Looks Good in Polka Dots

Today started out pretty much the same as any other day. I made pancakes from scratch (yum yum yum). There is a little bit of Heaven in hot from the griddle pancakes smeared with butter and drizzled with REAL Maple Syrup. Mmmmm. I’ll get the recipe up in the next couple of days.

Then K-Man had a BB game… the sun was shining and it hit 70 degrees here today. Bonus! I dropped everyone off at the ball field, then K3 and I ran a couple of errands… gassing up the truck with Flex Fuel E-85, stopping by the natural section of Fred Meyer to get K3 a dark chocolate candy bar so she can have a treat when everyone else does (she gets 3 little squares at a time, so one bar gets us through 4 treats). After that we ran to the library as I was in dire need of some *light* (by light I mean, Smutty Historical Novel) reading. My brain has been overwhelmed with all the serious reading I’ve been doing (No I haven’t forgotten my reading list… patience!).

So, K3 and I are in the library. I’m toting two novels by Nora Roberts. Not sure they are historical… but they should be plenty smutty. We venture into the kids section and I put K3 on a mission… find a book for self and one for each of your sisters and brother. I hit the search on the computer for a book I’m planning to buy… but would love to take home to read if it’s in… GREEN CHIC.

The book isn’t cataloged at this library, but is at several others in the county. I wander over to the nice librarian (in the children’s section mind you) and ask if she can put a hold/transfer on a book for me. Of course she is glad to help.

I hand over my library card and the title of the book GREEN CHICK. After a couple minutes, I look at her screen and say C. H. I. C not C.H.I.C.K. She says, “Oh you mean GREEN CHIC (Sheek)” Huh… guess I can go take my English Major and flush it down the toilet.

Okay, here is my thought process behind thinking it was GREEN CHICK (Spelled CHIC) and not CHIC pronounced SHEEK.

Around here, we use the word CHIC or CHICA a lot for well… CHICS… GIRLS… So, when I read the title “Green Chic” I’m thinking, yeah… cool, green and CHIC (Chick)… to me CHIC (Sheek) expresses class, I found this book more modern, hip and funny instead of yuppy and classy… so, to me it should be GREEN CHICK. (I’m not knocking… I’m GREEN, PSEUDO HIPPY, CLASSY, YUPPY and CHIC (both CHIC AND SHEEK… Thank you very much!).

Taken down by the children’s librarian… sigh.

Arriving back at the ball field, I am turning the giant, gas guzzling, monster of a truck, around so that I can park. I did a three point turn on a quiet, suburban street. Our truck faces straight at a house and its GREEN GREEN GREEN lawn… where a sprinkler is running. K3 pipes up from her booster in the middle of the backseat… “Mom, why is there a sprinkler going and no one is playing in it?” Good question K3!!!! I explained that the people who lived there were watering their grass. “Why are they watering the grass?” Another great question. Before long, she will also wonder why they would be watering the grass at two in the afternoon and therefore allowing a large amount of that water to EVAPORATE. I momentarily thought about parking right there and taking K3 up to the door to ask her questions of the owner. I restrained.

To round out the evening, two girlfriends and I went to a pre-opening at a California Pizza Kitchen. I’ve never been to one of these restaurants before… but hey, we are on “THE LIST” and everything is on the house. I’m in.

The staff was over-eager and NERVOUS. That’s expected when a restaurant is just opening with a lot of unseasoned staff. Our waiter was a kid of 19, his name tag claims the home state of Alaska. Welcome to Oregon and your new job at the California Pizza Kitchen. (Is it just me, or is that a bit odd? Shouldn’t it be Oregon Pizza Kitchen?)

It was a fun time, we ordered three entrees to share… Blue Crab Cakes with a Lemon Caper Pasta and Asparagus, Garlic Chicken Pizza and a Seafood Miso Salad. The pizza was AMAZING. The crab cakes were VERY GOOD… the lemon/caper pasta was not so good and the asparagus was overcooked… sad because its my favorite veggie. The Miso Salad was good, except ours came with chilled chicken instead of seafood.

A and H went on to the bars afterward (were they are drinking themselves into oblivion as I write this)… I hauled my over full self home to kick off my high heels. The girls laughed at my early need to retire… I advised that this Mommy would be up at 6am with the kids… Oh, the blissful days gone by of sleeping til noon!

Tags: kids, funny things kids say, watering grass, being green, California Pizza Kitchen, Restaurant Opening, Library, Green Chic, Girls Night Out, GF Pancakes, Gluten Free Pancakes

K3 has been asking for Oatmeal nearly every day since her diagnosis and diet change. Finally, we found Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Oats in the natural section of our local Fred Meyer.

They aren’t cheap… $6.99 for a 32oz bag. However, they are Pure Tested, R5 ELISA Certified and come from dedicated farms.

I called K3 from the store and told her what I was bringing home… she squealed with delight. That in of itself was worth the seven dollars!

They do take a little longer to cook than traditional rolled oats… but the final result is yummy-licous. Right now K3 is only getting one cup a couple times a week… and she is okay with that after not tasting her favorite breakfast for seven months!

Check out this yummy Gluten Free candy over at THE CANDY BLOG. Mmmmm… tasty!

Then head over to Lentils and Rice to see how to make Stretchy Beans…

Stop in at Mommy Doodles and enter this month’s contest for a Bee Crib Set. Cute Galore!

Bored? Read this… Warning, consuming liquids while reading could cause beverage snorts.

What happens in the spring… Well… you know.

Doctors can be VERY insulting.

What’s with people saying your baby is “so cute I could gobble her up!”… put your kid in one of these and someone might!

Real news too depressing? Check out this story…

Ready for a good laugh…

Get yourself one of these bags and feed 100. Doesn’t that feel nice? And the bag is cute/fun/hip.

Get natural, healthy hair here.

Thought you were getting a REAL post? Eh… maybe tomorrow.

Today’s Green Tip- plant a tree, plant, garden… something. The benefits are boundless.

I am frequently asked what I am reading, or more recently, what the kids are reading. Today I put together our proposed summer reading list (KIDS LIST)… All of these books have been previewed and hand selected by yours truly.

Here it is:

It’s Not What You’ve Got! by Wayne W. Dyer with Kristina Tracy- Why we are reading this: Because the focus is that money doesn’t define us. This book takes a spiritual and uplifting approach to money.

Colorful World by Cece Winans, Keith Thomas and Alvie Love III- Why we are reading this: Because 6yo K3 has recently been asking why some people have brown skin… this is a great story (and musical CD) about our beautiful and colorful world.

The Journey of the One and Only Declaration of Independence by Judith St. George- Why we are reading this: Because Mommy LOVES history. This is a colorful and delightful book chronicling an important part of American History.

If The World Were a Village by David Smith- Why we are reading this: This book helps our children realize what life is like outside of America. We struggle with the kids understanding how privileged we are. It also takes the world’s populate of 6.2 billion and puts it in child friendly terms… a village of 100 people (each person represents 62 million!). Our kids take technology for granted… this book shows them that other kids never even get to use a computer. This book is geared to older children (third grade up). But we will be reading it aloud with our younger ones as well.

Martins Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by Doreen Rappaport- Why we are reading this: That’s self-evident. The author makes this story very kid friendly and age appropriate.

A Child’s Introduction to the Environment by Michael Driscoll and Dennis Driscoll- Why we are reading this: It is a fun and entertaining lesson on our Earth (explores water, land and air) and gives fun activities and ideas kids can do to get involved and help protect the planet. Most age appropriate for third grade and up, we will use it with the younger kids as well, but may need to modify some activities. (By the way… the book is printed on recycled papers.)

The Greening Book by Ellen Sabin- Why we are reading this: It is a wonderful (work) book that encourages kids to appreciate our Earth and what it gives us. The activities help children see ways they can help. I knew we wanted it when I picked it up and the front cover says “The Greening Book by Ellen Sabin and ___________.” What better way to help our children explore and learn about protecting our great Earth than by giving them the power to do it!

I also have art projects planned to teach the kids about Claude Monet (and other artists to come) and outdoor activities planned to learn about trees (leaf etching) among many other things. The kids each will be given a journal, where they can write or draw what they are learning and exploring on each new outing.

My reading list is yet to come… stay posted.

Today’s Green Tip: Visit the library or used book store and get a book to teach your kids about our great Earth… its never too early.

Tags: kids, reading, summer reading, summer reading for kids, kids books about Earth, kids books about environment, being green, being green for kids, helping kids be green, history, Martin Luther King Jr., Social Responsibility, Teaching Kids to be globally responsible, Our World, Diversity, Teaching kids about diversity, Summer activities, Summer activities for kids, making kids green

During my recent trip to Whole Foods, I found a new treat that K3 loves.

MOCHI. I had never heard of this before, but decided to give it a try. We brought home the cinnamon raisin variety, I bake small squares for about 9 minutes, then top with Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese Spread and a drizzle of local honey. YUMMY.

The squares puff up, and are chewy. Once out of the oven, I slice them open and stuff with the cream cheese filling. We are excited to try some variations with the unflavored Mochi and also the Chocolate Brownie Mochi.

Today’s Green Tip- Unplug it. Unused electronics leach a lot of energy… unplug them when not in use (TV, Computer, Blow Dryer, Toaster, Coffee Maker, etc…) Another simple step we all can do!

Last night, Oregon Dad and I watched the documentary, “Who Killed The Electric Car?”.  I highly suggest watching it. 

The big question:

Why aren’t we moving faster toward alternative automotive options?

And:

The technology is already present for electric cars, so why did it get squashed?

Hubby and I drive a Prius, he also carpools to work a couple times a week.  We feel the need to reduce our consumption of gasoline.  With gas prices estimated to top $4 a gallon this summer, can we afford not to look at other options?  (Isn’t a lot of GREEN-ness prompted by saving money?)

There is an estimated 100 Trillion dollars left to be made in foreign oil… I am sure the oil tycoons aren’t happy with any alternative vehicles, unless they can cash in on the fuel (like hydrogen).  They don’t want to lose their hold on the market, or lose out on any of the money yet to be made.  There is a big fat reason the electric vehicles  haven’t gained more ground and it’s color is green.  CASH.

Recently there has been a lot of hype regarding hydrogen vehicles.   Everyone (being the politicians and car makers) appear to be focusing all their alternative efforts on the hydrogen vehicle.  In reality, the hydrogen vehicle isn’t going to be readily available for many more years.  There is also the question… are hydrogen vehicles more efficient than an electric vehicle.  Today that answer is a resounding NO.

Hydrogen has to be created to power these vehicles.  Hydrogen is a carrier of energy, not a source.  Therefore, conventional power plants will be needed to create the energy hydrogen carries. To produce hydrogen, you need two resources… WATER and ELECTRICITY (through a process called electrolysis).  If renewable energy is used in this process, then there would be no net carbon dioxide emission.  The reality is, other energy sources will be utilized to create the hydrogen fuel.  This could include natural gas or coal.  Still sapping our non-renewable reserves.  Coal must be burned to create energy… and that pollutes our air.  In regards to automobiles, hydrogen has been considered the most expensive and LEAST EFFICIENT replacement for gasoline. 

Huh… then why is our government dumping money into fuel cell vehicles?

“With a new national commitment …the first car driven by a child born today could be powered by hydrogen, and pollution-free. Join me in this important innovation to make our air significantly cleaner, and our country much less dependent on foreign sources of energy.” 

President Bush, State of the Union Address, January 28, 2003

I find this astounding.  Is the concept of hydrogen fueled vehicles a good one?  Yes.  Is it viable in our society? Maybe in 10 years.  Is it the best choice for our environment?  No.  Why you ask?  For one, these United States already have a well established electricity grid in place.  We can use that to power electric vehicles (EVs).  Renewable energy sources are available (solar, wind, damn) which further reduces the impact EVs have on the environment.  Creating hydrogen fueling stations will be expensive and must be readily accessible before the masses can own a hydrogen fuel vehicle.  If I am driving a car that I know has to be fueled in 100 miles.  Would I rather have one that I can simply plug in to any available power source… or one that I have to plan my trips around hydrogen fueling stations?

This is yet another example where consumers are being misled, or GREENWASHED.  Check out the Government’s Hydrogen Site, there are photos of Shell gas stations with hydrogen fuel pumps and partnerships with GM (General Motors) to create hydrogen vehicles to use in the postal service.  There’s some big money mixing with politics and initiatives here. 

Maybe, just maybe, the promise of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles will keep us satisfied for another 10 years.  10 more years of relying on foreign oil… of oil companies make TRILLIONS of dollars off our dependency.  Are our politicians in the pockets of the large oil corporations and car makers?  Without a doubt.  Will this have a negative impact on our environment?  That’s likely.

So, where does that leave us?  Our government may not be making the initiatives it needs to in order to increase fuel efficiency (and yes, I believe they should make laws regarding fuel efficiency as they have in the past).  We as consumers still can do our part.  We can stay informed, get educated, don’t buy into the hogwash (yes, an electric vehicle is several times more efficient than a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle).  Get a hybrid.  The Prius is a great car.  It’s roomy and can comfortably hold a family of five with plenty of storage.  In the country we get 42-45 mpg and in town we average 55-60 mpg.  That just makes sense.  Toyota is working on a plug in hybrid Prius.  How awesome would it be to plug in my car at night (and not worry if I forgot to plug it in), then I could get 150 mpg or more for the first 50-60 miles that day (which is what the average person drives in a day anyway)… when the bonus from my overnight charge wears off, then I am back to my standard hybrid engine system.  Yes, I’d be using more electricity but less petroleum.  I can offset that by purchasing green power options (such as windpower) through the electric company.  Hopefully we will see the new Plug In Prius by 2009… just in time for us to upgrade.  We have 77k on our 2005 model and it will be ready for TeenGirl to drive to college by then.

What are you going to do about the rising gasoline prices?  Deal with it. Drive less. Get a more efficient car. Telecommute.  Carpool.  Bike. Write your legislature. Vote with an energy plan in mind. Be accountable.

Tags: ElectricCar, Who Killed The Electric Car?, Hydrogen Vehicle, Hybrids, Gas prices, Reliance on foreign oil, being green,

We’ve had another Birthday in our house. (It seems that there are a lot of those around here!) Lucky for the kiddos, this birthday corresponded with our first 90 degree weather days… (Oregon and 90 degrees in May?). We set up the Banzai Inflatable Water Slide and the kids have been having a blast. K-Man and K2 are having a joint friends party around the time school lets out in a couple weeks, so we just had a small family celebration at home.

Happy Birthday Mr. Man! We Love You!

Yes, that’s a blue DS hiding behind the Petz Dogz game, he may seem spoiled… but these are all the birthday presents… we get them the ONE thing they want and that’s all they get. The DS and Dogz game were from Mummy and Daddy and the other kiddos gave him the ATV game and case. K2 has requested her American Girl Mia Doll… so that’s what it’ll be. I am struggling with how to word the invitations for their friends party. K-Man will be inviting all the boys from his class and K2 will be inviting all the girls from her class. They decided to have a joint party at the roller rink. I don’t want families to feel that they have to bring a present for each kid (or any presents at all), this party should be about fun with their friends and not about gifts. I haven’t figured out how to handle this! Any advice is welcome!

I had a baking drama with the cake… hence why we have the cuppycake tree out again. I bake ALL THE TIME. No joke. I make cakes and cupcakes for everything. I love it… people love to eat them… I’ve won contests against pro-bakers. So I was a bit discombobulated when my cakes stuck in the pan. This hasn’t happened to me in YEARS. I am blaming it on the extreme weather changes around here. After tossing the ruined cake over the hill in the yard, I resorted to cupcakes… these ones are flavored with lime jello, have Starburst inside and crushed up green Lifesavers on top (leftover Easter candy!). Yum yum. K-Man was digging in the “junk” drawer, when I asked what he was looking for he replied, “More candles”. I said, “Are you turning 20 or something? There’s already 8 on there.”

Today’s Green Tip- Recycle the water when the kids are outside playing… use it to water your veggies, flowers, wash your car!?!?!, etc… Little Critter was insistent on watering the flowers for me while they were out playing and had a fit when I told her to dip the watering can into the pool. She kept saying, “No, INSIDE water.” After a few minutes she gave up and used the pool water.

This Mama has THE FLU… you know the one they give out vaccines for.  The very vaccine I didn’t get. 

Body aches, fever, chills, congestion, sore throat, crankiness galore… I’ve got it all.  Can I just crawl into my bed and sleep until its done?

Uh… nope, I’m a Mom.  That means packing lunches, picking kids up, ensuring chores and homework get done, playing referee to their fights, making dinner, answering a billion silly questions, refilling juice and milk cups, picking up dropped napkins, handing out vitamins and antibiotics to the walking pneumonia case and going on with everyday life. 

Jeepers life is grand. 

At least I was able to stay home from the ball game… Oregon Dad handled that one.  I am not in the mood to sit out in the damp Oregon weather for two hours watching eight years old hit balls and run in circles.  See… told you I was cranky.

To round out the perfection of our day… Little Critter has been at the daycare the last couple of days because I agreed to do a little bit of contract work for my former employer… just three mornings a week for six hours (which means 4 hours of daycare for little one) and only until school is out.  Well… evidently the return to daycare means “I can be as naughty as I want to” in Little Critter’s book.  No joke… the kid is trying every last nerve I have. 

Then waiting in my mailbox this afternoon was an envelope in my ex-Mother in Law’s scrawl… bleh… what does she want.  Best yet, it only had my first name on the front, like she couldn’t be bothered to assign me a last name. I know that she knows my last name as they took it upon themselves to fill out my ex husbands divorce papers and everything since then and its on my voicemail which she gets at least once a week.   It’s just another indicator of her rudeness. 

See, I’m cranky.  Better hurry these kids to bed so I can take a bubble bath.  Too bad I’m out of hot cocoa and too tired to make the homemade kind or I’d have some with Buttershots… mmmm.  Oh, wait, I have no taste buds currently.  Scratch that idea.

Tags: Kids, Sick, Hot Chocolate, Bubble Barhs, Mother In Law, Sick Days, Naughty Kids, Tired Mama

Another adorable hair bob from Oopsie Dazie. K2 is constantly asking for a side pony. Normally, I tell her they look silly and we do a regular pony. So when I did this one without her begging for it, she was a bit skeptical. “But Mom, you said side ponies look silly.” Okay, so maybe I was wrong… isn’t she precious? Go get yourself some button ponies from Oopsie Dazie… you’ll love them as much as we do. (This is a large pony, they are also available in a set of two small buttons for pigtails!)

I can’t believe she’s almost 8!!!! Brings tears to my eyes.

Indoor air quality is a hot topic these days… it appears that the air we breath inside our home is 5 times dirtier than the air outside. Considering we cook, use chemical based cleaning products, burn petroleum based candles and furnish our homes with materials made with VOC’s, it’s no wonder we can’t breath clearly. There are things we can do to help. In addition to opening the windows frequently to circulate air, choosing low or no VOC paints (glues, flooring, etc…), using natural cleaning products and switching to soy based candles we can also introduce house plants to help clean up the air. This may be the easiest task of all.

Some plants are better for improving indoor air quality than others… and some are easier to keep alive, if you like me are not a green thumb.

Here is what we are considering adding to our home…

Gerbera Daisies- Great for air quality and easy to care for. Also one of my favorites. You just can’t go wrong with those cheery blooms!

Bamboo Palm- We are adding at least one, maybe two flanking the fireplace (close to the slider door for sunlight). I like how big and green they are. Wondering… will I have to dust the fronds?

Peace Lily- Up in the air on this one… I think this is what I have used in the past with the cute fishy vases. Not sure if we will get some or not.

English Ivy- I know these are really easy to take care of… but for some reason they remind me of Grandma’s house… Maybe one in the kitchen?

Mums- Another bright flower… but I’m thinking not really our style.

Chinese Evergreen- I Love, love, love this plant as well. (This one is suppose to do well in low light areas and have low water needs… sounds like the plant for me!)

Snake Plants- If I can get beyond the name… we might be able to get one of these as well. They are kind of neat looking.

Now that I have decided on what varieties to bring into our home, the next question is how many? According to the NASA study on indoor air quality in the 1980’s a home under 2000 sq ft should have no less than 15 house plants to help clean up the air. Yikes. Where am I going to put all those? They should also be relatively large plants… in containers of no less than six inches in diameter.

Now that we have cleaned up the air you breath… let’s put something tasty in the belly!!!

I must confess, I had a Food Network dream about these bars… it went something like this:

PolkaDotMommy (that’d be yours truly) sitting on the bleachers at a baseball game, wearing my Oregon Ducks hat, I am holding an open container of these tasty treats and my youngest is sitting next to me munching on them. A hand reaches over my shoulder as a voice says, “Those look tasty” and grabs one out of the container. I look back as Alton Brown bites into a snack bar. I replied, “They are gluten free, dairy free and can be vegan as well.” He scrunches up his face as if to say… ick, and then, the line, “and they are Good Eats”. Pathetic I know. Why oh why am I dreaming about Food Network? Oh… maybe because I’d love to see some featured shows on alternative cooking. The numbers of us cooking Gluten free, Dairy Free, Allergy Free is rapidly growing. Isn’t it time someone paid attention?

Gluten Free, Dairy Free Snack Bars (And they taste so darn good!)

Makes approx 24 bars

1/2 c. white rice flour

1/2 c. brown rice flour

1/4c. coconut flour

1/4c. tapioca starch

1c. crunchy cereal flakes (we use sweet buckwheat flake cereal) crushed

1/4c. Wholesome Sweetners Evaporated Cane Sugar

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 c. maple syrup

1/4c. canola oil

1 egg or substitute

1 tsp. GF vanilla

1 organic pear peeled and grated

1 organic granny smith apple peeled and grated

1/2 c. organic dried cranberries

1/2c. enjoy life chocolate chips

1/4 c. almonds chopped or diced to your desired texture or sunflower seeds if you can’t do nuts

Oven on to 350 degrees F. Line a 9×13 insulated baking pan with parchment or wax paper, leave a “grip” edge over each end to lift out finished bars.

Combine all dry ingredients and cereal flakes in medium sized mixing bowl.

Add syrup, egg, oil and vanilla. Now add in grated fruit, cranberries, chocolate chips, nuts/seeds. Stir well.

Spread mixture into the pan and bake for 35 minutes, check to see if done by inserting a toothpick in the middle, it shouldn’t come out clean. Cool, lift out of pan by edges of paper and cut into bars using a pizza cutter.

We like to wrap these individually so they are ready for lunch boxes and afternoon snacks, then place them in a zippie bag or container with a lid and store in the refrigerator.

I will try to get some pictures of the next batch up here… the first batch didn’t last long enough to get the camera out!

Today’s Green Tip- It’s obvious…. Get some plants.