Saturday, September 4, 2010

Cannstatter's 138th Volkfest Oktoberfest

Happy Labor Day Weekend! I wanted to let you know about a great weekend festival that is happening now. Cannstatter's Oktoberfest is running September 4th - 6th. The park opens at noon each day.


You will find tons of activities at this festival. Amidst the true German Oktoberfest atmosphere, you will find Crafts, German Beer & Wines, German-American Singing & Dancing, Souvenirs, German Clothing, and more! There is also a candle vendor, Beyond Scents, who makes the best soy, paraffin, and gel candles in pints and quarts. They also sell a large variety of Fall, Halloween, and holiday decorative candles. The Greater Kensington String Band is also scheduled to perform on Saturday!



There will be authentic German foods like Sauerbraten, Heisser Leberkäse, Kartoffel-Salat, Maultaschen, Spätzle, Bratwurst, Frankfurters, Heisser Zwiebelkuchen, Pflaumenkuchen, Zwetschgenkuchen and much more!

The best part of this festival is that there are rides and games for the children! There is also a playground area for the kids.


Admission for the Oktoberfest is $6.00 for one day, $9.00 for a two day pass, and $11.00 for a three day pass. Children under 12 are free.


Location:
German Club
9130 Academy Road
Philadelphia, PA 19114

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Ovarian Cancer Awarenwess Month

I was alerted through a Facebook message of the post below.  This is GREAT information if you are a woman or have a woman in your life you care about.  Please pass it on, it could save a life!



September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness month and tomorrow, 9/3/10, is Teal day (show your support by wearing teal).

Here are some statistics; Ovarian Cancer is one of the most deadly of women's cancers. Each year, approximately 21,880 women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer. In 2010, approximately 13850 women will die in the United States from ovarian cancer. Many women do not seek help until the disease has begun to spread, but if detected at its earliest stage, the five-year survival rate is more than 93%. Recent research suggests that together the four symptoms of: bloating, pelvic or abdominal pain, difficulty eating or feeling full quickly and urinary urgency or frequency may be associated with ovarian cancer.


What Is Ovarian Cancer?

Ovarian cancer is cancer that develops in the ovaries. The ovaries are part of a woman's reproductive system. They are located in the pelvis on either side of the uterus. Each ovary is about the size of an almond. The ovaries make the female hormones progesterone and estrogen and release eggs into the fallopian tubes.

Cancer begins at a cellular level. Normally, cells grow and divide to form new cells. These new cells take the place of old cells as they die. Cancer cells continue to grow and divide. These abnormal cells continue to create new cells forming a tumor.


Stages of Ovarian Cancer

The four primary stages are:

     Stage I: The cancer is completely contained within the ovary or ovaries

     Stage II: The cancer is in one or both of the ovaries and has spread to
     additional organs located in the pelvis such as the bladder, colon, rectum
     or uterus.
 
     Stage III: The cancer is in one or both ovaries and has spread to one or
     both of the following: the lining of the abdomen or the lymph nodes.
     Stage IV: The most advanced stage of cancer. The cancer has spread from
     one or both ovaries to additional organs such as the liver or lungs, or there
     may be cancer cells in the fluid surrounding the lungs.

     Recurrent: The cancer has returned after successful treatment.

*The four stages of cancer are also divided into sub-groups

Monday, August 30, 2010

Boosting Nutrition for You and Your Family

I chose to begin my son on solid food at 4 months old.  I started with the usual rice cereals and moved on from there.  I also made almost all of the food he ate from fresh fruits, veggies, meats, etc.  It was an easy choice for me because I knew exactly where the food came from and how healthy is was for him.  I am still constantly looking for new ways to keep him eating a variety of healthy foods. 

At the age he is now, 16 months, it is easy to fall into hot dogs or chicken nuggets for lunch everyday.  I admit, Mason has had his days of dogs and nuggets, but thankfully, this is on rare occasion.  So, when I came across this great article, 10 Nutrition Powerhouses for Kids, it only reinforced the importance of continuing to add to a variety of healthy, nutritious foods into his diet. 

But with kids, often comes pickiness. I have been very fortunate that, so far, Mason will eat just about anything and everything that I give him.  However, I do notice that some days he is seemingly pickier and I wait for the day he says to me "Otdog!, Otdog!", which is what I used to call hot dogs at his age.  I always try to be a sneaky Mom when it comes to adding nutritious foods to his diet.  I hope to share these with you.  If it helps your child eat a little healthier, then my job is done.

One of my favorite sneaky tricks I use to boost the nutritional value of tomato sauce is to add pureed sweet potatoes to the sauce.  There is a two-fold reason for this trick - -

     1. Tomatoes are loaded with lycopene -- a substance that protects
         against many cancers.  This is one of  the greatest super foods out there.
         It's a no-brainer to have Mason eat tomato sauce. 

     2. I have found that if my son eats too much sauce, he will start to get
         a rash.




So, by adding the pureed sweet potatoes or (shredded carrots) to the sauce, it will help not only to reduce the acid in the sauce (Bye, Bye rash!), but boost the nutritional value of the sauce (Hooray!).  Sweet potatoes and carrot have just about the same amount of beta-carotene. Sweet Potatoes contain carotenoids, are rich in Vitamin C and potassium. Plus, this starchy veggie is full of fiber, which will help to keep your sweetie full. 




I also like to use the cube method to freeze sauce I have made for Mason.  This way, I have sauce readily available that I can defrost for quick lunches.