Thursday, June 28, 2012

Are you registered to vote? Find out here.



We are living in very uncertain times.  We have a HUGE responsibility as citizens of the United States of America to VOTE!


Please visit this website to find out if you are registered to vote:


This is more important than checking Facebook, shopping or watching your favorite TV show.  It will only take a few minutes of your time and it is your responsibility as a citizen.


Do not let our country go down the tubes.  It's already in a pretty sad state if you ask me.  It's time we pull together as a country and do what is in our power to cause change.


You CAN make a difference.  


I also strongly urge you to go through your list of contacts and see if someone you know isn't registered to vote.  If they aren't, send them a message asking them to get registered.  Also, share the website above with everyone you know.  Let's get it out there!




It's time to take our country back.  Educate yourselves.

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

The ever expanding grocery budget and some useful tips.




I don't know about you, but my grocery budget keeps expanding.  Food is expensive!  I have been trying to find ways to save money.  So, I came up with a few ideas that might help YOU to save money as well.  If you are one of those that have made the decision to start eating more whole, organic foods, you have probably noticed that it can be pricey, depending on where you shop.

So here are my tips and then I am going to ask you to share with us!





Shop as thouroughly as you can to avoid those last minute trips to the store.  It seems like I always come out with more than I went in for.  Plus, those unexpected expeditures will drain the remainder of your grocery  budget you were depending on.


Know where to shop.  Find your places where you know you can find the best prices on things and stick with them.  Don't go to expensive places like Life Source unless you can afford to do so.  There are cheaper places.  I do my shopping mostly all between Bridgeport Farm and Garden, Azure Standard(through Bridgeport store) and Trader Joe's.  I can find what I need there.


Avoid prepackaged foods.  They are pricey and typically unhealthy.


Always save your leftovers.  I buy a 4 pack of these little freezer containers at the Dollar Store in town.  I fill em up and keep them in the freezer for lunches on those days where there is nothing else or I might pull out a couple for dinner in a pinch.  I also send leftovers to work with my husband to avoid the expenditure of him eating fast food at work.


Double up recipes every once in awhile and freeze an extra meal to use for those nights when you just have no time or energy to cook.  It seems like the times I give in to spending money on eating out is when I am tired, there seems like there is no food in the house or I don't have the time.


If you eat chicken, buy some of your chicken whole.  Cooking a whole chicken saves a ton of money because not only do you get the meat, but you also get a ton of healthy broth to use in recipes.  You can freeze the extra meat and broth.


Plant a garden and preserve the extra for use during the winter months.


Speaking of freezers.  Keep it organized.  Whenever mine gets messy I "lose" food in it and by the time I figure out it's there it's freezer burned.  Knowing what you have will absolutely make a difference in your budget.  This goes for the fridge and cupboards as well.




This is where YOU step in.  PLEASE share your grocery money saving hints and tips with us!  I would love to hear them and I'm surely not the only one that could benefit from this information.  If you are part of my Facebook page, please leave your comments there so everyone can see them!

How can we save money and reduce waste in our kitchens??

Monday, June 25, 2012

Truth in love.






"Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ."  Ephesians 4:15




Speaking the truth is love is a lot easier said than done.  It's hard!  We've all been there.  Those times in life where we know we are going to have to have that awkward conversation with someone.  It mounts to the point that it can no longer be ignored and you are faced with two options.  Run or face it.

Running would mean that you either abandon the relationship or you cover the problem up so the relationship can no longer be REAL.  Facing it means having an extremely hard conversation and possibly damaging the relationship.  But...facing it may also mean that the relationship comes out the other side amazingly strong.  We never know what impact speaking the truth in love is going to have.  It can backfire on us at times.  At other times it can heal a person, a relationship or a soul beyond our wildest imaginations.





In my life, the times that I have chosen not to speak the truth in love all boiled down to fear.  It's a scary thing to do, especially when it involves someone you care for deeply.  You run through all of the different scenarios in your head until you've convinced yourself that the worst is going to happen. 

At some point, the truth must be spoken.  Left undone, it will undoubtedly ruin any relationship. 

I encourage all of you(myself included) to prayerfully speak the truth in love when the opportunity presents itself.  The people in our lives don't want a pretend you.  They want the real you.  The one that isn't going to candy coat everything and tell them that it will all be okay when it's really not.  Truth sometimes hurts, but it's what can bring real healing.

Let's not forget that we can also be the recipient of that truth!  Be humble and aware that those who speak truth in love to you are doing it with fear in their hearts and a true love for you.  Take it.



Bieber Fever






How in world did this kid get so famous?  I mean, look at him.  It's gotta be that hair.  Or maybe that awesome hat...or his mad posing skills.  I guess he can sing and dance?


How does one kid, who none of our young girls even know personally become the one that is hung up on their walls, being played in the house, car and ipod?


I'm not out to bash Bieber.  I just don't understand how our girls are falling in "love" with boys they know nothing REAL about.




I just couldn't help myself with this photo.  I laughed to tears on this one.


Bottom line, these celebrities are nothing but idols to our daughters.  To some that may mean that our girls are twitterpated and it will quickly pass, just like anything else.  I don't exactly see it that way.  I hope I'm wrong.


Will our daughters feel that same rush and sense of idolatry for the men they choose to marry?  Will they feel satisfied?  Or will they have been trained from a young age that "love" means they will always feel high, being swept away by their prince charming on a high priced ride that will never end?  Maybe I'm over-thinking things.


Or maybe it's all just about being a kid?


That is something for you and your daughter to decide.






Oh, and Justin...I was wondering if your smoldering eyes and skinny jeans could find their way over to the chicken coop.  It needs cleaning.  I didn't think so...

Saturday, June 23, 2012

The Basics Part II




If you missed my previous post on the basics, you can find it here.


Last time we covered a few of the basics that are on our grocery lists.  Let's go over a few more.  Little by little you can do this!!!  I promise.






Forget the vegetable oil, it's no good.  Once you've started on the right track, you can do some more research in that area and perhaps expand your oil use.  For now, stick with extra virgin and light olive oil and coconut oil.  Cold pressed is best, but if you can't get that, try and buy the best brand possible.  Yes, it's going to be expensive, but oil can so dramatically affect our health.  It's worth it.  You should be able to do all your cooking between those three oils.


 


Forget Mrs. Butterworth's.  Go for the 100% PURE maple syrup.  It's spendier, but you can use a lot less of it.  Most syrups are chock full of high fructose corn syrup or refined sugars at best.  If you use syrup a lot like we do at this house, it's an important change to make.





Organic raw cheese is best, but it's not always readily available, I understand that.  Just like milk, you will want to get organic because if not, the cheese will be made from that same junk milk.  Trader Joe's has an excellent selection of cheese and Bridgeport Farms and Gardens sells raw cheese.





With flour, I will just say to make sure you are buying organic.  There are so many different types of flours and so many different uses, it's hard to pinpoint one kind or brand.  Use wheat as much as you can and when you need white, please be sure it's organic and unbleached.  So many brands bleach the flour, zapping the nutrients right out.





I am so terrible about what kind of pasta I buy, but I am trying to get better.  I have been slowly trying to change my taste for pasta so that I can actually tolerate whole wheat.  It's tough though, and some things just aren't right with whole wheat if you ask me.  However, there are a lot of times that whole wheat is just fine.  I buy some of my pasta from Bridgeport Farms and Gardens or...shame...Safeway.  I really love Barilla, but I do NOT condone you doing it!!!  I'm workin' on it.  No matter what, organic is obviously best.  Like with flour, the white pasta will come with less nutritional value.


So, go forth and buy better!


Frankensteer




I just watched this great documentary called Frankensteer.


It is a very compelling documentary that sounds the alarm on how ordinary cows are being turned into antibiotic dependent, hormone injected, toxic bacteria factories.  And all of this has been done in the name of cheaper food.


 Cows on feedlots are being fed large amounts of grain(predominantly corn) that their bodies are not designed for, causing health problems, which in turns ramps up the need for more drugs.  All of this is being passed on to YOU, the consumer in the way of an unhealthy product.


97% of the beef sold in the United States is grain fed feedlot beef, with only 3% sold coming from grass fed beef.  So that means 97% of us are eating this feedlot meat!


Is it important for you to know where your beef came from?  We have become so detached from our food.  Take a look below at the visible difference between your grain fed and grass fed beef.  Quite a comparison isn't it?


















Go ahead and compare the nutrional value of grain fed and grass fed beef.  Not to mention the difference in the E.coli scares.  Oh, and wait...then there are all of the serious health risks from the unhealthy grain fed beef.   Wait, forgot one...then there is the deterioration of the environment, the family farm and the animals welfare.  Minor stuff, really... Can you tell how much I just LOVE feedlots?


Every dollar you spend on beef will cast your vote.  Will you support your local farmers or big business?  Yes, it's more expensive, just like any other quality product.


Consumers, by and large, are totally unaware of the dangers lurking in their beloved steaks, ribs and, most especially, hamburgers.  Get informed and inform others!  I'm kinda begging.


Mooooooooo.

Closet Christian

  
How do you know if someone is a Christian or not?  I sometimes wonder if people who don't know me very well would know that I was a Christian.  I know several people who leave me wondering about their faith.  Unless it's written across our forehead, how would they know?





Wearing a crucifix or putting a Jesus bumper sticker on your car doesn't qualify us as a Christian.  We know that.  Don't get me wrong, I love a good Jesus Freak shirt or bumper sticker.  But, there has to be more.  We have to speak it and show it.  Christian's don't all look the same and they certainly don't all act the same.  Some are a little stuffy, some are rough around the edges and some are the nicest people you'll ever meet.  Some work very hard at bettering themselves through Christ and some give Christianity a bad name.


No matter where you fit in, if you are a Christian, we all hold one thing in common.  Jesus.  And we all have a duty to spread His word through our ACTIONS.  Don't forget that people are watching you, trying to figure out where you stand with this whole Jesus thing.  Looking to you as an example of how a Christian lives their life.  Let's be examples of love and not hate.  People who stand firm in our faith and don't give in to "the times".  Who proudly proclaim their beliefs, never hiding in shame or embarrassment.




And to those of you who aren't believers, don't forget that Christians aren't one size fits all.  That we are a work in progress and we make a lot of mistakes just like the next person.  I have messed up plenty of times and rest assured I will again.  Most of us don't think that we are better than you and we understand that you have probably had a bad experience with a Christian before.  I'm sorry about that.  Give us a chance.




So let's step out of the closet and let our Jesus freak flags fly high!  We all have our own way of expressing our beliefs.  Some share their convictions loud and clear while others show theirs quietly.  It takes all kinds.



Let's not forget...if we decide to sport that tattoo, t-shirt or bumper sticker....we better behave ourselves!  Wearing our faith in such an obvious way comes with a big responsibility.  But don't forget, we're not perfect.  The only ones who expect us to be are those that are looking for a reason to hate.  Take the risk of showing and speaking your faith when the opportunity presents itself.



Pray for God to give you boldness in your life to speak his word and to live your life according to his instruction.  I know I need all the help I can get.  I'm terrible at this!



"And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.  Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should." 


Ephesians 6:18-20






Friday, June 22, 2012

The American Made Challenge. Will you join me?




With the 4th of July approaching, I am going challenge myself.  I'm asking you to join me. 



We are quickly turning in to this...





Personally, I am sick and tired of our economy being in the dumps and all of our work being sent overseas.  I am tired of buying a bunch of cheap junk that does little to stimulate our own economy.  I want our jobs and our AMERICAN made products back.  I want excellent customer service and a quality product and I'm willing to pay for it. 


I don't want to talk about it anymore, so I'm going to DO something about it.


I will not be allowed to buy anything with this label...



As a matter of fact, I will only be able to buy things that are made in the USA.




For the month of July, let's celebrate America by only buying products made here in the U S of A!


It's time to break this cheap China spending habit.  We can learn new ways of finding what we need, which can have a lasting effect on our economy.


Will you join me?  There are strength in numbers.


If you decide to commit to this with me, please leave me a comment.  I would love to know who my allies are.




"My patriotic heart beats red, white, and blue". ~Author Unknown

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Apple Cinnamon Pancakes, you gotta try these.






Bean loves pancakes and waffles.  That is the only thing he EVER wants for breakfast.  Problem is, I never feel like the regular old pancakes are very healthy, especially since he eats them so often.


Then I found this recipe. 
It's a recipe that you can make a double batch of and freeze for easy warmed up pancakes when you don't feel like making breakfast.
There are so many good, healthy ingredients in these, it just makes me happy!


-Apple Cinnamon Pancakes-
(12 pankcakes)


1 cup uncooked rolled oats(make into a powder in blender)

1 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 cup all purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

2 tbsp powdered milk

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 egg

2 cups milk

2 tbsp vegetable oil
(I used grapeseed oil, light olive oil would work too)

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup applesauce
(I make fresh applesauce in the Vitamix)

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon


Mix all dry ingredients into a bowl.  In a seperate bowl, mix all wet ingredients together.  Combine all ingredients together, mix well and let sit for 5 minutes.

I cooked mine with grapeseed oil.  Make sure to use enough oil and cook them a little slower than you would regular pancakes.  They are denser, so they need a little extra time so they don't end up doughy in the middle.


Good luck!!







Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Financial wake up call.







The other day, my husband and I realized that we were slipping in the financial department.  We have always been fairly responsible with our finances, but we noticed a trend.  We were spending our money as if we DESERVED it.  We were eating out too much and we were buying a few things here and there that we typically would not have.


This isn't the first time this has happened.  Can you relate?




Whenever my husband gets a raise, we think wahoooooo!!!!  Then we find out that it doesn't really make that much of a difference.  We just spend it.  We don't really NEED it.  Pretty soon, you come to realize that no matter how much money you make, you will always find something to spend it on, whether you need it or not.




How much money do we waste on frivolous things?  Yes, some of those "frivolous" things aren't all that bad, in moderation.  However, as Americans we waste so much money.  Especially when we realize how bad other people are hurting.








It's not my money.  It's God's money.  As Americans, our lifestyles can quickly turn into an insatiable want for more. 






I don't DESERVE anything.  But nonetheless, God blessed our family with an income.  Money that He has entrusted to our care.  Sure makes me think twice about that project that just HAS to be done right now or the clothes that my kids supposedly NEED.  My so called needs can't hold a candle to the needs of others.


Lord, please remind me of these scriptures....DAILY!


 Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."  Luke 12:15


What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?  Mark 8:36


The decision to live with less and give more is hard as Americans.  We are constantly faced with temptations.  I WILL do better. 




Monday, June 18, 2012

Let's go shopping. The basics.



This is how I felt when I began my quest towards healthier eating.  I was intimidated, overwhelmed and confused.  There was so much information out there and I didn't even know where to start.  This post is for those of you that want to make changes in the foods you buy, but don't know how to start.  I am not going to go into a lot of detail on each item for the sake of time, so excuse me for being general.  I wouldn't want you getting bored now would I?  It will also give you the opportunity to dig for more information.




Most bread is filled with tons of preservatives and chemicals that help it maintain elasticity.  A REAL loaf of bread will only last a couple of days if it's left on the counter.  I currently buy my bread from Trader Joe's because it's the only place I can find bread for a decent price that isn't chock full of junk.  The more whole grains the better, however I totally understand you need good ole' white for certain things too!  Store it in the fridge to keep it free from mold.  I have yet to find a bread here at the local Safeway that I would feed to my family, except for the Ezekiel bread in the frozen section(but I think it's sick!).




Pasteurized regular old milk is terrible.  Unhealthy cows fed bad food can't be expected to produce a healthy product. 

Although raw milk is best, I understand most people won't go for it and it's not readily available.  You're second best will be organic milk from a good company.  I really like Organic Valley because their milk is not only organic, but the cows are pasture raised.  Just because a milk carton says organic, it doesn't mean that the cows will be allowed to go out on pasture, it just means they were fed organic feed.



Eggs should be bought from a local farm or even better from your own backyard.  If that isn't possible, please read this old post I wrote all about what kind of eggs you should look for in the store.  Labels are EXTREMELY deceiving and are not always what they say.  Please, get educated.  Eggs can be extremely nutritious if you take the time to buy the right kind.






Buy real butter.  There is ABSOLUTELY no excuse for buying margarine(shudder).  It is so horrible I don't even know where to start.  Just take my word for it.  You're not going to die a terrible death if you get real butter, if you wanted to do that just keep buying the margarine.




All sugar, organic or not, is not good for us.  Let's just get that straight.  However, I'm sure we all have a bag in the cupboard.  Sugar should not be white, that means it's been refined, which makes it even that much more horrible!  I buy the above brand from COSTCO, it's a big bag at a very good price and lasts a long time.


Just look at the list of ingredients on a jar of Jiff peanut butter.  It just ain't right.  The only ingredients on your jar of peanut butter should be peanuts and salt.  Otherwise, your body will be playing battlefield with a bunch of nasty preservatives.



Fruits and veggies should be bought from a trusted farm, next best being the organic section at the local grocery store.  Hopefully you have a garden during the summer months.  Produce is so important.  It's something most of us don't eat enough of and when we do, we're eating the wrong kind.  I get a lot of produce through Bridgeport Farms and Gardens out on Bridgeport Road outside Dallas(ask them about ordering additional healthy food and produce through Azure Standard).  I also have a garden during the summer and occasionally buy from Safeway(in a pinch) or Trader Joe's.


I hope you get off to a good start!  Baby steps.


And remember, even if you end up throwing a twinkie in the cart, it's not the end of the world!  Just eat it in the car before you get home(*wink). 






Sunday, June 17, 2012

Happy Father's Day, Johnson!



YOU KNOW YER JOHNSON'S KID WHEN...


 

 

YER USED TO THE WORD "YER" AND EVEN USE IT OCCASIONALLY


PEOPLE FIND OUT YER "JOHNSON'S KID" THEY SMILE, SHAKE THEIR HEAD AND SAY "WHAT'S THAT LIKE"?


YOU BARELY ESCAPED  BEING NAMED "WILLIE"


YER EMAIL IS FULL OF FORWARDS


 
YOU'VE HEARD THE RESPONSE "PURDY GOOD" MORE TIMES THAN YOU WOULD HAVE LIKED


YOU THINK TWICE ABOUT INVITING HIM TO SOCIAL EVENTS


YOU SOMEHOW RECEIVED THE NICKNAME "COOTER" AFTER HE WATCHED THE MOVIE ROOTS


YER FULLY AWARE IT'S ALL OBAMA'S FAULT


GROWING UP YOU HAD DOGS NAMED LUTHER, GUS AND DUKE


YOU CONSIDER DOING A "WELFARE CHECK" TO BE SURE HE'S STILL ALIVE


YER NOT SHOCKED THAT YER FATHER GOES TO BURNING MAN


YER KIDS' VOCABULARY  AND SUGAR TOLERANCE IS AT SERIOUS RISK OF EXPANDING WHEN GRANDPA IS AROUND


YOU'VE RECEIVED THE WORLD'S MOST INTERESTING, RANDOM "PRIZES"


YER SHOCKED TO FIND OUT THAT YOU WERE RAISED BY A CONSERVATIVE, REBEL FLAG TATTOOED, HIPPY BIKER DUDE! 


YOU KNOW FOR A FACT THAT BLOOD IS THICKER EN' WATER.




IT'S BEEN A CRAZY RIDE DAD! 
I WOULDN'T CHANGE A THING. 
HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

LOVE,
COOTER



Thursday, June 14, 2012

Man's best friend needs to eat too.



Meet Chief.





About one month ago, Chief had a really bad seizure.  Something that has never happened before and scared the crap out of us!  We couldn't figure out why a perfectly healthy dog would have a seizure. 


I asked myself questions about how Chief's diet could possibly contribute to the seizure.  I feed him a mix of scraps and dog food.  I don't buy any special dog food, but don't feed him the worst either.  However, I found out that even the "decent" dog foods are full of horrid ingredients and are incredibly unhealthy for our hairy friends.  Shocking right?  Just think about the chemicals food producers put into our food.  I can't even imagine how much worse off dog food must be.


So here is what I decided to do.  Make my own dog food, in addition to feeding an organic dry dog food.




I started by making my base, some brown rice.





Then I raided my fridge for any leftovers that I knew would not get eaten.  It included some steak, breakfast sausages, green beans and roasted potatoes.  I chopped them all up.





Then I scrambled some eggs.


I added a few other things that I knew would be beneficial such as flax seed(chia seed preferred), coconut oil, real salt, chicken broth and some expired granola.

I mixed all of it together and put the excess in the freezer.  I use this along with the dry organic dog food(since it's expensive).  It really wasn't too hard to do and it's an awesome way to use up leftovers that you may normally throw out.  You don't always have to do it, but can when you have the time.  Your dog will love any of your leftovers including rice, meat, veggies, etc.  No need to let anything go to waste.

And don't forget to add some good ole' diatomaceous earth to the mix right before you give it to your friend. 



They're worth it!  And for the record, Chief hasn't had any more seizures and I'm praying for the best.

I would love to hear any ideas or experience you may have with making your own dog food.