Fantastic music!

I listened to this today and loved it! It's the Mormon Tabernacle Choir with Lindsey Stirling and Nathan Pacheco. I've seen Stirling before, but this is the first time I've heard Pacheco. He's really amazing, too. Stirling's song, "Elements," is incredible! I included it at the bottom in case people didn't have time to listen to the full hour concert.

Lindsey Stirlings Elements ... Gorgeous!

Possible new cause of autism

Cnn.com posted an article about a new possible cause for autism. It's surprising. It's being induced or augmenting your labor.

The article states that the study that brought this up doesn't justify eliminating inducements, particularly for women who have health problems that threaten their life and the baby's life. But it does hold a warning for women who just want to do it.

Autism linked to induced or augmented labor, study says

Since I have known several people with autism, I'm pretty interested in what might cause it. If you're interested, read my previous post on the causes of autism.

Best way to cook salmon

As I have mentioned before, I don't like fish very much. It's expensive, tastes strong and has a funny texture. But it happens to be a great health food and one of the best ways to get omega-3 fatty acids. It's an excellent source of protein.

So I'd been looking around for a fish recipe that I would actually like. I finally found one that I really loved a few months ago. I found the original recipe to the one below in American Baby or Babytalk or something like that. But this is my own version. I use almonds instead of cashews because they're more lactogenic and they're cheaper.

Nutty Salmon

2 T. almonds
1 T. parmesan cheese
2 t. fresh basil
1 t. olive oil or butter
1 4-oz salmon filet
pepper

In a blender, pulse the first four ingredients until finely ground. Place salmon, skin-side down on a baking sheet covered with foil (shiny side up). Rub with nut mixture to form a crust. Sprinkle with pepper. Seal with foil. Bake at 425 degrees F for 12 minutes. Unseal foil and bake 2-3 more minutes or until crust is browned and fish is cooked.

Makes: 1 serving

Mango-orange lassi

Ayurvedic lassis are so good and simple, and are very healthy. I found a recipe for one that was particularly for women's health in a yoga book. It had two mangos, 2 cups of plain yogurt, honey and 1/2 cup of water. I loved it! I thought it tasted like nectar. Unfortunately, my husband didn't agree. He thought it was too bland, and suggested that I put an orange in it. So I did. And it's still really good!

Mango-orange Lassi

2 mangos, peeled and sliced
1 orange, peeled and sectioned, OR
1/4 c. orange juice concentrate
2 c. plain yogurt or vanilla yogurt
1 t. vanilla (optional)

Put all ingredients in a blender and mix until smooth. Note: Homemade plain yogurt is a lot sweeter than store-bought!

Makes: 3-4 servings

Homemade alphabet letters!

Last weekend Brian and I mixed up some salt dough and made homemade alphabet letters for Little Pink Girl. It was a lot of fun! We made them textured so that she would enjoy feeling them. Brian made the best textures ... notice the S, L, J, M, Q, O, I and L?

We just used the salt dough recipe from the Family Home Evening Resource Manual. It is really simple and cheap: salt, flour and water. It was a lot of fun to play with the clay. Brian said it reminded him of his pottery class in college. We even baked it in the oven (that's close to firing it, right?). And it is one way to help Little Pink Girl learn her letters and eventually read!

Anyone else have other strategies they use at a young age to help their kids be literate?