My grandfathers were John (born in the Azores) and Kurt (born in Germany). Great-grandfathers (that I know of) were Reinhold (born guess where?) and James. Dh's grandfathers were Sebastiano (from Sicily) and Felix (from Poland). Wendi

Is buying cuts of meat that are quick-cooking. Not the cheapest option, but since we are always pressed for time these days, it's necessary. So I buy quick-frozen chicken tenderloins, pork chop cutlets, turkey breast cutlets, steak, etc. Then I have a variety of fresh and frozen vegetables, and small potatoes. (I microwave the potatoes and serve whole for one meal, then cut up the leftovers into cubes and saute in the pan with the next night's meat.) Wendi

Well, last night's dinner was this: Put a large pot of water on to boil, and cook linguini, noodles, whatever kind of pasta you have. Meanwhile, saute chicken tenderloins and fresh broccoli florets in another pan. Add fresh garlic cloves, pressed. (We LOVE garlic!) Add chicken broth to the pan, about two cups. (I had to search to find a chicken broth with no sugar or black pepper; I use Trader Joe's organic free range broth.) In a small bowl, combine a little more broth with about 1 1/2 tsp. arrowroot. When the pasta's done and drained, add the arrowroot mixture to the broth in the pan, then add the noodles and toss all together to coat with sauce. Simple and yummy! Ds suggests we try the same recipe with shrimp instead of chicken next time. Wendi

We are almost two months into an elimination diet for our ds. We have eliminated chocolate, sugar, yeast, milk and cheese, chili pepper, black pepper, tomatoes, rice, olives and olive oil, and some other foods. It has been interesting, to say the least. One thing I have noticed is that I have become more creative in cooking again. I seem to go through phases of being interested in cooking, trying new recipes, and then I get bored with cooking and just put food on the table, KWIM? We have been busy this year, with lots of activities, and I have been relying on lots of quick and easy foods, including convenience foods from Trader Joe's. Well, all the old standbys, or almost all, had to be eliminated. No tomatoes or olive oil? Italian food is tricky. No tomatoes, cheese, or chili pepper? No Mexican food. And all the sauces I relied on from TJ's contain sugar. Many of my seasoning mixes contain black pepper. So I started cooking from scratch and just inventing my own "recipes". Ds and dh RAVED about tonight's dinner, which was sooo simple. It's been fun, and I feel like more of a "cook" now. And I've discovered I CAN make quick meals from scratch. Wendi:001_smile:

I just put it on hold at the library!:001_smile: Thanks! Wendi

We live in the NW Valley (Phoenix), and it takes us about 6 hours to get to Encinitas/Carlsbad area. So I would think from San Diego, you could make it in one day, although my experience on long trips with little kids is minimal. You'll find plenty of hotels in the Phoenix area, as well as Luke AFB in the west valley, if that works. Wendi P.S. I grew up in FL, where most interstates were referred to simply by number (take 75 north, etc.), but for some reason the main interstate that cuts through Orlando was called I-4, not just 4. I noticed my friends from California used "the" in front of highway numbers. We do it in Phoenix, too. Now I say, "take the 101 to the 17".

I had two moles removed last month (one on my cheek, the other just below my jaw). My family doctor did it, and she did a great job! She told me she could do as well as a dermatologist. If your family doctor doesn't has as much experience at it, he/she can recommend a dermatologist. Insurance will probably cover it if your doctor sends the moles to be biopsied. As your doctor about it. (I originally went in to have one mole removed because it bled once, and while I was there, she removed the other one, too.) Wendi

I have a few "strikes" against me: premature (and in the 60s, before a lot of the medical technology of recent years), bottle fed, and my parents smoked (including Mom during pregnancy). Yet I am reasonably healthy and intellectually gifted. My brother as well (he wasn't preemie, though). Wendi

Looks like our library has it; I'm going to check it out. Thanks. Wendi

We are studying about Washington right now; would this movie be a good one for my ds11? He won't mind battle scenes and violence (he's a boy!:boxing_smiley:), but I'm wondering if there is any sexiness. How is Washington portrayed? Thanks in advance, Wendi

Would my son enjoy it? He likes "military stuff", and we're studying the revolution right now. How is Washington portrayed? Wendi

Sometimes that's kinda how it goes around here, although at least half of the time, dh comes up with something on his own. Now that ds is old enough, he gets excited about giving me something, too. (This year, it's apparently something he made in art class, that he's VERY EXCITED to give me.) This year, I'm going to a concert with dh for my Mother's Day gift. We heard the Police were coming back to town (they were too expensive on their reunion tour). I said, "The Police! Wish I could go!" And dh said, "That could be your Mother's Day gift, if you want." (Not a bad deal for him, since he likes the Police, too.) So I made arrangements for ds to spend the night with a friend the night of the concert, and we got our tickets. Works out well. We usually go out to lunch for Mother's Day, but since ds is on the elimination diet right now, we can't really eat out. Well, DS can't, but dh and I had dinner from In 'N Out Burger last night while ds was at Awana. Ssshh! Don't tell him! Wendi

They should make sure your chart indicates you have a sulfa allergy. And don't forget to mention it to your other doctors. I am allergic to sulfa, too. I had a UTI, and when I started feeling worse after taking the sulfa, I thought it was just the infection. Then my legs started tingling, and I broke out in hives! Lots of fun. Wendi

I think Dave Ramsey is wise to advise people to have an emergency fund (he recommends $1000) BEFORE they go all out on paying off their debt. Then, when Murphy visits, as he says, you aren't tempted to add more debt. Wendi

We're having tilapia, but I haven't decided how to prepare it. Bake it with lemon juice and herbs? Saute in the pan with garlic? Coat with crushed tortilla chips and bake? Hmmm.... Wendi

for my Mother's Day gift, dh said he'd buy tickets for us to see The Police! :hurray: I saw them in concert when I was 16. It will be fun to see them again. I am working on arranging a sleepover for ds at his friend's house on that night, so we can go. Wendi

He could do something special for you the day before, right? Wendi

Your pastor didn't like the name Noah?? Really? I'm surprised. Wendi

We just googled and found one close to us. She's great. We live in a part of the country with a good amount of alternative health care available. Wendi

The Lord of the Rings Wendi

We have wanted to get ds a loft bed for a long time; the bedrooms in our house are small. We decided to use some of our "rebate" check. We found exactly what we want at Ikea, but their loft beds are a little tall (81" at the top rail). Ds's room only has an 8' ceiling, which means there'd be 15" between the top rail and the ceiling! With a 4" bunk bed mattress, he'd have a little over two feet between the mattress top and ceiling! He insists he doesn't mind, but I think we'll have to find a shorter bed. The problem is, I really like the design of the Ikea one (we can get a desktop and shelf that hang right on the frame), and it's a great price. Any suggestions?

My 11yo has always had some anxiety. About 6 months ago, his anxiety became much worse, and turned into OCD. (I have OCD, so I know what it looks like.) The psychiatrist recommended Prozac, but I didn't want to use meds unless we had to. I decided to try a naturopath first. She ordered the urine test for neurotransmitter levels, and a blood test for food sensitivities. After the results came back, she started ds on three different amino acid supplements. We're also doing an elimination diet. Within two weeks, he reported NO anxiety. He's doing really, well a month later. Just thought I'd share our story. I'm really so happy that ds responded so well to the natural treatment. A friend of mine also is using natural treatment for her ADHD, and says she's doing much better. Wendi

We're looking forward to it! :hurray: Wendi

I like Sophie Kinsella's books for light reading, except her most recent one (Remember Me?) was a disappointment. But I recommend the Shopaholic books and The Undomestic Goddess. Wendi

I've been very happy with the service. Wendi