Summertime at the Hodson’s
For a lot of people summer is a time of vacations, hanging out at the pool, and kicking back. For me summer is a time for prepping my pantry. Yeah, I’m some big time fun at parties too, I know. To be honest I love the feeling of knowing I can go for a few months in an emergency without having to go to the grocery store. It’s one less worry for a heart that has already racked up enough of those sort of miles. As I’ve said before, a deep pantry is the kind of thing that makes this girl giddy…..especially in the Summertime.
Our garden is in full swing after a really rough start. We’re still seeing the results of that rough start in the green beans that we’ve now re- planted for the third time, the Swiss Chard, Kale and Spinach that by now I can usually go out and pick each day for Parker’s blenderized diet. The problem? The HORDES of birds we have around here. You can always tell what is ready to pick by the color of the bird poop all over my garden’s cinder blocks.
Yes, I have had thoughts of decorating a bunch of little birdie butts with buckshot this growing season. To make things even more discouraging I think that after having to replant our squash several times and again that somehow I’ve ended up with 6 zucchini plants of differing varieties and nothing else. I usually grow a TON of winter squash to freeze for Parker’s blenderized diet and 50 million zucchini aren’t exactly what I had in mind.
What can a girl do? Every gardener knows that some years are just kind of like that. Instead I’ll have to hope that I can find some good prices on the organic versions of this stuff at a local farmer’s market, or perhaps somebody else has an over abundance of winter squash and fresh greens and might want to trade for a truck load of zucchini.
I’ve shimmied my way up a couple of cherry trees collecting those little ruby gems to pit, freeze and stand at the ready until we need them for Parker’s blenderized diet. I would have picked many a pound more, but we’ve had a LOT of Doctor’s appointments this summer that have hit right smack dab in the midst of free cherry picking season.
I have a possible opportunity to be able to drag…….or uh…….invite, my girls to go with me to pick raspberries. Raspberries dehydrate so beautifully and are SO great in blenderized diets.
I’ve had to really dip into Parker’s emergency supply of dried goat’s milk as we’ve been trying to adjust our budget for a 100% blenderized diet, a Seattle Washington Missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and the news that they will be expanding the iPad Pilot program and guess who will have the opportunity to provide the new mini iPads to their Missionary? Keep telling me this stuff is paid back in blessings, okay?
I’ll need to find a way to restock those cans of powered goat’s milk as well as a few other items like walnuts and almonds. Have you priced those items lately? Don’t. It’s too depressing.
I’ve had several people email and ask what our final blenderized diet recipe for Parker has turned out to be. I’m happy to to share. HOWEVER, it is important to recognize that this blend was created especially for Parker and his unique needs. I’d very much recommend you make an appointment with a dietician to help create the perfect blend for your child.
Parker’s Blenderized Diet
2 cups of 24 hour homemade goat milk SCD yogurt. I’ve been using powered Goat’s Milk the last few months because fresh was just out of our budget. It’s worked very well. I’ve been making about 9 quarts at a time!
2 cups berries. I use a mixture of berries and cherries.
1/2 C apple or other fruit. If the apple is small then we just use the entire thing.
1/2 avocado I have about 80 avocados in my freezer right now that I have sliced and vacuum sealed. On Friday I found a bunch for .25 each which a remarkable price considering the usual price can be anywhere from .75-$1.50.
2 cups veggies. I like to use fresh greens, lightly sauteed greens, broccoli, green beans, winter squash, asparagus, and other goodies.
12 organic almonds…..the bigger sized ones
2-2.5 ounces of bison or salmon. We even have a huge elk roast in the freezer given to us by friends who hunt! And the bison was a gift to Parker from his dear friend Julie! Thanks Julie!
3 T olive oil
1 T Tumeric
How is your summertime going? How’s your garden growing?
Yard Sale Search of 2014
It's the busiest shopping season of the year! My Bailey Girl and I have been out on the hunt three times already! She's decorating a brand new gorgeous and hip condo and, well, I'm looking for practical items. Whether looking for the practical or the fun stuff it's all about the hunt! So without further ado, let the great Yard Sale Search of 2014 begin! My Yard Sale Search items for this year include: Things I can use for Parker's homeschooling. Purchasing complete home school programs are way pricey, and I don't like getting stuck with just one choice of presenting and … [Read More...]
Aborting Babies Because of Down syndrome.
It was feeling as though there were some in the world getting the message. A life with Down syndrome is a life worth living. I've watched as the statistics began a slow decent into lower percentages. Where it was once reported that 90% of all prediagnosed fetuses with Down syndrome were aborted, now the reports are coming in saying as low as 82% of all fetuses prediagnosed with an extra chromosome were being aborted. A statistic still way too high, but that potential 8% difference could mean that thousands of babies were being given the chance at life. Then I came across this … [Read More...]
Special Needs Massage Therapy
I'd been wanting to get Parker hooked up with someone experienced in special needs massage therapy. Interestingly enough, in the state of Utah kids on regular Medicaid waivers are covered for special needs massage therapy. Kids like Parker who are on a waiver. Not so much. Don't ask why. I've given up trying to understand the decisions this state makes when it comes to kids with special needs. I was hesitant at first. I needed to find a place that I felt confident in and who practiced tried and true techniques, staying far away from anything that seemed too.....what's the word … [Read More...]
Blog Resurrection
One of my goals for this summer was to try and see if I could breathe some new life into this old blog. A Resurrection of sorts. I find myself wondering how I ever had time to blog at all. This old body of mine is slowing down by the millisecond. I've been walking in the mornings and trying to give up the caffeine in hopes that I will feel a little bit better. I'm still hoping. Reed picked up a second job for the summer. This husband of mine works and works and then comes home and works some more. He's serious in his determination to one day finally pay off Parker, … [Read More...]
