Delicious Brisket

After managing to drag myself out of bed by 3:00 on Sunday (post-Halloween/birthday party), I got to cooking up this meal including mashed cauliflower, gravy, and cut up veggies/dip from the party. It was a total hit. Here's what I did for the brisket and gravy:

3 lb brisket
1 can diced tomatoes
1 onion, coarsely chopped
4 carrots, coarsely chopped
2 tsp oregano

Salt/pepper to taste

Pre-heat oven to 325*. Season brisket on both sides with oregano, salt, and pepper. Place in large oven safe pan. Sear both sides for 3 minutes on medium/high heat. Add remaining ingredients, cover, place in oven for 2.5 hours.

Remove from oven and put the meat on a plate or cutting board. Using an immersion blender, purée the veggies and drippings into a gravy.

Slice meat against the grain and serve topped with gravy.

This really hit the spot!

Carnitas - the Crockpot Killer

I seem to have killed my crockpot. It gave its life so we could eat Carnitas. Although I forgot to make them on Monday, I did successfully chuck all of the ingredients in the slow cooker before racing out the door on Tuesday. I’m not normally much of a pork eater (except for bacon – bacon doesn’t even count, right? Or, sausage. Sausage is good – whatever!) but I’m trying to branch out. The results were pretty good. I kept it super simple by just eating the shredded meat with some sliced avocado and grape tomatoes.

The only problem is that when I went to put the leftover chicken bones, water, apple cider vinegar, and garlic in the crockpot last night to make chicken stock, the darn thing wouldn’t turn on. Now, I’ve been known to declare small appliances dead, when they are really just not properly plugged in (I’m only human, after all), but I think this one is actually a gonner. Good thing I had my double slow cooker on hand (it has two smaller pots on one base) that I normally use to keep stuff warm during parties. In went all the chicken stock goodness which is bubbling away all day as I type. I look forward to getting home to the smell of Jewish penicillin. I plan to add a few sprigs of rosemary for the last hour or so before letting it cool and straining it. There is absolutely nothing better than homemade stock. Best health food ever!

How To Balance Your Yin And Yang For Mind And Body Health

When you watch my Qigong DVDs, I always start with a warm up, stretching or some physical training then I do the Qigong form. The reason I start this way is not only because this is the professional way but also because I've found many Western people believe Qigong is light training or very focused training, they believe it's about using the mind in a thinking way to control the body.

All exercise has internal and external, it's just we can't see it. For example, if you are running ten miles but at the beginning your pace is too fast then you won't be able to do ten miles. You need to understand how to pace yourself. This is the internal part of your training.

The Yin and Yang needs to be balanced and this is a combination of Qigong and physical exercise. When a person does personal training with me and I start with a warm up and stretching then the five basic stances, they find it hard.  A recent student who had been working with my DVDs, realised he was only using 20% of the strength he was supposed to be using for Qigong.  This is because he had a mistaken belief that Qigong was soft training. I told him, the training is not difficult, it's your body that is not strong yet.

Some fighters want to learn Qigong with me but they feel everything is too slow. They don't have the patience to learn it. I tell them, if you can't close your eyes and sit for five minutes to clean your mind, I guarantee you can never become a champion because you don't know how to calm yourself. Your body, mind and heart is not working together.

I am different from most Shaolin Masters because I don't just teach forms. I use my heart to find a way to help people achieve their health, fitness, martial art or fighting goals.

If you want to fight, Shaolin only give you a good foundation, you have to change and use modern techniques. If you think I'm wrong then you can research any kind of fight, K1 or UFC. Can you find any Shaolin traditional martial artists fighting there?

The world has changed. This is why I teach my fighters a fusion of traditional Shaolin with modern fighting techniques.

If you want to make your body healthy then you need a routine and a proper balance. For fighters, I recommend when they finish their training they do Qigong for half an hour.

If you are working with my DVDs and feel they are too hard this doesn't mean my DVDs are too hard, it means you are not strong enough yet and you need to build up your strength. Don't underestimate yourself.

You don't need to follow everything exactly. Learn from my DVDs then swop things around to make your own training programme that suits you and your lifestyle. 

For more information please visit http://www.shifuyanlei.co.uk/

And remember to sign to the mailing list for exclusive training tips and offers only available to subscribers. 

Turkey Day Test Kitchen: Stuffing Edition

I had this bug in my ear about wanting to come up with a grain free stuffing worthy of Thanksgiving. When I saw this Paleo Bread recipe, I knew I was on to something. So, yesterday, I baked up a loaf of bread and set about adapting my favorite cornbread recipe. I paired the creation with a delicious whole chicken, roasted broccoli, and topped it off with gravy (I added a dollup of tomato paste, an effect I liked). Here’s what I did for the stuffing:

2 tbs grass fed butter
2 onions, coarsely chopped
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, chopped (sage is great instead, but I didn’t have any)
1 egg
¼ c milk of choice (heavy cream, coconut milk…)
¼ c chicken broth
Salt and pepper to taste
Paleo Bread, cubed (I made mine with butter instead of coconut oil)

Preheat oven to 375*. Because I’m lazy very efficient, I do this all in one oven-safe casserole pan. On the stovetop, melt butter and add onions, cooking on low heat for 30 minutes or so until they caramelize. Add in the rosemary and stir. In a bowl, combine the egg, milk, chicken broth, salt and pepper and set aside. Mix the cubed bread in with the onions and then pour the egg mixture on top. Stir the stuffing just a bit to combine but not too much, which would cause your bread cubes to get mushy and break apart. Put the pan in the preheated oven and cook for 30 minutes until the stuffing is crispy on top. Try not to eat half of it before your husband comes home (or is that just me?)

Simple Dinner

Can't get easier than this! You know those Carnitas that were on the menu for yesterday? Guess who forgot to put on the crockpot yesterday! Yup. That’s me. As a result, I made the easiest dinner on record: I defrosted some cooked shrimp, made some ketchup, threw together a salad and called it done. I did get slightly fancy with the dressing since I went to the 2 minute “trouble” of making ketchup…

2 tbs ketchup
2 tbs balsamic vinegar
4 tbs olive oil

Stir all ingredients with a whisk and declare it “Catalina” dressing. Mix it with bagged lettuce and grape tomatoes and call it "Salad".

The good thing about the slip-up is that I now get to come home to all the Tex-Mex goodness today. I set myself up for success last night by premixing the ingredients for the Carnitas in a Ziploc bag. I got to just toss it in the slow cooker with the meat and run out the door. It was a good thing, too, since I got out of bed at 6:55 when I had to leave by 7:10. I managed to get out the door at 7:15, jogged to the metro (amazingly easy – this exercise thing is actually working!) and got to my bootcamp class just after 8:00. Not too shabby!

Also, in other news, I got my very own copy of Make it Paleo yesterday! If you are on the fence about trying out this way of eating or wondering what cookbook to buy, BUY THIS ONE! It has 450 pages of gorgeous recipes - each one with an awe inspiring photo. I cannot wait to start going through it. These guys came up with my beloved pumpkin cookies, so the bar is high.

The Shaolin Way To Train Mixed Martial Arts - Part Three

Every morning, I get up and train. My students see me do the same thing, year by year by year. It’s only when they go in the ring and fight that they understand why I do the same thing every year, every day. The simple things are the most useful but they take time and effort to master.

For example, I train my left leg to be fast and sharp. It’s not very powerful but it's fast. My right leg is very heavy and I use my left leg to attack, to break my opponents plan, any time I have the opportunity. I use my right leg to do the round house kick. If I get them with this kick then I know I will knock them out. I practice many years just for this one kick. I know I can do this kick from any angle, close or long distance. I have confidence because I've done this kick so many times.

I'm not very tall but I'm quite heavy. My opponent is always taller than me so they have a longer reach than me. This is why I need good body conditioning. I don’t have as much opportunity as them to punch and kick. I practice a lot of body conditioning so I know that my body can take their kick and punch.  When I get close to them, I can use my kick to finish this fight.

The important thing is you have to know yourself and know your body. Everyone is different. My technique wouldn’t work for you. Do you know what would? What do you want to do? Build up your punch or your kick? What are you good at? What are you bad at? How do you hide the things you're no good at? How do you use your good things? No-one can teach you. You need to find this out for yourself. You have to become your own teacher and teach yourself.

If you love martial arts then you need to be humble and lonely and simple. Try to make simple things not simple . Try to make lonely life not lonely. Try to make hard training easy. Once you have this kind of thinking you can become a good fighter because you have truly  conquered yourself.

Related DVDs:
Fighting Punches and Kicks Volume 1 & 2
Shaolin Bootcamp Volume 1 & 2
Shaolin Workout Volume 1, 2, 3
Kung Fu Ch'an 
If you like this blog please share by clicking on the links below.

On the Menu This Week

The pumpkin curry soup turned out really well. I used canned organic pumpkin and frozen veggies and shrimp to make this a truly quick and simple Friday night dinner. But that was last week. On to the upcoming week's menu. I'm making some pretty big batches of food this week to carry us through with some leftovers.

Sunday

Curried Meatballs and Sliders

Monday

Crockpot Carnitas

Tuesday

Brisket (Adapted from this Lamb Shoulder Recipe)

Wednesday

Whole Chicken and Grain Free Stuffing

Thursday

Maple Balsamic Salmon

Friday

Old Bay Shrimp and Salad

Bon Jovi Opens Soul Kitchen in NJ

Congratulations on the opening of another pay-as-you-can 

community cafe!

Pistachio Salmon

I got the idea to try this from Paleo Comfort Foods' Pecan Crusted Fish which I made last week. I fell in love with the technique that resulted in a crunchy nutty crust that stayed put, even during flipping. For this recipe, I just swapped out the kind of fish and nuts. I paired it with some roasted cauliflower for the win. The combo was a big bit with Cute Man and certainly will become part of our rotation. Here’s what I did:

1 tbs Grass Fed Butter
2 Wild Caught Salmon Filets
½ c Almond Flour
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 egg white
1 c Pistachio nutmeats, coarsely chopped
2 slices of fresh lemon

Heat a pan over medium heat and add butter. While the butter melts, set up a station like so from left to right: plate with almond flour, salt and pepper; wide bowl with beaten egg white; and the cutting board with chopped pistachios. Dip the top of each filet in each station, going from left to right, creating a crust on the non-skin side of the filet. Put both pieces of fish into the buttered pan, crust side down (skin side up). Let cook for 5-6 minutes until the crust is toasted, then flip and cook 4-5 minutes more. Remove and serve with a slice of lemon. The fish should be cooked through and flake with a fork.

Grain Free Pizza

Having this pizza on the menu this week was a real treat. Cute Man isn’t a huge fan of the almond flour crusts, so I made his on two small flat breads he normally uses for his sandwiches. He was raving about it, so I think it’s safe to say he liked them. I used this recipe for the crust, but came up with the toppings myself based on what was on hand. Using the recommended parchment paper was the key to making this easy and week-night doable. The last time I made a pizza, the crust was super sticky and it was just an annoying process.

On to the toppings! I made a quick “sauce” with a small can of tomato paste, a bit of water, oregano, basil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and a drop of Stevia. I kept it thick so it wouldn’t make the crust soggy. Atop the sauce, I lovingly placed some onions I had caramelized in grass fed butter for 45 minutes over low heat as well as the julienned yellow squash I had added to the onions for the last 5 minutes. Lastly, I topped this baby off with some defrosted crumbled sausage I had in the freezer. The combination was terrific! Oh, and I also sprinkled some Parmesan Cheese on top after I took the finished product out of the oven. That picture didn’t look as good so I went with the pre-cheese version.

Items like “Paleo Pizza” are a bit controversial among some. They see them as a crutch, keeping people from letting go of the modern foods that are just simply no good for us. That may be true, but I don’t think this makes me any more likely to go out and want the real deal again. Instead, these types of treats are fun to create and let me have a taste of a food that I really like and sometimes miss. Also, I have no illusions of doing this thing perfectly. I’m just doing the very best I can, making better choices whenever possible. The great thing is that my efforts are starting to show real results. The proof is in the (dairy free, grain free, omega 3-rich) pudding, my friend!

Shrimp Egg Foo Young

This is a great easy and quick option that never disappoints. The photo is of Cute Man's plate so the eggy goodness is piled on top of a heap of brown rice. I ate mine plain, but also made some pureed tomato soup as a starter. The two elements did not go together at all, but I enjoyed them nonetheless. Here is how I made this quick and dirty creation that makes two separate omelets...

6 eggs

1 c frozen shrimp, thawed

1 c frozen veggies, thawed (I used Frenched green beans)

2 tbs wheat free soy sauce or tamari

1 tbs 5 spice powder

1 tsp garlic powder

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. Heat a small skillet over medium/high heat with fat of choice (I used chicken fat). Ladle half the mixture into the pan, turn the heat down to low and cover for 5-10 minutes until the omelet begins to puff up. Remove the lid, flip the omelet allowing the other side to sear just a bit before cutting it into four triangles and plating. Add some chopped scallions or chives to the top for garnish. Repeat the process with the other half of the egg mixture for your second serving.

The Shaolin Way To Train Mixed Martial Arts - Part Two

If you want to become a good MMA fighter then you need to train with focus. You can't be the best at ground, punch, and kick. You need to choose one or two skills that you will become special at and focus on these then have the other skills as the extra things you can do.

I have many MMA students that want to study with me, they say they know Juijutsu, Thai Boxing, Boxing etc but when I see them train, I ask them, “Which  is your weapon? Your kick or your punch?”  Most people don't have a lethal weapon. They are not 100% in control of their punch or their kick. They have no weapon that can enable them to win.  This means they have nothing special.

I tell them, this means that every time you go to fight, you are hoping for luck. You don't know which skill will help you to win the fight:  kick or punch or ground fighting. When you become a fighter, you can’t live for luck, you need to have full confidence, believe in your punch or your kick or your knee or elbow. Know that when you have the opportunity, you can knock your opponent out.

Because you know you can do this, then you make a strategy to trap them, you are setting them up so you can have the opportunity to knock them out. It's only when you are at this level that you are a good fighter.

This is the reason why you need to be humble. If you have too much desire to have everything, you can't have everything. You can only have one or two skills. This is enough for you to win. Simplify your training and strengthen your skill.

But it's not easy. Because when you have a skill, you have to use your brain, you need to fight different kind of fighters so you need to be able use your weapon from different angles, you need to practice over and over again to make your weapon sharper and sharper. This humbles you. It’s boring. There’s nothing exciting. Where as when you learn different martial arts and different techniques, you feel excited and stimulated but the truth is, you can’t master them. You will always be an average fighter. This week I want you to find your special skill and train in it intensively until it becomes your special weapon
Related DVDs:
Fighting Punches and Kicks Volume 1 & 2
Shaolin Bootcamp Volume 1 & 2
Shaolin Workout Volume 1, 2, 3
Kung Fu Ch'an 
If you like this blog please share by clicking on the links below.

Fish Tacos, PCF Style

Unlike last week, I took the time to crack open my trusty copy of Paleo Comfort Foods before actually starting to make my tacos. I’m so glad I did! Their recipe is super simple and offers a great technique. The main difference was that it called for me to marinate the fish for a short while before cooking it up. Not rocket science but also not something I’ve bothered to do before. It really made it better. Two tasty thumbs up!

In other news, I’m so determined to stick with my meal plan and not go out and buy more food before the weekend that I’ve taken to rationing eggs! With Shrimp Egg Foo Young and Grain Free Pizza dough on the menu as well as the need for an egg white wash for the Pistachio Salmon, those babies are in hot demand. I thought I had a ton of them until Cute Man and I both wanted scrambled eggs for breakfast. As a result, I counted out what I needed for the week and made scrambled eggs with the rest. It all worked out and I’m glad to know we’re still on track.

I’m hoping that I’ll get my new copy of Make it Paleo sometime this week so that I can use it for meal planning next week. That book looks amazing and I cannot wait to try out a bunch of their goodies. These are the people who brought me my beloved Pumpkin Cookies, so I have high hopes!!!

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reelsaltlife

Curried Meatball Cookies

I adapted these from an Everyday Paleo recipe and they came out really well. I decided to add a heaping tablespoon of coconut flour to help them hold their shape and to caramelize the onions before adding them into the mixture, which imparted some great flavor. The flat shape was also a hit with the Cute Man. Plus, they cooked super quickly under the broiler. I had a batch of some of the sauce in the freezer from the last time I made the meatballs, so I didn’t have to make that again. The only problem with this whole meal was that those leftovers I was so excited about? Didn’t happen. I have like two little guys in a Tupperware. They were so good that we pretty much gobbled them all up. Whoops!

This Week in Food

For this week, I’ve come up with a selection of favorites based on what we still have in the house. I will be incorporating the Fish Tacos and Shrimp Skillet recipes from Paleo Comfort Foods, since I didn't get to try them last week. I am really enjoying having a concrete plan, even if that plan needs tweaking based on the reality of what each day brings. We stuck pretty close to the plan last week, the only notable exception was Chinese food Friday night. I did my best by ordering a seafood soup, to try to avoid extra sugar and/or gluten in any sauces. I was excited when my meal arrived but it turned out to be kind of bland. Too bad the soy sauce on the table clearly stated it contained wheat or else that may have helped the situation. It’s always a bit of a shame when you don’t love the food when you a paying to go out. That being said, I was still glad to have a night off from cooking and it was a fun night out with the Cute Man.

Sunday
Curried Meatball Cookies
(I'll be making these meatballs into sliders for easy grabbing of leftovers)
Monday
Fish Tacos (PCF p. 256)

Tuesday
Shrimp Egg Foo Young

Wednesday
Grain Free Pizza

Thursday
Shrimp Skillet (PCF p. 252)

Friday
Pistachio Crusted Salmon

Squash Soup

This is not the most glamorous photo, I know. But the soup? The soup is terrific. Cute Man is not the biggest fan of pureed soups so I got to enjoy the fruits of my labor on Monday a few times this week as part of my lunch. There is just something so yummy and comforting about butternut squash soup on a rainy day. It certainly hit the spot today. I think this will make its way into the rotation over the next few weeks of fall. This is my favorite season and the spicy undercurrents in this soup evoke it so well. I’m glad I dug this gem out of the recesses of Paleo Comfort Foods (p. 140) this week!

Pecan Crusted Fish

This one is a definite winner! The nuts really stuck to the top and even survived flipping in the pan. The crunchy deliciousness of the pecans meshed well with the light buttery lemon/wine sauce. I chose to use some wild caught Alaskan Cod that I picked up at Trader Joe's recently. It had a great texture and paired very well with this recipe. The roasted broccoli I served with it almost didn't survive until Cute Man got home. I just love that stuff inexplicably!

This was another hit from the Paleo Comfort Foods cookbook (p. 250). I must say that I've really been enjoying this experiment. It's nice to come home and already have a plan in place. It takes out all the decision making angst. Without a plan, it's much too easy for me to just phone it in and not put much effort into the meal. This is way more fun and results in some tasty excursions away from the old standbys.

Stuffed Peppers

These goodies from Paleo Comfort Foods (p. 296) were delicious but somewhat more time consuming than I'd normally like for a week-night. They turned out really pretty - I liked the colorfulness of the meal. I ate two peppers and that turned out to be a bit too much. I was definitely full at that point! Didn't stop me from scarfing a couple pumpkin cookies, though.

Fish Tacos

All thoughts about Paleo Comfort Foods went out the window last night. All I had in my head was Fish Tacos so I just made them. I have no idea if they even faintly resemble the recipe in the book. I forgot to even crack it open! My version was super easy – Alaskan Cod pieces cooked up with some garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, and a little bit of chicken broth until the liquid pretty much evaporates. I added that to some romaine leaves with chopped avocado/tomatoes seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and lime juice. I totally forgot the fresh cilantro, which would have been delish. Oh, well! It was that kind of night. I was super pooped from my workout earlier that day. It just really did me in! I also realized that the fish seemed to cook down considerably so I actually didn’t eat this last night (the picture is of Cute Man’s plate). I ate some of the guac with meat cookies instead and rounded out the night with some Pumpkin Cookies. Yum city!

Farmer's Pie

My big day of cooking yesterday also included this recipe from Paleo Comfort Foods (p. 290). I forgot the second pound of meat, but used the same amounts of other ingredients. It came out great! As a stroke of genius, I decided to sprinkle the top with some Parmesan cheese and broil it for a minute to get a nice crusty top. It was a hearty dinner last night and made for a terrific lunch today. I love leftovers, especially when from a tasty meal!

Meat Cookies (aka Sliders)

Today was a big day in the kitchen. Although most of my recipes this week are coming from Paleo Comfort Foods, this one is an Amelia creation. One of my favorite things to make are these bite sized finger foods. They're great for work lunches or as a grab and go snack. I make these all different ways based on what I have on hand. Here's what I did today:

1 lb grassfed ground beef

1/4 c onion
1/4 c carrot
1/4 c celery
1 tbs grassfed butter
2 tbs coconut flour
2 tbs Parmesan cheese
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

Sauté veggies in butter until onions become translucent. Set aside to cool. Put all other ingredients in a large bowl, then add the cooled veggies. Mix everything with clean hands until well combined. Form into slider sized patties and place on foil lined cookie sheet. Rub a little extra salt, pepper, or seasoning mix powder on each side of sliders - this helps make a nice crust on the outside. Broil on high for 6 minutes. Turn sliders and broil on the second side for 3 minutes. Remove from oven and enjoy!

Meal Planning with Paleo Comfort Foods

I decided to get a little more intentional with my cooking and try some new recipes from Paleo Comfort Foods, a brand new cookbook I bought recently. I picked out a few dishes that caught my eye and spread them out over the week. I'm starting off with just dinners, pretty much. I can save some leftovers for lunches, which will be helpful, and fill in with some sliders and squash soup I'm going to make today. I plan to take pictures and report on how each come out this week. Today will be the busiest since I'm off from work. Here's how the week is shaping up:

Monday
Squash soup (PCF p. 140)
Farmer’s Pie (PCF p. 290)
(Includes cauliflower mashed potatoes PCF p. 172)
[sliders for lunches]
Pumpkin Cookies

Tuesday
Fish Tacos (PCF p. 256)

Wednesday
Stuffed Peppers (PCF p. 296)

Thursday
Pecan Crusted Fish (PCF p. 250)

Friday
Shrimp Skillet (PCF p. 252)

The Shaolin Way To Train Mixed Martial Arts - Part One

This is the first blog post in a series of three about how to train in Mixed Martial Arts. Each week I'll give you one training method to do and by the end of the three weeks, you'll have three new skills which will help you in your training. Remember to send me a message and let me know how you're getting on.  

How To Replicate Your Fight In Your Training 

Recently I've been asked to train MMA fighters. I know some martial artists are purest but I love not only martial arts but also the fighting arts.  I like to watch MMA fights because there aren't many rules and the fighter need to be able to use many skills. But I think that MMA fighters stay on the ground too long. Everyone knows that in any fight competition, if you can knock someone out as quickly as possible then not only will you win but you will become a famous fighter.

If it was a street fight and you had someone on the ground for a few minutes then you would probably be killed by someone else who is standing. A few minutes is a few minutes too long. When we train in Shaolin, in some ways it's similar to MMA because we practice punch, kick, and take-down. The only difference is that in Shaolin we don't train in ground fighting because Chinese culture doesn't allow us to fight on the ground. We don't see it as equal if someone is on the ground and we are standing. It's not wrong to fight on the ground, it's just different culture.

At the Shaolin Temple, we train our arms in many different ways to make our punch and arm become our weapon. When you do MMA, you need to train your arm to punch and wrestle. Wrestling takes a lot of energy and makes your arm tired more quickly than a punch. This means in your training, you need to replicate the different ways that you use your muscles.

In my Shaolin Bootcamp Training DVDs, we use our body weight to train our arms. The training doesn't look difficult but when you train like this, is the toughest workout you can do because we are constantly using our muscles in different ways. It gives you the strength to shift from punching to wrestling and back again. This week, I want you to challenge your muscles in every way, this will help you keep your training alive so it's similar to a fight.


Next week: How To Find Your Special Skill And Turn It Into A Weapon


If you like this post please share or tweet by clicking on the links below the related DVDs.


Related DVDs
Shaolin Bootcamp 1 & 2
Fighting Punches and Kicks - volume 1
Fighting Punches and Kicks - take downs
Kung Fu Ch'an - fighting combinations, blocks and pad work.

Help for some new triplets!

Hey guys! The Love Drop team is at it again! They just came back from the Boston area where they dropped $5,000 worth of appliances and gifts to a woman who recently got hit by a car and is recovering in a wheelchair, and THIS month they're trying to round up the love for precious newborn triplets!

We want to help Jeff and Becca (the parents) prepare to bring them home from the hospital, as all three were born very underweight and are currently in the Neonatal ICU (they're doing great though! And will be coming home soon). With four children already, adding a surprise batch of triplets is going to put considerable financial strain on the family, and that's where we come in!

Let's help give them everything they need to welcome the triplets home, including diapers, food, furniture, gift cards - any cool baby stuff you can think of. We're shooting for at least $3,000 in cash, plus gifts.

Want to help? Here are three ways you can participate:
1. Give $1.00 - This money will help go to their family, and every dollar counts!
2. Give a gift card - Gift cards are extremely helpful. Places like Target, Wal-mart, restaurants, etc would be incredible. out.
3. Donate baby stuff! - Specifically diapers, formula and clothes. Gift cards here are awesome too. (Or maybe you have contacts in the baby world?)
You can reach the Love Drop team here anytime with questions: team (at) love drop (dot) us., or by checking them out at LoveDrop.us. Thanks everyone! We'll let you know how it goes!