No-Cook Jello Playdough

I used to love Jello. As a kid, as a teenager, as a college student. L O V E. Somehow as an adult I've lost the love and oddly enough my kids don't like it either ... which isn't a bad thing considering its absolutely null nutritional value.

Today is rainy, gross and my kids have no school :|

Desperate for a diversion, I pulled out the ingredients for chocolate chip cookies ... and realized everything I needed to bake them was in the unwashed dishwasher. Huh. PLAYDOUGH! I could make playdough instead AND I wouldn't be tempted to eat it.

I've recently been sucked into the Pinterest universe and have seen folks linking to a Jello playdough recipe. Well alrighty then! Two sad little boxes of strawberry-banana Jello have languished in my cabinets for eons ... time to go, boys!

I was disappointed to see that the Jello playdough recipes were all cooked. I've done cooked playdough, and it rocks but it's completely not worth my spending extra spoons (I have severe fibromyalgia - read the Spoon Theory here ) just to get better consistancy. So I found this Kool-aid no cook recipe and decided to try it with Jello.

And here is what I did.

2 cups flour
3 tbl oil
1/2 cup salt
One 3oz pack of Jello
1 cup boiling water

In a large mixing bowl (or the bowl of your stand-mixer) Dump 1 cup of flour, the oil, salt and jello.
Stir lightly with a fork to blend.
Add boiling water (I nuked mine in a two-cup pyrex measuring cup for 90 seconds so I wouldn't have to measure boiling water) and start mixing until well blended.
Gradually add the last cup of flour. Mix until blended.
Turn out onto a large plate and spread out a bit, allow to cool a bit.

Some notes. It's crazy sticky until it cools, and then is still a wee bit sticky - cooling makes a huge difference. I made one batch this way and a second batch just dumping the flour in all together. The texture was WAY smoother on the first batch and the ingredients blended in easier.

I also tried adding yellow food coloring to the second give me an orange color. The strawberry banana jello made the playdough a gorgeouds light to medium pink. I had to add a HUGE amount of food coloring to change the color and then it went a bit neon. Moral of the story: not worth the effort to change the color. The kids grabbed the dough before I could snap a pic of the colors separately so all you can see of the pink is that bit in the middle but it was really pretty. Sigh.

Lastly, I think this recipe makes enough for one kiddo. I haven't tried doubling it  to see if the stand mixer bowl can handle that large of a batch, but it might. Derfinitely going to watch for Jello sales and grab some more for making playdough! It colors much better than food coloring in my opinion ... but then I'm apparently food coloring challenged.

30 Things About My Invisible Illness You May Not Know

30 Things About My Invisible Illness You May Not Know

Many prominent bloggers were asked to participate in this simple blog post meme to help spread awareness during Invisible Awareness Week (September 11-18th). I read about it on ButYouDon'tLookSick.com and while I'm not even really a blogger, I decided to do it as well. I post about fibromyalgia because I want others living in pain to know they are not alone.

30 Things About My Invisible Illness You May Not Know

1. The illness I live with is: I live with Fibromyalgia, migraines and Reynaulds.

2. I was diagnosed with it in the year: I was diagnosed in 2000. I was 24 and a graduate student at Wheelock College.

3. But I had symptoms since: Childhood. My parents spent years taking me to doctors, running tests. A rheumatologist at Children's Hospital in Boston later said he always felt I had fibromylagia but "back then we didn't believe it occurred in children". In fact, most doctors didn't believe it occurred at all. My symptoms changed dramatically in 2006.

4. The biggest adjustment I’ve had to make is: Being realistic. It doesn't matter how badly I want to drive to a friend's house 30 minutes away. I might be able to make it there, but I won't be able to make it home. I grew up in the "You can do anything you want to do" generation ... which is generally true. I just can't do things the WAY I used to. I can still do many strenuous things, but I need to rely on others for help doing things outside my limits and I need to be constantly aware that pushing my limits will ALWAYS have consequences.

5. Most people assume: that I'm a patient, strong mother and a bit of an airhead. I'm none of the above. Parenting with fibromyalgia is the hardest thing I've ever done and it doesn't get easier. Ever. I hate that my cognitive changes make me look like a ditz and lead me to make embarrassing errors. I have a degree in neuroscience for pete's sake, and now I can't think straight. I miss my brain ... and most people assume I can think normally.

6. The hardest part about mornings are: not zoning out at the computer, getting the kids out the door on time. My brain and body just don't move well in the morning and it's a daily fight.

7. My favorite medical TV show is: House! Come fix me you drug addicted maniac!!

8. A gadget I couldn’t live without is: I love my microwavable stuffed cat that warms my feet every night. I also love my Nook - it's so much easier to read when I don't have to strain my hands holding a book open! And my ice packs. I hate them but I can't live without them.

9. The hardest part about nights are: Climbing into bed in pain. It's so much simpler to stay up late staring at the tv or computer but I can't do that AND parent two little girls. Once I get into bed there is nothing to distract me from the aches and spasms. I can understand why people in chronic pain are prone towards self medicating.  

10. Each day I take at least 8 prescription pills and four over the counter meds. I should be taking vitamins with more regularity but I get overwhelmed. I often take more prescription, over the counter and herbal remedies depending on the day.

11. Regarding alternative treatments I: have tried them all (almost). No, I'm not kidding. Yes, I've even tried ______ . Some have helped a bit, some not at all and some have made me worse. I find a balance btwn allopathic and naturopathic treatments work best for me. Sometimes even when something works (eg water physical therapy), the amount of energy it uses makes it impossible. Whatever works for you personally, I'd love to hear about it. BUT if it works for your neighbor's niece's cousin or you saw it on TV or the internet I may seem a little brittle when you suggest it. Please don't interpret that as my being ungrateful for you caring for me - I really do appreciate your concern. I LIVE this though, so if it's out there you can bet I've had it suggested to me. Repeatedly.

12. If I had to choose between an invisible illness or visible I would choose: This depends on the day you ask me. Most of the time I am extremely grateful that my illness doesn't make people stare, doesn't make me feel even more self-conscious than I already am. Other days ... I wish my children could see a meter telling them about my energy level or pain level. It's really hard for them to gauge. I wish the person who glares at me when I legally park in a handicap spot could understand I'm not defrauding the system. I wish people could understand that I don't mean to forget to call, I'm not really a snob for not recognizing them, I really don't mean to lose every piece of paper you hand me, I really CAN'T walk all over the store when you tell me something is on Aisle 1 but its actually on Aisle 16. On THOSE days ... on those days I wish it was visible. Neon would be nice.

13. Regarding working and career: I had to close a thriving business I loved when my fibromyalgia worsened ... and the grief was intense. I was also unable to return to work at the part-time job I had loved. Right now I am focusing on raising my children as best I can. Someday they will be in school full time and will require less of me physically ... at that point I will see where I am in the world and how I can find a place in the workforce again.

14. People would be surprised to know: that I've done many small amazing and exciting things, both before and after my fibro worsened. I've swam with sharks and sea turtles, walked on hot coals, gone sky diving, driven across Costa Rica, been on a ballroom dance team, taken kickboxing and judo, written a children's book... 

15. The hardest thing to accept about my new reality has been: The "I really can't". Some days, I can walk around a museum for two hours ... but other days I really can't drive across town to pick up my daughter at school. It happens at least once a day, sometimes more often, that I am caught off guard by an "I can't".  I like that they still catch me off guard ... I think it means that I still believe I can push my limits.

16. Something I never thought I could do with my illness that I did was: I never thought I could live like this without grief etching itself into every hour. When my fibro changed in 2006 I grieved for the many freedoms I lost. In that time I could not see a future without that heartache ... I knew it would be there but I couldn't SEE it. I still grieve when I run into a barrier that means I miss something precious - a nature walk with my children, driving to see a friend and their new baby - but I've found a peace that I've never had before.

17. The commercials about my illness: The only commercials for Fibromyalgia are trying to sell drugs. They frustrate the hell out of me and hurt my children. When a four-year old sees a commercial for something like Lyrica, they run excitedly to Mommy, full of hope and proud they can give her something to relieve her pain. It hurts their little hearts to hear how thankful I am that they thought of me, but no, honey, that medicine doesn't work for Mommy. (Follow this with talking about how they can bring me ice packs to help or snuggle me when I'm too tired to walk etc.)

18. Something I really miss doing since I was diagnosed is [in my case, since I worsened]: Hiking, walking with my children. Driving long distances, spending the day with friends far away. Running my own errands. Teaching moms how to use baby carriers at the Boston Babywearers meetings and at the workshops I ran. Wearing my kiddos in carriers (this loss was the keenest) .

19. It was really hard to have to give up: My spontaneity. I can be spontaneous in small ways IF I keep it local and IF I have enough energy and IF I don't need that energy for something later on. Wait ... is that actually spontaneous? 

20. A new hobby I have taken up since my diagnosis is: Knitting! I've also learned home canning. It's so incredible to be able to crack open a comforting jar of my OWN pasta sauce, chili or fruit when I'm feeling too weak to make dinner.

21. If I could have one day of feeling normal again I would: I would do something outside with my husband and children. The beach, the woods, I don't CARE ... just walk and run, play tag with them. And I'd drive! I'd drive wherever I wanted to go, to some random town fair or festival on a whim. And then I would come home and cook a fun elaborate dinner. And bake.

22. My illness has taught me: Enjoy the good days to their fullest. Try to find grace, peace and joy in the bad ones.

23. Want to know a secret? One thing people say that gets under my skin is: I hate when people suggest I try something obvious, like a heating pad. Seriously people, this isn't new to me. I also hate when they say, "Does anything help?" I don't know why this one is so hard for me, since it's meant with good intentions. Sometimes I feel awkward when I have to say, no, my story doesn't have a happy ending (so far). Other times I feel so raw from grief or pain that it just feels too personal.

24. But I love it when people: I love it when people remember to park close or offer to let me off near the door of where we are going. I love it when people bring me food or fresh fruit. I love it when they keep an extra eye on my children when I am too tired/sore/foggy to do so. I love it when my kids bring me glasses of water or ice packs without my asking. I love when my husband brings me iced teas and bags of cheetos and doesn't hate me when the pain gets too much and I whiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine.

25. My favorite motto, scripture, quote that gets me through tough times is: Work of head and hand is my salvation when disappointment or weariness burden and darken my soul. ~~ Journal of Louisa May Alcott

26. When someone is diagnosed I’d like to tell them: Read the Spoon Theory on Butyoudon'tlooksick.com ... share it with everyone who cares about you. Get a handicap placard - I know you CAN make it all the way to the mall from a far spot, but will you have the energy to do your errands after that? And get back to the car? AND drive home safely? Don't wait until you get stuck, get it now ... you don't have to use it unless you need it. Also, find a way to eat healthy when you are too tired to eat ... and when you fall off that horse, keep trying. Comfort food is ok for comfort but this is life, honey. And you can't comfort yourself everyday. Living on delivery or fast food may be easy but you will feel worse. And quite frankly it starts tasting pretty lousy after a while. Save it for your WORST days. 

27. Something that has surprised me about living with an illness is: that I can get past the drama and keep living, keep doing the things that need to get done.

28. The nicest thing someone did for me when I wasn’t feeling well was: My mom and dad do more for me than I can say but my two favorites are when my dad picks up a big bag of fresh fruit, veggies and milk for my kiddos and when my mom insists I give her a bag of laundry. I also love it when my mom takes me out to dinner or lunch. I love enjoying an easy meal without having to drive/cook/clean etc but most of all I just love her company.

29. I’m involved with Invisible Illness Week because: sometimes having an invisible illness makes you FEEL invisible. And that's a horrible way to feel.

30. The fact that you read this list makes me feel: appreciated, heard, strong.

Fundraising for Dan Baker and Family

As some of you may know, my cousin Daniel was in a serious motorcycle accident this past Tuesday afternoon.  He has severed his spine and is paralyzed below T6 (right below his shoulder blades).  We are so happy to say he is in stable condition and he is just waiting on the doctor's OK to be moved to a rehab center in Boston.  Dan had the good sense to wear his helmet, which probably ended up saving his life.

As you can imagine, this is a very trying and difficult time for Dan's whole family, especially his very loving and devoted parents, Jane and Paul.  Some of our family members thought now would be a great time for us to pull together to help them out in their time of confusion, chaos,and need.  Dan's sister in law Katie and my sister in law Kara have joined together to come up with some great ideas on how we can all help Jane, Paul and Dan.

 With your help, we can get Jane and Paul weeks worth of meals delivered right to them with very minimal preparation required on their part.

Our goal is to raise enough money to gift Jane and Paul with a certificate (from dinewise.com) worth $1000.00.  At Dinewise.com, to get a $1000.00 gift certificate, it only costs us $850.00 (which is getting 12 free meals!).

We would also like to do something for Dan.  Katie and Kevin thought that getting him an ipad would be wonderful for him for so many reasons.  It can be used as an eReader, a computer, and it doesn't take up much room.  It will be a great long term solution for Dan and will help keep his spirits up by allowing him the ability to stay connected, stay entertained, and stimulate his mind.

As both of these are planned as surprises, please don't share with Jane, Paul or Dan!

There are 2 ways that you can help by donating.

1)     You may go to Kara's website http://karabakerphotography.zenfolio.com/recent.html  Choose the gallery marked DONATE and enter password: 1234. You select the photo (the only one there) and then choose on the lower right hand side the denomination that you want to contribute.   You will have to then follow instructions (hit continue, drag the photo, add tocart and then check out).

2)     Send a paypal payment directly to Kara at kara@karabakerphotography.com

Please continue to send prayers, love and positive thoughts to Dan, Jane and Paul.

All my love,
Melissa

Today's creation! Odds & Ends Fruit Crisp

When I was six my family moved into a house with a lovely fenced yard and a massive aged rhubarb plant. Never having had a rhubarb plant of her own, my mother was nervous one of us children would eat some of the highly poisonous leaves and set out on a mission to remove the thing. I'm not sure of my brother, but I know my sister and I grew up very wary of rhubarb as a baking ingredient.

Yesterday at the market, Maddie was entranced by the beautiful spears of rosy rhubarb at her eye level and picked one up, asking me to buy it. Well. Strawberries were on sale, my pantry was full of jars of crisp topping that Maddie and I had made a few weeks ago and one spear only cost $.87 ... why not?

I woke up this morning ready to bake my first rhubarb recipe ever - strawberry rhubarb crisp. Aaaaaaaaaand I found a bowl full of strawberry hulls next to Daddy's seat on the couch. He ate half the strawberries. The HORROR!

So I looked at what I had in the cabinet, did a little googling and found the following recipes for inspiration: Blackberry Rhubarb Crisp and Rhubarb and Nectarine Crumble

So without further ado...

Odds and Ends Fruit Crisp

about 1.5 lb of strawberries, hulled and chunked
1 spear of rhubarb, sliced into "coins"
1 nectarine, chunked
1.5 cups of blackberries (big ones halved)
1/3 cup homemade cranberry applesauce from the pantry (subbing for the OJ)
1/2 cup brown sugar (not convinced it needs this, but never baked with rhubarb before)

One jar of my Crisp Topping
5tbl of butter, cut into little pieces

Pour crisp mix and butter into a medium sized bowl.
Crumble butter into crisp mix, pinching with fingers until the whole mixture is well blended and resembles moist sand (per America's Test Kitchen recomendations for crisp topping). I should have taken a pic of this. Gah. Refrigerate for 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 375F.

While everything is chillin and heatin, get filling ready in an oven-safe casserole (8in square glass pan or 9in deep dish pie pan will work). Mix brown sugar with juice or apple sauce. Pour fuit into casserole and toss with sugar mix.

When topping chilled, pat on top of fruit. Bake on middle rack with something underneath (foil, cookie sheet etc) to catch drips. Bake about 40 minutes or until topping is really browned. I like to bake it at least 45m.

Allow to cool at least 15m before eating.  Or not. Whatever rocks your socks!

Fruit Crisp Topping

Hey all. My new favorite pantry item is pint sized canning jars filled with this crisp topping, readdy to pour on whatever I'm suddenly tempted to bake. This can be assembled in advance, like I do, or at the time of baking. Each jar contains the ingredients below, layered. My brown sugar did harden a wee bit but it was still soft enough to crumble. I've used the basic fruit crisp topping recipe from America's Test Kitchen. They call for 3/4c chopped pecans but blech ... who likes those, nasty allergenic things? I've used a combination of cereals and oats instead :D I think the lightly sweetened oat flakes really make the topping, but play with it.

6 tbl flour
1/4c Grape Nuts cereal
1/4c Kashi Heart to Heart Oat Flakes & Blueberry clusters
1/4c rolled oats (NOT instant or steel cut oats - ask me how I know)
1/4c granulated sugar
1/4 dark brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt

ETA: I did find the brown sugar hardened quite a bit by the time I used the last jar. Making it for the second time, I'm laying a small piece of bread crust on top of the brown sugar. Not attractive if you are giving as gifts but excellent for personal storage.

As a side note I find that brown sugar keeps very soft if immediately transferred into canning jars after purchase, adding a small piece of bread to each jar. I like the plastic freezer lids for storing dry goods such as this.

This fits in a pint canning jar if you press the ingredients in, smooshing the flakes etc. I make 3+ jars at a time - always worth it.

When you are ready to bake, crumble one jar of filling with 5 tbl unsalted butter in a medium bowl. Pinch and crumble until the mixture resembles damp sand. Chill 15min while oven preheats to 375 F.

Choose an 8in sqare glass pan, a 9inch deep dish pie pan or something similar. Dump in your filling (you're on your own here) and pat chilled filling on top. Bake on middle rack (put something under it to catch drips) for 40 minutes or until topping is nicely browned. Allow to cool about 15m before eating. Enjoy!

A few of my favorite things ... Day One

I was driving along the other day and thinking, "I love my car ... MAN I love this car!".

Then I realized I have quite a few special treasures that I just adore. Since that SCREAMS blogpost, I made a list and decided to write about them. Over the next few weeks as time a health allow, I'm going to talk about the things that make me smile. You're going to notice that many of these are my favorites because of how they impact my energy level or my different abilities but some are just fun :)

2007 Toyota Matrix in speedway blue

So this summer (after more than a year of not being able to drive) I traded in my behemouth minivan for this sweet little car. Yes, it really IS that color - so freaking easy to find it in a parking lot! The doors are lightweight, not draining to open or shut. It has a glorious sunroof that lets me have the sun shine on me year round. The tailgate has my favorite feature ... I can pop open the glass on it and load my groceries in without hefting up the whole tailgate! I love that the windows are NOT tinted because they obscure my vision less. It's easy to park, easy on my arms/back/neck to turn and drive. I love that it gives me freedom and I love that it was a bargain and I LOVE that when people look at it they smile and say, "Now THAT is a Melissa car."


Knit Picks Options Interchangeable Harmony Wood Circular Knitting Needle Set

I've had this lovely set since Christmas 2009. It was a fantastic present from my parents that has really helped me become more comfortable as a knitter. The warm wood is comfortable for my hands, the tips are the perfect length. I love that I can store the cables coiled and they don't stay loopy. The tips are sharp and pointy, yet strong.

The only cons to these needles don't really bother me. The first is that the join requires you to use a small tool to tighten it. Possesed with knitter's hubris? Think you can hand-tighten it? BAD plan. You'll find out (as I did, on at least three separate occasions) halfway through a row that your tip has come unscrewed and you've dropped thirty stitches. Note that I kept trying this. I tend to be chock full of hubris ... but now I tighten the tips.

The other con is that unlike a number of other sets, the shortest cable is only 24 inches. Denise, Skacel Addi Lace, Colonial and Webs all offer shorter lengths.




Scentsy Warmers

When I was in college I was a huge Yankee (Colonial, Partylite, *insert smelly candle brand*) Candle fan. I used to love their wax tart burners but was less than enchanted by the soot build-up inside so i mostly stuck with my candles. And then the small people entered my life.

I can still light candles if I place them carefully away from small hands, but then they are generally out of my sight/smell ... so what is the point? I've tried essential oil diffusers (even serious professional grade ones) but the fragrances seem to irritate my husband and kiddos more.

This year I bought a Scentsy warmer to try to get some of that old yummy scent going through the apartment (I went with Christmas Tree, Autumn Sunset and Reggae Sunset) and it's pretty cool. It's just like the candle-based wax tart warmer except uses a small lightbulb to warm the wax. It also uses a smaller pieces of wax that are much more affordable. Gotta love that! So far I love the smells (and want to try a few I smelled at a friend's house - Mr. Watson and Honey Pear Cider), the ease of use and the way it looks. Score!

So those are three of my favorite things ... I hope I didn't bore you completely. More to come as soon as the small people allow!

Fine print: I don't benefit  in any way from product mentions in this blog.

Addi Lace Clicks Review (for you, Jillian)

A few weeks ago my long-awaited trip to Stitches East went horribly awry. I consoled myself by spending the last of my birthday money on a set of Addi Lace Clicks interchangable needles. I'd wanted these for quite awhile, having fallen in love with the Addi's Lace Circulars during my shawl-a-thon last spring.

Sorry this is lacking in pictures but I wanted to get my impressions down while I was thinking about them. Below my thoughts I'll list my impressions in bullet points including details like tip length, needle material, join mechanism and join smoothness.

My initial reaction was Ooooooooooooooooooh. How lovely! How pretty! The case is streamlined and relatively well-designed, with magnetic closures and a zipper pocket for any small bits you may need. I quickly sat down to cast on the Montego Bay scarf in some gorgeous Blue Heron Rayon Metallic (in Day Lily) and my heart fell. I had heard that Addi had encountered difficulty achieving a smooth join when producing the tips using same bronze finish as found in the Addi Lace Circular needles but I hadn't thought about how that would impact the feel of the needles or the slide of the yarn on them.

The Lace Clicks are made using the same material as the Addi Turbos while retaining the finer, more elongated tip of the Lace Circulars. One of the things I loved about the Addi Lace Circs was that it had a gentle grip - fantastic for slippery lace yarn. The Lace Clicks are super slick. After the disappointment of missing Stitches, I just burst into tears. I've always avoided metal needles because I have trouble managing slick yarn when my hands are fumbly.

Time went on and I used them here and there for smaller swatching projects ... I began to enjoy the slickness of the yarn on the needles. Holy moses they are fast. I picked up my Lace Circs to knit a pair of gingerless mitts and ... hmmmm ... suddenly they were too grippy!  Interesting.

Mitts finished, I decided to cast on a matching scarf. I cast on using sz 10 Addi Lace Clicks and within two rows my hands began to ACHE. I realized the problem ... the needle tips are too short for comfort. They need to be shorter to accomodate the 16inch cables in the Clicks kit but OW ... my hands cramped all up. I quickly switched it over to my Knit Picks Harmony interchangables and the ache eased.

So here is the nitty gritty of it all...

Addi Lace Clicks -
~  fantastic fine point, as sharp as Harmony needles but more elongated. Better for lace knitting

~ slick speedy material. They are lacking the grip of the Addi Lace Circs, so if you are in love with that these might not be the needles for you.

~ INCREDIBLE join mechanism. If you have a KitchenAid Mixer you'll recognize the connection. It's very similar to the connection that KitchenAid uses to lock the mixing blade onto the mixer. Absolutely fantastic design, super secure. No more needle tips unscrewing mid-row and dropping a billion stitches (I've had this occur with the Harmony tips and have run into alot of frustration when I misplace the tightening tool required to tighten the Harmony tips).

~ pretty smooth join. The folks who sold the set to me gushed ridiculously about the join but it was not as impressive as I thought it would be. It's most likely the best join possible using the secure locking mechanism and that particular needle material, but I think it's about comprable to the KP Harmony join. In fact, the Harmony join seems a bit better at times.

~ bendy cords in a wide variety of lengths, printed with the length. It's very handy to have the short lengths of cords but quite honestly I would rather have longer tips for comfort. They fit nicely into the zipper pocket on the back of the case but they seem to hold their loopiness a bit too much if they stay rolled up in there. Harmony cables are equally flexible and seem to resist getting too loopy if stored rolled up (a big plus when using long cables for Magic Loop knitting) but I do love that the Addi's have the length printed on them.

~ size printed on the needle tip. Holy cow I love this. Loooooooooooove. Harmony tips don't have this.

So that said, I like the Addi Lace Clicks, but don't *love* them. I'm absolutely not interested in rehoming my Harmony needles any time soon but the Addis have enough positives going for them that I am going to hang onto them as well.

Hope this gives some feedback to those who are interested!

Just noting: I have no affiliation with any of the companies mentioned above.