Forklift (aka Airplane)

Yes, those are my feet. Straight up...

 

 

 

 

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Better Baby Supplement Recommendations List

I've been reading The Bulletproof Executive and he has a lot of interesting life hacks/ ideas for making our bodies run better.  His wife, an MD, recently wrote a book called The Better Baby Book.  It's quite good (although it links to her website constantly).  I had trouble, though, finding a list of her supplement recommendations.  So I went through her book and here is my summary.  Please remember that this is a list only- meaning all of her reasons are in the book and some are on her website.  None of that info is here~ these are just my notes.  Also (duh but it bears repeating) these aren't my ideas- I just wanted a place to keep the info I collected.

Per Day: 6-11 Veg, 5-9 fats, 4-6 animal protein, 1-2 fruit (75% of veggies raw) - specific about which of each to eat - see book or website for details/ charts

Daily Shake:

D-ribose – for energy

Collagen – 2-4T scoops 

Lecitihin – 2T granular soy lecithin 

Green Powder

Liposomal Glutathione (fat encapsulated)- 1 teaspoon/ day or NAC (less good)

2 raw egg yolks

2 T MCT oil, 1 T coconut oil

Other (Daily):

Sea Salt- ½ teaspoon in large glass of water right when you wake up

Oil pulling- +/- 10 minutes in morning, then floss [not her idea]

Probiotics – on empty stomach

Vitamins:

Advanced Essential Minerals

Folic acid—800mg/day at least.

Vitamin E- 400 Q 800 IU

Vitamin K

Vitamin C - 1-8G

Multi

D3 2000-8000IU/ day, depending on sun exposure (1000 per 25 lb body weight)

Fish Oil (up to 10G)/ Krill Oil (500 mg)

Acetyl-L-Carnitine

COQ10 or ubiquinol if over 30

Other (non-daily):

Iodine (1 drop every 4-5 days)- temporary – if you get a runny nose just after, back off and take less for a bit

Detox:

Activated Charcoal – 1-3 teaspoons mixed w/cool water 1-3 x/day on empty stomach (and 1t with any not recommended foods)- can mix with:

Bentonite Clay (may need to up fiber or magnesium to avoid constipation)- 1 T/ day (less if taken with activated charcoal to avoid constipation)

Chlorella – 20-30 tablets for 1-2 mo then just with seafood or when exposed to heavy metals

Silymarin (Milk thistle)

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Pineapple Pants Part 3

My younger son has a pair of pants made from pineapple swimsuit fabric that I made for his brother ages ago.  They were well-loved when he got them, and he wears them and asks for them whenever they are clean.  They are getting a wee bit small.

I got the fabric from wazoodle.com on clearance ages ago and made a few pairs of pants, a few trainers, a bathing suit, and some underwear using the material.  I tried to find the fabric again and came up empty handed.  I recently made him some shorts from scraps of it, and they only fit for a brief time.

Last week we found another scrap of it and finally thought of how to make him new pineapple pants.

Yes, they are white pants with the pineapples cut from his favorite fabric and stitched on top. I made the waistband a bit wide so it would last a little longer as he gets bigger.



I hope he likes them!  I mean, really likes them.  

 

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Primal Lasagne

I don't do a lot of imitating pasta dishes, but my son had a lasagna at a restaurant the other day and went crazy for it.  So I wanted to try one at home.

First, the layers:
1. The sauce (tomatoes, peppers, basil, stock, onion, garlic)
2. The meat (ground grass fed beef 85%, kale)
3. Eggplant "pasta" (Peeled and thinly sliced eggplant sauteed in coconut oil until translucent)
4. Goat cheese (in dollops)- you could skip this

 

I got 3 rounds of each layer in, starting with sauce and ending with the cheese.  Note I also didn't salt it because my peppers in the sauce were poblanos and I didn't want to scare the kids away with too too much seasoning.

This cooked for 45 minutes at 350.

 

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DIY Kids' Purse

This little purse was really easy to make and is reversible.  It's also a nice size for the little ones to use.



To make one, first cut 4 pieces of fabric rounded on 3 corners and about the size of half a piece of printer paper.  If this makes you anxious, you could draw a template first. Make sure they are all the same size and shape.

Next, stitch 2 of each color together on the rounded sides, right sides together.

Then make the straps- mine were about 16-18" long.  Remember that an inch gets hidden when you are deciding on the length.  To make them, cut your fabric 2" wide. Fold it in half and stitch it together however you'd like (turn and pull a tube or iron a seam and stitch it on the right side, or serge it so the seam is visible- your choice).

Tuck the 2 sides of the bag together, right sides together.  Then tuck a strap into each side and make sure it's not twisted and pin it on each side, leaving about 1/2" to go into the seam.

Stitch around the top of the bag, reversing a few extra times over where the straps are attached and leaving a 3" hole for turning.

Pull the bag inside out so the straps are out and one side of the bag is inside the other.  You may iron the top seam flat if you wish.

Topstitch around the opening, closing the turning hole as you pass. Use a wider stitch for this (I like 3.5).

Attach your label and a closure of some sort (I use Kam snaps).

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PlaySilks as a Fort and Wedding Dresses

This fort was made using playsilks, fabric of mine, and clothespins (wide and regular).

This is what happens with you sit up in the middle.

These wedding dresses are pinned in the back and were designed by the kids.

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Baking Bacon

 

Baking bacon is a lot easier and tastier than frying it, we have found.  To do so, preheat the oven to 350.  Put a cooling rack inside a cookie sheet.  Place the bacon on top in a single layer.  Check it after 10 minutes and flip it with tongs.  Then decide if you want 5 or 10 more minutes (everyone likes their bacon a little differently)... we like 7 more.  But on the bottom rack of the oven we only like 5 more minutes.

Make sure you drain the grease into a jar to re-use when you take it out of the oven.

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Fresh Clams in White Wine Butter Sauce

My kids got really into making these. Plus, they ended up SO tasty.



2 lb fresh clams (1 lb per person, plan accordingly)
3 T butter
3 cloves garlic, chopped
3 T chopped parsley
1/2 cup white wine

1. Clean clams (rinse all the sand out). Only use the closed clams.
2. Melt butter in dutch oven or similar.
3. Add garlic and wine. Bring to a boil.
4. Add clams. Cover.
5. Check often and stir until they open, which is about 5-7 minutes. Discard any which haven't opened.
6. Sprinkle parsley on top.
7. Eat with something to dip into the (delicious and salty) broth-- like broccoli or crusty bread.

 

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Kids Catching Chickens

My kids have decided to spend more time with the chickens.  For the last few days, they have been in the chicken yard following the hens around and in the coop taking pictures and trying to pet the ladies.

Here is is with our friend's pullet in arms.

After successfully catching a pullet (teenager) at a friend's house the other day, with some chicken-catching coaching first, my older son tried again a few times today.  And he got one!

Just like he was coached to do, my son moved slowly, tried to corner one, then she sat down, he petted her, then he told her he was going to and then reached down and picked her up.

He was so proud of himself and happy to have her.

 

She even let him hold her long enough for me to run inside to get the camera. 

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Monthly Garden To-Do List: September

Welcome to Indian Summer in the Lamorinda Garden!  This month, it is usually hot but by the end of September, it can be getting cool.  No freezing temps are expected for the month, but we actually need jackets by the end of the month.  Garden tasks for September tend toward wrapping up summer and getting ready for cooler temps.


















What's Ready?

• Black currants 
• peppers 
• zucchinis/ summer squash
• green beans 
• figs (second fruiting)
• pears
• tomatoes will keep going until the first frost
• apples
• basil
• celery
• eggplant
• grapes
• melons
• nectarines
• onions
• plums
• pluots
• winter squash
• blackberries 

Kitchen Tasks

• hot peppers can be dried
• the wild plums should be finished; if not, pick the last of them and make some sorbet or chutney

Garden Tasks

• prune the blackberries after they are done fruiting- only remove the canes which bore fruit this year
• keep taking leaves off the kale and it will keep giving 
• plant those winter veggies~ all the cruciferous veggies like cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, and kale (if you don't have some in already- plus, it is much sweeter in the cold months).  You can use seeds for these if you start early enough in the month.  
• You could also try for some fall veggies like snap peas and lettuces- if it's not too hot this year.  If it is looking to be very hot, you can still plant them- just do it where there is partial shade (the shade of another veggie in the same box is enough to protect these plants).  I'd do these from starts if you didn't plant them last month.
• plant the annual garlic - anywhere in the garden, especially under your roses because the deer hate the smell of garlic but love the rose odor- a clove now will be a bulb next summer (you will be able to tell when it is ready when the greens dry up)
• Make sure your trees in deer zones with narrow trunks (biceps width or smaller) have wrapping of some sort- otherwise the male deer will rub the velvet off their growing antlers on your trunks and rub the bark off
• fill the hot tub (or empty it, clean it, and re-fill it)

Most of all, enjoy the fruits of your summer labor!  You should be sick of zucchini by now!  You should also still be able to keep enjoying those fresh caprese salads all month and also add back some crisp, fresh apples (ah, the Gravenstein!  Harbinger of fall).  Nights are still warm enough to be out, but maybe in the hot tub or under a heat lamp instead of just with a chilled beer.  The sunsets in September are getting earlier, but are still our best of the year.  

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