bits & pieces: september 13, 2010

Dill PIckles
I have always wanted to try my hand at these and the picture on this post made me choose THIS recipe first! :D

Caramel Sauce
I don't think this would harden enough on an apple (although who knows) BUT why not make this into a fondue?!?! Dip into the caramel and then dip into a topping of choice (chocolate chips, sprinkles, etc.). Of course the toppings would defeat the fact that the recipe is actually a HEALTHY version of Caramel Sauce! :D

Creamsicles
Oh this looks so good!!! :D :D :D What a fun breakfast! :D

Anti-Flammartory Seasonings
Seasonings to use when cooking to help reduce inflammation! :D

Poultry Dry Brine
We have never done a dry brine before (we always do it the Alton Brown way!) but this looks like a good alternative if you don't have days ahead to brine. I know Thanksgiving is a ways off, but I am sticking this in my REMEMBER ME folder! :D

Current Web Readings

Which Probiotic Drink is Right For You?

The Great American Road Trip
Wanna know what my dream is?? Yep, RVing across country with the family! :D But the only problem with that is - where to put all my books?!?! And how would I garden and have my chickens? :D

Simon Cowell Gives 5 Year old Girl Last Wish Just Days Before She Dies

Current Web Readings

Make Your Own Weather Station

Free Web Online games
These are GREAT! For EVERY subject - even chemistry, and all ages. Though most of the games are for younger students.

Gluten Free Sourdough Recipe Book - this looks GOOD, just wish it weren't so expensive. :(

Giving Children Consequences That Work

Current Web Readings

Paper soliders
Paper dolls - FOR BOYS! SOLDIERS!

Paper Toy Soldiers
These are more for the younger crowd (3yr+)

Civil War Paper Dolls and Toy Soldiers

Grass Fed Recipes

Crockpot Leg of Lamb - this was SOOOO YUMMY!

How Public School Cripples Our Kids

Vegetable Planting Guide

Grow It Yourself Series
an easy series on growing your own food.

Current Web Readings

Make Your Own Herbal First Aid Kit

Donna's Square Foot Gardening
REALLY good set of videos on SFG!

How To Build a Square Foot Garden by frugal dad
I LOVED his irrigation system! I had not seen this before. Truly worth a looksee!

Current Web Readings

Battlefield For Our Mind and Heart
WONDERFUL read!

The Godly Home
What I am currently listening to.

Months Worth of Probiotics for Price of Cabbage
With JJ's new GAPS diet, we will be making our own sauerkraut. I love how she uses ROCKS in hers! I can't WAIT for her to get a Facebook page!

Watch This
This is a recent episode of the Glenn Beck show on how public schools and colleges are indoctrinating our children. This is a good watch. HT: Israel Wayne

Ressurection Lapbook

Current Web Readings

Modern Parable
These are GREAT short films based on parables in scripture!

Food Safe Options for Kids Lunches
Even though we homeschool, these are great ideas for bringing healthy homemade snacks and meals with us - whether we are driving around doing errands and I need a snack for the kids because I stayed out too late and lost track of time, or we are going on vacation and are unable to stop at restaurants anymore (due to diet and allergies). This post has some great ideas I have not heard of or thought of before.

Current DOINGS

Yeah, I am sorry for anyone who regularly reads my blog just for the Monday Current Web Readings. I have been busy with my son JJ and a new diet we will be implementing. It is so beneficial, ALL of us (well, maybe not my husband, but the rest of us) will be starting it. I am really excited and have been doing a LOT of research on it.

It is called the GAPS diet. It is not a diet like most people think of, as in one to lose weight. But diet as in a way/lifestyle of eating. And this one in particular is to heal your gut.

I won't go into a lot of that here as I will be posting a lot (well EVERY thing really) on my other blog where I am talking about my son and his health and allergies. PLEASE know that this is NOT just a diet for people with food allergies but for EVERY ONE. I encourage you to read more about it, and it you want to keep up with what we are learning and doing, you can on my other blog: One Mother's Journey.

SO again, I am sorry, but there are no real links this week (except there is some good stuff I have been learning at my other blog. For now, here is a fun little video I found (as I am ALWAYS trying to understand this area of my life) about HOW to use a knife:

Current Web Readings

Attention Games
REALLY REALLY Cute blog!

Math Drills
GREAT site fro FREE math worksheets!

The Hijacking of American Education
MUST read.

Homemade Coconut Milk Yogurt
with JJ's allergies and us now moving to the GAPS diet, homemade fermentation is necessary. It really is for EVERYONE. And since JJ is allergic to dairy, we will be making coconut yogurt. Even if you are not allergic to dairy, coconut is a wonderful health food and you can incorporate it into your diet. :D

Allergen Free Play Dough Recipe

How to Make Coconut Water Kefir
Cost per gallon - about $13 for homemade! Cost for me to buy it from the store ... a WHOLE lot more! LOL!!! :D

Recording Remedies
This is a GREAT idea not just for GAPS, but for anyone who has children with sensitivity to foods.

The Sardine Diet
LOTS of good information about the sardine - a health food for GAPS diet. Not the ONLY thing to eat though LOL!! :D

Steps to Better Health

Baby Steps to Better Health is a WONDERFUL online ebook that takes you step by step to making better health choices.

Current Web Readings

Real Food Resolutions
A good article with good references that I want to read again!

Gary Taubes BIG FAT LIES
The truth about why we really get fat - a must watch video on health

Whole Traditions Recipes
Several GAPS friendly and Nourishing Traditions recipes

Candida Tests
There is an at home candida spit test here. Very interesting!

Hot cocoa mix
with coconut milk powder instead of milk powder (which is unhealthy)

Homemade Lacto Fermented Mayonnaise
And how to know if your olive oil is REAL

Zucchini Spaghetti Meat Sauce
Don't be afriad to try this for a MUCH cheaper alternative to GF noodles! It tastes GREAT!

How To Make Young Thai Coconut Yogurt/Pudding
Fermenting coconut with kefir

Current Web Readings

Herbal Tea Recipe

Overnight Buckwheat Pancakes
JJ can have these!! :D

Handmade Holidays Felt Fairy House
Could be for birthday too. And what is so great, is this would be easy for the kids to make, so you can have them help and make it into a fairy party and these are the favors!

Bee Keeping
Believe it or not, I have wanted to do this for quite a while. Scared of bee stings (and JJ's possible allergies to bees) now keep me from it. BUT, there is no reason he could not make hives and sell them when he gets older!!! :D

What you NEED to know about soy and hexane...

Current Web Readings

Remove Fluoride from Water
I was under the impression that carbon based water filters (like Pur) remove fluoride from the water. The other morning on FB, I read Dr. Mercola's daily tip which said that they don't, and how difficult it is to remove fluoride form water. So I found this link.

Graft Your Own Designer Fruit Trees

Pallet Chicken Coop
This is GREAT! How to make a chicken coop from free pallets!!! :D

Bookin It in 2010
Money Saving Mom, Crystal Paine, shares her reading list for 2010.

FDA Admits BPA dangers but can't regulate it
No, but another government agency can force thrift stores to stop selling "lead" laden children's toys and books?!?! Bah Hum Bug!

Dangerous Stuff For Boys
Fun stuff!

Rice Cooker
I have a friend who makes everything in her rice cooker - omelets, chicken and rice ... just about EVERYTHING her fmaily eats. LOL!! So I went looking for a rice cooker and found THIS one which has a GABA setting - in other words, if you are into Nourishing Traditions, this will soak and sprout the rice and then cook it for you!! :D HOW AWESOME is that?? And especially with this gluten free and JJ allergic to everything family, we do eat a bit of rice. It would be so nice to have something which does everything for me.

Christian Bluegrass Radio Station
Oh EE is in heaven. She LOVES this type of music! This is really nice!

List of Mountain Music Songs
Lyrics with short sample of the tune

Current Web Readings

The Million Dollar Parenting Question
A must (but short) read for parents.

Swagbucks.com is a search engine that rewards you in the form of Swagbucks for searching. 45 Swagbucks can be exchanged for a $5 Amazon.com gift card. This generally takes about 2 weeks to earn. PLEASE use my link to join: Join Swagbucks as I do get a swagbuck every time you get one if you use my link. THANKS!!!

Solar Tube
NEAT idea - to keep in mind when we build a house or remodel.

Gluten - what you don't know may kill you
A must read.

Flourless Hemp Chocolate Chunks Cookies
I plan to make these for JJ using flax egg replacer and sunflower butter instead of egg and peanut butter.

Why Public School System Teaches Revisionist History
A REALLY good read.

Finding Coupons for Organic Groceries

Current Web Readings

Homemade Lara Type Bars
IF you have ever had a Lara bar, you know these things are not only good for you, but GOOD tasting. Here is a recipe to make your own at home.

Cheese Puffs
Pioneer Woman makes the BEST food (not necessarily best for you, but best tasting for SURE!) and these would make a great New Year's finger food.

Current Web Readings

Bug Farm
A cool game where you are a beneficial bug in your garden. How cool is this? Can I just say I want one?! :D

Plump Stocking
A bit late for Christmas, but not for those after Christmas sales in order to stuff next year's stocking!

Best Books For Girls: 20 Books She Has Loved
From one of my favorite blogs

Can Beans Cure Morning Sickeness??

No Poo Hard Water Epiphny
for those who did not have the wonderful results most of us have with no poo, this read is for you. Tells you what to try if you have hard water.

Homemade Deodorant
Oh this looks SO sweet. I so need to make me some of this!!!

Hairstyles from Yesteryear
Tutorials on beautiful hairstyles. LOVE LOVE LOVE IT! Doing a little happy dance right now!

Current Web Readings

Constitution Lapbook

Math

Judy Rodgers
She has some awesome songs! So thankful to my friend Brenda for introducing us to her!

Music to the Westminster Shorter Catechism
Classical Free
Songs

The Role of Scripture in Education
Many of you know my love for Webster's 1828 dictionary. This is a really good read (and short too!)

Homemade Laundry Detergent, Charlie's and Soap Nuts
A GREAT comparison between all three!! A MUST read for those who care about their health and are avoiding SLS.

Current Web Readings

Do You Love Chinese Food?
Health recipes for Chinese food. YES!!

Prayers
What a simple and yet wonderful idea to comfort a grieving family. A new widow was given a beeper, a prayer beeper, after her husband died. Every time someone prayed, they would call the beeper. What a comfort it was to know that thousands of prayers were being lifted up for her, for her 6 children.

Handbook of Nature Study: Outdoor Hour Challenge Update For New Series Starting Sept 18
AWESOME site. I cannot wait for the new Series!

Go Fossil Hunting
I love the Staycation Blog!! I wish they updated way more often than they do. This idea was a GREAT one!!

2009 Graceful Envelope Contest
These are BEAUTIFUL!! What a fun thing to do next year!

Current Web Readings

How to Afford Eating Real Food
I could not agree more with this wonderful post! It amazes me how many people say they cannot afford to eat healthy/organic/real food but spend money on things like manicures. :) I usually save money buying organic compared to buying conventional.

I thought I had some good tips for saving at the farmer's market! Here are some GOOD ones that I had not thought of before.

Are Canned Foods Necessary For Emergencies?
I must admit that I hate canned foods. They are so unhealthy for you. And they leach unhealthy chemicals into the food. We are going to do our best to can our own (in glass canned jars, not the metal ones from the store). I liked what this article had to say, as well as the link in it for the freezer stock. :) GREAT stuff!

Learning Hymns
Unless your kids are singing hymns, you have no idea the joy that wells up within your heart when you hear your two year old singing "I'll Fly Away" or "Nothing But The Blood." What I just LOVE about hymns (and something that is missing with most all today's "Christian" music, is that there is a focus on God, not on self. Most songs today focus on self or feeling good. Hymns focus on the Lord and our walking in Him.

Staycation Ideas
LOVE LOVE LOVE this site! Whether you are staying home (or local) for a vacation OR just want some FUN ideas for family nights THIS is THE site!!

Current Web Readings

Granny Med
LOL! Cute name for home remedies and natural cures. I so wish I had learned more from my great-grandmother while she was still alive.

Health 911
FREE information about using herbs to heal. I will admit that I still like Herb Mentor better, but only because I can actually ask questions and get specific. Not to mention all the FREE stuff there. :) You do have to pay for membership, but it has been totally worth it for us. All the medical bills I avoid! :D

<Herb Reference
Free online herbal reference.

Making Books With Children
FUN and free ideas for making books with children. Can be books or mini-books for lapbooking.