Living It With Lisa

I have been blessed to see Tommy this summer almost every workday as school is out and he comes to work with his mom.  Tommy is our #2 grandson (Victoria’s oldest).  It has always been obvious that Tommy is very smart and hilarious too.  (Hilarious is one of his favorite expressions).  No doubt when he has shook hands and introduced himself  to one of our friends as  ”Tommy Strom, I’m a simple man”.  You can’t help but smile.

In May, I went to his Kindergarten graduation before I headed back to Texas to see Joseph.  What I didn’t realize when I returned was that Tommy would be there to greet me come that Monday morning in July.  Of course I had tons of “to do’s” and I hadn’t factored in Tommy.  I had a choice.  I decided that this was going to be a good thing.  Here I was with the golden opportunity to really get to know him.  Well those first couple of days were the usual.  Tommy trying to figure out just how gullible MamaLisa would be and what he could get away with.  He figured out pretty quick…EXACTLY were the boundaries were.

I am of the belief that a child lives up to your expectations of them.  So what you say to them either builds their self esteem and self worth or destroys it.  So I decided I would always do what I said so that there would be no question that I meant it.   It is a little different seeing a grandchild all day instead of a few hours at a time.  I had to dust off the cobwebs since it had been awhile since Joseph was Tommy’s age!

I quickly remembered that I better not hand out a reprimand that I didn’t want to be saddled with.  So that meant I had stop and THINK before I said, “… if you don’t … then I will …”  It also could NOT be attached to anything he associated as fun or okay.  (Thank you Super Nanny for time out in a chair, not their room with their games, toys and bed.)  I also would compliment and praise him for lots of little everyday moments so there were always more ‘adaboy’ than reprimands.  So our Thumbs Up days began and so did our summer memories.

MANNERS:   Like most kids Tommy loves an audience and at lunchtime it was a captive one.  He was like a bouncing ball in his chair on this particular day.  Up and down walking around talking.   I had been slowly  been getting him to sit and eat and then ask to be excused.  Then he had to go straight to the sink and wash his hands.  It is still a work in progress but he is getting better.

Well one day at lunch with Tori and Vic, he was particularly ‘on stage’ so was moving around.  He finally got settled and Vic stood up to leave the table and stopped because he realized HE hadn’t asked permission to leave the table and we had spent most of lunch getting Tommy focused on his manners.   So Vic turns to Tommy and says “Tommy, may I please be excused?”.   Tommy looks up at him in shock and then looks across at me totally silent.  I said “Tommy, aren’t you supposed be be sitting down when you ask to be excused?”   Still silent.   Vic sits down and asks Tommy again if he can be excused.  Tommy is still not sure what to do.  Finally he said sheepishly “I don’t know, she’s the boss”.   We are grinning now as Vic say’s “Well you got that right!”.

THE DRUMMER: I had moved some things from Texas to Austin and there were boxes everywhere that first week.  So I did take some time to empty some of them with Tommy as my helper.  After all I had a deadline looming … Carter’s 21st Birthday party and there were a lot of people coming and boxes everywhere just wouldn’t do.

Do you remember the many times the toy you got wasn’t as much fun to play with as the box it came in? Well one day Tommy was playing around some of the empty boxes singing and tapping on some of them.  So I grabbed a wooden spoon and a silicon spatula and gave them to him.  He gave me a funny look.  Then I moved a couple of boxes together and said there you go… you have some drums.    Permission to make noise?  What’s up with that!  He was shocked but went right to it.  I was cooking something (hence the sizzling noise in the video) but I grabbed the Flip anyway and enjoyed the show as the one gal audience!   Hope you enjoy the short performance too!

Stay tuned … the summer isn’t over yet!  More memories are being made everyday.

You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.  You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.  You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.   You cannot lift the wage earner up by pulling the wage payer down.  You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred.  You cannot build character and courage by taking away people’s initiative and independence.  You cannot help people permanently by doing for them, what they could and should do for themselves.

Abraham Lincoln

“Opportunity dances with those who are ready on the dance floor.” H. Jackson Brown Jr.

Most of you know that I am a Dancing With The Stars fan. Seriously! Many of the stars really get outside their comfort zones and it is great exercise.  It shows us that determination and perseverance do produce results even when you are not in your element.

It is interesting that many times the star doesn’t have a dancing bone in their body.  Yes, it does make for good television, but for me it is watching what goes on behind the scenes and how they overcome what is obviously a road block to pull it out by show time.   We have seen that in each season, where someone is kept by audience vote purely because they want the underdog to have just one more shot. Yes, Cloris Leachman was a dancer but she ultimately was more of a performer, which we all embraced. It was as if we couldn’t believe what we were seeing. The oldest performer to date on DWTS, yet she could do leg lifts, spins and splits with the best of them.

As you watch this video embrace your inner “Cloris Leachman” and never underestimate someone with the power of passion.  It is not about what others think you should do, because of who you are or how old you are.  It is about how you feel inside. You can do anything you set your mind to do.

How passionate you are about life?

Take a moment and while you are watching think about what YOU would really enjoy doing now and in your twilight years and put it on your vision board.  Don’t stare at it.  Do something about it … everyday. The ole gal in the video didn’t become a salsa dancer overnight.

So ..do you want to be barely moving from chair to bed or dancing in the moonlight?

I am gonna be dancin’!

Have you ever had a day where the “rain” just wouldn’t go away?  Are  you still be full of gratitude?  Are you dancing in the rain?   Understanding the power of gratitude can change your life forever.

Sarah Breathnach said it best …”When we choose not to focus on what’s missing from our lives but are grateful for the abundance that’s present … we experience heaven on earth.”

Take a moment to reflect, to focus, to be aware and to be grateful.

“Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass…
it’s about learning how to dance in the rain!”

Click here:  Dancing in the Rain Movie

We know that high fructose corn syrup is bad for you.  Are you scanning your labels to make sure it is not in the food you are buying?  Now, if you aren’t buying processed foods you won’t have a label to read!  Ok, not even I am that dedicate but every little step we take towards conscious choice with more wholesome and natural ingredients helps us feed our body so it is not fighting and protecting us from potential toxins in processed foods.   

So what’s the deal with this sweetener?  The following article by Toby Amidor gives us some insight. 

What is it?
 High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) started making its name in the 1980s as a cheap alternative to sugar. Sugar is made from two sub-units: glucose and fructose.  HFCS is made from those same two subunits — just with some extra help from the lab.  Basically put, HFCS starts out as cornstarch, which is made of glucose, and then some of that glucose is converted via chemical processes to fructose.  So, you see, there’s some manipulation that goes into making it.

Where is it found?
 Everywhere. Yes, everywhere!  Bread, cookies, soda, cold cereals, candy, ketchup, lunch meats, yogurts, soups, jams, chocolate syrup — you name it and it probably contains HFCS.  On a recent supermarket trip, I spent 15 minutes in the bread aisle trying to find a loaf without this sweetener.  It’s become so mainstream in our food supply that it’s sometimes difficult to completely eliminate it from your diet. 

What has sparked the controversy?
  As the use of HFCS increased, so did American’s waistlines. Once that news surfaced, the public went crazy and the HFCS backlash began.  According to The American Medical Association, HFCS does not contribute more to obesity than sugar or other caloric sweeteners.

According to nutritionist, author, professor  Marion Nestle, “Biochemically, high fructose corn syrup is about the same as table sugar (both have about the same amount of fructose and calories), but it is in everything and Americans eat a lot of it — nearly 60 pounds per capita in 2006, just a bit less than pounds of table sugar.”

The Latest Issues
 A study released in January revealed that almost half of the commercial food products tested that contained HFCS also contained mercury.  Understandably, the media went wild because mercury is toxic and has been linked to neurological damage in humans.  Not surprisingly, the Corn Refiners Association released a statement claiming that the study was flawed and failed to properly conduct their study.

The Bottom Line
 HFCS is found in many packaged foods and hard to avoid.  If possible, opt for products without the sweetener or ones that list HFCS lower down on the ingredients (the closer it is to the end of the list, the less it contains).  Sticking to a whole diet with fresh fruits and veggies, nuts, grains and legumes can help minimize your consumption.  And, as we always say, moderation is key.

If you want happiness for an hour — take a nap.
If you want happiness for a day — go fishing.
If you want happiness for a month – get married.
If you want happiness for a year — inherit a fortune.
If you want happiness for a lifetime — help someone else.

Chinese Proverb

Attitude and persistence.  What an incredible life story.  If you are thinking your life is less than perfect, then you will find this story inspirational.  Try doing everything with no arms.  Crack eggs, put on makeup, change diapers and drive a car. 

The other day I got an email that FLOORED me.  There has been lots of banter about obesity, and sometimes I admit that I will be very aware of how many people whose paths cross mine are decidedly overweight.  What I didn’t realized was that there was a study on just that.  So here it is…

The Trust for America’s Health released a new ranking of the U.S.’s fattest states.  Curious on where your state ranked?   Mississippi tops the list for the fifth year in a row — 32.5% of its adult residents are considered obese.  Colorado, meanwhile, continues to be the leanest with only 18.9% of adults falling into the obese category.  The saddest thing on their chart is that you can find the stats on obese kids in each state, too.

People it is time to wake up and do something!

Okay I am not a food stylist.  I really know that after watching The Food Magicians on the Food Network.  Hopefully you will enjoy my first attempt a sugar free, gluten free cake for Carters 21st birthday. 

That is how my party planning started.  I knew that I wanted to serve an entire meal that was diabetic friendly and that the attendees wouldn’t even realize it…and that included the cake too.  The menu was the easy part, it was the cake that took 3 tries to get it right.  Victoria and I were sick of Chocolate cake by party time since we had been sampling for days.  Vic on the other had was sad to see 

it stop.  I determined that he was not a good cake taste tester.  He liked them all.  Even the one that tasted like an unsweetened bar of Bakers Chocolate!  

So here is the menu:

Gazpacho Soup, Shrimp Cocktail with Cocktail Sauce, Fruit Platter, MamaLisa’s Cauliflower, Zucchini & Squash Slaw, Roasted Artichoke Salad, with Smoked Brisket with BBQ sauce, and Chocolate Cake with Whipped Cream, Strawberries and Chocolate Sauce. 

Uncle Jerry brought his yummy Salsa with chips  and Tori had a special request so I also made Roasted Garlic with Toasted Baguettes.  Carter’s Mom Roseanne brought her family favorite Vidalia Onion Casserole.  So those items were the only no-no on the menu. 

Yes, all the sauces were diabetic.  The BB!Q sauce I made my original BBQ sauce and then updated the recipe to make it diabetic and I am telling you …there was hardly a difference.   My girlfriend Stacy had 

also turned me on to a line of products from Walden Farms that were sugar free.  I took their cocktail sauce which is surprisingly good and added some horseradish.  YummE! 

 The gazpacho and its yummy topping was a hit.  I served it in espresso cups that I bought for our wedding reception, so no spoons needed!  It is the perfect way to serve soup to a crowd.

MamaLisa’s Cauliflower is always a hit and very little is ever left over.  Very simple,  Steam the cauliflower, top with a mustard mayo mix, top that with shredded colby cheese so it will melt. 

The Zucchini & Squash Slaw (gotta figure out a better name for that) is a recipe that I modeled after Cucumber Salad.  Except that I cut the veggies with a mandolin to resemble spaghetti pasta.  The vinegar ‘cooks’ it and it gets al-dente.  There were actually a couple of guests that thought it was pasta when they looked at it.  Then I spice it up a little bit with some Sambal hot sauce and some cilantro.  Carter and Vic LOVE it … Carter requested it to be on the menu. 

Vic make the brisket and it was perfect.  He has mastered brisket in his smoker.  Rubbed some Salt Lick Rub on it the night before and smoked for 12 hours.  Put in the warming drawer till ready to serve and it was tender and moist. 

The cake turned out fabulously.  Some of the comments were that it tasted like a brownie.  If any of you have had a flour-less chocolate cake you will know that it is a dense cake.  So was this one.  It took me a few tries to get the ratio of chocolate right and the ratio of the two sweeteners right.  

Serve it with a dollop of whipped Cream sweetened with Stevia,  a strawberry and a drizzle of Walden Farms Chocolate Sauce. 

Carter took some home with him and called me the next day.  He had taken some to work and the coworkers said they would buy this and they weren’t diabetic.  It is nice to know my perseverance paid off.  My goal was to have a dessert that anyone would eat because it really tasted good and it wouldn’t matter that it was Sugar Free and Gluten Free.  It really was remarkably good if I say so myself!  

So overall the Birthday Celebration was a success.  One of  best complement of the day was from one of Carter’s college buddies as he was leaving.  ”Who knew that diabetic food could be so good!”

Do you know anyone who is afflicted?   It is becoming a much smaller world as the majority of our population is obese which can be linked to diabetes.   Diabetes in many cases can be reversed with diet and exercise  but why wait until you are diagnosed.   Think about your food choices and improve them now so you have a better quatlity of life … the rest of your life.

I recently read that a study by Joslin Diabetes Center researchers showed that obese adults who lost just 7% of their weight and did moderate intensity exercise for six months improved their major blood vessel function by approximately 80%,  regardless of whether or not they had type 2 diabetes.

Why wait till you are overweight and on your way to obese.  Start today and make some changes.

Now that is something to think about…for the health of it!