Monday, December 1, 2014
Thank God for Coffee Shops
Some days are out of the ordinary here at the Frost Farm. One particular day last week was one of those days. The reason? Freezing rain. Call me over-protective, but this mama does not like the mixture of freezing rain and young drivers. Especially when the young driver is my daughter. It was on this day when the combo of bad weather and appointments away from home came together and created a day to remember. My daughter was scheduled to work that evening, we had piano lessons during the day, I had an appointment with a graphic designer, we had an evening appointment with friends to go to pizza and a basket ball game and I had emails to send and phone calls to make for an upcoming event that I am in charge of planning. On a normal day we would all have gone our separate ways and landed back at home by evening. But not this day. There was freezing rain.
Freezing rain meant dangerous road conditions so a plan had to emerge that would keep everyone safe. I also had a boy I was babysitting for the week and his school was canceled so it added an extra child to the mix. On top of that, the heater was not working in my van so the only option for transportation was my daughters old Cadillac. Fortunately it's a big one and has seat belts for six. Need I say more about the Cadi? So this mama did what any good mother would do. I decided that we would spend the day together with me as the driver. We all loaded into the Cadi at 9:30 a.m. and heading to the Walla Walla Roastery.
At the Roastery I met with the graphic designer to design posters and flyers for the upcoming event. I entered with five kids in tow. After two hours we had one cool poster and five hungry kids. We left the coffee shop for Taco Bell where we all ate gut-wrenching tacos and burritos for the low cost of $20. We then got a call from the piano teacher saying she'd have to postpone the lessons for a doctor's appointment. This was fine since one of the kids didn't get enough practices in and was relieved not to have to face the teacher unprepared.
I intended to visit my mother and check on her wellbeing, but she was ill and in need of a nap and rest. We then went to Macy to purchase a pair of boots for one of the said children in tow. After an hour and half we emerged with one pair of boots and one happy child; four other, not-as-happy children. It was about 3:30 by then and we had an appointment at 6:00pm to meet some friends for pizza at a pizza place across from Macy's. What to do?
I didn't want to drive home only to have to head back out an hour later. I didn't have a lot of money, so we couldn't go do something "fun". The roads were bad, so driving was a bit dicey. I opted to haul the five children into a large coffee shop across from the pizza place and wait it out until the 6pm appointment. Thank God for coffee shops. It's the only place one can go and get free internet and a comfy place to crash for under five dollars.
I did, however, purchase drinks for myself and any kids who wanted one. I felt that it was only fair since my intention was to be there for at least two hours. The daughter that needed to work that night works at the pizza place so the coffee shop put us in close proximity; she left us around 4:30 to go to work and the rest of us clicked away on our electronic devices.
The boy? Well he did real good through all this. No complaining. He did, however, consume way too much caffeine and sugar throughout the day and ended up on the floor under my table. It actually sounds worst than it was. His ipad ran out of battery and he had to plug into the wall with a short cord, thus the horizontal position under the table.
I made my phone calls and sent my emails and at 5:45 we headed across the street to the pizza place. Our friends were already there and we were ready for some pizza and good conversation. An hour spent at the restaurant, we now loaded up and headed to Whitman University where we watched a great basketball game. The game ended right around the time my daughter got out of work. We picked her up and crawled through the icy streets of Walla Walla back to our home in the country. Arrival time; 10:00pm.
It was a tiring day. Things didn't go as planned, but I was blessed all the same. My family was safe and I was grateful. Mission accomplished. But one other things stuck out to me at the end of that day. We were together all day in cramped, sometimes uncomfortable, conditions and no one fussed or fought. No one complained. No one was jealous that only one child got boots. No one complained about Taco Bell, but me. No one complained about sitting for hours in coffee shops, first waiting on me and then just waiting for time to go by. NO ONE COMPLAINED!
I was amazed and grateful to have such wonderful children. We were together, they were content.
Until next time...
Tuesday, November 11, 2014
Gnomes and Fairies
I grew up in California. I was born in Lodi, lived in Vallejo and then we moved to Napa where we lived for ten years. When I was 12 we moved to Ukiah, Ca. in the beautiful Mendocino county. Mendocino county is the hippy capitol of Ca. And I'm not talking about the Silicone Valley hippy with their wool socks, Birkenstocks, and over-priced Priuses. I'm talking about the true hippies. The earth dwellers. The lovers of pine needles, moss and ferns. The kind of people who lived off grid before it was en-vogue. The ones who exited society to live without rules or social responsibility. These are the type of hippies that I brushed shoulders with during my formative years and I'm mildly amused by how much I've been affected by them.
When I was a child and we lived in Napa, we would go to the Odd Fellows Campground on the Russian River. The drive took us over the mountains and into the coastal valley near Mendocino County. The road there was narrow and winding and I often spent the first hour upon arrival overcoming carsickness. But it was worth it.
While in the car, I spent the whole time with my face plastered to the window watching for the Gnomes and Fairies. That's what I called them anyway. I called them Gnomes and Fairies because I knew they were there, but I never got to see them; only the evidence of them. An old VW van here, a small yurt there. My favorites were the old school buses painted all different colors; some with curtains; most with stove pipes. I knew they were there, but my eyes never caught the occupants of these strange abodes. Their homes reminded me of mushrooms (especially the yurts) popping up under the canopy of the Redwoods, sharing the fern-strewn ground with the other inhabitants of the forest.
I was never turned off by the simplicity of the estates. Nor did it ever occur to me how dirty, or un-kept or primitive their existence was. I don't know if it was the odd placement of the dwellings, the lazy list of the smoke from the smokestacks, or the strange absence of the people that lived in them; but something about them pulled upon my melancholy heart and left me feeling as though I was observing something profound without knowing what.
As a child I would wish for the ride to be longer, hoping never to leave the feeling of mystery and illusiveness. Who were these people? Where did they come from and how did they have the courage to live like that? I'm not sure why I thought it courageous. I just know that at the time I felt that they had something that I did not have. They were free.
After arriving at our destination I would spend the time it took to set up camp recalling the details of each homestead like flipping through mental photographs. Some places were more inviting to my imagination and I'd rehears everything I could remember, imagining what it would be like to live there. What was it about that life that so captivated me. Was it the Redwoods? Was it the ferns and mist and dripping foliage? Was it the place or the people?
As an adult I've asked myself that question many times. I think, in part, it's the wonder of a child's mind that is un-cluttered by the cares of this world. But when I really contemplate the experience, I realize that what drew me to the coastal "Gnomes and Fairies" was the idea that one could live free without the weight of structure and responsibility. Even as a child I knew the weight of structure. My slightly Obsessive Compulsive, control- freak, mind longed to be free of the confines of itself. I can see now that if I could have put into word the feeling that I had as a child I would have said, " How wonderful that those people can live out here away from those who would tell them they had to be a certain way. How glorious it must feel to have no one expect anything from you. To be free and at ease and find joy in what is simple and quiet and pleasant."
As I contemplate that, I have to wonder if the longing in my heart as a child was not really for the lifestyle of the hippies; but perhaps was for freedom itself. As we grow up we become aware and awareness is such a burden. Even to a small mind, the weight of knowledge was more than I wanted. I was a spectator, even then, looking in to an ideal that I had already lost.
The Bible says that whom the Son sets free is free indeed. I wonder if we are not, perhaps, more free that we realize. The Bible says that we are to become like children in order to please God. I wish that I was that child again. The one that existed before the longing. I know we can't run from responsibility. We can't hide from the world around us. The world needs us too much for us to hide. But I do think that God longs for us to walk in that simple kind of freedom where knowledge has not stolen joy and pride has not smothered innocence.
If we ever find ourselves longing to escape perhaps we should ask ourselves what we are indeed escaping from. Could it be the very things we want to escape are cages of our own making? Could it be that less is required of us than we realize? Could it be that God intends for us to live at peace and ease? Could it be that the feeling I had on that road to the river was not a fairytale but a whisper of The Maker of my soul inviting me to live, in essence, as He had designed me to live?
Perhaps those moments as a child were, "Taste and see that I am good", moments. Maybe God gave them to me so that now, as an adult, I could remember, and find my way back home.
Until next time...
When I was a child and we lived in Napa, we would go to the Odd Fellows Campground on the Russian River. The drive took us over the mountains and into the coastal valley near Mendocino County. The road there was narrow and winding and I often spent the first hour upon arrival overcoming carsickness. But it was worth it.
While in the car, I spent the whole time with my face plastered to the window watching for the Gnomes and Fairies. That's what I called them anyway. I called them Gnomes and Fairies because I knew they were there, but I never got to see them; only the evidence of them. An old VW van here, a small yurt there. My favorites were the old school buses painted all different colors; some with curtains; most with stove pipes. I knew they were there, but my eyes never caught the occupants of these strange abodes. Their homes reminded me of mushrooms (especially the yurts) popping up under the canopy of the Redwoods, sharing the fern-strewn ground with the other inhabitants of the forest.
I was never turned off by the simplicity of the estates. Nor did it ever occur to me how dirty, or un-kept or primitive their existence was. I don't know if it was the odd placement of the dwellings, the lazy list of the smoke from the smokestacks, or the strange absence of the people that lived in them; but something about them pulled upon my melancholy heart and left me feeling as though I was observing something profound without knowing what.
As a child I would wish for the ride to be longer, hoping never to leave the feeling of mystery and illusiveness. Who were these people? Where did they come from and how did they have the courage to live like that? I'm not sure why I thought it courageous. I just know that at the time I felt that they had something that I did not have. They were free.
After arriving at our destination I would spend the time it took to set up camp recalling the details of each homestead like flipping through mental photographs. Some places were more inviting to my imagination and I'd rehears everything I could remember, imagining what it would be like to live there. What was it about that life that so captivated me. Was it the Redwoods? Was it the ferns and mist and dripping foliage? Was it the place or the people?
As an adult I've asked myself that question many times. I think, in part, it's the wonder of a child's mind that is un-cluttered by the cares of this world. But when I really contemplate the experience, I realize that what drew me to the coastal "Gnomes and Fairies" was the idea that one could live free without the weight of structure and responsibility. Even as a child I knew the weight of structure. My slightly Obsessive Compulsive, control- freak, mind longed to be free of the confines of itself. I can see now that if I could have put into word the feeling that I had as a child I would have said, " How wonderful that those people can live out here away from those who would tell them they had to be a certain way. How glorious it must feel to have no one expect anything from you. To be free and at ease and find joy in what is simple and quiet and pleasant."
As I contemplate that, I have to wonder if the longing in my heart as a child was not really for the lifestyle of the hippies; but perhaps was for freedom itself. As we grow up we become aware and awareness is such a burden. Even to a small mind, the weight of knowledge was more than I wanted. I was a spectator, even then, looking in to an ideal that I had already lost.
The Bible says that whom the Son sets free is free indeed. I wonder if we are not, perhaps, more free that we realize. The Bible says that we are to become like children in order to please God. I wish that I was that child again. The one that existed before the longing. I know we can't run from responsibility. We can't hide from the world around us. The world needs us too much for us to hide. But I do think that God longs for us to walk in that simple kind of freedom where knowledge has not stolen joy and pride has not smothered innocence.
If we ever find ourselves longing to escape perhaps we should ask ourselves what we are indeed escaping from. Could it be the very things we want to escape are cages of our own making? Could it be that less is required of us than we realize? Could it be that God intends for us to live at peace and ease? Could it be that the feeling I had on that road to the river was not a fairytale but a whisper of The Maker of my soul inviting me to live, in essence, as He had designed me to live?
Perhaps those moments as a child were, "Taste and see that I am good", moments. Maybe God gave them to me so that now, as an adult, I could remember, and find my way back home.
Until next time...
Friday, November 7, 2014
Just Make Pancakes
Sometimes in life, the best answer is pancakes. When it's late and you're tired and don't feel like cooking dinner; resort to pancakes. I'm not sure why making pancakes feels less like making dinner, but it does, and if someone complains about the lack of protein then hand them a jar of crunchy peanut butter. Crunchy because the chunks require chewing and that will give the illusion of meat; or something like that. It works, try it.
I rely on this method at least once a week. Thursdays are our "In-Town" days. We attend piano lessons, babysit for MOPS and visit my parents. We also do the grocery shopping, pick up dry cleaning, and visit Goodwill for any off- the- rack deals. Thursdays are also the days I do errands for the church and coffee or lunch dates with friends; all with the girls in tow.
It was at the end of one of those days that pancakes for dinner entered my possibilities list. My weak attempt at a dinner turned in to one of the most special, planned meals of our week.
When the girls were younger "In Town" day was a much more tiring day than it is now. I had four daughters in five years and once they were all born it required great skill and technique to make it through Walmart in less than an hour. I always put the toddler in the seat in the cart. The infant was left in the car seat and placed in the basket. The other two toddlers walked next to the cart on the same side and were required to hold on to the cart. A second basket was pulled behind me for the groceries since the first one was full of children.
If I had a dollar for every time that I said, "Hands on cart. " I would be a millionaire. Once they were all walking age, staying on the same side of the cart was a challenge, but I explained to the girls that if we walked with two girls on one side and two girls on the other we would take up the whole aisle and then no one would be able to get around us. And, since people are precious, then we ought to consider others before ourselves and not take up more of our share of space. They seemed to understand and never complained.
I had them trained so well that to this day if they are walking next to me they will still walk with one hand on the cart. It's not necessary now, but it's comfortable. They're grown and can maneuver through Walmart without getting lost, getting stepped on, or causing someone else inconvenience, but, the rule was consistent and had meaning; the habit formed; and now the memory is a fond.
It's like our spiritual disciplines. Prayer, giving, fasting, Bible reading, and fellowship. If the "rule" is understood and we are consistent, a habit will form and it will be a fond part of our lives. Ever comforting us. Ever changing us. The result will be that we won't get lost in the aisles of life. We won't get hurt as badly by others and we in turn will not hurt others. And, since people are indeed precious we will develop the ability to put others before ourselves and we will truly find peace.
I don't suppose that it matters any more, the rule about the cart; it's outlived it's usefulness. But there are so many other valuable God-lessons that I've taught my girls over the years, and I pray that they will never outlive their usefulness.
Like I said. Next time just make pancakes.
Until next time...
I rely on this method at least once a week. Thursdays are our "In-Town" days. We attend piano lessons, babysit for MOPS and visit my parents. We also do the grocery shopping, pick up dry cleaning, and visit Goodwill for any off- the- rack deals. Thursdays are also the days I do errands for the church and coffee or lunch dates with friends; all with the girls in tow.
It was at the end of one of those days that pancakes for dinner entered my possibilities list. My weak attempt at a dinner turned in to one of the most special, planned meals of our week.
When the girls were younger "In Town" day was a much more tiring day than it is now. I had four daughters in five years and once they were all born it required great skill and technique to make it through Walmart in less than an hour. I always put the toddler in the seat in the cart. The infant was left in the car seat and placed in the basket. The other two toddlers walked next to the cart on the same side and were required to hold on to the cart. A second basket was pulled behind me for the groceries since the first one was full of children.
If I had a dollar for every time that I said, "Hands on cart. " I would be a millionaire. Once they were all walking age, staying on the same side of the cart was a challenge, but I explained to the girls that if we walked with two girls on one side and two girls on the other we would take up the whole aisle and then no one would be able to get around us. And, since people are precious, then we ought to consider others before ourselves and not take up more of our share of space. They seemed to understand and never complained.
I had them trained so well that to this day if they are walking next to me they will still walk with one hand on the cart. It's not necessary now, but it's comfortable. They're grown and can maneuver through Walmart without getting lost, getting stepped on, or causing someone else inconvenience, but, the rule was consistent and had meaning; the habit formed; and now the memory is a fond.
It's like our spiritual disciplines. Prayer, giving, fasting, Bible reading, and fellowship. If the "rule" is understood and we are consistent, a habit will form and it will be a fond part of our lives. Ever comforting us. Ever changing us. The result will be that we won't get lost in the aisles of life. We won't get hurt as badly by others and we in turn will not hurt others. And, since people are indeed precious we will develop the ability to put others before ourselves and we will truly find peace.
I don't suppose that it matters any more, the rule about the cart; it's outlived it's usefulness. But there are so many other valuable God-lessons that I've taught my girls over the years, and I pray that they will never outlive their usefulness.
Like I said. Next time just make pancakes.
Until next time...
Tuesday, November 4, 2014
There and back again.
It's been several months since I posted on my blog. Life got busy and the blog lost it's importance. Now that fall has come and things have slowed down and taken form, I find that my evenings are less chaotic and more conducive to blogging. That, and a friend encouraged me to blog again because she actually read it and liked it. Imagine that!
So here I am again, pounding the keys and wondering how to return to something that I had abandon. I suppose that some things do not require any pomp and can begin with the same momentum with which they ceased.
For those who have read my previous blogs, my husband is doing really well with his Parkinson's. The doctors put him on a new medication, and the tremors have stopped completely. The only time one sees the affect of the disease is in the morning, before the first dose. I wish I could say that my efforts in a good diet and healthy living had made the difference, but it did not. If a person suffers from discomfort or disease I think the natural approach is the first to consider, however, some times it is not the last thing that should be considered.
If you are like me, you would like for all that God created to hold the answers for our every need. You would hope that you could find answers to ailments naturally and without side effects. I suppose that when God first created things that reality would hold merit, but things have digressed and we owe it to ourselves, sometimes, to explore unfriendly territory to find answers that will raise our quality of life for the present.
I know it says in the Bible that God has numbered our days. I don't believe that I can do anything to add to the length of time that God has allotted me, but I do think that it is up to me to determine how I will spend those days, and it's that challenge that keeps folk like me searching for answers in the health food aisle; answers to health and vitality. Food, supplements, and salves can work their miracle on countless discomforts, but none of them can remove the impending thought that we are all going to die. We can do our best to live good, happy, healthy, lives, but no effort on our part will remove the final outcome; death. I think it's this realization that helps me keep balanced with my approach to healthy living. There is no food, no drink, no ointment that will remove this fact from our lives and to embrace that is the beginning of peace.
Death, for the Children of God, is not the end, it is the beginning. It's the call home. It is the beginning of the long anticipated reward. Death holds no fear or dread for the one who's name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life. God may give wisdom to His people to make our journey more pleasant, but He has no intent of making the journey longer than He wants it to be for each of His children.
I don't take death lightly, in fact, I ascribe to it the proper awe and reverence that it deserves. Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, "He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end." And, "Psalm 116:15 15 Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his faithful servants."
These passages don't mean that God loves death, but that He honors it as a right of passage into the Rest that He has provided for us. He holds our lives and death as an honor unto His name. What an amazing thought!
As I come back to this blog and my audience of two, LOL, I just want to say that no matter how hard we try to do everything right in the area of healthy living, we will eventually succumb to the inevitable. Let that thought not keep you from your Paleo cookies and organic produce, but let it give you the freedom to administer your "prescriptions" with an air of ease and joy; knowing your limits, and leaving the rest in the hands of Him who loves you so very much.
Until next time...
So here I am again, pounding the keys and wondering how to return to something that I had abandon. I suppose that some things do not require any pomp and can begin with the same momentum with which they ceased.
For those who have read my previous blogs, my husband is doing really well with his Parkinson's. The doctors put him on a new medication, and the tremors have stopped completely. The only time one sees the affect of the disease is in the morning, before the first dose. I wish I could say that my efforts in a good diet and healthy living had made the difference, but it did not. If a person suffers from discomfort or disease I think the natural approach is the first to consider, however, some times it is not the last thing that should be considered.
If you are like me, you would like for all that God created to hold the answers for our every need. You would hope that you could find answers to ailments naturally and without side effects. I suppose that when God first created things that reality would hold merit, but things have digressed and we owe it to ourselves, sometimes, to explore unfriendly territory to find answers that will raise our quality of life for the present.
I know it says in the Bible that God has numbered our days. I don't believe that I can do anything to add to the length of time that God has allotted me, but I do think that it is up to me to determine how I will spend those days, and it's that challenge that keeps folk like me searching for answers in the health food aisle; answers to health and vitality. Food, supplements, and salves can work their miracle on countless discomforts, but none of them can remove the impending thought that we are all going to die. We can do our best to live good, happy, healthy, lives, but no effort on our part will remove the final outcome; death. I think it's this realization that helps me keep balanced with my approach to healthy living. There is no food, no drink, no ointment that will remove this fact from our lives and to embrace that is the beginning of peace.
Death, for the Children of God, is not the end, it is the beginning. It's the call home. It is the beginning of the long anticipated reward. Death holds no fear or dread for the one who's name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life. God may give wisdom to His people to make our journey more pleasant, but He has no intent of making the journey longer than He wants it to be for each of His children.
I don't take death lightly, in fact, I ascribe to it the proper awe and reverence that it deserves. Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, "He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end." And, "Psalm 116:15 15 Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his faithful servants."
These passages don't mean that God loves death, but that He honors it as a right of passage into the Rest that He has provided for us. He holds our lives and death as an honor unto His name. What an amazing thought!
As I come back to this blog and my audience of two, LOL, I just want to say that no matter how hard we try to do everything right in the area of healthy living, we will eventually succumb to the inevitable. Let that thought not keep you from your Paleo cookies and organic produce, but let it give you the freedom to administer your "prescriptions" with an air of ease and joy; knowing your limits, and leaving the rest in the hands of Him who loves you so very much.
Until next time...
Saturday, March 22, 2014
March, 22, 2014
Came across this recipe online and thought I'd share it:
Came across this recipe online and thought I'd share it:
Homemade Deodorant Recipe using Coconut Oil
(this post contains affiliate links)- 1/3 cup coconut oil (where to buy it)
- 1/4 cup baking soda
- 1/4 cup arrowroot powder (where to buy it)
- 4 tablespoons cornstarch (this will add an antiperspirant effect to the deodorant.)
- (Optional) essential oils–try tea tree, sweet orange, lavender, frankincense, etc. (my favorite essential oils)
How to make:
- Mix baking soda, cornstarch, and arrowroot powder in a bowl.
- Add coconut oil and use a fork or pastry cutter to blend into the dry ingredients.
- Add 5-10 drops of your chosen essential oil (I used tea tree oil).
- Add more coconut oil or baking soda to achieve your desired consistency.
- Viola! Now you have easy-peasy, good-for-you, all-natural deodorant!
Other Notes:
- This recipe uses coconut oil which will liquefy at 76 degrees (it will remain solid at any temp under 76 degrees). I live in Florida and this deodorant stays a paste-like consistency in my bathroom. However, my husband uses the bathroom upstairs and at times, it turns into a thick liquid-y consistency. He doesn’t find it a problem, though. He just dabs his finger into it, messages it into his underarms, and then rinses his hands afterward.
- I’ve heard of people putting their homemade deodorants in cleaned-out store-bought deodorant containers but it didn’t work for me. My DIY deodorant leaked out the bottom of the container and was a gooey mess.
- Instead, I store this coconut oil deodorant in a small glass jar and I keep it in my medicine cabinet.
- To apply, I take a small amount and rub it together with my hands to soften and then rub it into my underarms like a lotion.
- Me and my husband both use this deodorant and absolutely love it. We’d never switch back to store-bought. You really must give it a try.
March 22, 2014
I'm back! I doubt I have any followers now since I left everyone hanging for so long. I have been without internet for two months and blogging was not possible. However, I really don't mind if I don't have a following. I blog more for my own amusement.
This week we had two sets of twin kids born to our two Alpine does. They are doing great and so are the mamas. I will have lots of milk in a month. I'll have to get busy learning how to make more cheeses and yogurt. I have never successfully made goat yogurt. Time to bring in the professionals.
I am almost finished with the quilt that I've been working on. It looks real cute, but I am ready for a smaller project.
We have been doing good with our healthy eating project, but some old habits have crept back in. I find it hard to have the time to make EVERYTHING from scratch, so we have to opt for store-bought on some things. We had eggs with ham and whole wheat bagels for breakfast. Sandwiches for lunch and spaghetti for dinner. All good foods, but lacking the "clean" ingredient. I think it's something I will have to constantly adjust and readjust.
We have a friend here from Council Id. that has been helping us insulate the upstairs. He's been here since Wed. It looks like he's got Morgan's room done and ready for tape and texture. It's a tough job because everything is crooked up there. I don't think they had the same tools we have in 1904. But I am soooo glad that it is getting done. It's a huge job!
We're still having to light fires in the stove at night, but the day warms after lunch so we don't keep it going.
We will leave after church tomorrow to take Dave back to Council and visit the Carters. Otis and Jo are taking my puppies to Biggs Junction to meet their new owners. It's nice having family so close.
I'm back! I doubt I have any followers now since I left everyone hanging for so long. I have been without internet for two months and blogging was not possible. However, I really don't mind if I don't have a following. I blog more for my own amusement.
This week we had two sets of twin kids born to our two Alpine does. They are doing great and so are the mamas. I will have lots of milk in a month. I'll have to get busy learning how to make more cheeses and yogurt. I have never successfully made goat yogurt. Time to bring in the professionals.
I am almost finished with the quilt that I've been working on. It looks real cute, but I am ready for a smaller project.
We have been doing good with our healthy eating project, but some old habits have crept back in. I find it hard to have the time to make EVERYTHING from scratch, so we have to opt for store-bought on some things. We had eggs with ham and whole wheat bagels for breakfast. Sandwiches for lunch and spaghetti for dinner. All good foods, but lacking the "clean" ingredient. I think it's something I will have to constantly adjust and readjust.
We have a friend here from Council Id. that has been helping us insulate the upstairs. He's been here since Wed. It looks like he's got Morgan's room done and ready for tape and texture. It's a tough job because everything is crooked up there. I don't think they had the same tools we have in 1904. But I am soooo glad that it is getting done. It's a huge job!
We're still having to light fires in the stove at night, but the day warms after lunch so we don't keep it going.
We will leave after church tomorrow to take Dave back to Council and visit the Carters. Otis and Jo are taking my puppies to Biggs Junction to meet their new owners. It's nice having family so close.
Friday, February 21, 2014
Feb. 21, 2014
I think I should open an clothing store that's called, "TRUE PIECE." This store would have a disclaimer to sign when entering that would give permission for the sales girls to speak the truth. The motto would be "If it don't look good we won't sell it to you" or maybe, "Life's too short to be lied to, we'll help you truly look your best." See, there's one thing that really bothers me when shopping at the mall, and that's to watch a sales clerk sell an article of clothing, or whole outfit to a woman when the outfit does everything but flatter. What a crime! I don't care how a person is built, not everything was meant for everyone. The best body in Hollywood has to be selective about what it wears because we all just don't look good in the same things.
A real friend will be honest about what we try on. A true friend wants me to look my best. A true friend would never encourage me to buy something that looked awful. Therefore, the sales girl is not my friend. She Ohhhs and Ahhhs and says, "that looks great" when it really doesn't.
At my store we would tell the truth, in love, but we would tell the truth. It would be our biggest delight to truly make a person look like a million bucks. And why? Because we would care. We would have the guts to say, "Hmmm...not a good color, let's try purple. See that, look how that brings out your green eyes and makes the red in your hair pop" Or we might say, "Let's try a bigger size. If the fabric is loose it will be more comfortable and it has a slimming affect through the waist and hips, no muffin top!"
I think it would take some getting used to for some people. The honest thing. But I think they'd come back for more. I think they'd see a picture of themselves that their husband snaps and posts on FB and say, "wow, I look nice." Instead of, "Oh my Goodness!! I can't believe I thought that looked good!"
In my store we would love every body type and shape and we would work toward helping our customer love their bodies too. In my store we would be honest and that honesty would revolutionize the fashion world.
just sayin'.....
until next time...
I think I should open an clothing store that's called, "TRUE PIECE." This store would have a disclaimer to sign when entering that would give permission for the sales girls to speak the truth. The motto would be "If it don't look good we won't sell it to you" or maybe, "Life's too short to be lied to, we'll help you truly look your best." See, there's one thing that really bothers me when shopping at the mall, and that's to watch a sales clerk sell an article of clothing, or whole outfit to a woman when the outfit does everything but flatter. What a crime! I don't care how a person is built, not everything was meant for everyone. The best body in Hollywood has to be selective about what it wears because we all just don't look good in the same things.
A real friend will be honest about what we try on. A true friend wants me to look my best. A true friend would never encourage me to buy something that looked awful. Therefore, the sales girl is not my friend. She Ohhhs and Ahhhs and says, "that looks great" when it really doesn't.
At my store we would tell the truth, in love, but we would tell the truth. It would be our biggest delight to truly make a person look like a million bucks. And why? Because we would care. We would have the guts to say, "Hmmm...not a good color, let's try purple. See that, look how that brings out your green eyes and makes the red in your hair pop" Or we might say, "Let's try a bigger size. If the fabric is loose it will be more comfortable and it has a slimming affect through the waist and hips, no muffin top!"
I think it would take some getting used to for some people. The honest thing. But I think they'd come back for more. I think they'd see a picture of themselves that their husband snaps and posts on FB and say, "wow, I look nice." Instead of, "Oh my Goodness!! I can't believe I thought that looked good!"
In my store we would love every body type and shape and we would work toward helping our customer love their bodies too. In my store we would be honest and that honesty would revolutionize the fashion world.
just sayin'.....
until next time...
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
Feb. 11, 2014
I spent the day on the computer. I needed to catch up on emails and facebook comments. Still haven't responded to all the emails, but I'll get there. It's after nine and I an tired. I did bake two loaves of bread today. They turned out nice. I made hot cereal for breakfast and then sent my hubby to work with a brown bag full of goodies; salad, nuts, raisins, rice crackers, goat cheese, and an apple. I rode my bike for 15 miles and then planked for several minutes. If you don't know what planking is...well it's an exercise. Then I made lunch for the kids, did four loads of laundry, filed my taxes on Tax Act, and milked my goat.
I put a nice roast and potatoes in a crock pot for dinner, but at 6 the meat was still raw so I sent the kids to town for two $5 pizzas. I know, I know, not good for them. I didn't eat it. I made a double batch of Tapioca pudding and ate half of it. That would be 2 1/2 cups of tapioca pudding, yum. Of course it's made with goat milk so the kids won't touch it. That means I get to eat the other half tomorrow. :)
Pizza is definitely a part of the whole foods lifestyle. It is a whole lot of food in just one slice. some days are just like that and it does everyone good to just eat pizza. And none of this spinach stuff, peperoni with extra cheese. Pizza Pizza.
Until next time...
I spent the day on the computer. I needed to catch up on emails and facebook comments. Still haven't responded to all the emails, but I'll get there. It's after nine and I an tired. I did bake two loaves of bread today. They turned out nice. I made hot cereal for breakfast and then sent my hubby to work with a brown bag full of goodies; salad, nuts, raisins, rice crackers, goat cheese, and an apple. I rode my bike for 15 miles and then planked for several minutes. If you don't know what planking is...well it's an exercise. Then I made lunch for the kids, did four loads of laundry, filed my taxes on Tax Act, and milked my goat.
I put a nice roast and potatoes in a crock pot for dinner, but at 6 the meat was still raw so I sent the kids to town for two $5 pizzas. I know, I know, not good for them. I didn't eat it. I made a double batch of Tapioca pudding and ate half of it. That would be 2 1/2 cups of tapioca pudding, yum. Of course it's made with goat milk so the kids won't touch it. That means I get to eat the other half tomorrow. :)
Pizza is definitely a part of the whole foods lifestyle. It is a whole lot of food in just one slice. some days are just like that and it does everyone good to just eat pizza. And none of this spinach stuff, peperoni with extra cheese. Pizza Pizza.
Until next time...
Thursday, February 6, 2014
Jan. 6, 2014
I just spent three day in Leavenworth Wa. with my husband Owen. We went away for our 20th year wedding anniversary. We had a wonderful time. We enjoyed cross-country skiing and window shopping in the Bavarian tourist trap. We're not afraid to call it what it is, and we don't mind admitting that we occasionally enjoy the well- marketed places of the world.
However, being there among the trees and the snow made us long to be home. Why? Because home is such a great place! We have so much fun on our farm with friends and family, that we're satisfied and content with the adventures that home- life presents.
We talked most of the way to Leavenworth about our garden, organic gardening, chickens, the chicken house, where to house the pigs this spring and whether or not to keep the milk cow.
We decided that a milk cow was a must because we're serious about clean milk and I couldn't convince Owen that he would enjoy goat milk once he got used to it. Our current Jersey milk cow, however, is not satisfactory, even though she's very sweet and an easy handler. Her milk doesn't have the fat content that we would like. There's never enough cream at the top of the jar for butter. Last summer we sold a milk cow that had great milk fat but she had the nasty habit of laying her bag in mud. This made cleaning her before milking a big and nasty chore. We've gone through three Jersey cows in the 18 months that we have been here. I'm sure that we will eventually find the perfect one.
In the meantime, my three does have kept me in milk year round. I have made butter with the goat milk, and cheese, but we seem to use it up too fast for very much of that. Right now I'm only milking one. My two Alpines will kid this spring and then I'll have lots of surplus milk, perfect for butter and cheese. I hope to grow the herd to five-seven milking does. That way I can stagger the kidding and have fresh does year round with milk aplenty to share with friends.
One topic we returned to several times over the three days of vacation was that of the root cellar. We even spent several hours on the computer in the motel room reading up on it and making plans for the one we own. Root cellars are all but a thing of the past, but as more people; like ourselves, want off the marry-go-round of our current culture, the idea of a root cellar becomes more endearing.
Our farm consists of a large white farm house, a root cellar, a large chicken house and a small cabin/stable that sits right behind the house. The cabin probably housed the original family and their horse while they built the rest of the buildings. All these structures were built in 1904-05 and still hold much of their original grandeur, especially the house. There's also a large red barn that was built later and housed hogs and a "shop" or outbuilding that's also red in color. I wish I knew the whole story on the place. I imagine that the original homestead had a barn, but I don't know if the current two-story barn that sits on the place is original.
But, back to the root cellar. When we looked at the place before we bought it I remember the excitement I felt when I realized the little building with the funny, thick, door was a root cellar! I was so stoked. 18 years of talking about living on a farm and enjoying a "simpler" lifestyle and a root cellar was always a part of the dream. I figured we would build one when we finally got out in the country, so you can imagine the thrill when I opened the old sawdust-filled door and descended three steps into a brick lined root cellar complete with a hundred year old potato box and a few quart jars scattered on old wooden shelves. It makes me tear up to think of it.
No one but God could have known how badly I wanted a root cellar and only He would have known that the brick lined walls and wooden potato box were to me a treasure better than gold. It was a very spiritual moment. You know, those moments; like a breath of frigid air, when you know that God is so real and that He loves you dearly. I think that God will have fun with my mansion in heaven. It won't be full of gold and diamonds, but pottery and plants and a few really beautiful quilts. Natural things and old things. Yep, that's me. No foo foo shoo shoo, just simple and elegant, naturally elegant.
Anyway, back to my root cellar. It's in great shape, but needs some new mortar a good vacuuming and it will be ready to go. From what I've read, late fall is the best time to start filling it and I hope to store six months of provisions by the first freeze. Of course a root cellar is for root produce, but can be a great place to store canned goods to. The idea is to "put up" enough foods during the summer and fall months to get you through until summer when food is growing aplenty again. Yes, you can just buy it at the store, but how much more rewarding to know that a good summer's time of work can last the cold days of winter. I think it especially useful if one wants to know what is in the food that one eats. If one grows it, cans it, and puts it away, then one can eat with confidence. It's also much cheaper but is a trade of time for money.
I do not presume to think I will, in fact, grow every thing that I "put up", but I will have the advantage of hand- selecting the produce and using recipes that ensure health.
I love the term "put up" because it comes from a dear friend of mine, Sharon Carter, who lives in much of the way that I aspire to live. She uses the phrase "put up" when referring to her many jars of preserves, peaches, and pickled goods. Whenever I use it I think of her. That's one of the wonderful things about learning and developing homemaking skills, I get to meet so many wonderful women and their influence in my life is remembered every time I use one of their techniques. What a privilege to be surrounded by such a cloud of remarkable women of God! Every task I endeavor to do reflects the teacher it came from.
One thing I read is that it's important to know the temperature and humidity levels of the cellar. The reason for this is that certain foods store better under certain conditions. Once the temp and humidity of the cellar is established then I will have a better idea as to which foods to plan to store. I put the meter in the cellar a couple hours ago. I'll go out and check it now.
According to the meter it is 28 degrees F and 50 % humidity. The outside temp is 33 degrees F and it's snowing hard. Hmmm. That is not good. The cellar is supposed to stay above freezing. The perfect temp for a cellar is 34-45 degrees and the humidity is supposed to be at 95%. I'll wait until morning and check it again. The meter is new and may not be working. It's a good thing that I'm checking during the winter months. One hard freeze in your cellar would be the end of dozens of quart jars of food and produce. I may have to insulate the cellar or look for ways in which the cold is getting in. It will have to wait for daylight.
Now is the time to repair and make ready my cellar. I think I have my work cut out for me tomorrow, and the next day, and the next...
Until next time...
I just spent three day in Leavenworth Wa. with my husband Owen. We went away for our 20th year wedding anniversary. We had a wonderful time. We enjoyed cross-country skiing and window shopping in the Bavarian tourist trap. We're not afraid to call it what it is, and we don't mind admitting that we occasionally enjoy the well- marketed places of the world.
However, being there among the trees and the snow made us long to be home. Why? Because home is such a great place! We have so much fun on our farm with friends and family, that we're satisfied and content with the adventures that home- life presents.
We talked most of the way to Leavenworth about our garden, organic gardening, chickens, the chicken house, where to house the pigs this spring and whether or not to keep the milk cow.
We decided that a milk cow was a must because we're serious about clean milk and I couldn't convince Owen that he would enjoy goat milk once he got used to it. Our current Jersey milk cow, however, is not satisfactory, even though she's very sweet and an easy handler. Her milk doesn't have the fat content that we would like. There's never enough cream at the top of the jar for butter. Last summer we sold a milk cow that had great milk fat but she had the nasty habit of laying her bag in mud. This made cleaning her before milking a big and nasty chore. We've gone through three Jersey cows in the 18 months that we have been here. I'm sure that we will eventually find the perfect one.
In the meantime, my three does have kept me in milk year round. I have made butter with the goat milk, and cheese, but we seem to use it up too fast for very much of that. Right now I'm only milking one. My two Alpines will kid this spring and then I'll have lots of surplus milk, perfect for butter and cheese. I hope to grow the herd to five-seven milking does. That way I can stagger the kidding and have fresh does year round with milk aplenty to share with friends.
One topic we returned to several times over the three days of vacation was that of the root cellar. We even spent several hours on the computer in the motel room reading up on it and making plans for the one we own. Root cellars are all but a thing of the past, but as more people; like ourselves, want off the marry-go-round of our current culture, the idea of a root cellar becomes more endearing.
Our farm consists of a large white farm house, a root cellar, a large chicken house and a small cabin/stable that sits right behind the house. The cabin probably housed the original family and their horse while they built the rest of the buildings. All these structures were built in 1904-05 and still hold much of their original grandeur, especially the house. There's also a large red barn that was built later and housed hogs and a "shop" or outbuilding that's also red in color. I wish I knew the whole story on the place. I imagine that the original homestead had a barn, but I don't know if the current two-story barn that sits on the place is original.
But, back to the root cellar. When we looked at the place before we bought it I remember the excitement I felt when I realized the little building with the funny, thick, door was a root cellar! I was so stoked. 18 years of talking about living on a farm and enjoying a "simpler" lifestyle and a root cellar was always a part of the dream. I figured we would build one when we finally got out in the country, so you can imagine the thrill when I opened the old sawdust-filled door and descended three steps into a brick lined root cellar complete with a hundred year old potato box and a few quart jars scattered on old wooden shelves. It makes me tear up to think of it.
No one but God could have known how badly I wanted a root cellar and only He would have known that the brick lined walls and wooden potato box were to me a treasure better than gold. It was a very spiritual moment. You know, those moments; like a breath of frigid air, when you know that God is so real and that He loves you dearly. I think that God will have fun with my mansion in heaven. It won't be full of gold and diamonds, but pottery and plants and a few really beautiful quilts. Natural things and old things. Yep, that's me. No foo foo shoo shoo, just simple and elegant, naturally elegant.
Anyway, back to my root cellar. It's in great shape, but needs some new mortar a good vacuuming and it will be ready to go. From what I've read, late fall is the best time to start filling it and I hope to store six months of provisions by the first freeze. Of course a root cellar is for root produce, but can be a great place to store canned goods to. The idea is to "put up" enough foods during the summer and fall months to get you through until summer when food is growing aplenty again. Yes, you can just buy it at the store, but how much more rewarding to know that a good summer's time of work can last the cold days of winter. I think it especially useful if one wants to know what is in the food that one eats. If one grows it, cans it, and puts it away, then one can eat with confidence. It's also much cheaper but is a trade of time for money.
I do not presume to think I will, in fact, grow every thing that I "put up", but I will have the advantage of hand- selecting the produce and using recipes that ensure health.
I love the term "put up" because it comes from a dear friend of mine, Sharon Carter, who lives in much of the way that I aspire to live. She uses the phrase "put up" when referring to her many jars of preserves, peaches, and pickled goods. Whenever I use it I think of her. That's one of the wonderful things about learning and developing homemaking skills, I get to meet so many wonderful women and their influence in my life is remembered every time I use one of their techniques. What a privilege to be surrounded by such a cloud of remarkable women of God! Every task I endeavor to do reflects the teacher it came from.
One thing I read is that it's important to know the temperature and humidity levels of the cellar. The reason for this is that certain foods store better under certain conditions. Once the temp and humidity of the cellar is established then I will have a better idea as to which foods to plan to store. I put the meter in the cellar a couple hours ago. I'll go out and check it now.
According to the meter it is 28 degrees F and 50 % humidity. The outside temp is 33 degrees F and it's snowing hard. Hmmm. That is not good. The cellar is supposed to stay above freezing. The perfect temp for a cellar is 34-45 degrees and the humidity is supposed to be at 95%. I'll wait until morning and check it again. The meter is new and may not be working. It's a good thing that I'm checking during the winter months. One hard freeze in your cellar would be the end of dozens of quart jars of food and produce. I may have to insulate the cellar or look for ways in which the cold is getting in. It will have to wait for daylight.
Now is the time to repair and make ready my cellar. I think I have my work cut out for me tomorrow, and the next day, and the next...
Until next time...
Friday, January 31, 2014
Jan. 31, 2014
My internet has been down. It seems to come on about 9 in the evening and then go off about 8 in the morning. Frustrating since most of those hours I am sleeping. Today is a red letter day that it came on so early.
I made three loaves of bread on Wednesday. I chose wheat because the spelt was not going to work for me so I figured I may as well give the rest of the family wheat. Spelt doesn't cook up as nice so it isn't worth using if you don't have to. I use hard, red, winter, organic wheat. The bread looks wonderful and the kids love it. A piece of toast with butter and honey is the breakfast of choice around here. Makes me happy since it's such an easy option.
We had grilled cheese with salad and tomato soup for lunch. I haven't found a source for organic cheese yet, but I'll work on that. I would make it myself, but cheddar is very time consuming so I opt to purchase it.
We haven't seen any relief in Owen's symptoms, but the weight loss is enough to keep us going. Time is on our side. We continue to pray that God will heal Owen, and then we do our best to be responsible with what He does give us.
I have been using a natural shampoo and conditioner from the Crazzy Woman. I really like it. It leaves the hair feeling a bit waxy, not sure why, but for me and my hairstyle it's perfect. I usually use a hair product from Redken called Rough Paste to give my hair a waxy texture. While using this product I haven't had to use any Redken product on my hair. Saves me money and I'm sure its better for me not to have to use extra product. It leaves my curls soft and defined.
After a week of using her (Crazzy Woman) "Nice Pits" cream I am still very happy with it. My daughter used some for a few days and loves it. I think the jar I have will be going off to college on Sunday. If you want to try some you can find her on Etsy.com I think she goes by Crazy Woman.
Until next time...
My internet has been down. It seems to come on about 9 in the evening and then go off about 8 in the morning. Frustrating since most of those hours I am sleeping. Today is a red letter day that it came on so early.
I made three loaves of bread on Wednesday. I chose wheat because the spelt was not going to work for me so I figured I may as well give the rest of the family wheat. Spelt doesn't cook up as nice so it isn't worth using if you don't have to. I use hard, red, winter, organic wheat. The bread looks wonderful and the kids love it. A piece of toast with butter and honey is the breakfast of choice around here. Makes me happy since it's such an easy option.
We had grilled cheese with salad and tomato soup for lunch. I haven't found a source for organic cheese yet, but I'll work on that. I would make it myself, but cheddar is very time consuming so I opt to purchase it.
We haven't seen any relief in Owen's symptoms, but the weight loss is enough to keep us going. Time is on our side. We continue to pray that God will heal Owen, and then we do our best to be responsible with what He does give us.
I have been using a natural shampoo and conditioner from the Crazzy Woman. I really like it. It leaves the hair feeling a bit waxy, not sure why, but for me and my hairstyle it's perfect. I usually use a hair product from Redken called Rough Paste to give my hair a waxy texture. While using this product I haven't had to use any Redken product on my hair. Saves me money and I'm sure its better for me not to have to use extra product. It leaves my curls soft and defined.
After a week of using her (Crazzy Woman) "Nice Pits" cream I am still very happy with it. My daughter used some for a few days and loves it. I think the jar I have will be going off to college on Sunday. If you want to try some you can find her on Etsy.com I think she goes by Crazy Woman.
Until next time...
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
Jan. 28, 2014
It's beginning to happen! You can smell it in the air. You can feel it, like a subtle adjustment or shift in the atmospheric conditions. Spring is coming! I was out his morning milking my goats and I felt it, like a strange presence, an eerie something and I realized that things were waking up! I'm just being funny, but I do think that things are beginning to stir.
It made me start thinking about my garden. This year I want to plant a more successful garden. Last year was a good start, but I would love to have twice the produce this year. I have a huge learning curve ahead of me but it's fun to think about. One thing I'll do different is plant less variety. We like zucchini, cucumber, tomato, lettuce, spinach, eggplant, and cabbage.
I also want to raise foods that will store through the winter. I have a wonderful 100+ year old cellar on my place and I plan to fill it to full by the end of the summer. My sister has this cool thing that she started several years ago. She made a list of every item that she uses in the house, like a giant shopping list. She made the list on the computer. When she gets ready to go shopping she goes over the list and checks her supply of all those items. If she's low on something she keeps it on the list, if she has plenty, she deletes it. When she's done she has her base shopping list that she then prints. I thought this was a great idea because how often do we go to the store and come home, AGAIN, without any light bulbs, or something other item that we forget to add to the list. The reason I am mentioning this is because it's a good idea and, it would be a great way to decide what to grow and store up in the cellar.
It's my goal to store six months worth of food and supplies in the cellar. It's a good idea because one never knows when things will get tough and even if they don't, think of the money and time one can save through the winter if one owns ones own store. Just a little thing I learned from some hippy friends.
Well, enjoy the thought that spring is almost here and let your mind wander to the sunny, creative, time of the year. It's never too early to start planning.
Until next time...
It's beginning to happen! You can smell it in the air. You can feel it, like a subtle adjustment or shift in the atmospheric conditions. Spring is coming! I was out his morning milking my goats and I felt it, like a strange presence, an eerie something and I realized that things were waking up! I'm just being funny, but I do think that things are beginning to stir.
It made me start thinking about my garden. This year I want to plant a more successful garden. Last year was a good start, but I would love to have twice the produce this year. I have a huge learning curve ahead of me but it's fun to think about. One thing I'll do different is plant less variety. We like zucchini, cucumber, tomato, lettuce, spinach, eggplant, and cabbage.
I also want to raise foods that will store through the winter. I have a wonderful 100+ year old cellar on my place and I plan to fill it to full by the end of the summer. My sister has this cool thing that she started several years ago. She made a list of every item that she uses in the house, like a giant shopping list. She made the list on the computer. When she gets ready to go shopping she goes over the list and checks her supply of all those items. If she's low on something she keeps it on the list, if she has plenty, she deletes it. When she's done she has her base shopping list that she then prints. I thought this was a great idea because how often do we go to the store and come home, AGAIN, without any light bulbs, or something other item that we forget to add to the list. The reason I am mentioning this is because it's a good idea and, it would be a great way to decide what to grow and store up in the cellar.
It's my goal to store six months worth of food and supplies in the cellar. It's a good idea because one never knows when things will get tough and even if they don't, think of the money and time one can save through the winter if one owns ones own store. Just a little thing I learned from some hippy friends.
Well, enjoy the thought that spring is almost here and let your mind wander to the sunny, creative, time of the year. It's never too early to start planning.
Until next time...
Monday, January 27, 2014
Jan. 27, 2014
I have an update on my post a few days ago regarding stinky pits. A friend from church put me on to a pit cream that her sister makes and sells through etsy. It is amazing! I love it! Can't say enough about it. It actually works! I had a busy day in town grocery shopping with lots of temperature changes in and out of stores and at the end of the day I smelled as good as when I put it on in the morning. I am so impressed! It's called "Nice Pits" cream.
I went to her website and checked out her other products. They look great, and I would definitely recommend checking it out. The address is, http://crazzywoman.weebly.com/contact-me.html Her name is Kathy Johnson and she lives in northern Washington. I had the privilege of meeting her and her husband several years ago and visiting their place with Karen and John. Their wholesome way of life has been a reminder and resource over the years as Owen and I have dabbled in Off-grid living. (I'm still seriously considering a bath house, but you would have had to be there to know what I am talking about. ;)
I am finding that this newish lifestyle is really fun to me. I love to learn new recipes and try new things. I am totally a believer in "reduce, reuse, recycle" and my latest kick is to try to observe ways in which we waste things that can be used again.
When one is on a tight budget there are two ways to make more money. One is to work harder and one is to work smarter. One can either figure out how to make more money or how to save more money. For instance, I can either get another job or just look around and see ways in which we are wasting money. Here's a big one. Lattes. They average $4 apiece. I'm not a huge latte drinker, but each time I go to town I get one. I average $10 a week in lattes. So, a couple days ago I bought a travel mug for $4 and decided that I would take coffee with me on the road. That will save me $40 a month. (Of course the mug I bought was safe. Make sure you by one that is BPA free, etc.) That's just one example. There are so many ways we can make money by saving money.
How about the plastic bags from Walmart. Don't throw them away. Use them to line your wastebaskets. That will save having to buy liners. Just remember that your time is also a commodity, don't do things that save a little bit of money but cost a lot of time, what you do has to make sense. I would love to hear your ideas.
Until next time...
I have an update on my post a few days ago regarding stinky pits. A friend from church put me on to a pit cream that her sister makes and sells through etsy. It is amazing! I love it! Can't say enough about it. It actually works! I had a busy day in town grocery shopping with lots of temperature changes in and out of stores and at the end of the day I smelled as good as when I put it on in the morning. I am so impressed! It's called "Nice Pits" cream.
I went to her website and checked out her other products. They look great, and I would definitely recommend checking it out. The address is, http://crazzywoman.weebly.com/contact-me.html Her name is Kathy Johnson and she lives in northern Washington. I had the privilege of meeting her and her husband several years ago and visiting their place with Karen and John. Their wholesome way of life has been a reminder and resource over the years as Owen and I have dabbled in Off-grid living. (I'm still seriously considering a bath house, but you would have had to be there to know what I am talking about. ;)
I am finding that this newish lifestyle is really fun to me. I love to learn new recipes and try new things. I am totally a believer in "reduce, reuse, recycle" and my latest kick is to try to observe ways in which we waste things that can be used again.
When one is on a tight budget there are two ways to make more money. One is to work harder and one is to work smarter. One can either figure out how to make more money or how to save more money. For instance, I can either get another job or just look around and see ways in which we are wasting money. Here's a big one. Lattes. They average $4 apiece. I'm not a huge latte drinker, but each time I go to town I get one. I average $10 a week in lattes. So, a couple days ago I bought a travel mug for $4 and decided that I would take coffee with me on the road. That will save me $40 a month. (Of course the mug I bought was safe. Make sure you by one that is BPA free, etc.) That's just one example. There are so many ways we can make money by saving money.
How about the plastic bags from Walmart. Don't throw them away. Use them to line your wastebaskets. That will save having to buy liners. Just remember that your time is also a commodity, don't do things that save a little bit of money but cost a lot of time, what you do has to make sense. I would love to hear your ideas.
Until next time...
Saturday, January 25, 2014
Jan. 25. 2014
I am proud to announce that Owen has lost a total of 13 pounds. That's half a pound a day. All we have done is remove processed sugar and add whole, mostly organic, foods. Yesterday we had a really yummy meal. We ate pork chops, with broiled pears on then, sweet potatoes fried in coconut oil, and roasted broccoli. We love eating sweet potatoes fried in coconut oil. I just wash the sweet potatoes and cut them thin, then fry them in coconut oil in a cast iron pan. I love cast iron. It gets nice and hot for frying and stays with even heat. I fry the potatoes until they begin to caramelize in their own sugars. I use a spatula to turn the potatoes over instead of a spoon that stirs them. This keeps the potatoes more intact.
The broccoli recipe came from a friend. You put a few tablespoons of olive oil and a couple cloves of crushed garlic into a container with a lid. Add broccoli florets and shake up. Pour contents onto a cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Yum!!
I have to admit I haven't mastered pork chops yet. They always end up a bit dry, but really tasty. As for the pears, I just sliced them onto an oven-safe dish and put them under the broiler for about 5 minutes or until browned and soft. The pears were really good on the pork chops and it all looked really nice on the plate.
That was lunch. For dinner I boiled a chicken. We raised the chicken here on the Frost Farm. After the meat was cooked I took it out and added organic carrots and rice noodles to the broth. When the chicken was cooled a bit I took the meat off the bones and added it back to the soup. Ten minutes later we had chicken noodle soup. Madisen made gluten free biscuits and whole wheat biscuits. They were a bit heavy so we'll have to work on perfecting a fluffy whole wheat biscuit.
For dessert I made a wonderful peach upside down cake. I'll share the recipe with you. When I made it I made it with frozen blueberries instead of peaches because I didn't have peaches, so any fruit would work. We also made one recipe with gluten free flour and it turned out great!
Here's the recipe:
Topping:
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
2 cups peaches
Place butter, honey, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a small saucepan. Stir over medium heat until the butter is melted. Pour mixture into bottom of 8" square cake pan. Make an even layer of peaches over the honey-butter mixture.
Batter:
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/3 c maple syrup
1/4 cup oil
1 egg
3 Tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp lemon peel grated
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and spoon over topping.
Bake at 350 for 1 hour or until golden brown. When done, flip pan over and allow to cool with topping on top.
This is a great recipe. It's important to use fruit that has a lot of moisture so the cake part is moist.
Until next time...
I am proud to announce that Owen has lost a total of 13 pounds. That's half a pound a day. All we have done is remove processed sugar and add whole, mostly organic, foods. Yesterday we had a really yummy meal. We ate pork chops, with broiled pears on then, sweet potatoes fried in coconut oil, and roasted broccoli. We love eating sweet potatoes fried in coconut oil. I just wash the sweet potatoes and cut them thin, then fry them in coconut oil in a cast iron pan. I love cast iron. It gets nice and hot for frying and stays with even heat. I fry the potatoes until they begin to caramelize in their own sugars. I use a spatula to turn the potatoes over instead of a spoon that stirs them. This keeps the potatoes more intact.
The broccoli recipe came from a friend. You put a few tablespoons of olive oil and a couple cloves of crushed garlic into a container with a lid. Add broccoli florets and shake up. Pour contents onto a cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Yum!!
I have to admit I haven't mastered pork chops yet. They always end up a bit dry, but really tasty. As for the pears, I just sliced them onto an oven-safe dish and put them under the broiler for about 5 minutes or until browned and soft. The pears were really good on the pork chops and it all looked really nice on the plate.
That was lunch. For dinner I boiled a chicken. We raised the chicken here on the Frost Farm. After the meat was cooked I took it out and added organic carrots and rice noodles to the broth. When the chicken was cooled a bit I took the meat off the bones and added it back to the soup. Ten minutes later we had chicken noodle soup. Madisen made gluten free biscuits and whole wheat biscuits. They were a bit heavy so we'll have to work on perfecting a fluffy whole wheat biscuit.
For dessert I made a wonderful peach upside down cake. I'll share the recipe with you. When I made it I made it with frozen blueberries instead of peaches because I didn't have peaches, so any fruit would work. We also made one recipe with gluten free flour and it turned out great!
Here's the recipe:
Topping:
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
2 cups peaches
Place butter, honey, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a small saucepan. Stir over medium heat until the butter is melted. Pour mixture into bottom of 8" square cake pan. Make an even layer of peaches over the honey-butter mixture.
Batter:
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/3 c maple syrup
1/4 cup oil
1 egg
3 Tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp lemon peel grated
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and spoon over topping.
Bake at 350 for 1 hour or until golden brown. When done, flip pan over and allow to cool with topping on top.
This is a great recipe. It's important to use fruit that has a lot of moisture so the cake part is moist.
Until next time...
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Jan. 22, 2014
Yesterday I bought spelt berries at Andy's market and this morning I ground them into flour and made two loaves of bread. They turned out beautiful. I chose spelt because it's a grain that some people, who are allergic to wheat, can digest happily. I have tried it before for myself. It seemed that I still suffered from joint pain and swelling when I ate spelt, but I'm giving it another try. If I can find a flour source that we can all eat, then it makes baking much easier for me. Up to this point I have baked with whole wheat for them, Gluten free for me.
There is a difference between being Gluten intolerant, allergic to wheat, and Celiac's disease. When I was tested I was tested positive for a wheat allergy, but not a sensitivity to Gluten. However, I find that gluten tends to puff me up, so I have stayed clear of all glutenous grains and chosen a gluten-free diet up to this point. Being gluten free is hard though, and sometimes is not the healthiest option when baking for oneself. It would seem the best thing to just remove all need for baked goods since it causes such a fuss, but easier said than done.
Right now I am eating a hot-out-of-the-oven slice of bread with margarine and honey on it. We will see if I have any adverse affects. It will take a couple days to really tell.
My bread recipe is really easy and I only measure two ingredients. I learned the recipe from my mother who did all our baking and cooking from scratch.
You take a large mixing bowl, fill it about a fourth to a third of the way full with warm water. The more water you use the more loaves you will get. You then add two teaspoons of yeast and about 1/4 cup of honey. You adjust the yeast and honey to how much more or less bread that you make. Set the bowl aside in a warm place and allow the yeast to act. It will get bubbly and you will smell the strong yeast scent. Then add two teaspoons of salt. I always do the same measurement for yeast and salt. They seem to correspond well. Don't add the salt before you allow the yeast to act because salt can kill the yeast. Then pour your choice of oil to cover almost the whole surface of the water. Add two eggs. (this recipe does fine without eggs if you are vegan) I add egg to up the protein and add moisture since it is 100% whole grain.
Now, just add flour. If you are using a big mixer then allow the mixer to mix until the dough is firm. I always finish the dough with hand-kneading. Mixers just don't get things even. Oil a large bowl and roll the dough in the oil to coat the whole surface of the dough ball. This is important. The oil will keep the top of the dough ball from developing a crust. Let the dough rise until it fills the bowl. Punch down and let rise at least one more time. Knead the dough again to press out any air bubbles and cut into loaf sizes. Oil loaf pans and allow to rise half-way and then bake at 325 for one hour.
This recipe has been faithfully successful for years and does well to accommodate all kinds of flours or additives. You can use apple sauce instead of egg for moisture or add wheat germ or oats etc. The options are endless. If the bread is too yeasty, next time use less yeast. If you want it sweeter, use more honey, if you want it fluffier, do half whole wheat, half white flour. You will develop a loaf that will be your favorite and you'll feel like Betty Crocker because it always turns out.
Just like the manna in the desert, this bread will not keep like your store-bought loaves, so eat it quickly or freeze it for later. I only make two loaves at a time. they get eaten within two days. After two days they are crumbly and dry. But never fear, your bread is still valuable. It makes great French toast and if you cube it and dry it in the oven you can season it for stuffing or croutons. Waste not!
That makes for a good lesson on peace. Jesus said that He is the Bread of Life. If we consume Jesus in the same way that we consume bread then we will have all that we need and won't have to get by on yesterday's grace. We need to consume the things of God every day. His mercies are new every morning and are designed for what that day holds. When we don't devote time to read the Word and pray then we do not have what we need to face the day. Jesus has bread to serve to us daily, all we need to do is sit at the table and be served!
Well, happy bread making.
Until next time...
Yesterday I bought spelt berries at Andy's market and this morning I ground them into flour and made two loaves of bread. They turned out beautiful. I chose spelt because it's a grain that some people, who are allergic to wheat, can digest happily. I have tried it before for myself. It seemed that I still suffered from joint pain and swelling when I ate spelt, but I'm giving it another try. If I can find a flour source that we can all eat, then it makes baking much easier for me. Up to this point I have baked with whole wheat for them, Gluten free for me.
There is a difference between being Gluten intolerant, allergic to wheat, and Celiac's disease. When I was tested I was tested positive for a wheat allergy, but not a sensitivity to Gluten. However, I find that gluten tends to puff me up, so I have stayed clear of all glutenous grains and chosen a gluten-free diet up to this point. Being gluten free is hard though, and sometimes is not the healthiest option when baking for oneself. It would seem the best thing to just remove all need for baked goods since it causes such a fuss, but easier said than done.
Right now I am eating a hot-out-of-the-oven slice of bread with margarine and honey on it. We will see if I have any adverse affects. It will take a couple days to really tell.
My bread recipe is really easy and I only measure two ingredients. I learned the recipe from my mother who did all our baking and cooking from scratch.
You take a large mixing bowl, fill it about a fourth to a third of the way full with warm water. The more water you use the more loaves you will get. You then add two teaspoons of yeast and about 1/4 cup of honey. You adjust the yeast and honey to how much more or less bread that you make. Set the bowl aside in a warm place and allow the yeast to act. It will get bubbly and you will smell the strong yeast scent. Then add two teaspoons of salt. I always do the same measurement for yeast and salt. They seem to correspond well. Don't add the salt before you allow the yeast to act because salt can kill the yeast. Then pour your choice of oil to cover almost the whole surface of the water. Add two eggs. (this recipe does fine without eggs if you are vegan) I add egg to up the protein and add moisture since it is 100% whole grain.
Now, just add flour. If you are using a big mixer then allow the mixer to mix until the dough is firm. I always finish the dough with hand-kneading. Mixers just don't get things even. Oil a large bowl and roll the dough in the oil to coat the whole surface of the dough ball. This is important. The oil will keep the top of the dough ball from developing a crust. Let the dough rise until it fills the bowl. Punch down and let rise at least one more time. Knead the dough again to press out any air bubbles and cut into loaf sizes. Oil loaf pans and allow to rise half-way and then bake at 325 for one hour.
This recipe has been faithfully successful for years and does well to accommodate all kinds of flours or additives. You can use apple sauce instead of egg for moisture or add wheat germ or oats etc. The options are endless. If the bread is too yeasty, next time use less yeast. If you want it sweeter, use more honey, if you want it fluffier, do half whole wheat, half white flour. You will develop a loaf that will be your favorite and you'll feel like Betty Crocker because it always turns out.
Just like the manna in the desert, this bread will not keep like your store-bought loaves, so eat it quickly or freeze it for later. I only make two loaves at a time. they get eaten within two days. After two days they are crumbly and dry. But never fear, your bread is still valuable. It makes great French toast and if you cube it and dry it in the oven you can season it for stuffing or croutons. Waste not!
That makes for a good lesson on peace. Jesus said that He is the Bread of Life. If we consume Jesus in the same way that we consume bread then we will have all that we need and won't have to get by on yesterday's grace. We need to consume the things of God every day. His mercies are new every morning and are designed for what that day holds. When we don't devote time to read the Word and pray then we do not have what we need to face the day. Jesus has bread to serve to us daily, all we need to do is sit at the table and be served!
Well, happy bread making.
Until next time...
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Jan. 21, 2014
I am a morning person. I am happy and awake and the world is a wonderful place in the mornings. I am not a night person. I suppose that would be obvious by my first statement, but it wasn't always obvious to me. I can stay up late, but the quality of my thinking goes way down as the clock nears midnight. If I was in the Cinderella story I would be akin to her dress; big, beautiful and alluring by day, small, ratty-tat and dull by night. My IQ, focus and general sense of well being goes from 10 to 3 as the hours go by.
This realization has been a lifesaver over the years. I now live by the rule: Do not make any important decisions after 8 o'clock in the evening. By important I mean, everything and anything that comes into mind when one is sitting watching TV or reading or doing dishes. Thoughts about whether I'm a good housewife or not; or thoughts about my relationships with people; or thoughts about how I want to handle a confrontational situation. Any thought that is going to require an action on my part I do not engage in because that action is not going to be what I really want to do, think, or say.
I spent way too many hours, at the beginning of my marriage, lying in bed with Owen going on and on about how this or that was so awful and such a struggle, only to wake the next morning and feel completely different about the subject. I used to think that it was because I got the topic off my chest; I talked it through. But no, the very next night I would find myself rehearsing the exact same things with a whole new portion of wow and misery. Fortunately for him, I found that he slept quietly through most of it, only to rouse in the appropriate moments that warranted a moan of agreement or moan of sympathy.
Those nightly pity parties taught me much about myself and how I function. With the help of God, Owen, and many books and friend-based counseling sessions, I now have the tools to manage myself in the wee hours of night. The first tool is to just go to bed earlier. However, that is not always possible, so the second tool is to not allow my mind to wander to anything of importance during those hours. Keep things light and easy. When my mind is persistent about something, I often counsel it with thoughts like, "that is important and deserves your best hours of contemplation, save it for the morning." These types of statements give me permission to excuse the "very important" rhetoric and I often find that by the time morning comes the topic proves to be considerably less important than it seemed the night before. It's amazing how much stomach lining and nervous energy I have saved myself over the years with this little practice. Not to mention the late night decision or damaging phone calls I never made.
We have a saying in the Frost house; "Don't make a permanent decision based on a temporary circumstance." In this case, the temporary circumstance is the condition of my mind and mood during the hours after 8 pm.
Well, I said all that just to say that my blogs are going to be coming out in the mornings instead of the evenings. I found it too hard to be consistent or interesting at night after I was done with the day's activities. I imagine it will change the feel of the post because I won't be reporting on the events of the day, well, because they haven't happened yet.
I also mentioned the above, previous thoughts because self-management is a real key to finding joy, peace and health. The Proper management of ones self is what Jesus taught and He left his Hoy Spirit and Word behind to help teach us how. It's stated so nicely in 2 Peter 1:3-4 "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires."
That one is worth meditating on!
Back to food, I ground the wheat berries into flour and made dough. I cut the dough into two loaves. One I allowed to rise and baked right away. The other I refrigerated and baked two days later. Both loaves performed the same way. They did not rise very much and they were heavy, like a brick. the taste was good, so the kids said, but after one day the bread became crumbly and dry. I could try again but I am not that patient. I will purchase wheat berries again and grind them without taking the time to sprout them. I'll try making bread right away with the flour and see what I end up with. the goal is a whole wheat, organic, loaf of bread that is delicious and holds together for at least two days. If you have input I changed the comment settings so I think you can comment now.
Until next time...
I am a morning person. I am happy and awake and the world is a wonderful place in the mornings. I am not a night person. I suppose that would be obvious by my first statement, but it wasn't always obvious to me. I can stay up late, but the quality of my thinking goes way down as the clock nears midnight. If I was in the Cinderella story I would be akin to her dress; big, beautiful and alluring by day, small, ratty-tat and dull by night. My IQ, focus and general sense of well being goes from 10 to 3 as the hours go by.
This realization has been a lifesaver over the years. I now live by the rule: Do not make any important decisions after 8 o'clock in the evening. By important I mean, everything and anything that comes into mind when one is sitting watching TV or reading or doing dishes. Thoughts about whether I'm a good housewife or not; or thoughts about my relationships with people; or thoughts about how I want to handle a confrontational situation. Any thought that is going to require an action on my part I do not engage in because that action is not going to be what I really want to do, think, or say.
I spent way too many hours, at the beginning of my marriage, lying in bed with Owen going on and on about how this or that was so awful and such a struggle, only to wake the next morning and feel completely different about the subject. I used to think that it was because I got the topic off my chest; I talked it through. But no, the very next night I would find myself rehearsing the exact same things with a whole new portion of wow and misery. Fortunately for him, I found that he slept quietly through most of it, only to rouse in the appropriate moments that warranted a moan of agreement or moan of sympathy.
Those nightly pity parties taught me much about myself and how I function. With the help of God, Owen, and many books and friend-based counseling sessions, I now have the tools to manage myself in the wee hours of night. The first tool is to just go to bed earlier. However, that is not always possible, so the second tool is to not allow my mind to wander to anything of importance during those hours. Keep things light and easy. When my mind is persistent about something, I often counsel it with thoughts like, "that is important and deserves your best hours of contemplation, save it for the morning." These types of statements give me permission to excuse the "very important" rhetoric and I often find that by the time morning comes the topic proves to be considerably less important than it seemed the night before. It's amazing how much stomach lining and nervous energy I have saved myself over the years with this little practice. Not to mention the late night decision or damaging phone calls I never made.
We have a saying in the Frost house; "Don't make a permanent decision based on a temporary circumstance." In this case, the temporary circumstance is the condition of my mind and mood during the hours after 8 pm.
Well, I said all that just to say that my blogs are going to be coming out in the mornings instead of the evenings. I found it too hard to be consistent or interesting at night after I was done with the day's activities. I imagine it will change the feel of the post because I won't be reporting on the events of the day, well, because they haven't happened yet.
I also mentioned the above, previous thoughts because self-management is a real key to finding joy, peace and health. The Proper management of ones self is what Jesus taught and He left his Hoy Spirit and Word behind to help teach us how. It's stated so nicely in 2 Peter 1:3-4 "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires."
That one is worth meditating on!
Back to food, I ground the wheat berries into flour and made dough. I cut the dough into two loaves. One I allowed to rise and baked right away. The other I refrigerated and baked two days later. Both loaves performed the same way. They did not rise very much and they were heavy, like a brick. the taste was good, so the kids said, but after one day the bread became crumbly and dry. I could try again but I am not that patient. I will purchase wheat berries again and grind them without taking the time to sprout them. I'll try making bread right away with the flour and see what I end up with. the goal is a whole wheat, organic, loaf of bread that is delicious and holds together for at least two days. If you have input I changed the comment settings so I think you can comment now.
Until next time...
Monday, January 20, 2014
Jan. 20, 2014
Let's talk deodorant. I have an opinion on deodorant that has been developed thru some research and some common sense. It's believed, (this is the research part) that the use of anti perspirant is linked to the high rise of breast and lymphatic cancer. The idea is that the body purifies the lymphatic system in the underarm area through perspiration. When we don't allow our body to perspire then toxins build up in the lymph nodes and this may be a cause of cancer. Of course there is a lot more to it than that, but that's it in a nut shell.
The common sense part is that whenever we do not allow the body to perform in the way that God created it to perform then we create problems for ourselves. I do believe that we are born with genetic propensities, and while we do our best to keep our lives healthy, we may still develop disease. However, the enormous rise in cancers and degenerative diseases have to make us sit up and pay attention to what we are doing. While we can not control the environment we live in, like air quality, we can control what we put on and in our bodies.
There are a lot of deodorants that do not have anti-perspirant in them, but if you are going to go with deodorant only, then you will have to be ok with an occasional damp underarm. We aren't used to this but I think it's worth it for the health benefit. The bigger problem that arises for me is the odor. I have yet to find a deodorant that lasts more that a few hours and if I do perspire then I stink. I do not think it acceptable to go around stinking, so the issue deserves further research.
What do we know about odor? . Everyone has sweaty feet, but not every one's sweaty feet stink, so what's the difference. Well bad foot odor is most often caused by fungus. How do we know this? The medications that are given to combat foot odor are anti fungal. They work, but only as long as you apply them and they only control the area that you apply them to. Fungus colonies are ever present on our bodies but when we create an environment on our skin that the fungus can flourish in then we end up with an overgrowth of fungus and the smell that that fungus causes. The biggest culprit to this is bad ph levels. When our bodies or skin becomes acidic then fungus flourishes and the good bacteria that keeps the fungus in check struggles to stay alive.
Therefore, it could be that a person could eradicate the bad foot odor by changing the ph of their body. In fact, it could be that all bad odor of the external body; feet, breath, underarm and groin, are affected and can be controlled by maintaining a balanced ph level within our whole bodies.
I am about to run an experiment on this. I will buy ph test strips at the health food store and begin a log of my ph levels. I will read as much as I can on ph levels and make an effort to balance my ph through food or supplements. If this makes a change in underarm odor then I will know that it's possible to control odor by maintaining a healthy ph. And, a healthy ph is very important to the health of our bodies in much more ways than odor.
I'll keep you posted.
Until next time...
Let's talk deodorant. I have an opinion on deodorant that has been developed thru some research and some common sense. It's believed, (this is the research part) that the use of anti perspirant is linked to the high rise of breast and lymphatic cancer. The idea is that the body purifies the lymphatic system in the underarm area through perspiration. When we don't allow our body to perspire then toxins build up in the lymph nodes and this may be a cause of cancer. Of course there is a lot more to it than that, but that's it in a nut shell.
The common sense part is that whenever we do not allow the body to perform in the way that God created it to perform then we create problems for ourselves. I do believe that we are born with genetic propensities, and while we do our best to keep our lives healthy, we may still develop disease. However, the enormous rise in cancers and degenerative diseases have to make us sit up and pay attention to what we are doing. While we can not control the environment we live in, like air quality, we can control what we put on and in our bodies.
There are a lot of deodorants that do not have anti-perspirant in them, but if you are going to go with deodorant only, then you will have to be ok with an occasional damp underarm. We aren't used to this but I think it's worth it for the health benefit. The bigger problem that arises for me is the odor. I have yet to find a deodorant that lasts more that a few hours and if I do perspire then I stink. I do not think it acceptable to go around stinking, so the issue deserves further research.
What do we know about odor? . Everyone has sweaty feet, but not every one's sweaty feet stink, so what's the difference. Well bad foot odor is most often caused by fungus. How do we know this? The medications that are given to combat foot odor are anti fungal. They work, but only as long as you apply them and they only control the area that you apply them to. Fungus colonies are ever present on our bodies but when we create an environment on our skin that the fungus can flourish in then we end up with an overgrowth of fungus and the smell that that fungus causes. The biggest culprit to this is bad ph levels. When our bodies or skin becomes acidic then fungus flourishes and the good bacteria that keeps the fungus in check struggles to stay alive.
Therefore, it could be that a person could eradicate the bad foot odor by changing the ph of their body. In fact, it could be that all bad odor of the external body; feet, breath, underarm and groin, are affected and can be controlled by maintaining a balanced ph level within our whole bodies.
I am about to run an experiment on this. I will buy ph test strips at the health food store and begin a log of my ph levels. I will read as much as I can on ph levels and make an effort to balance my ph through food or supplements. If this makes a change in underarm odor then I will know that it's possible to control odor by maintaining a healthy ph. And, a healthy ph is very important to the health of our bodies in much more ways than odor.
I'll keep you posted.
Until next time...
Friday, January 17, 2014
Jan. 17, 2014
I think finding peace is life's biggest challenge. We get busy doing all kinds of things, so many thing that we lose track of ourselves in the midst of them. Jesus said "Peace I give you, not as the world gives..." What does that peace look like? What does it feel like. I'm not sure that I have found that peace yet, not in every area of my life. I hope to live in total peace some day. But sometimes we can learn what something is by determining what it isn't.
Peace is not chronic headaches that are induced by anxiety and stress. Peace is not fear. Peace is not that feeling you get in your chest and throat when you've said "yes" to one more person's request when your plate is already too full to deal with. Peace is not that brilliant idea you get when you have finally figured out how to solve someone else's problem. Peace is not being in a hurry all the time.
That general sense of frantic that you live with, that's not peace. Wishing you could get sick so you'd have an excuse to rest, that's not peace. Doing something you would really like to do, but not enjoying it because you are in a hurry, that's not peace. I could go one, but I don't think I need to.
For the most part we do not live in the peace that Christ offered to us. It's like a gift extended to us, free. So what does this peace really look like? How do we get it? The Word of God speaks to it in so many ways. It would take weeks of writing to cover it all, so here it is in a nutshell, as I see it.
We need to slow down, relax, and quit trying to run the universe for God. I'll give an example. The apostle said to 'live quietly minding our own business'. How many of us do that? How much time do we spend rehearsing and arguing with people that are not even in the room? Our friends, spouse, in-laws, people at church, in the grocery store; we observe their lives in a snippet of time and then spend the next hour deciding whether they deserve to live because their kid's hair was dirty. Wow, what a huge amount of negative energy going out at their expense that they will not even benefit from. Or, in most cases, they would not benefit from it at all. Yet, we do it.
Jesus said, "don't worry about tomorrow, today has enough worry of it's own." Yet, most of us spend the majority of today worrying about tomorrow. Not thinking about tomorrow, but worrying about tomorrow. In fact, we are so worried about the future (as though we can control it) that we can't even focus on what we are doing right now let alone enjoy it, because we are already thinking about what we are going to do, supposed to be doing, or wish we could be doing.
The Psalmist wrote, 'I lie to sleep, I wake again; because the Lord sustains me.' That's about as simple as it gets. Friends, we do not even have the power to wake ourselves up. Just think about that. What person has the power to wake themselves up once they are asleep? It requires an alarm clock or a person from the outside to interrupt the mild coma that brings renewal to our weary bodies.
It is God who has the power to give life and it is His business to sustain it. God is not cruel, nor is He on a power trip, He is just God and we are not! He has kept the privilege of issuing life and death. In fact life or death happening outside the act of God is sin.
We are helpless with out God. In fact we are so helpless that the Bible tells us that it is Christ that holds our world together. The entire cosmos would fly apart if it were not for Christ and His divine power holding it all together!
The Bible also tells us that God has numbered our days. Our lives are in His hands.
So what does this have to do with whole-foods living? Everything! There are two reasons that it applies. One is that we can eat all the wholesome, organic foods we can find and still die of lack of peace. Jesus never said, "eat organic", but He did say "Be still and know that I am God." The teachings of Christ are all about 'living life and living it to the fullest" and never does He mention what to eat. Why am I making this point? Because it is fundamental to having the whole-foods diet make a difference.
It's the message that Jesus tried to get through to Martha. "Martha, Martha, you are troubled about so many things. Mary has chosen the greater thing and it will not be taken from her." Was Jesus mad because Martha wanted to supply organic bread for her dinner party? No. He was desperate for her. He wanted her to let go of the world's way of prioritizing and enjoy the freedom He meant for her to have.
See, the world says, you have to fix it, you have to research it, you have to work harder, work faster, work longer or others won't be pleased with you, God won't be pleased with you. Jesus said, I took care of all of it, just come and sit with me. Dinner still had to be made in the Martha/Mary household, but the heart behind it for Martha was self-reliance. Martha said to herself, "If I don't do it who will". Martha's actions were fear based. How often are our actions and motives fear-based?
Jesus saw Martha wringing her hands and accusing her sister and desired to reach her where she was; to speak truth into her troubled and fearful mind. Mary knew dinner needed to be made. She just wasn't worried about it because Jesus was there!!
I am a Martha by nature and I deal with fear being the motive behind a lot of what I do. If you are like me, you have found yourself in a whirlwind of events that are all about Jesus and yet when you stop and look for Him you find Him resting on the couch over there. You have forgotten that Jesus is not coming, He is here.
Jesus, through His Salvation and Word has given us permission to not have to figure it all out. He has given us permission to relax, rest, enjoy, breath. Live one day at a time. Why do we find it so hard to believe Him that it will work out if we do it His way?
I think the uncertainties of life, sorrows, and fears drive us from rest in Him, but we can trust Him. We can believe Him that His way is best. We can have the courage to let go of the side of the pool and float in the deep water with Him. Floating is easy, but we must be in over our heads to float. Get it?
How many times did Jesus say, "Don't be afraid" He knows us so well. He wants us to have the courage to do as Mary did and set all worries aside in exchange for His presence. We will not experience Jesus healing presence as long as we are saying, "ya, ya, I got this."
Our food choices make a difference, but if our faith is in our food then we will be greatly disappointed.
The other reason I think it is important to mention is because I must face the question, "What if we change our diet and Owen's Parkinson's still gets worst?" If my faith is in my power to change Owen's disease with diet, then I will be devastated if it does not work. Notice though, that my faith would be in what I can do to control, correct, or heal Owen's body. Yikes, that would be rather arrogant of me and my faith would be misplaced.
So why even try? Well that's like saying, "If our sin shows God's grace then we should sin to show his grace." I am not changing our diet so we can live forever. Everyone will die some day. I am changing our diets so that the days that God has given us can be lived in the most healthful way. Like Jesus said to Peter, "What business is it of yours what I do with my servant?"
Do you see the difference? One relies on self and makes a moral issue out of what we eat and produces stress and worry. The other relies on God for our life and this produces freedom and joy.
I thought it important to make this distinction because we can so easily take good things that God is showing us to do and make moral, binding, condemning issues out of them.
So do we want peace? All we have to do is obey Jesus, take His advice, trust Him. He has a solution to all that overwhelms us.
So, my motto: "Enjoy your daily work. Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we might die. Morbid? No, just wise. If it was good enough for Solomon it's good enough for me.
Until next time....
I think finding peace is life's biggest challenge. We get busy doing all kinds of things, so many thing that we lose track of ourselves in the midst of them. Jesus said "Peace I give you, not as the world gives..." What does that peace look like? What does it feel like. I'm not sure that I have found that peace yet, not in every area of my life. I hope to live in total peace some day. But sometimes we can learn what something is by determining what it isn't.
Peace is not chronic headaches that are induced by anxiety and stress. Peace is not fear. Peace is not that feeling you get in your chest and throat when you've said "yes" to one more person's request when your plate is already too full to deal with. Peace is not that brilliant idea you get when you have finally figured out how to solve someone else's problem. Peace is not being in a hurry all the time.
That general sense of frantic that you live with, that's not peace. Wishing you could get sick so you'd have an excuse to rest, that's not peace. Doing something you would really like to do, but not enjoying it because you are in a hurry, that's not peace. I could go one, but I don't think I need to.
For the most part we do not live in the peace that Christ offered to us. It's like a gift extended to us, free. So what does this peace really look like? How do we get it? The Word of God speaks to it in so many ways. It would take weeks of writing to cover it all, so here it is in a nutshell, as I see it.
We need to slow down, relax, and quit trying to run the universe for God. I'll give an example. The apostle said to 'live quietly minding our own business'. How many of us do that? How much time do we spend rehearsing and arguing with people that are not even in the room? Our friends, spouse, in-laws, people at church, in the grocery store; we observe their lives in a snippet of time and then spend the next hour deciding whether they deserve to live because their kid's hair was dirty. Wow, what a huge amount of negative energy going out at their expense that they will not even benefit from. Or, in most cases, they would not benefit from it at all. Yet, we do it.
Jesus said, "don't worry about tomorrow, today has enough worry of it's own." Yet, most of us spend the majority of today worrying about tomorrow. Not thinking about tomorrow, but worrying about tomorrow. In fact, we are so worried about the future (as though we can control it) that we can't even focus on what we are doing right now let alone enjoy it, because we are already thinking about what we are going to do, supposed to be doing, or wish we could be doing.
The Psalmist wrote, 'I lie to sleep, I wake again; because the Lord sustains me.' That's about as simple as it gets. Friends, we do not even have the power to wake ourselves up. Just think about that. What person has the power to wake themselves up once they are asleep? It requires an alarm clock or a person from the outside to interrupt the mild coma that brings renewal to our weary bodies.
It is God who has the power to give life and it is His business to sustain it. God is not cruel, nor is He on a power trip, He is just God and we are not! He has kept the privilege of issuing life and death. In fact life or death happening outside the act of God is sin.
We are helpless with out God. In fact we are so helpless that the Bible tells us that it is Christ that holds our world together. The entire cosmos would fly apart if it were not for Christ and His divine power holding it all together!
The Bible also tells us that God has numbered our days. Our lives are in His hands.
So what does this have to do with whole-foods living? Everything! There are two reasons that it applies. One is that we can eat all the wholesome, organic foods we can find and still die of lack of peace. Jesus never said, "eat organic", but He did say "Be still and know that I am God." The teachings of Christ are all about 'living life and living it to the fullest" and never does He mention what to eat. Why am I making this point? Because it is fundamental to having the whole-foods diet make a difference.
It's the message that Jesus tried to get through to Martha. "Martha, Martha, you are troubled about so many things. Mary has chosen the greater thing and it will not be taken from her." Was Jesus mad because Martha wanted to supply organic bread for her dinner party? No. He was desperate for her. He wanted her to let go of the world's way of prioritizing and enjoy the freedom He meant for her to have.
See, the world says, you have to fix it, you have to research it, you have to work harder, work faster, work longer or others won't be pleased with you, God won't be pleased with you. Jesus said, I took care of all of it, just come and sit with me. Dinner still had to be made in the Martha/Mary household, but the heart behind it for Martha was self-reliance. Martha said to herself, "If I don't do it who will". Martha's actions were fear based. How often are our actions and motives fear-based?
Jesus saw Martha wringing her hands and accusing her sister and desired to reach her where she was; to speak truth into her troubled and fearful mind. Mary knew dinner needed to be made. She just wasn't worried about it because Jesus was there!!
I am a Martha by nature and I deal with fear being the motive behind a lot of what I do. If you are like me, you have found yourself in a whirlwind of events that are all about Jesus and yet when you stop and look for Him you find Him resting on the couch over there. You have forgotten that Jesus is not coming, He is here.
Jesus, through His Salvation and Word has given us permission to not have to figure it all out. He has given us permission to relax, rest, enjoy, breath. Live one day at a time. Why do we find it so hard to believe Him that it will work out if we do it His way?
I think the uncertainties of life, sorrows, and fears drive us from rest in Him, but we can trust Him. We can believe Him that His way is best. We can have the courage to let go of the side of the pool and float in the deep water with Him. Floating is easy, but we must be in over our heads to float. Get it?
How many times did Jesus say, "Don't be afraid" He knows us so well. He wants us to have the courage to do as Mary did and set all worries aside in exchange for His presence. We will not experience Jesus healing presence as long as we are saying, "ya, ya, I got this."
Our food choices make a difference, but if our faith is in our food then we will be greatly disappointed.
The other reason I think it is important to mention is because I must face the question, "What if we change our diet and Owen's Parkinson's still gets worst?" If my faith is in my power to change Owen's disease with diet, then I will be devastated if it does not work. Notice though, that my faith would be in what I can do to control, correct, or heal Owen's body. Yikes, that would be rather arrogant of me and my faith would be misplaced.
So why even try? Well that's like saying, "If our sin shows God's grace then we should sin to show his grace." I am not changing our diet so we can live forever. Everyone will die some day. I am changing our diets so that the days that God has given us can be lived in the most healthful way. Like Jesus said to Peter, "What business is it of yours what I do with my servant?"
Do you see the difference? One relies on self and makes a moral issue out of what we eat and produces stress and worry. The other relies on God for our life and this produces freedom and joy.
I thought it important to make this distinction because we can so easily take good things that God is showing us to do and make moral, binding, condemning issues out of them.
So do we want peace? All we have to do is obey Jesus, take His advice, trust Him. He has a solution to all that overwhelms us.
So, my motto: "Enjoy your daily work. Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we might die. Morbid? No, just wise. If it was good enough for Solomon it's good enough for me.
Until next time....
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Jan. 14, 2014
I was ill today. Not fun at all. My girls did a good job of taking care of everything for me. I did, however, want to publish this recipe that I mentioned a couple posts ago. It's well worth trying.
Miller Bars
2 Cups raw Almonds
1/2 Cup Shredded Coconut
1/4 Cup Flaxseed
1/2 t. sea salt
Blend in heavy duty blender or food processor
Add
1/2 Cup nut butter of your choice
put 1/2 Cup Coconut oil in warm pan and melt with 4 Medjool dates and 1/3 t. vanilla. Warm until coconut oil melts.
Add to blender
Blend together until completely blended. Pat into pan and chill. You can add melted chocolate to top or leave plain. Cut into bars.
Enjoy!!
I was ill today. Not fun at all. My girls did a good job of taking care of everything for me. I did, however, want to publish this recipe that I mentioned a couple posts ago. It's well worth trying.
Miller Bars
2 Cups raw Almonds
1/2 Cup Shredded Coconut
1/4 Cup Flaxseed
1/2 t. sea salt
Blend in heavy duty blender or food processor
Add
1/2 Cup nut butter of your choice
put 1/2 Cup Coconut oil in warm pan and melt with 4 Medjool dates and 1/3 t. vanilla. Warm until coconut oil melts.
Add to blender
Blend together until completely blended. Pat into pan and chill. You can add melted chocolate to top or leave plain. Cut into bars.
Enjoy!!
Monday, January 13, 2014
Jan. 13, 2014
Today was successful. We ate organic hot cereal for breakfast with organic raisins and almonds. Unfortunately the almonds were not organic because our local health store doesn't carry organic nuts.
We had pork chops with gravy and organic potatoes with organic cauliflower for lunch. The pork was from our farm. The starch to thicken the gravy was not organic and the butter for the veggie was not organic. I know it seems tedious for me to write down everything we eat, but it helps me to see our diet realistically and know how to make adjustments.
We had spaghetti for dinner with salad. The Italian sausage in the sauce was not organic but was preservative free. The spinach and zucchini were organic but the tomato based things were not. The noodles were gluten free, organic, rice noodles. The salad was half organic half not. I can get organic lettuce and squash but radishes, cucumber, and mushrooms are not available right now in organic.
This brings me to a point of decision. Do I go organic no matter what and only eat fruit and veggies if they are organic? If I do, I am extremely limited. Not only by the availability but also the cost. But if I mix both organic and non organic produce then what is the point of picking any organic produce?
Let's go back to what I'm trying to accomplish.
1. Owen's weight loss- any veggie will do
2. Owen's energy- any veggie will do
3. Owen's Parkinson's symptoms reduced- non-toxic diet- only organic will do.
Purchasing organic food exclusively is the only way to truly see if a non-toxic diet/environment will reduce or reverse his symptoms. I will have to make it a point to purchase only organic foods from here on out.
I can also see after two weeks of this that new recipes are a must. There are some recipes that we are used to that are just too expensive to do organically.
I can also see that as busy as I am with homeschooling three girls and church responsibilities, I will need to make a menu for the whole week in order to stay ahead of the food demand. For instance, the sprouted, dried, wheat berries are still sitting on my counter in a bowl. I have not made bread out of them yet, therefore we have gone without bread for a week.
I have been busy, and the extra step in grinding my own flour has kept me from tackling the making of bread. It would have served me better to buy organic flour and forego the sprouting, drying and grinding. Or, just buy organic wheat berries and grind them right away so I will have the flour I need. One must weigh the benefits. If sprouting my own grains means that I don't get it done so we end up buying store-bought bread, then I have missed the mark. I believe in K.I.S.S. Keep It Simple Sister. Sometimes our ideal is so high that we set ourselves up to fail, or at least be miserable trying to meet the ideal. Peace is worth the compromise. Set an ideal, if one can not make it within a reasonable amount of time readjust the ideal until the goal has been met. After the goal has been met for some time and has become easy and second-nature then raise the bar. That's my motto in life anyway. It's not a cop-out, it's about balance and peace.
It's amazing how much of my lifestyle is going to need to change in order to live the way I think I want to live. It reminds me of when we decided to live debt free. The idea was easy but the practice was hard. Neither of us realized the affect it would have on our spending habits.
Like living debt free, living healthy is going to be worth it. And, like living debt free, sometimes one still ends up with debt and then has to re-commit and adjust once again.
I'm not in a hurry. As I learn to cook new recipes and we find what we like, replacing old tastes for new ones, our lives will make a vector change that I hope can last a lifetime.
Until next time...
Today was successful. We ate organic hot cereal for breakfast with organic raisins and almonds. Unfortunately the almonds were not organic because our local health store doesn't carry organic nuts.
We had pork chops with gravy and organic potatoes with organic cauliflower for lunch. The pork was from our farm. The starch to thicken the gravy was not organic and the butter for the veggie was not organic. I know it seems tedious for me to write down everything we eat, but it helps me to see our diet realistically and know how to make adjustments.
We had spaghetti for dinner with salad. The Italian sausage in the sauce was not organic but was preservative free. The spinach and zucchini were organic but the tomato based things were not. The noodles were gluten free, organic, rice noodles. The salad was half organic half not. I can get organic lettuce and squash but radishes, cucumber, and mushrooms are not available right now in organic.
This brings me to a point of decision. Do I go organic no matter what and only eat fruit and veggies if they are organic? If I do, I am extremely limited. Not only by the availability but also the cost. But if I mix both organic and non organic produce then what is the point of picking any organic produce?
Let's go back to what I'm trying to accomplish.
1. Owen's weight loss- any veggie will do
2. Owen's energy- any veggie will do
3. Owen's Parkinson's symptoms reduced- non-toxic diet- only organic will do.
Purchasing organic food exclusively is the only way to truly see if a non-toxic diet/environment will reduce or reverse his symptoms. I will have to make it a point to purchase only organic foods from here on out.
I can also see after two weeks of this that new recipes are a must. There are some recipes that we are used to that are just too expensive to do organically.
I can also see that as busy as I am with homeschooling three girls and church responsibilities, I will need to make a menu for the whole week in order to stay ahead of the food demand. For instance, the sprouted, dried, wheat berries are still sitting on my counter in a bowl. I have not made bread out of them yet, therefore we have gone without bread for a week.
I have been busy, and the extra step in grinding my own flour has kept me from tackling the making of bread. It would have served me better to buy organic flour and forego the sprouting, drying and grinding. Or, just buy organic wheat berries and grind them right away so I will have the flour I need. One must weigh the benefits. If sprouting my own grains means that I don't get it done so we end up buying store-bought bread, then I have missed the mark. I believe in K.I.S.S. Keep It Simple Sister. Sometimes our ideal is so high that we set ourselves up to fail, or at least be miserable trying to meet the ideal. Peace is worth the compromise. Set an ideal, if one can not make it within a reasonable amount of time readjust the ideal until the goal has been met. After the goal has been met for some time and has become easy and second-nature then raise the bar. That's my motto in life anyway. It's not a cop-out, it's about balance and peace.
It's amazing how much of my lifestyle is going to need to change in order to live the way I think I want to live. It reminds me of when we decided to live debt free. The idea was easy but the practice was hard. Neither of us realized the affect it would have on our spending habits.
Like living debt free, living healthy is going to be worth it. And, like living debt free, sometimes one still ends up with debt and then has to re-commit and adjust once again.
I'm not in a hurry. As I learn to cook new recipes and we find what we like, replacing old tastes for new ones, our lives will make a vector change that I hope can last a lifetime.
Until next time...
Saturday, January 11, 2014
Jan. 11, 2014
I am excited to report that Owen has lost 7 pounds!! He is down to 197. That's 7 pounds in less than two weeks!! He has not gone hungry. He said that, other than the constant headache, he is always satisfied. Madisen has also lost three pounds and she wasn't even trying. We are eating really well.
I tried a new recipe from a friend for energy bars. We affectionately call them "Miller Bars". They are made from coconut oil, shredded coconut, nut butter, almonds, dates, flax seeds and vanilla. YUM!! No sugar and lots of good fats and protein. We ate them all in one day. Even Otis, Owen's dad, liked them.
We were running low on salad fixings today and the girls were "discussing" who would get the last of the spinach. Makes a mom proud. I am loving all the whole foods. To be honest, I have always eaten really well. But never before have I gotten the whole family to get on board. Owen has always been resistant to the idea that food can affect how you feel and has pretty mush eaten whatever looks good out of the gas station fried foods warmer. There's a time for everything under the sun, but the time for that kinds of food is few and far between.
We found out yesterday that Morgan has an auto-immune disease that affects her feet. The doctor told her that there is nothing she can do about it. He said that her body is dealing with high levels of inflammation and this inflammation causes the capillaries in her feet to explode causing swelling and itching. Sounds like a great opportunity to prove those doctors wrong.
I don't have anything to report in regards to Owen's Parkinson's Disease. I think it's too early to tell if our diet will help that. This next week we hit the exercise every day and add supplements. He can already do 50 pushups in one setting, but he doesn't have an extended cardio routine yet.
All in all I would say that this last week was successful. We are blessed to have God, we are blessed to have each other, and we are blessed to be surrounded by such amazing family; both related family and the family of God.
Until next time...
I am excited to report that Owen has lost 7 pounds!! He is down to 197. That's 7 pounds in less than two weeks!! He has not gone hungry. He said that, other than the constant headache, he is always satisfied. Madisen has also lost three pounds and she wasn't even trying. We are eating really well.
I tried a new recipe from a friend for energy bars. We affectionately call them "Miller Bars". They are made from coconut oil, shredded coconut, nut butter, almonds, dates, flax seeds and vanilla. YUM!! No sugar and lots of good fats and protein. We ate them all in one day. Even Otis, Owen's dad, liked them.
We were running low on salad fixings today and the girls were "discussing" who would get the last of the spinach. Makes a mom proud. I am loving all the whole foods. To be honest, I have always eaten really well. But never before have I gotten the whole family to get on board. Owen has always been resistant to the idea that food can affect how you feel and has pretty mush eaten whatever looks good out of the gas station fried foods warmer. There's a time for everything under the sun, but the time for that kinds of food is few and far between.
We found out yesterday that Morgan has an auto-immune disease that affects her feet. The doctor told her that there is nothing she can do about it. He said that her body is dealing with high levels of inflammation and this inflammation causes the capillaries in her feet to explode causing swelling and itching. Sounds like a great opportunity to prove those doctors wrong.
I don't have anything to report in regards to Owen's Parkinson's Disease. I think it's too early to tell if our diet will help that. This next week we hit the exercise every day and add supplements. He can already do 50 pushups in one setting, but he doesn't have an extended cardio routine yet.
All in all I would say that this last week was successful. We are blessed to have God, we are blessed to have each other, and we are blessed to be surrounded by such amazing family; both related family and the family of God.
Until next time...
Friday, January 10, 2014
Jan. 10, 2014
Just got home from a basketball game. We had a great day. We haven't broke our "diet" all day.
Last week I purchased a 72 piece, BPA- free, plastic container set at our grocery outlet for $9.99. They make it possible to send Owen to work with salads and soups and veggie sticks with dressing. I also sent a large container of nuts to his office so he can munch on something other than sweets or fattening foods. Because the containers were cheap I'm not worried about not getting them back.
He seems to be a bit edgy and extra tired. I think he may be detoxing. He may think it's because he hasn't had Pepsi for two weeks. Maybe it's a bit of both. I'm proud of him for seeing it through.
Owen's folks had an exercise bike in the barn so we cleaned it up and brought it in. It's kind of squeaky but it works. I'm the only one who has used it, but starting next week we will add the daily biking to our little experiment. According to Parkinson's research biking is the best exercise. It does something to stabilize the nervous system.
I think it's best to take things slow and add change one thing at a time. That way it's actually possible to accomplish the goal. We can accomplish just about anything if we set reasonable goals with reasonable time frame.
This Sunday we will weigh Owen and see how we are doing.
Until next time.
Just got home from a basketball game. We had a great day. We haven't broke our "diet" all day.
Last week I purchased a 72 piece, BPA- free, plastic container set at our grocery outlet for $9.99. They make it possible to send Owen to work with salads and soups and veggie sticks with dressing. I also sent a large container of nuts to his office so he can munch on something other than sweets or fattening foods. Because the containers were cheap I'm not worried about not getting them back.
He seems to be a bit edgy and extra tired. I think he may be detoxing. He may think it's because he hasn't had Pepsi for two weeks. Maybe it's a bit of both. I'm proud of him for seeing it through.
Owen's folks had an exercise bike in the barn so we cleaned it up and brought it in. It's kind of squeaky but it works. I'm the only one who has used it, but starting next week we will add the daily biking to our little experiment. According to Parkinson's research biking is the best exercise. It does something to stabilize the nervous system.
I think it's best to take things slow and add change one thing at a time. That way it's actually possible to accomplish the goal. We can accomplish just about anything if we set reasonable goals with reasonable time frame.
This Sunday we will weigh Owen and see how we are doing.
Until next time.
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
Jan. 7, 2014
Any time one endeavors to do a new thing one must take ones time to thoroughly investigate every aspect of the new endeavor so one does not come to silly and uninformed conclusions. This being the case, I must remind myself, constantly, to slow down and take my time. Whatever I am doing, I must slow down and observe what is happening around me so that I do not miss "the dance". Why is this important? Well, when it comes to my new healthy eating plan, if I get in too much of a hurry to see results or I try to do too much at one time then I will draw the conclusion that this new plan is not working or that it is too hard to understand or to carry out and I may quit right before the fruit of my efforts are seen.
I say that because today I was feeling a bit overwhelmed with all that I have set out to accomplish. My wheat berries are still on the cookie sheet that they dried in, my house was a mess and my barn yard was a mess and as I ran through my mental checklist of to do's I was feeling that I may have bit off more than I can chew by adding such a severe diet to our already busy lives.
Fortunately I have developed the tools to manage myself and I took a mental stroll down relaxation lane. Down this lane are many garbage cans and storage bins. Each can or bin is for a different thought or plan that I have. If the thought has nothing to do with reality I throw it away. If it's stressful, but I can't do anything about it, I throw it away. If it's on my "to do" list, but I'm not going to get to it today, I put it in the storage bin. etc. I do this until I have cleared my mind of all the mental noise that threatens to force me into making some emotionally driven decision. Then, I go back over the top three thing to do that day and I pick one. I focus on doing that one thing really well until it is completely done. I focus on enjoying it and I make the effort to relax my body and slow down a bit while I do.
When I complete that one thing, if I have time, I move on to another thing. I don't make a paper list. Paper lists tell what we didn't get to, not what we completed. If I only have one thing to do then when I have completed it then I am successful. Even if it is the only thing I complete all day.
This little exercise in relaxation has proven to be a life saver. The truth is that I get more done and enjoy the process of doing it. I learned it from the teachings of Christ. Are you surprised? Jesus has a lot to say about relaxing and not worrying, we just have to read the Bible and allow the Holy Spirit to teach us how to manage our own selves.
As far as today goes, I ended up doing great. Once I got a handle on my mental hurricane I accomplished a lot. We ate really well and never went off the diet. If I take my time and learn and enjoy as I go then these changes will truly become a lifestyle.
Until later...
Any time one endeavors to do a new thing one must take ones time to thoroughly investigate every aspect of the new endeavor so one does not come to silly and uninformed conclusions. This being the case, I must remind myself, constantly, to slow down and take my time. Whatever I am doing, I must slow down and observe what is happening around me so that I do not miss "the dance". Why is this important? Well, when it comes to my new healthy eating plan, if I get in too much of a hurry to see results or I try to do too much at one time then I will draw the conclusion that this new plan is not working or that it is too hard to understand or to carry out and I may quit right before the fruit of my efforts are seen.
I say that because today I was feeling a bit overwhelmed with all that I have set out to accomplish. My wheat berries are still on the cookie sheet that they dried in, my house was a mess and my barn yard was a mess and as I ran through my mental checklist of to do's I was feeling that I may have bit off more than I can chew by adding such a severe diet to our already busy lives.
Fortunately I have developed the tools to manage myself and I took a mental stroll down relaxation lane. Down this lane are many garbage cans and storage bins. Each can or bin is for a different thought or plan that I have. If the thought has nothing to do with reality I throw it away. If it's stressful, but I can't do anything about it, I throw it away. If it's on my "to do" list, but I'm not going to get to it today, I put it in the storage bin. etc. I do this until I have cleared my mind of all the mental noise that threatens to force me into making some emotionally driven decision. Then, I go back over the top three thing to do that day and I pick one. I focus on doing that one thing really well until it is completely done. I focus on enjoying it and I make the effort to relax my body and slow down a bit while I do.
When I complete that one thing, if I have time, I move on to another thing. I don't make a paper list. Paper lists tell what we didn't get to, not what we completed. If I only have one thing to do then when I have completed it then I am successful. Even if it is the only thing I complete all day.
This little exercise in relaxation has proven to be a life saver. The truth is that I get more done and enjoy the process of doing it. I learned it from the teachings of Christ. Are you surprised? Jesus has a lot to say about relaxing and not worrying, we just have to read the Bible and allow the Holy Spirit to teach us how to manage our own selves.
As far as today goes, I ended up doing great. Once I got a handle on my mental hurricane I accomplished a lot. We ate really well and never went off the diet. If I take my time and learn and enjoy as I go then these changes will truly become a lifestyle.
Until later...
Monday, January 6, 2014
Jan. 6, 2014
I noticed that I have been posting 2013 as the date for the last 5 posts. It is 2014. Just a little type-o. We had whole grain hot cereal again for breakfast. Owen wasn't here, he was on the mountain collecting more wood with his dad. They went to lunch at the Long Branch in Weston when they were done and I didn't ask what he ate. Sometimes ignorance is bliss.
However, our dinner as excellent. I put four duck breasts and two goose legs in the slow cooker. I covered them in salt, cumin, and chili powder and let them cook on high for three hours. I then shredded the meat into the juices and we ate it on corn tortillas with brown rice and black beans. It was the best I have ever had duck.
One thing I noticed with this whole foods diet is that it takes less food to feel full. The plate size I'm used to is now too much. I made myself two tacos with meat, rice and beans and found that I was forcing myself to finish. Habits are a funny thing. Halfway through the second taco I was full. The same was true this morning with the hot cereal. A normal sized bowl of cold cereal is too much if it's hot cereal. I will have to slow down and retrain myself to gauge food portions from my stomach and not my eyes. Not a bad idea anyway.
Another area of change for us is the use of non-toxic cleaners and toiletry products. I purchased an all purpose cleaner, bathroom sanitizer and soap scum remover last week. All of them are non-toxic and plant derived. They are good for the planet and for us. I haven't asked Morgan if they work very well, but it's nice to go by the bathroom when she's cleaning and smell a wonderful crisp scent of botanicals instead of harsh chemicals.
Auto-immune diseases are heavily linked to high levels of toxins and metals in the body. We are exposed to toxins so often in ways we can not control, it makes sense to use wisdom in the areas that we can control. With time I'm sure I can find ways to make my own cleaners at a fraction of the cost of retail cleaners. But for now it was about getting toxins out of Owen's world as quickly as possible.
I purchased a plant derived laundry detergent called "Ecos" from Walmart about a month ago, but I didn't like it. While using it all my whites turned grey and the clothes seemed to sour easily. Also, I felt itchy all over. Last week I bought one called, "BioKleen". I bought a laundry detergent and a bleach alternative. I have to say that I love my bleach so I'm going to have to see if I can make the adjustment. Bleach is not good for us, but it's also death to the septic tank. So, I may have to say goodbye to bright white towels for the sake of our health.
Dinner is done and cleaned up. Leftovers are in the fridge and I am ready to call it a night and watch some BBC chick flicks with my girls.
Until next time...
I noticed that I have been posting 2013 as the date for the last 5 posts. It is 2014. Just a little type-o. We had whole grain hot cereal again for breakfast. Owen wasn't here, he was on the mountain collecting more wood with his dad. They went to lunch at the Long Branch in Weston when they were done and I didn't ask what he ate. Sometimes ignorance is bliss.
However, our dinner as excellent. I put four duck breasts and two goose legs in the slow cooker. I covered them in salt, cumin, and chili powder and let them cook on high for three hours. I then shredded the meat into the juices and we ate it on corn tortillas with brown rice and black beans. It was the best I have ever had duck.
One thing I noticed with this whole foods diet is that it takes less food to feel full. The plate size I'm used to is now too much. I made myself two tacos with meat, rice and beans and found that I was forcing myself to finish. Habits are a funny thing. Halfway through the second taco I was full. The same was true this morning with the hot cereal. A normal sized bowl of cold cereal is too much if it's hot cereal. I will have to slow down and retrain myself to gauge food portions from my stomach and not my eyes. Not a bad idea anyway.
Another area of change for us is the use of non-toxic cleaners and toiletry products. I purchased an all purpose cleaner, bathroom sanitizer and soap scum remover last week. All of them are non-toxic and plant derived. They are good for the planet and for us. I haven't asked Morgan if they work very well, but it's nice to go by the bathroom when she's cleaning and smell a wonderful crisp scent of botanicals instead of harsh chemicals.
Auto-immune diseases are heavily linked to high levels of toxins and metals in the body. We are exposed to toxins so often in ways we can not control, it makes sense to use wisdom in the areas that we can control. With time I'm sure I can find ways to make my own cleaners at a fraction of the cost of retail cleaners. But for now it was about getting toxins out of Owen's world as quickly as possible.
I purchased a plant derived laundry detergent called "Ecos" from Walmart about a month ago, but I didn't like it. While using it all my whites turned grey and the clothes seemed to sour easily. Also, I felt itchy all over. Last week I bought one called, "BioKleen". I bought a laundry detergent and a bleach alternative. I have to say that I love my bleach so I'm going to have to see if I can make the adjustment. Bleach is not good for us, but it's also death to the septic tank. So, I may have to say goodbye to bright white towels for the sake of our health.
Dinner is done and cleaned up. Leftovers are in the fridge and I am ready to call it a night and watch some BBC chick flicks with my girls.
Until next time...
Saturday, January 4, 2014
Jan. 4, 2014
The red wheat sprouted today!! I rinsed it well and spread it on a cookie sheet in the oven to dry. I just put the oven on warm because I don't want to over-heat the berries. In the morning I'll check to see if the berries are drying well. If there's still a lot of moisture in the berries I'll up the temp a bit. The last thing I want is for the berries to start to mold.
The Durum berries did not sprout, not even a little bit. In fact they fermented. I rinsed them and put them in the chicken bucket. I'll have to do some reading to see if the Durum berry is already processed in a way that would keep them from sprouting.
I refilled the jars with dry wheat berries and water so I can be working on a new batch while finishing this one.
We went shopping out of town today so we did our best to make simple food choices via fast food. Not real easy. KFC grilled chicken and mashed potatoes with biscuits. I think next time I'll make sure to allot for time to pack a lunch.
We weren't with Owen today so I don't know how he did in our absence but I'll report on that later.
Tomorrow is Sunday and our day of worship and rest. I won't be posting on Sunday.
Until next time...
Proverb of the day: Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.
The red wheat sprouted today!! I rinsed it well and spread it on a cookie sheet in the oven to dry. I just put the oven on warm because I don't want to over-heat the berries. In the morning I'll check to see if the berries are drying well. If there's still a lot of moisture in the berries I'll up the temp a bit. The last thing I want is for the berries to start to mold.
The Durum berries did not sprout, not even a little bit. In fact they fermented. I rinsed them and put them in the chicken bucket. I'll have to do some reading to see if the Durum berry is already processed in a way that would keep them from sprouting.
I refilled the jars with dry wheat berries and water so I can be working on a new batch while finishing this one.
We went shopping out of town today so we did our best to make simple food choices via fast food. Not real easy. KFC grilled chicken and mashed potatoes with biscuits. I think next time I'll make sure to allot for time to pack a lunch.
We weren't with Owen today so I don't know how he did in our absence but I'll report on that later.
Tomorrow is Sunday and our day of worship and rest. I won't be posting on Sunday.
Until next time...
Proverb of the day: Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.
Jan. 4, 2013
It was my daughter's 17th birthday yesterday and her party went late. I'm catching up this morning on yesterday's post.
Owen is one of four children and I am one of five, so when there's a birthday party it's big and long. We love family parties!! Lots of cousins and friends. I think there were about 30 people here last night. That's a small party for us. I was a lazy hostess this time. I only served cake and ice cream, but we've been partying a lot this season so I chose K.I.S.S. Keep It Simple Sister! Sometimes less is best.
Yesterday I served breakfast. I made hot, brown rice grits with raisins and nuts. I sweetened with a touch of maple syrup, but Owen was good with just the raisins as sweetener. I also served the two of us a 6oz. antioxidant drink. It's called Emerald Balance and is a green powder that you mix with water. It has greens and antioxidants and enzymes and vitamins in it. Online this supplement would be over thirty dollars a tub. I purchased it for $12.00.
I found it at our local Grocery Outlet. We are fortunate here in the Walla Walla Valley that there are a lot of 7th Day Adventists. Adventists are good eaters so it's easy to find organic and whole foods even at an outlet store. I get my organic brown rice noodles, olive oil, coconut oil, organic canned goods, etc. from the outlet store. I even found a 10 pound bag of organic potatoes there for $1.99. I'm not sure that this lifestyle would be possible if it weren't for the outlet store and Andy's, an Adventist owned market. I know in some places it's close to impossible to find organic foods and the ones that are found are expensive.
I made a homemade chicken noodle soup for lunch and we had goose, potatoes, and steamed veggies for dinner. My husband is a hunter. One of the perks about living where we do is that we have permission to hunt hundred of acres of land. All of it is just out our back door. We couldn't be more blessed! Meats harvested from nature are about as good as you can get. We eat a lot of duck and goose in the winter. Phil Robertson would be proud.
I made boxed cakes for the party since most of my guests would not understand eating whole wheat raisin cake for a birthday party, but I hope to master a yummy chocolate cake using whole wheat flour and organic ingredients so next time I can serve a cake that I can be proud of.
I'm really in to reduce, reuse, recycle. I hate it when food is wasted. That's part of the reason that we got a pig last spring. All table scraps or old food had a place to go that was useful. Now that the pig is in the freezer I feed scraps to "Nicki", our black lab and the two roaming chickens "Red" and "Mud". It's comical to watch the three of them eat out of the same dish. I think a Lab is a part of a healthy lifestyle. Everyone ought to get themselves a good black Lab.
Until next time...
Thursday, January 2, 2014
Jan. 2, 2013
When I got up this morning the first thing I did was check on my soaking grains. They had absorbed most of the water but were not sprouted. Further information was needed. I Googled 'How to germinate wheat' and read several blogs. I learned that it takes 2-3 days for wheat to germinate, not just 8-12 hours. I also learned that the grains need to be rinsed twice a day while they are in the process of germination. I rinsed them this morning and then set the jars on their sides. I will rinse them again before bed.
I also have two different kinds of wheat. Hard red wheat and Durum wheat. Not sure about the difference, but we'll see which makes the best bread. Or, maybe I'll Goolge it.
I had a cup of coffee for breakfast; Organic of course, with organic coconut milk and agave nectar instead of the typical Coffeemate creamer. It was not that good. I think I'll try goat milk and maple syrup tomorrow.
We didn't eat breakfast. Not sure if that's good or bad. A cup of coffee is typical for me, but I may need to start my day a bit better than that. I'll plan a hearty breakfast for tomorrow and see how that goes over.
Lunch was leftover stew from last night and an organic salad. Owen took this meal to work with him and I am proud to say he ate all of it with no need for the habitual convenience store stop. We ate a friends house for dinner. This is the hardest part about being on a strict diet. One can not always prepare ones own food and it's definitely not God's plan to isolate oneself from friends and family just to stay "clean". The evening was marvelous though because our friends are healthy eater and everything was automatically on our diet. Yay!
I tried a new recipe from my "Wholesome" cookbook. It was a rhubarb cake. I took it to the dinner party. I couldn't try it because I'm gluten intolerant, but Owen and the girls had some. Owen poured eggnog on it. He said it wasn't sweet enough. (We had a little "discussion" on the way home about that one.) Much repentance ensued and we are now back on the same page. :)
The vote was that the cake was more like a sweet bread, like zucchini bread. We decided that raisins would be better than rhubarb and cinnamon instead of allspice. Other than that, the cake was moist, it rose well, and was light, even though it was made with whole wheat flour, stevia and honey. I will make a note of the adjustments in the cookbook and we'll do it again later. I think it would be good with other fruit like peaches or pineapple too.
I'm not a big fan of Stevia or any other "alternative" sweeteners. I think they defeat the purpose of eating whole foods since they are not a whole food in the same way that honey or cane juice is. I will definitely seek out recipes that use honey and molasses instead of stevia.
I think it's important to have all kinds of foods available at all times. It makes no sense to me to omit something like cake or cookies just because the type of cakes we are used to are bad for us. Let's just develop treats that are good for us and add a smile to our face. God made honey for a reason, but even He said that 'too much honey makes a person sick'. (paraphrase mine :)
We agreed as a family that it will take time for our taste buds to adjust to less sugar, whole grains, etc. But once they adjust we may find that we are tasting food for the very first time.
Until next time...
Proverb of the day: Proverbs 2:3-5 ...if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.
When I got up this morning the first thing I did was check on my soaking grains. They had absorbed most of the water but were not sprouted. Further information was needed. I Googled 'How to germinate wheat' and read several blogs. I learned that it takes 2-3 days for wheat to germinate, not just 8-12 hours. I also learned that the grains need to be rinsed twice a day while they are in the process of germination. I rinsed them this morning and then set the jars on their sides. I will rinse them again before bed.
I also have two different kinds of wheat. Hard red wheat and Durum wheat. Not sure about the difference, but we'll see which makes the best bread. Or, maybe I'll Goolge it.
I had a cup of coffee for breakfast; Organic of course, with organic coconut milk and agave nectar instead of the typical Coffeemate creamer. It was not that good. I think I'll try goat milk and maple syrup tomorrow.
We didn't eat breakfast. Not sure if that's good or bad. A cup of coffee is typical for me, but I may need to start my day a bit better than that. I'll plan a hearty breakfast for tomorrow and see how that goes over.
Lunch was leftover stew from last night and an organic salad. Owen took this meal to work with him and I am proud to say he ate all of it with no need for the habitual convenience store stop. We ate a friends house for dinner. This is the hardest part about being on a strict diet. One can not always prepare ones own food and it's definitely not God's plan to isolate oneself from friends and family just to stay "clean". The evening was marvelous though because our friends are healthy eater and everything was automatically on our diet. Yay!
I tried a new recipe from my "Wholesome" cookbook. It was a rhubarb cake. I took it to the dinner party. I couldn't try it because I'm gluten intolerant, but Owen and the girls had some. Owen poured eggnog on it. He said it wasn't sweet enough. (We had a little "discussion" on the way home about that one.) Much repentance ensued and we are now back on the same page. :)
The vote was that the cake was more like a sweet bread, like zucchini bread. We decided that raisins would be better than rhubarb and cinnamon instead of allspice. Other than that, the cake was moist, it rose well, and was light, even though it was made with whole wheat flour, stevia and honey. I will make a note of the adjustments in the cookbook and we'll do it again later. I think it would be good with other fruit like peaches or pineapple too.
I'm not a big fan of Stevia or any other "alternative" sweeteners. I think they defeat the purpose of eating whole foods since they are not a whole food in the same way that honey or cane juice is. I will definitely seek out recipes that use honey and molasses instead of stevia.
I think it's important to have all kinds of foods available at all times. It makes no sense to me to omit something like cake or cookies just because the type of cakes we are used to are bad for us. Let's just develop treats that are good for us and add a smile to our face. God made honey for a reason, but even He said that 'too much honey makes a person sick'. (paraphrase mine :)
We agreed as a family that it will take time for our taste buds to adjust to less sugar, whole grains, etc. But once they adjust we may find that we are tasting food for the very first time.
Until next time...
Proverb of the day: Proverbs 2:3-5 ...if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
Happy New Year
Here at the Frost Farm our lives are always full of new adventures! We bought this four acre farm one year ago. It's a century farm, built in 1904-5 and was originally part of a much larger acreage. We are fortunate to still be surrounded by hundreds of acres of farm land, though we do not own it. The forty acres behind our home is organically farmed, lending to the ever-increasing privileges of living here. The home is two stories and totals 4200 square feet if you count the attic. The attic is a free-span attic and has 15 foot ceilings. We have studded in two bedrooms and a family room upstairs, but the lack of insulation leaves it unusable during the cold months. We are so excited to be here and develop this place into our dream farm.
I'm starting this blog as a way to document the things that we think and do, mostly for the sake of our children and grandchildren, but also for others that may desire the same lifestyle that we do. So, if you are reading this blog, I hope that you find it helpful, amusing, and uplifting.
My husband is 49 years old and was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease two years ago. When we got the news it seemed surreal and it wasn't until it began to move through his body at a fast rate that we gave it much thought. (Probably me more than him because I'm not the one with the tremors). In two years the disease moved from one finger to the whole left side of his body and one month ago tremors started in the right hand. He takes medication and sees the neurologist regularly but there is nothing more that they can do. Without boring you with the details, we are faced with a very real, disabling future. Without intervention of some kind the doctors have given him 6 years until complete disability.
But we have hope! We have hope in Jesus Christ and the promise of a good life here on earth. We cling to the promise that He will not allow more sorrow or struggle in our lives than we can handle and that everything we commit to Him will be made perfect in His timing. We continue to pray for healing, but also trust God's divine wisdom and we fear not.
With the New Year comes a sense of new beginnings and we decided to make some changes in our lifestyle to bring about health and vitality for the remaining years that God has for us. Owen decided that he wanted to be fit by fifty. His birthday is in May. That gives us 5 months to turn our world around. I will use this blog to record our progress, and share the ideas and thoughts that we have regarding what we are doing.
Owen is 5'10'', he weighs 204 pounds. The widest part of his stomach measures at 41 inches. He has to use a CPAP machine at night to keep from suffocating. He has chronic nasal and sinus issues and is allergic to grasses, dust and some animals. He has skin conditions and failing eyesight and hearing loss. Seems like a pretty long list for such a young guy. We are going to change our diet, add daily exercise and massage therapy in an effort to decrease or eliminate all the issues listed above.
How do we plan to do this? After much thought and prayer I am putting us on a whole foods diet. The idea to this eating lifestyle is to eat only things that occur naturally and to keep all foods in their simplest forms. I believe that God knew what he was doing when He designed this earth as a place to sustain us. It's only when we take things into our own hands that we suffer the consequences. That's a no brainer. More on that later.
I plan to post our activity on a daily basis and I'm sure that I will develop many threads of adventure that move in and out of my posts. One of the hardest things about starting this blog was knowing where to start from and what adventure to tell first, so we'll start with today and move on from there.
Today was the first day of our new lifestyle. Owen spent that day in the mountains cutting wood and I spent the afternoon reading cookbooks. I dug out a dusty one that read "Wholesome Sugar-free Cooking" by Ray and Malinda Yutzy. I'm not sure where I got it, but I felt kindred to their philosophies and have decided to use their cookbook as a resource for new recipes. This cookbook uses maple syrup (the real stuff), honey and molasses as the sugar sources for their recipes.
It was important to me to use material and recipes that mirror my own funky way of thinking. If I'm going to spend time with an author I'd better feel a kindred spirit or I waste too much time mentally sorting through our differences. I'm a critical thinker and passionate about my beliefs, so I find it hard not to spend time defending my platform, even to the writer of a cookbook. Too much mental noise! lol But I think Ray and Malinda and I will get along just fine ;)
I picked the whole foods lifestyle because Parkinson's is a disease caused by too much toxins. It's degenerative. It's a disease of the body killing itself. So, it would make sense to start with detoxing the body. I know there are a lot of detox remedies, but we will choose the gentle approach and just make a vector change; believing that the body will do what it was designed to do; heal itself instead of kill itself. Are we too late? I don't believe so, but time will tell.
We had tuna sandwiches with apple cut up in it on whole wheat bread, organic bananas, and wild-game jerky for lunch. We followed it with pork stew for dinner. The pork was raised here on our farm and the stew had organic carrots, organic potatoes and organic onion and spices. We made biscuits with white flour just to use it up, but white flour will disappear from our home for good. We put butter and raw honey on the biscuits and they were yummy.
I read this evening about the value of partially germinated grains for bread. This is the process of sprouting the grain slightly before using it for flour. I'm soaking my grain in jars and will rinse and dry it in the morning. When it's completely dry I will grind it and make it into a loaf of bread. I'm excited to try this.
Owen was making cheese while I have been blogging and it's fabulous. He made it from raw milk that he took from our Jersey cow "Clabber" this evening. Healthy eating? Must have a cow or access to whole, raw, cow or goat milk. Back to nature baby!!
We have both a cow and goats. I have a sensitivity to cow milk so I milk my goats and make cheese, butter, etc. from goat as well as cow dairy. Owen milks and cares for the cow. You can find a good dairy cow at a dairy auction. We prefer Jerseys. It's best to get them "fresh"; that means they are producing milk; so the cow is used to being handled and will act nice for you. If cows scare you, goats are a great choice. They are small and easy to handle and milk. I prefer the Alpine or LaMancha breeds over the Nubian. I've owned all with my favorite being the Alpine.
We have four daughters, ages 13-18 and they are a bit skeptical of mom and dad's new plan, but they are gracious and I hope to show them what good food choices can do.
Until next time...
I'm starting this blog as a way to document the things that we think and do, mostly for the sake of our children and grandchildren, but also for others that may desire the same lifestyle that we do. So, if you are reading this blog, I hope that you find it helpful, amusing, and uplifting.
My husband is 49 years old and was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease two years ago. When we got the news it seemed surreal and it wasn't until it began to move through his body at a fast rate that we gave it much thought. (Probably me more than him because I'm not the one with the tremors). In two years the disease moved from one finger to the whole left side of his body and one month ago tremors started in the right hand. He takes medication and sees the neurologist regularly but there is nothing more that they can do. Without boring you with the details, we are faced with a very real, disabling future. Without intervention of some kind the doctors have given him 6 years until complete disability.
But we have hope! We have hope in Jesus Christ and the promise of a good life here on earth. We cling to the promise that He will not allow more sorrow or struggle in our lives than we can handle and that everything we commit to Him will be made perfect in His timing. We continue to pray for healing, but also trust God's divine wisdom and we fear not.
With the New Year comes a sense of new beginnings and we decided to make some changes in our lifestyle to bring about health and vitality for the remaining years that God has for us. Owen decided that he wanted to be fit by fifty. His birthday is in May. That gives us 5 months to turn our world around. I will use this blog to record our progress, and share the ideas and thoughts that we have regarding what we are doing.
Owen is 5'10'', he weighs 204 pounds. The widest part of his stomach measures at 41 inches. He has to use a CPAP machine at night to keep from suffocating. He has chronic nasal and sinus issues and is allergic to grasses, dust and some animals. He has skin conditions and failing eyesight and hearing loss. Seems like a pretty long list for such a young guy. We are going to change our diet, add daily exercise and massage therapy in an effort to decrease or eliminate all the issues listed above.
How do we plan to do this? After much thought and prayer I am putting us on a whole foods diet. The idea to this eating lifestyle is to eat only things that occur naturally and to keep all foods in their simplest forms. I believe that God knew what he was doing when He designed this earth as a place to sustain us. It's only when we take things into our own hands that we suffer the consequences. That's a no brainer. More on that later.
I plan to post our activity on a daily basis and I'm sure that I will develop many threads of adventure that move in and out of my posts. One of the hardest things about starting this blog was knowing where to start from and what adventure to tell first, so we'll start with today and move on from there.
Today was the first day of our new lifestyle. Owen spent that day in the mountains cutting wood and I spent the afternoon reading cookbooks. I dug out a dusty one that read "Wholesome Sugar-free Cooking" by Ray and Malinda Yutzy. I'm not sure where I got it, but I felt kindred to their philosophies and have decided to use their cookbook as a resource for new recipes. This cookbook uses maple syrup (the real stuff), honey and molasses as the sugar sources for their recipes.
It was important to me to use material and recipes that mirror my own funky way of thinking. If I'm going to spend time with an author I'd better feel a kindred spirit or I waste too much time mentally sorting through our differences. I'm a critical thinker and passionate about my beliefs, so I find it hard not to spend time defending my platform, even to the writer of a cookbook. Too much mental noise! lol But I think Ray and Malinda and I will get along just fine ;)
I picked the whole foods lifestyle because Parkinson's is a disease caused by too much toxins. It's degenerative. It's a disease of the body killing itself. So, it would make sense to start with detoxing the body. I know there are a lot of detox remedies, but we will choose the gentle approach and just make a vector change; believing that the body will do what it was designed to do; heal itself instead of kill itself. Are we too late? I don't believe so, but time will tell.
We had tuna sandwiches with apple cut up in it on whole wheat bread, organic bananas, and wild-game jerky for lunch. We followed it with pork stew for dinner. The pork was raised here on our farm and the stew had organic carrots, organic potatoes and organic onion and spices. We made biscuits with white flour just to use it up, but white flour will disappear from our home for good. We put butter and raw honey on the biscuits and they were yummy.
I read this evening about the value of partially germinated grains for bread. This is the process of sprouting the grain slightly before using it for flour. I'm soaking my grain in jars and will rinse and dry it in the morning. When it's completely dry I will grind it and make it into a loaf of bread. I'm excited to try this.
Owen was making cheese while I have been blogging and it's fabulous. He made it from raw milk that he took from our Jersey cow "Clabber" this evening. Healthy eating? Must have a cow or access to whole, raw, cow or goat milk. Back to nature baby!!
We have both a cow and goats. I have a sensitivity to cow milk so I milk my goats and make cheese, butter, etc. from goat as well as cow dairy. Owen milks and cares for the cow. You can find a good dairy cow at a dairy auction. We prefer Jerseys. It's best to get them "fresh"; that means they are producing milk; so the cow is used to being handled and will act nice for you. If cows scare you, goats are a great choice. They are small and easy to handle and milk. I prefer the Alpine or LaMancha breeds over the Nubian. I've owned all with my favorite being the Alpine.
We have four daughters, ages 13-18 and they are a bit skeptical of mom and dad's new plan, but they are gracious and I hope to show them what good food choices can do.
Until next time...
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