Black Forest Fire
I’m doing an update with the Colorado Springs Black Forest Fire. My daughter, Jackie and her family (and animals) were evacuated. They have come to my home until they can return to theirs or worst case, find a rental for their family.

Evacuating with children can add more stress and other components I didn’t not take into consideration in 2011. Not only prepare a to-go list for you, but prepare one for each of your children.

As my grandchildren were unpacking their bags, we discovered they don’t think like adults. Ben brought warm winter PJs (it was 100 degrees yesterday). Nicole forgot all her underwear. They all thought to bring a bathing suit! On you child’s to-go list, you should ask them what one or two personal items they would like to take with them. This will most likely be different from what you might bring.

Also, for older children, who are able to help pack the car, make a list for each one as to what they are responsible to put in the vehicle. There was some confusion with the children not having assigned priorities during the rush to get out the door. This could be a “Take With You List” like the one below. Make one for each child. Of course, make a copy for yourself.

Other items to consider are special food items like protein drinks, snacks and breakfast foods. This will make the transition to temporary housing easier (even if they are going to grandma’s house), if the kids have some of their favorite foods.

Burning Tree Fire
When my husband and I were evacuated because of the Burning Tree fire. It quickly became apparent that we should have made a list of items we would take in an emergency. Because I was not at home, Dick was making decisions on what to bring with him. He was concerned about taking things I would want to have. This creates unneeded stress in an already stressful situation.

Silly me, I just assumed I’d be home to help direct what would be loaded into the car. I had a mental list of things I would take, so did Dick, but we never sat down together and put it on paper.

When our neighborhood was evacuated, I was in town having my hair cut. Dick was home alone. If we had a predetermined list of things we wanted to take with us, that would have not only made the evacuation easier and quicker, but less stressful.

The fire was close enough to warrant our evacuation. The flames were not yet visible from our home, but you could certainly see and smell the smoke. If the flames could be seen from our property, then there would have been only minutes to leave.

What would you take if you only had five minutes to pack? What if you had 30 minutes? That’s where a list is vital. (See Go Baby Go, for details of what a Go Bag should contain.) Your family should also have predetermined a place to meet up. Chances are you will not all be home when an emergency occurs.

Following is a list just to get you thinking. Every family is different. You’ll want to inventory the items, which are most important to you and where they are located. Also, your list should begin with the MOST IMPORTANT ITEMS. That way if you don’t have time to put everything into your car, you’ll have the most important items packed first.

Take With You List

Load First
____Go Bag (Click Here for more info on the Go Bag. Place in the hall closet or garage by car)

____Valuables (jewelry, coins, cash, checkbook, collectibles, etc.)

____Medicines (kitchen closet by window)

____Passports & birth certificates (office)

____Reading glasses (by refrigerator)

____Keys/purse/wallet/cell phone (kitchen)

____Diaper bag with diapers, bottle, baby food, etc. (baby’s room)

____Banking statements & current bills (place in a box)

____Computer or computer back-up

____Clothes in a suitcase (coats, mittens, etc.)

____Food (fruit, energy bars, nuts, etc.)

Pets
____Dog, cat, canary, hamster, etc.

____Leash (entry)

____Pet food (pantry)

____Pet crate (laundry room)

Special Memory Items

____Photos (living room cabinet)

____Aunt Grace’s silver tea set (dining room hutch)

____Clock on family room wall

____Grandmother’s ring/pin (jewelry box)

____Living room oil painting

Check out other emergency blogs, Click Here.

CLICK HERE for the Baby Bites Store.

For a synopsis of the Baby Bites book, Click Here.

CLICK HERE for ordering information for Baby Bites: Transforming a Picky Eater into a Healthy Eater and The Forest Feast: Baby Bites Mealtime Adventures.

Follow Nonna on FaceBook: Click Here.

Reincarnation
The belief of reincarnation is when the individual soul survives death and comes back in another body. Reincarnation is usually connected with karma: that after the soul has fulfilled its destiny, and learned its lessons and become sufficiently enlightened, it reverts to a divine status or is absorbed into (or realizes its timeless identity with) the divine All.

One appearance of New Age experts on the Oprah Winfrey Show included Dr. Donald Curtis, a Unity minister and transchanneler, Marilyn Ferguson, author of Aquarian Conspiracy, and Kevin Ryerson, New Age Channeler and author of Spirit Communication. Oprah begins, “As I study the New Age Movement, it all seems to say exactly what the Bible has said for years, but many of us were brought up with a restricted, limited understanding of what the Bible said.”

Curtis responds, “Because of the literal interpretation, for within the framework of sectarianism, no one really knows what the filter of translation down through the ages, what the Bible really said.”

Ferguson adds, “When you start taking a scholarly look at when the translations occurred, you realize that many important ideas got lost along the way.”

Council of Nicea
Curtis concludes, “And then they threw out most of it in 325 A.D[1]. anyway at the Council of Nicea. We don’t really know what was there. The Emperor, whatever his name was[2], sat down in counsel and said `this is in and this is out.’ They threw out reincarnation at this time” (video on file with Watchman Fellowship).

1. Curtis betrays his “scholarly look” by not even knowing who the Emperor (Constantine) was at the Council of Nicea.

2. He also is wrong about what transpired at Nicea in 325 A.D. Nicea dealt with the Arian heresy (that Jesus was not Divine), not reincarnation.

3. Explanation of the perceived differences in the Bible and reincarnation are attributed to “limited, restricted understanding” and “literal interpretations.” Faulty “filters of translation” through time as a reason for distortion, ignores early church teachings.

Many Lives, Many Masters?
Many Lives, Many Masters by Dr. Brian Weiss is one of many New Age books disparaging the credibility of the Scriptures in order to validate reincarnation for Christians. In the third chapter he claims that reincarnation was in the Bible, but was later removed.

“There were indeed references to reincarnation in the Old and New Testaments. In A.D. 325 the Roman emperor Constantine the Great, along with his mother, Helena, had deleted references to reincarnation contained in the New Testament. The Second Council of Constantinople meeting in A.D. 553, confirmed this action and declared the concept of reincarnation a heresy.” (p. 35-36)

Historical Inaccuracies: First, The Council of Nicea, the first of the seven Ecumenical councils, took place in 325 A.D,, not 553. It was concerned with the teachings of Arius (that Jesus was not Divine) and their implications for a correct understanding of the person of Jesus Christ. The documents from this Council offer no evidence that the topic of reincarnation ever came up for discussion, let alone that it was condemned and removed from the Bible. No doubt this claim means to refer, rather, to the fifth Ecumenical Council, held in 553–the Council of Constantinople. Again, yet, there is no evidence whatsoever that the idea of reincarnation was ever discussed, let alone condemned and purged from the Bible.

Early Theologians: including Irenaeus, Tertullian, and Gregory of Nyssa, also explicitly rejected the idea of reincarnation. Another problem with this theory is the fact that manuscripts of the Bible exist dating back to the third century. For example, the Bodmer Papyri (dated around 200-225), the Chester Beatty Papyri (dated around 200-250), Codex Vaticanus (dated around 325-350), and Codex Sinaiticus (dated around 340) are all documents written centuries prior to the 533 Council, and NONE of them reveal any supposed reincarnationist teachings, which were removed from later editions of the Bible!

Beyond this, it is known the core canon of the Bible was essentially recognized and acknowledged throughout the early Church as the late second and early third centuries.

What Does The Bible Say About Reincarnation?
The test for Scripture’s accuracy and meaning is two or three “witnesses”: Scripture explaining scripture.

1. Hebrews 9:27-28: “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many.”  The writer of Hebrews explains the general course of man’s existence is to taste death only once, and then judgment. In order to underscore the number of times a person dies, the inspired writer declared that men die the same number of times that Christ was offered on the cross—only once. (This verse deals with the generality of man’s existence, and excludes miraculous situations, where Christ, an apostle, or a prophet raised someone from the dead.)

2. Luke 16:19-31– Jesus told a story in which a poor man named Lazarus and a rich man, both died. The Bible explains Lazarus died and “was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom” (16:22), but the rich went to “torments in Hades” (16:23). The text further states the rich man “lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his bosom” (16:23). Here we have three men who once lived upon the Earth but have died, yet we do not see their souls or spirits re-inhabiting some earthly body. Instead, we see the three men—Lazarus, Abraham, and the rich man—in a fully cognizant state in the realm of the dead, separate and apart from any earthly ties. In fact, the rich man begs Abraham to send Lazarus back to Earth to warn his brothers, but Abraham refuses. Therefore, if Lazarus had died, and his soul no longer was on Earth, then he could not have been reincarnated to another earthly body or person. Furthermore, Abraham’s presence in this “realm of the dead” shows that Abraham had not been reincarnated either.

3. Luke 23:43, Jesus told the penitent thief who was crucified next to Him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” One must ask, if the body of the thief was going to remain on the Earth, and the soul of the thief was going to be with Jesus in Paradise, then what part of that man would be left to reincarnate into another earthly body?

4. Those who believe the Bible allows for reincarnation sometimes use Matthew 11:8-14 to claim that John the baptizer was Elijah reincarnate, yet Matthew 17:3 states that Elijah’s spirit was not in the body of John the baptizer. On the contrary, when Jesus mentioned that John had come in “the spirit of Elijah” (Luke 1:17), He simply meant that John had similar attributes to Elijah.

In the Bible, one gets the clear picture that humans die only once, and their disembodied spirits go to a “realm of the dead” to wait for the final judgment. The idea of reincarnation does not derive from nor can it be sustained by Scripture. On the contrary, the Bible implicitly states, it’s “appointed for men to die once.”

For Lack of Knowledge
There are many subjects in the Bible which are open to interpretation: Old or young earth? Were the Nephelim fallen angel offspring or descendants from the line of Cain? Are Enoch and Elijah Revelation’s two witnesses? Did Noah’s flood cover the known world or was it global? These topics do not concern salvation and many Believers have different opinions.

Reincarnation is “another” gospel, NOT found in Scriptures. Reincarnation replaces the need for Jesus’ blood sacrifice with the ability to come back again to atone for our sins ourselves by rightly living a second or multiple times. We should be diligent to make sure the one life we live on this Earth in the will of the Lord of the human race (Acts 17:29).

Hosea 4:6 : “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me. And since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.”

More Scripture
1 John 4:1: “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, ³ but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.”

Job 14:10-12: “But a man dies and is laid low; man breathes his last, and where is he? As waters fail from a lake and a river wastes away and dries up, so a man lies down and rises NOT again; till the heavens are no more he will not awake or be roused out of his sleep.”

Job 7:9-10 “As the cloud fades and vanishes, so he who goes down to Sheol does NOT come up; he returns no more to his house, nor does his place know him anymore.”

2 Corinthians 5:8: “Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and hoe with the Lord.”

Luke 16:26: “And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.”

Jude 1:6” “And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day.”

Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Ephesians 2:8-9: “ For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.”

John 3:16: ^“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

My grandkids were at my home for a recent yard sale. After a bit, they needed something to help them pass the time.

I ran  inside grabbed some organic sugar and a bottle of Italian Volcano organic lemon juice (from Costco).

Presto…a lemonade stand.

The kids actually did better than we did at the yard sale. Of course they didn’t have to cover their costs, as it was all profit for them!

Our Lemonade Recipe:

6 cups water
1 cup sugar
1 cup Italian Volcano lemon juice
2 cups ice
Place all ingredients in a blender and process. Pour into a pitcher and add more ice.

Besides being summer’s most refreshing drink, lemons have an interesting history. Sailors on long sea journeys often developed scurvy, which results from a vitamin C deficiency. When the sailors consumed lemons and limes they’d stay healthy. English sailors earned the nickname “limey” from eating citrus on the high sea. Not only are lemons high in C, but potassium and vitamin B1 as well.

Lemons Purify
Lemons act as a blood purifier and improve the body’s ability to get rid of toxins. Because of its alkaline ash, lemons help with digestion and help prevent undigested food from entering the blood stream, as in acid reflux. Lemon water will help prevent bloating, belching, and heartburn. Lemon water also neutralizes an acid stomach and is a remedy for morning sickness.

Lemons Detoxify
Lemons help detoxify your liver and are a liver stimulant. Lemon is excellent in fighting disease that’s related to infection. Lemons help eliminate toxins through the skin, this makes the lemon helpful in reducing a fever. Lemon juice is also an effective germicide and is helpful in fighting the flu. A flu remedy can be made by mixing lemon with herbal tea. The use of lemon juice alone said to be capable of defeating at least twenty different types of germs in the human body. Lemons are also good for the skin.

Lemon’s Tangy Flavor
Lemon juice is often used to give food flavor; it’s poured over fruit to prevent discoloration. Lemons tangy flavor make it the perfect summer drink. Make your own lemonade with fresh lemons and replace the white sugar with honey, agave nectar, or Stevia.

Lemons in the Kitchen
When purchasing lemons look for lemons with a bright yellow color and with no blemishes. A sweet lemon will be heavy for its size. Lemons may be stored at room temperature for up to two weeks and in the refrigerator for up to six weeks. One lemon contains about 3 tablespoons of juice and 3 teaspoons of grated peel. To squeeze the most juice from a lemon, use at room temperature. Roll the lemon on the counter-top with the palm of your hand before squeezing this will help release its juices.

Use the Whole Lemon
You can get more nutrients out of your food! Use ALL of the lemon. Wash and then freeze an ORGANIC lemon. If it’s organic, then there won’t be any pesticides on the lemon peel. Once the lemon is frozen, grated the entire lemon: peel and all. Sprinkle it on salads (add it to salad dressings), vegetables, fish dishes and noodles, into soups, rice and casseroles.  The lemon peel contains 5 to 10 times more vitamins than the juice!
For a synopsis of the Baby Bites book, Click Here.

CLICK HERE for ordering information for Baby Bites: Transforming a Picky Eater into a Healthy Eater and The Forest Feast: Baby Bites Mealtime Adventures.

Follow Nonna on FaceBook: Click Here.

The general rule-of-thumb is to keep produce in the same environment as it was when you purchased it. If it was refrigerated, then put it in your refrigerator. If it was setting out on a table, then keep it on the counter.

This produce guide is from ConsumerReports:

In the refrigerator, keep . . .
Apples in a cool zone away from strong-smelling foods, so they won’t absorb odors. If the refrigerator is jammed, you can also store apples in a cool, dark place.
Beets in the crisper; lop off greens before refrigerating and use them in a salad or cook them as you would spinach and other greens.
Berries in a warmer zone of the refrigerator, unwashed, in a dry, covered container.
Broccoli in the crisper.
Celery in the crisper.
Cherries unwashed, in a plastic bag, in a warmer zone of the refrigerator.
Corn with husks on, in a warmer zone of the refrigerator.
Grapes unwashed in a plastic bag or their plastic clam-shell container, in a cool zone; pick out any spoiled grapes, since one bad one can spoil the bunch.
Green beans in an airtight container in a moderate zone; don’t snap off ends until they’re ready to be used.
Leafy greens in a salad spinner (if you have one and have room in the fridge) after washing or in the crisper. Otherwise, keep washed greens in a plastic bag lined with a clean cloth or paper towels; loosely tie top of bag to maintain moisture.
Melons, once they’ve ripened, in a warmer zone of the refrigerator. Wash the outside of a melon before cutting to avoid the spread of bacteria.
Mushrooms unwashed, in a paper bag, in a warmer zone of the refrigerator. Never store them in plastic, which traps moisture and leads to slime.
Peppers in a plastic bag in a warmer zone of the refrigerator. Leave them whole, and unwashed.
Yellow squash/zucchini in a plastic bag in a warmer zone of the refrigerator. Leave them unwashed, and use within two or three days of purchase.

Outside of the refrigerator, keep . . .
Avocados in a brown-paper bag; add an apple or banana to the bag to accelerate ripening.
Bananas in a fruit bowl on the counter.
Onions in a dark, dry, well-ventilated place. Store them away from potatoes, and apples since they have spoilage-inducing ethylene gas.
Stone fruits, including nectarines, peaches, and plums, in a brown-paper bag at room temperature to speed ripening. Refrigerate once ripe.
Potatoes in a cool place, away from light. Don’t refrigerate, since the moisture will encourage sprouting.
Tomatoes always at room temperature but not in direct sunlight.

For a synopsis of the Baby Bites book, Click Here.

CLICK HERE for ordering information for Baby Bites: Transforming a Picky Eater into a Healthy Eater and The Forest Feast: Baby Bites Mealtime Adventures.

Follow Nonna on FaceBook: Click Here.

In the third chapter of Genesis we find one of the most important verses in Scripture. “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.”

According to this verse, there will be enmity between Eve and the serpent who deceived her. The word enmity indicates a blood feud. There will also be enmity between his seed and her seed. God promised eventually the serpent would bruise the heel of the seed of the woman. However, the seed of the woman would crush the head of the serpent. This will be a fatal blow.

Seed Of The Woman – Redeemed Humanity – “Seed” is used as both singular and multiple descendants. From the moment God uttered his judgment against the serpent, the collective of those who trust God (the seed of the woman) were waiting for the individual seed of the woman: the man who would have ultimate victory over the serpent.

Many commentators understand the “seed” to refer to redeemed humanity and then ultimately to Jesus Christ. Therefore the seed of the woman began with Abel, the second son of Adam and Eve. Cain, the first son, was un-repented of his brother’s murder removing himself. Eve’s comment, upon the birth of her third son, Seth, seems to indicate she understood Abel as part of the fulfillment of the promised seed.

“And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and named him Seth, For God has appointed another seed for me instead of Abel, whom Cain killed.” (Genesis 4:25)

The ultimate seed of the woman would be Jesus Himself. Therefore, we have in Genesis 3:15, the first promise of a Redeemer. It is the beginning of a long line of prophecies concerning the coming Messiah.

Bruised Heel — The seed of the serpent would bruise the heel of the seed of the woman. On the cross Satan bruised the heel of Christ, causing His death. Bruising suggests something that was not ultimate or final. Christ died on our behalf being made sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21). He bore our judgment upon Calvary’s cross and, in doing so, His heel was bruised. Though wounded, the damage done to Jesus was not final, for He came back from the dead three days later.

Seed Of The Serpent — The phrase seed of the serpent has various explanations. It does not mean the physical descendants of the Devil, but rather those who are his spiritual descendants. The seed of the serpent speaks of unredeemed humanity beginning with Adam and Eve’s first son Cain and continuing on to all those who oppose God: Conflict between those who trust God and those who don’t. (i.e.: Jesus called the religious leaders of his day the children of the Devil John 8:44.)

Crushed Head — The seed of the woman will crush the serpent’s head indicating Satan’s ultimate defeat. This has different aspects or fulfillings:

1. At The Cross — The first stage of the Devil’s defeat was at the cross. It was there where Satan was initially defeated. Jesus said:  Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out (John 12:31).

2. Second Coming — When Christ eventually returns to the earth, He will bind Satan and place him in the pit (Revelation 20:1-4).

3. Lake Of Fire — Eventually Satan will be cast into the lake of fire along with those who followed him (Revelation 20:7-10). Scripture looks forward to the day when the serpent’s head will be crushed. “And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly” (Romans 16:20).

Have a Picky Eater?

Most parents involve their kids in making desserts, but kids don’t need any encouragement to eat sweets. Helping with meal preparation is a natural way to incorporate tactile experiences with food for the older child. Cooking involves touching and experiencing food at every stage of the process.

Why parents don’t teach their kids to cook is beyond me. Kids are naturals in the kitchen and we should be teaching them to cook.

Ethan is like most kids: He loves to cook!

Younger children may begin by reading recipes, locating ingredients and retrieving items from the pantry. They may chop vegetables and combine ingredients. Older kids can prepare simple meals all by themselves.

Multi-Sensory Learning
Multi-sensory learning has staying power. It’s hard to find a more sensory-rich environment than the kitchen. As your child’s fingers crumble blue cheese into dressing, scoop flour into a measuring cup, or tear leaves for salad, the tactile and olfactory pleasure help encode specific memories. Humans must see, hear, smell, touch, and, finally taste to form the complex associations, which make up the appreciation of whole foods.

Active Learning
Childhood is when learning actually changes the brain’s functional anatomy. Hands-on experiences are particularly vital at this time. In fact, the child who spends time sifting flour, washing dishes, setting the table and using math (measuring ingredients, counting celery stalks, following recipes) has a strong foundation of representational experience, which in turn enables better understanding of abstract mathematical concepts. These hands-on experiences also contribute to reading readiness. Another benefit of kitchen learning: Cooking and tasting the results a short time later provides wonderful lessons in cause and effect. These tactile experiences imprint on children that whole foods are tasty.

Seal the Deal
Eat the meal your child has helped to prepare at the table with the family. Your child will feel worth in completing a task which has real value. As the rest of the family enjoys the meal your child as helped to prepare this will solidify the notion that whole food is yummy!

For a synopsis of the Baby Bites book, Click Here.

CLICK HERE for ordering information for Baby Bites: Transforming a Picky Eater into a Healthy Eater and The Forest Feast: Baby Bites Mealtime Adventures.

Follow Nonna on FaceBook: Click Here.

The poisoned apple looked delicious, rosy red and shinny. It was crispy and tasty. There was a danger in the beautiful apple that sight, smell and taste could not detect. One tasty bite proved to be a death sleep for Snow White. Our children are like Snow White, eating tasty, poisonous fruit…every day.

An apple a day, may not necessarily keep the doctor away…unless it’s organic. Apples are on the top of the recent most-contaminated produce with pesticides list. A report published today by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a public health advocacy group was the topic in a recent USA Today news report.

Even after the fruits were washed and peeled, apples were found to have a high amount of pesticide residue. This is not good news for moms who do their best to offer whole foods to their families. The report analyzed government data on 53 fruits and vegetables. They identified the produce having the most and least pesticides after washing and peeling. For produce found to be highest in pesticides, the group recommends buying organic.

Nicole is getting ready to take a big bite from this juicy organic apple.

Pesticides were measured in six different ways to calculate overall scores:
• Percentage of samples tested with detectable pesticides.
• Percentage of samples with two or more pesticides.
• Average number of pesticides found on a single sample.
• Average amount (level in parts per million) of all pesticides found.
• Maximum number of pesticides found on a single sample.
• Total number of pesticides found on the commodity.

The top dirty produce spot was previously held by celery. They think that more pesticides and fungicides are now being applied to apples after the harvest so the fruit can have a longer shelf life. Pesticides are toxic to the nervous system, can cause cancer, disrupt hormones and cause brain damage in children. Pregnant women are advised to avoid foods containing pesticides. Rankings reflect the amounts of chemicals present on food when it is eaten. Most samples were washed and peeled before testing. Washing with a “produce wash” is unlikely to help remove pesticides because they’re taken up by the entire plant and reside on more than just the skin, the report says.

The Dirty Dozen

1. Apples
2. Celery
3. Strawberries
4. Peaches
5. Spinach
6. Nectarines (imported)
7. Grapes (imported)
8. Sweet bell peppers
9. Potatoes
10. Blueberries
11. Lettuce
12. Kale/collard greens

There is a glimmer of good news. When you choose fruit and vegetables from the clean list, most people can lower the volume of pesticides they consume daily by 92 percent, the report says.

Fewer than 10 percent of pineapple, mango and avocado samples showed pesticides. For vegetables, asparagus, corn and onions had no detectable residue on 90 percent or more of samples. You’ll notice that all, but the last mushrooms, have an outer covering that is removed and thrown away before it’s eaten.

The Clean 15

1. Onions
2. Corn
3. Pineapples
4. Avocado
5. Asparagus
6. Sweet peas
7. Mangoes
8. Eggplant
9. Cantaloupe (domestic)
10. Kiwi
11. Cabbage
12. Watermelon
13. Sweet potatoes
14. Grapefruit
15. Mushrooms

For a synopsis of the Baby Bites book, Click Here.

CLICK HERE for ordering information for Baby Bites: Transforming a Picky Eater into a Healthy Eater and The Forest Feast: Baby Bites Mealtime Adventures.

Follow Nonna on FaceBook: Click Here.

The other night I was looking for something to make for dinner. I have gone to my “go-to favorites” too often and was trying to think of something new and different.

I looked in my frig and found some fresh spinach, already cooked brown rice and some newly purchased mushrooms. In my pantry, I had onions, garlic and white beans.

Presto… In a few minutes, I threw together this casserole, hoping it would be passable. My husband and I LOVED it. It’s now a favorite. Talk about easy. Dinner was ready in minutes (because the rice was already cooked).

If you have picky eaters who don’t like spinach, recipes incorporating other ingredients is the trick. Spinach takes on the flavors in a casserole, so you don’t really taste the spinach!

This recipe serves four as a side dish and two as a main course. (Double for a family of four for a main course.)

Spinach Mushroom & Bean Casserole

You’ll Need:
1 15-ounce can drained white beans
1 chopped onion
2 cloves chopped garlic
¼ cup coconut oil
5 ounces mushroom broth
(I didn’t really measure the broth, add enough to keep from sticking, but not too much as to make soup)
4 large mushrooms, sliced
10 ounces fresh spinach
1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice
1 teaspoon sage
1 tablespoon Costco’s No Salt Seasoning
1 teaspoon salt

Method:
1. In a large pan, sauté chopped onions in coconut oil about 5 minutes.

2. Add garlic to the pan, sauté another two minutes.

3. Wash and drain the spinach. Coarsely chop and add to pan with the mushroom broth.

4. Drain and rinse the beans and add to pan.

5. Slice mushrooms add to pan with the cooked rice.

6. Add the sage, seasoning and salt.

7. Cook until the mushrooms are tender and serve.

For a synopsis of the Baby Bites book, Click Here.

CLICK HERE for ordering information for Baby Bites: Transforming a Picky Eater into a Healthy Eater and The Forest Feast: Baby Bites Mealtime Adventures.

Follow Nonna on FaceBook: Click Here.

The concept we have today of a completed Bible was complied in early church history. By the end of the second century all but seven books (Hebrews, 2 and 3 John, 2 Peter, Jude, James, and Revelation) were recognized as apostolic, and by the end of the fourth century all twenty-seven books in our present canon were recognized by all the churches of the West.

The Damasine Council of Rome (Catholic Church) in AD 332 only recognized Scripture being regularly used by the church. By the year 500 the whole Greek-speaking church had also accepted all the books in our present New Testament.

1. Prophetic Authorship
For a book to be considered canonical, it must have been written by a prophet or apostle or by one who had a special relationship to such (Mark to Peter, Luke to Paul). Only those who had witnessed the events or had recorded eyewitness testimony could have their writings considered as Holy Scripture.

2. Witness of the Spirit
The appeal to the inner witness of the Holy Spirit aided God’s people in understanding which books belonged in the canon and which did not. Clark Pinnock writes, “The Spirit did not reveal a list of inspired books, but left their recognition to a historical process in which He was active, God’s people learned to distinguish wheat from chaff, and gold from gravel, as He worked in their hearts”.

3. Acceptance
The final test was the acceptance of the people of God. The books accepted into the Cannon of Scripture were accepted and regularly used by the churches. Jesus told His disciples, “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things Which I said to you.” (John 14:26).

Any book, which claimed canonical status, yet diverted from the truth of the life of Christ, would have been rejected by Jesus’ own disciples who were, eyewitnesses to the New Testament events. Thus the acceptance of God’s people is an important criterion for book to be considered canonical.

14 Books of the Apocrypha
The word Apocrypha means “hidden.” These are extra-biblical books. The Apocrypha refers to the fifteen books (fourteen if the Letter of Jeremiah is put with Baruch) written between the years 300 B.C. and 100 B.C. (except Esdras which was written about A.D. 100). Eleven of these fourteen books are considered Holy Scripture by the Roman Catholic Church. When added to the Old Testament, they constitute only seven extra books because the others are attached to existing books. The Apocrypha is about the size of the New Testament.

In the first century the Old Testament was complete. The Hebrews accepted the same thirty-nine books, (although divided differently) that the Protestant church does today. Jesus put His stamp of approval on these books but said nothing concerning the Apocrypha. However, He did say the Scriptures were the authoritative Word of God and could not be broken. Any adding to that which God has revealed is denounced in the strongest of terms. Therefore, we have the testimony of Jesus against the authenticity of the Apocrypha.

The Apocrypha is not considered canonical because the books:

1. Do not claim inspiration of God.
2. Include doctrines contradicting scripture (prayers for the dead, sinless perfection for man, etc.).
3. Teach immoral practices (lying, suicide, magical incantation, etc.).
4. Historical and geographical inaccuracies.

These books were primarily written in the intermediate time between the Old and New Testaments, scholars call them “intertestamental” writings. They may include some historical insight, but also contain inaccuracies.

The Catholic Church accepts these books as sacred, because it is in these books that unsubstantiated prayers for the dead, salvation by works (not grace), indulgences (payment for sin), purgatory, etc. are found.

Apple Cider Vinegar (1 tablespoon mixed with 8 ounces water before meals for heartburn and digestion)

Blueberries (bladder / urinary tract infections – 1 cup daily)

Cloves (chewed gently for toothache and gum inflammation)

Cherries (joint pain, headaches – 1 bowl per day)

Coconut Oil (kills bacteria that cause ulcers, throat infections, urinary tract infections, gum diseases, and other bacterial infections– 1 to 3 tablespoons a day)

Cranberries (bladder infections – 1 cup daily)

Coffee (migraines – caffeine stimulates the stomach to absorb pain medications better)

Ginger (add to 1 to 2 teaspoons daily to diet for general muscle pain)

Garlic (Pertussis: Spread minced garlic on the chest and back to soften the cough and relieve airway. To prevent flu and allergies, consume garlic mixed with honey and lemon.)

Grapes (back pain – 1 heaping cup per day)

Flax Seed (breast pain – 3 tablespoons daily – must be ground or seeds or take flax seed oil because the seeds will pass right through!)

Honey/Raw (topical application 4 times daily for cold sores / canker sores) (see also our special report on raw honey)

Horseradish (sinus pain – 1 teaspoon twice daily)

Oats (endometrial pain)

Oily fish (Salmon, tuna, sardines, trout, mackerel, herring – intestinal inflammation – 18 oz per week)

Olive Oil (one drop warmed olive oil in ear for earache)

Peppermint (add a few drops of the essential oil to bath for sore muscles)

Pineapple (stomach bloating, gas, indigestion – 1 cup of fresh pineapple)

Salt (hot, salty foot baths for ingrown toenails – 1tsp per cup of water – 20 minutes twice daily)

Tomato Juice (leg cramps – tomato juice is rich in potassium – 10 oz daily)

Turmeric (chronic pain – 1/4 teaspoon per day)

Water (general injury pain, helps wash away the pain-triggering histamine – 8 times a day 8 ounce glass)

Yogurt (PMS – 2 cups per day)

For a synopsis of the Baby Bites book, Click Here.

CLICK HERE for ordering information for Baby Bites: Transforming a Picky Eater into a Healthy Eater and The Forest Feast: Baby Bites Mealtime Adventures.

Follow Nonna on FaceBook: Click Here.