Kindergarten picture

Well, hubby and I are not as pleased with Sophie's Kindergarten picture, mostly because of her "Elvis" smile. So, for now I am just going to post it here as I'm sure there won't be very many onlookers and lurkers :o) Of course, it will be printed in the blog blurb for posterity.

When I asked Sophie, if she liked the picture....it was a definitive "yes, yes, yes!" But then again, the goofier the picture, the more she likes it. It's nice to see she doesn't take these things serious....lol.

Chicken Vindaloo

I do not keep track of calories as much as I look at ingredients. Nonetheless, I thought it was worth mentioning you can have a very satisfying, healthy meal for less than 360 calories per serving. And it's a quick one-pot meal.

When hubby and I go to an Indian restaurant, he prefers to get the chicken vindaloo. It was a dish recommended to him by an Indian colleague years ago. Vindaloo (like many other Indian dishes) is an aromatic, spicy curry.

Indian curry is totally different, for example from curry made in Thailand. As most of you know Thai food is our favorite ethnic food. In Thailand, curries are marked by the inclusion of lime, lemongrass, ginger and coconut milk. In India, curry is characterized by rich sauces laden with spices, and made with cream or ghee (clarified butter).

I'm a big fan of curry not only for it's exotic flavor where my taste buds are concerned, and the fact it smells like the holidays when I make it, but it gives your health a big boost with all it's "spicy benefits."

Curry spice blend gets its brilliant orange hue from turmeric, an aromatic spice that was highly regarded in ancient India as a panacea (cure all) against most ills that is not only powerful but very safe. Current research shows that this potent healing spice contains curcumin, a compound that protects against inflammation, cancer and heart disease.

Vindaloo is originally a Portuguese dish made with pork and not as spicy. However, it has become progressively spicier over the years, evolving into something more fiery common today. Intimidating at first with its often-exhaustive list of spices, this version uses chicken instead of pork, for a lighter, healthier touch.

If you're not fond of curries or the turmeric herb, from time -to-time I also like to supplement with Turmericforce, "the world's first and only supercritical full-spectrum turmeric extract" from New Chapter.

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

1 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp ground cardamom

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper or to taste

2 Tbs olive oil

2 cups chopped yellow onions

3 medium cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbs grated gingerroot

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces

2 large Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 14.5-oz can chopped tomatoes, drained

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

2 Tbs wine vinegar

1 Tbs tomato paste

1 bay leaf

Instructions:

1. Heat large saucepan over medium-low; add turmeric, cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, cloves, cumin, paprika, and cayenne, and gently dry-roast 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

2. Add oil, and stir to mix. Add onions, garlic, and ginger, stir to coat, and cook 3 minutes.

3. Stir in chicken, potatoes, tomatoes, broth, vinegar, tomato paste, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, covered, until potatoes are tender, 12 to 14 minutes.

4. Remove cover, and cook 5 minutes more. Season to taste with salt and pepper, add more cayenne if desired.

5. Divide vindaloo among four bowls, and serve with roti (Indian flat bread), if desired.

Recipe, Courtesy Better Nutrition, October 2009

Family turkey project & making Halloween crafts

One of Soph's homework assignment as a "family activity" was to disguise a turkey. He is afraid because Thanksgiving is coming! And needs to be all dressed up in a disguise so he won't get caught!

Mrs. Westover said in the past family turkeys have been dressed like ballerinas, football players, farmers, hula dancers, Elvis, doctors, spys, etc. Well, all of those sounded really cute but a little complicated to me especially since I am not that artistic. Soph originally wanted me to dress him up as a scarecrow, but I was scared I would botch that up as well.

After about 30 minutes of brainstorming, we finally agreed on disguising the turkey with leaves to blend in with nature. Sophie was thrilled and I was even more since I didn't have to draw anything, just cut with the help of a leaf template I found online. Soph did all the coloring and I cut out the leaves. Great teamwork, huh?

Here are some pictures of the turkey who is actually a girl (of course), named Leaf (how original)...lol.

Now you see her

Now you don't

Now you see her

Now you don't

The Halloween party was also a success. I was responsible for crafts and we made these cute, witch's broom with treats. All the kids had lots of fun putting their broom together.

Here are the instructions to make a paper bag witch's broom:

Supplies Needed

• Paper bags (size depends on how large you want your broom)
• Raffia
• Scissors
• Dowel rods or sticks or wooden spoon (I used a wooden spoon/spatula)
• Cereal or candy

1. 1. Fold a paper bag in half, overlap if you want broom bristles to be long. Carefully trim the ends of the folded part of the bag to make fringes (creating the bristles of the broom).

   
   

   
   

   2. Fold another paper bag in half and cut the top off. Proceed to cut slits in the bag to make more fringes for another layer of broom bristles.

   
   

   
   

   3. Fold the bristles back to expose sack. Then, fill your bag with different cereal, popcorn, treats or toys and insert the stick into your bag while cinching the bag around the stick. Add your extra paper bag that is fringed over the top of the first bag and cinch it around the stick also. The cut bags SHOULD cover the base of your paper bag.

   
   

   
   

   4. Tie the bags to the stick with raffia. The paper bag fringe is the broom bristles and the stick is the broom handle. If you want you can color the bags or add any decorative embellishments to dress it up.

   
   

   
   

   Happy Halloween!

ASEA Nutritional Supplement

Alright, here's an incredible product in the field of health and wellness I just have to share with everyone: ASEA

I've always been a big believer that everything we do and eat is about balance. It sounds so simple, but in reality very difficult to do, especially at the molecular level. I did not realize this but you need oxidants in your body. Historically, oxidants have been thought to be the bad guys, however, are now seen as key players to the healthy function of your cells. Ironically, we would not be able to live without either the reactive oxidants (electron donors) or the reductants (electron acceptors) - i.e. "reactive molecules." The natural antioxidant cycles generated from your cells require both oxidants and reductants in order to work correctly. So having good health IS all about "balance."

As you age, your body makes less reactive molecules. Also, when a cell's balance is disrupted and taxed by poor dietary choices, toxins and stress, they enter a state called "oxidative stress." The cell's ability to function diminishes until they simply don't function at all and becomes diseased. All the antioxidants in the world are not going to help you if your cells are unhealthy to start. So, how do you make your cells healthy? By bringing balance into your cells.

ASEA is not just another health supplement, but a scientific breakthrough. The science behind ASEA is unbelievable and has the potential of helping a lot of people. Seriously, I have tried a lot of products and have reaped the benefits and have learned a great deal with each one of them; they all have some health value, some more than others. The only difference being is that it might help 1 out of 4 or 5 people because everyone's needs are different. Whereas with ASEA, it benefits everybody from athletes who want to increase their endurance by 12%, from young to old, from healthy to sick and allows vitamins, supplements and nutrition you currently consume to become more effective and useful.

In the last 20 years, scientists discovered 2 sets of reactive molecules critical for immune function. ASEA with all its patents contains the molecular structure necessary to mimic the reactive molecules found naturally in your own cells (i.e. molecules that provides the fuel and support to just about all functions of the immune system). It is so effective that it makes maximum use of antioxidants made in your own body to become quite powerful by 500%. Mind you these are antioxidants NOT found in the foods you eat or in supplements, but native antioxidants.

ASEA is the only product that is exclusive; there is nothing like it on the market, no competition. After 16+ years of research, millions of money spent and multiple patents, Dr. Gary Samuelson, Ph.D., in Atomic and Medical Physics located here in Utah has been able to develop (where many others have failed and said was impossible to do) the technology to "lock-in" these 2 critical sets of reactive molecules and make them shelf stable for more than a year.

Bottom line, there has been a paradigm shift in science. It's like when people thought the earth to be flat until Columbus discovered it's round. Same thing here, the frontier for health science is currently about antioxidants and quality ingredients, which are vital. However, the discovery of "redox" (REDuctants / OXidant) signaling and other signaling messenger formulations is definitely moving us in the right direction eventually providing insight on how we age and die. The way nature intended it to be.

Of all the health products I've sampled and used, this is the only nutritional supplement I believe will make a positive impact on one's health with zero toxicity. When it comes right down to it, there is nothing more valuable to us than maintaining good health.

Please click the tab, ASEA for further information.

"ASEA™ is a scientifically advanced product that contains a balanced set of reactive molecules that mirror those produced naturally by the body. These natural reactive molecules fuel and support virtually all functions of the immune system, they are the immune system's communicators and it's activators that allow the body to fight aging and restore cellular balance. This cutting edge discovery will change the way the world thinks about what it means to be healthy, and how to get there."

For more information, please refer to Dr. Gary L. Samuelson's booklet, "The Science of Healing Revealed, New Insights into Redox Signaling."

Note: The information I have written about regarding ASEA has been based on reputable resources, gleaned from various literature, books, presentations and websites. It is intended to educate readers, not to directly or indirectly give medical advice. Please consult a medical profession regarding any medical problems and treatments.

Fun in the sun in Florida

Past several years, we typically would vacation in Southern California. This time we decided we needed a longer vacation, more than 4 days and a different scenery. So last Thursday, we flew to Orlando, Florida and spent a day at Kennedy Space Center, a day frolicking on Cocoa Beach, a day at EPCOT, a day at Disneyworld, and the last day at Animal Kingdom.

Because Soph was looking down, I told her to look up....this is what she does.

We made lots of sand castles, star castles, cake with coconut and pasta. Soph wrote her name in the sand. She loves the beach!

Sophie and Daddy dancing in the water, so it appears :o/

I was quite impressed how well Sophie did in all aspects of the trip, from the long flight to walking our legs off everywhere at the parks. Even though hubby and I have both been to most of the places we visited, it was of course the first time for Soph. The expressions on her face were priceless; she loved all the Disney characters, especially Snow White because she was the most colorful.

We were in luck we arrived the day before the launch of an unmanned satellite at Cape Canaveral. At exactly 8:20 AM as scheduled, it took off as fast as it disappeared. It happened so quickly, I barely got a decent shot.

There's a better picture on Facebook of the shuttle launch.

Sophie and Vince: Launch Complex 39 Observation Gantry

MA and Sophie standing below a 363 ft moon rocket (which you don't see). Go to Facebook and you'll see the rocket.

MA and Sophie: Cocoa Beach Pier

The day at the beach was very exciting, fun and totally different for Soph. And "yes" the Atlantic Ocean is quite warm and comfortable compared to the Pacific Ocean. I can barely stick my big toe in the Pacific as it's ice cold all the time.

EPCOT (Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow) is probably my favorite attraction park. I think partly because the food is so yummy! Our two favorite attractions included Mission: Space and GM's Test Track. Mission: Space was so cool; it really felt like you were being blasted off into space to Mars, dodging asteroids, flying around the moon, etc. For a more mild version of this ride, you can select "green" but we opted for the "orange" which was so worth it. GM's Test Track, we got to experience a series of tests performed on cars to include riding over German and Belgian bricks...lol.

At Disneyworld, Sophie loved visiting the castle and seeing all the Princesses up-close; the Witch she could have done without seeing. Initially Soph was so excited to see Cinderella, but soon discovered she liked Snow White a lot because she was the most colorful.

Disneyworld

MA and Sophie: Disneyworld

Animal Kingdom was another fun place with lots of animals to see and thrilling rides. We rode the Kali River Rapids and got seriously soaked. They say "you may get soaked".... NOT "you may get wet." We can all confirm, you will get soaked. Expedition Everest was a fun roller coaster that made me dizzy; I guess from going backwards. The blast to the past, a Dinosaur ride was awesome too, if you like being bounced around and scared by dinosaurs. For me, it was a totally different ride from everything else.

As with all vacations, all good things must come to an end. However, it's always nice to be back home where it's sweet. Soph liked her vacation very much, except for one thing....yes, the humidity. But believe it or not, there are some advantages to living in a humid climate. I noticed my hands did not appear parched :)

If you want to see more pictures, click on this link to Facebook.

From BMI, BIA to Bio-Scan to ASEA

You would think by now that I've come to the realization, my hubby is just fortunate to have strong, healthy genes. His constitution is just amazing even after smoking for 30+ years. Of course, I believe he was able to offset all the negative aspects of smoking by eating tons of fruit. We have had several tests performed throughout our 13 years of marriage and he always comes out shining even while he smoked, albeit he's 12 years older than me.

Everyone is predisposed to certain health issues. I've learned from various doctors and have experienced it myself, that it's not about genes but rather diet. You can actually copy and modify your DNA with food. Diseases occur in 5% in people because of genes and 95% have tendencies to certain diseases based on exposure to toxins, food, stress and spiritual issues. If you want to learn more about this topic, you can refer to a book called "Discover, the new genetics...DNA is not our Identity."

I'm so glad I had an opportunity to attend the Healthy Living Expo in Sandy, thanks to Media One who provided the complimentary tickets. Although, I was quite familiar with a lot of the products exhibited, there were some I had never heard of and learned a great deal.

During the Expo, hubby and I both had a Bio Scan performed that detected missing essential oils. The person conducting the test said on average most people were missing 57 essential oils until this one lady who basically blew the average revealed she was only missing 2 essential oils. I found out I was missing 42. Hubby on the other hand was missing 29. What strikes me, he doesn't do a thing in supplementing his diet. Okay, I finally got him to take some fish oils geared for kids :o)

An amazing product I discovered during the Expo is ASEA. It is a health nutritional product like none other. Without getting too technical with cell biology, this product delivers what is known as "reactive molecules," that is needed to establish the chemical balance within your body. This in turn supports your body and immune system to function at its optimal level.

Cells in your body will replicate based on the health of your cells. Quite simply, this suggests constant healing keeps the body healthy. Simple in principle but much harder in practice. When your cells are healthy, in other words, "balanced", it's more receptive of the antioxidants flowing through your blood rather than floating around your bloodstream and not being used. I'm currently reading a book written by a Ph.D. in Atomic and Medical Physics who developed this ground breaking technology in health science. I will for sure share what I know once we return from our vacation to Florida.

As a side note, a few months ago, I had a BIA performed. Not to be confused with the BMI which is not representative of what's taking place inside your body. The BIA indicated some of my cells looking more like raisins rather than plump like grapes. I was advised electrolytes to start, which helps provide necessary minerals to your cells to increase plumpness (lol....this is the only time I want to be plumpy). However, I'm sure ASEA will have a more profound effect in getting my cells balanced as it is a revolutionary, scientifically based product in the field of alternative health.

Happy Labor Day

Yes, fall is my favorite season; however, I'm not quite ready for it this year.  Summer just flew by especially with all the rain and cooler weather that fell upon us almost daily in May and June. 

Here is a  picture of a mammoth sunflower I planted in June.  Now if I can just have a whole backyard of these sunflowers and other wildflowers.  Instead we'll probably end up having a golf course behind us...lol.  BTW, that sunflower is taller than Soph.

Soph really likes Kindergarten and likes her teacher, Mrs. Westover, a lot.  Heck, I even like Mrs. Westover.  She's a very nice, soft spoken, but stern teacher placing a lot of emphasis on reading.  Based on previous experience, she has seen great strides amongst kids reading abilities when parents read to their child every day versus the ones that didn't.  I read to Soph every night, if not several times throughout the day.  For every 10 mins of reading, Soph colors in an apple for each day during the month of September.  Once all the apples are colored in, she can hand in her "colored apples" to her teacher.  This is an on-going assignment until the end of school.

Mrs. Westover's way of discipline is something I never heard of; she uses the marble method.  She said when kids hear that marble drop in the jar...uh, oh.... it's a sound kids don't like to hear.  They know they better shape-up, wise-up, otherwise parents will be receiving a phone call.  Soph's a pretty well-behaved child and very mature for her age, so I'm not too worried about it.  

She looks forward to school every day and wishes she could go even on the weekends.  I can already see she is very interested in how everything works, including the human body.  She saw a human body model at Barnes and Noble and immediately wanted it....NOT the barbie dolls, not anything one might think a 5 year old little girl would be interested in.  From the time she was a baby, I can recall she showed definite preferences and was quite willful.  She knows what she likes and what she doesn't and is still quite willful even to this day.  However, she isn't very noisy about expressing her wants unless she wants it badly.  So I broke down and got her the model human body even though it was geared for 8+ year olds.  She absolutely luvs it!    

If I had to point out one of Soph's strengths, it would definitely have to be her knack to memorize.  She has excellent memory, memorizing all her favorite shows, commercials, books, etc.  I find it quite humorous and amazing.

Hubby is home for this long weekend laboring around the house and work as usual.  He's also enjoying his new car we got a couple of weeks ago.  It's a beautiful bluish, gray sedan that has a lot of cool features.  We had our car search narrowed down to one of three Mini JCW's and an R32.......BUT....... I received in the mail an outstanding, smokin', sweet deal for the BMW 328 iX. ....almost too good to be true....so, we thought....surprise, surprise!!  Even though the BMW is more expensive than my Tiguan, payment wise it's cheaper than my Tiguan (same terms and all).  I'm beginning to believe my.....ahh, never mind :o)

Enjoy your long Labor Day weekend!