The Honey Health Bread Crusade – An Update

May 17, 2012 · 7 Comments ·

For the first part of the story please see this post.

Well! That was fast. In my last post I mentioned I sent a letter to the former owner of Hanley’s asking for guidance. His wife called me they day they received the letter. Cheyenne and I had a lovely conversation about small business, brambles, buffalo, indian powwows and of course Honey Health Bread. Her husband has had some medical issues since his retirement, but I could hear him in the background chiming in occasionally with bits of information.

He couldn’t remember the recipe exactly and she couldn’t put her hands on it, but they both knew there was no rye flour. He said there was no molasses, but she thought there might have been some. He remembered a syrup, but couldn’t remember what kind. There was whole wheat flour, but it was graham flour, a courser grind of whole wheat flour (and also the kind of flour used to make Graham Crackers). The both reminded me that it was a very wet dough, which makes sense given the moist open crumb.

Cheyenne said she’d look for the recipe for me, but she’s busy and I’m impatient. I’ve acquired some Graham Flour and some Barley malt syrup and am going to set about creating a recipe for Honey Health Bread. Wish me luck!

A Sad Moment for Me

May 15, 2012 · 3 Comments ·

Yesterday, two boys in Mim’s karate class moved up to the next level (Fish’s class). I had a moment of sadness as I watched two boys advance who were lower ranks than my son and younger (albeit only by a few months).

By the time we got in the car, I was over it. I have faith in the instructors. This is a family run program and I think they genuinely care about the children they teach. I also had time to recognize that my son, is who he is. He has issues beyond his vision. We’re working with the school and some specialists to determine the best course of action to help him overcome some of the challenges and manage those that can’t be overcome. He is immature, and unfocused. He is undisciplined and has the attention span of a gnat. When I really pondered on it, I realized that what made me sad was that his deficits are holding him back. As parents we want to see our children soar, but as humans, we all have strengths and weaknesses. His weaknesses happen to be focus and sitting still.

One the way home, he told me about how boys who were younger, and lower ranks than he had been moved up. I was glad I’d had a chance to gather my thoughts a little before we talked about it. With his sister’s help, we talked about how the next level up is less playful and more focused.{As an aside I was very proud of how she didn’t rub it in that he didn’t advance and instead offered constructive criticism for him} We discussed how there is even less tolerance for tom foolery at the higher level.

I reminded him that he has made excellent progress. In the last year he has advanced four ranks. Then we talked about whether the advanced level is something he’d be interested in. It is disrespectful in karate to ask your instructor when you will be advanced (either to a new rank or a new level). I have faith in the program and I don’t believe in advancement without merit. So, I coached him to talk about his own skill set and ask the instructors for suggestions on how he could improve to be considered for promotion to the next level.

He’s young to understand the implications of putting his destiny of his own hands, but I feel good about taking that tact. We’ll be working with him to help him manage and conquer his other issues and I believe he’s good at karate and so long as he enjoys it and rises to the challenge, we’ll keep going with it. He’ll complain again, I’m sure of it, but I’ll just remind him that in karate as in life, it is up to him how far he progresses.

The Honey Health Bread Project

May 8, 2012 · 9 Comments ·

When I was a little girl we’d come to Boston to see my Nana. Seeing Nana meant being spoiled. Coming to Boston meant Maple Leaf Hot Dogs and Honey Health bread. Maple Leaf Hot Dogs are still made today, but I’ve had a hard time finding them. However Honey Health Bread is no more.

Honey Health Bread was made by Hanley’s Bakery on Centre in West Roxbury, Massachusetts. I ended up coming to school in Boston, and convinced a friend with a car to take me to Hanley’s. I called ahead and asked them to hold 10 loaves for me. I think, no, I know they thought I was a crank call. They were shocked when I actually came in to pick up my order. We weren’t back in the car 2 minutes when I had a loaf open and was noshing. It was then that my friend realized I wasn’t completely batshit crazy, just a little carb obsessed. She even agreed the bread was worth the trip.

The crown of the crust is a deep mahogany brown in color and very firm in texture. The inside is a deep carmel color, the crumb is moist with lots of nooks and crannies and the lower crust is softer than then crown. My mouth waters as I type this. The flavor is sweeter than a white bread, but not in an overpowering way. Honey Health Bread made amazing toast, but was equally as good for peanut butter and jelly or tunafish sandwiches.

Isn’t it funny how things are just there until one day they aren’t? Throughout my 17 years living in and around Boston, I made numerous trips to Hanley’s to secure some of the amazing goodness that was Honey Health Bread. Alas, we pulled up stakes and left Mass for the wilds of New Hampshire. Still I knew peripherally that Hanley’s was still there. Until the summer of 2006 when a cousin mentioned in passing that Hanley’s had closed and the deli next door had opened up a new bakery. Comeagainsaywhat?????

Hanley’s closed? Gone was the art deco black and white floor and the sea foam green paint. Gone was the cases full of amazing baked treats, but most importantly, gone was Honey Health Bread. I was bereft. I later heard that the owners retired. I applaud them for a job well done, but what about the bread?

With help from help from King Arthur Flour and Cammy (yes, the chicken whisperer), I’ve perfected a white bread recipe that incorporates some whole grains while maintaining that white bread flavor that my picky children require.

Now for the real challenge. The time has come to try reproduce Honey Health Bread. By accident, I found a squash bread recipe that had element of HHB’s awesomeness, but it needed some tweaking. I made my first attempt yesterday and it failed with regards to meeting the high standards of Honey Health Bread, and aesthetics (it was very flat), but the taste wasn’t bad. At leas my mistakes are edible.

Through the magic that is the Internet, I have located the former owner of Hanley’s and I have sent him a letter to ask for some guidance. Why? Cuz, that’s how I roll. The worst he could do would be to ignore me. If I get any guidance at all, I’ll be thrilled.

Thus begins, The Honey Health Bread Project. I’ll keep you posted.

A Cappella Palooza

May 4, 2012 · Leave a comment ·

Great music for a great cause

The kids and I are huge fans of the NBC show The Sing Off. I was introduced to a cappella music in college and it is just love what people can do with their voices. The first two seasons were November/December fillers, but last year, NBC ran the show from September through December. I’m not a huge fan of reality shows that thrive on cutting comments or putting contestants down, but the vibe on this show is different. There’s a real sense of camaraderie and even irreverence. The Judges still babble on at times, but that’s what my Tivo remote is for.

I was thrilled to hear that some of the top ten contestants would be performing in Boston at A Cappella Pallooza, a fundraiser for the Mass General Hospital Cancer Center. The kids were over the moon. The downside was the perfomance was on a the last night of April Vacation. But, you know, sometimes you just have to bite the bullet, so I bought tickets for the three of us (A-man does not share our passion). It would be Mim’s first concert.

I think the organizers weren’t certain how the show would do, so they only utilized half of the Agganis Arena at Boston University. Much to my delight (and theirs I’m sure), the concert sold out all 4,000 available seats! The show was amazing! It featured B.U.’s own Dear Abby’s as well as a surprise visit from the Tufts Beelzebubs Sing Off Season Two Runner ups. North Shore, Delilah, and The Dartmouth Aires were all fan favorites of The Sing Off Season Three and Pentatonix was the winner. The performances were amazing. North Shore was on their home turf and the crowd responded. Delilah is actually a compilation of female singers from groups who performed on season one and season two. I wasn’t a huge fan of theirs on TV, but live they are badass female rockers. The Dartmouth Aires are just overwhelming, in a good way. Their choreography is tight, and their arrangements are amazing. They always have the audience eating out of their hands.

Pentatonix is in the process putting together an EP and have been touring ever since the Sing Off wrapped. Their interpretations of popular songs are incredibly innovative and their performances are energetic. I really hope some talented songwriter will write songs specifically for them. I think they could be the a cappella group that breaks the barrier and charts an original song. Bobby McFerrin did it with the help of some machines, but I think these five could do it with just their voices.

According to the event organizers, they raised over $200,000 for the Mass General Cancer center. Scott Griffith, CEO of ZipCar and leader of the event organizing team asked the audience if this should be an annual event. The result was an overwhelming yes. I really hope he follows through with that idea. It was a late night but a memorable one for all of us and yes, we’d do it again.

Here are some of my favorite performances from Sing Off Groups.

Born to Run – The Men of the Sing Off Season Three

Video Killed the Radio Star – Pentatonix

Someone That I Used to Know – Pentatonix

He and I

May 2, 2012 · 1 Comment ·

It was just he and I. His sister was off at the American Girl Store with her grandparents. We were supposed to go to a hands-on museum with another mom and her son, but Son got sick. Boo. Fortunately, Mim took it in stride. I offered to take him to the museum, but that was AFTER I offered to take him to the indoor play space in town. Silly me.

The place space is clean and safe and teaming with noise and pre-pubescent energy. Clearly I’d need fortification to sustain myself so we went to lunch at the local dinerish place. He brought cars and proceeded to draw on his placemat. The tale that surrounds this house is quite involved, it involves a police officer, his wife the race car driver, and their free-to-them house with an arcade, a huge swimming pool and a football field. I’ll have to video tape him giving the tour.

After lunch we ventured in to Krazy Kids. I brought my kindle, but my intention was to play with him. We climbed through the oversized inflatable maze and he disappeared on me. So, I found some wall space and settled in with the Hunger Games. I heard a “Hi Mama!” several different times as he whizzed by chasing others. When he came over for a water break, he launched into a detailed discussion of the monstrous climbing structure so I asked him if he wanted to give me a guided tour. We climbed and crawled, but it soon became clear I was harshing his vibe and he was only doing this to placate me. I released him from his duty and he was off again. I knew it was time to go when the stops for water or a quick albeit sweaty, snuggle, became more frequent.

Normally I’d just head home, but this was a special day, so we ventured into town to find a snack. We ended up with HUGE cookies. We nibbled them on our way down the street to the toy store. The primary audience for this toy story is teachers, but since children are the primary audience for teachers, the store is a hit with the short and loud crowd too. Eventually, he chose a pump action soft rocket that was advertised to travel 150 feet, but he put it back in favor of two smaller rockets so he could give one to his sister. *MELT* .

We headed home with declarations of this being the best day ever. I’d call that a win!

Chickies

April 23, 2012 · Leave a comment ·

It’s school vacation week here. In a perfect world I would be ahead on my blog posts, but in case you haven’t noticed by now, I don’t live in a perfect world :). In the mean time enjoy the cute chickies. I’ll be back with more soon.

It’s So Eggciting!

April 20, 2012 · Leave a comment ·

We’re getting chickens.

I blame Cammy.

Cammy keeps a small brood of chickens in her backyard. A few years ago, she gave me some fresh eggs. My life was never the same. If you’ve never eaten eggs laid by chickens NOT raised on a commercial farm, it is hard to describe the difference. The yolks are more yellow. The flavor is richer, eggier if you will. Now when I have store bought eggs, they just taste watered down. Local eggs add a subtle depth to the flavor to any recipe.

I’ve mooched Cammy’s eggs for three years. She’s very generous and I’m exceedingly grateful. Early on, I thought of keeping hens, but we like to go to the lake in the summer and we tend to travel occasionally the rest of the year. Chickens need daily care and attention.

A chance conversation with some neighbors changed that. There are four families involved and we figure the chance of ALL of us being gone at the same time are slim to none, plus, my experienced chicken whisperer Cammy has offered to pinch hit if necessary.

I’ll order the chickens on Monday and the chicks will be in late next month. I’m really not sure where this will lead, but I’m excited for the adventure and for the fresh eggs!

NYC

April 17, 2012 · Leave a comment ·

Do you remember when your kids were babies and you wondered if you were going to be able to go anywhere of substance again? Would you ever be able to enjoy an activity that wasn’t brightly colored or littered with oversized characters? I’m here to tell you that yes, you can.

Fish and I took a day trip to New city York recently and had a blast! We were part of a larger group, that split up, so it was just the two of us loose in The Big Apple for nine hours. She originally wanted to go to Ripley’s Believe it Or Not Odditorium. I said fine but also made some suggestions including Madam Tussauds Wax Museum, A boat tour, 30 Rock, the Empire State Building, The Sony Wonder Technology Lab, and the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum. Ultimately, it came down to a choice between the Intrepid and The Wonderlab. We didn’t jump on the WonderLab earlier enough to guarantee tickets. Fish was actually relieved because she’d had a hard time making up her mind.

I really wanted to use public transportation where possible. We live in an area with ZERO public transportation. It is possible my children will have enough vision to drive, but driving for the visually impaired varies by individual, by the state they live in and by road conditions. My kids might choose a field or land a job that requires them to live in a state where they won’t qualify for a license. I’d hate for them to turn down an amazing opportunity simply because they can’t drive. I want them to understand that especially in a major city, public transit is viable option.

Half the Adventure is in the getting there

The bus departed at 6am and arrived in New York at 11. I had a little trouble getting my bearings, but we were never more than a block or two off course. Turns out despite my heartfelt appreciate of public transportation, my skills are a bit rusty.

We missed the first bus because we were on the wrong side of the intersection. We missed the second bus because while I had the exact fare, they don’t accept paper money on busses, only Metro cards or coins. We acquired the necessary metro cards, but when we asked the driver of the third bus to announce the 12th Avenue stop, he smirked and said we were headed the wrong way. Ooops! Stupid ordinal directions! The fourth bus was the charm. We laughed our way through the entire adventure. “You’re never going to live this down, you know that right?” my daughter smiled an evil grin at me.

The Intrepid was fun. This kid LOVES museums. She is endlessly curious and museums provide a buffet for her brain. We prowled through the Growler a cold war submarine and then explored the aircraft carrier Intrepid from stem to stern. She got a kick out of the sleeping quarters for the enlisted men and loved looking at all the planes on the flight deck.

With only minimal confusion, we made our way back to Times Square and grabbed an early, quick dinner. After which she announced that she wanted to ride the subway and we should find a destination that would require a subway ride. We decided Rockefeller Center met the criteria. When we got there, the line to the Top of the Rock was too long for the allotted time we had left. She rolled with it. We stopped at Starbucks and headed back to the subway for a return trip to Times Square.

This was our first day trip to a new destination that was just she and I. I have no desire to be my daughter’s BFF, but this trip felt more like two friends exploring rather than Mom chaperoning a field trip. I don’t want to brag, but this is my blog, so I guess I can. I was so pleased that she shunned the shopping frenzy that gripped some of the girls. We had a few minutes before our final meeting, so we ducked into Toys R Us and she appreciated the display of Annoying Orange merchandise, and the ginormous Pig from Angry Birds, her only observation was to marvel at the bloated prices. “I bet that’s cheaper at home or even on Amazon.” Times Square was markedly more crowded in the early evening but Fish was a good sport about staying near me and my occasional need to hold her arm or steer her by the shoulders. It was a long day (almost 22 hours door to door), but she kept it together and we made some awesome memories.

There are so many places I’ve seen and want to share with my kids and new places I want to explore with them. I’m super excited that my daughter is growing up to be a delightful travel companion.

Hunting Easter Eggs

April 13, 2012 · Leave a comment ·

Got a Case Manager?

April 11, 2012 · 1 Comment ·

My mother’s health has been described as a house of cards. She’s older and much to her frustration, her health is failing. She’s a three-time cancer survivor and she still lives alone. Her medical care is delivered via a senior health practice affiliated with a prestigious hospital. Reputations be damned, good medical care comes down to good people caring about what they do.

It is not too much of a stretch to say that the only reason my mother is alive and able to live on her own is because of Anna. Anna is a Case Manager with my mother’s doctor’s office. Until recently, I thought every good sized geriatric medical practice had at least one case manager on staff. Turns out, Anna is a rarity in more ways than one.

Honestly, I don’t know what I’d do without Anna. My mother lives about an hour and a half from me. It’s almost all highway driving, but three hours round trip plus time to visit means my trips are infrequent. I do my best, but I’m an only child with a husband and two children, so my plate is pretty full.

My mother sees so many specialists, one needs a score card to keep track of her appointments and medicines. Thankfully, Anna keeps score. She is an experienced nurse with excellent communication skills and an inability to accept no for an answer.

The other advantage of having an Anna on the team? There is an unbiased, third party to mediate disagreements (No Mom, you cannot leave the hospital against medical advice). Anna is one part humanitarian and one part drill sergeant. My mother is a fiercely proud and independent woman which Anna respects, but Anna doesn’t take any baloney from anyone.

Anna is also a wealth of knowledge when it comes to social service agencies and Medicaid/Medicare rules and regulations. She acts as an advocate on my mother’s behalf when my mother can’t and I can’t be there to do it myself. She knows my mother well and can share successful approaches with medical professionals that make caring for her easier, thus making my mother more comfortable and the treatment more expedient and effective.

Not everyone needs the breadth of Anna’s expertise. Some have spouses or family who can manage many of the details, but when it comes down to coordinating treatment. EVERYBODY needs an Anna. She has a knack for cutting through the red tape and insuring that everyone is on the same page. She’s fluent in medical speak and can translate and interpret even the most convoluted doctor’s report. She answers questions that I might not otherwise ask lest I waste a doctor’s time. She explains in plain english what is happening, why it is happening and what outcome is expected.

I am familiar with case managers working as part of cancer treatment centers and after this experience, working with a case manager in geriatric health, I encourage everyone when evaluating medical practices, to ask if they employ a case manager. Having an Anna in your life can lessen the stress of being ill or caring for a loved one with chronic illness or failing health.

May you all find an Anna in your life when you need someone to help you negotiate the challenges of the medical system.

Thank you Anna for all you do.

Live Fearless Lee

Or at least that's what I tell myself