Thanksgiving and celebrations

We got to spend thanksgiving with family at a cabin in Clayton, Georgia.  I did a pretty ol' horrible job of getting pictures.  Jeff and Eli were sick and we were pretty sleep-deprived.  Although it was a fantastic trip, we were in a sleepy fog!

Cousins :)

 The cabin was on the side of a mountain and it was covered in leaves.  Jeff took them out several times to play.

I did a little photo shoot for my sis and her sweet boyfriend.  Here is one of my favorites:

I got zero pictures from Thanksgiving Day (?!?!?!).  The Friday after we had Luke's party.  He was so excited!

 He requested a strawberry monster cake.  

The family also brought me birthday gifts since mine is about a week after Luke's.  Then we had a baby shower my brother and his fiance.  Lots to celebrate and be thankful for! 

Coffee Chugging at my Shaklee Grand Opening

 So, I didn't actually get pictures of the coffee chugging (or apple eating contest).  But, seriously, you just can't make this stuff up.  This goes on the list- reason #121 why I love college students.

But first, the preparation for the Grand Opening.  Here is my super-wonderful husband making his famously delicious coffee. Yes, I am an adjective abuser.

Here is our snack set-up.

First sign that something is amiss with this Grand Opening guest list.

Onto the fun part- setting up all the products!
The Get Clean line.  I feel like a dork, but I love this stuff so much!  (Not as much as my husband or children, per say, but still... a lot!)

All the other health lines share a table.

Body care, Enfuselle, Performance protein, Vitalizer, Vivix, Nutriferon and Kid's Vits.

Cinch Weight Management products.

Here are all the cool kids.  Seriously, we are so blessed to have these (and others not in attendance!) in our lives.

I made these extra large because there are some people making faces.  They may or may not be the ones who need Coffee Chugging intervention.

Can you tell I'm proud of my Shaklee products?  And of our other "kids?"  :)
It is a good life indeed.

Cleaning Products: Before and After

So we are embarking on a new home business with Shaklee.  It is super exciting.  I love how it is encouraging us to aim higher with our own health goals, as well as challenging me to learn more.  Part of what I sell now is a healthy home line called Get Clean.  I had been experimenting with homemade cleaners, and while that is another post, I just never found great results.  The same goes for the pricey, organic products we have tried.
Basic H is so multi-purpose, it's ridiculous!  It literally takes the place of several products.  And I have been impressed with the other products, too.  So, thanks to this line the cabinet under my kitchen sink went from this...

To this...

Not fancy, but definitely functional

We traded these products...

Go here to check labels and see if your stuff is toxic, too

For these...

I talked here about how I currently clean.  But all these fresh, new products are making me want to tackle some other jobs.  Just like getting new running shoes makes you want to get out and run... I, myself, am a "wogger-" that stands for walk-jogger.  I have much yet to accomplish on the exercise front and cleaning does not have much to do with it.  Except you do burn calories with activity.... therefore getting new cleaning supplies will help you lose weight.  :)  

It's my logic and I'm sticking with it. 

Menu planning... Part 3

Master grocery & pantry lists:
After I made lists of meals, I went by the recipes for each and made up a grocery and pantry list.  I am hoping this will help me to streamline shopping and get most of it done in one big trip.  If not, at least I will have the list to go by to get the rest of the ingredients.

Grocery List
Meat/Protein:

Whole chicken- 2
Chicken breast- bag                                                                Black beans
Ground turkey- 2 pkg. or 1 sausage                                        Navy beans
Ham- sliced 2 lb.
Fish                                                                                        Red beans
Pepperoni                                                                              Garbanzo beans
Hot dogs


Almonds
Peanuts
Cashews
Walnuts

Dairy:                                                                                       Carbs:
Milk- whole, skim, soy                                                             Rice
Eggs                                                                                          Quinoa
Cheese blocks- cheddar, mozzarella                                         Elbow pasta
Cottage cheese                                                                          Lasagna noodles
Butter
Cream cheese


Other:
Crushed tomatoes *- 26 oz. x 4
Miso                                                                                         picante sauce
Jello                                                                                         dark choc. chips
WW fig bars                                                                             raisins, craisins

Veggies/ fruit:
Spinach- 1lb. x 2                                                                      Bananas
Romaine lettuce                                                                       Apples
Celery                                                                                      Melon
Carrots
Potatoes- sweet, white
Garlic                                                                                      Cucumbers
Onions                                                                                     Peas
Olives                                                                                      Green beans
Tomatoes                                                                                 Kale
Squash/Zucchini                                                                      Avocado
Check Seasonal                                                                       Broccoli 

Pantry Checklist



Bulk:                                                                   Spices:
WW bread flour                                                 Sea salt
WW pastry flour                                                 Pepper
Unbleached white flour                                      Garlic powder
Flax seeds                                                          Thyme
Flax seed meal                                                   Onion powder
Wheat germ                                                        Chili Pepper
Chia seeds                                                          Cumin
Sesame seeds                                                     Oregano
Pumpkin seeds                                                    Basil
Demarrara Sugar                                                Paprika
Whole oats                                                         Ginger
 
Black beans
Red beans
Navy beans
Garbanzo beans
TVP


Vinegar                                                            Mustard
Coconut oil                                                     Ketchup
EVOO                                                             Baking soda
Tahini*                                                           Baking powder
Apple sauce
Peanut Butter*
Honey
Molasses
Maple syrup


Tea- rooibos
Coffee


Cleaning:                                                      Hygiene:
Vinegar                                                         Shampoo/ Conditioner
Club Soda                                                     Toothpaste
Oxygen Bleach                                              Deodorant
Hydrogen Peroxide                                       Floss
Baking Powder                                             Diapers
                                                                     Pads
*bought or home made


I print a copy of each of these lists each month, along with the meal list.  I can easily check my kitchen stock to see what I need.  I cross off items I do not need.  This is such a help in remembering everything!  This list changes just a little each time as I get the details figured out. 

Part 4 will be the Monthly Menu Plan notebook.

Menu Planning...Part 2

I said before that we have lunch as our big meal of the day.  My main planning rotates around those meals.  To fill in the others, I made a list of breakfast and light dinner ideas.

Breakfast Ideas:

Granola
Waffles
Pancakes
Toast w/ topping
French toast
Green smoothie
Oatmeal
Hot cereal
Muffins
Eggs
Eggs-in-a-basket

Light Dinner Ideas:

Chicken Pasta Salad
Egg Salad sandwiches
Wraps
Grilled cheese
Chef Salad
Omelets, toast
Hummus, fresh vegi, pita chips
Smoothie/Shake
Tabbouleh
Hot dogs
Soup
HM Salsa, chips, fruit
Leftovers, of course!  With all this home cooking we usually can fill in several meals.

Snacks:
HM Crackers
HM Granola
HM Muffins
Veggies
Fruit & cheese
HM Yogurt
Cottage Cheese & fruit

The ingredients for all of these also go on the grocery and pantry master lists.  I am still checking around and experimenting so I will add as I go.

The chocolate chip muffins, though... do not last nearly long enough!

Menu planning and lists... oh boy! Part 1

I like to be organized.  But liking it and living it all the time are two different things right now!  One area that I have just struggled with is menu planning and grocery budget.  I am also learning all kinds of new things about healthy eating.  And it's not always cheap.  So, struggle on struggle.  I am thinking that once a month shopping will be the best bet for budgeting.  A little of the budget will be set aside for weekly replinishment.  We eat lunch as our big  meal of the day.  I needed to have a main meal planned and then just fill in the gaps for each day.  This is what I did:

• I made 5 weeks worth of daily main meals.
• I made a list of dishes to eat for breakfast and light dinners.
• I made a list of things to make on Bake Day (breads, snacks, etc.).
• I compiled recipes for all of the above.
• From these lists I made a master grocery and pantry list.

It was a labor of love, let me tell you.  But definitely satisfying work.

To make it easier some of the meals are repeated during the weeks and I tried to stick with little variety in the meats.  I do not have beef or pork in these meals.  The only frozen meat I got in bulk was chicken, ground turkey and fish.  "HM" stand for homemade in the list.

Monthly Meal Plan- Summer/Spring
Week 1
1. Crockpot chicken, vegi, bread
2. Chicken salad (made from leftover chicken), vegi,  HM bread
3. Taco salad
4. Quesadillas (HM tortillas), vegi, fruit
5. HM Pasta & meatballs, salad
6. Hot dogs, HM bread, roasted vegi
7. Leftover-palooza

Week 2
1. Ham, squash casserole, beans
2. Turkey burgers, HM bread, oven fries
3. Pepperoni roll, salad
4. Beans, rice, salad
5. Oven-fried chicken, quinoa, vegi
6. Fish, vegi, fruit, HM bread
7. Leftover-palooza

Week 3
1. Crockpot chicken
2. Chicken salad, vegi, bread
3. Quesadillas, vegi, fruit
4. Homemade pizza, salad
5. Pate McMuffin, fruit
6. Turkey meatloaf, baked potato wedges, vegi
7. Leftover-palooza

Week 4
1. Crockpot meal
2. HM Pita pizza, salad
3. Mac-n-cheese, w/ beans, vegi
4. Fajita salad
5. Loaded potatoes, salad
6. Quiche, fruit, jello
7. Leftover-palooza

Week 5
1. Chicken Squash Bake
2. Easy 3 cheese enchiladas
3. Turkey burgers, HM bread, oven fries
4. Homemade pizza, salad
5. Lasagna, peas/green beans, garlic bread
6. Fish, roasted vegi, sweet potatoes
7. Left-over palooza

Because I will have most of the ingredients for all of the meals, I can mix and match if I want.  That's the idea anyway. We used the bigger part of our budget at the first of this month, but we are still working that part out, too, so I will have another mini shopping trip after mid month payday.  I have a paper copy of the meal list from when I went shopping.  To keep track I just mark the date by the meal I made.  Since this will be a work in progess I'll tweak it each month depending on new ideas and recipes.

Next I will post the breakfast and light dinner ideas. 
Then the master shopping and pantry lists .
Then Bake day (if the goods last long enough for a picture!).
And finally the notebook that brings them all together.  I love noteooks almost as much as I love lists. 

 

Hot tea- I am totally doing a post on it!

I made tea the other night and thought how silly it would be to take pictures and do a blog on it.  Not to mention that my husband came in as I was "posing" the cups with the tea... he might just think I've totally lost it.  I have really gotten into drinking hot tea the last few months.  It is so comforting.  Not only that, it is GOOD for you.  So, of course, I wanted to see exactly how good it is.
Here are just a few benefits of drinking hot tea:

• Helps you relax and concentrate
• Contains antioxidants- slows down effects of aging
• Temporarily increases short-term memory
• Protects your bones
• Aids in digestion
• Helps fight infection
• Reduces risk of heart disease
• Can reduce the risk of several cancers (skin, breast, lung, colon, esophageal, and bladder)

Here's how to make a yummy cup of tea:
Use fresh water (lots of tea drinkers say filtered water is best).  I use tap, let it run for a few seconds, then fill the pot.  Bring to a boil.  Here's where it could get tricky.  For white, green and oolong teas the water does not need to be at a full boil before pouring over the tea.  Let it stand for about 30 seconds when you take it off the stove.  Black teas need to be very hot at a rolling boil.

While the water comes to a boil get your tea ready.  Using pre-made bags is easier, but may not have as much flavor or be as fresh ( I still use some!).  Loose tea needs to be measured- about a teaspoon per cup- and poured in the bag or strainer. 

Let the tea steep for 1-3 minutes.  I used to think the longer the tea bag was in, the stronger/ fuller the tea would taste.  WRONG!  No wonder it was always so bitter!  Some teas can steep longer, just check the instructions.

Add your honey, milk or lemon (not supposed to add milk AND lemon because it will curdle).  I always use honey and sometimes lemon when I have a cold.

Ahhhh... sit back and enjoy...

Teas currently in my cabinet:

Chamomile

Strawberry & Champagne

Orange and Hibiscus (drinking as I type)

Green Tea & Raspberry

Cold & Flu blend (pre-bagged)

Acai Green Tea (pre-bagged)

One of my goals for 2010 is to learn to crochet.  Here's one reason why:

Find it here.

Now off to finish my cup o' tea!

My dirty microwave got me thinking

Usually, I keep the microwave pretty clean and disinfected. With the holidays and leftover chili, however, I have been in too much of a rush to wipe it out each time (because that would take a whole extra 30 seconds each time, right?).  So, it got a little funky:

I can't see all the greasy, filmy stuff in this pic- but it's there!

 As I was wiping out the greasiness and crusties, I began to wonder if it was actually bad for you to have stuff left on the inside surface, what is the safest way to clean them, are microwaves healthy in general ...?

Here's what I found.
FYI on what a microwave actually is- microwaves use elctromagnetic radiation to vibrate molecules inside the food.  This, in turn, will cause the food to heat up.  I am just waiting for my husband to say something (anything!) about the microwave so I can astound him with my new knowledge!

Do dirty microwaves contaminate food?

• It is argued that the food splatters inside of microwaves can contain bacteria.  However, if used frequently, heating can kill the bacteria.  Food particles that sit for a longer period of time between microwave usage can have more bacterial growth.  So, beware if you are somewhere using a microwave with gunk inside and you do not know how long it has been there!
• The more proven problem with food splatters is that as they coat the inside of the microwave, the heating ability is hindered.  So, foods may not be heated properly and it could ultimately shorten the life of the appliance.

Your best bet is to keep it clean!  How?
Natural cleaning tips for the microwave:
I have used the bowl of water trick to create steam and loosen food particles inside the appliance.  Here are some other ideas:

• First and foremost- wipe up after every usage.
• Add cut up lemon or a couple of tablespoons of lemon juice to a bowl of water.  Heat for 2-3 minutes.  Add more lemon to help with stronger cooking odors.
• Use baking soda sprinkled on a sponge.  Wipe surface with a clean cloth to remove residue (it is not a chemical residue like some other cleaners).
• Mix 1/2 cup white distilled vinegar and 1/2 cup water in a microwave-safe bowl. Bring it to a rolling boil inside the microwave. Wipe clean.

*Be very careful when handling the bowls of liquid as microwaves are known to superheat them and can cause serious burns. 

Does microwave use cause cancer or other conditions ? Here are 2 views:

• The radiation produced by a microwave oven is non-ionizing. That means it does not have the cancer risks associated with ionizing radiation such as X-rays, ultraviolet light and high-energy particles. I still do not feel comfortable standing right in front of one while it is cooking! This site claims it is also okay to cook in the microwave stating that all cooking methods affect the nutritive value of foods due to heating.

• This site goes all out to explain how microwaves do cause food to develop carcinogenic (cancer causing) properties as they are heated. He sites a few studies, but seems to think the negative effects will be evident later (I guess similar to cigarettes or maybe cell phone use... another topic!). The results of some of the blood studies are intersting, for sure (different groups of people were given foods cooked in a variety of ways, including microwaved and then had their blood tested).

"Significant changes were discovered in the blood samples from the intervals following the foods cooked in the microwave oven. These changes included a decrease in all hemoglobin and cholesterol values, especially the ratio of HDL (good cholesterol) and LDL (bad cholesterol) values. Lymphocytes (white blood cells) showed a more distinct short-term decrease following the intake of microwaved food than after the intake of all the other variants. Each of these indicators pointed to degeneration."

Here pretty much sums it up- microwaves may or may not cause cancer, but there is not conclusive evidence either way!

For my family I have been trying to find alternative heating methods for food that I would usually stick in the microwave (like re-heating leftovers on the stove, actually taking meat out to thaw the night before...).  Oh, I still use it frequently.  I am just trying to cut back and maybe, eventually forgo it altogether.  Until then, here's my girl all cleaned up:

Oh- and when I turned around for 10 seconds to snap the picture, this is what happened:

Normally I would not have stopped to find the camera... I just had it "on" and in my hand already!  FYI- he opened it himself.  He likes to get into e-v-e-r-y-thing.