tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65966022024-08-30T09:15:05.622-06:00Growing the World's Cutest Free-Range Kids... and feeding them nothing but crapUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1467125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596602.post-23162664432931347162014-09-08T16:10:00.001-06:002014-09-08T16:10:27.573-06:00

It's been years since I posted on my blog. My life has changed a lot. I've been through hell. My kids are older now. Princess is 16, Sonshine 14, Bagel 10 and Knuckles 8. I'm divorced, and it's for the better. I no longer have my business; it never fully recovered from CPSIA and some other blows it was dealt. I'm working 3 jobs, one of which is being a Customer Service Manager at a Walmart. I

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596602.post-24708642787243973732011-03-13T15:38:00.002-06:002011-03-13T15:49:15.680-06:00

I found this recipe in an anonymous Andalusian cookbook of the 13th century. It was a HUGE hit at the vigil. All the eggs disappeared. They are very flavorful, and the yellow yolks are spotted with green bits of cilantro. So if you like deviled eggs, but you don't like the whole mayo/mustard flavor palette and/or want to use a more heart-healthy oil, you might want to try these. I made 40

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596602.post-74387704778226062242011-02-08T17:19:00.003-07:002011-02-08T17:24:32.739-07:00

This is what I sent in on this website, which is looking for comments from business owners so Congressman Issa can take politicians to school on the subject.--------------------------------I sell baby booties retail at craft shows, but most of my sales are small wholesale orders to boutiques. The market for high end boutique baby items dried up. Part of it was the slowing economy, and part of

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596602.post-14555419155997503592011-02-03T07:20:00.002-07:002011-02-03T07:25:54.706-07:00

This is in response to this news story.-------------------------Dear CPSC,I read today that you're considering requiring table saws to have "flesh-detecting technology" so that woodworkers kids in shop class don't cut their fingers off. I know just how horrific these injuries can be; when I was a girl, my dad, an amateur woodworker, just about cut his fingers off in a joiner-planer. But I urge

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596602.post-45834862969576513012011-01-18T20:25:00.001-07:002011-01-18T20:26:37.513-07:00

Cross-posted at Utah Etsy Street Team.Sit back and grab a cup of your favorite stimulant drink, and I'll bring you up to speed on a law you may not have heard about. Or if you've heard about it, you may think it doesn't apply to you. Read on-- it applies to everyone.In 2007, lead in toys was all over the news. There were large recalls of toys that had lead in their paint. Reacting to this in

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596602.post-35705502518234837722010-11-21T10:48:00.004-07:002010-11-21T11:11:38.730-07:00

I wanted a fake mantelpiece for my craft show booth. I figured I'd hang booties on it. I looked everywhere and while I could find fake mantelpieces, they all (a) were very expensive, (b) had functional heaters where the fireplace should be, and (c) were not collapsible. So I designed and built my own. It comes apart into 5 pieces by pulling the pins on hinges. It will collapse flat enough to

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596602.post-23810149662222908302010-10-24T09:12:00.003-06:002010-10-24T09:18:11.428-06:00

A couple years ago I noticed I was being too negative with Bagel, and he was going to bed upset. So I started looking for chances to praise him, and then in the evening we'd recap all the praise right before bed. He enjoyed it very much, but it wasn't long before he started fixating on counting the number of praises. I didn't want him to do that-- partly because I wanted him to focus on

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596602.post-64236268713388290462010-09-29T12:53:00.002-06:002010-09-29T13:04:43.168-06:00

Granola bars you can buy at the store are just horrid, even the name brand ones. They're tiny, they're dry, they're brittle, they taste like cardboard, and they usually have milk in them. If they're the only granola bars you've ever known, it's little wonder you hate them.Nobody can get enough of these granola bars, though. I make them "man sized" and my husband and his friend take them out on

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596602.post-87443191054463037502010-08-21T21:53:00.002-06:002010-08-21T22:10:53.016-06:00

Thanks to a marketing gimmick and a hot car, Sonshine is now the owner of a fire-bellied toad.First off, let me say that I really didn't want any more pets than we already have. Princess takes care of the LesBuns (our two Sapphic rabbits) and much as I'd like to fantasize about us having more pets, the reality is that it's just one more chore to add onto the list of chores I already can't get

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596602.post-7533858648526861032010-08-13T21:38:00.004-06:002010-08-13T22:25:26.560-06:00

I thought I'd go into more depth as to why I think the Safe Cosmetics Act's definition of "ingredient" makes it impossible for totally innocuous ingredients to end up on the list of safe, nontoxic ones.Unless you're a vegan, you probably ate one of these last November:Mmmm. Turkey with stuffing. And the traditional herb to season this tasty dish? Sage. It just isn't Thanksgiving turkey

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596602.post-52912117445813128132010-08-10T19:55:00.005-06:002010-08-11T00:03:40.244-06:00

I've recently become aware of the Safe Cosmetics Act (HR 5786), a piece of legislation currently under consideration. Right now it's in committee. It's sponsored by Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-BizarroWorld. My regular readers know I prefer to read through legislation before I endorse or oppose it on the blog, and I was able to read through this bill. In my opinion, it is well up to its reputation

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596602.post-34985073138726423592010-07-29T15:58:00.003-06:002010-07-29T16:02:13.158-06:00

I just love the works of Alexandre Dumas; I read (or rather re-read) one every summer. This summer it's The Count of Monte Cristo. One of the things I love about Dumas is that he captures human nature so well, and manages to get his characters to discuss all kinds of things without them being aware of it. In today's reading I've found a discussion that I'd like to extend to my readers.In this

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596602.post-71628416920104501322010-07-02T10:37:00.003-06:002010-07-02T10:59:41.163-06:00

Now that Bob Bennett is out of the Utah Senate race, I'm throwing away a letter he wrote to me.Back in 2009, I wrote to him regarding CPSIA. I'd already written to my Congressional Representative, Rob Bishop. Rep. Bishop (who voted for CPSIA, as did Bennett) wrote back that there was pretty much nothing he could do, given that the Republicans were out of power. I wasn't thrilled with that, but

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596602.post-8436128505403833122010-06-04T18:23:00.002-06:002010-06-04T18:28:51.759-06:00

Knuckles is supervising while I cook dinner. Tonight it's "breakfast for dinner" because at the time I was supposed to be starting the pizza dough, I was a bit occupied with trying to keep three boys from killing each other simultaneously or in pairs.I bring the big bag of frozen hash browns out of the freezer. On the bag is a cute little anthropomorphic potato cowboy. "There's Mr. 'Tato!"

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596602.post-48315376816810757022010-06-04T06:07:00.002-06:002010-06-04T06:20:04.937-06:00

I've been watching the Robin Hood TV series (from Britain) on Netflix and really enjoying it. I was hooked in the first episode when Robin shows some basic understanding of the Laffer Curve. There are quite a few references to modern culture, but this really isn't a period piece. The costumes alone give that away. The ones that aren't totally anachronistic look like the fruit of a union

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596602.post-8584489167232111062010-05-28T13:07:00.004-06:002010-05-28T13:29:46.859-06:00

So Knuckles is playing outside, and I don't hear any screams, so I assume everything's OK. It took the installation of a double-cylinder deadbolt and three days of grounding him every day, but he finally learned that he's not to go more than 3 houses up or down the street, and he's being rewarded for his obedience by being allowed to play outside. Then I get a knock on the door. It's a

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596602.post-91240954969671564752010-05-17T19:46:00.002-06:002010-05-17T19:50:43.227-06:00

As I was looking through some medieval cookbooks, I found some interesting recipes.First, I found a recipe in the Book of Sent Sovi for what I grew up calling malasadas (a kind of frybread). The only difference is that they sprinkled them with cinnamon sugar, where I've always had them sprinkled with powdered sugar. So I now have documentation for malasadas.Then I found a recipe in the

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596602.post-2325770604782166032010-05-09T05:04:00.003-06:002010-05-09T12:16:46.883-06:00

Sen. Bob Bennett just got himself un-nominated for U.S. Senate.Here's what you should notice about this:First, that a whole parade of so-called "mainstream" Republicans endorsed Bennett-- Mitt Romney, Orrin Hatch, Jon Huntsman Jr.*-- and he still got the boot. A lot of these guys don't realize that people voted for them in prior years not because they just love them for who they are, but because

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596602.post-73461191812084482902010-05-03T13:19:00.001-06:002010-05-03T13:21:39.072-06:00

With some of his newly earned cash that was burning a hole in his pocket, Bagel bought himself another whoopee cushion. He tried to put it under the couch cushion and have Knuckles sit on it, but Knuckles was too light and the cushion too thick. So he came to me at my desk and said, "Stand up and close your eyes, OK?"Excuse me!

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596602.post-37970092191000352652010-05-02T06:36:00.002-06:002010-05-02T06:44:04.785-06:00

I can't wait for the last frost to plant my plants outside. I started just about everything indoors. We've got about a week or two to go until planting time, and one of the tomato plants has eaten Los Angeles. Seriously, it's about two feet tall. It was less than a foot tall a couple weeks ago when I repotted it from its little peat pot into a gallon pot full of the garden soil I've prepared

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596602.post-15142029031997072212010-04-30T06:24:00.002-06:002010-04-30T07:15:04.294-06:00

Bagel was obsessed with fire alarms for a while, and then he got obsessed with me, but he gave that up about a year ago to become obsessed with his birthday party. Ever since his 5th birthday party had to be cancelled due to illness, he's been planning for this year's birthday party. Every day for a year he would come to me with his latest set of party plans: themes, activities, foods.Bagel's

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596602.post-28624245908364626192010-04-29T18:51:00.003-06:002010-04-29T19:08:02.705-06:00

On my way home from picking up the kids at school today, I noticed that flags were at half staff. I racked my brain trying to think if it was the anniversary of something horrific, but I came up with nothing. When I got home, I searched and found out that it was to honor the memory of the late Dorothy Height, a person of such importance in the Civil Rights movement that I had never heard of her

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596602.post-37713023715600684742010-04-14T09:38:00.003-06:002010-04-14T10:17:44.082-06:00

Honey Sesame Chicken is a mealtime favorite at our house. We like going out to Asian buffet restaurants, but it's difficult to do with food allergies because even if somebody would tell you the ingredients there are just too many dishes to ask about all of them. So this is my attempt at allergen-free restaurant-style Chinese food. Luckily Chinese food is very versatile. If you're soy-allergic

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596602.post-354265081028205102010-04-05T15:54:00.002-06:002010-04-05T16:00:20.123-06:00

I've noticed lately that Knuckles loves to bring me cups of water, preferably with about a dozen straws in them. He brought me one today, and it reminded me of something that happened a while back.I was at my mom's house, reading in the living room, when Knuckles came up to me with a tiny paper cup of water and motioned me to drink it. So I did. It tasted a little funny, and it was room

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596602.post-3351231796411979392010-04-02T18:28:00.006-06:002010-04-02T19:16:48.505-06:00

I recently designed a new bootie style, Victorian Boots. My original concept was to make them in black and gray, like actual boots with spats.Later I had some more ideas for color combinations:Cream/PinkPink/Robin's Egg BlueYellow/YellowRed/Black (this is from the photo shoot for the catalog)Here's the ideas I've had so far:So now help me choose which ones are the cutest by taking this poll!

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0