WELCOME to N3

Although scary things and bad dreams are what a Nightmare Nibbler’s diet consists of, this super yummy fruit leather makes a great healthy snack for both adults and kids alike!  Here is the recipe for the fruit leather that I made today using my dehydrator. Since this isn’t cooked and is dried at low temps, it qualifies as being ‘raw’ – aka enzymatically alive! Nice!

INGREDIENTS:

6 large strawberries

3 Gala apples

2 Red Delicious apples

1 banana

1 T. honey (optional, added sweetness) I used a bit of raw honey…

NOTE:  I also added lemon juice (2 tsps per 2 cups of light coloured fruit) to help prevent darkening.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Mix all of the ingredients in a food processor until pureed.  Pour on teflex sheet.  **Dehydrate at 105 degrees for about 12 hours, or until able to easily peel off teflex sheet. Use pizza cutter to cut into strips and store in air tight baggies or containers.

**Dehydrating time depens on thickness of puree on teflex sheet. I dehydrated my batch for about 8 hours as I spread the puree quite thin

Glad I made a big batch because my son LOVES it!! (As do I and my hubby!!)

I had the pleasure recently of being contacted by Lindey McIntyre from the Bethanys Hope Foundation charity here in London, Ontario. She was interested in including Nightmare Nibbler plush toys in gift bags that she was preparing for some very special children who have MLD.

MLD is the abbreviation for Metachromatic Leukodystrophy - a terminal illness that Lindey and her husband, Dave’s, daughter Bethany was diagnosed with in 1995. When they were told by their medical team that there was nothing that could be done for Bethany, they realized that her only hope was research!  Determined to make a difference and to help the lack of funding that was out there for MLD, the McIntyres established Bethanys Hope Foundation which helps to fund research into this debilitating disease via Bethanys Hope Leukodystrophy Research Laboratory.

Sadly, Bethany’s struggle with MLD ended in 2000 but ‘her legacy of hope endures and continues to inspire a community of men and women to find the answers to eliminate this wretched disease known as Leukodystrophy…’

Over the years, everyone associated with Bethanys Hope Foundation, has combined their talent and energy to execute a number of charity events including the “ Rock the Park” music Festivals which have them on their way to reaching another fundraising milestone for research dollars to go towards their ultimate goal of a cure!

My heart was full as I looked at the photo that was recently posted of two of the beautiful children with MLD holding their Nibblers.

I’m sure that Norbert couldn’t ask for better caregivers! Seeing them reinforces my goal of one day being able to offer Nibblers en masse to many brave kids everywhere through The Nightmare Nibbler Project!

For more information about Bethanys Hope Foundation, MLD and/or if you’d like to know how you can help, please visit the Bethanys Hope Foundation website at http://www.bethanyshope.org/.

Some see a hopeless end, while others see an endless hope.’ 

~Author Unknown

He’s as cute as a bunny AND he has the added benefit of helping kids manage their nighttime fears by gobbling them up! Norbert the Nightmare Nibbler loves sitting in the Easter basket among the pretty eggs

Makes a great Easter gift!

Enjoy a 20% Easter discount on the Nightmare Nibbler plush and Norbert the Nightmare Nibbler picture book!

Simply use the code EASTER2012 upon checkout at the Nightmare Nibbler online store:  http://store.nightmarenibbler.com/

I’m admittedly not a big fan of going to the Dentist…doesn’t matter how old I get, but I always seem to tense up a bit once I step inside and I hear the sounds of the drills and suction! 

Thankfully the dental office that I go to has really wonderful staff who I believe can help make anyone feel calm and at ease…I always chuckle to myself when the hygenist insists on ‘chatting’ with me – she asks questions while I struggle to find a way to ‘make’ words like a ventriloquist while she has her entire hand in my mouth! LOL

Well, today I had an event free checkup…quick, painless and left with that wonderful clean feeling that only a dental visit can truly capture. 

My hubby and I have been adamant about sharing great dental health care with our son – which to us includes flossing and brushing AND proper nutrition.  Thus far he’s been lucky in that he hasn’t yet had a cavity and he’s in grade 4. Sadly, many of his classmates can’t say the same thing with a few having multiple cavities already at this young age

I’ve recently been contacted by a great organization which is striving to help kids/students improve their oral health.

Love your Teeth.net “ is dedicated to providing fun, free, non-commercial tools that faciliate the development of good brushing habits in children.”

LoveYourTeeth.net is a public service by Dentist Advisor– a leading organization working to connect families and children to the knowledge, activities, and ideas that will help them develop effective oral health patterns resulting in a lifetime of wellness.

They’ve got great brushing charts which kids can personalize to track their dental care and progress on a day to day basis…very cute and a great way to get kids involved in the importance of taking care of their teeth! Teachers can also create brushing charts for their entire class! Cool!  :-)

This is something that everyone should really be able to ‘sink their teeth into’!

I’ve spoken before about how proud I am to have received the Kidlutions Preferred Product Award for the Nightmare Nibbler - my goal here is not to be a broken record, but to take a moment to give thanks for having had the pleasure of meeting Wendy Young the über talented dynamo behind the Kidlutions brand!  

Today she shared a blog post celebrating the 1st Anniversary of the Nibbler receiving the award and I am truly grateful for her kind words and the continued support and encouragement she offers! I am pleased to share her sentiments with you!

Susan