Hilarious!!!
Oregon Sandcastle Competition
Posted in on by
I received a forward with pictures of some amazing sandcastles from a competition on the coast of Oregon. Not that I could ever in a million years conjure up something like this, but if I could, I can't imagine sculpting such a work of art, then just leaving it, knowing it will eventually get destroyed. That's why I scrapbook...my artwork lasts forever :) Here are a couple pictures of my favorite one from the email.
Joey's Story
Posted in Inspiration, YouTube Clip of the Day on by
One of my sister's co-workers, Tony, has a 14-year-old son named Joey. After a terrible accident in April 2009, Joey, a surfing champion, was left in a wheelchair and told that he would never walk again. However, with very expensive treatment there is hope that he will walk again. I thought I'd share his inspiring story.
This is re-posted from Joey's mom's online journal:
Use it or lose it
There has been research done and recent books published on brain plasticity (the ability of the brain to "rewire" itself). It seems to me that they are basically saying just this: use it or lose it. The more fascinating thing that is now being looked at is how, once you lose it, you can use it again.
From my understanding, whether it's called plasticity or learned unuse, if you stop using part of your body, it will adapt by redirecting neuropathways/brain signals to somewhere else in your body that you do use. The theory holds true for those that lose an entire sense and can't hear or see; their other senses use those unused reserves in neuropathways to increase the senses that are working. There is a therapy called constraint-induced movement therapy where if one arm is paralyzed and the other is not; the working arm is constrained so that you can't rely on it to compensate for the nonworking arm - you don't allow it to take over the unused pathways that were used at one time to tell the paralyzed arm to work. If there is no attempt to use the paralyzed arm, the brain will tell the body that it is no longer needed, but if your able arm is placed in a sling, and you continually tell the brain to move the paralyzed arm, it begins to fire the pathways necessary to move it.
There have also been unbelievable things done where the brain can actually be tricked into thinking that a paralyzed arm works (using an able arm and mirror). The brain sees, in a mirror, what appears to be the paralyzed arm working, and when it registers that it can work, suddenly the paralyzed arm does work. I've heard this mirror method used when working with phantom pain as well. Dr Joe, Joey's Chiropractic Neurologist, explains some of these things by discussing the inhibitors that the brain naturally sends or does not send to the body based on the brains input from different sources (I may not have interpreted that exactly right-I've given up trying to quote dr joe as the terminology is like a foreign language to me - but I think I'm close).
The brain is pretty incredible and it's encouraging to see more and more interest and information out there on its ability to "rewire itself". It can only be expected that more research on plasticity and the spinal cord will follow.
In the past, physical therapists worked with spinal cord injury (SCI) patients on only those muscles above the level of injury, and pretty much ignored anything that was paralyzed. New therapies (Project Walk among them) concentrate on the areas that are paralyzed and work on the body below the level of injury. It is hard to imagine how you work on a an arm or leg that is paralyzed, but the first thing they do is ask you to try to move. Then they assist the movement while you visualize doing it on your own. This is about making connections, reconnecting, or maybe even redirecting, neuropathways that at one time told the body to move this way.
Another important aspect scientists have found with connecting neuropathways is the importance of reward. When studying plasticity, it was found that major changes in rewiring the brain occur when the body releases endorphines, or other pleasure chemicals in your body, at the same time it is attempting to rewire. Even if there is no result when trying, rewarding the attempt (shaping) will help to build neuropathways. This is like how the body responds to some addictive behaviors. The more the body is rewarded, the stronger the addiction becomes. I think this is also the power of positive thinking, muscle memory, and mind over body; maybe all that stuff will be scientifically supported and explained in the future as brain plasticity.
On Joey's first day at Project Walk they made a video as his starting point in recovery. He was asked to try to move his leg while the trainer moved his leg for him. Joey was encouraged at each attempt and by the end of the first hour, they had to retake the video because he was able to do more than he thought he could, and a lot more than he showed in the first filming. Seeing that he could do more than he thought was another boost of confidence/reward and those initial movements were built upon.
Having an exercise-based therapy like Project Walk also adds the reward of endorphines which are naturally released with exercise and help reward and strengthen the message to the brain that this is what we want the body to do.
While at Project Walk, the trainers use positive reinforcement for effort, and with gradual and repetitive movements, tap into those connections and eventually strengthen muscle.
A very long way to say just this: Use it or lose it.
This is re-posted from Joey's mom's online journal:
Use it or lose it
There has been research done and recent books published on brain plasticity (the ability of the brain to "rewire" itself). It seems to me that they are basically saying just this: use it or lose it. The more fascinating thing that is now being looked at is how, once you lose it, you can use it again.
From my understanding, whether it's called plasticity or learned unuse, if you stop using part of your body, it will adapt by redirecting neuropathways/brain signals to somewhere else in your body that you do use. The theory holds true for those that lose an entire sense and can't hear or see; their other senses use those unused reserves in neuropathways to increase the senses that are working. There is a therapy called constraint-induced movement therapy where if one arm is paralyzed and the other is not; the working arm is constrained so that you can't rely on it to compensate for the nonworking arm - you don't allow it to take over the unused pathways that were used at one time to tell the paralyzed arm to work. If there is no attempt to use the paralyzed arm, the brain will tell the body that it is no longer needed, but if your able arm is placed in a sling, and you continually tell the brain to move the paralyzed arm, it begins to fire the pathways necessary to move it.
There have also been unbelievable things done where the brain can actually be tricked into thinking that a paralyzed arm works (using an able arm and mirror). The brain sees, in a mirror, what appears to be the paralyzed arm working, and when it registers that it can work, suddenly the paralyzed arm does work. I've heard this mirror method used when working with phantom pain as well. Dr Joe, Joey's Chiropractic Neurologist, explains some of these things by discussing the inhibitors that the brain naturally sends or does not send to the body based on the brains input from different sources (I may not have interpreted that exactly right-I've given up trying to quote dr joe as the terminology is like a foreign language to me - but I think I'm close).
The brain is pretty incredible and it's encouraging to see more and more interest and information out there on its ability to "rewire itself". It can only be expected that more research on plasticity and the spinal cord will follow.
In the past, physical therapists worked with spinal cord injury (SCI) patients on only those muscles above the level of injury, and pretty much ignored anything that was paralyzed. New therapies (Project Walk among them) concentrate on the areas that are paralyzed and work on the body below the level of injury. It is hard to imagine how you work on a an arm or leg that is paralyzed, but the first thing they do is ask you to try to move. Then they assist the movement while you visualize doing it on your own. This is about making connections, reconnecting, or maybe even redirecting, neuropathways that at one time told the body to move this way.
Another important aspect scientists have found with connecting neuropathways is the importance of reward. When studying plasticity, it was found that major changes in rewiring the brain occur when the body releases endorphines, or other pleasure chemicals in your body, at the same time it is attempting to rewire. Even if there is no result when trying, rewarding the attempt (shaping) will help to build neuropathways. This is like how the body responds to some addictive behaviors. The more the body is rewarded, the stronger the addiction becomes. I think this is also the power of positive thinking, muscle memory, and mind over body; maybe all that stuff will be scientifically supported and explained in the future as brain plasticity.
On Joey's first day at Project Walk they made a video as his starting point in recovery. He was asked to try to move his leg while the trainer moved his leg for him. Joey was encouraged at each attempt and by the end of the first hour, they had to retake the video because he was able to do more than he thought he could, and a lot more than he showed in the first filming. Seeing that he could do more than he thought was another boost of confidence/reward and those initial movements were built upon.
Having an exercise-based therapy like Project Walk also adds the reward of endorphines which are naturally released with exercise and help reward and strengthen the message to the brain that this is what we want the body to do.
While at Project Walk, the trainers use positive reinforcement for effort, and with gradual and repetitive movements, tap into those connections and eventually strengthen muscle.
A very long way to say just this: Use it or lose it.
Recipe Week Day 7: Vanilla-Lime Grilled Pineapple Skewers
Posted in Gluten-Free, Recipes on by
This is my final post for Recipe Week. I hope you'll try all my recipes...they're my tried-and-true favorites...husband-tested and all :)
Grilled pineapple isn't usually a dessert you think to make. But it sure is yummy! Especially with this brown sugar sauce. This recipe is from Alton Brown on Foodnetwork. (If you haven't watched his show, "Good Eats" on Foodnetwork, you should!)
Ingredients
Add the vanilla, brown sugar, lime juice, and salt to a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk together and bring to a boil, stirring just until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and allow to sit for 2 hours before using. Once cool, place the syrup in a squeeze bottle or other sealable container. Store in the refrigerator. (This will store in the fridge for a very long time...so you can make extra!)
Preheat grill on high.
Peel and remove the core from the pineapple. Cut the pineapple into eighths, lengthwise, and remove any prickly brown eyes.
Thread the pieces of pineapple onto the skewers lengthwise. Coat the skewered pineapple on all sides with the syrup. Grill on all sides until golden brown, approximately 4 minutes per side, 12 minutes total, or until the pineapple is tender. Serve with any remaining sauce.
YUM!
Grilled pineapple isn't usually a dessert you think to make. But it sure is yummy! Especially with this brown sugar sauce. This recipe is from Alton Brown on Foodnetwork. (If you haven't watched his show, "Good Eats" on Foodnetwork, you should!)
Ingredients
- 1 tsp vanilla extract none of that imitation stuff (he calls for 1 vanilla bean, but I don't typically keep those on hand)
- 8 ounces dark brown sugar, approximately 1 cup firmly packed
- 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
- Pinch kosher salt
- 1 whole pineapple
- 8 (12-inch) metal skewers
Add the vanilla, brown sugar, lime juice, and salt to a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk together and bring to a boil, stirring just until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and allow to sit for 2 hours before using. Once cool, place the syrup in a squeeze bottle or other sealable container. Store in the refrigerator. (This will store in the fridge for a very long time...so you can make extra!)
Preheat grill on high.
Peel and remove the core from the pineapple. Cut the pineapple into eighths, lengthwise, and remove any prickly brown eyes.
Thread the pieces of pineapple onto the skewers lengthwise. Coat the skewered pineapple on all sides with the syrup. Grill on all sides until golden brown, approximately 4 minutes per side, 12 minutes total, or until the pineapple is tender. Serve with any remaining sauce.
YUM!
Recipe Week Day 6: Spicy Honey-Glazed Chicken Breasts
Posted in Gluten-Free, Recipes on by
This recipe is adapted from Rachael Ray Magazine.
8 servings prep time: 10 min Cook time: 25 min
(I usually split this recipe in half.)
Ingredients:
1/4 Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/2 C honey
2 tsp hot pepper sauce
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp lemon juice
8 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 4 lbs)
Salt
1. In a small saucepan, heat 1 tbsp EVOO over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until translucent and beginning to brown (6-8 min). Add the honey, hot pepper sauce, and chili powder and simmer for 1 min. Remove from heat, stir in lemon juice and set aside.
2. Preheat a grill or large grill pan to medium-high. Drizzle the remaining 3 tbsp EVOO over the chicken and season with salt. Grill until well marked, about 7 min. Flip and cook until the bottoms are well marked and the chicken is cooked through, another 2 min. Transfer to a plate and brush with the reserved honey glaze. Cover with foil and let rest for 5 min.
8 servings prep time: 10 min Cook time: 25 min
(I usually split this recipe in half.)
Ingredients:
1/4 Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/2 C honey
2 tsp hot pepper sauce
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp lemon juice
8 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 4 lbs)
Salt
1. In a small saucepan, heat 1 tbsp EVOO over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until translucent and beginning to brown (6-8 min). Add the honey, hot pepper sauce, and chili powder and simmer for 1 min. Remove from heat, stir in lemon juice and set aside.
2. Preheat a grill or large grill pan to medium-high. Drizzle the remaining 3 tbsp EVOO over the chicken and season with salt. Grill until well marked, about 7 min. Flip and cook until the bottoms are well marked and the chicken is cooked through, another 2 min. Transfer to a plate and brush with the reserved honey glaze. Cover with foil and let rest for 5 min.
Recipe Week Day 5: Popcorn Shrimp with Chili-Lime Dipping Sauce
Posted in Gluten-Free, Recipes on by
This recipe is adapted from Ellie Krieger from Foodnetwork. I love that her recipes are healthy and still packed with flavor. The cornmeal crust gives these shrimp a nice little crunch, plus it's gluten-free. This recipe is a little more involved than my past posts, but it's worth it.
Ingredients
For shrimp:
1. Combine all sauce ingredients and set aside.
2. Place flour, chili powder, garlic powder, and 1/2 tsp salt in a shallow bowl and stir with a fork to incorporate. Place egg whites in another shallow bowl and beat lightly. Place cornmeal, 1/4 tsp salt, and pepper in a third bowl and stir with a fork to incorporate.
3. Toss the shrimp, a few at a time, in flour until well coated. Shake off excess flour, then dip in egg whites. Transfer to cornmeal mixture and toss to cover all sides. Reserve coated shrimp on a baking sheet or piece of parchment paper and repeat with remaining shrimp.
4. Preheat broiler. Brush a large cookie sheet with the oil and heat the oiled sheet under broiler for 3 min. Remove from oven and quickly arrange shrimp in a single layer on the cookie sheet. Spray the tops of the shrimp with cooking spray. Place shrimp under broiler and broil until crisp and browned, about 5 min.
5. Serve with dipping sauce.
Serves 8 (12 shrimp each + 1 tbsp sauce)
View Past Recipes:
Day1: Crockpot Turkey Chili
Day 2: Crockpot BBQ Beef
Day 3: Spicy Peanut Sauce
Day 4: Mixed-Up Lasagna
Bonus: Stovetop Turkey Chili
Ingredients
For shrimp:
- 1/2 C rice flour (or other gluten-free flour)
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 4 egg whites
- 3/4 C cornmeal
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 lb medium rock shrimp (90-100 count), shelled and cleaned (any size shrimp you have will work)
- 2 tbsp canola oil
- Spray cooking oil
- 1/3 C nonfat Greek yogurt or 1/2 C nonfat plain yogurt
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp lime juice (about 1/2 a lime)
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1 lime, zested
1. Combine all sauce ingredients and set aside.
2. Place flour, chili powder, garlic powder, and 1/2 tsp salt in a shallow bowl and stir with a fork to incorporate. Place egg whites in another shallow bowl and beat lightly. Place cornmeal, 1/4 tsp salt, and pepper in a third bowl and stir with a fork to incorporate.
3. Toss the shrimp, a few at a time, in flour until well coated. Shake off excess flour, then dip in egg whites. Transfer to cornmeal mixture and toss to cover all sides. Reserve coated shrimp on a baking sheet or piece of parchment paper and repeat with remaining shrimp.
4. Preheat broiler. Brush a large cookie sheet with the oil and heat the oiled sheet under broiler for 3 min. Remove from oven and quickly arrange shrimp in a single layer on the cookie sheet. Spray the tops of the shrimp with cooking spray. Place shrimp under broiler and broil until crisp and browned, about 5 min.
5. Serve with dipping sauce.
Serves 8 (12 shrimp each + 1 tbsp sauce)
View Past Recipes:
Day1: Crockpot Turkey Chili
Day 2: Crockpot BBQ Beef
Day 3: Spicy Peanut Sauce
Day 4: Mixed-Up Lasagna
Bonus: Stovetop Turkey Chili
Recipe Week Day 4: Mixed-Up Lasagna
Posted in Gluten-Free, Recipes on by
If you're anything like me, you don't want to bother with fussy meals. I love lasagna, but don't want to deal with the layers. So why not mix it up? The lasagna gets mixed up on your plate anyway...it tastes the same.
I found this recipe on Allrecipes.com years ago and printed it out, but I can't find it online anymore. It's one of my family's favorites, so it's a good thing I printed it!
Ingredients:
2. Mix the basil, oregano, noodles, tomato sauce, ricotta cheese, and Parmesan cheese into the meat mixture. Pour the mixed up lasagna into a 9x13 casserole dish and sprinkle the mozzarella on top. Cover loosely with aluminum foil.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, until the noodles have softened and cheese is melted. (I like the top of my casseroles to be browned and crunchy, so I usually leave mine in about 45 min.)
Enjoy!
View Past Recipes:
Day1: Crockpot Turkey Chili
Day 2: Crockpot BBQ Beef
Day 3: Spicy Peanut Sauce
Bonus: Stovetop Turkey Chili
I found this recipe on Allrecipes.com years ago and printed it out, but I can't find it online anymore. It's one of my family's favorites, so it's a good thing I printed it!
Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced (or I use 1-2 tbsp already-minced garlic)
- 1 lb ground beef or ground turkey
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1-1/2 tbsp dried basil
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 8 oz no boil lasagna noodles, broken into 2-inch lengths (I use brown rice noodles, which are gluten-free. I have also used regular pasta instead of lasagna noodles. Be sure you don't boil them very long because they'll cook while baking.)
- 3 C tomato sauce (one 29-oz can)
- 15 oz ricotta cheese
- 1/4 C Parmesan cheese
- 2 C shredded mozzarella cheese (8 oz)
2. Mix the basil, oregano, noodles, tomato sauce, ricotta cheese, and Parmesan cheese into the meat mixture. Pour the mixed up lasagna into a 9x13 casserole dish and sprinkle the mozzarella on top. Cover loosely with aluminum foil.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, until the noodles have softened and cheese is melted. (I like the top of my casseroles to be browned and crunchy, so I usually leave mine in about 45 min.)
Enjoy!
View Past Recipes:
Day1: Crockpot Turkey Chili
Day 2: Crockpot BBQ Beef
Day 3: Spicy Peanut Sauce
Bonus: Stovetop Turkey Chili
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