Archive for the ‘Miscellaneous’ Category

Rambling About My Weekend…and a sneak peek into my normal routine.

Seems like I’ve been awful busy lately coming and going…and planning what’s going to happen next in my kitchen.  I decided to slow down for a moment today and share with you about what’s going on here at the White House.

Thursday evening pre-planning takes place…and a little oops!

I decided to plan early for Friday morning’s breakfast by whipping up a batch of that peanut butter baked oatmeal.  I spread it in my baking pan, covered it and put it in the fridge so that it would be ready to stick into the oven the next morning.

It all actually turned out pretty well….except that I got in a big hurry and left a few spots of baking soda that didn’t get mixed well. (eeeewww!)  Wouldn’t  you know, my hubby and youngest son got those bitter bites in their pieces…and weren’t really thrilled.  Next time, I’ll slow down and mix a little more thoroughly.

Friday morning takes a big curve…

I really planned to relax a little bit and then get busy cleaning a little during the afternoon, but my hubby suggested we take off and travel to Ponca City to do a little shopping.  We try to plan a trip there about once a month to stock up on some supplies.  Unlike most of my past years of being a little “unflexible” with my planned schedule…I decided, Why Not!

So, my schedule quickly changed just like that!  Anyway, I find that being the age of “40 something” is a little thrilling.  Most of the little worries of my 20 & 30’s seem not so important now.  I still worry sometimes about that mess lurking my boys’ rooms…but hey…I guarantee more than likely it’ll still be there tomorrow.  It won’t be crawling anywhere…and if it does…then I’m relieved that I didn’t discover whatever was crawling in there. lol

I did have a great but tiresome day.  When we got back for the evening, I made my pizza dough to get ready for our Friday Pizza Night. (Some routines are a must…and pizza is one of those big “priorities”, you know.)

No worries about Friday’s tasks that didn’t get done…

To keep me from getting too far off course, my schedule organizer notebook is my support pal that makes sure that I get everything done.  I find that just taking time to plan a few priorities to get done everyday keeps my house from falling apart.

Peering back on yesterday’s schedule, I decided I’d better tackle those tasks today (Saturday), so I simply drew a little arrow over to Saturday. (See how easy that is?)  I then added only one other task of cleaning the bathroom so that I could easily get everything done in a timely manner.

Saturday is also the day to use up our leftovers…

For lunch, I grabbed leftover pizza to heat up for my boys and took out our leftover grapes to enjoy on the side. I ate some leftover stir fry. It was still yummy!

For supper, I wanted to use some of my leftover turkey, some homemade salsa, tortilla bits, and a little shredded cheese that I had left in my sandwich drawer in the fridge.

Mission accomplished: I found this recipe online: Tex-Mex Turkey Soup

It was the perfect solution (and quite delicious). I didn’t have sour cream, but I substituted with plain yogurt.

For the topping, I used leftover bits of tortilla chips that I keep in a bag for such an occasion.  Five minutes before serving, I tossed the bits into a little pan and popped them in my toaster oven to crisp them up.  I sprinkled the tortilla bits and cheese over the soup and it really added to the flavor and texture of the soup.

My day is done…almost.  I’m planning to try this recipe tonight for a sweet treat this weekend: “Peanut Butter Bars“.  With chocolate and peanut butter together, I figure I can’t go wrong.

I’m now looking forward to being in the Lord’s House on Sunday!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend, and please take time to share your weekend by commenting below.

Tips to help reduce sugar in your family’s diet

As more and more families search for ways to become healthier, one of the most commonly overlooked health concerns is sugar consumption. (For more info read, “How Sugar Makes You Fat“.) Sugar consumption is most commonly identified as candy and junk food. While this is true, there are even more ways that sugar is incorporated into your family’s diet.

Here are a few tips to help reduce the sugar in your family’s diet…

Eat brown rice. White rice contains mostly carbohydrates, which converts quickly to sugar after consumption. Brown rice offers full nutritional value and is a great choice over white grain rice.

Opt for whole fruit. Most kids love fruit juice; however, there are fruit juices on the shelves today that are loaded with sugar additives. Instead of drinking a lot of fruit juice, opt for whole fruit, like apples, bananas and grapes.

Eat your veggies. Lots of kids fuss over eating their vegetables. Even though this might be a huge hurdle for some families, incorporating more vegetables into your meals will reduce your sugar intake by far and large. Smart vegetables include green beans, carrots, tomatoes, and squash. Be cautious not to intake too many of the starchy veggies, like potatoes and corn, which contain high amounts of sugar.

Snack wisely. Families tend to snack a lot…yes, even parents. Make fun, healthy snacks for your family instead of binging on junk food. For power-packed snacks that will keep away hunger, use protein. A light snack, like a turkey and cream cheese roll-up, will keep hunger at bay a lot longer if it’s going to be a while before the next meal.  In the evening, popcorn or veggies and dip offers another way to enjoy some fun “crunch” time instead of potato chips or cookies and milk.

Do your own Baking and Cooking. You can have more control over what’s in the food you eat when you make it yourself.  I made a snack the other night and cut the sugar in half.  Guess what? It still tasted great!  I find that introducing a brand new recipe is the best time to cut the sugar down.  Because my family hasn’t ever tried the full sugar version, they’re clueless about any difference in taste.

How to Make Homemade Banana Pudding (Video)

At a local store here in my small town, I pick up bananas at a big discount on Tuesdays.  On Wednesday nights after church we like to have some sort of snack or treat.  So, many times I whip up a quick batch of banana pudding and stick it in the fridge to have ready when we come home.

I found a video online that shows how to make homemade banana pudding and their recipe looks pretty easy. (The actual version I use without eggs is down below underneath the video.)  I usually forgo the cookies to cut back on sugar…and no complaints from the boys…they still look forward to it!

One additional note: I usually add a little nutmeg for extra flavor.  Nutmeg has some health benefits (click here), including effectiveness in killing a number of cavity-causing bacteria in the mouth.

Ingredients:

* Water
* 2 c. skim milk
* ⅓ c. sugar
* 3 tbsp. cornstarch
* 3 large egg yolks
* Pinch of salt
* 4 medium-ripe bananas
* 12 shortbread or vanilla-flavored cookies, crumbled
* Whipped cream

*For an easy homemade pudding without eggs, I use this “vanilla pudding recipe” (adding a little nutmeg), let it cool for 30 minutes in the fridge, then I mix in about half a tub of 8 oz. whip cream, add in my sliced bananas, and the put in the fridge for a couple of hours.

With this method, I have an easy “one scoop & serve” dessert.   You can sprinkle graham cracker crumbs on top to spiff it up if you wish.  For best results, mix in the dry ingredients with the milk before heating and constantly stir over heat until thickening begins to prevent lumps.  Turn off heat immediately to prevent scorching.

Save Money Creating Natural Beauty Remedies at Home

For Thrifty Thursday, I thought I would share a few ways that will keep you from spending a fortune on beauty products at the store.  In fact, all of the ingredients you’ll need are right in your kitchen or pantry cabinet.

Here are three ways in which you can create natural beauty remedies at home in a flash…

Olive Oil: You cook and bake with it; but did you know that you can use it in a variety of other ways? Because olive oil is chemical free, it can be used on your skin; as a bath oil, moisturizer, massage oil, and conditioner.

For example: You can apply a mixture of olive oil and lemon juice to your skin before bedtime to moisturize your skin. To strengthen your nails, soak them in warm extra virgin olive oil for five minutes. Massage your sore muscles with a mixture of extra virgin olive oil and rosemary. Apply olive oil to dry hair as an overall conditioner. It will leave your hair smooth and shiny.

Oatmeal: Wouldn’t you love a facial? Get out the box of oatmeal from your cabinet and begin. This oatmeal facial will not only exfoliate, but moisturize your skin as well…

Oatmeal Facial Recipe:

1 package of instant oatmeal
1/2 cup water
2 TB yogurt
2 TB honey
1 egg white

Mix the water and oatmeal, then add the additional ingredients. Apply a thin layer to your face. Leave it on for about 15 minutes or until you feel tightness; then rinse your face with warm water.

Dry Skin Brushing: Here is a technique that will leave you feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. Before taking a shower in the morning, use a brush or sponge and begin the dry skin brushing process to exfoliate dead skin cells, and improve your blood circulation.

Here’s how to do it: While standing the shower with the water off, start at your feet and begin brushing in small circles toward the upper part of your body. Then work your way down the back of your body to complete the process. Do not scrub hard, but apply even and light pressure. After you have completed this procedure, take a shower.

For extra exfoliating try these homemade sugar scrubs…

Sugar Scrub Recipes:

Lemon Sugar Scrub:

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup olive oil
1 TB grated lemon zest

Green Tea Sugar Scrub:

2 cups white sugar
1 cup honey
3 TB of green tea
5 drops vanilla

*Please  feel free to share some of your own homemade beauty recipes with our readers.

Sharing Secrets with Your Children

Do you remember how it felt when your close friend shared a secret with you?  Didn’t it make you feel kind of special?  Even privileged and honored that your friend trusted you with her valuable secret?

On a deeper level, I believe it created a closer bond between the two of you…after all, you both shared some secret information that none of the rest the world around you knew.

I love to share secrets with my boys.  I like making them feel like they’re really special to me when I share something that nobody else knows.  For instance, last night I shared a simple secret with my 12-year-old son.  I whispered quietly to him that I have a pumpkin pie hidden in the back of the fridge for Wednesday night after church.  I could tell that he was thrilled.  He promised that he wouldn’t tell anyone…and I know that I can trust him.

Of course, I do this with all of my boys from time to time.  I share silly secrets that really don’t mean anything…but they still seem to make my boys feel special.  On the other hand, I’ve also had a serious discussion with them about when one should keep information to themselves and occasions when one should tell information that they know.

Sharing fun, silly secrets with your children can be so enjoyable.  You’ll even find yourself feeling like a little kid again, too…sharing little giggles, whispers, winks, and those little mischievous grins.

*A foreword note: From time to time, I’ll be sharing articles from other resources.  This week I’m sharing an article with you that is written by another author.  I was a bit under the weather last week, and so I’m spending the day trying to catch up with getting my house in order.  I chose the following article because I think it serves as a good reminder why we need to keep eating breakfast…

Eat Breakfast and Lose Weight

When you wake up, your metabolism is a bit slow. The best thing you can do to rev up your metabolism is to eat breakfast within 1 hour of waking.

For those of you that are afraid to eat because you are trying to lose weight,you need to consider a couple of things.

POINT #1 – If you don’t have breakfast soon after waking, your metabolism slows even further and goes into what is commonly referred to as “starvation mode.” When this alarm signal has been triggered, your body decides that it may not be fed well today and shifts from a calorie-burning mode to a calorie-storing mode. Put simply, skipping breakfast is the perfect way to set your body up to “store” calories all day long as opposed to burning them. This is hardly the goal if you are interested in losing weight.

POINT #2 – After a night’s slumber, your blood-sugar is low. In order to have the energy and focus to tackle the day, you need to raise your blood-sugar levels or you risk getting hypoglycemic. When your blood-glucose levels drop too low, your body will seek out simple sugars to get it back up quickly (the human body is a terrific survivor.) Unfortunately, your body knows that the best way to raise those levels is to grab the nearest snickers bar or can of soda. I have personally experienced this, and it is very hard to stop eating when you get to this point. Skipping breakfast not only causes you to make bad food choices, but almost guarantees that you will overeat at some point.

POINT #3 – Your muscles are vitally important in keeping your metabolism high. After 6, 7, or 8 hours of rest, you need to feed your muscles or your body will feed on them. Really? Yes. Without giving your body energy from food, it will seek to get it from somewhere else. It will literally break down your muscle tissue (catabolism), and use the amino acids for energy. This is wonderful for survival purposes, but terrible for your metabolism and your appearance. Maintaining muscle is not only super important to your metabolism, it gives your body the shape and firmness we desire.

POINT #4 – Research confirms that breakfast eaters are more likely to not only lose weight, but keep it off forever! Recent research also clearly concludes that people who eat breakfast, actually eat fewer calories during the day.

One final point for those that are truly not hungry in the morning. First of all, this is a sign that your metabolism is slow from years of unhealthy habits. I hate to use the word “force”, but I urge you to have something soon after you get up. It could be as simple as a yogurt, or a banana with some all-natural peanut butter. Get your body to believe that it won’t be starved and it will be more willing to give up or “burn” energy all day long. Also, have your cup of “joe” with your breakfast or after, but not before. Caffeine is an appetite suppressant, and will temporarily take away your desire to eat.

Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com

For more helpful weight loss information, please visit www.HealthyHabitsNY.com or call (917) 648-8312