Pippi Longstocking

P eculiar, pigtailed Pippi.

I loved this story in grade 2.

P rimary school read aloud that I recently revisited.

P layful, inventive, creative 

I t stands the test of time.

 

Tommy and his sister Annika have a new neighbor, and her name is Pippi Longstocking. She has crazy red pigtails, no parents to tell her what to do, a horse that lives on her porch, and a flair for the outrageous that seems to lead to one adventure after another!

By Astred Lindgren

Food Glorious Food

Dear Jennifer,

Not only did your book, Jennifer's Way make me feel less alone, it lead me to your cookbook. And your cookbook has become my daily inspiration. It lifted my spirits in a way I never imagined possible, by giving me options in my diet when I needed them most.

Your books have truly changed my life!

With gratitude,

Stacey

Until I was told I couldn't eat certain things, I didn't realize how much I took food for granted. 

These days, my list of can't-eat foods is much longer than the list of foods I can enjoy. Reading labels in the grocery store is frustrating to say the least. Any processed or semi-processed food contains at least one of my can't-eat foods. The limitations are disheartening. And discouraging.

I've never been a foodie. Cooking's always been done out of necessity. I cook to feed myself and my family. "Eat to live?" That's me.

That all changed recently. Turns out some of the things I've been "eating to live" don't agree with me. My gut is inflamed. Blood tests have revealed autoimmune markers.

So far, the only answer has been to cut out a lot of the foods I eat on a daily basis.

Cooking the recipes from Jennifer's cookbook has been therapeutic. It's something I can do for me while I wait for answers. Is it celiac? Is it something else? Will I ever be able to eat normally again?

The answer to that last question came with Jennifer's cookbook. Yes! 

I'm actually quite proud of all the things I've been making and eating lately using Jennifer's fairly simple and oh-so-tasty recipes! I might even be moving over to the "live to eat" camp. 

Take a look at the yummy stuff below and you'll see why.

Cue the photographic evidence that, with a little effort - whether you have celiac disease, food allergies, food sensitivities, or none of the above - you too, can (and should!) eat delicious, healthy foods that taste great!

Classic Artisan Bread before

Classic Artisan Bread taking (an odd) shape

 

 

 

 

Cauliflower crust pizza, broccoli soup, beef stew, bacon-wrapped dates. These are just a few of the yummy things I've been cooking up in the kitchen.

Thank you, Jennifer!

A dairy-free chocolate milkshake cheers to you!

Palindrome Picture Book coming March 12!

This author mom was really on the level. She had her eye on palindromes from the start when she did the deed and wrote her beautiful picture book, Was It a Cat I Saw? 

Hannah loves palindromes. She even speaks in them! When Otto the cat runs away, Hannah and his owner go on a wordplay-filled quest to find him. But they, too, become lost. To get everyone home, Hannah will need a forward-and-backward-thinking solution. One thing’s for certain: She’s found a new friend—and if she ever asks his name, she’ll see just how well matched they are.

Written by debut picture book author Laura Bontje and illustrated by Emma Lidia Squillari, Was It a Cat I Saw? will delight readers who like their language silly and their friendships sincere.

Learn more here.

Congratulations, Laura on the release of your picture book! Madam, all I can say is wow! 

Reading & Writing . . . so very exciting!

Books related to disabilities? I've read my fair share, to educate myself, and to try and find answers to the many questions I've had over the years about Carter's 

challenges.

These three books (that I really enjoyed) have protagonists who use AAC to communicate:

I Have No Secrets by Penny Joelson 

           Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper          

             Say What You Will by Cammie McGovern

 Here are a few more I've enjoyed that have characters with disabilities:

Wonder by R.J. Palacio

                                                      Rain Reign by Ann M. Martin

Rules by Cynthia Lord

Yes, the disability books I've been reading lately are all fiction: middle grade and young adult novels. 

And why is that? 

Because you're supposed to read what you want to write. And for some time now, I've been working on my own middle grade novel.

Writing a book is a lofty goal. I thought the book I would someday write would be the story of Carter's life. I've told a lot of that here, including his journey with AAC, but I wanted to step away from memoir writing. 

Instead, my story is about two young girls who are total opposites. One is a neat freak and the other, not so much. 

It came out of a writing prompt. I started writing and never looked back. Go where the writing takes you (or so they say). That's what I did and guess what? It didn't take me down a path that had anything to do with AAC or disabilities.

Maybe someday I'll try and tackle a story like that. For now, I'm happy to share, promote, and recommend the books above. 

I'm also happy to share something very exciting...

(Drum roll, please.)

Last year, I submitted the intro of my middle grade novel to CANSCAIP's Writing For Children Competition and I was long listed! What a huge and wonderful surprise! 

If I'm ever going to finish my story, I'd better get back to it!

Happy reading!