My children head out the door in the morning protesting they don't want breakfast because I have "nothing good".       As parents, we've all read the studies that show students that have had breakfast, achieve a higher performance.   So I begin my search,  hither and yon, to far away aisles, for a product acceptable to all.   But upon deeper examination, the 'healthier' fiber  packed cereal contains a whopping 51 carbohydrate grams per serving, and 270 calories for 8 ounces, with milk, suitable for perhaps Calista Flockhart, or your parakeet, but not nearly a sensible portion, which, if doubled, translates to  consuming nearly 40% of the RDA, recommended daily allowance, of carbohydrates and over 25% of the RDA in calories  before even starting your day.   Our compromise choice however, Chocolate Cheerios, has the same generous percentage of fortified vitamins and minerals and almost half the calories, 140 calories for 6 ounces, with milk, and with 23 carbohydrate grams per serving, 45% less than the fiber-fortified choice.  So my family can go past the displayed serving size for a real portion, without concern of  blowing through those RDA by lunchtime.

For  adults the increased fiber may be an advantage, assuming they don't consume the additional snacks,  but children reportedly consume 3  snacks/sweets daily so carbohydrate consumption skyrockets throughout their day; welcome to Diabetes Prevention 101. Start counting now, and you will count your, and your kids', blessings longer.

Note to our readers:  We receive no payment in any form, from General Mills , or any other brand, ever mentioned in this blogsite.   Coincidentally, the carb-loaded cereal I referenced is also one of theirs. 

Somewhere our kids got the ridiculous notion that everything they eat must delight their tastebuds.    Like many of  my generation, I was threatened with 'no dessert!' unless I finished my vegetables.   Today, many families don't prepare,  let alone purchase vegetables.   While vitamins can help, I am curious how vitamins and minerals digested from natural sources compare with those in capsule form.    I couldn't find any studies regarding  differences in metabolism, digestive health, etc,  but I have already determined they are harmful simply because they taste like candy.    Even medicine for children tastes like candy.   Cognizent or not of our actions, we are brain washing our children to expect sweets, so why are we surprised when they demand them?

The negative repurcussions from this were brought to light last week when elementary school children in Queens drank poisoned water from their school's fountains.     The company working on the refrigeration system, leaked fluid into the water supply.    More than half the children questioned said they knew it tasted different, but continued to drink because it was 'sweet'.     Even while recognizing the abnormality, they disregarded common sense for a sugar fix.  For a humorous take I could swear this was a James Bond plot, or was it Jackie Chan?   But for a more serious perspective, we should all be deeply troubled and note  the ease with which a population could be poisoned.   Let's hope this serves as a wake up call to those in Food Safety as our food and water supply is this nation's largest terrorist target.

I don't usually find ants fascinating, particularly when they invade my home, but these are incredible beings, with heirarchy and each, a functioning power within the community.   As  renown biologist, E.O. Wilson explains, they perform their role simply because that is what they are programmed to do.    However as he soon discovered, when nature  is tinkered with, civilizations crumble.   In his study of ant colonies in Alabama, a thriving ant colony collapses when pesticides affect the ants' ability to recognize the scent of the queen, and they reproduce indiscriminately to the point their population explodes and their their community implodes.

In an earlier post I had hypothesized that pesticides had affected bees' sense of smell necessary for pollination and  navigation, as a plausible explanation for the collapse of  bee colonies, so right now my head is swelling that I am in such smart company.  Of course it is entirely possible they are much smarter that we give them credit for and this is a strike of massive proportions to revolt from the enslavement of churning out vats of honey and blooming gardens for our consumption.

But thanks to our Vegan subscribers, I learned that bees are not the only insects we exploit;  food colorants cochineal and carmine/carminic acid, found in shampoos, cosmetics and fruit juice, are ground up beetles, NOT found in Kosher products.   FD&C Red Dye #40, aka Red #40, is made from coal tar.    So pick your poison folks.  For this carnivore,  I have added a list of Vegan avoidances (yes, I'm fully aware of the  hypocrisy) and Kosher certification to my ScanAvert dietary settings, since  both  really do 'answer to a higher authority'-cue the choir, please- Ah-men!

Every year my kids ask what I want for mother's day and every year my answer is the same, "put up the net".   Mother's day is the official day of summer for me regardless of temperature, or 50 mph winds howling off my deck.   Once the net goes up, my entire family 'gives in' to my nagging and finds themselves with a racket in hand.   There is something comical about badminton, swatting air, diving to prevent the fall of an object that has as much velocity as a floating feather.  Even the Williams sisters would look clumsy doing it.

We contort, we fall, we cheat ["that was soooooo out!!"] generally, we suck, but we laugh.  I dare anyone to play this game and not laugh at one another and themselves.  But the real reason I love the net is because for $ 19.99 you get hours of engagement with your kids.  This is no small feat because at some point in their early teens, you become "the worst most embarrassing company ever!"

Just a few weeks back, my youngest informed me that his friends 'didn't like me'.  How could that be? Didn't I play baseball in the backyard with them? or evened out the teams for kickball?  Was it my icky [healthy] snacks?  I was crushed.   No, my son elaborated, I'm the only mom that limits the video game time.   At his friends houses they are never interrupted  in the "man cave"/video game lair.   I don't scold,  or yell,  I just cheerfully suggest they come outside and walk the dog, ride bikes or play with the sizeable collection of sports equipment I've amassed over the years at their pleading, and that is my inexcusable offense.

And yet as I leave them in the garage forced to occupy themselves outside, I hear them searching for the birdie because the net beckons, enticing everyone who visits, young or old, even "man cave" dwellers, to pick up a racket, swoop, cheat, shriek and heckle one another.  And that's one experience EA, and other video game makers can't duplicate.

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