Orchids!!!

Today I went with my Aunt to see an orchid show! WOW were they gorgeous.  So I though I would share some of the pictures-

Pretty Shoe Insoles craft tutorial by Grosgrain

I love this idea and wanted to share it. Great for when your insoles look shabby or you want to add padding.

http://grosgrainfabulous.blogspot.com/2011/01/shoe-sugar-month-day-16-insole-heaven.html

Fun times at Aunt Viki's

The boys spent the night and all day Friday with us and did we have fun! Along with the usual riding the 4-wheelers, shooting the BB guns, watching netflix, violin practice, there was painting.......

And then there was the eating.....

MLC " I'm ready to eat!"

Homemade Strawberry Marshmallows

I made regular marshmallows a while back and they were really easy but oh too sweet! After surfing the net I came across a thread talking about different flavors of marshmallows-strawberry flavor with REAL strawberry puree was something I wanted to try. I love making/cooking with real ingredients so I know what I'm feeding the family is better than store bought. Mind you not always 'good' for you but not full of ingredients I can't pronounce or know are bad.

I didn't take pictures of the whole process but hit the wow stuff!

My Little Helper

whipped to the max

The kinda pretty strawberry marshmallows!

I followed this recipe with the following change: Use 1/2 -3/4 cup strawberry puree with the gelatin.

 http://mennonitegirlscancook.blogspot.com/2010/12/marshmallows.html

 

Ode to Scarlett

Scarlett 2000-2011

Our dear Scarlett left us today, she will be missed. You had attitude and definitely stood your ground. You were loved and loved us back. You'll be missed.

Me and my buddy-MLC

Recently I had a chance to spend the day with MLC, we went shopping and found this cute Policeman outfit- $2 at the Humane Society's Second Chance thrift store. MLC states " this is my favorite store".

"Breaker, Breaker, any one out there?"

 

 

 

 We then came home and made some ginger cookie dough and guess who licked the spatula?!

Yummy!

Look I have a ginger cookie mustache and beard! 

 

 

 

 All and we had a great day!

Aspartame and GMO

Just some info that I found enlightening and wanted to pass on. 

 

Aspartame exposed - GM Bacteria used to create deadly sweetener

by Anthony Gucciardi, citizen journalist


(NaturalNews) The manufacturers of the most prevalent sweetener in the world have a secret, and it`s not a sweet one. Aspartame, an artificial sweetener found in thousands of products worldwide, has been found to be created using genetically modified (GM) bacteria. What's even more shocking is how long this information has been known. A 1999 article by The Independent was the first to expose the abominable process in which aspartame was created. Ironically, the discovery was made around the same time as rich leaders around the globe met at the G8 Summit to discuss the safety of GM foods.

The 1999 investigation found that Monsanto, the largest biotech corporation in the world, often used GM bacteria to produce aspartame in their US production plants. The end result is a fusion between two of the largest health hazards to ever hit the food industry -- artificial sweeteners and an array of genetically altered organisms. Both have led to large-scale debate, with aspartame being the subject of multiple congressional hearings and scientific criticism. Scientists and health advocates are not the only ones to speak out against aspartame, however. The FDA received a flurry of complaints from consumers using NutraSweet, a product containing aspartame. Since 1992, the FDA has stopped documenting reports on the subject.

The process in which aspartame is created involves combining an amino acid known as phenylalanine with aspartic acid. First synthesized in 1965, aspartame requires bacteria for the sole purpose of producing phenylalanine. Monsanto discovered that through genetically altering this bacteria, phenylalanine could be created much more quickly. In the report by The Independent, Monsanto openly admitted that their mutated bacteria is a staple in the creation process of aspartame.

"We have two strains of bacteria - one is traditionally modified and one is genetically modified," said the source from Monsanto. "It's got a modified enzyme. It has one amino acid different."
Multiple studies have been conducted regarding genetic manipulation, with many grim conclusions. One study found that the more GM corn was fed to mice, the fewer babies they had. Another study, published in the International Journal of Biological Sciences, found that the organs that typically respond to chemical food poisoning were the first to encounter problems after subjects consumed GM foods. The same study also states that GM foods should not be commercialized.

"For the first time in the world, we've proven that GMO are neither sufficiently healthy nor proper to be commercialized. [...] Each time, for all three GMOs, the kidneys and liver, which are the main organs that react to a chemical food poisoning, had problems," indicated Gilles-Eric Seralini, an expert member of the Commission for Biotechnology Reevaluation.

Consumer groups are now curious as to whether or not other products secretly contain genetically modified ingredients. Due to the fact that the finished product`s DNA does not change when using genetically modified bacteria, it is hard to know for sure. With the FDA ruling against the labeling of GM salmon, it is becoming more of a challenge to determine whether or not a product contains GM ingredients. Consumers are voicing their opposition for GM ingredients going incognito, with the largest growing retail brand being GMO-free products.

"The public wants to know and the public has a right to know," said Marion Nestle, a professor in the Nutrition, Food Studies and Public Health Department at New York University.
Unveiling the secret process in which aspartame is created acts as yet another reminder to stay away from artificial sweeteners, and one should choose natural alternatives such as palm sugar, xylitol, or stevia.