Homage to My Papaya Friend...

My friend Steph and I met online. A few months later, she came to visit with her husband. Four months after that, we went on a long weekend girls getaway. And since then, we've been there for each other through some very trying times and shared our moments of joy. Currently Steph's known as my "papaya friend" since she's expecting and the baby is about the size of a papaya! We have about 5-6 hours drive between us but each month we send packages of fun goodies to make up for not being there in person.So today happened to be one of those fabulous days I came home to a package sent by Steph. She sent me the Winerd board game I've been eyeing for while (

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Conor Fun In The Banana Swing

Mom coaxes Conor into the "banana" swing in his aunt's back yard. But Conor got the "hang" of it pretty quick.autism

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Adult Autism Residential Care

One of, if not the least, discussed autism topics is the issue of residential care for autistic adults. It is more difficult to talk about some of the negative realities that await autistic persons, particularly those who are severely autistic or low functioning, those who will not be able to care for themselves or live independently. Even mentioning the need for secure residential care for those autistic persons who require 24/7 supervision can bring ridiculous allegations of "writing off autistics".It is refreshing to see news of someone actually doing something positive to address the residential care needs of autistic adults. In International

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OMG: I Got CRABS.

Yep. You read right. I got crabs today... and my husband loved it. But first, let me provide some background...We hit up the asian market today out in the suburbs and wow, what a difference in prices. Normally we shop in the neighboring suburbs since the prices are more afforable than in the city where we live. However this time, we went further out to get some new scenery. I'm so glad we did. Some of our awesome buys include:- strawberries for $.99/lb- blackberries for $.99/pkg- blueberries for $1.79/lrg pkg- peaches for $.69/lb- plums for $.99/lb- broccoli crowns for $.49/lb- yellow onions for $.39/lb- red onions for $.49/lb- green onions @ 4 bunche

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MFEAT Welcomes Nova Scotia Family Forced to Relocate to Manitoba to Access Pre-School Autism Treatment Program

MEDIA RELEASEMANITOBA FAMILIES FOR EFFECTIVE AUTISM TREATMENT (MFEAT) WELCOMES NOVASCOTIA FAMILY FORCED TO RELOCATE TO MANITOBA TO ACCESS PRE-SCHOOLAUTISM TREATMENT PROGRAM28 July 2008FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMFEAT welcomes to Manitoba Dr. Leif Sigurdson and his wife Dr. Leannevan Amstel, parents of a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) andmedical migrants from Nova Scotia. As reported by CTV News last Sundaythe family made the drastic decision to leave their careers in Halifaxto access treatment for their three-year-old son, who was diagnosedwith ASD a year ago. Their son will receive 35 hours of therapy perweek in St. Amant's Applied Behavioral An

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Leftovers Aren't So Bad...

One of our staple dishes I resort to whenever we have leftovers is fried rice. It's a dish that we make to use up leftover veggies and meats we have on hand... and the rice we use is always cold. That's key for perfect fried rice, just like what you'd get at Chinese restaurants and how my parents made theirs for their catering business. Here's my recipe for fried rice:1 cup leftover meats - pork, chicken, beef, seafood1-2 eggs3-4 cloves minced garlic1/2 onion finely diced3-4 tablespoons vegetable oil1 cup chopped vegetables (fresh or frozen)salt & pepper to taste1/2 tablespoon onion powder1/2 tablespoon garlic powder1-2 tablespoons light or dark s

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Ο πρώτος πλήρως συμβατός αποκωδικοποιητής

Βρισκόμαστε στην ευχάριστη θέση να σας ενημερώσουμε, ότι η εταιρεία OMNIWAVE Ε.Π.Ε, διαθέτει τον πρώτο πλήρως συμβατό αποκωδικοποιητή για τα επίγεια ψηφιακά κανάλια της ΕΡΤ Α.Ε ( CINE+,SPORT+,PRISMA+, ΡΙΚ ) και το επερχόμενο ψηφιακό κανάλι διαδραστικής τηλεόρασης (INFO+). Ο αποκωδικοποιητής είναι τύπου WINIX MHP με Ελληνικό μενού, Ηλεκτρονικό Οδηγό Προγράμματος-EPG & Διαδραστικές Υπηρεσίες (Interactive Services).Παραμένουμε στην διάθεση σας για οποιαδήποτε πληροφορία,Με εκτίμηση, Νεκτάριος Λαμπαδάριος Sales & Technical Director OMNIWAVE Ε.Π.Ε.Ραδιοτηλεοπτικά & Τηλεπικοινωνιακά ΣυστήματαΠολεμιστών 10, 14123 Λυκόβρυση-Αθήνα Τηλ: 210 28 34 00

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Talk Radio Network Nonsense

Talk Radio Network shock jock Michael Savage has been rightly vilified for his hateful comments about autistic children calling them "brats, idiots, and morons." What is equally appalling, and equally asinine, is the statement offered up in defense of Mr. Savage by his syndicator Talk Radio Network:"The network is satisfied that he did not mean any disrespect to autistic children or their families, but was, instead, reiterating his longstanding concerns on public health issues."How is calling autistic children brats, idiots and morons NOT disrespectful? How is spewing such hateful remarks "reiterating concerns on public health issues"?Talk Radio Ne

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Happy Meat!

Not the prettiest cuts but it sure tasted great!!!I know you've all probably heard me on my soap box about the tainted meat that we are being forced to eat from the supermarkets. All the meat that is pumped full of atibiotics and hormones to allow the animals to grow at a speed very unatural to them. I think I stopped eating meat from the "big guys" around February. I have found several ways around it...costly, yes, but I think that buy eating less meat but a higher quality meat (happy meat) we are seeing extra benefits from it. Quality or quantity is what we are going for here.A couple of months ago the CSA that I belong to (Worden Farms) sent

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Michael Savage Recommended For Dolthood

I haven't said too much about Michael Savage and his ridiculous rant against autistic children and their parents. His comments clearly identified him as a windbag and a blowhard that knows nothing about autism. His attack was so absurd that I did not feel the need to protest or go after his job. From what I understand Mr. "Savage" has attacked other groups Muslims, gays etc and will undoubtedly find an outlet somewhere in the US talk radio/television hate talk business to spew his hatred. Having said that I enjoy reading of the loss of advertisers for his program and the protests. Of the many comments about Savage's silly hate spiel though one

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Peter's Souvlaki Rocks!

Yummmmm...I have always loved souvlaki. Growing up in Toronto we had many, many Greeks around us so we were able to get some really good stuff. Since moving here we have 3 Greek restaurants run by 2 different people. Not a whole lot of variety. At one I really like the Greek Salad but their tzatziki sucks. The other one's tzatziki is great but their Greek Salad is bad! And unfortunately their souvlaki is pretty flat. I like mine full of flavor so just imagine how happy I was when Peter of Kalofagas - Greek Food and Beyond, finally posted his Souvlaki recipe!!!I had some trouble finding pork to do it with but I was finally able to get my hands

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Autism and Mortality Rates

In Mortality Rates in Autism Nestor L. Lopez-Duran Ph.D. , child psychologist, neuroscience researcher and blogger ( Autism Research Blog: Translating Autism) comments on a study examining an important and seldom discussed aspect of autism - mortality rates. Parents don't like to think about their child's life span and the likelihood that it will be shorter than that of the general population - or their own. I know I don't.Mortality Rates in Autism is Lopez-Duran's review of Mouridsen, S.E., Bronnum-Hansen, H., Rich, B., Isager, T. (2008). Mortality and causes of death in autism spectrum disorders: An update. Autism, 12(4), 403-414. DOI: 10.1177/136

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St. Amant and the Need for a REAL National Autism Strategy

In Autism treatment attracts family CTV reports the story of two doctors, Dr. Leif Sigurdson, a reconstructive surgeon, and his wife Dr. Leanne van Amstel, a radiologist. who are moving their family from Nova Scotia to Winnipeg so that their autistic son can access Applied Behavioral Analysis treatment at the Winnipeg's St. Amant program. As described on its web site:St. Amant is a comprehensive resource for Manitobans with a developmental disability, acquired brain injury and autism. A non-profit corporation, St. Amant offers a wide range of programming, services and care to support individuals with a developmental disability, acquired brain inj

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Pineapple Shortcakes w/Creme Anglaise

The following recipe was prepared during my Summer Grilling cooking class. You can read about it and check out the other recipes I made for the class HERE.Grilled Pineapple Shortcake w/Creme AnglaisOne of my favorite fruits is pineapple. Because of its high sugar content, especially when ripe, they are great on the grill. I was inspired by taking the idea of strawberry shortcakes and using pineapples in place of the berries. To save time, I didn't make the biscuits from scratch so I used biscuits from a tube (the horror!) I used a bottled caramel sauce and my friend Harv made the creme anglaise.Here is my recipe for Pineapple Shortcakes w/Creme Anglai

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Grilled Corn on the Cob w/Spice Butter

The following recipe was prepared during my Summer Grilling cooking class. You can read about it and check out the other recipes I made for the class HERE.Grilled Corn on the Cob w/Spice ButterThere are quite a few ways to grill corn. Today, I removed the husk and silks from the corn and cut them in half for cobbettes. To make it easier to grill, I wrapped each piece of corn in foill. Each of my guests each had a tablespoon of butter to add their choice of spices and seasonings to create their own spiced butter that they would use with their corn. Its a great way for your guests to get involved! They had the choice of using the butter on their corn be

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Grilled Vegetable Couscous Salad

The following recipe was prepared during my Summer Grilling cooking class. You can read about it and check out the other recipes I made for the class HERE.Grilled Vegetable Couscous SaladI wanted to serve up a filling salad that would also be great as a main entree for those that want a meatless meal. This salad takes grilled vegetables, couscous and a balsamic vinaigrette together fora light dish and requires little work.Here's my recipe for Grilled Vegetable Couscous Salad:2 cups prepared couscous1 bunch aspagarus, bottoms trimmed3 portabello mushrooms4 roma tomatoes, halved1 yellow squash, halved lengthwise2 zucchini, halved lengthwise1 red bell pe

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Bobby Flay's recipe for 16 Spice Chicken

The following recipe was prepared during my Summer Grilling cooking class. You can read about it and check out the other recipes I made for the class HERE.Spiced Two WaysFor the chicken drumsticks, I rubbed them with spices and seasonings as I did with the pork chops. However the 16 Spice Chicken is a recipe of Bobby Flay's. Combine the following spices together and coat boneless skinless chicken breasts and grill as you would the pork chops above.Here is Bobby Flay's recipe for 16 Spice Chicken:3 tablespoons ancho chile powder3 tablespoons pasilla chile powder3 tablespoons ground cumin3 tablespoons ground coriander3 tablespoons ground ginger2 tablesp

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Pork Chops Three Ways

The following recipe was prepared during my Summer Grilling cooking class. You can read about it and check out the other recipes I made for the class HERE.Pork Chops Three WaysFor my center, thick cut pork chops, I did nothing more than coat them in various rubs, spices and seasonings. In fact, when I buy meats in bulk, I'll take a few pieces and coat them with rubs/spices, place in a freezer bag and freeze for future meals. For these chops, I coated them with a Bell Pepper & Herb rub, BBQ rub and Greek rub.Coat your pork chops with your preferred mix of spices and seasonings.Before grilling, your chops should be at room temperature.Place chops on

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Margherita Pizza

The following recipe was prepared during my Summer Grilling cooking class. You can read about it and check out the other recipes I made for the class HERE.Margherita PizzaThis dish was gobbled up before I could take a picture! They loved how easy it was to make and versatile it was to top with anything they wanted.1 ball of prepared pizza dough (I used Trader Joe's brand)1 log fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced into rounds2-3 ripe fresh roma tomatoes, slicedhandful of fresh basil leaves2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil1-3 cloves of garlic, mincedOn a medium high heat grill, oil the grates well with olive oil.Take your pizza dough and stretch out into

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Can't Stand the Heat? Get Outta the Kitchen!

For dinner tonight, I hosted a dinner event where guests came over to learn how to cook an entire meal on the grill. It was extremely fun and the menu was fabulous. Here's what was on my menu:Appetizer - Margherita PizzaMain Entree - Pork Three Ways:Bell Pepper Herb, Greek Rubbed & BBQ RubbedMain Entree - Chicken Two Ways:Greek Rubbed Drumsticks, Bobby Flay's 16 Spice ChickenSide/Salad - Grilled Vegetable Couscous SaladSide - Corn on the Cob w/Spiced ButterDessert - Grilled Pineapple Shortcake w/Creme AnglaiseDessert - Grilled Peach Melba w/MarscaponeTo join in the fun, my fellow bloggers have submitted grilled recipes. As I do with each blogging

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Grilled Peach Melba w/Marscapone

The following recipe was prepared during my Summer Grilling cooking class. You can read about it and check out the other recipes I made for the class HERE.Grilled Peach Melba w/MascarponeI love how abundant peaches have been this week at my local market. Using this to my advantage, I made this dish on the grill. It's not only easy but the colors of the dish are beautiful.Here is my recipe for Grilled Peach Melba w/Marscapone:1-2 large ripe peaces, halved1 small tub of marscapone cheeseraspberry coulis (purchased or prepared)fresh mint for garnishOn a medium high heat grilled, place peach halves and grill with open lid.Turn the peaches when grill marks

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The Two Autism Faces of Pierre Poilievre

Pierre Poilievre is yet another of what seems to be an abundant supply of MP's in the Conservative Party of Stephen Harper who, while in opposition presented one face on the need for inclusion of autism treatment in Medicare, then wore another face once the Harper Conservatives formed the government. When it comes to federal financing of autism treatment for Canadians with autism Conservative MP Pierre Poilievre (Nepean—Carleton, CPC) has presented two decidedly different faces.Autism FACE # 1 - Opposition MP Pierre Poilievre While serving in opposition Conservative Party MP Pierre Poilievre was quite happy to use the cause of autistic children t

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Αντέχουμε ένα δίκαιο Αριστείδη ανάμεσά μας;;

Είχε επαφή με Μόναχο ο ΖορμπάςΤης ΓΙΑΝΝΑΣ ΠΑΠΑΔΑΚΟΥ Δύο φορές έχει «συναντηθεί» ο Γ. Ζορμπάς με τη Siemens. Και οι δύο υπήρξαν κρίσιμες για την καριέρα του: Η πρώτη ήταν το «καυτό» καλοκαίρι του 1995, με την υπόθεση των συμβάσεων ΟΤΕ με Siemens και Ιντρακόμ, και του είχε αφαιρεθεί βιαίως η δικογραφία των ψηφιακών.Κατά τρόπο μοιραίο, 13 χρόνια μετά, όταν συνάντησε πάλι τις συμβάσεις του ΟΤΕ με τη γερμανική εταιρεία, αποπέμπεται και αυτή τη φορά κατά βίαιο τρόπο από τη θέση του επικεφαλής της Αρχής κατά του ξεπλύματος βρόμικου χρήματος.Τώρα, πάντως, φέρεται αποφασισμένος να κλιμακώσει την αντίδρασή του και να αποστείλει, πιθανότατα την Τρίτη, επιστολή π

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