Reading this book:

A great easy read on quality control and the importance of keeping track of what you’re supposed to be doing.

Read about these and they are supposed to be like pop-rocks or a battery fizz in your mouth! What fun! Couldn’t find a local store carrying them, so ordered online. Found Marx Foods $39.95 for 30 and Sun Grown Organics $25 for 25 plus $7.50 handling plus shipping. Decided to order from Marx Foods. Can’t wait to try.

This fall and winter have been brutal for contagious diseases. At my daughter’s school, there was first just the regular cold/flu, then swine flu, then lice. We weren’t hit too hard, but it was a good reminder to be sure to keep your body fit and well. A few things I’ve recently added to our arsenal to battle illness:

1. Vitamin D deficiency of which has been linked to the normal winter cold/flu outbreaks
2. Thieves Oil which is a blend of essential oils. I normally put a drop in my quart of water that goes with me in the car and at my desk. You can make your own or purchase from Young Living (or one of their affiliates).
3. Garlic! Yes, to be sure you’re not invited to any holiday parties and your friends avoid you, chew a clove when you’re first feeling a sore throat or a little run down
4. Mushrooms. Yes, this great fungus is good for you. A study at Tufts University shows that eating white mushrooms can promote immunity. Don’t know how many mushrooms you have to eat, to get the benefits, but fortunately, my kids love them. Will be posting some great recipes soon!
5. Water, water, water!

Exciting news from a local company setting up a test facility to reclaim unrecyclable plastics and melt them back into crude oil. Checkout Plas2Fuel and their plans to convert plastics into petroleum products. It’s a great idea and one that I hope is profitable. Would be interesting to see how the cost of producing crude via their method compared to the cost of a barrel of crude. Visited the Waste Management landfill and recycling center in Hillsboro this week. Amazing to see the work that goes into sorting recyclables and then crushing non-recyclable material and creating the landfill. Apparently there is a market for recycled carpet pads! They had a big stack of them piled up in the corner to shake out and recycle! They are currently unable to recycle sheetrock, but I thought there were ways of doing it? Mark that down to research some day.

Quinoa is a wonderful, versatile grain that’s easy to cook, high in protein and a great addition to any meal.  This salad was created in a moment of inspiration while desperately looking in my cupboards and refrigerator for  something to cook for dinner!  Make it early so the flavors have a chance to meld together.

Ingredients
1 cup Quinoa
1/2 each Red bell pepper chopped
1/2 each Yellow bell pepper chopped
1/2 cup Cilantro chopped
1 cup Carrot chopped
1 each Avocado chopped
1/2 cucumber chopped

Dressing:
1/4 cup Lime juice
1 tablespoon Salt
1/2 each Jalapeno peppers minced
2 tablespoon Garlic minced
1 teaspoon sugar

Instructions
Bring the quinoa to boil in 2 cups water. Reduce to simmer. Cook approximately 20 minutes until tender. Set aside to cool.

Prepare the dressing:

Chop vegetables very finely.
Combine all and serve.

I’ve started drinking Green Tea.  It seems that 2 cups per day with lemon in it is a great way to get antioxidants and the lemon makes them 4x more accessible.  Great information on Green Tea from Dr Weil.  A few tips for brewing green tea so it doesn’t become too bitter:

• the water should be just cooler than boiling
• let it steep for just a couple minutes.  Many herbal teas can be steeped for a long while, but the green tea leaves should be removed so it doesn’t become too bitter
• add a thin slice of lemon or lime to enhance the antioxidants