To save on disposable cardboard cup sleeves, the new fad now is to invest in a cute, stylish reusable sleeve. A few months ago, I saw patterns and instructions for one of these on Cut out and Keep. I thought, “Oh, how cute,” and bookmarked it. I still haven’t made one, even though I have just the right fabric.

Lucky for me, I discovered I can buy one online for a reasonable price. And there are all kinds of them available: knitted, embroidered, quilted, fabric, etc…. …read the rest of this entry »

My guys are into numbers lately. My eldest, especially, is big into number crunching and playing with the calculator. He spends a lot of time on, well, time.

Just last week I had a funny “aha” moment when his brother asked to play Star Wars Legos with him first thing in the morning. He said, “Well actually I need fifteen minutes to eat my cereal and stuff.”

His brother, not quite four, innocently inquired, “Well how long is that?”

Little Math man responded by saying, “Well, it is 15 times 60. You know, 900 seconds.”

I was dumbfounded, then I ran to check to see if he was right. I knew that my brother-in-law had given him a calculator to play with over the summer, but I had no idea that he was sooo into math. When I asked him about it he told me, flat out, that he wanted to go to a school that taught only math and soccer. So, I decided to check out some good websites for budding mathematicians, stuff that he would really get into and seem like a lot of fun and a small bit technical too, to challenge him a small bit. …read the rest of this entry »

My Library DV is a broadband service that local libraries can subscribe to for their patrons. All you need to get free movies is a library account in good standing and high speed internet access. This is a great service for getting movies in a hurry and without having to get in the car and go to the library. If you are in need of immediate access to a video, you do not need to wait for another patron to return it or for your library to acquire it on inter library loan as is often the case with popular titles. …read the rest of this entry »

The next Annual Blood Screening at the University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center will take place on Saturday, October 18.  If you or a loved one suspects you may have this disease and you are in the Chicago area, call to make a reservation at: 773-702-7593. The center typically screens up to 400 people each year and uses the most reliable testing available to detect Celiac Disease.

PRE-REGISTRATION is required and begins August 15th. Participants must be on a gluten diet prior to testing.

…read the rest of this entry »

Do you have wild currants growing in your yard?

If you are like me you’ve watched them grow, ripen, and get picked off by birds year after year. If you’ve got kids with an interest in gardening and a nice sized bucket, then this quick recipe for syrup may be one for your family to try.

Everyone looooved this sauce on their pancakes. This is the first time we’ve done anything with our currants and it was a rousing success.

We were so glad we decided to use them this year. Next we will learn to make jam. …read the rest of this entry »

More free samples than you can shake a stick at!

Whole Foods Market FlavorFest, Presented by Horizon Organic, is a two-day festival that entertains and tempts taste buds the Whole Foods Market way — with delicious, all-natural foods and products. And of course, lots of free samples! Saturday & Sunday, August 23rd & 24th (11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Saturday; 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Sunday) Wrightwood Park (Wrightwood & Ashland in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood). …read the rest of this entry »

Fall is around the corner, and if you are like me, you are scurrying around trying at the last minute to get supplies, clothes, registration, books, and shoes for your kids. The last thing on most parents’ minds is the lunch box. That is, of course, unless their child has Celiac, or dangerous food allergies. In such cases we parents have a whole set of additional concerns that go above and beyond whether or not our child finishes the sandwich we packed. Here are a few cute ideas I’ve recently run across for brown bagging it in the cafeteria at school: …read the rest of this entry »

One Sunday while attending mass at Chicago’s Old St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, we’ve discovered that faith-based communities are increasingly becoming health-aware. Low-gluten Communion hosts, suitable for most Celiacs, are now available at Old St. Pat’s at all Masses as an alternative for those who cannot receive regular Communion host due to health reasons. One just has to inform the Mass coordinator before Mass begins and at Communion identify himself or herself to the presider as the person to receive the low-gluten host.

Apparently, this option is a viable solution to a long-standing problem, at least in the Catholic Church. Father Edward McNamara, professor of liturgy at the Regina Apostolorum Pontifical University, wrote about this issue …read the rest of this entry »

My husband says this is better than real ice cream, but we think that’s going a bit too far. It is super rich, creamy and delicious!

While this recipe does contain milk, it’s in the form of yogurt, so it will work for those who cannot have liquid milk, but who can have yogurt and cheese.

To make this frozen yogurt, you’ll need an ice cream machine. I have the Cuisinart electric ice cream and frozen yogurt maker. …read the rest of this entry »

The Illinois Renewable Energy Association (IREA) presents 7th Annual Illinois Renewable Energy and Sustainable Lifestyle Fair on August 9th and 10th, 2008. IREA supports sustainable energy development in Illinois and provides hands-on opportunities for the Illinois public to learn about the benefits, potentials, and uses of renewable energy and energy efficiency for our homes and businesses.

The Fair will feature over 100 booths and exhibits, 60 workshops, food, entertainment, children’s activities and tours. …read the rest of this entry »