No horse for the back yard.

(Googleimages.com/ghorses.webs.com)

So, my youngest child, Kitty, reminded me the other day that we still haven't bought a horse for her for the back yard. She said she has been patiently asking for five years now, and still no horse. Hubby said he keeps forgetting to get one each time he goes to the horsey store.

I had to listen to an hour long car ride of her saying, "but they're sooooooo cuuuuuuuute!" "aaaahhhh, there's another one!" and on and on.

Now, we live in the city, and our backyard is about the size of a postage stamp. Not to be deterred, she has decided that to save room, she will store the horse's tack and food in her oldest brother's bedroom (who recently moved out.)

We can joke about it with her, but the sad truth is that we can't have any animals inside or outside out home. When you have allergies and asthma, animals are not a good thing to have around. They are a very common asthma trigger and as cute as pets are, they can make you feel miserable. I feel like a such a mean mom, because I had plenty of pets growing up (and spent my childhood sneezing and wheezing.) The rule at our house is no animals.

Kitty also happens to be allergic to horses. A few years ago, we were taking horse back riding lessons and after each lesson, she would have an asthma attack on the drive home. I would race home as fast as I could so she could get in the shower and wash all the dander away, but she still struggled.

She is doing allergy shots now (immunotherapy.) To learn more about it, click here
She's been having allergy shots for about three years now, she may be able to tolerate being around horses. Hhhhmmmm

Now about the size of my backyard......

Familiar face at the pharmacy

(photo from Google Images/Michelehow.wordpress.com)




So, is it a good thing or a bad thing that the people at the pharmacy know me when I go to pick up prescriptions? Not only do they know me, but they also knows all 3 of my kids. When I walk up to the counter, they simply reach bag and grab the bag, I don't even have to tell them which prescription I am picking up and for which family member.


All 5 of our family members have allergies, and 4 out of the 5 of us have asthma. So we are at the pharmacy a LOT! We have tried a three month supply from the mail order pharmacies, but it didn't seem to save any money. For some people, it does. The mail order pharmacies will send a three month supply for the price of two or sometimes three co-pays. For us, we had to pay three months of co-pays, so it didn't save any money. Not only that, but the kids always forget to tell me they are running low on their prescriptions. They will usually tell me when they are completely out (as they shake their empty bottle) Sigh.


I guess that's why I like using my local pharmacy, I can get a presciption the same day. And they know me! With as much time as I spend at the local pharmacy, I should add them to my Chrismas card list! Just kidding.......








Smiles for Grammie

My mom always manages to get the biggest belly laugh smiles out of Lily.

Thank you for taking so many awesome pictures of Lilybear for us.
Not only today but EVERYDAY!!!!!!!

Introducing......

A little late.. ok almost two months late...but nevertheless. We introduce to you the newest member of the Fruscella clan......... Jack Russell Fruscella but we call him Jack.

   This is our new baby boy Jack. Don't ask us what posessed us to adopt this cute little tyke (three days before our wedding) but we did and we LOVE him, well the humans in our house do..the other two not so much but Bandit is slowly coming around to him.
   Jack is a (now) 5 month old Jack Russell that we adopted from a old high school friend of mine. We feel so blessed to have him in our fmaily. He fits right in. Lily absolutley adores everything about him, ok maybe not the whole always wanting to lick or be in your face thing, but she is good at telling him no and pushing him away, oh or the whole chewing all of her nice toys (but we needed to weed through he toys anyways right lol).
 Jack is not only Lilys shadow but he his Jason's little cuddle bug.. Jack thinks Jason lap is the best thing next to zukes!!!

  Little Jack makes a good addition to our household, now only if him and Charley could learn to get along like him and angelo.

My two Favorite Girls!!!


"Laughter is the language of the soul"

Lately, Lily has become quite attached to her Aunt Maggie,she thinks she is cool! Aunt Maggie paints her toes with purple glitter nail polish, fixes her popsicles, gets her balloons, and hangs out with her at the zoo all day. I mean wouldn't you think she was cool too !!

It truly warms my heart to see how much love these two stinkers have for one another, I hope that they always share and continue to nurture this little bond that they have created.

Eczema







(Google Images)



It looks like Eczema is back to bother Kitty again. I didn't think she would still be having a problem as a tween it seems like most of my kids had problems when they were toddlers. Unfortunately, asthma, allergies and eczema often go hand in hand and can often last a lifetime. Lucky us!


Kitty started out with a spot on top of her knuckle, which then spread to the top of her other knuckles. Then it spread to the inside of her elbows and knees. What confused me was having it on the top of her knuckles, that's what made me wonder if it was something else.



So Kitty got to visit Dermatologist today. Kitty has several patches on her hands, so Dermatologist asked if she washes her hands a lot (which she does.) He then laughed and said he doesn't see a lot of eczema in boys, because they are usually terrible hand washers. Ugh.



He did prescribe a prescription cream for her to use, but recommended using a mild hand soap (such as Dove.) He also suggested we use Canola oil and dab that on the trouble areas. Simple fix, I would say.



Has anyone else had any problems with eczema, and have you found anything that works?
I'll be putting Dove handsoap on my shopping list and dragging out my big jug of Canola oil.

On the plus side, I am happy that she is a good hand washer, I know that the simple act of washing hands can prevent the spread of many illnesses. And as anyone who suffers with asthma knows, a simple cold for others can mean pneumonia and another hospitalization for us. I say keep washing those hands! And if you get eczema patches on them, use Dove hand soap and dab the patches with Canola oil.

You Have to Check Out What I Got In the Mail!


Y'all, I was so excited when this package came in the mail yesterday.  Like, really, really excited.  Because this is what was inside.


Of course I was excited because it was a bona fide Kindle, but I was also over the moon because I bought it brand new for exactly $.06.  Yes, you read that right - six whopping cents!  And, I could've gotten it for free if I had been slightly more patient.  You wanna know how?  Ok, you can quit twisting my arm now.  I couldn't wait to spill the beans anyway. :0)

You're probably familiar with Swagbucks by now, but just in case you live on Jupiter or something - Swagbucks is a site that you can set as your homepage or download to your toolbar and you use it as a search engine just like you would Google or whatever your search engine of choice would be.  The difference is that Swagbucks rewards you for searching with them - in - wait for it...Swagbucks (SB).  You didn't see that coming did you?  You can also earn SB by taking a 10 second daily poll, watching short videos, taking advantage of special offers and a host of other options.  I mostly just use it as a search engine and take the daily polls and still earn enough SB to buy great stuff.  You can redeem your SB for a gazillion different doodads or gift cards.  I always redeem them for Amazon.com gift cards because I figure a gal can buy anything her little heart could desire on there.  Which leads me to my next tid bit for you...

Did you know that Amazon.com has a buy back program?  So does Swagbucks for that matter, but we're talking about Amazon.com now. They will buy back books, DVD's, and games and gaming consoles.  Seeing as how we're a homeschooling family, we have books coming out of our ears at the moment.  So, I did a check of all the ones we're ready to part with to see which titles were part of Amazon.com's buy back program.  It was really simple.  They have a detailed explanation on their site.  Anyway, I added the books I would be returning to my "cart" and when I was finished I simply had to print off the shipping label they provide (and pay for), box up the books, apply the shipping label, drop it off at a UPS drop center and wait for my credit.  I was surprised at how quickly they received my shipment and credited my Amazon.com account.  When I saw how easy that was I started pilfering through all those old DVD's that never get watched and sent them in, too.

Between my credit for Amazon's buy back program and the gift cards I was able to redeem through Swagbucks, I came up exactly $.06 short of being able to purchase my new Kindle.  I have more SB to redeem, but have to wait until August to do that, as you're only allowed to redeem 5 prizes per month through Swagbucks.  I figured $.06 wasn't worth waiting an entire month for just to be able to say that I got it for free.

So, if you're doing some summer clutter removing and have books, movies, and gaming consoles or games that are just sitting around collecting dust - you should really look into Amazon.com's buy back program.  It's way easier than having a yard sale. :0)

If you're not already using Swagbucks as your search engine, I would highly recommend it.  If you're searching anyway, why not get rewarded for it?  If you decide to look into it, I would be very grateful if you link through the Swagbucks banner on my left-hand column over there.  I'll get rewarded if you link up through my site.  And then, if you get people using Swagbucks, you'll be rewarded, too.  It's a win-win situation.

Pam

How to use a nebulizer

(Google Images)








Have you ever looked at a nebulizer and thought, "huh?" How do all the little pieces fit together? How do you clean it?





I found a great resource from the Utah Asthma Program. They have a link for 16 pages of different picture diagrams from the American College of Chest Physicians. They show:






  • How to use a diskus




  • How to use Foradil Aerolizer




  • How to use Maxair Autohaler




  • How to clean your Maxair Autohaler




  • Using an inhaler-closed mouth technique




  • Using an inhaler-open mouth technique




  • Using an inhaler with a spacer




  • Using an inhaler with a spacer and pediatric mask




  • Priming and cleaning your MDI and spacer




  • How to use Pulmicort Turbuhaler




  • Using Spiriva Handihaler




  • Using a nebulizer




  • How to use Asthmanex Twisthaler





Page 15 shows pictures of how to use and then clean a nebulizer. Click here to be taken to the 16 page document. You may find several of the diagrams useful. I know my kids have used a variety of asthma medications, and they're all different. These photos may help you if you are confused and your pharmacist isn't handy to ask. Of course they would be your best option, but if you can't contact them, this may help.



watch out Joel Hetrick

Favorite photo from today. Lily's first quad ride. Loving her enthusiasm and willingness to try it out. After 30 hours of charging the battery, Lily was able to actually drive it today.Needless to say she is in utter LOVE with her new toy.I sense a pro in the making. I can not wait for her to wake up from her nap, so i can take her outside to ride it.... I love having  a Toddler!!!!!!!!

Coffee for asthma?

(Google Images)




I'm always hearing something new about ways to treat asthma, the latest one I heard involves drinking coffee to treat asthma. According to a New York Times article, caffeine has a substance that acts similar to theophylline, which is a drug used to treat asthma.



Can caffeine replace theophylline? The Times article says that coffee can result in a small improvement in lung function for 2-4 hours. But it also says that the improvements are very slight, not enough to act as a replacement for medication.


If you are having problems breathing, I would not suggest drinking coffee! Use your inhaler! If you feel like your inhaler isn't working, call your doctor. The majority of people (medical personnel included) don't use their inhalers properly. So, you may not be getting as much medication into your lungs as you think you are. Simply changing the way you use your inhaler can improve your asthma dramatically. Click here to view an asthma telehealth by David Young, a pharmacist who discusses common mistakes people make when using their inhaler. (Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on "In the World of Asthma, Device Matters")


Also, if you suffer from heart problems or other issues, you need to be careful about your how much caffeine you drink. Especially if you are drinking coffee after using your inhaler. That can be too much stimulation for your heart.


So, bottom line? Coffee can have a minimal effect on asthma, but is not a substitute for your asthma inhaler. And too much caffeine combined with the inhaler can affect your heart.


Be skeptical! There are some weird claims floating around......

22 Months

Dear Liliana,

    You turned twenty-two months on Tuesday and all we have to show for it is a bubbly amazing little girl.  This boggles my mind, lilybear. How your father and I ever lucked out and created YOU, someone so much better than either of us.  All I know is that I’m glad we did.  You are still, now and forever, the very best part of our lives together.  You made us a family.

   Your comprehension and language development has been astounding to witness this month.  Every day you make new associations that stun us.  Just the other week, I took you to the beach to relax and play in the sand ( notice i didn't say in the water, because for some reason you are absolutely terrified of going within 5 feet of the water, and not just the lake, ponds,creeks, and pools too) As we played in the sand something caught your eye, your face beamed and you jumped to your feet exclaiming"wook mama wook a kite a kite" and before I could parrot kite back to you, you jumped with excitement "mama kite fly in the sky high,wook mama kite in the sky" I was so taken back that you knew what a kite was let alone what it was doing and where. After the man with the Kite left, you were still so taken in by the flying kite that we talked about it, and do you know what you told me? You told me "Mama kite and ba-fly(butterfly) fly high in sky" Lily you make me so proud and continue to amaze me Every single day.

  You also have embarked on the wonderful world of imaginary play. Sometimes while I am doing the dishes or getting lunch ready you will disappear. I always know exactly where to find you, in your room. You love your room but more importantly in your room, is your doll house. You absolutely ADORE your doll house you play so contently with just yourself, bun, and of course the people who live in your beloved house. Just the other day I found in the store accessories for your house and i picked up the babies room one; complete with crib, rocking chair, and seat. You were thrilled. Now whenever you play you kiss the baby on the head and gently put her in her crib, never forgetting to cover her with her blanky.

CUTEST.THING.EVER!!!!!!

  Also you have actually decided enough was enough and that my mother and daddy's mother will no longer be "a very grunt like noise" but be "grammie and nana" . You adore your grandparents. We actually have to be careful about when we talk about them around you, because you automatically get your "shooz" and run to the door saying "cum on mama wetz go".

  And oh my goodness your ability to memorize things is very impressive. You know words to pretty much all of your songs and don't just sing them while they are playing in the cd player, but you will break out in song a dance at any given minuet. That my little one is amazing. Not to mention you can sing the abc's with little or no help from me, count to 12 and actually know what you are counting, and talk about pretty much every color, all though you love to tell me everything is either BOO (blue) or WED (red).

  You are such an amazing little girl, and I am soooooo proud to be your mother. I love you to the moon and back sweetie, and with all of the changes that we are constantly going through that is one thing that will NEVER change.

Love, your mama

Tattler Reusable Canning Lid Review

I mentioned yesterday that I did my first round of canning for the season recently.  This canning session was a little different than most for me, though.  I had ordered some Tattler reusable canning lids.  The reusable canning lids are BPA free and consist of a flat white lid with a rubber ring that goes between it and the jar.  They have received great reviews and are supposed to be something that I can use for decades.  Y'all, buying lids every year can really crank the cost of canning up.  These are kind of pricey up front, but will be much more economical over time.

I had been anxiously awaiting my first go 'round with them.  I only ordered 3 dozen to begin with because I was unsure of how they would work for me.  I was a little uncertain about them having 2 pieces and not making the "pop" that assures me that they sealed properly.

I plunged head-first into canning my first seven quarts of green beans with the Tattler lids, following the the directions exactly.  Which, incidentally isn't any harder than using regular flats - unless you count the fact that the rings need to be tightened completely when they're pulled from the water after processing.  Big whoop.  I waited until the following morning to check and see if all of them sealed properly just to be on the safe side.


Happily, every single jar sealed like it was supposed to.  That was enough for me to be a convert.  I must say that I was really impressed with these and will be adding to my supply soon.  These truly were easy to use and I would highly recommend them.

Inhaler-rescue vs maintenance





(Allergy and Asthma Network Mothers of America)






Do you ever look at a poster like this and think "huh? I'm confused!"






Join the club. It seems a lot of people are confused, there are discs and inhalers. So what do you use and for what? All the discs I have seen are for maintenance medication, so you use them every day.






But what about metered dose inhalers? They look the same, except for color, so which ones are used for every day (maintenance or controller medications) and which are used for when you are having problems breathing (rescue or emergency inhalers)?






It's hard to tell a difference, Son #2 has two inhalers, one is Advair (so he uses it every day) the other is Xopenex, so he uses it when he's having problems breathing. One is purple, one is blue. Hubby can't tell the difference, as much as I love him, he wouldn't know what to do if Son #2 was in trouble.






I know some companies are developing stickers to put on inhalers. The Utah Asthma Program is working with pharmacists to develop stickers to put on inhalers. A green strip sticker could be for everyday (green means go) and a red sticker could be for the emergency inhaler (since red means stop or danger.)






Until then, I whip out a black marker and write on the inhaler "controller" for the every day inhaler and "emergency" for the rescue inhaler. That way, not only do the kids know which is which, but Hubby will too (just in case someone panics-not that any of us have EVER panicked during an asthma attack)






Has anyone else found a good way of marking your inhalers to tell them apart? I would be interested to see what other people have found that help.



Crispy Beans


My parents went on a trip this past weekend and my mom hit up the health food store before they left for some snacks to take in the car with them.  She told me about these crispy green beans that were so delicious.  They were baked until crunchy, sort of like a potato chip.  I asked her what was in them and she read me the ingredient list that included canola oil, salt and a handful of other ingredients I didn't recognize.  I told her I bet I could make them.

As things would turn out, a couple of days later I spent all morning picking green beans in our garden.  I canned all of our blue lakes, but I had a bunch of the hericots verts that I didn't feel like cooking for supper and didn't have everything I needed to pickle them.  Then I remembered my mom's crispy beans. I figured I would take a shot at recreating the health food store version that my mom picked up.  I am SO glad I did.  I think we have a new favorite in our house - and they couldn't be easier.

Crispy Beans


fresh green beans (I think a slender bean would turn out best, but haven't tried the thicker variety.)
olive oil
salt (I used sea salt.)

Snap the ends off of the beans and give them a good rinse and dry.  Place them in a bowl and drizzle with enough olive oil to cover.  Toss to coat.  Lay on a cookie sheet or two, depending on how many beans you have.  Sprinkle with salt.  Place them in a 200 degree oven until no longer chewy, but crispy.  This will take about 6 - 8 hours.  The key to these beans is to cook them low and slow to basically dehydrate them without burning them.  The best way to go about this would be to stick them in the oven in the morning and let them cook all day - or stick them in the oven before bed and let them cook all night.  Don't let the length of time in the oven keep you from trying these.  The temp is extremely low and you don't even have to flip them over.

The nice thing about these crispy beans are that they only have 3 ingredients, no preservatives and your kids will love them.  I don't know about you, but I would much rather see my kiddo reaching for a green bean than a gold fish.  These are ridiculously inexpensive (especially if you have a garden) and take all of 5 minutes to prepare.  Once they're in the oven you barely have to think about them.

Just a word of caution though, these are very addicting.  They didn't stick around long at our house.  I've made 2 batches of these, so far, upon request.  Have I ever mentioned how much I love having a garden?  :0)

Pam

Homemade Granola


In the interest of cleaning up our diet and eliminating processed foods from our house I made the decision to stop buying boxed breakfast cereal.  We've been without it for about a month now.  I'm also into simplifying at this point and cooking three times a day doesn't quite fit that bill either.  So what's a gal to do? Well...I've found a solution that is really working for us right now.


Enter, homemade granola.  This stuff is great.  Not only is it a much better option nutritionally, but it's very versatile.  We eat it as a cold cereal with milk, straight as a snack, as an ice cream topping, on yogurt, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.  :0)


One batch makes about a gallon of granola so it lasts quite a while.  The beauty of this basic recipe is that you can tailor it to suite your taste buds - or at least what you have on hand.  You can switch up the variety of fruits, nuts and spices.  You can also use gluten free oats or eliminate them all together if you're on a grain free diet.  So, what are we waiting for?  Let's make granola!


Granola
2 c. almonds
2 c. walnuts
2 c. oats
2 c. coconut
1 c. sunflower seeds
1 1/2 c. dried fruit
1/2 c. ground flax seeds (optional)
1 T. cinnamon


1 stick butter, coconut oil, or combination of the two
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. honey
1 T. vanilla


In a food processor, take turns chopping the almonds and walnuts.  There will be larger pieces and smaller, powdery pieces. This is fine.  Dump them in a large bowl then add the next 6 ingredients, stirring it all together.  I used dried cranberries, in case you care.




In the meantime, melt butter, brown sugar and honey over med-low heat in a sauce pan.




Once it's all melted, stir in vanilla and pour over the dry ingredients.  Stir very well.  Then, spread the granola mixture onto two greased cookie sheets.


Bake in a pre-heated 300 degree oven for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  It's done when you can smell the nuts roasting and it has turned a pretty golden brown.




Place this into your storage bags or containers while it's still slightly warm.  I used to store this in empty oat containers.  Then, I found my new faves - 1/2 gallon canning jars.  Can I just say I love these things? They have been in use non-stop for everything from granola to tea every since I bought them.  Bunny trail...I couldn't find them at Walmart, Meijer or any other places that I would expect to find them in the canning aisle of various stores.  I found them at my local True Value Hardware Store.  Incidentally, my True Value has the best selection of canning supplies anywhere.  Now back to our regularly scheduled programming...Now all that's left is to enjoy.  Let's look at the finished granola in my new fave 1/2 gallon canning jars one more time, shall we?




Purdy, ain't it?


All right.  That's all folks!


Pam


I'm linking this post to These Chicks Cooked.

Updated Cilantro Sauce with Pictures



This is just a short notice to let you know that I updated the post for cilantro sauce and included photos of the process.  It's quite simple and now you can see that for yourself.

Pam

Asthma Action Plans








There are a lot of different types of Asthma Action Plans on the internet. I like this one from the Utah Asthma Program's website . That's the version our school nurse uses, and we just got our copy in the mail. Our School Nurse sends out a new Asthma Action Plan for us to fill out every summer. We also get a Self Administration Form to fill out.

By the way, did you know that it is legal in every state in the U.S. for students to carry their inhaler with them during school? However, you must fill out a Self Administration Form every year, sign it, and have the doctor and principal sign it. As long as your child is old enough to use their inhaler on their own, they can carry it with them. (Do you really want them to have an attack out on the soccer field and have their inhaler locked up in the front office?!) We all know that schools are drug-free, however students with asthma and diabetes are allowed to carry their medication with them.

Also, according to Allergy & Asthma Today magazine, every state except for three allow students to carry their Epi Pen with them as well. (Wisconsin, New York and Rhode Island still need anaphylaxis laws)

So, even though it's the middle of summer, we are getting the kid's forms filled out by Asthma Doc so I can mail them back to our School Nurse. Please do your school nurse a favor-if your kids have asthma, let her know! (And get your Asthma Action Plan filled out!) She can't help your child if they have an asthma attack and she doesn't know what their triggers are or what medication and dosage they need. It also helps their teacher know what to do to help them.

Don't waste precious minutes during an asthma attack wondering what to do. Have your child's Asthma Action Plan filled out and on file at the school. Keep a copy at home as well. I almost feel like it's Murphy's Law-if my kids have one on file at the school, they won't need to use it. If I don't have one on file, they will have an asthma attack and need it. Either way, protect your kids and get yours filled out now!

Giving nebulizer treatments




Have you ever had a hard time getting your kids to sit still while you do a nebulizer treatment? How can you distract them for 10 minutes? It was always a challenge when my kids were little, sometimes Teddy Bear would get a "treatment" (we would just hold the mask up to teddy-we wouldn't turn the nebulizer on and waste our precious vials of Albuterol.) Or we would let Kitty be in charge and hold the mask up to teddy, or horsey, or whatever stuffed animal was her favorite at the moment.



I just found something on the website for the Allergy and Asthma Network Mothers of Asthmatics. The video called "Baby Breaths" is made especially for kids to watch who are having a nebulizer treatment. It only takes 10 minutes and is designed to distract them from the treatment. I wish I would have known about this when my kids were little.! It shows other little kids getting nebulizer treatments. And little kids are always fascinated by watching other little kids. And it's nice for them to see other kids going through the same thing they are.


At only 10 minutes, it's the perfect length. So, try it and let me know what you think!


Freezin' Nanners


Do you ever have bananas get too ripe on you and wonder what to do with them?  Sometimes I'll make banana bread with them if I've got the time.  But, I don't usually have the time.  I had heard that you can freeze them and then use them for smoothies or what-not.  So, I tried it.  I found out that you just can't peel a frozen banana.  Light bulb moment!  Peel them first.


Stick those peeled nanners in a bag and throw 'em in the freezer and they'll be ready for you when you want to make those smoothies.  I suspect you could even use 'em for banana bread.  No peeling' required.


The Great American Asthma Challenge

I found something in my Allergy & Asthma Today magazine. There is something called The Great American Asthma Challenge

It's the first ever nationwide grass roots movement to end asthma suffering and death. Everything is online, and free. They have different "challenges" each week. But a lot of them are really easy, such as making sure you have an Asthma Action Plan. Or reading an article about asthma. You can also talk to family members about asthma, to see if there's a family history. They have a challenge about learning about anaphylaxis and letting family members know about it.

You don't have to do them in any certain order, whatever is most important for you.

You have to register and then can log on every week and see what you want to work on. I believe that knowledge is power, and the more you know about asthma, the better you will be. I am always learning something new, and I've been dealing with it for 11 years now.

Anyway, just another idea. Let me know if any of you try it and what you think.

First Fruits and a Couple of Recipes

My garden a couple of weeks ago.

This year we discovered the beauty of laying hay down in our garden.  It has made an enormous difference a number of areas.  It has cut the weeding back to a very manageable amount, not to mention that the plants are healthier than ever and absolutely thriving this year.  There is one added surprise to the addition of the hay in the garden - we seem to have a family of mourning doves nesting in there.  But, that's not the point of this post...

We planted two types of green beans this year - Blue Lake and the French green bean, Haricot Verts.  The Hericot Verts are evidently prolific producers and I was able to pick the first of them today.  There was enough for dinner plus left-overs.  These are super fast and easy to make using a recipe I got off of an old video from "The French Chef", Julia Child's PBS television show.  I rented the videos from the library and they were so old that they were in black and white.  Man, oh, man, did they have some great recipes on them, though!


Hericot Verts
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil.  Add hericot verts (fresh or frozen) and boil for about 3 minutes until bright green and crisp-tender.  Drain and run under cold water to stop the cooking process. Put beans back into warm stock pot to dry the water off of them.  Add about a tablespoon of butter and shake to melt and coat the beans.  Then add lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste.  That's it.  Easy peasy.

We also have zucchini and crookneck squash growing.  I harvested one veggie of each and whipped up one of our (many) favorite squash dishes.


Sauteed Summer Squash
Thinly slice 1 zucchini and 1 squash.  Finely chop 1 onion and 1 clove of garlic.  Pour a little olive oil (1 or 2 tablespoons) into a skillet on medium heat.  Add vegetables and toss occasionally until they are tender.  Season to taste with sea salt and Nature's Seasoning.  Super simple.  Great flavor.

Hericot Verts, sauteed summer squash, pasta salad and twice-baked potatoes

There is nothing quite like walking out into your own back yard and plucking dinner straight from the vines.  It is truly one of life's greatest luxuries.  The flavor and freshness absolutely cannot be bought.  And the reassurance that there are no harmful chemicals added to the food we're eating gives me great peace of mind.  I'm so thankful to finally have a slice of land to be able to grow our own food on.  I've got a lot of wonderful harvesting ahead of me this season and I couldn't be happier about that!


Fluoride Benefit vs. Fluorosis Risk

Get maximum dental benefit AND minimize fluorosis risk.  Every parent wants to get this right.  We want to prevent dental decay for our children for sure.  We also want to avoid unsightly fluorosis on our children’s permanent teeth.  Please note: only children are at risk for developing fluorosis. As a pediatric dentist, I can help answer your concerns.

First about the fluorosis value at risk.  For the average person eating normal foods and using typical dental care products there is a small risk of very mild to mild fluorosis.  Very mild to mild fluorosis is tiny white specks on the teeth.  They are typically not noticeable at conversational distance.  Some people appreciate them because the teeth appear whiter.  Often, photographs of severe fluorosis are published in fluoride warning publications.  Severe fluorosis is a very disfiguring opaque white with brown blotches discoloration on the surface of the teeth.  It is ugly.  People at high risk for moderate to severe fluorosis live in areas were natural fluoride occurs in well water and public water in levels of three parts per million or higher (up to 10 parts per million in some regions of the country).  Another group at risk is infants and toddlers allowed to brush their teeth with (and eat) a full squeeze of fluoride toothpaste.  Fluoride toothpaste is for children age two and above and should be applied to the brush by an adult in the size of a split pea or grain of rice.  Note: Topical fluoride like toothpaste and mouth rinses and gels present no risk of fluorosis unless they are swallowed.

Second:  About the frustrating development of additional fluoride sources.  The difficulty physicians and dentists have measuring and prescribing fluoride comes largely from our food industry.  Fluoride is naturally found in all water supplies including oceans (two parts per million) and freshwater.  Originally fluoride was primarily available in water supplies, naturally or added by water municipalities.  It was easy to measure and estimate how much a typical person consumed.  Today it is additionally and intentionally available in toothpaste, mouth washes, prescription dental gels and dental floss.  If these are spit out they present no risk of fluorosis and don’t complicate the Dr’s prescription.

Fluoride is also unintentionally present now in many sodas, juices, baby formula, other beverages and other foods processed with or reconstituted with fluoridated water.  The amount of fluoride that is present in these products depends on which bottling or processing plant made them.  The amount is unknown, varies widely in the same products and is not labeled on the product.  Due to the multiple unmeasured sources of fluoride, it is impossible for a physician or dentist to calculate an appropriate supplement of fluoride for a growing child.

Fluorosis comes from ingesting (swallowing) too much fluoride when a child is still developing teeth.  Adults without fluorosis can never create fluorosis with any amount of fluoride.  Topical fluoride applied to the surface of the teeth will not create fluorosis.  The fluoride benefit for teeth is on the surface and can be maximized with topical products that are spit out and not swallowed.  To improve the fluoride benefit to your teeth allow the fluoride to remain on the teeth longer by not rinsing your mouth after use and not eating right away either.

Suggestions to maximize the benefit and minimize the ingestion of fluoride:  Starting with toothpaste, use a small amount on your brush approximately the size of a split pea or grain of rice.  After brushing your teeth thoroughly spit out the foam and do not rinse your mouth afterwards.  Also try to avoid eating or drinking anything for the next 30 minutes.  This allows more time for the minute amounts of fluoride to incorporate in the surface of the tooth.  If you have a history of cavities you may wish to talk to your dentist about using a prescription high fluoride concentration toothpaste (Not for children under 12 year old).  If you have a history of cavities you may also wish to use a fluoride mouth rinse daily.  This would best be done in the evening just before going to bed.  Saliva flow, which would normally flush the fluoride rinse off your teeth, slows to nearly nothing while sleeping.  This allows the rinse to remain on your teeth several hours.  Also, for those with a history of many cavities, your dentist can provide fluoride varnish applications on a regular interval or prescribe fluoride gels which cling to the teeth better than the rinses.

In general, with the growing number of fluoride sources in our daily lives, dentists and physicians are moving away from attempting to calculate appropriate fluoride supplements and are moving toward the use of topical fluorides.  This minimizes the risk of fluorosis and maximizes the benefit of fluoride protection from cavities.

And, still, the best way to administer fluoride for consistent prevention of cavities is with community water fluoridation.  If your community has the opportunity to fluoridate its water, support it.  Water fluoridation levels have been recently reduced to accommodate the “extra” fluoride in many food sources.  Please note that the fluoride in foods is only present in processed foods.   So if you primarily eat whole foods (whole fruit, vegetables, whole grains, meats and dairy) then your children are not at risk from the growing sources of fluoride in processed foods and beverages.

Learn to prepare food and eat real food.  Want help to insure your children have the brightest smile possible - call me for a consultation today!  530-878-2357   Meet the team!

4th of July Fireworks





(nydailynew.com)


It's that time of year again, time to celebrate the 4th of July. Many of us are having BBQ's, attending carnivals and parades and of course lighting off fire works.


Many of you who read my blog regularly know that I have a fear of smoke. This is due to Son #2 who almost died from the effects of a forest fire-the smoke filled our valley, along with my son's lungs. It was during 4th of July weekend, so the kids wanted to light off fireworks. It seems like kids are drawn to fireworks and water. (Watch your kids near the water too-we've already had 9 children that have drowned so far this summer in our state. All it takes is you turning your back 'just for a second' and they're gone.)


But back to fireworks. They can cause problems with asthma-any smoke can. Keep your kids a safe distance from them, and watch the way the wind is blowing the smoke, change positions frequently if you need to.


And watch their breathing- if they start coughing then do a nebulizer treatment or have them use their inhaler pronto! Many of us think "it's just a cough" Coughing is your lung's ways of saying "help!" If you have asthma, use your rescue medication, don't wait until it gets worse. (I think that's the mistake I made when my kids were first diagnosed with asthma, I didn't know when to use the nebulzier, call the doctor, or start them on steroids)


Trips to the Emergency room are not fun. And spending 3 days in the hospital each time for asthma is not fun either (Trust me, I know! My kids have been hospitalized 12 separate times for asthma) And sometimes, they can't save people who have asthma attacks. Keep in mind that 11 people die from asthma EVERY DAY


I do not want to me or my kids to be one of them. So, enjoy the 4th of July, and watch fireworks, but from a distance. And remember what your doctor has told you about treating your (or your child's) asthma. Don't be afraid to use your rescue medicine if you need it, and if there's no improvement after using your medicine, head to the closest emergency room. Minutes count when you have asthma.


Please look over your Asthma Action plan so you know what to do in case of an asthma attack. Follow the doses your doctor has prescribed for you, we're all a little different, so do what you need to to treat your asthma.


Happy 4th of July!