Back to school. Back to work. Back to shorter days. Back to more activities. Back to a schedule. Back to “it’s-not-too-long-before-we-jump-into-the-holiday-season”. Just a lot of “back to’s”. I don’t know about you but this time of year is always a little mixed for me. I’m usually ready for the summer to end and get back to a regular schedule. While I LOVE having everyone home for the summer (my husband is a teacher so we’re all home), there comes a point where I start to get antsy and want to get more done. At the same time, however, this also means that the whole house gets a little nuts. Baseball, soccer, meetings, babysitters, more meetings, homework, even more meetings, music lessons, etc.  And those relaxing summer days quickly become like a warm but fuzzy memory.

Everyone has their own version of the “back to” season story. So when I saw this article from the University of Maryland Medical Center about a bunch of easy, fairly quick relaxation techniques I thought it would be fun to share. And believe me, I will be trying these ALL out in the next few weeks. They not only should help you fall asleep if you are having sleep trouble, but could also be helpful for just calming and focusing your mind.

I will summarize the techniques below, but definitely check out the full article for complete instructions and tips. Some of these are things I have learned in yoga and pilates classes but some are new to me.

• Progressive relaxation, which is consciously relaxing the muscles from your toes to your head and everything between.
• Toe tensing involves lying down, pointing the toes toward the face, and holding for 10 seconds before relaxing the toes and repeating.
• Breathing in deeply for eight to 10 seconds, holding the breath for one to two seconds, and slowly releasing.
• Guided imagery, which involves closing your eyes and visualizing a happy, peaceful place.
• Quiet ears, in which you lie down with hands beneath the head, then block the ear canals with the thumbs. Hold this position for 10 seconds to 15 seconds.

So keep your body and mind clear this season and the next using these great tips. Many of these techniques take only take a minute or so – while some sound perfect for when you need a good solid regeneration. *sigh*.  Enjoy.

This is the time of year that I feel like everyone gets back to everything they were doing before summer started. Back to school. Back to work. Back to schedule. Back to EATING right…

Summer is packed with outings, vacations and entertaining. It’s a blast and I absolutely love it. But each year it seems that September is perfectly timed. It comes when I am ready to have a schedule again. Ready to get back to work (clearly I slacked a lot on some things – including this blog!). And absolutely ready to eat right again (too many hot dogs, hamburgers, ice cream etc.)

It’s not only time to get me back on track, but time to get the whole family back to the basics. One of my favorite ways to give the kids something that they have no idea is healthy is to make them pancakes. This recipe is a family recipe from my sister’s godmother. They had it in their family for years. I have taken the basic recipe and I tweak it depending on how healthy I think I need to make it. The best thing is the boys have never realized they’re eating something good for them.

Also – this is a great recipe for quick breakfasts. It makes a “mix” and you leave it in the freezer. I put it in a big zip top bag with instructions on how to make the pancakes written right on it. Then I don’t have to look anything up. Plus – I always keep a quart of buttermilk in the fridge so we can make these whenever we want.

The Basic Pancake Recipe:

Whisk together in a big zip top bag (then store in the freezer) :
3 cups unbleached flour
3 cups whole wheat flour
1 T baking power
1 T baking soda
3 T sugar
1 T salt

Additional options to make healthier (and the kids won’t even notice!)

• 1/3 to 1/2 cup ground flax seed – excellent source of Omega 3Increase the amount of whole wheat flour, or exchange some of the white flour for the new white whole wheat flour
• Decrease the flour a bit and add corn meal (makes it a little crunchy – this is what is in Stonewall Kitchen’s pancake mix)

When ready to make pancakes (or waffles) do the following:
For every 2 people (8ish pancakes) mix together:
1 beaten egg
1 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons oil (I don’t usually add)
1 cup mix
(It will be lumpy – don’t worry!)

Other ‘add-ins’:

• Chocolate chips – hey, throw in a few for each pancake and your kids might eat more. Using only a few per pancake won’t negate the other health values
• Steam zucchini and/or carrots and puree it in the food processor. Add it and decrease the buttermilk. Healthy and they may never know! Great way to get veggies in! You could even try baby food.
• Fruit – sliced bananas, apples with cinnamon, frozen berries, peaches, pears. Whatever you have!

Fry in a skillet for a few minutes on the first side (until it bubbles and starts to dry on the edges) then flip and fry on the other side.

For the best taste, use REAL maple syrup. It’s one of the splurges that is so worth it!

Make a double batch and freeze the extra. It’s great for quick, healthy breakfasts during the week. You can even throw one in the lunch box for morning snack!

Have fun with it and enjoy. They are really good and you’ll find they are much easier than you think!