tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28849524379805641522023-11-15T12:40:28.268-06:00Little By Littlemaking simple changes toward healthier living, one step at a timeBrianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15610124987798400992noreply@blogger.comBlogger41125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2884952437980564152.post-52438065541973481942012-01-02T17:43:00.000-06:002012-01-02T17:43:23.203-06:00A New Year, A New Resolution<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">It's been a long time since my last blog. I was in a real frump and was very discouraged for quite a while. The pounds quit dropping off and I actually started to see them come back on even though I was eating healthier. I admit that I wasn't exercising as much as I should have, but I felt <i>blah</i> all the time. To everyone else, I'm sure it looked like laziness. But for me, I just felt drained... ALL THE TIME. I lost motivation due to lack of energy and I really didn't know why. A few months ago I had my regular check up and my doctor referred me to an endocrinologist who diagnosed me with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis and Hypothyroidism with a multi-nodular goitre. This isn't good news, but at least now I KNOW why I've been so blah. There is a reason, and it's not because I'm lazy. I've been on hypothyroid medication for about 5 weeks now and so far my energy levels have not improved. I have another appointment on the 5th to see my doctor and have more lab work done to see if my thyroid medicine needs to be adjusted. In the mean time, I've been looking for natural ways to help my thyroid function through diet and supplements.<br />
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I usually don't like setting myself up for failure, so I don't normally talk about my resolutions. However, this year I do have a few I want to share. First, I want to get my health in control. Not the doctor's control, I'm putting this in God's hands. I want my energy back so that I can do the things I need to do to get my weight back to normal and be able to enjoy time with my kids while they are still young enough to want to spend time with me. Second, I want to develop a meeker spirit. I let little things annoy me and I really want to have more patience and be able to speak more quietly. I guess that means my kids will have to listen to me much closer since I won't be raising my voice to repeat things. And third, I want to learn how to play the new guitar my husband gave me for Christmas. I'm dedicated to learn and plan to spend about an hour a day practicing along with my children. What are your resolutions this year?<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/121/99DD349D6A3824D0C338AC37C5486676.png" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px !important; border-color: initial !important; border-left-width: 0px !important; border-right-width: 0px !important; border-style: initial !important; border-top-width: 0px !important;" /></a></div></div>Brianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15610124987798400992noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2884952437980564152.post-3019474575653684402011-07-02T15:46:00.000-05:002011-07-02T15:46:05.004-05:00SmartKlean Laundry Ball (review)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> A while back another blogger had posted about the SmartKlean laundry ball. I became intrigued after checking out their website at <a href="http://www.smartklean.com/">http://www.smartklean.com/</a> . I've been happy using soap nuts for a while now and feel they are still a fantastic eco friendly way to wash your clothes among other things. However, this laundry ball has some fantastic benefits that soap nuts do not. <br />
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The ball itself is an interesting shape and feels like it's made of a rubbery plastic. It's heavy for its size and is filled with four different little round ceramic beads and magnets. Their website states that everything inside the ball is biodegradable and the outer casing is recyclable. Each of the different ceramic balls inside have a different purpose, as do the magnets. One is an antibiotic that eliminates mold and bacteria, another is an alkali that elevates the water's PH to similar levels of soaps & detergents, another is a far infrared and negative ions increasing molecular motion and decreasing surface tension ensuring sterilization, and the last one is for chlorine exclusion eliminating chloride compounds in water. The tiny, but powerful magnets inside break down water clusters and help reduce rust in your washing machine. The shape and design of the ball beats & agitates dirt off clothing during the wash cycle. I love the idea of reducing chlorine in the water and that is what really attracted me to the SmartKlean ball in the first place.<br />
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The SmartKlean laundry ball is reusable for 365 loads. They say one year, but I don't do a load of laundry each day, so it could last me longer than that. Included in the package was a chart to mark off each time you do a load to keep track of the 365 uses. This could potentially save a lot of money over purchasing laundry detergent. <br />
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Since the SmartKlean laundry ball does not use soap or detergent, there is no need for the rinse cycle and you can wash all of your clothes in cold water, saving you money on water and electricity, not to mention time. I have been using the ball for the past few weeks and have been completely satisfied with its ability to clean and deodorize the kids stinky, dirty clothes. I suppose if I had some really tough stains I could make a liquid soap from my soap nuts to pre-treat the stains before washing with the SmartKlean ball.<br />
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This is a great alternative to laundry detergents for people with allergies and sensitive skin. Check it out!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hb2axwai6DU/Tg-DPX2zBfI/AAAAAAAAAFM/JkSRX-LCad4/s1600/IMG_20110702_151151.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hb2axwai6DU/Tg-DPX2zBfI/AAAAAAAAAFM/JkSRX-LCad4/s320/IMG_20110702_151151.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B6n26-pFnHg/Tg-DPyo1vvI/AAAAAAAAAFQ/305KgiZ4jWU/s1600/IMG_20110702_151111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B6n26-pFnHg/Tg-DPyo1vvI/AAAAAAAAAFQ/305KgiZ4jWU/s320/IMG_20110702_151111.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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This review is my personal opinion of the product. I am not being compensated by the company in any way, except that they sent me one SmartKlean laundry ball to try out and review on my blog.<br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/121/99DD349D6A3824D0C338AC37C5486676.png" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px !important; border-color: initial !important; border-left-width: 0px !important; border-right-width: 0px !important; border-style: initial !important; border-top-width: 0px !important;" /></a></div>Brianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15610124987798400992noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2884952437980564152.post-69059234917833378342011-06-19T22:09:00.000-05:002011-06-19T22:09:52.392-05:00Happy Father's Day<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> I am so blessed to have this amazing man as my husband and wonderful father to my children. Happy Father's Day, Brandon! I surely do love you! =)<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/121/99DD349D6A3824D0C338AC37C5486676.png" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px !important; border-color: initial !important; border-left-width: 0px !important; border-right-width: 0px !important; border-style: initial !important; border-top-width: 0px !important;" /></a></div>Brianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15610124987798400992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2884952437980564152.post-66195591246821354642011-06-12T12:50:00.001-05:002011-06-12T12:50:27.464-05:00Where does the time go?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> It has been almost a month since my last blog post. I've thought about posting for a while, and then I get very busy. I can't believe how time flies. Who else thinks it's strange that it's already JUNE?<br />
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Some days I feel very discouraged in my weight loss since I'm stuck fluctuating between 156-159 lbs and I can't seem to get it lower. I must admit that I've not been as strict with my diet as I was at first, but all in all we are eating so much healthier than ever in our lives. On the other hand, I have lost quite a bit so far. At my heaviest, I was about 183 lbs a few years ago, just before I had my gallbladder surgery. I'm still thick in the waistline, and I really need to become more motivated to actually exercise when I have some "free" time to myself... (I still laugh when I say that). In the past few weeks, my husband has MADE me go purchase a few pairs of pants for myself, because my pants were literally falling off of me. I dropped two sizes. Yesterday he took my wedding ring to have it resized as well. I've been very hesitant about that since I really want to wait until I reach my goal weight to resize it. For a while now, I've been wearing it with a spacer. I need to go through ALL of my clothes and donate everything that is too big for me, which will be most of my wardrobe. I do have a lot of things that are too small for me that I've hung onto for a while in hopes that I will some day be able to fit in them again. So right now, I'm in between sizes.<br />
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Looking back at my last post and seeing pictures of my garden from almost a month ago, I'm in awe of how much the garden has grown since then. We haven't had too much of a bug problem in the garden, but something (I think a bunny maybe) has been eating our tomatoes, including that one HUGE one. I've started picking them as soon as they start turning orange and bringing them in to ripen indoors. We have a very small blueberry bush that had quite a bit of berries on it considering its size, however I've noticed less and less berries each time I go out there. I think birds are getting to some of our produce as well. We should probably get some netting or something to put over the plants at this point.<br />
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Brandon and I started doing the bulk of our grocery shopping at Whole Foods Market and buying mostly organic produce. We've cut back to eating meat only a few days a week, usually on his days off so he can grill. Since we hadn't eaten red meat in nearly a year, I decided it wouldn't kill me to eat it every once in a while. This made him very happy to try out some new recipes on the grill. I've found the best day to shop at Whole Foods Market is on Wednesdays. The previous ad ends on Wednesday and the new ad begins, allowing us to shop sales from both weeks. I try to stock up on things we would want from both ads and arrange our meals accordingly. Whole Foods also takes coupons and has their own coupon flier. So we shop from sales and coupons and actually don't spend as much as we did shopping for prepackaged, loaded with junk, foods from Walmart. My kids love trying new, healthier foods and are really LOVING our new healthy diet. I'm very blessed that they aren't picky eaters any more and prefer fresh veggies and fruit to prepackaged junk. It's amazing how eating healthier can really change your taste buds. Candy and sweets are still a weakness for all of us, but we don't eat them quite as often as we did before.<br />
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I have taken on several new students for our Summer Session this year, and it's been so much fun getting to know this great group of kids. We have been enjoying some fun activities together, like going to the library and swimming. We also made tie dye t-shirts to wear when we have our lemonade stand. Since my daughter is a year ahead in her academics and didn't have any work to do this summer, she has been a huge help to me with the younger students. I've given my students a challenge this summer to turn in a total of 100 book reports as a group effort by the end of this summer and we will have a party. About half of the class enjoys reading, while the other half need some encouragement. I really hope this will help them all enjoy reading more. Because our school has grown to its capacity, we will be rearranging some of the furniture in the living room and building new desks to accommodate more students. We ordered one computer armoire from Walmart and are anxiously waiting its arrival so we can put it together to see if it will work out before we purchase the rest. I figured since the school is in my living room, with the armoires when school is out, we can close the cabinets and reclaim a little space. We also plan to purchase some adjustable height, swivel tractor stools that will fit inside of the cabinets when not in use. I think everything will be neat and tidy that way. And finally, all of our class room furniture will match!<br />
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We recently had a scare with our beloved 9 yr old Beagle puppy, Daisy. For a few days last week she was very lethargic. We also noticed that she had fat pockets on her neck and chest that were very large. The kids and I all prayed for Daisy, that she would be okay and that her fat pockets would go away. Brandon and Bailey took her to the vet on his day off. The vet wasn't concerned about the fat pockets and said that was normal for dogs. He was concerned about her significant heart murmur. We knew she had a murmur in the past, but the vet said it wasn't a big deal before. This time, he gave her a chest x-ray and determined that she has a heart condition. So now we must give her medications every day. It's not easy giving a dog little pills. We may have to go get some soft treats to stick them in. In the past few days, she has improved a LOT. She's much more energetic and playful. And her fat pockets on her neck and chest are completely gone. I'm not sure if they had anything to do with her heart condition at all, but I'm sure it's much more comfortable for her to not have them on her neck where her collar is. I'm just happy that my sweet Daisy is feeling better. =)<br />
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Here's some photos of some yummy foods we have made lately. Let me know what recipes you would like to try and I'll post them....<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Mandarin Orange stuffed Chicken Breast with Grilled Pineapple, Salsa, and Mango Avacado Guacomole</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3A7d7FY5aY4/TfT3KHmBQWI/AAAAAAAAAE4/ZkVA5PucUPA/s1600/242450_1562960414288_1843691893_990395_1837195_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3A7d7FY5aY4/TfT3KHmBQWI/AAAAAAAAAE4/ZkVA5PucUPA/s320/242450_1562960414288_1843691893_990395_1837195_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Turkey Burgers with Onion Apple Relish and Sweet Potato Fries</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nSCKWH6ZzhQ/TfT3KT1zfXI/AAAAAAAAAE8/Dt2ntArCgW8/s1600/243391_2042882827830_1117117221_32376770_6495926_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nSCKWH6ZzhQ/TfT3KT1zfXI/AAAAAAAAAE8/Dt2ntArCgW8/s320/243391_2042882827830_1117117221_32376770_6495926_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/121/99DD349D6A3824D0C338AC37C5486676.png" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px !important; border-color: initial !important; border-left-width: 0px !important; border-right-width: 0px !important; border-style: initial !important; border-top-width: 0px !important;" /></a></div>Brianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15610124987798400992noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2884952437980564152.post-40560338229970817642011-05-22T13:27:00.000-05:002011-05-22T13:27:22.154-05:00Garden Update<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
Our garden is progressing nicely since I first shared pictures with you. We have been enjoying fresh strawberries and cherry tomatoes a few at a time. Sometimes I wish that we would get one great big harvest so we don't have to figure out how to split them four ways. For a while we were having some trouble with our tomatoes getting blossom end rot. I picked off those bad tomatoes and decided to add a layer of straw mulch to the entire garden. That seemed to help and now we have some beautiful, healthy, but still green tomatoes growing. I realize now that gardening requires a lot of patience. I have a lot of patience with many things, including children, but being patient for my garden to grow is extremely difficult. Here's some pics from our garden today:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pOsjeG_oels/TdlTAyFwWKI/AAAAAAAAAD4/kPr1iM7rQpk/s1600/IMG_20110522_122217.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pOsjeG_oels/TdlTAyFwWKI/AAAAAAAAAD4/kPr1iM7rQpk/s320/IMG_20110522_122217.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I couldn't quite get the angle right to include the entire garden. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Our blueberry bush is just to the left of this view.</div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UL4TTTeVFd0/TdlTQG5siHI/AAAAAAAAAEE/guPojGcYROk/s1600/IMG_20110522_112823.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UL4TTTeVFd0/TdlTQG5siHI/AAAAAAAAAEE/guPojGcYROk/s320/IMG_20110522_112823.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Blueberries</div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7J88OiZ35ZQ/TdlTSukgSKI/AAAAAAAAAEI/txkVm4DCJ-c/s1600/IMG_20110522_112833.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7J88OiZ35ZQ/TdlTSukgSKI/AAAAAAAAAEI/txkVm4DCJ-c/s320/IMG_20110522_112833.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Raspberry Bush</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6Pjo0cp7Cr8/TdlTN0YhFJI/AAAAAAAAAEA/FJsy5Xxe4b8/s1600/IMG_20110522_113832.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6Pjo0cp7Cr8/TdlTN0YhFJI/AAAAAAAAAEA/FJsy5Xxe4b8/s320/IMG_20110522_113832.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We have a few raspberries on the canes from last year.</div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-17FhZcEhL-k/TdlTaT62gqI/AAAAAAAAAEU/qHn2Q2CiUsw/s1600/IMG_20110522_113046.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-17FhZcEhL-k/TdlTaT62gqI/AAAAAAAAAEU/qHn2Q2CiUsw/s320/IMG_20110522_113046.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Strawberry patch, catnip, mints, and you can see the onions in this view as well.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KziR91iKYnc/TdlTc-UY3nI/AAAAAAAAAEY/i6gW2xUVmFo/s1600/IMG_20110522_113106.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KziR91iKYnc/TdlTc-UY3nI/AAAAAAAAAEY/i6gW2xUVmFo/s320/IMG_20110522_113106.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Mini pumpkins and corn</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SNZleleNMYs/TdlTjMAYJ5I/AAAAAAAAAEk/C-dHK_1UBiQ/s1600/IMG_20110522_113512.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SNZleleNMYs/TdlTjMAYJ5I/AAAAAAAAAEk/C-dHK_1UBiQ/s320/IMG_20110522_113512.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">LOADS of grapes all over the grapevine</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_iz_ljIDJOY/TdlTm2V0eqI/AAAAAAAAAEs/vGhsUHuL35o/s1600/IMG_20110522_113549.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_iz_ljIDJOY/TdlTm2V0eqI/AAAAAAAAAEs/vGhsUHuL35o/s320/IMG_20110522_113549.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Our biggest Beefsteak yet</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3YbsCLCqcNc/TdlTpAd4VaI/AAAAAAAAAEw/xQc2uzfbJks/s1600/IMG_20110522_113558.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3YbsCLCqcNc/TdlTpAd4VaI/AAAAAAAAAEw/xQc2uzfbJks/s320/IMG_20110522_113558.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">More Beefsteaks</div><br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/121/99DD349D6A3824D0C338AC37C5486676.png" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px !important; border-color: initial !important; border-left-width: 0px !important; border-right-width: 0px !important; border-style: initial !important; border-top-width: 0px !important;" /></a></div>Brianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15610124987798400992noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2884952437980564152.post-16618094235850725202011-05-15T14:14:00.003-05:002011-05-15T15:00:19.832-05:00Android Apps I Use<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> My friend, Lisa, suggested I blog about the android apps I use and why. I must tell you that I'm addicted to apps on my phone. Recently I had over 90 apps, but have since cleared out some that I don't use only to find more. I like to play with different apps for the same thing until I decide on ones I like over all, but many times it's hard to find what I need and I'm seriously considering learning how to create my own apps for my purposes. I only choose FREE apps, because there is no sense in spending money when you can find a free app that is just as good or better.<br />
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First, I'd like to share with you the apps that I use that are geared more toward the nature of this blog, health and fitness. Actually, I found one app, Noom Weight Loss, which is a combination of 3 in 1. With Noom you can track your weight and see your progress. You can set a workout schedule and track your calories burned using Cardio Trainer, which includes a pedometer and the ability to share your exercises and calories burned on Facebook. And you can log your meals with Calorific by taking a photo and selecting the portion sizes to guesstimate your calorie intake. It's not completely accurate, but it does help you think about your food choices. I also like True Food Network Center For Food Safety shopping guide. It includes lists of brands that contain no GMO ingredients as well as contact information for companies that do use GMO ingredients if you would like to take action. CPR-Choking and First Aid are two great apps for emergencies with step by step instructions on what to do. This is handy in case the children need to use it since they have not taken CPR or First Aid courses yet.<br />
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I absolutely must have a Bible on my phone and I use YouVersion Bible, which allows you to choose what translation and to search for scriptures, use bookmarks, set reading plans, and take notes. I also use Daily Bible, which has a daily verse, daily plan, devotions and more. Each morning I give my students the daily verse to memorize for merits in school. Our church even created an app for android called COTM, which is great for keeping up with news and watching services right on the phone. You could even use the mobile giving option to pay your tithe, we haven't played with that feature yet. I love the Bible Trivia game and have used it on long road trips with the kids. Remember Me is a Bible verse memory app to help you commit God's Word to your heart.<br />
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Because I am a teacher, I try to find many educational apps that will be helpful for my students. This is probably the area I have the most apps. Here's the list I keep just for them: 50 States, Algebra Tutor, Brain Genius, Google Sky Map, Kaka Flashcards (allows you to create your own flashcards on the phone), L&M Guitar (includes a metronome, guitar tuner, chord guide, and even links to youtube video lessons), Math Maiac, Math Tricks Lite, Memory Trainer, Music Sheet (helps you practice reading notes), Paint Joy (for creating animated art work), SBMX (Sketchbook for drawing), Sight Word Flash Cards, Speed Anatomy, The Periodic Table, The US Presidents, Ultrachron Lite (which is a timer and stopwatch- I use this daily with the kids), as well as a few fun thinking games like Blow Up and Slice It. I also have an app called Behavior Status which allows me to enter in all of the student's names, I can set up different classes, which isn't necessary for me right now. When I click on a student's name I can select red, yellow, or green from the stop light which will bring up the current time and allow me to add notes. I can pull up the student's history and even email the parents. I also plan to use Glympse to share our location with parents when we are out on field trips.<br />
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One great app for our family is Cozi, which allows me to share a calendar, grocery lists, and to do lists with my hubby. I love that it emails the calendar for the week and that updates can be made on my phone or on the computer in real time. If we were both out shopping at different stores we can cross off items from the grocery lists as we get them and the other person can see it crossed off as well so we wouldn't double up on purchases. There is also the ability to keep a journal by jotting down notes and even taking photos. This is an AMAZING tool and I highly recommend it. We also use Family GPS Tracker for when we are out and about in different placed. It includes a panic button that will send a phone call, email, and a text message to your emergency contacts. It also includes a check in button to notify your family members that you have arrived at your destination safely. This is helpful late at night when Brandon is on his way home from work. Sometimes I worry when it seems it's taking longer than it should. I can see right where he's at through the GPS tracker.<br />
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A few fun games I like to play are the different Angry Birds, Jewels Deluxe, Ninjump, Roller (it's like the ticket redemption game, Skii Ball), Words With Friends (my name on WWF is Sparklykttn if you would like to play with me), and YooNinja, as well as the games I have for my students to play. I also have Opera Mini for internet, Facebook, TweetCaster for Twitter, Youtube, Gmail, PicSay Pro for editing photos, and CamScanner for scanning photos and documents. ShopKick is one of my favorite apps. I don't really know why I like it so much, but it's kind of fun. With ShopKick you can earn kick points for "logging in" to different stores, sometimes they have scavenger hunts to find things and scan them in the stores for more points. You can trade in your points for different rewards. I also like Animated Weather, for up to date weather forecast and the graphics are awesome! A few more random apps are: Antivirus Free, App 2 SD Free, Apps Organizer, Elixir, Hebrew Calendar, and Amazon Appstore,<br />
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Of course my phone came preloaded with many apps that I cannot remove even though I don't use them, but some are useful. As you can see, I have a LOT of apps and not enough space for more. However, If I could create an app, I would make one that would allow me to keep track of my students by taking attendance, tracking test scores, tracking behavior, as well as keeping notes and emergency info on each one of them all in one app. I hope this information has been helpful to some of you. Tell me, what apps can you just not live without?<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/121/99DD349D6A3824D0C338AC37C5486676.png" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px !important; border-color: initial !important; border-left-width: 0px !important; border-right-width: 0px !important; border-style: initial !important; border-top-width: 0px !important;" /></a></div>Brianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15610124987798400992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2884952437980564152.post-49678870923970266682011-05-13T19:44:00.000-05:002011-05-13T19:44:55.135-05:00Catching Up...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> I've been so busy the past few weeks that I've not had much time to blog, or do anything really. I've not been exercising, or even weighing myself regularly. I have dropped a few inches off my waist and hips and my clothes are continuing to fit loosely, so I'm not too worried about it right now. We have been eating very healthy, with the exception of a few fast food meals here and there. I try to make the healthiest choices when we go out to eat, but I will admit that I'm still munching on Easter candies. Some habits are just too hard to break.<br />
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In the past few weeks I've added a few new students to my school, 3 brothers to be precise. My son is so excited that he's no longer outnumbered by girls. So far these boys are great, if not a little shy. But everyone seems to get along and they are very respectful. We have one week left of school, then a one week break before our Summer Session starts. I have two more students coming this summer. We plan to spend some time throughout the summer building new offices to make room for even more students in the Fall. When I'm busy, it's usually with my school. The school consumes so much of my time, but I LOVE every minute of it!<br />
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Just a few days ago I finally convinced Brandon to take me to Whole Foods to get our groceries. We bought a ton of fresh fruits and veggies and actually spent less than our shopping trips to Walmart. The produce section at Whole Foods is phenomenal! I only wish there was a location closer to home. We have to drive a good 30 minutes out, but right now with construction it's almost 45 minutes. CRAZY!<br />
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I have come up with a few new recipes that I would like to post soon. We altered our Tomato Soup recipe just a tad and grilled the fresh vegetables that went into it first. It came out very good. I've also made some breakfast smoothies as well as a few other things. I'm still reading a few books as I have time that I'd like to blog about and my friend, Lisa, suggested that I blog about the apps I use on my phone and why. Some are relevant to health and fitness, and some geared more toward my school use. I guess I need to prepare a list of things to blog about and hope that I find the time to post them. I guess I should be asking you all what you want me to blog about next. Any suggestions?<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/121/99DD349D6A3824D0C338AC37C5486676.png" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px !important; border-color: initial !important; border-left-width: 0px !important; border-right-width: 0px !important; border-style: initial !important; border-top-width: 0px !important;" /></a></div>Brianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15610124987798400992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2884952437980564152.post-3654236276846263192011-05-13T18:38:00.000-05:002011-05-13T18:38:45.641-05:00A Few New Kitchen Toys<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> Making changes in the kitchen is happening gradually. As you may already know, kitchen tools can be expensive. We haven't purchased new knives in YEARS! You know it's time to replace your knives when they break while cutting something. It's pretty scary when your kids are using them and they break. Our knife "collection" was full of mismatched pieces, mostly with cheap plastic handles. They were unreliable and often I'd go through a few different knives to get a simple task done. Then just a few weeks ago, Brandon brought home a beautiful set of Farberware one-piece stainless steel knives in a knife block. The set includes 8 steak knives, a 3.5" parer, an 8" bread knife, an 8" chef knife, shears, sharpener, a 5" serrated utility knife, a 5" fine edge utility knife, and a 5" santoku knife, all in a labeled knife block to keep them organized. I absolutely LOVE these knives! They sing like a sword being unsheathed as you pull them from the block and they slice through anything like butter. Pretty impressive compared to our old dull knives. Brandon said he purchased them at Target and they were a decent price, not the most expensive. I cannot find them on Target's website to link them, but here they are...<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> Another new kitchen toy we've added is the Hamilton Beach Big Mouth Duo Food Processor. This is going to be a workhorse in our kitchen now that we are eating more fruits and veggies. This thing can slice, dice, chop, and puree A LOT of food! It's HUGE! We purchased this at Target on sale yesterday and put it to good use when we made Grilled Tomato Soup for dinner last night. I'm already dreaming up new things to try with this. I've named HER "Stevena"! (Brandon has a habit of naming all our new "powerful" appliances "Steve". (ie. our vacuum, carpet shampooer, our grill, etc.) I just figured I better beat him to the punch this time. =) </div><br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/121/99DD349D6A3824D0C338AC37C5486676.png" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px !important; border-color: initial !important; border-left-width: 0px !important; border-right-width: 0px !important; border-style: initial !important; border-top-width: 0px !important;" /></a></div>Brianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15610124987798400992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2884952437980564152.post-45138757479093823002011-05-03T18:44:00.000-05:002011-05-03T18:44:54.928-05:00Raw Honey GOODNESS!!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> Last month I entered a giveaway on another blog (<a href="http://www.childrenchoresandchocolate.blogspot.com/">Mama Chocolate</a>) for Tropical Traditions <a href="http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/organic_raw_honey.htm">Organic Canadian Raw Honey</a>. I was so excited when she emailed me and told me that I was the winner. I have been eying several products on the Tropical Traditions website for quite some time now, and this was on the top of my list. Today my honey arrived and it didn't take me but two seconds to pry off the lid and dip a spoon into it. I have to say this is the most AMAZING honey I have ever tasted! It's solid instead of liquid like the honey I'm used to purchasing at the local grocery store, but it just melts in your mouth. It has the consistency of a thick spread. I toasted a piece of 9 grain bread that I made in the bread machine and spread peanut butter and this honey on it and it was sooo good! Now I need to find some good recipes to include this. <br />
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In addition to Organic Canadian Raw Honey, Tropical Traditions also sells a lot of organic foods, cleaners, body care products, even pet food and many, many other items. On my list of MUST TRY items is the <a href="http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/organic_coconut_peanut_butter.htm">Organic Coconut Peanut Butter</a>, <a href="http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/virgin_coconut_oil.htm">Organic Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil</a>, <a href="http://www.householdtraditions.com/powdered_dishwasher_detergent.htm">Powdered Dish Washer Detergent</a>, and <a href="http://www.householdtraditions.com/bug_arrest.htm">Bug Arrest </a>(for my garden). Their website is very informative and they even have some very tasty recipes that I'm dying to try. I also enjoy reading articles on their blog <a href="http://www.created4health.org/index.html">Created 4 Health</a>.<br />
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<a href="http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/">Tropical Traditions</a> also has a great referral program. You will be able to acquire your own complimentary copy of their Virgin Coconut Oil book. When you choose “Referred by a Friend” and enter my User ID: 7454309 on your first online order, the book will be automatically added to your order.<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/121/99DD349D6A3824D0C338AC37C5486676.png" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px !important; border-color: initial !important; border-left-width: 0px !important; border-right-width: 0px !important; border-style: initial !important; border-top-width: 0px !important;" /></a></div>Brianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15610124987798400992noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2884952437980564152.post-49488892062609204502011-04-30T22:49:00.000-05:002011-04-30T22:49:53.547-05:00I QUIT!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> I quit!! I've decided I'm no longer on a diet. I've never been one to stick to any specific diet anyway, so eating healthier is my new lifestyle. I must admit that, I do have lapses in judgement when it comes to food or food-like stuff. I usually find out that I don't really care for the same sweet treats I was addicted to just months ago and I'm enjoying healthier options more and more. I do however, still have a thing for chocolate... I've had way too much Easter candy this past week. Which also explains why I've not lost any weight this past week. (sigh)<br />
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I'm almost embarrassed to admit that I never really enjoyed cooking, until recently. I actually felt inadequate in that department. After all, being a wife and mother, that is the one thing I should do best, right? Now, I'm looking for the next great recipe and I get so excited when my family enjoys the meals I prepare for them. Brandon even has his coworkers thinking that I'm some fantastic cook. He's been enjoying more veggies and less meat these days and has agreed to only eat meat 2-3 times a week. That means I must find more recipes for fruits, veggies, and healthy grains that are filling enough that he won't try to eat a deep dish pizza from Savastano's again. (That was a painful experience for him.) I'm also determined to show him that we can eat healthy, organic meals on a reasonable budget.<br />
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I love to read diet and nutrition books. I have so many on my shelves and I tend to pick the best information from each one. Last week I began reading <i>The Maker's Diet</i> by Jordan Rubin. First, I must say his story is nothing short of a miracle. His book is very informative and includes a listing of many different companies that offer natural and organic products for your health, body, and your home. I haven't finished it yet, so I'm not to the point where he introduces his diet guidelines. I did skim ahead though, and it looks similar to the <i>South Beach Diet</i> with the different phases and the lists of foods to enjoy and avoid. I also purchased <i>Reshaping It All</i> by Candace Cameron Bure, which isn't really a diet book. I haven't begun reading her book yet, but I'm eager to get started, so I'm trying to finish the one I'm currently working on whenever I have a "free moment".(HA!! I crack me up!)<br />
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The past few days we have been at the OCHEC (Oklahoma Christian Home Educators Consociation) convention in Tulsa. This is our third year attending and every year there is one lady that I'm very interested in going to her workshops, Karen Hopkins of <a href="http://www.growinghealthyhomes.com/">Growing Healthy Homes</a>. For the past few years she's been planting the seeds of healthier eating and living in my mind and heart. A few years ago I was not ready to take the plunge into this new way of living and neither was Brandon. I guess I still believed that food and body care products couldn't possibly be THAT bad for you if they were FDA approved. As if the FDA had our best interest in mind. Riiight! Last year I began paying a little more attention to what she had to say about body care products specifically. I was really noticing a decline in my own healthy and began researching some things on my own. This year, even before the convention, I told my husband that if nothing else, I wanted to purchase her curriculum book, <i><a href="http://growinghealthyhomes.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=66&products_id=182&zenid=d6ec66be4157306c930e27eb434e4b57">Nutrition 101: Choose Life!</a></i> I cannot begin to tell you how excited I am to have this in my possession. It's chock full of information on the brain and nervous system, digestive system, respiratory, olfactory, auditory and visual systems, skeletal and muscular systems, cardiovascular and immune systems, endocrine system and emotions, all laid out in a curriculum that is easy to use with kids of all ages. It also includes many healthy recipes. This is going to be a valuable tool in my endeavors toward healthy living for my family as well as teaching all of my students proper nutrition.<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/121/99DD349D6A3824D0C338AC37C5486676.png" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px !important; border-color: initial !important; border-left-width: 0px !important; border-right-width: 0px !important; border-style: initial !important; border-top-width: 0px !important;" /></a></div>Brianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15610124987798400992noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2884952437980564152.post-69116560719459043342011-04-25T18:21:00.001-05:002011-04-25T18:22:36.021-05:00Grilled Banana Boats (recipes)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> Last week when my husband grilled fruit for a fruit salad, he grilled bananas. I had never heard of grilled bananas before, so I decided to Google it and see what would come up. I found multiple recipes for banana boats, also called campfire bananas, and Brandon thought it would be the perfect dessert for Easter. They were very simple to make and tasted soooooo good!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lmYY0AJ-Z1I/TbYBB82s2rI/AAAAAAAAADY/gD8hbSkqn-8/s1600/200942_1940269542562_1117117221_32234580_6117263_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lmYY0AJ-Z1I/TbYBB82s2rI/AAAAAAAAADY/gD8hbSkqn-8/s320/200942_1940269542562_1117117221_32234580_6117263_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Z3313RxvQVg/TbYBBSPRllI/AAAAAAAAADU/rcDJoIHs-jM/s1600/201794_1940522068875_1117117221_32234909_441773_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Z3313RxvQVg/TbYBBSPRllI/AAAAAAAAADU/rcDJoIHs-jM/s320/201794_1940522068875_1117117221_32234909_441773_o.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
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I cut the stems off of the bananas then slit them down the middles, but not all the way through the other side. I stuffed each one with Ghiradelli chocolate chips and those pastel fruit flavored marshmallows. Brandon put them on the grill until the peels turned black and the bananas were soft on the inside. The chocolate chips melted and the marshmallows were perfectly toasted, crispy on the outside, and gooey in the middles. You can eat them with a spoon right from the peel or scoop them out over some vanilla ice cream like we did. YUMMY!!!<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/121/99DD349D6A3824D0C338AC37C5486676.png" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px !important; border-color: initial !important; border-left-width: 0px !important; border-right-width: 0px !important; border-style: initial !important; border-top-width: 0px !important;" /></a></div>Brianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15610124987798400992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2884952437980564152.post-90601718036279543292011-04-25T17:50:00.000-05:002011-04-25T17:50:45.383-05:00Mojito-Rubbed Chicken With Grilled Pineapples (recipes)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> Brandon found this recipe online <a href="http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/recipefinder/mojito-rubbed-chicken-grilled-pineapple-recipe">here</a> and we just had to try this for our Easter dinner this year. I followed this recipe, except that I used melted coconut oil instead of olive oil and I doubled the recipe for the lime/oil mixture. I also used fresh chocolate mint leaves from my garden. Brandon also grilled some fresh yellow squash to serve with it. I really think that a coconut rice would have made this meal PERFECT. We will definitely try this one again.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_DOb_dyuHmk/TbX6j7CvfJI/AAAAAAAAADQ/-jCdVq2gJQY/s1600/204262_1940123818919_1117117221_32234314_2351458_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_DOb_dyuHmk/TbX6j7CvfJI/AAAAAAAAADQ/-jCdVq2gJQY/s320/204262_1940123818919_1117117221_32234314_2351458_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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Mojito-Rubbed Chicken With Grilled Pineapples<br />
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<div id="ingredients_header" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">Ingredients:</div></div><ul style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><li class="ingredient" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="amount" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">4<span class="value-title" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="4 medium"></span></span> <span class="unit" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">medium </span>(1 1/2 pounds) <span class="name" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">skinless, boneless chicken-breast halves</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="amount" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">2<span class="value-title" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="2 "></span></span> <span class="unit" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> </span><span class="name" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">limes</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="amount" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">1<span class="value-title" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="1 tablespoon(s)"></span></span> <span class="unit" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">tablespoon(s) </span><span class="name" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">olive oil </span></li>
<li class="ingredient" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="amount" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">1<span class="value-title" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="1 medium"></span></span> <span class="unit" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">medium </span>(3 1/2 pounds) <span class="name" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">pineapple</span>, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices</li>
<li class="ingredient" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="amount" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">1/4</span> <span class="unit" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">cup(s) </span><span class="name" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">loosely packed fresh mint leaves</span>, chopped</li>
<li class="ingredient" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="amount" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="value-title" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title=" "></span></span><span class="unit" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> </span><span class="name" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Salt and pepper</span></li>
</ul><div class="header" style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;"><br />
</div><div class="header" style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">Directions:</div><ol class="directions instructions" style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Prepare outdoor grill for direct grilling on medium, or preheat large ridged grill pan on medium.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Meanwhile, with meat mallet, pound chicken (placed between 2 sheets plastic wrap) to an even 1/2-inch thickness.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">From 1 lime, grate 1 teaspoon peel and squeeze 2 tablespoons juice. Cut remaining lime into 4 wedges; set aside. In small bowl, combine oil, lime peel, and juice. Lightly brush pineapple on both sides with lime mixture; set aside remaining lime mixture in bowl. Place pineapple slices on hot grill rack and cook 10 minutes or until browned on both sides, turning over once.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Stir mint into remaining lime mixture and pat onto both sides of chicken. Sprinkle chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper to season both sides. Place chicken on hot grill rack and cook 5 minutes or until chicken is browned on both sides and no longer pink throughout, turning over once. Serve chicken with pineapple and lime wedges.</span></li>
</ol><span style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /><br style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" />Read more: <a href="http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/recipefinder/mojito-rubbed-chicken-grilled-pineapple-recipe#ixzz1KZqSncjo" style="color: #003399; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Mojito-Rubbed Chicken with Grilled Pineapple Recipe - Good Housekeeping</a> </span><br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/121/99DD349D6A3824D0C338AC37C5486676.png" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px !important; border-color: initial !important; border-left-width: 0px !important; border-right-width: 0px !important; border-style: initial !important; border-top-width: 0px !important;" /></a></div>Brianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15610124987798400992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2884952437980564152.post-80574754911575236372011-04-24T21:22:00.000-05:002011-04-24T21:22:27.035-05:00Happy Easter<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> I hope everyone has had a blessed Easter this year, I know I have. Our kids are 13 and 9, and they know there's no such thing as the Easter Bunny, so I didn't have to play that game this year. My Dad sent them some little baskets, candy, toothpaste, toothbrushes, and gift cards to Incredible Pizza, so we really didn't have to do much else for their baskets. Yesterday, I took the kids to Mardel to let them pick out a new Bible for each of them and had their names engraved on them. I also picked up a few books for myself at Mardel since they were all on sale for 25% off. I plan to blog about them after I read them. Then, last night, I volunteered in the nursery at church for two Easter services. I LOVE working with the babies. B.J. won a very nice Easter basket in the class he was in, and of course he shared with his sister. This morning we went to the last Easter service for the weekend at our church as a family. Every year, service is AMAZING, I don't expect anything less from COTM. This year there were a total of 858 people who were baptized over the 5 Easter services and 238 elementary students gave their hearts to Jesus. It was truly a blessing to witness this.<br />
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For dinner tonight, Brandon lit up the grill and we made hickory grilled, mojito-rubbed chicken, grilled pineapples and grilled squash, and for dessert... grilled banana boats! And I just had to try roasting a Peep... Dinner was AMAZING. I think that it would have been very good with a coconut-rice. It's definitely something we will make again. I plan to post the recipes tomorrow when I have more time.<br />
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I didn't weigh-in or exercise today, I might not do it tomorrow either. I've eaten way too much easter candy/treats today and I'm afraid the scale will show it. I must work it off over the next few days. HA!<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/121/99DD349D6A3824D0C338AC37C5486676.png" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px !important; border-color: initial !important; border-left-width: 0px !important; border-right-width: 0px !important; border-style: initial !important; border-top-width: 0px !important;" /></a></div>Brianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15610124987798400992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2884952437980564152.post-21197741706323528402011-04-21T22:26:00.000-05:002011-04-21T22:26:18.766-05:00Grilled BBQ Pulled Chicken Breast and Grilled Fruit Salad (recipes)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> My hubby has been itching to use the grill lately. He asked me if he could grill hot dogs for lunch. EWWWW!! NO!! So he decided to look for some recipes that I can actually enjoy and came up with a very nice dinner.<br />
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First, he grilled 4 large chicken breasts and added some BBQ seasoning while it was on the grill. When that was finished, I pulled the chicken and put it in a large cast iron skillet, added 1/2 cup of shredded carrots and BBQ sauce to taste, and put it back on the grill.<br />
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I cut up all the fruit into chunks and put them on skewers. (Bananas, Pineapples, Pears, Apples, Strawberries, and Plums) Brandon grilled each different fruit separately, because they require different amounts of time. Since this was his first time grilling fruit other than pineapple, we weren't sure what to expect. Some of the fruit did burn, but this was a learning experience.<br />
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While he was busy being "lord of the grill", I mixed up the dressing with 8 oz plain Greek yogurt, 1/2 cup honey, and a handful of chocolate mint leaves from my garden that I chopped up.<br />
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When everything was ready, I served the grilled fruit on top of organic mixed spring greens and topped with the dressing. My hubby and kiddos had their grilled BBQ pulled chicken on a bun with lettuce, but I skipped on the bun. <br />
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I've always loved grilled pineapples, but we have never tried grilling other fruits before. I think I would prefer them fresh, besides the pineapple, but it was still very good. There's just something about grilled pineapple... The chicken was WONDERFUL!!! This is definitely something we will have again.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WqbDWcnCkgo/TbD1T9jILWI/AAAAAAAAADM/XIPrB0lqtOQ/s1600/218928_1934468077529_1117117221_32223170_5393257_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WqbDWcnCkgo/TbD1T9jILWI/AAAAAAAAADM/XIPrB0lqtOQ/s320/218928_1934468077529_1117117221_32223170_5393257_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/121/99DD349D6A3824D0C338AC37C5486676.png" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px !important; border-color: initial !important; border-left-width: 0px !important; border-right-width: 0px !important; border-style: initial !important; border-top-width: 0px !important;" /></a></div>Brianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15610124987798400992noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2884952437980564152.post-9257349857355287222011-04-17T14:43:00.001-05:002011-04-17T14:48:04.454-05:00Diet update: Week 8<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> Once again, I've had a very busy week. I didn't really try any new recipes. We've eaten pretty simple this week with baked chicken and veggies like green beans, corn, or peas for dinners. I've noticed that my portion control has gotten a lot better over the past few months. I still eat from the small salad plates, but stop eating when I'm full, which doesn't take much for me these days. I used to feel like I had to finish everything on my plate so I wouldn't be wasteful. I did make chili again this week, which is a family favorite, and usually is enough for two dinners. I've also decided that no matter what I do, I'll always crave chocolate. So instead of fighting it to the point that I go CRAZY, I just limit myself to a little bit each day. I really like the Skinny Cow mint ice cream sandwiches, and will have one as a treat after dinner. That's usually enough to stave off my chocolate cravings.<br />
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Saturday we had our 4th annual Easter party and egg hunt. This year we had 11 kids (ages 6-13), over 200 eggs, and some very creative desserts/snacks, all of which were loaded with sugar. With the exception of the deli tray and fruit. After everyone snacked and visited a bit, I took the kids out to play some games while a few of my friends hid all of the eggs. We had a potato sack race for the kids and then for the adults. I actually won, which I wasn't expecting. I don't think I could have done that a year ago. Before I took the kids back to hunt for eggs, we sat in a circle and went through the story of Easter with my set of Resurrection Eggs. I let each child open an egg and read from the book what the item inside represents. Then it was time for the hunt. I lined the kids up by age and gave the younger ones a bit of a head start by letting them go in pairs a few seconds before the next group. After all the eggs were found, I passed out some cute goody bags to each child. When I put on a party, I tend to go overboard sometimes, but it's totally worth it to me to see the kids having a good time. I have some pretty amazing friends with great kids, and I truly enjoy their company.<br />
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Saturday evening, I worked in the nursery at church. I consider it my break from my world. Fussing babies, diapers, and spit up... and I call that a break! Crazy huh? I love it though. I love holding and rocking babies and making them smile, while their parents are in church service hearing the Word of God. I also love that our church thinks about even the littlest members. We have an AMAZING woman that comes to each nursery and sings Bible songs and plays with the babies. I actually think that's their favorite part of nursery as well, because they usually stop fussing and become captivated by whatever it is that she's doing. It's pretty cute!<br />
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Here's a few pics from our Easter party...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The most FUNtastic kids, EVER!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CDnMZqfkZv0/TatBKi22SOI/AAAAAAAAACQ/8XYZHporFkc/s1600/201410_1920077277768_1117117221_32208350_2664785_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CDnMZqfkZv0/TatBKi22SOI/AAAAAAAAACQ/8XYZHporFkc/s320/201410_1920077277768_1117117221_32208350_2664785_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready to hop! </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jody's Kitty Litter Cake... Nasty Right? Well, it sure did taste good!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iCS5hnR7C-8/TatBMMVpWFI/AAAAAAAAACc/I2LC4F4OUtY/s1600/209469_1920082637902_1117117221_32208379_5482375_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iCS5hnR7C-8/TatBMMVpWFI/AAAAAAAAACc/I2LC4F4OUtY/s320/209469_1920082637902_1117117221_32208379_5482375_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My "mock" deviled eggs.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ia3mLDe2gjQ/TatBMs6OTtI/AAAAAAAAACg/41_s_bjjaOc/s1600/209519_1920080917859_1117117221_32208371_200544_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ia3mLDe2gjQ/TatBMs6OTtI/AAAAAAAAACg/41_s_bjjaOc/s320/209519_1920080917859_1117117221_32208371_200544_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Da'Laine's "mock" sushi.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-h_Gvc6tZoSs/TatBNNpINtI/AAAAAAAAACk/H6RpfaYGxFY/s1600/221580_1920079157815_1117117221_32208361_1543028_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-h_Gvc6tZoSs/TatBNNpINtI/AAAAAAAAACk/H6RpfaYGxFY/s320/221580_1920079157815_1117117221_32208361_1543028_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kim's Dirt and Worms.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gMchKximiHo/TatBTWC9KhI/AAAAAAAAADE/614U4mQgTQI/s1600/219787_1920083957935_1117117221_32208385_128930_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gMchKximiHo/TatBTWC9KhI/AAAAAAAAADE/614U4mQgTQI/s320/219787_1920083957935_1117117221_32208385_128930_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My "mock" grilled cheese sandwiches.</td></tr>
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/121/99DD349D6A3824D0C338AC37C5486676.png" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px !important; border-color: initial !important; border-left-width: 0px !important; border-right-width: 0px !important; border-style: initial !important; border-top-width: 0px !important;" /></a></div>Brianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15610124987798400992noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2884952437980564152.post-36737645491983304222011-04-14T21:55:00.000-05:002011-04-14T21:55:51.766-05:00Field Trip to OKC Zoo<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> Yesterday we took the students to the Oklahoma City Zoo. On our way we stopped for lunch at a McDonald's. I cannot tell you how long it's been since I've eaten at McDonald's, but it has been a VERY long time. In fact, we rarely eat fast food anymore. I ordered the chipotle chicken snack wrap (grilled chicken), the fruit and walnut salad thingy and a medium root beer. The wrap was DISGUSTING, the fruit and yogurt tasted fine, but the ingredients list was CRAZY! I am not addicted to soda, so it's a rare treat for me, but I really wasn't that impressed. Lately, all I drink is water and tea. I started feeling woozy by the time we got back in the van to continue on our way. I'm so thankful that by the time we got there I felt better.<br />
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The Oklahoma City Zoo is HUGE! The exhibits are beautiful and there were lots of interesting animals to see. Our absolute favorite was feeding the lorikeets. The new elephant exhibit is AMAZING! The kids also enjoyed the petting zoo. The OKC Zoo puts the Tulsa Zoo to shame. We didn't pay for the tram or train, so I got in a lot of walking yesterday. I could really feel it in my upper thighs. I tried to quickly find an android app to count my steps like a pedometer, but the one I found was terrible. I guess I need to keep my pedometer in my purse so I can actually use it when we are out and about.<br />
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When we returned home we went out to CherryBerry for some frozen yogurt. I absolutely LOVE CherryBerry! It's our favorite family treat and surprisingly healthy, except that I put a lot of candy toppings on mine. I guess I figured I had already messed up my day with the McDonald's lunch, that I decided I deserved something tasty even if it meant working it off later.<br />
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This morning when I weighed myself, I really expected to have gained some weight, but to my surprise, I actually lost 1.5 lbs. And I was able to wear a pair of pants that I haven't been able to wear in years. Yay!!! I'm thinking that I really need to find a walking buddy and start walking in the mornings. Of course the Zoo is much more fun for walking than just around the block. Too bad we don't live next to the OKC Zoo. I'd go every day!<br />
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Here's some of my favorite pics from our trip.... Enjoy!<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/121/99DD349D6A3824D0C338AC37C5486676.png" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px !important; border-color: initial !important; border-left-width: 0px !important; border-right-width: 0px !important; border-style: initial !important; border-top-width: 0px !important;" /></a></div>Brianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15610124987798400992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2884952437980564152.post-6488468938106050852011-04-12T23:16:00.000-05:002011-04-12T23:16:32.178-05:00A little late... Diet update: Week 7<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> I've been quite busy this past week, so this update is a little late. I'm continuing my weight loss progression very slowly, but hey, at least it's moving in the right direction. I lost another pound since my last update. I actually forgot to take my measurements this past weekend. I also intended to post a few new recipes, but we actually ended up eating fast food and freezer meals a few times last week. I chose a foot long tuna sandwich from Subway and saved half for the following day for lunch and a salad from Wendy's the next evening. I kind of feel bad, but at least I made the healthiest options. I really wish it wasn't so hard to find good, healthy food everywhere you go. I'm continually amazed at the junk that the FDA passes as food.<br />
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We did a LOT of yard work again. I planted flowers around the garden beds and Brandon laid patio bricks in the dog run. I really think we should own stock in Lowe's, we have spent a pretty penny, but it's definitely worth it. He's already dreaming up more projects to do and so am I. Working in the yard is about all the exercise I have gotten lately. I just can't seem to manage to fit it into my schedule. I think I need a walking/jogging buddy either in the mornings or evenings so that I have someone else to be accountable to.<br />
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We have a lot of things planned this week and if I can figure out how to post blogs from my new android phone, I might actually update more often.<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/121/99DD349D6A3824D0C338AC37C5486676.png" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px !important; border-color: initial !important; border-left-width: 0px !important; border-right-width: 0px !important; border-style: initial !important; border-top-width: 0px !important;" /></a></div>Brianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15610124987798400992noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2884952437980564152.post-81512796608783549472011-04-03T23:10:00.000-05:002011-04-03T23:10:33.067-05:00Homemade Chicken Tortilla Soup and Guacamole<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;"> Tonight I made chicken tortilla soup and fresh guacamole for dinner and the whole family enjoyed it, even though my hubby is really in the mood for some steak. He craves red meat like I crave chocolate. What a pair we are. LOL Anyway, here's the recipes. Enjoy!<u1:p></u1:p></span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;">Chicken Tortilla Soup<u1:p></u1:p></span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;">Ingredients:<u1:p></u1:p></span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><br />
</div><h3 style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black; font-weight: normal;">1</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: black; font-weight: normal;"> </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black; font-weight: normal;">lb cooked chicken breast, cut or torn into small pieces</span></span><span style="color: black; font-weight: normal;"><u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></span></h3><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black;">1 medium onion, chopped</span></span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">2 cloves garlic, minced<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">1 TBS Coconut oil<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">1 10 oz can diced tomatoes with green chilies<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">1 small (6 oz) can tomato paste )<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">1 (32 oz) carton of Chicken Broth (I used Swanson's 100% Fat Free, No MSG 33% less sodium)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;"><u1:p></u1:p>8 oz frozen corn<u1:p></u1:p></span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black;">1 TBS cumin</span></span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">1 TBS Oregano<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;"><u1:p></u1:p>Pinch of Mexine's Chili Powder (for a kick)</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;">Directions:</span><span style="color: black;"><u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black;">Combine chopped onion, garlic and coconut oil in a large pot over medium heat and saute, stirring frequently until the onion begins to soften. Add canned tomatoes, tomato paste, chicken broth, frozen corn and shredded chicken breast, to the pot and stir until thoroughly mixed. Season with cumin, Oregano, and chili powder. Bring to a boil and then cover and reduce heat to a simmer, cooking for 15-20 additional minutes. Serve with 1 TBS low-fat plain yogurt, sour cream, or shredded cheese and crumbled tortilla chips.</span></span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black;">Guacamole</span></span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black;">Ingredients:</span></span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black;">2 avocados</span></span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black;">1 small onion, minced</span></span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black;">2 cloves of garlic, minced</span></span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black;">1 TBS lemon juice</span></span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;">Directions:</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;">Cut open avocados and scoop them out, discard the skin and pits. Blend the avocados until smooth using a fork or a mixer. Add minced onions, garlic, and lemon juice to taste. Serve immediately with low-fat corn tortilla chips.</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/121/99DD349D6A3824D0C338AC37C5486676.png" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px !important; border-color: initial !important; border-left-width: 0px !important; border-right-width: 0px !important; border-style: initial !important; border-top-width: 0px !important;" /></span></a></div>Brianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15610124987798400992noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2884952437980564152.post-46259016722833587042011-04-03T16:14:00.000-05:002011-04-03T16:14:51.534-05:00Diet update: Week 6<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> I can't believe it's been 6 weeks already since I started my diet. I've had some cheat days, and days that I've slacked off, days I've gained, and days I've wanted to just quit and eat what everyone else is eating. Even though I haven't lost as much as I'd hoped to, I do feel MUCH MUCH better overall. I finally got below the 160 mark at 159 and holding. I just have 29 more pounds to go, and I'm hoping that I can stay motivated.<br />
<br />
I've had another very busy week fighting allergies, running around with the school kids, planning and planting a garden (there's still so much to do), and entertaining my daughter's best friend for the weekend while her parents spent some quality time together for their 13th Anniversary. I think I managed to work out on the Wii Fit one day this week, but did some crazy lifting, bending, squatting, digging, etc. in the hot sun 3 days this week. So I'd say I got my fair share of exercise. I'm crazy sore, but I really feel great. How is that possible?<br />
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I have a great menu planned for this week and will share the recipes that get the family approval with all of you as they happen. So keep an eye out.<br />
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And one last thing... I've discovered that coconut oil is actually soothing on a sunburn. I really must find a good sunscreen for my very fair skin.<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/121/99DD349D6A3824D0C338AC37C5486676.png" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px !important; border-color: initial !important; border-left-width: 0px !important; border-right-width: 0px !important; border-style: initial !important; border-top-width: 0px !important;" /></a></div>Brianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15610124987798400992noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2884952437980564152.post-478667585535704152011-04-02T15:54:00.000-05:002011-04-02T15:54:25.764-05:00Organic Gardening 2011<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> Last year we started an organic garden. We had success with a few of our crops and failed miserably with others. Over the past year we have learned much more about growing our own veggies, particularly companion planting. Apparently certain veggies grow well together, while others don't. Also, certain flowers can be beneficial to specific veggies. We spent the last few days tweaking our garden beds from last year, giving us more growing space, as well as a nice area to walk and get around the beds without getting too muddy. I think Brandon really didn't want to have to mow between the beds anymore either. I love how it turned out. We have our blueberry and raspberry bushes, grapevine, strawberries, and several herbs left from last year. So far we have planted two kinds of tomatoes, two kinds of bell peppers, two kinds of onions, and 3 kinds of potatoes. I still have plenty of space to grow some other veggies and in each of the cinder blocks around the beds, I plan to plant beneficial flowers and herbs to help with pest control. Brandon also left me a nice open area to do something with. I'm thinking a frog pond would be nice or a fountain/birdbath, and definitely a bench to sit and enjoy the garden. I'll post more pictures when we get things finished as well as products we use for organic pest control. In the meantime... enjoy this picture!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ufMfjJhJKho/TZeM2gWI1nI/AAAAAAAAABk/SOr6m87Dak0/s1600/IMG_8418.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ufMfjJhJKho/TZeM2gWI1nI/AAAAAAAAABk/SOr6m87Dak0/s400/IMG_8418.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/121/99DD349D6A3824D0C338AC37C5486676.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a></div>Brianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15610124987798400992noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2884952437980564152.post-65636973661993558702011-03-30T23:06:00.001-05:002011-03-30T23:07:41.660-05:00Chicken Cranberry Waldorf Salad (recipe)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Tonight I made a Chicken Cranberry Waldorf Salad for dinner. It came out really good and was pretty easy to make. And it's healthy!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yAQnu9OituA/TZP7u_TTQ0I/AAAAAAAAABc/2RIcsKDAvK0/s1600/IMG_8404.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yAQnu9OituA/TZP7u_TTQ0I/AAAAAAAAABc/2RIcsKDAvK0/s320/IMG_8404.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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Ingredients:<br />
2 cups cooked chicken, cut into chunks<br />
1 cup of cranberries, chopped<br />
1 cup of grapes, cut in half (I used seedless red grapes)<br />
1 cup of celery, thinly sliced<br />
1 red apple, chopped (I used a Pink Lady)<br />
1/3 cup of raisins<br />
1/4 cup of walnuts, chopped<br />
2 tablespoons sugar (I used the Ideal sugar blend)<br />
1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon<br />
8oz of low-fat vanilla yogurt (I used Stonyfield organic Oikos organic Greek vanilla yogurt)<br />
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Directions:<br />
In a small bowl, blend the yogurt, cinnamon, and sugar. In a large bowl combine the rest of the ingredients and then blend in the yogurt mixture. I served this cold over a mixture of spring greens.<br />
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<br />
For dessert, I made Mock Grilled Cheese Sandwiches. This is NOT a healthy dessert recipe. But every now and then it won't hurt to have something fun. I got the idea from <a href="http://familyfun.go.com/april-fools-day/april-fools-food-pranks-gallery-842659/#Grilled Cheese for April Fools&#39; Day;19">Family Fun</a> . I thought it would be extra funny, because my husband HATES cheese. I'm ornery like that!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_43_EFLxIzc/TZP9pLJQRYI/AAAAAAAAABg/6IZMubsar3E/s1600/IMG_8401.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_43_EFLxIzc/TZP9pLJQRYI/AAAAAAAAABg/6IZMubsar3E/s320/IMG_8401.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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Ingredients:<br />
Pound cake (I used an angel food cake loaf and it worked just fine)<br />
White frosting<br />
Yellow and Red food coloring<br />
<br />
Directions:<br />
Slice the pound cake (or angel food cake loaf) into slices like bread. Toast them in the toaster oven. Then slice the toasted cake into triangles.(the angel food cake slices are very small so I skipped this step) In a small bowl mix yellow and red food coloring into white frosting until it's the color of cheddar cheese. Spread the frosting on one slice of cake and then gently squish the top piece on to make the frosting ooze out the sides a little just like melted cheese.<br />
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I could have made my own frosting, but couldn't find organic coconut oil at our Walmart. So I just purchased a can of white frosting, which means I have a LOT of frosting left, since I didn't have to use much at all. Now I got to figure out what I'm going to do with it...<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/121/99DD349D6A3824D0C338AC37C5486676.png" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px !important; border-color: initial !important; border-left-width: 0px !important; border-right-width: 0px !important; border-style: initial !important; border-top-width: 0px !important;" /></a></div>Brianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15610124987798400992noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2884952437980564152.post-37874433711952902602011-03-29T19:50:00.000-05:002011-03-29T19:50:49.860-05:00Neti Pot<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
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A few weeks ago I signed up on Facebook to receive a free sample <a href="http://www.facebook.com/WaterpikSinuSense">SinuSense Neti Pot from Waterpik</a>. It came in the mail yesterday, just in time, too. I have horrible allergies, especially when I forget to take my allergy meds, and this weekend I was really feeling it. Although, I do feel better today, my sinuses were still a bit stuffy, so I decided to give it a try. I boiled water like it told me to and only put in half a packet of the saline mix, per a friend's suggestion, then let it cool to lukewarm. First, let me tell you, I HATE saline nose sprays. I also hate getting water in my nose, so I really wasn't sure how I would handle this. It wasn't THAT bad, but it wasn't pleasant either. I can't believe they recommend you do this on a daily regimen. Who does that? I do understand how it works, and it did help a lot, even though I couldn't do the whole thing. I don't think I will do this regularly, but it's handy to keep in the medicine cabinet when I'm feeling congested. It's definitely a more natural option than medicine. I do give kudos to SinuSense for sending a GENEROUS free sample. Not only did I get a Neti Pot, but 60 saline packets along with it. It should last me quite some time.<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/121/99DD349D6A3824D0C338AC37C5486676.png" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px !important; border-color: initial !important; border-left-width: 0px !important; border-right-width: 0px !important; border-style: initial !important; border-top-width: 0px !important;" /></a><br />
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</div>Brianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15610124987798400992noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2884952437980564152.post-2602404553920869082011-03-29T19:05:00.000-05:002011-03-29T19:05:17.073-05:00Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap -update<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> A few weeks ago, Brandon brought home a large bottle of the <a href="http://www.drbronner.com/DBMS/PEP.htm">Dr. Bronner's magic soap in peppermint</a>. He knows that I am not fond of the tea tree scent and decided to surprise me. It smells so wonderful!! I've used it in the shower and to wash my hair. It feels so clean and fresh. I definitely found my permanent body wash. I still need to find a suitable conditioner to use with it. It cleans my hair well, but it's not as silky smooth as my favorite "toxic" shampoo and conditioner.<br />
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I've blogged about the different uses before, but mentioned that I was afraid to use the tea tree soap to brush my teeth. However, I thought I'd give the peppermint a try. I only needed a tiny amount. The peppermint tasted good and it foamed up well, but the consistency isn't what I'm used to. It's the consistency of a thin liquid soap. It didn't taste soapy, but it did leave a strange taste afterward. I think I might play around with a few different toothpaste recipes until I find something I like. But you might like the Dr. Bronner's all on it's own.<br />
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I also used it diluted in my Hoover steam vac to clean the kitchen floor. It cleaned very well and made the house smell fresh. I put a cap full in a cleaner bottle of water and gave it to the kids. They loved using it to clean in the kitchen and bathroom. It even did a great job on the mirrors. I think I found a way to get them to clean more often. When I used it to clean up a pet stain on the carpet, I was pleasantly surprised. It not only got up the stain but the smell, too. This stuff is AWESOME!<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/121/99DD349D6A3824D0C338AC37C5486676.png" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px !important; border-color: initial !important; border-left-width: 0px !important; border-right-width: 0px !important; border-style: initial !important; border-top-width: 0px !important;" /></a></div><br />
</div>Brianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15610124987798400992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2884952437980564152.post-18248581261942544182011-03-27T12:20:00.009-05:002011-03-28T01:42:04.860-05:00Stuffed Bell Peppers (recipe)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><h2 style="margin-bottom: 5.25pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 5.25pt; mso-line-height-alt: 11.25pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large; font-weight: normal;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large; font-weight: normal;"> Last night, B.J. (my 13 year old chef-in-the-making) helped me make stuffed bell peppers. I remember a few years ago the kids hated all bell peppers, but now they actually like them, raw or cooked. For this recipe we used the Red, Yellow, and Orange peppers, but you can use green. I think they turned out very good and the hubby and kids loved them! </span></span></h2><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; font-weight: normal;"><br />
</span></div><h2 style="margin-bottom: 5.25pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 5.25pt; mso-line-height-alt: 11.25pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><o:p> </o:p>Ingredients</span></h2><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.75pt; margin-left: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>6 bell peppers (any color), tops cut away and seeds removed (I used Red, Yellow, and Orange)<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.75pt; margin-left: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>2 tablespoons coconut oil<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.75pt; margin-left: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>1 cup finely chopped yellow onions<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.75pt; margin-left: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>1/2 cup finely chopped bell peppers (I used the tops with the stem removed)<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.75pt; margin-left: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">1 lb lean ground turkey</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.75pt; margin-left: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>1 tablespoon minced<span class="apple-converted-space"> garlic</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.75pt; margin-left: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>1/4 cup finely chopped fresh<span class="apple-converted-space"> parsley </span>leaves<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.75pt; margin-left: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>3/4 teaspoon salt<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.75pt; margin-left: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.75pt; margin-left: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> Pinch</span> </span>red pepper flakes<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.75pt; margin-left: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>2 cups cooked long grain brown rice (prepare this before anything else)<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.75pt; margin-left: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>8 ounces can Rotel diced tomatoes with chilies with juices<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.75pt; margin-left: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>Water<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
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</span></div><h2 style="margin-bottom: 5.25pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 5.25pt; mso-line-height-alt: 11.25pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Directions<o:p></o:p></span></h2><div style="line-height: 15.75pt; margin-bottom: 6.75pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="line-height: 15.75pt; margin-bottom: 6.75pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In a large pot of boiling water,<span class="apple-converted-space"> parboil</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>the peppers until just tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and dry on paper towels.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="line-height: 15.75pt; margin-bottom: 6.75pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In a large saute pan or skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions and chopped bell peppers and cook, stirring until soft, about 3 minutes. Add ground turkey, garlic, parsley, salt, black pepper, and pepper flakes. Cook until the meat is browned, about 6 minutes. Add the rice and Rotel diced tomatoes with juices and stir well. Remove from the heat and adjust the seasoning, to taste.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="line-height: 15.75pt; margin-bottom: 6.75pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Pour enough water into a baking dish to just cover the bottom, about 1/8-inch deep. Stuff the bell peppers with the rice mixture and place in the baking dish. Bake until the peppers are very tender and the filling is heated through, 25 to 30 minutes.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="line-height: 15.75pt; margin-bottom: 6.75pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div></div>Brianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15610124987798400992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2884952437980564152.post-35475068122635109172011-03-26T23:00:00.001-05:002011-03-27T23:39:52.575-05:00Diet update: Week 5<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> On Monday, I celebrated my birthday by taking all the kids to CherryBerry after school. They even had Birthday Cake flavored frozen yogurt. I have to confess, I did add some not-so-good-for-me-but-oh-so-yummy toppings. =) I also must confess that I've eaten some other things this week that I really shouldn't have, and of course the scale shows it. Instead of losing weight this week, I have gained 1.5 lbs. Interestingly though, I have dropped 3 inches off my waistline since I started my diet. I personally don't see that big of a change in myself when I look in the mirror and I haven't lost enough weight to drop down a size in my clothes yet. My pants do fit a bit looser and shirts seem baggier on me though. I guess that's good.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> Another confession: I'm not very good at keeping an exercise regimen. It's not that I don't like my Wii Fit or my Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred, because I love them. A LOT! I do feel good after I have exercised and feel proud of myself for accomplishing something. I guess I'm too much of a procrastinator and before I know it, the day is over and I've not done what I should be doing. I'm full of excuses, but in my defense, I am usually very busy. Some of you know that I run a small Christian private school from my home and that takes up the majority of my day. By the end of the school day, I tend to feel exhausted. This week has been extra rough, because my kids had to go to another school to take their standardized testing and they had to be there at 8 am. On Tuesday I even volunteered for a few hours before I had to get Brandon to work. On Wednesday he had to be at work much earlier. I really felt like a taxi driver this week. We are used to starting school that early, but don't require as much time to get ready in the morning because they only have to walk out into the living room. Our days this week began much earlier than normal and because I'm a night owl, I stay up way too late and get little sleep throughout the night. I could probably go to bed much earlier than I have been, but I find it difficult to fall asleep without my husband next to me, and he's still wide awake when I'm ready to conk.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> I did get some exercise in this week, though. On my birthday, we also stopped at Lowe's because my husband was shopping for a new lawn mower and we went through the garden area and picked out a few tomato plants for this year's organic garden project as well as some boxwoods to plant in the front yard. On Tuesday, after I picked up the kids from the other school and had our lunch, we got started working in the front yard preparing a bed for the new bushes. I insisted on minimizing the possibility of weeds, so I dug up the grass and much of the dirt, which is mostly clay. B.J. did all the lifting as I dug and made a huge pile on the porch. What a mess! After about an hour of digging, my friend down the street sent her 3 boys and their neighborhood friend over to help out. I think they were so very excited to play in the dirt and thought it was amazing that much of it was clay. They diligently separated clay out of the dirt for about 2 hours, so I let them take some home with them. The girls mostly played in the sandbox while the boys and I worked until they gave up and went inside. To my surprise, they actually went inside and made glasses of ice water for all of us. It was really sweet. After 3 hours in the sun, even though it wasn't that hot out, I was burnt and sore from all the digging.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> Brandon worked the early shift on Wednesday and after I picked him up from work we went back to Lowe's to purchase the lawnmower he had decided on, as well as some top soil and edging for my garden bed. When we got home, we put together the mower and he mowed the front lawn while put down the top soil, a fabric weed block liner, and dug holes to plant my bushes. By that time it was already dark out, so Brandon helped me with the edging and finishing it off with the mulch. It's amazing what 5 little bushes can do for curb appeal. Someday they will grow into a nice hedge. I still plan to do some more to the garden bed, but was so thankful to get that finished in time for my party the next day.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> Thursday evening I played hostess for a Lilla Rose party. My good friend, Kim, just started selling these beautiful hair pretties and I thought I'd help her out by having a party. Why not? I'll even get free product out of the deal. Several of my friends showed up and brought their beautiful daughters with them. I think the girls had so much fun trying out hair styles with her hair clips and hair sticks and I had fun playing with their hair. The party turned out really well, and I'll probably post some pics of my daughter and I with our new hair pretties when we get them.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> Friday evening our church put on a ladies event called Romance, and we had Lisa Young as our guest speaker. The message was awesome and I'm so grateful to my friend, Valerie, for picking me up and taking me home so I wouldn't miss out on all the fun, and to Kim for offering to watch my kids, so I wouldn't have to leave them home alone.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> As you can see, I've been busy EVERY day this week. So maybe I shouldn't be so hard on myself for not exercising. I just wish I had remembered to take my allergy meds each night before bed, because this morning my allergies really kicked my butt. Today, I sat around in my P.J.'s all day with a stuffy nose, sinus headache, sore throat and feeling a little sorry for myself. I don't feel like I've accomplished much, but I did manage to do some extensive research online for a Christian art program that I want to use in my school next school year. I hope they will be at the OCHEC convention later this month. Oh, and I did manage to get this blog posted. =)</span></div>Brianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15610124987798400992noreply@blogger.com3