a packed hot chocolate

aidan has been complaining of a sore throat. my kids are great taking certain supplements, such as vtm D, fish oil, vtm C and acidophilus. but when it comes to some herbals they can be a bit reluctant.

this is when i break out the "hot chocolate" for all. 

almond milk or organic cow milk

organic cacao

organic honey

some added GH protein powder (why not!)

viriditas cough syrup that we made in my herb class (marshmallow, rosehips, oregano, plantain, anise, hyssop, thyme, coltsfoot, elecampene, osha, mullein, grape and wild cherry syrup).

say cheese!

banana bread, re-visited

i've shared this banana bread recipe several times in my so called blogging life. it's my favourite and super simple. it's sugar free, egg free, vegan, can easily be gluten free, and it's healthy with ground flax and now boosted with genuine health's vanilla whey protein powder.

in one bowl mix:
1 cup flour (any kind you wish)
1/4 cup ground flax
1/4 cup protein powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

in separate bowl mix:
4 mashed bananas (mine were small to mdm. if using large bananas 3 will do)
1/4 cup oil
1/4 of freshly squeezed lemon

mix wet ingredients into dry and then i mix in chocolate chips.

bake at 350F for about 40 min. until golden brown.

watch them devour it.

 thumbs up!!

 being silly while discussing the day

A week with protein, starting with granola bars.

i had a moment last week, when i realized aidan basically does not eat protein. he'll eat most fruits and vegetables; brussel sprouts, cabbage, mango and pomegranate but give him chicken, red meat and most recently salmon or tofu and "bleh" he says as he spits it out. he scrutinizes the protein, assessing any imperfection or what he percieves to be "fatty".

in all fairness, he likely has my type A blood, making him a lover of all things vegetarian. he does best with vegetarian sources of protein; almond butter by the tablespoon (but not the bottom chunky parts), hummus (brand dependent), beans a few times per week (black or kidney), chicken soup (only the broth, no chunks), eggs (over easy) and cheddar cheese (no other dairy). can we say picky? ahhhh.

i use genuine health proteins + and am re-vamping my kids favourite delights with this whey protein powder. sneaky and perfect. whey is the most bioavailable form of protein and this brand is clean and GMO free. so i thought i would share today's re-creation. 

Granola Bars
4 cups of oats (gluten free)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/8 cup brown sugar 
1/4 cup of GH vanilla protein powder (it's about 60 grams of protein)
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup flax seeds
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips (optional. what kid does not love this ingredient?)

in a separate bowl i whip;
1/2 cup oil and 1/2 cup maple syrup (i use the grade C syrup from noah's natural foods. love it.) and 1 tsp vanilla. add this mixture to the oats and mix.

preheat oven to 325F. i place the mixture in a dish lined with parchment paper. bake for 35 min. (my oven runs hot). when it cools remove from dish and cut up into pieces. enjoy.

he likes it!

Hannunkah 2013

we had a week of full on celebrations both with family and friends for hannukah this year. we went thru a bag and a half of potatoes and a lot of oil, i think i made 4 batches of latkes. here are some pictures from the week. hope you all had some extra light in your life this week.

 

 

vegan applesauce muffins

with bella being off the eggs i need to get back into my vegan baking. i made these applesauce muffins today. moist, perfectly sweet and easy to make. simply delicious!

2 cups flour (i used spelt, but feel free to use gluten free. next time i am going to try replace some flour with protein powder and see how those turn out. keep you posted.)
1/2 tsp salt (i used himalayan pink salt)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup milk (i used unsweetened almond milk)
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp oil (i only had olive oil but usually use grapeseed)
1/3 cup maple syrup (i love the grade C maple syrup and pick it up in bulk from noah's. it's the best ever.)
1 cup applesauce
chocolate chips, of course.

preheat oven to 375F
sift flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon
mix milk, apple cider vinegar, oil, maple syrup and applesauce
mix wet into dry and add chocolate chips.
voila. bake for 15 min.
done.

New Kicks

I first started playing tennis when I went to sleepover camp in Maine. I was almost 12. I had lessons there for 4 summers. I continued dabbling in the game in my 20's and then life got busy with kids and starting my career that I just simply did not have the time or the inclination to play.

But this summer I started playing again and fell in love. It's been a great way for me to be active, meet new people and develop a skill. I see alot of busy moms in my practice and I know how hard it is to find time to be active but I also know how important not only for our physical well being but emotional as well. Tennis makes me happy.

All that being said, I can't believe I actually wore out my cross trainers this summer!

They look horrible!

 These are my new tennis shoes. 

My intention was classic white but after viewing a large selection, alas these were the only ones in my size.

Oh well, hot pink it is!

a food sensitivity test.

since august bella has been getting these wicked stomach aches about once a week. then she poops and all is better. i really don't think it is from constipation. she goes daily. it's quick and easy. i have been thinking there is something more. i decided to do an IgG food sensitivity test to see if there is anything she could be reacting too. this is not an anaphylactic allergy test (that is an IgE test), this, rather shows a delayed reaction to a specific food 24-48 hours after it is consumed. it can result in numerous symptoms such as; digestive complaints, headaches, congestion, and joint pain.

so here are a few pages from her test. 

 dairy panel- no issues. see how all the bars are in the 0 range. can't get much better than that!

 ouch. eggs. anything in the IV or higher category you want to avoid completely.

bye bye scrambled eggs, french toast and the most beloved of breads, challah.

 grain/gluten products and nuts; safe

I have taken her off most gluten and dairy over the last few weeks and she has not had a stomach ache but that being said she also has not had any eggs. i'm going to put the dairy and wheat back in and keep her off the eggs for awhile and see how it goes.

wart be gone...

bella had a plantar wart on her 2nd toe. (i wish i took a before picture). we only noticed it a few weeks ago, so not sure how long it had been there. it looked like a classic plantar wart; raised and calloused with dark specks throughout. it did not bother her. we got it assessed and were told to leave it and it would take months for it to go away.

i have a bottle of colloidal silver from this woman that has a machine and makes it. i started soaking her toe in a tiny cup filled with the colloidal silver last week. we did this for 4 days. the other day i came home from work and greeted with excitement were both A and B, saying the wart fell off! yeah for colloidal silver......

and then he was 8.....

this is the morning of november 13th, opening a few presents. bella got him a pokeman box he really wanted and i love the joy you see in his expression as he opens it and the happiness in his sister's face when he thanks her. each year he gains confidence as he grows and continues to be his funny, smart, kind, thoughtful and sensitive self (mixed with the right amount of trouble). we are lucky he chose us to be his family. xo

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a week with Che and Fidel

Aidan: happiness is opening presents on your 8th bday
Bella: the ballerina
Kai: oh, to be the little one. so sweet

quinoa salad made easy.

Quinoa is not actually a grain - it's a seed, which means it's high in protein and fiber, provides balanced energy and fills you up. One cup of quinoa has about 8 grams of protein.
Quinoa contains all nine essential amino acids used by the body as building blocks for the development of muscle tissue and necessary metabolic enzymes. Protein is also necessary for the absorption of calcium into the bones and the development of collagen.
One cup of cooked quinoa provides 15% of the recommended daily intake of iron, 5 grams of fiber and is also an excellent source of magnesium.

All I did for the above salad is cook quinoa, add whatever finely chopped vegetables I had, and topped with steamed broccoli and pomegranate seeds. I then topped with a tahini/cilantro dressing I made (quickly hand blended tahini, fresh lemon, garlic, some water to thin it out and a good handful of fresh cilantro). 
yum yum. enjoy!

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A: the last few days of 7. making his bday lists (and never impressed)
B: hanging with her "girls"
K: notice his little haircut? a quick cut in the front (and a party in the back....oh my)

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Harry Potter
a Princess
and an excited Kai, refusing to wear a costume and screeching for treats.

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somehow i missed A this week.

this was B and K practicing for halloween 

he does love his dog....

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I'm a little behind in my weekly postings. my card reader broke and i finally got a new one. 

here are the 3 rugrats at fiesta farms. they have each loved that digger since they were wee. 

aidan has the 'attitude' look, down.

Solutions Health Care Associates- the Finale

So, I actually went and spoke to Dr. Chan at Solutions Health Care Associates He was quite open and not defensive at all. (perhaps he fears a complaint but I am going to 'assume' he was being genuine)
I told him he was negligent as the antibiotic was not helping and in fact when she came back the next day her symptoms worsened. She needed to go to the ER and I asked him why he did not refer her.
He claims he did and she did not take his suggestion. 
I asked him why she followed my recommendation to go, to which he responded, maybe because I am a woman. Of course.
This led me into discussing beside manners and perhaps he should work a little bit harder on his. It was rude and disrespectful to not help her with her bandage and arrogant to say it is not the job of an MD (then whose job is it?). I also suggested he try listening to his patients, perform proper physical exams and not simply write prescriptions.

I looked at RateMDs. I was not surprised at his poor rating. 2.8/5. ouch. I was quite happy to see my pediatrician and family doctor have excellent ratings. Just like any profession, there are the good and the not so good. I hope this MD will strive towards better.

A Walk-In Clinic on St. Clair West

I had this woman call me today in complete desperation. She had been to a walk in clinic on St. Clair West and had a terrible interaction with the MD. I knew right away who she was talking about and asked if she had gone to Solutions Health Care Associates. I had been to this walk-in clinic myself and remembered how awful this doctor was. It was my wedding day. I had strep throat and needed a quick prescription. I was educated in medicine and knew what I needed so his terrible bedside manners did not affect me.

This woman saw him yesterday in terrible pain, from what I believe is an infected site. She told me that he barely assessed her, as in he sat across the room from her and then simply sent her off with antibiotics. She woke up this morning worse and was unable to cover the wound due to restricted movement and went back to see him. She waits to see him and he tells her, that it is not the MD's job to put on a dressing and to continue with the antibiotics. She is in excruciating pain, visibly upset and desperate for help. She tried to see her family doctor but could not get an appt. for 2 weeks. Welcome to Canada and free health care.

She came to see me a few hours after him. I looked at the site and noticed how fire red it was. There was spreading of reddness with defined margins from the area, as well as it feeling warm to touch.  She was also in excruciating pain and had limited range of motion. My slightest touch elicited pain. I sent her to the ER for a proper assessment and treatment plan. I will call her tomorrow to see how she is doing. It breaks my heart that this was her experience and that our system treated her this way.  

She told me how compassionate I was. It's kind of her to say that, but really all I did was attentivley listen and genuinely try to help her. I made eye contact, passed her a tissue as she sobbed and sat beside her for reassurance. It took all of about 10 minutes. It does not take that much effort to help another person in need. I am going to approach this MD tomorrow morning to tell him negligent and hurtful he was. I'm sure he won't give a sh*t but I'll feel better.
keep you posted.....

easy home remedies

i take this herb class every thursday evening with john redden. he's amazing. his herb clinic and shoppe are called viriditas and it's amazing how much knowledge and information this man has.
here are some of the things we've been busy with.

 garlic honey

whole garlic cloves topped with organic honey. we let this sit for about a month. then strained the garlic out and were left with the honey infused garlic. 

kai had a terrible cough last week. i put dropperfuls of this into his mouth, he gladly opened, and within 2 days his cough was gone. this is a really great home remedy and super easy to make.

 horseradish

blended in the vitamix

on the left- horseradish with mustard powder and apple cider vinegar

on the right- horseradish with mustard powder, apple cider vinegar and tumeric

this stuff tastes amazing! it is a bit spicy and full of amazing medicinal qualities.

horseradish for the lungs, tumeric for its anti-inflammatory/anti-oxidant/anti-cancer and liver promoting properties and mustard powder for its anti-inflammatory/immune enhancing benefits

i made a salad dressing tonight with olive oil, lemon and honey and then added a tsp of this paste into the dressing and tossed onto the salad. so easy to get into the kids this way! (mine eat salad. you can also put into rice, pasta sauce, soups and stews)