It’s the first Monday of the month, so I’ve gathered up links to the work I’ve done in other spaces.
At CatholicMom.com
Tech Talk: Listen to Our Writers: Several CatholicMom.com authors have their own podcasts! Subscribe to their shows for encouragement, entertainment and education.
November is not only “Men’s Cancer Month,” as one of the second-graders observed while I was substitute teaching. It’s also Diabetes Awareness Month. We’re all too aware of diabetes around here. Three years ago this Thanksgiving, TheKid was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes.
Because most people with diabetes have Type 2 (and that’s the one that gets the most press) I spend a lot of time correcting misconceptions about Type 1. People aren’t out to be malicious–they just don’t know the difference. So I have conversations like the one I had this past weekend at a family event.
TheKid heads up to the buffet table, is among the first in line, and starts loading his plate.
Relative: “What’s he going to eat?”
Me: “He’s a teenage boy. He’s going to eat All The Food.”
Relative: “I thought he has to be on a special diet.”
Me: “No, he can pretty much eat anything. He just has to take insulin every time he eats.”
Relative: “How many times a day does he take insulin?”
Me: “Every time he eats. He’s a teenage boy, so that’s pretty often…”
Relative: “But he’s going to outgrow this, right?”
Me: “No.”
Relative: …
Me: “He has Type 1. That’s an autoimmune disease. Basically, his body killed his pancreas and it’s not coming back.”
Here’s our story, the story behind Cook and Count, my cooking website, and (most important) the signs of Type 1 Diabetes, which is not caused by eating too many donuts. Yes, TheKid can have a donut. It’s not good for him (or anyone else) to eat the whole box, but he can have a donut if he takes insulin along with it.
He didn’t really have the “usual signs.” Instead, he was battling a so-called virus that caused a low fever, no appetite and a sore throat. His sister had the same thing a week before and had bounced back, so we tempted him with Slurpees and sweet tea and anything else to keep him hydrated. At the third doctor visit in less than ten days we insisted on blood work, thinking he had mono. That blood work showed a blood glucose level of over 600, and we went straight to the emergency room with a very sick child.
Cook and Count is primarily a recipe website, but it was born of my need to figure out the carb count of my family recipes so I can feed TheKid and keep him healthy.
You don’t have to be diabetic, or have a diabetic in your family, to use my recipes. In fact, I’ve been cooking many of these recipes for years. The only difference is that now I know the nutrition information that goes with them.
It’s Diabetes Awareness Month, so please take a moment to learn the signs of Type 1 Diabetes. This knowledge could very well save a life. I pray that you never need to use this information–but if you do, I hope that you find this site helpful.
If you or someone you love exhibits one or more of these symptoms, call a doctor immediately.
I’m linking up with Reconciled to You and Theology is a Verb for #WorthRevisit Wednesday, a place where you can come and bring a past & treasured post to share, and link up with fellow bloggers!
It’s the first Monday of the month, so I’ve gathered up links to the work I’ve done in other spaces. May was a busy month for book reviews, but I found time for a few recipes and a little spiritual writing, too.
At CatholicMom.com
Book Notes and Author Interview with Theresa Linden. Theresa Linden’s novel “Life-Changing Love” released in May from Silver Fire Publishing! I interviewed the author on the subject of courtship as a dating alternative, a central theme in the novel.
Copyright 2016 Barb Szyszkiewicz. All rights reserved.
The Chapel Rosary. Using a rosary belonging to someone else brings to mind a unique connection that is made through prayer.
Book Notes: Learning to Love with the Saints. I reviewed Jean Heimann’s spiritual biography, Learning to Love with the Saints, which explores the how and why of those saints’ personal influence on her life.
Catholic Catalogue Book Club Part II: Seasons of the Church Year (#32-44). We discussed Part Two: Seasons of the Church Year (#32-44) from The Catholic Catalogue, by Melissa Musick and Anna Keating. Reading this book has convinced me of the need to make sure that the observations of both the daily and the seasonal aspects of Catholic life take place on a family level, not just a personal one
Amoris Laeticia, The Joy of Love. A roundup of early commentary on the latest papal exhortation, as well as a link to the document itself.
Book Notes: Blue-Eyed Doll. I reviewed Blue-Eyed Doll, a fascinating historical novel that transports the reader to 1920s California, where students collected dolls to exchange for dolls from students in Japan.
Tech Talk: Texting and Tweeting with Catholic Emoji. Just for fun, I tried out the new Catholic Emoji app for iPhone and iPad. Those new emoji from Apple? Try to find real Rosary beads in there. Catholic Emoji has you covered.
Book Review: Blue-Eyed Doll by Deanna K. Klingel. This fascinating historical novel transports the reader to 1920s California, where students collected dolls to exchange for dolls from students in Japan, and follows the collectible dolls into World War II and its aftermath. Don’t miss Ruth Mary, the gutsy main character–she’s terrific.
Note: All links to books are Amazon affiliate links. Thanks for supporting my website with your purchase!
Book Notes: Jeff Cavins’ When You Suffer. Cavins maintains that suffering has a purpose. It can help us grow in grace, to grow closer to Christ–if we choose to allow that to happen.
Tech Talk: Is there a Cure for FOMO? I admit that my use of some social media can border on the compulsive. What do you do to alleviate your fear of missing out?
The Faithful Traveler Brings the Holy Land Home. I enjoyed a virtual journey to the Holy Land through a new video series from The Faithful Traveler, this one focusing on a papal pilgrimage to the Holy Land.
Book Notes: Wartime Historical Fiction. I shared impressions of two historical novels I read recently, one set during World War II, the other during the Spanish Inquisition.
Easter Vigil: Bring Your Family to the Fire. Are your children too wiggly to handle the whole Easter Vigil? I suggested that you start slowly–by bringing your family to the fire.
At Cook and Count
There’s been lots of international cooking this month!
I didn’t get much writing done last week, since we were busy celebrating Thanksgiving and traveling and visiting and cooking a turkey here so we could have leftovers–that sort of thing. I pretty much took 4 days off work, which meant I was buried in email today, but it was definitely worth it.
Packing Lunches for your Diabetic Child: It seems like the easiest thing in the world to pack a lunch. But two years ago when my younger son was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes, those little everyday things felt like huge obstacles. Here’s how we figured out a way for him to know how many carbs are in his lunch and snack.
Book Notes: Christine Marciniak’s Ali Series. I interviewed the author of a series of books for teen girls that doesn’t include vampires, the occult or a desolate post-apocalyptic future.
Roasted Asparagus. Cookie sheets are not just for cookies anymore! They’re just the right size to roast vegetables in the oven. Here’s an easy recipe for oven-roasted asparagus.
On the Grill: Greek-Seasoned Steak. One of the best steak marinades we’ve tried so far. This works in pita sandwiches or (if you’re not as lazy as I am) for shish kebabs.
A lot of writing happened in this space last week–not so much in the others.
At CatholicMom.com
Tech Talk: All the Catholic News, All in One Place. I reviewed the new free app from the USCCB. The Catholic Church app is packed full of national and international Catholic news and many other resources.
At Cook and Count
Sausage and Pepper Pasta Bake. We are all about the sausage and pepper sandwiches around here, so it wasn’t too much of a stretch to take the best of that meal and turn it into a baked-pasta dish.
