This is one of our favorite recipes and is so refreshing on a hot day:

1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled (wash well to remove pesticides)

1 banana (not green, ripe is better)

8 ice cubes

1/4 - 1/2 cup water depending on preferred consistency

sweetener (we use Stevia which is found at health food stores and Central Market)

Blend just until there are tiny pieces of ice still left.

This will make 3 large fruilatties or 4 small ones.

Well, we finally got to see the newest Harry Potter movie and thought it was great!  I vaguely remember thinking the second movie was my favorite, but now it’s definitely the fifth movie that I (we) like the best.  We didn’t care too much for the third movie, although I really liked the third book.   The movie wasn’t completely true to the book and portrayed a dark side of Harry.   The fourth movie cut out too many important parts and was lacking in some things.  But this newest movie was very well produced and showed Harry’s character in its true sense.   Harry’s statement at the very end was so cool.  

 I must admit I haven’t read the fifth (or sixth or seventh) books, but our son, daughter and son-in-law have, and our son wants to reread all seven books now.   They are such Harry Potter fans that they went to the midnight release of the seventh book!

Our daughter is “great with child,” meaning that she is going to have a baby, “Baby J,” very soon.   And anyone who’s been pregnant in the hot months knows that it feels like a furnice is in your tummy.  (I had an August baby and a September baby!!)  They have central air but recently got an oscillating fan just for her.  Our son-in-law asked her where she wanted it and she said, “Wherever I am!!”  And that’s so true.  And I got to thinking about how our neighbor down the street has a robot lawn mower (which is the neatest thing to watch).  Well, if they can make robot lawn mowers and other things, wouldn’t it be neat if they had a robot fan just to follow pregnant women around in the house and maybe even blow out extra-cold air.  I guess for now, the next best thing is to go open the freezer door and cool off that way!  LOL 

Our first “grandpet” was a “grandpuppy,” the cutest miniature dachshund named Josie who was bought by our daughter and son-in-law.  Talk about full of personality.  She knew just what look to give you or what trick to do and knew that it was so irresistable.  Then two kittens were added to the family and Josie must have thought she was their mother.  She licked their faces and tried to take care of them.   So at this point we had “grandkittens” too.  They all got a little older and learned how to work together.  Our daughter called them “partners in crime” because the cats would knock things off on the floor such as the mail or magazines and then Josie would tear them up.  Of course, Josie could make a big mess all by herself.  Now that they’re older, they don’t make messes very often.  And that’s a good thing because now we have a real “grandbaby” (Baby J) on the way soon and I’m sure there will be plenty of messes once again!!  :)  LOL

My family enjoys going to Austin, TX, for a short vacation now and then.  The last time we were there, the new Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum had opened and we decided to check it out.  It’s within walking distance of the Texas State Capitol Building.   You know they say everything is big in Texas, well that’s true of this museum.  It’s three stories tall and even the outside of the museum is impressive.  But the neat thing about the museum is all the interactive exhibits it contains as well as an IMAX Theater.   We not only enjoyed going through all the exhibits and the IMAX but we also enjoyed eating in the museum’s Cafe.   This is such a fun place to go as well as an exciting learning experience not only for the kids but for adults as well.  We were really impressed with it and plan to go again when we’re in Austin for a family get-a-way.

Click to read more about the museum.

Well…maybe it is supposed to be an apple a day. But there is something to be said for having fresh fruit every day. During the summer we have a fresh fruit smoothie or fruitlatti several times a week. They are so easy to make if you have a good blender. (I am blessed to have a great blender, a Kitchenaid, that I was able to get for half price.) My family’s favorite is a simple strawberry fruitlatti. But the fruitlatti and smoothies vary depending on what fruit I have on hand.

I think a banana is a basic must for any smoothie or fruitlatti. The banana thickens it up to a good consistency. Today I was short on fruit. All I had was one banana and a little fresh pineapple. So I looked in the freezer and found half a package of frozen peaches and a tiny bit of frozen strawberries. (Fresh is always better, but in a pinch frozen works fine. ) I blended it all together with a sweetener (Stevia), a little water and lots of ice. It needed a little more taste so I added some orange juice and then it tasted really great.

The awesome thing about using fresh fruits is that we get the natural enzymes that help our body so much, as well as the vitamins. It’s great for my FIBROMYALGIA, for female hormones, for stomach problems, for stress, and for most physical problems and ailments. Enzymes are the “spark of life,” and I know that I feel better when I eat fresh fruit daily.

This is from WFAA.com

Lakeside has voluntarily recalled 15,000 cases of 14.5 ounce French Style Green Beans sold in Texas and 19 other states labeled with Albertson’s, Food Club, Hill Country Fare, HEB, Laura Lynn, Kroger, No Name, IGA, Best Choice and Thrifty Maid brands, among others.

The recalled product has one of the following codes on the lid: EAA5247, EAA5257, EAA5267, EAA5277, EAB5247, EAB5257, ECA5207, ECA5217, ECA5227, ECA5297, ECB5207, ECB5217, ECB5227 and ECB5307. Return the product to the store where it was purchased.

Contact Lakeside Foods at 800-466-3834 ext. 4090 if you have any questions about this recall.

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Fisher-Price is recalling 83 different types of toys, including Big Bird, Elmo, Dora and Diego characters. Their paint contains excessive amounts of lead. You can find out more info at the link below.
http://money.aol.com/news/articles/_a/fisher-price-recalling-1-million-toys/20070801193109990001?ncid=NWS00010000000001

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