Quitting my TV news career has come with many benefits but perhaps none as important as how it has affected my ability to parent. My relationship with the Producer would have consisted of about an hour in the morning (stressed about what I’d cover that day) and an hour at night (still stressed about what went wrong with my report that day). I’ve started “Hold On to Your Kids” by Gordon Neufeld and Gabor Maté and I highly recommend it. They describe the era since World War II as one where peers have taken over the role of parenting, calling it “peer orientation”. They write, “Orientation, the drive to get one’s bearings and become acquainted with one’s surroundings, is a fundamental human instinct and need. Disorientation is one of the least bearable of all psychological experiences. Attachment and orientation are inextricably intertwined. Humans and other creatures automatically orient themselves by seeking cues from those to whom they are attached.” This has also got me thinking about my pressing question about why so many journalists prefer group think over curiosity. Are we adults also suffering from “peer orientation”?
I can’t believe I’m 44 making marshmallows for the first time. It’s so easy and they taste great, not to mention they’re so much healthier than store bought marshmallows. Here’s how we made them.
++ In a mixing bowl, combine 22g grass-fed gelatin & 1/2 cup water. Mix. Set aside.
++ In a stove top safe pot, combine 1/2 cup water, 1 1/2 cups sugar (we used organic maple) and 1 1/4 cups syrup sweetener (we used organic maple syrup). Add a pinch of salt. Boil at 240 degrees for 5-6 minutes.
++ Start whisking your gelatin on low speed and add the hot syrup. Slowly bring speed up on mixer until it’s on high. It took about 6-8 minutes before our mixture looked like marshmallow goo.
++ Prep your pan for the goo by greasing it and sprinkling powdered sugar all over it.
++ Pour goo into pan, sprinkle powdered sugar on top, let sit for 12 hours.
++ Grease your knife and dip it into powdered sugar, then cut your marshmallows into whatever shape you want.
++ Sprinkle more sugar on all sides
++...
We went to the Dunedin Celtic Festival last weekend and had our usual fare - haggis. It’s known as the official meal of Scotland. It’s essentially organ meats cooked in sheep’s stomach. Yum! My dad, Dr Chip, explains (while wearing a kilt) why haggis is so healthy. And if you don’t like haggis, you can get some similar nutrition in the cod liver/butter oil I take daily - link below!
COD LIVER/BUTTER OIL (Promo code "Alison" for 10% off):
https://www.greenpasture.org/
MAKE-UP / SKIN CARE (Promo code "Alison" for 10% off):
https://formlessbeauty.com/
