Undiagnosed Children’s Day

Today is Undiagnosed Children’s Day in the UK. I will use tomorrow to celebrate my amazing Clive & other undiagnosed children worldwide. Please share this video to bring awareness & to stop undiagnosed children from being invisible to those that should be helping them. Support shouldn’t begin with a child’s diagnosis, because sometimes that diagnosis never comes. Families need to spend less time fighting for support & more time creating happy memories with our children. This organization rely on donations to help find those families who are isolated & are struggling to get the help & support they need.
Here is a great video, please spread to bring awareness!

Video thanks to Just Bring the Chocolate

Awesome Video

Black Bean & Quinoa Enchilada Bake

Quinoa was labeled the healthiest food of 2013. I know from my mom’s experience is that it can be tricky to cook quinoa. If you don’t cook it with the right things, it has a bitter taste. But if you make it just right, its delicious! As I was browsing Pinterest to find new recipes I came across this one. Looking for healthy things for us all to eat, I was excited to try this recipe. It looked delicious, smelt delicious and tasted delicious. Put some Chalua on it and it makes it even better. My husband ate his with chips. He liked the flavor but had to get used to the texture of the dish. Sweet Baby enjoyed it as well. Recipe freezes well and I was able to assemble in the afternoon and throw in the oven when the hubby was on his way home from work.

Recipe and photo from Two Peas & Their Pod. Check out their site for more delicious recipes to try. It is a new favorite of mine and the best part is it’s only 6 WW points for one serving! Quinoa is packed with protein so one serving can go a long way! Tell me what you think!

Black Bean & Quinoa Enchilada Bake

Yield: Serves 8-10   

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes-includes churning time

 

ingredients:

1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
2 cups water
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeño, seeds and ribs removed,diced
1 red pepper, seeds removed, diced
1 orange pepper, seeds removed, diced
1 cup corn frozen kernels
Juice of 1 small lime
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 (15 oz) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups red enchilada sauce  ( I put 3 cups)
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese
Toppings: Sliced green onions, avocado slices, sour cream, optional

directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.

2. Add quinoa and water to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 5 minutes. Turn the heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until water is absorbed. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork. Cover quinoa and set aside.

3. In a large skillet, heat the tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, and jalapeño. Sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Add in the peppers and corn. Cook for about 3-4 minutes. Add the lime juice, cumin, chili powder, and cilantro. Stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

4. In a large bowl, add the cooked quinoa and black beans. Add the sautéed vegetable mixture and stir to combine. Pour in the enchilada sauce and stir. Add 1/2 cup shredded cheese.

5.Pour the black bean and quinoa mixture into the prepared baking dish. Top with remaining shredded cheese. Cover the pan with foil. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove foil. Bake an additional 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and edges are bubbling. Remove from the oven, and let cool for 10 minutes. Garnish with toppings, if desired. Serve warm.

Note-this recipe freezes well!

Still in the Same Place

I heard back from the doctor about Sweet Baby. Dr. Z, like us, is extremely concerned about his vision. She said he functions like a low vision baby almost blind baby. When she said this, I wanted to shout, see! I’m not crazy. The doctors kept blowing off my concerns about his vision. Dr. Z wants us to make an appointment with his eye doctor. Maybe now with Dr. Z’s concerns she will look for something else, or she may want to do surgery sooner. Before this evaluation, we had tried to get Sweet Baby into a vision program. But he was declined because it could be corrected with surgery. But now Dr. Z wants to try again, she’s going to write a letter. So my fingers are crossed that we will get into that program. I have heard amazing things about it. 

He is significantly delayed. Developmentally he is where a four month old is some areas. In other areas he is where an eight month old is. As far as the reason’s for his delays, they are still not sure. So essentially we are still in the same place. I think one concern of hers is Fragile X Syndrome, so I think we will be going to see a Geneticists. They also are concerned, that even though he’s ears have passed tests, they are concerned he doesn’t always turn when called. So they might check his brainstem to check his cochlear, as well if his delays are cognitive. They have blood work they want to check and a urine test. They might do an MRI now as well. Waiting is the hardest part. He goes to his eye doctor in a couple of weeks. So we don’t know anything new, but I’m just ready to be out of this phase. So I’m just going to focus on enjoying our Sweet Baby. He is a happy boy, he loves to be tickled, sung to and snuggles.

When the doctor was done, she asked if I had any questions. As tears welled up, my throat tightened up, “did they have anything good to say about him?” Then all the tears that had been pent up during the 30 minute conversation streamed down my face. She said it’s encouraging he is starting to enjoy peek-a-boo.

My husband and I have peace no matter what. If they diagnose him with something or not. We know God has a plan for Sweet Baby and He loves him more than my husband and I ever could. That’s a crazy thought.

~Our Sweet Life~