Project Junky

Writing Itch

2011-03-20T17:31:00.000-07:00

I've been noticing lately, that I have had the itch to begin blogging again. Maybe it's something about this time of year. I am a very cyclic person, so it makes absolute sense. My wonderful hubby pointed this out a few months ago when he began to see the pattern of my urge to start a new business or project about October of every year (not small project, BIG time-consuming projects). I resisted the urge this year in order to break what might be a bad habit and intend to have complete awareness come October of this year.

I looked back at my previous posts and noticed that I start blogging back up in the spring and in the fall. Maybe because Homeschool is coming to an end and then again just beginning. Maybe it is the change in season. I really don't know, but I'm hoping this is a good cycle and I'm jumping back in. I'm not going to have the goal of blogging everyday which is completely unrealistic, just when I seem to have some thought or something that seems worth writing about. And if I seem to dissappear, I'll see when the season changes again....ha!

30 Day Challenge FINALE!

2010-06-07T04:49:00.001-07:00

Thank you to all of you faithful followers! I am sooooo late on posting the results. Thinking I needed to have a picture has held me up, so I decided to go ahead and post without.

Anyway, I completed the 30 day challenge on Tuesday night with a weight loss total of 13 pounds. I was thrilled with that number and although the first 8 came off real quick, I had to fight for the the last 5.

WARNING: TMI ahead.....

About 7 days before the challenge ended, I began adding some really great yogurt to my smoothies. By really great I mean yogurt with some really good bacteria that isn't found in all yogurt and organic besides. 3 days after I began the yogurt....I had a breakthrough in the bowel area if you know what I mean. No, I don't mean constant diarrhea. I just mean big, healthy, nice and soft stools. And several each day. Over the course of the last days, I dropped the remaining 5 lbs. Sooooo....I chalk it up to some much needed bacteria being put back into my digestive system. Grossed out yet?

If you read my initial 30 day challenge entry, you may remember the 3 major "Why I am doing this Challenge." For those just joining, they are for the following:

1. Physical Health
2. Emotional Health
3. Spiritual Health

So as a summation of the 30 day challenge, I will address how this challenge has affected each of these areas.

1. Physical: The obvious weightloss. And I do have a lot more energy without those sluggish downtimes after meals I used to get when I would eat a lot of carbs and animal protein. My complexion is doing well (although the monthly flair-up has not yet been eliminated). I still have swollen sore joints in my hands although I did have a few days where I didn't. I've been sleeping well at night. I haven't gotten that dizzy, anemic feeling all month.

2. Emotionally: Like I have mentioned in blogs past, I don't feel as addicted to food as I did prior to this challenge. I'm not constantly searching for the next sugar fix or planning my day to make sure I have sugar available at all costs. The down side is seeing the sugar addiction in my children and so many Americans, but will continue to introduce better choices where and when I can control this aspect. (More on Emotional to follow below)

3. Spiritually: The 30 day challenge, at times, has reminded me of past periods of fasting I have done for spiritual reasons. Although this wasn't the purpose of this challenge, I found myself relying on God with every hunger pain and craving. Sometimes I gave in, and sometimes I relied on the strength He gave me to get through. I had originally said the spiritual reason I wanted to change my eating habits is so I would be able to fast on a regular basis without major health problems each time. It just so happens that a man in our community became very sick the last week of this challenge and the day after the challenge ended I was compeled to fast for the day for this situation. I was able to drink only water until 6pm that night when I broke the fast. I didn't lose energy, or have dizziness, or headache. Praise be to God.

As I mentioned in a few blogs back, I was contemplating starting a round of HCG. I decided to take the day of fasting and then begin the HCG the next day. If you are familiar with HCG, you have 2 full days of gorging on anything and everything you want with an emphasis on lots of fat. I know, I don't like the sound of it either...but when I did HCG before, I didn't gorge as much as I should and ended up starving the entire time and not really completing the protocol to the end. Soooo....let's just say I went to bed with a stomache the 2nd night of gorging. I basically ate everything in those 2 days that I had wanted to eat in 30. I wasn't even hungry for it and had to force myself to eat a lot of it (I have a friend to vouge for this...she was there). This is when I noticed the EMOTIONAL effects of the crappy food. I had a Burger, Cheeseballs, and a Hot Fudge shake from the local Valley Drive-In dripping with grease. An hour later, I was so incredibly grouchy I couldn't even talk myself into a good mood. This happened while my friend and I were cleaning the church (we do this the same day every week). The mood brought back to mind all of the other cleaning days I had the same feeling and realized I hadn't had that funky mood for several weeks. Soooo....I attribute it to the SAD (Standard American Diet) I was consuming previous to this 30 day challenge.

Where do I go from here?

Well, for the next 30 days I will be taking HCG drops and sticking to the 500 calorie per day diet. After that I plan to continue as much RAW food as possible. I have ordered the book "80/10/10 Diet" by Dr. Graham and plan to read and psych myself up again. Thank you everyone for joining me in the journey and for your encouraging words along the way.

Day Twenty-Six thru Twenty-Eight PRPV

2010-05-31T06:29:00.000-07:00

I am so close to completing 30 days!!!! Today is actually Day 29, which makes tomorrow Day 30!!!!!

I have stayed pretty true to the challenge, some ups and downs the last three days, but making it. I'm having hard time recalling all the details of the last 3 days, but will try to remember best I can.

Friday, Day 26:
Breakfast: Smoothie
Lunch: Salad with Avocado, Raw Cheesecake
Snack: Don't remember
Supper: Applebee's Sante Fe Chicken Salad (balked on the organic chicken and forgot to order without cheese or sour cream...could have not eaten the sour cream..but it was there...I had to!!!)

Saturday, Day 27:
Breakfast: Smoothie
Lunch: Salad with Strawberries and Avocado
Snack: Raisins and Banana
Supper: Club Casmo Salad Bar (Mary---if you're reading this, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE use real lettuce in your salads....that head lettuce is killin' me here)
Snack: Naked Juice

Sunday, Day 28:
Breakfast: Green Smoothie, Mocha (One of my besties' husband made it and delivered to me in my Sunday School class, so I HAD to drink it right??)
Lunch: Back to Club Casmo SAlad Bar (lettuce and watermelon...and a pickle)
Dinner: Taco Del Mar, Vegan Mondito Burrito, Chips and Salsa, and 1.5 crispy beef tacos. (Yes, I was starving from the nasty lunch)
Snack: Raw Brownie

Detox Symptoms: My back and feet are back to normal. More on detox symptoms on final day.

Obstacles: Well, my mother-in-law is here visiting which explains all the eating out. Two meals in a row with head lettuce is seriously killing me!!! Also, my back teeth are so sensitive it hurts to eat cold fruit.

Joys: Just feeling good....feeling really good. Clothes are looser, AND the scale finally tipped in my favor this morning. :)

Coming UP: I am going to start HCG drops Wednesday and looking into the Vegan Protocol. I am super excited to take the next step in this journey. ALSO, we have a new little girl in the house and I'm reading about feeding her a raw diet as well. She is a year and half Maltese/Toy Poodle named Bella!!! Feeding her a raw diet ALSO involves learning how to debone a whole chicken which I am super excited about. Found the YouTube video....now just need to buy a super sharp knife! This Project Junky will not be without a project for awhile again!

Day Twenty-Three thru Twenty-Five PRPV

2010-05-28T05:12:00.000-07:00

So, I've gotten a little behind on the blogging, but still plugging away at the 30 day Challenge.

Tuesday was Day 23 and a good lesson about eating at Monterrey. For lunch I had a bean burrito and forgot to say, "no cheese, please." I felt so sluggish and yuck all afternoon. Not to mention the beans did a number on me. But it was worth meeting a friend for lunch and rekindling our friendship. I should have had a raw meal for supper, but we were having company and I made spaghetti and I didn't want to make them uncomfortable by not eating what I cooked. And I must mention that I made Raw Cheesecake for Bible Study group and I indulged in a sliver.

Wednesday was Day 24 and basically a repeat of Monday, Day 22. I painted on my dad's crew again so did a lot of physical labor aka sweating out toxins, ate a salad at Casmo's, some fruit for snacks, lots and lots of water...think I hit a gallon. For supper, I made Pasta Primavera. And still working on the Cheesecake.

Thursday, Day 25. Smoothie for breakfast. Celery with PB. Salad with Avocado, Tomato, and Dressing at the park with friends. Snacked on SUN CHIPs and Kettle CHIPS. Pear. More Sun Chips (I probably had 15 chips over the course of the day). Apple with PB and Honey. Today was a VERY HARD day. I just did not feel full, my body felt worn down, fruit did not taste good, and I just craved salty, crunchy food. For supper I had a guest for supper and taught her how to make Tilapia. I also made mashed potatoes (to score points with my Babe) and green beans. Small little piece of cheesecake.

5 DAYS LEFT!!!! Then I am hoping to score some HCG drops for a 30 day run and then back to PRPV. That's my plan for today anyway.

Day Twenty-Two PRPV

2010-05-25T15:00:00.000-07:00

Yesterday (Day 21) came together pretty good for me. I worked with my dad on a house painting job, so I burned some major calories in the hot sun and ate me some watermelon!

Breakfast: Smoothie
Snack: Cashews, Watermelon
Lunch: Chef Salad at Casmo's (no cheese, no ham)
Snack: Watermelon
Supper: Chicken Soft Tacos/Salad
Snack: Raw Brownie

Water: A Gallon at least

Day Twenty-One PRPV

2010-05-24T17:00:00.000-07:00

Anyone miss me? I'm getting just a little behind with the busy week of getting the church ready and all. I did fall off the wagon so to speak yesterday. But unlike other times, I got right back on and didn't let it send me backward. At the Celebration Lunch after church I RESISTED the Broasted Chicken and Cheezy Potatoes, ate my salad some green beans and pickles (no, not all raw), and treated myself to a piece of...........

Cheesecake....AND

Angel Food Cake with Strawberries and Whipped Cream.

I KNOW, RIGHT????????

I did suffer enough to keep from going back for awhile. Dizziness, Tired, and some major cramping that led me quickly to find a bathroom. Sorry to disappoint all of you faithful readers.

Breakfast: Smoothie
Lunch: See Above.
Snack: None.
Supper: Spinach with some home-raised chicken, and dressing
Snack: Left over Smoothie and a clementine

Detox Symptoms: uh...wouldn't call it detox...more like, toxin symptoms with the above mentioned sugar overload.

Obstacles: Convinced myself I deserved it....and really, I don't regret it all that much.

Joys: I wanted to quickly go back to eating healthy instead of diving further into a sugar binge.

Day Twenty PRPV

2010-05-23T04:35:00.000-07:00

The eating is getting easier. It helps that I've been running around trying to get the new church ready and barely time to stop and eat. I guess it's good that I have to get a meal cooked for my hubby to eat when he gets home or I probably wouldn't stop to do that either.

Breakfast: Smoothie
Lunch: Same salad as yesterday, orange slices
Snack: A few peanuts and raisings, and 4 or 5 M&M's. (Trail mix at a Baby Shower...I picked out the M&M's, but as they sat there I gave in...Thank you Bood for taking the rest off my hands....And Hey, I did resist the 5 different desserts sitting there calling my name), and a clementine and some leftover smoothie.
Supper: Stir-Fry Veggies over Brown Rice

Somewhere in there I had a couple cups of coffee and a raw brownie (as I passed the fridge from one job to another).
Water - 72oz

Detox Symptoms: Feet still hurt a little.

Obstacles: None....I thought I did well today.

Joys: Blah.

Day Nineteen PRPV

2010-05-22T05:50:00.001-07:00

Breakfast: Smoothie
Snack: Clementine
Lunch: Salad, Avocado, Dressing, Banana
Snack: 3 Clementines, Coffee
Supper: Rice, Pinto Bean, Organic grass fed beef, Jambalaya type dish I made up. Asparagus.
Snack: Banana

48 oz Water

Detox: My dogs are barkin' (My feet hurt), BAD! I thought it was from alot of standing but standing hasn't been more than normal so wondering if all the toxins are congregating in my feet???

Obstacles: None today. I did really well I think. Not enought water though.
Joys: Easy day of eating.

Day Eighteen PRPV

2010-05-20T20:21:00.000-07:00

I MUST eat at home tomorrow night! I realize I am stretching it a bit on my one cooked meal a day, using it as a crutch to eat a little less than par. To put everyone at ease (cuz I'm sure all of you think about this as much as I do...ha!), I am considering stepping it up a bit after 30 days.

I truly am in transition and I'm trying not to condemn myself for the transition foods I am holding onto for now. It has been about a year and half that I began transitioning from processed foods to whole foods and then to organic foods. It worked well for myself and my family to do this gradually. I lost 30 pounds in the process....and another 20 using HCG of which I gained back 10lb for a total of 40 lbs.

Anyway, I tried to cold turkey "go raw" several months ago and failed miserably and spiraled back into sugar addiction until I began this challenge. That is why I set up the exceptions this time that are somewhat based on knowing myself realistically and making room for my social lifestyle that isn't going to change anytime soon.

Those who know me well, know that I'm an all or nothing type of gal. When I do something new, whether it's a project, a diet, or changing a character trait......I have a hard time doing it until I have EVERYthing needed and can do it 100% and perfectly. If I can't, then I just assume not do it at all. Over the years, I've realized the stress this puts on myself and others in my life and I have tried to put this hang-up behind me. I fail at it A LOT.

Example: Square Foot Gardening. I've decided to switch to this type of gardening this year and couldn't be content to just do one box this year and add a few more next year. Instead, I wanted to switch the WHOLE garden to this and do everything by the book. Thinking about doing anything other than that, made me feel paralyzed and not willing to even have a garden. Oh....Lord, have mercy on me.

So back to this challenge. Of course I know 30 days is not going to change my life....BUT it was a time frame I was willing to commit. Maybe I'll continue after that, maybe I won't. Maybe I'll take a break and go back to it over and over. Maybe I'll eat Raw Brownies instead of Hot Fudge Sundae's with nuts for the next year. Maybe I'll eat one meal a day with meat instead of 3 the rest of my life. Maybe I'll crave a green smoothie instead of Perkin's Tremendous Twelve for breakfast. I really, really hope some new improved habit will come from this 30 days. If nothing else, I've discovered the Raw Goodness of Raw Desserts. Maybe I'll be in transition for the next 10 years. Again...Lord, have mercy on me. Free from this addiction to food.

Breakfast: Green Smoothie

Lunch: 4 Mangos, turned into a smoothie after boredom of eating several bites. Smoothie made with mango, papaya, strawberry, yogurt, raw milk, 1/2 slice Raw Chocolate Pie

Snack: Cashews

Supper: Side Salad and 2 slices pizza (removed meat and as much cheese as possible without making a huge mess and losing the veggies)

Snack: Take a guess.....raw brownie.....why oh why won't I just reach for a piece of fruit???? Laziness, pure laziness. Brownies are pop-and-go. Fruit is wash, peel, cut, plate, napkin, fork, etc. Lame, I know....just being honest.

Water: 72 oz

Detox Symptoms: Very thirsty. Bad breath.

Obstacles: Above mentioned.

Joys: Not thinking about where I'm going to get my next sugar fix. Yes, people...sugar is a drug (crystal) and I don't want to downplay the struggles of true drug and alcohol addicts, but often times I feel I can relate when I recognize the lengths I will go to in order to feed the sugar addiction. Sick.

Thanks for listening everyone....

Raw Chocolate Pie

2010-05-20T19:55:00.001-07:00

I totally cannot take credit for this recipe. I stole it from "I Really Like Food" and I have to say, "I reallllly like it." I modified it a bit according to my available ingredients and tried it out on our Bible Study group. Those that were brave enough to try it, Reallllly Liked It. I was asked for a rating and I have to say out of 5 stars, I give it 5 stars. So here's the recipe:

Crust:
1/2 Cup Soaked Almonds (I always have a bowl of nuts, beans, or dates soaking somewhere)
3/4 Cup Pecans
3/4 Cup Walnuts
5 Pitted, Soaked Dates
2 Tbsp Honey
Pinch of Sea Salt

Place all ingredients in a food processor and chop until ingredients are mixed and stick together when pressed. Press into pie plate and set aside.

Filling:
3 Avocados, Peeled and Pitted (How to Cut an Avocado Here)
1/2 Cup Honey
1 Tbsp Vanilla
1-1/2 Tbsp Coconut Oil
4 Tbsp Cocoa Powder

Place all the filling ingredients in food processor and blend until smooth.

Scoop into pie crust and chill or serve immediately.

Let me know what you think or invite yourself over and I'll whip one up for ya!

Day Seventeen PRPV

2010-05-20T06:09:00.000-07:00

Boy, I'm getting behind!! Two late nights in a row...and I'm procrastinating because I have fallen into temptation today. :(

Breakfast: 3 Bananas with Flax Seed
Snack: Raw Chocolate Pie (I really wanted to leave this out, but I had a buddy share with me, so I'm busted)
Lunch: Salad with various veggies, avocado, dressing, raw ricotta AND another piece of Chocolate Pie. The pieces ARE little slivers, so I think the 2 combined equals 1 average size piece.
Snack: Papaya Smoothie
Supper: 1 Organic, All-Beef Bratwurst, 1/2 potato, carrots and a piece of toast with all fruit Jam.
Snack: 4 Roasted Marshmallows (Who can resist this around a campfire?????) AND 4 marshmallows = 1 Serving = 90 Calories = Sugar High

Water: 96oz

Detox Symptoms: Am I even detoxing eating like this??? I did get some dizziness within 15 minutes of eating the marshmallows

Obstacles: The obvious temptations!! Help!! I feel myself slipping....just wanting to gobble up some Warm, Yummy, Rudi's bread. I don't really crave meat....it's the carbs , which I'm getting plenty from the fruit, but I sooooo want more!!! The camping atmosphere really brings longing for camping food. Oh...I did put some yogurt and raw milk in the Papaya Smoothie.

Joys: The marshmallows were REALLLLLY good.

Day Sixteen PRPV

2010-05-19T05:31:00.000-07:00

Bible Study went until 11 last night, so no time to blog yesterday's events. Here is how it went:

Breakfast: 2 Bananas
Snack: Raw Brownie
Lunch: Vegan Mondito Burrito from Taco Del Mar
Snack: Coffee, Raw Brownie
Supper: Very small steak (from Morgan Farm), Green Beans, Potatoes, Salad, Fruit, Picnic in the park.
Snack: Raw Chocolate Mousse Pie, Coffee

Water: 64 oz

Detox Symptoms: Headache all morning...went away, came back again late afternoon. Dizzy a lot.

Day Fifteen PRPV

2010-05-17T19:20:00.000-07:00

As anyone as bored with this blog as I am??

Breakfast: 2 Pears
Lunch: Salad with Avocado, Cucumber, Mushroom, Tomato and Salad Dressing
Snack: Raw Brownie (I KNOW, RIGHT?), Banana
Supper: Chicken and Dumplings, Banana

Water: 48 oz

Detox Symptoms: Joint pain today, feeling light-headed.

Obstacles: I am really craving sugar and carbs and fruit is not making it go away. I'm just getting seriously bored with this food. Blech. "Juicy" fruit hasn't been real juicy here in Iowa. Had a not-so-great canteloupe and a so dry clementine I spit it out and threw it out the window.

Joys: There should be something joyful about eating like this? Yeah, that pretty much sums up how I feel today in regards to eating PRPV.

Day Fourteen PRPV

2010-05-16T20:10:00.000-07:00

2 WEEKS!!

Breakfast: 2 Bananas dipped in Flax Seed, Coffee
Lunch: Salad with Avocado, Apple, Mushrooms, and Cucumber
Snack: Green Tea Juice (Thank you Gitlins), Canteloupe
Supper: Graduation Receptions...ugh. A few potato chips, a scoop of macarani salad, 1 mint, and some frozen fruit...oh, and some nuts.
Snack: Salad with 1/2 Avocado, and some more yummy green tea juice

Detox Symptoms: Woke up dizzy but subsided after about an hour or so.

Obstacles: I was craving any kind of fatty anything...but did ok.

Joys: Clothes feel a very tiny bit looser...I mean tiny bit.

Day Thirteen PRPV

2010-05-15T20:09:00.001-07:00

And my 50th Blog Post!!

Weekends are hard.....hard to eat right, hard to keep track of eating right, and hard to report.

Breakfast: Smoothie
Snack: 2 Clementines
Lunch: (Eaten at the church with the other workers)...Mixed Greens topped with Mango Salsa, Carrots, 2 Clementines, 1 Bite of Rhubarb Dream Bar, Coffee
Snack: Naked Juice, Raw Brownie, Mocha Drink, Lick of Babe's Ice Cream Cone
Supper: (Babe cooked and we had two families over)...Fried Rice, Lo Mein Noodles, Chicken/Mushroom, Sauteed Veggies, Canteloupe/Mango/Clementine Fruit Salad
Snack: Ashamed to admit.....3 Raw Brownies and Coffee

Water: 48 oz :(

Detox Symptoms: Joint stiffness in right ring finger is gone and stiffness in right middle finger has lessened. I have had this for several months. I noticed because Babe said he noticed that his weren't hurting today. I wiggled my finger and was amazed that one finger had no stiffness and the other was noticeably less stiff.

Obstacles: Social events. Lunch was tempting and I made the Chicken Fajitas for the workers and could have had it as my cooked meal, but knew we were having friends over for supper and I knew it would be easier to modify lunch into a raw meal then it would be for supper. I think I overloaded a bit on grains though because I am feeling a little light headed and sluggish. Maybe just tired from a physical labor day.

Joys: Making better decisions then 2 weeks ago.

Day Twelve PRPV

2010-05-14T17:53:00.000-07:00

Today began with a migraine that I struggled with beginning at about 5:00 AM. Detox Symptoms? I attempted to beat with Ibuprofen and prayer. It slowly died out and completely susbsided while chatting with a friend about all the wonderful things God is doing in our life. For that, I give Him all the glory, honor, and praise.

I've decided to resist weighing myself. I've always abided by the rule of only weighing once per week until I tried the HCG diet for one go-around where you weigh everyday. I guess I was expecting the same results of daily weight loss. No such luck. :( I am actually considering not weighing until 30 days is complete...but don't know if I can wait.

Breakfast: Green Smoothie (Various Fruit with Carrot Juice, Hemp Powder, and Spinach)
Snack: Red Pear, Coffee
Lunch: Taco Del Mar, Mondito Vegan Burrito (met hubs for lunch and watched him and the kids eat DQ and then went to get my own lunch afterwards)
Snack: 2 Bananas, Clementine
Supper: (Graduation Party) Small Vegan Sub, Mixed Fresh Fruit, Tortilla Chips, 1 bite of macaroni salad and 1 bite of some other salad, and I did give in and eat 2 mints (love them more than cake), a small handful of nuts and 2 sips of punch. Went a little overboard tonight, yes?
Snack: Raw Brownie, 1/2 Green Smoothie

Water: 72 oz
Calories: 86 under

Detox Symptoms: The aforementioned MIGRAINE.

Obstacles: Another social event....and shopping day, so on-the-go.

Joys: I got produce today!!! Excited for new fresh fruits & veggies.

Day Eleven PRPV

2010-05-13T20:10:00.000-07:00

Breakfast: Mango, Smoothie
Snack: Kale Chips (my own dehydrated)
Lunch: Salad, Avocado, Raw Ricotta
Snack: Raw Brownie, Red Pear
Supper: Chicken Fajitas
Snack: Granola, Raw Brownie, small smoothie

Water: 56 oz

Detox Symptoms: Felt very tired most of the day.

Obstacles: Craving sugar.

Joys: Friend made homemade granola and I love it.

Day Ten PRPV

2010-05-12T19:50:00.000-07:00

So evidently I am NOT eating enough calories. By recommendation, I decided to track my calories today and also do some figuring for past days. It looks like I am coming in about 400 calories short each day of meeting the amount I should be consuming and still losing weight. I am sitting here trying to figure out what to eat before bed. With that being said, I gained 2lbs today and that is very disheartening.

Breakfast: Fruit Smoothie

Snack: Cashews, Red Pear, Raisins, Coffee

Lunch: Mixed Greens, Avocado, Watermelon

Snack: Naked Juice

Supper: Italian Wedding Soup (pictured), Red Pear

Snack: To be decided.

72oz water.

Detox Symptoms: None today.

Obstacles: Eating enough calories apparently. Resisting the tempation to snag a cookie or brownie at the Baccalaureate Reception tonight.....but I DID it!

Joys: Craving Fruit.

Day Nine PRPV

2010-05-11T19:40:00.000-07:00

The scale is not working in my favor. I'm REALLY hoping it is attributed to that monthly thing us women have to go through and a sudden drop will happen when it's over.

Breakfast: 1 Mango, 2 Bananas, Flax Seed, Coffee
Lunch: Garden Minestrone
Snack: Raw Brownie, Naked Juice
Supper: Grilled Farm-Fresh Chicken, Baked Potato, Lettuce Greens, Cabbage Slaw, Green Beans
Snack: Raw Brownie (OK...they are gone now!! And I did share.)

Detox Symptoms: Mild to slightly annoying headache all morning.

Obstacles: Time and being on-the-go as usual. Easy to grab a raw brownie and a Naked Juice rather then take the time to cut up some fruit (the jaw issue is preventing me from eating any fruit but a banana without cutting it first). Also, you may notice I had TWO cooked meals today. Just didn't feel right about letting perfectly good leftovers go to waste when it was so chock full of yummy veggies. Feeling like I am making excuses all the time....battling perfection or flight syndrome.

Joys: Just feeling a little less ruled by food and that is nice.

Day Eight PRPV

2010-05-10T19:47:00.000-07:00

Up 1lb, total weight loss 8lbs.

Breakfast: Smoothie, Coffee
Snack: Banana, Tea
Lunch: Salad Greens, 1/2 Avocado, nuts, apple, craisins
Snack: Raw Brownies, Coffee
Supper: Garden Minestrone, 1 Piece Rudi's Oat Bread
Snack: Smoothie and Banana

Did okay on the water....but should have drank more.

Detox Symptoms: Well...I started my monthly cycle with a bang! Irritable & crampy is putting it mildly. I didn't feel like doing much today, but still had energy most of the day. My right foot is still hurting and my eyes were red today (a detox symptom my mom had while detoxing one time...so thought it was noteable). Dry mouth.

Obstacles: CRAVINGS!!! Chocolate especially. I overindulged in raw brownies, but at least I shared them with a friend over coffee. I just felt off today and felt hungry but didn't feel like eating if that makes any sense at all I don' t know. Sometimes I feel the need to hoarde my fruit in case I want to have a mono-meal. I hoping to have a couple of mm's tomorrow.

Joys: Hmmmmm...not a real joyful day today other than a good friend to share the day with. The Garden Minestrone was very good too! Oh....and I think it is the first day since I started that I had every meal and snack at home.....now that is an accomplishment!

Day Seven PRPV

2010-05-09T17:39:00.000-07:00

The RAW Brownies may seem like a bit of an indulgence, but I have given up A LOT of sugar! The brownies are made with Sprouted Almonds, Cocoa, Honey, Coconut Oil, and Dates. The "batter" is pictured below. I just take the "dough" and roll into individual balls, store them in the freezer. Yum-zee.

Now to Day Seven. The struggle of a social life continues.....read on below.

Yahoo!!! I've completed Seven Days. Will post picture tomorrow...not that there is a noticeable difference!

I'm not giving a weight update today, because the scale was acting up a little. I wasn't able to get a consistent reading that I trusted, so we'll see what happens tomorrow morning which will actually complete 7 full days from when I started.

Breakfast: Smoothie with assorted fruit, spinach, and carrot juice and a truffle made by Kabs for Mother's Day.

Lunch: All Beef Brat (Organic Grass-Fed) Gumbo (Asparagus, Celery, Corn, Mushrooms, Meatless Organic Beef Broth) with Rice and Quinoa served over salad greens

Snack: Organic Milk Mocha Drink, Raw Brownie (Pictured)

Supper: Assorted Frozen Fruit and Nuts (served at graduation party), salad greens with avocado and Raw Ricotta.

Snack: Small Smoothie and Raw Brownie

Detox Symptoms: Last night shortly after I posted my blog, I sat down to eat a couple of plums and I got a sharp headache in my left temple. It lasted about 30 minutes and then passed. Beginning yesterday and continuing into today, my Plantar's Fasciatis has flared up on my right foot....not sure if this is a detox symptom or not. Also, my scalp is extremely dry and flaky...again not sure if it is detox or not....hubs wanted me to mention that my breath stinks....thanks babe. The mocha was a little too much....felt a little sugar dizzy after drinking (had raw cane sugar in it).

Obstacles: Ugh. Today was difficult. I was irritable again because of the social tempations I knew I would be faced with again today. I was very hungry this morning and ate later than I should have. I came home to lunch fixed for me and thankfully it was within the parameters of my guidelines. I just had to switch my idea of eating my raw meal from lunch to supper. We joined my mom at the Valley Drive-In for hot fudge sundaes and I brought my mocha smoothie and raw brownie with. Later, we had a graduation party to attend and I was so thankful to see they had a simple bowl of frozen fruit. I filled half a plate and went back for some nuts instead of cake for dessert. When I got home I sat down with a nice bowl of salad and filled my stomach. I had some sugar cravings today and once I got past lunch...I was able to sail through the day.

Joys: A relative I haven't seen in awhile came up to me at a graduation party to tell me how great I look and that she could see how hard I must be working at something. She said she had to look twice. Keep in mind, over the past year and half I have lost 40 lbs and am now building on that. It was just the words I needed to hear to encourage me to continue this 30 day challenge.

Day Six PRPV

2010-05-08T17:49:00.000-07:00

I think I can get used to feeling SO good. The most noticeable is NOT feeling like a nap after every meal.

Down 5.5 lbs for total of 9 lbs!!!! I checked and re-checked the scale settings. I hope I'm not disappointed in the morning with a new reading! Oh well, I feel great and that is what MOSTLY matters.

Breakfast: 3 Bananas with Chia Seed, 1 Cup Coffee

Lunch: Pineapple, Salad Greens, Avocado, Fruit Smoothie

Snack: Naked Juice, Raw Brownie, 1 Cup Coffee

Supper: Spaghetti Noodles, Sauteed Veggies, Tomato Sauce, Raw Ricotta, Salad Greens,

(Pictured above before cooking and below cooked and assembled) and a Banana

Snack: Not sure yet....thinking about some pears or plums.

TONS OF WATER AGAIN...getting easier!

Detox Symptoms: None today.

Obstacles: Lunch was with a group again. Our church has lunch together every Saturday for anyone who volunteers either at "The Light" or on the building project. I worked at "The Light" this morning and brought my own food in preparation. Well, I felt guilty for not putting my pineapple and salad out to share with everybody, soooo I piled my plate with about 1/2 as much pineapple as I wanted and filled the rest with salad....then I put the remaining out to share with everyone. I tried hard to cut up my avocado in secret, but pretty sure I was spied out on that one. Needless to say, I just felt funky throughout the entire meal as if I was hoarding my food or something AND I was left with an empty stomach.

Joys: Just as I was preparing to clean up after the church lunch and planning for a trip to my parents to grab some fruit to fill the hole in my stomach, I was offered a fruit smoothie made only from strawberries, bananas, and coconut milk. YUM!!! Also led to a great conversation with a guy who eats mostly Raw/Vegan. Also, no cravings again....well actually I do recall a couple of times I was actually craving fruit and salad. I've heard of this happening...but was caught off guard.

Day Five PRPV

2010-05-07T19:47:00.000-07:00

Down 1/2 pound maybe???? Total loss: 3.5 lbs if this is accurate.

Temptation was the theme for today!!! Sometimes I think I have too much of a social life for this regimen. More about this under "obstacles."

Breakfast: 3 Bananas, Chia Seed, Raisins, 2 Sips of Coffee (thank for using raw cream April!)
Snack: Citron Kambucha (1/2 bottle and then sipped it down the rest of the day), 1/2 Raw Brownie (Beginning of tempation on road trip to pick-up food co-op order).
Lunch: Potluck and Homeschool Co-op. This ended up being my cooked meal for the day. 3 small bites homemade mac & cheese that I brought so I knew the ingredients, 4 bites rotini salad, Sloppy Joe made with organic, grass-fed beef and organic ingredients on a homemade roll, lots of lettuce/spinach salad, lots of watermelon & mixed fruit, 1 bite of a scotcheroo, 1/2 piece of bread with raw honey.
Snack: Raisins, 1 Cup of Coffee, 1/2 Raw Brownie, Hot Tea
Supper: Lettuce/Spinach Salad with cucumber, tomato, mushrooms, avocado and homemade dressing
Snack: 1/4 of a pineapple (which my mouth is still hurting from), Detox powder

96 oz of WATER!!!!!

Detox Symptoms: Breaking out on my face continues. That's it today!! And endless trips to the bathroom due to all the water I'm drinking equals annoying!!!

Obstacles: The obvious temptation to put the challenge aside for the day and DIVE into the smorgasbord of other-people's-home-cooked-food. Not that I was hungry...just smelled so de-lish! I am happy with my decisions regardless. I am so grateful for a group of families that cook healthy! However, this very situation is the one thing that turns me off from making a long-term decision to eat this way. After all Jesus tells us not to worry about what we eat and I find myself giving a lot of thought and worry about what I will eat. I don't want to stick out and have attention drawn to me everytime I go to a social function because I have a plate full of fruit or worse have to bring my own food because of lack of options. No, I don't care about being different and Yes, I know my health is important enough...I would just rather them notice Jesus in my life and not focus on what I am eating or not eating. And one of my besties knows well to not try to make exceptions or special arrangements for me...don't take this burden on...I will figure out what to eat...I just don't want it to consume me and who I am. Ok, end rant...that is my obstacle focus today.

Joys: Again, no cravings!! I love this. I always buy a little piece of chocolate when I visit Taste of Country (health food store we order food through). Today, I didn't even think about it and when I looked down and saw the chocolate, I didn't even care about it. I did however buy the raw brownie around the corner because I didn't want to miss out on that opportunity!! LOTS of energy again and NO sluggishness, dizziness, headaches today...Whoot!

Day Four PRPV

2010-05-06T18:54:00.000-07:00

Day Four, went back up 2lbs, for total weight loss of 3lbs.

Today came with an increase of energy. This afternoon instead of feeling ready to take a nap, I had an overdose of energy that I put to use by dancing while I cleaned the church.

Breakfast: 4 Plums

Snack: Raisins

Lunch: Salad of mixed greens & Spinach, Avocado, Cucumber, Tomato, Raisins, and tad-bit of Italian Dressing

Snack: Apple with PB, Honey, and Flax Seed, Banana

Supper: Watermelon, Tortilla Soup (pictured)

Snack: 2 Bananas dipped in Chia Seed

Detox Symptoms: Late morning had slight headache and starting to break-out in usual spot on my face. Otherwise...feel super!!!!

Obstacles: This kind of weird, but my stomach feels empty at times, but not hungry. I really didn't have cravings at all today.

Joys: It was just an easy day and though I feel hungry right now, I don't feel like eating...but I'm going to eat that last snack listed above. No dizziness or light-headedness today.

Day Three PRPV

2010-05-05T20:43:00.000-07:00

Made it! Down 3 more lbs this morning for total of 5lbs. Had some ups and downs today, but probably mixed with stress and too many "irons in the fire."

Breakfast: 1 Coffee, 1 Banana, Smoothie
Snack: 2 Bananas, Red Pear, Clementine, Naval Orange
Snack 2: 1/4 C. Cashews, 1/4C. Pistachios
(I Just felt off this morning and kept trying different things to get rid of the feeling)
Lunch: Oh, Thank the Lord for Taco Del Mar!!! Baja Bowl, no rice, meat, or cheese.
Snack: Freshly Juiced Juice, assorted
Supper: Portobella Mushroom Burger on Wheat with Sauteed Vegetables, Avocado, Tomato, and Spinach with Steamed Asparagus. (Picture above).

Snack: Grapes, and 1 bite of plum. HA!
Detox Symptoms: When I woke up this morning, one of my joints in my fingers was really sore (I have occasionally soreness in this finger, but was noticeably worse and not combined with the neighboring finger as usual). I felt decent all morning but noticed my jaw was hurting like crazy from biting into fruit and eating nuts. I have chronic jaw problems that my chiropractor has helped with A LOT. I hit a wall at about noon when I was far from home for lunch and faced with the decision to eat out AGAIN! I was irritable and becoming quite dizzy and slight headache. As soon as I ate an hour later, I felt a whole lot better. The rest of the day was good except for that weird mouth soreness...more like achiness....like in my teeth...added with the sore jaw which is all just a little annoying...but bearable compared to the migraines I've had in the past.
Obstacles: Just got real bored with the fruit today and felt like I couldn't satisfy a craving for something I didn't even know that I was craving. Usually it is an avocado, but that wasn't it.
Joys: I drank 54 oz of water today....that is a great accomplishment for me!!! Also I am doing a Garden for Life Detox that friend, Cara, gave me. I've used it off and on, but am going to try to be more consistent and use the rest up until it is gone. I LOVED the Portobello Mushroom Burger. I was pleasently surprised as I tried one many, many years ago and couldn't eat more than one bite. I will definitely be having that again and won't be long that I won't even care about the bun!

Day Two PRPV

2010-05-04T19:27:00.000-07:00

Day Two Part Raw Part Vegan Complete!! Down 2 lbs this morning. Water weight???

Here's the scoop:

Breakfast: Smoothie (same as yesterday)

Lunch: Ate Out with Grandma, Perkins in Sioux City

Ordered Spinach and Chicken Salad minus the chicken, eggs, and cheese. They ended up charging me for a side salad and added extra for the mushrooms.

Snack: 2 Bananas, Red Pear, Hibiscus Tea

Supper: Watched my family eat at the Valley Drive In and then went home and ate...

Lettuce Greens with Black Bean and Corn Salsa I made a few days ago, topped with Avocado and a teensy bit of Italian Dressing. Whole Wheat Tortilla with Honey.

Snack: Another Banana and coffee (it was Bible Study night...it's just a given).

Possible Detox Symptoms: Woke up quite sluggish with a slight headache. Went away after a cup of coffee...I know...how bad is that??? Felt really great all day. I was worried spending the day with my 93 year-old Grandma would take a lot of concentrating and attention which usually leaves me dizzy and with a headache. Not today! I was clear headed and not super exhausted.

About 20 minutes after I ate supper, I had about 15 minutes of sleepiness that hit me like a brick. It could have been finally sitting down after a really long day too. I ate standing up and finally sat down to enjoy Bible Study. I had to use the potty A LOT today. I was 3:0 with my Grandma....maybe she has an aversion to public restrooms. Had coffee tonight during Bible Study and I feel a little light-headed. Definitely ready to go night-night.

Obstacles: This eating out has got to end!!! The spinach in the spin salad was good, but bland without some extra veggies to top it off. Also, this day was just non-stop and I had a really hard time finding time to eat. I had in the back of my mind that I needed to eat more than yesterday and I actually had to force myself. I think I could have eaten next to nothing and gotten through. The tortilla and honey probably wasn't the best choice, but had a carb/sugar attack...better than my regular Chocolate Chip Cookie from Casey's I guess.

Day One PRPV

2010-05-03T19:53:00.000-07:00

Day One is so easy, right? The hardest day to start, but the easiest day to complete.

Here's what I ate...

Breakfast at home:

Smoothie made with Banana, Mango, Pineapple, Blueberries, Strawberries, and Spinach.

Coffee (2 cups) Forgot to add to exceptions...weaning off of coffee...slowly (today's weaning was drinking it Black).

Detoxer Tea

Lunch (ended up eating out after rushing to town to see my sister who I hardly ever get to see):

Here's what I ordered at Club Casmo's:

Chef Salad minus the Ham, Cheese, and Egg, Italian dressing on the side.

It ended up being a Lettuce and Tomato Salad. I dipped the salad in dressing for some bites just to add some flavor, about 1 TBS total.

Snack:

Avocado

Apple with Raw Peanut Butter and Raw Honey.

Mixed nuts and Dried Cranberries.

Supper (Traveled with my parents to pick up new camper an hour away, so ate out AGAIN):

6" Veggie Sub on Wheat

Kettle Chips - Plain Salted

Evening Snack:

Green Smoothie left over from the smoothie mix I made my sister.

I felt really good up until about 5:00 pm. I noticed that I didn't feel puffy if that makes sense. I had hunger pains....but they felt really good after several months of sugar binging.

I started feeling a slight headache coming on at about 5--5:30. Also felt a little sluggish like I needed to eat something. Nothing major, just noticed it. Also could have been riding in the extended cab of the truck for an hour. I just know it was the only part of the day I didn't feel alert and on-top so to speak.

After supper, I felt really tired about 20 minutes later. I've noticed before when I have eaten Subs. I think it could be the bread. I was going to order a side of Refried Beans for some protein, but the lady kindly informed me they were beef and beans mixed. I guess since I ordered the Veggie sub she assumed I wouldn't want meat. How thoughtful.

Once I got home and in the fresh air, tending the garden and chickens I felt great. As I type, I feel tired and I've noticed my mouth hurts if that makes sense. Like my mouth is really dry or something. TMI??? I drank 32oz of water today which is probably not enough but it is 32 more ounces then I drank yesterday or the day before, etc.

Tomorrow I take my grandma to the city....more eating out. This is a challenge I have run into in the past....finding a good raw salad with greens other than Iceberg! Blech!

I even once was so blessed to find myself at the Gardener's Cafe' in the Art Center. What a find! I long to return...it just doesn't usually fall in the right path between my shopping destinations.

30 Days as a Raw* Vegan*

2010-05-03T19:20:00.000-07:00

*Exceptions to follow.

Perfect time to resurrect my junky blog. I am embarking on a journey for 30 days committed to eating a Raw Vegan Diet (exceptions to follow). I would really like to go into the why's, but for fear I will get caught up in time of blogging and lose sight of the goal I will only give these details for the "Why Raw Vegan."

1. Physically: After reading several books on the subject and testimonies from others, I believe this may be THE Best way to eat for optimal health and wellness. I say maybe, because I'm open to change...if I weren't I wouldn't be open to this, right?

2. Emotionally: Honestly, I am addicted to sugar and carbs. Even though when I consume them I feel bogged down, foggy, and lethargic. I want to be mentally alert and not emotionally sluggish and irritable if you know what I mean.

3. Spiritually: I want to be able to have a lifestyle of fasting and prayer and in order to not have a migraine and other sickness everytime I fast, my eating must change so I can transition easier into a fast. Although I am not calling the next 30 days a fast...for whatever reason....I will lean on God every step of the way and offer this up to Him as a sacrifice as I enter a "season" of pressing into Him.

I have decided to blog this 30 Day "Project" for accountability and encouragement. Let me clarify. Accountability is me posting for all to see with the possibility of failing in front of everyone. The encouragement is YOU (anyone reading) urging me on without criticism. :)

I expect as I blog the next 30 days, more of the "why" will come out.

The Rules:

1. Two meals per day are Raw (not cooked)
2. All snacks Raw
3. One meal per day can be Cooked
4. No meat, unless organic, grass-fed (thanks to Thankful Harvest) or my very own farm-raised chickens...but will still be eaten sparingly.
5. No dairy unless Raw Milk or made with Raw Milk....again sparingly.

Exceptions:
1. Nuts (Raw will not be necessary as Raw Almonds are nearly impossible to come by)
2. Eggs (Local Farm-Raised only)....sparingly.

That's it. No inspiring writing, fancy words, or bible verses to match up. Keeping it simple so I'll continue on. In the words of Gabriel from The Office, "Ciao'."

Mega Metamorphosis

2009-09-16T19:45:00.000-07:00

We were so blessed when Gitlin Green Grocer Girl gave us our very own caterpillar so we could observe the miraculous wonder of morphing into a beautiful Monarch Butterfly.

That Hungry Little Caterpillar ate and ate and ate the day we got it. By nightfall, he was attaching some silk to the plastic wrap we were using to cover the jar. I fully intended to rig up something in the morning that he could hang from, BUT he insisted on attaching to the plastic wrap. I didn't have the courage to move the little fella.

I tried to record the event with photos, but yeah....you get the picture:

We WILL have Water

2009-09-08T05:48:00.000-07:00

Here is our solar still tutorial through pictures in case you're ever caught in the wild with no water. Don't waste time getting this set up. It takes a good 24 hours to get a few drops to drink.

I think that is probably the hardest part about survival....realizing you need to kick into survival mode. I mean think about it. If you are preparing to survive the first hour you think you might be lost or stranded, your chances for survival are probably better. If you wait a whole 24 hours thinking you'll be rescued, you've lost a lot of valuable time and will have to wait one more day before you have water.

Anyway, I don't ever plan to be in the situation where I will need to know this, but does anyone plan to be stranded besides Man Vs. Wild or Survivorman? Okay, maybe my friend who is gearing up for a 4-6 day hike in Canada.

You will see with the following pictures, there a few things you may want to carry with you in the event you are stranded. Here you go:

Happy hydrating! I saw on Youtube a solar still about 6 feet across. That may get you some more water. We didn't get enough to drink through the straw, but the bowl and underside of the plastic was covered in condensation.

Willow Tree Art

2009-09-03T12:34:00.000-07:00

For science last week we labeled parts of a tree, so for Art I thought it only fitting to draw some trees. I picked willow trees because we are again catering our studies around the the "Little House" books. This year we're starting with "On the Banks of Plum Creek." Well, on the banks of plum creek Laura and Mary spend some time playing in and on the Willow Trees.

So to begin, we watched a little video (that I can't seem to find the link to now) on how to do simple willow tree drawings. We did a little practice sketch and then headed outside to spy various trunk options. We each picked our own little quiet spot with sketch paper and writing utensils in tow.

After about 30 minutes, the results were in. Anyone who knows me, knows how much I love love love (like Eloise loves pink), art. The only bad art I've ever seen, is art that wasn't attempted by the creator to be art in the first place. And even that can turn out amazing at times.

My daughter is completely opposite of my son and I in our approach to creating art. My first attempt is usually the one I go back to liking the most, but I always attempt to recreate, to expound on my first attempt. I end up putting out a couple of bad products, and then a finale that I have usually overdone. I've noticed my son doing this as well.

Not my daughter. She takes her time on the first piece and she would just assume be done. It is more of a task to check off the list than an artistic expression experience. By the time she tries her second and third, it turns to 3-year old scribbling.

There are few things that give me as much delight as looking at the artwork of several artists (especially young, beginner artists) that have created the same thing from their own perspective and talent. Such a reminder of the uniqueness God has created us with.

Now, I'll let you decide who drew which willow tree.

Mud Pies

2009-09-01T20:05:00.000-07:00

I'm not the only one trying to cram in everything I didn't have time to do this summer into the last few weeks of semi-warm weather. My daughter has gone swimming in our ice-cold pool everyday for the last week. She had a friend over Saturday, and they made mud pies. Oh, fall...please hold off just a little longer!

Farmer's Market

2009-08-25T13:06:00.000-07:00

This is what has kept me from my blog this summer:

Life is Just a Bowl of Cherries

2009-07-12T20:27:00.000-07:00

Life is just a bowl of cherries
Don't take it serious, Life's too mysterious. You work, You save,You worry so.
But you can't take your dough.
When you go, go, go.

So keep repeating "It's the berries." The strongest oak must fall.

The sweet things in life. To you were just loaned.

So how can you lose What you've never owned?

Life is just a bowl of cherries.

So live and laugh, aha! Laugh and love.

Live and laugh, Laugh and love,

Live and laugh at it all!

Survey & Giveaway

2009-06-25T18:22:00.001-07:00

Okay, this is more for fun than the giveaway. But I really want your input. I will be giving away a 1 inch "Support Local Growers" button to 5 people (that is if I get 5 people to respond). If I get more than 5 responders, I will choose the 5 using random.com.

To enter your chance to win post in the comments the answer to the following in regards to Beets:

If you attended a farmer's market, would you be more apt to buy

A. Beets fresh (tied in a bunch)

B. Beet chips (like potato chips only made with beets)

C. I would never consider buying beets

Thanks everyone! I will announce the winners sometime Friday afternoon so don't be too slow responding. Come out all you lurkers and join the fun!

Summer Days on the Farm

2009-06-24T19:57:00.001-07:00

I am loving every minute of living on the farm (except the minutes that I see a spider or bug trying to habitate INside rather than OUTside). I'm praying that the this isn't just the "newness" of it all, but that I really will find joy in farm life for as long as God has us here.

The past four or five summers have involved some type of baseball/t-ball schedule for at least one month. This year, both kids opted and out and I couldn't be more thrilled. Although we are wrapped up in selling every Saturday at the Farmer's Market, there is a freedom that accompanies this summer that seems like I haven't had since I lived here before 6 years ago. It is also reminiscent of my own childhood spent on this very same farm around 20 years ago. I am amazed that my children are the 5th generation to live in this old farmhouse.

I thought it only fitting to post some pictures of our days here on the farm. Enjoy!

The boys setting up the trampoline given to us by my hubbies family.

Enjoying a swim break on the back steps
(White Pear Tea and Sarah's Granola Bar)

Roasting Marshmallows over the Burn Barrel with next door cousin.

Breakfast on the back steps

(When you live on the farm you can step right out of bed and jump in the pool you know)

One of the many meals made with produce from our very own garden.

The leak in the living room when torrential rains hit from the west.

Cooling off with Daddy

My Mannequin's (Jeffery) view of the garden

"Enjoying" yet another drive to town on a road that has been being worked on since 2 days after we moved in causing us to go 10 minutes (at least) out of our way each way.

Picture me running and jumping in over the edge from the left.

My routine: Weed in the Garden, Jump in Pool, Weed in the Garden, Jump in the Pool.

It seems to keep the danger of heat exhaustion at bay.

Happy 4th Day of Summer!

Grandma Great's Caramels

2009-06-22T14:48:00.000-07:00

My 92 year old Grandma made these caramels every Christmas for years. She finally made them with me one time when I was a teenager and I've been making them once in a while ever since. They seem to be real hit at Farmer's Market and perhaps I shouldn't give out the recipe. But, I've gotten so many good recipes from the blogs of others that I think it's only fair.

Last week, I enlisted my daughter and her 2nd cousin (also our neighbor in the country) to help with this "grueling" task. I thought it was as good as time as any to pass along the family tradition. The Recipe:
2 C. Sugar
1C. White Corn Syrup
1C. Milk
1/2C. Heavy Whipping Cream
1 Can Sweetened Condensed Milk
1/4C. Butter (plus extra to butter pan)
2 tsp. Vanilla
Butter glass pan or metal jelly roll pan (depends on thickness of caramel you desire). I started out using the jelly roll, but prefer the glass 9x13 for the size and thickness of caramels I'm making to sell.
Now is also a good time to get a spoon and a ice cold glass of water ready next to the stove to use for testing the hardness of the caramels later.

Pour all of ingredients in a saucepan or stockpot.

Cook over Medium Heat with Thermometer in place. Stirring occasionally until edges begin to bubble.
We will be cooking until the mixture reaches almost a "Soft Ball" stage approximately 235 degrees.

I always take this small window of opportunity before the constant stirring begins cut my wrappers out of waxed paper.

Once the mixture begins to boil, continuous stirring is required. Take care to scrape the bottom to prevent burning.

Take turns if you have helpers so your arm doesn't fall off.

The mixture begins turning a nice "caramel" color when it is getting close to being done. This is when it is sink or swim time.
PAY ATTENTION TO THE FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS:
The first time I made this recipe I followed the instructions to cook too 245 degrees. This produced a hard mouth sucking caramel. Because I'm going for a nice soft chewy (but not break your jaw chewy) caramel, I cook to a couple of degrees below "Soft Ball" which is marked on any candy thermometer.
You will notice when you are cooking the caramels that it takes a long time to break 220. But once you do, the temperature increases quickly. When the temperature his 220 you will also notice the bubbling liquid seems to be decreasing. QUICKLY, dip your tester spoon in the caramel and get a small spoonful and dip it into your ice cold glass of water. This works to quickly set your caramel to give you an idea of what the consistency of your final product will be. Grab the cooled caramel out of the water and chew it up to see if you like it. If you do, QUICKLY pull the pan off the heat and dump in 2 tsp of vanilla and stir like crazy.
Just as soon as the vanilla is mixed in, pour it into your buttered pan.
THAT'S IT!

You might not get the desired hardness (or softness) the first time around, but after a few batches, you won't even need your thermometer because you'll just be able to sense it! Let your caramels get nice and cool (don't refrigerate).

I use a buttered pizza cutter to cut mine.
Place a caramel in a wrapper and twist the ends. I store mine in the refrigerator after a couple of days.
I hope you enjoy one of our family's greatest treasures!

Project Potted Herbs

2009-06-17T06:19:00.000-07:00

So by now, everyone knows that I'm only a creative copier right? I don't know that I ever create anything new, but I'm really good at copying other's great ideas. So here again is another example of creative copying, credit to Centsational Girl for her Sensational idea!

Prepare to make your own labeled pots.

Supplies:

Spray Paint

(They make special "Plastic" Spray Paint, but I read the back of the can of regular spray paint and it listed plastic as a surface that the paint could be used on, so I saved a couple of dollars)

Plants or Seeds

(I used both. I purchased these plants at Bomgaars at 30% off since it is a little late in the season to be starting herbs)

Letter Stickers

(Scrapbook Section. Pick out a pack that has several of each letter)

Plastic Pots

(I had these plastic pots leftover from last years attempt to grow tomatoes . They were too small for such a task.)

I attempted to use and old scrapbook tip by carefully placing the stickers on the ruler to produce a nice straight word with perfectly spaced letters to apply to the pot.
It didn't work well with the curvature of the pot, so I resorted to eyeballing it after the first attempt.

I found an iron rod to stick in the ground to serve as a holder for the pot while I spray painted it.

Spray paint the entire pot and allow to dry. I learned that the hard way as my impatience got the best of me and I peeled the stickers off too soon. I also found that doing a light coat where the letters are is best so the paint doesn't peel when you remove the stickers.

If you peel carefully, you can reuse letters for the next pot.

The finished product

If you like perfect outcomes versus a little shabby, you would want to use fresh stickers each time and perhaps measure out a straight line to place the stickers on.

Add some potting soil

and a plant (or seeds)

and have the cutest little collection of potted herbs you've ever seen!

Thanks again Centsational Girl!

The "Magical" Bookmobile

2009-06-15T06:37:00.001-07:00

Anyone who has ever had the priveledge of entering the bookmobile will never forget it. As someone who loathes "magic," the bookmobile is the closest thing to magical I've ever experienced (and the closest I ever need to get).
Growing up, the bookmobile would come to the school and each class would get a turn boarding the book filled van. Only a few of us would get to visit at a time and our time was limited. We had to look around as quickly as possible and choose two books to check out until the next appearing of the bookmobile (it seemed like it only came a couple time every school year, but I'm sure it was more often).
I also recall that for some reason, some students didn't get to enjoy this adventure (which is why it seems like it must have been a priveledge). I was always fearful that for reason unbeknownst to me, I would be on the blacklist and not be allowed to enter. Fortunately, I was never on the blacklist. All I know is that the time I was allowed to spend during my allotted time slot was NEVER enough.

Once every couple of years, I will get a glimpse of the bookmobile driving around small towns on a journey to deliver books to kids in rural areas and with unusual excitement point and scream, "The Bookmobile!" My kids have never been able to relate with the excitement and they stare wide-eyed at my unusual outburst of enthusiasm at what appears to be an enclosed people-hauler. UNTIL NOW!

I happened to spot the van parked in the parking lot of my town's library and quickly swerved in at the last second to give my kids a chance to board the magical bookmobile. The door opened and I stepped up just like years ago. I was so relieved to find that nothing in the van had changed since I was a kid in elementary school (well except for the driver and some added book titles).

I quickly was informed (politely of course), that this was not a stop for kids to board but they were delivering books to the library. I was adamant to find out where and when (I didn't care how far I had to drive) could I have my kids experience this nostalgic event.

Here comes the best part! The driving librarian informed me that it was for rural families only during the summer and they make school stops during the school year. At this time, we were weeks away from making our move to the farm. WE would be a RURAL Family, which meant the bookmobile would COME TO US! I quickly signed up and returned to the car to inform the kids of the good news.

A few weeks later we received the schedule with our names on the route of stops each month.

We pinned the schedule to the bulletin board and my son looked it over about once a week and informed me each time that we had a 20 minute time slot. I kept track of the date by remembering it was the Tuesday after the first Farmer's Market weekend.

Well, I'm happy to say the bookmobile made it to it's first visit to our farm! It arrived early even so I didn't have to sit in anxiety waiting for it to show up. The van still had the low brum brum diesel engine sound of years past and the smell of old books ensued as you took the two steps up into the carpeted van. The driver swiveled her driver seat around to be seated behind her check-out desk and greeted us warmly. Her helper showed us the sections of Juvenile, Early Readers, and Picture Books.

The kids looked over the van and began their own magical adventure in the bookmobile. They checked out an armload of books each and reluctantly left the books-on-wheels bus, sensing they didn't have quite enough time to fully explore this mystical automobile. But that's okay, the "magical bookmobile" will be back next month!

Gardening, Baking, & Daniel

2009-06-09T21:12:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's really been 2 months since I last blogged! I have since moved 4 miles to a "farm" nearby and have been so busy with that, I just could not justify blogging about everything going on at once. I'm in the full thick of Farmer's Market season and I started a market AND I am a vendor at my very first ever market. Crazy?!? YES! But I am loving every minute of it. I think hubby and I were made for the farm. We are thoroughly (and I mean thoroughly) enjoying the freedom of living in the country again. I'd love to fill in the gaps between then (last bog) and now, but then I'd never be sitting here starting this back up...SO, I'm just gonna jump in right where I'm at.

Gardening: The last two weeks I've been harvesting these beaut's (Radishes that is). I made a delicious pesto using the leaves from the radishes I harvested the week before market started. I looked around the internet and I modified a few different recipes to make it my own. I passed out samples with the pesto spread on wheat thins and thinly sliced radish on top (the white icicle's were the best). My husband took one bite and much to my surprise went back for more. He is determined that there is something in that pesto that his body needs. It gives him a little zing of energy and a nice warm feeling inside. As you can imagine, I'm pushing this pesto on him every chance I get. Maybe we found a cure for bipolar!
Baking: We found baked goods to be a success the first week at the market so I'm not holding back for this week and have been inspired to try way too many things I'm sure...but you know...it's my latest project so what do you expect.? I'm blogging right now as I try my hand at "Blessing Cookies" (formerly known as "Fortune Cookies"). I'm putting bible verses about blessings in each cookie. My 10 year old is at least amused as he sits here at 11:30 pm and waits for me to pull the next batch and burn my fingers...again. I am amused each time he reads a verse before he hands it to me to put in and he says, "I do NOT get it." I mean what's not to get about Jesus saying "Count yourself blessed every time someone cuts you down or throws you out, every time someone smears or blackens your name to discredit me." I do like "The Message" at times. Anyway, I hope to post some pictures.

Daniel: We've entered our 2nd portion of the Daniel study which begins the teaching on "End Times" events. And as "Loverboy" sang, I too am "lovin' every minute of it." I'm anxious to find out more about this "little horn" Daniel saw and John also spoke about in Revelation. Something from a familiar verse popped out at me for the first time...God always lures me ito Himself with new revelation. Revelation 13:8 "All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast--all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world." I've always had this fear of being one of the deceived ones, but this verse set my mind at ease as it is those who are not written in the book of life that will worship the beast. I know I am written in the book of life...I guess if we see those who are deceived and worshipping the antichrist, we will know their name is not in the book right? Am I speaking as though I think I will see this in my lifetime?

In summary, God is good...very good. I amazed everyday at His mercy and grace. I don't say that as a cliche' Christian thing to say. I truly am amazed that He would continue to have mercy on me everytime I mess up and that by His continuous grace He sees me as a saint, blameless and holy by the Blood of His Son, Jesus.

Correctionville Farm & Flea

2009-04-14T10:49:00.000-07:00

This Week's Menu

2009-04-09T21:17:00.000-07:00

It seems like one friend in particular of mine gets in on my bi-monthly grocery shopping days. After a full day in the city we were driving home and she asked the usual, "So what's on the menu this week?" I proceeded to give her the run down and we conversed back and forth about it for a few minutes as she asked questions about what will go with what, how I will cook such and such, etc.

About 5 minutes of silence passed and she said, "You really impress me." It was such a shock to me, not that she would speak so kindly because she's always encouraging me, but that I impressed HER. I asked her what I did and she referred to my menu and my habit of making my menu before each shopping trip. I was so caught off guard because SHE is the one who has all the good organizational habits like it's 2nd nature, not me. But I guess in this one area I actually do it like it's 2nd nature. I don't even see an alternative to this method.

Anyway, I thought I would post the menu for the next 2 weeks just for fun. I don't assign days to my meals, I just get all the ingredients for a certain number of meals and each day I look at the list and decide what will work best for that day. I feel too restrained by daily assignments. I buy a variety of fresh vegetables to use as sides and sometimes I do assign those to certain meals and sometimes I don't, I just decide when I make the main dish.

Drum Roll Please....

Cabbage & Beef Casserole

Ground Chicken Sandwiches (x2) (good deal on Ground Chix this week)

Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes

Lasagna Skillet

Crockpot Chicken

Chicken Spaghetti

Fajitas

Meatball Stroganoff

Pork Chops & Sweet Potatoes (was supposed to be steak, but chops were on sale)

Ham & Scalloped Potatoes

Fish & Asparagus

Chinese

Quiche

Fire & Water

2009-04-06T04:54:00.000-07:00

The kids (mine...not the ones pictures ha ha!) have been learning about goats and working with goats each week with a wonderful lady (pictured)who goes to our church. As a homeschool family, we love this because it's one less topic I have to teach and it involved hands-on learning.

A couple of Bible Verses I read this morning stuck out to me and I've always agreed with the rule that blogs that have pictures are more interesting. With that in mind, the pictures really don't go with my blog to follow, except that when speaking of sacrifices, I often think of goats and the reddish colored goat (aka Sarah) reminds me of the red heifer spoken about in the verses.

Number 31:22-23
Gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin, lead and anything else that can withstand fire must be put through the fire, and then it will be clean. But it must also be purified with the water of cleansing. And whatever cannot withstand fire must be put through that water.

Number 19
...Tell the Israelites to bring you a red heifer without defect or blemish...the heifer is to be burned....The priest is to take some cedar wood, hyssop and scarlet wool and throw them onto the burning heifer. After that, the priest must wash his clothes and bathe himself with water.... A man who is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer and put them in a ceremonially clean place outside the camp. They shall be kept by the Israelite community for use in the water of cleansing; it is for purification from sin.

For quite some time, my friends and I have been having some reoccuring dream themes. One theme includes the setting of dreams occuring in a bathroom. The bathroom is always different, but a bathroom nevertheless. We learned that God is showing us a time of cleansing, purifying, preparing, getting rid of sin. The second theme includes redheads and hearing a lot of mention about the red heifer spoken about in the Bible. Knowing that a red heifer will be sacrificed at the nearing of the return of Messiah, we took this as a reminder that His return is near.

Oh, but the revelation of God is amazing! When I read the above verses this morning, His Spirit reminded me about His purification and cleansing. This takes place in fire and is soothed by the Living Water of His Son Jesus Christ. He is the great Cleanser, Purifier. I also think it is interesting that the Holy Spirit is referred to as fire.

Our family has been in the fire for almost a year now. But I can look back and see the cleansing that God has done in our life and be thankful. I'm ready to be bathed in His Living Water. I want to be a spotless bride ready at any moment for His return. This isn't His desire just for me, but for His Church. There has been a major purification of His Church over the last year, a cleansing, shaking, sifting, and shifting. I believe the fire is going to continue to burn hotter and hotter until His people are made ready.

He desires obedience more than sacrifice, mercy more than sacrifice.

Guide My Feet

2009-03-20T06:10:00.000-07:00

Zechariah prophecies over his son John the Baptist who will prepare for the One who will come to "shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace."

That is Jesus. He shines on us and we are never the same. He guides our feet into the path of peace. Sometimes I choose not to take those steps that he has guided me in and my life is not so peaceful. I detest myself when I'm not living in peace....and I think others are repulsed by me as well. A friend and I just discussed this a few days ago. What life is like when we don't choose to live in peace. I just do not like to live in that very long. But some seem to live this way their whole lives.

Only true peace can come from the One who came to bring peace. The Jews thought this meant no more warring with other countries, but the true message is inner peace, "peace that passes all understanding."

One of my New Year's Resolutions is to have peace in all circumstances. As I look over the last couple of months, I can honestly say...not by my might, but by His...I am having more peace in the midst of chaos. Maybe things have been less chaotic.

Lord, guide my feet into the path of peace and give me a nice little nudge to walk on the path.

My 92 year old Grandma got a pedicure for the first time in her life when we went with my sister to Storm Lake for my mom's 60th birthday. My daughter decided to stay at the house and play with her cousins.

And just for fun (project), here are some cute little moccassin me and the kids made for homeschool:

Emoticons

2009-03-11T06:54:00.000-07:00

My daughter definitely got the moody gene. We don't usually have to guess HOW she is feeling, but boy would I like to know WHY once in awhile. We were working on an alphabet book using magazine pictures and she had the great idea to take faces and put them on sticks. I think they are hilarious!

Farm Fresh Eggs

2009-03-10T09:21:00.000-07:00

In an effort to eat more natural and whole foods, I have been buying eggs from a local farmer who has some egg-layers. Aren't these eggs beautiful???? I love the bluish/green eggs the best. And they really do taste different...richer..delicious!!!!

God has been speaking to me about eggs lately. A lady in church shared a comparison of our lives to eggs. She pointed out that eggs are useless unless they are cracked. Even if you hard-boil the egg, you still have to crack and peel the shell off before you can eat it.

I've had dreams about eggs and chickens off an on over the past couple of months. I read something in a book a few days ago that made a lot of sense. The author said her dreams are like eggs that God gives her to incubate. He will hatch the full understanding in his time, but until then she must tend to them, pray over them and continue to seek God for answers regarding them.

There is nothing like the mysteries of God and when He lets me in on one of His secret treasures, my love for Him is indescribable because I know how much He loves me.

Valentine Leftovers

2009-03-03T14:10:00.001-08:00

So we did some really fun projects around valentine's day...but my blogging couldn't meet the 2/14 deadline. I had the pictures, so I thought why not just post some pictures quick.

Project Bipolar

2009-02-17T13:17:00.001-08:00

Wow! I can't believe it has already been a week since I last posted. Well, it's been a rollercoaster between then and now. My husband had what we call a "Bipolar Episode" and everything got turned upside down for about 12 hours.

Since then, I have poured my life into researching more (again) and I have found some resources that make me feel hopeful about the future. I hope to have some more interesting projects posted soon as I continue to pick up the pieces.

The cat makes me smile...it's good to have something to make me smile in times like these.

Woven Valentine Baskets

2009-02-10T13:38:00.000-08:00

I was inspired by this blog on "Maya*Made" to have the kids make these adorable valentine baskets (that we hung as garland until we get ready to fill them with goodies).

Materials Needed:

Sturdy Carboard or Cardstock to make a Template
Ruler
Compass (or something round to trace)
Scissors
Assorted Paper
Glue Stick
Goodies to stick in it when finished

Step 1: Make a template using cardboard or other sturdy material. We traced around a juice bottle for the end and measured out about 4 inches.

Step 2: Fold one piece of paper in half (I prefer to use vintage book pages, but the kids weren't too hip on that so I used scrapbook paper)

Step 3: Place flat edge of template on the fold and trace around template.

Step 4: Cut out (each one is a half of the completed heart).

We decided to cut a bunch of these "heart halves" at once before we moved on to weaving so we would have an assortment to mix and match.

Step 5: Cut two evenly spaced strips starting at the straight edge going up about 3/4 of the way up.

Step 6: Take two heart halves and weave them together. This is the tricky part. I actually had to get instructions from another site that I can't find now. But their instructions put it this way: "While most weaving is over under, this is through and around."

Here is a picture once three rows are weaved together. Always start with the row that will be pushed to the top of the heart and end with the row that will make the other edge of the heart. Step 7: Cut a handle from leftover paper and glue it to the each side of the heart on the inside. (Optional: Glue sides of heart to make a deeper basket)

Step 8: Stuff with Goodies (I wish I had some shredded paper to nestle the chocolates in, but the recovering perfectionist in me will deal).

Step 9: Give to your favorite valentine.

I had more pictures, but for some reason I started having complications and couldn't upload correctly.

I hope you enjoy!

Passive-Aggressive Notes

2009-02-07T19:19:00.000-08:00

A day or two before Christmas I was killin' some time at Barnes & Noble when I came across a simple yet profound book entitled, "Passive-Aggressive Notes." Rarely am I so quickly engaged in a book, but this was different. The book title is straightforward. This is simply a book of compiled notes that reflect passive aggressive behavior.

I've alway been intrigued by passive/aggressives and see myself able to operate in that behavior easily in order to avoid conflict. So in an effort to understand my tendancy better, I scrambled through the book, giggling to myself as though I could have been the author of many a note found there. I quickly reflected back to the notes I found from my mother growing up, "Please flush toilet when done using. Thank you. The Management." I tried one of these notes in my own life as a mother and wife. Let me just say, PA behavior just does not fly with Cholerics such as my husband. Praise God!

It's a slow process, but I'm slowly kicking this behavior and confronting things as they come...most of the time. And I'm seeing the rewards of following the instructions of Jesus and "Going to our brother." It works so much better than bottling it up, tossing it around with everyone but that person, and then either exploding in a rude note or face-to-face non-Christlike manner speech. Been there.

So the notes in this blog are notes I'm tempted to post for my mother-in-law who moved in with us right before Christmas. I just don't have the heart to tell her face to face. What if she just says, "forget it...do your own dang laundry and cleaning." I'm so ungrateful, huh?

ADDED 2/11/08:

I have another one I would like to post next to my bathroom trash can:

"This garbage is taken out weekly...banana peels get to stinkin'. Please place banana peels in kitchen garbage."

Let's Get On With It!

2009-02-06T15:00:00.001-08:00

Hebrews 6:1-3 (The Message)

So come on, let's leave the preschool fingerpainting exercises on Christ and get on with the grand work of art. Grow up in Christ. The basic foundational truths are in place: turning your back on "salvation by self-help" and turning in trust toward God; baptismal instructions; laying on of hands; resurrection of the dead; eternal judgment. God helping us, we'll stay true to all that. But there's so much more. Let's get on with it!

The kids are learning how to work with watercolor paints in our 2 Cool 4 School Homeschool Coop. Cara got these really cool watercolors that come in a tube. You squirt a little bit out and then add A LOT of water. The kids just did not get the concept of WATERcolors. They wanted dark, detailed paintings like you get when you use acrylics or oil. "More water, more water," Cara and I repeated over and over. Some continued to paint with dry brushes...but others grasped the elementary lesson and desired to learn more. The next week we put puddles of water on their plates and added a little tiny bit of water and forced them to paint the watercolor way. An elementary lesson I forgot I had to learn in order to learn the more complex techniques of working with watercolor paint.

The same anxiousness I had for these kids to just get the fact you have to use water is the same longing and desire I have to go "deeper" with God and for others to go "deeper" as well. I've experienced the amazing revelations of God and I never want to return to the elementary lessons. They are important, because just like watercolors painting....you have to understand the basics of using water with the paint in order to move on to fine, dark, detailing or adding textures to your paintings. Elementary truths of God must be understood in order to move on to the deep things of God.

Jeremiah 33:2-3

"This is what the LORD says, he who made the earth, the LORD who formed it and established it--the LORD is his name: 'Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.'"

Isaiah 48:6(b)

From now on I will tell you of new things, of hidden things, unknown to you.

Romans 11:33(b)

Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and[9] knowledge of God!
How unsearchable his judgments,
and his paths beyond tracing out!

Ephesians 1:17-19

I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength,

Ephesians 3:17(b)-19

And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

I have prayed these scriptures A LOT over the past year as it is one of my deepest desires to know God in all His depth. Here is one of my prayer songs in my own words:

I wanna see your deep

I wanna see your mysteries

Your hidden and unknown

Your unsearchable love for me

I wanna see your deep

New things, hidden things, all of your unknown

I wanna see your deep

If only I could grasp your deep

Beyond all I know or understand

Fill me to your fullness

embrace me with your hand

I wanna see your deep

How high, how long

is your deep?

I wanna see your deep

The Art of Well Digging

2009-02-04T14:45:00.000-08:00

This week in the "Prairie Primer" we read about Pa and his neighbor digging a well. So I thought it was a prime opportunity to use different materials to show the different layers underground and the water table. Note from Kaden: The black spots represents the dangerous gases that humans can't breathe or they might die. I think it is interesting that Kaden takes an abstract approach and Katibree takes a more literal approach.

Rave 80's Head & Wrist Bands

2009-02-03T14:25:00.000-08:00

I'm trying to come up with a creative way to photograph and market my MIL's latest creation. Input accepted. You know...to make everybody WANT one...not able to live WITHOUT it!!! And it must have a cool-factor.

Etsy Super Bowl Treasury

2009-01-30T14:44:00.000-08:00

I am so excited!!! One of "my" items has been featured in someone's treasury on Etsy. Super Excited! You must check it out and give props.

Creative Eating

2009-01-27T09:35:00.000-08:00

Maybe this doesn't seem like a project to most, but I am finding that eating healthy is definitely an area that births opportunity for creativity. I am having a lot of fun with it. I really hoping this isn't a passing phase like everything else. I really need to get healthy! I'm trying not to become consumed with the thought of food and planning meals and groceries.

Matthew 6:25 "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?"

I'm not opposed to planning whatsoever...in fact we rarely go to the grocery store WITHOUT a menu and ingredient list. I just know in the past when I have attempted to "get healthy," it consumes me. Writing stuff down, counting calories, workout log, blah blah blah. This time WILL be different (here I am spending time blogging about it). I am only following a few simple rules (thank you Cara and Suz) and trying to make lasting changes versus "dieting" for quick weight loss. One time when I was fasting for God, I realized how much better I do when it is for Him...so I've decided to invite the Holy Spirit to guide me in this journey of healthy eating and excercise. He has met me every step of the way. My hunger has been curbed, I am actually craving foods that are good for me, and I'm not really spending whole lot of thought time on this.

If you've ever switched to organic foods, you know how expensive they can be. Getting started is especially costly because there are several staples you need to obtain ALL AT ONCE. Well, needless to say I overdid it a little the first time and went "a little" over budget (sorry Aaron...if you read this...that is probably why we have no money for two weeks). BUT, having no money really helps you to get creative in the kitchen, it causes my hot dog craving kids to try new things and it requires my husband to buck up and eat gravy (if you must have gravy) made with whole wheat. AND it allows is the opporutunity to test God:

Malachi 3:10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it."

We brought our whole tithe to the church as God instructed us this week. It happened to be all we would have left after the bills went out. But praise God for my God-fearing husband. He insisted we put the Lord to the test in the one area he challenges us to. Within the day, our tithe was returned to us with interest. He is giving us our daily manna. We are not without anything we need. God has been nudging me to go visit my Grandma about vitamins and supplements (she is 92, never with health issues). I visited her yesterday to seek her recommendations knowing it would be a month or so before I could buy them...but I love to research. Within 5 minutes, she went to her kitchen and returned with all of the vitamins and supplements I had wanted to get started on (I hadn't even told her what I was thinking of trying). The value of these is well over $100. The biggest blessing was how it blessed her that I would take in interest in something she believes in so dearly and that I would seek her wisdom. It was a blessed day. God is guiding me on this healthy journey of mine and providing for it every step of the way.

As for the project part of it, I made a great eggplant dish last night and I make a ton of smoothies in my magic bullet.

*buy the super cool market totes pictured her at Teela's Terf*

More on Upside Down

2009-01-25T09:22:00.000-08:00

Published in an article yesterday on FoxNews.com:

"If this is what "Change" is going to look like for the next four years, former President Bush's legacy is about to be turned upside down."

And...I LOVE these lyrics in Misty Edwards song, "Servant of All:"

You gotta go down, if you wanna go up

You gotta go lower, if you wanna go higher and higher

You gotta hide and do it in secret, if you wanna be seen by God

Cause it's the inside, outside, upside down kingdom

where you die to live

and you lose to gain

But I wanna be with You where You are

You're the Servant of all

Blendy Pens & Homeschool Games

2009-01-19T10:28:00.000-08:00

I always manage to bring some kind of artwork into homeschool. I just can't help myself! This semester I am trying to get back to basics for both kids as I feel like we crammed a little too much in at once last semester. I love the books Games for Reading by Peggy Kaye and Family Math by various authors. They are jam-packed with games to use to teach your children reading and math skills. Prep time is very minimal.

Last week I played "The Ladder" game with both kids. I modified it so they each had their own stack of words. Kabs is in 1st grade so I made a stack of beginning words (those she knows well and words she is struggling with) and for Kaden I made a stack of words that would challenge his vocabulary. As they were able to read the word on the card they got to move up a rung on the ladder. If they missed it the first time, I gave them a second chance. If they got it right, they were allowed to stay on their rung otherwise they had to move back. By the end of the game, Katibree's confidence grew as she sounded out new words and WOW was I impressed with Kaden's vocabulary. I had to go to the dictionary and make a new stack because I underestimated his knowledge in this area. We've also modified this to play as a spelling game where I read the word and they have to spell the word. A little more challenging. They ask to play this game everday so I think that qualifies it as a "hit."

Today, we played "Rabbit Sounds." I made a large playing board on the floor using electrical tape (see pic). In each square (or triangle) I put a card with a blend or letter sound. I gave Kabs instructions such as, "Hop to the letters that you hear at the beginnig of the word SMALL." Then I had HER tell ME words and hop from space to space. Kaden got in on it by giving her words and I gave him more challenging assignments such as if the space had "e" he wou ld have to say a word that has the short e sound in it and is 2 syllables. I can already see all kinds of possibilities with this one including math games so I think this game board will be hanging around for awhile.

Oh...back to where art comes in. Kaden was reading and decided he needed a bookmark. Because my addiction to creation has seem to have rubbed off on him, he needed to make a bookmark. I pointed him to the construction paper but he politely informed me he had something else in mind. He took plain white drawing paper and Blendy Pens (thank you AJ), a hole punch and some yarn and created his own bookmark. Maybe this is the year that my children will join me in projects!!! If you know me at all you know the enthusiasm that is welling up inside me this very moment! Since the blendies were out, I thought I'd have a litte fun with them as well and used them to make the letters for the Rabbit game.

Office Supplies

2009-01-17T17:27:00.000-08:00

Is it just me or do most people LOVE office supplies? I must have had the ideal job when I was in charge of ordering them. I remember that year. I invented a whole new system of filing my budget reports probably just so I could order the newest trendiest colored file folders. Well, I'm back at it. I'm getting ready to co-facilitate LeadershipPlenty modules for our church and community. Our Horizons coach dropped off the box of supplies yesterday and I think she may have been surprised by my enthusiasm as I greeted the box of goodies.
So, what does this have to do with projects? Well...it's my latest project of course. Getting all of the materials ingrained in my head, preparing all of the supplies and resources, setting up the room, and brushing up on facilitator do's and dont's. It's the item of business that receives all of my attention from now until Session 1 is complete.
Here's the balance: I attended son's basketball games had good conversation with hubby all the way there and back. Made homemade chicken noodles soup (whole wheat homemade rolled out noodles) AND learned this amazing misnomer in my Bible reading today: YES, Jacob had to work for 14 years to receive Rachel as his wife BUT he was able to marry her after 7 years and 1 week THEN work the remaining seven years while being married to her. Also---noting God's consistent use of dreams to speak to people during this time period.
And for fun...my influence of office supplies and Jesus I've had on my daughter pictured below:

Fulfilling One Resolution

2009-01-15T15:12:00.000-08:00

Every year I run from making resolutions, deeming them ignorant and pointless. And EVERY year about this time I come to the realization that I have indeed made resolutions, if only in my mind--which technically isn't a real goal, but reality never follows rules. So in reality, I have indeed made resolutions once again.

My [unofficial] Resolutions for 2009:

1. Resurrect my blogging habit

2. Eat mostly organic & "whole" foods

3. Master the art of baking bread

4. Understand internet marketing tools better

5. Live at peace in all circumstances

6. Read through the Bible again

7. Serve others more

8. Believe God the first time

9. Accept my husband for who he is

10. Worship God in new ways

So there you have it. This entry is the path to fulfilling Resolution #1. Which also is my PROJECT Candy for this week...I really hope it lasts! I think comments help a blogger to continue....so PLEASE help me by posting comments often.