Sacramento Parent Magazine

Swallow it.

It might be hard to chew and it definitely won’t taste good.

Chances are you’ll have a hard time digesting it.

But it’s good for you.

Gulp.

My son and I passed a man holding a sign on the way into the grocery store parking lot today. He was facing the other direction and I couldn’t read his sign, but I can only imagine his sign said something about being hungry and needing food or money. My son was intrigued and asked me about the man.

“Mom, let’s get him some food,” he said on our way into the grocery store.

“What do you think we should get him?”, I asked.

“Maybe some chips!”, he replied.

My son was insistent that we help this man in need, and being the practical person I am, I was trying to think of something we could give him that wasn’t perishable and that would hopefully help him. Though in all honesty, I was thinking of the many people out there who also need help, but don’t stand on the corner asking for it. I have friends who have to carefully budget trips to the grocery store to buy milk and eggs for their family. There’s no extra money for chips, and too much pride to ask for handouts.

“How about if we give the man $5?”, I asked my son. He agreed. By the time we left the grocery store parking lot, the man in need was not to be seen. I tucked the five dollar bill in the ashtray of our car and told my son that we would give it to the next person in need that we came across. The experience certainly humbled me. It will take a lot more than a five dollar bill to make a difference for a person in need, and it’s sadly the very least I can do, but it was a reminder to do whatever I can to help those who need help, sign or no sign.

…make a website!

I was cracking myself up all weekend with this Internet gem: awkwardfamilyphotos.com

(Thanks, Lisa Thibodeau!)

As the holidays approach, I feel compelled to share. Enjoy the not-alone feeling!

You have three pots of soup simmering on the stove top. Split pea, potato leek and butternut squash soup. My biggest dilemna is which to eat first. Here’s the recipe for the butternut squash soup (I hope my neighbor doesn’t mind that I’m sharing it!):

My Neighbor’s Butternut Squash Soup

2 tbls butter and EVO
1 large onion
2 cloves of garlic
2 med apples peeled cored and diced
1 large carrot chopped
1 large butternut squash peeled and chopped
4 cups chicken stock
red pepper flakes
salt and fresh ground pepper
2 tbls yellow curry powder
1 tbls cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
2 tbls honey
1 tbls grated ginger

Sauté everything together for about 10-12 mins in a large stock pot. Add the spices at about 8 mins. Continue to stir to avoid burning. When the squash starts to brown add the stock. Bring to a low simmer and cook for approx. 20 additional mins. Remove form heat and cool. In different batches blend until smooth. Return to pot and reduce the liquid until soup is as thick as you like!!

My level of paranoia is no higher than usual for this whole H1N1 thing, but since I’m usually quite paranoid come cold and flu season, there’s really no bragging happening with that declaration. Since I never feel quite right about vaccine shots, I find myself going the holistic route: hitting the proverbial hay early and hitting the snooze button an extra once or twice, spritzing this handy all-natural hand sanitizer I found at Whole Foods, and last, but not least, stocking up on mandarin oranges. Like many locals, I swear by these sweet, sunny little vitamin-C bombs to get me through the winter. The Mountain Mandarin Fest is this weekend at the Gold Country Fairgrounds in Auburn. While it’s a public place (and I know we’re supposed to avoid those like, er… ahem, the plague), a lot will be in the open air. Plus–mandarins! Kids under 12 are free. See you there?