THE FLU SHOT

    Yes, here is again another very controversial topic.  But since this is a blog promising not to sugar-coat anything I can not shy away from these important issues particularly with how they pertain to our children's health.  I am not a proponent of the flu shot.  I think it is risky and often very inaccurate.  To me it is just another big business that has gotten out of control.  The intention of helping people with lower immune systems protect themselves in quite wonderful but this article speaks to my greatest belief which is that NO SUGAR is one of the best ways to protect the immune system.  I know that some of the points in this article are not entirely accurate (you can get thimerosol-free flu shots), however its overall point speaks to my belief about this shot.  I can tell you that the one year I got the flu shot I got the worst flu EVER!!

If you are considering the flu shot for yourself or your children please read.

http://www.NaturalNews.com/024624.htlm

FIRETRUCK CAKE CONTINUED

   Cate from Tribeca-Yummy Mummy who's blog I recently discovered commented that she would like to know more about what I tried using for Luke's fabulous firetruck cake.  So here is a follow-up to my earlier post.  I very loosely followed a recipe from the ever so fabulous book "Baking with Agave Nectar" by Ania Catalano.   The cake batter has zucchini in it which I think added to the moistness of the cake.    Here is the recipe as I made it:

4 ounces Wax Orchards Fudge Sauce

3/4 cup canola oil

2 cups Whole Wheat Flour

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon sea salt

2 teaspoons baking powder (non aluminum)

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon agave

3 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/3 cup nonfat plain yogurt

2 cups coarsely pureed zucchini

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly oil two 9-inch cake pans with oil and flour.

Combine the fudge and 1/4 cup canola oil in a glass bowl and heat in either the microwave for 1 1/2 minutes or in small double boiler.  Stir to combine.  Sift the flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a large bowl.  In a separate bowl use an electric mixer to beat the rest of the canola oil, and the agave.  Then add the eggs one at a time and beat until mixed.  Add the chocolate and the vanilla extract and then continue to beat.  On a lower sead add teh flour mixture and the yogurt and mix until combined.  Then gently fold in the zucchini puree.  Bake for 30-35 minutes until the center comes out clean.  I RECOMMEND A BIT OF UNDERBAKING FOR INCREASED FUDGINESS.

As for the icing..what I used and what I tried were two different stories.  I used store bought gross sugar laden icing that held toxic food coloring (You can tell I was not thrilled).  What I tried was another agave sweetened recipe that I really did not love.  I think next time I would try an agave sweetened cream cheese frosting.   As for non-toxic food coloring..let me know if any of you other moms out there have found a TRUE firetruck red!!

OUR RIGHT TO CHOOSE

Regardless of how someone feels about the "vaccine" issue the right to choose what you and your family do to your own body should not be taken away!! Health is a huge issue for me having had health challenges in my life. I have often felt pressure to deal with my body in a certain way because of what is considered traditional or normal, however often my body responds better to more alternative treatments. Had I been FORCED to take certain treatments or medicines I can only imagine where I would be today. If there is anything we can do to not let this happen in California then we must do it. We must protect our children's right to take care of their own bodies one day!! http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27225500/

ITS A VERY CRITICAL TIME

In past election years I have tried very hard to keep politics out of my friendships, relationships and conversations as I know it can often be a "hot topic" and it is often hard to change people's mind who really have already made their decision. This year somehow feels different. I really feel that this is a very critical time in our nation's history. Maybe it is having a child, maybe it just comes with age, or maybe its that this is my blog and I can say anything I want (probably all three), but whichever it is I just can not bear to keep my mouth shut. Somehow today I came upon this video and I think it is very important to see. My son is getting ready to go to preschool. We live in Los Angeles where there are tons of various types of families, two mommies, two daddies, one mommy, etc.. We have purposely chosen a preschool where he will be exposed to a variety of different people, experiences, etc. I feel quite differently from the people in the video and am truly frightened that the world is so antiquated and afraid that it can not embrace change. While I understand wanting to know what your children are reading in school the idea of needing to shelter them from what is truly going on in the world seems barbaric. So all this said. PLEASE vote NO on Proposition 8!!

http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1352578267?bctid=1819819843

NO SOY STRIKES AGAIN

    For some reason lately there have been a lot of articles popping up about why soy is not a great choice for kids (or adults).  If the phytoestrogens are not reason enough this article has quite a few reasons why parents should not encourage their kids to eat soy and in particular soy based formulas.  Someone told me the other day that I was soy paranoid and yes it may be true; but there are enough reasons not to make soy a mainstay of one's diet. 

www.westonaprice.org/soy/infant.html

BEST INTENTIONS

For months leading up to Luke's birthday party I searched and searched for recipes and cake pans and things that would help me in making the world's greatest sugar-free firetruck birthday cake. I just really wanted to attempt to make a "healthy" birthday cake for my son on his second birthday. My husband felt I was being overly ambitious since I didn't just want to may a firetruck cake but I wanted to make a 3-D firetruck cake. In searching the internet I came across a website that provided me with wonderful inspiration: www.coolest-birthday-cakes.com. Luke's cake wound up being an amalgam of several of the cakes that I found on that site. In my preparation I found organic food coloring made from fruit or vegetable juices (vegan-essentials.com), agave cake recipes, several square pans, organic cookies for the tires, fruit-juice sweetened gum drops for the lights, an icing gun, several tips, and I even lined up a babysitter to come play with Luke out the house while I made everything. I was READY.
The night before the party I did a "test-run" of the cake to make sure that my agave concotion with added zuchinni for nutrion was really edible. It was more than edible, it was delicious. This was going to be a cinch!
Well the icing experience was another story. After making batches of agave buttercream icing (which I did not think was so delicious), I was set to die the first batch red for the overall color of the truck. Armed with beet juice colored dye I put in the first drop and knew instantly that it was going to be a long night. A girlfriend of mine was over for help and moral support and we both just looked at each other. It was almost pinkish-lavendar. This would not do for a boys firetruck. I tried everything: adding more, adding strawberry puree, cranberry puree, real food coloring, everything. All I know is that it was either that the "healthy" icing would not hold the color or the "natural" color just plain sucked!! Either way at the eleventh hour..and I do mean the eleventh hour of making this cake I had to buy awful, sugar-laden, gross, store-bought icing and toxic geled food coloring (which still took tubes and tubes to make red). Oh the guilt this sugar free mama felt. I think I hardly slept that night (which might have been that I tasted the frosting so many times that the sugar kept me up).
I told every parent at the part that the cake was agave sweetened but that the frosting was gross just to prepare them. In the end I must say that it was totally worth it. To see the look on my son's face when Marianne (my helper) and I brought the cake to the party. I would do it all again and probably will again next year. Hopefully Luke will be interested in something a bit less labor intensive by then!!

NOTHING BEATS FRUIT SWEETENED TREATS!!

Many people know that my family has been "sugar free" for many years now. I will have the occasional sweet treat but it is EXTREMELY rare and is really only once a year at this point if that. I don't touch alcohol and I am very very careful with exposing my son to any sugar. I am often told by people that I am depriving my son of one of the joys of childhood. That to me is just well..CRAZY!! I know a lot of people eat sugar, some people eat it in moderation and some in excess but very few people would say that they actually believe it is HEALTHY. My son in fact is anything but deprived. He gets treats and quite often but they are fruit sweetened and always in moderation. I have compiled a list of the fruit sweetened treats that we eat in my house. Once you try them you will never go back. They feel healthier and taste yummy- a great combo.

Fabe's fruit sweetened cookies and pies (particularly the pumpkin pie and the oatmeal raisin cookies)
Barbara's Fig Newtons ( all flavors)
Pamela's Ginger Cookies
Pamelas Butter Shortbread Cookies
Earth's Best Crackers (Elmo Face ones)
Wax Orchards Fudge (THE BEST!!! )
St. Dalfour's Fruit Sweetened Jelly
Go Raw Fruit Bars
Lara Bars
Pamelas Pancake and Baking Mix
Zen Bakery ( Amazing Muffins: esp. Carrot Muffin)
Chocolate Ultimate Raw
Fruitabu Organic Smooshed Fruit Bars
Fruitabu Organic Smooshed Fruit Rolls

A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS

I had a mother ask me today what are some of the things that I  would suggest from Trader Joe's that could help her in making some really healthy and yummy "kid friendly" foods.  Well, there were so many to name that I thought it would be great to type some of them up on the blog.  For any readers that I may have (which I don't think are many) who have any suggestions for things they LOVE at TJ's please write them in the comments.  I am always looking for some new ideas.  Also I would like to give an additional shout out to Trader Joe's for heeding some of the advice of us desperate mother's who would like them to carry more ORGANIC  items.  Now instead of the usual three grocery stores that we all go to every week with out rambunctious toddlers running down the aisles and in my case screaming this is sooo FUN, we can go to two grocery stores instead.   YIPPEEE!!! I will include both snack items and items I use to make meals.  Hope this helps!

SNACKS

Trader Joe's Trek Mix (with Cranberries, almonds, and cashews and NO CHOCOLATE, comes in indiv. packs)  

Lara Bars (no sugar added, just fruit and nuts. )

Zen Bakery muffins or cookies (no sugar added, entirely fruit sweetened and DELICIOUS)

Hummus (all kinds)

Sweet Potato Chips

Cheddar Popcorn  (Not so healthy but sooo yummy)

Pita Chips

Parmesean and Artichoke Dip (Refrigerated Section)

Spinach and Artichoke Dip (Not as healthy and in the frozen food section but great for getting kids to dip veggies)

GROCERIES

Flax Spaghetti pasta (with added omega)

Trader Joe's Rustico Southern Italian Pasta Sauce 

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

Sprouted Bread

Sprouted Bagels

Individual Brown Rice Bowls (fast and EASY)

Risotto (in a box)

Veggie Rice (in frozen section, has an Indian name)

Gnocchi a la Sorrentina

Organic frozen fruit (for smoothies)

Ricotta stuffed Chicken

Brussel Sprouts in a bag

Baby Zuchinnis

Organic Fruit

Organic Veggies

European Artichokes

Organic Apple Sauce (no sugar added)

Cacciatore Sauce

Pinapple Salsa

Sundried Tomato Pesto

Sweet Potato Fries (frozen)

Almond Milk (unsweetened)

Fage Greek Yogurt

Spinach and cheese Ravioli (refrigerated)

Organic frozen corn

These are just some of our faves.  Most of our grocery shopping these days happens at TJs.  I will add a few recipes soon that we use that are very simple and yummy.

AHOY AHOY, YET ANOTHER REASON FOR NO MORE SOY

Well not to beat a dead horse but a friend of mine had this posting on her blog and I just could not resist posting it here as well.  I think it speaks volumes about the potential risks of soy.  While I do think there are some benefits of soy I think that the risks are far too great to chance it.  I am sure a little soy in moderation and in its purest form is totally doable but I think that the proliferation of soy in every one of our foods here in the United States is potentially very dangerous.  Not to mention every beauty product as well.  So in case the last article did not convince you here is another : http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/10/07/the-evidence-against-soy.aspx?source=nl

BANANA BREAD MUFFINS

Luke has always loved a good muffin.  Frankly, who doesn't!!  Recently he has also taken an interest in talking about seeing a Moose in our bed or under the couch, etc.  I think it was inspired by seeing a Moose on Curious George.  Anyways, in hopes of combining his two loves I recently purchased the book "If You Give A Moose A Muffin" which he thoroughly enjoys.  I made the mistake of reading the book a few weeks ago right after nap time when he had just woken up not even thinking that it make bring on a craving for some muffins...PRONTO.  That said he instantly began begging me to get him a muffin.  Refusing to give in and run to a Starbucks to get a sugar laden muffin or worse a bakery I decided I would go into the kitchen and make them myself.  I have been making these muffins for a year now and he always devours them and like every thing else I make they are SUPER simple.   So warning if you read "If You Give a Moose a Muffin" you best be prepared to Give a Child a Muffin...these are just the right cure for that craving.  

BANANA BREAD MUFFINS (Can be made into just bread as well)

4 Very ripe to Over-ripe bananas

1/3 Vegetable oil (I use half vegetable oil and half unsweetened apple sauce for lower fat)

2 large eggs

1/2 cup apple juice (organic 100% fruit)

1/3 Cup Whole Wheat Flour

1/3 Cup White Flour

1/3 Cup Chickpea Flour

1 Tablespoon Ground Organic Flax Meal

1 Tsp Baking Soda

1 Tsp Baking Powder (Aluminum Free)

Cinnamon 

Nutmeg (I just eyeball how much to put in..it is really up to personal preference)

Bake in greased muffin tin at 325 for 25-30 minutes.  After 25 minutes be sure to check them.  If the top begins to brown quickly and the inside is not done tent with foil and and cook another ten minutes lowering the oven to 300.  I try to keep them a bit overdone so that they are moister.  Makes a delicious dessert as well!! 

NO SOY FOR MY BOY

I am often asked why I don't eat soy and why I don't feed it to my family.  Anyone who knows me well knows that I have strong feelings on soy.  In fact in close circles of friends I am known for my monologue about how could a product that we can make into anything be good for you.  Ie) Soy dogs, soy candy, soy in shampoo, soy candles, etc.  Just seems wrong.  That aside it is definitely a product that I avoid in any form.  Having a son I am very careful about any product that is considered highly estrogenic.  I don't allow soy in his soaps or in his mouth and I think this is a great article to understand why.  Again just one mom's opinion.  http://www.healingdaily.com/detoxification-diet/soy.htm

PROTEIN PACKED PANCAKES

Pancakes seem to be a surefire hit in out house.  I was searching for a way to make a "healthy" pancake that would please both my husband and my son!!  We went through a lot of trial and error and both of my "taste testers" were very kind about eating whatever it was that I made.  However I think we finally stumbled on a surefire hit.   Here it is:

PROTEIN PACKED PANCAKES

1/2 cup Garbanzo bean (Chickpea flour)

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder (ALUMINUM FREE)

2 tablespoons ground flax meal **

2 tablespoons oats or wheat germ **

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon butter (melted)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract (alcohol free if you can find it)

1/4 cup of milk

1/4 cup of apple juice (organic, all juice)

1 1/4 cup of apple sauce

1 egg

sliced bananas or blueberries added once in the pan.

** amounts may vary depending on consistency of batter.

In a large bowl sift the flour, baking powder, and salt.  Add the vanilla extract, butter, milk, juice and apple sauce and egg and mix until blended.  Once blended add the tablespoon of melted butter.  Depending on the consistency I will sometime vary the amounts of flax or wheat germ or oats that I put in.  If I add more and it is really thick I add a bit more milk or juice to even it out.  You really can not mess these up.

Once mixed I heat butter on a cast iron skillet and spoon two tablespoons of batter per pancake.  I add the bananas or blueberries before flipping.  

Serve hot as is or with whole fruit jam like St. Dalfour's.   Enjoy.