Refreshing Strawberry Juice

This was frequently served to us with lunch in Ecuador. It was especially refreshing on hot days. I finally learned that the secret was to cook the strawberries first to release the juices. Adam is a huge fan. His only complaint was that there was only enough to have seconds. :)

Ingredients:

1 carton fresh strawberries
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups chilled water (or add more for thinner juice)
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Directions:


Cut tops off strawberries, cut them in half, then place in small saucepan. Add vanilla, 2 Tablespoons of sugar, and a little water (just to keep the berries from sticking to the pan). Bring to a slow boil. At this point I love to smell the cooking berries :)

Pour into blender. Add cold water, lemon juice, and sugar. With the sugar, I add it a little at a time, blending in between until I get the sweetness I like.

Blend it up, chill, or serve with ice cubes.

Teaching Infants to Swim

I have a theory, and here's my hypothesis:

Hypothesis: A child will learn to swim faster if exposed to swimming videos in addition to practice in the water.


Reason: When completing my Red Cross WSI training, we were shown videos of the strokes before, during, and after swimming them. It was helpful to see what it looks like from an outside perspective. In other words, it's easier to do it when you've seen it first!


Method: Elizabeth is ready to learn how to swim. She likes to splash in the pool and is interested in swimming. I will show her video clips of children doing a skill I will teach her that day (ie: blowing bubbles, bobbing, jumping in, swimming to Daddy, etc.) then take her to the pool to try it.

Control group: Just the general learning pace I observed when I taught other children her age at the City of Phoenix pools. If she was typical, she should be comfortable dipping under water and perhaps using arm motions within 2 months (without additional video help).

Some research on soy milk

Elizabeth has a slight milk sensitivity, so we've been exploring milk substitutes for her until she grows out of it. She was weaned onto vanilla soymilk, then gradually switched to the plain. She drank this very well, though it gave her horrible constipation. I had also heard about soy mimicking estrogen in the body, so I started doing some research about soy, rice, and almond milk. Here's the gist of what I found out. The sites I looked at are listed at the bottom (for anyone interested).

Soy milk:

* Cheaper of the milk substitutes
* Compared to cows milk, has equal calcium and protein, less fat, no cholesterol
* Comes in fun flavors like vanilla and chocolate (As well as plain)
- Contains a chemical that mimics estrogen (increases risk of breast cancer, powerful enough to severely alter the menstrual cycle in only 1 month, contributes to infertility, slows down the thyroid and causes weight gain)
- The soybean is generally known as unfit for human consumption unless it has been extensively fermented.

Conclusion: More risks than benefits.

Rice milk:
* Made from brown rice (generally)
* Often fortified with vitamins and minerals
* Rich in carbohydrates, no cholesterol or saturated fats
- Has more sugar
- Less protein than soy or cows milk* Not as creamy as soy or cows milk
- Slightly sweet (great for baking desserts, but not salty foods)

Conclusion: Constipation is common with rice milk. It is not generally considered an adequate milk substitute because it lacks the needed calcium to support bone growth and density. Would also cause an exponential increase of carbs in the diet.

Almond milk:
* Drastically outweighs rice milk with its nutritional benefits
* Good source of iron
* Has half the calories of rice milk
* Good source of fiber
* No known health risks (unless an individual has a nut allergy)

Conclusion: Obviously the best alternative.


We gave almond milk a try and it's instantly our favorite. They were out of the plain kind at the store, so we tried the vanilla flavor. It tasted like ice cream! A good treat, but we'll look for the unflavored kind next time.

If you're interested in more information, these sites are really helpful on the subject:

Milk Substitutes
Soy milk vs. Rice milk: Which is better for you?
Is Soy Healthy?
Which is best? Cows milk, soy milk, rice milk, almond milk?
The Dark Side of Soy
Almond milk vs. Rice milk: Which is healthier?