Well, school is in full swing, the leaves are beginning to fall, the weather has not quite decided to turn cool on a regular basis, allergy season is here and yes, it’s time for the dreaded bug…the nasty, cruddy, miserably cold season has arrived.  It started with one teenager, then another, then even my visiting California adult son caught it; doctors offices are full of families showing up with strep throat, sinus infections and “a virus” that has gone rampart from school to home to the office.  But, I, being Super Woman would be immune to this nasty crud because I eat well, drink plenty of fluids and take my vitamins…or so I thought!  But lo and behold, I got hit, and hit hard, and therefore reached out to my friends for advice on how to beat this “bug” and bounce back.

So, here’s what all you brilliant Friends on Facebook had to say to help ease my pain and comfort my ills:

Debbie HZ says: “Neti pot several times a day and drinking lots of water to thin mucus. Neti pot and warm mildly saline water will preclude the need for any decongestants. Additionally you know you need to eat good clean foods that support and boost immune system.”

Holly WB:  “Rave Sara essential oil put on a cotton ball and inhale several times an hour. It has antiviral Pelletier and dries up mucous membranes. Also a fan of the hot toddy!” (Oh, Holly, love the idea of the hot toddy!)

Robin M: You know about Vitamin C and Zinc! Taking them at first signs gets rid of them fast. Now try Evening Primrose Too. (Cold Pressed, Standardized; (1g. 1,000 mg)).

Rebecca GC: Neti pot, Echinacea and gelsemium.

Thanks to all for you for your suggestions and advice.  I’m off to the store to buy all these essential remedies so next time, I’ll be ready. Heed my advice and stock up. Prepare and fight the crud!

I love football season.  I love the game.  I love the time of year.  And I love tailgating.  We don’t get to travel to the college games as much as we would like.  But when we do get the opportunity, we spend days talking about what to bring.   I am not sure why we do this because we have gotten into a routine, and it works for us.  “Us” varies and can include any combination of sisters, husbands, kids and friends.  Always present are my parents and their BFFs.

Our tailgating is quite the production and has been years in the making.  We now have it down to a well-oiled machine.  Parents and BFFs bring the staples – folding chairs, tables, grills, coolers and tents.   Mom also brings her famous ham biscuits.   She doles these out pre-game as if she were passing out gold bars.  These are washed down with what have become our favorite Bloody Marys, and yes, the mix comes from the grocery store.  I know, shame on us.  Pregame may also include tailgate-hopping.  After all, you never know what delectables your friends may be enjoying, or when you might need a refill on your way to the stadium.

Post game is when the real production gets underway.  One thing you will always find at our table is chili.  The BFF’s have a family recipe we have all grown to love.  It would not be a tailgate without it.  Chicken wings, fried chicken, grilled sausage and peppers, salsa, chips, hummus, cheese and salami usually make it onto the table.  If I have time during the week, I will whip up several batches of my scratch-made empanadas.  These get warmed over the grill (when one becomes available).   We like to end with something sinfully delicious from the Barefoot Contessa; chocolate chip cookies, Outrageous Brownies, or Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars usually contributed by my niece or me.  BTW, my niece and her brother had the audacity to attend our rival school.  But we are a forgiving bunch and love them anyway.

Tell us what food you enjoy at your tailgate parties.

For me, making the change to eat healthy has been an ongoing process.  It started off in a grand gesture, with switching from eating red meat four times a week to maybe once a week, and adding more fish to the menu to be the dominate main dish.  Of course, I incorporated more of the “colorful” vegetables like carrots, sweet potatoes and tomatoes, added broccoli and spinach to the weekly dinner menus and switched out white bread with whole grain and wheat. But wait, there’s always more.

Snacking was a bit harder of a transition for my family and I.  Tortilla chips were easy since the blue and whole grain taste better than the white chips anyway, but cutting out the traditional junk food and sugary snacks with almonds, walnuts and fruits when I have the munchies was a bigger challenge. Thank goodness I still have my dark chocolate!

But there’s always the “forbidden food”.  The one item that we all know is on the “do not consume” list but it tempts us, lures us, and haunts us when we are our weakest. We just cannot walk away when the craving hits. For me that food is my beloved Coke Zero. My daily indulgence is bad for me, I know, but I have yet to give it up.  I just cannot help myself despite the fact that I’ve added iced green tea to my daily routine to try to fulfill the caffeine craving.  But, I still crave my Coke Zero. And as they always say, “When mamma ain’t happy, aint’ nobody happy.”

So, what’s your forbidden food?  Please tell me, you all have at least one!  It’s not just me, is it? Is it???

A loving note to my beautiful daughter…  Peanut butter and jelly AGAIN???  Well, yes, if you won’t eat chicken, turkey or any other source of protein, than that’s what you get for lunch.  Sorry, but I cannot pack tuna sashimi for you to take to school.  It just won’t work.  And no, I won’t pack pre-made salads from your favorite salad shop at $8-10 dollars a pop.  I will however, buy the exact same salad ingredients at the grocery store so you can assemble your own salad.  I will even make your favorite salad dressing so you don’t have to rely on the garden-variety bottled stuff.  I will also make extra pasta, soup and risotto so you can take the leftovers to school.

Finally, as you are not six, I will no longer purchase nor pack processed treats.  Too bad if all the other kids parents get this stuff.  You are in high school and you should have learned by now that I am in fact the meanest Mommy in the world.