TALKING TO KIDS ABOUT EPILEPSY

Last Friday, I went to my son’s school to talk about epilepsy for Epilepsy Awareness Month. We had a purple party and ate purple snacks while we talked about how the brain works, how the brain can cause a seizure, and how people with epilepsy are brave and strong. They also learned the rules for helping someone if they have a seizure.  They were so attentive and asked many great questions. I could hardly believe that these kids are only 8 years old! At the end of my presentation, they each wrote a few words about epilepsy. I’m attaching a few here to show that it’s never too early to start talking to kids about epilepsy, how people with epilepsy are just like everyone else, and how they can help their friends or family if they have a seizure. Thank you, Ms. Boone’s class!

Translation:  "What do I think about people with epilepsy? They are awesome!"

"If someone has epilepsy, you can help them"

"If someone had epilepsy, I would say "Everything is OK" to that person"

"If someone has a seizure, put a soft thing under them. Remember to stay with them until they recover"

Recipe of the day:

My son and I like to cook together. It’s a great way for us to spend time together, talk about things, and laugh. He has always liked “experimenting” with recipes (some of which have been quite interesting, like the spaghetti and cheese taco he prepared for dinner yesterday ). On Saturday morning, we got up and decided to make a purple recipe together using things we had in the frig and cupboard. We ended up with this Blueberry Applesauce Coffee Cake and it was a hit for breakfast since it wasn't too sweet. Hope you enjoy it.

Blueberry Applesauce Coffee Cake

1 box Duncan Hines spice cake mix

1 ¼ cup applesauce

3 eggs

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 cup chopped pecans

1 pinch kosher salt

1 pint blueberries (or blackberries if you have them)

GLAZE

½ cup powdered sugar

1-2 Tb milk

Preheat oven to 350

Combine first 6 ingredients in a bowl until well combined. Add in blueberries at the end and gently stir into batter. Bake at 350 for about 40 minutes. Remove from oven and cool. In a small bowl, combine the powdered sugar and tablespoon of milk. Stir until powdered sugar is dissolved and a glaze forms. If mixure is too thick, add an additional tablespoon of milk. Drizzle over the top of the cake. Serve cake alone or slathered with a pat of butter.