Until the other night I hadn't realized just how crazy my mother was about us eating healthfully. I had revealed a not so interesting fact about my mom's food rules to a bunch of people and they laughed. I will list some snippets below. I started thinking about it again today when I offered someone one of Abel's healthier snacks and they snarled at me. I am not nearly as crazy as she is but she sure taught us a lot. And still does. 

Some whacky health food stories from childhood...

1. We picked one sugar cereal and then got it wrapped under the tree for christmas. Yip, that comes once a year.

2. Mom pulled out her box of homemade herbal remedy concoctions stored in dark little bottles when we complained of anything.

3. Kids made fun of us relentlessly for our daily refried bean sandwiches that also had a hefty layer of bean sprouts between two slices of multigrain bread. (Now I would love for someone to make me that every day for lunch!)

4. We took a shot of liquid chlorophyll every day. Then when it was found that there were more vitamins in Barley Green we took that nasty stuff in apple juice. I can still taste it. Gives me shivers.

5. Instead of going to the doctors we put goldenseal salve on EVERYTHING. (Mom still took us to the doc when necessary, she wasn't that whacky.)

6. Once I was sick and my mom gave me homemade cayenne pepper capsules. I took three at once and two of them got stuck in my throat. My sisters proceeded to laugh at me as I drooled all over the couch... for a long time.

7. When Scott and I were dating he came to my house during break and he felt sick so my mom gave him "just the thing." And he was throwing up chamomile tea all night. Apparently some people are allergic.

8. If my dad broke the rules and brought home donuts on Saturday morning we had to eat an apple first. 

9. We went with my mom every other Saturday morning to work at the local co-op. We got paid in carob coated malt balls or a snack we referred to as dog food.

10. All I will say is, don't eat miso soup when you feel like throwing up before hand.

The good things I learned from her wackiness...

1. If you are a good cook you can make all foods taste great. Too bad I can't cook like her!

2. Add vegetables in whenever possible. We had salad every single night.

3. Enjoy treats as often as possible.

4. Healthy food and vitamins help you feel better.

Thanks, Mom. You're the master, that's why I keep coming to you for advice! 

I finally got my bike. And I am very happy about it after a couple of weeks of inpatient moments. As the mechanic pointed out, its not a bad looking bike! I broke it in a little this morning on the Genesee River Trail. Riding on a trail early in the morning is decidedly more pleasant for this new bike owner than in the city streets. All that stop and go gives me a head ache just like car traffic. Now that I have something new to be excited about certain people will want to slap me the next time I say, "Now YOU need to get one so we can ride together!" The reaction to this makes me question my ability to manipulate.

I put this picture up due to the beautiful bike but also because it shows a snippet of our garden. I am going to try to remember to take some better pictures of that tomorrow. So this post covers the two distracting things I am concentrating on this summer. Abel helped me transplant some more tomato plants this morning. In about a month we will be ready for the 'compound salsa' that Mel and I thought up. We are growing everything we will need, jalapeno, green pepper, onion, cilantro and plenty of tomatoes. Think we could market that!

Here is a picture of Violet watching her Aunt T be an absolute loon riding around just hours after becoming a new bike owner.  Yes, I was riding it in our backyard and if you have ever seen the size of it you know why she looks embarrassed to be a part of  such wackiness. Sorry chica you are stuck with these genes!