tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67270750571721771562024-02-19T00:33:22.251-06:00Little Things of TexasShannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05682234408333714885noreply@blogger.comBlogger526125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6727075057172177156.post-7935108745609497812018-10-19T10:03:00.000-05:002018-10-19T10:03:57.042-05:00Ten Breakfasts for Kids (& Adults) Instead of Cereal<br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It’s so easy to just give your kids cereal for breakfast but the convenience can be costly and is not the best thing for their health. Now, let me start by saying this is NOT a post with the most healthy options. I’m simply listing alternatives to cereal here; however, all of these can be healthy options depending upon your product choices. My inspiration for this is my family’s skewed belief that if we are out of milk or bread we “don’t have any food in the house”. (eye roll) It drives me insane. There is more to breakfast than milk and cereal! I always have food in my pantry and fridge and I assure you know one is going hungry at my house. Some of these options will be easy while others will be more time consuming. Choose what works for your day.</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Yogurt</b> — Yogurt is versatile! I always keep yogurt on hand. I avoid brands that use high fructose corn syrup and lots of additives. My favorites for the kids are Dannon or Yoplait and I buy those in the quart sizes. Dannon Vanilla is a staple in our home. For those focused on health I recommend Oikos Triple Zero in various flavors or a plain unflavored Greek Yogurt (Greek has higher protein). Simply put, a bowl of yogurt can be a lifesaver. Add fruit, oats, chia, or even a SPRINKLE of cereal and it’s a great option. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Smoothies</b> — Hmmm... back to yogurt, again. Kids love smoothies.... even the ones that say they “don’t like yogurt”. Ummmm... of course, you don’t like yogurt, except when you have no idea that’s the main ingredient in that smoothie you just sucked down. Ha! We use any flavor yogurt, frozen strawberries and blueberries, and a tablespoon or two of water when needed to thin it out. This is when a mini-blender is invaluable. I can whip this up in just a few minutes. Of course, you might want to add other fruits or even veggies but I focus on strawberries and blueberries because those are low glycemic index fruits (low sugar) and I keep those on hand at all times. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Scrambled Eggs</b> — Well, this one is pretty straightforward but honestly if you have a kid that will eat scrambled eggs this is one of those "it's so simple it's insane" options. Protein! Kids really need protein and there is very little in a cereal option. Add a slice of toast or some berries alongside and you have a great start to their day. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Omelets or “Scrambles”</b> — Omelets sounds so fancy but most of the time I am in a hurry and I add the same ingredients but I stir it around the whole time so I tend to refer to mine as "Scrambles". It's all the same and they are loaded with protein so not matter what veggies or meat you want to throw in there you are going to have a healthy option for the start of the day. I like to oil my skillet with olive oil and use a slice of lunch meat and some veggies that I saute a few moments before adding my scrambled up eggs to the skillet. Surprisingly, broccoli is amazing in eggs but I also love any squash. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Oatmeal</b> — I don't recommend those little individually packaged oatmeal packs that are full of sugars but if that is what you want to do it certainly will pass as an alternative to cold cereal. I buy whole rolled oats or Quick Oats (we use those to speed things up a bit sometimes). I also cook (this can include the microwave) my oats IN MILK which totally changes oatmeal for people that often say they don't like oatmeal. Actually, I use half water and half milk most of the time because I like to cut out milk usage as much as possible because I believe it is one of the worst things for your health. At our house we simply add some sugar to sweeten it up a bit and we are good to go. If you need a healthier option here I have found that I can have oatmeal for me in Oikos Triple Zero Vanilla yogurt and I am pretty happy with that. Adding fruit, cinnamon, etc to your oats might be something that makes you happy. Find what works for you. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Pancakes</b> — Make your favorite pancakes fresh or make ahead and freeze for a quick option. Serve with bananas and syrup for an extra yummy treat! For a healthier option I use cream cheese and an egg that I whirl in my mini-blender and cook on an oiled skillet to make low carb pancakes. I have mine with sugar free syrup.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Protein Shakes</b> — Well, this is incredibly simple! You can use a mixer cup or a mini-blender (Can you tell that mini-blender is my favorite gadget?!) Simply add your protein powder and your choice of nut milks or water and you are good to go! For added fat (and creaminess) I like to add two tablespoons (or more) of heavy whipping cream. Yes, I add fat because fat burns fat and this adds more protein, also. I recommend Jay Robb protein powder, Trim Healthy Mama protein powder, or Plexus P96 as I have found the ingredients in those three to be superior. I personally prefer the Plexus P96 (chocolate or vanilla) because the flavors is stronger and better in my opinion. *Note: You can also add fruits and veggies to your liking to protein shakes for a more complete meal. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Waffles</b> — Grab the frozen ones if that works for you. I use my Belgium Waffle Maker to make huge thick ones using Emeril's recipe. I can control my ingredients for healthier waffles. Again, topping them with bananas or other yummy stuff makes them even better. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Ham & Cheese Melts</b> — This sounds like a sandwich and you could do that if you want to but what I am talking about it simply placing sliced lunch meat ham or turkey on a plate, sprinkled with grated cheeses, and nuke in the microwave for 1 minute 30 seconds. This is super fast and super flavorful. Served along 3-5 whole strawberries it is extra yummy! </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Apples & Peanut Butter</b> — Core and slice an apple and dip some peanut butter on a plate and you are done! Eat up! For a healthier option I use Peanut Powder (peanut flour; defatted peanut butter; PB2, etc) to make my peanut butter for me. My kids think it's weird but it tastes like their peanut butter but less sweet. </span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">So, there ya go! Go eat something besides cereal!! </span></div>
Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05682234408333714885noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6727075057172177156.post-4826248977088530152016-04-20T16:14:00.001-05:002016-04-20T16:14:20.820-05:00MTHFR & PlexusA couple of years ago after my third of four miscarriages I was advised to have genetic testing. The results came back confirming that I had two copies of the MTHFR gene. What this means is that my body does not rid itself of toxins that enter into the body like a normal non-MTHFR person. Those toxins store up and lead to a higher risk of heart problems, miscarriages, allergies, asthma and the list could seriously fill a page. Just trust me when I say it's not a good thing. <br />
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If the body cannot rid itself of the toxins that "enter into it" then, the way to control MTHFR is to focus on what is "entering into the body". How do most things "enter into the body"?... By eating and taking vitamins and supplements that you may be consuming. The biggest thing to watch out for is folic acid and B12. These vitamins are mostly synthetic (man-made) and are being added into our foods. If the food label says the word "enriched" that means vitamins have been added in. That means the MTHFR person can't safely eat those items. That's a lot of items! The only safe thing to do is eliminate those things from the diet and consume only foods with natural forms of those vitamins. <br />
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Vitamin supplements are mostly made with "folic acid" rather than natural "folate" and even if they are made with natural they are often labeled incorrectly and you just don't know anyway. A good example of the labeling faults is to look at the nutrition information for green beans. It will list "folic acid" but we know this is actually the naturally occurring "folate". For this reason unless it says it is natural folate in the vitamins and supplements these items should be avoided. I haven't taken vitamins in over two years because it is really so confusing. I am now taking Plexus X-Factor vitamins. This vitamin supplement has been specially formulated and is not made with synthetic vitamins. I am not only taking it, I have decided to join the company so if you are interested you can order through my website at <a href="http://www.littlethingstx.myplexusproducts.com/">www.littlethingstx.myplexusproducts.com</a> . Read more about X-Factor on the website. I am thrilled to finally be able to take vitamins, again. Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05682234408333714885noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6727075057172177156.post-32272039065643893882016-04-10T03:15:00.000-05:002016-04-10T03:15:08.894-05:00My New Venture: Plexus<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.littlethingstx.myplexusproducts.com/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="www.littlethingstx.myplexusproducts.com" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjneCsWSpdulb4udgYZA0UMcKmnS3l7lvwKSjqtZ0LPxIqyJUnhNFlyvOuJzOrOy1ZEz3Xrvi_AVRg-dDcz5lagUui1g_RLKroixFiuCSibE5D9d6o9ZLPJ2CR3fAORR75UFOvTaAISUtQ/s320/blog+button+for+Plexus+with+my+website+address.png" width="211" /></a></div>
Have you heard of Plexus? I would love to introduce you. I am starting a
new venture as a Plexus Ambassador (that's fancy talk for a
"representative").
I have researched it, prayed about it, tried it, and discussed it with
my husband. What I have found is that it fits well with the health
journey I have been on. It is my belief that overall health and
wellness leads to the goals we want to achieve. Based on my research,
Plexus can take us to the next level. Feel free to message me if this
interests you. You can also explore my website at <a href="http://www.littlethingstx.myplexusproducts.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.littlethingstx.myplexusproducts.com</a> but please allow me to guide you through choosing products and explaining the details. <a class="_58cn" data-ft="{"tn":"*N","type":104}" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/plexus?source=feed_text&story_id=1145947448771862"><span class="_58cl">#</span><span class="_58cm">plexus</span></a> <a class="_58cn" data-ft="{"tn":"*N","type":104}" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/alwaysroomforimprovement?source=feed_text&story_id=1145947448771862"><span class="_58cl">#</span><span class="_58cm">alwaysroomforimprovement</span></a> <a class="_58cn" data-ft="{"tn":"*N","type":104}" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/itsstartswithhealthyinsides?source=feed_text&story_id=1145947448771862"><span class="_58cl">#</span><span class="_58cm">itsstartswithhealthyinsides</span></a> <a class="_58cn" data-ft="{"tn":"*N","type":104}" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/drinkpink?source=feed_text&story_id=1145947448771862"><span class="_58cl">#</span><span class="_58cm">drinkpink</span></a> (Did I mention it tastes really good?!!!)<br /><br />Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05682234408333714885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6727075057172177156.post-54584756310109480982016-04-09T00:01:00.001-05:002016-04-09T00:01:02.261-05:00Have Duck, Will Travel<div>Do you have any idea how many strange looks you get when you drive down the road with a duck in your car?... Or, go through the bank drive-thru with a duck in the car? People were staring, laughing, flapping their arms like a duck, and other such silliness. </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrJ6NVZ5HpwwC1Xfx05U4SVB-YEVFvM-_c3XHQc2b8OG9ArvbViERU5qm94ahxXme95QuPlR3x0sguW7lK7Z-d64K6K4Iey1wixHDPsZKWRkcU6PF3a-CuM8sWBrveYTnugPnb8DLgobw/s640/blogger-image--747571779.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrJ6NVZ5HpwwC1Xfx05U4SVB-YEVFvM-_c3XHQc2b8OG9ArvbViERU5qm94ahxXme95QuPlR3x0sguW7lK7Z-d64K6K4Iey1wixHDPsZKWRkcU6PF3a-CuM8sWBrveYTnugPnb8DLgobw/s640/blogger-image--747571779.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>Now, you might be wondering WHY we were driving down the road with a duck in the car. A smarter person would have put the thing in a kennel of sorts during travel but Sierra is the one who loaded the duck in the car and she thought it was a good idea to hold it in her lap with a piece of cardboard under the duck to catch any "accidents". Let's just say that was gross and at some point I was thinking we needed a diaper! Yucko! This bird was flapping his wings wildly some moments. As I was trying to drive I was having to reach over and help her get the duck under control. (Shaking my head!). </div><div><br></div><div>It was re-homing day for this feathered friend of ours. Last year when we purchased him as a wee duckling we were hoping for laying ducks. Once we determined that both the ducks we purchased were males we knew we would not keep them permanently. Fast forward to now one of the ducks died and we have kept this one out of pity for him. The problem is that he is the only duck and is living with our chickens and turkeys. There is no water for him to play in unless we fill small containers. I think it is affecting his health to not be able to be in the water. His eyes have had matter in them which I am hoping in a more natural, wet environment will clear up. And, then there's the feed bill. Ducks eat quite a bit. Since he can't lay an egg he is just driving the feed bill up. </div><div><br></div><div>We took him to a beautiful park locally that has other ducks and plenty of space. There is a nice little pond that will be a wonderful new home for him. Immediately, upon being released into the pond he flapped his wings and splashed around with joy washing himself. It took to it very well. Hopefully, we will see him when we visit the park. Maybe he will find a mate and start a little duck family. </div>Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05682234408333714885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6727075057172177156.post-44208082799134495082016-04-08T00:48:00.000-05:002016-04-08T00:48:38.224-05:00More Raised Beds & Chicken Changes: Part 2Today we finished building the two new raised beds like our other two. I still need to get soil and lining before I can plant but after that it is on! I may have to buy a little bit different soil this time unless I want to wait about a week for a the other stuff to arrive in the store. That's okay, though. It might be good to try different soils and see what works best. I will decide soon, of course.... because I can hardly wait to get things growing!!!<br />
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I also worked on the frames that I am adding to our chicken coop. I had a little run in with a tiny rooster that is about to become part of a soup. He ran up behind me and started spurring my legs. Thankfully, I had on water boots and long pants... and, he is a little squirt. Our tom turkey has always been a gently guy but he has decided he is the protector of this little tiny rooster. My tom actually spurred me in the leg leaving a hole a couple a of weeks ago. Tom started after me today after I took after that tiny rooster. It was on! I grabbed a big plastic barrel and guarded myself and then, made Tom and that tiny rooster feel intimidated. Tom went in the coop and we locked him in while we worked on our project. Seriously, this little guy's life is about to end soon. Sierra was in the coop yesterday and dropped her new eye glasses. She bent over to pick them up and Tiny jumped up and spurred her in the face and left big scratches all across her face. <br />
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Anyway, I veered off track... Sierra and I got those two old raised bed frames situated in their new location and they are ready for their new life. I will need to chop up the soil a bit in the one, scatter the wheat, and cover it with wire. Wheat grows really well and really fast even in hot climates. I am still deciding if I want to use both frames for this or if I want to make one a dust bath area partially filled with sand. I am thinking that if I have two like this I could rotate planting times. I could easily find a different little area in the run to make a dust bath area. I am still deciding, though. Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05682234408333714885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6727075057172177156.post-68334547509357690392016-04-04T00:07:00.002-05:002016-04-06T18:55:07.895-05:00More Raised Beds & Chicken Changes: Part 1We made the decision to add more raised beds to our garden. We will be building two more the same size and width near our others that we recently made. We purchased more tin screws and more metal flashing and that is all we needed. All is left is to assemble them, fill them with compost, and plant in them. This is very exciting to me. This year I will have a full out garden. I did not get to do that last year with it being our first year here. My husband is being such a good sport about it. This is really not his thing but he knows it is a good thing.<br />
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We also carried our old recycled wood raised beds out to the chicken coop. They are each about a foot deep and I plan to plant wheat in one of them and cover the bed with chicken wire. As the wheat grows up through the chicken wire the chickens can eat the tops off the wheat and supplement them with some extra nutrition. The other raised bed could be the same way or I might put some sand in it for a dust bath area. Any thoughts or other ideas on that would be greatly appreciated. I could always make a different area a dust bath area. <br />
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Other things we will be doing this season will be building a bigger coop. Our chickens have lots of changes in their little world right now. A few weeks ago I cut old limbs from a tree and built a long climbing and perching area for them. I also plan to do something creative with an old basketball hoop in their coop... maybe make it a nest. We have turkeys and added quail to our flock this year. We have the quail in our old rabbit caging right now inside our chicken run. We will be assessing whether this setup works for them and changing as needed. What are you doing new for your chickens and other flock this year?Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05682234408333714885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6727075057172177156.post-8936750187914557172016-04-02T03:30:00.000-05:002016-04-02T03:30:18.027-05:00My New Raised Beds for Spring PlantingI have been keeping my eye out for the style of raised beds I wanted at our current home. At our other house I had used what I had and what I had was our old privacy fence that had been knocked down about ten years ago during Hurricane Rita. When moved here over a year ago I just never found the time to get raised beds together and did not have time to properly work the ground soil. I did bring along some of the old raised beds from the other property and the remaining fencing. Last year our focus was more on planting our orchard trees and I had my husband till up some of the ground between each fruit tree and we planted some tomatoes and pepper plants that were given to us. It was not very successful. <br /><br />This year I knew I would need to get my raised beds done. Once again I was feeling like I might not have time to get it done. I had my husband help me assemble the old fencing ones in our front yard... but I just did not like the look and my heart was really set on making galvanized tin ones. I had seen some last year that were trimmed out with wood that was so pretty but not only would that come with wood rot issues in the future, it would also be more expensive. My daddy called me a couple of months back and asked if I wanted some old tin that a neighbor wanting to get rid of. I said yes not really even having an idea what I might use that for or what exactly it was. Once it was here I thought about different projects to use it for but had not settled on what to do with it. The sheets were cut into 5 foot lengths. I kept looking at that tin and then, one day I saw a design for raised bed that did not have wood frames on it. The more I thought about it I realized I could do that and I could use what I had here and it would be low cost. <br />
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This is what I came up with. My new raised beds!!! I am super excited! They are 15' x 2 1/2' and 1' deep. I
have learned from past experience if they are very wide I have a
difficult time reaching in during weeding and picking. The two beds are
just far enough apart to push a mower (an important detail I have
learned). All materials are recycled, except the flashing that I used
to bind the tin together. I also used the flashing to make brackets
that are holding the support posts. The support posts are metal po<span class="text_exposed_show">les
from an old trampoline net that did not last. The tin is the recycled tin
my daddy delivered to me. It is short 5' sections. If you had full
length sections of tin (10' normally), you would not require as much
flashing for this project. We ripped (cut) the tin down the center
longways for a depth just over 1'. One piece of tin per bed was cut in
half so the bed would be 2 1/2' wide. Trust me when I say that 5' wide
would be too wide for working these beds later. I learned that lesson
the hard way. I had the tin screws leftover from a previous building
project. <br /><br />We lined the beds with plastic drop cloth sheeting leftover
from a recent painting project and we also used our soil bags. The
trick to this is to dump one bag into a wheelbarrow (etc) and place the
thick plastic bags in the bottom of the raised bed and then, start
opening more bags and pouring your soil onto those bags. As you empty a
bag it goes into the bed. At the end you pour the soil in from your
wheelbarrow. <br /><br />The only cost for me was the flashing which I purchased at
Parker's for $4.29 a 10' roll and I bought two rolls. $8.58 !!!
Totally what I wanted... Priceless!!!! The real cost is in filling it
with soil. I absolutely will not purchase anything that says "Scott's"
or "MiracleGro" because I refuse to intentionally support Monsanto.
Hopefully, my soil choice was not a sub company of theirs. I got the
Compost & Manure mix by American Countryside at Wal-Mart. I just
gave up on finding what I wanted locally because I was not getting great
reports on quality. I have 40 bags in my beds right now. </span><br />
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I love to use old galvanized containers for my container gardening. I have more that I will be filling and I have not decided exactly where the container gardens will be. It is wise to decide this before filling them usually since they will be heavy once filled with soil. I like the area I have them in if I had them arranged nicely but I do not like the idea of the weeding that it is sure to require around them. All of the containers have seeds planted in them. It is all coming together. <br /><br />Now, I just need to build two more of those raised beds... (wink, wink). Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05682234408333714885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6727075057172177156.post-18110032496231559942016-03-31T14:40:00.000-05:002016-03-31T14:40:51.921-05:00Savannah & the Mole: Elimination Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We have been trying to get Savannah into a local dermatologist for over half a year now. Frustration! First, you have to go a primary care physician for a referral. From there you have to find a dermatologist that is on your insurance plan. That sounds simple enough since there are about six listed: except, when you call each one they all say the same thing, "We are not currently taking patients." The other option is to just set up a surgical removal with a local pediatric surgeon. For personal reasons we were not willing to do that with the surgeon in our area. I have tried to figure out what to do but kept coming up with no solution... until Sierra needed to see a dermatologist and they immediately referred her to UTMB Galveston. When I called I told them I had had difficulty getting my oldest daughter in to a dermatologist and they said they would just go ahead and see her, also. Simple! Done. <br />
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So, we arrived for her appointment two days later... TWO DAYS... after months of trying to get her in locally UTMB Galveston was able to see her two days later. I was thrilled. Ok, back to what I was saying... we arrived and very quickly called back for her consultation. The doctor said that any mole like hers with the changes and fluids coming out of it should be removed. So, we were thinking we would have to come back but no. And, then we were thinking they would move her across the hall to a surgical area or something like that. No, within about a minute the doctor had a syringe in her hand and was coming toward Savannah. Yes, me and all the other four children were sitting there watching it all. I held Savannah's hand and covered her face with my hands because I knew she did not want to see it removed. The local anesthesia (shot) was administered at the site and we watched as it turned it white as the medicine went into the skin. The doctor pulled out a flexible flat razor bald and bent it like a scoop and sliced that mole right off and covered it with a bandaid. Done. While we all watch. No notice. No warning. Just done. Savannah was shocked to say the least.<br />
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Honestly, we are so happy it is done, but my poor girl just kept repeating over the next day how she just did not know they were about to remove it right then. Slightly traumatized, but done. That mole was eliminated!!! And, the best part... we got the test results back and it was BENIGN! No cancer.... because I will be honest that was a very suspicious mole and there is skin cancer in the family history. I can not begin to express how thankful and blessed we feel. Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05682234408333714885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6727075057172177156.post-65106786197365063162016-03-30T12:20:00.002-05:002016-03-30T23:48:56.315-05:00Sierra & Lyme's Disease: Part 4<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Well, we made the trip to UTMB in Galveston to have Sierra checked out. This actually ended up being an opportunity to get my oldest daughter, Savannah, in also to be seen for a mole that we have been trying to get her seen for for months. I will write a separate post about that, so that I can focus on Sierra for this post. <br />
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We did not get a diagnosis for Sierra but what we did get was assurance that this rash is <u><b>NOT</b></u>:<br />
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<li>Lyme's disease -- Although, she did test positive for three markers of Lyme's back in January and go through the first treatment for it this rash is not characteristic of Lyme's. It has also come to my attention that having three markers for Lyme's is not always confirmation that Lyme's is truly present. Maybe it was. Maybe it wasn't. We took the treatment of antibiotics and have since gotten the negative test results so I have no regrets about that. I would rather be safe than sorry later. </li>
<li>Lupus -- This rash is also not characteristic of lupus. What a relief! They said the rash would be much different on the surface or it would be more of a deep tissue skin issue. I don't claim to totally understand that but they are the dermatologists. We only had pictures and our descriptions to go by so they could not give us total clarity, though. </li>
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What they said it <b><u>COULD</u></b> be:<br />
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<li> An allergy to past medications -- I don't really feel this is likely to be the case since we rarely do meds and Sierra was not sick or receiving meds during these times. They assured me that the meds could be in her system and the rash show up at times that she has not taken the meds. I don't buy this completely. Actually, I don't buy it at all BUT again they were only looking at photos on my iPhone and our description.</li>
<li>A giant hickie of sorts -- Obviously, we are not talking about a kiss hickie (and they did not say the word "hickie") but rather the type of thing from a child sucking on a cup on their face. We assured them this was not the case. They seemed to think we could not be certain that she was not doing this to herself. You could tell they did not believe us totally. I could see this with a small child but with a twelve year old she is old enough to discuss this with. </li>
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The <u><b>OUTCOME</b></u>:<br />
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<li> They will but a note in her file, so if it flares up again we should call immediately and they will try to see Sierra right away. Meanwhile, they wanted to treat her acne since she was there and set her up for a return visit in three months so we did that and she went home with instructions and meds for that issue which I am certain is a good thing, also. </li>
<li>I am not completely satisfied but I am satisfied that there is not BAD news. We wait and we see. Time will tell this story but I have not worries. I am also suddenly getting lots of feedback from people that are telling me they have been through this very thing with food or food additive allergies. Being that these are real personal experiences I honestly think this is probably what the issue is. We may never pinpoint this but we will write down a food diary of the all items consumed if it flares up, again. We will obviously not if she has taken meds near that time. </li>
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Following our appointment we made a fun day of it in Galveston! We headed over to the Rainforest Cafe for a ride on their jungle ride, picked up some more picnic foods at the local Kroger, and headed down to the beach below the seawall. After getting nice and nasty we did a little exploring while driving and headed back across the ferry. My two littles got too nasty at the beach to have proper clothing on so we could not go into public places so I drove around and talk to them about the hurricane damage from recent years and while doing that we stumbled upon Fort Travis. It looked like nothing as we passed and curiosity got me, so I turned around and found a gem! I am so glad I turned back because it is really a wonderful place. In the future I will plan to have our beach picnics there and enjoy the history of all the old buildings that are still standing. We later figured out a way to dress the littles in jackets and blankets so we could go in and enjoy a dinner at Denny's with the most "green" water ever... I was patient and kind having been a "green" waitress myself once. Off topic completely, but they had an amazing salad that kept me on track with my THM journey, also. I can't remember the name of it but it had chicken breast, bacon, cheese, and avocado. I just had to take off the really weird potato chip sticks. All in all, we had a great day!! Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05682234408333714885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6727075057172177156.post-80309715223312143292016-03-28T02:22:00.000-05:002016-03-28T02:22:46.776-05:00Trim Healthy Mama & Me: Refocus<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />There is a reason why I am on a health plan. I have bad habits and make poor choices. I have done so well on the Trim Healthy Mama plan, so you would think I would know it works and just do it. Nope.... although I have stuck with it I have gotten very laxed after losing my first major goal of 30 pounds lost. I actually lost another 5+ but I got too comfortable and we did some traveling. During that travel time I made some really poor choices. I let myself keep having cheats here and there and they finally caught up with me, Try as I may I just could not get my focus back but last week I made a recommitment to making better choices and stopping the excuses. I also am not going to be weighing for awhile. I have discovered that I use that scale the wrong way. If I don't lose weight, I tell myself it is impossible even though I know better. And, if I do lose weight, I tell myself that I that the cheats won't hurt. Of course, I know that is wrong, too. <br /><br />I have been back on track for one week now. I can't tell my scale progress since I am not weighing but I am focusing on my commitment level right now. I will call my week a success even though it was not perfect. I had a couple of "moments" but I quickly reminded myself to focus on my goals. <br /><br />One thing that really helps is to have some quick meal options available. One of my favorite things is a little <br />Fast Food Sue meal. This is simply slices of Hormel Naturals ham with cheese sprinkled on it and heated in the microwave for one minute and thirty seconds (1:30). Pair this with some strawberries and this is a great breakfast or small lunch. Adding avocado onto the ham makes it even better. I eat these as a finger food like little tacos. Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05682234408333714885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6727075057172177156.post-18334696086389515652016-03-23T04:00:00.000-05:002016-03-23T04:00:04.288-05:00Making THM Simple for Me: My Top Five Tips<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">It is real easy to make things really complicated. For me when I started my Trim Healthy Mama journey there were things I did to over complicate it. I just over thought every little bite of food. Along the way I found a few things that helped me understand it better:<br /><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">(I lost 30 pounds in my first four months and dropped from a size 14 to 8 jean size.)</span></i></span></span><br />
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<li><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The "Building Blocks" was one of the best things ever for me. Even though I had read the whole first book (skimming through the recipe section) I would easily get confused on some details. The "Building Blocks" walks you through building a meal. These pages can be found in the "files" section of the Trim Healthy Mama Facebook page. I can not post the actual pages here since they are not mine to share. </span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Allowing myself to use a few "food alternative options" that are not as healthy but not the worst choices ever. THM refers to these as frankenfoods. My favorites area Mission Low Carb tortillas, Ole Low Carb Tortillas, Joseph's Lavash Bread (which is really a wrap and not what you think of as "bread"). I also use Breyer's Carb Smart ice cream when I really want indulge. </span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I don't box myself into thinking I have to do this like everyone else. I don't drink Good Girl Moonshine and I don't make all the multi-ingredient sweet treats. There is nothing wrong with that if you like it but for me I find that it is easier for me to focus on the savory food item options and not the sweets. </span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I don't try to do Fuel Pull Cycles although I am certainly in the time frame of allowing myself that option. I do not like the feel of that many rules for me personally. </span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I don't try to do a certain amount of S meals or E meals. I just switch it up. Sometimes I will have and all E meal day or an all S meal day but most of the time I have a variety throughout each day. I also don't call it E or S meals.... it helps my mind if I call the "S"atisfying meal a "fat" meal and the "E"nergizing meal a "carb" meals</span></span><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">. </span></span></li>
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Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05682234408333714885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6727075057172177156.post-29475362646451247442016-03-20T23:33:00.000-05:002016-03-20T23:33:36.257-05:00Crazy Chicken Lady Season! Indoor Brooder Setup Options<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
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So, this is the setup that we have found works best for NEW chicks. We have outdoor brooder cages but those work best for Summer time. When getting new chicks during the cooler season we keep them inside our house for awhile. It kind of drives me crazy but the chicks have a better survival rate this way. </div>
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1. Brooder Container-- </div>
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We have tried a variety of cages and containers for indoor brooders. </div>
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A. Cardboard boxes-- This gets messy. Once that water drips onto the bottom or spills you start to have a mess. A cardboard box can work short term until you get something better in place. A day or three is doable. Beyond that and you are going to have a mess. </div>
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B. Cages-- If you use a cage you need to make sure tiny new chicks cannot escape. You would be surprised what they can get out of. Another drawback is that chicks "scratch" and feed and poo go out of the boundaries of the cage. This obviously gets messy and requires sweeping and bleaching the surrounding floor areas often. (*Move chicks away from the area when bleaching due to toxic fumes.)</div>
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C. SHALLOW Container-- Little birds learn to fly pretty quickly. Before you know it you have chicks flying out of the container. A shallow container can work but you want to make sure you have a covering (with air holes). </div>
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D. DEEP Container-- This is my choice option. A large, deep storage container works well. A deep container keeps the chicks from flying out. It may become necessary at some point to provide a covering but not always.</div>
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2. Liner--</div>
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Many people use a deep litter method like shredded newspaper or wood shavings of some sort. We use what we have on hand. If that is newspaper we sometimes rip that up or use the folded newspapers to cover the bottom of the tub. We have used empty cereal boxes or any other cardboard we have on hand. We change this once or twice a day depending on how messy it gets. </div>
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3. Waterer--</div>
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A. A Poultry Waterer-- I started with these and I lost a lot of chicks to drownings or to getting wet and cold. Many people put marbles in the water area to help this situation. That seems more complicated to me. </div>
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B. A Small Dish or Lid-- This comes with the same issues as the poultry waterer. </div>
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C. Rabbit Water Bottle-- Lifesaver!!... Literally! The chicks can't drown in the water. They can't splash in it and get all wet. The water bottle also holds plenty of water to last many chicks the whole day. I also used a free wire clothes hanger to wrap around the bottle and hook on the end of the storage container. </div>
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4. Feeder-- Many things work well but you just want to make sure they can't "scratch" in it much. This will keep the area cleaner. </div>
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The top pic is of the first four chicks I got. The bottom pic is all twenty new chicks. Half are quail and this will be our "new adventure" this year. I just cleaned it all but you can not tell. Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05682234408333714885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6727075057172177156.post-48025144987005607072016-03-19T23:28:00.001-05:002016-03-19T23:28:56.466-05:00Sierra & Lyme's Disease: Part 3The last update I have was a good report. We got an "all clear" on Sierra's retest for Lyme's Disease after her two week run of antibiotics. Everything was great until two weeks later and her chin rash appeared one evening. This could only mean one or two things... She is not cured of Lyme's Disease or we are not dealing with Lyme's Disease. <div><br></div><div>I have been in contact with a pediatric nurse that is a friend of our family. We have had some lengthy discussions and both done some researching. For now we are dealing with a "mystery illness" but we both came up with information pointing towards the possibility of lupus. That is not a diagnosis at this point and I immediately took Sierra in to see the local doctor we are using. She immediately admitted this was more than she could help us with and ordered a referral to a major medical group out of our area. </div><div><br></div><div>I have had a more reassuring discussion with a friend that has been through Lyme's treatment and was cured but had to go through a much longer round of antibiotics. I very much hope this is the case for Sierra. </div><div><br></div><div>Either way, I am anxious to get her appointment. Flooding near our local area seems to have delayed care. My home phone got struck by lightning during one of the storms and I may have missed a call regarding an appointment. Spring Break also happened for our local area I am planning to make phone calls on Monday morning to check the appointment status. So ready for answers. </div>Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05682234408333714885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6727075057172177156.post-7917516244111871542016-02-15T08:26:00.001-06:002016-02-15T08:26:13.976-06:00Sierra & Lyme's Disease: Part 2So, we waited all week <span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); ">for a call from the doctor </span>for Sierra's blood work test results to find out if the antibiotic cured her Lyme's Disease. The call did not come. Have you ever heard the saying, "No news is good news". When you don't get a follow up call on lab work that is possibly a sign of good news. <div><br></div><div>I decided to call them on Friday. I am thrilled to report that when I asked about her Lyme's Disease lab work the answer was, "The results came back all clear!" There are zero markers of Lyme's Disease. The next step will likely be to follow up with an infectious disease doctor to make sure that an "all clear" is truly cured Lyme's Disease. For now, we are counting this as a praise and are very hopeful! </div>Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05682234408333714885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6727075057172177156.post-54881909426098106462016-02-10T03:22:00.001-06:002016-02-10T03:27:16.334-06:00Sierra & Lyme's Disease: Part 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">This past Summer (2015) Sieera had a weird chin rash. It looked like broken capillaries under her skin. It lasted about 3 days and faded away. It showed up again in the early Fall... And, again in November. After a discussion with a friend who is a pediatric nurse about the rash we decided to take her into the doctor and request Lyme's Disease testing. The rash had faded and was barely showing, so the doctor refused the testing stating that it was unnecessary for our area (South Texas). In the last days of December the rash showed up, again. It seems the rash was always making it's appearance over the weekend and was mostly faded away by Monday morning each time. Knowing the doctor would not take it serious if it could not be seen I did not take her in. Two weeks later another breakout showed up. I took Sierra to the doctor that Monday (yes, another weekend breakout). I was ready to completely put up a fight to get the testing done. Fortunately, the doctor was perplexed and ready to get answers, also. She ordered the Lyme's testing, a CBC, and decided to also do a blood coagulation test. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5CgMXBSWGvhRVzE2-xVBiJm5xD9ho8IHJUcGdbuWd5c7tAVqmkwDUtKzdtLXLDgUwxD-lmm_ZTIoa2A5AVUkSmIf-ouMnNezIQA33sfV_y3RbGEd0Q0cmMS3rhqOjWFTb17GH7UtHAFA/s640/blogger-image--624599834.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5CgMXBSWGvhRVzE2-xVBiJm5xD9ho8IHJUcGdbuWd5c7tAVqmkwDUtKzdtLXLDgUwxD-lmm_ZTIoa2A5AVUkSmIf-ouMnNezIQA33sfV_y3RbGEd0Q0cmMS3rhqOjWFTb17GH7UtHAFA/s640/blogger-image--624599834.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); ">I got a call stating that we needed to come back into the office on Friday for discussion of test results. Sierra's Lyme's Disease test came back positive for three of the markers for Lyme's and negative for twelve of the markers. It was immediately decided that she needed to start a special antibiotic right away. The antibiotic would be taken twice a day for two full weeks. We did this and brought her back in for follow up testing this past Friday, February 5th. The hope is that the antibiotic will cure the Lyme's. So, now we wait it out. </span></div>Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05682234408333714885noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6727075057172177156.post-90820477320893966982016-02-08T23:54:00.001-06:002016-02-08T23:54:43.262-06:00THM, Me, and Greek Yogurt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB1uWte4prA72-VnOip394G4Xn0VWg5CovlByobRLb2BIoYcPtDXUPRdA9sxmtS7P7B9rYqAZ3nPutJrMTy53Mhj5D4BfoRvP1KBLX9O_IELtAzsEx1lJ6AuwOS4GnWJ6LLSaYc7iCr78/s1600/Greek+yogurt+parfait+strawberies+w+oats.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB1uWte4prA72-VnOip394G4Xn0VWg5CovlByobRLb2BIoYcPtDXUPRdA9sxmtS7P7B9rYqAZ3nPutJrMTy53Mhj5D4BfoRvP1KBLX9O_IELtAzsEx1lJ6AuwOS4GnWJ6LLSaYc7iCr78/s640/Greek+yogurt+parfait+strawberies+w+oats.jpg" width="468" /></a></div>
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So, going back in time a year ago I had this little list of new foods
and products to try. One of the items on that list was Greek yogurt. I
made my purchase and came home fully prepared to convince my taste buds
to like it. I tried... Really, I did... and then, I gave that
container to a friend that likes Greek yogurt. I tried it with sweetener and
fruit. I tried it as a substitute for sour cream. I was just not
feeling it. It had to go. I gave up.<br />
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I bought Oikos
Triple Zero yogurts and those were hard for me to like. If I squirted a
bit of whipping cream in them I could tolerate them but I was far from
being in love. It was more of a back up plan item for me. I kept a few
on hand for moments when I needed something on the go. <br />
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Time passed and I started to realize my taste buds were changing quite a bit.
I slowly stopped adding the whipped cream to my Triple Zero. I still
was not a super big fan of the Triple Zero but it was tolerable. Before
long I decided I was ready to make my own version of Triple Zero that
way I could get rid of the chalky taste and possibly tinker with the
stevia because I have a minor allergy after eating them. By this time I
had discovered that I like Truvia better than the other sweetener
choices available. I began to make parfaits out of Plain Greek Yogurt,
Smuckers Simply Fruit jam or Polaner's All Fruit jam, and fresh
strawberries and blueberries, and a Truvia packet. I began to really
like this and not only did it become one of my breakfast options it also
became my dessert of choice especially when I added 1/3 of a diced up
banana. Often I top it with unsweetened toasted oats that I make. As
the blueberry and strawberry seasons ended I started dicing up 5 to 7
grapes in place of those and no longer adding the jams. My summer and
fall yogurts are different than my spring season yogurts. The thing
is... I like the Greek yogurt now. Honestly, I don't always need the
sweetener anymore. <br />
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The point here is that it is a journey. My
taste buds had to adjust and my body had to detox. If you try something
that you don't like, give it a little while and try it , again. Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05682234408333714885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6727075057172177156.post-42170966301995311302016-02-06T05:00:00.000-06:002016-02-06T05:00:12.609-06:00Recipes for My Generations, 1, Ranch Style Beans & Rice, Variations<div>
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="background-color: white;">So, I was looking through my drafts folder and I found this unfinished, unpublished post from SIX YEARS AGO. I am going to leave it alone mostly and make current day comments in </span>purple. </span><br /><br />My nine year old daughter <span style="color: purple;">(Savannah... she is now FIFTEEN)</span> told me the other day that I was going to have to write down my recipes, so she would know how to cook when she is grown! I am so thrilled that even at such a young age she asked me to do that! Thrilled really! And I know I have plenty of time, but I know how fast time is going to fly by<span style="color: purple;"> (the years a truly flying by)</span> and if I do not commit to this now she will leave home one day as I did barely knowing how to boil water.... well, I was able to do some baking, but I don't think it is wise to try to live off cakes and pies. ;) </div>
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I am going to begin using this blog to journal those recipes and hopefully my children and their children will use them and maybe they can find their way to the table in some of your homes, also. I grew up on homestyle southern cooking. You might see some of that here, but mostly I try to make it healthier in some ways. My own mother would faint at the thought! LOL!! Where she would cook green beans with slices of bacon in them, I will cook green beans with a drizzle of olive oil instead.... but I do confess that I love hers. <span style="color: purple;">(Oh my word! I am so happy to report that I have learned a lot since this and now know her bacon in the green beans is just as healthy as mine with olive oil. Hallelujah!)</span> I cook beyond what I grew up on. I love Italian food and have a decent knowledge of cooking Mexican food from past job experience in a Mexican restaurant. I like simple quick cooking and I love to cook, but I do not want to spend my day in the kitchen when I have my hands full of children. What I don't cook are those little pretty meals... mine may be pretty sometimes, but I am talking about those gourmet meals that look like they are only for looking at. REAL food that real people eat is what I cook and I would love to say it is all healthy and all natural and perfect with no preservatives, etc.... one day it may be, but for now I am "just cooking" and little by little I try to find better ways or healthier ways and I implement them. <span style="color: purple;">(My cooking has really changed quite a bit. I follow a very strict diet now. I try to use only whole foods and focus on healthy.)</span> So, without further ado I am going to post the first recipe of this ongoing series. </div>
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I have picky children with "texture" and "visual" issues.... I have "texture" issues, too. They do grow out of this some, but not soon enough. This is one that my kids all like, BUT my five year old (Sierra) has to be blind-folded to eat. <span style="color: purple;">(Not anymore... this is her favorite food! Amazing how they change! She is also ELEVEN now!!!)</span> I am sharing this one/two recipe because it is SIMPLE and versatile. You can make it into one meal of a totally different with a simple change. WE do not eat this enough because of the "issues" some in the home have, but once you get them to taste it they love it.<span style="color: purple;"> (We eat this ALL.THE.TIME now.) </span> I will include the first way and then below that the variation and some other ideas to make this meal morph into many others. </div>
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Ranch-Style Beans and Rice</div>
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1 lb. hamburger meat</div>
1 can <span style="color: purple;">(FOUR cans now... gotta stretch the budget and beans have plenty of protein)</span> of Ranch Style Beans<span style="color: purple;"> (I actually by the Great Value Southern Ranch Beans now because they do not have all the high fructose corn syrup)</span><br />
2 cups of rice (white of <span style="color: purple;">brown... we only eat brown rice now</span>)<br />
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Put hamburger meat in a skillet and season with salt and pepper. Cook hamburger meat and drain off excess fat. For added health you can rinse the meat to make it leaner. Add Ranch Style Beans and 1/2 cup of water (1 cup of water or more if you are using 4 cans of beans). Cover and cook on a fast simmer until you see the bean in the mixture change to a darker color (5-10 minutes). (Seriously, I look at the color to know, but if you cook it for a while it is not necessary that you be aware of the color change.) Simply serve this over rice. <br /><br /><br />Variations: (taco seasoning.. I actually make my own now)<br />1- Add a packet of taco seasoning and you have the meat mixture for Taco Salad.<br />2- Add a packet of taco seasoning and you can pour this and refried beans over tortilla chips for Nachos. Add lots of cheeses and stuff you like to change it up. Cook in the oven on 350 degrees for several minutes. Top with veggies and anything else you like.<br />3- Add a packet of taco seasoning and stuff it in tortillas and bake in the oven at 350 degrees for Burritos. Add various types of cheeses inside and outside the burritos. Drizzled some of the juiciness of the bean mixture over the burritos before baking sort of like a gravy. <br />4- Add a packet of taco seasoning, a large can of diced tomatoes, half a bag or more of frozen corn (frozen just has a better flavor quality), more water and this becomes Taco Soup. Serve with sour cream, cheeses, or whatever you like. <br />5- Take the Taco Soup one above and pour it over tortilla chips and it is kind of like Frito Pie on Tortilla Chips. This is one of Sahara's favorite things. </div>
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/225/02F4B13A285E864416A0074AC1987877.png" style="border: 0px currentColor;" /></a></div>
Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05682234408333714885noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6727075057172177156.post-380625345350026732016-02-03T05:00:00.000-06:002016-02-03T05:00:12.957-06:00Jumping into Trim Healthy Mama <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh3_2VzfXEbwfdxTzjh9TdwMIRASIMwREhunl0qQdFGr3udhx5afaoV3Xnus7CYCb85wjVmiy7GeNaq1xTDPxljtctevDQsE_-HrMjHUQ3PjoKbEnutIpIivUXb6pySaBpdpDiZQUIsuE/s1600/a+body+is+a+temple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh3_2VzfXEbwfdxTzjh9TdwMIRASIMwREhunl0qQdFGr3udhx5afaoV3Xnus7CYCb85wjVmiy7GeNaq1xTDPxljtctevDQsE_-HrMjHUQ3PjoKbEnutIpIivUXb6pySaBpdpDiZQUIsuE/s320/a+body+is+a+temple.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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While I waited on my book to arrive I change my mind about twice a day. One minute I was just going to read it and see what it had to say. The next minute I was all in... And, then I would be saying there was no way. This went on for two weeks as I waited on my shipment. A couple of days before the book arrived I finally decided I HAD to stop the excuses and just do it. I jumped in full force and clueless really. I just started doing my best and making plenty of mistakes along the way. I joined a local support group through FaceBook and I was totally on board. I read that 600 page book in two weeks! I was all in. I did not do too many weird foods but I found a few tricks that worked for me and stayed focused on that. My new motto became:<b> Focus on what you CAN have and not what you CAN'T</b>. I scheduled my rare cheats and allowed that. On days I felt deprived I let myself have something I thought I wanted and quickly realized it really was not that wonderful. I got my sweet fix while detoxing by having an occasional squirt of whipped cream in my mouth or on a THM pancake. Unless it was scheduled I mostly went off sweets for the first four months. I had a hard time adjusting to stevia and other sweeteners so just avoiding sweets of all sorts worked best for me. I dropped 4 pants sizes and 30 pounds in those first four months. I went from a size 14 down to and 8... I am only 5'3" tall so honestly I am not done, yet. After that point I began to struggle more. I still stayed on plan most of the time and during the Summer I lost another 5-8 pounds or something like that, but I kept yo-yoing and just cold not get lower than that. I was claiming a 35 pound loss. This past Christmas I went on vacation and for the first time ate freely of any and everything. I gained 10 pounds which was a bummer as I approached my one year Trimaversary. That is no good but I have learned to fix the mistakes I make. As soon as I was back from that vacation I jumped right back in and as I type this right now I have officially lost that vacation weight that I gained. I am claiming a 32 pound weight loss at this time. So, this summarizes my story. Over time I will try to share some things that worked for me and some pictures. Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05682234408333714885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6727075057172177156.post-50936967910002323702016-02-01T05:00:00.000-06:002016-02-01T05:00:12.048-06:00Miscarriages, MTHFR, Food Changes, and Health<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQTJNIowabD1o8Qi0239Sy3XcLvAPi2YeY-RhXdAXgSdKSUImWezEuzhpOxcJnuk4bb3fAVWfdWgZb3VJIT50FoKFl5xjUeeEZ3Ex2E1r-nb_xn3pMjMf5mFs07ideAi2rQMJutC8qceo/s1600/IMG_1139.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQTJNIowabD1o8Qi0239Sy3XcLvAPi2YeY-RhXdAXgSdKSUImWezEuzhpOxcJnuk4bb3fAVWfdWgZb3VJIT50FoKFl5xjUeeEZ3Ex2E1r-nb_xn3pMjMf5mFs07ideAi2rQMJutC8qceo/s400/IMG_1139.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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Sierra when first trying beans & rice many years ago. <br />She would only eat them blindfolded.<br />I forced her to try it and she said she could not <br />stand the way the beans looked.<br />Now, at eleven years old this is her favorite food.<br />~This is kind of how I felt at first about the food changes I needed to make.~</div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Through my journey of four miscarriages I was told I should have genetic testing after the third miscarriage. I did and it turns out I have MTHFR... It's a gene. I have TWO copies of the gene which means that I got the gene from EACH of my parents. It is really complicated to explain but the short story is if you have MTHFR your body does not rid itself of toxins like it should. Instead it stores up the toxins. This becomes a problem with SYNTHETIC vitamins. Synthetic vitamins are made in a lab are not the same as NATURAL vitamins. The MTHFR person can not process these properly. These synthetic vitamins are almost all food products. If it says it is "enriched", that means it has these synthetic vitamins in it. <br /><br />Enriched... Now, there is an interesting word:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> <b><i> Enriched ENRICH'ED, pp. Made rich or wealthy; fertilized; supplied with that which is desirable, useful or ornamental. </i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">That all sounds good... unless you are talking about the enriched flour, enriched pasta, enriched cereals, enriched crackers, enriched cookies, enriched puddings, enriched cake mix, enriched everything... The problem is that most everything you buy has something enriched in it. For the MTHFR person that means TOXINS. This means the only safe thing to do is eliminate everything enriched. <br /><br />I started health journey with eliminating the "enriched" foods. I seriously cried over wanting pretzels in the chip aisle. I was giving up so much. I really just wanted some pretzels to eat with a healthy dip. It was hard to adjust to. After the fourth miscarriage I felt like all I was doing to fix my body was in vain because I still lost another baby. I quickly started letting my health diminish. That went on for a few months and then, I finally realized I had to make a change if I wanted to be around for my children. I had gained 30 pounds from January 2014 through January 2015 (exactly one year). This was not a pattern I could continue and expect to have good health. I decided to order the Trim Healthy Mama book that I had heard so much about. So, in mid-January 2015 I started Trim Healthy Mama. I also continued my MTHFR dietary restrictions. This was truly the beginning of my new health journey. I will stop here for now... but I will not end there... I will update what I have done over the last year.</span>Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05682234408333714885noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6727075057172177156.post-10907050743218287482016-01-30T23:22:00.000-06:002016-01-30T23:22:00.038-06:00Life is Like a DanceMy oldest daughter says I should blog, again. I really did not mean to stop but life is busy and things happen. Not all things are good, so not all things inspire us to keep writing. I guess in the midst of some rough times I just really did not feel like "talking". It's time to talk, I suppose. I know at one point I shared about my third miscarriage (this month is the two year anniversary of that miscarriage). I started blogging again some time after that and after we had made the decision to move. I shared some of the beginnings of our new life on our our SIX acres (so, I really need to update my blog cover page). It was shortly after that I had my fourth miscarriage. I really closed up in many ways... the blog was one of those. That has been well over a year now. I can hardly believe the time has passed. In many ways I have healed emotionally but in many ways I am very broken. It's like a dance of two steps forward, one step back. I have realized that each miscarriage in my life has escalated panic attacks for me. I can wake up like today thinking I am going to do big things... and then, the sense that "I can't" creeps in and I sit frozen in a panic attack. I guess I no longer feel "capable". I used to feel like I could do anything I set my mind to. Now, I just don't feel like I can. I have never really felt that way so I don't know how to fix it. It is a day to day walk for me. In many ways I have learned to move forward, but again it is like that dance... two steps forward and one back. I have come so far but I have so far to go. Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05682234408333714885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6727075057172177156.post-36931234432785540052015-01-16T06:04:00.001-06:002015-01-19T21:30:36.354-06:00Muddin' Introduction<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Long ago in a time far away in the most distant recesses of my mind there was a time when Cody and I used to get muddy on four wheelers. It could be warm or cold. It simply did not matter. If we had a chance, we would go muddin'. That stopped when I was pregnant the first time and the doctor told me I should not be on a four wheeler while pregnant. Somehow with a baby we never got back into it since the four wheelers were my parents. </div><div><br></div><div>Now that we live in the country my parents decided to give us one of their four wheelers since they don't use them much anymore. Cody's parents had another that they gave us that has been sitting up unused for three years. It would need a new battery and some tinkering with but it is working now, also!!! What a gift to receive!!! Of course, there have to be tight rules for safety for the kids on the four wheelers. The first couple of weeks we really reinforced the importance of safety and taking it slow. They are only allowed to ride in 2nd gear and take the curves extra slow, etc.. But those rules are for the kids. You can imagine their surprised faces when we got behind the wheel!!! We showed them what it is all about! </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYwyffNZzs9TxCs0jbCNOVAs6UurUdAnKweXYJAZ4Rp1Zv0E328xq2X1yZpKxFkkvHT18o7Dq_Uz4h9tw-4h3BilSSqDvDvAqTfnIOg3u5N9thfOaNeVM7oTg-e3x11c101gSrW-pbvlE/s640/blogger-image-2146935339.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYwyffNZzs9TxCs0jbCNOVAs6UurUdAnKweXYJAZ4Rp1Zv0E328xq2X1yZpKxFkkvHT18o7Dq_Uz4h9tw-4h3BilSSqDvDvAqTfnIOg3u5N9thfOaNeVM7oTg-e3x11c101gSrW-pbvlE/s640/blogger-image-2146935339.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">They were just starting to get a little mud in them in this picture, so they were smearing a little in each others faces. </div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGxOKrPjZYHElKH65BTcihmKj5B9Xx4MKuUwx5igAWid-CqnLc7DH6FKkxRVhCZdP9M5Zbkq8fBsfOBUofyGoCBJuBAcDyrVGe0Zlnj-ZrpLxAuD-yNNO2FShmWF6-xzhhLVCjfiUp7gQ/s640/blogger-image-160140509.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGxOKrPjZYHElKH65BTcihmKj5B9Xx4MKuUwx5igAWid-CqnLc7DH6FKkxRVhCZdP9M5Zbkq8fBsfOBUofyGoCBJuBAcDyrVGe0Zlnj-ZrpLxAuD-yNNO2FShmWF6-xzhhLVCjfiUp7gQ/s640/blogger-image-160140509.jpg"></a></div>Sahara soon found out what mud was all about! That WAS a white shirt! </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihUEfmDkF9qKk2Rc6_VEXceifTqRzrE4kLDuv3vCrzqXxW5_WpEut93bli7IGUrCOqKXhp6l8GtRKGaZ-Gef33RgBHn22VdkwBn01nyP_Hjfsc6NOPsh0e-UFxfTvorZ42i355QP2zr1Y/s640/blogger-image-879888057.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihUEfmDkF9qKk2Rc6_VEXceifTqRzrE4kLDuv3vCrzqXxW5_WpEut93bli7IGUrCOqKXhp6l8GtRKGaZ-Gef33RgBHn22VdkwBn01nyP_Hjfsc6NOPsh0e-UFxfTvorZ42i355QP2zr1Y/s640/blogger-image-879888057.jpg"></a></div>She really liked it afterall. </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtF3g94lsoFZmEWwhD1UNZ-573jmfEJcfA4StZDMozENZBvBjdCp_vwK8G42xotq0z5QwV8sWZCzGpm7r52wdtOuYLGb6PG68gjP-f9_ArEtiAQyMfRQLn-YINqBg2iV-MMMa7ogNopoo/s640/blogger-image--1417976659.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtF3g94lsoFZmEWwhD1UNZ-573jmfEJcfA4StZDMozENZBvBjdCp_vwK8G42xotq0z5QwV8sWZCzGpm7r52wdtOuYLGb6PG68gjP-f9_ArEtiAQyMfRQLn-YINqBg2iV-MMMa7ogNopoo/s640/blogger-image--1417976659.jpg"></a></div>Savannah and Sierra were all about to trying to "share" their mud with each other. </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLrUReHPpfpkaQbts4Q5eaKsynDWYG3WsICQ4LUxo4PMr0Hp_XWj2NZ9OCTOJFnr8tVbc6mbXjcqpw_1QqgqrMKHoldgf_nVldVZfWyz60Tu7N0gpi-GUZEcRHd0_GHNIEi-ZpibQls2Q/s640/blogger-image-1933918883.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLrUReHPpfpkaQbts4Q5eaKsynDWYG3WsICQ4LUxo4PMr0Hp_XWj2NZ9OCTOJFnr8tVbc6mbXjcqpw_1QqgqrMKHoldgf_nVldVZfWyz60Tu7N0gpi-GUZEcRHd0_GHNIEi-ZpibQls2Q/s640/blogger-image-1933918883.jpg"></a></div>Caden decided to just get IN the mud hole. Yuk! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG6Hf4Dvt9xCnEC7jFWrOjrFYMirIYgr5UJlpmjebG4-Z3xFzhPTSqWIHixBTCi0hiZChxcBMZk1ZdUDSgWkfLEoY5tebQ8wPcRYDprDTQHe9Vi1NC9MgbToiNOCnLQriSPRh2Rs_z4yc/s640/blogger-image--1787179140.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG6Hf4Dvt9xCnEC7jFWrOjrFYMirIYgr5UJlpmjebG4-Z3xFzhPTSqWIHixBTCi0hiZChxcBMZk1ZdUDSgWkfLEoY5tebQ8wPcRYDprDTQHe9Vi1NC9MgbToiNOCnLQriSPRh2Rs_z4yc/s640/blogger-image--1787179140.jpg"></a></div>That's pretty nasty really. </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtFOUBmjpQiYov-dBwMxUw2dOiPQoVbaK8VUja9xe7Yn1SFb1R4ciHvqTSiZ95VgGgQn-_uUnPZS9nS1yAwLjTq7Tr1F9E0dz20dTW0wt2KbRTtqaywm7YICwxRXL7QuZkDh_gqm3XGUs/s640/blogger-image--1438515433.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtFOUBmjpQiYov-dBwMxUw2dOiPQoVbaK8VUja9xe7Yn1SFb1R4ciHvqTSiZ95VgGgQn-_uUnPZS9nS1yAwLjTq7Tr1F9E0dz20dTW0wt2KbRTtqaywm7YICwxRXL7QuZkDh_gqm3XGUs/s640/blogger-image--1438515433.jpg"></a></div>Having fun! </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlkqHhkLQkwu9kCd_ynHhhF3NSlxVxIpRsAOyhUC0bZ6xsPpqAgngMQ_9DndkF_dJXKaSSbZUhMxWsEZ_FEhvkm4zpW7BSec5Z5VVzaFinx5XdvFZL6KMMWxVtWxuADxm5WBKdZI9mM-0/s640/blogger-image--2025681088.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlkqHhkLQkwu9kCd_ynHhhF3NSlxVxIpRsAOyhUC0bZ6xsPpqAgngMQ_9DndkF_dJXKaSSbZUhMxWsEZ_FEhvkm4zpW7BSec5Z5VVzaFinx5XdvFZL6KMMWxVtWxuADxm5WBKdZI9mM-0/s640/blogger-image--2025681088.jpg"></a></div>And. Then.... Daddy got a little bit of payback!!! </div>Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05682234408333714885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6727075057172177156.post-53409169565301540452015-01-16T04:49:00.001-06:002015-01-27T08:20:08.529-06:00Let's Talk Turkey!<div>I feel the need to play a bit of catchup on what has gone on during my break in posting. This little adventure happened just before Thanksgiving. This gives new meaning to "bringing home the turkey". Only this turkey is NOT for Thanksgiving dinner. We just needed to get our Tom and his lady moved to our current home. What better way than to just put them in the car with us?! </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7XMbHnRRXsF18B1stxRmeBjSJERpyR50FbHCVugqfuNUQ-mFN6y97rw9vVOYUu9_rGfXHWt5FhTTGBXACzYzDNJBbTPZUk_RATIwM5jbLvkPM-D6JbAAbLUyyjrYmHosmW4ZR77Zs2BM/s640/blogger-image-2136895524.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7XMbHnRRXsF18B1stxRmeBjSJERpyR50FbHCVugqfuNUQ-mFN6y97rw9vVOYUu9_rGfXHWt5FhTTGBXACzYzDNJBbTPZUk_RATIwM5jbLvkPM-D6JbAAbLUyyjrYmHosmW4ZR77Zs2BM/s640/blogger-image-2136895524.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ_SM6enyn3hMFoI4VL7KWAzlq6ZEgzgvWbAS2akrpSTgMregN5bm89jhq_rba9cz2OU6t8VIooG2PqNIZx8Kb9xkBWb8agCzR8nYxkQPWx5UvynGPeR_DOaBFPnwiWncDbNFUTnkIOAI/s640/blogger-image-9797601.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ_SM6enyn3hMFoI4VL7KWAzlq6ZEgzgvWbAS2akrpSTgMregN5bm89jhq_rba9cz2OU6t8VIooG2PqNIZx8Kb9xkBWb8agCzR8nYxkQPWx5UvynGPeR_DOaBFPnwiWncDbNFUTnkIOAI/s640/blogger-image-9797601.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5WKmYkPvMeqqSP9x4ow24q3vFjbbZFDzvHQbS50ZLA2rwIvna5NsESseVMpmMqtr5PqVb3ffToLl59Y95KkeMoLmM7Z3Gzp51Lad8WMQBfB2LdbFDlKYnsbz7swRyqQJUGRxzCMpROu8/s640/blogger-image-1778862177.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5WKmYkPvMeqqSP9x4ow24q3vFjbbZFDzvHQbS50ZLA2rwIvna5NsESseVMpmMqtr5PqVb3ffToLl59Y95KkeMoLmM7Z3Gzp51Lad8WMQBfB2LdbFDlKYnsbz7swRyqQJUGRxzCMpROu8/s640/blogger-image-1778862177.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidjubtImsqcyfZwDdO1ZHoUceS_OU97bdAwf1th730db4-l4vkKlz-6oHdtcCW1-5OnJqP8swrC7cSJf_CAYWtnEcaHJEJ7KX_x3QgfTtZCNPCqGy7y7hyphenhyphenTURWS0xUpxhFViwzMNo4q2E/s640/blogger-image-1013887826.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidjubtImsqcyfZwDdO1ZHoUceS_OU97bdAwf1th730db4-l4vkKlz-6oHdtcCW1-5OnJqP8swrC7cSJf_CAYWtnEcaHJEJ7KX_x3QgfTtZCNPCqGy7y7hyphenhyphenTURWS0xUpxhFViwzMNo4q2E/s640/blogger-image-1013887826.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Yeah. It was weird. The turkeys thought so, too. I need to point out that turkeys aren't really cuddly creatures. I mean, they do not want to be caught and they certainly don't want to be held. And, they are very strong. Once you have them they do settle down but that does not mean they like it. Somewhere along the road trip Savannah mentioned a warm feeling on the side of her leg. Hmmmm... It seems that nervous lady she was holding had to poo. Fun times! Memories being made folks!!! Great memories! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">So, we got them home and put them in the temporary housing with the chickens. All was well until it kept raining... and raining.... and raining. We soon discovered that our temporary housing location was a bad choice. It's a good thing it was temporary. These birds were wading in water an inch deep part of the time. Over Christmas break we surveyed the land a bit and moved them to higher ground. That is what we got to spend our precious Saturday doing. It was good that we did it then because more ran came... and more rain... and more. Those birds would have been in water three inches deep! They have been enjoying the higher ground. We moved the rabbits nearby, also to get them away from the water. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Now, to fast toward to current days....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">All has been well. All of the chickens, turkeys, and rabbits have been working well in their new location. Suddenly, our dogs have taken an extra interest in them this past week, though. It stems from a couple of the neighbor dogs coming over and discovering all these interesting caged creatures. One if our dogs, Sugar, decided to show off her skills to the others and somehow got our Tom through the cyclone fence dog kennel (the temporary housing). Honestly, I don't know how Tom is still alive. I told Cody he needed to kill him shortly after the incident but we are all quite attached to Tom and Cody would not kill the poor thing. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ZnKJ_2bF8qp2r8z6xKmj34rsT9H3SWLQXqk6M5VjyOaBIsfgoz_JsoFpycYheFFFErgqaql_y4Ff7nrrgn7pMM-6XJcGi6_RJPdxGwsIZo__SX3u4bKO3wBvStRSr6Ml50lS6B9qpEI/s640/blogger-image--1887671840.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ZnKJ_2bF8qp2r8z6xKmj34rsT9H3SWLQXqk6M5VjyOaBIsfgoz_JsoFpycYheFFFErgqaql_y4Ff7nrrgn7pMM-6XJcGi6_RJPdxGwsIZo__SX3u4bKO3wBvStRSr6Ml50lS6B9qpEI/s640/blogger-image--1887671840.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">It's bad! Interestingly, I did not realize until posting this picture that Sugar is in the background. She is awfully proud of herself. Bad dog!! The first night I locked Tom up in the chicken coop and kept him locked up the next day. I was seriously surprised to find him alive the next day. In all honesty I was kind of thinking if he died and he was locked up in the coop we could salvage the bird for meat. Nope! He made it. And, the next day he was still alive. And, the next... Still hanging on. I can not imagine that wound healing but it is just the skin torn back. The parts are all in tact otherwise. Sierra keeps asking if he is dead yet because she wants some turkey. The rest of us are quite happy he is still hanging in. He's our Tom-Tom!!! I honestly think he may pull through. I hope so because we really need him to breed with his lady and give us some little turkey poults to raise and eat. </div></div>Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05682234408333714885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6727075057172177156.post-25845853679668191652015-01-16T04:44:00.001-06:002015-01-16T04:44:56.781-06:00One Burning Cooking Adventures: It Must EndWhile my "one burner cooking adventures" were a good learning experience all "good things" (insert sarcasm) MUST come to an end. Honestly, I wanted to hold out until our other house sells but I just could not take it any longer. Don't get me wrong... there are way worse things to go through in life and I have been through a few, but I was starting to get depressed by the whole situation. Every meal had to be cooked differently and in stages... or eliminated completely. I went five months without cooking spaghetti separately from the sauce. It was time.<div><br></div><div>Still, I did not run out and buy an expensive stove. I have some plans for this little kitchen that could very well include major changes. I shopped around and a "cooktop" in the size we needed varied in price from $450 - $1,000+. I just did not want to spend that. Seriously, I don't even really like to cook! I don't enjoy spending money on a stove. </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQoR-iRO9sU6yVjhL92pYWz8sSFiMKc_M_ouW1tBupjZP7CGze5DyLUvJgMlatx12-mlMAXvtlaLkvlcE6d0Twu4qaDsoN-A6bJMgA0R_nqeWlbc3IHB4J4cAhIZm9-wBzTQAPOYx-xAs/s640/blogger-image-1838158629.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQoR-iRO9sU6yVjhL92pYWz8sSFiMKc_M_ouW1tBupjZP7CGze5DyLUvJgMlatx12-mlMAXvtlaLkvlcE6d0Twu4qaDsoN-A6bJMgA0R_nqeWlbc3IHB4J4cAhIZm9-wBzTQAPOYx-xAs/s640/blogger-image-1838158629.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>I truly stressed about this. I was afraid to order this cooktop and not be certain it would fit properly or hook up properly since this stove is made for installation in other countries. The savings was amazing, though! I decided to take the risk. I made my first ever appliance purchase through eBay! Kind of scary! I mean, who has ever heard of WindMax anyway?!! Yikes! But, here's the deal... yes, "the deal"... That SIX burner stove was $245 and that included insured shipping!!!!!!! I was really sold on the glass top since I know it will be easier to maintain than an enamel top. Most of the lower end stoves sold locally are enamel. I am not wild about the stainless but I am liking it. This is not a top of the line stove, but I did not pay a top of the line price so I am pretty happy about that. It is well made, though. There are a few negatives I would give it in a product review. </div><div> 1. The burners light weird and it does not come with instructions that tell about that. That information can be found online, though. </div><div> 2. The front middle burner is too close to the knobs really.</div><div> 3. It is obvious that the print in the stainless is going to wear off. That won't affect the use of the stove, though. </div><div><br></div><div>Overall, I think it was a great choice for my needs. And, the best part....</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1iTgRiZEqs_mA279ucAVyHdnZV6npetcMWv9UuT9IPAwt9U1nBrPbABn47_9PoiIgrtqGRqfbwd4aeDzz0OgypBH1rz-NMpPOiKo2aE0MQgECxu5tmVwO0ROaAGF3XXXpdzyx-C-A0iI/s640/blogger-image-1524190262.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1iTgRiZEqs_mA279ucAVyHdnZV6npetcMWv9UuT9IPAwt9U1nBrPbABn47_9PoiIgrtqGRqfbwd4aeDzz0OgypBH1rz-NMpPOiKo2aE0MQgECxu5tmVwO0ROaAGF3XXXpdzyx-C-A0iI/s640/blogger-image-1524190262.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>I cooked with more than ONE burner!!!! That means we had pasta that was cooked separately!!! Oh, how I have missed such a simple thing! In all honesty I struggled with trying to cook because my mind is still in "one burner mode". I still only used two burners! Ha! The mixed veggies were leftover from the night before, so I just heated them in the microwave. The bread was store bought and I heated it in the oven. I cooked the pasta on one burner and the chicken and sauce together on another burner. Pardon the disposable styrofoam plate. We had to remove the dishwasher due to it leaking.... Sigh... Hmmmm... I wonder if I can find a bargain dishwasher on eBay... </div>Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05682234408333714885noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6727075057172177156.post-34259258435557712572014-11-21T08:24:00.001-06:002015-01-16T04:03:11.225-06:00Operation Hide The Scissors Was a Total FailAs a mother sometimes we want to make everything happen right. Sometimes no matter how hard we try we can not save the day, though. I have a story to tell of an adventurous three year old and a pair of scissors. Now, the first reaction of many is, "It is just hair and it will grow back" or "This should make you thankful that she is not dying of cancer". These are not the responses I care to hear at the moment. With that said, here's the story:<div><br></div><div>As I was sitting with Sienna one day about a week ago she was happily cutting on some paper with her scissors. When I looked up she had given herself a new set of bangs. My eyes almost popped out of my head as I snapped, "What have you done!?" She and her little scissors took off running... But in this small house I caught up with her quickly in the next room. She was proud of herself... And, really she did not do too bad giving herself bangs. I was not happy but this would be fixable. </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyhyphenhyphenDPo2EgX0Grg__Zi3_gl-obvpYNpr7OOgQRN4zLpk_0eNqZ9inphMz44yElQDe9iNC3b5dPWKqpBh_VGHJ4Ph4eKH7MG71JVVcAsiCYx60ItDiIe6X8ybsvijDyPnV0tLX62NX8ZIk/s640/blogger-image-1399623650.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyhyphenhyphenDPo2EgX0Grg__Zi3_gl-obvpYNpr7OOgQRN4zLpk_0eNqZ9inphMz44yElQDe9iNC3b5dPWKqpBh_VGHJ4Ph4eKH7MG71JVVcAsiCYx60ItDiIe6X8ybsvijDyPnV0tLX62NX8ZIk/s640/blogger-image-1399623650.jpg"></a></div></div><div><br></div><div>I headed off to town while the hubby watched the kids. Bad move! I am so very thankful that I did not get the message that Savannah (13) tried to send me to let me know that Sienna had cut her hair, again. I seriously would have wrecked the car or hyperventilated in public... And, that is not something I want others to see. </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhff2fphmfpM5xo7UMXIaN7NPSTQSiiKnWCw3rOfRWwdc8fW7oUy2yinfgS68sxNdKZ3s_bNRcWkdhrRDSnm2acCvj5c-coRqDAAsiVth1o4CTMt7xiLTn6zeeRDGGWWPmnd8z_VM-qIgs/s640/blogger-image-777672539.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhff2fphmfpM5xo7UMXIaN7NPSTQSiiKnWCw3rOfRWwdc8fW7oUy2yinfgS68sxNdKZ3s_bNRcWkdhrRDSnm2acCvj5c-coRqDAAsiVth1o4CTMt7xiLTn6zeeRDGGWWPmnd8z_VM-qIgs/s640/blogger-image-777672539.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6uOSOHRiZVCPNmxo_LlL5OgfVdG37rQxoqqUZh6Pc396lW9Ss1LmtZSrAq1fIgCkFjNqkkoJCP4nWFSBDu64WUwWnjmL0JUM6tPMtYT9qrBraubidtNkqinWDOyfkb97eQtaH59EIpGo/s640/blogger-image-232702984.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6uOSOHRiZVCPNmxo_LlL5OgfVdG37rQxoqqUZh6Pc396lW9Ss1LmtZSrAq1fIgCkFjNqkkoJCP4nWFSBDu64WUwWnjmL0JUM6tPMtYT9qrBraubidtNkqinWDOyfkb97eQtaH59EIpGo/s640/blogger-image-232702984.jpg"></a></div></div><div><br></div><div>I had no idea what to do with that version of her hairdo. I was trying to let some time pass while I figured it out. A couple of days later I was in the kitchen cleaning up breakfast and Sahara said, "Momma, I can't find Sienna!" Those two are like white on rice so we quickly searched for her. The kids were leading the way with me following and as they turned the corner into the master bathroom they all gasped. They were gasping at the hair ALL over the floor. Sienna was hiding behind a closet curtain. I completely lost it. </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN3XEgkqlfW_NJm36tpXppLWlicJ6vhPBqGc1abJF3m3NVJjtOfKgXvRhu6fHvmqLmD1317oQFDQpkP_vEbhIxScWzbiUfjrosM0BiLqryG28yf5zR9-hKg0abrp5PGkVmI_yTMORpvKo/s640/blogger-image--851083774.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN3XEgkqlfW_NJm36tpXppLWlicJ6vhPBqGc1abJF3m3NVJjtOfKgXvRhu6fHvmqLmD1317oQFDQpkP_vEbhIxScWzbiUfjrosM0BiLqryG28yf5zR9-hKg0abrp5PGkVmI_yTMORpvKo/s640/blogger-image--851083774.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>That tiny little braid is the remaing amount of long hair she has. The rest is a really bad boy cut so, paired with her haphazard lock of hair trailing down her back she now has an 80s style mullet. I cried uncontrollably in the bathroom for 20 minutes. That was a few weeks ago now. I am dealing with it. I learning to work the mullet into the best hairdos I can. I evened some of the bad spots out and some spits are just too bad to even out. I have e perimented with various headbands that are wide enough to hide alot but they end up making her have really messy looking fair when she plays hard... and, she ALWAYS plays hard. I have found that a simple small headband does the best. <div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5HAU7zI954C5kvuKKiAz74YyzuaWtN26EyAj6J_-F68i85Ji54JSD1f_lF9UB6SeqlngwZbxa8Js12GqGqRw47IRSI_QcS1F16dcrpnPlvoUURslCqRT-wbbtNXbUQ6Yn0iaMZECx-ro/s640/blogger-image--1512057639.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5HAU7zI954C5kvuKKiAz74YyzuaWtN26EyAj6J_-F68i85Ji54JSD1f_lF9UB6SeqlngwZbxa8Js12GqGqRw47IRSI_QcS1F16dcrpnPlvoUURslCqRT-wbbtNXbUQ6Yn0iaMZECx-ro/s640/blogger-image--1512057639.jpg"></a></div></div>Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05682234408333714885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6727075057172177156.post-553844859938167392014-11-16T07:58:00.001-06:002014-11-21T08:03:44.241-06:00Secondhand Living and Loving ItWe buy so many things secondhand. It is a necessity for us since we live on a meager income for our family size. Ultimately, God has always provided for us because the numbers would never make sense otherwise. God has given me wisdom in the area of finances and I have seen through the years how he blesses my family. I have learned that <b>waiting</b> is a blessing. Sometimes it is not always a joy to wait when the item seems needed but many times I have seen The Lord bless me more for the sacrifice. Sometimes we want to run out and buy an item when we feel we "need" it. We grow impatient with our wanting. When we stop and ponder if it something we really need or not most of the time it can wait. <div><br></div><div>My most recent example of this is our "new to us" refrigerator. Being that our other home was a turn of the century home we had to have a certain refrigerator to fit. The good news was it was the cheapest type refrigerator you can buy! The bad news is that there were really no frills. But seriously, do we need frills? No, we needed a working fridge that did it's job. And, that is exactly what we had. Years ago my first fridge was one I purchased from a co-worker for $50 and it served me well for several years. When it went out we purchased a truly new one. It lasted many years but when it was time to replace it I bought secondhand. I think I paid $150 for one exactly like I had! This was a huge blessing because ad I said before I had to have a certain size for my space. Meanwhile, I dreamed about one of those with the freezer in the bottom... not at all something I "needed" but I wondered if it might make life easier if my little ones could reach the ice. Well, now we have moved and even though it is a much smaller house we have a little more flexibility on the type of refrigerator we can have since there are not built in cabinets above the fridge area. I began once again to dream if one if those freezer-in-the-bottom style fridges, again. For a little while I was diligently searching for one secondhand but it truly was not a "need" so I decided that <b>waiting</b> was a better option... I certainly would not be buying a used one and paying $1,300 for it. I knew if I waited that God would work it out... and part if that is accepting that the way He works it out sometimes means not getting it at all. Fast forward to now. We have lived in our "new to us" home for three months now and I really had settled into not changing the refrigerator... even though every time you open the door of the fridge it bangs into the kitchen island and creates huge traffic flow issues in the kitchen. Meanwhile, my husband keeps browsing these local for sale by owner Facebook groups and a few nights ago he came across a side by side fridge for $350. I was leery. First of all, I did not want to spend the money I had poked back. Secondly, I needed to take measurements to make sure it would even fit (which I suspected it would not). And lastly, I did not know if it would even solve or help with our traffic flow problem or if the doors would still hit the island. The lady immediately dropped her price to $300 without us even asking her to. We started measuring and thinking it through and decided to buy it. </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJDsA0MLrIC3bc6gInpZhyphenhyphenThxaD2RIVzAnbELGbmEmMhsRPq7esBhrERy1WjiGy6vwBt14fOBJJH5deVC0QM8kVB6PuO4wm0Ui4FFA1dc_eV2ul38TQdi5zy7M_PMoQBGtPR1qaoWMV7M/s640/blogger-image--1601407896.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJDsA0MLrIC3bc6gInpZhyphenhyphenThxaD2RIVzAnbELGbmEmMhsRPq7esBhrERy1WjiGy6vwBt14fOBJJH5deVC0QM8kVB6PuO4wm0Ui4FFA1dc_eV2ul38TQdi5zy7M_PMoQBGtPR1qaoWMV7M/s640/blogger-image--1601407896.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>And, it has all worked out!!!! I should not be so surprised... God always works this stuff out. I did spend that money that was poked back. The fridge did fit (even though it was a challenge to get it in and through doorways). And, it did solve our traffic flow problem and does not hit the island when you open doors. Not only did all that work out I realized that the freezer-in-the-bottom style I had been dreaming of would have had the same problems with the doors hitting the island. God worked us out a much better one. I have found when I sacrifice that he has always blessed me exceedingly above what my desires are. This one allows more fridge space and more freezer space. It has the ice and water in the door and is even filtered water. The water reservoir is in the fridge portion so the water is even chilled when you dispense it! My littles will be able to serve themselves when they are thirsty... and, there is a child lock feature to keep them from serving themselves too often (aka playing with the "magic" water/ice dispensers). This thing is the cadillac of refrigerators. It has a button to "power freeze" when you bring in not so chilled groceries. And, it beeps when the door is open too long. Interestingly, like that fridge I was "dreaming" about it retails for about $1,300. So, <b>waiting</b> got us a better item and saved us $1,000.</div><div><br></div><div>Many people will never understand it (and that is okay), but we are <b>secondhand</b> <b>living</b> and <b>loving</b> it. </div><div><br></div>Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05682234408333714885noreply@blogger.com0