A Letter to my School's Staff

Hello,

I wanted to take this opportunity to express how grateful I am that the school my peanut allergic daughter attends has been so supportive and compassionate. I thank you all immensely for making the classrooms and cafeteria a safe environment for Ruby to learn and eat without fear, or ridicule. If it was not for your support I do not believe the community of parents would be so supportive and I thank you for this as well.

In light of the story topping the news this morning,

I am proud that my children attend your school, and can’t express the gratitude I feel that we are not in a situation like the one in Edgewater Florida. I feel awful for that poor little girl, her family, and for the children that are being taught such intolerance by the ignorance of their parents.

In our school Ruby feels normal, like any other kid in her class, with some dietary restrictions and careful hand wiping. We have made it through nearly three years with no reactions! This is something to be proud of and I sincerely thank you all for your hard work and dedication. Most of all, I thank you for caring, genuinely for my child’s health and safety. I think there is a lot to be said about a school that can show this. You can tell these kids at Taylor feel cared for as well as educated by the staff. This can only lend to a prosperous bunch of students. I have not been able to supply as many paper towels for wipes to be made this year due to financial constraints but I hope this message reaches every staff member that helps in this effort.

Please know I truly thank you.

Warmly,

Jen & family

Why you Should Make your Own Salad Dressing Recipe Honey-Cumin Salad Dressing

I fell in love with the house salad dressing at Checker's Bistro some time ago. I Could have drank shots of the stuff it was so darned good. Sadly, they took it off their menu (crazy). I went on an internet quest to find a recipe that mimics it this past Spring. I found one and have fine tuned it to my liking. I have been using this dressing on just about every salad I've eaten since Spring. You should probably try making your own salad dressing too, here are several reasons why:

• It will have a lot less sodium than store bought
• You'll save money 
• It has no preservatives yet most recipes you'll find won't need stored in the refrigerator
• You can cater the dressing to your liking
• You know exactly what's going into your dressing, omitting things like MSG.
• It saves on waste, those plastic/glass dressing bottles don't go into the trash/recycle bin.
• It will only take you 5 minutes. Shopping for a bottle in the store takes longer than making it yourself!

Here's my recipe: I adapted it from this recipe I found on Epicurious.

Honey-Cumin Vinaigrette

1 Tablespoon Cumin (I use McCormick I do believe this spice companies gives you great quality)
1 Tablespoon Honey
1/3 cup Red Wine Vinegar
3/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Using a funnel and a glass bottle (I used a discarded Red Wine Vinegar bottle or soy sauce bottle)
Funnel Cumin into bottle, followed by honey, Vinegar & oil. shake until honey is dissolved. Store at Room Temperature for several weeks. (maybe months, I have always used mine up faster than that) Shake well before using.

10-20-10 Positive Moments

 Wow it's been too long since I have made attempts to blog a moment ala positivity.

Bloggest Apologies.

Positive. I have been all kinds of positive lately! I enjoy three times a week volunteering at my daughters' school. I am loving helping the teachers and getting to know the kids. It is nice to see how things work in my girl's classrooms.

More positive stuff? Couch to 5K. I have started (trying) to jog 3-4 times a week. It has proven to be quite a challenge for my skinny-but-totally-not in-shape-body. I give myself some credit, I am toned. I came to grips with the fact that yoga for 5 years has taught me lots about breathing and helped build strong lean muscles but I have to get this heart beating faster! The Couch To 5K walking running program is doing that. Initially I adored the post endorphin rush when I arrived home from a jog. That has faded, but I am still liking getting into shape. It's good for the brains, the heart and the soul. Just like yoga. Oh, and of course I am still doing my Yoga Zone routines in my living room 5x a week. That is for sure.

Hand stamped Hemp Tied Bracelet by Mindy Kuen on Etsy

So to give props to this jogging routine and the positives it has offered me? Well for the runners that have been at it for a time there are certainly absolutely adorable things on Etsy! For someone that has completed a marathon this necklace would be a nice surprise!

Love to Run Marathons necklace by Winterberry's Jewelry Shop on Etsy

And how about a half? This key chain would be perfect.

Half Marathon Stamped Keyring by Emilina Ballerina's shop on Etsy

And for lil me that can successfully run for 90 seconds (in a row!) This inspiring tee may be more appropriate.

Run Forest Run Tee by Jam Jam tees on Etsy

I wish you many positive Moments to run to with gusto,

arms outstretched my friends. Take good Care.

Positive Moments 9-10-10

I am one of those lucky people that can fall asleep extremely easily. I am known to fall asleep for juuuust about every movie Blockbuster sends to us. I can sleep though my husbands and my own alarm, along with other things normal folks are awoken from. I value my sleep like I do food. It's very important for my mental health for me to sleep an adequate amount. 6 hours minimum. 8 preferred (almost never attained).  This week was our first back-to-school. It was also the beginning of some added exercise for myself. By today, Friday I am wicked sleepy. We are all tired in the Hartman house. Only lucky me gets to take a nap though! And today I nervously set my alarm to awaken me promptly 15 minutes beyond the time it was when I set it. Oh yea, forgot to mention I am a proponent of the power nap. It totally works for me. It's nice since I can basically fall asleep once I am horizontal, and if I am not into that deep sleep an alarm can still wake me up. So, I did that. When my alarm beeped I was tempted to snooze it. I did not, knowing my two little ladies needed me to walk to pick them up from school! I am never ever ever late for that. ever. Once I was out of my bed I felt amazingly better. All refreshed and ready for the rest of my day and night activities.


So today I found the perfect shirt to announce to all the world my love of naps. I think this shirt could be interpreted many ways, probably an excellent Mommy Day gift, shower gift. And actually the Bold Banana on Etsy makes all kindsa cool tees so if you want to keep YOUR napping habit a secret maybe another top would suit you better. Halloween is coming, here's a neato Frankenstein shirt...

I wish you many positive moments 

(and good sleep)

Take care.

Healthier Macaroni and Cheese Recipe

A couple weeks ago I was indulging on some delish homemade baked mac n cheese at a birthday party. I chatted with the chef of this cheesy dinner. She told me "It's just Cream, two blocks of Cheddar and Butter"

yum. but, yikes. I can't indulge that way at home!

Around the Hartman house we are far from health nuts. We do, however, eat light and try hard to be healthy. I honestly do not think I have purchased sticks of real butter in 10+ years? Ok, I admit I did have two dairy allergic kids for 5 or so years. I do acredit some of our healthier meals to the food allergies, but something has to push us places we may not want to drive to right?


By the By, This morning I made my Own "Cheesy Noodles" (as my little ladies like to call em'). It is a household favorite and is really darn Great tasting, creamy, yummy, comfort food. here is my recipe:

3 Cups Fiber-Rich Macaroni. (I use Barilla Plus which also has Omega-3s)

6T Margarine (I use Earth Balance, no hydrogenated oils)
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt (I use Sea Salt)

3 1/2 cups Skim Milk
1lb White american Cheese (I always get a good brand, and I do NOT use preslicedto me the taste is fake with pre sliced


preheat oven 350 degrees. Follow instructions on package to boil macaroni & drain, place in a 3Qt cassarole dish, I think a 9x13 pan could work but have not tried it myself, you may need to reduce baking time a bit with that.
Mix together Flour, pepper & salt. Melt margarine in a large saucepan over med heat (nonstick works easiest). Do not brown, just melt slowly. Add flour mixture, stir until thick. Add milk and continue heating on med/med high heat being sure not to boil. Stir frequently with a whisk until mixture thickens, about 10-20 minutes. At the beginning you can walk away without stirring for a min or two (like, say, to drain those boiling noodles!) but as it heats up you do have to stir it often to avoid a boil. Once it reaches a thick consistency, slowly add cheese a few slices at a time It'll melt VERY quickly, so this part will not take long. Once all cheese is melted into your pan pour it over the macaroni. stir if needed (usually it disperses evenly itself).
Bake Uncovered 1 hour.

I wish I had nutritional info for this, I have not quite figured that out just yet. I can say that using skim milk will save a bundle in fat, and the whole grain pasta is a bonus health-wise too. I have tried making this recipe with light cheddar as opposed to the american. It did not melt smoothly and did not stick to the pasta how I like my mac and cheese to. More importantly Ruby was not fond of it, and this is her all time favorite meal. Light american cheese is also sort of fake and plastic tasting to me so, I suppose it could be lighter but this is still quite an improvement from cream/butter and white flour pasta.

For More Lighter, Healthier versions of kid (and grown up!) favorites check out The Meal Makeover Moms. This link will take you to another winner of a pumpkin pasta recipe that is super fast and delicious!

Ava likes Yoga

I do yoga 5 days a week (at least). It has literally changed my life.

March 24, 2009 I wrote: (in a facebook note)

"breathing in and out through your nose" ..."the breathing is what will make you feel so good" My sister had told me for years that yoga is awesome. It took me way too long to try it. I literally had 2 yoga DVDs for 3 years, never even put into the player. There was never a time in my life that I have been physically fit. I am tall and skinny have a ridiculously high metabolism. I eat healthy, but indulge in ice cream quite frequently. I will be one of those folks that kicks it from a heart attack even though I have low cholestorol and almost too low blood pressure. I stress-- I eat, live, breathe stress. I am a huge ball of stress, or was... Fall 2006 decided it was time I try the yoga DVDs. After 4 months of very easy yoga DVDs that claim to be challenging (believe me they aren't-- If I can handle it) I was addicted. I attribute a good portion of why I am still sane, to Yoga. I have to say that Yoga has taught me such an important thing, the first "step" in fighting this stress I inflict on my own body---How to Breathe---. I only wish I would have discovered such a simple component to stress relief prior to having 2 children laboring through 30+ hours of back labor! Nonetheless, I now am addicted to my nearly daily dose of 40 minutes of yoga each afternoon while 1 kid is at school the other is having “quiet time”. A few years ago I purchased somewhat more challenging but still pretty easy yoga DVDs. The way in which yoga has improved my balance and posture is amazing. I still get a neck kink from time to time (today still have a slight one) but I used to have daily constant neck PAIN. A huge part of my love for this famous, ancient, artful exercise is that It's a totally solitary thing. No sweaty stinky gyms, no unleashed dogs to chase me, just a small area is needed, and a mat, I would welcome an empty white sand beach too.... I long for that... Someday.


Ava asked to do yoga with me this past Tuesday. I need to also go it alone, to attain the real effect of the stress relief, but I told her every other day she could yoga with me. I didn't want to push her into it though so I let it at that.

Today she asked me if she could do yoga with me again. So we did. She did so well. and she looks so darn cute;)


Seeing my youngest enjoying this ancient, oldest in existance actually, form of exercise is really super in my book. It made me smile so many times the past couple days.

Can't Remember Life Before Meal Planning

When we had our first child it did not take long for my dear husband, Keith and I to realize that my becoming a stay at home Mom by day and taking on part time work was the choice for us. We knew spending as much time watching and learning with this little person we created was very important to us.


Along with baby came a new need for additional organization. I have always prided myself on being very organized. I am a multi-tasker by nature and actually thrive on it, I love it. I work best under pressure, and produce the most when LOTS needs done.

Baby brought the LOTS and I brought innovation to my household. I despised 4:00pm when I had to try and figure out what the heck to make for dinner. When I gave up my full time position at a direct mail magazine I wanted to be that wife/mom that had dinner on the table when hubs arrived home from work at 5:30. I know, I know maybe there are yucky feelings about that for some. Those feelings are for you, not me. I wanted to be tattooed June Cleaver so meh, my choice. And I do not in any way EVER regret it. Ever. I wear a very cute apron too.


So 4:00 irritation, innovation needed. I wanted to plan meals. Not the same plan every week for Goodness sakes. I wanted to keep it rad. Original plan was to try to make one new recipe a week, that was dropped to one bi weekly. Now I just do, if I want to.

my meal plan process is simple:

Every other Monday I grab my wall calendar, a pen and the sale flyer. I write a meal on each day of the week and all the ingredients I need for those meals on my list checking to make sure I don't already have what I need. When two calendar weeks are full I am finished.


So why do I do it?
Stress relief:
I mentioned 4:00. I spend about half an hour meal planning two weeks worth and that's all the time I worry about it for those two weeks! Huge stress reliever. note: My husband plans the weekends, so it could take 45 min to an hour to do a bi-weekly plan. And he is a much better cook than I. He is much more outgoing in the kitchen. I tend to gravitate to easy meals, that are quick to prepare. In all fairness though, during the week I have serious time constraints.

Money saving:
seriously folks this will save you money. Grab your grocery store flyer, or look it up online and meal plan according to what is on sale. I clip coupons, or print them online, just choose a site that you can print multiple coupons per page or you will lose your savings in printer cartridges. Breakfast for dinner once a month saves dollars, and kids LOVE it. Making triple batches of things like taco meat, spaghetti sauce (yea I make my own for some meals) and freeze in bags. Invest in a chest freezer. That way when ice cream is on sale you can buy the 4 for $10 and fit them in your freezer.


Health:
Planning meals assists in looking at your dinners at a distance. You can balance much easier the things your family needs to stay healthiest. For instance I plan one vegetarian a week (at least) I balance meats, like one chicken meal, one turkey (burger), we usually avoid red meat but you could throw that in, you get the idea. You can look at your week and see, whoa, we can't eat pasta every day?! and change it. Meal planning also helps to avoid the dreadful fast food stop, or the expensive restaurant take out that could occur on a particularly irritating day when you are absolutely NOT in the mood to figure out what to make for dinner. Hey, this also saves money too!


Listen to this great podcast about meal planning for more great tips

Another great resource is the Organizing Junkie blog. Menu Plan Mondays are popular in the blogosphere. Apparently you can link your meals and plans with other meal planner/bloggers. I have yet to do this, have still continued to kick it old skool- paper/pen/sales flyer but would love to check these out. If you do I'd love to hear how you like it!