Summer - It's Time for Sunscreen

It is almost summer time - well, for AZ it is summer - so it is time to start thinking about sunscreen.  I wear sunscreen all year around, but I'm sure most people do not, so this is my reminder to you to lather up.  It is recommended that we use a broadband (UVA and UVB protectant) of at least SPF 30.  You need to apply 10 - 15 minutes BEFORE going into the sun.  Your sunscreen will have the recommended time.  You will then need to re-apply EVERY 2 hours.  There is no sunscreen that will protect all day. The highest UV times are 10am - 4pm. During these times it is important to either find shade (clothing, umbrella, tree, etc.  you get the picture) or put on sunscreen and re-apply.  It is very important to re-apply so I am saying it twice.

Also, there is a lot of talk about Vitamin D lately and I believe we are in a state of low Vitamin D levels as we as a society have gotten good at applying sunscreen and finding shade - Good for Us!  After my diagnosis, my primary doc tested my level and I was extremely low.  I am now taking a high level of supplements.  I do try to get some Vitamin D from the sun, but it makes me nervous so I normally rely on my supplements.  I came across an article that I thought was really informative about Vitamin D.  Read here: http://health.yahoo.com/experts/skintype/15911/the-new-recommendations-for-sun-exposure/ .

So have fun this summer, just please try to be safe and protect your skin, body and health.

Where has the time gone

I can't believe this month is over. It went by way to fast.  Started off great with lunch with 2 good friends, CB and Sara.  And ended it the same way.  We girls met at Z Pizza, organic style, this afternoon for lunch.  It is so great to get together with these girls.  I always leave with a smile on my face and in my heart.  Not only are they great friends who are there for me in so many ways, but they are also insightful.  Health, fashion and nutrition.  I always come away with something new.  Love these gals!

Easter was such an event it will need it's own post.

The end of this month means that the Kindergarten year is almost over.  I can't believe she is almost a 1st grader!  As Grumpy says - No More Growing!  She has had a fantastic year.  Her grades are awesome and she is reading really really well.  We are so proud of her.  She also met some good friends this year.

Our group of friends had our annual Home Brew & Chili cookoff.  It is a good size event with at least 50 people in attendance.  Todd brewed beer and made chili.  Unfortunately he had technical difficulties with his keg beer and everyone didn't get the chance to try his 2 beers.  His Orange beer was fantastic and most likely would have placed this year if it hadn't run out.  Bummer!

We had a close friend's 6th birthday party last Sunday.  It was at a park with laser tag and gaming.  It was a lot of fun for all.  The weather was fantastic!  (This is a great time of year in Phoenix.)  It was great to celebrate with them and Teya enjoyed playing with friends - old and new- at the park.

After the party we came home and enjoyed the outdoors. Teya tried to go swimming. The pool is still a bit cold, but she got in.

"I'm freezing!"

Okay, now I'm ready

I'm in!

Now I'm out - time to warm up

Not by laying in the sun, but bundled up - she went in to the hot tub after that. She is to darn cute!

The highlight of the month for Teya was that she got a 5 gallon tank with 4 fish. Meet Bella, Daisy, Pinky and Bo.  The yellow one is Bella.  Of course the tank is pink and princess.  The fish love the castle and it is fun to watch them swim in and through it.  Teya really loves it when they play in the castle.

She's way excited!

Lunch with great friends and good food

Teya and I had lunch with CB and Sara on Friday at Whole Foods.  We went to the one on Scottsdale Road just South of the 101.  They have a mini cafeteria inside and wow is the food good.  I was excited to see all of the vegetarian and vegan dishes they had.  CB and I I tried a couple of tofu dishes that were great, Sara enjoyed the pizza and sushi and Teya also enjoyed a slice of pizza. We then had a scoop of Sorbet.  It was great to catch up with girls and have a yummy healthy lunch.

With my lunch I had a Quinoa and Black Bean salad.  It was so good I had to try to make it.  I made it for dinner tonight and it was awesome, so I thought I would share the recipe.

For those of you who are not familiar with Quinoa (pronounced “keen-wa” ), it is a gluten-free and cholesterol-free whole grain that is packed with fiber and protein. One cup of cooked quinoa provides 9 grams of fiber and 15 grams of protein.  Quinoa can be used in place of rice or any other whole grain.

Ingredients

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped (I used 4 as I love garlic)
3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth (I started with 1 1/2 and added another 1/4 cup after about 10 minutes as mine was soaking it up and I like a softer grain)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

I added:
1/2 cup zucchini chopped
1/2 cup red pepper chopped
1/2 to 3/4 can of diced tomatos with green chilis - 10oz can

Directions

1.Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, and saute until lightly browned. (If using my additional items add zucchini and red pepper)

2. (Again if using my extras - add tomatos & chilis with liquid).  Mix quinoa into the saucepan and cover with vegetable broth. Season with cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes,

3.Stir frozen corn into the saucepan, and continue to simmer about 5 minutes until heated through. Mix in the black beans and cilantro.

I had mine serving over a bed of spinach.  It was delish!

Hope you like it!

Great weekend with Family & Friends

Had a great weekend.  My Uncle Art and Aunt Diane, who live in Texas, were in town.  Went out to dinner with them and my Uncle Ernie and Aunt Gwen, who snowbird in AZ, Friday night at Brio.  I had never been there, but it was good food. Aunt Gwen and Uncle Ernie have a place in Apache Junction and Teya and I went there on Saturday to spend some time with all of them.  It had been quite a long time, years, since I had seen them so it was great seeing them and catching up.

Uncle Art

Aunt Diane

Aunt Gwen and Uncle Ernie

n Sunday we met with good friends for lunch and then a spring training game (well some of the game).  Jason Lasky and his wife April were in town from San Francisco.  We had lunch downtown Scottsdale at the Grapevine and then headed to the spring training game - Giants vs. Padres.  Teya was with us so we made it to about the 5th inning and then it was time for us to go.

Teya and I are on Spring Break this week.  Not sure what is on our agenda, but I guess we better go do something on this awesome day - mid 80s!!

Good Health and great weekend

St. Patrick's Day was one year from my last cancer surgery.  It was a great feeling to have a year of excellent health.  Celebrated with flowers from Todd and The Snow Family and then pizza from Z Pizza (my fav) and sundae's.  Mine was topped with Girl Scout Cookies - Thin Mints - yummy!  Teya's was topped with a variety of sprinkles and candies.  We then rented a cabin in Christopher Creek (just outside of Payson) this past weekend.  Me, Todd, Teya and Marely went up Friday night and The Sutton Family joined us Saturday afternoon.  Friday night and Saturday were a little cold for my taste, but the cabin was a really good time.  Of course, Sunday was the warmest day - not that we went there for the warmth, I just prefer it :).  Friday night we had dinner at a local restaurant - take out so we could be with Marley - and then played some games.  Saturday we went for a nice hike before The Sutton's arrived.  It was pretty chilly with a lot of wind, but we were prepared with lots of clothes, so we were good. There was still some snow on the ground in the shaded areas, so Teya was extremely excited to get to play in some snow.  The snow patches were pretty large and deep.  I would fall to mid-shin in places, so she got a pretty good experience.  We then went back and had lunch while we waited.  Once they got there we went for another short hike and found some more snow for the kids to play in. Fun, fun, fun!

The "resort" has a fenced in area for dogs, so Marley got to have some fun off the leash.  There is a play area for the kids.  Not like the local parks, but the kids loved it.  All in all it was a pretty cool place. The cabin wasn't spectacular, but it served it's purpose for all 8 of us with 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, kitchen including stove, fridge, microwave, toaster, coffee maker, camping grade plates, cups, silverware, pots and pans, a sitting area with fireplace and tv with local channels.  The best part for the kids was the loft.  It had a low ceiling, but the kids could walk.  There were 4 kid size beds up there and the kids absolutely LOVED it!

We forgot our camera, but took pictures on our phones.  I'll post the pictures once we get them uploaded.