Window cleaning chemical injected into fast food hamburger meat

Window cleaning chemical injected into fast food hamburger meat

Huh? What?!? You've Got To Be Kidding!!!

I found the following news story the other day and thought it was just so crazy. If I couldn't hang my clothes out to dry in the warm air and sunshine each summer, I just don't know what I'd do.

Carin Froehlich has help from her granddaughter Ava as they hang some laundry in the front yard of her residence in Perkasie Reuters –By Jon Hurdle – Wed Nov 18, 11:32 am ET

PERKASIE, Pennsylvania (Reuters) – Carin Froehlich pegs her laundry to three clotheslines strung between trees outside her 18th-century farmhouse, knowing that her actions annoy local officials who have asked her to stop.

Froehlich is among the growing number of people across America fighting for the right to dry their laundry outside against a rising tide of housing associations who oppose the practice despite its energy-saving green appeal.

Although there are no formal laws in this southeast Pennsylvania town against drying laundry outside, a town official called Froehlich to ask her to stop drying clothes in the sun. And she received two anonymous notes from neighbors saying they did not want to see her underwear flapping about.

"They said it made the place look like trailer trash," she said, in her yard across the street from a row of neat, suburban houses. "They said they didn't want to look at my 'unmentionables.'"

Froehlich says she hangs her underwear inside. The effervescent 54-year-old is one of a growing number of Americans demanding the right to dry laundry on clotheslines despite local rules and a culture that frowns on it.

Their interests are represented by Project Laundry List, a group that argues people can save money and reduce carbon emissions by not using their electric or gas dryers, according to the group's executive director, Alexander Lee.

Widespread adoption of clotheslines could significantly reduce U.S. energy consumption, argued Lee, who said dryer use accounts for about 6 percent of U.S. residential electricity use.

Florida, Utah, Maine, Vermont, Colorado, and Hawaii have passed laws restricting the rights of local authorities to stop residents using clotheslines. Another five states are considering similar measures, said Lee, 35, a former lawyer who quit to run the non-profit group.

'RIGHT TO HANG'

His principal opponents are the housing associations such as condominiums and townhouse communities that are home to an estimated 60 million Americans, or about 20 percent of the population. About half of those organizations have 'no hanging' rules, Lee said, and enforce them with fines.

Carl Weiner, a lawyer for about 50 homeowners associations in suburban Philadelphia, said the no-hanging rules are usually included by the communities' developers along with regulations such as a ban on sheds or commercial vehicles.

The no-hanging rules are an aesthetic issue, Weiner said.

"The consensus in most communities is that people don't want to see everybody else's laundry."

He said opposition to clotheslines may ease as more people understand it can save energy and reduce greenhouse gases.

"There is more awareness of impact on the environment," he said. "I would not be surprised to see people questioning these restrictions."

For Froehlich, the "right to hang" is the embodiment of the American tradition of freedom.

"If my husband has a right to have guns in the house, I have a right to hang laundry," said Froehlich, who is writing a book on the subject.

Besides, it saves money. Line-drying laundry for a family of five saves $83 a month in electric bills, she said.

Kevin Firth, who owns a two-bedroom condominium in a Dublin, Pennsylvania housing association, said he was fined $100 by the association for putting up a clothesline in a common area.

"It made me angry and upset," said Firth, a 27-year-old carpenter. "I like having the laundry drying in the sun. It's something I have always done since I was a little kid."

(Editing by Mark Egan and Paul Simao)

Raising Monarchs

In May look for milkweed plants. On the underneath side of a leaf you may find a tiny, yellow-green oval. That's a Monarch egg. Clip that stalk. Put the stalk in a water-filled vase and watch for the egg to hatch a few days later. Keep feeding your caterpillar milkweed leaves by changing out the milkweed stalks for new ones. When the caterpillar is almost 2 inches long, it's time for it to form its chrysalis. Try placing the vase under a small table. The milkweed leaves need to brush the bottom of the table. The caterpillar will crawl onto the bottom of the table and form its chrysalis. Once the chrysalis turns black (after 1-2 weeks), you'll know your butterfly will emerge in the next 24 hours. Once it emerges and its wings have dried (don't touch it during this phase!), you can coax it onto your hand with sugar water. Then it's time to take it outside and release it!!

If you'd like more instructions you can visit: Rearing Monarchs

Happy Spring!!

Healthy Guacamole

At this point you may be getting the impression that I'm starting a food blog. No worries, every post won't be about food. However, food is an important part of life and we all like to see what other people are eating and enjoying with their families. Well, if you're anything like me you do. I, myself, get in a rut from time to time and get weary of eating the same dishes over and over again. It's then that I go searching the net for new ideas.

I'm not a real avocado lover, but I know they're good for me. So, the way I go about getting those added nutrients in my diet is by making a healthy Guacamole Dip. Unfortunately, sometimes what you find in the store and even in some homemade recipes, are dips loaded with additives and bad fats from oils or sour cream. Tasty though it may be, good for the heart and waistline they're not!

This particular recipe comes from my Country Life Vegetarian Cookbook. I've taken the liberty of adding a couple of extra ingredients. For me, their recipe just lacked that extra punch of flavor that I needed. Feel free to experiment with the ingredients to suite your own taste, but try to avoid ingredients that are high in bad fats.

One of my favorite methods for enjoying this dip is by simply spreading it over toasted whole wheat bread. Mmm, mmmm! Other ideas (besides the usual tortilla chips) are using it as a spread on a sandwich or in a burrito wrap.

GUACAMOLE

2 c. mashed avocado (approx. 2 medium avocados)
1 t. garlic powder
1 1/2 t. onion powder
1 t. salt
1 - 1 1/2 T. lemon juice
3/4 c. finely chopped tomatoes
*1/8 t. cumin
*pinch or more of cayenne pepper

Scoop out avocados into bowl, mash well. Add remaining ingredients and mix together. Chill.

YIELD: 2 3/4 cups
Ingredients marked with an asterisk are my own special touch.

Picture borrowed from: CountryLiving

Southwestern Beans & Rice

I thought I'd share this recipe that I'm taking to Potluck tomorrow for church. The recipe comes from my Light and Tasty cookbook from Taste of Home. I've made it before and one gentleman in particular, always compliments me on it. I usually add some soy cheddar shreds and I'm even considering throwing in some multi grain Penne Pasta today. I may find that it'll need some added water if I go ahead with the pasta.

Southwestern Beans and Rice

1 medium green pepper, diced
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 T. olive oil
2 1/2c. water
1 c. uncooked long grain rice
1/2 t. ground cumin
1/8 t. ground turmeric
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (10 ounces) diced tomatoes and green chilies, undrained
1 package (10 ounces) frozen corn, thawed

In a large nonstick skillet, saute the green pepper, onion and garlic in oil for 3 minutes. Stir in the broth, rice, cumin and turmeric; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until rice is tender. Add beans, tomatoes and corn; heat through.

YIELD: 8 servings

Nutritional Analysis: One serving (3/4 cup) equals 198 calories, 3 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 1 mg cholesterol, 339 mg sodium, 37 g carbohydrate, 5 g fiber, 7 g protein.


Photo borrowed from: Knorr

Gardening Techniques and Tools

Well, it's bitter cold here in Northwest Indiana, but regardless, our minds are turned toward our vegetable garden. We've chosen all the various foods we will be growing and are waiting for the seeds to arrive. No doubt, I'll be cutting things a bit close this year due the fact that I haven't even begun my indoor seed starting yet. However, since the seeds haven't arrived I have little choice, but to wait.

In the meantime I've been scanning the Internet for various garden sites to glean as much information as possible in order to have the most productive garden. We've been gardening for several years, but we still feel somewhat like novices. There is so much to learn about gardening. So much so, that I think we'll be learning about it as long as we're alive.

As every gardener knows, having a vegetable garden is hard work and can be taxing on the body. Not that that's necessarily a bad thing, but if I'm experiencing a lot of pain while gardening, it does little to motivate me to get out there and work it.

With the exception of one summer, we have always planted bush beans. The year I tried pole beans I wasn't very successful because the method I chose to support the beans was not great. As a result, I gave up and went back to what worked-- bush beans. With each passing year, we have been growing more produce to be stored up for the winter months. This means, more work and more bending. More bending means more pain in my lower back. Ouch!

Near the end of December I jumped on-line to search for a better way to support pole beans as I wanted to try and grow them again for this summer. That's when I found Donald. To use the phrase spoken often by The Pioneer Woman, "lawsee mercy!" Donald has posted lots of instructional gardening videos. For me, his site is a gold mine. I've learned so much by watching his videos and I'm definitely going to try his technique for growing pole beans this summer. Check out these:

Be sure and watch how he supports his tomatoes too. In my opinion, it's brilliant. Just where was he when we were first starting out, anyway? :)

Today I visited the Growing Wisdom website. While there I saw this wonderful tool called the Hatfield Transplanter. Heard of it? It would certainly come in handy and save my back to boot. When I showed it to my husband he got pretty excited about it. He told me to find out how much it costs so we could get one. Well, as wonderful as it is, it's not in our budget right now so I'm putting it on our wish list for future purchases. I thought I share the video on how it's used. Prepare to be amazed.

Cranberry Goodness

It's that time of year. The time when Cranberries are plentiful. I wanted to share with you two of my favorite holiday recipes that are loaded with this deliciously, tart fruit.

CRANBERRY APPLE PIE

4 c. thinly sliced peeled baking apples
1 c. fresh or frozen cranberries
1 c. sugar
2 T. cornstarch
1 t. lemon juice
1 t. ground cinnamon
Pastry for double-crust pie (9 inches)
1 T. butter or margarine

METHOD:
In mixing bowl, combine apples, cranberries, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice and cinnamon. Line a 9-inch pie pan with half of pastry. Spoon filling into crust; dot with butter. Top with a lattice crust. Bake at 400 for 40-50 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown. Yield: 8 servings


This next dessert is a cranberry crumb cake. It's light and easy to prepare. The flavor of cranberry comes through in every sweet-tart bite, and the streusel topping looks so pretty. Simply divine!!

CRANBERRY CRUMB CAKE
Yield: 9 servings

1 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. plus 1/3 c. sugar, divided
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 c. fat-free milk (or soy)
1 T. orange juice (or 1 t. orange extract)
1 T. oil
1/4 t. almond extract
2 c. fresh or frozen cranberries, chopped

TOPPING:
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
3 T. sugar
2 T. cold butter

METHOD:
In a bowl, combine the flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder and salt. Combine the egg, milk, orange juice, oil and extract; stir into dry ingredients, Spoon into an 8-inch square baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray. Combine cranberries and remaining sugar; spoon over batter.
For topping, combine flour and sugar in a small bowl; cut in the butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over cranberries. Bake at 375 for 35-45 minutes or until edges begin to pull away from sides of pan. Refrigerate leftovers.


These are both great country desserts and perfect to serve at Christmastime. I know this is Christmas eve and you have probably already baked all that you're going to, but do try these while cranberries are still easy to get. I don't think you'll be the least bit be disappointed.

Have a wonderful Christmas tomorrow, and may the New Year bring you more blessings than you can possibly dream of.

A Must See Video

In our home, we do not observe Halloween and I realize that the holiday has passed, but this video is still relevant and you really should see it. It's important that you read labels carefully before you make a food purchase. As for me, I plan to avoid any foods that come from China-- period!

This, That, And The Other Thing

My youngest nephew came over, spent the night on Saturday and got to spend the entire day with us on Sunday. It was nice to have him here. He didn't cause a bit of trouble and really did a good job at lending a hand to my #2 teenage son, who spent several hours spreading stone in our lane. It's been so unusually rainy this winter and due to the large amounts we've received, our property is totally saturated. Some areas of our property look like ponds. We've even have geese fly down and spend the night here.

Since moving into this old farmhouse about six years ago, we haven't been able to lay a proper drive. Oh, we've had good intentions to do so, but one thing or another kept getting in the way. However, it's gotten to the point where we just couldn't ignore it any longer. Thanks be to God that we had enough in tax returns to cover at least part of the stone purchase. We weren't able to get all the stone that is needed to finish it completely, but it's enough to get us by, at least for a little while.

While the boys were out working and later, bike riding, I was busy inside trying to get my grocery list and meal plans for this week prepared. I was also able to get four loads of laundry done and managed to make two batches of wheat gluten steaks. I sent some home with my sister. She's never had them before and I'm hoping that her family will all like them.

During our dinner yesterday, my nephew wanted to watch "Honey I Blew Up the Kid". (He borrowed it from my MIL who happens to live next door to us). I didn't have any plans to sit and watch the entire movie as I had already seen it many years ago and didn't recall it to be very good. However, the longer I sat, the more I got sucked in... it was much funnier than I remembered. It was fun cause we sat there together just engrossed and then all of a sudden, something funny would happen and we would all burst out laughing at the same time.

It's the little things that we'll remember the longest!

Herbs For Your Health

Well, Spring is inching ever closer and with that comes planting season. I have already ordered my vegetable seeds and thanks to my generous neighbor, I have two flats of heirloom tomato plants sitting on my dining room table that have started. I will soon be ordering some fruit plants too. Thanks to Amy, I have learned about this family home industry, and am planning to get a few fruit plants from them. After that, I am seriously going to take a look at purchasing some herb seeds. Not only will this be an asset to my meal preparations, but what I'm mostly interested in, is using them to create healing medicines for my family. My husband and I have been talking about how important we feel it is to be as self-sufficient as possible. Particularly as we see the world becoming more and more unstable all the time.

In our family, we try avoid pharmaceutical drugs as far as possible, as we believe that God gave us every herb bearing seed, not only for our food, but for our healing as well. My thoughts are: Why use synthetic drugs that can cause life-threatening side effects when God has provided plants that are perfectly healthful and natural? ... drugs are extremely costly and they don't work for the cure, but rather to mask symptoms instead.

So that said, this year we are on a quest to learn all that we can about herbs and their medicinal properties. I found a small Herb course on-line, offered by Cheri at Sweet Hollow Farm. Part of Cheri's testimony is that they were a homeschooling, Christian family, dwelling in the City. One day the Lord spoke to her heart and showed her that they were too reliant on others for everything in their life. She saw that she needed to rely more on God for their sustenance and so, they left the city behind for country life and have been there for nine years now. Through her journey, she has learned much and is now offering to pass on that knowledge to others. I plan on taking advantage of it. :)

I would love to hear from any of you who have made this a way of life. I would really like to learn how to make tinctures, salves, balms and any other type of natural healing methods, using herbs.

I found a website some time back that sells herbs in bulk. Many of you may know it. It's called: Bulk Herb Store It's owned and operated by Shoshanna Pearl, the daughter of Michael & Debi Pearl. While at the Bulk Herb Store, I saw several books that can be purchased to help us on our quest for Herbal knowledge. I was particularly interested in the book: "The How-to Herb Book". I didn't really want to pay what the Bulk Herb Store was asking, so hunted around the web for a lower price. I found one. It's at: More Than Alive. I often will purchase books used, from Amazon, but even there, the price was higher.

Please let me know if you have this book. I'm interested to know how you like it and if it's been useful in your home.

Soy Great! Patties (Burgers)

In anticipation of warmer weather, I've had a hankerin for a vegan burger. I grabbed my Guilt Free Gourmet cook book off the shelf and started flipping through it's pages. My eyes landed on the Soy Great! Patties and since I already had some soaked soybeans on hand I decided that these were the burgers that I would make.

Aside from a little planning, as you will need to soak your soybeans ahead of time, these are very easy to prepare. Perhaps you may think they don't look all that appealing, but remember, you can't always judge a burger by it's color. If I'd had a garden fresh tomato, a few sprouts and a nice round dill pickle, it would have been perfect! Even without them though, the flavor was surprisingly, quite yummy.

INGREDIENTS:
1 c. *Soaked soy beans
2 T. Nutritional yeast flakes
1/2 t. Salt
1/2 t. Onion powder
1/4 t. Garlic powder
1/2 c. Water
1 T. **Chicken-Style Seasoning
3/4 c. Rolled Oats
1 t. Italian seasoning

* Soak 1 C. Soy beans in 4 C. water overnight. Drain and use 1 C. for recipe and freeze remainder for future use.

**See recipe below or you can use any type of vegetarian chicken-like seasoning you have on hand. Bill's Best Chick' nish is popular.

METHOD:
Combine all ingredients EXCEPT oats in blender and grind to fine consistency. Pour over oats, stir, and let stand for 10 minutes. form into patties. Brown on both sides on a lightly sprayed non-stick griddle. Cover while browning. Transfer to sprayed cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes on each side.

YIELDS: 8 medium size burgers

• These patties are even good cold in sandwiches with a bit of Vegenaise
• Serve them over rice with gravy or spaghetti sauce.
• Try breaking them up over a baked potato topped with a dollup of soy sour cream.
• Make up a double recipe of these, and freeze all the extra patties for future use.
• You can eat them plain. They're great as an entree with vegetables.
  

As for the Chicken Seasoning, I like to make a double batch and keep it on hand for many of the dishes I cook. It's very versatile and can be used in anything you want to take on a chicken flavor.

**CHICKEN-STYLE SEASONING
1 1/3 c. nutritional yeast flakes
1 T. onion powder
1/2 t. celery seed
2 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. turmeric
2 T. barley malt powder (opt.)
3 T. sea salt
1 t. dried parsley
1 T. paprika

Combine all ingredients and bled until powdery.

What's For Dinner

I had to make a last minute change to our menu tonight. I was planning to make cream of broccoli soup, but I forgot to soak my soybeans last night so that I could make soy milk with our SoyaPower soy milk maker. Therefore, I had to change things up a bit.

I decided I'd make tomorrow's dinner instead. Along with our baked potatoes, I made curried lentils over rice. Lentils aren't normally something that #2 son enjoys eating and when he saw them cooking on the stove he wasn't very thrilled. I told him to hold off on sharing his opinion until he tried them.

I got this recipe some time ago from The Urban Homemaker. I went back to her website tonight to see if I could find it, but couldn't. Here it is:

CURRIED LENTILS
1 T. oil
1-1 1/2 c. chopped onions
2 cloves minced garlic or 1 t. powder
1-1 1/2 c. rinsed lentils
5 c. water
1/4 c. tomato powder or 1 - 14oz. can tomatoes
1/2 t. cumin
1/2 t. ginger
1/2 t. turmeric
1/2 t. curry powder
dash cayenne pepper to taste

Sauté onions in oil in a large pot for two minutes. Add garlic and sauté briefly. Add all remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Simmer until lentils are soft, yet firm. (In other words, when you remove them from the pot they should still have a nice round shape and not be mushy like mashed potatoes.) Serve hot over rice.

*************************************

To make the rice, put 1 tablespoon of Soy Garden Spread (or whatever kind of butter/margarine you like) in a 2 quart sauce pot and heat just until melted. Then add 2 cups of long grain white rice (not instant) to the pot, stirring until the rice is well coated. Heat rice until lightly browned, watching it carefully so that it doesn't burn. Once rice is browned to your liking, pour in four cups of water. Lastly, add 1/4 cup of nutritional yeast flakes and 2 Tablespoons of your favorite seasoning. (I use Herbamare Original) Stir well and place a tight fitting lid on the pot.

Next, bring your water to a rolling boil, then turn the heat down to simmer and let rice cook until all the water has evaporated. This takes about 20 minutes. Avoid lifting the lid during cooking time as this will let too much steam escape and your rice won't cook properly. Also, it isn't necessary to stir the rice while it's cooking. Rice is better left alone and only stirred just before serving.

Well, I got a resounding A+ from everyone for tonight's dinner. In fact #2 son said, "These are the only lentils I'll ever eat mom." Overall, it was a simple meal to prepare and because it was delicious, it made it on the kids list for "make that again" and on mom's list of "health food". Next time, I'll try to make it with brown rice instead. This will boost the nutritional value, but because of time restraints tonight, I opted for the white rice. Happy eating!

Staying The Course

Have you ever punished a child only to forget a day or two later that you did it? It seems like this has been happening to me more and more lately. Unfortunately, I have a couple teenagers who, once in a while, will take advantage of the fact that I forget. Sometimes on purpose, but other times because they've forgotten too.

Last week I grounded my #2 son from the computer for a week. A couple of days later he comes up to me and says, "Mom can I get on the computer? I have all my chores done." I give my permission and go on about my business. A good deal of time passes and I notice that he's still sitting at the computer doing his thing. I politely tell him he needs to shut it down and get busy with other things. He says, "OK." Again, I walk away to continue my business. Several minutes go by, and just as I suspect, there he is still planted firmly in front of the PC. All of a sudden the light bulb goes off in my head and I remember that I had grounded him two days before precisely because he wouldn't get off the computer when I asked him to.

At this point I'm clearly upset. Firstly, at myself, for not remembering that I punished him. Secondly, because he asked my permission. And thirdly, because this seems to be a repeated offense with him. (Not doing what he's asked when he's asked). It was then that I decided that I needed to write his punishment on the calendar so that I wouldn't forget.

This boy has not given up trying to get me to shorten his punishment though. Every once in a while he will approach me to see if he can use the computer to work on this project or that project, but so far, I've stood firm and have even had to go so far as to include an addendum. I told him that for every time he asks to use the PC, an extra day will be tacked on to his sentence. So far, so good.

On Again - Off Again

Last week I went in to my chiropractor's office for my weekly adjustment. I mentioned to him that I started walking on my treadmill again. It was here that I thought he would say something like, "Good for you!" or "That's great!", but instead he gave me a line something like this: "Running and walking won't do much, if anything, to help you lose weight. What you need to start doing is lifting weights." With that, he left the room and left me feeling discouraged and a bit angry! After all, it took quite a bit of getting myself psyched up enough to start walking again-- he really knocked the wind out of my sails and I haven't been back on the treadmill since.

However, I am even more discouraged about this weight that I've gained and I know that I've got to do SOMETHING. So, with his "words of wisdom" still ringing in my ears, I've decided to do a bit of research to find out what I can do to make a change. Going to a gym is entirely out of our budget, so my goal was to find something I could successfully do here at home.

I am learning that it's best to combine Cardio exercise with strength training to get the best results. Strength training, in particular, is important to keep my bones from thinning and becoming weak as I get older. Also, it will help with balance control and reduce or eliminate falls in older years. In the past, I probably wouldn't have paid much attention to the balance aspect, but as I'm in the caregiving practice now, I see balance issues with older people all the time.

I'm also reading that strength training is crucial to weight control, because individuals who have more muscle mass have a higher metabolic rate. Here's a quote from WebMD.

"Muscle is active tissue that consumes calories while stored fat uses very little energy. Strength training can provide up to a 15% increase in metabolic rate, which is enormously helpful for weight loss and long-term weight control."

During my research, I think I've found a product that can help me obtain much of the ideal strength training I need, while helping me to target my core muscles at the same time. It's called the BOSU Balance Trainer. If you'd like to know more the BOSU, this website briefly talks about it.

I won't be able to get one right away. It will take a bit of time before I can save that much. We are are on very tight budget and what little I've been able to set aside is going into buying seeds for this summer's vegetable garden. This by no means is a bad thing. After all, part of getting fit, is eating properly. You can't have one without the other, right?

In the meantime, I will continue to read and yes, I will get back on the treadmill. I probably won't get back to it until this Sunday. For me, starting at the beginning of the week rather than the middle or the end of the week makes much more sense.

New Links

I've added several new links to my blog I thought you might like to take a look at. You'll find them on the right-hand side of my sidebar. Under Homeschool Circle I added "The HomeScholar" I've also added an entirely new category called Love and Marriage. All the links there are new. Lastly, under the heading Special Links are two new sites: "Christian Homemaker" and "Christian Homesteaders".

I seem to have several people coming to my blog, interested in the links I list. I place them here because they have, in some way, edified me and I want to share them with others in hopes that they'll be helpful to you too. Please don't mistake they're being listed here for the idea that I agree with everything they teach or promote. However, there was enough there that I believed they would be a positive benefit to those who may visit them. As with anything, we are to search it out, comparing them with the word of God. As often happens, links change, get replaced or go off-line. If you ever find a link that is dead or inappropriate, please email me right away and it will be removed promptly. Thanks!

Calling All Homeschooling Bird Enthusiasts

Hands-On Science Helps Homeschoolers (and Scientists) Learn More About Birds
The new Homeschooler's Guide to Project FeederWatch is available online:

Ithaca, New York— Homeschool students across North America can learn about science and have fun while they count birds and record information that scientists need to understand the movements and abundance of feeder birds. Project FeederWatch, a citizen-science project from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Bird Studies Canada, is a perfect fit for the homeschool curriculum. The Homeschooler's Guide to Project FeederWatch is now available online at www.feederwatch.org. This guide highlights specific ways Project FeederWatch can foster inquiry-based learning in math, science, art, and other disciplines.

Project FeederWatch focuses on something children are naturally interested in: birds. "Birds move, they come in a variety of colors, shapes and sizes, and they are easy to watch," says project leader David Bonter.

For 20 years FeederWatch participants from all across North America have tallied the number and kinds of birds that visit their feeders between November and April. Scientists use the data to track where the birds are across the continent and how their numbers change through time. Some of the most dramatic changes revealed by data collected over the last two decades may be related to changes in climate.

"We're seeing hummingbirds much farther north than usual during the winter," says Bonter. "Warblers, wrens, woodpeckers, and other insect-eaters are also lingering longer into the northern winter, possibly because of warmer temperatures. Bird-count data gathered in the coming years will really help us focus on these trends and what might be causing them."

The curriculum is available to download for free at the Project FeederWatch web site. An annual participation fee of $15 ($12 for Lab of Ornithology members, $35 Canadian) covers the cost of the Project FeederWatch research kit, with useful materials for a homeschooling program, including instructions and a calendar that features bird photos taken by project participants. The fee also helps support web site development, participant support and education, and data analysis.

First-time participants receive a colorful poster to help them identify birds, and the FeederWatch Handbook, filled with information about bird feeding and the value of FeederWatch data. Participants also receive Winter Bird Highlights, featuring results from the project, and a subscription to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's newsletter, BirdScope. Canadian participants receive BirdWatch Canada from Bird Studies Canada.

U.S. residents can sign up by calling (800) 843-2473 or by visiting www.feederwatch.org.

A No-Stress Approach to Kid's Chores

I recently started receiving a free marriage and family magazine by Focus on the Family. This morning I couldn't sleep and got up earlier than usual. I hadn't had a chance to read the magazine yet so took a bit of time to look it over before I started my morning devotion. I wanted to share with you this particular article. Perhaps you'll have the need to use Heather's creative idea some day. But hopefully not. Happy Parenting!


YOUR CHORES OR MINE?
by Heather Trent Beers

I'm amazed how two empty trash cans left by the driveway can transform me from Mother of Year to a raging inferno in two seconds flat.

One morning, I entered my 15-year-old son's room. "Jacob," I said. I waited for eye contact.

Yes, Mom?" His eyes darted between the screen and my face.
I'm heading out on an errand. Please bring the trash cans in before I get home in an hour."

"Uh-huh."

Now, I've learned two things about Jacob. First, I must say his name and make eye contact. Second, I need to make him repeat what I've said. Both are helpful in the "But I Didn't Hear You" battle.

"What will you do?"

"Bring in the trash cans."

"When?"

"Before you get home."

"Which will be when?"

"In one hour."

"Good. See you in an hour."

I left with a spring in my step. He's growing into a responsible young man. An hour later when I came home, however, the cans were still at the end of the driveway. Goodbye, June Cleaver. Hello, Mommy Dearest. I fumed as I pulled into the garage.

"Why do I even bother?" I stomped to the end of the driveway, jerked the cans off the ground and wheeled them to the garage. My blood pressure soared, and my heart thumped wildly.

I knew Jacob needed a consequence for his inaction, but all I could think about were the chores that awaited me, and here I was doing his simple chore on top of it! Suddenly, I smiled. If I'm doing his chores, he can do mine. The simple brilliance of the plan filled me with hope. I whispered fervently, "God, please let this work!"

Upstairs, I stopped by my son's room. "Hi, Jacob!" I was pleased with my friendly tone. "Hi, Mom!" He flashed a quick smile and continued his game. "You left the trash cans at the curb, so I brought them in." "Oh... I'm sorry," he said, grimacing. He looked at me, but his fingers continued tapping. In the past, I would have made a smart remark like " 'Sorry' doesn't change things." This time I said, "That's all right. You can do one of my chores. The laundry needs folding." Jacob froze. He knew he'd been had, and it was fair and square.

While he hung shirts and folded socks, I read a few pages of a novel. I thought about what just happened. Bringing in trash cans: One minute. Folding laundry: Six minutes. Five extra minutes reading with my feet propped up. I could get used to this.

I whispered a prayer of thanks.

Two days later, I asked 9-year-old Rebekah to put her shoes away before lunch. I went through the "Say Her Name and Maker Her Repeat My Instructions" deal. She passed with flying colors. Lunch came and went, but the shoes didn't. So I put them away myself, without saying a word or sighing like a martyr. I was planning my next five-minute escape.

After lunch, I said, "Rebekah, you didn't put your shoes away, so I did it." "Oh, I'm sorry, Mom," came the usual reply.

"That's OK. I need to vacuum the den, so you can do that for me." Rebekah looked as if I'd slapped her. "That's not fair!" she wailed, eyes wide with shock. "Well, it's certainly not fair for me to do my chores and yours. Since I did yours, you can do one of mine." Her face fell. She hates vacuuming, so she didn't do it with the best attitude. But it was done, and I got my five-minute reading date.

Over the next several days, I assembled my to-do list with glee, calculating how many chapters I might finish if all went well. I asked the kids to help more, and they did with improved attitudes. I started to feel less like the Lone Ranger and more like Mom.

Heather Trent Beers lives in Grandview, Mo., where she is giggling her way through her latest read.

Resource: family.org
Picture by: Jupiter Images

How to Improve the Memory

I've been skimming a book on health put out by Uchee Pines Lifestyle Center. There is a particularly interesting section that caught my eye on improving the memory. I find that I'm awfully forgetful these days and have a difficult time with memorization. Also, now that I'm working as a caregiver again, I find myself working with an increased amount of people with dementia and Alzheimer's. I have been doing an interesting study on Alzheimer's. Maybe I can share a bit about that with you sometime in the future. Anyway, I thought I'd list here what steps Uchee Pines shares for things you can do to improve your memory.

a. Observe strict regularity in ALL things

b. Never lie down after a meal. This promotes early senility.

c. Do not crowd too many things into a small amount of time. On the other hand, do not allow time to pass without profitably using it.

d. Country living with strict simplicity is most favorable to learning, as well as to easy recall.

e. Keep all things orderly in your surroundings. Do not keep in your home more things than you are to keep in perfect order. Do not have something on every desk top, table or bookcase. have much ope space on walls, floors, yards, etc.; avoid clutter.

f. Eat nothing between meals or within several hours of going to bed. Intestinal fermentation produces toxins that injure and dull the mind. Use little fluids or liquid foods at meals. Use few dishes or varieties of foods at one meal. Especially avoid harmful combinations such as milk-sugar-egg mixtures, or fruit-vegetable mixtures. Never overeat. Excess nutrients such as potassium cause mental confusion. Excess sodium suppresses norepinephrine production resulting in lack of alertness. With the electroencephalogram (brain wave), we can get an indication of states of alertness. Brain waves are slower after large meals, taller and faster during prayer and in fasting states. Excessive fats of all kinds contribute to mental fogginess.

g. Keep a program of study of new things constantly going. The stretching of the mind to understand the Bible and to memorize portions of it represents the best single mental exercise.
Avoid excesses in all pleasurable pursuits. Over stimulation of sensory nerves sets up a condition causing forgetfulness.

i. Avoid smoking. Smokers have been shown to have poorer memories.

j. Train the mind to dwell on heavenly themes. It is a law of the mind that it assumes the level of those things which occupy it.

Reporting In

So OK, I'm behind in my blogging again. What can I say... life happens. I do owe you an update on our mini vacation though, don't I? My sister asked me about it a few days ago and has been patiently waiting on the pictures.

We did have a very nice time. We just wished it could have lasted longer. As it turns out, we weren't the only ones with the great idea. There were more people at the lodge than we expected, but thankfully, not crowded. I had envisioned myself being able to sit all alone near the fire, reading or just day dreaming. But, I realize now that was just wishful thinking. I was still able to get some leisurely reading in, just not sitting as close to the fire as I wanted to be. As a family, we played several games together. Sequence, Skip-Bo, Euchre, Ping Pong and Air Hockey to name few. We also were able to drive into Nashville to enjoy some window shopping. Being off-season, many of the little shops were closed, but that's OK. It was fun, even though the temperatures were only in the low teens. We practically had the streets and stores to ourselves.

I'm a bit disappointed in the quality of my pictures. Particularly the ones I took inside the lodge. The lighting was perfect for that romantic ambiance feel, but terrible for getting quality pictures-- at least without the use of a tripod. Had I have used ours, I wouldn't have wound up with such blurry pictures. You need a real steady hand for taking pictures in low lighting. A knowledge of the right settings would probably be pretty helpful too. Guess I should take some time to read the manual, eh?

You Could Be A Winner!

Thanks to Lisa I've been made aware of this!

A Cowboy’s Wife is having a contest on her food blog! You can win a Hamilton Beach® Stand Mixer and she’ll ship anywhere so everyone is eligible!

The Prize:

Hamilton Beach 4.5-qt. Eclectrics Stand Mixer, Pineapple Yellow

The winner will receive a brand new
Hamilton Beach 4.5-qt. Eclectrics Stand Mixer, Pineapple Yellow!!

About the mixer:
From Hamilton Beach’s “Eclectrics” line, this all-metal stand mixer comes with a host of accessories - a Flat Beater for cakes and cookies, a Dough Hook for bread and a Wire Whisk for whipped cream or pudding. The 4.5-qt. stainless steel bowl comes with a Pouring Shield that helps prevent splattering while in operation. The pouring shield has a built-in chute for adding ingredients. Powered by 400 watts, the stand mixer has a two-way mixing action to ensure all ingredients are incorporated into the mix. The quick-release, tilt-up head assists when removing the bowl. 9 x 14 x 14-in. When you’re ready for a kitchen re-do, don’t call in the carpenters! Instead, “counterscape” your kitchen with Hamilton Beach’s retro-designed, affordably priced electrics in happy, sun-saturated colors. Their “Eclectrics” line includes updates to those classic appliances from the 1950s. All of their “Eclectrics” are available in six colors: Apple Green, Moroccan Red, Pineapple Yellow, Intrigue Blue, Sugar White and Licorice Black.