Friday, January 30, 2009

AWARDS








One of readers, Jerri, at Simply Sweet Home, has given me these three awards.


HOW SWEET! Thanks, Jerri. Here are the rules and the recipients I choose.


The rules for recipients are:
1. Put the logo on your blog or post.
2. Nominate at least 10 blogs which show great Attitude and/or Gratitude! *I might not do 10*
3. Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.
4. Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
5. Share the love and link to this post and to the person from whom you received your award.



I'm passing these awards on to:

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

ALMOST WORDLESS WEDNESDAY


OH yeah! I KNOW you wanna be part of this!!!

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

AWARD


I was awarded this by my blogger buddie, Cammie.


Along with the award, there is a set of questions to answer. Each question can only have a one-word answer. Which, for those of you who know me, know that one word answers don't come easily to me! Here goes:
1. Where is your cell phone? purse
2. Where is your significant other? somewhere
3. Your hair color? blond
4. Your mother? hmmmmm
5. Your father? my Daddy
6. Your favorite thing? cookbooks
7. Your dream last night? nonexistent
8. Your goal? healthier
9. The room you are in? living
10. Your hobby? several
11. Your fear? none
12. Where do you want to be in six years? Texas
13. Where were you last night? home
14. What you are not? outgoing
15. One of your wish list items? ovens
16. Where you grew up? West Texas
17. The last thing you did? tucked
18. What you are wearing? jeans
19. Your TV? Food Network
20. Your pet? gone :(
21. Your computer? laptop
22. Your mood? content
23. Missing someone? hubby
24. Your car? FTU
25. Something you are not wearing? socks
26. Favorite story? TOO many
27. Your Summer? Minnesota
28. Love someone? always
29. Your favorite color? red
30. When was the last time you laughed? today
31. Last time you cried? unknown

Now, it is my turn to tag a few people. If I tag you, grab the award and the questions and tell us a bit about yourself.

Here are the people I would like to hear from:

Monday, January 26, 2009

TEMPT MY TUMMY TUESDAY



My cyber-friends, Lisa and Lana, co-host this blog carnival. A bunch of us get together and share kitchen stuff...recipes, tips and product reviews. It is a lot of fun. I have gotten lots of great stuff from here. Click on the icon and it will take you to Lisa's sight.



Do these cookies look good? They are FABOO!!!

Do you like lemon? Then these are the cookies for you. There is one ingredient (that I was surprised to find) that adds NO flavor....just a tender crumb to the cookie. These aren't crumbly/crunchy cookies. These are moist and tender and PACKED with lemon flavor.


LEMON RICOTTA COOKIES
ingredients:
2-1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 stick butter (room temperature)
2 cups sugar
2 eggs (room temperature)
zest of 1 lemon
juice of 1 lemon
15 oz. regular ricotta cheese
icing:
1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
zest of 1 lemon
juice of 1 lemon
In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
Cream together 2 cups sugar and butter.
Add eggs - 1 at a time.
Add the zest and juice (about 3 tbsp) of lemon to mixture. Stir in.
Blend in ricotta cheese.
Add flour mixture, about 1/3 at a time. Do not over mix.
Drop on parchment.
Bake at 375 for 15 minutes. These cookies will brown slightly on bottom, but will be a nice lemon yellow. Do not overbake.
Cool completely.
Meanwhile, add zest and lemon juice of another lemon to the powdered sugar. Whisk until sugar is dissolved.
Spoon a bit on each cookie. Leave cookies on a cooling rack for a bit to allow the icing to set.
Enjoy!










TA-DAH

Here is the latest project. We have been doing so much around the house. As always, I have a disclaimer about the word "we." "WE" is my hubby. I am the one taking pictures and saying, "Ooooo, it's so pretty."

This is the nasty stuff we looked at for a few years. No, it's not dirt....I don't think ;) This bit was in a high-traffic area and it is just scuffed badly. The whiter portion was under our dining room table.


Here is a picture of the flooring going down. This stuff is actually a vinyl something or other...it is completely waterproof. It goes down on top of the floor so you don't have to pull-up, put down toxic strippers (hee hee) or scrape anything. All we (hubby) had to do was to pull the baseboards and cut the planks to fit. They are 3 feet long and ??? wide. (Maybe Hubby will leave a comment with the width, should anyone want to know.)


Here is my fly-boy and our 2nd son figuring out what piece to use next.


A close-up.


Finished dining room. It went on into the kitchen, pantry area and laundry area.....it took him about 3-4 days to get everything done.


Sunday, January 25, 2009

MAKING A HAPPY HOME MONDAY

Hello, hello!

I hope that the weekend was refreshing to each of you and that you are ready for a wonderful week ahead.

It is time for Making a Happy Home Monday. As some of you know, I created this blog carnival with the idea, and hope, of inspiring and motivating others to find a place in their homes that needs improvement.

This can be anything. Find some area of your house that needs a little love and attention. Spend a few minutes (as long as necessary) and make the area cleaner, prettier, or more functional. Whatever you do, make it happier.

I hope you will join me in Making a Happy Home. Just link up down below on Mr. Linky. Be sure to link back to this post, so that others may be inspired by the projects taken on by the beautiful women who choose to participate.

For this week, we....well, no, not "we," but my dear hubby cleared out our junk cabinet. Yes....an entire cabinet devoted to junk. Do you remember the 3 junk drawers I cut down to 2? That's not all we had. Nope....we had a cabinet. It is in our laundry area.....it holds such things as hammers, flashlights that don't work (and haven't worked for ages), rope.....(rope?)...duct tape, nails...well, you get the idea.

Anyway, it was bad enough that when you removed, or returned an item, it usually involved a thud, jumping to get toes out of the way, and some cramming and slamming.

So, last week, my DH cleared it out and straightened it up. I regret that I don't have a "before" shot....just an "after."


Hope you will join me.



Friday, January 23, 2009

FREE STUFF

Check THIS out!!!

FRUSTRATIONS

I do not like Obama.

So sue me.

I do not support many things that Obama does...such as the senseless murder (yes....judgmental word) of innocent babies.

So sue me.

Oh...forgot my disclaimer....some of you may not want to read this. It might change (or confirm) the way you feel about me.

I get frustrated when I feel I should sugar-coat and gloss over topics in my blog.

So sue me.

I'm REALLY angry with myself because, for a nanosecond, I considered a different blog to talk about "touchy" subjects....because I didn't want to sound judgmental. (I'm going to insert a question here......if it is my opinion and you classify it as judgmental, are you being judgmental to me? Or does it just go one way....cause I feel pretty beat up.)

Anyway, I'm angry with myself because considering a second blog totally goes against who I am...TOTALLY! But I digress.

I am a Christian.

SO SUE ME!!!!

I don't fall under certain religious/doctrinal/denominational holdings unless they go by the Bible and only the Bible. (Do you see how good I'm doing at controlling my "frustration?" Hardly any capital letters....and most of those are for names, titles and first letters in sentences. GO ME!.....Oh.....and cheers for myself :) ) But I digress again.

I pray for many people.....some Christian, some not, some not sure (by either myself or the topic of said prayers), friends, non-friends, Obama (even though I don't like him), my hubby, my children, other family, my property, my vehicles, my kids' teachers, my pastors, myself.....many, many, many people. And I don't do it to get anything in return. Yes....I selfishly pray for these many souls to be saved. I do it because I care about these folk and would like to see them in Heaven.

Does this bother anyone?

SO SUE ME!

OK, so I really don't mean to be insulting to anyone. I can only imagine the comments that I will get......and won't get.

I try to be a friend. It's acceptable to say, "I don't like so-n-so, therefore, I have nothing to do with them." However, when I care enough to share something that I consider wonderful, moving, life-changing, helpful...whatever, I'm called judgmental, fake, harsh....(and I'm not just talking religion, but other things.)

I'm just tired. So tired.

I can already imagine the thoughts of a few of you. And to those I say this....these are not "fighting words." I'm not trying to tick you off. I'm not trying to start a debate. I'm merely trying to stop worrying about fitting into a "popular" mold. My ideas obviously aren't the same as yours....and that's OK. (Heh...I'm telling myself that more than anyone else.)

So....for the 4 to 5 of you who will continue to read, please pray for me. I'm having a hard time right now. Specifically, please pray that I continue, on this blog, saying what needs to be said...determined NOT by who might or might not get upset, but by my convictions.

God bless you ALL.

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

PB & J



***I have checked. Peter Pan Peanut Butter is NOT on the recall list. I just thought this commercial was hysterical.***

If your family is anything like ours, you go through a lot of peanut butter.

Have you heard there is a recall?

Yep....salmonella. Nasty stuff, I hear.

Anyway, you can go here for a list of recalls. There are LOTS.

I went to the database to search for our brand. (We do Smucker's Natural.) It is not on the list...thankfully.

However, there are some things that we DO eat that were on the list.....like Keebler Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich crackers, as well as other various treats.

Most of these items are on total recall, so they should not even be on your store shelves. However, if you do find that they are available, you might want to double check that your brand is NOT on the list of bad nuts!

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

A TEASER


I just wanted to let y'all know what I'm about to work on.

COUPONS

You all know that I coupon a bit, but there is a purpose behind this project.

Let me explain.....

I got into couponing on the advice of a friend, Catey. (Yes...the same one who comments and links up here.) She is a lovely woman with a large family. Seven beautiful children. When I got pregnant with my 4th, I decided to ask for advice on cutting my grocery bill. Since she obviously has more kidlets than I, and seems to be in control of spending, I consider her a reliable advisor. (Catey, feel free to jump in at any time when I do this stuff.)

Anyway, I have tried, to NO avail, to encourage, cajole, and inspire others to give couponing a try.

I have a friend who tried and states it's not worth her time.....OK.....I can understand that. Except I personally don't think she has given it enough time.

I have another friend (mutual to the aforementioned "try-er outer") who agrees that life is, indeed, too short to spend the hours that it takes to coupon, thus not making it worth the money you might save. I can understand that, too. Except, when you have your system in place, it really doesn't take much "extra" work over planning your menu and making a grocery list.

There is also the misunderstanding of stockpiling (referred by some as hoarding....um....no) and the benefit of that.....which is simply this: If you are going to use it in the next 12 weeks, get what you need for that 12 weeks at the LOWEST possible price instead of enough for 1 week at a time...only one of which would be at the lowest possible price. It adds up.

Some don't even want to consider couponing because they may only look at one newspaper's worth of coupons and not see what they want. Did you know that there are seasons of coupons? You don't see a lot of baking items in the summer....you DO see lots of condiments and barbecue related items. In the fall, when you DO see the baking items, you don't find a lot of ketchup....WHICH, to the true couponer is NOT an issue because you already have enough that you spent (in some cases) pennies for instead of a $1.79.

The couponers who are reading this (myself as editor and my friend Catey being the only 2 I can think of) are adamant in their stance that it IS worth the effort to coupon.

Non-couponers are just as adamant that it is NOT worth the effort.

So who is right? Obviously, there is some misconception out there. Of course being "worth it" is purely subjective. I think it is worth my time to save $100-$400/month. Others may not...and that is OK. But speaking for this house....I simply must try to do what I can to control spending. We have 4 kids who are expected to go to college and despite the promises of our new President, I really don't expect community college tuition to be free. I don't expect that we are in the "most" category that will receive this.

With all this in mind, this is what I'm planning on doing. Starting Sunday, I will really watch my time and money spent and saved in couponing. I am going to track it for 1 month. I will include the price of the 3 newspapers that I buy every week. I will note how long I spend making my lists and gathering coupons for it. Of course, I will document all savings. I will write down WHEN I do this so I can tell whether it interferes with family time or not.

After reading some blog entries and comments on this, I became curious about my own couponing practice. I want to know if it is truly worth my time. Maybe, I've just had a few really good runs that have skewed my view. I'm perfectly willing to admit that.

SO....give me a month and I'll be writing on this again.

**I know that this would be easy to "slant" in favor of the Q, so let me just say this:

  • I am not cheap
  • I do NOT do generic brands
  • We do not keep "quick" items that are loaded with high fructose corn syrup
  • We drink MANY gallons of milk per week
  • We try to eat fresh fruits and veggies daily
  • We buy natural and/or organic whenever we can
  • I bake and cook quite a bit...I buy, what I consider, top-quality ingredients
  • We entertain, or go to group functions often....I am always cooking for those

There you have it. What do you think?

Monday, January 19, 2009

TEMPT MY TUMMY TUESDAY


My cyber-friend, Lisa and her sister Lana, co-host this blog carnival where a lot of people get together and post recipes, kitchen tips and other kitchen-related things. It is a lot of fun...pop on over and join us.

For this installment of Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, I made Stuffed French Toast.

It was really good...though there are a few changes I would make...SO, I will post the recipe of what I will do next time.

STUFFED FRENCH TOAST

ingredients:

French bread
small cream cheese (softened)
apricot preserves (or any other flavor)
nonstick cooking spray
1 - 1/2 cups milk
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3 egg yolks
3 tbsp. brown sugar

In bowl, stir together cream cheese and apricot preserves. It doesn't have to be fully incorporated. Just be sure you get bits of both in each piece of toast.

Slice your French bread in thick slices. It needs to be thick enough to split in the center and stuff with the cream cheese apricot mixture. Stuff the bread.

Whisk together the milk, cinnamon, egg yolks and brown sugar. (If you use entire eggs, the toast will be a bit too moist and will tasty "egg-y.")

Put the toast in the egg mixture...only about 10-20 seconds per side.

Place toast in a HEATED griddle or skillet that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Leave on one side until golden. Turn over and brown on other side. Serve with syrup.


In this picture, you can see that my bread is sliced and split and ready to stuff with my cream cheese and apricot preserves. I would use a "tighter" baguette. There was too much bread in the center...if that makes sense. I think a denser loaf would have worked better. (some of the bread was not sliced as thick as my kids wouldn't have eaten the "fancy" bread...so I did also make plain French toast.)

~~SIZZLE~~


Time to eat. I didn't have the syrup on this yet. I was really eager to tear into one for the filling. YUM!



Hope you like it :)

TO WATCH.....OR NOT TO WATCH


Frankly, I probably WON'T watch the Inauguration.

It has nothing to do with who is getting sworn in. I generally don't watch them. I don't like to watch debates or other "politically/newsy" type things. There are many other things I can be doing.....like watching my Martha or a Food Network something or other, scrubbing the toilets or even doing laundry.

I do wonder what tomorrow will bring. I am concerned....as many Americans are.

I hope and pray that Obama is good for this country. Of course, it remains to be seen. I don't expect the world to stop spinning as soon as he is sworn in.

As I said just now, I hope he is good for this country. I don't expect it, to be quite honest, but I hope. If everything is "peachy-keen/hunky dory" with him in office, then great. PLEASE, GOD, LET THAT BE THE CASE!

It worries me, though, if he is NOT good for us. What if so many of us who are worried are correct? I don't want there to be any "I told you so" statements. Just get him out of office. No, the thing that really worries me is if he DOES do something wrong....obviously wrong....and so many people DON'T realize it. I mean can someone be so bad and people not realize it because it (he) is sugar coated (poor word picture, I know) to be all sweet and benign?

Of course that can happen....you see it all the time. And more importantly, it is prophesied. A lot of the world WILL BE misled by one who brings peace...one who unites those who cannot be united...one who seems to be "THE ONE."

Yes, I'm talking about the antichrist. Now before anyone gets their knickers in a bunch, I am not saying that Obama is the antichrist. Please....we are close, but I don't think we are THAT close. I think timing is prime, but I don't think location is. But I digress.....All I'm saying is that so many will be misled.

I will say this...it bugs the dog outta me when I hear certain media refer to him as "The Messiah." To me, that is disrespectful to the Christian community. I know the point they are trying to make, but still...I find it inappropriate.

The fact is this....Obama, in less than 24 hours, WILL BE President of the United States.

Christians are to pray for their leaders....that is Biblical (not just wise.) We are to pray for all our leaders.

Oh well....this is just some of the crap I think about.
I rest in the fact that God is in control. We, as a country, will be judged for our choices. But, He rewards those who diligently seek Him. I will just continue to pray, seek His face and raise my children to do the same. My family will be OK.

MAKING A HAPPY HOME MONDAY


I KNOW! I KNOW! Don't ask.

So here we are for Making a Happy Home Monday. One think I personally need to work on is the timing of everything. I'm obviously a little late...and I'm sorry. I know y'all are all hanging around, just waiting for me to get my butt in gear....LOL!! All 5 of you, anyway. :)

Making a Happy Home Monday is a little blog carnival that I have ATTEMPTED (for a few months, anyway) to get to catch hold. It is where I, along with some other wonderful women, post pictures and/or information on a project we have completed.

The job can be big. It can be small. Whatever area of your home that needs some attention, be it dusting or painting, JUST DO IT! Make the area happier by making it more functional, prettier or just plain fun. If it makes you happy, then you have reached the goal of this carnival.

Remember, if Momma ain't happy, ain't NObody happy. The reverse is true, too. If YOU, as the CEO of your home, are happy, then it filters down to the ones who live under the same roof.

I hope you will join me. Just sign up on Mr. Linky so we can all come see what all you are doing in your home.

~~~~~

So, for today's installment of Making a Happy Home Monday, I have chosen to focus on an area in my kitchen...a cupboard that holds my glasses and cups and other crap things that just need to be crammed somewhere.

We have a lot of drinking glasses (the far right section is not in too bad shape). You can see some lunch boxes. Is that a baby bottle on its side?




MUCH BETTER!

That actually WAS a baby bottle. My 4th didn't really ever take bottles. That thing hasn't been needed since about 2004.

I didn't show the far right section because I didn't do anything in there. I did put the lunch boxes in a better location. The middles shelf, on the left, has some dishes that belonged to my great-grandmother. I don't have a hutch that I can use for now. So, it just resides in a safe place.

The bottom shelf on the left has MY first dishes. (Heh....not the Dr Pepper bottles.) My oldest son has decided that he wants to "collect" my Dublin bottles. So, we have rinsed out about a dozen. As soon as his shelves are cleared a bit more, we will "transplant" the bottles into their new home.




Thursday, January 15, 2009

HERE'S YOUR SIGN

It was sought after.


There were several in the county.


But, for awhile, only 1 with fewer than 2 bullet holes in it.


I don't remember who actually did the work for me. I know I didn't do it.


It fit perfectly in the back of my Celica.....she was a sweet ride, red...5-speed.


I found a companion piece.


Nothing vital.


Just red....to match my car....


...and go with the bright yellow and black of the other.


Heavy metal.


Sends a thrill up your spine.


Makes you feel cool.


Makes you feel like you are gonna puke....


.... especially when your dad wakes you up and says that cops are looking in your car.


It wasn't THAT illegal....was it?


The only escape....to return them.


Return them to a county official.


To return them to......


MY GRANDFATHER!














Tuesday, January 13, 2009

TEMPT MY TUMMY TUESDAY


Pop on over to my friend, Lisa's or Lana's, blogs. These sisters co-host a blog carnival called "Tempt My Tummy Tuesday." It is a lot of fun. People post recipes, product reviews, tips....even ask questions. Why don't you join us?

For my entry....and in celebration....of our "cold" weather, I decided to post:




WHITE HOT CHOCOLATE


ingredients:


12 oz. white chocolate (cut up into chunks)

6 cups milk

2 cups heavy cream

1 tsp. vanilla

*whipped cream, shaved milk chocolate, peppermint sticks


Heat milk and heavy cream in a saucepan until heated thoroughly. You don't want to scorch this...do not boil.


Add white chocolate.

Stir until melted.

Add vanilla, whisk until a little foamy.


To serve, I like to put a dollop of whipped cream (NOT Cool Whip...the real stuff) in the bottom of a mug. Ladle the chocolate drink into mug. Garnish with shaved milk chocolate and a peppermint stick.

Monday, January 12, 2009

MAKING A HAPPY HOME MONDAY

WELCOME TO MONDAY! And welcome to Making a Happy Home Monday. I hope you will join me.


The idea behind Making a Happy Home Monday is to find an area of your home that needs to be a bit happier. This is very easy to do. All you have to do is tackle one thing that has been on your to-do list FOREVER!!! You know those jobs.....sweep behind the fridge, clean out the back corner of the closet, wipe down the baseboards behind the couch....the stuff that isn't seen, but it sure would be nice to be "happy."


Make it a big project. Make it a small project. Make it clean. Make it more functional. Whatever you choose, make it a happier.


If you would like to join me, sign up down below on Mr. Linky. Then, come back and see the inspiration that the others have shared on this blog. I'll stop by to "see" you in a little bit. Have a great day!



For today's installment of Making a Happy Home, I chose to work on my deep freeze. You can see what a mess it was. Sadly, there are a lot of things in there that I had forgotten about. Fortunately, I got to it in time and didn't have to throw out a lot of things.....only 2 things, to be exact.


It is embarrassing how much food is in there. SO, I made an inventory. (I won't share that now, as I need to get this post up and I need to get to the store.) I will say this, we have enough food that, aside from dairy and produce, we can go awhile without buying food.


Here are the "before" shots:
Can you see how crap is just thrown in there?



And "after"














Hindsight....foresight....it's ALL 20/20



This past Friday, I had LASIK done.

I know that several of you have had this done. And for those, I don't know who all was totally freaked by it, but let me tell you....I all but had a panic attack over it.

At the end of 2007, my hubby was going to let me have/get/do....(not quite sure of the verb here) LASIK done. Well, I chickened out. There is no "romantic" word for it. I just flat turned yellow and didn't do it.

One year later, I decided AGAIN, that I wanted it done. My hubby gently told me that I couldn't do this every year...plan for it, change my mind, plan for it, change my mind. I went in for the initial consultation, paid the $150 deposit and was set. I was OK...looking forward to it and all for 6 or so weeks. The week of, I started to get nervous.

The night before? Oh my...I don't know how my hubby and kids put up with me. I didn't sleep a wink. I wasn't nervous...I was TERRIFIED! I kept asking Hubby if he would still love me if I went blind. His answer? "Of course I will. I suppose I might have to hire some 22 year old housekeeper to help with the kids. Don't worry. I'll make sure she is ugly....butt-ugly."

Yeah...tell me that on the way to the office when I'm within a millisecond of cancelling the whole thing. LOL!

Without getting into the whole procedure of it all, I'll just say this:

I was done by 9:30 Friday morning. By that time Saturday morning, I was at 20/15. (For those of you who don't know, that is better than 20/20.) My eyes are healing nicely.

It is so weird to NOT have to take out my contacts at the end of the day. I wore them for over 20 years (25 years, to be exact) and wore my glasses for longer than that.

In closing, I just want to say, "Thank you, Hubby, for a wonderful gift. I love you!"

Saturday, January 10, 2009

WHAT KIND: PART II

My hubby just took this quiz for the husbands. I guess we are a good match. How did your hubby do?




143

As a 1930s husband, I am
Very Superior

Take the test!

Thursday, January 08, 2009

WHAT KIND


What kind of wife am I?

Well, I'm about to take a test for the 1930's woman. I saw this on a cyber-friend's blog. Heh...I guess she's a bit too modern.

Then I saw it on another cyber-friend's blog and she scored better.

I wonder what kind of 1930s wife I am. I'll be right back....I promise not to lie. :)



107

As a 1930s wife, I am
Very Superior

Take the test!


Not too shabby. I'm sure my points would have gone down if I smoked in bed and had cigarette stained fingers. LOL!!!!

And my reaction to "marital congress?" ROFLMBO!!!!

Take the test....leave a comment that you took it so I can check it out.

Wednesday, January 07, 2009

THE MATH OF WEIGHT LOSS


You wouldn't know it to look at me, but back in the day, I used to study nutrition. My hubby and I each lost about 20 pounds just by watching calories and fat. Of course, looking back, we didn't necessarily need to lose that weight...now, I need to lose twice that...but I digress.

The reason we chose to do it like we did was simple. It allowed us to eat WHATEVER we wanted, it made sense, and it worked. We aren't the kind to take pills or do any other drastic thing. We want to be sensible and practical, AND enjoy as little pain and discomfort as possible.

That being said, when I did all of my "book learnin'" I got the math behind it all...and that is just right up my alley. This isn't something that will fade out with the times. It is not a fad. It is something that can work with any cravings...Dr Pepper, chocolate, cheese...

The fact is this, you will lose weight if you cut fat and calories. Period. Add exercise and it just adds benefit. All you need for this is a notebook (small enough to carry around) and a pencil. If you are not "mathematically minded," you might want a calculator. And a nice calorie/fat list could help. There are books...TONS of books, but with easy internet access now, you can find it online. One example is here.

So, before we start with the math, let me give you a bit of info and the WHYs behind what I'm going to do.

First off, you HAVE to have fat. It's fat that helps your brain function. You can't have too much, nor can you have the wrong kind, otherwise you end up with heart issues....AND, what good is a high-functioning brain if you have heart failure?

Fat is worth 9 calories per gram. SO, if a serving has 10 fat grams, you will have 90 calories...90 FAT calories. You would be better off having those same calories in a carb or in fiber.

The math my hubby and I used (and that I'm going to use this time) is simple. If my fat allowance is 10% of my caloric intake. (Move your decimal once to the left.....if you don't "have" a decimal, it's at the end of the whole number.) SO, if you are allowed 1350 calories, then you are allowed 135 fat calories....how many fat grams is that? Divide by 9. 135 divided by 9 is: 15.

SO...how many calories and how many fat grams? Well, the formula I like is this:

First off, take your ideal weight and multiply by 10. That is how many calories you can take. (This is for a healthy, SLOW, weight loss...the kind you can maintain.) Then, multiply that by 10% - 15%. (That is what I'm choosing. Anything over 30% fat is considered a HIGH FAT consumption. 20% is a good maintenance. Below that, can help lose. 15% is a good DOable number for me.)

Let me just take you through MY OWN calculations. I think I need to be about 140 pounds.

140 pounds x 10 = 1400 calories per day.
1400 calories x 15% = 210 fat calories
210 fat calories / 9 = 23 fat grams

SO....that's that. I can have 1400 calories per day and 23 grams of fat. How does that help me? If I have a craving for a Snickers bar, I can have it....I just have to fit it into my fat and calorie allowance.

You have to read labels. When you do, remember that you need to figure out the "per serving" in the information. For example: a can of soup. If you look and see that it "only" has 150 calories and 5 grams of fat...but you eat the whole can....well, you may very well have consumed 300 calories and 10 grams of fat. You have to match the number of servings with what you actually consume. If you want the whole can...fine, just be sure to KNOW what you are consuming.
Also, know that labels can be deceptive. Unless they have changed the regulations, it used to be that a food could be labeled as "lite" or "light" if it was lighter in weight or color!

Pay attention to what you are eating, what it is worth and how big the servings are. Actually measure...don't try to eye-ball it. Americans have poor eyesight when it comes to that. One half cup is not as big as we are used to. It won't take long before you are able to look at a plate of food and know how many calories and how much fat is in it.

Finally, WRITE IT DOWN! These things add up....often without us knowing it. Just "one more bite" or only one muffin (after you already had a breakfast bagel with cream cheese, coffee and cream.....if you do that once or twice a day, that's 7-15 times a week! That is sabotaging your eating. Once you are disciplined, you don't have to be so diligent to write it down.

My notebook has the food I eat, the number of calories and the number of fat grams. I try to go light at the beginning of the day THEN when I have a chocolate craving, if I have enough left over, I eat my chocolate. I don't TRY to meet these numbers exactly. If I have a day that I'm not that hungry, or having "fat" cravings, then I don't consume them. I just don't let myself go over these numbers. I don't "average" for the week...it's too easy to lose control.

SO...there you have it.

Now, if you see some blaring mistake, please let me know. My sweet hubby let me go to bed about 8:30 last night. I woke up at 3:45 FAMISHED. Got up to eat some cereal and now it is 5:53 and I'm just finishing this. SO, this is early morning math...I'm not sure how great it is. LOL!!!

See y'all later.

Tuesday, January 06, 2009

TEMPT MY TUMMY TUESDAY


My cyber-friend, Lisa, and her sister, (and also my cyber-friend) Lana, host this blog carnival every Tuesday. It is a lot of fun! Bloggers get together and post recipes, tips, gadgets...anything kitchen related. Pop on over to see what everyone has to offer.
Don't forget to check back here on Mondays for Making a Happy Home Monday.
For today's recipe, I have decided to post:
CHICKEN COBBLER WITH CORNMEAL TOPPING
ingredients:
2 potatoes, cubed
3 carrots, sliced
1 onion, finely chopped
1 rib of celery, finely chopped
3 TBSP butter
2.5 ounces canned chicken
1-1/4 cans chicken broth
3 TBSP flour
1-1/4 cup milk
salt and pepper
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/4 cup chopped pimento
1 TBSP chopped parsley
8 oz. corn muffin mix
1 egg
Cook potatoes and carrots until tender. Drain.
Saute celery and onion in small saucepan, with butter, until tender.
Gradually stir flour into onion mixture. Cook 1 minute.
Add broth and 1 cup milk (gradually) stirring constantly.
Add salt and thyme.
Bring to boil. Stir frequently until thick.
Remove from heat.
Stir in peas, pimento, parsley, potatoes, carrots and chicken (drained.)
Put into a 1-1/2 quart baking dish.
Combine muffin mix, pepper, 1 egg and 1/4 cup milk until moist.
Drop on chicken mixture.
Bake at 425 for 20-30 minutes. (Until breading is done and golden, and inside is bubbly.)
Enjoy!

Monday, January 05, 2009

INTERVIEW ME


WOW...2 posts in one day! :D GO ME!
So, I got this idea from a blogger-buddie of mine. It's a pretty neat idea. She has emailed me 5 questions. I will answer those and then, if you want to join in, leave me a comment asking me to interview you. I will send you some questions for you to answer on your blog. Fun, huh? Don't all jump up at once....and be prepared....I might ask you to interview me right back. :D

1. Would you have another baby if you were guaranteed a girl or would a girl throw off the testosterone too much?

So many people think that I had a 4th child because the first 3 were boys. That is not the case. I have ALWAYS wanted 4 children, no matter what God gave me. Now, that being said, would I have another baby? Yes...in a heartbeat...except my donor is shooting blanks. :D (Possible adoption a few years down the road? Stay tuned. Maybe if God has a baby for us) Would it matter if I had a boy or a girl? Nope...honestly, I would secretly hope for a boy. I love the reaction I get to having only boys. It is totally cool. I believe that I am a great mom...a great BOY mom, to be more specific. I almost feel hives coming on when I hear of some "girl-ish" birthday parties. Princess? Diva? Yikes. Nope, I am happy to be the only queen of my castle. However, should I ever MIRACULOUSLY pop out a girl, I would be thrilled to my fingertips.

2. Since your DH is a pilot, are you a member of the mile high club?

My, my. What a question?! Let's see....how to answer this.....Technically? No.....I can't go into detail without utterly embarrassing myself. But, does and airport parking lot count? Heh.....my dad's gonna read this. :p

3. If you had to teach a subject other than math, what would you teach?

Probably science. I am actually certified to teach Language Arts, but honestly, I detest English. I can't imagine grading a bunch of essays and other literary "masterpieces." Nope...I'd rather blow something up. :D

4. How many grandchildren would you like to have?

At least 4. I can't imagine any of my boys going through life without a child. More ideally, I'd love for each of my kids to have a child who has a sibling so that pushes the number up to 8. Honestly, though...the more the better. :)

5. How do you take your coffee?

I don't take it at all. I hate coffee. Love the smell of it, though, and buy for my hubby any kind that I think he will love. Usually, I will drink sweet tea or more often, a Dr Pepper when most people would drink coffee.

OK....let me know. Do you want me to interview you?

MAKING A HAPPY HOME MONDAY


So I skipped last week's installment of Making a Happy Home Monday because I was just crazy busy and didn't have time for my normal stuff. BUT, I do want to start the new year off on a positive note, so I'm very happy to have worked on some stuff already. I hope you will join me.

I started this carnival awhile back with one hope in mind - to inspire and encourage women to make their homes happy. As women, we set the tone of our households. We can be positive...and everything else will fall positively into place. OR, we can be negative and things go sour. Kids are unhappy, hubby is unhappy, housework is not getting done and YOU, the mom, the wife, are unhappy.

NO MORE! Take control and do something to make your home a happy home. Some people are better at this than others. You just keep trucking. YOU, of all people, should be posting here to give the rest of us the much needed, and desired inspiration that we need. Please link up down below on Mr. Linky. Leave me a comment, too. Tell me how you like (or don't like) this. Tell me if there is something you would like me to try. Post pictures in your links. CHALLENGE OTHERS to be women of God and take care of our domains.

Find a place in your house. Make it happier by making it prettier or more functional. If it makes you happy by relieving a bit of stress then you have a happier state. GOOD JOB! Now share it with us.

For my Happy Home, I chose my refrigerator. There are 2 reasons. First...it was just getting gross. (I gross out easily when it comes to my fridge.) Secondly, my grocery store day is either Monday or Tuesday, so I really need my kitchen area ready to receive the items that I purchase. I have decided (as I'm working on my cleaning schedule) that Monday will be my "appliance" day.

The refrigerator should stay clean for several reasons...the least of which is the "EW Factor." Temperature aside, there are certain "yuckies" that can grow in your fridge. Clean out the leftovers. (Now leftovers are not a favorite here, but there are times when we have them. Generally, they sit in the fridge for about 4 days before I throw them out. I'm trying NOT to accumulate leftovers. If you do leftovers, clean them out regularly. Really, do you WANT to eat 7 day old chicken spaghetti? YUCK!) Somethings should only be opened and in use for 3-5 days. Pay attention to your dates...they are there for a reason.

Throw out those upside down salad dressing bottles. (Honestly, nothing in the fridge grosses me out more than the remnants that are allowed to drip down to the lid and pool in the cap. BLECH!!!!)

Empty the veggie bins. Clean them out. YES! THEY CAN BE COMPLETELY REMOVED AND WASHED! Line the bottom with paper towels. If the items in the veggie drawer feel soft or have fuzz, this is NOT a variety of said veggie, it is ROTTEN! Toss it.

If you don't remember when you opened the lunch meat, DON'T SMELL IT! Toss it.

Milk....to each his own, but if the date says January 5, 2009...well, I don't care if it's a full gallon, it got tossed YESTERDAY!

If it is crusty, remove it. If you have trouble getting stuck on gunk off the shelves, I suggest a soapy paper towel. Lay it on the spot for a few minutes, then wipe up. Disinfecting wipes are a favorite of mine in this.

Empty, clean, and reload the shelves.

Wipe out the grooves in the rubbery seal of your door. You'd be amazed what accumulates there.

You should pull out the fridge and vacuum the coils and clean out from under the fridge. Also, there is a pan under the fridge gets nasties in it. Pull it out and clean it. Now this is where I get help because this is just gross gross gross. I wait and bribe my honey to help. (Now he knows of one of his jobs during his vacation. :) )

So here we go.

Do you see that nasty stuff on the shelf? That is where my kids have been removing and replacing the milk jug and sloshing it out. (The cap is a pop on cap so it doesn't always stay on.)


Lots of leftovers that have to be discarded.



No more crusties.


Drawers removed and cleaned. Whole inside wiped down.

I'd love for you to join me! Have a Happy Home!



Saturday, January 03, 2009

TKO

I've been beat up. And I deserved it.

I need to watch how I blog. It's hard to let true emotions and feeling come out online. Using caps, dots, exclamation points....all of that can be taken for excitement, anger, alarm...or it can just look cool to the author....like these dots, or ellipses.

Anyway, in my last blog, which I actually spent a bit of time on...with a lot of interruptions, loss of power (laptop, not house) and watching the Food Network, I came across as a bit snotty. AND for that, I need to publicly apologize.

My aggravation, during my blogging, was actually about my Facebook NON-friend, whom I did delete yesterday. That aggravation spilled over into my housekeeping section in which I made a snide remark about a friend....a REAL friend.

No, there is no need to go back to read it because I have deleted that part. I'm embarrassed that I stooped to that level, but more than that, I'm ashamed that I threw her under the bus like that...it was not my intent, it was my "mouth" getting me into trouble AGAIN!

The site that I had been referring to...well, I know she doesn't like it. I know why she doesn't like it and I totally understand that. If I were ever "attacked" in the vicious way this lady seems to attack this group of people.... I do agree with some of what this writer says, but NOT in how she does it. I have had talks with my friend about this very thing, and we worked through it. Anyway, knowing my friend didn't like this one site, I removed it from my blog roll. I didn't feel pushed into it. But, you know what? If I can't do that for a friend.....well, that's just sad.

Now I digress...only 2 of you even know what I'm talking about now.

SO....to my dear, childhood and lifelong friend, I apologize for that comment. It was uncalled for and I'm sorry it was put out there. That was pretty low of me.

*I still like my notebook, though. ;)