:42.771-05:00Food Revolution in our home<div style="text-align: justify;">It has been a while since I blogged. Life has been busy, to say the least. For the past few weeks, I have been keenly watching <a href="http://www.jamieoliver.com/campaigns/jamies-food-revolution">Jamie's Food Revolution</a>. I was mesmerized by this one-man-army, as it seems, trying to change America. I know that he's already made a change in the UK but I had my doubts about his revolution in America. I hope, that his efforts in Huntington don't go unrewarded and we can see the ripple effects throughout America. Watching Jamie and then <a href="http://www.foodincmovie.com/">Food Inc.</a>, our family started to make slow changes in the way we eat but nothing drastic. We thought we were healthy enough, not overweight, generally doing ok.<br /><br />At the back of my mind, however, I knew something was going on with my eldest daughter. Her teacher also pointed out that she was keeping behind her class and was always tired. She's been a fussy eater for the past 3-4 years but I assumed it was due to growing up and the family changes of having a baby sister added to the mix. I knew my time with her had decreased but I was trying my best to get her to eat healthy.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">We did what all parents do and took her for a checkup. Eventually, we got the test results and believe me, the results were shocking. Her little body was not absorbing proteins and was under extreme stress from having to process cow's milk and other processed foods. As a family, we knew we had to make a change before our daughter's body started to shut down. The nutritionist advised us to stop giving her cow's milk and switch to goat's milk. Of course, processed foods were out. We read labels like crazy. Everything, and I do mean everything, had corn syrup! Even things that don't need it, like pastry dough. Now my daughter is on a strict diet for a year and then a less strict regime of healthier eating. Her diet right now involves, brown rice, fresh fruits, vegetables and goat milk. After a year, she can start having wheat again so life should get back to a little normal. The nutritionist has also given supplements to get her acid levels back to normal. Giving her the supplements is going to be a challenge. She has been really good about the food. She's read the list of things to eat and not eat, herself, so it has sunk in and she is following it to the letter. But the supplements, are another story.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">I wanted to write about this major change in our life to help other parents with children on special diets. My day one for a lifetime change, has begun with an overhaul in the kitchen. I have gone through the pantry, fridge and freezer and taken out anything with corn, corn syrup or corn derivative. Next step was to get groceries for my daughter, where <a href="http://www.wholefoods.com/">Whole Foods</a> really helps with varied choices.<br /><br />I will be posting everyday about things she eats and what changes I have made to the way I cook, challenges I face and what I tried to help solve the problems. I want other parents to benefit from this blog. If we pool our ideas together, we can help raise our children on a healthy lifestyle. This is our legacy. We are responsible. Pass on the message and continue the food revolution.<br /></div></div></div>Aaminahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743051190683021622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2328527177527139927.post-28714790136415423072009-11-28T01:16:00.000-06:002009-11-28T01:35:50.619-06:00The Little Things in Life<div style="text-align: justify; font-family: times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;">I know it may seem a little old-fashioned but I enjoy my cup of coffee at home. Of course, coffee house cup is amazing but there is something good about enjoying that time relaxing with my kids and husband. These times really go by fast and before you know it, the kids are grown up and out of the house.<br /><br />When I look around and watch people, I see a race. We seem to have created bizarre races for ourselves trying to outdo each other. Competing to see who's ahead in their list of friends, how many parties they're invited, who they know, where they work, what they wear, how many kids they have, how good the kids are at school and on and on it goes. <br /><br />In the end, does it really matter. We are all going to the same place in the end so how is winning this race going to help us get there. To me, its the little things in life that count. Playing a board game with my daughter, seeing the toothless grin on my baby's face, my husband's smile when he's just had some chocolate, my parents voice, these are the little things that count for me.<br /></span></div>Aaminahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743051190683021622noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2328527177527139927.post-23551460952985808422009-08-12T11:21:00.000-05:002009-08-12T11:37:49.967-05:00Cloth Diapers - A Way of Life<div style="text-align: justify;">It has now been a month since we started using cloth diapers. The Green Baby Diaper Service has proven to be worth it. I am now using the diapers at night and am finding they are better than disposable. The best part about using the cloth diapers is I don't have to keep emptying the diaper pail. The diaper service comes and takes all the diapers once a week and I get a set of fresh diapers and covers. The diapers are quite absorbent and leak much less than their disposable counterparts. The baby also feels the wetness so she lets me know when she needs changing. This is, of course, a great step in future potty-training. The cloth diapers are also easy to take along when we go out. I just keep a bag to put the dirty ones in and when I return home, they go into the large bag provided by the service to keep all the dirty diapers. I highly recommend Green Baby Diaper Service and if anyone wants to see for themselves how the diapers work, go to YouTube and just type snappi or cloth diapers and something will come up.<br /><br />Happy diaper changing!<br /></div>Aaminahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743051190683021622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2328527177527139927.post-8570715644998074222009-07-09T21:34:00.000-05:002009-07-09T22:02:00.429-05:00Cloth Diapers - Day One<div style="text-align: justify;">Well, I started using the cloth diapers today. We received the diapers two weeks ago but since the baby is a preemie, we didn't start using them till today. She's now full-term plus one week, weighing around 7lbs. The diapers fit well now, the snappi elastic thing holds them together and then there is a velcro cover on top. We used about 6 diapers today. At night, though, I'm still using disposable as I'm too tired to coordinate putting together the cloth diaper. For disposable diapers, I really recommend the Whole Foods 365 brand and the Huggies cotton diapers. Both didn't give the baby a rash whereas Pampers did. I found the most important thing with the cloth diapers is to tuck in all the cloth into the cover otherwise you will definitely get a leak. Overall, the cloth diapers are quite absorbent and even the leak was not really bad. I am still a little slow putting them on but that should improve with time. Its a little hard getting the diaper on and tucked when the baby keeps moving. Oh yes, if you've got a sound sensitive baby then opening the velcro cover will definitely wake your baby as it did mine. Well, let's look forward to Day Two and things should improve.<br /></div>Aaminahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743051190683021622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2328527177527139927.post-45715967798375705332009-05-03T11:59:00.000-05:002009-05-08T17:12:02.031-05:00Cloth vs Disposable Diapers<div style="text-align: justify;">We all assume disposable diapers are convenient, less messy and cheaper. Well, I recently discovered that this may not be the case. I know, with our first one, the diapers were an on-going cost that didn't go away till she was potty trained. Even with the first, I wanted to try cloth diapers but thought washing/changing will be difficult for family helping out and a service would be too costly. However, I recently found a service that is less than or equal to using disposable diapers. <a href="http://www.greenbabydiaperservice.com/" onmousedown="'return" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><span>http://www.greenbabydiaper</span><wbr><span class="word_break"></span>service.com/</a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"> I still have to speak to them and see how this will work out but I thought I should still do an estimate of how much disposable diapers cost per month for infants. Obviously, this cost does lower as the child grows but so does the diaper service.<br /></div><br />Here's my analysis:<br /><br />Diaper cost<br /><br />Diapers needed / week 80<br />Diaper cost for 40 diapers $14.00<br />Diaper cost / week $28.00<br />Diaper cost / month $120.00<br />Diaper pail liner ($30 for 3months) $10.67<br /><br /><b>Total cost / month $130.67</b><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"> This can be compared to the diaper service's basic package of $75/month or basic plus covers for $100/month. Not bad, I think. Plus the added benefit of never having to tell hubby to empty the diaper pail since the diapers are picked up by the service, washed, folded and returned once a week. The best part, I feel, is for the conscience that you're doing something to minimize the effect on the environment.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Update</span><br />I spoke to the diaper service and there is an additional cost of buying covers but about 6 are needed which is not much. Plus they can be resold or reused as necessary. Even after that cost, it is still cheaper and perhaps for later, easier potty training. The liner they provide can be used in a diaper pail which cuts down on the smell just as it does with disposable.<br /><br />I look forward to blogging about the use of cloth diapers in the near future. Keep checking.<br /></div>Aaminahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743051190683021622noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2328527177527139927.post-65867340785694511702009-04-22T21:10:00.000-05:002009-04-22T21:13:10.369-05:00What may the future hold?<div style="text-align: justify;">This was a response I wrote to a friend's blog. I thought that it could still be food for thought for the rest of us. Today is Earth Day and perhaps these are the things that we should be thinking about.<br /><br />--------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br />Our belief systems encourage us to help each other. Right now, more than ever before, charity is going to help with the imbalance of this economy. We need to re-evaluate our “wants” from our “needs”. It will take a while, but once our society starts to realize the real “needs”, we will become more efficient. Out of this efficiency, will come disposable income, that can be used firstly in charity and secondly to invest in the future. Our future investments should ideally be creating jobs that are long-term and help the environment. These are not quick fixes and perhaps the most important policy right now would be to educate people about the environment, controlling their finances for “needs” and realizing that life is not short. Life can be very long, especially when you don’t have a plan.<br /></div>Aaminahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743051190683021622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2328527177527139927.post-43967510085390225032009-03-01T12:02:00.000-06:002009-03-01T12:42:13.091-06:0010 Ways to stress-free baby in today's economy<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Being a second time mom, and inclined to do thorough research on every possible child-related topic, I think I can now come up with a list for new moms-to-be to keep their life stress free. So here it is:<br /><br /></span><ol><li><span style="font-size:100%;">Don't worry about the little things, cooking, cleaning, laundry. Do it as you need it. After a while, things will return to normal. Just keep your cool till then.</span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;">Make baby and yourself the priority. Take care of yourself and baby, let everyone else fend for themselves. They didn't just go through childbirth, they're not sleep-deprived, they can take care of themselves.</span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;">Always have enough diapers in the house. You never know when you'll suddenly run out.</span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;">If you're breastfeeding, then have a manual pump handy for emergencies. If you're using formula, then have extra formula, bottles, nipples, bottle brush in the house.</span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;">The only thing you need, required by law is a car seat. Everything else is extra. Don't stress yourself about how much the baby will cost. Babies need attention more than cool toys and a perfectly coordinated nursery. The most important person in their life is "mommy".</span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;">Use </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" style="font-size:100%;">freecycle</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> or other sharing groups if your budget is tight. Kids grow out of things very quickly and there's always someone clearing their home of these things.</span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;">Have the pediatrician on speed dial. Emergencies happen so be prepared. Have a plan with your partner as to what you would do in an emergency so that you're not wasting time talking about this at the time of the emergency.</span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;">Have basic medicines like fever reducer, cough/cold at home. Also keep a list of home remedies handy as small babies cannot take these medicines.</span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;">Have a diaper bag (this can be an old backpack) ready at all times even if you're not going anywhere. Every 2-4 weeks, update the bag, especially the first few months of a baby's life.</span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;">Lastly, when you're feeling stressed, take a deep breath, have a glass of water, sit down and think about what's best for baby and yourself. </span></li></ol><span style="font-size:100%;"><br />There will be advice coming out of everyone, especially when you didn't ask for it. Don't listen to everything and think about it before you follow the advice. And if this blog doesn't help your situation, then forget about it and do what you think is right. Follow your maternal instinct. Its there for a reason.<br /><br />Enjoy your first baby. There's nothing in this world that compares to the baby's first smile when he/she looks at you.</span><br /></div>Aaminahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743051190683021622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2328527177527139927.post-29024222761629349782009-02-22T10:51:00.000-06:002009-03-01T12:28:16.500-06:00First day as blogger<div style="text-align: justify;">A few weeks ago, the thought of writing came to mind. I wrote short stories in school and then later enjoyed writing for projects but it had been a long time. However, with recent developments in life, the mind started overflowing with nowhere to go. So here's my first blog.<br /><br />I'd like to first introduce the kind of topics that I'm going to be writing about. As a mom of a six year old girl and expecting another one in a few months, children are of course first on my mind. Second comes work. I enjoyed working and miss it terribly. Its been six years now since I took my "break" from work. Considering the economic situation right now, I don't know when or if I'll go back to work, but I live in hope. The other topics that I may blog about can vary from friendship, family relationships, living in USA, politics, electronics, cooking, cake decorating, organic foods and housekeeping.<br /><br />If there's something on your mind that you'd like me to research, I can do that too. Just put a comment and I will definitely reply.<br /><br />Next blog will be more organized as I get better at it. Watch for it.</div>Aaminahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743051190683021622noreply@blogger.com0