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Wheat Free Fries

I just figured out how to make allergen-free fries for my son - I let him have them now and again if they don't have his other allergens in them, because his allergy to wheat is mild and he LOVES fries.

Cook in corn oil - let it get real hot

-cut potatoes into fry slices
-soak fries in rice milk and lemon juice
-shake wet fries in bag of rice flour, salt, garlic powder, and anything you think muight taste good like fresh chopped up herbs
-put fries in oil and let fry for a couple minutes
-take fries out and let cool on paper towel, if taste like they need more salt - salt lightly.

These were surprisingly just as good as fries I have made before with milk, egg and wheat flour!!

*Please remember your own personal allergies when considering this recipe for yourself

My plan to survive the summer

This summer I am taking the bull by the horns and being proactive with the "We have nothing to do" problem all mothers have while their children are home from school. We have 2 "guaranteed lock" fun days (which can be un-locked with bad behavior). For us it is one pool day at grandma's and one day at a park, zoo, museum, etc. My plan further extends to the days we don't have anything planned and they say there is nothing to do. I pull out large pieces of paper and tell them to make a map of where we have been or draw their favorite part of the last fun day.

I have found that a membership to our local museum is a great deal and there are lots of coupons out there too with everyone vying for business right now.

So far it's working! Ask me in August:)

You Know...

How many You Knows can you come up with? I challenge you...

You Know….

1. You know you have been too sarcastic lately when you pay your husband a compliment and he asks “why are you talking to me that way?”

2. You know you have bad road rage when your kids see orange-striped cones up ahead and they say to each other from the back of the car, “Oh no, Mama’s going to get mad.” In my defense there has been a lot of construction lately and I have a knack for running into more construction when I make a turn to avoid it.

3. You know you better check who your 4 year old’s friends are when she says “that song has the S-word in it” - she may have meant “stupid” but how does she know there is such a thing as an “S-word”?

4. You know that unfortunately your children may grow up to be just like you when your 22 month old says “Scooch, child, scooch!” to his sister.

5. You know your children don’t yet understand that their little brother is not an animal that can be put up for adoption or put down if it doesn’t work out, when after marveling at his skills of remembering everyone’s name correctly, one of them says, “yeh, he’s tamed now.”

Road Rules

I have very low blood pressure, so low that at a doctor's apt. a couple of weeks ago the nurse could not find my pulse. But, nothing gets my blood pressure to the "in danger of having a heart attack" level than slow drivers! This week, three times as I passed the "eldural parrallel" (you know, every area has one, where young meets old, where rural meets ruraler) I got stuck behind some yahoo who apparently had nowhere to go and made me late!, to VBS. Now, I can't get too upset on the way to drop my kids off at VBS (at a church in the boondocks) because that would kind of ruin the whole reason for sending them, but when it happens again on the way back! Well, my kids can get saved again tomorrow. (I'm sorry I know that's not how it works, was highly inappropriate and very flippant) But, as I was explaining to my kids that Mama is not mad, she's just really frustrated and the person in front of her can't hear her - it struck me, it is the slow driver that is rude and inconsiderate. They may not have anywhere to go, but the people behind them do, and have planned their trip by how quickly they would get there by the speed limit, or some may count on 10, maybe 20 over the speed limit - I'm not naming names, I'm just throwing it out there. Maybe I feel this way because I'm one of those lead-footed-impatient-Berg people, but, come on there need to be far more tickets for driving slow!

You know you need to clean your car when...

I have always lived by my early observation that people usually are a "Clean Car/Messy Home" people or "Messy Car/Clean Home" people. If you are "Clean Car/Clean Home" person you are anal and I don't want to know you because you will make me feel inferior and if you are a "Messy Car/Messy Home" person you are a slob. That of course was before I became the mom of 5 small children, because let's face it the house isn't always clean. But I have always felt in my head that I was a "Messy Car/Clean Home" person - the best place to be.

So yesterday while knowing that my house was a wreck back at home, hearing my daughter's perspective on it made me think "I better clean the car!"

Paris - (after having borrowed my father's car while my van was in the shop)
"We're in our car now right? Cause this car is filthy and OUR car is filthy!"

By the way if you have a clean car and a clean home, I still hate you - but I'm willing to consider you might be a nice person.

Allergen Free Vegetable Salad

My friend Heather Wiersma made this salad years ago. I can't remember how closely I have adhered to her recipe over time, but here is how I make it now. It is a great summer salad.

- Cut up Broccoli, Carrots and Cauliflower real small.
- Dice red onion very small
- Mix together
- Put in equal parts of Vinegar and Sugar - you don't need much, maybe a 1/8 cup but taste to your liking (I'll admit I probably put more sugar in:))
- Mix together
- Before serving I like to put bacon bits on the top - the real stuff fried on your pan is best!

Do those Yogurts Really Work?

Due to the Mitochondrial Disease and genetics that pre-dispose all my kids to Reflux and Dismotility, my children have had to all use medications ranging from Mirolax to Reglan. When our Paris was having liver symptoms her Hepatologist recommended we put her on a probiotic and at the time there was only one brand she recommended that actually worked, which was about 25.00 a box. Paris has been on Reglan for years now, luckily without the nasty side effects, but I'm always looking for a more natural way as the only consistent treatment for Mitochondrial Disease is a vitamin cocktail - we are one of the lucky families where this actually makes a difference for us. So, with all the new Yogurts in commericals with probiotics I thought I would give it a try. My sister told me about Keffer brand yogurt drink which has been effective for her family. I am now giving my girls little "shots" of yogurt drinks (I have tried the Keffer and Activia brands)every other night and have not had to use Mirolax or Reglan for any of them since. It is so wonderful not to have little girls complaining of tummy aches on a daily basis. Knock on wood that it keeps working, but worth a try if a natural way that can boost immunity works!

What Paris Taught Me About Myself Today

1. Apparently I complain too much because when I said "I am going to throw up" she replied "No, Mama's don't throw up they just about to throw up."

2. You know you have too many children when your 4 year old says while leafing through a book about babies, "Mama, next time you have a baby in your tummy, I want it to look like this one."

Parisism of the Week

After being told to calm down with her little brother and ignoring the warning, I pulled Paris' hands off of her brother. Forgetting herself she swatted me on the arm and then looked up at me in horror. I gasped and was about to start the lecture and hand out punishment, when Paris put her tiny hand over my mouth and said, "Don't say a word."

I've found it very interesting that Paris suddenly loves to go shopping with me. Today she asked if we could go look at all the things she might choose for her birthday, me being short on time and her birthday not being until January, I said "no, not today your birthday isn't for a long time anyway." Too which Paris said to herself under her breathe, "well, I guess I hate shopping now."