How to know when your levels are just a tad high...

1. Suddenly you can no longer spell, and you wonder - Do I have a brain tumor? Shaky fingers and anxiety are not a good combination.

2. Everything and everyone is an irritation.

3. Sounds are amplified like 3,000%. You can no longer be in the same room as individuals who are chewing anything unless there is music playing at very high volumes and you can no longer see the chewing taking place.

3. It is 40 degrees outside and you think, "Great, time to break out the shorts!"

4. You consume the approximate number of calories that could feed an army, and yet when you step on the scale the next morning you have lost 2 pounds.

5. Your toddler, while two inches from your face, says the same thing 20 times in a row, barely pausing for breath between times and you contemplate something involving your own face and your own pillow.

6. Everyone and everything is an irritation.

7. Your teen aged child can turn you into an eyeball-popping, vein-bulging, shrill-voiced wreck of a mother.

8. You realize you may need to wash your own mouth out with soap.

9. You feel like you are riding the PMS Express, um...every. single. day. - I'm just saying.

10. Everyone and everything is an irritation.

11. You feel like you've just completed a 7 mile run (heck, you can even feel your pulse in your eardrums) even though the most strenuous activity in recent memory is getting up from the couch for a cool beverage, because yikes! it is hot as Hades in here.

12. When you go to bed at night, you lay there thinking a million miles a minute and it goes something like this: "Tomorrow - pills, breakfast, kids to school, bathe/dress baby, did I lock the door?, bathe/dress me, makeup, clean kitchen, did I put that important letter in the mail?, bake bread, start dinner, switch wash, oh crud did I switch it earlier?, clean bathroom, plant peas (I know, they shoulda been in weeks ago), lunch... And when you think how exhausted you are already, make a mental note to add Google 'insomnia barin brain tumors anxiety' to your ever growing list.

13. Did I mention how hot it is in here? Wow, is your heart beating fast! Look at your shaky hands, why can't you get any sleep, and for goodness sake you are the crankiest thing I ever saw! Call the doctor already - you've got a classic case of thyroid overload.

Trick for getting rid of smells in the kitchen

This is a very simple trick and you all might know it already, but just in case you don't here's how to get rid of food smells on your hands.

Sometimes after preparing strong-smelling food like onions, garlic, meat, etc. you wash your hands and the odor seems to linger. So you wash your hands again, and again and lest you become Lady Macbeth, muttering "Out damned spot," all you need to do is run your hands under water while rubbing some stainless steel. Grab a spoon, turn on the faucet and run that metal all over your hands. I'm sure it all boils down to chemistry, but all I know is that it works.

Voila! or should I say Poof! the smell is gone.

Check out Rocks in my Dryer for other useful tips

Time for more purse talk

(Click below to visit Lazy) Remember last week? It was such a draw, I thought I'd share a little more (300 hits for a little old purse, wow!)

In my quest for THE bag, I have accumulated quite a few. I've never been able to throw a purse out. It must be done for me, the purse must somehow just disappear, come up as missing because I feel like a traitor to just toss them aside after their faithful service carrying all my junk around. Just so you know, I don't buy all of these. Some of them happen to find me.
They find in my home a sanctuary for neglected bags, safe haven from the thrift stores of the world.
Will someone please help me? Tell me you're going to give them a good home and then do what you will with them - just don't tell me about it.

Even after this gal's strap hardware broke in San Francisco (and I repaired it on the fly), I just can't bear to put her out to pasture. They've all seen better days, but they've probably got a few more good times left. Poor things, hanging up in the laundry room wishing to get out and see a little of the world..........any takers?

So none of the other kids have done this...

but my youngest is now referring to herself in the third person, her pronouns have fled. It's a little akin to living in a real-life Seinfeld episode - only without the raunch and the crazy-haired neighbor who barges in and helps himself to your refrigerator.

Examples:

"G~ wants to play Tato Head. Mommy wants to play Tato Head with G~ and mommy?"

"G~ wants a drink, G~ wants juice please."

"It's darkin out there, G~ needs jammies on."

"Mommy read a book a G~?"

"Daddy change me." (this is usually addressed to me, and it's the only time I don't mind the lack of pronouns)

And so on, and so on. It was charming at first but now it's mildly disturbing. She used to use her pronouns very well: I, me, you, etc. And now all of the sudden she's added baby talk to the mix. Which would be no big deal except for the fact that she is constantly talking, unless she's sleeping (and even that's no guarantee).

I'm sure she'll grow out of it, but I find myself looking for a switch or a fast forward button. Hopefully, I won't go totally bonkers before she regains her pronouns and drops the baby talk. What about you? What funny/silly things do your kids do?

Before and After

We soaked the soil in three inches of water overnight and commenced digging it, turning it over a further 8 inches, and mixing in a garden soil blend as we went the next morning.

Once that was done, we filled in the beds and built 6 inch grow boxes from redwood (not cheap, but we didn't want treated wood). Next step is to actually get the peas in the triangle bed and the strawberries in front of those, and then to cover the paths with bark or pea gravel (any suggestions there?) Also, we've got to put up a wire fence (which we will grow grapes on), because Copper the Superdog thinks the beds are toasty and just right for warming her toes, catching some rays, and possibly even a little digging. So, up goes the fence next week.

Lastly, we need to plot out just exactly where all the other crops and companion plants are going. If only there were a software program out there to figure it all out for me - you know I'd just put in the size of my beds, the crops I want to plant and presto! it would spit out just where to put everything.

Organize your pantry!

Doesn't that look beautiful? I've just reorganized my pantry with the help of the good folks at Industrial Container & Supply. I especially like that I can see (from the label) what's in each container. The plastic jars in back are 1 gallon ($1.80 each) and the jars in front are 1/2 gallon ($1.46 each). The lids (.65 each) have a liner that creates a seal. You won't find prices like these at Walmart (the two jars that have different lids are Rubbermaid (no seal) from Walmart and they were $5! I was able to organize twice as much by going through ICS.

If you live near one of their locations, you can walk in and purchase what you need. Or you can do what our neighborhood did - make a huge purchase together and have it delivered to a nearby church or business parking lot.

To see what works for others, visit Shannon at Rocks in my Dryer

Talk About Your Purse - come on, I dare ya!

Today it's talk about your purse day. Good thing too - it was high time I cleaned out and filed all the receipts I'd been hanging on to (you know, in case I got stranded in a freak snow storm... I could light fire to them and keep my toes). This is the front:

In the pocket on the left is where I store my camera and the pocket on the right is where my phone goes. Here's the back. The zippered pocket is great for storing receipts and is big enough for, oh say a Weight Watchers Point Guide...or something.

Here is a view into the abyss. The zippered pouch in the middle is where I keep a checkbook, notebook and pocket calendar (for mileage and timekeeping). The little pocket on the right is for gum! and the one on the left is for lip gloss and a little touch up foundation. There is another zippered pocket in the back section for girl stuff, a spare pen, and extra camera batteries.

These are the big things that go inside:

My planner and absolute favorite pen - the Zebra F-402

You can't exactly tell, but the color is a nice chocolate brown with silver hardware. I clip my keys on one of the silver rings with a caribiner because I hate fishing them out from the bottom.

What does your purse look like? To see other people's bags (especially the Lazy Organizer's very cool organized purse, visit Lara's blog)

Bustin' chops

Friday and Saturday were spent breaking up the ground a further 8 inches in the bottom of the garden beds (a week ago we removed 8 inches of clay in each bed and redistributed it around the yard) and then mixed in a garden blend of compost, topsoil, and some other amazing ingredient I don't recall at the moment.

It was a nice day to be outside, not too cold but with a bit of a breeze to cool you off just when you needed it (until the gale force winds kicked in around dinner time). We built four grow boxes and topped them all off with soil. Nothing else got done that day, not even picture taking, because our arms were too tired to lift the camera. Maybe today I'll venture out and snap some photos of our progress.

All we have left to do is to figure out our watering system. I would like to use a soaker hose or drip irrigation, but am still undecided. In all of our digging we uncovered a sprinkler head 6 inches under the soil. We have no idea if the pipe it's attached to is still connected to the sprinkler system. We'd test it, but we have 2 or 3 geysers to repair first (one of them might just be the neighbor's, because how is it possible that we have 5 sprinklers in 10 square feet?)

Also, we have so much garden soil left over, we may just have to haul off the dirt clods left behind by the clay and use the beautiful dirt instead.

In other gardening news, the Sensory Garden is coming back to life. Summer is really my favorite time in the yard because everything is in full bloom, but Spring runs a close second - nothing beats a good birth.

Oh, the joys of an Organic haircut

Being the parent of a disabled child is hardly a bed of roses, but we like it here at the Organic household. There are some days that mightily try my patience and vocabulary, but generally it's a great life.

My oldest son (as most of you will recall) uses a wheelchair due to a childhood vaccine reaction - but that's a story for another day. While he has an incredibly sweet disposition, he absolutely hates getting haircuts. However, the good Lord blessed him with amazing hair, hair that grows faster than any Chia Pet you've ever seen and necessitates cutting it every three to four weeks. Which he hates. Lately I have been doing the haircutting myself - I figured that doing it at home might make him feel more at ease. Um, nope.

But the hair must be cut and I can handle his displeasure with me, so I do it. I'm getting better and as long as he holds relatively still (if you can count all the bobbing and weaving as still), I manage to do a decent job of it. Things were going well until I touched the hair on the top of his head, and then he started throwing up. Throwing up is a whole different experience for him since he has had a Nissen surgery and a g-tube in his stomach. The surgery has made it so he cannot throw up out of his mouth (thank heavens), but he does still have all the dry heaves and the only way to relieve the pressure is to put an extension tube and large syringe into the button on his stomach.

Mission accomplished. But it sounded so bad, that my other son panicked and ran from the room. I tried to explain to him that being anxious and worried (while normal) does not help in a situation like this and the appropriate response is, "How can I help mom?" because that will ultimately help his brother. Just as he was asking me how he could help, haircut boy had a particularly forceful heave that propelled itself out of the tube and into my hair.

Lovely. Good thing I hadn't showered yet. I tucked the end of the tube into a 32 ounce cup and son #2 held the cup for me while I completed the haircut.

I believe the entire reason my eldest son dislikes the haircut process is the very last part, the part where I trim up his hairline and sideburns with the clippers. So I try to do as much as I can without turning them on, but there comes a point when they must be used. Even though my son has a hearing impairment, I talk to him and tell him everything I'm doing. This time, he must have heard me, because when I mentioned that now I was going to shave his neck, he freaked the frak out (as yarn harlot would say). Arms went flying, and in so doing, became entangled in the tube (the one attached to his stomach), consequently jerking the cup o' puke out of son #2's hand and emptying the contents all over. the. floor. And me.

And in the piles of hair all over the floor. Nice! Thanks heavens I hadn't waxed it yet. And that is when my vocabulary completely jumped the tracks of normal, intelligent speech. In everyone's defense, it was a situation that probably couldn't have been avoided and I should have just rolled with it - like I had just told my son to do. We did the only thing we could do, apologize, clean it up, get everyone a shower, and keep on going.

Thank heavens I will have numerous opportunities for future practice, like every four weeks for the rest of his life.

We love math. Math is fun!

Say it with me now. Now.
How about now?

Nope? You don't think so? That's because you've always done it the regular boring way. We have been enjoying a great site that helps parents to help kids understand and yes! even enjoy math. Get started here with basic ideas for learning math the natural way.

Julie Brennan, a CPA, has created a wonderful resource for the rest of us with Living Math. My favorites are her Math reader recommendations. The Murderous Maths series, Mathematicians are People Too, and more.

I also love her game recommendations (complete with a list of internet sites to play math games, make your own worksheets, etc.).

Surf around, and enjoy.

This tip may seem familiar, but that's because it's one of the most popular posts I've written, I just thought I'd share it again. For other Works for Me Wednesday tips visit Rocks in my Dryer.

Ice Cream Sandwich Dessert

This is one of the easiest, yet most impressive desserts you can make. I first had this at a baby or bridal shower about 7 years ago, and I remember asking my aunt how she was able to bake her brownies so thin and get the ice cream in there without it melting everywhere. I know, sometimes I even amaze myself.

All you need for this recipe is
12 ice cream sandwiches (she used FatBoy)
coolwhip
hershey's syrup
favorite candybar (chopped up) or heath bits

Layer the sandwiches in the bottom of your pan and then spread the thawed cool whip on top; freeze. Just before serving, drizzle on the chocolate syrup and then sprinkle the candy bar bits on top. Yum!

To see what others are Talking About, visit Lara at The Lazy Organizer

Health Department calling...

It turns out, the Health Dept has an interest in Baby G's case of Whooping Cough. They called me this past Thursday (her test was on Mar 25th!). I think it's probably tough to stop the spread of a disease when the bureaucracy lag time is two and a half weeks. She was very nice and wanted to know the names and ages of the children in the home. I told her everyone had been placed on preventative antibiotics when she was first diagnosed and that she had actually had two rounds of antibiotics due to a complication.

Everyone that is except my second son. There was some sort of snafu in the office when they called in the prescriptions. Somehow his ended up at a pharmacy we have never used and I just assumed they hadn't called any in because he'd had his TDaP booster last year. It just so happens that he is coughing now and when I told this to the nice lady at the Health Dept, she said they automatically count him as a case because he started coughing two weeks after Baby G did.

And then she wanted a whole bunch more information. He ended up staying home from school and a letter went home with every kid in each of his classes mentioning that a student had recently been diagnosed with Pertussis (and for them to look for signs of it in their kids in the next two weeks). He is still contagious until Tuesday, and staying home is not exactly how he thought he'd be spending his Spring Break.

He is using the time to work on his graphic novel - which, of course, impresses the socks right off of me!

The food-capades

By 8 a.m., Tyler was bouncing his way to school in the comfort of a yellow-orange bus and I was grinding kamut for the family bread. I finished mixing the bread and put it into the oven for it's first rise. The girls finished making their lunches and headed out the door to school.

I glanced at the timer, 10 minutes to go until I reset the oven to bake the bread. Great! just enough time to start some laundry and make a bed (and forget all about the bread). Two hours later, something akin to a lightbulb went off in my head, "The bread!" Although not an exact quote, I believe it went down something like this

"Schmidt! the bread, it's ruined. Dang it! all that kamut - is kaput, wasted!"

"Wait maybe it's salvageable. "

(Can you say dee.nye.all?)

I peeled back the layers of the fallen crust, threw them out and decided to pop the bread back in the oven and see if there was any lemonade (or garlic toast) to be made out of my lemons (shriveled up loaves).

They baked up okay, but definitely aren't sandwich material. So now I'm off to bake again but first, I'm posting several large reminders all over the kitchen - DO NOT FORGET THE BREAD!

I am either delusional or an eternal optimist

Books currently on my nightstand to be read (in no particular order):

1. Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner - I am actually 50 pages into this book and it's the first one I've read by this author.

2. A Pattern Language - I am intrigued by this book's discussion of spaces, both public and private, as well as the philosophy and logistics behind a comfortable environment. Skipping around, reading what interests me.

3. Animal Farm by George Orwell - I have still never made it all the way through this short book and am determined to do it this time. Haven't even cracked it open yet.

4. The Color of Water, A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother by James McBride - this is our book club selection for April and looks very promising in terms of story and writing. I've managed to read the inside book jacket.

5. New Recipes From Moosewood Restaurant by the Moosewood Collective - EW turned me onto these cookbooks and several of the recipes are on my 'to try' list.

6. Healthy at 100 by John Robbins - While I do not agree with his stance on soy products/saturated fats and I find his writing about the long-lived cultures rather sappy and over the top, this book is an important read. I had not realized just how far we have become removed from the source of our food. Only 2 chapters left.

7. The Healthy Kitchen: Recipes for a Better Body, Life and Spirit by Andrew Weil and Rosie Daley - the title sounded like something I'd like and there are some beautiful photos, unfortunately the reviews state that there are quite a few mistakes in the recipes. The tips are interesting though.

8. The Real Food Daily Cookbook by Ann Gentry - a vegetarian cookbook with definite eye candy. Are you noticing a trend?

9. The Kid-Friendly ADHD & Autism Cookbook, the Ultimate Guide to the Gluten-free, Casein-free Diet - Anything that might help me concentrate and think a little better has to be worth looking into. I just wanted to see what lengths people have to go to without wheat and milk products - turns out there's still a lot of stuff you can eat.

10. Every Good Thing - I picked this up at the local library book sale and have been thumbing through it. I have enjoyed the talk "Rearing Good Parents" by James Harper because really we are not raising good children, but future parents. There were several good reminders about parenting skills to model for our children - after all, they will be some version of us when they themselves become parents.

11. The Color Code by Taylor Hartman - another book sale item. I remember taking the color code test early in my marriage, but have since forgotten about it. As a child I think I was probably more red, but as an adult I am definitely a blue with some red underpinnings - so I do not buy into the author's supposition that you are the same person always. I think having Tyler has changed me in many ways. I am a 'fixer' but as a kid I was more of a me first kinda gal. It has been interesting to reread through the book and see the characteristics that apply to people I know and those I'm related to. (EW - I wonder what your take is on this book).


12. The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher - I remember seeing this as a Hallmark Hall of Fame movie. Isn't the book always better than the movie? I thought I'd find out, but had no idea that the book was so long (nearly 700 pages).

And because I'm embarrassed to admit just how many more cookbooks are piled next to my bed, here's one I just finished

13. O Pioneers! by Willa Cather - I'm not quite sure how to explain this book except that the whole time I wanted things to be different. Her characters are very real and it feels like a slice taken right out of someone's life; those are the best kind of book. I was upset with the author for the last sliver of the book and felt like she probably ended things on too tidy and convenient a note, but my goodness the very ending was one dearly bought and paid for. The whole book speaks to the necessity of communication and honesty.

So how many books do you have piled up waiting for you to read them? Is there a book that belongs in my stack?

Kids in the Kitchen - more fun than you might think

The kitchen seems to be the heart of most homes. Even if you don't cook, you eat and clean up in there.

My kids have always been with me in the kitchen. There are times when I shoo them out to have it to myself, but mostly we're all in there.

Even a two year old can help unload the dishwasher if the dishes are stored low enough for her to put them away. Nothing gives them a sense of accomplishment and self esteem like helping around the house. Here are a few more things from my bag of tricks to make it fun and easy for kids to help in the kitchen.

1. Aprons - everyone should have one. In fact, there are cheap decorate-it-yourself ones at craft stores everywhere. But, just for kicks, why not buy cute aprons like these?

2. Baking Bin - I keep my measuring cups & spoons, spatulas, liquid measures, wooden spoons and cookie scoop in a dishwashing tub in the cupboard by the mixer. At 99 cents they are the cheapest storage container (& no lid so you can see everything). I got the idea from "Confessions of an Organized Homemaker".

3. Parchment Paper - for easy cleanup and fluffier cookies. Trust me on this.

4. Order - line up the kids and let them take turns measuring and then dumping in the ingredients. That way everyone gets a turn and you keep your sanity.

5. Kitchen Scissors - This is for you, not the kids (sharp enough to cut through bones). These are the best 1.99 I've ever spent. Have I told you how much I love IKEA? I keep them on the top shelf in my pantry.

6. Gloves - I do not love the texture of raw meat and let's not get into the sanitary issues. Whenever my kids mix up a meatloaf or handle chicken, they put on some latex-free gloves. Any medical supply store will have these for about $7.00 per box of 100 (it'll last a long time). The gloves can be big for small hands but a rubberband around the wrist does a good job of keeping them on (just remember to cut them off and throw away the gloves when you're through).

7. Assign a cooking night - Have each child cook with you. Start with one night a month and work up to once weekly. It's a great way to squeeze in some quality time even if you're just heating up prepared food.

For other Works for Me Wednesday tips, visit Shannon at Rocks in my Dryer

Family plots

No, we haven't put in a cemetary out back, but things will be buried here (as soon as we can break up and amend the soil)


rainbow swiss chard
green beans
chioggia beets
gotta have it sweet corn (maybe)
butter bean edamame
butternut and argonaut squash
purple carrots
amish snap peas and sugar bon peas
brandywine, roma, and cherry tomatoes
and bell peppers from ed and alisha

did we leave anything out? Are you planting a garden this year?

I also plan to plant basil, rosemary, thyme, and mint(chocolate) in the sensory garden this year as well as more strawberries and a thornless raspberry. Help! We need more room.

Lara at the Lazy Organizer is hosting Talk About Tuesday and she's got a scrapbook giveaway this week.

How goes the Whoopin'

Edited to add: no pneumonia, yay! (although she does have coarse breathing sounds). If the fever continues tomorrow afternoon, there are standing orders at the hospital for a UA and CBC - maybe we'll get to the bottom of this. She just woke up again drenched in sweat and with a temperature of only 97.2. Can we say it together? "We are the medical mystery family."

After a weekend of a second, stronger round of Zithromycin and 105 fevers, the baby seemed to take a turn for the better last night. She woke up drenched in sweat after a nap earlier in the day and again last night (the fever is down around 101 now, and is hopefully on its way out).

She is still coughing and vomiting whenever she eats as well as when she sleeps; and darn it all, my untrained ear thinks it can hear something purring away in her left lung. Just to be on the safe side, we are visiting the doctor this afternoon to rule out a secondary infection.

Vegetarian Pizza and Wheat Crust

One half of this homemade pizza is vegetarian and the other is completely non-vegetarian chicken bbq. I love this pizza crust recipe because it's fast and easy and does not require any sort of kitchen machinery besides good old-fashioned elbow grease.

Mr. Organic is not really a meat eater anymore, so I have been trying my hand at more vegetarian fair. Even though I really like my chicken bbq pizza, this veggie pizza just may replace it as my favorite. The kids however, are content to stick with pepperoni or cheese.

Troy's Pizza Dough
In a bowl, mix 1 Tbsp. yeast, 1 tsp. sugar, 1 1/2 c very warm water; stir a little and let sit for 5 minutes. Add the following ingredients, mixing well:

1 c. wheat flour (I used kamut flour)
2 3/4 c. white flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp oil (I used olive oil)

I like to knead it a little to make sure all the flour is mixed in and then put it into a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a towel and let it rise for 1 1/2 hours (if you are in a hurry - as I was - you can stick it in an oven that has been heated to 150 degrees and then been turned off for about 20-30 minutes).

Punch the dough down, turn it out onto a floured or lightly oiled counter, and knead a couple of times. Divide the dough in half, roll out, and place on a baking pan that has been dusted with cormeal. For the veggie pizza, I spread a little Contadina pizza sauce and then sprinkled mozzarella cheese, artichoke hearts, grape tomato halves, and slices of yellow bell pepper, zucchini, and mushroom. For the bbq pizza, I cooked the chicken with some pressed garlic, bbq sauce and a splash of pineapple juice. I spread the dough with bbq sauce, cheese, chicken, and pineapple. I topped the whole thing with a little more mozzarella and fresh, grated parmesan cheese.

This next part sounds a bit strange, but put the pizza in the oven on the very bottom rack, and then turn the oven on to bake at 500 and set your timer for 18 minutes (check it at 15 minutes). By the time your oven gets up to 500 degrees, your pizza will be done.

Sorry, the pictures of the finished pizza did not turn out because I was shaking and drooling with anticipation or something like that, yah? Suffice it to say that the veggie pizza is the best thing I've tasted since our trip to San Francisco.

Easy Granola - made with your favorite flake cereal

This is an old favorite, and I like it much better than the recipe I tried last week (probably because that other recipe is better for you). This is a recipe from my neighbor, the same one I got the bread recipe from,; I like to refer to it as "Souped-up Wheaties." I've only omitted one ingredient - sesame seeds.

It's sweet and chewy enough that you don't need to add any dried fruit like raisins or dates, but I'm sure you could could toss them in after baking it.

In a large bowl mix together 8 cups oats, 1-2 cups wheat germ

8 cups of wheat or bran flakes (I used Wheaties, but if they still made Team that's what I'd use - remember that cereal?)

1 cup of slivered almonds

2 cups of coconut

1 cup of sunflower seeds

At this point, realize that your bowl isn't large enough to allow you to actually mix the ingredients and switch it for the lid of the cake holder. Mix well.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan, bring 2 cups brown sugar,

1/2 cup water or apple juice (I actually had some leftover apple syrup and used 1 cup),

and 2/3 cup oil

to a boil.

Remove from heat and add 2 tbsp vanilla, stir. Pour over dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.

Pour onto two large cookie sheets.


Bake at 300 degrees for 15 minutes. Rotate cookie sheets and place the bottom sheet on the top rack and top sheet on bottom rack. Bake for 15 minutes more. Cool, break apart and store. Or pour yourself a bowl and enjoy!

I definitely recommend using the apple syrup in place of the water or apple juice - it makes for a better tasting granola and holds it together better.

Apple Syrup
Boil the following until well mixed:
1 C. applesauce
1 10-ounce jar apple jelly
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground cloves

Delicious over french toast!

Thai Spring Rolls and Sweet Chili Sauce

This is the ultimate hands-on food. I haven't met anyone who doesn't like this recipe from my friend Wendy J. When I make it, I like to prep it in the morning and then put the filling in the fridge. The girls and I roll them just before dinner and fry them up. We like to eat the sauce hot, so I make it while the rolls are frying.

You will need:
Cauliflower
Broccoli
Carrots
Green Onions
2 Chicken Breasts, cooked and chopped (I like mine marinated in soy or teriyaki)
Cabbage or prepared Mung Bean thread for the adventurous
3 eggs, scrambled
Garlic, Soy Sauce to season
1-2 pkgs of Egg Roll Wrappers (usually found in the produce section)

For the Sauce:
1 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/4 Sweet Chili Sauce

First, get out your largest skillet. Heat to medium and pour 1/2 - 1 cup water in the bottom. Chop all the vegetables. I like to use my Food Chopper from Pampered Chef. Add cauliflower and broccoli:

Add carrots:

Add green onion and chicken breasts:

Stir it up, put the lid on. If you are using cabbage, it makes a nice flavor - add it now. I usually add either mung beand thread or cabbage, but not both. It just makes too much filling. Cook until veggies are steamed. Add soy sauce till you get a flavor you like. Scramble up your eggs and throw them in at the end. Now you can put your filling in the fridge or start rolling.

Place about 1/4 cup of filling on the upper part of the roll:

Pull the bottom of the wrapper up and tuck under the filling:

Fold the sides up like a present (see how the bottom edges line up?):

Moisten the top edge with water:

Roll up tightly and seal (repeat about 20 times per pkg):

Heat your oil. Cook about 1-2 minutes per side. Keep a close eye on it. They should be nice and golden brown.

Or else, you'll have burnt offerings:

Combine all the ingredients for the sauce and boil:

It will be quite thin, you can add corn starch. We like to put the sauce in little bowls on each person's plate. Usually we pour the sauce over the eggroll. Bite, pour, bite, pour - like that. It's just not the same if you use a knife and fork; to really enjoy this meal, you need to use your hands. It's like the Thai version of pizza.