tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28744096090867707752024-02-07T16:40:04.850-08:00The Bottomless HeartQuality of life, no matter the circumstances you find yourself in! Living well while living with challenges. Finding strength and resources; feeding body and soul. Thinking 'outside the box'.
Walk beside me as I learn how to live a better, more abundant life in a world that is constantly challenging and changing me! Journey with me as
I explore ways to transform and heal my life and reconnect with my bottomless heart.Cynthia Hannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11845962123736881958noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2874409609086770775.post-47086176228259606252013-02-01T12:07:00.001-08:002013-02-01T12:07:28.843-08:00Finding Free E-books for Your KindleHave you jumped on the e-reader bandwagon yet? <br />
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I didn't think that I would enjoy using one and was pretty resistant too. I love my books - the feel of them; having bookcases filled with them; having a stack of books beside my bed. But I'm really enjoying the Kindle Fire that my daughter gave me for Christmas!<br />
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I usually read science fiction and fantasy, with an occasional foray into other genres. I rarely read a purely romance novel, and never the Harlequin variety and I don't see that changing. <br />
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And I don't think I'll ever replace my art books, my craft books or 'coffee table' type of books with ebooks. And then there are just some books that cry out to have notes made in the margins, passages underlined or highlighted, with a beautiful beaded bookmark nestled between the pages. <br />
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But I find, with the Kindle, that I'm definitely reading a wider range of books. And I'm finding that I don't have to worry about running out of reading material, even when my book budget is non-existant.<br />
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I've found a variety of ways to acquire free books for my Kindle and I'll list the ones that I use most often here.<br />
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My favorite resource for free e-books is a newsletter called <a href="http://www.weberbooks.com/kindle/?utm_source=Kindle+Buffet+Newsletter&utm_campaign=813aac4b8e-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email">Kindle Buffet</a>. The newsletter is published daily and generally runs two to three pages long. There are selections from just about every genre - science fiction, chick lit, mystery, action, romance, cookbooks, self help, Christian, etc. and there are usually a few children's or young adult selections as well. <br />
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When you click on the link that takes you to the Amazon listing for a book, be sure to look for the page count. Some selections are just samples or extremely short and, in most cases, I prefer full length books. Some books are part of a series, so if you get hooked into a story you'd have to make a purchase to continue reading.<br />
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Then there's your local library. The library here in Ontario, Oregon is sadly out of date and extremely limited in the reading materials that I prefer. I've tried several times to access inter-library loans as a way of getting more up-to-date books, but my requests just seemed to disappear into the ether.</div>
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But, they are part of the Library 2Go system, which allows you to check out e-books, audio books and video. The selection available is much better, and much more current, than in the actual, physical library! Most libraries either participate in Library 2Go or a similar program, so be sure to check with yours.<br />
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<a href="http://manybooks.net/">Manybooks.net</a> has over 29,000 eBooks available for Kindle, Nook, iPad and most other eReaders. Mostly classics, but I love my classics and my collection of antique books (all of which are 100+ years old!). You can do a search by genre, by author, by language and more. They even have a library of classic bookcovers, which I love to browse through.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgokTGYTTxQk7f1zJ9Aftzpkfi3OUTI69wumWzvDW-1AWP035fn73P5OqSusVlPCVRY7setLwoSoy4QaQ7C_VGa9il-y8k-UOn2URM_Ydyd2krGdZUdro04tYU_pMr9rkS5b5lbFRi0o74/s1600/andersonetext05sevoc10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgokTGYTTxQk7f1zJ9Aftzpkfi3OUTI69wumWzvDW-1AWP035fn73P5OqSusVlPCVRY7setLwoSoy4QaQ7C_VGa9il-y8k-UOn2URM_Ydyd2krGdZUdro04tYU_pMr9rkS5b5lbFRi0o74/s320/andersonetext05sevoc10.jpg" width="225" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEite91NY_y_bYt9lqptIvTZDyaKFjdeSfAlv3NUO1E-rwOlhRoZdS7yCx0stlBF4jcFc9XhvbfhyphenhyphenWP-TjeYyFMsmFlqeN68BvP3ktgMZFmrINO9d3rdKko9HDfQ7KuPWqqU_t1iApO67jI/s1600/alcottlo2604126041-8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEite91NY_y_bYt9lqptIvTZDyaKFjdeSfAlv3NUO1E-rwOlhRoZdS7yCx0stlBF4jcFc9XhvbfhyphenhyphenWP-TjeYyFMsmFlqeN68BvP3ktgMZFmrINO9d3rdKko9HDfQ7KuPWqqU_t1iApO67jI/s320/alcottlo2604126041-8.jpg" width="203" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/">Project Gutenberg</a> also features classics and is perhaps the best known online source for free books, with more than 42,000 free ebooks and 133 categories. Definitely worth exploring!<br />
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Click the links in my post, explore and download to your hearts content, and tell me...what kind of books do you enjoy reading? Do you have an e-reader or are you planning to get one?<br />
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Shared on the <a href="http://www.create-with-joy.com/2013/01/friendship-friday-books.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+CreateWithJoy+%28Create+With+Joy%29">Friendship Friday link-up</a></div>
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Cynthia Hannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11845962123736881958noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2874409609086770775.post-58318064007929016072012-12-28T16:10:00.002-08:002012-12-28T16:10:51.230-08:00A Weekly Planner For the Rest Of UsI have a problem with most planners and calendars. Planners are generally created with 'normal' people in mind; those whose days and weeks are filled with activities and numerous things to keep track of related to a busy life. <br />
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They're not created with the realities of chronic illness in mind. For example, there is seldom enough room for the notes that substitute for an astute memory when my fibro fog rolls around. And my body does it's own good job of keeping track of it's aches and pains. Realistically, as my art journal page below attempts to show, there are too many of them to write down anyway, so I don't need all that unused space on a typical planner page. And looking at all that empty space would get a bit depressing too. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fibromyalgia and Arthritis Pain - Oh my!</td></tr>
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With all of that in mind, I've created a weekly planner for the rest of us! <br />
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In my planner, I've allowed space for four major or daily tasks. I chose four because it's seldom that I can complete more than that on any given day.<br />
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There is a separate space for miscellaneous 'To Do's', and important for me, a place where I can note the things that need to be delegated. Delegating is a must and having a place to note these tasks is essential.<br />
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Then, too, there is a small area in which to note appointments.<br />
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There's a special space for the Communication Queen in all of us, where we can note phone numbers, emails we need to send, make notes about our social networking sites or to jot down a url.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Weekly Planner For the Rest Of Us</td></tr>
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A larger area in which to note things related to self-care - and those can be anything from taking a nap or a short walk, to giving yourself a manicure, to making time for hobbies or art.<br />
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Since nutrition is always a 'hot topic' for me and I tend to forget to eat, and because good nutrition is essential to keeping my pain levels manageable, there's also space to note meals. <br />
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Last, but far from least important, there is a decent amount of space for notes.<br />
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You'll find the days of the week and a place to write the date at the top of the planner, and underneath these, there is room to check off your top four tasks to show that you've completed them each day as well as space to mark off when you've taken your medications for the day. There are additional spaces that you can personalize for other things that you might wish to keep track of on a daily basis.<br />
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If you think that the planner would work for you as well, I'd be happy to email you a copy for your personal use. If you know of others who might appreciate it, please feel free to send them here.<br />
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To get a free copy (minus the watermarks!), simply leave a comment with your email - or, if you prefer not to have your email addie published here, follow your comment up with an email to CreativeArtitude@hotmail.com, putting 'Weekly Planner' in the subject line. <br />
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While I'll be providing the copies free of charge, I still ask that you honor my request above (it's the only way I have of tracking whether or not it's useful to others!) and respect my copyright by not distributing or sharing the non-watermarked copy without my permission. Feel free to Pin or post the watermarked copy or share the link to this post.Cynthia Hannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11845962123736881958noreply@blogger.com45tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2874409609086770775.post-87445190229335228352012-12-04T14:47:00.000-08:002012-12-04T14:47:11.156-08:00It's That Time of Month AgainIt's that time of month again ...to inventory my cabinets and freezer; to put together a grocery shopping list; to organize and do a spreadsheet on grocery store match-ups; to decide which new recipes we'll try this time around (seriously, I can't afford to waste food, so I look for recipes that I'm pretty sure will be winners!)<br />
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But I just can't seem to find the motivation; I'm procrastinating. And I'm enjoying my food today. You'd think that that would provide some motivation. But no, it's just not working that way!<br />
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It's mid-afternoon and I've had my prescribed (as in prescribed by a Doctor, not by my tummy) 2 meals and 2 snacks so far today. <br />
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Breakfast was oatmeal (cooked in a big batch and then frozen in single portion sizes) with home-frozen peach slices and walnuts (the Doctor says to balance the carbs with a protein. Walnuts are a protein...I think).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yummy Tomato Soup</td></tr>
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The first snack was warm apple slices (again, home frozen). The afternoon snack was a mug of tomato soup with french fried onion sprinkles, a bit of parsley and parmesan cheese.<br />
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And lunch was two turkey sausage links with a warm, savory muffin. Yum! The muffin is chock full of spinach, sauteed leeks, red pepper and cheese. They were an experiment, but oh! They are so good!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Savory Muffins</td></tr>
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I don't have a recipe; I didn't measure while I was experimenting. It might be a good habit to get into as I tend to experiment often, lol! <br />
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The base was homemade baking mix (like Bisquick, but with organic ingredients!), to which I added chopped spinach, leeks lightly sauteed in organic olive oil, red pepper flakes, two slices of crumbled bacon and a handful of grated cheese. Oh, and an egg and milk to moisten it all. Poured into muffin tins and baked for 16 minutes, my experiment gave me ten delicious, savory muffins! They weren't overly done because I wanted to be able to reheat them without ending up with something inedible.<br />
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Dinner for my son and I will be 4-6 ounces of pork, baked in the oven with potatoes and sweet potato wedges, and corn on the cob. The sweet potato wedges are home cut and frozen, and the corn on the cob was cut into segments, blanched and frozen back when it was 4 ears for $1.00. <br />
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I want to note too, that I bought the organic olive oil AND organic canola oil at Grocery Outlet and they were a big enough bargain that I bought multiples. If you have a Grocery Outlet store in your area, they're definitely worth checking out. Their stock changes constantly, but I've been able to find great deals on pantry items and have found cereal, canned beans, tomato products, frozen vegetables and even meat and pizza - all organics at fantastic prices! Whatever you buy, be sure to check expiration dates and you may not want to purchase produce there unless you'll be using it within a day or two. <br />
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And that takes me back to that grocery list that's waiting to be made...sigh!Cynthia Hannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11845962123736881958noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2874409609086770775.post-57404967409506533142012-11-24T10:45:00.000-08:002012-11-24T10:45:34.913-08:00To Coupon...Or Not<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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To coupon or not has been a decision that I'd been avoiding. My daughter recently took a class in extreme couponing via the locally based <a href="http://stretchingyouridahodollars.blogspot.com/p/getting-started.html">Stretching Your Dollar$</a> and shared what she learned with me. Because I buy very few processed and prepackaged foods (thus avoiding an excess of sugar, salt, toxins, chemicals and genetically modified ingredients), extreme couponing doesn't really make much sense for me. But price matching combined with light couponing - especially those too infrequent coupons for organics - ah, a very different story!<br />
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My initial attempt at price matching paid off for me, with close to $55 in savings my first time out. With a monthly food budget of $350, the savings was substantial!<br />
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I looked up grocery ads online and kept a running list of sales, especially for produce (both fresh and frozen) and pantry staples. Then I opened up my Excel program and created a spreadsheet to track items, sizes, sale price, store and coupons, if any.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgftAVBeyjy5SOGC8TaEwLIftbZXlc8-FwpTpPgGaE2prnDc3qpJ-RvRDHq_ze3qSuHXm34ZccK0cw7gtbX72iYOHOX4wIGlx0X2Iq5_5IC6HZ3m9uquaINq0KWYFIioE6L1NetOx0KXoA/s1600/scan0003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgftAVBeyjy5SOGC8TaEwLIftbZXlc8-FwpTpPgGaE2prnDc3qpJ-RvRDHq_ze3qSuHXm34ZccK0cw7gtbX72iYOHOX4wIGlx0X2Iq5_5IC6HZ3m9uquaINq0KWYFIioE6L1NetOx0KXoA/s320/scan0003.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Example of my spreadsheet</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I used several online databases to find relevant, printable coupons for as many of the items on my list possible, to maximize my savings. <br />
<br />
I was able to take the spreadsheet with me, which made it simple to track things both while shopping and while checking out. I didn't need to have the various ads with me (although store policies vary on this, so be sure to check!).<br />
<br />
Some of the best deals that I found included 6 oz of sliced pepperoni (for pizza) at only .50 per package; half gallons of milk for $1.25; a 10 lb bag of russet potatoes for .98; 32 ounces of organic broth for 1.79; Alexia frozen potatoes $2.35 per bag; fresh organic greens $1.50 per bunch; and 1 dozen organic eggs for .99.<br />
<br />
I also preserved the last of the harvest season, making chunky applesauce, pumpkin puree, dehydrated and frozen carrots, and slicing and freezing sweet potatoes. The apples were purchased at Grocery Outlet for .98 per 3 lbs. The pumpkins, carrots and sweet potatoes were given to me (free) in quantity.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiatCl8owoukt0JgY7YfnXev2HqWHto9D4nT4YWgDw2aAc8XhRUHbOrLdYkw7lTxDBDtfIxAYLd2Aood9-TFVa0G-HWpOUT07ybZte9VhPm97AsY0oJnw-vdF7CtUMI59cDw6iPzJzcIe0/s1600/Apples___Pumpkins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiatCl8owoukt0JgY7YfnXev2HqWHto9D4nT4YWgDw2aAc8XhRUHbOrLdYkw7lTxDBDtfIxAYLd2Aood9-TFVa0G-HWpOUT07ybZte9VhPm97AsY0oJnw-vdF7CtUMI59cDw6iPzJzcIe0/s1600/Apples___Pumpkins.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
Combining a few coupons with price matching, and preserving the harvest bounty will help us to eat more healthily as well as more often (it can be difficult to afford eating 3 meals, plus 3 snacks per day as ordered by my doctor!). And the investment that I made in buying a small chest freezer when my kids were teens is still paying dividends.<br />
<br />
Do you utilize coupons, price matching or preserving as a way of maximizing your food dollars? Feel free to share your strategies and stories!Cynthia Hannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11845962123736881958noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2874409609086770775.post-12521554352489641422012-09-11T13:21:00.000-07:002012-09-11T13:21:15.524-07:00A Pinterest-ing Week<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I've been absent, attending a training out of town, plus a conference and more. Totally pushing my limits physically, but the training and certification is a requirement for my new, very part-time job. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I've been having a wonderful time, but have landed in a major flare up of my chronic pain. It's temporarily keeping me from enjoying things away from my bed and sofa. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">While I'm busy taking care of myself so that I can get back into blogging, creating, etc I thought I'd share a few of my pins and boards from Pinterest. Yes! I'm having a pinterest-ing week and would love to connect with you there as well! The following is just some of what's available on my boards - so be sure to check it out!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Indulge your Domestic Diva and browse through <a href="https://pinterest.com/bottomlessheart/frugal-living/">Frugal Living </a>and <a href="https://pinterest.com/bottomlessheart/diy-home/">DIY Home</a></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzLW7sxnqWUXuHE_mTzEGGhisTCvysT7Qw4ZHxdR0tx_g4nrth72s5JLUMKEAypaHZUhoxLX1NLmZLdvKe99tPQhOja9o9g99e_kJXIWiCF4d37llZrIkRoyE1BDKR4Tk0ZAJkPu4xugA/s1600/250372060503625665_wUKgAEb8_f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzLW7sxnqWUXuHE_mTzEGGhisTCvysT7Qw4ZHxdR0tx_g4nrth72s5JLUMKEAypaHZUhoxLX1NLmZLdvKe99tPQhOja9o9g99e_kJXIWiCF4d37llZrIkRoyE1BDKR4Tk0ZAJkPu4xugA/s320/250372060503625665_wUKgAEb8_f.jpg" width="243" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://uktv.co.uk/home/gallery/aid/640810">Source</a></span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Nurture your creativity with visits to <a href="https://pinterest.com/bottomlessheart/needle-crafts/">Needle Crafts</a>, <a href="https://pinterest.com/bottomlessheart/craft-ideas/">Craft Ideas</a> and several DIY boards</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV9qVGdDvMIQLczdqe10u6ASaGGby39304x-AEKyz7w6RC0caEynNss5Jep4SZA5-4RBK1WFZHsScbXVJro-Cdfx0pEyaxP74HDfg6miO29gcrHud70RjuSYcnMq7GdD4_v57GjnyzEtk/s1600/54043264248005881_l49TfEY7_f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV9qVGdDvMIQLczdqe10u6ASaGGby39304x-AEKyz7w6RC0caEynNss5Jep4SZA5-4RBK1WFZHsScbXVJro-Cdfx0pEyaxP74HDfg6miO29gcrHud70RjuSYcnMq7GdD4_v57GjnyzEtk/s320/54043264248005881_l49TfEY7_f.jpg" width="234" /></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://thefoglemanfamily.blogspot.com/2010/05/finished-object-friday-its-in-bag.html">Source</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Expand your horizons with <a href="https://pinterest.com/bottomlessheart/it-s-a-wonderful-world/">It's A Wonderful World</a> and <a href="https://pinterest.com/bottomlessheart/faces-of-humanity/">Faces of Humanity</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk9e2QKGEqmTqQju7AB5DsJZ3mxUR_rjfByrjEB3-EEwjyLZEMd1jwmCB6Tk1jAm9arY97yw5wgnYeK3SlhtBGbaUQ47crBu4jXAtMdxlSv6VZc0hR1tGWY8T-2-xNqZB3-5VaTepr6no/s1600/82824080617022294_zBb2qoMZ_f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk9e2QKGEqmTqQju7AB5DsJZ3mxUR_rjfByrjEB3-EEwjyLZEMd1jwmCB6Tk1jAm9arY97yw5wgnYeK3SlhtBGbaUQ47crBu4jXAtMdxlSv6VZc0hR1tGWY8T-2-xNqZB3-5VaTepr6no/s320/82824080617022294_zBb2qoMZ_f.jpg" width="213" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> <span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=14356251">Source</a></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Discover new gastronomic goodies at <a href="https://pinterest.com/bottomlessheart/food-fest/">Food Fest</a> or <a href="https://pinterest.com/bottomlessheart/low-carb-low-gi-recipes/">Low Carb/Low GI foods</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLPiURxk-Lxld6d0a5NyjmDyarheX9rN1ncHpx2CKwCioUn3uUokBAQfwjKa3DM2ofhdPeR9e6XKpYFcbA9fzWyhzcukg5nkOkE2KIYEuTk33NqfYLrJUwmvDLAU7DqIkdJouKLUhP30o/s1600/39265827970906437_UKuLfEO7_f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLPiURxk-Lxld6d0a5NyjmDyarheX9rN1ncHpx2CKwCioUn3uUokBAQfwjKa3DM2ofhdPeR9e6XKpYFcbA9fzWyhzcukg5nkOkE2KIYEuTk33NqfYLrJUwmvDLAU7DqIkdJouKLUhP30o/s320/39265827970906437_UKuLfEO7_f.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://budgetbytes.blogspot.com/2011/11/spinach-mushroom-feta-crustless-quiche.html">Source</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">And scroll through Color, Gorgeous Color, Wisdom Words, Printables and more. Be sure to follow my boards - I follow back!</span> </span></div>
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<br />Cynthia Hannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11845962123736881958noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2874409609086770775.post-36051133235439500522012-08-13T14:08:00.001-07:002012-08-13T14:10:59.906-07:00Hard Rock Café - oops - Candy<br />
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<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve been a smoker for 40 years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I cut down drastically during my two
pregnancies and for about a year after each one but didn’t manage to quit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When my kids were a little older, I tried
quitting cold turkey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a totally
scary experience for me, but especially for my kids when their calm, peaceful
Mommy suddenly became a blue eyed monster with a talent for terrible temper
tantrums, creative cussing and a propensity to throw and break things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thankfully, throwing the kids never crossed
my mind!</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This time around, as part of my journey to health, I’m using
Chantix to help me quit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another reason
to be grateful that I’m now receiving state medical assistance!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Chantix does seem to be keeping the monster
away – hooray!</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m on day six of being a non-smoker.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was surprisingly easy for the first four days and super difficult for the past two as I deal with the deep, deep grief of learning of the tragic death of one of my son's best friends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<br />
Chantix doesn't magically take away
the temptation, but it does make the temptation easier to deal with - until now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think I was taking the easy part for
granted, because the last two days have been hard.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4ZRAkdHLwS-JuTYEKu997Z3ISkreOGp2tYHnnPE6YPbUUV9yc6CwHodgvHcnSQ5kTsy4bFM-aXz1C2noMeZppziO0_yYDizMTw1eXg8ctxIBl8P0rhcPW2qvYZR7GSu1q3nIiAQv1cTE/s1600/nosmoking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4ZRAkdHLwS-JuTYEKu997Z3ISkreOGp2tYHnnPE6YPbUUV9yc6CwHodgvHcnSQ5kTsy4bFM-aXz1C2noMeZppziO0_yYDizMTw1eXg8ctxIBl8P0rhcPW2qvYZR7GSu1q3nIiAQv1cTE/s200/nosmoking.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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Until now, staying busy has
helped.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Spending less time online has
helped.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sucking on a sugar free hard
candy has helped when the urge to smoke has been stronger.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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But not today!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The definition of ‘stronger’ urges is being
redefined.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t want to distract
myself!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t want to keep busy!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t want to stay away from the
computer!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t want to suck on a hard
candy!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I WANT A CIGARETTE!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> I want to grieve, cry, rage at the universe - and smoke!</span><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span>
</div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN6RIjCEkhx11pGmf_SnIefnTspqYnYQ4BB-_WL9Nlf6kXpcK0sDeinroFP_FvIH03I5Tsdp4sy-Xc56aFUBFBSzcJ0xFWyhH-gtn8xVzta0ak2yqJsiIDRmhSw4jiZO4edQ4okbsNnB4/s1600/cache_2553200204_smokersmouth.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>I don’t want to pace the floors, restlessly acting as though
I’m lost.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t want to keep reaching for
that non-existent pack of cigarettes. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
also don’t want that stale smoke smell.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Or the ashes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or the cigarette
butts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m tired of being the only
smoker at meetings, conferences, gatherings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And I’m tired of wasting money that I can’t afford to waste.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Smoking is never healthy, but as I get older,
the implications for my health worsen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And forgive my ego, but I don’t want to have those ‘smoker wrinkles’
around my lips and mouth either.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Seriously.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN6RIjCEkhx11pGmf_SnIefnTspqYnYQ4BB-_WL9Nlf6kXpcK0sDeinroFP_FvIH03I5Tsdp4sy-Xc56aFUBFBSzcJ0xFWyhH-gtn8xVzta0ak2yqJsiIDRmhSw4jiZO4edQ4okbsNnB4/s1600/cache_2553200204_smokersmouth.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN6RIjCEkhx11pGmf_SnIefnTspqYnYQ4BB-_WL9Nlf6kXpcK0sDeinroFP_FvIH03I5Tsdp4sy-Xc56aFUBFBSzcJ0xFWyhH-gtn8xVzta0ak2yqJsiIDRmhSw4jiZO4edQ4okbsNnB4/s1600/cache_2553200204_smokersmouth.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN6RIjCEkhx11pGmf_SnIefnTspqYnYQ4BB-_WL9Nlf6kXpcK0sDeinroFP_FvIH03I5Tsdp4sy-Xc56aFUBFBSzcJ0xFWyhH-gtn8xVzta0ak2yqJsiIDRmhSw4jiZO4edQ4okbsNnB4/s1600/cache_2553200204_smokersmouth.jpg" /></a></div>
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<br />
It looks like the second list of ‘I don’ts’ is longer than
the first, lol.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">I confess to giving in and smoking two cigarettes yesterday. Those cigarettes were my breaks from crying while I struggled to get a handle on my grief. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">But I'm also determined to forgive myself and continue the journey towards becoming a non-smoker. I did resist the temptation to run out and buy a pack! </span>Hard rock candy, here I come.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cinnamon, butterscotch, mint – take your pick! </div>
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And maybe I’ll stop for a good visualization too; imagining
myself as a non-smoker.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Playing through
how good it will feel to be a non-smoker; how wonderful it would be to have
some money in my wallet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d been wondering how I would be able to
replace my clothing as I lose weight…and that extra money in my wallet will go
far towards solving that dilemma!</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxlww8980G6fNvo0RFugv6YcCRv36xpAyorHIGaLe9wATkcJhYaYFiS1Y2taFAGJOUltwHbHLeasXzItfDJoxl7HmfCnbIGnA2JOGdVhYaCVk_4Tf8E_YbZzLfqLF0zCY5tbKHU9Pjsis/s1600/ClickHandler.ashx.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxlww8980G6fNvo0RFugv6YcCRv36xpAyorHIGaLe9wATkcJhYaYFiS1Y2taFAGJOUltwHbHLeasXzItfDJoxl7HmfCnbIGnA2JOGdVhYaCVk_4Tf8E_YbZzLfqLF0zCY5tbKHU9Pjsis/s320/ClickHandler.ashx.jpg" width="248" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Checking out this poster and other materials available at
http://stopsmokingaidstoday.com just might provide some needed encouragement. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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A call out to my support system will help too!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just hearing someone say ‘I know you can do
it!’ or ‘I have faith in you!’ or ‘You’re doing great – keep it up!’<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love how supportive everyone is, both
online and off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not the judgment that I
thought I might get, but pure and simple, unadulterated support.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And it’s wonderful.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
As I pop a cinnamon hard candy into my mouth, I know, I just
know, that there will be a day seven…One moment, one hour, one day at a time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One day at a time.</div>
Cynthia Hannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11845962123736881958noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2874409609086770775.post-36904849985189686982012-08-10T21:09:00.000-07:002012-08-13T14:13:41.085-07:00Healthy Changes And Two Recipes<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1BdmgPXtppp32FNYw9K4byc7IEn8kTm-_yKa0ciDLJ6nfP63NPfGurRk_FPPGgQZnRLqzIDMJ2B66OSCaBlQ_NL73NKvCFWN2_j2Iiie_nNiGbj7Jhbr3cBJuNN71xlCbuWmrsj3LZ1E/s1600/2011-09-09-divided_plate2_HuffingtonPost.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<br />
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Going from eating 1 or 2 meals a day to eating 3 meals plus
3 snacks a day has been a challenge for my food stamp budget, especially when
my son and I have different likes and dislikes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It's a challenge too, because I'm an old hand at starvation dieting and a pro at skipping meals! I’ve had to do a lot of research to find recipes that will work for our
tastes, our budgets AND for a healthy eating plan.</div>
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There are ways for making healthy changes work though.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Changes</u></b></div>
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Some of the foods that make up a healthy eating plan would
be out of bounds on a normal food stamp budget, unless I want to eat legumes
and oatmeal each day, but it’s important for me to have both variety and fresh
ingredients or my appetite begins to disappear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The healthy changes that I’ve made allow us to buy things that wouldn’t normally
be possible, such as seafood and plenty of fresh produce!</div>
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<br /></div>
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I'm including two recipes in this post and you can find one for a luscious, light lemon cheesecake on my previous post. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiukTqchwx1JomTpVhBChp0WrhiX4jsfxnRgQGoTMeCsNZ7_t8OA4-wHw3sQKvRORirN9YLWEcnL_7dI-WaoG5fJZizu0L9PFf3M43WN7mZWqGYxc46iCMsfkUcgNfEWSxOsYq66kFZV3E/s1600/Salmon.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiukTqchwx1JomTpVhBChp0WrhiX4jsfxnRgQGoTMeCsNZ7_t8OA4-wHw3sQKvRORirN9YLWEcnL_7dI-WaoG5fJZizu0L9PFf3M43WN7mZWqGYxc46iCMsfkUcgNfEWSxOsYq66kFZV3E/s320/Salmon.jpg" width="320" /></a> We don’t drink a lot of milk and I tend to use the powdered
milk that I was given at the food pantry for cooking and baking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve cut down on the amount of spoilage by
buying a gallon of organic milk every two weeks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The organic milk has longer expiration dates
and doesn’t spoil as quickly as non-organic, so even though the price is a
little higher, it’s a better buy for me.</div>
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<br /></div>
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I do the first of my shopping each month at the local
Grocery Outlet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The prices are low, but
it’s always advisable to check expiration dates.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is where I can find affordable organics
and where I buy most of my staples.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
produce tends to go bad quickly, so I buy elsewhere.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their stock changes constantly, so what I
can’t find, I’ll keep on my list for my next stop.</div>
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<br /></div>
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I buy spices from the Mexican aisle at the store.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oregano, basil, cinnamon, cumin and others
are available in cellophane bags for much less than you’d pay on the spice
aisle.</div>
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<br /></div>
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We’ve cut down the amount of meat that we eat, and I plan
for a few meatless meals as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I buy
very few prepackaged, processed, convenience, canned or snack foods.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I make exceptions for my son’s cereal and one
or two frozen entrees that he can toss in the oven on my really bad days.</div>
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<br /></div>
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My dinner plate will typically be divided into thirds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One quarter of the plate for protein/meat,
one quarter for a side dish and one half for produce.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1BdmgPXtppp32FNYw9K4byc7IEn8kTm-_yKa0ciDLJ6nfP63NPfGurRk_FPPGgQZnRLqzIDMJ2B66OSCaBlQ_NL73NKvCFWN2_j2Iiie_nNiGbj7Jhbr3cBJuNN71xlCbuWmrsj3LZ1E/s1600/2011-09-09-divided_plate2_HuffingtonPost.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1BdmgPXtppp32FNYw9K4byc7IEn8kTm-_yKa0ciDLJ6nfP63NPfGurRk_FPPGgQZnRLqzIDMJ2B66OSCaBlQ_NL73NKvCFWN2_j2Iiie_nNiGbj7Jhbr3cBJuNN71xlCbuWmrsj3LZ1E/s1600/2011-09-09-divided_plate2_HuffingtonPost.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Photo from 9/2011 issue of the Huffington Post</b><u><b><br /></b></u></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Planned leftovers</u></b></div>
<br />
<ul>
<li>Meat can be diced and added to soup or salads. </li>
<li><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Veggies can be used
in salads, soups and sandwiches or wraps or added to precooked brown rice for <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>quick, nutritious lunch.</li>
<li>My son likes to use leftover potatoes to make quick tacos
for lunch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></li>
<li>Leftover fish can be used to make fish tacos.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></li>
<li>My son doesn’t generally like eating leftovers, but I don’t
have a problem with it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I cook a little
bit extra, I use that for lunch the next day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></li>
<li>If you cook fresh vegetables, the water used to cook them
can be frozen and used later as broth for soups and other foods.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you’re trying to cut down on salt, simply
don’t add salt to the water while cooking the veggies and the result is salt
free broth!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></li>
<li>Cooked vegetables can also be blended for smoothies or to
add to soups.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The vegetable broth and
blended veggies are two of the ways that I snuck vegetables into my kid’s diets
when they were going through their ‘I hate veggies!’ stage.</li>
<li>A whole chicken, roasted with sweet potatoes for dinner
gives me leftovers for chicken enchiladas or chicken paprika another night and
chicken salad or lettuce wrap for lunch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></li>
<li>The chicken carcass is boiled down to make broth, then
cooled and the fat skimmed off and carcass disposed of, and then is frozen for
later use.</li>
<li>An inexpensive roast can be cooked in a slow cooker (which
helps tenderize it) for dinner, and leftovers can be sliced and used in salads
and sandwiches or wraps for lunch, or shredded and used in beef taco </li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Organization and Preparation</u></b></div>
<ul>
<li>Being organized in the kitchen saves money, allowing you to
use groceries before they go bad, expire, etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This is especially important for me because I do the majority of my
grocery shopping once a month, with a trip to the store for milk, bread and
produce mid-month. </li>
<li>Check cabinets to see what you may already have and to check
expiration dates.</li>
<li>Organize your recipes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I have a binder in which I keep recipes that I’ll be using during the
month, and this is especially important for recipes that are new to us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I make it a point to look for healthy recipes
using foods that I know we like, as well as recipes that don’t use unusual or
expensive ingredients.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The simpler, the
better! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Included in the binder is a
printout of foods that are low on the glycemic index and ideas for quick snacks
and lunches.</li>
<li>Loosely plan menus, giving yourself flexibility as to which
days those meals will be made.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With
fibro and disabilities, I can’t always follow a preset menu.</li>
<li>Never shop without a list </li>
<li>Preparation ahead of time also allows me to save time when
I’m cooking, which is especially important for those inevitable days when I
really don’t feel well enough, or am in too much pain, to spend much time in
the kitchen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On those days, I can reach
into my cabinets for a recipe in a jar mix or pull ingredients out of the
freezer for a quick meal.</li>
<li>Buy meats in family packs and then separate and freeze in
smaller portions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even though my
household now consists of just myself and my son, I still buy most meats in larger
portions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It saves money and, for
example, a small roast can be cut into three parts – one for a traditional
roast dinner, a second for stew, a third for kabobs. </li>
<li>Chop vegetables ahead of time and grate cheese, then store
them in containers in the fridge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
makes meals easier and quicker to make!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></li>
<li>Chop, peel and cut (or not) fresh fruits and freeze to use
in yogurt or smoothies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></li>
<li>Dehydrate produce that you’ve bought on sale and can’t
freeze.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dehydrated foods work well in
recipe in a jar mixes, in soups or stews and in hot cereals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Broccoli, grated carrots, celery, onion,
leeks, peas, peach slices and strawberries all work well for this.</li>
<li>Make brown rice and oatmeal ahead of time and store in the
refrigerator, enough for 3-4 days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></li>
<li>Whole grain waffles or pancakes can be made and frozen for
future breakfasts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></li>
<li>I hard boil half a dozen eggs and keep them in the fridge
for quick protein when it’s needed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></li>
<li>I make my own energy bars (see the recipe, below!) and snack mixes too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></li>
<li>A favorite for both of us is home marinated mozzarella
cheese cubes (see the recipe below!), which I pair with whole grain bread or
crackers and a fruit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve also used
marinated mozzarella as filling for stuffed chicken breast.</li>
<li>Cook beans ahead of time too, but in small batches that can
be used for lunches or to toss into a salad or soup for extra protein.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cooked garbanzos are the most versatile for
me because they can also be sprinkled with spices and roasted for snacks, used
for homemade hummus or turned into falafel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And I use whatever beans I have on hand as an ingredient in the energy
bars (recipe below!) that I make.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Easy Marinated Mozzarella </u></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvOLUG03FJuoYa_JsDRWthWHkDOQmRtiTYIKB-qnp43fQMyfyn6ClvPlqD4jNkiy6zkoEDvhMxGmqSTGq5C5dCYamoPB1Bq2o2TAcmUIUCu2KNqRN9KIefskxPxxnMfxdshQ6dMSVpeJE/s1600/marinatedmozzarella2_thumb1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvOLUG03FJuoYa_JsDRWthWHkDOQmRtiTYIKB-qnp43fQMyfyn6ClvPlqD4jNkiy6zkoEDvhMxGmqSTGq5C5dCYamoPB1Bq2o2TAcmUIUCu2KNqRN9KIefskxPxxnMfxdshQ6dMSVpeJE/s320/marinatedmozzarella2_thumb1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Cut mozzarella into small cubes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To a jar or other lidded container, add
enough olive oil to fill 1<b><span style="font-size: small;">/</span></b><span style="font-size: small;">4</span><b><span style="font-size: small;">.</span></b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Add dried
Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes and a pinch of kosher salt; stir to
mix.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Add cheese cubes, cover and shake
to distribute oil and seasonings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Store
in refrigerator.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Using fresh, chopped oregano and thyme, if you have them,
can really pump up the flavors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> You can also add a squeeze of lemon juice. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Energy Bars with a Twist</u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Don’t let the surprise ingredients – beans – keep you from
making these because nobody else will be able to tell that they’re there!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve made these without the dates,
substituting raisins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you can manage
filberts/hazelnuts on your budget, using cranberries in place of the dates and
filberts in place of the walnuts makes a great Northwestern version of these
bars!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When granola is unavailable, I’ve
used uncooked oatmeal instead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve also
used pinto beans, mung beans and kidney beans, so the choice really is up to
you or to what you have on hand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is
a very flexible recipe, so don’t be afraid to experiment!</div>
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Nonstick cooking spray</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>2/3 C low-fat granola</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
1<b> </b>C<b> </b>chopped, pitted dates</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
1 C flaked coconut</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
2/3 C packed brown sugar</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
½ C whole wheat flour</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
1 tsp cinnamon</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
15 oz canned or freshly cooked beans,
rinsed, drained and chopped</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
½ C raisins</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
½ C chopped walnuts or almonds</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
½ C honey</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
2 Tbsp margarine or butter, melted</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
Tbsp cooking oil</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
1 tsp vanilla</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
1/8 tsp salt</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
Line a 13x9x2 inch baking pan with foil and
lightly coat with cooking spray.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
In a large bowl stir together first 6
ingredients.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stir in beans, raisins and
nuts.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
In a small bowl combine honey, margarine,
oil, vanilla and salt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Add to granola
mixture; stir until combined.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Spread in
baking pan.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
Bake in 350 degree oven for 40-45 minutes
or until edges of bars are light brown and center is firm to the touch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cool, then use foil to lift out of the pan;
cut into bars.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
Bars can be wrapped in foil or freezer wrap
and kept in freezer for up to 3 months.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast">
<i>141 calories each; 5 g fat, 0 mg cholesterol,
85 mg sodium, 25 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber, 2 g protein</i></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast">
<br /></div>
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<u><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Cooking in Season</b></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This allows you to take advantage of lower prices, sales and
to purchase produce that is more sound nutritionally.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Prices are higher off season and produce is
more likely to be imported or grown indoors. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS0baFXfAFkiRgHRZvf1walRn4aDlncGGoBi6p7DHoFZQb8A_tPWiRPwk_OxCpNmkSjKU8NuKyLhHEXPGiPdPIN_DUW8DO6vjCkBqrVVXcI9GTPIPUTB6HG9puiPW7mV9XkZBWOWRQyw4/s1600/GI_foods.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS0baFXfAFkiRgHRZvf1walRn4aDlncGGoBi6p7DHoFZQb8A_tPWiRPwk_OxCpNmkSjKU8NuKyLhHEXPGiPdPIN_DUW8DO6vjCkBqrVVXcI9GTPIPUTB6HG9puiPW7mV9XkZBWOWRQyw4/s1600/GI_foods.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
With planning, you
can prepare your own foods to use during off season – with the bonus that home
prepared foods taste better and will be more nutritious as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> </div>
<ul>
<li>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There are sites on line that have seasonal charts and I’d
recommend printing one up and using it to help you plan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the UK, try <a href="http://www.learntocookathome.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/sft_seasonality_chart1.pdf">this chart</a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the US, <a href="http://s3.amazonaws.com/post.good.is/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/seasonalfoodchart.jpg">this chart</a></div>
</li>
<li>When I had a garden, I did home canning each year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you have don’t have a garden but you have
the budget, there’s always the option of buying produce and canning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I really recommend it, because the taste of
processed foods from the local store can’t begin to compare to the taste of
home canned foods!</li>
<li>Take advantage of great sales on seasonal produce or the
overabundance that a neighbor gifts you with from their garden.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Freezing veggies for later use is super easy:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Prepare the veggie (shuck ears of corn,
slice zucchini, etc) and put in boiling water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Boil for 3-5 minutes, pour into colander and rinse with cold water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When cooled, place in freezer safe containers
and label.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve just done this today
with organic corn on the cob and summer squash!</li>
<li>Fruits can be frozen as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Berries can be sliced or frozen whole.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Add a small amount of lemon juice to water
and rinse the fruits, then place whole/sliced berries and sliced fruits on a
cookie sheet, making sure there is room between each fruit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Place cookie sheet in the freezer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once the fruits are frozen, remove and place
in freezer safe containers; label.</li>
<li>See Organization and Preparation for other ideas!</li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I hope some of what I’ve shared is useful to you!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whether or not you’re trying to eat
healthier, a lot of these ideas will save you money.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Cynthia Hannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11845962123736881958noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2874409609086770775.post-2772834329671587162012-08-05T18:13:00.000-07:002012-08-05T18:15:37.200-07:00Keeping A Food JournalI've been keeping a food journal for two weeks, which I've just turned in to my doctor, and my doctor visit was chock full of good news! I am doing so well that I won't need medication to manage my cholesterol and blood sugar! And, here's the shocker - I actually lost 7 pounds in two weeks!<br />
<br />
I managed to follow her directions to eat 6 times a day. Yes, six times a day - it's not a typo! It was, without a doubt, the hardest part of the changes I've made. I'm an old pro at dieting - usually what's termed 'starvation' dieting. I'm also fantastically talented at skipping meals, sometimes for a day or more. Eating three meals and three snacks a day made me feel, in the beginning, a bit like a cow standing at a feeding trough!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP1y8zHIRQjdAg5pBuZt_ROdKg09ohO0iNdPu2TE3MUJcpNzsDmkoyxSJ2rKv0PJOHWaU9XT6f4xB1RwjCDSwrgPL7NyTrQ8jy7lqoXsXzOWQACNE7vvLdsQ6uJHErV9xrftqSL17y0lM/s1600/uber_cow_cow3illumination.missouri.edu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP1y8zHIRQjdAg5pBuZt_ROdKg09ohO0iNdPu2TE3MUJcpNzsDmkoyxSJ2rKv0PJOHWaU9XT6f4xB1RwjCDSwrgPL7NyTrQ8jy7lqoXsXzOWQACNE7vvLdsQ6uJHErV9xrftqSL17y0lM/s320/uber_cow_cow3illumination.missouri.edu.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo via www.illumination.missouri.edu</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I did miss a couple of breakfasts and a few snacks, but there are bound to be challenges to forming any new habits! I splurged and had light cheesecake and even a handful of potato chips, but I'm told that it's okay to treat myself occasionally.<br />
<br />
It's also going to be challenging to continue this on a food stamp budget, but not impossible. This past month, I managed to have fresh fruits and vegetables through all but the last 2 days. It took a lot of research, a lot of planning AND changing the way I shop and do things in the kitchen and I'll continue to 'tweak' things as I learn.<br />
<br />
I've still been able to eat Italian and Mexican food. I can still have my occasional dessert. I AM learning which foods are a better value carbohydrate-wise and complex carbs tend to be found in healthier foods. I am NOT obsessively counting calories, just simply learning to make wiser choices for my body.<br />
The changes nutritionally involve learning about, and trying to eat following this chart<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgol45FPix30XyTrcPEdBbAG6D-Ezj5cobA77hr-0UEpRNCa6BrWQmUTBcnbI3hAmIm5uG20mV0GrfdPxt9AuTmo6T7B17LK1qJtvOBigMSBeVFVbo6sSkpmK3113lu6ZeMFJzZcPee2jQ/s1600/LowgiDiet-300x300_lowgidiet.net.au.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgol45FPix30XyTrcPEdBbAG6D-Ezj5cobA77hr-0UEpRNCa6BrWQmUTBcnbI3hAmIm5uG20mV0GrfdPxt9AuTmo6T7B17LK1qJtvOBigMSBeVFVbo6sSkpmK3113lu6ZeMFJzZcPee2jQ/s1600/LowgiDiet-300x300_lowgidiet.net.au.gif" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Glycemic Index Food Pyramid www.lowgidiet.net.au</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
And<br />
<ul>
<li>cutting down on white foods - white rice, white flour, white potatoes, sugar. Notice I didn't say cutting them out - but cutting them down!</li>
<li>Using less of those yummy, calorie dense dairy foods - butter, sour cream, cheese - and using them more wisely </li>
<li>Eating more fresh fruits and vegetables</li>
<li>Balancing complex carbs with proteins </li>
<li>Using less oil - and when I do, using olive oil or cooking spray</li>
<li>Using Stevia rather than sugar substitutes (which are full of dangerous chemicals!)</li>
<li>Finding ways to add more legumes to recipes </li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Here's a sample, taken directly from my food journal: </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYX-FzoGRnyp7bM6ngJJLXOtawseJ6dmKV8o9sgN4froRRBWSJxvmIppmR-24HBZO2FNYyX4invfRU9uSNH55CSmFQmMwNWFW0SC4OtpcdBik6e-msTO6gXYD3I9PHKiPwFYMY33ezt9w/s1600/Presentation1.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYX-FzoGRnyp7bM6ngJJLXOtawseJ6dmKV8o9sgN4froRRBWSJxvmIppmR-24HBZO2FNYyX4invfRU9uSNH55CSmFQmMwNWFW0SC4OtpcdBik6e-msTO6gXYD3I9PHKiPwFYMY33ezt9w/s400/Presentation1.png" width="400" /> </a></div>
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I'll be adding more sample menus, recipes, tips, etc in future posts so I hope that you'll follow along. If you'd like to have the sample menu as a pdf file, let me know! </div>
<ul>
</ul>Cynthia Hannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11845962123736881958noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2874409609086770775.post-77806108380911264042012-07-27T17:22:00.000-07:002012-07-27T17:22:25.338-07:00My Wake Up CallYup, I've been a baaaaad blogger! I deserted my page, and you, and I offer my apologies. I've just had a wake up call that's grabbed all of my focus and energy. With fibromyalgia (and I imagine, with any chronic illness) those things are in short supply to begin with.<br />
<br />
I have medical coverage for the first time in over three years - hooray! Which translates into doctor visits, of course. Those visits have been informative, with my learning that I've gained more weight than I want to accept. I knew that I'd gained weight, but the reality left me with my mouth wide open in shock. Oh, and I discovered that I have high cholesterol and am pre-diabetic. Definitely a wake up call. A very loud wake up call!<br />
<br />
Of course, dealing with western medicine, the first option given me was to take medications. I have a resistance to that; I don't like taking them. Chemicals! I'm already surrounded by chemicals and toxins in my everyday environment; in the personal care, household items and foods that are fraudulently claimed to be safe. And if, with my limited resources, I have struggled to lessen those things as much as possible - why would I want to swallow half a dozen or a dozen different medications when every single one of them would have side effects that would create new problems?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQEqJuZlJTQFz6zStBTMPTCnOZJYtLLXXCCupdNmcd77WDWQBPokvgvvc9DDQln7iYOGlRnQjc8iC5G-QiQkzsKwqU9Wq9LdQma2xb6qbRSatw7J6A_HlveN9qxblMH_N8EbdBI0IVk_U/s1600/A033_C270_0702M8_4K169.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQEqJuZlJTQFz6zStBTMPTCnOZJYtLLXXCCupdNmcd77WDWQBPokvgvvc9DDQln7iYOGlRnQjc8iC5G-QiQkzsKwqU9Wq9LdQma2xb6qbRSatw7J6A_HlveN9qxblMH_N8EbdBI0IVk_U/s320/A033_C270_0702M8_4K169.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I have agreed to take one medication - Lyrica. It's not a pain pill. It does nothing directly for my fibro related pain; for pain caused by disintegrating discs, by my congenital foot deformity or arthritis. But, it does help with the burning sensation of neuralgia; it does help with sleep (sleep disturbances can be a major thing with fibro, increasing pain levels and incidences of fibro fog) and even seems to help with my moods.<br />
<br />
For my high cholesterol and pre-diabetes, my Doctor has agreed to let me address them via aggressive diet and lifestyle changes. I'd already started making some of those changes on my own, so I now have further incentives, lol.<br />
<br />
Those changes include eating (something healthy, of course!) every three hours and this is, for someone prone to skipping meals, a huge challenge. For someone who spent the first forty years of her life dieting, it just feels wrong to be eating so often! <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7OHUj1fHk5iwHDmaX2KCfKyNsWgk_J1N55dVN0KfOJSH7bZ7xP_DlbNQxQdjOdFPWNVfamJlblsqI86BHtm1CLe-V4mN59c8H_mLKHIPNw8c5iwmerW5POg9y1DMz9-XkR6zzL86jUPc/s1600/03042211-15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7OHUj1fHk5iwHDmaX2KCfKyNsWgk_J1N55dVN0KfOJSH7bZ7xP_DlbNQxQdjOdFPWNVfamJlblsqI86BHtm1CLe-V4mN59c8H_mLKHIPNw8c5iwmerW5POg9y1DMz9-XkR6zzL86jUPc/s320/03042211-15.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An example of a meal that I won't be eating, lol!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I've started out by cutting sugar consumption by more than half. Avoiding things like white rice/flour/potatoes and foods high on the glycemic index. Incorporating more fresh fruits, veggies, fish and legumes. All of which are proving to be a challenge for someone on a food stamp budget. Not impossible, but the learning curve is pretty strong. Keeping a food diary is helping.<br />
<br />
And then there's the physical part! How does someone with chronic pain AND multiple non-visible physical disabilities move their body; exercise; without being overwhelmed and felled by pain? No stair climbing, jogging, aerobics, weights. No long walks, no jumping jacks, no weights. No kayaking, softball or volleyball. There's not a whole lot left, but I'm working on it! Oh, and I'll toss in a complete lack of funds here too - for those of you
wanting to share that yoga, etc. would be perfect. But hey, if you want
to donate funds for a class or DVD, we can talk!<br />
<br />
A lot of changes; a lot of learning new ways to be in my body and changing how I treat my body. <br />
<br />
I'll be writing some posts about those changes. What I'm doing and how - both with my diet, shopping habits and with my body. I'll even toss in some great recipes as I discover them. And I have! Good food still exists! <br />
<br />
I'll leave you with this recipe that I discovered in an old magazine for diabetics. I made it for a picnic recently and it was a hit with everybody - and not one person knew it was low in fat/calories! I'm just going to have to make sure that I share each one that I make, because it would be too tempting to eat the entire thing myself. It's that good!<br />
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<br />
Luscious Lemon Cheesecake<br />
Ingredients:<br />
1 graham cracker, crushed, divided<br />
2/3 C boiling water<br />
1 small pkg Sugar free lemon jello<br />
1 C 2% cottage cheese<br />
8 oz fat free cream cheese<br />
2 C thawed sugar free whipped cream<br />
Spray non stick cooking spray lightly into an 8 or 9 inch pie plate. Sprinkle 1/2 of the crumbs onto the sides of the pie plate.<br />
Stir the boiling water into jello in a large bowl until completely dissolved. Pour into a blender container. Add cheeses, cover and blend on medium speed until smooth.<br />
Pour into a large bowl and gently stir in whipped cream. Pour into your prepared pan, smoothing the top. Sprinkle the remaining crumbs around the outside edge.<br />
Refrigerate about 4 hours or until set.<br />
Makes 8 servings and leftovers should be stored in the refrigerator.<br />
Per serving: 100 calories, 2g total fat, 10mg cholesterol, 11g carbs, 5g sugar<br />
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<br />Cynthia Hannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11845962123736881958noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2874409609086770775.post-13421199658103033992012-06-09T19:55:00.001-07:002012-06-09T19:55:51.096-07:00Mason Jar Madness<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">I admit it!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I suffer from Mason jar madness - and I’m
hoping it’s contagious!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfu6peabYUk_ibs37L1158U6EK4sUWL6mXbgy9MZEcUHdCyHHw9I6F4aTfeGKXiu44p89fHzIuLEXHJDI4kI4YOJIQzMoOshuAmk_BO_7_VEQ8-emApmIQQp5MQdNlmoS1tZ96qh8UJMk/s1600/Ball_MasonJars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfu6peabYUk_ibs37L1158U6EK4sUWL6mXbgy9MZEcUHdCyHHw9I6F4aTfeGKXiu44p89fHzIuLEXHJDI4kI4YOJIQzMoOshuAmk_BO_7_VEQ8-emApmIQQp5MQdNlmoS1tZ96qh8UJMk/s400/Ball_MasonJars.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">I use a lot of mason jars,
even though I don’t do as much home canning as I have previously.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And when I was preparing to downsize from a
home with three bedrooms, family room and garage to a small two bedroom
apartment across state last year, I sold, donated and gifted things (including a lot of my - horrors! - craft and sewing supplies) for a solid
two months. But I kept my mason jars!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">In kitchen cabinets, I use
them as storage containers for legumes, small pastas, grains and home dehydrated foods.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I use them to store small
amounts of leftovers in the refrigerator. I use them for homemade ‘convenience’
mixes and recipes in a jar and I use them as containers for homemade snack
mixes and to grow sprouts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">In other areas of the house,
they might be used to store cotton balls and makeup sponges (not that I wear makeup very often these days!) or bath salts; to
keep bandaids and antibiotic ointment together; and to store paint brushes, craft supplies and
markers on my art table.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig4x00Xow6djqXpD4jQR2hrdwHozy3AULKzb1ftasXZAdHzVg3r-z1M5iG-S_ex9b9A02P3yH7GEs32gWb2qZWDXCwThFJLXjRfaA9BPYINEYDU0p62wt3kXf3NiXbKOVBhaxvApZoNCg/s1600/mason+jars-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig4x00Xow6djqXpD4jQR2hrdwHozy3AULKzb1ftasXZAdHzVg3r-z1M5iG-S_ex9b9A02P3yH7GEs32gWb2qZWDXCwThFJLXjRfaA9BPYINEYDU0p62wt3kXf3NiXbKOVBhaxvApZoNCg/s320/mason+jars-1.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Photo courtesy of Amy at </span><a href="http://www.fourcornersdesign.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Four Corners Design</span></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">They’re easy, convenient,
inexpensive – and can be left plain, decorated or painted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do I have you convinced yet?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Time to start collecting and developing your own case of mason jar madness!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Check garage sales,
Craigslist and Freecycle for inexpensive, or even free, mason jars. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Back to recipes in a jar!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They’re a great way to make your own
convenience foods, both allowing you to cut food costs AND to have some control
over the ingredients that are used.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If
you use organics, which I prefer, buying staples in bulk and making your own mixes is a great
way to make organics more affordable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Front left to right: Chicken-Rice soup; Italian cheese seasoning; Skillet lasagna; Taco seasoning; Parsley-Parmesan spaghetti</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">They also make wonderful and
inexpensive gifts for family and friends, topped with a circle of fabric and a
tag with cooking instructions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I give them as
gifts, I usually put a set of 3 or 4 in a basket; usually a main course, a
bread and a dessert or two – and they’re always a hit!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">I’ll be posting recipe in a jar mixes once in a while, so keep your eyes open!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the meantime, check out this link to an awesome, <a href="http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/general-homesteading-forums/survival-emergency-preparedness/vault/211821-recipes-jar.html">alphabetized list of recipes</a> . And, if you know of any other awesome sites or posts dealing with mason jars, leave a link!</span></span><br />
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<br /></div>Cynthia Hannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11845962123736881958noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2874409609086770775.post-23591164651504531242012-05-30T19:36:00.000-07:002012-06-01T07:27:30.029-07:00Growing Houseplants from Food<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It’s relatively easy to grow
houseplants from food using the seeds, pits and parts of fruits and vegetables that you would
normally throw away. It takes more time
and patience than buying a plant at the store, but I think it's a good trade off. I'm taking my Grandma's favorite saying to heart - 'Use it up, wear it out, make it </span><strike>do</strike> new<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">, do without'. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If you have kids (whether or not you’re
homeschooling) you can make this a family project and use it to teach them the
concept of life cycles, simple plant biology and much more. A quick search online will yield multiple
ideas and helpful materials. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I’d really recommend also planting some seeds that are quick
to grow so that the kids (and you) won’t get bored while waiting the month or so it can take
the seeds I’ve listed below. While they’re
not houseplants, lettuce seeds sprout within days, as do lentils and mung beans
(which I’ll discuss at the end of this post).
The bonus with these is that they take up little space and can go from
pot to plate, which will provide valuable lessons in where our food comes
from. That extra nutrition won’t hurt
you or your wallet either!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>Avocado</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi8_cvGlyjqF__dncpb8txDN-4Hmu4xVgOxF2VgvxwTZTFv2x9XU08LuTIMvp3UKC5cNTFkfqDbCZAlnUOJdvhLoqH0HiSyLkOgoa9CAzSPkMEgvmD5rb1haTKTXw_XMFbhvIehj0O_r0/s1600/Avocado_Growing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi8_cvGlyjqF__dncpb8txDN-4Hmu4xVgOxF2VgvxwTZTFv2x9XU08LuTIMvp3UKC5cNTFkfqDbCZAlnUOJdvhLoqH0HiSyLkOgoa9CAzSPkMEgvmD5rb1haTKTXw_XMFbhvIehj0O_r0/s1600/Avocado_Growing.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When you’re finished making
and enjoying that luscious guacamole, don’t toss the avocado pit! Rinse the pit to get rid of any pulp and grab
a small glass or small mason jar and 2 or 3 toothpicks. Insert the toothpicks, at an angle, into the
sides of the pit. You’ll want the flat
part facing down. The toothpicks will
help to hold the top half of the pit out of the water. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Fill the glass or jar with
enough water to cover the bottom half of the pit. This should be put in a dark place (cabinet,
garage, etc) for 2-4 weeks and the water should be checked regularly. I usually
change the water every couple of days and never let the water level fall below
the pit. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The pit will split in half
as it begins to root. This will be
followed by a small shoot. Once the shoot
is about an inch and a half long, you can place it in a pot of soil. Keep the shoot just above the soil and,
because you want to help acclimate it to the outdoors, you’ll need to cover it
for the first few days to protect it from direct sun.</span> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>Sweet potato</b> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMakcXVSPZIcgeV2hkZ_iLzQg1KmQOFNd-efF82ixszmjteiq4qnFehzhjy2_djY_bc7CtiCEqGFlmbkKDaM0JW2ke_jwJ4_mm-btcfGnvTkNcLFj6Vmleq_P6V7ygUK1GS3aRAnqb4fg/s1600/sweet-potato-vine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMakcXVSPZIcgeV2hkZ_iLzQg1KmQOFNd-efF82ixszmjteiq4qnFehzhjy2_djY_bc7CtiCEqGFlmbkKDaM0JW2ke_jwJ4_mm-btcfGnvTkNcLFj6Vmleq_P6V7ygUK1GS3aRAnqb4fg/s320/sweet-potato-vine.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Sweet potato vines make beautiful, leafy houseplants. Simply cut off a few inches from the pointed end of the potato and plant it, cut side down, in a pot of soil. Keep it watered and you'll have a vine within a few weeks. You can also start it the same way as you would an avocado - placing the potato end in water. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #660000;"><u>A word of caution:</u></span> These vines are poisonous once they've sprouted, so please keep them out of reach of children. The containers can always be moved into reaching distance for watering and then put back out of reach.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Pineapple</b></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieHfquNLgAXz3gBLPjmFuK_pIvzsmA_338i5rAIhU2_mE5nTlW31NTobIBeQtIAfmQ4mrhyphenhyphentZ8K-TWc6SwQ0fElCmY9dQEGB9PwLdj6qptulz37Xyc8bk6_DTCYGXEUtjDNFbXYbOqvGM/s1600/pineapple.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieHfquNLgAXz3gBLPjmFuK_pIvzsmA_338i5rAIhU2_mE5nTlW31NTobIBeQtIAfmQ4mrhyphenhyphentZ8K-TWc6SwQ0fElCmY9dQEGB9PwLdj6qptulz37Xyc8bk6_DTCYGXEUtjDNFbXYbOqvGM/s320/pineapple.JPG" width="212" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Pineapples are a type of
bromeliad and can make wonderful houseplants (don’t expect to grow fruit
though!) and are fairly easy to start.
Use fresh pineapple to make a smoothie or to broil on the barbeque, but
don’t toss the pineapple top! </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When
cutting, keep about an inch of the fruit (attached to the leaves) and let this
dry for a few days. You’ll need to bury the fruit portion in potting soil and
then water. Water often because the soil
needs to stay wet. Rooting will take
about two weeks. You may not be
successful at first, but a way to check is to see if the central leaf is
growing. If it is, then roots are
taking. If not, you’ll have to toss it
and try again.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Keep the plant in a sunny
window and it should do well!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>Mango </b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf8aaFwxxxwiXiM574vQZn83gPuryx2kbFo3P9ZBENimlUFxq8JEUCx07_5YOJX2R_IBwptE7Dx-b1-O5fF1wPD8kVE4jsNACsdEJ_7FPcefYQdbkAg6uqoWmhm3UHcBAlyxC6mhOFKDo/s1600/mango.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf8aaFwxxxwiXiM574vQZn83gPuryx2kbFo3P9ZBENimlUFxq8JEUCx07_5YOJX2R_IBwptE7Dx-b1-O5fF1wPD8kVE4jsNACsdEJ_7FPcefYQdbkAg6uqoWmhm3UHcBAlyxC6mhOFKDo/s1600/mango.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">There are two different methods of rooting mango pits, both of which I’m in the process of trying (sorry, no pictures yet!).</span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The first method involves planting the pit, including the fibers it will be covered with, in potting soil and then watering.Easy, peasy.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The second method requires removing the husk (with fibers).Be sure not to cut or damage the seeds inside.The seeds will be shaped a bit like a lima bean.Lightly push the seed into a container of potting soil.It can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks to sprout.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Mung
beans and lentils</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Sprouted mung beans are
most often used in stirfrys and other oriental dishes. Sprouted lentils are more often used in
salads and sandwiches. Both contain a
lot of nutrition and add a bit of crunch to foods. The following links will take you to information and simple instructions for </span><a href="http://www.ehow.com/how_4430698_sprout-mung-beans.html"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">mung beans</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> and </span><a href="http://www.ehow.com/how_4430691_sprout-lentils.html"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">lentils</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Shared for Catch As Catch Can at </span><a href="http://www.myrepurposedlife.net/" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My Repurposed Life</a></span></div>
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<br /></div>Cynthia Hannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11845962123736881958noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2874409609086770775.post-88753003682925005522012-05-19T10:14:00.001-07:002012-05-26T09:08:12.562-07:00Inspiration in Your Inbox<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Below are six websites that
offer inspirational and/or self-empowerment messages that are sent directly to
your email address.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">I love getting these
messages because they help to center me, to remind me that the world is wider
than my own doorstep and that I am not alone in my challenges and
struggles. They lift me up and gift me
with positives to bolster my heart, reframe my day and re-create my
thoughts. They are a way to nurture
myself, to exercise my mind, to open my heart and to feed my soul. Inspiration sent directly to me, in the privacy of
my inbox. What could be simpler?</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgetBed75Y1VwatwPxKRJ1Ka95seDnBPIettcqdXovakFiSn6xKp6Vip1dlaEPI8RsYRix6aoVR0B_PblUn4jPHbRbfU0f_7mRoTFWH-jdsMMWKwIdZD3dHu3fzE30dgzxC_BGEQd4epHM/s1600/ThoughtsBecome.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgetBed75Y1VwatwPxKRJ1Ka95seDnBPIettcqdXovakFiSn6xKp6Vip1dlaEPI8RsYRix6aoVR0B_PblUn4jPHbRbfU0f_7mRoTFWH-jdsMMWKwIdZD3dHu3fzE30dgzxC_BGEQd4epHM/s400/ThoughtsBecome.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Life can be so very hectic and busy.Our commitments and connections, no matter how well appreciated and loved, can leave little time for ourselves. But we ARE worth the time.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Whether you’ve spent the
morning trying to keep up with a couple of toddlers, are winding down after a
day at the office, are weary after caring for an elderly parent, are living
another day with chronic pain or health issues, or are simply feeling tired and
discouraged, receiving positive messages in your inbox can provide a breath of
encouragement and a spark of joy. And we
can all benefit from that.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Check them out. Visit the links. See if one or more calls to you or feels
right for you. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://bravegirlsclub.com/">The Brave Girls Club</a> - click on 'Daily Emails' near the top of the page. Messages are sent most days, Monday through Friday. </span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">A Little Birdie Told Me, for adult Brave Girls. You can find a sample message <a href="http://www.bravegirlsclub.com/dailytruths/apr2712.htm">here</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><span class="ecxheading-1"><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">A Little Butterfly
Told Me, especially for all of the young Brave Girls of the world. Just for girls and teens, messages include fun printables. Read a sample message <span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.bravegirlsclub.com/littlebutterfly/apr3012.htm">here</a></span></span></span></span></span></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.tut.com/Inspiration/nftu">Notes From the Universe</a> - Little reminders of your power, life's magic and how much you're loved, the Notes are brief passages written by "The Universe" and personalized for you.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://notsalmon.com/">Self Help for People Who Wouldn't Be Caught Dead Doing Self Help</a> - from author and artist Karen Salmansohn. She offers easy to absorb insights using playful analogies, humor and some wonderful graphics, and has free printables as well. Look on the right hand side of the page to sign up! A recent sample can be found <a href="http://notsalmon.com/tag/a-tail-of-happiness/">here</a></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.dailyom.com/cgi-bin/userinfo/settings.cgi?subscribe=1&from=homepage">The Daily Om</a> - Sent each weekday, these are inspirational thoughts to lighten your day and nurture your body, mind and spirity. You can also sign up for a daily music email.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://thinkitbeitseeit.com/the-divine-whisper">The Divine Whisper</a> - Written by Rev. Anne Presuel, these messages help you to stop, breathe and to really know that you are Divinely loved, guided, protected and provided for. They are sent every other day. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibaWy3XYpqPR8NFGbrF38Wjqvk8S0huj9oC5S5GegYmQe5EW4dKPn-zVIDGATND5YduQ7hA2qJxIt44wkiMqCuqH-5EhyZmDvh5oZOWK-4-5WXruePAPyL5VpwmQIUwjZSHQSgrf3Nzis/s1600/scan0006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibaWy3XYpqPR8NFGbrF38Wjqvk8S0huj9oC5S5GegYmQe5EW4dKPn-zVIDGATND5YduQ7hA2qJxIt44wkiMqCuqH-5EhyZmDvh5oZOWK-4-5WXruePAPyL5VpwmQIUwjZSHQSgrf3Nzis/s400/scan0006.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">If you know of other websites that offer positive, uplifting messages via email, feel free to share the links and a little bit of information about them in the comment section.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Shared on Check Me Out Saturday at <a href="http://www.iamonly1woman.blogspot.com/">I Am Only One Woman</a> </span>Cynthia Hannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11845962123736881958noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2874409609086770775.post-50721278336778981052012-05-13T06:33:00.000-07:002012-05-31T09:32:53.026-07:00Frugal Decor - Getting Creative With Windows and Frames<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I love repurposing things, and have found that vintage frames and windows are the perfect foundation for some unique decor. The four projects that I'm sharing here have been my favorites!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Whether, like me, you’re living with a
drastically altered (and lowered) income or you simply enjoy saving money in
creative ways, these are just a few ideas for using vintage and garage sale finds to decorate and enhance your home space
without spending a lot of money or time.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>~Salvage</b> an old
window with a wooden frame. Hang on your
wall as is, or sand and repaint to match your décor. If it doesn’t have glass, place small nails
on the back above the window openings and hang small items (hearts, ornaments,
miniature wreaths, etc.) for display. </span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGiwCe3EoEqH8cMoIoLQ8XSeB-JmX55WX896ZbDdYahQCPciVnTjqgvjNlHvYO7In3RUrCBde1Vu7TwCzPkQTuSW94m53FPZMM2Iup5hlWROHIhEvDlFa0_fvVaIiFbzI4yqUmkBkFuuA/s1600/Martas_window.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGiwCe3EoEqH8cMoIoLQ8XSeB-JmX55WX896ZbDdYahQCPciVnTjqgvjNlHvYO7In3RUrCBde1Vu7TwCzPkQTuSW94m53FPZMM2Iup5hlWROHIhEvDlFa0_fvVaIiFbzI4yqUmkBkFuuA/s320/Martas_window.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Found in an antique store on the Oregon coast, and painted with acrylics, this window hangs in my daughter's diningroom</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"> ~ <b>Use</b> a
frame to make an earring holder. Cut a
piece of netting or lace slightly larger than the inside of the frame. Tack or staple the fabric to the back of the
frame. I used a vintage frame
found in my grandparent’s garage. This
has been in storage since my move a year ago, so it’s looking a little bit
neglected! </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIYAwrf79eAxG-wVqXwWXE5OHP7ln4JqbsbkXx35Jp9mt1A7FrFX9Noo_gdqIjUFbJOosvmONZ72yBLF7-i9Zvch_LOiLJqayFf6ZgQqLu5c613WXCAXg1Prkew7ZY7m-R9uv9P2CrCmM/s1600/EarringHolder.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIYAwrf79eAxG-wVqXwWXE5OHP7ln4JqbsbkXx35Jp9mt1A7FrFX9Noo_gdqIjUFbJOosvmONZ72yBLF7-i9Zvch_LOiLJqayFf6ZgQqLu5c613WXCAXg1Prkew7ZY7m-R9uv9P2CrCmM/s320/EarringHolder.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #ff6600;"></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #ff6600;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: black;">~ <b>Convert</b> a frame into a bulletin board. Cut corkboard or a piece of foam core board to fit the opening. Cut the fabric of your choice (medium weight fabrics work best) the size of the cork board, plus two inches larger on all four sides. Center the fabric, right side up, over the board then flip the board over. Adhere the two inches of excess fabric to the back of the foam core board, pulling to tighten as needed, A hot glue gun works great for this. Attach the fabric covered board to the back of the frame with flat tacks, strong glue or nails. </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #ff6600;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmnCaLD9dKnj4-Tzfji2xj34_XabT1JGL3BYCW2N_TIVdgIo6IVheAz0qqtvxDH0TgaTg6n6dnLFs5UO_LY4b5Wj-EIMvO5RL_K7oq5cHYzY1nGQNE9jYz-75G-FFxG746cD6XUCLSics/s1600/BulletinBoard5+004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmnCaLD9dKnj4-Tzfji2xj34_XabT1JGL3BYCW2N_TIVdgIo6IVheAz0qqtvxDH0TgaTg6n6dnLFs5UO_LY4b5Wj-EIMvO5RL_K7oq5cHYzY1nGQNE9jYz-75G-FFxG746cD6XUCLSics/s320/BulletinBoard5+004.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #ff6600;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: black;">The one that I made for my office (above) used a vintage white frame salvaged from my Grandparent’s storage and a scrap from a colorful hand-embroidered wall hanging from India (I first posted this project on my <a href="http://creativeartitudes.blogspot.com/2012/03/antiqueethnic-inspiration-board.html">Creative Artitudes</a> blog </span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: black;">several months ago)</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">~ Experiment with altered
art and create something unique! I
bought this frame on the Oregon Coast too – for another $10.00. I decoupaged the frame with heavy tissue
paper, added the letters to the top and embellishments to the left side and
bottom. I created five separate
collages, using some 2 and 3D embellishments.
I then mounted each one to a square of heavy, clear plastic and
centered each behind its own pane of glass.
Four of the panes were decorated with embellishments on the front; one
with glass paint and crystals as well. I'll be able to add additional panels later, or remove and replace already existing ones. <span style="color: #c00000;"> </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCkEuClVPZtzsrf6Gndvelu3OCw850kAq_S9KK0IfguYiHn8xCbvk_u17KVQkycS6ak7ovOstqCNpQCaUkq9H9h1kvNM3kRrOqEOmsvgQw2Y9jSIVT4UchQFGpj3D99fVFAnz98Tqyv1E/s1600/Inspiration_Window.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCkEuClVPZtzsrf6Gndvelu3OCw850kAq_S9KK0IfguYiHn8xCbvk_u17KVQkycS6ak7ovOstqCNpQCaUkq9H9h1kvNM3kRrOqEOmsvgQw2Y9jSIVT4UchQFGpj3D99fVFAnz98Tqyv1E/s320/Inspiration_Window.jpg" width="240" /></a><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">My Inspiration Window - the final project for my ARTbundance coaching certification class </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">I hope you find some inspiration of your own in this post!</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">This post is part of </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Get Your Craft On Tuesday at <a href="http://todayscreativeblog.net/make-something-creative/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+todayscreativeblog+%28Todays+Creative+Blog%29">Today's Creative Blog</a></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Share Wednesdays at <a href="http://thetrendytreehouse.blogspot.com/search/label/Share%20Wednesdays">the Trendy Treehouse</a> </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Whatever You Want Wednesday at <a href="http://www.freeprettythingsforyou.com/">Free Pretty Things For You</a> </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Rustic, Recycled & Shabby Chic Ongoing Link Up at <a href="http://rustic-crafts.com/">Rustic Crafts & Chic Decor</a></span></div>
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Shared for Show and Tell Saturday at <a href="http://www.bedifferentactnormal.com/2012/05/show-and-tell-saturday-052612.html">Be Different Act Normal</a></div>
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Shared on Show Off Your Stuff Party at <a href="http://www.firefliesandjellybeans.com/search/label/Show%20Off%20Your%20Stuff%20Party">Fireflies and Jellybeans</a> </div>
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</span><o:p></o:p></div>Cynthia Hannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11845962123736881958noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2874409609086770775.post-68463637082691474062012-05-10T17:43:00.000-07:002012-05-10T18:35:33.773-07:00Making the Best of LessCan you make the best of less? Absolutely! It just takes some imagination and a willingness to see things just a bit differently.
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A year ago, a month in advance of the time when I knew that my income would plummet to nothing, my adult kids, grandson and I all packed up and moved across state to an area where rents and utilities were much lower. An acquaintance of mine called me an 'economic refugee', lol.
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From a three bedroom house with family room, garage and a large backyard, my son and I moved to a two bedroom apartment with four closets and a very small patio. My daughter and grandson moved into their own apartment, which I'm so happy to say, is directly below mine. I love it! I still get to see both of them every day!
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Yes, I had to pare things down – a LOT. The month before we moved was full of giveaways, selling things on Craigslist and weekly donation pickups by Vietnam Veterans of America. It was a lesson in learning to let go.
One of the things that I kept is this dining room table and it now graces my new apartment.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOsvzx1AVHy-_yO1lLAKpTMiQ-NQRJYJWy61zAuxeK_Tf53ak6V7i_X6uTHQSH8KQiXqr9fJ613WiZ5BPGujNNJytADQ-L6mdRdXqnXFTsc6pEjA4vcaq61r6lwfw97xUfH5kRv3ArlTg/s1600/Anthony1+006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOsvzx1AVHy-_yO1lLAKpTMiQ-NQRJYJWy61zAuxeK_Tf53ak6V7i_X6uTHQSH8KQiXqr9fJ613WiZ5BPGujNNJytADQ-L6mdRdXqnXFTsc6pEjA4vcaq61r6lwfw97xUfH5kRv3ArlTg/s400/Anthony1+006.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
I can just hear the gasps! I can hear some of you thinking “Oh my! It’s SO ugly” or “How can she have that in her place?!” And, I’d have to agree with you on the ugly part, lol. <br />
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When I was first given the table years ago, it was already battered. I refinished and painted it and used it for a few years when my kids were young, and I loved it! Then it went into storage. The table top has numerous deep scratches acquired during one of my earlier moves, but I still kept it.
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I gave my daughter my newer dining set and kept this one. Why? I can’t afford to refinish it right now. But, it’s strong, solid wood! It has two leaves that can be added when I have company – or when I need space for a project (especially cutting patterns out for sewing!) and then reduced again to a size that makes sense in my apartment. It’s already battered, so if I decide to create something or do some collage or art journaling and a bit of something attaches to its surface…well, it won’t be a tragedy or cause a flicker of irritation.
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If you can see the decorative marker or little splatters of paint on its surface, those creative additions were supplied by my grandson (okay, and maybe a bit by me too!) who loves to visit and ‘make art’. He can paint, color and create to his heart’s content and not worry about making his Ahmmie upset!
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And all it takes to transform my table is a tablecloth (and hoping no one peeks underneath)! If you hear of an ‘ugliest table’ contest though, let me know! And if you have a décor or furniture disaster that you’re keeping around, please do share.Cynthia Hannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11845962123736881958noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2874409609086770775.post-23081046432621800782012-05-03T14:39:00.000-07:002012-05-31T10:15:49.602-07:00Celebrate With a Salsa Garden!<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">It’s Cinco de Mayo tomorrow, and while my
blended and extended family will be celebrating with a gathering and plenty of
delicious, homemade Mexican food, I thought I’d post about plants (and a
recipe!) instead of the typical celebratory things. Not just any plants, but the garden bounty
that’s used in salsa!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid2xlokBle5Cw0L8Q0mMxwx4yFvpxWZZhLa8_YvTh4uBI01-jbQNQiozQpd6Etzjhi8W0U15SsuKi7fzAyCV8xdNkMjM3B1A4jed6XemMGLEBrRPRL-4f0Sr_PxdeP7hspmrQDQq4a6jQ/s1600/SalsaGarden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid2xlokBle5Cw0L8Q0mMxwx4yFvpxWZZhLa8_YvTh4uBI01-jbQNQiozQpd6Etzjhi8W0U15SsuKi7fzAyCV8xdNkMjM3B1A4jed6XemMGLEBrRPRL-4f0Sr_PxdeP7hspmrQDQq4a6jQ/s320/SalsaGarden.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">A salsa garden is perfect for small spaces
and for container gardening too. Tomato,
peppers, and cilantro are typical salsa ingredients and all do well in
containers and small, sunny spaces. Making
salsa at home isn’t difficult either. It’s
inexpensive and using home grown, chemical free produce adds the bonuses of extra taste AND helping to keep
your body free of toxins. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">If gardening in containers, you’ll need a
larger container for the tomato plants, but peppers and cilantro can both be
grown in smaller containers. ’m using
a 20“ container for tomatoes and chives and, for peppers and herbs, large coffee
cans with holes punched into the bottom for drainage. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">A few years ago, I recycled two large, round plastic
tubs that had stored toys and used them for planting tomatoes and herbs. I simply drilled holes in the bottom for
drainage and put empty aluminum cans (turned upside down) in the bottom to
lessen the weight from the soil and to economize on the amount of soil I needed
to buy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">If money is an issue, then growing plants
from seed is definitely a frugal move.
It’s late in the season for starting seeds indoors, but you can also do
the planting outdoors at the beginning of the growing season. To find
out when that is for your area, check <a href="http://www.victoryseeds.com/frost/">here</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhve3ft1CDG7NWs_rf8QbEBpgz-I50_IcgDdkimrtrqjgu23m9oaeh5PYFOyIfPULgKXtMMYnzTh-Hd4ez_QhyJBM9aHddeDl3pScBnMGH4JlF0AGGBBLfpzfQgTItmtk9bg3btcsfxfao/s1600/SalsaGarden_peppers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhve3ft1CDG7NWs_rf8QbEBpgz-I50_IcgDdkimrtrqjgu23m9oaeh5PYFOyIfPULgKXtMMYnzTh-Hd4ez_QhyJBM9aHddeDl3pScBnMGH4JlF0AGGBBLfpzfQgTItmtk9bg3btcsfxfao/s320/SalsaGarden_peppers.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">For healthy tomato plants, it’s important to
water regularly, without over watering. Tomatoes don’t like waterlogged roots
but, when growing in containers, it’s also important not to let the soil dry
out beyond the first inch at the top.
Mulching will help with that, as well as discourage some garden pests. I use dry grass cuttings or leaves, along
with dried coffee grounds, making sure that the mulch doesn’t touch the plant
stems.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">You can save money on fertilizers as well,
and keep your plants chemical free. Crushed
eggshells added to the soil or placed on top of the soil around your plants
will give them much needed calcium, while coffee grounds will provide
nitrogen. I use this combination most
often for tomato and pepper plants. Used
coffee grounds can also be used as a mulch, or diluted in water as a gentle
fertilizer.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">If you're not a coffee drinker, or have a larger garden, try stopping by the local Starbucks or other coffee shop and ask if they will let you have used coffee grounds. Starbucks will let you have the grounds for free and local shops may do the same. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">I love to garden, but finances necessitated a
move from a house to an apartment a year ago.
Although my patio is really small, I’ve been determined to have a
container garden of some kind. I’ve
gotten a good start this year, planting seeds indoors for tomatoes, chives,
three different types of lettuce, parsley, basil and one type of squash. The last frost date here is in mid-May and we
have a short growing season in the high desert of Eastern Oregon, so an early
start indoors is a must!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">I was hoping to include some photos of my
patio, but we’re having a huge thunder, lightning and hail storm today so I haven't put the plants outdoors. I do have a simple salsa recipe for you though!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj_lsZa_WWKiVoVvjU0cVGqbXRZNB2BqDqd-iWlI0b2DW6NHOWfSFd0Z9PuJ9FvZ9SBGtBHMmIW622bQx9VmhnhoyzbaL2ocoksInMd1AwLIubnpgU7QeEgk7uJM_c8WphFDh6NAQuUBs/s1600/salsaroja-300x226.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj_lsZa_WWKiVoVvjU0cVGqbXRZNB2BqDqd-iWlI0b2DW6NHOWfSFd0Z9PuJ9FvZ9SBGtBHMmIW622bQx9VmhnhoyzbaL2ocoksInMd1AwLIubnpgU7QeEgk7uJM_c8WphFDh6NAQuUBs/s1600/salsaroja-300x226.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">The recipe<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">2 lg. ripe tomatoes, cut in half<br />
4 jalapeños, seeded and minced<br />
1 medium white onion, minced<br />
2 cloves of garlic, minced <br />
18 cilantro sprigs, minced<br />
1 tsp. salt<br />
2 tsp. freshly squeezed lime juice</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Preheat a pan on a stove with 1 tbs
olive oil. Add tomato, jalapenos, onion
and garlic then roast the mixture well. Pour
the mix into a blender with a very small amount of water and mix on the lowest
setting until you have a thick, pulpy (not liquid) salsa.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Add the cilantro and salt to taste,
then the lime juice and stir by hand.
You can serve as soon as it’s cooled a bit or store in the refrigerator
until needed. An extra day or two even
improves the salsa, giving the flavors time to blend.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Tip:
I don’t like cilantro so I’ll typically leave it out and add chopped
chives for taste and color instead. You
can also control the ‘heat’ by leaving out some of the jalapeno – or adding
extra.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Enjoy!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Shared on Show Off Your Stuff Party at <a href="http://www.firefliesandjellybeans.com/search/label/Show%20Off%20Your%20Stuff%20Party">Fireflies and Jellybeans</a></div>
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<br /></div>Cynthia Hannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11845962123736881958noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2874409609086770775.post-54006386714933307732012-05-01T10:10:00.000-07:002012-05-01T10:10:47.944-07:00Come Join Me!<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Welcome to my second blog!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I’ve been blessed to both give and receive inspiration in my daily life
and in my online social networking and felt called to start The Bottomless
Heart as a way of sharing with you.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnj7BwmcjfkY-zx6xY-lC7Ury4kFPgGX8rBalpuBVbnxPJG-CnMMq8it7Ci1OksctADkmpr3tIdx4YDHnk4L_bbpGeqUjfQQ2b1gcZ_ZrtcjQlwq9AQVOwvvug9VDWG_sieBxZ92dNS1o/s1600/ARTbundance_Wk2ART_Vision.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnj7BwmcjfkY-zx6xY-lC7Ury4kFPgGX8rBalpuBVbnxPJG-CnMMq8it7Ci1OksctADkmpr3tIdx4YDHnk4L_bbpGeqUjfQQ2b1gcZ_ZrtcjQlwq9AQVOwvvug9VDWG_sieBxZ92dNS1o/s1600/ARTbundance_Wk2ART_Vision.jpg" /></a></div>
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<br /><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I am always looking for ways to enrich my life and my days
and this blog is my invitation to you journey with me as I learn how to live a
better, more abundant life in a world that is constantly challenging and
changing me!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8B2lxyGQoK148BeB7486asZIAIL_L3YSA-wZLrmATekkEgJHrBjYuEAfHTL5zBacW0qY3X3SfdK0kTnRvYDaGH49J7NYdMMaD1GEFLS0gWI93dHYZHkznnREmriSU6hyjFosDQhIKAzo/s1600/ARTbundance_Wk2ART_Attraction.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8B2lxyGQoK148BeB7486asZIAIL_L3YSA-wZLrmATekkEgJHrBjYuEAfHTL5zBacW0qY3X3SfdK0kTnRvYDaGH49J7NYdMMaD1GEFLS0gWI93dHYZHkznnREmriSU6hyjFosDQhIKAzo/s1600/ARTbundance_Wk2ART_Attraction.jpg" /></a></div>
<br /><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This is a blog encouraging quality of life, no matter the
circumstances you find yourself in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From
the practical to the more ephemeral, you’ll be able to find ideas for
stretching your dollars, feeding body and soul, nurturing yourself, finding
strength and resources to move ahead and encourage creativity of ALL
kinds.</span><br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBsXhGG6rZG63wXQhyphenhyphendRSDIdM2xs-SpxU3dGY2Oon8F3_u7ZzEE4QszrwCx3P0Nd-2Urrq3QM0p76h-KxNvoCJa2JJNCCrmTTFrgdsFDEPueD7dt9R3LeB9XtThRspM27XkqOc_gZ33_Q/s1600/ARTbundance_Wk2ART_Action+-+Copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBsXhGG6rZG63wXQhyphenhyphendRSDIdM2xs-SpxU3dGY2Oon8F3_u7ZzEE4QszrwCx3P0Nd-2Urrq3QM0p76h-KxNvoCJa2JJNCCrmTTFrgdsFDEPueD7dt9R3LeB9XtThRspM27XkqOc_gZ33_Q/s1600/ARTbundance_Wk2ART_Action+-+Copy.jpg" /></a></div>
<br /><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It is also a blog about living with crises – from financial
hardship, to emotional challenges, to chronic illness and disabilities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is about thinking ‘outside the box”; finding
ways to transform and heal our life experiences in ways that can reconnect us
with our bottomless hearts.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHibCujMAJoQVIf0vTHJZHEWEd1tc2ug2d3nJZtNrhTgh8CROjPgorCXxtIROHdPD33RayaXp6qeXwuUrlGD2peK-jjGtJk_OX3qB3-Vnb7OHMJj0BSmbKgTv2ruSNw4jF66fYKs0STf0/s1600/ARTbundance_Wk2ART_Gratitude.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHibCujMAJoQVIf0vTHJZHEWEd1tc2ug2d3nJZtNrhTgh8CROjPgorCXxtIROHdPD33RayaXp6qeXwuUrlGD2peK-jjGtJk_OX3qB3-Vnb7OHMJj0BSmbKgTv2ruSNw4jF66fYKs0STf0/s1600/ARTbundance_Wk2ART_Gratitude.jpg" /></a></div>
<br /><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The things I hope to write about will include </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Saving $</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Food & nutrition</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Feeding your soul and finding inspiration</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Creativity for both yourself and your family/children</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Finding resources in your community</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Navigating the systems that can help – or hinder - you</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Alternate incomes</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Recycling/Repurposing</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Advocacy and volunteering</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Support networks</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Roadmaps & Inspiration boards</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Reading/books</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Eventually, I hope to bring you guest posts from people who will add
even more inspiration to our lives and I'll occasionally offer free printables
on various topics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> If you have something that you'd like to see covered here, let me know and I'll see what I can do. I will always be open to your input and ideas!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It’s going to be a wonderful journey!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I hope that you’ll share it with me.</span></div>
Cynthia Hannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11845962123736881958noreply@blogger.com20