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Dear friends. I laid off my translator (me) because she was very bad. I am very sorry I will not be able to continue with the bog, but if you are interesting you can follow us in our Spanish blog because our pictures talk by themselves. Thank you for your time. Love María.

WEEK 3. Magic fruits with gelatin.

I invite you to visit the website oh! fiestas.. They have great ideas for holiday recipes,crafts ... I picked up this colorful jelly recipe.

Gelatin is a very healthy food. It is a pure protein obtained from animal raw materials containing collagen. Another advantage of gelatin is its content of amino acids,especially glycine and proline, which improve the construction of the structures of ourbody, mostly bones, cartilage, tendons and ligaments. An insufficient supply of amino acids can manifest itself in joint pain, brittle nails and dry hair. Industrial Gels are not recommended for  babies because they have plenty of sugar and unwise coloring.

This week activity is to make these fruit gelatin with the kids.

Give a new way to gelatin flavors!
Cut limes, lemons and oranges in half, remove all the pulp and fill them with jelly following the preparation instructions. Let cool and cut into wedges.
If you want to do even more special, just when warm, put a few chocolate chips to simulate the seeds. Delicious!

Mineralizate baby. Teas, a healthy alternative.

Teas can extract  main therapeutic and healthy assets from  plants. You can sweeten them with sugar or honey (honey contains vitamins, enzymes, organic acids, minerals and hormone-like substances with effects like antiseptic). Infusions can also be  a nice drink and are a feast for the senses.

Teas for children over 3 years:
- Rooibos. Taken alone or mixed with milk or juice. It tastes sweet and aromatic. You can take it cold as an alternative to soft drinks. It covers part of the daily requirements of calcium, magnesium and fluoride essential for bones and teeth.
- Chamomile. It is advisable after meals and advisable to reduce colic. It is mildly sedative and stimulates digestion.
- Lavender. It is done with the plant (not essential oil) and it is used for children over three years to sleep more quietly and without interruption.
- Malva flower infusion is used to soothe and soften the throat or bronchial colds, reduce the mucus, sore throat and all sorts of respiratory ailments.
- Melisa. Toddlers that sometimes uneasy when they are really tired, can be calmed by a Melisa bath.
I invite you to buy a box of bags of some of the teas listed above and staple the followings tags.

Download here.

Kids really like the adult´s rituals. You can start with the classic bags or containers that they can fill with herbs, while you controll the temperature of the water.
You can also fill a jar and put it in the fridge now that summer has just begun.

Donut cake.

This is Dani´s quick cake to take to school.

I hope kids like it.

WEEK 20. Making rainbow cookies.

You might see a nice receipe here and some pictures here.

Intellectual lunch, chattering oranges and tangerines.

The season of oranges is finishing, but what a surprise! See what a strange hybrid has fallen into my hands. It is the orange of wisdom, which is fantastic when children are learning to write names, numbers, shapes ... or even for short messages of love.

As you know tangerines are orange´s cousins and there is also a tangerine wisdom tree whose fruits are great for lunch at school.

The nephews of tangerines are kumquats. We love them at home…I would like to be sincere. A kumquat tree would be the best surprise gift I could have from my husband for our recent wedding anniversary.

I show you a picture to give you an idea of how nice it can be. Besides, it is easy to find because they sell in most of the "gardens" near my house.

WEEK 14. Nurturing Geniuses 2. Healthy breakfast. Sugar against slow absorption carbohydrates.

A healthy breakfast should contain:

- Carbohydrates: Toast bread with olive oil, tuna or turkey slice.
- Fiber + vitamins + slow carbohydrates: Fruit.
- Protein: 1 milk. Yogurt or glass of milk.

Ideas:

1 .- If you give your child a piece of toast and a small bottle of olive oil he would certainly try to drop it on the toast and eat it. It is his creation ... Dani loves the process.

2 .- Doesn´t your child like fruit? Well, what doesn´t he like fruit or chewing? Have you tried to slices the fuit and serve it as a fruit carpaccio sprinkled with sugar or caramel threads?

3 .- Do not you have time to cut apples or bananas ... There is more fruit. Children like small things. Have you tried raspberries, blueberries, kumquats ...? OK, they are not cheap, but chocolate eggs with surprise or donuts are not cheap either. A tiny portion is not worth much more and you can saves on drugs ...

4 .- Try to alternate normal yogurt with soy, if you put yogurt in a glass cup, you will break the monotony and it may be more attractive.

According to Patrick Holford (Optimum Nutrition for the mind of the child), sugar is the main fuel of the brain. It Is obtained from carbohydrates and it is very important to keep your levels balanced. The excess could lead to the effect of bouncing against the walls and the defect: fatigue, irritability, dizziness, insomnia, aggression, low concentration, anxiety, blurred vision, depression... 

Unbalance sugar affects IQ.
Refined sugars cause unbalances with both harmful effects of excess and defect.

Conclusion: To maintain the brain's functions you need to keep sugar levels balanced.

-Eat whole foods (whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, vegetables and fresh fruits).
-Avoid too much processed food.
- Choose whole grains (rice, millet, rye, oats, wheat, corn ...), breads and pastas.
-Avoid sugar or anything containing it (including glucose, sucrose, dextrose added). Sugar substitutes are harmful and maintain the craving for sugar.
-Combine foods with carbohydrates, protein and fiber. The combination causes sugar to be absorbed more slowly. It is better to eat a salad and a bowl of rice just rice.

Beautiful hotel Baobab fruits basket in Gran Canaria this Easter.

Thanks Miguel Angel (Head Chef) for making us feel like kings in a luxury hotel with African character.

-Choose fridge or fresh juices without sugar added, dilute with water to 50% and avoid long storage date.
-Encourages a good breakfast. (Beware of typical breakfast cereals which have a lot of hidden sugars).
-Avoid foods and drinks containing caffeine, chocolate, tea, coffee ...