Bento lunch. Top shelf: ww tortilla with hummus, cheese and chopped black olives. Annies bunny crackers. One lemon zinger cookie. Bottom shelf: red grapes and apple slices.

Since my daughter was born I have been learning how to cook. Since she entered a day care this past October I have been learning how to pack healthy lunches. This is a whole new area of food issues. I have to find healthy options that will sit in her lunch box for four hours and not only taste good but also look appealing. Unfortunately I am not only competing with other kids’ packed lunches. There is a hot lunch served each day with which she can compare her fare. On days that they serve scrambled eggs, I don’t even bother packing a lunch. She loves eggs. When they are serving hot dogs and beans I pack my own organic, casein-free hot dogs. I think every kid exposed to hot dogs will love them, so I can’t really send her to school with a PB&J on hot dog day. But on most days I pack her lunch as I like to know that she is getting the best ingredients; whole grains, minimal if any processed foods, fresh fruit and veggies, organic milk, etc.

One of the best Christmas gifts that Adelle received was from her cousins in NH. (She loves and adores her cousins, so that helps too.) Will and Ollie sent her a Panda Bento Box. Having her lunch in this box really does make a difference. It helps me with the portion control and Adelle just loves eating out of it. It is a two tiered box so one tier is for her sandwich or wrap and any cracker treats I give her. The bottom tier is devoted to fruit and veggies. I am still working on perfecting the whole rice ball idea. Hopefully I will have a blog entry devoted to delicious rice balls.

tortilla lunch

Note from Mrs. D.

This blog is meant to help my Shaklee customers get to know me better. My lifestyle choices include consuming organic and local foods supplemented with Shaklee vitamins. My family is very active with skiing, snow boarding, bicycle riding and yoga. We visit our chiropractor regularly and on occasion we see an acupuncturist and massage therapist. I use all of the Shaklee Get Clean products and would love to introduce you to them as well.

Please feel free to contact me at MrsD@MrsDandCo.com to learn more about Shaklee’s healthy line of products.

Hand made cards by Adelle and Lorelei

Now that Adelle (my two-year-old) has an easel and paint and markers, we are using a lot of paper in our house. She loves to make art and I love watching her attack the paper with total confidence and absolutely no plan. Kids really do live in the moment and I envy that.

So after Adelle finished her first pad of paper I started to leaf through the artwork to see what pieces would be saved. I’m trying not to save everything, so there was a lot left over. But rather than throwing it away I decided to use the artwork to make cards. We always need a Thank you card or a Birthday card. And these will be personalized, home made cards. A nice mother/daughter collaboration.

Now, the easiest way to do this is to merely cut up the artwork so that a folded piece will fit into whatever size envelope you have. I did this for a few cards earlier this year. Then I saw a box sitting on my desk collecting dust. It was a box of stationary that my parents gave me as a souvenir from their trip to Italy a few years ago. It is simply cream white paper with matching envelopes. (Amatruda – La Carta di Amalfi). Talk about taking the craft project up a notch!

A soft colored thread helps it blend. This way the imperfect stitching is less noticable.

I used a piece of the stationery to measure the artwork and cut out the pieces. I was not trying to be exact. I figured that some imperfections will add to the charm of the piece, and I really do not have much time these days. So I just held the piece of stationery over Adelle’s artwork and cut, without cutting any of the stationery paper. Then I folded each piece separately. Once they were folded, I put the nice stationery inside the folded artwork. Then I took a needle and thread and sewed them together. Again, this was not perfect. I am contemplating trying to improve my needle work, but it is not necessary. The artwork on the outside is so beautiful that the needle work does not draw attention. That said, nice needlework would take it up even another notch…

Card for Uncle Bill

Okay, so this is the story. My daughter’s day care was having a holiday party and each parent had to bring in a dish. The day care chose the menu and posted it on the wall. I had to choose what I would make. My jaw dropped when I saw Pigs-in-a-blanket on the list.

Now, I know that I am off the mainstream, but I thought it was common knowledge that hot dogs are one of the worst things you can feed your kid. Check this out, or this, or this for more info on that.

After I composed myself and was able to lift my jaw off the floor I decided that if someone was going to bring Pigs-in-a-Blanket it should be me. (I don’t care if that sounds pompous. We are talking about my kid’s health.) There must be a way to make this a healthy dish. But could I make it healthy and yummy?!?!?!

Pine Woods Farm: All natural 100% grass fed beef, no-nitrite hot dogs

The first thing I did was check out weelicious.com to see if Catherine had made this dish. But since her site is devoted to healthy food for kids, I came up short. Go figure. Out of desperation I e-mailed Catherine. She too was floored that a day care was requesting pigs-in-a-blanket. So I was on my own. I considered making a stink at the center, but I have already done that in regards to their lunch menu and the fact that they don’t serve organic milk. The result of that discussion was that I should pack my daughter’s lunch and bring a thermos of organic milk for her. It was clear that I did not have the power to change things.

So here I am, trying to figure out if I should attempt a healthy version of pigs-in-a-blanket or bring in something completely different. I decided to try and play nice. I would revise this recipe of Americana and see if I could create a new American treat.

The first problem to solve was with the hot dogs. I know that some farms are now making nitrite-free and even organic hot dogs. So I figured I would buy the normal sized hot dogs and cut them down to bite size. During a regular visit to my local winter farmer’s market I found Pine Woods Farm and they make nitrite-free hot dogs. Whoa-hoooo!!!

Next I found a basic recipe on the food network website and figured I could make some healthy changes. Below is my revised recipe and my notes after the whole experience. But for those that have no desire to make this dish – I will end by saying that blankets were meant for broccoli and cheese, or sweet potato and spices, or even organic beef, but not pigs (aka: hot dogs). The end result of this ridiculously long and painful process was anti-climatic. The cancer causing Pigs-in-a-Blanket that you can buy in your frozen food section seem to pack a nice punch, which is probably why they became a part of our American heritage. Mini nitrite laden hot dogs and white malnourished flour seem to make a perfect pair. But now that we know how damaging they are I suggest that we embrace our southern neighbors and find ways to make healthy empanadas! Does this mean I’m not a patriot or does it make me cosmopolitan? Either way, I am glad that I tried this recipe since it has given me the courage to attempt other baked goodies like empanadas or calzones. But in the end, I’m afraid, I will never try to make healthy pigs-in-a-blanket again. The results were just not worth the effort. I will, however, use this blanket recipe again and experiment with other stuffings.

—— local business plug ——-

Now, speaking of empanadas… if you have not yet tried Ana’s Empanadas from Rutland VT, you are in for a treat. I could only find a FB page for her – but you can get them at 54 Strongs Ave. in Rutland, VT, or at the Rutland Farmer’s Market each Saturday, or at the base of Needle’s Eye trail on Killington Mountain or at the Diamond Run Mall in Rutland. Ana is the best! I strive to bake like her.

———- back to the piggies ———–

If you are cornered by your school or day care and must make these, you can follow the recipe below for a healthier version. If you have the time and the gumption, I recommend doing some upfront research to find the right substance to tuck into the blanket. There are many options out there and I did not have the time to test them all. Talk to your local butcher if you prefer meat stuffing – or experiment with some flavorful veggies. These really did seem like little empanadas that could be stuffed with anything, so the world is your oyster.

the Pigs-in-a-Blanket, if you must, RECIPE:
Ingredients

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cups plus 5 tablespoons all purpose four
3 tablespoons baking soda
1 heaping teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons grated cheddar
1 cup whole organic milk
1 organic egg
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
12 hot dogs (Cut in half and then sliced half lengthwise. Four parts to each dog.)

For glazing:
1 egg, mixed with a splash of organic milk and .5 tsp salt

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F, if you are an experienced pastry chef. If you are new to this dough thing, you can wait until you are done making the dough to turn the oven on. It takes plenty of time to roll out the dough and roll up these little piggies, so the oven can pre-heat while you figure out the details. No need to waste energy.

Experiment in the works

Measure 1 cup of all purpose flour and 1 cup of whole wheat flour into a bowl, add the baking soda, salt and grated cheese and mix lightly with a fork. Pour the milk into a measuring cup to come up to the 1 cup mark and then crack in the egg and add the oil. Beat to combine, then pour into the dry ingredients, forking o mix as you go. You may, at the end, feel the dough’s either too dry or too damp: add either more milk or m ore flour and fork together again until you’ve got a soft dough that’s not too sticky to be rolled out.

Break the dough into 2 pieces and roll 1 piece on a lightly floured surface. Just roll as clumsily and heavy handedly as you like: no harm will come to it. You want a thin, rectangle – but don’t stress. I found the dough to be easy to work with and my shapes were not spot-on.

These locally made hot dogs look different and taste a bit different, so they are not an easy sell to picky toddlers or picky husbands.

The recipe said to cut the dough into approximately 1 3/4 inch strips, and then cut each strip at approximately 2.5 inch intervals so that you end up with a collection of small, raggedy oblongs. I was not able to do this. It was easier for me to cut out one rectangle at a time and I had to experiment with a few before I found the right size for my pieces of hot dog. I also found that the thinner you can roll the dough out, the better. My first few were a bit too thick and the result was way too much bread around the meat.

Take one of your cut pieces of hot dog and put it at one end of an oblong, at a slight diagonal and then roll up, pressing on the infinitely compliant dough to squeeze it shut, and then place on a nonstick baking sheet, or one lined with parchment. Carry on until you’ve finished all your strips and then get to work with the remaining dough. Three baking sheets should do it.

Now, dip a pastry brush into the beaten egg mixture and paint on the pastry for a golden glaze. Put in the oven and cook for 12 – 15 minutes, by which time they should be puffy and burnished. Remove from the oven and let cool a little before eating.

28 little piggies ready to bake! The orange brush is my favorite kitchen tool and the little wooden knife on the plate is my daughter's toy knife.

Mrs. D’s Notes:
Pros:

1. After making this dish the biggest benefit for me was realizing that if I can do this, I might be able to make empanadas. Wow. That was encouraging. So it is a bit of an ego booster.

2. The dough turned out good using 1 cup of whole wheat flour. I used King Arthur’s unbleached whole wheat flour and they boast that since they use the “highest protein wheat, you still get exceptional baking results with this flour.” I can’t argue with that.

3. I was able to use my favorite kitchen tool, an orange brush (see photo).

4. I was also able to use Adelle’s toy wooden knife. It cut the rolled dough nicely and did not cut into my counter.

5. Since I do not own a rolling pin it was fun to improvise and use a wine bottle to roll out the dough. I don’t drink much these days and it made me feel like I was a young ex-pat again. Not sure why, but I’ll take it.

6. I only used half of the dough for my daughter’s party so I saved the other half and used some organic chicken-spinach-feta sausages in place of the piggy. My husband, daughter and I ate them as a fun appetizer over the holidays. These were better received than the hot dog version.

 Cons:

1. If you are trying to make every meal and snack as healthy as possible, this probably is not a great choice. Even with the non-nitrite hot dogs it does not get too high on the healthy list.

2. It is time consuming.

General thoughts:
I considered marinating some chicken tenders in soy sauce and rolling them up. The problem was that I needed to cook the chicken first to ensure that it would be cooked after only 12-15 minutes in the oven. I was feeling a bit insecure about this since chicken makes me nervous. I did not want to under cook it or over cook it.

My next thought was about veggies. What kind of veggies can I wrap up? I’m planning to investigate some empanada recipes to compare and go from there. If any experienced cooks out there stumble upon this post, please offer up some advice.

Let the experiments begin!

I realized after giving the basket that I did not photograph it. So here you can see it already being divided up by the staff.

‘Tis the season to shop local!

What better way to say “Thank You” to the administrative staff at your child’s daycare than to assemble a clementine crate of goodies from your local farmer’s market? The presentation was a bit rough around the edges, I’ll admit, but I think everyone was happy to receive such nice local treats.

Earlier in the month I did flip through a few gift basket catalogs. I was lured in by the fancy photos of abundant chocolate, nuts and wine. But after a regular visit to our Farmer’s Market I decided to spend the same amount of money and sacrifice the WOW reaction that a big fancy wrapped basket will receive for a more warm and fuzzy reaction.

The basket included the following: 5 bars of hand made soap, 3 wooden coasters (Essential Suds), 2 bags of coffee (Vermont Coffee Company), 2 bottles of sparkling cider (Putney Winery), 1 jar of goat’s milk caramel sauce and 4 little jars of home made fruit jam.

Merry Christmas!

After processing a return with Shaklee I feel all warm and tingly inside. Similar to the feeling I get when looking at old photos of my baby.

After an exceptional customer service experience I have to share.

Just recently a Shaklee customer of mine asked to return a product. Since this was the first return I have ever had to conduct, I will admit I was a bit nervous. Would she have to pack the product and schlep it down to the post office and pay for postage? She is a mom with a toddler at home, so a trip to the post office is not so easy. And since my customer does not live in the same state, I could not just drop by to pick it up and take care of that for her.
So I called 1-800-SHAKLEE and spoke with a rep. I get tingles down my spine each time I think of how easy this was. I gave the order information and they processed the return of funds to her credit card. That was it. Now that is what I call 100% guaranteed!

I’m glad that I don’t have to return products often, but it is refreshing to experience such great customer service.

It it not often that we feel Karma at work. These days it seems easy to feel like the universe is out of whack and good people get the short end of the stick. Well, in the aftermath of Irene I was able to witness two karmatic episodes. Or should I say, twice I felt karma at work. (note: These are two specific personal experiences. We are still in the midst of a great community effort all around. Vermont really is strong!)

In the aftermath of Irene we did what we could to help our neighbors. I was uploading photos to FB daily so that our ski buddies down in MA, CT, NY and NJ could be informed about what was needed for donations. These posts ended up inspiring a friend to turn her annual fall party into a fundraiser for VT and we raised $800! Not bad for a bunch of drunk skiers dancing the night away. (Big thanks to Gretchen and Doug for hosting such a fun event.) And of course, we donated goods during the crucial time when the roads were still closed and people could not get to the stores.

Karmatic episode 1:

Before: what the elves left in our shed.

On the Saturday after the storm, Adelle and I made our normal trip to the Farmers Market in Rutland. Later that afternoon Ted asked me why I was storing tomatoes in our shed. Tomatoes in our shed? I walked over to the shed and saw a big box full of ripe red tomatoes. My only conclusion was that one of the farmers from the market that morning brought it to the relief drop-off center next door. (I remembered seeing these tomatoes at the market.) The volunteers did not know what to do with fresh tomatoes, as they would get crushed in the delivery trucks. So one of the volunteers must have decided to be a little elf and deliver the tomatoes to our family. It was a nice gesture, but I was not sure what the heck our little three person family was going to do with so many ripe tomatoes.

After: Mrs D's tomato sauce

Tomato sauce from scratch!

What a thought. Instead of buying canned tomatoes or jarred tomato sauce, I could boil these down and make some sauce completely from scratch. The challenge was on!

I have to admit that I did not follow a recipe. This seems to be a trend. I will glance at a recipe to get an idea of how to do something and then wing it. Sometimes the results are okay, like with this sauce. Other times the final result is not-so-good, like Wednesday’s attempt at a veggie curry dish. For this tomato sauce I boiled the tomatoes and then dropped them into a bowl with ice. At the time, we were trying to conserve water in Rutland, so I used up all the ice I had in the freezer and we went without ice until the water supply was restored. Anyway, this method makes it easy to pull the skin off of the tomatoes. After you do that, you have to squeeze the seeds out. I found this difficult and I don’t think I really succeeded. Luckily  tomato seeds are full of antioxidants, as many found their way into my sauce. We used some of the sauce that week and I froze the rest for the winter months ahead. It will be nice to get a taste of fresh tomatoes in the middle of the winter.

Karmatic episode 2:

Two weeks ago on a trip back to Rutland from Connecticut I stopped in Ludlow for a slice of pizza from the American Pie pizzeria. Those of you that travel from CT to VT probably go through this little town. It was closing time but the owner, Craig, let me in and we had a nice chat. Apparently he had been closed down for six weeks because of the storm. If you are small business owner, you know that loosing six weeks of business can be devastating. But I was heartened to hear that he had applied for a grant from the VT Irene Flood Relief Fund and they sent him $1,000 to help with his repairs and to get back in business. He said the application process was easy and the money came fast. WOW! No bureaucracy? No red tape? No delay? I was delighted since Gretchen and I chose to donate to that very fund. I started to think that $800 of the $1,000 Craig received came from us and I was destined to be one of his first customers after re-opening. If it makes you feel good to think it, why not?

Here is an interview with Craig if you are interested in learning more about American Pie. Oh, and I highly recommend stopping in to have a slice or two. The pizza is brick oven baked and delicious, the decor is super fun and the staff aint so bad either.

Quick shot with my phone. This VW bus serves as Craig's counter. A must see!

——————

For those of you that attended Gretchen and Doug’s fund raising party in September, you should have received a thank you letter from the VT Irene Flood Relief Fund by now. Our grand total from checks and cash was $800.58. (Yes, change was thrown into the pot.)  Not bad considering a lot of people did not come out in fear of rain. (For those that donated cash – Gretchen sent in a check to cover it, so below is the letter intended to thank you.)

Excerpt of letter from VT Irene Flood Relief Fund

Hurricanes and tropical storms are not unheard of in northern New England, yet the damage left behind by Irene ranks this weather event as one of Vermont’s top natural disasters. Entire communities were cut off from their neighbors and from essential emergency services. Many mountain towns in Irene’s path became accessible only by ATV, helicopter, and even by horseback. It will be weeks, months, and perhaps years before many of these communities recuperate in full.

In a state known for its pristine environment and strong agricultural heritage, Vermonters suddenly found their communities, homes and businesses deluged by water and silt. Our farmers found their croplands tainted by contaminated floodwaters posing hazards to both heard and human health. Our business owners found their work places damaged and inventories ruined beyond repair.

These are difficult times that are testing the spirit and soul of Vermont but all around the state neighbors are helping neighbors  restore their communities. Strangers, families and friends alike are volunteering to muck out homes, feed those without food, do laundry, house the newly homeless, and to resurrect as many personnel mementos as possible. …. Thank you again for reaching out to Vermonters with your kind support. You are responsible for helping rebuild many lives and the local economies essential to our recovery.

——–

Lucy the Labrador is about to turn 15!

Lucy has officially entered old age. She started slowing down around age 10, and then slowed down a bit more around age 12. Now at age 14 she has her good days and her bad days. Left is a photo I took yesterday, October 18, 2011. Lucy still hikes! (Slow and steady wins the race.) The city lifestyle no longer worked with Lucy, so we moved up to Vermont for the time being.

On October 31, 2011 Lucy will be 15! We are planning a celebration.

My job, as the mom of the house, is to keep her eating. Mangi! Mangi! is said a lot these days. We knew that she had lost some weight, but we did not realize that she was down to 65 pounds. Lucy was a 90 pound dog, so this news hit us like a ton of bricks. We realized it was time to start cooking food for Lucy. Food that she would not be able to resist.

My first concoction was ground turkey mixed with steamed sweet potato and brown rice. I wanted to add some green veggies to it, but since I had the sweet potato already steamed it was an easy fix. I also have heard that sweet potato can help with digestion. For the past few months I have been feeding Lucy Shaklee Alfalfa supplements and they have worked wonders. (Her stools are nice and solid when she is on the Alfalfa.) Now that she is showing signs of arthritis I decided to add  Shaklee Joint Complex to the mix.  This time I crushed the alfalfa supplements with my mortar and pestle so I could mix it in with the Joint Complex as if they are spices.

It has only been two days now that we have been feeding Lucy my home made mix, but she is gobbling it up and asking for more. It is just as satisfying to see Lucy eat a whole bowl of healthy food as it is to see my toddler chomp on broccoli and carrots. It gives me that warm and tingly feeling inside.

So Lucy is doing great for her age. We are really looking forward to putting a birthday crown on her in 12 days.

Mixing supplements with ground turkey, brown rice and sweet potato.

Wangari Muta Maathai, 1940-2011

Wangari speaking about Shaklee's tree planting campaign.

I just learned that Wangari Muta Maathai has passed away. These days I tend to get current events from Facebook (sad but true), however this news came from Roger Barnett, the CEO of Shaklee. The news weighs heavy on my heart as I truly admired this woman and she has been such a great force for both the environmental movement and the woman’s rights movement. Below I’d like to share my thoughts and below that is the message from Roger Barnett.

A few months ago PBS aired a documentary about Wangari. She is a woman of many accomplishments, and before seeing the documentary I had viewed her as an untouchable character. For crying out loud she is a Nobel Peace Prize winner! In my mind, she was from a story book. Environmental and Women’s Rights Royalty, if you will. The documentary brought me into her life and I’d like to share the little gem that impacted me that day, as I sat in my comfortable living room watching TV, utterly exhausted from a day of teaching good values to a toddler. (That means I struggle at the park to teach her how to wait her turn and share.)

Wangari knew that something had gone wrong in her Africa. Drought had become common, and with it came famine. Her ancestors had lived off the land for generations after generations and been able to find resources, specifically water, when needed. What could be causing such problems today? There was a big tree near a stream in her home village. When she was a small child, she was told never to hurt that tree for it was spiritual. Her mom said something to the affect of it being “from the Gods”. Unfortunately I can’t remember exactly how she described it, but basically her ancestors considered the trees to be sacred. Without a double blind scientific study they knew that the trees helped to keep their environment healthy. In Wangari’s lifetime, trees began to disappear. Lumbar was needed for industries and there was no place for old spiritual beliefs. The droughts were also a new phenomenon.

Well, as an adult Wangari remembered her mother’s words and she questioned the deforestation of Africa. The big question was – what can be done about it? The African droughts are a huge issue. What could one woman do about it? Well, she humbly thought, “Why not plant some trees?”. It seems so simple. Perhaps too simple. And to top it off, she proposed enlisting the help of other African women. How absurd! Woman with no degrees planting trees. (Sounds like the title of a Dr Seuss Book.)

So the first thing I learned from Wangari was that a solution can be simple. There are, no doubt, many things that can be done to help Africa. She chose one and went with it.

The second point that really hit home was her determination to follow through. Wangari was told by all the male officials that she could not plant trees, especially with uneducated women. What do they know?! Surely you need a zoning permit and a few degrees to plant a tree. Well Wangari was able to see how insane the officials were and she continued on her quest. She had the ability to clearly see her mission and the tenacity to follow through.

Adelle bringing Shaklee organic cleaners to the Storm Irene relief drop-off.

Now I’m really wishing that I was not so tired when I was watching this documentary, since I can’t remember all the details. But the point that I’m trying to make, and the message that I heard was that every little act makes a difference. If your mission is hunger, volunteering at a soup kitchen matters. Donating food matters. Planting a garden matters. If you want to take it to the next level, enlist help and spread the word. But don’t sucuumb to the thought that you are too insignificant to even try something. The single act of one person matters.

Considering how little time I have now that I am a mom, it was inspiring for me to realize that I can do a little bit here and there and that’s okay. And passing these values on to my child is one of the most important things I can do. This past month my main humanitarian efforts have been focused on helping neighboring communities that were hit bad by Irene. My family has donated goods and money to help the cause. If my daughter was older I would take her to volunteer for some hard labor, but that is not an option right now. So we are doing what we can. She has accompanied me to the relief station to drop off goods and we went to the Salvation Army together to donate clothing and toys. As I was taking toys from our living room and putting them into a bag, I explained to this little 25-month-old that we were bringing some toys to kids that lost theirs in the storm. I pulled out a big teddy bear that has been sitting on a shelf, looking brand new for months now. It is big, soft and super cuddly. I said to Adelle, “Some other kid will really love this teddy. Should we give it to a kid that lost a teddy?”  She grabbed the teddy and gave it a big hug. At that point I thought she would never give it away. But instead she looked at me and said “Yes mommy.”

For those that are not familiar with Shaklee, it is an American company that is practicing my own personal values. I can’t say that about many big companies. Wangari Muta Maathai recognized the power that corporations can have and she embraced those that aligned with her values. Her involvement with Shaklee made me even more proud to be associated with the company.

“Shaklee led the way in achieving carbon neutrality in 2000 and has mobilized its networks to plant a million trees for the planet, which is not only a great achievement, but an inspiration to all of us—especially in the corporate sector”

– Dr. Wangari Maathai
2004 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, founder of the Green Belt Movement, and Global Ambassador for the Shaklee A Million Trees. A Million Dreams.™ campaign

Wangari Muta Maathai was involved with Shaklee’s “A Million Trees, A Million Dreams” campaign.

And here is the message I received from Roger Barnett, CEO of Shaklee:

Dear Shaklee Family,

Today, the world mourns the loss of a great woman, and a true friend. Dr. Wangari Muta Maathai was a tireless pioneer and advocate for freedom, self-sustenance, and for what she called our “beautiful blue planet.” She was also a remarkable woman, a dedicated mother and grandmother, and a beloved member of our Shaklee family.

In each generation, there are a few who live their life with such passion, determination, and inspiration, that they make a lasting impact on millions of people. Wangari was such a person. She was the first woman from Central and East Africa to earn a doctorate degree and then became the first person to win a Nobel Peace Prize for the environment. Wangari did so by providing over a million people with the ability to earn an income by planting trees – and through her example and theirs, inspired the rest of the world to follow.

It is difficult to express what Wangari Maathai has meant to me personally. It has been a privilege to know her. What I will remember most about her is her wonderful smile that would light up the darkest of days. And her gentle, but never-take-no for an answer, constant advocacy to rise up and do more for people and our planet. I will miss her deeply, but I know that her memory will remain vivid and strong for all of us. We will continue her legacy that each of us can make a difference, that we can be the hummingbird in the forest who does what we can. And through the collective force and power of all 1.2 million members of the Shaklee Family, we too can make a difference that will last for generations.

Our prayers and heartfelt sympathy go to Wangari’s children Wanjira, Waweru, and Muta and to her granddaughter, Ruth Wangari. We offer them our love and support, and the certain knowledge that their mother’s work endures in all that we do.

Warmest regards,

Richard Barnett

Links of interest:

At the Green Belt Movement you can view and share condolences

Here is the PBS documentary. I think I need to see this again, while I am fully awake.

Lucy at age 12 (two years ago).

Our lovely 14-year-old black labrador retriever, Lucy, started to really show her age this year. Lucy’s main ailment has been her digestion. We had to narrow down the food we give her and keep her away from my toddler’s left overs. But even with our best efforts, we still could not consistently get solid stools from Lucy. And as many urban dog owners know, having a dog with digestion issues in the city is a bum deal. We can’t just open the back door and let Lucy out into the yard. A trip to the doggie restroom includes an elevator and a walk down the street to the first patch of mulch, never mind the two blocks needed to reach grass.

About six weeks ago I remembered reading some testimonials about the benefits of Shaklee alfalfa supplements for animals, so I decided to give it a try. We started giving Lucy four tablets with her breakfast and four with her dinner. After two days, we could see a big improvement and have kept up the regimen. In the past six weeks we have only had two messy experiences, but she is over 100 years old in human years, so I guess this is to be expected. This is sooooo much better than what we were dealing with before (multiple messes each day), and she just keeps getting better. I feel like the alfalfa has given her a rebound back into life. We were worried there for a while. Overall it has made our life much easier and Lucy is much more comfortable.

Alfalfa is believed to have many health benefits including cancer prevention, cholesterol reduction, menopause relief and calcium supplementation (LiveStrong).

This is a great documentary about my nephews’ band. The documentary was made by a friend of theirs. I love this – kids at play creating things that hopefully will lead to fulfilling careers. It is hard to say if Morgan will end up being a film maker or whether or not Max and Jake will be rock stars. But you have to love the passion they are all putting into these “hobbies”. The ability to bring passion into your work makes a huge difference. I hope for the best for these three.