It’s another rainy Tuesday here in northern VA. How about you? What’s your weather like? I know in western MA they’re enjoying some rain today also. I know this because I spent some of my morning delaying myself from work by socializing with one of my three amigos via email. It was so sweet receiving her “check in” email this morning, and all those we pinged back and forth afterward.
I have a question. Did you feel the effects of the super moon this weekend? My amigo and I sure did. Yesterday we were both in an emotional funk of uncertainty many miles apart from one another, and without even knowing this until the end of the evening. It was like I woke up on the wrong side of the bed, or moon. I had a ton of negative energy cultivating within me and I just had no explanation for it what so ever. Weird, right? Maybe you experienced some of it too.
There is nothing we like to see so much as the gleam of pleasure in a person’s eye when he feels that we have sympathized with him, understood him. At these moments something fine and spiritual passes between two friends. These are the moments worth living.
- Don Marquis
I have a bunch of shares today. Thank goodness it’s Tuesday. Tuesday always feels like a good day to share.
Kindness trumps greed: it asks for sharing. Kindness trumps fear: it calls forth gratefulness and love. Kindness trumps even stupidity, for with sharing and love, one learns.
- Marc Estrin
This morning, as I was delaying life a bit, I cleaned up my inbox. I generally don’t keep emails very long, but some I had neglected to purge. As I was cleaning through them, I found one that I have often wanted to share. I enjoy doing as much as I can to create less garbage in the world. I don’t have lots and lots of stuff anymore either. I try to lead a fairly green life. This list, 20 plastic things you didn’t know you can recycle, is one I often forget about. But, I read through it again today and created another recycling bin for the house. I’m sure hubby will be thrilled! 
I had totally forgotten that you could recycle the lids from plastic jars and caps from bottles like seltzer water. I always despise throwing away those items because I know how they end up in places like the ocean and in the bellies of animals. So, one more bin for the house. Check out the list!
Let me just stray in thought here for a moment. So, on the 20 list, one of the things to recycle is sneakers. I just want to get you thinking about this for a moment or two. Do you know how awesome it is to recycle your sneakers? Places like Nike have been doing this for years. I once walked on a playground that had a material on it that was made from recycled sneakers and it was so cool. It’s so easy to recycle sneakers too. When I was purchasing my son a new pair of Puma sneakers last week, we walked into the Converse store to also look for my daughter a new pair of kicks. They had a bin there where I was able to dispose of my son’s old worn sneakers and they recycled them. My local market, MOMS, also as a bin for collecting shoes and they will recycle them too. My point, there is probably a store near you that has a bin and you can recycle your sneakers too!
Alright, now let’s focus on some food shares. You know I absolutely love to share about food. This weekend I made some rice crackers. I used the recipe, Brown Rice Crackers 
, from a site I had stumbled upon. The overall flavor is a bit bland. My suggestion would be to add a seasoning beyond sea salt. I made my second batch with a blend of onion and garlic powder sprinkled on top. We really liked them all, but the second batch was better. I wouldn’t rank them as a favorite for me, but for a gluten free cracker they are tasty.
Another good gluten free cracker is from The Kind Life . I made them gluten free as stated and they are a hit. I think I may try them with almond flour and spelt flour, as one reader commented on the site. I think my son would like the flour taste better, so I think I will try that out also. Since my son is always eating a cracker of some sort, I am always trying to find recipes to make them and save on having to purchase them. I also appreciate the notion of baking it myself and having fewer ingredients in the cracker.
Stay tuned to see how these two recipes turn out. The first is a reconstructed goldfish cracker . It’s gluten free too. If I allowed my son to eat Goldfish crackers, he probably would all day long. My mom usually purchases them for him, since she knows I won’t yell at her for being a grandma. Now, if the recipe comes out well, I’m set to change his appetite. Next recipe I’m going to try to attempt this coming weekend is for Gluten Free Eg Free Pasta Dough . I want to make the toasted raviolis that Heidi from Adventures of a Gluten Free Mom made. My kids love toasted raviolis, but I usually cheat and purchase an already made gluten free brand from the frozen section. Now I can try and make my own, which will be much more fresh than from the frozen section! I’ll let you know how it goes.
So, I’ve talked about making my own wontons (or egg rolls) before. Usually hubby and I would tag team that meal. But, hubby works a bunch now and isn’t usually available to cook with me anymore. But, Sunday was a different story. I decided to flip up the egg roll ingredients. I have always seen this recipe for South of the Border egg rolls in my wonton wrapper package. It’s a recipe I have always wanted to try. Sunday was the day for it too!
The kids snubbed their noses to the notion of having their “tacos” in the form of an egg roll. But, let me tell you, these are a winner! I didn’t use chicken, but rather ground turkey. I also omitted the corn and jalapeno peppers that the recipe called for, as well as adding in yellow onion instead of green. If you want the recipe, let me know. They are super yummy and kid approved!
Success means doing the best we can with what we have. Success is the doing, not the getting; in the trying, not the triumph. Success is a personal standard, reaching for the highest that is in us, becoming all that we can be.
- Zig Ziglar
Lastly, I want to share that I am on week 3 of my workout routine. I will admit that I have more energy, and am fitting better into my clothes. It’s a tough program, but well worth all the energy I’m putting into it. I will admit that I am also sleeping better at night now too! I love working out, even on days when I have to dig deep to muster the energy to fit it in. Much like the Tuesday I was experiencing here today!
If your energy is as boundless as your ambition, total commitment may be a way of life you should seriously consider.
- Joyce Brothers
