Berries!

We picked seven pounds of raspberries today and a few pounds of blueberries. Last year when we went to Larriland Farms the blueberries were enormous and practically jumping into the baskets, while we had to search under every leaf to fill a bucketful of ripe raspberries. This year we had the opposite experience.

I picked up a copy of "Living Without" magazine at my local health food store the other day, and they had a recipe for gluten free blueberry cobbler cake. I tried it out today and it came out delicious.

Whenever I see the "Living Without" magazine, I feel like calling them up and telling them to change their name. "Living Without" is so negative! How about "Living Well, Allergy Free," or "Delicious Alternatives," or something like that?

I made a no-bake raspberry pie as well. Also a funny name, because something DOES get cooked. I pulverized some Enviro-kids Amazon frosted flakes cereal and mixed the crumbs with melted butter to make a crust. I pressed this mixture into a pie plate and baked it for about 10 minutes at 350 to set it. Then I scooped about 3 + cups of raspberries into the crust. While the crust was baking, I made a glaze to go on top. I cooked sugar, water, and cornstarch over low heat until it got goopy, then added a cup of pureed raspberries and let it cook some more. The goopy glaze went over the berries and the whole thing chilled for a couple of hours in the refrigerator while we went for a swim.

Once we got back home I really went crazy and made spinach/fish croquettes for dinner. THEN finished up the evening with blueberry pie, which is cooking RIGHT NOW.

Stick a fork in me. I'm done.

Balancing Act

Picture 229, 6-19-08, Balancing Act
Originally uploaded by NaomiPoet

This log wasn't that far off the ground. The boys scooted across it, no problem. I took one step on a damp, slippery spot, and froze. Wide as the log was, it felt like a tightrope and all I could see was the ground beneath. It was swaying.

How do they make it look so easy?

I made it across, eventually. Sheesh.

TrialNet

We participate in the TrialNet Natural History study. Nora & Dominic are siblings of a person with Type 1 diabetes, so they have their blood tested every year to check for autoantibodies. We do this because, according to studies, relatives of people with type 1 diabetes have a 10 to 15 times greater risk for developing the disease than people with no family history.

Last year Nora, Dominic & I all were tested. Luckily, we all had a negative result. Now I'm too old for the study (sob!) so only Nora & Dominic were tested. We'll get the results in a month or so.

Last year it was difficult, to say the least, to get Dominic to give blood. He bucked like a bronco and ended up with an enormous bruise, even though we prepared and "practiced" beforehand. What a difference one year makes. This year he held out his arm and didn't even say ouch! He said that his arm hurt a little, but it was from the elastic that they tied his arm with more than the needle. Nora & Dominic got bags of prizes, which also helped ease the pain! We were all very proud of him.

Later in the day we went to a playground to run off some energy. At one point Dominic fell off a swing and bumped his back & head. I brushed him off & hugged him, and then he decided to sit by me for a while. He said, "Mom, I could have cried when I fell, but I didn't."

"Why didn't you cry?"

"I thought about how brave I was when I gave my blood today."

He's growing up!!!

Recalculating... recalculating...

The trouble with having so much to do is that there is very little time to process your thoughts. The end of the school year is approaching like a freight train, and carries with it many meetings, parties, and responsibilities. I've felt, more than once in the past week, that I needed to be two equally important places at the same time.

Highlights of the past week:

I had one fantastic interview and one so so one.

Dominic arrived home on the school bus in the middle of a tornado warning, with the rain flowing in sheets around us.

We didn't lose power (luck) but we did lose cable and I had painful withdrawal from my Internet addiction.

The fantastic interview was for acceptance into an amazing training program. However -- no paycheck. We have to decide if we can do with out that for a while, or defer the training program.

I spent all weekend, 20+ hours, in an intensive program that certified me to teach sex ed to middle & high school students in my church. I am empowered. Yeah, go ahead. Ask me anything.

Daniel is learning the lesson that sometimes your boss can be an absolute a**hole. However, it is nice to earn $$.

A friend from 15 years ago found my blog and we re-connected. Hi Karen! :)

Nora has rehearsal every night this week because her show opens on Friday. Summer truly begins when the show closes on Sunday. Time to put on my backstage mom clothes!

Chill out, everyone.

June is Bustin' Out All Over!

The weather has slipped into something glorious. Pools beckon, blue water winking in the sun. School is almost out! Blood sugars cruising in mostly normal ranges, even with graduation party barbecue goodness.

Yesterday our neighbors had a graduation party for their youngest daughter. I've never seen so much meat! Roast pork, sausages, chicken kebabs, lamb kebab, kibbe on sticks, and 30 or so side dishes. Daniel chewed his way to protein bliss without bolusing. Everything was made from scratch, so we didn't have to worry about glutened marinades. Picky Nora even found food to love, and Dominic was too busy trying to swing upside down in the hammock to think about food. Until the cake came.

Today is another graduation party. Tomorrow must be diet day! :) A steady diet of sunshine and swimming this week would suit me just fine.

I have a couple of interviews coming up in the next few days, so I'm nervous and excited, but I've got a smile stuck on my face for the first time since the old job went to hell. Keep your fingers crossed folks, and let's hope for the best.