Art Photography Poetry And More
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Dear Readers, The holidays are upon us once
PARENTS INK ACCEPTS:
again. This edition we explore
● Fiction
some ways to keep your holidays
● Creative Nonfiction
fun and fresh all while having
● Poetry/Prose
some amazing family photography
● Essay
by the wonderfully talented Dannah Barringer.
● Article ● How--To Article ● Recipes
Additionally we have an incredible
● Product/Book/Movie Review
piece of creative nonfiction by
● Photography
Shawntee Lyons, appropriately
spooky. And, just to make sure we’re taking care inside and out, a beautiful piece by new contributor Alexis Goertz on how to make water kefir!
● Graphic Art ● Cartoon/Comic ● Images of physical art such as: Painting Sculpture Jewelry Pottery
Thanks for being the essential
Quilting
part of Parents Ink!
Needlework And More
Best, Send all submissions to: parentsink@hotmail.com
Jeni Tetamore Editor-in-Chief
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T
he holidays are upon us once again. The Big Leagues are here. Halloween. Thanksgiving. Christmas. A little taste of shopping hell. Cooking purgatory (it takes an act of God to get you out of the kitchen). And children develop the dreaded “I-want-it” disease.
It doesn’t have to be that way. I’m not here to tell you to give up, order everything from Amazon, and buy cookies pre-made from Costco and pass them off as your own. And some people really get into it. Counting the days, decorating for every turn of the season with giant blow-ups that make me wonder at the cost of their electricity bill by the end of the year. More power to them. But for those of us who are frantically rummaging the aisles on the morning of October 31st for a Halloween costume, making the Thursday run to the grocery store because we forgot the cranberry sauce, and are wrapping presents almost as quickly as they are being unwrapped, well, it’s time for us to take back control and have some fun! Yep, I admit it. I’ve done all of those things and more. I have a large, busy family and find myself more often than not hosting the hordes that we are for the family gathering. I don’t mind. We still manage to have a great time and fortunately everyone in our family likes keeping things pretty casual. But, I always feel like I come up short. It feels more like a free-for-all than a party. And the weeks before, during, and after? Well, let’s just say that I feel lucky getting the Christmas tree up some years. I’ve been researching a lot recently. Holidays are going to be different for us this year. We’re in a smaller house. I’m working a night job and may even have to work a couple of the holidays. Two of the older children are working this year where they weren’t old enough to do that before. Who knows if they’ll have to work any of the holidays. So, finding new ways to have fun, be grateful, and enjoy one another was a priority for me. One thing that we decided to incorporate this year was a cleanse. Sounds a bit intimidating, and maybe a little revolting, but allow me to explain. In preparation for Christmas, we’ve told all the kids that we need to clean out the old in order to bring in the new, so they are going through toys and clothes that don’t fit, they don’t play with, are broken, yucky, or whatever, so that it can either be thrown away or donated. So far, only our really young children are balking at the idea (obviously every toy they own is one that they still play with since it is currently in their hand!), but we had a practice run with a garage sale this summer and it’s not quite as hard as it was. Plus, we explained that some other kids would really like playing with those toys since they don’t play with them anymore and these toys are getting lonely (Thank you “Toy Story” for giving the visual!). We’re starting the cleanse now, before Halloween, so we can just keep going through things until everything that doesn’t need to be here is gone and the second hand stores have them in time for their own holiday preparations. Additionally, I then have a good idea as to what the kids actually need when I start my shopping and can listen in on “want” lists as we sort. Page 7 ~ Fall 2014
Speaking of Halloween…
Is it bad that I just can’t get into the whole decoration thing? I have friends who spend almost as much time decorating their home and yard for Halloween as other people do for Christmas. I’m lucky if I manage to get the kids dressed up as something other than themselves. The kid’s school always has a big party, including roller skating and turning the gym into a haunted house. It’s pretty amazing. Almost every year I bring something simple as my contribution to the classroom party - let’s face it, I have a lot classrooms to get to - and feel like a bad mother when I look at my plain brownies compared to the gruesome offerings spread across the table. I mean, I could make brains out of Rice Krispies treats and red food coloring. Or spiders from Reece’s and black licorice. Yikes! So, this is what I came up with:
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Now, these were easy-peasy. Ritz cracker and pretzel spiders that were, quite literally, made by the 6-year old and 4-year old. The innards are cream cheese or peanut butter (depending on taste and preference) and we bought candy eyeballs that we “glued” on the front using whatever we used to fill the insides! The kids gobbled them up and we realized there were all sorts of good things we could fill them with, including allergy friendly fillings such as sunflower butter, hummus, tahini, etc. The candy eyes were crunchy and added the needed “sweet” to this salty treat. We also realized this would be a great edible craft for the kid’s classes and play groups. Once I demonstrated how to assemble the little guy, the kids took it over and made the ones you see pictured here. The 4-year old asked for help putting the eyes on, but they had great fun breaking the pretzels in half to make them the right size for the legs and spreading everything around and making the little sandwiches. Page 9 ~ Fall 2014
The one holiday that often gets complete skipped over nowadays is Thanksgiving. Other than an excuse to gorge ourselves on turkey and mainline football, not too many people I know get wound up about decorating or the preparations any more. Really, I only know a handful who cook for the days before in order to have everything ready for the feasting. I am not one of those people. I don’t bypass Thanksgiving the way some do and just go straight to Christmas, either. I feel like each holiday should have its own time of celebration. Try starting a Thankful Jar where each person writes one thing that they are thankful for everyday the week before Thanksgiving. Then, before dinner, everyone who is at the house can pull out a piece of paper and read what someone else is grateful for. It’s a great way to remember your blessings.
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Some Things to Do With Your Family With Holiday Season to Get in the Spirit of Giving:
Donate food to your local food bank immediately after Thanksgiving and Christmas. Their supplies are traditionally low this time of year and they can use to be replenished. Consider giving such things as diapers, formula, canned and frozen vegetables, and meats.
Donate your clothes and coats to a homeless shelter, rather than a second hand store. They will be put to immediate use. Items they often need include personal items such as socks, toothbrushes (new), and blankets.
Go pumpkin picking at a local farm and support your neighborhood farmer. You might be surprised to find how close a farmer might be to you and by supporting them, you are truly supporting their mortgage, their kid’s dance class, and their own daily needs.
Shop small - instead of going to the mall, try going to your local shops and boutiques when you need gifts. Again, you are supporting the people you live and employ people in your community who own their own small business. Even if you can’t buy everything that way, just finding ways to support your local small business owners helps you and your economy.
Adopt a “Christmas Child”. This might mean putting together a shoebox of gifts for a child across the world or across town. Maybe it means a care box for our military. Either way, include your children by allowing them to help choose the gifts and encourage them to write a note to place in the box to personalize it.
Get into the spirit by watching some holiday movies. Some favorites include: * The Peanuts Holiday Specials * It’s a Wonderful Life * The Nutcracker Suite * A Christmas Carol * The Nightmare Before Christmas
And instead of just eating the popcorn, string some as well to drape on your Christmas tree. Make sure it is unbuttered and unsalted, then use spray varnish and let dry, and it will last the whole season! Page 11 ~ Fall 2014
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Contact us at parentsink@hotmail.com to inquire about how you can advertise your business for three full months for the price of one!
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I
t was a Wednesday morning, and Biology class was as boring as ever when a new girl walked in. She was short with short blonde hair, green eyes, and she wasn’t the skinniest girl either, “Class, can I have your attention just for a moment please?” Miss Matthews said while looking at all of us.
Everyone in the class looked up, but no one truly cared, so they just went right back to what they were doing. “All right class, this is Jaime. She has just moved here from California. Please welcome her. Is anyone willing to let her join their group?” No one was interested in this new girl at all, no one spoke up, at least not until I did, “She can come work with me since my partner is out.” “Thank you!” When she walked up to me I could tell that she was very uncomfortable, and didn’t seem like she was having much luck at our school. “Hey, I’m Jenie, almost done with the experiment, but I can at least talk you through what I have done, and help you understand it. We are testing common molds, seeing exactly how they grow and where.” I didn’t know it then, but those few words are what put me on a road that I never would have imagined possible. It was something that no person, let alone a teenager, should ever have to go through. Her smile was contagious, “Thanks! Being the new girl is never easy or fun.” “You move around a lot, huh. That’s doesn’t sound fun.” Jaime seemed like a nice girl. She just jumped right in, helping me write up the report for my experiment. She smiled the whole time, and never got attitude. She definitely seemed nicer than most of the kids I grew up with so I was up for hanging out with the new girl. We finished the experiment early and she showed me her class schedule. “Awesome, looks like lunch and Biology we have together.” Page 14 ~ Fall 2014
“Are my teachers cool?”
I couldn’t help but laugh, “Yea, most of the teachers here are awesome.” “Cool, can I meet up with you for lunch?” I couldn’t say no, who likes to eat alone? Everyone in the lunchroom would be staring at her, “Sure, my friends and I normally meet up in the lunchroom and go from there. We’re in the back area of the lunchroom. There aren’t many tables up there and you have to walk up a couple stairs to get to us. Should be easy to find.” “Awesome, see you later!” The last bell releasing Biology sounded and everyone ran out. I walked out thinking about how open and friendly Jaime was, and how I couldn’t wait to get to know her more. As usual my group met up, and started talking right away about where we wanted to go and decided on Taco Bell. I let everyone know that Jaime was going to be joining us, so we waited just a few more minutes until she got there. She was out of breath when she walked up to us, “Sorry this school is a lot more confusing than it looks.” “It’s cool, we’re going to Taco Bell if you want to come.” “Sounds fun!” “Sup, I’m Dawn. Jenie is my best friend, so I will be around pretty much all the time. Get ready for a change because we’re AWESOME!” All of us started laughing. Dawn was always the joker of the group. I was mainly walking with Damon. He was one of my good friends. You know the guy you really like, but the timing is never good, or you just don’t want to take the chance of ruining your great friendship. As we walked to Taco bell Damon had his arm around me just talking about life when Jaime pulled me back, “Is that your boyfriend?” “Who, Damon? No….” Dawn jumped in the middle of us, “Ha-ha that’s funny! These two would be perfect for each other. They just need to get over their shit and commit.” “Thanks, for that,” I said, giving Dawn my usual shut-your-mouth face. “No, we’re good friends. We do like each other though.”
Her smile was contagious “Oh cool.” The look Jaime had on her face, her eyes squinting, and her eyebrow raised with a devilish smirk, made me wonder. We finally got to Taco Bell, and everyone ran in. Damon was the first in line ordering mine and his food. While he was standing there waiting for our food, and I was finding us a table, I noticed Jaime walked up to him, and she had a smile on her face, one I had not seen yet. That’s when I started to REALLY wonder about this girl. Didn’t she just ask about this boy? The answer I gave should have definitely told her, he was off Page 15 ~ Fall 2014
limits. Damon was a good guy, though. He didn’t even look at her, let alone talk to her. He went up and grabbed our food and came over to the table. Damon looked at me with a very confused face, “That bitch doesn’t seem like she is really going to get along with us.” “Damon! You don’t have to be so mean!” I lightly smacked his shoulder as I yelled at him. “Dude, I heard you guys talking about us, and from what was said she shouldn’t have been trying to hit…” Jaime walked up with everyone else with their food. “We better hurry! Don’t want to be late for class.” We all laughed then went silent for a few moments so we could eat and get back to school in time for next period. *
*
*
Jaime and I were becoming really good friends. We spent pretty much all of our spare time together. If it was a weekday you could find us at her house doing homework, and watching TV. If it was a weekend, we were bowling or at the movies. Sometimes we would go to the parks late at night and drink a little, and play games like truth or dare. It was nice because she helped me forget my troubles unlike Dawn. I was feeling bad about not hanging out with Dawn, but in the end she was always hounding me about Damon or Michael. Michael was my ex that I really loved, and Damon was the guy everyone thought I needed to be with. Jaime made me forget about it all. In fact, Jaime was changing me. I was becoming someone that was a little more daring and getting into more trouble. I was never home, and I could have cared less about my old life. Jaime was fun and different. She was more of a person who lived in the now. Her and I had a saying, “life was too short to be boring so step out and live life to the fullest.” It was a short week at school because Thanksgiving was Thursday and it was a sad week for me because my mom wasn’t letting me do anything but school and the family dinner. “It really sucks that we won’t be able to hang out this week.” Jaime wasn’t happy at all.
“Yea, but honestly I think I could use some time to catch up on my sleep.” It was true. I could barely keep my eyes open. While hanging out with Jaime, we met a new guy at school named Daniel. He seemed okay, but I didn’t really have an interest in him. He seemed a little weird, and I just didn’t think boys should be more than friends in my life at that moment. Jaime for some reason really liked him and thought that I should date him. “So do you think you’ll give Daniel a chance? He really likes you. I think you should try it out. You know, move on.” Jaime sounded a little too excited for me to get with this guy, but I wasn’t sure. He made things feel awkward. He was always wanting to stand so close to me I couldn’t move without bumping into him. He was always trying to hold my hand or give me a hug, and I never gave him the impression I wanted anything more than to be friends. He made me feel like I needed to be hesitant and careful around him. Page 16 ~ Fall 2014
“I don’t know. Maybe. I gotta go, see ya!” I walked to my last class of the day. I was really ready for a nice break. I liked hanging with Jaime but after everything over the last couple of months I was tired. Sleep was very much needed. Thanksgiving break was over and when I got back to school Jaime saw me right away and came running up to me with her hands flying in the air, her hair was bouncing all over the place, she looked like some crazy girl. “What’s up? How was your break?” “It was okay. I got some good sleep though. You?” “Oh mine was shitty, but whatever.” Jaime looked like she really wanted to say more, but wanted me to be interested, so I asked, “Why only okay?” “Oh, we got evicted. We had to move into my Aunt’s house. It sucks majorly! The house is only a two bedroom, and there are seven of us living there. Oh and it’s far, so gotta wake up early as hell just to get to school.” “Wow! That really does suck. At least we only have a couple more weeks before winter break!” “Yeah, I guess. It would be cool though if I could stay somewhere else, ya know?” It was really weird how she said that to me. I was kind of upset. She was hinting at me. I just ignored it, though. I had five people in my house. It was full enough already. That night she came over to work on Biology homework, “I’m so happy we have this class together!” Jaime was acting funny. She normally didn’t just say random things. Really? We have a class together, and it was cool. We have been in this class together since September and this was the first time she said it. That’s when I noticed my mom standing there watching us.
“You know, I wouldn’t be able to do my homework at my Aunt’s house. It’s just so full and crazy. So being able to come here has made it so much easier.” She was smiling at me like she had a plan. That’s when my mom chimed into the conversation, “What do you mean? Why would you have to do your homework at your Aunt’s? Wouldn’t you be doing it at home?” Jaime smiled at me again, “No, my dad wasn’t paying the bills, so we got evicted over Thanksgiving break. Had to move to my Aunt’s. Such a small house for so many of us.” I couldn’t believe it! She knew my mom was standing there and since I never invited her to stay with me she went to the next person that might be able to invite her. My mom is a very kind and caring person and she, of course, said exactly what Jaime wanted her to, “Well, I guess there is only a couple weeks of school before winter break. Would you want to stay here?” Page 17 ~ Fall 2014
“Oh, that would be so awesome, Mom!”
What the hell did she just say?! Really she just called my mom, Mom. None of my friends have ever talked to my mom like she was their own mom. Not even Dawn. It was something that really upset me. “Just for the last couple of weeks of this semester only because I know finals are next week, and you need to be able to pass those.” My mom walked away. I just sat there for a moment not sure what to say. I wasn’t happy with Jaime for stepping over me like that. If I wanted her to stay in my house then I would have asked my mom myself, and invited her MYSELF! “Jaime, seriously, what the hell? One, don’t call my mom, mom. She isn’t your mom and there really isn’t any reason for it. Second, don’t ever step over me like that again. I had my reasons for not inviting you to stay.” “Why is that?” “Because I barely ever get any sleep when you’re around and I really don’t want to mess up with school.”
“I promise I will be on my best behavior.” Jaime had that same look on her face, squinting eyes with her eyebrow up, a devilish smirk, the one when she found out Damon wasn’t my boyfriend, but a guy I liked. The couple of weeks went by pretty fast, and during those weeks we had family come over due to my nephew’s birthday, and Jaime hung out with us. During that time I swear she got to know my family real quick. I didn’t understand why she was asking them so many questions. “How many Uncles and Aunts do you have? Cousins? What do your sisters do? Are you close?” It was like she was conducting an interview on me with all of my family members. I don’t remember exactly how it happened, but somehow during those couple of weeks she convinced me to say yes to Daniel. He was my boyfriend for a couple of weeks, but after finals were over Jaime and I went to hang out with him, and I learned that he transferred to our school after he got out of a Juvenile Detention Center for trying to kill a guy. That was the moment I broke up with him. No way in hell was I going to date a guy like that, and he was starting to give me the creeps. Now I knew I should’ve trusted my instincts to stay away from him, and not listen to Jaime. *
*
*
After the semester was over, and I broke up with Daniel, I didn’t really have time to talk or hang out with Jaime. Christmas was always a really busy holiday for my family. School started back up, and I still hadn’t talked to Jaime. In fact, I was ready for a break from her. A good long one. She was starting to show how controlling she was, and she seemed to be pressuring me into everything even when I said no repeatedly. When I got to school that day, I went straight to where Dawn and Damon would be. I really didn’t know how
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they were going to react since it had been so long. They were both standing by Dawn’s locker talking, when Damon looked at me with that cute sweet smile, “Hey, sexy, where have you been? We have missed ya!” “I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have just disappeared on you guys like that.” “Ha, it’s ok. Things happen. You were going through a rough time and needed some time. It’s all good. We still love ya, lady!” Dawn gave me the best hug, I definitely needed it. “You’re the bestest friend anyone ever could have.” I told Dawn, as her arms were still tightly wrapped around me. We all sat there talking just like old times, like there had never been a break. That’s when Sammie came up to us. “What’s up guys?” Damon was the first to answer, “Nothing much, just chilling before classes start. You?” “Oh nothing, just heard some weird news, so I thought I would let Jenie in on it.” Sammie looked at me with her eyebrows scrunched, and her lips very stern and serious. “What do you mean?” I looked at her not understanding how something so big could have happened within the twenty-five minutes of us being on campus. “You know Jaime, well she is doing something crazy!” “What?” “Well….. She walked onto campus with your ex-boyfriend, Daniel, and his arms around her….” “Okay, so who cares? If she wants to date that creep, then go right on ahead.” I was starting to get really annoyed at Sammie. Why on earth would I care about that? “Jenie, that’s not it. Let me finish.” She was definitely annoyed with me now since I was interrupting her. “Sorry, finish then.” “Her hair is RED now, and she was wearing a shirt I know is just like yours. I know because it is one of my favorites that you wear. You know, that red one with the shear sleeves that are long, and really loose.” I stopped being annoyed with her, and actually started listening. I mean, I’ve heard of friends going out and buying the same clothes or whatever, but the red hair, clothes, and my ex was starting to make me really wonder what the hell she was doing. “The craziest thing she did was when I heard someone say hi to her, and they said her name…..” Sammie paused to talk a breath. “OKAY! You can’t just stop there. What the hell are you trying to say?” Dawn was getting impatient. “She corrected them, and said that her name wasn’t Jaime, it was Jenie!” I sat there staring at Sammie. I couldn’t really get any words out. Dawn grabbed me by the arms as she shook me. “What the hell did you do, girlie?” Dawn was upset, and trying very hard not to yell. “What do you mean? I didn’t do anything. She is apparently weird.” I got away from Dawn. “I have to get to class, talk to you guys later!” I walked away as fast as I could. I didn’t feel like talking about it anymore. I’ve gone to school with all these kids since kindergarten, no one was going to believe she was me. This little infatuation with me was going to go away. It had to. I went to my first period, which was math, and it was uneventful. We just reviewed everything from last semester so no one was lost when we got into the new stuff. I found myself looking at the clock every two or three minutes. Next class was biology, I was nervous to see Jaime. I didn’t want things to be weird now. I wanted my life to be Page 20 ~ Fall 2014
boring and just go back to not being noticed. Math was finally over; I hurried out of class and ran up the stairs to get to class. Five minutes was never a long enough passing period. The school really didn’t trust us to stay out of trouble. I was the first student in the classroom. Miss Matthews was silently sitting at her desk. She looked up at me and smiled, “Hello, Jenie. How was your break?” I forced myself to smile, “It was great! How was yours?” “It was good. I’m glad to be back though!” She smiled at me once more, got up and walked over to the blackboard. She started to write our agenda for the day and homework. I went to go sit at my table, when Sammie came running in. She sat next to me just as she always did. We never had assigned seats, but everyone always sat in the same seat no matter what. The class filled in quickly. Miss Matthews quietly stood at the front of the class waiting for everyone to sit down, and get ready for class to start. “Hello class! I hope all of you had a nice and relaxing winter break. Today we are going to start a new chapter…” Jaime came barging into class, I looked back and noticed how Sammie described her to me this morning was nothing like what she really looked like. I turned to Sammie and gave her a stern face, my lips were pursed, my eyebrows were scrunched with anger, “You didn’t tell me that she literally looked like a FAT, UGLY version of me!” Sammie flinched, “I’m sorry! I didn’t think you wanted to hear anymore. You kind of looked like you were freaking out. I just…” Jaime walked over to the table next to me. “Oh, hi Jenie! Nice to see you.” Jaime wasn’t supposed to sit there. Her table was toward the back of the room. She hated sitting up front like me. “Okay, now Miss Jaime. Can you please sit down quietly? You’re late and disrupting my class.” Miss Matthews said. She was irritated. Late students never made her happy. Jaime sat down. She looked back at me, and had that devilish smirk, and her eyebrow was raised. She had something planned, I just wasn’t sure what it was. Miss Matthews lectured and read the chapter to us. There was about fifteen minutes left of class, “Okay, class we have finished the chapter, now get with a group and start working on the review questions. Anything you don’t get done in class will be homework.” She walked over to her desk and sat down. She was quietly working on her computer. Sammie and I never liked working in big groups, so we just stayed at our desk and worked on the questions. I watched Jaime walk over to a group that she never spoke to before, but I ignored her. She was acting weird, and I wanted nothing to do with it. Sammie and I were working hard to get our questions done. We didn’t want any homework. One of my classmates, Alison ran up to me, “Jenie, I Page 21 ~ Fall 2014
think this girl is a little crazy. You need to be careful around her.”
I looked up at her confused from her statement. “What do you mean?” Alison looked at me gravely, “She is over there talking about how she wants to kill you. Actually she has said exactly how she wants to kill you!” I didn’t believe Alison. She was a nice girl, but very dramatic, “I’m sorry, but I really just don’t believe you. That’s a little more crazy than I think even Jaime can get.” “Jenie! I’m serious. She says that her boyfriend Daniel, killed a guy by running over him with an RV. She said it was a good idea. She is going to borrow her dad’s truck, find you one day after school. When you least expect it, she’s going to run you over and get you out of hers and everyone else’s life.” Alison said it all in one breath. She didn’t sound like she was making anything up. She was being serious. I looked over at Jaime, and she was watching me. She was looking at me with a dark expression and her devilish smirk was there again. She was shaking her head yes, as if she knew exactly what Alison was telling me. That was the moment my life changed forever. I didn’t want her to know I was actually scared. The looks she gave me made me realize she wasn’t joking, and my life was in danger. The bell rang, I walked out of the classroom with Sammie. She grabbed my hand. I looked at her, “It’s going to be okay. She’s only a teenager. She won’t do anything.” Sammie didn’t really look like she believed herself. I smiled, “I know. She’s just jealous. I have a better family life and school life. I do have to go, though, so talk to you later?” “Yeah, sure, bye!” Sammie dropped my hand and went the opposite direction.
I walked to my next class, dropped my stuff off at my desk. I asked my teacher if I could go the bathroom before class started. When I got to the bathroom, I took out my cell and called my mom. “Pacific Care this is Maria. How can I help you?” “Hey, mom.” I was very serious. I wasn’t sure why I was calling her, but I knew I needed to tell someone. “Jenie! What’s wrong? You’re supposed to be in class.” “Today has been a weird day. I’m not sure what to think or do at this point.” I answered her quietly. “Can you please just tell me what’s going on?” My mom was getting impatient. “Jaime came to school today and was dressed like me. I mean exactly like me. She is even dating my creepy weird ex, Daniel.”
“Okay, get to the point. You’re supposed to be in class, not talking to me, and I have to get back to work.” “She told some of my classmates she was going to kill me, and she’s telling people her name isn’t Jaime, that it’s Jenie!” I hurried up and just said it because it was something that I was having a hard time believing myself. I wasn’t sure how she was going to take it. “Are you sure?” Her voice was sounding concerned now. “Apparently she has it all planned out. She is going to find me one a day, when I least expect it, and run me over.” “Jenie, this is serious. You need to go tell your dean or someone right away.” “Okay, I will. I need to get back to class. Talk to you later, love you, bye.” Page 22 ~ Fall 2014
“Love you, too! Please be careful.” We both hung up the phone.
I went back to class and sat there quietly lost in my thoughts. I just didn’t understand what Jaime was doing. I was nothing but kind and caring to her. I helped her out when she needed it. My family even gave her a place to stay. Now she has decided she wants me dead. I guess I was right - she was jealous, jealous enough to want to take over my life. The rest of the day went by in a blur. I was so caught up in my own thoughts, I didn’t really talk to anyone or care what others had to say. When I was in my eighth period class, I was called down to the dean’s office. I guess my mom knew I wasn’t going to tell anyone because she called the dean herself. That was when everything in my life changed. The school decided it was best to have me stay home instead of being at school. I was never in trouble and was able to continue my school work, but instead of her missing school to keep me safe I had to stay home. When my mom told them she was going to go to the police my dean told her no because it was the school’s responsibility since the threat was on campus. They talked to all the students who heard the threat and saw how Jaime had switched on me, but they never punished her. My mom decided to send me to another high school. I had to leave all my friends, and I wasn’t excited about it. I decided after my sophomore year of high school how much I hated it. I told my mom I was done. I either was going to graduate early or I was going to drop out. My mom and I worked together to make sure I was able to graduate early. I moved on with my life, but I always had the fear in the back of my mind that Jaime, was going to come find me one day and kill me.
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Product warmth: Our sleep sacks for infants and toddlers are lightly quilted. They are intended to be worn over regular sleepwear. Recommended room temperature is 67-74°F. Sleeve length and thickness of baby’s sleepwear should be adjusted accordingly. Shell: 100% cotton Filling: 100% polyester Care: Machine wash cold, tumble dry low Made in India Page 24 ~ Fall 2014
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You’ve probably heard about the many health benefits of water kefir, but did you know that it’s actually quite easy to make yourself? You’re about to find out how easy!
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ater kefir is a light, naturally fermented, effervescent probiotic beverage with a diverse range of flavors and textures. Depending on how you prepare it, your water kefir can be sweet or sour with a texture ranging from light and sparkling to deep and yeasty.
It can even become a little bit alcoholic which may be of interest to some (around 0.5% or more depending on how long you ferment it and the conditions). Water kefir is similar to milk kefir, and I'm sure you've seen milk kefir in the grocery store. It takes a SCOBY (Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeasts), just like kombucha does. In this case, the SCOBY is in the form of grains, which look kind of like cooked tapioca balls, or little gelatinous crystals. These structures are comprised of various bacteria including lactobacillus hildgardii, which gives them their characteristic appearance. Then, the beneficial bacteria in the water kefir grains consume the sugar in the sugar water. As they metabolize the sugar, they produce a variety of beneficial acids, food enzymes, B vitamins, and more beneficial bacteria. This process of fermentation also reduces the sugar content of the drink. Water kefir grains thrive on a mineral and carbohydrate-rich liquid diet. They can live in sugar water, fruit juices, coconut water, in soy/almond/rice milk, or even honey. Adding whole fruits to your kefir can give your SCOBY a natural yeast boost and enhance the flavor. Page 32 ~ Fall 2014
What is water kefir and why is it good for you
A (really short) look into the history of water kefir
Health benefits of water kefir
The two main fermentation phases
Where to buy water kefir grains and how to handle them
The basic water kefir recipe as well as some delicious variations
Many answers to questions that might pop up along the way.
That name ‘water kefir’ is itself a bit of a misnomer, as kefir originally referred only to the grains which are used in milk fermentations, aka milk kefir grains. While the grains look similar, they have very different bacterial strains and properties. Someone saw that these two bacteria's have similar physical properties and named them both kefir. However, the original, or furthest back name we can find on these little guys, is tibicos. According to Sandor Katz, and other researchers, findings other names can be found such as: sugary water grains, Tibetan crystals, Japanese water crystals, and bees wine… The best documentation as to the origin of the grains is found in a 1899 study which found that the ‘tibi’ crystals which form on the opuntia cactus in Mexico can be reconstituted with water to make water kefir.
These grains are still used today to make a Pre-Columbian Mexican beverage called Teapche, traditionally made with pineapple and cinnamon.
Besides the great sparkling taste, innumerable flavor combos, and the fun of having these happy ‘pets’ fizzle and bubble to greet you every morning, drinking water kefir also has many health benefits. After these crystals have metabolized the sugars, the calorie count is less and the sweetness decreases. This Page 33 ~ Fall 2014
resulting probiotic rich soda promotes a healthy gut, better digestion, and systemic wellness by releasing B vitamins and good acids to balance our internal PH. They also serve as a kind of “outsourced� immune system, as the dominant bacterial cultural in a given tract will fight off invading detrimental bacteria culture - notably in yeast infections. These fizzy drinks are a great way to get healthy probiotics into kids (or anyone else who loves soda-pops!), and can also be used as a healing tonic by mixing in the herbal remedy of your choice.
When making water kefir, there are generally two phases of fermentation. During each phase, the probiotic concentration of your kefir increases and the sugars you have added decrease as they are consumed by the kefir cultures. Kefir fermentation is anaerobic, which means that no oxygen is required for your cultures to work their magic. The first phase of fermentation takes place with your kefir grains present in the solution. During this phase, your ferment’s flavor and texture is heavily influenced by any fruits or roots present. Fermentation proceeds at a faster rate, due to the large population of microorganisms (kefir grains) present. The second phase begins after the kefir grains are removed from your kefir. Your beverage will continue to ferment due to the invisible bacterial cultures still present. Often additional sugar-source (i.e. syrups, fresh fruits, jam) is added during this phase and in a closed vessel or bottle so that carbonation can build. Page 34 ~ Fall 2014
First off - MAKE SURE YOU GET WATER KEFIR GRAINS! There is a huge difference between milk kefir and water kefir grains, and they are not interchangeable! Next up, you’ll have to decide if you want powdered, live, or dehydrated kefir grains.
Powdered Kefir. Unlimited shelf-life and is read for immediate use. However, it generally isn’t able to reproduce for more than a few batches of kefir. You will have to keep buying more.
Live Kefir. Deliver ed in a sugar water solution. They don’t live indefinitely without regular care, but they are ready for immediate use and will multiply, providing you with a lifetime supply of kefir grains.
Dehydrated Kefir. Near ly unlimited shelf-life. You need to rehydrate them for a few days before you can use them. Once they’re out of “hibernation”, they will multiply indefinitely.
There are multiple options for buying or trading water kefir grains online. Health food stores sometimes also carry them, with the most frequent variety being dehydrated, though some may also have “active”. Often, the easiest solution is to acquire your grains from someone in your part of the world who already has them. Note: Some countries have strict regulations regarding the importation of foreign bacterial cultures (like New Zealand), so be aware as you order (and travel with) your kefir grains!
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If you’ve purchased dehydrated water kefir grains, you will need to “activate” (aka rehydrate) them first. You will need:
1 TBS dehydrated water kefir grains
4 C (1 L) of boiled and warm water
1/2 C (100 G) of sugar (raw cane sugar, white refined sugar, jiggery, coconut sugar, maple syrup, honey, agave syrup, rice syrup, barley malt, etc.)
Instructions:
Add 1/2 C (100 G) of sugar to 4 C (1 L) of warm, dechlorinated water in a clean, non-metal vessel (glass jar or a plastic bottle).
Stir until sugar is completely dissolved. Allow the sugar-water to cool to room temperature.
Once the sugar-water is completely cooled (hot water can kill your kefir!), add 1 TBS of dehydrated kefir grains.
Do NOT seal the container! Your kefir needs to breathe, and the gas build-up in a sealed container could lead to explosions! Cover your jar with a paper towels, coffee filter, or dishcloth, and secure in place with a rubber band.
5. Wait 3 days. 6. Strain the re-hydrated kefir crystals out of the water and throw away the liquid - it is not very tasty. 7. Use your activated kefir grains in your first recipe. Page 36 ~ Fall 2014
Now that you have your live, hydrated water kefir crystals, it’s time to make your first basic water kefir! We’ll be making one of my favorites - a refreshing fig-lemon-goji berry tonic. You will need:
1 TBS active water kefir grains
4 C (1 L) boiled and warm water
1/2 C of sugar
Dried or fresh fruits and roots for flavoring (ex: dried figs, cherries, lemon slices, apple slices, sarsaparilla, fresh ginger, goji berries, dates, etc.)
(Optional) Flavored syrups, juices, or extracts (lavender, vanilla, apple juice, etc.)
Instructions:
Make your sugar solution. Add 1/2 C (100 G) of sugar to 4 C (1 L) of boiled but still warm water in a jar or plastic bottle. Stir until sugar is completely dissolved. Allow the sugar-water to cool to room temperature.
Add active kefir grains. Once the sugar water is completely cooled (again, hot water can kill your kefir!) add 1 TBS of active kefir grains.
Add dried and fresh fruits. The extr a yeasts fr om the skin of the fr uits help the fer mentation process as your kefir grains eat the sugars and create more carbonation while adding fruity natural flavors.
Seal your container. Water kefir gr ains do not need oxygen to sur vive (like a kombucha SCOBY does), so your vessel can be sealed or lightly capped. The tighter the cap, the more carbonation builds up. I use a wide mouth jar so I can get fruit and grains in and out more easily than a bottle neck. Note: over-carbonation can be dangerous, especially in glass containers! Open the cap every 1-2 days to release air-pressure and to avoid explosions. Page 37 ~ Fall 2014
5. Watch your ferment. After 48 hour s, the fruit that sank to the bottom of your jar should now be floating at the top. This means carbonation and fermentation are happening!
The more grains you have, the faster they digest available sugars, thus the faster your kefir will be ready. You may need to add more sugar and water.
The warmer the ambient temperature, the faster your kefir will ferment. To slow down fermentation, put it in a cool place. To bring fermentation to a near stand still, put it in the fridge.
6. Pour the flavorful, effervescent liquid into a bottle while straining out the kefir grains. Place your grains in another sugar-water solution. These happy fellas have probably doubled in quantity, and are ready for your next ferment. Note: And, like anything, you are what you eat! Your water kefir grains are no different. Expect them to change color according to the sweeteners, flavors, and added ingredients you ferment with them. I used hibiscus tea and honey to make a ferment and in changed my grains pink! Another time I added young walnuts to the mix and changed the entire batch blue! This is not bad, just a temporary effect until the next batch changes the color back to the original. 7. The liquid product. With the liquid now separ ated fr om the gr ains, this is ‘Water Kefir’ and it will continue to ferment and carbonate in the sealed bottle (secondary fermentation). This beverage can be cooled and enjoyed as is. Optionally, you can enhance it further with herbs such as mint and cardamom, sweeteners such as sugar or honey, and various flavored syrups. You can even use it as a “starter” for other sodas and vegetable ferments, or instead of yeast for baking...the possibilities are limitless! Note: Your final beverage will have MUCH fewer calories than your initial ferment. Water kefir feeds on sugars, digesting them and releasing CO2 in the process. Page 38 ~ Fall 2014
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hen it comes to making water kefir recipes, I prefer to make a large jar of water kefir with my standard ingredients of water, cane sugar, kefir grains, and whatever fruit (dried has more yeasts in the skin and gets fermentation going faster!) I have on hand. Then once that water is cultured and bubbling I separate that water from the grains and use the liquid to inoculate my other soda-pops. You can add the grains directly, as I have in some recipes I share in moment. However, if there is loose tea or many fresh fruits included, it might be difficult (messy) to separate your grains from the extra flavoring ingredients. Now that you have the basic recipe for making water kefir, it’s time to start experimenting! Here are 3 of my favorite recipes, but if you’d like more, you can always visit my full website www.ediblealchemy.com!
Make a hot yerba-mate tea according to your likened strength of the flavor. For every 1 L of tea, add 1/4 C of honey. Once the tea is cooled and the honey is dissolved, add either direct water kefir grains, or dilute the sweet tea with the prepared water-kefir solution.
This is one of Edible Alchemy’s classics - always a crowd pleaser. Usually you can find dried rosehips, hibiscus flowers, and dried apple in tea stores or make them yourself. The combo is delicious as a tea, but even better as a soda. Prepare it as a sweet tea, then add your water kefir
Do you have a special jam or jelly that you just love the flavor of? Or is there some jam or jelly that you have too much of and you don’t know what to do with it? Add it to flavor your water kefir. With boiling water, dilute and dissolve the jam/jelly, then once it is at a sweetness level you like, cool then add straight kefir grains (1-2 TBS per L), or the kefir solution (1/4 C per L). Page 39 ~ Fall 2014
FLAVOR EXPLORATION
Beyond the Basics Every water kefir has 3 variables:
Sugar you feed your grains
Fruits and herbs you feed your kefir grains (primary fermentation)
Flavorings and syrups you add after you’ve removed your grains (secondary fermentation)
Here are some fun combinations:
Coconut sugar, lemon peel, and lavender syrup
Rosemary Lime Fizz - Demerara sugar, lime peel, and rosemary syrup
Brown sugar, dried figs, and orange cardamom syrup
Bonus - Using Water Kefir as a Starter Base:
Add water kefir liquid to a kraut to start it
Use water kefir liquid as a base for a smoothie - leave the smoothie out for a day to inoculate with full probiotics and gain awesome bubbles!
1. Feed regularly. Water kefir gr ains want to be fed ever y 2-3 days 2. Keep at room temperature. Your kefir fer ments best at r oom temperature environment (again, if they are kept in cooler place, they are less active and need to be fed less often). 3. Refresh sugar-water. As your gr ains fer ment, over time they create a sour, acidic environment. For our digestion and palate this is great, but an environment that is too acidic can be harmful to your grains. If you don’t regularly change their sugar water (strain and reintroduce into a fresh sugar water solution), the organisms in your kefir grains will “pickle” themselves, eventually dying then decomposing into nothing in their liquid habitats. 4. Mid-term storage. Going away for up to 2 weeks? Put fr esh gr ains in a fr esh sugar -water solution and place in the fridge for slow fermentation.
5. Long-term storage. Going away for longer than 2 weeks? Str ain your gr ains into a plastic bag or freezer safe (non-metallic!) container, and place in your freezer. They can survive for months in this “hibernation” state. When you are ready to use them again, put the ice-chunk kefir grains back into a sugar-water solution, here it will thaw and start eating again. Add some “welcome-home” fruits, a cleaned eggshell for extra calcium, or a pinch of baking-soda for minerals. 6. Too many grains? They multiply fast, and this can easily become and issue for you. Tr y dehydr ating your grains using a dehydrator, or simply spreading them out on a plate with good air circulation. As long as the grains are not heated to a temperature over 130 degrees, they will not die and can be rehydrated when the time comes. This is also a great method for people moving overseas or as a backup! 7. Vessels and Equipment. I pr efer using glass as it’s transparent, I can see what is happening inside and there is no chance of plastic leaking anything into my kefir to hurt me or my kefir grains. Stainless steel can work, but again, you can’t see what’s happening inside, and I like to avoid using metal whenever possible as metal is an irritant to the grains. Once exception is the strainer. If you have a plastic sieve, great, but brief contact with a metal strainer is not a problem.
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Can I use the water used to rehydrate my water kefir grains? Technically you can, however I often toss it to the flowers as it hasn’t reached its full probiotic, bubbling potential. I rather wait until my grains are lively and producing a tasty liquid.
My grains started off brown‌ now they’re clear. Is that bad? Your grains will change color according to your liquid solution. Sometimes I have pink grains, sometimes yellow, and sometimes blue! Clear/translucent is their original state.
Does it matter what water I use? Always use de-chlorinated water. This means, if you have chlorine in your taps, to boil the water or to let it sit for 24 hours before using. Spring, filtered, reverse-osmosis water or bottled water is great but not necessary.
What is the best sugar to use for water kefir? Water kefir is very forgiving with sugar sources - even honey or agave syrup works! I use sugar sources with the most minerals and vitamins such as cane sugar, molasses, jiggery, or panella. Just be careful using maple and agave syrup, as they have antibacterial properties which might hurt your grains, so try experimenting with an extra set of grains.
How do I store water kefir grains when not in use? Any kind of food safe, non-metal container (if metal, then only stainless steel because of its anti-rusting, anticorroding properties). I prefer glass, as you can see through it, it is easy to clean and will not react in any way with any strong acidification that happens.
How much does the sugar content drop when fermenting water kefir? After the kefir gains have feasted, the sugar content can be reduced by 80%!
What is the exact temperature range my kefir grains can survive in? Water kefir grains can survive basically from freezing to 110 degrees F (40 degrees C). However, to yield the best results, they should be stored away from direct sunlight at about 68-80 degrees F (20-27 degrees C).
For more tips, tricks, and answers, visit www.ediblealchemy.com. All pictures provided by Edible Alchemy. Page 41 ~ Fall 2014
How Sleep’n Sync is Revolutionary Mission To help children excel when facing challenges and improve their functional skills and their wellbeing
Sleep’n Sync’s objective is to help the child achieve their goals fast. It does this through an audio designed to help the child with the specific issue being addressed, which is played at night, as the child sleeps, every day for six weeks. Sleep’n Sync uses the power of the mind and empowers the natural motivation in children to do well. It does this by integrating to the audio positive suggestions and messages that reach the subconscious mind of the child at a highly receptive state: sleep.
Non-Invasive
Non-confrontational: with Sleep’n Sync there is no need for negotiating or convincing the child to do the program every day, no need to use their valuable fun time for it.
Easy to use: the program’s implementation does not affect your child’s schedule, it is at night during sleep time, no need to set time from the child’s busy day for this. Program the alarm with Sleep’n Sync’s audio at a time the child is asleep, and set it to repeat every night.
Based on extensive scientific research and best practices: each Program is designed based on extensive scientific research and best practices, so that the messages and recommendations contained in the program are effective and to the point of the specific goal of the program.
Sleep’n Sync uses: Principles of hypnotherapy by designing the necessary messages the child needs in the form of positive suggestions tailored to be easily absorbed by the subconscious mind of the child.
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Sleep, as it provides a highly receptive state of the subconscious mind. The subconscious mind is always awake and receptive, however this receptivity is increased when the conscious mind does not interfere/ is resting/cooled down, as it occurs during sleep. In addition, sleep is a time when the outside input is minimized, and the information received during the awake time is sorted, organized, evaluated, linked with other memories, and stored or discarded according to its relevance. Sleep’n Sync takes advantage of sleep as a natural receptive state for its messages to effectively be absorbed by the subconscious mind, and the natural function of sleep in building and solidifying brain connections, and its natural role as self-therapy since it processes and links negative feelings and experiences with positive feelings and previous experiences, diminishing their overall negative effect (Rock )
Neuroplasticity: which is the changing of the strength of neural connections, the adding or removing of connections or the adding of new cells. Thinking, learning and acting actually changes the structure and functional organization of the brain. (Christiansen & Baum, 2005).
Principles of neuroplasticity: The brains ability to act and react is ever-changing. It is constantly laying down new pathways for neural communication and to re-arrange existing ones. The changing of neurons, the organization of their networks, and their function changes via new experiences
Repetition: It is well known that repetition wires the brain. It is repetition that allows a person’s brain to establish the necessary connections or synapses between the brain cells. Learning occurs right where neurons meet. Without these connections, the brain cells are useless. It is known that what wires a person’s brain is repeated experience, and without it, key synapses do not form. And if such connections, once formed are used too seldom to be strengthened and reinforced, the brain eventually eliminates them. Therefore, repetition of the desired messages in the suggestions in Sleep’n Sync audios is a key element for the effectiveness of the message incorporation into the subconscious mind of the child.
Binaural Beats in the background music: Optional. Binaural beats work by sending two different tones to each ear. The frequency difference between the tones is created by the brain as a “binaural beat”. With this technology, one can take the mind into a relaxed and receptive state, allowing easier connections between the brain cells. This is optional since sleep is already a receptive state for the messages to be absorbed, however its use can help.
Connecting the subconscious mind with the conscious mind: This is what Sleep’n Sync’s audios facilitate, so that when the child is awake, he/she has the self confidence, skills and tools to use in order to get his/her desired goals.
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